[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 195 (Tuesday, December 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7396-S7400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FAREWELL TO THE SENATE

  Ms. HEITKAMP. In 2003, I was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. 
After treatment, my oncologist told me I had a 28-percent chance of 
living more than 10 years. Think about that.
  I knew right away that I had a chance to use whatever time God gave 
me for good and noble purposes--to try and do the things I have always 
thought needed to be done in this country.
  It is an important lesson for all of you. The greatest gift you have 
is not your bank account. The greatest gift you have is the amount of 
time you have left on this Earth and what you do with that time. I 
chose, for good or bad, to come to the Senate.
  I think when we have a world of options and we make this choice, it 
is so important that we come here with purpose--not just to be named a 
Senator, not just for the trappings of office, but with purpose.
  The truth is, I am not supposed to be here. I am from Mantador, ND. 
It is a town of 90 people. When I was growing up, my family was one-
tenth of the population. I just had to say that.
  My dad was a World War II veteran who loved education. He read the 
paper every day. He believed in this country. But he was never given a 
chance to go to high school. My family struggled to get by, and when 
you look at it, you think about this; you think about a country where 
somebody from my background could actually become a U.S. Senator.
  I am a Democrat from a very conservative State, but against all 
odds--in fact, the prediction was it was only 8 percent--I got elected 
to the Senate. The fact that I got to serve in the Senate for 6 years 
is an incredible American story. People always ask me: At what point 
did you think, wow, you came to the Senate?
  I have said that I was so busy after I got elected because no one 
thought I would ever get elected, so people who never wanted to see me 
during my campaign wanted to see me. I was busy taking meetings and 
busy putting together the office.
  I remember the day I came to that Chair and the pastor came and he 
gaveled in, and then I turned around to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I 
thought: Here I am from Mantador, ND, a girl, middle-aged, a pudgy 
Democrat from North Dakota, and I am standing in the well of the Senate 
where not even 2,000 people have come before.
  This is a great and good and noble country with great purpose, with 
great opportunity. I want every child out there to understand it 
doesn't matter. We represent a cross section of this great country, but 
we also aren't that special. We are not.
  Sometimes I think the American public think if you took 100 random 
people and put them in the chairs, they could do better than we could 
do. But the truth is, you all came here with that same noble purpose. 
You all came here to change America, to do the right thing. I don't 
care if you sit across there; I don't care if you sit here. You all 
came here for the right purpose.
  The fact that I got to serve in the Senate is part of a great 
American story, and that story happens only in this country. Don't ever 
forget that. If we lose that opportunity, we will become diminished as 
to who we are.
  Today, I want to offer a few comments. I hope they are not too 
preachy, but I want everyone to understand, especially my colleagues, 
that this has

[[Page S7397]]

been the opportunity of a lifetime. Think about what we did to get 
here. This process we go through is brutal and, quite honestly, 
obscene. It is obscene what we do to get here.
  Having done all of that work, having taken those steps and walked 
that gauntlet of a campaign, we have an opportunity not just to achieve 
the title but to do great and good things for this country. My job 
here--the work I have done--has always been to remember who we are 
standing in this well for.
  Throughout the past 6 years, I have stood here for North Dakota, for 
the incredible people I serve. I have stood here for the families of 
disabled children who were terrified they would lose their healthcare. 
When I took that vote on the Affordable Care Act, in that vote, I 
remembered their faces; I remembered their tears. I have stood here for 
the men and women of our Armed Forces and our veterans in North Dakota, 
who believe they did a great thing and deserve to be treated 
respectfully, honorably, and, yes, get the benefits they have earned. 
Too often they are denied. Veterans should not have to come to a 
congressional office to get the benefits they have earned, yet too many 
have to.

  I have stood here for retirees whose pensions were threatened. I have 
asked a simple question: If we can spend billions bailing out the 
failed Wall Street bankers, can't we pay attention to the working men 
and women who are struggling, who are in crisis? Literally, the 
heartbreak of their stories, if heard across this Chamber--the reaction 
would be overwhelming. Many of them are veterans. Many of them worked 
hard and now are broken in the work they have done.
  I have stood here for farmers in rural communities, and I have stood 
here for Native people. Many times, as you know, I have tried to do my 
best to educate all of you on the challenges of our first Americans, 
our Native Americans.
  Mostly, I hope I have stood here for the children of America because, 
in spite of how we behave, they truly are our future. They are the 
people who make a difference for our future, and if we do not start 
respecting the challenge that we have to create a better world--a 
better world with more opportunity--we will not fix the problems of 
American long term.
  These are the people who drive me every day. They are whom we serve--
not a party, not an ideology. We serve Americans. I have spent my time 
standing and fighting for them, and, for me, that work will never stop.
  With all of that said, I stand here proud of what we have 
accomplished.
  When you look at the time and the opportunity to rise above 
partisanship and rancor, I have found so much common ground with so 
many Members of this body. I am incredibly proud of what we have been 
able to accomplish.
  I have advocated for Native American communities, and my bill to 
stand up for Native American children, which I did with Senator 
Murkowski, was the first bill I introduced. It was symbolic for me 
because we have to do better. I found great partnerships with Senator 
Murkowski, not just on this but on other issues. I know her heart, and 
I know that she cares. When you find people who care the way you care, 
you can do amazing things.
  My legislation with our colleague John McCain to create an Amber 
Alert in Indian Country became law.
  We are on our way to passing Savanna's Act, which is going to 
recognize for the first time the challenge and the tragedy of missing 
and murdered indigenous women. All of this so important.
  We have bipartisan legislation to help crack down on human 
trafficking online. We shut down backpage. We shut down people who 
were, in fact, selling children for sex. Think about that. That is a 
noble act.
  The challenge continues. Congress passed my bill to give first 
responders more training and resources to keep our communities strong 
and safe.
  I led a successful effort, again, with my colleague from Alaska, 
Senator Lisa Murkowski, to lift the age-old ban on exporting oil and 
pair it with renewables, which we did with my other colleagues on this 
side of the aisle when we looked at enhancing renewable energy. It was 
a flaming success on both sides. We are exporting, literally, millions 
of barrels of oil, resulting in energy independence and helping our 
allies, but we also are growing our renewable energy industry because 
of that effort. It didn't happen without colleagues working together.
  I secured a vet center in Grand Forks and a CBOC in Devils Lake. It 
might be small to this body, but it is huge to the veterans it serves.
  I got needed funds for flood protection across North Dakota--projects 
we need--by working with Senator Hoeven.
  I passed my bill to secure the northern border by working with Kelly 
Ayotte, who is no longer here but a great friend.
  I helped write legislation to provide relief to community banks with 
Senator Crapo, Senator Donnelly, Senator Tester, and Senator Warner, 
recognizing the challenges of small lenders and how we needed to 
address those challenges. No one thought we could get that done, but we 
did because we believed we could. Think about that.
  I worked with Republicans and Democrats--probably the crowning 
achievement together in terms of bipartisanship--to deal with carbon 
capture. It was the first major piece of carbon legislation that has 
been passed since I have been here.
  I can't speak to other pieces, but how did that happen? It happened 
when Senator Barrasso, Senator Capito, and I, and by the way, Senator 
Sheldon Whitehouse collaborated. We said: We can't agree on climate, 
but we will agree on development of technology that will change 
outcomes. This technology is absolutely essential to tackling the 
problems of carbon emissions in this country.
  Don't say it can't be done. If you can get Sheldon Whitehouse and 
Mitch McConnell on a bill that involves carbon and the coal industry, 
that is a good day here. That is a really good day here.
  I worked to help address the detrimental impact exposure to trauma 
can have on children and families. This is an issue I hope you all will 
become better educated on--childhood trauma and the effect that it has 
on so many of our children. I worked with great colleagues. Dick Durbin 
actually let me take the ball and run with it, for which I will always 
be grateful.
  I worked with Cory Booker from New Jersey doing incredible things for 
children.
  It is pivotal, if we are going to change outcomes for American 
families, that we begin to address why it is that we do everything we 
have always done and we expect a different result. We have to think 
differently about these issues.
  I helped to negotiate and pass two farm bills.
  Thank you, Pat, and thank you, Debbie, for believing in 
bipartisanship and believing in rural America.
  I have worked with incredible folks. I thank John Boozman, from 
Arkansas, and have a great story.
  A little known fact in the farm bill that we are all going to pass is 
that this is, maybe, the first piece of major legislation involving 
Cuba. In order to enhance export opportunities to the island of Cuba, 
we have lifted the ban of using the USDA programs. It is the first time 
we will have addressed Cuba in any piece of major legislation.
  I don't know if Senator Carper is here, but I care about the post 
office.
  You guys ought to, too, as we have ignored it for way too long.
  I am going to give you a shout-out, Tom, and get everybody else 
interested because I am not going to be your partner anymore on the 
post office.
  For those of you who care about politics, I want you to understand 
that when I made a post called ``Fix My Mail'' and thought I would get 
20, 30 hits in the little State of North Dakota, I got over 500 
complaints about what was happening with the rural postal delivery.
  If we can't run the post office, how can we run the country? You all 
need to ask yourselves that question.
  I am also incredibly proud of the stuff that I have done every day 
for North Dakotans. In 6 years, I have held over 3,500 meetings with 
North Dakotans both in Washington and in North Dakota. My office has 
provided responses to over 205,000 North Dakotans who have reached out 
to me about various issues, and my office has helped over 18,000 North 
Dakotans who have had issues with Federal agencies--getting their VA 
benefits, fixing issues

[[Page S7398]]

with Social Security, helping to resolve immigration, and much, much 
more.
  People always ask me: What is your greatest achievement in the 
Senate?
  I can go through all of the things I just talked about, but I would 
like to talk about a Native American who is from Spirit Lake Nation. He 
is a pipe maker, which is a very ceremonial and honorable position 
within his culture. He is also a Korean war vet and was one of the 
first people on the peninsula. He was injured and captured, but he 
literally saved lives during what was called the Tiger Death March. He 
ended up serving in a prison camp for the entire Korean war.
  When he got out, no one knew who he was. There was no documentation 
of the fact that he had been in the prisoner of war camp, and there was 
no documentation that he had been injured. Senator Dorgan was able to 
get him his POW Medal. Guess what. He also didn't get his Purple Heart. 
That bothered him because he had served and had done incredible things 
during that service.
  In scouring the Earth, we were able to find someone in Texas who 
would sign an affidavit--who said: Yes, he had been injured. When we 
presented that Purple Heart to this veteran, who was 86 years old, he 
got out of his wheelchair, saluted the flag, and hugged his medal.
  You all have the power to do that. You all have the power to make 
just one little difference. Do that. It is a great thing even though it 
is not big legislation. In knowing that we are doing the work of the 
people and in knowing that so many North Dakotans have met with me and 
told me about the incredible challenges they have had and the 
incredible obstacles they have faced, you can make a difference. You 
can help put food on their tables. You can help them to remain as 
families. You can help to get them healthcare. You can do big things, 
but the little things matter, too--the little things that affect each 
one of their lives.
  Despite all of the progress we have made during some difficult times, 
we aren't done. Every day, I come to the floor and fight for rural 
America. There is a huge gap in productivity and a huge gap in economic 
viability. There is a huge gap. As we see the retreat of rural America, 
we become less in this country. As we see more and more wealth moving 
to urban areas, we have to address this issue. There are big clouds, I 
think, on the horizon that face this country and rural America. If 
Congress doesn't tackle them head-on, our children and grandchildren 
will suffer the consequences.
  This is an urgency that takes center stage for me. I wake up every 
morning and think: What am I going to do about rural America today? Do 
you know why? I am one of the few people here who does that, and it is 
because I represent a State that is still very rural. Even if you live 
in Fargo--it is not a big city to some, but it is a pretty big place to 
those of us in North Dakota--you are just one generation from Hillsboro 
or you are just one generation from Cooperstown.
  I also want to say that we cannot sustain a record debt and deficit. 
This is a bipartisan challenge. This is a challenge of historic 
proportion. We are the only generation in America and in our history 
that has inherited from the ``greatest generation''--our parents--and 
that is borrowing from our kids. Shame on us. Shame on what we are 
doing right now. The Congressional Budget Office has said that our 
country's debt is headed to its highest level since World War II. These 
actions will have serious consequences, including increasing the 
chances of there being a fiscal crisis, which we will not be able to 
ignore.
  I urge you to put fact before fantasy. Open your eyes. See this 
challenge.
  Several months ago, when I voted against the tax bill that has 
greatly contributed, I think, to the record deficits we now face, I ran 
into an older man after I had given a speech at the Veterans Day 
service. He came up to me--it was actually before the vote--and said: 
Senator Heitkamp.
  I said: Yes, sir.
  He said: I want a tax break.
  I said: I hear that a lot.
  He said: But not at the expense of my kids.
  He is still a patriot, that Vietnam veteran. He still knows what it 
means to sacrifice for the next generation. So the Federal Government 
needs to be responsible as to how it spends its money.
  I am grateful that my friend James Lankford is here because we toiled 
away at government efficiency. Many times, we toiled away in spite of 
our ideological differences. In spite of our world views on issues, we 
still believed that this government needed to be efficient, that it 
needed to be effective, and that it needed to spend money in the right 
way. We marveled that no one seemed to care about it any more than just 
to show up for an occasional meeting.
  That work can't stop. I hope you will find an equal and willing 
partner in your work, Senator Lankford. I know your heart, and I know 
that, for you, this is a moral imperative--to spend every dollar that 
gets sent here in the right way, in the most efficient way, and to do 
things right so that we can tell the American public that we are 
spending their dollars responsibly and that we are making the right 
choices. We will have many, many more options, and we will grow the 
reputation of not only the U.S. Government but of the U.S. Senate.
  Income disparity is at a crisis as more individuals and families get 
left behind. The top 1 percent of families in America make more than 25 
times what families who are in the bottom 99 percent make. Think about 
that. Let me repeat that--more than 25 times what families in the 
bottom 99 percent make. Much of the recent economic prosperity we have 
seen in this country has been concentrated on the coasts, but it has 
left much of rural America behind.
  The administration's trade war is not something I have been shy in 
talking about, for it is causing an emergency in rural America, but I 
think it is going to cascade into a challenge and is going to domino 
into there being economic peril for this country. I am not saying that 
we don't need to address disparities and inequities in trade 
agreements. I am saying that you don't need a 17th century solution, 
which is called tariff, to deal with a 21st century problem.

  You all have to take responsibility. Think about this. Think about 
the White House's unilateral ability to impose a tax on the American 
people and then, even more remarkably, to create a system over at the 
Department of Commerce that, basically, waives those taxes. How many of 
you would let the President decide who he is going to tax if it were 
income taxes and then for whom they will be waived? None of you would. 
Take responsibility. Congress needs to take back responsibility for 
tariffs before it is too late. These markets took years to develop for 
agriculture. They are not going to come back at the snap of a finger. 
When you look at the net farm income, it will be 13 percent lower in 
2018 with there being no promise of an increase in net farm income in 
the future, and this will cascade through rural America.
  I also want to sound the alarm and go to Senator Blunt, who, I think, 
did a wonderful job, and I couldn't agree with him more in my being the 
wife of a family physician who tells me every day that if he could only 
get his patients to be compliant with their hypertension and compliant 
with their diabetes. The single biggest factor is behavioral and mental 
health. That leads to challenges, and that challenge leads to despair, 
and that despair leads to a record rate of suicides.
  I don't know how many of you saw that the Economist magazine did a 
big story on suicides throughout the world, but in only one country of 
the developed nations is it increasing--the United States of America. 
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
rate of death by suicide jumped by 58 percent in North Dakota between 
1999 and 2016.
  That is why, in my office, we have made it a priority to address the 
underpinning causes of death by suicide and the challenges that we 
confront in various pockets of our population whether it is of our 
veterans, whether it is of Native Americans, or whether it is of young 
people. Now there is a growing rate of suicide among the elderly. 
Congress has to take steps. There is bipartisan support for addressing 
mental and behavioral health and for looking at the comprehensive 
crisis of addiction.

[[Page S7399]]

  As long as I have this soap box and you are all listening to me, can 
we just quit talking about opioids? Can we start talking about 
methamphetamines? Can we start talking about alcohol? Can we start 
talking about a culture of addiction and not just focus on the opioid 
addiction? It is the bright, shiny object that we always run to, but it 
is the cover story for a much bigger problem that we are not addressing 
in this country. So, please, please, face the addiction challenge head-
on and in a broader context.
  It also would not be like me if I didn't talk about Indian Country, 
which faces dire challenges with poverty, abuse, and addiction. Far too 
few Americans fully understand the challenges in Indian Country or the 
importance of Tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, and cultural heritage. 
I, along with my colleague Lisa, have worked to educate many in this 
Chamber about those challenges. With my colleague Susan Collins, I have 
also talked about the challenges of runaway and missing people. She has 
been a great partner on so many things that I have done.
  I think that when we find people of like heart and like commitment, 
we can do amazing and good things for the American public, but we all 
need to understand that the first people--our first Americans--should 
not be the last Americans. They should not be ignored when you have a 
unique position here given that your government, the U.S. Government, 
signs treaties on sovereignty rights. So, when you look at the 
disparities, you can't believe that we have done right by the treaties.
  Finally, I want to talk about the crisis of childhood trauma, which I 
have already addressed, but this will be just to give you some numbers. 
These may be things that you haven't thought about.
  According to a Justice Department study, 58 percent of all American 
children had witnessed or had been crime victims in 2014. Traumatic 
experiences like abuse, neglect, witnessing a crime, and parental 
conflict can lead to ongoing, severe mental and behavioral health 
complications. For Native American children, these health risks are 
that much more prevalent.
  When we look at the challenges ahead, there will be larger issues for 
Congress to confront. Members of Congress cannot just look for a quick 
win to talk about in their States without their taking into account the 
long-term consequences of their actions. We need to look up, and we 
need to look bigger so that Congress will be creating a solid future 
for our children and our grandchildren. If we do nothing else in this 
Chamber, that would be an important first step.
  All in Congress make their own decisions about how they want to use 
their time, which can come down to a few simple questions: Do you want 
to solve problems or not? Do you want to do right by your children and 
your grandchildren? That means all of our children and our 
grandchildren. Do you want to win a reelection no matter what the cost? 
Do you want to be able to look yourself in the mirror and say, ``I did 
good today''?
  I implore those who are still serving and all of those who are about 
to join this Chamber to seriously examine those questions. I hope that 
you will take up this mantle of the important, needed priorities. For 
many of you, all of those priorities are the same.
  In fact, I thought we should do an experiment. On one Tuesday--I 
challenge you--you should have the Democratic caucus, at its lunch, 
give a list of the 10 problems Americans confront that they want to 
solve. Then have the Republican conference do the same thing. I would 
bet that if you would match those two lists, they would look pretty 
similar. In fact, they would probably be identical. When the American 
public sees that you know the problems but that you can't find the will 
to solve the problems, then they become understandably discouraged. So 
my work isn't done. I will just continue to do this work from a 
different vantage point.
  As you soon start your work in the next Congress, with all of these 
challenges, please consider a few things. The Senate only works if we 
enable it to. That means each of us needs to do our job. We may not 
always agree, but I know Senators can work together--as I have--to get 
results. I know that gridlock and partisanship do not have to rule the 
day. I have seen it firsthand.

  I will ad-lib a little here. I also think that you, as Senators, need 
to take power back from leadership. Too often, leadership determines 
the agenda. We should determine the agenda. I have seen it firsthand. I 
have seen that we can come together and solve problems, such as when 
climate change advocates and climate deniers come together on a carbon 
bill. If that isn't an indicator that Congress can function, I don't 
know what is, but it took political courage on both sides, particularly 
from my colleague from Rhode Island.
  I don't believe this country or the caucus is as divided as it seems. 
All of us--those serving in Congress and across the country--want our 
people to get a good education. They want affordable, quality 
healthcare. They want a good job that puts food on the table and 
retirement security. They want all those things that build an economy. 
Our economy is the foundation and the bedrock of the might of this 
country. People will point to the military, but the military cannot 
exist without the economic strength of this country.
  I think that too often politicians create and profit from issues that 
divide us. It is the only profession where people are rewarded for 
blocking things from getting done. Think about that. It is no wonder 
the American public has such little faith.
  I had a novel idea since I joined this Chamber. I have been 
determined to get results and to put my State first, above political 
party. There are many around here, on both sides of the aisle, who know 
how to get results, too, and I encourage them to speak loudly, work 
clearly, seek compromise, and continue to do great and good works. I 
hope more Senators will join them.
  We also need more political courage in Congress. We need Members of 
Congress who are willing to take tough votes because it is the right 
thing to do, even if it puts their reelection in jeopardy. We need more 
Members who are not too scared to stand up when someone in their party 
uses fear and lies to win support.
  There is a fine line between representing those you serve and being 
representative of them. They don't always align. It is why we need to 
use facts and judgment--not polls--to make our decisions. Then it is up 
to each of us to explain those decisions. Simply put, sometimes leaders 
are needed to move public opinion to the right side of history. 
Remember that the decisions you are making, especially on big policy, 
will have consequences well beyond today.
  I want to tell you about a Native American principle. It is called 
``seven generations.'' It urges decision making in any way to look at 
how the current decisions that are made in this generation will affect 
seven generations--the next seven--and to think about how you can look 
to a much broader purpose.
  I had a thing that I did in my office. When people would come in and 
they would have the issue of the day, I would say: Look up. What is on 
the horizon? Debt and deficit, a looming retirement crisis, a crisis in 
education, a crisis in addiction. Look up. What are we supposed to do? 
There is a crisis in infrastructure, in healthcare. Look up. What do we 
need to do today that seven generations later people will look back at? 
Don't worry about a public opinion poll because you are making 
decisions not just for those people today. You are making decisions for 
the next seven generations, and they have to be the right decisions.
  All of you know that you are better than the outcomes of Congress. 
You are nobler than the petty rhetoric that is bantered about here 
every day. Importantly, your reputation is tied to the reputation of 
every other Member because we have no power independent of each other. 
The greatest power that we have is the collective power of the U.S. 
Senate. The success of your colleagues is your success. When great and 
hard things are done, you share in the satisfaction of a job well done.
  It has been a true honor and a privilege to serve as a Member of this 
Chamber and to contribute to helping North Dakota and our country. I am 
grateful for that wonderful opportunity.
  Over the last 6 years, I have made amazing friendships with all of 
you

[[Page S7400]]

that I can't talk about right now because it is too hard, but I want 
you to keep fighting for those shared dreams, for those dreams you 
shared with me, for those ideas that you had that will move this 
country forward. I want you to continue to dream and to continue to 
believe.
  When I came here, I once came to a Member, and I said: I have this 
really great idea. I told him about it, and he said: Yes, that is a 
really good idea.
  I said: Let's work on it.
  He said: It will never happen.
  I said: It is a good idea, right?
  Yes, it is a really good idea, but it will never happen.
  I said: We have to get out of the shared culture of failure, 
believing it can't happen. It can happen. We can do really big and 
great things when we believe we can, when we refuse to accept failure, 
and when we refuse to believe that we are somehow limited. No one is 
tying you. No one is limiting you. You are a U.S. Senator, and, 
collectively, you will make a difference.
  I want to also thank other people. The first is the Capitol Police. 
Jokingly--only it is not a joke--some of my best friends here are 
Capitol Police. Some of the nicest people you are going to meet serve 
you in the dining room. Some of the greatest people are painting the 
walls out there here. Say hello. Don't just walk by them. They serve 
you, and they are proud. They are proud of the work they do. They are 
wonderful people, and I want to thank them for their friendship.
  I want to thank so many more people who cared about this place.
  I also want to thank my staff, who are all here. Many of them are 
amazing people, and they are going to go on to do amazing things.
  When I sign things, I say: Go do great and good things.
  You can do great things, but they may not be good things. We have 
seen that throughout history.
  I say: Go do great and good things.
  And they will. They are amazing. They have given so much.
  I know you all think you have the best staff. Unfortunately, I do. A 
lot of them are available, I just want to say. I want them to take what 
they have learned into their future endeavors. I want to make sure that 
the legacy that we leave is a legacy of service, of whom we serve and 
whom we stand for.
  Finally, I want to thank my family: my husband Darwin, who is toiling 
in the clinic as we speak; my daughter Alethea, my son Nathan, and my 
six brothers and sisters, who are fairly famous all across North 
Dakota. I would like to just say that they have been my rock.
  Finally, I want to thank my mom and dad because they taught me and my 
siblings to stand up for what is right, to have our voices heard. I 
know they are watching me from above, and I want to thank them for 
raising a rowdy, boisterous, and determined crew who remain each 
other's best friends. My mother and my father made us strong, and I 
hope I have made them proud.
  I yield the floor.
  (Applause, Senators rising.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cruz). The Senator from North Dakota.

                          ____________________