Floor Statements

Mr. President, I am pleased to commend Harry Simmons, Jr., of Yazoo City, MS, for his service and contributions to the State of Mississippi while serving as the 81st president of the Delta Council.

Since its founding in 1935, Delta Council has grown to be a widely respected economic development organization representing the business, professional, and agricultural interests of the Mississippi Delta region. I am grateful to Delta Council for its continuous role in meeting the economic and quality of life challenges in this unique part of our country.

Harry Simmons's tenure as council president began in May 2016. In leading the council, he has been a notably strong advocate for Federal flood control, farm support, and infrastructure improvements in the Delta region.

A Yazoo County native, Mr. Simmons graduated from Yazoo City High School and earned an agricultural economics degree from Mississippi State University. He has had a strong career as a catfish and row-crop producer. Mr. Simmons, with his daughter Katy and son-in-law Andy Prosser, jointly manage both his farm operation and highly successful catfish processing operation, Simmons Farm Raised Catfish. His processing facility employs more than 200 people in Yazoo County, and his farming operation consists of catfish, corn, soybeans, and cotton production.

In addition to his leadership in Delta Council, Mr. Simmons has served as chairman of the Catfish Institute, president of Catfish Farmers of America, and on the boards of both the

Yazoo Planters Cotton Gin and Yazoo County Development Foundations. He also served our State and Nation as a commissioned officer in the Mississippi National Guard.

I am pleased to join the people throughout my State in commending Harry Simmons, Jr., and sharing our appreciation with his wife, Shirley, and their children, Emily and Katy, and grandson, Miller, as the 82nd annual meeting of the Delta Council membership convenes in June.

Mr. President, this afternoon, the Senate will consider the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017. The bill will fund the Federal Government for the remainder of this fiscal year. I urge the Senate to approve the bill.

It provides our Armed Forces with the money they need to safeguard our homeland and protect our interests around the world. The funding levels are within the limits of the Budget Control Act. In total, the bill will increase Department of Defense spending by $23.6 billion over President Obama's fiscal year 2017 request. These funds are badly needed to improve the readiness of our Armed Forces and to continue our campaign to defeat ISIL.

This bill includes the largest investment in border security in nearly a

decade. Additional funding is provided for fencing and other physical infrastructure, communications and surveillance technology, the hiring of additional agents, and additional detention beds to help stop the practice of catch and release. These funds will help reduce human trafficking and the flow of illegal drugs into our country.

While the additional funds for defense and border security have received much of the attention, there are many other important programs that are funded within the bill.

For the second year in a row, providing funding for research at the National Institutes of Health is increased by $2 billion. New funding is included to combat the opioid epidemic that has plagued communities across the country. The FBI receives additional funding to protect against terrorist threats and combat illegal cyber activity.

Throughout the bill, spending controls are placed on Federal agencies. There are more than 150 rescissions, consolidations, or program terminations within the bill. These savings have been reallocated to higher priorities.

The basis of this legislation is with regard to the 12 appropriations bills that were reported from the Appropriations Committee. This is the second year in a row that the committee has reported all 12 bills. This bill reflects a year's worth of concerted effort by the chairmen and ranking members of our 12 subcommittees. It also reflects a great deal of hard work by the committees' staffs, for which I am deeply grateful.

I urge Senators to support the bill.

Mr. President, I would like to bring attention to an important anniversary in the history of the U.S. Senate. Today marks the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

In 1867, the Senate passed a resolution creating a standing committee on appropriations. The committee was founded to bring greater discipline to government spending by consolidating the control, management and oversight of federal expenditures.

The primary role of the Congress in appropriating taxpayer dollars is explicit in our Constitution. It is an important responsibility and must not be taken lightly.

The Appropriations Committee has served the American people by working together to make thoughtful decisions in the allocation of public funds. It is challenging work. Each year we consider a vast amount of input from public hearings, expert sources, our fellow Senators, and our constituents. We do our best to weigh competing priorities and make responsible recommendations.

The Appropriations Committee faces great pressures as discretionary spending is increasingly crowded out by mandatory spending and persistent deficits. It is more important than ever that the appropriations bills be brought before the Senate for careful consideration. I hope we can find a way to do that in the coming months and years.

As we mark the 150th anniversary of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, I look forward to working with my friend and vice chairman, the Senator from Vermont. I hope all Senators will work with us to enact appropriations bills that provide for a strong national defense and support our country's domestic and international priorities.

Mr. President, let me thank the distinguished majority leader for his generous remarks about my service in the Senate, as has been reflected by the last long number of years. It is heartwarming, and it also reminds me of how important our collective efforts are for the future of our country, our economy, peace in our time, and in helping ensure that we make our time here a positive influence over the opportunities that are available for our citizens to enjoy life, safe and secure, with good leaders and commonsense leaders. That is what our leader is.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Appropriations has adopted rules governing its procedures for the 115th Congress. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, on behalf of myself and Vice Chairman Leahy, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the committee rules be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion, also known as the SeaBees, and congratulate them on their 75th anniversary. It was March 5th, 1942, when the SeaBees were charged by the Navy with the task of building, maintaining, and supporting base infrastructure in remote locations for the Navy and Marine Corps. SeaBees execute this critical mission, while also maintaining the capability to engage in combat operations.

For 75 years, the SeaBees have met challenges in times of war and peace. They have been deployed all over the world, contributing to our national security interests by constructing military bases, building airfields, roads, bridges, and even underwater structures. In every major operation our Nation has carried out, from World War II to present operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Navy SeaBees are there, demonstrating unmatched courage, strength, and professionalism. Their personal sacrifices are a testament to the dedication of the Navy's elite construction force.

As we honor the SeaBees today, let us not forget to acknowledge the many sacrifices their families have made throughout their 75 years. Whether at home or abroad in the more than 30 countries to which they deploy, it is the support of their families that enables the brave men and women of the SeaBees to accomplish their mission with the utmost devotion to duty, honor, and country. I am proud that Gulfport, MS, serves as home to the Naval Construction Battalion Center, where more than 12,500 SeaBees, sailors, airmen, and soldiers have received valuable training this past year alone.

We congratulate the U.S. Navy SeaBees on their 75th anniversary and reaffirm our commitment to them.

Mr. President, I wish to commend Dr. Jeffery P. Holland for 37 years of service to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Dr. Holland will soon retire as the Director of the Research and Development and Director of the Corps Engineer Research Center, ERDC, headquartered in Vicksburg, MS. He is capping his career with a highly successful management term leading one of the most diverse research organizations in the world--an organization that includes seven laboratories in four States with more than 2,000 employees, including more than 1,200 Federal engineers and scientists.

As director of R&D and chief scientist for the Corps since 2010, Dr. Holland has effectively promoted its research missions, including warfighter support, military installations, the environment, water resources, and information technology. His work has enhanced our Nation's knowledge and sparked innovation related to military and civilian missions of the Department of Defense and other agencies.

His leadership in research and development led to numerous achievements, among them increased soldier survivability and improved unit protection in combat zones. He distinguished himself within the Senior Executive Service with his work to establish excellence in human capital benchmarks, to develop an enterprise knowledge management and technology transfer plan for the Corps, and to develop a science and technology initiative to improve Defense Department acquisition.

Over his long career, Dr. Holland earned a reputation as a strong leader and coalition builder, who empowered thousands of engineers and scientists to find new ways to solve problems. His career has resulted in significant and lasting contributions to the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, the Vicksburg community, and the Nation.

His distinguished tenure and outstanding accomplishments are in keeping with the highest standards of civilian service and reflect great credit upon him, the Department of the Army, and the Department of Defense.

I am pleased to commend Dr. Holland for his many years of service and to wish him well in the years ahead.

Mr. President, I wish to recognize and commend William ``Bill'' Canty of Oxford, MS, on the occasion of his retirement after a distinguished 27-year career as a staff member for the U.S. Senate.

Bill has earned my respect and that of the thousands of people in north Mississippi who know him as a dedicated field representative on my staff.

I am confident that the tenacity, loyalty, and work ethic that characterized Bill's work for me were forged early in life with the lessons he learned as an outstanding student athlete.

Bill grew up in the shipbuilding town of Pascagoula, MS, where he earned letters in basketball, baseball, and football. As a college freshman at Furman University, he started at quarterback for the Paladins and set school records throughout his college football career, completing 215 passes for 2,460 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was elected unanimously in 1988 for induction into the Furman University Hall of Fame.

Bill played professional football for the Toronto Argonauts, a Canadian Football League organization, but was soon called to serve his country. After serving as an Army combat training officer, he began an extensive coaching career during which he earned a reputation for developing quarterbacks and strong passing offenses--first at Furman, then at Florida State University and the University of New Mexico.

In 1978, Bill returned home to Mississippi to coach at the University of Mississippi. He is one of the only coaches in the SEC to ever have been both the offensive and defensive coordinator in back to back seasons. Bill left coaching in 1987 and settled in Oxford.

Following his coaching career, Bill turned his leadership talents in a new direction. Fellow Pascagoula native and former U.S. Senator Trent Lott first hired Bill as a field representative, and I was fortunate to bring him on my staff in 2008.

Bill has served my office and the people of Mississippi honorably and with great dedication.

I am deeply grateful for having the benefit of his excellent service to our State and Nation.

Mr. President, I wish to commend Nell Payne for her distinguished career in public service.

For the past 16 years, she has served as the director of government relations for the Smithsonian Institution, where she has been a tireless advocate for the Smithsonian. She has worked to advance the institution's mission of promoting the increase and diffusion of knowledge.

Her professionalism, expertise, and integrity have helped the Smithsonian improve on its reputation as the premier museum system in the world. Her leadership and vision have directly benefited the millions of Americans and international travelers who enjoy Smithsonian exhibits and programs each year.

She also served our country in the U.S. Senate on the staff of the Budget Committee and in the White House as a special assistant to the President.

I congratulate Nell Payne on her retirement and thank her for the important contributions she has made to the Smithsonian Institution and throughout her professional career.

Mr. President, it is sometimes said that the work of the staff is little noticed until something goes wrong. Today, I wish to make comments about a member of the staff of the Appropriations Committee for a different reason: the outstanding record of service to the Senate and the Nation by Alycia Farrell.

Alycia came to Washington, DC, to study at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. She joined the Senate Committee on Appropriations under the late chairman, Ted Stevens, in 2001. A year later, she was promoted to a professional staff member for the Subcommittee on Military Construction and in 2003 moved to the Subcommittee on Defense.

Alycia's responsibilities on the Subcommittee on Defense for the last 12 years have been varied and complex. Her areas of expertise have included oversight of military health programs, where she has been instrumental in pushing for reforms to better serve the men and women in uniform and their families. She has tackled the most important issues in military health care over the last decade, including increasing funding for traumatic brain injury, suicide prevention, and implementing electronic health record systems for our veterans.

She has also excelled in oversight of missile defense programs, where Alycia has been a key voice in promoting the defense of our country while also calling for accountability in these technologically complex and expensive programs. She is a notable expert in the cooperative programs between the United States and Israel, where Alycia has played a key part in obtaining funding for programs such as Iron Dome, which have helped protect a key American ally from harm.

But no description of Alycia's contributions to the Senate are complete without mentioning what she has brought to the people who have worked with her for the last decade and a half. She is a bundle of cheerful energy who takes great enthusiasm in everything she does. This is especially true in her love of the outdoors and commitment to hockey.

Alycia Farrell is soon to depart the Senate for new challenges. Raised in Alaska, she has heard the call of the northern climate from her youth and will soon move to Alberta, Canada, where she will establish a new life with her fiance.

I send Alycia Farrell my heartfelt gratitude for outstanding service to the Senate, and I wish her all the very best on her future endeavors.

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

Mr. President, I was very disappointed yesterday that the Senate did not vote to proceed to the consideration of the Homeland Security appropriations bill. I hope we will have an opportunity to reconsider that vote and we will agree to take up the bill.

The need to fund the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of this fiscal year should not be in question. We know that we are living in a complex world with ever-changing threats to our Nation's security. The Department that we created specifically to combat those threats will operate better and more efficiently with a full-year funding plan that reflects updated spending priorities. I have heard no Senator dispute that.

The leaders of the Homeland Security Subcommittee--both Democrat and Republican--put a great deal of effort into drafting this measure. The bill provides $10.7 billion for Customs and Border Protection--an increase of $119 million over fiscal year 2014. This amount will support border infrastructure, technology needs, roads, air and marine assets, and higher levels of personnel, including Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Patrol officers.

The bill provides nearly $6 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement--an increase of 13 percent.

The bill provides increased funds to identify, apprehend, and remove criminal aliens and provides increases for investigations to help combat human trafficking, cyber crime, child exploitation, and drug smuggling.

The bill provides support for the Secret Service and congressional oversight, including $25 million to address security needs at the White House complex.

The bill provides more than $10 billion for the Coast Guard. This includes additional resources to continue the recapitalization of the Coast Guard fleet.

The bill provides funding for the Disaster Relief Fund. When disaster strikes, it is important that the Disaster Relief Fund contain the resources necessary to support an effective response.

The bill also includes House amendments designed to reverse the President's unilateral actions on immigration enforcement. Given the timing and breadth of the President's actions and the challenge to congressional authority those actions represent, it can come as no surprise that they provoked a congressional response.

I am speaking to remind Senators of the urgent and important need we have for the adoption of funding for the Department of Homeland Security and other provisions this bill contains. I urge my colleagues and the leadership to help ensure that we move the Senate in the direction of early passage after thorough consideration of the provisions of this bill, the passage of this bill to protect our national security.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the list of subcommittee assignments for the Committee on Appropriations for the 114th Congress.

Mr. President, I want to express my gratitude for the service of my long-time aide, Stewart Holmes, who is leaving the U.S. Senate to pursue a new career. Stewart has served the Senate in different capacities over the past 17 years in a manner that reflects credit on the institution and our Nation. During this time, I have valued Stewart as a trusted and loyal advisor with sound judgment on complex national security issues. More broadly, his public service on Capitol Hill has contributed to the safety of the American people and our Nation.

Stewart's sense of service, responsibility, and dedication to the United States is closely linked to his own 22-year military service career. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1979, and was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in 1986. He was deployed during Operation Desert Storm. While in the military, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Citadel in South Carolina and a Master of Arts degree in Financial Management from the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School. In 1997, he became the first military fellow to serve in my Senate office, a position that preceded his becoming the Marine Corps Appropriations Liaison.

In 2001, Stewart Holmes retired from the Marine Corps as a major and joined my staff as a military legislative assistant. In 2005, he joined the Senate Committee on Appropriations and served as an intelligence and military advisor to me. He became minority clerk of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in 2009.

Throughout my association with Stewart, he has been a hard worker. He has demonstrated consummate professionalism, attention to detail, and dedication to the Senate as an institution. These qualities have served him well as the Defense Subcommittee has worked to overcome the fiscal and political challenges inherent in funding our national security priorities. I appreciate his work on various issues of importance to our national interests and to my State of Mississippi, including shipbuilding, supercomputers, next generation technology, shipbuilding, NASA and others.

As Stewart moves on with the next chapter of his career, I wish him, his wife, Maren, and their children every success and happiness. We will miss him here in the Senate. I am pleased to extend my thanks to him for the great job he has done in the Senate.

Mr. President, I am pleased to congratulate the Reverend Louis Lohan who is retiring after more than 40 years of distinguished service as a Roman Catholic priest serving the Diocese of Biloxi in Mississippi.

Born in Ireland, Father Lohan attended schools there and graduated from St. Patrick's College in Carlow, Ireland. He became an ordained priest for the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi in June of 1971 and moved to the United States shortly thereafter.

Father Lohan served at several different ministry locations, such as Our Lady of Victories in Pascagoula, Mission in Saltillo, Mexico, Our Lady of the Gulf in Bay St. Louis, Sacred Heart in D'Iberville, and at the churches in Wiggins, Lucedale, and Leakesville for 9 years.

In 1993, Father Lohan began service as pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Long Beach, MS, where he remained for the next 21 years. In 2005, he participated in the rebuilding effort of the church, community center, office complex, and elementary school after they were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Father Louis Lohan has diligently served the Diocese of Biloxi, and I am pleased to congratulate and thank him for his many years of devoted service to the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.