Mark Kirk

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I rise here in the Chamber to give my last speech in the Senate. I want to describe some experiences I have had that are at the heart of my service in the Congress. As a staffer, I worked for the House International Relations Committee and for Chairman Benjamin Gilman. He had been asked by Cardinal John O'Connor of New York to investigate the plight of Catholics in northern Bosnia. From that assignment, I went to northern Bosnia to meet with Bishop Komanic, who started out the meeting in a very difficult fashion. He started by saying: Am I a human? Am I a human? Am I? I said: Yes, you are. He said: You foreign delegations always don't do anything for me. I said to Bishop Komanic: Please give me one task that I can take on for you. He said: If there is one thing I need, it is to get my human rights office head, Father Tomislava Matanovic--who was recently captured by a very notorious criminal, the police chief of Prijedor, Bosnia, who was infamous for starting the first concentration camp in Europe after 1945. It was called the Omarska Camp. The man who ran this place was named Simo Drljaca. He pushed 700 bodies down the shaft of this mine. In this work, he had probably captured the priest I wanted, Tomislava Matanovic. When I went back to the States, as a reservist, I ransacked the DOD databases. We found from intelligence reports that we suspected this police chief of Prijedor had been the kidnapper of Tomislava Matanovic. I went to the CIA and asked to meet with this man so I could urge him to give this priest back to me. When Simo Drljaca met with me, he gave me this memento of Serbia. It has the markings of St. George slaying a dragon, with a date of 1994, and various Serbian markings. After I learned so much about Simo Drljaca, I asked the Clinton administration to make sure they could indict him for war crimes, crimes against humanity, to make sure we could eventually bring him down. When the Bosnian secret police brought him to me, he gave me this memento, which I have kept under my desk. He gave that to me hoping maybe he would not get picked up. Luckily, the Clinton administration had decided to pick him up. They had a typically obscure DOD acronym to cover the status of this kind of person. They called them PIFWC, persons indicted for war crimes. Eventually we got an operation together to arrest Simo Drljaca, and the British Special Air Service carried it out. When they waited for Simo, they waited by a riverbank for him to do his Sunday fishing with his son. An officer had painstakingly memorized the Serbian's arrest record and indictment so he could read it to Drljaca in his British accent. When he started reading the indictment, Drljaca reached down into his fishing tackle box and shot the British arresting officer. Luckily, the British officer did survive, was wearing body armor. When that shot rang out, the security team across from the river put several rounds into Drljaca's chest. He dropped dead right there at the beach. After I heard about this, I was so proud to be part of this congressional team and to still be an officer in the U.S. Navy. I will say that this institution, and the U.S. military that has given rise from the appropriations we have given, is the greatest force for human dignity that has ever been put forward. I was so proud we brought this monster to justice. The guy who put together the first concentration camp in Europe had been stopped, and he could no longer hurt anyone. And this memento has been underneath my desk here in the Senate ever since to remind me of the basic human values that we share so dear--that we have here. I would say the United States is now the greatest force for human dignity that we have ever seen. To make sure those values continue has been at the heart of my service here in the Senate and in the Congress. Let me conclude by thanking some critical people. I thank Congressman John Porter for hiring me back in 1984, when I started my service here in the Congress; Chairman Ben Gilman of New York for putting me on that international committee; the people of the 10th Congressional District of Illinois who first sent me to the House and the people of Illinois who also sent me to represent their State here; all the family and friends who put me here: Karen Garber and Michael Morgan, especially Dodie McCracken, who was always at my side-- people who wanted to make sure we had a person of thoughtful, independent values who could serve here in the Congress. To conclude, I want to give a message to the people of Illinois. For the people of Illinois, I would say: Take heart, Illinois, that you come from one of the most industrious States in the Union, the fifth largest industrial State. Especially after the problems we had with Governor Blagojevich, we have been a little down in the dumps. A lot of times, I will pull out my iPhone and ask people in the State the same question: Who invented the iPhone, the cell phone? And the answer is, Martin Cooper from Winnetka, IL. On the top of the iPhone is a transmitter, and I remind us that the first cell phone call in the world was made from the 50 yard line of Soldier Field in Chicago. That trillion-dollar industry started right in the middle of our State. That, we should always remember. Lots of times when I am giving this speech, I will say: If it weren't for the people of Illinois, a lot of the people you know would be missing teeth, because we invented modern dentistry with GV Black in Jacksonville, and our houses would not be so clean, because we invented the vacuum cleaner. People on the southwest side of Chicago say: Kirk, tell them that we invented the zipper--which they did. People in Peoria will say: Hey, remind them that we invented the electric blanket. And they did. From the electric blanket to the vacuum cleaner and the cell phone, the people of Illinois have been so innovative. Now we have a unique time in history. I can safely say without contradiction here in the Senate that the Chicago Cubs are now the World Series champions. As I have said so many times, any professional baseball team can have a bad century, but we have finally killed the curse of the goat and all the curses that befell our professional baseball team. I would say take heart, Illinois. You are so inventive that you produce most of the pumpkins in the country. When we sit down to Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, that is 80 percent Illinois. Mr. President, with that, I yield the remainder of my time to the victor of the Illinois Senate race, Senator-Elect Tammy Duckworth.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be allowed to have a prop with me.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I would like to honor the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, JWV, as they celebrate their 120th anniversary. Their service has not only benefitted the Jewish and veterans communities, but this Nation as a whole. Since 1896, the JWV has been the Nation's leading organization representing those of Jewish faith who have served overseas in the military. The Jewish community has served in every war and conflict that this great country has fought, beginning with the Revolutionary War, including the Civil War, and with our current military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 1933, the JWV protested against Nazi Germany's policies towards Jews. JWV continued its legacy in advocacy in 1963, as the only veterans organization that joined Martin Luther King, Jr.'s March on Washington for civil rights. The JWV continues its mission to preserve the Jewish American military legacy, protect veterans rights, and promote community with 250 posts across the Nation and in Israel. The JWV provides numerous contributions to society, including partnering with Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA; working with JROTC, ROTC, and other military college programs; providing disaster relief services to victims of natural disasters; and speaking out against anti-Semitism. The JWV has proven that Jews have been and continue to be a vital element in the preservation of American doctrine and the defense and maintenance of American security. I congratulate and commend the JWV for their hard work and dedication in defending our free institutions, fighting against bigotry and prejudice, and honoring Jewish servicemembers, veterans and their families who have made great sacrifices for our country.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I wish to remind my colleague, who is also the chairman of the Appropriations Energy Subcommittee that controls the exascale funding, one of the most complicated things we can face in our world is biological systems when we look at the new Aurora computer that is going to be built in the Argonne National Laboratories. I know that at Oak Ridge, we have exascale computers. My goal is to make sure we are always way ahead of the Chinese. In the case of Aurora, we now have $165 million to make sure that we have a computer that is far faster than the computer in China. With that, we will be able to model proteins themselves to make sure we make these advances much faster. My hope is that we will be stunned at how much biological work is being done at the Oak Ridge lab with their leading computer to make sure we accelerate progress on this. Let me say one thing about the work of the Senator. Every piece of legislation that he touches goes through by a couple hundred votes. When we see Lamar take over a bill, we know it is going to be going through on a big walloping. He got a huge vote in the Senate, and I hope he gets a big vote again. Everything he touches turns to gold, and we cannot have a better friend in medical care than we have in Lamar Alexander.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, 4 years ago I climbed the Capitol steps for those who could not. I vowed to return to the Senate to create and establish a standard of care for rehabilitation in this legislation to make sure many people can have access to the best rehab, as I did. With the passage of the Cures Act tomorrow, we will achieve this lofty goal. The Cures Act also contains bipartisan provisions to provide accelerated approval of regenerative medicines and therapies. The Regrow Act, which is also in this bill, is a major step forward so that Americans will not have to go to other countries for their own stem cells to be used in their own therapy. Making sure this faster approval process happens in this bill means that many more people will be able to receive advanced stem cell therapies that are also available overseas, right here at home. I would like to thank everybody. We have made progress with the FDA. I championed with Senators Collins and Manchin on this. I thank my senior colleague from Tennessee for all of his action on the Regrow Act so we can make the fundamental point of using your own stem cells to accelerate healing. In the case of using your own stem cells, they already have your exact DNA match. I think it is wise that we go through a shorter process. I thank the Senator for putting the Kirk language in the Regrow Act. I yield the floor.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Madam President, on December 1, 2011, the Senate voted 100 to 0 to pass the Menendez-Kirk amendment to impose crippling sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran. As this chart shows, the Menendez-Kirk amendment decreased the value of Iran's currency by 73 percent the following year. On November 30, 2012, the Senate passed the second Menendez-Kirk amendment by a 94 to 0 vote. This amendment cut off Iran's energy and shipping sectors from international markets. It also restricted Iran's ability to barter in gold and other precious metals. These Iran sanctions played an indispensable role in forcing Iran to the negotiating table, but the administration wasted our powerful economic leverage when it agreed to a bad deal with Iran. Since this disastrous deal, Iran's behavior has worsened. Iran has taken more American hostages, including Baquer Namazi and Reza Shahini. Iran received over $100 billion in sanctions relief and has increased support to terrorists groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas. In fact, Iran announced the creation of its own foreign service to cause problems in Yemen, Iraq, and Iran and those places. Iran has conducted multiple missile tests on October 15, 2015; October 21, 2015; March 8 and 9, 2016; April 19, 2016; and July 11, 2016. In June of 2015, Senator Menendez and I introduced S. 1682, a bill to renew the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 for 10 more years. I am glad to see the Senate is again taking up a similar bill based on legislation by Congressman Ed Royce that passed the House by 419 to 1. I urge my colleagues to support the Iran sanctions bill with overwhelming numbers. President Obama should immediately sign the Iran Sanctions Extension Act into law. I urge the next President to join with the Congress to do much more. Our children should never be asked to clean up a nuclear war in the Persian Gulf. Iran, which is the biggest sponsor of world terrorism, should not have nuclear weapons. I thank the Presiding Officer and yield back my time.

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

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I rise to offer congratulations to the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs, who are being congratulated in a resolution that I did with my colleague Senator Durbin. For 100 years, it seemed fitting that we would overcome the daunting three games to one to win the series. Many times I have said that any team can have a bad century, like 108 years. One of the most painful moments we have had as Cubs fans is watching the 1969 Cubs when we always knew we were going to beat the amazing Mets. I remember the names: the late Ron Santo, the late Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, and Billy Williams. They were up nine games on the Mets but collapsed at the end of the season. In 2016, the Cubs blew away the 1969 record and went all the way. They removed the curse of the billy goat and the black cat. That toughness exemplifies the can-do spirit of the people of Illinois. No one deserves this championship more than the best baseball fans in the country, the Cubs fans. I also want to give a real shout-out to World Series MVP Ben Zobrist. Following the victory, I had the honor of riding in the victory parade. Over 5 million Chicagoans came to watch. I understand from the press that this was the seventh largest gathering in human history. Congratulations to the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs. I want to send my thank you to Tom Ricketts, Theo Epstein, and Joe Maddon, the players, the fans, and everyone involved in making this the most unforgettable Cubs season. I yield back. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today we have made great progress in protecting whistleblowers and veterans at Veterans Affairs hospitals across the county by passing the fiscal year 2017 Military Construction--Veterans Affairs Appropriations Conference Agreement, which includes S. 2291, VA Patient Protection Act. This bill provides protection for the protectors of our veterans, the whistleblowers, who are shedding light on the egregious acts of some employees at VA hospitals across the country. Unfortunately, one of those hospitals is the Edwards Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Medical Center in my State of Illinois. Today I sent a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald regarding the most recent injustice uncovered by whistleblowers at the Hines VA. Whistleblowers brought to my attention that the remains of indigent veterans and those without next of kin are often left in the Hines VA morgue for over a month, sometimes longer, without proper postmortem care. The whistleblowers, who wish to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation and losing their jobs, brought forward information identifying Mr. Christopher Wirtjes, chief, patient administrative services at Hines VA, as the person responsible for this blatant disregard of a veteran's right for a timely and dignified burial. I have asked the Secretary to fire Mr. Wirtjes for failure to perform his duties. In addition to this latest trespass against veterans at Hines VA, Mr. Wirtjes was the only manager identified in the VA's own inspector general investigation as the mastermind behind directing staff to manipulate wait times for appointments at Hines VA. Whistleblowers provide an important service of reporting waste, fraud, and abuse of veterans care. In fact, whistleblower disclosures play a pivotal role in promoting accountability and better health care for veterans at the VA. However, whistleblowers at Hines VA tell me retaliation continues despite the whistleblower protections in place. This is why I am pleased the continuing resolution that passed the Senate today overwhelmingly includes my bipartisan VA Patient Protection Act, which increases penalties for those who retaliate against whistleblowers, creates a formal process for whistleblowers to file claims at the VA, and establishes a central whistleblower office to investigate all whistleblower claims. Just as no servicemember is left behind on the battlefield, no veteran should ever be left in a morgue or placed on a secret wait list for health care appointments. I thank the brave whistleblowers who come forward to protect our veterans. I also reiterate to Secretary McDonald, do the right thing and fire Mr. Wirtjes now. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have my letters dated September 1, 2016, and September 28, 2016, printed in the Record.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I would like to honor the United Service Organizations, USO, and especially the USO of Illinois, as they celebrate their 75th anniversary of keeping servicemembers connected to their family, home, and country throughout their service to the Nation. Since 1941, the USO has been the Nation's leading organization to serve our military men and women and their families. The USO has continuously adapted to the needs of our servicemembers and their families as they have provided support from the moment servicemembers join the military, through their assignments and deployments, and when they transition back to their communities. USO centers are found throughout the world at airports and military installations, providing around-the-clock hospitality to service- members and their families. In addition to supporting servicemembers and their families at home, the USO has a tradition of bringing American entertainment and music to our troops overseas. The USO of Illinois touches the lives of over 330,000 Active-Duty, Guard, and Reserve military servicemembers and their families throughout the State. The USO of Illinois provides over 300 programs and services throughout the year to enhance the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families, including family support events like tickets to the theatre or sporting events, programs designed for military children, prepare care packages for Illinois servicemembers deployed abroad, and providing support and appreciation at homecomings and deployments at airports. The USO of Illinois is a nonprofit organization relying on the generosity of individuals and corporations and hundreds of volunteers. I congratulate and commend the USO and the USO of Illinois for their continued efforts to support Illinois' servicemembers, their families, and our veterans.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today I wish to discuss a serious threat my constituents face when they travel on one of the 270 trails, spread out over 700 miles, in Illinois. Unfortunately, hikers share these trails with bacteria-carrying ticks, which can infect travelers with a variety of diseases, including Lyme disease. For those infected, Lyme disease manifests in multiple ways, including fever, fatigue, rashes, and severe pain. Current diagnostic tests are unreliable, causing many people with the condition to be misdiagnosed. Left untreated, it can lead to even more serious and debilitating illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the country, with an estimated 300,000 people infected each year. The CDC also reports that the species of ticks that spread Lyme disease now live in 46 percent of the Nation's counties. I commend Senators Blumenthal and Ayotte for introducing the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act, S. 1503, and I urge my colleagues to join me as a cosponsor of this critical bill. The legislation will better coordinate the Federal Government's response to tick-borne diseases by creating an advisory committee within the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, to be comprised of patients, physicians, researchers, and government officials who will be tasked with identifying best scientific practices to combat tick-borne diseases. The bill requires the HHS Secretary to strengthen disease surveillance and reporting, develop better diagnostic tests, create a physician-education program, and establish epidemiological research objectives for Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. The prevalence of Lyme and other tick-borne disease cases in recent years demands a strong and coordinated effort at the Federal level. Now is the time to pass this critical legislation.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today I want to recognize a member of my student leadership advisory board, a very remarkable student from Naperville, IL, Trisha Prabhu. Miss Prabhu is the founder of ReThink, an award winning anticyberbullying platform that effectively prevents cyberbullying proactively, at the source, before the damage is done. The app, which acts as a keyboard on your smartphone, recognizes an inappropriate text and prompts the user with a message asking them to rethink their text. Miss Prabhu crafted the premise of the app and its algorithms in 2014 and has been recognized as a global finalist for the Google Science Fair and was awarded the Inspire 2016 Aristotle Award by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT. She made Illinois proud when ReThink was an exhibitor at the White House Science Fair in March 2015. Yesterday, ReThink was featured on the popular entrepreneur show, ``Shark Tank.'' Thoroughly impressed with her accomplishments and the comprehensive app, Miss Prabhu agreed to a $100,000 business deal with Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner. Miss Prabhu is an outstanding example of Illinois innovation and uses her innovative spirit to better her community and promote STEM education throughout the country. She has deservedly received a number of awards for her work to stop bullying, including the ``Global Anti- Bullying Hero'' award from Auburn University. I share a common goal with Miss Prabhu: to end bullying once and for all. I want to congratulate Trisha Prabhu on her recent accomplishment and wish her and ReThink the best of luck.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today, on behalf of every child who suffers from growth disorders, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this week, September 19 through 23, as Growth Awareness Week. Tracking a child's growth is critical as it is a major sign of his or her overall health. When their growth is delayed, it is an indicator of potential underlying medical disorders. In fact, more than 600 serious diseases and health conditions, ranging from nutritional disturbances and hormone imbalances to unidentified kidney problems and brain tumors, can cause growth failure. Unfortunately, the two most common causes of growth failures frequently go undiagnosed, even in children who are evaluated. By failing to diagnose the cause of growth failure, the potential for damage and high costs of care increases. By contrast, early detection and diagnosis can ensure a healthy future for children with growth failures. That is why raising public awareness and education about growth failure is so important. I commend the MAGIC Foundation for their great work and look forward to working with my colleagues to improve the lives and health of children in Illinois and across the country.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today I honor the life of Margaret Schlickman, who passed away on July 1, 2016, at the age of 86. Margaret was a 50-year resident of Arlington Heights, IL, and was a mother, grandmother, dedicated congressional staffer, community leader, and a passionate advocate for the homeless. Margaret was born in Rockford, IL, but later moved to Arlington Heights, and during her time there, she was an active member of St. James Catholic Church. Through the church's outreach, she witnessed the area's migrant farmworkers' housing plight and became a member of the inaugural Village Housing Commission in 1979. She continued in that post through 2006. Locally, she was known as the ``housing leader of Arlington Heights,'' and she spent much of her time volunteering with Public Action to Deliver Shelter, PADS, in Illinois, a provider of shelter and support services for the homeless. In 1978, Margaret joined the staff of U.S. Senator Charles Percy, and in 1980, she began working for newly elected Congressman John Porter. She retired from Congressman Porter's office in 1996 as the supervisor of constituent services. I first met Margaret while we were both working for Congressman Porter. She taught all who worked with her the important commitment to constituent services and lived by the premise that the constituent was always right unless proven wrong. Congressman Porter was known during his time in office for his excellent constituent service; much of this is due to the hard work and dedication of Margaret, as well as the training she provided to the staffers who worked with her. She was a dedicated public servant, and no one epitomized being a congressional staffer in the way Margaret Schlickman did. Margaret continued to be active in the community after she retired from Congressman Porter's office, including in politics. When I decided to run for Congress, Margaret helped my campaign from the start, being an early supporter of my first congressional race. I remember fondly meeting in her kitchen in Arlington Heights at the start of my 2000 campaign, and she remained a true ally and friend throughout my time in office. Margaret Schlickman will be missed by her family, her community, and by me. Her legacy of service to others is one which we all should strive to meet.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I would like to honor the Gas Technology Institute, GTI, and its dedicated employees as they celebrate their 75th anniversary. Headquartered in Des Plaines, IL, GTI is a leading nonprofit research development organization in my home State, working diligently to address key global energy and environmental challenges. A proven leader over the past three-quarters of a century, GTI continues to develop high-impact technologies, unlocking the economic potential of domestic energy resources, while reducing the environmental footprint of fossil fuels. Founded as the Institute of Gas Technology in 1941, the institute worked closely with the Illinois Institute of Technology to train graduate engineers to lead the development of the gas industry. As national focus shifted to gas research and development in the 1970s, the Gas Research Institute took shape to focus on natural gas supply, transportation, distribution, and utilization. In 2000, these two renowned programs united under the GTI umbrella where they continue to build off of past successes as a premier research, development, and training organization serving the global natural gas and energy markets. GTI's most profound successes are known across the globe. From catalyzing the U.S. shale gas revolution through innovative research and development in the 1980s and 1990s, to helping to put the first hydrogen fuel cell bus on the road in 2006, to its 65 patents on high- efficiency, low-NOX burners and systems, GTI has a strong industry reputation for innovation and conducting the work necessary to ensure our domestic supplies are utilized to their full potential while national and global priorities continue to shift. Our Nation continues to benefit from GTI's expertise in developing gas distribution technologies and reducing energy delivery costs, as well as innovations in the detection, quantification, and mitigation of methane emissions from the natural gas sector. Its current efforts with the hydraulic fracturing test site will continue this tradition, improving air and water quality by increasing environmentally sustainable extraction methods. I congratulate and commend GTI for their continued commitment to providing technology-based solutions that expand U.S. energy production and foster economic growth, while also minimizing impacts to the environment. GTI's efforts in the past, present, and future are key to boosting American competitiveness, and I look forward to celebrating future milestones.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I would like to honor the National Roofing Contractors Association, NRCA, headquartered in Rosemont, IL, and support recognizing the week of June 5-11, 2016, as National Roofing Week. NRCA's 3,800 members, located across all 50 States, play a key role in the installation and maintenance of roofing systems. In rain, snow, or wind, the roof is the first line of defense against natural elements for any home or business. However, until a roof falls into disrepair, its importance is often overlooked. National Roofing Week is a valuable reminder of the significance that quality roofing has on our communities and honors the thousands of contractors in the roofing industry across the United States. The NRCA's vast network of roofing contractors and industry-related members handle a majority of new construction and replacement roof systems on commercial and residential structures across the United States. However, the organization's activities extend beyond its construction duties. National Roofing Week offers an opportunity to distinguish the thousands of NRCA members and their commitment to supporting their local communities. I commend the NRCA for their efforts and ask all my colleagues to join me in acknowledging their contributions to our communities during National Roofing Week.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support my VA spending bill to final passage. It is a very bipartisan bill. I also would like to thank my ranking Democratic member, Senator Jon Tester of Montana, who has been a great partner. We have worked with all Senators on both sides of the aisle to include their priorities and have worked through dozens of amendments. We include more than two dozen amendments in this bill. The bill provides record funding for our veterans' health care, protects whistleblowers, includes opioid safety, and also has the RAID Act to clean up the VA so that cockroaches are not in the VA kitchens and dining facilities. This bill also adds 100 staff to the IG's office and combats veteran homelessness. It requires better screening of VA doctors so they can't switch from State to State. The bill also increases medical research and adds money for health care for our veterans. I thank the subcommittee staff for doing outstanding work this year, and that includes Tina Evans, Chad Schulken, Michael Bain, Robert Henke, D'Ann Lettieri, Patrick Magnuson, and Carlos Elias. The bottom line: This bill does right by our troops and does right by our veterans. I thank my Senate colleagues and urge its rapid adoption.

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

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. I know of no further debate on these amendments.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now vote on these amendments en bloc.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following amendments be called up en bloc and reported by number: No. 3914, by Senator Tester; No. 3938, by me; No. 3948, by Senator Heller; No. 3954, by Senator Heitkamp; and No. 3971, by Senator Bennet.

Mr. KIRK

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, we are bringing up the MILCON-VA appropriations bill today, and I urge its adoption. This year the MILCON-VA bill was the first appropriations bill. We marked up 5 weeks earlier than last year, and the bill is on the floor 6 months earlier than before. We are in a very advantageous position of telling the House to do their work, which never happens with regard to the Senate. We are very proud of that. We are so proud that we have crafted this bill in an open and collegial way with the full support of my ranking Democratic member, Senator Jon Tester of Montana. This bipartisan bill was adopted unanimously by a vote of 30 to 0 in the full Appropriations Committee. In MILCON, the bill provides $7.9 billion for over 200 critical defense construction projects. It adds $515 million to MILCON to ensure that our military is ready to fight and win. There are no OCO gimmicks in the bill. My top priority in this legislation is missile defense in Europe. Last year, the bill funded the Aegis Ashore BMD site in Poland. We have built on that in this year's bill. This bill funds the Long Range Discrimination Radar, or LRDR, in Clear, AK, at $155 million. For Veterans Affairs and related agencies, our bill provides $75.1 billion to protect our veterans. This is record-high funding in this legislation, this bipartisan bill. The budget is up $3.4 billion, or 4.8 percent, over this year, reflecting the higher medical costs in the economy. The VA must now be reformed. We must work much better for veterans now. This bill includes strong oversight provisions for the VA to protect the protectors of our veterans. By that, I mean the whistleblowers. In this legislation is my VA Patient Protection Act of 2016, which protects whistleblowers and makes sure that doctors, nurses, and other medical care professionals are able to have the full whistleblower protections they deserve. This bill provides strong whistleblower protections and punishment for those who retaliate against whistleblowers. A number of opioid safety provisions are included, such as no copayments for opioid antagonists, like Narcan, which can save a life rapidly. The bill includes a provision that will screen medical providers to make sure the VA refrains from transferring bad doctors from one hospital in one State to another. The bill adds 100 staff to the VA Office of Inspector General, which is very important. We continue to insist that the VA develop a fully interoperable electronic medical health record with DOD, using open source code. My vision here is to make sure we use open source code for VA medical records and DOD, to make sure that core of 25 million patients is protected, with no net burden on the soldiers when they are leaving active duty. The entire record goes over, so we have complete continuity of care. By having open source coding, we repeat the success of the Motorola Android system, which happened in my State, where 70,000 apps were written just with that code. I want to make sure the electronic medical record industry is always located in the United States, based on this standard. The bill adds $8.7 million to fix the Veterans Crisis Line that we fund. Now the veterans suicide hotline will never go unanswered. It also adds $20 million for gender-specific health care for female veterans. The bill adds $30 million to combat veteran homelessness; we have received a request on this issue from over 25 Senators. The bill adds $12 million for important medical receipts for vets--like genomic research. In committee, we adopted an amendment that I supported by a vote of 23 to 7 to allow the VA to treat veterans and their spouses with in vitro fertilization for service-connected problems. This is a strong bill. It is a very strong bill, and it does right by our troops and especially our veterans. My Senate colleagues should pass this measure quite quickly, just as they did in the full committee. With that, I yield back the remainder of my time.