Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted, on the following dates and times, and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, August 4, at 9:45 a.m.; Tuesday, August 8, at 12:30 p.m.; Friday, August 11, at 3:30 p.m.; Tuesday, August 15, at 4:30 p.m.; Friday, August 18, at 10 a.m.; Tuesday, August 22, at 7 a.m.; Friday, August 25, at 11:30 a.m.; Tuesday, August 29, at 2:30 p.m.; Friday, September 1, at 3 p.m. I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, September 1, it next convene at 3 p.m., Tuesday, September 5; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each until 5 p.m.; finally, that at 5 p.m., the Senate proceed to executive session under the previous order.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

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, Alaskans will gather on August 9 to celebrate the life of Dan Fauske, a public servant extraordinaire, who lost his battle with cancer in April. Upon learning of Dan's passing, Representative Mike Chennault, four-term Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives described Dan as ``Superman.'' In Mike's words, ``Dan Fauske leaped tall buildings in a single bound. Like Superman, there was not a challenge he couldn't take on.''

Dan was a dear friend of mine, and his family is part of our extended family in the Murkowski office. Dan's son, D.J., who now serves as director of government and external affairs for the North Slope Borough, helped open my Washington office in 2003 as a staff assistant. D.J. subsequently married Gretchen Wieman, a legislative correspondent in my office during that period.

I counted on Dan for advice and counsel on important public policy issues affecting Alaska, as did many others in the State. His integrity and wisdom were unsurpassed, but Dan's greatest attribute was perhaps his humility. He was known as a straight shooter; one who was about getting the job done and doing it right. Although he waded into many a difficult political problem, he resisted the urge to become a politician. If there was an ounce of self-promotion in Dan Fauske, I never saw it. Dan was one of the most grounded people I have ever met, and that was the key to his influence and effectiveness.

Dan Fauske, like so many builders of Alaska in the half century after Statehood, adopted our State as his home. Dan was born in Fargo on December 13, 1950. He relocated to Alaska in 1974 after serving in the Army--not to the big city, but to Barrow, now called Utqiagvik, the northernmost American city. A place where the first language was then and remains today Inupiaq. His older brother, Dave, was a teacher in the village. Dan worked construction and delivered fresh water, and he made himself part of the community. Elise Patkotak remembers him as one who approached the world as if everyone were a potential friend. Dan built a dog ramp to help Elise get her handicapped dog into the house. This is just one example of the many random acts of kindness for which Dan was known. Bridging the cross-cultural divide, his kindness was reciprocated in the community.

Dan left Alaska to study for an MBA at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, but it was a temporary absence. Utqiagvik was Dan's home, and upon graduation, Dan went to work for the North Slope Borough. He was chief financial officer and chief administrative officer. During his tenure, he pursued a vigorous capital construction program which brought water and sewer to many of the North Slope villages.

In 1995, Dan moved his family to Anchorage. He was named chief executive officer of the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, AHFC. John Bitney, then a legislative staffer, remembers the day that he and the legislative auditor presented a bill in committee to liquidate AHFC. Just when the committee was about to move the bill, a man ventures forward from the audience, announces that he is the CEO of AHFC, and it is his second day on the job. He asked the committee to allow him to pursue a turnaround of the agency--and, boy, were we lucky that the committee agreed.

Over the next 18 years, Dan would not only rescue AHFC from its financial difficulties, but mold it into one of the most respected State housing agencies in the Nation. During his tenure, AHFC pioneered its weatherization and energy rebate program, which helped Alaskan families survive the challenge of high energy costs in the frozen North. He issued more than $7.5 billion in bonds, led AFHC to avoid the subprime mortgage collapse and returned more than $1.9 billion back to the State of Alaska through cash transfers, capital projects, and debt service payments. The AHFC building has been renamed the ``Daniel R.

Fauske Building'' by the Alaska Legislature in honor of his many accomplishments.

Dan was so successful at AHFC, the Alaska Legislature asked him to take on a second duty, that of exploring the feasibility of constructing a small diameter pipeline to bring natural gas from the North Slope to serve Alaskans. In 2013, he left his job at AHFC to pursue this ``second job'' full time as executive director of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, AGDC. He served in that role until November 2015.

At AGDC, Dan brought the same focus to the position he had to every other one he had held in his distinguished career: serving Alaskans. For Dan, AGDC's mission wasn't so much about commercializing Alaska's gas as it was delivering energy to Alaskans. His focus on delivering energy relief and security drove the State's efforts and resulted in AGDC joining the integrated effort to build Alaska LNG as the entity focused on delivering gas to Alaskans.

Whether it was building water systems on the North Slope, developing housing across the State, or delivering energy, Dan did it for Alaskans first. That was what we loved about him, he saw policy not at the 50,000-foot level but in the face, life, and experience of every person he worked with and served.

Dependable, trusted, respected--the consummate ``go to'' guy--all of these phrases are used to describe Dan Fauske. He believed in Alaska. He believed in Alaskans. Like all great Alaskans, he believed anything could be done, but what earned him our unwavering respect is that he followed through and got it done.

Dan Fauske will long be remembered as a true leader who walked with the people and a key figure in Alaska history of the post-Statehood era.

Mr. President, I have come to the floor to speak this evening in support of the confirmation of David Bernhardt to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

The Deputy Secretary is the department's COO, or chief operating officer. This is the individual who holds the position to really execute the strategy and oversee the initiatives that are undertaken by thousands of employees as they carry out their statutory duties and the administration's agenda. It is a very key position.

I believe very strongly that Secretary Zinke has chosen a strong individual for this position of Deputy Secretary. Mr. Bernhardt is a fellow westerner. He comes from the small town of Rifle, CO. He understands the management of Federal lands and how it affects those who live near them, the implications of Federal policies, and the need for balance between conservation and development.

David is an avid sportsman. He likes to hunt. He likes to fish. He likes to get outside and enjoy the outdoors.

Mr. Bernhardt also has extensive experience at the Department of the Interior. He previously spent several years as its solicitor, and this is a position for which he was confirmed by this Senate Chamber by voice vote. So he has gone through this process before and was endorsed strongly at the time.

Throughout his time at the Department of the Interior, Mr. Bernhardt gained expertise about a range of Alaska and western issues. He also has a strong reputation as a manager which, of course, is critical for a Deputy Secretary.

Mr. Bernhardt's nomination is supported by dozens of Members of this Chamber and by dozens of stakeholder groups. He has been endorsed by a broad coalition of sportsmen's groups as well, including Ducks Unlimited, the Safari Club, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the National Water Resources Association, the Family Farm Alliance, NCAI, or the National Conference of American Indians, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe are just a few more that have weighed in favorably on his behalf.

Mr. Bernhardt also fared well throughout the confirmation process, proving again that he is a good choice for this role. We held a hearing on his nomination on May 18. We reported him favorably from the Energy and Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support. We moved that out on June 4. So we have had about 6 weeks now where others have had an opportunity to review him and review his credentials. It is unfortunate that he has had to wait 6 weeks. I know that Secretary Zinke is anxious to put him to work. He is now ready this evening to be confirmed by the full Senate.

I would like to thank David Bernhardt for his willingness to return to Federal service. I think he will be a very capable second-in-command for Secretary Zinke, helping to steer the Department in a positive direction. Alaskans, especially this one, are looking forward to working with him.

I urge my colleagues to support Mr. Bernhardt's confirmation.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that privileges of the floor be granted to my second-session summer interns Kasey Casort, Hannah McCue, Jesse Oney, Ronald Meehan, Dawson Verley, Evan Ipock, Samantha Warner, Kobe Rizk, Brian Dusek, Madeline Ko, Aimee Bushnell, and Fatos Redzepi for the remainder of their session in August.

Mr. President, this Saturday Alaskans will observe ``Ted Stevens Day,'' a living memory to Alaska's greatest Senator, who left us 7 years ago next month. As family, friends, and former staffers of Senator Stevens gather in Alaska for this annual observance, many will take time off on Thursday to honor a beloved member of the Stevens' team, Ted's loyal assistant and State director, Barbara Andrews-Mee, who passed away earlier this year. I will not be able to attend this event because the Senate will be in session on Thursday, but I wanted to take this opportunity to speak in memory of this loyal and dedicated employee of the U.S. Senate, as well as great friend of Alaska.

Barb's tenure with Senator Stevens long predates his Senate service. Barb began working with Ted in 1962, 2 years after she came to Alaska. She followed him to the Alaska Legislature and the U.S. Senate, retiring in 1997. Upon her retirement, Stevens said, ``For half of my life--and two-thirds of hers--Barbara Andrews-Mee has been my boss. . . .'' Barb returned the compliment noting that she had been with Ted Stevens longer than she had been with three husbands.

Barb had a great sense of humor and a huge and welcoming personality. She was regarded as a mentor and grandmother-like figure to generations of young staffers who went to work for Senator Stevens.

She could sure turn a phrase. Alaska humorist Mike Doogan published a few of Barb's quips in the Anchorage Daily News to celebrate her retirement. Among them, Barb, who was 5-feet tall, once said, ``I tell people I used to be 6-foot-2, and then I went to work for Stevens.'' But she wasn't always so humble. Another ``Barbism'' was ``[m]y grandmother always told me dynamite comes in small packages.'' I am told that one came in handy when she was working difficult constituent problems

to successful conclusion and building Ted's brand in the process. Whether it was Norwegian stubbornness or Alaskan toughness, she got the job done.

That seemed to be her second best characteristic from Ted's standpoint. In his May 21, 1997, floor tribute to Barb, Senator Stevens said, ``When I've been asked what her best characteristic is, I say `loyalty'. That means more to me than any of the help that she's given me and the people of Alaska over more than three decades; work above and beyond the call of duty.''

Barb was quite the worker, delivering care packages to visiting dignitaries whose flights were refueling at what was then called Elmendorf Air Force Base, picking up Senator Stevens at what is now called Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, whatever the hour, and making sure he made the flight back to Washington, and supporting servicemembers and military families.

It wasn't all work though. Barb actually christened a Navy PC8 coastal patrol craft, the USS Zephyr. She flew in an F-15, experienced several aircraft carrier landings, and traveled in the submarine, USS Alaska. Then there was golf. In 1995, Barb married Vince Mee, her longtime golfing partner. Senator Stevens performed the ceremony on the ninth hole on Eagleglen golf course on Elmendorf. In 2010, Barb authored a book, ``Ted Stevens and Mee,'' a memoir of her time working with the man they called Alaskan of the Century.

Barb lived a wonderful life--or as she might put it, ``A great ride.'' Devoted to her wonderful family, to her church, and to community service, she came far from humble beginnings in South Dakota, leading to a long drive up the Alcan to Glennallen, AK, and a path to Alaskan greatness. One of the first women in Rotary and a member of the Athena Society of Anchorage, Barb's contributions and leadership will be long remembered.

On behalf of the Senate family, I extend my continued condolences to Barb's family and friends this week as Alaska reflects on her great legacy.

Mr. President, Maj. Gen. James F. Martin, Jr., USAF, will officially retire from Active Duty at the end of September. This month, Major General Martin's friends are gathering at the Pentagon to celebrate his career. In advance of that event, I wanted to say a few words about this exemplary military officer and adopted Alaskan who has devoted his entire 32 year career to the security of our Nation.

Major General Martin was born and raised in the State of Missouri. He completed his undergraduate work at Mississippi State University in accountancy and was commissioned as an Air Force officer through the ROTC Program. His initial assignment was Lowry Air Force Base, CO. Major General Martin pursued a traditional Air Force career serving in Texas, Panama, Italy, Hawaii, Ohio, and multiple stints in the Nation's Capital. In 1992, he was the Air Force Finance and Accounting Officer of the Year and has received numerous other awards and distinctions throughout his career.

Although Major General Martin served throughout the Air Force, it was a fine day in 2001 when he arrived at Pacific Air Forces, PACAF, to serve as chief of the Operations and Maintenance Budget Branch. In 2006, Major General Martin, then Colonel Martin, took his first assignment in Alaska as commander of the 354th Mission Support Group, Eielson AFB. Major General Martin learned the hard way that, once bitten with the wonders of Alaska, you can never let it go. During that Alaska assignment, Major General Martin made friends around the State. Following his Eielson assignment, Major General Martin returned to PACAF Headquarters, first as director of financial management and comptroller and subsequently as chief of staff. He then began the first of three stints working for the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Financial Management and Comptroller.

In July 2013, Major General Martin was named Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, his capstone experience and the role from which he will soon retire. As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, Major General Martin is responsible for planning and directing the formulation of the Air Force budget. This is a weighty and stressful responsibility in any year, but Major General Martin arrived his position just in time to deal with the 2013 government shutdown, as well as the overhanging threat of sequestration which continued to dog him for the remaining days of his Air Force career.

In spite of the many difficult challenges that faced his office, Major General Martin maintained the bearing of a calm and happy warrior; completely devoted to the cause of our airmen, airpower, and air dominance. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget is responsible for the Air Force's relationship with members of the Defense and Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittees. Under his leadership, the appropriations liaison team was uniformly responsive and helpful to me and my staff. Major General Martin played a significant role in restoring congressional confidence in the Air Force as it emerged from several very difficult years in its relationships with Capitol Hill.

The Air Force's loss is Alaska's gain, Retirement will free up Major General Martin to spend more time in his beloved Alaska, and I understand that he plans to spend more than a few days in Unalaska-- Dutch Harbor, one of his favorite places. I hope to continue to rely upon General Martin in retirement for advice as I have many retired general officers whom I have come to know through their service in the State.

In Alaska, we take great pride that the path to a great Air Force career seems to run through our State. We have had more than our share of servicemembers who leveraged their time in Alaska to reach the highest levels of their profession. Major General Martin is among this select group, and his exemplary career sets an example for Alaska's airmen about where you might end up if you simply ``Aim High.''

On behalf of my Senate colleagues, I take this opportunity to thank Major General Martin for his service and wish him well in retirement.

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

Mr. President, I have nine requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They do not have the approval of the Democratic leader; therefore, they will not be permitted to meet.

I ask unanimous consent that a list of committees requesting authority to meet be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I have come to the floor this afternoon to mark the 40th anniversary of the first oil moving through the Trans- Alaska Pipeline System. In Alaska, we call it TAPS. This is an 800- mile-long engineering marvel that runs from the North Slope of Alaska to tidewater in Valdez.

Forty years is a good, long history. I recognize that, and so this afternoon, in the interest of time, I will abbreviate the history, but I want to start the story of our pipeline in the late 1960s. Believe it or not, this was a pretty bleak moment for oil exploration in Alaska. Despite great promise, many companies had given up on exploration on the North Slope. By some accounts, at that point in time, there were at least 14 dry holes that had been drilled before ARCO and Humble Oil Company decided they were going to sink just one last well. It was actually an ARCO executive who described it ``more as a decision not to cancel a well already scheduled to go ahead.''

That well, Prudhoe Bay State No. 1, would prove to be a game changer for Alaska. We had discovered oil. We discovered oil on the North Slope and a lot of it. We quickly learned that Prudhoe Bay would be one of the largest oilfields in global history, by far the largest ever discovered in the United States. Early estimates, at that time, suggested as much as 9 billion barrels of oil could be recovered from it. We have learned over these intervening 40 years that we so far underestimated that.

Yet it was not just the issue of discovering the oil. Prudhoe Bay is located in a very remote part of the State, as far north as you can go--a pretty inhospitable area given the climate--far away from population centers in the lower 48. So a lot of challenges needed to be overcome before production could begin.

Initially, it was like, OK, how do we move significant quantities of oil? How do we transport this oil to market? It was Dan Yergin, in his book ``The Prize,'' who did a great job of describing the various choices that were out there.

He wrote: ``Icebreaker tankers that would travel through the frozen Arctic seas to the Atlantic were seriously considered. Other suggestions included a monorail or fleet of trucks in permanent circulation on an eight-lane highway across Alaska.''

They then ``calculated that it would require most of the trucks in America'' to do this. There was also ``a prominent nuclear physicist recommended a fleet of nuclear-powered submarine tankers that would travel under the polar ice cap to a deepwater port in Greenland--the port to be created, in turn, by a nuclear explosion. Boeing and Lockheed explored the idea of jumbo jet oil tankers.''

Obviously, none of those ideas came about, and some probably for very good reason, but after significant study and debate, a pipeline emerged as the best way to transport Alaska's oil. While two routes were considered--one over land, which would run across Canada--an all-Alaska route was ultimately chosen as the best way to go.

Yet, even then, pipeline construction could not begin right away. There were serious debates in the State over issues like taxes and tariffs and pipeline ownership, and it really consumed our State's legislature for years. The land claims of the Alaska Natives needed to be settled. This occurred in the landmark legislation that passed in 1971.

Then it was in 1973 that Congress took up the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act. As part of that debate here on the Senate floor, Alaska's Senators offered an amendment to deem the environmental impact statement for the pipeline to be sufficient and to shield it from what could have been decades of litigation by its opponents. This was a critically important aspect to the debate and really to the future of the pipeline in order to ensure that this construction would not be delayed by litigation.

The vote was as close as votes get here in the Senate. It was deadlocked 49 to 49, and sitting in that chair, the Vice President at the time, Spiro Agnew, cast the deciding vote in Alaska's favor. So every time I see the bust out here of Vice President Agnew, I look at him. Other people reflect on Vice President Agnew in different ways. I reflect on that deciding vote that allowed us to proceed with our Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

The pipeline bill went on to pass the Senate on a strong bipartisan basis. Not long after that, then-President Richard Nixon signed it into law. This was tremendous news for Alaska because we would be allowed to move forward with the construction.

The construction of this pipeline was a monumental undertaking, but that monumental undertaking was also done with considerable speed. In April of 1974, construction on a 360-mile haul road began. We now call it the Dalton Highway. It was finished in 154 days.

For those of you who have heard my plea on the floor and to colleagues who have been in committees when I have talked about the history of my efforts to try to get a 10-mile, one-lane, gravel, noncommercial-use road for the people of King Cove, I think about what we were able to accomplish in 154 days with that haul road that allowed us to then help to facilitate the buildout of the pipeline.

The pipeline itself was the largest privately funded infrastructure project ever undertaken in America at the time. It was significant. It was significant for Alaska, of course, but it was significant for the Nation as well. Its total cost came to be about $8 billion. In October of 1975, there were about 28,000 people who were working to make this pipeline a reality, and that pipeline was completed in 1977. Again, initial construction of the haul road began in 1974. It was completed in October 1977, which was just 3 years and 2 months after construction began. I am told it was actually 10 days ahead of schedule, according to one estimate, which is pretty remarkable.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline--and I cannot find a picture that really shows the line well--an extraordinary line, which again, is 800 miles long, running from the North Slope to an ice-free Port of Valdez at tidewater. It crosses three mountain ranges, including Atigun Pass, which has an elevation of more than 4,800 feet. It reaches a grade of 55 degrees at one point in the Chugach Range. So it goes up incredible mountains and down the other side. It crosses more than 600 streams and rivers, and more than 400 miles of it are elevated above the ground.

We have it elevated aboveground here, but in certain areas, you can follow the pipeline either by air, or occasionally, you can see it from the road. It is probably one of the most photographed pipelines in the country, but you will see it go underground in many areas. About half of it is buried underground.

This was part of the engineering that allowed for the recognition that you are building in a permafrost area, so it is how you ensure that you are not having an impact in the ground and the area around it.

It crosses a major fault line, the Denali Fault. Back in November of 2002, we had a 7.9 magnitude earthquake just about 90 miles from Fairbanks on that Denali Fault. The pipe moved 7\1/2\ feet horizontally--moving back and forth this way--and 2\1/2\ feet vertically. This pipeline was designed for an 8.5 earthquake. It allows for 20 feet of horizontal movement and 5 feet of vertical movement.

The engineers not only worked to cross some extraordinary terrain but also recognized that this was in an area in which earthquakes did happen. It is extraordinary to listen to the stories of the engineers who inspected every inch of that line after that earthquake in 2002 and to hear their comments about, truly, this engineering marvel.

There are so many stories about the construction of the pipeline just as Alaskans, as we have lived through those pipeline years. It is hard to really capture what it was like to be in Alaska during the time of the construction of that line. We saw our population boom as we saw new workers come into the State. I was living in Fairbanks at the time. I was a high school student and was going into college there. Obviously, that was my town. In my town, all of a sudden there were people from Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. I can remember seeing guys in cowboy boots in Fairbanks in the winter on the ice and thinking that these guys are going to figure out how to change their footwear. But we worked to welcome these people who were there to really help make a difference.

There were pressures on our community. You could not find a hotel room. You couldn't find a rental car. It was hard for the grocery stores to keep the shelves stocked in many of the towns. We saw a significant investment in our communities in many different ways. There were a lot of wild stories and tales, some which are appropriate to tell years afterward, some which still keep us smiling, but we do not talk too much about them. There are many good stories out there.

I am proud of this extraordinary infrastructure that we have in Alaska--an extraordinary energy asset--and to be celebrating the fact that, for 40 years now, this pipeline has been not only contributing to Alaska, but contributing to the Nation as something that, as Alaskans, we do look to with pride.

This pipeline is not just a piece of pipe; it is an economic lifeline for the State of Alaska. Over the course of 40 years, TAPS has become the veritable backbone of our State's economy. It has helped us create jobs to the point at which our oil and gas industry either employs or supports fully one-third of the Alaskan workforce. So it is pretty significant in terms of its impact.

It has generated tremendous revenue for our State, some $168 billion at last count, which has been used for everything from roads, to schools, to essential services. It really has helped build the State and continues to allow our State to operate.

TAPS has allowed us to create our permanent fund, which we have used to

convert the revenues from a nonrenewable resource--oil--into something that will make an enduring contribution to the growth and the prosperity of future generations.

Our pipeline has also allowed us to keep our tax burdens low, which is critical in a State like Alaska, where the cost of living is extraordinarily high. Alaska has one of the lowest tax burdens of any State, and that is thanks to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. It also allows us to keep other industries, whether it is fishing or tourism-- keep their taxes much lower than they would otherwise be. The scale of this is often hard to imagine.

Dr. Terrence Cole, who is a history professor at the University of Alaska, put it this way back in 2004: ``Prudhoe Bay oil was worth more than everything that has been dug out, cut down, caught, or killed in Alaska since the beginning of time. The discovery of the Prudhoe Bay oil field in the late 1960s fulfilled even the most optimistic dreams for statehood.''

From day one, Alaska's pipeline has also strengthened the energy security of our Nation. Remember, TAPS began operating in the wake of the first Arab oil embargo. It helped tide us over during the 1979 oil crisis. It has insulated us from OPEC and has lessened our dependence on nations who do not share our interests. It has provided reliable and affordable energy that is needed by millions of Americans all up and down the west coast. It really is hard to imagine Alaska without the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. It is hard to imagine the consequences that America would have faced without the 17.5 billion barrels of oil that it has now safely carried to market. Think about that--17.5 billion barrels of oil over the past 40 years. It is no exaggeration to say that, while we built a pipeline, that pipeline helped us build our State.

Today, as we mark the 40th anniversary of TAPS, we can also take stock of the challenges that it faces. Many are a direct result of the decisions made--or perhaps not made--in this very Chamber. While our pipeline once carried 2.1 million barrels of oil per day, accounting for a full quarter of America's supply, today, that amount has been crimped down to just over 500,000 barrels a day. It is not due to lack of resources--not at all--but instead it is due to our lack of access to those resources. Alaska has never lacked for energy, just the permission to produce it, despite the promises that had been made to us at statehood and beyond.

According to the Federal Energy Information Administration, we have at least 36.9 billion barrels of oil. That is enough to produce 1 million barrels a day for the next 100 years. We have prolific potential in our National Petroleum Reserve, which was specifically set aside for oil production. We have world-class resources in our offshore areas, in the Beaufort, and in the Chukchi Seas in our Arctic Outer Continental Shelf. We have what is believed to be North America's largest untapped conventional oil field, which would occupy about one ten-thousandth of the nonwilderness 1002 Area within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Again, this is an area that was specifically set aside for development, and the Federal Government recommended that it be opened for that purpose back in 1987--a 30-year anniversary there.

So while we have the resources, what we need are partners at the Federal level who will work with us to restore throughput to the Trans- Alaska Pipeline. I welcome the new administration and its commitment to helping us produce energy--energy for Alaska, energy for the Nation.

I want to end with a quote from the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. This is an opinion piece by VADM Tom Barrett, who is the president of Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. This is the TAPS operator. He has written this opinion piece, and he states as follows: ``Though there has been a lot of change on TAPS in 40 years, one unwavering constant remains: the commitment of the people who work on TAPS today to provide safe, reliable, operational excellence, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, resilient amid all of Alaska's extreme geography and weather.''

I think about the men and women--the engineers, the workers, the contractors, and all those who do such an incredible job to deal with the day-to-day to keep that oil flowing safely. Again, as we recognize 40 years of safely transporting this oil, I want to repeat to my colleagues: TAPS, or the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, is not just a pipeline; it is an economic lifeline for us. It is source of security and prosperity for us as a nation.

So I join my delegation and my colleagues--Senator Sullivan and Congressman Young--and all of the Alaskans who are marking this anniversary today, as TAPS reaches 40 good years. We look back, and we appreciate the past, but we also look forward and set our sights on another good 40 years to come.

Mr. President, I thank you, and I yield the floor.

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

Madam President, over the Memorial Day weekend, Alaska lost two really great men. These men were doers and they were builders in every sense of the word--both literally and figuratively. They were family people, and they were the best of friends to one another and to so many of us.

Today I wish to pay tribute to Sam R. Brice and Howard A. Otis-- although, nobody called him Howard. We all knew him as ``Buzz'' Otis. I wish to take just a few moments this afternoon and tell Members of the Senate a little bit about these two very wonderful and great men.

You really couldn't find two more genuine Alaskans than Sam or Buzz. Yet neither was born in the State. They came to Alaska.

Sam grew up in Florida. He was educated at Columbia University in New York City. So he was a long way from New York City when he came to Fairbanks, AK. He served in the Marine Corps, and then he moved to Alaska to help his parents, Luther and helenka, establish a family construction business there in the Interior.

The story is pretty legendary about his mother helenka. His mother spelled her name always with a lower case ``h''. She didn't want the capital, and always made sure that you put the emphasis on the ``len'' in helenka. She was really the epitome of an independent, self-reliant, really strong Alaskan woman, and she wouldn't let anyone forget that. She was very outgoing, vivacious, and had a heart of gold. I think it all wore off on her children. We certainly saw that in Sam.

It was said that Sam Brice never met a stranger. He was known for remembering every good deed that others did for him--no matter how many years in the past it may have been, decades after the event. He always generously returned the favor and always remembered to just say: ``Thank you for that''--``thank you for that.''

Sam was one who just did good. He did good throughout the State. Those in rural Alaska have fond memories and affection for a man who helped build their communities and who was a leader. He was a leader of the Associated General Contractors, and in his later years was well known for roasting his fellow contractors at the AGC dinners. He had a great sense of humor, and that humor was really contagious.

The lines from Sam's obituary really say everything one needs to know about the man. They are:

In lieu of flowers, the family would wish all to remember

Sam who lived by example, whether a handshake, a smile, or a

contribution; he was always willing to lend a helping hand.

Please remember all the different ways Sam has touched

people's lives and consciously think how you can make the

world a better place, as Sam demonstrated throughout his

life. We ask you honor Sam's memory by emulating his

compassion to others and be a friend to man.

Sam's memorial services were this past Saturday. I was unable to attend. I know the church was packed to overflowing. But as I was in another part of the State that day, I couldn't help but think of those words from the obituary about how we can individually and collectively think about how we can make the world a better place by being compassionate to others, being a friend to others, and living that in our daily lives, as Sam did--truly, truly a great man.

His friend Buzz Otis was also a transplant to Alaska. He grew up in Michigan. He was educated at Michigan State and came to Alaska in 1975, thinking he was just going to explore the State for a few months, like so many who come to our State. They think they are just going to come, take a peek, and then leave, but as with many Alaskans, that didn't happen with Buzz. In 1976, he founded a landscaping business in Fairbanks called Great Northwest, and this was really his ticket to business success and to a lifetime commitment to Alaska.

I have so many good friends throughout the State who are givers and doers. I just think we Alaskans have a tendency to want to give back to our communities. We help our neighbors. Buzz Otis did that in spades. He was involved in a lot of different levels politically. He was a strong supporter of mine and other members of the Alaska delegation. He served on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly and was elected as its presiding officer. He chaired the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation and managed the North Pole Economic Development Corporation.

He was just involved in so many different aspects of his community. He was an outdoorsman and loved sports. He was a rugby player and had a rugby pitch. He loved the sport of dog mushing and encouraged young people to take it up. He was just always doing, always engaged.

He was blessed in life to have a great family and a wonderful, beautiful wife, Renee. That family standing together was a beautiful thing to watch in terms of the support they all gave one another, and it was truly so for Buzz, as a father and as a family man. I just can't think of anything better. Family really does come first.

That is ultimately what claimed the lives of these two wonderful men who had so much life left in them. Buzz's son was out on the river, and Sam and Buzz went out to check on him in Sam's plane. It wasn't out of the ordinary to do this. It was good weather, good visibility, and a pretty fair day for the Interior. It turns out that Buzz's son was OK, but the flight ended in tragedy. Sam's plane went down near the Salcha River on the morning of Saturday, May 27.

If only this story had a happy ending. Instead, it had somewhat of an Alaskan ending. Sam and Buzz gave their lives doing what so many Alaskans do; that is, looking out for one another, looking out for their families.

But we know we don't remember people for how they lost their lives. We remember people for how they lived their lives. Sam and Buzz were truly ``salt of the earth'' Alaskans. They were honest, hardworking, caring, and adventurous. They hired local people, they treated them well, and they were always welcomed back by the communities they served so faithfully. They really dedicated their lives to the betterment of the last frontier, and they never forgot family. Family was always first.

Everyone says that you can't say enough about these people, and it is true. So I will conclude my remarks and just simply express the Senate's condolences to the Brice and Otis families: to Joan Brice, to Renee Otis, to their children, and to their families--great families-- destined to carry on the legacies of Sam Brice and Buzz Otis.

75th Anniversary of the Aleutian Campaign

We just recognized Memorial Day last week in our respective States. I

was pleased to be with many Alaskans as we observed Memorial Day. We clearly revere those who serve in our military. In Alaska, we are home to more veterans per capita than any other State in the Union.

This year, I was privileged to host a most distinguished veteran at Alaska's official State veterans' memorial. This is located in a place called Byers Lake, which is midway on the Parks Highway between Fairbanks and Anchorage. It is extraordinarily picturesque. It is very tranquil. It is almost a spiritual place in many, many ways, as we look out to Denali in the background, being surrounded by the memorials for honoring those veterans who have served us.

But I was able to bring to that gathering a very distinguished veteran, our Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, a former Navy SEAL.

This following week, just on Sunday, I was able to do yet another Memorial Day. Our focus was not on those who gave their lives on foreign soil but in a battle for American soil. Our focus this past Sunday was on what is known as the ``forgotten battle'' of World War II. It was the bombing and subsequent occupation of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska by Japan. It was a yearlong campaign, and for those of us in Alaska, it is a campaign that we often speak about and we share the stories. There are veterans of that campaign who are still around today, sharing stories with us. They are living legends, if you will.

I recognize that for many, if you were to ask them whether the United States has ever been occupied--occupied in World War II--they wouldn't know. I think, unfortunately, the name the ``forgotten battle'' may be just exactly that. Most Americans don't recognize that the Aleutians were occupied by the Japanese, that Americans were killed in defending our homeland, and that some of the indigenous people were either transported to Japan as prisoners of war or evacuated to the southeastern coast of our State, a thousand miles away.

Making sure this ``forgotten war'' is not forgotten is a mission for me. It is an important part of our Nation's history. Again, that Aleutian Campaign was a yearlong campaign--fighting weather and terrain with equipment that was clearly not up to the challenge--to reclaim U.S. territory from a determined Japanese force.

A little bit of the history: On June 3, 1942, Japanese forces bombed Dutch Harbor and, over the succeeding days, occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska. These islands were occupied by Native people who had been there over a thousand years.

It was not until May of 1943 that Attu was retaken, and 549 U.S. and Allied troops were killed in combat. But there is evidence that the U.S. and Allied losses in the Battle of Attu were much higher as a result of exposure, disease, Japanese booby-traps, friendly fire, and frostbite. Let me just tell you, the elements out there in the Aleutians are particularly harsh. When you don't have the equipment, it makes it even more so.

The war in the Aleutians came at a great price for our Native people who had lived on those lands for thousands of years before the war. The homes were burned, churches were burned, and 881 of the Aleut residents of 9 separate villages were relocated to abandoned mining and fishing camps in Southeastern Alaska, where they were forced to live under some pretty tough conditions.

At the remembrance event that I attended in Alaska on Sunday, some of the evacuees were at the ceremony. They were there. They shared their stories about what it meant to literally be ripped from their village-- without having any idea what was really going on--and then sent to an area that may have been a foreign country to them. On the Aleutian Islands, the environment is entirely different from that of a cannery in in Southeast Alaska. But what was extraordinary about these evacuees was, despite the very harsh, difficult, and, in many cases, horrible conditions, they never gave up. They didn't give up hope, and they certainly didn't give up their patriotism. Twenty-five men from the evacuated villages chose to join the fight. Three men joined the retake of Attu. All were awarded the Bronze Star for their valor.

I think it is important to remember that the many lessons to be learned from the Aleutian Campaign. America once perceived itself as a nation oceans away from foreign threats. Today, I think it is unthinkable for us to think that any of our territory could be occupied by a foreign power. But we must never forget that during World War II, a portion of the United States was occupied, and it was occupied in those days, as today, because Alaska is a strategic location. These lessons cannot and should not be lost to history.

We all know the saying that those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. The Japanese incursion occurred less than a decade after GEN Billy Mitchell testified that Alaska is indeed the most strategic place in the world. The incursion taught our Nation a vital lesson--that the defense of America begins in Alaska. Fortunately, the lessons of the Aleutian Campaign and Alaska's strategic location are not lost on today's military planners.

Let me walk you through what we see in the State of Alaska right now, recognizing the proximity of Alaska to some of the hot spots around the world, whether it is North Korea, Russia, or China. Alaska is seeing a renaissance when it comes to our military presence. We see it at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where Air Force F-22s and AWACS launch to acknowledge their Russian counterparts that are flying in the Air Defense Identification Zone. We see it at Eielson Air Force Base, which is preparing to receive two squadrons of F-35s beginning in 2020. We see it in the soldiers of the 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Anchorage, who are now waiting deployment to Afghanistan. We see it in the soldiers of the 1st Stryker Brigade, who will soon begin their rotation of pre-deployment training at the National Training Center. We see it in the crews who are staffing ballistic missile radars in the State, looking very carefully at North Korea. We also see it in the patriotic construction workers who will begin building the new long- range missile discrimination radar at Clear Air Force Station this summer and on the missile fields of Fort Greely, ready to intercept an ICBM aimed at the North American continent from wherever. We see it in the Navy SEALs who train in Kodiak and in the coastguardsmen who protect our coastline from Metlakatla in the south, all the way north to the Arctic.

I think it is very clear that never again will the United States leave Alaska undefended, which brings me back to the characterization of the Aleutian Campaign as the forgotten battle. Seventy-five years ago, U.S. and Allied troops were called upon to repel an invader who occupied U.S. soil. We in Alaska, particularly, will never forget that fact, but neither should America.

Ignoring the fact that war has been, in fact, waged on U.S. soil in this last century is a dangerous and a tragic thing. Let's resolve on this 75th anniversary of the start of the Aleutian Campaign that the forgotten battle is be forgotten no longer.

As I prepare to leave the floor, I would be remiss if I didn't add that at the remembrance event in Unalaska this weekend, it was not only an opportunity for many of the remaining evacuees to come together in Alaska--for some it was their former community; others were from the Pribilof, Kiska, and Attu. It was a coming together. It was a homecoming for some, but there was also an effort to bring together many of our veterans who had served in the Aleutian Campaign and whose only exposure to the Aleutians was when they came in to defend that territory. To have the exchange between those who had been forced from their homeland and those Americans, those veterans who had come to help--to have them united in a conversation for the first time ever was an exceptional American story.

Over the course of 3 days, the sharing of stories was a remarkable opportunity for us. I had a chance to speak with one of our World War II veterans who said: I always knew what our part of the fight was about, but I had no idea how what we were doing from the war effort had impacted these displaced people--the original people of the Aleutian Islands. To have that sharing, again, was a remarkable part of the story.

Then, to complete that picture, there were several individuals who were part of a Japanese film production company and were there to do the filming of this 75th remembrance because, as they said: This is an exceptional part of our history coming together too.

Recognizing, sharing that, and allowing the stories, again, to ensure that this is not forgotten was a very significant and, I think, healing opportunity for so many.

Madam President, I thank you for the opportunity to share this important part of our history, ensuring that the forgotten battle is not forgotten.

With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that privileges of the floor be granted to my interns for the remainder of the month of June 2017. Those interns are Claire Faulkner, Fiona Kelty, Jackson Blackwell, Jaden Frazier, James Flemings, Kinani Halvorsen, Mary Crowley, Tasha Elizarde, Taylor Holman, Tristan Douville, Fatos Redzepi, and Aimee Bushnell.

Mr. President, yesterday the Senate adopted the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. This legislation facilitates the process of terminating nonperforming VA employees by eliminating certain due process protections that are currently part of the system. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs says he needs this authority to reform the system. The Senate, by voice vote, honored the request. However, in Alaska, we have a different problem which is not addressed in the legislation, and that problem is filling vacant positions within the VA. The major challenge facing VA leaders in Alaska is recruitment and retention.

The Wasilla community based outpatient clinic, CBOC, serves veterans in the fastest growing community in the State. The last permanent physician at this CBOC resigned in May 2014, citing ``excessive workload.'' A number of temporary physicians have rotated through since, and some have considered VA employment, but ultimately said no. The fact remains that, for the past 3 years, the VA has not been able to recruit a single physician to permanently staff this CBOC, a facility that, given demand, requires a permanent staff of two--or possibly three--physicians. Wasilla is hardly the most remote place in the State. Actually, it is one of the least remote. Moreover, it is one of the most desirable places in Alaska to live. For example, Mat-Su Regional Hospital, the community hospital down the road, has no problem retaining medical professionals. Staffed with 160 physicians in 28 specialties, including primary care, it was recently highlighted by Becker's Hospital Review as one of the 150 best places to work in healthcare for 2017. By comparison, the VA has been unable to recruit a single physician to permanently tend to the needs of our veterans in the Mat-Su Valley.

That suggests to me that the VA has a second problem. The VA is simply not regarded as an employer of choice among potential recruits. Removing due process protections for VA employees may well exacerbate that problem. Over the past 14 years, I have spent time with a great many VA employees, and the fear that a supervisor may now have greater latitude to target an individual on a trumped up charge because they are seen to be rocking the boat or because they just don't like them is a real one. We have very good management in the Alaska VA healthcare system now, but the faces of managers change with some frequency and with those charges can come wide swings in management philosophies.

At a recent hearing of the MILCON-VA subcommittee, my friend from Florida, Senator Rubio, asked Dr. Shulkin, ``In your time at the Veterans Administration, have you ever seen or do you have any evidence of any instance in which supervisors targeted individuals for dismissal because they just don't like them and were going to make something up in order to get rid of them?'' While the official transcript is not yet available, we do have the CQ transcript. That transcript indicates that Dr. Shulkin did not directly answer the question. He responded that the VA has seen cases of documented whistleblower retaliation.

But not every employee who faces inequity in the workplace becomes a whistleblower. Some just go out and find a new job which offers better working conditions and in some cases better money than the VA pays.

To his credit, Dr. Shulkin went on to say, ``But, I want people to understand, I am not seeking this and I do not support your legislation so that we can willy-nilly fire employees, or allow supervisors to abuse our employees. This allows due process. I believe it's very important that our employees have due process, the right to pre- decisional appeals, and the right to be represented by the union or their attorneys.''

I hope that he is right about how this will work out on the ground, but the VA is a highly decentralized system with a great many seemingly autonomous decisionmakers. In asking for this new authority, Dr. Shulkin must accept the responsibility for ensuring that it is not abused and must also accept accountability in the event that it is, but the larger question is whether all of the energy we have put into legislating VA accountability does anything to make the VA a more attractive employer to in-demand healthcare professionals. I would like to see the VA devote as much energy and creativity to addressing this challenge as it has to the issue before us yesterday.

Mr. President, I often come to the floor of the U.S. Senate to discuss issues of the Arctic. Since the United States is an Arctic nation, it seems that it is only appropriate to give updates when there have been items and events that are noteworthy in this space.

Several weeks ago, we hosted in Alaska the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, an event duly of note and an event upon which I would like to spend a few moments this afternoon updating colleagues on all that took place at this ministerial and provide a little bit of a recap of the role of the United States as chairman of the Arctic Council for these past 2 years.

This opportunity today to congratulate those in the State Department, the people of Fairbanks, AK, and the Alaska Arctic Council Host Committee for a successful Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Fairbanks is certainly timely.

I have also come to review the accomplishments and the challenges of the Arctic Council during the recent chairmanship by the United States and I think also to look ahead at what I hope and expect will be our Nation's continued leadership in the Arctic.

As I mentioned, for the past 2 years now, the United States has been chair of the Arctic Council. This is an international forum for the eight Arctic nations. That includes the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. It also includes six permanent participant organizations that represent the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, as well as dozens of interested observer nations and international organizations.

I think it is important to recognize that while you would understand and assume that the Arctic nations are clearly interested in happenings in the Arctic, the interest in being an official observer as part of the Arctic Council has grown steadily in these recent years as nations around the world are recognizing the opportunities that are presenting themselves in this portion of the globe.

The Arctic Council was established in 1996, and it focuses its work on sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. When we speak at these council meetings, as Arctic Parliamentarians, we always refer to the Arctic as a zone of peace. It is that way now; we would like to see it remain so.

Back in April of 2015, the United States took over as chair from Canada, and at that time, the United States proposed three thematic areas that we would focus on during this 2-year chairmanship. Those three areas were improving economic and living conditions in Arctic communities; Arctic Ocean safety, security, and stewardship; and the third issue area was to address the impacts of climate change.

While there were many who believed that the previous administration focused most of its attention on climate change--sometimes at the expense of the other two areas and most notably the focus on economic and living conditions for the people who live and work and raise their families in the Arctic--I believe we saw a good outcome from this 2- year chairmanship.

I would like to note today and acknowledge the work of Julie Gourley as the U.S. Senior Arctic Official; the work of Ambassador David Balton as the chair of the Senior Arctic Officials; and ADM Robert Papp, who served as the U.S. Special Representative for the Arctic. All three of these individuals served to facilitate the U.S. chairmanship and worked to increase public awareness and knowledge of the Arctic. I thank them for that.

I also commend the City of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough, which hosted the ministerial meeting. I think it is important to recognize that most assumed that when the United States hosted the ministerial, it would be in Alaska's largest city. Anchorage certainly has the ability to accommodate just about any conference, anywhere, at any time, but I think it was significant that we chose to host in a city that--while it is not above the Arctic Circle, it is getting pretty close up there.

The people of Fairbanks went all out to embrace our friends from around the world. Their efforts were matched by the tremendous work of the Alaska Arctic Council Host Committee and particularly of Nils Andreassen, who connected the Arctic Council with the host communities during its numerous meetings.

In the past, what we had seen at these Arctic Council meetings was folks would fly into an Arctic location, and more often than not, we would be in a large conference hall, typically with no windows and closed doors, and then everyone would fly out without having any real interaction with the community. They wouldn't have an opportunity to engage with the public, and sometimes it made the work of the Arctic Council a little bit of a mystery.

I think we missed some opportunities to build support for the Arctic Council and its work and also to learn and to hear from those who live in our Arctic

communities what matters are of concern to them. The Alaska Host Committee worked to break down that barrier by organizing side events. There were dozens of different side events and receptions that allowed for critical interaction.

The City of Fairbanks and the North Star Borough provided incredible hospitality. They always do that, but I think this time they went above and beyond in rolling out the red carpet to ensure the success of the meeting for all who were involved.

During the U.S. chairmanship, there were a number of successful activities that I would like to highlight briefly.

First, there was an agreement on enhancing international arctic scientific cooperation. This was signed by all eight Arctic nations at the Fairbanks ministerial. It is now the third legally binding agreement among the Arctic nations. We have already done an agreement on search and rescue and a second one on oil spill preparedness. This is now the third, focusing on scientific cooperation. This new agreement will allow scientists to more freely and assuredly work across political borders to develop scientific knowledge about the Arctic.

What I think is significant about this particular document is that the process to develop the agreement was co-chaired by the United States and Russia. This demonstrates that while our nations clearly have a good number of disagreements and disputes around the world, the Arctic can be that place of cooperation. I think we demonstrated that with this particular scientific cooperation.

Another area of focus was on telecommunication. For the first time, we have assessed telecommunication infrastructure in the Arctic. For anyone who has been there or who has been to any very remote location, you know well the importance of dependable communications. Those familiar with the Arctic know that we have significant gaps. We have significant challenges in this area. Finland, which has now assumed the chairmanship, will take this issue with them and work with the private sector to do what they can to improve telecom in the Arctic.

The Arctic Council also launched an Arctic ship traffic data cooperative agreement. The intent is to have a better understanding of the ships that are operating in the Arctic.

As we all know, we are seeing sea ice recede. We are seeing shipping lanes in areas where we have not had an opportunity to have ships or any level of commerce. With this project, we are seeking to collect information from each Arctic nation about the shipping activity in the Arctic for traffic trend analysis.

This is important because we are seeing an increase in shipping levels in the U.S. Arctic--an increase by nearly 60 percent over the last 8 years. It is clearly expected to increase with every passing year, as we are seeing sea ice diminish. As we are seeing this increased volume of shipping traffic, I think it is important to keep in mind that when it comes to charting, when it comes to mapping, less than 5 percent of the U.S. Arctic has been charted to modern standards.

Again, think about what is happening. We are seeing increased shipping traffic. We still don't know as much as we need to know about the charting and the mapping, so it is vital for homeland security, for local security, and for navigational necessity that we have an accurate understanding of who is transiting when and where within the region.

I have talked with Native whaling captains, those who are engaged in a level of subsistence, particularly in the Bering Straits area. Understanding when and where and who is transiting is very important for those subsistence hunters as well.

Another item that came from the Arctic Council ministerial--and this was not a direct outcome from this meeting but the prior one--a new fund, the Algu Fund, was established to help the indigenous peoples of the Arctic more fully participate in the decision making of the Arctic Council and its working groups.

The permanent participants and the indigenous peoples who make up these representatives are a critical piece of the discussion in these significant meetings with Foreign Ministers. To have that local knowledge, to have the voices of the local people of the Arctic speaking up is important. Think about it. They don't necessarily have a formal government, a fund that can help send them to these meetings, to be part of these working groups. And so oftentimes, their participation is not present, and not because they don't wish to be but because they lack the resources.

So this Algu Fund was established. The goal is to raise $30 million for the fund, which will benefit the Aleut, the Athabaskan, Gwich'in, Sami, and over 40 Russian indigenous groups.

Of the other work that was conducted, seven new observers were added to the Arctic Council, including the country of Switzerland. There were additional organizations that were added, but we are now up to a total of 39 observers, 13 of these being from non-Arctic nations. So again, the interest in all things Arctic, regardless of where you are on the globe, is really increasing.

On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, there were 12 mayors from Arctic communities in Alaska, Canada, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. They held their own forum to look at the challenges to local governments in the Arctic. Issues such as economic diversification with benefits to local populations, infrastructure investment, energy independence, efforts to adapt to a changing climate, and the incorporation of traditional and local knowledge in the decisionmaking were discussed. These mayors from across the region saw the value of attending the ministerial meeting, even though they were not part of the official meetings. But they also felt that it was important to ensure that the people of the Arctic, those who actually live there, work there, and raise their families there, were heard in the discussions, as well.

Even after all that I have highlighted, there are many other documents from the ministerial meeting that I could mention here, but one that I would like to draw particular attention to is the Fairbanks Declaration. This is the statement signed by all eight Arctic nations coming out of the 10th Arctic Council Ministerial. I think it is significant to note that, in these issue areas that the United States focused on--Arctic Ocean safety, security, and stewardship, improving economic and living conditions, and addressing the impacts of climate change--the statements coming out were good, strong statements of agreement, and there was true cooperation and collaboration.

I think I would be remiss in stating that there was some speculation that, with a new administration taking over right at the end of the United States' term, there was some discussion as to this: Well, how is this declaration going to be coming about, because it is the United States that ultimately, as the chair, holds the pen there?

I know there has been a lot of discussion around this town about the administration's position on the Paris Agreement. The President is still determining how he wants to proceed there. But I do think it is noteworthy--very noteworthy--that the Fairbanks Declaration, which was signed by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaks directly to climate change in the Arctic. Specifically, it notes the entry into force of the Paris Agreement. But in looking specifically to the language relating to climate change, it states, and I will quote here:

Note again that the Arctic is warming at more than twice

the rate of the global average, note with concern that the

pace and scale of continuing Arctic warming will depend on

future emissions of greenhouse gases and short-lived climate

pollutants, reiterate the importance of global action to

reduce both greenhouse gases and short-lived climate

pollutants to mitigate climate change.

Then, it calls for the Arctic Council to undertake additional analysis. So I think that is significant as well. It is an important recognition, and, while this administration has not yet determined where they may end up when it comes to the Paris Agreement, I think it is telling to look to this document--again, that was not only signed by the United States, but, ultimately, it was drafted by the United States--as an indicator of the realities that we face with climate change and, particularly and most noteworthy, in the U.S. Arctic, where we are seeing that impact most pronounced.

I mentioned the aspect of climate change, but the Declaration is broader

than that. It also recognizes the importance of the contributions of the Arctic indigenous peoples, the importance of healthy Arctic communities, the impact of maritime activity in the region, and the emergence of the Arctic Economic Council, which is an issue that I feel very strongly about.

We had an extraordinary Alaskan woman who was chairing the AEC throughout these past 2 years, and she did a fabulous job standing that up. Her contributions were quite remarkable.

There is the need to improve the access of Arctic communities to clean, affordable, and reliable energy sources. So, again, I would commend to anyone's reading the Fairbanks Declaration. If you are interested in Arctic issues or if you are interested in just a sense of the breadth and the depth of the issues and challenges facing the Arctic region, I think it is an important document.

With our handing the gavel now to Finland, the obvious question request is this: What happens next for the United States in the Arctic? I am encouraged by Secretary Tillerson's comments in Fairbanks that the United States will remain engaged and remain a leader on Arctic policy. That has got to be key. We have made great headway in recognizing that we are an Arctic nation. At every appropriations hearing that I have been to thus far, I think I have reserved my questions to ask about Arctic-specific issues--whether it is the status of where we are on infrastructure, such as icebreakers, or whether it is a recognition and an understanding that, with decreasing sea ice up north, you have people in ships up there, which we have never seen before. Quite honestly, we now have an area of exposure. We focus a lot on the southern border. We now have a northern border that is open. What might that mean?

We were able to query Secretary Kelly this morning about possibly partnering with Canada as we look to how we can provide for sharing of information about who is coming and who is going and knowing what we have in front of us. We will have an opportunity--again, as we move forward with legislative initiatives, appropriations, and reviewing the President's budget--to make sure that the leadership that the United States has demonstrated these past 2 years as we have been chairing the Arctic Council continues and that it continues in a strong and a prominent way.

With that, I thank the Chair.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, this week, our Nation observes National Police Week. This year, during National Police Week, we pay tribute to 143 officers who died in the line of duty during 2016--among them, Sergeant Allen David Brandt of the Fairbanks Police Department. I come to the floor to acknowledge not only Sergeant Brandt but all those officers who served us so honorably.

Sergeant Brandt's wife Natasha and children, Fritz, Kate, Claire, and Belle have traveled all the way from Fairbanks to participate in the events this week. They are accompanied by Allen's best friend, Officer Phil McBroom of the North Pole Police Department, as well as a large group of colleagues from the Fairbanks Police Department, led by Chief Eric Jewkes.

Chief Jewkes, joined by Sergeant Lockwood and Officer Werner, came into Washington for Police Week in a somewhat unique way. They joined 2,200 officers from around the Nation in a 4-day charity bike ride from Northern New Jersey to Washington, DC. They call it the Police Unity Tour, and their motto is: ``We ride for those who died.''

Police Week begins with the dedication of names added this year to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on Judiciary Square. That dedication occurs during a very, very moving candlelight vigil at the beginning of Police Week. The candlelight vigil was conducted on Saturday evening on the National Mall this year.

Chief Jewkes, in full uniform, read Allen's name before a crowd numbering 10,000 people or more. A bell was rung, acknowledging the loss of Allen David Brandt. Allen's name was the only Alaska name added to the wall this year.

I wish to thank Craig Floyd, who is the president of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, for the courtesy in affording Chief Jewkes this special honor.

Allen's name is now inscribed in perpetuity on the memorial wall among the 21,000 officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. His name appears on the bottom of Panel 21-East. This week, the shoulder patch of the Fairbanks Police Department is affixed at the top of that panel. Quite coincidentally, a few lines up on that same panel are the names of Officers Matt Tokuoka and Anthony Wallace of the Hoonah Police Department, who were brought down by an assailant's bullet in 2010.

During Police Week, we do not dwell on the circumstances under which law enforcement officers gave their lives. We rather focus on how they lived their exemplary lives, and, yes, we pay our respects to the fallen, but Police Week also looks forward. The annual survivor's seminar, sponsored by Concerns of Police Survivors, which helps those who have suffered a law enforcement tragedy grieve and ultimately recover, is an important part of this week as well.

While so much of Police Week is for the law enforcement family, those of us in Washington cannot help but notice what is going on around us-- officers in uniform, honor guards, motorcycles, police cars from around the country, the entire law enforcement family--Federal, State, local, Tribal, and visiting officers from places like Canada, England, and Israel.

Many visiting officers bring their spouses. Some bring their children. We are able to truly see the faces behind those uniforms and those badges, and we can look into the eyes of the families.

Let me say a few words about the children who have come in for the observance. You see them on the Metro, sitting atop their father's shoulders. Daddy is wearing his dress uniform. At the candlelight vigil, one of my staff members witnessed a U.S. Park Police officer, in uniform, explaining to her young daughter the meaning of the ceremony. You experience the words of the children at the memorial wall itself, where Emma Moody, the 10-year-old daughter of a fallen California officer, left a hand-drawn memorial to her dad, and it reads:

When I get to heaven the first thing I am going to do is

find you. The second thing I will do is never ever let you go

again.

When you experience things like this, you cannot help but appreciate the humanity behind the uniforms--a father, a mother, an aunt, an uncle, a friend, a colleague, a neighbor. Law enforcement is no stranger to controversy. Yet it is so important that we see beyond controversy; that when we look at an officer we see the humanity that runs toward danger and not from it; the humanity that responds to every call for service, not knowing whether it will be the last; the humanity that kisses a child goodbye before beginning a shift, not knowing whether he will ever see those children again; the humanity that was Allen Brandt.

The story I just recited is Allen's story. Allen was released from the hospital after being shot five times by an assailant. He died from complications associated with a second series of surgeries.

Allen lived long enough to appear before the Fairbanks City Council and thank the community for their support. He also offered some very cautionary words. He said:

Our officers do a very hard job, most of the time

thankless. Working weekends when their friends are with their

families. Working nights and sleeping during the day. We need

your support and not just when bad things happen.

A few weeks later, Anchorage Police Officer Arn Salao thought he was responding to a call involving a dispute between a cabdriver and his passenger. When he arrived at the scene, he was ambushed and shot four times. Miraculously, Officer Salao survived his injuries.

In spite of these tragedies, it is dispiriting that people continue to challenge law enforcement. Last week, Colonel James Cockrell, retired after 30 years with the Alaska State Troopers, and just prior to his retirement, reflected on the dangers troopers face. Assaults on Alaska State Troopers are up, from 52 in 2013 to 131 last year.

I wish to share with the Senate a few lines from an interview with KTUU in Anchorage. Colonel Cockrell said:

I think there's generally a little bit less respect for law

enforcement. I think a lot of that spurred from the Lower 48.

We're having troopers contact people in a one-on-one

situation. Individuals are more apt to fight with us if they

think they have an advantage, when we don't have backup. We

don't have two or three troopers responding to a high risk

crime in progress. The consequences are that people are more

apt to fight with our Troopers.

All of this is deeply tragic. As I look across the Nation, we are not really seeing any signs of abatement. Some might be attributable to the opioid crisis, some to a loss of respect for law enforcement, and some simply because suspects challenge law enforcement in hopes of evading them.

This year, law enforcement has already suffered 48 line-of-duty deaths, 17 of those from gunfire. This fact is not lost on the officers from Interior Alaska who are in our Nation's Capital this week. It is not lost on those who are considering law enforcement careers but decide to perhaps take a pass, leaving critical vacancies in agencies throughout the country. Law enforcement remains very dangerous work, and for all the satisfaction that comes from serving people in their darkest

moments, there are no guarantees the officer will return home.

I hope that, during this National Police Week and throughout the year, we will reflect on Allen Brandt's final words: ``Law enforcement needs our support and not just when bad things happen.''

In these times, law enforcement needs that support now more than ever. On behalf of my Senate colleagues, I offer my continued condolences to Natasha Brandt and her family, to Allen Brandt's colleagues, and to survivors of law enforcement tragedies everywhere.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.