Floor Statements

Madam President, I wish to celebrate and recognize the 250th anniversary of the town of Haverhill, NH.

Haverhill, first known as Lower Coos, was settled by citizens from Haverhill, MA and incorporated by Governor Benning Wentworth in 1763. Haverhill is situated on our State border, next to the mouth of the Ammonoosuc River, and shares much of its heritage with its sister city of Newbury in Vermont across the Connecticut River. Haverhill's location at the end of the Old Province Road was critical to its rapid development; this road, one of the earliest highways in New Hampshire, served as a supply route connecting the northern and western settlements with the seacoast. Haverhill's village of Woodsville hosted a railway supply enterprise that played an important role in the early years of the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad. Haverhill may have looked remote on a map, but it was clearly a town on the move.

Today, visitors to Haverhill may visit the oldest covered bridge still in use in New Hampshire, the Haverhill-Bath Bridge, built in 1829 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Haverhill Historic Society has painstakingly curated many artifacts from the town's long and industrious history and hosts fascinating lectures throughout the year. Haverhill is also home to the Museum of American Weather, which offers an unusual and insightful view into New England history through its exhibits documenting weather events across our region.

The town of Haverhill will celebrate its semiquincentennial jointly with Newbury, VT through a series of events this year, culminating in an old-fashioned skating party in December. I congratulate Haverhill on 250 years of accomplishments, and thank its citizens for their many contributions to the Granite State.

Madam President, I congratulate the residents of the town of Lisbon, NH as they celebrate its 250th anniversary.

Lisbon's roots date back to 1749, when Samuel Martin went on a hunting trip with his son in the wilderness along the Ammonoosuc River in the White Mountains. This beautiful region made a lasting impression on Martin, who returned to build a small cabin on Henry Pond with his family. This area would soon be settled and named the Gunthwaite settlement, which grew in size as soldiers returned from the Revolutionary War. In 1824, Gov. Levi Woodbury renamed the town Lisbon in honor of his friend Colonel William Jarvis, who had been appointed by President Thomas Jefferson to be the United States consul in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Ammonoosuc River provided a natural source of power for mills and factories that bolstered Lisbon's industry and helped it grow into a bustling town. At one time, Lisbon's Parker Young Company was the largest manufacturer of piano sounding boards in the world. Lisbon was also the first site in New Hampshire to have a ski rope tow.

Many of Lisbon's residents are descended from the town's original settlers and feel a strong commitment to preserving their town's history. Lisbon proudly honors New Hampshire's State flower during its annual Lilac Festival, held every Memorial Day weekend. Lisbon is also known for its public library, which houses nearly 10,000 volumes and serves neighboring towns Lyman and Landaff. On August 10, 2013, Lisbon residents and friends will come together to commemorate their 250th anniversary with music and community events to celebrate their past, present and future.

I wish the town of Lisbon a wonderful celebration and congratulate its citizens on this milestone in New Hampshire history.

Madam President, I wish today to honor the town of New Boston, NH, which celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. As its name suggests, New Boston's long and admirable history bridges that of New Hampshire and our neighbor Massachusetts.

New Boston's first settlers came north in search of new opportunity. The land was originally granted in 1736 by the regional governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Jonathan Belcher. Records show that locals had originally planned to christen the town ``Lanestown,'' but over time referred to the property as New Boston in honor of their former home. From 1736 until 1763, New Boston was legally part of Massachusetts; but during the course of those 30 years, the original grantees failed to establish a proper claim. In 1763, New Boston was formally incorporated and recognized as part of New Hampshire by Governor Benning Wentworth.

From its first census, we know that New Boston's residents quickly established a bustling community, building a lumber mill and clearing 200 acres of land. By the early 19th century, New Boston boasted 16 school houses, a bark mill, clothing mills, over 25 saw mills and even a tavern to host both travelers and townsfolk after a long day. Unfortunately, many documents depicting New Boston's origins were destroyed by the Great Village Fire of 1887, which ravaged the town and set over 40 of its buildings ablaze. New Boston's residents were undeterred by this tragedy, taking stock and quickly rebuilding their industrial center.

By 1893, New Boston had a railroad station, allowing merchants to move goods and services through their town into Massachusetts and further northeast. In the 1940s, New Boston became the proud home of two military institutions: the Gravity Research Foundation, which conducted research in hopes of creating a gravitational shielding system, and the New Boston Air Force Station, which tracks military satellites.

New Boston continues to inspire our State with its industrious and creative spirit. There is much to celebrate in New Boston's 250 years, and I am sure that the next 250 years will be equally or even more successful.

Madam President, I wish to congratulate the town of Plymouth, NH on their 250th anniversary.

Plymouth sits at the geographic center of New Hampshire on the west bank of the Pemigewasset River. Gov. Benning Wentworth granted this plot of land to returning soldiers from the French and Indian War and named it New Plymouth, after the original Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. Plymouth's unparalleled views of mountains, fields and forests provide a stunning backdrop to a bustling town noted for its focus on industry and education, as well as its historical significance.

Plymouth's educational commitment began with its earliest settlers, whose children were predominantly literate. This devotion to education continues today through Plymouth State University, one of the area's oldest and finest institutions that counts Poet Laureate Robert Frost as a former faculty member. Every September, the Plymouth population doubles from 4,000 to 8,000 as students return to campus to take advantage of the rich opportunities offered at this university.

Plymouth was originally an industrial center known for its buck glove industry, its farming and its logging industry. It was also home to Draper and Maynard, a renowned sporting goods purveyor that supplied baseball gloves to Babe Ruth and his Boston Red Sox teammates.

Plymouth's strong tourism and skiing tradition dates back to the 1930s, when the once ubiquitous snow trains brought hundreds of skiers from Boston and other cities to the slopes of the White Mountains. Plymouth has taken great strides to preserve this history and heritage through the recently opened Museum of the White Mountains, which houses treasured art and artifacts from more than a century ago. The town continues to attract tourists hoping to see a quintessential New England town in action and remains a popular year-round destination for camping, hiking and winter sports.

I congratulate Plymouth on its 250th anniversary and wish all its citizens a joyous year of celebration of their proud history.

Madam President, I wish to honor the town of Sandwich, NH, on the occasion of its 250th anniversary.

Sandwich is a quintessential New England village between the foothills of the White Mountains and breathtaking Squam Lake. Sandwich was chartered in 1763 by Governor Benning Wentworth and named for John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Lord Sandwich held various distinguished positions in British politics and its military, but is perhaps best known for his purported invention of a slice of meat between two slices of bread to sustain him while playing cards.

Sandwich's land would later double in size due to many concerns that the original grant was too inaccessible for a permanent settlement. In fact, from this expansion, Sandwich remains one of the largest towns in New Hampshire today. The first settlers arrived 4 years later, and by the early 19th Century the town of Sandwich had grown from uncharted wilderness into a bustling community of farms, schools, churches, traders, and artisans.

Sandwich's local fair is a wonderful New Hampshire tradition that celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. The Sandwich Fair has origins as far back as 1886, when local farmers gathered together to show off their livestock in hopes of drawing a crowd to trade and sell their goods. The event quickly grew to include community events such as band performances, beautiful baby contests, and, in the 21st Century, carnival rides. Sandwich's vibrant community, natural beauty, outdoor activities and historic and cultural events continue to draw visitors year-round.

I congratulate Sandwich on this important milestone and wish all citizens of Sandwich the best for their next 250 years.

Madam President, I wish to recognize of the 250th anniversary of Thornton, NH. Nestled in the beautiful Pemigewasset River Valley in the White Mountains, the land that became Thornton was originally granted to a small group of settlers on July 6, 1763 and subsequently incorporated in 1781. Thornton is named for one of those original settlers, Matthew Thornton, who would later become the first speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and New Hampshire's delegate to the Continental Congress. Thornton, who signed Declaration of Independence, was an early and vocal advocate for compete independence from England.

Thornton was also the birthplace of Moses Cheney, an abolitionist and conductor on the Underground Railroad. Cheney founded and oversaw the printing of the Morning Star, an abolitionist Freewill Baptist newspaper distributed in New England from 1833 to

1874. Cheney's two sons added to their father's legacy through their own notable contributions to New England. Elder son Oren Cheney was the founder and first president of Bates College in Maine, and his younger brother Person Cheney served as a U.S. Senator and Governor of New Hampshire.

Thornton's original colonial meetinghouse, built in 1789, still stands in the center of town. Meetinghouses like this are considered the birthplace of small town democracy. This building hosted town meetings from 1790 to 1954. Today, it is being painstakingly restored by the Thornton Historical Society for future use as a museum to house the town's artifacts and documents from its long and proud history.

I honor this town's strong heritage and wish its citizens a wonderful sestercentennial celebration.

Madam President, today I wish to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Warren, NH. Situated in the White Mountain region just south of Franconia Notch, residents of Warren are surrounded by stunning wooded scenery that is quintessential North Country. Warren is a truly perfect example of small town New Hampshire.

In 1763, Gov. Benning Wentworth granted a tract of land to John Page, who settled on this land 4 years later. The area would be officially incorporated in 1770 by Benning Wentworth's nephew and successor, Gov. John Wentworth. Warren is one of two towns in New England that were named for Admiral Sir Peter Warren of County Meath, Ireland. Admiral Warren, a high ranking officer in the British Royal Navy, commanded a fleet that joined forces from Massachusetts to lay siege and capture the fort at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia in 1745. This victory united the colonies against Canada, as well as providing them with crucial fishing and fur trading rights.

For the better half of the 20th century, the Glencliff State Sanatorium operated in the village of Glencliff in Warren. Before the advent of antibiotics, it was thought that the thin, pure mountain air of the North Country could cure tuberculosis, and nearly 4,000 patients sought respite and cure in the White Mountains facility until its closing and conversion to Glencliff Home for the Elderly in 1970. While modern medicine has advanced by leaps and bounds, we certainly understand why a patient would seek the serene beauty of the North Country as a cure for any ill.

Warren's most famous landmark is a Redstone Ballistics Missile, which stands in the center of the village green today. These missiles were commissioned by the U.S. Army in West Germany during the Cold War as defense against the former Soviet Union and were the first to carry live nuclear warheads. This decommissioned missile was placed in the center of town to honor Senator Norris Cotton, a Warren native who served a long career in both the New Hampshire General Court and the United States Congress.

I honor Warren's sestercentennial and congratulate its residents on this important milestone.

Madam President, today I wish to congratulate the town of Woodstock, NH, on their sestercentennial anniversary.

Woodstock actually began as Peeling, NH, as decreed by Governor Benning Wentworth's 1763 charter. After a number of controversial name changes, the town eventually became known as Woodstock in 1840, possibly thanks to inspiration from the name of a novel by Sir Walter Scott. Appropriately, logging was thickly-forested Woodstock's primary industry, aided by the Pemigewasset River's power to run their saw mills and transport timber down to Lowell, MA. The arrival of the Gordon Pond Railroad helped the industry but also leveled thousands of acres of Woodstock forest.

These areas have long since recovered and 80 percent of Woodstock's land area is now protected under the White Mountain National Forest, which draws droves of tourists each year. In fact, Woodstock's and neighboring Thornton's forests make up Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, one of the world's longest running ecosystem studies. For 50 years, Hubbard Brook has provided scientists and researchers with critical data and resources that identify and address environmental issues.

Woodstock is also home to local favorite Woodstock Inn Station and Brewery, a five time regional restaurant winner of New Hampshire Magazine's ``Best of New Hampshire'' feature. I was pleased to welcome this business to Washington in June for our annual Experience New Hampshire reception, where they shared their delicious craft beers and other products with Senators and their fellow Granite Staters.

I congratulate Woodstock on this important milestone and wish the community continuing success for their next 250 years.

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

Madam President, we all know that on July 1 interest rates for subsidized Stafford loans doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. I have twice voted to extend the 3.4-percent rates to protect our Nation's students. Unfortunately, both times we had those votes the extensions were defeated. Without congressional action, the 6.8-percent interest rates will stand as current law.

I think today we are going to vote for a bipartisan compromise to keep student loan interest rates low this year. I plan to vote for that compromise, but I have some concerns about it. I do want to thank my colleagues who have spent many hours coming to an agreement that can pass this body. This is a bipartisan compromise, and I think it is very important we work together to address this issue. While the compromise isn't perfect, our undergrads and our graduate students will be able to go to college this fall with peace of mind knowing the interest rates are well below those they would otherwise face.

In fact, this compromise will save $30 billion in interest debt for students over the next 4 years. Undergraduates borrowing this year will save about $2,000 over the course of their studies, and graduates could save between $4,000 and $9,000.

Today, assuming it is offered, I also plan to vote for the Reed- Warren amendment to lower the cap on interest rates. I would have supported Senator Murray's effort to allocate any resulting savings to shore up Pell grants, which would help fund those students who need it the most, but I understand we are not going to be able to vote on that amendment.

While today's vote is important to keep student rates low for this year's students, I wish to be very clear I do not consider this compromise to be a permanent fix for our students. Included in the bill is a requirement for a study to be conducted by the nonpartisan and independent Government Accountability Office which will analyze the cost of running the student loan program. Once we have the results of the study, we should use the information to determine what course of action is best for our students.

One thing is very clear: Any solution should not come at the expense of our students. Affordable higher education is one of the best investments we can make in our country. It is essential to growing this Nation's economy, to creating jobs, and to protecting the middle class. Our businesses need educated workers to compete in the new global knowledge-based economy.

In an immigration bill the Senate recently passed, which I voted for, we increased the number of highly skilled workers businesses could bring in because there is currently a shortage in this country of those highly skilled workers. I supported that, but that is a crutch, a short-term fix. We should be educating American students for these high-skilled jobs.

In my home State of New Hampshire, the student loan debate is a very important one. Last year a survey found our State had the highest average student debt in the Nation, at $31,408 per student. Nearly three-quarters of New Hampshire students have some amount of student loan debt--the second highest percentage of students with debt in

the country. We must protect our students. We should not be trying to solve the fiscal challenges facing this country on the backs of our students. We can't afford to price middle-class families out of a college education.

Studies show adults with degrees from 2- and 4-year colleges have far higher family incomes than adults who have high school degrees. In fact, according to a recent study from Georgetown University, people with bachelor's degrees earn about $1 million more over their lifetimes than those who don't have a college degree. We need to get rid of any barrier that stops students who want to pursue degrees.

Recently, I met a woman named Anne, from Manchester, who had been a recipient of student loans. She was able to go to school and get a degree because of Pell grants. Anne will quickly tell you that without aid she would never have even thought about pursuing a college degree. She is now working in a professional capacity and she is contributing to her community in so many ways. Unfortunately, Anne is now worried about her daughter, a single mother who works part-time and who has limited options to pursue her own dream job because of the high cost of education. Anne told me:

These kids are our future. We cannot limit them in this

way; student loans should not be an obstacle that is

insurmountable.

She is right. We need to make it easier and more affordable for Americans to go to college, not harder and more expensive.

I also heard from a woman named Patricia. She is 45, a single mother with three children under 18 years of age. She is currently a student at Granite State College who is relying on loans to get her degree. For the past 10 years, she and her family have been in and out of homeless shelters. She grew up as the youngest of nine children in a family where the option of college was never even considered or discussed. Patricia has an incredibly tight family budget. Student loans are critical to her getting a degree and ultimately being able to provide for her family. Sadly, any increase in student loan interest rates could limit Patricia's ability to continue her education.

The bottom line is clear. We all know it. We have to make college more affordable. It is essential for our students, it is essential for their futures, and it is essential for the future of this country. If we expect to compete in this global economy, we have to make sure we have the high-skilled workforce we need, and that means making sure those young people who want to go to college can afford to get that degree. It is just too important for our country's future to fail at this.

I thank the Chair, and I would just note that I will be voting for the bill, but as I said, I certainly hope we are all committed to making greater progress and making college education more affordable.

I yield the floor.

I rise to congratulate all of these people who worked so hard on immigration reform. I think it was a tremendous success for this Senate to address an issue that has long been outstanding in this country and to come to a resolution that received such strong bipartisan support.

Despite that success one of the things we were not able to do is address what is going to happen with student loans which, without any action by Congress, we know that subsidized direct student loans will increase on July 1 from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.

There are a number of proposals currently on the table. There are negotiations underway, and I think all of that is positive.

As we think about the challenge our young people face, it is important we think about getting rid of obstacles that prevent them from going on to college and from getting degrees in higher education.

Last month I had the privilege to speak at the commencement ceremony at Keene State College, one of New Hampshire's great public colleges. The students were celebrating their graduation. They were eager to put their education to work and find meaningful employment. Their optimism, their sense of hope, and their enthusiasm to make a difference was palpable.

As I looked out across the audience that afternoon, I knew that a number of those students, probably up to 66 percent, according to national statistics, had borrowed money to get their degree. These students and their families viewed higher education as so important that they were willing to take on significant loans to get that degree. It made sense for these students, particularly since recent studies have shown that higher education is one of the key factors driving upward mobility in the United States.

Earlier this year the Pew Foundation's Economic Mobility Project showed that even during the most recent economic downturn, a 4-year college degree provided protection in the labor market for recent college graduates.

Making college affordable for our students is essential to growing this country's economy, it is essential to creating jobs, it is essential to protecting the middle class, and it is essential to providing those future opportunities for our young people.

On the one hand we know we have to make higher education more affordable and available to our young people. Yet on the other hand, over the last 30 years, tuition and fees have increased 167 percent at private 4-year colleges and 257 percent at public 4-year colleges. If we adjust that for inflation, that means tuition has increased faster than the cost of gasoline, health care, and other consumer items.

As we are thinking about how to deal with these student loan interest rates, it is important that we provide some protection for our students. If we don't, we are going to price middle-class families out of a higher education.

In my State of New Hampshire the student loan debate is especially critical. Last year, and for several years before that, New Hampshire had the highest average student loan college debt in the country at a little over $31,000 per student. Not only do we have the highest average loan debt, we also have the second highest percentage of students with debt in the country.

As I listen to these young people, I know the high cost of student loans is financially crippling. We have heard from some of those students who talk about the challenge they face as the result of the cost of their student loans.

Julianne from Gilmanton wrote ``her education is crushing her.'' She earned a master's degree, she works for a New Hampshire State agency, and is an adjunct faculty member at two local colleges. To finance her education, one that she thought and people told her would guarantee a job after graduation, Julianne took out more than $220,000 in loans. Last year alone she paid over $13,000 on those student loans. She can't buy a house. She can't secure credit. Even though she makes a respectable income, she says she can't pursue being an active member of the community because she has those student loans hanging over her head.

Lauren Beaudin is another young person we have heard from. She graduated from West High School in Manchester a couple of years ago, and she received an undergraduate degree in biology. Her degree is in one of the STEM subjects, one of the things that is so important to this country. When she graduated she looked at her job options. After considering some entry-level jobs that paid $25,000 to $30,000, she decided she needed to go on and get a master's degree, which would provide her better opportunities.

She is now 22, enrolled in a master's of biology program, and has accumulated already over $100,000 in loans. She is concerned about struggling to find a job.

She writes:

I am not alone. This an entire generation of my peers in

this country who did the same. We followed our dreams and

earned our degrees because this is America, and you can be

what you want to be, as long as you work hard. We have worked

so hard. We will keep working hard. But will it be enough?

What will it be like for our kids when we are still burdened

by our loans after we start families and they [our kids] want

to go to colleges with even higher tuition and borrowing

rates?

Recently, I had a chance to speak with Barbara Ruth Layne, who is the executive director of Financial Aid at Granite State College, one of our other public colleges in New Hampshire.

Last year alone Barbara and her colleagues helped students access $9 million in Federal loans, significant help for students who want to get that advanced degree and need financial help to do that. Barbara is quick to point out that the number of students helped and the amount of financial aid they have received doesn't illustrate the human cost those loans take on a student.

To illustrate the point, she told me the story of a student who lives in the North Country of New Hampshire. The student is 35, and she has two young children. She struggles to make ends meet. She gets child support sometimes, and she supplements that income with food stamps. She visits the local food pantry. Her children get clothing from the local church. In the winter she gets some fuel assistance, not enough, because we have had to cut the fuel assistance program, so she borrows money from her family to use a kerosene heater on cold nights to heat her home.

This student understands that education is her only way out, the only

way she can break the cycle of poverty. She met with counselors at Granite State College and developed an educational plan. Although she is being careful in borrowing, the debt she is going to graduate with is more than she has ever earned in her working years in 1 year. While her education is going to prepare her for the job market, she knows the payoff isn't immediate. She will continue to struggle to make the payments on those student loans and to care for her family.

With a budget such as she is dealing with, any additional cost of those student loans is going to impact this woman and her family.

Similar to so many of us I have been moved by these students who have worked so hard to achieve their education goals and the jobs of their dreams. They recognize education is an investment and higher education is the path to middle-class success and economic opportunity.

I think higher education is one of the best investments we can make in our country. It is important not just to those young people who are getting those degrees to give them the jobs that make them prosperous in the future that they are going to be able to support families on, but it is critical for America to compete in the global economy. We should be doing everything we can to make America a magnet for jobs, to ensure our workers have the skills they need to compete, and to help Americans get ahead.

We have to do everything we can to make sure we keep higher education affordable for our young people. We must address those costs and not try to balance the costs of higher education on the backs of our students.

I am hopeful we will continue to work on how we address the student loan interest rate, that we will be able to come to some agreement on how to do that in a way that is not going to cost our young people their futures, is not going to cost America its future, and is not going to price families out of the cost of higher education.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Mihaela Ghita, a graduating senior at Manchester High School West in Manchester, NH. There is much to celebrate about Mihaela's academic achievements, but one of her most notable accomplishments is that she has never missed a day of school since the day she entered first grade.

Mihaela is an active member of West's school community. She competes in throwing events for the school's track and field team and is also a member of West's gymnastics squad. In addition, Mihaela has gone above and beyond academic requirements by completing an extended learning opportunity, volunteering to read with and tutor the school's special needs students. She is also an active volunteer in the greater Manchester community.

Mihaela's dedication to her education and her commitment to being present to learn every day is truly admirable. As a former public school teacher and parent, I understand and appreciate how unusual and unique it is for a student to attend every day of school for an academic year, but it is truly impressive that she has never missed a day at any point in her studies. The maturity and sense of dedication that Mihaela has demonstrated will serve her well in whatever field she chooses. I am confident that Mihaela will achieve success in her future pursuits.

High school graduation is a special time in a student's life, and I am pleased to rise today to recognize Mihaela's unique attendance accomplishment. However, I would also like to extend my sincerest congratulations to Mihaela and all of her classmates who will be joining her on Saturday, June 15, 2013, for their graduation ceremony. While the students may be heading in different directions, they will always share the common bond of being graduates of Manchester High School West. Once again, I would like to recognize Mihaela Ghita on achieving her exemplary attendance record. I know that her family, her friends, and the entire West community join me in congratulating her and celebrating her many accomplishments.

Madam President, I rise to honor the life and service of 1LT Paul Michel DeMeo, who died on May 14 while stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Lieutenant DeMeo was a rifle platoon leader assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division.

Born at the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands on October 1, 1989, the son of an American physicist at the base, Paul grew up around service members and knew that he wanted to join the military from a very young age. After his family moved to Derry, NH, when he was 13 years old, Paul attended high school at Pinkerton Academy, where he eventually became the school's first Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps participant to attend a military academy.

Paul completed his undergraduate education at West Point in 2011 and went on to graduate from the infantry officer leadership basic course, the U.S. Army Ranger School, and the U.S. Army Airborne School. As a rifle platoon leader, Paul was responsible for training, material support, and readiness of 38 paratroopers. He was awarded a number of honors for his service, including the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Air Assault Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Ranger Tab.

Paul was an avid swimmer who joined the swim team in Kwajalein at the age of 4. He also showed tremendous promise on the tennis court at a very early age. In fact, when he was only 8 years old, the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands invited him to represent the country in tennis at the 2000 Olympic games. However, Paul wisely declined the offer, considering himself just a bit too young for the competition.

Paul will be remembered for his exceptional leadership ability, his confident smile, and his strong loyalty to his fellow soldiers, especially paratroopers under his command. Paul dedicated his life to the service and protection of our country. He worked to make himself the best he could be and to answer the call of duty to defend our way of life. For this, we are forever grateful.

Paul is survived by his parents, Paul and Lucienne DeMeo; his brothers, Nathen A. and Pascal J. DeMeo; his sister, Danya Aleesa DeMeo; and his maternal grandmother, Amonia Valbrun. He also leaves behind his girlfriend, Hannah Farmer of Charlotte, NC and his paternal grandfather, Paul J. DeMeo. I ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in honoring the life and service of Lieutenant Paul Michel DeMeo.

Madam President, today I wish to to recognize Carol Mack, principal of Matthew Thornton Elementary School in Londonderry, NH. Carol's dedication to the school's faculty, the Town of Londonderry and the students and families who comprise the school community has shone throughout her 25 years of service to Matthew Thornton. While I know that her leadership will be missed by the school community, I join Carol's family and friends in recognizing her impact and achievements and celebrating her retirement.

Carol's connection to Matthew Thornton began in 1983, when her son Jack was a first grade student at the school and she served as a volunteer. Carol then accepted a position as a teaching assistant at the school, and eventually decided to return to graduate school to attain a Master's Degree in education. Upon completion of her professional degree, Carol rose quickly at Matthew Thornton, serving first as a substitute teacher, then a first grade teacher, and eventually becoming the school's assistant principal. Carol's dedication and hard work was recognized statewide when she was named Assistant Principal of the Year by the New Hampshire Association of School Principals in 2002.

In 2004, Carol moved into a new role as principal of Matthew Thornton Elementary School. Her leadership, vision and commitment to the school's betterment was recognized again in 2012 when the New Hampshire Parent Teacher Association named Carol its Administrator of the Year. But as a former public school teacher, Carol's rewards have come from the students with whom she works on a daily basis. Her vision and leadership undoubtedly inspired generations of students to make the world a better place.

I would like to thank Carol Mack for her hard work on behalf of countless residents of New Hampshire. I am sure that she will be truly missed by the families, staff, and most importantly, the students, of Matthew Thornton Elementary School. I know that her family, including her husband Andy and

her children Karen, Cindy and Jack, and their spouses Andrew, Chris and Missy, and her friends, colleagues and community join me in congratulating and celebrating her notable work and the positive impact that she has had on thousands of young lives.

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

It is my understanding that I have 10 minutes to speak. Will you confirm if that is correct?

I am here today to speak to the importance of bringing much needed reform to the Federal Sugar Program. I understand that this is not something the Presiding Officer supports and that this is not something the Agriculture Committee addressed in the farm bill. I think it is important to try to address some of the misinformation that is out there.

We have been hearing a lot of talk about the need to protect America's sugar farmers. What we haven't heard is that sugar remains the most tightly controlled commodity market in this country. We currently have what I believe is an outdated program that offers a sweet deal to a small group of sugar growers and processors at the expense of too many other American businesses and at the expense of American consumers.

What the amendment that I have offered with a number of cosponsors will do is reform the Sugar Program to make U.S. manufacturers more competitive and to reduce prices for consumers. It will lower sugar price support levels, and it will reform the excessive restrictions on domestic supply and import quotas for sugars.

These reforms would save taxpayers money. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this legislation would save $82 million over the next 10 years.

I think it is important to keep in mind the amendment we have introduced does not eliminate the safety net for sugar producers. It simply makes some moderate commonsense reforms in the program. Sugar growers would still be supported by the Sugar Loan Program and protected by import restrictions and domestic market allotments. In fact, this amendment simply returns us to the same policies that sugar producers themselves supported as recently as 2007.

Since 2008, sugar prices in the United States have soared to record highs and they have consistently reached levels that are about twice the world pricing of sugar. In fact, the Sugar Program has cost consumers and businesses as much as $14 billion over the last 4 years. This amendment would provide a smart, practical, and pragmatic fix to the policies that are currently in place, and it is a bipartisan proposal. There are 18 other Senators from both sides of the aisle who have joined on this amendment.

Again, we have been hearing about jobs that would be lost in the sugar industry if we make these moderate reforms, but the reality is we are already losing and have lost too many valuable manufacturing jobs across this country as businesses close or move overseas in search of lower prices. We can see some of this illustrated on this chart. These are sugar-using jobs in the food industry, and there are more than 30 times as many of these jobs as there are in sugar production and processing. So we can see sugar-using food and beverage jobs, which is the blue, compared to sugar farming, production, and processing, which is the red. That is 590,669 compared to 18,078. And where do these numbers come from? Well, in fact, they are from the U.S. Census and the Department of Commerce.

Unfortunately, between 1997 and 2011, nearly 127,000 of these jobs, the manufacturing jobs, were lost in sugar-using industries. In fact, the U.S. Department of Commerce has estimated that for every one sugar- growing job that is saved through high sugar prices, approximately three manufacturing jobs are lost. So again, let me put the numbers into perspective, as this chart does. There are less than 5,000 sugar growers and processors in the country. U.S. data shows there are about 18,000 total jobs in the sugar industry, compared with almost 600,000 jobs in the sugar-using industry.

We have also been hearing this amendment would allow for an increase in foreign sugar into the U.S. market. This amendment maintains the current import quotas for each country. Let me repeat that: It maintains the current import quotas for each country. It allows the Secretary of Agriculture to modify these quotas if he or she determines it is necessary, just as they were able to do before 2008. The fact is this amendment would have no impact on sugar imports from Mexico because under the North American Free Trade

Agreement or NAFTA, Mexico currently is the only country without a quota for sugar importation, and that is true whether we pass this amendment or not. That is true under the current system.

So even if we don't pass reforms, the argument that Mexico is coming in and bringing sugar into the country is true, there is sugar coming in from Mexico, but the fact is that is the way it is under the current program. Currently, sugar is the only--let me repeat, the only-- commodity program that was not reformed in the committee-passed farm bill that is under consideration now.

Let me be clear: I think the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry--Senator Stabenow and the committee--did a great job on that bill in most areas because they provided savings and they reformed the program. So it is particularly puzzling to me why they totally left the sugar subsidies out of the bill, that they did nothing to reform the Sugar Program.

I don't think any program the Federal Government operates should be immune from updates and improvements. We need to act, and we need to act now, to reform the Sugar Program and to protect those workers who are in the food industry that use sugar, and protect consumers who are spending more money than they should for the cost of sugar.

Madam President, I yield the floor.