John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. 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 7, 2016, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Frustrated Travelers: Rethinking TSA Operations to Improve Passenger Screening and Address Threats to Aviation.''

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 7, 2016, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Bank Capital and Liquidity Regulation.''

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 7, 2016, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Russian Violations of Borders, Treaties, and Human Rights.''

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight of the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 7, 2016, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Oversight of EPA Unfunded Mandates on State, Local, and Tribal Governments.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess until 2:15 p.m. and that the time during the recess be charged to the proponents' side on H.J. Res. 88.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife of the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 24, 2016, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Erosion of Exemptions and Expansion of Federal Control Implementation of the Definition of Waters of the United States.''

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 24, 2016, at 10 a.m., in room SD-215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing entitled ``Debt versus Equity: Corporate Integration Considerations.''

Mr. THUNE. 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 May 24, 2016, at 10 a.m., in room SR-253 of The Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing entitled ``Examining the Multistakeholder Plan for Transitioning the Internet Assigned Number Authority.''

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 24, 2016, at 10:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Understanding the role of Sanctions Under the Iran Deal.''

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 24, 2016, at 2:15 p.m., in room SR-418 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 24, 2016, at 2:30 p.m., in room SH-219 of the Hart Senate Office Building.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 24, 2016, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``U.S.-India Relations: Balancing Progress and Managing Expectations.''

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, if you asked Native Americans in my home State of South Dakota how they felt about the Indian Health Service, you would be hard pressed to find a positive review. Indian Health Service patients in the Great Plains area, which encompasses North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa, have been receiving substandard medical care for years. Too often, clean exam rooms appear to be a luxury for South Dakota's Native American patients. Dirty facilities and dirty, unsanitized equipment are common, and patient care is often slipshod at best. One health service facility was in such disarray that a pregnant mother gave birth on a bathroom floor without a single medical professional nearby, which shockingly wasn't the first time this had happened at this facility. Another patient at the same facility who had suffered a severe head injury was discharged from the hospital mere hours after checking in, only to be called back later the same day once his test results arrived. The patient's condition was so serious that he was immediately flown to another facility for care. A patient at Pine Ridge Hospital in Pine Ridge, SD, was discharged from the emergency department and died from cardiac arrest 2 hours later. An investigation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that the patient had failed to receive an adequate evaluation before his discharge. The situation in South Dakota has gotten so bad that there is a real chance the Federal Government will terminate its Medicare provider agreements with--as of yesterday--three Indian Health Service facilities in my State. Yesterday, my office was notified that yet a third IHS emergency department in the Great Plains area had been found in violation of Medicare's conditions of participation. In other words, these three emergency departments have been delivering such a poor level of care that the government isn't sure it can trust them to care for Medicare patients. The associate regional administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services noted that the problems at this third hospital are ``so serious that they constitute an immediate and serious threat to the health and safety of any individual who comes to your hospital to receive services.'' To describe the level of care at Indian Health Service facilities as substandard is an understatement. The government is failing in its treaty responsibility to our tribes. I have been working on legislation to increase accountability and improve patient care at the Indian Health Service. Last week, my friend and colleague from Wyoming, who chairs the Indian Affairs Committee here in the Senate, and I introduced our bill, the IHS Accountability Act. Our bill takes a number of important steps to start the process of reforming the Indian Health Service. First, we create an expedited procedure for firing senior leaders at the agency who aren't doing their jobs. The Indian Health Service has suffered from mismanagement problems for years. To name just one example, the Indian Health Service settled an $80 million lawsuit with unions that came about because IHS could not manage the basic administrative task of dealing with overtime pay. The money that IHS used to settle this lawsuit was, in part, from funds that should have been used for patients. Some $6.2 million alone came from money originally destined for IHS facilities in the Great Plains area. Unfortunately, the Indian Health Service frequently responded to mismanagement by shifting staff between positions and offices instead of simply firing incompetent staff. We are not going to clean up the agency's problems that way. If a member of the Indian Health Service's leadership is standing in the way of providing quality care to patients, then that person needs to find another line of work. The bill I drafted with my colleague from Wyoming will help make sure that happens. Our bill also streamlines the hiring process at IHS and ensures that tribes will be consulted when the agency is hiring for important positions. This will help IHS get dedicated, high-quality employees on the job faster. Our bill also addresses the problem IHS has had in retaining quality employees. A provision in our bill gives the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Indian Health Service, increased flexibility to reward employees for good performance and to set the kinds of salaries that will keep good employees on the job longer. Finally, our bill directs the Government Accountability Office to review the whistleblower protections that are currently in place at IHS and determine whether we need to add any additional layers of protection. One of the obstacles to improving care for our tribes has been less- than-honest reporting from the Indian Health Service. Time and again we found that conditions on the ground have not matched up to information reported to Congress. On December 4, 2015, for example, officials from the Indian Health Service stated that a majority of the concerns at the floundering Rosebud Hospital in Rosebud, SD, had been addressed or abated. Yet mere hours later, I was informed that the Rosebud Hospital emergency department was functioning so poorly that emergency patients would be diverted to other hospitals beginning the next day. As of today, it has been 171 days since that emergency department was placed on diverted status--171 days. Clearly, the issues at Rosebud had not been addressed or abated on December 4. In 2014, I requested a status update on the Great Plains area from the then-Acting Director of the Indian Health Service. In her response, she stated: ``The Great Plains Area has shown marked improvement in all categories,'' and ``significant improvements in health care delivery and program accountability have also been demonstrated.'' Yet we continue to receive frequent reports of abysmal patient care. I am pretty sure that sending a man home with bleeding in his brain and having a mother give birth prematurely on a bathroom floor are not signs of significant improvement. Having a realistic picture of what is going on in Indian Health Service facilities is absolutely essential if we hope to start improving the standard of care that our tribes receive, and that is why whistleblower protections are so important. Our bill will help make sure that the system protects those who come forward to expose the problems facing patients. I am proud of the bill that my colleague and I have introduced, and I hope the Senate will take it up in the near future. While this is an important step, it is still just the first step. I will continue to consult with the nine tribes in South Dakota and with others to see what additional steps we need to take to fix the problems at the Indian Health Service once and for all. Our tribes deserve better than what they have been receiving, and I am not going to rest until all of our tribes are getting the quality care they deserve. Aviation Safety and Security Madam President, before I conclude, I wish to take a minute to talk about some aviation security issues that were brought into sharp relief by the recent crash of an Egyptair flight. Last week, 66 people died when Egyptair flight 804 from Paris, France, to Cairo, Egypt, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the Egyptian coast. With investigators still recovering evidence, it is too soon to come to any conclusions as to the cause of this tragic accident, but with the absence of evidence indicating an obvious technical failure, U.S. and Egyptian officials have suggested terrorism as a potential cause of the crash even without a credible claim of responsibility from any group. Given the global risk environment and previous acts of terror, investigators are focusing their attention on anyone who may have had access to the Egyptair aircraft while it was sitting on the ground, including baggage handlers, caterers, cleaners, and fuel-truck workers. At the Senate Commerce Committee, we have been very focused on this type of aviation safety and security issue over the last year. In December of 2015, the committee advanced legislation to address insider threats posed by airport workers and enhanced vetting of airline passengers. As the Senate took up the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016, we engaged in a constructive and open process to consider amendments. Ultimately, the Senate adopted a number of aviation security amendments, including a security amendment that I cosponsored with Commerce Committee Ranking Member Nelson, Senator Ayotte, and Senator Cantwell that would strengthen security at international airports with direct flights into the United States. The amendment added a security title to the FAA bill that included legislation marked up in the Commerce Committee, as well as other initiatives. Among other things, the amendment requires TSA to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of all foreign last-point-of-departure airports--foreign airports with direct flights to the United States. The amendment also requires TSA to develop a security coordination enhancement plan with domestic and foreign partners, including foreign governments and airlines, and to conduct a comprehensive assessment of TSA's workforce abroad. It also authorizes TSA to help foreign partners by donating security screening equipment to foreign last-point-of- departure airports and to assist in evaluating foreign countries' air cargo security programs to prevent any shipment of nefarious materials via air cargo. These provisions are similar to those of H.R. 4698, the SAFE GATES Act of 2016, and, together with the other security provisions adopted, take concrete steps to confront the real terrorist threat that we are facing. I believe these provisions in the FAA reauthorization bill will help make air travel from foreign countries to the United States safer and more secure. The Senate passed this legislation in April, and now it is time for the House of Representatives to act. The House of Representatives should take up our FAA bill without delay so that we can get a final bill with timely security and safety reforms onto the President's desk before the summer State work period. Every day countless terrorists are plotting their next attack against the United States. There are measures we can take today that will help make Americans safer at home and while traveling from destinations abroad. Several of those measures are included in the FAA bill that we passed with over 90 votes in the U.S. Senate. I call again on the House of Representatives to take up this bill so that we can continue our work to keep Americans safe. I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize LCDR Robert Donnell of the U.S. Coast Guard on his upcoming promotion to commander and for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and other members of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee over the past several years. An aviator by training, Lieutenant Commander Donnell has ably contributed to the committee's work and has been an invaluable asset in the passage of two U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization bills, the Port Performance Act, and a number of key freight rail issues. He has made himself available to my staff and other members to help with all matters pertaining to the committee. On behalf of the committee, I would like to congratulate and thank him and his family for their selfless and dedicated service to our Nation. This well-deserved promotion recognizes his leadership and commitment to serving others. He is a valued member of my Commerce Committee staff who will be truly missed. At the same time, we wish him every success in his new position as operations officer, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, MI.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, back when the President and Senate Democrats were lobbying for passage of ObamaCare, they made a number of promises. The one thing they promised over and over again was that the President's health care plan would lower costs. ``Bringing down costs of health insurance and making it more affordable is job one for this health care reform.'' That is a quote that was made by the then-Democratic majority whip on the floor in December of 2009. Families will save on their premiums, President Obama pledged that same month. The Affordable Care Act, Democrats made clear, was the solution to the health insurance challenges facing American families. Well, 6 years down the road it is clear the Affordable Care Act was no solution at all. The President promised that health care reform would reduce premiums by $2,500 for the average family. Instead, the average family premium for employer-sponsored health insurance rose by $4,170 between 2009 and 2015. Forty-five percent of Americans report that their health insurance premium has increased over the past 2 years, and 35 percent report that their copays and deductibles have increased over the same period. The President promised that Americans who liked their insurance plan could keep it. Instead, the President's health care law pushed more than 4.7 million Americans off their health care plans. Then there is the centerpiece of the President's health care law, the exchanges. The exchanges were supposed to offer accessible, affordable health care to those who had struggled to get insurance, but a lot of Americans are finding out the health care offered on the exchanges is neither affordable nor accessible. Last year countless consumers around the country faced massive rate hikes on their exchange plans. One constituent wrote to tell me that her plan would cost $1,600 a month for her, her husband, and their four children--$1,600 a month. That is more than $19,000 a year. A new car would be cheaper, and all signs point to consumers being set to face yet huge rate hikes again this year. Investor's Business Daily recently reported that Oregon's largest insurer in the individual market is seeking an average rate increase of 29.6 percent for its exchange and nonexchange plans for 2017. Meanwhile, over the weekend the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that Blue Cross exchange customers in Tennessee will face a ``major rate increase'' that may exceed the 36.3-percent rate increase exchange customers faced this January. The Associated Press recently reported that insurers are seeking rate hikes ranging from 9.4 percent to 37.1 percent on the exchanges in Virginia--a 37.1-percent increase. Think about that. Let's say you have a family health insurance plan that costs $10,000 a year. A 37.1-percent increase would add more than $3,700 to the cost of your plan--$3,700--for just 1 year. That is a significant amount of money, and you could easily end up facing a similar rate hike the following year. I could go on and on about ObamaCare. I could read from a steady stream of news stories reporting on ObamaCare's many failures, from huge cost increases to bankrupt co-ops, to decreased access to doctors and hospitals. I could talk about the ways ObamaCare has hiked prescription drug costs or the challenges facing businesses, thanks to the Affordable Care Act's taxes and mandates. I could read stories from my constituents--constituents who have had to wrestle with the inefficient ObamaCare bureaucracy, constituents who lost their health plans as a result of ObamaCare, constituents who can't afford their ObamaCare insurance, but since I don't want to use up all my colleagues' time on the floor as well as my own, I will just say this: Three weeks ago, on April 27, Gallup published the results of a poll on the financial challenges facing American families. The headline of the article was this: ``Healthcare Costs Top U.S. Families' Financial Concerns.'' Let me repeat that. ``Healthcare Costs Top U.S. Families' Financial Concerns.'' If 6 years on from the passage of the Affordable Care Act health care costs top the list of American families' financial concerns, then the Affordable Care Act has failed, and it is time to repeal it. The Republican-led Senate has already passed legislation to repeal ObamaCare, but we need a President willing to work with us or significant support from Democrats in Congress if we want a repeal to become law. I hope we will see that kind of support in the near future. The Affordable Care Act has been a disaster from the beginning, and it is time to lift the burdens the law has placed on Americans and replace this law with health care reform that will actually drive down costs for American families and consumers and increase access to care. That is what we should--and I hope we will--be focused on. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to discuss Congress's efforts to combat the Zika virus. Combating Zika is a public health priority, and it is important that this not be turned into a political issue. The administration and Congress need to work together to combat the virus by funding necessary programs, such as mosquito eradication efforts, before the threat escalates further. Congress has already acted to provide incentives for manufacturers to develop new medicines to prevent or to treat Zika. We have also approved the use of nearly $600 million to initiate a Zika response effort, including research into vaccines and treatments and improving mosquito control, because the best way to deal with any illness is to stop people from getting sick in the first place. We need to make controlling mosquitos a priority. I introduced a measure to remove burdensome permitting restrictions on mosquito control efforts so we can immediately free up additional resources to keep the mosquito population in check. A vaccine to prevent the Zika virus isn't likely to be available until next year, at the earliest, which means our primary weapon in combating Zika right now is controlling mosquitoes so people don't get infected. For that reason, we need to prioritize mosquito control programs and provide immediate regulatory relief. Aggressive mosquito abatement is the most timely step we can take to keep women and children safe. I am pleased my approach was included in the Cornyn amendment the Senate considered yesterday. I only wish it had prevailed. I am hopeful we can still work with both sides of the aisle to get timely regulatory relief for all impacted industries in the final Zika response package. I believe it is important that if we are going to beat this thing, we do it by eradicating mosquitoes and making it possible for those who are responsible and tasked with that responsibility to be able to do that.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, 2 weeks ago we received the initial report on economic growth in the first quarter of 2016. The news was not good. As my colleague, the Senator from Alaska, Mr. Sullivan, has pointed out many times on the floor and in many forums, our economy grew at a dismal rate of one-half of 1 percent during the first 3 months of 2016--one-half of 1 percent economic growth. In other words, the economy barely grew at all. While this report was particularly terrible, the truth is, weak economic growth has become the norm under the Obama administration. Since the recession ended in June of 2009, the economy has grown at an average rate of just 2.1 percent. In the typical post-1960 recovery, by contrast, economic growth averaged 3.7 percent. That is a huge difference. It is the difference between a stagnant economy and a flourishing economy--and, for millions of American families, it is the difference between surviving and thriving. Middle-class families are making 6.5 percent less than they were making in 2007, before the start of the great recession. A large part of the reason for that is the sluggish economic growth we have experienced in the Obama recovery. For too many families, this slow recovery has meant the end of cherished dreams--the dream of owning their own home, the dream of sending their kids to college, the dream of a secure retirement--and the kind of growth we need to escape from these economic doldrums is nowhere in sight. In fact, the Obama economy has led some economists to wonder if 2 percent growth is the new normal. Right now, the Federal Reserve is projecting the economy will grow at a median rate of just 2.2 percent in 2016 and 2.1 percent in 2017. I would argue, based upon the 0.5 percent economic growth the first quarter of this year, they may be dramatically overshooting the rate of economic growth if the current trend continues, and the St. Louis Fed expects that weak growth to continue for the next decade. That is very bad news for American families who are facing a less prosperous future with less economic opportunity and mobility. During the entire postwar period from 1947 to 2013, our Nation averaged 3.3 percent economic growth. At that pace, Americans' standard of living almost doubles every 30 years, incomes rise, financial security increases, and more people are able to afford homes, take vacations, and save for higher education. On the other hand, at the pace of growth we have seen since 2007, it will take far longer for the standard of living to double. Fortunately, we are not condemned to weak economic growth. If we look at the President's record, it is easy to see why our economy is still sputtering along: We had a failed $1 trillion stimulus program; $1.7 trillion in new taxes; the President's health care law, which raised premiums for families and increased costs for small businesses; more than 2,700 new Federal regulations--and counting, we are not done yet-- get added to by the day; and a Federal debt that has nearly doubled on the President's watch and more. The President's policies don't have to be permanent. We can repeal ObamaCare and the incredible burdens it is placing on so many families and small businesses. We can replace it with something that makes more sense, creates competition, gives consumers more choices, and drives down prices. We can replace the President's tax hikes with comprehensive tax reform that focuses on lowering taxes for families and making America the best place in the world to do business, we can take serious action to address the spending that is fueling our national debt, and we can repeal some of the thousands of burdensome regulations the President has imposed during his tenure. It is easy to forget that every regulation the government imposes, no matter how small, has a cost--and those costs are paid by American families and American businesses. Take the national energy tax the President imposed on coal-fired powerplants. This rule will potentially drive up electricity bills for families by hundreds of dollars each year, and it will be especially harmful to low-income families and seniors who are living on fixed incomes. Take the President's decision to allow the EPA to regulate ponds and ditches on private land. This regulation will have significant economic impacts for farmers and property owners who will likely be hit with new Federal permits, compliance costs, and the threat of significant fines. Over the past 7-plus years, the Obama administration has imposed more than 2,700 regulations, including hundreds of major regulations. When I say ``major,'' those are regulations that cost American families and businesses more than $100 million each year. Out-of-touch Washington bureaucrats reaching into our States and imposing regulatory burdens from afar has become all too common in the Obama administration. Repealing some of the worst of these regulations would drastically reduce the burdens facing American families and businesses, and that would put more money in American families' pockets and free American businesses to do what they do best; that is, to innovate and create new, good-paying jobs. If we continue on the path we are on right now, we might be the first generation of Americans to leave the next generation of Americans worse off, but we don't have to be. We can reverse the course the President has set during his administration and put in place the kind of policies that will create conditions that are favorable to economic growth, to grow our economy and lift the burdens on American families. Republicans in the Senate have already been working to undo the worst policies of the Obama administration. We are going to continue to fight until our Nation's economy is thriving and all families have the opportunity to achieve the American dream. If we can just achieve 1 percentage point additional growth in the economy each year, we are told by leading economists that would add 1.3 million jobs to our economy, raise wages by $9,000 a year, and generate an additional $300 billion of Federal revenue that would make our fiscal picture look a lot smaller by comparison. We have to get spending under control. We have to reform entitlement programs that are unsustainable, that are going to bankrupt future generations of Americans, to get our fiscal house in order, but we also have to grow the economy at a faster rate. One-half of 1 percent is not adequate--nor is 1 percent, nor is 2 percent. We need to get back to a normal growth period in our economy. As I said, since the end of World War II, 3.3 percent has been the average, 3.7 percent has been the norm in a recovery coming out of a recession. If we get to that level of growth, we will see millions of new jobs in our economy, we will see American families getting their wages back to where they are growing with the economy, better paying jobs for American workers, and a fiscal picture that looks a lot more manageable than the one we face today. Economic growth is key to so many things that affect Americans' lives on a daily basis. We in the Senate ought to be focused like a laser on what we can do to put the right policies in place that would encourage and promote economic growth, rather than coming up with new ways to make it more difficult and more expensive in this economy to create jobs. Far too often, everything that happens in Washington, DC, today leads to more expenses, more mandates, more requirements, more regulations, and higher taxes, making it more difficult for our economy to get to that faster growth that is so important if we are going to make Americans' standard of living and quality of life better and hand off to the next generation a standard of living they deserve and that will improve on the one we enjoy today. That is what this is all about, and that is what we ought to be focused on. I am pleased the Senator from Alaska is here. I am told the Senator from Indiana will be joining him in just a minute to discuss the subject. The Senator from Alaska, Mr. Sullivan, has been a great advocate of growth in our economy and has been down on the floor talking about the implications of a half percent of growth and what that means; that if we don't change that trajectory and change it soon, we are going to continue down a path that makes it more and more difficult for American families to get ahead. That needs to change-- faster growth, higher growth, the right kind of policies--to make that possible. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Kirk), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn) would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the outstanding service of Black Hills National Forest supervisor, Craig Bobzien, as he retires from the U.S. Forest Service. Craig was placed in charge of managing the Black Hills National Forest in May 2005, and for more than 10 years, the Black Hills National Forest has been under Craig's direct supervision. Craig began his path to South Dakota as a 1973 graduate of Raytown South High School in Raytown, MO. After high school, he pursued his bachelor's degree in forest science at Colorado State University and then went on to a serve in many roles in conservation and forestry. Previous to his appointment at the Black Hills National Forest, he served in other capacities for the U.S. Forest Service in Idaho, Montana, Washington State, and at the U.S. Forest Service headquarters in Washington, DC. Since being appointed to oversee the Black Hills National Forest, Craig has been its longest serving supervisor. Over his tenure of almost 11 years, Craig has done an exceptional job as a steward of the Black Hills National Forest's 1.2 million acres in South Dakota and Wyoming. He managed those 1.2 million acres of forestland during some of the toughest fire seasons in recent memory. Craig's leadership during the Rocky Mountain Region's devastating pine beetle epidemic has been instrumental as he coordinated with other Federal, State, and private stakeholders to combat one of the largest epidemics of this pest since the 1900s. Craig initiated the first large-landscape management area in the Black Hills National Forest for mountain pine beetle treatment, which has set an example of topline management others are now following. Over the years, I have appreciated the cooperation of Craig and his team of over 300 employees in our efforts to assess and address the many threats to the health of the Black Hills. Craig, thank you for your service to South Dakota and our Nation.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, for years now, patients on Indian reservations in the Great Plains area have been receiving substandard medical care. The most recent example of the Indian Health Service's failure occurred in December of 2015, when I was notified that two federally operated Indian Health Service facilities in my State were at risk of losing their Medicare provider agreements. In other words, these two facilities have been delivering such a poor level of care, the government isn't sure it is willing to continue paying these facilities to care for Medicare patients. In February, at the request of several Senators, myself included, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing to address the state of patient care at the Indian Health Service in the Great Plains area. Thanks to the graciousness of our colleague from Wyoming, Senator Barrasso, who chairs the Indian Affairs Committee, I was able to participate in this hearing and question several Indian Health Service officials. I wish I could report that this hearing reassured me that the Indian Health Service is on track to solve the problems facing patients on the reservations, but it just left me more concerned. The hearing underscored the government's massive failure on this issue: its failure to deliver quality care, its failure to ensure patient safety, and its failure to live up to treaty responsibilities. I have read the reports from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and some of the stories really are beyond comprehension. Incredibly, a report of dirty, unsanitized medical equipment left exposed in an emergency room isn't even the most shocking of those stories. One patient who had suffered a severe head injury was discharged from the hospital mere hours after checking in, only to be called back later the same day when his test results arrived. The patient's condition was so serious that he was immediately flown to another facility for care. One health service facility was in such disarray that a pregnant mother gave birth on a bathroom floor--a bathroom floor--without a single medical professional nearby, which shockingly wasn't the first time this had happened at this facility. I wish I were able to stand here today and report that conditions are getting better. Unfortunately, I cannot. Since February's hearing, we have been made aware of another tragic event that occurred at Pine Ridge Hospital. Reports from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicate that a 23-year-old patient complaining of nausea and cramping in his hands and lower extremities died from cardiac arrest 2 hours after he was discharged from the emergency department. An investigation conducted by CMS verified that this young man failed to receive an adequate medical screening evaluation before his discharge. Even worse, the report indicated that there was no documentation showing nurse and doctor communication. It hasn't helped that Congress's attempts to address these problems have been hampered by less-than-honest reporting from the Indian Health Service. Time and again, we have found that conditions on the ground have not matched up to information reported to Congress. In 2014, I requested a status update from the then-Acting Director of the Indian Health Service. In her response, she stated that ``the Great Plains Area has shown marked improvement in all categories'' and that ``significant improvements in health care delivery and program accountability have also been demonstrated.'' Significant improvements? Sending a man home with bleeding in his brain and having a mother give birth prematurely on a bathroom floor are not signs of significant improvements. On December 4, 2015, officials from the Indian Health Service stated that a majority of the concerns at Rosebud Hospital had been addressed or abated. Yet, mere hours later, I was informed that the Rosebud Hospital emergency department was functioning so poorly that emergency patients would be diverted to other hospitals beginning the next day. It has now been 143 days, and the Indian Health Service leadership has been unable to reopen the Rosebud Hospital's emergency department. For the last 143 days, incoming emergency patients have had to travel between 44 and 55 miles to receive care. That is similar to requiring a resident of Harpers Ferry, WV, to travel to Washington, DC, to receive emergency services. And to date, the Indian Health Service has been unable to tell us when it anticipates emergency department services will resume. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe informs me that since this emergency department has been on diverted status, six individuals have lost their lives in ambulances while being transported to a hospital farther away. Six families are now left to wonder whether their loved ones could have been saved if the Indian Health Service had been doing its job. This is unconscionable. The Indian Health Service has one last chance this Friday to reach an agreement with CMS to set the Rosebud Hospital back on a path to compliance with basic safety and administrative requirements. If the Indian Health Service fails to do so, Rosebud will lose its status as a Medicare provider. Additionally, the Indian Health Service has until Friday to address Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act violations found at Pine Ridge Hospital. The administration has drafted report after report promising to correct these issues, yet time and again it has failed to follow through. During the recent Indian Affairs Committee hearing, the former Principal Deputy Director of the Indian Health Service could not remember that he was in charge of implementing a 2011 report. Where is the accountability? Who is in charge? We have got to do better. Simply shifting staff between positions and offices, as the Indian Health Service has done in response to these problems, is not enough. It is time for action. We must do everything within our power--we will do everything within our power--to hold the Indian Health Service accountable and to make sure this never happens again. I continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate on a path forward to demand accountability from an agency that, by all accounts, is disconnected and unresponsive to the needs of our Native Americans. I will also continue to consult with the nine tribes in South Dakota. Our tribes are in the best position to help figure out the path forward for their own health care, and I believe the Indian Health Service must do a better job of consulting with our tribes when it comes to the care they receive. I am going to do everything I can within my power to get all of our tribal citizens the quality care they deserve. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Christine Keller, an intern in my Sioux Falls, SD, office for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota. Christine is a graduate of Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, SD. Currently, Christine is attending Augustana University, where she is majoring in government, international affairs, and economics. Christine is a dedicated worker who has been committed to getting the most out of her experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Christine Keller for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I rise to welcome Bishop Swain to the U.S. Senate. On behalf of myself, my colleague from South Dakota who is currently presiding over the Senate, and thousands of grateful believers in South Dakota, I thank Bishop Swain for his service to our Lord and to our communities of faith. Bishop Swain was sworn in as the eighth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls in late 2006, but his journey of faith and service to his country began far before that. Paul Joseph Swain was born in Newark, NY, and is one of eight children. After graduating from Northern Ohio University with a degree in history and earning his master's at the University of Wisconsin, Bishop Swain joined the Air Force as an intelligence officer. He served our Nation in the Vietnam war, where he earned a Bronze Star. Bishop Swain should feel right at home on the floor of the U.S. Senate because after serving in Vietnam, he tried his hand in politics. He completed his law degree and went on to work on the campaign and in the administration of Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus, who served as the Governor of Wisconsin until 1983. After a short stint in politics, Bishop Swain answered a much higher calling. He was received into the Catholic Church, graduated divinity school in 1988, and entered the priesthood. Years of dedicated pastoral work ensued in the Diocese of Madison, WI, and a decade ago we were truly blessed when Pope Benedict named him bishop of Sioux Falls. On the day of his ordination, Archbishop Flynn gave the homily at high mass. He noticed that as successors to the apostles, the service of bishops is to spread the word of God and promote the sanctity of their flock. Bishop Swain has never forgotten that counsel. He understands that the church has a role to play in the public square, particularly on moral issues. He never shies away from the challenges facing the poor and disenfranchised, and he never hesitates to stand for values that protect life and family. He is a pillar of our community and a spiritual leader to over 100,000 Catholics in East River, SD. Bishop Swain's episcopal motto is to ``Give praise to the Lord.'' Today we are giving praise for Bishop Swain's unwavering devotion to the word of the Lord and to the service of His people. I thank the bishop for joining us today. Mr. President, I yield the floor.