Floor Statements

Madam President, I thank the Senator from Illinois for accommodating my ability to speak on the Senate floor this afternoon on what I consider to be a very significant and important topic.

Our country is facing significant financial difficulties. In the coming weeks, the United States will reach its $14.29 trillion limit for borrowing. Unfortunately, this is the 11th time in the past decade that Congress will vote on whether to allow the country to take on even more debt. These financial challenges we face, if left unchecked, will have a disastrous impact upon our country today and upon citizens in the future.

For way too long members of both political parties have ignored this growing fiscal crisis and have allowed

our country to live well beyond its means. Delaying difficult decisions and simply increasing the debt ceiling once again should not be an option. The time to correct our failures is now.

Officials from the Obama administration warn that the failure of Congress to raise the legal debt limit would risk default. But the bigger economic threat that confronts our country is the consequences of allowing our country's pattern of spending and borrowing to continue without a serious plan to reduce that debt. Our out-of-control debt is slowing our economic growth and threatening the prosperity of future generations who will have to pay for our irresponsibility.

In the next three decades our debt very well could grow to more than three times the size of our entire economy. This level of government spending is unsustainable and cannot continue. Our Congress is engaged in a serious and significant debate now about a continuing resolution. That resolution is the result of the failure of the past Congress to pass a budget and appropriations bills to fill in the blanks of that budget. In fact, we are now dealing with the next 6 months of spending, the end of the fiscal year which ends September 30 of this year. We are having an argument about the magnitude of the reductions of spending to include in the final 6 months of this continuing resolution.

I certainly wish to participate in the debate. I admit it is an important issue, but there is more significant issues yet to come. While it is important how we resolve the next 6 months, it is even more important we adopt a budget for the next fiscal year, 2012; that we return to regular order and have an appropriations process in which we can determine levels of spending within that budget, establish our priorities, eliminate programs, decrease spending where appropriate, and move this country to a balanced budget.

In addition to a CR for the next 6 months and to next year's budget and appropriations process, there is looming the more serious consequences of so-called mandatory spending which comprise 56 percent of our entire budget. We have to get beyond the CR debate of today and get to the spending problems of 2012 and beyond and to the issue of so- called mandatory spending that consumes our budget and drives up debt now and in the future.

We need to be responsible and quickly resolve the spending bill for this year and move on to these issues that will determine the future of our country, especially the economic future for citizens today and into the future.

The President ought to consider in his budget--but he didn't--the recommendations of his National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. We have seen, once again, the failure of the budget as proposed by this President to include any of those provisions that his own commission recommended in getting us out of our financial difficulty.

It seems to me that often, at least throughout my lifetime, we have heard the discussion here in Washington, DC--I, as an American citizen, as an observer of the politics and the policies of our Nation's capital, have heard year in and year out about the need to reduce spending, to balance the books, to quit spending so much money, to be more fiscally responsible. Our fiscal house has to be put in order. Those are words I have heard throughout my entire adult life, and yet I am fearful they have once again just become words.

We do not have the luxury of those words meaning nothing this time around. I would suggest there are those who may observe the proceedings of this Congress this year and say: Once again, there is a political debate going on. It is rhetoric between Republicans and Democrats. It is a battle between the House and the Senate, between the Congress and the President, without recognizing this debate has serious consequences to the American people today and into the future.

As I said earlier, spending beyond our means is no longer an option, and the failure of us to address these issues in a responsible manner means the standard of living American citizens enjoy today will be diminished. It means a lower standard of living for every American family. It means an increase in interest rates. It means a return of inflation. It means an increase in our imbalance of payments. It means our trade balance is exacerbated. It means we may follow the path of other countries in the world today that have failed to address these issues, and we will see the circumstances that many countries find themselves in, in which their credit ratings have diminished and their interest rates have risen.

If we fail to respond, if we fail to act as we should, if we let one more time this issue to pass for somebody else to solve because it is so difficult, we will reduce the opportunities the next generation of Americans has to pursue the American dream.

This is not an academic or a political party discussion. It is not a philosophical debate. It has true economic consequences to every American. We are not immune from the laws of economics that face every country, and by the failure to get our financial house in order and borrowing under control, interest rates will rise, our creditors may decide we are no longer creditworthy, and we will suffer the same consequence that countries in our world today are suffering that followed this path.

This is the most expected economic crisis in our lifetime, perhaps in the history of our country. We know what is going to happen if we do not act, and we would be acting so immorally and without responsibility should we look the other way because the politics of this issue are too difficult.

Americans deserve, are entitled to leadership in Washington, DC, to confront these problems and not to push them off to the next generation of Americans, and I am sorry to say that, in my view, to date the President has provided little leadership on what I consider to be this most important issue of my generation.

My interest in public service and politics is one that has lots of beginnings, but what has me committed to public service today is a belief that I and people in my generation--in fact, every American citizen--have the responsibility to pass on to the next generation of Americans the ability to pursue the American dream. Our failure to act today, our failure--to simply raise the debt ceiling one more time-- means we will have abdicated our responsibilities and the burdens will fall to those who follow us. We will have lacked the morality and the courage necessary to do right.

Earlier this week, I informed the President, in correspondence to President Obama on March 22, with these words:

Americans are looking for leadership in Washington to

confront the problems of today, not push them off on future

generations. To date, [Mr. President,] you have provided

little or no leadership on what I believe to be the most

important issue facing our nation--our national debt. With no

indication that your willingness to lead will change, I

[write] to inform you [, Mr. President,] I will vote ``no''

on your request to raise the debt ceiling.

I do that because I believe in the absence of serious and significant spending reductions, in the absence of serious and significant reform in the budget and spending process, in the absence of a constitutional amendment that restricts our ability to spend money we do not have, in the absence of statutory guidelines that tell us we cannot spend and borrow ad infinitum, that our country's future is in grave danger. I do this with a sense of responsibility to Americans today and a sense of responsibility for Americans to come.

I ask the President to provide that leadership, to address the issues of not only this continuing resolution and next year's spending level and the so-called mandatory spending, but also to help us create an economy in which growth can occur, in which business men and women make decisions to employ new workers, and that the American people have the opportunity, when they sit around the dining room table and discuss their future, to know they have the chance to keep the job they have or to find a job they do not have.

That will require the leadership of President Obama and Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate. In the absence of any indication that leadership is going to be provided, and that we are going to be serious in addressing our problems of today, and resolving them for the future, I will vote ``no'' on extending the debt limit.

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

Mr. President, rightfully so, the focus in this Congress is

very much about the economy and job creation, and it is appropriate that we have before the Senate a piece of legislation dealing with small business. We know small business and entrepreneurship is a path to job creation.

We are spending a lot of time in this Senate, in the House, and in Washington, DC, discussing the economy, and one of the things that is front and center today is the need for us to be much more responsible in our spending habits. In my view, the Federal Government is financially broke. Rightfully so, we ought to pass a continuing resolution that reduces spending for the remaining 6 months of this fiscal year. We ought to quickly move to a budget and to an appropriations process that allows for the give-and-take, the consideration of those things that we can afford to spend money on, the things that are appropriately the role of the Federal Government, and find those places in which we can again significantly reduce spending. That is an important aspect of whether we are going to get our economy back on track and jobs created.

I think often we write off what happens in Washington, DC. The American people see us as just Republicans and Democrats having one more battle about spending and deficits. These are things I have heard, topics I have heard discussed my entire life coming out of Washington, DC. The reality is, this is an important issue at an important time in our country's history. In the absence of an appropriate resolution of this spending issue, in my view, the standard of living Americans enjoy today will be reduced, inflation will return, the value of the dollar will be diminished, and the standard of living we have become accustomed to as Americans, as I say, will be diminished. But worse than that, the opportunity for our children and grandchildren to pursue the American dream will be less than what we want it to be, certainly less than what I experienced as an American growing up in this country.

Yes, it is no fun for us, as elected officials, to talk about what needs to be cut, spending that needs to be reduced. I certainly stand willing to work with my colleagues and with the President and others to see we accomplish that goal of reducing spending, and the consequences of that being a better budget picture and a reduced deficit. But there is a positive aspect of what we can do to reduce our budget deficit that goes beyond just cutting spending; that is, to create jobs, to create economic expansion.

The optimism this country needs can be restored by decisions we make in the Congress. Those decisions revolve around a business or an entrepreneur, a small business man or woman's decision that it is time to expand their plant, it is time to invest and put in more equipment, that it is time to hire an additional employee.

In my view, one of the reasons that is not happening is the tax environment that has been created, the uncertainty that we have with what our Tax Code is going to be, the lack of access to credit, the uncertainty our bankers and other financial lenders face in determining whether they can make a loan to a creditworthy customer, and especially the one I want to talk about briefly today, which is the regulatory environment in which the business community finds itself.

This effort by the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases, in my view, is very negative toward job creation in two ways: One, it increases the cost of being in business, and that occurs at a time in which we don't expect other countries to abide by the same regimen that we may create--that our Environmental Protection Agency may create--around the world, that we would not expect other countries to abide by those same rules and regulations the EPA is putting in place.

That means, once again, American workers, American business is at a competitive disadvantage in comparison to those who make decisions about where plants are located, and we lose access to world markets because someone else can sell something cheaper than we can because of rising costs of production.

So even if there is an effort that excludes agriculture or small business from this legislation, the cost of production goes up, because in addition to the direct effect of having those regulations apply to your business, there is the indirect increase in cost related to fuel and energy costs--electricity and gas.

Clearly, to me, if you care about job creation, you would make certain that the Environmental Protection Agency does not head down the path that it is going, because of the increased cost of being in business and the consequence that has for American business to be able to compete in a global economy.

The second aspect of that is, and I think it is one of the real drags on today's recovery from the recession, is the uncertainty. No business person feels comfortable today in making a decision to expand or to put more people to work, to hire an additional employee, to invest in plant or equipment, because they do not know what the next set of regulations is going to do to their bottom line.

So with the uncertainty of this issue, we have had the drag upon our economy with the thought that Congress might pass the legislation labeled cap and trade. It became clear when the Senate adjourned at the end of 2010 that that was not going to happen. But then the uncertainty became, but what is the Environmental Protection Agency going to do?

As I visit plants, facilities across Kansas and talk to family owners of small businesses, manufacturers, the most common question I get from a business owner is, what next is government going to do that may put me out of business? It is unfortunate. It seems as though government is no longer even neutral in regard to the success of a business in the United States but has become an adversary.

I urge my colleagues to support the McConnell amendment. I think it is a clear statement that the Environmental Protection Agency cannot do what it intends to do. It eliminates the uncertainty that a business person faces, and it reduces the cost of being in business in a way that says, we are going to grow the economy and put people to work.

We are going to have a lot of conversation on the Senate floor, we are going to have discussions with the administration, with our colleagues in the House of Representatives, about what spending we are going to cut. And those are difficult conversations. But I come back to the point that we as Americans have the opportunity to be optimistic. What we need to do for us to have a bright future, what we can do to have a positive conversation with the American people about what good things are yet to come, revolves around the fact that we will get rid of onerous regulations that serve no valid purpose in improving our environment and create great uncertainty and ever increasing costs for being in business.

We can have this conversation in a vacuum. But the reality is, our economy does not operate in a vacuum. Our business folks in Kansas and across the country have to compete in a global economy. This legislation that Senator McConnell and Senator Inhofe have offered eliminates that uncertainty, reduces the cost of being in business, and allows us to have optimism about the future of the American economy and, most importantly, optimism for the people who sit around their dining room table wanting to make certain they either can keep a job or find a job.

I see the McConnell amendment as that moment of optimism. The message we send to the American worker, to those who are employed and to those who are unemployed, that this Senate understands that unless we get rid of the impediments toward growing an economy, we have little optimism about the future of job creation.

The McConnell amendment sends that message. It does it in a way that makes a lot of sense for the American economy and for the American worker.

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

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak to the Senate for up to 25 minutes.

Mr. President, I am humbled today to deliver my initial, my very first speech on the floor of the Senate and to discuss a topic of vital importance to our country's future--our Nation's fiscal health.

It is a privilege to join the distinguished Members of this Chamber and to work alongside my friend of nearly 40 years now, Senator Pat Roberts. We met some time ago when I came to Washington, DC, as a summer intern in the summer of 1974 and Watergate for a Congressman named Sebelius. My colleague Pat Roberts was his Chief of Staff and has been my friend since.

I am also humbled to follow in the footsteps of Gov. Sam Brownback and the many who came before him and whose names are etched in this desk where I now stand. I am mindful of their service and particularly that of Senator Bob Dole who served Kansans for nearly three decades in this seat.

During nearly 36 years on Capitol Hill, Senator Dole became known as the leader who worked relentlessly to forge alliances in order to pass significant legislation. Today he serves as a role model for those who have dedicated their lives to public service. I thank Senator Dole for his call yesterday wishing me well today, but I thank him more for his distinguished service to our country and to Kansans. I know that love and respect the people of his hometown of Russell have for him. I will work to honor his legacy.

I grew up just down the road from Bob Dole's hometown in a smaller town, Plainville, a place where folks know their neighbors and look after them. Much of what I know about people I learned early in my life by working at the local hardware store, the swimming pool, the drugstore, and on my paper route. I learned there is good in every person and that satisfaction in life comes from what you do for others rather than what you do for yourself. I learned that each family's joys and sorrows are increased and diminished when they are shared with their neighbors and friends. And I learned what it means to put others first, as my mom and dad always have. I was fortunate to grow up with loving parents who taught me the value of hard work, the importance of education, and the necessity of integrity. In fact, they once made me return the 3 cents I had found when I turned in a pop bottle from my neighbor's back porch.

My dad, a World War II veteran, worked in the oilfields of western Kansas, and my mom, who grew up in the Depression, was the lady you paid your light bill to. They were my Sunday School teachers and my Boy Scout leaders, and they always encouraged me to do my best. My parents worked hard, avoided debt, paid their bills, and wanted to make sure my sister and I would have the chance to pursue our dreams.

I was also fortunate to have many teachers who instilled in me a love for learning and a desire to explore the world beyond our city limits. As a kid, I enjoyed reading about politics and history and government. People such as my fourth grade teacher Mrs. Pruter

helped me to develop an interest in our country and public service. Because of my teachers' interest in me, I am part of the first generation in our family to attend and graduate from college.

Nothing in my background would suggest I would have the opportunity to serve as a Member of the Senate. That says something about our country and the opportunity we as Americans have to dream big and to pursue those dreams. It also says something about my home State and the special way of life we lead.

The pioneering spirit of those who settled our State 150 years ago and tamed the West lives on in Kansas today. We work hard, we come together to find commonsense solutions, and try to make a difference in our communities, our State, and our Nation. We also strive to provide a better future for our kids and grandkids so they can pursue their dreams and reach their goals. This is the reason I got involved in public service, and it is the reason I remain involved today.

Since coming to Congress in 1997, I made a priority to stay connected to the Kansans I represent, so I return home on the weekends. Whether I am at the grocery store, attending church, or filling the tank with gas, the conversations I have with Kansans matter to me and impact the work I do here in Washington. When I served in the House of Representatives, I held annual townhall meetings in each of the 69 counties in my district, following the lead of my predecessor, then- Congressman Pat Roberts. I have continued this tradition as a Senator. I have continued this tradition as a Senator and begun traveling throughout all 105 counties in our State to hear directly from Kansans, and I am committed to making sure their voices are heard in our Nation's Capital.

Last spring in Kansas, I watched our oldest daughter walk across her college graduation stage and it was another defining moment for me. Our country is facing enormous fiscal challenges and if we fail to act, our children's future is at risk. I believe all Members of Congress, and in fact every American, has the responsibility to be a good steward of what has been passed on to us. So at that moment, that graduation event, I renewed my commitment to do my part to turn this country around.

I am one of many voices to express this concern. In 1985, President Reagan took the podium during his second inaugural address and spoke about one of his greatest concerns: our Nation's deficit spending. He told the American people that 50 years of deficit spending had finally brought our Nation to the time of reckoning. He said:

We've come to a turning point, a moment for hard decisions.

We must act now to protect future generations from

government's desire to spend its citizens' money and tax them

into servitude when the bills come due.

I am here today, 26 years later, to issue, unfortunately, the same warning. We are again facing a turning point in our country's history and we no longer can delay difficult decisions. When President Reagan stood and spoke those words, our national debt was $1.8 trillion. Today, that number has soared to $14 trillion--slowing our economic growth and threatening the prosperity of future generations who will have to pay for our irresponsibility.

Our government borrows 40 cents of every dollar it spends and half our national debt is held by foreigners, many who do not share our interests. The simple truth is our Nation's debt is the responsibility of several Congresses and Presidents who have allowed us to live well beyond our means for way too long. Members of both political parties have ignored this growing fiscal crisis and left it up to others in the future to deal with.

In my travels in Kansas I am often asked: How can Washington continue to spend and borrow so much? What will our country be like for our kids and grandkids? I join Kansans in voicing these concerns. In the last 2 years, government spending has grown nearly 25 percent and we have had record trillion-dollar budget deficits. This year, the Federal Government will spend $3.7 trillion and collect $2.2 trillion. That is a shortfall of $1.5 trillion. Common sense--Kansas common sense--tells us that pattern cannot continue.

Some will say we need to raise taxes to get us out of this mess. But the reality is we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. Experience shows us that money raised by Washington, DC, results in more spending in Washington, DC.

The debate about government spending is often seen as a philosophical, academic, or partisan issue, but the truth is out-of- control borrowing and spending has very real consequences on the daily lives of Americans. When we continue to fail to balance the budget, it means increasing inflation, higher interest rates, and uncertainty in the economy, which results in less business investment and fewer jobs.

This is not an academic discussion. It is not a partisan discussion. It is about the future of our Nation. We were not elected to ignore these problems but rather to confront them. Congress can and should do what Kansans do: Make decisions based on solid values and be held accountable for those decisions.

A few weeks ago, the International Monetary Fund issued a report outlining how serious our financial situation has become. America wasn't the only country that came under scrutiny by the IMF. Japan has also fallen behind in its deficit goals. To make matters worse, Standard & Poor's downgraded Japan's credit rating out of concern for the country's ability to tackle their debt. If we do not face realities and take serious steps now to confront this challenge, we will find ourselves in a similar position. The impact will be disastrous, as it has been in Greece and Portugal and Ireland.

Unfortunately, this reality has not yet sunk in in enough places here in Washington, DC. President Obama asked Congress to increase the debt ceiling--allowing our country to take on even more debt. But it would be irresponsible to allow more spending without a serious plan in place to reduce the deficit. Americans are looking for leadership in Washington to help create jobs and get our economy back on its feet. But lately, all they have heard is a lot of partisan rhetoric, and all they have seen is more government spending.

It is time for our government to change direction and to change dramatically. We must work together to restrain spending and to put in place progrowth measures that create jobs by saying both no to more spending and yes to projobs measures. By saying both no to more spending and yes to projobs measures, we will reduce the uncertainty in the marketplace, encourage business investment, become more competitive in the global economy, and--most importantly--create employment.

The best way to get our spending under control is to get a budget and stick to it. One of the basic responsibilities of Congress is to produce an annual budget, yet we are once again operating under a temporary spending measure called a continuing resolution because the Democratic leadership failed to pass a budget plan last year. Congress has taken virtually no step to address this deficit spending. We have to come together and see that we do so, and we must pass a commonsense budget that reduces our deficit this year, next year, and well into the future.

Last month, President Obama sent his 2012 budget message to Congress. Instead of moving toward fiscal responsibility, the proposal contains more of the same borrow-and-spend mentality. It proposes $8.7 trillion in new spending, $1.6 trillion in new taxes, and doubles the national debt by the end of his 4-year term. At no point during the President's 10-year budget projection would our government spend less than it is taking in.

Rather than spend more, we must close the gap between what the government takes in and what it spends. Last month, I introduced the RESET Act to rescind $45 billion in unspent stimulus funds and direct those dollars toward paying down the deficit.

Another commonsense measure I have long supported is a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget. Unfortunately, when Members of Congress are not required to prioritize their spending, they simply borrow more over a long period of time. This proposal--this constitutional amendment--would limit Federal spending to 20 percent of gross domestic product and require a two-thirds majority of Congress to raise the taxes. By forcing Congress to be disciplined, to live within a budget, we will turn away from record deficits and back to fiscal responsibility.

In addition to living by a responsible budget, we must also address our long-term unfunded liabilities, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Last year, mandatory spending made up 56 percent of our entire budget. This percentage will only increase in the years ahead as more Americans retire and fewer workers are there to replace them. Already, Social Security pays out more than it collects and its total debt will increase over $\1/2\ trillion in the next 10 years. Medicaid spending consumes nearly a quarter of State budgets and will further burden States that are now required to pay for the vast Medicaid expansion found in the recent health care reform law. Furthermore, Medicare's unfunded liabilities are $37 trillion. This staggering sum is nearly three times the amount of our current national debt.

This challenge cannot be ignored any longer. We must pursue change and reform, but it will take the leadership of President Obama and the willingness of both political parties. We are ready to have that conversation with the President and we expect his leadership.

Finally, history shows economic growth starts with the private sector, so Congress must create an environment where entrepreneurship and business can flourish. Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and have generated 65 percent of the new jobs over the last two decades. They also employ half our private-sector workers. Clearly, small business is the engine of job creation and critical to our country's economic success.

As I tour plants in Kansas, business owners say: What next? What next harmful thing is Washington, DC, going to do that puts me out of business? For too long, Washington has increased the regulatory and tax burden on businesses at the expense of jobs. Mountains of government regulations and higher taxes are undercutting any efforts to create jobs and erodes our global competitiveness, especially in the manufacturing, agricultural, and energy sectors. Rather than hiring new workers, businesses are spending their resources on complying with ever-changing regulations and increased taxes or, worse, those businesses are leaving our country.

We need to be doing all we can to put people back to work and grow the economy, and that includes replacing our convoluted Tax Code and eliminating bureaucratic intrusion into our free market economy.

Maintaining a strong business environment at home must be coupled with opening new foreign markets for American goods and agricultural commodities around the world. In today's global economy, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while other countries move forward. Each day that passes, we risk losing more of our markets and our market share to competing nations.

Across our country, thousands of Americans depend upon exports for jobs, including more than one-fourth of all manufacturing workers in Kansas. By increasing our Nation's exports, we will create jobs and opportunities for all Americans, without raising taxes or increasing the Federal budget. While our Nation's unemployment rate hovers between 9 and 10 percent, it is simply inexcusable to not do what we know we can do that will create jobs in America.

One commonsense way to open more markets is to pass trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, which have been stalled in Congress. While Congress dithers, Colombia has moved forward on trade deals with Canada, Chile, the EU, Brazil, and Argentina--to name a few of our competitors. Comparably, tariffs have caused American farmers to lose nearly 20 percent of total agricultural markets in Colombia over the last 5 years. It is past time to pass these trade agreements and create more markets and, therefore, more jobs for Americans.

For the United States to remain competitive in a global market, Congress must also develop a comprehensive energy policy that allows for an ample energy supply which is both affordable and reliable. Rising gas prices and recent events in the Middle East have demonstrated once again the importance of having access to a reliable energy supply. No simple form of energy can provide the answer. To meet our country's energy needs we must develop traditional sources of oil, natural gas, and coal, encourage the development of renewable energy sources such as biofuels, wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower, expand the use of nuclear energy, and encourage conservation.

Lastly, we need to repeal the flawed health care law and replace it with commonsense changes that reduce increasing costs and promote choice in our health care system, such as increasing competition in the insurance market, giving States the flexibility to address the health needs of their unique populations, enacting medical liability reform, and enabling small businesses to pool together to offer coverage at lower prices. These ideas have bipartisan support and are backed by the American people because we know they will work.

Congress should be an ally of the people, not an adversary. Congress has a responsibility to create an environment where the free market can succeed, so business can move forward with confidence and start creating jobs again.

In Washington, DC, it is often easy to forget what is most important in the midst of all the talk of partisan politics, the next election or the latest poll. When I need a reminder, I will talk a walk--and I will walk from this magnificent Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. Between those two points, I pass the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, and on the way back I will walk by the Korean War Memorial. These memorials to our citizen soldiers help put everything in its proper perspective. Our freedoms are so important that our Nation's sons and daughters were willing to risk their lives to defend and protect them. These brave men and women didn't sacrifice for Republicans or Democrats; they gave their lives for the greater good of our country and to ensure their children and grandchildren would also experience American freedom and liberty.

We have before us an opportunity--an opportunity to set aside the game of politics and to work together to confront the enormous challenges before us. Whether we have the courage to tackle our fiscal crisis now will determine the course of our country's future for the next generation.

I stand ready to work with my colleagues in this chamber to do what it takes to get our economy back on track. Americans are known for their enterprising spirit and strong resolve, and our country will recover when we begin to live within our means and create a pro-growth business and jobs environment.

Last month, we recognized the 100th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's birth. It was a fitting time for all Americans to honor the memory of a man whose leadership guided our country through many challenges. Our 40th President believed in the greatness of America. He believed in the principles of individual liberty, self-government and free enterprise. And he believed there ``are no limits to growth and human progress when men and women are free to follow their dreams.''

It is with that same optimism and hope for the future that I stand before you today. I didn't come to Washington for personal glory. I came to Washington because I believe we have the responsibility to be good stewards of what we have been given and to pass on to the next generation the life we love and lead. We know what American can and should look like.

When I took the oath of office, I pledged to support and defend the United States Constitution and to faithfully fulfill the duties of this office--so help me God. I will continue to seek His help and His guidance in the days ahead, knowing that in Him all things are possible.

As I humbly begin my new responsibilities, I remain committed to leading with Kansas common sense, and to making the tough choices necessary today, so that tomorrow--and every day thereafter--our children and grandchildren can live in an America that provides them the opportunity to dream big and pursue those dreams.

If I am successful, I will have fulfilled my responsibilities. If I am successful, I will have fulfilled my responsibilities as a parent, just like my mom and dad, and as an American who believes our country's better and brighter days lie ahead.

I yield the remainder of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise to support the legislation introduced by the gentleman from Washington, and I appreciate his explanation for what this legislation does. I am here to encourage my colleagues both in the House and the Senate to support this legislation to level the playing field in the Air Force tanker competition. This is an unending story, presumably. It has gone on for a long time. But at this stage in the process, we need to make certain that there is fairness. We need fairness for our workers, fairness for American companies, and fairness for the American taxpayer.

Earlier this year, the World Trade Organization found that European governments are guilty of providing nearly $6 billion in illegal subsidies to Airbus to develop aircraft. These subsidies can put our American workers at a disadvantage in the world marketplace. Tens of thousands of U.S. aerospace jobs have already been lost overseas; the Department of Defense, we risk job loss in the $35 billion tanker competition with these subsidies. In Wichita, Kansas, alone, where the finishing center for the new Boeing tanker will take place, the tanker contract could mean 7,500 jobs.

Common sense today tells us that when we are so desperate for employment in the United States, we need to make certain that the competition we are engaged in is based upon fairness. But even with the WTO decision, the Department of Defense has ignored the facts. The Pentagon must not be working against millions of Americans who are looking for work, nor should our own government ask American taxpayers to foot the bill for a European economic stimulus.

The Defense Level Playing Field Act tells the Pentagon it can no longer close its eyes to the unfair European subsidies. This bill says that the tanker bidding process must be conducted fairly. Its intent is to require the DOD to take into account the price impact of illegal European subsidies. It makes sure that there is a level playing field so that no bidder, whether it's foreign or domestic, has an unfair competitive advantage.

American aerospace workers are ready to support our men and women in uniform with the best tanker, and they must be given a fair opportunity to do so. Please join me in standing up for the American worker and for the U.S. taxpayer by voting favorably for the Defense Level Playing Field Act.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, once again, I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate very much the comments that have been made today on the House floor.

Economically, there is no more important issue in the State of Kansas than the success or at least the opportunity to have success in this contract bidding process. It has been a long time that we have been waiting, and I hope the gentleman who spoke earlier who indicated that we are on the verge of a decision is accurate. This would be a great development, not only for the people of our State but for the people of our country if we learn that there are jobs to be created and that there is a manufacturing base to be further developed in the United States.

I very much appreciate the gentleman from Washington's indication that this bill is about a level playing field. It is not about awarding the contract. It is about giving fairness to the bidding process.

I hope that we have the opportunity, if the Senate will also pass this legislation again on the verge of a decision, to once again remind the Department of Defense of their responsibility to the will, not only of Congress for a level playing, but to the rightness of this cause, to the sense of fairness, for the right of justice, and for building the opportunity of job creation in this country, not only today but tomorrow as well.

With that, Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller).

(Mr. MILLER of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I thank the gentleman for his comments.

I would point out to the House that an amendment to the defense authorization bill of a similar nature passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 408-10.

I would let the gentleman from Washington know that I have no other speakers and am prepared to close.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman from Washington for his comments today and look forward to this bill's passage. I encourage my colleagues to vote for it.

I, too, would like to recognize the work of my colleague from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt) in his efforts on this topic over a long period of time and appreciate his leadership on behalf of the people of Kansas on this and many other issues.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in memory of my friend, Ross Beach. The House rules only allow me 5 minutes to speak, and it's difficult to summarize anyone's life in such a short time, but impossible to do justice to the life of Mr. Beach.

Ross passed away this weekend at his home at the age of 92. Ross was defined by family and friends, business success, and charity.

A lifelong Kansan, Ross received his education in my hometown of Hays. Following a childhood upbringing in the oil and gas fields of western Kansas, Ross enrolled at Kansas State University, where he met and later married the love of his life, Marianna Kistler. They were married in 1941. Ross's service as a naval aviator during World War II sparked an interest in flying that would continue throughout his life.

Ross was a pioneer in our State in banking, radio and television, and in oil and gas. His many professional endeavors created jobs and economic opportunity for many Kansans. He was the president of Kansas Natural Gas Company and chairman of the board of Douglas County Bank. His success in the business world was overshadowed only by his and his wife's generosity. Ross and Marianna are among our State's most prolific supporters of arts and education--the greatest supporters that perhaps we will ever see in our State. On the campus of Fort Hays State University, the Beach family helped fund the Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center, and Ross's generosity made possible the construction of the nationally renowned Sternberg Museum of National History.

The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art on the campus of Kansas State University bears the name of Mrs. Beach, which was named for her in commemoration of their 50th wedding anniversary. My wife, Robba, and I have been honored to serve on the board of visitors at the art museum that bears the Beach name, and we're able to witness firsthand the passion and commitment Ross and Marianna had for culture and the arts in Kansas. On the campus of the University of Kansas, Ross assisted in the formation of the Beach Center on Disability, where Kansans with disabilities and their families are helped to lead healthier and more productive lives.

Kansans from all walks of life have benefited from Ross's compassion to others and his service to community. He was recognized on many, many occasions, including his designation as Kansan of the Year in 2002; the President's Award from Kansas State University in 1989; and, along with his wife, the Citations for Distinguished Service from both the University of Kansas and Fort Hays State University.

Despite his stature in our community and State, Mr. Beach always treated every person he encountered with respect and dignity. Anyone who met Ross easily became a lifelong friend. As a young newlywed couple starting out our 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 couple than the Beaches.

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 of sports and politics, I learned a lot more about life by listening to Mr. Beach. From our earliest meeting to just last month, he was my friend and adviser. I hate the thought that no longer do I have the ability to pick up the phone and see what Mr. Beach thought of one of my ideas or to discuss what was going on in our small-town neighborhood or what was happening on the world stage.

My friendship with Mr. Beach certainly opened doors in business and politics; but, more importantly, he gave me the confidence to realize that this small-town Kansas kid could one day be able to serve his State and the Congress of the United States of America.

While my family and I are saddened by the death of Ross Beach, we take comfort in knowing the legacy of Mr. Beach will endure far beyond our own generation. While Ross Beach may have donated his talents and treasure, it is his caring nature and generous soul that I and many others will miss most. To Marianna and daughters Mary McDowell and husband Gary; Terry Edwards and husband R.A.; and Jane Hipp and husband Steve, I offer my deepest sympathies. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life of a man dedicated to service and committed to making Kansas and America a better place to live and work.

We are told to whom much is given much is expected. Ross Beach more than fulfilled this expectation, and I'm honored this evening to pay tribute to an amazing, larger-than-life man that I had the fortune to know for nearly 35 years. The man who loved to fly soared throughout his life and landed safely on heaven's shore.

Madam Speaker, on October 10th, the Republic of China and Taiwanese Americans will celebrate National Day. The holiday, also known as Double Ten Day, marks the start of an uprising that led to the establishment of the Republic of China. Similar to Independence Day here, National Day is celebrated with parades and firework displays.

As the Republic of China, or as most Americans know it--Taiwan, celebrates its 99th anniversary, the people of Taiwan have much to be proud of. Taiwan is a modern democracy with a strong, advanced economy, and a proud culture.

But, like most any other country, Taiwan must remain vigilant in defending its 23 million citizens. Since passage of the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979, the United States has been an ally of Taiwan, helping it meet its defensive needs. Working in partnership, we can continue to meet the security challenges in East Asia to ensure peace and stability.

I therefore, urge all my colleagues to join me in congratulating Taiwan on its proud 99-year history.

I thank the gentleman from Florida.

My amendment that was proposed to the Rules Committee is one of those that's been denied under this very closed rule.

This appropriation bill does much to honor our Nation's commitment to veterans who have sacrificed for our freedoms, but I'm concerned that our own government is unfairly taking away freedom from those veterans.

Many Americans should be shocked to learn that an outrageous Department of Veterans Affairs process is arbitrarily stripping the Second Amendment rights of veterans and their families who simply receive assistance managing their financial affairs. I offered an amendment to reform the VA practice that wrongly denies gun ownership rights to veterans. Despite the

support for this change by a number of veterans organizations, like the American Legion, as well as the National Rifle Association, I am disappointed that the majority did not allow my amendment to go forward and be heard and offered on the floor today.

Federal law prohibits certain individuals from possessing firearms because they pose a danger to society or themselves, such as convicted felons, illegal aliens, and those who are adjudicated mentally ill. The Brady Act requires the FBI to maintain a database of these individuals called the National Instant Criminal Background Check System which prevents them from purchasing firearms.

Over the past 10 years, the VA has sent names of over 100,000 veterans, their spouses, and their children to the FBI, not because they pose any danger, but simply because the VA determined they could not handle their VA benefits. The VA appoints fiduciaries to help veterans who, for example, have a credit problem or who cannot manage their financial affairs due to health reasons.

The VA's review process for assigning a fiduciary only examines a veteran's financial responsibility and does not look at whether the veteran is a danger to himself or others. But when veterans are appointed fiduciaries, the VA automatically deems them as ``mentally defective'' and forwards their names to the FBI. Without so much as a hearing, these veterans are then prohibited by law from purchasing firearms. By comparison, the Social Security Administration has assisted over 5 million beneficiaries with their finances, but the Social Security Administration does not send those names to the FBI.

It is wrong to take away any veteran's constitutional right to keep and bear arms simply because they cannot manage their financial affairs. My amendment would have ended this unjust practice. The amendment would have required that before the VA can forward the veteran's name to the FBI, an appropriate judicial authority must rule that the veteran poses a danger to himself or to others should he own a firearm.

I am disappointed my amendment was denied, and as a result veterans will continue to be denied their due process and constitutional rights. I encourage my colleagues to support legislation that I and the gentleman from Texas have introduced called the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, H.R. 2547, to correct this wrong and restore gun rights to our country's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the job- killing bill, H.R. 4173, the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. All this so-called financial reform legislation accomplishes is to heap additional regulations and burdens upon community financial institutions which, by and large, were not the cause of the financial crisis. Even worse, this legislation doesn't adequately address the issue of too big to fail for Wall Street firms that were the root of the problem.

The added regulatory cost on the community banks in this bill will further slow job growth in our economy. In Kansas, this will especially hurt businesses and farmers and ranchers that need loans from their community banks to help make payroll and grow their crops. The added costs of the regulations and increased capital requirements on these financial institutions will lead to an even worse credit market.

Mr. Speaker, Congress should reject the bill and pass commonsense legislation that addresses the problems of Wall Street that caused our financial crisis, not add further regulation and costs to Main Street.

Mr. Speaker, I want to share a story about the value of studying history, the importance of great teachers, the power of educating students, and the glory of a life lived in service to others.

In 1999, Norm Conard, a history and social studies teacher in Uniontown High School in southeast Kansas came across a clipping from U.S. News and World Report explaining the story of Irena Sendler, who helped rescue as many as 2,500 Jewish children during the Holocaust. Mr. Conard, along with his students, ninth graders Megan Stewart, Elizabeth Cambers, Jessica Shelton, and 11th grader Sabrina Coons, wondered if the article could just be a misprint.

Mr. Conard encouraged his students to participate in the National History Day and learn more, find out the answer. An initial Internet search found just one additional article about Irena Sendler, but the students dug deeper and discovered an amazing story that was nearly lost to history.

While searching for Irena's resting place, the students discovered that she was, in fact, alive. After many letters were exchanged, the Kansas students traveled to Poland to meet Irena in 2001, and they were able to visit with her about her heroic work during the Holocaust.

Irena Sendler was a Catholic social worker living in Poland when the Nazis first invaded Warsaw. As early as 1939, Irena began helping Jews by offering food and shelter and falsifying documents. When the Nazis erected the Warsaw ghetto in 1940 to imprison 450,000 Jews, Irena and her collaborators created false papers allowing them access in and out of the ghetto.

During World War II, Irena helped 2,500 Jewish children escape from near certain death by sneaking them out of the ghetto. Irena took these children to Polish families, orphanages, and convents and recorded a list of their names to ensure that their identities were preserved so that after the war she could help reunite them with their parents. After the records were nearly discovered in her home by the Gestapo, she put them in jars and buried them.

In 1943, Irena was arrested by the Nazis and placed in prison and interrogated and tortured. When pressured about the names and locations of those she helped, Irena gave a false story that she had created in the event of her capture. She was sentenced to death. Unbeknown to her, a group called Zegota quietly negotiated with the Nazi executioner for her release. Despite her escape, the Nazis publicized Irena's death throughout the city. For the remainder of the war, Irena remained hidden, just like the children she had helped.

After the war ended, she dug up the jars and worked to reunite the children with their parents. Unfortunately, sadly, most of the parents died in the Holocaust.

The Uniontown students used Irena's story as an inspiration for a play called ``Life in a Jar'' to honor her contributions and to share her story with the world. Since 1999, these students, along with others from southeast Kansas, have presented ``Life in a Jar'' to over 270 venues around the world, including a performance in Warsaw. They have also performed for Holocaust survivors, many of whom were saved by Irena.

Since the students' discovery, Irena has received international recognition for her brave work. She was awarded the 2003 Jan Karski Award for Valor and Courage. She was recognized by Pope John Paul II and the President of Poland. Additionally, Irena was considered for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Irena passed away in 2008 at the age of 98.

The students' legacy lives on in Kansas as well. Mr. Conard was awarded a grant from the Milken Family Foundation to build a center in Fort Scott, Kansas, committed to the teaching of the importance of respect, understanding, and religious tolerance, and to develop diversity projects about unsung heroes like Irena Sendler. The Lowell Milken Center also provides

Holocaust lesson plans to teachers and uses ``Life in a Jar'' to demonstrate what students are capable of achieving. In addition, the Center has also produced a DVD to share Irena's story. Funds raised by the performance of the play and the DVD are for the care of those who worked to rescue Jewish children in Poland, like Irena.

When the students from Kansas met Irena, she told them they were ``continuing the effort she began 50 years ago'' and expressed appreciation, as we should, for their work to make this piece of history known. Now their efforts to share this story inspire others.

It is the hope of the project that all who learn of Irena Sendler's efforts to save the children of Poland will embrace their classroom motto, ``He who changes one person changes the world entire.''

Mr. Speaker, today we have before us the toughest, most comprehensive Iran sanctions ever considered by Congress, and I pray that we're not too late.

Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, funding and arming terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. It has already produced enough low enriched uranium to produce two nuclear weapons. And since February, Iran has been converting its low enriched uranium to a level of 20 percent, which represents 85 percent of the work necessary to produce weapons-grade fuel.

This legislation imposes critical energy and financial sanctions that, if implemented, will make Iran think twice--at least we hope and pray will they will think twice--about continuing their illegal nuclear program.

There is a key to all of this: These sanctions must be implemented. For too long, our efforts to stop Iran have been half-hearted. Our determination to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability must exceed Iran's determination to get a bomb. President Obama must immediately enforce these sanctions. We cannot and must not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons capability.

I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding.

I traveled to Colombia in April of 2008 to see our U.S.-Colombia partnership at work. Colombia has overcome many, many challenges and more remain, and it's essential that the United States continue a positive relationship with this critical ally in South America.

While it's good we're here today to discuss and pass this nonbinding resolution in support of Colombia, the better way to show our support for the Colombian people is to approve a still pending--4 years now-- trade agreement. It has been nearly 4 years since the FTA, the free trade agreement, was signed, and yet Congress has failed to act. The longer we wait to approve the free trade agreement, the more we alienate this important ally and harm the American economy.

Currently, over 90 percent of Colombian goods enter our country duty free, but U.S. goods, including wheat and other agriculture commodities, are assessed at significant tariffs upon their entry to Colombia. If the Colombian Free Trade Agreement was approved, duties on U.S. wheat would immediately be eliminated, creating new opportunities for wheat exports.

It's harvest time in Kansas, and new market access is critical for Kansas wheat farmers who are encountering growing wheat supplies and declining prices. Unable to move wheat on the world market, grain elevators are dropping cash prices paid to our local farmers.

I support this resolution, but it is not a substitute for what we ought to be doing, approving the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

Madam Speaker, I state the obvious. The Federal Government has failed when it comes to immigration. It is no surprise that Arizona is stepping forward to do the job the Federal Government has not done.

Our country is a nation of laws, and they must be enforced. Whether or not this administration likes it, it is a Federal crime not to carry status documents in the United States. If they would read it, administration officials would know that Arizona's new law gives local law enforcement the authority to enforce our laws by making it a State crime for illegal immigrants to fail to carry such documents.

Despite all of the misinformation and criticism, 71 percent of Arizonans, who live with this problem every day, support the new law. Though, it's not just Arizonans who are fed up with the government's failure. Many Kansans share their concern, and they support their efforts.

It is the responsibility of the President to defend the United States and its people. Rather than agreeing with foreign criticism, President Obama should stand with the American people who are demanding that the Federal Government address this problem and secure our border.

Madam Speaker, I rise and join my colleagues here today to recognize a group of young women from Kansas who exemplify the meaning of teamwork: the 2010 Emporia State University Lady Hornets, who this year won the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship.

Teams in my home State of Kansas and across the plains know the Emporia State University Lady Hornets all too well. Under the direction of Head Coach Brandon Schneider, the Lady Hornets have developed into a powerhouse of women's college basketball from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, the MIAA.

Heading into the 2009-2010 season, Coach Schneider had led the Lady Hornets to 10 NCAA tournament appearances, six MIAA regular season conference championships, three MIAA tournament conference championships, four NCAA South Central Regional Championships, and two NCAA Division II Final Four appearances. Moreover, at the conclusion of this season, Emporia State University had been ranked as the NCAA Division II Top 25 for the last 13 seasons and has been ranked in the top 10 in weekly polls for a total of 125 weeks since 1998, more than any other program in the country.

So what's the secret to success with this program? Ask anyone at Emporia State University, and they will point out that the young women are more than just a collection of basketball players. As the 2009-2010 Women's Basketball Media Guide explains: ``Being part of a women's basketball program is special because not only do the Lady Hornets come together to win games on the court, but they also come together as a family off the court.''

Even while players have been selected to the All-MIAA team, the MIAA- All Tournament team and even the Division II All-American Team, being a part of the Lady Hornets is not about the individual accolades, it is about teamwork, and teamwork has been their recipe for success.

Expectations were high for the 2010 season. And the Lady Hornets did not disappoint. They began the season by winning 19 of their first 20 games and were ranked as high as number four in the national polls. However, they lost three of their last five games, including the second round upset in the MIAA tournament in Kansas City. Their season seemed to be heading off track. Most teams with such high hopes and high expectations would have easily lost that hope, but the Lady Hornets were determined to overcome these setbacks and never let their dream of becoming a national championship team die.

After a quiet trip home from Kansas City to Emporia following the loss, and a little time together, the team refocused on their ultimate goal and traveled to Canyon, Texas, for the South Central Regional. Emporia State University dominated the regional and left West Texas with a ticket to the Elite 8 where the Hornets would next meet some of their fiercest competition of the year.

After wins against the number 3-ranked Michigan Technological University Huskies and the number 1-ranked Gannon University Lady Knights, the Hornets headed to the national championship game. On March 26, 2010, the Lady Hornets defeated the Fort Lewis Skyhawks by a score of 65-53 to capture their first-ever women's basketball championship.

Emporia State University athletes, coaches, students, alumni, faculty, and fans have much to be proud of after a season of hard work and dedication. After appearances in six national championship games in four sports, this is the first national championship in any sport since being crowned the 1984 MIAA Women's Softball National Champions. But this victory is special because it a testament to the power of teamwork. Good teams are able to overcome adversity, and that is exactly what the 2010 Emporia State University Lady Hornets managed to do en route to a national championship.

Congratulations to the Lady Hornets team, seniors Cassondra Boston, Jamie Augustyn, Lacy Corker, and Sophia Lenard; juniors Ashley Ferrell, Negesti Taylor, Kayla Krueger, Dava Logsdon, and Alli Volkens; sophomore Brittney Miller; and freshmen Rachel Hanf, Jocelyn Cummings, and Kelsey Newman. Congratulations to the ESU coaches, head coach Brandon Schneider and assistant coaches Jory Collins and Kiel Unruh.

Also, ESU athletic director Kent Weiser and ESU president Michael Lane deserve credit for all of their support of the team, as does assistant athletic director for media relations Donald Weast. Finally, congratulations to the Emporia State fans, some of the most dedicated in all of college basketball who have waited a long time for this accomplishment.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in commending the outstanding accomplishments of the 2010 Emporia State University Lady Hornets, a truly great team of players who know there is no ``I'' in team. Please join me in supporting H. Res. 1292 today.

I thank the gentlewoman from Kansas for yielding to me. It's one of the rare occasions in which all four Members of the House delegation from our State are together on the floor. And I am honored to be here with my colleagues.

For nearly 130 years, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, has played a central role in educating military commanders and producing world leaders. Many of this college's alumni are the legendary names that my generation grew up reading about and who continue to inspire us and our country today: Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Arnold, Bradley.

The legislation we consider today, introduced by my colleague, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) directs the Mint to create a coin in recognition of these 5-star generals. The proceeds will benefit the nonprofit foundation formed in 2005 to enhance the education programs offered at the Command and General Staff College.

Ret. Gen. Gordon Sullivan described the Command and General Staff College as the intellectual heart of the Army. Part of what makes the heart beat so strong in recent years is the Command and General Staff College Foundation. Under the leadership of Ret. Col. Bob Ulin, the foundation has successfully supported our country's oldest and largest military staff college by offering many programs and activities to promote excellence. This success was recently acknowledged with a tremendous pledge by Ross Perot for two new education initiatives.

With no shortage of threats today from around our world, our country is demanding much from those who serve us in uniform. Our servicemembers deserve the best education and training to accomplish these missions.

The proceeds of these coins will help ensure that we meet this commitment to America's military men and women.

I want to especially acknowledge my fellow Member from Kansas, the Honorable Lynn Jenkins, for her work in moving this legislation forward. I also want to thank my friend and colleague, Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell, who personally secured many of the bill's 300 cosponsors. Mr. Boswell is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran and a former instructor at the college. Last week I had the pleasure of watching him be inducted into Fort Leavenworth's Hall of Fame. Congratulations and best regards to my colleague from Iowa (Mr. Boswell) on this great honor.

This legislation both honors these great soldiers and alumni of the Command and General Staff College, but also helps the college continue its vital mission of professional military education. I urge my colleagues' support.