Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, July 29; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate then resume consideration of Calendar No. 116, H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Appropriations Act.

Mr. President, earlier tonight I filed cloture on the Dorgan substitute amendment and the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, and under rule XXII, that means first-degree amendments must be filed at the desk prior to 1 p.m. tomorrow.

For the information of the Senate, it is my intention to turn to the Agriculture appropriations bill upon the completion of the Energy and Water bill. I have said there are certain things we have to get done before we leave. I hope we do not have to have this cloture vote on Thursday. I hope we can get to the bill and move to the Agriculture appropriations bill. If not, then we are going to have to work through the weekend because there are certain things--it is not a very long list--we have to do before we leave.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, following leader remarks, there will be a period of morning business for up to 1 hour. At 3 p.m., the Senate will proceed to the consideration of the Energy and Water appropriations bill, which will be managed by Senator Dorgan. There will be no rollcall votes today during the session. There should be votes tomorrow morning prior to the caucus luncheons.

Mr. President, there are many who suffer from our broken health care system, and many who will benefit when we fix it. Counted among those are the increasing numbers of Americans who go to work every day in small businesses. The vast majority of jobs in America today are not with the huge companies but with small businesses. Owners and employees alike of small businesses are getting a raw deal. They are paying more for their health insurance, if they have it at all.

Small businesses in big cities and small towns across the country play an immeasurable role in sculpting how the future will look. These are the entrepreneurs who innovate, invent, and fuel our economy. They are the visionaries who help create jobs and cultivate ideas.

We, in turn, must help nurture these businesses. We should be making it easier for them to grow and to succeed. But if we keep the status quo--if we do not act--we will be making it harder. The White House's Council of Economic Advisers has found that when a small business buys the same health insurance plan as a big business, the small business pays significantly more per worker. The consequence of this inequity is very clear: A small business owner who has to pay more to keep his or her employees covered has to cut corners somewhere else. Maybe they pay their employees lower wages or salaries. Maybe they have to use more of their profits to pay for health care and have less to spend on the research and development that will help their ideas become realities. Maybe they need to buy new equipment or invest in new technologies but cannot because of the crushing costs of health care. Maybe they lay off more hard-working Americans than they ordinarily would.

What if the expense they choose to sacrifice is health care itself? And that happens so often. Almost 100 percent of large businesses-- those with more than 200 employees--offer health benefits. But fewer than half of businesses with nine or fewer employees can afford to do the same, and that number is shrinking.

When we reform health care, we will level the playing field for small businesses. We will give employees more choices and better plans from which to choose. We will give owners tax credits so they can afford to cover their workers. We will make it easier for existing small businesses to succeed. We will make it easier for more entrepreneurs to start their own new companies. And we will make it easier for more Americans to afford to work there and stay healthy at the same time-- all in this small business atmosphere.

Reforming health care--and doing it the right way--is not just a health issue, it is also an economic issue. That

is why we will continue in the coming weeks and months to reform health care in a way that protects what works and fixes what does not. It is why we are committed to getting this right, not just getting it done by an arbitrary deadline.

While we work on health care, we will also tackle other priorities on our plate. Over the next 2 weeks, we are going to complete at least two appropriations bills that invest in our Nation and support programs that will help our economy grow.

This week we will pass the Energy and Water appropriations bill and start the very important Agriculture appropriations bill. Both of these bills are important. The Energy and Water appropriations bill will help develop safe, homegrown energy sources that reduce our dangerous reliance on oil. The Agriculture appropriations bill, which invests significantly in nutrition programs, school lunch programs, food and drug safety, and international food aid, is important.

We also need to keep existing and successful programs alive so they can continue to succeed. These include the highway trust fund, the unemployment trust fund, the Federal Housing Authority, Ginnie Mae, and benefits for retirees of the Postal Service. All these extensions we have to take care of before we leave. So let me be clear: We are not looking to expand a single one of the programs I have just talked about. We merely must keep them running.

We will also revisit the Travel Promotion Act--a solid, important bipartisan bill that will create tens of thousands of new jobs, cut our deficit by almost a half a billion dollars, and help our economy recover in every single State in the Union.

We will confirm President Barack Obama's outstanding nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

With the cooperation of both Republicans and Democrats, and with a commitment to crafting productive policy rather than playing political games, we can finish this work and this work period strongly. I am confident we will.

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

Madam President, today I stand to recognize the outstanding efforts of the Kennedy Center in addressing the crisis facing our art organizations across this country. Under the leadership of their talented president, Michael Kaiser, the Kennedy Center has established a unique outreach program that will help cultural organizations throughout Nevada and our Nation weather the economic downturn.

Every Member of this body knows of the economic hardship facing American families and businesses. The art community is not immune. In Nevada, the Las Vegas Art Museum recently closed its doors due to financial troubles when donations dried up. The museum had been operating since 1974 and was a staple for art enthusiasts in the region. Unless help is provided to our cultural organizations, I am afraid this scene will continue to be rehashed throughout the country.

Considered the ``turnaround specialist'' in his industry, Mr. Kaiser knows a thing or two about struggling arts organizations. When the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra was struggling after Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Kaiser helped keep their organization performing. When the Dance Theater of Harlem was struggling, Mr. Kaiser helped reopen its school. When the New York City Opera needed restructuring, Mr. Kaiser's recommendations helped the Opera thrive. These are just a few examples of high-profile success in Mr. Kaiser's career as an arts administrator.

Now, Mr. Kaiser wants to use his talents to help struggling arts organizations across the country. The ``Arts in Crisis'' program offers free consultation from the Kennedy Center's experts about budgeting, fundraising, marketing, and other aspects vital to a struggling organization. Whether by phone, email, or in-person visits, the Kennedy Center's talented staff freely gives of their time and talents to help preserve America's cultural establishments. I am confident that this unique program will enable struggling arts organizations to emerge from the economic downturn stronger than ever.

I urge every arts institution that is struggling during this difficult time to take advantage of Mr. Kaiser and this exceptional team of experts. I know that the arts in Nevada will benefit from the Kennedy Center's sound advice and I look forward to Mr. Kaiser's visit to my State.

Mr. President, there are a select few men and women who come to work every day with one primary job: to protect those of us who are fortunate enough to call the U.S. Capitol Building our office and all who come here from all corners of the country to see for themselves the heart of our democracy.

Special Agent John Gibson and Officer Jacob Chestnut were two such men. Every day for almost two decades they kept us safe. Eleven years ago today, as the Chaplain announced in his prayer, they gave their lives while protecting us. On this day in 1998, a madman came through an entrance on the east side of the building in midafternoon and shot Officer Chestnut at pointblank range. Officer Chestnut died instantly. Agent Gibson confronted the man, shooting him and stopping him. Gibson was himself hit, and he died later that day.

I can clearly remember both these brave men, both of whom were in their 18th year of service as Capitol policemen when they were killed.

I can remember when my wife became ill at a congressional retreat we had in Virginia. It was Agent Gibson who ran to her side. I can remember how he was so focused and had run so far from the Capitol Police headquarters to our room, he was sweating profusely, and how he treated her with kindness and care. Agent Gibson, who was from Massachusetts, would, every morning, race to the back of the sports section when baseball season was on to find the box score for his beloved Boston Red Sox. He was a generous neighbor and loving father to his daughter and two sons.

Officer Chestnut, whom everyone called J.J., was a father of five who loved his job and loved his country. He had served in the Air Force for 20 years. He fought in Vietnam. At the time of the shooting, he was just weeks away from retiring.

Gibson and Chestnut lay in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, just steps from where they were murdered, a distinction Congress has conferred upon only a handful of Americans, including Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy, and our unknown soldiers. Jacob Chestnut was the first African American to ever be so honored in the Capitol Rotunda.

On this solemn anniversary, we pause to appreciate not just the bravery of two men who saved so many others but each and every Capitol police officer who does his or her job so valiantly every single day of the year.

On behalf of the entire Senate, everyone who works and visits here, I extend my appreciation.

Mr. President, we are now in a period of morning business, with Senators allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each. There will be no rollcall votes during today's session.

Mr. President, notwithstanding passage of S. 1390, I ask unanimous consent that amendment No. 1516 be further modified, with the changes to the instruction line.

I ask unanimous consent that S. 1390, as passed by the Senate on July 23, be printed.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 3 p.m. Monday, July 27, the Senate proceed to the consideration of calendar No. 116, H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Appropriations; that immediately after the bill is reported, Senator Dorgan be recognized to offer a substitute amendment, the text of which is S. 1436 as reported by the committee.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 35, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 223, which was submitted earlier today.