James Risch

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I wish to honor National Forest Products Week. I would simply like to express my support for newly available and continuously evolving opportunities to build with wood. In the State of Idaho, the forest products industry makes significant contributions to our local, State, and national economies. In Idaho alone, we have 19 sawmills, millwork, and treating facilities and 4 facilities making engineered wood and panel products. These products are increasingly used in buildings all around the globe. As we all know, U.S. and global populations are rapidly growing. Over the past several years, a number of tall wood projects have been completed around the world, demonstrating successful applications of next generation lumber and mass timber technologies. Today, the concept is gaining traction in the United States. More architects are opting for a sustainable solution to attain safe, cost- effective, high-performing tall buildings in urban dense settings--many of these projects already do or will use engineered wood products. With more than 17 tall wood buildings of seven stories or more having been built around the world serving as demonstration projects, building officials, designers, contractors, and consumers are more confident than ever in the safety of these buildings. Thank you for this opportunity to recognize the many forest products facilities and employers in my home State that are helping make these tall wood building projects become a reality.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, I am here to make a few remarks about the proposed agreement between the United States--our participation in the agreement with the Government of Iran. I am going to speak briefly because we have been through this. I just want to underscore a few points that are very important to me as to why I am going to be voting the way I am voting. I think, first of all, one of the things you always want to do when you are entering into an agreement is weigh whom it is you are making an agreement with. I always told clients when I was practicing law that more important than the words on the paper were the people whose signatures appeared at the bottom. I think, in this particular instance, we could not have a worse situation than what we have. The Iranians have shown us what they are made of for decades. We all know what they are made of. This is not going to be a good time as we go forward. Generally, when people make an agreement, and people make agreements every day, they agree on an objective and then both cooperate as they move forward toward that objective. That is not going to happen here. We have seen before the Iranians operate under similar circumstances. They cheat, to begin with, on a regular basis. But just as importantly, they will stiff-arm, they will drag their feet, they will misinterpret, they will challenge, they will do everything possible to avoid meeting the objective of the agreement. How did all of this start? You remember when this whole thing started, everyone was cheering about what a wonderful thing this is, and we are going to go forward with this, but we do not trust them, and no agreement is better than a bad agreement. Well, what has happened since then? There is not anybody saying this is a good agreement. This is a bad agreement. So why did we not stick with the proposition that no agreement was better than a bad agreement? Now the mantra that people are talking about is, well, it is not perfect. I would urge that with what we are dealing, the people we are dealing with, and because of the consequences for America, for the world, for the Middle East, it needs to be perfect, and it is nowhere near perfect. I want to underscore a couple things in that regard. The other thing we started out with was that the President promised us that we are going to have inspections anytime, anyplace. Nothing could be further from the truth now that this agreement has been put on the table. This is not an anytime, anyplace agreement. Indeed, the procedures--if you wade through the difficult and complex procedures for how you get to an inspection when there is suspicion or even when there is not suspicion, if you are just doing it to check, it is going to be very difficult to do that. In addition to that, there are places in Iran that are off limits. No American will ever set foot in there. No IAEA inspector will ever set foot in there. So why anyone would make this kind of agreement is beyond me. I am talking about Parchin. Parchin is a place where they have done the kind of work in the past that we want to stop. Indeed, by getting in there, by going through it, by inspecting it and doing an analysis, we would be able to tell what they did so we could expect what they would do in the future--and they will. In addition to that, the most likely place in Iran for bad things to happen is at Parchin. No one can get in Parchin. Why would the Iranians insist on a provision in this agreement that no one can get into Parchin? There is only one reason: They intend to cheat and they intend to do it at Parchin. They have gotten away with a lot of things at Parchin in the past, so they want to protect it. All of these things argue for no agreement being better than a bad agreement, which this is. Let me talk about a couple of the things. There has been a lot of time spent on them, but this situation regarding the money is just--I don't understand how people can talk about signing on to this agreement, when you are talking about what is going to happen with the money that is going to be freed up for Iran. There is $150 billion that is going to be freed up. Now, you will get people who say: Well, it is not that much because they owe this. It is dedicated here, what have you. So let's just take the 50 billion that everybody believes--I think they say 54 billion, but let's take $50 billion--$50 billion. In Iran this is not small change. Here in the United States, obviously, it would be a much smaller amount. But the statistics, when you compare what $50 billion means to the regime in Iran, it is very substantial. What does Iran do with its money when it gets money? Since the sanctions have been on, their economy has been ratcheting down and down. Life has become much more difficult there from an economic standpoint. The government has very little money to operate. But every country has national priorities. Every single country on the face of this Earth has national priorities. The only way can you judge it is how they have spent their money in the past. During this period of time, while they were in very difficult financial straits, they had the ability to fund and to finance the worst enemies America has, the worst enemies the world has--terrorists. They have funded Hamas, they have funded the Houthi rebels, they have funded Hezbollah, and others. Every problem we have in the world with terrorism has Iran's fingerprints on it. They have been able to fund that even when they were in difficult financial straits. What do you think is going to happen when they get this windfall of $50 billion? Those organizations are going to become flush with cash. They are going to be able do things they have not been able to do in the past. If you go to the hospitals here in America where our veterans are lying with missing limbs--arms and legs--almost all of them, almost all of them were caused by a device that Iran either made or financed. That is where this money is going to go. How can you go to bed at night saying, well, yes, I agreed to this because it is going to be a wonderful thing for the world, when you have actually put money in the hands of these terrorists who are going to hurt America's best who go out into the field? It boggles my mind. When you are sitting at the negotiating table, why did someone not say: Hey, if we catch any of this money going to terrorists, all bets are off, and we are going to pull back everything. It is not just the $50 billion. More important than that is Iran will now have a continuous cashflow because they are going to be able to sell their oil, and they are going to be able to generate substantial amounts of money. So it is not just the $50 billion. This money thing is a real problem. It absolutely boggles my mind that--I don't know how anybody who supports this is going to look these Americans in the eye who are hurt by these devices that are made and that are financed by Iran. It is going to go on. It is going to continue. This money is going to be used for that. That alone, to me, is sufficient reason not to vote for this. It should be sent back, saying: Look, we need a specific agreement that this money is going to be used for domestic purposes for you to help the people of Iran--the people who want to do good things--and not sent off to foreign terrorists who are going to use that money to kill Americans and to kill other people. I wish to talk for a second about the secret agreements that are incorporated into this. Who--who--would sign a contract or an agreement where you incorporated two agreements made by two third parties, you don't know what is in them--you will never know what is in them unless things go south and go south badly--but you will have agreed to that. Whatever happens as a result of these secret agreements--whatever happens as a result of these secret agreements--we are going to have to abide by it because we will have entered into this. Nobody enters into a contract to buy a bicycle where they have secret agreements. You wouldn't buy a consumer product for your home if at the bottom line it said: By the way, there are two agreements between so and so and so and so. Neither of them is a part of this, but by buying this and signing this contract, you are agreeing to whatever is in there. I don't understand that. No American has seen it. We get fairly good information in the Intelligence Committee, and we have had closed hearings on this. We have dragged in everybody. The closest I have come to is Wendy Sherman. She was the No. 2 negotiator behind John Kerry. John Kerry has not seen these agreements--and everybody tells you what is in these agreements. I cross-examined them: How do you know what is in these agreements? Well, that is what we were told. Well, how do you know it if you haven't seen it? Well, the Iranians tell us what is in there, and the IAEA tells us what is in there. So we are willing to accept that. But no American has seen it. Wendy Sherman admitted she was in a room with a number of people when the agreements were there, and they were being waved around, but she did not read those agreements. She cannot tell us what is in those agreements. She tried to tell us what is in those agreements. Others tried to tell us what is in those agreements, but nobody knows because they will not let us see what is in those agreements. Why is that? Do you think there are things in those agreements that show this is a good deal? They are hiding stuff. There are bad things in there for America. Yet people are willing to sign on to this and to endorse, to adopt, and to ratify two secret agreements that no American has ever seen or can vouch for what is in those two secret agreements. One of the things that is included in there that they have admitted is how Parchin gets inspected or, rather, isn't inspected. If they are willing to admit that in those secret agreements there is a provision that says Parchin will never be inspected, can you imagine what the rest of the matters are that are in those agreements? It is outrageous for someone to adopt, on behalf of the American people, provisions that they don't know what they are. Let me just say that I come back to where I started; that is, we need to have a full appreciation of whom we are dealing with. While this is going on, while the Senate is debating this, and while the American Congress is debating this, the leaders of Iran proudly stand, beat their chests, and say: We promise you that Israel will not exist in 25 years. I don't believe much of what they say, but what I do believe is, because of the way they have acted, because of their history, that they will do everything they possibly can to make that promise come true. This is whom we are dealing with. They are going to try to eliminate our closest ally in the world over the next 25 years. This is whom we are dealing with. And we are willing to get in bed with these people and throw Israel under the bus? It is fantastic. It just does not make sense, but that is whom we are dealing with. They are promising, while all this is going on, that they will see that Israel does not exist in 25 years. Well, it has been all over the media that the people who were supporting this are looking for a legacy. I promise you that the people who support this are going to get a legacy, but it is not going to be the legacy they want. When this thing goes south, the media and every American is going to be looking for the people who did this, who supported it, and who ratified it through this Congress. I yield the floor.

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

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, is H.R. 1138 at the desk?

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1138, which has been received from the House.

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President and fellow Senators, today is a historic day for the State of Idaho. This is the creation of a wilderness area in the Sawtooth area of Idaho, the Boulder-White Clouds area, and the Jerry Peak area. These two mountain ranges and one mountain peak area have been under consideration for about 10 years. I want to talk very briefly about what we are dealing with. These are some of the most magnificent pieces of land, not only in Idaho but in the United States. Before anyone goes abroad to see the Champs-Elysees or to see the magnificent works of art in Italy, you need to put on your list seeing the Boulder-White Clouds area. It is truly a magnificent area. What we just did was we created a wilderness of about 275,000 acres that creates these three wilderness areas, plus a buffer zone around them. It is a great day for Idaho. This is an Idaho solution to an issue that has been pending for some time. I conclude by simply stating that all credit for this goes to Congressman Mike Simpson. Congressman Simpson started working on this about 10 years ago and wanted to put together, in a collaborative fashion, a wilderness bill for this particular area. He did that. He brought it back to Washington, DC. Because of the situation in DC at the time, the bill was changed greatly and was no longer an Idaho solution to the Idaho problem. Congressman Simpson did not give up. He worked and he worked and he worked at it. It is truly his long-term commitment to this and his long work on this that got us to this point. What he did was take this land that there was virtually unanimous agreement should be in wilderness; that is, the heart of this area, the Boulder Range, the White Cloud Range, and the Jerry Peaks area. There was unanimous agreement that this is the kind of land that needs to be in wilderness. Indeed, when I was Governor, I wrote this rule for several million acres. This was included in it. It was protected as wilderness. This is not changing the character of it in that regard. What it does is put it in statute instead of in rule. The difficulty was, as always with these kinds of areas, the buffer area around what everybody agrees is truly unique ground that should be handled as wilderness. Obviously, it is an area that ingrains passion in people. It causes people to have strong feelings about the area. As a result of that, people fight to protect what they think should be protected, and just as much, people who use the buffer zones for different reasons feel just as passionately the other way. What Congressman Simpson was able to do was get everybody to the table in a very collaborative fashion, to where he got the wilderness preservationists, the hikers, the backpackers, the horse people, the motorized users, including snowmobile, ATV, and motorcycle people, to all agree to a management plan for everything that is included in this bill. Congressman Simpson was tenacious on this. He gets the full credit for this. I think Idahoans will truly appreciate this for many years. There is no doubt in my mind that the efforts Congressman Simpson put into this will be greatly appreciated for years and years to come. With that, I yield the remainder of my time to my colleague, my good friend, Senator Mike Crapo.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 11, 2015, at 6 p.m., to conduct a classified hearing entitled ``Understanding the Commercial, Political, and Security Implications of the U.S.-China Civil Nuclear Agreement.''

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Airland of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 11, 2015, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to add Senators Portman, Roberts, Kirk, Boozman, Sasse, and Rounds as cosponsors to S. Con. Res. 16.

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for those kind words. I think ``tenacity'' is probably an appropriate description. I would like to have had a little more tenaciousness if it would have resulted in better and stronger language than we have. Nonetheless, we have what we have. I congratulate Senator Cardin and Senator Corker for their hard work on the resolution that passed here last week, which went out of here with only one dissenting vote. It was a difficult process, to say the least. Obviously, it didn't rise to the level that a lot of us wanted to see where this--it could have and should have been handled like a treaty. Indeed, it is a treaty. No matter what else we call it, it is a treaty. Nonetheless, we are where we are. We are better off with these things than without. We are going to wait to see how this plays out as the summer unfolds. We have an important June 30 date. Once an agreement is reached, then, of course, we will be on the floor talking and discussing the appropriateness of the agreement. There are a lot of us who have been critical of how this started and, for that matter, where we are today. In my judgment, this shouldn't have even started. They shouldn't have even sat down at the table until these people were released and/or accounted for. Nonetheless, we are where we are. There are four people we are talking about in this resolution. Senator Stabenow already referred to one and gave an excellent description of where we are with that individual. Next, I will talk about the gentleman from California who is also being held. His name is Jason Rezaian. He has been held on unspecified charges since July 2014, denied access to an attorney in violation of Iran's own laws and international norms, for that matter. Robert Levinson of Florida is a retired FBI agent who was pursuing an investigation in Iran. He was abducted off Kish Island, off the coast of Iran, in March 2007. His whereabouts are unknown. The Iranian Government has repeatedly said they are not holding Levinson, but certainly they should cut loose the information they have, and this resolution requires them to do so. Lastly, I want to talk about Saeed Abedini. Pastor Abedini is a constituent of mine from Idaho. He is an ordained Christian minister. He has family in Iran. At the time he was arrested, he was in Iran visiting family and in the process of setting up and running an orphanage. He is detained at the present time in Evin Prison, which is considered one of the worst prisons in Iran. He has been held in solitary confinement, physically beaten, denied access to necessary medical treatment as a result of abuse, and was denied access to his lawyer until just before trial. He had a trial. He was convicted and sentenced to 8 years. And his offense--his offense--was being Christian and pursuing Christianity in a country where this is not permitted. I think it is shocking to most Americans that this could happen in today's age. This is barbarous conduct by a regime that knows no shame. This man should be released from prison and should be released forthwith. He has done absolutely nothing that is a threat to the Iranian people or, in fact, to the Iranian regime--those are two different things we are talking about here. He has done nothing to be a threat to those people, and he should be released. Iran thinks it elevates its position in the world because it does these kinds of things. It does not. Certainly it shows toughness but a barbarian type of toughness that the world is not impressed with at all. This is a country which pushes the envelope whenever it can. This country is at the heart of virtually every problem we have in that part of the world. Most importantly, it is one of if not the most prominent promoters of terrorism in the world. Some time ago, this was thought of as a good thing by some of these nations that do not rise to what they should be on the world stage as an important nation. Terrorism was thought of as a way that things could be done. In recent years, most every country has had it with terrorism. It is no longer something people look at and say, well, yes, there is terrorism, but you need to understand the root causes. That is gone. That is absolutely gone. The other countries in this region have had it with terrorism. Everyone in the region now is going to feel that as we go forward. There is hope for Iran. The demographics in that country show there is a real disconnect between the people of that country and the regime that operates that country. Most notably, as a downside for the present regime, is that the demographics show that the vast majority of people who are living in Iran are young people. They have a different view of the world than the regime does. They are a secular people who do not want to be ruled by religious fanatics, which is what they have today. In any event, the world is watching how this is going to unfold. Now, we have a clear expression--and Senator Cardin made mention of this. We ran this as a separate document, not as part of the resolution we passed last week. This is a separate document, where we are going to have a clear expression of the nature and the view of what the world thinks of this and the view that the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Congress takes of the conduct that Iran is engaged in. It is a separate view, and I believe it will be very helpful to the notion that this regime in Iran cannot--cannot--continue down the road it is going down. The Iran regime purports to represent its people. What it is doing is not helpful to the Iranian people. I yield the floor. Mr. President, I will yield back all remaining time, with the consent of my colleague from Maryland.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I rise today also in support of the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015. I am honored to be here today with Senator Murkowski. Idahoans and Alaskans have a lot in common when it comes to outdoor sporting activities, including hunting and fishing. Senator Crapo and I were honored to host Senator Murkowski in Idaho. Although we don't have the acres Alaska has, we certainly have that diverse environment for hunting and fishing in many different areas of the State that support and will continue to support both fishing and game. This bill is cosponsored by a bipartisan team of Senators who are committed to advancing the agenda of sportsmen and sportswomen. Senators Murkowski and Heinrich, along with the leaders of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus--myself and Senator Manchin as the co- chairmen and Senator Fischer and Senator Heitkamp as the co-vice chairmen--make up the largest bipartisan caucus in Congress, and we have diligently labored to craft this bipartisan legislation that is supported by a broad coalition of sportsmen's groups. Indeed, we have worked on it substantially more since the first of the year. Last year we labored over it at great length and were not able to get it across the finish line, but we are cautiously optimistic this year that we have hit that right spot where we actually can get this across the finish line this year. One provision of this package will encourage States to create and maintain public shooting ranges. This will promote gun safety by providing a venue to teach young adults about firearms. These public ranges can also serve as a place to hold hunter education classes and can be used as facilities to train police forces. This bill will also allow any legal gun owner to carry a firearm on land administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This provision will require the Army Corps to conform their regulations to align with local laws related to firearms. I wish to thank my colleague from Idaho, Senator Mike Crapo, for his hard work and leadership on this particular issue. I know the sportsmen of Idaho and across the country are pleased to know that this legislation will allow firearms on Army Corps land and that it is included in this bipartisan sportsmen's package. This bill will also reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act, a program that enables the Bureau of Land Management to sell public land for community development and other projects. This land-for-land approach creates jobs and generates funding for the BLM to acquire critical inholdings from willing sellers. I am also proud to include a provision supported by my colleague from Wyoming, Senator Mike Enzi, to allow archery equipment to be transported and possessed in national parks. Archery is one of the fastest growing sports in America. It should not be illegal to carry a bow in a national park. I am happy to work with my colleagues to include this important provision in this Sportsmen's Act. Whether you hunt or fish to put food on the table or for sport or to pass down a tradition to your family or for game-management purposes, there is something in this bill for you. With more than half a million sportsmen and sportswomen in the State of Idaho, this legislation will ensure they can continue to access their favorite hunting or fishing sport. In fact, the number of people who hunt each year in Idaho would fill Boise State Broncos stadium more than 6\1/2\ times. Most of you are familiar with that stadium since it is the only stadium in America that has blue turf, and most everyone has seen that. For those of us who hunt and fish, it is difficult to put into words why this legislation is so important. I ask everyone I talk to about these issues to encourage and teach youngsters about hunting and fishing. In Idaho this last year 14,000 kids purchased a junior fishing license, and approximately 14,000 purchased a junior hunting license. These numbers could be higher, and they should be higher. It is important to teach and mentor these future generations--those coming behind us--about hunting and fishing and to hand down this culture to them. Hunting and fishing give us a great reason to be in the great outdoors, a great reason to hand down traditions, and a great reason to support the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work with this bipartisan coalition we put together, to cosponsor and to work with us to pass this legislation.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I rise today also in support of the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015. I am honored to be here today with Senator Murkowski. Idahoans and Alaskans have a lot in common when it comes to outdoor sporting activities, including hunting and fishing. Senator Crapo and I were honored to host Senator Murkowski in Idaho. Although we don't have the acres Alaska has, we certainly have that diverse environment for hunting and fishing in many different areas of the State that support and will continue to support both fishing and game. This bill is cosponsored by a bipartisan team of Senators who are committed to advancing the agenda of sportsmen and sportswomen. Senators Murkowski and Heinrich, along with the leaders of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus--myself and Senator Manchin as the co- chairmen and Senator Fischer and Senator Heitkamp as the co-vice chairmen--make up the largest bipartisan caucus in Congress, and we have diligently labored to craft this bipartisan legislation that is supported by a broad coalition of sportsmen's groups. Indeed, we have worked on it substantially more since the first of the year. Last year we labored over it at great length and were not able to get it across the finish line, but we are cautiously optimistic this year that we have hit that right spot where we actually can get this across the finish line this year. One provision of this package will encourage States to create and maintain public shooting ranges. This will promote gun safety by providing a venue to teach young adults about firearms. These public ranges can also serve as a place to hold hunter education classes and can be used as facilities to train police forces. This bill will also allow any legal gun owner to carry a firearm on land administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This provision will require the Army Corps to conform their regulations to align with local laws related to firearms. I wish to thank my colleague from Idaho, Senator Mike Crapo, for his hard work and leadership on this particular issue. I know the sportsmen of Idaho and across the country are pleased to know that this legislation will allow firearms on Army Corps land and that it is included in this bipartisan sportsmen's package. This bill will also reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act, a program that enables the Bureau of Land Management to sell public land for community development and other projects. This land-for-land approach creates jobs and generates funding for the BLM to acquire critical inholdings from willing sellers. I am also proud to include a provision supported by my colleague from Wyoming, Senator Mike Enzi, to allow archery equipment to be transported and possessed in national parks. Archery is one of the fastest growing sports in America. It should not be illegal to carry a bow in a national park. I am happy to work with my colleagues to include this important provision in this Sportsmen's Act. Whether you hunt or fish to put food on the table or for sport or to pass down a tradition to your family or for game-management purposes, there is something in this bill for you. With more than half a million sportsmen and sportswomen in the State of Idaho, this legislation will ensure they can continue to access their favorite hunting or fishing sport. In fact, the number of people who hunt each year in Idaho would fill Boise State Broncos stadium more than 6\1/2\ times. Most of you are familiar with that stadium since it is the only stadium in America that has blue turf, and most everyone has seen that. For those of us who hunt and fish, it is difficult to put into words why this legislation is so important. I ask everyone I talk to about these issues to encourage and teach youngsters about hunting and fishing. In Idaho this last year 14,000 kids purchased a junior fishing license, and approximately 14,000 purchased a junior hunting license. These numbers could be higher, and they should be higher. It is important to teach and mentor these future generations--those coming behind us--about hunting and fishing and to hand down this culture to them. Hunting and fishing give us a great reason to be in the great outdoors, a great reason to hand down traditions, and a great reason to support the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work with this bipartisan coalition we put together, to cosponsor and to work with us to pass this legislation.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, millions of American businesses have found their start in the living rooms, backyards, and garages of aspiring entrepreneurs. Harnessing individual creativity and work ethic, a talent can grow into a lasting enterprise. I wish to honor La Plaza, a restaurant from my home State of Idaho, whose hard work and dedication to quality has seen growth and prosperity while enhancing the local community. Founded in 2003, La Plaza offers unique and traditional Mexican fare, including an assortment of moles made with chocolate and dried peppers, to diners and visitors in southern Idaho. Guadalupe ``Lupe'' Loza and her husband, Chon, originally from Aguascalientes, Mexico, never planned to own a restaurant until their infant son required long-term hospitalization and they needed to fund his medical bills. As a self- taught chef, Lupe Loza started making tamales and empanadas in her kitchen and selling the food directly to local dairy workers and observers on local soccer fields. As her fans multiplied, and driven by the philosophy that ``farmers can dig the dirt and plant the seeds, but they can't make the plants grow,'' Lupe Loza took a leap of faith and opened the restaurant in a converted two-car garage, where customers sat at folding tables and ate off paper plates. Today, La Plaza operates out of a 1,992 square foot space on Buhl's Main Street, located on the old Oregon Trail in the western half of Twin Falls County. The Lozas are dedicated to creating and serving authentic Mexican cuisine and making costumers feel like they are eating at home with family. It is not surprising that after 11 years, La Plaza has received overwhelming praise from its diners and the larger community. The from-scratch food and ``grandmother's house'' feel have made La Plaza a local staple and traveler's destination. The small, yet diverse menu is updated frequently, accommodating customer feedback, requests, and favorites. From carne asada tacos to bacon- wrapped cheesy jalapeno bites, customers drive many miles out of their way to sample La Plaza's authentic Mexican cuisine. The restaurant has also expanded to cater at local venues, including the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration for the Latinos Unidos at the College of Southern Idaho. The Lozas dedication to excellence has earned La Plaza a five- star rating on Yelp, the second-highest rated restaurant in Buhl on Trip Advisor, and a 90 percent customer satisfaction rate on Urban Spoon. Over the past 11 years, La Plaza has doubled in size, and the homemade ranchero fajitas are now served on china plates instead of paper plates. I hope La Plaza's story will inspire others around the country to chase the American Dream. I congratulate the Loza family and the entire La Plaza team on their success, continued growth, and exemplary reputation for quality. La Plaza represents the best aspects of American entrepreneurship and is a credit to both Idaho and the Nation.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, America depends on the ingenuity of small business owners to propel the country forward in innovation. Seekins Precision demonstrates this originality by continuously improving their products for a unique industry. I rise today to honor Seekins Precision of Lewiston, ID, a small business whose commitment to manufacturing products for those who enjoy exercising their second- amendment rights honors both Idaho and the Nation. Founded in 2004, Seekins Precision builds innovative products for precision shooters. As the result of an unsuccessful deer hunt, founder Glen Seekins identified a need for hunting equipment able to endure the natural elements of the Idaho mountains products that were durable, yet lightweight. The combination of Mr. Seekins' background in mechanical design and his entrepreneurial spirit sparked the design for Seekins Precision's flagship scope rings. After training himself on a computer numerical control machine to build scope rings, Mr. Seekins and his wife, Katie, set up shop in their garage. In November 2005, their scope rings became so popular in the local shooting community that the business developed into a full-time operation. Over the past 10 years, Seekins Precision has achieved an outstanding reputation for quality, as well as that of a unique Idaho gem. Since its inception, Seekins Precision has expanded from only making scope rings with just a handful of employees, to developing over ten major upper-end rifle lines and creating more than 25 new jobs in the local Idaho community. Today, the business has expanded to manufacture a full line of automatic rifle products, including rifles, complete uppers, and other parts and accessories. All of Seekins Precision's products are proudly invented, sourced, and made in the USA in their new 25,000 square foot facility, a $4 million investment back into the community. At the beginning of this year, Seekins Precision participated in the Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade, SHOT, Show and Conference in Las Vegas, NV, the largest annual trade show for recreational technology professionals, and the world's premier exposition of combined firearms. Participation in the SHOT Show exposed Seekins Precision to buyers from all 50 States and more than 100 countries, expanding the business' exposure to international markets. Located in the Port of Lewiston since 2010, Idaho's only seaport and the farthest inland port east of the west coast, Seekins Precision relocated to a 25,000 square foot facility in order to accommodate further product demand this past May. The small business received support from Idaho's own Governor, Butch Otter, who attended the grand-opening ribbon-cutting ceremony. Seekins Precision's astonishing success emulates that of the American Dream, reaching beyond the local community and loyal customers. I congratulate everyone at Seekins Precision on their success, continued growth and exemplary reputation for quality. Seekins Precision represents the best aspects of American craftsmanship and is a credit to both Idaho and the Nation.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, it is imperative to distinguish the originality of women-owned small business owners who take a leap of faith and invest in an idea that not only awards their own creativity but also inspires other women throughout the Nation. Across the United States, women-owned companies employ 7.9 million people, generate $1.4 trillion in sales, and are the fastest growing segment in our economy. Today, I am proud to recognize rosieMADE of Meridian, ID, a women-owned small business committed to selling products made in the U.S.A. by women. In November 2012, Alicia Vanderschuere launched rosieMADE, an online marketplace that features vendors offering quality products made in the U.S.A. by women-friendly companies. After 15 years of experience in retail and corporate merchandising, Alicia Vanderschuere decided to follow her dreams in pursuit of owning her own business and reached out to the Idaho Women's Business Center, WBC, to help get started. The Small Business Administration's WBCs represent a nationwide network of educational centers designed to assist women entrepreneurs in starting and growing their own businesses. Inspired by the iconic champion for women Rosie the Riveter, rosieMADE aims to increase the number of women engaged in entrepreneurship while supporting homegrown products. In addition, rosieMADE offers services beyond that of selling products. The business promotes business prosperity through opportunities including training and information sessions on leadership, balancing home and work life, and various elements of small business. The roiseMADE team strives to inspire women to pursue their own business ventures by featuring women- owned business leaders and sharing their stories. As a resource for women nationwide, women who have successfully overcome obstacles in the business environment are honored regularly in the ``Real Life Rosies'' section of the Web site. These success stories are aimed to encourage other women to take a risk and start their own businesses. Within a few short years, Alicia Vanderschuere and rosieMADE have already achieved an outstanding reputation for quality, as well as that of a unique Idaho gem. It is not surprising that in 2013 Alicia Vanderschuere was featured on the cover of the Idaho Women's Journal and is currently listed as one of the Idaho Women's Journal's ``Who's Who of Idaho Women.'' In addition, in February 2014 Alicia Vanderschuere received the Women of the Year Award from the Idaho Business Review. With rosieMADE's commitment to female small business owners, I hope they will inspire more women throughout the Nation to become entrepreneurs. I would like to recognize rosieMADE on their mission to promote products made by women in the U.S.A. and their willingness to take a risk in inspiring future entrepreneurs. I congratulate the entire rosieMADE team and wish them great success in the future.

Mr. RISCH

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President.

Mr. RISCH. I ask unanimous consent that----

Mr. RISCH. I thank the Senator from Maryland.

Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I intend to speak for about 4\1/2\ minutes.