Tammy Baldwin

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Madam President, today I wish to honor Vel Phillips, who was born Velvalea Hortense Rodgers in 1923 in Milwaukee and passed away on April 17, 2018, at the age of 95. Vel was a civil rights leader and a pioneer in social justice and fair housing who left an indelible mark on the State of Wisconsin. Vel earned a national oratory scholarship from the Black Elks to attend Howard University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1946. She returned to her home State of Wisconsin to attend the University of Wisconsin--Madison Law School, becoming the first Black woman to graduate from the school, just one in a long series of significant firsts for Vel. Following law school, Vel made it her life's work to advocate for social justice and equal rights. She became actively involved in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, working for political, social, educational, and economic equality for people of color. Vel was elected to the Milwaukee Common Council in 1956, not only as the first African American, but also as the first woman. Her election sent shockwaves through the all-White, all-male council. Rather than welcoming her to her new position, her colleagues refused to share an office with her and suggested she join the aldermen's wives club instead of the council. A firm believer in polite persistence, Vel took her seat quietly but proudly. She quickly went on to become an advocate not only for the people in her district, but for every African American in the city. She later said, ``No matter where they lived, I was their alderman and they called me.'' Vel would go on to accomplish many more firsts. In 1971, she became the first woman judge in Milwaukee County, as well as the first African-American judge in the State of Wisconsin. In 1978, she made history again as the first woman and minority elected secretary of State in Wisconsin. In spite of all these significant firsts, Vel Phillips is perhaps best known for initiating the long but ultimately successful fight to outlaw housing discrimination in Milwaukee. Until the late 1960s, landlords freely refused to sell or rent property to people of color. Even if homeowners wanted to sell property to people of color, banks routinely rejected their loan applications. As a result, African Americans lived almost exclusively in one run-down neighborhood on Milwaukee's near north side. In 1962, Vel introduced the city's first ordinance to prohibit discrimination in housing. The council promptly rejected it by a vote of 18 to 1. She tried three additional times over the next 6 years with the same result. The Milwaukee NAACP Youth Council and The Rev. James Groppi took up her cause in 1967 and organized 200 consecutive nights of protests in support of her ordinance. When her colleagues adopted a watered-down version of an open housing ordinance in an attempt to make the protests stop, Vel told them, ``Thanks for nothing. You are very much too late and very much too little.'' The council finally passed a strong open housing ordinance in 1968, after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spurred Congress to pass the national Fair Housing Act. Following her retirement from public office, Vel remained involved in important causes, speaking up when she saw injustice, protesting when necessary, and educating students from all over the world. Public servant, trailblazer, activist, icon, and pioneer are all words that only begin to describe Vel Phillips' contributions to the fight for equality in Wisconsin. While history will forever remember her for her string of momentous firsts, her greatest legacy will be the many women who run for elective office or the countless African Americans who live throughout the city thanks to the seemingly insurmountable barriers she shattered.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Thank you, Madam President and colleagues. The next vote will be on cloture on a motion to concur with an amendment that is the Coast Guard reauthorization, but with a special provision that I want to draw all my colleagues' attention to, dealing with incidental discharges from vessels. I am strongly supportive of the Coast Guard reauthorization, but this VIDA provision, as it is known, is extremely troublesome. It impacts both freshwater coasts of the Great Lakes as well as our other coastal regions, and it strips the Environmental Protection Agency of its scientific role in setting standards for discharges and puts the Coast Guard entirely in charge of these decisions and enforcement. In addition, it strips all of our coastal States of the authority to pass laws concerning the waters off their coasts. Wisconsin is a State that has passed its own water discharge rules. It has done so because we need to protect the greatest fresh drinking water source in the world and in our Nation. We also have had threats of invasive species that would decimate our Great Lakes. Ballast water and incidental discharges can often be the cause of those invasive species. In addition, there are chemicals that can enter the water if this is not regulated. This is not the time for a one-size-fits-all approach. We should remove the VIDA provision from the Coast Guard reauthorization, pass the Coast Guard reauthorization on a voice vote because it is absolutely not controversial, and then get to the hard work of doing VIDA the right way. I yield the floor.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize the first annual I am for the Child Day on April 18, 2018, sponsored by the Wisconsin Court Appointed Special Advocates, CASA, Association and the National CASA Association. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Wisconsin CASA champions the needs of abused and neglected children. Over 6,000 Wisconsin children are in foster care; yet only 690 are assigned trained volunteers who can advocate for their safety and well- being while under the protection of the courts and child welfare agencies. The goal of the first annual I am for the Child Day is to raise awareness about the need for volunteers and the crippling impacts of child abuse and neglect on vulnerable children. I am proud to honor the WI CASA organization and the dedicated volunteers whose voice can speak for these children. The Wisconsin CASA Association is a charitable, nonprofit member of the National CASA Association network. The association supports local programs throughout the State of Wisconsin in La Crosse, Vernon, Monroe, Brown, Marinette, Outagamie, Rock, Columbia, Dane, Manitowoc, Sauk, and Milwaukee Counties. Court appointed special advocates are community volunteers who champion the needs of abused and neglected children. They are sworn ``friends of the court'' acting under the jurisdiction of an appointing judge. Their work strengthens outcomes for children involved in an overstrained social welfare system. They provide advocacy for children's health, safety, emotional and physical development, family interaction, education, faith, recreation, and the cultural continuity that children need to thrive. These volunteers interact with parents, caregivers, siblings, extended family members, foster parents, teachers, counselors, and healthcare providers to monitor the children's educational progress and social development. Their observations ultimately cultivate important recommendations for the court. Research shows that CASA volunteers strengthen outcomes for children, enhance child safety, reduce time spent in foster care, and improve the services the children receive. CASA organizations are accelerating their advocacy by designating April 18 as the first annual I am for the Child Day with the goal of bringing awareness to child abuse everywhere and to help these children navigate a tumultuous life experience. Once again, I commend the Wisconsin Court Appointed Special Advocates Association on their admirable work and look forward to celebrating their accomplishments in the future.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life and legacy of Peggy Ann ``Peg'' Lautenschlager, whose passing at the age of 62 leaves Wisconsin without one of its greatest public servants. Peg was a true trailblazer in Wisconsin politics, and her kindness, tenacity, and strength will be greatly missed. Peg was a native of Fond du Lac, WI. The only daughter of Milton and Patsy Lautenschlager, Peg attended Goodrich High School, now known as Fond du Lac High School, and graduated in 1973 as valedictorian of her class. Her early academic accomplishments were the initial signs of her future success. After graduating summa cum laude from Lake Forest College, Peg earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1980. Peg broke through the glass ceiling of Wisconsin politics a mere 5 years later and never looked back. In 1985, Peg won an election as the first woman district attorney for Winnebago County. She later served as Wisconsin's first woman attorney general from 2003 to 2007. Between those two important bookends of her career, she spent every ounce of her professional energy in service to the people of Wisconsin. In 1987, she unseated a 32-year incumbent to win election to the State assembly representing her hometown of Fond du Lac. She quickly became well respected for her work promoting criminal justice reform, sexual assault prevention, fair elections, and open records. President Bill Clinton appointed her to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin in 1993. Peg found a mentor and a friend in her boss, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, who named Peg to the U.S. Attorney General's advisory committee, the first Wisconsinite to serve on the committee. Peg was unstoppable. She was one of those rare jewels who was as caring as she was brilliant and funny as she was passionate. She will go down in the history books as one of Wisconsin's most powerful women, and she used every bit of that power in pursuit of justice for those who didn't have a voice. Her greatest legacy, however, is not something you can point at or capture in a headline. It is the countless women who can see themselves in a courtroom or on a ballot because they were inspired by Peg's audacity in never letting anything stop her. It is the hundreds of young girls who can imagine themselves walking through doors that they had always assumed were closed to them because Peg had already blazed that trail. Peg was a brilliant attorney, a fierce friend, and a loving mother. Colleagues and staff struggled to keep up with her as she juggled dozens of legal cases, three phones, and five children. She toggled seamlessly between a discussion of the finer points of case law against drug manufacturers overcharging for pharmaceuticals and a call about her middle-schooler's wardrobe crisis. She tackled both challenges with the same passion, heart, and ingenuity. Peg's memory will be kept alive by her husband, Bill, her five children, and all of us lucky enough to have known her. She knew that serving as the first woman attorney general in Wisconsin was not only an honor, it was a momentous responsibility. She carried that honor and responsibility proudly. She leaves behind a legacy that will be carried forward by women in Wisconsin who boldly pursue success in law and politics.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Bronson C. La Follette, who was born in 1936 in Washington, DC, and passed away March 15, 2018, in Madison, WI. Bronson dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice and was known as the People's Lawyer. He was a progressive in the tradition of his father, Senator Robert M. La Follette, Jr., and his grandparents Senator Robert M. ``Fighting Bob'' La Follette, Sr., and Belle Case La Follette. A true Badger at heart, Bronson earned his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin--Madison. Following his graduation in 1960, he worked in private practice before being appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin by U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy. In 1964, at the age of 28, he was elected as Wisconsin's attorney general and served two terms. He was the youngest state attorney general in American history ever elected to the office. As attorney general, he was a champion for consumer protection and served as chair of President Lyndon Johnson's Consumer Advisory Council. In 1968, Bronson became the Democratic Party's nominee for Governor of Wisconsin, an election he lost to incumbent Governor Warren Knowles. In 1974, Bronson was again elected as attorney general of Wisconsin, vowing to make the department of justice live up to its name. To Bronson, that meant taking on an activist role, hiring a bright young progressive team, and not being afraid to tackle new ideas and sensitive subjects head on. Wisconsinites will recognize some of the attorneys who made up that bright, young team because two of them have become iconic progressives in their own right. Ed Garvey and Kathleen Falk spent a portion of their early careers in Bronson La Follette's department of justice. In 1978, Bronson married the love of his life, Barbara. He was also blessed with a son, a daughter, two grandchildren, and two great- randchildren. In 1987, Bronson retired from public service and joined a prominent law firm where he continued to advocate for criminal justice reform and government transparency. Bronson was also a passionate advocate for children. He founded the Dane County Project for the Prevention of Child Abuse and became the chairman of the National Campaign for Missing and Exploited Children. No tribute to Bronson La Follette would be complete without a nod to his wonderful sense of humor. Together with his friend, State treasurer Charles Smith, he campaigned in a camper, bringing their unique blend of politics and fun to communities throughout the State. He cherished his reputation as a talented washboard player and percussionist. His most remembered antics involved his Irish Setter ``Cutter.'' When Bronson was cited with allowing Cutter to run at large in Maple Bluff, he hired Madison attorney and prankster Edward Ben Elson to defend the dog. Elson demanded that the dog be tried by a jury of his peers: 12 Irish Setters. In his next campaign, Bronson had buttons featuring Cutter with the slogan ``Bronson dog gone it.'' A colorful spectrum of words is necessary to capture the essence of Bronson La Follette, some of which may seem contradictory. Those words include progressive, irreverent, bipartisan, entertaining, passionate, fair, outspoken, just, funny, service-minded, champion, fun-loving, defender, activist, committed, blunt, values-driven, but what I will remember most about Bronson is how vigorously he embraced his personality, how sweetly he loved his family, and how passionately he fought for justice. Wisconsin owes a debt of gratitude to this extraordinary man who brought equality and justice to so many.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, unfortunately, including this legislation in the recently passed S. 2155 was not possible due to a number of procedural objections that could not be overcome. However, it is our understanding that the substance of our bill has the support of several FHLBs, and we intend to work with our colleagues, the administration, and FHFA to find sustainable ways for housing-focused entities such as relevant captive insurance companies to participate in the FHLB system.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise to join and thank Senator Whitehouse for his ongoing commitment to give a voice to the issue of climate change and the threat it poses to our country and, frankly, our world. Senator Whitehouse has provided real, moral leadership on this issue, and I wish to express my gratitude for his unrelenting focus. Let there be no doubt that climate change is real. The question is not whether it is happening but how we will address it. Are we going to do all that we can to leave the next generation a safer and healthier world? As my friend from Rhode Island has impressed upon us with due urgency week in and week out, climate change will be tremendously costly to our economy and to our very way of life. The longer we wait to act, the more costly these impacts will be. The State of Wisconsin has been a proud home to environmental leaders who have worked to pass on a stronger environment to future generations. I think of Aldo Leopold. I think of John Muir. I think of Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day. As a Senator for our great State, it is one of my top priorities to follow in this legacy and to preserve our natural resources and quality of life for future generations. It is not hard to see why Wisconsinites deeply value environmental protection. From looking out at the crystal clear waters of Lake Superior from its South Shore to standing atop Rib Mountain and gazing at the forests and farmlands of Central Wisconsin, to casting your fishing rod in the world-class trout streams of the Driftless region in the southwest of our State, there is no question that we are blessed. We are blessed with natural beauty in the State of Wisconsin. The impact of climate change can already be seen on these very landscapes and the economies they support. We see it in agriculture. Growing seasons are shifting, and extreme weather events are harming our crops. We have increasing concerns about drought and groundwater. In fact, NASA recently warned that droughts will not only become more severe, but our ecosystems will be increasingly slower to recover from those droughts. Decreased soil moisture will put stress on farmers and their livestock, on private wells, and on our municipal drinking water systems. These prolonged droughts, combined with the increased intensity of storms and changing temperature patterns, will force farmers to change how and what they grow. It is extremely troubling as agriculture is an $88 billion industry in the State of Wisconsin. We also see the negative effects of climate change on our Great Lakes. In Lake Michigan, for example, we see changes in precipitation and evaporation patterns due to climate change that may cause more dramatic fluctuations in lake levels than we have already seen. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that average surface water temperatures have increased in all five Great Lakes since 1995. Warmer surface water temperatures disrupt the food chain and facilitate the spread of invasive species, threatening our native fish with disease. Changing water levels create challenges for property owners and communities along the Great Lakes. Each of these changes will strain our local economies. Tourism is also a major part of Wisconsin's economy. The Northwoods is a beloved place to fish, camp, hunt, and snowmobile. But last year, for only the second time in its 45-year history, Wisconsin's famous Birkebeiner cross-country ski race was canceled because of warm temperatures and a lack of snow. The impacts on tourism, recreation, and the landscapes that we hold near to our hearts are already here. They will only become more drastic. The threats may be daunting, but we cannot allow the challenges to overwhelm us into inaction. Wisconsin's motto is just one word--``forward.'' The people of Wisconsin have never been afraid of the challenges we face. We have a strong progressive tradition of confronting our challenges and working together to shape our future for the next generation. Many of Wisconsin's most successful companies are leaders in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean technology. In 2014, one of Wisconsin's major healthcare systems became the first in the Nation to use entirely renewable energy. Wisconsin companies are strong innovators and provide opportunities for workers of today and tomorrow as they lead the way. I believe in smart investments by governments at all levels, by companies and institutions, and by citizens. This will help us confront the challenge of climate change while positioning Wisconsin for economic and ecological resiliency. This opportunity is great, and we must meet the challenge head-on--going forward, the Wisconsin way. I would like, once again, to thank Senator Whitehouse for his laser focus on this issue that is so critical to our home States, as well as the Nation and the world, that we will pass on to the next generation. I yield the floor.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I offer this statement to ensure the record reflects my opposition to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, S. 2311, calendar No. 294, as considered by the Senate on Monday, January 29, 2018. Cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to S. 2311 by a vote of 51 to 46. Unfortunately, I was unable to be present for the rollcall vote to invoke cloture on this measure due to multiple flight delays traveling from Wisconsin to Washington, DC. I oppose this divisive legislation and would have voted against it, as I have previously when I voted against cloture on the motion to proceed to this legislation, H.R. 36 when it was considered by the Senate on September 22, 2015. Let me be clear: I believe every American woman deserves access to quality, safe healthcare and the freedom to exercise her individual and constitutional rights to make her own private health decisions with her family and her doctor, without political interference. Too many States have already enacted record numbers of laws that restrict a woman's access to reproductive health services and the freedom to make her own healthcare decisions. In Wisconsin, numerous measures have been signed into law that impose unreasonable requirements on providers and clinics that often leave families with nowhere to turn and threaten the ability of clinics in my home State to keep their doors open. Like the measure before the Senate, introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican politicians in Wisconsin have already enacted a 20-week ban on abortion procedures in our state, which has real and grave consequences for our families. Politicians are doing this because they think they know better than women and their doctors. The fact is they don't. It is not the job of politicians to play doctor and to dictate how these professionals practice medicine, nor is it the job of government to intrude into the private lives and important health decisions of American families. The threat in Wisconsin and in States across the country is clear: When politicians play doctor, American families suffer. This is why my good friend and colleague Senator Richard Blumenthal and I have introduced the Women's Health Protection Act, S. 510, which would put a stop to these attacks on women's freedoms. This measure would prohibit laws, including State and local regulations, which unduly limit access to abortion services, including laws that single out providers, close down clinics, and impose onerous restrictions that do nothing to further women's health or safety. I will continue to work for access to comprehensive reproductive care and vote against proposals that threaten a woman's right to make her own health decisions.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I am proud to be a Wisconsin Senator. Washington is broken. Washington isn't working for Wisconsin or Minnesota or the rest of America, for that matter. I rise today to call on all my Senate colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to fix it. I think it is very important for all of us to be honest with the American people and shoot straight with how we got to this point where we are today, amidst a government shutdown. At the end of September, nearly 4 months ago, the Republican majority missed a major deadline--a deadline to pass a budget for America and its government and appropriations bills that fund the government for the year. Republicans have the power of the majority here in the U.S. Senate, in the House of Representatives, and the Presidency. Yet the Republican leadership has failed--failed to put together a budget for America and its government that provides certainty for our country. Families in Wisconsin who are struggling paycheck to paycheck put together a budget for their families because they have to in order to make ends meet. But here in Washington, my friends on the other side of the aisle have played by a different set of rules. On Friday night, they didn't put forward a budget for America and its government. Instead, they offered their fourth short-term continuing resolution in the last 4 months. This is no way to govern, simply kicking the can down the road each month and ignoring the real needs of our country. The Federal budget is not a calendar year budget; rather, it runs from October 1 to September 30 each year. There are all sorts of historical reasons for why that is, but among them, if we get our work done on time, the local governments and other entities that have calendar year budgets get to see what Federal funds have been allocated for the things that we do jointly that make a real difference in people's lives. The Congress is actually supposed to get its budget done in the spring and then finish its appropriations process by September 30. In fact, today we should be starting our work on the 2019 budget. Instead, we are still working on the 2018 budget that should have been completed last spring and appropriations bills that should have been done by September 30. The majority had from September 30 until December 9--that was the first, short-term continuing resolution, as it is known--to get the job done. On a bipartisan basis, we allocated that time through a continuing resolution. The majority then had from December 9 until December 22, another short-term continuing resolution, and then from December 22 to January 19, another continuing resolution. But the governing majority still hasn't done its work, so they asked for yet another 4 weeks. This month-by-month approach from the majority has failed. It has failed to provide our military and troops with the budget certainty they need. We heard from Secretary Mattis and his team this week about how harmful these continuing resolutions are to our Nation's military, and the majority should heed those words because it impedes the military's ability to plan for the defense of our Nation. Under repeated continuing resolutions, the Department can't start new programs, hiring and recruitment are limited, and our national security funding priorities are left on autopilot. The Defense Department has made it clear that they need a long-term budget, not week-by-week and month-by- month measures, but the majority has failed to deliver results. Our veterans need VA reforms so that they can get the healthcare services they have earned, and I have worked in a bipartisan manner on a number of reforms of the VA Choice Program, but the continuing resolution offered--and rightly rejected by both Democrats and Republicans--shortchanges veterans' health when we should be working together to serve those who have bravely served this Nation. Four months ago, congressional Republicans let funding for children's healthcare expire. They refused to pass legislation that funds the Children's Health Insurance Program, otherwise known as CHIP, and 170,000 children in the State of Wisconsin rely on CHIP for their healthcare. But the congressional Republicans were more concerned during that period of time with giving away massive tax breaks; 80 percent-plus of the benefits go to the upper 1 percent and big corporations. In fact, while these children were ignored, Republicans gave permanent tax cuts to powerful corporations and now won't provide permanent funding for the CHIP program for children's health insurance for low-income families. Four months ago, the majority party that controls Washington let funding for community health centers lapse. In my home State, 300,000 Wisconsinites are served by community health centers, including kids on CHIP. Two weeks ago, I visited one of those community health centers in Green Bay, WI. The healthcare workers and staff describe the anxiety and uncertainty they feel every day because they don't know whether they will have the funding they need to minister to the healthcare needs of those whom they serve. Many community health centers can't move forward with longer term contracts for services or repairs or invest in new medical equipment because they don't know if or when Washington will act. They found out on Friday night that the continuing resolution offered, just like the three before it, failed to address funding for community health centers once again, but it did give tax breaks to big insurance companies. We cannot leave our community health centers without the funding they need to serve the people for whom we all work. We should take action now to fully fund them because they can't wait any longer. I know that every one of my colleagues here in the Senate has come face to face with the opioid epidemic. I know I have. I have traveled my State and met with healthcare workers, local officials, people from law enforcement and the judiciary who are working on the frontlines of this crisis. I know what it is like to have a loved one dependent upon narcotics. I have met with families who have lost a loved one to this epidemic. I have met with family members who are currently finding their own lives totally upended because of a loved one who is hooked on opioids. There is bipartisan support for doing more. There is support across party lines for the Federal Government to step up and be a stronger partner in this fight. A short-term, stopgap measure isn't going to do it, and we all know it. So let's find the will to work together to provide strong investments in local communities so that they have the resources they need for prevention treatment and recovery efforts. Let's work together to save lives. We are where we are right now because I think Washington has lost sight of what our work here should be about--making a difference in people's lives. Hundreds of thousands of young people have had their lives placed in limbo by the politics of Washington. The Dreamers, who have only known America as their home, are working hard. They are going to school. They are serving in our military. President Trump has threatened them with deportation. Right now, we have a bipartisan solution that Republican leadership in both the Senate and the House have refused to make a commitment to passing. This bipartisan solution strengthens border security and does right by the Dreamers. Just a couple of weeks ago, I spoke with an education leader in Wisconsin. He told me that his school, a Catholic K-12 school, employs by his count 23 Dreamers. He can't imagine the devastating impact it might have if we don't figure this out. On Thursday of last week, I spoke with a Wisconsin Dreamer. She made her way to DC--and this wasn't her first trip--to tell her powerful story. She asked for an update, and I told her what I thought was happening here. She told me she had just 8 days left before her DACA status expires, and she said: I don't know what I am going to do, how I will be able to work. Today, she has only 5 days left. We have a bipartisan solution that Senate Republicans and Democrats have worked on together, so let's do our job and let's get it done. I have the privilege of working for a State with a work ethic that is second to none. I am deeply humbled by that privilege, and I do everything I can to respect and reward the hard work of Wisconsinites. That is why I have been working for months on pension reforms. When people work hard and they play by the rules and build their retirement security, they should be able to depend on the pensions they have earned. Right now, 25,000 Wisconsin retirees and workers have had their pensions threatened through no fault of their own. I have visited with these workers throughout the State of Wisconsin in Green Bay, in Endeavor, in Milwaukee, and Brookfield--hundreds of them. They each have a powerful story. I spoke to one worker who started his job as a trucker at age 23. He worked for 40 years. At several stages in his career, he had the opportunity, if you will call it that, to forgo a potential increase in wages so that he could put more into his pension, so he and his wife could enjoy a secure retirement. But today he and thousands of others are facing the prospect of massive cuts to the pensions they have earned, unless Congress acts. They can't afford to have us kick the can down the road once again. They need us to act and keep the promises of the pensions they worked so hard for. Let's work together. Let's work together and get the job done by passing the Butch Lewis Act and save the pensions that over a million workers and retirees across this country are counting on. Mr. President, enough of round after round of fighting. The American people are fed up with it. They did not send us here to perform a monthly melodrama. They sent us here to get things done. They didn't send us here to play political games and create chaos. They sent us here to work together on solutions to the problems that they face and that we face jointly as a nation. The biggest problem we face right now is that Washington is broken. It is up to us to fix it, so let's start working together to get the job done. I yield the floor.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues in our fight to keep a promise made to workers and retirees across this country. I will start with where we were, where we are now, and what Washington needs to do to keep these promises. A little over 2 years ago, Central States pension had an application before the Treasury Department, which had it been approved would have meant deep cuts to pensions that had already been earned over a lifetime of hard work. Retirees in my home State of Wisconsin began to receive letters notifying them that their pensions could be cut by 30, 50, and, in some cases, as much as 70 percent. Treasury made the right decision and rejected these pension cuts. That was an important victory, but we have always known there is more work to be done, that we have to find a long-term solution that keeps these promises. I am talking about a promise made to Bernie in Franklin, WI, who would have lost about one-third of his pension if the Central States application had actually gone through. I am talking about a promise made to Kenny from Menomonee Falls, WI, who spent most of his career in trucking, paying into a pension fund to safeguard his family's future. He got a letter notifying him that his pension might be cut by 55 percent. I am talking about promises made to 25,000 retirees and workers in the State of Wisconsin. They have been living with the fear and uncertainty of not knowing whether the retirement security they saved for and sacrificed for, and that their families depend upon, will be there when they need it. If Washington does not act, these workers and retirees will face massive cuts to their pensions earned over decades of work. I have been proud to work side by side with Wisconsin retirees and with Senator Sherrod Brown to introduce the Butch Lewis Act. The bill will put failing pension plans, including Central States, back on solid ground to ensure they can meet their commitments to retirees today and workers in decades to come, and it does so without cutting a single cent from the benefits retirees have earned. In the time since Central States submitted its application to the Treasury Department, I have met with retirees in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Endeavor, WI--last week, I was in Brookfield, WI, with many more than 200 retirees and workers--who are counting on Washington to pass this bill. Washington needs to act. We need to pass the Butch Lewis Act, and we need to do it soon. I yield the floor.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Madam President, I rise to offer motion to do something that this tax plan fails to do: make good on President Trump's promise to close the carried interest tax loophole. This motion has the support of Senators Whitehouse, Donnelly, and Van Hollen. I think we need to make our tax system simpler and fairer for hard- working families, businesses--particularly small businesses--and manufacturers, and that is what I have been working for. Unfortunately, this is not the plan being presented today by Senate Republicans. Let's be honest with the American people. This bill is largely a tax giveaway to the wealthiest few and big corporations, while millions of middle-class families will get a tax hike. With this partisan bill from across the aisle, big corporations get permanent tax breaks-- permanent--while middle-class families will see tax increases. In fact, most Americans earning less than $75,000 a year will see tax increases. That is simply not fair. It is also not fair that the top 1 percent will end up with over 60 percent of the benefits, and in exchange, 13 million more will lose health insurance. Healthcare premiums will increase by 10 percent, and Medicare and Medicaid have been put on the chopping block to pay for it. In addition, with the Senate Republican plan, powerful corporations can still deduct their State and local taxes, but they completely eliminate the State and local tax deduction for individual taxpayers. This deduction ensures households aren't taxed twice by the Federal Government on money they have already paid in State and local taxes, including property taxes. But with the current Senate plan, nearly one in three Wisconsinites will lose their personal income, sales, and property tax deductions. A recent study shows that it could decrease the value of home ownership. The average deduction in Wisconsin is $11,653, and nearly $10 billion of Wisconsinites' paychecks would be subject to a double tax--all to pay for a plan that favors those at the top. What is more, by the latest estimation from our own congressional scorekeeper, this plan will add $1 trillion--$1 trillion--to our deficit, breaking our promise to the next generation and sticking them with the bill. Our Tax Code ought to reward hard work more than it rewards wealth. It doesn't do that today, and it will not do that tomorrow if this bill passes. In fact, this Republican plan's primary purpose is to reward Fortune 500 corporations who will simply reward the wealth of shareholders, not the hard work that drives productivity and growth across our economy. The primary promise of this legislation makes the same promise that has not been kept to workers for decades. Trickle-down economics has not worked in the past, and it is not going to work now. American workers know that. But my colleagues, rushing to pass this legislation, don't seem to care, because the only thing that matters is delivering for donors, who have too much power and influence in Washington. I want to see loopholes closed, like the one that favors Wall Street hedge funds and allows them to pay a lower tax rate than many Wisconsin workers pay. Earlier this year, I introduced the Carried Interest Fairness Act to close the carried interest tax loophole for millionaires and billionaires on Wall Street. The carried interest loophole allows certain investment managers to take advantage of the preferential 20 percent long-term capital gains tax rates on the income they get for managing other people's money, rather than the ordinary income tax rates of up to 39.6 percent that American workers pay. My legislation closes the carried interest tax loophole by ensuring that income earned by managing other people's money is taxed at the same ordinary income tax rates as the vast majority of working Americans pay. As a candidate, President Trump included closing the carried interest tax loophole in his tax reform plan. While campaigning in Detroit last year, he said: ``We will eliminate the carried interest deduction and other special interest loopholes that have been so good for Wall Street investors, and for people like me, but unfair to American workers.'' Then this May, after being asked why his tax reform outline didn't mention carried interest after campaigning on its closure, the President responded by saying: It's out. Done . . . carried interest was great for me, but carried interest was unfair and it's gone. I agree that it is unfair and it should be eliminated. However, it is not gone with this legislation. This loophole for Wall Street is still in the bill. Why? Is it because my Republican colleagues on the other side of the aisle simply do not believe a word this President says? Is it because Wall Street lobbyists, big banks, and hedge funds have such a grip on Washington? Is it because these are the very donors that this legislation is meant to serve with a win? Today I am offering a motion to close the carried interest tax loophole once and for all. It is simply unfair for Wisconsin workers to pay higher income tax rates than a billionaire hedge fund on Wall Street. If you agree, you will support this motion. If you want to help President Trump keep his promises to the American people, you will support this motion. Let's do right by the American people and close this tax loophole for the wealthy on Wall Street. Let's make sure that our Tax Code rewards hard work as much as it currently rewards wealth. If that isn't simple and fair, I don't know what is. I yield the floor.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the following motion to commit be printed in the Record.

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I have a motion to commit at the desk.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak to Baldwin amendment No. 1139. Wisconsin families need a tax break, and that is what I am working for. This budget will fast-track enormous tax breaks for the wealthiest few. It increases the deficit and puts Medicare and Medicaid on the chopping block to pay for it. I don't think it is right to ask the middle class to pay for tax breaks for the top 1 percent with cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and rising deficits--deficits that will surely be used by my Republican colleagues to continue to justify an unwillingness to invest in the essential pillars of economic security for families. The entire reason reconciliation was created was for deficit reduction, which the majority claims to care so much about. My amendment is very simple. It would reinstate a point of order, known as the Conrad rule, against reconciliation legislation that increases the deficit. Let's not use reconciliation to add to our deficit. I urge my colleagues to support my commonsense amendment that has been cosponsored by Senators Warner, Whitehouse, Kaine, Coons, King, Wyden, and Van Hollen.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, in 2 days, unless Congress acts, the Federal Perkins Loan Program--the Nation's oldest Federal student loan program--will expire, leaving thousands of students with one fewer option to help them afford a higher education. Since 1958, the Perkins Loan Program has existed with broad bipartisan support and has provided millions of students a stronger path to the middle class. In the 2016 to 2017 academic year, the program has served more than 770,000 students with financial need across more than 1,400 institutions of higher education. In my home State of Wisconsin alone, Perkins provided aid to more than 23,000 students who are working hard to achieve their dreams. Colleges and universities are invested in Perkins. This program operates through campus-based revolving funds that combine prior Federal investments with significant institutional resources. While Congress stopped appropriating new funds for Perkins more than a decade ago, these schools continue to invest in this program because they know it works, and the campus-based nature of the program allows them to target aid to students they know are in the greatest financial need. I am here to call on all of my colleagues to join me in supporting the extension of this critical program and investment in our students across America. Two years ago, we allowed this important program to lapse, but thanks to the tireless efforts of students, institutions, advocates, and a bicameral, bipartisan majority in support of Perkins, we were able to advance a compromise that ensured that this source of support continued to be available to students in need. Once again, we are facing a deadline. Once again, there is strong bipartisan support for extending the Perkins Loan Program. Last week, Senators Portman, Casey, and Collins joined me in introducing the Perkins Loan Program Extension Act, which would provide for a 2-year extension. My fellow Wisconsinite, Representative Mark Pocan, together with New York Representative Elise Stefanik, have introduced a House companion bill that is supported by over 225 of their colleagues--a bipartisan majority in that Chamber. I am here to call on my colleagues to act once again and support a 2- year extension of the Perkins Loan Program. And while I look forward to a broader conversation about improving Federal supports for students as we look to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, we cannot once again sit by and watch it expire as America's students are left with uncertainty. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1808, a bill to extend the Federal Perkins Loan Program for 2 years; that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration and the bill be considered read a third time and passed, with no intervening action or debate.

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I am certainly disappointed that my effort to extend the Perkins Loan Program today was just blocked by my Republican colleague, but I want to say that it is an honor to serve on the HELP Committee, where we do some very impressive bipartisan work. I understand the Senator's concern about the program and his belief that we must simplify. I share his desire to work on a broader reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, and I look forward to that broader conversation about our Federal financial aid programs. However, I do not think it is right or fair to end this program, with nothing to replace it, to the detriment of students in need. Also, I cannot agree that the compromise we hammered out 2 years ago was an agreement to wind down the program. I guess it is the perspective that we each bring to this subject, because I believed we were acting to ensure that the Perkins Loan Program could continue until we could discuss changes, improvements, and reforms to it and all Federal financial aid programs as part of broader legislation to improve higher education. We have yet to get to that bigger conversation, and it would once again be unfair to let this program end now without the benefit of a holistic assessment of the many ways the Federal Government helps to make college affordable for students across this country. I will continue to fight to extend this support for America's students, and I hope the chairman of the committee will once again work with me and the bipartisan supporters of this program to find a path forward for the Perkins Loan Program. I yield the floor.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues in expressing actually a combination of outrage and heartbreak that Washington is still working on yet another partisan plan to take healthcare coverage and guaranteed protections away from families across this country. This is despite a clear message Americans--and Wisconsinites alike--have sent to Congress that they want us to work across the party aisle to make things better and not worse. This latest repeal plan totally ignores that message. This plan would make things far worse, not better. It would make things worse by allowing insurers to charge older Americans an age tax. That is a worry that Greg from Stoddard, WI, has shared with me. Greg told me that he and his family can't afford for things to get worse. He has no idea how he and other older Wisconsinites will be able to afford higher costs for healthcare. Greg's sons, both of them, have diabetes, and they are already struggling with the skyrocketing cost of insulin. It would make things worse by dramatically weakening guaranteed protections for those with preexisting conditions, allowing insurers to cut coverage for essential health benefits and charge more for needed care. As someone who was branded with those words ``preexisting condition'' as a child, I understand how this repeal would hurt Wisconsin families and families throughout America. It would make things worse by eliminating the premium tax credits and cost-sharing reduction payments that help thousands--thousands--of Wisconsinites afford healthcare coverage, and estimates show this particular plan offered in the Senate could significantly cut funding for my home State of Wisconsin by almost $3 billion in the year 2027. On top of this latest repeal plan, it has to be added that the Trump administration continues to play dangerous political games and engage in sabotage against the Affordable Care Act and Wisconsin's healthcare system, and it does so at the expense of families seeking affordable insurance. Instead of working to lower healthcare costs, the Trump administration continues to threaten to withhold the critical cost- sharing reduction payments that help reduce deductibles and out-of- pocket costs for Wisconsin families. Instead of giving healthcare providers certainty and working to stabilize the healthcare marketplace, the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for higher premiums next year. In addition, just last week, the administration slashed funding to States for their outreach and education efforts to help more people sign up for healthcare. Wisconsin's trusted Navigator Programs had their funding cut, without explanation, by almost 50 percent, despite a long record of actually exceeding their enrollment goals. This would mean fewer people in rural Wisconsin will receive the support and assistance they need to obtain affordable healthcare coverage. Instead of making things worse, we should be making things better by getting the job done on bipartisan solutions that lower costs, that expand coverage, and make healthcare more affordable. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions--the HELP Committee--is trying to do just that. Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray have shown great leadership in bringing us together to work across party lines on solutions that work for the American people. Our committee has heard from leaders from across the country. These are leaders and experts who play different roles in the healthcare system, and they are telling us how we can work together to make things better. We have had a set of four hearings over the last 2 weeks, and throughout these hearings we have received a consistent message. That message is that now is the time to work together to stabilize the health insurance market and to make healthcare more affordable. I believe we need to be doing more to increase the enrollment of younger and healthier adults in the marketplace. We should be exploring bipartisan solutions to increase outreach and coverage for those over 6.1 million young adults who are still uninsured. Slashing the funding for outreach, education, and assistance to them will further destabilize the market and lead to higher costs for everyone. It is past time to stop this partisan nonsense. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do just that by ending these partisan attempts to take people's healthcare away and make them pay more for less care. The people of Wisconsin--frankly, the people across this country-- have sent a clear message. They have sent a clear message that they don't want us to take people's healthcare away, and they have sent a clear message that they want us to work together, to work across the party line to make things better, not worse. I believe that if parties can look past this partisan debate, if we can do the people's business, then we can find common ground. Let's do that by getting the job done on bipartisan solutions that stabilize and strengthen the healthcare marketplace. Let's do that by getting the job done on solutions that would lower healthcare costs for all American families. Thank you. I yield the floor. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I had reserved the right to object, but I will not object to proceeding to the vote to move the NDAA forward. I would note that this amendment is germane postcloture, and I still would like to see the Senate operate in a manner where Senators can bring forth their amendments, can debate them, and can get votes. I yield back.

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I have filed Baldwin amendment No. 329. This deals with the subject matter of ``Buy American'' in the National Defense Authorization Act. I have long been a strong supporter of our manufacturing sector, of our national security, and I believe this amendment strongly supports both. All week we have been going back and forth about whether we are going to vote on amendments to this measure. The Senate is supposed to be an institution where we can debate and bring our ideas forward, represent our States, represent the hard workers of this Nation, and I reserve the right to object to this unanimous consent request because I am frustrated, on behalf of those I represent, that we are not going to see a vote on this ``Buy American'' amendment. I would additionally note the unique status we have--actually, in this case, a Statement of Administration Policy indicating strong support for the amendment that I have filed. To me, the ultimate test will be what is in the final bill that is signed into law. I am going to continue to push on, but I am, again, disappointed that this Senate is not operating in a fashion where we can offer amendments, debate those amendments, and have votes on those amendments. I wish to yield to both the chairman and ranking member, as we have had discussions on this subject matter during these negotiations.

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I ask unanimous consent to make brief remarks and engage in a colloquy with the chairman and ranking member.

Ms. BALDWIN

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

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak about an amendment that I have submitted to restore ``Buy American'' standards that support our workers and our national defense. My amendment presents an opportunity to work across party lines to strengthen our national security and to support the hard-working men and women in Wisconsin and across the country. In fact, President Trump supports exactly what my amendment seeks to achieve. In addition, the Parliamentarians have confirmed that my amendment is germane postcloture. Given that the President agrees with me and the amendment is germane, I am calling on the Republican leadership to schedule an up-or-down vote on my amendment so that Senators have a chance to show their support for the workers who help keep America secure. Let me explain what my amendment would do. The National Defense Authorization Act would eliminate a number of important ``Buy American'' laws for certain critical defense components for Navy ships and other defense programs. My amendment, entitled the Supporting America's Defense Workers Act, would prevent the elimination of these critical ``Buy American'' protections, which give preference to American companies for government contracts funded with taxpayer dollars. It is a commonsense ``Buy American, Hire American'' policy that supports our domestic industrial base, our workers, and our national and economic security. Current law requires that certain critical components like valves, air circuit breakers, machine tools, anchor chains, propellers, passenger buses, chemical weapons antidotes, and photovoltaic devices be supplied by American companies or certain qualified companies located in closely allied countries, such as Canada. Section 863 of the Defense bill would enact a harmful sunset provision on these current requirements, eliminating them entirely at the end of fiscal year 2018 and consequently opening up taxpayer-funded defense contracts to unfairly subsidized foreign competition and placing American jobs at risk. Opening these procurements up to foreign sources would have the additional effect of undercutting American steel and iron producers because foreign manufacturers of these components do not use U.S.- sourced raw materials. Section 863 would weaken these sectors of the U.S. defense industrial base and jeopardize the stability of companies located in States across this country and the manufacturers of those components. This would, in turn, harm our military's ability to rely on secure and stable sources of critical defense components in an increasingly dynamic global security environment. If domestic sources for critical defense components exit the market, our military could be forced into relying on countries that don't share our interests, including strategic adversaries like China or Russia, for parts and supplies. I want to emphasize that my amendment does not add any new requirements or preferences to defense acquisitions. Rather, it maintains the existing requirements that have worked for years to create a secure supply of critical parts for our Nation's defense. Again, to be clear, my amendment does not force the Department of Defense or the individual services to do anything that they are not already doing. Indeed, DOD and the services have complied with these requirements for years without complaint and without injury, and it is important to note that these domestic content requirements can be waived. They can be waived for cost; they can be waived for schedule or noncompetitive reasons. In other words, the government retains flexibility under these laws. Strengthening our defense industrial base should be a bipartisan issue. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, President Trump has said that he agrees with me. He registered his opposition to section 863 in his Statement of Administration Policy, which states: ``The Administration strongly objects to Section 863.'' The Trump administration goes on to say: The existing procurement requirements act as a key guarantor of strategic supply chain security. They protect DOD's ability to reliably source goods such as chemical weapons antidotes and components for naval vessels, among others. Eroding ``Buy American'' requirements also runs counter to two Presidential initiatives--President Trump's Executive order directing the Pentagon to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities and his ``Buy American and Hire American'' Executive order to better enforce current domestic content laws. I believe we must take steps to ensure that American products are prioritized when American tax dollars are being spent. Domestic preferences help our manufacturing sector and ensure that critical products meet our high standards. This is particularly important when we are talking about defense products used to ensure that our servicemembers are safe and effective. In sum, voting for my amendment means voting not only for the creation of well-paying American jobs but also for ensuring that the items used by our men and women in the military are of the highest quality and will continue to be available. This amendment is supported by the American Shipbuilding Suppliers Association and the Alliance for American Manufacturing. A strong defense industrial base means a strong and secure America. My amendment has the bipartisan support of President Trump, and I believe it deserves a vote and the support of all of my colleagues in the Senate. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the 100th anniversary of the 88th Regional Support Command. I am humbled to recognize the men and women who are bravely fighting for our country's freedom. The 88th Regional Support Command, RSC, began as the 88th Infantry Division, ID. Organized in August 1917 at Camp Dodge, IA, the members of the ``Cloverleaf Division'' fought among the Allied Forces in the Alsace Campaign. They returned home following the war, and the Army demobilized the unit in June 1919. Three years later, the 88th reformed within the Organized Reserve, with headquarters in Minneapolis and subordinate units elsewhere in Minnesota, Iowa, and North Dakota. The 88th ID mobilized in 1942 to serve the United States in World War II. It was one of the first units comprised solely of drafted soldiers. Despite a lack of experience, the 88th quickly gained a reputation as an effective unit of well-trained soldiers, which the Germans referred to as the ``Blue Devils.'' The 88th ID fought on the front lines during the 1944 Italian campaign. Its arrival provided much-needed relief to the allied soldiers fighting on the Italian front. Led by Major General John E. Sloan, the 88th was the first division to enter the newly liberated Rome. After 100 straight days of activation, the Blue Devils were finally scheduled to receive a much-needed respite from the war. However, MG Sloan quickly instituted a training regimen that kept his soldiers in fighting condition, and they were ordered to head north to combat the Germans and provide support for American soldiers in Northern Italy. For 344 days, the 88th Infantry fought to protect our American values during World War II. At the beginning of the war, MG Sloan promised, ``the glory of the colors will never be sullied, as long as one man of the 88th still lives.'' Although many lives were lost, the 88th Infantry Division was deactivated in October 1947, having fulfilled MG Sloan's promise. In April 1996, the 88th ID was redesignated as the 88th RSC. Headquartered in Fort McCoy, WI, the 88th RSC provides logistical and administrative support for Army Reserve soldiers. Whether they are providing training logistics, equipment maintenance or medical support, the members of the 88th RSC are making a difference for servicemen and servicewomen from Wisconsin all the way to the Pacific Coast. Today the 88th ID lives on through the 88th Regional Support Command. Having fought in the Vietnam war, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the soldiers of the 88th RSC continue to support the more than 55,000 U.S. Army Reserve soldiers, families, and civilians across the United States. I am proud to recognize 100 years of their remarkable service and accomplishments.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company on their 150th anniversary. I am so pleased to honor this great Wisconsin company. Throughout its history, family has always been at the core of the Leinenkugel business. The family's brewing tradition began well before they came to America. Jacob's father, Mathais, was a brewer and brandymaker from Meckenheim, Germany, who settled with his family in Sauk City, WI. Mathais passed his craft on to his four sons who, in turn, opened their own breweries throughout Wisconsin. Their passion for brewing quality beer remains at the heart of the Leinenkugel family 150 years later. While it is now the fourth-largest craft brewer in the United States, the nascent company had only two employees: Jacob Leinenkugel and his partner, John Miller. Jacob brewed the beer, and John delivered it. Their German brewing methods, combined with excellent grains grown in rich Wisconsin soil and the State's pure water, made Leinenkugel's small brewery an instant success. The hard-working lumberjacks in the logging town of Chippewa Falls were Jacob's first loyal customers. Word of Leinenkugel's beer spread quickly, and its popularity expanded rapidly throughout Northern Wisconsin. When Jacob passed away in 1899, running the company fell to his son- in-law, Henry Casper, and then to his eldest son, Matt, in 1907. Working alongside his sisters and brothers-in-law, the second generation of Leinenkugel's leadership quickly took the company to new heights. The brewery experienced its first major test with the passage of Prohibition in 1919. While many American breweries cut their losses and closed shop during this period, Leinenkugel's adapted to the new American reality and began brewing Leino, a nonalcoholic version of their popular beer. Unfortunately, Leino was no match for the real thing and was soon discontinued. Thanks to quick thinking, they pivoted once again and began bottling soda water. By the end of Prohibition, Leinenkugel's was the largest bottler of soda water in the area. After the repeal of Prohibition, Matt Leinkugel's wife, Katherine, and his sister, Rose, mortgaged their homes to finance updates to the brewery's equipment to save the company. Thanks to the resourcefulness of these women, the Leinenkugel family was able to restore the brewery to its pre-Prohibition glory. Leinenkugel's expanded yet again in the mid-20th century to the greater Midwest area and developed new varieties of beer that would meet the diverse needs of its newest customers. In 1988, the Miller Brewing Company purchased Leinenkugel's, allowing the brewery to distribute products across the country. Today the brewery is an industry leader that produces 25 different styles of beer. For every 10 shandy-style beers consumed in the United States, nine are produced by Leinenkugel's. Despite their national success, the Leinenkugels have never forgotten their Wisconsin roots or their commitment to their hometown of Chippewa Falls, WI. Jake Leinenkugel, who led the company until his retirement in 2015, said he and his wife, Peg, will always live in Chippewa Falls. The couple was named ``Chippewa Valley Philanthropists of the Year'' in 2007 for their ongoing contributions of time and money to local causes. The Leinenkugel family has also maintained a strong commitment to the conservation of natural resources, particularly the freshwater that is a key component in Leinenkugel's products. The family created Canoes for a Cause, a stewardship program aimed at preserving waterways by removing trash, debris, and invasive plant species. They have held Canoes for a Cause events in Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, and Cleveland, often collecting more than 1,000 pounds of trash in a single day. Today, C.J., Ellie, Matt, and Kirk Leinenkugel carry on the Leinenkugel's legacy. They are the sixth generation of Leinenkugels to continue Jacob's tradition of excellence, taking a small, local brewery and turning it into one of the most successful breweries in the Nation. No matter how many employees or distributors join the team, Leinenkugel's will always remain a family company that, to its core, defines what it means to be kind, hard-working Wisconsinites and genuine Americans.

Ms. BALDWIN

Ms. BALDWIN. Madam President, I intend to offer the following motion to commit H.R. 1628 with instructions, on behalf of myself and Senator Hirono, to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to eliminate provisions that threaten to make healthcare unaffordable for those with preexisting conditions. I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record. The motion is supported by Senators Blumenthal, Durbin, Stabenow, Feinstein, Leahy, Brown, Harris, Franken, Carper, Coons, Udall, Shaheen, Van Hollen, Menendez, Reed, Manchin, Cardin, Murphy, Duckworth, Warren, Wyden, Whitehouse, Heinrich, Warner, Klobuchar, Nelson, Bennet, Markey, Booker, and King.