Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to the city of Erlanger, KY, which is the recipient of the 2006 Award for Municipal Excellence at the National League of Cities' Congress of Cities. This city's Tiered Advanced Life Support System Program for Emergency Medical Services earned Erlanger the Gold Award, which is presented to cities that have a population below 50,000 people. By winning this prestigious award, the Erlanger Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services, EMS, team exhibit the power of hard work as well as their dedication to their community while serving as an example to the rest of the United States.

Since 1989, the goal of the Awards for Municipal Excellence has been to recognize cities that improve the lives of citizens in their communities. These awards identify and feature outstanding city and town programs that show innovation in enhancing the quality of life in America's communities.

The fire department and city of Erlanger recognize the need to have paramedic response and transport capabilities for the safety and welfare of the citizens in its community of 17,000 people. After debating several options, they found a fire service-based EMS delivery model that was affordable and could be enacted immediately. This model provides two cross-trained EMS firefighters on a transport rescue unit, followed by a cross-trained firefighter paramedic in a staff car who can assist and ride in the rescue ambulance with the patient. If the patient does not need advanced life support, the paramedic is ready to respond immediately to the next emergency call. This model delivers the best medical care available and keeps more firefighters on the street to deliver the highest quality fire protection. This joint partnership has made a positive difference in both fire and EMS delivery services in the community of Erlanger.

I congratulate the city of Erlanger, KY, for receiving this Award for Municipal Excellence. By using an innovative approach to address an important community need, they have created this outstanding program. This cutting-edge approach to community emergency response shines as a model for all communities in Kentucky and the United States. This is a true example of Kentucky at its finest and a leadership example to the entire Commonwealth.

Mr. President, today I pay tribute to John and Jill Mahan, an exceptional young couple from Kentucky who are the recipients of the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers National Achievement Award. By winning this prestigious award, the Mahans exhibited an unprecedented passion and skill for farming, beating out competition from across the United States.

The American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers National

Achievement Award is presented to young farmers and ranchers across the United States who demonstrate knowledge and achievement in agriculture, as well as a steadfast strength and goal of promoting the agricultural community. With the average age of American farmers increasing steadily as the years go by, it is refreshing to see a young couple like the Mahans embrace the financial and labor-intensive plight that is common in the field of agriculture.

The Mahans own 523 acres of a 2,000-acre farm near their home in Lexington, KY. With the changing needs facing farmers, they quickly learned to diversify their production options and create alternatives for income. Currently, the Mahans produce burley tobacco, beef cattle, wheat, soybeans, corn, and alfalfa. This forward-thinking approach to the ever-changing agriculture market is a clear reason this couple experiences continued success in their farming career.

I congratulate John and Jill Mahan on this prestigious award from the American Farm Bureau. By winning this national award, they have shown the rest of the Nation the strength of the agricultural community in Kentucky along with their personal dedication to their remarkable careers in farming. They are true examples of Kentucky at its finest.

Madam President, today I pay tribute to LaMesa Marks-Johns of Louisville, KY, for being recognized as one of America's top educators in the 2006 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards.

The annual Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award was established in 1985, and recipients consist of a network of teachers, principals, and specialists who serve as experts for policymakers seeking to improve the quality of teachers and public education. Award recipients assist in developing comprehensive strategies and policies to ensure that every child receives the highest quality educational experience possible.

Ms. Marks-Johns, a teacher at Shacklette Elementary School, has been recognized by the Milken Family Foundation for her continuing efforts to provide educational experiences in the classroom. She inspires her students to achieve academically and contribute to the community. Ms. Marks-Johns sets an example of leadership for both colleagues and students alike.

I now ask my fellow colleagues to join me in thanking Ms. Marks-Johns for her dedication and commitment to education. In order for our society to continue to advance in the right direction, we must have teachers like LaMesa Marks-Johns in our schools, in our communities, and in our lives. She is Kentucky at its finest.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Coal-to- Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2007.

For too long, America has ignored its energy security. Many of us can remember the energy crises of the 1970s. We were held ransom by a monopolistic oil cartel and forced to endure shortages, gas lines, and high prices. In the early 1980s, just as America began to invest in alternative fuels, the oil-producing states of the world crashed prices to make new technology uncompetitive.

During most of the last 25 years, we have enjoyed low prices and plentiful supply, but we have paid a price. Today, we find America is addicted to oil.

Since September 11, we have seen the fragile state of our energy markets. Domestic disasters and terrorism can send energy prices spiraling out of control. Our energy resources are stretched to the limits, and small supply disruptions ripple through the entire economy. America needs a secure domestic source to ease our dependency on imported oil.

That is why today I am reintroducing my bill, the Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act with the current Presiding Officer, Senator Obama of Illinois. I have worked with the coal and fuel industries, the Department of Defense, and environmental groups to identify the needs of the coal-to-liquid industry and the best way for the Government to support the coal-to-liquid development.

Coal has long been America's most abundant fuel resource and has driven our economic growth since the industrial revolution. In the coal-to-liquid process, coal is gasified, the gas is run through the FischerTropsch process, and the resulting fuel is refined into jet fuel and diesel fuel. The final product is cleaner than conventional fuels because nearly all of the sulfur and nitrogen is removed.

While this technology is just taking root in America, South Africa meets 30 percent of its fuel needs with coal. CTL technology lets America capitalize on a domestic resource that will fuel economic growth and produce the energy security required in today's world. Many of my colleagues may ask one question right now: If this technology is so great and could replace expensive imports from the Middle East, why hasn't it been done already? The answer is simple: costs and market uncertainty.

A typical size CTL plant costs more than $2 billion to construct. With complicated plans and environmental permits, a new plant could take 5 to 8 years to build. This is a challenge for even the biggest risk-takers on Wall Street. Raising the capital needed to develop a new technology is always difficult, but the multibillion dollar investment scale of a CTL plant has made it nearly impossible.

On top of this is the uncertainty of the price of oil. America has seen oil prices rise dramatically in the last few years. But investors are concerned that oil prices could drop to the low levels of the 1980s and make CTL plants uncompetitive again. I believe oil prices will stay above the price range that keeps CTL profitable, which is estimated to be between $40 and $50 per barrel. But even if oil prices were to drop that low in the next few decades, I believe CTL would more than pay for itself by insulating us from supply shocks and providing a secure domestic fuel supply for the military, businesses such as airlines and trucking, and the average American's car.

The Federal Government must act to help industry overcome these hurdles. This legislation will provide a combination of incentives to create a network of coal-to-liquid production in the United States.

The Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2007 has three parts. First, this bill addresses the need to pull together the investors and the billions of dollars required to build a CTL plant. It expands and enhances the Department of Energy's loan guarantee program included in the Energy Policy Act we passed in 2005. It expressly authorizes

DOE to administer loan guarantees for the Nation's first CTL plants. These plants must be large scale, which is a minimum production of 10,000 barrels a day of liquid fuel. This program is only for the first 10 commercial plants. By then, we should have proven the economics of this technology and no further incentives will be needed.

It also provides a new program of matching loans. The loans are capped at $20 million and must be matched dollar-for-dollar by non- Federal money. They must be repaid as soon as the plants are financed.

Second, this legislation would fundamentally alter the economics of CTL plants during and after construction. It expands the investment tax credits and expensing provisions enacted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It increases the 20-percent tax credit for CTL plants to a maximum of $200 million for each of the first 10 CTL plants. It also extends the expiring exploration of the fuel excise tax credits for CTL from 2009 to 2020. The current provisions will expire long before the first CTL plant is even operational. This extension will provide a meaningful timeframe for CTL plants to benefit from the same tax incentives we offer renewable and hydrogen fuels.

This bill also provides an incentive for CTL plants to capture carbon emissions. We can use CO2 to produce oil in depleted wells or extract coalbed methane.

Third, this bill provides the Department of Defense the funding to purchase, test, and integrate CTL fuels into the military. In the last few months, the Air Force has successfully tested CTL fuels in B-52 bombers. These tests are proving to the DOD and to industry that CTL fuels are as safe and reliable as the fuels produced today.

This legislation also instructs the DOD to conduct a study on CTL fuel storage and its inclusion in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

It authorizes the construction of storage facilities for CTL fuel and allows the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to hold up to 20 percent of its stock in the form of CTL-finished fuels.

By combining the abilities of the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense with incentives in the Tax Code, I am confident this legislation will help Kentucky, and America, become the world leaders in coal-to-liquid fuel promotion. This coal-to-liquid fuel legislation made headlines during the summer of 2006 when gas prices were at a near record high. Yet when prices fell, the pressure to pass this legislation also decreased. We have been very lucky that a mild winter has held down demand. We will not always be this lucky.

No matter what energy prices are, America needs a domestic source of fuel. This year alone we will send $250 billion to foreign countries, mostly in the Middle East, just to buy oil. Imagine what we could have done here at home with trillions of dollars we have spent on oil in the last few decades.

There is no room for politics in energy security. In the 110th Congress, Senator Obama and I will work hard with all of our colleagues to pass this important legislation. I especially look forward to working with my new chairman in the Energy Committee, Senator Bingaman, and my ranking member, Senator Domenici, on this important bill.

I now send to the desk the Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2007 and the related Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Energy Act of 2007. I ask unanimous consent these two bills be printed with my remarks in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

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

I thank the Chair.

(The remarks of Mr. Bunning pertaining to the introduction of (S. 154 and S. 155) are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Mr. President, I pay tribute to Beth McWhirt teacher of social studies at Fulton County Schools on being named Teacher of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce in Hickman County, Ky.

Beth has exhibited a great commitment to her students at Fulton Middle and Senior High Schools. As a teacher of social studies, Beth is tasked to mold our Nation's young citizens to understand the history of our great Nation and the world. Being honored with this award, Beth sets an example of excellence for the rest of the faculty at Fulton County Schools.

Mr. President, I now ask my fellow colleagues join me in thanking Beth for her dedication and commitment to the education of America's future. In order for our society to continue to advance in the right direction, we must have teachers like Beth McWhirt in our public schools.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Coal-to- Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2007.

For too long, America has ignored its energy security. Many of us can remember the energy crises of the 1970s. We were held ransom by a monopolistic oil cartel and forced to endure shortages, gas lines, and high prices. In the early 1980s, just as America began to invest in alternative fuels, the oil-producing states of the world crashed prices to make new technology uncompetitive.

During most of the last 25 years, we have enjoyed low prices and plentiful supply, but we have paid a price. Today, we find America is addicted to oil.

Since September 11, we have seen the fragile state of our energy markets. Domestic disasters and terrorism can send energy prices spiraling out of control. Our energy resources are stretched to the limits, and small supply disruptions ripple through the entire economy. America needs a secure domestic source to ease our dependency on imported oil.

That is why today I am reintroducing my bill, the Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act with the current Presiding Officer, Senator Obama of Illinois. I have worked with the coal and fuel industries, the Department of Defense, and environmental groups to identify the needs of the coal-to-liquid industry and the best way for the Government to support the coal-to-liquid development.

Coal has long been America's most abundant fuel resource and has driven our economic growth since the industrial revolution. In the coal-to-liquid process, coal is gasified, the gas is run through the FischerTropsch process, and the resulting fuel is refined into jet fuel and diesel fuel. The final product is cleaner than conventional fuels because nearly all of the sulfur and nitrogen is removed.

While this technology is just taking root in America, South Africa meets 30 percent of its fuel needs with coal. CTL technology lets America capitalize on a domestic resource that will fuel economic growth and produce the energy security required in today's world. Many of my colleagues may ask one question right now: If this technology is so great and could replace expensive imports from the Middle East, why hasn't it been done already? The answer is simple: costs and market uncertainty.

A typical size CTL plant costs more than $2 billion to construct. With complicated plans and environmental permits, a new plant could take 5 to 8 years to build. This is a challenge for even the biggest risk-takers on Wall Street. Raising the capital needed to develop a new technology is always difficult, but the multibillion dollar investment scale of a CTL plant has made it nearly impossible.

On top of this is the uncertainty of the price of oil. America has seen oil prices rise dramatically in the last few years. But investors are concerned that oil prices could drop to the low levels of the 1980s and make CTL plants uncompetitive again. I believe oil prices will stay above the price range that keeps CTL profitable, which is estimated to be between $40 and $50 per barrel. But even if oil prices were to drop that low in the next few decades, I believe CTL would more than pay for itself by insulating us from supply shocks and providing a secure domestic fuel supply for the military, businesses such as airlines and trucking, and the average American's car.

The Federal Government must act to help industry overcome these hurdles. This legislation will provide a combination of incentives to create a network of coal-to-liquid production in the United States.

The Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2007 has three parts. First, this bill addresses the need to pull together the investors and the billions of dollars required to build a CTL plant. It expands and enhances the Department of Energy's loan guarantee program included in the Energy Policy Act we passed in 2005. It expressly authorizes

DOE to administer loan guarantees for the Nation's first CTL plants. These plants must be large scale, which is a minimum production of 10,000 barrels a day of liquid fuel. This program is only for the first 10 commercial plants. By then, we should have proven the economics of this technology and no further incentives will be needed.

It also provides a new program of matching loans. The loans are capped at $20 million and must be matched dollar-for-dollar by non- Federal money. They must be repaid as soon as the plants are financed.

Second, this legislation would fundamentally alter the economics of CTL plants during and after construction. It expands the investment tax credits and expensing provisions enacted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It increases the 20-percent tax credit for CTL plants to a maximum of $200 million for each of the first 10 CTL plants. It also extends the expiring exploration of the fuel excise tax credits for CTL from 2009 to 2020. The current provisions will expire long before the first CTL plant is even operational. This extension will provide a meaningful timeframe for CTL plants to benefit from the same tax incentives we offer renewable and hydrogen fuels.

This bill also provides an incentive for CTL plants to capture carbon emissions. We can use CO2 to produce oil in depleted wells or extract coalbed methane.

Third, this bill provides the Department of Defense the funding to purchase, test, and integrate CTL fuels into the military. In the last few months, the Air Force has successfully tested CTL fuels in B-52 bombers. These tests are proving to the DOD and to industry that CTL fuels are as safe and reliable as the fuels produced today.

This legislation also instructs the DOD to conduct a study on CTL fuel storage and its inclusion in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

It authorizes the construction of storage facilities for CTL fuel and allows the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to hold up to 20 percent of its stock in the form of CTL-finished fuels.

By combining the abilities of the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense with incentives in the Tax Code, I am confident this legislation will help Kentucky, and America, become the world leaders in coal-to-liquid fuel promotion. This coal-to-liquid fuel legislation made headlines during the summer of 2006 when gas prices were at a near record high. Yet when prices fell, the pressure to pass this legislation also decreased. We have been very lucky that a mild winter has held down demand. We will not always be this lucky.

No matter what energy prices are, America needs a domestic source of fuel. This year alone we will send $250 billion to foreign countries, mostly in the Middle East, just to buy oil. Imagine what we could have done here at home with trillions of dollars we have spent on oil in the last few decades.

There is no room for politics in energy security. In the 110th Congress, Senator Obama and I will work hard with all of our colleagues to pass this important legislation. I especially look forward to working with my new chairman in the Energy Committee, Senator Bingaman, and my ranking member, Senator Domenici, on this important bill.

I now send to the desk the Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2007 and the related Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Energy Act of 2007. I ask unanimous consent these two bills be printed with my remarks in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, this morning the Senate will debate the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Kent Jordan to be a U.S. circuit judge. Under the regular order, that cloture vote will occur at 10:30 a.m. this morning. Once cloture has been invoked, we would hope to have a vote on confirmation shortly.

There are many critical legislative and executive items that must be completed before the Senate adjourns sine die, including a continuing resolution, the tax extender package, the U.S.-Indian nuclear agreement, and a number of other items that both sides are attempting to clear for action.

The Senate will remain in session into the weekend, if necessary, in order to finish our work.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, first, I thank my senior colleague--not senior colleague but senior Senator from Kentucky for this wonderful gesture.

Every young student in Kentucky knows the legend of Henry Clay. My wife Mary and our children all learned about Henry Clay in Kentucky schools. Many of my grandchildren in Kentucky have also heard the stories of Henry Clay's time spent as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives where he became speaker, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Secretary of State in the United States, and U.S. Senator.

Henry Clay served the people of Kentucky for nearly one-half a century. He also is called and should be called one of the greatest Senators in the history of the Senate for the compromises he brokered during the divisive war years before the Civil War.

Henry Clay's legends remains with all Kentuckians today. His home in Lexington is a revered site in Kentucky. A statue and portrait of Henry Clay stands just off the Senate floor, and the desk of Henry Clay used when he served in this great body remains with us today, as well. As my colleague Senator McConnell said, he has used that desk since it was assigned to the senior Senator from Kentucky.

Senator McConnell is a student of Kentucky history and a student also of the history of the Senate. Like Henry Clay, Senator McConnell has become a respected leader in this Senate. Now with Senator McConnell's new role as the Republican leader in the 110th Congress comes a new desk and with it, its own special history. He has been gracious to introduce and pass a resolution to allow Henry Clay's desk to remain forever in the family of Kentucky Senators.

As the junior Senator from Kentucky, it would be an honor to serve in this Senate with the same desk that Henry Clay once called his own. It is with deep gratitude and thanks to my senior Senator from Kentucky for his work on this resolution that I have cosponsored, and I hope my colleagues are as excited as I am about what has just happened, the fact that my time in the Senate will at least be spent, partially, at the desk of Henry Clay, the great compromiser from Kentucky.

I thank my senior Senator for all the work he has done in his entire Senate career and particularly today on passing Henry Clay's desk on to the junior Senator.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I regret that I cannot support the tax extender bill before us today.

I have long worked to ensure the passage of several of the provisions contained in this bill. In particular, I strongly support the extension of the tax provisions and the OCS drilling provisions. In fact, I have voted for enactment of both of these pieces of legislation a number of times this year. I am very saddened that these provisions are presented before the Senate today coupled as a part of a larger package that I cannot favor.

I want to make it clear to my constituents and to American families, taxpayers and businesses that I recognize the immense importance of the tax extender provisions and will do all that I can to ensure that they are enacted as soon as possible.

Likewise, I am a cosponsor of Senator Domenici's original Senate bill regarding OCS drilling and I look forward to the day these provisions become law. This bill is a first step in providing domestic energy that will bring down prices while decreasing our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. I will continue to work toward expanded access in the Gulf of Mexico and with any other states who would like to pursue offshore drilling.

Despite my strong support for many provisions of this bill, I must oppose it because I have a number of fundamental concerns about it.

First and foremost, I object vehemently to the inclusion of legislation granting permanent normal trade relations status, PNTR, to Vietnam in this bill. The decision of whether to grant PNTR status to Vietnam is a very important decision that will have consequences well into the future and it deserves to be debated on its own merits by both the House and Senate. It is inappropriate for legislation of this magnitude to be attached to other relatively noncontroversial legislation in an attempt to quiet any objections and ensure its enactment.

I have spent a lot of time contemplating whether I should support the granting of PNTR status to Vietnam. I serve on the Senate Finance Committee and I was disturbed by a number of issues that were raised during committee consideration of this issue. I voted ``Present'' when this legislation was approved by the committee because I wanted to have more time to examine these issues more in depth. What I have found has disturbed me and made it impossible for me to support such a measure at this time.

I believe that access to free markets should depend on access to other freedoms such as political freedom and human rights. Despite increased diplomatic ties between the United States and Vietnam over the past 15 years, we must not forget that Vietnam is still a Communist country. A country made up of only one political party that continues to deny its citizens the basic freedoms of speech, press, and religion.

Now some of my colleagues would argue that we should grant permanent normal trade relations, PNTR, to Vietnam because the State Department recently removed them from their list of ``Countries of Concern'' for severe violations of religious freedom. Vietnam has been on this list for the last ten years but was removed this year--just one day before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation--APEC--Leaders Meeting in Vietnam. I believe that they were removed more for diplomatic reasons than anything else. Evidence presented to me by the International Commission on Religious Freedom shows that Vietnam has done very little to warrant such a removal.

Vietnam's record on human rights and religious freedom is abysmal-- absolutely abysmal. Hundreds of political and religious prisoners remain behind bars in a country that lacks any sort of a real judicial system. Arrests and detentions of religious leaders continue daily. They are often arrested for no other reason than the practice of their religion or for possession of nongovernment-mandated religious materials such as Bibles.

Forced renunciations of faith also continue on a daily basis. While this is prohibited by Vietnamese law there is no criminal penalty for carrying out this practice--so it continues. In this practice, religious followers are detained, threatened, and beaten in order to force them to recant their faith or stop their religious activities. I ask my colleagues to imagine what it would be like to have your faith literally beaten out of you? I find such a practice perverse.

Aside from beatings and renunciations of faith, churches are often destroyed, property is seized and people are continually placed under house arrest. Religious materials and charitable activities are also severely restricted by the government. They even retain the right to appoint all Catholic bishops and seminarians; a right that is reserved solely for the Vatican. In the past year, Vietnam has done very little to help strengthen its relations with the Vatican and still refuses to

allow them to build a seminary in their country.

Vietnam has acknowledged the fact that these abuses occur. Last year they even went so far as to enter into agreement with the State Department to try to end such abuses, but unfortunately little if any real progress was made especially in the rural areas of the Central and Northwest Highlands. While there was a great deal of talk of reform, there was little action. This is at a time when Vietnam is seeking to more fully participate in the global economy and international community. I find that unacceptable.

I fear that in granting Vietnam permanent normal trade relations, PNTR, we would take away a key incentive for them to implement any type of real reform.

Vietnam is on its best behavior while it is under the international spotlight, but what will happen after this trade deal is signed? I fear that the consequences of this would be too great.

In addition to my opposition to the inclusion of the Vietnam trade provisions in this legislation, this package also includes a health component that primarily deals with the Medicare and Medicaid Programs. I am extremely disappointed that the negotiators on this bill decided to take money from the Medicare stabilization fund to pay for other spending in the bill.

When Congress created the new Medicare drug benefit in 2003, it was very important to me and other Members that all Medicare beneficiaries have access to Medicare managed-care plans. The stabilization fund was created to provide incentives for managed care plans to remain or enter the Medicare Advantage program, thereby ensuring that beneficiaries in rural areas of this country--including many parts of Kentucky--had access to Medicare managed care plans.

Some people argue that the stabilization fund is not necessary. Quite honestly, however, it is too early to tell if this fund is necessary. The Medicare Advantage program has only been up and running for 1 year. At this point, we don't know what will happen to the Medicare Advantage program 5 or 10 years down the road, and we shouldn't be spending the money from the stabilization fund before we do.

This fund was supposed to ensure that all Medicare beneficiaries have equal access to managed care plans, and it is irresponsible for Congress to view this account as a piggy bank to fund other spending.

Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the budgetary impact of this bill. As Chairman Gregg of the Senate Budget Committee has already pointed out, this bill is a budget buster. It will break the budget by at least $17 billion. The bulk of the cost of this bill is not found in the tax extenders--they represent less than a third of the cost. The cost of this bill is in the extraneous items that were added to the bill--many, I suspect, in order to ensure its passage today.

I am sorry to see that some of my colleagues are more interested in quickly going home rather than working to draft legislation that falls within our budget and is more than the Christmas tree we have here. I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation and to continue to work to find another solution on how to pass some of the good provisions in this package.

Mr. President, I speak today on the resignation of Ambassador John Bolton from the position of Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations.

I am very disappointed that a handful of my colleagues prevented Ambassador Bolton from receiving the up-or-down vote that he deserved in the Senate. This comes at a critical time in our Nation's foreign policy.

His no-nonsense diplomacy was a welcome change at the United Nations at a time when the organization found itself rife with corruption.

During his time at the United Nations he successfully led negotiations that resulted in unanimous Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea's military and nuclear activities. He built consensus among our allies on the need for Iran to suspend the enrichment and reprocessing of uranium. In addition, his efforts to promote the cause of peace in Darfur resulted in a peacekeeping commitment by the United Nations.

I wish Ambassador Bolton well in his future endeavors and thank him for his service at the United Nations. His job was not an easy one, but he carried it out with a unique grace and candor that served our country well. He will be missed.

Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute to the Republican Members of the Senate who will not be returning in the 110th Congress. Senators George Allen; Conrad Burns; Lincoln Chafee; Mike DeWine; Dr. Bill Frist; Rick Santorum; and Jim Talent have served their constituents with honor and distinction during their tenure here in the U.S. Senate. All care very deeply for this great Nation and I hope they will have continued success in their future endeavors.

Senator Conrad Burns and I have had a great working and personal relationship over the last 8 years. He and his wife Phyllis have become dear friends of my wife Mary and me. I have enjoyed our time spent together both personally and professionally. Conrad and I watched a baseball game with our grandsons a couple of years ago in Montana. Conrad and Phyllis also joined Mary and me at the Kentucky Derby. I wish Conrad and his family all the best as they start a new chapter in their lives.

Senator Rick Santorum is a principled conservative who is not shy to tell you where he stands. He has served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania tirelessly for the last 16 years. Rick has always been honest and upfront, and

his passion will be missed. Rick and his wife Karen have six wonderful children who all should be proud of how their dad represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Congress.

Majority leader Bill Frist has run the Senate through difficult and trying times and he has done it well. Senator Mike DeWine, my neighbor to the north, has represented the Buckeye State with great distinction and has committed over 30 years of his life to public service. Senator George Allen represented the Commonwealth of Virginia in the U.S. Senate for 6 years, and he worked closely with me to make America safer by helping usher through important legislation to arm cargo pilots. Senator Jim Talent has had a great career in Congress and wrote the blueprint to the welfare reform bill of 1996. And Senator Lincoln Chafee has continued the proud legacy set forth by his father and my friend, Senator John Chafee.

Mr. President, I would like to again commend all of our departing Republican Senators. I am proud of what they accomplished here in the U.S. Senate. They will all be missed, and I wish all of them the very best.

Mr. President, I wish to congratulate Mr. Brandon Webb of Ashland, KY. Mr. Webb was recently awarded the 2006 National League Cy Young Award.

Mr. Webb graduated from Paul G. Blazer High School in Ashland, KY, and went on to play baseball for the University of Kentucky. He began his Major League career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2003 and has since become known for his devastating sinker. This season, Mr. Webb went 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA and pitched in the 2006 Major League All-Star Game.

Introduced in 1956 to honor the late Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, the Cy Young Award honors annually the best pitcher in each league in Major League Baseball. The prestigious award is voted on by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

As a former Major League pitcher, I understand the strength and commitment it takes to reach such a high level of accomplishment. To be singled out among so many great pitchers is truly an honor.

I congratulate Mr. Webb on this achievement. He is an inspiration to the citizens of Kentucky and to aspiring athletes everywhere. I look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish in the future.

Mr. President, I rise today to voice my opposition to the nomination of Robert Gates to be Secretary of Defense.

The safety and security of the American people must be our Government's top priority. We need to continue to do everything we can to protect our homeland. We cannot place our heads in the sand and ignore the fact that we remain a nation at war. Daily we face brutal enemies that despise the very principles that we stand for and our way of life.

At this time of war, our President and our Nation rely on the Secretary of Defense to provide sound advice and to lead our Armed Forces as they continue to combat our enemies. The Secretary of Defense has the responsibility of leading the strongest and most capable military in the world. He must be a man of vision who can adequately assess threats against our national security and formulate the best response to these threats.

The President nominated Mr. Gates for a managerial post of great difficulty and complexity, and I do not believe that he is the best person to help us meet our Nation's critical challenges. Mr. Gates has repeatedly criticized our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan without providing any viable solutions to the problems our troops currently face. I am concerned with the message he is sending to our troops and our allies around the world. We need a Secretary of Defense to think forward with solutions and not backward on history we cannot change.

Mr. Gates also believes in directly engaging rogue nations such as Iran and Syria that are known sponsors of terrorist groups in Iraq, Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza. I do not support inviting terrorists to the negotiating table. Such a shift in our Nation's foreign policy could have grave consequences for our national security.

Let me be clear that I am not here today to discredit Robert Gates' record of public service to our Nation. I am here to raise concerns with his nomination to be Secretary of Defense. It is a position of immense importance and carries a great deal of responsibility.

It is for these reservations that I find myself unable to support the nomination of Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense.

It is clear from following his Armed Services Committee nomination hearing and my colleagues' speeches that Mr. Gates will be confirmed to be the next Secretary of Defense. However, we cannot afford to fail in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas in the war against radical terrorists. I hope during Mr. Gates' tenure at the Department of Defense that we are able to make peace and progress on all these fronts. The future of our country depends on it.