Joni Ernst

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 305, introduced earlier today.

Mrs. ERNST

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Monday, February 6; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business for leader remarks, with no motions in order, for up to 15 minutes; and following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the DeVos nomination.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the DeVos nomination and that it stand adjourned under the previous order at 1:30 p.m. today.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I rise today on the 1-year anniversary of the tragic death of a fellow Iowan, Sarah Root. On January 31, 2016-- the very same day as her college graduation--Sarah was killed by an illegal immigrant named Edwin Mejia, who was allegedly drag racing with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit. Sadly, despite requests by local law enforcement, ICE failed to detain Mejia. He then posted bond, was released, and now a year later remains a fugitive, denying Sarah's loved ones any sense of closure or Justice. As a mother and grandmother, I cannot fathom the grief her family and friends continue to feel after such a devastating loss. Just 21 years old, Sarah was bright, gifted, full of life, and ready to take on the world. Having just graduated from Bellevue University with a 4.0 grade point average, she was dedicated to her community and wanted to pursue a career in criminal justice. Sarah had a remarkably bright future ahead of her, but her opportunity to make a mark on the world was tragically cut short 1 year ago today. Yet, even in death, she touched the lives of others, saving six different individuals through organ donation. Although nothing can bring Sarah back to her family, we can ensure that ICE never makes that same mistake again. I was encouraged to see the Trump administration take action toward addressing this issue last week by implementing parts of Sarah's Law-- legislation I introduced with my Iowa and Nebraska colleagues in honor of Sarah. I remain committed to continuing to work with my colleagues to fulfill the promise I made to Sarah's loving parents: that I will do everything I can to ensure that no other parents have to go through what the Root family has faced. I yield the floor.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I would like to thank my colleague from Georgia for spearheading this very important effort. We have heard discussions about getting back to regular order. We have heard discussions about the difference between the debt and the deficit and where do we go as America. So I am glad my colleague is investing his time in this effort, and we look forward to walking through that process. It is good to see so many of us here today, engaged and very active in this effort, and so I would like to thank all my colleagues. I know a number have already spoken. Truly, our Nation faces some very serious challenges and challenging budgetary times and all of that coming at us in the future. If we aren't honest about where we are right now and where we are headed in the future and fix it, our children and grandchildren are going to be handed a very heavy burden. We are already over $19.5 trillion in debt and a level that is growing rapidly every single day. I am from Iowa, and back home in Iowa we generally don't talk about things in trillions of dollars or even in billions of dollars. So when you break it down, that debt load represents about $60,000 per person in this great country. That is quite a number, and one that all of us should be concerned about. The American people are concerned, and they are frustrated with Washington for a reason. Washington doesn't seem to be serious about stopping the reckless spending habits this town has. That is why I think this proposal is a very interesting one and one that could provide opportunity as we move into the future. As we stop and look at the reckless spending habits--and most Americans agree we have reckless spending habits here in Washington, DC. I tend to agree with those Americans. I agree. Since coming to the Senate last year, I have worked to cut down wasteful and duplicative spending. Let me give just one example of taxpayer money that has been wasted. Earlier this year, I introduced a bill that would limit the perks that wealthy former Presidents receive. In 2015, taxpayers spent $2.4 million on travel, office space, communications, personnel, and other expenses for past Presidents--I might add, wealthy past Presidents. At a time when they receive well-compensated book deals, speaking engagements, and all kinds of activities, hard-working Americans shouldn't foot those bills, and they shouldn't be expected to. We passed that bill in the Senate and in the House with bipartisan work on that effort. Unfortunately, President Obama decided to veto it. While we are still working on a path forward, it leaves me just as frustrated as all the other Iowans who know we can't continue spending money we don't have on things that aren't necessary. Washington can't even do the basic business of balancing our own budget. Plain and simple, we should. Families in Iowa do it every day, and they expect us in Washington, DC, to do the same. After all, it is their tax dollars that are being spent, and it deserves to be spent wisely. Unfortunately, it might just take a complete overhaul of Washington's ways to help us solve this problem. Again, I thank my colleagues for joining us in this effort. While some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have certainly made it very difficult, if not impossible, to conduct business in any sort of regular manner, the reality is excess spending in this town seems too often to be bipartisan. I know my colleague from Georgia mentioned earlier our debt has ballooned under both Republican and Democratic administrations. We are far too often unable to take a good hard look at the money that is being spent because we often will get a 1,900-page bill at the last minute, and we are given the choice of either taking it or leaving it. Normally, that is for funding most of our government. That kind of practice doesn't show us a good way forward. It forces us to make difficult choices about how we are spending taxpayer money, and it certainly doesn't give us the opportunity to cut wasteful spending. We have to do better by our taxpayers. I thank my friend from Georgia and my other colleagues joining us today to help us start thinking about how we solve this crisis and how we can do it in a creative way. I again thank Senator Perdue for leading this effort, being at the tip of the spear, and hopefully we are moving toward a smarter way of doing business in Washington. If we don't do better, I am afraid the future of this great country will be a lot dimmer. I thank the Senator and I appreciate the opportunity to be here.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak in morning business for up to 10 minutes.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I thank the Senator very much. It is an honor to join my freshmen colleagues on the floor of the U.S. Senate to talk about our failing national security strategy. This past weekend, we all bowed our heads in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 brave souls we lost on September 11, 2001. The response to those horrific attacks was not as our Islamic extremist enemies had hoped. America did not falter. We bonded together and we fought back. We fought back. The response to 9/11 was a comprehensive one, with an object as clear as its name--the global war on terror. From places like Sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, and the Philippines, U.S. troops operating under Operation Enduring Freedom showed those responsible for 9/11 the true power of the United States of America. From combat operations in Somalia to advising missions in South America, there has long been a global and a comprehensive strategy to our response to 9/11. There was American leadership. Today, the administration has dismantled that global strategy. There is no leadership. Their failure to develop a strategy in 2011 for the troop withdrawal in Iraq and their continued fight for lower troop numbers in Afghanistan, those are just a couple of examples that are the tip of the iceberg. One of the most alarming things in this administration--one of the most alarming things they have done is not only ignore threats but also fuel those threats, just as they did with the Iran nuclear deal. The nuclear deal that this administration brokered with Iran is putting taxpayer dollars into the pockets of the largest State sponsor of terrorism. Let's look at some of the recent headlines that are centered on Iran. CNN: ``Iran continues to seek illicit nuclear technology.'' That is from CNN. Reuters: ``Iran test-fired ballistic missiles,'' which is against international law. The Wall Street Journal: ``Iran begins construction on second nuclear power plant.'' The New York Times: ``Russia sends bombers to Syria using base in Iran.'' And how about this alarming headline from the Wall Street Journal: ``The U.S. sent another $1.3 billion to Iran after hostages were released.'' Yet we continue to allow this. We are allowing this. Just last weekend, Iran threatened to shoot down our Navy aircraft in the region. These are our men and women, and Iran is threatening to shoot them down. What is next, folks? These actions will only continue because this administration yields to their demands. From the start, I have spoken out against this deal with Iran, which not only threatens our safety but the safety of our ally Israel. It threatens us here at home as well. As we remembered the victims of 9/11 this past weekend, I was reminded of Iran's link to Al Qaeda, the ones who carried out that horrific attack on our homeland 15 years ago. In 2011, the Treasury Department officially accused Iran. This is our Treasury Department. They accused Iran, as the Wall Street Journal report put it, ``of forging an alliance with Al Qaeda in a pact that allows the terrorist group to use Iranian soil as a transit point for moving money, arms, and fighters to its bases in Pakistan and Afghanistan.'' It is astounding that despite all of this, we continue to broker a deal with Iran. Before more of these dangerous acts continue, we should scrap this ill-advised deal and hold Iran accountable for all of their actions. I say to Senator Daines, I am very, very proud that my Republican colleagues are joining me here on the floor today to recognize that our country needs leadership. We need leadership. I look forward to the thoughts from my friend on the Armed Services Committee, the Senator from South Dakota.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, this past weekend we bowed our heads in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 lives we lost on September 11, 2001. The largest attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor changed our lives drastically, but it did not impact America as our enemy had hoped. We did not falter. We bonded together. We fought back. From places such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, and the Philippines, U.S. troops operating under Operation Enduring Freedom showed those responsible for 9/11 the true power of the United States of America. The plan to fight against Al Qaeda and its hosts was as clear as its name: ``Global War on Terrorism.'' Through strong American leadership, support from our allies, and working alongside local forces, the United States embedded itself in places where extremism had spread to deny terrorism a safe haven. From combat operations in Afghanistan to advising missions in the Caribbean, there has long been a global and comprehensive plan for our response to 9/11. Since then, the global fight on terrorism has continued to become narrower under our current administration, despite the continued threat of Al Qaeda and the clear expansion of ISIS. Without clear leadership, we are failing to stop the spread of terrorism. Ignoring over a decade of lessons forged on the battlefield, this administration has not only failed to put together a comprehensive plan to fight Islamic extremism in the Middle East, but they have also dismantled the global effort and allowed groups to come back stronger in other regions of the world. This is especially true in Southeast Asia, a nearly forgotten safe haven for terrorists determined to cause harm. Southeast Asia was used for the initial planning of the horrific attack carried out by Al Qaeda that we all bowed heads for in remembrance this past weekend. In 1994, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed used the Philippines as a safe haven to target the United States. Today, ISIS appears to be doing the very same thing. The warning signs in Southeast Asia are all too familiar to the ones we witnessed over a decade ago with Al Qaeda in that region. They used its Southeast Asia cells to organize and finance its global network. This included planning and financing for 9/11 and the safe harbor of Al Qaeda operative Ramzi Yousef, who was convicted for organizing the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Because of this, following the September 11 attacks, U.S. Special Forces were deployed to the southern Philippines in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. With an annual cost of less than one new F- 35, the Joint Special Operations Task Force in the Philippines partnered with local forces and trained, advised, and assisted our allies in the fight against Al Qaeda-linked groups. Up until the mission was officially ended under this administration, operations and efforts to assist Philippine forces in dismantling terror networks were hailed as a success. The threat of terrorism from extremist groups in the Philippines, such as Abu Sayyaf, were largely reduced. But the success from U.S. support in the region has been short-lived. Just as we have been witnessing throughout the globe, previously weak or splintered terrorist networks in Southeast Asia are banding together beneath the flag of ISIS. Yet the administration's plans to defeat ISIS have not changed and a comprehensive global strategy still fails to be defined. We can not allow Southeast Asia to once again become a safe haven to target America. While it is easy to dismiss the terrorist groups in the region as mere criminal gangs and disorganized rebels, the Philippines lost 44 of its special police in a single battle against groups now linked to ISIS in Southeast Asia last year. In April, 18 Philippine soldiers were killed in a fight quickly claimed by ISIS. Then, in June, ISIS released a call for other fighters to join them after beheading a Canadian hostage. The video proudly displaying the black flag of ISIS states: ``If you can't get to Syria, join the mujahedeen in the Philippines.'' It is truly alarming. Our efforts to counter ISIS in Asia can assist our broader goals of countering a rising China and dealing with an unstable North Korea. Just before President Obama traveled on his final trip to Asia this month, I sent a letter urging him to discuss efforts for a new U.S. counterterrorism strategy in the region. Specifically, I asked President Obama to consider leveraging the five new bases recently announced for U.S. personnel in the Philippines to counter the rise of ISIS and to utilize our freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea to provide support capabilities. Like many of our efforts under Operation Enduring Freedom, this should be a fight with the support of our allies. The use of U.S. Special Forces helping train the Filipino forces has a successful track record in the region, but it needs to be real support and real training--a commitment with American leadership--or else it will never have the full support of our allies in Southeast Asia. They have witnessed our failure to appropriately support allies in the Middle East, like the Kurdish Peshmerga. We must correct this building perception of poor American leadership and weak support on the battlefield. We cannot allow ISIS to use Southeast Asia as Al Qaeda did to plan their next attack on U.S. soil. Shortly after I sent my letter to President Obama urging him to develop a strategy in Southeast Asia, ISIS claimed another attack, one that took the lives of 10 Filipino civilians. We cannot continue to downplay or ignore this part of the world when it comes to the threat of terrorism. I stand here today to renew my call for this administration to develop a comprehensive strategy to destroy the enemies abroad who wish to do America harm and those who provide them with a safe haven. As the safe havens Al Qaeda used 15 years ago to target our homeland turned into a staging ground for ISIS, the need to support our allies and address this issue is far too clear. I thank the Presiding Officer. I yield the floor.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to engage in a colloquy with my colleagues for 20 minutes, with the remaining time reserved for Senator McCain.

Mrs. ERNST. Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to thank my colleagues here today who are joining in this colloquy. We have the junior Senators from Alaska and Montana, and we hoped to be joined by the junior Senator from North Carolina as well. As I stand here today, my brothers and sisters in arms are deployed overseas. Regardless of what the President tells us, our servicemembers are at war. They are in combat, and their combat boots are on the ground. I think our colleagues across the aisle have forgotten that as they continue to filibuster our Defense appropriations bill. We have men and women serving overseas. They are serving for us overseas. They also seem to have forgotten that all of those servicemembers are paying attention. I know because I was once one of those servicemembers deployed overseas, paying attention to the actions of the folks here in Washington. Right now our servicemembers are watching the minority leader, and our enemies are watching just as closely. This bill appropriates $515.9 billion for our national security, and $900 million of this funding is for the National Guard, a critical arm to the security of the United States, where I served for 23-plus years. My National Guard unit is in the Middle East right now. My Iowa Army National Guard unit, the unit that I commanded as a battalion commander, is serving in the Middle East right now. The minority leader doesn't care about their safety while they selflessly serve to ensure ours. He doesn't care that this bill has funding for equipment critical to their mission. He doesn't care that their families are depending on them to come home safely, and he doesn't care that his actions once again make America look weak. The minority party is filibustering this bipartisan Defense appropriations bill solely at the expense of our men and women in uniform. Those are the facts on the ground today. I know the importance of this bill firsthand, and I stand here today ready to vote in favor of it, and I know my colleagues understand that as well. Once again, I want to thank the Members that are joining us in this colloquy today: the junior Senators from Alaska, Montana, and North Carolina. I know this is a very important issue to all of us. With that, I would like to turn to the junior Senator from Alaska, who also is a fellow in arms, Lt. Col. Dan Sullivan, U.S. Marine Corps, to hear his comments.

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I yield back my time.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, today I wish to call attention to a group of health care providers who play an important role in the patient care continuum--athletic trainers. These dedicated professionals who work in Iowa and across the United States provide valuable services to patients and make a real difference in the lives of those they treat. Athletic trainers play a key role in their local communities. Many of them work in educational settings including colleges, universities, elementary schools, and secondary schools to keep student athletes safe. Others work in rehabilitation clinics, hospitals, fitness and community centers, or even for professional sports teams to prevent injury and help injured patients recover. Because of the key preventative and rehabilitative services provided by athletic trainers, many patients are able avoid unnecessary disruption of normal daily life. This enables folks to stay mobile and to contribute to their communities. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing athletic training as an important profession in our Nation's health care system and in expressing gratitude for the important impact these individuals have on promoting the overall health and well-being of the public.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. I thank my colleague. Yes, of course, they pay attention. They see what is going on in the Senate. We track this. I tracked this when I was a young captain serving in Kuwait and Iraq. We track this because it is so important that we have the funding necessary for our personnel--just basic funding of our human resources obligations to the U.S. Armed Forces. As to our personnel, we have to have funding to update our equipment, and we have to have the funding for the training necessary so that our men and women are ready and able to forward deploy. Even when they are forward deployed--in Iraq, Afghanistan, or you name it--they pay attention. It is vitally important that what we do here today is to vote on the DOD appropriations bill. We have to stop this filibuster. Our troops are paying attention. Their families are paying attention. Their families here in the United States want to know the Senate is doing the right thing by protecting our military, making sure we have the troops necessary, the equipment necessary, the training necessary to make sure that when they forward deploy, they come home safe again. That is No. 1--making sure they are properly trained, equipped, and manned so they come home safe. So yes, Senator Sullivan, they do pay attention. As we are standing here debating the importance of this appropriations bill, we have almost 10,000 troops serving today--right now--in Afghanistan. We have almost 5,000 troops in Iraq. Our special operators are deployed throughout the world protecting our Nation. Just last week I had the opportunity to visit a hospital and see one of those special operators, and I am going to come back to that special operator in just a second. I stated before that the world is imploding, and we only have to look at the headlines over the past several days to see what a risk our globe is in. North Korea test fires a ballistic missile from a submarine on July 9. The Chinese Navy holds a live fire drill in the South China Sea--even after the international court has ruled against their claims in the region. Iran, which is now, oddly enough, being fueled by taxpayer dollars after the horrific nuclear deal our administration entered in, drove their boats dangerously close to ours once again. They came dangerously close to American ships. And U.S. intelligence reports come forward saying ISIS is ``adapting'' to our current efforts. These are the things, folks, that keep me up at night. These are the things that keep many of us up at night. But what lets us rest a little more at ease is knowing that we have our airmen, marines, soldiers, and sailors who are forward-deployed guarding our homeland. What puts my mind at rest is knowing we have these brave men and women doing their job for us. They are not failing us. Back to the special operator I visited in the hospital last week, this young man--forward-deployed into a theater in the Middle East--had been shot four times. Two weeks ago when I went into his hospital room, he was standing up. This special operator was pretty proud to show me his wounds--standing up, shot four times. He didn't bemoan the fact that he had been injured severely; what he was bemoaning was the fact that he was not with his unit. He said: Ma'am, I have no idea how long it is going to take me to heal, but I am ready to go back and serve with my unit. I am ready to go back. These are the men and women we need to be funding, folks. They are our defense--our national defense. So I am asking that the filibuster end and that we take a vote on the DOD appropriations bill. I know we would like to hear a little more from my colleagues--again, I thank them for coming to the floor--the Senator from Montana, the Senator from North Carolina. And I thank the Senator from Alaska for leading us in this discussion today. I yield the floor to the Senator from Montana.

Mrs. ERNST. I say thank you to Senator Sullivan, the distinguished Senator from Alaska. Thank you for your passion as well. You have served in the Marines, in the Marine Reserves. I thank you for that, for your dedication and your commitment to our United States of America through your service as a marine and now through your service in the Senate. We are also joined by the Senators from Montana and from North Carolina. I would like to thank my colleagues for joining in a colloquy. The filibuster we have seen on the other side of the aisle sends a message to our troops that we don't care about their security, and we don't care about the Nation's security. We must fund our troops, at a time when, as you stated, the world is virtually imploding. We see actions going on all around the globe, whether it is from North Africa into Iraq, Syria, North Korea, China, Iran, Afghanistan. We could go on and on, where our troops are needed for safety and security, where they are needed to keep the fight away from our homeland. So I thank everyone who is joining in today. I appreciate the thoughts we will be sharing with our constituents and with the audience we have. Hopefully, we will see this projected nationwide, with an outcry of outrage that the Democrats are blocking--are daring to block funding for our national security. This is a bipartisan bill--a bipartisan bill. The Senate version cleared out of our Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 30 to 0, Democrats and Republicans. We came together, bipartisan, 30 to 0. In total, this bill appropriates $515.9 billion for our national security. Some $900 million of this is funding for the National Guard, a critical arm to the security of the United States and where I ended my 23-plus-year career last November in the Iowa Army National Guard. In fact, my old unit, the battalion I commanded in the Iowa Army National Guard, that battalion headquarters is currently forward- deployed. So the men and women I served alongside, they are out there protecting our freedoms. They are out there securing an area far away from home. They are doing it not just for me and not just for the Senators who are here, but they are doing that for all of you. The fact that we would reject funding for our forward-deployed troops is appalling to me. Those are my brothers and sisters. These are my friends, my neighbors, my colleagues. They are fighting on behalf of the United States. The United States is now turning its back, with a filibuster, on these troops. So how dare our colleagues block a bill to fund our military, while our troops are forward-deployed. They are out on our frontlines. I know my colleague from Montana has had some troops who have just recently returned. I know he would like to join us in this discussion as well.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, for more than 23 years, I had the great honor of serving in the Army Reserve and National Guard. It was during this time that I was able to gain firsthand experience of working alongside the unbelievable men and women in uniform, whose character, honor, and love of our country has led them to sacrifice so selflessly for it. During my time in the military, I had the honor of serving a tour in Kuwait and Iraq. As a company commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom, what was so important to me, other than bringing everyone home, was ensuring my troops received what they needed when they needed it. Unfortunately, given the nature of war and the learning curve our military had in its first large-scale military deployment since Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, that did not always happen. However, as the war went on, our military adapted and our troops were able to receive the equipment they needed to do the job. Even though I am now retired from the military, I still have the privilege of serving our men and women in uniform, just in a different capacity, as a Senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee. It has been an honor to work with Chairman McCain, Ranking Member Reed, and the other distinguished members of the committee on another vital annual Defense bill. Over the past year, my colleagues and I have worked to produce a bill that enhances the capabilities of our military to face current and future threats. This bill will impart much needed efficiencies in the Department of Defense that will result in saving American taxpayer dollars and allow the Department to provide greater support to our warfighters through eliminating unnecessary overhead, streamlining Department functions, reducing unnecessary general officer billets, and modernizing the military health care system. Furthermore, we have found ways to enhance the capabilities of our warfighters, ensuring our troops have the training opportunities in order to be prepared to execute their assigned missions. This means more rotations to national training centers and more effective home station training for our troops who are being sent into harm's way around the world. Our military leaders have stressed that readiness is their top priority. Adequately funding their request for readiness keeps faith with our servicemembers and ensures that our men and women in uniform have the best chance to come home to their loved ones. However, while we have adequately funded the Department's readiness needs, sequestration has led us to prioritize readiness over DOD modernization. I believe this is a risky proposition with respect to ensuring our servicemembers will have the advanced equipment, vehicles, ships, and aircraft to confront technologically advanced adversaries, such as Russia and China, in a potential future conflict. Unfortunately, I believe many have taken our decades-long technological dominance for granted. If we continue to fail to adequately fund modernization, our servicemembers may pay the price for that decision with their lives, something none of us want. While I fully agree with the need to identify and reduce government spending--and especially to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in the DOD--we must also ensure funds are allocated in the proper areas so our troops have the resources they need so they are not outclassed by our adversaries, who are currently modernizing their capabilities with aims to defeat our country in a potential conflict. Due to sequestration and the Bipartisan Budget Act, this bill is short of what our troops need to defend our country next year and in future years. I believe it is important to keep that in mind while we consider this bill. I was sorely disappointed that the Senate did not come together in a bipartisan fashion and stop shortchanging our troops and their families through the arbitrary caps set through sequestration. That was a missed opportunity. The threats the Nation and our troops face are too great for partisan bickering, shortsightedness, and the abdication of one of our core responsibilities, which is to provide for our military. I wish to talk also about a few of the provisions included in the NDAA that I crafted. During the process, I was able to author nearly two dozen provisions ranging from improving the professionalism of military judge advocates and military intelligence professionals to making retaliation against sexual assault victims its own crime and enhancing DOD program management. As I stated repeatedly, one area of focus for me is working to prevent sexual assault in the military. While we have seen progress, there are still steps that must be taken to improve the system and the overall culture. One of my provisions would help enhance the military prosecutors and JAGs to better ensure that victims of sexual assault and other crimes will know their case is in good, well-trained, and experienced hands. Also included in this bill is a provision I authored with Senator McCaskill of Missouri, which combats retaliation within our military. We cannot allow any retaliation against survivors who come forward seeking justice, and this provision will work to curb the culture of retaliation in our ranks. Other provisions I pushed to have included in the committee report seek to bring greater military intelligence support to our warfighters by ending growth in headquarters elements and pushing that support down to those military intelligence units providing direct support to our warfighters. Not only do these report language provisions seek to enhance support to our men and women defending our Nation on the frontlines, but they would also create safeguards which will help ensure your taxpayer dollars are being spent properly within the DOD. This bill also includes my Program Management Improvement Accountability Act, which is a bipartisan piece of legislation that solves problems with program and project management that have plagued the Federal Government for decades, especially in the Department of Defense. We have read about these failures in the media, IG reports, and the GAO High Risk List. Many projects are grossly overbudget, delayed, or do not meet previously stated goals. Ultimately, by strengthening its program management policies, the DOD and other Federal agencies will better account for and utilize taxpayer dollars. It will also improve its ability to complete projects on time and on budget, which leads to getting our troops the advanced equipment and weapons they need as soon as possible. In closing, I want to thank again my colleagues for their work on this bill, but most of all, I thank our men and women in uniform, and I want them to know that we stand with them in their defense of this great country and all that it stands for. With that, I yield the floor.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I am pleased to report that last week, bipartisan legislation to restore the rights of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, to have their ashes inurned at Arlington National Cemetery was signed into law. I was proud to have led the Senate's effort, with Senator Mikulski, to honor this group of revolutionary women who courageously served our country. I thank Congresswomen Martha McSally and Susan Davis for their leadership and for spearheading this bill in the House. On the heels of Pearl Harbor, these trailblazing women bucked the status quo and made tremendous sacrifices for this Nation. They joined a groundbreaking flight training program for women, flying noncombat service missions for the Army Air Force to free their male counterparts for combat duty overseas. The WASP willingly put their lives on the line for this country during a time of war. This work wasn't easy and certainly contained peril. In fact, 38 WASP died in service to our great country during World War II. Their sacrifice and love for this Nation deserves to be celebrated and always remembered. Iowa was at one time or another home to at least 25 courageous WASP. While they were eventually granted veteran status in 1977, it was not until 2002 that the Army allowed these women to have their ashes placed in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. In 2015 that honor was inexplicably and wrongly revoked by the Army. With less than 100 WASP still living, time was short to do what was right and honor these women for their selfless sacrifice and service to our Nation. They were role models for women in the military, like me, and proved their strength and fortitude in the missions they carried out. I want to take this time to honor these extraordinary women and thank them for their remarkable military service. As Memorial Day approaches, I am grateful that we can restore a basic honor to them and their families through this law. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 23, 2016, at 5:30 p.m., to conduct a classified briefing entitled ``The Open Skies Treaty: Managing Russia's Request to Upgrade Sensors.''

Mrs. ERNST

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, my amendment is pretty straightforward. It eliminates duplicative and wasteful spending. It eliminates $200 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, the Denali Commission, and the Northern Border Regional Commission. These entities have a mission to provide ``strategic investments'' for economic development, broadband deployment, infrastructure improvements, and housing. You name it; there is funding for it. That is laudable, but there are already several Federal, State, and local programs that fund these types of projects. What is worse is that a quick look at some of the grants awarded from these entities show questionable choices: Should $100,000 be awarded to the Lake Placid Ski Club to build ski jumps? Should $125,000 be awarded for a Chinese medicine herb growers consortium? Should $250,000 be awarded to a tribe in Maine to build a maple processing facility--after it was awarded about $100,000 from USDA to launch maple syrup ventures? This is through the Federal Government. I don't believe so. I ask us to support my amendment and stop such duplicative and wasteful spending. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, again, this is $200 million. I would beg to differ that this is not a lot of spending, and $200 million is a lot of money for folks back in Iowa. Iowa does not have one of these funds. Many other States don't have these same types of funds. This is just an additional way for certain regions to tap into Federal dollars. So there are many programs. As I stated earlier. I have heard folks say this is about jobs. We have workforce investment programs that everyone across the Nation can dive into to provide opportunity for everyone. Everyone needs opportunity, so everyone should be able to tap into these Federal dollars. Mr. President, $200 million is a lot of Federal spending. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mrs. ERNST. Mr. President, my amendment is straightforward. I am asking for support on amendment No. 3803. I ask unanimous consent to call up amendment No. 3803.

Mrs. ERNST. Thank you, Mr. President. The amendment is pretty straightforward. What we are doing is eliminating duplicative programs. Many programs exist out there already which will provide for housing needs, for infrastructure needs, many other needs. What we are doing is stating that we shouldn't be providing separate funds for very specific regions and duplicating processes that are found in the Federal Government. Just a few examples: $100,000 awarded to Lake Placid Ski Club to build ski jumps, $125,000 awarded for Chinese Medicine Herb Growers Consortium, and $250,000 awarded to a tribe in Maine to build a maple- processing facility after it received $100,000 from the USDA to launch Maple Syrup Ventures. I don't believe this is activity the Federal Government should be engaged in. Again, these are duplicative programs. There are many other programs available out there. So I am asking for the support of my colleagues on this amendment.