James Risch

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, I object.

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, I am reserving the right to object. I want to speak today on behalf of my amendment, Risch No. 4794, which is not included on that list, which I have introduced with cosponsors Senators Portman, Cruz, Barrasso, Johnson, Cotton, Daines, and Wicker. This amendment is the Senate companion to bipartisan language that already is included in the House-passed NDAA which would sanction Nord Stream 2, Putin's premier energy weapon against Ukraine and Europe. The timing could not be more important. Ukraine stands on the brink of an invasion, and Europe is in the throes of an energy crisis created by Russia. There is a reason Ukraine's President Zelensky tweeted an urgent request last week regarding this amendment, which said: [A]ll friends of Ukraine and Europe in the US Senate [should] back this amendment. We are now seeing the consequences of the administration's decision to waive mandatory PEESA sanctions and refusal to impose CAATSA sanctions. Russia has deliberately cut gas transmission to Europe through Ukraine and is using high energy prices to pressure the EU into approving Nord Stream 2 as quickly as possible. Putin has publicly stated as such. Meanwhile, Russian forces have built up along the border of Ukraine in preparation for what could be a full-scale invasion, just as they did to the Crimea. Remember, Nord Stream 2 is designed to replace Ukraine's gas transit system, meaning Russia no longer has to worry about destroying its own infrastructure in the event of full-scale war. We cannot allow Putin's blackmail to succeed. Nord Stream 2 has always been a bipartisan issue here in the Senate, and it should continue to be. Not a single Member of Congress supports the completion of this pipeline. I would like to think a similar number of us don't think we should ignore our friends in Europe, particularly Central and Eastern Europe, who stand to lose the most from Nord Stream 2. Our amendment would impose mandatory sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG, the company responsible for the project, as well as the companies involved in testing and certifying the pipeline before it can become operational. We do provide the administration with a pathway to lifting these targeted sanctions, pending, of course, congressional review. This pathway is the exact same process for congressional input that 98 Senators voted for in CAATSA just a few years ago. Nord Stream 2 is not set to become operational for months so there is still time to stop it, but we need to act quickly. I urge my colleagues to join our distinguished colleagues in the House of Representatives on this important endeavor and to vote yes on this amendment. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent to modify the request of the distinguished Senator Reed and include my amendment No. 4794.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor Florence's Exquisite Chocolates in Rexburg as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for November 2021. As the namesake and founder of the business, Florence Manwaring had a long-standing passion for making chocolate. To pay her way through college, Florence began working in a chocolate factory where she learned the art of chocolatiering. Florence combined her work experience, passion, and giving spirit to make candies for her friends and family. Her chocolates became popular with her friends, and with their encouragement, Florence and her husband Var considered launching a business so she could pursue her passion. As the economy hit a downturn in the 70s, Var switched his focus from construction to helping his wife open a small business, and in 1981, Florence's dream became a reality. Despite initial struggles, the shop quickly gained the attention of the Rexburg community and grew so rapidly that Florence's family became involved as well. A true family-owned business, the Manwarings have the distinction of employing every single family member, each of whom has been critical to the company's success. Some of Florence's iconic chocolates include turtles, haystacks, toffees, caramels, and mints. The business has received widespread recognition, garnering positive reception from leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then-President Ronald Reagan. Florence's shop has not only found success selling locally, but has also distributed its candies throughout the region. Today, Florence's Exquisite Chocolates remains a family-owned staple in Rexburg. Florence's son Brian and his wife Michelle keep the tradition of quality-crafted sweets thriving by making their products available in other stores and maintaining an online presence to connect with their loyal customers nationwide. They look forward to continuing to serve their community. Congratulations to the Manwaring family and all of the employees of Florence's Exquisite Chocolates on being the Idaho Small Business of the Month for November 2021. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month, I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor City Limits Brew Pub in Wallace as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for October 2021. Nestled in the beautiful north Idaho town of Wallace, City Limits is a restaurant and brewery known for its extensive selection of beer, food, and amenities. For years, founder and current brewmaster Mark Burmeister brewed beer as a hobby while working in the oil industry. After retiring, he continued working and set out to establish his own beer brewing business. In 2008, he obtained a brewery license and opened a microbrewery in his garage. Equipped with a 10-gallon brewing system, he crafted an assortment of micro brews and distributed them to local businesses and taps. People loved the microbrews, and demand soared. With growing sales and the need to expand, a group of partners joined in and purchased a new building and an adjacent RV park in Wallace in 2010. Led by partner Don Hoffman, the group remodeled the building and opened the business under its new name, City Limits Pub. They installed a new 217-gallon brewing system along with a new bathroom facility and log cabins to the RV site. The business formally changed its name to City Limits Brew Pub in 2015 and has become a thriving restaurant, pub, and attraction for thousands of locals and visitors every year. City Limits Brew Pub is beloved in the Silver Valley. The business provides tours of the brewery, provides local drinks, and serves family-friendly food options for guests. City Limits is also heavily involved in the Wallace community. The business hosts several community events like its Oktoberfest celebration and its biennial Welcome Back to Summer Town BBQ, where local businesses showcase their upcoming summer events. City Limits also supports local community causes and has contributed to several charities over the years. The small business looks forward to continuing to serve guests and the community well into the future. Congratulations to City Limits Brew Pub and its employees on being selected the Idaho Small Business of the Month for October 2021. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, fellow Senators, and the American public, I rise today to underscore a travesty that is about to take place here in about an hour on the floor of the U.S. Senate. I am talking about the BLM matter, the Bureau of Land Management matter, the nominee the President of the United States has made to run the Bureau of Land Management as the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. That person is Tracy Stone-Manning. I think the facts have pretty well been laid out already in the media. At the same time, there is tremendous outrage, I can tell you, amongst not only BLM employees but among the people who earn their living and recreate on the millions of acres of BLM. It is incredible, it is astonishing, and it is an embarrassment for this administration to nominate a person who is an ecoterrorist and a person who has perjured themselves before the committee that she appeared before on her confirmation and, in addition to that, has espoused a ``let it burn'' philosophy for people's homes that she will take an oath to defend if she becomes head of the BLM, which I believe she is going to before the Sun goes down today. It is amazing to me that the administration would put this person in this position. There are 330 million people in America. Almost every single one of those people, including some high school kids, could do this substantially better than she could and would not tarnish the name of the BLM, which is going to happen when she is confirmed as the Director of the BLM. So what did she do? Well, she engaged in acts of ecoterrorism. She engaged in a conspiracy to kill other people. She engaged in acts with Earth First! that put her squarely in the target of the U.S. Government, along with her cohorts with whom she lived in a house in Montana at the time. But she got off the hook. She didn't get prosecuted because she turned on the others and turned state's evidence. She hired an attorney, and that attorney negotiated with the U.S. attorney there, and she wound up testifying against the others, so she wasn't convicted. Nonetheless, she was as deeply involved in this as they were. Let me read for you a letter that she wrote. She admits to writing this letter: To whom it may concern, this letter is being sent to notify you that the Post Office Sale in Idaho has been spiked heavily. The post office sale was a Forest Service sale of standing timber in the Clearwater National Forest in Idaho. She writes this letter regarding that. The reasoning for this action is that this piece of land is very special to the earth. It is home to the Elk, Deer, Mountain Lions, Birds, and especially the Trees. She is absolutely correct on that. The next paragraph describes what she did. The project required that eleven of us-- Most of whom lived in that house in Montana-- spend nine days in God awful weather conditions spiking trees. We unloaded a total of five hundred pounds of spikes measuring 8 to 10 inches in length. For people who don't understand what spiking trees is, and most people in America wouldn't, you think, how could it be harmful in going out and putting a spike in a tree? This is a spike. It is not a particularly large one, but it doesn't take a particularly large one. What they do is they drive this item into a tree. They drive it in far enough that you can't see it. It then stands there until some unsuspecting logger comes along and cuts the tree down. That logger could be injured, but it is unlikely they will be, but they could be because of the hidden spike that was in the tree. The tree is then, after it is cut down, cut into length--usually 16 foot--put onto a truck, and hauled to the mill. Once it gets to the mill, it is put in a millpond. It is then pushed eventually into the mill, and when it enters the mill, it goes on a carriage, and the carriage carries it to a saw. The saw may move back and forth, cutting the wood that is on this log in the carriage, or more likely, the carriage itself will move against the moving saw. There are a couple kinds of saws. One is a circular saw. It could be 5 feet. Depending on the size of the mill, it could 5 feet, 6 feet, 10 feet. But in today's world, more often than not, it is a bandsaw. A bandsaw is a piece of metal stripping that is a quarter-inch thick or so and probably a couple inches wide with teeth, and it circulates in the mill between the first floor, the second floor, even the third floor. As the carriage hits it, it then saws the log into boards. All is well unless there is one of these in the log. What happens when that saw hits this item in the log? In the best description I can give you, it is much like a hand grenade going off, except that there is no fire explosion, but there is just as much shrapnel that goes out of this at a speed that is very, very fast because all of the moving parts are moving very fast. And what does it do? It kills, and it injures log workers who are right there on the floor. These are innocent people. They are people who are working to make a living for themselves, for their families, for their children. They are people who go to work in the morning and do not come home because someone knowingly, intentionally, maliciously, with a black and an abandoned heart, stuck one of these in the tree. That is the only reason you put one of these in a tree, is to kill and maim fellow human beings who are absolutely innocent and who have done nothing wrong. She was involved in this. This person whom the administration wants to run the Bureau of Land Management, which manages millions of acres, the largest tracts of land in the United States of America--they want to put this woman in charge of this Agency. They sell timber all the time. She will be in charge of that. There is no need for this woman to be in charge of this Agency. There are plenty of people who could do this. Today, in the Clearwater National Forest, those trees are still there. Some of them will be there for 100 or more years. It is very possible one of these is going to kill somebody working in one of the mills at some point in time after all of us are dead and gone. They will ask at that time: How did this happen? They will say: Well, a woman who eventually became head of the BLM was involved in putting these spikes in these trees here. People will shake their heads and say: What were those people thinking? That is shameful. It is despicable. Yet that is what is about to happen here. Now, that was a while ago that this happened, but what has happened recently? She will be in charge of firefighting. Firefighting is absolutely critical on public lands in the West. We need it on Forest Service land; we need it on Bureau of Land Management land. But, like I said, she has embraced the idea that letting fires burn and burning down the houses that are in the interface zones is perfectly fine. How do we know this? It is in writing. It is absolutely in writing. There was an article written, fortuitously, by her husband in 2018 but which she embraced on September 15, 2020, in a tweet, and I will get to the tweet in a minute. But this is the view that her husband takes of what should happen to houses--perfectly innocent people's houses--that are built near public lands. The idea is, let it burn. He says: But the federal government then needs to make fighting wildfires--a social process--subject to a social contract. Perhaps the feds should commit themselves to refusing to send in the troops to any county that has not taken such measures. Perhaps the solution to houses in the interface is to let them burn. He says: There's a rude and satisfying justice in burning down the house of someone who builds in the forest. She embraced this. Just a little over a year ago, she put out a tweet and said: Not a bad time to revisit this piece from my husband, Richard Manning, from two years ago. [This is a] clarion call. ``Let them burn,'' she says; a clarion call to let people's homes burn. She put that out on September 15, 2020, just a little over a year ago. This is the person we are going to confirm to fight fires and protect people's homes in the West. All of us in the West live relatively close to the interface zones, and many people, millions of people, live in the interface zones. She is saying it is a clarion call to let them burn, and, indeed, they will get a rude and satisfying justice in burning down the houses that were built in the interface zone. You can't make this stuff up. If someone wrote a book about this, someone would toss it and say: That is too ridiculous. This could never happen. This is the woman this U.S. Senate is going to confirm on a straight party-line vote in about an hour here. So she comes before the committee, and although we didn't have all of the facts at the time, as has been alluded to by my colleagues here, we were aware that she had attachments to ecoterrorist groups. So some questions were put to her, and as always happens before the committee, they are required to be signed under oath, which she did, and she was asked whether or not she had ever been arrested or charged or been the target of an investigation involving spiking. She says--now under oath after solemnly swearing to tell the truth--``No, I have never been arrested or charged, and to my knowledge, I have never been the target of such an investigation.'' She hired an attorney to negotiate with the U.S. attorney because she was a target of the investigation, had received a target letter, and had been told she was a target of that. What are we doing here? How in the world can somebody come before a committee, take an oath that they would tell the truth, and then flat lie? She was also asked: Did you have personal knowledge of--did you have personal knowledge of--participate in, or in any way, directly or indirectly, support activities associated with the spiking of trees in Idaho's Clearwater National Forest on March 29, 1989? We read the letter she wrote where she admitted that she was involved in that. Her answer to that: ``I had no involvement in the spiking of trees.'' Under oath, she said that. We know otherwise. She said, ``Eleven of us [spent] nine days in God awful weather conditions spiking trees,'' and she under oath says, ``No.'' Next question: Did you have personal knowledge of, participate in, or in any way, directly or indirectly, support activities associated with the spiking of trees in any forest during your lifetime? Answer: ``No.'' We know better. She admitted to signing this letter where she fessed up to it. Well, look, I know I am not going to talk the Democrats out of confirming her. I can tell you that this is a shameful, shameful thing for the administration to do. It is a shameful thing for my friends in the majority to confirm her. What I can tell you is, when she comes before the committee that we sit on, where we have oversight of the BLM--and we have the Director in regularly because we have oversight responsibility--how will we believe one word she says when she has already perjured herself? This is wrong. It is a shameful moment for this administration. I can tell you the employees of the Bureau of Land Management are going to have a very difficult time working under a person who is an ecoterrorist and who is a perjurer. She should not be confirmed. I yield the floor.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, first of all, I ask permission to use an item to demonstrate in the speech that I am going to give, please.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor Alexander Davis Men's Clothing in Boise as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for September 2021. Alexander Davis is a locally owned and operated men's clothing store located in downtown Boise at the corner of 8th and Bannock in the historic Hoff Building. Its founder, the two-time mayor of Boise and the 11th Governor of Idaho, Moses Alexander, established the small business in 1891 as a ``one price clothier'' that catered to the area's gold miners. Since opening its doors, Alexander Davis has developed a reputation as one of the State's premier tailors and clothiers. Their longevity and successes have caught the attention of clothing industry media. MR Magazine, a menswear trade publication, featured Alexander Davis in an article honoring businesses operating for more than 100 years. The publication celebrated Alexander Davis being the 11th oldest men's clothing store in the United States and one of the oldest stores of its kind west of the Mississippi River. The business has become a fixture in downtown Boise and credits its success to developing longstanding personal connections with their customers. Alexander Davis's current owner and Grangeville native, David Graves, was a longtime employee of the store before starting the process to purchase the company with his wife, Kathleen, in 2006. Since taking the helm, David has made it a priority to build on the business's rich and long history. When customers enter the shop, they are welcomed by professional staff who provide one-on-one, personal service to ensure every client's individual needs are met. David looks forward to continuing his work at Alexander Davis and has positioned the store as the Treasure Valley's premier high-end clothing retailer. Congratulations to David, Kathleen, and all of Alexander Davis Men's Clothing employees on being selected as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for September 2021. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month, I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor K & T Steel Corp in Twin Falls as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for August 2021. Purchased by William ``Bill'' Koch, Sr., and Lavear Thornock in 1959, K & T Steel Corp is a fabricator and manufacturer of steel and reinforced bar products located in Idaho's Magic Valley that is now owned by Gary Palmer and Jamin Wills. For more than six decades, the company has developed a reputation for its high-quality production of beams, rebar, and fuel storage tanks, among other specialty steel products. The company prides itself on tailoring its products and services to meet the unique needs of its clients.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Madam President and fellow Senators, I rise today to join the chorus of my colleagues that are urging that Tracy Stone-Manning not be confirmed and, indeed, not even be discharged from the committee that voted to not send her to the floor for confirmation. First of all, it is amazing to me that someone with this background has been appointed to this position. Now, I understand she has held some positions in the State of Montana for politicians there, and I don't comment on that. That is up to them, who they want the hire to do that. In Idaho, that has a very, very significant number of acres of BLM ground, we have a different view of how our public resources should be protected and be administered, and this appointee in no way reflects the values we have. This woman is an ecoterrorist. She participated in a conspiracy to murder people who work in the timber industry for a living. She is a perjurer, very recently. And she is someone who is supposed to put out fires and, as late as 2020, has made very disqualifying statements regarding her desire to do that and, indeed, commitment to do that. Let's start with the ecoterrorist charge. I want to go a little bit further than what my colleague who just spoke did about using a chain saw to tear down--or to take down a tree in the forest. Let me explain to you how this works. The prop that he held up was a spike that ecoterrorists put in trees. There is one reason to put a spike in a tree--one reason and one reason only--and that is to kill and to maim the people who harvest that tree. These are innocent people who are involved in the timber business. They are my friends. They are my neighbors. We have lots of them in Idaho, and they work in a dangerous industry anyway. But for someone to go out and intentionally put these spikes in the trees, as the Senator spoke before me, Senator Marshall mentioned, there can be an injury in the forest when you are actually cutting the tree with a chain saw. But that isn't the main difficulty with this. The main difficulty is when it hits the mill. They cut these logs up into mill-sized pieces and then run them through the mill, which is cut either with a circular saw or band saw into boards. And when that happens, the log and saw move very quickly through the log and cut up the wood into timber, which is not a problem unless there is a spike in the way. If there is a spike in the way, somebody in that mill will be badly injured and/or killed. When that saw hits the spike, the saw shatters, the spike shatters, and it sends shrapnel to everybody who is standing within the vicinity. It has happened. It is documented. And it is ugly. So when ecoterrorists do this, this is not a Sunday school prank. This is an act knowingly, willfully, intentionally with a black and abandoned heart committed in order to murder someone who works in the timber industry. This is wrong. The person that we are voting on today participated in a conspiracy to do just that. Indeed, she wrote a letter. She claims she just typed it. Originally, she said it was handed to her by some person and asked to type. We now find out, of course, that this was a letter that was composed by a number of people, not the least of which was a gentleman that she lived with; but she is the one who put this together and sent it to the Federal Government as part of this act of conspiring, to take the lives of innocent people in the forest. She says she edited the letter. But if she did, then it is what it is in front of us. She said she typed this and sent it to the Forest Service. She said: This letter is being sent to you to notify that the Post Office sale in Idaho has been spiked heavily. The project required that 11 of us spend 9 days in God-awful weather conditions spiking trees. We unloaded a total of 500 pounds of spikes, measuring 8 to 10 inches, et cetera, et cetera. Well, if she edited this letter, then she properly stated what her participation was in all of this. And there is no question that she admits that she prepared this letter and sent it to the Forest Service. Today, in Idaho, those spikes remain in the trees. We don't know when one of those logs is going to be cut and going to cause damage, possibly the loss of life, but certainly the maiming of people who attempt to process that log into usable lumber. She says they put 500 pounds total of spikes in those trees. This is a person whom the administration has chosen to administer the largest chunk of Federal land in the United States of America, possibly in the world. She is going to manage these after she committed this act of ecoterrorism and participated in this conspiracy. Now, you say: Why isn't she in prison? Well, her coconspirators went to prison because she testified against them. She was found out. The investigators determined what her participation was in the conspiracy. She hired an attorney, and the attorney negotiated a deal where she would rat on the fellow conspirators and she did so and thereby avoided going to prison. So that is what happened in her prior history. It is important to know those things because somewhere down in the recesses of her heart and her soul, she was prepared to participate in a conspiracy that would cause the death and the injury of innocent forest workers. Now, more recently than that, she has made statements that certainly call into considerable question how she will be able to do her job. For those of you who don't live in the Western States, as I do and many of us do, when public land starts on fire, it is important that the fire be put out and be put out as quickly as possible. Her husband wrote an article. I wouldn't ordinarily tag her with her husband's view of things, but she took that article; she republished it in 2020 and said this was a ``clarion call.'' Now, if you look up ``clarion call'' in the dictionary, it is an urgent call to require somebody to do something. She calls this a clarion call. He wrote this article about how people shouldn't be building in the forest around what is called interface land. If you are not--again, we westerners are familiar with interface. We have so much public land that many of our subdivisions, our individual homes, our cities butt up against interface land. So this is what she said was a clarion call. The solution to houses in the interface is to let them burn. This is the person that the administration is going to put in charge of fire suppression in an interface zone. Let me state it again. The solution to houses in the interface zone is to let them burn is what she said. Then: How do you feel about that? She said: There's a rude and satisfying justice in burning down the House of someone who builds in the forest. That was in 2020. In 2020, she said that. This is whom the administration wants to take over the Bureau of Land Management. Well, in addition to that, she lied to the committee. She lied under oath. I will tell you, this is disgusting. She shouldn't be here. She should be charged and standing in front of a jury. Now, I told you what she did about her participation in the tree- spiking incident, and this was a question that was asked of her under oath as she came to the committee for her confirmation: Did you have personal knowledge of, participate in, or in any way directly or indirectly support activities associated with the spiking of trees in any forest during your lifetime? No. Now, we know she wrote this letter. She admits it. She participated in it because she testified she participated in it when she testified against the other people who were eventually convicted and sent to prison. Yet she swore under oath to our committee this year that, no, she wasn't involved in that. They asked: Have you ever been arrested or charged--they asked her whether or not she had ever been a target of such an investigation. She says: No, I have never been arrested or charged and to my knowledge I have never been the target of such investigation. She knew she was a target; she was sent a letter that she was a target; and she hired an attorney to get her out from underneath that mess because she was a target. Yet she said no. So she has perjured herself this year. Well, look, this is not the right person for this job. It just amazes me that they would even consider a person like this for this job. This is an insult to the thousands of good, hard-working people who are in the Bureau of Land Management and who work day and night to protect our resources on the public lands in the Western States. Look, I know we are going to lose this. It is going to be a party- line vote. All Republicans are going to vote against confirming her. The Democrats are all going to vote in favor of her. I say to this administration, this is not going to go away. This person's record of perjury, of ecoterrorism, of participating as a person involved in this plot and this conspiracy to actually take the life of Forest Service workers--this is not going to go away during the entire time that she is the head of this Agency. It is going to come up again and again, and it should. So I say to my friends on the other side of the aisle, I say to the President of the United States, who has nominated her for this position, if this is the character of someone who you want us to remember as the legacy of your administration, here she is, a perjurer, an ecoterrorist, a person who has participated in a conspiracy to murder innocent people working in the forest. If that is what you want as your administration, here it is. Vote for it. I suspect that is exactly what is going to happen, but this is not going to go away. I yield the floor.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the retirement of Idaho Supreme Court Justice Roger S. Burdick. Roger has served Idaho's judicial system with distinction and integrity for over 47 years. Roger graduated from Boise High School in 1965 and received his bachelor of science in finance from the University of Colorado in 1970. He graduated from the University of Idaho School of Law with a juris doctor degree in 1974. After graduation, he worked at the law firm of Webb, Pike, Burton & Carlson in Twin Falls, served as a deputy prosecutor in Ada County, and as a partner for the law firm of Hart, Burdick & Healzer in Jerome. In 1980, Justice Burdick was elected prosecutor for Jerome County. In 1981, Roger began his career as a judge, being appointed to magistrate judge for Jerome County. During that time, he became the first magistrate judge member of the Idaho Judicial Council. In 1993, he was appointed as a district judge in Twin Falls County. In Idaho, the saying, ``Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting'' fits all too well. Given his extensive legal and judicial experience, Judge Burdick was assigned one of the most difficult and challenging processes in Idaho in 2001, presiding over water rights determinations through the Snake River Basin Adjudication. During this time, he also became the administrative district judge for the Fifth Judicial District. Roger was appointed to the Idaho Supreme Court in 2003 by Governor Kempthorne. He won reelection three times, serving as vice chief justice of the court and two terms as chief justice. Before his retirement, he was again serving as vice chief justice. In retirement, he will apply to serve as a senior judge, taking on periodic cases to help ease the workload across the judiciary. In addition to being a judge and attorney, Justice Burdick has contributed to the Idaho judicial system by serving on various Idaho Supreme Court advisory committees, as the district judge member on the Idaho Judicial Council, and as president of the Idaho District Judges Association. Nationally, he served on the board of directors for the Conference of Chief Justices. As an avid waterfowl hunter, Roger makes time to enjoy this sport with family and friends. He also likes to spend time with his wife Rachel and his two grown sons, Phillip and Benjamin. Vicki and I wish you all the best in your retirement. Thank you for your outstanding service to Idaho and the Nation's judicial and legal system. You make Idaho proud.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, the State of Idaho has had a long history with Chinese immigration to both our cities and the wilderness areas of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor Polly Bemis, the United States' most famous Chinese pioneer woman. There have been many articles, books and even a full-length feature movie about Polly and her pioneering life in the mountains of Idaho. Born in China in 1853, she was sold by her parents and smuggled into the United States. In 1872, Polly was brought to recently settled Warren, ID, as a slave. There, she met Charlie Bemis, a saloon owner and deputy sheriff, whom she wed in 1894 despite a State law prohibiting marriage between a White and non-White person. Soon after Polly and Charlie wed, they moved to their homestead, the Bemis Ranch on the Salmon River, where they resided for many years. Polly was famed for her vast knowledge of medical treatments and her hospitality to friends and travelers alike venturing down the Salmon ``River of No Return.'' Charlie died in 1922; however, Polly continued to live on her 27-acre ranch until shortly before her death in 1933 at the age of 80. Fifty-five years after her passing, Polly's cabin on Bemis Ranch was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. As an early settler of the Idaho Territory and an enterprising Chinese immigrant, Polly Bemis left an exceptional legacy and an indelible mark on Idaho's history. While she did not receive U.S. citizenship during her lifetime, we honor her strength, industriousness, and pioneering spirit in our Congressional Record.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today I am pleased to honor Emsi Burning Glass in Moscow as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for July 2021. Emsi Burning Glass, initially named Emsi, is a labor market analytics company founded by economists Hank Robison and Kjell Christophersen in 2001 that specializes in providing labor market data, analytics, and consulting services for higher education institutions, private enterprises, and workforce development agencies. One of the company's initial goals was to provide at least 50 high-paying jobs to the Moscow community. It has since surpassed that goal and employs 280 people. Since its founding, the company has achieved outstanding success and now has clients throughout the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. The business has become one of the fastest growing companies in Moscow, and its success has enabled it to provide hundreds of quality jobs in the region and further invest in the local community. In 2019, Emsi announced it would construct a new 3.7-acre campus that will allow it to hire hundreds of new software developers, engineers, data scientists, economists, sales representatives, and other high-paying positions. The company's success has not gone unnoticed. In June 2021, Emsi announced a merger with Burning Glass, a fellow labor market analytics firm in Boston and its name was formally changed to Emsi Burning Glass. The merger will allow the company to continue its growth in Moscow while expanding its presence in the global marketplace. Congratulations to all of the employees of Emsi Burning Glass on being selected as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for July 2021. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today I am pleased to honor Rupe's Burgers in Blackfoot, which will celebrate its 34th anniversary this month, as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for June 2021. Rupe's Burgers is an American-style diner and drive-in known for its quality food and strong community foundation. In 1962, former owner Vaughn Rupe opened an A&W Restaurant and after years of success made the decision to sell the restaurant in 1978. In 1987, Vaughn's son Kevin purchased the property and renamed the restaurant ``Rupe's Burgers.'' Rupe's Burgers prides itself on its dedication to community service. The Rupe family donates and volunteers for local philanthropic missions, such as the Santa's Helpers Program, a holiday drive organized by Bingham County emergency responders to provide gifts to economically disadvantaged children. The restaurant has also donated to local organizations that promote the success and leadership of women, such as Blackfoot Distinguished Young Women and Soroptimists. In addition to its philanthropic efforts, the Rupe family puts a premium on serving and celebrating the Blackfoot community, featuring memorabilia from local school sports teams and providing nearly 50 jobs to the local community. Congratulations to Kevin and all of the employees of Rupe's Burgers on being selected as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for June 2021, and congratulations on 34 years in business. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been easy for small business owners and their employees to overcome. Throughout the pandemic, many were forced to temporarily close their doors. Those that reopened had to innovate their business models to comply with local guidelines and public health mandates. As we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide initiative, on May 21 to encourage Idahoans to support local small businesses in their communities. This month, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I will honor six small businesses located throughout the State of Idaho. I am pleased to honor Happy Day Corporation in Lewiston as one of the Idaho Small Businesses of the Month for May 2021. Happy Day is a four-generation family business founded by Bruce and Joy Finch in 1969. After opening their first franchise restaurant in the Lewiston area, the couple went into business with Bruce's father, Charles, and began to expand their venture. With 10 years of business under their belts, Bruce and Joy reorganized their budding company, officially naming it ``Happy Day'' to commemorate Joy's delight that their company was flourishing. Today, the business comprises 13 franchise and independent restaurants and a catering and events division. This has enabled the company to provide jobs for more than 450 employees in the Inland Northwest. Above all else, Happy Day is known for its commitment to service. Each year, thousands of wildland firefighters battle wildfires throughout the West. In an effort to keep them fed, Happy Day provides hundreds of meals to these firefighters at their fire camps. In addition, the company has long supported veterans. Happy Day restaurants have served more than 100,000 meals to local veterans through its monthly Tuesday Vets Meal initiative where veterans can eat for free. Their enduring dedication to community service has garnered them local and national awards, including being inducted into the Idaho Hall of Fame in 2016. Happy Day's efforts to serve their community make them an exceptional example of service-oriented small business leadership. Congratulations to Happy Day on being selected as an Idaho Gem for the month of May. You serve as an example in your community and are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been easy for small business owners and their employees to overcome. Throughout the pandemic, many were forced to temporarily close their doors. Those that reopened had to innovate their business models to comply with local guidelines and public health mandates. As we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide initiative, on May 21 to encourage Idahoans to support local small businesses in their communities. This month, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I will honor six small businesses located throughout the State of Idaho. I am pleased to honor Mountain Madness Soap in Coeur d'Alene as one of the Idaho Small Businesses of the Month for May 2021. Mountain Madness Soap is a specialty handmade soap and bath products company founded by Jennifer and Andy Morsell. The business began with Jennifer's hobby of making organic soaps in her kitchen and giving them as gifts to friends and family. The enthusiastic reception she received inspired Jennifer and her husband to start their own business selling the soaps at local farmers markets and craft fairs. The pair eventually moved to Coeur d'Alene, where they opened their first shop. The business quickly found success as demand soared for their locally sourced soap and bath products. Finding themselves unable to keep pace with demand, the business expanded into a larger facility in 2016, enabling them to increase the size of their retail space and expand their production and fulfillment facilities. To overcome the challenges and retrictions of the pandemic, Mountain Madness adapted its operations to continue serving the community safely. Jennifer and Andy kept the store open by implementing face mask requirements for employees, rigorous sanitation of facilities, and by adding curbside pickup and at-home deliveries. Jennifer and Andy made the safety of their customers and employees the top priority. They adapted quickly to new challenges and developed ways to bring their products to their customers. And through that quick and innovative response, they managed to grow their business despite the hardship. Mountain Madness continues to support its fellow Idaho small businesses by purchasing locally sourced product materials from other small businesses. Congratulations to Mountain Madness Soap on being selected as an Idaho Gem for the month of May. You serve as an example in your community and are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been easy for small business owners and their employees to overcome. Throughout the pandemic, many were forced to temporarily close their doors. Those that reopened had to innovate their business models to comply with local guidelines and public health mandates. As we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide initiative, on May 21 to encourage Idahoans to support local small businesses in their communities. This month, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I will honor six small businesses located throughout the State of Idaho. I am pleased to honor Great Harvest in Idaho Falls as one of the Idaho Small Businesses of the Month for May 2021. The Great Harvest Bread Company in Idaho Falls is owned and operated by Tiffani and John Van Orman. With two locations in Eastern Idaho, the bakeries are known for their vast selection of artisan breads, sweets, and treats. They pride themselves on using the freshest ingredients and making their products completely from scratch. Since its establishment over 20 years ago, the business has been actively involved in the Idaho Falls community, donating money and baked goods to school fundraisers, church gatherings, and local charitable causes. While the pandemic has impacted their business, it has not deterred their charitable efforts. During the March 2020 shutdown, Great Harvest kept all of their employees on the payroll and increased their production. The Van Ormans donated the extra food items to their local food pantry, YMCA, local school districts, hospitals, and emergency responders. They also placed Generosity Tables stocked with free baked goods outside of their bakeries and encouraged customers to take them to people in need. Their spirit of generosity is what defines Idaho's small businesses, and Great Harvest Bread Company has stepped up for its community during these hard times. Congratulations to Great Harvest in Idaho Falls on being selected as an Idaho Gem for the month of May. You serve as an example in your community and are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been easy for small business owners and their employees to overcome. Throughout the pandemic, many were forced to temporarily close their doors. Those that reopened had to innovate their business models to comply with local guidelines and public health mandates. As we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide initiative, on May 21 to encourage Idahoans to support local small businesses in their communities. This month, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I will honor six small businesses located throughout the State of Idaho. I am pleased to honor Abracadabra's in Twin Falls as one of the Idaho Small Businesses of the Month for May 2021. The Twin Fall's Abracadabra's is a breakfast-style bistro owned by Josh and Jonathan Swain and Nikki Bourne. The brothers have made it their mission to bring childhood magic back to breakfast food for all ages. The restaurant is renowned for engaging its customers through unique specialty dishes and an outside-the-box atmosphere. Customers rave about the creative food designs and the interactive dining experience. Its popularity has led to the restaurant winning the Magic Valley Readers' Choice Award for Best Breakfast in 2020. Amid the pandemic, Abracadabra's was instrumental in providing essential items to the local community. Last spring, many local grocery stores experienced shortages of everyday items. The restaurant adapted its business model to provide wholesale products like bacon, eggs, flour, and sanitizing products in bulk to the community. Through the use of online ordering and curbside pickup processes, customers remained safely socially distanced while retrieving basic grocery items that they desperately needed. Thanks to their innovative thinking, the owners addressed the changing needs of their community while keeping their staff safe and employed. Congratulations to Abracadabra's in Twin Falls on being selected as an Idaho Gem for the month of May. You serve as an example in your community and are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been easy for small business owners and their employees to overcome. Throughout the pandemic, many were forced to temporarily close their doors. Those that reopened had to innovate their business models to comply with local guidelines and public health mandates. As we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide initiative, on May 21 to encourage Idahoans to support local small businesses in their communities. This month, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I will honor six small businesses located throughout the State of Idaho. I am pleased to honor the Sandpiper in Pocatello as one of the Idaho Small Businesses of the Month for May 2021. The Pocatello Sandpiper was founded by Bob Angell in 1975 and is currently owned by Rod Russell. With two locations in Eastern Idaho, the restaurant is known for its cozy atmosphere and steak and seafood offerings. It has become a staple of the local community, garnering awards for Best Restaurant, Best Steak and Seafood, Best Fine Dining, and Best Place To Take A Date awards in the Idaho State Journal's Readers' Choice Awards. Rod and his wife, Kathleen, have served as leaders in the local community during the pandemic. The restaurant avoided layoffs, raised wages, and provided special meals to employees and their families even though they operated at a loss. In addition to the measures taken by the restaurant, upon receiving their $1,200 stimulus check, the Russells began thinking of ways to give back to their community. As the brother of a truckdriver, Rod heard firsthand some of the challenges facing truckers amid supply chain shortages. To show thanks to an underappreciated group of essential workers, the Pocatello Sandpiper partnered with Idaho State Police and other small businesses to provide more than 600 free meals to truckdrivers in acknowledgment of their critical work. Rod's commitment to service allowed this small business to prioritize the needs of both its employees and the community. Congratulations to the Sandpiper in Pocatello on being selected as an Idaho Gem for the month of May. You serve as an example in your community and are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been easy for small business owners and their employees to overcome. Throughout the pandemic, many were forced to temporarily close their doors. Those that reopened had to innovate their business models to comply with local guidelines and public health mandates. As we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide initiative, on May 21 to encourage Idahoans to support local small businesses in their communities. This month, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I will honor six small businesses located throughout the State of Idaho. I am pleased to honor TLC for Tots as one of the Idaho Small Businesses of the Month for May 2021. TLC for Tots is a family-owned childcare and preschool learning center located in Nampa, ID. In 2006, owners Dave and Elizabeth Fetzer started the business out of their home, providing individualized attention to each of its students. The business quickly outgrew its original location, relocating in 2008 to a larger facility where it remains today. The owners credit their success to their phenomenal staff who are constantly training and reeducating themselves to provide high-quality care. Additionally, TLC for Tots facilitates early intervention programs and sponsors family events to ensure the continued growth of their students. TLC for Tots has remained committed to combating the spread of COVID- 19. At its facility, temperature checks are regularly administered, daily cleanings are conducted throughout the facility, and staff were required to wear masks throughout the day during the height of the pandemic. The business provides more than a dozen jobs to the Nampa community and has been dedicated to serving local families while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. Congratulations to TLC for Tots on being selected as an Idaho Gem for the month of May. You serve as an example in your community and are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate and honor the retirement of one of my senior staff members and friend who has served in my home State of Idaho for the last 12 years as the State director of natural resources, Michael ``Mike'' D. Roach. After retiring from the banking industry, Mike came to my staff after my first election to the U.S. Senate in 2009 as the regional director of my Lewiston office. However, with a bachelor's degree in wildlife- fisheries resources from the University of Idaho, I knew he was a perfect fit for the State director of natural resources position stationed in my Boise office. Shortly after starting in Lewiston, Mike helped to find his replacement in north Idaho and moved to southwestern Idaho to lead my State offices in natural resources. Mike was born in Twin Falls and grew up in southwestern Idaho where his father worked in the cattle and banking industry. This afforded him the opportunity to work and associate with the cattle and sheep industry in Idaho and develop a deep understanding of the history, traditions, and issues of Idaho. While in college at the U of I, he worked for Idaho Fish and Game and served as a Wildlife and Range Sciences Guidance Council member for the U of I's College of Forestry. He was also appointed to the district advisory council for the Bureau of Land Management--Boise District by former Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan. With his deep roots in Idaho, he was the perfect ambassador to the diverse natural resource and conservation groups of the State like the Idaho Cattle Association, Idaho Farm Bureau, Trout Unlimited, and the Nature Conservancy. During his 12 years of service as my natural resources director, he advised and guided my office through many complicated issues like the sage grouse recovery plan, Idaho Roadless Rule implementation, salmon and steelhead management plans, Columbia River Treaty, Good Neighbor Authority, and many other resource issues. Due to his experience and knowledge, in 2015, the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources awarded Mike Roach the Alumni Award, recognizing his career achievements in natural resources. Another significant milestone came to pass while serving on staff; he became engaged and married to Cally Grindstaff in 2019. They now make their home in Fairfield, ID. It is always difficult to lose a trusted staff member of Mike's caliber, but I want to wish him and Cally nothing but best wishes in their future endeavors and look forward to our continued friendship in the years ahead. Congratulations and thank you for your outstanding service to my staff and the citizens of Idaho.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor Continuous Composites, Inc., in Coeur d'Alene as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for March 2021. Continuous Composites is a technology company developing composite additive manufacturing solutions cofounded by Ken Tyler, John Swallow, and Tyler Alvarado in 2015. The company owns the world's earliest granted patents on Continuous Fiber 3D Printing--CF3D--a revolutionary, automated manufacturing process that utilizes high-performance continuous fibers, e.g., carbon fiber, glass fiber, optical fibers, with ``snap curing'' thermoset resins to produce lightweight, high- performance composite parts on-demand. Historically, composites have been limited to high-end products, including military applications, where the advantages of high-performance, low-weight materials outweigh costly conventional manufacturing processes. CF3D is reshaping composites manufacturing at exponentially reduced costs and lead times while providing users with a much greater degree of design freedom. The company has an extraordinary opportunity to change how industrial businesses and the Department of Defense innovate and manufacture throughout the entire product life cycle, from design and prototyping to serial production and sustainment. Continuous Composites' novel approach to 3-D printing has garnered interest from many industry leaders, national laboratories, and government agencies resulting in strategic partnerships and multimillion dollar equity investments. Continuous Composites' CF3D technology is directly aligned with the United States of America's national defense strategy, which has led to significant engagement from the Air Force Research Laboratory. Since its founding, Continuous Composites has been rapidly hiring numerous engineers and business professionals, attracting talent from across the country to Coeur d'Alene. Last September, Alvarado and Swallow announced the remodel and opening of a 7,500-square-foot manufacturing demonstration facility on their campus in downtown Coeur d'Alene. This historic building is now being used for advanced research, development, and commercialization of CF3D. The expansion will provide high-paying, in-demand jobs of the future to the Coeur d'Alene community. Continuous Composites is an outstanding example of a small, trailblazing Idaho business that is leading the way in technological innovation. Congratulations to Tyler, John, Ken, and the whole Continuous Composites team for your outstanding achievements. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today I am pleased to honor 44East in Meridian as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for January 2021. Established by Cheryl Jones and her daughter Kayloni Perry, 44East specializes in home goods and gifts. Cheryl and Kayloni's shared love for crafting gifts and home decorations inspired their entrepreneurial success. With the support and encouragement of their friends and family, they opened 44East in 2017. Since then, it has developed a reputation for its exceptional service and its unique, curated array of products and home decor items. The owners take pride in supporting their local business community by sourcing one-of-a-kind and specialty products from other small businesses in the Treasure Valley and Pacific Northwest. Like many small businesses, 44East faced an uncertain future during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Confronted with the possibility of permanent closure, Cheryl and Kayloni quickly adapted 44East's business model and began offering their products virtually through a social media campaign dubbed ``Live at 5 to Survive.'' Soon, customers began flocking to 44East's social channels to purchase their products. ``Live at 5 to Survive'' did more than just ensure the continued survival of 44East; it introduced hundreds of customers to the business and resulted in a swell of new sales. Today, 44East continues to host its ``Live at 5 to Survive'' campaign and has since reopened its doors, instituting health safety measures to protect its customers. 44East's resourcefulness and ingenuity is a testament to Idaho's entrepreneurial spirit. Congratulations to Cheryl, Kayloni, and all of the employees of 44East on being selected as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for January 2021. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 3 minutes on the nomination of Tony Blinken for Secretary of State.

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I bring to the floor this morning the nomination of Tony Blinken to be Secretary of State. He has been nominated, of course, by President Biden, and this is brought by Senator Menendez and me. We have had the honored privilege of working together to move as rapidly as we could Mr. Blinken's nomination. Obviously, these things do take some time, and we are fortunate to be able to bring it as quickly as we have to the floor. This is, in my judgment, certainly the most important nominee that there will be to the President's Cabinet in light of a number of things but not the least of which is they are in the line of succession for the Presidency. Mr. Blinken has a long and distinguished history when it comes to statecraft and foreign relations matters. Certainly, he is very qualified for this job. Obviously, we don't agree on all things. Nobody ever does. I will say that there are 200 countries, approximately, on the planet, and each one of them has unique and very distinguished issues. In speaking with Mr. Blinken on these matters, I find that there is a tremendous amount of agreement that he and I have. Obviously, whenever these things happen, there are areas of disagreement, and obviously the media and a lot of people focus on these. I should mention that at least one of those--Iran--is a very wide disagreement that we have. In my judgment, the JCPOA was a colossal failure and a real blunder for American policy overseas. In talking with Mr. Blinken, he does not share that view, and obviously he is going to work with the President, carrying the President's water to get us back into the JCPOA. I think that is a mistake. We have talked about this at length, and certainly whatever the consequences of that are, those who do it are going to have to live with it. I can state that this is not a partisan issue. There are people on both sides of the aisle who have real reservations about going back into the JCPOA, particularly if there aren't very significant sideboards put on that. The effort is going to be made, and we will advise as we can and go down that pike. Again, I say that this is one issue. Out of the many, many issues that we discussed, there was very little--in fact, no daylight between us on some of them. A good example of that would be Turkey. I think Mr. Blinken shares my reservations about Turkey, and, again, the vast majority of this body, the U.S. Senate, has deep, deep reservations about the direction that Turkey is going. In any event, we need a Secretary of State, and this is the person for the job. With that, I yield the floor

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, along with my colleague Senator Mike Crapo, I rise today to ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the mission statement for the Citizens Committee for Election Integrity and their recommended minimum standards for fair and honest elections. Idahoans concerned about election integrity formed the Citizens Committee for Election Integrity to demonstrate the meaning of the Constitution by helping ensure the voices of ``We the people'' are heard.