John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), and the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Marshall).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I want to begin this morning by congratulating the South Dakota State University football team on an incredible win Saturday in Brookings, SD. I happened to be on hand for this great event. Thanks to their great performance in Saturday's game, which included five scores in their first five possessions, the Jackrabbits are headed to the FCS National Championship for the second time in three seasons. Saturday's win is the latest in a banner season for the Jacks, who have gone 13 and 1 and won the Missouri Valley Conference to become the No. 1 seed in the FCS playoffs. Of course, Saturday's game would not have been possible without the men and women who worked to clear the roads around Brookings, and the volunteers and staff who cleared the field and seats after a major snowstorm last week. When the game got underway, temperatures were in the single digits, not including the windchill. When you add in the windchill, it was well below zero. I am grateful for the hard work of all the staff who made it possible, which allowed, by the way, literally thousands of people-- thousands of Jacks fans, like me--to be there to cheer on our team. Remarkably, in spite of the conditions, there was a great crowd on hand to see this historic win. I am looking forward to rooting for the Jacks next month when they take on the North Dakota State University Bison in the championship game in Frisco, TX, where, hopefully, it will be a little warmer than 9 degrees.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse), and the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), and the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch) would have voted ``Nay.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, yesterday afternoon, Richard Shelby delivered his farewell address here in the U.S. Senate. It is difficult to think of the Senate without some of our retiring Members; it is nearly impossible to think of it without Richard Shelby. Like Jim Inhofe, he is a Senate institution. He has proudly served the State of Alabama for six terms in the Senate. That is 36 years of tireless work to make life better for the people of Alabama and for the American people as a whole. He is currently the longest serving Senator in Alabama's history, as well as the longest serving Member in the history of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Throughout his Senate career, Richard has always kept his eye on getting things done for the people of Alabama, whether that is supporting Alabama military installations or the work NASA does in his State. He is a longtime NASA advocate, and as chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Defense at the Senate Appropriations Committee, he has worked to ensure robust funding for our national security priorities. He has also been a champion of funding to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom. He has been a supporter of scientific research at various government Agencies, as well as in partnership with research universities. Richard is also notable for being one of the tallest United States Senators. And that is significant to me because, as a tall guy myself, I don't often run into people I can look up to, but I look up to Richard, both literally and figuratively. Richard's record of service and his dedication to people of his State are an inspiration to me and to many others as we carry out our work here in the U.S. Senate. And I will miss his presence and his example as well as his sense of humor, which has lightened the mood around here on many challenging days. But if anyone has earned his retirement, it is Richard Shelby. And I wish him and Annette, his wife of 62 years, some very well-deserved relaxation and the very best of everything in the years ahead.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), and the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott).