Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, all postcloture time on the Morrison nomination be considered expired; further, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and that

the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action. I further ask that following the disposition of the Morrison nomination, the Senate vote on the cloture motions for Calendar Nos. 42, 43, 44, 46, and 49; finally, that if cloture is invoked on those nominations, the confirmation votes on the nominations occur at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democratic leader, on Wednesday, June 12; and that, if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 104, S. Res. 81.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to; that the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 105, S. Res. 184.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment to the resolution be agreed to; that the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to; that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 241, submitted earlier today.

I know of no further debate on the measure.

I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 11, 2019; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Morrison nomination under the previous order. Finally, I ask that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the provisions of S. Res. 240 and do so as a further mark of respect for the late Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, former Senate Chaplain.

Mr. President, today I have the honor of recognizing Civil Air Patrol Cadet Colonel Shelby Petersen of Kalispell. Cadet Colonel Petersen is the first Montanan since 2004 to receive the General Carl A. Spaatz Award, which is the Civil Air Patrol's highest cadet honor.

The Spaatz Award is given to cadets who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, character, fitness, and aerospace education. The selection process is extremely rigorous, and only 5 out of every 1,000 cadets earns the award. Cadet Colonel Petersen joined the Civil Air Patrol at the age of 12, following in the footsteps of her older brother. From day 1, her goal was to become squadron commander and win the Spaatz Award. She has thrived as a member of the Flathead Composite Squadron, receiving 18 promotions and achieving her goal of becoming the squadron commander. I had the pleasure of meeting Cadet Colonel Petersen in March 2018, when she was selected to participate in the prestigious Civil Air Patrol Leadership Academy. There, cadets spend a week in Washington, DC, and gain greater insight into the inner workings of government through meetings with Members of Congress, the State Department, and the intelligence community. She is an outstanding young Montanan who understands what it means to put service before self.

As squadron commander, she has taken a keen interest in mentoring younger cadets and pushes them to set and meet high expectations for themselves. In fact, her final assignment as a Civil Air Patrol cadet is cadet commander for this summer's Civil Air Patrol boot camp.

Cadet Colonel Petersen is currently finishing her senior year at Glacier High School in Kalispell and upon graduation will enlist in the Marine Corps to continue her service to our country. I congratulate Cadet Colonel Petersen on winning the Spaatz Award, and I thank her for her service. I know that she will continue to make her community and Montana proud.

Mr. President, this week I have the honor of recognizing Jesse Edinger of Fort Harrison, MT, for his impact on the Lewis and Clark County and surrounding areas.

Jesse Edinger joined the U.S. Army directly after graduating high school in 1999. He attended basic and advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. His first duty station was in Fort Drum, NY, where he served as a military police Patrolman, MP. Shortly after, he received orders to go to Korea. There he was immediately assigned to the United Nations Command Honor Guard, providing a variety of missions. In Korea, he met the love of his life Sunwoo. They married and transferred to Fort Riley, KS, in 2003. Immediately after arriving Fort Riley, Jesse received orders to deploy to Iraq. In Iraq, he completed a wide range of military police battlefield functions and was able to return safely to the U.S. In 2004, Jesse left Active Duty and decided to serve his home State in the Montana Army National Guard.

After 3 years in the Guard, he was once again called back to Iraq as an MP. He spent a year there and again returned safely to his family. In 2006, he volunteered for the Montana Army National Guard honor guard team and 1 year later was hired as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the military funeral honors team. He worked hand in hand with the State coordinator to ensure fallen veterans received the most professional honors possible. He was one of Montana's first nationally certified honor guard instructors. In 2014, Jesse Edinger once again volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan as a military police investigator. After serving another yearlong deployment, he returned to his military funeral honors position at Fort Harrison, MT, where he became a certified instructor as a casualty notification officer. These officers notify next of kin and assist family members of a soldier killed in action or that has died in the line of duty. Jesse was recently promoted to the rank of master sergeant and has conducted around 1100 funeral honors missions for Montana veterans and soldiers killed in action.

For 20 years, MSG Jesse Edinger has served his country proudly and has honored the lives of more than 1,000 Montana veterans. His wife Sun also serves in the Montana Army National Guard. Together they have three children. MSG Edinger is the epitome of a military leader, and I am proud to recognize him during Military Appreciation Week.

Mr. President, in the United States we are known as the land of the free. There is a reason for that. It is because we are the home of the brave. Our military men and women represent the very best of America. In fact, the good Word tells us that ``Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.''

When a young man or a young woman volunteers to serve, he or she is writing a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their life. In Montana, we are very fortunate to have so many heroes hail from our great State, including many who now work on my staff and on behalf of the people of Montana. Great Montanans like Christy Hagler, Denny Lenoir, Robin Baker, and Jim Korth. We are all so very fortunate to have Dillon Vaden and Doug Pack on staff here in DC currently serving in the Marine Corps.

Thank you for your service to our country. Thank you for your service to the people of Montana.

In fact, just last fall, I had the honor of visiting the men and women of Kalispell's 495th CSSB while they were deployed in Afghanistan. They flew over to Kabul and to Bagram Air Base. I had a chance to spend time with these great Montanans.

Just a few months ago, I had the privilege of welcoming these same soldiers home after they had been deployed for 9 long months. These men and women had been far away from their families and from their friends across the holidays. Many of them were with us that night on the tarmac as they were risking their lives to protect our freedom. Seeing them reunited with their loved ones was a powerful experience for both Cindy, my wife, and me. It is one that I will never, ever forget. But the sad reality is that some of our Montana heroes do not make it back. SSG Travis Atkins is a Bozeman native. In fact, Travis and I both went to the same high school. He was recently awarded the highest military distinction in this country by President Trump, and that is the Medal of Honor.

You see, Sergeant Atkins willingly laid down his life when he tackled a suicide bomber to shield the blast from his fellow soldiers in order to save their lives--a true hero. The sacrifice he made for his country and his fellow soldiers will never be forgotten.

Over in Fort Harrison, MT, MSG Jesse Edinger of the Army National Guard has been welcoming home the fallen since 2006. He knows what sacrifice looks like. He is no stranger to combat, having served three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned his national instructor certification and has taught over the years hundreds of soldiers within his region to be honor guard trained. He has also performed more than 1,100 military funerals for Montana veterans, which included the service for SSG Travis Atkins.

While we all appreciate our brave men or brave women who serve in the military every day, this month is Military Appreciation Month. This month is about giving these men and women the added appreciation they richly deserve.

I will continue to advocate for policies that strengthen our military and give our men and our women who serve the strategic advantages they need to win.

Thank you to all who serve and to all who have served. On behalf of a very grateful Nation, we honor you, and we appreciate you.

I yield back.

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

Madam President, a few weeks ago, I stood right here condemning Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's chilling remarks about infanticide. Since then, the American people have continued to witness disturbing abortion extremism by Democratic public lawmakers. So here I am again today to condemn and address these horrific remarks and the unfortunate reality we are living in today in this country.

Last week, while opposing a bill to protect unborn human life, Democratic Alabama State Representative John Rogers said: ``Some kids are unwanted, so you kill them now or you kill them later.'' He went on to say: ``You bring them in the world unwanted, unloved, you send them to the electric chair. So you kill them now or you kill them later.''

These reprehensible remarks reveal a disturbing abortion extremism that has become far too normal, too accepted by the Democrats. All human life is precious, no matter the stage of development or disability. We must never forget these are innocent babies we are talking about.

Just this week, Democratic Pennsylvania State Representative Brian Sims posted a disgraceful video of himself online--I encourage you to go and watch it--a disgraceful video of himself online harassing three teenage girls who were praying outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. He went as far as promising to pay $100 to anyone who would identify these innocent teenage girls.

Horrific comments like Representative Rogers' and harassment of pro- life teens by Representative Sims should be condemned at the State and the national level by all, regardless of political party. We must not let this continue to be the norm in our society. We must fight back.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, in honor of National Military Appreciation Month, I want to recognize a Montana hero, Medal of Honor Recipient SSG Travis W. Atkins of Bozeman. Montana and the Nation are eternally grateful for the sacrifice he made to protect his fellow soldiers and his country. His memory will live on in the hearts of all Montanans for years to come.

I ask unanimous consent that a poem penned in his honor by Albert Carey Caswell be printed in the Record.

Madam President, it is National Small Business Week, and in Montana, small businesses are a critical part of our life. In fact, I grew up watching my parents build a small business. They are made up of hard-working families who lift up their companies and neighborhoods, and it is what keeps our economy growing and keeps our economy strong.

In fact, when I am back home in Montana and back in my hometown of Bozeman, you might find me in the morning grabbing a cup of coffee from Cold Smoke with my sweet wife Cindy, or I might be heading over to Butte. I might be picking up a new mount from my taxidermist, Marc, who does a great job there in Butte. Or maybe it is time for dinner and grabbing a bite to eat at the Mint in Belgrade. Of course, if you are over in Billings, you have to stop and get a cinnamon roll at Stella's. If you are heading through Helena, get a great lunch there at Steve's Cafe. Or if you are up in the northwest part of the State, you might grab a beer at the Cabinet Mountain Brewery. Or there is nothing like breakfast at Syke's in Kalispell.

In fact, one of the old-time favorites in Missoula is the Thunderbird Motel. They have a great owner there, Thelma, who has been a friend for years. I still remember how excited the men and women who were stationed in Afghanistan and from our very own 495th from Kalispell were when we brought over--hand-carried over to Afghanistan--back in December, some Hi-Country beef jerky from Lincoln, MT, because for them, that Hi-Country beef jerky tasted like being back home.

These mom and pop shops of Montana tell the story of the ideals that make our Nation great. In fact, in Montana, 90 percent of our businesses are small businesses--90 percent. Montana's small business owners are hard-working Montanans. They have taken a leap of faith to pursue the dream of owning their own business.

They get up early, they roll their sleeves up, and they don't stop working until they get the job done. They are folks who put everything they have into starting a business. They are working all day, oftentimes into the night, to keep that business growing. Their voices that make our economy run in Montana are seldom heard on the national stage.

Those businesses that I mentioned earlier that I like to frequent are not household names across our country. They are well-known names back in their respective communities, but they are not on the national stage, and it is my honor to be their voice, to fight for policies that make their lives back in Montana easier.

Thankfully, under Republican leadership over the last 3 years, our country has experienced record economic growth. That is not by accident.

Since we passed tax reform, over 3\1/2\ million new jobs have been added to this economy, and we are seeing more money in the pockets of Montanans. Wages are up. Productivity is up. The unemployment rate sits at a 50. That is a five-decades-old low of 3.6 percent. Many said that can never be done. Guess what. Under President Trump's leadership, working with this Republican Congress, they have gotten it done.

I want to make sure this economic hot streak continues because our rural communities back in Montana rely on these small businesses. That is why just last month I introduced the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, which would give these small businesses permanent tax relief. When government stands out of the way, when burdensome regulations are lifted, and when Congress finally understands that it is not government that creates growth but it is the individuals--the hard-working men and women in this country--then, there is no telling how far we can go as a nation. We have to keep this economy booming, and we must keep Montana's small businesses thriving.

I yield the floor.