heitkamp: thank you, mr. president. we're here on the floor today in celebration, in celebration of the american democracy that occasionally things can work and that we can overcome extremes in our country and actually pull together to do something for american manufacturers, to do something for american businesses, and to do the right thing. i know that my colleague from -- the senior senator from the r great state of washington is on a short time frame, so before i proceed with my remarks, i'd like to yield the floor to senator murray. mrs. murray: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from washington. mrs. murray: mr. president, i am delighted to be here with my colleagues, and i want to thank the senator from north dakota for her exhilaration. we all share that because of the vote last night in the house overwhelmingly in support of ex-im. i'm here today to reiterate my strong support for reauthorization of the export-import bank, and i do p a plawd the members of the house who -- applaud the members of

heitkamp: thank you, mr. president. and thank you to my great colleague from the great state of west virginia, a state that's been powering america for a lot of years. in fact, from the very beginning. and my great thanks to all of the great workers and coal miners in her state who have added to the economic opportunity, not just to the people of west virginia but the people of an entire region. that's one thing that we forget, that in america, this great thing, great miracle happens every day. we turn on a light switch and the lights come on. and if that doesn't happen or if it's too expensive to turn on that light switch, we will not be the country that we are. with this regulation, i think what we've done is we've ceded the all-important role of electrical security and energy security to an environmental agency that really does not have the experience or expertise to understand what it takes to get an electron in the wire. and so i am proud to stand today with my colleague, senator capito, and introduce a bill to rol

heisman trophy -- hiz heitkamp: we have had four months. ms. heitkamp: no opportunity for a small business to actually look at how they can grow that small business. we know we have lost jobs all across america in states where they are challenged economically. opportunities are there. we know that the large institutions, the large manufacturers in our country, some of which are in your state, rely on this small business chain of businesses, and those are the businesses that have been hit the hardest. if we wait again for another promise of another -- we're going to put it on another vehicle, how much more inactivity, how much more disruption to these small businesses can these small supply chains have given their economics? isn't it true that a small business is much more challenged by a day delay in opening up the ex-im bank than a large corporation? ms. cantwell: mr. president, i thank the senator from north dakota for her question because she is right on the pinpoint of what this issue is about. it is really about small businesses who don't

heitkamp: thank you, mr. president. and thank you to my great colleague from the great state of west virginia, a state that's been powering america for a lot of years. in fact, from the very beginning. and my great thanks to all of the great workers and coal miners in her state who have added to the economic opportunity, not just to the people of west virginia but the people of an entire region. that's one thing that we forget, that in america, this great thing, great miracle happens every day. we turn on a light switch and the lights come on. and if that doesn't happen or if it's too expensive to turn on that light switch, we will not be the country that we are. with this regulation, i think what we've done is we've ceded the all-important role of electrical security and energy security to an environmental agency that really does not have the experience or expertise to understand what it takes to get an electron in the wire. and so i am proud to stand today with my colleague, senator capito, and introduce a bill to rol

heitkamp: thank you, mr. president. and thank you to my great colleague from the great state of west virginia, a state that's been powering america for a lot of years. in fact, from the very beginning. and my great thanks to all of the great workers and coal miners in her state

>> senator heitkamp i think of something we would assert to take under advisement and discussed amongst ourselves. there have historically been some problems with the priority three program in terms of false claims of family relationships. he may be aware we suspended the program for. of time until we are able to reintroduce him integrity features. so i think with a proposed expansion of eligibility categories of the united states we would want to think about it very carefully through th that s and based on that experience to make sure that an extended we have the appropriate safeguards at the same time. if i may mention, of your three points that you addressed earlier, i think on the second piece about improving the timing of security checks at addressing the issue of having been expire, that have traditionally been balance for all of us but we did some improvements. i think we could share with you in brief your staff can we've introduced some automation just this past summer the agencies that do the vetting, and we believe that's going to address typically to the institution of return

i joined senator heitkamp and capito on a measure that addresses these two-pronged energy sources. together these measures represent a comprehensive solution. colleagues will join me to speak about these resolutions later today. i'm sure they'll say more about the measures we filed and the process easht so associated wit. what everyone should know is this: the publication of these regulations does not represent an end but a beginning. it is the beginning of a new front to defend hardworking middle-class americans from massive, massive regulations that target them. that front is opening here in congress, and it's opening across the country as states file lawsuits and governors stand up for their own middle-class constituents. the battle may not be short and the battle may not be easy, but kentuckians and hardworking americans should know that i'm going to keep standing up for them throughout this effort. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. reid: democrats have long called for bipartisan action to stop these devastating sequester cuts because th

joining us with more on this is the sponsor of the bill, senator heitkamp of north dakota.> what can you do to get hillary clinton behind this, if you care for her to be behind it? >> i've been really focused on getting something done right now, which we were dealing with the white house, dealing with my colleagues in the democratic caucus who show a lot of willingness to lift the ban, willingness for discussion, but it needs to be a broader bill. that's what i've been talking to the industry about, talking to the republican sponsors about -- >> what does that mean, though, broader? >> has to look at something for renewables, take a look at something for energy efficiency. it's going to have to be something that's not just focused on the oil and gas industry. >> now, can we turn attention to the import-export bank? >> oh, yeah, you sure can. >> where does this stand? what's really going to happen here? >> well, i think the good news is we understand that they are moving with the discharge petition, which i think there was in the house which was hesitancy to do as long as sp

the managers' amendment adds heitkamp amendment 2565 -- excuse me. yes, 255 -- excuse me -- which requires the secretary of homeland security to establish a process by which a statewide interoperability coordinator may report data on any cybersecurity risk or incident involving emergency response information systems or networks. this is a process for reporting, and certainly we need to know more. number 18, requires a report on the preparedness of the health care industry to respond to cybersecurity threats. and the secretary of state of health and human services to establish a health care industry cybersecurity task force. the managers' amendment adds alexander-murray amendment 2719. now this is a reporting requirement to improve the cybersecurity posture of the health care industry. i don't think anyone wants to have their health care data hacked into. this is, by virtue of law, by tradition, by preference, deeply personal material, and it should be inviolate. the provision requires the secretary of health and human services to submit a report to c

senator heitkamp. >> thank you, mr. chairman. so much to talk about' and so little time. thank you, secretary johnson, for mentioning the northern border. it's a big balloon, press on one area, it's going to stress another area. obviously we have huge work force challenges on the northern border. recruiting and retaining work force, and so we have been work with opm, working with your office, and i want to thank you for the attention that you folk fess. senator ayotte and have a bill that will hopefully require a new look at the northern border. so i will leave it there. and director, i don't mean to pick on you but i'm going to. have you ever been to indian country personally? >> yes. >> where? >> i've been to navajo, pueblo. >> okay. have you ever been to a great plains reservation? >> i have not. >> pine ridge? >> my children to to pine ridge every summer. >> i want to tell you, there is no place in the united states where you have more responsibility than indian country, and there is no place where we don't have cop on the beat. we can talk all we want about what is h