Floor Statements

Mr. President, we have all heard the phrase ``law enforcement family.'' This law enforcement family is a diverse family with representatives from all walks of life. This family is not bound by traditions of race, religion, color, or sex. This family is all inclusive. Today, I want to provide an example of this family and how they came together to save the life of a fellow law enforcement officer.

On January 28, 2022, Kentucky State Police Trooper Michael Sanguini was shot multiple times, while conducting a traffic stop in Harrison County. According to the preliminary investigation, he was struck six times, of which three shots were stopped by his ballistic vest. One shot struck his portable radio, and another struck his issued taser, with one shot striking his body.

Although many officers from multiple agencies responded to assist the injured trooper, I want to recognize Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Officer Samantha Faoro for her quick response and actions of assistance. Officer Samantha Faoro is a native of Colorado, who move to Kentucky to pursue her career with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. She graduated from the police academy in February 2021 and was assigned to work in Harrison County. Officer Faoro comes from a family of first responders, continuing the life of service to protect the great Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Officer Faoro was working in the area of Cynthiana, KY, when she heard Trooper Sanguini state he had been shot. Without hesitation, Officer Faoro responded directly to the scene to provide assistance to a fellow officer in need. Upon arrival to the scene, she observed the wounded trooper and quickly transported him to the hospital. Trooper Sanguini quickly received medical treatment for his gunshot wounds because of the quick action of Officer Faoro.

It is my privilege to stand here today and recognize another great officer such as Officer Samantha Faoro. She

exemplifies the law enforcement motto, ``To Protect, and To Serve.''

Reserving the right to object, Mr. President, I think it is incredibly important that we read bills before we vote on them, that we have adequate debate, and that we really understand what we are doing.

The Magnitsky Act was originally an act that sought to sanction people in Russia--still does--but was expanded beyond Russia, and now, this bill would expand it further.

When you are going to sanction people, there has to be an argument about whom you are going to sanction, so the original Magnitsky Act has in law that you would sanction people who have gross violations of internationally recognized human rights. Well, that sounds good, but the Magnitsky Act goes a step further and defines what these are. Gross violations of human rights include torture; cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment; punishment or long detention without charges and trial; causing the disappearance of persons by the abduction and clandestine detention of those persons--a lot of this applies to, really, what happened to Magnitsky; this was named after him because of what happened to him--other flagrant denials of the right to life, liberty, and the security of the person.

What we are having happen right now is sort of--they are trying to pull a fast one, basically. We are going to get rid of all definitions of gross human rights, and we are going to replace them with not a list of things like torture and murder, indefinite detention; we are going to replace it with the words ``serious human rights abuse.''

Well, it still sounds pretty good, but it is like, what does that mean? The problem is that many different people have different definitions of rights. The left, including the U.N., believes you have a right to an abortion, to a house, to the internet, to healthcare. So you can see how, if you have wide-open, vague, vastly ambiguous language, someone could be President and say: The leader of that country is denying the human right to abortion, so therefore, we must sanction them. Without any sort of tribunal, without any sort of due process, they would just simply sanction them. Or what if they are not providing the internet?

So the thing is, words are important. You can't have vacuous sort of definitions. Where did this definition--it came from the Trump administration. So basically, what they are trying to do is mirror the Trump administration, which gave unlimited authority to the President. It is kind of surprising, for all the superficial rhetoric and opposition to President Trump, that they are trying to adopt his language now. But this language also comes from the Biden administration because the one thing Presidents have in common is they like unlimited power without checks and balances.

If this language goes through, it will remove any checks and balances or any definitions as to what human rights abuses are. It is a terrible mistake. It is rash, and we shouldn't do it.

I have offered an amendment, and I will offer it here in a moment. My amendment simply includes the definition that I just read. Gross violation of human rights--torture, cruel and inhumane treatment, indefinite detention. That is what we would put in the bill, is the actual definition. These aren't my words; these are the words of the mostly Democrats who wrote the bill, the Magnitsky Act.

What they are trying to do is take the Magnitsky Act and drive an enormous hole in it that you can push anything through and do sanctions on anybody, anywhere in the world, based on a vague, ambiguous, and vast definition that is not specific.

All I am asking is that you keep the Magnitsky Act. The irony here is the very authors of the Magnitsky Act are on the floor saying: We don't want the Magnitsky Act anymore. We want a big, enormous hole, that the President can sanction anybody in the world anytime.

It is a terrible idea. It is ripe for abuse from a President.

Many on the other side had arguments with the previous President, and they worried about him having unlimited power. So they want to give unlimited power to their President because they like him better. Well, guess what? I am an equal opportunity, ecumenical kind of guy who says: No President should have vast powers. All Presidents' powers should be circumspect. All Presidents' powers should be controlled.

All I am asking for is that we pass the original Magnitsky Act. So this is going to be forever. This isn't a year or 2. When we first started into the Magnitsky Act, we were going to do it for just a year or 2 and see how it is going. This is forever. It will never come back up again. And we are doing it with 5 minutes' worth of debate, not going through a committee, and we are just simply going to say: Do whatever you want. Sanction anybody in the entire world.

It is a huge mistake, it is a huge expansion of government power, of Presidential power, and it will lead to abuse. And I promise you, the moment there is a Republican President back in the White House, the other side will be squawking, saying: Why is he doing this? Why is he doing this?

So I would say take a step back. We could talk about this over the next several days. We could come to an agreement. I have even said we could expand the definition. The definition of ``gross violation of human rights'' from Magnitsky should not be thrown away. And we could add to it. If there are other things, such as corruption, that you don't think are included, give us some words, and we will talk about it and see if we can come to a compromise. That is what was offered, and what we get back is that, oh, everybody else agrees on the other side, so I should be quiet. I am talking about something that is arcane. This is your

language. This is the Magnitsky Act from the last 5 years, and you are calling it arcane?

This is a very reasonable request. It is a very unreasonable request to ram this down the throats of Americans, to expand Presidential power with no checks and balances, and I absolutely object to it.

I will offer as a counter, though, a unanimous consent request that is at the desk to have my amendment pass immediately, and if my amendment is passed immediately, that the remaining request from Senator Schumer be passed as well.

Mr. President, I object.

Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Our Best Restaurant of Smithfield, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

In 1990, the late Kenneth Way and his wife Kay embarked on a new adventure in the autumn of their lives. After retiring from a career in the retail industry, Kenneth bought an old wheat mill in Smithfield, KY, population 100. Joined by his wife Kay who had just retired from her career serving the Kentucky State government, the two opened Our Best Restaurant. Kenneth's son Kenny Way will tell you himself that his father was not in the restaurant business; he was in the ``people business.'' Kenneth's motto was that if you treat people well, your business will succeed no matter what you do. Clearly, Kenneth was on to something as his restaurant and legacy continue to thrive for the past 32 years.

Kenneth's son Kenny Way now owns and operates the business, carrying on his father's mission of providing top quality service to everyone who walks in the door. Though Our Best Restaurant consistently serves delicious country cooking, it is the warm and friendly atmosphere that keeps people coming back time and time again. With a population as small as Smithfield's, the restaurant cannot depend on the typical walk-in customer that other Main Street businesses often see; their bread and butter are the locals--and even visitors, who keep coming back. A change in ownership never stopped their ``regulars'' from choosing Our Best Restaurant because Kenny learned from his late father that a loyal customer will only come back if you treat them right. That is why the staff of Our Best Restaurant put in such an effort to get to know their customers, to meet their families and their children, to ask them about their day, and to show that they care about the customer's experience beyond just the meal.

Such high-quality customer service and food have allowed Our Best Restaurant to grow and expand. Since 1990, they have expanded their dining space and have branched out to offer catering services asides from their dine-in operations. The catering business became a crucial stream of revenue for the restaurant as the COVID-19 pandemic put a temporary end to in-person dining. Local energy and utility companies turned to Our Best Restaurant to safely serve meals to their employees during the height of the pandemic. Our Best Restaurant has consistently proved to be a steadfast member of the small community of Smithfield. The restaurant maintains great relationships with the local high school, looking out for the local students and always feeding them a hearty meal of Kentucky country cooking.

The reputation of the feel-good-food and friendly atmosphere of Our Best Restaurant has allowed them to be a destination in themselves. They often have folks drive in from Jefferson County and Franklin County to enjoy their famous cooking. And of course, any and all visitors receive the same smalltown welcome as any Smithfield local would. Our Best Restaurant is the entrepreneurial embodiment of the late Kenneth and Kay's dream come true and a wonderful example of a father's mission carried on by his son. All across the country are little towns like Smithfield, areas that contain little more than a post office and a church, and it is businesses like Our Best Restaurant that keep those small communities thriving. Congratulations to Kenny, his son Aric, and the entire Our Best Restaurant team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.

Mr. President, when a police officer is shot in the line of duty and survives, every fellow officer breathes a sigh of relief and offers a silent prayer of thanks because they know that such a risk exists each time they put on their uniform and begin another day on the job.

Today, I want to recognize a member of the Lexington Police Department, Officer Junior Pauleus, who was shot in the back at close range on February 5, 2022, as he was conducting a routine investigation with other members of the Lexington police force.

Officer Pauleus, only 28 years old, has an interesting and compelling life story. He is a proud American, but not by birth. Originally from Haiti, Officer Pauleus met his future wife, Audrey, while she was on a mission trip. He eventually immigrated to the U.S. and became a citizen. Now, settled and thriving with his young family in Kentucky, he very recently joined the Lexington Police Department and was still on field training officer status on that fateful Saturday in February when he said his normal goodbyes to his wife and three children-- including his 5-day-old son--and started another shift.

Thankfully, this is a story with a happy ending, and we are grateful for many things: for the fact that he and the officers with whom he was working with are all safe following the shooting; for the discipline and training on which they all rely; for the body armor that protected him; and for all the men and women of his department who willingly serve the Lexington community, even with the knowledge that, in an instant, their own lives can be taken.

I am privileged to meet young men and women like Officer Pauleus each time I travel to events throughout Kentucky. I am personally indebted to them for their service, and I am honored to recognize one example from among their ranks today.

Mr. President, too often, we hear an account of another police officer in our Nation coming under attack while carrying out their daily duties, protecting the citizens of their community. It is important that we remember these sacrifices and the many dangers these brave men and women face each day. The daily walk of an American law enforcement officer is truly a walk of faith each day: faith in their abilities obtained from countless hours of training, faith to face the many dangers presented to them during their daily activities, faith in the many friends and family members behind the scenes offering supporting prayer and strength, and faith in knowing their job is a calling to assist the many in their community seeking help in time of need.

Today, I want to recognize a member of the Kentucky State Police, Trooper Michael Sanguini, who was shot multiple times on January 28, 2022, while conducting a traffic stop in Harrison County. According to the preliminary investigation, he was struck six times, of which three shots were stopped by his ballistic vest. One shot struck his portable radio, and another struck his issued taser, with one shot striking his body. Thankfully, Trooper Sanguini suffered non-life-threatening injuries. God clearly protected this young trooper.

Trooper Sanguini is a native of Bourbon County, KY, and a graduate of Bourbon County High School. He then went on to Eastern Kentucky University, graduating in 2019. Following his graduation from the Kentucky State Police Academy in 2019, Trooper Sanguini was assigned to the Dry Ridge Post. I am pleased to say that Trooper Sanguini remains a viable part of the Kentucky State Police following this incident. I wish Trooper Sanguini a full and speedy recovery from his injuries and personally thank him for the dedication to his profession and his willingness to risk everything for the protection of others.

Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Seasonal Shoppe of Salyersville, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

Bekah Frazier Rudd, owner of Seasonal Shoppe, will tell you herself that retail runs in her blood. Bekah inherited her knack for running a business from her mother and father, who owned Frazier's Prater Drug Store, the longest continuously operating business in Salyersville. Bekah's mother, Patricia Frazier, started off with a little corner in her husband's store selling arts and crafts items. Throughout the years in the drug store, the popularity of Patricia's corner eventually led her to start a business of her own, just a few doors down from her husband's pharmacy. Thus, Seasonal Shoppe was born and has been operating since 1997. Eight years later, when Patricia left to take over Frazier's Prater Drug Store, Bekah stepped in to fill her mother's shoes as owner and operator of Seasonal Shoppe.

Though Seasonal Shoppe has since shifted towards selling more clothes and general home goods than arts and

crafts, little else about the store or its quality of service has changed. Bekah continues the same friendly atmosphere created by her mother, by bringing her family around to lend a hand in the store. Bekah works alongside her sister-in-law, as well two full-time staff and two local high school students who work part-time for Seasonal Shoppe. And just how Bekah used to work inside her father's drug store, her two children are common faces at Seasonal Shoppe, helping out with merchandise sales and with seasonal events.

Bekah not only perpetuates the same family-friendly atmosphere created by her mother, she pays mind to the traditions passed down to her by her father. Mr. Frazier always said that it was their duty as Main Street mainstays to support the community. Bekah continues this tradition by sponsoring the local high school sports teams, community churches, and most recently helping out the local fire department with their annual fundraiser. This charitable spirit instilled in her by her parents comes in addition to the good business sense she inherited from them, and it is this special combination of devotion to the community and to the livelihood of the store that has kept Seasonal Shoppe running these past 25 years.

Small businesses like Seasonal Shoppe are the lifeblood of small towns across Kentucky, and they serve as an inspiring example of how the entrepreneurial spirit transcends multiple generations. Moreover, the story of Seasonal Shoppe illustrates that sometimes it takes an existing business to start a new business, in that Patricia reached her customer base through her husband's drug store. Seasonal Shoppe and their role in the Salyersville community demonstrates how small businesses are an integral part of the daily life of small towns across the country, and I am thankful for the chance to honor these entrepreneurs and what they represent.

Congratulations to Bekah and the entire Seasonal Shoppe team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.

Mr. President, there is a very distinct possibility that the mask mandates saved no lives. There is a very distinct possibility that the mask mandates did not change the trajectory or incidence of the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, there is a distinct possibility that mask mandates were simply coercive security theater that did not enhance the public safety at all.

While the efficacy of masks is debatable, the question of whether or not the Federal Government possesses the power to mandate that you wear a mask is not debatable. The 10th Amendment clearly states that powers not specifically enumerated by the Constitution for the Federal Government are retained by the States and the people respectively.

In United States v. Lopez, the 10th Amendment is affirmed. The Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution withholds from Congress the plenary power that would authorize enactment of every type of legislation. The Supreme Court went on to say that allowing the Federal Government a general police power of the sort retained by the States would violate the principle that the Federal Government is one of enumerated and limited powers.

Furthermore, no statute exists that remotely conveys a power to mandate masks to any Department of the Federal Government. Yet, since March of 2020, unelected bureaucrats from the Centers for Disease Control have incessantly declared that we should ``follow the science'' and submit to their mandates. But those bureaucrats defy science and practice something closer to sorcery.

For 2 years, they have incanted the magic word ``emergency,'' which they believe conjures up special powers that require each one of us to wear face masks they tell us have talismanic qualities. The only problem with this assertion is that none of it is true. The CDC does not have limitless authority during emergencies, and masks are not effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19.

This, after all, is the same Agency that decided merely by uttering the word ``emergency'' that it empowered itself to tear up every rental contract in America. Fortunately, the Supreme Court put the CDC in its place, saying that it ``imposed a nationwide moratorium on evictions in reliance on a decades-old statute that authorizes it to implement measures like fumigation and pest extermination. It strains credulity to believe that this statute grants the CDC the sweeping authority that it asserts.''

But the CDC has yet to learn its lesson. For a third time, the CDC extended the mandate, forcing everyone wishing to exercise their right to travel to wear a mask. The mask, to the CDC, is effectively a passport. Those who work for airlines are compelled to incessantly remind paying customers not only to wear a mask while we board but in between bites and in between sips. ``Sir, please put your mask on in between peanuts. Sir, after each peanut, please put your mask on.'' The absurdity.

Is it any wonder that the Federal Aviation Administration has logged a surge in reports of bad passenger behavior? According to the FAA, nearly two-thirds of the more than 800 reports of unruly passengers this year have been related to masks. Thus, the CDC's mandate is a safety risk to airline employees and passengers alike.

The populace, which has been pushed around too far for too long, no longer sees a flight attendant entrusted to make travel more comfortable but, rather, a border guard who polices the unfriendly skies. And who can blame them when the head of Delta Airlines wants to put the names of vocal opponents of mask mandates on a no-fly list, a place we had supposedly reserved for those suspected of terrorism?

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that, as all 50 States either dropped or plan to drop the mask mandates, the CDC stubbornly perpetuates its mandates.

The history of the last 2 years is a history of the CDC making recommendations despite the evidence, not because of it. From the beginning, the CDC has ignored the scientific data that demonstrated the ineffectiveness of masks.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Fauci advised Americans to refrain from wearing masks, but as we were so often told, the science has changed--except that it really hasn't. At least 30 studies demonstrate that masks have little to no impact on transmission, including those that predate the emergence of COVID, which highlight the lack of effectiveness of masks outside the hospital setting.

In May 2020, an article by researchers at Harvard Medical School published in the New England Journal of Medicine not only held that ``wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection'' but that one of its few useful functions would be to serve as a reminder of ``other infection-control measures.''

The article went so far as to state that masks are not only tools but they are also talismans that may help increase healthcare workers' perceived sense of safety. In other words, the masks are a placebo. They might not do anything, but at least they can trick people into thinking they are protected.

Unfortunately for those who support mask mandates, the article went on to warn that ``focusing on universal masking alone may, paradoxically, lead to more transmission of COVID-19 if it diverts attention from implementing more fundamental infection-control measures.''

Translation: The mere symbolic benefit of universal masking comes with the cost of a false sense of security, which potentially risks further spread. For example, imagine the 80-year-old husband who chooses to wear a cloth mask to take care of his COVID-stricken wife. The CDC has prompted him to believe that wearing a cloth mask will keep him safe, when in reality this misinformation has prompted him to engage in risky behavior.

Among the reasons why masks have such poor results outside a hospital is user error. About a year after the initial reports of COVID cases, a large controlled study of about 8,000 participants was published by the Public Library of Science. That study found that face masks ``did not seem to be effective against laboratory-confirmed viral respiratory infections nor against clinical respiratory infection,'' which was likely due to poor adherence to the protocol.

People simply cannot replicate the hospital setting at all times, in all locations. Even N95 masks cannot help a person who does not know how to use

it. Multiple studies show surgical and cloth masks are not effective in reducing transmission.

In November 2020, a Danish study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that high-quality surgical masks failed to demonstrate significant reductions in confirmed viral transmissions. This is a large study. This is a randomized controlled study in Denmark with thousands of people who wore masks and thousands of people who didn't wear masks. And--guess what--they had the same incidence of disease.

Additionally, a randomized trial in Bangladesh found that cloth masks did not have a statistically significant effect on COVID transmission.

But we should not be surprised by these results because we have known the limitations of masks for a long time. A 2015 Vietnamese study of 1,600 participants found that cloth masks allowed 97 percent penetration of particles. They took sodium chloride particles the same size as a virus, and they blew them through a cloth mask, and they got 97 percent of the particles on the other side of the mask. They didn't work.

A 2019 study from Nepal found that the pore size of the cloth mask-- the opening that air goes through in the cloth mask, the pore size-- ranged from 80 to 105 micrometers, but the size of the COVID particle is only 0.12 micrometers. That means that the pores in the cloth masks are more than 650 times as big as the COVID particles.

Science.

If the virus is 650 times smaller than the pore, it is not going to work.

Wearing a mask to stop COVID is like trying to catch flies with a chain link fence. The virus can simply travel right through and around the mask.

And what was Dr. Fauci's prescription, after studying and concluding that masks were ineffective? Wear two masks. He is wearing masks all over his face. Just another one. If only we had four masks, maybe we would be safe. That is not science; that is theater.

The CDC announced that it would look into two masks, but we never heard back from them. A few days later, even Fauci conceded there is no evidence that double masking is going to make a difference. I guess he was just wearing it for style.

Actually, there is data even on double masking, just not the kind likely to be approved by Dr. Fauci. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in late 2020 monitored nearly 2,000 marine recruits who were subjected to anti-infection measures, including double masking.

What did it find? It found several incidences of COVID still being transmitted despite the double masks. Yet our President, our Governors, and our mayors routinely lectured us to ``just wear the damn mask.'' Now, 2 years later, what benefits did we get from all that masking? Not a damn thing.

A 2021 study published in the International Research Journal of Public Health found that there was no association between mask mandates imposed by the respective States and reduced spread of COVID-19. The study verifies what we have seen in the real world.

If you look at mask mandates that were put on State by State or country by country and you compare that to the incidence of the disease, there is no relation. In fact, often the relation is inverse.

Here you have California and Florida. In Florida, if you have been down there--look, even AOC goes to Florida because they won't make you wear a mask. You can do what you want. Nobody has been wearing a mask for 2 years in Florida. California: If you are paddle boarding by yourself, they will send the Coast Guard after you. If you are jogging on the beach in California by yourself, they will arrest you.

Wildly different mandates, yet this is the infection curve for California and Florida. It is the same. Death curves, infection curves, there is no evidence that any State mandate changed anything. In fact, if your objective--at the end of this pandemic, people are going to discover--I don't know if they will ever admit this--that the truth of the matter is nothing that man did other than the vaccine and natural infection, accumulated immunity from both natural and from vaccine sources, slowed this down, as well as the mutation of the virus.

Plexiglass--give me a break. You think the virus doesn't go in and around your plexiglass? We spend millions of dollars on stickers: Stand 6 feet apart. You are on the plane 2 inches from people for 2 hours, and then what do they say?

Please, as you exit the plane, we are going to practice

social distancing.

And you can stand 6 feet away from the person you have been 2 inches from for the last 6 hours.

It is ``Moronville.'' It is medieval. They knew more about infectious disease in the medieval ages than they do in today's modern age with the government directing this.

But despite very different mask policies, California and Florida ended up with about the identical outcome. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University School of Public Health, who provided one of these charts on Twitter, noted that the infection rates for California, which had a mask mandate, and Florida, which did not, have ``strikingly similar'' infection rates--specifically, 9.5 percent for Florida, 9.54 percent for the draconian mandates of California. They were the same. One place had no freedom; one place had their freedom--and the rate of disease was the same.

Is nobody willing to really look at the science? Are we willing to submit to wearing masks forever?

As journalist Jacob Sullum pointed out, if you compare California to Texas, another populous State that had no mask mandates, the case trends also are very similar. The same basic pattern was discovered in almost every State. In short, States with mask mandates fared no better than States without them.

Unsurprisingly, nationwide, masks did not prevent transmission or even death. This is a chart looking at the death rate and with the mask mandates. So the dotted line is the mask mandate. Oh, my goodness, we put a mask mandate on, and many more people began to die. Did the masks cause death? No. They just are unrelated. But if you are trying to prove that a mask mandate lessened death, there is no evidence of it. Death went up and then down and then up and down again.

The trends on death, the trends on incidence have nothing to do with plexiglass; they have nothing to do with stickers; they have nothing to do with masks. Yet we did all of these things in medieval fashion.

In the 14th century, the Pope burned incense. They thought they could protect themselves from plague. People wore garlic around their neck, even up to World War I. It didn't work; except the garlic did probably scare some people and keep them away from you.

When the CDC reversed itself--again--in July 2021 and recommended that vaccinated people--who they said didn't have to wear a mask--now had to wear a mask again, the death rate, which had been going down for months, sharply rose again. No relationship unless it is inverse-- unless putting on the mask caused the death rate to get worse, there is no relationship between mask mandates and lessening the incidence or lessening death. This is, sadly, yet more evidence that masks do not prevent transmission of disease that, for some, proves deadly.

It has distracted us. We have been distracted and actually comforted by something that is not working. And we have been tricked into engaging in risky behavior: wearing a mask thinking we are safe. With 80 percent of people wearing a mask, most of them are still getting infected. They have been vaccinated, and they are wearing a mask and still getting infected. Maybe we ought to reassess.

Despite all of this evidence, the CDC still cannot bring itself to end its travel mandate. Is it any wonder why this Agency lost so much credibility over the last 2 years? They have lost their credibility because they have treated every American as if we all have the same level of COVID risk.

Because of this approach, our children have suffered the most from the CDC's unscientific mandates. The CDC guidance on school masking is as aggressive as it can get, recommending universal indoor masking by all students aged 2 and older, staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools--regardless of vaccination status. With the CDC calling the shots across the country, kids have not experienced a normal day of school for 2 years. Schoolchildren

have to wear masks all day, which results in complaints of difficulty breathing, headaches, acne, anxiety, and depression.

And by covering the lower half of the face, we have robbed the students of effective visual communication. So profound has been the change in our learning that we have now changed the definition for adequate number of words for children to know. It used to be 50 for normal development; we changed it to 30 because they can't see the faces to mimic people. For people who are hearing impaired, they have even more difficulty if they can't see the lips.

Here is really the big insult of insults. We go to the State of the Union. Now, we have these elderly Senators and these elderly Congressmen, and, finally, they are free of their masks. They take their masks off, and your 4-year-old at home--the chance your 4-year- old dies of COVID is 1 in 2.32 million. They are going to be struck by lightning before they get COVID and die--but these old guys are fine now. They are a thousand times more likely to die from COVID, but they are fine with no mask; but your 4-year-old has to wear a mask--no logic whatsoever in this, no science involved in this. But it is authoritarians run amuck.

Sweden took a dramatically different approach. Swedish schools remained open for the majority of the pandemic and wore no masks--1.8 million kids, not one of them died. If you look at the incidence of the disease among teachers--you say, ``We have to put masks on the kids or the teachers will die.''

In Sweden, no masks on the kids and the incidence of disease among the teachers is the same as every other profession in Sweden--no difference. There were lower death rates there than in the U.S. But the one thing the Swedes did not suffer is their test scores were not lower. Their test scores are up, and no one is concerned about the lost years of education or mental development.

Mask mandates on planes don't make any more sense than mask mandates in school. While testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said that 99.97 percent of airborne pathogens are captured by the airplane filtration system, and it is turned over every 2 to 3 minutes. I think the case is very strong that masks don't add much, if anything, in the air cabin environment.

This is from the CEO of Southwest.

It is very safe and very high quality compared to any other

indoor setting.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby added that, in fact, air quality on planes is safer than an ``intensive care unit'' and that sitting next to someone on a plane ``is the equivalent of being 15 feet away from them in a typical building.''

It is not just airline CEOs who agree that mask mandates do not make sense. When discussing mask policy, even CNN, even the doctors on CNN-- the radical disciples of Dr. Fauci--now admit that cloth masks are nothing more than facial decoration and the responsibility should shift from a government mandate to an individual mandate. When the leftwing doctors on CNN are getting it, really, you would think the CDC might wake up. Doctors, scientists, airline CEOs are all presented with the science, and those who are all truthful will tell you that the mask mandates are nothing more than COVID theater.

But the mandates have been more like a curse. Think about what you have lost: Fathers were not there and allowed to see their babies born; mothers have given birth to babies alone; our children have fallen behind in education and mental development; weddings were postponed and ceremonies were drastically scaled back; many of us were deprived of one final goodbye to a dying loved one.

We are about to return to normal, and it can't happen soon enough. We are about to get our lives back, to get our liberty, and our pursuit of happiness back. But it won't happen until we finally wake up and say the science doesn't indicate this; until this body that supposedly represents the people votes to say: Enough is enough--enough of the theater, enough of the pseudoscience. Let's let people make their own decisions. But the CDC says no. It has extended again the travel mandate. We have another month of this.

But people are upset. I don't care whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent. There are Democrat moms, Independent moms, Republican moms and dads frustrated at their 4-year-old, their 6-year- old going to school for a nonfatal disease--nonfatal to children. Meanwhile, elderly Congressmen and Senators are now running around without their mask on, and they have no problem, but they are going to make your kid wear a mask. It makes no sense.

Now is our chance to say, Enough is enough. We have it within our power today to assure the American people that we are irreversibly going back to normal. We can tell our constituents that the unscientific mask mandates are on the way out once and for all. For once, we can follow the science and put an end to the travel mask mandates.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I move to discharge the Committee on Foreign Relations from further consideration of S.J. Res. 35, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sales to the Government of Egypt of certain defense articles and services.

Mr. President, according to tradition, King Menes united the two lands of Europe about 5,000 years ago. Although Egypt appears today as a single state on the globe, American foreign policy still treats the country as if it were two completely different lands--one a critical ally of American aid and one a tyrannical nightmare unworthy of American security assistance.

A State Department human rights report details how General Abdelfattah Elsisi converted a country into a prison. Among other horrors, Egyptian security forces engage in extrajudicial killings, torture, as well as harsh crackdowns on anyone who wishes to practice the right of freedom of speech.

As a result of Egypt's abysmal human rights record, the Biden administration recently blocked $130 million in annual security assistance. At first glance, that might sound like a rebuke to Egypt. Before applauding this supposedly principled act in solidarity with the long-suffering Egyptian people, keep in mind that in the same week, the State Department--the Biden State Department--approved a military sale of Super Hercules aircraft, which are used to airdrop troops and military equipment, to the Elsisi regime for $2.2 billion. On the one hand, they blocked $130 million; on the other hand, they approved $2.2 billion.

In what may be only described by definition as a slap on the wrist, the $130 million the State Department blocked is only one-tenth of the annual $1.3 billion the United States has given to Egypt every year since 1987. In fact, Egypt is one of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid.

If the State Department strictly adhered to Federal Leahy laws, it would insist that Egypt abandon its despotic ways before Egypt received any more security assistance. This law was named after our colleague Senator Patrick Leahy. These laws compel the United States to withhold security assistance to countries that have committed gross violations of human rights.

The Biden administration should strictly enforce the Leahy laws and deny Egypt the American dollars it craves until it becomes a place where human rights are honored and respected. Instead, as punishment for their crimes, the ruling class of Egypt will somehow, some way, have to make due with only 90 percent of what they annually expect in largesse from the American taxpayer. Adjusting for inflation, the decades-long transfer of wealth from America to Egypt amounts to over $41 billion. Of the $41 billion, some estimate that the previous President, Hosni Mubarak, and his family stole nearly half. The aid not stolen is used by Egypt to buy American weaponry.

Since 2009, the United States has sold Egypt $3.2 billion in fighter aircraft,

$1.3 billion in tanks and armored vehicles, $750 million in missiles, $36 million in ammunition, and $328 million in military technology, as well as $240 million in naval craft. As the United States prepares for yet another military sale, perhaps we should review how one of our most reliable customers treats their own people.

Human Rights Watch reports that ``Egypt's security apparatus has arbitrarily arrested and prosecuted tens of thousands of persons'' and that ``torture crimes against detainees in Egypt are systematic, widespread, and likely constitute crimes against humanity.''

One such victim of torture is known as Hamza. He was arrested at his home late one night for the crime of participating in a public demonstration. Despite tireless attempts to track him down, his family was unable to locate him for months. Later, it was revealed that the officers who captured him--the officers of the government of Elsisi-- used electric shocks on his genitals, his head, and his tongue. But even that was not enough for Elsisi's henchmen, who later suspended Hamza from his arms until his arms were dislocated at the shoulder.

As a physician, I have treated patients who have dislocated shoulders. It is a very painful injury. Imagine being hauled up by your own government, suspended by your arms until your shoulders are dislocated, and then when they finally cut him down, they left him on the floor without medical treatment for 3 winter days without any blankets.

Such torture would be virtually unbearable for any man. Hamza was not even yet a man; he was a 14-year-old boy at the time of his torture and arrest.

Hamza is not alone. The stories of other victims appear in Human Rights Watch's 43-page report detailing Egypt's systemic torture of children, including a victim as young as 12 years old.

In Egypt, journalism--journalism--is a dangerous profession. The Committee to Protect Journalists ranks Egypt the third worst jailer of journalists in the world behind only China and Myanmar.

Take just a few examples. When a 26-year-old man died in police custody, a prominent Egyptian journalist, Islam el-Kahly, was arrested for covering and reporting on the detainee's death. He is only one of many well-known journalists to be imprisoned for the crime of keeping his people informed.

Photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid was arrested in 2013 for covering the violent break up of a sit-in protest--a peaceful sit-in protest--in Cairo. Zeid was released after 5 years in prison, but he is still not free. He is required to report to the police station at 6 p.m. every night, where it is unknown whether the officer on duty will keep him or not, whether he will be imprisoned every night of his life.

Perhaps no activity is more dangerous than running for Egypt's Presidency. General Elsisi was reelected--if you can call it an election--in 2018 with 97 percent of the vote, whose Soviet-style results were made possible only after opposition candidates were effectively eliminated.

Two candidates, Sami Anan and Ahmed Konsowa, were imprisoned. A third candidate to run against Elsisi, Ahmed Shafik, was placed under house arrest. A senior staffer to one of the candidates, Hisham Geneina, was brutally attacked by three men, resulting in serious damage to his left eye and orbital bones. When another candidate, Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat, withdrew from the race, he said: ``It's like committing suicide to run against someone like this.''

President Biden pledged to put human rights at the ``center of our foreign policy.'' Torture of children, arbitrary arrests of dissidents and journalists, sham elections, and the violent crushing of peaceful opposition--if these are not gross violations of human rights, nothing is.

The United States cannot proudly proclaim human rights to be the center of our foreign policy while it arms a regime that has a war against its own people. We should end military sales to Egypt's criminal masters. Partially taking away some military aid while offering new sales that are 10 times what we withheld shows weakness in the face of repression.

Our weapons are an incredibly important part of America's power, and we should not willy-nilly and without judgment give them to anybody and everybody around the world. They could be used as leverage for improving human rights. Instead, we just give them, and there is this vicious cycle of enriching those who produce the munitions and no concern for human rights.

Mere slaps on the wrists cannot hide the inescapable fact that the United States has handsomely rewarded Egypt as it degenerated into one of the most autocratic places on the globe. America should in no uncertain terms demonstrate we will no longer strengthen a strongman.

My resolution is to cancel military sales. It offers a choice-- whether the United States will side with the Egyptian people or with their oppressors.

Madam President, as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Burchett's Heating and Cooling of Paintsville, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

Rogell Burchett had a keen eye for business opportunities, which is why he opened Burchett's Heating and Cooling in 1978. As a gas company employee, he could not ignore all the new homes being built in his area when he knew there was little market for natural gas and furnace installations. So he started what was then a side venture called Burchett's Heating and Cooling. Rogell's vision and dedication allowed

that side venture to grow into a family business, now entering into its third generation of management.

When the business was first founded, Burchett's operations mainly involved natural gas and furnace work. However, as Kentucky saw the coal industry abate, Burchett's Heating and Cooling adapted to include more geothermal work, as well as some light commercial work. Clearly, Rogell passed his sharp intuition for running a business along to his children and grandchildren, as this transition took place over multiple generations. Growing into what his father created, Neal Burchett took over the business when his father Rogell retired. Later on, Neal's son Ryan Burchett would also become part of the operation, serving as the management arm of this family-owned business. Together, these three generations of Burchett men have kept Paintsville warm during the cold Kentucky winters and cool in the summers, with the comfort of Paintsville citizens remaining their top priority.

With over 40 years of experience, Burchett's Heating and Cooling maintains close relationships with customers that count on them for quality, year after year. Of course, when the business stays in the family as it has with the Burchett men, it is easy to see how the community of Paintsville could place their trust in their services. That being said, Burchett's Heating and Cooling remains an active member of the Paintsville community outside of their normal business operations. Staying true to their family-owned nature, the business sponsors the local high school basketball and football teams, teams that both Neal and Ryan used to play for during their high school years. Burchett's Heating and Cooling also provides free services to their local church so that parishioners can worship comfortably.

Small businesses like Burchett's Heating and Cooling are the lifeblood of small towns across Kentucky, and they serve as an inspiring example of how the entrepreneurial spirit transcends multiple generations. Congratulations to Neal and Ryan and the entire Burchett's Heating and Cooling team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following interns in my office be granted floor privileges until May 20, 2022: Jacob Custer, Mia Kuchner, Wilson Beaver, and Pedro Rodriguez.

Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Neeley Family Distillery of Sparta, KY as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

Today, I honor a business deeply rooted in Kentucky history. Founded in 2015, the Neeley Family Distillery bares a history far older than their date of official registration. The Neeley family has been distilling and bootlegging illegally in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky for 11 generations, with James Neeley distilling the first batch of Neeley family whiskey on American soil in 1740. James Neeley came to the New World with a mastery passed down to him by his Irish forefathers. Ten generations later, James' descendant and lead distiller Royce Neeley uses many of these same skills to craft fine Kentucky Bourbon.

Though his single-barrel bourbon earned him a gold medal from the 2020 World Spirits Competition, Royce is just as famous for his moonshine. Royce's great grandfather Leonard Neeley developed the moonshine over 100 years ago, by adding sugar to the original family recipe for rye whiskey. This concoction was so popular in the days of underground bootlegging that it led a vicious and at times violent rivalry with another local bootlegging family. Artifacts from this trialing era are all on display at the Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta, including the pistol Royce's great-grandfather used to shoot another moonshiner. Though the Neeley family business is no longer under threat of the law or mob rivals, Royce proudly bears that history in the creation of all of the distillery's products.

Carrying the torch that his forefather lit long ago, Royce brought the Neeley family name to the legal production of bourbon for the first time in 2015. Starting out as a young entrepreneur with a wealth of expertise, he steadily grew his business in the years to come. However it was not until 5 years later that Royce switched gears and entered into a new kind of production. Faced with gross shortages of essential products during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Neeley Family Distillery joined forces with other Kentucky distillers to produce nearly 125,000 gallons of hand sanitizer. Together, the distilleries donated the much needed product to frontline workers across the Commonwealth. Fulfilling this desperate need required immediate retooling of their facilities, sourcing of necessary products, and totally shutting down their production of bourbon. The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that an industry, once spurned by authorities during the days of Prohibition, could rise to be great stewards of their community during times of hardship and duress.

The Neeley Family Distillery has since returned to their regular production of Kentucky's iconic spirit, though they remain ready to answer the call of their community. Realizing the extent of destruction their western neighbors sustained in the 2021 tornados, the Neeley Family Distillery again joined forces with the Kentucky Distillers Association, as well as the Bourbon Crusader, to organize a benefit auction in support of relief efforts. This once-in-a-lifetime bourbon auction led to a $3.4 million check benefiting the State's Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund. In their 7 years of operation, this small business has not only earned top ranking awards on the quality of their product, they have earned themselves a record for serving their community during times of adversity.

Small businesses like the Neeley Family Distillery are the lifeblood of towns across Kentucky, and the rich history of bourbon and its times of legal and illegal production is an intricate detail in the fabric of our State. The Neeley family proudly honors that history by continuing the tradition of fine Kentucky craftsmanship and looking out for one's neighbor. Congratulations to the Neeley family and the entire distillery team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.

Madam President, as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop of Corydon, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

Entrepreneurship is undoubtedly a unique career path. I guarantee if you ask any small business owner about the genesis of their business, you will find that each start-up story is distinct in its own way. For Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop, baking had long been a hobby of founder and owner, Marganna Stanley, who spent the past 30 years working as an educator in the schools of Henderson County, the last 6 of which as Henderson County school superintendent. Though she has always been passionate about teaching, Marganna did not let her 2020 retirement stop her from chasing her other dream, that of owning her own business.

In late 2020, undeterred by the COVID-19 pandemic, Marganna opened Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop, a place where one could shop for gifts of all kinds, including glassware, skincare and bath products, children's books and toys, along with a host of local artisan products. Even with the wide array of gifts for sale, there are plenty of other attractions at Farm Girl, namely, the excellent home-cooking of Marganna and her staff. As the business name would indicate, baked goods are her specialty. The team at Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop work tirelessly to ensure that every customer has more than enough options to choose from. From cookies to layer cakes, muffins to pies, sourdough loafs to her signature tall cupcakes, Marganna and her team stay busy in the kitchen.

As the only restaurant in the town of Corydon, Marganna makes sure Farm Girl always has some hearty Kentucky cooking on hand to satisfy any appetite. Though sweets are Marganna's specialty, sub sandwiches, soups, and sliders are common attractions at Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop. Moreover, Marganna brings her experience as an educator and her love for teaching to her new business venture. When stocking her shelves with Christmas gifts for the holidays, she made sure to include educational books and toys for young children. She keeps the Farm Girl atmosphere fun by creating competitions for her devoted customers. In the summer of 2021, she announced that the customer who bought Farm Girl's 10,000th tall cupcake would receive a $100 prize. She ended 2021, her first full year in business, having sold 9,678 of these tall cupcakes. Shortly thereafter Farm Girl hit that 10,000 milestone and that $100 bill found itself in one lucky customer's pocket. Her effort to bring a fun and engaging feeling to her business harkens back to Marganna's tenured career as an educator. Needless to say, his beloved presence in Henderson County is still brightening the faces of Corydon residents, young and old.

Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop is a wonderful example of how old passions can lead to new adventures. Always a great steward of her community, Marganna did not let a pandemic delay or deter her from pursuing her dream of serving Henderson County outside of the classroom. Always with a friendly smile, she continues on as a steadfast member of her community, and Henderson County parents and alumni alike make sure to stop by Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop to see her familiar face.

Congratulations to Marganna Stanley and the entire Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.

Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Cruise Customs of Shepherdsville, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

It is not every week that I have the privilege of honoring a veteran- owned small business, but when I do, it is with profound respect and gratitude not only for this Kentucky entrepreneur, but for our men and women in uniform. Cruise Customs was started by Chris Cruise, a veteran paratrooper who served in the 82nd Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After serving his country, like many veterans, Chris Cruise returned to the U.S. carrying with him the traumas of war. Woodworking became a sort of therapy for him, and he combined that passion for working with his hands with his deeply rooted patriotism and founded Cruise Customs in 2017.

Cruise Customs not only honors the great Nation that we live in, it also pays tribute to the wonderful State of Kentucky. The idea behind his business came from Chris and his wife Amber's desire to create something that honored both the Nation that he fought for and his wife's native State. The final product was a large American flag constructed from the wood used in old Kentucky bourbon barrels. While bourbon-barrel flags continue to be their most popular item, the business has expanded their scope of products offered. The Cruises' patriotic mission has remained at the heart of their business throughout its steady growth, as they broadened their service to the veteran community and to their local area when Cruise Customs' unique craftsmanship gained national recognition.

The whole Cruise Customs team use their dedication for service as inspiration for designing new products. These days, one can buy Chris' signature bourbon-barrel flag not only in a variety of sizes, one can also find various flags with a different colored stripe running through the center of the flag. The colors symbolize the business' support for various causes: blue, in honor of our Nation's police officers; red, to show their support for our Nation's fire fighters; pink, to spread breast cancer awareness and to champion its survivors. While these limited edition pieces stand out against their array of merchandise, the America ``One Heartbeat'' flag is perhaps their most impactful creation.

Their America ``One Heartbeat'' flag, a limited edition piece displaying the EKG sign of a heartbeat down the center stripe, was designed by Chris and Amber Cruise during the early days of the pandemic. Always wanting to give back to their community, Cruise Customs donated all proceeds from the sale of their America ``One Heartbeat'' flags to the medical frontline heroes at Norton Healthcare and U of L Health in Louisville. This noble idea quickly gained national attention, which allowed Cruise Customs to sell over 4,500 of these flags and donate over $70,000 to their local medical community.

Cruise Customs' dedication to their community has not gone unnoticed. Last year, Chris Cruise was named one of Louisville Business First's Business Impact Award Nominees. Chris and Amber Cruise have also broadened their venture by opening and codirecting Kentucky's first local chapter of USA Cares, a nonprofit dedicated

to ``providing military families with financial and advocacy support during their time of need.'' From serving his country, to founding a small business dedicated to giving back to the veteran community, Chris has consistently displayed a generous and patriotic spirit which permeates throughout his business and his family. Congratulations to Chris and Amber Cruise and the entire Cruise Customs team. I thank you for your brave service to this country and for your charitable spirit. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.

Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Olive You Boutique of Richmond, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

Nearly a decade ago, Katie Stallons and her sister Lindsay Wiley decided there were not enough clothing options for the ladies of central Kentucky. The sisters, both Richmond natives and alumni of University of Kentucky, decided to take matters into their own hands and open Olive You Boutique. Their mother, Jennifer Brandenburg, joined in their venture, designing the interior of the boutique, and now working in-store alongside her daughters and the other lovely ladies at Olive You Boutique. In their 9 and a half years of operating, this woman and family-owned business has seen plenty of growth and success. In 2015, they received the Richmond Chamber of Commerce Minority Business of the Year Award, and they are routinely voted as Best Women's Shopping in Richmond in local publications. Despite all this success, they have never lost sight of their mission.

Owner Katie Stallons' fundamental goal for Olive You Boutique is to carry something for ``all of you'' lovely women of central Kentucky and beyond. The store offers clothes to women of all ages; one stop shopping for daughter, mother, and grandmother, during all seasons. Olive You Boutique carries a wide range of items from casual loungewear to cocktail attire and everything in between. Regardless of age, shape, likes, and dislikes, Olive You Boutique has something for every woman. Customers are known to travel from all over Kentucky and beyond, with the store offering items for every Bluegrass activity, whether it be Keeneland, Kentucky Derby, weddings, graduations, Easter, and more.

Small businesses often have a very familial atmosphere, and Olive You Boutique is no exception. Whether you are greeted by one of the sisters in charge, their delightful mother and interior designer, or one of the other charismatic women working alongside them, customers instantly feel like they are at home. Without a doubt, Olive You has brought a fun and personal shopping experience to the Bluegrass State. From unique clothes to sweet gifts for any occasion, ``all of you'' can be sure to find something special when shopping at Olive You Boutique.

The owners of the store keep both feet on the ground when conducting business and always look out for friends and neighbors. Often hosting ``Shop For a Cause'' events in their store, they most recently teamed up with jewelry designer Kendra Scott and raised $1,000, which was matched by the designer, and then donated towards the medical journey of a Centre College student who had suffered a horrific spinal cord injury. Their caring spirit extends even beyond the Kentucky community. In 2013, during the week following the category five tornado that struck Moore, OK, the owners of Olive You Boutique donated 10 percent of all sales to the American Red Cross Oklahoma Disaster Relief Fund.

In keeping their community in mind, Katie and Lindsay do not forget about other small businesses. Olive You Boutique is often the source of gatherings, with the owners inviting weekly food trucks to come offer breakfast or lunch to their customers. They also host trunk shows where they invite food vendors, florists, and other local artisans to come and sell their products alongside those found at Olive You. And if it is not a trunk show, it is a fun seasonal event to take advantage of community good cheer, often hosting summer soirees and other events around the winter holidays.

Katie and Lindsay are two entrepreneurs who demonstrate the best values of a small business owner. Olive You Boutique is not just a women's clothing store, it is a site that fosters community involvement and outreach. It is a fun and friendly place where ladies can shop, where vendors can collaborate and where you can find local support and always a friendly face. Congratulations to Katie Stallons and Lindsay Wiley and the entire Olive You team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.

Mr. President, as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Powell Valley Millwork of Clay City, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week.

Twenty-seven years ago Jim Thornberry and his son Jimmy left the mining industry behind in search of a new venture. Shortly thereafter, Powell Valley Mill work was founded. The Thornberrys started their mill with the desire to harvest a tangible product within a sustainable industry, and that mission has stayed at the heart of their business throughout their decades of growth and success.

The talent and substance of Powell Valley Mill work draws directly from our State, with the mill focusing on only one species of lumber: poplar. As the State tree of Kentucky, poplar is an abundant resource within Appalachia, which makes their location in rural Clay City a prime spot for their operation. Often referred to as ``the painter's wood'' poplar is known for its clear grain, smooth milling, and paint- taking qualities. The versatile and fine nature of the wood allows Powell Valley Millwork to supply consumers with a wide variety of interior-trim products, such as stretcher bars, door and window jambs, stair parts, cabinetry components, primed finger-joint interior trim, and more. In creating all these products, the Powell Valley millworkers make sure nothing goes to waste. Poplar can be safely used as animal bedding which means the mill's offcuts, those that are not already being used to fuel the company's wood drying kilns, are turned into shavings. These shavings are then bagged and shipped out by the truck load to be sold in a wide variety of retail outlets.

This Powell County mill maintains their technology at a topnotch standard. In 2019, the owners invested in a new addition to the team: a sophisticated scanning rough mill line from Eagle Machinery & Supply, Inc. The new rough mill line is able to process 65,000 board feet of lumber in a single 8-hour shift with only six people required to operate it. The joint project between Powell and Eagle, both family companies, demonstrates that U.S. machinery manufacturers can successfully compete with Europeans in providing world-class technology to the North American wood processing industry.

The Thornberrys keep their eye on efficiency and progress, opening up ownership of the company to experts outside the family, including Dale Budke, Powell Valley's Operations Manager. As a partner in this company, Dale provides the expertise necessary for navigating the growing Kentucky lumber industry. In 2019, Powell Valley Millwork acquired the Metrie Poplar manufacturing facility in nearby Jeffersonville, KY. With a new 125,000-square-foot location only 12 miles from their original facility, the two locations utilize their natural synergies to support the needs of a diverse customer base across North

America in full truck and railroad quantities.

Powell Valley Millwork is a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Kentuckians. Drawing from our beautiful natural resources and employing over 200 local men and women, this business illustrates some of the best qualities Kentucky has to offer: fine craftsmanship and dedicated hard work. Powell Valley Millwork is a decades-old dream the Thornberrys had when they left the mining industry, a dream that has grown beyond what they had imagined. Small businesses like Powell Valley are the core of small towns across Kentucky, and like the poplars they use in their mill, their roots grow deep to help our communities flourish. Congratulations to the Thomberrys and the entire Powell Valley team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success in Kentucky.