I have introduced a bill with Senator Murkowski that would make the IHS Health Professions Awards Program exempt from a Federal income tax requirement.

It is intolerable that any IHS emergency facility close for any amount of time.

When critical public health facilities close, people are going to die. That is what is going to happen.

I am a big supporter of telehealth and many of the other strategies you mentioned.

When Senator Dorgan was our chairman, we highlighted this.

We need more resources for the agency to recruit and retain competent and committed staff.

Given that my state is still one of the hungriest states in the country, New Mexico, it is great to hear about the kinds of ideas and incentives that allow you to do more with what you have, and making it as healthy as possible.

In fact, the Double Up Program is very successful in New Mexico. We are seeing more low-income families being able to purchase fruits and vegetables.

I think these kinds of incentives are especially important for poor states like New Mexico, and any other areas in the country that have high rates of food insecurity, poverty, obesity, and other diet related illnesses.

Mr. President, I wish to echo the comments Senator Murkowski made in terms of the new pages. We welcome all of you. We are excited about having you here. It is a big change to go from the previous pages to the new pages. We are excited…

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Jack Gardner, a member of my staff, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the 114th Congress. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

The small launch industry has the potential to play an important role in the future of military launches.

The Air Force has expressed its support for concepts such as 'disaggregation' and 'rapid reconstitution' that require new, more flexible, launch architectures.

I remain supportive of efforts to end our Nation's reliance on the Russian-built RD-180 rocket engine.

So $30 million is what we are talking about going to Russia. Of course, some significant part of that is the physical cost of building it. We do not know how much profit Brother Putin is making on those.

Congress has been pretty clear and bipartisan in its desire to pursue a replacement engine and to do that quickly.

And I know she mentioned this because my staff told me.

I have real heartburn over the fact that, while we're dedicating enormous resources to the border in New Mexico, we are not even in the top half, and yet we have 179 miles of border.