Pat Roberts

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about an important piece of legislation I just filed, aptly named after the young Kansan whose life and bright future was cut short by a senseless act of violence and whose case now is the inspiration for why we desperately need to update the law. Almost 12 years ago, on June 2, 2017, 18-year-old Kelsey Smith was abducted in broad daylight from an Overland Park, KS, parking lot. Kelsey's abduction was captured on the store's closed-circuit security camera, which left little doubt about the emergency sense of the situation. This was an emergency. Here is the tragedy. Four days after Kelsey disappeared, authorities were able to locate her body after a wireless provider finally released the call information from her cell phone--4 critical days. Providing location information as fast as possible is absolutely critical to ensure that law enforcement officials can rescue victims in imminent danger of death or serious physical harm and hopefully prevent future fates similar to Kelsey's. This legislation is the culmination of years of work among legislators at both the Federal and State levels, including industry stakeholders, privacy advocates, and, most importantly, Kelsey's brave parents, who spearheaded this initiative and have advocated to create commonsense reforms that properly balance the needs of law enforcement with Fourth Amendment protections for all of our citizens. Through their advocacy and tireless efforts, Missey and Greg Smith have helped enact laws, oftentimes with unanimous support, in 23 States, including my home State of Kansas. This law provides law enforcement with the necessary tools to rescue individuals in emergency situations where the threat of death or serious bodily injury is imminent. The impact of this law at the State level has been real and measurable. For example, in May 2012, one month after the enactment of its State's version of the Kelsey Smith Act, local authorities in Tennessee were successful in saving the life of a child who had been abducted by a suspected child rapist. Because the child was believed to be in imminent danger, the police were able to successfully receive the location of the suspect's cell phone in a window of time that led to the safe recovery of the child alive and before she was assaulted. In February of 2015, Kelsey's Law helped save the life of a 5-month- old Lenexa, KS, girl when a car with a baby in the back seat was stolen from its mother. Through Kelsey's Law, police were able to ping that mother's phone, which was left in the car, and, within an hour, the baby was reunited with her parents. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the first 3 hours are critical to recovering a child alive. That is why it is necessary that in these narrowly defined, isolated instances in which a person's very life is at stake, an exemption should be made to allow wireless carriers to immediately ping an individual's phone and release to law enforcement the whereabouts of that individual. Understanding this, my legislation would provide law enforcement with the ability to recover the location of children, other missing individuals, and only in very specific emergency situations; namely, where there is risk of death or serious bodily injury. Don't just take it from Pat Roberts. Public safety professionals with experience in the field support this lifesaving legislation. According to the retired Johnson County sheriff, Frank Denning: Time is of the essence in these types of incidents and the narrow exception for law enforcement to act with immediacy is key here. For this not to be a Federal law seems unjust to those who have loved ones in harm's way and this type of intervention can and will save lives. Major Scott Boden with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office in Kansas says: Over my 22-year law enforcement career with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, 17 years have been spent in our dispatch/911 center. During that time, the Kelsey Smith Law has been the single most important piece of legislation related to potentially saving the lives of suicidal subjects, assisting endangered children, and addressing live threats when cell phone location is necessary and seconds count. The difference this law has made cannot be overstated and I look forward to the day it becomes available all across this country as a resource to assist first responders in their most critical service saving lives. Jennifer Lanter, the 9-1-1 director for Loudon County, TN, says: In Tennessee, we have had the privilege of having Kelsey's Law enacted for several years. There are multiple examples of how utilizing this law has resulted in lives being saved that otherwise would have been lost. This law enables the men and women that have dedicated their lives to the protection of others to ensure they are able to do everything possible to locate someone that needs help. The benefits of this law being passed at the Federal level will be far-reaching, and countless lives will be saved. It is not just these individual law enforcement officials who support this bill. The bill is also supported by the National District Attorneys Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Association of Police Organizations, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Sheriffs' Association. I don't know of any law enforcement organization that has been left out, and if it has been left out, it would certainly support the bill. CTIA, the wireless association, also supports this commonsense legislation. Just this morning, I received a letter of support from John Walsh, who is the cofounder of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and was the well-known host of the television show, ``America's Most Wanted.'' Mr. Walsh has dedicated his life to advocating for victims' rights. It began with his fight for the passage of the Missing Children's Assistance Act following the abduction and subsequent murder of his son Adam. Fortunately, for my colleagues, voting for this bill will not take a blind leap of faith. Kelsey's Law is already saving lives in States like Kansas, New Jersey, Nebraska, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Tennessee, Hawaii, Missouri, Utah, West Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, Rhode Island, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Iowa, Washington, Louisiana, Delaware, Indiana, and Alabama. Yes, I wanted to repeat all 23. Oftentimes, the approval by State legislatures has been unanimous, and that is because Kelsey's Law strikes the appropriate balance between ensuring that law enforcement has the tools it needs to help individuals who are in grave danger and ensuring that the proper checks are in place to guard against government overreach. My legislation requires all law enforcement agencies to maintain a record of all requests made under the Kelsey Smith Act. This record will include the name of the officer who is requesting location information from a wireless carrier, a description of the request that explains the need for the disclosure of location information, and a declaration that an individual's location information is needed in order to offer him life assistance during an emergency situation that, again, involves a risk of death or serious physical harm. I stress that nothing--absolutely nothing--in the Kelsey Smith Act prohibits wireless carriers from continuing to operate the robust law enforcement verification systems that they use today in order to make absolutely certain that when a request is made, it is coming from an authorized law enforcement official. Kelsey was never given the opportunity to attend college or to get married or to have children and experience the American dream that many of us take for granted every day. Yet what she did do was to inspire her mother and her father to make it their mission in life to help educate and empower communities and children in order to help prevent another case like this from ever happening again. Kelsey's father, Greg, who is a former law enforcement officer himself and a Kansas State senator, said it best when he quoted President Abraham Lincoln to describe what Kelsey had accomplished: In the end, it is not the years in your life that count. It is the life in your years. I thank my colleagues for the opportunity to speak on the floor today and to offer what, I think, is a commonsense bill that will help prevent tragedies like Kelsey's. I also thank Senator Moran, Senator Fischer, and Senator Blunt for their strong support and cosponsoring of this bill. I welcome the President's support as well. I ask every colleague in this body to consider one question: If it were your children, your grandchildren, your spouses, would you not want law enforcement to have immediate access to information that could potentially save their lives and bring them home? Let's honor Kelsey's memory by passing this legislation in Congress. I see no reason why it could not pass by unanimous consent. I thank the Presiding Officer.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about an important piece of legislation I just filed, aptly named after the young Kansan whose life and bright future was cut short by a senseless act of violence and whose case now is the inspiration for why we desperately need to update the law. Almost 12 years ago, on June 2, 2017, 18-year-old Kelsey Smith was abducted in broad daylight from an Overland Park, KS, parking lot. Kelsey's abduction was captured on the store's closed-circuit security camera, which left little doubt about the emergency sense of the situation. This was an emergency. Here is the tragedy. Four days after Kelsey disappeared, authorities were able to locate her body after a wireless provider finally released the call information from her cell phone--4 critical days. Providing location information as fast as possible is absolutely critical to ensure that law enforcement officials can rescue victims in imminent danger of death or serious physical harm and hopefully prevent future fates similar to Kelsey's. This legislation is the culmination of years of work among legislators at both the Federal and State levels, including industry stakeholders, privacy advocates, and, most importantly, Kelsey's brave parents, who spearheaded this initiative and have advocated to create commonsense reforms that properly balance the needs of law enforcement with Fourth Amendment protections for all of our citizens. Through their advocacy and tireless efforts, Missey and Greg Smith have helped enact laws, oftentimes with unanimous support, in 23 States, including my home State of Kansas. This law provides law enforcement with the necessary tools to rescue individuals in emergency situations where the threat of death or serious bodily injury is imminent. The impact of this law at the State level has been real and measurable. For example, in May 2012, one month after the enactment of its State's version of the Kelsey Smith Act, local authorities in Tennessee were successful in saving the life of a child who had been abducted by a suspected child rapist. Because the child was believed to be in imminent danger, the police were able to successfully receive the location of the suspect's cell phone in a window of time that led to the safe recovery of the child alive and before she was assaulted. In February of 2015, Kelsey's Law helped save the life of a 5-month- old Lenexa, KS, girl when a car with a baby in the back seat was stolen from its mother. Through Kelsey's Law, police were able to ping that mother's phone, which was left in the car, and, within an hour, the baby was reunited with her parents. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the first 3 hours are critical to recovering a child alive. That is why it is necessary that in these narrowly defined, isolated instances in which a person's very life is at stake, an exemption should be made to allow wireless carriers to immediately ping an individual's phone and release to law enforcement the whereabouts of that individual. Understanding this, my legislation would provide law enforcement with the ability to recover the location of children, other missing individuals, and only in very specific emergency situations; namely, where there is risk of death or serious bodily injury. Don't just take it from Pat Roberts. Public safety professionals with experience in the field support this lifesaving legislation. According to the retired Johnson County sheriff, Frank Denning: Time is of the essence in these types of incidents and the narrow exception for law enforcement to act with immediacy is key here. For this not to be a Federal law seems unjust to those who have loved ones in harm's way and this type of intervention can and will save lives. Major Scott Boden with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office in Kansas says: Over my 22-year law enforcement career with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, 17 years have been spent in our dispatch/911 center. During that time, the Kelsey Smith Law has been the single most important piece of legislation related to potentially saving the lives of suicidal subjects, assisting endangered children, and addressing live threats when cell phone location is necessary and seconds count. The difference this law has made cannot be overstated and I look forward to the day it becomes available all across this country as a resource to assist first responders in their most critical service saving lives. Jennifer Lanter, the 9-1-1 director for Loudon County, TN, says: In Tennessee, we have had the privilege of having Kelsey's Law enacted for several years. There are multiple examples of how utilizing this law has resulted in lives being saved that otherwise would have been lost. This law enables the men and women that have dedicated their lives to the protection of others to ensure they are able to do everything possible to locate someone that needs help. The benefits of this law being passed at the Federal level will be far-reaching, and countless lives will be saved. It is not just these individual law enforcement officials who support this bill. The bill is also supported by the National District Attorneys Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Association of Police Organizations, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Sheriffs' Association. I don't know of any law enforcement organization that has been left out, and if it has been left out, it would certainly support the bill. CTIA, the wireless association, also supports this commonsense legislation. Just this morning, I received a letter of support from John Walsh, who is the cofounder of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and was the well-known host of the television show, ``America's Most Wanted.'' Mr. Walsh has dedicated his life to advocating for victims' rights. It began with his fight for the passage of the Missing Children's Assistance Act following the abduction and subsequent murder of his son Adam. Fortunately, for my colleagues, voting for this bill will not take a blind leap of faith. Kelsey's Law is already saving lives in States like Kansas, New Jersey, Nebraska, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Tennessee, Hawaii, Missouri, Utah, West Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, Rhode Island, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Iowa, Washington, Louisiana, Delaware, Indiana, and Alabama. Yes, I wanted to repeat all 23. Oftentimes, the approval by State legislatures has been unanimous, and that is because Kelsey's Law strikes the appropriate balance between ensuring that law enforcement has the tools it needs to help individuals who are in grave danger and ensuring that the proper checks are in place to guard against government overreach. My legislation requires all law enforcement agencies to maintain a record of all requests made under the Kelsey Smith Act. This record will include the name of the officer who is requesting location information from a wireless carrier, a description of the request that explains the need for the disclosure of location information, and a declaration that an individual's location information is needed in order to offer him life assistance during an emergency situation that, again, involves a risk of death or serious physical harm. I stress that nothing--absolutely nothing--in the Kelsey Smith Act prohibits wireless carriers from continuing to operate the robust law enforcement verification systems that they use today in order to make absolutely certain that when a request is made, it is coming from an authorized law enforcement official. Kelsey was never given the opportunity to attend college or to get married or to have children and experience the American dream that many of us take for granted every day. Yet what she did do was to inspire her mother and her father to make it their mission in life to help educate and empower communities and children in order to help prevent another case like this from ever happening again. Kelsey's father, Greg, who is a former law enforcement officer himself and a Kansas State senator, said it best when he quoted President Abraham Lincoln to describe what Kelsey had accomplished: In the end, it is not the years in your life that count. It is the life in your years. I thank my colleagues for the opportunity to speak on the floor today and to offer what, I think, is a commonsense bill that will help prevent tragedies like Kelsey's. I also thank Senator Moran, Senator Fischer, and Senator Blunt for their strong support and cosponsoring of this bill. I welcome the President's support as well. I ask every colleague in this body to consider one question: If it were your children, your grandchildren, your spouses, would you not want law enforcement to have immediate access to information that could potentially save their lives and bring them home? Let's honor Kelsey's memory by passing this legislation in Congress. I see no reason why it could not pass by unanimous consent. I thank the Presiding Officer.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I thank Senator Nelson for that touching story. That would be a Christmas present for not only you but for anybody who has heard the circumstances. I, too, remember having the privilege of being in public service with President Reagan. He had a human quality that was second to none. I thank you, Bill, for your service--we used to be on Armed Services together, fighting the battles--but more especially for being a friend. You always had a smile on your face. I probably didn't when we got on the elevators together. You would say: Pat, what is wrong? I wouldn't want to go into anything, but I would think, why am I so glum if Bill Nelson is stuck on ``happy'' all the time? It was the Florida sunshine, I guess. I thank you for the privilege of being in public service with you, sir. Best wishes for your future, which I know will be very good and very bright, and thank you for that story, which is a great Christmas story. Repeat it often, sir. Thank you.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I want to join my colleagues who, over the past few weeks, have come to the floor to thank Senator Orrin Hatch--the great Senator Orrin Hatch--for his service to this institution. Senator Sullivan just informed me that the body here--the Senate--has, by unanimous consent, passed a bill to name a courthouse in Utah after Orrin Hatch. He was sitting as the President pro tempore, and the surprised look on his face was a treasure for everybody who saw it. Orrin Hatch has consistently maintained a demeanor that represented the Senate well--and that is an understatement--over the course of his illustrious and record-setting 42-year career. As a matter of fact, I think the definition of ``gentleman'' in the new edition of Webster's dictionary simply lists two words: ``Orrin Hatch.'' Whether he agreed or disagreed with any policy positions or with any individual Senator, he always, always treated you with the greatest of respect. Perhaps that is part of the reason that Senator Hatch will go down as one of the most effective legislators in the history of the Senate. All you have to do is go in his office and see all of the awards, the recordings that illustrate his fantastic music career as a songwriter, and all of the bills. I think it is safe to say that no other living Senator has had more bills that he has sponsored and that have been enacted into law than Orrin Hatch. We come here to make a difference. We do that through legislation, and that is an indication of the great legacy that this man has left this body. Not many people have the wherewithal, the stature, and bona fides to have Members from both parties sing their praises. That has happened, of course, on this floor, and that is what Orrin stands for. Orrin will be sorely missed--and I mean sorely missed. Senator Hatch is not most people. Simply put, the institution he loves will not be the same without him. Since coming from the House to the Senate, I have had the privilege of knowing Orrin up close and personal. Our offices are right next to each other. I bump into his security detail every morning and say good morning. I feel very safe about that. Then when we have votes, and just about the time he leaves his office and is accompanied by his security detail, he always asks me: Why don't you ride with me? So I have joined his security detail. Every security detail should have a marine. I tell him that I will be in the back to protect his back if anything would happen; obviously, nothing did. But the Senator from Utah should know that I still have his back, and I will always have his back. I think the measure of a man, with regard to his long hours in the Senate, is hard to measure until you work with him--and I am talking about Orrin, of course--but work with him with regard to legislation. We are talking about the Finance Committee, and we are talking about the tough legislation that we always have. We would always go to the conference room--those who are privileged to serve on the Finance Committee--and we would walk in, and there would be fruit juice and there would be vitamins and there would be goodies to eat--goodies, of course, that are good for you, as determined by the Senator. He had that very soft voice, and he would bring people to order. It was a very respectful situation in which we were trying to put together a bill to see if we could move it and work with our colleagues across the aisle. He had such a soft voice that, on occasion, I found that it was best to sit in the back of that conference room and look right at him, so I could tell precisely what he was saying because he never used his voice in a way that was high pitched; it was very calm and reasoned. That was his demeanor. He acted like a Hollywood version of a Senator. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act probably would not have come to pass without the leadership of Orrin Hatch. Boy, was that an effort. We went through the trials and tribulations of tough arguments on both sides. But we always kept in the committee, with him at the helm, a posture of at least trying to work together. We faced some tough issues. At the end of it, there were quite a few amendments. We worked late into the night. The amendments were not going to pass on a partisan vote. That is very unusual for Orrin. He kept his cool. He kept his demeanor. Finally, at the end, it became an impossible situation in which we were just going to get into a shouting contest, and he maintained order. When he maintained order, he really maintained order. Usually he didn't have to do that. My first boss in public service, acting as the chief of staff, was Senator Frank Carlson. He was a great man. He helped found the National Prayer Breakfast here, and in many other Agencies, all throughout the government, that spread. He worked with Billy Graham, somebody named Dwight David Eisenhower, and Conrad Hilton--those four, including Frank Carlson, started the Prayer Breakfast. The Senator always told me there are no self-made men or women in public service. It is your friends who make you what you are, and if there were ever a person you could put in that category in the Senate, it is Orrin Hatch. He is a person who would stand behind you when you were taking praise and beside you if you were taking some boos, but Orrin Hatch never had to do that because in working with him, the chances were that you had a good chance of passing a bipartisan bill. All of us stand with him with respect and out of friendship. We have a cloth of comity here that is not seen, but it has been observed at least in my 22 years here in the Senate, perhaps a little more than in the rowdy House, of which I was a Member for 16 years, and then 12 before that as a chief of staff. I am sort of like a piece of furniture here, as some would say, with a marble top. But I have seen a lot. I am very worried about the comity of the Senate. If you pull at those threads, as we have been doing with issues where we should come together, even though there are very tough questions, I worry that we could get into sort of a situation like in Dodge City at the Long Branch Saloon and somebody having a rowdy time there. That should not be the Senate, and it should not be a situation where we pull at those threads of comity to the extent that we won't have any left, and then it is just a shouting contest. The exception to the rule was the Farm Bill, which the President is going to sign this afternoon. I had the privilege of leading that effort, along with Senator Deborah Stabenow from Michigan. I had some reporters in the other day, and they said: How did you get along with Debbie Stabenow? I said: Well, No. 1, we trust each other; No. 2, we are friends; and No. 3, it isn't our first rodeo. We just worked with each other to get it done. We got 87 votes. That is precisely the example we followed from Orrin Hatch, who did so much--produced legislation with Democrats that you would never think would work with a Republican or vice versa. That is his legacy. That is the man I have been privileged to know as a friend. There is a video out about Orrin Hatch. He has boxing gloves on, bright blue. There he is--just a couple of days ago when they took the video--willing to throw a few punches, trying to eat bacon with his boxing gloves on. It is a hilarious tribute to him, big smiles on everybody's faces. A tough guy, but not tough to deal with, he always had a way of working things out. It is a privilege to know Orrin Hatch. Not many people at my age call me ``Boy,'' but he always would come out that back door and offer a ride, and he would say: Boy, do you want to come along? I said: Yes, sir. It has been quite a privilege. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROBERTS

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

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise this afternoon, along with my distinguished colleague and the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, to discuss the farm bill conference report--the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. I am grateful that my colleagues approved this measure with strong support. The vote was 87 to 13 earlier this week. I also applaud Members of the House for following suit with a similarly strong vote yesterday, and we look forward to the President signing the conference report into law soon. The level of support is what happens when the Congress works in a bipartisan and bicameral fashion. Senator Stabenow and I started by listening to producers in Manhattan, KS, and then in Michigan. We continued to listen to stakeholders from all over the country. This is a good bill that accomplishes what producers asked us to do--first we listened; then they asked--to provide certainty and predictability for farmers and families in our rural communities. The 2018 farm bill meets the needs of producers across all regions and all crops. It doesn't matter what you grow, and it doesn't matter whether you grow it in Kansas or elsewhere in this country--this bill is designed to work for you. It ensures that our voluntary conservation programs will keep farmland in operation while protecting our agricultural lands, forests, and other natural resources. The bill focuses on program integrity--requiring better management to address challenges with fraud and abuse--and commonsense investments to strengthen our nutrition programs to ensure the long-term success of those truly in need of assistance. We make sure SNAP Employment and Training coordinates with the private sector to provide the skills that are needed for the jobs that are available in the workforce, and with trade and market uncertainty, to say the least, the bill provides certainty for our trade promotion and research programs. Feeding an increasing global population is not simply an agriculture challenge; it is a national security challenge. This means we need to grow more and raise more with fewer resources. That will take investments in research, new technology, lines of credit, animal health activities, and proper risk management. It takes the government providing tools and then its getting out of the producers' way. More than 900--and counting--organizations that represent millions of agriculture, food, nutrition, hunger, forestry, conservation, rural, business, faith-based, research, and academic interests have issued statements of support. On behalf of the taxpayer, we have made tough choices and have been very judicious with the scarce resources we have. This is a budget- neutral bill. Most importantly, this farm bill provides our ranchers, our farmers, and other rural stakeholders in Kansas and throughout the country with much needed certainty and predictability. Simply put, getting this bill done has taken a team effort. I would like to thank my staff members who are as follows: Staff Director James Glueck, DaNita Murray, Janae Brady, Fred Clark, Meghan Cline, Haley Donahue, Matt Erickson, Darin Guries, Chance Hunley, Chu Hwang, Chelsie Keys, Sara Little, Curt Mann, Andy Rezendes, Rob Rosado, Wayne Stoskopf, Katherine Thomas, and Andrew Vlasaty. From my personal office, I thank Jackie Cottrell, Amber Kirchhoefer, Will Stafford, Morgan Anderson, Stacy Daniels, and Ray Price. I especially thank the distinguished ranking member, Senator Stabenow, and her team, which is led by Joe Shultz and Jacqlyn Schneider. She has been a great partner throughout the Senate and conference committee process. There were some tough days, but we both worked together to get the job done. I am also grateful to Chairman Mike Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson as well as their staff members on the House Agriculture Committee. The efforts of Jessie Williams, Amanda Kelly, Bobby Mehta, Katie Salay, and Micah Wortham have been invaluable to the Senate Ag Committee and the conference process. Additionally, I thank the technical support from Secretary Perdue-- the Secretary of Agriculture has been simply outstanding--as well as his staff down at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He has been a great and valuable partner throughout this process. We are grateful for his support and the President's support of our Nation's farmers, ranchers, and growers. I also appreciate the work of the Congressional Budget Office's staff, including Tiffany Arthur, Megan Carroll, Kathleen FitzGerald, Jennifer Gray, Jim Langley, and Robert Reese, as well as of the Congressional Research Service, including Val Heitshusen and Elizabeth Rybicki. Finally, I am grateful for the help of the legislative counsels in the Senate: Heather Burnham, Deanna Edwards, Larissa Eltsefon, Christina Kennelly, Heather Lowell, Mark Mazzone, and Patrick Ryan. My apologies to all of those folks whose names I just mispronounced. The staff members have done a fantastic job, and I am pleased they are members of our team. My predecessor in this business--and one of my mentors a long time ago--was Senator Frank Carlson, of Kansas, who said there are no self- made men and women in public office, that it is your friends who make you what you are. I apply that to staff. All of the people I have just mentioned represent a great team effort in our getting this legislation passed in such fine fashion. For all of them--and especially to my fellow Senators--we are grateful for the support we have received this week. Together, we have done what we were sent here to do--work in a bipartisan, bicameral manner. This is a good bill for farmers, ranchers, growers, consumers-- many of whom may take their food supply for granted--families and rural and smalltown America. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Montana for his comments and those of Senator Klobuchar, as well as my distinguished colleague and friend from Maine. Normal; maybe ``supernormal'' would be a better term. Every time Heidi Heitkamp came into our committee room--I had the privilege and the honor of being the chairman of the sometimes powerful Senate Agriculture Committee, along with my distinguished ranking member, Senator Stabenow, whom I will yield to in just a moment. Every time she came into the committee room, it might be a little bit late, but it was like a ray of sunshine came in and a ray of commitment. Heidi, thank you for that speech. Thank you for those marching orders, if you will. This marine will cease parade rest and come to attention and do the best I can following your example. I want to say something to Heidi's staff. I don't know if the Senate cameras will do this--they obviously have me on there--but it would be a good idea to pan these young people over there. Senator Frank Carlson, a long time ago--one of my mentors, my first boss from Kansas--said there are no self-made men or women in public office. It is your friends who make you what you are. I relate to that, saying friends, people, staff. We all think we have the best staff on the Hill, and if we don't think that, something is wrong. You have had the privilege of working for a lady who has great admiration from both sides of the aisle, who has accomplished so much. This time is so special for you, and thank you for what you have done for Heidi. Thank you for getting her prepared, ready. You didn't have to do too much because she does that on her own, but during this special time, see if you can take this step and then the next step in your life--and it prepares you for that next step--and shine. Represent Heidi well. Represent yourself well. I think you have had a rare privilege to work for somebody like Heidi Heitkamp. She has been a good friend to me and a good friend to so many here. We aren't going to miss you because you are going to be back in some capacity--maybe taking time off from what you are doing in your home State of North Dakota. Everybody who knows you knows you are going to be back in public service in some capacity. I think I will stop right there and yield to my distinguished colleague, the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Stabenow.

Mr. ROBERTS. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, very quickly, I want to add to the remarks of my distinguished ranking member, Senator Stabenow, on the sometimes powerful Senate Agriculture Committee, and I associate myself with her remarks. In a moment or two, we are going to go to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, for which he had positive contributions. We wouldn't have been able to pass a bill without bipartisan support, which he stressed in his last message to the Senate. Joe, thank you for being a friend, and thank you for being a great colleague, and thank you for being such a great member of the farmers, ranchers, and growers in Indiana. You have done a good job. We will certainly miss you. Mr. President, I think we have to ask unanimous consent to give an additional 10 minutes to the distinguished ranking member and me to make remarks prior to the vote on the farm bill.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I thank my colleague for her remarks and associate myself with those remarks. I rise today as the Senate considers the conference report on an issue that is critically important to our Nation--the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, the farm bill. The goal, the responsibility, the absolute requirement is to provide farmers, ranchers, growers, and everyone within America's agriculture and food value chain certainty and predictability during these very difficult times. This conference agreement includes policy improvements from both the House-passed bill and the Senate bill, which passed this body with a strong bipartisan vote of 86 to 11. We have worked to maintain as many priorities for as many Members as possible. This farm bill meets the needs of producers across all regions and all crops. It ensures that our voluntary conservation programs are keeping farmland in operation while protecting our agriculture lands, our forests, and other natural resources. The bill focuses on program integrity--program integrity, and commonsense investments to strengthen our nutrition programs to ensure the long-term success of those in need of assistance. With trade and market uncertainty, to say the least, it provides certainty for our trade promotion and research programs. Feeding an increasing global population is not simply an agriculture challenge; it is a national security challenge. This means we need to grow more, raise more with fewer resources. That will take investments in research, new technology, lines of credit, and proper risk management. It takes the government providing tools and then getting out of the producer's way. Organizations representing thousands of agriculture, food, nutrition, hunger, forestry, conservation, rural, business, faith-based, research, and academic interests have issued statements supporting this conference report. This is what happens when the Congress works in a bipartisan, bicameral fashion. This is a good bill. It is a good bill that accomplishes what we set out to do--again, to provide certainty and predictability for farmers, families, and rural communities. We have made tough choices, being judicious with the scarce resources we have on behalf of the taxpayer. This may not be the best possible bill. We know that, but it is the best bill possible under these circumstances. Importantly, it provides our farmers, our ranchers, and other rural stakeholders much needed certainty and predictability. I encourage my colleagues to support this conference report. Every farmer, every rancher, every grower, everyone within our Nation's food supply is watching to see if we cannot meet our obligations and pass this bill. Let us do that. Let us tell those farmers and ranchers, who are going through tough times, that they are going to be good for the next 5 years. Their lender is paying attention to this bill. Let us support this bill. I yield back.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of confirming Michelle Bowman to fill the community bank specialist seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Miki is the perfect choice to be the first occupant of this seat on the Fed's Board. She comes from a long line of community bankers. In 1882, Miki's great-great-grandfather helped start her family-owned bank, Farmers and Drovers, in Council Grove, KS. She worked at Farmers and Drovers Bank from 2010 until January 2017, when she assumed her current position as the State Bank Commissioner of Kansas. Prior to moving back to Kansas in 2010, Miki worked in Washington, DC, for Kansas' native son, Senator Bob Dole. Miki also has experience working in the executive branch. She was appointed by President Bush to positions at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and at the Department of Homeland Security. This diversity of experience will serve her well in her upcoming role with the Federal Reserve. While we have made progress in providing regulatory relief to our Nation's community banks, it is critical that we keep it up and build on that work. Community banks did not cause the financial crisis and should not be regulated as if they did. Miki understands where the pain points are for community banks and will be a strong advocate for commonsense, risk-based regulation. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of her nomination when she comes to the floor for a final vote this afternoon. Thank you.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to recognize and congratulate Mr. Barry Carpenter, a longtime advocate for American agriculture, on his retirement from a career that spanned five decades. Last month, Barry retired his position as president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute, the Nation's largest and oldest trade association representing U.S. meat packers and processors. Barry's retirement concludes a career in both public service and private industry. His knowledge of the industry and his collaborative, affable disposition have allowed him to connect with everyone from CEOs to those just beginning their careers. Barry's appreciation for U.S. agriculture, his drive to serve, and his work ethic were developed at an early age, working on his family's diversified farm in central Florida that produced cattle, hogs, corn, peanuts, and melons. After graduating from the University of Florida, Barry began his career as a meat grader with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He also enlisted in the U.S. Army, earning the rank specialist fifth class. Barry carried with him the sense of duty and discipline learned in these formative years in each role he held. Over the course of his 37-year career at USDA, Barry provided reasoned and steady guidance to Secretaries of both parties in multiple administrations. In his senior role at the Agricultural Marketing Service, Barry led programs critical to reestablishing U.S. beef export access following the first U.S. case of BSE in 2003. Barry further oversaw USDA's adoption of video technology used to assign beef quality grades, an important tool in identifying those high-quality prime steaks consumers around the world enjoy. Upon retiring from USDA, Barry continued to serve American agriculture when he was named CEO of the National Meat Association in 2007. Barry has since provided steadfast leadership to the meat and poultry industry as CEO of the North American Meat Association and as president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute, following the completion of the merger, which he successfully guided, between the American Meat Institute and the North American Meat Association in January 2015. Barry has earned numerous governmental awards, including Presidential Rank Awards, honors bestowed to less than 1 percent of senior career employees throughout the Federal Government, from Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He has also received recognition from the livestock and meat industries. Throughout his career, Barry remained grounded and inspired by his wife Janet, four children, Mary Catherine, Jane, Michael, and Robert, and 11 grandchildren. I feel fortunate to have known many distinguished public servants and industry leaders like Barry, who have dedicated their careers to advocating for U.S. agriculture. I thank Barry for his many contributions to American agriculture, and I congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, this Sunday, October 14, 2018, we celebrate the 128th birthday of General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The last President born, in the 19th century, Ike came of age in both a changing nation and an ever-shrinking world. As Kansas' favorite son, Ike left an indelible mark on the Nation and on the world, from being appointed Supreme Allied Commander during the Second World War, to being duly elected as our President. Ike's character- driven experiences guided him in all of his workings. Many remember important dates and events surrounding the life of General and President Eisenhower, but October 14, 1890, was probably like any other day in this changing Nation, and the world could not know that one of its staunchest supporters of peace and prosperity would be birthed on that day. President Eisenhower once said, ``When you finally find something that must be done, impossibilities disappear and become merely major obstacles.'' This determination and dedicated belief in America brought Ike from our Nation's heartland in Abilene, KS, to the U.S. Military Academy, to an extraordinary career in the Army, and to the Nation's Capital as a newly elected President. Among many attributes, Eisenhower embodied the undying American ideal that calls us to achieve more than the previous generation and to strive for a safer and more prosperous world for generations to come. Ike believed this to be his prime duty, and his determination and ability enabled him to achieve that goal. Eisenhower's historical achievements earned him the respect of most citizens in this Nation and from many around the globe. As Americans, we owe a great deal to the man who led the U.S. and Allied Forces in the liberation of Europe and expelled from the world the evil of Hitler's Nazism. Moreover, Ike's legacy as President included the creation of the Interstate Highway System, NASA, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, now known as HHS and the Department of Education, and the FAA. He also brought Alaska and Hawaii into the Union. As the chairman of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, I am pleased to report that the national memorialization of President and General Eisenhower is well underway and that the construction of the memorial honoring Ike is near the halfway point of completion. We have a dedication scheduled for May 8, 2020, marking the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe during the Second World War. Today I ask my fellow citizens and Senators to celebrate and memorialize this outstanding president, Kansan, and American by wishing Ike a happy 128th birthday.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the life of Rocco Siciliano, of Beverly Hills, CA. This combat-decorated veteran of World War II served his Nation as an infantry platoon leader in the 10th Mountain Infantry Division in Italy, earned the Bronze Star for Valor, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, and the Army Special Commendation Medal. He and thousands of his fellow countrymen served as soldiers in the liberation of Europe under Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a fellow Kansan and personal hero of mine. Rocco later served in President Eisenhower's administration, first as an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Labor from 1953 to 1957, then as Special Assistant to the President for Personnel Management policies from 1957 to 1959. This leads me to the reason I rise today. Rocco Siciliano, after decades of service to our Nation in many significant roles and having secured many accomplishments over his illustrious career in both the public and private sectors, was elected chairman of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission in 2001. Joined on the commission by fellow decorated World War II combat veterans, Senators Daniel Inouye and Ted Stevens, Rocco led the commission whose congressionally mandated mission is to create a national memorial to our 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Rocco successfully led the Commission for 14 years before stepping down as chair in 2015. As Rocco's successor as chair of the Commission, I feel I must recognize him for his significant accomplishments. During his tenure, Rocco guided the commission through the processes of memorial site selection and the design competition. His remarkable and steadfast work has helped the commission get us to this memorable juncture. The memorial to Ike is under construction in our Nation's Capital, between 4th and 6th Streets on Independence Avenue, Southwest. Rocco continues to serve as chair emeritus on the commission as one of the four Presidentially appointed commissioners. The commission seeks to dedicate the completed memorial to Ike on May 8, 2020, the 75th anniversary of V-E Day. Speaking on behalf of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, I wish to recognize Rocco's patriotism, leadership, perseverance, and tenacity that have been of great benefit to our Nation. He has been a valued colleague in this monumental endeavor, and I stand to honor him today.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I again rise, especially today, as the Senate continues to consider legislation on an issue that is critically important to our Nation. It is the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, or what we call the farm bill. I want to emphasize again--and I don't know how I can emphasize this more strongly--that I hope my colleagues will understand that the responsibility, the absolute requirement is to provide farmers, ranchers, growers, and everyone within America's food chain certainty and predictability during these very difficult times that we are experiencing in agriculture. As I speak, right now in Kansas, farmers are on combines, and trucks are taking grain to the elevator or to storage, more likely, with the wheat harvest. I can see in several counties, probably up in Northwest Kansas. We have finished that in the southern part of our State. These are the same folks who have had combines on the move from Texas to Oklahoma and now in Kansas. I can see a farmer who had planned on harvesting this week, but, perhaps, due to a hail storm, he is in a bad situation. Luckily for him, he has crop insurance, and luckily for him, we have been able to preserve crop insurance after going through several iterations of attempts to cut it--or, as some people say, reform it. I can see him saying: When is the Congress going to pass the farm bill? When can I go to my banker, my lender, and tell him I have assurance that I can keep going on the farm next year, especially if his crop has been destroyed, which happens. That is the person I am thinking about, especially today, when I think we ought to wrap this up. It is time, especially with regard to what we have accomplished so far. The bill passed the Ag Committee. This bill had a strong bipartisan vote of 20 to 1. This month, this bill exactly provides the certainty and the predictability that I have just mentioned. The Ag Committee product also includes portions of 67 stand-alone bills, and an additional 74 amendments were adopted in the committee, and we have included 18 amendments thus far during consideration in the full Senate. We have worked to include as many priorities for Members as possible, and we want to work on a possible managers' package to include a handful of additional amendments. So it is not like a situation where Members have not had an opportunity to vote. Senator Stabenow and I have extended our outreached hands to Members to say that we stand ready to consider your amendments. We are endeavoring to craft a farm bill that meets the need of producers across all regions and all crops. In Michigan, where oftentimes I go with Senator Stabenow and have agriculture roundtables, or even individual visits, I look at that great State's production with regard, more specially, to special crops. They are struggling. Kansas farmers are struggling. California growers are struggling. All of agriculture is struggling--not just one or two commodities. We must have a bill that works across all of our great Nation. More than 500 organizations representing thousands in agriculture, food, nutrition, hunger, forestry, conservation, rural business, faith- based organizations, research, and academic issues have issued statements supporting this bill. This is what happens when the Senate works in a bipartisan fashion. We are doing just that. This is a good bill that accomplishes what we set out to do--again, to provide certainty and predictability for farmers, families, and rural America. It is especially timely when we have a trade policy that has a question mark at the end of it. I dearly hope that the President is successful with trade negotiations--with NAFTA. I think we should take another look at TPP or China and the problem with tariffs. I know the administration is trying to send a very strong message and address the trade deficit that we have had, but the moment that happens, there is retaliation, and 90 percent of the time, the retaliation comes at agriculture and small manufacturers all across the country, and for that matter, everybody up and down the food chain and in many other areas of the economy as well. So, again, that farmer is out there on that combine in Kansas trying to finish up his crop. Hopefully, the weather has not destroyed it, but, again, if that has happened, he at least has crop insurance. He wants assurance, and I know what he is saying because I visit with them all the time. In my entire public career, this is my eighth farm bill. This is not our first rodeo, Senator Stabenow, as you well know. I know what he is thinking. He is thinking: Roberts said he would get us a bill. Senator Moran says he is going to get us a bill. The entire Kansas delegation says: We are working on a farm bill. And we do that every time. We need to wrap this up today. I look forward to working with my colleagues on continuing to move this process forward. I would simply say that we need to get this done. Again, the paramount issue is to get it done and to provide farmers certainty and predictability. If I sound like I am repeating that 10 times, I intend to. All other issues, which I know Senators feel are terribly important, come into second place. I have strong issues. I mean, this is not the best possible bill. It is the best bill possible, and we worked very hard to produce that. I yield to my distinguished colleague from Michigan.

Mr. ROBERTS. I thank my colleague and my friend. How many times have we heard from the folks back home: Why on Earth do you folks back there keep fussing at one another? Why don't you work together to get something done? Well, amen to that. That is the bill we have produced. I remember the gold medal ceremony of Senator Bob Dole. He was presented a gold medal for his tremendous leadership in the Senate. He was known for working across the aisle and getting things done. When we awarded that gold medal several months ago in Statuary Hall, Bob, at 94 years old, stood up when they played the national anthem, from his wheelchair, on his own. For a time on a Tuesday, we were partisan in the House and to some degree in the Senate. I could go into all the cloture votes I have felt were not necessary--104, 105; I don't know how many we have had--and 4 months of delay, but I am not going to do that. So on Tuesday, we were partisan; Wednesday, we were bipartisan, paying tribute to Bob. Everybody said: Well, why can't you emulate his example and work together? Then, after Wednesday, on Thursday, we were back to some partisan differences or philosophical differences or ideological differences. Compromise, again, was a dirty word. Well, this is our opportunity. We have proved that we can work together on the Ag Committee. We are the least partisan committee in the Congress. For goodness' sake, when agriculture is almost in a crisis and we desperately need to provide the farmers with the knowledge that we are fashioning a bill to their benefit and that it is a good bill, why on Earth can't we get this done? I thank my colleague for her comments. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I think I owe an apology to many of my Republican colleagues, if I could call for regular order, please.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I think I owe an apology to many of my Republican colleagues, and I hope I can get their attention. We have talked a lot about the need for a farm bill. We have talked about how we are in a rough patch in agriculture and how it affects every part of the country--all regions, all crops--and that we have crafted a farm bill in a bipartisan way with most of the titles. I have not talked enough to stress what we have done with regard to the SNAP program, in terms of reform and efficiencies, and solving that bonus program that was full of errors, prompting the IG to fine several States. Bear with me. I want to go over some of this progress that I think my colleagues will be interested in. I thank my colleague for his amendment, which would modify the work requirements under SNAP, as has been indicated, and require a photo ID with the use of a SNAP EBT card. I understand the intent to work toward self-sufficiency among SNAP participants. By the way, the best thing we have done is we have seen the economy improve and have seen to it that people have jobs and can get jobs and actually get off of food stamps. While I understand the intent is to promote work by broadening the application of the requirements, our bill would focus more on employment and training in the work requirements. The point I am trying to make is that in addition, many of the provisions in the amendment are duplicative of current law and regulations and would create significant administrative burdens for the Department of Agriculture and State agencies--something we don't want. Our bill is focused on more accountability in the employment and training programs to get folks back on the path to employment. Ten States have pilot programs, taking a look at exactly how they can accomplish this goal. Eight more we deal with in this bill. That is 18 States where we have pilot programs where we can actually make progress and that is by States innovating, by adopting State pilot programs, as I have just mentioned. We authorize new State innovation employment and training pilots. I just basically addressed that. We make sure State work programs consult with local employers when setting up and evaluating a training program. That means we are much more specific. We set up a process for groups of employers and nonprofit stakeholders to conduct their own training programs that count for SNAP participants with minimal regulatory burden. So we are achieving regulatory reform while, at the same time, getting basically nonprofit stakeholders to come in and actually take part. That is a good thing. These are all things that will provide the tools to States, to people, to employers, and to nonprofits that will get people working again. I urge my colleagues to support my motion to table this amendment, and then we can find the appropriate balance in getting people working again. Obviously, we point out that this issue is going to come up again when we go to conference--if we can get a bill; if we can at least keep on the bipartisan track to get a farm bill done. Again, I appreciate the effort to combat fraud in SNAP, but I am in opposition to this amendment, along with the independent grocers, the convenience stores, and retailers all across the country. Current law allows States to have a photo on EBT cards, but most States have concluded that the cost of putting a photo on the card would outweigh any savings from fraud prevention. For the few States that have opted for a photo EBT card, it has created so much confusion at the register for many retailers, since EBT cards are shared with different people in a household. It is a problem. While I share concerns about the SNAP program's integrity, the bill already includes several provisions that would improve the integrity of the program, such as the use of increased data matches across the program. These are efficiencies I haven't talked about to my Republican colleagues. I know the ranking member certainly has made her caucus aware of them. Therefore, I respectfully urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. Mr. President, I move to table the Kennedy amendment No. 3383 and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. ROBERTS. Thank you, Mr. President. We are getting very close to finalizing the farm bill on a bipartisan basis. We just have some UC requests we are going over. Stay tuned. I hope Members understand that when we do have a vote--this vote was over 60 minutes. There was some commentary on it. I understand that, but certainly we can do better than that on behalf of our ranchers, farmers, growers, and the great State of Texas. Thank you very much, and we will be back to you just as quickly as we can. I know people have very important schedules to meet. I yield to the Senator from Michigan.

Mr. ROBERTS. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, the amendment offered by Senator Lee and Senator Booker would prohibit checkoffs from partnering with farm groups and others that engage with government. This prohibition would extend far beyond farm country, and it would have negative impacts on the general public. This is because checkoffs partner with a diverse number of entities, not just farm organizations, to conduct research and education campaigns on environmental, conservation, improved nutrition, and other critical areas that benefit our entire society. Examples of entities who have contracted with checkoffs and would be barred from continuing checkoff work because they engage in lobbying include the American Heart Association, the American Association of Pediatrics, and the National Women, Infants and Children Association. These organizations and many others would be prohibited from partnering with checkoffs if this amendment were adopted. I urge my colleagues to think carefully about the impact this amendment would have, and I urge a ``no'' vote on the Lee-Booker amendment.

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following amendments be agreed to en bloc: the amendment by Senator Isakson, No. 3348; Senators Wyden and Murkowski, No. 3346; Senator Enzi, No. 3181; Senators King and Collins, No. 3221; Senators Gillibrand and Toomey, No. 3390; Senator Heinrich, No. 3287; Senator Rubio, No. 3364; Senator Sullivan, No. 3303, Senator Hirono, No. 3321; Senators Cortez Masto and Portman, No. 3388; Senator Durbin, No. 3389; Senators Brown and Portman, No. 3323; Senator Cantwell, No. 3365; Senator Moran, No. 3171; and Senator Thune, No. 3371. I further ask that it be in order for the following amendment to be called up and reported by number: the amendment by Senator Lee, No. 3074. I further ask that the cloture motions with respect to H.R. 2 be withdrawn and the Senate now vote on the following amendments in the order listed: Senator Lee, No. 3074; Senator Thune, No. 3134; and Senator Roberts, the substitute No. 3224; further, that the Lee amendment be subject to a 60-vote affirmative threshold for adoption; and that following disposition of the Roberts amendment, the bill, as amended, if amended, be read a third time and the Senate vote on passage with no intervening action or debate and that passage be subject to a 60-vote affirmative threshold.

Mr. ROBERTS

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, with 171 amendments and a vote of 86 to 11, obviously, getting this farm bill done has been a tremendous team effort. You are only as good as your staff on both sides of the aisle, and they make us look good when we stand up here a little confused trying to get things a little sorted out. I wish to thank my staff: James Glueck, DaNita Murray, Janae Brady, Fred Clark, Meghan Cline, Haley Donahue, Matt Erickson, Darin Guries, Chance Hunley, Chu Hwang, Chelsie Keys, Sarah Little, Curt Mann, Andy Rezendes, Bob Rosado, Anthony Seiler, Wayne Stoskopf--who, by the way, knows more about farm programs than anybody else on the staff, myself included--Andrew Vlasaty, and Katherine Thomas. I also want to mention Jackie Cottrell, Amber Kirchhoefer, Will Stafford, Morgan Anderson, and Stacy Daniels in my personal office. I want to especially thank the ranking member--vice chairman, really--Senator Stabenow, and her team, led by the indomitable Joe Shultz and Jacqlyn Schneider. The efforts of Jessie Williams, Amanda Kelly, Bobby Mehta, Katie Salay, and Micah Wortham have been valuable to the Ag Committee process. Additionally, I thank the technical support from the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, and the staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thank you so much for your help. I also appreciate the work of the Congressional Budget Office staff, including: Tiffany Arthur, Megan Carroll, Kathleen FitzGerald, Jennifer Gray, Jim Langley, and Robert Reese. I now yield to my distinguished ranking member, Senator Stabenow. I say to the Senator, thank you for being such a great partner.