Susan Collins

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. Chief Justice, I send a question to the desk.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, trade with Canada and Mexico is vitally important to Maine's economy, supporting numerous small businesses and more than 53,000 jobs in our State. In reviewing the text of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the replacement for the deeply flawed NAFTA, my paramount concern was ensuring that Maine workers will be protected. After careful assessment of the benefits USMCA will have for those employed in Maine's manufacturing industry, agriculture sector, and small businesses, I will vote in support of the USMCA. According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, USMCA is projected to have a positive impact on all broad industry sectors, increasing employment by 176,000 jobs and increasing real GDP by $68.2 billion. This agreement also makes important improvements to labor and environmental standards and brings these issues into the core of the agreement. This is a step in the right direction for modernizing trade agreements. Dana Connors, president & CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, said: Our border countries are important trade partners for Maine businesses, in fact, trade with our friends to the north is vital to many Maine businesses on a daily basis. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce thanks Senator Collins for her support of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The USMCA's passage is vital for Maine businesses, will restore trade uncertainty and help our economy to continue to thrive. One out of five Maine manufacturing firms exports to Canada and Mexico, and the majority of these are small- and medium-sized companies. Without tariff-free trade, Maine's manufactured goods exported to Canada and Mexico could face $6.3 million to $26 million in additional tariffs, jeopardizing Maine jobs. Companies like New Balance, which employs hundreds of Mainers at its facilities in Norridgewock, Norway, and Skowhegan, and Texas Instruments in South Portland, depend on a stable North American supply chain. Amy Dow, director of public relations and government relations for New Balance, said: On behalf of our company's Maine associates, New Balance supports the passage of the USMCA that will enable the continued success and future growth of our three manufacturing facilities in Maine. Senator Collins' support and leadership on this trade agreement has been vital to ensure that our factories can continue to produce thousands of pairs of shoes annually for export to the Canadian market. Stephen Bonner, Texas Instruments vice president for worldwide government relations, said: Texas Instruments is a long-time supporter of predictable, open-market based trade policies. We're pleased that the new USMCA includes strong digital trade and intellectual property provisions to adapt the agreement to the 21st century economy, and support its passage. Our agricultural producers also rely on a stable and predictable trading environment. U.S. agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico more than quadrupled between 1993 and 2017. In Maine, I have heard from producers in the dairy, potato, and wild blueberry industries who have shared their support for free and fair trade agreements. Maine has a special relationship with Canada in particular, given our shared border. While there remain frictions with Canada, including fishing rights, right whale regulations, and softwood lumber issues, Canada is our largest trading partner and has consistently been our top U.S. export market. As a native of Aroostook County, I know how many of our border communities are truly intertwined, with people and goods traveling back and forth daily. In 2019, Maine and Canada traded an average of $350 million in goods per month. Ambassador Robert Lighthizer deserves recognition for his tremendous work on this agreement. It is impressive to see a trade agreement receive such strong bipartisan support. Vote on Motion to Waive

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I send a bill to the desk and ask that it be appropriately referred.

Ms. COLLINS. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. COLLINS

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

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Success for Rural Students and Communities Act, a bill that would help rural students achieve their higher education goals and connect their successes with economic opportunities in their own communities. I want to thank Senator Hassan for introducing this bill with me. The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act aims to improve the outcomes for rural students who are pursuing higher education and skills-based credentials that will prepare them to meet the workforce needs of their home communities. According to the 2010 census, Maine is now the most rural State in the Nation. Two out of three Maine schools are in rural communities, and more than half of Maine's students attend those schools. While nearly 90 percent of the students in my State graduate from high school, only 62 percent enroll in higher education, at least right away. According to a recent report by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, only 30 percent of Maine students go on to earn a 2-year or a 4-year degree. So we have a huge dichotomy between the number of Maine students who graduate from high school and the number who are successful in graduating from some sort of higher education. Maine's experience reflects the trends observed nationwide. Rural students tend to graduate from high school at higher rates than their peers in urban districts and at about the same rate as their peers in suburban schools, but only 59 percent of rural graduates enroll in college upon graduation, which is a lower percentage than their counterparts in urban and suburban areas. The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act would help spur innovation, investment, and strategies that would improve college access and success for rural students. It would create a demonstration program to encourage rural community stakeholders to partner together to help students go on to college or obtain some other postsecondary education, complete this education, and enter the workforce. These partnerships would draw on the talents of local school districts, institutions of higher education, regional economic development entities, rural community organizations, and the private sector. The bill encourages these partnerships to develop and implement strategies to help students and their families navigate higher education opportunities and addresses the barriers to their achievement. For example, the bill calls for partnerships to coalesce around approaches that boost higher education enrollment rates for referral students by exposing students and their families to college campuses, courses, internships, and career pathways to jobs at home. These partnerships could also focus on rural incompletion rates of nontraditional students who may need additional credentials or who once began but did not finish higher education. To meet the demands of today's workforce, many employees will need a credential beyond a high school diploma--perhaps a college degree, a skilled trade credential, or a professional certificate. The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act encourages schools and employers to forge partnerships that will put students on pathways into the high- demand jobs available where they live. That helps the rural communities. It helps them keep their young people. It helps them keep people who have the education and the skills those communities need to be vibrant and successful and to have strong economies. The bill highlights a number of strategies that could be developed and tested, including work-based learning opportunities, such as apprenticeships, internships, and stackable credentials that make up a sequence of courses on the path to a certain skill or job. I have toured apprenticeship programs in Maine, including one that helps to train people for jobs in forestry, and I have seen firsthand how successful those apprenticeship programs are. When rural students enroll in college, they often face barriers that prevent them from graduating, and that is why I have been a big promoter of student success programs. I have seen a very effective one at the Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, where students are helped with whatever the barrier is that is preventing them from completing community college. In some cases, it is the need for some mentoring; in others, tutoring in some areas. In other cases, it is simply a short-term loan in order for them to fix their automobile so they can get to class. In another case, it is childcare needs. Whatever the barrier is, if we can help these students, they will be able to complete their education. Many are the first in their families to attend college, which means they may have a more difficult time finding information about financial aid or selecting an education program that meets their needs. With the right supports in place, more and more rural students can complete their postsecondary education. Let me give a great example of the type of program I am talking about that would fulfill the goals of this legislation. In Maine's Aroostook County, where I was born and raised and where much of my family still lives, the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative is using this kind of model to help put students on pathways to academic and career success. Launched with a generous donation from local philanthropic partners, Aroostook Aspirations provides scholarships to high school students in Aroostook County who are seeking postsecondary education. The initiative collaborates with local colleges and universities, including the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the University of Maine at Fort Kent, Northern Maine Community College, and Husson University. It works with the area businesses and entrepreneurs to offer seminars that guide students throughout their college educations--the kind of mentoring I was referring to. Students can also team up with Aroostook County employers through internships that give them experience in jobs they wish to pursue or simply try out to see if the jobs fit them. They create relationships with professional mentors, who help put them on the right path to entering the workforce. The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act would support dynamic programs such as the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative and encourage other communities in rural America to innovate in similar ways. The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act would make a meaningful investment in the educational aspirations of rural students and their families and would strengthen the economy in rural America. By helping students succeed in reaching their education and career goals, we can also enhance the skills of our workforce in rural America. I urge my colleagues to support the Collins-Hassan bill.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Native Plant Species Pilot Program Act. I am pleased to be partnering with Senator Cantwell on this initiative. Our bipartisan bill supports a new pilot program at the National Park Service (NPS) to support the use of native plants. This legislation also encourages the Park Service to review existing data and study the cost-effectiveness of using native plants. Native plants are species found naturally in regions and can provide valuable functions to our National Park System. Benefits range from using less water and pesticides, purifying the air, and recharging groundwater in wetlands. By using native species, the Park Service can also improve habitat for wildlife and restore important species of birds and butterflies to their natural habitat. In Acadia National Park, native plants are an important part of the ongoing conservation work. I commend Superintendent Kevin Schneider and all those who work on these issues at the park for their work to encourage the use of native plants. Acadia National Park protects more than 900 plant species, including some that are globally, nationally, and locally rare. Native plants, however, face many threats such as non-native pests, non-native plants, diseases, and a changing climate. Today, almost one quarter of Acadia National Park's species are non-native to the park. The tree species of Acadia, the red spruce, is projected to lose a substantial amount of its habitat in coming decades as a result of climate change. In addition, invasive pests, such as Emerald Ash Borer and the hemlock woody adelgid are impacting northern forests, and the emerald ash borer has already been identified in Maine. This bill will ensure that we preserve Maine's cultural history and natural heritage. Acadia's native plant communities includes many iconic species such as the blueberry barrens near the mountain summits, the towering white pines in older forests, and the cranberry bogs along Northeast Creek that contribute to Maine's iconic landscape. Other native plants in Maine are the wildflowers that bloom in August and September, such as asters and goldenrods, helping to attract the more than 3.5 million visitors a year to one of the seventh most-visited national parks in the United States. I am pleased to report that our bipartisan bill has earned the support of the Garden Club of America, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to help protect the natural landscapes at our national parks and keep native plants thriving for years to come. Thank you, Mr. President.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I rise today in support of the fiscal year 2020 Appropriations bill for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. This bill is included in the appropriations package that is before this Chamber. Let me begin my remarks by thanking Chairman Shelby and Vice Chairman Leahy for their bipartisan leadership in successfully finishing the conference and advancing all of these appropriations bills to the Senate floor. I also want to acknowledge the hard work and strong commitment of my friend and colleague Senator Jack Reed, the ranking member of the T-HUD Subcommittee. We have worked closely together in negotiating this bill and have crafted a truly bipartisan product. The fiscal year 2020 transportation and housing appropriations bill provides $74.3 billion to continue to improve our Nation's infrastructure and maintain HUD rental assistance for low-income seniors, homeless youths, and other vulnerable populations. This year, we once again faced the funding challenge of rising rental costs across the country and a reduction in the receipts from the Federal Housing Administration that are used to offset some of the spending in this bill. However, we were successful in maintaining many of the Senate priorities in the final bill. For example, the bill provides $1 billion for the highly effective and popular BUILD grant program, which has provided $205 million in critical infrastructure improvements in Maine since 2009. In addition, the bill includes $1.15 billion for bridge repair and rehabilitation, with a focus on those States with the greatest needs. The need for additional bridge funding is clear across the country and was highlighted in my home State of Maine by grant awards for projects such as the Station 46 Bridge and the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. The infrastructure funding in this bill not only addresses the transportation challenges we face but also creates jobs and economic growth in each and every one of our homes. The American Society of Civil Engineers' most recent report card from 2017 shows that America's infrastructure remains in poor condition with a grade of D+. This poor rating is not only detrimental for the movement of people and goods but also harmful from a safety perspective. I am also particularly proud of the $300 million for the third National Security Multi-Mission Vessel which will serve as the new training vessel for Maine Maritime Academy. The new NSMV will play a critical role in training the next generation of U.S. mariners. This new ship will ensure that cadets receive the training hours they need to graduate and join the workforce in the merchant marine, Navy, and Coast Guard. Another important issue, particularly to Senator Reed and me, is reducing lead paint in homes. That is of particular health concern to families with children under the age of 6. The bill provides $290 million to combat lead hazards, a historic level of funding. Lead paint hazards are a significant concern for Maine families, as 57 percent of our housing stock was constructed prior to 1978, the year lead-based paint was banned. These grants will help communities protect children from the harmful lifelong effects of lead poisoning. Finally, I do want to mention that the bill provides additional funding for the FAA's aviation safety programs in light of two Boeing crashes. This funding ensures that the agency has the necessary staff and training, as well as safety data reporting systems going forward. Our Committee remains focused on this issue to ensure that we maintain the Nation's safest airspace. I appreciate the opportunity to present this important legislation to the Chamber. As we begin debate on the Transportation-HUD bill, I urge my colleagues to support the investments in this bill that benefit our communities all across this Nation and the families, veterans, children, and our seniors that rely on these programs.

Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I rise today as a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee to express my support for this appropriations bill and to highlight a number of important provisions for both our national security and the State of Maine. I would first like to thank Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Durbin, as well as Vice-Chairman Leahy, for their work and leadership on the committee and their willingness to come together to complete what is a strong, bipartisan final bill. The bipartisan work of the Defense Subcommittee is vitally important to ensure our men and women in uniform are able to fight and defend our Nation as well as deter potential adversaries. It also ensures our DOD civilians have the resources they need to support those servicemembers and keep our ships, planes, and vehicles at the ready. The bill before us today supports a military pay increase of 3.1 percent--the largest in a decade. It also recognizes the value of our civilian workforce by also supporting an average pay increase of 3.1 percent for DOD civilians. The bill recognizes the necessity of building and maintaining a strong Navy. It provides nearly $24 billion for new Navy battle force ships, including more than $5 billion for three DDG-51 destroyers. Looking ahead to next year, it also provides an additional $390 million above the amount requested in the President's budget request for DDG-51 advanced procurement. This demonstrates Congress's intent that the Department sustain an aggressive growth rate for large surface combatants in fiscal year 2021 and beyond. In Maine, we are very proud of the role that Bath Iron Works plays in contributing to our national security, building the finest ships in our fleet. This bill includes $130 million to invest in our Nation's large surface combatant industrial base, ensuring Bath Iron Works can efficiently design and build our Navy's fleet long into the future. BIW is known throughout the Navy for the high-quality of the ships they build, with many Sailors using our motto that ``Bath Built is Best Built.'' BIW employs the finest shipbuilders, engineers, and designers in the world, and this bill rightly recognizes the great value that these tried-and-tested warships bring to the Navy. This bill supports our nation's public shipyards, which are truly the backbone of our Navy's submarine fleet. It funds our Navy's maintenance activities, ensuring workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and other shipyards can carry out their work keeping our Nation's submarines at sea. The bill also makes clear that the Navy should continue to invest in the very successful apprenticeship programs at our public shipyards-- which has been incredibly successful at PNSY--as well as work to address the availability of Virginia-class submarine materials at our shipyards. This bill makes critical investments in research and development programs, which are being carried out in partnership with research institutions, including the University of Maine. These programs include producing jet fuel from Maine's forest biomass; developing hybrid composite structures for the Navy; and funding for DOD to utilize UMaine's new 3D printer, the largest in the world, for cutting-edge defense research and rapid prototyping. This bill invests in fifth-generation aircraft we need to deter Russia and China by funding 98 F-35 aircraft 20 more than initially requested by the Department. These advanced, stealthy jets are key to dominating the skies, and I am proud of Pratt and Whitney's contributions to the program through its construction of the F135 engine at its facility in North Berwick, ME. Additionally, the bill procures six CH-53K Heavy Lift helicopters for the Marine Corps. The rotating drive shafts are a critical moment of the aircraft and are produced at Hunting Dearborn's facility in Fryeburg, ME. The National Guard provides our country with both a strategic and operational reserve which has proven itself time and time again. I applaud the bill's inclusion of $1.3 billion to the National Guard and Reserve equipment account to help modernize our Reserve forces. It also notes the critical capability that the National Guard provides to State governments in DOD's cyber defense mission and urges the Department to ensure there are cyber capabilities within the Guard in every State. Mr. President, I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation. Mr.VAN HOLLEN. Madam President, I rise to express my concerns with H.R. 158, the appropriations package to fund the Department of Defense, the Census Bureau, the Department of Justice, NASA, the Treasury, and the Department of Homeland Security. As a representative of many Federal employees in the State of Maryland and a member of the Appropriations Committee, I take the responsibility of funding the government extremely seriously. The decisions we make in the appropriations bills govern the operations of the Federal Government and its programs to serve the American people, keep them safe, and foster opportunity. I have also been deeply disturbed by this Administration's efforts to disregard the appropriations bills that Congress has passed and the President has signed by transferring funds from one account to another and, in some cases, failing to spend duly appropriated dollars in a timely fashion. In order to assert Congress's authority to make the laws that the administration must faithfully execute, I have advocated for greater transparency through disclosure of the apportionment documents used by the Office of Management and Budget to plan spending schedules among agencies and for restrictions on the administration's authority to transfer funds between programs. We have seen that this President does not care about, congressional intent and will flout the law to use American taxpayer money build a border wall that he said Mexico would pay for. The funds appropriated by Congress cannot be not be allowed to be taken away and redirected on the whim of a President. So I am disappointed that this bill does not include meaningful restrictions on transfer authority. It also does not include House language to require disclosure of apportionment documents--language that is similar to an amendment I offered that was passed on a bipartisan basis as part of a bill in the Budget Committee. I appreciate the hard-won provisions in the bill to bolster efforts to oversee and correct abuses in this administration's disgraceful detention policy that has separated children from their parents and funding for alternatives to detention family case Management. The bill rightfully rejects the President's request to increase his ICE and Border Patrol forces and prohibits border fencing in environmentally sensitive areas. But I remain deeply concerned that the President still can--and judging by past actions, likely will-- transfer resources to support his damaging agenda. I am pleased that this bill provides a well-deserved 3.1 percent pay increase for Federal employees who serve our Nation admirably every day. I am a cosponsor of the legislation to do that and glad that it has been included in this bill However, I am concerned that the bill does not include House-passed language to counter the President's Executive orders that undermine Federal employee collective bargaining and have resulted in a number of anti-worker contracts. Federal employees are prohibited from bargaining on wages and benefits, so they focus their efforts on improving the operations of their offices. We should not impede their efforts to establish better working conditions, protect the civil service from political reprisals, and arbitrate disputes between management and the rank-and-file. I will continue to fight for fair treatment of Federal workforce. I appreciate the willingness of Chairman Shelby and Vice Chairman Leahy to work with me and with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to provide the District of Columbia with funding to cover past inauguration and Fourth of July expenses. But I am deeply disappointed that the bill continues to include shameful political policy riders for the District of Columbia that place restrictions on how the District spends its own money. The U.S. Congress should stop acting like we run the city of Washington, DC. Elected officials from the District should be able to enact laws that address the needs of their constituents without Congress looking over their shoulder. As I stated during our full committee markup of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, we must remove these restrictions--which none of us would accept for our own States. Despite my reservations about the bill, it does include funding for many important programs. It fully funds the First Step Act to implement needed criminal justice reform, rejects the President's request to eliminate the Legal Services Corporation, and includes resources for law enforcement to address crime and fight opioid and drug trafficking. It fully funds the Census, a constitutionally mandated effort to count everyone in the United States and ensure that every community receives the resources it needs. It rejects the President's cuts to a number of important programs at NASA Goddard in Maryland, including the PACE Program, W-FIRST, and carbon monitoring. These programs are essential to our understanding of the universe and to own world and have been on the Trump chopping block year after year. I will continue to fight to make sure they are adequately funded. It fully funds the James Webb Space Telescope, supports RESTORE-L, and increases the base budget for Earth Science. NOAA and NIST, which are also headquartered in Maryland, will receive modest increases instead of the Administration's proposed cuts. The bill also includes important funding for defense installations in Maryland. This funding, coupled with the National Defense Authorization Act, which I was proud to support and which included a military pay increase and for the first time paid parental leave for federal employees, will ensure that the men and women of the military will receive benefits they deserve. Finally, the bill rejects the President's request to eliminate the Economic Development Administration and preserves funding for cooperative agreements between the Minority Business Development Agency and Minority Business Development Centers--three of which serve Maryland. I recognize that no bill is perfect and that appropriations bills require compromise. I respect the work that Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Leahy, and their staffs have put into this legislation and am grateful for their willingness to work with me on many Maryland priorities. However, I believe that we must take steps to assert Congress's role in the appropriations process in the face of a President who is willing to disregard the laws we pass--and he signs--to further his individual agenda. Because this bill does not restrict the President's ability to flout Congress's stated intent, I regret that I cannot vote for it.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Karen J. Lewis on her many years of service to Congress. After a 45-year career distinguished by outstanding achievements, Karen will retire from the Congressional Research Service, CRS, in January 2020 after leading the Service's American Law Division, ALD, for many years. Karen joined CRS as a legislative attorney in 1974 after graduating from Albany Law School earlier that year. In the following decade, Karen provided nonpartisan advice to Congress on some of the most difficult legal matters facing the Nation in the 1970s and 1980s, including sex discrimination in the workplace, abortion rights after Roe v. Wade, and the Equal Rights Amendment. She also advised Congress on the implementation of numerous civil rights laws, including title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, title IX of the Higher Education Act, and the Age Discrimination Act. In 1984, Karen moved into CRS management, serving first as the section head of ALD's consumer law group before heading the Division's administrative law section. In the nearly 25 years she served in these roles, Karen helped mentor dozens of attorneys, engraining in them CRS's core values of providing authoritative and objective legal advice regardless of partisan affiliation. Any attorney trained under Karen's tutelage is well familiar with her repeated advice to rely on primary sources to ensure CRS's legal advice is trustworthy and reliable. In 2007, Karen was promoted to senior CRS leadership, serving in a variety of capacities, including 11 years as the Assistant Director of CRS's ALD. As the head of the law division, Karen played a central role reviewing ALD's written work, helping to ensure its accuracy, completeness, and quality. She also led countless initiatives for the Service. This included helping to establish the Legal Sidebar--CRS's first exclusively web-based product line to provide succinct and timely analysis to Congress on matters of pressing importance. She also was instrumental in raising the profile of the Service's Federal Law Update, a seminar series that provides continued legal education for Congress, which tripled its average attendance under Karen's leadership. Karen also spearheaded the first major revision since 1952 of the ``Constitution Annotated,'' the Congress' official treatise of record on the Constitution. And Karen has been instrumental in hiring some of the finest attorneys in the Federal Government to help Congress in legal debates over executive power, health care reform, immigration, and the future of the Supreme Court. Moreover, throughout her time in management, Karen served on countless advisory panels that have helped establish organizational practices and policies for CRS. While Karen's retirement is a loss for Congress, her imprint on the legislative branch will not soon disappear. CRS and the ALD offer an invaluable service to Congress by providing members with reliable, nonpartisan information to assist the legislative process at every step. Karen spent nearly all of her professional career supporting Congress's work and strengthening CRS through her work in ALD. She served as a role model for hundreds of attorneys who can attest that her integrity, work ethic, and dedication to CRS's core values is second to none. Her legacy will continue with the division she helped build and the Service more broadly. Congratulations to Karen, and I wish her many long and happy years in retirement.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Ending the Diagnostic Odyssey Act. This legislation gives States the option of providing whole genome sequencing WSG clinical services through Medicaid for children with a disease that is suspected to have a genetic cause, at an enhanced Federal matching rate for 3 years. I am pleased to be joined by Senators Jones, McSally, and Menendez. Children with rare diseases will spend on average 5 to 7 years on diagnostic odyssey, and 30 percent of those children will not survive beyond the age of 5 years old. The average patient sees seven different physicians in that time. The wait to find a cause--nevermind a cure-- can be excruciating. Parents try to project a calm and reassuring presence for their child while facing a whirlwind of doctor appointments, hospital visits, and unanswered questions. Undeniably, we are making progress in both accelerating research funding for rare diseases as well as in the development of diagnostics. In 2014, the National Institutes of Health, NIH launched a program called the Undiagnosed Disease Network UDN. In its first 20 months, the UDN accepted 601 participants undiagnosed by traditional medical practices. Of those who completed their UDN evaluation during this time, 35 percent were given a diagnosis. Many of these diagnoses were rare genetic diseases, including 31 previously unknown syndromes. In May, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, wrote a blog post on how whole genome sequencing-- combined with artificial intelligence, AI--can now be used to diagnose genetic diseases in seriously ill babies in fewer than 24 hours. Dr. Collins writes: ``I would submit that there is no other technology in the history of planet Earth that has experienced this degree of progress in speed and affordability.'' For parents of children with an undiagnosed illness, answers cannot come soon enough. There are approximately 7,000 rare diseases known today. Approximately 80 percent of rare diseases are genetic, and about one-half of all rare diseases affect children. For example, Alstrom syndrome is an extremely rare and complex genetic disorder. Approximately 1,200 affected individuals have been identified worldwide, which makes a obtaining a correct diagnosis challenging. Characteristics of Alstrom syndrome include vision disturbances, sensorineural hearing impairment, cardiomyopathy, obesity, kidney dysfunction, and diabetes. Robin Marshall, executive director of the Alstrom Syndrome International, located in Mount Desert Islanas, ME, has said that ``whole Genome Sequencing has changed the lives of those we represent by enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis, fostering more timely and appropriate medical care, and unlocking a host of social services to combat the educational and psycho-social complications that our children confront.'' By giving States an incentive to provide whole genome sequencing for eligible children through Medicaid my legislation will ensure that more children and their families can obtain the right diagnosis and treatment the start. The Ending the Diagnostic Odyssey Act has the support of more than 100 patient advocacy organizations, including Alstrom Syndrome International, the Genetic Alliance, the Personalized Medicine Coalition, and many others. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Ending the Diagnostic Odyssey Act. This legislation gives States the option of providing whole genome sequencing WSG clinical services through Medicaid for children with a disease that is suspected to have a genetic cause, at an enhanced Federal matching rate for 3 years. I am pleased to be joined by Senators Jones, McSally, and Menendez. Children with rare diseases will spend on average 5 to 7 years on diagnostic odyssey, and 30 percent of those children will not survive beyond the age of 5 years old. The average patient sees seven different physicians in that time. The wait to find a cause--nevermind a cure-- can be excruciating. Parents try to project a calm and reassuring presence for their child while facing a whirlwind of doctor appointments, hospital visits, and unanswered questions. Undeniably, we are making progress in both accelerating research funding for rare diseases as well as in the development of diagnostics. In 2014, the National Institutes of Health, NIH launched a program called the Undiagnosed Disease Network UDN. In its first 20 months, the UDN accepted 601 participants undiagnosed by traditional medical practices. Of those who completed their UDN evaluation during this time, 35 percent were given a diagnosis. Many of these diagnoses were rare genetic diseases, including 31 previously unknown syndromes. In May, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, wrote a blog post on how whole genome sequencing-- combined with artificial intelligence, AI--can now be used to diagnose genetic diseases in seriously ill babies in fewer than 24 hours. Dr. Collins writes: ``I would submit that there is no other technology in the history of planet Earth that has experienced this degree of progress in speed and affordability.'' For parents of children with an undiagnosed illness, answers cannot come soon enough. There are approximately 7,000 rare diseases known today. Approximately 80 percent of rare diseases are genetic, and about one-half of all rare diseases affect children. For example, Alstrom syndrome is an extremely rare and complex genetic disorder. Approximately 1,200 affected individuals have been identified worldwide, which makes a obtaining a correct diagnosis challenging. Characteristics of Alstrom syndrome include vision disturbances, sensorineural hearing impairment, cardiomyopathy, obesity, kidney dysfunction, and diabetes. Robin Marshall, executive director of the Alstrom Syndrome International, located in Mount Desert Islanas, ME, has said that ``whole Genome Sequencing has changed the lives of those we represent by enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis, fostering more timely and appropriate medical care, and unlocking a host of social services to combat the educational and psycho-social complications that our children confront.'' By giving States an incentive to provide whole genome sequencing for eligible children through Medicaid my legislation will ensure that more children and their families can obtain the right diagnosis and treatment the start. The Ending the Diagnostic Odyssey Act has the support of more than 100 patient advocacy organizations, including Alstrom Syndrome International, the Genetic Alliance, the Personalized Medicine Coalition, and many others. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to Executive Session for the en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive calendar 518, 519, 520, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, and 411.

Ms. COLLINS. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, that no further motions be in order, and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that nomination 525 be removed from the list.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I send a list of nominations to the desk and ask that they be kept in status quo despite the sine die adjournment of the 1st session of the 116th Congress.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 286, S. 1608.

Ms. COLLINS. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute be agreed to and the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.

Ms. COLLINS. I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.

Ms. COLLINS. I ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the senior Senator from North Dakota be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions during today's session of the Senate.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be permitted to conclude their remarks before the vote begins: Senator Jones, Senator Collins, Senator Thune, and Senator Inhofe.

Ms. COLLINS. Thank you.