June 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3633 2019 crop prices have improved, mil- are fully grazed. Due to last year’s se- interested in the Conservation Reserve lions of acres of cropland will go vere and lengthy winter, feed supplies Program but didn’t want to take por- unplanted and leave many farmers have disappeared and have left no re- tions of their land out of production for with no crops to market this year. serves. Corn stalks, which are a source a decade or more. The Soil Health and Farmers and ranchers have a tough of grazing and bedding, will be in short Income Protection Program, or SHIPP, job. Feeding our Nation and the world supply this year, which will result in provides a new, short-term option for is tough, backbreaking work. Farmers severe feed shortages and a need for ad- farmers that will allow them to take and ranchers put in long days that ditional roughage. That is why I have their worst performing cropland out of start before the Sun rises and often end been pressing the Department of Agri- production for 3 to 5 years instead of long after the Sun sets. Yet, no matter culture to move this date up for farm- the 10 to 15 years that is required by how hard they work, all of their labor ers in the Northern States. Cover crops the CRP’s rules. Like the CRP, it will can be undone by one devastating are a win-win situation and can reduce protect our environment while it will storm or flood. For most Americans, a feed shortages for many livestock pro- improve the bottom line for farmers. bad storm might mean a wet or a de- ducers. They help the environment by The sooner we get this program imple- layed commute. For farmers and preventing soil erosion, which can pol- mented, the sooner farmers and the en- ranchers, it can literally mean the loss lute streams and rivers and worsen vironment will see the benefits. of substantial parts of their liveli- flooding, and they benefit farmers by I have also been pressing the USDA hoods. improving soil health, which improves to issue guidelines for the second round I am proud to represent South Dako- future crop yields. of Market Facilitation Program pay- ta’s hard-working farmers and ranchers It is important that we don’t discour- ments, and I emphasized this point in the Senate, and addressing their age farmers from planting cover crops again at last Thursday’s meeting. needs is one of my biggest priorities by insisting on the November 1 harvest While I know our farmers would rather here in Washington. Right now, I am date, and I emphasized that point to receive a check from the marketplace working on several fronts to expand the Deputy Secretary and the Under than from the government, we have economic opportunity for farmers and Secretary. I know the Department of safety net programs in place to help in ranchers and help them access the sup- Agriculture is looking at this issue exactly the kinds of situations our port they need. right now, and I will continue to en- farmers find themselves in today. I recently requested a meeting with courage the Department to reach a de- I continue to press the administra- the Department of Agriculture to dis- cision that addresses the reality that is tion on when the government will wrap cuss cover crop harvest flexibility on faced by northern farmers. up negotiations on the various trade prevent plant acres, Market Facilita- Another subject I raised at the meet- deals that are under consideration. I tion Program payments, and Conserva- ing last week was of the Conservation strongly support the administration’s tion Reserve Program signups. Last Reserve Program signups. All farmers of strengthening market access Thursday, the Deputy Agriculture Sec- are familiar with the Conservation Re- for our Nation’s farmers and ranchers, retary—the second highest ranking of- serve Program, or CRP, as we refer to and we have made real progress in ficial at the Department of Agri- it, which provides incentives for farm- those negotiations. Now it is time to culture—and the USDA Under Sec- ers to take environmentally sensitive push for a conclusion to these deals. retary for Farm Production and Con- land out of production for 10 to 15 In addition to increased market ac- servation came to my office to meet years. cess, farmers and ranchers need cer- with me on these issues. The Conservation Reserve Program tainty about what international mar- One important topic of discussion helps the environment by improving kets will look like. I am also pushing was of moving up the November 1 date soil health and water quality and by for the congressional consideration of for haying or grazing cover crops plant- providing habitat for wildlife, includ- one already concluded trade agree- ed on prevented plant acres. South Da- ing endangered and threatened species. ment—the United States-Mexico-Can- kota’s farmers and ranchers are cur- It also helps farmers by reducing their ada Agreement—in the near future. rently facing the fallout from severe crop insurance costs and providing This agreement will preserve and ex- winter storms, heavy rainfall, bomb cy- them with an annual payment for the pand farmers’ and ranchers’ market ac- clones, and spring flooding. Planting is land they have taken out of produc- cess to Canada and Mexico, and Con- behind schedule, and some farmers’ tion. gress should take it up and pass it as fields are so flooded that they won’t be I have spent years pushing for an in- soon as possible. able to plant at all this year. The situ- crease in the Conservation Reserve To all of South Dakota’s farmers and ation is similar throughout the entire Program’s acreage cap, and we finally ranchers, I know you all have had a Midwest. As a result, many farmers are got a substantial increase in last year’s very tough few years. I am working thinking about planting quick-growing farm bill. Yet the Department of Agri- hard here in Washington to do what- cover crops on their prevent plant culture needs to expedite both general ever I can to support you, and I will acres for feed and grazing, once their and continuous CRP signups to allow keep fighting every day to get our agri- fields finally dry out, in order to pro- farmers to take full advantage of the culture economy thriving again. cap increase. Taking millions of acres I yield the floor. tect the soil from erosion. I suggest the absence of a quorum. Yet there is a problem. Right now, of land out of crop production in the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The the Department of Agriculture doesn’t next year could have a big impact on clerk will call the roll. allow farmers to harvest or graze cover the farm economy by driving up com- The senior assistant legislative clerk crops on prevent plant acres or to use modity prices, which will boost farms’ proceeded to call the roll. them for pasture until November 1. incomes. In order for this to happen, Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I Farmers who hay or graze before this we need to make sure that farmers can ask unanimous consent that the order date face a reduction in their prevent get their less productive land enrolled for the quorum call be rescinded. plant payments, which is crop insur- in the Conservation Reserve Program The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ance to help them cover their income and out of crop production by next objection, it is so ordered. losses when fields can’t be planted due year. That is why I have been urging f to flooding or other issues. November 1 the Department of Agriculture to make is generally a pretty reasonable date sure farmers can sign up in a timely MOTION TO DISCHARGE—S.J. RES. for farmers in Southern States, but in manner. 36 Northern States like South Dakota, I also urged the Department to expe- Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, November 1 is too late for harvesting dite signups for the Soil Health and In- pursuant to the Arms Export Control thanks to the risk of snow and other come Protection Program. I introduced Act of 1976, I move to discharge the late fall or early winter storms. the Soil Health and Income Protection Foreign Relations Committee from fur- It is also too late to maximize the Program, which became law as part of ther consideration of S.J. Res. 36, re- use of cover crops for pasture since the last year’s farm bill, in order to ad- lating to the disapproval of the pro- ground can freeze before cover crops dress the concerns of farmers who were posed transfer to the Kingdom of Saudi

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:26 Jun 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18JN6.004 S18JNPT1 S3634 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 18, 2019 Arabia, the United Kingdom of Great works for months. So how can it be in For the first time in franchise his- Britain, and Northern Ireland, the the works for months, you are before tory, the Blues brought the Stanley Kingdom of Spain, and the Italian Re- this body, and you say nothing 3 days Cup trophy to to celebrate public of certain defense articles and before you actually declare an emer- their incredible achievement and to services. gency? So on the process itself, it is share it with some of the best sports The PRESIDING OFFICER. The mo- just false. fans in America. tion is pending and debatable for up to Secondly, what is happening in Senator HAWLEY and I look forward 1 hour. Yemen is a humanitarian disaster that to a chance, before too long, to host Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, has been exacerbated by the very weap- the here at the Senate so the resolution I have just asked for the ons we have been giving the Saudis in all my colleagues will get to see the discharge of would disapprove the ad- order to fight this conflict in Yemen joy we have in seeing that come to our ministration’s sale of precision-guided and has created untold humanitarian State. munitions to the Kingdom of Saudi disaster. It is hard to imagine that just 6 Arabia—weapons they have used in the These precision-guided missiles were months ago, the Blues were the lowest killing of an untold number of innocent meant to avoid civilian casualties, but ranked team in the NHL. I think at the civilians in their ongoing campaign in they are not going to avoid civilian first of the season the odds were 60 to Yemen. casualties when you aim them with 1 that the Blues would win the Stanley This resolution is 1 of 22 that I have precision at civilian targets. I will Cup. Those were the highest odds any filed with a bipartisan group of Sen- have a lot more to say about that when team faced. ators in response to the administra- my colleagues who are joining with me, As it turned out, the odds aren’t al- tion’s flagrant disregard for congres- on a bipartisan basis, come to the ways what counts. What counts is how sional oversight over arms sales. floor. We hope to have a colloquy with you play the season. So they got off to On May 24, the Secretary of State at- all of our colleagues in this regard. a rough start, changed their coach in tempted to bypass this body in order to The other point is, these weapons January, and then as the season pro- push through 22 separate arms sales to will not counter Iranian threats. This gressed, at the end of the regular sea- Saudi Arabia and the United Arab is all about using them in Yemen, and son, they won 11 straight games. Emirates, claiming an ill-defined emer- the Assistant Secretary of State, A rookie, Jordan Binnington, led the gency regarding Iran. Clarke Cooper, admitted as much in a team to an incredibly successful second Now, while Iran is a threat to the in- hearing before the House last week. half. His goalie performance in the sec- Lastly, as a major point, which I will terests of the United States and the ond half of the season, and particularly expound upon, this particular transfer Middle East, I think no one in this in the Stanley Cup games, was extraor- is a transfer not only of sensitive tech- body has been stronger on our sanc- dinary, especially in that last game. nology but of American jobs to the tions efforts and in other legislation The Blues eventually moved on to Saudis. This export license will allow that I have been the architect of on get the third seed in the Western Con- Saudi workers to begin to manufacture sanctioning Iran. The question before ference playoffs. They won their series part of the electronic guidance system us is whether these arms sales are spe- against Winnipeg in four games to two for these precision-guided munitions— cifically meant to be a response to in the first round. They advanced to work that has been done and should that. the second round to defeat the Dallas continue to be done by American work- These arms sales are a critical na- Stars in a really dramatic double over- ers in the United States. I don’t think tional security tool in terms of review- the transfer of those sensitive tech- time victory in game seven. They con- ing and approving them as a core func- nologies and the creation of its compo- tinued their historic run, defeating the tion of the Senate Foreign Relations nents is something that is in the na- in round three, and Committee. We are responsible for con- tional interest, both economically or in then the Blues made it all the way to sidering how each proposed sale fits terms of our security. the Stanley Cup final and ended the into the broader foreign policy goals Lastly, this is about this institution season with a decisive 4-to-1 victory in and our national security interests, in- standing up for its congressional pre- game seven and at Boston. cluding the capacity and interoper- rogatives to ensure that regardless of I think, if you look back at the ability of our partners. who the President is in the White record on this, the Blues had clearly The congressional review of arms House, arms sales are subject to review learned to win away from home, and sales is mandated for a reason: so the of the Congress. The day we give that they proved that in the Stanley Cup. Secretary of State explicitly cannot do up is the day we go down a dangerous They played as one team, they played what he tried to do last month with path. as one unit, but they had lots of people these 22 sales to Saudi Arabia and the This is the beginning of a process. I helping. Ryan O’Reilly set a franchise United Arab Emirates. want to say that I appreciate the will- record with 23 points in the playoffs. The suggestion that this is an emer- ingness and efforts of my cosponsor, He ultimately went on to win the Conn gency, I think, was shown to be totally Senator GRAHAM, and of the majority Smythe Award as the postseason MVP. hollow when we had the testimony of leader, as well as their staffs, to chart Jordan Binnington, whom I mentioned the Assistant Secretary of State, an acceptable path forward on these before, became the first and only rook- Clarke Cooper, who admitted in an resolutions and on the Saudi sanctions ie goalie to win 16 games in the Stan- open House hearing that the decision bill in the SAFE Act, which we also ley Cup playoffs. Patrick Maroon, a to make the emergency determination seek to have an opportunity on. I will Missouri native, scored a heroic goal in was in the works for months—months. have a lot more to say about these the double overtime of game seven It doesn’t take months to deal with arms sales, but to start this process, I against the . an emergency. wanted to outline why we find our- There was another individual who When pressed on how an emergency selves here today. was reflective of just lots of the fans declaration could be in the works for I yield the floor. whom the Blues had with them. This months, he tried to argue that the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- superfan, Laila Anderson, 11 years old, emergency showed up sometime be- ator from Missouri. didn’t let her battle with a rare, life- tween the 2 days that the Secretary ST. LOUIS BLUES threatening disease prevent her from briefed Members and then made the no- Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, I cheering on the team she loved. tification. want to talk about good news for two At the beginning of game three in the The Secretary of State was before of our major cities in Missouri. I will Stanley finals, she took to the ice be- this body briefing Members, and at start with the sporting news, which fore the puck dropped and fired up the that time, 3 days before this emergency would be the July 12 victory of the St. team and the nearly 20,000 fans who was declared, he said absolutely noth- Louis Blues, when they earned their filled the Enterprise Center. ing—nothing—about any pending emer- spot in the history books when they de- Laila became such an important fac- gency, even though Assistant Sec- feated the in game 7 of tor to the Blues’ victories that they retary Cooper said it had been in the the Stanley Cup finals. flew this 11-year-old to Boston to make

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:26 Jun 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18JN6.006 S18JNPT1 June 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3635 sure their No. 1 fan would be there to lot more food is going to have to be portunities—very appropriate to men- cheer them on in game seven. grown on the same land with fewer in- tion with my native Missouri and now Shortly after the Blues were pre- puts, to meet our environmental con- the Senator from Florida here in the sented with the Stanley Cup, she cele- cerns, our climate concerns, our other Chair. We have major league sports brated with the players on the ice as concerns, but still feed the world in a teams, like the Royals, the Chiefs, and they passed around that iconic trophy. way that we are uniquely positioned to Sporting Kansas City. We have a thriv- Her inspirational story is just an- be a lead partner in that partnership of ing theater culture, a world-class mu- other example of why this was a season feeding the world. seum at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of right out of the storybooks. The city of The move the USDA has made will Art, the Negro Leagues Baseball Mu- St. Louis and our State will never for- give them the opportunity to strength- seum, Science City at Union Station, get the Blues’ incredible achievement en partnerships they already have and and that names just a few. this year. have even greater impact as they work The motto of USDA is ‘‘Do Right and I would like to congratulate Tom to improve crop yields and develop risk Feed Everyone.’’ By the way, we were Stillman, the general manager; Doug management strategies. doing research at the Federal level be- Armstrong, the head coach; Craig Our State is also a big part of the fore there was a USDA. In the 1850s, ag Berube; and all the coaches, the play- Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, research was going on right here in ers, the fans, and the staff who brought which extends from Manhattan, KS, to Washington sponsored by the Federal this incredible victory home to St. Columbia, MO. That corridor is home Government. In 1862, when the USDA Louis. to more than 300 animal health compa- was formed, one of the principle rea- I look forward to hearing our fans nies. It is the largest concentration in sons was research. These two facilities sing ‘‘Gloria’’ many more times next the world of that business and includes will be an important part of that. When year when the team defends its title as five of the world’s largest animal the people at ERS and NIFA join the Stanley Cup champions. health companies. many USDA colleagues they already USDA Relocating these agencies will save have in our State, we think they will Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, as the taxpayers a lot of money. Secretary find their mission easier and more re- St. Louisans were celebrating the Perdue anticipates that almost $300 warding than ever. Stanley Cup, people on the other side million will be saved over the next 15 It is a great time to look forward to- of our State in Kansas City received years and all the moving costs will be ward the future of agriculture. Cer- some great news—this time great news earned back within 12 months of the tainly Missouri and Kansas City and from the Federal Government, when move. It is hard to imagine an invest- Kansas and that entire region that the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, ment you make where you have 100 hubs around Kansas City, MO, are ex- Sonny Perdue, announced on Thursday percent payback in 12 months, but that cited to be a bigger part of that. Con- that two Federal ag research agencies is going to happen with this one. gratulations to those employees, and would be moving their headquarters to That frees up more resources to go congratulations to the decision Sec- the Kansas City region from Wash- toward grants and research instead of retary Perdue has made to relocate ington, DC. being paid to the Department’s land- those two Washington-based organiza- The Economic Research Service and lords. tions to a place where they are going the National Institute of Food and Ag- (Mr. SCOTT of Florida assumed the to be closer to the work they do. riculture together will bring more than Chair.) Mr. President, I yield the floor. I think it will also be a huge upgrade I suggest the absence of a quorum. 500 jobs to the Kansas City area. It is The PRESIDING OFFICER. The for the lives of people who will be Fed- fantastic news for our State, for our re- clerk will call the roll. eral employees living outside of Wash- gion, I think also for the workers at The senior assistant legislative clerk ington and in the middle of the coun- those two agencies and their families. proceeded to call the roll. The point of the move is to get these try. Last month, the average house in Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I important government offices closer to Washington cost more than $600,000. In ask unanimous consent that the order the customers they serve and to save Kansas City, the average price was for the quorum call be rescinded. the taxpayers money. Kansas City will about a quarter of that. Now, you can The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without be a great place to do both of those find the $600,000 house in Kansas City, objection, it is so ordered. things. but it is not the average house being Mrs. BLACKBURN. I ask that I be Missouri is already home to more sold like it is here. I know local banks permitted to speak for up to 7 minutes than 5,000 U.S. Department of Agri- and mortgage companies are standing as in morning business. culture employees and contractors ready to help those Federal families as The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there working for a dozen different Depart- they move to Kansas City. objection? ment offices in the Department of Ag- Also—now that we have gone from Without objection, it is so ordered. riculture, but bringing these two agen- Madam President to Mr. President, as NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT cy headquarters to the State will put the Senator from Florida has taken the Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, as them right in the middle of some of the seat and is in charge of the Senate here we move toward debate over the Na- most exciting and cutting-edge innova- for a while—you are making that deci- tional Defense Authorization Act for tion happening in the ag industry. sion with the current employees in Fiscal Year 2020, I wanted to remind Talk about being closer to your cus- mind, but I think you are also making my colleagues that while we stand pre- tomers, the farmers of America, and that decision, more importantly, with pared to negotiate its various provi- closer to examples of innovation, I future employees. Where will be the sions, our military men and women think this move and Secretary Pur- best place to recruit? Where will be the stand at the ready. They stand at the due’s decision is clearly going to show best place to encourage people to do ready every single day. It is a 24/7 busi- that is the case. graduate work and other things that ness for them for a much more serious Kansas City is close to at least a allow them to do their jobs better? I task, and that is the defense of this dozen land-grant universities in our think there were other choices, but I great Nation. State. Two of those would be the Uni- certainly think the choice of Kansas As we consider this year’s NDAA, we versity of Missouri in Columbia and City was a good one. There is a thriv- must do so with the understanding that Lincoln University in Jefferson City. ing economy right now, with lots of job our Nation is faced with new, sophisti- These institutions, along with the opportunities. Like the rest of the cated threats to our way of life and to other land-grant institutions in the re- country, there are more jobs available the world order. gion, are preparing for the next genera- than people looking for work. Missouri Two emerging warfighting domains— tion of ag leaders to meet maybe the added 8,200 jobs last year, and we con- cyber and space—are capturing much greatest challenge of all time as world tinue to see that happen. of the attention of this body and our food demand moves toward doubling Our new neighbors will also find that allies and, I will also add, capturing between now and 2050 and world food Kansas City is home to limitless cul- the attention of our enemies, of those need doubles between now and 2060. A tural, educational, and recreational op- who do not wish us well.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:26 Jun 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18JN6.007 S18JNPT1 S3636 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 18, 2019 It is these two domains—cyber and projects must not end up as a casualty Committee on a party-line vote in Feb- space—that pose increased threats to of budget negotiations. ruary, but for some reason, the Repub- our national infrastructure and our Now, it is true that this is a massive lican leadership decided to wait and way of engaging with both those allies authorization and that much of the force a vote on the floor of the Senate and our adversaries. Debating defense funding we authorize will not manifest during Pride Month. Now they are call- spending means thinking beyond heli- itself in visible hardware, but I encour- ing for a vote this week. copters and submarines or equipment age my friends in this body, do not let Mr. Kacsmaryk has not been shy and artillery and viewing this author- this deter you from seeing the big pic- about his hostility to marriage equal- ization in the larger context of multi ture. National defense is no longer lim- ity in transgender Americans. On June and unseen domain warfare. That is ited to the tools and infrastructure we 24, 2015, he wrote an article in which he why my colleagues and I on the Senate can see. It includes an enormous cov- noted that the Supreme Court would Armed Services Committee have come ering that is needed by our Nation and decide the Obergefell case in the next to the table with a bill that shores up our allies in this virtual space. few weeks and speculated whether five funding for these legacy programs and We must focus our defense budget on Justices would, in his words, ‘‘invent a devotes new funding to address these future threats, not those of the past, in constitutional right to same-sex mar- emerging threats. order to not repeat the mistakes of the riage.’’ First and foremost, this bill author- past. I believe that this year’s NDAA After the decision, Mr. Kacsmaryk izes a 3.1-percent pay increase for the accomplishes just that. wrote a disparaging summary—which I Members of our Armed Forces. That is I yield the floor. will not quote into the RECORD—but it so vitally important for the men and The PRESIDING OFFICER. The as- certainly shows his opposition to the women at Fort Campbell, which is lo- sistant Democratic leader. fundamental premise behind that deci- cated right there on the Tennessee and NOMINATION OF MATTHEW J. KACSMARYK sion. He was quoted in the Liberty In- Kentucky border. That is a post where Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, if you stitute blog of October 16, 2014 saying I have spent much of my legislative ca- study the recent course of American ‘‘the pro-marriage movement must pre- reer involved with those men and history, you can note there has been pare for the long war.’’ women and with the command team. the emergence of opportunity and de- He signed a letter in 2016 relating to This is a justified and well-earned bates on freedom many times during transgender Americans, calling them raise that recognizes their commit- the last 50 years. ‘‘a delusion.’’ Last December, the par- ment to defending against unfamiliar I think back to my time, my early ents of 300 transgender children—in- threats that rise above and beyond the years of education in high school and cluding 39 from my State of Illinois— everyday servicemember’s scope of college, when America was in the midst wrote the Senate in opposition to Mr. duty. of debate about the rights of African Kacsmaryk’s nomination and said: We have found ourselves once more Americans—the civil rights movements ‘‘Our children are not a delusion, and in the midst of great power competi- in the 1960s. neither is our love and support for tion. America will always have rivals We have also had debates as well on them.’’ on the world stage. Over the past dec- the question of liberty and freedom— Even though Mr. Kacsmaryk has ex- ade, we have seen countries like China freedom from discrimination for pressed strident personal views oppos- and Russia pursuing increasingly so- women in America and for those who ing LGBTQ rights, and even though he phisticated and lethal weapons sys- are disabled. It really is the hallmark has litigated frequently in cases in- tems. of this democracy that we continue to volving these matters, he would not We have no choice but to recognize expand opportunity and continue to commit to recuse himself from cases this emerging reality and give our question our own beliefs when it comes involving this issue if he were to be military men and women the tools to the freedom which each of us cher- confirmed by the Senate. they need to combat developing threats ishes. I oppose the Kacsmaryk nomination. and preserve U.S. preeminence across We are now in the midst of an inter- This is yet another extreme nominee all warfighting domains. esting transformation in this country outside the mainstream of American With this funding, we will prioritize on the issue of rights of people with thinking who does not deserve to be more sophisticated cyber security and different sexual orientation. We have rubberstamped for a lifetime appoint- space-based strategies, artificial intel- seen some dramatic changes in just the ment by the U.S. Senate. ligence, and other emerging tech- last few years as we find more and THE KOVLER CENTER AND CAMEROON nologies. We will take steps to protect more people speaking out against dis- Mr. President, just 2 weeks ago, I had the integrity of our supply chain so we crimination against those of a different a meeting in Chicago with my col- can be confident the microelectronics sexual orientation, and, of course, the league Congresswoman JAN SCHA- we depend on have not been corrupted landmark decision in Obergefell, where KOWSKY. We were at Heartland Alli- by foreign spyware. the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the ance’s Marjorie Kovler Center. What A good defense is only as strong as right for same-sex marriage. This is happens at this center is truly remark- its weakest link, and this bill will not without controversy and not with- able and a reflection of America’s long allow us to shore up our relationship out dissenters, but the mainstream of history of welcoming those who are with the defense industrial base and America, the vast majority of Ameri- fleeing political violence. ensure that contractors are not under cans believe we are moving along the The Kovler Center is home to one of the undue influence of foreign actors. same path we did when we talked about our Nation’s oldest and most respected This is all in addition to readiness the rights of those who are minorities, facilities, helping those recovering projects here at home. women, and the disabled, when we say from complex consequences of politi- Our mark includes full funding for people should be free of discrimination cally sanctioned torture. This is its the National Nuclear Security Admin- because of their own sexual orienta- 32nd year in operation. More than 3,000 istration, which is critical to our nu- tion. torture survivors from 80 different clear modernization program. That is why it strikes me as unusual, countries have received assistance and I think it is worth noting that our more than coincidental, that in June— counsel at the Kovler Center in Chi- friends in the House cut over $70 mil- the LGBTQ Pride Month—our Repub- cago. lion from infrastructure and facility lican colleagues decided to bring to the The problem of torture among refu- operations, which goes toward rebuild- floor the nomination of Texas district gees is significant. ing crumbling buildings at the NNSA court nominee Matthew Kacsmaryk, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- plants and labs. That is funding that who has repeatedly written in his per- ator’s time has expired. should be restored. Modern and respon- sonal capacity about his opposition to Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask sive nuclear infrastructure is an essen- LGBTQ rights and the Obergefell deci- unanimous consent to speak for an ad- tial part of credible deterrence, which sion. ditional 2 minutes. is a critical concern in great power Mr. Kacsmaryk’s nomination was re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without competition. Funding for these ported out of the Senate Judiciary objection, it is so ordered.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:26 Jun 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18JN6.013 S18JNPT1 June 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3637 Mr. DURBIN. The problem of torture gratitude to Alana Petersen, my dep- turn, has been a shoulder to lean on, a among refugees is significant, with an uty chief of staff and long time staff strategic adviser, a gut check, and a estimated 44 percent of refugees in the leader for the Minnesota congressional great excuse for a good laugh when ei- United States having been victims of delegation. Alana is retiring from her ther of us needs it. such horrors. Those from Bosnia, Cam- official role after serving the Min- This has been true for both of us for bodia, and many other places all re- nesota delegation since 1993. years, but never more so than in this ceive free treatment at the Kovler Cen- During her public service, Alana last year when I became an accidental ter to recover from their trauma. worked for Congressman Dave Minge, Senator and called on my old friend to During my visit I had the privilege of from Minnesota’s First Congressional jump in one more time to help me be- meeting refugees who had fled the District; Congressman John Oberstar, come a Senator and win a Senate seat, mounting violence in Cameroon. Cam- from Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional all in 10 months. Alana helped me to eroon is a West African nation that is District; Senator Al Franken; and now see that I could do this job and also dealing with a complicated colonial for me. In all of those roles, she has win an election in such a short time. It legacy. Following World War I, the served the people of Minnesota first is no exaggeration to say that I League of Nations appointed France and especially those who most needed couldn’t have done any of this without and Great Britain as joint trustees to an ally and a voice in the halls of her. what was previously a German colony. power here in Washington: farmers and Alana has the heart of an organizer. Not surprisingly, the two colonial pow- rural families, new immigrants, Min- In fact, she tells the story that she ers imposed their own cultures on the nesota’s Tribal communities, and Min- first canvassed her neighborhood as a new Cameroon. nesota’s diverse communities of color. fifth-grader, knocking on doors for the Tragically, following the country’s For those of you who don’t know father of a friend of hers who was run- independence in the 1960s, Cameroonian Alana, let me tell you a little bit about ning for office. She has been organizing strongman President Paul Biya, one of her. Alana was born in Minnesota and, and engaging people in the democratic the world’s longest serving leaders— like me, spent part of her childhood in process ever since. now almost 40 years in office—further As an organizer Alana knows that favored the French-speaking popu- New Mexico. In fact, she and I went to the same elementary school, although the best ideas come from the ground lation over its Anglophone regions. up, not the top down. She understands The results were not surprising. The Alana is younger than me and had the benefit of a new building. that the best work happens when you mounting resentment and calls for build relationships with people at the greater autonomy within the Alana headed Al Franken’s Min- nesota Senate office beginning when he grassroots. She has mentored and Anglophone population caused ensuing taught generations of campaign and violent suppression from the Biya re- was sworn in 2009. Before joining Franken’s staff, she worked in the of- congressional office staffers that team- gime. The refugees I met with told work based on mutual respect, high ex- harrowing stories of this crackdown fice of Congressman Jim Oberstar for 5 years as deputy district director, and pectations, and clear goals makes and violence. progress for people possible, and that it she worked for Congressman Dave I was pleased to join Senator VAN can be joyful work. Minge for 6 years in several capacities. HOLLEN last year in a letter urging For years Alana has been the go-to Alana also served as executive direc- Secretary Pompeo to focus attention person for young candidates just start- tor of Target Market, a statewide non- on the unrest in Cameroon, and I was ing out—and a lot of us seasoned politi- profit organization that promoted an equally pleased when the administra- cians too. The political offices, cam- anti-tobacco message to teens, and she tion scaled back U.S. military assist- paigns, and nonprofits of Minnesota are held a position at Grassroots Solu- ance to Cameroon due to this govern- powered by the people Alana has ment’s violent repression. As a Member tions, a political consulting firm where taught and mentored. of the Appropriations Committee, I she worked with national labor unions, As an organizer, she is rooted in the will be watching carefully the level of congressional candidates, and pro- value that Paul Wellstone best ex- violence in Cameroon and, when the choice organizations. pressed when he said that politics day comes, when we consider any for- As if her official work weren’t shouldn’t be about money and power; it eign aid to this Nation. enough, Alana has long been a go-to should be about improving people’s The work of the Kovler Center is a volunteer for her community, where lives. reminder that if we are going to stand she has served as chair of the East Cen- It means more to me than I can ex- up for human rights we must be willing tral Regional Arts Council and board press that Minnesotans elected me to to be vigilant at all times, even for chair for Women Winning, a bipartisan serve in this seat once held by Hubert small countries as far away as Cam- group dedicated to electing more Humphrey, Walter Mondale, and Paul eroon. women to public office. Wellstone. I yield the floor. Alana is married to Thom Petersen, On October 25, 2002, we lost Paul in a f who is the Minnesota commissioner of terrible plane crash, along with Paul’s EXECUTIVE SESSION agriculture for Governor Tim Walz, and wife Sheila, his daughter Marsha, and she is mom to Waylon and Dylan. staffers Will, Tom, and Mary Mac, Alana and her family live on a working Alana’s mentor. In the fall of 2002, EXECUTIVE CALENDAR farm in Pine County, MN, an hour Alana had quit her regular job in Du- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under north of the Twin Cities. The Petersens luth to join the campaign for Paul’s re- the previous order, the Senate will pro- raise and show miniature horses at election because she knew she wanted ceed to executive session to resume county fairs all across Minnesota and to contribute to the grassroots move- consideration of the following nomina- at the Minnesota State Fair, earning ment that Paul was building. The plane tion, which the clerk will report. blue ribbons, not only because of the crash and the loss of our friends was The legislative clerk read the nomi- amazing minis but also thanks to the heartbreaking to all of us. nation of Sean Cairncross, of Min- amazing costumes sewn by Alana. Last year, on October 25, Alana nesota, to be Chief Executive Officer, To Thom, Waylon, and Dylan, thank shared a letter her father wrote to the Millennium Challenge Corporation. you for sharing your mom and wife Wellstone campaign team in the days The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- with us and with Minnesota all of these after the crash. It is particularly ator from Minnesota. years. touching because her father, Thomas Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I ask So I can’t tell you when I first met Christiansen, passed away on October unanimous consent to speak as in Alana, but we have been good friends 25, 2009, 7 years after we lost Paul. morning business. and allies for decades. As in all great Here is part of what Alana’s father The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without friendships born from working to- said: ‘‘For some, public service is the objection, it is so ordered. gether, we are connected by a sense of dedication of one’s life to the commu- TRIBUTE TO ALANA PETERSEN shared purpose, a sense of humor, and a nity. I have come to realize that my Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise complete trust that, when in doubt, we daughter Alana is one of those elite today to pay tribute and express my can call the other one. Each of us, in few.’’

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