THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. MR. PRESIDENT, I RISE TODAY TO CONGRATULATE TEAM U.S.A. AND RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF SO MANY MINNESOTANS AT THE 2018 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES IN SOUTH KOREA, AND I AM HAPPY TO BE JOINED HERE BY MY SENATE COLLEAGUE FROM MINNESOTA, SENATOR SMITH.

SO WHY ARE SENATOR SMITH AND I HERE TODAY? THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAD AN ALL-TIME INCREDIBLE OLYMPICS WITH MINNESOTA REALLY LEADING THE WAY WHEN IT CAME TO THE GOLD MEDALS. NOW, OF COURSE OUR STATE IS NO STRANGER TO THE OLYMPICS. WE SENT ATHLETES TO COMPETE IN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AND CYCLING, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE A SURPRISE THAT IT IS THE WINTER OLYMPICS WHERE THE BOLD NORTH STATE REALLY SHINES. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS GOING FOR US. MR. PRESIDENT, THE WEATHER, YOU KNOW IT'S KIND OF COLD. THERE IS SNOW, SO PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO PRACTICE. AND ALSO WE HAVE A GREAT ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, AND WE HAVE GOT A LOT OF TEAM SPIRIT, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY HELPFUL IN THE TEAMS THAT WE WERE PART OF THAT WON THE GOLD, INCLUDING CURLING, MEN'S CURLING AND WOMEN'S HOCKEY.

OF THE 243 ATHLETES THAT WERE ON TEAM U.S.A., 23 HAD TIES TO MINNESOTA, MAKING IT THE THIRD HIGHEST REPRESENTED STATE. THESE ATHLETES COMPETED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL AND SHOWED THE WORLD JUST WHAT OUR STATE COULD DO. IF MINNESOTA WERE COMPETING AS A COUNTRY, IT WOULD BE TIED FOR 12th GLOBALLY IN THE NUMBER OF GOLD MEDALS WON, BUT WE'RE NOT A COUNTRY, WE'RE A PROUD STATE. THIS SUCCESS IS SOMETHING ALL MINNESOTANS CAN CELEBRATE.

SO HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES FOR YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. FOR AFTON NATIVE JESSIE DIGGINS, WINNING A GOLD MEDAL WAS A FIRST FOR HER AND A FIRST FOR THE UNITED STATES. HER ROAD TO THE OLYMPICS STARTED ON THE CROSS COUNTRY SKIING TRAILS THAT COVER MINNESOTA. JESSIE WORKED TO KEEP SPIRITS HIGH IN TRAINING AND DURING OLYMPIC COMPETITION. SHE PUTS GLITTER ON HER CHEEKS AS A REMINDER OF WHAT MADE HER FALL IN LOVE WITH CROSS COUNTRY SKIING AS A LITTLE GIRL. HER RELENTLESS ENERGY AND DRIVE WERE ON FULL DISPLAY, AND SHE BECAME THE FIRST AMERICAN WITH HER -- WITH HER TEAMMATE TO BRING HOME A GOLD IN CROSS COUNTRY TEAM HISTORY. IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THEY VOTED JESSIE TO BE THE FLAG BEARER FOR THE CLOSING CEREMONIES. BUT JESSIE AND KEAGAN WEREN'T THE ONLY AMERICAN WOMEN TO BRING HOME GOLD. THE WOMEN'S HOCKEY TEAM WON THEIR FIRST GOLD MEDAL SINCE 1998, AND IT IS NO COINCIDENCE THAT THE STATE OF HOCKEY SENT SOME SERIOUS TALENT. THE AMERICAN TEAM INCLUDED SIX CURRENT OR FORMER GOFER COLLEGE PLAYERS AND TWO CURRENT OR FORMER MINNESOTA DULUTH PLAYERS. FROM WAR ROAD TO MINUTE TONGUE A, THE MINNESOTANS ON TEAM U.S.A. BROUGHT HOCKEY TOUGHNESS AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT COMES WITH GROWING UP ON THE ICE. THIS GOLD MEDAL WILL HELP INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF HOCKEY PLAYERS IN MINNESOTA. SPECIAL NOTE TO OUR INCREDIBLE GOALIE, MADDIE ROONEY. IF ANYONE STAYED UP, IF I -- AS I DID TO WATCH THAT SHOOTOUT AT THE END, SHE SHOWED SUCH POISE AND SUCH GRACE UNDER PRESSURE. ALSO A LITTLE NOTE TO WAR ROAD, MINNESOTA, WHICH PRODUCED THE INCREDIBLE GIGI MARVIN, ALONG WITH MANY GOLD MEDALS FROM THE PAST.

NOW, WHILE AMERICANS WERE FANS OF HOCKEY WELL BEFORE THE 2018 GAMES, THESE OLYMPICS HELPED INTRODUCE THE COUNTRY TO A SPORT ALREADY LOVED BY SO MANY MINNESOTANS, CURLING. I WILL NOTE THAT SENATOR CORNYN OF TEXAS SENT OUT A TWEET SAYING THAT CURLING WAS AN OBSCURE SPORT. I DON'T THINK ANYONE THINKS THAT ANYMORE. THEY MIGHT THINK IT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING SPORT, BUT IT HAS GONE FROM OBSCURE TO COOL. AND A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE MEN'S CURLING TEAM. FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM WERE FROM OUR HOME STATE OF MINNESOTA. AND THAT GAME, THAT WENT ON. THE MATCH WENT FROM 1:00 UNTIL 4:00 IN THE MORNING OR MIDNIGHT TO 3:00, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY MINNESOTANS WERE UP ALL NIGHT WATCHING THAT AND CELEBRATING THE GOLD MEDAL. THE SUCCESS OF MINNESOTANS HAS BEEN INSPIRING, AND I KNOW SENATOR SMITH AGREES FROM FROZEN PONDS TO BACK YARDS, IT HELPED BRING THE MINNESOTA OUT IN EVERYONE. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE TEAM U.S.A. ON ALL THE MINNESOTA ATHLETES WHO HAVE MADE THIS GAME SUCH A SUCCESS. SENATOR SMITH.