Floor Statements

Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Curtis and Marlys Schwaderer for their many years of service to the community of Superior, MT, as owners of Mineral Pharmacy. For decades, Mineral Pharmacy has been a cornerstone business in the community, providing vital services for its people.

A graduate of the pharmacy school at the University of Montana, Curtis purchased the pharmacy 27 years ago. Together, he and his wife, Marlys, ran the business and raised two sons in the community. As Superior has struggled with the decline of the timber industry with rising unemployment and falling incomes, the Schwaderers and their business have been a constant and stabilizing presence, a beacon of certainty in uncertain times.

In November, after 43 years as pharmacist and 27 years at Mineral Pharmacy, Curtis retired, and he and Marlys announced they were selling the business. Under new ownership, the pharmacy continues to serve the community of Superior, and the Schwaderers themselves remain members of the community. The Schwaderers and Mineral Pharmacy are an excellent example of what committed community members and a business can mean to a small town. Every day, in small towns across Montana, you will find hard-working people like the Schwaderers and small businesses like Mineral Pharmacy working hard to keep our communities strong. They are truly the lifeblood of our State.

Thank you, Curtis and Marlys, for your many years of hard work and service to your community. I wish you all the best in your next chapter.

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

Mr. President, today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Montana, like much of the United States, is suffering from the rise in human trafficking. I am grateful that Montana's attorney general, Tim Fox, has taken this issue head-on. In fact, Montana has had three times as many human trafficking cases in 2017 as we had in 2015--a threefold increase. Unfortunately, this number will likely continue to rise in the coming years, and online platforms are a driving force for it. Like so many things, the internet has tremendous power for good as well as for evil.

Having spent 12 years building a startup cloud computing business in my hometown of Bozeman--a business we grew to over 1,000 employees. We took the company public. This became a large, global business. I understand the power of the internet for good. But I also believe we must and can have better safeguards to protect our children, our families, and our neighbors from sex trafficking, while at the same time protecting innovation on the internet.

Unfortunately, a startup business--your business--has the potential to be used for terrible reasons without your awareness. Even more upsetting, it is also possible that online platforms do know that bad actors are using that platform and they do nothing about it. During my first hearing on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, we investigated one of these platforms: backpage.com.

Bad actors like backpage.com must be held accountable. That is why today, on Human Trafficking Awareness Day, I will be joining the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act. This act strips protections for platforms that knowingly assist, support, or facilitate sex trafficking. We must take steps now to stop human trafficking and protect vulnerable members of our community. The Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act moves us closer to that goal.

I tip my hat and I am thankful to Senator Portman for introducing this bill. I am thankful for the work of the Senate Commerce Committee to ensure that this legislation protects the millions of companies on the internet that are building our economy and creating high-paying jobs and doing so in good faith.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be added as a cosponsor for S. 1693, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, on rollcall vote No. 10, I voted yea. It was my intention to vote nay. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to change my vote since it will not affect the outcome of the vote.

Mr. President, this week I have the distinct honor of recognizing the Montana Youth ChalleNGe Academy (MYCA), located in Dillon, MT. The MYCA is sponsored by the Montana National Guard and the State of Montana and assists at-risk youth in our state to develop the skills necessary to become productive citizens. This academy focuses on the physical, emotional and educational

needs of the youth using a quasi-military style technique of discipline and motivation. To date, they have graduated over two thousand students.

I would like to thank six of the original staff who began work at MYCA when it opened in 1999 and who are still employed there today. Director Jan Rouse, Deputy Director Trent Gibson, Lead Teacher Carolyn Bielser, Lead Counselor Ben Stewart, Counselor Tammy Pittman and Cadre Team Leader Cheryl Miskowic have spent years working to help Montana's at-risk youth and their work has touched the lives of many. Along with the other staff at MYCA, they have helped students become contributing members of our Montana communities. Thank you to all those working hard at the Montana Youth ChalleNGe Academy in Beaverhead County.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Sandra Boardman of Chinook, MT. Originally from Chinook, Sandi has served as the Blaine County clerk and recorder for 44 years. As she steps into retirement, she will be remembered for her many years of service.

Thank you, Sandi, for your commitment to Blaine County and Montana. Your years of dedication and service show the true meaning of being a Montanan, and, for that, I am very grateful. You are an inspiration to us all. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement, and I wish you all the best in the days ahead.

Mr. President, this week I have the distinct honor of recognizing Montana Representative Kelly Flynn of Broadwater County for his service to the State of Montana. Kelly is currently serving his fourth term in the Montana State Legislature. He continues to serve with an unyielding commitment to his constituents and the well-being of the State, while also fighting cancer. This past November, Kelly made the motion to adjourn the legislative special session, concluding, ``Cancer may take my body but it will never take my heart and soul.''

Kelly's heart and soul are Montana through and through. Kelly is a rancher and outfitter who serves as chairman of the Montana House of Representatives Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Committee. He has also served on the Governor's Council for Private Lands and Public Wildlife and the Montana Board of Outfitters and is currently serving as a member of the Broadwater County Farm Bureau. Montana has benefited greatly from his decades of service.

Kelly has been a friend of mine for years. His work ethic is exceptional, and he is the best master of ceremonies in Broadwater County. His commitment to others represents the heart and soul of Montana.

Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing June Rychalski for her service with the Montana Department of Military Affairs. She has served Montana with grace, diligence, a positive attitude, and genuine care for the people of the Treasure State.

During her 35 years of service, June has been secretary to the senior Army adviser, administrative assistant to the adjutant general, and next month will complete her career with the Montana Veterans Affairs Division. June demonstrated compassion and professionalism on a daily basis. Her ability to help a grieving family member navigate the challenges of veteran burial honors or steer a distressed veteran in the right direction to attain benefits is highly commendable. Her presence in the Montana Department of Military Affairs will be missed, but the mentorship she provided agency personnel over the years will ensure that her legacy endures. To her coworkers, June was regarded as their greatest advocate.

When June retires, she plans to do what she has always done: continue to take good care of others. At age 83, June's example is inspiring. Her work ethic, compassion, and commitment to excellence represent the best of Montana values.

Thank you, June, for your service. I wish you the best in retirement and appreciate all you have done for our State.

Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing the community of Glasgow for leading the way with their generosity during the holiday season. Earlier this month, members of the community successfully conducted their annual Block of Bucks program to help raise funds for local families to have warm clothing during the winter months.

This charitable effort brought together a broad collection of the community, including the Glasgow Soroptimists, student council leaders from Glasgow High School, members of the National Guard, the local Elks Club, a host of local businesses, and dozens of other volunteers. Through their focused actions, the community of Glasgow raised over $30,000 to provide more than 300 hundred children with winter clothing. If you have ever experienced winter along the Hi-Line in northeast Montana, you will know how important it is to have the proper gear. The generosity of neighbors in towns like Glasgow is something that we can all appreciate.

It is a Montana hallmark for neighbors to identify a need and then gather the people and resources to meet that need at a local level. Going into Christmas, I would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to the folks in Glasgow for giving their time and talents to help others by adding warmth to the holiday season.

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, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will keep over $700 million per year in Montanans' pockets. That is not a number that I calculated; that came right from the Montana Department of Revenue. And that is just for the individuals in Montana. That $700 million will be moved from Washington, DC, back to the people of Montana.

I can tell you something: Hard-working Montanans could use a pay raise. In fact, in Montana, we have some of the lowest per capita wages in the Nation. Contrast that with what is going on in Washington, DC. In fact, if you Google ``wealthiest counties in the U.S.A.''--I challenge you to do that. Take your smartphone and Google ``wealthiest counties in the U.S.A.'' and look at what you find. The top three wealthiest counties in America are suburbs of Washington, DC. In fact, 6 out of 10 of those counties are counties adjacent to Washington, DC. Montanans don't need to send an additional $700 million of their money back to Washington, DC. In fact, according to the Montana Department of Revenue, nearly 99 percent of Montanans will see a tax cut under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. On average, Montanans will keep approximately $1,600 of their hard-earned money each year.

Moreover, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act repeals once and for all ObamaCare's poverty tax--the so-called individual mandate. This tax has systematically penalized the low-income for not being able to afford health insurance. Frankly, repealing this tax is one of the most compassionate things we could do as part of this legislation.

Adding insult to injury, when you peel back what is going on with this poverty tax, 42 percent of those paying that poverty tax, that ObamaCare mandate tax, make less than $25,000 a year. In fact, 82 percent of the penalty payers paying this tax make less than $50,000 a year. Repealing this tax is the right thing to do.

At the end of the day, the question here is pretty simple: Who deserves more money? Who deserves more control? Is it right here in Washington, DC, or is it the American people? Is it the people of Montana? I think the answer to that question is pretty easy. I believe Montanans do. So I will be voting for hard-working Montana families so they can keep more of their own money. As we debate what we should do with the cash here in Washington, DC, whose money is it anyway? It came from the people of this country. It came from the people of Montana. I will be voting for Montana Main Street businesses, for the hard-working middle class of Montana so we can grow wages--some of the lowest in the Nation--and grow jobs. I will be voting to return some of Montanans' hard-earned money back to the people who sent it here in the first place.

Mr. President, I yield back my time.

Mr. President, as a fifth generation Montanan and avid outdoorsman, I know how important public use of our public lands is to Montanans. Many Montanans, including myself, have also had great experiences hunting, fishing, or hiking on approved private lands as well. Expanding access for sportsmen, improving habitat, and upholding property rights are all priorities of mine, which is why I am introducing the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act. This bill would reauthorize the Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Improvement Program, a voluntary state-led program that expands public access by incentivizing private landowners to allow the public on their property for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities while protecting their private property rights. In Montana alone, over 70,000 acres of private lands have been voluntarily opened up for hunting and increased public access, and the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act would help build on that success.

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

Mr. President, as a fifth generation Montanan and avid outdoorsman, I know how important public use of our public lands is to Montanans. Many Montanans, including myself, have also had great experiences hunting, fishing, or hiking on approved private lands as well. Expanding access for sportsmen, improving habitat, and upholding property rights are all priorities of mine, which is why I am introducing the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act. This bill would reauthorize the Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Improvement Program, a voluntary state-led program that expands public access by incentivizing private landowners to allow the public on their property for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities while protecting their private property rights. In Montana alone, over 70,000 acres of private lands have been voluntarily opened up for hunting and increased public access, and the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act would help build on that success.

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

Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Bob Burnison of Richland County for many years of volunteer service and leadership in his local community. Bob has a long history of supporting charitable activities in northeastern Montana. His efforts have inspired others to volunteer their time and strengthened the spirit of giving. When folks like Bob come together to help others, it brightens the holiday season for everyone.

This Christmas is the 39th year that Bob has been involved with collecting donations for the Salvation Army. Over the years, Bob has organized scores of volunteers to help make each giving season a success. This commitment to helping others is commendable considering Bob's professional obligations as the undersheriff of Richland County. He has given over four decades of service in law enforcement. The vast majority of the donations Bob has helped generate have remained in the local community to help offset essential living costs for those in need. Neighbors helping neighbors is a cornerstone for sustaining healthy communities, and local leaders like Bob are often a catalyst for this type of activity.

With nearly four decades of volunteer service and over four decades of public service, Bob has done a good job leading by example. Organizations across Richland County have pitched in to make sure the spirit of giving remains strong, and the next generation of volunteers are finding the joy that comes with helping others. Merry Christmas, Bob, and thank you for preserving the charitable traditions in your community.