Floor Statements

Madam President, agriculture is the lifeblood of my home State of Kansas. It drives our economy, but more importantly, it offers our citizens a way of life that is unique in today's world.

Within that industry I often encounter thoughtful, committed men and women who work every day to raise their families, run their businesses, serve their neighbors, and provide a better future for the next generation. Those qualities are found in Steve Baccus, who for the past 17 years has served on the Kansas Farm Bureau Board of Directors and for the last 12 served as its president.

Kansas Farm Bureau is our State's largest general farm organization, with nearly 105,000 members. Under Steve's leadership, the organization has influenced policy and politics, promoted rural values, and worked to show an increasingly urban population how food is produced and why technology is indispensable to feeding a hungry world.

Steve is a native Kansan, a veteran, a husband, a father of five, and a grandfather. His fourth-generation family farm in Ottawa County produces wheat, corn, soybeans, and occasionally a sunflower or a bit of sorghum.

I met Steve now many years ago when he was on his local farm bureau board, and we grew to be friends over the years. He was always someone I could count on to give trustworthy advice and counsel.

As agricultural issues repeatedly come to the forefront of debate in Washington, DC--from trade and energy, to the economy, overregulation, and the farm bill--Steve has worked to make certain the voices of Kansas farmers and ranchers are heard in the Nation's Capital.

Steve's passion for improving the lives of Kansans and advocating for the future of our rural State has always impressed me. His service on the Kansas Farm Bureau board was inspired by Steve's deeply held belief that there is a better future ahead for Kansas agriculture and for our State. He has always been selfless in his service, often

taking time to drive across all 105 Kansas counties over the years to update members of the farm bureau on issues that impact their lives and the lives of their family members in rural Kansas and across our State. KFB members always knew where to find Steve and felt comfortable seeking his help.

In addition to his service as president of the Kansas Farm Bureau, Steve has led multiple boards and organizations, including the Board of the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, whose board he currently chairs. He has led trade missions, presented testimony before Congress and State legislative committees, and has championed the cause of agriculture for much of his adult life.

Steve embodies many traits we can all admire, including a deep love for the great State of Kansas and gratitude for the many hard-working families who provide food, fuel, and fiber on which Americans and the world rely. These traits have earned Steve the respect of his peers across the country. Steve has been a true public servant to agriculture, and he did it for all the right reasons. Not often do you find someone who has such good and clear intentions of service. Kansas farmers and ranchers found that in Steve Baccus in spades. He is a tremendous role model for all of us who want to make a difference in the lives of others.

Steve, we congratulate you for your service and wish you and your wife Patricia well in the next chapter of your life as you retire as president of Kansas Farm Bureau.

Madam President, last Sunday I was at a funeral service in Manhattan, KS, because Kansas lost one of its greatest philanthropists and education advocates when Marianna Kistler Beach passed away on November 1, 2014.

Marianna and her late husband Ross Beach--who passed away in 2010-- were residents of my hometown of Hay, KS, for more than 60 years before moving to Lawrence. This devoted couple was well known and well loved for their acts of service and kindness to others. Because of Marianna and Ross Beach, numerous Kansans have been inspired through the arts, and individuals with disabilities and their families have lived healthier, more productive lives.

Marianna was born on November 24, 1919, in Lincoln, KS, and Marianna learned the importance of empowerment through education at a young age from her parents. Elmer and Myrtle Kistler moved their family from Lincoln--including their 15-year-old daughter Marianna--to Manhattan, KS, in 1934 in order to give their children the opportunity for a college education during the Great Depression. Marianna graduated from Manhattan High School and Kansas State University, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Phi Journalism Honorary, and Mortar Board.

Marianna married Ross--whom she always called Rossie--in 1941, and they were devoted to each other for 69 years until his death in 2010.

Ross Beach was a pioneer in banking, radio and television, and oil and gas, and Marianna was a support system behind all that success. Ross was the president of Kansas National Gas Company and chairman of the board of the Douglas County Bank, and with Marianna by his side Ross created economic opportunities for many Kansans. But the Beaches' business success was overshadowed by Ross and Marianna's generosity.

Marianna Beach worked hard to make certain education and the arts would be a priority of Kansans. She and her husband assisted with the formation of the Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center and the Sternberg Museum of Natural History at Fort Hays State University. Marianna was a member of the Mid-America Arts Alliance, president of the Hays Arts Council, and wrote a column on art and city beautification for the Hays Daily News for more than 20 years.

For the Beaches' 50th wedding anniversary, Marianna convinced her husband to establish the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art on the campus of Kansas State University to ensure that art is accessible to all Kansans. My wife Robba and I have had the honor to serve on the board of visitors of this museum that bears their name. We are able to witness firsthand the positive consequences of the passion and commitment Ross and Marianna had for culture and for the arts in our State.

Marianna's priorities were guided by a belief in the value of each individual, which was illustrated by her lifelong commitment to supporting and uplifting individuals with special needs. Supported by her husband, Marianna worked tirelessly to maximize the potential of handicapped individuals, serving on the President's Committee on Mental Retardation from 1969 to 1975. She was also actively involved at the local level. She did everything personally. In fact, the Beach Center on Disability at the University of Kansas is named in her honor. The research done there focuses on disability policy, employment, family support, and early childhood services.

The Beaches' level of generosity will truly live on for generations to come.

Despite their stature in our community and State, Marianna and Ross Beach always treated every person they encountered with respect and dignity. As a young newlywed couple starting a new life in Hays, the first invitation Robba and I received was to come to Ross and Marianna's home for dinner. There was never a more gracious, caring couple than the Beaches, who wanted to make sure everyone was included.

For a large portion of my life, I joined Ross and other businessmen and professionals for lunch at The Roundtable. While there was a lot of talk about sports and politics, I learned a lot about life by listening to Mr. Beach. My friendship with Ross Beach certainly opened doors for me in business and politics, but more importantly, it gave me the confidence to realize that this smalltown Kansas kid could one day be able to serve here with my colleagues in the Senate.

While my family and I are saddened by the death of Marianna Beach, we take comfort knowing that the legacy of the Beach family will endure far beyond our generation. While Marianna and Ross Beach donated their talents and treasure, it is their character and generous souls that I and many others will miss the most.

Marianna was loved by all who knew her but especially by her family. I extend my heartfelt sympathies to her daughters Mary, Terry, and Jane, as well as her brother Lee, sister Janet, and eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. I know you loved your mother, grandmother, and sister dearly, and she will be greatly missed. I hope you find comfort in knowing that she and Ross are united in their Heavenly home.

We are told that to whom much is given, much is expected. Ross and Marianna Beach more than fulfilled any expectations. I am thankful for having the good fortune of knowing them for more than 40 years.

God bless Marianna and Ross Beach for their life together and let them be a role model for all of us.

Thank you, Madam President, and I yield the floor.

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

I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Mr. President, October--next month--is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is not expected that the Senate will be in session next month and I would like to use this opportunity to visit just a moment about domestic violence in an effort to create a greater awareness and to work to eliminate this plight among many families and many individuals across the country.

Domestic violence is an issue that impacts way too many Americans. In fact, it affects so many homes, and yet it is something that is rarely spoken about publicly. Right now, because of actions of professional athletes, domestic violence is in the news and it is on our minds. But this attention needs to continue when the sports writers quit writing and when the news reporters and camera crews quit covering and they move on to the next story.

Many Americans assume domestic violence doesn't occur in their neighborhood, it doesn't occur among their friends, but unfortunately that is not the case. Domestic violence does not discriminate by race, gender, age group, education or social status. We can't stereotype, the way we often do, about domestic violence. In fact, it is not just a problem for women; it is also a problem for children and men who are often victims.

In large communities, in small communities across the country and across, unfortunately, my State of Kansas, too many Americans, too many Kansans find themselves placed in danger by the very people who are supposed to love and care for and protect them. Each year, more than 2 million women are victims of domestic violence across the country. In Kansas alone, it is estimated that 1 in 10 adult women will suffer from domestic abuse this year. These are damning statistics that make clear, whether we realize it, someone we know is enduring physical and psychological abuse today, tomorrow, this week. We have a responsibility to help the hopeless--those who are often too afraid to speak out for themselves. I rise tonight to try to give voice to those who are victims and to acknowledge professionals and volunteers who provide care and the services those victims need.

On a single day last year, shelters and organizations in Kansas served more than 720 victims, and similar organizations around the country served more than 66,000 victims each day.

I visited one of those organizations last year, the Kansas SAFEHOME. It is a tremendous organization that serves the greater Kansas City area. SAFEHOME provides more than just a shelter for those needing a place to live or to escape from abuse. They provide no-cost advocacy, counseling, an inhouse attorney, and assistance in finding employment. The agency also provides education in the community to prevent abuse.

Each year SAFEHOME helps thousands of women and children reestablish their lives without violence. The employees and volunteers there are making huge differences in the lives of many. I have often said on the Senate floor that what happens in Washington, DC, matters, but I know we change the world one person, one soul at a time, and in this setting and in settings similar to it across Kansas and around the country, lives are being changed and improved.

Despite the important and the honorable and noble work that organizations such as SAFEHOME are performing, they are often faced with uncertainty regarding the Federal support they will receive. The good news is that last year Congress was able to move past politics and pass legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

I sponsored and voted for that legislation and in my view it provides crucial, critical resources for victims of domestic violence and empowers our justice system to act on their behalf. Just as crucial, it works to prevent abuse from occurring in the first place.

This legislation is having a real impact on the lives of Kansans because survivors now have access, for example, to legal services, through the Legal Assistance to Victims grant project, established in 2012 by the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.

One survivor expressed how grateful she was for the program because, as she said, ``I didn't know what I would have done without it.'' Without the assistance of this program, she may have had to go to court without legal representation, knowing that her perpetrator already had an attorney representing him. With that legal representation, her perpetrator was held accountable for his actions.

Throughout our country, more than one in three women still suffer from abuse during their lifetime, and domestic violence brings fear and hopelessness and depression into the lives of every victim. We should work not only to end this violent crime, but we must also care for those who are victims. By volunteering at a local shelter, speaking out when we become aware of domestic violence or making a donation to an organization that helps in those circumstances, every citizen--as I said, we could change the world one person at a time, and every citizen can find a way to get involved and make a difference.

Now and throughout the year--not just now, not just next month, October is Domestic Violence Month--let us be mindful of the victims of domestic violence and each of us do our part to break the cycle and bring hope to those who suffer and are in despair. Let us also use the conversations taking place now in the print in the papers and on the view of the television as an opportunity to speak out against any and all types of domestic abuse. Let's raise the awareness of this silent and devastating crime and bring about an end to all domestic violence.

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

I wish to engage in a colloquy with the chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Wyden, and with Senator Heitkamp, to clarify several questions that have arisen since H.R. 3043 and S. 1507 were introduced.

I say to the chairman, the term general welfare is found in the Preamble to the Constitution, and the power and duty of governments to promote the general welfare is at the core of our service to the people. Indian Tribes, through treaties, agreements, and statutes, reserved their original, inherent right to self-government, and Tribal governments are in the best position to determine the general welfare interests of the Indian people. H.R. 3043 and S. 1507 are intended to respect the right of Indian Tribes to provide for the general welfare of Tribal members.

I ask the chairman, is it your understanding that in interpreting the meaning of the requirement under the bill that Indian Tribal government programs be ``for the promotion of the general welfare,'' it is intended that the IRS will apply this requirement in a manner no less favorable than the safe harbor approach provided for in Revenue Procedure 2014-35, and in no event will the IRS require an individualized determination of financial need where a Tribal program meets all other requirements of new section 139E as added by the bill?

Mr. President, effective immediately, I hereby resign my position as Commissioner to the Eisenhower Memorial Commission.

Mr. President, I ask to speak as in morning business.

Mr. President, I thank the Chair for the opportunity to speak this afternoon. I am also pleased to see on the floor my colleague from North Dakota, Senator Heitkamp. She and I have a legislative interest in a matter now pending before the House of Representatives, and it is at least my desire to see the Senate utilize this opportunity of a bill passing the House to also be considered by the Senate and hopefully be approved. While it has been a challenge throughout this year and throughout this session to get legislation to the floor and voted on, I would not want us to pass up the chance for this legislation to be approved and sent to the President for signature.

The legislation we are speaking about is the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act. The House of Representatives, as I said, is considering H.R. 3043 this week. This is legislation I am absolutely certain will enhance the economic opportunities and the quality of life for our Native Americans in this country.

The Constitution states that a core responsibility of the Federal Government is to promote the general welfare of the people. The Federal Government has a trust responsibility to protect tribal interests. These two objectives come together in this legislation. It certainly would be an understatement to say that the Federal Government over the years has fulfilled its trust responsibility. We know that to not be the case.

In an effort to fill that void, tribal governments have taken actions to meet their tribal members' needs with initiatives such as cultural programs and education and social services and health care.

Unfortunately, over a period of time, those benefits have been treated as income and those benefits have been subject to the Internal Revenue Service Code.

We need to make certain we don't add to the burden that tribes too often have encountered from the Federal Government and that these benefits would not be subject to income taxes and these benefits and the tribes will not be subject to IRS audits because of them.

The Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act extends to Native Americans the same tax privileges that are provided by our States; namely, that the value of government services provided by the tribes to their members, just like the services provided by a State to its citizens, would be excluded for tax purposes. Federal and State governments have enjoyed the privilege of having such services as education, social welfare, health care programs, housing, as well as cultural programs exempt from that taxation. Native Americans have not been as fortunate.

The House is close to correcting this problem, and it is my plea and hope that the Senate will follow suit this week. The IRS recently issued a notice that establishes the tribal gender welfare exclusion. It is a matter of treasury policy, and this is appreciated. It is a step in the right direction, but we want to make certain that this policy is extended and codified.

The general welfare issue should be put into law to protect against future policy changes, and among other provisions this legislation establishes a tribal advisory committee within the Department of the Treasury to advise the Secretary on Indian tax policy and also declares that any ambiguities of the act will be resolved in favor of tribal governments. It directs the IRS field agents to be educated and trained in matters of Federal Indian law and government trust responsibilities.

This is a reasonable commonsense, constitutional piece of legislation. It fosters fairness within our Tax Code and promotes better understanding of the Federal Government's trust relationships.

Four years ago similar exclusion rules for Native Americans' health benefits were passed. We have before us now the opportunity to clarify the exclusion as it should be. This legislation makes a lot of sense. It adheres to the Constitution which recognizes tribes as sovereign nations with the authority to provide for their peoples. This has been affirmed many times by Congress in the past. It is clearly part of our U.S. Constitution.

The economic benefits are obvious. Our tribal territories, reservations, our Native Americans need not be worrying about the onerous IRS audits and should not be paying taxes when no one else is required to pay taxes on similar benefits.

This legislation is revenue neutral, something that is very pleasing. The Joint Committee on Taxation has deemed any impact on the revenue of our Federal Government to be negligible.

As a person who cares a lot about the fiscal condition of our country, we ought to be reducing our deficit and boosting our economy. This piece of legislation does not increase the deficit, and it does boost the economy, particularly of tribes across the Nation. Here in the Senate, Senator Heitkamp and I introduced S. 1507. It is a companion bill to the one the House is considering. This piece of legislation has broad bipartisan support, and more

than 20 Senators from Alaska to Georgia have joined us in this effort.

I am grateful for the members of the Finance Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee who lent their support to this legislation. I am not a member of either one of those committees, but there are four tribes in Kansas and I have an interest in their well-being as well as that of all Native Americans.

Native Americans are not seeking to play here by different rules. In fact, it is quite the opposite. They simply want to enjoy the same benefits accorded any other government in our country. They emphasize to me the principle of tribal sovereignty and self-government. This legislation reinforces those principles.

More than 40 tribes in 24 states, nearly a dozen Indian organizations and a number of regional tribal organizations representing tens of thousands of Native Americans supported this legislation. It is not just Native Americans. In fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has recognized this legislation as one that will foster economic development and supports its passage.

As we are preparing to depart Washington, DC, and take time away from the Nation's Capital, it would be a terrible mistake on our part and a missed opportunity if we don't take advantage of House action this week while the Senate is here in session this week to see that this legislation is approved.

My hope is that this could be accomplished by unanimous consent, and I know Senator Heitkamp and others and I have been talking to members of the committees as well as the leadership of the Senate to see that we accomplish this.

It is a wrong that can be righted. It is a wrong that should be righted quickly and not at a later date. This certainly is one of those pieces of legislation that is a win-win for all.

If we see the House pass the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act, I urge my colleagues to join with me, Senator Heitkamp, and Republican and Democrat Senators who are supportive of this legislation, to see that this legislation arrives on the President's desk in the most expedient manner possible.

I yield the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

I wish to speak for a few moments this afternoon on the topic of veterans and veterans affairs, knowing, or at least expecting a vote later today on a piece of legislation that has now been compromised between the House and Senate versions of the bill, and something that I look forward to supporting.

Honoring Herb Schwartzkopf

First of all, though, I wish to take a moment to honor a Kansas veteran, a veteran who dedicated much of his life to serving our country, whether that was on active duty in the Navy or advocating on behalf of other veterans,

Mr. Herb Schwartzkopf from Ransom, KS.

Mr. Schwartzkopf's many selfless acts began when he served in the Navy in Vietnam. After separating from the service, he returned to Kansas and joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the VFW, which he has been a member of now for more than 35 years. He is considered a life member of the VFW.

Last year the Hutchinson News asked Herb about his life and dedication to serving his fellow veterans. His response was, ``I will talk about the `V,' but I am not going to talk about me.'' The V is Herb's beloved VFW Post, because he is a humble man who has accomplished much and his priorities in life have been taking care of his country and taking care of the veterans who have served his country.

The countless contributions Herb Schwartzkopf has made over 35 years of advocacy for veterans has earned him the highest honor bestowed by the VFW, the All-American Commander of Post 7972 in Ransom, KS. Herb's VFW post serves as a meeting place and a community service hub for the Lions Club meetings and Thanksgiving feasts for the 296 residents of his hometown. It is also a place for raising funds for local cancer patients and victims, helping fund annual Honor Flights to come see the World War II Memorial by Kansas veterans. The 160 members of Post 7972 complete more than 250 service projects and volunteer more than 4,000 hours a year.

His leadership at the VFW post has deservedly won the National Community Service Post of the Year award five times, including 3 years in a row for 2009, 2010, and 2011.

The Ransom VFW's success is a result of true selflessness. As Herb put it: ``If something comes up and somebody needs help, we just try to rise to the occasion.'' It seems only fitting that he has earned this prestigious award as All-American Post Commander.

I pay tribute to him, to his post, his service to our country, and his service to other Kansans, and thank him for that care and concern for other veterans across the country. So I say thank you for your selfless dedication. On behalf of all Kansans, we wish you well and we are fortunate to have you as a citizen of our State and a citizen of our Nation.

Toxic Exposure Research

I also want to speak about legislation today that has been introduced by Senator Blumenthal and me. It is an issue that Senator Blumenthal brought to my attention and today we have introduced the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2014.

We unfortunately live in a nation where men and women volunteer their services to sacrifice and support us to have the strongest, freest, greatest Nation in the world. When servicemembers raise their right hand and take the oath of enlistment or commissioning, they commit their lives to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to protect the freedoms we hold dear.

Standing by their side through combat tours and multiple duty stations around the world is their family. We should and we must acknowledge that their family members are being called to sacrifice for our Nation as well.

The Toxic Exposure Research Act is about addressing the wounds of war that might impact a servicemember's family--wounds that may not be evident for decades later when it is passed on to the next person of their family or the next generation. This legislation would provide for the research on health conditions of dependents of veterans who were exposed to toxins during their service to our Nation such as Agent Orange in Vietnam, gulf war neurotoxins, burn pits in Iraq, or other chemicals from recent conflicts overseas.

I am not a veteran, but my life has been shaped by the fact that the Vietnam war took place during my high school years. Many of my conversations in high school were spent talking to those who were a few years older than I who were volunteering or being drafted, and for those who returned home to my hometown after their service in Vietnam.

During Vietnam, many of our veterans were exposed to Agent Orange and years later many veterans and their families are still struggling with the side effects of that exposure. Agent Orange specifically has been shown to cause birth defects in children of military members who came in contact with the toxin during the Vietnam war. There are other poisons from wars since Vietnam that have led to life-altering health problems and painful tragedies among veterans and their families.

A story of Herb Worthington and his daughter Karen is compelling. Mr. Worthington was drafted to serve in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange. Years after his service came to an end he suffered from many conditions as a proven result of his exposure to Agent Orange. His daughter has battled MS for more than 19 years and has been treated for other conditions such as melanoma and an extremely painful nerve condition. Her life has been handicapped by health problems and various kinds of illnesses which must be studied in connection with the exposure of her father and what he experienced with Agent Orange.

Stories like Mr. Worthington's and his daughter Karen's have been shared all across the country in townhall meetings. I have heard them in stories at home in Kansas and they have been collected by the Vietnam Veterans of America. This is an issue that is important to all veterans. It is important to all Americans that we live up to our commitment to those who serve, and it is time we take necessary steps to help and protect their families now and for generations to come. Many people we will never know may be affected by the consequences of their mother, father, grandmother, or grandfather's service to their country. Clear evidence of unsettling conditions and those personal stories warrant the need to collect data to research and study the consequences of these toxins.

I invite my colleagues to learn more about these conditions and the impact they are having on family members of veterans by checking out a social media page, Faces of Agent Orange, through the Vietnam Veterans Association, VVA. The fact is many symptoms from toxic exposure are misdiagnosed in descendants of veterans because of lack of understanding and lack of scientific proof.

I would ask my colleagues to join us in giving the authority to the Secretary--the new Secretary we confirmed earlier this week--a tool he needs so he can designate a VA medical center as a national center for research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of descendants of individuals or soldiers exposed to toxic substances during their service to our country, during their time as military members.

This legislation would establish an advisory board of experts to advise the national center and the VA Secretary with determining the health conditions studied and those that are a result of toxic exposure.

The Department of Defense has a role to play here in this research, sharing incidents of military members who were exposed to substances, to enhance the studies and outcomes conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Ultimately our hope is this medical research would determine those conditions that are the result of debilitating toxins and lead to appropriate support and benefits, cures and treatments for family members.

Military families support our Nation in their love and commitment to those who served in the Armed Forces, and they should not inherit the painful residual wounds of war that put their lives at risk long after the military operation is over. Toxic exposure research is a necessary step toward making certain our military men and women and their descendants will be properly cared for. It is also a step toward making certain that those toxins are not used in a way that causes this to be repeated again in any future war.

We must keep our promises to our veterans and to their families who have made the greatest sacrifice for the sake of our country, our security, our freedom, and our country's future.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate for approximately 4 minutes.

Madam President, I have been a Member of Congress in both the House and in the Senate, and in my entire time as a Member of Congress I have served on either the House or Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. Over that time I have worked with nine Secretaries of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Today I am here to add my support and ask for the confirmation of someone who I believe will be the next Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Bob McDonald.

I had believed--I do believe--that a change at the Department of Veterans Affairs was necessary. I made clear that we needed to change the leadership at the top, and I believe this change is a good thing for the Department--the management of the Department, but, most importantly, for the veterans whom the Department is to serve.

I also know a change in the leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs in and of itself is insufficient to solve the problems our veterans are facing in access to health care and in the long time our veterans are required to wait to receive their benefits.

I have met with Mr. McDonald in my office. I also, as a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, had the opportunity to listen to him testify and to ask him questions in the confirmation process, and I was completely impressed by his candor, his sincerity, and certainly his commitment to serving our Nation's veterans. He is a leader in the tradition of the 82nd Airborne Paratroopers who are well regarded as the first to be called when there is a military emergency. As they say, when the President calls, the 82nd Airborne will answer. In my view, that is exactly what we have in Mr. McDonald. When the President called, he answered that call. He answered the opportunity to serve the veterans of this country.

When the President needed help, he found someone, in my view, who will dutifully fulfill the responsibilities of being a Cabinet Secretary and work on behalf of our Nation's veterans.

It seems to me there is no certainty in this world in which we know people for brief amounts of time, but it certainly seems clear to me that Mr. McDonald is the right person to lead the VA. He is willing and capable of restoring hope in veterans so they can trust the agency and the Department that was created for their benefit.

I asked the President--I don't know that he ever saw my request or certainly never probably listened to my request, but the plea was please nominate someone from outside the Department of Veterans Affairs. This gentleman, Mr. McDonald, while having

military experience, has a significant background of being the CEO of Proctor & Gamble, and in that position he was well-known for his value- based leadership, believing that ``the best companies and leaders operate with a clear purpose and consistent set of principles or values.''

What the VA must do right now is to dismantle the bureaucracy, break down the culture of indifference, and review its commitment to the core values of the Department. There is no higher calling than to take care of the men and women who served our country.

Mr. McDonald shares that dedication to making certain our veterans have access to quality care--the best our Nation can offer--and he is focused and ready to take on the challenges that lie ahead. At least he convinced me that is the case.

There is now, fortunately, compromise legislation poised to pass both the House and Senate this week that will soon offer veterans more access to the quality care they deserve. Although this legislation is significant, it is impossible for Congress to mandate a change in attitude. Leaders can change attitudes at the Department. Congress does not have the power to control or develop a workforce that treats veterans like patriots, deserving care from a grateful nation, rather than to make them feel as though they are a burden.

Leadership throughout the institution, starting with Bob McDonald at the top, must command the VA to head down a new path of redemption and hope. We must create an agency that is more cost-effective, more compassionate, and more caring toward the veterans it serves. The VA must become an agency that is worthy of the service and sacrifice of our Nation's veterans.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business.

Mr. President, thank you very much.

For 3 weeks we have seen fighting going on in Israel and the Gaza Strip carried on between the Israeli military and Hamas. In both Gaza and Israel lives, unfortunately, are being lost, homes are destroyed, families are devastated, security is threatened, and daily life is polluted by this war.

Since the fighting began, Hamas has made it abundantly clear it is unwilling to behave in any responsible manner. The organization is using civilian areas such as schools and hospitals, mosques and playgrounds, as rocket-launching sites. Caches of rockets have been discovered inside two Gaza schools sponsored by the United Nations. A chance for peace emerged when Egypt put forward a cease-fire plan that Israel agreed to. Hamas refused to cease hostilities. Later Israel agreed to a temporary truce, the pause requested by Hamas to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Gaza. Despite the Israeli cooperation, Hamas quickly violated the cease-fire, resuming rocket launches into Israeli territory.

Hamas's actions seek to kill and terrorize those across the Israeli border while they also do great harm to the people of Gaza. Ending the rocket attacks would hasten an end to the current violence and bloodshed that has taken a disproportionate toll on Gazan lives.

On July 17, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution to express American support for Israeli self-defense efforts and called for an immediate cessation of Hamas's attacks against Israel. S. Res. 498 also serves as a reminder to anyone ascribing legitimacy to Hamas's deadly aggression toward Israel; despite any governing agreement with Fatah and the Palestinian Authority, Hamas's violence is not legitimate in the eyes of the United States of America. Since 1997, Hamas has been included on the U.S. State Department's list of designated foreign terrorist organizations. The group's ongoing attack on civilian targets further justifies this designation.

Hamas's participation in a unity government limits improvements to life in Gaza as American law restricts U.S. aid to Palestinian groups aligned with terrorist organizations such as Hamas. Gaza's poor economic state, which is cited by Hamas as justification for their attacks on Israel, is not at all improved by Hamas's belligerence. Instead, Hamas's strategy of violence only worsens Gaza's economic outlook. Hamas's actions compound the consequences of funding weapons and

smuggling tunnels rather than investing in the future of Gaza and its people, the point being that what Hamas is doing is damaging to the people of not only Israel but to the folks who live in Gaza.

This reality begs observers to question Hamas's commitment to the people it supposedly represents. Since the beginning of the current conflict, Hamas's commitment to violence against Israel appears to be their primary mission, not the care and well-being of their people. Unless cessation of hostilities becomes Hamas's priority, Israel will retain and must retain the right to defend its people and the welfare of those living in Gaza will regretfully continue to deteriorate.

Americans would not tolerate this. We would not. Our constituents would be insistent that we not tolerate the threat of terrorism that Israel faces on a daily basis. Since 1947, attacks from its neighboring Arab States have repeatedly forced Israel to defend its people.

This Senate has and will continue to demonstrate that the United States stands with Israel, especially during these turbulent times as Israel takes necessary action to reduce Hamas's means of terror, to disarm those who stand firmly in the way of a real and lasting peace.

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

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak to the Senate as in morning business.

Madam President, while I was home over the recess, I had the opportunity to visit with lots of Kansans. One of the conversations I had was with a county emergency preparedness director in advance of a Fourth of July parade. He brought to my attention something we had heard just in the last few days about a development at the Department of Defense.

I want to mention to my colleagues and ask them, but ask the agencies involved--which would be the Department of Defense, the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency--to see if we cannot find a solution to a problem that should not be a problem.

In the Presiding Officer's State and mine we have lots of volunteer fire departments. One of the developments over time has been their equipment is excess military equipment that is either loaned or given to those small town fire departments. They are volunteers. In my hometown, the fire whistle blows and men and women from across the community gather at the fire station, get in the truck, and go to the fire and fight the fire.

Their equipment is expensive and the budget they have to fulfill their mission is small. One way they have been able to overcome that small budget and expensive equipment is through the Department of Defense, which has, over a long period of time, donated excess military equipment to the local fire departments. They do this through the State forester. In fact, 95 percent of the communities in Kansas are protected by a volunteer fire department and 50 million acres of land is protected by volunteer fire departments.

Well, 3 weeks ago, the Department of Defense halted the transfer of excess trucks, generators, pumps, and engine parts, based upon emissions regulations and an agreement that apparently exists between the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA, apparently, has to approve the transfer of those vehicles because they may not satisfy the clean air standards. So what seems to me to be a commonsense solution to the need for fire equipment-- including trucks--is now being halted because of concerns of whether those vehicles--those old vehicles no longer used by the Department of Defense--meet the emissions standards.

Well, I would certainly first remind folks that these trucks are very important when there is a fire, but there is not a fire every day. It is not as if these vehicles are on the road in a constant fashion day in and day out. I would also indicate that the fires they put out increase emissions, so the marginal increase in the amount of emissions because you may be using a fire truck that does not meet the emissions standards is well overcome by the fire that burns the grass, the forest, the trees or a home by what that fire puts into the atmosphere.

Since January 1 of this year, there have been nearly 92,000 acres burned in more than 5,000 wild land fires--grass fires--across Kansas.

For most of those rural fire departments, the Federal excess equipment is the only equipment they can afford to handle those natural or manmade disasters.

The Kansas Forest Service, as I said, administers this program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They provided 40 to 50 trucks per year, and they were able to set aside again that number for Kansas--40 to 50 trucks--for Kansas fire departments for this year.

We currently have 445 trucks issued in Kansas, valued at about $21 million, and there are 52 fire departments in Kansas waiting for a replacement truck.

The Department of Defense decision to implement this policy will cost fire departments in Kansas and across the country the opportunity to utilize excess equipment, save lives, and protect property.

My request is that my colleagues who have an interest in this issue work with me and others and help us bring to the attention of the Secretary of Defense, Secretary Hagel, and the EPA Administrator, Gina McCarthy, as well as USDA, which administers the program for the fire departments, that we work together to find a commonsense solution.

Apparently the alternative is if these trucks are not available to be transferred to Kansas and elsewhere, to local fire departments, then the trucks are destroyed, smashed, and somehow disposed of in a landfill. Again, I would suggest that the conservation, the environmental opportunity to see the life of these vehicles extended, as compared to being destroyed, smashed, and disposed of, would work in the favor of the environment as well as in the opportunity to provide safety and security for hundreds of thousands of Kansans, hundreds of thousands of Americans, who depend upon rural fire departments, hometown fire departments, to meet the needs of their safety and security.

It seems to me we are asking for something simple. We need a little common sense and cooperation among an agency and two departments. I would ask my colleagues that you help me find a solution to this problem by getting those agencies, the Department of Defense in particular, to explain why this is a good policy with such detriment to the American people.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, as a sponsor of the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014, I am pleased the Senate has risen to the occasion and come together on this critical legislation. Although I was still in Kansas attending to my family, I would have joined my colleagues in voting aye on Rollcall vote No. 187, a bipartisan plan to help make certain veterans receive the access to quality, timely care they deserve. I will continue to work to address the challenges and problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs so our Nation's heroes have a VA worthy of their service.

Mr. President, thank you.

I certainly appreciate the remarks of my colleague, the Senator from Texas, in regard to honoring those who served our country so nobly and so courageously 70 years ago, as we recognize this weekend the anniversary of that invasion of Europe, called D-day.

We have many veterans in our country, many military men and women who continue to serve and many who now are veterans and have served in the past, and I am here today to pay tribute not only to those D-day military men and women and those who served our country on such a special occasion in which the course of history was changed, but also to pay tribute to all of those who served our country in all circumstances.

I am not a veteran. I have great regard for those who are. My life is shaped by the fact that the Vietnam war was ongoing during my days as a high school student, and much of my time was spent talking to those a few years older than I who were volunteering or who were drafted, and those who were a little bit older than that who returned home after service in Vietnam. I clearly remember as a 16- or 17-year-old watching the evening news, ``CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite,'' and every day the news was consumed with reports from Vietnam, the consequences we found ourselves in, and the sacrifice men and women were making on that battlefield every day.

Again, I didn't serve in Vietnam, but I learned a couple of things from my time observing our country and seeing the sacrifice and service of those who were willing to serve in that war. One of the things I take from that experience is we will always honor, care for, respect those who serve our country in the military in whatever circumstance they have been called to do that.

It was a month ago that I was on the floor on this spot, concerned about the Department of Veterans Affairs and the way our veterans are currently being treated. I asked for a dramatic step of the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit his resignation and for President Obama to accept it. As I indicated a month ago, that was the first and only time as a Senator that I ever asked a Cabinet Secretary to depart his or her position--and I didn't do it lightly--but what had transpired, and what has transpired over a period of time, is a Department of Veterans Affairs that many veterans no longer believe is capable of caring for them. In fact, what was so discouraging and disappointing to me was the number of veterans, men and women who served our country, who had lost faith, who had lost hope in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

That Department was created in 1930 for purposes of providing the benefits and health care supporting those who were called to duty, those who responded to their country's call. I certainly know that throughout the course of history the Department of Veterans Affairs has had its challenges, but what seems so compelling to me over the last several years is the sense that no longer was there a plan, no longer was there the effort to make certain that Department lived up to its commitment to those who previously served our country.

A lot has transpired in the last month, and there is now an Acting Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. And of course we have reports from across the country of secret lists, concerns about waiting times, and the potential of service men and women, veterans, who have suffered as a result of those lists, as a result of having to wait. I guess we will know more about that over the course of time.

I am surprised and disappointed to learn that Kansas hospitals, Kansas facilities, the VA hospital in Wichita is on that list where investigations are now ongoing and where the Department of Veterans Affairs has admitted to a list that delayed access to health care. I would not have expected that in our State. I think we are different. We are special. But the reality is this challenge and the problems we face are systemwide and across the country. What we want is a Department of Veterans Affairs that is worthy of the sacrifice and service of the men and women who served in our military. We don't want damage control from the Department of Veterans Affairs. What we want is the end of damage to those who served our country.

The purpose of my conversation on the floor today is to make certain we don't lose sight. The news cycle comes and goes, and while there are serious issues our country faces in many facets, I don't want this Senate to lose sight of its responsibility to make certain the Department of Veterans Affairs is caring for those who need our care and treatment.

I am worried, and I hope my worries are unfounded. I have only served in

the Senate for 4 years. I have been frustrated by being a Member of the Senate. I came here to work on behalf of Americans, on behalf of Kansans. My plea is--my plea is to the Democratic leaders, to Republican leaders, to individual Senators, whatever party they are: Let's not follow the path we have followed so many times in the short period of time I have been here in which there is a Republican plan to fix a problem and there is a Democratic plan to fix a problem. Surely our veterans deserve something more than each of us being able to say we cast a vote for their benefit. Surely they deserve the opportunity to actually have legislation that will address the challenges and problems the Department of Veterans Affairs has. My plea and my request of all in this body is, for these veterans, to make certain we conduct ourselves in a different way than unfortunately I have seen in most instances as a Senator.

We have this phrase around here, ``Well, we will get a side-by- side,'' meaning there is a Democratic plan and a Republican plan; and when you talk about that. What that means is we never expect either one of those plans to pass. So to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, to Senator Reid, the majority leader of the Senate: Please take us down a path that demonstrates once again the Senate can rise to the occasion and do something worthy of the veterans who have served our country.

Every once in a while in this frustration about the way this place doesn't work, I will put on my running shoes and I will walk down to the Lincoln Memorial. It certainly is an inspiring visit to the Lincoln Memorial, but perhaps more importantly on that walk you now go by the World War II Memorial that memorializes those the Senator from Texas was talking about. You then walk by the Vietnam Wall, the war that was ongoing in my teenage years. On your way back you come by the Korean War Memorial, the forgotten war. What I am reminded of and what I would call to the attention of my colleagues is not a person recognized in any of those memorials volunteered or was drafted for purposes of advancing the cause of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. There was no interest in partisan politics by those who served our country. They served their country because they believed in a higher calling. They believed they could make a difference. They believed it mattered to their kids and grandkids. It was about freedom and liberty. It wasn't about who scores points in the next election.

Please, leaders of the Senate, all of my colleagues, make certain we rise to the occasion, that we have the same standard, the same motivation, the same reason that we come here every day to be the same as theirs: to make America a better place, to make sure our kids and grandkids live with freedom and liberty, to make sure the American dream is alive and well. If there is an issue that we ought to be able to do that, an issue perhaps different than anything else we deal with, surely we have the ability as a Senate to deal with the issues necessary legislatively to resolve and address the problems of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to make certain that every veteran who has served our country has the ability to access quality health care provided in a timely fashion, and that once again the Senate doesn't do what it has done too many times, and that is we all cast a vote and we can claim we have done something, we supported something, but the end result is that nothing happened. Let's avoid nothing happening.

Finally, let me conclude by saying that World War II Memorial is special to me. I have a 98-year-old father home in Plainville, KS, a World War II veteran. I walked up to the World War II Memorial 10 years ago, just a few days before it was being dedicated, and I wanted to see what it was going to look like. It was an inspiring moment. I happened to have my cell phone with me and I walked over to the Kansas pillar and thought about those who served our country in that war, including my dad back home. I walked away from the memorial and used my cell phone to call my dad at home. The message I delivered to my dad that day was: ``Dad, I am at the World War II Memorial. It is a memorial built for you. Dad, I want you to know that I thank you for your service. I respect you and I love you.''

That conversation, fortunately, took place on an answering machine and not in person, and was easier to deliver, although a few minutes later my cell phone rang and it was my dad, who said, ``Gerald, you left me a message, but I couldn't understand it. Could you tell me again?''

The point I want to make is, we are called upon as American citizens and certainly as members of the Senate to do all that is possible to demonstrate that we thank our veterans for their service, we respect them, and we love them. The Senate needs to rise to the occasion and not let the partisan politics of this place and this country divide us in a way in which we only symbolically respond but the end result is that we fail those who served, and we fail our veterans who depend upon us just as we have depended upon them for their service to our country.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

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