Floor Statements

Mr. President, for the October Granite Stater of the Month, I would like to recognize an extremely thoughtful and motivated young woman who has made it her mission to address bullying in our school communities, Hannah Guillemette. Hannah, a high school freshman from Bedford, NH, started her anti-bullying and kindness campaign ``I've Got Your Back,'' also known as IGYB, when she was in middle school just over a year ago. She began by distributing 600 IGYB wristbands with a mission tag prompting her peers to include, be kind, and respect each other in her community, and the effort quickly grew and has touched almost 30,000 people across New Hampshire and 14 other States.

Hannah was inspired to act after witnessing bullying in her own school and

being bullied herself for standing up for friends. She recalled one of her middle school friends, who was bullied so badly that he would ride his broken bicycle to school in the depths of the New Hampshire winter rather than take the bus. Hannah helped get him a new bicycle, but she was also inspired to do something more to stop the bullying that impacted him and others in her school.

The summer before her 8th grade year, Hannah came up with the IGYB program that includes a wristband, a parent hand-out, and video that explains IGYB and how participating students are pledging to stand up against bullying and spread kindness in their schools. Now, Hannah travels across New Hampshire giving talks to school assemblies and recruiting ``ambassadors,'' both student and adults, in school communities to help spread the message of IGYB. She is currently working with New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and other New Hampshire officials to implement her program in all New Hampshire schools.

Hannah says that she wants to be a voice both for those who need one now and for those who needed one but are no longer here. She hopes that her IGYB movement will let students know that people support them and have their backs. For her dedication to making her community a better place and the work she has done to prevent bullying and spread kindness in New Hampshire schools, I am proud to recognize Hannah as our October Granite Stater of the Month.

Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in expressing my opposition to Judge Kavanaugh's nomination. I will speak later in the evening about my overall assessment of Judge Kavanaugh's record and nomination and about why I think some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are focusing on the wrong thing in deciding to support him.

To echo my colleague from Michigan just now, no one has a right to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. What we should be focused on is that the country has a right to an impartial, nonpartisan U.S. Supreme Court. They have a right to Justices whose character and fitness for the office is beyond reproach and beyond doubt. Despite everything I have heard from Judge Kavanaugh's supporters, I do not think they can make that case.

My purpose in speaking right now is to express my deep concerns with Judge Kavanaugh's record of ruling against access to healthcare.

If confirmed, Judge Kavanaugh will be a deciding factor in the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans. Yet, time and again, he has demonstrated a commitment to a partisan agenda that would strip away care from some of our most vulnerable people.

As recently as 2017, Judge Kavanaugh criticized Chief Justice Roberts' decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, and in his confirmation hearing, Judge Kavanaugh would not commit to upholding legal protections for people with preexisting conditions--preexisting conditions such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, and more.

Confirming Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court would put those protections at risk. I have heard from people across New Hampshire who are concerned about what will happen to them if they are denied coverage because of their preexisting condition. People like Kristen from Derry, NH. Kristen relies on medications that cost more than $1,200 every month to stay healthy, but if she lost her insurance because of her preexisting condition, she would not be able to afford that medication. Kristen said:

I wouldn't be able to breathe correctly. My COPD would

worsen. My current standard of living--working full time as a

social worker, a runner, active with my children--would

quickly come to an end.

That is what is at stake with this vote.

Republican attorneys general, backed by the Trump administration, are suing to eliminate protections for preexisting conditions. This case will soon be in front of the Supreme Court, and the next Supreme Court Justice could very well be the deciding vote in that decision.

We need a Justice who would rise above partisanship, someone who will act impartially and rule on behalf of what is right for the American people. It is evident Judge Kavanaugh is not that person, and there is no reason to believe he would be an impartial arbiter when it comes to issues related to healthcare.

Throughout this confirmation process, Judge Kavanaugh has revealed himself to be staunchly partisan, and never was that more clear than during his hearing on the allegations raised by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

During that hearing, he called those credible allegations against him ``revenge on behalf of the Clintons'' and seemed to threaten his political enemies by saying: ``What goes around comes around.''

There is ample reason to believe that Judge Kavanaugh would be an ally on the Supreme Court for the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress who are seeking to undermine our healthcare system, and for the health and well-being of Granite Staters and all Americans, I cannot support his nomination.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to join Senator Duckworth and Senator King and so many of my colleagues in opposing Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

One of the most solemn responsibilities of a U.S. Senator is providing advice and consent upon the President's nominating an individual to the Supreme Court. This is a duty and a decision that I do not take lightly. This is a lifetime appointment to the highest Court in our land, which will impact the lives of every single person in this country.

Supreme Court Justice is not a position that any person is entitled to. Any individual nominated to the Court must be subject to security on the totality of their record, their temperament, and their past actions.

Yet, throughout the process of this nomination, my colleagues in the majority have made clear that they will stop at nothing to get Judge Kavanaugh on the Court, no matter his record, no matter his temperament, no matter his character.

When Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's serious and credible allegations came to light, we saw a truly disturbing scene from both Judge Kavanaugh and my colleagues on the other side of this aisle. Judge Kavanaugh himself lashed out, claiming a political conspiracy against him, refusing to answer questions, and seemingly threatening those who raised serious, good-faith questions about his fitness. He said these words: ``What goes around, comes around.'' His behavior and his words reflected a partisan who sees those with whom he differs as enemies, not opponents.

While many of my colleagues in the majority praise Dr. Ford's bravery in sharing her story, and even agreed that her testimony was credible, they blocked any serious professional attempt to get to the facts.

I want to take a minute here to address one of the most disingenuous claims I have heard from the majority when it talks about Dr. Blasey Ford.

Over the last week, Members on the other side of the aisle have expressed concern and regret that Dr. Blasey Ford's letter outlining her allegations was leaked, forcing her story into public view. But the fact that Dr. Blasey Ford didn't choose if and when to reveal her allegation to the public does not relieve the U.S. Senate of its duty to pursue the truth or to treat Dr. Blasey Ford with the respect and compassion the majority says it feels for her, something it could simply demonstrate by acceding to her request for what normally happens after a report of sexual assault: a full investigation before the hearing.

I, too, will note that I watched and listened to Dr. Blasey Ford's testimony. I considered the additional evidence that would have particular weight in a court of law of her corroborating statements well prior to any suggestion that Brett Kavanaugh would ever be nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States. I compared her testimony to that of Judge Kavanaugh, and I believe Dr. Blasey Ford.

Even though the committee rejected the doctor's request for an investigation prior to the hearing, which would have been normal course, which would have produced a much more meaningful and insightful and fact-based hearing, I was hopeful when it was announced last week that the nomination process would be paused for the FBI to investigate Dr. Blasey Ford's allegations. I was so hopeful that there would be a thorough, intensive process in order to get to the truth.

But after reading the FBI report that was presented to Senators, it is clear that the FBI was not allowed to conduct a serious investigation.

I am an attorney, and I have to say that any good attorney allowed to read the FBI's supplemental background investigation--what we have been calling the report here--would tell you that it is not the type of comprehensive investigation that could lead to the truth. The limited scope of the investigation produced a sham.

Let me be clear. Nothing in the FBI report exonerated Judge Kavanaugh. It wasn't comprehensive enough to prove or disprove Dr. Blasey Ford's allegations or Judge Kavanaugh's denials. It was clearly designed just to provide cover so that the majority could vote yes and jam this nomination through.

Even before Dr. Ford bravely stepped forward with her allegations of sexual assault, I had concluded that Judge Kavanaugh's nomination should not go forward, that Judge Kavanaugh did not belong on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Having reviewed his record and hearing his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, it is evident that he does not have the impartiality that is required to serve on the Supreme Court. His record shows that he is a partisan who promotes a partisan rightwing ideology deeply at odds with the will of the American people.

On issue after issue, Judge Kavanaugh has promoted a judicial philosophy that diminishes the rights of individuals, particularly women, and puts corporations before people.

On healthcare, Judge Kavanaugh's agenda has been clear. As recently as October 2017, Judge Kavanaugh criticized Chief Justice Roberts' decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. In his confirmation hearing, Judge Kavanaugh would not commit to upholding protections for people who have preexisting conditions, such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, and more.

The Trump administration and the majority in Congress have been relentless in their attempts to sabotage our healthcare system, underscoring the need to have a Supreme Court that would rise above partisanship, but Judge Kavanaugh will not do that.

On the issue of reproductive rights and a woman's right to chart her own destiny, Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly tried to dodge and mislead, but none of his judicial opinions or comments indicate that he believes Roe v. Wade was rightly decided or that he would respect Roe's precedent if he had the opportunity to do so.

With Judge Kavanaugh on the Bench, Roe and the personal, economic, and reproductive freedom that it has delivered to women is directly threatened.

When it comes to checks and balances on the President's power, Judge Kavanaugh's record and opinions are also extremely concerning, particularly given that a clear pattern of criminality continues to emerge from the Mueller investigation.

Judge Kavanaugh has a history of supporting an unchecked Presidency. He has written that Presidents should be essentially above the law by claiming that they should not be the subject of civil lawsuits, criminal prosecutions, or even criminal investigations.

During his hearing, Judge Kavanaugh refused to commit to recusing himself from matters involving investigations of the very President who nominated him. Especially at a time like this, it is too dangerous to place a Justice on the Supreme Court who believes in virtually no checks on a President's power, but it appears that the majority is committed to doing just that.

This nomination has been an outrage, and the way it has been handled is a failure of this institution. The majority has put the interests of its party and a nominee who has made clear he will serve those interests before the interests of the court and the country.

The nominee, who will apparently--given today's developments--be confirmed tomorrow, is without the character or temperament needed to serve on the Supreme Court without the credibility that the American people deserve. He is, in fact, the antithesis of that impartial arbiter that a Supreme Court Justice has to be.

The people of New Hampshire deserve better. The people of the United States of America deserve better. That is why I will be voting no on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination tomorrow, and I would urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and extend my sincerest congratulations and happy birthday wishes to Ethel Edna Tilley, who celebrates her 100th birthday on October 19.

Ethel, who likes to go by Edna, was born in Ramsgate, England, in 1918 and immigrated to the United States with her mother and sister when she was 8 years old. Her father worked for 3 years in America before their family joined him and settled in Everett, MA. Edna met her husband Charlie at the County Road Church in Chelsea, MA. They later married in the same church, while Charlie was home on leave during his service in World War II. After the war, they moved to Saugus, MA, where they raised their two children, Geraldine and Robert.

At 40 years old, Edna fulfilled her lifelong dream and became a teacher. Together with her husband, Edna remodeled the first floor of their home and opened the Country Kindergarten. Her kindergarten became a nursery school and daycare center serving hundreds of children for 22 years.

She retired from teaching only to go back to work 2 years later, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service in Durham, NH. Throughout her life, Edna also served as a Sunday school teacher, a Sunday school superintendent, a factory worker, and a key-punch operator at a bank. Additionally, Edna taught dance classes with her husband before he passed away in 1996.

Today, Edna lives in Fremont, NH. She loves to paint, and she gives away items she makes to friends and family. She has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her family describes her as kind, generous, and pure in heart.

I hope you join me, Edna's friends and family, and many people across the Granite State in wishing Ethel Edna Tilley a very happy 100th birthday.

Mr. President, over the past weeks, we have been reminded yet again why it is so hard for survivors of sexual assault to come forward. For far too long, women who bravely share their stories of sexual assault have been attacked, diminished, and marginalized, and I am sad to say that includes by some of my fellow Senators.

In some respects, we have seen remarkable progress since the ``me too.'' movement began roughly 1 year ago. More women have felt empowered and supported to speak out, and our society has begun to grapple with the horrific and widespread prevalence of sexual harassment and assault, especially in the workplace.

But, sadly, these past weeks have been a reminder that in many ways we are still stuck in 1991; 1991, of course, was when Anita Hill courageously testified before the Senate, sharing allegations of sexual harassment by then-nominee to the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas. Women and men across the country watched in horror as Dr. Hill was attacked and disrespected by the men of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Yet, here we are, 27 years later, and Senate Republican leadership has made clear that they will do everything they can to ram Judge Kavanaugh's nomination through. They have come up with a process that is even worse, even more disrespectful and disheartening to survivors than the one we saw in 1991.

In 1991, the FBI investigated allegations of sexual assault against Mr. Thomas. The hearings stretched on for multiple days, and some corroborating witnesses were allowed to testify.

In 2018, Republican leadership has indicated that none of those things will be allowed to happen--none of them. They have simply scheduled a check-the-box hearing, rejecting calls to ask the FBI to reopen its background investigation, refusing to allow other witnesses or evidence to be heard, and limiting the questioning from Senators.

Lawyers for Dr. Ford announced that they have submitted sworn affidavits to the Senate Judiciary Committee from four individuals whom she shared these allegations with well before President Trump nominated Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Yet, incredibly, not a single one of these corroborating witnesses will be called to testify before the committee, nor will the witness that Dr. Ford alleges was in the room while she was assaulted, and the FBI will not be asked to speak with these or any other witnesses either.

This process isn't a serious attempt to get to the truth. It is a complete sham, and some of my colleagues are hardly even trying to hide the fact that this is not a serious investigation, as they pledge that these credible allegations will not stop Judge Kavanaugh's nomination.

Some of my colleagues have complained about how unfair it is to Judge Kavanaugh that these women have dared to come forward, and they have shown little sympathy for the attacks these women are facing or interest in the corroboration they are willing to offer. They have ignored the real questions about Judge Kavanaugh's credibility and truthfulness and his blatant disrespect for women.

Make no mistake. In 2018, survivors are still not being taken seriously, and that is despite the extraordinary prevalence of sexual assault, which is hard to even quantify, given that an estimated two out of three sexual assaults go unreported.

It is simply unacceptable that survivors are still not being listened to and taken seriously.

To President Trump and Republican leadership, I say: We will not stand for these attempts to silence women and shove them back into the dark. These allegations of sexual assault are extremely serious, and they are credible. The way that these survivors have been attacked is disgusting.

Yet even before we were aware of these allegations, it was clear that Judge Kavanaugh should not serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. I watched Judge Kavanaugh's responses to my colleagues during his initial nomination hearings. I examined his judicial writings and past public statements. I reviewed the limited number of documents that Republicans shared about Judge Kavanaugh's time working in the White House. What the totality of this record makes abundantly clear is that on issue after issue, Judge Kavanaugh has promoted a judicial philosophy that diminishes the rights of individuals, particularly women and people of color, puts corporations before people, and promotes a partisan rightwing ideology at odds with the will of the American people.

But in addition to a record and an outlook that is disqualifying, there is Judge Kavanaugh's lack of credibility. Even in his initial hearings, Judge Kavanaugh raised serious questions about his credibility amid a lack of truthfulness on a range of issues stretching back to his time with the Starr investigation and his work in the Bush administration--questions about his credibility that have only been reinforced by his response to the multiple allegations of sexual assault he is now facing, as evidenced by those who knew him coming forward to dispute his statements.

The eyes of the country and the world are upon us, and I fear what they will see in the coming days. It is not too late for the Senate to pause this sham process and make clear that this body listens to survivors and takes their experiences and their pain seriously. However, if the Senate continues on its present course, it will be an abject failure by this body that will not soon be forgotten.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am proud to recognize Laura Landerman-Garber of Hollis, NH, who truly embodies our State's all- hands-on-deck spirit, as September's Granite Stater of the Month.

One holiday season years ago, Laura read a story about the importance of remembering servicemembers away from home during the holidays. So during a holiday dinner, she set out cards and told her family and guests that she would start serving turkey dinner after they each wrote a card to a servicemember. This tradition continued and grew last year when a family friend was stationed on an aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, inspiring Laura to try to send a card to each member of the crew--or 5,000 cards.

To accomplish this task, Laura mobilized her community. She reached out to churches, synagogues, scout troops, and schools. She also talked to the local media and public officials. Instead of receiving 5,000 cards, Laura received 17,000 cards for members of the Navy in just 6 weeks.

As Laura says, New Hampshire may be small in size, but we are mighty in heart. She has decided to continue her mission to honor our heroes serving in the Armed Forces and says she draws particular inspiration to carry on her tradition after meeting a Vietnam war veteran who described a card he had framed on the wall of his house, written to him by a boy he has never met.

This year, Laura has formed a nonprofit organization to help with the postage and has expanded her goals; she aims to collect 5,000 cards for each branch of our military, 25,000 total. Already, Laura has said the outpouring of support from the entire New Hampshire community has been incredible, reinforcing that, from preschoolers to seniors, the people of New Hampshire exhibit a remarkable generosity of heart and spirit. Laura is confident that, this year, she will once again meet her goal.

For her dedication to our servicemembers and for her work to

bring Granite Starters together, I am proud of to recognize Laura as our September Granite Stater of the Month.

Mr. President, I thank my colleagues Senator King and Senator Markey for their remarks and their work as we all come together to battle this terrible opioid epidemic.

I rise as the Senate considers bipartisan legislation that marks a critical step forward in the fight against the fentanyl, heroin, and opioid crisis.

In New Hampshire, and all across our Nation, entire communities are being ravaged by this epidemic. In order to turn the tide, we need to combat the challenges communities are experiencing from all angles; we need to collaborate across traditional boundaries; we need to take a truly all-hands-on-deck approach because the magnitude of this crisis demands it.

This crisis does not discriminate. I have spoken to so many individuals and families from all walks of life who are heartbroken and reeling. Their loved ones were professionals--students, athletes, parents--and then they fell victim to this illness, and their lives and the lives of those who loved them were never the same.

Just this morning, I met with a number of grandparents who are now the primary caregivers for their grandchildren--a situation that many of us at first considered a phenomenon and now realize has become commonplace because the children's parents have died or they are in prison or they are simply absent or unable to be a caregiver due to their substance use disorder.

I spoke this morning with this group of grandparents, two of whom have been raising their grandson for nearly 9 years now, one of whom has seen two grandchildren returned to their parents after their parents recovered from their addiction. In one case, the grandparent whose grandchildren have gone

back to their parents is, at age 57, starting life completely anew. She had given up her job and gone through her entire retirement savings to keep her children safe while their parents battled their addiction.

Another set of grandparents, who again have given up everything to keep their grandson safe, are scared of going to court to get permanent custody and adopt their grandchild because they are concerned the child's father will reappear and contest the custody, and the cost of that custody battle will mean they have no money left to care for their grandchild.

Most heartbreakingly, both sets of grandparents said to me they were worried about what will happen to their grandchildren should they die since the children's parents might not be able to be there for them.

I was also reminded today that at one of our largest treatment centers in New Hampshire, the providers estimate that 40 percent of those in treatment have children, which means there will be more and more children in our communities who need their grandparents or other caregivers to step forward.

This crisis is also taking a particular toll on first responders who respond to overdose after overdose, sometimes reviving the same people on the same day.

This crisis also impacts our workforce and our economy. I have met with a number of employers who can't fill jobs because they can't find workers who can pass a drug test. There are people now in recovery, some with convictions on their record, who wonder if anyone will ever give them a second chance.

There is a lot of collateral damage from this crisis. The good news is, just as the ripple effect of this epidemic touches all parts of our communities, people from all corners of New Hampshire and our country are responding--as communities, as friends and neighbors, and as first responders and healthcare providers--in a collaborative manner. This is a multifaceted problem, and it requires a multifaceted approach, but for too long we haven't seen a Federal response that matches the urgency on the ground.

I am hopeful that by passing this bipartisan legislation, we can move forward. We have given communities and families some of the support they need and that they have been waiting for, aching for.

This comprehensive legislation we are considering today includes many priorities the people of New Hampshire, particularly those on the frontlines, have been urging us to fight for.

This bill reauthorizes and improves State-targeted response grants to ensure that States hardest hit by this crisis--States like New Hampshire--continue to get the resources they need.

This legislation also includes the bipartisan Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act, which I partnered on with Senator Capito, to offer grants to expand existing centers of care to provide comprehensive coordinated care and support services like housing and employment reintegration for those who are in recovery.

We have also heard loudly and clearly from our healthcare providers that we need a more integrated approach in order to combat this complex disease on all fronts. So this bill includes legislation Senator Portman and I worked on together aimed at the next generation of doctors, encouraging medical schools and residency programs to integrate addiction medicine and treatment into their curriculum, as well as ensuring that doctors who get this training can apply right away to prescribe medication-assisted treatment as soon as they are licensed and have a DEA number.

Members of law enforcement have made clear that they need additional tools to crack down on bad actors in the pharmaceutical industry whose behavior has greatly contributed to this crisis. So Senator Grassley, Senator Cruz, and I worked on a provision to make those tools available and to help hold industry bad actors accountable.

This legislation also curbs the importation of deadly fentanyl and other synthetic drugs being shipped through the borders to drug traffickers in the United States.

These are just a number of the key provisions included in this bill. As the Senate moves forward and moves into negotiations with the House of Representatives, I will work with Members of both parties to make important improvements.

For example, we should keep working in a bipartisan way to include a provision making permanent prescribing authority for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, which were some of the measures that Senators Markey and King were just talking about. Nurses and physician assistants are vital parts of our care workforce, including and especially in rural and underserved areas, and their prescribing authority should be made permanent, and we should allow additional advanced practice nurses to prescribe.

I am pleased that we are taking this step forward today, and I am grateful for the Senate's bipartisan work that has brought us to this point--the consideration of the bill on the Senate floor. I am particularly grateful for the work of Senator Alexander and Senator Murray.

This legislation is a vital next step in our efforts to combat this crisis. The biggest mistake anyone could make is thinking that our efforts are anywhere close to being done. As the families I met with this morning made clear, we have a lot more work to do.

I am encouraged by the progress of this bill, and I believe its implementation will help us mount a much more informed and comprehensive response to this devastating epidemic. I also remain encouraged that we have secured a significant increase in Federal funding to combat this crisis through our budget negotiations.

Let there be no mistake. We will need to continue to work together. In particular, we will need to learn about which treatment and recovery practices will be successful in the long run, and we will need further research to establish best practices for supporting a newly at-risk cohort--the children of those with this disorder. We have been responding to and learning about this disease as the epidemic unfolded, and there is much we do not know and much we still need to tackle.

I am encouraged that Members of both parties have come together, demonstrating that we can put partisanship aside and work together to address some of the most dire challenges our communities face. We owe it to all of the many stakeholders in this fight to keep listening to them, to keep collaborating together, and to keep working on solutions so that we can truly make progress and get better. This is a good start, but it is and must be only a start.

I yield the floor.

Recognition of the Majority Leader

Mr. President, I am proud to recognize as the August Granite Staters of the Month the team behind Nashua's Positive Street Art for their work remembering those lost to substance use disorders and supporting those undergoing treatment.

New Hampshire is one of the States that has been hardest hit by the fentanyl, heroin, and opioid epidemic. This epidemic has devastated communities across the Granite State, and far too many people have lost loved ones to substance use disorders. We must continue to honor the memories of those lost and continue to find ways to support individuals who are going through recovery. In Nashua, Positive Street Art is helping to remember those lost and support those on the road to recovery with a mural called ``Take Courage.''

Since 2012, Positive Street Art has promoted the arts in Nashua through urban and public art projects, including murals, workshops, afterschool programs, and events like the Downtown Arts Festival. Their newest mural, ``Take Courage,'' has come together primarily through the efforts of artists Tom Lopez and Manuel Ramirez, as well as through the support of Ric Everhard, Alison Bankowski, and community volunteers Alyssa O'Mara, Victor Luce, Patrick Paraggio, Blake Bankowski, John Stein, Lance lsaksen, Paul Alvarez, Valerie Galvao, Ashley Young, and Jessica Ayala. The mural is meant to honor those community members who were lost to substance misuse and inspire those seeking recovery.

When completed, the mural will bear an important and hopeful message for people in Nashua and across the Granite State who have been impacted by this horrific crisis: ``Take Courage. When the road is long you must never forget you are never alone.''

In addition to their latest work, Positive Street Art has completed numerous other murals. These include the ``Hearts and Minds'' mural that honors our veterans, the ``Gratitude'' mural which reminds viewers to be thankful for the blessings in their daily lives, and the ``Nostalgia'' mural which highlights the vintage theaters that used to occupy downtown Nashua. They have become beloved additions to the streets of the city.

For their efforts to raise awareness and support those who have been impacted by substance use disorders, as well as their general work to support the arts in Nashua, I am proud to recognize the Positive Street Art team as the August Granite Staters of the Month.

Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Oregon for organizing this evening's recognition.

Fifty-three years ago this week, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law, delivering healthcare to seniors and some of our most vulnerable citizens, and bolstering efforts to expand opportunity and help more of our people thrive. Today, tens of millions of Americans are covered through Medicare and Medicaid.

In communities in New Hampshire and throughout our country, seniors are able to live active, engaging, and high-quality lives, participating physically and economically, because of the care Medicare provides. We know Medicaid has delivered countless benefits to people from all walks of life. Medicaid helps seniors and those who experience disabilities receive supports that allow them to live independently in their homes and in their communities. It also helps countless children who experience disabilities go to school, and it assists school districts in covering costs for special education services and equipment.

New Hampshire's bipartisan Medicaid expansion plan has provided more than 50,000 hard-working Granite Staters with the peace of mind that comes with quality, affordable health insurance.

Experts on the frontlines have said that our Medicaid expansion plan is the No. 1 tool at our disposal to combat the opioid crisis in New Hampshire. What we have learned is that when people who have substance misuse disorders have Medicaid coverage, they have the opportunity to change their lives, people like a Granite Stater named Elizabeth, who at one point in her life was homeless and lost custody of her son as a result of a substance misuse disorder. Elizabeth is in recovery and works at the SOS Recovery Community Organization in Rochester, a facility that recently celebrated an expansion to ensure that they can help even more people in need. Elizabeth has credited her recovery to the services she has received through Medicaid expansion and has stressed its importance in helping people who have struggled with substance misuse disorder find the support and help they need to improve their lives, to get better, to work, to raise a family.

On this anniversary, we must reaffirm our commitment to protecting Medicare and Medicaid and strengthening them so that they are available for future generations. Unfortunately, the Trump administration and my Republican colleagues have repeatedly pushed efforts that would undermine and drastically cut Medicare and Medicaid.

During last year's TrumpCare debate, a top priority for Republicans was instituting massive cuts to Medicaid that would have forced States to choose between slashing benefits, reducing the number of people who can get care, or both, threatening the very services on which children, people with disabilities, and seniors depend. Thankfully, the TrumpCare bill failed, but efforts from this administration to sabotage the health of millions haven't stopped, and Medicare and Medicaid continue to be under threat for drastic cuts, all so that Republicans can pay for their massive tax breaks for corporate special interests.

These attacks on our healthcare must stop. Our constituents understand the benefits of these programs,

and they want us to work together to safeguard them so that they are available and effective for our seniors, our children, our most vulnerable, now and in the future.

With the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, our country acknowledged an obligation to protect the health and wellness of our people, and it has acknowledged and it has seen the value of doing so--for individuals, for communities, and for our economy.

Fifty-three years ago, Americans made a promise to each other, as self-governing people have the unique privilege and power to do. I am going to continue fighting to make good on that promise for years to come.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank Senator Wyden for his leadership for our seniors, for our Nation's economy, and for all of our people.

Mr. President, I am honored to recognize as July's Granite Stater of the Month an individual who truly embodies the best of New Hampshire's all-hands-on-deck spirit, consistently rolling up her sleeves and helping her community, Dianne Paquette of Salem, NH.

Dianne's efforts started with two elementary school playgrounds that needed repairs. She led efforts to raise money to repair the playgrounds because, in her words, ``somebody has to.'' After she was successful in her fundraising efforts for the playgrounds, Dianne moved on to other town landmarks and was instrumental in raising funds and gathering volunteers for several projects, including restoring the historic Salem Depot Train Station.

Dianne has formed a core group of friends--a group that she calls the Village--made up of law enforcement officials, firefighters, and Granite Staters who share her commitment to helping their community. Recently, Dianne and the Village have focused on helping those in need after two separate apartment fires in Salem. She helped organize a spaghetti dinner that raised nearly $6,000 and then, following a second fire, and with the help of firefighters working in the kitchen, a pancake breakfast that raised over $5,000.

Dianne said that these fires increased awareness about an issue that is near to her heart, the lack of affordable housing in the Salem area. The funds she helped raise are going to address many of the challenges the victims of the fires will face, including relocating. As she said, you can't fix everything with pancakes and spaghetti, but you can do what you can to help.

Dianne reminds us all that sometimes helping your community is about being the person to take the first step and voice the idea, and her efforts to mobilize friends and neighbors to work together has made a difference throughout her community. For her dedication to Salem, I am proud to recognize Dianne as July's Granite Stater of the Month.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and extend my sincerest congratulations and happy birthday wishes to Juliette C. Hamill, who celebrates her 100th birthday on July 10.

Juliette was born and raised in Manchester, NH, the same city where she resides today. She worked as a legal secretary, as well as a Federal housing authority, before retiring.

Juliette and her husband, Warren, were married for 45 years before he passed away in 2001. During the course of their marriage, they visited all the continental U.S. State capitals on road trips. While the couple spent most of their years in New Hampshire, they also briefly lived in New York, California, Ohio, and Nebraska.

Together, Juliette and Warren raised four children: Theresa McKenney, Warren G. Hamill, Catherine Mary Burge, and Gary C. Hamill. Juliette also has 9 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, whom she loves deeply.

Today Juliette is an active member of her churches: St. Marie's Catholic Church and St. Catherine's Catholic Church.

Mr. President, I hope you join me, Juliette's friends and family, and many people in the city of Manchester and across the Granite State in wishing Juliette C. Hamill a very happy 100th birthday.

Mr. President, before I begin my remarks concerning the Women's Health Protection Act, I want to state for the record that given Justice Kennedy's announcement today that he will retire, and there will therefore be a vacancy on the Supreme Court, any nominee for the Supreme Court must be committed to protecting the rights of all Americans, including the reproductive rights of women. Nominees can't just be focused on protecting corporate special interests and the powerful few. I also continue to believe that Supreme Court nominees should have broad support from both political parties and be able to clear a 60-vote threshold. A strong and independent judiciary that is above politics and is willing to stop abuses of power is more important than ever given that our current President regularly disregards established democratic norms and voices contempt for constitutional safeguards.

Women's Healthcare

Mr. President, with this attention on the Supreme Court, it is appropriate that I rise on the 2-year anniversary of a critical victory for women and families across our Nation.

Two years ago, the Supreme Court's ruling in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt reaffirmed that every woman has the right to make her own healthcare decisions and chart her own destiny. This decision preserved women's access to critical health services and reinforced that placing an undue burden on abortion access violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that the Court has made this clear, politicians in Washington and in States across our country have made it their mission to undermine women's access to safe and legal abortions. Here in Congress, we have seen bill after bill that marginalizes women and restricts their fundamental rights, and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have confirmed Trump administration officials and judges who are vehemently opposed to women having the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions.

Additionally, State legislatures have pushed a number of burdensome restrictions. Politicians have pushed these restrictions under the guise of protecting women's health, but in the Whole Woman's Health case, the Supreme Court called their bluff and stated that the real point of these State laws was to deny women access to care.

Unfortunately, many States have remained persistent in their efforts. Since that 2016 decision, State legislatures have introduced 1,039 restrictive bills and have passed 180 of them. These bills have focused on everything from closing abortion clinics to criminalizing providers who offer reproductive health services. No matter their ZIP codes, women deserve equal access to care, but it is clear that there will continue to be attempts from politicians to violate women's rights.

With all of these relentless attacks, it is evident that what we need is Federal legislation that protects women's access to care in every State throughout our Nation. That is why, last year, I was proud to join with dozens of my Democratic colleagues to introduce the Women's Health Protection Act.

This legislation is vital because it protects women from the burdensome requirements that States are enacting. It would invalidate laws that require women to endure unnecessary tests and procedures and would invalidate laws that prevent doctors from prescribing and dispensing medication that is medically appropriate. Above all, the Women's Health Protection Act would ensure that women across the country receive safe, medically sound care if they choose to have an abortion.

At a time when politicians in Washington and in State legislatures continue to marginalize women, I will continue to fight for the Women's Health Protection Act because women deserve respect when making their most deeply personal healthcare decisions, and they have to have the full independence to do so.

Tribute to Master Sergeant Lee Hirtle

Mr. President, I rise to recognize retired Air Force MSgt Lee Hirtle, who is also a retired New Hampshire State Trooper of Northfield, NH, as the June Granite Stater of the month for his incredible dedication to honoring our servicemembers and veterans who have passed.

Over a decade ago, at a military funeral, Master Sergeant Hirtle noticed that ``Taps,'' the traditional bugle call performed at military funerals, was playing from a CD player that was hidden behind a gravestone. When he returned home from the funeral, Master Sergeant Hirtle went to his basement and dusted off his old trumpet--an instrument he had not touched since he had been a college student. He taught himself to play ``Taps'' and practiced until he was skilled enough to play at the funerals of fellow veterans and servicemembers.

Since playing at his first funeral in 2007, he has sounded ``Taps'' over 3,650 times across the Northeast.

When asked why he continues to sound ``Taps,'' Master Sergeant Hirtle talked about his first military funeral. At that funeral, he stood alongside a New Hampshire National Guard member named CPL Scott Dimond. A year later, after Corporal Dimond was killed while serving in Afghanistan, Master Sergeant Hirtle sounded ``Taps'' at his funeral. As the master sergeant said, servicemembers like Corporal Dimond--and all of our veterans--deserve the live version of ``Taps.''

We can never fully repay those who have served or have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom, but we must commit ourselves to honoring those sacrifices. Master Sergeant Hirtle does that and is a true embodiment of that commitment. For his dedication to honoring those who served, I am so proud to recognize him as the Granite Stater of the month.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today, I would like to honor the life of Jonathon Drake of New Durham, NH, who tragically lost his life in a car accident in May. A social worker at the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability, Jonathon worked to help at-risk youth succeed and was beloved by his family, his colleagues, and his community. A childhood cancer survivor, he dedicated his life to helping young people and was recognized for his exceptional work with the first annual Rockstar Award from YOUTH M.O.V.E. New Hampshire. Jonathon dreamt of being a school principal one day, and was working toward completing his certification at the time of his death.

In addition to his work, Jonathon was dedicated to his wife, their two young sons, and to the many people he embraced as family. At a celebration of Jonathon's life, hundreds of community members gathered to share memories of their friend who had been taken from them far too soon.

One of my favorite things about New Hampshire is our all-hands-on- deck spirit, where people roll up their sleeves and work together to strengthen our communities. Both in his work to improve the lives of at-risk youth and his love for those around him, Jonathon Drake perfectly exemplified this New Hampshire spirit, and we can honor his memory by carrying on his work and rededicating ourselves to the work of improving our communities and being a friend. May he rest in peace.

Mr. President, I have submitted amendment No. 2955 to H.R. 5895 on behalf of Senator Jeanne Shaheen. I strongly support the provision's intent to ensure that veterans in New Hampshire receive the best possible care.

Mr. President, I begin tonight by thanking my colleague Senator Merkley for his leadership on this issue.

I rise to join my Democratic colleagues and millions of Americans who have been appalled and outraged at the humanitarian crisis that President Trump has created on our southern border.

Make no mistake, these past few weeks have truly been an affront to our American values. By now, we have all witnessed the horrifying reality--the images of children being held in cages, the cries of screaming kids who have no idea where their parents are being taken or if they will ever see them again.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that between May 5 and June 9, the Department took 2,300 children--approximately 70 children per day--from their parents. Pediatricians, psychologists, and health professionals have made clear the lasting harm of these forced separations. According to experts, when children are forcibly removed from their parents, the amount of toxic stress can cause neurons in the brain to be killed off, leaving damage that impacts brain development and can cause long-term behavioral health issues, although no parent needs a doctor to tell them that.

The fact that our government has engaged in this type of physical and psychological damage to children is morally reprehensible. These actions have been unacceptable and completely unnecessary.

Let's be clear. The President created this crisis, and over the past days and weeks, the President and his administration made false claim after false claim, saying that there was nothing they could do to reverse the President's own actions. The fact that the President bowed to pressure and signed an Executive order today cannot undo the trauma that has already been inflicted.

We cannot forget about the children and parents that remain separated tonight, and immediate action must be taken to reunite children with their families. Earlier tonight, there were reports that the Department of Health and Human Services will not--will not--make special efforts to reunite children who have already been separated from families because of the President's actions. We cannot and will not accept this continued brutality. The President must act immediately to reunite these children with their parents. Surely the U.S. Government is capable of that.

In the United States of America, we must work to secure our border in a manner that reflects our values, and I am committed to working with anyone on comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform.

Separating children from their families was an abhorrent policy to pursue, and it will forever mark a dark and shameful period in our country's history.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, it is with great sadness that I recognize the passing of Kittie Moore Wilson, of New London, NH.

Today, I wish to celebrate the life of Kittie and her service to New Hampshire.

While Kittie was born in Bangor, ME, she spent a majority of her life as a Granite Stater. She attended Epsom High School and then went to Plymouth State University, as well as the University of Connecticut. After graduating, Kittie taught third grade for 15 years at Kearsarge Regional School District before going on to oversee and teach the Mindstretch Program throughout the entire district for the next 16 years.

Known affectionately as the Loon Lady, Kittie had a deep love of the environment and was dedicated to protecting loons and conserving Pleasant Lake in New Hampshire. For her work and her passion, she received the Loon Preservation Committee's Spirit of the Loon Award and the EPA's Meritorious Lifetime Achievement Award.

During my time as Governor of New Hampshire, I had the pleasure of working with Kittie and the Loon Preservation Committee on SB 89, legislation that helped to protect our loon population from deadly lead poisoning and to preserve an important part of our State's natural beauty that helps drive our economy.

Kittie is survived by her husband of 29 years, John, her brother Michael Moore and his family, her sister Karen Johnson and her family, her stepson Jeb Wilson, and her Scottish Terriers Aberfeldy and Macallan.

I join with Kittie's friends and family, and many people across the Granite State in remembering and honoring her legacy.