John Hoeven

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also referred to as the Senate's farm bill. As a member of the Senate Ag Committee, I was proud to work with Senator Roberts and our ranking member, Senator Stabenow of Michigan, to pass a strong farm bill out of committee. Times are challenging in ag country. Commodity prices are low, and our farmers and ranchers face numerous challenges. Net farm income is down 52 percent from where it stood 5 years ago, and bankruptcies are up more than 39 percent from 2014. Moving this farm bill through the Senate will help reduce uncertainty for our ag producers and will benefit the broader economy. I would like to say and I often say that good farm policy benefits every single American every single day. Think about that. Our farmers and ranchers produce the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world, in the history of the world. So every single day, every American benefits just in that respect and in other respects in terms of the employment that is created, the positive balance of trade, the innovation, and so many other things. In fact, the crops we grow and the livestock we raise are used not only for food but also for fuel and fiber. But simply the fact that every single American benefits every day from the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world means that when we pass the farm bill, providing good farm policy that helps support our farmers and ranchers so they can continue to provide that food supply for Americans, we really are doing something for all Americans and something that affects their lives, obviously, in a very big way every single day. I am pleased we were able to draft a bill that will give our farmers and ranchers the support they need to continue to produce that food, fuel, and fiber that make our country go and provide the same things to so many in other countries throughout the world. Leading up to consideration of the farm bill, we worked diligently to gather input from farmers and ranchers in my State and across the country. Over the past year, I have held roundtables back home. I have hosted Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue so that he could hear directly from our great farmers and ranchers about their priorities for this farm bill. I am grateful that the bill includes many of these important provisions and that it will support the great work done by our farmers and ranchers in North Dakota and across the country. I just want to highlight a few of those measures. We have worked hard to ensure that the bill maintains and strengthens crop insurance, which is the primary risk management tool for our producers. Let me emphasize that again. Crop insurance is the No. 1 risk management tool used by our producers across the country. The farm bill also includes a provision based on a pilot program I have put forward to improve the fairness of ARC, which is the Agriculture Risk Coverage Program, which is a very important part of the countercyclical safety net for our farmers and ranchers. So we have ARC, or the Agriculture Risk Coverage Program, and PLC, the Price Loss Coverage Program, which comprise that safety net--that countercyclical safety net--for our farmers, so that when prices are low, they get help, and when they are high, they don't. That is the whole idea--to help them through the tough stretches, along with, as I mentioned just a minute ago, crop insurance. The pilot program we incorporated into the bill really allows RMA data, which is the Risk Management Agency data, to be used in addition to the NASS data, or the National Agricultural Statistics Service data, which has been used historically and provides flexibility so that you get a good, commonsense result when you are applying that ARC Program across the country to many different farmers in many different circumstances. The legislation also includes increased authorization for the Water Bank Program that I advanced, which provides compensation for farmers and landowners for flooded land through 10-year, voluntary conservation agreements. In addition, I supported measures to help address risks to animal health, livestock export markets, and industry economic stability. That is why I am glad this bill includes a new Animal Disease and Disaster Response Program, as well as a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank. That protects the animals, and that protects all of us as well. This farm bill also prioritizes ag research, including supporting important work done at North Dakota State University and at the North Dakota Extension Service, which are working to enhance crop genetics and production. The ag research done in our State and in our other agriculture universities across this Nation have really revolutionized farming and ranching. We can grow crops that are disease resistant and raise livestock that is healthier and stronger because of the amazing things that have been done in research. We need to continue that because we not only supply food for this country but really for the world. We are doing things that we never even dreamed of years ago because of the amazing advancements in ag research. In order to allow our producers to continue to compete and excel in the global marketplace, the bill creates, expands, and maintains critical export programs that support U.S. ag products. I am pleased that the bill we passed out of our committee preserves the no-cost sugar policy, which ensures that American producers can compete on a level playing field with sugar from around the world. The bill also includes measures important to Tribal communities, including almost all of the provisions of the Cultivating Resources, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Sustainability for Indian Country Act, or the CROPS for Indian Country Act. The CROPS for Indian Country Act is bipartisan legislation that I introduced and that we passed out of the Indian Affairs Committee, which I chair. There are very important provisions in that bill that we included in this farm bill. I thank both the Ag Committee chairman and the ranking member for working with us to include those provisions in the farm bill. During committee markup, we were also able to strengthen the bill in other ways as well. Another good example and something that we worked very diligently to improve is legislation in regard to the NRCS. Particularly, this legislation will improve NRCS wetlands determination and ensure that NRCS is working more closely with our producers--by that I mean in a more farmer friendly way. The committee included my amendments to increase the participation of Tribal producers on international trade missions, as well as to give Tribal colleges and universities access to certain grant programs. Another area about which we heard from many concerned farmers and ranchers is access to credit. As they go through these challenging times, they need access to credit. So I offered an amendment in committee, which we passed. It increases the amounts for FSA, or the Farm Service Agency, loan guarantees from about $1.39 million up to about $1.75 million. That is under the guarantee program. We also increased the direct loan program from $300,000 to $600,000 on a chattel-type loan and $400,000 on operating loans. Again, this is about making sure farmers and ranchers have access to credit. This was advocated for by not only the ag community but also by the financial community as a way to make sure that we can help farmers through tough times but also so that we can help our young farmers get access to the credit and the capital they need to get into the business of farming. The average age for a farmer now is 60 years old. That is the average age for our farmers across the country. So we have to continue to work to help with the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program so that we get young people into the business of farming. It takes more capital to do that, and that is why these programs are so important. I am convinced the farm bill we are considering this week will give our farmers and ranchers the tools they need to succeed in the next 5 years and beyond. Congress has not enacted a farm bill in the same year it was introduced since 1990. So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this farm bill so that we can continue to provide our ag producers with the tools they very much need. I am going to conclude with something I said at the outset and which I try to remind people of every chance I get, and that is, again, that good farm policy not only benefits our farmers and ranchers, but it benefits every single American every single day with the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. HOEVEN. I thank our ranking member. This is truly a bipartisan bill that we brought out of committee through the hard work and the leadership of both our chairman and ranking member. So I appreciate all of her diligent, good efforts on the bill. Thank you.

Mr. HOEVEN

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

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, there is a reason we have passed the National Defense Authorization Act every year for the past 57 years, and that is because it is vital for the men and women who take responsibility for defending our country. Passing the Defense authorization bill is one of the most important things we do in this Chamber, and I look forward to passing the bill that we have before us out of the Senate and getting it through conference and signed into law very soon. I want to start by briefly thanking the bill managers for including a number of my amendments, but one I will mention that they have added to the managers' package is an amendment that requires the Air Force and the National Nuclear Security Administration to submit a joint progress report every 6 months on their efforts to develop a new nuclear cruise missile capability. This will help ensure that their efforts are synchronized and that we stay on schedule. The nuclear cruise missile is an important part of our deterrent, and I am grateful for the committee's willingness to work with me on this amendment and include it in the managers' package. This year's legislation certainly contains its share of noteworthy provisions. I will not be able to mention them all, but I do want to talk about some of them here today. For example, it authorizes a 2.6- percent pay raise for members of the armed services, which is the highest pay raise we have been able to include in more than a decade. It is something they very much deserve. Thanks to the good work of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the bill also takes important steps to modernize the personnel system to provide greater career flexibility and make sure we can meet the needs of the professionals who serve across our magnificent Armed Forces. In addition to personnel matters, I am pleased to note that the legislation supports our Nation's strategic priorities as reflected in the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Nuclear Posture Review. Those documents rightly point out that we face emerging challenges from Russia and China. While we hope to avoid confrontation with these nations, there is no question we are in competition with them, and this year's NDAA helps align our forces to make sure we maintain our competitive advantage. This legislation also authorizes significant numbers of fighter aircraft and additional numbers of submarines and surface ships. The reason we are able to do that is that we, in the budget agreement this year, provided more funding authority for our military, which, again, is something we very much needed to do. This legislation also fully authorizes the nuclear modernization program aimed at sustaining and modernizing all three legs of the nuclear triad, as well as extending the service lives of our nuclear warheads. Modernizing our nuclear forces is extremely important for our national security, as well as to my home State. In my State, the Minot Air Force Base is home to two of the three legs of the triad--bombers and ICBMs. These men and women of the Minot Air Force Base are on the frontlines of vital missions, and updating our nuclear force will help ensure they continue to fulfill this vital role in coming decades. In just the past few months, I have visited that base, and we have had ongoing deployments to the Korean Peninsula, based TDY out of Guam, as well as to the Middle East, taking an important role in what is going on in Iraq and Syria. I also want to highlight in this legislation the Air Force's plan to replace the engines on the venerable B-52 aircraft, something I have worked on quite a bit. We expect that aircraft, which has been a workhorse for us for many years, to remain a key element of not only our nuclear deterrent but also an important component of our conventional bomber force for decades to come. New engines will help keep it flying and ensure that it will continue to fulfill those vital roles. The legislation also provides for significant investment in emerging technologies that will position our forces to remain the most capable military on Earth, including investments in hypersonic weapons and directed energy weapons. Another base in my State, the Grand Forks Air Force Base, has the Global Hawk mission. This legislation makes sure we continue support for the Global Hawk, which is an unmanned aircraft that provides an incredibly important role in ISR--intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance--which is a very important part of our global reach. This legislation also authorizes the annual military construction program, with an Army readiness center in Fargo, ND, and a helicopter operations facility at the Minot Air Force Base representing two examples of military construction projects made possible through this legislation. Again, these are things I have worked hard on, as well as other support for our National Guard in my State and across the country. This bill includes language that provides higher allowances for Guard members on lengthy or numerous deployments. It also addresses Federal delays in recognizing promotions for National Guard and Reserve members, who play such an important role in our Armed Forces. There are too many provisions to go through all of them, obviously, but the point is we need to pass this legislation for our men and women in uniform. We have the finest armed services in the world, and they deserve our careful and deliberate attention to ensure they have the benefits they deserve, the tools they need, and the support that we owe them. Again, I look forward to completing work on this legislation, and then, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee--and I am on the Defense Appropriations Committee as well--I will work hard to make sure we have the appropriate funding to go with the authorization we provide in this legislation to make absolutely sure we support our incredible men and women in uniform. We owe them so much, and it is an honor and privilege to work on their behalf. With that, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I rise to speak in support of the VA MISSION Act. I want to begin by thanking the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee who has shown incredible leadership on behalf of our veterans for many years, and this bill fits right in that mold. This is a very important bill for a number of reasons. Obviously, it is an important bill because it supports our veterans, but it really has important provisions in it that will make a difference for our veterans. I want to thank the chairman of the VA Committee. I want to thank him not only for the quality of the work in this bill but for building the bipartisan coalition necessary to pass it because it really does make a difference for our veterans, to whom we owe so much. I would like to go through not all but some of the provisions that I think are really important, some I worked on and some I think really do make a difference for our great veterans. As I said, I speak in support of the VA MISSION Act. It is bipartisan legislation that will help ensure veterans receive the care they so very much deserve. This piece of legislation not only strengthens the VA's ability to care for our veterans, but when the VA is unable to provide that care, it gives our veterans a choice to seek care in their home communities and to do it on a basis that is convenient, that works for them, and then to make sure those healthcare facilities will provide that service to our veterans because they know they will be compensated for it by the VA. That is a huge issue because it is not just about making sure there is care out there for our veterans but making sure it is quality care and that it is available to them. We owe our veterans more than we can ever repay for their incredibly dedicated service. Expanding veterans' access to healthcare options closer to home is just one of the ways we can show our deep appreciation for their service to our country. Providing this kind of care has proven to be particularly challenging for our veterans residing in rural areas. I live in a rural State, and to get that access to quality service in these rural areas is a challenge. It is a challenge we have to address and a challenge we address directly in this legislation, which is why I am so deeply appreciative that we are working to pass this legislation. In 2014, the Veterans Choice Program was enacted to alleviate unacceptable waiting times for care at the VA. However, the Veterans Choice Program has been in need of improvement. In 2016, I worked to secure and implement the Veterans Care Coordination Initiative at our Fargo VA health center. The Fargo VA health center serves all of North Dakota, and it serves half or more of Minnesota as well. The initiative we worked to put in place at the Fargo VA--and the Fargo VA does a tremendous job. We have some VA health centers around the country that obviously need improvement, but the Fargo VA health center does a top-quality job. This initiative is an initiative we put together as part of the Veterans Choice Program. It has allowed veterans seeking community care to coordinate all of their healthcare through the Fargo VA health center rather than the third-party contractors that were set up under Veterans Choice, and obviously we had some challenges with those contractors. So this allowed the VA health center to provide that service directly, both if the veteran came into VA for institutional care at the healthcare center or at one of its CBOCs or if they wanted to get Veterans Choice care from a private provider in their local community. The initiative has been very successful and has significantly reduced wait times for community care appointments. The VA MISSION Act builds on that very effort. It builds on that effort by requiring the VA to schedule medical appointments in a timely manner. When the veterans need healthcare, they have to be able to get in and get that care in a timely way. The MISSION Act improves community care initiatives at the VA, including the Veterans Choice Program, by streamlining it into a single veterans community care program that will be able to provide better care for our veterans. That is the bottom line--better care for our veterans. Today I want to highlight three priorities we worked to include in the MISSION Act to provide veterans in North Dakota and across the country with better care closer to home. First, the long-term care piece. When we are talking about care, it is not just medical care; it is long-term care. It is in-home care. It is nursing home care. It is that whole continuum of care that is so important. The VA MISSION Act includes key pieces of legislation I introduced as a stand-alone act. That bill was the Veterans Access to Long Term Care and Health Services Act, and it focused on that long- term care piece, making sure veterans could get the VA to reimburse nursing homes and that nursing homes would take that VA reimbursement and take veterans. That is why I introduced the legislation, along with some of my other colleagues, to increase veterans' access to long-term care options in their communities. For example, currently, in our State, only about 20 percent of the nursing homes contract with the VA due to difficult regulations and reporting requirements. That is not dissimilar from across the country. That is what we are seeing across the country, only a percentage-- ultimately, a small percentage--of nursing homes that will take that VA reimbursement because of the redtape and difficulty contracting with the VA in order to get that reimbursement. A veteran should not have to relocate across the State because they can't go into a nursing home in their community because of that reimbursement issue. That is what this legislation addresses. Think how important that is. You want your veteran to be able to go in and get long-term care in their community, close to their home, close to their family, right? That is what this is all about. Our legislation will allow non-VA long-term care providers, including nursing homes, to enter into provider agreements with the VA. These agreements will cut through the bureaucratic redtape at the VA that has prevented our veterans from receiving long-term care services closer to home. This means veterans can access nursing homes and other long-term care in their communities closer to home and closer to their loved ones. The MISSION Act also expands caregiver benefits to veteran caregivers of all eras. Again, this is a very important provision. The VA's program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers includes a monthly tax-free stipend, healthcare coverage under the VA Civilian Health and Medical Program--if the caregiver is not eligible for coverage under another health plan--counseling and mental health services, up to 30 days of respite care services, reimbursement for travel-related expenses required for an eligible veteran's examination, treatment, or episode of care, and travel for caregiver training is also reimbursed. Currently, these benefits are only available to caregivers of post-9/ 11 veterans. The inclusion of this provision will help support pre-9/11 veterans and the family and the friends who take care of them. The other provision I want to mention again is really important for our rural areas and for our veterans in the rural areas. This is a very important provision. This priority, this provision, removes the Veterans Choice Program's 30-day, 40-mile eligibility requirement. So it removes that 30-day wait, that 40-mile eligibility requirement. Instead, the bill allows veterans to receive care in their local community when services are not available through the VA or if the veteran and his VA medical team determine that receiving community care would be in the best interest of the veteran--again, what is best for our veterans. This is a priority we have been working on for veterans in my home State and really States across the country, particularly our rural States. As I mentioned, for example, North Dakota's only health center is in Fargo. We have CBOCs around the State, but the only health center, the full-scope health center, is in Fargo. As I said, it covers all of North Dakota and, frankly, most of Minnesota. We have these community- based clinics out there. While they provide some services, they aren't always equipped to provide the care necessary for our veterans. So what does that mean? That means the veteran has to travel in some cases a long distance. Under the Veterans Choice Program's 30-day, 40-mile eligibility requirement, a veteran living within 40 miles of a CBOC meant they either had to go to that CBOC or travel a long distance to a VA health center. So they weren't eligible for that community care, as I say, forcing many veterans to travel long distances, often in inclement weather, in order to receive VA reimbursed care. This legislation, the MISSION Act, removes that requirement. So now, when a VA medical center or CBOC can't provide the service a veteran needs, then those veterans will be able to access healthcare services in their local community. So we have veterans traveling hundreds of miles now, round trip, inconvenienced, making it very difficult for them and their families. No more. Under this legislation, that 40-mile requirement and the 30- day limit is taken away. If it is most convenient for a veteran to access care from a private provider in their community, they can do it. That is a huge step in making the Choice Program work for our veterans. Just a few days from now, our Nation will set aside a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. It is because of their sacrifice that we can experience the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Sending this legislation to the President's desk is one way we can show our gratitude for their actions. I wish to congratulate again the great Senator from the State of Georgia and thank the Senate VA Committee staff for their leadership, perseverance, and hard work to get to this point. I am pleased that both sides of the aisle have come together to support this legislation and to support our veterans. I am proud to support the VA MISSION Act. Again, I urge my colleagues to support its passage. With that, I yield the floor for the Senator from the State of Missouri.

Mr. HOEVEN

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

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, today, on Peace Officers Memorial Day, I would like to honor the service and sacrifice of Colt Eugene Allery, a sheriff's deputy in Rolette County, ND, who was killed in the line of duty in January of 2017. Deputy Allery was only 29 years old, but he spent much of his young life serving in law enforcement. His loved ones said that he was happiest when he was doing for others, which is why he chose law enforcement as his career. In his life and service, Deputy Allery exemplified courage and a willingness to do whatever had to be done, regardless of the circumstances. Deputy Allery's name was inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial earlier this week--a lasting tribute to his bravery and dedication to serving his community. His name joins 51 other North Dakota law enforcement officers who have paid the ultimate price. We honor their legacy, along with police officers across the country who have died in the line of duty. Here in the Senate, we are also paying tribute to our men and women in blue. I am proud to join my colleagues in sponsoring a Senate resolution that pays tribute to Deputy Allery and the 128 other law enforcement officers killed on duty in 2017. Their dedication to community and the rule of law is characteristic of so many of our policemen and policewomen, without whose efforts our communities would not be the same. In recognition of such efforts, our resolution also honors the service of all law enforcement officers by designating this week, May 13 through 19, as National Police Week. We want to thank our men and women in blue--those who leave their homes and loved ones each day to protect our communities and heed the call to serve. While we pay special tribute to their service during National Police Week, we are always grateful for their sacrifices on our behalf. We honor them and thank them for heeding the call to serve. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HOEVEN

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

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I understand there is 4 minutes left, and I might go a few minutes over. I ask unanimous consent to complete my remarks.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise in support of S. 140, as amended, the bill sponsored by the outstanding Senator from the great State of Kansas, Mr. Moran. This bill affirms Tribal sovereignty and upholds the unique government-to-government relationship the United States shares with the Indian nations. As chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, I have long said there is far more common ground than division on Indian issues. Our committee has a strong tradition of working in a bipartisan manner to improve the lives of Indian people and to build stronger Native American communities. With the support of Indian Country, we have successfully advanced important initiatives to support Tribal economic development, healthcare, public safety, and housing. Additionally, we have worked to support our many Native veterans. Native Americans proudly serve and defend our great country at some of the highest rates per capita of any ethnic group. Of the 29 bills we have cleared through the Indian Affairs Committee this Congress, 18 have passed the Senate by unanimous consent and 4 have already been signed into law. Jefferson Keel, lieutenant governor of the Chickasaw Nation and president of the National Congress of American Indians, recently stated in an op-ed piece to The Hill: ``Both political parties have seen the wisdom of supporting strong tribal governments and tribal sovereignty and have to realize that as the most local of governments, tribes know best how to solve local challenges.'' Tribal sovereignty is the inherent right of Indian Tribes to govern themselves on their own lands, and it is the cornerstone of our government-to-government, nation-to-nation relationship. Today marks a real opportunity for the Senate to affirm and celebrate Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. The Senate will be considering S. 140, as amended, ``An Act to amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010.'' This bill combines both Republican and Democratic bills into three sections of S. 140. Each of these bills--S. 140, S. 249, and S. 63--all passed out of the Indian Affairs Committee with bipartisan support. The first section of S. 140 would allow for a technical amendment so the White Mountain Apache Tribe can use all or a portion of already appropriated funds from a water rights settlement to complete their drinking water system in Arizona. This section was originally sponsored by Senators Flake and McCain as S. 140. The bill was voice-voted out of the Indian Affairs Committee and passed the Senate by unanimous consent. Section 2 of S. 140 would amend the Indian Long-Term Leasing Act so that the Pueblos of Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh are authorized to lease their respective Indian trust and restricted lands for up to 99 years. This is identical language to S. 249, a bill that was introduced by Senators Udall and Heinrich of New Mexico. That bill was passed by the committee on February 8, 2017. Section 3 of S. 140 would amend and clarify the National Labor Relations Act so that Indian Tribes, Tribal governments, and tribally owned and operated institutions and enterprises that are located on Indian lands would be provided parity under the law with respect to other governments. This would reverse the 2004 National Labor Relations Board decision that found Tribal governments to be private organizations. That NLRB decision overturned years of precedent. Let's listen to Tribal leaders. In his prepared statement to the Committee on Indian Affairs regarding the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2015, then-Governor Paul Torres of the Pueblo of Isleta stated: This bill is essential to restore the dignity and equality of Indian tribes as sovereigns, which the National Labor Relations Board is seeking to deny us. The Board treats every sovereign, all the way down to local governments and political subdivisions of the state, as exempt from the National Labor Relations Act except for one--Indian tribes. It does so even though Congress made clear, when the NLRA was enacted, that the Act does not apply to sovereign entities. The NLRA does not mention Indian tribes and for a long time the Board recognized that the Act does not apply to Tribes. Since 2004, it wants that power--but it did not ask Congress for it. Nor did it ask the Tribes for their views. So this clearly goes beyond what should be allowed under the law. We have accomplished a lot in our committee, and it is because we have listened to Tribal leaders and their communities. This bill, S. 140, has the support of every Tribal leader across the country, the National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Gaming Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and many other organizations. With that, Mr. President, I urge a ``yes'' vote on cloture and on passage of this bill. With that, I yield the floor. Cloture Motion

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I want to associate myself with the comments of the esteemed Senator from Wyoming. I think he described very well the extremely positive impact that tax relief is having on our country, on economic growth, on job creation, and on higher wages and incomes for hard-working Americans. I rise today, however, to talk about the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act and the important reforms we are making to spur economic development, facilitate more lending, and reduce burdensome regulations on our community banks and credit unions. The Dodd-Frank Act was enacted in 2010 following the financial crisis in an attempt to reduce systemic risks the financial sector posed to the economy. This far-reaching law touched every aspect of the financial system, including many small community banks and credit unions around the country and in my home State of North Dakota and across this Nation, in North Carolina and in every State in the Union. These community banks and credit unions are not what pose the systemic risks that Dodd-Frank was passed to address. At almost 850 pages long, Dodd-Frank required more than 10 regulatory agencies to write almost 400 new rules, which added more than 27,000 new Federal restrictions on American businesses. Think about that regulatory burden--more than 27,000 new Federal restrictions on American businesses. Compliance costs to implement these Dodd-Frank rules have exceeded $36 billion--I repeat, $36 billion--which is ultimately passed on to consumers. It required nearly 73 million paperwork hours. In fact, agencies were still writing Dodd-Frank regulations after the law was passed. These costs hit small banks and credit unions especially hard, harming the driving forces of economic growth in rural areas and in our underserved areas. These financial institutions provide critical funding for credit for families and small businesses, especially in rural areas and in underserved areas. Rural States particularly feel that impact, like my home State of North Dakota. Because of their small size, community banks and credit unions have a more difficult time complying with excessively complex reporting and paperwork requirements. Compliance costs have hastened bank closures in small towns, leading to a growing number of places with no bank branches--meaning, not having financial services for consumers. Nationwide, more than one in five U.S. banks have disappeared; that is more than 1,700 institutions--or more than one small bank or financial institution every business day--that have shut down since Dodd-Frank was enacted. That means less access to financial services for consumers across this country, particularly those who don't live in our large urban areas. Since Dodd-Frank was signed into law, North Dakota has lost over one- fifth of its credit unions, with the number of credit unions in North Dakota declining from 47 in 2010 to 35 today. The number of community banks in North Dakota similarly dropped from 90 in 2010 to 74 today. These institutions have been forced to merge and consolidate due to the overly burdensome regulatory compliance costs associated with Dodd- Frank. The ultimate loser, of course, from these increased regulations, compliance costs, and the subsequent consolidation ends up being the very consumer that Dodd-Frank was intended to protect. Whether you are shopping for a loan to fund an innovative startup business, operating capital for your family farm, or seeking a mortgage to purchase your first home, fewer banks and fewer credit unions means fewer options for consumers. In North Dakota and in rural communities Nationwide, our community banks and credit unions serve just that--the communities. They serve their local communities. They are not only savings and lending institutions for hard-working neighbors, local businesses, farmers, ranchers, and community members, but they are willing to work with borrowers facing circumstances unique to their rural community. They know their customer. They know their community. They know their service area. Rural community banks and credit unions typically make loans that don't fit the standard mortgage mold. Properties that are not cookie- cutter residential properties are very common in rural markets. Rural lenders tend to use their knowledge of the market and the customer to structure loans that work for both the borrower and the bank. In other words, they make a loan fit the customer, rather than trying to make the customer fit a one-size-fits-all loan program with too much regulation. That might require using multiple pieces of property as collateral for the loan or utilizing a short-term loan to assist with a renovation that is paid off with the sale of a crop. Documenting assets and cash to close a loan may look very different. For example, livestock in a feedlot waiting for sale or crops ready for harvest or in storage silos may substitute for cash in the bank that would typically get a borrower to qualify for a loan under the standardized approach where one size is supposed to fit everyone. The fundamental purpose of community banks and credit unions is to serve their local communities. In North Dakota, they do this by forging personal relationships with the small businesses, farmers and ranchers, and individuals in their communities. By knowing their customers, they are able to offer products tailored to each individual who comes into the bank. Dodd-Frank undermines this fundamental purpose by forcing banks and credit unions to fit their customers into a one-size-fits-all mortgage lending product called ``qualified mortgages.'' While this may work for urban and suburban lenders who sell their mortgages to the largest Wall Street banks, we have seen that it does not work in our rural States and our rural areas. The bill we are now considering provides relief to rural customers by deeming certain mortgages held by lenders with less than $10 billion in assets as qualified mortgages, allowing community banks and credit unions to expand the types of mortgages they offer while maintaining critical consumer protections--meaning more choice and more opportunity for financing for consumers across the country. This means that our community banks and credit unions in our State and across the Nation will be able to offer a wider range of credit products and better serve the small businesses, farmers and ranchers, and hard-working individuals in our communities. Another important issue facing our rural communities is a critical shortage of appraisers. The appraisal is a key component of the home- buying process and is important to both borrowers and lenders. The bank wants to know that the home financing they provide can be supported by the collateral, and the borrower wants to make sure they are not paying more than the home is worth. In rural areas, including my State and many others, conducting appraisals can be more complex than in suburban and urban areas because there are fewer sales and fewer comparable properties. This makes it vitally important that there are local appraisers who are familiar with the area they are working in. However, we are seeing a dramatic shortage of appraisers right now in our State and I know in other States as well. For example, of the 53 counties in our State, 29 have no resident appraisers. This means that all properties sold in those counties are appraised by appraisers from outside the county, sometimes from across the State. This can lead to significant wait times for an appraisal to be completed, as well as the potential for inaccurate appraisals. This bill provides relief for home buyers in rural areas by exempting rural mortgage portfolio loans of less than $400,000 from being required to have a certified appraisal if the lender is unable to find a State-certified or licensed appraiser to perform that certified appraisal within 5 days. This will help reduce the cost to consumers and streamline the already time-consuming home-buying process. Additionally, this bill helps further protect consumers from identity theft and other predatory practices by requiring credit bureaus to provide consumers with one free freeze alert and one free unfreeze alert per year. These tools will empower consumers to take more control over their credit and better protect themselves from potential fraud. This legislation also includes a provision I cosponsored that would provide protections for bank employees who disclose the suspected exploitation of a senior citizen to a regulatory or law enforcement agency. This will encourage whistleblowers to come forward and protect senior citizens from financial exploitation. Additionally, I have filed an amendment, which I am urging my colleagues to support, that would help our farmers weather the low commodity prices and economic downturns in farm country. I have heard from many farmers and bankers across the country that the current Farm Service Agency, or FSA, loan program levels are outdated and do not reflect the current ag economy. My amendment would increase the maximum direct loan amount for the Farm Operating and Farm Ownership Programs to $600,000 from the current level of $300,000. It would also increase the maximum guaranteed loan amount for these programs from $1.39 million to $2.5 million. This would allow new and beginning farmers to purchase land and equipment or provide necessary operating capital to help farmers endure through the downturn in commodity prices. I will continue to work with my colleagues on that amendment. In conclusion, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act provides real regulatory relief to our community banks and credit unions. I believe this will benefit consumers across this country. It empowers lenders to sell products tailored to their customers, assists rural communities impacted by the shortage of certified appraisers, and provides enhanced consumer protections from identity theft, fraud, and predatory practices. It is past time that we provide regulatory relief to the community banks and credit unions across this Nation. Passing this bill will further economic development, increase lending in rural communities, and alleviate the onerous requirements placed on our small community financial institutions by Dodd-Frank. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield the floor to the distinguished senior Senator from the great State of Alabama.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the U.S. women's hockey team for their outstanding victories in the 2018 Winter Olympics. All told, the team won four games, including two 5-to-0 wins over Finland and Russia, and finished as champions after a 3-to-2 victory over Team Canada. Their achievement stands as a powerful example of hard work, perseverance, and collaboration. North Dakota is proud to be represented among the talented members of this team by two athletes, the Lamoureux twins, Jocelyne and Monique. These sisters are natives of Grand Forks, ND, and alumni of the University of North Dakota, where they played three seasons of NCAA women's hockey. This was their third trip to the Olympics with Team USA, having won silver medals in 2010 and 2014 and, of course, now the gold in 2018. They have a tremendous collegiate record and a tremendous Olympic record now, as well. Across their Olympic careers, they have scored 13 goals and provided 17 assists, for a total of 30 points. They displayed tremendous skill, tremendous work ethic, and a tremendous team spirit as leaders of a great women's Olympic hockey team. Jocelyne holds an Olympic record now, as well, having scored two goals in less than 6 seconds in the match against Finland. However, it was in the final game where the Lamoureux twins really shined. It was a close game throughout. While Team USA started out with the lead, Team Canada came back in the second period with a 2-to-1 lead. Remember, Canada had won gold in the last two Olympics. It was Monique who brought the game to a tie in the final period, and then Jocelyne scored the game-winning goal in the shootout. How great is that? It was unbelievable and exciting. It was such a great representation of sportsmanship for our Nation, coming back after twice seeing Canada take the gold, ending up with silver, and now coming back and winning the gold. This ended Canada's four-time gold-winning streak in women's hockey. Obviously, it was a joyous occasion--certainly for my State of North Dakota but also for our whole country. It is uplifting and positive--all the things you want the Olympics to be. As they arrive home from South Korea, we congratulate Team USA for their historic victory and thank them for representing our Nation with their incredible dedication, tireless effort, and tremendous sportsmanship. I yielded floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, February 16, 2018, marks the 150th anniversary of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks. The Elks is an American fraternal society dedicated to serving and caring for our citizens, communities, and country. The order continues to grow and thrive with a membership of nearly 1 million members and 2,000 lodges nationwide. The Elks is dedicated to the ideals of charity, justice, and patriotism and has invested millions of hours annually in building stronger communities, assisting homeless veterans, and supporting youth substance abuse prevention initiatives. Patriotism is central to the order's principles and is demonstrated in some of the organization's charitable endeavors. In 1907, the Elks first adopted June 14 as Flag Day out of reverence for the American flag and the sacrifices made in honor of it. Almost 40 years later, Congress officially recognized June 14 as the national holiday honoring the American flag. Elks members donated over 1 million for the renovation of the Statue of Liberty, which helped to restore this important symbol of freedom. Elks members also contributed nearly 2 million for the building of the National World War II Memorial in honor of the more than 16,000,000 people who served in the Second World War. The Order of the Elks has demonstrated a strong commitment to serving our county's veterans. The Elks are deeply engaged in the Veterans Affairs medical facilities by providing support and friendship to veterans at VA facilities. Furthermore, the Elks answered the call of the Department of Veterans Affairs to better address veteran homelessness by founding the Welcome Home Program. Providing mentorship and instilling good character and moral values in our country's youth is another important facet of the Elk's mission. Our youth are the leaders of tomorrow, and the Elks are committed to helping them succeed by supporting scholarships that allow more children to pursue their dreams. Further, the order educates parents and their children about the dangers of using illegal substances, tobacco products, alcohol, and abusing prescription drugs. These prevention and awareness programs help give young people the tools and information they need to make good decisions when faced with negative social pressures. I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to join me in recognizing and congratulating the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks on its 150th anniversary. The Order of the Elks has been and will continue to be a shining example of honor and service to neighbor, community, and nation.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I will be subbmitting a resolution in the U.S. Senate honoring the North Dakota State University Bison football team, who just won their sixth national championship in 7 years. Mr. President, I know you are a football fan, so you can truly appreciate what a fantastic achievement that is. What NDSU has accomplished over the last 7 seasons is absolutely extraordinary. With our victory on Saturday, the Bison have now won six national football championship series division I national titles in 7 years. That ties them for the most of all time. Also, in each of the past 7 years, they have won or shared the top spot in the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship. We also want to congratulate the James Madison University Dukes on an outstanding year. We had five championships in a row. The Dukes managed to beat us last year in a semifinal game, and we came back and avenged that loss in a thrilling championship game in Frisco, TX. It went down to the final play. It was a very, very exciting game. Winning a national championship is not easy, and this success, reflected both on and off the field, is earned through hard work and dedication. We recognize and congratulate all of the incredible players and Coach Klieman and his tremendous coaching staff, who put in countless hours of practice and preparation. We also recognize the importance of good leadership from athletic director Matt Larsen, NDSU president Dean Bresciani, and everyone at NDSU, all the coaches and the staff, team members, and really everybody who is part of Bison Nation. North Dakotans travel with our team. They show up in Bison Nation, and their cheering and supporting our great team is a huge part of our incredible victories. We congratulate Easton Stick, the quarterback, for achieving MVP honors and leading a tremendous offensive effort by the Bison and also Nick DeLuca, middle linebacker, for leading an incredible defensive effort. These were two tremendous defenses--James Madison and North Dakota State Bison--fast, strong, and it was a thrilling game and fun to watch. I want to compliment James Madison not only on their program but on all their fans and supporters--a real class act. I am very impressed with James Madison University--their students, their team, and all of their alumni, who also turned out in force for what was a tremendous game in Frisco, TX. With that, I submit this resolution to the U.S. Senate honoring the North Dakota State Bison. Mr. President, I have just one other thing to say: Go Bison. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, today I wish to discuss an important provision in the tax conference agreement that relates to the 20- percent deduction for certain passthrough income for agricultural cooperatives. I was pleased to see that the conference report fairly treats certain distributions from farmer cooperatives to their patron. This treatment will ensure that farmers will not see a tax increase at a time of depressed agricultural prices. I would like to clarify a drafting change that occurred in moving from the Senate language to the conference report language. Specifically, section 199A(c)(1) provides that the term ``qualified business income'' does not include any ``qualified cooperative dividends,'' as defined by the bill. I would like to clarify that in this sentence, the terms ``qualified business income'' and ``qualified cooperative dividends'' are mutually exclusive and that the intent is that these terms are to be treated separately under sections 199A(a)(1) and (2), as they were under the Senate bill. Also, I believe that the definition of ``qualified cooperative dividends'' includes ``per unit retains paid in money,'' PURPIMs, paid under 1382(b)(3).

Mr. HOEVEN

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

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I come to the Senate floor to once again talk about the need to pass tax reform for hard-working Americans. The House has passed a bill, the Senate has passed a bill, and now, of course, we are working through the conference committee to get the very best product we can for the American people. This tax relief is not just about reducing the tax burden on hard- working Americans and making sure they can keep more of their hard- earned dollars after tax, but it is also very much about economic growth. The tax relief package we are putting together that is coming together through the conference efforts, working to improve on both the House version and the Senate version, is designed to grow our economy. That is incredibly important because over the last decade, what we have seen are stagnant wages and income. So workers are working as hard as ever--harder than ever--but they are not seeing that growth in their paycheck. That is why we have to make this tax relief package pro- growth, so at the end of the day, that worker has a lower tax burden, but they also have a rising wage and more income. It is the combination of those two things that really--it is the rising tide that lifts all boats, if you will. That is how we generate that higher standard of living for workers and taxpayers across this great Nation. So that is what we are working to do: tax relief, grow the economy, create more jobs--and create them here at home versus overseas--and higher wages and income. These are just some of the statistics from the tax relief package that we put together. These are provided by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation as well as the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The objective is to grow wages by $4,000 over the 10-year scoring period, making sure our workers are seeing real wages. The estimate right now is that this tax bill is pro-growth and will generate, on average, $4,000 in higher wages, combined with an average tax cut of about $2,200. That is an average family--a family of four with median income. It will generate almost 1 million new jobs, and that is what, of course, pushes wages higher. When you create more jobs, it is that demand for labor that pushes wages higher. That is how it works. We are talking about almost 1 million new jobs over the 10-year period and a 3.7-percent larger economy. So growing the economy, creating more jobs, and it is that demand for labor on the part of business that pushes wages and income higher. When we look at the next chart I have, we see that we provide tax relief across all incomes. So it is really focused on lower income, middle class, making sure that, like I said, wage earners are saving more of their hard-earned dollars, but the effort is to cut taxes across all income groups, and that is what we do. It starts by taking the seven brackets we have and reducing them. It is just kind of simple math. The House plan reduces the number of brackets to only three. We keep the seven different brackets. The reason for that is because the objective is to lower everyone's tax rate, and we are better able to do that by keeping the seven tax rates. Some might say: You want to do simplification. We do want to do simplification, and we do tax simplification. There is no question that we do tax simplification because the complexity in calculating your taxes is calculating your taxable income, your adjusted gross income subject to taxes. That is the complicated part. Whether we have three different rates to apply to it or seven different rates to apply, depending on which bracket you fall into, that really doesn't add complexity. So we keep the simplification intact while we make sure that we provide tax relief across all of the different tax brackets or tax rates. That is what we see in this second chart. In addition, we keep or expand many of the tax deductions or tax provisions that are important to families, and that starts with the child tax. Well, I should say it actually starts with the standard deduction. We double, in essence, the standard deduction. For an individual, right now it is a little over $6,000 a person. We double that standard deduction to $12,000. For a married couple, you are talking over $24,000 that is covered under the standard deduction, no tax. In addition, if you are an individual and you have dependents, either children or maybe taking care of a parent or something like that, you get $18,000 in that standard deduction. Why is that important? Because by doubling that standard deduction, we go from 7 out of 10 filers not itemizing to something like 9 out of 10 tax filers not itemizing. This means real simplification. It means doing your tax return on maybe just a one-page form. This means you are not only reducing rates but also greatly simplifying the Tax Code. We keep other provisions that are very important for American families and, in fact, enhance them. For example, the child tax credit is doubled. So not only do we double the standard deduction, but we also double the child tax credit. We go from $1,000 to $2,000 per child. This is going to make a huge difference for families. Also, for family businesses, family farms, and small business we double the estate tax, the death tax unified credit, and include the step-up in basis. It is hugely important to make sure you can transition a small business, farm, or ranch from one generation to the next. To save for college, we enable the 521 savings accounts to continue for parents. Another very important one is we encourage businesses to provide paid family and medical leave by giving them a tax credit to partially offset an employee's pay while caring for a child or family member. Other things we keep, in terms of deductions that are very important, again, to hard-working families are as follows: The mortgage interest deduction. We make sure they can continue to deduct the interest on their home mortgage. The deduction of charitable contributions. It is obviously very important for the greater good of our society that people can continue to contribute to charities they believe in and support and that they can deduct those charitable contributions. The child and dependent care tax credits, the adoption tax credit, and the earned-income tax credit. We make sure people can continue to contribute to their 401(k) accounts on a basis that is tax-advantaged. Then, medical expense deductions. Obviously, for our seniors, this is very important. For somebody who has a medical condition or an illness, being able to deduct those medical expenses is extremely important. This is about making sure hard-working Americans can have not only tax relief but also the pro-growth aspect they see in the rising wages of incomes. That is what I want to talk about in this third chart, which goes to supporting our businesses across this great country. Small business is the backbone of our economy. Small businesses, farms, and ranches are the absolute backbone of our economy. Small businesses typically are passthrough businesses, which means the income flows through the business and is then taxed at the individual level. So part of the tax relief we are providing to small businesses comes from the reduction in the individual rates, as I have already gone through, because that income has flowed through. Passthroughs can be a partnership, a sub-S corporation, a limited liability partnership, a limited liability corporation. These are all passthroughs. So when the income flows through that small business to the individual, because we have lowered the rates, that already provides a lower net tax on those small businesses and the people who own and work and invest in those small businesses. The other thing we do is provide a 20-percent distribution deduction--a reduction in the taxable amount as far as income distributed by those businesses. We have gone through various iterations. We started at about 17 percent. We had hoped to move it higher. I think we will end up around 20 percent. What this means is, when income flows through that passthrough business, 20 percent is deducted before you calculate the income. For example, if you flow through $1,000, you would be taxed on the $800. Now, apply those lower tax rates I talked about, and you can see clearly that you significantly reduce that tax rate on these small businesses. Why is that so important? It enables small businesses to keep more of their hard-earned dollars, to invest in equipment, to expand and grow their business. It enables them to hire more people, like perhaps these great young people we have here working as pages. It enables them to raise wages and income and to grow their business, or, for an entrepreneur, to maybe start up a business. So it is those dollars that instead of going to taxes, stay with the business. They are invested in the businesses, create more jobs, more opportunity, and higher wages. That is the pro-growth aspect of this tax relief I mentioned at the outset. The other way this tax is really pro-growth is also for larger C- corps bringing down that rate. Of course, smaller businesses use the C- corp as well, but by bringing down that rate, we make companies in America more competitive in the global economy. Companies that do business not only here in America but in other countries around the world have to decide where they are going to invest. Are they going to invest and grow their plant and operations here in America or are they going to grow their plant and operations somewhere else? Of course, if they grow here, they are hiring people here. They are paying wages and salaries here in America rather than in some other country. We want companies that do business internationally or globally growing their operations here, not overseas. Right now, economists estimate that, currently, in excess of $2.5 trillion is held overseas by these companies and is not brought back to the United States and invested here because we have one of the highest tax rates in the world. Our corporate tax rate is one of the highest in the world. So when we talk about the current 35-percent tax rate, companies look at that and say: Why would we bring back earnings from another country, say, Ireland--pick a country anywhere in the world. Why would we bring those earnings back and pay a really high tax, versus reinvesting overseas or somewhere else where the tax is much lower, and we can be more competitive? This is what we are having to deal with, and that is why we lower the corporate rate--because that then creates the incentive to come back, invest dollars in the United States, and create more jobs here in America, and, in so doing, as they bring that revenue back, which is called repatriation, they generate tax revenues which help us provide more tax relief for hard-working Americans. So that is what I mean. That is the two-fer aspect of this tax relief plan. It is making sure individuals have real tax relief so they keep more of what they earned, but it is also about making sure they earn more, that their wages and income grow, and that there are more jobs and opportunities here in America. That is absolutely the focus of this tax relief plan and what we are working to achieve. Both the House and Senate have passed versions of this tax bill. We are now working to get the very best product we can through the conference committee. We are making real progress, and we need to continue to work together and get this tax relief done. We have been working on it for a long time. A lot of effort has gone into it. It is time now to finish it up this week, to vote on it, and to get this tax relief passed before the end of the year so, as Americans go into 2018, they know they are able to keep more of their hard-earned tax dollars and we also have a vibrant economy, where there is going to be more jobs and opportunity and higher income and wages. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that S. Res. 351 be star printed with the changes that are at the desk.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 356, submitted earlier today.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the measure.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, December 12; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Grasz nomination; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings; finally, that all time during recess, adjournment, morning business, and leader remarks count postclosure on the Grasz nomination.