Jerry Moran

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Madam President, the Natural Resources Conservation Service is one of the best opportunities we have--and some of the best stewards we have for caring for lands in Kansas are our farmers and ranchers. What a great combination in the public-private partnership when we work together to improve our water quality and quantity, work to make sure our air is cleaner, make certain, as best we can, that the dust doesn't blow in Kansas. While we talk about environmental issues, I want to mention the work that goes on in my home State and places across the country with a partnership that occurs by the Department of Agriculture--USDA--its agency, the NRCS, and landowners in my State. I want to highlight the circumstances those farmers and ranchers find themselves in today. In 2016, the price of wheat hit a decade low. Wheat prices fell from a high of $7.60 a bushel in 2013 to $4.11 per bushel in 2016, from $7.60 to $4.11 in just a short period of time. Unfortunately, those prices have continued to stay low. Often in Kansas, when commodity prices are a challenge for those who raise crops, we are able to supplement our income by the price of cattle--our ability to raise quality beef and to sell that in markets and to compensate for the challenges that occur on the crop side of agriculture. Unfortunately, the same thing has happened in the livestock market as well. Live cattle prices dropped from $166 per hundredweight in January of 2015 to $132 per hundredweight in January of 2016; again, a fall from $166 to $132. Those things combined, low commodity prices, low price for wheat, low prices for cattle, mean that agriculture in rural America is hurting greatly. This is a tremendous challenge and appearing to be perhaps the most difficult time that agriculture producers, farmers, and ranchers face in the Midwest since the thirties. I have come to speak about this today. Senator Roberts, the chairman who chairs the Agriculture Committee, is having a hearing of the Agriculture Committee in Kansas during the next few days. I appreciate the opportunity he is providing Kansans to have input as the process begins for a new farm bill. I congratulate him and welcome the input that everyday folks who earn a living in agriculture will have as a result of his efforts. What I want to highlight today is that with the circumstances so challenging, we need to do things that reduce the input cost associated with production agriculture. But the focus I want to make today is that we need every market possible for our farmers and ranchers to sell into. Ninety-five percent of the mouths to feed, 95 percent of the consumers are outside the United States, and our ability to survive in agriculture in Kansas and this country is related to our ability to export those agriculture commodities, as well as food products, around the globe. In the confirmation hearings that I have been involved in based upon my committee assignments and in addition to conversations with the nominee to be the Secretary of Agriculture, Governor Perdue, I have highlighted time and time again the importance of exports. If we face this struggle--a struggle we do absolutely face today--a way we can help improve that circumstance is to sell more grains, more meat products, more beef, more pork into foreign country markets. It is not happening the way it needs to happen to lift the prices and therefore increase the chances that farmers and ranchers will survive the difficult and challenging economic circumstances. I almost said ``as an aside.'' Let me mention another challenge. It really isn't an aside, it is so important. We have difficult times in agriculture. It is a cyclical world, and prices are up and prices are down based upon the laws of supply and demand. But in difficult times, we have always in the past been able to count upon a lender, a banker who is willing to help that farmer, that rancher get through difficult times. The regulatory environment our bankers now face, particularly in rural communities where there is a relationship--we often operate in banks in my State, and certainly in rural communities across Kansas, as a result of a relationship. So our bankers--those who lend money to farmers--know those farmers. They know their families. They know their parents, their grandparents. They were the financier. They were the ones able to lend working capital to farmers in good times and bad. Our regulators and I have visited with the Officer of the Comptroller of the Currency, the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, the state banking commissioner in our State, all with the message that in these difficult times, we can't let the consequences of Dodd-Frank overwhelm the ability for a banker to continue to make decisions about lending money to agriculture producers. We can't let the authority of making that decision, based upon long generations of relationships between those in agriculture and those in financing agriculture, be overcome by the rules and regulations that followed the passage of Dodd-Frank, particularly as it relates to those relationships with community banks and lenders. So while it is challenging in agriculture due to the prices, one of the reasons we have been able to survive over the years in low-price times is because of that relationship and understanding. I know this farm family--this is the banker talking--I know this farm family, and I have lent money to them for a long time. I lent money to their father or their grandfather, their mother or their grandmother. They have the integrity, the character, and the ability to repay. If the lending in rural America becomes nothing more than a computer program in which you punch in the numbers and character becomes something that is irrelevant--there is not a computer program to measure character. If we lose the opportunity for a relationship developed between a lender and a farmer, we lose the ability to make things work in difficult times. Those times are with us. The primary point I would like to make today is that we need exports and we need them now. And while there is always a debate about the value of a particular trade agreement--and that debate is useful--we ought never lose sight that there is no real debate about the value of exports. So we need to put in place the mechanisms that allow farmers and ranchers and others in my State to be able to export a product around the globe. I would encourage the administration and I would encourage Members of Congress, as we develop our policies in this new session, to make certain that exports are front and center in our economic policy because the survival of the folks I represent in Kansas and the communities in which they live is in jeopardy if we don't get those markets back and if we don't retain those markets. Exports are important to us. We can't afford not to pursue each and every one of them. If we are not going to have multilateral trade agreements, we need to have bilateral trade agreements, and we can't wait very long for those agreements to take place. Again, 95 percent of the consumers live outside the United States, and our ability in Kansas to have a bright future is determined by the ability to connect with those consumers outside the United States. If I can take just one more moment to also point out that I have requested USAID and the Department of Agriculture in our food and hunger programs around the globe to increase the role that wheat and other commodities play in feeding a hungry world. We want to sell commodities in the export market, but as we develop our programs to combat hunger, we can get something that is very noble and something very valuable--helping people around the globe be able to go to bed with a full stomach is a desirable and noble goal, and the utilization of an increasing amount of agriculture or commodities grown in the United States in that effort would benefit farmers in our country, as well. It is the proverbial win/win. The noble accomplishment of helping people fight back food insecurity and at the same time creating an additional opportunity for the export of wheat, for example, which, because of significant amounts of harvest, is in an overabundant supply--is in abundant supply here in the United States. Madam President, thank you for the opportunity to visit with my colleagues here on the Senate floor today and to express the desire to work with each of them as we develop the efforts to make certain that exports are front and center, particularly as they relate to agricultural interest of the United States. Madam President, I yield my time. I yield the floor.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able to be speak as in morning business.

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

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, Ladd Seaberg, a Kansas resident whose home was in Atchison, KS, passed away on Kansas' 156th birthday. My State lost an individual who epitomizes all that it means to be a Kansan. Throughout his life, Ladd was dedicated to serving his family, his friends, his colleagues, and his hometown of Atchison. Atchison is along the Missouri River, the Kansas River, and right on the border with the neighboring State. They have a long history in that community, and he and his family have had a long opportunity, which they have taken advantage of, to benefit the citizens of that community. He fought a courageous fight with a terrible, progressive neurodegenerative disease, and he was laid to rest last week. As a stalwart figure of Northeast Kansas who worked at MGP Ingredients for 40 years, he will long be remembered for his character and his leadership. Most everything good in Atchison involved Ladd and his family. Ladd was not born a Kansan. He was born in West Texas and graduated from Texas Tech University, where he met his wife Karen Cray during a national science fair put on by the U.S. Air Force. Naturally, they both won first place awards at the fair, and later moved to Karen's hometown of Atchison, where they made their life and raised their family. With a degree in chemical engineering and the mind of a true engineer, he had a passion for understanding the way things work on a mechanical level. His love of tinkering led him to a longtime hobby as an avid amateur radio operator. Upon moving to Atchison, he began working at MGP as a distillery production manager. During his first 11 years there, Ladd rose to become the company's president and later CEO and, then, chairman of the board. He had an integral role in bringing the company public, when it became listed on Nasdaq's exchange. Ladd and his beloved wife Karen, who now serves as MGP's board chairwoman, were blessed with two daughters and six grandchildren, who still live in Kansas today. Beyond his leadership at the company MGP, where his intelligence and encouraging management style will long be remembered, Ladd contributed on numerous boards and to even more organizations that improve the lives of those who live in the community and around the State. To name but just a few, he was a founding member of the International Wheat Gluten Association, separately represented the U.S. grain community at the World Trade Organization meetings, and was a board member of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was also one of the original founders of the Atchison Area Economic Development Council, a longtime member of the Historical Society, and a former chairman of the Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce board. Ladd's leadership was indispensable on the Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge committee to construct a new bridge in 2012 across the Missouri River named for a fellow pilot and fellow Kansan, Amelia Earhart, one of our State's proudest daughters. He cared deeply about education in his community, as evidenced by the recognition he and his wife received from Benedictine College, the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict, the institution's highest honor. His faith also played a significant role in his life, having served as an elder and deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Atchison. One can hardly overstate what he meant to northeast Kansas, as Ladd always sought opportunities to serve his fellow Kansans. He was a mentor to many and gave of himself to all who were fortunate enough to pass his way. I appreciate his contributions to our State, and my prayers have been with his wife and family, father and grandfather. It is sad that Ladd was laid to rest, but may he rest in peace.

Mr. MORAN

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

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able to express my entire remarks during this period of time.

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I have the opportunity to speak as in morning business.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, throughout his life, Bob Boaldin was dedicated to serving God, his family, his friends, and his community in Elkhart. As a stalwart figure of southwest Kansas who worked in the communication industry for many years, he was in many ways responsible for connecting the Big First to the world. Bob was born on November 3, 1939, in Oklahoma City. He grew up in Elkhart, KS, and graduated from the local high school. While attending one semester at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, he met his wife of 58 years, Dian Whitecotton. He and Dian raised two sons and a daughter: Travis, Trenton, and Roxanna. Bob was a wheat and milo farmer who worked part time at the Elkhart Phone Company until 1964, when he began his lifelong career in communications. In the 1970s, he purchased Elkhart Telephone Company and became the owner of Elkhart TV cable system. He also served as president of the State of Kansas Telephone Association and on the board of directors at the OPASTCO, Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telephone Companies. He was a founding member of the organization's Foundation for Rural Education and Development, which continues to help graduating high school seniors succeed by offering them academic scholarships. In 1986, Bob also began serving on the board of the U.S. Telecom Association. His service to Elkhart and to Morton County will not be forgotten--he was a city councilman, mayor, and county commissioner for many years. He also worked as a local EMT for 13 years. He was an avid supporter of the county fair and always sought opportunities to serve his city and his State. Bob's leadership abilities and desire to help his community led him to a number of roles advising members of the local and State levels of government, joining the Kansas Supreme Court Blue Ribbon Commission, helping to found WEKANDO, Western Kansas County Commissioners Organization, participating in the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council, and serving as president of the State of Kansas Legislative Policy Group. He loved his cow-calf operation and worked hard to keep his cattle well fed. He was an active member of the Hillcrest Baptist Church community and gave his time during his younger years as a Sunday School teacher, nursery worker, school superintendent, and deacon. Bob was an exemplary neighbor, friend, and leader. His lifelong efforts to improve the quality of life for those around him will impact generations of Kansans to come. I am thankful for my friendship with him and for his service to so many. Our prayers are with his wife and family. May he rest in peace.

Mr. MORAN

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

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 19, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I have one more role to undertake this evening. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:45 a.m., Tuesday, January 24; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein, and with Senator Alexander being recognized for up to 15 minutes, followed by 30 minutes for the Democrats; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I would like to take just a few moments of the Senate's time this evening. We all work in an environment in which we are surrounded by dedicated people. One of those in my world, Todd Novascone, who has been my chief of staff for 12 years, has had his last day of work in our office today. I wanted to take just a few moments to pay tribute to him and others like him. I think we are here because we want to make a difference. I have no doubt that is the case for my 99 colleagues here on the Senate floor, but it is also true for all the folks who work here in the Senate Chamber, who work in our individual offices, and who work in the committees. The goal is to be in the Nation's Capital in the hope that we can make better things happen for America. I have had the privilege of being surrounded by many dedicated individuals--most of them Kansans--over the period of time that I have served in the Congress of the United States of America. I know that my ability to work on behalf of Kansans and on behalf of the citizens of our Nation is greatly altered and improved by the fact that people who care about America, who care about our home State, are there by my side. One of those most important to me has been my chief of staff. Todd was an elected official in his own right. He was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives and served there with distinction. Twelve years ago, back in the days when I was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I asked him to uproot his family and move to Washington, DC, and assume the task of managing our office and helping accomplish the things that we all wanted to accomplish. He has done it with great style and with grace and with friendship. He has been the person who has motivated us to do better and has always done it in a way in which we felt good about what we were doing, in a management style that made us feel good about ourselves, bringing us together, not taking us apart, making certain we knew that the outcome was important, but how we got there--matters that are important to us as individuals, as human beings with integrity, doing things right, telling the truth-- those things were always honored and achieved because of his leadership. People are hard to replace, and Todd is especially difficult to replace. I spend almost every week in the Nation's Capital, away from my own family. Like many people here in the Senate, those who work in our offices become part of our family. That is certainly true with the people who work in my office today. I feel that, although when I came to Congress I was more their age, now there is a significantly wider gap in the age of our staff and me. But my wife and I believe that I am surrounded by people who are part of our family, and Todd is certainly that. In fact, his family grew while he was my chief of staff. His two children, Grace and Will, were born during the days of his time as an employee in our office. Again, as a reminder about how to put things in perspective, he was always taking care of his kids. He was always there for their school activities, part of the school board, involved in their athletic and musical activities. That is a good thing for a chief of staff to know because if it is important to him, he will make certain that his commitment is permitted, honored, and encouraged by those who work in the office. So tonight, I just want to say thank you to Todd Novascone from Hanover, KS, who decided to devote 12 years of his life here in the Nation's Capital, trying to make things better, trying to make our office work well, and trying to achieve the things all of us want to achieve for our Nation. So, Todd Novascone, thank you for a job well done, thank you for being my friend, and thank you for the way you have conducted yourself on my behalf. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I would welcome a membership on the Finance Committee, but I don't have one at this stage or with my time in the Senate. Under either circumstance--membership on the Finance Committee or here in the entire Senate--I look forward to working with my friend and colleague, the diligent Senator from Delaware. I yield my time.

Mr. MORAN. I thank the Senator from Delaware, and I appreciate his comments. He did walk in just as I was talking about that particular issue of a series of things that I believe would improve the cost and affordability of health care. I thank the Senator for sharing his experience in Delaware and elsewhere and use that as an opportunity to indicate that the cost savings that comes from that kind of reform is a positive, but we also want to make sure those who, through no fault of their own, are actually harmed are made whole to the best of our ability that this can be accomplished. Finally, I would use this as an opportunity to point out that this Senate ought to work in a way in which the ideas of all 100 Members are considered in a respectful way as we try to find solutions to the access and affordability of health care. Again, I thank you for the time on the floor.

Mr. MORAN. I yield.

Mr. MORAN. Madam President, in 2010 the American people were promised a number of things, but among those things was affordable, accessible, and quality health care. They were promised that if they liked their health care plans, if they liked their insurance, they could keep those insurance policies. They were promised a system that could get more folks covered at lower costs. Instead, unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act has failed us and has failed to keep its promises. Canceled policies, elimination of certain plans, difficulties in identifying new plans, massive premium increases, sky-high deductibles, and limited options for doctors have really become a new standard for many American families. At the end of last year, I completed another round of 105 townhall meetings in our State. There are 105 counties in Kansas. On occasion-- it is pretty rare but on occasion someone will say: The Affordable Care Act was helpful to me and my family. My response to that is: I am glad, but surely we can come up with a proposal--a plan--that isn't so damaging to so many other people for the benefits that you claim you have acquired under the Affordable Care Act. Surely, we can come up with a plan that doesn't increase premiums, increase deductibles, increase copayments, eliminate plans, reduce the choice of the physician you see, and reduce your ability to keep the health care plan that you like. Because I am opposed to the Affordable Care Act does not mean I am opposed to trying to make sure Americans have better options and more affordable care. I have also visited all 127 hospitals in our State. I have had conversations with the chief financial officer, the CEO, the trustees, the doctors, the nurses, and almost without exception the conversation is about how bad debt expenses increase, the ability for their patients--people who are admitted to the hospital--to pay their bills is less, not more, and that is because they can't afford the copayments and deductibles. Unfortunately, ObamaCare--the Affordable Care Act--has taken away the freedom to make health care decisions from Americans, from us as individuals, and given way too much authority to the Federal Government. Kansans continue to ask me to help them get back to their former health care plans, to find a better way to do this, a plan that is more affordable with better coverage. Over the last 6 years, I have advocated for a number of changes to our health care plan to help American families. Even before President Obama was President, we were talking about what we ought to do. I had ideas of what we could do to improve the chances that people across Kansas and around the country would have a better opportunity to provide health care insurance for themselves and their family members. I am proud of some of the successes we have had in recent time. I am a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a supporter of funding for NIH, or the National Institutes of Health. This is research that is essential to saving and improving lives, growing our economy, and maintaining America's role as a global leader, but, most importantly, it saves lives and improves health care. In addition, it saves money--the cost of health care--if we can find the cure and treatment for cancer, for diabetes, for Alzheimer's. One of the ways we can help reduce the cost of health care and make it more affordable is to make certain that we make the necessary investments in finding those cures and treatments. Last year, I supported, and this Senate and Congress passed, the 21st Century Cures Act. This takes us in additional directions in the way of finding those cures for life-altering diseases and, in the process, helps us to save our families' dollars. We have also worked hard to try to maintain the funding for Federal programs and agencies that work with universities and medical schools to train and recruit medical professionals who then go on to serve particularly in medically underserved areas. It is very typical of your State and mine, Madam President, in which we are experiencing the constant shortage of the necessary professionals to provide the necessary health care. While this is progress, with a new Congress, a new year, and a new administration, we now have a tremendous opportunity to provide real substantive reform to our health care system. I mentioned the conversations I have had in townhall meetings. In addition to the health care side of the Affordable Care Act and the problems it has created for affordable and accessible health care, we have also had the challenges on the economic side--the job creation side--that the Affordable Care Act has unfortunately caused--the conversation about whether or not to expand a business, whether or not to exceed the 50- employee threshold. Those aspects of the Affordable Care Act are very damaging and need to be addressed and cured as well. As we as a Senate, we as a Congress, and we as a country look for a replacement strategy, for something different--significantly different than the Affordable Care Act--we ought to focus on the practical reforms that embrace increased flexibility and allow American men and women to decide what is right for them and their individual family health care needs. As we take this matter up in Congress, I wish to again put forth some specific ideas I have offered over the years as a blueprint for reform that we should try to put in place. First, we should maintain preexisting condition protections for those with continuous coverage. Individuals with debilitating diseases and chronic conditions who have purchased health care should be reassured that their coverage will not be stripped in any future health care changes to our system. Second, we can increase coverage by enabling Americans to shop for plans from coast to coast, no matter what State they live in. This will lower the premiums by spurring greater competition in the insurance market. Third, we should extend tax savings to those who purchase health care coverage, regardless of their employment. To assist low-income Americans, we can offer tax credits to help them obtain the private insurance of their choice. We also can expand access to care by supporting community health centers and other primary care access points. Fourth, instead of limiting the choice of plans, let's give small businesses and organizations the ability to pool together in order to offer health insurance at lower premiums, similar to corporations and labor unions. We also need to make it possible for health insurance to travel with workers when they move from one job to another job throughout their careers. Fifth, we ought to increase the incentives available to individuals to save now for their future and for long-term care needs by empowering them to utilize health savings accounts and other incentive plans. Doing so enables individuals to take ownership in their health, and that is important as well. Sixth, we need not accept the idea that costs for currently available medical treatments will inevitably rise. Instead, let's continue to support those things that bring down the cost of health care by finding cures and treatments, as I mentioned, with the National Institutes of Health. Advancing lifesaving medical research and spurring innovation can help us accomplish health care savings, reducing the financial burden for those with diseases and their family members who care for them. Seventh, we need to address shortages in our medical workforce by promoting education and programs at our universities and our medical schools that train physicians, nurses, and other health care officials and encourage them to practice in underserved areas through scholarship and loan repayment programs. Kansas is an example, as is your State, Madam President, where those rural areas and, additionally, those core centers of our cities lack so often the necessary health care providers. Eighth, in order to curb the preventable costs that often occur through unnecessary emergency room visits and untreated symptoms of disease, we should provide coverage to low-income Americans, despite their limited financial means, in a financially sustainable way that ends up saving money in the long run. For all of us, the best reduction in health care costs is wellness, fitness, diet, and nutrition. That also means early preventive care. It means early diagnosis, and we make certain that Americans have access to that diagnosis and that early treatment. Ensuring access to quality care with a focus on preventive health is an effective way to limit high-cost health visits that place burdens on hospitals, physicians, our economy, and our health care system as a whole. Lastly, we can reform our medical liability system and reduce frivolous lawsuits that result in inflated premiums and the practice of defensive medicine, where doctors order every possible test out of fear of potential lawsuit. Doing so can save tens of billions of dollars each year and make health care more affordable for more people. The bureaucracy that goes with the providing of health care needs to be simplified. I have often looked behind the desk when I go see my family physician and wonder what all the people who are working there are doing. So much of it is not about patient care but navigating the system by which your health care bill, at least in part, gets paid. There is all the variety of insurance forms. I know this in my life-- the ability to understand that insurance document that arrives in the mail and sits on our kitchen table waiting for my wife or me to figure out what this means. I have seen this with my own parents when they were living--the amount of documents, paperwork, and forms and checks for $13.19 that arrived in my dad's mailbox and trying to figure out with my parents: What does that mean? Why am I getting this? So much cost savings and so much anxiety and angst could be eliminated if we had a system that was much more uniform in its presentation, simplifying the way in which our health care bill gets paid by our insurance provider, by Medicare, by Medicaid, or out of our own pocket. I would defy most Americans to be able, unfortunately, to understand what is the stuff that comes in the mail and what it means to them. As we move forward with trying to replace and improve access of Americans to health care--to affordable health care--I believe there are reforms that will provide us with a good blueprint for how to start helping Kansans and all Americans across the country who have suffered under the deficiencies and the costs and the damage that comes from ObamaCare. I look forward to working with my colleagues--Republicans and Democrats--to find solutions to take advantage of this opportunity that we have. The American people--many American people, most American people--are hurting under this law, and they have spoken clearly numerous times. It is time for us to bring to them the changes that improve their lives by improving their health care, by improving their health, and by making sure that no American is worried about whether or not the necessary health care that they need or their family member needs is outside of their reach.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, based upon the conversation and dialogue that occurred with the Senator from Nevada, I withdraw my unanimous consent request. I will renew my request later and look forward to the majority leader being present at that time.

Mr. MORAN. I appreciate the remarks of the distinguished leader, and I am happy to accommodate.

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I wish to call to the attention of my colleagues S. 290. S. 290 is a piece of legislation passed unanimously by the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. It is a bipartisan bill that was crafted by the ranking member, the Senator from Connecticut, Mr. Blumenthal, and me, and it deals with accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This legislation has a number of components, but the one I wish to focus on this evening is one that has a consequence to those in senior executive positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs who commit felonies in the scope of their employment at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This legislation, S. 290, would eliminate their pension if convicted of a felony in a court of law and only that portion of their pension that was accrued after the conduct that resulted in the felony conviction. That is the circumstance that was approved by the Veterans' Affairs Committee a year ago this month. That bill has yet to come to the Senate floor. During that time in which we have been waiting for consideration of this legislation, certain terribly unfortunate events occurred at the VA hospital at Leavenworth, KS. I have been on the Senate floor speaking to this issue previously, but the basic facts are that a physician's assistant committed sexual acts with his patients--veterans who came to the VA hospital at Leavenworth, KS, for care and treatment, and we learned of this reprehensible conduct from newspaper reports in 2015. That conduct has affected many veterans in Kansas and in Missouri who sought the care and treatment of a physician's assistant and who relied upon the VA to provide that care for them. In fact, Mr. Wisner was never discharged from the VA; he resigned a month after the conduct was reported to the inspector general. Veterans have now sued Mr. Wisner in court, and at least a dozen veterans are seeking redress, and criminal proceedings are pending in the District Court of Leavenworth County, KS, against Mr. Wisner. One of the things the veterans who have called our office to talk about this circumstance--and we believe there are many other veterans who have suffered the consequence of this sexual abuse by a VA employee who is a health care provider--one of the consequences has been phone calls to our office asking for our help. One of the common conversations is: It is so difficult for me to get my pension, my benefits from the VA. Why would Mr. Wisner, if convicted of these crimes, receive his? So I have authored an amendment to S. 290 that would add an additional category of Department of Veterans Affairs employees who also would suffer the loss of their pension should they be convicted in a court of law for conduct they committed in caring for patients at the VA, and that reduction in pension would occur from the point of time of the conduct that resulted in the felony conviction of that VA employee. What we are talking about is adding positions such as physicians, dentists, podiatrist, chiropractors, optometrists, registered nurses, and physicians assistants to the language; the theory being if it is appropriate to remove the pension benefits of a member of the upper echelon--the executive team at the VA for conviction of felony conduct--why would it not be appropriate to also add those who can do even more damage to a veteran by felony conduct against them while seeking care and comfort and treatment from the VA? So what we now present to the Senate--in fact, we have asked for unanimous consent on two previous occasions for this to be considered. We have hotlined this legislation. It has cleared the Republican side twice but has yet to clear the Democratic side of the Senate. So the request soon will be that S. 290, as amended by a Moran amendment, the language of which was negotiated between me and the ranking member, Senator Blumenthal of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, be added to the original S. 290, the bill that Senator Blumenthal and I created to create accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 290 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; I further ask that the Moran substitute amendment be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

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

Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I come to the Senate floor to thank Chairman McCain for his efforts on the National Defense Authorization Act. Yesterday I was here talking about the Cures Act, and I know that is the business of the day, but I also want to recognize the importance of the NDAA and its assumed or hoped-for passage today or this week. I appreciate Senator McCain working with me and supporting my amendment to remove language that would allow the administration to expend taxpayer dollars on plans to close Guantanamo Bay detention facility. As in previous years, the NDAA continues to prohibit the closure of Gitmo and the transfer of detainees to U.S. soil. Fort Leavenworth, in my home State of Kansas, has been a site under this administration's consideration. This administration and foreign countries have lost track of numerous detainees, which escalates the risk for military men and women if the detainee is returned to the battlefield. With the total reengagement rate at Gitmo detainees returning to that battlefield at more than 30 percent, this provision is a life-and-death matter. This Defense authorization also halts troop reduction and increases end strength across our Active, National Guard, and Reserve Forces. In every Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing this past year with Department of Defense officials, from service chiefs to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, I received answers that concluded our Armed Services would welcome more forces, not less. I introduced the POSTURE Act, S. 2563, with my colleagues Senator Blunt and Senator Perdue, to reverse these force reductions, increase end strength in the Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve, and specifically increase levels for our ground forces in the Army and Marine Corps. I am pleased this defense legislation--the one we are considering this week--reflects the objectives of the POSTURE Act by stopping force reductions and increasing end-strength levels across the Armed Services. There are many unknowns around the world, and to reduce the size of our defense force would be a mistake. We have been impacted already by budget decisions rather than based upon what our Armed Forces need to defend America. Readiness is paramount, and this NDAA allows for increased funding to make certain we are training, equipping, and readying our forces as challenges around the world unfold. As Chief of Staff of the Army GEN Mark Milley has repeatedly said, ``Readiness wins wars.'' The Big Red One--the Army's 1st Infantry Division located at Fort Riley in Manhattan, KS, near Junction City, KS, has deployed its headquarters to Iraq for a second time in less than 2 years. That kind of turnaround requires the highest levels of readiness. This bill also authorizes critical military construction funding for Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth, and McConnell Air Force Base, helping Kansas remain a stronghold for our military training and power. As we head into the holidays, I am pleased that servicemembers and their families will receive, with the certainty of the passage of this bill, benefits which they have earned and that they deserve, which includes a 2.1-percent pay increase, which is the largest increase in 5 years. 75th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor As we pass this defense legislation to support our military men and women, those who serve our Nation, we must take a moment to also reflect upon the significance of this day--December 7, 1941--that horrific attack on Pearl Harbor 75 years ago. That day forever changed our Nation and our national defense. We should never forget those who perished in that attack, as they made that ultimate sacrifice: 2,008 naval men, 109 Marines, 218 Army men, and 68 civilians. Shortly after I was elected to the U.S. Senate on December 7, 2010, I had the distinct opportunity to present service medals to Kansans who had served and survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. It took us 69 years after they survived that attack, but I was honored to bestow U.S. Navy veterans Arthur Dunn and Paul Aschbrenner with their much deserved commendations. It was a special moment I will not forget. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Legislation To honor those who perished that day as well as those who survived, like Arthur and Paul, we must care for the 21.8 million veterans who live among us today and who deserve the best our Nation can offer. We have an opportunity to better care for our veterans with the passage of H.R. 6416, the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016, which has passed the House and is coming to the Senate. This legislation includes 76 bipartisan provisions to improve VA health care, streamline disability compensation, and address other benefits and services that must be reformed to better serve our veterans. I thank the chairman of my committee, the Senator from Georgia, for his leadership in this regard. I am particularly pleased that this legislation includes legislation that I, along with Senator Blumenthal, have diligently worked on for over the last several years. It is sponsored by 48 of our Senate colleagues. It is the Toxic Exposure Research Act. This legislation takes a significant step toward researching the potential health effects of toxic exposure to veterans and their descendants. To send a strong message to our veterans, we must pass this legislation. I often meet with World War II veterans at the memorial that was built in their honor on the National Mall. The message I try to convey is one that I also shared with my dad upon my first visit to the memorial. I stepped away and called my dad at home in Plainville, KS, and I said: Dad, I should have said this a long time ago, but I thank you for your service, I respect you, and I love you. That, we do again today. On this significant day in our Nation's history, with the passage of veterans legislation, with the passage of NDAA, we certainly can tell our service men and women and our veterans, those who served our country so diligently and so faithfully, that we thank you for your service, we respect you, and we love you. Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, December 6; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 34 postcloture; finally, that all time during adjournment and recess of the Senate count postcloture on the motion to concur.