Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing U.S. Air Force CMSgt Joseph ``Kim'' Kuzara for 36 years of military service to the United States of America.

Kuzara, who calls Roundup, MT, home, first began his military career when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1966 during the buildup of the Vietnam war. He was promptly stationed to Strategic Air Command's 11th Strategic Aerospace Wing headquarters at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma. Kuzara would spend 4 years of Active-Duty service assessing wing training activities and ensuring readiness for wartime missions. He flew on several airborne alert missions that typically lasted 24 hours and also required him to necessitate aerial refueling of the bombers.

During the Vietnam war, Kuzara's time flying on missions resulted in his vertebrae in his lower back being crushed. Ready to take a step back from the bloodshed he witnessed and even photographed as part of his duties, Kuzara returned home to Roundup after discharging from Active Duty. He then joined the Air National Guard unit stationed at the Great Falls International Airport and quickly moved up the ranks as a technical sergeant and was extended the invitation to join the Montana Adjutant General's staff.

Kuzara's time with the ``State Staff,'' as the Montana Adjutant General's team is generally referred to, meant overseeing all Army and Air National Guard units throughout the State and any efforts they may be involved with. From fighting wildfires, providing support at State facilities during strikes and shortages, assisting homeland security efforts, organizing and narrating airshows, to providing key assistance with an equipment conversion that earned him the Army Commendation Medal, Kuzara served his State and country every chance he got. He was eventually promoted to master and then chief master sergeant, a fitting tribute to his unrelenting dedication to service.

While Kuzara's storied military career is certainly one of valor that deserves our Nation's thanks, he remains a humble man who feels that his brothers and sisters who did not return home from battle are the ones who deserve America's gratitude. Kim, from a grateful U.S. Senator, I want to offer my sincerest thanks. Thank you for taking the oath to serve, your willingness to bear the weight of constant readiness, and your commitment to paying the ultimate sacrifice if duty required. Your service to the United States helped protect our Nation's peace and resolve, and I pray that God blesses you.

It is my distinct honor to recognize U.S. Air Force CMSgt Joseph ``Kim'' Kuzara for his selfless service to our country. You make Montana proud.

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

Mr. President, it has been my privilege to represent the people of Montana in Congress now for more than a decade. I have seen Congress wrestle and struggle with many challenges during my time here. I have heard my constituents voice concerns--and deservedly so--about many of them. But, by far, one of the worst habits that Congress has is its failure to follow its own budget process. In fact, it is not an understatement to say that the budget process has completely collapsed in both Chambers. And I hear about this back home, and rightfully so.

Wherever I go in Montana, folks tell me they are tired of the dysfunction here in Congress and especially its lack of fiscal discipline. For a body that was elected to represent the will of the people, we are doing the exact opposite. This is simply not what our constituents sent us here to do.

Too many families in our country are living paycheck to paycheck and working sometimes multiple jobs to make ends meet. And, most importantly, they are sacrificing to do so.

When they elect their representatives, they expect good, responsible governing. They expect Congress to operate more like they do when it comes to budgeting and spending and living within their means. Yet, year in and year out, Congress does anything but.

Let me read you the tale of the tape. The last time Congress enacted all 12 appropriations--that is, you could say, passing the budget. That is all the appropriations bills. The last time they met the goal of getting it done by September 30, the end of the fiscal year of the Federal Government, was 1997. That was nearly three decades ago.

And it is not like we wake up on the 1st of January every year and wonder: When are they going to schedule September 30? When is September 30 going to fall this year?

It is not like they surprise us, and we say: Oh, my word, it is September 30.

It is no surprise--27 consecutive years.

Even sadder is how Congress has ignored the Budget Act. The Budget Control Act became law in 1974. This law put into place the modern budget process. It was enacted, ironically, to give Congress more control over Federal spending and the budget process. Theoretically, this would give our constituents a stronger say in how their tax dollars are spent.

But what has Congress done with that authority? Since the Budget Control Act became law, 50 years ago, Congress has been out of control--though the Budget Control Act was passed 50 years ago. Congress rarely even passes a budget resolution anymore, which is supposed to start the budget process every spring.

This resolution is supposed to provide a roadmap for how we approach the appropriations process. Without this roadmap, Congress inevitably finds itself in a spending train wreck, and our constituents, by default, have little say in how their tax dollars are spent. That is exactly what has happened year after year after year--27 consecutive years, in fact.

In the past 50 years since the Budget Control Act was passed, Congress has only enacted all 12 appropriations on time 4 times: 1977, 1989, 1995, and then 1997. Again, back to 1997, we will now have a 27- year consecutive losing streak as we will go past September 30 without having appropriations passed. This year, Senate Democratic leadership hasn't brought a single appropriations bill to the floor, and we are just 12 days from the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Continuing resolutions that fund the government at current levels are now the norm. In fact, between 1977 and last year, Congress passed 200 continuing resolutions--200--and, thus, the threat of a government shutdown is always looming.

All this forces Congress to fund the government through what we call Omnibus appropriations. And for those watching back home, that means, instead of giving each appropriator and appropriations bill a hearing and the scrutiny it deserves, most of the spending bills are all lumped together into one or two giant bills, often thousands of pages long each.

No one has time to read the entire bill before we pass it. So it is usually chock full of wasteful spending on pet projects that we inserted, literally, in the dead of night. Since 1982, Congress has passed 36 Omnibus appropriation bills. That is just short of one per year. Since that time, Omnibus appropriations bills have served as a legislative vehicle for more than half of the Federal Government's appropriations.

In short, our broken budget process has created an incredible amount of uncertainty. In fact, the only thing that is certain in the whole mess is that this broken process has exacerbated the Federal Government's out-of-control spending.

There is no way to run a household this way or a small business--not to mention the government--and the American people know it.

So why is all this important? As I mentioned, Congress doesn't have a revenue problem. It is not a revenue problem. Look at our deficits and our debt. This is not a revenue problem. It is a spending problem, no matter how you look at it.

Our failed budget process is not only the cause for the fiscal disaster, it is also playing a very significant role. The last time the government had a budget surplus was 23 years ago, back in 2001. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that the budget deficit for this year will be around $2 trillion. That is unprecedented. In fact, the deficit over the next decade will now total a staggering $22 trillion. That is the deficit added on top of the current debt. Even more frightening is the fact that Medicare will be broke by 2031 and Social Security, by 2034. By 2035, CBO estimates that debt held by the public will top $50 trillion and be the equivalent of 122 percent of our GDP.

These are staggering numbers. We can't ignore this crisis. To start the long process of fixing it, we need to start with serious reforms in the budget process.

The people of Montana know I am not a creature of Washington, nor, frankly, do I care to be. I am not a career politician. I did not work my way up through the ranks of State legislatures. My experience is in the private sector.

Anyone who has been in Montana knows that while Montana is the most beautiful State in our country, the strength of our great State lies with its people. They are hard-working folks. They believe in an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. They never hesitate to share a good dose of common sense--something that I find severely lacking here in Washington, DC.

Montana common sense combined with my private sector background taught me a number of principles I think we can apply to our budget process.

For starters, let's hold Members accountable, and performance needs to be scrutinized. When structural failure persists, it has to be addressed. For that reason, if Members of Congress can't pass all 12 appropriations bills on time, suspend their pay. Don't shut down the government; shut down the pay of Members of Congress. In fact, shut down their pay, shut down their travel, force them to stay here in Washington, and believe me, this will get resolved rather quickly. Because we all know, if you don't do your job, you don't deserve to be paid, especially when the American people are the folks paying us. That would put an end to government shutdowns.

Let's be honest. Shutting down the government only punishes the American people and increases costs. It is exactly the wrong thing we need to do. But put the pain on Congress, and that will start to change things around here in a hurry.

Second, Congress should address all spending, including discretionary and nondiscretionary programs. Think about it. Discretionary spending is utterly dysfunctional, and there are virtually no forcing mechanisms to require Congress to actually deal with the autopilot spending that accounts for nearly 70 percent of Federal spending. Avoiding the tough challenge of the mandatory spending means our national debt will just continue to soar to new, incomprehensible heights, and that puts our kids and our grandchildren on the hook. This will require bipartisan cooperation to save these programs for future generations.

Speaking of bipartisanship, the reforms we make must work whether we have unified government or divided government. Right now, it is about impossible to pass a bicameral budget during divided government. This just leads to the unwanted, behind-closed-doors mad dash as the expiration date of the latest continuing resolution approaches, which leads to my final and maybe my most important point.

Any reforms to our broken budget process must be bipartisan. There are always going to be disagreements around how taxpayer dollars should be spent, but we should be able to agree on a workable, durable process to make those decisions. To that end, we need to build on the good work of my late friend and former colleague, the late Senator Mike Enzi from Wyoming.

During more than two decades serving in the Senate, Mike worked tirelessly on this issue. Many of his proposals deserve a strong look if Congress is ever to find a solution. I believe two deserve particular attention. The first would reorient the budget resolution to a 2-year cycle. That would allow Congress more time to not only develop but also enforce the budget. I also believe Senator Enzi's proposal to create a new special reconciliation process that could only be used for reducing the deficit also warrants consideration.

There are many others. I know a number of my colleagues have weighed in on this issue as well. I welcome their ideas.

The question I pose today to Members on both sides of the aisle is, When are we going to get serious about addressing this calamity? How many more times are we going to kick the can down the road? How many more shutdowns? How high must our deficits and debt climb before we say enough is enough?

Mr. President, I humbly submit today that we did reach that point, actually, long ago. It is past time to bring the common sense of Montanans to bear on the Nation's budget process. Now is the time for serious budget reform.

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing James Fauth of Phillips County for his record-breaking chinook salmon he caught while boating on Fort Peck Lake.

Fauth, a retired power company lineman from Malta, took his 25-year- old pontoon boat out for a leisure day of fishing alongside his wife Nancy and friends Tony and Emily Simonsen. After several hours of patience and perseverance, Fauth noticed his spinning rod come to life off a downrigger and jumped into action. He figured it was a salmon because he had been tracking them deep on his sonar and the fish was putting up a fight. The rod's original 20-pound line had never been replaced, so Fauth was hopeful it wouldn't break. After approximately 5 minutes of back-and-forth battling with the fish on the other end, Fauth was overjoyed when his $29 Wal-Mart rod and reel proved to get the job done as he landed the chinook in the boat.

The enormous salmon, weighing an astounding 32.62 pounds and measuring 38 inches long with a 28-inch girth, broke the previously held State record set by Greg Haug in 2020 with a 32.05 pound salmon, also taken from Fort Peck Lake. The area is no stranger to impressive catches, but Fauth's recent trophy stands out for obvious reasons. The story of Fauth's historic catch will live on in history, and residents of River's Bend Assisted Living in Malta will soon get a special up- close look at the record breaking salmon, as Fauth has chosen to donate it to the facility so residents can enjoy it. What makes this story all the more special is that the assisted living facility is owned by Tony and Emily Simonsen, who got to bear witness to the historic catch on the Fauth family pontoon.

It is my distinct honor to recognize James Fauth for his once-in-a- lifetime catch that earned him the title as Montana's new State record salmon angler. This historic catch is a celebration of the Treasure State's natural resources

and a nod to our shared Montana way of life rooted in our passion for the great outdoors. Way to go, James; your story will forever be tied to one of the greatest catches ever made on Fort Peck Lake. You make Montana proud.

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Jenifer Powell of Ravalli County for her dedication to sharing Montana's rich and vibrant history with her seventh grade students in the Bitterroot Valley.

Powell has taught at Corvallis Middle School for 5 years, and it is clear the impact she made in that time is profound. Her innovative teaching methods covering Montana's history brings the past to life in her classroom. At the end of the school year, Jenifer's students walk away from her class with a comprehensive and enthusiastic perspective on the culture and heritage that shaped the Treasure State into the Last Best Place.

Recently named the Centennial Bell Montana History Teacher of the Year, Jenifer and her class of seventh graders will ring the Centennial Bell in the State Capitol in Helena on November 8, 2024, at 10:29 a.m., paying homage to the exact date and time that Montana became a State in 1889. Having its statehood for 135 years, Montana has a wealth of history to uncover, and I am glad to see Jenifer's commitment to preserving each piece of our State's unique cultural tapestry in a way that is accessible and exciting to some of our youngest Montanans.

It is my distinct honor to recognize Jenifer Powell for her passion for education and her work to inspire Montana's youth to learn more about the formation of the State they call home. I am confident Jenifer has sparked a lifelong curiosity for Montana history among her students.

Keep up the great work, Jenifer; you make Montana proud.

Mr. President, today I have the honor of recognizing the Montana Youth Challenge Academy's--MYCA--25th anniversary.

The Youth Challenge Academy in Dillon, MT, is one of approximately 40 programs of its kind across the country and the only one located on a college campus. Over the past 25 years, MYCA has graduated almost 4,000 successful cadets. These young people are empowered to complete their education and choose a new path in life, whether that be enlisting in military service, becoming skilled in the trades industry, or enrolling in college classes; this program lays the foundation for a successful future through their implementation of a quasi-military training model.

Academy leaders and mentors teach valuable life skills while forging trusted relationships with program participants, their parents and guardians, and a network of supporters. Mentorship continues to be among the most unique and important aspects of this program, as it ensures each cadet is receiving support that best fits their needs and promotes a seamless transition into the next phase of their journey. Upon completion of the program, each graduate is connected with a local community mentor for 1 year to help them see how the skills they have learned in the program translate beyond the academy to benefit not just themselves, but their communities. It is clear that when cadets successfully exit the program, they bring with them a renewed sense of confidence, responsibility, and positivity they are ready to share with others.

The Montana Youth Challenge Academy exemplifies what it means to look out for your neighbor and pour into the next generation of Montanans.

Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Steve Shaver of Flathead County for his courage and swift action that ultimately saved a fellow Montanan's life.

On a routine day working on a project in Hungry Horse, MT, a woman emerged from her home signaling to Steve that she needed help because her husband was in the home unconscious. Steve acted without hesitation and sprang into action as he began facilitating lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation--CPR--until the man regained consciousness and emergency service personnel arrived to the scene. Steve's calm composure and effective responsiveness demonstrated his ability to lead in a stressful emergency situation that many will never face.

Here in the Treasure State, folks hold dear the principles of an honest work ethic and lending a helping hand when someone is in need. Steve's actions exemplify Montanans' commitment to looking out for one another, no matter the time of day or circumstances, and a man's life was saved because of his actions. Our famous Montana skies cannot truly be measured and neither can a man's ability to help out his neighbor when he is needed the most.

Today, as we acknowledge Steve's act of bravery, we also pay homage to the deep-rooted values that Montana is known for, further attributing to our beloved State's title as the Last Best Place. John 13:34 states, ``A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.'' Steve's actions show that Montanans live that verse out every day.

It is my distinct honor to recognize Steve Shaver for his heroic act of selfless service that saved a fellow Montanan's life. May his bravery and compassion serve as inspiration to each of us to stand by our neighbors in times of trouble. You make Montana proud.

Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Gerald ``Jerry'' W. Marks of Missoula County for his service to his community during his tenure as the county's longest serving employee.

Growing up on a farm near Townsend, MT, Jerry went on to lead an accomplished life from his time in the U.S. Army serving overseas in Vietnam, to receiving quality education based in agriculture and public service from Montana State University and the University of Montana. His studies served him well as he began his long career as Missoula County's Agriculture Extension Agent in 1969. To provide some context, Jerry has been serving his community longer than we have had a man on the moon.

Jerry built programs and partnerships centered around agriculture, horticulture, and community development. During his tenure, Jerry increased the enrollment and community participation in 4-H by 30 percent, helped establish the Extension Forestry Program in 1983, and developed the County Weed Control Program in 1985. Jerry's most recent project, which took decades to finish, was the completion of the Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center and Rocky Mountain Gardens located on the Missoula County Fairgrounds, which fittingly bears his name.

Jerry and his wife of 51 years, Sharon, have two children and four grandchildren. Hailing from South Dakota, Sharon also grew up on a farm and had a career as an extension agent. The Markses enjoy sewing arts, growing plants, creative cooking, and supporting Missoula's arts community. After 55 years of service to his community, Jerry is set to retire March 1, 2024, and I have no doubt he will keep busy with his many hobbies and friends throughout Missoula County.

It is my distinct honor to recognize Jerry Marks for his life of service to the Missoula community. His favorite quote epitomizes his life's work. ``Do not fear the head winds, for they will make your program stronger.'' Thanks for your tireless work, Jerry, you make Montana proud and are one of the reasons it remains The Last Best Place.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, today the Senate passed the bipartisan, bicameral Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act--S. 758, H.R. 1568-- and will send it to the President for his signature. In 2017, a small Montana trucking company came to me with concerns that servicemembers and Americans moving home from abroad were having their identities stolen after cargo manifests were made public by Customs and Border Protection without the removal of their personally identifiable information. So I took action, drafted the Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act, and worked with a bipartisan group of Members in the House and Senate to move forward with a solution.

The bill is simple and straightforward. It requires Customs and Border Protection to remove all personally identifiable information, including Social Security Numbers and passport numbers, from manifest sheets before making them public. This is an easy solution to a longstanding problem, and I am glad Congress is finally acting to get this bill to the President's desk and signed into law.

In 1984, Customs and Border Protection were required to publicly disclose certain manifest information. Since then, we have seen the inadvertent disclosure of Americans' personal data with little to no recourse. In today's digital world, once a person's information is put online, it is nearly impossible to remove it. And while the CBP does offer a process for consumers of shipping services to make their information confidential, these forms can take months to process and are often processed after the individual's data has already been released to the public.

I believe the priority should be to protect Americans' privacy and automatically remove this personal information, rather than requiring citizens to make a request and hope the paperwork is processed in time. This bill will ensure that happens.

I want to thank Senator Peters for helping lead this bill with me in the Senate, as well as Senator Marshall and Senator Stabenow. I also want to thank Representative Waltz and Representative Pascrell for leading the House companion bill that we passed in the Senate today. I also want to thank all our staff and the staff on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee for their work over the years to get this bill signed into law. Finally, I want to thank all the Montanans and Americans, including the large group of trucking, moving, and servicemember organizations, who have championed this bill for so long.

I look forward to our bill getting signed into law and ensuring Americans' and servicemembers' privacy is finally protected.

Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Mary Erickson, forest supervisor for the Custer Gallatin National Forest, for her years of service.

Mary has been active in the stewardship of natural resources for nearly 40 years, the last 15 as forest supervisor in Montana. During her tenure, she worked to consolidate the Custer and Gallatin National Forests into one National Forest that Montanans enjoy today. The Custer Gallatin National Forest stretches over 3.1 million acres and covers portions of southern Montana and western South Dakota. It is known for its wildlife, breathtaking scenery, and opportunities for industry and recreation.

Mary graduated from Oregon State University's College of Forestry with a bachelor of science in forest management in 1982 and received a master of science in forest economics in 1986. In her time with the Forest Service, Mary has supported numerous collaborative efforts to better the connection between communities, organizations and the Forest Service and led the Custer and Gallatin Forest through a forest

plan revision process that engaged public users and local communities.

Mary's support of the communities who enjoy and rely on their public lands is exemplary and personifies what it means to be a public servant. With her retirement at the end of December, Montana recognizes her distinguished career and thanks her for her contributions and dedication to our wonderful State, the natural resources we enjoy, and the people who call it home.

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Sherm Anderson of Powell County for his long-standing dedication to Montana's timber industry, carrying out his family's entrepreneurial spirit in his hometown of Deer Lodge and for selflessly serving the greater Powell County community. His perseverance in his personal and professional life helps the State of Montana maintain its vital wood products industry.

Sherm's dedication to healthy Montana forests first began when he was a teenager driving a logging truck. Years later, he and his wife Bonnie went on to form the Sun Mountain Lumber forest products company, which employs hundreds of people and serves as the Treasure State's largest lumber mill and North America's largest finger joint plant. Sun Mountain Lumber plays a vital role in the Deer Lodge Valley economy and continues to have an impact across the State. Earlier this year, Sherm purchased R-Y Timber, a Livingston, MT, sawmill, that was shuttered following a devastating fire--and saved even more logging jobs. Montanans are lucky to have this forest products powerhouse right in our backyard.

When it comes to Sherm's accomplished work history, he served in the Montana State Legislature, branched out into real estate and construction, operates a fitness center, contributes to a local auto museum, maintains his own 1,200-acre ranch, and most recently invested in the town's old hospital complex in order to renovate it into workforce housing. As Sherm continues to weather the volatility of the timber industry, he understands that collaboration is critical to keeping important wood product jobs viable and also ensuring our forest lands remain healthy for generations to come. It is clear Sherm understands the importance in working with folks from all backgrounds to make southwestern Montana a better place to live and work.

It is my distinct honor to recognize Sherm Anderson for his passion to preserve our shared Montana way of life. The Anderson family has created a multigenerational legacy that promotes fruitful forest stewardship.``Montana Proud!''

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Chad Bauer of Missoula County for his commitment to stewarding safe and ethical practices among the next generation of Montana sportsmen and women.

Chad served as a volunteer with the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Missoula branch for 20 years where he instructed over 1,000 Montanans in hunter and bowhunter education classes. We know that Montana's public lands and wildlife deserve the utmost respect, so ensuring future sportsmen and women commit themselves to safety and conservation is key. From proper firearm handling, administering bear spray, crossing fences, responsible land use and fair-chase practices, Chad wants to ensure that Montanans' ethics translate beyond their time spent in hunter orange.

September in Montana means the official start of archery season. As Montanans in every corner of the State are putting in long days in the backcountry to fill their respective tags, Chad understands the importance of being bear-aware when it comes to grizzlies. When Chad served on the State of Montana's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council, he applied his knowledge as a lifelong outdoorsmen to help make recommendations that would allow for commonsense management of these apex predators. I am glad to see Chad not only share his insight with the council, but also with his students in hunter and bowhunter education classes to ensure they could enjoy the great outdoors while upholding best safety practices.

It is my distinct honor to recognize Chad Bauer for his enthusiasm and dedication to equipping future Montana hunters with the skills and knowledge needed to create treasured hunting memories of their own. I am confident his 20 years as a volunteer instructor helped strengthen the integrity of Montana's hunting heritage, and the skills and lessons he has shared will not be forgotten. Thank you for encouraging our youth to get out and experience all that Montana has to offer, Chad-- you make Montana proud.

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

Mr. President, I would like to use my time today to raise awareness about an important issue. Actually, it is about an important person, and his name is Marc Fogel.

Marc is a beloved father and husband. He is also a son, a brother, and an uncle. Over the course of his life, he has been a formative mentor to many young minds. You see, Marc Fogel spent 35 years teaching American history at American international schools around the world and most recently in Moscow. But after dedicating so much of his life to the service of others, he is currently detained in a Russian labor camp.

On August 14, 2021, as Marc returned to Russia for 1 final year of teaching before a much-deserved retirement, he was arrested in a Moscow airport for carrying about half an ounce of medical marijuana in his luggage. Marc had been prescribed the medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids to manage his chronic pain after undergoing multiple back surgeries, including a spinal fusion and various other challenging and painful procedures. Marc did not think that this healthcare decision would cost him his freedom and maybe even his life, but following his arrest, a Russian court convicted Marc of ``large- scale drug smuggling'' and sentenced him to 14 years in a maximum security penal colony. He has been there ever since.

In 2021, the same year as Marc's arrest, the U.S. State Department described the conditions in Russian prisons and detention centers as ``often harsh and life threatening.'' They reported overcrowding, abuse by guards and inmates, limited access to healthcare, food shortages, and inadequate sanitation as common occurrences--many practices that most Americans can't even imagine.

Considering the inhumane and harsh treatment reported in these centers and especially given the health challenges that Marc was already facing upon his arrest, Marc's family now fears he is not going to survive his sentence.

This is an injustice at the highest level, and it must not be tolerated by our government.

It is important to recognize that Marc is not the only American illegally detained abroad. U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich are both still trapped in Russian prisons as well.

But while all three of these men are wrongfully detained in Russia, only Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich have been recognized as wrongfully detained by the State Department. The State Department considers a formal

wrongful detention status as being one of the first steps to getting an American who is detained abroad back home. This determination mobilizes multiple U.S. Agencies to work with the State Department and the family of the detained to secure the prisoner's release.

There are currently over 50 American citizens the State Department lists as wrongfully detained in Russia, China, Iran, and Venezuela. However, despite being unjustly detained for the last nearly 2 years-- with no end in sight--Marc is still not designated as wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department.

You may recall the Biden administration's high-profile negotiation to bring WNBA star Brittney Griner home after she was detained in Russia, just after Fogel, over a similar drug-related offense. Ms. Griner is, thankfully, home. One of the key differences between Brittney Griner's and Marc Fogel's cases is that, less than 3 months after Griner's arrest, the State Department classified her as wrongfully detained. Fogel deserves the same justice, and we should be using every tool at our disposal to bring him home.

I have had the privilege of getting to know some of Marc's family, some of whom are Montanans. They have been fierce advocates here stateside, but they fear they will never see their brother's face again or hear their father's voice. We can't let that happen.

In working alongside the Fogel family, I have also teamed up with President Obama's U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Mike McFaul. Mike McFaul was my former Bozeman High School debate partner, whose son was actually a student of Marc Fogel when Ambassador McFaul was serving in Moscow. Mike McFaul and I are working together to implore the State Department to finally declare Marc as wrongfully detained.

This week, I also worked with colleagues across the aisle to introduce a resolution highlighting the unjust and disproportionate criminal sentence by Russia and calling for the immediate release of Mr. Fogel.

Time is of the essence. Tomorrow is Marc's 62nd birthday, but instead of celebrating with his friends and family, he will be spending it illegally detained in a Russian labor camp.

No American should ever have to endure this type of injustice. It is time the country and the world know about Mr. Fogel's case, and I urge the administration to help bring this American back home once again.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I would like to thank my colleague from Montana, Senator Tester, and all of those who have worked so hard to get this home today.

This settles a 100-plus-year battle in Montana. This is the last Indian water rights settlement for the State of Montana--the Fort Belknap water rights settlement. It codifies existing water rights, prevents costly litigation, provides clean drinking water, and invests in irrigation for farmers and ranchers to provide food for our country.

This bill passed out of committee by a voice vote. It is supported by the Governor of Montana, by the entire Montana congressional delegation, the Fort Belknap community, all of the locally affected counties, including the county commissioners, and our farmers and our ranchers.

This is truly a win for our State and the country. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment, and I am going to ask for a voice vote.

Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing David Stamey, chief of emergency services for Stillwater County, MT, for his dedication to keeping his community safe, no matter what disaster may ensue.

David has served Stillwater County as the chief of emergency services for nearly a year and a half, and since assuming his position in April of 2022, he has managed several disasters that few county DES coordinators would see in a lifetime.

Just 2 months after stepping into his role, David was tasked with responding to historic 500-year flooding throughout the region. When the substantial amount of snow and heavy rainfall from earlier that spring met the rapidly rising temperatures in June, the snowmelt and water runoff sparked immediate flooding throughout the Yellowstone Valley. Agricultural land, homes, roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure took a significant hit. The Sibanye-Stillwater Mine in Nye, the world's only viable platinum and palladium mining operation outside South Africa and Russia, was forced to suspend operations for roughly 6 weeks due to a road that provided entry to the mine being washed out. David continued to work tirelessly with local, State, and Federal partners to ensure the road would be restored in a timely manner and that his community at large remained on a swift path to recovery.

Most recently, a portion of a train headed westbound near Reed Point derailed while crossing a bridge over the Yellowstone River. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries, but there were multiple railcars submerged in the river releasing asphalt downstream. About a week later, all of the railcars involved in the derailment were removed from the scene, and after just 28 days post outage, the bridge was newly constructed, allowing the first train to cross over safely as crews continue to work diligently to remove remaining asphalt from the river. Thanks to David's effective leadership and coordination within the Unified Command structure, train service was restored while never compromising anyone's health or safety.

It is my distinct honor to recognize David Stamey for his unwavering commitment to keeping residents of Stillwater County safe. He has selflessly dedicated 30 years of his life to disaster and emergency services, and I am confident his passion and expertise in this field will benefit folks in Stillwater County and across the State of Montana for years to come. Thank you for your continued efforts to keep Montanans safe, David. You make Montana proud.