John Thune

Mr. THUNE

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 February 9, 2016, at 5 p.m., to conduct a classified briefing entitled ``Administration Update on the Way Forward in Syria and Iraq.''

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 February 9, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.

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 February 9, 2016, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Federal Interactions with State Management of Fish and Wildlife.''

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 9, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. THUNE

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I rise to discuss the bill that will be coming before the Senate this week, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act, which seeks to curb North Korea's unacceptable behavior through the implementation of targeted sanctions. On January 6 of this year, North Korea tested a nuclear weapon in open violation of numerous U.N. resolutions. This is the fourth time North Korea has conducted a nuclear weapons test, and it is estimated the country may have as many as 20 nuclear warheads in its arsenal. Just this past weekend, while many Americans were getting ready to watch the Super Bowl, North Korea conducted a missile test, putting a satellite into orbit. This missile test, which has already been condemned by the U.N. Security Council, served as a demonstration of the threat posed by North Korea's long-range missile program. In fact, just a few hours later, the satellite launched by the North Korean missile passed over the site of the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, CA. If equipped with a nuclear warhead, a missile similar to the one launched this weekend could potentially threaten the United States and our allies, and North Korea is actively seeking to market this same missile technology, as well as its nuclear weapons technology, to other rogue regimes. North Korea's history of aggressive behavior is already well known and well documented. In March of 2010, a North Korean torpedo sank the South Korean naval vessel Cheonan, killing 46 sailors. In November of 2010, North Korea fired artillery on the island of Yeonpyeong, killing two soldiers and injuring an additional 15 soldiers and 2 civilians. North Korea's dictator Kim Jong Un continues to spout threats against the United States and our allies. This past year, when South Korean citizens sent leaflets with unfiltered information into North Korea, the regime responded with threats to turn the whole of South Korea into a ``sea of fire.'' After the January nuclear test, a North Korean spokesman said: ``North Korean scientists are in high spirits.'' The statement went on to claim that North Korea detonated an H-bomb, which we now know to be untrue, and added that the bomb was ``capable of wiping out the whole territory of the U.S. all at once.'' These threats are so common now that they barely make the news. North Korea is not only a threat to the United States, it is also a threat to its own people. It is estimated that 150,000 to 200,000 North Koreans are imprisoned in concentration camps. We can confirm the existence of these camps from satellite photographs and firsthand accounts. These are not camps for what we would consider criminals but for individuals deemed disloyal to the regime. The ``crime'' of a single family member--which can be something as simple as accidentally tarnishing the photo of a member of North Korea's hereditary dictatorship--can lead to an entire North Korean family being sent away to a labor camp. The brutality of these camps has been confirmed by those who have made it out. To date, more than 28,000 North Korean defectors have escaped and made it to South Korea. Tens of thousands more are still in China, often working as cheap laborers who become victims of human trafficking. The stories of those who have escaped Kim Jong Un's regime carry a common theme: starvation, imprisonment, torture, and the execution of family members. And this is everyday life for the people of North Korea. The bill we are considering this week seeks to curb North Korea's aggressive behavior through the use of targeted sanctions. The bill restricts access to financial resources and raw materials that North Korea uses to support its nuclear weapons program and operate its political prison and forced labor camps. It levels mandatory sanctions against individuals who contribute to North Korea's ballistic missile development and targets luxury goods the regime uses to maintain the loyalty of party elites. It also puts in place sanctions against any entity determined to be enabling North Korea's ability to censor information, as well as those engaged in money laundering, narcotics trafficking, and counterfeiting. The bill also includes discretionary sanctions that the U.S. President could use to target entities assisting North Korea in misappropriating funds for the benefit of North Korean officials. The President would have to justify any waivers of these sanctions on a case-by-case basis. The bill also codifies into law the Presidential Executive orders issued in 2015 following the cyber attack on Sony Pictures. This is a multifaceted bill designed to target North Korea's weapons programs, human rights abuses, and the finances of government elites. And it will do so with minimal impact on the lives of everyday North Koreans who continue to suffer at the hands of their own government. Last week I introduced legislation addressing another threat posed by North Korea. As I stated before, North Korea is actively seeking to market its nuclear weapons technology to other rogue regimes. In fact, the Syrian nuclear reactor destroyed in 2007 is based on a North Korean design. My bill would ensure that North Korea can't sell its technology to another rogue regime--Iran. Although President Obama's nuclear deal seeks to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, many of us remain skeptical. And with the North Korean regime strapped for cash, its nuclear weapons and missile technology are some of the few commodities it can offer, and it actively tries to market them to other rogue regimes. My bill seeks to prevent Iran from becoming a potential customer for North Korea's nuclear weapons technology. Under my legislation, if Iran attempts to acquire nuclear weapons technology from North Korea, all sanctions waived or suspended as a result of the President's nuclear deal would be reinstated immediately. A nuclear armed Iran is unacceptable. Regardless of what the President claims his Iran nuclear deal has achieved, we must remain vigilant and ensure that Iran keeps its end of the agreement and does not go after a nuclear weapon. I am glad the Senate is addressing the threat posed by North Korea. A similar version of the North Korea sanctions bill that we are addressing this week recently passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 418 to 2. I hope we will see similar bipartisan support for the bill here in the Senate. We should not compromise the national security of the United States with disputes between our political parties. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle feel the same and will join me in moving this bill forward. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, one of the things the Republicans were determined to do when we took the majority in the Senate last January was to get the Senate working again for American families. Under Democratic control, the Senate had basically ground to a halt. The Democratic leadership spent its time pushing partisan show votes instead of putting in any real work on the challenges that are facing our Nation. Republicans were committed to changing that. Since we took the majority last January, we have worked hard to once again make the Senate a place for serious debate and serious legislation. We have succeeded. Last year we passed a number of significant bipartisan bills, including a major reform of No Child Left Behind and a multiyear transportation bill that will strengthen our infrastructure and put Americans to work. This week we are beginning consideration of a bipartisan energy bill to modernize our Nation's energy policies for the 21st century. This bill is the product of months of work by Republican and Democratic Senators and staffers on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Senators held four full committee hearings and spent countless hours hammering out the legislation that is before us today. This bill is a great example of the kind of substantive, bipartisan legislation we can produce when the Senate is working the way it is supposed to work. Among many other things, this bill will streamline the application process to make it easier for American companies to export liquefied natural gas. The natural gas industry in the United States has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, and our economy will benefit tremendously when U.S. companies start exporting American liquefied natural gas this year. Liquefied natural gas exports from the United States will also strengthen our allies in Europe by allowing them to rely on the United States for their import needs instead of relying on aggressive nations like Russia. I have also submitted several amendments to this bill, including an amendment to streamline the permitting process for wind development. American wind developers cite permitting delays as one of the chief obstacles to development of this clean energy source. My amendment will remove this roadblock and allow wind generation and the jobs that it creates to move forward more quickly. I have also submitted an amendment that would examine whether hydroelectric dams in places like the Missouri River in my home State of South Dakota could be paired with future hydrokinetic generation to better harness the great energy potential of our rivers. I have submitted an amendment to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from moving ahead with a lower ground-level ozone standard until 85 percent of the U.S. counties that are not yet able to meet the old smog standard are able to meet the old requirements. We should prioritize the worst cases of smog in America before imposing significant economic burdens or limiting energy generation in other areas. One thing Republicans always say when we talk about energy is that we need an ``all of the above'' energy policy. What do we mean by that? We mean that we need to focus on developing all of our Nation's energy resources, from renewable fuels, such as wind and solar, to traditional sources of energy, such as oil and natural gas. That is the only way to make sure Americans have access to a stable, reliable energy supply and to keep our energy sector thriving. The bill we are considering today is an ``all of the above'' energy bill. It invests in a wide range of clean energies, from nuclear, to hydroelectric, to geothermal. It supports traditional sources of energy. It modernizes our Nation's electrical grid. It promotes energy efficiency. It encourages conservation. That is the kind of energy policy we need to take our energy sector into the 21st century. Unfortunately, the President has repeatedly blocked domestic energy development and the jobs it would create. He rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline--a project that his own State Department found would have virtually no impact on the environment and that would have supported 42,000 jobs during construction. He has blocked attempts to tap our vast domestic oil reserves in Alaska. His EPA has imposed a steady stream of burdensome regulations that are making it more expensive to produce American energy. The President's national energy tax will drive up energy bills for poor and middle-class families and reduce our Nation's energy security, while doing very little to help our environment. Similarly, the President's waters of the United States rule will place heavy regulatory burdens on farmers, ranches, homeowners, and small businesses across the country. President Obama might like to think that the United States can rely on a few boutique renewable energies, but the truth is that our Nation is simply not there yet. Efforts to impede other, more traditional and reliable types of energy production simply punish American families who then face soaring energy prices and fewer jobs in the energy sector. Robust domestic energy production coupled with commonsense energy efficiency measures will create jobs, enhance the reliability of our energy supply, spur economic development, and help keep energy costs low. Those are the kinds of energy policies that this bill supports. Last Friday we learned that the economy grew at a rate of seven- tenths of 1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015. Needless to say, that is not where we need to be in terms of economic growth. The recession may have technically ended 6\1/2\ years ago, but our economy has never fully rebounded. Economic growth has been persistently weak during the Obama recovery, and there are no signs of substantial improvement in the near future. In historical terms, the Obama recovery is the weakest economic recovery since the Eisenhower administration. If you rank the 66 years since 1950 in terms of economic growth, the Obama years rank 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 54th, 55th, and 66th. Let me repeat that. If you rank the 66 years since 1950 in terms of economic growth, the Obama years rank 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 54th, 55th, and 66th--or dead last. It is no wonder the American people are tired of living in the Obama economy. Given this weak economic growth, removing impediments to energy development is more important than ever. A thriving energy sector can help us overcome the weakness of the Obama recovery and usher in a new era of stronger economic growth. According to former CBO Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the difference between a 2.5-percent growth rate and a 3.5-percent growth rate would have a major impact on the quality of life for low- and middle-income families. If our economy grew at just 1 percentage point faster per year, we would have 2\1/2\ million more jobs and average incomes would be nearly $9,000 higher--$9,000 higher. That is the difference between owning your own home and renting one. It is the difference between being able to send your kids to college and forcing them to go deeply into debt to pay for their education. It is the difference between a secure retirement and being forced to work well into old age. Additionally, an additional percentage point in economic growth will reduce our annual deficits by $300 billion. That in turn would further improve the health of our economy. The American people have suffered long enough in the Obama economy. They are ready for a new era of strong economic growth; an era built upon free enterprise, not big government programs; an era that focuses on growth, opportunity, and income mobility, not redistribution of shrinking economic resources; an era that rewards innovators and entrepreneurs rather than punishes them. Over the next year, Americans who are ready for a change from Obama's failed policies will hear from congressional Republicans who are increasingly focused on getting our economy working again. Reforming our Tax Code and reining in regulations, repealing and replacing ObamaCare, strengthening our international security by rebuilding our military, and reforming outdated poverty programs will be the foundation of our agenda for a more prosperous future. Americans will also continue to hear from a Republican-led Senate that it is focused on moving bipartisan bills to improve economic security for American families. The bill before us today is one of those bills. It will help consumers use less energy and free up energy producers to develop resources and create jobs. I am glad the Senate is focused on an ``all of the above'' energy approach that supports energy growth and development in this country. I thank Senator Murkowski for her leadership and work on this bill. I look forward to working on more bills here in the Senate that will strengthen economic security for American families. That is what we should be about--better, more robust growth in the American economy that creates better paying jobs for American workers and families. I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Dr. Alexis Rudd, a Knauss Sea Grant Fellow on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and other members of the committee over the past year. Dr. Rudd received her Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Hawaii. In her postgraduate work, she has used her scientific expertise to inform public policy. I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Dr. Rudd for all of the fine work she has done. I wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Teresa Thompson, an intern in my Rapid City, SD, office for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past few months. Teresa is a graduate of Sturgis High School in Sturgis, SD. Currently, she is attending Black Hills State University where she is majoring in history. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her experience while also raising her two children, Ben and Rachel. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Teresa Thompson 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 ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, similar to most Americans listening to President Obama's State of the Union Address last week, I found his take on national security and world affairs rather surprising. According to a poll in December, 60 percent of the American people see national security and terrorism as a major concern, and they have good reason to be worried. As President Obama finishes his last year in office, Syria is wracked by civil war, Iraq is in turmoil, Russian aggression is growing, North Korea has tested yet another nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia and Iran are immersed in a cold war, and ISIS continues its campaign of terror. Yet, according to the President, we have nothing to worry about; America's leadership is strong, and we are headed in the right direction. Unfortunately, this fairytale version of our global situation stands in stark contrast with reality. In his State of the Union Address, the President did acknowledge: ``The world will look to us to help solve these problems, and our answer needs to be more than tough talk.'' Well, I couldn't agree more, but unfortunately tough talk with no action has been the hallmark of this administration. In 2011, after the onset of the Syrian civil war, both President Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated unconditionally that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had to go. The President drew a line in the sand: If Assad used chemical weapons, America would act. But when Assad flouted this red line, killing his own people--including women and children-- with the large-scale use of sarin gas, the President chose to forgo a decided military response and instead pursue negotiations involving the Russians, working out a compromise that ultimately strengthened Assad's position, and the results of the President's decision have not been pretty. In the wake of the negotiations, an emboldened Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea and eastern Ukraine, and the situation in Syria got worse. It appears now that the Assad administration will outlast Obama's. Worse, our allies in the Middle East no longer trust America to come to their aid. The President's failure to back up his tough talk with action has undermined American leadership, and this may take years, if not decades, to repair. This week the Senate is taking up the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act, which addresses the Syrian refugee crisis--another byproduct, I might add, of the President's failure to uphold his red line. With Syria, both the United States and the European powers have had to learn a lesson the hard way: If you don't take action to solve the problem, the people who are suffering will end up on your doorstep. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed in this conflict. Assad continues to use chlorine bombs indiscriminately to kill his own people, and ISIS executes anyone who is not considered loyal. It is no wonder the Syrian people want out. Yet, with the mass exodus of refugees come other security concerns, including the threat of ISIS infiltrating the refugee population. Senior and U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials have made it clear they are concerned that we don't have the ability to adequately vet Syrian refugees. As we know from reports, at least one of the terrorists responsible for the deadly attacks in Paris passed through a refugee processing checkpoint in Greece. To quote the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, ``I don't . . . put it past the likes of ISIL to infiltrate operatives among those refugees . . . that's a huge concern of ours.'' The American SAFE Act helps address this concern by requiring the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence to certify that Syrian and Iraqi refugees have been thoroughly vetted and do not pose a security risk before they are allowed to enter the country. This is a reasonable request, and if the administration wants to assure the American people that these refugees are not a threat, then it should have no problem providing such certifications. I plan to file an amendment to this bill that would also give more authority to individual States when it comes to the resettlement of refugees. Last year, many Governors expressed a desire, shared by their constituents, that Syrian refugees not be resettled in their States. My amendment would grant Governors a presence at weekly refugee resettlement meetings within the State Department and give those Governors veto power over the resettlement of certain refugees in their States. Under my amendment, if a Governor's office is not satisfied that its security concerns have been addressed by the required security checks, the Governor can veto the resettlement question. Any refugee, once admitted to the United States, would still be free to travel from State to State as he or she pleased. This amendment would simply increase States' rights by giving Governors a say in any decisions by the Federal Government to resettle large populations of refugees in their States. This is a reasonable solution to the concerns that were raised by the Governors of over 30 States, and I hope we can have a vote on this amendment. Over the weekend, the world witnessed another byproduct of President Obama's failing foreign policy. Thanks to a provision of the President's flawed nuclear deal with Iran, more than $100 billion of frozen Iranian assets and oil revenue were made available to the Islamic Republic of Iran. This means that Iran's Revolutionary Guard, including the Quds Force--which is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq--just received a big influx of cash. Again, this is thanks to the deal President Obama considers to be perhaps the major foreign policy achievement of his Presidency. While I am glad that the hostages held by Iran are coming home to their families, it is a mistake to think this means Iran all of a sudden will now play nice. Iran's leadership knows very well that it won the lottery with this nuclear deal, and it desperately wants Iranian assets unfrozen and sanctions lifted. Now that the Iranian leadership has received its payout, Iran will be further emboldened. When negotiating this deal, the Obama administration assured Congress that the United States would make sure Iran kept its end of the bargain. Well, it is already clear from October's ballistic missile test that Iran is determined to test the President's resolve and flout international restrictions. We cannot let those provocations go unanswered. President Obama is right that when conflict arises, the world looks to the United States for leadership. However, it takes more than talk to provide the leadership the world needs. In his last year in office, I hope President Obama will move beyond rhetoric and start offering realistic solutions to the growing number of security concerns that face our Nation. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio), and the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I appreciate the Senator from Missouri, Mr. Blunt, addressing some of the issues that the Republican majority has attempted to accomplish, including the advances made over the last year, which I think will lay a foundation for the future and for further successes in the coming year. Tonight President Obama will come to Congress to deliver his final State of the Union Address, which raises this question: What is the state of our Union? The truth is that while the strength and spirit of the American people remain a beacon of hope for our future, our country is facing a number of serious challenges. Global unrest has grown over the course of the President's administration, most notably with the rise of ISIS, one of the most brutal terrorist groups in existence. On President Obama's watch, we have experienced the worst economic recovery since the Eisenhower administration, with stagnant wages and millions dropping out of the labor force. American families are seeing their dreams for the future erode as they struggle under ever- increasing government burdens and a lack of economic opportunity. Any serious discussion of the state of our Union needs to address these challenges and offer solutions. That is the kind of speech that I wish we were going to hear tonight, but unfortunately all indicators suggest that is not the kind of speech the President plans to give. Instead, the President apparently intends to take a victory lap despite the fact that the American people clearly don't think there is much to celebrate. A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found that 68 percent of the American people think our country is on the wrong track, and most Americans believe the next generation will be worse off, not better off. In a preview of the President's speech, the White House notes: ``We have made extraordinary progress on the path to a stronger country and a brighter future.'' That is not how the American people are feeling, and it doesn't reflect the reality of the President's administration. The President plans to talk about his supposed economic successes tonight. While our economy has recovered to a certain extent since the recession, it has never fully rebounded. Wage growth continues to lag. December marked the 77th straight month in which year-over-year hourly wage growth was at or below 2\1/2\ percent. Underemployment also continues to be a problem with millions of Americans continuing to work part-time jobs because they can't find full-time work. Almost 5 years after the recession ended, the percentage of Americans working full time has still not returned to prerecession levels. While the most commonly mentioned unemployment rate is 5 percent, the U-6 unemployment rate, which measures the number of both unemployed workers and underemployed workers, is 9.9 percent. Of the unemployed, those who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more, or those considered long-term unemployed, make up 26 percent. Labor force participation remains near record lows. In short, stagnation has become the new normal for the economy under the Obama administration and economic opportunities for families have been few and far between. In addition to the lack of economic opportunity, families have had to shoulder new burdens thanks to the Obama administration. Chief among those burdens, of course, is ObamaCare, the President's disastrous health care law, which has failed to reduce the cost of health care, ripped away millions of Americans' preferred health care plans, forced families onto insurance plans they don't want and can't afford, reduced patients' access to doctors and hospitals, increased taxes, and wasted literally billions of taxpayer dollars. Then there are the burdensome regulations the Obama administration has imposed, which have made it more challenging for businesses, large and small, to grow and create jobs. The Obama Environmental Protection Agency, in particular, has done more than its fair share to make things difficult for Americans. During the course of the Obama administration, this Agency has implemented one damaging rule after another, from a massive national backdoor energy tax that would hurt poor and working families the most to a new rule that would subject ponds and puddles in Americans' backyards to a complex array of expensive and burdensome regulatory requirements. Again and again, I have heard from South Dakota farm and ranch families, homeowners and small businesses about the difficulties they are facing thanks to the Obama EPA's massive regulations. If the President's record on the economy and middle-class opportunity is bad, his record on foreign policy is even worse. A White House preview of the State of the Union touts the President's work to ``redefine American leadership for the 21st century.'' During the President's last year in office the White House says: ``We can show the world what is possible when America truly leads.'' Republicans couldn't agree more that America should truly lead. The problem is that the President's first 7 years in office have generally been distinguished by a lack of leadership. Back in June, former President and fellow Democrat Jimmy Carter described President Obama's successes on the world stage as ``minimal.'' He said: ``On the world stage, just to be as objective about it as I can, I can't think of many nations in the world where we have a better relationship now than we did when he took over.'' Again, that was a quote from former Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Well, neither can I. The White House claims that the President ended two wars. Yet it neglects to mention that since the United States withdrew from Iraq, large sections of the country have gone into chaos thanks to ISIS. The President's failure to enforce his redline in Syria when President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his own people and the President's lack of a strategy to defeat ISIS have contributed to a massive refugee crisis with no easy solution. Meanwhile, Assad remains in power, and ISIS continues to thrive. With the terrorist attacks in Paris, ISIS officially expanded its theater of operations beyond the Middle East. As we witnessed in the case of the San Bernardino shooting, as long as ISIS continues to exist, its demented ideology will inspire disturbed individuals to commit acts of terror. The United States is in desperate need of a comprehensive strategy to confront the threat posed by ISIS. Yet the President has so far made no move to develop one. On another foreign policy front, the President has repeatedly touted his nuclear deal with Iran as one of the major foreign policy achievements of his Presidency. Yet the agreement he signed actually improves Iran's long-term prospects for developing a bomb. In a clear violation of U.N. restrictions, Iran tested a ballistic missile, demonstrating once again that it has in no way curbed its aggressive behavior. Elsewhere, Russian aggression has increased on the President's watch. North Korea recently conducted yet another nuclear test. The Obama administration has left the American people with a host of problems at home and abroad, but once again, it sounds like President Obama's State of the Union Address will fail to offer any substantial solutions. More than that, it sounds as if the President will largely ignore the problems, and that is unfortunate. The President is missing an opportunity to offer substantial solutions before turning the problems of his administration over to his successors. I don't want to give credence to those Obama administration accusations that the Republicans are all ``doom and gloom.'' As I said, I believe the strength and spirit of the American people mean that the future of America is always bright. But realizing that future requires understanding and developing solutions to the problems facing our Nation, and that is something the President has been unwilling to do. Republicans have worked hard over the past year to make our economy stronger, our government more efficient and accountable, and our Nation and our world safer and more secure. But there is a lot more work that needs to be done, and we need a partner in the White House who is willing to meet us half way. We hope the President will use the last year of his Presidency to work with us as we seek to address the challenges that are facing the American people. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Thank you, Senator Whitehouse, for inviting me to join you today to discuss the National Oceans and Coastal Security Act. I know the creation of an ocean fund has been a longstanding priority of yours. I share Senator Whitehouse's understanding of the eligible uses for money granted from the fund. It is also worth noting that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization, is explicitly prohibited in its authorizing legislation from providing grants that support litigation or advocacy.

Mr. THUNE. Thank you for that clarification. Cloture Motion

Mr. THUNE

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 December 17, 2015, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Status of JCPOA Implementation and Related Issues.''

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 December 17, 2015, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my commerce committee staff director, Dave Schwietert, who is leaving the Hill after almost 16 years of service here in the Senate. Earlier in Dave's career, he worked for the late Senator Craig Thomas, and for the past 11 years, Dave has worked on my staff, serving his home State of South Dakota. He started with me as a staffer on the Environment and Public Works Committee when I first arrived in the Senate. After leaving the Environment and Public Works Committee, I was lucky enough to have Dave serve as my legislative director for 6 years. When I became ranking member of the commerce committee, Dave came over as minority staff director, a position in which he served 2 years before becoming majority staff director this year. Dave is the kind of staffer you always hope to get as a Member. He has a brilliant mind. His memory for the most arcane details of any policy is almost legendary. In fact, if you look up ``policy wonk'' in the dictionary, you probably would find a picture of Dave Schwietert-- and I say that with the greatest amount of affection. He has a deep dedication to his work. Over the years, I have relied on his intellect and dedication more times than I can count. Those aren't the only things that distinguish Dave as a staff director. One of the things I appreciate the most about Dave is his commitment to helping younger staff members develop their abilities. That is a great quality around here where oftentimes people have a hard time learning how to delegate and learning how to bring younger staff members along. His patience and his teaching ability are well known, and staffers who work under Dave come away with sophisticated analytical skills and a deep understanding of the issues. The commerce committee has had a lot of successes this year, most notably passage of two major pieces of legislation--the Surface Transportation Board reauthorization bill and the first long-term highway bill in a decade. Dave Schwietert was a key figure in each of those accomplishments. We have known for a long time that the Surface Transportation Board needed to work better, and Dave really has been working on this reauthorization since I first became a member of the commerce committee. This year we were finally able to get it done. Dave can leave the Senate with the knowledge that legislation he helped enact will permanently improve things for all those American farmers and businesses that rely on our Nation's rail system to get their goods to the marketplace. This year's landmark Transportation bill, which will strengthen our Nation's infrastructure and boost our economy for years to come, was a product of a tremendous amount of work on multiple committees. In the commerce committee, we developed the bill's extensive safety title, and Dave was once again a key figure in that process. I am particularly proud of the fact that we managed to move from a party-line vote on the commerce title to strong bipartisan support when we were done. In fact, when it cleared the Senate, it was with 83 votes. Dave deserves tremendous amounts of credit for that. His ability to build consensus among Members and staff of both parties is a huge reason we were able to pass a long-term transportation bill this year. Another thing I always appreciated about Dave is his commitment to South Dakota. Like me, Dave is a proud South Dakota native. In fact, he comes from western South Dakota, Rapid City. I am a western South Dakota product. In fact, in South Dakota you are either East River or West River, and we both come from West River. Throughout his time on the commerce committee, he has never forgotten about the needs of South Dakota families, farmers, and businesses. It has always been forefront in his mind. I am grateful for that. I know there are a lot of South Dakotans who are grateful for the bills he helped pass. Dave's work will have a tremendously positive impact on South Dakota for many years to come. Mr. President, while it is difficult to overstate how much Dave will be missed around here, I am happy he has found an exciting new opportunity. It has been said that lightning never strikes twice, but as in so many other things, Dave breaks the mold on this one as well. In fact, he was struck by lightning not once, not twice, but three times while on a rock climbing trip, but that hasn't discouraged him, and I, for one, am grateful for that commitment and tenacity. My thanks also goes out to his wife Sandra, his son Evan, and his daughter Lauren for allowing me to keep their husband and father here many times late into the evening. I know I speak for a lot of people when I say that Dave will be deeply missed, but he should know he goes forward with respect and the gratitude of many and the warmest wishes for all his future endeavors. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, from voting to repeal ObamaCare to passing the first long-term Transportation bill in a decade and the first joint balanced budget in 14 years, Senate Republicans have worked hard this year to fulfill our promise to get Washington working again for American families. While some of our efforts have been blocked by Senate Democrats or by the President, we have still managed to get a lot done. I am particularly proud of some of the legislation we passed this year that will benefit South Dakota families and businesses as well as families and businesses across the country. One bill that I have been working on for a long time--a bill that will mean a lot to South Dakota's farmers and ranchers--is the legislation the House passed last week, the Surface Transportation Board reauthorization bill. The Surface Transportation Board is responsible for helping to ensure the efficiency of our rail system by addressing problems and adjudicating disputes between railroads and shippers. Unfortunately, it has been clear for several years now that the Surface Transportation Board needs to work better. This became particularly apparent in 2013 and 2014 when a sharp increase in shipping demand and harsh winter weather conditions combined to create massive backlogs in the availability of railcars for grain shipping which, in turn, caused storage issues for farmers across the Midwest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that the rail backlog lowered the price of corn, wheat, and soybeans in the upper Midwest. It forced shippers to pay record-high railroad-car premiums--in the neighborhood of 28 percent to 150 percent above the previous average levels--for roughly 65 consecutive weeks. The Surface Transportation Board legislation that Congress sent to the President last week will help prevent another situation such as this in the future. The bill, which I spearheaded, makes a number of significant reforms to the Board. For starters, it establishes the number of Board members and establishes a more collaborative process that will allow members to work together to identify and solve problems as they emerge. The bill also provides the Board with the investigative authority to address rail service issues even if an official complaint has not been made. This will allow and encourage the Board to be more proactive when it comes to addressing problems in our Nation's rail system. The bill also increases transparency by requiring the Surface Transportation Board to establish a data base of complaints and to provide quarterly reports with key information to facilitate the effective monitoring of service issues. Finally, the bill improves the current process for resolving disputes between railroads and shippers. Right now, disputes can take multiple years and literally millions of dollars to resolve, putting a tremendous burden on shippers and on railroads as well. The legislation we developed improves this process by setting timelines for rate reviews, expanding voluntary arbitrary procedures, and requiring the Surface Transportation Board to study alternative rate review methodologies to streamline and to expedite cases. It requires the Surface Transportation Board to maintain at least one simplified, expedited rate review methodology. These changes will increase efficiency throughout the rate review process. South Dakota farmers and ranchers depend on our Nation's railroads to bring their goods to market. They also depend on our Nation's highways. This year I was proud to work with my colleagues in the Senate on the first long-term Transportation bill in a decade. Over the past several years, Congress made a habit of passing numerous short-term funding extensions for Federal transportation programs. Over the past several years of short-term extensions, the latest, I think, was No. 38. That was an incredibly inefficient way to manage our Nation's infrastructure needs, and it wasted an incredible amount of money. It also put a lot of transportation jobs in jeopardy. When Congress fails to make clear how transportation funding will be allocated, States and local governments are left without the certainty they need to authorize projects or to make long-term plans for addressing various transportation infrastructure needs. That means essential projects, construction projects, get deferred. Necessary repairs may not get made, and the jobs that depend on these projects and repairs are put at risk. The Transportation bill we passed this month changes all that. It reauthorizes transportation programs for the long term, and it provides 5 years of guaranteed funding. It means States and local governments will have the certainty they need to invest in big transportation projects and the jobs that they create. That, in turn, means a stronger economy and a more reliable, safer, and effective transportation system. As chairman of the commerce committee, I spend a lot of time working with committee members on both sides of the aisle to develop the Transportation bill's safety provisions. Our portion of the bill includes a host of important safety improvements, including enhancements to the notification process to ensure that consumers are informed of auto-related recalls, and also important reforms at the government agency responsible for overseeing safety in our Nation's cars and trucks. Another important success for South Dakota this year was the final approval of the expansion of the Powder River Training Complex--the military training airspace over South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. The expanded airspace approved by the Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration will allow our air men and women to carry out critical training in conditions that more closely resemble combat missions. After working with the Air Force on this project for nearly 9 years, I was proud to see this expansion finally completed and even more delighted to see the first large-force training exercise take place at the expanded Powder River Training Complex just this month. Forty-one aircraft took part in the exercise, including the B-1 bombers from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The expanded training complex will save Ellsworth $23 million per year in training costs by reducing the need for the B-1 bombers to commute to other places, such as Nevada and Utah, for training. Supporting our men and women in uniform--like our airmen at Ellsworth--is one of the most important jobs we have as Members of Congress. This year I am proud to report that the Senate passed a national defense authorization bill that incorporates a number of critical reforms that will expand the resources available to our servicemembers and strengthen our national security. The National Defense Authorization Act for 2016 tackles waste and inefficiency at the Department of Defense and focuses funding on our warfighters rather than on the Pentagon bureaucracy. The bill also overhauls our military retirement system. Before this bill, the system limited retirement benefits to servicemembers who had served for 20 years or more, which means huge numbers of military personnel, including many veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, retired after years of service without having accrued any retirement benefits. The National Defense Authorization Act replaces this system with a new retirement system that will ensure that the majority of our Nation's servicemembers receive retirement benefits for their years of service to our country even if they have not reached the 20-year mark. The bills I have discussed today are just a few of the accomplishments of the Republican-led Senate. Over the course of this year, we have passed a number of significant pieces of legislation that will benefit Americans for years to come. We have worked hard to help our Nation's veterans by expanding access to mental health resources, reducing wait times for medical care, and increasing the number of providers who can serve veterans. We voted to repeal ObamaCare and start the process of moving toward the real health care reform Americans are looking for: an affordable, accountable, patient-focused system that puts individuals in control of their health care decisions. We passed legislation to contain the out-of-control bureaucracy at the EPA and legislation to begin the process of safeguarding Medicare and Social Security by putting them on a more sustainable financial footing going forward. We passed cyber security legislation to protect Americans' privacy and a major education reform bill that puts States, parents, teachers, and local school boards--not Washington bureaucrats--in charge of our children's education. While we may have accomplished a lot this year, we know there is still a lot more that needs to be done. Americans are still suffering in the Obama economy, and our Nation continues to face terrorist threats at home and abroad. Whether it is enacting pro-economic growth policies at home or ensuring that our military has the resources it needs to protect us from threats abroad, Republicans will redouble our efforts to make sure Washington is meeting the needs of American families and addressing the American people's priorities. We plan to spend the second year of the 114th Congress next year the way we have spent the first: fighting to make our economy stronger, our government more efficient and more accountable, and our Nation and our world safer and more secure. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, when the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed its report on S. 2044, the Consumer Review Freedom Act of 2015, the estimate of the Congressional Budget Office was not available. The estimate has since been received. I ask unanimous consent that the estimate from the Congressional Budget Office be printed in the Record.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, for the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the Records on the dates indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretary's desk for the information of Senators.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the distinguished career of a great South Dakotan, Mr. Jim Smith. Jim was born in Aberdeen, SD, in 1930, and was raised in Pierre. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 1952 before attending law school at George Washington University. While still in law school, Jim worked as an elevator operator in the U.S. Capitol until he became a legislative assistant to South Dakota Senator Karl Mundt. He eventually served as minority counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations. Upon graduation from law school, Jim became the associate Federal legislative counsel at the American Bankers Association from 1963 to 1968. From 1969 to 1973, Jim headed the Treasury Department's Office of Congressional Relations, completing his tenure as Deputy Undersecretary of the Department under three separate Secretaries. In 1971, Jim was awarded the Alexander Hamilton Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Treasury Department. He was appointed by President Nixon as the 23rd U.S. Comptroller of the Currency in 1973, where he served until the end of the Ford Administration. Jim returned to the Midwest in 1977 to serve as the Executive Vice President of the First Chicago Corporation. In 1980, Jim reconnected with his old friend, Charls E. Walker, from their days at the American Bankers Association. Jim joined Mr. Walker's consulting firm, Charls Walker Associates, later renamed Walker/Free Associates, until he formed The Smith-Free Group with Jim Free in 1995. For the past 35 years, Jim has advocated for a diverse range of issues before the Federal Government, including pro bono efforts on behalf of victims of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Jim came to Washington during President Eisenhower's administration, and his career has spanned 10 subsequent Presidents. His reputation as a modest, soft-spoken, and principled man is a testament to his South Dakota roots. He embodies the strong-willed, hard-working, and good- natured characteristics that all South Dakotans share; and his life story proves the continued resilience of the American Dream. Jim is retiring to spend more time with his wife of 37 years, Karen, along with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I would like to thank him for his service to both South Dakota and the country and congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, just a few days ago on the Senate floor, the Senate Democratic leader said: One of the newspapers here has a Pinocchio check, and they look at the facts and analyze them and then they can give up to four Pinocchios meaning people simply didn't tell the truth. . . . So, this is the most unproductive Senate in the history of the country, and there are facts and figures to show that. That was said by the Senate Democratic leader on December 2 on the floor of the Senate. Well, unfortunately for him, the Washington Post, which runs the fact checker, fact checked his statement and it came back with three Pinocchios. The most you can get is four Pinocchios, and they gave him three Pinocchios. There are degrees of falsehood, and I think three Pinocchios denotes a pretty big whopper. The Senate Democratic leader, by suggesting that this is one of the most unproductive Senates in the history of the country, was busted by the fact checker with three Pinocchios for making what was a false statement. The truth of the matter is, contrary to the assertions of the Senate Democratic leader, it has been a very busy year here in the Senate-- from voting to repeal ObamaCare to passing the first long-term Transportation bill in a decade and, I might add, the first balanced budget bill in 14 years. Republicans have been working hard to fulfill our promise to get Washington working again for American families. If you listen to the media, sometimes they would have you believe that nothing ever gets done in Washington, but the truth is that we have been able to make progress on a number of important issues this year. One accomplishment I am particularly proud of is the long-term Transportation bill that Congress passed this last week. It is the first long-term Transportation bill in a decade. Over the past several years, Congress has made a habit of passing numerous short-term funding extensions for Federal transportation programs. In fact, I think prior to the passage last week of this long- term highway bill, there have been no fewer than 37 short-term extensions. That is an incredibly inefficient way to manage our Nation's infrastructure needs, and it wasted an incredible amount of money. It also put a lot of transportation jobs in jeopardy. Hundreds of thousands of jobs around the country depend on the funding contained in Transportation bills. When Congress fails to provide certainty about the way transportation funding will be allocated, States and local governments are left without the certainty they need to authorize projects or to make long-term plans for addressing various transportation infrastructure needs. That means essential construction projects get deferred, necessary repairs may not get made, and jobs that depend upon transportation get put in jeopardy. The Transportation bill we passed last week changes all of that. It reauthorizes transportation programs for the long term and provides 5 years of guaranteed funding. That means States and local governments will have the certainty they need to invest in big transportation projects and the jobs that they create, and that in turn means a stronger economy and a more reliable, safe, and effective transportation system. This new Transportation bill will also provide much needed accountability and transparency about where taxpayer dollars are spent. As chairman of the commerce committee, I spent a lot of time working with committee members on both sides of the aisle to develop the bill's safety provisions. One portion of the bill includes a host of important safety improvements, including enhancements to the notification process to ensure consumers are informed of auto-related recalls and important reforms of the government agency responsible for overseeing safety in our Nation's cars and trucks. Another important bill we passed this year is the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. Cyber attacks are increasing, and it seems that every week we hear of a new breach putting Americans' private information at risk. According to the security firm Symantec, last year alone more than 300 million new types of malicious software or computer viruses were introduced on the Web. That is nearly 1 million new threats every single day. In October, the Senate passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, which will help keep Americans' data safe from hackers by increasing the exchange of cyber threat information between the public and private sectors. As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to ensure we are meeting the needs of our men and women in uniform and of our Nation's veterans. This year, under the new Republican majority and the leadership of Chairman Isakson, the Senate has worked in a bipartisan manner to advance numerous bills to serve our veterans. We passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which provides additional resources to help combat the tragedy of veteran suicides. We have improved the Veterans Choice Act to better realize the intent of Congress, and that was to make sure veterans don't have to face significant wait times or travel distances over 40 miles to receive the care they need. We expanded eligibility to permit more veterans to seek care close to home and increase the number of non-VA providers in our communities that can deliver that care. Congress also continues to examine the issue of VA accountability to make sure our veterans never again have to suffer delays in treatment, as we saw with the national embarrassment of falsified wait times that the VA revealed last year. I believe this oversight by Congress is an important first step in making sure the VA works for our veterans and not for the VA bureaucracy. Congress also passed the Defense authorization bill this year, which incorporated a number of critical reforms that will expand the resources available to our military men and women and strengthen our national security. The National Defense Authorization Act for 2016 tackles waste and inefficiency at the Department of Defense and focuses funding on our war fighters rather than on the Pentagon bureaucracy. This bill also overhauls our military retirement system. Before this bill, the system limited retirement benefits to soldiers who had served for 20 years or more, which means there were huge numbers of soldiers, including many veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, who retired after years of service without having accrued any retirement benefits. The National Defense Authorization Act replaces this system with a new retirement system that would ensure the majority of our Nation's soldiers receive retirement benefits for their years of service to our country, even if they have not reached the 20-year mark. One thing Republicans were determined to do this year as well was to send legislation repealing ObamaCare to the President's desk. Five and a half years after the so-called Affordable Care Act was signed into law, it has become abundantly clear that the law is not working. It is not lowering premiums. Premiums are going up. It is not reducing health care costs. Health care costs are going up dramatically. It costs $4,000 for the average family. It is not protecting access to doctors or to hospitals. In fact, for some Americans, ObamaCare has driven up the cost of health care to unimaginable levels. I heard from 1 constituent in Hill City, SD, whose family's 2016 health care bill will be $25,653--$25,653. In the words of this constituent: How can a yearly bill of $25,653 be affordable to a retired couple? The answer, of course, is that it can't be; $25,653 or $2,137 a month is approximately double the average family's monthly mortgage payment. People are paying twice as much for their health insurance as they are paying for their mortgage. The ObamaCare repeal bill that the Senate passed last week starts the process of moving away from ObamaCare and toward the kind of real health care reform that Americans are looking for--an affordable, accountable, patient-focused system that gives individuals control of their health care decisions. I am also pleased that the ObamaCare repeal bill protects unborn Americans by redirecting funding for Planned Parenthood, an organization that performs well over a quarter million abortions each year. It shifts that funding to organizations like community health centers, which provide affordable, essential health services to women across the country, and funding them is a far better use of taxpayer dollars. In my State of South Dakota, these centers are in more than two dozen rural communities and in towns where there is no Planned Parenthood, so redirecting these funds makes it easier for women across my State to have access to affordable, essential health care services. While all Americans agree that we should protect our air and water and use our natural resources responsibly, under President Obama the Environmental Protection Agency has run amok. During the course of the Obama administration, this Agency has implemented one damaging rule after another, from a massive national backdoor energy tax that would hurt poor and working families the most to a new rule that would subject ponds and puddles in America's backyards to a complex array of expensive and burdensome regulatory requirements. Containing this out- of-control government bureaucracy is a priority for Republicans, and we have taken up multiple pieces of legislation this year to check the EPA's overreach. While the President may have blocked our efforts for now, we are going to keep working to protect Americans from damaging rules like the waters of the United States rule and the national energy tax. Over the course of the Obama administration, our national debt has gone from $10.6 trillion to a staggering $18.8 trillion. Meanwhile, entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security are heading rapidly toward bankruptcy. If action isn't taken soon, our financial situation could end up crippling our economy. While there is a lot more work left to do, this year's Senate Republicans took steps toward improving our Nation's fiscal health. In the spring, we passed a balanced budget--the first joint House-Senate balanced budget in 14 years. Every American family has to stick to a budget and Congress should be no different. This year's balanced budget needs to be the first of many going forward. Entitlement reform is also essential if we want to protect Americans' entitlement security. This year we began the process of putting both Social Security and Medicare on a more stable financial footing so these programs will continue to be available to current and future generations of Americans. I could go on and talk about the Education bill that we are considering right now that will return power to States and local school boards or the legislation that we passed to give law enforcement new tools to fight human trafficking and expand the resources available to victims or the bill that we passed to expand opportunities for American workers and open new markets for goods marked ``Made in the USA.'' I want to stop here and say, while Republicans are proud of what we have accomplished this year, we know there is a lot left to do. Wages are still stagnant, our economy is still sluggish, and too many families are still struggling under huge health care bills. In addition to the challenges facing Americans at home, we face a number of challenges abroad, foremost among them the threat posed by ISIS, which is responsible for the deadly attacks in Paris last month, as well as a campaign of havoc and bloodshed throughout the Middle East. Even here at home we received a grim reminder of the global influence of ISIS's twisted ideology last week with what appears to be a terrorist-inspired attack that took 14 American lives in San Bernardino. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and the families. While the President should be playing the leading role in building a coalition to destroy this terrorist organization, unfortunately his speech Sunday night demonstrated that he has little to offer beyond the same failed strategy that has helped us end up where we are right now-- with an emboldened terrorist organization carrying out and inspiring mass casualty attacks far beyond Iraq and Syria. We are at a tipping point in the fight against ISIS, and if we don't come up with an effective political military response in the very near future, we will be facing the prospect of even greater bloodshed in the Middle East and more terrorist attacks here in the homeland. While we succeeded in having a number of bills become law this year, unfortunately many others were stopped by the President. Still others, such as our efforts to protect unborn children capable of feeling pain from being killed by abortion, were stopped by Democrats in the Senate. While we have temporarily lost some of these battles, the debate will continue. Republicans will not give up. Whether it is protecting families from the President's national energy tax or repealing ObamaCare, we will redouble our efforts to make sure Washington is meeting the needs of American families and addressing the American people's priorities. We plan to spend the second year of the 114th Congress the way we spent the first: fighting to make our economy stronger, our government more efficient and more accountable, and our Nation and our world safer and more secure. Madam President, I yield the floor.