Floor Statements

Mr. President, I wish to recognize and extend my sincerest congratulations and happy birthday wishes to Lorence M. Bertone, who celebrated her 100th birthday on June 9, 2018.

Lorence was born in 1918 in Danvers, MA, where she worked at Sylvania until she retired and moved to Seabrook, NH, 38 years ago. Lorence is married to Ricce Bertone, and they have five children: Richard, Clarice, Bonny, Robert, and Linda. Lorence also has many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and still travels to California to visit her grandsons, Rod and Dave.

Today Lorence enjoys taking trips to Vegas, crocheting, baking, and playing bingo every week at the Seabrook American Legion and Seabrook Fire Association.

I hope you join me, Lorence's friends and family, and many people in the town of Seabrook and across the Granite State in wishing Lorence M. Bertone a very happy 100th birthday.

Madam President, I am proud to recognize second grader MaKenzie Sheehan of Monroe, NH, as the May Granite Stater of the Month for her bravery and quick thinking that helped save her family when their house caught on fire recently.

On the night of the fire, MaKenzie woke to a crash in her bedroom, and when she saw a wall of fire, she quickly acted to wake her sister. Remembering from her fire education at school that the door would be hot, she knew not to touch it and began screaming for help. Her cries alerted the rest of the family, and they were able to make it out just in time.

Her family is very proud and grateful for MaKenzie's grace under pressure and considers her their hero.

I am honored to recognize MaKenzie as the May Granite Stater of the Month. MaKenzie represents the strength of character that defines the Granite State, and her actions are an excellent reminder that, no matter our age, it is critical that we are equipped with the knowledge of what to do in case of an emergency.

Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Washington for her leadership and her articulation of a big issue before us. I too rise today ahead of a vote that is of vital importance to protecting a free and open internet.

Last week FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that June 11 would be the date when key net neutrality protections will officially end. This backward, misguided decision from the FCC threatens the consumer friendly internet that Americans know today--an internet that ensures equal access to content, regardless of which internet service provider you use.

Ending net neutrality could impact all of our people. In New Hampshire, our citizens are rightly concerned, with thousands of Granite Staters contacting my office to urge Congress to save these key protections.

I am pleased to join my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, to force a vote to do just that.

Reinstating net neutrality is critical to promoting innovation, supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses across New Hampshire, and encouraging economic growth. By ensuring that our businesses can compete on the internet on an equal footing, we provide more opportunity for a wide range of businesses, from high-tech companies and startups to farming and agriculture.

On Monday, I visited Stoneyfield Farm in Londonderry, NH, to discuss the negative impact that repealing net neutrality will have on their business and countless other businesses across our State. Stoneyfield is a New Hampshire business that sells organic dairy products all over our country and relies on the internet to reach their customers. They also rely on the internet to connect with small businesses and dairy farmers that help source their products.

When I met with representatives from Stoneyfield and farmers from around New England on Monday, they made clear that they are worried about what could happen if smaller farms are charged more for access to websites and services--a potential effect of repealing net neutrality.

Farmers are already operating on pretty small margins, and they could be hurt by having to pay even more to get the kind of speed on the internet they need in order to be competitive. This is particularly troubling in rural areas, where many communities still face challenges with access to broadband.

It is not just rural communities and farmers. This decision would hurt small businesses in any number of industries across New Hampshire, all to give big internet service providers another opportunity to raise their profits.

It would be unfair to all consumers to give internet service providers the power to discriminate against certain web pages, apps, and streaming and video services by slowing them down, blocking them, or favoring certain services while charging more for others.

Protecting a free and open internet means we are protecting the farmers who need the internet to sell their products. It means we are protecting the next great startup which needs a level playing field to compete against larger, more established companies. It means we are protecting the countless Americans who have used the internet as a mechanism to organize and civically engage online.

There has been so much energy from Granite Staters and Americans who are in favor of reinstating net neutrality because they know how much is at stake. I am grateful for their efforts to speak out because they have helped us get to this point today. I am hopeful more of my Republican colleagues will join us today to put consumers and small businesses first and to show that the U.S. Senate is in favor of a free and open internet.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, 75 years ago over Brech, France, an American B-17 bomber was downed by hostile fire. The copilot of that bomber was Second Lieutenant Joseph Boyle, a proud Granite Stater. Lieutenant Boyle was one of four survivors out of a crew of 10, and while two of the crew escaped capture, Lieutenant Boyle and another aviator were captured and interned in Stalag Luft III, a notorious prisoner of war camp operated by the German Luftwaffe. For his service during the Second World War, which included 16 bombing raids over enemy-occupied territory, Lieutenant Boyle was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart.

After he returned home, Mr. Boyle raised a family, opened a furniture business, and was active in his community. Mr. Boyle was a lifelong tennis player and golfer and cherished the time he spent with his eight grandchildren. Mr. Boyle passed away in 2009, after a life well-lived and full of love. He is missed by his family and all those whose lives he touched in New Hampshire and across the world.

In 2001, before his passing, the people and government of France enacted a monument to Mr. Boyle and the other members of his aircrew. Standing outside the town of Brech, this memorial displays the names of the Americans who were in that downed B-17. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the day that Mr. Boyle and his crew were shot down, the people of Brech have invited Mr. Boyle's family to join them to remember the events of that day and the sacrifice that many Americans made so that the people of France could once again be free.

Ceremonies such as this one are so important, both to honor the service and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation and as a symbol of the enduring relationship between the United States and our oldest ally, France. It is critical that we remember all those who sacrificed in the fight against totalitarianism and helped keep our nations safe and free.

Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in support of reinstating net neutrality.

Access to a free and open internet is critical to promoting innovation, supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, and growing our economy. Americans are accustomed to and want an internet that is consumer-friendly and that ensures equal access to content, no matter their internet service provider. Net neutrality helps ensure that the internet remains free and open by requiring internet service providers to treat all content the same way, providing equal access to applications and content online.

My constituents in New Hampshire are keenly aware of how important net neutrality is to their lives. Thousands of Granite Staters have called my office throughout the last year to voice support and urge Congress to protect it.

Unfortunately, last December the Republican-controlled Federal Communications Commission, led by Chairman Ajit Pai, repealed net neutrality protections--a harmful decision that has a variety of consequences. By repealing these protections, the FCC has taken away from consumers and small business owners the ability to control their own internet experience and turned that control over to their internet service providers. This directly impacts our small businesses and could threaten the ability of entrepreneurs to get their businesses off the ground.

Without net neutrality, internet service providers will be allowed to force businesses and consumers to pay to play online. While larger more established companies would be able to compete, new small businesses and entrepreneurs might not be able to afford such fees, harming their ability to boost their business and reach more potential customers. This could particularly impact those in rural communities. Last year, several members of the rural and agricultural business community in New England wrote to the FCC to say: ``Repealing net neutrality will have a crippling effect on rural economies, further restricting access to the internet for rural businesses at a point in time where we need to expand and speed up this access instead.''

This would also impact consumers by giving internet service providers the power to discriminate against certain web pages, apps, and streaming and video services, by slowing them down, blocking them, or favoring certain services while charging consumers more for other services.

Often consumers would have little option for recourse since we are at a time when many Americans only have, at most, one or two options for broadband providers, leaving them stuck with a provider that is using unfair practices.

This could also affect the ability of countless people to organize and civically engage online. An open internet serves as a platform to elevate and empower voices that have been underrepresented in traditional media. We have seen grassroots movements, like the national Women's March, organized largely through online activism on the free and open internet. Efforts like these are critical to our democracy, which is why we need to protect the open internet as a mechanism for civic engagement.

Given how critical net neutrality is to the lives of countless Granite Staters and Americans and to the strength of our economy, we cannot stop fighting to reinstate a free and open internet.

I am proud to join a bipartisan group of colleagues to show our support for net neutrality and to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the FCC's partisan decision. As we head toward considering this measure, we are just one vote away from passing it. So I urge my Republican colleagues to put consumers first, to help small businesses and entrepreneurs innovate and thrive, and to benefit our economy. With just one

more vote, we can move forward with restoring net neutrality and protecting an open internet.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I would like to honor the life of U.S. Marine Corps First Sergeant David H. Quinn of Temple, NH.

In 1941, First Sergeant Quinn enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. He would train at Parris Island, SC, and Quantico, VA, before being assigned to a newly created amphibious tractor battalion based in Dunedin, FL, which was preparing for war in the Pacific Theater.

His unit brought him to San Diego, where he was promoted to first sergeant, and eventually to New Zealand for further training in amphibious assaults. It was there that he met Zoe Boeson, who was working to become a nurse. David and Zoe were married on June 28, 1943, just 4 months before his unit shipped out.

In 1943, with Company C, 2nd Amphibious Tractor Battalion of the 2nd Marine Division, First Sergeant Quinn arrived on Betio in the Tarawa Atoll as part of Operation Galvanic. The island was critical to the U.S. island-hopping campaign and also to the Japanese, who used it as a base for attacking U.S. Forces in the Central Pacific.

The marines successfully captured Betio, but 1,029 marines were killed and approximately 2,700 men wounded on what came to be known as bloody Tarawa. Among them was First Sergeant Quinn, who passed away on November 20, 1943. Though he and his new bride, Zoe, had spent just 4 months together prior to his death, she later remarked that they enjoyed more happiness in those 4 months than most people find in a lifetime.

Like many others, First Sergeant Quinn's remains were unidentified until 2016, when a DNA sample led to a positive match with his nieces. On May 4, 2018, nearly 75 years after his death, First Sergeant Quinn was reunited with his family and buried with full military honors back home in Temple, NH.

Though this expression of gratitude is long overdue, we must never miss an opportunity to thank those men and women in uniform who have put their life on the line to keep us safe, secure, and free. We must never forget their sacrifice.

I hope you will join me in honoring a brave Granite Stater, First Sergeant David Quinn. May he rest in peace.

Mr. President, I rise today to oppose the nomination of Stuart Kyle Duncan to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Our Founders established our court system as an independent arbiter that would protect the rights of every American and ensure equal justice under the law. For us to move forward, our democracy requires an independent and impartial judiciary.

Unfortunately, the Trump administration has focused on nominating individuals to our courts who have extreme partisan agendas that would move us backward. This latest nomination is no different. Mr. Duncan has spent his career working to undermine the progress we have made toward building a more inclusive, more equal United States. Rather than working to include more people in our democracy, Mr. Duncan's law practice has seemingly been devoted to restricting people's rights and making life more challenging for some of the most marginalized among us. His dangerous record raises serious doubts about his ability to act impartially on the bench with regard to a number of key issues.

In recent years, our Nation has made significant progress in advancing the rights of our LGBTQ family and friends, built on the principle that all people deserve the right to fully participate in the social, civic, and economic life of our community. At every turn, Mr. Duncan has been on the wrong side of history, working at the forefront in the fight against LGBTQ equality. He has been vehemently opposed to marriage equality, filing a legal brief to the Supreme Court arguing against the decision that was reached in the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges case, later claiming that the decision ``raises a question about the legitimacy of the Court.'' He has even gone so far as to repeatedly claim that nationwide marriage equality, ``imperils civic peace,'' a statement that is both ridiculous and offensive.

Mr. Duncan has fought against adoption rights for same-sex parents and has dismissed the real necessity for LGBTQ antidiscrimination laws.

He has been unyielding in his attempts to undermine the rights of transgender individuals. In two major cases involving transgender rights, including the now infamous so-called ``bathroom bill'' in North Carolina, Mr. Duncan has been the go-to attorney, demeaning transgender people and even describing them as ``delusional.'' Given his history, I am deeply concerned that Mr. Duncan would be unable to act impartially if a case involving LGBTQ Americans were to come before the Fifth Circuit.

I also have real concerns of Mr. Duncan's record when it comes to women's healthcare and their constitutionally protected rights because his record shows that he has been a consistent opponent of reproductive freedom.

Mr. Duncan was the lead counsel in the backward Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision, which allows employers to deny contraceptive coverage to women. He has long supported efforts to diminish women's access to their constitutionally protected right to an abortion, arguing in favor of a Texas law in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt that shut down abortion providers and was eventually rejected by the Court. He even contested the fact that contraceptives can be necessary to protect a woman's health and has challenged the importance of contraception to a woman's capacity to compete economically.

Medical professionals prescribe contraceptives to women for a variety of health conditions, including conditions such as ovarian cysts, which can be debilitating and could threaten a woman's fertility. Moreover, women who use contraceptives to engage in family planning often have better health outcomes, as do their children.

To compete economically on a level playing field, women must be able to make their own decisions about if or when to start a family. Studies have shown that women who have greater access to contraceptive coverage are better able to support themselves and their families and to be full participants not just in our economy but also in our democracy.

Women must be recognized for their capacity to make their own healthcare decisions, just as men are. They must also have the full independence to do so. But it is clear that Mr. Duncan has a fundamental misunderstanding of the importance of reproductive freedom and ensuring that women are treated equally.

On these key issues, Mr. Duncan lacks the impartiality and commitment to equal justice for every American that is needed to serve in a lifetime judicial appointment. This is particularly critical on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers States that lack critical protections for LGBTQ Americans and have a history of passing dangerous laws that have blocked women's access to healthcare. Marginalized individuals in the States in the Fifth Circuit and all Americans deserve judges who will always use sound judgment and objectivity and not operate with extreme ideological agendas.

I will oppose Mr. Duncan's nomination to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Thank you.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, this month, I am proud to recognize Gerard ``Jerry'' Lachance of Sandown, NH, as our Granite Stater of the Month in honor of his incredible dedication to supporting our veterans.

At 70 years old, Jerry is currently on a more than 2,000-mile journey by bike from Florida to the northernmost tip of New Hampshire to raise funds for Project Hero, a nonprofit that builds adaptive bikes and helps support veterans and first responders impacted by injury and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Jerry, an avid cyclist for 12 years, a volunteer firefighter of more than 20 years for the Sandown Fire Rescue, and a Vietnam veteran, wanted to find a way to give back and support the brave servicemembers he considers to be his heroes. During one of Project Hero's honor rides, Jerry met a veteran who lost his leg during his service. The veteran was using an adaptive bike that he received from Project Hero, which inspired Jerry to do more to help the organization.

In 2016, Jerry biked from the New Hampshire-Canadian border to Key West, FL, with the goal of raising $5,000, but his community was so inspired by Jerry's ride that he ended up raising $25,000 for Project Hero.

This year, over the course of his 40-day ride, Jerry hopes to raise another $25,000 to support our veterans.

We owe our brave veterans and servicemembers a debt of gratitude that we can never truly repay, but we must try. Efforts like Jerry's are an example for all of us of the dedication and support we can give to those who have sacrificed bravely for our country.

Jerry Lachance has proven to be a shining example of how we can support our veterans, and he embodies the values and all-hands-on-deck spirit of the Granite State. I thank Jerry for both his own military service and his commitment to our veterans, and I am honored to recognize him as our Granite Stater of the Month.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and extend my sincerest congratulations and happy birthday wishes to Dorothy P. Campbell, who will celebrate her 100th birthday on March 23, 2018.

Dorothy was born in Langdon, NH, on March 23, 1918, to Frank and Frances Pelton. On October 4, 1936, Dorothy married Rodney H.J. Campbell, and together, they raised 11 children in the same town where Dorothy was born. Dorothy is extremely proud of her 32 grandchildren, 44 great-grandchildren, and 20 great-great-grandchildren.

Dorothy spent several years as a homemaker before beginning work as a spinner in a local mill. Dorothy also drove a school bus before her retirement. Today Dorothy spends her free time playing cribbage, completing puzzles, reading, and crocheting. In the last 10 years, Dorothy has crocheted nearly 160 blankets for each of her family members and for several charities. As an active member in her community, Dorothy is involved in the Congregational Church, the Langdon Community Club, and the Warren Pond Grange.

I hope you join me, Dorothy's friends and family, and many people in the town of Langdon and across the Granite State in wishing Dorothy Campbell a very happy 100th birthday.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and extend my sincerest congratulations and happy

birthday wishes to Ms. Carol Rivard who celebrated her 100th birthday on March 17, 2018.

Carol has lived in New Hampshire since she moved to Salem with her family in 1959. She worked in a textile mill and later as an office clerk for Kmart. After her retirement, Carol dedicated her time to helping a local food pantry where she volunteered every week for nearly 10 years.

To this day, Carol lives independently in her New Hampshire home. Her most cherished moments are spent with loved ones at family gatherings, where they enjoy listening to Frank Sinatra and cheering on the Boston Celtics. Carol has three sons and a daughter, as well as three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren

I join with Carol's friends and family, as well as many people in the town of Salem and across the Granite State, in wishing her a very happy 100th birthday.

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

Mr. President, I rise to discuss the devastating impacts of climate change in my home State of New Hampshire and across our country. I want to start by commending our colleague Senator Whitehouse, who has been a fierce advocate for this issue and, as of yesterday, had taken to the floor 200 times to call on Congress to wake up and protect our environment.

I am proud to represent a State whose beautiful natural resources strengthen our economy, create jobs, and support our high quality of life, but we are already seeing the real impacts of climate change in New Hampshire--impacts with major consequences.

Last year, the ``National Climate Assessment'' report reinforced what has long been clear: Human activity is the driving force behind our changing climate, and the United States is experiencing more extreme weather events, including dangerous heat, heavier rainfall and more flooding, and larger wildfires as a result, threatening both our long- term economic growth and the well-being of our citizens.

Many people in New Hampshire, particularly on our sea coast, are concerned about what these stronger and more frequent storms will mean for their families, their homes, and their businesses. Rising sea levels and greater precipitation have heightened the risk of flooding on our coasts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association estimates that New Hampshire sea levels are expected to rise between six-tenths of a foot and 2 feet by 2050 and between 1.6 feet and 6.6 feet by 2100. In just the last 2 weeks, our State has been hit by three nor'easters. This is not normal.

You can see here, the flooding that impacted streets and homes in Portsmouth, NH, during one of these storms. This chart depicts a photo. We have to help our people adapt to these changes, these direct threats they face. This starts with focusing on efforts like coastal resiliency to help vulnerable communities prepare, improving our infrastructure, and developing resilience strategies to help plan ahead of storms and extreme weather events. At the local level, people on New Hampshire's seacoasts are already doing great work to be proactive and address these challenges head-on, so we must support their efforts.

We must also keep working to mitigate climate change, which is why I am continuing to push to cut carbon emissions, conserve and protect our natural resources, and build a stronger clean energy future.

Unfortunately, President Trump has been focused on an agenda that is based on climate change denial and has stacked his administration with climate change skeptics who have placed the priorities on big oil companies over the protection of our natural resources.

According to a recent Politico report, President Trump has chosen at least 20 people to serve as agency leaders and advisers who have publicly disagreed with the settled science on climate change. He has left key positions vacant, including a science adviser at the Office of Science and Technology Policy--an unprecedented move over the last several decades in which the office has existed. This clear disdain for science and failure to acknowledge the reality of the dangers of climate change are seen throughout the administration's policies.

Last year, President Trump recklessly withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement--failing to listen to the voices of environmental and business leaders who supported this agreement. The United States of America now has the distinction of being the only country in the world that is not supporting it.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is working to repeal the Clean Power Plan, which is critical to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and helping our citizens, our businesses, and our economy thrive. We have seen several clean air and clean water protections rolled back.

In addition to reversing environmental protections, the administration is taking further steps that can carry extreme risk for our environment. This includes the irresponsible plan to open up 90 percent of our Nation's coastal waters--including New Hampshire's seacoast--to the dangers of offshore drilling.

We are clearly seeing the impacts of climate change. Our citizens are calling on us to act, but the lack of leadership from this administration and the actions they have taken that exacerbate our climate and environmental challenges are--to put it mildly-- irresponsible.

We need to take proactive steps to protect our environment, not roll back key protections. We need to help communities threatened by a changing climate, not put the profits of Big Oil first. We need to stand up for science, not deny it.

I will keep working to address climate change and to achieve a cleaner environment and stronger energy future that will help our citizens, our economy, and our businesses thrive. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Recognizing Spaulding High School

Mr. President, I am proud to recognize not just an individual but the entire Spaulding High School community as our Granite Stater of the Month for the compassion and commitment to helping others that they displayed following the horrific shooting in Parkland, FL.

In the wake of the senseless violence in Parkland, Spaulding music staff and students met to discuss how they could help survivors and memorialize the 17 lives which were taken at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

During this dark time, the Spaulding students wanted to focus on expressing their love and how to best send comfort to their peers in Florida. This led Spaulding students, teachers, and faculty to start an initiative--with the members of the band, the color guard, and the Junior ROTC playing a leading role--to collect money to support the Stoneman Douglas community.

In the days that followed, students passed around buckets to collect donations, with each student giving what he or she could. In an enthusiastic show of support, the Spaulding community raised $3,271 in just 2 days.

Students wanted to do more, so they also presented the Spaulding High School Music Department Glass Eagle Leadership Award to the Stoneman Douglas Music Department, as that is also the mascot of their school. The Junior ROTC group also sent one of its Challenge Coins to acknowledge the Parkland students' bravery and resolve.

Two of the school's music teachers--Joanne Houston and Cheryl Richardson--recently flew to Florida to present the gifts to Stoneman Douglas's principal and vice principal.

The selfless support for Stoneman Douglas by the Spaulding High School community exemplifies the compassion of the Granite State.

In New Hampshire and throughout our country today, school communities are engaging in walkouts and demanding action to prevent future acts of gun violence. I know members of the Spaulding student body are planning a walkout, too, and I am profoundly grateful to see our young people speaking out and being powerful forces for change.

I am incredibly proud of these young leaders. We, as a country, must meet them in this moment.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today I would like to recognize the very special occasion of the 100th birthday of Mrs. Irma Clough, which occurred on February 18, 2018. Born in 1918, Irma has lived in Bath, NH, for the majority of her life.

Irma's friends describe her as an independent spirit with a great sense of humor. She loves wildlife, playing cards and dominos, and keeping up with basketball games. As a young woman, she cleaned people's houses to help support her family. While working as a cook at the Village Bath School, Irma was well known for her baking skills.

Irma is a dedicated member of the Bath Congregational Church where she has sung in the choir and served as the church treasurer. Twenty- three years ago, Irma started the annual Fall Foliage Festival in her town. She has also been a member of Pine Grove Grange for over 85 years and continues to serve as their treasurer.

Irma and her husband, Edwin Clough, who passed away in 1993, were married for 45 years. Together they raised three children, and now, Irma has 8 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

I hope everyone joins me in wishing an accomplished and well-loved Granite Stater, Irma Clough, a very happy 100th birthday.

Mr. President, I wish to thank my colleagues for their words on this difficult, challenging topic.

On this day 2 weeks ago, the Parkland, FL, community ``took 17 bullets to the heart'' as Cameron, a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, so devastatingly put it.

Over the past years, the epidemic of gun violence has touched every aspect of American life, from schools and churches to concerts and night clubs and movie theaters, in homes and in the workplace. After each of these tragedies, we say enough is enough, yet time and again Congress fails to take action, and the discussion fades until this deadly cycle once again repeats itself. But we cannot allow this vicious cycle to continue.

Like many Americans, I have been inspired and touched by the bravery of the students of Stoneman Douglas and by their determination to create from this tragedy a legacy of positive change. They are looking to us to help ensure that they are the last students who suffer through a mass shooting. They will hold us accountable, as they should.

I have been inspired by students like Sam, who said that he doesn't feel safe in his own country and powerfully asked at the White House: ``How did we not stop this after Columbine? After Sandy Hook?''

And Emma, who has been calling out elected officials for the excuses they make for putting the priorities of the gun lobby ahead of the safety and well-being of their constituents. Emma and her classmates rightly have called these excuses BS.

We must actually listen to these students, and we must act to protect them and all of our children.

People across New Hampshire own guns for hunting, sport, and protection. New Hampshire has a long tradition of responsible gun ownership that I respect and that I am committed to upholding. But I also know that the people in New Hampshire do not want dangerous weapons in the wrong hands. It is our job to keep our citizens safe, and we owe it to the students and survivors who are speaking out, to those whom we have lost to tragic violence, and to their families and loved ones to come together and make our communities safer.

The level of gun violence in America is a public health crisis that is unique to our Nation, and like all public health challenges, there are actions we can take to mitigate harm and save lives. We can put in place responsible, commonsense policies that will do just that.

To start, we know that the shooter in Parkland displayed warning signs that, if properly heeded and addressed, may have prevented the incident, the massacre. But when law enforcement was called because of these warning signs,

it is not clear that they had tools that would have allowed them to confiscate the shooter's weapons. So one of the things we must do is ensure that every State has what are known as red flag laws--laws which allow courts to issue time-limited restraining orders to restrict access to firearms when there is evidence that an individual is planning to harm themself or others.

It is also long past time that we improve our background check system to close loopholes and ensure that people who are already legally barred from owning guns cannot easily access them--a step that we know is supported by the vast majority of Americans.

Studies have shown the correlation between gun violence and people with a history of domestic violence. We must close loopholes that enable domestic abusers to access guns.

Additionally, for too long, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been barred from conducting public health research on gun violence. We must change that.

Finally, from banning the use of bump stocks to raising the purchasing age of semiautomatic weapons to 21, we must look at responsible steps to reduce access to deadly weapons of war that fire at high rates and inflict massive harm.

No one gun safety measure is perfect, and no gun safety measure will stop every act of gun violence, but that should not stop us from taking action. After all, we take public health measures all the time that don't prevent all diseases but vastly reduce the incidence of them.

In a country with a government of, by, and for the people, it is simply an outrage to suggest that there is nothing the people who govern themselves can do to ensure that their gun safety laws evolve as firearm technology creates weapons of increasing lethality. I also refuse to accept the notion that we cannot pass any law to address gun safety because it is too hard or the challenges are too insurmountable. That has not stopped our Nation before, and it shouldn't now.

Students in Parkland and young people across the country are speaking out and making clear that they don't want to live this way. They don't want the horror that they experienced to be inflicted on more of their peers. These young voices are speaking up and sparking a conversation that has been absent or has been pushed to the wayside for far too long. It is up to us to meet them in this moment.

The purpose of self-government is to make sure that we all do, in fact, feel safe and valued and that we each have a chance to build a life for ourselves. Let's take action to give all of our citizens those opportunities and keep our people safe from senseless acts of gun violence.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, in my home State of New Hampshire and in communities across the Nation, there is no greater public health and safety challenge than the fentanyl, heroin, and opioid crisis.

Everywhere I go, I hear stories by people affected by this crisis. I hear inspiring stories from those in recovery who are tirelessly working to stay healthy and rebuild their lives, and I hear tragic stories from siblings, parents, and friends who have experienced the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one.

The courage of people willing to share their stories is key to breaking down the stigma of addiction and pushing for solutions. This month, I saw reports that mothers in New Hampshire and in our neighboring State of Massachusetts are doing just that. These mothers have all lost their children to overdoses, but through their grief, they are fighting to ensure that other parents are spared from what they have endured. They are writing letters to the White House that are set to arrive on Valentine's Day--all enclosed with photos of the children they have lost. Their message is that more must be done to end this epidemic and that more funding must be allocated to help those struggling.

Their initiative is putting faces to this crisis and showing the White House that these lives lost are more than just numbers. One of the mothers said: ``We have broken hearts, so we want the President to see that.''

We can never thank the families who have lost loved ones enough for speaking out and for working tirelessly and courageously to try to prevent others from suffering as they have. We owe it to them to listen to their stories. But more importantly, we owe it to them to take stronger action.

I am encouraged by recent work in Congress to provide a significant increase in funding to combat this crisis. Over the past months, I have been pushing for more support for treatment, recovery, prevention, and law enforcement efforts.

The bipartisan agreement that passed last week included billions of dollars in additional resources--an important next step in strengthening our response. This is welcome news for States across the Nation grappling with the challenges of this epidemic, and it will be critical that these new Federal dollars are prioritized for States like New Hampshire that have been the hardest hit. I will continue working to ensure that happens, but even with this additional funding, we know that it will ultimately take a far greater investment to turn the tide of this horrible epidemic. Communities, law enforcement, and those struggling need our continued support and action, and Members of both parties must continue to work together in order to make progress.

Thank you.

Mr. President, I also rise today to announce the next Granite Stater of the Month, a young woman who is well known among people in the New Hampshire State House and across the Granite State.

Cassandra Levesque, an 18-year-old from Barrington, is an advocate at the forefront of an important fight: outlawing the practice of child marriage in New Hampshire and across the country.

Last year, after learning that child brides face a higher likelihood of domestic violence and divorce and a lower chance of professional success, Cassandra set out to close the legal loopholes that allow children as young as 13 to wed in New Hampshire. As she took on this fight, she heard stories of women in her community who had been abused by their spouses after being married as minors. Cassandra bravely shared the story of her own grandmother and great-grandmother, both of whom were married as young teenagers and were subsequently abused by their husbands.

With encouragement and support from her Girl Scout community and with the help of a State representative, Cassandra got a bill introduced in the legislature that would have closed the loopholes that would allow childhood marriages to occur. She testified during a hearing on the bill, closely followed debate on the bill in the full house of representatives, and spoke out in the media to explain why the legislation was so important.

While the bill ultimately failed by a close margin, Cassandra has continued to speak out and raise awareness, and just last month, the legislative efforts to end child marriage began anew.

Cassandra exemplifies New Hampshire's strong tradition of civic engagement, especially by women, and she has inspired other young people to become active in their communities too. Cassandra launched a program in libraries around the State that helps kids learn about issues they are passionate about and gives them the tools they need to become advocates.

In New Hampshire, we roll up our sleeves and work together to address injustices and solve problems in our communities, and Cassandra is a perfect example of that spirit.

I am deeply grateful for Cassandra's hard work, and I will continue to follow her efforts closely. I look forward to the day when we can say that thanks to people like Cassandra, child marriage is a thing of the past in New Hampshire.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.