Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to H.R. 1132.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 682 and the Senate proceed to the consideration of this matter.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of a resolution submitted earlier today honoring the accomplishments and legacy of Cesar Estrada Chavez; that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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 the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the nominations reported out earlier today by the Environment and Public Works Committee: PN 110, Bradley Udall to be a member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship Foundation; PN 53, Roger Romulus Martella, Jr. to be assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; that the nominations be confirmed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 10; that on Tuesday, following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date; the morning hour be deemed expired; and the time of the two leaders be reserved for use later in the day; that there then be a period of morning business for 60 minutes, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each; with the first 30 minutes under the control of the Republicans, and the final 30 minutes under the control of the majority; that following morning business, the Senate proceed to consider the two stem cell bills, as provided for under a previous order entered by the President earlier today.

I would also say, Mr. President, that I have conferred with the Republican leader, and there is no reason that we will have any votes scheduled for Tuesday, the day we return. Monday is a legal holiday, and Tuesday we are going to start the stem cell debate. The debate on that will last for at least 2 days, so there is no reason we will need to come back for a vote on Tuesday. People will have plenty to do here, and the vote would just interrupt that.

I have told the Republican leader, and he acknowledges that is probably the right thing to do. So we will have no votes on Tuesday. The first vote will be sometime on Wednesday.

If there is no further business today, I would turn to the Republican leader.

Mr. President, I failed to announce, but it was very important, those numbers that we read off were two very important ambassadorships: Ford M. Fraker, to be the Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Zalmay Khalilzad, who, of course, has served so well in Iraq and is now going to be the Ambassador to the United Nations. That is very important, and I am glad we did that.

One thing I did not mention is, for all Senators and staff, our Democratic caucus, which is normally held on Tuesday, we are going to have that on Wednesday. It is obvious now, with no votes on Tuesday, that is probably the right thing to do. So, for all Democrats, we will have our caucus on Wednesday.

I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned under the provisions of H. Con. Res. 103.

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 the previous order with respect to the timing of the three rollcall votes this morning be modified to provide that the votes be delayed until 11:45 a.m., under the same sequence as previously ordered and the other provisions as previously ordered; that following the 60 minutes of debate, the amendments be set aside and that Senator Coburn then be recognized to debate his pending amendments and that all other provisions remain in effect.

Mr. President, this morning, as indicated, we are going to have a change of schedule, but it will work out just fine. I have spoken with the distinguished Republican leader. We are going to do what we can to finish this bill today. It is extremely important. It will give the House and Senate 2 full days prior to the recess to have this important bill worked on in regard to the conference that must take place. Hopefully, the first day or two that we get back after the break, we can have a conference report to vote on. I hope we can do that. That would be extremely important if we could.

Mr. President, before I turn to my distinguished Republican colleague, it is my understanding that there are two bills at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. President, I object to any further proceedings with respect to these bills, en bloc.

Mr. President, the first vote will be with respect to the Wyden county payments amendment, then the Burr county payments amendment, followed by a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the bill. Members have until 10:30 a.m. this morning to file

their second-degree amendments. Other votes will likely occur this afternoon.

Madam President, I want to get along, but we are serious about this legislation. We believe it is a good piece of legislation. We understand the President wants a bill. If he wants a bill, we can have final passage in about 10 minutes.

Mr. President, the Republican leader and I had cordial conversations this morning. We will have them this afternoon.

Mr. President, I call for the regular order with respect to amendment No. 690.

I now call up my amendment No. 823.

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

Mr. President, it is now my understanding that there is going to be an amendment that is going to be offered by the Senator from Nebraska and the Senator from Virginia; is that right?

Mr. President, I haven't had an opportunity to speak to my friend from Nebraska, but I have spoken to my friend from Virginia, and I have a statement I would like to give. There is 90 minutes for debate. I don't know what their pleasure is or when they would want me to speak.

Mr. President, the amendment is at the desk; is that right?

Mr. President, first of all, I want to acknowledge how pleased I am to join as cosponsor of this extremely important amendment. I applaud Senators Hagel and Webb for returning the focus of the Senate to the issue of our troops and their readiness.

There is a lot of talk around here about supporting the troops. Too often we don't take the kind of action that can achieve that goal. Yesterday, when the Senate voted to maintain the language on changing course in Iraq, it was a good day for our country and for our troops who may finally get the new policy they deserve.

With yesterday's vote, the Senate finally acknowledged the reality in Iraq: The President's policy is not working. It is time to change course. This bipartisan position was backed up in the newspapers around the country today. USA Today and the Associated Press have an article today detailing how the surge is not working. Baghdad, in some instances, may be quieter, but according to the news outlets I have just mentioned, insurgents have taken their attacks elsewhere. I quote:

Nationwide, the number of deaths from car bombs has

decreased slightly since the Baghdad Security Operation

began. However, the death toll from car bombs has more than

doubled in areas outside the capital compared to the previous

6-week period.

Violence has not stopped in Iraq. It has gotten worse. Earlier today, Shiite militants, including local police, went on a violent rampage. When it ended 2 hours later, we do not know how many Sunnis have been killed, but at least 60. The victims were men between the ages of 15 and 60, most of them killed with a shot to the back of the head.

These reports fly in the face of what we heard in the Senate yesterday from some quarters, and we hear from President Bush that things are better in Iraq. The idea that the surge is working or that it needs more time is a fantasy. What we see today in Iraq, months into the surge, is more of the same--the same violence, the same chaos, the same loss of life we have seen over the last 4-plus years, with 3,200 dead Americans and $500 billion spent. It is long past time to change course in Iraq.

If, yesterday, the Senate acknowledged the reality of the Iraq war, today we must acknowledge the reality of what the Iraq war is doing to our military and their ability to defend this Nation everyplace.

Mr. President, we have no better advocates to learn about the reality of combat than Senators Hagel and Webb. The authors of this amendment have authority on this subject based on their experience in battle, in war--not the classroom. When Chuck Hagel and Jim Webb speak for a change of course, we should all listen.

Chuck Hagel is a Vietnam combat veteran. He served with his brother Tom. Both of them were infantry squad leaders with the U.S. Army's 9th Infantry Division. For his service, Senator Hagel earned many military decorations, including having been wounded twice--two Purple Hearts. When I say Chuck Hagel is a combat veteran, I mean it. I mean it. Here is a description from a 2005 Washington Post profile of what Senator Hagel faced in Vietnam:

In Vietnam, Chuck, 21, and his brother Tom, 19, had fought

and nearly died together as infantry squad leaders. In 1968,

their armored personnel carrier hit a 500-pound mine. It blew

out Chuck's eardrums, set him on fire--``the whole left side

of my face bubbled.'' Chuck pulled Tom, unconscious, from the

burning gunner turret. Chuck saved his brother's life just

months after Tom had saved his [brother Chuck's life], when

shrapnel ripped through [Senator Hagel's] chest.

That is only part of the story. Jim Webb was also in Vietnam. He was a marine with the Fifth Marine Regiment. For his service he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and also two Purple Hearts. Here is an excerpt from his citation for the Navy Cross:

Continuing the assault, [Webb] approached a third bunker

and was preparing to fire into it when the enemy threw

another grenade. Observing the grenade land dangerously close

to his companion, First Lieutenant Webb simultaneously fired

his weapon at the enemy, pushed the marine away from the

grenade, and shielded him from the explosion with his own

body.

Webb's service did not stop on the battlefields of Vietnam. In 1984, he was appointed the inaugural Assistant Secretary of Defense. In 1987, under President Reagan, he became the first Naval Academy graduate in the history of our country to serve the military and then become Secretary of the Navy.

These two men are authorities on war, authorities on war and the military. All of us would be wise to heed their counsel. Chuck Hagel and Jim Webb are certified heroes. That is all you can say.

This morning I got up early and went to Walter Reed. I met a new generation of heroes, men and women injured serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was accompanied by my friend, the distinguished Senator from Washington, Mrs. Murray. To say I left depressed is an understatement. We have all heard the stories about Walter Reed.

I have two observations from my visit. I have been there on other occasions, but I have two observations from my visit today.

First, private contracting is destroying the ability of the military to care for our troops. Go to Walter Reed. Listen to the parents. Listen to the people who are there, who are hurt. I was walking into Walter Reed and I introduced myself to a man dressed in civilian clothes. He told me who he was: a college graduate.

I said: What do you do?

He said: I am an industrial hygienist.

I said: What do you do?

He said: I am one of those guys who goes around trying to make sure that these places are sanitary and safe. I check for mold.

I said: How are you doing?

He said: Terrible.

I said: Why?

He said: Because of contracting out we went from 15 industrial hygienists at Walter Reed to 5.

So contracting out is hurting our ability to care for our troops.

No. 2, one soldier said it the best. He was sitting there, leg off midthigh. He said: Everyone thinks that this is my problem. He said: That's not my problem. He said: It's this leg--and he had a leg that was terribly mutilated--the calf blown off, dropped foot, scars all up and down it.

He said: You know, but I'm really fortunate because I'm alive.

He went on to say: We amputees are treated pretty well. It's the people with injuries that you can't see who are having a difficult time.

That is the way it is. One young man from Cincinnati, OH, just turned 20 years old--big, as big as the Presiding Officer--big man. He said: I only got shot once. He said: I had a protective vest. I was shot in the stomach. It didn't hurt me too bad. But I survived multiple explosive devices.

He said: My friend--these are his words--``vaporized sitting next to me.''

He is now in big trouble--emotionally, mentally. He has a lot of problems. He said: I have nightmares, I sweat, I become violent, I can't remember anything. He said: I don't know what I'm going to do. He was one of a number whom we visited with there.

Walter Reed is a metaphor of what is happening to our military as a whole. We don't have a single Army unit that is nondeployed that is battle ready. We hear today from one of the generals that in the National Guard, 40 percent of the units are not capable of anything realistically connected to battle. It will take $40 billion to bring the Guard alone up to what it was before the war. The war has badly strained our military. The administration's policies have reduced our military readiness to levels not seen for a long time. Not a single unit, nondeployed Army unit, I repeat, is combat ready. Multiple and extended deployments overseas have reduced readiness and damaged recruiting, retention, and morale. Units have been sent into battle by this administration without the proper training and equipment, in my opinion. That is not supporting the troops; that is breaking the force. We have to do better.

This is not just my opinion. It is the opinion of current and former senior Army officers.

Colin Powell:

The active Army is about broken.

Arnold Punaro, Chairman of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves 15 days ago said:

We can't sustain the [National Guard and Reserves] on the

course we're on.

Peter Schoomaker, Chief of Staff of the Army, said:

To meet combatant commanders' immediate wartime needs, we

pooled equipment from across the force to equip soldiers

deploying into harm's way. . . . This practice, which we

are continuing today, increases risk for next-to-deploy

units and limits our ability to respond to emerging

strategic contingencies.

I spoke yesterday to a man in my security detail on his way to Iraq for the third time. Sadly, his story is the norm, not the exception. Of the Army's 44 combat brigades, all but one permanently based in South Korea have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Of those 43 brigades, 12 deployed once, 20 deployed twice, 9 deployed three times, 2 have been deployed 4 times.

Today we have soldiers serving in Iraq who have been fighting in battle well over a year. We have other soldiers who were on their way to Iraq after having been home with their families for a matter of months.

That is not supporting the troops. It is hurting the troops. Our men and women cannot and should not continue to bear the burden of this mismanaged war. We have to do better. That is why the Webb-Hagel amendment is so important.

This amendment will ensure our troops have the equipment they need before they go to battle--before they go to battle. It explicitly states that our troops must have the training and equipment they need or they cannot be sent overseas.

This amendment will also enhance the quality of life for troops and their families and, as a result, improve recruiting and retention. It says that after our brave men and women serve 365 days in Iraq, they are entitled to a significant period of rest back home before they can be redeployed. In short, this Hagel-Webb amendment will improve readiness and our ability to respond to other threats and project power around the world.

We live, we all know, in a dangerous world. We face many threats. From destroying al-Qaida to deterring Iran and North Korea from gaining nuclear weapons, there are critical challenges around the world that we, the superpower, America, must confront. Unfortunately, we have a military stretched too thin to meet these challenges.

After years of overuse and neglect, we must reinvest in the military. With this amendment we will take the necessary steps to make a downpayment on rebuilding our fighting force and keeping our families safe.

I so appreciate these two combat veterans, these two unique, good Senators leading us down this road on which we must be led.

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

Madam President, I have been working for a little bit this afternoon--Senator Murray has been working all afternoon--trying to come to a conclusion on this legislation. Just a few moments ago, I spoke to the Republican Leader, Senator McConnell, and we are very close to having an agreement on the universe of these amendments. We do not have it done yet, but we are close to doing that.

I think in fairness to everyone we should announce that there will be no more rollcall votes tonight. We are working on finishing this bill at a very early time tomorrow. Again, we do not have that done yet, but that should not prevent us from announcing that there will be no more rollcall votes tonight.

I appreciate very much Senator Byrd, and especially Senator Patty Murray, working so hard on this all day. We have made great progress. We have a ways to go.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.