Mike Rounds

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Madam President, today I recognize Thomas McNamara, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Thomas is a graduate of St. John's College High School in Washington, DC. He attends the University of Texas at Austin, where he studies business and accounting. He is an inquisitive and committed worker who has been devoted to getting the most out of his internship experience and who has been a true asset to the office. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Thomas for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and 100 years of national parks. Often called the land of ``Great Faces, Great Places,'' South Dakota's differing landscapes and abundance of outdoor activities mean there is something for everyone to enjoy. As a result, spending time outside with our family and friends is one of our favorite pastimes. This August marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. South Dakota is fortunate to be home to six national parks located throughout the State. Among them are the desolate but beautiful Badlands and one of our country's oldest national parks: Wind Cave. Jewel Cave in Custer, the Lewis & Clark Trail, the Minuteman Missile Site, and Mount Rushmore are all maintained by the National Park Service as well. The sixth national park, the Missouri River, cuts the State in half and provides energy and entertainment to people across the State. Few realize that a 100-mile stretch of the Missouri River is part of both the National Park System and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The world's first national park, Yellowstone, was established by Congress in 1872, before Montana or Wyoming were official States. Following that, the Organic Act of 1916 created the National Park Service as an agency under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. The Organic Act was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on August 25, 1916. The purpose of the National Park Service was to ``conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.'' The National Park Service has continued to fulfill this mission for the past 100 years. There is no better place to spend quality time with friends and family than the great outdoors of South Dakota, and there is no better time to celebrate the great outdoors than this year.

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 ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

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, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaty transmitted to the Senate on June 28, 2016, by the President of the United States: Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of Montenegro, Treaty Document No. 114-12. I further ask that the treaty be considered as having been read the first time; that it be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the President's message be printed in the Record.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 318, H.R. 3766.

Mr. ROUNDS. I ask unanimous consent that the Rubio substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the Rubio title amendment be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 29; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the House message to accompany S. 2328, with the time until the cloture vote equally divided between the two leaders or their designees.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, it is truly an honor to work with the Senator from Georgia, the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I can tell you that on behalf of the 72,000 veterans from South Dakota, it is work that needs to be done. We appreciate the service of the chairman and the service of the ranking member in making this a bipartisan effort. Unfortunately, many of our Nation's heroes aren't receiving the quality of health care they have been promised due to decades of mismanagement and ongoing problems with the VA. It is not acceptable, as the chairman has pointed out. In fact, of all the calls we receive in my State asking for help with Federal agencies, over half of all of those calls are coming from veterans seeking help with VA issues. These veterans in South Dakota and across the entire country continue to experience problems with health care delivery at the VA, including backlogs, long wait times, and frequent billing errors. As we seek to address these issues within the entire VA system, accountability is as important as it has ever been. The Veterans First Act takes meaningful steps to hold the VA accountable and in turn improve the care for our veterans, which is the most important priority of all. This legislation, the Veterans First Act, puts the needs of our veterans first by addressing the lack of accountability at the VA. Unfortunately, the administration last week announced that it would not defend a provision of the Veterans Choice Act, which was passed with strong majorities in both Chambers of Congress in 2014 and was signed by the President. In response, the VA announced last week it would no longer use its expedited removal authority to hold VA senior executives accountable, given this Justice Department decision. Regardless of the legal arguments surrounding this issue, the fact is that as a result of the VA's decision, we are now back to pre-Phoenix scandal accountability at the VA. We owe it to our veterans to make certain they receive the best care possible and not have the agency responsible for that care refuse to remove nonperforming or even criminally acting officials from important positions, as Congress granted the VA the right to do in the Veterans Choice Act 2 years ago. This is also important given that until recently, the VA didn't have a permanent inspector general, or IG, in the last 2 years. Inspectors general are impartial and independent units within most Federal agencies whose duty it is to provide accountability and oversight to combat waste, fraud, and abuse within the government. During that same timeframe, the VA has been plagued with some of the worst scandals and mismanagement in the agency's history, and our veterans have paid the price. Some have even died. While I am glad that Inspector General Missal is now in office and can begin to address some of the VA's fraud and waste allegations, it is still too little too late. That is why the bipartisan Veterans First Act is so important. Our bill will take strong, definitive, immediate steps to hold VA employees accountable for their actions. Let me give some examples of what this bill includes. It will shorten the grievance process, making it easier to dismiss VA officials who breached the trust of the veterans they are supposed to serve. It will remove the Merit Systems Protection Board from the appeal process for senior executives, and it expedites, when necessary, the removal of any employees at the--executives and rank-and-file employees alike. You don't have to take my word for it, and you don't have to take the word of any Senator in this body; you can simply listen to the words of Secretary McDonald himself. On Monday he stated--this is a quote from Secretary McDonald of the VA: The answer to the whole thing in my opinion is the Veterans First Act. The provisions that Senator Isakson and Senator Blumenthal have put in the Veterans First Act we all support. VA supports them. The Republican party in the Senate supports them. The Democratic party in the Senate supports them. We really think that this is the ultimate answer. I'm hoping the Veterans First Act will get passed soon. This bill also includes a number of provisions that I have offered to improve accountability and care at the VA, such as the Veterans Choice Equal Cost for Care Act, which amends the Choice Act by eliminating the secondary payer clause to make certain veterans do not pay more for private care under the Choice Act than they would have if they were seen at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facility. The key to that is right now we have veterans going in and getting care at a private facility and assuming that the VA is going to pick up the cost for them, and then they find out that under the current plan where the VA is a secondary payer only, they have to pick up their own deductibles, which they are not being reimbursed for, because the VA is secondary, not primary. That is wrong. That was not the intent of the Choice Act in the first place. The Veterans First Act takes care of that issue and will take care of a huge amount of the challenges we have right now with the Choice Act. Also, the Veterans Health Administration Spending and Transparency Oversight Act is legislation that requires the Veterans Health Administration, or VHA, to produce an annual report to Congress detailing the cost of the health care that it provides to our veterans. Having accurate cost accounting by the VHA will help Congress identify legislation options aimed at better health care for our Nation's veterans. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the Veterans First Act, and I thank the members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, especially Chairman Isakson, Ranking Member Blumenthal, and all the Members here today for working together to produce meaningful bipartisan reforms at the VA. Our Nation's veterans, who are now defending and have selflessly defended and protected our freedoms, deserve that same commitment from the country they so proudly fought for and defended. With that, Mr. President, I would like to yield back to the chairman.

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 ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2016, at 10 a.m., in room SR-253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2016, at 2 p.m., in room SR-253 of the Russell Senate Office Building, to conduct a Subcommittee hearing entitled ``Assessing the Coast Guard's Increasing Duties: A Focus on Drug and Migrant Interdiction.''

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2016, at 2 p.m., in room SD-215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Business in the Digital Age.''

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2016, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``U.S. Policy in Libya.''

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2016, at 10 a.m., in room SD-430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Implementing the Child Care Development Block Grant Act of 2014: Perspectives of Stakeholders.''

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2016, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``America's Insatiable Demand for Drugs: Examining Potential Approaches.''

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2016, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing entitled ``Closing the Gap: Innovations to Promote Americans' Financial Security.''

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2016, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 15, 2016, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Barriers to Education Globally: Getting Girls in the Classroom.''

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 unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Thursday, June 16; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 2578.

Mr. ROUNDS

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

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, as the Senate continues to consider the National Defense Authorization Act, the NDAA, I rise today to discuss an amendment in support of my constituents who are military retirees, as well as military retirees in many other States. My amendment would change a provision being proposed in this bill that requires military retirees and their families who don't have easy access to a military treatment facility, such as on a base, to unfairly pay higher copays for their prescription medications. TRICARE provides health care services for our servicemembers, our military retirees, and their families. Using TRICARE, military retirees can get free prescription drugs at a military treatment facility. In other words, our military retirees who live close to a base have no copays for their prescription drugs. However, if they draw these prescriptions from a retail pharmacy or through the TRICARE-approved mail order system, they are required to make a copayment. My amendment deals with a provision in today's bill that directs the Department of Defense, or DOD, to increase these copayments that military retirees obtain from a retail pharmacy or through mail order rather from a military treatment facility. The provision will require those military retirees who live far away from a base, without easy access to a military treatment facility, to get their prescriptions and to pay more for their use of retail pharmacies and mail order. Why would anybody seek to make it more expensive for our military retirees to receive a benefit they have been promised just because they live far away from a military treatment facility? The answer is simple. It is sequestration. We are making cuts to an existing budget. This provision was inserted as a cost-savings measure, one that tries to balance and measure out the costs based upon or demanded by sequestration. But we are doing it on the backs of military retirees. It is being done to try to make some tough budget decisions. But this arbitrary cost-cutting measure is estimated to cost our military retiree families in rural areas-- and I emphasize ``in rural areas''--$2 billion over the next 10 years. I don't think it is fair for us to make those who live in rural areas-- rural years like South Dakota--to pay a higher copay because of where they live. We have made promises to these men and whom who made incredible sacrifices to protect our country that they would be able to have adequate health insurance coverage, including access to prescription drugs and medicines. It is not fair to make them bear a $2 billion cost for prescription drugs simply because of where they live. My amendment would stipulate that if a military retiree lives more than 40 miles from a military treatment facility, they would not be saddled with this additional copay. Further, my amendment would require an assessment by the Department of Defense of the added costs that would be borne by these military retirees and their families as a result of increased TRICARE prescription drug copays. This will enable Congress to make reasonable future decisions with regard to increased TRICARE prescription drug copayments that may have a disproportionate impact on those living distant from military treatment facilities. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss my amendment, which would rectify a serious effect on military retirees and their families. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I remind my fellow Americans of National Jerky Day on June 12, 2016. Jerky has been a staple of the American diet since the birth of our Nation because of its portability and high protein content. Early settlers learned bison jerky preparation techniques from Native Americans. Lewis and Clark cured and ate jerky over the course of their historic expedition. Now, our astronauts consume jerky aboard the International Space Station. The production of jerky is also an important component of our national economy. Companies from coast to coast employ thousands of workers to produce American-made jerky and distribute it internationally. Our Nation's farmers and ranchers produce high-quality products that help make the best jerky in the world. Therefore, I encourage my fellow citizens to enjoy a nutritious jerky snack in celebration of National Jerky Day on Sunday, June 12, 2016.