John Hoeven

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I would like to thank the Senator from Montana for offering this amendment and to speak strongly in support of the amendment. In 2015, S. 1 authorized the Keystone Pipeline. So we have voted on this before, and we have approved it. We need to do it again. Look, whether you are for traditional sources of energy or renewable sources of energy or both, we need the infrastructure to move it around the country as safely as possible in an environmentally sound way on a dependable basis. That means we need transmission lines, and we need pipelines. Let's come together. Let's continue to build our energy future, not to mention the 11,000-plus jobs directly involved in working on this pipeline. But for energy independence and energy security for our country, for good- paying jobs, energy is foundational to everything we do in our economy. Let's support this amendment. I yield back to Senator Tester. Additional Cosponsor

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the $1.9 trillion spending bill that we expect we will be considering probably starting tomorrow. The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted our communities, causing heartbreak and grief for hundreds of thousands of families who have lost loved ones. At the same time, it has turned our economy upside down, and it has shuttered small business, as well as schools and churches. Without a doubt, it is during a pandemic that we here in Congress should be coming together and working to provide relief for those who are struggling, and it is for that very reason that I am proud that Republicans and Democrats have worked together. We worked together over the past year on a very bipartisan basis--a bipartisan basis--to pass five different pieces of legislation to address the pandemic. In March of 2020, we passed the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act by a vote of 96 to 1. We passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act by a vote of 90 to 8, and the landmark Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, which is the one I think most people are very familiar with. That provided $2.2 trillion in relief, and it passed the Senate unanimously. It got every Republican and every Democratic vote. Last summer, we unanimously passed legislation making adjustments to the Paycheck Protection Program, providing further support for our small businesses and additional funding for hospitals, for healthcare providers, as well as for COVID-19 testing. We passed it unanimously. In late December, just over 2 months ago, we provided an additional $900 billion in relief, including direct payments to individuals, $120 billion in additional unemployment insurance, $25 billion in rental assistance, $25 billion in nutrition and ag assistance for our farmers, and $325 billion in additional support for small businesses--again, with an overwhelming bipartisan vote--bipartisan. All five of these were passed with big bipartisan votes--some of them unanimously--and much of that money has yet to be spent. Now Democrats in Congress and the administration want to pass, on a partisan basis with only Democratic votes, a massive $1.9 trillion bill with no input from Republicans, unlike the previous COVID-19 relief bills that we worked together on to pass to respond to this COVID epidemic. In the House, the bill passed. It didn't get any Republican votes, and it didn't even get all the Democratic votes. It was passed solely with Democratic votes, no Republican votes, and some Democrats voting against it as well. And, again, we haven't even spent the $900 billion we just passed on a bipartisan basis in December. Also, the bill includes billions in spending for nonpandemic-related programs, including $480 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. As a matter of fact, here is just some of the things in here that don't relate to COVID: $50 million for ``climate justice,'' $50 million for family planning funding without the Hyde protections, $112 million for Speaker Pelosi's Silicon Valley subway, $135 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities, $135 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, $200 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, $12 billion in foreign aid, and $30 billion for public transit, of which $4.5 billion is for New York City's subway system. How does that relate to addressing COVID? Again, like I said, we just passed $900 billion in December, which has yet to be spent, that does address COVID. So we need to focus on spending the money that we have already provided. We need to make sure that it gets to the needs. We need to get our economy opened up. We need to get our kids back in school. Those are the priorities right now. And then, when we look at this bill, in addition to spending on things that aren't related to COVID, let's also look at how the funding is allocated. The bill provides $350 billion in funding to States, Territories, and localities. But it is not based on population. Instead, it is based on unemployment. Well, that unfairly awards the States that shut down over those that stayed open. And the reality is that what we really need to do is get the vaccine out so, again, we can open up our businesses and make sure we get our kids in school. That has got to be the priority now. But how do you go forward with that kind of a formula that isn't fairly delivered as well? Under this flawed methodology, in this bill the city of New York would receive about $4.3 billion. That is actually more than 36 States would get. Also, the city of Chicago would receive $1.98 billion. There are 20 States that wouldn't get that amount. Los Angeles would receive $1.35 billion, which is more than 13 different States would receive. In addition, L.A. County would receive $1.95 billion, bringing that valley's total to $3.3 billion. Why is that the allocation formula? Republicans stand ready to work with our Democratic colleagues to provide the necessary support to fill in any remaining gaps and provide targeted COVID-19 relief to our healthcare workers, continue vaccine distribution, safely reopen our schools, and provide help for those in our communities who are struggling the most. But we cannot support this $1.9 trillion partisan bill which will add to our national debt on the backs of hard-working Americans I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 887 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, this amendment ensures that we don't implement a carbon tax, and I am joined on it by Senator Lankford and Senator Cramer. Simply put, a carbon tax is a national energy tax, and it is a regressive tax. Raising the cost of energy through a tax or fee hits hard-working families the most, making it more expensive to heat their homes, drive to work, and put food on the table. In addition to keeping the lights on, every sector of our economy depends on access to affordable and reliable supplies of energy. A carbon tax increases the cost on our manufacturers, exporting American jobs abroad to other countries with fewer environmental regulations, meaning global emissions would actually increase. Instead of pushing new taxes, we must, instead, focus on innovation and making emerging technologies like carbon capture, utilization, and storage, or CCUS, commercially viable. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this amendment.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, stand up for working families and vote yes. I ask for the yeas and nays. Vote on Amendment No. 887

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. I thank my cosponsors on this amendment and our efforts will continue. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN. North Dakota is an energy powerhouse, and our late-night producers work around the clock to ensure homes and businesses in the Midwest have affordable and reliable access to power when it is needed most. But the PTC, the wind production tax credit, is creating artificially low prices in markets for power generation. Qualified wind projects are receiving up to 2\1/2\ cents per kilowatt hour from the taxpayer. These subsidies distort the market and are forcing out the critical coal-fired baseload generation we need to keep the lights on. Since Congress established a wind production tax credit in 1992, wind power has been able to transition from an emerging technology to a multibillion-dollar industry that is clearly commercially viable. That is why we worked on a bipartisan agreement in 2015 to phase down and sunset the wind tax credit at the end of 2019. We had an agreement to do the phaseout, and the wind industry agreed to it. I worked with Senator Thune and AWEA, the American Wind Energy Association, and others to do it. And they agreed. We had an agreement. That is why we are opposed to extending the PTC and offer an amendment to strike it. We saw what happened in California over the summer, and we can't afford to have blackouts and brownouts during the coldest of winter weather months. We, instead, must strengthen grid resiliency and reliability by keeping diverse sources of generation available at all times, including when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining. That means baseload. Instead of extending the production tax credit, we should be working on making technologies like carbon capture and sequestration commercially viable. The American Wind Energy Association states on its website that ``growth in the wind industry is expected to remain strong when the PTC is fully phased out.'' Why, then, are we considering another extension of this credit when the leading trade association expects to see strong growth for the wind industry without the credit? We need to bring back a level playing field for competition in our electricity markets and reverse the trend of taxpayers continuing to subsidize a mature, multibillion-dollar wind industry. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and ensure that the wind production tax credit sunsets. With that, I would like to ask for some words from my cosponsor on the amendment, Senator Cramer.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I thank my colleague Senator Cramer and turn to my colleague Senator Lankford.

Mr. HOEVEN. I would ask my colleague from Oregon--and I did have him in North Dakota. We had a great time, and I appreciate his coming out to see the energy we produce in our great State. I would ask the gentleman for his help on carbon capture technologies. We put funding in place to advance those carbon capture technologies, and I ask for his help and his colleagues' help in that endeavor.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I would like to thank my colleague Senator Lankford. Also, we would like to thank Senator Alexander, Senator Barrasso, and others who support this legislation. With that, I ask unanimous consent that our motion to concur with the amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I want to acknowledge and express my appreciation for the comments of the Senator from West Virginia, her father's service, and the service of so many veterans, as well as our colleagues here in the Senate who are here today saying thank you as we enter this time of Thanksgiving for our veterans and all those who serve today. We appreciate them so much. Of course, that is what this colloquy is all about, for us to come down today and to say thank you to our veterans, thank you to those who serve. I know the Presiding Officer's State has a number of military bases and a large contingent of servicemembers, and they are truly fantastic. They are just amazing. We have two large Air Force bases in my State, and, of course, our Guard and others who serve in our military. I am impressed every day when I see what they do and how they serve. We are so deeply appreciative. That is what today is all about. It is thanking our veterans and making the point, I think, that we need to be there for our veterans and our servicemembers every day, not just on Veterans Day, but that we need to be out there every day saying thank you for all that they do for us--and to their families--and to always keep in our hearts and our prayers all of those who are deployed around the world today keeping us safe. In my State of North Dakota, we have a rich tradition of service. I am so proud of all of our North Dakotans who have served in the military and serve today. Since I was Governor of North Dakota, from 2000 through 2010, and even since I have been here in the Senate, I don't think I have ever missed participating at home on Veterans Day in ceremonies for our servicemembers. Really, because we were in session last week, this was the first time in, I think, more than 20 years that I wasn't able to attend services at home for our veterans on Veterans Day. So what I did is I went over to Arlington Cemetery and spent some time there. I also went to the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, and I particularly wanted to go over to the Marine Corps Memorial because my father was a marine. Of course, for his life--he died when he was 87 years old, but throughout his life, you could never say he was a marine because once a marine, always a marine. So even when he was in his eighties, he would say he still is a marine. If you said ``was a marine,'' then he would get mad at you, but now that he has passed, I can say he was a marine. But he was awfully proud of his service. As I looked at that Marine Corps Memorial, it made me think of him. It just is, again, a recognition for all of us of how much we owe our veterans. So it is about thanking them and acknowledging them, but it is also very important that we show our gratitude in other ways, by making sure that our Armed Service forces, members, as well as all of our veterans receive the care, the benefits, the recognition, the things that our Nation has promised them for their service. We need to follow through on those things. In this Congress we have worked to do that, and we need to continue to work to do that. Some of the things we have been able to do are work to strengthen the VA's ability to provide veterans with a continuum of care so that not only do they have access to the medical care they need, but they also have that continuum of care as they get older. We talk about our World War II generation, America's ``greatest generation,'' as laid out in Tom Brokaw's book and that famous acknowledgement of all that they did in World War II. So many of them, of course, we are losing now, and it highlights the need to make sure that we have the continuum of care there for them, both care in terms of nursing home care and also home-based care as well. We need to make sure that those options are available to them. We also need to recognize that members of our military suffer injuries both seen and unseen. There are the wounds that you can see, but then there are also the wounds, the battle scars of war, that you can't see. In terms of what the VA does for our veterans, we need to make sure that the mental healthcare and the suicide prevention programs are in place there as well. Last month the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act was signed into law, and I was pleased to be able to cosponsor that legislation, and that legislation will help advance a more comprehensive approach to address the tragedy of veteran suicide. It also expands access to alternative treatment options like hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or HBOT, for veterans who have not been able to benefit or recover using traditional therapies for post-traumatic stress. Last year, working with others, I was able to secure for the Fargo VA designation as the fifth location in the Nation for an HBOT pilot program, and we recently extended that program for a longer period of time and added additional service area in Jamestown, ND, as well. I have to say, our VA veterans healthcare facility in Fargo is second to none. They do a tremendous job. I talk to veterans who go there not only from North Dakota but from much of Minnesota, and they really appreciate it. The care there is high level. Sometimes we hear these stories and have great concern about veterans' care facilities where they are not doing a good job, and we need to address that, but I can say that our Fargo, ND, VA healthcare facility is tops. And the veterans I talk to on a regular basis tell me that, so we are very appreciative of all the healthcare providers who work there and do that very good job for our wonderful veterans. So we need to continue to provide that type of care as well. Also, I joined with Senator Sinema and Senator Sullivan in introducing the Reduce Unemployment for Veterans of All Ages Act, which enables veterans, regardless of when they served, to access VA's vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits. That just makes sense, particularly during this pandemic. We are seeing the challenges with unemployment for everybody, and making sure that our great veterans have access to work and employment when they come back or leave the service is always a priority. It is obviously very much a priority as we work our way through this pandemic. So passing this legislation would help provide veterans with greater self-sufficiency, better financial security, and, of course, a higher quality of life. Also, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, I have worked with our committee to ensure that our Nation fulfills its promise to our Native American veterans. Native Americans serve in our military in a higher percentage than any other ethnic group, which is truly remarkable and a tremendous thing. So, as I say, for all of our veterans, we have to be there, but we certainly have to make sure, then, that we are providing help and support for our Native American veterans who have served as well. Clearly, Native American veterans face some unique challenges related to homelessness and housing, and that is a function of being on the reservation. They have some unique challenges, and we have to work to address those challenges. So I have worked with Senator Udall, the vice chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, along with Senator Tester, whom I think is ranking member on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and we introduced the Tribal HUD-VASH Act, which would provide rental housing assistance as well as housing for eligible Native American veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Our legislation has passed the Senate, and we are certainly hoping that it receives action in the House very soon. As we continue to support our servicemembers, I also am a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, and we need to continue to work to invest in our military and ensure that our servicemembers have the tools they need to complete their missions. In North Dakota we have many Active-Duty servicemembers at our Air Force bases, as well as others in the State. They perform incredibly important missions, and we need to make sure that we are supporting them and our servicemembers across the country and deployed around the globe and that they have what they need to do their missions. That applies equally for our members of the National Guard and the reserves. As a former Governor--and I know the Presiding Officer was a former Governor himself--the amount that we rely on the National Guard is unbelievable. Their level of service is unbelievable. Whether it is fire or flood or hurricane or tornadoes or any kind of natural disaster here at home or whether it is deploying to the global war on terror in Afghanistan, Iraq, or anywhere else around the world, our National Guard is there. They do an incredible, incredible job, so we need to make sure we are supporting our Guard and reserves just as we support our Active-Duty forces. As a matter of fact, one of our Guard units is actually deployed for a 9-month assignment defending the Nation's Capital. They are here defending Washington, DC. Again, talk to anybody who is a Governor or a former Governor, and they will tell you just how incredible the National Guard is. And those deployments are not easy. Whether they are deployed overseas, whether they are deployed somewhere in the United States, whether down on the border or wherever it may be, they serve. And we can't forget that their families serve too. When they are gone, the families have to pick up the slack at home, and they do. That is one reason that each year since coming to the Senate, I have introduced in the past the Senate resolution proclaiming a national Day of the Deployed to recognize and thank our deployed servicemembers and their family members: Active Duty, Guard, and Reserves. With Thanksgiving approaching, we are reminded of the many freedoms and blessings that we enjoy as a nation, all of which have been secured by the men and the women who have served and do serve in our Armed Forces. Today and every day--not just on Veterans Day but today and every day--we say thank you and God bless you I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Before I begin, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the reason for this vacancy. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dedicated almost three decades of her life to serving on the highest Court, and she will always be remembered as a talented attorney and jurist. We appreciate Justice Ginsburg and her service to our Nation. Soon the Senate will consider the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve as Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. Judge Barrett has an outstanding record of accomplishment, as well as a strong record of upholding the law rather than legislating from the bench. Judge Barrett graduated summa cum laude, first in her class, from Notre Dame Law School. She then clerked for Judge Silberman on the DC Circuit and Justice Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court She currently serves as a circuit court judge for the Seventh Circuit. During her time on the Seventh Circuit, she has written 79 majority opinions. She has also published 18 law review articles. I wanted to take a moment to mention this list of accomplishments to highlight how remarkable she is as an attorney and as a jurist. I had the opportunity to sit down with Judge Barrett to discuss her judicial philosophy. She is an originalist and a textualist. Her traditional philosophy ensures her own personal beliefs and her views will not impact her role as a jurist. As a Senator, I strive to ensure we confirm judges who will be impartial in their rulings and will take the facts presented and apply the law to those facts. During our conversation, we discussed the principle of precedent and how precedent is important for judicial structure. Judge Barrett believes that, as a judge, her main duty is to the U.S. Constitution and to ensuring that all judicial opinions uphold the rights, freedoms, and principles established in this essential document. Judge Barrett's judicial approach ensures she will be fair and impartial toward every plaintiff who comes before her and, at the same time, that our most vital document--our Constitution--is upheld and echoed in every judicial opinion she makes. Judges should never have preconceived notions, and they should not be able to provide a prediction or any sort of hint as to how they will decide a future or hypothetical case. A judge's judicial philosophy ensures they have the proper tools at their disposal for reaching decisions. Judges' decisions impact lives, and it is important for our jurists to be fair, level-minded, and impartial at all times. That is why having someone like Judge Barrett on the Supreme Court is best for our Nation. Another topic I discussed with Judge Barrett was the importance of upholding our Federal trust and treaty obligations to our Tribes. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, I understand the importance of upholding these responsibilities. Judge Barrett said that she will objectively look at every case that comes before her, will apply the law to the facts at hand, and will do her part to uphold the Federal trust and treaty responsibility. Judge Barrett has not only established an outstanding record of accomplishment on the bench, but she has also demonstrated her deep understanding of the law as a professor at Notre Dame Law School. Throughout her career, Judge Barrett has shown a deep respect for the Constitution, as well as a strong commitment to upholding the law. Judge Barrett is a great choice to join the bench of the Supreme Court. Her qualifications, judicial approach, and commitment to upholding the Constitution will benefit my home State of North Dakota, as well as our entire Nation. Judge Barrett will be a strong, fair, and impartial Justice, and I look forward to supporting her nomination. The Supreme Court is foundational to the checks and balances structure of our government--something that the good Senator from Mississippi just talked about very eloquently. Having an independent judicial body is crucial to the protection of our democracy. Justices of the Supreme Court hold the essential role of being the final decisionmaker of disputes in the United States. Such power comes with much responsibility, which is why selecting the best person for this job is critical for our country. We must have Justices on our Supreme Court who uphold the law and interpret the Constitution in the way it was written. Again, I appreciate President Trump's nomination of Judge Barrett, and I look forward to supporting her confirmation to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor former U.S. Senator from North Dakota, Mark Andrews, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 94. Mark was a good friend, a strong leader, and a dedicated public servant. It is appropriate that we take this time to remember his life and his accomplishments. He was a lifelong North Dakotan, only moving away for 2 years while attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After completing his education at North Dakota State University--home of the Bison--Mark went to work and operated the family farm in the Red River Valley, as both his father and his grandfather had before him. So it shows you how long his family has been on that land, and it is truly--I know the Presiding Officer has been there--a beautiful farm. It is some of the best farmland, really, in the country, in the world, and in the Red River Valley As a farmer, he raised a variety of crops. He operated a cattle feeding lot, and he contributed to various agricultural organizations. He was very involved with those organizations. In addition, he served as the director of the Garrison Conservancy District from 1955 to 1964. I remember that. My father and Mark Andrews were very good friends. My dad liked Mark very much and respected him very much. They shared that vision for the Garrison Conservancy project, the Garrison Diversion. They really had this vision of irrigating hundreds of thousands of acres, if not millions of acres of land in North Dakota. You know, my dad shared that dream Mark had that that would just benefit agriculture so much across North Dakota in a big, big way. It really was an amazing vision and would have been remarkable had they been able to complete it. Mark Andrews, for the rest of his life, was truly just committed to that project. He always shared that vision of Garrison Diversion. I agreed. From the time I was a young boy, I can remember my father describing it and describing Mark's leadership and just what a wonderful thing it would be and would have been for the State of North Dakota. So I will always remember that very vividly, as I know the Presiding Officer does as well. Mark Andrews was also president of the North Dakota Crop Improvement and Seed Association as well. These life and work experiences served as the foundation, really, for his time in Congress, where he would represent North Dakota for nearly 24 years--24 years of service in Congress--in the House and, of course, in this body. In 1963, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives during a special election, and he served in the House until 1981. On January 3, 1981, he was sworn in as a U.S. Senator from North Dakota, serving until January 3, 1987. During his time in the Senate, Mark was a tireless advocate for men and women in uniform and understood the importance of a strong national defense. Again, the Presiding Officer and I follow in that legacy, with the Presiding Officer on Armed Services and my service on Defense Appropriations. Mark was always very, very committed to our military and did a great job supporting not only the military in North Dakota but for our Nation as well. As a farmer himself, he will be remembered for his hard work on behalf of agriculture. You couldn't talk to Mark without agriculture coming up in some way, shape, or form. Even if you weren't talking about agriculture, the analogies that he used and his words and verbiage always had that agrarian aspect to them. It was imbued, really, in his personality. He always worked very hard on behalf of ag. His efforts to help producers through the tough times, the downturns, and the challenges that he had in farm country were very, very important. Of course, he understood it very well. He was a lifelong farmer. I mean, he knew it and he lived it, so he understood what he needed to do to help our great farmers and ranchers across this country. Senator Andrews' legacy also included strong support of Tribal communities, and he served as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. I am now very honored to hold that same position. Throughout his years of service, Senator Andrews demonstrated dedication to the people of North Dakota and an absolute commitment to do all he could for our State and, of course, for our Nation as well. We are deeply grateful for his work, and we remain deeply grateful for all the contributions that he made through his service for our State. At the same time, he was joined by his best friend and wife Mary in building this legacy. She, too, passed away earlier this year. So on behalf of myself and my wife Mikey, we extend our deepest condolences to the Andrews family, to all their loved ones, and to their friends. Along with the Presiding Officer, I am introducing a resolution recognizing and honoring Senator Andrews' public service, which we expect will soon pass the Senate. I know colleagues here remember Mark very, very fondly. As a matter of fact, when I was first sworn in, Mark came down and joined me and was there with me when I was originally sworn in as a Senator. I note that Senator Cramer is presiding, as I mentioned in my remarks, and I know how he knew and liked Mark and how much they worked together. The Presiding Officer had a lot of wonderful shared history with him. So, at this time, I will yield the floor and exchange positions with the Presiding Officer so that he can speak on behalf of our friend and colleague Senator Mark Andrews. With that, 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. HOEVEN. Mr. President, we are here to talk about agriculture. We are here to talk about those great farmers and ranchers who feed this country and feed the world. You know, when we talk about good farm policy, we are talking about something that benefits every single American every single day because our farmers and ranchers produce the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the history of the world that benefits every single American every single day. That is just how important it is. How could we be reminded even more so right now than during this COVID pandemic of that abundant, safe, wonderful food supply that we have every day thanks to our farmers and ranchers, and there is so much that goes into it. As the Presiding Officer well knows, with Nebraska as his State and its being a big part of the incredible ag production in this country-- as a matter of fact, there could be a little rivalry here with his contiguous State to the north in terms of cattle production or something like that--this is something that touches everybody every day and is so important. It is not just those farmers and ranchers who produce that food every day; it is the whole supply chain that has to work. Remember, that food supply has to be safe every day, not only tasty and affordable and abundant, and that is what we are talking about. This has become a big, big issue in the continuing resolution that we are working on right now in that the way we are funding the coronavirus food assistance programs, in part, is with the direct funding that we secured in the CARES Act and also from what they call the CCC, the Commodity Credit Corporation. With regard to the farm bill--the bipartisan farm bill that has incredibly strong support on both sides of the aisle in this body and the House--many of its very key programs are funded by the Commodity Credit Corporation. We put about $30 billion a year into that fund every year to make sure that those programs are funded to support our farmers and ranchers. That was not in the original House version that was going to be filed, so a group of Senators from ag States came together last week and had a colloquy in this body. They immediately went to work with our friends in the House who are also strong supporters of agriculture and now the continuing resolution that has passed the House overwhelmingly, which we will be taking up, has that key funding in it. So we are really here to, once again, emphasize the importance of making sure we fund these farm programs, to make sure that we fund them in a timely way, and, again, to point out very clearly that this is funding that is being used expressly the way it was authorized to be used both in the overwhelmingly bipartisan farm bill we passed--the 5- year farm bill--but also in the CARES Act, in which we secured additional funding. Now the funding that is included in the continuing resolution is exactly that funding that we put out there every year to make sure this farm bill is provided on time. It could not be more important than this year, when not only are our farmers and ranchers fighting COVID but when they are fighting low commodity prices, challenges in the world of trade in their being targeted by China, fighting challenges of tough weather, and on top of that, COVID. So, again, we have to be there for them. I thank the Members of the Senate and the House who worked very hard on this and the farm group, and I am going to kind of run through this whole roster here in a minute. Before I do that, I turn to the senior Senator from South Dakota--our whip here in the Senate and somebody who has worked on behalf of agriculture his whole life--and ask him for a few of his comments.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I would like to thank the Senator from Arkansas again for his diligence and hard work, and our Ag chairman. I just want to wrap up with some thank-yous, as well, and it starts with our Ag chairman, not only for his leadership on the farm bill but then on making sure we fund these farm programs. I tell you, it has been something that I know Senator Boozman agrees with me on. We have learned a lot from him, and we appreciate it. It has made a real difference for farmers and ranchers across this country. I want to thank, of course, all of the Senators that worked with us on this project--I named them earlier--but our House Members too. We reached out to Members of the House, whether it was the ranking member on the Ag Committee, Representative Conaway, or whether it was Representative Fortenberry. There are many others that reached out and helped as well. I agree. I want to thank our staff, led by Tony Eberhard, my chief, and on the Agriculture side, by Morgan Ulmer and her whole crew, Shannon Hines, and, of course, Richard Shelby, our leader on the Approps side, and somebody whom you worked with for many, many years, Mr. Chairman. It takes all of these people working together. This was really important, not just for the farm bill but for that disaster assistance, the coronavirus food assistance funding that we are providing, as well, which our farmers and ranchers need so very much as we go through this COVID fight. So let me just wrap up. This is something that the Ag chairman brought up. I thought, as usual, right on. He said we wouldn't have been able to get this done without the farm groups and the ranch groups stepping up and calling their Member, whether it was their Senator or their House Member. Our chairman also already introduced this into the Record--the letter--which was so important. But I am going to take just a minute and read through those ag groups, if I could, as our way of finishing up with a thank you. I am just going to read through those 47 groups: Agriculture Retailers Association, Amcot, American Agri-Women, American Cotton Producers, American Cotton Shippers Association, the American Dairy Coalition, American Farm Bureau Federation. I have got to say that the American Farm Bureau Federation took a real leadership role, so a special thanks there. But thanks to all of these groups: American Pulse Association, American Sheep Industry Association, American Soybean Association, American Sugar Alliance, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Cotton Growers Warehouse Association; Cotton Warehouse Association of America, Crop Insurance Professionals Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Cotton Ginners Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Farmers Union, National Milk Producers Federation, National Sorghum Producers, National Sunflower Association, Panhandle Peanut Growers Association, Plains Cotton Growers, Produce Marketing Association, Rural & Agriculture Council of America, Society of American Florists, Southeast Cotton Ginners Association, Southern Cotton Growers, Southwest Council of Agribusiness, U.S. Canola Association, U.S. Cattlemen's Association, United Egg Producers, United States Peanut Federation, US Rice Producers Association, USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, USA Rice, and Western Peanut Growers Association--all representing farmers and ranchers. They produce the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the world that benefits every single American, every single day. With pleasure I yield, for the final words, to our esteemed chairman.

Mr. HOEVEN. I thank the Senate's majority whip for all of the work he has done. Again, he works for farmers day in and day out. He comes from South Dakota, which is a strong farming and big ranching State. He was instrumental in this effort, not only by his joining us last week in the colloquy but then by engaging in the negotiations as part of our leadership time, along with our majority leader, who held fast on this. I have to tell you that, as we negotiated back and forth with the House, our leadership--Senator McConnell, Senator Thune, and others-- held strong in saying: No, this is something that must be in the continuing resolution. Also, the administration--the President and the White House--was involved in this negotiation and held fast on this as well. This is one of the last pieces of the puzzle to come into place, but it is so very important that we have gotten it. As I say, we had seven Senators down on the floor last week who were talking about it, and those seven Senators were led by our Ag chairman, and I will I ask him to make a few comments as well. Again, let me thank those other Senators who have joined and will join us--Senator Thune, from whom you just heard; Senator Boozman, from whom you will hear in just a minute; Senator Ernst, of Iowa; Senator Fischer, of Nebraska; and Senator Hyde-Smith, of Mississippi. All have strong ag backgrounds. I mean, they are people who not only work on behalf of agriculture but who are involved in agriculture. They are not just here, advocating for it--they live it. It is a great group. They have also reached out to so many in the House, to the farm groups, to the commodity groups, and to the ag groups, which I will talk a little bit more about later. Let me turn to our Ag chairman, who, though still a relatively young man, has been in the House and the Senate for many years and has always been a tireless advocate for agriculture. He is a marine--once a marine always a marine. Semper Fi. He brings that attitude--that marine, you know, ``never turn back and never let up'' attitude--and makes sure that he does everything he can on behalf of our farmers and ranchers. I yield to the chairman.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. Chairman, I also want to add Terry Van Doren to that list, who is here this morning on the floor. He worked tirelessly and stood firm in the negotiations. So, Terry, thank you to you as well. And, again, the final word, though, has to go--I think Senator Boozman would agree with me--to our Ag chairman. Thanks so much

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I want to thank our Ag chairman. I want to thank him for being here today. I want to thank him for his many, many years of service in this body. And most of all, what I want to thank him for today is his leadership on farm issues, on ag issues, on working on behalf of our farmers and ranchers, and in working in a very bipartisan way. That is what he is here doing. You heard from our whip, the Senator from South Dakota, an ag State. You heard from our Ag chairman, the Senator from Kansas, an ag State. You are going to hear from other members of our Ag Committee. You are going to hear from the Senator from Iowa, an ag State. You are going to hear from Senator Boozman from Arkansas, an ag State; from Senator Fischer, Nebraska, obviously a big farm and ranch State; the Presiding Officer, I know, would be right here speaking with us if he weren't presiding--again, an ag State. What this is all about today is making sure that we support farmers and ranchers. We are here in a very positive, encouraging way, and it is to make the point that we need to get assistance to our farmers and ranchers. We have some of that available. We have about $14 billion that we secured in the CARES Act that is ready to go out. It is ready to go. We have done a ton of work with the USDA. We want to thank the Ag Secretary, Sonny Perdue. Georgia is another ag State. His whole team worked hard on this. We worked hard with him. That $14 billion needs to get out to our farmers and ranchers and across the country. It really touches just about every State. Then we need to replenish the Commodity Credit Corporation, the CCC. I chair Ag Appropriations. I work with that every year. There is about $30 billion, year in and year out, that goes in it. This is not a new thing. This is something we do every year. We need to get that done now in the CR so we can continue to provide that help and support for our farmers and our ranchers. This is what funds the key farm programs. The countercyclical safety net. Very key programs--ARC, AGRIS coverage, and PLC, price loss coverage--are funded by the CCC. That is just fundable--that is the heart and soul of the bipartisan farm program we passed, as our Ag chairman just described. It is bipartisan, strongly supported in our committee, and strongly supported on the floor of this body, as well as in the House. As I say, this funding is the heart and soul of the farm program. It also funds conservation programs and other things. That safety net that our farmers and ranchers rely on every year is what is funded through the CCC. That is why we are here today. As our Ag chairman said, we have over 40 farm groups from across the country that sent a letter to leadership and said: Absolutely, not only move forward with this aid we are talking about, the $14 billion we have gotten through CARES--and I think we are close to getting there again, thanks to the USDA. I think you will see that very soon. But absolutely take that step to replenish the CCC so that we can continue to provide that countercyclical safety net, that farm program our farmers and our ranchers depend on. Remember, this isn't just about our farmers and ranchers. This isn't just about good farm policy. In this country, we have the lowest cost, highest quality food supply in the world that benefits every single American every single day because of our farmers and ranchers. That is how important this is. Let me turn next to my colleagues. I am going to turn to the Senator from Nebraska. She is a cattle rancher. Who better to hear from next than Senator Fischer from Nebraska, a cattle rancher herself?

Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I would like to thank the good Senator from Nebraska and turn to the Senator from Iowa, who has also been an absolute champion on behalf of agriculture. Thanks so much for being here.

Mr. HOEVEN. I would like to thank the Senator from Iowa. Again, she directly brings that experience from the farm, growing up in agriculture. Somebody else who is here represents Mississippi, so you can see we are going from North Dakota to Mississippi to Iowa to Nebraska. This is the whole country we are talking about. The Senator also is somebody who has a long background in agriculture. I would like to turn to the good Senator from Mississippi.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, again, I thank Senator Hyde-Smith of the State of Mississippi. Not only is she a strong advocate for our farmers and ranchers, but as I say, all of these people you are hearing from this morning have backgrounds in agriculture. They have been out there, and they know what they are talking about, as does the next Senator, somebody who himself has raised cattle--the Senator from the good State of Arkansas. This documents again that ag touches every region of the country and that the people you are hearing from have strong ag backgrounds. So, when they talk about this issue, they know how important it is, and they know that this help is very much needed at this time. I turn to the good Senator from Arkansas, Mr. Boozman.

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I thank Senator Boozman for his strong leadership on ag. He said it very well and very clearly and very simply. We have heard from more than 40 ag groups from across the country, including from the Presiding Officer's State. The last I checked, he has tremendous agriculture in his State of Florida, whether it be with the cattle raised in Central Florida or those wonderful oranges that we all enjoy all year round. It is just one more example of how agriculture touches everybody's life every day in the most important ways. Our farmers and ranchers feed the country. They feed the world. What could be more important? Look at the challenges they have faced. They have come into this cycle with very low commodity prices when they have had years of low commodity prices. We have tough trade agreements in which countries like China and others have targeted us on trade. Then you put COVID on top of that. In the midst of that, they have continued to provide the food supply that feeds every American every single day. What could be more important? As we have said, that food supply is the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the history of the world. Do you know what else? It is safe, and they have never missed a beat. What we are talking about today, make no mistake, is of making sure that we fund the heart and soul of the farm program. The bill passed on a bipartisan vote in this body with about 87 votes. That is what we are talking about with regard to funding the CR. It is vitally important that we do it. I thank these members of the Ag Committee for making that point so clearly and so well. We will wrap up, actually, pretty close to on time, which is fairly remarkable as seven Senators have just gone through this colloquy process, and I thank them all. Remember what we are talking about here--the food supply that benefits every single American every single day. Thank you.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues in honoring those who have helped their communities to overcome challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many everyday heroes who deserve recognition. We have seen the efforts of our first responders, law enforcement, teachers, postal and delivery employees, and store workers, among others, who have continued providing essential services in spite of the challenges brought on by the coronavirus. As the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, I have spoken many times about the critically important work of our farmers and our ranchers. I see I am joined here on the floor by our Agriculture Committee chairman. I know he has been down here as well pointing out how our farmers and ranchers are continuing to provide food, fuel, and fiber for our Nation even during this pandemic. We are working to help and support them during this challenging time. Every American benefits every day from the work of those farmers and ranchers, who provide the highest quality and lowest cost food supply in the world in tough times and even in times when we face something like a pandemic. Today, I would like to recognize the valiant efforts of the healthcare professionals in my State and across this country and highlight some of the work our North Dakotans are doing--doctors, nurses, and many others working in hospitals and clinics across our State. North Dakota's healthcare professionals have been working around the clock to prevent the spread of this virus and to treat those affected by COVID-19. One example is Dr. Chris Pribula, a graduate of the University of North Dakota Medical School, who worked with a team to set up the COVID Care Unit at Sanford Hospital in Fargo. He was on duty when the first COVID patient arrived at the hospital and remained on duty for the next 18 days straight to make sure that staff and patients had everything they needed. Over the past several months, I have held a number of roundtables with healthcare professionals in North Dakota. As we have discussed issues and challenges, one thing is clear: Our healthcare providers are diligent and dedicated in their efforts to prepare for and prevent the spread of coronavirus and to provide patients with the best possible care. Another individual highlighted by his colleagues is Dr. Kremens, a critical care physician at Essentia Health who intubated and managed multiple critically ill patients at once. Dr. Kremens is a good example of the many intensive care and emergency department physicians and nurses who have fought on the frontlines of the pandemic and continue to do so. We are grateful for the dedicated service of the many healthcare professionals in North Dakota and recognize that they and their loved ones have made many sacrifices during this health emergency. We worked to provide our health providers with much needed support in the first three phases of the coronavirus relief legislation. For example, under the CARES Act, North Dakota rural hospitals and providers have received $135 million to help with their efforts to combat COVID-19. As negotiations continue on the next phase of relief, healthcare remains a top priority. While our healthcare providers have been working diligently, I would also like to recognize how members of our communities have stepped up to help our medical professionals as well. An example of the community stepping up to meet the challenge during the pandemic is Proof Artisan Distillers, a small craft distillery in Fargo, ND. Back in March, Proof Artisan Distillery responded to the community need. Working with Tharaldson Ethanol in Casselton, ND, they began producing sanitizer for healthcare, assisted living facilities, first responders, Tribal and municipal entities, and highway patrols from four neighboring States. Proof Artisan Distillery's president, Joel Kath, relayed this story: During our second day of production, I answered a frantic call from a supply director of a large memory care group. They were virtually out of sanitizer and would not be resupplied through their normal channels for many weeks. The caller broke down with emotion when I confirmed that we could easily supply their needs. It's a response I will never forget, and a constant reminder of the importance of our task at hand. Another example from my home State is Infinite Leap, a company founded by Air Force veteran Mark Rheault that is using technology to help healthcare providers offer virtual waiting rooms. Infinite Leap's technology helps eliminate registration lines, reduce congestion in waiting areas, and decrease patient waiting times. Not only is this technology being utilized by healthcare providers to help maintain social distancing, the technology is also helping other industries, including restaurants and manufacturing plants, to safely reopen. These are just a few examples of the individuals and organizations that have stepped up and helped their communities to meet the challenges during this health emergency. Again, I thank our healthcare providers for their dedicated effort to fight this virus. We recognize the challenges they face, and we are truly grateful for their hard work. They are, in fact, truly everyday heroes. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. HOEVEN

Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise to discuss the relief that the HEALS Act will provide to those in farm country and rural America as they weather the challenges of COVID-19. It is so important, for they are out there for us every day, producing that food supply. They had incredible challenges before this COVID-19 started. The Presiding Officer is from an ag State. He knows the kind of challenges we are facing. Obviously, we need to be there for them as we go through this coronavirus fight. I want to start by thanking them. They provide us with the lowest cost, highest quality food supply in the world. Think about it. Every single American benefits every single day from what our farmers and ranchers do with food, fuel, and fiber. Just the food piece alone means that Americans have the highest quality, lowest cost food supply in the history of the world. This is thanks to our farmers and ranchers. Rarely, if ever, has there been a more appropriate time to say thank you to the men and women who provide us with that food supply, and the resilience of our ag producers, in the face of tremendous hardship that has been caused by the global health pandemic, serves as a real testament to their grit and to their determination. That is why we have worked to provide additional support for farmers, ranchers, and processors in this HEALS Act. The legislation includes $20 billion in direct appropriation, which will be used for our farmers and ranchers, along with other funding that we were able to secure in the CARES Act. We are trying to also do it in a cost-effective way. In recognizing that we have a debt and deficit we have to be mindful of, what we are trying to do is to actually utilize funding that we put together in the CARES Act for the CCC, or the Commodity Credit Corporation. We are taking $14 billion of that and combining it with the $20 billion from this legislation to make sure that we have adequate funding--a total of about $34 billion--to address the needs in farm country. Prior to the coronavirus, farmers entered 2020 after 7 years of rural recession caused by low commodity prices, trade disruptions, and some really tough weather and natural disasters. Yet our farmers and ranchers are the eternal optimists--they have to be--so they go into every year with that grit and determination and continue to provide that food supply that we all rely on. Now, of course, you add COVID-19 into the mix. Storefronts have closed. Restaurants have shuttered their doors. Processing plants have limited and, in some cases, shut down operations. Of course, ag prices are also down. Farmers and ranchers came into a tough situation and now face further challenges with the pricing and the other challenges created by COVID-19, as I said. Though it will take some time to really quantify those losses, the reports we have right now indicate that losses in the ag sector could be near $42 billion. For example, losses in the cattle industry alone could total as much as $13 billion. We need to be there for them because, again, they are not only out there producing the food; they are doing other things to help out as well. For example, there are a couple of stories about our farmer groups that are making an effort to help others. In May, R.D. Offutt Farms, which is one of our Nation's premier potato growers that is based in Fargo, ND, donated 37,000 pounds of frozen potato products to the Great Plains Food Bank. The North Dakota Stockmen's Association and its foundation donated $20,000 to the same food bank to purchase beef from North Dakota ranchers. The North Dakota Farmers Union and Farmers Union Enterprises teamed up to donate 30,000 pounds of pork ribs to the Great Plains Food Bank as well. Those types of stories go on. So while the farmers and ranchers of America are out there, fighting their own challenges, they are helping others at the same time, and I think that it is truly, truly remarkable In the CARES Act, we took the first important step by providing $9.5 billion to the USDA, the Department of Ag, along with the $14 billion, which I just referenced, to replenish the CCC. As I mentioned earlier, we have utilized some of that funding to provide assistance, but now we are going to take that additional $14 billion and combine it with the funding here of $20 billion to make sure we can get that assistance off to the farmers. Again, we are working to do this in a way that is prudent with our taxpayers' dollars in recognizing the challenges we have with debt and deficit. We have to be mindful of it, but at the same time, we have to make sure we are getting adequate assistance out to those great farmers and ranchers across America who are getting it done for all Americans every single day. I yield the floor.