Remedy Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, like my colleagues and like people from around the country, North Dakotans are very proud of our military heritage. In fact, North Dakotans sign up at a rate four times the national average. I think you will hear that theme throughout the Midwest especially.

I am grateful to Senator Ernst for her leadership today as we stand and do something we ought to do every day. It is something we ought to do in church when we are sitting next to them in the pews and when we are talking to our neighbors who are serving or their spouses or family members. We are saying: Thank you. Forgive us for not saying it more often. Frankly, part of why we don't say ``thank you'' more often is because we go about our business in complete comfort, unaware of the dangers around the world because you all do your jobs so very well. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Mr. President, North Dakota is home to two Air Force bases. I recently finished a tour of the military bases in North Dakota, and I want to speak briefly about the airmen at those two bases.

Grand Forks, ND, houses the 319th Air Base Wing, known as the Warriors of the North. Just last Saturday, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson visited Grand Forks and redesignated this base as the 319th Reconnaissance Wing. This is one of only three of its kind. I am continually impressed with the mission of the Global Hawk. The Global Hawk mission that is headquartered out of Grand Forks is remarkable. I believe that Grand Forks is a place that is well-positioned for the future of warfighting.

To the west of Grand Forks a couple hundred miles is the community of Minot. Minot, ND, is home to the 5th Bomb Wing and the 91st Missile Wing at the Minot Air Force Base. This is interesting because, of course, the bomb wing operates the intercontinental ballistic missiles and the B-52 bombers at the same base. That is two of the three legs of the nuclear triad we hear so much about. You are not going to find a stronger proponent of the nuclear triad than you will in me because it is the only base of its kind.

As the base's motto goes, ``Only the best come North.'' Our greatest defense is in detouring our adversaries, and certainly the nuclear triad is important to that. Every day, the airmen in Minot wake up with literally the weight of the world, in many cases, on their shoulders. So for their service and their willingness to stand in the gap in the defense of the world, I am immensely grateful and always impressed.

Of course, I would be remiss to not also mention the airspace station in Cavalier. I think it is the Air Force's smallest base, but it is a very important installation. As we debate in this Chamber the need for a modernized space force, understanding the work this base does has further compelled me to stand in support of a modern, capable military unit able to defend the emerging domain that space has become. A special thank-you to those 40 or so airmen in Cavalier who do an incredible job far from home and in many cases far from a lot of other people around them.

On a more personal note, I want to say ``thank you'' to the military families and spouses of those stationed in North Dakota, as my colleagues have done. As we know, in a family, everybody serves. In a small community, everybody serves together. They come from all over the country, and they bless our local communities and our State with their work in North Dakota. They deserve a very special thanks for that service.

Our military community is not, of course, defined solely by our Air Force bases; it is also defined by our incredible Army and Air National Guard in North Dakota. In Fargo, for example, I am going to highlight this one unit--the 119th Wing of North Dakota's Air National Guard, known as the Happy Hooligans. They are frequent recipients of the Air Force's Outstanding Unit Award. In fact, earlier this year, they received their 20th Outstanding Unit Award. This is an award that is given to the units that distinguish themselves by exceptional service and outstanding achievement. No group better exemplifies that than the Happy Hooligans. In fact, no unit has received more Outstanding Unit Awards either in the active Air Force or in the Guard than the Happy Hooligans. Congratulations.

While we are talking about the Guard, I want to say a special thanks not only to the families--because, as I said, they all serve--but in the Guard, there are a lot of people who serve, including their employers. I don't think we say ``thank you'' to the employers often enough who accommodate--no, facilitate--no, encourage the incredible military personnel who do a great job for us on the homefront, as well as when called into action beyond our borders.

The mission of the National Guard is to provide ready units, individuals, and equipment supporting our communities, our States, our Nation.

If I might elaborate a little bit on homeland issues, just a few short years ago, our State called on our National Guard to meet that mission. We were abandoned by the Federal Government, and the North Dakota National Guard was deployed to help keep the peace. It is appropriate today, on this Peace Officers Memorial Day, that we recognize this relationship. The National Guard was deployed to keep the peace as out-of-State activists with no interest, really, in North Dakota--they flooded our State to violently protest the legally permitted Dakota Access Pipeline. Absent Federal help, our Governor called on our National Guard as a last resort.

You would think that would have some serious ramifications. Well, the reality is, because of the quality of our guardsmen, they did what the previous administration would not--they stood up for the rule of law, and they stood in the way of radical protesters even while their own families were targets of the radical protests, the harassment of radical protesters from everywhere other than North Dakota. They put their lives at risk and did it without provocation, without escalation, and with a calming presence. They didn't run from their orders. They didn't balk at their commands. They answered the call to peacefully and professionally defend our State from the chaos that descended upon us.

Again, ``thank you'' is inadequate. It is all we can do today. I would just compel people to say ``thank you'' more often. As you see that neighbor, as you see that person sitting next to you, make it a point to say ``thank you'' out loud, in front of friends.

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