Mike Rounds

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following legislative fellows in my office be granted the privileges of the floor for the remainder of the Congress: Robert Watson Fagan and Benjamin Shafer.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I rise to discuss bipartisan legislation that I have introduced with Senator Lujan which would grant a Federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated, known as NAIV. The NAIV was chartered in 2004, with headquarters located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Reservation in South Dakota. The NAIV was originally established as the result of a request by former Senators Akaka, Inouye, and Nighthorse Campbell during a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee in 2004. At that time, no Native American veterans organization had ever received a congressional charter. Sadly, that remains the case today, nearly 20 years later. But that omission would be fixed by this legislation. The NAIV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that operates solely for charitable, literary, educational, scientific, patriotic, and civil improvement purposes. It provides a voice to Native American veterans whose unique needs are not always represented adequately by other organizations. Native Americans are the highest serving race per capita in the U.S. Armed Forces, often serving at a rate five times over the national average, and have served with distinction in every U.S. conflict over the last 200 years. They also have some of the highest concentration of women servicemembers. According to a 2020 VA statistics report, there are over 140,000 Native American veterans across the Nation today. Discussions with Tribal leaders would indicate that this number is most likely an undercount and the true number likely approaches 200,000. The NAIV serves the interests and needs of Native veterans in all 50 States. It conducts activities in collaboration with its national leadership and its 14 regional offices. Tribes rotate to host regional and State NAIV meetings. This is all done in a decentralized manner, respecting the independence and sovereignty of all Tribal nations. NAIV often has been the only national Native American veterans organization invited to testify before Congress on issues facing Native veterans nationwide. NAIV works to make sure that our Native American veterans receive the benefits, compensation, and resources that they have earned. Among its activities, NAIV provided critical support for construction of an American Indian Veterans Memorial at the Riverside National Cemetery in California. In addition, COVID-19 had a significant impact on Tribal reservations, and the NAIV secured over 5 million masks, thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer, and personal protective equipment to respond to the pandemic. It distributed these critical resources to over 375 Tribes in 30 States at no cost to our veterans or their Tribes. NAIV also serves on the Disaster Response and Recovery Working Group of the FCC Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee and has been a tireless advocate of providing broadband access to Tribal communities throughout the Nation. Last week, we celebrated Veterans Day, an opportunity to honor our veterans for their service. Also, last week, we finally saw the dedication of the National Native American Veterans Memorial on the National Mall here in DC. While the Native American Veterans Memorial actually opened in 2020, due to COVID, the dedication did not occur until this year. I believe we have the opportunity today to address another overdue recognition of our Native American veterans by finally approving the Federal charter for the National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated, to recognize all the work the organization does on behalf of our Native American veterans. Mr. President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 1725 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Madam President, I rise today to honor an exceptional member of the Air National Guard. I would like to recognize Lt. Col. Laurie Rodriguez's distinguished service and dedication to enhancing the relationship between the National Guard and my office as a legislative liaison. A native of Brandon, SD, Lieutenant Colonel Rodriguez enlisted in the South Dakota Air National Guard and was later commissioned as a force support officer. She has served 25 years in both the South Dakota and Mississippi National Guard in a broad range of drill status and Active- Duty assignments, including a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Currently, she is excelling in not one, but two, demanding positions as the 186th Force Support Squadron commander and as the joint team lead for the National Guard Bureau Office of Legislative Liaison. Additionally, she has served Active-Duty tours at Headquarters Air Force, the Executive Office of the President's Office of National Drug Control Policy, and several offices within the National Guard Bureau. Lieutenant Colonel Rodriguez has served as a legislative liaison officer since October of 2018. Her attention to detail and responsiveness strengthened the relationship between my office and the National Guard immeasurably. Additionally, she formulated the congressional engagement plan and prepared National Guard leadership for over 71 meetings and hearings, informing congressional members on the National Guard Bureau's legislative priorities. Her efforts played a pivotal role in securing $129 million in appropriations in support of counter drug operations helping deter the opioid epidemic. Laurie also served as lead action officer on the impacts the creation of the Space Force had on 13 National Guard units with space missions. Finally, she answered hundreds of congressional inquiries, which provided critical information necessary for the consideration of three National Defense Authorization Acts. She did all of this while taking care of the men and women under her command at the 186th Force Support Squadron. After concluding this challenging assignment in August, Lieutenant Colonel Rodriguez will take on another challenging role as a deputy division chief within the National Guard Bureau Operations Directorate. She embodies the qualities that the Nation expects from our officer corps and has a promising career ahead in continued service to our Nation. In closing, I express my gratitude and appreciation to Lieutenant Colonel Rodriguez for her excellent support of my office in furtherance of National Guard missions and my appreciation to her supportive husband, Angello Rodriguez. I wish this National Guard family all the best in their next chapter of service to our Nation.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Madam President, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate: First of all, to my friend and colleague, Senator Brown, I thank you for the opportunity to participate today, and I hope to do my best to add a feeling of strength to the message that Dr. Martin Luther King shared in his letter. This is a reading from a ``Letter From Birmingham Jail,'' Dr. Martin L. King Jr., April 16, 1963. My Dear Fellow Clergymen: While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities ``unwise and untimely.'' Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms. I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against ``outsiders coming in.'' I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently, we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their ``thus saith the Lord'' far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial `outside agitator' idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds. You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative. In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good faith negotiation. Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants--for example, to remove the stores' humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained. As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves: ``Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?'' ``Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?'' We decided to schedule our direct action program for the Easter season, realizing that except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic-withdrawal program would be the byproduct of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change. Then it occurred to us that Birmingham's mayoral election was coming up in March, and we speedily decided to postpone action until after election day. When we discovered that the Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene ``Bull'' Connor, had piled up enough votes to be in the run off, we decided again to postpone action until the day after the run off so that the demonstrations could not be used to cloud the issues. Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end, we endured postponement after postponement. Having aided in this community need, we felt that our direct action program could be delayed no longer.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. On this vote, I have a pair with the junior Senator from New Mexico, Mr. Lujan. If he were present and voting, he would vote yea. If I were permitted to vote, I would vote nay. I, therefore, withdraw my vote.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Madam President, tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the day the United States entered Afghanistan--the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. On October 7, 2001, the U.S. military conducted its first strike on the terrorists responsible for attacking our Nation on 9/11. As President Bush said on that day: It was not a mission we asked for but a mission that we would fulfill. For the past two decades, brave men and women have answered the call and put on the uniform of our country to fight terrorists in the name of freedom. We were a beacon of hope in a region of chaos. Our presence made a difference. As I travel my home State of South Dakota, I have heard from many people who were disturbed by the events that unfolded during our final days in Afghanistan. I share their frustrations. Together, we watched the Taliban forcefully regain control of an entire country that we worked so hard to keep free from terrorist groups. We watched the credibility of the United States on the world's stage diminish as we carelessly left our friends and allies behind. We watched civilians hopelessly cling to the wings of aircraft in desperate hope of escape. And we watched 13 brave men and women in uniform lose their lives while helping others seek freedom. As we mourn the loss of their lives, we recognize and appreciate their service to our Nation. We also remember all those who fought by our side for 20 years, many of whom remain trapped in Afghanistan. A citizen of South Dakota, Brandy Roseland, a veteran from Belle Fourche, worked as a contractor in Afghanistan. That is where she met her interpreter. According to Brandy, her interpreter served with the highest distinction and faced great personal risk, often putting himself in harm's way to aid and protect Americans and his fellow Afghans. On one such occasion, Brandy's interpreter discovered an American contractor who died in an accident outside of Kabul. The interpreter singlehandedly returned the contractor's body, as well as sensitive equipment and documents, to the U.S. Embassy. That took courage. Brandy returned to the United States, but she stayed in contact with her interpreter. When Afghanistan began to fall to the Taliban, she knew that she needed to do all she could to help him get out safely. That is when Brandy called us and asked if we could help him escape the clutches of the Taliban. For weeks, our office worked relentlessly to maneuver his application for a special immigrant visa throughout the bureaucratic process at the State Department. Our work was ultimately successful from an administrative standpoint, but the overall mission was a failure. While we had done all we could to help the interpreter receive his visa, our forces had exited before he could get on a plane to safety because of the President's date certain which he set for withdrawal. Today, this interpreter remains in hiding in Afghanistan. If he is found by the Taliban, his fate will certainly be sealed. We all know that there are no easy answers when it comes to Afghanistan, but there was clearly a wrong one. For months, we had warned of the perils of making an arbitrary decision based on the calendar as opposed to an assessment of the conditions on the ground. And we weren't alone. As the only Republican member of both the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, I have had the opportunity these past few weeks to hear from the senior military officers who advised President Biden: General Milley, Secretary Austin, and General McKenzie. Their message to the President was clear: a withdrawal on a date certain, without conditions, would lead to the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. Despite receiving the best military advice in the world, President Biden decided to use his own judgment, and he made the wrong decision. His directive to withdraw on a date certain, without regard for the conditions on the ground, needlessly put American soldiers in harm's way and forced our military to undertake an assignment which they simply could not totally complete. Our military simply ran out of time. They could not get all of our Americans out, and they could not get all of our Afghan allies out, including Brandy's interpreter. But it didn't have to end this way. Our military leaders offered the President the correct path forward. Their Commander in Chief failed them. Lately, the President has blamed a lot of people for his failure. This includes the Afghan security forces and his own generals, who he falsely claimed advised him to make this decision. But this does not fall on any of them. President Biden owns this debacle, and history will not judge him kindly. Because of his error, al-Qaida now has a breeding ground. America is less safe. The world is less safe. I will close with a message for our veterans. While I was Governor, I attended 31 funerals in South Dakota for South Dakotans who died fighting the War on Terror. We will not forget their sacrifice nor their family's loss. While freedom may not endure in Afghanistan today, for 20 years, you--you veterans--you protected our Nation and kept the fight away from our doorstep. Your service was not in vain. Your sacrifice made a difference. You represent the best of our country, and your Nation is grateful. Please always remember it is not the politician who protects our right to vote; it is not the journalist who protects our freedom of speech; and it is not the preacher who protects our freedom of religion. All of our freedoms are defended and protected, generation after generation, by the men and women who put on the uniform of the United States of America. We are grateful to you for your sacrifice and your service. May God continue to bless all of you veterans, and may the Good Lord continue to bless these United States of America. Thank you. I yield the floor. Nomination of Sarah A. L. Merriam

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Madam President, today I rise to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Custer County Senior Citizen Center in Custer, SD. The Custer County Senior Citizen Center has continually been a place of resource, entertainment, recreation, and community for the venerable elder citizenry of the Custer Community and southern Black Hills since 1971; the 50 years of success the Custer Senior Center has enjoyed is fully supported by the hundreds of volunteers who have donated thousands of hours every year for five decades to help the senior center thrive and grow into the valuable community resource it has become. The Custer County Senior Center provides unlimited opportunities for growth, prosperity, increased longevity, and improved quality of life to our valuable senior citizens by providing educational, cultural, financial, medical, intellectual, and fitness programs throughout the year. The Custer County Senior Center will continue into the next 50 years providing unparalleled service to the golden age population of Custer County, the Black Hills, and the State of South Dakota as it has done since its inception, with the support of the community, the members, the volunteers, and the dedicated staff at the center.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I rise to support the Senator's motion and the amendment. This is a case where we are trying to eliminate the silos within the Federal Government. When it comes to cyber security, this is a really good example of one where you have multiple Agencies trying to work together. This makes it very clear that it is not just a matter of discussing or consulting but, rather, that it will be a coordinated effort. It recognizes once again that the Department of Homeland Security and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are taking the lead role. With that, I would offer my full support as well. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I rise to thank Belle Lunders, one of my constituents, for sharing the significance of Trisomy 13 awareness. I ask unanimous consent that her statement regarding Trisomy 13 be submitted to the Congressional Record.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I rise today to honor an exceptional member of the Department of the Air Force. I would like to recognize Lt. Col. Terrell ``T'' Tillery's distinguished service and dedication to enhancing the relationship between the U.S. Air Force and my office. Lieutenant Colonel Tillery has distinguished himself through his professional character and leadership by serving our Nation in uniform. A leader and expert communicator, he has provided exemplary service to our country while assigned to the Air Force Senate Liaison Office. Terrell is a career force support officer with experience in manpower, personnel, and services, including assignments as a force support squadron commander, recorder for the USAF Selection Board Secretariat, and a squadron section commander. He has served tours at the base, major command, agency, center and air staff levels. He has deployed in support of Operations Willing Spirit, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Freedom's Sentinel. It was this experience that made Terrell the perfect fit to serve as a legislative liaison officer for the Department of the Air Force for the past 2 years on Capitol Hill. Terrell served as a legislative liaison officer from July 2019 to May 2021, skillfully performing his duties throughout. His attention to detail and responsiveness strengthened the capabilities of my office in support of our special relationship with the Air Force. Specifically, Terrell shaped numerous engagements between my office and Air Force senior leaders. Of special concern to me was the related dialog concerning the Air Force's future to include that of the KC-46 and B-21 aircraft, the Next Generation Air Dominance Program, and the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent. Additionally, Terrell's direct support provided me and my staff with critical information necessary for our consideration of two National Defense Authorization Acts. After concluding this challenging assignment, Lieutenant Colonel Tillery will take command of another U.S. Air Force squadron, this time the 355th Force Support Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ. In closing, I express my gratitude and appreciation to Lieutenant Colonel Tillery for his excellent support of me and my staff in furtherance of the Air Force and Space Force missions and my appreciation to his supportive family, Mrs. Catherine Tillery, and their three children Tucker, Collier and Chandler Grace. I wish this Air Force family all the best in their next chapter of service to our Nation.

Mr. ROUNDS

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

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I move to recess.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, first of all, let me thank my colleague from North Dakota for making this presentation to begin with and my colleague from North Carolina for supporting him in this action. We appreciate the comments the Senator from Maryland has made, but we, most certainly, disagree with the approach he is suggesting. Senator Cramer has suggested that we have a very serious problem here that has to be addressed. This is something that does not affect just Republican businesses. It affects all businesses. You are talking about 4.2 million small businesses across the United States that are being impacted by this that have borrowed money in good faith and that have kept their businesses open. Now, surprisingly, when it comes time for the forgiveness portion of this to occur, we have a very challenging process put in place--a burdensome process--that could only have been done with the common sense found in Washington, DC, not in the rest of the country. To make the application more difficult for one to get forgiveness than the actual application to participate in the program in the first place is simply absurd. Let me share with you a message from one of our bank executives in South Dakota. He is a rather prominent CEO in South Dakota. I share with you that I have cleaned this up a little bit and will paraphrase his quote to us after we asked him for information concerning how the banks will try to handle this. Remember, the banks didn't have to participate in this, but they did so, in a way, to literally get money out in a very short period of time to the businesses that desperately needed the money in order to survive. First of all, they had open lines of communication with the SBA literally 24/7 for more than a week in their trying to get approval for individual applications. They helped small businesses actually fill out the applications in the first place. Second of all, these banks will become responsible for these loans, and unless they are forgiven, they will stay with the banks. If we are successful in coming to an agreement on additional loans being made in the future, how in the world can we expect these banks to get back in if we can't even follow up on our agreement that we would make this a simple process to get the loans forgiven in the first tranche that we have completed? Let me share with you what this CEO writes. This has to do with his version of what is going on. We have literally received dozens of these types of comments from bank loan officers in the Upper Midwest, particularly in South Dakota. I will paraphrase because, as I say, we had to clean this up a little bit. The forgiveness piece of the PPP is a disaster. I have 750 loans out of 1,381 that are under $20,000 and 50 that are under $2,000. They have, basically, the same forgiveness process as the loans of my largest borrower, which is for over $4 million. So we are asking them to fill out the same paperwork as we do a large loan recipient. He goes on to write: The simplified version of the PPP loan forgiveness application program is not that simple. The Government Accountability Office has studied it and has said that it takes a borrower 15 hours to complete and the lender 75 hours to process. Let me say that again. It takes 15 hours for the loan borrower to actually do the paperwork and 75 hours to process it. Our borrowers are not happy nor are we as bankers. This is not what we signed up for in order to get disaster payments to our customers. We are trying to hold off the small businesses that borrowed under $150,000, but they are getting anxious. We as lenders busted our tails to get this money out, and we are getting absolutely hosed by this process. I might add that this is not the word he used. Lenders feel as though they have really been let down. There is more than a little fatigue with the entire PPP loan forgiveness process. If we used any kind of common sense like they have in the Upper Midwest, we would have fixed this thing already. Unfortunately, it is in the middle of a political process in Washington, DC, and 4.2 million small businesses hang in the balance. Their ability to take care of a loan--that we had committed would be forgiven if they were to follow through--is now in jeopardy. Time is running out. I appreciate the opportunity, once again, to support the legislation that Senator Cramer from North Dakota has proposed. I hope that our colleagues on both sides of the aisle will come back and start using some of that common sense that seems to prevail in the rest of the United States even though it is not always evident here in Washington, DC. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the Disabled American Veterans--DAV--organization for its commitment to serving wartime-disabled veterans since its formation 100 years ago. As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am grateful for the positive impact of the DAV on disabled veterans in South Dakota and across the Nation. Founded on September 25, 1920, the DAV has grown to become the largest wartime veterans service organization in the United States, with more than 1 million members in 1,344 chapters around the country. The DAV helps disabled veterans and their families work through the bureaucracy of the Federal and local governments to make sure they receive the benefits they deserve. Additionally, the organization operates a nationwide transportation network, providing free transportation for disabled veterans to Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics. We are truly blessed to have the DAV organization in South Dakota and in the United States. They give their time, talent, knowledge, and friendship to disabled veterans who need it most. We are thankful for their 100 years of service to the veteran community. May God continue to bless the DAV and everyone they serve. Thank you.

Mr. ROUNDS

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

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the vote scheduled for 1:30 p.m. be allowed to start at this time.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I rise today to urge the Senate to include the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act in a COVID-19 response legislation that we are considering during this work period. This is legislation I have worked on with my colleague Senator Angus King of Maine for several years, long before COVID-19 disrupted the safety and security of the American food supply. It has bipartisan support. COVID-19 revealed the cracks in multiple industries--our food supply, pharmaceuticals, defense, and manufacturing in general. Every American pays the price for foreign reliance--every American. This is a moment in history when we can rebuild what ``American made'' and what ``made America great'' really means in the first place. That, of course, is American production and innovation across all industries. As consumers of food--and that is everybody, Republican and Democrat alike, Independents included--we should demand that we have this production capacity in the United States. Heavy reliance on foreign production and manufacturing is a mistake, and America needs to see a renaissance of American production and ingenuity. Just as an example, on July 29 of this year, it was announced that JBS, a Brazilian-owned company, intends to acquire the Mountain States Rosen lamb plant in Greeley, CO. It has been reported that JBS will grind hamburger and cut steaks, which, unfortunately, will eliminate the ability of this plant to process nearly 350,000 lambs within the United States. This is yet another example of a foreign company working to consolidate and to integrate the American food supply system to the detriment of U.S. ag producers. We just simply can't sit here and watch this occur on our watch. We are already paying the price of foreign ownership in our food supply system today. The time is now to aggressively pursue American options for production and processing in order to protect American consumers and our entire economy. Right now, we are actually giving an unfair and unnecessary advantage to the large, sometimes foreign-owned, meat processing facilities. These large facilities typically pursue licensing through the USDA Federal meat inspection process, which gives them a certification allowing them to sell across all State lines. However, smaller processors that are trying to inject competition into a market which is dominated by primarily big players, typically pursue State-inspected certifications, which, unfortunately, today, do not allow them to sell meat across State lines. The irony is that the State processors that are out there also need to be federally approved to meet or exceed these Federal inspection standards. So our smaller meat processors are achieving a certification of equal or higher standards but are given a license with less ability to market their product. They have to stay within the boundaries of the State in which they are produced. In my hometown of Fort Pierre, SD, a beef processing company was announced to be opening in May of this year, 2020. This is the kind of American production we want to see more of. But if this processor chooses to pursue a State-inspected meat license instead of a USDA license, they will not be able to sell across State lines, even though South Dakota's meat poultry inspection program has standards that meet or exceed Federal inspection standards. This is unacceptable and is harming our small American processors' ability to compete fairly. This is why we should include the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act in our next COVID-19 relief legislation. In recent months, partially due to the toll the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our meat processing facilities, we have seen renewed support for this particular effort. In the Senate, we now have 12 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. Additionally, there was companion legislation which was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming. I would like to explain what our legislation does and why it is so important to include it as part of the Federal Government's response to COVID-19. The New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act would allow meat that has been inspected by a federally approved State meat and poultry inspection program to be sold across State lines. Currently, cattle, sheep, and swine that are raised in South Dakota by some of the best producers in the world and inspected at a South Dakota processing facility are limited to markets within the State. Yet they meet or exceed Federal inspection standards. It just doesn't make sense, especially when there is high demand for locally sourced and processed proteins in a State-approved facility, which, by Federal law has standards that meet or exceed Federal inspection standards. Our legislation would allow these products, which pass State inspection standards, to be sold across State lines, opening up new markets for producers and giving consumers greater choice at the grocery store. At a time when our food supply is in danger, this is a very easy first step. Like so many sectors of our economy, the food production industry was ill-prepared for the unprecedented changes that needed to be made when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Labor shortages and worker protection measures slowed down plants around the country, and outbreaks even caused some of the facilities to shut down entirely. We saw this happen in my home State of South Dakota, where our Sioux Falls Smithfield plant processes 20,000 hogs a day and employs approximately 35 hard-working individuals. At the peak of the crisis, hog processing dropped approximately 40 percent in May, and beef production dropped approximately 35 percent in May, when compared to 2019 production levels across the United States. At one point, there was a backlog of nearly 1 million cattle ready to be processed. Meanwhile, grocery stores across the country began to see meat shortages on their shelves because of the chokepoint found in the concentration of beef processing at the big four packers, where processing capacity had been curtailed. Livestock producers were faced with one of the worst scenarios they could face--having to euthanize their animals because they weren't able to get them into a processing facility. While we have been able to recover some of the production capacity since that time, it is far from being back to normal, and we are still unprepared to deal with the continuing pandemic. While we work to get meat and pork processing facilities back up and running at capacity, we should also be utilizing State-based solutions to help offset the backlog and help provide additional capacity. Specifically, we should include the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act in the next relief package. Currently, 27 States operate State meat inspection programs. Meat and poultry inspected at these facilities are already sold for public consumption in the States where they are licensed. Today, if you have meat or poultry processed at a South Dakota inspection facility in Hudson, SD, you wouldn't be able to sell it across the border just a few miles away in Iowa, but you could sell it a couple hundred miles away in Lemmon, SD. It really doesn't make much sense, especially since State meat and poultry inspection facilities are required by law to be at least equal to federally inspected processing facilities with regard to their food safety standards. These products are safe for consumption and should be allowed to be sold nationwide. This will help offset the pressure on federally inspected facilities during the ongoing pandemic and in the future as well. This is a commonsense solution that has bipartisan, bicameral support. It is time to end this arbitrary regulation restricting the sale of these products to within State lines and allow facilities inspected by State meat inspection programs to increase production and sell their product nationwide. Including the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act in future COVID-19 relief legislation is good for producers and very good for consumers. I yield the floor.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize Josh Jorgensen, a legislative aide in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, his colleagues, and the State of South Dakota. Josh is a native of Sioux Falls, SD. He is a graduate of Bishop O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, SD, and the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD. During his undergraduate career, Josh majored in journalism and political science and served as president of the College Republicans. Josh first joined my office as an intern in the spring of 2016. During this time, he proved himself to be a diligent and dedicated worker and became a true asset to my office. He later returned as a senior legislative correspondent, and through hard work and dedication, he worked his way up to legislative aide, handling Tribal relations, healthcare, and education issues for my office. Josh has played an instrumental role in my office by providing insight and guidance into these issues. Josh has been a dedicated and faithful public servant during his time working in the Senate. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to him for his fine work. As he continues on with his career, he bears the esteem of a grateful State and my utmost gratitude for a job well done.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, today I recognize Lee Axdahl for his years of leadership to the State of South Dakota and our Nation as a strong advocate for highway safety. Lee has always been a leader. Before becoming involved in highway safety, he had a successful career in radio broadcasting where he won numerous broadcast journalism awards, owned several radio stations, and served as president of the South Dakota Broadcasters Association. Lee got his start in highway safety in 2007 when he began working at the South Dakota Office of Accident Records as the statistical program manager. In 2010, when I was working as Governor of South Dakota, I appointed Lee to serve as director of the South Dakota Highway Safety Office. He was subsequently reappointed by Governors Dennis Daugaard and Kristi Noem. Under Lee's leadership, South Dakota has experienced record-low traffic fatality levels, including a 22-percent decline in 2019. Under his leadership, the State of South Dakota has secured a record five highway safety programming commendations in its most recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Management Review. Over the years, Lee has worked to implement the State's award-winning ``Grim Reaper'' public awareness campaign and advocated for expansion of South Dakota's innovative 24/7 sobriety program to reduce impaired driving. He also modernized South Dakota's crash reporting abilities by adopting an electronic system, which has improved data submission periods from more than 4 months to less than 7 days. Lee's impact on highway safety has extended beyond South Dakota. He has served on the board of directors and executive committee of the Governors Highway Safety Association--GHSA--most recently having served as its treasurer. In this role, he has mentored new highway safety directors from other States by offering insight into the successes of South Dakota. Additionally, he has served as the Federal Reauthorization Subcommittee chair for the GHSA, where he improved the Nation's transportation policy in the FAST Act. I commend Lee Axdahl for his service to South Dakota and our Nation. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

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., Tuesday, March 24; 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 proceed to H.R. 748.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of Executive Calendar No. 632; that the nominations be confirmed; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. ROUNDS

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that that the Senate proceed to legislative session for 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 Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that, if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.

Mr. ROUNDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 238, 451, 453, 571, and 630.