Floor Statements

Mr. President, I pay tribute and congratulate SGT Jim Mullen on his reception of the Bowling Green firefighter of the year award given to him by his peers at the Bowling Green Fire Department.

Sergeant Mullen has dedicated himself to helping those in need in the Bowling Green, KY area. In addition to the firefighter of the year award, Sergeant Mullen also received the Community Service Award from the department. He earned this commendation through such activities as coaching and administering the city soccer league. He has done a wonderful public service of making Bowling Green a safer and better place to live.

The citizens of Kentucky are fortunate to have the leadership of SGT Jim Mullen. His example of dedication, hard work and compassion should be an inspiration to all throughout the Commonwealth.

He has my most sincere appreciation for this work and I look forward to his continued service to Kentucky.

Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to Sister Clarita Anneken of Villa Hills, KY for her 63 years devoted to educating young men and women who attended Villa Madonna Academy.

Everything that we do in the United States Senate is done with the idea in mind that we are making the world a better place for those who come after us. Indeed the entire government is dedicated to ensuring that America will continue to protect the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness long into the future. However, let me remind the Senate that if the people of America are not educated to appreciate the sanctity of life, the glory of liberty, and the meaningfulness of pursuing happiness, that everything we do here will be wasted. No matter how wise the laws we enact, a people ignorant of these important principles will only resent wise laws, not benefit from them.

It is for this reason that I believe that the work of Sister Clarita is so crucial. Sister Clarita has dedicated her life to the education of America's future. For 63 years Sister Clarita has invested her knowledge, time, effort, patience, and understanding in the young people of Villa Madonna Academy. Her efforts have shaped the understanding of many young people who will be a part of America's future.

I believe that no good deed goes unrewarded. The reward that Sister Clarita will reap, however will be a reward reaped for many years, long after her teaching career is finished. It will be a reward which many Americans will share. It will be the reward of young, educated men and women who will be able to continue the great traditions of this country.

Sister Clarita's dedication to the young is an assurance of the brightness of America's future. And I thank Sister Clarita for this assurance and for the bright future of America.

Mr. President, I pay tribute and congratulate the students of Randy Brown for winning the ``Role of Citizen'' unit award at the national finals of We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution program. This class hails from Ohio County High School of Hartford, KY.

This program is run by the Center for Civic Education, a Los Angeles- based organization that strives to get students involved in government and civic affairs. The event simulates a congressional hearing whereby high school students testify as constitutional experts before a panel of judges.

The members of the winning class are: Jeffrey Ashby, Samantha Beck, Hannah Benton, Jonathan Brown, Crystal Clayton, Jeffrey Coulter, Amanda Critchelow, Jessica Culbertson, Lauren Danks, Shellena Davis-Roberts, Ashley Evans, Raven Evans, Judson Hunter, Savannah Johnson, Daniel Justice, Julie Leach, Brian Mayes, Mallory Nauman, Mallory Phelps. Lauren Pieper, Emily Renfrow, Anthony Rusher, Jonathan Shrewsbury, Ashton Variot, Chase Vincent, Amy Walsh, Meredith Ward, Bailey Westerfield, Britney Westerfield, and Emily Williams.

The citizens of Ohio County can be very proud of these students. Their achievement should be an inspiration to all throughout the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky. Congratulations.

Mr. President, I want to spend a few moments to talk about the nomination of Major General David H. Petraeus to be Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army.

I believe President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld have made an excellent decision to promote General Petraeus and assign him to chief of the Office of Security Transition in Iraq. I congratulate General Petraeus and wholeheartedly support his nomination.

I am pleased that the Senate has moved so quickly on his nomination. We received it 2 weeks ago and he was confirmed yesterday. This is fitting because last Friday he transferred command of the 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, to his successor at the helm of the Screaming Eagles.

General Petraeus led the 101st Airborne to stunning success in Iraq. His division performed superbly in combat, and is responsible for bringing Saddam Hussein's two ruthless sons to justice. Unfortunately, the division also suffered the largest number of combat casualties in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Equally impressive to the combat performance of the division under General Petraeus were the successes in rebuilding the governing structures and the hope of the Iraqi people in a significant portion of the country. Six days

after occupying the northern part of Iraq the first meetings were held to set up Province Council elections and those elections were held one week later. The division worked with Iraqis to quickly restore power, water, fuel, transportation, and industry. They set the model for cooperating with the local leaders and population to create a stable and prosperous Iraq. This all happened because of the leadership of General Petraeus.

I visited General Petraeus and the Screaming Eagles in Iraq earlier this year. I saw firsthand the results of his careful preparation and skillful execution of a plan to bring order and governance to the people of northern Iraq. I was, and remain, impressed by what I saw.

Because he was so successful leading the 101st Airborne in Iraq, General Petraeus has been assigned back to Iraq for the transition of power to the interim Iraqi government. I have no doubts that he is the right man for the job and will help the Iraqi transition to self- government proceed smoothly.

Again, I want to congratulate General Petraeus and wish him well in his new assignment. He is blessed with a wonderful family at home who will be eagerly awaiting his return. I thank him for his service.

Mr. President, I pay tribute and congratulate Kevin Conway of Lexington, KY, on his reception of the Star of Life Award given to him by the American Ambulance Association.

Mr. Conway has dedicated himself to the emergency response community of Lexington. As an employee of Rural/Metro Ambulance, Mr. Conway has made a difference in people's lives. However, what has set him apart has been his initiative as operations manager to turn Rural/Metro Ambulance into a State-recognized paramedic and CPR education facility. Mr. Conway also represents or works with many different local and State government EMS organizations. Prior to his work at Rural/Metro Ambulance, Mr. Conway was an Army Ranger. After his completion of active duty, he joined the Army Reserve as a senior drill sergeant.

The citizens of Kentucky are fortunate to have the leadership of Kevin Conway. His example of dedication, hard work, and compassion should be an inspiration to all throughout the Commonwealth. He has my most sincere appreciation for this work, and I look forward to his continued service to Kentucky.

Mr. President, I rise in strong opposition to the McCain amendment. We need these energy tax provisions now more than ever. The price of energy has risen sharply and is only expected to keep going up and up.

The average price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline now is $1.84 a gallon. Natural gas prices are 70 percent higher than they were a year ago. Coal prices are up 30 percent since last year. These high prices are affecting Americans' pocketbooks at a time when our economy is on the rise.

If Congress does nothing to encourage more production, Americans will continue to struggle financially and our economic recovery will evaporate.

The energy tax package in the JOBS bill will help our country meet its future energy needs and will help kick our economy into gear.

Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, we all know we need more production. Having a cheap, ready supply of energy is now more critical than ever to our economy. These tax incentives in this bill are crafted to help this production supply. Striking them from the bill will only lead to higher prices and more energy inflation.

The energy tax incentives will also mean more jobs and more money in Americans' wallets. I am certain every single Senator has talked to his or her constituents recently about the need for the economy to create more jobs. It is a staple of the Presidential race. It is what the American people are talking about. We know the energy incentives in this bill will induce and boost industries like the coal community in my State and put people to work.

There is nothing wrong with that. Passing this bill and these energy amendments will give us all a chance to put our money where our mouth is.

Congress has been playing political football with an energy bill for years now. I think it is time to end the game. Many of us would prefer to pass a stand-alone energy bill. We have been trying and trying, with no effect. But for one reason or another, this bill has not passed, and this is probably our last and best shot to pass changes that will make a difference right away to our Nation and to our economy.

Finally, and most importantly, this is a national security issue. We all talk the talk when it comes to promoting America's energy independence and reducing our reliance on foreign oil and sources of energy. Here is a chance to actually do something about that. By beating this amendment and passing the base bill, we will provide a significant boost to domestic energy production.

We have a lot of problems in Iraq, but we cannot bury our head in the sand. We have to recognize that continuing to rely on energy supplies from that part of the world is a threat to our national security. We cannot change that overnight. We can start taking the first steps now by passing the energy tax provisions and stepping up domestic production.

I urge a ``no'' vote on the McCain amendment. As a member of both the Energy Committee and the Finance Committee, I helped write the energy incentives in this bill. The incentives are good legislation and will help our economy. Our workers and our country need this bill.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I pay tribute today to the patriotism and the courage of SSG George Rentschler of Louisville, KY. SSG Rentschler was killed a month ago on April 7, 2004.

While his family, friends and his country mourn the loss of this man, I offer a few words to praise the inestimable value of his sacrifice. In this time of war, my colleagues, we can all expect to hear reports of the tragic loss of life. It would be unrealistic to expect that we can fight a war and not lose lives. SSG Rentschler knew this. And knowing this he went forth into battle for the love of his country.

To serve your country when you know that it might be the cause of your death, involves sacrifice. It means that you are brave, honorable, patriotic, virtuous. It also means that you are willing to make the final sacrifice should the necessity arise. The men and women serving our country, as SSG George Rentschler did, are heroes who are protecting America to preserve our freedoms in these times of continuing terrorist threat across the world.

The death of SSG Rentschler reveals to the world that this man was a true hero who sacrificed for our country. We have lost a man of courage and generosity. He was role model for all of us and will be missed.

Mr. President, I want to talk briefly about Ambassador John Negroponte and support his confirmation to be the United States' first ambassador to the free and democratic Iraq. Not only will he be the first ambassador to the free and democratic Iraq, but he will be the first ambassador to Iraq since the first Gulf War in 1991.

Ambassador Negroponte is one of the most experienced diplomats in the State Department. His experience is necessary for this job because he will be assuming one of the most challenging and important positions the State Department has ever had.

Throughout his career in the State Department, Ambassador Negroponte has been stationed at eight different posts covering most parts of the world. While he has not been previously stationed in the Middle East, I have no doubt in his ability to handle the task ahead. His experience representing the United States at the United Nations since September 11 and serving in nations like Vietnam and Honduras during periods of turmoil will guide him during Iraq's transition to democratic self- government.

Many challenges lie ahead for Iraq, including holding orderly elections, establishing government bodies, reconstructing infrastructure and the economy, and securing the country. The United States will be a partner for Iraqis throughout the coming challenges.

Critical to the successful transition to a sovereign Iraq is the participation of the international community. Ambassador Negroponte has earned respect among his colleagues while representing the United States at the United Nations. He will do a fine job

working with other nations to help Iraq flourish under the rule of Iraqis.

In summary, I believe President Bush has made a fine choice in nominating Ambassador Negroponte. I support his nomination and encourage my colleagues to swiftly confirm him to this vital position.

Mr. President, today I would like to take the opportunity to honor an outstanding member of the Catholic church, Father John D. Deatrick, the pastor at St. Martha in Louisville, KY.

Father Deatrick is retiring June 13, 2004 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of the Catholic church. He has been an ordained priest for 38 years. Throughout his years as a pastor, Father Deatrick served as chaplain at St. Xavier High School as well as Bellermine University where he also served as the Bellermine Knights baseball coach. He has remained a steadfast baseball fan throughout the years and attends the National spring training camp in Florida when he gets the opportunity.

Father Deatrick has been the pastor at St. Martha for 11 years. He will be greatly missed by the members of his congregation. I join all Kentuckians in commending Father Deatrick for his faithfulness and dedication to the Catholic church for the past 38 years. I wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. President, I rise to congratulate the Florence Woman's Club of Florence, KY on the recent celebration of its 50th anniversary.

The Florence Woman's Club was founded on April 20, 1954. Its goal was simply to make the city of Florence a better place to live. The causes that the club has lent its time to are almost too numerous to mention. They have been involved in raising money to fight cancer, working at local veterans' hospitals, and helping with the preservation of historic buildings in the area, to name just a few.

The citizens of northern Kentucky are fortunate to have the services of the Florence Woman's Club. This organization's example of dedication, hard work and compassion should be an inspiration to all throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

They have my most sincere appreciation for this work, and I look forward to their continued service to Kentucky. I have no doubt that they will be just as productive in their next 50 years as they have been in their first 50. Congratulations.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment today to pay tribute to the city of Paducah and their innovative and successful Artist Relocation Program.

The program is a past recipient of a Kentucky Governor's Award for contribution to arts in the State. The city has even been recognized by First Lady Laura Bush as part of the Preserve America Initiative. Most recently, the city was honored by the American Planning Association at their April

2004 national convention in Washington, DC. The Special Community Initiative award is given annually to a city displaying an innovative approach to improvement. This year there were over 200 cities competing for this honor.

The City of Paducah Artist Relocation Program recruits artists--both locally and nationally--to move to Paducah's downtown and historic Lower Tower area. The city has a long history providing many buildings and facilities that, while they are in disrepair, offer significant opportunity for renovation and improvement. Artists who relocate to Paducah are given a network of resources to restore facilities.

The program is part of a long-term project to rejuvenate the City of Paducah's historic districts. Through the combined efforts of leaders in the city government, the Paducah Bank, Visitors' Bureau, PATS, local museums and businesses this program has seen tremendous success.

The city and Commonwealth are already enjoying the benefits as an estimated $12 to $15 million has been infused into the local economy, thanks to this program. Any visitor can see the construction and revitalization underway in this Kentucky jewel.

I wish to congratulate the leadership and vision of the City of Paducah on these tremendous honors, especially Program Founder Mark Barone, City of Paducah Planning Director Tom Barnett, City of Paducah Mayor Bill Paxton and McCracken County Judge Executive Danny Orazine. I look forward to the continued success of this great program.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce The Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2004. I would like to thank my colleague, Senator Miller, for his support of this important legislation. His leadership has laid the foundation of bipartisan support that this critical tax bill and working American families deserve.

Tax relief has contributed to economic growth throughout our economy. We have successfully encouraged companies to create more jobs and Americans to save and spend more. The President's tax cuts and our votes here in the Senate helped to revive an economy that was sagging in 2000 and shocked by the tragedies of September 11, 2001.

We put a plan in place in 2001 to help the American family to keep more of the money they work so hard to earn. In 2003, Congress saw fit to accelerate the effective date of some of this family tax relief in order to give these families this help as quickly as possible. As a result, every American family who paid any income taxes during 2003 saw a reduction in their taxes and they will enjoy those lower taxes for this year as well. However, if we do not act this year, America's working families will face a tax increase next year. We cannot allow this to happen.

The lowest-income Americans have benefited dramatically from the new 10 percent tax bracket. Today, thanks to this new bracket, working Americans are keeping more of their hard-earned paychecks. But if we do nothing, taxpayers with as little as $7,000 in taxable income could face a tax increase next year. My legislation proposes to keep the current 10 percent tax rate bracket in place rather than allowing it to shrink and increase taxes on the working families of America. This extension could bring relief to as many as 1.2 million people in Kentucky and millions of others throughout the country.

And, if we do nothing, the child tax credit will be cut by 30 percent in 2005. We need to keep the $1,000 tax credit and not let it revert to the old $700 credit. There are over 350,000 taxpayers in Kentucky who need this tax relief and will benefit from this legislation. We can't ask millions of Americans to pay an extra $300 per child next year. Will you ask the families of this country, who have worked so hard to raise our entire economy up, to pay more in taxes simply because they have children? I know I won't, and I hope my colleagues won't either.

The accelerated marriage penalty relief will also lapse after this year unless the Senate acts. I propose keeping the current tax deduction in place, which we increased to twice that of an individual taxpayer in 2003. Without this extension, married couples will see a cut in their standardized deduction--actually penalizing couples for being married. Over 465,000 Kentuckians benefits from this legislation. We need to keep this important tax relief intact.

And finally we need to address an unintended consequence of the Alternative Minimum Tax. When the Senate passed the AMT, it was designed to ensure wealthier Americans paid at least some percentage of their income in taxes. Now that same AMT is hurting working families and middle-income America. In 2003, the Senate passed limited AMT relief that is now set to expire. This legislation will keep the current exemption levels of $40,250 for single and $58,000 for married taxpayers in place for 2005. If we fail to act, an additional $7,000 to $13,000 of middle-income taxpayers' income will be subject to this tax. We all know that the AMT is a serious issue and one that we must address--the limited relief contained in this bill is not a final solution to this large problem, but it will keep the problem from getting even worse.

There are other important tax cuts that should be extended and there are other problems with the tax code that I would like to correct. But the four provisions addressed in this bill have to be addressed today not just to provide tax relief, but to prevent an immediate tax increase. We owe it to the working families and low-income Americans who rely on these tax cuts to act quickly and extend these four provisions--the 10 percent tax bracket, child tax credit, marriage penalty relief and AMT relief. Working American families and lower to middle-income America were hit hard with the economic downturn--that is why we passed these tax cuts in the first place. And now, just as these industrious Americans have started to find new jobs and spend a little more money to grow the economy, we cannot hold them back with a tax increase.

And I can't stress this point enough. Many Americans--especially low and middle income families--will have their tax rates increased and face cuts in their deductions and credits unless we act. My bill is about extending the important tax breaks that we all agreed to in 2001 and accelerated in 2003. We made a commitment to the American family in the midst of an economic downturn--offering them tax relief to help stimulate the economy. And now that these tax cuts are starting to work, we can't afford to take them back. We must stay the course and support our Nation's families as we move the American economy forward toward renewed prosperity.

I know how tight government finances are likely to be this year. And as my colleagues know, I have always taken a hard look at spending proposals. But we built about $80 billion into the Senate-passed FY 2005 Budget proposal for these tax provisions. And there are similar provisions in the House-approved budget. I am confident that we can secure the amount we will need for this proposal over the next few years.

We find ourselves in a unique position--we must be proactive to protect the American family from an unjust tax increase. We need to take a stand for low and middle income America. This Bunning-Miller tax relief legislation will protect working Americans from what would be a devastating tax increase in 2005. I urge my colleagues to get behind this bipartisan legislation and support the Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2004.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce The Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2004. I would like to thank my colleague, Senator Miller, for his support of this important legislation. His leadership has laid the foundation of bipartisan support that this critical tax bill and working American families deserve.

Tax relief has contributed to economic growth throughout our economy. We have successfully encouraged companies to create more jobs and Americans to save and spend more. The President's tax cuts and our votes here in the Senate helped to revive an economy that was sagging in 2000 and shocked by the tragedies of September 11, 2001.

We put a plan in place in 2001 to help the American family to keep more of the money they work so hard to earn. In 2003, Congress saw fit to accelerate the effective date of some of this family tax relief in order to give these families this help as quickly as possible. As a result, every American family who paid any income taxes during 2003 saw a reduction in their taxes and they will enjoy those lower taxes for this year as well. However, if we do not act this year, America's working families will face a tax increase next year. We cannot allow this to happen.

The lowest-income Americans have benefited dramatically from the new 10 percent tax bracket. Today, thanks to this new bracket, working Americans are keeping more of their hard-earned paychecks. But if we do nothing, taxpayers with as little as $7,000 in taxable income could face a tax increase next year. My legislation proposes to keep the current 10 percent tax rate bracket in place rather than allowing it to shrink and increase taxes on the working families of America. This extension could bring relief to as many as 1.2 million people in Kentucky and millions of others throughout the country.

And, if we do nothing, the child tax credit will be cut by 30 percent in 2005. We need to keep the $1,000 tax credit and not let it revert to the old $700 credit. There are over 350,000 taxpayers in Kentucky who need this tax relief and will benefit from this legislation. We can't ask millions of Americans to pay an extra $300 per child next year. Will you ask the families of this country, who have worked so hard to raise our entire economy up, to pay more in taxes simply because they have children? I know I won't, and I hope my colleagues won't either.

The accelerated marriage penalty relief will also lapse after this year unless the Senate acts. I propose keeping the current tax deduction in place, which we increased to twice that of an individual taxpayer in 2003. Without this extension, married couples will see a cut in their standardized deduction--actually penalizing couples for being married. Over 465,000 Kentuckians benefits from this legislation. We need to keep this important tax relief intact.

And finally we need to address an unintended consequence of the Alternative Minimum Tax. When the Senate passed the AMT, it was designed to ensure wealthier Americans paid at least some percentage of their income in taxes. Now that same AMT is hurting working families and middle-income America. In 2003, the Senate passed limited AMT relief that is now set to expire. This legislation will keep the current exemption levels of $40,250 for single and $58,000 for married taxpayers in place for 2005. If we fail to act, an additional $7,000 to $13,000 of middle-income taxpayers' income will be subject to this tax. We all know that the AMT is a serious issue and one that we must address--the limited relief contained in this bill is not a final solution to this large problem, but it will keep the problem from getting even worse.

There are other important tax cuts that should be extended and there are other problems with the tax code that I would like to correct. But the four provisions addressed in this bill have to be addressed today not just to provide tax relief, but to prevent an immediate tax increase. We owe it to the working families and low-income Americans who rely on these tax cuts to act quickly and extend these four provisions--the 10 percent tax bracket, child tax credit, marriage penalty relief and AMT relief. Working American families and lower to middle-income America were hit hard with the economic downturn--that is why we passed these tax cuts in the first place. And now, just as these industrious Americans have started to find new jobs and spend a little more money to grow the economy, we cannot hold them back with a tax increase.

And I can't stress this point enough. Many Americans--especially low and middle income families--will have their tax rates increased and face cuts in their deductions and credits unless we act. My bill is about extending the important tax breaks that we all agreed to in 2001 and accelerated in 2003. We made a commitment to the American family in the midst of an economic downturn--offering them tax relief to help stimulate the economy. And now that these tax cuts are starting to work, we can't afford to take them back. We must stay the course and support our Nation's families as we move the American economy forward toward renewed prosperity.

I know how tight government finances are likely to be this year. And as my colleagues know, I have always taken a hard look at spending proposals. But we built about $80 billion into the Senate-passed FY 2005 Budget proposal for these tax provisions. And there are similar provisions in the House-approved budget. I am confident that we can secure the amount we will need for this proposal over the next few years.

We find ourselves in a unique position--we must be proactive to protect the American family from an unjust tax increase. We need to take a stand for low and middle income America. This Bunning-Miller tax relief legislation will protect working Americans from what would be a devastating tax increase in 2005. I urge my colleagues to get behind this bipartisan legislation and support the Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2004.

Mr. President, I pay tribute and congratulate the work of Parents Anonymous of South Eastern Kentucky.

Parents Anonymous was founded with the goal of preventing child abuse by engaging parents and strengthening families. Their goal is to stop child abuse by working with parents before it happens or continues to happen.

The citizens of Kentucky are fortunate to have the services of Parents Anonymous of South Eastern Kentucky. This organization's example of dedication, hard work and compassion should be an inspiration to all throughout the Commonwealth.

They have my most sincere appreciation for this work and I look forward to their continued service to Kentucky.

Mr. President, today I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the leaders in Ashland, KY who contributed to the downtown revitalization of the city. Ashland was one of 31 cities in Kentucky that received national recognition for its efforts in historic preservation on Tuesday, April 20, 2004.

First Lady Laura Bush presented the Preserve America recognition award to Ashland Mayor, Steve Gilmore, and Main Street Board President, Larry Jones. The initiative recognizes communities that protect and celebrate their heritage, use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization and encourage people to experience and appreciate historic resources through education and tourism programs.

Of the 65 ``Preserve America'' U.S. communities that the First Lady Laura Bush has designated, 31 are in Kentucky. In President Bush's proposed budget for fiscal year 2005, he included $10 million for Preserve America communities. Ashland will be eligible to compete for some of the money Congress appropriates.

The large number of Kentucky communities honored by the First Lady shows how important preservation is in Kentucky, and I commend these communities for their hard work and dedication to the various projects. I join all Kentuckians in congratulating Mayor Gilmore and the city of Ashland on their beautiful downtown revitalization.