Martin Heinrich

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I am here tonight to join my colleague the senior Senator from New Mexico and all my other colleagues on the Senate floor to stand up for hundreds of thousands of my constituents in New Mexico who will lose their health care coverage if Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act and throw our Nation's health care system into chaos. It is absolutely criminal for Republicans to strip millions of their health care without even a conceptual replacement plan in place. To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I want to make it clear that ``we will fix it later'' simply doesn't cut it. They promised repeal and replace, and now they are giving us repeal and run, and that will cause chaos in our health care system. In my home State of New Mexico, according to the Urban Institute, an estimated 266,000 people will lose their health care coverage. This is not a change to their plan or a different premium. They will lose their coverage in its entirety. Thousands more of our State's 2 million residents will lose access to birth control and other preventive services and Medicare prescription drug coverage. Nearly everyone will be subjected to higher costs for lower quality insurance, especially those with preexisting conditions. Dismantling our health care system would also put at risk many of the gains we made in protecting the 860,000 New Mexicans who have preexisting conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. These individuals will be forced to pay more for their health care coverage and possibly lose access altogether. This is not a game; this is a matter of life and death. Without any plan in place, this repeal and run maneuver will cause health care costs for all Americans to skyrocket. Dismantling our health care system literally means taking hundreds of dollars each month away from hard-working families. In my book, that is highway robbery. How? It is simple. This reckless Republican repeal and run will strip away the tax credits that help many working Americans afford their premiums. More than 32,000 New Mexicans rely on those tax credits, which average about $200 a month--well over half of their monthly premium for health care coverage. Many of the sickest, oldest, and the poorest of our neighbors and family members will lose their health care coverage altogether. Over 20,000 New Mexican seniors will be forced to pay $1,000 more per year for their prescription drugs. Fixed income seniors can't afford to pay more for prescription drugs. Dismantling our health care system is particularly problematic in our Nation's rural areas, including much of the State of New Mexico. Last fall I went on a multiday rural health care listening tour across communities throughout Northeastern New Mexico. Rural hospitals like those in Raton, Clayton, and Santa Rosa are often the only health care providers for hundreds of miles in any direction. Under the Affordable Care Act, rural hospitals agree to exchange higher rates of insurance coverage for their patients for a reduction in reimbursement rates. In other words, they aren't being paid as much per patient as they once were, but the number of patients who come in without any insurance is dramatically lower. Now Republicans are going to take away coverage from a quarter million New Mexicans, but they aren't going to give rural hospitals their higher reimbursement premiums back. This repeal and run maneuver will cause many rural hospitals that already are operating on the margins to shut their doors or to simply turn away sick patients. Nationwide, nearly 700 local hospitals in rural communities face the risk of imminent closure. Think about that. That is nearly one-third of the Nation's hospitals. Almost all of them would be forced to turn away patients if the Republicans move forward in dismantling our Nation's health care system. In New Mexico, that would mean forcing many of my constituents to drive for hours to access critical lifesaving care. It would also shake our State's economy to its core. Health care jobs were one of the few economic bright spots in New Mexico over the past 6 years, particularly in rural communities, but this reckless plan--or I should say lack of one, to be accurate--throws our Nation's health care system into chaos and scars New Mexico's rural communities for years to come. A community whose hospital shuts down may never recover. That is what is at stake here. Denying a family health care, denying a whole community health care is reckless and immoral. You might hear Republicans say they want to tear everything apart now, but we shouldn't worry because they will fix it later. Let me be clear: We have the capacity to fix and improve our current health care system in a bipartisan way without throwing it all into chaos, but Republicans have to make that choice before it is too late. I would welcome honest attempts to find ways to improve our Nation's health care laws, to make them work better for all Americans. In the past, I have taken the lead on commonsense fixes to our Nation's health care policies. In 2010, in the House of Representatives, I led the fight to extend coverage to the children of military families covered by TRICARE up until the time they are 26 years old. After hearing from many small businesses in New Mexico, I fought to repeal unnecessary 1099 tax reporting requirements for small businesses. To this day, I continue to work with Republicans like Dean Heller of Nevada to eliminate the so-called Cadillac tax that would place an incredibly unfair tax burden on employer-provided health insurance that many working families rely on. Republicans need to put partisan politics aside and remember why Congress passed the ACA in the first place: To expand access to quality health care for all Americans. Before we passed health care reform, New Mexico had the second highest rate of uninsured citizens in the entire Nation. I have heard from a lot of New Mexicans who have told me how access to health care coverage has impacted their lives, even saved their lives. I would like to tell you just one story of one of those New Mexicans. Karen from Santa Fe is a registered nurse, and she is a breast cancer survivor. As a nurse, Karen has seen how health care reform and the reduction of uninsured and uncompensated care has helped community hospitals better serve their patients. But the real impact of health care reform for Karen has been personal. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, Karen's insurance company dropped her coverage. When she had to pay out of pocket for her coverage, her costs doubled. As she went through several more recurrences of cancer, Karen went bankrupt. She lost her home. In a letter to me, she said: ``Cancer is hard enough, but not to be able to afford my co-pays and appointments caused me so much stress it made me more vulnerable for complications.'' Today, Karen is able to afford health care coverage even with her preexisting condition. But Republicans are threatening to take that all away from her and from hundreds of millions of other Americans. Karen went on to say in her letter: No one should go without health care because of income. Good health is not a privilege for a wealthy few, but a human right. It is hard to say it any better than that. No American has sent their elected representative to Washington to score political points and threaten the health and finances of hard-working Americans. Republicans need to realize that is exactly what they are doing. What they are doing means chaos. It means less health care. It is that simple. I wish we could be here today talking about pragmatic policy solutions to reduce health care costs and improve how providers actually deliver that care. Instead, and unfortunately, we are here trying to stop Republicans from turning bumper sticker governance into a very real disaster for thousands of my constituents and millions of Americans. This reckless effort threatens the very lives and the livelihoods of the people of New Mexico. I will not stand for that, and I know my constituents will not either.

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, for generations, Tony Reyna served his people in Taos Pueblo and northern New Mexico as a respected community leader and constant source of wisdom and kindness. Last year, Mr. Reyna joined friends, family, and community members to celebrate his 100th birthday, which the New Mexico State Legislature officially proclaimed as Tony Reyna Day. After a full life of service and dedication to his community Mr. Reyna passed away last month surrounded by his family and loved ones. Mr. Reyna was the last remaining survivor from Taos Pueblo of the Bataan death march. On April 9, 1942, Mr. Reyna and 1,800 other members of the New Mexico National Guard were among the more than 75,000 American and Filipino soldiers who were taken as prisoners of war by Japanese forces. The Bataan death marchers were forced to endure 3 and a half years of brutal captivity. They were marched for days in the scorching heat through the Philippine jungles. Thousands died. Those who survived faced the hardships of a prisoner of war camp. Others were wounded or killed when unmarked enemy ships transporting prisoners of war to Japan were sunk by U.S. air and naval forces. After returning to Taos after the war, Mr. Reyna opened Tony Reyna's Indian Shop in 1950, which has remained open to this day. He served two terms as governor of Taos Pueblo. He also served the Town of Taos as a police commissioner and as a museum board member. He was a lifetime member of the Taos Pueblo tribal council. He leaves behind an enduring legacy thanks to his lifelong efforts to preserve the culture, resources, and traditions of Taos Pueblo. He played a vital role in the return of Blue Lake, the Pueblo's sacred headwaters in 1970. And in 1992, when Mr. Reyna was serving his second term as governor, UNESCO designated Taos Pueblo as a World Heritage Site. In 2015, at a Veterans Day ceremony at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, Mr. Reyna, then age 99, said, ``I served my country. I served my people. I'm still serving. I'm available anytime they ask me!'' The people of Taos Pueblo and all of us in New Mexico owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Mr. Reyna for his full lifetime of service.

Mr. HEINRICH

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

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to share the story of an incredible DREAMer from my home State of New Mexico, but first I would like to commend my colleague, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, for his tremendous leadership in standing up for DREAMers-- young undocumented immigrants who are brought to the United States as children. I am proud to join him in this effort. Four years ago, the President announced that DREAMers would have the opportunity to apply for temporary protection from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, known as DACA. Today, more than half a million young people across the country have benefited from DACA, including more than 6,500 in my home State of New Mexico. Across this country, there are DREAMers working to become doctors, scientists, lawyers, and engineers. They want to start businesses and teach in our classrooms and serve in our military. DREAMers want to earn an education and contribute to our economy, to pay taxes and give back to their communities and their country. I would argue that most DREAMers don't know how to be anything but Americans. Over the last month, I have heard from many New Mexicans who are fearful and uncertain about just how the new Trump administration could impact their community, their neighbors, their friends. This is particularly true for the thousands of young people who applied for temporary status under the DACA Program. Over the last few years, I have come down to the floor to tell stories of DREAMers from my home. I told the story of twin sisters who graduated from college and are now both seeking advanced degrees, one in law, one in medicine. I told the story of a young man who applied for DACA and wanted to pursue graduate school for biology. I am happy to report that he is currently studying to earn a joint Ph.D. and M.D., with the hope of working on disease prevention. I will continue to tell the inspiring stories of DREAMers who demonstrate why we should protect them from deportation. Today, I would like to tell you about one of those New Mexicans, someone I heard from last week when I held a listening session with community and faith leaders, immigrant rights advocates, and DREAMers from across New Mexico. She and her family live in the Mesilla Valley in southern New Mexico. The Mesilla Valley is a rich agricultural region. It is home to dairy farms, pecan orchards, and many of New Mexico's famed green chile fields. Generations of farmers and families in the Mesilla Valley have shaped the rich history and, fundamentally, the culture of my home State. Today, families like the family of the DREAMer I heard from are working hard each and every day to improve their community, many of which lack adequate transportation and water infrastructure. They are working to create a better future for the next generation. This young woman's strength is rooted in her family and in her faith. She is the oldest child in her family and is the first person in her family to seek higher education. She told me that through her education and her work ethic, she wants to set an example to her five younger brothers and sisters. She teaches catechism classes for children at her church, where she also helps with fundraisers, cooks meals, and assists with church events. Since graduating from high school, she has started working toward her associate's degree in nursing. In a State like New Mexico, where we badly need more nurses and medical professionals in our rural and underserved communities, her professional dreams and aspirations are truly critical. DACA allowed her to get a work permit to hold a job that assists her in paying for her education, for her textbooks, but now, with the President-elect pledging to rescind DACA, this young woman fears that everything she has worked so hard to achieve could be lost. She fears that her family will be separated and that she might be deported from the only community she knows and the community she calls home. She told me, ``If [DACA] were to be removed, then my dream would be destroyed.'' This young woman's dream and her drive to give back to her community in southern New Mexico are incredible, but her story is far from unique. Her story is similar to thousands of other DREAMers in my home State and hundreds of thousands across our country, some of whom have escaped unthinkable hardships. They are working to contribute to their communities and to create a brighter future. These DREAMers should be met with compassion. During my listening session, I also heard from a Catholic priest who serves many immigrant families in his parish. He said he was deeply impacted by hearing this young woman's story during our listening session. He told me that her story ``reflects exactly what [he's] seen and heard from many families not only from [his] parish but also from neighboring parishes.'' He said, ``There is a lot of fear and people are so concerned and worried--especially families--[about] what can happen after the election.'' I want to make it very clear that in the coming years, I will not waiver in standing up for all New Mexicans in my role in the Senate. We should never be a country that kicks out some of our best and brightest students, and we should not be a nation that tears families apart. I will not stand for policies that are contrary to our fundamental American ideas and values. I would like to thank the young woman who shared her story with me for having the courage to speak out, particularly with the uncertainty of her situation and in the wake of the recent election. The idea that young men and women like this hard-working nursing student in southern New Mexico will have to retreat back into the shadows or fear being removed from their homes as a consequence of congressional inaction on immigration reform is simply unconscionable. I am calling for the Obama administration to take every possible legal action to protect DREAMers--individuals who are American in every way but for their immigration status--so that they are not targeted for removal by the incoming administration. Last week, I sent a letter to the White House urging President Obama to use his pardon authority to protect DREAMers from deportation. I also plan to continue pushing for comprehensive immigration reform in the new Congress, which I still strongly believe has bipartisan support among my colleagues--those colleagues who want real solutions rather than rancorous rhetoric. We need to modernize our immigration system to meet the needs of our economy and provide an accountable pathway to earn citizenship for the undocumented workers living here in the shadows, including making the DREAM Act law. As southwest border security is discussed in the context of immigration reform, I will continue to be focused on pragmatic and accountable policy decisions that include the many concerns of our border communities. As the son of an immigrant myself, I am familiar with the unique promise that America represents for so many families. I am grateful that when my father and my grandparents fled Germany in the years leading up to World War II, our country chose to see them for what they were--enthusiastic American immigrants. Our Nation's remarkable spirit is rooted in our diversity, our history, and our culture, which has always been enriched by our immigrant communities and their family members. I encourage my colleagues and our incoming President-elect to look at the human faces of our broken immigration system and to work toward real solutions. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act, alongside my colleague and friend from Maine, Senator Susan Collins. We are going to hear from her in a few minutes. I want to say a few words about an issue that is all too familiar to many of our States from coast to coast--those represented by Democrats, those represented by Republicans. Earlier this month, we saw positive economic data from the Census Bureau that showed that over the last year, American middle-class and low-income families saw the largest growth in their income in generations. I thank my colleague from Maine for her incredible work on the legislation we are going to be introducing today. There are simply far too many families in my home State of New Mexico and across this Nation who are still struggling to make ends meet, even to put food on the table and certainly to escape multigenerational poverty. Last year, nearly one in five New Mexicans lived below the federally defined poverty rate. Think about that, one in five. These are mothers, fathers, and grandparents trying to support themselves and their families. They are young adults trying to get ahead and lay the groundwork for the future they have envisioned for themselves, but often the dreams we have of going to school and getting a job are cut short by the reality that these once rites of passage on the way to the American dream are further and further out of reach. I believe all of us have a responsibility not to accept this status quo. Without critical programs such as Medicaid or the National School Lunch Program, even more families in New Mexico would be struggling to overcome poverty in the wake of the great recession. It is time to recognize that the Federal Government's current approach to poverty is far too disconnected. It is too fragmented and too disjointed to truly address the needs of these working families, and too often it simply ignores the very nature of the family itself. I will tell you what I mean by that. I grew up on a small farm and ranch operation. In addition to attending our cattle, both of my parents worked full time, often more than full time. My dad was a utility lineman. My mother worked in a factory inspecting wheels on an assembly line. Like a lot of Americans, I learned the dignity of hard work long before I ever held my first job. I learned it at home. As a father of two children, I understand the challenges of parenthood today, especially when both parents work. In many cases in New Mexico, that means both parents may work more than one job. Much of our time is centered on our jobs and our children. For many of us, this leaves very little time for ourselves or our own educational pursuits. If parents are able to find time to attend school and better themselves, they have to fit their class schedule around those times. They have to fit their class schedule around their child's school and their childcare hours. All of this limits parents' access to a full and rigorous class schedule and it extends the number of semesters a parent is in school and it increases their student loan debt. The way the Federal Government tries to help increased opportunities for working families isn't working well enough to address these daily challenges these families face. When multiple programs exist to help low-income parents and children, they have individual streaming causing silos and fragmentation. Low- income families trying to access these benefits often have trouble navigating the multiple eligibility requirements and the multiple service providers. Families get discouraged and lose out on benefits because each one has its own set of requirements. Even the local service providers who are trying to help families get ahead are finding this disjointed Federal landscape difficult to navigate. Addressing the needs of children and parents separately and without a comprehensive strategy is leaving too many children and parents behind and diminishing the whole family's chances of reaching economic security. That is why I have teamed up with my Republican colleague from Maine, Senator Susan Collins, to introduce the bipartisan Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act. Our legislation will increase opportunities for working families through programs targeting parents and children together with support aimed at increasing economic security, educational success, social, capital, and health and well-being. By aligning and linking existing systems and funding streams, our legislation will lead to improved outcomes for parents and children while improving the effectiveness of service delivery. Our legislation will make Federal agencies coordinate more effectively through a new Interagency Council on Multigenerational Poverty. The council will align and link departments that are already working to address poverty in order to reduce the redundancy and the redtape we see and to make sure programs across different agencies are actually working in a complementary fashion. We are also looking for new ways to incentivize investments in comprehensive two-generation programs. Our bill will encourage Federal, State, tribal, and local governments to test innovative ways to using Federal resources by allowing increased flexibility and blending discretionary grant funds across multiple Federal programs in exchange for a greater accountability. We will create a social impact bond pilot project to encourage private foundations and investors to fund new two- generation programs. Over the last year, I visited programs in my home State of New Mexico that are already using a two-generation approach. In Albuquerque, I met with participants of the CNM Connect Services Program at Central New Mexico Community College. This program assists students--many of whom are parents or children of parents attending CNM--with academic support, financial coaching, and career services, and it connects families with behavioral health services and childcare. By streamlining and coordinating all of these support services for students and their children, families are able to learn and grow together. At CNM, I met Maricela Cormona, who was a full-time mother who couldn't focus on her own education until her two children started an Even Start and Head Start early childhood education program. Thanks to a two-generation program that connects parents to childcare and education, she earned her GED, and she started taking courses at CNM to become a social worker. She was working with other parents to help them raise healthy families and receive an education. In Sante Fe, I toured the United Way Early Learning Center. This hub of early learning and family support can serve as a model for creating a path of opportunity for all hard-working Americans, using a comprehensive two-generation approach. At a state-of-the-art facility, the center offers year-round, full-day services for children and families, including hot meals, a health center, teaching and learning technology, employment and social service assistance for parents, and a home visitation program. One mother I met there, Brenda Olivas, was connected with United Way when she was 4 months pregnant. The home visitation supported her as she and her husband raised their young son Angel. When I talked to her, Brenda had just started working at the early learning center, helping to care for the children. Brenda said that she hoped to enroll in classes at Santa Fe Community College and put herself on a path toward a successful career. I also hosted an outreach session for families, education administrators, and representatives of nonprofit service providers at Dona Ana Head Start. I heard from working parents and service providers about the challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of their educational and career opportunities. Just last month, I visited La Clinica de Familia's Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Center. The center cares for children while their parents work or further their education at New Mexico State University and Dona Ana Community College. I had a chance to read ``Brown Bear, Brown Bear,'' which is not only one of the children's favorite books, but it is also one of my favorite books. My kids loved that book when they were little. I think it is time to build on the progress we have seen demonstrated through the data at programs like these. It is time to bring in more stakeholders and start actively changing the trajectory of these families and communities. This is the type of challenge that will have to be fought on the frontlines through public-private partnerships on college campuses and in community centers, on ball fields and in health clinics, and in our towns both large and small. No matter what your ZIP Code is, you should have an opportunity to use already existing Federal resources or attract private investment to implement the two-generation approach in your community because, as the data suggests, it works. That is exactly what the Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act aims to achieve. I wish once again to thank my colleague Senator Collins for her hard work to help create this legislation, and I also thank the great minds at places like Ascend at the Aspen Institute and great advocacy organizations in my home State of New Mexico, such as New Mexico Voices for Children, for working with me and my staff on these real, innovative solutions to create more economic mobility. As we work to advance this bipartisan bill in the Senate, I hope the rest of my colleagues will see why this is an issue that should not only be bipartisan but should command our urgent attention because the status quo is not something any of us should accept. It is important to note that our proposal doesn't add any new Federal spending or add to the deficit. Our legislation simply takes existing funding programs that we already have in place and makes sure we are investing more wisely, more efficiently, and more effectively to meet the needs of our children and their families. This is a fiscally responsible way to proceed, and it is a moral imperative. We all know that all the potential we could ever ask for sits in homes, churches, and classrooms across this great Nation. By helping parents, grandparents, and children overcome poverty and pursue their dreams together, we can put whole families on a path toward economic security and create a greater economic future for all of our communities. I yield the floor.

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act, alongside my colleague and friend from Maine, Senator Susan Collins. We are going to hear from her in a few minutes. I want to say a few words about an issue that is all too familiar to many of our States from coast to coast--those represented by Democrats, those represented by Republicans. Earlier this month, we saw positive economic data from the Census Bureau that showed that over the last year, American middle-class and low-income families saw the largest growth in their income in generations. I thank my colleague from Maine for her incredible work on the legislation we are going to be introducing today. There are simply far too many families in my home State of New Mexico and across this Nation who are still struggling to make ends meet, even to put food on the table and certainly to escape multigenerational poverty. Last year, nearly one in five New Mexicans lived below the federally defined poverty rate. Think about that, one in five. These are mothers, fathers, and grandparents trying to support themselves and their families. They are young adults trying to get ahead and lay the groundwork for the future they have envisioned for themselves, but often the dreams we have of going to school and getting a job are cut short by the reality that these once rites of passage on the way to the American dream are further and further out of reach. I believe all of us have a responsibility not to accept this status quo. Without critical programs such as Medicaid or the National School Lunch Program, even more families in New Mexico would be struggling to overcome poverty in the wake of the great recession. It is time to recognize that the Federal Government's current approach to poverty is far too disconnected. It is too fragmented and too disjointed to truly address the needs of these working families, and too often it simply ignores the very nature of the family itself. I will tell you what I mean by that. I grew up on a small farm and ranch operation. In addition to attending our cattle, both of my parents worked full time, often more than full time. My dad was a utility lineman. My mother worked in a factory inspecting wheels on an assembly line. Like a lot of Americans, I learned the dignity of hard work long before I ever held my first job. I learned it at home. As a father of two children, I understand the challenges of parenthood today, especially when both parents work. In many cases in New Mexico, that means both parents may work more than one job. Much of our time is centered on our jobs and our children. For many of us, this leaves very little time for ourselves or our own educational pursuits. If parents are able to find time to attend school and better themselves, they have to fit their class schedule around those times. They have to fit their class schedule around their child's school and their childcare hours. All of this limits parents' access to a full and rigorous class schedule and it extends the number of semesters a parent is in school and it increases their student loan debt. The way the Federal Government tries to help increased opportunities for working families isn't working well enough to address these daily challenges these families face. When multiple programs exist to help low-income parents and children, they have individual streaming causing silos and fragmentation. Low- income families trying to access these benefits often have trouble navigating the multiple eligibility requirements and the multiple service providers. Families get discouraged and lose out on benefits because each one has its own set of requirements. Even the local service providers who are trying to help families get ahead are finding this disjointed Federal landscape difficult to navigate. Addressing the needs of children and parents separately and without a comprehensive strategy is leaving too many children and parents behind and diminishing the whole family's chances of reaching economic security. That is why I have teamed up with my Republican colleague from Maine, Senator Susan Collins, to introduce the bipartisan Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act. Our legislation will increase opportunities for working families through programs targeting parents and children together with support aimed at increasing economic security, educational success, social, capital, and health and well-being. By aligning and linking existing systems and funding streams, our legislation will lead to improved outcomes for parents and children while improving the effectiveness of service delivery. Our legislation will make Federal agencies coordinate more effectively through a new Interagency Council on Multigenerational Poverty. The council will align and link departments that are already working to address poverty in order to reduce the redundancy and the redtape we see and to make sure programs across different agencies are actually working in a complementary fashion. We are also looking for new ways to incentivize investments in comprehensive two-generation programs. Our bill will encourage Federal, State, tribal, and local governments to test innovative ways to using Federal resources by allowing increased flexibility and blending discretionary grant funds across multiple Federal programs in exchange for a greater accountability. We will create a social impact bond pilot project to encourage private foundations and investors to fund new two- generation programs. Over the last year, I visited programs in my home State of New Mexico that are already using a two-generation approach. In Albuquerque, I met with participants of the CNM Connect Services Program at Central New Mexico Community College. This program assists students--many of whom are parents or children of parents attending CNM--with academic support, financial coaching, and career services, and it connects families with behavioral health services and childcare. By streamlining and coordinating all of these support services for students and their children, families are able to learn and grow together. At CNM, I met Maricela Cormona, who was a full-time mother who couldn't focus on her own education until her two children started an Even Start and Head Start early childhood education program. Thanks to a two-generation program that connects parents to childcare and education, she earned her GED, and she started taking courses at CNM to become a social worker. She was working with other parents to help them raise healthy families and receive an education. In Sante Fe, I toured the United Way Early Learning Center. This hub of early learning and family support can serve as a model for creating a path of opportunity for all hard-working Americans, using a comprehensive two-generation approach. At a state-of-the-art facility, the center offers year-round, full-day services for children and families, including hot meals, a health center, teaching and learning technology, employment and social service assistance for parents, and a home visitation program. One mother I met there, Brenda Olivas, was connected with United Way when she was 4 months pregnant. The home visitation supported her as she and her husband raised their young son Angel. When I talked to her, Brenda had just started working at the early learning center, helping to care for the children. Brenda said that she hoped to enroll in classes at Santa Fe Community College and put herself on a path toward a successful career. I also hosted an outreach session for families, education administrators, and representatives of nonprofit service providers at Dona Ana Head Start. I heard from working parents and service providers about the challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of their educational and career opportunities. Just last month, I visited La Clinica de Familia's Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Center. The center cares for children while their parents work or further their education at New Mexico State University and Dona Ana Community College. I had a chance to read ``Brown Bear, Brown Bear,'' which is not only one of the children's favorite books, but it is also one of my favorite books. My kids loved that book when they were little. I think it is time to build on the progress we have seen demonstrated through the data at programs like these. It is time to bring in more stakeholders and start actively changing the trajectory of these families and communities. This is the type of challenge that will have to be fought on the frontlines through public-private partnerships on college campuses and in community centers, on ball fields and in health clinics, and in our towns both large and small. No matter what your ZIP Code is, you should have an opportunity to use already existing Federal resources or attract private investment to implement the two-generation approach in your community because, as the data suggests, it works. That is exactly what the Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act aims to achieve. I wish once again to thank my colleague Senator Collins for her hard work to help create this legislation, and I also thank the great minds at places like Ascend at the Aspen Institute and great advocacy organizations in my home State of New Mexico, such as New Mexico Voices for Children, for working with me and my staff on these real, innovative solutions to create more economic mobility. As we work to advance this bipartisan bill in the Senate, I hope the rest of my colleagues will see why this is an issue that should not only be bipartisan but should command our urgent attention because the status quo is not something any of us should accept. It is important to note that our proposal doesn't add any new Federal spending or add to the deficit. Our legislation simply takes existing funding programs that we already have in place and makes sure we are investing more wisely, more efficiently, and more effectively to meet the needs of our children and their families. This is a fiscally responsible way to proceed, and it is a moral imperative. We all know that all the potential we could ever ask for sits in homes, churches, and classrooms across this great Nation. By helping parents, grandparents, and children overcome poverty and pursue their dreams together, we can put whole families on a path toward economic security and create a greater economic future for all of our communities. I yield the floor.

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues from the Senate Climate Action Task Force on the floor to bring attention to the well-funded network of organizations that are deliberately misleading the public on climate change. My colleagues have called them the web of denial. We all gathered on the floor yesterday and today to bring attention to these political front groups that are acting as major roadblocks to the actions we must take as a nation and as a global community to address the difficult and disruptive but absolute and unequivocal scientific reality of climate change. This web of denial is made up of dozens of organizations propped up by dark money. These political front groups for wealthy and self- interested donors like the Koch brothers--you may have heard of them-- peddle bogus theories that climate change isn't real or, at the very least, the American public should doubt the overwhelming scientific evidence and fear what might happen if we enact policies that move us toward cleaner energy solutions. These organizations are promoting policies that are completely counterproductive at a time when we urgently need to take decisive action to combat climate change and to protect the health of our children and future generations. As many of my constituents know well, climate change has already had a very real and costly impact in my home State of New Mexico, as it has across our Nation and around the world. In New Mexico, we are already seeing more extreme and prolonged drought conditions, larger wildfires, shrinking forests, and increased flooding. This is the reality now, not some far-off date in the future, and the longer we wait to act, the more difficult and the more expensive the solutions will be. That is why the fictitious narratives spun by this web of denial and their organizations are so dangerous and why we, as policymakers, need to stand and refute their lies. We need to disclose who they really are and discredit their campaigns. I am focusing this evening on the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. ALEC is an organization made up of State legislators across the Nation, and ALEC claims that nearly one-quarter of our country's State legislators are affiliated with the organization. ALEC calls itself a nonpartisan organization that promotes an exchange of ideas to help create State-based policies that promote economic growth. Sounds like motherhood and apple pie, doesn't it? But when you take a look at who is behind ALEC's operations and you take a look at the types of policy they are pushing in State capitols across this Nation, you get a sense for their real agenda, and you can tell they are part of the coordinated and well-funded campaign to peddle doubt and skepticism about the settled science of climate change. ALEC has been described as ``a dating service between politicians at the State level, local elected politicians, and many of America's biggest companies.'' ALEC writes ``model policy''--thousands of cookie cutter, anti-conservation bills that legislators can introduce under their own name, in their own States, in hopes of turning them into law. Specifically, in the area of energy policy, ALEC pushes a concerted legislative agenda that is in line with the rest of the Koch network to promote climate skepticism and roll back laws that protect clean air and water. ALEC's ``model bills'' read like they were written by the biggest polluters in our country because they probably were. There are resolutions condemning the Clean Power Plan, calling for States to withdraw from regional climate initiatives and to reconsider national environmental standards such as rules that reduce ozone pollution--and, I might add, save lives. ALEC also pushes bills that call for repealing renewable fuel standards that are moving our electric grid toward cleaner energy sources. ALEC has also written model resolutions that call for selling off or turning over public lands, such as our national forests in Western States like New Mexico and across our country. The current ALEC State chair in my home State of New Mexico introduced legislation at the Roundhouse in recent years called the Transfer of Public Land Act, which would call on the Federal Government to turn our public lands over to State management. The only way Western States like mine could foot the bill for administering America's public lands would be to raise taxes dramatically or--and this is much more likely--sell off large expanses to developers and other private interests. Over time, it would mean public lands that New Mexicans go to every summer to hike and camp and barbecue with their families, the national forests where they go to chase elk and mule deer during hunting season would be closed off behind no trespassing signs. I have long believed public lands are an equalizer in America, where access to public lands ensure you don't need to be a millionaire to enjoy the great outdoors or to introduce your family, your children to hunting and fishing and hiking. This land-grab idea is just as ludicrous as denying climate change, just as detached from reality, and similarly comes at the expense of our public health and protection of our public lands and resources. Frankly, you don't have to do a deep-dive investigation to figure out what is going on. The so-called policy experts and leaders that make up ALEC's board of directors are on the record as climate skeptics. ALEC's CEO, Lisa Nelson, said: ``I don't know the science on that,'' when she was asked if CO2 emissions are the primary driver of climate change. Texas State representative Phil King, the national board chair for ALEC in 2015, said: ``I think the global warming theory is bad science.'' And Connecticut State representative John Piscopo, ALEC's national board chairman in 2013, said: ``The public has been hoodwinked. . . . I have serious doubts about whether [climate change] is manmade.'' We all know the reason ALEC's members and leaders say things like this and promote these kinds of bills. It is because so much of the funding for ALEC's operations comes from sources other than membership dues. Over 98 percent of ALEC's revenues comes from corporations and trade groups and corporate foundations. That is how ALEC works, by sewing uninformed seeds of doubt to move the needle at the State and local level toward anti-science, anti-climate action policies that benefit their funders' bottom line. ALEC is just one piece of a large web of similar dark money organizations that promote climate skepticism and are dangerous fronts for corporate interests to deliberately mislead the public and influence lawmakers. To see just one other recent example of this in my home State of New Mexico, I would like to take a moment to look at a letter to the editor published last week in the Las Cruces Sun-News by the Environmental Policy Alliance. This is another one of those web-of-denial political front groups. In the letter to the editor, they claim that conservation and monument designations are really ``federal land grabs'' and the work of ``radical environmental groups'' trying to stop economic development. These ``radical groups'' and ``green decoys'' are, according to the letter, such dangerous groups as Trout Unlimited, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the Izaak Walton League, and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, groups that all stand up for the interests of sportsmen and hunters and anglers--certainly not what most of my constituents would consider radical. A close look shows who the real decoy is. The Environmental Policy Alliance is funded by the Western Fuels Association, another organization in the web of denial, and it is a pet project of lobbyist Rick Berman, who has also led deceptive public campaigns on behalf of cigarette and alcohol companies and now dirty energy. This organization doesn't care about the best way to manage our publicly owned lands or preserving the ability of Americans--no matter what their stake in life is, how much money they make--to experience our country's rich outdoor heritage. Instead, the Environmental Policy Alliance wants to put our public lands up for sale so the corporate elite can develop them for their own use and their own profit. The Environmental Policy Alliance has published similar letters in dozens of small to midsized city newspapers all across our country in recent years--canned letters with no connection to local sentiment. The reality is, the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in Southern New Mexico, which this group has slandered, serves as a national example of community-driven, landscape-scale conservation. In fact, independent polling shows overwhelming local support for this monument, and I am proud of my close work with the region's diverse coalition and stakeholders that worked so hard for so many years to make that monument a reality. Two years into the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks designation, local businesses in the Las Cruces area are attracting major tourism dollars and economic benefits. The Lonely Planet guidebook has named Southern New Mexico as a top 10 ``Best in the U.S.'' for 2016 destination, and highlights the national monument as a reason to visit. The tax revenues of the town of Mesilla have jumped over 20 percent since the monument's creation, and Las Cruces' lodgers tax revenues are up since 2015, in part because of new conferences and meetings attracted to the area by the monument. You can see how out of touch these groups are that want to instead sell off this public land. The organizations that make up this web of denial are promoting dishonest and deceptive campaigns that frankly run directly counter to the public interest. At a time when we desperately need to move our State and national energy and conservation policies forward, we should be taking the overwhelming and indisputable scientific fact of climate change seriously, and we should make smart and forward-looking investments in the sustainable, low-carbon fuels of the future. I am convinced advances in energy efficiency and generation and transmission of clean power offer us a roadmap that not only allows us to combat climate change but to do it in a way that will create thousands of new jobs and much needed economic activity in New Mexico and all across our country. That is the reality, just like climate change. Climate change is not theoretical. It is one of those stubborn facts that doesn't go away just because we choose to ignore it or if we listen to the company line from self-interested Koch donor networks and organizations like ALEC. I think it is time to call these ``Astroturf'' groups out for who they really are and, frankly, who they really answer to. More importantly, it is time to take action on the moral challenge of our time--addressing climate change--so that our children can inherit the future they truly deserve.

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues, especially Susan Collins and Heidi Heitkamp and Jeff Flake, and everyone who has worked so hard to actually come out of our partisan corners and do something for a change. It is very easy for us all to sit back and take comfortable votes. This is not going to be a comfortable vote, but it should be. It is the most nonpartisan, straightforward, commonsense amendment I have seen in many years around here. It says, basically, if you are so dangerous that we can't let you on an airplane, well, maybe you shouldn't be able to buy a gun, no questions asked. I have spent more time with firearms than most of the folks in this Chamber. I have no reservations about this amendment. It protects the Second Amendment, it includes due process, and it will keep terrorists from being able to buy firearms in this country. Maybe it is too commonsense for this body. I want to thank everybody who was willing to get to this uncomfortable place and do the right thing, and I yield the remainder of my time to the Senator from North Dakota.

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, has all the time expired?

Mr. HEINRICH. I ask unanimous consent to speak for 2 minutes.

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. I have several questions I wish to ask Senator Murphy through the Chair today, but I want to start by thanking my friend, Chris Murphy. I am very proud to call him a colleague. I am proud of seeing him take this stand. I am proud that is forcing us to have this conversation. We all get sent here by our constituents to make tough decisions, to find the truth, and to find a path forward. I am very proud of him for not letting this go quietly with just another moment of silence and no action. Since Sunday, I think most of us have been walking around feeling literally sick to our stomachs, with a sickness that is not going away. I know our whole country is just so weary of seeing shooting after shooting and not seeing action and change and something meaningful from all of us. I was very proud to see my constituents fill Morningside Park in Albuquerque, Pioneer Woman's Park in Las Cruces, the Plaza in Santa Fe, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Roswell, and Orchard Park in Farmington--all to remember the victims in Orlando and to say to their families that we are not going to forget them and to say to that entire community that when the LGBT community is attacked, really all of us are attacked. I came to the floor because I can't believe that we are going to let this happen again and not change something. That goes to what I want to ask the Senator from Connecticut about. I am here because I know that we can take tangible steps to make our country safer again, steps that are not a burden to gun owners--to gun owners like me. Senator Murphy and I have talked about this at length. We are friends, our families are friends, and our kids are friends. This is not about creating a burden for law-abiding gun owners, it is not about a threat to the Second Amendment. What has become clear is that there are simply critical junctures where we have to be able to identify those who would do us harm. Whether it is a young person drastically losing their way or a potential terrorist who is intent on doing harm to others, there are times when we have to be able to step in. It is no secret that I have always believed that law-abiding citizens should be able to own firearms for sport, for self-defense. A lot of New Mexicans do just that and do it with incredible responsibility, but I simply cannot stand by and let this pass with just another moment of silence. It is personal. As the parent of a 13-year-old, as the parent of a 9- year-old, and watching what happened at Sandy Hook in Senator Murphy's home State--without believing there must be something more that we can do--I find it so frustrating that kids today in elementary school, in middle school, have to do things that we never had to do when we were growing up--practice sheltering in place and what happens in an active shooter situation. Our kids simply shouldn't have to do that. We owe it to the American people to take real action, to reduce the violence in our communities. I truly believe that keeping guns out of the hands of people who are, frankly, legally prohibited from having them is just such common sense. The fact that we are arguing about this is a little bit unfathomable, but that is all we are talking about with background checks. That is what background checks do. That is what closing the terror gap would do. I can't tell you how many times I have been through the background check process. Through the Chair, I ask Senator Murphy, if I have to pass a background check to buy a deer rifle, why shouldn't firearms sales made on the Internet or at a gun show require such a simple procedure that makes sure that law-abiding people have access to firearms and makes sure that people who aren't law-abiding, who have been convicted of a felony, who potentially could be on the terrorist watch list do not. We are going to talk a little bit about closing that gap. Shouldn't we make sure that all of our firearms sales cut a clear and decisive line between the law-abiding and those who have lost their rights through the actions they have taken?

Mr. HEINRICH. Well, I want to get to a second question, but I want to say that is absolutely accurate. I can tell you I don't think it has ever taken me more than 15 minutes to go through that process. As a law-abiding gun owner, as somebody who has taught my kids how to be responsible with firearms, I don't want criminals to be in possession of firearms. I don't want someone who has been convicted of domestic violence to be in possession of firearms. This is about separating the law-abiding from terrorists and criminals. What could be more common sense? If you look at Federal law, it literally identifies 10 categories of individuals who today are prohibited from shipping or transporting or receiving firearms or even ammunition, because we have made the judgment through our judicial system and through our laws that they present a threat to public safety. This list includes convicted felons, as it should. It includes fugitives. It includes drug addicts and people who are committed to mental health institutions. It includes undocumented immigrants. It includes anyone who has received a dishonorable discharge from the military, someone who has renounced their U.S. citizenship, or someone with a restraining order for domestic violence or misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence. Finally, it includes anyone who is under a felony indictment. To me, the second amendment that Senator Murphy was speaking of--the second amendment not to the Constitution but the second amendment to this bill--speaks to whether it shouldn't be true that someone who is suspected of terrorism should not be considered as unfit to own and use a firearm legally as someone who has been dishonorably discharged or has renounced their U.S. citizenship. We are talking about people who have gotten on the no-fly list, for example, for some very real reasons. Through the Chair, I ask Senator Murphy: If the FBI or intelligence community believes that someone is such an imminent threat that they are so dangerous that we cannot allow them to board a commercial airliner, shouldn't they also be prohibited from buying a gun or shouldn't we at least let the Attorney General flag that sale and do something about it?

Mr. HEINRICH. And is it not true, I ask Senator Murphy through the Chair, that there are due process protections in this amendment so that if someone were to find themselves on a list, there is a right to redress so that we ensure not only that terrorists can't simply walk into a gun store or go online and buy firearms but also so that there is due process?

Mr. HEINRICH. I was looking at updated data from the Government Accountability Office that sort of leads to my next question, and it shows that known or suspected terrorists pass a background check to purchase a firearm or to purchase explosives 91 percent of the time. The terrorists themselves have actually identified this weakness. They know it exists. I sit on the Intelligence Committee, and we look at what they communicate to each other so that we can learn how to make our country safer. There was an Al Qaeda video in 2011 that literally instructed potential terrorists to take advantage of our incomplete background check system. There have been a number of terrorist attacks in recent years where giving the Attorney General the authority to prohibit a suspected terrorist from purchasing a firearm could have at least thrown up meaningful barriers. I think most notable was the horrendous Fort Hood shooting in 2009, where MAJ Nidal Hasan was able to pass a background check and buy a handgun, even though he was under an active FBI investigation for links to terrorism. He went on to shoot and kill 13 people. He wounded 30 others. So if we are saying that whole categories of other people present such a public safety threat that they shouldn't have access to firearms, I just can't believe we shouldn't at least give the Attorney General the ability to put terrorists on the same do-not-buy list. Why wouldn't we do that, Senator Murphy?

Mr. HEINRICH. I have one last question for my colleague from Connecticut, and this one is probably the hardest one. It is simply why? Why is this so hard? I stand here as a gun owner. I have looked at each of these amendments through the lens of what it means to be a law-abiding gun owner in this country, with both rights and responsibilities. That is why we have hunter safety before we ever go out into the field as a 12- year-old or a 13-year-old. I just don't see anything in these two amendments that is an unreasonable burden to someone like me. So why is it so hard to even have this conversation on the floor of the Senate? Why is it so hard to get a vote? And more importantly, why is it so hard to change these policies and these laws to try to make our country just a little bit safer?

Mr. HEINRICH. I just want to thank Senator Murphy for everything he has done on this issue and for not taking no for an answer.

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 65th anniversary of Bueno Foods, a New Mexico family-owned business and one of the Southwest's premier producers of New Mexican foods, including our State's iconic chile from Hatch, NM, and the surrounding Rio Grande Valley. In 1946, when several brothers from the Baca family returned home from serving in World War II, they scraped together enough money to start a small grocery business. Although the business started off successfully, the Bacas soon learned how difficult it was for a small community market to compete with larger grocery store chains, so they decided to specialize, manufacturing corn and flour tortillas and traditional holiday favorites like tamales and posole. The Baca brothers also noticed that more households owned freezers, and they asked themselves around the family dinner table: Why don't we take our heritage and preserve it? With this idea, Bueno Foods was born in 1951. Today Bueno Foods manufactures a full line of more than 150 authentic New Mexican and Mexican food products and currently employs more than 250 employees. I commend Buenos Foods for taking an active role in the community and contributing to organizations that serve some of our most vulnerable New Mexicans, including impoverished children, the homeless, and the hungry. Bueno Foods is a strong partner with New Mexico's renowned chile pepper farmers. The chile industry in New Mexico, including both growers and processors, is an integral part of our agricultural and cultural heritage and New Mexico-grown chile peppers remain the most sought after. New Mexico is a leading producer of American-grown chile peppers, and I am pleased that our State's chile farmers and Bueno Foods have come together to protect authentic New Mexico-grown chile. I congratulate Bueno Foods on 65 years of success as they work to keep our State's chile industry strong and produce the quality foods that can only be from New Mexico.

Mr. HEINRICH

Mr. HEINRICH. Madam President, I rise today to speak about this bipartisan energy package we are going to be voting on today. Last year my colleagues and I on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee worked together to pass a package that received incredibly strong and bipartisan support at a time when that is hard to come by. I think it is important to start my comments today by simply thanking the chair and ranking member of the Energy Committee, Senators Murkowski and Cantwell. As Senator Portman mentioned, they showed incredible leadership and also incredible patience. That patience and persistence on behalf of all of us is now paying off. My home State of New Mexico occupies a very central and interesting place in nearly every facet of our Nation's energy industry, including uranium enrichment, oil and gas production, refining, wind and solar energy, as well as the research and development of new energy technologies--technologies of the future that come out of our National Laboratories and our research universities. That is why I have been working so hard in the Senate to position New Mexico and our Nation to take maximum advantage of new, clean energy sources and innovative technologies and transmission, while intelligently utilizing our reserves of traditional fuels as well. This package will be the first comprehensive Energy bill to pass the Senate since 2007. I would like to think that it shows that we can look for areas where both parties can work together even if we don't completely agree and, probably most importantly, when we don't completely agree and still move our national priorities and our energy policy forward. This package also includes permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. LWCF is one of America's most successful conservation programs. It has preserved our outdoor heritage, protected clean air and precious supplies of drinking water, and supported jobs across this entire Nation. Permanent reauthorization of LWCF is a major victory for conservation. I will continue to fight to fully fund LWCF so that we can make strong and smart investments in our public lands. I wish to particularly focus my remarks today on the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act, which is a key part of this bill. The Sportsmen's Act has been a long time in the making. I am very proud to lead this bipartisan effort with the Energy and Natural Resources chair, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. After attempts stalled on the sportsmen's bills in recent years, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee worked hard to find areas of agreement. We didn't allow controversial amendments from either side of the aisle to derail these efforts. Hunting and fishing are an integral part of our American heritage. Without our public lands, that tradition would be lost to many westerners. Our public lands belong to all of the American people. Like many New Mexicans, some of my favorite memories with my family are from camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting in New Mexico's national forests and on our Bureau of Land Management land. I will always remember taking my son Carter on his first backcountry elk hunting trip in the Carson National Forest. The bull elk that we brought home fed our family for a year, but that experience of backpacking in the high country, sleeping on the ground, and hearing the elk bugle around us will feed his imagination for his entire life. I look forward to having that same sort of experience with his younger brother, Micah. These traditions--hunting, hiking, camping, and fishing--are among the pillars of western culture and a thriving outdoor industry and recreation economy. This bipartisan package of sportsmen's bills includes a broad array of measures to enhance opportunities for hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreational enthusiasts of all stripes. It improves access to those public lands, and it reauthorizes critical conservation programs. These programs include the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, or NAWCA, which provides grants to organizations, State and local governments, and private landowners for the acquisition, restoration, and enhancement of critical wetlands for migratory birds--a program that every duck hunter and birder in the United States can agree on; and the National Fish Habitat Conservation Program, which encourages partnerships among public agencies, tribes, sportsmen, private landowners, and other stakeholders to promote fish conservation. It reauthorizes the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act to direct revenue from the sale of public land to the acquisition of high- priority conservation land from willing sellers to expand fish and wildlife habitat and public recreational opportunities. Further, this bipartisan package will help boost the outdoor recreation economy writ large. Nationally, according to the Outdoor Industry Association, more than 140 million Americans make their living or make outdoor recreation a priority in their daily lives. When they do that, they end up spending $646 billion on outdoor recreation, resulting in quality jobs for another 6.1 million Americans. In New Mexico--a small State with just 2 million people--outdoor recreation generates more than $6 billion a year. It provides 68,000 jobs and $1.7 billion in wages and salaries. A survey done recently by New Mexico Game and Fish found that sportsmen alone spend more than $613 million a year in the State annually. That is an incredible contribution to our local economy. This boost to our economy is felt by small business owners, and it is felt by outfitter guides, hotels, restaurants, and the entire local community, especially in rural areas where we need it most. Yet, for far too many hunters and anglers, it gets harder and harder each year to find a quiet fishing hole to fish for trout or a secluded meadow to chase elk. As sportsmen face more and more locked gates and more ``no trespassing'' signs, it is more important than ever that we keep our public lands open and welcoming to hunters and anglers. I have heard from sportsmen who have found roads on BLM lands closed to public access without notice. I myself have experienced the frustration of running into a locked gate on roads that used to be open and even maintained by public agencies. As opportunities for hunting and fishing shrink, we could lose the next generation of hunters and anglers who will fund tens of billions dollars in conservation and restoration through things such as purchasing Duck Stamps, paying the taxes on ammunition, tackle, and motorboat fuel--all of which are dedicated directly to the conservation of fish and wildlife. This bipartisan sportsmen's package will go a long way toward solving many of these problems--many of the problems that hunters and anglers face in accessing and using our Nation's incredible public lands. I am particularly pleased that the package includes my legislation, the HUNT Act, which requires public land agencies such as the Forest Service and BLM to identify high-priority, landlocked public lands under their management that currently lack legal public access. Landlocked public lands are technically open to the public but are sometimes literally impossible to reach unless you own a helicopter because there are no public trails, no public roads leading to them. Under the HUNT Act, Federal agencies such as the BLM and the Forest Service are required to work with States, tribes, and willing private landowners to provide public access to those landlocked areas that have a significant potential for hunting, fishing, and other recreational uses. A study by the Center for Western Priorities estimated that at least half a million acres of public lands in New Mexico are currently landlocked with difficult legal public access. The HUNT Act is the first dedicated effort to reopen these lands to their owners. Public lands such as the Gila Wilderness, Valles Caldera National Preserve, and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument are some of the most special places to hunt and fish on the planet. These are the places that make New Mexico so enchanting and make our country so special. I am incredibly excited to see that this natural resources amendment also includes the establishment of two new wilderness areas within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument northwest of Taos, NM. New Mexicans have a deep connection to the outdoors and benefit from the recreation, wildlife, water, and tourism opportunities that wilderness areas provide. For many years now, an incredibly broad coalition of northern New Mexicans has worked to conserve the Rio San Antonio and Cerro del Yuta, or Ute Mountain, areas. What is even more special about Ute Mountain is, while today it is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, this is actually a place that the Land and Water Conservation Fund helped put in the public trust. I have no doubt that future generations will be grateful for the many years of work and support that not only make these two new wilderness areas possible but make access to special places like this possible. These two roadless areas provide important security habitats for elk, mule deer, black bears, golden eagles, and even American pronghorn. I want to say a special thanks to the local community--people who have worked for decades to put this proposal together--as well as to Senator Tom Udall, my colleague from New Mexico, and former Senator Jeff Bingaman, for their incredible leadership as well. Designating these two new wilderness areas completes a national example of community-driven, landscape-scale conservation that will preserve the culture, the natural resources, and the economy of this incredibly stunning piece of New Mexico. I am proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle today to make sure we are making the best use of our energy and natural resources. I am hopeful that, thanks to our vote today, our kids and our grandkids will be catching trout and chasing mule deer on our Nation's incredible public lands for many years to come. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation. This was many years in the making. It was difficult. It required an enormous amount of compromise to get here, but it is an accomplishment worthy of that effort, and I urge my colleagues to vote aye. Madam President, I also wish to discuss an important component addressed in this bipartisan energy package: critical minerals retrieval from electronics and technological waste. I am proud of the work accomplished in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and what we have achieved at this point to move this bill forward. I would like to thank Senator Murkowski, along with Senator Wyden, for taking a lead on these issues and getting support for rare earth mineral recycling adopted into the legislation. This piece of the legislation provides an important solution-- recycling--to reducing electronics waste while ensuring our Nation has the rare earth minerals to meet demand for new technologies. While the average American may not have this issue on their radar, it addresses two major problems. First, electronics waste is an international issue that is only growing in magnitude as consumers obtain the latest devices--from smartphones to automobiles. The United Nations reported last year that 90 percent of the world's supply of electronic waste is illegally traded and dumped, imperiling lives and the environment. And more unfortunately, the United States generates 3.4 million tons of waste each year. Second, rare earth minerals are crucial components of almost all of the latest consumer technologies, such as hybrid cars, flat panel televisions, and wind turbines. In 2014, the United States imported at least 50 percent of 43 different minerals. The overwhelming majority of the rare earth reserves and production are located in China. Should a supply disruption occur in China, it will be our manufacturers, consumers, and everyone who depends on the latest technologies for their livelihoods who will suffer the consequences. Section 3307 of the pending legislation directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program with Federal agencies, National Laboratories, producers, academic institutions, and other concerned stakeholders aimed at promoting efficient production, use, and recycling of critical minerals. Section 3308 directs the Secretary of Energy to put together a comprehensive analysis on rare earth mineral supply and demand over multiple years, and section 3309 establishes an assessment for the education and training of our workforces in manufacturing, development, and recycling of rare earth minerals. Higher education institutions would be able to apply for competitive grants to help assist in this important critical mineral program work. By providing support for electronics recycling, we are taking necessary steps to provide economic security, while remediating an international economic and environmental problem. It is important that bipartisanship does not stop with the Energy Policy Modernization Act, but that we continue to support and incorporate technological development, create job opportunities for our workers, and make our world a better one for future generations.

Mr. HEINRICH. Madam President, this amendment is a job killer. It blocks a major new 700-mile, multistate electric transmission project. The Plains & Eastern Clean Line will deliver four gigawatts of economical renewable energy to the Southeast. This is $2 billion of nontaxpayer dollars that will lead to over $6 billion in private investment in new wind generation that will produce enough power to power 1 million homes. During the 3 years of construction, the Clean Line will create 6,000 local construction jobs. Our Nation's grid is the energy of our economy and it needs modernization. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this job-killing amendment.

Mr. HEINRICH

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

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3482, as modified, and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. HEINRICH. Madam President, airports, bus depots, and train stations are things that we all rely on every day to have the freedom of movement we enjoy in this country. In the wake of the recent terror attacks in the Brussels Airport and Metro, Americans are worried about their security, and they want to feel safe when traveling with their loved ones. While we relentlessly target terrorists overseas, we must also do all we can to intelligently protect Americans here at home. My amendment would increase the number of TSA VIPR teams, who provide a visible deterrent to terrorist threats in high-priority locations. These teams are recognizable as they often have bomb-sniffing canines. My amendment would also provide active shooter training for law enforcement and strengthen security in nonsecure so-called soft-target areas, such as check-in and baggage claim areas. By employing these additional commonsense safeguards, we will intelligently respond to these threats. Most importantly, by preserving our freedom to go about our daily lives, we will ensure that the terrorists have failed to change how we live and who we are.

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, this amendment would strengthen U.S. airport security, especially in nonsecure or soft-target areas of airports--places such as check-in and baggage claim areas. It would also update Federal security programs to provide active shooter training for law enforcement and increase the presence of Federal agents with bomb-sniffing canines at these nonsecure areas. I thank the cosponsors of the amendment: Senator Manchin, Senator Schumer, Senator Nelson, Senator Klobuchar, Senator Cantwell, Senator Carper, Senator Baldwin, Senator Durbin, Senator Bennet, and Senator Blumenthal. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting the adoption of this amendment. I yield the floor. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HEINRICH

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

Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, addiction to prescription opioid pain relievers and heroin is a growing public health epidemic that is taking a heartbreaking toll on families and communities in every State of this country. In 2014, more than 47,000 Americans died because of prescription opioid and heroin overdoses. This crisis is very real in my home State of New Mexico. For years, without adequate treatment resources, communities in my State have suffered through some of the highest rates of heroin and opioid addiction in the country. Far too many New Mexico families have lost loved ones, and many more are struggling to find treatment and recovery resources for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, or for themselves. Two weeks ago, I visited Espanola Valley in Rio Arriba County. Rio Arriba, which is largely rural and has predominantly Hispanic and tribal communities, is filled with beautiful mountain and desert landscapes, the kinds of places that attract artisan visitors from around the world. Families from Rio Arriba can trace their lineage to Spanish settlers who came to New Mexico in the 1600s and to Indian Pueblos and tribes who have lived in this region for millennia. Tragically, Rio Arriba County has also long been home to the highest rates of heroin addiction and overdose deaths in the Nation. In fact, between 2010 and 2014, the county's overdose death rate was more than five times the national average. This is not only tragic, it is simply unacceptable. Last month, I convened a roundtable discussion in the area with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region 6 Director Marjorie Petty and a number of local stakeholders, including the Rio Arriba Community Health Council. We gathered at the Delancey Street Foundation in Ohkay Owingeh to discuss ongoing efforts and ways to better address the heroin and prescription drug crisis in my State. What I heard loud and clear from public health officials, from law enforcement and first responders, and, probably most importantly, from people who have coped directly with addiction, is that this crisis is hitting entire communities and hitting them hard. Everyone knows a family who has a child suffering through addiction or in recovery, and many have literally lost loved ones to drug-related deaths. For decades, drug addiction and substance abuse have been passed down generation to generation in too many families in Rio Arriba and in communities across New Mexico. The introduction of prescription opioid pain medications such as oxycodone and hydrocodone into the market over the last two decades has poured fuel on this fire, creating even more cases of opioid abuse and heroin addiction. These prescription opioid pain medications, which are so chemically similar to heroin, have produced whole new onramps onto the highway of addiction. In many instances, by the time someone has finished their first prescription drug treatment, they are literally already hooked, so they turn to purchase new pills, legally or illegally, either through a new prescription or through other means. When they can't afford the pills anymore, all too often they turn to heroin. Overprescription of opioid drugs and the widespread trafficking of lethal black tar heroin have both contributed enormously to the ongoing public health crisis in New Mexico and now across our Nation. The statistics alone should get our attention. From 2002 to 2013, opioid- related deaths quadrupled nationally. Drug overdoses were the leading cause of injury death in 2013. Among Americans ages 25 to 64 years old, drug overdoses caused more deaths than motor vehicle crashes. Think about that. Over this same period, New Mexico families and communities have borne the brunt of this epidemic. Between 2011 and 2013, New Mexico ranked second nationally for drug overdose deaths, and it is getting worse by the year. More New Mexicans died of drug overdoses in 2014 than in any other year on record. Some 547 people died in New Mexico due to drug poisoning, including deaths from prescription opioids and heroin overuse. Rather than focus solely on these statistics, I want to talk a little bit about some of the people I met in my visit to Rio Arriba County because I think it puts a much more human and real face on the very nature of this problem. Jesus toured me around Delancey Street. The Delancey Street Foundation is a national residential self-help rehab organization that helps former substance abusers, ex-convicts, and others who have literally hit rock bottom turn their lives around, get clean, and learn academic and vocational and life skills. Residents have to commit to a minimum stay of at least 2 years. During that period, a comprehensive treatment program often produces dramatic results. Delancey Street's facility in New Mexico is located on a 17-acre ranch in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. Residents there learn vocational skills to get jobs in livestock management, culinary arts, retail sales, construction, wastewater management, and landscaping. Jesus came to Delancey Street after getting caught up using and selling pills and heroin in the Espanola Valley. He had two DUIs and suffered through alcoholism and substance abuse. In 2011, when a judge gave him the option of going to Delancey Street instead of serving a 9- year prison sentence, he took the chance. Through a long process, he received treatment and learned how to cope with his addiction. Jesus has stayed at Delancey Street well past his 2-year commitment and has taken on new responsibilities. He now serves as a mentor and a role model to new residents who are trying to overcome their addictions. I met another man named Josh. He is a peer-to-peer support worker at Inside Out Recovery Center in Espanola. Josh was born and raised in Espanola, where he saw drug and alcohol use as the way of life in his community. When he was 14 years old, a high school friend with a prescription for hydrocodone offered him some pills. Josh quickly became addicted. Over time, his opioid addiction led him to the point where he was shooting 7 grams of heroin every day, stealing from family and friends to pay for that addiction, and going in and out of the prison system at the same time. At one point, while going through withdrawal in a jail cell, Josh was unable to eat for weeks. He literally lost over a third of his body weight. He remembers later attempting suicide in an act of desperation to end his addiction and failing when his gun didn't go off. In his late twenties, after going through these intense struggles, Josh was introduced to the Inside Out Recovery Center. He met a peer- to-peer support worker named Alex, who had done the same drugs and been through the same struggles. Josh realized there was a way to stop using, and he turned his life around. He got clean. When a judge sentenced Josh to probation instead of prison for an offense, he was released from jail and went straight to Inside Out and committed to treatment. He said it was the first time he had been released and hadn't immediately returned to drug and alcohol abuse. At Inside Out, Josh received peer support and learned conflict resolution and coping skills. He credits the program with actually saving his life. Now that Josh has his life back, he is working to help others in his community to get their lives back from addiction. Finally, I want to tell you about Rufus. Rufus is a 22-year-old Navajo Hopi man who lives in Pojoaque. When I met Rufus during my visit, he was getting ready to graduate from his treatment at New Moon Lodge treatment facility in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. New Moon Lodge is a residential addiction treatment center that serves clients from New Mexico's American Indian communities. Although the center treats different types of addiction and substance abuse, including alcoholism, recently they have seen many more cases of opioid and heroin addiction. Rufus's addiction to opioids began when he was prescribed hydrocodone to help with a hand injury he received when he was 16. He became addicted. Once his prescription ran out, he turned to buying pills illegally, moved up to higher dosages, and eventually moved on to heroin. He got expelled from high school his senior year and fell even deeper into this addiction. After years of use and going in and out of jail for various offenses, Rufus came before the Pojoaque Tribal Court last year and was given the option to go to New Moon for treatment. New Moon helped him see the person he could be without the drugs. Rufus just graduated from his treatment at New Moon last week. Now he is looking forward to building a stable home life for his girlfriend and his baby by going back to school to get his GED and working toward being a mechanic or an artist. I tell these stories to demonstrate that when we provide an opportunity to receive comprehensive treatment and receive rehabilitation, people who have suffered through the trials of opioid addiction can turn their lives around and help their communities heal in the process. Sadly, in addition to hearing these success stories, I have heard far too often that people who are looking to get help have absolutely nowhere to go. Particularly in New Mexico's rural, tribal, and impoverished communities, there is a severe lack of access to proven treatment and rehabilitation resources. We desperately need more detoxification centers, more transitional housing facilities, more outpatient services, and more behavioral health facilities. We as a nation are not doing even close to enough to provide adequate treatment facilities and resources to communities like those in the Espanola Valley that are struggling to meet the challenges of the growing heroin and opioid addiction crisis. That is why I am a cosponsor of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, championed by our colleagues Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Rob Portman of Ohio. This legislation provides a series of incentives and resources designed to encourage States and local communities to pursue a full array of proven strategies that combat addiction. To ensure that this effort meets the needs of rural and tribal communities such as those in New Mexico, I submitted a bipartisan amendment with my friend, the senior Senator from Wyoming, Mr. Mike Enzi, to require that rural health professionals are included in the Pain Management Best Practices Interagency Task Force that is created by this legislation. But, frankly, in order to truly provide local communities the tools they need to tackle this crisis head-on, we need funding, which is why I am also cosponsoring emergency funding legislation, championed by my colleague Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, to provide supplemental appropriations of $600 million for drug prevention and treatment programs. I understand that Senator Shaheen's efforts to include her funding legislation as an amendment failed to get enough votes this week, which frankly I find deeply disappointing, but I think the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act is still a good first step toward addressing this epidemic. You can be sure I will continue to fight to address it in the Senate and back in New Mexico. Addiction is a disease that can happen to anyone. It transcends region, race, gender, and socioeconomic status. It is a vicious cycle we have seen all too frequently in New Mexico. By taking a comprehensive approach to combat this epidemic, we can ensure that people have the opportunity to get back on the road to recovery. I yield the floor. amendment no. 3345