Floor Statements

Mr. President, as a fifth-generation Montanan who grew up just a short drive from our Nation's first national park, Yellowstone National Park, and as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, I am excited to introduce this resolution to reassure the public that Congress recognizes the remarkable value that our National Parks bring to our national heritage. From America's hallowed battlefields in Gettysburg and Fredericksburg, to the glacial peaks, geysers, and big game in my home State of Montana, to the ancient cultural resources, volcanoes, and marine life of Hawaii and all across the plains, many of the units of the National Park System bring remarkable opportunities for cultural education and outdoor recreation for people from around the world to enjoy. I am excited to be joined by ranking member Mazie Hirono and over 30 of our bipartisan colleagues from Alaska to Maine and Florida in introducing this resolution. The support of this resolution is a reflection that our National Parks bridge political divides and make our Nation uniquely American. As the National Park System begins its second century this year, we have seen record visitation with 331 million visits in 2016, but record visitation also brings additional strain on the National Park Service's failing infrastructure. I am hopeful

that Congress, the Trump administration and future administrations will continue to invest in our National parks to ensure their legacy endures for our children and generations to come.

Mr. President, one of the most consequential votes that I will ever cast is a vote to confirm a U.S. Supreme Court nominee. It is a lifetime appointment to our Nation's highest Court. In fact, tomorrow, when I cast that vote for Judge Gorsuch, it will be the first chance I have had as a Senator to confirm a Supreme Court nominee.

As it stands today, the U.S. Senate is on the precipice of confirming Neil Gorsuch to be our next U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice. Just a few short hours ago, my colleagues on the other side caved to the pressures of the far left and unleashed an unprecedented, partisan filibuster for the first time in 238 years of this institution.

I was honored to be at the White House's East Wing on January 31, with President Trump, when he made the announcement that Judge Neil Gorsuch would be the nominee to replace Antonin Scalia.

Judge Gorsuch's academic accomplishments are nothing short of being absolutely stellar. His decision to serve as a Justice on the highest Court in the land is a true testament to his character, his intelligence, his understanding of the law, and his commitment to the Constitution.

Judge Gorsuch was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Tenth Circuit in 2006 and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In fact, some of those Democrats who did not oppose Judge Gorsuch then included his Harvard Law classmate Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Of utmost importance in a Justice is the desire and the ability to apply the law as it is intended, not to legislate from the bench. So I can say that I was very thrilled to here Judge Gorsuch say this: ``A judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge, stretching for results he prefers rather than those the law demands.''

On February 9, I met Judge Gorsuch in my office. Let me tell my colleagues, he is impressive. We discussed the Constitution. We discussed the Second Amendment. I represent the State of Montana. I can tell my colleagues that as we look at our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, the Second Amendment is very important to the people of Montana. He will defend the Second Amendment. We also talked about the separation of powers, the role of government and federalism, and the Fourth Amendment.

Through 4 full days of hearings, Judge Gorsuch eloquently answered Judiciary Committee members' questions, and certainly, before the entire viewing audience of the American people, he showcased his brilliant legal mind.

Prior to his hearing, he met with 80 Senators. He provided the Judiciary Committee with 70 pages of written answers regarding his personal record and over 75,000 pages of documents, including speeches, case briefs, opinions, and written works going as far back as his college days. The White House archives produced over 180 pages of email and paper records related to Judge Gorsuch's time at the Department of Justice.

During the committee hearing, Judge Gorsuch sat for three rounds of questioning totaling nearly 20 hours. In fact, when Judge Gorsuch appeared before the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Senate, it was the longest hearing of any nominee in this century. He answered nearly 1,200 questions during that hearing. By the way, that is nearly twice as many questions as Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, or Ginsburg.

Today's vote was nothing more than a campaign fundraising effort for Senate Democrats. In fact, the Democratic Members who have pledged to support him already have threats from liberals of voting them out of office. It is a sad day that this body has become so partisan that, for the first time in this body's history, we had a partisan filibuster to a more than qualified nominee.

Judge John Kane, a judge appointed by Democrat Jimmy Carter, said in an op-ed for an online legal website:

As the saying goes, we could do worse. I'm not sure we

could expect better, or that better presently exists.

There is just no arguing that Judge Gorsuch a mainstream nominee.

Take the remarks of Obama's Solicitor General, Neal Katyal:

Judge Gorsuch is one of the most thoughtful and brilliant

judges to have served our nation over the last century. As a

judge, he has always put aside his personal views to serve

the rule of law. To boot, as those of us who have worked with

him can attest, he is a wonderfully decent and humane person.

I strongly support his nomination to the Supreme Court.

I remind my colleagues that those are the words of President Obama's Solicitor General.

A nominee of this caliber who has undergone, as I just mentioned, rigorous vetting deserves the respect of the Members of this Chamber. Yet Senate Democrats walked down the road that their former leader did in 2013 by changing the precedent of this body and allowing the U.S. Senate to become even more partisan.

The American people want Judge Gorsuch. The polls show that. In fact,

they demanded nine Justices on the Court. Today, we are one step closer to confirming him.

Judge Gorsuch is the right replacement to honor the legacy of Justice Antonin Scalia. He has widespread support across the State of Montana, including our agriculture groups, the NRA, and leaders from across our State. Four Indian Tribes in Montana have endorsed Judge Gorsuch.

The American people deserve a Supreme Court Justice who will uphold the rule of law and follow the Constitution. The American people deserve a Supreme Court Justice who doesn't legislate from the bench. The American people deserve Judge Gorsuch to serve them on the U.S. Supreme Court.

As the American people watched Judge Gorsuch before the Judiciary Committee, they saw an exceptionally qualified nominee for the highest Court in the land. They saw someone who is bright--Columbia undergraduate, Harvard Law School, Oxford Ph.D. I would submit that Judge Gorsuch's intellectual capacities are only exceeded by the size of his heart. This is a kind man. This is a brilliant man. This is an independent jurist.

I very much look forward to casting my vote tomorrow to confirm Judge Gorsuch.

Mr. President, the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, is tasked with keeping Americans safe in the homeland. To carry out this mission, DHS spends over $7 billion on acquisition programs annually. DHS and its agencies are held to a high standard for keeping our Nation safe. We also must hold it to a high standard of fiscal responsibility. DHS must be good stewards of taxpayer resources.

DHS's acquisition process has long faced problems resulting in waste, delays, and under delivery of performance objectives. Since the inception of DHS, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, has highlighted challenges and offered recommendations to improve the acquisition process. There has been progress; however, there continues to be room for improvement. According to a GAO report released today, DHS's acquisition process remains a high-risk issue, susceptible to cost overruns and schedules delays. These issues reduce buying power and force security employees to wait for new capabilities. This is not fair to those on the front lines tasked with keeping us safe and it is not fair to the American taxpayers.

I spent 28 years in the private sector. I know when tough business decisions need to be made, you convene a board that brings with it a breadth of experience and a deep understanding of strategic objectives and goals.

That is why I am introducing the OHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017. This legislation will create a review board within the Department to strengthen accountability and uniformity across all agencies and the entire acquisition process, ensure long term strategic objectives are met, and ensure the use of industry-proven best practices.

I thank Senator McCaskill for being an original cosponsor of this bill and Representatives Thomas Garrett and Michael McCaul for leading introduction of companion legislation in the House of Representatives. I ask my Senate colleagues to join us 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, the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, is tasked with keeping Americans safe in the homeland. To carry out this mission, DHS spends over $7 billion on acquisition programs annually. DHS and its agencies are held to a high standard for keeping our Nation safe. We also must hold it to a high standard of fiscal responsibility. DHS must be good stewards of taxpayer resources.

DHS's acquisition process has long faced problems resulting in waste, delays, and under delivery of performance objectives. Since the inception of DHS, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, has highlighted challenges and offered recommendations to improve the acquisition process. There has been progress; however, there continues to be room for improvement. According to a GAO report release today, DHS's acquisition process remains a high-risk issue, susceptible to cost overruns and schedules delays. These issues reduce buying power and force security employees to wait for new capabilities. This is not fair to those on the frontlines tasked with keeping us safe, and it is not fair to the American taxpayers.

That is why I am introducing the DHS Multiyear Acquisition Strategy Act of 2017. This legislation will require DHS to develop a multiyear acquisition plan to guide the overall direction of the Department's acquisitions, across all agencies, and include it annually in the Department's budget request to Congress. It will create a Departmentwide prioritized list of investment, to ensure limited resources are being directed to the highest valued use.

This legislation will increase communication internal to DHS, as well as with industry and with academia, to help identify current capability gaps and future technological needs. It also includes private sector principles, such as developing incentives for program managers to exceed project cost, schedule, and capabilities goals. I have seen these principles work during my 28-year private sector career, and it is long past due that we apply them to government. We must move away from the ``spend it or lose it'' mentality of government budgeting.

I thank Senator Claire McCaskill for being an original cosponsor of this bill and Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Michael McCaul for leading introduction of companion legislation in the House of Representatives. I ask my Senate colleagues to join us 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, the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, is tasked with keeping Americans safe in the homeland. To carry out this mission, DHS spends over $7 billion on acquisition programs annually. DHS and its agencies are held to a high standard for keeping our Nation safe. We also must hold it to a high standard of fiscal responsibility. DHS must be good stewards of taxpayer resources.

DHS's acquisition process has long faced problems resulting in waste, delays, and under delivery of performance objectives. Since the inception of DHS, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, has highlighted challenges and offered recommendations to improve the acquisition process. There has been progress; however, there continues to be room for improvement. According to a GAO report released today, DHS's acquisition process remains a high-risk issue, susceptible to cost overruns and schedules delays. These issues reduce buying power and force security employees to wait for new capabilities. This is not fair to those on the front lines tasked with keeping us safe and it is not fair to the American taxpayers.

I spent 28 years in the private sector. I know when tough business decisions need to be made, you convene a board that brings with it a breadth of experience and a deep understanding of strategic objectives and goals.

That is why I am introducing the OHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017. This legislation will create a review board within the Department to strengthen accountability and uniformity across all agencies and the entire acquisition process, ensure long term strategic objectives are met, and ensure the use of industry-proven best practices.

I thank Senator McCaskill for being an original cosponsor of this bill and Representatives Thomas Garrett and Michael McCaul for leading introduction of companion legislation in the House of Representatives. I ask my Senate colleagues to join us 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, the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, is tasked with keeping Americans safe in the homeland. To carry out this mission, DHS spends over $7 billion on acquisition programs annually. DHS and its agencies are held to a high standard for keeping our Nation safe. We also must hold it to a high standard of fiscal responsibility. DHS must be good stewards of taxpayer resources.

DHS's acquisition process has long faced problems resulting in waste, delays, and under delivery of performance objectives. Since the inception of DHS, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, has highlighted challenges and offered recommendations to improve the acquisition process. There has been progress; however, there continues to be room for improvement. According to a GAO report release today, DHS's acquisition process remains a high-risk issue, susceptible to cost overruns and schedules delays. These issues reduce buying power and force security employees to wait for new capabilities. This is not fair to those on the frontlines tasked with keeping us safe, and it is not fair to the American taxpayers.

That is why I am introducing the DHS Multiyear Acquisition Strategy Act of 2017. This legislation will require DHS to develop a multiyear acquisition plan to guide the overall direction of the Department's acquisitions, across all agencies, and include it annually in the Department's budget request to Congress. It will create a Departmentwide prioritized list of investment, to ensure limited resources are being directed to the highest valued use.

This legislation will increase communication internal to DHS, as well as with industry and with academia, to help identify current capability gaps and future technological needs. It also includes private sector principles, such as developing incentives for program managers to exceed project cost, schedule, and capabilities goals. I have seen these principles work during my 28-year private sector career, and it is long past due that we apply them to government. We must move away from the ``spend it or lose it'' mentality of government budgeting.

I thank Senator Claire McCaskill for being an original cosponsor of this bill and Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Michael McCaul for leading introduction of companion legislation in the House of Representatives. I ask my Senate colleagues to join us 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 distinct honor of recognizing Jenny Genger of Jefferson County for her selfless commitment to others in her local community. Jenny is a wonderful example of a local leader who is always willing to take on additional responsibility and devote her time and talent to others.

Jenny graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in sociology. At her graduation in Missoula, one of the soldiers in the honor guard escorting the national flag caught her attention. With that chance encounter as the spark, the two were married about a year later. The young couple settled near Helena, in Montana City, where today they are raising their four children. In Helena, Jenny became very active in the Mothers of Preschoolers, also known as MOPS, by serving initially as the director of hospitality, and then after a period of rapid growth, she graciously took on additional duties as the president of a newly formed MOPS group. Jenny served in this capacity for nearly 8 years.

A few years ago, Jenny passed on her MOPS leadership baton and began serving as the chairperson for the education program in her church. As chairperson, Jenny spurred a program to have educational activities available during parent-teacher conferences in order to help parents attend the conferences. Jenny also volunteers each week at the local pregnancy resource center and coordinates the center's annual banquet. Not only does Jenny excel at serving her community, she has done so even while her husband, Noah, a Montana Army National Guard pilot, was gone for nearly a year conducting missions in southwest Asia.

Montana is a State with many unsung heroes, and people like Jenny are the community glue that make Montana a great place to raise a family. For her efforts to serve, educate, and inspire those around her, Montana is sincerely thankful. Thank you, Jenny.

Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Leslie Cartner, commander of the Yellowstone Battalion of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps in Billings. Leslie's devotion to the Yellowstone Battalion, the only Sea Cadet organization in the State of Montana, has been outstanding. In the next few weeks, Leslie will complete her tenure as Yellowstone Battalion Commander and transfer responsibility for the Sea Cadet program to another capable Montanan.

In 1962, Congress chartered the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps. Today there are over 380 Sea Cadet units and nearly 9,000 young Americans participating in the program. In the Yellowstone Battalion, under Leslie's leadership, the

cadets have been trained in drill and ceremony, first aid, inspection procedures, and taught the basics of fighting a fire while onboard a ship. In addition to learning introductory level Navy skills, the cadets have received character-building instruction in avoiding substance abuse and prevention of bullying and harassment. One of the instructors for the Yellowstone Battalion, Navy veteran George Blackard, described Leslie as the driving force behind the local Sea Cadet program and ``the one who really got it off the ground.'' I strongly share George's appreciation for the work Leslie has done to enhance the program and her commitment to helping build the next generation of leaders.

From Libby to Ekalaka, Montanans are doing great things to strengthen their communities. A thank you for a job well done, I tip my cap to Leslie.

Good job, Sailor.

Mr. President, since 2001 our Nation has frequently called upon members of the National Guard and Armed Forces Reserve to confront our enemies and protect our interests around the globe.

Without the contributions from the Guard and Reserve components, the joint force would be far less capable and unable to perform many critical tasks.

Often, members of the Guard and Reserve incur out-of-pocket expenses to travel to and from their training locations. There are many challenges that these servicemembers face, but subsidizing the cost of training with after-tax income should not be one of them.

This issue is particularly relevant to Montana. My home State is widely recognized as having one of the highest

per capita veteran populations in the Nation, with many Montanans serving in the Guard or Reserve. The distances between homes and training sites can be challenging. As the son of a marine, I understand the costs associated with service.

With a deep appreciation for the commitment and sacrifice expected from members of Guard and Reserve, I offer the Tax Relief for Guard and Reserve Training Act. This bill lowers the mileage threshold from 100 to 50 for tax-deductible expenses. This change would put the Guard and Reserve on equal footing with most government and military travel regulations.

The Tax Relief for Guard and Reserve Training Act is a reasonable reform, specifically targeted at those who are often asked to shoulder burdens for the common good.

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

Mr. President, since 2001 our Nation has frequently called upon members of the National Guard and Armed Forces Reserve to confront our enemies and protect our interests around the globe.

Without the contributions from the Guard and Reserve components, the joint force would be far less capable and unable to perform many critical tasks.

Often, members of the Guard and Reserve incur out-of-pocket expenses to travel to and from their training locations. There are many challenges that these servicemembers face, but subsidizing the cost of training with after-tax income should not be one of them.

This issue is particularly relevant to Montana. My home State is widely recognized as having one of the highest

per capita veteran populations in the Nation, with many Montanans serving in the Guard or Reserve. The distances between homes and training sites can be challenging. As the son of a marine, I understand the costs associated with service.

With a deep appreciation for the commitment and sacrifice expected from members of Guard and Reserve, I offer the Tax Relief for Guard and Reserve Training Act. This bill lowers the mileage threshold from 100 to 50 for tax-deductible expenses. This change would put the Guard and Reserve on equal footing with most government and military travel regulations.

The Tax Relief for Guard and Reserve Training Act is a reasonable reform, specifically targeted at those who are often asked to shoulder burdens for the common good.

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

Mr. President, water is a basic foundation of life. In Montana, we depend on a steady supply of water to drink, irrigate our crops, water our livestock, and provide energy through hydropower. Water is a precious resource, and there are still rural communities that face barriers to access and are in dire need of clean drinking water. The struggle for water continues to create health challenges for Indian Country and nearby communities, in addition to making economic development more difficult.

There are approximately 35,000 Americans across 12 counties in both Montana and North Dakota whose existing public water supply systems are unable to provide them with water that meets the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The Bureau of Reclamation plays a critical role in managing the storage and delivery of water in the Western United States. Some of the earliest water projects built by the Bureau were built in Montana. These projects provided critical infrastructure for Montana homesteaders and were of critical importance to the long-term growth of our State. They are still vital today.

That is why I am introducing the Clean Water for Rural Communities Act. This legislation would authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to provide Federal assistance for the planning, design, and construction of the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System and the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System in Montana and North Dakota. The Dry-Redwater and Musselshell-Judith rural water projects have spent 7 and 11 years, respectively, in deliberation with the Bureau, as well as $4 million and $3 million in State, local, and Federal funding. It is critical we provide the Bureau of Reclamation the necessary authorization to complete these projects and provide clean and reliable water to 35,000 Montanans and North Dakotans.

I thank Senator Tester for being an original cosponsor of this bill. I ask my Senate colleagues to join us 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, water is a basic foundation of life. In Montana, we depend on a steady supply of water to drink, irrigate our crops, water our livestock, and provide energy through hydropower. Water is a precious resource, and there are still rural communities that face barriers to access and are in dire need of clean drinking water. The struggle for water continues to create health challenges for Indian Country and nearby communities, in addition to making economic development more difficult.

There are approximately 35,000 Americans across 12 counties in both Montana and North Dakota whose existing public water supply systems are unable to provide them with water that meets the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The Bureau of Reclamation plays a critical role in managing the storage and delivery of water in the Western United States. Some of the earliest water projects built by the Bureau were built in Montana. These projects provided critical infrastructure for Montana homesteaders and were of critical importance to the long-term growth of our State. They are still vital today.

That is why I am introducing the Clean Water for Rural Communities Act. This legislation would authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to provide Federal assistance for the planning, design, and construction of the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System and the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System in Montana and North Dakota. The Dry-Redwater and Musselshell-Judith rural water projects have spent 7 and 11 years, respectively, in deliberation with the Bureau, as well as $4 million and $3 million in State, local, and Federal funding. It is critical we provide the Bureau of Reclamation the necessary authorization to complete these projects and provide clean and reliable water to 35,000 Montanans and North Dakotans.

I thank Senator Tester for being an original cosponsor of this bill. I ask my Senate colleagues to join us 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, I want to thank my esteemed colleague from Wyoming, Senator Barrasso, for his comments. He shared many of the same views I have.

As I think about the job I do as a Senator--perhaps one of the most important jobs we have as Senators is approving a Supreme Court Justice. An Associate Justice of the Supreme Court can serve an average of 27 years. We think about Justice Scalia; he served 30 years. Neil Gorsuch is 49 years old. God willing, he probably will serve 30 years or more, perhaps. Think about that. My wife and I have four children. They are going through the college years and so forth. They are in their early and midtwenties. They will likely be grandparents when Judge Gorsuch wraps up his career on the Supreme Court, assuming he is approved. That is why a decision like this about whom to vote for, whom to stand behind, whom to stand with is so important. It is not just for today, it is for our children and our grandchildren.

The people want a Supreme Court Justice who does not legislate from the bench. The people want a Supreme Court Justice who upholds the rule of law and follows the Constitution. The people want a Supreme Court Justice with a record of constitutional jurisprudence and legal restraint to match what we saw from Justice Antonin Scalia. The people want a Supreme Court Justice with the academic credentials, who is well prepared to serve the American people on our highest Court, to wrestle with some of the most complicated issues that the High Court wrestles with.

When President Trump announced that he was appointing Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, the American people knew he was truly a supreme pick. He has a brilliant legal mind. He understands the role a judge plays in our judicial system--to interpret the law and not to legislate from the bench. In fact, on the night he was announced, when President Trump revealed his pick, I was at the White House, and I heard Judge Gorsuch say: ``A judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge, stretching for results he prefers rather than those the law demands.'' That is the humility of a great judge.

Judge Gorsuch has impeccable legal qualifications that demonstrate he will be the type of Justice every American deserves to have on the highest Court. He graduated from Harvard Law School. He was a Harry Truman Scholar, graduated with honors in 1991. He earned his law degree and then attended Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar and received his doctorate degree in 2004 from Oxford.

As we say out West, and as a Montanan, I have to say I am thrilled to see somebody from Colorado be nominated for the Supreme Court. We say out West: Go get a good education and then get over it. And he brings that kind of humility to the bench. He understands that he is beneath the law, he is subject to the law. He is there to interpret the law, not to make the law.

He clerked for Justice Byron White. He clerked for Justice Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States. In fact, in 2006, Judge Gorsuch was nominated by then-President Bush to the Tenth Circuit in Denver, CO. He was confirmed without any opposition, including the support of 11 current Democratic Senators. In fact, some of those Democrats included Harvard Law classmate Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and the current minority leader, Chuck Schumer. During his time as a judge on the Tenth Circuit, he has built a solid reputation as a respected jurist with a very distinguished record.

One thing about serving on the Tenth Circuit Court for 10 years: You can run, but you can't hide. He has left a track record. It is an impressive track record. It is a consistent record of defending the Constitution, including respecting the separation of powers and respecting federalism and the Bill of Rights to protect every American from government overreach and government abuse.

When I had the opportunity to sit down with Judge Gorsuch, it was back in early February. We spoke about the role of government and federalism. We spoke about the Second Amendment. We spoke about protecting life and upholding our civil liberties. We spoke about our shared western values, mine as a native Montanan, his as a native Coloradan, both of us westerners. I know he understands our way of life. He understands Montana values. In fact, his face lit up as we talked about the love of the outdoors and his passion for hiking and fishing.

As chairman of the Western Caucus, it is important to me to have someone who understands western values, someone who understands the impact the law and his decisions will have on the West.

As westerners, we fight to protect our Fourth Amendment rights. We champion federalism so that power not expressly given to the Federal Government in the Constitution is returned back to the States and to the people. We will tirelessly fight to protect the Second Amendment. These are western values.

By the way, the Second Amendment is not primarily about hunting. Our Founding Fathers were not thinking about deer hunting or elk hunting when they were discussing the Second Amendment. It was about liberty. It was about freedom. These are western values. Judge Gorsuch's background and record strongly suggest that he recognizes and adheres to these values. He will uphold the law. He will rightfully check the administration and Congress when their actions are not done under the law, like President Obama's EPA power plan or the WOTUS rule. These are actions that cripple western economies, and they are politically charged.

I would also like to mention that Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado and I were just at the White House meeting, just an hour ago. We were at the White House meeting with over a dozen Tribes who represent hundreds of other Tribes. We were there to discuss our support for Neil Gorsuch to be a Supreme Court Justice. I can tell you, it was great to be there with one of my hometown Tribes from Montana, the CSKT. They have endorsed Neil Gorsuch. They understand that we need a mainstream, commonsense westerner on the Supreme Court.

By the way, when you look at Neil Gorsuch's record on Indian Country issues, as a member of the Tenth Circuit Court for 10 years, he has a track record of ruling on some very complicated issues that face Indian Country. He understands sovereignty. That is very important. That is why you are seeing Tribes endorsing Judge Gorsuch.

More importantly, the American people deserve nine members on the Supreme Court. Neil Gorsuch is the mainstream judge the American people want and deserve to fill out the Court.

I am looking forward to what will happen next week in those hearings. You are going to see a very, very bright, a very, very thoughtful, a very, very kind, and a very, very humble jurist who understands and upholds the rule of law. I am excited for our country that we have such a phenomenal nominee. I look forward to casting my vote to confirm him to the highest Court in our great country.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Rocky Erickson for his long run as the voice of Montana sports. When traveling along the many roads in Big Sky Country or stopping in at a local watering hole for a bite to eat, if you are in earshot of a radio and that radio is tuned to local sports, there is a good chance that Rocky is on the other end of the broadcast.

Rocky grew up on his family's wheat farm in the small McCone County community of Vida. After high school, he studied telecommunications at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Shortly after completing his degree, Rocky returned to eastern Montana and began to provide Montana sports fans with high quality commentary. Rocky's distinguished broadcasting career began in the early 1980s and continues today. This past weekend, he was calling the play by play for the Montana High School State Basketball Championship tournament games. Rocky's Montana sports program is broadcast daily on 40 stations, and he has been recognized by his peers as the ``Montana Sportscaster of the Year'' on nine separate occasions. The native son of Vida, population 70, has gone on to do great things within his industry. His broadcasts are sincerely appreciated by sports fans across Montana.

Attending a Montana sporting event helps one appreciate how valued and unifying local sports can be to our communities. Rocky has shared these treasured experiences with many Montanans by giving his audience a rich texture and personal touch in each broadcast. Thank you, Rocky, for your outstanding work, and I hope to hear you again soon.

Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Lyle Burgess of Ryegate. Lyle has been a dependable leader for the people of Golden Valley County for over a generation. He has contributed to the community in the fields of education and emergency services. Golden Valley County is located in the middle of Montana, and Lyle has been in the middle of events in the county for many years.

After graduating from Eastern Montana College, now known as Montana State University-Billings, Lyle began a 30-year career as a school teacher at Ryegate High School. A few years after he started teaching, Lyle began serving as a first responder with the Golden Valley County Emergency Medical Services. Although he is now retired from teaching, Lyle continues to serve his community: he went on to become the director of EMS. Today he still serves in that role. As director, Lyle is responsible for training new first responders and getting them ready to be Emergency Medical Technicians. The familiar saying ``once a teacher, always a teacher'' rings true for Mr. Burgess. Golden Valley County Sheriff Robert Pallas referred to Lyle and his colleague at EMS, Mary Ann Schladweiler, as the ``staples'' of the program.

Golden Valley County is home to just about 800 residents. The rural setting magnifies the necessity of having great folks like Lyle and Mary Ann offer their time and talent in the service of others. Montana is a State blessed with many treasures, and the greatest treasure of all is the people. Thank you, Lyle, for going above and beyond in the community and teaching others by your example.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the Litigation Relief for Forest Management Projects Act be printed in the Record.