Floor Statements

Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Whitehouse.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today I am pleased to recognize Keilan McWhorter, the Franklin County Teacher of the Year from Franklin County School in Eastpoint, FL.

Keilan grew up in a small agricultural community in Albany, KY. After graduating from Clinton County High School in 1987, he started college at Gulf Coast Community College, later transferring to Florida State University, graduating in 1992. When at FSU, he completed his teacher training requirements while working on his plant physiology research. Shortly after, Keilan moved to Rickards High School in Tallahassee and completed his student teaching requirements.

Keilan began his first full-time teaching opportunity teaching biology and chemistry at Shanks High School in Quincy. He also served as department chair for 3 years and coached baseball for the Shanks Tigers.

Keilan then moved to Panama City and began a job at Rutherford High School, teaching higher level biology for the International Baccalaureate Program, where he later served as department chair. He taught within the IB program for 16 years before coming to the Franklin County School, where he has been a valued faculty member for nearly 4 years.

I extend my best wishes to Keilan for his dedication to teaching students. I look forward to hearing of his continued success in his future endeavors.

Mr. President, today I recognize Joy Prescott, the Glades County Teacher of the Year from Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School in Okeechobee, FL.

Joy employs a simple teaching philosophy that creates a fun learning environment that is welcoming and, most importantly, safe. In her classroom, her students know it is okay to make mistakes.

Joy indeed has a record of excellence as demonstrated in 2005 when her students made the most writing gains in Florida and in 2006 when she was named New Endeavor High School's Teacher of the Year.

Joy is a lifelong resident of Okeechobee County and spent the first 13 years of her teaching career giving back to the students in her hometown. She has been with Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School for the past 4 years, where she and her colleagues work to help preserve the Seminole Tribe of Florida's cultures and traditions. She currently teaches fourth-grade math.

I offer my best wishes to Joy and I look forward to learning of her continued success in the years ahead.

Mr. President, today I am pleased to honor Es Swihart, the Sarasota County Teacher of the Year from Riverview High School in Sarasota, FL.

After Es was presented with the Teacher of the Year award, she was asked what inspires her. She stated it was her fellow teachers that offer inspiration, through the long hours and their desire to teach lessons in new ways, plus the creative veracity with which educators make space for students as they learn to navigate the world and allow students to value their own voice serves as inspiration.

Es notes the desire for students to come to class each day while shouldering the weight of what they carry, sometimes gracefully and sometimes with awkward honesty, inspires her the most. Their optimistic view of the world and wanting others to see them for who they truly are serve as her motivation as their teacher.

As an English teacher, Es teaches her students to analyze everything, whether it be books or movies that are recent or decades old. She knows her students are understanding and experiencing educational growth when they realize books from the 1500s through 1600s can still be relevant today. Her colleagues note she opens up pathways to language with her content and is focused on the learning process for all of her students.

I am thankful to learn of Es's commitment to teaching. I extend my best wishes to her on receiving this important award and look forward to hearing of her continued success in her future endeavors.

Mr. President, I want to begin by reading an excerpt of an article that ran on October 8, 2012. It was in the New York Times. The article opened with the following quote:

A House committee issued a blistering bipartisan report on

Monday that accused two of China's largest telecommunications

companies of being arms of the government that had stolen

intellectual property from American companies and could

potentially spy on Americans. The House Intelligence

Committee said that after a yearlong investigation it had

come to the conclusion that Chinese businesses, Huawei

Technologies and ZTE Inc., were a national threat because of

their attempts to extract sensitive information from American

companies and because of their loyalties to the Chinese

government.

The story continued by saying:

Allowing the Chinese companies to do business in the United

States . . . would give the Chinese government the ability to

easily intercept communications and could allow it to start

online attacks on critical infrastructure, like dams and

power grids.

This was from a bipartisan report in the year 2012, in the month of October, by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Intelligence. Since then, over and over again, we have heard the intelligence community in this country clearly define this threat. In virtually every one of the open hearings that we had on the Intelligence Committee, I or one of my colleagues have had an opportunity to ask every member of the intelligence community--Director of National Intelligence, Director of the CIA, Director of the FBI, the Director of Counterintelligence, Mr. Evanina, or the nominee before us today--and every time one of us would ask: Would you use a ZTE phone? We are still waiting for one of them to say yes. Every single one of them said no, which is why I was pleased a couple of weeks ago when the Commerce Department brought sanctions against ZTE.

It was not a Congressional issue. Although it could be, it wasn't. It was because, on top of the spying and everything else, ZTE had helped Iran and North Korea evade international sanctions. So the penalty was, American companies could no longer sell component pieces to ZTE, which has led them to being on the brink of being out of business.

No one should feel sorry for ZTE. This is a company heavily subsidized by the Chinese Government that protects them at home, protects them in China, subsidizes them in China but exports them abroad with the hopes that they can help them steal secrets, monitor, and be an arm and tool of intelligence for them. No one should feel sorry for them.

So I was surprised to see, a couple days ago--as the President tweeted and then there have been articles about how perhaps maybe these sanctions might be going away in exchange for a deal on agriculture. I want to tell you, if that is what happens, the President has gotten terrible advice, and it would be a terrible thing for him to do. I think it would be deeply problematic for the national security of the United States and ultimately for his hopes of rebalancing America's relationship with China, geopolitically, economically, commercially, and certainly on security.

The most important thing to understand is, China is carrying out a plan. They put it out there. It is not a conspiracy. It is there for the world to see: Made in China 2025. Made in China 2025 is a plan to dominate the 10 most important technologies of the 21st century. You may ask: Why is that a big deal? Countries would want to do that. They have every right to aspire to that, and I agree. If they want to dominate these 10 fields, they have every right to invest in research and innovation. They have every right to do all of that.

The problem is, that is not how they intend to dominate these fields. The way they intend to dominate the 10 top technologies of the 21st century is to steal the intellectual property, basically the protected, secret ideas our companies are innovating, that American researchers are innovating--to steal that and use it for themselves.

Furthermore, they insist that all of their companies be allowed to sell whatever they want to the United States without any restriction. On the other hand, our companies are restricted--some prohibited--from selling to China's 1.2 billion, 1.3 billion-person market, soon to be the largest economy in the world.

So, in essence, they intend to dominate these 10 fields by cheating their way into a position of dominance, and that alone is not just an economic issue. This is a national security issue. If you dominate the field of artificial intelligence, if you dominate the field of telecommunications, if you dominate the field of aerospace technology,

you will dominate the field of national defense and national security, and you will pose a threat to other countries that do not.

We are giving it to them. We are literally allowing them to steal it from us, and they play our system against us. American companies go to China to do business, and here is what they tell them: You can only do business here if you partner up with a Chinese company. You have to give them all the secrets to how you do business. By the way, time and again, as soon as the Chinese company can do what the American company can do, the American company gets kicked out. Suddenly, you have a competitor all over the world that you helped build by giving it to them for free.

Sadly, a lot of American companies play the game because all they care about is being able to sell to China in the short term and have profits, without any thought about the long term or national security of the United States.

I imagine many of these are the same voices that are trekking down to the White House to tell the President to do this deal on ZTE. The ZTE thing is not just a commercial and trade issue--although it is and it could be. It is much more than just that. It needs to be taken with the seriousness it deserves. It is not just about telecommunications.

If you have a ZTE phone--and they are widespread in the United States. These things are hitting up against our towers. They will not just use that to pull American phone companies out of business; they can use that to spy on American companies to steal the intellectual property of the United States. It is exactly what they have done. It is what the report said they do: spying on Americans and stealing intellectual property from American companies. This trade dispute with China is about a lot more than trade. It is about geopolitical balance. It is about fairness.

This is our last chance to get it right. It is almost too late. I am telling you, if we get this wrong--if we back down, when historians write about this period of time in our history, they are going to say the Americans literally gave it over to the Chinese; allowed them to steal from them because they were more interested in short-term gain and were willing to turn over the future.

We will live in a world where China dominates many of the top fields, including many that are critical to our national security and the defense of our interests and of our Nation.

I would argue to you that ZTE should not be allowed to sell anything in the United States. I would argue to you that if a technology company from another country is being used by that country not just to spy on government secrets but to steal the intellectual property of our businesses, they should be out of business in the United States. Some people would say: Well, China is very powerful. They are going to come back and use other means to punish us for this. Let me tell you something. We have extraordinary leverage over their technology industry. For example, one of the things ZTE can do is they can buy from a company named Tsinghua Unigroup, which is a government-owned company. They can buy components from them, but then we can cut them off as well. In fact, every major telecom in China--Huawei, BBK, Yiomi, Lenovo--every single one of these depends on component parts from the United States.

Ultimately, what I would hope to arrive at is a balanced trade situation, a balanced commercial arrangement, and a balanced geopolitical situation between the United States and China, but right now it is way out of balance, and when you allow imbalances to exist and persist in international relations, it leads to conflict. It leads to wars. It leads to showdowns. That is what imbalances lead to. An imbalance leads to the country that becomes dominant to try to take advantage of the countries that are not, unless you agree to surrender to them.

This issue of China and ZTE is a terrible mistake. If the President cuts a deal with ZTE that says: Pay a couple of hundred million dollars in fines and you are back in business in exchange--and they violated the law. This is a law enforcement function on top of everything else. These sanctions against them are punishment for evading and breaking sanctions. If you basically wave that off in exchange for a deal on agriculture--these farmers didn't do anything wrong. These farmers are not being punished for evading sanctions. They are victims of retribution.

We have other angles. In fact, what we should be saying is: If you don't lift the tariff on our farmers, we will do the same thing we did to ZTE, to Huawei, BBK, Yiomi, Lenovo or any other company. That is what we should be saying, instead of being tricked into this apparent deal that someone is cooking up over there and giving the President terrible advice--which, by the way, I know that is not where his instincts are, but someone is getting to him. I don't know if it is from Treasury or where it is, but someone is basically telling him now is the time to cut a deal. It is the wrong time to cut a deal. This would be a terrible deal.

Let me close by telling you this. This is not just about technology. If you don't believe that China uses its leverage, the leverage of economics, to reach into your life here in America--people will ask: What does that have to do with me? What does it have to do with us? Yes, it is a bad thing. We are worried about China in the long term. What does that have to do with me here at home?

China has no problem using its long arm and its economic leverage to interfere in the lives of Americans. I will tell you how.

About 2 weeks ago, two American airlines, United and American Airlines, got a letter in the mail from the Chinese Government telling them: We notice that your website says ``Taiwan.'' It doesn't say ``Taiwan-China.'' Unless you change your website, we are going to punish you. We may even take away your routes.

They haven't made a decision yet. We have reached out to both companies. Let me clue everyone in right now. If they are anything like the other American companies that have been threatened, they are going to cave. They are going to cave, especially United, which has all of these routes over there. This is an American company, headquartered in the United States, that is going to have to change their website because China has threatened them.

If you think that is not bad, I will tell you something crazy. Yesterday, the Gap clothing store came out with a T-shirt. It had a map of China, but it didn't have Taiwan on the T-shirt. China threatened them. Within hours, the Gap put out a tweet: We are so sorry. We apologize. We didn't mean to offend you. We respect your sovereignty.

This is over a T-shirt, for God's sake. This is the leverage they have.

Do you know there are Hollywood movies that are written in a way to avoid certain topics because, otherwise, they will not be allowed to play the movie in China? Do you know there are actors--such as Richard Gere--who are not allowed to be in certain movies or who can't get a Hollywood blockbuster movie because they can't distribute it in China? They will not let them. They can't have Richard Gere in movies in China because he is pro-Tibet. This is crazy stuff.

Here is perhaps the most egregious one. Marriott, a great American company, a hotel--everybody has stayed at one. Marriott had an employee, a guy who lives in America; he is not even an executive--just a good guy, a hard-working guy. He accidentally went online and accidentally--it wasn't even on purpose--liked a tweet about Tibet, and China went crazy. They threatened Marriott. Marriott didn't just apologize; they fired him. This is an American. He didn't live in China. He lives in the United States of America. He lost his job for accidentally liking a tweet that China didn't like.

This happens over and over again, and it isn't noticed. This is how they use economic leverage. This is how they get Panama to tell Taiwan: We no longer recognize you diplomatically; we now recognize China. This is how they got the Dominican Republic to do the same thing last week or a couple of weeks ago, and they are not going to stop. I hear Paraguay might be next. This has to stop.

We don't want to contain China. We welcome a prosperous China. We want a global partner. Imagine the United States and China working together against nuclear proliferation, against radical terrorism, and against all the

threats in the world. But this is not leading to a partnership. This is leading to a world in which China dominates every key industry, remakes every institution, and America becomes a junior partner the way Vladimir Putin and Russia already are to China, and that we cannot accept. But that is where we are headed because administrations--both Republican and Democrat--have taken this threat too lightly. They thought that when China got rich, they would start playing by the rules. Guess what. They not only have not played by the rules, but they assume all the benefits of the rules and live by none of the responsibilities.

This is our last chance. This administration has been given the historic opportunity--the last chance--to get the balance of this relationship right. One misstep could blow the whole thing apart and doom generations of Americans to living in a world--not one with a powerful China, one with a dominant China and a declining America.

That may sound like hyperbole, but if they win this battle on ZTE, the world will notice, and the message it will send is that when push comes to shove, this administration is no different from the others. When they come under pressure, you can get to the right people with the right friends in corporate America, and they will back down. Once that happens, every country in the world will govern themselves accordingly. They will not join us in confronting China's aggression and China's unfairness because in the back of their minds, they will be saying to themselves: When push comes to shove, America is going to back down the way they did for ZTE.

The issue itself is problematic. We can't be selling phones in America that they use to spy on us in our companies. But on a broader scale, it sends a message that demoralizes this effort and I think has dramatic consequences.

I encourage the President to think very seriously and very carefully. He is in a very strong position right now. I urge him to think very carefully about the next step and to listen to the people in his administration who are talking to him about the ZTE issue for what it is--a national security threat much bigger than just one company in the telecom industry.

I yield the floor.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I recognize Kerry Adams, the Wakulla County Teacher of the Year from Shadeville Elementary School in Crawfordville, FL.

Kerry says the most important life lesson she teaches her students is that, even though things can be challenging, through struggle and desire they can achieve their goals. The growth her students achieve is especially notable because she works primarily with students whose previous year's test scores indicate they are struggling in math and/or reading.

Kerry recently had a student who entered her class and struggled with new math concepts. She worked with this student as a dedicated teacher who is committed to their student's success. At the beginning of the school year, he would grow frustrated and not want to correct his work. He settled for failure or less than his fullest potential. Kerry, however, would not settle for anything less than what she knew he could achieve.

Later that year, she gave him an assignment and told him she knew this was hard work, but 1 day, he will think back to this moment and appreciate her actions. This student left her classroom scoring on grade level and ready for success in the future.

Kerry graduated summa cum laude from Flagler College, earning a bachelor's degree in elementary education and holds the English for Speakers of Other Languages endorsement. She currently teaches math to fifth-grade inclusion classes and has taught all subjects in her 11 years of working with fifth graders.

I extend my best wishes to Kerry for her dedication to ensuring her students achieve their full potential. I look forward to hearing of her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I am pleased to honor Brian Andrews, the Florida Principal of the Year from Lawton Chiles Middle Academy in Lakeland, FL.

Brian's colleagues commend him for the innovative ways he has led their school to incorporate innovation and technology into everyday learning. In one of the school's lab classrooms, students use 3D printers to make their computer-created designs come to life. They are then able to use a large spindle device to cut those designs into plywood. Elsewhere on campus, students work on and maintain a hydroponic garden.

Brian supports these new ideas for students and gives teachers flexibility in implementing the ideas in their classrooms. Brian instills his trust in his teachers to develop lesson plans and implement technology that benefits all students.

Brian firmly believes that, if something is good for the students, and his teachers focus on those needs that, despite the myriad of challenges faced in education, their students will be successful in life. He teaches his students to believe they can do anything and to believe in themselves.

Brian received his bachelor of arts degree in English literature and his master of science in education from Hofstra University in New York. He has worked in public education for 22 years and has served as an English teacher and administrator.

I would like to thank Brian for his dedication in providing students with a successful learning environment and for the support he gives to the teachers. I extend my best wishes to Brian, and his family, and all of Lawton Chiles Middle Academy and look forward to hearing of his continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I am pleased to honor Traci Athanason, the Henderson County Teacher of the Year from Spring Hill Elementary School in Spring Hill, FL.

Traci believes the most challenging thing about teaching is motivating students who have no desire to be at school. She tackles this challenge by providing fun, engaging lessons and being her student's biggest cheerleader. It has been her belief that, when a teacher builds trust and rapport with their students, every student can achieve success.

As a teacher, Traci finds the most fulfilling aspect of her profession is empowering her students to take control of their own learning. Though teaching has its challenges, she is a firm believer in knowing every day is a chance for her to make a difference in the lives of her students.

The principal of her school attests that Traci is a problem-solver, an innovator, and a dynamic mentor to multiple first-year teachers on her team. She helps them build their lesson plans and develop their practice.

Traci is currently a fourth grade teacher at Spring Hill Elementary School. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in elementary education, along with her master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Central Florida. She has taught for 29 years, the last 7 in Hernando County. Her favorite subject to teach is writing.

I thank Traci for her devotion to educating students throughout her district. I extend my best wishes to her and look forward to hearing of her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I honor Kayla Bailey, the Gulf County Teacher of the Year from Wewahitchka Elementary School in Wewahitchka, FL.

Kayla possesses a very positive attitude in the classroom and engages her students at a high level. These traits undoubtedly helped contribute to her receiving the Teacher of the Year award.

Her colleagues attest that Kayla works hard to learn the needs of every student in order to reach them at their instructional level. Kayla's desire to teach to the best of her ability and treat every available moment as teachable for her students distinguishes her among her peers.

Kayla is a fifth-grade English language arts teacher and, although relatively new to teaching and to the district, has quickly gained a reputation

for her respect to students, parents, staff, and the administration.

I am pleased to congratulate Kayla for receiving this important award and her commitment to teaching her students. I extend my best wishes to her and look forward to hearing of her continued success.

Mr. President, today I recognize Lindsey Borcherding, the Okeechobee County Teacher of the Year from Yearling Middle School in Okeechobee, FL.

Lindsey teaches seventh grade math at Yearling Middle School and said her students were really excited and supportive of her nomination. While accepting the award, Lindsey thanked the people who have supported and helped her throughout her teaching career, especially her students. Lindsey stated that none of this would be possible without the help of countless others, and she is grateful to be a part of the lives of her students and colleagues. She said it was an exciting and emotional moment and was incredibly honored to be named the winner.

I would like to congratulate Lindsey for her commitment to teaching her students throughout the years. I extend my best wishes to her and look forward to hearing of her continued success.

Mr. President, today I recognize Tess Borengasser, the Indian River County Teacher of the Year from Glendale Elementary School in Vero Beach, FL.

Tess was honored with this award because of her dedication to not only providing her students with the best educational opportunities possible, but also because she strives to provide her new colleagues with ideas to teach their students as well. When these new teachers come to her school, she is a leading voice in helping them establish a successful curriculum for their students.

Tess's students know that, because of her motivation to encourage and educate, they have someone who is looking out for their best interests and will always be a voice they can rely on when needing help with their schoolwork. These students know Tess listens to their needs and will help them become successful in every way she can.

Tess was born in Houston, TX, and grew up in Vero Beach. She graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in special education. She currently leads Glendale Elementary School's second-grade team, teaches at the school's afterschool program, and serves as a mentor for new teachers.

I am pleased to congratulate Tess for her dedication to teaching her students over the years. I extend my best wishes to her and look forward to learning of her continued success in her future endeavors.

Mr. President, today I honor Bonnie Bresnyan, the Hillsborough County Teacher of the Year from Lewis Elementary School in Temple Terrace, FL.

After receiving the Teacher of the Year award, Bonnie said that those who want to make a difference, who want to shape the future, and who want the best for children are the people who teach. She knows these are the people who work in our schools.

Bonnie compares her classroom of kindergarten and first grade students to a beehive. She states that all the bees--her students--can and are expected to contribute in some way in making the class a success.

Bonnie has also done extensive training for other teachers within the district. According to her, we retain 95 percent of what we learn when we teach it to someone else. From her students to her colleagues, they all can attest that she has a simple message for them: Be the best you can be.

Bonnie has been a teacher for 31 years, with 20 of those years in Hillsborough County.

She currently serves Lewis Elementary School as a student education specialist. Some of her accomplishments include National Board Certification, 2006-2007 Ida S. Baker Distinguished Educator of the Year finalist, and 2002-2003 Teacher of the Year--Shaw Elementary/ District Finalist. She also trains for the district, mentors new teachers at the University of South Florida, and teaches Sunday School.

I would like to extend my best wishes to Bonnie for her hard and look forward to hearing of her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I am pleased to recognize Rebecca Caskey, the Citrus County Teacher of the Year from Citrus Springs Elementary School in Citrus Springs, FL.

Rebecca believes students need a curriculum that teaches skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building, and responsible decision-making that will provide the tools to succeed in school, their future careers, and in life.

Rebecca is encouraged when she witnesses students authentically apply and communicate newly learned concepts and behaviors with peers in new constructs and environments. These opportunities motivate her to continue developing challenging, engaging, and rigorous learning experiences for children that leave a lasting impact into adulthood.

Rebecca has taught physical science, biology, environmental science, and general math skills in secondary education and has provided guidance and counseling services in elementary education. She also provides therapeutic services to children in the private sector. Rebecca currently teaches K-5 with a self-made program titled SEEK UP, promoting Self-Esteem, Empathy, and Kindness by Unifying Peers. As a member of Citrus Springs Elementary School's administrative team, she serves in a leadership capacity by creating and executing decisions benefiting the advancement of the school's overall culture.

Rebecca holds a bachelor's degree in animal science, a master's degree in counseling, and has a license for mental health counseling from the Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage, and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. Throughout her 14 years in the educational system, she has worked at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

I would like to thank Rebecca for the good work she has done for her students over the years. I wish her the best and look forward to learning of her continued success in coming years.

Mr. President, today I honor Tammy Chabot, the Collier County Teacher of the Year from Gulf Coast High School in Naples, FL.

Fittingly, Tammy was notified of her Teacher of the Year award while she was teaching one of her classes. Her students and colleagues praise Tammy for her dedication to ensuring those who enter her classroom are able to achieve success and gain a better understanding of science.

Tammy also seeks to establish a relationship with her students' parents, with many congratulating her for winning this award. Outside of the classroom, Tammy and her colleagues note the importance of student involvement in clubs and activities.

Tammy teaches at Gulf Coast High School in the Science Department. She has served as a sponsor for her school's Girl Up! Club and was named a Discovery Education STEAM Award winner in 2016.

I extend my best wishes to Tammy for her hard work throughout the years and look forward to hearing of her continued success in the upcoming years.