Steve Daines

Mr. President, I am here to address the resolution put forward by Senator Van Hollen. This is a misguided resolution. The Democrats are trying to distort reality for political gain.

Make no mistake, the sole objective here is not justice or accountability for Americans, it is to cut off security aid to our ally Israel in its time of need.

Of course, any loss, all loss of American life is a tragedy, and Ambassador Huckabee has called for an investigation into these deaths, and I am very confident this administration will get to the bottom of this issue. But this one-sided resolution shames one of our strongest allies and minimizes the Palestinian Authority's role in inciting terrorist violence, including against Americans, through their horrific ``pay for slay'' program, which unbelievably rewards terrorists with up to $200 million a year.

Rather than any serious attempt at accountability or justice, this is sadly another cynical ploy by Democrats to isolate our closest ally in the region and to turn Israel's righteous war of self-defense into a domestic political issue as we are now just a little over 30 days from election.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote no on this resolution so we can stand with our ally Israel as they beat back the scourge of Iranian-backed terrorism.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, today I have the honor to recognize Burl Bowler and the Daniels County Leader staff as Montanans of the Month.

Burl was born and raised into a generational newspaper family from Scobey, MT. The Bowler family has owned and operated the Daniels County Leader in the northeast corner of Montana for over 100 years. Bowler's tenure with ``The Leader'' started as a kindergartner with his father, where he would sweep the floors. He eventually made his way up to editor and owner.

Burl is dedicated to his passion as a newspaperman. Every Wednesday, Burl would make the 55-mile drive from Scobey to Wolf Point to pick up the newspaper from the Northern Plains Independent. Due to the changing media landscape, the Daniels County Leader had to shut its doors. After 104 years of publication, the final copy of the Daniels County Leader ran in July.

The Leader helped bring communities of Montana together, from business postings on the front page, to senior spotlight announcements celebrating soon-to-be graduates, to chronicled excerpts of meetings and gatherings in town. Burl focused on events happening right at home, bringing the community together through his stories.

I am thrilled to recognize Burl, his family, and all those who worked for the Leader throughout its rich history, for their tremendous contributions in leading the Daniels County newspaper for the past 100 years. It is my distinct honor to recognize Burl Bowler and the Daniels County Leader staff as Montanans of the Month.

Mr. President, today I have the honor to recognize Jon Axline as Montanan of the Month.

Born and raised in Billings, MT, Jon is a fourth-generation Montanan. As a youth, he watched John F. Kennedy's Presidential motorcade from his grandparent's front yard in Billings, which was a profound moment that inspired his interest in history. Jon attended Montana State University where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in American history.

His passion for history extended to several experiences such as working for the Museum of the Rockies, the Montana State Prison Museum, the Bear Paw Development Corporation, and the Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation. Jon finally settled into a historian position for the Montana Department of Transportation in 1990.

Jon is one of the superstars of the Montana history profession. Jon's work covers hundreds of years of Montana's legacy, from the history of unions in Butte, to the Smith Mine disaster. Now retired after a 35- year long career, Jon is also remembered for his excellent writing on transportation history in the State.

I am thrilled to recognize Jon for his outstanding work in portraying Montana history for the past three decades. Jon's storytelling will continue to help educate people about our great State and bring communities together. It is my distinct honor to recognize Jon Axline as Montanan of the Month.