Floor Statements

Madam President, I rise this evening to speak about the need for Congress to support substantial and swift-acting help for our Nation. These days, all too often when tuning into the news, we cringe--layoffs, job losses, poor earnings, business closings, State fiscal problems, foreclosures, global financial troubles, and the worried faces of so many Americans.

Our great Nation is mired in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. My State of Nebraska, usually late to recessions, has been caught by the crisis too. Thousands of Nebraskans have lost their jobs or been laid off. Many business owners are worried, and the economic downturn is affecting everyone's budget and wallet and outlook. One of the strongest Nebraska values is our work ethic. But right now, a lot of Nebraskans just want to show up for work tomorrow or hope for a better job in the future.

That is why I have been pleased to work with my good friend, Senator Susan Collins, and a bipartisan group of Senators to address this crisis now, to find a plan that creates jobs and restores America's economic strength. We have reached an agreement on a bipartisan plan that does that. With so much at stake, however, and the costs to our children and our grandchildren so high, it is important that we get it right.

The economic recovery bill we support today fuels two powerful engines: major tax cuts for the middle class and to create jobs, and targeted investments in America's infrastructure and job growth. Our bipartisan group worked long and hard, going line by line, dollar by dollar, to reduce spending from the original bill. We trimmed the fat, fried the bacon, and milked the sacred cows. The savings to the American people, to taxpayers, is $110 billion--hardly the trillion dollars that was just mentioned.

The total package is $780 billion. The remaining bill consists of tax cuts for the middle class and specific job-creating investments, providing long-lasting economic benefits.

I truly thank my colleagues from across the aisle, my good friends and partners in this effort, Senator Susan Collins and Senator Arlen Specter and my good friend from Connecticut, Joe Lieberman, for their work. Also, we had the support of a number of our colleagues, including the Presiding Officer, on this side of the aisle. I guess I can affectionately call all of us the Jobs Squad. They made nonstop efforts and held nonstop meetings to do this work this week. They never lost hope, no matter whatever the word was on the street or the fact that there was maybe one or two or more leaks of information. We would never lose hope. Their guidance and their wise counsel were invaluable as we continued to work to advance and develop this consensus today.

Our plan pared back a very substantial amount of money that we believed didn't belong in a bill called a stimulus package that was designed to fix our economy. If we look at these proposals, many of them will work well in a budget or in another bill, but we did not think they deserved to be in this particular bill which was about jobs, jobs, jobs. If we ask taxpayers to support it, as we are, they deserve to get the biggest bang for their buck. The remaining plan will generate new jobs, save jobs, and expand job opportunities all across America as it also boosts our economy.

We recognize our plan is not perfect, but I believe it is both responsible and realistic. It is stimulative and timely and can help deliver economic recovery to the American people soon.

The tax cuts in the recovery plan will reach 95 percent of all Americans, providing direct assistance for struggling middle-class American families and to businesses so they can create or preserve jobs. The robust $350 billion in tax cuts will put a lot of money in people's pockets, money to buy a car, a refrigerator, a student's college education, or equipment for better products. Some say we do not have enough tax cuts. That $300 billion I just mentioned is the exact same amount Congress overwhelmingly approved in 2003, under the previous administration, to help the economy at that time.

Our country cannot wait another day for another approach. The American people expect us, their elected representatives, to pull together in crisis, to do the best we can, and to take appropriate action. We may not have a choice about the need for a major stimulus effort, but our bipartisan group has made tough choices, and we have improved the economic recovery bill. I believe President Obama and colleagues all across Capitol Hill, on both sides of the aisle and both sides of this wonderful Capitol, will see this as a serious and effective effort to return America to prosperity.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am very pleased that Rabbi Daniel Fellman could join us today as guest Chaplain to deliver the opening prayer for the Senate.

Rabbi Fellman, a native of Omaha and a respected religious leader, currently is assistant rabbi at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, NJ. He is a much admired teacher who has served on the faculty

at the Yavneh Day School in Cincinnati and numerous religious schools. He served as student rabbi in congregations in Natchez, MS; Petoskey, MI; Joplin, MO; and LaSalle, IL. He also served in summer rabbinic positions in Nebraska and at the University of Cincinnati Hillel. In Cincinnati, he helped foster interfaith understanding as a member of the steering committee of the Catholic-Jewish Educators Dialogue of the American Jewish Committee.

Rabbi Fellman received his undergraduate degree in political science from Colorado College. He earned a master of arts in Hebrew letters from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, and he was ordained in June 2005.

On a more personal note, however, Rabbi Fellman is an Eagle Scout, and, like me, Boy Scouts taught him the importance of dedication and service to the community.

While he is still young now, I have counted him as a friend for a long time. During my first campaign for Governor in 1990, I was grateful when a teenage Daniel Fellman often showed up with his father, University of Nebraska at Omaha political science professor Dick Fellman--who is with us today, and his mother--to volunteer.

One night Daniel Fellman, a relatively green driver then, got into an automobile accident. There were no serious injuries sustained, but news reached one of my closest aides and my campaign manager the next morning before Daniel arrived in the office. That was my great friend, the late, great Sonny Foster.

The next morning, when Daniel did arrive at our campaign office, Sonny greeted him: Hello, Crash. Ever since, to me and a few others, he has been ``Crash Fellman,'' but now he is Rabbi Fellman. We understand it is a nickname, always given and received by a smile.

I thank Rabbi Fellman and his parents and his family for being here today and for his words of prayer this morning. May they guide us to do what is right for America and for the world.

Recognition of the Minority Leader

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. President, I rise tonight to recognize and pay tribute to my colleague from Nebraska, Senator Chuck Hagel, who is retiring from the Senate. When I entered this body nearly 8 years ago, Senator Hagel welcomed me, and since then we have worked together on a number of important issues for the good of our great State and our country. We teamed up to seek Federal assistance to help Nebraskans recover from natural disasters, such as floods, ice storms, and drought; to win congressional approval for naming the new FBI building in Omaha after our esteemed late colleague, Senator J. James Exon, and on numerous other Nebraska projects.

Like me, Chuck Hagel grew up in small communities in Nebraska. It is a special experience to be raised among Nebraskans under the wide open skies of the Great Plains. Helping hands are always nearby and opportunities seem limitless. From our families, friends, and neighbors, we both learned the bedrock values of love, of community, of faith, responsibility to others, and devotion to country. These values have been evident during Senator Hagel's tenure in this body.

Also evident has been an important perspective he shared, one only a few Senators know firsthand, about the reality of war, gained as a decorated U.S. Army sergeant on violent battlefields in the Vietnam war and later as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Veterans' Administration during the Reagan administration.

Here in the Senate, he represented the people of Nebraska and the United States well as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, the Banking Committee, the Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the Intelligence Committee, and the Rules Committee. He will long be remembered as one of our most outspoken and candid Members, as a patriot, and as one who took seriously his duties. Particularly through expressing his views on foreign policy, he fiercely advocated the constitutional principle that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government are equal partners.

I take this opportunity to commend him for his honorable service to our State and Nation over these many years. And whatever path Chuck Hagel embarks on next, I wish him and his wife Lilibet, daughter Allyn, and son Ziller only the best in their lives. It has been an honor to serve with him.

Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I rise today to honor Army CPT Rob Yllescas who was wounded in Afghanistan on October 28, 2008, and tragically succumbed to his injuries on December 1.

Captain Yllescas, who was a native of Guatemala, attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he met his wife, Dena, a native of Osceola, NE. He came to call our State home, and today I know that every one of my fellow Nebraskans is proud to claim Captain Yllescas as one of our own.

Captain Yllescas commanded B-Troop, 6-4 Cavalry of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, The Big Red One, where 90 American troops and more than 200 Afghan fighters were under his command. A graduate of Army Ranger School, Captain Yllescas had deployed twice before during his 10-year military career, both times to Iraq. His fellow soldiers recognized and respected Captain Yllescas's commitment to the missions he performed. Although trained as a warfighter, Captain Yllescas knew the importance of connecting with the local populations and was known to sit down with local leaders for tea and discussions of democracy.

After he was severely injured by an improvised explosive device, Captain

Yllescas was strong enough to survive a lengthy medical evacuation which eventually brought him to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. With Dena and other family members at his side, Captain Yllescas underwent almost daily surgeries in the hope of recovery. Dena Yllescas chronicled his hospitalization on an Internet blog which drew tens of thousands of readers. Friends, relatives and total strangers all followed Captain Yllescas's progress and prayed for his recovery. President George W. Bush made a special trip to the medical center and awarded Captain Yllescas the Purple Heart in a brief ceremony on November 10.

Captain Yllescas knew the dangers he faced and the risks he took. He also knew the importance of the work he did in the Army on behalf of his fellow Americans. He risked and ultimately sacrificed his own life so that people a world away could have the chance to enjoy the freedoms he had found in America.

Captain Yllescas is survived by his wife, Dena, and daughters Julia, age 7, and Eva, 10 months; parents, Barbara Yllescas of Lincoln and Otto Yllescas of Guatemala; a brother, Christopher of Columbia, MO; and two sisters, Jennifer Winterbauer of Lincoln and Natalie Yllescas of Guatemala.

The life and service of Captain Yllescas represents an example we can all look up to and seek to emulate. He served his country honorably and made the ultimate sacrifice in furtherance of a much larger goal. Captain Yllescas made the most of his short life, and the greatest tragedy is that now it is impossible to know what more this promising young man might have accomplished. I join all Nebraskans in mourning the loss of Captain Yllescas and in offering my deepest condolences to his family.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor Marine Cpl Adrian Robles, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on October 22, 2008.

Corporal Robles, who was a native of Scottsbluff, NE, was assigned to the Second Battalion, 7th Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Twentynine Palms, CA. He had worked his whole life to become a marine. At age 16, Corporal Robles told his parents about his plans to enlist and, at 17, asked that they sign forms which would allow him to join before his 18th birthday. His parents told him to wait, so he finished high school and then enlisted immediately.

Corporal Robles had previously served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006, and was on a tour serving in Afghanistan at the time of his death. Corporal Robles received three good conduct medals--an unusual achievement for such a young marine--as well as medals for his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. He served as a rifleman, the backbone of the Marine Corps. Originally deployed to help train Afghan Army recruits, his unit's mission changed as the security situation deteriorated; and Corporal. Robles was ``in the fight'' right to the end.

Fully aware of the dangers he faced, Corporal Robles made the courageous choice to serve his country and help the people of Iraq and Afghanistan achieve peace and security. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that others might enjoy the freedoms he had known all his life.

Corporal Robles represents all that we have to be proud of in our Armed Forces. I commend his bravery and selflessness while offering my deepest condolences to the family members he left behind. It is small comfort for those who must now go on without one they loved so dearly, but they know that Corporal Robles gave his life for a noble goal. I join all Nebraskans--indeed, all Americans--in mourning the loss of such a fine young man.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking be discharged from further consideration of S. 2579, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 4131, which was received from the House.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6469, which is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read three times and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statement relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the following bills en bloc, which were received from the House: H.R. 6197, H.R. 6558, H.R. 6834, H.R. 6902, and H.R. 6982; that the bills be read three times and passed en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, and any statements related to the bills be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 378, which was received from the House.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of the following bills en bloc, and the Senate proceed to their immediate consideration: S. 3625, S. 3521, and H.R. 4010; that the bills be read a third time and passed en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, and any statements related to the bills be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 426, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 616 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent the Lincoln amendment to the resolution, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the resolution as amended be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 705, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.