Steve Daines

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following amendments be considered as one amendment, No. 5487: No. 5425, Mr. Daines; No. 5361, Ms. Ernst; No. 5360, Mrs. Fischer; No. 5224, Mr. Portman; No. 5411, Mr. Barrasso; and No. 5454, Ms. Murkowski. I further ask that there be 2 minutes of debate, equally divided, on each division prior to the vote.

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, my amendment would strike the anti-energy provisions that snuck into this bill behind closed doors. This partisan bill before us has a slew of provisions that raises royalty rates, fees, rents, and taxes that hurt our small oil and gas producers in America the most. By the way, it is those small oil and gas producers that produce over 80 percent of our supply. I guarantee you, if there is a rebuttal, they will talk about Big Oil, but this is not Big Oil; 80 percent is from the small guys. These producers don't have the ability to absorb the large increases from the government, so if you raise prices for energy producers, you raise energy prices for Americans. It is not that complicated. If you want lower gas prices, vote yes.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Dr. Doug Reisig of Missoula County as Montanan of the Month for his distinguished career as an educator and for his devotion to Montana students, parents, and the community. Doug was born and raised in the great State of Montana. He earned his master's degree from the University of Montana and his PhD from Montana State--``Go Cats!'' Doug taught at Billings West High School before accepting a job at the St. Ignatius School District. It was in St. Ignatius that he met his lovely wife, Mary Jo. Doug and Mary Jo have been married for almost 43 years and have raised two wonderful daughters, Megan and Callie. They are now the proud grandparents of four grandsons. Doug has been a teacher, building administrator, and superintendent for 46 years, serving as the superintendent at Hellgate Elementary for the past 34 years. Prior to his retirement, he received the G.V. Erickson Award from the School Administrators of Montana for his contribution to the betterment of education in our great State. Since Doug took over as superintendent, the school has seen a 33- percent increase in enrollment. He also oversaw the construction of the new middle school. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, under Doug's leadership, Hellgate Elementary was a leader in delivering meals to children in need, and he went the extra mile by selflessly donating his increase in salary to the Family Resource Fund. With Doug's direction and precautions in place, both Hellgate Elementary School and Middle School were in session 5 days a week during the 2020 and 2021 school years. It is my honor to recognize Dr. Doug Reisig for serving the State of Montana as an educator and for his dedication to ensuring Montana students have a bright future ahead. Congratulations on your retirement, Doug. You make Montana proud.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing the retirement of one of the leaders in water policy from the great State of Montana. Mr. Bill Mills is retiring after 57 years as a giant in Montana's water industry and as a respected leader nationally. Bill retired from the Air Force in 1965 and spent the next 12 years in the pump industry, focusing on the water business. In 1977, he formed the 2M Company in Billings, MT, with a $10,000 loan from his aunt and an SBA loan. His goal was to provide ``legendary'' service and support to the water well contractors and pump installers that provide water to homes, farms, ranches, and businesses throughout Montana. From those humble beginnings, he formed a 14-branch operation that covered the Rocky Mountain States and the Pacific Northwest. Bill served on the Water System Council Board in the 1990s and was a force behind Federal investment in programs to address rural residential and agricultural water issues. In 2006, Bill expanded his vision and focus globally by helping form Water 4 Kids, an international organization that provides permanent, safe drinking water solutions for at-risk communities. To date, Water 4 Kids International has positively impacted over 3,000,000 lives in communities in Uganda, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, and the Philippines. In 2008, Bill was recognized as Montana's Small Business Person of the Year. In 2017, one of Bill's oldest and most trusted manufacturing partners, Franklin Electric, acquired 2M and other leading water equipment distributors around the country to form the Headwater Companies. Bill served on Headwater's board of advisers until April of this year. Please join me in congratulating Bill on a remarkable career that has positively impacted hundreds of employees, thousands of water industry professionals and helped provide millions of people with clean, reliable sources of water around the world.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Tom Kuntz of Carbon County for his unwavering dedication to the Red Lodge community and his 30 years of public service to the people of Montana through his selfless firefighting career. As a graduate from both the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officers Program and Ithaca College, Tom brought his skills and passion to the Treasure State when he first moved to Montana in 1992 and began what would become a distinguished career in firefighting. He now serves as the chief of the Red Lodge Fire Department and has been an active leader in responding to the fires and natural disasters that have impacted the community over the years. Notably, Tom served as a key player in responding to the 24,000-acre Robertson Draw Fire that blazed through Carbon County in June of 2021. Roughly 1 year after the community faced the devastating wildfire, they were hit with historic flooding, which has wreaked havoc throughout the county. Referred to as ``the 500-year flood,'' the high waters have caused catastrophic damage to people's homes, properties, businesses, and public infrastructure. Tom acted swiftly, working on the frontlines to help mitigate the wreckage and help members of the Red Lodge community. Tom and his wife Eliza also serve the community through their various restaurant and hospitality businesses which have become staples in downtown Red Lodge and attract both locals and visitors from near and far. They also raised their two daughters to be involved in public service, and they regularly help out at the family businesses. It is my honor to recognize Tom Kuntz for his dedication to keeping the people of Red Lodge safe through a seemingly relentless series of natural disasters and for his many years of public service to the great State of Montana. Tom, thank you for all you do help our communities prosper and stay safe. You make Montana proud.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Jim Halvorson of the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation for his dedication to Montana and his 32 years of public service. Raised near Pendroy, MT, Jim graduated from the Montana School of Mines, better known today as Montana Tech University. After years of work in both Wyoming and Colorado, Jim made his way back home to the Treasure State and went on to begin his career with the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation. He started out as a petroleum geologist and was eventually appointed as Administrator. Jim's role included administering Montana's oil and gas conservation laws, promoting conservation, and overseeing oil and gas exploration and production in the State. As Jim enters into retirement, he can rest assured that he has made a lasting impact on Montana's oil and gas industry. He will now have the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of his labor as he plans to spend more time in the great outdoors, whether that be fishing or enjoying time with his wife of 40 years, Diana. It is my honor to recognize Jim Halvorson for his dedication to the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation and for his 32 years of public service to the great State of Montana. Jim, thank you for your many years of public service and your commitment to preserving our State's oil and gas reserves. I wish you all the best in your retirement. You make Montana proud.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, recently the Supreme Court righted a historic injustice, and it was clearly written in the opinion by Justice Alito. It said this is to return the power to the people, return the power to the people's elected representatives, instead of nine men back in 1973 in black robes to decide this very important issue. It said the people should decide the right parameters to protect moms and their babies from the violence of abortion. And rather than use this opportunity to protect life, very soon, the Senate Democrats will try to pass a very extreme--extreme--abortion bill. Remember how extreme our colleagues have become on the other side of the aisle on the issue of abortion. They want to codify the ability to abort babies up until the moment of birth. In fact, we have seen my colleagues across the aisle reject trying to protect babies that are born alive as a result of an abortion. It is chilling. This bill that is going to be presented does nothing to help pregnant moms in crisis or their unborn babies. This bill, just even looking at it, which has been hastily put together in the last 48 hours, this bill would give fly-in abortionists free rein to commit abortion on demand up to the moment of birth and even--it seems--to perform them within a State with strong pro-life laws. This bill also protects the greed, frankly, of woke corporations, who see that it is cheaper to pay for an abortion and abortion tourism than maternity leave for their employees. We must reject this radical legislation that will endanger pregnant mothers and endanger their babies. I yield the floor.

Mr. DAINES

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

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Carole Johnson of Mineral County for her dedication to the Forest Service and her 50-plus years--50-plus years--of public service to the people of Montana. Raised in Superior, MT, Carole graduated from Montana State University and joined the U.S. Forest Service in 1971. Carole started as a seasonal recreational employee on the Superior Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest and has since worked in nearly every facet of the Forest Service, including firefighting, logistics, silviculture, surveying, mining, and conservation education. In 2015, Carole was named ``Superior District Ranger,'' the post she has held until retiring earlier this spring. According to most accounts, at the time of her retirement, Carole was the longest tenured Federal employee in the State of Montana. Anyone who knows Carole will tell you that she exemplified the definition of a ``public servant.'' For more than 50 years, she served her community with unmatched institutional knowledge and professionalism. She has been a voice of reason in debates over public lands management, emphasizing that forest management and conservation truly go hand in hand. As District Ranger, Carole worked tirelessly to increase the timber output on the Superior District to help benefit the local economy and support wildfire mitigation in the community. Outside of her role at the Forest Service, Carole is active in her community. She serves on many boards, including the Mineral Community Hospital Board, the Mineral Fair Board, and the Glacier Country Tourism Board. Through her commitment to public service, it is clear that Carole has long been a well-respected and beloved member of the Mineral County community. It is my honor to recognize Carole for her dedication to the Forest Service and her 50-plus years of public service to the great State of Montana. Carole, thank you for your many years of public service and your commitment to improving our public lands and our forests. I wish you all the very best in your retirement. You truly make Montana proud.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. I want to thank the Senator from Kansas for his work on this bill. Madam President, the price at the pump has skyrocketed. Let's do a quick trip down memory lane. When President Biden was inaugurated, the weekly average price for gas was about $2.30 a gallon. In fact, when we introduced the bill that we are trying to pass today, the Gas Price Relief Act, that was on March 31 of this year, the weekly average was $4.02 a gallon. The weekly average today is $4.84. In fact, other studies show it is now at $5 and climbing. We think these numbers will keep going up. Most analysts agree. We may be facing $6-a-gallon gas by this summer. I filled up my pickup in Belgrade, MT, Friday night. My wife and I pulled into a gas station. And when the tank was full, the price tag was $138. The pain at the pump that Montana families are feeling today is because of the Democrats' anti-American energy policies. When President Biden killed the Keystone Pipeline 6 hours after being sworn in--by the way, that had tremendous benefits for the State of Montana. They help our impoverished Eastern Montana counties with tax revenues, not to mention providing nearly a million barrels of oil a day for the United States. By stopping and eliminating oil and gas leases, removing essential relief for small refiners, and then building an administration of, frankly, some far-left anti--anti--oil and natural gas ideologues, this administration has gone above and beyond to hinder traditional American energy development. And what is the solution that we are hearing from President Biden? Turn to foreign dictators for more oil, tap into our oil reserves, beg OPEC to increase production, and perhaps the most out-of-touch solution I have heard, simply suggest families buy electric vehicles. I can tell you that won't work in a State like Montana. The real solution is to unleash American energy and encourage American energy investment. This bill I have with Senator Marshall is simple. It prevents the Biden administration from imposing any new rules or regulations that would decrease oil, gas, or renewable fuel production, which would, therefore, increase gas prices of hard-working Montanans. I am urging my colleagues across the aisle to think about hard- working families across this country, how are they trying to make ends meet, to think about their constituents who depend on affordable gas prices to get to work or drop kids off at school. I am urging my colleagues across the aisle who say they support American energy development, and they want to lower gas costs, to support this bill. We need to pass this bill for American families. I yield back my time to the Senator from Kansas.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Carole Johnson of Mineral County for her dedication to the Forest Service and her 50-plus years of public service to the people of Montana. Raised in Superior, MT, Carole graduated from Montana State University--``Go Cats!''--and joined the U.S. Forest Service in 1971. Carole started as a seasonal recreational employee on the Superior Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest and has since worked in nearly every facet of the Forest Service including firefighting, logistics, silviculture, surveying, mining, and conservation education. In 2015, Carole was named Superior District ranger, the post she held until retiring earlier this spring. According to most accounts, at the time of her retirement, Carole was the longest tenured federal employee in the State of Montana. Anyone who knows Carole will tell you that she exemplifies the definition of a public servant. For more than 50 years, she served her community with unmatched institutional knowledge and professionalism. She has been a voice of reason in debates over public lands management emphasizing that forest management and conservation go hand in hand. As district ranger, Carole worked tirelessly to increase the timber output on the Superior District to help benefit the local economy and support wildfire mitigation in the community. Outside of her role with the Forest Service, Carole is active in her community. She serves on many boards including the Mineral Community Hospital Board, Mineral Fair Board and the Glacier Country Tourism Board. Through her commitment to public service, it is clear that Carole has long been a well-respected and beloved member of the Mineral County community. It is my honor to recognize Carole for her dedication to the Forest Service and her 50-plus years of public service to the great State of Montana. Carole, thank you for your many years of public service and commitment to improving our public lands and forests. I wish you all the best in your retirement. You make Montana proud.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Mike DeVries of Fergus County as Montanan of the Month for his dedication to serving his community and his courage during the Denton fire this past December. Mike joined the volunteer fire department shortly after moving to Denton with his family back in 2004 and has been loyal to the department and community ever since, serving as chief for 11 years. On December 1, 2021, Mike's love of his community and resolute leadership was on full display. As the West Wind fire tore through the town of Denton, Mike acted swiftly to maintain incident command and ensure the safety of his firefighters and members of the Denton community. As Montana suffered a terrible fire season in 2021, Mike not only coordinated aid and resources, he showed care and compassion to his fellow residents of Denton and the surrounding area. He met with folks who were impacted by the fires and connected personally with all the local firefighters and community members who showed up to help. Serving as the Denton fire chief is just one of the ways Mike gives back to his community. He is also on the elder board of the Denton Bible Church and has served several terms on the town council. As a volunteer fire chief, he has spent countless hours training, traveling, and managing the department. His son Joel says that Mike is held in high regard by other firefighters as he works to build relationships between Denton and surrounding departments. While Mike is quick to give credit to his crew, he deserves recognition for his leadership during the 2021 fire season, loyalty to the Denton Fire Department, and compassion for his community. Mike, keep up the great work. You do make Montana proud. Tribute to Karen Pfaehler Mr. President, today, I have the honor of recognizing a staff member who has turned into family over the years. Karen Pfaehler is truly one of a kind. She has set the standard for constituent recognitions in Montana, and now it is my turn to recognize her as she retires after many years of service to Montana. Karen got her bachelor's degree in elementary education and psychology and was hired to work as a military aerospace program manager and contract analyst in Denver, CO. As fate would have it, she met the love of her life, Gus Pfaehler, at a sales convention. They moved to Hong Kong for his work and lived there for many years. Later, while living in Bangkok, Karen volunteered and ran the charity division of the American Women's Club. The organization's philanthropic arm gave donations, mostly to Peace Corps volunteers and orphanages. Karen also enjoyed entertaining Ambassadors and dignitaries for various functions and events. It was in Hong Kong that Karen and her husband raised their daughter Jaclyn, the pride of their lives. After their time in Bangkok came to a close, they moved stateside to Salt Lake City, UT. Once Gus retired from his corporate role, they decided to call Bozeman, MT, home, and it was here that Karen was able to pursue her passion of events and events planning and politics. Her skills were highly sought after, and soon she became a mainstay in Montana political events. In fact, in 2015, she signed on with my team and, lucky for us, she decided to stay. Karen and her sidekick Winnie, her dog, have spent countless hours combing through every detail of Montana news and headlines, catching every outstanding Montanan. Karen has worked tirelessly, making sure all Montanans are honored for their heroism, their anniversaries, their birthdays, and, of course, she planned all of our events. One story in particular that comes to mind was when she received word a large gathering was coming to one of our instate offices. Karen wasted no time getting the details ironed out and created a welcoming experience for our visitors and even had breakfast treats for everybody. It was a wonderful gathering thanks to her hard work and her dedication. Karen, your expertise and attention to every detail will be missed. The charisma, the positive attitude you bring to everything you do, is highly regarded by all of your peers and by me. Thank you for your years of service to the great State of Montana. We wish you well on your next chapter of being a full-time grandma. God bless you. Nomination Of dara Lindenbaum

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Madam President, today I have the honor of recognizing a true American hero, Hershel ``Woody'' Williams. Woody is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for his immense bravery during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Woody is also a former representative of the Veterans Administration and founder of the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams Medal of Honor Foundation. Woody always had a desire to serve his country, and to this day, he continues that effort. His initial attempt to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, at just 17 years old, was derailed by his disapproving mother. The following year, he was again denied entry because he did not meet the height requirement. However, at the age of 19 and after the height requirement had been reduced, Woody finally was able to join the Marine Corps and begin a journey that would not only bring honor to his family and friends, but to our entire Nation. After training as a flame thrower operator, Woody was deployed to the Pacific where he fought in the Guadalcanal Campaign and in Guam. On February 21, 1945, he landed at Iwo Jima. With the support of just four marine gunners, Woody gallantly eliminated pillbox after pillbox, successfully reducing heavy machinegun fire to make way for our advancing troops. Even though the situation was beyond desperate, he continued on, knowing what needed to be done to win and to save the lives of his brothers. When the battle concluded, he had eliminated six enemy pillboxes. That same day, U.S. forces heroically hoisted the American flag on top of Mount Suribachi. Woody's bravery was instrumental to the military success at Iwo Jima, and his bravery was acknowledged at the White House by President Harry Truman on October 5, 1945, with the Medal of Honor. In addition to those honors, an Armed Forces Center in Woody's hometown of Fairmont, WV, holds his name. The Hershel ``Woody'' Williams Armed Forces Reserves Center is the only National Guard facility in the country to bear the name of a living marine. Also honoring Woody is a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Fairmont, WV, a bridge in Barboursville, WV, and an Expeditionary Sea Base Vessel. Woody continued to serve his country well after the war, working for the Veterans Administration as a veteran service representative for 33 years out of offices in West Virginia and New Mexico, where he continued to serve his military family. After Woody retired in 1979, he continued to support veterans through the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams Medal of Honor Foundation. This foundation preserves the memory of the brave men lost at war, reminding us all of the price that must be paid for freedom. His effort to build Gold Star Family Memorials in all 50 States is also coming to a successful close, with the 50th memorial being unveiled in Bozeman, MT, on Memorial Day, 2022. It is because of heroes like Woody, that America is known as the land of the free and the home of brave. I want to thank you, Mr. Williams, for your continued service to our great country and for displaying such tremendous courage, not only during times of war, but throughout your life.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, at the National Prayer Breakfast in 1994, Mother Teresa famously said: I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child. She went on to say: Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. That was Mother Teresa at the National Prayer Breakfast here in DC in 1994. I agree with those words. Frankly, it is shameful that the Democrats and pro-abortion activists have resorted to despicable tactics--some even illegal, some violent--in a last-ditch effort to intimidate the Justices in the Dobbs case to get the outcome that they want. What began with the unprecedented leak of the majority draft opinion last Monday has quickly devolved into protesting at the Justices' homes, threatening and disrupting church services, vandalizing pregnancy resource centers that offer support services to pregnant moms, and even throwing Molotov cocktails at the offices of a pro-life organization. Frankly, it is chilling. It is unacceptable. We cannot let the far left's outrageous behavior obscure the fact that the Dobbs draft opinion authored by Justice Alito is a triumph of the Constitution and the rule of law. There is no right to abortion in the text, in history or structure of our Nation's founding document, and the draft opinion masterfully marshals 98 pages of argument and evidence to demonstrate that very fact. This watershed decision would be a tremendous victory for the fight for life and turn the page on a dark chapter of our Nation's history in which more than 62 million unborn children have been tragically killed. If the draft opinion stands--and I pray that it does--it transfers that power from unelected judges and gives it back to the American people, back to legislatures and elected representatives to enact compassionate laws that protect unborn babies and their mothers. If the Democrats exploiting the unprecedented leak of the majority draft opinion, if it is to stir up the far left base and intimidate Justices, that is not bad enough, they are now trying to pass a radical bill to impose abortion on demand without limits across the entire country, even up to the moment of birth. Leader Schumer has once again scheduled a vote for tomorrow on the ``Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act.'' Now, my distinguished colleague from Connecticut used the words ``radical'' and ``extreme'' a number of times in his remarks. Let me tell you what is radical and extreme about what is going to be voted on tomorrow. This is barbaric. It is a radical abortion bill that would mandate that every single State be a late-term abortion State like California or New York, where unborn children can be brutally aborted up to the very moment of birth. Let me say that again, the Democrats would allow abortion up until the very moment of birth itself. The Democrats' radical abortion bill would confer special benefits on the predatory abortion industry and eliminate popular State laws that protect both pre-born children and their mothers. Commonsense laws requiring parental involvement in abortions for minors, health and safety standards for abortion facilities, informed consent laws, late-term abortion limits, bans on sex-selective or Down syndrome selective abortions, and conscience protections for doctors who don't want to perform abortions would be eliminated. That is how radical this bill is that will be voted on tomorrow. Under this radical abortion bill, an unhatched sea turtle would have more protections than an unborn human baby. If you look at Federal law, if you were to take or destroy the eggs of a sea turtle--now, I said the eggs, not the hatchlings, that is also a penalty, but the eggs--the criminal penalties are severe, up to a hundred thousand dollar fine and a year in prison. Now, why? Why do we have laws in place to protect the eggs of a sea turtle or the eggs of eagles? Because when you destroy an egg, you are killing a pre-born baby sea turtle or a pre-born baby eagle. Yet when it comes to a pre-born human baby, rather than a sea turtle, that baby would be stripped of all protections, in all 50 States, under the Democrats' bill that we will be voting on tomorrow. Is that the America the left wants? I would ask my Democratic colleagues if the pre-born child in the womb is not a living human being, then what is it? Unborn babies feel pain, unborn babies have a heartbeat, they smile, they yawn, in fact, just last week in a telling slip of the tongue, President Biden himself admitted that abortion involves a child. A child. That is correct. This is, in fact, the truth and the brutal reality of abortion that every abortion kills a precious child, the Democrats have tried for decades to avoid admitting this. And the science is clear, it has come a long way since 1973. It is time for the law to catch up with great advances that have been made in science and technology, in medicine, that indisputably show the humanity of an unborn child. Instead, however, the Democrats' radical abortion bill denies the science. It would completely erase pre-born children from the law. That is chilling. Under the Democrats' bill, a pre-born child simply for the crime of being unwanted, inconvenient, or unplanned could be subjected to brutal dismemberment procedures in which the unborn child bleeds and feels excruciating pain as she dies from being pulled apart limb from limb. The Democrats' abortion bill would codify an extreme abortion regime that is aligned with seven Nations that would have the most brutal--the most brutal laws that relates to abortion, also includes China and North Korea. That puts the United States in that category if this were passed. It would impose abortion up until the moment of birth, without any limits, in all 50 States. In a nutshell, this radical bill would make the United States of America one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a pre-born child. As I asked my colleagues in the hallway on the Democrats' side, give us just one restriction you might put in place for abortion, you just don't hear a response for that. In tomorrow's vote, I pray that my colleagues will reject this horrific and barbaric legislation and take a stand for the most vulnerable among us. As the Justices continue to deliberate in the Dobbs case, I pray the Court will resist the intimidation tactics of the far left. By sticking to the Constitution, and repudiating the unprincipled and abominable Roe and Casey decisions, the Court has the opportunity to make history and strike a blow for justice for the most defenseless among us. The American people, those born, and millions yet unborn, deserve nothing less. I yield the floor.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding the previous order, it be in order to offer my motion to instruct at this time.

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I call up my motion to instruct conferees, which is at the desk.

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, if we have learned anything over the past few months, it is the importance of supporting ``Made in America'' energy. Since Europe has divested in traditional energy, Vladimir Putin has weaponized it and has Europe over a barrel. This is the path America is headed down if the administration continues to stonewall traditional American energy development. For the sake of our national security, we must unleash American energy production, which includes an ``all of the above'' energy portfolio with renewables, hydropower, oil, gas, nuclear, and coal. Energy security is national security, and a global, energy-dominant America is a safer world. We should also not be sending money to China like the House bill does in a package that is meant to help us win the race against China. It just doesn't make sense. I urge my colleagues to support this motion to instruct and reject the provisions from the House that weaken the energy security of the United States.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Mike DeVries of Fergus County as Montanan of the Month for his dedication to serving his community and his courage during the Denton fire last December. Mike joined the volunteer fire department shortly after moving to Denton with his family in 2004 and has been loyal to the department and community ever since, serving as chief for 11 years. On December 1, 2021, Mike's love of his community and resolute leadership was on full display. As the West Wind fire tore through the town of Denton, Mike acted swiftly to maintain incident command and ensure the safety of his firefighters and members of the Denton community. As Montana suffered a terrible fire season in 2021, Mike not only coordinated aid and resources, he showed care and compassion to his fellow residents of Denton and the surrounding area. He met with folks who were impacted by the fires and connected personally with all of the local firefighters and community members who showed up to help. Serving as the Denton fire chief is just one of the ways Mike gives back to his community. He is also on the elder board of the Denton Bible Church and has served several terms on the town council. As a volunteer fire chief, he has spent countless hours training, traveling, and managing the department. His son Joel says that Mike is held in high regard by other firefighters as he works to build relationships between Denton and surrounding departments. While Mike is quick to give credit to his crew, he deserves recognition for his leadership during the 2021 fire season, loyalty to the Denton Fire Department, and compassion for his community. Keep up the great work, Mike. You make Montana proud.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Gabryelle Perkins of Sweet Grass County as Montanan of the Month for her devotion to the Big Timber community and her passion for educating and supporting young Montanans both in and out of the classroom. Gabby was born and raised in the great State of Montana and, like myself, is a proud graduate of Montana State University--``Go Cats!'' Upon wrapping up her studies at MSU, Gabby earned a degree in English education and a minor in writing. For the past 11 years, Gabby--or as her students know her, Ms. Perkins--has taught English at Sweet Grass County High School. Her passion for working with students extends far beyond the classroom. Gabby encourages her students to be involved in extracurricular activities that have a positive impact on Big Timber and Sweet Grass County. Every year, she works with her students to put on a play for their community. When Gabby isn't helping her students on the stage or serving as a student council adviser, she leads a volunteer group for Montana students to give back. Gabby's students involved in SAVY, also known as Serving and Volunteering Youth, participate in local coat and food drives, leadership workshops, recycling programs, and fundraising events. The SAVY group also develops resources to help provide clothes or food for students in need. I have no doubt that Gabby's students and everyone in Big Timber are grateful for her commitment to supporting young Montanans. It is because of teachers like Ms. Perkins that Montana has the best and brightest students in the Nation. It is my honor to recognize Ms. Perkins for her devotion to supporting young Montanans in and out of the classroom. Keep up the great work, Gabby.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Madam President, today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Jane Lee Hamman of Jefferson County as Montanan of the Month, for her patriotism, her dedication to serving her community, our great State, and our great Nation. Jane's selfless contributions began at a young age when she started volunteering for Meals on Wheels with her parents. Jane also joined her parents in supporting Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the civil rights movement as well, believing in equal opportunity and advancement for all people based on their character, not the color of their skin. In fact, her life mantra is ``Living to advance freedom, knowledge, and justice for all.'' I think I can speak for all who know her when I say that she truly embraces these ideals. Jane's love for her country is on full display in the monthly column she writes for the Boulder Monitor newspaper. The goal of Jane's column is to preserve liberty, to educate readers about America's vision of the Declaration of Independence, and to celebrate our Constitution. She also shares her values of patriotism and volunteerism with others while serving as the lay leader of the Clancy United Methodist Church and as the Oro Fino Chapter Registrar of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Additionally, Jane has been appointed by Gov. Greg Gianforte to the Montana State Board of Education and is the chair for the North Jefferson County Public Library District Board of Trustees. I have no doubt that her love for the great State of Montana and the United States of America influences every person she meets. It is truly my honor to recognize Jane for her commitment to serving her community, her State, and her country while spreading Montana's values of service and patriotism. Jane, keep up the great work. I yield the floor.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, all in 1 year, President Biden killed the Keystone XL Pipeline; he banned new oil and gas leases on Federal lands; then, of course, he ended up begging OPEC and Russia to produce more abroad and then gave the green light to Russia's Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. These actions diminished American energy security. It hurt our allies and empowered our adversaries. They put the United States and our partners in the crosshairs of Russia and Vladimir Putin. At the State of the Union Address, I heard the President say we need more ``made in America,'' ``made in America,'' ``made in America.'' What I didn't hear him say was that we needed more ``made in America'' energy or more ``made in America'' oil and natural gas. My bill, the Supporting Made in America Renewable and Traditional Energy Act, or the SMART Energy Act, will help get the United States back on track and ensure that our country will remain not only energy independent and energy secure but that it will become a global energy dominant player. My bill supports an ``all of the above'' American energy portfolio. I want to emphasize that. It is an ``all of the above'' American energy portfolio. It doesn't exclude renewables; it includes renewables by requiring the Biden administration to restart oil and gas leasing and kick-start renewable energy development on Federal land and waters because now, more than ever, we need to be supporting American energy development to help lower energy costs for American families and support our allies. Take a look at what is happening in Europe and Russia as it relates to energy prices and national security, all of which, of course, are interconnected. We should examine what Germany has done over the course of the last 10 to 15 years as an example of what not to do. By the way, it takes, I guess, a war on Germany's doorstep to suddenly provide clarity for the Germans to see, yes, they need to be increasing their investment in NATO. Now, they just in the last 2 weeks decided they are going to permit two new LNG ports. While looking in the rearview mirror, they shut down 11 nuclear plants, and they shut down coal plants. They were not moving forward with LNG plants. Instead, they wanted that Nord Stream 2 Pipeline built to Russia. Well, they have changed their thinking on it. We can't let America get to that same point of following this path of the very dangerous ideology of shutting down ``made in America'' energy because, as Europe has continued to stop investing in traditional energy, they have become more dependent on adversaries like Russia for energy, and now, the cost of energy is skyrocketing. Sadly, this, indeed, is a sneak peek into the path that America is headed down if the Biden administration continues to stonewall traditional American energy development. We can't let this happen. Listen, I support an ``all of the above'' energy portfolio. I am grateful I represent a State that has ``all of the above energy.'' We have bright skies; we have solar potential; we are a headwater State; we have amazing hydro resources; we have got winds that come off of our mountains for wind energy. Yet an ``all of the above'' approach includes not just renewables but oil, gas, nuclear, and coal. That is why it is critical that we pass my bill today to promote renewable and traditional energy here in the United States. It is good for growing jobs, strengthening our energy security, supporting our allies, and keeping a reliable and cost-effective source of energy for the American people. The question we should all be asking ourselves is, Do we want the world to be looking to Russia for energy or to the United States for energy? My bill supports the latter, and I urge my colleagues to pass it. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of S. 3214 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. Further, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, clearly, we have two different philosophies and strategies moving forward as we deal with the crisis that is unfolding in Europe and Ukraine. We need more ``made in America'' energy. It is the Green New Deal, purely clean energy and not including an ``all of the above'' energy portfolio that I believe is a very dangerous direction to head, as we have seen exactly what Germany has encountered over the course of the last 10 years. They marched down that path, and now, they find themselves in a very, very dangerous position. And they have had to reverse the course because they had the same kind of ideals that the Senator from Massachusetts was talking about. Now, they have had to wake up and look at the reality of the situation and change course. By the way, it is not every inch. This bill simply says we need four lease sales. We are asking for a minimum of four lease sales. That is what we are asking for. And when the President shuts down the Keystone Pipeline, shuts down oil and gas leasing in this country, combined with what we see going on with FERC being major impediments to building more pipelines, combined with nominees and those who have been appointed in the Biden administration and who are very anti-oil and gas, it chills the capital markets. This is a long-term direction we have got to continue to go down. Again, this bill also includes wind, solar, and geothermal priorities as part of it. So it is all of the above. I just think it is very dangerous to say we are going to bet the Nation's future on only one segment of the energy economy and not also ensure we have oil and gas and coal as part of our broader portfolio. Just ask the Germans if they thought that was a good idea when they went down this path 10 to 15 years ago. Thank you.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Madam President, this evening, the U.S. Senate will be voting on the most extreme legislation on abortion ever considered in the history of this body. The deceptively named ``Women's Health Protection Act'' is more accurately called the ``Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act.'' No wonder it is being held on a Monday, as we call these the flyback votes, in the midst of this crisis in Ukraine--that it be tonight that they want to slip in this vote, the most extreme abortion vote ever--ever--considered in the history of this body. This bill would force every single State to be a late-term abortion State. This bill allows abortion up until the very moment of birth itself. That is simply infanticide. This legislation goes beyond codifying the wrongly decided Roe v. Wade case and would ban many lifesaving State laws currently in effect that limit abortion and enjoy the broad support from Americans, I might add. When our Founding Fathers laid out the founding principles of America in the Declaration of Independence, they talked about life; they talked about liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The bottom line is, you can't have liberty and you can't have happiness, or even the pursuit of it, without first having that inalienable right given by God, and that is the right to life. The ``Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act'' would impose a horrifying abortion regime across the land that violates the right to life and is completely contrary to the kind of Nation America is and aspires to be. In this bill's America, every State, despite the voices of its own citizens, would become New York or California, where abortion is celebrated and unborn children are denied the most basic human rights. In this bill's America, a pregnant mother could elect to have a birth- day abortion for a full-term, 8-pound baby on the day of the baby's due date. In this bill's America, late-term abortions could be committed on demand through brutal dismemberment procedures in which the unborn child bleeds and feels excruciating pain as she dies from being pulled apart, limb from limb. In this bill's America, an unborn baby could be cruelly targeted for abortion because the parents learned she was a girl or that she might have Down syndrome. In this bill's America, parents would not know or have any say over whether their young daughter has a life-altering abortion. In this bill's America, vulnerable women and girls could receive dangerous, do-it-yourself chemical abortion drugs by mail without ever seeing a doctor in person. In this bill's America, pregnant mothers would be denied the opportunity to see the ultrasounds of their babies. In this bill's America, a doctor or a nurse who doesn't want to perform an abortion could be forced to do so in violation of his or her deeply held moral or religious beliefs. That is specifically struck out in this bill--the religious exemption. In this bill's America we would be only one of seven countries-- seven--including brutal regimes like North Korea and China, that would allow abortion-on-demand after 5 months of pregnancy. In this bill's America, a baby bald eagle or a baby sea turtle still in its eggshell would be protected under Federal law while an unborn child at any stage of pregnancy could be brutally killed with no repercussions for the abortionists. In a nutshell, this radical bill would make the United States of America one of the most dangerous places in the world to be an unborn child. According to a Marist poll just last month, the overwhelming majority of Americans reject abortion-on-demand up to birth and especially its imposition by the Federal Government on the States--71 percent of Americans, including 70 percent of Independents and 49 percent of Democrats, want abortion to be limited, at most, to the first 3 months of pregnancy. Sixty-one percent of Americans say abortion should either be illegal or the policy decision should be up to the States. Rather than listen to the American people--who don't want late-term abortion or a Federal abortion mandate--the ``Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act'' would enshrine in Federal law the most far-reaching goals of the predatory abortion industry. We are just a few weeks or months away from a pivotal point in our Nation's history. I pray in the Dobbs Mississippi late-term abortion case that we will see the Supreme Court right a historic injustice and overturn Roe v. Wade. This will return the power to protect unborn children to the people's representatives at the State and the Federal levels, to modernize our laws to catch up with great advances in science, technology, and medicine that indisputably show the humanity of a child in the womb. I would challenge anybody listening to these remarks tonight to take their smartphone and Google ``15-week baby'' or ``20-week baby'' and press on ``Images'' and look at that image. Instead, the ``Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act'' ignores the science entirely and would erase unborn children and even the most modest protections of their right to life in the laws of every single State. It is completely indefensible. It is extreme. It is an egregious violation of the most fundamental of all human rights, and that is the right to life. I pray and I urge my colleagues to reject this horrific, barbaric, extreme legislation that the Senate will vote on here in the next couple of hours and take a stand for defending the most vulnerable among us. I yield the floor.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Burr and I be permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes each prior to the vote.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the Biden administration's nomination of Robert Califf to be the FDA Commissioner. As FDA Commissioner during the Obama administration, Mr. Califf showed blatant disregard for the unborn and for the health and safety of women and girls when he weakened safety and reporting requirements for a dangerous chemical abortion drug. In fact, this past December, the Biden administration went further and announced it would eliminate entirely the in-person dispensing requirement for the abortion drug. This very reckless decision promotes mail order, do-it-yourself abortion-on-demand and disregards the growing threat to women's health posed by chemical abortion drugs. For example, without physician in-person screening, women are denied the opportunity to be screened for dangerous conditions like ectopic pregnancies, which can cause life-threatening complications. Mr. Califf has refused to distance himself from the FDA's decision to abandon vulnerable pregnant women to the reckless and predatory actions of the abortion industry. Mr. Califf has a track record of putting an extreme abortion agenda above the science. The nomination of Robert Califf to be FDA Commissioner endangers the well-being of unborn babies, women, and girls, and I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing his nomination. I yield the floor.