Mazie Hirono

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations: Calendar Nos. 307, 357, 358, 359, 362, 363, 364, 459, 460, 461, and 508; that the Senate proceed to vote without intervening action or debate on the nominations in the order listed; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nominations; that any related statements be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I wish to say a few more things regarding our request for action on these judicial nominations. The group of nominations on which I requested action includes nominees from Maryland, New Jersey, Nebraska, Tennessee, New York, California, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii. They are all waiting. I have just one comment about the Supreme Court vacancy. The last time the Senate refused to deal with a Supreme Court vacancy was during the Civil War. They so objected to dealing with the President's nomination that the Congress actually changed the number of Justices on the Supreme Court. The number of Justices is set by law, so the Congress changed the law and changed the number of Justices from 10 to 7 so that they would not have to deal with the President's nominee to the Supreme Court vacancy. The President vetoed that bill, the Congress overrode that veto, and so they changed the makeup and number of Justices on the Supreme Court. Certainly that is not what I am suggesting Republicans should do. In fact, we have had a nine-member Supreme Court for almost 150 years. I agree with my friend, the Senator from Wyoming, that this should not be a partisan issue. Certainly, I agree with my friend from Maryland that we should get on with it. We should get on with these judicial nominations. We should do our advice and consent role, and clearly with regard to the Supreme Court vacancy, where, with this inaction, we are going to leave that Court with eight members for a year. That is not acceptable to the people of our country. We need to do our job. I ask my Senate colleagues, my Republican friends, to enable the Senate to do our advice and consent role and do our job as set forth in the U.S. Constitution. I yield the floor.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I am very disappointed the Republicans are blocking dozens of qualified nominees--nominees who have been reported to the Senate floor on a bipartisan basis. This is certainly, in my view, not about whether the President is being treated fairly, but it is about the Senate doing its job. The Senate is on track to confirm the lowest number of judicial nominees in our history. Let me mention a nominee from Hawaii: Clare Connors. She was confirmed or voted on unanimously by the Judiciary Committee last month, a statement to her qualifications. Her wide-ranging experience includes district and appellate venues, criminal and civil arenas, and litigation on issues ranging from tax law to tough cases such as crimes against children. Clare and the other nominees before us today will be kept from serving on the Federal bench because of Republican inaction. My Republican colleagues intend to stop all judicial nominations in July, although there are 79 vacancies pending, 28 of which are considered emergencies. If Ms. Connors is not confirmed, the Hawaii district court seat will be left vacant for over a year. Our judiciary should be composed of the full complement of judges accorded to each district court. One of the fundamental jobs of the Senate to engage in is its advice and consent function with regard to these judicial nominees, and we are not doing that. I call upon my colleagues, my Republican friends, to enable all of us to do our jobs and begin again the advice and consent process which we are, under the Constitution, required to do. I see some other colleagues on the floor, so I yield to my good friend from New York.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, today the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in United States v. Texas. This case is a challenge to President Obama's Executive actions to prioritize U.S. immigration enforcement. In 2012, the President used his legal authority to establish the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, or DACA. DACA has given nearly 700,000 undocumented young people the opportunity to come out of the shadows to pursue their dreams through education and jobs. In 2014, again acting within existing legal authority, the President announced an expansion of the successful DACA Program. He also created a new Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents Program, or DAPA. DAPA allows the undocumented parents of U.S.-born and legal permanent resident children, the majority of whom are U.S. citizens, to stay in this country with their families. Together, the expanded DACA and DAPA were expected to enable nearly 5 million people to come out of the shadows without fear of deportation. Unfortunately, Texas and 25 other States have challenged the President's authority to issue these Executive orders, resulting in the Supreme Court hearing today. Hundreds of DREAMers, Muslim students, and activists from California, New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere rallied on the Supreme Court steps this morning. I spoke with them and heard their stories and their hopes that the Supreme Court would make the right decision in support of the President and the millions of DACA and DAPA families. Many carried signs and stickers that read ``Keep families together.'' Keeping families together is at the crux of the President's Executive orders-- families like that of Gabriela Andrade, who, as a teenager, fled violence in Brazil and settled in Texas before coming to Hawaii. While Gabriela's sister and parents were granted visas through a lottery system, Gabriela fell through the cracks. Until President Obama announced the DACA Program, she lived in fear of being separated from her entire family. She said: DACA pulled me out of limbo and gave me a life again. It allowed me to go back to school to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science, to volunteer with several local organizations. Today, Gabriela is an advocate for DREAMers like herself. President Obama's DAPA and expanded DACA Programs would help thousands of families like Gabriela's who want to stay together and be contributing members of our communities without the daily fear of deportation. To tear undocumented parents away from their children and put these U.S.- born children in foster care is unconscionable. To deport people who were brought here when they were very young--to essentially tear them away from the United States, the only home and country they have known--is also unconscionable. These young people would be facing insurmountable odds, and I can certainly relate to some of the challenges they face. When I was almost 8 years old, my mother, brothers, and I legally immigrated to the United States. When we first arrived in Hawaii, we certainly struggled. I had to navigate the public school system without speaking a word of English. My mother worked low-paying jobs with no job security, and we struggled to make ends meet. But we took strength in being together as a family. However, in addition to facing the kind of challenges my whole family faced when we first arrived in this country, DACA and DAPA families live in constant fear that they will be ripped apart through deportation. These families and children have been living in limbo for over a year while the legal challenges work their way through the system, through the courts. In addition, United States v. Texas is also pushing DREAMers who are eligible for the original DACA Program, which is not being challenged, further into the shadows. Singai Masiya, who heads the Aloha DREAM Team in my home State and is a DREAMer himself, told my office that DACA-eligible people in Hawaii stopped applying for DACA. Why? They are afraid that if the Court rules against President Obama's Executive actions, their application information will be used to deport them. This is a real fear in our communities. United States v. Texas not only affects the lives of the more than 7,000 DACA- and DAPA-eligible Hawaii residents, it affects our economy. Over 10 years, DACA, DAPA, and expanded DACA are projected to provide a $276 million cumulative increase in Hawaii's State gross domestic product. The Center for American Progress also projects that, over 10 years, DACA, DAPA, and DACA expansion would provide a $136 million increase in the combined earnings of Hawaii's residents. However, in order to see these economic benefits, the Justices of the Supreme Court must rule on the side of DREAMers and the DAPA families. My hope is that the Supreme Court rules that the President is well within his legal authority in expanding DACA and DAPA and allows these Executive actions to be implemented. I note, however, that Executive actions, important as they are, are not enough. The President himself has called on Congress to fix our broken immigration system so that 11 million undocumented people in our country can come out of the shadows and live and work openly. It has been almost 3 years since the Senate passed bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform. I call upon Congress to do our jobs and enact fair, humane, and sensible immigration reform--recognizing that we are, indeed, a country of immigrants. That fact is at the very root of our strength as a nation. Mr. President, I yield back. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, today April 12, is Equal Pay Day. Equal Pay Day means women have to work more than 4 months longer to catch up to what, on average, men made in 2015. This significant pay disparity has been going on for decades--generations--even though it is against the law and has been against the law since the passage of the Equal Pay Act in 1963. The gender pay gap persists across all States and nearly all occupations. As we seek to build a 21st-century workforce, more than 73 million working women are at a disadvantage because of pay inequity and other barriers based on gender. While we have come a ways from the days of overt pay discrimination--such as in the 1930s, when the Federal Government, no less, required women to be paid 25 percent less than their male counterparts--the pay gap persists. It is bad enough that women with equal education and experience get paid less, but it gets worse. A recent New York University study found that when women begin to enter predominately male occupations, pay in those fields decrease overall. For example, when women began to pursue careers in design, wages dropped more than 30 percent. When they entered careers in biology, wages dropped 18 percent. The study also showed the converse. When men entered fields previously dominated by women, such as computer programming, wages increased. The bottom line is that these studies show that women's work is less valued than men's work. This discrimination won't change because we don't like it or because we hope it will. It will only begin to change if we take action. That is why I joined Senator Mikulski in continuing our call to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. This legislation would allow women to compare their salaries without fearing retaliation. How can a woman find out if there is pay discrimination going on in her workplace if she can't even find out what others are being paid? The bill would also require employers to prove that differences in pay for men and women doing the same work are not related to gender. While the gender pay gap affects all women, this morning I want to focus on inequity in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math--also known as STEM. Nationally, we need to promote STEM to remain competitive in the global economy. STEM careers are among the highest paid positions and are some of the most sought after by employers. In order to keep our country's historical leadership in STEM over the next decade, economists say we need to create a million more STEM careers than we are currently creating. We will lose our competitive edge unless the number of women earning STEM degrees keeps pace with their growing share of the population. But, of course, women in the STEM fields earn less than men. For example, on average, women engineers earn just 82 percent of what their male counterparts earn. Female doctors' starting salaries are almost $20,000 less than their male counterparts, even after accounting for factors such as specialty and location. In addition to facing lower wages, women in STEM must often overcome institutional barriers, cultural stereotypes, and sexual harassment. These barriers permeate every level of the STEM career pipeline. They start as early as middle school and continue throughout one's career and lead to women and minorities disproportionately giving up interest in STEM careers. At the University of Hawaii at Manoa, men earned more than five times the number of computer science bachelor's degrees as women, and in the College of Engineering, men earned three times as many bachelor's degrees. These kinds of numbers in STEM education are not unique to Hawaii. Even when women overcome the odds and pursue careers in STEM fields, they continue to face gender biases that can affect the hiring, promotion, and career advancement for women in STEM. For instance, researchers found that women in STEM encountered bias judgments of their competence and the ability to be hired. They also received less faculty encouragement and financial rewards than identical male counterparts when negotiating salary packages. Studies show that when women in STEM decide to become mothers, they are perceived as less competent and less committed to hard work and are offered fewer jobs and lower salaries. In comparison, men are not penalized for being fathers. If that wasn't enough, women in STEM often experience workplace harassment. Recently, in the New York Times, University of Hawaii geobiology professor Hope Jahren shared an email that was sent to a former student from a male colleague who works in the same lab as the student. This email read in part this: All I know is that from the first day I talked to you, there hadn't been a single day or hour when you weren't on my mind. That's just the way things are and you're gonna have to deal with me until one of us leaves. In the age of social media, these kinds of totally inappropriate emails are all too common. According to Professor Jahren, this former student feels that she cannot rely on human resources because she heard stories from female colleagues about how sexual harassment happens ``all the time'' in their organization and that no action is taken. These stories are all too common. Again, merely condemning this kind of environment is not enough. Merely hoping that change will occur is not enough. We can and must do more to even the playing field for women in STEM, and that is why I am introducing the STEM Opportunities Act today, so we can combat the systemic issues that can lead to women losing interest in STEM and leaving STEM careers basically in droves. The STEM Opportunities Act helps Federal science agencies and institutions of higher education identify and share best practices to overcome barriers that can affect the inclusion of women and other underrepresented groups in STEM. The STEM Opportunities Act also allows universities and nonprofits to receive competitive grants and recognition for mentoring women and minorities in STEM fields. Mentoring programs such as the Maui Economic Development Board's Women in Technology Program and the Native Hawaiian Science and Engineering Mentorship Program at the University of Hawaii have seen tremendous success. The Women in Technology Program supports those like Deanna Garcia, who was first introduced to STEM through Women in Technology and is now a mentor to girls who want to follow in her footsteps. Deanna said: Women in Technology gave me the skills, confidence, and support I needed. Because of their networking and strong ties within the community, I was not only able to find an internship, but a career in IT. Because of the Women in Technology program, I can also pay it forward to current students and show them during career days or tours I am a product of the program and hope to inspire them to pursue a path in STEM just like I did. Deanna's story is just one of many successes that programs like Women in Technology have. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have the testimonials on the success of existing STEM programs printed in the Record.

Ms. HIRONO. I thank Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas. Her legislation laid the groundwork for the STEM Opportunities Act. I also wish to thank Senators Peters, Murray, Gillibrand, Blumenthal, Markey, Cantwell, Booker, Schatz, and Merkley for supporting this effort. Working together, I know we can do better, and I know we will ensure that women who want to pursue STEM careers can do so in a supportive environment without fear of harassment. On Equal Pay Day, we are reminded of how far we have to go to achieve equality, and I urge my colleagues to support the Paycheck Fairness Act, the STEM Opportunities Act, and other legislation that will help close the gender gap in our workforce.

Ms. HIRONO

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

Ms. HIRONO. I yield the floor.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, today April 12, is Equal Pay Day. Equal Pay Day means women have to work more than 4 months longer to catch up to what, on average, men made in 2015. This significant pay disparity has been going on for decades--generations--even though it is against the law and has been against the law since the passage of the Equal Pay Act in 1963. The gender pay gap persists across all States and nearly all occupations. As we seek to build a 21st-century workforce, more than 73 million working women are at a disadvantage because of pay inequity and other barriers based on gender. While we have come a ways from the days of overt pay discrimination--such as in the 1930s, when the Federal Government, no less, required women to be paid 25 percent less than their male counterparts--the pay gap persists. It is bad enough that women with equal education and experience get paid less, but it gets worse. A recent New York University study found that when women begin to enter predominately male occupations, pay in those fields decrease overall. For example, when women began to pursue careers in design, wages dropped more than 30 percent. When they entered careers in biology, wages dropped 18 percent. The study also showed the converse. When men entered fields previously dominated by women, such as computer programming, wages increased. The bottom line is that these studies show that women's work is less valued than men's work. This discrimination won't change because we don't like it or because we hope it will. It will only begin to change if we take action. That is why I joined Senator Mikulski in continuing our call to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. This legislation would allow women to compare their salaries without fearing retaliation. How can a woman find out if there is pay discrimination going on in her workplace if she can't even find out what others are being paid? The bill would also require employers to prove that differences in pay for men and women doing the same work are not related to gender. While the gender pay gap affects all women, this morning I want to focus on inequity in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math--also known as STEM. Nationally, we need to promote STEM to remain competitive in the global economy. STEM careers are among the highest paid positions and are some of the most sought after by employers. In order to keep our country's historical leadership in STEM over the next decade, economists say we need to create a million more STEM careers than we are currently creating. We will lose our competitive edge unless the number of women earning STEM degrees keeps pace with their growing share of the population. But, of course, women in the STEM fields earn less than men. For example, on average, women engineers earn just 82 percent of what their male counterparts earn. Female doctors' starting salaries are almost $20,000 less than their male counterparts, even after accounting for factors such as specialty and location. In addition to facing lower wages, women in STEM must often overcome institutional barriers, cultural stereotypes, and sexual harassment. These barriers permeate every level of the STEM career pipeline. They start as early as middle school and continue throughout one's career and lead to women and minorities disproportionately giving up interest in STEM careers. At the University of Hawaii at Manoa, men earned more than five times the number of computer science bachelor's degrees as women, and in the College of Engineering, men earned three times as many bachelor's degrees. These kinds of numbers in STEM education are not unique to Hawaii. Even when women overcome the odds and pursue careers in STEM fields, they continue to face gender biases that can affect the hiring, promotion, and career advancement for women in STEM. For instance, researchers found that women in STEM encountered bias judgments of their competence and the ability to be hired. They also received less faculty encouragement and financial rewards than identical male counterparts when negotiating salary packages. Studies show that when women in STEM decide to become mothers, they are perceived as less competent and less committed to hard work and are offered fewer jobs and lower salaries. In comparison, men are not penalized for being fathers. If that wasn't enough, women in STEM often experience workplace harassment. Recently, in the New York Times, University of Hawaii geobiology professor Hope Jahren shared an email that was sent to a former student from a male colleague who works in the same lab as the student. This email read in part this: All I know is that from the first day I talked to you, there hadn't been a single day or hour when you weren't on my mind. That's just the way things are and you're gonna have to deal with me until one of us leaves. In the age of social media, these kinds of totally inappropriate emails are all too common. According to Professor Jahren, this former student feels that she cannot rely on human resources because she heard stories from female colleagues about how sexual harassment happens ``all the time'' in their organization and that no action is taken. These stories are all too common. Again, merely condemning this kind of environment is not enough. Merely hoping that change will occur is not enough. We can and must do more to even the playing field for women in STEM, and that is why I am introducing the STEM Opportunities Act today, so we can combat the systemic issues that can lead to women losing interest in STEM and leaving STEM careers basically in droves. The STEM Opportunities Act helps Federal science agencies and institutions of higher education identify and share best practices to overcome barriers that can affect the inclusion of women and other underrepresented groups in STEM. The STEM Opportunities Act also allows universities and nonprofits to receive competitive grants and recognition for mentoring women and minorities in STEM fields. Mentoring programs such as the Maui Economic Development Board's Women in Technology Program and the Native Hawaiian Science and Engineering Mentorship Program at the University of Hawaii have seen tremendous success. The Women in Technology Program supports those like Deanna Garcia, who was first introduced to STEM through Women in Technology and is now a mentor to girls who want to follow in her footsteps. Deanna said: Women in Technology gave me the skills, confidence, and support I needed. Because of their networking and strong ties within the community, I was not only able to find an internship, but a career in IT. Because of the Women in Technology program, I can also pay it forward to current students and show them during career days or tours I am a product of the program and hope to inspire them to pursue a path in STEM just like I did. Deanna's story is just one of many successes that programs like Women in Technology have. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have the testimonials on the success of existing STEM programs printed in the Record.

Ms. HIRONO. I thank Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas. Her legislation laid the groundwork for the STEM Opportunities Act. I also wish to thank Senators Peters, Murray, Gillibrand, Blumenthal, Markey, Cantwell, Booker, Schatz, and Merkley for supporting this effort. Working together, I know we can do better, and I know we will ensure that women who want to pursue STEM careers can do so in a supportive environment without fear of harassment. On Equal Pay Day, we are reminded of how far we have to go to achieve equality, and I urge my colleagues to support the Paycheck Fairness Act, the STEM Opportunities Act, and other legislation that will help close the gender gap in our workforce.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Priyanka Hooghan, a fellow serving in my office, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the 114th Congress.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, March is Women's History Month. So this morning I would like to highlight the progress women have made in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math--or the STEM fields--challenges that persist, and legislation that I will be introducing to help overcome these challenges. Today we rely on computers for much of our modern life. For that, we thank pioneer RDML Grace Hopper, who was one of the first computer programmers. Space travel is one of the most technologically challenging endeavors that humankind has undertaken. The road to becoming an astronaut requires intelligence and toughness, not to mention fortitude. Astronauts like Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, have shown that women belong in every endeavor. Hawaii is home to women leaders in STEM fields. Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott was raised in rural Hana on the island of Maui. She became the first Native Hawaiian woman to receive a Ph.D. in science and went on to discover over 200 species of algae. She remains a leading expert on Pacific algae. These women persevered and rose to great heights of success in the STEM fields. However, we must do better to make sure that many more women have the opportunity to pursue STEM careers. While girls and boys express a similar level of interest in STEM at an early age, studies have found that women start to lose interest in STEM as early as in middle school. This loss of women and minorities continues at nearly every stage of the STEM career trajectory. For example, women are more likely to switch from a STEM to non-STEM major in their first year of college than their male counterparts. Girls and women report many reasons for losing interest in STEM. These include negative stereotypes about women in STEM, perceived gender barriers, feelings of isolation, and a lack of female role models and mentors. Gender bias and institutional barriers still slow the advancement of girls and women. Research shows that issues of bias can hinder interest in STEM, influence academic performance, and influence whether faculty encourages female students to pursue STEM careers. Furthermore, bias--whether conscious or unconscious--can harm the hiring, promotion, and career advancement of women in STEM. Bias can even hurt female researchers' chances of winning competitive science grants. Approximately half of the U.S. population and workforce is made up of women. But women make up just over a quarter of the STEM workforce. As our economy becomes more global, our entire population--men and women--must be engaged in fields that will keep America competitive on the world stage. Expanding the number of women and minorities in STEM fields is essential to meeting that challenge. The importance of growing the U.S. STEM workforce is acknowledged by leaders and businesses in all fields at all levels. For example, this recognition was very evident in the Senate's immigration reform debate. When I served on the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2013, increasing our STEM workforce through immigration policy drove major sections of the bipartisan immigration reform bill passed by the Senate. In Hawaii and elsewhere, there are programs that expose students to STEM careers through mentoring and interactive activities such as robotics. I want to focus on one school in Hawaii that created these opportunities for their students--Molokai Middle School. This is a school that struggled with science and math scores, but when their teachers established a robotics programs, students from all backgrounds got interested in science. The year the program started, the Molokai Middle School robotics team overcame all odds to represent Hawaii in a national robotics tournament. This year, they will compete in an international robotics competition in Kentucky. Molokai is an island of only about 7,000 people. Their students have thrived and succeeded through their STEM experience. While programs like these have a positive impact on encouraging students to stay excited about STEM fields, there are not enough of such programs. That is why today I am proud to be joined by Senators Gillibrand, Murray, Feinstein, Heinrich, Baldwin, Stabenow, and Brown to introduce the Women and Minorities in STEM Booster ACT to improve the recruitment, retention, and success of women and minorities at all stages of the STEM pipeline. This bill authorizes the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants for outreach, mentoring, and professional development programs. The STEM booster act also authorizes funding for STEM education outreach programs at the elementary and secondary school levels, funding for mentoring programs, and programs to increase the recruitment and retention of women and minority faculty. I am also working on another bill to address some of the cultural and institutional barriers that I mentioned today, which impede women's and minorities' advancement in STEM fields. In addition to increasing mentoring and outreach programs, the second bill will improve guidance, training, and coordination among Federal STEM agencies and universities to proactively combat bias and discrimination. We are on the right track to grow our STEM workforce in the United States, but we still need to move forward faster. We must act now to speed this process. My bill will help expose more girls, women, and minorities to opportunities in STEM fields and accelerate their participation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting women and minorities in STEM now.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, March is Women's History Month. So this morning I would like to highlight the progress women have made in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math--or the STEM fields--challenges that persist, and legislation that I will be introducing to help overcome these challenges. Today we rely on computers for much of our modern life. For that, we thank pioneer RDML Grace Hopper, who was one of the first computer programmers. Space travel is one of the most technologically challenging endeavors that humankind has undertaken. The road to becoming an astronaut requires intelligence and toughness, not to mention fortitude. Astronauts like Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, have shown that women belong in every endeavor. Hawaii is home to women leaders in STEM fields. Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott was raised in rural Hana on the island of Maui. She became the first Native Hawaiian woman to receive a Ph.D. in science and went on to discover over 200 species of algae. She remains a leading expert on Pacific algae. These women persevered and rose to great heights of success in the STEM fields. However, we must do better to make sure that many more women have the opportunity to pursue STEM careers. While girls and boys express a similar level of interest in STEM at an early age, studies have found that women start to lose interest in STEM as early as in middle school. This loss of women and minorities continues at nearly every stage of the STEM career trajectory. For example, women are more likely to switch from a STEM to non-STEM major in their first year of college than their male counterparts. Girls and women report many reasons for losing interest in STEM. These include negative stereotypes about women in STEM, perceived gender barriers, feelings of isolation, and a lack of female role models and mentors. Gender bias and institutional barriers still slow the advancement of girls and women. Research shows that issues of bias can hinder interest in STEM, influence academic performance, and influence whether faculty encourages female students to pursue STEM careers. Furthermore, bias--whether conscious or unconscious--can harm the hiring, promotion, and career advancement of women in STEM. Bias can even hurt female researchers' chances of winning competitive science grants. Approximately half of the U.S. population and workforce is made up of women. But women make up just over a quarter of the STEM workforce. As our economy becomes more global, our entire population--men and women--must be engaged in fields that will keep America competitive on the world stage. Expanding the number of women and minorities in STEM fields is essential to meeting that challenge. The importance of growing the U.S. STEM workforce is acknowledged by leaders and businesses in all fields at all levels. For example, this recognition was very evident in the Senate's immigration reform debate. When I served on the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2013, increasing our STEM workforce through immigration policy drove major sections of the bipartisan immigration reform bill passed by the Senate. In Hawaii and elsewhere, there are programs that expose students to STEM careers through mentoring and interactive activities such as robotics. I want to focus on one school in Hawaii that created these opportunities for their students--Molokai Middle School. This is a school that struggled with science and math scores, but when their teachers established a robotics programs, students from all backgrounds got interested in science. The year the program started, the Molokai Middle School robotics team overcame all odds to represent Hawaii in a national robotics tournament. This year, they will compete in an international robotics competition in Kentucky. Molokai is an island of only about 7,000 people. Their students have thrived and succeeded through their STEM experience. While programs like these have a positive impact on encouraging students to stay excited about STEM fields, there are not enough of such programs. That is why today I am proud to be joined by Senators Gillibrand, Murray, Feinstein, Heinrich, Baldwin, Stabenow, and Brown to introduce the Women and Minorities in STEM Booster ACT to improve the recruitment, retention, and success of women and minorities at all stages of the STEM pipeline. This bill authorizes the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants for outreach, mentoring, and professional development programs. The STEM booster act also authorizes funding for STEM education outreach programs at the elementary and secondary school levels, funding for mentoring programs, and programs to increase the recruitment and retention of women and minority faculty. I am also working on another bill to address some of the cultural and institutional barriers that I mentioned today, which impede women's and minorities' advancement in STEM fields. In addition to increasing mentoring and outreach programs, the second bill will improve guidance, training, and coordination among Federal STEM agencies and universities to proactively combat bias and discrimination. We are on the right track to grow our STEM workforce in the United States, but we still need to move forward faster. We must act now to speed this process. My bill will help expose more girls, women, and minorities to opportunities in STEM fields and accelerate their participation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting women and minorities in STEM now.

Ms. HIRONO

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

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise to speak on the Texas case that was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, Whole Woman's Health. This morning, I joined hundreds of pro-choice advocates on the steps of the Supreme Court in advance of the oral arguments. They came from all parts of the country with signs such as ``Don't mess with access'' and ``Respect my fundamental human dignity.'' The lead-up to this case was a Texas law, HB2, which imposes unnecessary medical requirements on the State's clinics that provide abortion services. According to the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, these requirements are not necessary to protect the health of women seeking these services. Rather, these onerous restrictions, known as targeted regulation of abortion providers, or TRAP laws, have only one purpose--to deny abortion services to women. Three-quarters of clinics in Texas will close if this law is upheld, leaving nearly a million women without adequate access to reproductive services. By making the false claim that restrictions like those passed in Texas will actually protect women's health, opponents of abortion hope to conceal their true agenda, which is putting an end to abortion and women's reproductive choices. The Texas law is just one more example of a litany of legislation and other attempts to limit a woman's constitutionally protected right to choose. Attacks on reproductive rights, such as misleading undercover videos, violence at clinics, and numerous attempts in Congress to roll back progress on women's health care continued in 2015. Since Roe v. Wade was decided, State legislatures have passed hundreds of laws to chip away at a woman's right to choose. In the last 4 years alone, States have passed 231 anti-choice laws. Among the most invasive are those requiring ultrasounds of women seeking abortion care, and some of the most ill-conceived laws require providers to give medically unsound information to scare women seeking abortion care. Laws that are not based on medical science and opposed by medical practitioners do not protect a woman's health. No matter how loudly or how often these arguments--or these claims--are repeated, they are lies. Lies repeated do not become truths. While these restrictive laws impact all women, they impact minority and lower income women most. For example, the Texas law will result in the closure of more and more provider clinics. Women in Texas will have to travel farther and farther to get to open clinics. Women who have limited resources to travel for needed services or cannot afford to take time from work to travel these long distances are the most negatively impacted by TRAP laws. Why do women need to be protected from being able to access the reproductive services they need and choose? Fundamentally, what is the point of a constitutional right if one is unable to exercise that right? I cannot think of any other constitutionally protected right that has seen so many restrictions placed upon it, except perhaps the right to vote, but that is a subject for another speech. It is more than ironic that while many of our anti-choice colleagues vehemently speak out in support of constitutional rights, when it comes to women's bodies and reproductive choice, they are all too willing to set aside their constitutional principles to invade those fundamental rights. Neither Congress nor the States have a right to do that. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the privileges of the floor be granted to Manisha Gupta, a fellow on my staff for the remainder of the 114th Congress.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, our Republican colleagues have decided that the Senate should not hold a hearing or vote on any Supreme Court nominee this year. The reason? It is an election year. That is a breathtakingly candid but utterly irresponsible reason for the Senate not to do its job. That decision may not surprise those who have followed the Senate in recent years, as our Republican colleagues have time and again chosen to obstruct President Obama's agenda. We can disagree on legislation, we can disagree on policies, we can certainly disagree on judicial nominations, but the idea that the Senate should not take any action on a Supreme Court vacancy is unprecedented. In the last 100 years, the Senate has taken action on every Supreme Court nominee whether it is an election year or not. The Senate has not only taken action, but the Senate has confirmed more than a dozen Supreme Court Justices in the final year of a Presidency. In fact, a Democratic Senate confirmed Justice Anthony Kennedy in the final year of President Reagan's term. Yet roughly 9 months before the next election, the Republican position is that the Senate should not do its job because 11 months from now, we will have a new President. I ask you, what has that got to do with us doing our jobs? Under the Republican timeline, the Supreme Court will be left with only eight Justices for over a year. The last time it took so long for the Senate to fill a vacancy on the Court was during the Civil War. The rationale that the Senate should not act because of an upcoming election is not only stunning, but I think most Americans would agree is absurd. In what other workplace can employees announce that they don't plan to fulfill their responsibilities for 9 months and still get paid? But that is exactly what Republicans are saying to the American people. We work for the American people. The American people elect Senators, Representatives, and Presidents. Through elections, the people shape the direction of our country. While Republicans may want to forget it, in 2012 the people elected President Obama to a full 4-year term. That term doesn't end for nearly a year. His responsibilities as President don't stop because a Republican Senate says so. The Constitution requires a President to nominate someone to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. The Constitution requires the Senate to provide advice and consent on the President's nominee. That is our job as Senators. The President hasn't nominated anyone to fill the current Supreme Court vacancy. When he does, no Senator is required to vote for that nominee, but what is required is for the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duties. The President's nominee deserves a hearing and a vote. No excuses. Let's do our job. Mr. President, I wish to now turn to another subject. (The remarks of Ms. Hirono pertaining to the submission of S. Res. 373 are printed in today's Record under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')

Ms. HIRONO

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

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, 74 years ago, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. That order led to the mass internment of nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans. Executive Order 9066 is an example of what can happen when a government acts out of fear. Today I am submitting a resolution that recognizes this dark chapter and calls for the Senate and all Americans to uphold the lessons learned from the issuance of Executive Order 9066. In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Americans of Japanese ancestry living in the United States became a target of paranoia, suspicion, and fear. Without any evidence of subterfuge, the government classified Japanese Americans as ``enemy aliens'' based purely on race and removed Japanese families from the west coast in the name of national security. These were families like yours and mine-- farmers, students, shop owners, Buddhist priests, and teachers, parents and grandparents working toward the American dream of giving their children a better future. The majority were American citizens. These families were forced to abandon or sell for a pittance homes and businesses they had spent decades building. Many destroyed family treasures that could link them to Japan. Thousands of college students had their educations cut short when they were forced to leave school for the internment camps. One University of Washington student who was forced to leave school, Gordon Hirabayashi, would go on to challenge the legality of the internment all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Gordon's parents had emigrated from Japan and settled in Washington State, where they were farmers. Upon the signing of Executive Order 9066 and subsequent orders, the Hirabayashi family and tens of thousands of other Japanese American families were forced to pack up only what they could carry for a long train ride to unknown destinations. Upon arriving at barren and isolated internment camps, including Honouliuli Internment Camp in Waipahu, Oahu, these families passed through barbed-wire fences and armed guards. They settled in cramped, hastily constructed shanties that let in the elements. There was little privacy. And until these internment camps were built, many families were forced to live in horse stalls. The shame and humiliation were extreme. Nearly 120,000 men, women, and children did the best they could under harsh circumstances, persevering through what at the time seemed unbearable. Despite this treatment at the hands of their own government, the time came when many joined the war effort. From behind barbed wire, these young Japanese American men fought for their country and in the process, in doing so, proved their loyalty to the United States. The Army agreed to form the segregated 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Battalion, and the Military Intelligence Service. Thousands of men in Hawaii and across the internment camps, including our late colleague Senator Daniel K. Inouye, volunteered to take on the most dangerous missions in Europe. Today, the 442nd and the 100th Battalion remain the most decorated units in the Army's history. These units, as well as the Military Intelligence Service, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. After the war ended, for all of the sacrifice Japanese Americans were forced to make, for all they had to give up, each internee was then given $25 and a train ticket to their prewar residences. Many of them never returned to their homes because there was nothing to return to. It was not until 34 years later, due to the work of the Japanese American Citizens League and other individuals and groups, that President Gerald Ford issued Proclamation 1447, which formally terminated the authority of Executive Order 9066. The Ford proclamation read, in part, ``I call upon the American people to affirm with me this American Promise . . . to treasure liberty and justice for each individual American, and resolve that this kind of action shall never again be repeated.'' While the internment is now recognized as one of the darkest periods in our Nation's history, we must not forget that Executive Order 9066 had widespread support at the time. The fight for formal recognition of these injustices has been a long and challenging road that continues to this day. I wish to recognize the efforts of three Japanese Americans--Gordon Hirabayashi, Minoru Yasui, and Fred Korematsu--who were convicted and imprisoned while bravely challenging the constitutionality of internment during the war. They were right, but it took decades of work to achieve justice for these individuals who took their cases all the way to the Supreme Court. In the majority opinion of Korematsu v. U.S. in 1944, the Supreme Court found that the internment was justified during a time of war--a ruling that further underscores what can only be characterized as the rampant fear and racism at the time. I had the privilege of meeting Fred Korematsu and his family several times before his passing in 2005. After the war, he, Gordon, and Minoru continued to fight for others' civil rights their whole lives. Fred's work is carried on by his daughter, Karen Korematsu, through the Korematsu Institute. These three individuals were years later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in Minoru Yasui's case, only last year. It was not until the 1980s--almost 40 years after internment ended-- that a new generation of attorneys and scholars took up their fight. They uncovered evidence that the government hid information that proved that Japanese Americans were not a threat to the United States. Gordon, Minoru, and Fred appealed their earlier convictions, and the Ninth Circuit Court vacated all of their convictions in the 1980s. Gordon said after the Ninth Circuit overturned his earlier conviction: There was a time when I felt that the Constitution failed me. But with the reversal in the courts and in public statements from the government, I feel that our country has proven that the Constitution is worth upholding. The U.S. Government admitted it made a mistake. A country that can do that is a strong country. I have more faith and allegiance to the Constitution than I ever had before. Today, I call upon all of my colleagues to uphold Gordon's faith in our Constitution. Undoubtedly, the U.S. Government must keep people safe. However, as we learned with the internment, a government gripped by fear and hysteria can make terrible mistakes. Not one American of Japanese ancestry who was interned has ever been found guilty of sabotage or espionage. Focusing on the most vulnerable of targets--usually a minority group--does not make our Nation safe or more secure. Actions like the internment betray our values and undermine our strength as a people. We are often reminded to learn from history. That presumes we are aware of the relevant history. The story of internment remains one still unfamiliar to many Americans--for instance, Mayor David Bowers of Roanoke, VA, who used the internment as justification to suspend assistance to Syrian refugees. He later apologized. More recently, George Takei's play ``Allegiance,'' which just ended its Broadway run, depicted the shock, humiliation, anger, and resolve of one family--the Kimuras--who were interned in Heart Mountain, WY. Their internment was like that of thousands of other Japanese Americans, and, like too many others, the internment didn't end for the Kimuras when World War II ended. Their family relations were irreparably damaged. Yet, despite efforts to educate a new generation of Americans through efforts like ``Allegiance,'' today we hear echoes of the sentiments of 1942 directed toward members of the South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Arab, and Middle Eastern communities. There are reports of children from these communities beaten up in schools, families being threatened in their homes, and houses of worship vandalized and set on fire. We hear calls from public figures and officials to racially profile and conduct surveillance on Muslim Americans, as well as to bar their entry into our country. While the security of the American people is a top priority, divisive proposals to ban all Muslims, for example, from entering the United States do nothing to make us safer; rather, they take us back to a time when our policies were guided by fear, stereotypes, and mistrust. Now is not the time to turn on one another. Now is the time to stand together against the hate and fear that divides our country. In affirming our commitment to liberty and justice for all, let us remember that the United States is a diverse country in which individuals of all backgrounds have and continue to make positive contributions to the well-being and security of our Nation. It is important to speak out against hateful rhetoric and divisive policy proposals that prey on people's fears and instead promote our American values that are rooted in compassion, respect for others, justice, and equality. I am joined today in the Gallery by advocates from the Asian American and Pacific Islander and Muslim communities. Mahalo to all of you for the work you do every day to advance equality, liberty, and justice for all. These values are the strength of America. Let's stand together in solidarity, that in this new century, we will not give in to old fears, old prejudices, and unjustified actions.

Ms. HIRONO

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

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise to speak in strong support of the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act. This legislation serves as a critical component of the U.S. response to the North Korean regime's dangerous and destabilizing acts. These acts are just the latest in a series of flagrant violations of the U.N. Security Council's resolutions against North Korea's use of ballistic missiles and nuclear technology. North Korea's unpredictable behavior, combined with their commitment to advancing their nuclear and missile capability, present a serious threat to our country and our allies. My support of this bill is grounded in my belief that the United States must stand with our allies and lead an international response that condemns North Korea's actions and reassures our allies, especially Japan and South Korea. Strengthening and expanding sanctions demonstrate that North Korea's behavior is unacceptable and that there will be consequences. The Gardner-Menendez substitute amendment codifies and makes mandatory important cyber security sanctions on North Korea that were enacted in Executive orders in the wake of the Sony Pictures hacking incident. The amendment also requires the President to target Pyongyang's trade in key industrial commodities that are used to fund its weapons program. The bill requires a strategy to promote improved implementation and enforcement of multilateral sanctions, a strategy to combat North Korea's cyber activities, and a strategy to promote and encourage international engagement on North Korean human rights-related issues, including forced labor and repatriation. While passing this legislation is a critical part of the U.S. response, we also must work with our allies, as I mentioned before, to stand as a united international community. Today, our allies Japan and South Korea took additional measures against Pyongyang. Japan declared that all North Korean ships, including those for humanitarian purposes, would be banned from coming to Japanese ports. Third-country ships that visited North Korea would also be banned from entering. South Korea announced it would pull out of a joint industrial complex that it ran with North Korea at Kaesong. I agree with Secretary Kerry that the U.N. Security Council must act swiftly to impose penalties for North Korea's violations of U.N. resolutions. China needs to join the international community in supporting sanctions against Pyongyang and should use its leverage as North Korea's largest trading partner to expand U.S. sanctions. This is an opportunity for the U.S. and China to work together toward a common goal--a denuclearized Korean peninsula. While our country is engaged in the campaign to destroy ISIL, North Korea's serious provocations demonstrate that we cannot take our attention away from the Asia-Pacific region. The United States has longstanding strategic interests and commitments to the security of the Asia-Pacific area. It is a priority to maintain stability in the region where the United States has five treaty allies and many security partnerships. We must ensure that our solid commitment to defend South Korea and Japan remains firm. While passing this sanctions bill is important to demonstrate our resolve and leadership, clearly this is not enough in the face of North Korea's provocations. We need to cooperate with our allies on missile defense. As the north continues its provocative missile launches, our alliance with South Korea means that we must enhance our defenses against these threats. Pyongyang's missile capabilities threaten not only our allies and our servicemembers stationed in South Korea and Japan, but also the U.S. territory of Guam, my home State of Hawaii, Alaska, and much of the west coast. South Korea's decision yesterday to begin formal talks with the United States to deploy a THAAD missile defense system is a major step toward this kind of missile defense cooperation. THAAD can target short, medium, and intermediate ballistic missiles in flight. Again, stability in the Asia-Pacific area with key allies, largest and fastest growing economies, and provocative actors like North Korea and China, is critical to our national security. We must continue our commitment to an all-of-government Asia-Pacific rebalance with military, economic, and diplomatic attention and resource priorities to this part of the world. Since my election to the Senate, I have made it a priority to visit this region every year. Most recently, this past summer, I visited Japan and Guam. I traveled to South Korea in 2013, and I know that our allies are counting on us to keep our focus on the Asia-Pacific and work with them to maintain stability and prosperity in this part of the world. I urge my colleagues to send a strong message to North Korea and our allies by not only supporting the North Korean Sanctions Enforcement Act, but also by supporting the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific. I yield the floor. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the Energy Policy Modernization Act. Along with a broad, bipartisan group of my colleagues, I supported this bill as a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. I thank Chairman Murkowski, Ranking Member Cantwell, and their staff for their commitment and hard work in producing a bill that could earn a strong bipartisan vote in the committee. There were other proposals that I would have liked to have seen included in the bill, such as the national Renewable Electricity Standard introduced by Senator Udall, which I cosponsored, and there were other proposals included in the bill that I would not have supported on their own. However, I was willing to support a compromise that provides positive direction for our country in the midst of an energy transformation. Now that the full Senate is considering the bill, I would like to remind my colleagues of the effort that went into reaching this compromise. We should not squander the opportunity before us with amendments that will simply erode bipartisan support for the bill or draw a Presidential veto. So much has changed in how energy is produced and consumed since the Senate passed its last energy bill in 2007. Our country is in the middle of a transformation toward cleaner sources of energy and greater energy efficiency in our vehicles, homes, and businesses. Hawaii is leading the way on many fronts in this transformation. Hawaii has already set the most ambitious electricity standard of any State, and that is 100 percent renewable electricity by 2045. Our State has already more than doubled its use of renewable electricity in 6 years to 21 percent. Making sure that we have clean and affordable power for families and businesses will require a more modern and reliable electricity system. The Energy Policy Modernization Act tackles research, job creation, and innovation on a number of fronts. Let me highlight some of the bill's important provisions. This bill includes provisions from my Next Generation Electric Systems Act that would establish a Department of Energy grant program for projects to improve the performance and efficiency of electrical grid systems. These grants could assist efforts in Hawaii and around the country to make greater use of renewable energy, energy storage systems, electric vehicles, and other innovative energy technologies. The bill also provides $500 million over 10 years to support the energy storage research, demonstration, and deployment program from Senator Cantwell's Grid Modernization Act, which I cosponsored. Energy storage will help smooth the delivery of power from renewable sources so that it is available even when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. Greater use of energy storage systems could help cut energy bills by reducing the need to build expensive powerplants that operate only at times of highest demand and avoiding blackouts. Thanks to Chair Murkowski, the bill also promotes the development of microgrid systems for communities that are not connected to the grid, so that isolated communities in places like Hawaii and Alaska can also use alternative energy and energy storage to secure more reliable and affordable sources of power. The bill includes my amendment to ensure that the U.S. Territories and the District of Columbia can join Hawaii and other States in being eligible to participate in a Department of Energy loan guarantee program to help States support new investments in clean energy projects. For instance, Hawaii could expand its Green Energy Market Securitization--or GEMS--Program to make rooftop solar systems and other clean energy improvements more affordable for renters and other underserved consumers. The bill authorizes research and development in promising renewable energy technologies like marine and hydrokinetic energy, which harness the power of the ocean's waves, heat, and currents. In partnership with the U.S. Navy, the Hawaii National Marine Renewable Energy Center at the University of Hawaii-Manoa is one of three federally funded centers for marine energy research and development in the Nation, including a wave energy test site at Kaneohe Bay on Oahu. The bill will help people find well-paying jobs in the energy and energy efficiency fields by establishing a $10 million grant program for nonprofit partnerships that train workers to earn energy efficient building certifications. It also creates a $20 million energy workforce training grant program for colleges and workforce development boards. This program will focus on helping workers earn industry-recognized credentials. I will be offering amendments to ensure that our veterans can take full advantage of these programs to speed their transition into the civilian workforce. The bill will also help boost energy efficiency. Hawaii set a goal requiring a 30-percent improvement in energy efficiency by 2030. According to the Hawaii State Energy Office, that standard has resulted in the equivalent of $435 million in energy savings for Hawaii's homes, farms, and businesses. Finally, the bill strengthens our protection of public lands by permanently reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund--LWCF--a fund that, throughout its 50-year history, has financed over 40,000 projects across all 50 States and protected public lands that support our Nation's $646 billion outdoor recreational industry. In Hawaii alone, the LWCF has directly provided $195 million to our local conservation efforts, and, as most people know, we in Hawaii go to great lengths to protect and conserve our native ecosystems. LWCF funds will support Hawaii's ``Island Forests at Risk'' proposal. These funds will expand Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge by a total of 12,000 acres. These two locations host a total of nearly 2 million visitors each year and protect some of Hawaii's most beautiful and sensitive habitats. The bill also permanently reauthorizes the Historic Preservation Fund and creates a new National Park Maintenance and Revitalization Fund. The new national park fund will help reduce the backlog of $11.5 billion in repairs and maintenance needed in our national parks, including the $127 million backlog of maintenance at Hawaii's national parks. This much needed new fund will ensure that people can enjoy the beauty of our parks for generations to come. In addition to improving energy usage in our homes and businesses, we must ensure that government takes full advantage of new energy and energy efficient technologies. For the fourth consecutive year, the State of Hawaii led the Nation in per capita use of energy performance contracting for State and county buildings, resulting in the creation of over 3,000 jobs and an energy savings of over $989 million. I would like to expand the use of energy contracting at the Federal level to save taxpayer dollars and support the use of cleaner sources of energy. I will be offering an amendment to allow all Federal agencies to use long-term contracts to reduce their energy bills, as the Department of Defense is allowed to do under current law. I also plan to offer an amendment to establish a pilot project to expand the use of Federal energy savings performance contracts to mobile sources such as federally-owned aircraft and vehicles. The guaranteed energy savings will mean taxpayer savings. With oil accounting for 80 percent of the energy needs of our State, the people of Hawaii are acutely aware that there must be new alternatives to the volatile prices and vulnerable supply of the global oil trade. Hawaii, which for too long has been paying the highest electricity rates in the country, recognizes that we have renewable resources in our own State that should be developed so that we keep at home more of the $5 billion per year we currently spend to import oil. That is more money circulating in Hawaii's economy, creating jobs, raising wages, and helping families make ends meet. For all the reasons I have mentioned, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and those amendments that will be offered that move our country forward, not backward, to a future with affordable, clean, and reliable energy. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.