Floor Statements

Mr. President, as chairman of the Senate Western Caucus and as a Montanan, I am here to urge the swift confirmation of two outstanding nominations to serve in the Department of the Interior. The first is Ryan Nelson, a native of Idaho Falls, ID, as Solicitor of the Department of the Interior. The second is Susan Combs, a rancher from Big Bend, TX. She is nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget.

Both of these positions are critical to managing our public lands and wildlife. Yet these two well-qualified individuals have been waiting in a bureaucratic limbo. Mr. Nelson was first nominated over 209 days ago, and Ms. Combs received her first nomination over 231 days ago.

Mr. Nelson is a great choice to serve as Solicitor. He is a westerner, and he spends time fishing and hunting with his family in Idaho. He understands our western way of life, and he has the work experience to make sure our public lands are managed and protected in the right way.

His service includes serving as clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, serving as special counsel for the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice.

At the Department of Justice, he worked to defend vital Federal programs and oversaw many complex cases involving our natural resources, wildlife, and environment. He also compelled polluters to limit harmful emissions into the air and worked with then-Solicitor of the Department of the Interior David Bernhardt on the listing decision for the polar bear. Like Mr. Bernhardt, Ryan is capable of upholding the law and the science, even when it is not easy.

If you want someone who values conservation, who knows the appropriate use of laws, like the Antiquities Act and the Endangered Species Act, then Ryan is your guy. The Department of the Interior needs Ryan's expertise to help make the best decisions possible for the benefit of our natural resources and the people and wildlife living around them. His confirmation must be prioritized.

Ms. Combs is also exactly the right person for the job to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget. Ms. Combs has had a long and successful career both in business and in public service, including as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, as Texas's agriculture commissioner, and as Texas's comptroller of public accounts. Her proven management track record in public service and in business is crucial to making the Department of the Interior more efficient and effective to help ensure the responsible stewardship of western lands.

Both Mr. Nelson's and Ms. Combs's nominations have been pending longer than any of their predecessors'--now listen to this--over the past 25 years. This is not just bad governance; it is a complete lack of governance. Here is the problem. When you have qualified individuals like Mr. Nelson and like Ms. Combs who wait in this bureaucratic limbo for this long, it then puts them in a position to, maybe, find other employment. We need to find the best people who are willing to serve in these positions, and we need to give them the respect of moving them through quickly so that we can keep them with the thought of entering public service.

Colleagues, it is time to get the job done and move these critical nominations across the finish line.

Mr. President, this week I have the honor of recognizing Blackfeet Community College, BCC. By 2020, BCC hopes to produce 40 certified teachers for Montana, and these teachers will be able to integrate Blackfeet culture into their classrooms.

BCC is operated exclusively for nonprofit purposes, ensuring that postsecondary and higher educational services are provided to the community. BCC students, staff and board of trustees have adopted core values that recognize the way our interactions with others effect our value and thought systems. The first core value is the Blackfeet Way of Knowing, which means Blackfeet culture/spirituality in philosophy, thought, and action.

BCC is raising up leaders of tomorrow who are rooted in the Blackfeet culture and heritage, a heritage that is known for traditional singing, drumming, and dancing, as well as stick games and rodeos.

Thank you, BCC, for your continued dedication to creating the thoughtful and values-driven Montana teachers and leaders of tomorrow.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr. President, Washington, DC, has an addiction problem. Washington, DC, is addicted to spending. Washington, DC, is addicted to debt.

This budget deal takes a giant step backward. Instead of shrinking government, it grows government by 13 percent. In fact, it is the largest spending increase since 2009, the first year President Obama was in office.

I spent 28 years in the private sector before I came to Capitol Hill. I was expected to produce a balanced budget. In fact, better than that, I was expected to produce a budget that actually took in a little bit more than was spent. That is called a profit. This budget deal is blowing our budget. It takes discretionary spending up $300 billion and only offsets it by one-third.

By looking at numbers, it is pretty clear that Washington, DC, doesn't have a revenue problem if we look at revenue as a percentage of GDP, but if we look at spending as a percentage of GDP, we start to see the real problem. DC doesn't have a revenue problem. DC doesn't need to ask for more money from the American people. Washington, DC, has a spending problem. Controlling government spending is a big challenge, but it is one we have to rise to meet. We must rise to the occasion, not retreat to trillion-dollar deficits.

Funding our national defense is a fundamental requirement laid out in the Constitution. The men and women of our military, including our veterans--absolutely crucial. Funding for our community health centers, something I have been fighting hard for--important for our States. In fact, earlier today I supported a reasonable proposal to address both of these concerns without going rogue on spending.

The question is, At what point is Congress going to look in the mirror and see that the real long-term certainty, the long-term sustainability of these programs we all support, is directly tied to fiscal responsibility?

Even the former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ADM Mike Mullen, once said, ``The most significant threat to our national security is our debt.'' We have now crossed the $20 trillion debt threshold, and this bill simply accelerates that.

I left the private sector to run for Congress and came to the Senate to fight for more jobs and less government. I will tell you, I think if you look in the dictionary for the term ``more government,'' you would find this bill. This bill defines ``more government.''

Washington's broken budget process results in bad budget deals like this one, and we are continuing the cycle of irresponsible budgets which creates more irresponsible budgets. It is an addiction to spending. It is an addiction to debt, but it doesn't have to be that way. Many of our States have figured that out. Many of our States aren't running deficits and large debts.

The first bill I introduced when I arrived in Congress was the Balanced Budget Accountability Act. It is not complicated. It simply says, if Congress can't pass a balanced budget, then we shouldn't get paid. That is the way it works in the real world. It ought to work the same way here.

When Montanans look at their own budget, whether in their families or in their small businesses, they have to make choices. When they take out a loan, they are expected to pay it back. They can't just borrow money from China like we do, kick the can down the road, and expect that someday there will not be a day of reckoning.

Raising the debt ceiling, growing spending, and spending away our children's and grandchildren's future is irresponsible. We talk about mortgaging our children's future. We have done that. With this bill, we had to take out another credit card for our kids. This is not some glowing bipartisan moment. It is a classic example of disastrous policy--policymaking that is justified under the well-meaning pursuit of compromise. Make no mistake, this compromise is deeply irresponsible and one the Senate should reject. I am ready to work with anyone here to make the tough decisions necessary to get our budget and our fiscal house in order.

Now, think about this past year. We were able to cut through redtape, reducing the Federal Registry by over 30 percent. We were able to put qualified judges on the benches of our Nation's courts--the most circuit judges in the first year of a Presidency dating back to 1891. We were able to pass a once-in-a-generation tax cut package for the American people. If we can do all that, I think we can balance our budget here as well and put forward responsible fiscal leadership and management here in Washington, DC.

Let's roll up our sleeves, and let's get to work. That is what we were elected to do. Until then, I will continue to stand and continue to fight against this addiction to spending and debt of Washington, DC.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, this week I have the honor of recognizing Shane and Cherry Harrington of Wibaux. Shane serves as sheriff of Wibaux County and has done so for 14 years. Prior to being elected sheriff, Shane served as under-sheriff for 6 years. His 20 years of work to keep Wibaux County a safe place to live and work is greatly appreciated by the community.

Shane's wife, Cherry, is also very active in community life. Just this past August, Cherry took over the Wibaux General Store after learning that the original owner was preparing to retire. The store is a hub for Wibaux's economy and community, offering everything from farming and ranching supplies to cookware. The thought of the store closing was a concern for the community. Cherry stepped up to meet the community's need for a hardware store and is looking forward to making improvements and meeting the demands of Wibaux County.

That is what Shane and Cherry do; they step up to meet the needs of the community. Together, they have raised three sons, who all became ranchers in Wibaux County. Shane and Cherry's contributions to the community exemplify our way of life--service, hard work, and family. Their commitment to Wibaux and Montana is a testimony to the strength of Montana communities, and I am so grateful for their contributions.

Mr. President, this week I have the distinct honor of recognizing Paul J. Reeder of Billings, MT. Paul has a fantastic history of service to Montanans and to the Billings community. He has served in pastoral ministry and care for decades and has dedicated himself to the well-being of community members.

Paul pastored churches across Montana prior to becoming the director of the Friendship House, from which he retired after 22 years of service in 1996. Paul also began his chaplain ministry in 1978 and has faithfully served the Billings Police Department as chaplain for the past 40 years. His unwavering commitment to encouraging officers is evident in all his actions as he attends morning briefings, learns each officer by name, sends birthday cards, bakes Christmas cookies, and hosts an annual breakfast for the officers. Never missing an opportunity to make officers feel known, Paul keeps a current photo display of officers updated at the department.

In his spare time, Paul has published booklets on the Underground Railroad, Buffalo Soldiers, and other various historical figures. He also repairs Bibles, hymnals, and other books for churches, friends, libraries, schools, and civic organizations. At 87 years old, Paul still preaches one Sunday a month at All Nations Church. Paul's devotion and faithful attendance has encouraged officers and chaplains alike for the past 40 years, and his encouragement and commitment will be remembered as he retires this year. Thank you, Paul, for all your service.

Mr. President, in recent years we have seen the inability of the Federal government to quickly adapt to changing technology and evolving cyber security threats. In June of 2015 the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced it had fallen victim to a major cyber breach, compromising the personally identifiable information of more than 22 million current and former Federal employees, including myself. Seven months later, nearly half a million more Americans had their social security numbers stolen when the Internal Revenue Service was hacked. We found out last year that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had been hacked in 2016.

I spent 28 years in the private sector, 12 years with a global cloud computing company. We faced new cyber threats daily and our customers expected security. We delivered, not once was our data compromised.

I know firsthand that industry has the talent and the incentive to revolutionize cyber security and keep their information systems secure. The Federal government should unbridle the private sector whenever possible, utilizing their expertise, learning from their best practices, and facilitating their innovation.

That is why I am introducing the Cyber Support for Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act or the Cyber SAFETY Act. Since 2002, the Department of Homeland Security's existing SAFETY Act program has successfully incentivized the private sector's development and deployment of anti-terrorism and security technologies through limited liability protections. It has ensured the threat of litigation does not deter entrepreneurs from developing and commercializing products and services that protect lives and infrastructure. This legislation will simply expand the applicability of the program to ensure that cyber security firms can qualify for these same protections. It will enable cyber security firms to innovate and commercialize new technologies without a technology mandate.

I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in support of this important legislation.

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

Mr. President, in recent years we have seen the inability of the Federal government to quickly adapt to changing technology and evolving cyber security threats. In June of 2015 the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced it had fallen victim to a major cyber breach, compromising the personally identifiable information of more than 22 million current and former Federal employees, including myself. Seven months later, nearly half a million more Americans had their social security numbers stolen when the Internal Revenue Service was hacked. We found out last year that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had been hacked in 2016.

I spent 28 years in the private sector, 12 years with a global cloud computing company. We faced new cyber threats daily and our customers expected security. We delivered, not once was our data compromised.

I know firsthand that industry has the talent and the incentive to revolutionize cyber security and keep their information systems secure. The Federal government should unbridle the private sector whenever possible, utilizing their expertise, learning from their best practices, and facilitating their innovation.

That is why I am introducing the Cyber Support for Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act or the Cyber SAFETY Act. Since 2002, the Department of Homeland Security's existing SAFETY Act program has successfully incentivized the private sector's development and deployment of anti-terrorism and security technologies through limited liability protections. It has ensured the threat of litigation does not deter entrepreneurs from developing and commercializing products and services that protect lives and infrastructure. This legislation will simply expand the applicability of the program to ensure that cyber security firms can qualify for these same protections. It will enable cyber security firms to innovate and commercialize new technologies without a technology mandate.

I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in support of this important legislation.

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

Mr. President, this week I have the honor of recognizing Sheridan School Superintendent Micheal Wetherbee for his commitment to students' success. Mike was recently honored with the 2017 Montana Association of Agricultural Educators' Administrator of the Year award, as well as the 2017 Montana Association of Career and Technical Education's Administrator of the Year award.

Mike came out of retirement to serve as superintendent when he saw there was a need in the community. When STEM and STEAM learning were just getting a foothold in education, Mike wanted to be sure the school would be on the frontlines. With buy-in from the community, Sheridan Schools are becoming well known for putting kids on a path to success through hands-on learning and experiences. In fact, high school students are now teaching fourth graders how to code. In Mike's own words, ``We've got it going on academically.''

When asked about the awards, Mike is much more interested in talking about what the school is doing to build a great FFA program and thriving business department. What excites him the most about these programs, which he has been recognized for, are the opportunities they provide students to leave Sheridan High School and become successful in other places. Mike, who grew up in Montana, understands what service to the community means, and he is doing it every day by building up the students in Sheridan schools.

Thanks, Mike, for your continued work to shape Montana kids into the bright leaders of Montana's future.

Madam President, I am grateful for the comments the Senator from Louisiana just shared. He is a physician. I am not a physician. I am a chemical engineer, and I believe it is important, as the Senator from Louisiana believes, that we look at science when we have this debate about abortion.

Our Nation loses anywhere between 13,000 and 18,000 children a year to late-term abortion. The numbers of children aborted overall are well over 600,000. The focus on the debate today and on the vote coming up this evening is on late-term abortion.

I remember a few months ago having a discussion with a young man, a father of several children, about abortion. We were just two guys chatting, having a snack in the kitchen. He brought up a question--he didn't come from a pro-life perspective--and he asked my views.

He said: Let me ask you a question. At what point should an abortion be legal? We took it out to the very end of gestation. If the baby is literally ready to be delivered, should an abortion be allowed at that moment? He said: Of course not.

OK. Well, let's back it up a day. What about if you are 8 months and 28 days, should abortion be allowed in that situation? Well, of course not. That is way too close to the actual date of giving birth.

So we kind of moved upstream toward conception. So where do you draw the line?

I believe that life begins at conception because that is that magical moment when a life begins, when unique DNA is created, but I realize it is a very contentious issue in our Nation. So one line we can draw is at 20 weeks, and I will talk about why I think 20 weeks is a place we can start to get bipartisan support to stop late-term abortions.

In fact, this young man I was chatting with teared up, and he said: Steve, you realize that when we were pregnant with one of our daughters--they have five children--at about 10 or 12 weeks they had a test run because it looked like there may be an abnormality in the baby and the doctor recommended an abortion.

He said: What is the alternative? We can wait a few more weeks, when we have a better idea of what is going on there with that little baby, but it puts the mother at perhaps a greater risk.

They decided to wait a few more weeks. A few weeks later when they came back with the test, the baby came back clear, and they now have a healthy, beautiful young girl who is 5 years old. With tears in his eyes, he said: I am so glad we chose not to abort; that we chose life.

At 20 weeks, babies have 10 fingers and 10 toes. They can suck their thumb. They can yawn. They can stretch. They can make faces. Science also shows these babies are capable of feeling pain.

I became a first-time dad 28 years ago. I still remember taking David to his first well-baby appointment, when Cindy and I would go to the pediatrician and get those well-baby checks. When they would give them shots--I think the hardest part as a parent is to see that nurse or doctor give a shot to your little one. Those cries of pain were excruciating for Cindy and for me. He doesn't remember it. We remember it. It may indeed hurt us more than it hurt him at the time, but he felt pain.

My heart breaks for those thousands of babies who are able to feel pain as they are losing their life to abortion. Our ears may be deaf to their cries physically, but we don't have to live in ignorance, not when research, not when the science, not when common sense shows that these unborn children can feel pain.

There is a reason unborn babies are given anesthesia with fetal surgery. That is why we must pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. It is unconscionable as a nation we are allowing unborn children as old as 20 weeks--5 months--well beyond halfway of the 9- month gestation period--that we allow them to be killed today in this country.

In fact, do a Google search for ``20 weeks.'' You don't have to type in ``baby.'' Just type in ``20 weeks.'' If you are watching this and have a smartphone, a computer, type in ``20 weeks'' in the Google search bar there and hit search or enter. Then, take a look at the pictures that come up that match the simple term ``20 weeks.'' This is one of the pictures you will see when you Google that.

I believe there is a principle that people believe what they discover for themselves. What is happening right now is--because of technology, because of the precision and the clarity of ultrasounds today, what we can see now in the womb is incredible. It is no wonder the attitudes of millennials--those ages 18 to 24--in the last 6 years are becoming increasingly more pro-life, in fact up 9 points, from 44 percent to 53 percent. I think part of the reason is in the hands of their smartphone. When you take a look at the images, how can you say that is not a baby? That is a 20-week baby. We are on a horrible list of just seven countries that allow elective abortions after 20 weeks. China and North Korea join the United States on that list.

Before I got involved in politics and public service, I worked in the private sector for 28 years. One of the companies I worked for was Proctor & Gamble. While at Proctor & Gamble, I was asked to go to China to help launch operations there to produce and sell products, Americans brands, to the Chinese consumer.

I had a large operation. One day, one of my managers--a young man, Chinese, wonderful, very bright, very capable, one of our future stars. He and his wife were both P&G employees, both Chinese.

He said: Steve, I need to go to the police station this afternoon. I said: Well, is there something wrong? He goes: Well, no. It is going to be OK. Then he kind of looked away.

I said: But you are asking for time off of work to go to the police station. Is there something I can help you with or is there something wrong?

He said: Well, my wife and I did not have permission from the police to get pregnant--with the one-child policy then.

He said: We just discovered that she is pregnant.

I said: Well, do you want to keep the baby?

He said: Oh, we want to keep that baby. We are very excited about it. But we won't be allowed to keep that baby.

I said: What can I do?

At this moment, we were focused on saving that baby.

He said to me: What might help is a case of shampoo.

We were there producing brands like Pantene, Vidal Sassoon, Crest toothpaste, Tide detergent. I arranged to get a case of shampoo and gave it to him.

He came back the next day, with a smile on his face, and said: We got the problem resolved.

They became parents of a beautiful little girl who today is an amazing young woman.

As an American citizen, I believe in our founding principle that all men and

women are endowed by their Creator--with a capital ``C''--with certain unalienable rights, and among those are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

As a person of faith, I believe--and those who are people of faith-- we are called to help the most vulnerable in our society. As a Senator, it is my honor to support this legislation, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

I thank my colleague Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma for his leadership on this issue. I urge the rest of my colleagues to join us in standing up and protecting those who do not have a voice on the floor of the U.S. Senate this afternoon and join us in protecting human life.

I yield back my time.

Mr. President, this week I have the honor of recognizing two of Montana's 24,000 children who benefit from the Children's Health Insurance Program, better known as CHIP. Jaxon Agee of Helena was diagnosed with Leigh syndrome as a baby. Access to a pediatrician is absolutely critical for Jaxon. Despite having a team of medical professionals who work to ensure he remains healthy, he has had to be flown from Helena to Community Medical Center's pediatric intensive care unit in Missoula several times. Jaxon's family is committed to caring for their son no matter what,

but CHIP helps them manage Jaxon's condition and makes well-baby checks more affordable, ultimately lowering the odds of another emergency visit.

Danielle Highley of Deer Lodge is another Montana kid who relies on CHIP funding. At just 18 months of age, Danielle lost the ability to walk. A form of juvenile arthritis proved to be a costly condition, as injections and infusions cost several thousand dollars, but when Danielle has consistent treatment, she can walk, run, and play like a kid again. Before being enrolled in CHIP, Danielle went without treatment for 3 months, and she again lost the ability to walk. CHIP has allowed Danielle the opportunity to get treatment and be a kid again. She is back in school, and when she grows up, of all things, she hopes to be a doctor for kids. I am also pleased to announce that she will be joining me as my guest at the State of the Union.

Jaxon and Danielle, thank you for sharing your stories. I am so glad that Congress has passed, and the President has signed into law a 6- year reauthorization of the program, the longest in its history. Now, the families of the 24,000 Montana children who depend on CHIP can rest assured their children will continue to have access to critical care.