Heidi Heitkamp

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I today can say that I am elated that the Senate unanimously passed my legislation that would create a commission on the status of Native American children. This bipartisan bill, which was first introduced when I came to the Senate--in fact, it was my first bill--will study the challenges facing Native American kids, including poverty, crime, high unemployment, substance abuse, domestic violence, and dire economic opportunities, as well as making recommendations on how to make sure Native American youth receive the tools and educational resources they need to thrive. This is not a new issue for me. This is an issue I worked on when I was North Dakota's attorney general and I saw the challenges for so many of our children living in Indian Country. I saw that sometimes they are the most forgotten children in America. I fought for Native families all during my time as North Dakota's attorney general, pledging to improve the lives of Native American youth once I was positioned to do so. So this is truly an important day for tribes and Native communities, as well as Native children and their families. But we can't stop the momentum. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to uphold the Federal Government's trust responsibility to Indian tribes and to pass this bill, because standing up for Native children is an issue on which we should all agree. The Commission on Native Children will work to identify complex challenges faced by Native kids in North Dakota and across the United States. The comprehensive and first-of-its-kind commission would conduct an intensive study on issues affecting Native American youth. The 11-member commission will issue a report to provide recommendations ensuring Native kids have access to sustainable wraparound systems, as well as the protection, economic resources, and educational tools necessary for success in both academia and in their careers. In addition to the Commission on Native Children, the subcommittee will also provide advice in order to ensure that those in Washington don't lose sight of these children. I thank all of my colleagues who have joined me in this effort, but I particularly want to single out Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska. She has been a cochampion and a copartner. She sees the same issues among Alaska Natives as I see among the Plains Indians in my State. And we have named this bill after two great educational and spiritual leaders of our States. In my case, my bill is named after Alyce Spotted Bear, former tribal chairwoman of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation in North Dakota. Alyce was a passionate advocate for Native children and a recognized leader in education. Unfortunately, she passed away much too soon, but I know her spirit is here in this bill. I look forward to getting this bill passed in the House of Representatives. I look forward to the report, and I look forward to all of us pulling in the same direction to make sure all of our children are protected, all of our children are loved, and all of our children are given equal opportunity, including those children in Native American homes and those children in Indian Country. I yield the floor.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, since March, I have been speaking on the Senate floor about the 198 North Dakotans who died while serving in the Vietnam war. But today I want to talk about something a little different. I want to talk about projects that were made by the Bismarck High School juniors in commemoration of these servicemen who gave the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam. Three Bismarck High teachers, Laura Forde, Sara Rinas, and Allison Wendle, are working with their history and English class students to research the lives and deaths of North Dakota's fallen servicemen in Vietnam. I am partnering with these high school students to learn about and to honor these men. In addition to conducting research, contacting families, and writing essays about these North Dakotans who died in Vietnam, the Bismarck High students took this information and created artifacts to further honor these men. It is their goal to place these artifacts by the soldiers' names at the Vietnam Memorial wall when these students come to Washington, DC, this fall. Over 150 students worked in groups or individually to create some truly amazing artifacts. It was difficult to single out a few to share with you today on the Senate floor but know that the artifacts I describe today are truly examples of this wonderful project that has connected these young students with the stories and the families of the young men who gave their lives for our country almost 50 years ago. The first artifact I will show you is for John Lundin. McKenzie Rittel, Emily Schmid, Brittany Hawkinson, and Shelby Wittenberg are Bismarck High School juniors who reached out to John Lundin's son and daughter-in-law, Ray and Cheri Lundin. The girls learned that John wanted to be a farmer after completing his Army service and painted a farm scene on the scoop of a shovel. On the shovel's handle, they wrote John's dates of birth and death in purple to represent his Purple Heart Medal. Also on the handle, they painted a Bronze Star and a Silver Star--medals that John earned while in service. John's family worked with the students to commemorate John's service. They mailed the students soil from the Kansas land where John intended to farm and a small John Deere tractor. The students placed the Kansas soil in a jar with North Dakota soil and put the tractor on the lid. If it works out, John's son and daughter-in-law may try to join the students in visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in November to place these artifacts by John's name. Hunter Lauer and Kyra Wetzel paired up to research the life and death of Roy Wagner, who was a student at Bismarck High School about 50 years before them. In high school, Roy was a lineman on the football team and wore No. 62. Hunter and Kyra decorated a Bismarck High School football jersey with Roy's last name and wrote his dates of birth, deployment, and death in the numeral ``6'' and the medals received for his service and sacrifice in the numeral ``2.'' Hunter and Kyra compared Roy's football position as a guard to his Army position on the battlefield protecting his comrades and his friends. Hoping that his tribute to Navy seaman Mitchell Hansey will last a long time, Bismarck High School student Logan Mollman decided to carve Mitchell's name into a piece of wood. Learning that Mitchell served on the Navy APL 30 barge during his entire tour, Logan hand-carved the full APL 30 emblem into the wood and then protected the project with a coat of lacquer. The emblem consists of the Stars and Stripes on the left, three bars on the right, and an apple in the middle for APL, or Auxiliary Personnel Lighter. Logan is looking forward to the placement of his project in honor of Mitchell at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall. Ashley Erickson, Kaleb Conitz, and Sam Stewart are the three students who researched the life and death of Marine Corps Capt. Ernest Bartolina. Ernest was flying a Chinook helicopter on a medevac mission when his helicopter was shot down and he was killed. To honor him, the students placed a small Purple Heart Medal on a model Chinook helicopter. They decorated the board that holds the helicopter with music notes, because Ernest played the French horn, and with the Marine Corps and Purple Foxes emblems to represent that he belonged to the HMM-364 Squadron. Kadon Freeman also created an artifact to commemorate the life of Ernest Bartolina. Kadon drew Ernest's Chinook medevac helicopter and a jungle setting of Vietnam. In the helicopter, he incorporated photos of men who served in Vietnam, stating: The reason I made this CH-46 collage of soldiers in Vietnam was to represent Ernest Bartolina and the fallen heroes of the war with the medevac which he died in. I think that this is a good representation of him because he volunteered to be in the war. Bismarck High School student Shaydee Pretends Eagle and PFC Roger Alberts are both from the Spirit Lake Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. It is this connection that led Shaydee to research Roger's life and decide to make by hand a ``God's eye'' for a lost son of the Sioux Tribe. She hand-wove the yarn of her God's eye in red and yellow. She hand-beaded ``37E,'' the panel location of Roger's name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, in black and white. These four colors are the colors of the medicine wheel--very important colors to the Native American culture. Let me read what Shaydee said in her own words about honoring Private First Class Alberts: I decided to make a God's Eye because as Native Americans, we believe that everything belongs to the Creator; the land, the animals, the food we eat, and ourselves. We believe that this life on earth is only temporary. We believe we were put here to grow, love and learn, and then we return home. Our culture has made most Natives artists. Some of the things we do consist of bead work, feather work, quill work, cloth work, buckskin work, painting and dentalium work. All is made by hand, which means whatever we decide to make, we put our mind, heart, and time into. Our elders say, ``always do things with a good heart,'' because the energy and vibes we have at the time stay with whatever we are making, which is why I hope I put my best into the God's Eye. Taylor Anderson, Austin Wentz, and Miriah Leier are 11th graders who created a large F4D Phantom plane to leave at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in honor of Air Force Lt. Col. Wendell Keller. The students contacted Wendell's family, who shared mementos and photos of Wendell and told them about Wendell's life, the 1969 plane crash, and the 2012 identification of his remains. The family even mailed the students items recovered from Wendell's crash site, including pieces of a zipper and air tube. Taylor, Austin, and Miriah built and decorated the plane with images of Wendell and the medals he was awarded in recognition of his extraordinary service. The students named the plane the Carol II, in honor of Wendell's wife. Brenna Gilje and Courtney Hirvela learned that CPT Thomas Alderson was a multisport athlete and lettered in tennis, basketball, and track when he was a student at Grand Forks Central High School. Brenna and Courtney contacted the school to obtain the school letters and had a dog tag made with Tom's information on it. In their report, these girls noted: This letter represents Alderson's high school years and it can easily be related to a lot of teenage boys today. The letter with the dog tag shows how quickly he had to grow up and mature in such a short amount of time. As Alderson joined the military, he turned in his letter, along with his childhood, for a dog tag. When McKayla Boehm began her project, she looked at different soldiers' names to find the right person to research. She noticed one of the killed-in-action had the same last name as hers, and she started to look into the soldier's family tree and her own family tree. McKayla found that Army SGT Richard Boehm was a cousin to her grandfather. McKayla decided to draw a family tree to show how she was related to Sergeant Boehm. This connection made the project that much more meaningful to McKayla. She had no idea she was related to a soldier who was killed in action in Vietnam. McKayla added some information about Richard by his name on her family tree and wrote a note to him, thanking him for his service and expressing her desire that he were still with us so she could have gotten to know him. This project also emphasized for McKayla the importance of appreciating family and friends because you never know when the people who are closest to you may be taken away. Nicole Holmgren, Tiffani Friesz, Brandi Bieber, and Georgia Marion looked for Gerald ``Gerry'' Klein's family members and spoke on the phone with Gerry's brother Bob. Bob told the students about Gerry's life growing up in rural North Dakota, about being the oldest of five kids and working on the family farm. In fact, Bob explained to the girls that Gerry made the farm his priority, choosing to spend all of his free time there. The four students created a farm complete with grass, tractors, rocks, and farm animals to represent the place where Gerry felt happiest--on the farm where he planned to return and make his life with his fiancee after serving in the Army. Jaycee Walter and Kambri Schaner decorated a fishing hat to commemorate Thomas Welker, a staff sergeant who served in Vietnam in the Army. The students learned that prior to being drafted, Thomas enjoyed spending his free time fishing with his young family. On the fishing hat, Jaycee and Kambri wrote Thomas' name and dates of birth and death. On eight fishing lures they hung from the hat, they wrote the names of Thomas' family members and the awards he received during his service to our country. Bailee McEvers, Teagan McIntyre, Shandi Taix and Maisie Patzner filled a fishing tackle box with items that were important to Michael Meyhoff who served in the Army during the Vietnam war. These four students communicated with Michael's family, who described Michael's interest in baseball, rock collecting, hunting, and fishing. The students filled the tackle box with a baseball, rocks, shotgun shells, and fishing lures to represent his hobbies. They also decorated the box with pictures of Michael and the baseball field in Center, ND, that is named after him. Finally, the final photo I will show you today is of a young man who was impacted in a very meaningful way in his research. Zach Bohlin is a talented student who carved a piece of wood into the shape of North Dakota. Zach added a peace sign, the soldier's name, and then expressed his own feelings about the sacrifice made by the Vietnam soldier he researched. I would like to share the beautiful sentiment expressed by Zach through his project at Bismarck High School. The empty chair, The absence of one voice in the air. Emotions take over with fear. You're all I can't hear. Damn the opinions of the world, It's only filled with selfish words. Scream and never be heard, Keep quiet, carry on Sir. Bring with you your heartfelt rhymes, From the uncharted waters of your mind. Take your wounded skin and fly, It takes true love to sacrifice your life. This project has meant so much to the families of the soldiers who have been researched. This project has meant so much to these young students who are connected in a way where, without these three great teachers, they would never have been connected to those who were killed in action in Vietnam. They would never have appreciated the sacrifice, and, in many ways, these soldiers would never be remembered. I can't say how proud I am, as their Senator, of the wonderful students of Bismarck High School and the great teachers who have taken on this project. It has meant so much to me, it has meant so much to the families, and I think it has really meant so much to so many of the Vietnam veterans of my State who are still with us, who see this period of commemoration--as dictated by the President--as an important time to heal the wounds of Vietnam.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, today I will vote to approve the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act, which will grant the President trade promotion authority, TPA, through 2021. This was not an easy decision, but one I am confident is right for North Dakota. Exports are critical to the bottom line of our State's agricultural producers as well as our manufacturers. Agricultural exports means jobs. In 2013, North Dakota exported over $4 billion in agricultural products ranging from beef to wheat to fresh vegetables. USDA estimates that in 2013, every $1 billion in U.S. agricultural exports, 7,580 American jobs are required. For North Dakota that translated into more than 30,000 jobs supported by agricultural exports. We must do everything we can to expand agricultural exports to support existing jobs and create new ones. In 2013, total North Dakota grain exports totaled over $3.5 billion. North Dakota-grown hard red spring and durum wheat exports made us the No. 2 wheat exporting State in the Nation, with exports valued at over $1.2 billion in 2013. North Dakota was also the No. 2 exporting State for soybeans in 2014/15, exporting 182 million bushels. These commodities are exported around the world, but especially to the Pacific Rim and Europe, where the United States is currently negotiating free trade agreements which will remove barriers which make us less competitive. North Dakota is also an important exporter of manufactured goods like farm machinery. CNH Industrial's plant in Fargo exported nearly 35 percent of the Case IH and New Holland Agriculture 4wd tractors it manufactured in 2014. The plant is supported by 23 North Dakota suppliers from across the State, among others. I continue to have concerns with several provisions of this bill and our overall trade policy, particularly as it relates to currency manipulation and investor-state dispute settlement. As we have heard time and again, currency manipulation is one of the biggest threats to U.S. competitiveness, costing us millions of jobs. I supported amendments which would strengthen our negotiating position relating to currency, and I will continue to fight for policies which put U.S. exporters and workers on an even playing field. Any trade package must also include strong enforcement provisions and assistance for workers whose jobs are impacted by trade. That is why I insisted the Senate vote on a Customs and enforcement bill as a condition for my support for moving TPA forward. This TPA bill also includes an important extension of trade adjustment assistance to make sure those negatively affected by new trade agreements receive the education and training they need to get new jobs and support their families. Additionally, I received a commitment from the U.S. Trade Representative that he will continue working to improve the integrity of the investor-state dispute settlement system. I will continue to work to ensure this process does not put foreign companies at an advantage over our American industries or threaten the sovereignty of our States. I also fought for and secured a path forward for voting for the Export-Import Bank in June, before the bank's charter expires, as part of my negotiations on TPA. When we talk about the United States' trade policy, we cannot leave out important tools which help our small businesses export and thrive. That includes reauthorizing the Export- Import Bank. Today's vote is just the beginning of our work to open markets for our farmers, ranchers and workers. We live in a global economy. We can compete on a global playing field while also making sure we focus on building and supporting American jobs and businesses. I will continue to fight for North Dakota as we negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to ensure that we not only have free trade, but fair trade. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I would like to take just a few minutes to say I want everyone to remember the day you voted on this amendment because in 10 years, when you look back and you see the mischief that will be created with ISDS without controls and without a broader framework for investor-state dispute settlements, you will be questioning why you did not support this amendment. I yield the floor.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, first, I would like to offer my great thank-you to the Senator from Washington for advancing this very important bipartisan bill. We have worked long and hard in my office and with Senator Kirk to try to fashion a bill that addresses the vast majority of issues that so many people have or allege to have regarding the Export-Import Bank. At the same time we are stalling that critical piece of infrastructure in our trade apparatus, China and India are pouring billions of dollars into their similar institution to recruit and to invest in other countries to make sure their manufacturers and make sure the jobs in their country are safe. We are unilaterally disarming, and we are taking huge chances by not moving forward on the Export-Import Bank. And I share my colleague's comment: Who are we listening to? This is one of those rare moments and one of those rare issues where we have the American business community, the chamber of commerce, American manufacturers--all the people on that side of the issue and American labor together. So what is the issue? The issue is scoring by conservative groups. The issue is that you might not get the checkmark behind your name if you actually support American workers, American jobs, and American manufacturing. This is an issue we are passionate about, and I stand with Senator Cantwell from Washington and support her. Until we know there is a path forward and that the charter for the Ex-Im Bank will not expire, that we will not play chicken with our economy and with our exports--until we know there is a path forward, how can we really say we are protrade? How can we really stand on the floor here as we are discussing trade and trade implications of TPA and TPP and all of the initials--TTIP, ISDS, and all of the things people might be listening to and saying: What are they talking about? These are important tools and an important apparatus and they represent a huge part of what we need to do when 95 percent of all consumers live outside this country, but we need to do it in a way that recognizes that American workers are part of this structure and that we have to have the tools other countries utilize in order to make sure we are moving forward. I give my great public thanks to Senator Cantwell for her brave fight and knowing that as the chief Democratic sponsor of the bill we are promoting, I stand with her. I stand with her today. Mr. President, I also want to talk today about an issue that is important to North Dakota. It is interesting that we are talking about eliminating trade barriers and improving opportunities for access to markets when we have a self-imposed access-to-market problem, and that is the trade embargo on Cuba. It is a barrier our government puts on our own farmers and ranchers, and it holds back their ability to export and hurts their bottom line. I am talking about the U.S. embargo with Cuba, of course, specifically on private--private, private, private-- business activities that could enhance the sale of our agricultural goods to Cuba. My great friend from Arkansas Senator Boozman and I filed an amendment which would free our exporters to provide private--private, private--credit with no risk to the government or taxpayers for exports of agricultural products to Cuba. We had a hearing on this in the agriculture committee, and I must say it was the single issue raised by all of the experts on how we could, in fact, open our markets to Cuba if we would allow private-sponsored credit for these exports. This is a simple change to our regulation that will make our agricultural exporters more competitive against rice growers in Vietnam and corn growers in Brazil. We know we are the highest quality producer of agricultural products, and many of those products are grown in my great State of North Dakota. Yet we don't have access to that market because Cuban purchasers don't have access to credit. Unfortunately, under the current regulations, our government has erected a trade barrier. While we talk about TPA, trade promotion authority, and increasing export opportunities, we need to look at what we can do to increase opportunities for our own producers here right now. It does not take a long, drawn-out negotiation, costs no money, and just makes sense. I urge my colleagues to join with me and Senator Boozman in this important effort to remove our self-imposed trade barriers on our agricultural producers and to allow a private investment and sponsorship of the purchase of agricultural products in Cuba. With that, I yield the floor.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce today, with my good friend from Alaska, Senator Murkowski, a bill that will wipe an outdated policy from our books while providing a boost to our domestic oil development and production industry. I am also pleased to have my great friends from West Virginia, Senator Manchin, and Tennessee, Senator Corker, join us in introducing this bill today. This bill would allow U.S. crude oil producers to compete on equal footing with most other major oil producing nations, helping to remove current barriers that prevent U.S. producers from receiving a fair price for their commodity on the world market. Just last week, I joined Senator Murkowski as she introduced her bill, The Energy Supply and Distribution Act, that looks to address the build-out of critical energy infrastructure and opening up access to new markets for our energy commodities, while also looking to make it easier to distribute our energy to our neighbors in Mexico and Canada. A provision in that bill also looks to repeal the current crude oil export ban. I will continue to advocate for that bill as well, and look forward to Senator Murkowski bringing that bill before her Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. I view this bill as not only complimentary to the bill introduced last week, but also a way to keep the conversation going as I look to bring this bill up for debate in another Committee, before a different audience. Senator Murkowski and I have been working on this effort for some time and we both felt it was time to show our cards and let our colleagues and others see where we are in this process. The language may be different, but the goal is the same. Some people may wonder how we even got here, and why would we want to remove a policy that has brought little public or Congressional scrutiny for almost forty years. Well, in 1973, President Richard Nixon placed crude oil under price controls after the price of oil continued to rise. He created a ban on oil exports as an enforcement tool for his price controls, restricting sales outside the U.S. When President Ronald Reagan lifted those price controls, the accompanying export ban was retained. So basically, the current restricted trade environment for U.S. crude oil is an unintended consequence of a 1970's price control policy. While certain exemptions were added over the years allowing for the export of some U.S. oil from California and Alaska, repeal of the overall prohibition on U.S. crude oil exports was never really seen as a major policy priority. All of that changed with the new oil production renaissance in the U.S, brought about by technological innovations that have allowed for pin-point accurate horizontal drilling and continued advances in hydraulic fracturing. These, and other advances, have allowed for exploration and production of shale in places like North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. These shale oil and natural gas plays across the country have made the U.S. the number one combined crude oil and natural gas producer in the world. The situation on the ground has certainly changed and it is time to make sure our export policies are finally updated to reflect those changes. This issue is of particular importance to North Dakota. Due to transportation and infrastructure constraints, producers in the Bakken are already selling their crude oil at an even steeper discount than U.S. producers in other plays. Combined with the recent downturn in the price of a barrel of oil, static or declining current global demand, and stable production from OPEC nations--U.S. crude producers in North Dakota and elsewhere have begun to feel the pinch. While other nations, including Iran and Russia, are able to sell their crude oil into the world market for the best price and can continue to maintain or pick up market share during this downturn, U.S. producers are constrained from competing on equal footing. As recently as 2007, North Dakota ranked eight among U.S. oil producing states. However, due to the shale oil boom in the Bakken, North Dakota has been the number two oil producing state in the country since 2012--behind only Texas. While North Dakota continues to remain in that spot, there has been a steep downturn since September 2014. The state has over one hundred less drilling rigs then at the same time in September 2014, the number of wells awaiting completion are at near historic highs, capital expenditures in the U.S. are way down for oil companies, and we continue to see layoffs and reduced hours in the oil and oilfield services industries. North Dakota crude oil producers need access to the world market to maintain and continue to develop the valuable natural resource in the State. Numerous studies in the past year including one by the non-partisan U.S. Government Accountability Office have found that repealing the ban on crude oil exports will lower U.S. gasoline prices. These studies concluded that we should export crude oil in the same manner that we export millions of barrels of gasoline and diesel every day. As a matter of fact, while some people continue to say that we need to keep our crude oil locked in or retail gasoline prices will rise--they fail to mention the fact that the U.S. is the number exporter in the world of refined petroleum products, including gasoline. So the facts just do not add up for their argument. Additionally, at a time of growing threats to international security, hardworking Americans in the energy sector are helping our nation become more secure, prosperous, and resilient to crises overseas. The administration's own National Security Strategy recognizes that energy abundance at home can translate to a strengthened geopolitical position on the global stage. Unrestricted exports of U.S. crude oil is key to the long-term stability of consumer prices, continued investment and growth in U.S. development and production, resumption of job growth in the energy sector and supporting industries, and continued reduction in the U.S. trade deficit, while also providing national energy security. I hope our colleagues will join us in supporting this important effort to remove an outdated policy and put our U.S. crude oil on equal footing with crude oil from around the world.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce today, with my good friend from Alaska, Senator Murkowski, a bill that will wipe an outdated policy from our books while providing a boost to our domestic oil development and production industry. I am also pleased to have my great friends from West Virginia, Senator Manchin, and Tennessee, Senator Corker, join us in introducing this bill today. This bill would allow U.S. crude oil producers to compete on equal footing with most other major oil producing nations, helping to remove current barriers that prevent U.S. producers from receiving a fair price for their commodity on the world market. Just last week, I joined Senator Murkowski as she introduced her bill, The Energy Supply and Distribution Act, that looks to address the build-out of critical energy infrastructure and opening up access to new markets for our energy commodities, while also looking to make it easier to distribute our energy to our neighbors in Mexico and Canada. A provision in that bill also looks to repeal the current crude oil export ban. I will continue to advocate for that bill as well, and look forward to Senator Murkowski bringing that bill before her Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. I view this bill as not only complimentary to the bill introduced last week, but also a way to keep the conversation going as I look to bring this bill up for debate in another Committee, before a different audience. Senator Murkowski and I have been working on this effort for some time and we both felt it was time to show our cards and let our colleagues and others see where we are in this process. The language may be different, but the goal is the same. Some people may wonder how we even got here, and why would we want to remove a policy that has brought little public or Congressional scrutiny for almost forty years. Well, in 1973, President Richard Nixon placed crude oil under price controls after the price of oil continued to rise. He created a ban on oil exports as an enforcement tool for his price controls, restricting sales outside the U.S. When President Ronald Reagan lifted those price controls, the accompanying export ban was retained. So basically, the current restricted trade environment for U.S. crude oil is an unintended consequence of a 1970's price control policy. While certain exemptions were added over the years allowing for the export of some U.S. oil from California and Alaska, repeal of the overall prohibition on U.S. crude oil exports was never really seen as a major policy priority. All of that changed with the new oil production renaissance in the U.S, brought about by technological innovations that have allowed for pin-point accurate horizontal drilling and continued advances in hydraulic fracturing. These, and other advances, have allowed for exploration and production of shale in places like North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico. These shale oil and natural gas plays across the country have made the U.S. the number one combined crude oil and natural gas producer in the world. The situation on the ground has certainly changed and it is time to make sure our export policies are finally updated to reflect those changes. This issue is of particular importance to North Dakota. Due to transportation and infrastructure constraints, producers in the Bakken are already selling their crude oil at an even steeper discount than U.S. producers in other plays. Combined with the recent downturn in the price of a barrel of oil, static or declining current global demand, and stable production from OPEC nations--U.S. crude producers in North Dakota and elsewhere have begun to feel the pinch. While other nations, including Iran and Russia, are able to sell their crude oil into the world market for the best price and can continue to maintain or pick up market share during this downturn, U.S. producers are constrained from competing on equal footing. As recently as 2007, North Dakota ranked eight among U.S. oil producing states. However, due to the shale oil boom in the Bakken, North Dakota has been the number two oil producing state in the country since 2012--behind only Texas. While North Dakota continues to remain in that spot, there has been a steep downturn since September 2014. The state has over one hundred less drilling rigs then at the same time in September 2014, the number of wells awaiting completion are at near historic highs, capital expenditures in the U.S. are way down for oil companies, and we continue to see layoffs and reduced hours in the oil and oilfield services industries. North Dakota crude oil producers need access to the world market to maintain and continue to develop the valuable natural resource in the State. Numerous studies in the past year including one by the non-partisan U.S. Government Accountability Office have found that repealing the ban on crude oil exports will lower U.S. gasoline prices. These studies concluded that we should export crude oil in the same manner that we export millions of barrels of gasoline and diesel every day. As a matter of fact, while some people continue to say that we need to keep our crude oil locked in or retail gasoline prices will rise--they fail to mention the fact that the U.S. is the number exporter in the world of refined petroleum products, including gasoline. So the facts just do not add up for their argument. Additionally, at a time of growing threats to international security, hardworking Americans in the energy sector are helping our nation become more secure, prosperous, and resilient to crises overseas. The administration's own National Security Strategy recognizes that energy abundance at home can translate to a strengthened geopolitical position on the global stage. Unrestricted exports of U.S. crude oil is key to the long-term stability of consumer prices, continued investment and growth in U.S. development and production, resumption of job growth in the energy sector and supporting industries, and continued reduction in the U.S. trade deficit, while also providing national energy security. I hope our colleagues will join us in supporting this important effort to remove an outdated policy and put our U.S. crude oil on equal footing with crude oil from around the world.

Ms. HEITKAMP

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

Ms. HEITKAMP. Madam President, I rise to continue an effort to honor the 198 North Dakotans--soldiers, sailors, and airmen--who gave their lives while serving in Vietnam. Together with the Bismarck High School history and English classes, we are reaching out to families and friends of these fallen servicemembers and sharing a bit about each one on the floor of the Senate. Today, I begin by talking about a large family, the Gietzens, who lost one of their own in Vietnam but continue to serve our country and our State. Bill and Mary raised 15 children on a farm outside Glen Ullin. It was on their farm that their children learned the importance of hard work, dedication, and bravery. After serving in the Army in World War II, Bill married his sweetheart Mary, and they had 15 children. Gene Gietzen Gene Gietzen served in Vietnam in the Marine Corps' Alpha Company, lst Battalion, 7th Marines. Gene was born March 19, 1950. On May 21, 1969, he died as a result of wounds received on a company operation. He was 19 years old. Gene's twin brother Glenn and older brother, Russell, were also stationed in Vietnam for a time while Gene was there. Once, when Russell and Glenn's battalion passed through Gene's camp, they had an opportunity to spend a night together. That night, the young men learned of the birth of their youngest brother Fred. While the brothers said goodbye, Gene told them he would never get to see baby Fred. Glenn and Russell told him they would see him soon and that he needed to stop being so pessimistic. A few weeks later, they learned of Gene's death. Glenn escorted his twin brother's body home. Russell, the oldest child, served three tours of duty in Vietnam with the Army as an interpreter and participated in several covert missions. Russell has two sons who served our State and country in the North Dakota National Guard. Glenn also served in the Army in Vietnam. Glenn started the Injured Military Wildlife Project of North Dakota, which gives wounded veterans nationwide opportunities to hunt and fish in North Dakota. Mark, their other brother, joined the Marine Corps and served all around the world on embassy duty. Greg served with U.S. Special Forces for 37 years. Jim joined the Army and was stationed in Germany for 2 years. Aaron served 22 years with Army Special Operations as a combat medic. He now trains a new generation of Army medics at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, NC. The rest of the Gietzen children have served as nurses, missionaries or have kept up the tradition of family farming. North Dakota is proud to be home to this inspiring family. Now, I will talk about more North Dakotans who, like Gene Gietzen, gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country during Vietnam. Gerald ``Jerry'' Decker Gerald ``Jerry'' Decker was from Sentinel Butte and was born June 17, 1948. He served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. Jerry died on April 10, 1969. He was 20 years old. Jerry was one of seven children and the youngest of three boys. Jerry and his brother, Ron, were both stationed overseas at the same time, Ron running supplies from Thailand and Jerry as a cook in Vietnam. Jerry chose to enlist so he could serve his country and return to the family farm and ranch as soon as possible. Jerry intended to eventually take over the farm. His sister, Rose, recalls how much Jerry loved farming, loved the animals, and loved training his dogs to hunt. After his death, Jerry's brother, Ron, escorted his body home. The day after Jerry's funeral, their brother, Tom, had to appear before the draft board, but he was excused from service. Rose remembers Jerry as the kind of guy everyone loved, even though he had a very dry sense of humor. She says that during Jerry's funeral, their church was overflowing with people mourning Jerry's death. Norman Emineth Norman Emineth was from Baldwin and was born June 13, 1949. He served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. Norman was 20 years old when he died on May 22, 1970. Norman and his four siblings grew up on a farm outside of Baldwin. He spent his childhood working on the farm, picking rock, and milking cows. In his free time, Norman enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time with their neighbors. In 1961, the singer Sue Thompson recorded a song called ``Norman.'' His friends poked fun at Norman, but despite the teasing, Norman loved the song. He bought the record and listened to the song over and over until he had memorized all of the lyrics. To this day, his sister, Elaine, can still hear the song in her head. Elaine cherishes the time she spent with Norman when he was home on leave from Vietnam. She said that during this time, she felt like the kids had finally become adult friends instead of bickering children. The siblings all wished they could have spent time in their adult years with their brother, Norman. Lawrence Esser, Jr. Lawrence Esser, Jr., was from Minot. He was born February 21, 1948. He served in the Army's Ninth Infantry Division. He was 21 years old when he died on March 12, 1969. Lawrence was the fourth of eight children, and his family and friends called him Junior. His sister, Darlene, has fond memories of playing together outside making mud pies. She says that from the time Lawrence was a child, he loved to build things and work with his hands. He attended a trade school and worked for his brother-in-law in a construction firm. Lawrence's family remembers him as a humble and quiet person. His mother, who died when she was 98 years old, still had a hard time speaking about Lawrence until her own death. Joseph ``Joe'' Fischer Joseph ``Joe'' Fischer was from Zeeland and was born September 11, 1948. He served in the Army on the USS King as a boiler technician. Joe died on May 23, 1969. He was 20 years old. When Joe was very young, his mother passed away. During middle school, he began living with Ben and Laura Jund of Zeeland. Joe and the Junds, his foster family, grew very close. Joe's high school friend, Anne Welder, remembers that Joe was kind of a class clown and participated in baseball, basketball, football, drama, and pep club. Anne and Joe's foster family believe that everyone who knew Joe loved being around him. After his high school graduation, Joe enlisted in the Navy. He enjoyed his Navy service very much. The day after Joe's foster family learned that Joe had died, they received a note in the mail sent to them, stating: ``I just thought I would let you know that I am still alive.'' Wendell Keller Wendell Keller was from Fargo and was born May 19, 1934. He served in the Air Force 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron. Wendell was 34 years old when he went missing in action on March 1, 1969. Wendell's parents were Raymond and Leona Keller, and his siblings are Virginia Post, Ray Keller, and David Keller. In addition to his siblings, Wendell is survived by his wife Jacqueline, son Gregory and his wife Patty, stepson Andy, and son Michael and his wife Janie and their daughter Lydia. While at North Dakota State University, Wendell majored in electrical engineering and graduated with an Air Force ROTC commission. Wendell was an accomplished pilot. In 1959, he was selected to fly over the first U.S. Air Force Academy graduation ceremony. In 1968, Wendell volunteered for an assignment in Southeast Asia rather than accepting the recommendation to become a Thunderbird pilot. On March 1, 1969, Wendell, an Air Force major at the time, was the flight commander of a night strike over Laos. It was his 80th mission, and he made multiple passes before his plane was struck by anti- aircraft fire and crashed in the rugged terrain. Search-and-rescue efforts to locate him were unsuccessful. He was declared missing in action and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Fifteen years later, the crash site was discovered, and after several ground searches and excavations, in 2012, his remains were identified and he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The Air Force issued Lieutenant Colonel Keller medals to honor his extraordinary service, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart. Stanley Ottmar Stanley Ottmar was from Mott and was born October 26, 1949. He served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. Stan died April 10, 1969. He was 19 years old. His family called him Stan, and he was the third of seven children. His sister, Mavis Jarnagin, or Mavis Ottmar, was my college roommate when we were at UND and remains a good friend of mine today. Their father served in World War II in the Army. After high school graduation, Stan followed in his father's footsteps and enlisted in the Army, where he joined a parachute training program. Stan was a friendly and social person who had a love and talent for music. His sister, Sharon, has fond memories of Stan at home standing in front of the mirror watching himself play guitar and sing. The family cherishes the recordings they have of him singing and playing the guitar. Stan died with just 2 weeks left in his tour, and he was already making plans at the time to buy a new car. John Renner John Renner was from Mandan and he was born June 24, 1949. He served in the Marine Corps' Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines. He was 20 years old when he died July 28, 1969. John was one of three kids. His sister Mary lives in Mandan, and his brother Tim lives in Arizona. Mary remembers John as a happy, nice person who was always smiling. He was never unkind to a soul. John was killed just 2 months after beginning his tour of duty in Vietnam. After John died, his brother Tim joined the Marine Corps. Tim was not sent to Vietnam but felt he owed it to his brother to join the military. John's fellow soldiers remember him as a brave and good friend. He is deeply missed by all who knew him. Virgil Greany Virgil Greany was from Rugby and he was born November 26, 1930. He served as a major in the Army. He was 33 years old when he died September 25, 1964. Virgil served our country for over 12 years prior to his death, including service in Korea and Ethiopia before he volunteered to go to Vietnam as an adviser. Virgil had made the military a career, but he had a passion for mathematics. Virgil's dream was to become a math teacher after he retired from the Army. The day Virgil died, a Vietnamese soldier threw four grenades into his vehicle. The third grenade exploded inside of the truck, killing Virgil. Virgil left behind his young wife, stepchildren, and a daughter. Robert ``Bob'' Sime Robert ``Bob'' Sime grew up in Velva and Tolna and was born on December 10, 1939. He served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division, in what was called the ``Garry Owen'' regiment. Bob was 27 years old when he died on October 23, 1967. His siblings are John, Richard, and Marilyn. His parents both worked in education. Bob grew up in Velva. His senior year of high school the Sime family moved from Velva to Tolna, where his father became the superintendent of schools. Bob was tall and was talked into joining the basketball team at Tolna, where he played just for the fun of it. Bob's cousin, Jean, remembers that Bob liked 1950s rock-and-roll music and that he always combed his hair like Elvis Presley. After graduating from Tolna High School, Bob enlisted in the Army. In the Army, Bob met Lieutenant Bob Trimble, who became his company's executive officer. The two men had confidence in each other on missions and also enjoyed spending their free time together. Lieutenant Trimble remembers Bob's great sense of humor, even when times were tough. He was with Bob when Bob was killed and says that day will always haunt him. Thomas ``Tom'' Spitzer Thomas ``Tom'' Spitzer grew up on a farm south of Wilton and was born June 17, 1941. He served as a Navy pilot on the USS Oriskany. Tom was 25 years old when he died on October 26, 1966. Tom is survived by his siblings, wife, and his son Tom, who was born the month after his father was killed. In high school, Tom and a friend began flying. He then attended North Dakota State University, where he participated in ROTC and received a degree in business administration. During his Navy training, Tom was designated a Top Gun graduate. His brother Jeff says it was the proudest moment of Tom's life. The Navy intended for Tom to stay in the United States to train other pilots, but Tom volunteered to go to Vietnam to serve his country. As a Navy pilot in Vietnam, Tom flew over 100 missions. One of those missions involved him flying over his wing commander, who had been shot down, to draw fire away while they waited for help to arrive. The Navy awarded Tom with distinguished medals in recognition of his heroism. Donald ``Donny'' Vollmer Donald ``Donny'' Vollmer was from Bismark. He was born August 2, 1950. He served in the Army's 1st Aviation Brigade. Donny died on November 2, 1969. He was 19 years old. Donny had three brothers and one sister. He enjoyed hunting and fishing in his free time. Donny decided to join the Army because his older brother Jim was enlisting and he wanted to go too. At the time, Donny was 17 years old, so his parents had to give permission, and Donny had to finish his GED while at basic training. Donny and Jim served in the same unit, and Donny was a helicopter crew chief. A few weeks before Donny was killed, he and Jim came home on emergency leave because their mother had a heart attack. Donny spent his time at home telling his friends how much he loved serving his country. Jim's tour was almost over, so he was allowed to stay home, but Donny returned to Vietnam alone. Jim believes that if Donny had not been killed in the war, he would have made the Army his career. Robert Brothen Robert Brothen was from Mohall and was born February 14, 1947. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. Robert died on February 27, 1969. He had just turned 22 years old. His two sisters were Beverly and Audrey, and his brother's name was Bernard. Even though he was Robert's younger brother, Bernard joined the Army during the war just to help protect Robert. At one point during their service, Robert and Bernard were both hospitalized in Washington State, being treated for foot rot, but didn't learn they were in the same place until the day after they left. Robert's father Alvin died of cancer the same year Robert died. Their sister Beverly is the last living member of the family. Their mother Pearl passed away in 2004 but witnessed the deaths of three of her children and two husbands during her lifetime. These are the stories of just a few North Dakotans and actually just a few of those brave soldiers killed in action in Vietnam. As we continue to participate in the commemoration of the Vietnam war, I believe it is critically important that we continue to honor and appreciate their sacrifice and to help educate the younger generation, like the Bismark High School students who are helping me with this project, on the importance of sacrifice and commitment to our country. Madam President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HEITKAMP

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

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I rise today to continue our efforts to honor the 198 North Dakotans who gave their lives while serving in the Vietnam war. Together with Bismarck High School's 11th graders and their teachers, my office is reaching out to the families and friends of these fallen heroes to learn about their lives. I am humbled to learn the tidbits shared with us about each young man, and I wish I could dedicate a whole speech to each unique life. Today, I also want to highlight the service and contributions to North Dakota and our country by my good friend Rick Maixner of Bismarck. Rick served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam war, earning many distinguished medals for his aerial service. He then served the State of North Dakota as a State senator and member of the State house of representatives. In his forties, Rick earned his law degree. Throughout his career, he has always been a true public servant. I wish Rick a very happy 70th birthday. Now I will share about the lives of some of the North Dakotans who did not come home from the Vietnam war. James Freidt James Freidt was from Grand Forks and was born May 5, 1947. He served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. James was 20 years old when he died on October 11, 1967. James's father served our country during World War II and received a Purple Heart for his service. James was one of 10 children and was one of three children in his family to die tragically. His family and friends called him Jimmy and remember him as a very protective brother who was always smiling. The siblings have fond memories of playing games like kick the can together. Shortly before beginning his tour of duty, James was able to attend one of his sisters' weddings. The family is grateful for that good memory of James. He was killed just over 1 month after arriving in Vietnam. Robert ``Bobby'' Schmitz Robert ``Bobby'' Schmitz was from Martin and was born February 25, 1944. He served in the Army's 4th Infantry Division. Bobby was 25 years old when he died on September 16, 1969. He was the oldest of six children. His father, Eugene, and a brother, Denny, also served our country in the Army. Growing up, Bobby helped his family with farming and their dairy cows. He and his brother, Denny, were both on the wrestling team. Bobby graduated from NDSU with a degree in business administration before serving in Vietnam. He was engaged to be married and was looking forward to starting his life with his fiancee after he completed his service. Loren ``Doug'' Hagen Loren ``Doug'' Hagen was born in Fargo on February 25, 1946. He served as a Green Beret in the Army Special Forces. On August 7, 1971, Doug died. He was 25 years old. Doug was the eldest of three sons. He was an Eagle Scout and an honor student. After graduating from NDSU with a degree in engineering, Doug enlisted in the Army. His goal was to find his best friend from high school, who had gone missing in action 2 years prior. Doug was killed 2 weeks into his second tour of duty, which was 1 week prior to his being promoted to captain. Doug was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism for his actions trying to rescue his fellow soldiers on the day he died. His Medal of Honor was presented to his father by President Gerald Ford at the White House in 1974. Last month, the American Legion Post 308 was created in West Fargo and was named the Loren ``Doug'' Hagen Post in his honor. I am grateful to Jordan Haluzak, Jasmine Nice, Brady Bieber, and Alex Love of Bismarck High School for sharing with us about Doug and his family. Jordan is related to Doug and is learning more about his family tree through this project. Michael Himmerick Michael Himmerick was from Valley City and was born November 28, 1947. He served as a Navy medic for a group of 100 marines. Michael died on April 6, 1967. He was 19 years old. Michael was one of four boys, and two of his brothers also served in the Navy. His family called him Mickey, and the marines he served with called him Doc. His bother Jim says Michael was one heck of a ballplayer. He was scouted by four Major League Baseball teams when he was a sophomore in high school, but he threw his arm out the summer after his junior year. Jim remembers Michael's plans to put his intelligence and military experience to good use to become a doctor after completing his service. Larry Sikorski Larry Sikorski was from Fairmount and was born April 1, 1947. He served in the Marine Corps' Hotel Battery, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines. Larry died on February 25, 1969. He was 21 years old. He had two sisters, Yvonne and Arlene. He had four brothers, Chet, Richard, Daniel, and Orrin--all of whom served our country in the U.S. military. Larry's nephew Dale was just 1 year younger than Larry. He cherishes his memories of building a raft together, just like Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. They spent 3 days together building it, but, unfortunately, once sent into the river, the raft did not float. Dale remembers Larry as being outgoing and very intelligent. Larry earned straight A's while studying predentistry at the University of North Dakota before enlisting in the Marines. Before going to Vietnam, when Dale dropped Larry off at the airport, Larry told Dale he would never see him again. Richard ``Jimmy'' Gaffney, Jr. Richard ``Jimmy'' Gaffney, Jr., was from Fargo. He was born October 23, 1948. He served in the Marine Corps' Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. Jimmy died on July 13, 1968. He was 19 years old. Jimmy enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after he graduated from Fargo Central High School in 1966. During his first 13-month tour of duty in Vietnam, he was promoted to the rank of corporal. In letters he mailed to his family, Jimmy wrote that he had made a lot of good friends in his fellow soldiers. When his first tour came to an end, Jimmy signed up for a second tour. Shortly after starting his second tour of duty, he was killed by a land mine. Richard Volk Richard Volk was from Minot. He was born March 20, 1949. He served in the Marine Corps' Echo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 12th Marines. Richard died on March 19, 1969, the day before his 20th birthday. Richard was one of 11 children. Three of the four sons in his family served our country in the military. At one point, Richard and his older brother, Stephen, were both serving in Vietnam at the same time. Richard was a hard worker, working on the Soo Line Railroad and at his brother-in-law's restaurant, the Pantry Cafe. His brother Virgil remembers that Richard loved hunting and fishing. Virgil said Richard was the best looking in the family, and he knew it. Roger Svir Roger Svir was from Park River and was born December 1, 1950. He served in the Army's 1099th Transportation Company, called the River Rats. Roger died on September 26, 1971. He was 20 years old. He was the oldest of four children. His father and seven uncles served our country in World War II and Korea. During high school, Roger worked for a potato farmer and shared his earnings with his mother Virginia. His mother cherishes her memories of Roger and his cousin playing together along the river and of Roger fixing his car. He had plans to buy a piece of land with his father and start their own farm. After Roger died, his father thought he was too old to start farming alone, and he gave up on the dream. Roger was proud to hold the same position as an Army River Rat ship fitter that his father held during World War II. Willis Weber Willis Weber was from Valley City and was born July 1, 1937. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. His regiment was called the Blue Spaders of the Big Red One. Willis was 28 years old when he died on November 11, 1965. At College High School in Valley City, his friends called him Willie. He participated in journalism, printing, basketball, football, and intramural sports. Prior to his Army service, Willis served in the Air Force and in the Valley City Police Department. Three weeks after arriving in Vietnam, Willis was shot, and he died a few days after because of that injury. He was awarded six medals in recognition for his actions while serving in Vietnam. The Valley City AMVETS Post 3 and the Auxiliary are named after Willis in honor of his service and sacrifice to his country. I want to thank Woody Wendt, a charter member of the Willis Weber AMVETS Post, Sarah Lerud, and Wes Anderson--all of Valley City--for sharing these details of Willis' life. Edward Alec Werman Edward Alec Werman was from Hansel and was born April 11, 1938. He served with the Green Berets in the Army's Special Forces. Edward was 33 years old when he died on June 1, 1971. In addition to his parents and five siblings, he left behind his wife Nancy, his daughter Robin, and his son Alec. His sister Linda remembers Edward as a hard worker who loved his children. His daughter Robin loved traveling as a child with her family to places such as Myrtle Beach and Washington, DC. Edward became a captain in the Army after attending West Point. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam and died when the helicopter he was in crashed and burned. Steve Escallier Steve Escallier enlisted while living in Portal and was born February 13, 1950. He served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. Steve died on October 31, 1969. He was 19 years old. Steve's siblings remember him as an exceptional brother with good looks and long eyelashes. He held closely the Native American values of truth, life, family, and God. Steve was a firm believer in the United States and the obligation to help those who asked, so he chose to enlist. He had plans to become a teacher after completing his service. Steve's sister Elyse believes the whole town where they lived in California mourned Steve's death. It took the family years after his death to be able to say ``Vietnam'' and even longer to be able to say Steve's name. Steven Hanson Steven Hanson spent his early childhood in Aneta and was born October 27, 1949. He served in the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Steve died on September 24, 1971. He was 21 years old. His family and friends called him Steve. While growing up, Steven's father Gordon served as a Lutheran pastor in the small town of Dazey, and the family traveled all over the world with his father's work as an Army chaplain. Steven's younger brother by 10 years, David, tells of a letter the family received from a fellow soldier whose life Steven saved the day he died. The letter described Steven as the pilot of his helicopter crew of four soldiers. Steven's helicopter was shot down, but he was able to guide it to a semicontrolled crash landing. A fellow pilot of Steven's also had survived a recent crash, and Steven was heard joking on the radio to tell so-and-so that he now has safely landed one, too. One of his crew members was pinned under the helicopter and injured, so Steven helped to free him and called the evacuation helicopter. Later, a second chopper came and dropped down the cable to take Steven and his crewman to safety, but they were drawing fire, and the cable gave way. Steven fell 100 feet to his death. In addition to his parents and siblings, Steven left behind a wife and son. Leon Cox Leon Cox was from Jamestown and was born May 4, 1934. He enlisted in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. Leon was 35 years old when he died on May 17, 1969. Leon, or ``Fuzzy,'' as he was affectionately called by his family, was the seventh of 12 children. Leon grew up in a family dedicated to serving our country. His father served in World War I; two brothers, John and Alex, served in World War II; and two other brothers, Donnie and Jim, served in Korea. Leon made a career out of his military service. During his senior year of high school, he joined the National Guard and was deployed to Korea. After returning from his deployment, he joined the Army and was stationed in Germany, where he and his wife adopted a young girl named Nicolette. Leon's family remembers him as a proud man who believed in his country. Gunder Gunderson Gunder Gunderson was from Walhalla and was born on July 25, 1941. He served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. Gunder was 24 years old when he died on November 23, 1965. His fellow platoon soldier, Paul Guglietta, says that it was an honor to serve in the same platoon as Sergeant Gunderson. Paul remembers Gunder as being dedicated, hard-working, and very intelligent. He always drove himself to improve on everything he did. Paul was injured at the same time Gunder was killed and says that Gunder was a brave and courageous soldier. Roy Wagner Roy Wagner was from Bismarck and was born February 23, 1947. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. Roy died October 2, 1967, at the age of 20. When Roy's brother Toby was drafted, Roy decided to enlist. When the draft board met the brothers together, they decided that Toby should go home because he had a wife and kids. Roy was more than happy to take Toby's place. While in Vietnam, Roy met a young Vietnamese boy whose parents had been killed in the conflict. It was Roy's intention to adopt the boy once he married his fiancee while on leave, but Roy was killed before he could marry his sweetheart or adopt the boy. The day he died, Roy was in the field with five other soldiers. The group was led into a tunnel and ambushed. Three of the men were shot, and Roy knew that he needed to buy them some time. He stood at the front of the group shooting at the enemy until all of the other men got out. He took seven bullets, saved all five men, and lost his life that day. All five men later contacted the family to tell them of Roy's self-sacrifice. The AMVETS post in Bismarck is named after Roy to honor his service and his sacrifice. I wish to thank Bismarck High School students Kyra Wetzel and Hunter Lauer for sharing their research about Roy Wagner with us. These are just a few of the brave men who served our country in Vietnam. As we are now experiencing the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam war, commemorated by an official proclamation by the President, I think it is important that we honor those who were killed in action and that we share their stories with the next generation of North Dakotans, the next generation of Americans, so they can truly appreciate the sacrifice of those who served us in the U.S. military and certainly the sacrifice which gave the last great measure of their lives. I thank the Presiding Officer and yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I congratulate Ms. Cheyenne Brady, a resident of the great State of North Dakota, on being crowned the 2015-2016 Miss Indian World. The Miss Indian World competition is the largest and most prestigious cultural pageant for young Native women and was recently held during the Gathering of Nations Powwow at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Twenty contestants from across the United States and Canada were judged on public speaking, a personal interview, talent presentation, traditional dance, and an essay. Throughout the competition, contestants demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of their culture and tribal history. Cheyenne won awards for the Best Essay as well as Best Dancer categories. Cheyenne is a member of the Sac and Fox Nation, and also represents the Hidatsa Arikara, Cheyenne, Pawnee, Otoe, Kiowa Apache, and Tonkawa tribes. At 22 years old, she is a student at North Dakota State University majoring in behavioral health and was recently accepted into North Dakota State University's graduate school program for American Indian Public Health. As Congress works to support Native youth and address their holistic needs that include behavioral and mental health issues, it is heartening to see Cheyenne specialize in areas so critical to helping her tribe and community members succeed. I wish Cheyenne well as she travels across the United States and Canada in her role as Miss Indian World. During her reign, Cheyenne hopes to instill a sense of pride in Native youth and will encourage them to embrace their culture. It is truly a great honor to have such a talented young woman represent North Dakota and Indian Country on the world stage.

Ms. HEITKAMP

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

Ms. HEITKAMP. Madam President, today I rise to continue an effort to honor the memory of the 198 North Dakotans who died while serving our country in Vietnam. As I have said in the past, we are in a period of 13 years of recognition of the sacrifices of those Vietnam vets based on a proclamation signed by the President. I think it is only appropriate that we recognize not only those who were killed in action but also our living Vietnam vets who add so strongly to the fabric of our society and our culture. First, I would like to recognize a Vietnam veteran who is making a difference each and every day, my good friend Rick Olek. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He spent 20 years in the National Guard and over 30 years as a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier. He served on North Dakota's Administrative Committee on Veterans Affairs and as president of the North Dakota Veterans Coordinating Council. Today, he grills a top-notch steak at the AMVETS. I also want to again thank the Bismarck High School 11th graders and their teachers for helping me to research these fallen heroes and to reach out to their families. These students contacted the family of George Valker III as part of their project and shared their research with my office. I know that this experience for these students has enriched not only my efforts here but enriched their lives as well. I want the family members, friends, and fellow veterans of the men I honor today to know that it is not easy to narrow the facts of each man's life. In fact, I believe a book could be written about every one of them. I am touched that so many family and friends have opened up to us to talk about their loved ones. Gerald Coulthart We are going to start with Gerald Coulthart. Gerald was from Hamilton. He was born June 5, 1947. He served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. Gerald was 21 years old when he died on April 28, 1969. He was the youngest of six children. His brother Raymond also served in the Army. In high school, Gerald participated in wrestling. After graduation, he attended the Hanson Trade School in Fargo. Before leaving for Vietnam, Gerald shared a premonition with his sister Serene that he would not be alive the next time they would be together. Despite his feeling, Gerald was glad to go, saying it was better it be he than a guy with kids and a family and a wife. Gerald's fellow soldier, Michael Matthews, recounted that Gerald died 6 weeks into his tour in Vietnam, when Firebase Carolyn came under rocket attack. Stephen Eichelberger Stephen Eichelberger was from Fargo and was born September 26, 1946. He served in the Marine Corps in the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines. Stephen died on May 16, 1967. He was 20 years old. He was one of five children. Stephen's brother Richard served in the Army. Stephen's siblings remember him teaching them about the real world. They say Stephen was the best brother anyone could ask for. They appreciated his dedication to them, including attending their sporting events and even buying them a bike. In addition to his parents and siblings, Stephen left behind his wife Janet and one son John. Francis ``Ed'' Geiger Francis ``Ed'' Geiger was from Dickinson. He was born on December 23, 1936. He served in the Air Force as a pilot. Ed was 28 years old when he died on July 23, 1965. He was the eighth of 10 children. Only three of them are living today: Monica, Florence, and Leonard. Ed became an Air Force captain and flight instructor who was very careful about deciding whether or not to certify other officers to fly. He was a stickler for the rules. Ed left behind his wife Joan and daughter Lynn. Faith was very important to Ed. While in Vietnam, he worked with the chaplain to provide a daily Catholic mass for those who wished to attend. Two Air Force memorials honor Ed: Geiger Hall at Minot Air Force Base and a memorial wall at Memorial Park in Colorado Springs for forward air controllers killed in action. Stephen Groth, Jr. Stephen Groth, Jr., was from Enderlin and was born January 12, 1945. He served in the Army's 4th Infantry Division. Stephen was 22 years old when he went missing July 12, 1967. In high school, Stephen was well liked. He enjoyed golf and baseball. He attended both North Dakota State University and the State School of Science in Wahpeton before joining the service. His sister Kathy remembers how Stephen spent his last days before leaving for Vietnam visiting the people he loved. Kathy has always believed he was using this time to say good-bye. Throughout the years, people have left photos, letters, and other memorials at his grave in Enderlin. Melvin Lembke Melvin Lembke was from Grand Forks and was born March 23, 1944. He served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. On December 11, 1968, Melvin died. He was 24 years old. Melvin was one of four boys, and three of them served in the military at the same time. One brother, Raymond, also served in the Army, and another brother, William, served in the Marine Corps. Melvin was an accomplished wrestler, earning second in the State high school championship, and later made the wrestling team at the University of North Dakota. Melvin's brothers remembered how he excelled in math and science and loved life. Melvin was survived by his wife, son, brothers, and parents. Thomas Narum Thomas Narum was from Amidon and was born on May 13, 1946. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. He was only 20 years old when he died on January 18, 1967. Thomas was 1 of 11 children. His sister closest in age, Margaret, remembers Thomas as a kind, gentle young man. She told of how he would often scrub the floors in their home to help his mother. Thomas was such an important part of the sports teams in high school that after he fell off a scaffolding while working on the family's house, the school superintendent was upset that Thomas chose to have surgery for the chipped bone in his arm and wouldn't be able to play. Richard Orsund Richard Orsund was from Grafton and was born on July 19, 1947. He served in the Army's 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Richard died on March 27, 1968. He was 20 years old. Richard was the second of four children. His father served in the Army in World War II, and his older brother served in the North Dakota National Guard. Richard's sister Shirley remembers him as a well-respected young man. He was the president of the student council, and he was an outstanding athlete in track and football. He worked a part-time job after school. So, in order to practice for track, he woke up early every morning and ran 4 miles around the family's section of land. Richard believed he would eventually be drafted. So after 1 year of college, he enlisted in the Army. At Richard's funeral, the church and basement were both overflowing, with some people standing outside listening. Ronald ``Ronnie'' Stoltenow Ronald ``Ronnie'' Stoltenow was from Hankinson and was born on June 29, 1947. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. Ronnie was 20 years old when he died on November 7, 1967. His family and friends say he was respectful, loyal, humble, compassionate, friendly, hardworking, willing to learn, and spontaneous. Ronnie served as a medic in Vietnam. During an ambush, he was wounded but he continued to give aid to his fellow soldiers until he was eventually shot and kill. His family believes his bravery, deep sense of duty to his country, and compassion for others led Ronnie to become a fallen hero. George Tongen George Tongen was from Walhalla and was born on August 7, 1947. He served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. George died May 21, 1968. He was 20 years old. George was the middle child of seven children. Three of George's brothers also served our country. Robert served in the Marine Corps, and Daniel and John served in the Army. George's father was not able to finish high school, so he made sure his children understood the importance of education. George was the only child in their family who didn't earn a college degree because he chose to enlist after his sophomore year of college. George's siblings completed their college education, some earning master's and doctoral degrees. George's family remembers him as a bright, avid reader and music lover. He was a positive role model to the kids he encountered while working as a lifeguard and camp counselor. Richard ``Dick'' Triske Richard ``Dick'' Triske was from Fargo. He was born on January 3, 1949. He served in the Marine Corps' India Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines. Dick was 19 years old when he died on June 2, 1968. Dick had two brothers and two sisters. His siblings remember that Dick was a fun-loving person who always enjoyed making jokes. He loved boxing and fixing cars. Dick enlisted before graduating from high school. Three of his friends also died while serving in Vietnam, two of them before Dick and one after. George ``Greg'' Valker III George ``Greg'' Valker III was from Fargo and was born on October 24, 1946. He served in the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Greg was 21 years old when he died on August 10, 1968. Greg had a younger brother, Bryan, and a younger sister, Vicki. Their parents ran a floral shop, and Greg was an important part of that flower business. While serving in Vietnam, he helped fellow soldiers send floral arrangements to their families on the holidays and made sure that moms were remembered on Mother's Day. Greg's plans after completing his service was to become a third- generation florist in the family business. His family and friends remember Greg as being fun and full of love and kindness. Greg was his brother Bryan's best friend and confidant, and his sister Vicki's teacher and protector. In talking with the Bismarck High School students and my staff about her brother Greg, Vicki found that after all of these long years of mourning the loss of her big brother, this opportunity to share what a wonderful person he was allowed her to find some closure on a painful loss. Murray Vidler Murray Vidler was from Canada but enlisted in Fargo. He was born on May 6, 1946. He served in the Marine Corps' Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Murray died on December 19, 1967. He was 21 years old. One of Murray's friends had served in Vietnam, which inspired Murray and another friend to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps. When he went home on leave, he told his siblings of the friendships he had made in the U.S. Armed Forces and how much he cared about the children of Vietnam. Gordon Wenaas Gordon Wenaas was from Mayville and was born on March 2, 1932. He served in the Air Force's 314th Tactical Airlift Wing. Gordon was 35 years old when he went missing on December 29, 1967. While missing, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He was one of eight children. Gordon and all of his four brothers served our country in the military. Gordon has four children of his own: Kenny, Pam, Ronny, and Ricky. His remains were recovered in the 1990s and identified in 2000. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Dan Neuenschwander Dan Neuenschwander was from Fessenden and was born on October 3, 1945. He served in the Marine Corps' India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Dan died on May 15, 1968. He was only 22 years old. Dan was the youngest of four children. His oldest sister, Nedra, said that the family babied him and that he was a tough, yet sensitive person. Nedra is proud of her brother and remembers that while he was studying at the University of North Dakota, he had mono but fought to get a clean bill of health so he could enlist in the Marines. Shortly after Dan's death, his family received a letter he wrote them describing why he believed in the Vietnam war. Norman Williams Norman Williams was born July 11, 1947. He served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. Norman was 20 years old when he died on December 6, 1967. He was one of four children. Six of Norman's uncles served in World War II. Norman's brother Roger said that in high school Norman's friends called him Will or Willy. His active high school career included playing football and participating in the FFA as a member of the crop judging team, a chapter officer, and a member of the parliamentary procedure team. Norman chose to enlist in the Army in 1966 to serve his country. All of these young men--as we think about their lives and their sacrifice, we can only imagine what they would have accomplished and what they would have done in our country. We are so grateful for their sacrifice, and it is so important that we remember this sacrifice during this period of remembrance of the Vietnam war. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I want to thank my good friend from Alaska for giving me an opportunity to talk about this policy of sanctions that is wrong, wrong, wrong on so many levels. When we first looked at it, we need to understand that the embargo, or the limitation on the exportation of crude oil in this country, is a policy decision made by the President--initially, President Nixon--in response to a number of producers going around oil price support controls. So this is a 1970's policy. Unfortunately, when we transitioned away from price supports for crude oil, we never removed this embargo, we never removed this restriction. That was a mistake at that time. It continues to be a colossal mistake for our growth towards energy independence in this country and our ability to use our energy and our oil for soft power and to actually provide a consistent and ready supply of crude oil to our allies so they are not beholden, not only to Iran, but to countries such as Russia. So it is critically important that we examine some of the concerns that people have about lifting the embargo. Obviously, in North Dakota, we do not see any logic, because we are kind of a commonsense State. We do not see any logic behind not allowing crude oil to be exported but allowing every refined product that we could produce in this country access to a foreign market. That makes absolutely no sense. If the logic behind this is to try and maintain stability and a lower gasoline price, then we should lock down gasoline and we should not export gasoline. The antiquated policy that we are talking about today did not have a lot of logic after we deregulated oil. It has even less logic in the dangerous world we live in. We know that so many of our foreign enemies rely on oil revenue basically to fund their terrorism activities, to fund their government, to supply the necessary government services that keep them in power. We have an opportunity to say to our allies, whether it is Japan or in Europe, don't worry about whether someone is going to hold you hostage because you will not be able to heat your homes in the winter or provide gasoline to your communities and your consumers. Do not worry about that because we have your back. But we cannot have their back if we don't have the ability to export our crude oil. The bottom line is that on every level, in terms of foreign policy, in terms of what we should be in this country--on every level--a policy of maintaining an embargo, a restriction against exports of crude oil makes no common sense--absolutely none. But let's talk about domestic policy because I think some of the concerns that have been expressed to me by my colleagues, and I am sure Senator Murkowski's colleagues, have been this: Well, won't this increase gasoline prices? I have to applaud Senator Murkowski because very early on she heard that, and she said: Let's have some real intellectual work done. Don't rely on my economics 101. How about we actually get economists from Brookings, economists from the Aspen Institute, economists from all over the country, who have come to one single conclusion, which is, that it will not raise gasoline prices. In fact, the conclusion is quite the opposite--that allowing us access to an international market could, in fact, reduce gasoline prices. Why would that be, you wonder? Because of the fluke of how we refine crude oil in this country, most of our refineries are based on heavy sour crude. The crude we produce in North Dakota is light sweet crude. We don't have a big refining capacity for light sweet crude, so we have a price reduction in our country. So how are gasoline prices established? They are based on that higher crude oil price, because they are refining crude oil that comes in from other places such as Saudi Arabia. They are refining crude oils that come in from Venezuela, and they are charging an appropriate price. Some people would say there is a little bit of price creep here as we are looking at gasoline prices. The ability to get our crude to market is absolutely critical. Now, there are a lot of people who also think that we should keep a captive market on a lot of our resources. We have heard this argument in natural gas, and we heard this argument in crude oil. They said: We should have a captive market. I have a constant reply. I say: I have a lot of hog farmers who like low corn prices. The solution for low corn prices has never been not to export corn. This is the only commodity that is traded on a global price that does not have the ability to find its market. Now, what is the consequence of that? I would tell you, to my friend from Alaska, and I think she sees this, one of the things I sincerely believe is that the ability to produce oil--our domestic production of oil--had a lot to do with driving Iran to the negotiating table. They saw that we could, in fact, infiltrate the market and take market share. That is threatening to a lot of the former OPEC countries that are wanting that captive market. If we had access to that market, we would be sending a message. So why don't we do the right thing here? Why don't we understand how this export ban on American crude oil is restricting our ability to use crude oil as an appropriate soft power opportunity? Why don't we talk about how actually allowing for the export of crude oil could drive down gasoline prices in the United States of America and continue the energy renaissance? If we cannot find our market, if we cannot find our market in North Dakota for this production, guess what happens? It either goes into storage or it gets shut in where it is, which is in the field. Hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost. But more importantly, our energy security in this country will be jeopardized and harmed. This policy of opening up this restriction is so right on so many levels. I applaud the Senator from Alaska for bringing it forth in this context. I think it is critical to talk about it in this context. But I also applaud her for all of the work she has done and we have supported, as she has built out the case--the economic case--for why this policy makes no sense at any level. It is wrongheaded. It is time to change it. This is an opportunity. We will not end because it is only fair to every oilfield worker out there, it is only fair to every owner of a royalty or minerals in place, it is fair to every operator, and it is fair to the people of this country to engage in trade, level the playing field, and make sure we are telling our friends and allies that they don't have to buy their oil from countries that threaten their security every day. We have a supply of oil that can readily be exported and provided to them. I thank my good friend from Alaska for her continued advocacy on behalf of consumers of this country and her continued advocacy on behalf of an energy-appropriate policy in the United States of America.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I rise today to continue our efforts to honor the Nation's and North Dakota's Vietnam veterans and specifically those brave servicemembers who were killed in action during the Vietnam war. Mr. President, 198 soldiers from North Dakota died while serving in Vietnam. Today, I am honored to speak about some of these brave men and the stories their families have shared with us. I need to credit David Erbstoesser of Bismarck, a Vietnam veteran, for his service and for his years of reaching out to the family members of these fallen North Dakota patriots. Over the past 20 years, David contacted each family to obtain a photo of every servicemember and a photo of their gravestone. I am grateful to David for meeting with my staff to share his collection of obituaries, news articles, and photos he has collected. The Bismarck High students and their teachers are also researching North Dakota's servicemembers who didn't come home from Vietnam. Today, I am happy to include research from BHS's 11th grade students about two such men: Gary Myers and David Bujalski. Raphael ``John'' Frost The first of our soldiers is John Frost. John was from Hunter. He was born on March 16, 1948. He served in the Army's 196th Infantry Brigade. John was 20 years old when he was killed on December 20, 1968. John was the oldest of three children and helped his dad on the family farm. During high school, John participated in the school newspaper, choir, the Letterman's Club, a school play, and was a class officer. He was also an all-around athlete who earned letters in track, baseball, football, and basketball. His mother Lois still remembers how proud she was the day he scored 33 points in one basketball game in a winning effort. After high school, John enrolled at Valley City State College. He was a quiet, fun-loving boy who dreamed of returning to his hometown to work as a teacher and basketball coach. John's mother and brother Kevin remember John's kindness, especially toward his Grandma Alice while she was staying with the family recuperating from breaking her hip. While his parents were out of town, John stayed home caring for his grandmother, even making potato pancakes for her. Jon Greenley Jon Greenley was from Fargo. He was born on January 30, 1942. He served in the Air Force's 774th Tactical Aerial Flight Squadron. Jon died on January 7, 1966. He was 23 years old. Jon was one of three sons. His brother Doug remembers that Jon respected authority. Jon sent Doug a letter stating that the only time he questioned their parents' judgment was when he was buying a lawnmower and they suggested he buy a type he didn't like. From a young age, Jon had an interest in planes and in the military. He joined the North Dakota Air National Guard. When his parents wouldn't take him to see the Air Museum in Ohio, he hitchhiked there. Jon attended North Dakota State University and became president of the international relations group there. He was named Outstanding ROTC of the Air Force and was the first alternate to the Air Force Academy. The Fargo AMVETS post, founded in 1980, was named after Jon. His body has never been recovered. Dan Herdebu Dan Herdebu was from Baldwin. He was born on July 21, 1948. He served in the Army's 1st Aviation Brigade. He was 19 years old when he died on March 10, 1968. Dan and his two brothers attended their two-room school through the eighth grade and attended Bismarck High School. Dan planned to put his aviation experience to good use by flying helicopters for law enforcement or medical facilities someday. Dan's older brother Eugene was in basic training when Dan was killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam. After Dan's death, Eugene also served in Vietnam in the Army. Alan Hinzpeter Alan Hinzpeter was from Minot. He was born on May 12, 1949. He served in the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Alan died on September 6, 1971. He was 22 years old. Alan was one of four children. His brother Gordie also served in Vietnam, and their father served in World War II in the Navy. Alan's friends and family called him Pete and remember him as a hard worker who was smart and generous with his money. He was a jokester who liked everyone and whom everyone liked. His oldest sister Jean tells about the time he wanted to watch the World Series, so he smoked a cigarette at school so he would be suspended. Jean says that Alan was 5 feet 4 inches but had a big personality. Many people attended his funeral and still to this day remember him fondly. Gerald Allen ``Al'' Iverson Al Iverson was from Oakes. He was born on May 26, 1947. He served in the Army's 9th Infantry Division. He was 20 years old when he died on November 1, 1967. Al was the second youngest of 14 kids--7 boys and 7 girls. Al's siblings say he was a fun-loving brother with red hair and freckles. He loved baseball and fishing. He also enjoyed spending time with his older siblings' kids, the oldest in his family, and he wanted to get married someday and have six kids of his own. Al had 3 months left before he was scheduled to return home. He was the first Dickey County soldier to die in Vietnam. Norbert Froehlich Norbert Froehlich was from Belfield. He was born on March 4, 1947. He served in the Army's 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment. Norbert died on January 30, 1968. He was 19 years old. He was the ninth of 10 kids and grew up on his family farm. Three of his brothers also served our country in the military. His friends, both in the Army and from high school, remembered Norbert as a friend who stuck by them through thick and thin. His brother Don says that Norbert was wounded in Vietnam and was supposed to be on R&R in Australia but chose to stay in Vietnam to help his fellow soldiers. His church in Belfield recognizes him every year on the anniversary of his death. After his death, the Army promoted Norbert to corporal. Gerhardt Just Gerhardt Just was from Wishek and was born October 31, 1925. He served in the Army's 1st Aviation Brigade. Gerhardt died on August 27, 1965. He was 39 years old. He was survived by his wife Lillian, daughters Oteeka and Cora, and his son Butch. Gerhardt joined the Army, served in Korea, and then reenlisted in the Army to provide for his family. Gerhardt's oldest child, Oteeka, remembers that it was so important for her dad to support his family financially that after his pickup caught fire and burned the driver's seat, he put a kitchen chair in the cab so he could drive to his second job. His kids have memories of spending their last time together working on the house he bought them, installing grass in the yard and painting the house days before his deployment. Gerhardt was killed just a month after arriving in Vietnam. Gerhardt's children appreciate how after his death, Gerhardt's parents and siblings always welcomed his widow and children into their family with open arms. Gary Myers Gary Myers was from Fort Yates and was born on November 4, 1947. He served in the Marine Corps's 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. Gary was 20 years old when he died on May 13, 1968. Gary's father served in the Army during the Korean war and was stationed in Germany, where Gary was born. Gary spent 1 year at Dickinson State University before enlisting. Gary's sister Linda remembers him as an outgoing person who loved to help people when he had a chance. He was an honor student and enjoyed playing sports, including wrestling, football, and rodeo. When we wasn't busy with sports, Gary was helping his father work on their cattle ranch. Gary's hometown friends and fellow soldiers reported that Gary was killed in Vietnam while leading a mission to retrieve his lieutenant's body 1 month before Gary was scheduled to return home to his family in the United States. Larry Olson Larry Olson was from McHenry. He was born on June 26, 1945. He served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. Larry died on June 19, 1968. He was 22 years old. Larry's grandfather served in World War I, his father in World War II, and his brother and nephews also served our country. Larry was the oldest of six children. His sister Rita remembers him as the big brother who always watched out for her and kept bullies away. Larry was a hard worker and a good friend. Fellow soldiers from his regiment loved Larry so much that they asked Rita to show them his grave. Richard ``Rick'' Borgman Rick Borgman was from Minot and was born on January 23, 1947. He served in the Army's 101st Airborne Division. He was 21 years old when he died on March 3, 1968. Rick's mother Anita and sister Pat remember him as a loving, gentle person. He participated in Boy Scouts, worked at the Red Owl grocery store, and enjoyed fast cars and life in general. Rick left behind his widow Linda, his son Shannon, and daughter Laura. Linda learned that she was pregnant with Laura shortly after Rick's funeral. Linda remembers Rick's big heart, great sense of humor, and that he was loved by many. She says she can see Rick whenever she looks at Shannon and Laura and that Shannon's laugh is contagious, just as his dad's was. Linda is grateful that her second husband, Bruce Sullivan, a Vietnam veteran, adopted Shannon and Laura and lovingly helped her raise them. David Bujalski David Bujalski was from Carrington. He was born on August 18, 1940. He served in the Army Corps of Engineers' 65th Energy Battalion. On August 15, 1967, David died. He was 27 years old. David was the youngest of six children, lovingly called ``Little David.'' But after reaching the height of 6 foot 2 inches, his family more often referred to cheerful and friendly David as a gentle giant. He graduated in the top third of his class from West Point and married Barbara. They had a daughter Elizabeth while David was stationed in Germany. They moved to Arizona, and David became a commander. His first sergeant there was quoted saying, ``He was revered by his cadre, loved by his students, and respected by his superiors.'' David felt a duty to serve in Vietnam, and 8 days after arriving there, he was killed by a sniper. His second daughter Kathleen was born 6 weeks later. David's brother Jack, also a West Point graduate, wrote the following about his brother: David's life was too short for him to have reached his full potential. We can only conjecture as to what he would have achieved, but we do know that he influenced the lives of all who knew him. Leslie Carter Leslie Carter was from Jamestown. He was born on November 3, 1943. He served in the Navy as a medic. He was 24 years old when he died on July 1, 1968. Leslie left behind his widow Marlys and his daughter Heidi. Leslie met Marlys through his brother Douglas. While home on leave, Leslie won Marlys over, and the couple later married. A year after their wedding, their daughter Heidi was born. Heidi was 5 months old when her father died and never had an opportunity to meet him. One of Leslie's high school friends, who also served in the Navy, James Bitz, called Leslie ``Butch'' and remembers him as one of the nicest, most generous people he had ever had the pleasure of knowing. David Corcoran David Corcoran was from Grand Forks. He was born on May 5, 1951. He served in the Army's 101st Airborne Division. David died on June 26, 1969. He was 18 years old. David was one of five children and the only son. He loved hunting with his father, grandfather, and uncles. He also loved cars and playing basketball. David helped construct a figure 8 racetrack in Grand Forks and was happy to be able to race his own cars on the track a few times before being deployed. Wanting to serve his country like his World War II veteran father, David joined the Army at age 17. His family hoped he would not be assigned to a combat unit because he was only 17, but a day after his 18th birthday, he received his orders to Vietnam. Wilbert Fleck Wilbert Fleck was from Breien and was born November 22, 1949. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. He was 19 years old when he died on July 27, 1969. Wilbert was one of 13 children--7 boys and 6 girls. Six of the seven boys served in the military. Wilbert's brothers and sisters remember him as a selfless and caring person. He was always willing to help out a neighbor. He was dedicated to caring for his aging parents and was extremely protective of those he loved. Wilbert died taking charge of his platoon after his platoon leader was killed. His sister Pauline says that this was just the kind of person he was--always willing to put the needs of others before his own. Wilbert was Pauline's best friend. Lowell Hardmeyer Lowell Hardmeyer was from Mott. He was born on February 16, 1949. He served in the Army's 198th Light Infantry Brigade. He died on June 10, 1970. He was 21 years old. Lowell was the younger of two sons. He was a blue-eyed boy who loved horses and grew up on his family farm and ranch in the Prairie Hills. In 1967, Lowell graduated from high school and enrolled in the National Electronics Institute in Denver before serving in the Army. In Vietnam, Lowell had various duties, including rear security guard, walking on point patrol, and radio operator. He was killed when his company came under mortar attack. Lowell's cousin, Lauren, remembers Lowell was a shy, sweet young man. Lauren says that Lowell's parents, George and Clara Hardmeyer, grieved Lowell's death until their own in the 1990s. Merlyn Paulson Merlyn Pauslon was from Fargo and he was born on June 19, 1936. He served in the Air Force's 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. He was 35 years old when he went missing on March 29, 1972. Merlyn was one of nine children, six boys and three girls. Five of the boys served their country, three in World War II and two in Vietnam. Merlyn's brother Bob remembers him as a wonderful boy who people couldn't help but love. Bob jokes that Merlyn had personality to burn. Merlyn went missing when his plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. Fourteen years later, in 1986, his body was finally recovered. Years later, his family was finally able to lay him to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. These are just a few stories that, by sharing today with the Senate and sharing today on the floor of the Senate, I hope will remind us all of the tremendous sacrifice that not only these young men have provided for their country but the sacrifice also of their families, their children, and the wives they leave behind, the parents they leave behind, and that it is a constant reminder that we must never forget the duty to our country and we must never forget those among us who have paid the ultimate price. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HEITKAMP

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

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Destiny Whitehead, an intern in my office, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the session today.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce today with my friend from Arkansas, Senator Boozman, a bill which will increase our agricultural producer's competitiveness and exports into Cuba, a nation just 90 miles off our southern coast. This timely bill would make relatively simple changes to our country's burdensome regulations and help make our agricultural exporters more competitive at a time in which expanding sales and supporting prices is incredibly important. When people think of Cuba, they don't usually think of North Dakota, but they should. When I traveled to Cuba with Senators Tester and Sanders last year, I saw first-hand just how compatible North Dakota's agricultural production is with the diet of the Cuban people. There are incredible export opportunities for North Dakota's pulse producers, along with exports of soybean products, corn, wheat, barley, beef, and more. Unfortunately, under current regulations, our government is preventing North Dakota's producers from competing in a market in which we should hold majority market share. Yesterday, the Agriculture Committee held a hearing on opportunities and challenges for agricultural trade with Cuba. Aside from lifting the Cuba embargo altogether, the number one barrier we heard about was the fact that our exporters are prohibited from offering credit for sales into Cuba. Meanwhile, our competitors from Canada, Brazil, Vietnam, and Europe, are offering credit and pushing our farmers out of a market in which we should be dominant. The Agricultural Export Expansion Act would remove that barrier and put our producers on a more level playing field with our competitors. It modifies a provision of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act to allow for exporters and banks to offer private credit for agricultural exports to Cuba. Let me be clear: this bill does not allow for involvement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's export credit guarantee program or the Export-Import Bank, and no taxpayer dollars will be at risk if Cuba were to default on a deal. This bill simply allows the market and private industry to dictate the terms of sale, weighing all of the risks and benefits, like they do with every other country in the world. With the current low commodity prices, we should be doing everything we can to support our agricultural producers, and to me this just makes sense. Even if Cuba were to buy all of their wheat from Kansas and soybeans from Arkansas, a bushel sold is a bushel sold, and all of our producers will benefit. This bill is also good for the people of Cuba. Making trade more efficient and affordable will allow us to provide food to Cuba's population. Given our proximity and our agricultural industry's incredible diversity, we can support both the people of Cuba and our producers by removing this one unnecessary regulation. I hope our colleagues will join us in this important effort to help our producers be more competitive into this natural market.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce today with my friend from Arkansas, Senator Boozman, a bill which will increase our agricultural producer's competitiveness and exports into Cuba, a nation just 90 miles off our southern coast. This timely bill would make relatively simple changes to our country's burdensome regulations and help make our agricultural exporters more competitive at a time in which expanding sales and supporting prices is incredibly important. When people think of Cuba, they don't usually think of North Dakota, but they should. When I traveled to Cuba with Senators Tester and Sanders last year, I saw first-hand just how compatible North Dakota's agricultural production is with the diet of the Cuban people. There are incredible export opportunities for North Dakota's pulse producers, along with exports of soybean products, corn, wheat, barley, beef, and more. Unfortunately, under current regulations, our government is preventing North Dakota's producers from competing in a market in which we should hold majority market share. Yesterday, the Agriculture Committee held a hearing on opportunities and challenges for agricultural trade with Cuba. Aside from lifting the Cuba embargo altogether, the number one barrier we heard about was the fact that our exporters are prohibited from offering credit for sales into Cuba. Meanwhile, our competitors from Canada, Brazil, Vietnam, and Europe, are offering credit and pushing our farmers out of a market in which we should be dominant. The Agricultural Export Expansion Act would remove that barrier and put our producers on a more level playing field with our competitors. It modifies a provision of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act to allow for exporters and banks to offer private credit for agricultural exports to Cuba. Let me be clear: this bill does not allow for involvement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's export credit guarantee program or the Export-Import Bank, and no taxpayer dollars will be at risk if Cuba were to default on a deal. This bill simply allows the market and private industry to dictate the terms of sale, weighing all of the risks and benefits, like they do with every other country in the world. With the current low commodity prices, we should be doing everything we can to support our agricultural producers, and to me this just makes sense. Even if Cuba were to buy all of their wheat from Kansas and soybeans from Arkansas, a bushel sold is a bushel sold, and all of our producers will benefit. This bill is also good for the people of Cuba. Making trade more efficient and affordable will allow us to provide food to Cuba's population. Given our proximity and our agricultural industry's incredible diversity, we can support both the people of Cuba and our producers by removing this one unnecessary regulation. I hope our colleagues will join us in this important effort to help our producers be more competitive into this natural market.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I want to add my voice to all of the accolades that have been expressed today to Senator Cornyn and Senator Klobuchar for giving a voice to the victims of the most horrific crime that occurs in our country; those are the victims of human trafficking. Without their hard work, without their advocacy, we would not be debating this on the floor of the Senate. So it is so important to acknowledge that work and to advance the cause by working together. Today, I wish to speak to amendment No. 290, which is the Collins- Leahy runaway and homeless youth amendment. I want to thank Senator Collins and Senator Leahy for being such fierce advocates for runaway and homeless youth. I have had years of experience working with victims and vulnerable youth. I can tell you based on this experience that this amendment is the most critical piece that we are considering today to truly address prevention and early intervention for a population that is the most susceptible to being trafficked; that is the population of runaway and homeless youth. It is a story I believe is too often told. It is a story of a runaway and homeless youth engaging in survival sex, being coerced into criminal activity by people offering nothing more than a roof over their head or maybe even a meal. Since 1995, North Dakota has received $11.5 million in this very critical and important prevention program. How many of these children have we rescued from a life of despair? We will never know. But I am certain, telling those stories and visiting them in the shelters and in their apartments that are transitory living situations, that they would otherwise be so extraordinarily vulnerable. I have heard firsthand the stories of these homeless and runaway youth. The stories that you hear are literally heartbreaking. With prior physical, mental, and sexual abuse, these runaway and homeless youth have already been devalued. They have already been told that they are not worth what other children are worth. They have substance addictions. They have been shunned by their family or communities for who they are and how they identify. They are the most marginalized children in our country. Last July, a 13-year-old runaway from Minneapolis was picked up by her traffickers in the Cities and then worked her way across--she was heading off to the oil patch in western North Dakota. She stopped in Fargo-Moorhead to make some money on the way, being trafficked by a man who was selling a 13-year old for sex online through backpage.com. Fargo-Moorhead law enforcement set up a sting and rescued the victim and arrested the trafficker. Just 2 weeks ago, there was another tragic story of a 14-year old--a 14-year old runaway from Las Vegas. Her parents did not know where she was. She got mixed up in the wrong crowd. She was put in a car and taken to Minot, ND. Her mother, desperate to find her, searched through her email records, found a connection to Backpage, and saw that her daughter was being advertised on Backpage in Minot, ND. She called the local authorities. The local authorities were able to rescue her. She was rescued with a 16-year-old and returned to Las Vegas. She is now with her mother. The 16-year-old got off the plane and ran--got off the plane and ran. There was no hope for her, no place to return that was welcoming, no mother who searched for her on the Internet and found her. As we work through these stories, I want you to think about what is the common element, what is the common factor. You look behind these stories, and you will see in these stories of trafficking runaway and homeless youth--runaway and homeless youth--vulnerable, on the street, susceptible to a warm bed, susceptible to a hot meal, susceptible to any kind of love and comfort they can find, only to find out that it might be their worst nightmare. They are trapped, and where do they go? Where do they go if there is not a program for runaway and homeless youth? Where do they go if someone is not reaching out a hand? So what has become a common recurring fact of these offenders or these victims is that they have been thrown away or they are runaways. Forty percent, we estimate, of these children, identify themselves as gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual youth. If we pass an amendment that doesn't have protection for this population, that doesn't have protection for these children, what is the message? The message is the message that has been reinforced their entire life, which is that they are not worthy of help, they are not worthy of being treated as all other children are. So this Senate will reinforce the recurring message that is so tragically identified and so tragically delivered to these children every day. I urge my colleagues, I beg my colleagues to please recognize the worth of all children. Recognize the vulnerability of this population of children. Vote with us to support the Leahy-Collins amendment. It is so critical to sending the right message, so critical to giving the right services, but so critical to sending the right message that all children matter and that we in the Senate do not see or discriminate. What we do is we help provide shelter to the most vulnerable among us. I yield the floor.

Ms. HEITKAMP

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

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I rise again to speak about and honor our Nation's and North Dakota's Vietnam veterans, and, through my continuing series of floor speeches, specifically those brave servicemembers who gave the ultimate sacrifice. As you know, we are in the midst of a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam war. This special period of honoring our Vietnam veterans runs through 2025. I have partnered with students from Bismarck High School in researching these soldiers, and once again I thank their instructors Laura Forde, Sara Rinas, and Allison Wendel for coordinating this project and sharing their students' research with my office. Last month, I visited these students and was so impressed with their commitment to this project. I want to say thank you again to the Bismark High 11th graders and their teachers for helping us gather important information about the lives of these servicemembers. This week, I am especially happy to be able to include information they helped to find about the lives of Tom Alderson and John Tingley. I am also grateful to my friend Jim Nelson, a Vietnam veteran, who is dedicated to making sure each of these soldiers' immediate relatives receives a Gold Star Family member pin and certificate. I was happy to be part of Jim's ceremony in Bismark last year in honoring these soldiers and their families. Through this effort, I hope to make sure our Nation never forgets the needs of our Vietnam veterans and the sacrifices of those who fell in service to our country. There were 198 sons of North Dakota who did not make it home from the Vietnam War. One hundred ninety-eight sons of North Dakota gave their lives for their country and their State. Today, I am honored to tell you about a few of them. Clifton ``Cliff'' Cushman First is Clifton ``Cliff'' Cushman. Cliff was from Grand Forks and was born on June 2, 1938. He served in the Air Force--the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Cliff was 28 years old when he went missing on September 25, 1966. Cliff left behind his widow Carolyn and their son Colin, born just days before Cliff learned that he would be deployed to Vietnam. Colin was 9 months old when Cliff left for Vietnam. Everyone in Grand Forks knows the name of Cushman because Cliff was a standout athlete and a Silver Medalist in the 1960 Olympics in the 400 meter hurdles. Grand Forks named their high school football stadium Cushman Field after Cliff. Grand Forks kids are still inspired annually by the reading of the 1964 letter Cliff wrote to students about effort, after he fell while attempting to qualify for the 1964 Olympics. This is a quote from Cliff's letter: ``I would much rather fail knowing I had put forth an honest effort than never to have tried at all.'' Later in the same letter, Cliff wrote: ``Unless your reach exceeds your grasp, how can you be sure what you can attain?'' Thomas ``Tom'' Alderson I want to talk about Thomas Alderson. Tom was from Grand Forks. He was born on September 9, 1941. He served as a captain in the Army's 56th medical company. He died October 3, 1968, at the age of 27. He was survived by his wife, mother, brother, and two sisters. Tom was an Army dental officer in the Vietnam Dental Corps. His father-in-law was his commanding officer. In high school, he was an honor student and lettered in basketball, track, and tennis. He attended the University of North Dakota and the University of Minnesota, where he earned his dental degree in 1966. In Vietnam, Tom was in charge of several dental offices, which required travel throughout the country. Tom's driver in Vietnam wrote the family a letter explaining that even as a dentist, Tom was ducking mortars all day long during his service. Raymond ``Ray'' Kramer Next, Ray Kramer. Ray was from New Salem and he was born December 31, 1946. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. Ray died on February 2, 1968. He was 21 years old. Ray was the sixth of nine children. His brother, Cecil, also served in the Army. Ray's nephew, Cody, is very proud of his Uncle Ray's service. Ray grew up on the farm where his family raised grain and dairy cows. He was an honor student at New Salem High School and later worked as a dedicated carpenter. Ray's sister, Beverly, remembers that Ray's dog loved him so much that he slept under Ray's car while Ray was in Vietnam. After Ray was killed in action, his parents left the farm and moved to town. His sister took Ray's dog to her farm 10 miles away, but the dog ran all the way back home to wait for Ray under his car. Ronald ``Christy'' Goodiron Ronald Christy Goodiron was from Shields and was born December 23, 1947. He served in the Marine Corps' 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Christy was 20 years old when he died on February 28, 1968. His father Paul Goodiron served in World War I and was a code talker. Christy's close cousin, Paul Goodiron, also served in Vietnam. Unfortunately, Paul unexpectedly died last month. Paul's son, CPL Nathan Goodiron, was also killed in action in 2006 serving his country in the U.S. Army National Guard in Afghanistan. Christy's family remembers him as smiling all the time. Today, they honor him at powwows by raising the American flag they received when he died and singing the Vietnam ``Warrior's Song'' to honor Christy. Christy's family appreciates reading what his fellow marines serving with him wrote about their memories of him and the account of what happened the day he died. Ronald ``Ron'' Bond Maj. Ronald Bond was from Fargo and was born on July 30, 1930. He served in the Air Force's 604th Air Commando Squadron. He was 37 years old when he went missing May 11, 1968. Ron was the oldest of six kids and the first in his family to attend college. Ron's family remembers him as an adventuresome spirit. He loved hunting, fishing, water skiing, and even competitive sailing with his wife. Ron's military career began as a Naval ROTC Cadet in his first year at North Dakota State University. Ron then served in the Naval Reserve, enlisted in the Navy, and upon discharge immediately enlisted in the Air Force. Despite an aircraft accident that injured his spine, Ron became a flight instructor and flew in more missions until he was killed in action in Vietnam. His body has never been recovered. Gary Lokken Gary Lokken was from Bowman and was born on July 2, 1941. He served in the Army Reserve's Engineering CMD. He was 26 years old when he died on April 10, 1968. Gary left behind his widow Paige and infant twins, a boy and a girl. The twins were 10 days old when Gary left for basic training. Gary was a medical doctor, who studied in North Dakota and Texas. He completed his medical internship in Hawaii and planned to return there with his family to live after his service. Six months after arriving in Vietnam, Gary was killed while transporting patients when his vehicle hit a landmine. His twins both entered the medical field. His son is a histology technician and his daughter a medical doctor. William ``Bill'' Eckes William ``Bill'' Eckes was from Beach. He was born on September 20, 1940. He served in the Navy as a Petty Officer First Class journalist. Bill died March 10, 1967. He was 26 years old. Bill was the oldest of seven children. His father was an Army sergeant in World War II. Bill was a well-known football player for Beach High School. He was on his second tour of duty in the Navy as a journalist when his aircraft crashed in South Vietnam. He previously wrote for Stars and Stripes while he was stationed in Sicily and Iceland. Margot, Bill's sister closest in age, remembers him as an intelligent, determined person whose plan was to come home after attending the University of North Dakota and have a career in the Foreign Service. Jerome Ellenson Jerome Ellenson was from Walcott and was born on April 3, 1946. He served in the Army's 196th Infantry Brigrade. Jerome died on January 10, 1968. He was 20 years old. Jerome was the fifth of seven children. Jerome's oldest sister, Margie, remembers him as having a unique love of life, being a great storyteller, and everyone's friend. Margie tells about how Jerome would often give his family side aches because he had made them laugh so much on long car trips. Jerome didn't say goodbye to anyone when he left for Vietnam. His family was told he was the last survivor of his unit; that he manned the radio until his death. Chester ``Skip'' Coons Chester ``Skip'' Coons was from Bismark. He was born March 29, 1936. He served in the Navy's Observation Squadron 67. He was 31 years old on February 17, 1968, when he went missing. Skip and his two brothers, Larry and Ronald, all served in the Navy. Their mother Elsie still lives in Bismark and is 95 years old. Skip left behind two young daughters who were thankful to meet fellow sky sailors of their dad's old unit. Skip had planned to make a career out of the military. In high school, he joined the North Dakota National Guard, then he joined the Air Force for 3 years, and later joined the Navy as a pilot. He was on his third tour of duty in Vietnam when his plane was shot down on a reconnaissance mission over Laos. In 1993, his remains were finally recovered. Richard Buringrud Richard Buringrud was from Argusville and was born on November 24, 1946. He served in the Army 12th Infantry Regiment. Richard died on June 9, 1969. He was 22 years old. Richard loved softball and playing basketball in high school. Richard's father still lives in Fargo and his family remembers the letters he sent home describing having been in a swamp, which was the first kind of bath he had in a week. Richard was an expert rifleman and was killed when he went ahead of his armored unit to help clear the way. Brent Sveen Brent Sveen was from Harwood and went to high school in West Fargo. He was born October 25, 1951. He was 18 years old when he died on September 7, 1970. Brent's father also served in the Army in World War II. Brent's older brother Bruce, a marine, served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Brent's sisters, Jean and Ava, remember Brent as befriending everyone, being the life of the party, and having a great sense of humor and wit. Brent's sisters cherish one family picture in particular. Their older brother Bruce was wearing his marine uniform. Before taking the picture, Brent disappeared. He returned wearing his dad's old World War II Army uniform and the family took the picture with both boys in uniform. Having an older brother serve in Vietnam, Brent could have waived out of his own service, but he was eager to serve his country and enlisted while in high school. Shortly before he died, Brent wrote this poem he mailed to his parents. I think of my buddy I was talking to yesterday; Now he's lying on the ground not far away; They say he's dead, but I hope it's not true; And if it is, to ease my tears I'll think of you. I looked down at his body and began to cry; I turned to the clouds and asked, God, why? I waited awhile, but no answer came; Only the unceasing falling rain. I want to thank Brent's sister Jean Kraft for participating in this project. Jean joined me recently in a visit to the Bismarck High School sharing her own family's stories and encouraging these students to reach out to families and to learn about the lives of these young men whom we lost in Vietnam. She is among my very favorite people and a hero herself. Peter Binstock, Jr. Peter Binstock, Jr., was from New England. He was born May 5, 1947. He served in the Army as an Armor Recon Specialist. He died on January 3, 1969. He was 21 years old. Peter was the oldest of 11 children. His family had eight girls and three boys. Peter planned on taking over the family farm when he returned from Vietnam. His sister Rose remembers Peter as always being in good spirits. While he was in Vietnam, he was fondly called ``Big Pete'' because he was 6 feet 3 inches and very strong. He was promoted to corporal after his death. Ronald Kent Ronald Kent. Ronald was from Page and was born April 21, 1943. He served in the Army 25th Infantry Division. He was 23 years old when he died on January 20, 1967. Ronald was one of eight children. His family remembers him as a fearless man. He was small in stature but big in spirit. His sister Candice remembers that Ronald loved the outdoors, and he had the ability to talk his nieces and nephews into anything, including cleaning his car. A few years ago, Ronald's brother Steven spoke to the young men who carried Ronald's body back to the base after he was killed. After hearing the description of that day, Steven knows that in those final moments, all that Ronald was thinking about was saving his brothers-in- arms. Ward Evans Ward Evans. Ward was from Harwood, and he was born February 22, 1940. He served in the Army 5th Infantry Division. He died on February 8, 1969. He was 28 years old. Ward was the youngest of five children. His family remembers him as someone who was always ready to help others. His sister Maryann remembers that when he came home from Vietnam on a break, he seemed sad and that the war had gotten to him, but he went back to complete his duty. On February 8, 1969, almost all the men near Ward were killed. When the chopper came back to pick up the survivors, Ward demanded to stay behind in order to rescue three men who were still alive but also wounded. While tending to the injured soldiers, Ward stepped on a land mine. Ward's nephew Mark is so proud of him and will always remember Ward as a man who did what was right no matter what the personal cost. John Tingley John Tingley was from Kathryn. He was born on August 19, 1946. He served in the Army 128th Aviation Company. He was 21 years old at the time of his death, January 10, 1968. John was one of six children born in 8 years. John's sister Mary remembers John as someone who did it all. He played the trombone in band, sang in the choir, was a member of the 4H Club, and played sports. He had a photographic memory and his sister knew he would have had an enormously bright future. In Vietnam, John was a helicopter gunner crew chief. The day he was killed, John's helicopter was responding to a helicopter that had just gone down. While they were going to assist soldiers involved in the crash, he was shot and killed. All of these young men serving their country and serving each other remind us of the sacrifices we have experienced in war. They remind us that there are so many among us who will run to the sound of the guns and protect our freedom. We cannot let their sacrifice ever be forgotten. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I thank my great friend, the Senator from Maine. She has been so instrumental in achieving compromise in the body, whether it is in the Commonsense Caucus, when we were in shut down, or it is just bridging the gap many times and trying to find a path forward for us to legislate in the Senate. She truly is a champion in her efforts in trying to make this body work. I wish to start off by saying that as an attorney general, the whole while I was attorney general--for 8 years--there was very little activity on prostitution. When I was running for office, I visited with law enforcement--and I still have a lot of friends in law enforcement-- and I asked them: What are your challenges? Every local sheriff, especially those in western North Dakota, and every city chief of police said: We have a growing concern with prostitution. I started thinking about that. I started thinking about what that meant. Then I started looking behind what those claims of prostitution were, and I began to realize that for very many of these young women-- often children--who are in this life of prostitution, it is not by choice. This is some of the most horrific victimization that goes on in America today--the victimization of small children, the dehumanization of small children, the challenge of a recovery once they are given an opportunity to find a different path forward, the addiction that comes with it, the grooming that comes with it, and the shame that comes with it. Many people say they want to prevent this, but very often we know the victims of human trafficking come from homes that weren't the healthiest of homes. These are very often runaways, they are homeless youth, and they have no other option for recovering, they have no other option for sustaining their life than being part of this horrific experience. So as my great friend from Maine talks about this, we need to do a better job in getting the tools for prosecution, which is the excellent bill Senator Klobuchar has advanced for promoting safe harbor legislation, which will not only help in the path to recovery but also will give us an opportunity to encourage more and more of these victims to come forward as witnesses for the prosecution. It is very difficult to convince someone who has been told for years and years, as they have been in the life, that ``If you tell about this victimization, what will happen is you will go to jail with me. So we have to stick together.'' How do we break that cycle of control? We break it by providing opportunity, which these bills do. We break it by passing the homeless youth and runaway bill. We break it by focusing a bright light on this problem. I could not have been prouder of this body as we moved toward these series of bills on homeless youth and moved forward on these series of bills on trafficking. This body was speaking for some of the most disenfranchised citizens in our country--those victims of human trafficking. So you can imagine my despair and I think the despair of a lot of victims groups and the despair of a lot of people in this body when we reached this impasse. It is important that we say that the goal now is not to rehash what has happened in the past, it is not to rehash the problems and the concerns everybody has had in the past. We must set aside all of that. Set aside all of the rancor we have heard for the last week and focus on one thing: Focus on a victim who may be watching us. Focus on a victim's advocate who may be wanting and needing and desperately seeking the help we can provide that advocate in providing a secure future for these victims. Let's focus on them. Let's focus on what we can do to bridge this impasse. My friend Senator Collins and I think we have, as she has described it, advanced a proposal that we believe firmly resolves all the issues. It sets forth a path where we can, in fact, move forward and listen to the voices that don't get heard very often in places like Washington, DC, and respond to their concerns, respond to the victimization, be the empathetic body I know we can be by saying: Yes, we can help, and we will help. So my colleague and I hope this will at least generate enough discussion, provide at least enough of a bridge forward that we can continue to have the dialogue, continue to address amendments--if we can get through this--and actually move this issue forward. I yield to my great friend from Maine, but I would like to ask her a question. As an appropriator, I know there may be some controversy. She has raised this already. There is some discussion that this may not be an appropriate place to make this decision, and I would like my colleague to elaborate on the appropriations process.

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I would like to have a moment where we think about this body and how impressed everybody throughout the country is, how proud they are of our system of government, how proud of the great decisions that have been made in this room and of the great deliberations and the great debates. This truly is a remarkable government, and it is a remarkable system. But it has always been remarkable because it is not just the wealthy and powerful who have a voice in this body. With us comes the opportunity to speak for the most disadvantaged Americans, the most disadvantaged people in our system. And I cannot imagine a more horrific life than the life of being sold into prostitution. I cannot imagine a more horrific life than being enslaved through the horrible events of human trafficking. Let's speak for those victims. Let's speak for those advocates who work so hard, who have been so encouraged that an issue such as this has become a priority issue for the United States of America. Let's try to bridge this gap. Let's work across the aisle, and let's reach to find a way forward because these victims deserve our attention, they deserve this debate, and they deserve our voice. Mr. President, I yield the floor.