Floor Statements

Mr. President, tonight the Senate took a long overdue step forward in finally confirming Congressman Ryan Zinke to be our next Secretary of the Interior. You know, we could have done this on January 20. You see, Ryan Zinke is not a controversial nominee. He is a westerner. He is a Montanan whom we need serving as our next Secretary.

Back on January 17, when the Energy and Natural Resources Committee had a hearing on Ryan Zinke's nomination, I detailed for the committee exactly why he is a good fit for this job.

Frankly, it is shameful that it took this body this long to move forward on Ryan Zinke's nomination. You see, this is a historic moment for Montana, as Congressman Zinke will be the first Montanan ever to serve in a President's Cabinet. That dates back to statehood in 1889.

Back in 1979, there was a junior from Bozeman High School and another junior from Whitefish High School who

were both headed to Dillon, MT, for Boys State. They were both Boys State delegates. In fact, the keynote speaker that year was a newly elected U.S. Senator. He had been elected in the fall of 1978. This was June of 1979, at Boys State, and this Senator was named Max Baucus.

So 38 years later, that kid from Bozeman was serving on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and that kid from Whitefish was testifying before that very same committee to be the next Secretary of the Interior.

You see, Ryan Zinke was also captain of the soon-to-be undefeated State champion Whitefish Bulldogs football team. He was also president of his class.

After high school Ryan went on to the University of Oregon, where he was a full-scholarship, starting athlete for the Oregon Ducks football team, where he won numerous awards for both outstanding academic and athletic performance. He majored in geology, a subject matter that I know has served him well in serving the people of Montana.

Ryan Zinke was a U.S. Navy SEAL commander whose assignments included the elite SEAL Team Six. In fact, part of that tenure was serving under General Mattis--now Secretary Mattis--as the commander of Joint Special Forces in Iraq at the very height of insurgent activity.

During his 23 years as a U.S. Navy SEAL, Ryan conducted special operations on four continents. Ryan Zinke earned two Bronze Stars and many other awards for his service to our Nation. We should all be thankful to him, to his wife Lola, and their children for his service.

Following his retirement from the Navy, after more than two decades of honorable service to our Nation, Ryan came back home to Montana, and he continued to serve again, this time in our State government. Ryan ran for and won a seat in the State senate and then as Montana's sole Representative in the U.S. House.

For the past couple of years, Ryan has been a strong supporter of conservation, of responsible natural resources development, of LWCF, as well as increased recreational access to our public lands.

Ryan grew up 30 minutes from Glacier National Park. I grew up about 60 minutes from Yellowstone National Park. We both understand the importance of our national parks.

Ryan is intimately familiar with the vast jurisdiction of the Department of Interior because he has lived it. He has seen his own hometown suffer due to bad government policies that hurt rural communities like Libby, where the logging industry has been decimated; like Malta, like Colstrip, which depend on our public lands for access.

Above all, Ryan is a Montanan who grew up on our public lands. He knows that we must strike the right balance between conservation and responsible energy development, and he understands more than most that these one-size-fits-all policies from Washington, DC, never work for real America. The bureaucrats in Washington, DC, oftentimes can't even find Montana on a map.

Ryan Zinke is whip smart. He is a guy you want in your corner while you are fighting in the streets of Fallujah for your life or you are fighting on the floor of Congress for your livelihood. He listens. He fights for what he believes in. I have absolutely no doubt he will be a fighter for America; he will be a fighter for our public lands as the next Secretary of the Interior. So I look forward to confirming Ryan Zinke within the next day and a half.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Ellen Wood of Winnett. Ellen has been serving up hospitality to the folks in Petroleum County for the past 25 years. Her culinary prowess have also pleased the tastebuds of many others well beyond her central Montana community.

In 1992, Ellen decided it was time to make an occupational change and purchased the Kozy Korner Bar and Cafe. It was not long after that The Kozy Korner became known for its delicious pies. Hunters, ranchers, tourists, and locals are all fortunate if they get a slice. Some even call ahead just to make sure they will not leave empty handed. You know a pie is good when you have to make reservations. Ellen has even shipped her homemade pies to repeat customers around the country. In addition to her pies, Gourmet Magazine did an article in 2005 on Ellen's plate-sized pancakes. It is no wonder that every 5 years during the Winnett all-school class reunion, the Kozy Korner serves as a hub of activity for the local community. A quarter century of hospitality and service to her neighbors and guests is a great accomplishment.

Being a small business owner is tough work, but Ellen had a trusted partner in her husband, Buck. He was U.S. Marine Corps veteran with over 4 years of service in Vietnam. He helped her run the Kozy Korner until he passed away in 2014. Today Buck's Bacon Cheeseburger is still one of the favorite menu items for Kozy Korner patrons. Hometown cafes are a staple of our Montana communities and so are people like Ellen and Buck. With that community spirit in mind, it is an honor to say thank you to Ellen for making a corner of Petroleum County a comfortable place to visit. If you are going to stop in, just remember to call ahead if you want a piece of the marionberry pie.

Madam President, I can tell you it is bittersweet to be here

today. As we sometimes say back home: I've got some good news; I've got some bad news. On the good news side, we are here today to confirm Attorney General Scott Pruitt to be the next Administrator of the EPA. While he should have been passed through the Senate weeks ago, we are here now. We are here today. We are going to get it done in a couple of hours. That is good news.

As they say about Montana, we are a unique blend of Merle Haggard and John Denver, and mastering that melody is always a challenge. When you do, it results in a commonsense approach to environmental stewardship, and I can tell you Scott Pruitt is the guy to do it.

I literally left my office to come here and make these remarks, and guess who I was meeting with in my office. It was Scott Pruitt.

You know what we talked about?

He came into my office. When you come into my office, you can see Montana all over the walls. You are going to see me with a fly rod in my hand. You are going to see pictures of trout that we have caught and released back into the streams and rivers of our State. We talked about fly fishing in Yellowstone Park. He loves to fly-fish.

In fact, he asked to me: Do you know where Cooke City, MT, is?

I said: Scott, Cooke City, MT? Let me show you. I have a map of the Beartooth in my office with pins in all the lakes that I have blown to. In fact, I spent 65 miles in the Beartooth Wilderness in August on horseback and on foot, above 10,000 feet, with an elk hair caddis and my fly rod, chasing golden trout and cutthroat trout. We spent a lot of time talking about that. We talked about elk hunting and deer hunting in Montana.

Scott Pruitt understands the important role that States play, especially in a State like Montana. I am confident he is going to restore this balanced focus, this Merle Haggard and John Denver balance that Montanans are pleading for. He will bring that back to the EPA, rather than this heavy-handed Gina McCarthy out-of-touch Federal approach.

Let me tell you a couple of stories of what is going on in Montana and why Scott Pruitt is exactly the right guy for the job. Today in the small town of Colstrip, MT, they face a real struggle to survive. Colstrip is a generating station and neighboring mine and the lifeblood of this small town.

Over the years, the Colstrip plant has continued to develop. They have adopted new technologies, and they made remarkable reductions in emissions and pollution. Yet it has been met with an onslaught of new environmental regulations that are having drastic compliance costs on our State.

Let me share some of those. Under this EPA power plan that was launched by Gina McCarthy, Montana needs to cut its emissions by 47 percent--the largest reduction in the Nation, leading almost inevitably to the entire shutdown of Colstrip.

In fact, according to a study conducted by the University of Montana, they said this plan will cost our State 7,000 jobs, $500 million in lost revenues, and $1.5 billion in gross sales for our State. And Montana moves from being an energy exporter to being an energy importer. That is outrageous, and the people of Montana know it.

For what? For what the Obama administration had projected to have a 0.02-degree impact on global temperature in the next 100 years-- negligible. In fact, I confronted Gina McCarthy on that in a hearing, and she did not refute my data.

Similarly, the waters of the United States serves yet another example of the detrimental effects of Gina McCarthy's and President Obama's EPA, which has harmed Montana's farmers and ranchers. As I mentioned, one of my favorite things to do is get into the fresh air of Montana, the clean waters of Montana, up in wilderness country with my fly rod in my hand. We all want clean water. We all want clean air. I have yet to meet a single Montanan who says I don't want clean air; I don't want clean water.

The WOTUS rule was a clear effort by the Obama administration to gain control over Montana's livelihoods. It was a private property taking, seeking to regulate virtually every ditch and pond that could be occasionally wet across the State of Montana.

While, thankfully, this incredible overreach by the EPA and the Obama administration has been stopped by the courts, I am looking forward to working with Scott Pruitt to defend Montana farmers and ranchers and to defend Montana property owners from this unnecessary and harmful rule.

Scott Pruitt understands the important role our States play and not to levy unnecessary and overreaching Federal regulations--regulations that could decimate a State's economy. That is unacceptable.

I will tell what you else I talked to Scott Pruitt about; that is, the importance of cleaning up our Superfund sites. This is a critical responsibility of the EPA. We need to unleash American innovation, American cooperation--not cut off affordable energy sources at its heels.

Regarding Superfund cleanup, as Scott and I concluded our meeting, we talked about the Berkeley Pit in Butte. He has committed to getting that environmental disaster cleaned up. He assured me he will address these issues head-on.

The largest Superfund site in the United States is right there in Butte, MT. We had snow geese that came across our State migrating. They landed in the toxic waters in the Berkeley Pit, and thousands of snow geese died just by landing in the water. Scott is committed to getting that fixed. It has been on the list for over 20 years. It is time to fix it, and Scott is committed, saying: Let's get this done.

That is why he is going to be a great Administrator, to protect the environment in Montana.

That is the good news. We are going to move Scott Pruitt through today, and I am looking forward to casting a ``yes'' vote for our next Administrator of the EPA.

I will.

I am not sure if that is a direct question or a rhetorical question. Of course, Cory--the Senator from Colorado--they would be held accountable, and that is why we need to hold the Superfund sites. We need to hold sites, like what happened here with the mine in Colorado--hold the EPA accountable for that.

We will work together on that.

I yield back my time.

Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Jess Lockwood, a tough-as-nails cowboy from Volberg, MT. Earlier this week, Jess moved into the top spot of the professional bullriders world rankings. In the early stages of this bullriding season, Jess has shared his talent with rodeo fans across the Nation. From Sacramento to New York City, Jess has tackled the challenge of competing at the highest level and made Big Sky Country proud while doing it. Bullriding is a young person's sport, and that maxim is brought to life by this 19-year-old cowboy from the rolling hills of southeastern Montana.

When asked about his success in the sport, Jess replied with graceful Montana simplicity: ``I just have to keep staying on my bulls and doing my job.'' In the world of bullriding and in life itself, Jess Lockwood's Montana wisdom rings true. Jess focuses on what needs to be accomplished and gets the job done. And he didn't arrive at his level of success by circumstance, coincidence, good fortune, or luck. His accomplishments are the fruit of efforts sown many years in advance and watered by a steady stream of hard work. In high school, these successful habits led Jess to three Montana High School rodeo State championships.

Back home in Montana, we all hope that his string of success continues, and are confident he has what it takes to maintain his performance. Jess has confidence in his ability, too, and you need confidence if you are going to ride a nearly 2,000-pound bull. His clarity of purpose to rise to the top in his chosen field should be refreshing and rejuvenating to us all. Reflecting on his accomplishments, Jess expressed his approach this way, ``You just have to show up each weekend and expect yourself to win,'' and added ``If you are showing up each weekend, if you are not planning on winning, what is the point really?'' Prepare, show up, and do your best: that sounds like a Montana recipe for success.

Mr. President, in 2003, Congress mandated the Next Generation Air Transportation System known as NextGen, transitioning our radar-based system with radio communication to a satellite-based one, to increase safety and efficiency. NextGen deployment has been bogged with delays and cost overruns, highlighted by Government Accountability Office reports. Final implementation is to be completed by 2025. This legislation

would simply create measurable annual performance goals and hold Federal officials accountable to meeting these goals through the remainder of implementation.

I want to thank Senator Booker for being an original cosponsor of this bill, and I ask my other Senate colleagues to join us in support of this legislation.

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

Mr. President, in 2003, Congress mandated the Next Generation Air Transportation System known as NextGen, transitioning our radar-based system with radio communication to a satellite-based one, to increase safety and efficiency. NextGen deployment has been bogged with delays and cost overruns, highlighted by Government Accountability Office reports. Final implementation is to be completed by 2025. This legislation

would simply create measurable annual performance goals and hold Federal officials accountable to meeting these goals through the remainder of implementation.

I want to thank Senator Booker for being an original cosponsor of this bill, and I ask my other Senate colleagues to join us in support of this 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 Ms. Ally Martin of Wheatland County, a tough ranch hand with a very bright future. This young lady has flat out excelled in her community. The superintendent of Harlowton Public Schools said of Ally, ``I have known Ally for her whole life and she has yet to disappoint me.''

Ally is the oldest of four siblings on a working sheep and cattle ranch not too far from the Musselshell River in central Montana. Anyone who knows the amount dedication and perseverance it takes to keep this type of family business running knows that Ally's achievements in sports, school, and 4-H are remarkable. Ally gets her grit from her family. Her parents would drive 25 miles to take Ally to her part-time job washing dishes and waiting tables at the Crazy Mountain Inn in Martinsdale.

From 2013-2015, Ally was recognized as the Wheatland County 4-H ``Grand Champion'' for her sheep project. Ally meticulously cross-bred Suffolk sheep into her family's Targhee flock, making noticeable gains to weaning weight. Some of her 4-H peers even started using her lambs in 4-H as well. Ally has been able to shoulder the demands of the ranch while ranking first in her class academically, earning all-State athletic honors in basketball and track, and participating in student government. Ally commits to whatever she sets her mind to, from ranching to school to sports.

Ally broke new ground as the first person from Harlowton High School appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The number of cadets at West Point will be nearly double the population of Wheatland County. Ally won't flinch at this. She is not one to seek out comfort, make excuses, or look for shortcuts. She will do what she has always done--wake up when almost everyone else is still sleeping, focus on the tasks at hand, and simply get the job done. Her exemplary hardwork and leadership will serve our Nation well in the military. Good luck, and Godspeed, Ally; the people of Montana support you.

Mr. President, in recent years we have seen the inability of the Federal Government to quickly adapt to changing technology and emerging threats. In June of 2015 the Office of Personnel Management, OPM, was infiltrated with a major cyber breach, affecting more than 22 million current and former Federal employees, including myself. In January of 2016, another nearly half a million Americans had their social security numbers stolen when the Internal Revenue Service was hacked.

I spent 28 years in the private sector, 12 years with a global cloud computing company. We faced cyber threats daily, and our customers expected security of their data. We delivered, not once was our data compromised. Until I came to the Federal Government and received the letters from OPM, my data had been secured too.

I know firsthand that industry has the talent and incentive to keep their information systems secure. The Federal Government should continue to innovate and utilize industries' expertise and learn from their best practices.

That is why I am introducing the Support for Rapid Innovation Act. This

legislation will extend the authorization for the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out innovative research and development projects that will enhance our Nation's cyber security. It will focus efforts on developing more secure information systems, technologies for detecting and containing attacks in real-time, and develop cyber forensics to identify perpetrators. This will be done by leveraging private sectors' innovation and ingenuity.

I want to thank Senator Warner for being an original cosponsor of this bill and Representative Ratcliffe of Texas 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, 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 emerging threats. In June of 2015 the Office of Personnel Management, OPM, was infiltrated with a major cyber breach, affecting more than 22 million current and former Federal employees, including myself. In January of 2016, another nearly half a million Americans had their social security numbers stolen when the Internal Revenue Service was hacked.

I spent 28 years in the private sector, 12 years with a global cloud computing company. We faced cyber threats daily, and our customers expected security of their data. We delivered, not once was our data compromised. Until I came to the Federal Government and received the letters from OPM, my data had been secured too.

I know firsthand that industry has the talent and incentive to keep their information systems secure. The Federal Government should continue to innovate and utilize industries' expertise and learn from their best practices.

That is why I am introducing the Support for Rapid Innovation Act. This

legislation will extend the authorization for the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out innovative research and development projects that will enhance our Nation's cyber security. It will focus efforts on developing more secure information systems, technologies for detecting and containing attacks in real-time, and develop cyber forensics to identify perpetrators. This will be done by leveraging private sectors' innovation and ingenuity.

I want to thank Senator Warner for being an original cosponsor of this bill and Representative Ratcliffe of Texas 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, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, as an engineer who worked at a cloud computing company for 13 years, I have seen firsthand how technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Innovative products and services have made it easier than ever to learn, communicate, and to share our data with others.

Personal data has become a form of currency, and the sharing of personal information may compromise privacy if appropriate protective action is not taken. That is why I am proud to recognize January 28, 2017; as National Data Privacy Day. Each year, our Nation recognizes this day as an opportunity for private organizations, governments, and individuals to work together to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices.

I am pleased to recognize this day and am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure the privacy of individuals is protected.

S. Res. 29

Whereas, on January 28, 2017, National Data Privacy Day is

recognized;

Whereas technology has enhanced our ability to communicate,

learn, and work and is now a part of our everyday lives;

Whereas personal information has become a form of currency;

Whereas it is easier now than ever before to share personal

information with friends, colleagues, and companies;

Whereas the sharing of personal information may compromise

the privacy of individuals if appropriate protective action

is not taken;

Whereas governments, corporations, and individuals have a

role in protecting the privacy of individuals; and

Whereas National Data Privacy Day constitutes a nationwide

effort to educate and raise awareness about respecting

privacy and safeguarding data: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) recognizes January 28, 2017, as ``National Data Privacy

Day''; and

(2) encourages governments, individuals, privacy

professionals, educators, corporations, and other relevant

organizations to take steps to protect the privacy of

individuals.

Mr. President, this week, I have the distinct honor of recognizing Mrs. Belle Wendelburg for her continued work in serving her community all the way to the age of 95. Belle retired from Dahl Memorial Nursing Home in Ekalaka, MT, in July of 2016 after working there for more than 20 years. She loved the residents and enjoyed the opportunity to work and serve others.

Belle was born on May 3, 1921, on a family homestead near Westmore, MT. She was the youngest of three children. Growing up around Westmore, Belle attended Spring Hill Grade School where she had to ride a horse 7 miles to get to school.

Belle enrolled in the ``Green Thumb'' program, a government work program, and then began working in activities for Dahl Memorial Nursing Home. While her primary job was to work in activities, Belle wasn't afraid to work wherever she was needed. She helped make meals, set up for meals, wash dishes, read to residents, and work with Alzheimer's patients. She continued to work at the nursing home even after she was diagnosed with cancer. Her family reports that she is still as fit as ever and can probably outrun most people much younger than she.

Belle also worked every Christmas at the home, ensuring the residents got the presents they were supposed to get and helping them write thank you letters for the gifts. She was involved with the spiritual health of the residents by reading devotionals to them. Belle worked at the home every Sunday when extra staff were needed to help residents attend chapel services. Through her giving spirit, she provides residents encouragement and inspiration every day. To her coworkers, she is also an inspiration. The nursing home CEO, Nadene Elmore says, ``Whenever I see Belle, I tell her I want to be just like her when I grow up.'' Belle entertains staff at lunches with stories and endless knowledge of the community's history.

Throughout the past 20 years, Belle has remained faithful in her love for her home and the eastern Montana prairie. I want to express my deep gratitude to Mrs. Belle Wendelburg for her dedication and service to her community, Montana, and our country.

Mr. President, as a fifth-generation Montanan and product of Montana public schools from kindergarten through college, husband to an elementary school teacher, and father of four children, I understand how important a first rate education is to our kids' future. That is why I am reintroducing the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success, or A-PLUS, Act this Congress. This measure will help expand local control of our schools and return Federal education dollars where they belong: closer to the classrooms. By shifting control back to the States, individual and effective solutions can be created to address the multitude of unique challenges facing schools across the country. Through these ``laboratories of democracy,'' Americans can watch and learn how students can benefit when innovative reforms are implemented on the local level. This bill would give states greater flexibility in allocating federal education funding and ensuring academic achievement in their schools. With A-PLUS, States would be freed from Washington- knows-best performance metrics and failed testing requirements. Should this legislation be adopted, states would need to adhere to all civil rights laws and work towards advancing educational opportunities for disadvantaged children as well. States would be held accountable by parents and teachers because a bright light would shine directly on the decisions made by State capitals and local school districts. With freedom from Federal mandates comes more responsibility, transparency, and accountability on States. It would also reduce the administrative and compliance burdens on state and local education agencies, and ensure greater public transparency in student academic achievement and the use of federal education funds. Increasing educational opportunity in Montana and across the country isn't going happen through federal mandates or one-size-fits-none regulations. We need to empower our States, our local school boards, our teachers, and parents to work together to develop solutions that best fit our kids' unique needs. That is precisely what my A-PLUS Act does. Washington is the problem-- and we have the solutions in Montana and in states across the country. The A-PLUS Act goes a long ways towards returning the responsibility for our kids' education closer to home and reduces the influence of the Federal Government over our classrooms. I want to thank Senators Cruz, Perdue, Johnson, Lee, and Rubio for helping reintroduce the A-PLUS Act this Congress. I ask my other Senate colleagues to join us in empowering our schools to serve their students, not DC bureaucrats, and support this important piece of legislation.

Mr. President, small businesses are the backbone of America. They generate more than half of the country's private GDP and support millions of families. In Montana, small businesses are innovating, offering new products and services, and creating jobs.

The business community relies on the Internet to access the global marketplace. In rural states like Montana where it is costly to provide internet access, consumers and businesses depend on small businesses to provide connectivity. Without small broadband providers, many Montanans would not have the internet access that most of us take for granted.

Burdensome regulations like the FCC's net neutrality rules are strangling our small businesses and preventing growth and investment. The enhanced transparency requirements in particular require small businesses to disclose an excess amount of information including network packet loss, network performance by geographic area, network performance during peak usage, network practices concerning a particular group of users, triggers that activate network practices, and the list goes on. Small companies operate with a small team of employees and do not have a team of attorneys dedicated to regulatory compliance. Small businesses simply do not have the bandwidth to take on additional regulatory burdens.

That is why I am proud to introduce the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2017 with my colleague Senator Manchin. The bill provides a temporary small business exception to the net neutrality enhanced transparency requirements. There is broad support in the record for this exception, including support from the American Cable Association, Rural Wireless Association, Competitive Carriers Association, Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, CTIA--The Wireless Association, Rural Broadband Provider Coalition, WTA-- Advocates for Rural Broadband.

Providing relief from burdensome disclosure rules will allow small businesses to focus on deploying infrastructure and serving their customers rather than spending time on regulatory compliance. I ask my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this much needed legislation.

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 product of Montana public schools from kindergarten through college, husband to an elementary school teacher, and father of four children, I understand how important a first rate education is to our kids' future. That is why I am reintroducing the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success, or A-PLUS, Act this Congress. This measure will help expand local control of our schools and return Federal education dollars where they belong: closer to the classrooms. By shifting control back to the States, individual and effective solutions can be created to address the multitude of unique challenges facing schools across the country. Through these ``laboratories of democracy,'' Americans can watch and learn how students can benefit when innovative reforms are implemented on the local level. This bill would give states greater flexibility in allocating federal education funding and ensuring academic achievement in their schools. With A-PLUS, States would be freed from Washington- knows-best performance metrics and failed testing requirements. Should this legislation be adopted, states would need to adhere to all civil rights laws and work towards advancing educational opportunities for disadvantaged children as well. States would be held accountable by parents and teachers because a bright light would shine directly on the decisions made by State capitals and local school districts. With freedom from Federal mandates comes more responsibility, transparency, and accountability on States. It would also reduce the administrative and compliance burdens on state and local education agencies, and ensure greater public transparency in student academic achievement and the use of federal education funds. Increasing educational opportunity in Montana and across the country isn't going happen through federal mandates or one-size-fits-none regulations. We need to empower our States, our local school boards, our teachers, and parents to work together to develop solutions that best fit our kids' unique needs. That is precisely what my A-PLUS Act does. Washington is the problem-- and we have the solutions in Montana and in states across the country. The A-PLUS Act goes a long ways towards returning the responsibility for our kids' education closer to home and reduces the influence of the Federal Government over our classrooms. I want to thank Senators Cruz, Perdue, Johnson, Lee, and Rubio for helping reintroduce the A-PLUS Act this Congress. I ask my other Senate colleagues to join us in empowering our schools to serve their students, not DC bureaucrats, and support this important piece of legislation.