Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life and legacy of Roger Roth, who passed away on November 21, 2017, at the age of 70. Roger grew up on a farm near Chelsea, SD, and graduated from Cresbard High School in 1965.

In 1969, Roger began 39 years of public service as a postal carrier and then the postmaster at Warner, SD. His dedication to the people he served was recognized in 2001 when the National Association of Postmasters of the United States named him the Postmaster of the Year.

We are also grateful for Roger's 38 years of service in the U.S. Army Reserve in both Aberdeen, SD, and Alexandria, VA.

For many years, Roger was also a coach and umpire for many youth sports teams from midget league to college. He coached and helped coach the Warner American Legion baseball team for more than 25 years and was a South Dakota American Legion athletic commissioner for 5 years. He was a positive force in the lives of thousands of young people and was admired by all who met him.

He also played baseball and softball for many years and was inducted into the Aberdeen Area Softball Hall of Fame and the South Dakota Baseball Hall of Fame.

He was the official scorekeeper for Warner High School boys' and girls' basketball teams and for the Northern State University men's and women's basketball teams. He even drove the bus for the Presentation College baseball and volleyball teams.

Roger was a member of the Warner Volunteer Fire Department, the Warner Sanitary Sewer District Board, the Warner-Stratford Lions Club, the Moose Lodge, the League Postmasters, and the Local National Active and Retired Federal Employees organization.

In the small town of Warner, whenever help was needed, he was there to help meet that need.

Above all else, Roger was a loving, caring husband to his wife, Judy, and to his children, Jim and Becky. He is gone now, but memories of him will live forever in the hearts of thousands of South Dakotans.

Mr. President, today I recognize Roger Meyer for all of his hard work on behalf of myself, my staff, and the State of South Dakota while working in my Washington, DC, office.

Roger has devoted the majority of his career to public service, including working in Congress and at the Department of Energy. In addition, Roger spent time on detail at the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an adviser to the Small State and Rural Advocate.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Roger for his years in public service and wish him all the best in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Van Pace for all of her hard work on behalf of myself, my staff, and the State of South Dakota while working in my Washington, DC, office.

Van has spent the majority of her career in public service, including time with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and most recently with the Department of Homeland Security. Immediately before her time in my office, Van was advising Federal offices and nonprofit organizations on regulatory requirements for grant awards.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Van for her years in public service and wish her all the best in the years to come.

Mr. President, I thank our colleague from Oklahoma for his remarks.

Once again, he has talked about some commonsense solutions to our tax challenges in the United States today.

At this time, I recognize Senator Cassidy, of Louisiana, for his thoughts concerning what we have to do to fix our tax challenges within our country.

Mr. President, I thank Senator Cassidy for his words.

Senator Cassidy is also a Member of what we call our bear den, the class of 2014. He came here with the idea of getting things done.

Another Member of the class of 2014 who is with us today is the Senator from Alaska, Mr. Sullivan. Senator Sullivan comes with a fine and distinguished career in his having worked in the U.S. military, but he also has a strong interest in seeing economic development in the United States continue. He recognizes the need for tax relief.

At this time, I turn to Senator Sullivan.

Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Senator Sullivan from Alaska. Once again, he comes in from the class of 2014.

We have a specific request to basically talk about what we see as being the appropriate way in which we create a healthy economy.

I see that our colleague from Iowa has arrived, and if our colleague from Iowa, Senator Ernst, would care to speak, we would love to have her do that as well.

Part of what Senator Sullivan has shared with us today is the move to get back to a growth of 3 percent, and in doing so, not only does that begin to move back into what most Americans would consider to be a healthy economy in which they can actually see their own families doing better, but we will also see better movement in terms of shortfalls in revenues coming into the Federal Government.

With that, let me welcome to the floor Senator Ernst of Iowa, who also is a Member of the class of 2014.

Senator Ernst.

Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Senator from Iowa for her remarks. Once again, we call this midwestern common sense.

Let me finish this colloquy today with a few thoughts.

First of all, we want tax reform, but what we want first is a healthier economy. That is what the people of the United States want. They want the ability to compete. Over the last 10 years, there have been 4,700 businesses that have left our shores and moved overseas. The reason is that they can survive better by leaving our country and going someplace else because of the tax consequences of doing so.

When we talk about the direction in which we want to go in this country, we want the people of America to understand that our goal with this entire package is to make things better for the American public. That means a healthier economy for them. It also means, by doing so, that they will see the bottom line in their own pockets--more money that they can spend that otherwise would go to the Federal Government.

At the same time, businesses that may have left and taken their jobs and the opportunities to invest their dollars--we want them back in the United States again, hiring more people and paying better wages. We think that over the last 10 years, the American public hasn't seen those higher wages because the competition for jobs has moved offshore into other parts of the world where there is a more competitive tax climate.

There is something else we have to point out. We recognize at the Federal level that we have a deficit and that we have not been able to break that deficit.

Today we have a deficit that is in excess of $500 billion. Out of the $4.1 trillion in total payments that are out there, that we spend on an annual basis, our omnibus bill, as we call it--that is for the defense and nondefense discretionary side of the formula--we vote on $1.1 trillion of the $4 trillion. There is about $3 trillion that is automatic, that is on auto pilot--Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, interest on the debt.

If we want to close that gap, then we have to see an economy which is growing, an economy which can support the programs that we believe are necessary, the safety nets that we in America have decided are very appropriate for those who have no place else to go. If we want to close the deficit, we need to have more revenues coming in. The only way we can pick up more revenues is by having an economy that is strong enough to support that.

By actually reducing taxes, we bring in more businesses, and those businesses will make more profits. We are able to lower the rate of tax on profits, and that is returned to the American people in a number of ways--a lower tax burden through lower personal income taxes and through subchapter C and S corporations, through lower business taxes.

Finally and just as importantly, in terms of how we support the operations of government, we support that because with a growing economy, the revenue coming from that growing economy can be utilized to eliminate the debt, which is a threat to our national defense.

Mr. President, at this time, I thank my colleagues who have patiently worked their way through this process. I also thank the Senator from Colorado for beginning this colloquy.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, let me begin by acknowledging the leadership that Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray have offered and also by saying how much I have appreciated the hard work that Senator King from Maine has participated in, as well, in this process. They have worked together, side by side, to try to find some common ground while still retaining and protecting the principles they all hold with regard to how health insurance, long term, should be approached.

Coming to a bipartisan agreement on this very important piece of legislation

is only the first step. As you know, a deal was announced last month to give States permanent flexibility to avoid some of ObamaCare's most crushing mandates, while also temporarily authorizing the cost sharing reduction, or CSR, payments for 2 years. That is what the piece of legislation we are referring to in this particular case, the Alexander- Murray legislation, would do.

This agreement is a win for conservatives who have spent the past 7 years promising to relieve the American people of ObamaCare's skyrocketing premiums, limited choices, and Federal chokehold. For the first time since ObamaCare was forced onto the American public, the Alexander-Murray legislation is an opportunity to provide permanent, meaningful opportunities for States to opt out of some of ObamaCare's most egregious mandates under the 1332 waiver program, while making healthcare more affordable for their constituents.

As a former Governor, like my colleagues Mr. Alexander and Mr. King, I understand that the best decisions are made at the State and local levels, not by Federal bureaucrats. Empowering States with new opportunities to innovate and strengthen their individual health insurance markets in a way that meets their citizens' unique needs is a first step toward repealing ObamaCare and allowing the marketplace to once again be competitive and innovative.

In exchange for the permanent 1332 waiver changes, we have agreed to temporarily authorize the administration to make CSR payments for 2 years, similar to the provisions of the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which 49 Republican Members of the U.S. Senate supported earlier this year.

Recall that President Trump announced recently that he would stop the CSR payments after a Federal court found them to be illegal because they had not been appropriated by Congress. Not surprisingly, the previous administration had continued making these payments, a practice that President Trump rightfully and correctly stopped after months of warning that he would do so. We applaud the President for returning this appropriations decision to its constitutional place--with Congress.

We also recognize that there are millions of Americans who will face steep premium increases come January as a result of this challenging decision. This is in addition to the already skyrocketing premium increases that Americans are facing because of ObamaCare, because of the concept on which it was built. The American people did not ask for ObamaCare, and they shouldn't be unfairly punished.

By extending these payments for only 2 years, our legislation will stabilize the market and help provide a smooth transition as we continue to work on a full repeal and replacement. Providing a smooth transition away from ObamaCare has been included in every serious Republican healthcare plan to date. We have to have a transition in order to move away from the existing healthcare plans. In fact, I cannot think of a single GOP colleague who doesn't support a smooth transition so that we don't hurt families as we move away from our current, unworkable system.

It is also important to point out that Alexander-Murray is merely a step one in the total repeal and replacement of ObamaCare. Because of House and Senate rules, the 1332 waiver changes outlined in our bill are not eligible to be included in budget reconciliation legislation, which is the vehicle being used to repeal and replace ObamaCare by congressional Republicans and which we continue to work on. We need both bills. This is a two-step process.

We fully expect there to be an opportunity for us to finish the full repeal and replace of ObamaCare next year and are united in our desire to get it across the finish line. But 1332 waiver changes found in this bill require bipartisan support in the Senate, period. It requires 60 votes. That is not available to us or is not part of the remaining part of the challenge of the total repeal and replacement. We need both bills in order to get this done.

We have also included additional assurances within this bill to make certain our bill does not bail out insurance companies, as Senator Alexander stated earlier. CBO, or the Congressional Budget Office, confirmed this in the October report, noting that it benefits taxpayers and low-income policyholders, not insurance companies.

I also want to point out that there is also a fiscal case to be made for continuing the CSR payments in the short term. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office--once again, the CBO--found that the Federal Government will be on the hook to subsidize care of the individuals who otherwise would receive premium assistance via the CSR payments.

The CSR payments have ended. Insurers who stay in the individual marketplace will be forced to raise their prices to compensate. Instead of costing $7 billion, as it did this year under the use of CSRs, the CBO estimates that the disruption caused by abruptly ending the CSRs will cost the Federal Government an average of $25 billion annually, more than four times the current rate.

The fact that ObamaCare is failing is not a partisan issue. Members of both parties have acknowledged that it is rapidly sinking. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle believe it is fixable. Republicans believe we have to go in a different direction. Democrats have refused to admit the failure. They recognize it is sinking--they think it is fixable--but, until now, have been unwilling to make any concessions to the law they were solely responsible for creating.

We must seize the opportunity to provide States with much needed relief from ObamaCare and show that States are far better at coming up with health insurance rules which are tailored to their individual needs. The only tradeoff is in fulfilling our promise to stabilize the individual market temporarily while we continue our work to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with a truly competitive market-based system. In the meantime, States will already be given that option under our plan.

Let me just share this. Sometimes when you look at a bipartisan piece of legislation, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will point to the fact that they want to stabilize the market now. Republicans will point to the fact that we need to stabilize the market and provide the opportunity for the full repeal and replacement to become effective. ObamaCare started in 2009. It was passed in 2009. Yet it took until 2014 for all of the impacts to actually begin to accumulate--5 years. To undo it, it will take time for the States to create their fixes.

We have to pass the legislation, and the HHS has to create the rules. Then, at the local level, at the State level, the State legislatures have to create the laws once again that were torn apart by ObamaCare in the first place. Then their divisions of insurance and their departments of health have to actually create the rules. The insurance companies that are out there that want to compete once again have to be able to contract with doctors and hospitals. They have to go on out and not only write the contracts that will comply with the law and the regulations, but then they also have to go on out and market that product to individuals.

The exchange from one contract under ObamaCare to a contract with a competitor, which is when insurance carriers can actually offer different types of products to group plans or to individuals, will take time. That transition can hardly be done in less than 2 years, thus the need and the offer in all of the Republican proposals to take this 2- year time period and actually help the American people get through this very difficult time without hurting them more than the pain they will have already felt with the continuation of ObamaCare. It simply takes 2 years to make any reasonable transition happen.

Once again, I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the Senator from Tennessee, Mr. Alexander, and the way in which he has created a team effect, a team plan, on getting this through. I also acknowledge the hard work of Senator Murray and her working side by side with Senator Alexander in trying to find common ground so her colleagues see the importance, from their perspectives, while, at the same time, those of us on this side of the aisle reflect on the first step in a long- term goal of the repeal and replacement of ObamaCare.

For the first time, we have a chance. For the first time, we have an opportunity to take a step statutorily, with

a 60-count vote, in actually making changes to the substance of ObamaCare. It is high time. It is time to get started. It is time to move forward.

I thank all of our colleagues for working side by side in at least slowing down the damage which has been occurring and which will continue to occur until we get the full replacement of ObamaCare behind us.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, today I wish to recognize the courage and bravery of a fallen soldier, SGT Philip J. Iyotte of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. After 66 long years of waiting, Sergeant Iyotte's remains are finally being laid to rest this week in his hometown of White River, SD.

Sergeant Iyotte was born in White River on December 22, 1929. At just 18 years of age, Iyotte enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, during the Korean war.

Upon being deployed overseas to Korea, Sergeant Iyotte's battalion was one of the first sent into battle in 1950. During combat, Sergeant Iyotte was wounded, but returned to the battlefield in just 3 weeks.

Months later, Sergeant Iyotte was detailed to Operation Thunderbolt on February 9, 1951. During this assignment, Sergeant Iyotte was captured and ultimately held at a prisoner-of-war camp in Changsong, where he passed away in 1951. However, his remains never made it home.

Due to his many heroic efforts, Sergeant Iyotte was awarded the Purple Heart Medal, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Korean War Service Medal.

Through the combined effort of Sergeant Iyotte's family, the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Sergeant Iyotte's remains were positively identified earlier this year. This week, they return to his family so he can finally be laid to rest near his home in South Dakota.

With this, I welcome the opportunity to recognize the life of a fallen hero, SGT Philip James Iyotte, and commemorate his return to White River, SD. He is finally home.

Mr. President, today I rise to speak about our country's need for tax reform. As our previous speakers have indicated, this is a critical time in our country, and we have an opportunity to make some good decisions that will impact our Nation for literally generations to come.

Reforming our Tax Code is a top priority not only for myself but for many of my colleagues and the President. We are committed to delivering tax reform that will provide more jobs, bigger paychecks, and a fairer tax system for the American people.

Over the 8 years of the previous administration, economic growth averaged a paltry 1.5 percent annually, which is about half of the post-World War II average. This anemic growth has led to stagnant wages and, according to the Joint Economic Committee, has cost families an average of $8,600 in income on an annual basis. It is no wonder that half of the American public says they are living paycheck to paycheck. This is simply not acceptable.

Even more concerning, the Congressional Budget Office is projecting economic growth to remain under 2 percent over the next 10 years if we do not act. If that happens, let me just share with you the real concern. If we allow economic growth to stay under 2 percent, then we will literally bring in revenue based upon the size of our economy. If we allow economic growth to move at a paltry 2 percent or less, then we won't have the revenue to pay our bills.

Today, right now, we are looking at trillion-dollar deficits. Yet, if we take a look at where the dollars are going, they go basically-- looking at our entire budget, about 28 percent of the money that we spend today is found within the 12 appropriations bills that make up the defense and the nondefense discretionary side of the budget. All of the remaining items, making up 72 percent, are in areas of mandatory payments--Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on the debt. If we don't do anything and if we continue on this same path, with the type of growth we have, then we can expect that within 9 years now, by the year 2026, our country's 250th birthday, 99 percent of all of the revenue we take in will go into Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on the debt. That means there will be only 1 percent remaining for defense of our country, roads, bridges, research, education, and all of those other items that many people really want to see and that help us to move ahead as a country.

We have to make changes now that will allow our country's economy to grow and prosper the way it used to. The way we believe we do that is by changing our Tax Code, changing the regulatory environment in the United States, and sending the message back to the businesses that this is the place where they want to do business. They don't have to leave our shores in order to actually make a profit and be able to keep that profit.

It is our intention to deliver policies that will jolt our economy, allow hard-working families to keep more of their paychecks, and provide financial opportunities to lower and middle-class families. Tax reform is a vital component of this.

Our current overly complicated Tax Code is more than 70,000 pages in length. It takes Americans more than 8.1 billion hours each year to file their taxes. A fairer, simpler Tax Code will grow the economy, increase wages for American families, improve American competitiveness overseas, and provide much needed certainty for our business community.

It has been 30 years since our Tax Code was last reformed. The rest of the industrialized world has learned from America what it takes to be competitive. They have seen what our tax rates have become. They have lowered their tax rates. They are now inviting businesses to their shores rather than to ours. Businesses that can go anyplace in the world they want to are not choosing America as their location anymore. We have to change that because when they come back, they bring good- paying jobs with them. They keep the profits here, which are reinvested within our borders rather than overseas, and that adds to a growing economy here, which allows us more revenue through even lower tax rates.

The average corporate rate in the United States today is 39 percent, compared to 25 percent by our foreign competitors. This puts American businesses at a disadvantage right out of the gate. We must reform the tax rate to one that incentivizes businesses to remain here in America and keep good-paying jobs from going overseas. Doing so will unleash the full potential of this American economy.

One thing we can all agree on is that taxes are too high and that the tax rate, no matter who you are, should be lowered. Allowing all American families to keep more of their hard-earned dollars by taking them out of the hands of Washington and putting them back into their pocketbooks will result in a more prosperous America. That means more people investing in America long term. When our economy is healthy, every American will feel the positive effects.

I am encouraged by the ongoing discussions and progress being made to alleviate the tax burden on American businesses and American families, and I will continue to work with anyone serious about lowering taxes and reforming the code to provide a much needed boost to our sluggish economy. The American people deserve better than the uncertain growth and burdens still lingering from the previous administration.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, as the Senate considers the National Defense Authorization Act, or the NDAA, I rise today to discuss a simple amendment in support of my constituents in South Dakota who are military retirees, as well as those in many other States who find themselves in a similar circumstance.

These retirees may be disproportionately and unfairly impacted by increases in the TRICARE prescription drug copay increases that we find within the bill that we are considering today. Specifically, provisions in this bill will increase cost-sharing amounts for the TRICARE pharmacy benefits program for the years 2018 through the year 2026.

Now, the rationale for the increases in the bill that we are considering today are that the savings generated from pharmaceutical cost-share increases can be used to improve healthcare outcomes and the experience of care for beneficiaries in the military health system, and I support that. I believe in improving the care for beneficiaries in the military health system. But in this particular case, the increased TRICARE pharmacy copays must be carefully considered to make certain that they could not disproportionately impact one part of the beneficiary population.

Unfortunately, that would be the case for South Dakota and for other largely rural States with large military retiree populations that live too far away from military treatment facilities to easily travel to these facilities and to make themselves available for the prescriptions that are available at those facilities. Instead, these military retirees and their families are compelled to use the TRICARE mail order system or the retail pharmacies in their local communities and, in both cases, they would have to pay higher copays. In other words, if you live close to the facility, you can go to the facility and receive those medicines, those pharmaceuticals. But if you are farther away and you have to use a retail shop in your own community or use mail order, you would be subject, under this bill, to a higher copay cost.

For example, a copay for a generic drug ordered through the TRICARE mail order system will increase by $10 in fiscal year 2018. Now, while this does not seem like a lot of money, those costs can add up rapidly if a military retiree or his family is required to make multiple copays for multiple prescriptions. Simply put, our military retirees who live more than 40 miles away from a military treatment facility should not be unfairly forced to pay higher copays on prescription drugs just because of where they choose to live.

Under my amendment, we would take a step back. The amendment would freeze copay increases for TRICARE retirees and their families who live more than 40 miles from a military treatment facility. Additionally, the amendment would require the Department of Defense to actually assess the financial impact of the higher copays on these beneficiaries.

Now, the 40-mile figure that I have chosen was not done without some thought. I think we were careful in how we chose the 40-mile figure. Forty miles is the distance used by both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs as a boundary for reasonable access to a healthcare facility. The Department of Defense TRICARE Prime program, in which care is primarily delivered through a military treatment facility, is available to individuals who reside within prime service areas, or PSAs. PSAs are locations that are within 40 miles of a military treatment facility.

Similarly, the VA Choice Program, which allows veterans access to healthcare in local communities rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility, is available to those whose residence is more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA medical facility.

My amendment would also set a deadline of 60 days after the enactment of this legislation for the Department of Defense to report on the financial impact of the copay increases on military retirees and their families.

With the information provided by the Department of Defense, Congress can then rationally assess the impact of the copay increases on beneficiaries who live distant from military treatment facilities and incorporate appropriate provisions in future legislation.

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss my amendment, which would rectify this unintended effect to military retirees and their families who live in rural parts of our country.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Minnesota-Dakotas Kiwanis District Convention.

Founded in 1915, Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to serving the children of the world. With a motto of ``One Child and one Community at a time,'' Kiwanis members dedicate more than 18 million volunteer hours and invest more than $107 million in projects that strengthen communities and serve children. These projects include helping shelter the homeless, feeding the hungry, mentoring the disadvantaged, caring for the sick, developing the youth as leaders, building playgrounds, raising funds for pediatric research, and much more.

Today the Minnesota-Dakotas District of Kiwanis has over 4,000 members. With a club slogan of ``Serving the children of the World,'' the chapter supports a range of programs, including Kiwanis Kids-- elementary students--Builder's Club--middle school students--Key Club-- high school students--and Circle K--college students. In addition, the chapter supports Aktion clubs for adults with disabilities. These programs allow our youth and adults to build character, leadership skills and learn more about themselves and their communities.

I congratulate the Kiwanis International Minnesota-Dakotas District of Kiwanis International on their 100th convention and thank them for their leadership and dedication to children and to their communities. May they continue to thrive for the 100 years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Taylin Albrecht, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota.

Taylin is a graduate of DeSmet High School in DeSmet, SD. Currently, she is attending South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, she studies human development and family studies. Taylin is a dedicated and diligent worker who has been devoted to getting the most out of her internship experience and who has been a true asset to the office.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Taylin for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Gerald Fraas, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota.

Gerald is a graduate of West Central High School in Hartford, SD. Currently, he is attending the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL, where he studies political science and economics. Gerald is a dedicated and diligent worker who has been devoted to getting the most out of his internship experience and who has been a true asset to the office.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Gerald for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Matthew Krall, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota.

Matthew is a graduate of Mitchell High School in Mitchell, SD. Currently, he is attending Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD, where he studies history and political science. Matthew is a dedicated and diligent worker who has been devoted to getting the most out of his internship experience and who has been a true asset to the office.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Matthew for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Regular order.

Madam President, today I recognize the distinguished accomplishment of a young South Dakotan, Ellen Schlechter, a 2017 recipient of the National Federation of Independent Businesses NFIB Young Entrepreneur Award. Ellen is a recent high school graduate from Orient, SD, and the founder and owner of The Calving Book App, a convenient and simple way to keep calf records on a user's smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Growing up raising cattle, Ellen recognized a need in the agricultural sector for an application that would allow producers to document all of their cattle records in one place. Two years after the launch of The Calving Book App, Ellen has introduced an advanced version of the app and been featured in numerous ag publications and on local media in our State.

I extend my congratulations to Ellen for being recognized by the NFIB for her accomplishments and entrepreneurial spirit, and I thank her for the work she has done to help our producers become more efficient. I wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 150th anniversary of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe's treaty with the U.S. Government, which coincides with the Tribe's 150th annual Fourth of July celebration.

Beginning in 1867, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Nation's annual Fourth of July Wacipi is the oldest continual event in South Dakota and one of the oldest established celebrations in the Nation. The Sisseton- Wahpeton Sioux Tribe is dedicated to maintaining their culture in the modern world through art, language, spirituality, and traditions, all of which is celebrated during its annual Fourth of July Wacipi. They also use the celebration to honor area veterans who bravely fought defending our freedoms.

The story of the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands is one of movement of the Native people that made their home on the Lake Traverse Reservation, where they still celebrate today. Here, Tribal members draw on their rich history, continue their traditions, and contribute to a vibrant, growing economy in the area.

On behalf of all South Dakotans, I wish to congratulate the Sisseton- Wahpeton Sioux Tribe on their sesquicentennial celebration. I thank them for their treaty, friendship, and alliance with the United States of America over the past 150 years and look forward to continuing our friendship in the 150 years to come.