Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 372, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4641, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read three times and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn, to then convene for a pro forma session only, with no business being conducted, on Friday, January 12, at 1 p.m., and that following the pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until Tuesday, January 16, at 4:30 p.m.; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the House message to accompany S. 139; further, that the filing deadlines under rule XXII with respect to the cloture motion filed during today's session regarding the House message to accompany S. 139 be at the following times on Tuesday, January 16: 4:45 p.m. for all first-degree amendments and 5:15 p.m. for all second-degree amendments; finally, that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture vote be waived.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to remember and pay tribute to a pioneer of Alaska aviation, Cliff Everts, who passed away in December at the age of 95. One of the greatest compliments you can pay to a longtime Alaskan is to refer to that individual as a pioneer. Yes, Cliff was a pioneer, but that understates the reverence with which he is held in Alaska's aviation community. He is indeed an icon of Alaska aviation.

Place yourself in a remote Alaskan village in the dead of winter. The outdoor temperature is minus 25 degrees, and the village is running short of fuel. Imagine the sound of a fuel plane landing on your village's gravel runway, delivering thousands of gallons of fuel needed to sustain daily life in the bush and power remote work sites. Deliveries such as this make life in rural Alaska possible. This is the legacy of Cliff Everts.

Originally born in New York, Cliff's passion for flying began at a young age. He took his first flight at 12 years old. As a teenager, he delivered newspapers to pay for his flying lessons. Cliff trained on a Taylorcraft, a high-winged, two-seater aircraft, and was soloing within just 6 months.

Later Cliff joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program, supporting wartime efforts during World War II. It was not long thereafter that he made the decision to leave New York, to accept a position flying as a copilot for Alaska Star Airlines in Anchorage. Alaska Star Airlines was a predecessor of today's Alaska Airlines.

Having grown to love Alaska, Everts embraced the pioneer spirit and accepted another position flying for Wien Airlines in Fairbanks. He continued to fly for Wien Airlines for 35 years, logging over 30,000 hours of flight time. His flights carried mail, cargo, and passengers throughout the entire State.

While Cliff Everts was a pilot by trade, he was also a very savvy entrepreneur and was well known for his many business ventures, but he is best known for Everts Air Fuel. Cliff started this business in the 1980s flying a C-46. The C-46 is a World War II era high-altitude, multiengine aircraft. He quickly built the fleet, running his business on the philosophy that providing for the unique needs of Alaskans can be done both efficiently and affordably by Alaskans.

Cliff's son, Robert, began his own aviation business called Everts Air Cargo. Between Everts Air Cargo and Everts Air Fuel, the pair owned 21 airplanes. I understand that there are six C-46 aircraft remaining in revenue service. The Everts enterprises fly four of the six, and that is a testament to how well they treat their equipment. They are also known for treating their people exceptionally well.

Alaska was good to Cliff Everts. Cliff was great to Alaska. In recognition of his achievements, Cliff amassed numerous awards and recognitions. In 2007, Cliff received the Federal Aviation Administration's Master Pilot Award. In 2011, the general aviation side of Fairbanks International Airport, what we call ``East Ramp,'' was dedicated in Cliff's honor. In 2012, the Alaska Air Carriers Association designated Cliff as an ``Aviation Legend.'' Cliff was also inducted into the Alaska Aviation Hall of Fame. He holds the Alaska Aviation Entrepreneur Award. All appropriate recognition for a man best known for these words, ``Flying has been my life, and I can't see joy in doing anything else.''

On Saturday, January 13, Alaskans from all walks of life will come together in Fairbanks to celebrate the life of Cliff Everts. Cliff's friends and admirers will be joined by his wife Betty and their large family. On behalf of my Senate colleagues, let me take this opportunity to share our condolences with Betty and the family and to thank Cliff Everts for his outstanding life of service to aviation and Alaska.

Mr. President, Suellyn Wright Novak of Eagle River, AK, retired from the Air Force with the rank of colonel in 2003 after a distinguished 32-year career in the biomedical field. She was commander of three different medical squadron, a clinical laboratory officer, and leader of the Air Force Blood Program worldwide. She returned home to begin a second career as a professional volunteer. At one time, she held 26 different volunteer positions.

Suellyn's work with the Eagle River Presbyterian Church, the Chugiak/ Eagle River Chamber of Commerce, and the American Heart Association cannot go unmentioned, nor can we ignore her work as a service officer for VFW Post 9785 or the Alaska State Veterans Advisory Council, but Suellyn is best known for her work as the president and executive director of the Alaska Veterans Museum.

Suellyn officially retired from this second career in October, handing the reins over to Mike Waller. In early 2018, the Alaska Veterans Museum will host an event to commemorate her service in January. I want to take a few moments to express my appreciation to Suellyn for her service to our Nation and to those who have served it.

Alaska takes great pride in its standing as the State which hosts more veterans per capita than any other. About 70,000 veterans call Alaska home. It is fitting that Alaska host a museum honoring the service and sacrifice of our veterans. Suellyn is best known for taking the Alaska Veterans Museum from idea to reality. In 2005 she began collecting oral histories of veterans from all conflicts. She took on additional roles as researcher, display designer, fundraiser, grant writer, and membership chair. The museum was virtual at that point. It organized exhibits for the Anchorage Museum, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and the Anchorage libraries, but didn't have a space of its own. It was Suellyn's vision to move the museum from a virtual space to a physical space in downtown Anchorage. She raised funds and worked with realtors to secure a prime affordable location. And once that location was secured, Suellyn recruited a handpicked team to get the museum open in just 11 days. The Alaska Veterans Museum opened on April 17, 2011.

Suellyn staffed the museum during nearly all the hours it was open-- except when she might be in an elementary school classroom presenting as a Continental soldier during the American Revolution or speaking about how those who fought for America's independence survived the battle or when she was coordinating ``Fan Mail'' to the troops. The Alaska Veterans Museum, I am told, sends more fan mail to troops than any other small organization in the United States. Suellyn's impact in recognizing and supporting our veterans and Active-Duty servicemembers is remarkable.

One of the most remarkable examples of Suellyn's determination involves her efforts to place a memorial in the village of Attu in memory of those who lost their lives during the Forgotten Battle of World War II. Suellyn and the museum raised the necessary funds to create the replacement memorial but had no way of transporting it all the way out to Attu. Attu is the furthest of the U.S. Aleutian Islands, nearly 1,500 air miles from Anchorage.

Fortunately, the U.S. Coast Guard offered a flight for me to tour their Loran Station on Attu. I recognized the opportunity to offer assistance to Suellyn and the museum. I can proudly claim that the new memorial was erected at the site where the former residents of Attu lived. Our mission was a success with the collaborative efforts of Suellyn, the museum, and the Coast Guard.

I could go on and on about all that Suellyn does, but the list would undoubtedly be incomplete. I think my colleagues have by now gotten the idea that Suellyn is our ``Energizer Bunny'' extraordinaire. So on behalf of a very grateful Senate, I express appreciation to Suellyn for both of her careers: an exceptional Air Force career followed by a career of outstanding volunteer service to our community.

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

Madam President, last night--I guess, actually, early this morning--was a pretty historic time for us. Our final vote to approve the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a historic moment for America, and it was clearly a historic moment for my State of Alaska.

For the first time in 31 years, since President Reagan was in office, we passed tax reform that will make our Tax Code work better for American families and businesses.

After 37 long years--yesterday, I said it was 38. I stand corrected. It was 37 years. That is a long time that we have been working to advance the opportunity to open a small portion of the non-wilderness 1002 area in northeast Alaska, up in our North Slope, to responsible energy development.

Many in our State believed this would happen in the early 1980s after Congress specifically set aside the 1002 area for exploration--and it is something we have been fighting for ever since. It is a long time to be working on an issue. It has been decades and, in many instances, generations.

Through this bill, we voted to let Americans keep more of their hard- earned dollars. We voted to make our businesses more competitive on a global scale. We voted to strengthen our Nation's energy security. And we voted to create new jobs, new wealth, and new prosperity for a generation to come.

One thing we know for sure is that legislation like this doesn't happen by accident. It doesn't happen quickly or with the sleight of hand. It happens with a considerable amount of work. So I wish to take a few moments this afternoon to simply say thank you--thank you to those who have worked so hard and for so long to help us reach this point.

I want to start by personally acknowledging our majority leader, Senator McConnell. He was the first one I went to back in early January to ask about how we might be able to proceed to include the opening of the 1002 area. We discussed avenues and opportunities. He told me he thought we could make it work, and he committed to me that we would work to do just that. He did, and I thank him for his considered effort and his belief in the cause.

I also need to thank and recognize our Budget Committee chairman, Senator Enzi. He was the second person I went to early this year. He agreed to provide an instruction in the reconciliation bill and allow us to run with this opportunity. He, too, recognized the significance of this as a policy initiative and how it dovetailed with what he was seeking to achieve through the Budget Committee.

The work of many within the Energy and Natural Resources Committee is significant, and I thank them for their efforts. An excellent group of Senators in that committee worked with me to craft our energy title and to report it out of the committee. We reported it on a bipartisan basis--not as strong as I would have liked, but we did receive support from our colleague Senator Manchin, from West Virginia. Again, it was a solid effort by the committee, and it was a good and important part of the process.

Along similar lines, I would like to thank all of the Members of this Chamber who supported our work here on the Senate floor--first, to protect the instruction and then to protect our good work to meet it.

For some, ANWR has been an issue which they have had an opportunity to weigh in and vote on for many years and thus was not a new matter in which education was needed. For others, it was important to be able to update them, to let them know that many of the issues they may have heard over the years were outdated, that the arguments were stale and needed to be refreshed, thus allowing them to understand what we are doing with new technology. Today, technology is helping us to facilitate development in a way that allows us to access more resources with less of a footprint, with less land, and with less intrusion on the surface, working to ensure that we are not only protecting the wildlife that is there, whether it be caribou or polar bears, but also ensuring that the people who live there in the 1002 region--the people of Kaktovik, the children who are going to school there, those who have called this place home for decades, if not centuries--will have an opportunity there not only for the potential for jobs, but for what the resources will bring to them.

I thank my colleagues for being open to the new reality of what we have been developing in Alaska's North Slope, as we have been seeking to provide resources the country needs, jobs my State and the country need, and truly to help us from an energy security and a national security perspective. So I thank the Members of the Senate.

I thank the members of the Finance Committee, led by Chairman Hatch, for their excellent work and for letting us ride shotgun when it came to tax reform. We knew we had to make it to the finish line together, and that is exactly where we are right now.

I thank the President and Secretary Zinke, among others in this administration, who have been working with us, fighting for Alaska, as we have moved forward.

Of course, this wasn't just a Members-led effort. We could not have done it without the men and the women who work for us and whom we work for in many ways but who were at the very core of the effort.

As usual, within the Energy Committee, certainly it is always a team effort. Everyone contributed in a rock-solid way. My team was very ably led by Brian Hughes, supported by Kellie Donnelly, Lucy Murfitt, Chuck Kleeschulte, Patrick McCormick, Annie Hoefler, Brianne Miller, Nicole Daigle, Michelle Lane, Lane Dickson, Isaac Edwards, Chester Carson, Ben Reinke, Suzanne Cunningham, Melissa Enriquez, Sean Solie, John Starkey, Tonya Parish, Robert Ivanauskas, Barbara Repeta, and Diana Nielsen. There were so many on the committee who came together in a host of different ways, some of them working the issue new; others, like Chuck Kleeschulte--27 years working here in the U.S. Senate and, prior to that, working for the State of Alaska. If there is anyone who has a collective history and wisdom about the background of ANWR and the battles we have endured, it is Chuck Kleeschulte. I know that, as he is approaching retirement, he is looking forward to knowing that we have successfully moved this opportunity forward for Alaskans and for the Nation.

I also thank those in my personal office who helped not only with ANWR but with the tax provisions as well. My chief of staff, Mike Pawlowski, has done an extraordinary job for me. My assistant, Kristen Daimler-Nothdurft, has done amazing things. Karina Petersen, Garrett Boyle, Madeline Lefton, and Parker Haymans, among many others--you really recognize a team when you reflect on how so many have given in so many different ways.

It is not just within my own office or the Energy Committee; it is those who run the operations here. Specifically, I want to thank Leader McConnell's staff--Sharon Soderstrom, Hazen Marshall, and Terry Van Doren--and especially the outstanding floor staff here, led by Laura Dove. I know many of them--certainly Laura and Sharon--have been around for their fair share of the ANWR debates and fights, and this is no new issue for them. I appreciate their help and their support a great deal.

From Budget, I thank Betsy McDonnell, Eric Ueland, Paul Vinovich, and Alison McGuire.

From Finance, I thank and congratulate Jay Khosla, who has done a terrific job, and Mark Prater. I had the added benefit of going to law school with Mark Prater, a brilliant guy then and even more brilliant now. I greatly appreciate all they did on the tax reform bill.

I also want to give a shout-out to Tara Shaw, who is now with Senator Enzi and who has been a good friend and a help to me.

Lastly and certainly not least, I thank all of the Alaskans who have contributed to this effort over the years. We had a group of about two dozen Alaskans who traveled all the way from Alaska's North Slope--some 5,000 miles--to be here last night for this vote. These are men and women who, for decades now, have fought to open up the 1002 area for the opportunities it presents to them and to their families. For them, to see this advance is as significant and as historic as most anything they have seen in a considerable period of time.

Oliver Leavitt is an elder. He is certainly a legend in my time. To have Oliver here last night was extraordinarily significant. Matthew Rexford and Fenton Rexford, who live in Kaktovik--there were four or five different individuals from the village of Kaktovik--again, those who actually reside in the 1002 area. Crawford Patkotak and his wife, Laura, were also with us and also Richard Glenn of Utqiagvik. They were here not only to

be a part of the culmination of this effort, but they are men and women who have been part of this battle for decades, truly decades. The number of trips they have made to Washington, DC, over the years, the doors they have knocked on, and the efforts they have contributed to are considerable.

When I start to name names, I think of Tara Sweeney and the folks who have been there year in and year out, those who have been supportive by traveling here and those who call and those who write.

It is gratifying, it is heartwarming, and it is a reality that one can never say thank you enough for the efforts that you have made over the years. To know that you spoke as Alaskans, your voices have been heard, and that Congress has finally listened is, indeed, gratifying.

Of course, we would not have reached this point without two particular Alaskans--the ones I am proud to serve with here in our delegation. Don Young, the dean of the House and Congressman for all Alaska, has singlehandedly kept this issue alive in the House for a generation. He reminds me that it has been 13 times now that he has passed it out of the House. To be able to recognize his extraordinary work is, indeed, a pleasure and an honor. And, of course, my friend, my very able partner in the Senate, Senator Dan Sullivan, was an incredible partner in this effort, and I thank him greatly for his work.

I also recognize that it is not just the delegation present who needs to be thanked. As I have said, this has been a decades-long battle. This has been a generational battle. We are standing in the footsteps of those who have preceded us, including my father, Frank Murkowski, who was chairman of the Energy Committee and at a point in time had advanced this, only to see it fail at the very end. And, of course, my dear friend, my mentor, one who helped give me such great guidance over the years was our former Senator, Ted Stevens.

Yesterday, you may have noticed I was wearing some unusual earrings. When my friend Ted, the former Senator Stevens, had a serious matter in front of him, he wanted the rest of his colleagues to know that, by gosh, he was serious that day, and this was an issue to be taken seriously, and he would don a Hulk tie. It was somewhat legendary around here. I am not one to wear ties, but after finding a nice pair of Hulk earrings, it seemed to me only appropriate to wear them on a day that would acknowledge the work of extraordinary Alaskans who went before me. I think, today, Uncle Ted is smiling and happy, and he is probably wearing his Hulk tie.

This is a big moment for Alaska. There is a spirit and an optimism that I am taking home right now that I think we haven't seen in years. I think it is worth noting that today is winter solstice. This is the shortest day of the year--today and tomorrow. In Alaska, it is the darkest day of the year. I mentioned yesterday the effort we have seen from the Senate, which, hopefully, we will finalize shortly, is one that will bring a brightness and an energy to the people of Alaska. For that, I thank my colleagues. I thank the many Alaskans who have supported us in this epic battle, and I thank all those who have helped to make it possible.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I was proud to be a conferee for H.R. 1, the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, and I am pleased to join many of my colleagues in strong support of the conference report for it.

I think, really, the title says it all. This bill will deliver tax cuts and new jobs for hard-working Americans. I think it will be good for our economy, it will be good for jobs and for growth, and it will be good for families and our businesses.

As a starting point, we have tax reform--a huge and a complicated undertaking that really happens once in a generation around here. It has been 31 years since we have successfully reformed the Tax Code. I think we would all say it is long overdue.

This bill reduces taxes in every income bracket, letting Americans keep more of their money. It doubles the standard deduction to put even more money back in the pockets of hard-working Americans. It doubles the child tax credit, which is so important, making more of it refundable to help parents and our families. It helps our small businesses. In the State of Alaska, about 99.6 percent of the businesses in Alaska are small businesses, and it allows owners to do even more by being able to deduct 20 percent of their business income from their taxes. It also cuts our corporate rate, currently one of the highest in the world. We all recognize this is a move that is long overdue and one that will make us more competitive, help bring jobs back to this country, and increase investments in America.

I support tax reform, and I am also very proud to be the lead author of the second title, the energy title, in this bill, which I believe contains the single most important step that we can take to strengthen our long-term energy security and create new wealth--creating new wealth--rather than moving things around.

This has been long fight for us. It has been a fight that has been going on for about 38 years, give or take. It has been a multigenerational fight for some of us. What we are doing is authorizing a program for responsible energy development in Alaska's nonwilderness 1002 area. This is an area Congress specifically set aside for its evaluation for its potential for oil and gas.

I have put a lot of charts about Alaska up, but here is Alaska laid over the United States of America, just to kind of put in context what we are talking about here with the 1002 area. The area of ANWR itself is an area of about 19.5 million acres. It is the combined size of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New Hampshire, in this area, and in this portion of the State of Alaska. Contained within ANWR is additional wilderness acreage. There are about 7 million acres of wilderness contained in the ANWR area.

I also want to remind colleagues who say we need to keep this 1002 area in a wilderness status--let me tell my colleagues, the 1002 was never in wilderness, is not in wilderness, and that is not what we are talking about here.

We have 48 wilderness areas in the State of Alaska, with a total of about 56.6 million acres of designated wilderness in the State, but the 1002 is not wilderness. This is what we are talking about opening up for oil and gas exploration.

This is an area--this small area up here--that contains an estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil. We know we can produce it safely. We know we are going to need this oil in the years ahead.

Now, some of my colleagues have suggested that somehow or other we don't need any more oil; that we are exporting oil now. Well, the reality is that world oil demand is rising; it is not falling. We need to bring more supply online, and we need to open up our most prospective areas. So, again,

when we have a small area that has enormous potential, why would we continue to deny that opportunity?

The International Energy Agency believes--and they stated it this year: ``Global oil supply could struggle to keep pace with demand after 2020, risking a sharp increase in prices unless new projects are approved soon.''

So to suggest that somehow, just because we are exporting oil, we no longer need to produce it, just doesn't make sense. Exports are making our markets more efficient, but they don't mean we are suddenly more energy independent or permanently energy secure. Making sure we are doing more where we have high prospects makes sense.

Our energy title also includes a bipartisan proposal from Senators Cassidy, Strange, and King that will increase revenue sharing for the gulf coast for priorities like coastal restoration and hurricane protection. Overall, the bill--our title--is projected to raise nearly $1.1 billion over the next 10 years. Once production begins in the 1002 area, we will likely raise tens, if not hundreds, of billions of dollars for the Federal Treasury. Again, this is new wealth and new prosperity at a time when our Nation needs both.

Those are not the only benefits this energy title will bring. We are also talking about jobs--creating thousands of jobs--in Alaska and around the country; jobs that pay high wages, put food on the table, and put the kids through college.

We are in a tough place right now in Alaska. We have the highest unemployment in the country. I appreciated the fact that my colleague from Washington talked about jobs and, in fact, noted that in the ties that bind the State of Alaska and the State of Washington, we do have a lot when it comes to sharing of jobs. I will remind my colleagues that when it comes to jobs, it is an estimated 12,000 Puget Sound jobs and $780 million in labor earnings that are connected with refining Alaska oil. So our jobs--our resource benefits not just us in Alaska but those around the country as well.

What we are able to do by accessing this 1002 area also will help us keep energy affordable, effectively providing families and businesses with an energy tax cut. That, too, is important in context with this tax bill.

We also protect national security by reducing foreign oil dependency, especially in west coast States. Ironically, California and Washington State, as they see less oil coming from Alaska, as our throughput is declining, what is happening is that, in order to keep their refineries going and their jobs continuing, they are having to import oil. Where is California getting more of their oil from? From the Middle East. Tell me how that makes any sense.

I appreciate that colleagues come to the floor with a passion about our State, but know that as Alaskans and as an Alaskan who is the author of this title, none of what we are doing in this effort to open the 1002 area will come at the expense of our environment or the local people. Some of the local people are here in Washington to watch the vote today. Hearing the voices of those who live there--there is a town, there is a village, there are people, there is a school, there is an airport in the 1002 area--a town, residents, community. This is not an area that is untouched, but it is an area we care about. We care about the people, we care about the land, and we care about the wildlife, but we know how to produce energy while protecting our environment. We have been doing it for decades, and we will continue to do it going into the future.

Thanks to new technologies, the footprint of our development up north is smaller than ever before. The amount of land that development pads occupy now on our North Slope is now 80 percent smaller than in the 1970s when we first began operation in Prudhoe Bay--80 percent smaller. At the same time, the subsurface reach from those smaller pads is going to be more than 4,000 percent larger than where we were in the 1970s-- more than 4,000 percent.

What we are able to do is access more resources underground directionally in an area of 125 square miles. What the technology allows us to do is almost too hard for people to believe, and so they continue the same tired rhetoric we have heard for years. The fact is, we need less land to produce more energy than ever before.

We are going to take care of our land. We are going to take care of the people who live on our North Slope. We are going to take care of the environment, and we will protect the wildlife on the Coastal Plain. The Central Arctic herd of caribou increased sevenfold in the years since we have been producing in Prudhoe Bay. That is the Alaskan way. That is what we do there. That is why we have written our language to be fully protective, and that is why we do not waive any environmental review process or consultation requirements with Alaskan Natives in any way. In fact, the only thing that we limit here in this bill is surface development. In this area of the 1002, in this 1.5 million acres, this provision, title II, says that 2,000 surface acres will be open--one ten-thousandth of all of ANWR. That is all we are seeking to do, and we will do it with care and concern for the environment.

I have listened to colleagues say that we are destroying the Refuge, that we will turn it into an industrialized wasteland. I am offended, I am horrified, and it is wrong. It is wrong for those from the outside looking in, who have taken a nice trip into an area and said: This must be protected. Your jobs don't matter.

That resource that we rely on for jobs in my State doesn't matter; we will get it from somewhere else. Well, where are you going to get it from? Why not work with people who are going to care for the land, care for the people, care for the wildlife, do it with a level of commitment to a resource and to a cause that is strong and sound?

For those who come in and say they know best and their idea is to just lock it up, that is not right. For 40 years, Alaskans have stood up and said: That is not right.

We will continue in our effort to demonstrate to the rest of the country and the rest of the world how we are able to operate, how we are able to be responsible stewards of the environment, to produce jobs, to help Alaskan people, to help the country, and to help our allies. This is what we are asking for.

As I close my comments, I recognize that tomorrow is coming up on the shortest day. We have had some very short days in Alaska. It is pretty dark there right now. I was home over the weekend. With the passage of this bill and the long-awaited opportunity to access our resources in the 1002 area for the benefit of Alaskans and for the benefit of our country, the days ahead look brighter for all of us.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I am here with my colleague from the State of Alaska, Senator Sullivan. We have heard his comments, his very strong support of the nomination of Joe Balash to be the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management. As he has indicated, he speaks as one who has great insight and knowledge, having worked with Mr. Balash for a period of years.

As we think about those who are willing to step up and serve in this new administration, I think it is particularly telling that when we have personal knowledge, when we have had these relationships, when we know intimately of a person's work ethic, of their dedication to issues and their willingness to serve, we pay particular attention to that.

I, too, stand in strong support of Joe Balash for this position, and I thank the Secretary of the Interior for placing his trust, placing his confidence in Mr. Balash to serve on his team at the Department of the Interior.

We have an individual who knows intimately the subject area to which he has been appointed. Joe is from a community by the name of North Pole. We are all thinking about the North Pole as we get closer to Christmas. I suggest that just being from Alaska is enough to convince me that he is qualified for this position, but, honestly, the breadth and depth of his experiences and his commitment, his care, his passion, his dedication to serving not only the people but the lands that we hold so dear is a great tribute to Joe Balash.

I have known and worked closely with him for years now, from the time that he was at the department of natural resources with then- Commissioner Sullivan to the time that he served as the chief of staff for Senator Sullivan. Both of those jobs have allowed Mr. Balash to demonstrate time and again his competence, his expertise on a wide range of issues, particularly the stewardship of our public lands.

We had an opportunity while in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to listen to a little bit of his background, his upbringing, and how he became so personally involved and intertwined with our public lands. Then, if you think about the role he played when he was at the State as commissioner of natural resources, he had direct responsibility, management, and protection of 101 million acres of the State of Alaska. This is larger than the entire State of California-- 101 million acres. He also had control of a State park system containing 3.3 million acres of land, more than twice the size of Delaware. He is used to dealing with large areas of land and the complicated and complex issues that are associated with them. He genuinely understands how we can develop our natural resources while protecting the environment and sustaining the health of wildlife and ecosystems.

He is able to balance, he is able to understand people, and he is able, as he has demonstrated as a manager, to manage land--managing energy, minerals, timber, water, and renewable energies in a State as diverse as Alaska.

In our State--I am sure that Senator Sullivan has noted this--we have a constitutional mandate. It is written into our State's constitution that we manage lands for the maximum benefit of our people. That means working with folks from all different sorts of backgrounds; you don't get to pick and choose. We all have our opinions and many competing points of view. Joe was able to do that and do that well.

It is not easy to navigate, but I think Joe Balash has proven time and again that he is capable and is willing to work with everyone. Whether they are hunters, whether they are Tribes, whether they are in the environmental community, the conservation community, his ability to work with folks from all sides has been proven. Now he is ready to take this next step--to take it up a notch to the broader Federal level. I believe that he will make an exemplary Assistant Secretary, not just for those of us from Alaska but for our entire country.

He will oversee the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. He will, largely, be the Department's point person for the management of our Nation's working lands, those lands that are not reserved for conservation purposes. It will be his responsibility to strengthen our energy and our mineral security for generations to come.

There is no doubt in my mind that he is the right person to take this on. I mentioned he is from North Pole. He was a two-time State wrestling champion. That takes a little bit of discipline. I think he will be well suited and will be an able partner with Secretary Zinke but, really, an advocate for the American people.

He has proven that he has the work ethic to produce the value that Americans need and deserve from their public lands. I know that his management of the Department's assets--whether it is promoting responsible energy development or ensuring access to Federal lands for sportsmen's activities--will be carried out with a dedication to transparency, to accountability, and to results.

On the sportsmen's side, I do understand he is an accomplished buck hunter, and we recognize him for that.

Mr. Balash was considered by those of us----

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent for 2 more minutes.

Mr. Balash was considered by those of us on the Energy Committee at a hearing in early September. He was reported out 2 weeks later with strong bipartisan support. He has done everything that Members on both sides of the aisle have asked him to do. He has waited patiently over the course of nearly 3 months, as we seek to confirm him.

It was just mentioned by the ranking member that she has concerns about his ability and the recusal process. It was made very clear in committee with questions to Mr. Balash, as well as the follow-on with questions for the record, about some of the issues that Senator Cantwell has raised. I think it is important to note that Mr. Balash pledged very clearly to consult with and follow the counsel of the agency's ethics office. He did that in committee, in a statement. He provided the same response in his QFRs. He said: I will consult with the Department's designated agency ethics official regarding this matter and fully comply with the ethics rules of the agency.

These are issues that have been asked, and they have been answered, certainly to the satisfaction of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and to this chairman, and to those who reported favorably on him from the committee. We are at the point where the Senate has now asked to confirm Mr. Balash. I wish it had come a little bit earlier, but we are where we are.

Again, I thank the Secretary for nominating Joe Balash for this very, very important and key role at the Department of the Interior. I thank Joe for being willing to continue his service to our Nation. I join Senator Sullivan, and a lot of Alaskans, in being tremendously proud of him. I urge all Members to support Mr. Balash's nomination to be our next Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management.

I yield back all debate time and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I strongly oppose this motion to strike. This is our opportunity to provide jobs, to create revenues and resources, and to protect an environment that as Alaskans we know how to protect. We are seeking with this energy title to develop 2,000 acres out of 19.3 million acres, one ten-thousandths of all of ANWR, and we are seeking to do it with a smaller, limited footprint, using the technologies that have become available over the decades that we have been seeking to advance these opportunities--opportunities for Alaska, opportunities for the Nation.

I would implore colleagues. For 40 years now we have been looking for the opportunity to best protect our long-term energy and national security. This is our chance.

The pending amendment No. 1717 would cause the underlying legislation to exceed the Energy and Natural Resources Committee's section 302(a) allocation of new budget authority or outlays. Therefore, I raise a point of order against this measure pursuant to section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

Mr. President, I appreciate the fact that I am able to follow my colleague from South Carolina, who has, I think, described and encapsulated in pretty simple terms this proposal before us.

This tax proposal is good for the country. It is good for American families. It is good for Alaskan families and South Carolina families. I am pleased to be able to join my colleagues this afternoon in support of the reconciliation legislation that we have pending before us.

I happen to believe that the tax reform title will help our families keep more of their hard-earned dollars. I think it will make American businesses more competitive. I am also proud to be the author of the energy title contained within this measure that works to strengthen our long-term energy security. I think it is important that we recognize the magnitude of the moment. Once in a generation we have an opportunity to really take a hard look at our economy, the role that Congress can play in encouraging new growth, and then take the action that we need to get the economy back on track.

Our historic tax reform effort will grow Alaska and the Nation's economy. When you look at it from the broader view--from a thousand- foot view--the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is pro-economy, and it is pro- growth. It is a pro-jobs proposal that reduces taxes and puts dollars in the pockets of hard-working Americans at every income level.

Think about all that it does in terms of boosting the economy to create jobs--jobs that feed our families and that help put our kids through college, jobs that allow you to save for the unexpected events, to be able to retire with peace of mind, and the flexibility to be the great innovators that we are in this country.

What we see in this proposal are meaningful developments in the tax code to provide substantive relief to Americans across the economic spectrum.

In Alaska, if you take a family of four with two kids, earning $50,000, that uses the standard deduction, they are going to see a tax decrease of $1,400. If the same family earns about $75,000, that tax liability would be reduced by $2,000. The child tax credit benefit that we see from doubling or nearly doubling that tax credit is from $1,000 to $2,000--$1,000 of which is refundable. It also expands the eligibility of children under 18, providing significant assistance to the 22 million Americans who use the child tax credit.

In terms of simplifying the tax code, how often do we hear our constituents say: Just make it simpler for us? By making it a simpler, fairer tax treatment for individuals in every income bracket, again, this is a proposal that delivers.

Most Americans take advantage of the standard deduction, and this act doubles the standard deduction, resulting in a $12,000 deduction for single filers, and $24,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly.

I focus a lot on the families in Alaska. We don't happen to have a lot of large corporations, but when you look to the benefits contained within this proposal and the impact they will have on our larger businesses and our corporations, they are significant. Recognizing the steps that we are taking to lower the corporate rates to allow us to be more competitive, not only in this country, but globally, all we need to do is really to look to what we are seeing already with the uptick in businesses and how we can be doing more to help further incent that.

I think we recognize that lower corporate tax rates will allow our businesses to compete against our foreign competitors and make the investments in American operations. It will bring the jobs--the economic growth that has alluded us for so many years.

In Alaska, it is over 99 percent. Actually, 99.6 percent of our businesses are small businesses. They are taxed at the individual rate. So the discussion that we have had with regard to allowing owners of passthrough small businesses to be able to deduct an additional percent of their business income from their taxes is a significant benefit for our entrepreneurs, and one I certainly endorse.

Some of the other provisions that help our businesses are these: the 100 percent immediate full business expensing for the next five years and the expansion of the Section 179 small business expensing. These incentivize the kind of foundational investments that implement long- term plans. They help to expand operations and encourage

businesses to take that risk that is needed when we are talking about creating lasting economic growth.

The bill also helps our smaller businesses protect what they built. When someone passes on, they have the ability to be able to pass it to that next generation. What we have done with the doubling of the exemption for the estate tax is important. There has been a lot of discussion about the benefits that is seen with this particular provision for our farmers. In Alaska, we don't have a big agriculture section of our State, but we view our fishermen, really, as the farmers or the ranchers of the sea--truly small businessmen. When you think about the investment that a fishing family makes in a vessel, in the gear, in the permits, in the quota, you can have a significant investment totaling millions of dollars--$7 or $8 million. It is about a million dollars when you think about the quota and the permits there. So we are recognizing how we are able to provide just a little bit of relief to those smaller families. I don't think they would consider themselves millionaires in the sense of having that disposable income, but being able to pass on that hard work that you have built as a small family operator in a fishing business is important, and it is significant.

The bottom line is that this is a proposal that does work. It does work for Alaska families. It does work for our families. It gets dollars into their pockets and relief to our families, and it will help to restore competition in the global marketplace and, certainly, for job creators and also in the confidence that now is the time to invest in America.

I thank the members of the Finance Committee and the good work done by Chairman Hatch for the work they have done on tax reform.

I would also like to thank the members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee who worked with me to report the second title of this legislation and to report it on a bipartisan basis.

We have very straightforward text. It is just six pages in total, which is pretty impressive in this day and age, but this small package offers a tremendous opportunity for Alaska, for the Gulf Coast, and really for all of our Nation.

Within this title, we authorize responsible energy development in the 1002 area. This covers 1.57 million acres of land in the non-wilderness portion of ANWR in the northeastern corner of the State. We require the program to be managed in a manner similar to the environmentally protective framework that is used for other Federal lands on Alaska's North Slope. It also provides for two lease sales to be conducted over the next 10 years.

In terms of how the revenues are shared, we split the revenues from development evenly between the Federal Government and the State of Alaska. We have limited surface development to just 2,000 Federal acres within the 1002 area. This is just one ten-thousandth of all of ANWR. Again, we are talking about a very limited surface development to just 2,000 Federal acres within the 1002 area.

Many have raised concerns, asking, what about the environmental process? Do you sidestep that? Not at all. We have not preempted the environmental review process. We have not limited the consultation process with Alaska Natives in any way. All the relevant laws, regulations, and Executive Orders will apply under our language.

I think it is important to recognize that this is not something that just kind of appeared. Our title is the result of a regular order process here in the Senate. It will include a regular order environmental process, with laws like NEPA fully applied after we pass it. So we have a regular order process before as well as after.

We also strengthened our bipartisan title in committee during our regular order markup by adding a bipartisan amendment that was sponsored by Senators Cassidy, Strange, and King. Their provision will increase revenue sharing in the Gulf Coast to be used for priorities like coastal restoration and hurricane protection. I think, as we have seen, given the hurricanes they have endured in the gulf region this year, there is certainly need for this critical investment.

The 1002 area in the northeast corner of Alaska is a long way from the Gulf Coast, but it will bring substantial benefits to every part of our Nation. With this provision, we will generate substantial revenues for long-term deficit reduction--well over $100 billion over the life of the fields. I think it is important to keep it in context. We are not just talking about the short term within this 10-year window but what will come our way over the life of the field in terms of revenues to the country.

We are going to create thousands of jobs, not just in Alaska but really all over the country. We will reduce our foreign oil dependence. This is important because we are projected to remain a net importer long into the future. In States like California, our foreign dependence has actually deepened as we have seen Alaska's oil production decline. So this means jobs and revenues for them as well.

Of course, you cannot talk about energy security without recognizing the benefits to our country's national security and what this yields.

We are also taking a major step to make energy more affordable. The fact is, the world is using more oil, not less. Our prices are rising. OPEC would like to keep it that way, regardless of the consequences for America. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency, among others, is warning of a looming shortfall in global supply. We have seen the price spikes and the disorders that result when we fail to respond and to be prepared.

I think we recognize that these are all significant benefits--jobs, revenues, national security, affordability--but we should be equally confident that this will not come at the expense of our environment simply because we have the technologies, the new developments that really have worked to dramatically reduce the footprint of development--smaller than ever. The size of development pads on Alaska's North Slope has decreased by roughly 80 percent since we began operations in the 1970s. New technologies have expanded the subsurface reach of the new rigs by more than 4,000 percent.

Folks have seen the various charts that we have had here on the floor that show just how far we are able to reach below the surface from one single well. If you were to drill down from below the Capitol here, expanded-reach technology can take you all the way out to the National Harbor, just to kind of put things in context. So the technologies allow us to have a much smaller footprint.

Many exploration wells are now being built using ice roads and ice pads that melt when the spring thaw comes, leaving no impact to the tundra.

Making sure that we are being environmentally conscious at every turn is what we do and is a priority for us in Alaska.

We hear the baseless claims of destruction and devastation, but the reality is that is not our experience in Alaska. That is not how we do business. We need less land to access more resources than ever before. That is the reality in Alaska today. Alaskans understand this, and that is why there are so many of us who so strongly support this development--our entire congressional delegation, our Independent Governor, our Democratic Lieutenant Governor, our Alaska Natives who live on the North Slope, including in Kaktovik, which is actually in the 1002 area.

Some people say this is an area that is untouched and unspoiled. Well, you need to talk to people who live in Kaktovik who fly in on the airstrip there, whose children attend the school, who work in the clinic. These are people who also support the development.

The Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, the North Slope Borough, dozens of our State legislators, and hundreds of Alaskans have called and written in support of this effort. That is no surprise because 70 percent of Alaskans support responsible energy development in the non-wilderness 1002 area. They are joined by many national stakeholders. We have the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, Americans for Prosperity, Securing America's Future Energy, North America's Building Trades, the Laborers' International Union of North America, and the International Union of Operating Engineers, just to name a few.

There are some who worry about the potential impacts of development in the 1002 area, and I would be the first

to agree that the environment and local wildlife will always be a concern, always be a priority. That is why we did not waive NEPA or any other environmental laws. That is why the consultation requirements with our Alaska Native people still apply. That is why surface development will cover up to, but no more, than 2,000 Federal acres.

The fact is, we will not sacrifice wildlife or the environment for the sake of development, but we also recognize that is not a choice we face. This is not an either/or proposition. This has not been the experience in Prudhoe Bay, where we have seen the Central Arctic caribou herd grow more than sevenfold since development began, and it comes because we are taking care of our lands as we seek to develop.

If we are allowed to move forward with development, we will do it right. We will take care of our lands. We will take care of our wildlife. We will take care of our people.

I wouldn't support development if I were not convinced that it can be done safely and responsibly. I was born in Alaska. I know I am the first Senator serving who was born in Alaska, actually in the territory of Alaska. It will always be my home. My husband and I have raised our boys there, and we hope they lead a long and a healthy life in this amazing and beautiful place. We know there is no one who cares more about our place, these spaces, than those who call it home. We love this place, and we will not risk its future for the sake of development. But, again, we know that is not the case here. We know that is not the trade-off. We know this is not an either/or proposition.

The 1002 area was created by congressional compromise decades ago, and we always knew that its future would require another compromise. Today, we have it before us. We are not asking to develop all of the 1002 area. We are asking instead for 2,000 Federal acres--about one ten-thousandth of all of ANWR. We have waited nearly 40 years for the right technologies to come along so that the footprint of development is small enough to ensure that the environment is protected going forward.

I encourage Members to recognize the tremendous opportunity we have before us. It is clear from my words today and those leading up to it that I support this legislation, and I would encourage every Member to follow suit.

I thank the Chair.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I wish to discuss a bill that has been worked on for years. H.R. 228 will help tribes streamline what are called 477 programs. Recently, a question was raised about the Head Start program and its possible inclusion in 477 plans. I do not think that Head Start services are eligible for incorporation into 477 plans. I ask unanimous consent that the letter from Congressman Don Young and me to the Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO, dated November 15, 2017.

The letter provides notice that the Eastern Interior Resource Management Plan--Eastern Interior Plan--as well as the four resource management plans--RMP--that comprise the Eastern Interior Plan, signed by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management, and approved in Records of Decision, December 30, 2016, is a rule subject to the Congressional Review Act, CRA, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 801 et seq.

I wrote to GAO on April 13, 2017, asking it to determine whether the Eastern Interior Plan, along with the RMPs for the Draanjik Planning Area, the Fortymile Planning Area, the Steese Planning Area, and the White Mountains Planning Area, constitute rules subject to the CRA. In response, as communicated in its letter of November 15, 2017, GAO determined that the Eastern Interior Plan is a rule and does not fall within any of the exceptions provided in the CRA. GAO reached the same conclusion with regard to each of the four RMPs that comprise the Eastern Interior Plan. Accordingly, with this GAO opinion and its publication in the Congressional Record, the Eastern Interior Plan rule, and the rules for each RMP will be subject to acongressional joint resolution of disapproval.

The letter I am now submitting to be printed in the Congressional Record is the original document provided by GAO to my office. I will also provide a copy of the GAO letter to the Parliamentarian's office.

For those who may be interested, GAO's determination of the Eastern Interior Plan and the four RMPs can be accessed at https://www.gao.gov/ assets/690/688420.pdf.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO, dated October 23, 2017, be printed in the Record.

The letter provides notification that the 2016 Amendment to the Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan, USDA, Forest Service, Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan, Record of Decision, R10-MB- 769I, Washington, D.C.: December 9, 2016, is a rule subject to the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 801 et seq.

I wrote to GAO on February 13, 2017, asking it to determine whether the 2016 Tongass plan amendment constitutes a rule subject to the CRA. In response, as communicated in its letter of October 23, GAO determined that the plan amendment is a rule and does not fall within any of the exceptions provided in the CRA. Accordingly, with this GAO opinion and its publication in the Congressional Record, the rule will be subject to a congressional joint resolution of disapproval.

The letter I am now submitting to be printed in the Congressional Record is the original document provided by GAO to my office. I will also provide a copy of the GAO letter to the Parliamentarian's office.

For those who may be interested, the 2016 Tongass Plan Amendment can be found online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongass/ landmanagement/?cid=stelprd3801708. GAO's determination can be accessed at http://www.gao.gov/products/B-238859.

I look forward to debating the future of this rule in the weeks and months to come.