Floor Statements

Mr. President, the Senator from Michigan has been a leader on this prescription drug issue for the entire time she has been in the Senate. The country owes a debt of gratitude to her for being unrelenting in pointing out the need to reform prescription drug availability, especially as it relates to seniors.

I yield the remainder of the time to the Senator from Washington, Ms. Cantwell.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that for the time the Chair will shortly announce dealing with morning business, Senator Dayton be given 15 minutes and then I will yield 10 minutes to Senator Stabenow.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

There is a unanimous consent request pending.

Will the Senator from South Carolina yield?

I have spoken to the two managers of the bill and the proponent of the underlying amendment, together with Senator Daschle. They would be willing to start a vote at 3:30. However, I don't think there is that much more talk on this amendment. We will have a vote at 3:30 for the convenience of some Senators. We could complete the debate fairly soon, within the next 10 or 15 minutes, and then if the Senator from Virginia wanted to lay down the $25 billion amendment, we could do that and get started on that, and then we would stop at 3:30 and have our vote?

We can be carefully scripted, but the point is, what the intent of the manager of the bill is that we will vote at 3:30 on the Daschle-Graham amendment. Then prior to that time we would have a few minutes remaining on this amendment. Then we would go off this, go to, I believe it will be a bipartisan amendment of Senator Warner and Senator Levin about $25 billion, debate that for a while, vote, and then go to the recognition time for the World War II veterans. Then, if the leader decides to come back after all that is done, tonight we would be on the $25 billion amendment and either vote on that tonight or some other time because under the order, as I understand it, that is now entered, tomorrow morning we go to the Cantwell-Graham problem we have.

If the Senator will yield, is there any reason we cannot lock in a vote at 3:30 today?

That would interrupt the amendment you are going to lay down.

And go back to TRICARE, 20 minutes before the vote on

Rather than 15 minutes, we have 20 minutes equally controlled between the 2 managers.

I announce that the Senator from Montana (Mr. Baucus), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to speak following the remarks of Senator McConnell, and following that, Senator Dodd be our next speaker in order.

Mr. President, I was a little boy when the war ended, but where I am from, Searchlight, NV, we look at a person by the name of Bill Nellis as the person we recognize as the epitome of the greatest generation. Here is a man who was not eligible for the draft. He had a family, but he decided to join at age 26 or 27. He went into the Army Air Corps, completed 68 missions, was through with his assigned missions, and on his 69th mission agreed to volunteer for someone who was unable to fly that day, and it was his last mission. He was shot down over Belgium, where Bill Nellis still is buried. Of course, Nellis Air Force base is named after Bill Nellis of Searchlight, NV.

As has been said today, we have six patriots who serve in the Senate who are examples to each one of us. Senator Danny Akaka has the unique distinction of having been at Pearl Harbor and saw the smoke, fire, death, and destruction. He was there at the beginning of World War II, but he was also stationed on the Island of Tinian when the Enola Gay took off to end the war. Danny Akaka watched the Enola Gay take off from Tinian, where it really did end the war.

Senator Hollings is a person who was educated to be in the military. He graduated from military school, the Citadel, in his hometown of Charleston. In 1942, he immediately became an officer, spent many years in North Africa, the European campaigns. In fact, he was awarded seven campaign ribbons, meaning that he was involved in seven major battles in World War II.

He came back, of course, and has dedicated his adult life to public service, which all of us are very sorry to see is going to end at the end of this term. What a great Senator he has been and what a great soldier he has been, just like Senator Inouye, Senator Akaka, Senator Lautenberg, Senator Stevens, and Senator Warner.

Senator Inouye is my friend. He is a friend of everyone who serves in the Senate and thousands of others. His heroism, displayed in the Vosges mountains, in France, is something that is a story to behold. As has been related by Senator Stevens, he truly was an American hero and is an American hero.

But again for Senator Inouye, it is not only what he did in battle, courageously, it is what he has done his entire life, courageously, in the Halls of Congress. He is a role model for me as to how a Senator should legislate and act.

Senator Lautenberg, son of immigrants, represents so well what the American military should be. After he graduated from high school in New Jersey, he enlisted and served in the Army Signal Corps. He spent most of World War II in Europe. When he returned home he had the GI Bill of Rights--again, something that had never been around before. He took full advantage of that and, after graduating, became one of the finest businesspeople America has ever known. He gave up that business career to serve in the U.S. Senate, and he has done that so well.

I have had the good fortune to travel on a congressional delegation that was led by Senator Stevens and Senator Glenn. It was a wonderful experience for me as a young Senator, to travel to Europe with these two fine Senators. I learned in our meetings we held with different leaders of nations during that time of their military careers. There is no better example of that than when we were in Czechoslovakia and Senator Stevens and Senator Glenn saw someone wearing an old World War II flight jacket, the same type of flight jackets they wore in World War II. That evening we spent a lot of time listening to these two American heroes talk about their experiences in World War II. It is something I will never forget. It was a wonderful evening I spent with these two fine gentlemen.

Senator Stevens was a pilot, as we have learned, in World War II in the China-Burma-India theaters, supporting the Flying Tigers of the 14th Air Force. He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Air Medals, and the Yuan Hai medal, awarded by the Republic of China.

Senator Warner is someone who has dedicated his life to public service. He started when he was 17 years old. As we have learned, he later got out of the Navy, went into the Marines, and became Secretary of the Navy. He is a person who fulfilled, as have the other five, a rendezvous with destiny. These men kept that rendezvous. When history called, all six answered. Every one of them who is now a United States Senator displayed courage in the war, and, as I have said, they have displayed the same courage in their political careers. Four of these Members are Democrats, members of the party I represent. Two are members of the Republican Party--on the other side of the aisle, as we say. But without any equivocation, each of these men share a deep love of our country, and they have put the good of our great Nation above partisan politics on so many occasions.

I am proud to be a U.S. Senator. One reason for being proud is I am able to serve with six American patriots.

I ask unanimous consent that the vote scheduled for 6:30 this evening now occur at 6 p.m.

I announce that the Senator from Montana (Mr. Baucus), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Mr. William Houghton on his selection by the Small Business Administration as the 2004 Nevada Small Business Person of the Year. It is my honor to recognize Mr. Houghton's achievement, as well as the hard work and ingenuity he has displayed in building his own business over the past 12 years.

The story actually begins in 1987, when Mr. Houghton got a job with a Las Vegas company that distributed business forms. His pay was just $5 an hour but he set his sights much higher.

In 1992 he became a partner with his former boss, and they formed their own firm called Horizon Business Systems. They started with one employee and did about $500,000 worth of business the first year.

Mr. Houghton eventually bought out his partner, and took on the challenge of overseeing the company's transition through the rapid technological developments of the late 1990s. His good business sense and strong leadership helped the business grow, and today it employs 12 workers and logs more than $2.2 million in sales.

Small businesses such as Horizon Business Systems are the engine that powers our Nation's economy, representing 99.7 percent of all employers, employing more than half our Nation's private sector workers, and creating up to 80 percent of all net new jobs annually.

In this spirit, the SBA's Small Business Person of the Year award seeks to acknowledge the critical role of small businesses in creating jobs and spurring economic growth, and the successes of individual small business owners throughout the country.

Please join me in congratulating Mr. William Houghton on the remarkable success of his business and on his selection as the 2004 Nevada Small Business Person of the Year.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Jessica Baris, a junior member of the American Legion Auxiliary L.D. Lockhart Unit 14 of Nevada, on her impressive commitment to academic excellence and community service.

It is always an honor to recognize a talented young person, and Jessica certainly fits that description. She has given generously of her time to many worthy causes, including serving more than 350 hours as a student tutor for young children in her community.

She also has helped organize several charitable events, including a fundraiser for Share Our Strength, an organization that fights hunger and poverty throughout the world.

Jessica also organized a clothing drive for needy children abroad. Most of the clothing was sent to U.S. serviceman in the Philippines, who distributed the items to local children. Her efforts not only helped those children, but also afforded our soldiers with a great opportunity to build goodwill in an important part of the world.

Jessica also received a grant from the United Way to create a ``Wall of Peace'' for Make a Difference Day. By organizing 20 teams of students to produce murals, the project spread awareness of the importance of tolerance and kindness in her school and community. Jessica wrote an essay on this project for the National Endowment for the Humanities' Idea of America contest that was recognized by First Lady Laura Bush at a White House ceremony.

She also participated in an essay contest sponsored by the Sons of the American Revolution, winning an award for her essay on the contributions of the unsung heroes of our Armed Forces.

Jessica's hard work and dedication to service culminated this year in her selection for a $25,000 college scholarship from AXA Financial Services. This young woman has tremendous potential, and I expect great things from her in the future. Please join me in congratulating Jessica Baris on her many impressive achievements.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the Rotary Club of Tonopah on its 80th anniversary. It is my honor to recognize the Tonopah club on this important milestone, which marks the lasting contributions of its members to the civic and economic life of the community.

Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders dedicated to high ethical standards and humanitarian service. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 166 countries.

The third oldest club in the State of Nevada, the Rotary Club of Tonopah received its charter on June 2, 1924. With the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Reno, the Tonopah club's 19 charter members laid the foundation for an important and enduring institution in their community.

Since then the Tonopah club has embraced the high ideals of Rotary. The members of the club have developed opportunities for service in Tonopah, maintained high ethical standards in business and professional ventures, and done countless things to improve the quality of life in Tonopah, NV, and our Nation.

Please join me in congratulating the Rotary Club of Tonopah on its 80th anniversary and wishing its members the best of luck as they continue their work and service.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Chase Correia of Galena High School in northern Nevada and Jeremee Peters of The Meadows School in Las Vegas on their selection as 2004 Presidential Scholars.

This award reflects a lot of hard work and a strong commitment to academic excellence on the part of the individual students as well as their schools.

The United States Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by an Executive order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Each year the program honors 141 students based on their academic success, artistic achievements, leadership and involvement in their school and community.

Chase and Jeremee are both exemplary students in these respects. Chase has a passion for science, has interned in a cancer research center, and is a member of the Reno Youth City Council. Jeremee is the valedictorian of her class, a very accomplished Spanish student, and a volunteer who teaches

young girls to play softball. Both Chase and Jeremee also have given generously of their time in volunteer service at local hospitals.

As Presidential Scholars, Chase and Jeremee will be invited to Washington, DC, along with their families and their most influential teachers, to participate in a variety of activities including panel discussions and a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

I would like to take a moment to recognize Chase and Jeremee's influential teachers: Ms. Kathleen Small and Ms. Karen E. Cox. As someone whose own life was transformed by education, I know first hand the value of good teachers and mentors like Ms. Small and Ms. Cox. Their commitment to Chase and Jeremee's education, and to the education of all their students, is truly commendable.

The State of Nevada can take great pride in Chase and Jeremee's accomplishments. They have tremendous potential, and we all expect great things from them. Please join me in congratulating Jeremee and Chase on their impressive accomplishments.

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

Madam President, it is important we were able to work out the arrangements we have made to go to this most important Defense authorization bill. As Senator Daschle mentioned, the two managers are experienced; they have dealt with these issues for many years. This is the time to work on the Defense authorization bill, not some side issue that, important as it might be, does not compare to the importance of this Defense bill.

We had five soldiers killed yesterday in Iraq. During the months of April and May, we averaged two soldiers a day being killed. Now over 800 have been killed in Iraq. We are approaching 5,000 who have been wounded, some of whom have lost legs, eyes, and are paralyzed.

I cannot imagine we would move off this piece of legislation. It is important Members of the Senate have the opportunity to offer their views on what should be done or what should not be done with this Defense authorization bill. There are going to be a number of amendments, but this is nothing new. Even when we do not have two soldiers killed every day, we spend a lot of time on this bill. With 120 of our men and women having been killed in 60 days, they and those people who are now over there in the trenches, so to speak, deserve our full time and attention on this most important piece of legislation.

I am glad we are now able to work on this bill and not set it aside and come back at a subsequent time. We were beginning to have some momentum when there was a decision made to pull off the bill. There are amendments that will take a little bit of time, but I don't think we should worry about that. When we get to class action, we will get to class action. When we finish this bill, it will be for the good of the country, especially if there has been a full debate.

I have just returned from home, as have the other 99 Senators. There is not a single issue that we should be dealing with other than our military forces, based on the conversations I had with people at home. Whether it is talk radio, town hall meetings, or campaign events, the No. 1 issue is Iraq. We in the Senate cannot hide our heads in the sand and pretend it is not important; it is.

I look forward to the management of this legislation by our two fine committee leaders, Senator Warner and Senator Levin. When the process is finished, we will truly have a bill that represents the wishes of the American people--or at least that is the way it should be.

I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I announce that the Senator from Montana (Mr. Baucus), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Corzine), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards), the Senator from Florida (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Harkin), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Lautenberg), and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) are necessarily absent.

I further announce that if present and voting the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Harkin) would vote ``yea''.

Mr. President, if my distinguished colleague will yield for me to comment.

Mr. President, we are so grateful we are now moving to the Defense bill, getting off the cloture vote. This was a good move. We appreciate that very much.

Realistically, we have about 140 amendments. The majority has over 90 amendments. That is a lot of amendments. Many of the amendments, as we know, will not be offered. There are a large number of irrelevant amendments which are just a ``holder'' in case something comes up that is not anticipated. However, we still have scores of amendments that people will offer. A number of these amendments, the managers will work through and we will be able to dispose of one way or the other.

However, we are not going to finish the bill Thursday. There is an important trip Members are taking to commemorate the anniversary of the Normandy invasion and a number of Senators will be leaving for that sometime Thursday evening, I understand.

I further note we will not be able to work on this bill Friday. That is my understanding, at least. Certainly there will not be any votes.

We want to work to finish this bill. As I mentioned earlier today, there is not anything we can be more importantly engaged in than working on this Defense bill. Yesterday, five soldiers were killed. We have averaged two deaths a day for the last 2 months. We are approaching 5,000 of our military personnel who have been injured, many of those grievously injured.

We are going to be as cooperative as we can. This is a bill we want as much as the majority. That is why we raised this issue a week ago last Friday and did not want to move off the Defense bill to go to the important class action legislation.

This may be our only opportunity to talk about this issue this year. I hope people are not thinking we were not cooperating. We cannot finish it in 2 days. It is impossible, legislatively impossible. We should get off that and understand that.

Before the distinguished majority leader leaves, I would like to say a couple of things. We worked hard. You and Senator Daschle were able to work your way through an agreement on judges. I agree with the majority leader, I think it is fair. We will have processed within the next few weeks, I think, 198 judges. I think that is the number we will have processed.

I also say as far as the nominations for other posts that are on the calendar, we, of course, are waiting for you and Senator Daschle to work something out on those also. We need to move forward on some of the Democrats submitted by Senator Daschle to the President and which are either languishing down there or haven't moved for other reasons. We hope that can be done before we move too much further in this legislative session, when things get jammed up.

I also say while the distinguished chairman of the committee is on the floor, and the majority leader, we believe we can work through these amendments on the Defense authorization bill. Between both Democrats and Republicans at this stage there are about 100 amendments, a fairly equal number on each side we have been given at this stage. A lot of these amendments, as always happens, are not going to be offered. A lot can be accepted by the two managers of the bill.

I would say this. I think yesterday we could have made more progress than we did. We made an offer that, on the Graham amendment, we would like that put over until after the recess. That is what has happened, anyway.

If that had been the case, Senator Cantwell and Senator Hollings would agree to a 2-hour time limit to dispose of those two amendments.

We have a number of amendments. Senator Daschle wants to offer his TRICARE amendment, Senator Kennedy wants to offer an amendment that has already been seen by the majority, by the managers. It may take a little bit of time. There are some reporting requirements. But my point is we can move through this.

I know there is tremendous pressure on the majority leader to move to class action. My personal feeling is it would be more of a class act to finish the Defense authorization bill first. I think even now we have some amendments the two managers are going to clear, 12 or 15 amendments this morning.

We will work here today to lay down amendments on our side and have the pending amendments, including the Graham amendment.

We want to indicate that we are fully cooperative, and we want to move this bill. We understand the importance of it.