John Hoeven

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. I would like to thank the Senator from Iowa not only for his work on agriculture but also his leadership on the Finance Committee, which is so important to advancing USMCA. We will now go from the Midwest to the South. This is an agreement that benefits all regions of the country. I now turn to the good Senator from the great State of Arkansas

Mr. HOEVEN. I would like to thank the Senator from Arkansas for his words and also his leadership in agriculture. Now I turn to the Senator from Ohio, who I think is going to touch on some of the aspects that are beneficial for the manufacturing sector. The Senator from Ohio.

Mr. HOEVEN. I want to thank the Senator from Ohio. I introduced him as the Senator from Ohio because that is what he is right now, but I could have also said that he is the former USTR, U.S. Trade Ambassador, so I guess I could have said Ambassador Portman, and he was also the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. So when he gets up and talks about the comparison of USMCA versus NAFTA, he certainly knows what he is talking about, and I appreciate his being here and the compelling case he makes based on many years of work and truly understanding these trade agreements and being part of developing them. So, again, my thanks to the Senator from Ohio. I appreciate him very much. Now I am going to turn to somebody who appreciates the farmer the way I do, and that is the junior Senator from Iowa.

Mr. HOEVEN. I want to thank the Senator from Iowa and turn to somebody who, although he is very young, has been working very hard for agriculture for a very long time, and that is the Senator from Kansas, who also happens to be our Ag Committee chairman.

Mr. HOEVEN. I thank the Senator from Kansas and our Agriculture Committee chairman. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent for up to an additional 3 minutes of time to allow the Senator from Colorado to make a few remarks, and then we would turn to the Senator from Vermont for his comments.

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I turn to the Senator from Colorado.

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I thank the Senator from Colorado. Again, the message is clear: We need to pass USMCA, and we urge our colleagues not only in this Chamber but in the House to do that and get this done for our country, across all sectors of our economy. With that, I turn to the Senator from Vermont and express my thanks and appreciation to him. Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 5 minutes on the NDAA.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise to speak on the importance of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 legislation that authorizes $750 billion for defense, consistent with the administration's budget request and the National Defense Strategy Commission report. The NDAA is a critical piece of legislation. It supports our Armed Forces, our men and women in uniform, and provides for the defense of our Nation. Among its notable provisions, the bill supports a 3.1- percent pay increase for the members of our armed services, the largest in nearly a decade and very much deserved by the men and women in uniform who protect us. It establishes a Space Force and ensures that America retains its leadership in this critical domain. It opens the way for significant investments in new weapons systems, such as hypersonic missiles and directed energy weapons along with missile defense and cyber security capabilities. It also responds to concerns about family housing across the Department of Defense. Importantly, the bill continues to provide for the modernization of our nuclear forces. This legislation fully authorizes fiscal year 2020 spending on our nuclear deterrent, including support for all three legs of the Nation's nuclear triad. It also fully authorizes the warhead life extension programs at the Department of Energy. I want to highlight a couple of amendments I worked on and are included in the legislation relative to modernizing our nuclear triad. One of the amendments that has been included requires that the Air Force and the National Nuclear Security Administration report to Congress on the development of the next intercontinental ballistic missile and the W87-1, which is a modified warhead that will be placed on the new ICBM for decades to come. It is vital that the Air Force's missile development program, known as the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, GBSD, be synchronized with the W87-1 warhead so that a decade from now, we have a complete new weapons system that is ready for deployment. My amendment will help ensure that the deployment will happen on schedule and avoid unnecessary delays in that development. The other amendment highlights the importance of our Nation's ICBM force and demonstrates how ICBMs enhance deterrence as a part of the triad. ICBMs provide the most prompt and most dispersed segment of our nuclear forces, and they magnify the deterrent power of our nuclear triad. I commend my colleagues for their support of these amendments, which is a strong statement of the continuing importance of the ICBM and the need to ensure that it is modernized along with the rest of our nuclear forces in order to keep us safe. The bill is also critically important for military activities in my home State of North Dakota. Specifically, we worked to secure a number of provisions to support the missions at the Minot Air Force Base, which is home to two of the three legs of the nuclear triad. Importantly, the NDAA authorizes funding for B-52s, including the procurement of new engines. As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, I have worked to authorize and appropriate money for new engines which will help modernize the B-52 and extend its life for years to come. The NDAA also advances replacement of the Vietnam-era Huey helicopters that provide security for the missile fields, and it supports the construction of a new helicopter facility at Minot to house the Huey replacement. It also makes a strong commitment to the Long-Range Stand Off, LRSO, Program that will provide a new nuclear cruise missile for the B-52, as well as continuing to advance the investments in GBSD. The bill also supports priorities at Grand Forks Air Force Base, which is home to the Global Hawk, which provides important intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities for the Air Force. In fact, it was the Navy version of the Global Hawk which was recently shot down in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. The bill authorizes more than $240 million for the Global Hawk Program and more than $115 million for the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node that is carried on the Global Hawk Block 20 aircraft. These investments in the Global Hawk have been a priority because the Global Hawk BACN system is urgently needed to provide communications support for operations around the world. Finally, I would like to emphasize support for items that some of my colleagues put forward that I think are critically important both for my State and for the Nation as a whole. I am pleased to cosponsor an amendment from Senator Graham that commits us over the next decade to building our capacity to produce plutonium pits. We must build up this capacity so we can extend the life of our nuclear stockpile and preserve our nuclear deterrent in the future. I also cosponsored an amendment from Senator Murkowski that requires the Defense Department to report on Russian and Chinese activities in the Arctic, which is an area of the world where we need to build up our capabilities in the coming years. I would similarly express my support for Senator Hawley's amendment that requires a report from our military commanders on their ability to deter aggressive actions from Russia and China. I hope that can be included on this legislation as well. The bill also includes an important provision from Senator Klobuchar that I cosponsored to help ensure that the children of National Guard and Reserve servicemembers have access to additional support services in schools. I cosponsored a provision from Senator Baldwin, who joins me on the floor today, that will protect veterans' benefits if and when they have to file for bankruptcy. I am pleased to cosponsor her amendment. All of these items demonstrate just what a large undertaking the National Defense Authorization Act really is. It includes thousands of provisions and represents a lot of work from many Members in support of our military servicemembers and their families. I look forward to passing the legislation today and moving it to conference and getting it enacted into law for our men and women in uniform. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

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

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I am pleased to come today and join my colleagues to highlight the VA MISSION Act--legislation we passed to provide our veterans with access to health and long-term care closer to home. This month, I had the opportunity to join a Senate delegation in Normandy for the 75th Anniversary of D-day. We had the honor of meeting with some of our veterans who landed on the beaches of Normandy, and we were reminded, once again, of the tremendous sacrifices our Nation's veterans have made to preserve our way of life and keep our Nation free. Given their service and sacrifice, the least that our Nation can do is uphold its commitment to provide our veterans with the healthcare they have truly earned. Over the last year, we have been working with the VA to ensure that the MISSION Act is properly implemented so it truly benefits our veterans. This bipartisan legislation not only strengthens the VA's ability to provide care for our veterans, but when the VA is unable to do so, it gives our veterans more options to seek care in their home communities. This has been a top priority for veterans in my home State of North Dakota and across the country. The VA MISSION Act removed the arbitrary 30-day, 40-mile eligibility requirement that prevented veterans living within 40 miles of a VA facility from being eligible for care in their home community. Now, when a VA Medical Center or community-based outpatient clinic isn't able to provide the services a veteran needs, our veterans are able to access healthcare services in their local community. Additionally, the VA MISSION Act contains provisions from the veterans access to long-term care and health services legislation I had introduced, which allows non-VA, long-term care providers--so now long- term care providers, nursing homes and others--to enter into veterans care agreements with the VA. These agreements will help cut through the bureaucratic redtape at the VA and help veterans access nursing home and other long-term care in their communities, including home-based care services--again, providing not only healthcare but long-term care to our veterans closer to home, in their home communities and closer to their loved ones. We are continuing to work with the VA and long-term care providers to ensure that providers that want to treat veterans are able to do so without unnecessary burdens, meaning without additional inspections, without additional redtape that in some cases, causes our long-term care providers--whether it is nursing homes or in-care providers--to not accept VA reimbursement. This makes sure that they can take VA reimbursement and that the rules and requirements are the same as if they are taking Medicaid or Medicare reimbursement. This is very important for our veterans, but it makes sure that we streamline the process so those nursing homes or those home-based and community-based services in a community provide those services to our veterans and take VA reimbursement to do it. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our Nation, which is why we continue working to implement the VA MISSION Act properly and ensure it meets our goal--meets our goal of providing veterans access to healthcare and long-term care closer to home. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise to discuss why we needed to reform the confirmation process. It was absolutely necessary to ensure that the Senate is able to approve the President's nominees in a timely manner. Delays and obstruction have prevented qualified nominees from being confirmed. In fact, at the pace the Senate has been going, it would take more than 5 years to process the remaining nominees. Clearly, the process isn't working. In the Senate, we take our advice and consent role very seriously. We all want to ensure that we have capable and qualified individuals serving in important positions. Delays in the confirmation process often have nothing to do with the qualifications of the candidate. These nominees have been vetted and approved by the appropriate committee, only to spend weeks or months waiting to be considered by the full Senate. Currently, there are more than 100 nominees awaiting confirmation on the Senate calendar. That is because our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have been using the filibuster to delay all of the nominees--even routine, highly qualified nominees. In past administrations, a cloture vote was only required for high- level or controversial nominations that required additional deliberation or debate. Under President Trump, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have required cloture on hundreds of nominees, which means instead of approving these nominations in a timely manner, it often takes 3 days on the Senate floor before a final vote is taken. That is because, following a vote to invoke cloture, there is an additional 30 hours of floor debate after an intervening day. During the first 2 years of the previous 3 Presidencies, there were a total of 24 cloture votes. During the first 2 years of President Trump's Presidency, the Senate forced a cloture vote on 128 nominations. Think about that--24 for the prior 3 Presidents and 128 cloture votes on President Trump's nominations. For President Obama, during his first 2 years--to compare President Trump to President Obama's first 2 years--12 for Obama. There were 12 for President Obama and 128 for President Trump. So let me provide another example. During the 8 years of the Obama administration, the Senate confirmed 272 district court judges. Since President Trump has been elected, the Senate has confirmed 53 district judges--272 to 53 district court judges. At that pace, only 195 district court judges would be approved over a full 8-year period, far less than the 272 during the Obama administration. These delays impact qualified individuals across the Nation. For example, Peter Welte, the nominee to be the U.S. district court judge for the District of North Dakota, was nominated by President Trump more than 77 days ago. It has been about 230 days since Drew Wrigley, nominee to be U.S. attorney for the District of North Dakota was originally reported by President Trump--230 days. These are qualified nominees from my home State of North Dakota and the Presiding Officer's home State of North Dakota who have been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support. Yet both are still waiting for confirmation by the U.S. Senate. They need to be out there doing their job. They need to get confirmed. That is why we voted today to reduce debate from 30 hours to 2 hours for nominees like district court judges as well as many executive branch nominees, while retaining the 30 hours of debate for high-level nominees--for circuit court judges, Supreme Court judges, and for Cabinet positions. We did not change the confirmation for nominees to the highest levels of government, including the Supreme Court, circuit court, and for Cabinet-level officials. This reform does streamline the process for other important nominees who have languished on the Senate calendar for far too long. This is a commonsense reform to ensure that there is still debate on nominees, while making the process more efficient and effective so we can get qualified nominees confirmed and working for the American people, as is our job. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Rules for the 116th Congress be printed in the Record.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I extend my thoughts in regard to the comments made by the senior Senator from Texas in the need for border security. I appreciate his comments, and I, certainly, agree with them. North Dakota State University 2018 FCS Title Victory Madam President, I rise to take a minute to recognize the incredible achievements of the North Dakota State University Bison football team today. On January 5, it earned its record seventh national championship title. For 7 out of the last 8 years, it has been the national champion. In a hard-fought victory, NDSU defeated the Eastern Washington University Eagles by a score of 38 to 24 in Frisco, TX. With that win, the Bison have now won an unprecedented, as I say, seventh NCAA Division I football championship series championship, setting a record for the most FCS titles of all time. The Bison now have a total of 15 NCAA championship titles. In addition, the team completed the 2018 football season with a perfect record of 15 wins and zero losses, displaying just an extraordinary resilience and skill. This achievement puts the 2018 Bison in, truly, elite company as it has become only the fifth team to cap off an undefeated season with a national championship title. The 2018 team joins the 2013 NDSU team in accomplishing this impressive feat. Further, NDSU is one of only five FCS teams to have ever won back-to- back titles. NDSU is the deserved holder of the longest title winning streak in FCS history, with its obtaining five titles in a row from 2011 to 2015. It has been victorious in every FCS title game in which it has played. After the title game, NDSU quarterback Easton Stick became NDSU's record holder for the most passing yards, having a total of 8,693 passing yards in his college career. He also became the NCAA record holder for the most all-time FCS wins by a quarterback, having a total of 49 career wins. I also recognize the impressive achievement of NDSU's head coach, Chris Klieman. During his 5 years as head coach, he led the Bison to an outstanding record of 69 wins and only six losses, winning four national championships in the process. Coach Klieman's achievement of four titles in 5 years equals the NCAA's FCS record for obtaining the most titles as a head coach. Coach Klieman and his entire staff instilled character and perseverance in the members of the NDSU Bison football team. While I know it is bittersweet, I am sure that Bison Nation will join me in wishing Coach Klieman the best of luck in his continued career as the new head coach of the Kansas State University Wildcats next season. We welcome Matt Entz as the new head coach, who was formerly the defensive coordinator. He has, certainly, been part of this great dynasty. Finally, I recognize all of Bison Nation for its vibrant and unwavering support of the team during another successful season. As they have grown accustomed to doing, the welcoming residents of Frisco, TX, saw a mass of Bison fans flock to their town for the FCS championship game. They were warm and wonderful in terms of their hospitality. Approximately 20,000 fans traveled from North Dakota and other areas to support our great team. They turned the stadium into a sea of green and yellow as they passionately cheered on our beloved Bison. The Bison victory was not only a victory for the NDSU football team but for our State as the team brought yet another trophy back home to North Dakota. I congratulate the team, the coaches, and our great, great fans on another national championship. Go, Bison. Again, I am so proud of our great team, and I appreciate the opportunity to take this time to recognize its achievements. I am pleased to yield the floor to my fellow Senator from North Dakota.

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I would like to commend my fellow Senator from North Dakota on his heartfelt comments today and express my support and agreement with him and with those comments. He mentioned a number of pieces of legislation that he is cosponsoring. I am pleased to see that. I, again, have signed onto legislation to support life in this Congress, as I have in previous Congresses. We will have the March for Life at the end of this week. I look forward to that. Last year, my wife and her sister actually walked in the March for Life. I have always made a practice of greeting our participants in the March for Life from North Dakota, and I certainly look forward to seeing them again here this year. With that, I thank you for this time to make these comments, and, again, to extend a warm welcome to my colleague from North Dakota. I have worked with him for many years, and I very much look forward to working with him now here in the Senate. Thank you.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be recognized for comments on behalf of my friend from North Dakota.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on behalf of Senator Heitkamp and to thank her for her service on behalf of the people of North Dakota, as well as the people of this great Nation. We have served together for the past 6 years, not only in the Senate but also on the Agriculture Committee, the Indian Affairs Committee, and the Homeland Security Committee. We have been able to work together on a variety of issues important to our home State, and we have been able to make progress on behalf of the people of North Dakota, as well as the country. Ag is still North Dakota's top industry. As members of the Ag Committee, we have had the opportunity to craft good, long-term foreign policy that will make a difference not only for hard-working farmers and ranchers in North Dakota but across the Nation. In fact, we have just released the conference report with our Ag Committee leadership, Senator Roberts and Senator Stabenow. I commend them for their hard work as well. Good farm policy benefits every American, every day with the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world. Certainly, as a fellow ``aggie,'' Senator Heitkamp understands that. I think it is really important that we continue to point out that a good farm bill isn't just about farmers and ranchers. As I said, the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world, thanks to our farmers and ranchers, benefits every single American every single day. I know Senator Heitkamp will continue to work, along with our entire delegation, to get the farm bill approved by the end of this year so we can provide certainty and security for our great producers. As chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, I have appreciated Senator Heitkamp's commitment to help empower our Tribal communities and to improve the quality of life in Indian Country. Senator Heitkamp has been an advocate for Native communities. She was able to pass bipartisan legislation to establish a commission on Native children. Additionally, the Senate recently approved Senator Heitkamp's Savanna's Act, which is legislation to bring greater awareness regarding tragic cases of missing and murdered Native American women. She has helped to bring awareness to these issues. We will have a hearing on the issue this week as well. We appreciate her insight and work as a member of our committee. These are just a few examples of the issues that we have worked on together to advance. While we may be on opposite sides of the political aisle, there is one thing we have always agreed on--that it is an honor--an incredible honor--to serve the great State of North Dakota. In closing, I want to wish Senator Heitkamp the best going forward and to thank her again for her service on behalf of North Dakota--a place that we are both blessed to call home. Thank you.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise to discuss the bipartisan, bicameral 5-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration Act that we will be voting on, and I believe passing, in about one-half hour. This is the first 5-year reauthorization for the FAA since 1982, providing long-term certainty for our aviation infrastructure while ensuring that we continue to have the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. The bill continues to provide stable funding for the Airport Improvement Program which supports the construction, rehabilitation, and development of airports of all sizes, including the construction of the new Williston Basin International Airport in North Dakota, the first new air carrier airport built in the United States in over 9 years, and very much needed because it is right in the heart of the Bakken. We have had incredible energy development there. We now produce between 1.2 and 1.3 million barrels a day, second only to Texas, so we have a lot of people coming in, a lot of infrastructure being developed, and obviously our service is incredibly important. I can't thank the FAA enough for recognizing that we not only needed an expansion of airport facilities, but we needed to build a whole new airport because they were closed in by the community of Williston. This is the first new air carrier airport built in the United States in 9 years, and it is tremendous. It is not just about serving Williston, it is about serving Northwest North Dakota, as well as parts of Eastern Montana, and a very important, growing energy industry area for our Nation. That shows the importance of the kind of provisions we have in this legislation and how it affects every part of our great Nation. Ensuring long-term certainty for FAA programs like the Airport Improvement Program are essential for our airport construction projects, as I have described, in the Williston Basin. It is particularly important that we have this funding and are able to utilize it in an efficient way. For example, in cold-weather States like my State or the State of our Presiding Officer, there is a relatively short construction season so we have to get out there and get after it and get it done when we can. That is what we are doing with this legislation, as well as in the appropriations bill, making sure the funding is there so we can deploy it cost-effectively, getting the funding out there and construction done when it can actually be done. The FAA reauthorization includes a number of provisions I worked on and authored to expand upon work we are doing in North Dakota on unmanned aircraft systems. This is a big part of the future of aviation. I thank the Commerce Committee chairman--the Commerce Committee being the committee of jurisdiction--and I would like to thank Chairman Thune, my good buddy from the other Dakota, and also the ranking member for their work on the UAS legislation with me that we have included in this bill. As my colleagues well know, North Dakota is one of the leading States when it comes to development of unmanned aviation systems technology. As a matter of fact, Eastern North Dakota has been referred to as ``the Silicon Valley for drones'' by one of the prominent media outlets. Our Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site in Grand Forks, ND, is one of seven UAS research and development sites in the Nation, providing the proving grounds for a range of UAS testing from one-pilot operations and precision agriculture to military applications, defense applications, border security, as well as the energy industry--just a whole gamut of military, border protection, and commercial agricultural uses for unmanned aviation. For example, one of the golf courses in Grand Forks, the King's Walk Golf Course, which was actually designed by Arnold Palmer and is a very nice golf course, has begun delivering food to golfers on the golf course by drones. That is pretty cool. It is a sign of things to come. We have companies there such as General Atomics, Northrop Grumman, and leading aerospace companies developing applications such as Predator, Reaper, Global Hawk--all of these ISR military applications and so forth. We also have Customs and Border Protection there. We have 900 miles of border responsibility, and they are using unmanned drones on the border. I want to assure the Presiding Officer that is not just to keep an eye on Alaska, but we work with our good friends in Canada. So we have Customs and Border Protection and military applications but also these ag and energy applications, also this idea of small product delivery, where products can be delivered right to your home with drones. They are actually starting that on the golf course. You walk before you run, right? Here you are on the golf course getting food and beverages delivered. That is a first step in this process. I look at these young people, and I think about what we all carry now, our smartphones that are amazing computers that can do so much. Ten years ago, obviously, and when we were their age, we never dreamed of something like that. Even 10 years ago, we had no idea what this device could do. Think what unmanned aviation systems--drones, if you will--are going to do in 10 years, right? Looking at these pages--they will be developing these applications. We will be trying to keep up. You know, guys like me and the Presiding Officer, we will be trying to keep up with these young people. It is going to be amazing, and we have no idea about all the amazing applications that are going to be developed. That is why we worked so hard in this area, and that is why I am so pleased. Back in 2011, I actually worked on the legislation and authored a lot of it that set up the test sites we have. We were actually the first test site named. What we have been able to include in this bill is another 5-year extension of those test sites. That is really important because the work we are doing out there--as I mentioned, some of the great companies we have, they have to know they will be able to continue to operate on those test sites. We have a lot of special things going into making sure they have the airspace so they can fly these unmanned aircraft and do the testing and development. Whether it is high level, as I described with something like Global Hawk, which is a very large jet aircraft, all the way down to these small drones that are delivering food products on the golf course, we have to do it all. Having those test sites is a huge part of it. The second aspect of the legislation I was able to include in this bill really goes to spectrum. We actually have a program in there that allows us to help develop the spectrum, and that is very important as well. The amendment I offered will enable us to evaluate the best and safest spectrum for UAS use. We need that for command and control. It is amazing the things we have to figure out, including privacy, safety, how we do the command and control, high-level satellite, low- level, is it communication towers, like cell towers, what spectrums we use. All of these things, including redundancy, sense-and-avoid--all of those things go into developing contract airspace use for manned and unmanned aircraft. Another provision we included has to do with the language that will allow us to develop the best spectrum for UAS use. It is important to ensure that UAS operates on a spectrum that provides the safest command and control of the aircraft and involves the least interference with other spectrum users. I thank Chairman Thune for working with me to include this provision in the final bill that enables us to move forward in that very important area. As we see growth in UAS development and use, it is also important that we address vulnerabilities. In the wrong hands, Unmanned Aircraft Systems can pose a serious threat to our country, our people, and property. So I was pleased this legislation includes the Preventing Emerging Threats Act legislation I helped introduce along with the chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Senator Ron Johnson. I truly appreciate his work and the fact that we were able to include this provision in the legislation which Secretary Nielsen at the DHS wants. She was very clear that the Department of Homeland Security needs this legislation to have the authority not only to protect our Nation's borders but internally as well in case of any kind of unmanned aircraft attack on a facility and to be able to protect and prevent that. DHS needed this authorizing legislation to do that. So our bill will help protect important facilities from the security risks posed by anyone using unmanned aircraft improperly or dangerously. We do this by providing the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice with the authority to protect covered facilities and assets when there is a security risk posed by unmanned aircraft. I am pleased we were able to work in all these areas and include them in this large, important bill. These are all different areas of aviation that are so important to address for our Nation. Our Nation leads the world in aviation. We always have. We lead in technology development, whether it is manned or unmanned aircraft. We are pushing the boundaries whether it is rocketry or anything else. The President now is advocating a space force. Again, we are pushing the boundaries of aviation. We will continue to do that because of the innovation, creativity, ingenuity, and the adventurous spirit of the American people. We have to make sure we are doing our job in this body as well as our fellow Members of Congress. Our responsibility is to make sure we create the framework for our great companies, our great inventors, and our great scientists--for these amazing young people with all their brilliant and bright ideas--to have the forum and the opportunity to support the legal and regulatory environment so they can go out and do truly great things, where the sky is the limit. Right, guys? Where the sky is the limit. That is what this bill is about. It is not about the government doing it, it is about empowering the great people of this country to do all those great things and continue to lead the world forward with aviation. Thank you. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the life of Senator John McCain along with my colleagues. John is an American icon whose legacy is known not only across our Nation but around the world. His belief in American exceptionalism was unwavering, and it propelled him to a lifelong service to our Nation. Few have demonstrated John's level of commitment and service to our country. Through both, his bravery serving in the U.S. Navy and his long tenure in Congress, he demonstrated his deep love of country. As the son and grandson of four-star admirals, John began serving this country at an early age. He followed in their footsteps and attended the U.S. Naval Academy and was later commissioned as a naval aviator. He served in the Vietnam war, where he was captured and spent 5\1/2\ years as a prisoner of war. During those years, through torture and misery, he never gave up. He was offered freedom but refused to be released unless every other prisoner was released with him. Think about that. He was flying over Vietnam and was shot down. He was projected from his plane and landed in a lake in Hanoi. He was bruised, in terrible shape, put in a prison, and was clearly in incredible pain, and, through it all, he was offered an opportunity to go home early, and he said: Nope, I am not going unless all of the POWs go. Think of the strength and character that takes. It is almost unfathomable. I always affectionately refer to him as an admiral because both his father and grandfather were full admirals. There is no doubt that Senator McCain would have been an admiral had he stayed in the Navy, as well. It was just the way that I could recognize his amazing service in a fun way and in a personal way. Here is somebody, when you talk about serving our country in the military, who just epitomizes that grit, that determination, that character, and that service that we love, respect, and honor so much in our servicemen and servicewomen. John's perseverance followed him as he began serving our Nation as a Member of Congress and in the U.S. Senate. He fought fiercely for what he believed in. Everyone talks about how, when he took a position, he took it with a passion. So whenever you debated him, discussed things with him, and worked with him--whether you were on the same side or if you disagreed with him--he had that amazing passion that came through, and many have remarked on it. It was a remarkable trait. It is part of that warrior in him. For the entirety of his life, John endlessly advocated for our men and women in uniform. He served, and he served them throughout his life in the Senate. Working with him to support our servicemembers and veterans is something that I will never forget. What many people will not know about John, though, is his warmth as a friend. You know, you hear about his temper. He could be mercurial. Although, then he would get over it, and you would be right back working again. You heard about his incredible energy, about his war record, his time as a POW, the things he did as a Senator, but one thing that I think you don't hear as often but that was very much true is that he had a tremendous, tremendous sense of humor, and that came through so often in his interviews. He was also a warm person. I can remember when somebody would come to my office and want to meet Senator McCain. If it worked out timewise, I would take them over, and we would go over to Senator McCain's office. I would say: Hey, I have somebody here who would just like to say hi to John, get his picture and meet him. If he was there, almost every time he would bring them in. It wasn't a case of getting enough time or getting a quick picture, or something like that. Invariably, he would have them come in, sit down, talk with him, and take pictures, and pretty soon he would be taking them all around his office and showing them pictures of his family--he was so proud of his family, his grandfather, his father--and his mementoes, all the amazing things that made up his amazing life. He loved it, and he was so warm. There are so many things that I will never forget, but that is one that I truly treasure and will always remember. Here is Senator McCain, somebody who is known across America, around the world. He was certainly an icon and a colleague, obviously, to all of us, but he was somebody who really was a friend. When you went over and you wanted to talk to him about something or take someone over to see him, or whatever it was, he was a friend. He was somebody who was down-to- earth, who was a person you could connect with at a real level. That is pretty amazing for somebody who lived such an incredible life. We will miss John McCain. May God bless him. From my wife Mikey and myself, to John's wife Cindy and the entire McCain family, we join with you in mourning his loss and honoring his tremendous memory and legacy. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I want to thank my colleagues for advancing these appropriations bills, specifically the ag appropriations bill. I also want to thank Senator Merkley, my ranking member on the committee. Throughout the process, we have had open communications and have worked to advance the bill and to address amendments brought forward by our colleagues. I also want to thank specifically Senator Merkley's staff--Jessica Schulken, Dianne Nellor, and Bob Ross--for their work, as well as my crew--Carlisle Clarke, Patrick Carroll, Elizabeth Dent, Dan Auger, and Brita Endrud. This has been a process that has involved other subcommittees as well. I want to thank all of those who have worked on these appropriations bills, including Senator Collins and Senator Reed and their staffs on the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Subcommittee; Senators Murkowski and Udall and their staffs on the Interior bill; Senators Lankford and Coons on the Financial Services Subcommittee. This has certainly been a deliberative process--again, the way regular order is supposed to work. More than a dozen amendments that affected, for example, our agriculture bill have been accepted over the course of the bill. We voted on others. So I am glad that we have had the open debate and been able to advance these bills, and, of course, particularly the Agriculture appropriations bill. I will just conclude with what I always like to remind people of whenever we talk about agriculture, and that is good farm policy. It benefits every single American every single day because what our farmers and ranchers do is they produce the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world, which benefits every American every day. I thank the Presiding Officer. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to be recognized for 3 minutes for comments relating to the appropriations bill prior to the NDAA bill debate.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. I am glad we are considering appropriations bills on the floor in a manner that allows us to fully debate amendments. I am pleased also to join my colleagues from the Subcommittees on Interior; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; and also Financial Services in putting together this legislation. For now, I am going to limit my comments to the ag provisions. I will defer to my colleagues on their provisions, but I look forward to our partnership in moving these bills across the floor. The activities funded by the Agriculture bill touch the lives of every American every day. I like to talk about how important good farm policy is because good farm policy benefits every single American every single day with the highest quality, lowest cost food supply. As we move this Agriculture appropriations bill, that is what it is about. It is about our farmers and ranchers, no doubt about that, but it is something that benefits every single American every single day. These activities include ag research, conservation activities, housing and business loan programs for rural communities, domestic and international nutrition programs, and food safety and drug safety. Funding for each of these deserves thorough and thoughtful consideration. The subcommittee has made difficult decisions in drafting this bill. We had to choose and we had to prioritize in terms of putting this legislation together, but I think we brought forward a bill that works. It is one that got broad-based bipartisan support from the Appropriations Committee. It is written to our allocation of just over $23 billion. That is about $200 million above the current enacted level. We worked hard to invest taxpayer dollars responsibly, funding programs that provide direct benefits to our farmers, our ranchers, and rural communities, supporting programs that provide direct health and safety benefits, again, to every single American every single day. Ag supports more than 16 million jobs nationwide. It forms the backbone of our rural communities. Our agricultural producers are the best in the world at what they do, and we have to work hard to give them a level playing field because they produce food, fuel, and fiber for this country but also for countries around the world. We really do feed the world, so we need access to those markets to do so. This is, of course, in part, the result of smart investment in America's ag research infrastructure, something that truly helps our farmers and ranchers, our producers do what they do every day. Ag research helps us do it better, more cost-effectively, with higher quality, and more productivity. That is why I am pleased this bill puts significant emphasis on maintaining research programs at our land-grant schools, colleges and universities, across this Nation and funding for competitive research programs such as the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. These programs are critical to helping our farmers increase production, and they expand our Nation's economic growth. As I say, they feed not only this country but really the world. Not only does every dollar spent on ag research result in a $20 return on invest to the U.S. economy, research investment also results in a food supply that is safe, abundant, and affordable. I am also glad the agriculture bill prioritizes funding for rural infrastructure. Included is $425 million for rural broadband grants and loans, putting our 2-year investment in rural broadband at over $1 billion. Through fiscal year 2018-fiscal year 2019, we will put over a billion dollars into rural broadband, making sure all Americans, wherever they may live--whether they are in an urban area or out in the most rural part of our country--have the opportunity to access the world wide web and be part of the innovation and technology that goes with it. With this funding, we will make tremendous strides in bridging the digital divide in urban and rural communities. Broadband availability remains a challenge for States like mine, a rural State, and other rural States. Farmers need access to new precision technologies to help their operations run more efficiently. It is also essential for rural communities to have sufficient broadband if they hope to attract new businesses and grow their local economies. I am proud to say that we put funding in this bill to help to do just that. I thank Senator Merkley, our ranking member, for the bipartisan working relationship that we have on the Agriculture Subcommittee. I also want to applaud and express my appreciation to Chairman Shelby for working to return our Appropriations Committee to regular order. I think this ag bill that we are presenting today reflects a well- balanced compromise, and it illustrates that the Senate can work together on important issues like this one. I certainly hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation. With that, I turn to our ranking member, Senator Merkley. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

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

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all time be yielded back.

Mr. HOEVEN

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