Mike Rounds

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we begin the cloture vote at this time. I believe we are only about 2 minutes away from the scheduled time.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I come to the floor to offer my support for the Bipartisan Budget Act, which we expect to vote on later today. This bipartisan agreement includes a number of priorities that will benefit Americans, including $20 billion in new investment and infrastructure over the next 2 years, $6 billion to combat the opioid epidemic, disaster relief assistance for those impacted by recent hurricanes, funding for community health centers, a permanent repeal of ObamaCare's Independent Payment Advisory Board, or IPAB, and the creation of two select committees to address pension reform and Congress's broken budget process. Most important is that this bipartisan agreement removes the arbitrary spending caps that have hampered our Armed Forces. For the first time in years, we prioritize our national security by adequately funding the military. Of all the positive aspects of this agreement that will benefit the people of my home State of South Dakota and American families across the country, the addition of $165 billion in defense funding over the next 2 years is crucial. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have been deeply concerned about the underfunding of our military. If we are going to adequately recover readiness levels that were lost over the last 8 years, as well as modernize our Armed Forces in this increasingly dangerous and complex world, adequately funding our troops is vital. This is the reason I support the Bipartisan Budget Act. I had previously expressed my strong displeasure for short-term funding measures or CRs, but this agreement makes significant progress toward rebuilding our military, and, finally, after years of underfunding, provides the Department of Defense with a much needed spending boost. This will provide the resources to adequately train and rebuild the Armed Forces at a time of increasing global threats, but don't just take my word for it. Let me quote Defense Secretary James Mattis, who testified before the House Armed Services Committee earlier this week. He said: Let me be clear: As hard as the last 16 years of war have been on our military, no enemy in the field has done as much to harm the readiness of the United States than the combined impact of the Budget Control Act's defense spending caps, worsened by operating for 10 of the last 11 years under continuing resolutions of varied and unpredictable duration. Secretary Mattis went on to tell the committee that: The consequences of not providing a budget are clear . . . should we stumble into a year-long continuing resolution, your military will not be able to provide pay for our troops by the end of the fiscal year; will not recruit the 15,000 Army soldiers and 4,000 Air Force airmen required to fill critical manning shortfalls; we will not maintain our ships at sea with the proper balance between operations and time in port for maintenance; we will ground aircraft due to a lack of maintenance and spare parts; we will deplete the ammunition, training and manpower required to deter war; and delay contracts for vital acquisition programs necessary to modernize the force. Sadly, we are hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee many of the Secretary's predictions are already proving true. Earlier this week, I spoke on this floor about this very issue and described various readiness issues that our Armed Forces are currently facing. Some examples I shared include the F/A-18 fleet taking twice as many man-hours to maintain, with less than 50 percent of the fleet available. Those are the primary aircraft you will see flying off of our carriers in harm's way today. The maintenance backlog of our submarines. Because of the backlog, 15 nuclear attack submarines have been docked for a total of 177 months or nearly 15 years. That doesn't mean they are being repaired, it means they are sitting at dock because they are not even licensed to dive anymore. What a waste of taxpayer money. The tragic human cost found in the lack of readiness--as F/A-18 Hornet training programs have had dozens of mishaps over the past several years, some leading to loss of life. We believe some, if not all, of these mishaps could have been avoided with the additional training and maintenance that would have been forthcoming with appropriate funding. The American people expect us to adequately fund the defense of America next year and every year to come. Providing for the defense of our Nation is the No. 1 responsibility of the Federal Government and of this Congress. Nothing else matters if we cannot protect ourselves from our enemies. I am pleased this agreement finally recognizes the need to eliminate arbitrary budget caps that have put our national security in jeopardy. The Bipartisan Budget Act is truly bipartisan. There are parts in this that I most certainly very strongly agree with, and there are some areas I would have done differently, but this is a bipartisan agreement and must meet the standards of both Republicans and Democrats. While I would have preferred to see an increase in defense funding without having to pair it with other spending increases, because we need a bipartisan majority of 60 Senators to agree to this proposal, we reluctantly accept the increased spending on nondefense discretionary programs in order to achieve the very necessary and critical increases in our Defense appropriations. Perhaps one of the more important aspects of this agreement is that, for the first time since the Budget Control Act of 2011, we are able to overcome the demands of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to match defense spending and nondefense spending on a dollar-for- dollar basis. Under this agreement, defense spending will receive a larger increase than discretionary funding--$165 billion for defense over the next 2 years, as compared to $131 for nondefense discretionary spending over the next 2 years. I would have preferred not to raise discretionary spending to this level, but not achieving a path forward without the higher defense limits was simply not an option. We must still be diligent in addressing our Nation's debt crisis, and we have already begun to take the steps to do so. Just a couple of months ago, we passed historic tax reform that is already helping to unleash the full potential of our economy, thereby bringing in much needed additional revenues. We have also been working with President Trump and the administration to reduce burdensome regulations and streamline Federal programs so we can save taxpayer money by making the government more efficient. These are positive things that will help to control our debt. However, the most important thing we must do to rein in spending is to control the skyrocketing costs of mandatory payment programs: Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. In fact, prior to our tax relief plan, we were warned that without taking action to properly manage these programs, by the year 2026, when our country turns 250 years old, spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and servicing the national debt would take up 99 percent of all the Federal revenues generated. Today, mandatory payments already account for nearly three quarters of our total Federal spending. This is because Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security have never been properly managed, and Congress does not exercise appropriate oversight. These programs run on autopilot. Given that they are our largest Federal expenditures every year, it is vital for Congress to take an active role in managing these necessary--I will say that again: necessary--mandatory programs in order to get our fiscal house in order. This does not necessarily mean making cuts. It simply means giving Congress the authority to periodically and consistently review them to make them as efficient as possible and to make certain they are available for individuals who need them, both now and in the future. I am pleased that this agreement creates a joint select committee to address ways to fix our broken budget process, which is desperately needed. At the end of the day, no amount of cuts to defense and other programs will have a meaningful effect on debt reduction without also controlling the cost of these necessary mandatory-payment programs. I will wrap up by thanking my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who support this agreement, for recognizing our country's need to adequately fund our troops who sacrifice everything to protect our freedoms. Without a strong military that can deter and defend against aggression, nothing else really matters. Maintaining the best, strongest military force in the world is vital to keeping Americans safe. By increasing funding now, our troops will be better equipped to do exactly that. We cannot risk a perceived weakness in our force by our enemies, who may wish to draw us into a major conflict. A major conflict or war is not only significantly more costly in terms of dollars, but it has more serious cost in the loss of human life. No one wants to see that, especially if we can avoid it now. This agreement adequately funds our troops. I intend to vote for it, and I encourage my colleagues to do so as well. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I have 6 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, February 8, 2018, at 10:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: Paul C. Ney, Jr., of Tennessee, to be General Counsel, Kevin Fahey, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Secretary, and Thomas E. Ayres, of Pennsylvania, to be General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force, all of the Department of Defense, and Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, Department of Energy. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, February 8, 2018, at 11 a.m., to conduct a hearing on subcommittee assignments and the following nominations: Jelena McWilliams, of Ohio, to be Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and to be a Member of the Board of Directors, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Marvin Goodfriend, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and Thomas E. Workman, of New York, to be a Member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.'' Committee on Energy and Natural Resources The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, February 8, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, February 8, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Opioid Crisis: Impact on Children and Families.'' Committee on the Judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, February 8, at 10:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: Kurt D. Engelhardt, of Louisiana, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, Michael B. Brennan, of Wisconsin, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit, Barry W. Ashe, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Howard C. Nielson, Jr., to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah, James R. Sweeney II, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana, Susan Paradise Baxter, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Daniel Desmond Domenico, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado, Marilyn Jean Horan, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Adam I. Klein, of the District of Columbia, to be Chairman and Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, and John C. Anderson, to be United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Brandon J. Fremin, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, Joseph P. Kelly, to be United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska, Scott W. Murray, to be United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, David C. Weiss, to be United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, David G. Jolley, to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Thomas M. Griffin, Jr., to be United States Marshal for the District of South Carolina, all of the Department of Justice. Select Committee on Intelligence The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, February 8, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a closed hearing.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, let me respond to my colleague and good friend from West Virginia. He and I served as Governors at the same time. We have a friendship that has now lasted more than a decade. A lot of what the Senator has indicated I feel as well in terms of the reason why we came here and the focus we should have. In fact, I think one of the most important things we can do as Members of this institution, Members of this body, is to show respect for one another and defend one another in our responsibility to try to find a way forward. Until we have that respect for one another, it will be very difficult to expect others to have that same respect for us or for this institution. I most certainly appreciate the sentiments expressed by my colleague from West Virginia, and I appreciate his bringing them to the floor today.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, it is in that spirit that I bring this message to my fellow Members of the U.S. Senate. I rise today to ask for support for the Defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018. I would like to start by thanking the majority leader for bringing the Defense appropriations bill to the floor. Now, just because the majority leader brings it to the floor doesn't mean we will necessarily get the opportunity to debate it. It requires either the unanimous consent of all the Members or at least 60 Members agreeing to have that debate. That is one of the reasons why we haven't had any appropriations measures on the floor. It takes 60 Members, Republicans and Democrats, just to begin the debate of each one of these 12 separate appropriations bills, which make up what we normally vote on during a year. This is also part of that process which has been broken for more than 44 years because it has only worked four times in 44 years. But you have to start someplace. Providing long-term funding stability for our Armed Forces is vital to their ability to adequately train, equip, and maintain the force. In particular, under short-term, stop-gap funding measures known as continuing resolutions, which we are operating under right now, the Defense Department is restricted from starting new programs. These new programs are ones that we have already authorized through the National Defense Authorization Act on a bipartisan basis for 2018; we just haven't appropriated the money yet so that they can actually do the programs we have already agreed as a body are important to have in place. This is very concerning to me because in today's rapidly changing threat environment, these programs were designed to protect our Nation against those new threats. If we are to adequately recover readiness levels that were lost over the last 8 years--really, in many cases, due to sequestration--as well as to modernize our Armed Forces in this increasingly dangerous and complex world, we must give them the funding, stability, and certainty that continuing resolutions fail to provide. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Readiness, I am pleased that the subcommittee has held two hearings this year on our services' readiness posture. To put that in non-DC terms, it means just exactly what their conditions are right now and their need for modernization. Today, I would like to share just a few examples of readiness issues facing our military force. The first are issues plaguing our Navy, and both demonstrate the need to adequately fund not only our Navy but all branches of our Armed Forces. The first issue concerns the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. For any Members who are wondering which aircraft it is, this is the one that people see on a regular basis on film clips and so forth showing them taking off of the carriers. This is our primary Navy attack aircraft. This is the one that we use for aerial combat. We also use this one to do the attacks in both Iraq and Syria. The first issue is plaguing our Navy--and what they do is they demonstrate the need to adequately fund not only our Navy but, as I said, all of the different branches. So this is not only the Navy; all of the branches need this assistance. Vice Chief of Naval Operations, ADM William Moran, stated that our legacy F/A-18A and D Hornets today take twice as many manhours as originally planned for repairs and maintenance. He has also stated that ``on a typical day in the Navy, about 25 to 30 percent of our jets and our airplanes are in some kind of depot maintenance.'' Overall, just over half are unavailable for operations today. So it is not just the F/A-18 Hornet, it is all of their aircraft that are in need of upgrading. To sum up the Admiral's comments, the Navy is putting in twice the maintenance manhours to maintain a fleet that is less than 50 percent available. In a crisis situation, the Vice Chief said, ``We can and we do put airplanes and ready air crews forward,'' but ``there's no depth on the bench behind them if we had to surge forces.'' In other words, all of the aircraft that are available right now, we have on the frontlines. These are the ones that are serving overseas. We don't have backups in case they start to go down. The Marine Corps is also experiencing serious readiness issues with its F/A-18 fleet, and there is a human cost. On December 8, 2016, the Marine Corps announced that yet another pilot had been killed as a result of a training accident in the F/A-18 Hornet. This was the third Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet class A mishap--which is defined as an accident resulting in a death or the complete loss of aircraft--over a month-and-a-half time period. In the previous 22 months, the Marine Corps had experienced seven class A mishaps flying legacy F/A-18 Hornets. Sadly, some or all of these mishaps might have been avoided with the additional training and maintenance that would have been forthcoming with the additional funding that had been recommended in the National Defense Authorization Act, which this body, on a bipartisan basis, has already voted on. Returning to the Navy, its maintenance-related readiness concerns extend to its attack submarine fleet. Admiral Moran recently mentioned that attack submarines are sometimes sent to private shipyards for maintenance because government shipyards are already at capacity with higher priority work, especially and specifically on aircraft carriers and ballistic missiles submarines, but the private shipyards do not have the capacity to take on extra repair work. This lack of shipyard capacity is severely impacting our attack submarine fleet. For example, the USS Albany, which is an attack submarine, spent 48 months in the repair yard due to repeated delays as the workforce focused its attention on aircraft carriers and on ballistic missile submarines. That means an entire crew spent years waiting for a deployment that never came. Worse still, the USS Boise attack submarine wasn't even put in the shipyard last summer because the shipyard workload was so far over workforce capacity. As a result, that boat is currently sitting in Norfolk, VA, and is not certified to dive while it awaits maintenance. This is a taxpayer asset sitting at dock tied up, not being repaired, not even being worked on. Right now, it is so far out of shape, it is not even allowed to dive. In fact, the Boise will not be able to rejoin the fleet until 2020 or later. That means this vital Navy asset will be unavailable for at least another 48 months. In fact, a maintenance backlog has docked 15 nuclear-powered attack submarines for a total of 177 months--or almost 15 years--in which those attack submarines have not been available in the protection of our country. While I am discussing some serious Navy readiness challenges, all of our services face readiness challenges. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson recently said: The fiscal year 2018 continuing resolution is actually delaying our efforts to increase readiness of the force, and risk accumulates over time. We are stretching the force to the limit, and we need to start turning the corner on readiness. With a shortage of nearly 2,000 pilots, out of about 20,000 total, Secretary Wilson went on to say, current Active-Duty pilots were burning out because the Air Force was too small for what the Nation is asking. ``Our biggest need right now is for a higher and stable budget to provide security and solvency for the nation,'' she went on to say. According to Defense Secretary James Mattis, operating under a continuing resolution for 2018 runs the risk of delaying vital projects and increasing their costs, including 37 Navy projects, 16 Air Force projects, and 38 Army projects. The projects that could be impacted include progress on new trainer aircraft, weapons systems, and important training programs. The most important things Congress can do to solve these problems are to provide funding stability and avoid arbitrary budget caps that constrain defense spending below that which is required to protect our Nation. This bill that is before us now does both. More specifically, only by removing these caps can we avoid the Department of Defense having to make difficult choices that are so devastating for our Armed Forces. In particular, we must avoid their having to make the false choice of paying for readiness while assuming the risk for modernization or vice versa. The American people expect us to adequately defend America next year and for every year to come. This requires us to put an end to continuing resolutions and remove arbitrary budget caps and the threat of sequestration. Only by doing so can Congress fulfill its No. 1 responsibility: keeping Americans safe. I conclude by again thanking the majority leader for bringing the fiscal year 2018 Defense appropriations bill to the floor. He can't do it alone. He needs our cooperation. He needs our understanding as to just how critical this is. If there is not unanimous consent to move forward, it will require 60 of us to agree. It is time to bring this bill to the floor for full debate and passage. I ask all of my colleagues to support it, get it to the President's desk as soon as possible, and finally bring an end to the defense component of a continuing resolution that, with arbitrary budget caps, is so severely impacting the readiness of our Armed Forces. Thank you. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Madam President, on December 21, 2017, Senator Isakson was necessarily absent for the vote on the continuing resolution. He intended to vote yea, and it was my intention to vote no. As a courtesy to Senator Isakson, I voted yea, in order to pair our votes.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I now ask for a second reading and, in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Mr. ROUNDS

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

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I have 2 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Wednesday, January 17; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to concur in the House amendment to accompany S. 139; finally, that all time during recess, adjournment, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the motion to concur.

Mr. ROUNDS

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

Mr. ROUNDS

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

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I recognize Katie Murray for all of her hard work on behalf of myself, my staff, and the citizens of South Dakota while working in my Rapid City and Sioux Falls, offices. Katie is a joy to work with, and she has been an excellent public servant. We wish her the best in all of her future endeavors. The citizens of South Dakota, my staff, and I are grateful to Katie for her service. We are a better State because of her hard work.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I recognize Michele Mustain for all of her hard work on behalf of myself, my staff, and the people of South Dakota while working in my Sioux Falls, SD office. We are grateful for the excellent work she has done for other elected leaders and for all of the help she has given to the citizens of the United States. Because she has helped so many soldiers and their families, it is fitting that she will now be working for the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve. My staff and I wish her the best in the future. We will always appreciate her and her willingness to help us become better public servants.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I recognize Shelli Coffey for all of her hard work on behalf of myself, my staff, and the State of South Dakota while working in my Washington, DC, office. Shelli has spent her career working at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, spending time in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Shelli's insight into regulations and community banks has been a true asset to the office. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Shelli for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I recognize Maj. Michael ``Pako'' Benitez for all of his hard work on behalf of myself, my staff, and the State of South Dakota while working in my Washington, DC, office. Pako entered military service in 1997 and has devoted his career to the United States Armed Forces. Before his time in my office, Pako served as a flight commander and F-15E instructor weapons system officer. Pako's experiences and expertise have been a true asset to the office. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Pako for his service to our country. I wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life and legacy of Roger Roth, who passed away on November 21, 2017, at the age of 70. Roger grew up on a farm near Chelsea, SD, and graduated from Cresbard High School in 1965. In 1969, Roger began 39 years of public service as a postal carrier and then the postmaster at Warner, SD. His dedication to the people he served was recognized in 2001 when the National Association of Postmasters of the United States named him the Postmaster of the Year. We are also grateful for Roger's 38 years of service in the U.S. Army Reserve in both Aberdeen, SD, and Alexandria, VA. For many years, Roger was also a coach and umpire for many youth sports teams from midget league to college. He coached and helped coach the Warner American Legion baseball team for more than 25 years and was a South Dakota American Legion athletic commissioner for 5 years. He was a positive force in the lives of thousands of young people and was admired by all who met him. He also played baseball and softball for many years and was inducted into the Aberdeen Area Softball Hall of Fame and the South Dakota Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the official scorekeeper for Warner High School boys' and girls' basketball teams and for the Northern State University men's and women's basketball teams. He even drove the bus for the Presentation College baseball and volleyball teams. Roger was a member of the Warner Volunteer Fire Department, the Warner Sanitary Sewer District Board, the Warner-Stratford Lions Club, the Moose Lodge, the League Postmasters, and the Local National Active and Retired Federal Employees organization. In the small town of Warner, whenever help was needed, he was there to help meet that need. Above all else, Roger was a loving, caring husband to his wife, Judy, and to his children, Jim and Becky. He is gone now, but memories of him will live forever in the hearts of thousands of South Dakotans.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I recognize Van Pace for all of her hard work on behalf of myself, my staff, and the State of South Dakota while working in my Washington, DC, office. Van has spent the majority of her career in public service, including time with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and most recently with the Department of Homeland Security. Immediately before her time in my office, Van was advising Federal offices and nonprofit organizations on regulatory requirements for grant awards. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Van for her years in public service and wish her all the best in the years to come.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I recognize Roger Meyer for all of his hard work on behalf of myself, my staff, and the State of South Dakota while working in my Washington, DC, office. Roger has devoted the majority of his career to public service, including working in Congress and at the Department of Energy. In addition, Roger spent time on detail at the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an adviser to the Small State and Rural Advocate. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Roger for his years in public service and wish him all the best in the years to come.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I thank our colleague from Oklahoma for his remarks. Once again, he has talked about some commonsense solutions to our tax challenges in the United States today. At this time, I recognize Senator Cassidy, of Louisiana, for his thoughts concerning what we have to do to fix our tax challenges within our country.

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I thank Senator Cassidy for his words. Senator Cassidy is also a Member of what we call our bear den, the class of 2014. He came here with the idea of getting things done. Another Member of the class of 2014 who is with us today is the Senator from Alaska, Mr. Sullivan. Senator Sullivan comes with a fine and distinguished career in his having worked in the U.S. military, but he also has a strong interest in seeing economic development in the United States continue. He recognizes the need for tax relief. At this time, I turn to Senator Sullivan.

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Senator Sullivan from Alaska. Once again, he comes in from the class of 2014. We have a specific request to basically talk about what we see as being the appropriate way in which we create a healthy economy. I see that our colleague from Iowa has arrived, and if our colleague from Iowa, Senator Ernst, would care to speak, we would love to have her do that as well. Part of what Senator Sullivan has shared with us today is the move to get back to a growth of 3 percent, and in doing so, not only does that begin to move back into what most Americans would consider to be a healthy economy in which they can actually see their own families doing better, but we will also see better movement in terms of shortfalls in revenues coming into the Federal Government. With that, let me welcome to the floor Senator Ernst of Iowa, who also is a Member of the class of 2014. Senator Ernst.

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Senator from Iowa for her remarks. Once again, we call this midwestern common sense. Let me finish this colloquy today with a few thoughts. First of all, we want tax reform, but what we want first is a healthier economy. That is what the people of the United States want. They want the ability to compete. Over the last 10 years, there have been 4,700 businesses that have left our shores and moved overseas. The reason is that they can survive better by leaving our country and going someplace else because of the tax consequences of doing so. When we talk about the direction in which we want to go in this country, we want the people of America to understand that our goal with this entire package is to make things better for the American public. That means a healthier economy for them. It also means, by doing so, that they will see the bottom line in their own pockets--more money that they can spend that otherwise would go to the Federal Government. At the same time, businesses that may have left and taken their jobs and the opportunities to invest their dollars--we want them back in the United States again, hiring more people and paying better wages. We think that over the last 10 years, the American public hasn't seen those higher wages because the competition for jobs has moved offshore into other parts of the world where there is a more competitive tax climate. There is something else we have to point out. We recognize at the Federal level that we have a deficit and that we have not been able to break that deficit. Today we have a deficit that is in excess of $500 billion. Out of the $4.1 trillion in total payments that are out there, that we spend on an annual basis, our omnibus bill, as we call it--that is for the defense and nondefense discretionary side of the formula--we vote on $1.1 trillion of the $4 trillion. There is about $3 trillion that is automatic, that is on auto pilot--Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, interest on the debt. If we want to close that gap, then we have to see an economy which is growing, an economy which can support the programs that we believe are necessary, the safety nets that we in America have decided are very appropriate for those who have no place else to go. If we want to close the deficit, we need to have more revenues coming in. The only way we can pick up more revenues is by having an economy that is strong enough to support that. By actually reducing taxes, we bring in more businesses, and those businesses will make more profits. We are able to lower the rate of tax on profits, and that is returned to the American people in a number of ways--a lower tax burden through lower personal income taxes and through subchapter C and S corporations, through lower business taxes. Finally and just as importantly, in terms of how we support the operations of government, we support that because with a growing economy, the revenue coming from that growing economy can be utilized to eliminate the debt, which is a threat to our national defense. Mr. President, at this time, I thank my colleagues who have patiently worked their way through this process. I also thank the Senator from Colorado for beginning this colloquy. I yield the floor.