To strike section 605.

FAA AIR TRANSPORTATION MODERNIZATION AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the
Senate will resume consideration of S. 223, which the clerk will report
by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

A bill (S. 223) to modernize the air traffic control
system, improve the safety, reliability, and availability of
transportation by air in the United States, provide for
modernization of the air traffic control system, reauthorize
the Federal Aviation Administration, and for other purposes.

Pending:

Whitehouse amendment No. 8, to amend title 18, United
States Code, to provide penalties for aiming laser pointers
at airplanes.

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, we are continuing this morning on this
important FAA bill, which is a very important jobs bill for America. I
know my colleagues have been down on the Senate floor--the chairman of
the full committee, Senator Rockefeller, and the ranking member,
Senator Hutchison--and they have been doing a good job of explaining
why it is so important to move ahead on something that can create
hundreds of thousands of jobs both in construction at our airports
across America and on the implementation of the NextGen system, which
is really about making a digital conversion to air transportation so
our flights can be safer, so they can be more fuel efficient, and so
there can be coordination on the ground with the flights and all of our
transportation systems.
So this morning we want to keep moving through this process to get
this legislation done so we can get it implemented and start creating
jobs and improving our air transportation safety.
I think there are amendments to be offered under the agreement. I
will yield to my colleague from Mississippi.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Mississippi.

Amendment No. 14

Mr. WICKER. I thank the Senator from Washington, and I thank the
Presiding Officer.
I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment so that I
may call up my Wicker amendment No. 14, which is at the desk.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Mississippi [Mr. Wicker] proposes an
amendment numbered 14.

Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading
of the amendment be dispensed with.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To exclude employees of the Transportation Security
Administration from the collective bargaining rights of Federal
employees)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. EXCLUSION OF EMPLOYEES OF THE TRANSPORTATION
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FROM THE COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING RIGHTS OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.

(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the
``Termination of Collective Bargaining for Transportation
Security Administration Employees Act of 2011''.
(b) In General.--Section 7103(a) of title 5, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in clause (iv), by striking ``; or'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(B) in clause (v), by striking the semicolon and inserting
``; or''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(vi) an officer or employee of the Transportation
Security Administration of the Department of Homeland
Security;''; and
(2) in paragraph (3)--
(A) in subparagraph (G), by striking ``; or'' and inserting
a semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (H), by striking the period and
inserting ``; or''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(I) the Transportation Security Administration of the
Department of Homeland Security;''.
(c) Amendments to Title 49.--
(1) Transportation security administration.--Section 114(n)
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding ``This
subsection shall be subject to the amendments made by the
Termination of Collective Bargaining for Transportation
Security Administration Employees Act of 2011.'' at the end.
(2) Personnel management system.--Section 40122 of title
49, United States Code, is amended--
(A) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (k); and
(B) by inserting after subsection (i) the following:
``(j) Transportation Security Administration.--
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section
(including subsection (g)(2)(C)), this section shall be
subject to the amendments made by the Termination of
Collective Bargaining for Transportation Security
Administration Employees Act of 2011.''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act and
apply to any collective bargaining agreement (as defined
under section 7103(a)(8) of title 5, United States Code)
entered into on or after that date, including the renewal of
any collective bargaining agreement in effect on that date.

Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, this amendment deals with the notion of
collective bargaining by TSA employees. The Transportation Security
Administration was formed approximately 10 years ago by the Aviation
and Transportation Security Act of 2001, Public Law 107-71. Since that
time, Transportation Security Administration employees have fared very
well. They are a familiar sight in our airports. They are familiar to
any of us who fly and who frequent the airports of the United States.
It is a good job, and they are well taken care of.
During that 10-year period, TSA employees have not been allowed to
collectively bargain. There is a reason for that. First of all, under
that act which I referenced, as a compromise back in that day, the
Under Secretary of Transportation for Security, who is now the TSA
Administrator, was given the ability to fix the compensation and terms
thereof, and included in that was the determination about whether
collective bargaining rights would be afforded to these TSA employees.
In a 2003 memo, the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security at
that time prohibited TSA security screeners from unionizing with
collective bargaining rights. The Under Secretary wrote:

I hereby determine that individuals carrying out the
security screening function under section 44901 of Title 49,
United States Code, in light of their critical national
security responsibilities, shall not, as a term or condition
of their employment, be entitled to engage in collective
bargaining or be represented for the purpose of engaging in
such bargaining by any representative or organization.

The determination was made by the predecessor of the TSA
Administrator that in light of their critical national security
responsibilities, it was not appropriate for collective bargaining
rights to be included.
Now we have every reason to believe that under this new
administration, that decision is about to be reversed. A decade of
experience and practice will be ended unless this Congress acts, and
the appropriate vehicle on which to act is this reauthorization bill
before us. Wicker amendment No. 14 would simply exclude TSA personnel
from forming a union with collective bargaining rights. I point out to
my colleagues that the FBI and the CIA and the Secret Service, which
all have similar critical national security responsibilities, do not
have collective bargaining rights either. So the spirit of amendment
No. 14 would be to continue TSA employees in that same vein.
TSA workers have fared well indeed during the past decade. It is a
good job. I enjoy seeing them, I enjoy working with them, and we are
glad to have them. But for good reason, they have been excluded from
collective bargaining rights.
The TSA and TSA leadership need the flexibility to innovate and to
move quickly during times of national emergency on issues involving the
security

[[Page S502]]

of the traveling public, and for that reason I submit that adding the
burdensome responsibility of union demands and dealing with collective
bargaining demands could limit the ability of those responsible for the
very important function of security at some of the most high-risk
targets and make it harder for our security personnel to do their job.
So I will be urging my colleagues during this day--we will be urging
the American people to contact their Senators and to let their voices
be heard. TSA has worked well in this regard, and we do not need to
burden it with extra responsibilities when they need to be
concentrating on security.
I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Oregon is
recognized.

Protests In Egypt

Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, over the last week, I have watched the
affairs in Tahrir Square in Cairo, as millions of Americans have, and I
was deeply impressed by the peaceful demonstration of Egyptian citizens
calling for change in their nation--change that would respond to the
economic plight of ordinary citizens, change that would give ordinary
citizens the opportunity to be a part of the voice directing the course
of their nation.
Until yesterday, those protests were absolutely peaceful. But that
did change yesterday when pro-Mubarak forces entered the fray. Last
night, I was watching as Molotov cocktails were being thrown by pro-
Mubarak forces down from adjacent buildings onto the protesters below.
I watched as organized thugs proceeded to stone those protesters. I
watched as there was sporadic gunfire in the square. I watched as a
group of horsemen galloped through the crowd whipping people with their
whips.
This thuggery against citizens who were peacefully protesting is
absolutely unacceptable. The United States has had a long and close
relationship with Egypt. We channel a tremendous amount of economic
development aid to Egypt. But let me be very clear. What happened
yesterday cannot happen again. What happened yesterday, with thugs
attacking peaceful demonstrators on behalf of the government must not
happen again.
In no way can America turn a blind eye to this ruthless assault on
ordinary citizens. This morning, there were voices from within the
Egyptian Government calling what happened yesterday a fatal error.
Prime Minister Shafik called it a fatal error. This morning, there were
signs that the army, instead of allowing and organizing thugs and
allowing them on the square to assault the demonstrators, was standing
in to protect them. This is a right turn of events.
Let it be noted by all who would care to listen that the citizens of
the United States of America are not going to stand by and support a
government that is attacking peaceful demonstrators in a square in
Cairo. If we see a repeat of this violence, America must send a very
strong message that there will be no further aid to the Mubarak
government.
We do not know what the ultimate outcome of these protests will be,
but peaceful action against government is a hallmark of democracy, a
hallmark of freedom. We should ensure that those protests could
continue--those peaceful protests--calling for a voice for ordinary
citizens, and that Egypt can move toward free and fair elections.
I yield the floor.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.

Amendment No. 5

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to temporarily set
aside the pending amendment so I can call up my amendment, No. 5, which
is at the desk.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Missouri [Mr. Blunt] proposes an amendment
numbered 5.

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To require the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security
to approve applications from airports to authorize passenger and
property screening to be carried out by a qualified private screening
company)

On page 311, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following:

SEC. 733. APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS FOR THE SECURITY SCREENING
OPT-OUT PROGRAM.

Section 44920(b) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``The Under Secretary may approve any
application submitted under subsection (a).'' and inserting
``Not later than 30 days after receiving an application
submitted under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall
approve the application.''

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, this is an amendment that deals with an
issue going back to the beginning of the TSA screening program, almost
10 years ago now, at the end of 2001. We had significant discussion
between the House and the Senate about how that program would run. In
fact, the House, which I was a Member of at the time and the occupant
of the chair was a Member of at the time, passed a bill which said the
screening would continue to be competitive and private and determined
by local airports. The Senate's view at the time was this was a new
responsibility that would be taken over everywhere by the Federal
Government and the TSA.
The final determination was that, while the Federal Government would
take this responsibility, there would be allowed to be pilot airports
that would be determined and be monitored to determine whether a pilot
project would verify that another alternative would be a competitive,
private screening as one of the options available to airports. In fact,
in 2004, the screening partnership program was created.
The pilots had worked. The verification was that the private
screeners were performing at a level that was equal to that of the
government-paid screeners, that the cost was comparable, and that
airports in the future would be able to apply to go from the
government-run program to a competitive program, and about 16 airports
have done that. I think the biggest one is probably the San Francisco
airport. The Kansas City airport, which I use and that I represent, may
be the second biggest of those. Rochester, NY, is also in this program,
as are a number of smaller airports.
In fact, as recently as a few months ago, the TSA was still telling
airports and recommended to four airports in Montana--a State where
seven of their airports are currently in this program--the TSA
recommended to four more airports in Montana that they look at this
program as a potential better alternative for them. Only in recent
weeks did TSA determine in responses to the Springfield, MO airport,
the four Montana airports, and perhaps as many as a handful of other
airports that, no, we think that program is big enough. This is an
option that is no longer available to local airport boards.
This amendment would reach the conclusion that the local airport
board is still an important determiner of which system works best in an
airport. Essentially, this amendment would tell the TSA that if local
airports apply, the TSA would allow them to become part of the
screening partnership program and treat them as they are treating the
16 airports that have been in that program--some for as long as a
decade now, since the beginning of screening as we see it in airports
today.
I hope we get to where we actually give authority back, or maintain
authority at the local airport level to determine which system works
better for them. A competitive system allows flexibility, and
flexibility allows more adaptability, more innovation and, frankly, I
think, encourages the government-run systems to be more competitive and
responsive.
That is why I am offering this amendment. I hope it becomes part of
this bill, and I look forward to working with the committee on this
amendment and over the next few days as we

[[Page S503]]

continue to debate FAA. This has a real impact on a number of the
authorities that are under the Federal Aviation Administration. I think
this is an important time to solve this problem. It is one that was
created, in my view, totally by TSA deciding on their own something
that the law never envisioned. I was part of that debate a decade ago.
I know what the intention was, and it was not the intention of the
pilot program, or of the determination we made at the end of 2001, that
TSA would determine for local airport authorities what was best for
their airport.
This amendment would require the TSA to work with local airports and
implement their desire to change from the system they have at the
time--totally run by TSA--to a system under the screening partnership
program. That is the essence of this amendment, and I urge its adoption
and inclusion in this bill.
I yield the floor.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown of Ohio). The clerk will call the
roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

AMENDMENT NO. 8

Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today I am pleased to join Senator
Whitehouse, Senator Boxer and a growing list of my colleagues in
support of the Whitehouse-Kirk-Boxer amendment that will improve
airline safety throughout the Nation.
Most individuals are familiar with laser pointers that are often used
in presentations. What you may not know is the growing danger these
devices pose to pilots.
Last month, the FAA released nationwide data on lasers pointed at
aircraft. From 2009 to 2010, incidents nearly doubled from 1,527, to
2,836. To show how quickly this has become a problem, when the FAA
first began to track this problem in 2005, incidents were under 300.
Transportation Secretary LaHood has acknowledged this is a serious
safety issue. Lasers can temporarily blind pilots, which is incredibly
dangerous, but even more so during the critical time of takeoff and
landing. Advancements in laser technology also are making the problem
worse. Certain color variations, such as green lasers, are 35 times
brighter than comparable red lasers.
This is a particular worry for me and for my State's busiest
airport--O'Hare. According to the FAA, last year O'Hare had the second-
highest number of laser events in the Nation at 98.
The Whitehouse-Kirk-Boxer amendment creates new penalties for
knowingly pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft, or at the flight
path of an airplane. Commonsense exemptions are provided to allow
further research and testing activities.
Current law has not kept up to date with this new threat. It is time
we give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to reduce the
likelihood of a tragedy.
The amendment is supported by the Air Line Pilots Association and the
National Association of Police Organizations which includes the Federal
Flight Deck Officers Association.
I thank Senator Whitehouse and his staff for their leadership on this
issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan proposal to
help make our Nation's pilots, and especially their passengers, safer.
I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, we are sitting here, and what is good
is we are not doing health care amendments. What is bad is we are not
doing any amendments.
The Republicans have proffered a number of amendments. We need to do
them by pairs so we can work them out. Some of them will be able to be
accepted by voice vote. I expect that Senator Whitehouse's on laser use
into pilots' eyes will probably be accepted by voice vote. But he may
want a vote. If I were he, I would want a vote because it is so
important to emphasize the issue.
But we need to have Democrats--I know we have some amendments that
Democrats want to offer. But they are not coming to the floor to offer
those amendments. So this is my plea, through the distinguished
Presiding Officer, for Democrats please to come to the floor and do
their amendments.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. INHOFE. First of all, let me say that the manager has been very
kind to me in offering to allow me to come up at some point. I do not
care so much when it is, but I do have two amendments I have already
discussed on the floor. I would like to get them in the queue so at
some time we will be able to do that. So I would wait until such time
as the majority feels it would be appropriate, and then I would be
asking them if I can do that.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I understand the Senator from
Oklahoma has a particularly difficult scheduling problem right now and
for most of the afternoon. So putting his amendments in and talking
about them, whatever he wishes to do, is important to him and also is
hard to do in terms of the schedule. So that renews my offer, my
request, my prayer, that Democrats who have amendments will come down
and offer them.
It is called the Federal aviation bill. It reauthorizes it. It is
monumental, and we are kind of sitting here. So the Republicans are
sort of doing their part, but the Democrats are not doing our part. So
please come down, if you have amendments, because I wish to accommodate
not just Senator Inhofe but all others who have amendments, many of
which we can probably work out.
Some will be accepted by voice, others may have to be voted on. But
we have to have amendments before we can get to any of that. So that is
my request.
Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, reclaiming my time. First of all, I thank
you very much. The one set of amendments I have, I would hope to get
into the managers' amendment or somehow have them come up and even be
voice voted. But they are issues I have talked about in the past quite
often. I think we all understand--or most of us do--that when our good
friend Senator Glenn retired, that left me as the last active
commercial pilot, on a regular basis, in the Senate. So I have these
two amendments I am very interested in. I will yield the floor. When
such time comes--what the Senator from West Virginia said is true.
Right now, because of the Prayer Breakfast that is taking place, I
happen to be hosting the African dinner tonight, so I have groups
coming by every 30 minutes throughout the day.
At some time today, I wish to be able to get two amendments, Nos. 6
and 7, in the queue.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.

Remembering Don Tyson

Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I come to the floor to honor a great man, a
great Arkansan and a great American, Donald John Tyson.
Don Tyson was one of the three iconic Arkansans who helped move our
State forward. Don Tyson, Sam Walton, and J.B. Hunt transformed the
northwest part of our State and made Arkansas a mecca for business.

=========================== NOTE ===========================

On page S503, February 3, 2011, the Record reads: . . . Sam
Walton, and J. R. Hunt . . .

The online Record has been corrected to read: . . . Sam Walton,
and J. B. Hunt . . .

========================= END NOTE =========================

When I think of Don, one of his favorite phrases comes to mind. He
would say: ``I don't have time to have a bad time.'' Don lived life to
the fullest and enjoyed every minute of it. Don came to Arkansas in
very humble circumstances. He was born in Kansas but moved to
Springdale as an infant when, as Don liked to tell it, his father's
truck ran out of gas.
There in Springdale, Don took over the family business when his
father passed away. Don's hard work helped

[[Page S504]]

turn his father's small poultry business into the most successful meat
processor in the world. As chairman of the board and CEO of Tyson
Foods, Don revolutionized the poultry industry and made protein more
accessible to Americans, helping create Chicken McNuggets, chicken
tenders, chicken sandwiches, and much more.
He was responsible for developing the Rock Cornish game hen, smaller
birds that weigh only a few pounds that were more profitable but also
immensely popular. Under Don's leadership, the company's revenue
increased from $51 million to more than $10 billion.
As the Washington Post said: ``For many Americans, Tyson products
became the answer to a daily question: What's for dinner?''
Even as he rose to great heights, Don remained true to his roots--his
trademark khaki Tyson uniform with ``Don'' embroidered on the front
pocket. He referred to all staff members as coworkers, never employees.
Don understood that the truck drivers and plant workers were as
essential to Tyson's success as the executives in the corner offices.
Don was also committed to giving back to his community. A noted
philanthropist, Don created the Tyson Family Foundation, which provides
scholarships for students from communities where Tyson Foods operates,
including many communities in Arkansas.
Don was a huge supporter of the University of Arkansas, helping fund
many of the school's educational and athletic programs. He also was a
great friend to veterans. One of his most recent projects was helping
preserve the Fayetteville National Cemetery. An avid fisherman and
devoted conservationist, Don created the Billfish Foundation, which
promotes catch-and-release practices for billfish to conserve their
populations. Don's charitable work had a real impact on Arkansas and
communities across the country.
Finally, Don understood the importance of family. Tyson Foods has
always been and remains a family-run business, starting with Don's
father John Tyson and continuing with his son John. Don's emphasis on
family, from his father-son collaborations to the way he treated all
his coworkers as extended family, is what made Tyson Foods great.
In looking back on Don Tyson's life, I see a man who loved his
business, who loved his community, who loved his family, and who lived
life. Today, I join all Arkansans in celebrating a life well lived.
Don, you will be missed.
Mr. INHOFE. Will the Senator yield?
One of the things that is interesting about northwest Arkansas is
that you were just talking about Don Tyson. You could just as well have
been talking about Sam Walton, Hunt, and many others.
I do not know what it is about northwest Arkansas, that these great
entrepreneurs who changed the world seem to all come from that area, as
the Senator from Arkansas knows. I am very familiar with that area,
since my daughter Molly is a professor at the University of Arkansas.
I have been over there many times. I was just listening to you
describe the life of Don Tyson and how consistent that is with many of
the other entrepreneurs. I salute all those guys up there and you for
bringing that to the floor.
Mr. PRYOR. I thank the Senator from Oklahoma.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

REMEMBERING PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN

Mr. DURBIN. Sunday is the 100th anniversary of the birth of President
Ronald Reagan.
When Ronald Reagan was born, his father Jack looked at his new son
and exclaimed, ``He looks like a fat little Dutchman but who knows, he
might grow up to be President some day.''
In fact, Ronald Reagan grew up to become not just a President but one
of America's most memorable Presidents.
As we mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, much is being said and
written about Ronald Reagan's White House years, and understandably so.
But in my State of Illinois, people are also remembering an earlier
time in the life of this iconic American.
Ronald Wilson Reagan is the only American President born in Illinois.
He entered this world on Feb. 6, 1911, in the little town of Tampico,
IL, in an apartment above a bakery on Main Street.
His father Jack sold shoes to support his wife and two sons.
Over the first 9 years of his life, the Reagan family moved four
times, from Tampico to Galesburg, to Monmouth, and the south side of
Chicago before finally settling in Dixon, IL, population 10,000.
Today, the white frame house at 810 South Hennepin Street in Dixon,
the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, draws visitors from around the world.
It was in Dixon that the shy boy would begin to discover self-
confidence and the talents that would serve him so well in life. He
acted in his first play in Dixon, and he was elected student body
president during his senior year at Dixon High School.
From Dixon, Ronald Reagan went to Eureka College, a small college
near Peoria. The tuition was $180 a year, twice that much with room and
board, more than the Reagan family could afford. But Ronald Reagan did
not let that discourage him. He received a ``needy student
scholarship'' and waited tables and washed dishes at his fraternity
house to help pay his way.
Once again, he was elected president of his senior class.
1935, Ronald Reagan was working as a radio sports announcer. He
followed the Chicago Cubs to spring training in California and slipped
away one day to visit Hollywood and explore whether there might be a
future for him in movies.
Two years later, Ronald Reagan packed his possessions into a Nash
convertible and moved to California, where he would become a successful
actor and later Governor. But he never forgot his Illinois roots.
In his first inaugural parade in 1981, Ronald Reagan included the
Dixon High School band.
On a visit to Eureka College in 1992, President Reagan told students,
``Everything good that happened to me, everything, started here on this
campus.''
In 1990, 2 years after he left the White House, President Reagan
travelled to Abilene, KS, for a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary
of President Eisenhower's birth.
He said that day:

I learned long ago that in order to find the heart of
America you need only vosit the heartland of America.

It was a lesson he had learned years earlier in those small towns in
Illinois.
Both the State of Illinois and the town of Dixon have created Ronald
Reagan Centennial Commissions to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his
birth. If you want to see the places that helped shape America's 40th
President, come to Illinois this year, where it all began.
Ronald Reagan was President when I was first elected to the House of
Representatives in 1982. While our views of government differed
remarkably, I admired his optimism and his unshakable faith that
America's best days were ahead of us. He restored a sense of confidence
in many Americans at a time when we really needed it.
He told us:

America is too great to dream small dreams.

And he was right.
In 1992, 2 years before he announced he had Alzheimer's disease,
Ronald Reagan addressed his party's nominating convention for the last
time.
He said then:

Whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I
hope it will recall that I appealed to your best hopes, not
your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts.

In 1983, in one of the most important accomplishments of his
Presidency, Ronald Reagan brought together Democrats and Republicans to
head off a funding crisis in Social Security. That bipartisan agreement
helped add years of solvency to one of the most successful programs
this government has ever created. It brought 50 years of solvency to
Social Security and is one of the crowning jewels of his leadership.
In 1986, he signed America's last major tax reform act to simplify
the Income Tax Code, broaden the tax base and eliminate loopholes that
allowed some to avoid their obligations while unfairly increasing the
tax burden on others.

[[Page S505]]

Today we face a far greater challenge. Not only do we have to protect
Social Security for the long run, we also have to simplify our Tax Code
again, and put in place a responsible plan to reduce our deficits even
as we invest in a stronger economic future.
In this centennial year of his birth, it would be a fitting tribute
to President Reagan if Democrats and Republicans could work together to
solve our challenges in the same spirit of patriotic pragmatism that
President Reagan and others brought to protecting Social Security a
generation ago. I hope we can work together to help get Americans back
to work today and to lay the foundation for a strong economic future so
that our children can continue to say, as President Reagan said so
often, that America's best days are still ahead.
After Ronald Reagan clinched the delegates needed to win his party's
1980 Presidential nomination, a newspaper reporter asked him what he
thought he needed to do next. He replied that he wanted to dispel the
notion that he was a hard-nosed radical who would oppose compromise on
principle.
These are his words. He said:

You know, there are some people so imbued with their
ideology that if they can't get everything they want, they'll
jump off the cliff with the flag flying. As Governor, I found
out that if I could get half a loaf, instead of stalking off
angrily, I'd take it.

Ronald Reagan was a man who believed deeply in his core principles.
He would not want any of us to compromise our own core principles in
his memory.
But there is such a thing as principled compromise. President Reagan
understood that. He knew that accommodation was needed to make the
system work. We would honor his memory by remembering that lesson and
working to restore to our politics the same civility that we associate
with him. Let's remember that there is no dishonor in accepting half a
loaf. That is how democracy works.
Finally, I wish to express my admiration for Mrs. Reagan. Her love
and steadfast devotion to her husband during his illness moved us all,
and her courageous work in support of new treatments for Alzheimer's
disease will surely help other families. Our thoughts are with her and
the rest of President Reagan's family as we mark this historic
centennial.
(Mrs. HAGAN assumed the chair.)
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, the FAA authorization expired in October
of 2007. For more than 3 years we have been operating on short-term
extensions--17 total short-term extensions. The Federal Aviation
Administration, airlines, and the flying public, all deserve a long-
term authorization to provide certainty to our national aviation
system. The bill before us will improve the safety of air travel,
modernize our air traffic control system, boost the economy, and create
thousands of jobs. This is a jobs bill.
The FAA estimates commercial aviation is responsible for over 5
percent of our gross domestic product and generates $1.2 trillion a
year in economic activity. The aviation industry provides $346 billion
in earnings and 11 million jobs. This bill will help grow those
numbers. The funding provided in this bill will support over 280,000
jobs.
Economist Mark Zandi said:

Aviation is the glue that keeps the global economy
together.

We know that in Illinois. We know it because of that great airport
called O'Hare, which we are currently in the process of modernizing.
This bill will boost our economy now and keep the United States
competitive in the global marketplace. The Senate Commerce Committee,
chaired by Senator Rockefeller, with ranking member Senator Inhofe, has
held dozens of hearings over the past few years on aviation. Each was
different. All of them focused on safety. Last year we passed into law
many safety provisions the committee recommended, but we need to do
more.
This bill will improve safety by preventing runway incursions.
Improving runway safety, according to the NTSB, is the highest
priority. There were 988 runway incursions last year. This year there
have already been 66. This bill will require the FAA to review all
commercial service airports in the United States and initiate action to
improve lighting, signage, and runway and taxiway markings.
Another key component of this bill is NextGen. NextGen is the term we
use to describe our transition to a more modern satellite-based air
traffic control system. I mentioned on the Senate floor before that I
recently read a book by Steve Johnson about innovation. He told a
fascinating story that on October 4, 1957, when the Soviets launched
sputnik, America was caught by surprise. Here our adversaries in the
Cold War had the capacity, with a missile, to launch a satellite that
circled the Earth. It was the first manmade satellite. We knew they had
the bomb. Now they had these missiles and the capacity to launch a
satellite.
The Russians, to prove to the world they had launched the satellite,
had this basketball-sized sputnik satellite emitting a signal. There
were two scientists near Baltimore working for the Federal Government
who decided they would try to track this signal. They found it. As they
tracked it, they used their scientific expertise and the Doppler effect
to determine not only the trajectory of this satellite but its speed.
They reported their findings to the Department of Defense. They could
tell the Department of Defense where sputnik was and how fast it was
moving.
The Department of Defense challenged them and said: If you can tell
us where that satellite is and how fast it is moving, could you tell
where that signal is being received on Earth? They went to work. It
took them several weeks. They came up with the means to determine from
a satellite where the signal was being received on Earth. We know it as
GPS.
GPS is in our pockets. We carry it with our cell phones. People can
locate us based on the cell phone we carry in our pockets. The problem
is, airplanes don't have GPS. They still rely on aging technology,
radar and the like, to locate the planes and to move them safely. This
bill is going to move us into this new generation of technology. It is
about time.
NextGen will give pilots and air traffic controllers the ability to
accurately pinpoint aircraft in the sky, to avoid problems, to move
things more smoothly, safely, and efficiently. The FAA has called for
action on implementing NextGen.
Last year U.S. airlines carried 704 million passengers, including a
lot of Senators and Congressmen. Soon those numbers will increase. The
FAA reports that U.S. airlines will carry more than 1 billion
passengers by 2023 and more than 1.2 billion by 2030. Our outdated air
traffic control system cannot handle this increase in traffic. But with
NextGen we hope to triple the capacity of our national aviation system
and not compromise at all when it comes to safety. This technology will
allow planes to fly the straightest, quickest route from point A to
point B. With more precise information and better communication, we can
fit more planes safely in our airspace. Doing so will save airlines
fuel and money. It will reduce airport delays significantly.
Chicago's Midway Airport was ranked dead last over the past few
months for ontime departures. Chicago's O'Hare has won that dubious
distinction more than once. The main reason is the lack of capacity in
our aviation control system. Fully implementing NextGen could reduce
these delays dramatically. It will also save a lot of fuel and money
for the airlines. This is a great investment.
Illinois is in the middle of the largest airport expansion project in
American history at O'Hare. The $6.6 billion project will completely
reconfigure the runways and make sure traffic moves in and out of
O'Hare more efficiently. Moving this project along means a lot to the
people of Chicago and Illinois. O'Hare already generates 450,000 jobs
and $38 billion in economic activity for Chicago and my State. This
modernization project will create 195,000 more jobs and another $18
billion in annual economic activity. We need to move forward as a
nation, with the FAA, to make certain O'Hare is modern and safe and can
accommodate the increased capacity in air service.
I hope we can take up this bill and the amendments that have been
offered to it in a timely fashion and pass the legislation soon. This
bill will help airports the size of O'Hare, but also smaller airports
around the United States. It has already helped us in many ways.

[[Page S506]]

The Essential Air Service Program has been critical for a lot of
small airports, and certainly that is true in Illinois. We need to make
sure that communities large and small across America have access to
passenger air service.
There is a provision in this bill that tries to coordinate some of
the bookings between Amtrak and airlines. During floor consideration of
this bill in the previous Congress, my amendment was adopted that I
hope can help travelers better coordinate and use both passenger rail
and air travel. Particularly for travel to and from less urbanized
areas, this option will help move people more efficiently. We can do
offer this in more communities. And we can do so at less expense to the
Federal Government.
I thank both Senator Inhofe and Senator Rockefeller for their
leadership on this bill.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.
Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, let me say that most everything the
Senator from Illinois has talked about I agree with. We have been
talking about this bill for a long time.
I join Senator Rockefeller in encouraging anyone, Democrats
particularly, to bring any amendment down they want. Procedurally, I
don't think I can get my two amendments in the queue until that
happens.
For the moment, I ask unanimous consent that I be recognized as in
morning business.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

REMEMBERING PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN

Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, the Senator from Illinois was talking
about our friend, our beloved Ronald Reagan. I thought I would make a
couple of comments that might surprise a few people.
I was not from Oklahoma originally. I was actually born in Iowa. When
I was a very small child, Ronald Reagan was the sports announcer for
WHO radio.
My father was a claims adjuster. They officed in the same room--not
the same building but the same room. They played the pinball machine
together. I can remember at that time they never said Ronald Reagan;
they said Dutch Reagan. That was his name. That was his name as a
sports announcer too. He would actually come by and we referred to him
as Uncle Dutch. That was in Des Moines. That was back during the
Depression and shortly after.
When my family moved to Oklahoma, we didn't have a lot of money. So
we never went to movies. At that time they didn't have TV. The only
time we would ever see a movie is if Dutch Reagan had a movie. I went
down once to Atoka, OK, which was probably roundtrip driving about 4
hours. We went down to see a Dutch Reagan movie.
Later on, I became the mayor of Tulsa. During that time Reagan was in
his first term. He had me do all of his domestic work. I was debating
Democratic mayors from all over the country on the policies that Ronald
Reagan had initiated and tried to perpetuate, and they were all very
successful, I might add. Now, in retrospect, a lot of people on the
other side of the fence realize they were.
Saying this was a personal relationship, I look beyond what everyone
knows about Ronald Reagan, what his persona was, and I can say he was
such a warm and personable person. It never occurred to me--I thought
of him as one of the family until the time he started running for
political office.
It is kind of interesting because his first election, of course, was
running for office out in California. At that time, we still did not
have a lot of money, but my father--I think that was the first race he
got involved with financially, and Ronald Reagan never forgot it. I can
remember when I came to Congress he was in his second term, and he
would always comment: There is young Congressman Inhofe. His daddy was
one of my first financial contributors.
So anyway, I will just say this: When you lose somebody like him, you
do not just lose a leader that in retrospect looks good to everyone,
but you lose someone who is very warm and loving. Here is a guy who, in
the Oval Office, would never ever walk in without a coat and tie on.
This is the way he distinguished the office, and this is the way the
office distinguished him.
So we dearly miss him on this, his 100th birthday anniversary.
Madam President, let me make one comment about the two amendments I
have on the bill. I think it is important we address both of them, but
one of them is, in particular, very significant. We have a subpart S
version of the FARs that affects scheduled and nonscheduled airlines. A
scheduled airline can live with the flight crew rest and duty time
because they can adjust their schedules to do that. The unscheduled
cannot. So the subpart S in the FARs today allows a subpart S to work
longer hours, but they also have longer rest hours in between. They
average out actually with longer rest hours per active hours than under
the law that affects the scheduled airlines.
Let me give you a couple examples why it is important. Ninety-five
percent of our troop movement over in theater, where the Presiding
Officer and I just came back from, after having spent New Year's Eve
with our troops over in Kabul and Afghanistan--during that time, there
were several times when they had to bring blood in.
If a nonscheduled airline has to bring the blood in, they cannot do
it because that is too far. They would have to leave the plane there
and have crew rest in Kabul and come back. Well, they cannot do that
because we have rules against it.
Ninety-five percent of the troop activity, movement, comes from
nonscheduled airlines. Forty percent of the material comes in and out.
That is what we are talking about. We are talking about getting blood
over to our troops in the AOR.
So it has worked well. There has not been, in 15 years, one case
where an accident on a nonscheduled airline has taken place due to the
fatigue of anyone. So it is a problem that does not exist, and I have
always had this hangup about fixing things that are not broken. So,
consequently, I am hoping we will be able to keep that.
What is happening today is there is a comment period and a rule that
would do away with that subpart S, and I would like to have this
amendment in here. It would keep that from happening. So I think it is
very important, and I think it means a lot to our troops over there.
The only alternative--if you take the blood example--is, you would have
to find, from maybe Qatar or some other place, a military plane, a C-
130 or a C-17, to take them in. As you know, right now the OPTEMPO of
our lift capacity is to the point we cannot take on anything more. So I
think this is a life-and-death type of thing.
The other amendment I feel strongly about--I mentioned a minute ago
when Senator Glenn retired, that left me as the last active commercial
pilot in the Senate and I still am and have been flying for 50 years.
Many times in the past I have, at my own expense and in my own
aircraft, done things where we are helping out people because there is
no one else to do it, either taking people for medical treatment or
taking, in one case, a limb that had been amputated back to be
reattached, this type of thing.
So for people to do it--the pilots and the equipment, such as my
equipment--it costs us money to do it. But we feel, in order to
encourage them to do it, they should be exempt from liability should
something happen so they do not have frivolous lawsuits. If you do,
then it discourages people from being generous. So this is kind of a
Good Samaritan type of amendment.
These are amendments Nos. 7 and 6. I am hoping to get them in the
queue. I cannot do that at this time. I want to cooperate with Senator
Rockefeller, but as soon as we can, I want to get these in.
With that, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that
the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. NELSON of Florida. I am waiting just momentarily to receive the
documentation on offering an amendment. But in the meantime, I would
like to speak as in morning business.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S507]]

Egypt

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, it is very apparent that
President Mubarak must step down. The longer he waits to realize he has
to step down, the more difficult it is going to be in order to have an
orderly transition and to keep the peace in Egypt. The longer he waits
to announce he is stepping down immediately, the more difficult it is
to transfer power to his Vice President, General Omar Suleiman.
If he had done this several days ago, then that transition would have
been so much easier because General Suleiman is well respected in
Egypt, certainly by the military. He is well respected by the Arab
neighbors in the region, and he is well respected in Israel, as well as
the United States.
But every day there is violence and bloodshed in these clashes, it
makes the Arab street much more difficult to accept any semblance of
authority that would come from Mubarak, even though, under the Egyptian
Constitution, there is a Vice President, albeit that Vice Presidency
has been vacant for years and years and years. But, nevertheless, there
is a Vice President who is in the constitutional line of succession to
become President.
Again, I say what I said several days ago: President Mubarak needs to
recognize, despite his long years of great service in keeping Egypt
stable, especially in the aftermath of the assassination of President
Anwar Sadat, that it is time for him to step down, that there is a new
nation of Egypt out there and they want reform and they want free and
fair elections and most of them want a peaceful and orderly transition
of power.
I would again call on the President of Egypt to step down and step
down immediately and let the Presidency be assumed by his Vice
President, with the guarantee of free and fair elections in September
and the guarantee that President Mubarak is not going to run for
reelection.
Madam President, I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a
quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that
the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Amendment No. 34

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that
the pending amendment be set aside in order to call up amendment No.
34.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Florida [Mr. Nelson] proposes an amendment
numbered 34.

Mr. NELSON of Florida. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of
the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To strike section 605)

Beginning with line 1 on page 236, strike through line 14
on page 237.

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, the NASA bill we passed last
fall strongly reaffirmed that aeronautics research is an integral part
of the agency and made the point in that bill of increasing a focus on
NASA's aeronautics research programs. As a matter of fact, what does
NASA stand for? It has become a noun, but it actually stands for the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The first A in NASA
stands for ``aeronautics.'' It is vital to our research programs in
both air and space, the research that is going on.
We have existing aeronautics research facilities that are national
assets, and they are in places such as the Ames Research Center in
California; the Glenn Research Center named after our former colleague,
Senator John Glenn, which is in Cleveland; Langley Research Center in
Virginia; the Dryden Flight Research Center, and that is at Edwards Air
Force Base in California.
These NASA centers are unique in their ability to leverage the
complementary and ever-increasing synergies between space and aviation
systems through these incredibly experienced technical researchers, and
they make remarkable advances in aerospace-related disciplines such as
materials and structures, flight controls, aerospace systems health
management, and high speed aerothermal analysis tools. We take for
granted when we get on commercial airliners some of the improvements
that have been made. Well, where do we think a lot of that came from?
It came from NASA and the research there. These advances not only
accelerate space and aviation systems but also other very complex
systems such as the smart grid, remote medicine and medical robotics,
smart cars, a whole bunch of things.
NASA's fundamental aeronautics research capability happens to be also
integrated with enabling the future space missions of NASA. The
Nation's aeronautics research and development investment currently is
planned and well coordinated through the National Aeronautics Research
and Development Policy as well as in Executive Order 13419 in which the
roles and responsibilities of executive departments and agencies in
Federal aeronautics R&D are clearly defined and delineated all the way
through the rest of this decade, until 2020.
What happened when this FAA bill was put together years ago is that
it had a transfer to some committee of NASA's successful aeronautics
R&D investment leadership and this competitiveness, this investment has
supported springing forth key technologies that directly contradict a
national policy of doing this in a committee instead of doing it in
NASA. The unnecessary reassignment, when this bill was crafted some
time ago, of those responsibilities to other agencies of government
would clearly jeopardize the success of this extraordinary R&D program.
The amendment, to which we have no objection, is to take this part
out of the bill with the new NASA bill that was passed, with the robust
aeronautics research and development that is within NASA, be the
operative policy.
If it is appropriate, if this is the proper parliamentary procedure,
I ask for the yeas and nays--or I would ask for a voice vote. I am told
we are not in the proper venue for that. So I have offered the
amendment, it is laid down, and we will deal with it appropriately.
I yield the floor, and I note the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Remembering President Ronald Reagan

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, as a native Californian, I come to
the floor now to honor the 100th birthday of President Ronald Reagan.
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan asked that I serve on the Ronald
Reagan Centennial Commission and I was very honored to accept. Today, I
join Senator Jim Webb, also a member, and Orrin Hatch, to continue
President Reagan's spirit of bipartisanship. We have invited Senators
on both sides of the aisle to join us here on the floor.
From Simi Valley, in his beloved California, to our Nation's capital,
Americans this month are honoring President Ronald Reagan. These
centennial events are intended to reach all Americans, including many
born after President Reagan left office. Those who remember Ronald
Reagan as Governor or as President know how he impacted history. But
there are some who may not realize that the society we live in today
is, in part, due to the policies of President Reagan. Young adults
today grow up without the fear of nuclear war in the back of their
mind, and students of tomorrow will work to achieve President Reagan's
dream of a world without nuclear weapons.
It can be said that every great President can be remembered in just
one sentence. Some examples: ``He freed the slaves;'' ``He made the
Louisiana Purchase.'' Yet, 22 years after he left office and 7 years
after his death, the name Ronald Wilson Reagan can still provoke a
complex debate. There is no one phrase that can describe his legacy.
Some come to mind: ``The great

[[Page S508]]

communicator.'' Or: ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.'' That is the
one that does it for me.
There is much debate over President Reagan because we all think of
him differently, and over time, history sweetens our memories. But no
matter what policy disagreements one may have had with him, one has to
admire his style of politics. He was a conservative Republican, but he
understood that in order to get anything done, he had to work across
the aisle, which he did.
In his 1983 State of the Union Address, President Reagan said:

Let us, in these next 2 years--men and women of both
parties, every political shade--concentrate on the long-
range, bipartisan responsibilities of government, not the
short-range or short-term temptations of partisan politics.

Also, Ronald Reagan had commonsense conviction that helped his
achievements.
He was a true gentleman in American politics. You would not have seen
him giving a speech--like some do today--calling his opponents names or
giving out generalized insults. Dignity and wit were his weapons of
choice.
Also, President Reagan served during times of divided government,
when one party had the White House and the other controlled at least
one Chamber of Congress, giving each side some governing responsibility
to find solutions.
It was a time when a financial and fiscal crisis brought the two
parties together to compromise on tough choices about taxes and
spending. In 1983, President Reagan and Speaker Tip O'Neill came
together to compromise on Social Security, based on proposals from a
commission led by Alan Greenspan. President Reagan is credited with
creating the conditions that led to the end of the Cold War, reviving
the economy, and returning a sense of optimism to our country.
One of the things I most admired was his work to reduce the number of
nuclear weapons in the world and his dream of a world one day free of
these awful weapons.
President Reagan expressed this vision during his second inaugural
address on January 21, 1985. He declared:

We seek the total elimination one day of nuclear weapons
from the face of the Earth.

It was a remarkable statement from a President who had deployed
tactical nuclear missiles in Europe to counter the Soviet Union's
fearsome SS-20 missile fleet. But President Reagan understood the grave
threat that nuclear weapons pose to humanity, and he boldly set himself
to achieve their eventual elimination.
My good friend, George Shultz, who was Secretary of State under
President Reagan, remembers that many at that time thought the
President's initial negotiations to reduce strategic arms were not
serious--even quite ridiculous. A classified report released recently
showed that President Reagan asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff about the
cost of an all-out Soviet attack and plans for retaliation. He asked
Secretary Shultz:

What's so good about keeping the peace after wiping each
other out?

Mr. Shultz believes if he were around today, President Reagan would
have been in favor of the New START treaty. At the famous Reykjavik
Summit with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in October 1980,
President Reagan went far beyond Gorbachev's proposal to slash
strategic arms by 50 percent. He truly believed we should go to zero.
The Reykjavik talks may not have worked out, but the idea that we
should create a world free of nuclear weapons endures to this day.
Secretary Shultz thinks President Reagan would want to be remembered
for his complete faith in freedom and his conviction that you had to be
strong to defend that freedom. And that is certainly true.
Ronald Reagan came into office with character and charisma, traits
that take other elected officials years to develop. It was that
charisma that impressed California's Republicans and led to his
nomination as Governor of my great State.
Ronald Reagan was elected Governor of California in 1966 by nearly a
1 million-vote margin. He was elected to a second term in 1970. He did
not seem to mind that people underappreciated him at the time.
Decades later, as volumes of his handwritten essays were released to
the public, Americans saw just what a thoughtful and visionary man he
was. If we remember Ronald Reagan with one sentence, let's remember him
as one who took big ideas, a crafting of words, and a conviction of
freedom to change the entire world.
On the 100th anniversary of the birth of ``The Great Communicator,''
I hope we can embody his spirit of bipartisanship to keep our country
strong and united today.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas is recognized.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, I rise to speak also on the 100th
anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, and I am so pleased to
follow my colleague from California who has been under the weather for
a little while. We are very glad she is back.
I think all of us will have an opportunity to talk about one of the
great Presidents of the last century and to mark the 30 years since
Ronald Reagan's inauguration.
When Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980, America faced an anemic
economy, high unemployment, and a sense of malaise emanated from
Washington. But President Reagan never doubted that America's potential
was unlimited. During his second inaugural address, he said America
``can out-produce, out-compete and out-sell anybody, anywhere in the
world.'' The Reagan Revolution was fueled by the understanding that,
given the opportunity, Americans would dream, create, and build. He
also knew the road to greatness was through an individual's effort, not
through expanded government. So President Reagan set about
reinvigorating the stagnant economy.
He cut government spending. He reduced government regulation. He
ended the practice of wage and price controls. He passed tax cuts for
all Americans. He famously noted that ``Government's first duty is to
protect the people, not run their lives.'' The American economy
responded with sustained growth, and a new era of economic prosperity
had been ushered in.
Reagan's vision of the greater good also extended beyond our shores.
He was a fierce advocate for freedom. With our Cold War adversary, the
Soviet Union, imposing the tight grip of communism on much of the
world, President Reagan launched a resurgence of American military
might through the Strategic Defense Initiative. As he said:

Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because
the United States was too strong.

It was his firm resolve to negotiate from a position of strength that
led to successful arms talks with the Soviets and ultimately to the
downfall of the Soviet Empire. During his first inaugural address, he
clearly stated where America stood:

As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential
adversaries, they will be reminded that peace is the highest
aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it,
sacrifice for it; we will not surrender for it--now or ever.

President Reagan understood that all people, regardless of where they
live, long for liberty and freedom. He believed that America was a
beacon of hope to all of the oppressed people of the world, a ``shining
city on the hill,'' as he described it. As Jeffrey Bell wrote in the
Weekly Standard, Ronald Reagan ``believed that people all over the
world craved self-government just as much as Americans did.'' Even
today, he is still being proven right. He said:

Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.

These words still echo in today's tumultuous times. We witnessed the
poignant photographs of women in Iraq voting and joyously holding up
their purple-stained thumbs. We are now seeing the marches of people in
Egypt who long to be able to vote in a real election for the first time
in 30 years. He also understood the importance of information in
promoting freedom, calling it the ``oxygen of the modern age. It seeps
through the walls topped by barbed wire; it wafts across the
electrified borders.''

His words are as true today as when he uttered them. Freedom and
individual liberty are America's greatest assets. They are the core of
our national identity. They are the foundation of our economic
prosperity, and these precious assets have been protected by the
service and sacrifice of

[[Page S509]]

patriots in every generation from the beginning of America's history to
today. Ronald Reagan understood and appreciated the duty we all have to
preserve these American ideals.
As he said:

Democracy is worth dying for, because it is the most deeply
honorable form of government devised by man.

When President Reagan died in 2004, there was a spontaneous,
worldwide outpouring of grief and tribute that caught some seasoned
political pundits by surprise. Throughout his political career, Ronald
Reagan was underestimated by ``establishment'' political intellectuals
of the day. He was dismissed sometimes by the media. But when he spoke,
the American people listened, they understood, and they agreed with
this down-to-Earth but very profound man. And so did the world.
We all remember him fondly, with great respect, and are honored to
have known him.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon is recognized.
Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, I want to take a quick minute or two to
talk about an amendment that will be called up later in the afternoon
on my behalf to expand and improve the unmanned aerial systems--known
as UAS programs--that are part of the Federal Aviation Administration
reauthorization bill. My amendment is No. 27.
I thank Chairman Rockefeller and his staff because they have worked
closely with me on this and several other amendments.
Growth in the unmanned aerial systems sector of the aviation business
has been extraordinary in the last few years. I think it is well known
that these systems are proven critical to military operations in Iraq
and Afghanistan. But they also have tremendous potential in the
civilian sector whether it is for firefighting, law enforcement, border
control, search and rescue, or environmental monitoring.
Law enforcement uses for this technology would be especially helpful
in rural areas like much of my home State of Oregon. Unfortunately, the
FAA has not yet been able to come up with a real plan for how to
integrate these unmanned aerial systems vehicles into our airspace.
That is why I am pleased the Rockefeller bill before us includes
requirements for the FAA to get to work on a plan in this area and to
establish test sites for unmanned aerial systems research.
The bill, however, includes only four of these sites. I would like to
see us be bolder, particularly in an area where I think there is so
much opportunity for innovation, development, and job creation.
This amendment would expand the number of sites to 10, which would
require the FAA to explore the most useful and safest way for unmanned
aerial systems to be integrated into the airspace.
The amendment would require at least one of these test sites to
investigate how unmanned aerial systems can be useful in monitoring
public land. As the chairman of the Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests, I have heard repeatedly from law enforcement officials that
remote public lands are too often being used as a place for criminals
to grow drugs without detection. The Bureau of Land Management and the
Forest Service, two agencies that work in this field, simply don't have
the resources to use expensive helicopters and do all the necessary
work to root out these illegal operations.
I will conclude by saying that I believe unmanned aerial systems
could be a cost-saving way to address this problem. By getting the ball
rolling with my amendment, I believe it will be possible to more
significantly fight these reprehensible drug operations that are taking
place on public lands.
I hope this amendment, No. 27, will be accepted as part of the
Rockefeller legislation, and I look forward to working with the bill's
managers to encourage the development in this sector, which I think is
right at the heart of what we need to do to promote innovation in the
aviation field. I thank Chairman Rockefeller.
I yield the floor.

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