Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I wish to honor a man who has done so much for Montana. Bill Johnstone, a native Montanan, graduate of Montana State University, and retiring chairman of D.A. Davidson, has dedicated his life to improving Montana.

His work at D.A. Davidson has helped countless Montanans financially prepare for the future. Whether it is helping Montana families plan for retirement, small business owners strategize about the future, or municipalities meet their financial needs, Bill has been there for them, but Bill's good work expanded beyond the private sector. While running a thriving company that employs more than 1,300 employees, hundreds of them Montanans, Bill has always invested his time and resources in Montana. He serves as a member of the board of regents to the Montana University system and has spent years improving schools across Montana.

Bill has also served on the International Heart Institute in Missoula and as the chairman of the Great Falls Public Schools Foundation, helping to raise funds for our public schools. His dedication to his company, his family, and his community makes Bill a model Montanan.

Helping move Montana forward is a common theme in Bill's family, his father, William A. Johnstone, served the education community for nearly 30 years and retired as acting president of Montana State University. It is clear Bill has instilled hard work and public service in his children as well. His son Anthony is an associate professor of law at the University of Montana and former solicitor general of the State of Montana and his son Jesse is the founder and president of a digital marketing agency in New York.

As Bill retires, his legacy at D.A. Davidson will live on and his lasting impact on Montana as a whole will continue to grow. Thanks for the 17 years at D.A. Davidson, Bill, and for your service to Montana. I wish you, your wife, Andrea, and your kids Anthony and Jesse nothing but the best in retirement.

Mr. President, today I want to honor the service of two outstanding individuals who have dedicated their careers to serving the American people.

Cathy Glenn and Dave Ahart have worked for nearly 30 years in the Senate, many of which have been behind the scenes in the Senate Recording Studio, ensuring that the public had access to their elected leaders.

Every day, Cathy and Dave showed up to work early and sometimes stayed so late that they kept a cot tucked away in the corner of their studio.

Together these two never missed a beat as they ran back and forth between soundboards, helping Senators from both parties connect with folks back home and communicate the latest happenings from the Nation's Capital.

Cathy and Dave worked as a team. This body could certainly learn a thing or two from them.

They conducted their careers with professionalism and selfless service,

going above and beyond to make our jobs easier.

Cathy and Dave exemplify what it means to serve. While civil service can be a thankless profession, these two worked hard with grace and always with a smile on their faces.

I can't imagine what the Senate Recording Studio will be like without them, but it is only fitting that Cathy and Dave ride into the sunset together.

Although many of us in the Senate are sad to see them trade in their headphones for baseball caps and spend their afternoons watching ``Veep'' instead of committee hearings, we wish them both the very best in a well-deserved retirement.

Today I want the Record to show that Cathy Glenn and Dave Ahart made the Senate a better place, and I join all of the Senators and staff to thank them for their incredible service.

Mr. President, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the floor.

The images and stories we have witnessed in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are devastating. I want to thank every American and every Montanan who has pitched in,

who has volunteered, who has donated to help the recovery efforts in Texas and Florida.

I rise today to remind the country there is another devastating and ongoing natural disaster that is impacting thousands of families, costing taxpayers billions of dollars, and draining local economies. As the eyes of the Nation were on Florida this weekend--and rightfully so--Montana wildfires consumed another 150,000 acres.

To date, we have seen over 1.1 million acres burned in Montana this summer. This is more than three times the 10-year average and nearly the size of the State of Delaware. The impact is widespread.

The wildfires have burned farming and grazing land that is used to help feed this country and valuable timber that sustains good jobs in mills across the State. The 1.1 million acres we lost includes world- class hunting, fishing, and hiking land, where families can escape and grandparents can take their grandkids to their favorite fishing hole. The fires have consumed favorite hiking trails and public access sites that help drive our outdoor economy in our State, which sustains over 70,000 jobs a year in Montana alone. The smoke from these fires has put our health at risk--the health of our kids and our neighbors exposed to the smoke that covers the State of Montana.

In addition to burning nearly 2,000 square miles, these fires are burning a hole in our budget. As of this morning, taxpayers have paid nearly $350 million to fight the wildfires of Montana alone. Across the West, that number is well over $2 billion. To make matters worse, the Forest Service is borrowing $300 million from other accounts to help fight wildfires. The Forest Service is forced to rob Peter to pay Paul--money that should be used to prevent fire seasons, maintain and improve forest trails and roads, research and development for better forest management policies, and to fund the work that must get done to make our forests more resilient--I am talking about thinning, cutting, removing debris. The Forest Service is also spending money that should be used to mitigate wildfire risk to fight fire.

Yes, you heard me correctly. We have again entered into a vicious cycle, where we take money from wildfire mitigation and the preparedness accounts in order to pay for the fighting of wildfires that exist today. Each year, we spend more money to fight wildfires, which leaves less money to prevent wildfires. Now, this is nothing new. Fire borrowing is a trend we have seen for the last 20 years. With each passing year, as fire seasons get longer and more intense, our fire borrowing practice leaves an entire agency with almost no budget certainty or flexibility to complete its core mission. Congress has already paid the Forest Service more than 300 million additional dollars to fight fire, but I think we are going to blow well past that number. That might be enough for Montana alone, but we also need to be able to help the firefighters in California, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and across the West.

In the meantime, forest management on the ground is hamstrung, and we have no long-term fix for this problem. As a result, we are investing less in active forest management, which then leaves our forests even more vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires. Frankly, the Forest Service is becoming a firefighting agency, not a forest management agency.

When the fire season ends, our restorative work begins but only if there is money in the bank to do that restorative work. I am concerned that without immediate action from Congress, the Forest Service's hollowed-out budget will not provide adequate resources to restore streams and prepare for spring runoffs. If the Forest Service budget leaves Forest Service employees handcuffed this fall, our clean water, along with our blue-ribbon trout streams, will be put at risk, but that isn't all. The impact of this fire season has been felt far beyond our forests.

This devastating fire season has undercut Montana's employees and put jobs at risk. I have heard from small business owners who have seen their bottom line slashed during this fire season. A bad fire launches a ripple effect in the region that results in empty booths at the family restaurants and vacant rooms at local motels.

Wildfires have left our air quality so hazardous that school recesses have been canceled, high school football and soccer games have been moved hundreds of miles away, and folks wear breathing masks when they go pick up their mail.

Farmers and ranchers have lost infrastructure to fire, and extreme drought transformed a very promising spring into an underwhelming harvest. These impacts are real, and unfortunately they are not temporary. Folks in Montana will be dealing with the impacts of this recordbreaking fire season for many months and, in some cases, many years to come.

As Congress works again to get Florida and Texas the help they deserve, I am here to ensure that Montanans get the resources they need too. Here is what this Senate and Congress must do.

The Forest Service must be fully reimbursed for every dime they remove from maintenance, mitigation, and restoration accounts to fight wildfires. To repeat, the Forest Service must be fully reimbursed for every dime that was removed from maintenance, mitigation, and restoration accounts to fight wildfires. Why? We cannot leave the Forest Service with a hollowed-out budget. It is critical they have the resources they need to help communities recover from catastrophic wildfires. The Forest Service must have the tools to go through a public process so we can cut more trees and remove the dead and dying debris that fueled these fires.

Congress must pass legislation to end the broken way we fund wildfires so we can treat wildfire funding just like the natural disaster it is.

The third thing is, every small business and family farm or ranch in Montana that has suffered loss related to wildfires must have urgent access to the available resources at the Small Business Administration and at the USDA. I have personally contacted the administration to ensure that resources remain available for Montanans because our needs don't end after the wildfires are put out.

The fourth thing is, the Senate must fast-track legislation that provides local governments the additional resources and mitigation efforts they need to recover from these wildfires. I am working on a bill with other western Senators to ensure States like Montana and other States impacted by devastating wildfires have access to adequate recovery resources.

Finally, after a month of recordbreaking hurricanes and historic drought and wildfires, it is long past time for the Senate to have an honest debate about climate change. Back home in Montana, we are in the middle of September and there are still 21 priority fires burning and there are still many Montanans who need help.

So over the coming weeks and months, as we take steps to recover from other natural disasters around the country, we need to work together to not only help those in desperate need but also move forward with long- term solutions, solutions that will help us deal with the catastrophes, whether it is floods, hurricanes, droughts, or wildfires. If we are able to work together and get that done, we will indeed have done our job in the U.S. Senate.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, today I rise to talk about a different natural disaster. It is happening in the great State of Montana, and every corner of our State of Montana has felt the impacts of wildfires.

In Montana, we are experiencing a historic drought. As you can see from the map, the red indicates it is very severe, and it gets less from there. But the fact is, there is a large portion of land along our northern tier that is experiencing incredible drought, and Montana is in the middle of it all. Nearly all of our great State is under historic drought conditions.

With dry grass, high winds, and dry lightning storms, it is no wonder that currently in our State we have nearly 30 high-priority fires raging as I speak today. Just last week, we had over 40 new fires spark in Montana. That isn't counting the ones that are currently in existence; there are over 40 new ones.

Over the last month, I went across my State and saw with my own eyes the fires across Montana. All Montanans are dealing with smoke-filled air, often in highly hazardous conditions. You can see here the chart of the smoke. It has been incredibly debilitating, quite frankly.

I have heard stories of ranchers in eastern Montana--in fact, I am talking about the eastern two-thirds of Montana--who took the shoes off their horses for fear that the metal clicking on rocks might spark and light up dry grass.

Hikers in Glacier National Park frantically parked their cars and fled due to evacuation notices.

Families in Whitehall, MT, left their homes with keepsakes and the sprinklers on the roof, just in case the fires crept closer to the only homes they have ever known.

Children in Seeley Lake, a little town in western Montana, saw their first day of school canceled due to fire danger. I might add that the smoke was incredible in Seeley Lake and has been for about the last month.

More than 900,000 acres across Montana have already burned. To put that in context, the State of Rhode Island is about 777,000 square miles. More than 900,000 acres in Montana have already burned. One fire alone--the Lodgepole Complex--burned 270,000 acres. That is larger than the city of New York. As I stand here today, more than 600,000 acres continue to burn. There are active fires on 600,000 acres. Firefighters have spent $220 million to try to get a handle in Montana alone.

Nationwide, we have seen a 70-percent increase in acres burned this year than last year, when the Federal Government spent $1.9 billion fighting fires. Let me put that in perspective. We have 70 percent more fires burning this year than last year, and last year we spent $1.9 billion fighting fires. The bill is going to be huge this year.

In Montana, we have tragically lost two brave firefighters--Trenton Johnson and Brent Witham. These two young men selflessly and courageously put their lives on the line protecting our great State.

We have seen pastures burn, fences turn to ashes, and structures crumble before our eyes. In fact, the Glacier National Park's Sperry Chalet, a hotel that was built way back in 1913, was engulfed in flames and destroyed. It hopefully will be rebuilt, but the truth is, you do not rebuild a chalet that was built in 1913. It is gone. The historic Lake McDonald Lodge, a cornerstone of Glacier National Park, stands in the path of the flames.

Montana's forests, our national parks, our agriculture industry-- these are all backbones of our economy in Montana. As these fires rage, Montana feels that economic impact. Tourists stay home, ranchers lose grazing land, cattle that survive the fire go hungry, river guides stay off the smoky water, and Montana's economy suffers.

Montana has been fortunate to have many brave men and women working together to fight these fires. Folks have collaborated at all levels of government to try to fight Mother Nature, but we all know that Mother Nature bats last.

Whether it is the floods in Houston or Hurricane Irma, which is threatening Florida, the wildfires across the West, or extreme drought in the Plains, we cannot deny that our climate is changing. Over the past 10 years, we have seen hundred-year storms every few years. We have seen hurricanes repeatedly besiege the gulf and east coast. Historic droughts are becoming common, and water shortages are routine. Unprecedented disasters are becoming the new normal, and it is putting a strain on our government, on our economy, and on our citizens.

Climate change is real, and we can't continue to sit in silence. We have to take proactive steps to keep it at bay. It is costing taxpayers, it is altering our way of life, and our economy is suffering in the process.

Since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, we have spent more than $100 billion in supplemental disaster relief. Let me say that again. Since Hurricane Sandy back in 2012--not that long ago--we have spent more than $100 billion in supplemental disaster relief. That is $100 billion in addition to what Congress has budgeted for disaster relief. That is $100 billion we could be spending serving our veterans or improving our schools or building bridges and roads or paying down this Nation's debt.

But as our climate changes before our eyes, Congress continues to bury its head in the sand. We are left mortgaging our children's future to pay for disaster relief today. Look at the money we are going to spend on wildfires this year. Look at the funding we are going to be sending to Texas and Louisiana. I will state that I am all for sending help to those folks. I will be making sure the folks in this body understand that we also have to give resources to folks along the northern tier, especially Montana, because fighting fire is expensive and dangerous, and drought has dramatic impacts on our agricultural economy.

I am very thankful that we have folks like this gentleman pictured on the frontlines fighting fires, trying to direct Mother Nature in those fires in a way that they will do the least amount of damage.

We have heard a lot about the good folks and heroic folks down in Houston. We have seen the generosity, the heroism, the fighting spirit of Texans. Well, as I have traveled around Montana, I saw that same kind of heroism. I saw young men and women from across the country spending their summers fighting fires in our forests and across our Plains. I saw communities coming together and opening up their doors and sending aid from across the State. I saw seamless collaboration between Federal, State, Tribal, and county agencies to mitigate the damages across our State.

We are seeing natural disasters across this country. This isn't a contest or comparison of devastation and misery; it is a testament to the American spirit. No matter what Mother Nature throws our way, we are going to need to work together to overcome it. Saving lives and property when disaster strikes is a fundamental pillar of government. It is not a Democratic or Republican issue, it is an American responsibility.

The country's faith in Washington, DC, is at an alltime low, but I am confident that we can work together to ensure the victims of Harvey get the relief they need and that the States that

are burning and impacted by drought, such as Montana, have the resources they need to protect our citizens, our economy, and our way of life.

As Congress works to get resources to the folks devastated by Harvey, I hope we can all take a page out of the American people's book and work together to get resources not only to the folks devastated by Harvey but the folks in Montana and the folks across the West who have been impacted so greatly by drought and wildfires.

I am asking for each and every one of the folks who serve in this body to look at the photos and stand with the people of Montana as they fight for blue skies and fresh air once again. We need the resources. We do not need a delay. We need to send them quickly because lives and property and a thriving outdoor economy are at risk.

In the meantime, I ask for your prayers for all of the folks who have been impacted by disasters, including the folks from the Treasure State, as we endure the drought and these terrible fires.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I want to thank Chairman Isakson for his work on the VA Committee. We have gotten a lot of work done the first part of this Congress because we communicated. We haven't put up artificial barriers. We sat down and all realized taking care of our veterans is the cost of war. We need to do it and live up to the promises of these folks when they signed up. We have done pretty good work.

It is not only Johnny. It is not only myself. It is also the people who have served on that committee, many in the Chamber right now. I want to thank them for their commitment to making sure we live up to the promises we made our veterans, but it is about working together. It is about talking to folks. It is about compromise. It is about not digging in but moving together. This is a great country, and it was built by people working together.

The VA Committee is a prime example of people working together. We set aside our differences. We listened to the veterans service organizations. We let them drive the bus, to an extent. We worked with Secretary Shulkin and other leaders within the VA. We have been transparent. We have been honest when we disagreed. We haven't embarrassed one another. Quite frankly, this is the way it can work in this body when we start from a point of agreement rather than disagreement.

We have two bills already signed into law: an accountability bill, which holds VA employees accountable to the veterans, fires bad employees, protects whistleblowers; and the Veterans Choice Improvement Act, which makes VA the prime payer and reduces out-of-pocket expenses for veterans. Then, the bills passed last night to take care of the disability appeals, some 470,000--we are going to expedite that process and bring it down from 3 years to 1 year.

The VA will do that. We will give them the tools to do that. It will simplify it and cut the redtape.

Veterans Choice funding is a fix to allow the private sector to fill in the gaps where the VA can't provide healthcare. It will help recruit and retain more doctors and nurses, critically important, and it expands the capacity in the VA, which is critically important.

Then there is the ``Forever'' GI bill which eliminates the 15-year limit. It breaks down educational barriers and helps veterans transition into civilian life.

We have done some good work. We have done some good work for this body. We have done some good work, more importantly, for the veterans, and we need to continue on that line as we continue to address healthcare and we continue to address important issues like tax reform. It is about working together. It is about finding common ground. It is about taking everybody's opinion into context and then drafting up bills.

Chairman Isakson and I have done that, and we are going to continue to do that. We have some more tough issues to deal with over the next year and a half, but we are going to work together to make sure we do it and we do it right. With help from the committee and help from the Senate, we could have more successes.

I thank the chairman of the committee and thank you, Mr. President.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the Vietnam Veterans of America and the work Mr. John Burgess and the local Flathead Valley chapter has done on behalf of his fellow veterans of the Vietnam war.

During that war, more than 2.5 million Americans fought bravely in service to their country. While more than 58,000 of those men and women gave the ultimate sacrifice, many more endured and are still here with us today. However, it has not been an easy road for these veterans. For far too long, veterans of the Vietnam war have received neither the recognition nor the benefits that they truly deserved.

As ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, it has been my honor to fight for legislation that rectifies this oversight like the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act that would allow veterans who served in the waters offshore during the Vietnam war to also be eligible for service-connected disability benefits as a result of agent orange exposure. I have also proudly sponsored the Toxic Exposure Research Act which increases research into the health conditions of descendants of veterans who were exposed to toxins during their military service, particularly those exposed to the herbicide agent orange during the Vietnam war.

Honoring these veterans takes more than just legislation; it takes dedicated

people who are committed to telling their stories and honoring those who have served. The local northwest Montana chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America in the Flathead Valley, which now has more than 100 members, has been an important partner working to ensure veterans who fought in the Vietnam war are receiving the care, honor, and distinction they have earned.

The Vietnam Veterans of America has become an invaluable part of the community, hosting bingo events at the Montana veterans home, providing residents and staff with an annual picnic, helping with many ceremonies, and working with the Flathead Valley Community College Veterans with a scholarship for veteran students.

John Burgess and the northwest Montana chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America are carrying on this legacy of service September 7 to 10 with the arrival of the traveling Vietnam veterans memorial wall in Kalispell. Through ``Bringing the Wall that Heals,'' countless Vietnam veterans and their families with be presented with an opportunity to find peace and closure while honoring those we have lost in service. This special event helps mark the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

On Veterans Day of 1996, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund unveiled a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, designed to travel to communities throughout the United States. Since its dedication, the ``Wall That Heals'' has visited more than 400 cities and towns throughout the Nation, spreading the memorial's healing legacy to millions.

To John, the northwest Montana chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America and all those who dedicated their lives to this country in service, on behalf of myself, Montana, and our Nation, I extend my greatest thanks for your enduring bravery, service, and self- sacrifice.

Mr. President, it has been an amazing process. I have been here a little over 10 years, and I have never seen anything like this.

We voted cloture a few days ago to move to debate. Nothing. Now we have a bill here today that as Senator Murphy has already pointed out, will rip healthcare away from millions of people, increase premiums by 20 percent a year, and basically solve none of the problems that are out there that need to be solved that affect Americans every day, especially rural Americans.

I must thank the Senator from Washington, Mrs. Murray, for the motion to take this back to committee. This is where we should have started. We should have started in the committee process like our forefathers had designed this place to work, the greatest deliberative body in the world, but it didn't. Every bill has been drafted by a select few in a backroom, with no input from anybody, especially people from rural America. So it is really time, folks, to open this process up.

As I have gone around the State of Montana--and I have for the last 8 months--talking to folks about healthcare in rural America, they are very nervous. I am going to tell you something. If people cannot pay their bills because they don't have health insurance or they don't have the money, it is going to put these small hospitals at risk, these rural hospitals at risk.

I will tell you a little bit about the town I grew up in. This is a town where my grandparents homesteaded over 100 years ago. From the time of the homestead era until the midsixties, they didn't have a hospital. Their hospital was the top floor of a place that sold dry goods. In the midsixties, they finally scratched up enough money, and they built a hospital.

Big Sandy is not near as big today as it was back then. I am going to tell you, the hospital administrators from these small hospitals, the folks in the Montana Hospital Association have told me that if charity care goes up, they could close and at a bare minimum change their method of delivery for healthcare.

What does that do to a small town? Oftentimes, the hospital is the largest employer in that town. They usually fight with the school district for that honor. You take the hospital out, you take the heart and soul out of that community.

You want to see a mass exodus from rural America, even bigger than it has been over the last 50 years? Pass this bill. Pass this bill.

This isn't about numbers, and it isn't about words; it is about people. Big Sandy is not unique. Every rural town in the State of Montana that has a hospital is in that position. It is the same thing in Wyoming. It is the same thing in North and South Dakota. It is probably the same thing in more urban States that have rural areas, where these small hospitals will be put at risk of closure. It is not right.

I am going to tell you that if we follow the process that should be followed in this great body, we would take this healthcare bill and put it back in committee, have a debate, listen to ideas from everybody, rural and urban alike--farmers and ranchers, businesspeople, healthcare professionals, families, doctors, nurses--and we could come up with a bill that could work for this country. But that is simply not the case here tonight, and we should not be proud of this at all.

Our forefathers set up a great system that can work, and the majority has chosen to ignore that system. It is a disgrace to the Senate.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I intend to offer the following motion to H.R. 1628 and I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record. The motion is supported by Senators King, Heinrich, Baldwin, Bennet, Brown, Cantwell, Carper, Coons, Donnelly, Feinstein, Franken, Harris, Heitkamp, Klobuchar, Leahy, Manchin, McCaskill, Shaheen, Stabenow, Udall, Van Hollen, and Warren.

Madam President, it has been a long, hot, dry summer in Montana. That is why I rise today to honor the brave men and women in Montana who are fighting wildfires throughout our great State, the families who are facing devastating losses due to drought and fire, and to call on Congress to do their job and help these folks.

Due to the drought and high temperatures, Montana has turned into a tinderbox. Unfortunately, fires have sparked all across our State, some 24 of them--which changes by the hour, I might add. Across Montana, over one-quarter million acres have already burned, and many of these fires continue to rage. Montana is burning, and our heroic firefighters are protecting lives, our lands, our homes, our way of life.

Madam President, I would be remiss if I didn't mention one firefighter in particular, Missoula's Trenton Johnson. Trenton lost his life last week while he was on the fire line. Trenton's bravery and sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life of Air Force Capt. Robert ``Bob'' Holton, a lifelong resident of Butte, MT, and an intrepid Vietnam veteran.

To Bob's family, on behalf of myself, my fellow Montanans, and my fellow Americans, I would like extend our deepest gratitude for Bob's service to this Nation.

Bob was born on April 8, 1941, in Butte, MT. He graduated from Butte High School in 1959, a talented musician who excelled at the saxophone, clarinet, and piano.

Bob continued his education at the University of Montana, where he earned his pilot's license and served as an outstanding military cadet with the ROTC. Bob went on to marry his high school classmate, Diane Eck, in 1962, and graduated with a business degree in 1965.

Bob proudly served his country during the Vietnam War, flying an F4 Phantom as an interceptor alongside his comrade Maj. William Campbell, a fighter-bomber. Their deployment took them near the border of Laos and Vietnam, where their plane was downed in enemy fire on January 29, 1969.

This disaster sparked a tragic mystery for the Holton family, who have been unable to find the site of the crash, nor fully confirm its outcome. The circumstances gave them no closure and left Bob's family in pain.

Bob's memory has been tirelessly honored, with folks across the U.S. wearing MIA bracelets in recognition of his unfinished story. The National League of Families and the Air Force have continually supported the Holton family's search for Bill, for which they are endlessly grateful.

Now, 48 years after the crash, Butte's only Vietnam war Missing in Action has been found. Bob's remains have been recovered and will finally be returned to his home State. His life and light will be honored Saturday, July 22, in a ceremonial burial at the Sunset Memorial Park.

For Bob's family, the actions by so many have helped provide closure. On behalf of a grateful Nation, I want to thank them for their hope and continued support for Bob and all of our veterans who are missing in action.

Let us now take a moment to recognize the life of Capt. Robert Holton and the legacy he left behind. We deeply appreciate his service to the American people.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life of Kenneth Engebretson, a lifelong Montanan--born and raised--and a veteran who served in World War II.

To Kenneth's family, on behalf of myself, my fellow Montanans, and my fellow Americans, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for Kenneth's service to this Nation.

Kenneth was born in 1919 to Oliver and Tena Engebretson in South Gildford, MT. He was raised on the family farm that was homesteaded by his parents in 1910. Kenneth graduated from Gildford High School in 1937 and set out from home to explore his country.

After graduation he went to Dalton, MN, to work on his uncle's farm. He enlisted in the Army on October 16, 1941, out of Fergus Falls, MN. He was initially stationed at Fort Sill, OK, and then at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.

Kenneth went on to serve in World War II from 1941 to 1944 in the Philippines and New Guinea. While deployed, Kenneth contracted malaria and was hospitalized. As a result of the illness, Kenneth was discharged in November of 1945 and immediately returned to the Havre area to help on the family farm in Gildford, MT. He remained on the farm to raise a family of his own.

He was proudly involved in the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization and remained an active member until his passing on October 10, 1993. Kenneth left behind a deeply appreciative and loving family, and his memory is preserved in the living history of the Engebretson family farm.

Let us now take a moment to recognize the life of Kenneth Engebretson and the legacy he left behind. We deeply appreciate his service to the American people.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the Billings Public Library for promoting a center of reading and learning for folks in Montana.

The Billings Public Library was established in 1901 and was named for Parmly Billings, the only member of the founding Billings family to reside in the city.

More than 100 years later, the 200,000-volume library has grown and expanded, entrenching itself deeply in the fabric of the Billings community. It has grown from one location to two and now has two mobile components to increase the number of people with access to the library's resources.

The Billings Public Library as an institution has also been tirelessly dedicated to Montana historical preservation through its ``Montana Collection,'' which has collected historical information about Montana since 1902.

Beyond providing families in Billings with access to information through books and computers, the Billings Public Library has provided residents with the opportunity to make their voice heard and participate in countless townhall meetings and listening sessions, including many on topics ranging from the future of our public lands to the quality of care at the VA.

The library will celebrate its 116th anniversary in August 2017, making it one of Montana's oldest and most cherished learning spaces. The Billings Public Library has had a profound impact on the city of Billings and is a true example of fine service to the Montana people.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, we are about to embark on something that is pretty amazing to me. Next week, I am told, we are going to take up the Senate healthcare bill that is going to be the first cousin of the House bill. There are a lot of things that are referred to as putting lipstick on a pig, but this is truly putting lipstick on a pig, where we are going to take healthcare away from millions of Americans.

We might make it a little better by extending some Medicare or Medicaid monies, but in the end that will go away. We will potentially set up some high-risk pools for people with preexisting conditions. I will tell you, from my time in the State legislature when we dealt with high-risk pools, that gives access to healthcare for the rich folks.

In essence, what we are going to do next week, because some folks in this body forgot to read the Affordable Care Act when it came up, is we are going to repeal it and we are going to replace it with a piece of garbage.

Today I rise on behalf of the 48 rural and frontier hospitals in Montana--48 rural and frontier hospitals that are the backbone of our State.

I rise for the 77,000 hard-working Montanans who now have healthcare because of Medicaid expansion, and the 41,000 jobs of our State of 1 million people sustained by our healthcare industry today.

I rise on behalf of every Montanan who deserves to know what is going on in Washington, DC. What is going on back there? Are you guys really talking about jerking my healthcare away from me? Are you guys actually talking about taking something up that is really not going to do much for the 30 million Americans getting pounded by high premiums and high deductibles? Are you doing this to give the top one-tenth of 1 percent of the Americans in this country a tax break?

Right now, the Senate majority in this body is playing Russian roulette with people's lives. A handful of Washington politicians are crafting a secret healthcare bill in a smoke-filled room, probably a little whiskey is involved, a few steaks. They are crafting a bill that will impact every man, woman, and child in this country.

I heard earlier today, they said these meetings were open. It would be nice to know where they are. I would love to go in and give my two bits on what rural America feels about how we need to move forward with healthcare in this country. This is a problem that is not going away unless we address it in a commonsense way.

So they are crafting this bill in secret. We don't know what is in it, but we have indication it is going to be very similar--a first cousin--to the American Health Care Act passed in the House so we should be deeply concerned. This is irresponsible legislation that jeopardizes healthcare for over 250,000 Montanans, denying coverage to over 150,000 Montanans who have a preexisting condition like cancer, heart disease, even high blood pressure, and, quite frankly, would put many of our rural hospitals at risk--at risk of closure; at the very best, changing the methods by which they deliver healthcare to these rural communities, by the way, that are hanging on by

their fingernails. This House bill is creating uncertainty in Montana, it is creating uncertainty across this Nation, it will fundamentally change our lives forever, and I do not believe it will be for the better.

My office has received over 3,600 pieces of correspondence related to the American Health Care Act. Many Montanans are terrified of the implications of this horrible bill. As elected officials, we are obligated to answer the tough questions, defend our positions, and advocate for our constituents. That is not what is happening here. As a result, the Senate, through their secret meetings and through a potential rushed-through healthcare bill next week--and I see no reason why it will not be--we are not doing right by our constituents.

The process and this bill are a disservice to folks like Julie Williams from smalltown Montana--Shepherd, MT. Julie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, MS, in 2011, 5 months before the Supreme Court was set to make their decision on the Affordable Care Act. She spent those 5 months terrified that she was in for a constant fight with insurance companies over coverage, but the Supreme Court upheld the ACA, and Julie has insurance and doesn't have to worry about being denied coverage if she moves, changes jobs, or--God forbid--becomes unemployed because she now has a preexisting condition. Julie also doesn't have to worry about insurance companies cutting off her treatments because she happens to hit a lifetime cap, which is a very real concern for a healthy young woman with a disease like MS. She didn't have to worry-- she didn't have to worry until now. If a bill like the American Health Care Act passes, Julie could be charged more because of her disease. She is unable to afford that coverage. The plan may not pay for the healthcare services she needs.

This legislation is also a disservice to a lady with the same last name, no relation, Jennifer Williams, of East Glacier, MT, one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Thanks to the preventive care provisions in the current healthcare system, Jennifer and her husband have been able to catch a few conditions early and avoid bigger problems in the future. That is going away.

Unfortunately, their premiums are rising. Congress needs to address that problem head on. I couldn't agree more. This bill that passed from the House doesn't do that. It will send folks like Julie and 250,000 Montanans on Medicaid out into the cold, no access to affordable care, jack up the cost of healthcare for folks with health insurance, and jack up the cost of healthcare for folks in their fifties and sixties. We can and should be working together to lower those costs for folks like Jennifer, Julie, and other Montana families. Instead, we are here scoring political points--or trying to--upending all the good things in the ACA and the current healthcare system. Instead, we should be working together in Congress. The Senate should be working together-- not in some back room but right here on the floor--to lower premiums, copays, and deductibles, while increasing access to lifesaving medical care.

Look, we have said it before, we will say it again: The Affordable Care Act isn't perfect, but it has a lot of good things. Let's fix the things wrong with it and keep the progress we have made, but instead, we hear in Washington, particularly the Republican majority, is creating chaos in the marketplace and driving costs up. This chaos is putting our rural hospitals and community health centers at risk. That is not just the statement. That is a statement of fact.

Every day, folks in rural communities rely on their local hospitals, clinics, everything from basic checkup to emergency treatments. Thanks to Medicaid expansion, in Montana, these hospitals and community health centers have seen a reduction in charity care, and they have been able to keep their doors open, but the American Health Care Act puts those funds at risk and puts these frontier medical centers on the chopping block. These medical professionals are sworn by oath to provide healthcare for folks. If Medicaid expansion goes away, the hospital will be forced to absorb those costs.

Over the last 10 months, I have held over a dozen listening sessions, eyeball-to-eyeball listening sessions with Montanans. We are going to be holding some more. The sessions have been over health. I have heard one thing loud and clear from people: If Medicaid expansion goes away, these rural frontier hospitals will have to fundamentally change how they deliver healthcare or they may be forced to shut down altogether. These hospitals operate on razor-thin margins, and they cannot afford to see these funds disappear.

Take my hometown, Big Sandy, MT. Back in 1910, my grandfather came out, took a look around, saw grass as tall as the belly on a horse, and said: ``This is where we are going to homestead.'' He went back and got my grandmother. The farm that Sharla and I farm today was started, patented back in 1915. They worked together with their neighbors, the homesteaders of that area. They built barns, they built businesses, but it took them 50 years to build a hospital. In the mid-1960s, a hospital was finally built in Big Sandy, MT--50 years of people working together to get that hospital built.

I am going to tell you, if we don't do smart things in this body, if we take steps backward and not very many--and this bill I have seen from the House is horrible, and I don't think the bill in the Senate is going to be much better because it is a low bar. Hospitals like the hospital in Big Sandy will go away. I am going to tell you something, when that hospital goes away, Big Sandy goes away. Rural America goes away.

Big Sandy is just an example of hundreds of small towns in Montana and throughout this country that depend upon rural hospitals for healthcare. Without hospitals, Montana frontier communities will be forced to drive 100 miles to deliver a baby or take an expensive ambulance ride after an accident. People are not going to be able to afford or they are not going to choose to live there because of a lack of healthcare. They are not going to take that risk. They are going to move out of those small towns, and they are going to move to places where they have healthcare. In some cases, families who have lived in those house and on that property for generations will be forced to move. These hospitals just don't keep patients alive, they keep communities alive. The House bill would kill those rural hospitals and would be the death of rural America.

That is not the only uncertainty facing rural America. In Montana, insurance companies filed their proposed rates with the insurance commissioner last year, but these insurers are left without vital information for their proposals. They don't know if this administration will continue the cost-saving reduction payments that help make healthcare more affordable. Insurers have said if these payments go away, consumers will face double-digit rate increases. Montanans deserve to know from their elected officials what kind of impact this action has on premiums, and yet the insurance commissioners are leaving consumers and Montanans in the dark.

Transparency builds a more effective government. Hiding important information from the public is unacceptable at any level of elected official. We live in a country where citizens can hold their government accountable, and the American people make good decisions when they have good information, but right now, a select few in this body are shielding the American public from what is really going on. We hear about a bill that is going to impact one-sixth of the economy, we hear about a piece of legislation that will rip healthcare away from 23 million Americans, we hear about a bill that will take us back to the days when Montanans couldn't afford to get sick, but we haven't seen it.

Families across Montana are sitting at the kitchen table wondering if their healthcare coverage is going to go away. Folks are walking out of the doctors' offices with newfound conditions and wondering: Will I be able to get treatment if something similar to the American Healthcare Act is passed by the Senate? Children are being born prematurely, with asthma and cerebral palsy, and parents are left fearing their son or daughter will never be able to afford insurance.

These families deserve more from Congress. At a bare minimum, they deserve hearings. They deserve a panel of

experts discussing how we can lower premiums, reduce healthcare costs, and put transparency into prescription drugs. They deserve smart action, not political action. They deserve a Congress that will work together to improve the lives of all Americans, not one that works behind closed doors to draft secret legislation that will send shock waves through homes across this country.

Our Founders expected more from this body. Quite frankly, I expected more from this body before I got here. Montanans expect their U.S. Senate to work for them.

I am going to leave you with one story. I was in Butte, MT, at one of my listening sessions. A gentleman was sitting at the table. He was probably 45 years old. He said: You know, I have two kids and I can't work. I have had diabetes since I was a teenager. I have had some issues with mental health for a good portion of my adult life.

He said: I haven't been able to work, haven't been able to support my family, and then the Affordable Care Act came along, and the State of Montana was wise enough to pass Medicaid expansion. I was able to go to a doctor. I was able to get my diabetes handled because of Medicaid expansion. I was able to see a psychologist and get my mental health issues under control, and I was able to go back to work. I was able to support my family.

He said: And now you guys in Washington, DC, want to take all that away from me.

I will tell you, I will fight like hell to make sure that never happens. And if the majority leader wants to try to ram this down the people's throats, I will spend the rest of my life telling them why and who did what to them.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.