Floor Statements

Madam President, back in 2012 the people of Montana stood up against the influence of corporations and big money in elections. By a 3-to-1 margin, they called on their congressional delegation to introduce a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. That ruling paved the way for more secret money in politics. It allowed corporations to make contributions to political campaigns on the grounds that corporations should have the same right to freedom of speech as any individual.

In response to the overwhelming vote by the people of Montana, I proudly introduced this amendment, which affirms what we all know: Corporations are not people, and they do not have the same rights as you or I.

Two years later Americans are realizing that Montanans were pretty forward-looking. That is because in Montana we value independence. We value our individual rights. And we don't think a faceless entity should be able to tell us what to do. We don't like it when secretive, shadowy groups try to tell us how to vote, and we don't like it when corporations dictate our health care decisions. But that is exactly what happened with last week's Hobby Lobby decision. The Supreme Court decided corporations can limit their employees' health care options, thereby restricting our individual freedoms. That is un-American. Affording corporations the same constitutional rights to speech--and now to religion--that Montanans and all American people cherish is the exact opposite of what our Founding Fathers envisioned. This is not freedom. It is a slippery slope to granting large corporations greater power over everyday Americans' lives.

With the Hobby Lobby decision, the Supreme Court found that corporations can hold religious-based objections to providing insurance coverage for certain medical care. The corporations do not have religions; people do. The First Amendment was meant to protect individuals' religious freedoms, not those of corporations. Now, the religious beliefs of corporations will dictate the health care options of people. It starts with contraceptive care, but where does it end?

It is clear that the Supreme Court is putting the rights of corporations over the rights of people. So much for treating all Americans equally. If you are a corporation with money, you could influence our elections to a far greater extent than ever before. Now, if you have a corporation, you can influence our access to health care too.

Justice Ginsburg said in her dissent:

The decision would deny legions of women who do not hold

their employers' beliefs access to contraceptive coverage.

Let me say that again. These are Justice Ginsburg's words:

The decision would deny legions of women who do not hold

their employers' beliefs access to contraceptive care.

Where will this end?

Being a woman cannot be a preexisting condition. Contraception is basic health care, and 99 percent of American women currently use or have used birth control at some point in their lives. But now a manless, faceless corporation can stand between women and their access to this basic care, all because an activist Supreme Court thinks corporations have the same rights as people.

This Supreme Court continues to redefine individual rights as corporate rights: freedom of speech, freedom of religion. We have to ask ourselves, where will this end? It seems as if anything is possible when it comes to this Supreme Court, where five men can determine a woman's health care. But it doesn't need to be this way. My constitutional amendment makes it 100 percent clear that the rights enshrined in our Constitution are meant for the American people--real folks who work day in and day out to put food on the table--not corporate entities.

My amendment also allows the American people to once again regulate corporations through the representatives they elect in State and Federal government.

I encourage all my colleagues to join me and Senators Murphy, Begich, Walsh, Markey, and Whitehouse in supporting this commonsense step. But it is going to take a comprehensive approach to make sure real people, not corporations, are in charge. Whether it is elections or health care, people should be free to make their own choices without the undue influence of corporate entities.

Montanans voted in 2012 to limit constitutional rights to individual people, but it was 100 years earlier that we also voted to limit corporate influence in elections after wealthy mining companies bought influence and even paid for a U.S. Senate seat. We recognized the negative impact wealthy corporations were having on our electoral process. But this Supreme Court, using its Citizens United decision as justification, overturned our century-old law just 2 years ago, creating the same kind of election-spending free-for-all in Montana that we are witnessing nationwide.

Before the Hobby Lobby decision, the fight against corporate influence was mainly about making sure real people and their ideas were in charge of elections. But now it is no longer just about a democracy; it is about keeping corporations out of our private lives, out of our bedrooms, and out of our religious decisions. It is an even bigger fight now.

If you don't want to find out where corporate influence and the Supreme Court will go next, I would encourage you to join me and fight back with smart, responsible measures that will put real people back in charge of our lives. Our democracy has been under attack before but never to this extent.

Mr. President, I yield the floor. I would suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I rise in support of the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act.

First, I thank Senators Hagan and Murkowski for their leadership in gathering support and getting this bill to the floor.

Nearly half of the Senate is cosponsoring this legislation from every corner of our country. It is truly a national bill, and that is why over 30 groups--from the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Ducks Unlimited to the Dallas Safari Club and many others--support this bill. It is an ambitious proposal that includes dozens of smart ideas from both sides of the aisle. It encourages private investment into fish habitat as well as land and wildlife management.

This bill supports public shooting ranges so more folks have a place to take their kids to teach them how to responsibly handle a firearm, and it protects some of our best places to hunt, fish, and recreate.

Make no mistake, the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act is also a jobs bill, which is something we constantly talk about needing more of around here.

In my State of Montana, outdoor recreation supports tens of thousands of jobs. It is a $6 billion-a-year industry. Nationwide our outdoor economy creates and sustains more than 6 million jobs every single year.

Despite the economic power of public lands to sustain the rural economy, some folks are talking about closing off the land and privatizing it. We cannot let that happen. Instead, we need to pass the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act, which will strengthen our economy as we create more opportunities for folks to continue recreating in our great outdoors. Responsibly enjoying our outdoors is part of our way of life in Montana. In the Big Sky State we are proud hunters, anglers, sports men and women, and that is why it is critical that this bill will open more of our public lands to every law-abiding American who has a right to access them.

In Montana alone, nearly 2 million acres of public land is not easily accessible to folks, and I am proud my colleagues included the making lands public provision that I have pushed for, for years. These lands were set aside for our parents to enjoy, for all of us to enjoy, and ultimately for our children and grandchildren to enjoy. Accessing these lands is our birthright, and this bill delivers on a century-old promise to preserve our outdoor heritage.

By passing this bipartisan legislation, we will help ensure future generations get to experience the natural wonders that were passed down to us.

In the last Congress, the Senate took up a similar package only to see political gamesmanship get in the way. We cannot let that happen again. Millions of sports men and women across this country expect better. The American people deserve better. There is too much in this bill that we agree on to let it fail once again.

Senators Hagan and Murkowski have worked diligently for months to craft a bill that has an incredible amount of support in the Senate, but, most importantly, back home in the States we all represent. Let's pass this bill once and for all.

Madam President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 8, 2014 at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 8, 2014, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Role of Regulation in Shaping Equity Market Structure and Electronic Trading.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet, during the session of the Senate, on July 8, 2014, at 10 a.m., in room SD-430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing entitled ``Falling Through the Cracks: The Challenges of Prevention and Identification in Child Trafficking and Private Re-homing.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 8, 2014, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 8, 2014, at 10:30 a.m., to hold an East Asian and Pacific Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled, ``Combating Forced Labor and Modern-Day Slavery in East Asia and the Pacific.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 8, 2014, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a European Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled, ``Renewed Focus on European Energy Security.''

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 9, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a legislative hearing to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 2442, A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to take certain land and mineral rights on the reservation of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana and other culturally important land into trust for the benefit of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and for other purposes; S. 2465, A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to take into trust 4 parcels of Federal land for the benefit of certain Indian Pueblos in the State of New Mexico; S. 2479, A bill to provide for a land conveyance in the State of Nevada; S. 2480, A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal land to Elko County, Nevada, and to take land into trust for certain Indian tribes, and for other purposes; and S. 2503, A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into the Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch Water Rights Settlement Agreement and the Hualapai Tribe Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Agreement, to provide for the lease of certain land located within Planet Ranch on the Bill Williams River in the State of Arizona to benefit the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and to provide for the settlement of specific water rights claims in the Bill Williams River watershed in the State of Arizona.

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 16, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct an oversight hearing entitled ``Improving the Trust System: Continuing Oversight of the Department of the Interior's Land Buy-Back Program.''

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct an oversight hearing entitled ``Indian Gaming: The Next 25 Years.''

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 30, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct an oversight hearing entitled ``When Catastrophe Strikes: Responses to Natural Disasters in Indian Country.''

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that all time be yielded back.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 25, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct an oversight hearing entitled ``Economic Development: Encouraging Investment in Indian Country.''

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

I ask unanimous consent that the title amendment to H.R. 3230, which is at the desk, be agreed to.

In a moment I am going to ask unanimous consent to go into morning business, and I am going to speak on the veterans bill.

How long am I speaking?

About 7 minutes.

Through the Chair to the Senator from Michigan, it was my understanding that I was going to speak, the Senator would have his colloquy with Senator Inhofe, and then Senator Grassley would speak.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time previously agreed to.

I rise to speak about the care this Nation provides to veterans--care that they have earned, the care that we owe them, the care that we promised them, and the care that we should never stop working to improve.

I joined the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee when I came to the Senate in January of 2007. Soon thereafter I launched a listening tour around the great State of Montana to hear what veterans thought about the health care they receive.

Montana has the second-most veterans per capita. We serve our country at some of the highest rates in the Nation. We are home to a large Native-American population that serves more often than any other minority in this country.

In 2007, the surge in Iraq was in full swing. Veterans had many concerns on their minds. But in rural Montana I heard over and over from the veterans about how the mileage reimbursement that disabled veterans receive to see their doctor at the VA was far too low. In fact, it was at 11 cents a mile, hardly enough to even pay for the gas, much less the tires, the oil, and the automobile itself.

That number matters in a State where folks have to drive a couple hundred miles across the State to see their doctor.

So when I came back to Washington I worked with then-Senator Byrd to raise that reimbursement rate for the first time in decades. Now more veterans can afford to see their doctor, and that is how a representative of government should work--identify a problem, write a bill to fix it, work with colleagues, hear their concerns, and pass a solution into law. That is what we have done here today.

Today's bill is a good bill that gets at some of the VA's most pressing problems. Today's bill addresses many of the transparency, accountability, and access-to-care issues that are plaguing

the VA. By getting rid of incentives to falsify wait times and make it easier to remove bad managers, we will hold more folks accountable for the care veterans receive. By making it easier to hire medical professionals and allowing more veterans to seek care from outside providers, we will reduce the bottleneck that forces veterans to wait too long for care.

I want to be clear about one issue. Once veterans get in the door at the VA, they receive incredibly good health care. As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I continue to travel around Montana to talk to veterans. I speak to veterans' groups around the country as well.

They tell me that VA care is some of the best in the Nation. I have had wives, husbands, daughters, and sons seek me out to tell me what VA is doing right. Additionally, 9 out of 10 veterans report they are happy with the care they receive at the VA. That is important to remember.

It isn't all bad news, but the fact is that while the war in Afghanistan is winding down, and the war in Iraq has come to a close, the struggle for many service men and women continues here at home.

We went to war after 9/11 to fight against terror, to fight for the freedoms that we value in this country, but we didn't think far enough down the road. We didn't think about how we could care for our fighting men and women when they returned from battle.

When I joined the Veterans' Affairs Committee, the VA was starting to recover from years of neglect. In 2007, as Americans fought in the streets of Baghdad, Congress had to pass an emergency budget bill to keep the lights on in the VA. Imagine that--fighting two wars, but we didn't properly fund the department that cares for our troops when they come home.

With better planning and advance appropriations, we have come a long way, but attention spans and new cycles are short.

The bill we passed today is a good start, but it can't be the end of the story. Moving forward, we must make sure that we have all the facts because you can't fix a problem if you don't understand it.

That is why I have already worked with my colleagues to help pass legislation out of committee that will free up more resources for the inspector general's office of the VA to do its job and to make reports from the VA inspector general public and transparent.

The bill also prohibits the payment of bonuses to VA medical directors and senior VA employees until investigations are complete and reforms are made. Our message is clear; that is, that veterans come first.

In the 7 years since I held that first veterans listening session across Montana, since then we have worked with veterans groups to open new veterans centers and community-based out-patient clinics across the State of Montana.

I have helped more veterans get transportation to get to their doctor appointments, and I have helped lead the way to expand the use of telehealth for rural veterans. We did this while working with the VA secretaries from both parties by working across the aisle to write commonsense legislation that meets the needs of veterans and their families. Not only should improving veterans care be an unrelenting focus for this body but it must be a nonpartisan one.

Improving mental health care for veterans is not a partisan issue. Improving veterans' ability to get a good job is not a partisan issue. Making sure that veterans get the care they have earned, the care that we promised them when they signed up to fight should never be a partisan issue.

Let's keep working together to honor the sacrifices made by our fighting men and women, as well as the families who anxiously wait for them back home.

On Saturday morning I will be in Anaconda, MT, kicking off my latest veterans listening tour to get more ideas about how we can improve the services and care for veterans.

I know that many of my colleagues are holding similar sessions in their States, and I look forward to hearing what ideas they bring back so that we can work together to improve veterans health care.

If this bill is the end of this Congress's work on veterans issues, it will be disappointing to me and it will be disappointing to the veterans out there who put their lives on the line to defend our freedom.

We have more work to do, and I hope it doesn't require another crisis to get it done.

I wish to thank Bernie Sanders for his great work on this bill.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct an oversight hearing to receive testimony on `` Indian Education Series: Examining Higher Education for American Indian Students.'' Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a business meeting to consider the following bills: S. 919, A bill to amend the Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act to provide further self- governance by Indian tribes, and for other purposes; S. 1447, A bill to make technical corrections to certain Native American water rights settlements in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes; S. 1574, A bill to amend the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 to facilitate the ability of Indian tribes to integrate the employment, training, and related services from diverse Federal sources, and for other purposes; S. 2041, A bill to repeal the Act of May 31, 1918, and for other purposes; S. 2188, A bill to amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian tribes. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a legislative hearing to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 1948, A bill to promote the academic achievement of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children with the establishment of a Native American language grant program; S. 1998, A bill to amend the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act to reserve funds for American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Tribal College or University adult education and literacy; and S. 2299, A bill to amend the Native American Programs Act of 1974 to reauthorize a provision to ensure the survival and continuing vitality of Native American languages. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Madam President, today I wish to honor Raymond J.W. Schumacher, a veteran of the Second World War.

It is my honor to share the story of Raymond's service, because no veteran's story should ever go unrecognized.

Raymond was born in Leechburg, PA in 1913. In May of 1943, he enlisted with the Army Air Corps. He was assigned to the 8th Air Force, 351st Bombardment Group.

Raymond served as a wing gunner on a B-17 bomber crew. The unit was stationed in England and carried out daytime bombing operations across Western Europe.

The 351st was responsible for crippling attacks to German infrastructure and even supported the Allied landing at Normandy in June of 1944. After the Allies won the war, Raymond left the Army Air Corps as a staff sergeant in September of 1945.

He returned home to Pennsylvania where he and his wife Treva raised their son Raymond II and their daughter Karen. Raymond spent the next several years serving as a guard for First Sterling steel mill. Raymond passed away on July 14, 1964.

Last week, it was my honor to present Raymond and Karen with their father's Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Four Bronze Service Stars.

It was my honor to also present a World War II Victory Medal, an Army Good Conduct Medal, and an Honorable Service Lapel Button World War II.

These decorations are small tokens, but they are powerful symbols of true heroism, sacrifice, and dedication to service.

These medals are presented on behalf of a grateful nation.

Madam President, I wish to honor Jerry Eugene Cooney, a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

It is my honor to share the story of Jerry's service, because no veteran's story should ever go unrecognized.

Jerry was born in Billings, MT in 1946. After graduating from Joliet High School in 1965, Jerry joined the U.S. Navy. He underwent basic training in San Diego before being assigned to the Seabees' 21st Naval Construction Regiment in Davisville, RI. In October of 1966, the Twenty-first went to Da Nang, Vietnam where it constructed a Marine base.

During his tour in Vietnam, Jerry's unit was under constant enemy fire for which he earned a Combat Action Ribbon. Jerry returned to the United States in July of 1967. After a short leave, Jerry joined an advance team to Antarctica in September of 1967 where he spent the summer expanding McMurdo Station.

Following his stop in Antarctica, Jerry spent the remainder of his service as part of a five-man exhibition team tasked with representing the Seabees across the country. Jerry mustered out of Active Duty in September of 1968 and joined the Retired Reserves.

In 1969, Jerry married Lori and together they had two children and six grandchildren. Jerry worked for Montana-Dakota utilities for 35 years before he retired in 2006.

Last month, in the presence of his wife Lori, it was my honor to present Jerry with the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Two Bronze Stars, and Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon.

It was my honor to also present a Combat Action Ribbon, Antarctica Service Medal, and a Discharge Button.

These decorations are small tokens, but they are powerful symbols of true

heroism, sacrifice, and dedication to service.

These medals are presented on behalf of a grateful nation.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct business meeting to consider the following bills: S. 1474, to encourage the State of Alaska to enter into intergovernmental agreements with Indian tribes in the State relating to the enforcement of certain State laws by Indian tribes, to improve the quality of life in rural Alaska, to reduce alcohol and drug abuse, and for other purposes; S. 1603, to reaffirm that certain land has been taken into trust for the benefit of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She- Wish Band of Pottawatami Indians, and for other purposes; S. 1622, to establish the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, and for other purposes; S. 1818, to ratify a water settlement agreement affecting the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and for other purposes; S. 2040, to exchange trust and fee land to resolve land disputes created by the realignment of the Blackfoot River along the boundary of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, and for other purposes; S. 2132, to amend the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self- Determination Act of 2005, and for other purposes; H.R. 2388, to take certain Federal lands located in El Dorado County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, and for other purposes. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

I ask unanimous consent to yield back all time.