Floor Statements

Madam President, today I honor Chief Special Warfare Operator Adam Lee Brown, 36, a Navy SEAL from Hot Springs who died in Afghanistan March 18. My heart goes out to the family of Chief Special Warfare Operator Brown, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our Nation. According to those who knew him best, he was a caring, compassionate individual, who always put others ahead of himself. He was in his eighth tour of duty in Afghanistan and is survived by his wife, two young children, and his parents.

Along with all Arkansans, I am grateful for the service and sacrifice of all of our military service members and their families. More than 11,000 Arkansans on Active Duty and more than 10,000 Arkansas Reservists have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since September 11, 2001.

It is the responsibility of our Nation to provide the tools necessary to care for our country's returning service members and honor the commitment our Nation made when we sent them into harm's way. Our grateful Nation will not forget them when their military service is complete. It is the least we can do for those whom we owe so much.

California Casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan

Mr. President, today I commend postal service employee Jim DuPont of Springdale, AR, who risked his life to help those in need. Hailed as a ``postal hero'' by his colleagues, Jim was on his way home from work when he came upon an accident involving a head-on collision between a truck and a car. Jim rushed to the scene to provide help to the drivers and passengers trapped in their vehicles.

Jim first pulled the truck's driver and passenger out of the cab through the rear window. He then ran back to rescue the driver of the second vehicle. The victims of the accident suffered serious injuries, but thankfully are on their way to recovery. Jim also was hurt, suffering a dislocated shoulder, burns and smoke inhalation.

Mr. President, I salute Jim's bravery and courage. In the face of danger, he put himself in harm's way to save lives. We should all aspire to achieve this level of selflessness and compassion for others.

Mr. President, today I recognize the spirit of hard work, volunteerism, and service that is on display each and every day in the city of DeWitt, in my home State of Arkansas. The DeWitt Chamber of Commerce recently honored six exemplary citizens who have contributed their time and expertise to help make their community a better place. They are: Ronda Bowen, Employee of the Year; Tommy Black of Tommy's Rexall, Employer of the Year; Sue Chapman, Civil Servant of the Year; Phyllis Fullerton, Educator of the Year; Bobby Hudspeth, Good Neighbor of the Year; and Gary Vansandt, Citizen of the Year.

I have felt a long kinship to DeWitt, one of our Delta communities not far from and very similar to my hometown of Helena. DeWitt always feels like home, and I am grateful for the friendships I have made there.

Mr. President, we should all embrace the spirit of service and volunteerism on display by these deserving individuals.

Mr. President, today I honor Sergeant Vincent L.C. Owens, 21, of Fort Smith, who died on March 1 in Afghanistan from injuries sustained in combat. My heart goes out to the family of Sergeant Owens, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our Nation.

According to those who knew him best, Sergeant Owens was a gifted student who enjoyed attending school in Greenwood, Fort Smith, and Van Buren. He also was an avid athlete who liked to play soccer and football. His

hobby was motorcycles, with a special interest in trick riding.

Sergeant Owens' awards and decorations include two Army Commendation Medals; two Army Achievement Medals; a Valorous Unit Award; a National Defense Service Medal; an Iraq Campaign Medal; and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He is survived by his wife Kaitlyn Owens; his mother Sheila Real of Spiro, OK; his father Keith Owens of Missouri; a stepson Paxton Lee Owens; one sister; and three brothers.

Along with all Arkansans, I am grateful for Sergeant Owens' service and for the service and sacrifice of all of our military servicemembers and their families. More than 11,000 Arkansans on active duty and more than 10,000 Arkansas reservists have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since September 11, 2001.

It is the responsibility of our Nation to provide the tools necessary to care for our country's returning servicemembers and honor the commitment our Nation made when we sent them into harm's way. Our grateful Nation will not forget them when their military service is complete. It is the least we can do for those whom we owe so much.

Sergeant Jonathan J. Richardson

Mr. President, today I also honor Sergeant Jonathan J. Richardson, 24, of Bald Knob, who died from combat wounds incurred in Khowst Province, Afghanistan. My heart goes out to the family of Sergeant Richardson, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our Nation.

Sergeant Richardson is survived by his grandparents, Ken and Edna Martin of Mountain Home, AR; his wife Rachel Richardson of Clarksville, TN; his mother Sharon Dunigan of Bridgeport, WV; and his father Jeffery Richardson of Germany.

Along with all Arkansans, I am grateful for Sergeant Richardson's service and for the service and sacrifice of all of our military servicemembers and their families. More than 11,000 Arkansans on active duty and more than 10,000 Arkansas reservists have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since September 11, 2001.

It is the responsibility of our Nation to provide the tools necessary to care for our country's returning servicemembers and honor the commitment our Nation made when we sent them into harm's way. Our grateful Nation will not forget them when their military service is complete. It is the least we can do for those whom we owe so much.

Mr. President, today I congratulate Theodore Eldridge of Moro for receiving the John Gammon Award for his dedication and service to the Arkansas agriculture industry. The award is presented each year by the Arkansas office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency.

Theodore represents the best of our Arkansas values: hard work, dedication, and perseverance. He currently serves as the coordinator of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff's 52-Acre Demonstration Farm. He also works part-time for the UAPB Demonstration Outreach Center in Marianna and the East Arkansas Enterprise Community.

I have had the privilege of working closely with Theodore on several projects for the USDA Rural Development Program, where he served as district director in Forrest City, and later as the director of water and wastewater programs.

This past December, I was pleased to announce his appointment to serve on the Arkansas Farm Service Agency State Committee. He has since been elected chairman by the committee and has shown exemplary leadership for our State's farmers and ranchers as he ensures our producers have the tools in place to produce a safe and affordable food supply. Theodore plays a vital role in our State's rural communities as he works to facilitate programs that will spur local economic development. He also oversees and informs local producers about USDA programs.

As a seventh-generation Arkansan and farmer's daughter, and as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I understand firsthand and appreciate the hard work and contributions of our Arkansas agriculture community. Agriculture is the backbone of Arkansas's economy, creating more than 270,000 jobs in the State and providing $9.1 billion in wages and salaries. In total, agriculture contributes roughly $15.9 billion to the Arkansas economy each year.

I salute Theodore and the entire Arkansans agriculture community for their hard work and dedication.

Mr. President, today I congratulate Arkansas State Representative Robert Moore on his recent selection to serve as Speaker of the House for the next Arkansas General Assembly.

Born in Dumas and raised in Arkansas City, Representative Moore exemplifies our Arkansas values of hard work, dedication, and leadership. Throughout his 25-year career in public service, Representative Moore has worked to keep Arkansas strong. Since 2007, he has proudly served the residents of southeast Arkansas in the Arkansas General Assembly.

Not only is Representative Moore one of our State's dedicated leaders, he has also helped keep the farm family tradition alive in Arkansas. As the owner

and operator of Moore Farms in Arkansas City, he produces rice and soybeans, with an additional focus on wildlife management. He is also a member of the Arkansas House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development.

As a seventh-generation Arkansan and farmer's daughter from Helena, and as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I understand firsthand and appreciate the hard work and contributions of our Arkansas agriculture community. Agriculture is the backbone of Arkansas's economy, creating more than 270,000 jobs in the state and providing $9.1 billion in wages and salaries.

Mr. President, I commend Representative Moore and all members of the Arkansas Legislature for their hard work and dedication on behalf of the people of our great State. I commend their efforts, and I remain dedicated to working with them to help keep Arkansas strong.

Mr. President, today I commend fellow Arkansan Peggy Lally Muncy for raising $25,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas.

Peggy recently completed a 7-week, 3,415-mile cross-country bicycle tour from Los Angeles to Boston. Through per-mile monetary pledges made by friends and family, Peggy was able to double her initial goal of raising $10,000 for the club.

A North Little Rock resident, Peggy represents the best of our Arkansas values of service, compassion, and commitment. Her efforts have helped countless children and youth in central Arkansas take part in activities that promote social, cultural, educational, recreational and physical development.

Volunteer efforts like Peggy's can literally change lives. I salute Peggy and all Arkansans who give back to their communities each and every day. Together, we can make a real difference for the people of our State.

Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the life and career of respected Arkansas journalist James O. Powell, who served as the long-time editorial page editor and columnist for the Arkansas Gazette newspaper. James passed away on March 10 at the age of 90. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ruth Powell, and son Lee Powell of Washington, DC, who I have worked with in his role as the executive director of the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus.

During his 30-year tenure at the Gazette, James fought to preserve the journalistic principles of integrity and honesty. Among his memorable writings, James penned a series of editorials during the 1950s and 60s in support of the civil rights movement and opposing school segregation. He chronicled Arkansas politics with clarity and thoughtfulness, including extensive coverage of Arkansas Governors Winthrop Rockefeller, Dale Bumpers, and Bill Clinton.

After retiring from the Gazette in 1987, James continued to write a syndicated column published in many Arkansas papers until 2000. Through his reporting, Arkansans learned the news of the day, along with insight and analysis, to help them make informed decisions about local, state, and national events.

Mr. President, I honor the life and legacy of James O. Powell for his dedication to Arkansas and his commitment to excellence in journalism. His work helped educate and inspire a generation of Arkansans.

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

Mr. President, I rise today in support of a proposal that has been offered on this bill that we are currently dealing with that will hold the bailed-out Wall Street companies and their executives more accountable to American taxpayers.

Over the last 2 years, the top TARP recipients have paid out tens of billions of dollars in employee bonuses, while at the same time taxpayers have been footing the bill for bailing out these large financial institutions.

Enough is enough. All we have to do is look across this great land of ours to see so many people in businesses--small businesses in small communities across America--who are in difficult times. This amendment--the Taxpayer Fairness Act--included in the Senate jobs bill would put in place a one-time windfall tax on bonuses paid in 2010 to company executives who received the taxpayer bailout.

Specifically, the amendment provides a 50-percent tax on bonuses above $400,000 paid to financial institution executives who received at least $5 billion in taxpayer support. That is just common sense to all of us here who realize how important it is to be respectful of the taxpayers and make sure that as we have made available these resources to these Wall Street industries, to at least have the acknowledgment and respect from them of what the rest of America is going through.

I have fought for years to hold Wall Street more accountable. During the TARP debate in the fall of 2008, I pushed for stricter limits on executive compensation, which went unheeded in the Bush Treasury Department's implementation of the program. Later that year, I also cosponsored legislation that would have capped executives' salaries at bailed-out banks. In March of 2009, I sent a letter to the AIG chairman calling on his executives to forfeit their $165 million in bonuses or face unprecedented congressional action to strip them of their so- called ``performance-based'' rewards.

During the debate on the Recovery Act, in early 2009, the Senate passed my amendment to place an excise tax on bonuses from financial institutions that had received taxpayer dollars under TARP. Wall Street needs to understand that in these extraordinary times they must change their ways of doing business. They must play by the same rules that Arkansas families and businesses and other small towns and States across the Nation have to play by.

When a small business owner in our home State of Arkansas has a bad year, they have two options: They either buckle down and trim the fat or they go out of business. They do not come to the steps of the Capitol and ask for a government check, and they surely do not give themselves a lavish pay raise.

Arkansans are rightly irritated, just as I am. Let's not forget the actions of some of these firms are what sent our economy into dire straits in the very beginning. For almost 2 years now, Americans have paid the price for Wall Street's mistakes. They have lost jobs, they have seen their property values diminish, and they have seen their retirement savings depleted. So it flies in the face of common sense and general prudence for those accountable to reward themselves when the rest of the country is shouldering the burden they created.

This amendment must be enacted to send the message to Wall Street that we will not stand for such behavior. The time is right now, and we must send the message to all of America that we are not going to stand for this type of fiscal irresponsibility. I encourage my colleagues to stand with Main Street, not Wall Street, and support this important amendment.

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

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

Mr. President, today I congratulate Dr. Mike Looper of Greenwood for being named the Agriculture Research Service National Scientist of the Year for 2009. Dr. Looper, an animal scientist at the Dale Bumpers Small Farm Research Center, is the first Arkansan to receive the Herbert L. Rothbart Outstanding Early Career Research Scientist Award, which goes to the top scientist who has worked for less than 7 years.

I commend Dr. Looper for his research on how improved livestock management can have a positive economic impact on our rural farmers. Through his research efforts, Dr. Looper represents the best of our Arkansas values: hard work, dedication, and perseverance. He also inspires the next generation of Arkansas leaders as an adjunct instructor of biology and physiology at the University of Arkansas.

As a seventh-generation Arkansan and farmer's daughter, and as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I understand firsthand and appreciate the hard work and contributions of our Arkansas agriculture community. Agriculture is the backbone of Arkansas's economy, creating more than 270,000 jobs in the State and providing $9.1 billion in wages and salaries. In total, agriculture contributes roughly $15.9 billion to the Arkansas economy each year.

I salute Dr. Looper and the entire Arkansans agriculture community for their hard work and dedication.

Mr. President, today, during Red Cross Month, I salute the efforts of the Arkansas Red Cross. The men and women who work in support of our local Red Cross chapters are part of a global network that mobilizes during the most devastating of times. They provide comfort and care for those who need it most, whether that need is clothing, shelter, or blood.

The Arkansas Red Cross exemplifies our Arkansas values of humanity, compassion, and a spirit of giving. Many times throughout the years, I have seen the good work of our Arkansas Red Cross first hand. The sacrifice and commitment they make is to be acknowledged and celebrated. On behalf of the people of our State, I thank everyone in the Arkansas Red Cross family, from volunteers to staff members to donors of blood or financial resources.

Since 1943, the President of the United States has proclaimed March as ``Red Cross Month.'' President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first Red Cross Month proclamation, recognizing the American Red Cross as a true reflection of the humanitarian and volunteer spirit and calling on Americans to ``rededicate themselves to the splendid aims and activities of the Red Cross.''

Mr. President, communities depend on the Red Cross in times of need, and the Red Cross depends on the support of the public to achieve its mission.

Mr. President, today I congratulate Kevin Watts of McGehee, AR, for being named Ginner of the Year by the Southern Cotton Ginners Association. Kevin is an excellent example of Arkansas's agriculture tradition. After working with his father in a cotton gin, Kevin knew by the time he graduated from high school what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

As a seventh-generation Arkansan and farmer's daughter, and as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I understand firsthand and appreciate the hard work and contributions of our farm families. Agriculture is the backbone of Arkansas's economy, creating more than 270,000 jobs in the State and providing $9.1 billion in wages and salaries. In total, agriculture contributes roughly $15.9 billion to the Arkansas economy each year.

Our farm families are critical to our Nation's economic stability. Agriculture is one of the leading U.S. industries in exports, with a trade surplus of $23 billion in fiscal year 2009. We must work to continue the farm family tradition, so families are able to maintain their livelihoods and continue to help provide the safe, abundant, and affordable food supply that feeds our own country and the world and that is essential to our own economic stability.

I salute Kevin and all Arkansas farm families for their hard work and dedication.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on my amendment No. 3416, Senator Voinovich be added as a cosponsor.

Mr. President, I ask to set aside the pending amendment and call up my other amendment, No. 3401.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, I want to let my colleagues know that we have worked in a bipartisan way on the underlying amendment, and we worked in a bipartisan way to see how we could make these modifications to bring $30 million of additional savings to the overall bill.

I look forward to working to complete this bill. I think we have a great opportunity to create jobs and to look to the future to how we can put our economy back on track in this country and put people back to work with some of the great ideas and great opportunities that exist in the underlying bill.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to thank the director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs and members of his staff for attending to the medical needs of MAJ James E. Gibson.

Back in January of this year, I received a letter from Mrs. Barbara- lea Gibson Wright of Bull Shoals, AR. Barbara wrote to me, soliciting help in extending her sincere gratitude to the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs for tending to the medical needs of her father with unfailing diligence until his unfortunate passing. Major Gibson was wounded in Omaha Beach back in 1944, and passed away at the age of 90 in 2009. Although he lost the use of his right arm, Army doctors and nurses brought him back from the brink of death on multiple occasions. Major Gibson eventually retired and was able to live a long and prosperous life with his wife and children thanks to the superior medical attention he

received from the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.

In fiscal year 2009, there were more than 3 million Americans receiving VA disability compensation, with 41,000 of them receiving service in the State of Arkansas. The VA works tirelessly to address the needs of the American public, whether through times of peace, times of war, or times of grief.

It is important that we recognize the accomplishments and extend our sincere thanks to the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs for not only a job well done, but for the men and women in desperate need of great service so evidently shown for Major Gibson. They make the State of Arkansas proud.