Floor Statements

Madam President, I rise to address the Trump shutdown and the real consequences that have occurred since 800,000 Federal workers, including nearly 3,000 Wisconsinites, have been furloughed or forced to work without pay.

The President said this week that his administration is setting records. It is true that he now holds the record for the longest government shutdown in our Nation's history, but every day that it continues, the Trump shutdown is causing real pain for hard-working people in my State.

I recently read the heartbreaking story of Mallory Lorge. Mallory lives in River Falls, WI, and works for the Department of the Interior. On Friday, Mallory, along with thousands of other Federal workers, did not receive a paycheck. Mallory has type 1 diabetes. Without her paycheck, she can't afford her $300 copay to get the insulin she needs to manage her diabetes and stay alive. Mallory said she is rationing the two vials of insulin she has left. Her blood sugar rose to a high level last week, but she said she felt forced to ignore it. Instead, she said, I just went to bed and hoped I would wake up.

Think about that for a minute. Because President Trump and the Republicans in Congress refuse to support bipartisan legislation to end this shutdown and reopen the government, Mallory can't afford to get the insulin she needs to live. The House has done its job in passing bipartisan legislation to end the shutdown. Now it is time for Senate Majority Leader McConnell to stop blocking a vote in the Senate so that we can fund the government.

We are 26 days into the Trump shutdown. It is not just hurting Federal workers and contractors. It is also hurting small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country. In Wisconsin, we make things-- cheese, brats, and, yes, beer. Milwaukee is often called Brew City, but thanks to the government shutdown, there are craft brewers across our State that can't make or sell new beer.

Russ Klisch is the President of Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. Lakefront has been making beer in Wisconsin for more than 30 years. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approves licenses for new beers and new breweries as well as labels for beers that are sent out of State, but the Agency is not currently serving craft brewers due to the Trump shutdown.

Lakefront Brewery has plans to introduce a brand-new beer in mid- February, but those plans are now on hold. This government shutdown threatens to cut its beer sales and hurt its ability to grow its business and support the economy. Other breweries across Wisconsin are impacted as well.

Mosinee Brewing Company opened its doors just last November, but it can't get approval to start making and selling its new beer until the government reopens. New ``Made in Wisconsin'' beer is also on hold until we reopen the government.

President Trump and Majority Leader McConnell can and should end this shutdown today and ensure that Federal workers like Mallory can finally get paid and so that small business owners like Russ can keep growing their businesses.

We should vote in the Senate today on House-passed legislation, and the President should sign it so we can finally end this useless shutdown that is preventing our country from moving forward.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise to speak about President Trump's shutdown and the real pain that it is causing in my home State of Wisconsin and in communities across this country. The Trump shutdown is now in its 21st day, tying the longest Federal Government shutdown on record. Today is also the day that approximately 800,000 Federal workers will not get their regularly scheduled paychecks, including approximately 3,000 Wisconsinites. Many of these workers are doing their jobs without pay: Coast Guard workers, Transportation Security Administration agents, air traffic controllers, along with Federal law enforcement, including FBI and DEA agents.

These hard-working Americans are suffering because President Trump and Republicans in Congress refuse to support bipartisan legislation to end this shutdown and reopen the government.

We should be working today to pass bipartisan legislation to end this senseless and useless shutdown and reopen the government. Sadly, no votes are scheduled today by the Senate majority leader, meaning that the Trump shutdown will continue.

The House did their job and passed bipartisan legislation to end the Trump shutdown, but Senator Majority Leader McConnell has thus far objected to bringing up this legislation in the Senate. In fact, yesterday, I joined many of my colleagues on this Senate floor in an effort to pass, once again, bipartisan legislation to reopen the government, but Majority Leader McConnell blocked our efforts, and the pain will continue for so many across this country.

Why is the government shut down? Over the past 3 years, President Trump has publicly promised well over 200 times that Mexico would pay for his wall. Now he has shut down our government over his failure to keep his promise. He even said that he takes pride in this Trump shutdown.

The American people shouldn't pay for this deception, and Congress should not make taxpayers pay billions of dollars for his wasteful and ineffective wall. What we should do instead is reopen the government and pass bipartisan Homeland Security legislation--supported by both Democrats and Republicans--that provides smart and cost-effective border security.

President Trump's shutdown has many consequences, and he has created many victims. I want to speak about some of the pain Wisconsinites are feeling.

In Wisconsin, the Trump shutdown is hurting farmers and rural communities. It really could not come at a worse time. Wisconsin lost over 600 dairy farms last year and over 500 the year before. In response, Congress worked together on a bipartisan basis to pass a farm bill that would support our farmers and our rural economy.

Unfortunately, with this shutdown, President Trump has threatened all of that progress. His shutdown is stalling the implementation of the bipartisan farm bill and delaying things like subsidy payments and loans that farmers need to get ready for the spring planting season and plan how they will endure in these very uncertain market conditions.

We have heard from farmers about the pain the Trump shutdown is causing them. Here is one story. Michael Slattery is a grain farmer from Manitowoc County, WI. He is waiting on $9,000 that the Department of Agriculture agreed to pay him to compensate him for the losses from the President's trade war and for conservation efforts that he participates in on his farm.

Mr. Slattery planned to use this money to get ready for the upcoming planting season, but now that is all on hold. To quote Mr. Slattery: ``We are being played the stooge.''

He is right. Farmers like him have suffered enough under this administration, and the Trump shutdown is another blow for Mr. Slattery and farmers like him across Wisconsin and the entire Nation.

I have also heard from Kelly. Kelly lives in Black River Falls, WI. Kelly has a disability, and she also takes care of a grandchild with a disability. Kelly received funding from the Department of Agriculture, including a program that specifically helps low-income and underserved people in rural communities. The USDA had agreed to help her close on a home and to help her make some immediate home repairs. Now the funding is on hold. She can't pay the contractor who made the repairs, and she is also having trouble paying the mortgage on her new home.

What is the Department of Agriculture doing to help or assist Kelly? Right now, nothing. She can't even get information from the USDA because of the Trump shutdown.

People like Kelly and Michael should not have to suffer because President Trump broke a promise to make Mexico pay for an ineffective border wall.

Democrats and Republicans agree that President Trump should end his shutdown and accept bipartisan legislation to fund the Department of Agriculture and reopen other Agencies in the government.

In fact, the House passed bipartisan legislation just yesterday to fund the USDA and reopen it for business. Unfortunately, the Senate majority leader is blocking that legislation too.

I am calling for a vote in the U.S. Senate on the House-passed legislation to fund the government, which Senate Republicans previously have supported and would reopen the Federal Government and finally end the Trump shutdown. We should pass this legislation, and the President should sign this legislation so that this shutdown ends for people like Kelly, people like Mike, people in rural communities, and all communities across Wisconsin.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to ask the Senate to come together and do the right thing for our veterans by passing the blue water Navy legislation. I thank my colleague from Connecticut for his leadership, and I join him in appreciating the remarks of the Senator from Georgia in support of advancing this legislation in the final days of this session.

As a result of the VA changing its policy, Vietnam blue water Navy veterans have to meet higher burdens of proof to receive healthcare and disability benefits that they earned due to their exposure to Agent Orange.

I have heard from many veterans and their families from across Wisconsin asking that the Senate pass this bill because they don't have any more time to wait.

A veteran's family from Reedsburg, WI, wrote to me. They wrote:

Senator Baldwin, my brother-in-law did three tours off the

coast of Vietnam on an ammunition ship. He has contracted

brain cancer, lung cancer, diabetes and hearing loss. We have

submitted a request for compensation for these ailments. All

requests have been denied and we are still appealing. This

House bill passed unanimously and now languishes in the

Senate. My brother-in-law is in hospice with limited time

remaining. Please pass this legislation.

I heard from a veteran from Stetsonville, WI. He said:

I served in the U.S. Navy and spent 1966 aboard the USS

Intrepid as a gun fire controlman. I have been diagnosed with

stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and large hairy cell leukemia.

The lymphoma is currently in remission, but the leukemia is

untreatable.

On August 10, 2018, I had open-heart quintuple-bypass

surgery as well. My children and grandchildren are suffering

from my exposure to the dioxins found in Agent Orange which

polluted the waters of the Tonkin Gulf. Please get the VA to

do its job of caring for, treating, and recognizing the

service-connected disability of the many Navy vets now

suffering.

The money for this care was originally provided for, prior

to 1991, when the VA arbitrarily disallowed the gulf sailors.

It is time to correct this breach of promise to care for our

veterans, and I am asking for your help in getting the Blue

Water Navy bill passed in the Senate, as it was unanimously

passed in the House.

I am disappointed that Senator Blumenthal's request to pass this bill was just objected to by my colleague from Utah. Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have argued that we can't afford the cost of this legislation, but I heard no such objections when those same colleagues voted for a very partisan tax bill that gave huge tax breaks to the largest corporations and added $1.9 trillion to our Nation's debt. Now, when it comes to doing right by our Vietnam veterans who served this country and are now dying from their illnesses, we don't have the money to spend to help get them better or to help give their families a little more time with them. That is simply wrong.

How much is it costing blue water Navy veterans who are trying to beat cancer? How much is it costing their caregivers who quit their jobs in order to take care of them? We have a moral obligation to fix this, and we have the opportunity to get this done right now.

These veterans fought for us and are dying from their service- connected illnesses. It is past time to do the right thing and pass this bill. We need to do it now, and we should not leave town until it is done.

Thank you.

I yield back to Senator Blumenthal.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Hannah Rosenthal's extraordinary career as she celebrates her retirement as President and CEO of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Hannah has had a long and distinguished career as an influential advocate of tolerance, and her mark on the Jewish community is indelible. She is best known for building bridges between disparate factions and believing that everyone, no matter their background or perspective, deserves a seat at the table.

Hannah transferred from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts to the University of Wisconsin-Madison after falling in love with the city and the university during a Hebrew class she attended the summer after her sophomore year. She received her bachelor of arts degree from UW- Madison and studied for the rabbinate in Jerusalem and California.

Hannah's father was a rabbi and Holocaust survivor who inspired her to lead a life shaped by her Jewish faith. Rabbi Franz Rosenthal's experiences as a prisoner at Buchenwald and a refugee in this country helped forge his daughter's identity as an avid champion of human rights.

Hannah's extensive career includes impressive experience at State, local, national, and international levels. She served as the founding executive director of the Wisconsin Women's Council and head of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. In 1995, she was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as the midwest regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Although I had the pleasure of working with Hannah at many points in her remarkable career, I am especially grateful for all she taught me about effective advocacy, particularly advocacy on behalf of women. Early in my career, I worked with Hannah in her role leading the Wisconsin Women's Council to organize support for State efforts to guarantee equal pay for equal work.

Hannah is perhaps best known for her role as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009, she used her role to build coalitions of sometimes unlikely allies to denounce hatred around the world. She was not afraid to confront bigotry head on. She personally took those who denied the Holocaust on tours of concentration camps. In 2010, she switched her speech on anti-Semitism at an international conference on tolerance with the Special Representative to Muslim Communities so that she condemned Islamophobia in the strongest possible terms while her Muslim counterpart strongly denounced anti-Semitism. She summed up her philosophy succinctly in an interview with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum by saying, ``This isn't just about the Jews, this is about hatred, and that affects everyone.''

Hannah is bold, resolute, and fearless. She believes there is no room in this world for intolerance toward others, and she has made it her mission in life to speak out against hatred and bigotry in all forms. It is the mindset that shaped her legacy at the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and led her to challenge young people to volunteer at organizations that serve people unlike them through the creation of the Hours Against Hate global campaign.

Hannah deserves to be proud of her many national and international accomplishments, but her heart remains rooted at home in Wisconsin with her friends, family, and community. Hannah has made many close friends along her journey who stuck by her through thick and thin. She also takes much pride and delight in her two daughters and young grandson.

Public servant, activist, icon, and pioneer are words that only begin to

describe the contributions Hannah has made in the fight for a more kind and just world. Although Hannah's retirement marks the end of a chapter, she will never stop fighting for what she believes to be right. I will forever be grateful for Hannah's loyal advocacy and forever honored to call her my friend.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor Shel Gross, director of Public Policy for Mental Health America of Wisconsin, MHA, on his retirement. Throughout his career, Shel has helped everyday Wisconsinites in their battle with mental health issues and has been a powerful advocate, peer, mentor, and leader in elevating the voices of those struggling with mental illness.

Shel has been the director of Public for MHA of Wisconsin since April 2000. During his tenure, he has significantly expanded the array of community-based mental health services that support recovery and independence. Wisconsin owes Shel a debt of gratitude for raising awareness of both the tragedy and treatability of many serious mental health afflictions.

Shel's greatest accomplishment is his tremendous work in reducing the prevalence of suicide in Wisconsin. As project manager for MHA's statewide prevention/early intervention initiative in mental health, he focused on improving the quality of behavioral healthcare to help lower Wisconsin's suicide rate. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, over 700 Wisconsin residents die each year by suicide. Another 5,500 Wisconsin residents are hospitalized due to intentional, self-inflicted injury. As project manager of a suicide prevention grant, Shel made it his life's work to reduce the number of people affected by suicide or suicide attempts, work that deserves the utmost praise and appreciation.

The Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force, MHTF, awarded Shel the Karen Avery Award in 2017, which honors those who have shown tremendous advocacy and leadership in advancing the rights of people with disabilities. Working hand-in-hand with the award's namesake, Shel helped establish the Grassroots Empowerment Project, GEP, to create opportunities for people seeking mental health recovery and wellness to exercise power in their lives. Shel has been a prominent voice for recognizing and tapping the power of community to help heal the isolation of depression.

Shel will be deeply missed by his colleagues and all those who consider him a loyal friend and passionate advocate. I know Shel will continue to be a valuable voice on these important issues after retirement, but I congratulate him on this milestone and wish him the very best in this new chapter.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 627, S.J. Res. 63.

Mr. President, just over a year ago in this Chamber, three brave Republican colleagues--Senator John McCain, Senator Susan Collins, and Senator Lisa Murkowski--joined all Democrats in voting against healthcare repeal legislation. They listened to the families of their States.

I, too, voted against that repeal legislation because the people of Wisconsin did not send me to Washington to take away their healthcare. When congressional Republicans tried to pass repeal plans that would allow insurance companies to charge more for preexisting conditions, families across our country fought back.

When the Republican majority tried to charge older Americans an age tax and make people pay more for less care, people let their voices be heard and sent a loud message to Washington: Protect our care. They sent us all a clear message that they want us to work across party lines to protect the healthcare guarantees they depend on and to stand up for those with preexisting health conditions. Yet defeating the legislative efforts that would have made things worse for families didn't end the threat to the American people.

The Trump administration has been trying to do what congressional Republicans couldn't. They have been sabotaging our healthcare system and rewriting the rules on guaranteed health protections and access to affordable care that millions of Americans have today. This sabotage has created instability in the healthcare market, contributing to widespread premium spikes in 2018.

This administration ended the critical cost-sharing reduction payments that made healthcare more affordable for almost 90,000 Wisconsinites. The Trump administration again slashed funding for outreach efforts to help people sign up for healthcare.

Trusted navigator programs like those in Wisconsin have had their funding cut by nearly 90 percent in the past 2 years. This will mean fewer people in rural Wisconsin will receive the support they need to obtain affordable coverage this year.

It doesn't stop there. The Trump administration has even joined Wisconsin's Governor and Wisconsin's attorney general and other States in going to court to support a lawsuit that would take away guaranteed protections for people with preexisting conditions. If they succeed, insurance companies will again be able to deny coverage or charge higher premiums for the more than 130 million Americans with a preexisting health condition. In fact, if the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with preexisting conditions are struck down in court, Wisconsin is among the States that has the most to lose.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, one out of every four Wisconsinites has some sort of preexisting health condition, and they simply cannot afford to have the healthcare they depend on threatened with higher costs or coverage denials.

The Trump administration has expanded junk insurance plans. These plans are cheap for a reason; they do not have to provide essential health benefits like hospitalization, prescription drugs, and maternity care.

According to the fine print of one of the plans sold in several States, including my home State of Wisconsin--marketed by the Golden Rule Company--the plan doesn't even have to cover hospital care on a Friday or Saturday. It will be just your bad luck if you happen to get sick and need healthcare on the weekend. The very first exclusion states that it provides no benefits for a preexisting health condition. The fine print also notes if you are pregnant, that will be considered a preexisting health condition.

These junk insurance plans can deny healthcare coverage to people with preexisting conditions when they need it the most, and that is why I am leading this effort in the U.S. Senate to take action and stop this sabotage.

This is personal to me. When I was 9 years old, I got sick. I was really sick. I was in the hospital for 3 months. I eventually recovered. When it came to health insurance, it was as if I had some sort of scarlet letter. My grandparents, who raised me, couldn't find a policy at any price that would cover me--not from any insurer--all because I was a childhood branded with those words: ``preexisting condition.''

This is also personal for Chelsey from Seymour, WI, whose daughter was born with a congenital heart defect. Right now, Zoe is guaranteed access to coverage without being denied or charged more because of her preexisting condition.

Chelsey wrote me during that debate last year: ``I'm pleading to you as a mother to fight for the kids in Wisconsin with pre-existing conditions that are counting on you to protect that right.''

No parent or grandparent should have to lie awake at night wondering if the healthcare they have today for themselves and their families will be there tomorrow. With the expansion of these junk plans, that fear could become a new reality for far too many families as healthy people leave the market, increasing premiums for everyone.

Children like Zoe may not be able to find any plan that her parents can afford or that will cover the care she needs. No family should be forced to choose between helping a loved one get better or going bankrupt.

Before the Affordable Care Act, too many families had to make that choice. Before the healthcare law, I heard from Sue from Beloit, WI. Sue's husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. They quickly found out their insurance plan had a $13,000 limit on radiation and chemotherapy. That covered about one round of chemotherapy. When they needed to continue treatment, Sue and her family used all of their savings, and then they maxed out all of their credit cards. When they were facing insurmountable credit card debt, she told me: ``I had no choice but to file bankruptcy.'' Sue's husband later died.

We can't go back to the days when insurance companies wrote the rules, just as we cannot allow the Trump administration to rewrite the rules on guaranteed healthcare protections that millions of Americans depend on.

More than 20 of the leading healthcare organizations in America, representing our Nation's physicians, patients, medical students, and other health experts, are supporting this resolution to overturn the Trump administration's expansion of junk insurance plans. They are doing so because these junk plans will reduce access to quality coverage for millions and increase costs.

These junk plans will charge people more for coverage based on their preexisting conditions or deny them coverage outright. These junk plans will leave cancer patients and survivors with higher premiums and fewer insurance options. These junk plans will force premium increases on older Americans.

I have heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle say that they are committed to protecting people with preexisting conditions. Now is your chance to prove it. Anyone who says they support coverage for people with

preexisting conditions should support this resolution to overturn the Trump administration's expansion of these junk insurance plans.

This is an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to come together to protect people's access to quality, affordable healthcare when they need it the most. Let us join in seizing the opportunity to do what is right by the American people.

I yield.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following documents concerning the rule submitted by the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Labor, and Secretary of Health and Human Services relating to short-term, limited duration insurance be entered into the Record: a letter to Congress from 113 health organizations expressing concerns with the rule, a letter from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners requesting a delay in implementation of the rule, a short-term medical plan brochure from the Golden Rule Insurance Company outlining the policy's coverage exclusions, and a news article from 2014 illustrating the lack of consumer protections in short-term limited duration plans.

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

Madam President, there is one standard we should all apply to any nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court--honesty. While some

have chosen not to apply that standard to Judge Kavanaugh, I must. At the very least, we should expect a nominee for our highest Court to be honest.

I do not believe Judge Kavanaugh has met this standard. In fact, there is a long record of this nominee not being truthful when he came before the Senate Judiciary Committee. I don't believe he was truthful in his 2006 testimony before the Senate, just as I don't believe he was honest in 2018.

Last week, I joined millions of Americans in watching Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's powerful testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which she credibly presented serious and deeply disturbing allegations of sexual assault. I have deep respect for the strength and courage she has shown in coming forward and putting her own safety and that of her family on the line to do the right thing. To me, Dr. Blasey Ford was honest, and I believe her.

I supported the call for the White House to reopen the FBI background investigation of Judge Kavanaugh. Dr. Blasey Ford did too. However, in his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Judge Kavanaugh repeatedly refused to support such an investigation by the FBI.

It is clear to me that the White House and the Senate Republicans severely limited what could have been a full and independent review by the FBI of the credible allegations against the Supreme Court nominee. The fact is, White House and Senate Republicans would not allow the FBI to interview Dr. Blasey Ford, Judge Kavanaugh, and a number of witnesses who came forward publicly. That is simply wrong.

It is also wrong to be moving forward on a Supreme Court nominee who so clearly lacks the honesty and judicial temperament we would expect of someone serving on our Nation's highest Court.

Let us not ignore what we all witnessed at last week's Judiciary Committee hearing. We saw a stark contrast between two witnesses. Dr. Ford was honest, credible, respectful, and thoughtful. On the other hand, Judge Kavanaugh was not honest about a number of things he was questioned about, and he did not provide truthful testimony. What he did provide were aggressively angry, political attacks that prove he lacks the judicial temperament to serve on America's highest Court. Even before Judge Kavanaugh's recent hearing, I did not believe he would be an independent judge.

Powerful special interests in Washington handpicked him and have used their massive, dark money resources to push his nomination forward. I can only conclude that Judge Kavanaugh would work for them and not the people of Wisconsin or our Nation. It is no wonder Judge Kavanaugh is the choice of these powerful, wealthy, corporate special interests. They want to ensure that they maintain the majority on the Supreme Court that will rule on their issues and in their favor.

As my colleague and Judiciary Committee member Senator Whitehouse has described in great detail, since 2006, the five conservative Justices have joined together 73 times as a bare majority in 5-to-4 rulings in favor of big special interests. These decisions have turned back progress on voting rights, environmental protection, and have allowed corporations to discriminate against workers.

Judge Kavanaugh's record shows he will advance this troubling trend when the people of Wisconsin need a fair, impartial, and independent Supreme Court Justice who will stand up for them, not just for big, powerful special interests.

At a time when so many in Washington are working to overturn the law of the land that helps provide affordable healthcare to 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions, including more than 2 million Wisconsinites, we cannot afford a nominee who would serve as the deciding vote to take us back to the days when powerful insurance companies wrote the rules.

The President vowed to appoint judges to the Supreme Court who would overturn the law of the land, Roe v. Wade, and I take him at his word. Judge Kavanaugh is his choice for a lifetime appointment that would turn back the clock on a woman's constitutional right and freedom to make her own healthcare choices, including access to birth control.

I also have serious concerns about Judge Kavanaugh's belief that a President should be protected from investigations and subpoenas and indictments. We have an ongoing national security investigation by the special counsel looking into Russia's attack on our democracy, criminal conspiracy, and potential obstruction of justice.

Particularly after his highly partisan testimony before the Judiciary Committee, I do not trust Judge Kavanaugh to provide the independence we need on our Supreme Court at this time. When Judge Kavanaugh was nominated, I reviewed his record and opposed his nomination because the stakes are too high for the American people. They do not want a Supreme Court to advance a political agenda to overturn the law of the land on healthcare for people with preexisting conditions, women's reproductive health, and the constitutional rights and freedoms of all Americans.

I truly wish I had been granted the opportunity to discuss these important issues with Judge Kavanaugh before this vote, but after seven requests to the White House for a meeting with this nominee, they did not grant me the opportunity to talk to Judge Kavanaugh.

The people of Wisconsin need a fair, impartial, and independent Supreme Court Justice. Based on everything we know, I do not have the confidence Judge Kavanaugh would be that Justice, and I will vote no on his confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize a solemn occasion, the 147th anniversary of the Great Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin. On October 8, 1871, Wisconsin's 10th largest city at the time was completely destroyed in what is still the largest fire in U.S. history.

The city of Peshtigo, WI, was first settled in 1838. The community is surrounded by dense Wisconsin forest and has long been sustained economically by lumber, shipping, and railroad interests. Located off the western shore of Green Bay in Marinette County, the area was home to Menominee and Ho-Chunk Native-Americans.

Historians and survivors of the fire theorize that the blaze was started by railroad workers who were cutting trees and burning debris outside of Peshtigo. A combination of a prolonged drought, a heavy reliance on wooden buildings, and 100-mph winds aligned to create a firestorm that reached 3 miles across and 1,000 feet high. Over the course of the night, the fire scorched over 1.2 million acres and caused an estimated $169 million in damages. Between 1,200 and 2,500 people lost their lives. The fire's complete destruction of local records prevented an accurate death toll. An estimated 350 victims lie in a mass grave in Peshtigo, victims who could not be identified because they were either burned beyond recognition or because those who could identify them perished too.

Although the Great Peshtigo Fire has been well documented, little has been written about the crucial role Native Americans played in preventing further loss of life among European settlers. One of the most compelling stories involves Abraham Place, who traveled on foot to Wisconsin from Vermont in 1837 to build a homestead in the Sugar Bush neighborhood just outside of Peshtigo. He married a Menominee woman, and together with their children, they tended one of the largest farms in the area. While marrying a Native-American woman was socially acceptable when Place first settled there, attitudes had changed by 1871, and he was scorned by his fellow settlers.

The Native Americans he regularly welcomed to his home warned him of the impending danger of fire after months of little to no rain and helped him create a 3-foot-deep firebreak around his farm. His European neighbors dismissed his precaution as the actions of a crazy man who had married a Native American. Mrs. Place's in-laws then spent hours placing dozens of wet blankets on the roof of their house to prevent its destruction. Their home was one of the few buildings still standing on the morning of October 9.

Many of the same neighbors who had ridiculed them ran to their house or died trying. Survivors found the bodies of 35 residents who never made it to the farm. The hundred or so refugees who arrived safely at the Place home found a makeshift hospital where they could nurse their wounds and recuperate. Some stayed for weeks, their earlier disdain cured by necessity.

In the days following the Peshtigo fire, survivors emerged from the Peshtigo River and other safe havens untouched by the flames to look for missing loved ones and to begin to rebuild their lives. As word of the devastation spread, donations of food, clothing, and money poured in from across the State, the Nation, and several foreign countries. This selfless, unified show of support empowered the people of Peshtigo to rebuild their homes and restore their community.

Occurring on the same night as the Great Chicago Fire, the Peshtigo fire has been largely forgotten, even though the Wisconsin death toll is estimated to be seven times that of the Chicago tragedy. That is why I join Peshtigo residents in remembering the time when prejudices that turned neighbors into enemies were set aside in the midst of unimaginable hardship. I applaud their efforts to pause this October 8 to remember this inconceivable catastrophe, commemorate its victims, and honor the resilience of those who worked so hard to rebuild this city from the ashes of total devastation into the tranquil community of today.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO,

on his retirement. Throughout his long and remarkable career, Phil has been a passionate champion of fair wages and safe work environments for hard-working Wisconsinites.

After serving our country in the U.S. Navy from 1969 to 1971, Phil began his career on the shop floor of a manufacturing company. He joined International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Local 1916 in 1973 and quickly became indispensable in the union's fight for fair contracts and improved working conditions. In his 32 years at the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, Phil's responsibilities grew from legislative director to secretary-treasurer and finally to president in 2010.

Phil Neuenfeldt has long been one of Wisconsin's strongest voices for the middle class and greatest protectors of fundamental freedoms for working people. Phil believes unequivocally in the dignity of work and the responsibility of employers to pay wages that can support a family, and he believes with every fiber of his being that workers deserve a seat at the bargaining table.

Of his many accomplishments, Phil is perhaps best known for the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership and Worker Centered Learning, which are programs he helped initiate that have become national models for job creation and training. He was also instrumental in defending the Family and Medical Leave Act, ensuring workers and families are protected when life circumstances required them to take care of loved ones. Phil is also known for pushing legislation to require public schools to teach the history of the labor movement, ensuring that generations to come would know the celebrated history of organized labor.

Phil deserves to be proud of his outstanding leadership during some of labor's most tumultuous times in State history. Facing unprecedented attacks on worker protections and the right to bargain collectively in 2011, he steered the Wisconsin labor movement through rough waters while the Nation looked on. Thanks to his leadership and perseverance, the Wisconsin labor movement is back on the rise, once again building a stronger middle class and restoring faith in the American dream.

Today, as Phil retires as president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, I know he will never give up the fight that has made him the voice of those who work hard for a living. His engagement, his activism and his efforts to organize for change are a true reflection of Wisconsin's progressive traditions. I will be forever grateful for Phil's passionate and loyal advocacy on behalf of Wisconsin workers and forever honored to call him my friend.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 100th anniversary of St. Matthew Christian Episcopal Church in Milwaukee, WI. St. Matthew Christian Episcopal Church was established on September 15, 1918, and has been a pillar in the community for the last 100 years.

The first service was held by Pastor W.S. Ferguson in his home with the church's membership originally constituting only seven people, including three family members and four Christian followers. As the congregation slowly began to grow, the church sought out a permanent location of worship in Milwaukee, and with the determined efforts of the membership and personal sacrifices of the Pastor's family, an initial payment for a church building on 538 West Walnut Street was made.

St. Matthew's went on to play a significant role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, particularly during the campaign to desegregate Milwaukee Public Schools. A coalition comprised of over a dozen civil rights groups known as the Milwaukee United School Integration Committee, MUSIC, was formed, and then-St. Matthew's Pastor B.S. Gregg was a prominent member of the group. MUSIC conducted a series of demonstrations with the goal of pressuring the Milwaukee school board to put an end to de facto segregation in the city. A series of school boycotts were held, during which Freedom Schools were created to offer an alternative curriculum emphasizing African-American history and activism. St. Matthew's was proud to house one of the Freedom Schools during this time.

The members and leaders of the church are proud of their rich heritage and the expansion of their Christian influence in the community, which are demonstrated by their many active ministries that care for those in need. Rev. Richard D. Shaw has been leading the church since 2010, and under his guidance, St. Matthew's has experienced a renewed and revived spirit. In the last 10 years, Reverend Shaw has worked on various boards and committees throughout Milwaukee, including MICAH--Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope--and has developed many ministries within St. Matthew's as well.

St. Matthew Christian Episcopal Church provides a beacon of hope and a place of comfort during times of trial and uncertainty. Under the devoted guidance of its growing membership, may it continue to be a shining asset to the community for the next 100 years.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the Green Bay Packers on the team's 100th anniversary. I am honored to pay tribute to this iconic Wisconsin organization.

In August of 1919, Green Bay, WI natives Earl ``Curly'' Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun set out on a mission to find money to buy uniforms for their newly formed football team. They eventually found a willing donor in the Indian Packing Company, with the condition that the team take on the company's name. Thus, the Green Bay Packers were born.

Lambeau laid the foundation of the Green Bay Packers during the team's first 30 years of existence as its founder and coach. He led the organization through some of the most tumultuous as well as some of the most successful times in the franchise's history, winning multiple championships throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Following his death in 1965, the Green Bay Packers changed the name of their City Stadium to Lambeau Field in his honor. The stadium, more commonly referred to by Wisconsinites as simply Lambeau, has become an historic monument and icon for professional sports fans throughout the world.

In 1959, the Packers hired a new coach and general manager named Vince Lombardi. Lombardi's success is legendary, coaching the Packers to five National Football League championships and victories in the first two Super Bowl games in 1966 and 1967. Considered by many to be the greatest coach in football history, the NFL Super Bowl trophy bears his name. Just as important as his coaching skills were the values he instilled in the organization.

Lombardi had a zero-tolerance policy towards racism, making it known that players and staff would be removed from the team for racist comments. Lombardi made it known that he recruited players for their talent not their race, famously stating he ``viewed his players as neither black nor white, but Packer green.''

Today, head coach Mike McCarthy has guided the team through one of the most successful stretches in Packer history. He joins Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as coaches who have led the Packers to Super Bowl victories. The team is also fortunate to have immensely talented Aaron Rodgers as quarterback. Rodgers, who was named NFL MVP in 2011 and 2014, has set numerous franchise records, including single season passing yards and touchdowns.

The Green Bay Packers are the last of the small-town teams that were common in the NFL during the league's early days of the 1920s and 1930s. Today, Green Bay is the smallest major league professional sports market in North America by far, but it hasn't hampered the team's success one bit. The Packers have won 13 league championships-- nine pre-Super Bowl NFL titles and four Super Bowl victories--the most in NFL history. The Packers are also the only community-owned, nonprofit franchise in American professional sports. The team is owned not by a single individual but by more than 360,000 stockholders.

No tribute to the Packers would be complete without a nod to the team's

hardy and loyal fans. Every Packers game since 1960 has been sold out, and the season ticket waiting list is so long that it is estimated that a fan who puts his or her name on the waitlist today would first be able to purchase tickets in 2966. It is common for season tickets to be passed down to future generations as a precious inheritance. The willingness of Wisconsin ``cheeseheads'' to endure harsh Wisconsin winters to watch their beloved team is also legendary. The stands were still full on December 31, 1967, with 16 seconds left, when Green Bay future Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr dove into the end zone to beat the warm-weather Dallas Cowboys 21-17 to claim their third consecutive NFL title. The temperature on the field at the end of the now-famous ``Ice Bowl'' was a frigid 18 degrees below 0.

The trials and successes of the Green Bay Packers are woven into the fabric of Wisconsin culture. Generations of hard-working Wisconsinites have grown up cheering for the ``Green and Gold.'' I am honored to count myself among the team's loyal fans who will celebrate their 100th anniversary this year and who look forward to many more hard-fought victories in the years to come. ``Go Pack Go!''

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Harley-Davidson Motor Company on its 115th anniversary. I am proud to honor this historic Wisconsin company and to commemorate this significant milestone.

In 1903, boyhood friends William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson completed the first design and manufacture of a motorcycle, and Harley- Davidson Motor Company was born in a small machine shop on Milwaukee's north side.

Harley-Davidson quickly built its success on the strong foundation of partnerships with the law enforcement and military communities. In 1907, Harley-Davidson began selling its motorcycles to police departments, a tradition that remains to this day. In 1917, ``Harleys'' were adopted for military issue during the First World War. The U.S. military purchased over 20,000 motorcycles from Harley-Davidson for the war effort. As one of only two American cycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression, Harley-Davidson began to produce large numbers of motorcycles for the Army during the Second World War. Harley-Davidson received two Army-Navy E Awards for Excellence in Production, one in 1943 and another in 1945.

Today, Harley-Davidson remains one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world and is famous for its loyal following. True to its roots, the company has kept its headquarters in Wisconsin's largest city: Milwaukee. Beginning with the 90th anniversary in 1993, Harley-Davidson has held celebratory rides to Milwaukee from all four corners of the United States that are called the Ride Home. There, Harley owners from around the Nation and the world celebrate Harley- Davidson's success every 5 years at Harleyfest. They can also experience more than 100 years of Harley-Davidson's rich history at the Harley-Davidson Museum. The museum was built in 2008 and has quickly become one of Milwaukee's top tourist destinations.

Anyone who has ridden a Harley knows that they make more than just world-class motorcycles; they create a sense of freedom that comes from exploring the roads of the world. In spite of differences in age, gender, occupation, lifestyle and background, Harley riders all share a sense of adventure and a passion for the open road.

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company is an American icon, a Milwaukee staple and a symbol of freedom. I am delighted to see the company thriving after 115 years and look forward to many more years of success to come.

Mr. President, I would like to call attention to the estimated 5 million Americans suffering from gastroparesis in observance of National Gastroparesis Awareness Month in August.

Gastroparesis is a chronic digestive disease in which the stomach cannot empty properly in the absence of any observable blockage. Symptoms of gastroparesis, which include nausea, vomiting, and the inability to finish a normal-sized meal, can lead to malnutrition, severe dehydration, and difficulty managing blood glucose levels. This debilitating and sometimes life-threatening disease can affect people of all ages, but it is four times more likely to affect women than men.

While there is no cure for gastroparesis, some treatments, such as dietary measures, medications, procedures to maintain nutrition, and surgery, can help reduce symptoms. Unfortunately, gastroparesis is a poorly understood condition. Patients often suffer from delayed diagnosis, treatment, and management of this disorder. As such, further research and education are needed to improve quality of life for the millions of Americans, including thousands of Wisconsinites who suffer from this disease.

I want to recognize the important efforts of the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, IFFGD, an international organization based in my home State of

Wisconsin, as well as other patient organizations, in providing education and support to help those affected by gastroparesis.

In an effort to improve our understanding and awareness of gastroparesis, I urge my fellow colleagues to join me in recognizing August as National Gastroparesis Awareness Month.

Thank you.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Mexican Fiesta as it celebrates 45 years of bringing the culture and taste of Mexico to Milwaukee, WI. Mexican Fiesta offers Wisconsin's Hispanic community the opportunity to preserve its cultural identity and celebrate its colorful traditions. I am so pleased to honor this Wisconsin organization and to commemorate this significant milestone.

What began in 1973 as a Mexican Independence Day street festival on Milwaukee's south side has now become one of the region's largest festivals honoring Hispanic heritage. The festival grew so rapidly that it was moved to the mammoth Henry Maier Festival Park just 4 short years after its founding, where it has been held since 1977. Today, nearly 85,000 people attend this wonderful event every year, which contributes an estimated $8.5 million to Milwaukee's annual economy.

Mexican Fiesta honors Hispanic culture and showcases the beauty of Mexico's rich history, art, music, and food, but it is more than just a cultural celebration. The festival also provides an important gateway to a college education for young Hispanics. Mexican Fiesta has heightened the significance of its celebration by serving as the main fundraiser for the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, Inc., and by highlighting the scholarship recipients during the festivities. In addition to its scholarships, the foundation also works to improve the standard of living in the Hispanic community, train its leaders, and preserve and honor Hispanic traditions. The foundation has awarded more than $1.3 million in scholarships and nearly $500,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations since it was founded in 1987.

Wisconsin's Hispanic population increased by 95 percent from 2000 to 2015, growing to nearly 7 percent of the State's population. This was the most rapid rise among any major ethnic group in the State. While many Hispanic Wisconsinites reside in the southeastern corner of the State, it is important that we embrace Hispanic culture throughout the great State of Wisconsin. Mexican Fiesta serves as an important reminder of the social and economic benefits of a diverse community in Wisconsin and throughout our Nation.

We in Wisconsin owe a debt of gratitude to the organizers of Mexican Fiesta for sharing the vibrant traditions and respected values of their Hispanic heritage. That they take this time-honored celebration one step further by investing in the future success of the next generation makes this festival all the more meaningful. I am honored to recognize the 45th anniversary of Mexican Fiesta and look forward to many more successful fiestas in the years to come.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 2\1/2\ minutes on this amendment.

Mr. President, I rise to urge my colleagues to oppose my colleague Senator Lee's amendment, which would interfere with the Food and Drug Administration's ability to enforce their regulations related to the names of dairy products. This amendment, if passed, would upend the FDA's review of nutrition innovation as part of its nutrition innovation strategy. It would short-circuit the agency's efforts to review standards of identity and other tools to provide meaningful, accurate information about food products to consumers, and it would block the agency from addressing the mislabeling of imitation products that use dairy names without meeting the legal requirements to use those terms.

The FDA currently has an open docket and the public is able to comment on these issues. We should all let that process play out.

But this isn't just an attack on the FDA's process. It is an attack on dairy farmers across the country and in my home State of Wisconsin. This attack couldn't happen at a worse time. Dairy farmers are facing extremely difficult times. In Wisconsin, last year we lost over 500 dairy farms, mostly small and medium family-size farms--almost 6 percent of the dairy farms operating in our State.

Dairy farmers in Wisconsin work hard to meet the various requirements for the milk they produce. This ensures that when a consumer buys a dairy product, it will perform in recipes as expected, and it will contain high-quality nutrients for those consumers.

I want to finish with one key point. There are already existing regulations on the books that define what constitutes dairy. However, the FDA has failed to enforce their own rules as imitation products have used dairy's good name for their own benefit.

I introduced the Dairy Pride Act to force the FDA to stop sitting on the sidelines and to enforce its own rules. Instead of blocking the FDA from doing its job as the Lee amendment would do, we should ensure that the FDA moves forward and enforces its own rules. Dairy farmers in Wisconsin shouldn't be asked to wait any longer.

I urge my colleagues to oppose the Lee amendment.

Madam President, I rise to urge my colleagues to support my bipartisan amendment with my colleague Senator Susan Collins. It would spur innovation in the dairy business.

This amendment would do three simple things. It would foster the development of innovative dairy products that respond to consumer demand, support new and existing dairy entrepreneurs to develop their businesses and expand their markets, and provide technical assistance to dairy processors to update their manufacturing processes and meet consumer demand.

Dairy farmers are facing extremely difficult times. These farmers are facing retaliatory tariffs, uncertainty about trade deals and export markets, and low milk prices. This amendment would provide technical assistance and solutions for dairy entrepreneurs so that farmers, dairy co-ops, and other businesses can find new ways to compete, increase their efficiency, and find more homes for the surplus of milk that we have.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

I yield back.