Floor Statements

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Gaige Homer for his hard work as an intern in my Bozeman, MT, office this spring.

Gaige is a native of Truckee, CA. He currently attends Montana State University, where he is studying to obtain a degree in political science. Gaige has demonstrated a strong work ethic, and his efforts have been key to our mission to serve the people of Montana.

I want to thank Gaige for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It has been a pleasure having him as part of our team this spring, and I look forward to having him join us in our Washington, DC, office for an internship this summer.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Joe McDonnell for his hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office this spring.

Joe is a native of Ridgewood, NJ. He attends Wake Forest University, where he is studying to obtain degrees in anthropology and classical languages. Joe has demonstrated a strong work ethic, and his efforts have been key to our mission to serve the people of Montana here in our Nation's Capital.

I want to thank Joe for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It has been a pleasure having him as part of our team this spring, and I wish him all the best as he continues to build a bright future for himself.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Ava Northrup for her hard work as an intern in my Bozeman, MT, office this spring.

Ava is a native of Leavenworth, WA. She currently works as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service and obtained a degree in political science from Montana State University. Ava has demonstrated a strong work ethic, and her efforts have been key to our mission to serve the people of Montana.

I want to thank Ava for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It has been a pleasure having her as part of our team this spring, and I wish her all the best as she continues to build a bright future for herself.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Madison Spear for her hard work as an intern in my Missoula, MT, office this spring.

Madison is a native of Missoula, MT. She currently owns her own photography and bookkeeping businesses. She attended University of Montana where she obtained her associate of arts degree. Madison has demonstrated a strong work ethic, and her efforts have been key to our mission to serve the people of Montana.

I want to thank Madison for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It has been a pleasure having her as part of our team this spring, and I wish her all the best as she continues to build a bright future for herself.

Mr. President, it is my honor to recognize Norma Ashby Smith for her contributions to the city of Great Falls and the State of Montana over her decades-long career in local news.

Born to Raymond Wesley Beatty and Ella May Lamb in 1935, Norma began her path in journalism as editor for The Nugget, Helena High School's student newspaper. In this role, Norma landed her first big interview of Western actors Susan Cabot and Audie Murphy, who were visiting Montana for a film premiere.

After graduation, Norma attended the University of Montana's School of Journalism, spending her summers covering local news in her hometown for Helena's Independent Record. She went on to secure a photo editor position with LIFE magazine in New York City, spending 4 years there.

Returning home to Montana with her family, Norma soon began the role that would define her career and make her a familiar figure in homes across central Montana: hostess of KRTV's ``Today in Montana'' show. For nearly three decades, Norma delivered timely, local news to Montanans, interviewing more than 26,000 guests, including First Lady of the United States Pat Nixon and Johnny Cash. Norma also produced nearly two dozen television documentaries.

For her contributions to journalism and our State, Norma was named TV Broadcaster of the Year and Great Falls' Most Influential Woman, and was the first living woman inducted into the Montana Broadcasters Hall of Fame. She has also made enduring contributions outside of her journalism career, cohosting the Montana Children's Miracle Network Telethon, serving on the board of the Greater Montana Foundation, and playing an instrumental role in founding the C.M. Russell Art Auction, which recently marked its 56th year.

The recently announced Norma Ashby Smith Fund at the Montana Community Foundation will continue Norma's commitment to the arts and history through its support of the C.M. Russell Museum, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, and the History Museum in Great Falls.

May Norma continue her extraordinary impact in her 91st year.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled recess begin immediately.

Mr. President, I have seven requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, without question, one of America's greatest superpowers is our ability to grow and raise the food to feed our Nation and the world. This hasn't happened by chance, but is the direct result of the hard-working men and women in our agricultural industry. Today, we honor one facet of America's agricultural juggernaut, the Montana cattle rancher.

For generations, Montana cattle ranchers have risen before dawn, worked through bitter cold and blazing heat, and committed themselves to a life that demands strength, patience, and humility. They have learned to live with the land, not against it, preserving the open spaces that define this State, while raising the cattle that reaches tables around the world.

Many challenges have tried the cattle rancher, from the devastating winter of 1886, to collapsing cattle prices during the Great Depression, to the farm crisis of the 1980s, and periods of drought, harsh winters, disease, market shock, and wildfire. Still, multigenerational cattle ranching families remain in Montana as a testament to industry's strength and the grit of those within it.

For today's ranching families, lowering input costs and fighting consolidation in the industry are key priorities. For too long, foreign-owned meat packers have controlled our food supply. We must break that monopoly, offer American alternatives to increase our national food security, and advocate for a path forward that ensures American ranchers and cattle are placed at the center of our livestock policy framework.

Empowering hardworking ranchers who feed America and ensuring affordable beef prices for American families at the grocery store are not mutually exclusive. Both can be accomplished by lowering input costs and providing a reliable, pro-growth environment for producers so ranchers can grow their operation, capture more of the value they create, and feed the Nation with affordable, healthy, high-quality beef.

Food security is national security. We all talk about AI, data centers, and processing chips; let's talk about feeding our Nation. I am grateful to Montana's cattle ranching families for doing just that.

Mr. President, Montana's proud mining history has defined our State and powered America's growth and industrial strength. The copper mined in Butte electrified the Nation, fueled American industry, and helped our country win two World Wars. But by the 1980s, major mining operations had gone dormant, and the future of large-scale mining in Butte was uncertain.

Dennis Washington made the decision to restart operations at the dormant Continental Pit. What began as a potential salvage effort became a long-term commitment: investing in Montana miners, modernizing equipment, and restoring confidence in one of the world's most historic mining districts.

On July 16, 1986, the first blast at the reopened Continental Pit marked the return of large-scale mining in Butte under the leadership of his Montana-based, American-owned company.

Since resuming operations, the mine has produced more than 2.5 billion pounds of copper and over 300 million pounds of molybdenum, minerals essential to American infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, energy systems, and national defense. Today, Montana miners and engineers working in Butte continue to supply the materials that strengthen our Nation and support good-paying jobs here at home.

As we honor the industry that helped build Montana and America, we recognize that responsible mining remains central to our State's future. Because of leaders like Dennis Washington--and the hard-working men and women of Butte--Montana mining continues to power opportunity for the next generation.

Montana mining helped build America, and it continues to build Montana's future.

I want to thank Senator Risch for helping to lead this legislation in the Senate.

Most Americans probably find it somewhat surprising, as they struggle with affordability, as they are struggling to fill their gas tank or pay their rent or afford their mortgage, that many of their tax dollars--in fact, upward of $10 billion of their tax dollars--are sent directly into the pockets of foreign terrorist organizations--terrorist organizations that we spent thousands of lives and decades fighting, to protect our shores, to include the lives of some of my friends.

I spent years of my life, as did my wife spend years of her life, fighting these terrorist organizations, trying to keep this country safe, and now we are told that our tax dollars have an obligation to go into the pocket of those organizations to buy bullets, to build bombs, to coordinate attacks that don't just kill Americans. They kill those who share our values worldwide.

It is not just westerners and Americans who are killed by this. The Taliban systemically hunts down those in Afghanistan with whom they disagree, those who want to be free, those women and girls who saw a brief period of freedom under our occupation there, and now they are once again placed in the yolk of terrible sexism, of not even fascism but outright terror.

It isn't just Afghanistan. This extends across the globe. This terrorist financing network is not just guys in mountain caves collecting dollar bills. This is a sophisticated global finance network that spans the entire world.

The Iranian regime, although not directly connected in many ways to this, is absolutely directly connected to the international flow of terrorist funds through sophisticated real estate transactions, cryptocurrency, oil smuggling, piracy, kidnapping, and terrorism.

It is unthinkable that we would intentionally and knowingly hand our taxpayer dollars to organizations that actively kill Americans and attempt to destroy our values every single day.

I think it should be a bipartisan American issue for us to finally put an end to this ridiculous practice that is actively costing us lives and precious freedom capital around the world.

I hope we pass this act. I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I urge it quickly.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Jada Berry for her hard work as an intern in my Bozeman, MT, office this fall.

Jada is a native of Sheridan, WY. She currently attends Montana State University, where she is studying to obtain a degree in political science. Jada has demonstrated a strong work ethic, and her efforts have been key to our mission to serve the people of Montana here in our Nation's Capital.

I want to thank Jada for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It has been a pleasure having her as part of our team this fall, and I wish her all the best as she continues to build a bright future for herself.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Kenadi McCulloch for her hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office this fall.

Kenadi is a native of Missoula, MT. She recently finished her studies at The George Washington University, where she obtained a degree in art history. Kenadi has demonstrated a strong work ethic, and her efforts have been key to our mission to serve the people of Montana here in our Nation's Capital.

I want to thank Kenadi for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It has been a pleasure having her as part of our team this fall, and I wish her all the best as she continues to build a bright future for herself.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Ella Owen for her hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office this fall.

Ella is a native of Hammond, MT. She attends The George Washington University, where she is studying to obtain a master's degree in political science. Ella has demonstrated a strong work ethic, and her efforts have been key to our mission to serve the people of Montana here in our Nation's Capital.

I want to thank Ella for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It has been a pleasure having her as part of our team this fall, and I wish her all the best as she continues to build a bright future for herself.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Raphi Rebucas for his hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office this fall.

Raphi is a native of Torrance, CA. He attends The George Washington University, where he is studying to obtain degrees in political science and peace studies. Raphi has demonstrated a strong work ethic, and his efforts have been key to our mission to serve the people of Montana here in our Nation's Capital.

I want to thank Raphi for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It has been a pleasure having him as part of our team this fall, and I wish him all the best as he continues to build a bright future for himself.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Hailey Story for her hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office this fall.

Hailey is a native of Franklin, TN. She recently finished her studies at East Tennessee State University, where she obtained a degree in political science. Hailey has demonstrated a strong work ethic, and her efforts have been key to our mission to serve the people of Montana here in our Nation's Capital.

I want to thank Hailey for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It has been a pleasure having her as part of our team this fall, and I wish her all the best as she continues to build a bright future for herself.