John Hoeven

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 27; that following the prayer and the pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume Calendar No. 14, S.J. Res. 12, the Hoeven Methane Fee CRA; further, that at 12 noon, all time be expired and if the Senate receives H.J. Res. 35, the Senate vote on passage of the House joint resolution, as provided under the CRA; finally, that upon disposition of the joint resolution, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of Executive Calendar No. 24, Linda McMahon, and that the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture at 1:45 p.m.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order following the remarks of Senator Whitehouse.

Mr. HOEVEN

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 Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I am pleased to come to the floor today to urge my colleagues to confirm Chris Wright to be Secretary of Energy. Mr. Wright has demonstrated tremendous leadership in the energy industry over the past more than 30 years. He is a true pioneer in advancing new technologies that unlocked the shale energy revolution in our country. When I started as Governor of North Dakota in 2000, our State was producing about 100,000 barrels of oil per day, but that production was declining. We produced from the old traditional vertical wells, going down as much as 2 miles in some cases, some cases more. So we had to do something different. We started a new energy plan. We called it EmPower North Dakota to promote the development of all of our energy resources to help make our State the energy powerhouse that it is today. We developed the right regulatory and tax climate to encourage energy development. We worked to bring talent to our State with the best entrepreneurial mindset. That included energy leaders like Mr. Wright, people that have the latest and greatest understanding of new technologies and the power to innovate. Mr. Wright has said he became fascinated with energy at a young age, working on fusion energy and later solar energy during his studies at MIT and then graduate school at UC Berkeley. He started Pinnacle Technologies, the company that actually started the hydraulic fracturing mapping industry. He was a pioneer in that effort, helping to locate more commercially viable shale energy reserves. He then started another company, Liberty Energy, to unlock the potential of those reserves and to do it with the smallest footprint and the best environmental stewardship. Mr. Wright worked to advance new breakthroughs in hydraulic fracturing, commercializing new technology to improve the productivity of oil wells in the Bakken shale formation. As a result of innovators like Mr. Wright, North Dakota went from producing less than 100,000 barrels of oil a day when I started as Governor to a high of 1.5 million barrels of oil a day. Our Nation's vast energy reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas are not a liability; they are one of our most important strategic assets. Each additional barrel of U.S. oil offsets production from Russia, from Iran, from Venezuela, and from other adversaries with little to no regard for environmental standards. Mr. Wright understands that affordable and reliable energy is foundational to our economy, to our quality life, and, in fact, our national security. As energy demand continues to grow both at home and abroad, Mr. Wright knows it takes innovation, not regulation, to rise to this challenge. For example, in North Dakota, we are leading the way to crack the code on carbon capture technologies. Mr. Wright will bring the right vision to the Department of Energy, supporting the deployment of all these new technologies so that we can truly become not only energy independent, energy secure, but, in fact, energy dominant. Mr. Wright received strong bipartisan support from our Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support his confirmation to be the next Secretary for the Department of Energy. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I have one request for a committee to meet during today's session of the Senate. It has the Approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committee is authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the confirmation of Governor Doug Burgum from my home State of North Dakota to serve as our Nation's 55th Secretary of the Interior. Whether it is energy, grazing, outdoor recreation, water supply, the National Park Service, or Tribal relations, Doug Burgum is an outstanding choice who fully understands the vast responsibilities under the Department of the Interior. I have had the pleasure to know Doug for over 30 years, and throughout his career, Doug has gained well-deserved national recognition as an innovative leader. Governor Burgum is a proud native of Arthur, ND, earning his bachelor's degree from North Dakota State University--home of the Bison--and his master's in business administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. After working as a consultant at McKinsey, he returned home to North Dakota, and he literally bet the family farm to purchase a nascent accounting software company, Great Plains Software. Over time, Doug hired thousands of North Dakotans to build and grow Great Plains Software, eventually launching a public offering in 1997. Then, ultimately, Great Plains Software was purchased by Microsoft in 2001, and it is now known as Microsoft Business Solutions. The vision of Microsoft actually goes back to the company that he built and to this day I think employs several thousand people in and around Fargo, ND. Great Plains Software, as I said, became Microsoft Business Solutions. He remained at Microsoft for a number of years, actually hiring the current CEO during his time there. He then left Microsoft in 2007, started a number of other companies, went into philanthropy and helped really revitalize downtown Fargo, continued his support for NDSU, and just had a very significant impact in many different aspects of business of philanthropy. It is because of his countless contributions to North Dakota that, in 2009, during my time as Governor, I named Doug as the 37th recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, which is our State's highest honor. I remember he looked at me at that time and said--it was kind of funny. We had this big event for him and gave him this nice State honor. He looked at me and said, ``Gee, John, this is really great, but I sure hope I am not done accomplishing things at this point,'' you know, as he was getting the award. I remember that very clearly. Obviously, he was far from done. In 2016, Doug was elected as the 33rd Governor of North Dakota, and then he was reelected in 2020. He has been a true partner as we worked together to grow North Dakota into an energy powerhouse for our Nation. When I started as Governor, we produced less than 100,000 barrels of oil a day, going down, and we have gotten it up all the way to 1.5 million barrels of oil a day--at that point, second only to Texas. It has gone back a little bit under the Biden administration, but we look forward to continuing to grow not just oil and gas but all the different sources of energy--coal-fired electricity, renewables, hydro. Just a real energy powerhouse for our country. So he brings that incredible energy experience to his new role. Doug did a great job as Governor, and then he ran for President. He was the first Presidential candidate, when he left the race, to endorse President Trump--first one to do it. President Trump knows the importance of a big energy agenda, and he knows what energy dominance means for our country, for our economic and national security. President Trump saw that Doug is not just the right fit to head the Department of the Interior as Secretary; President Trump also tapped Doug to lead the newly formed National Energy Council. Doug will do a tremendous job leading this integrated effort to truly make our country energy dominant, and he will work with President Trump to do that--vitally important for our economy, vitally important to bring down inflation, vitally important for national security, and vitally important to our allies so that they get energy from the United States rather than buying oil from countries like Russia or Iran and fueling either Russia's war machine or Iran's state sponsorship of terror. But Doug not only understands energy, he is also a rancher, a hunter. He loves our national parks, and he loves the great outdoors. That is what you want in a Secretary of the Interior because all of those are part of his portfolio at Interior. He has extensive experience in Native American affairs, and not only does he have the support of all of the Tribes in our State, he has the support from more than 180 Tribes from across the Nation. Doug received overwhelming bipartisan support from our Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He came out of committee 18 to 2. So I strongly urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for his confirmation when we vote here very soon on his approval to be the next Secretary of the Interior for the United States of America. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, today I join my colleagues in looking forward to January 20, when we can turn the page on the failed border policies of the Biden-Harris administration and get back to the commonsense--commonsense--approach to border security under President Donald Trump. During 4 years of the Biden-Harris border policies, our country saw the highest annual total of illegal alien crossings, the highest monthly total of illegal alien crossings, and the highest total of individuals on the Terror Watchlist attempting to cross our border. These are the plain and simple facts. The Biden-Harris administration has made our country less safe, less secure, and more vulnerable to threats from abroad. The American people saw beyond the Biden-Harris administration's false claims that the border was secure and last November gave a very clear and compelling mandate: Secure the border. Secure the border. Already, the new Republican Senate majority is taking a first step to protect the American people against the consequences of the Biden- Harris administration's policies by working to pass the Laken Riley Act. Under this bill, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be required to detain illegal immigrants who have committed theft-related offenses and issue an immigration detainer request to local law enforcement for illegal aliens who have committed related crimes. The legislation can empower States to hold Federal officials accountable when they fail to enforce Federal immigration law. This important legislation is one we should have never had to pass, but because the Biden-Harris administration played politics with our country's borders and immigration policy, Senate Republicans are here today ready to work on behalf of the American people. Working with the Trump administration, we will prioritize the enforcement of policies that protect our southern border, which include reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols or ``Remain in Mexico'' policy, enforcing safe third-country agreements, and resuming construction of the border wall. In his first 100 days in office, President Biden revoked 94 Trump-era Executive orders and reversed crucial border security policies. In less than a week, President-elect Trump will be sworn into office. He has committed to taking Executive action on day one to reinstate the policies that will secure our border. I look forward to these changes and working further to address the crisis created under the Biden- Harris administration. I also look forward to the debate that will take place in the coming weeks regarding how Republicans will secure the border through reconciliation. We are already hard at work on that. This will be an important legislative tool that will help refocus resources so that the professionals at ICE, CBP, and U.S. Border Patrol can focus on the mission of securing our border, removing criminal aliens who should not be in the United States, and addressing potential threats to the homeland. To accomplish these goals, we must recruit and retain more border security professionals, modernize our border security tools like autonomous towers, and better utilize technology like the counter- unmanned aircraft systems along the border. The cause of these threats to our homeland is clear: President Biden's failure to secure the southern border. Senate Republicans stand ready to work with President Trump to advance the policies that kept our border secure during his first administration. That is exactly what my colleagues and I will be working to accomplish every day in the coming months because border security is national security. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. That is good.

Mr. HOEVEN. So we weren't there, but we would have loved to have been there. Bison Nation really supports this team, and you can't do it without that kind of fan base, although I have to tell you that the Montana State Bobcats were there in force, because I talked to players or I talked to some of the folks who were there, some of the alumni and fans who had gone to the game, and they said that Montana State really supported their team well. So with that, I am going to turn to my colleague Senator Cramer, who is going to offer some more remarks. Like I said, we are excited because our work is not done. We will continue working with the team and look forward to a White House visit. Senator Cramer.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my colleague from North Dakota, Senator Kevin Cramer, to honor the 2024 NCAA FCS national champions, the North Dakota State University Bison--and, yes, it is pronounced ``buy-zuhn.'' Anyone from Bison Nation, which is the ardent fan base that supports this great program, will tell you that. On Monday night, the Bison finished another impressive football season by winning their 10th FCS national title--correct, their 10th. The Bison broke their own record for the most FCS titles of all time, including their wins in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and now 2024. They have won, actually, 19. That is just 10 since 2011. They have actually one 19 NCAA football championships. The game was on national television, with more than 3 million people watching as it neared its exciting conclusion. I had the opportunity last night to talk to President Trump about it, and right away, he said: You guys have a great team. Senator Cramer was there as well, and as a matter of fact, I think Senator Cramer texted him either during or right after the game. I am not sure. He will tell us. But, needless to say, I waited until Wednesday night to talk to the President. But he, right away, said: You have a great team, a great program, and of course we want them back at the White House. We had them there, Kevin, I think it was 5 years ago.

Mr. HOEVEN. To say it was a great visit would be an understatement. I mean, it was unbelievable. The President took time to talk to all of the football players, and he had them come to the Oval Office, and I think he had a great time. It was a great experience, and so we are very excited about going back and truly, truly appreciating President Trump's hospitality and willingness to have this great team back. Also, you realize that President Trump is a real sports fan.

Mr. HOEVEN. He really is. He knows about our Bison team and, of course, about everybody else's team too. He knows his sports. It was a hard-fought game. I have to say it was a hard-fought game. We played a truly worthy opponent, the Montana State University Bobcats. The Bobcats actually had an unbeaten season going at that point and really had steamrolled a lot of very good teams, and they are to be commended as well. As a point of interest there, their coach, Brent Vigen, is an outstanding coach and a class guy. You saw that in the way he handled the game. Obviously, it was very--you know, they played their hearts out. It was a tough loss for them, but they showed absolute class, starting with their coach and their fan base and certainly the team. Actually, he was a player for the North Dakota Bison. He was a tight end on our football team a number of years back and was an offensive coordinator. So he was a coach at North Dakota State University. He has turned that Montana State program around. They are a tough, tough program and will continue to be. He is an outstanding coach. So the championship capped off a great season for the Bison. They ended 14 and 2 and proved once again that they really are a dominant force when it comes to FCS football. I just want to take a minute now to recognize and congratulate the players and the coaches who are so vital to this success. Quarterback Cam Miller just had an incredible game. He had an incredible year, but he really showed his mettle in this final game. He led the team. He was, of course, named the most outstanding player. He rushed 18 times for 121 yards. So he rushed 18 times, 121 yards, and 2 touchdowns, and he completed 19 of 22 passes for almost 200 yards. Now, those are the kinds of stats that are just off the chart. But his leadership all year long and certainly in the playoffs was just unbelievable. I also want to acknowledge Marty Brown. He is a freshman running back who won the Jerry Rice Award as the freshman of the year and obviously just had an incredible year. It is a very prestigious award. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns during the year. Also, I want to recognize wide receiver Bryce Lance, a tremendous young receiver. He tied the record on Monday for the most single-season touchdowns in Missouri Valley Conference history, which is the conference that the Bison play in, and he had a total of 17 touchdowns. We honor the whole team, though. It takes a team of incredible players, incredible senior leadership, a number of whom are going to be drafted--no question about it. There will be high draft choices. It was well-coached by Tim Polasek, who is a first-year coach. He is a former Bison as well. He was a coach under Craig Bohl for the Bison. He came back, and this was his first year as head coach, so obviously it was exciting for him to win the title in his first year. There are also some other coaches I want to mention. I specifically want to mention Coach Randy Hedberg, who is a longtime friend of mine. He is the quarterback's coach, and this guy is a quarterback whisperer. He coached quarterbacks who are in the NFL now--Carson Wentz, who is with the Chiefs; Easton Stick, who is with the Chargers; and Trey Lance, who is with the Dallas Cowboys. This guy was actually a professional quarterback himself. Amongst other teams, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the first game the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won--John McKay was the coach--in the very first game they won as an expansion team, Randy Hedberg was the quarterback. He has the gift. So we get these great players, and we have a string of players who go to the NFL, and no doubt Cam Miller will as well. Coach Devin Klieman, who is the son of former Bison Head Coach Chris Klieman, who is now at Kansas State--you know, the legacy goes on, and Chris Klieman's son Devin is with us. Carlton Littlejohn is a standout linebacker. I remember watching him play. Then also there is Coach Grant Olson. He is a former player, and Amy, his wife, is a professional golfer. So this is an athletic family. Those kids are going to be something else, I will tell you that. He was selected to the 2025 class of the American Football Coaches Association's 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. He did a tremendous job with the defense. To all of them--to all of the coaches and, of course, most of all, to these incredible young student athletes--they were just awesome this year. They did an incredible job. So I want to congratulate all of them and congratulate Athletic Director Matt Larsen and another individual who is a good friend of both of ours, Dave Cook, the president of the university--a class act. Big kudos to him. I have to conclude on Bison Nation. Oh, I forgot. Here are my posters. I will show them quickly. Here they are celebrating after the big win in Frisco, TX. We kind of like to refer to Frisco, TX, as Fargo South.

Mr. HOEVEN. One of the high schools in Fargo is called Fargo South. Maybe that is how it got started. But we love Frisco. We love Frisco, TX. Having won 10 championships there may have something to do with it, but it is a marvelous place. Here they are celebrating afterward, and then here is the coach. Here is Coach Tim Polasek holding up the trophy there. I think you can see Kevin Cramer in the back. Oh, I guess not. I guess we were here.

Mr. HOEVEN. Just a final comment, just so the folks can see our ties, because I really want to commend you on your outstanding choice of the green and yellow NDSU--North Dakota State University--tie. I have the weak version of the tie, Mr. President. I know in Nebraska, you understand how important agriculture is. So we are proud of our school for our football teams but also because it is one of the leading schools of agriculture in the country, and for so many other reasons as well.

Mr. HOEVEN. Thank you, Mr. President. We yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I am going to make some comments in regard to the energy policy for the United States. But, first, I would like to make a couple of comments, starting with commenting in regard to my good friend and colleague from West Virginia Senator Manchin. Senator Manchin is the current chair of the Energy Committee, and I am on that Energy Committee. And I am going to reference two pieces of legislation--two bills--which just passed the Senate. I am going to start by thanking him as chairman of the Energy Committee because, without his help--and he supported both of these bills--but without his help and agreeing to bring them to the committee to get them passed through the committee so that they could be on the floor here and we could pass them on the floor, which we just said, it wouldn't have happened. So, Mr. Chairman--Chairman Manchin--thank you, once again, for your support. And I would further note for the record that Senator Manchin and I actually were Governors together for--I don't know--two terms, at least--6 years. That sounds right. We crossed over 6 years, and we worked together. And Joe developed a reputation as somebody who would work with anybody--and did--and he was always cheerful about it and fun to work with and was really good at bringing people together from both sides of the aisle. He certainly developed that reputation as Governor and brought it to the Senate. He and I worked together here for 14 years on a whole number of things, including, in 2013, passing S. 1, which was the Keystone XL Pipeline. And that is just one example. I know that he is leaving the Senate at the end of this year. And all of us will very much miss both Joe and Gayle. They are just incredibly good people. I know there are a lot of folks who have and will continue to say a lot of nice things about the Manchins, all well-deserved, about his acumen at passing legislation, working across the aisle--all of those things and more. I just want to make sure that the Record reflects that he is a great guy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it. North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Acts Madam President, the two bills that I want to reference that we just passed are the North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act and then, also, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act, and just a few brief comments on each. The North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act, actually, will help my home State better develop its land and minerals to support education and also to provide Tribal nations--we have five reservations in North Dakota. But it will also help provide those Tribal nations greater ownership over the lands within their reservation boundaries. Senator Cramer, my colleague from North Dakota, joined me in introducing this important legislation, and, also, Kelly Armstrong, who is actually the current Governor, on the House side, worked on it as well. Currently, North Dakota holds more than 130,000 acres of minerals and over 31,000 surface acres that are located within Tribal reservations. They are not developed because they are located--they are State-owned, but they are within the boundaries of the reservation. So they are not being developed. So this bill is absolutely a win-win by helping our State generate revenue for education and other priorities, while allowing the Tribes to regain the fragmented lands and minerals located within their boundaries, because we are trading. We are trading land for outside the reservation for ownership within the reservation, which is going to help development both on the reservation and off. So it truly is a win- win. It is a win for the Tribes and a win for our State as well. And it is supported by the State of North Dakota, by the Tribal nations, all of the Tribes within our State, and all of the western counties and the grazing associations that are involved in our State. We have multiple use throughout the Federal lands and the other lands--private lands, Federal lands, BLM lands, national grasslands-- but this is a great example of how we all worked together and accomplished a win-win. So I want to thank my cosponsor on the bill, Ben Ray Lujan, the Senator from New Mexico--or as we like to affectionately call him, ``Ray-Ban''--and, also, Richard Blumenthal, Peter Welch, and Senator John Cornyn, who were helpful today in getting this completed. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act Madam President, the other bill is the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act. Teddy Roosevelt first traveled to the Dakota Territory in 1838 to hunt bison. It is bison, by the way. Some people say ``bi-son''; but it is ``bi-zon,'' and it is our national mammal--at least that is how we say it. Anyway, he went there to hunt bison and returned in 1884 while mourning the passing of both his wife and his mother. President Roosevelt called the Dakota Territory home for 3 years while he enjoyed the vast beauty that the Badlands have to offer. As President Roosevelt proudly claimed, he would not have ascended to the Presidency had it not been for his formative years in North Dakota. Fittingly, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will be located adjacent to another important national treasure named in his honor--and that is the purpose here. The Theodore Roosevelt National Park is in North Dakota, and now his library will be as well. I think we have already exceeded more than $250 million--already over a quarter billion dollars--being raised for this library. We have broken ground, and we had a beam-laying ceremony. It is going to be just unbelievable, just unbelievable. This S. 4129 will help support the construction of this important initiative to honor our Nation's 26th President and ensure that future generations of Americans can access the rich history and enduring impact of President Theodore Roosevelt. Again, I want to thank my bipartisan colead on the legislation, Senator Blumenthal, along with cosponsors Senator Cramer, Senator Heinrich, and Senator Mitt Romney. Clean Coal Madam President, I would like to turn to some remarks regarding our national energy policy, specifically clean coal. If you saw President-elect Trump's interview recently, he talked about clean coal and the amazing technology that we are bringing to bear to utilize this baseload power source that is so vitally, vitally important to our Nation, not just in terms of energy independence but, really, energy dominance for our country. During his press conference, I was pleased to hear President Trump highlight our shared commitment to restore America's energy dominance and that clean coal is going to be a vitally important part of it. He emphasized that, and I appreciate it very much. He talked about how it is reliable, affordable, and incredibly abundant--an energy source that is going to be available for many, many, many years. North Dakota alone has over 700 years of coal supply, and our coal-fired electric industry works to ensure that homes and businesses have access to affordable and reliable power on a 24-hours- a-day, 7-days-a-week basis--baseload. Regardless of weather conditions--on the hottest day, on the coldest day, whether the wind is blowing or whether it is not; whether the Sun is out or whether it is not--24/7, that baseload is available and is incredibly important for our grid. That is what provides grid stability for intermittent sources of energy. The fact remains that our Nation needs more energy, not only more electricity but more baseload electricity, as I say, so that it is available 24/7 and so that our grid can operate in a reliable fashion. North Dakota is fortunate to have the most advanced--and this is where the clean-coal technology really comes in. North Dakota really is in a position and is leading the way on this. We are fortunate to have the most advanced coal-fired power plants in the world while also leading the way in reducing emissions like SOX, NOX, and mercury--so, SO2, nitrogen oxides, and mercury. We are reducing those emissions. We have led the way on that. To meet this growing demand for more energy, we have been working to crack the code on carbon capture, utilization, and storage, or CCUS, and enable the next generation of clean, coal-fired electric power. We have worked over the past 15 years to put the legal, tax, and regulatory environment in place to establish North Dakota's leadership in advancing carbon capture. North Dakota became the first State to be granted regulatory primacy for class VI wells to ensure CO2 is safely and securely stored below the surface. We recently secured a multihundred-million- dollar demonstration grant from the Department of Energy to advance Project Tundra, which will enable the coal-fired Milton R. Young power plant to capture and store 4 million metric tons of CO2 per year. At the same time, we have worked hard to put into operation the largest coal-powered carbon capture energy project in the world. Basin's Dakota Gasification synfuels plant is currently in operation and will capture up to 2.25 million metric tons of CO2 per year. Let me repeat that: 2.25 million metric tons of CO2 per year--the largest in the world. I look forward to working with President Trump to take the handcuffs off of our energy producers and empower them to develop the latest, greatest technologies to produce more energy with better environmental stewardship. This really is about unleashing our Nation's vast coal reserves and one of our country's most important strategic assets. By leveraging technology and unlocking clean coal's full potential, we will be able to increase the supply of affordable, reliable electricity and bring down the prices for American families and businesses that are struggling with the impact of inflation. North Dakota is leading the way in clean coal technologies, and this will be an important part of our efforts, in working with the Trump administration, to make America not only energy secure but energy dominant. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I come to the floor today to talk about the National Defense Authorization Act. The act that is called the NDAA covers a wide range of topics, but, overall, it helps us chart a course to defend our country during these very dangerous times. Russia, China, and Iran are working together to undermine U.S. interests across the globe. A world led by those nations is, in fact, a very dangerous world. And it is a world where the economic well-being of ordinary Americans suffer. I have visited key U.S. allies and partners in recent years, and I am convinced that when we are strong--when the United States is strong--as a nation, we attract like-minded partners who will work with us to push back on our adversaries and defend freedom, not only here for our country but across the globe. And the NDAA is about bolstering our defenses and strengthening those very partnerships. This bill, for example, establishes a Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. Now, that is modeled after the Indo-Pacific and Ukraine's security assistance initiatives, and it is designed to enable Taiwan to maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities, vitally important in the Pacific and vitally important that we not work just with Taiwan but with all our allies in the Pacific: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and others. And also, this pact requires the Department of Defense to provide Israel with intelligence and advice in support of their war effort in the Middle East against Hamas and other terrorist organizations, including the largest sponsor of state terrorism in the world, Iran. In addition, the NDAA supports a handful of missions that are both critical to our security around the globe and of particular interest to my State. First, for example, UAS and counter-UAS. It is a huge issue right now, not only in terms of the battlefield, what we are seeing in Ukraine, in the Middle East, and other places, but even here in our own country, civilian uses of drones and counter-drones is certainly very much at the forefront of the public's attention. And we have real problems with UAS threats across all of the areas that we operate, here at home and overseas. Now, we still have a patchwork approach that has grown out of an ad hoc response to specific threats to domestic military installations. The Department of Defense very much needs a coherent strategy and clear guidance when it comes to drones and countering drones. This bill takes a number of important steps toward addressing the issue, including: directing the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy for countering unmanned aerial systems and the threats they pose to Department of Defense facilities, personnel, and assets. And that means not only here at home but across the globe where we have personnel and where we have military installations. So having that strategy for drones and counter-drones is very, very important right now. And it is very complex, as we are seeing. This legislation also requires standing up a counter-UAS--unmanned aerial system--drone task force to review and update all of DOD guidances to provide clarity and expedited decision-making processes and information processes so that the public knows what we are doing and has confidence in what we are doing. In North Dakota, we have a UAS ecosystem that is ready to support this initiative, both in the military aspects and in the civilian aspects. And we have had that focus on UAS technology going back all the way to 2005. And again, I think we are one of the only air bases in the country, at the Grand Forks Air Force Base, where we operate military and civilian, manned and unmanned aircraft, all at the same base, as well as our connection to the lower orbit satellites through the Space Defense Agency. So we have established what we call their Project ULTRA. Project ULTRA is specifically designed to move unmanned aerial systems and to counter unmanned aerial systems from the drawing board to the warfighter. As I say, we have been at that for almost 20 years. As DOD contemplates this counter-UAS strategy, we are ready to bring industry partners, and I mean some of the leading industry partners like Northrup Grumman, like General Atomics, like Raytheon, and many others as well. They are already operating. They are in the Grand Sky Technology Park on the Grand Forks Air Force Base. And we are ready to bring those partnerships--those companies that have developed these technologies--together with the Department of Defense under the directive in this legislation to defend, like I say, not only our military installations but to do more in the civilian airspace so that the public can have confidence that when they see a drone flying in our national airspace, that it has been accounted for and properly dealt with. Second, the second huge issue in the NDAA is nuclear modernization. Our nuclear deterrent is the foundation of global stability and is prerequisite for the success of our conventional forces. If we have a nuclear deterrent that no adversary ever questions, then they will never go beyond conventional forces. We have the finest military in the world. Our conventional forces are more than a match for anyone in the world. And so that could create the temptation for somebody to actually use nuclear forces. But if they know our deterrent is so strong, then they will never actually challenge us. So it is the bedrock or the foundation on which our conventional forces reside. We are facing an increasingly dangerous nuclear world where we must deter multiple nuclear powers at the same time. Now, several years ago, I led efforts to ensure that the Department of Defense kept our inventory of silos for our intercontinental ballistic missiles and preserve a full deployment of these missiles to support deterrence. Today, we need those missiles to support deterrence against China, which is building up its forces incredibly, as well as Russia and North Korea. This NDAA continues to carry language preserving the number of ICBMs that we deploy. It also creates a new Assistant Secretary of Defense to oversee nuclear deterrence policies and programs across the Department of Defense. And most importantly--most importantly--it authorizes the next steps in modernizing not only the ICBM force but all three legs of the nuclear triad--bombers, the missiles, and submarines. It provides more than $5.6 billion in authorizations for modernizing these programs; for example, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, which is the only dual nuclear base that we have, both the bombers and the missiles. But it also updates the aircraft, the Sentinel, which is the new missile program, the LRSO, long-range stand-off, which is the new air-launched cruise missile, which is part of the bomber fleet; the B-52s, the new B-2 bombers, as well as our other long-range stand-off missile programs. All of those things, as well as our submarines, form the nuclear deterrent that is the bedrock of our military forces. With the evolution of technology, the environment, and our own ambitions--the military environment I am talking about--and the near-peer challenges that we face with Russia and particularly with China, we have no choice but to make sure that we are updating and modernizing our nuclear forces so that no one ever challenges the United States or our ability to defend ourselves and our allies. Space Development Agency--I mentioned that just a minute ago--another area of emphasis that is very important in this legislation. We know that space is an increasingly important part of defending our Nation and our interests around the globe. When we look at Russia, when we look at China and what they are doing in space, we must not only keep up, we must continue to exceed what they are doing. It is vitally important to making sure that our nuclear forces have the best technology and a technological advantage in warfare over our adversaries. This legislation authorizes more than $4 billion for the Space Development Agency, including how the Low Earth Orbit Satellite Program is operated. This program is significant and will fundamentally change--the low Earth orbit satellites, which we are putting out in space now, and we will have many of them, I mean, hundreds of them. This program is significant and will fundamentally change the way our forces operate around the globe. Every soldier, every weapon system, and every mission will benefit from getting information from these low Earth orbit satellites. And we are taking steps in this bill and in the appropriations processes to do just that. And so when you look at SpaceX, sending those rockets in space, many of those have low Earth orbit satellites that we are already putting out in space. Those low Earth orbit satellites will be controlled from one Army base and from one Air Force base. The Army base is the Redstone Army base in Alabama. And the Air Force base is the Grand Forks Air Force Base in my State. Some other provisions that I want to mention are noteworthy as well. First, greenhouse gas emissions. This NDAA extends a prohibition that we passed last year on any rules that would force contractors to report on greenhouse gas emissions. I fought hard against these types of regulations, which would add unnecessary redtape and delays, drive up costs, and provide no benefit to the warfighter. The purpose of our weapons systems must be to make sure that our forces have a superior advantage to any other forces in the world in lethality. And that is exactly how they need to be designed. And that is what this provision is designed to ensure. Support for our servicemembers, this bill includes a number of provisions that I have heard about in regard to strongly supporting our servicemembers and their families; for example, pay increases. It authorizes a 14.5-percent pay increase for junior enlisted servicemembers, E-4 and below, and a 4.5-percent basic pay increase for all other servicemembers. Second, access to mental health. The bill improves access to services for mental health, making it easier for telehealth providers to offer services and expand accreditation opportunities for behavioral health providers, which is a big need. Specialty care travel allowances. The bill includes a provision I supported to require the Secretary to reassess the travel and transportation allowances provided to servicemembers and dependents seeking specialty care--healthcare, within a hundred miles of their duty station. Military spouse professional licensing permanently grants authority to the Department of Defense to make transferring professional licenses between States easier for military spouses. Diversity, equity, and inclusion: It is important that our military members can put mission first, and this bill eliminates authorizations for a range of disruptive DEI programs while establishing a 1-year freeze on hiring for DEI work at the Department of Defense. Like I said at the beginning of my remarks, the NDAA helps us chart a course to defend our country during these dangerous times. With the passage of the NDAA, we will have the authorization for these important programs, and as a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, we are ready--I and others are ready--to get to work to fund these important programs for our Nation's defense. We have the finest military in the world, and we must do all that we can to support our men and women in uniform. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, 2 weeks ago, President Trump was reelected, and the Senate Republicans reclaimed the Senate majority. As we prepare for the 119th Congress, I join my colleagues today to discuss Republican solutions to the challenges our Nation faces. Among these important efforts, we will work with President Trump to unleash more American energy and not only make our country energy independent once again but actually make the United States energy dominant. We will do that by cutting the redtape that has handcuffed our energy industry. And instead of strangling regulations, we are going to boost innovation. That is the right kind of approach for energy policy in our Nation. Energy security directly impacts our economic and national security. That is why we must act on day one to reverse the Biden administration's regulatory onslaught. From the very beginning of his tenure, President Biden has sought to curtail American energy. I would like to take a moment to recap some of these harmful regulatory policies. Just last week, the Biden administration finished implementing a new natural gas tax. Think about that: a tax on natural gas at a time when the country has been fighting inflation. That natural gas tax was authorized as part of the Democrat partisan tax-and-spend bill. Importantly, I intend to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to block the Biden administration's new natural gas tax rule, and we will work with President Trump to repeal it. Again, this is part of reducing an inflation that affects every single American. This costly tax comes in addition to new burdensome rules and higher fees on Federal energy production imposed by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management. But the Biden administration isn't just increasing costs for producers. They are working to outright prevent the development of vast amounts of taxpayer-owned energy resources on public lands. This year, BLM issued a new public lands rule enabling radical environmental groups to lock away more of our energy reserves under a so-called conservation leasing approach. In my State of North Dakota, the Biden administration is proposing to close off leasing to 45 percent--45 percent--of Federal oil and gas acreage and 95 percent of Federal coal acreage. Let me repeat that. In my State of North Dakota--we are one of the largest energy producing States in the country. We are an energy powerhouse for this country. In my State, the Biden administration is proposing to close off leasing to 45 percent of Federal oil and gas acreage and 95 percent of Federal coal acreage. At the same time, the Biden administration's regulatory agenda is making electricity more expensive and less reliable. Think about that. We need more electricity, not less. These policies not only increase the price of the electricity that we get, but it prevents us from producing more electricity. Under President Biden, the EPA has issued overreaching power sector regulations that inflict utilities with billions of dollars in compliance costs. Worse still, these burdensome regulations could force the premature retirement of reliable coal-fired baseload powerplants, and we need that baseload to maintain the integrity of the nationwide electric grid. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, and multiple independent grid operators are sounding the alarm of a coming reliability crisis. Each of these actions by the Biden administration was specifically designed to make traditional energy more expensive and to produce less of it. That is why, in partnership with the incoming Trump administration, we will take off the handcuffs of our energy producers and empower them to increase supply and bring down prices for American families and businesses. I would also like to thank President Trump and offer my congratulations to Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota on his nomination to serve as Secretary of the Interior and the head of the newly formed National Energy Council. The Department of the Interior is incredibly important in North Dakota and Western States, overseeing more than 247 million acres of Federal land and approximately 30 percent of the Nation's minerals. As Governor of my home State of North Dakota, Doug has the right background and experience to lead the Department of the Interior and all of the new administration's energy efforts. He has been a great partner as we have worked together to make North Dakota an energy powerhouse for our country, and I know he will bring that experience to bear in a positive way for our country. He understands the importance of productive multiple use of our vast Federal estate for energy development, grazing, recreation, tourism, and all of the multiple uses we enjoy. I look forward to continuing our efforts together, and he will be in a tremendous position to help us roll back the harmful policies of the last 4 years and unlock our country's energy potential. That means making the best use of our Nation's abundant energy resources-- including our vast oil, gas, and coal reserves--while advancing new innovations to produce more energy with better environmental stewardship. That is the right way to do it. Like I said at the beginning, we are not just going to make our Nation energy independent; we are going to make our Nation energy dominant. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I rise to join my colleague from West Virginia, talking about some of the important issues that we worked on over the past month. I am really pleased that she talked about the importance of getting a farm bill. It is just incredibly important. In my State of North Dakota, we are No. 1 as an ag powerhouse and then also an energy powerhouse. In the energy realm, we produced more than 1.2 million barrels of oil a day. That is as much as some of the OPEC countries for the whole country. And then we supply electricity to coal-fired and other sources of electricity that are probably in each region. So we are really an energy powerhouse, and that is a big part of our economy. But ag is still No. 1 for us. We produce probably more than 40 different crops, as diverse as--we are the No. 1 State for producing honey, and we produce a lot of sugar. But then we have got all the row crops--corn and soybeans and all those kinds of things. We have got wheat. We have got the pulse crops. We actually have more cattle than people--millions of head of cattle. So we are very diversified in the ag world. Needless to say, a farm bill is incredibly important to us, and it is incredibly important to our country. When I talk about farmers and ranchers and the farm bill, I like to start by saying that every single American benefits every single day from our farmers and ranchers, who produce the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world. So when we talk about good farm policy, we are talking about something that benefits every single American every single day. Americans spend less of their budget on food. They have the best food. They have the best choice, the best quality. And we spend less of our budget on food than virtually any other developed country. All that is brought to us every single day by our farmers and ranchers. I want to take a few minutes today to talk about how important it is that we get a farm bill done. It is not just important for our farmers and ranchers but, as I say, for every single American. During the recent work period, I was out, and I, of course, visited with farmers and ranchers across our State and continued to get their input. But, also, they really are seeing challenges out there in farm country. They don't control the weather, obviously. They don't control trade, and they don't control the price. But they have to deal with all three every year. So what we are seeing right now is a decline in commodity prices, which is putting real pressure on farmers and ranchers across this country. As part of my efforts, I also convened a field hearing of the Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee near, actually, Fargo, ND, to discuss the future of ag research and also ag development. We are one of the leaders in precision agriculture. The technology in farming and ranching now is unbelievable. At North Dakota State University, combined with our world-class farmers and ranchers, we are really leading that effort forward with a new concept called Grand Farm, where we are displaying, on a national basis, the incredible advancements in technology that are an important part of precision agriculture there. I was pleased to be joined by colleagues on a bipartisan basis. Senator Boozman was there, as well as Senator Klobuchar and Senator Smith--so bipartisan, all members of the Ag Committee with me. We had a very robust and substantive discussion about precision agriculture. But while we focused on the future of agriculture research and all those kinds of things, we also heard from witnesses on the need to pass a farm bill and what needs to be in that farm bill in order to make sure that it works. That means a strong commodity title. That called for updating crop insurance and making sure we update the reference prices, meaning we update the countercyclical safety net. Those two tools--our crop insurance and the countercyclical safety net--that is how our farmers manage risk in a world where they don't control prices, they don't control weather, and they don't control trade. We produce fuel and fiber not just for this country but for the world, and the farmers don't have any control over those things, which is why it is so important that we have the right kind of farm policy. That is reinforced this week by more than 300 commodity groups--farmers and ranchers--coming from across the country, who are here this week in support of getting this farm bill done. We are already operating under a 1-year extension. So we are already 1 year past due getting a new 5-year farm bill in place. As I say, farmers and ranchers from across the country are here talking to policymakers about the need to get this done rather than facing yet another yearlong extension. Again, the message is very, very clear: We need to update the countercyclical safety net and crop insurance. That is the heart and soul. That is how our farmers manage risk. That is the key to getting a farm bill done. As I mentioned, economic conditions in farm country continue to worsen. Last week, the farm income forecast from the USDA came out and indicated that lower commodity prices, high input costs, and elevated interest rates continue to create a real challenge for our producers. For 2024, USDA is projecting net farm income, which is a broad measure of farm income, at $140 billion, which is a decrease of $6.5 billion from 2023. Adjusted for inflation, the 2024 net cash farm income projections for crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat--important not only to my State but throughout the Midwest and beyond--represent the worst numbers that we have seen since the USDA began collecting this data for the past 15 years. We have the opportunity to address that through the farm bill, and we need to do it. We need to get it done. Senator Boozman, who, as I mentioned, joined me in North Dakota several weeks ago, has put forward a framework for that farm bill. I think it does exactly what it needs to do: It provides that support that farmers and ranchers need. Also in the House, the House Ag Committee chairman, GT Thompson, also has moved through their full Ag Committee a bill that I think works as well. So the framework in the Senate is there. The bill that has come out of committee in the House is there. The bill in the House needs some tweaks, but it is going in the right direction. The reality is that we are in position to get it done, but we need to come together on a bipartisan basis and address updates to the reference prices in the countercyclical safety net, as well as the updates for the crop insurance we need, which I have put in a marker bill that lays out very clearly what needs to happen. We need to come to agreement on it. We need to get this farm bill done.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. I ask unanimous consent to use a prop during my remarks.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. I rise to support my colleague, the senior Senator from Arkansas, and golf enthusiasts everywhere in cheering on Team U.S.A. in the Solheim Cup. North Dakotans love their sports, and when it comes to golf, that is certainly no exception. You may be surprised to know that in North Dakota, we have many golf courses and actually rank very high in number of golf courses per capita. And for competitive golfers in the State, we have many different tournament opportunities for both men and women alike and, of course, people young and old. That is the great thing about golf. It is a game you can play all your life. Senator Boozman, even when you are old like you and me, you can get out there on the links and hit it and have a great time.

Mr. HOEVEN. Most of the time, right. But even if you are not playing well, it is a great place to take a walk. There is nothing better. North Dakota has produced top-notch golfers, including, right now, PGA tour winner Tom Hoge from Fargo, and although she just retired, a tremendous women's golfer, Amy Anderson, from Oxbow, and many others as well. Even growing up, a fellow by the name of Mike Morley, who is a fellow I knew--I always looked up to him. He was a little older when I was out there caddying on the golf course. He went on to become a touring pro as well. We have great golfers, and obviously they are world-class athletes. In the case of Amy Anderson, she retired from professional golf this year, but when she was at North Dakota State University, she won 20 collegiate events, an NCAA record for Division 1 wins. Again, for those traveling to the great State of North Dakota, I certainly encourage you to bring your clubs--Senator Boozman-- particularly in the summertime. The Solheim Cup was actually created by PING founder, Karsten Solheim, in 1990. Like the Ryder Cup for men, it meets every 2 years to put the top women golfers in the United States against the top golfers in Europe. I have got to tell you, Karsten Solheim--he and his family-- he had his sons in the business with him, too, which was primarily based out of Phoenix. But we have this incredible Norwegian festival in North Dakota every year. It is the largest Norwegian festival outside the country of Norway. The Solheim family used to come up to that great celebration celebrating their Norwegian heritage. He is the founder of this great tournament and, of course, pits the U.S. top women golfers in the United States against the top women golfers in all of Europe. So we are taking on all of Europe, right? It is pretty cool. This competition reflects the best in sports, with players not playing for money but playing for their country, playing for their teammates, and for so many young women who watch and of course are hoping one day to be in their shoes. I have to tell one quick story because I know the senior Senator from Arkansas will enjoy it very much. I actually played in an LPGA event. I actually played in an LPGA event. Now, you might think that sounds funny, but, of course, golf aficionados know that they have a member, you know, guest day the first day, and I was fortunate enough to get to play in an event, and it was just great, great fun. It is just amazing to see these incredible women golfers and just how great they are at the game. Senator Boozman, yes, they hit it a lot farther than you do off the tee--no question about it--and me too, of course. This year's competition in nearby Gainesville, VA, will be a great match, with the previous competition, as Senator Boozman said, in 2023 resulting in a 14-14 tie, which means Europe got to retain the cup. So we need to get it back. It looks so good here in America, we need to keep it here in America. I know that our women athletes will rise to the challenge. I like our chances this year. To Captain Stacy Lewis and the 12 players on Team USA, we wish you the very best of luck as you compete here, and we look forward to an exciting weekend of skill and sportsmanship. I already have talked to somebody on this very floor who knows some of the golfers and is going to go watch the tournament. Of course, the rest of us will get the opportunity to watch it on television. With that, I yield back to my very good friend and colleague, the senior Senator from Arkansas--who, by the way, was an incredible athlete himself, although I don't think it was on the golf course. I think it might have been on the gridiron, although you do have the svelte physique of a golfer. I think it might have been as a Razorback.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I rise to join my colleague from Alabama and other colleagues and outline the importance of maintaining and continuing to strengthen our Nation's support for our essential ally in the Middle East, Israel. The U.S.-Israel partnership is vital for Israel. It is vital for the United States. It is vital for security in the world. It is vital in this global fight against terror. Israel needs our help. It needs our help to fend off numerous attacks from Iran and its proxies, and I am proud of the contributions our Armed Forces have made in helping defend Israel from a wide variety of drone and missile attacks. The skill of our committed airmen, airwomen, soldiers, sailors, marines, special forces--their skill, unbelievable; their bravery, courage under fire; the technology that we have utilized, it is just incredible. The things that they have been able to do in terms of helping Israel, it is just beyond belief. And so we commend all of them. But we need to continue. We need to continue. We need to help Israel defeat Hamas. They need our help to completely destroy Hamas's military capability, and we can't relent until that is done. This is not a one- way partnership. This is not just the United States supporting our ally Israel. Israel is really the tip of the spear. Israel plays a vital role in standing against terror and deterring Iranian aggression across the Middle East. When you look at Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and other groups, these are terrorists that are financed, trained, sponsored, and directed by Iran. We need to recognize that. We need to take a tough stance on sanctions and other measures against Iran and recognize that these proxies for Iran are conducting its missives, its directions. We are deeply appreciative of Israel's efforts to push back on Iran, on the Houthis, on terrorists, and all those who seek to destabilize not only the Middle East region, but across the world. And as we have heard Prime Minister Netanyahu say many times of these extremists: If they are not stopped in the Middle East, they will set their sights on America. They will, and they have, and they will continue to do so. Our partnership with Israel is based on our shared values and our shared commitment to freedom. Without that partnership, terrorists, extremists, and authoritarians would run rampant across the Middle East and other parts of the world, threatening the global economy and positioning themselves to threaten the United States directly. And so the peace and stability we seek in the Middle East will come as the result of a strong U.S.-Israel partnership, and that is emblematic of the type of relationships that we must have with our allies. We must stand with our allies and stand up against our adversaries. And standing with our allies means not second-guessing them; for example, when Israel is conducting this war, they know how to defeat Hamas. And we need to help them do it, not second-guess how they are doing it. That is why it is so important that we heard from Prime Minister Netanyahu in person today. We needed to hear directly from him about exactly what is going on as Israel prosecutes this war and the support that they need to be successful in defeating Hamas. And now we need to move in a bipartisan fashion to continue to strengthen that relationship. There is really no time to lose. Iran's time to a nuclear breakout is down to a very short period. We need to stand together and prevent Iran from developing and, potentially, deploying a nuclear weapon. Hamas remains a dangerous terrorist organization. Hezbollah presents a growing threat in northern Israel. The Houthis, backed by Iran, pose a threat to Israel and the wider region in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, attacking shipping from many different countries. So it is essential that we make sure that Israel has the military assistance required to stand against these threats. Again, they are the tip of the spear. They are doing the fighting, and we need to help them. We need to offer all the support we can in every form, and we must oppose anti-Semitism in all its forms and wherever we find it. I want to express my appreciation for Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit and for his remarks to our joint session of Congress today. I thought it was an incredibly powerful and moving speech and one that not only the Senators and the Members of Congress needed to hear but all Americans--all Americans--needed to hear. And I hope that we can respond to the Prime Minister's visit by continuing to move in a bipartisan way to work with Israel to defeat the threats it faces and affirm our shared values, our shared commitment to freedom, liberty, and democracy. Standing with Israel is good for the United States. It is good for the region. It is good for the world. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, today, I join my colleagues in outlining more than 3\1/2\ years of policy failures under President Biden, which are impacting families and businesses across the country every single day. From our economy to our Nation's security, Americans can feel the weight of this administration's decisions, leading to a higher cost of living and less safe communities--things that impact people every single day. I will begin where individuals most frequently feel those impacts: their pocketbook. Biden's inflation is hurting every American, particularly low-income Americans. For example, Americans are paying more for energy because President Biden has sought to block or restrict access to our Nation's vast energy reserves. On day one of his administration, President Biden blocked the Keystone XL Pipeline and placed a moratorium on new oil and gas leases shortly thereafter. Then, President Biden and congressional Democrats doubled down, passing a partisan tax-and-spend bill that included a new natural gas tax and higher fees and royalty rates on Federal energy production. Just recently, the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management finalized a new public lands rule, enabling radical environmental groups to lock away more of our energy reserves under a so-called conservation leasing plan. The BLM also finalized a new onshore oil and gas rule and a new venting and flaring rule. In my State of North Dakota, BLM is proposing to close off leasing on 45 percent of Federal oil and gas acreage and 95 percent of Federal coal acreage. BLM's failed stewardship of our energy resources extends to other States as well, including the blocking of new oil and gas production in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Each of these actions are specifically designed to drive up the cost of energy production on Federal lands, and these costs are ultimately passed along to consumers. Today, Americans are paying 46 percent more for gasoline at the pump. And, at the same time, utility bills are also rising and outpacing inflation. The Environmental Protection Agency's latest onslaught of new power sector regulations will require utilities to spend billions of dollars to comply with burdensome regulations or, worse, force the premature retirement of reliable, coal-fired baseload powerplants that our Nation needs. Independent grid operators from across the country are warning that EPA's regulations will threaten reliability and increase the risk of blackouts and brownouts. Americans can no longer afford to pay more for less reliable energy following 3\1/2\ years of President Biden's failed Green New Deal. That is why we need to take the handcuffs off our energy producers and empower them to increase supply and bring down prices for hard- working American families. Now, in addition to discussing President Biden's failures on inflation, the economy, and energy production, I want to, again, bring the crisis taking place at the southern border to everyone's attention. We are nearly through fiscal year 2024, and the consequences of President Biden's failed border policies are becoming clearer every single day. The American people are seeing beyond the administration's false claims that the border is secure. Every day, there are new reports of horrific crimes being committed by individuals illegally in the United States, and these violent crimes continue to be perpetuated in every State. Local and Federal law enforcement officials have confirmed that the Tren de Aragua--I may not have said it just right, but this is a transnational criminal gang that originated in a Venezuelan prison. I am going to repeat that. A transnational criminal gang that originated in a Venezuelan prison is now present and operating in the United States. Think about that. Their activities in the United States include human and drug trafficking as well as assaults and the murder of police officers. In addition, there is now an increased threat from dangerous elements illegally entering the United States who have direct ties to international terrorist organizations like ISIS. Just last month, ICE arrested eight Tajikistan nationals with potential ties to ISIS, who illegally crossed the southern border and have been living in the United States. Now, let that sink in for a minute. At our port of entry and all along the border, we continue to see high numbers of individuals on the Terror Watchlist who are attempting to enter the United States. So far, in fiscal year 2024, we have seen 316 individuals attempt to enter the country. FBI Director Wray said it himself: We are seeing a wide array of very dangerous threats that emanate from the border. The cause of these threats to our homeland is clear: President Biden's failure to secure the southern border. President Biden's failure to secure the southern border. The American people suffer the consequences because the Biden administration refuses to enforce policies that protect our southern border. These policies were put in place by the Trump administration. They are the Migrant Protection Protocols, or ``Remain in Mexico'' policy; enforcing third safe country agreements; and resuming construction of the border wall. The Biden administration must address this border crisis, enforce the laws that kept monthly encounters to the lower numbers that we saw under the Trump administration, and take border security very seriously, deadly seriously, because border security is national security. Altogether, all these issues--whether it is safety, whether it is inflation--all of these things affect Americans across this entire country every single day. After nearly 4 years of policy failures, our country needs to get back on the right track: bring down inflation, strengthen our economy, and address the border and national security and safety in our communities. That is exactly what my colleagues and I are working every day to accomplish. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, just a few minutes ago, the ranking member of our Ag Committee, the senior Senator from Arkansas, Senator Boozman, put forth a statement of principles that he has developed with his outstanding staff that really identify and describe a framework that we absolutely need in the farm bill. As you know, we have a 1-year extension in place on the farm bill. You know, it is something that is just incredibly important, and it has to get done on a bipartisan basis, and so we need to get it done. If we can't get it done before the end of this year, we are going to have to put another 1-year extension on the farm program in place. You know, when we talk about our farmers and ranchers and we talk about the farm bill and we talk about farm policy, you know, we think we are kind of just focused on agriculture, and that is really not the case. I mean, good farm policy in this country gives us the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world. Well, who does that impact on a daily basis? Everybody. Every single person in this country every single day, multiple times a day. Highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world. More choice. Higher quality. Better food than anywhere else in the world. And--and--Americans spend less of their budget on their food than any other developed country. I would say that is something we should not take for granted. It is amazing--you know, I mean, I think nowadays so many people don't come from the farm anymore. You know, obviously we are a huge ag State, and we still have a lot of nexus with farming, but a lot of places don't. They think, wow, food comes from the grocery stores. Well, it doesn't. It is produced by our farmers and ranchers every single day. So, you know, that is one of those things that are just incredibly important. Until we don't have it, until we don't have this network of family farms and ranches across this country that gives us something that is better than anywhere else in the world, you know, we take it for granted. We can't do that. So we need to get a farm bill done, and we need to get it right. That is why I am here, is because if we follow the framework that Senator Boozman just laid out, we will get it right, and so we need to do it. That is the simple point I want to make, that that is the framework we need to embrace on a bipartisan basis, on a bicameral basis, get it passed, get it to the President, and get it in place, and I would say for our farmers and ranchers but really what I am saying: for every single American every single day. I want to start out by thanking Senator Boozman; but most of all, I want to thank our hard-working farmers and ranchers who face incredible challenges whether it is weather, whether it is trade policy. You know, I mean, it is all the things that they don't control; but year in and year out, they go out and they plant a crop and they raise livestock and they feed the world. And those challenges are what they face, like I say, every single year. Now, this year, they are looking at lower farm net income. They are looking at record-high input costs. Obviously, inflation and high interest rates have put a real squeeze on their operations. You know, it is often said that farm bills are written for bad times, not good times; and that is what we have got to keep in mind. The whole concept of this farm bill is that it is countercyclical. It makes sure that it provides help to farmers and ranchers when they need it, and, you know, obviously, when they don't need it, then it is not there. Of course, that is the way it should be. That is not only what affects farmers and ranchers, that is what is most beneficial in terms of the hard-working taxpayers of this country. Of course, Senator Boozman's framework does just exactly that. It makes the investments we need in the farm safety net, and that is, ultimately, the bedrock and the foundation of what the farm bill is all about. He emphasizes that in a lot of different ways, whether it is strengthening crop insurance, which we, obviously, have to have as it is very important; improving the access to credit for our farmers and ranchers; and also making sure that our livestock producers--our ranchers as well as our farmers--are able to operate year in and year out and that, for the next generation, we are doing every single thing we can to bring that next generation into farming and ranching. Remember, there are about 16 million people across the country who are either directly or indirectly involved in agriculture. The average age now for these family farms and ranches--the average age of the principal--is about 60 years old. We also have to make sure that we are bringing this next generation into farming and that we are keeping that family farm, that family ranch, that network of millions of small businesses across this country that feed and fuel the world--we need to make sure that we do everything we can to sustain it, and Senator Boozman's framework does that. Let's come together in a bipartisan way--in a bipartisan way on our Ag Committee and in a bicameral way--and get this thing done for our farmers, for our ranchers, and for all Americans. I yield the floor.