Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I would like to take the opportunity to honor the 160th birthday of the Green Street Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.

The Green Street Baptist Church is one of the oldest and most established African-American churches in Kentucky. It has served as a spiritual focal point for Louisville since it was founded as the Second African Baptist Church by nine slaves. On September 29, 1844 it was opened as the Green Street Baptist Church by pastor Brother George Wells.

The Green Street Baptist Church is a historic place that has played a significant role for African-Americans in Louisville. The present church was built in 1930 by the noted African-American architect Samuel Plato. In August of 1967, with H.W. Jones as pastor, the church hosted a rally for voter registration led by Dr. Martin Luther King.

As one of the U.S. Senators from Kentucky, I know how important a wonderful center like the Green Street Baptist Church can be to a community. One of the more prominent trustees and a treasurer of the church was a man named Ben Duke, who lived to be 100 years old. I have no doubt that his rewarding involvement with such a great organization like the Green Street Baptist Church contributed to his longevity.

I congratulate the Green Street Baptist Church on this momentous occasion of its 160th anniversary. I hoe the church will continue to serve the Louisville community another 160 years and beyond.

Mr. President, today I would like to take the opportunity to honor U.S. Navy Airman Justin Teague of Benton, KY. Eighteen-year-old Justin Teague shipped out aboard the USS Enterprise in October of 2003 as a teenager newly graduated from high school and returned March 28, 2004, as an American soldier.

The USS Enterprise was deployed October 1, 2003 and visited the northern Arabian Gulf, Afghanistan, Italy, Spain, as well as a few other countries. Teague's job on the flight deck, where he secured planes that had landed and towed them into position, is vital for the function of the carrier. Justin admits his position was stressful but the hardest thing he had to endure was losing his best friend from home in a car accident while at sea. Despite missing the funeral, he remained positive throughout his journey and hopes to make a career out of the military.

Justin Teague's parents are exceedingly proud of their son, and I am proud to have him as a fellow Kentuckian. In this time of conflict, it is important to remember the young people who risk their lives to ensure our freedom. Men like Justin should be commended for their dedication and hard work in the military. We need to remember to thank our soldiers whenever the opportunity arises.

Mr. President, I am happy to join with my colleagues in offering an amendment to address the net operating loss NOL rules in the Internal Revenue Code. The NOL carryback and carryover rules are designed to allow taxpayers to ease swings in business income that result from business cycle fluctuations and unexpected financial losses.

I am certain that every Senator on the floor will admit that the last few years have been difficult for many American companies. But we have finally turned the corner and are headed to economic recovery. Businesses are finally ready to reinvest in equipment and, more importantly, create new jobs. The NOL provisions increase the cash flow of many struggling American companies and help them to hire and retain workers and fund capital investments.

Under current law, companies may carry back NOL for 2 years. In the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002, however, we here in Congress recognized the difficult circumstances that many American businesses have found themselves in during recent years and have granted them temporary relief by allowing NOL to be carried back for 5 years, rather than 2. That 5-year carryback provision expired at the end of 2002.

I believe that it makes sense to extend the relief we have granted in the past in the form of a 5-year NOL carryback for one additional year. While the economy started showing strong signs of economic recovery last year, there were still many taxpayers who incurred unexpected financial losses in 2003. Now is not the time to roll back important tax provisions that are among the very reasons we are now on the road to economic recovery. We need to give American companies every opportunity to expand and invest.

I led the fight with my colleague, Senator Conrad, to extend the 5- year carryback provision to 2003 when we passed the bill before us out of the Finance Committee with strong bipartisan support last fall. Senator Conrad and I were able to include in the Finance Committee- approved bill a 3-year carryback for 2003. The amendment I offer with my colleagues today will expand upon what we achieved in committee by simply returning the NOL carryback rule for 2003 to the 5-year period rather than the 3-year period currently provided for in this legislation.

This important amendment will give much needed relief to U.S. employers and provide an additional jump start to our economy.

Mr. President, today I would like to take the opportunity to honor the service of Mr. Jerry Brewer of Flatwoods, KY. It is wonderful to see him finally receiving the recognition for his service that he has deserved for so long.

On March 6, 2004, Mr. Brewer finally received decorations for his outstanding service in combat that he performed while in the army in Vietnam. A special thanks goes out to his daughter, Ms. Melissa Ashworth, for her hard work in correcting this oversight.

Mr. Brewer served in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970 as a member of the 478th Engineer Battalion of the 11th Infantry Brigade. He did receive a Purple Heart,

but his other medals were unfortunately delayed for over three decades. However, last Saturday Mr. Brewer finally received the medals that he had earned. He was awarded with the Bronze Star, another Purple Heart, the Vietnam Service medal, the National Defense Service medal, the Good Conduct medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign medal, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.

As one of the U.S. Senators from Kentucky, I know that Mr. Jerry Brewer served as a fine example of what it means to be true patriot and an American of the highest caliber. We must remember that the American way of life has been made possible by the bravery of men and women like Mr. Brewer. When freedom has been challenged, many like him have answered the call to arms. We must never forget that.

Mr. President, my amendment provides funds to increase educational benefits for the National Guard and Reserve members under the GI bill. Currently, National Guard and Reserve members are eligible for only $282 per month under the GI bill. That is only 27 percent of the amount active-duty members can get.

In 1985, Congress set educational benefits for our Guard and Reserve members at 47 percent of the active-duty

benefit level. Since then, it has continued to slip to today's levels of 27 percent. My provision provides the funds needed to bring Guard and Reserve benefits back to that 40-percent mark.

Today, we are using our National Guard and Reserve, as Senator Graham said, more than ever. They are being deployed away from their homes and families for longer periods of time and put in harm's way. We should provide them with educational benefits that reflect the contributions they make to our national security.

I urge Members to support the Graham amendment.

Mr. President, I express my support for the budget resolution.

We have seen tough economic times take jobs from the average American. We have seen new spending in the face of terrorism and war increase the deficit. Today we respond with a budget resolution that will set the correct tone for our country.

We now see that the President's tax cuts we passed in 2001 and 2003 are jumpstarting the American economy and providing us with some positive movement in job creation. This budget will extend the tax reductions that have fueled our economy and have helped the average American worker.

Thanks to this budget resolution, we will reduce the deficit by $139 billion to a total deficit of $338 billion in 2005. Our reductions follow the President's plan to cut the deficit as a percentage of our economy in half by 2006. We will hold the line with an $814 billion cap on discretionary spending and even decrease mandatory spending by $5.7 billion.

This budget is a blueprint for America tomorrow that recognizes the realities of today. Those realities call for strong budgets for our military and for the State Department. There are real threats on the horizon that we cannot ignore. We must have the manpower, infrastructure, and intelligence network to protect all Americans from the threat of terrorism. We cannot afford to lose sight of the importance of these programs.

Of course, spending more in the budget to protect Americans means that some other worthy programs will have to face a little belt- tightening. But as we review our spending levels, we have an opportunity to allocate some new monies and focus on new priorities.

One such program is the Pell Grant program. Since 2001, Pell Grant funding has increased by 47 percent. In committee, I was able to amend the budget resolution to increase Pell Grants for students who are willing to work harder in high school. This $33 million program will allow students who participate in a ``State Scholars Program'' to receive an extra $1,000 for their college education.

We will seek out those students who work harder and strive for better college preparation from their high school education and reward them with more money for college. Motivating our young Americans to learn today will create a skilled workforce tomorrow.

Another area we have expanded is veteran's medical research. The Budget Committee unanimously agreed to my amendment to add $536 million in funding over 5 years for veteran's medical and prosthetic research. That is a 25 percent increase in fiscal year 2005 funding over this year's level.

We owe it to the men and women of the armed forces to expand these programs. And breakthroughs in medical research funded by this program will benefit all Americans, not just those in uniform.

But one of the most important provisions this budget addresses is the tax cuts we have fought so hard to enact over the last few years. We have to stop the average American from getting a tax increase next year. That is why this budget will extend several provisions that are set to expire at the end of this year, including the $1,000 per child tax credit, the 10 percent income tax bracket expansion, and marriage penalty relief.

We passed these tax cuts to help the American family. And just as America is finally getting back on track and creating new jobs, we can't throw the weight of a tax increase on the shoulders of working Americans.

This budget offers responsible spending, protects the tax cuts that have stimulated our economy, and cuts the deficit. We have taken a hard look at our priorities and how we can help the

economy. But we're getting stiff resistance from across the aisle. They have attacked these needed tax cut extensions and sensible spending policies.

But they offer no constructive criticism or alternative solutions. They just throw rocks and complain about our budget proposal. When they ran the Budget Committee, they couldn't even get a budget that could pass on the floor of the Senate.

We also hear complaints about Social Security. Where is their plan to grapple with the future of Social Security? Where were they when the Clinton budgets ``spent'' the Social Security Surplus?

As our Budget Committee chairman said this morning, this budget will treat Social Security exactly the same as past budgets. The trust fund balances are available for future benefit payments, just as they were described in the fiscal year 2000 Clinton budget, which said, ``they do not consist of real economic assets that can be drawn down in the future to fund benefits.'' We'll keep our Social Security money in treasury bills just as we always have and in fact, are required to do by law.

I am ready to tackle the problems Social Security will face in the next several decades. I, unlike many who just complain about the problem, have spent a lot of time thinking about Social Security, particularly during my time as chairman of the Social Security subcommittee in the House. In the past, I have even drafted and introduced an option for improving the system. Very few can say that. All can complain, but few are willing to be constructive.

I hope my colleagues can look past the partisan bias and rhetoric coming from some across the aisle. We drafted in the Budget Committee a serious proposal that addresses spending levels and our economy.

I support this budget before us today because it recognizes the realities of our world, the necessity to limit spending, and the importance of creating jobs and keeping the average American on the road to economic recovery. I urge my colleagues to support the budget resolution before us.

(At the request of Mr. Daschle, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Will the Senator from Utah yield?

Will the Senator yield for a question?

The Senator from Kentucky was going to make a general statement on the budget resolution. If the Senator from Utah would like to yield, that is up to him. But I rose to seek recognition to make my general statement on the budget resolution.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Irvine Lee Shanks, who passed away Friday, March 5, 2004, at the age of 73. Mr. Shanks broke the college basketball color barrier in Kentucky when he took the court for Berea College in 1954. On that day in February, at a small basketball stadium in Ohio, he became the first black man to play for a previously all-white college basketball team.

He enrolled at Berea College at the age of 23, likely lured by that institution's goal of educating the underprivileged at no cost. To this day, Berea is one of the few affordable options for the lower-income families of Kentucky and Appalachia.

Just as Berea is not your typical college, Mr. Shanks wasn't your typical student. He was married with two children. He was a veteran of the Korean War, choosing service to his country rather than a basketball scholarship at Tennessee A&I in Nashville.

Returning to college was difficult, but the 6-foot-5 center excelled on the basketball court. He stood out among his teammates for other reasons as well, but there were no major racially-inspired incidents during his games. His team, however, often chose to miss meals or sleep on campuses because they could not find restaurants or hotels that would serve a black man. Despite these difficulties, his team came together in 1955 and upset Georgetown College to win the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship.

Mr. Shanks' experience in sports reminds me of my time in Major League Baseball and my good friend Jackie Robinson. Breaking barriers and achieving success seem to be a common link between these two athletes. These pioneers in sports taught our Nation quite a bit and deserve our thanks for setting America on the road to equality. What I have seen in baseball makes me admire Mr. Shanks accomplishments that much more.

He was a role model for all throughout the State and helped change society's attitudes towards race. He will be missed.

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

Madam President, I send amendment 2686 to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Thank you, Madam President.

I rise today to offer an amendment which is cosponsored by the Senator from Michigan and the Senator from Wyoming, Mr. Thomas.

I first want to compliment my chairman and ranking member for putting together the very good bill that we have before us today.

While no piece of legislation is ever perfect, the current situation in which we find ourselves as a result of the WTO decisions in the FSC and ETI cases presents this Congress with quite a challenge.

I supported this bill in the Finance Committee, and I think it does an admirable job in balancing the variety of interests at hand. However, I think the amendment at hand makes a good bill better.

Job creation and the economy is the top priority for Americans today. I think we have turned the corner and the economy is recovering, but we still lag in creating jobs.

We have an opportunity today to get behind manufacturing and make sure that high-paying American jobs stay in America for American workers. We can make ``Made in the USA'' mean something again.

Because we are forced to repeal the ETI, we are taking away an important export incentive from our country's manufacturers. The effect is to raise their taxes just as our recovery is gathering steam.

We have a responsibility to protect our domestic manufacturers and give them the ability to compete in the global marketplace. The manufacturing tax deduction contained in the bill before us today is designed to foster job creation and reverse the declines in the manufacturing sector employment levels.

It will reduce the tax burden on all domestic manufacturers, small and large.

As currently drafted, the bill before us phases in this important manufacturing tax provision over a number of years so that companies do not receive the full tax break--the equivalent of a 3-percent tax rate reduction on income generated by manufacturing inside the United States until 2009.

This amendment will phase in this rate reduction at an accelerated pace. As a result of the amendment by myself and the Senator from Michigan, U.S. manufacturers will have a tax rate decrease of 1\1/2\ percent in 2004, compared to the one-third of 1 percent provided in the underlying bill for 2004.

Due to the repeal of the ETI, American manufacturers are being asked to shoulder a tax burden that could stifle the recent job growth we have seen.

Our manufacturers shouldn't be saving for a tax increase. They should be hiring American workers and expanding their business.

In my State alone, manufacturing contributes $31 billion to the State economy, and manufacturing firms employ 293,000 Kentuckians.

The workers of our States demand our support. This amendment and this bill are aimed at strengthening this important sector of our economy.

My amendment reaffirms our commitment to American manufacturing and will attract jobs to the United States.

I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment.

I yield to my friend from Michigan.

Madam President I would like to take the opportunity to recognize Rev. Thurmond Coleman and 200 others who participated in the commemorative 1964 march to the Kentucky State Capital in Frankfort, KY.

Forty years ago, Reverend Coleman drove from Louisville to Frankfort with his five children to join the 1964 civil rights march of 10,000 people led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the great baseball star, Jackie Robinson. That march helped push Kentucky to become the first southern State to pass civil rights legislation.

The march and ceremony marked those early efforts and celebrated how far Kentucky has come in the last 40 years. Coleman was among those present yesterday who participated in the commemorative 1964 march and recalled the advances that were made in ensuing years. He is also a member of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, and has been an advocate for Kentucky's civil rights for many years.

I commend the efforts of Reverend Coleman and the other Kentuckians who coordinated the march on Frankfort, and hope that Kentucky continues to strive for equal rights for all of its citizens.

Mr. President, today I would like to take the opportunity to honor Mr. Jay McNeil of Paducah, KY. On January 23, 2004, Mr. McNeil discovered a new nebula while examining the night sky over Western Kentucky.

Mr. McNeil immediately established himself as an extremely capable amateur astronomer. The discovery was made with a relatively small telescope. His discovery was a very rare occurrence. According to experts in the field, such a discovery by an amateur of this magnitude has not occurred since 1939.

The discovery, later named McNeil's Nebula, was verified by the International Astronomical Union in February of 2004. The nebula is believed to contain a newborn star and is about 1,500 light years from earth. This means that what Mr. McNeil saw actually occurred a millennium and a half ago, and is just now being seen on earth.

I salute Mr. McNeil for his discovery. The thirst for knowledge and appreciation for science that he has shown serves as an example for all Kentuckians.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment today to congratulate Mrs. Cornelia McReynolds of Pembroke, KY, for receiving the Modernette Civic Club's Woman of the Year Award.

Mrs. McReynolds is best known in the Hopkinsville community as a devoted mother of seven children. But her influence stretches far beyond the boundaries of her home and her family.

She is an active member of the Eastern Star and helped to organize the Community Choir of Hopkinsville. She is also director of the junior choir and president of the usher board at the St. Bethlehem Baptist Church. The children of the church are so fond of Mrs. McReynolds, they call her ``Granny.''

Six of her seven children were with her when she received the award at the Modernette Club's 10th annual African-American Heritage Breakfast. They traveled from as far away as Chicago and Florida to be with their mother--and of course her seventh child called by cell phone from Florida after she received the award. Even her seven-month-old great granddaughter attended the Saturday morning breakfast in her honor at the Pioneer Memorial Complex. It was family dedication like this and her amazing work in the community that likely prompted this special award.

Congratulations again, Mrs. McReynolds, on receiving the 2004 Modernette Civil Club's Woman of the Year award. You are truly an inspiration for all of us throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Mr. President, I today in the Senate pay tribute to Robert Harris, of Daviess County, KY. Recently, Mr. Harris received the AP State Scholar Awards based on his outstanding performance on the advanced placement program examinations.

AP State Scholar awards are presented to one female and one male student in each State and the District of Columbia. As a senior at Daviess County's Apollo High School, Mr. Harris was one of only 105 from across the Nation who have qualified to receive this honor.

The citizens of Daviess County are fortunate to have Mr. Harris living and learning in their community. His example of hard work and determination should be followed by all in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

I congratulate Mr. Harris for his success. But also, I congratulate all his peers, coaches, teachers, administrators, and his parents for their support and sacrifices they've made to help Mr. Harris reach this goal and fulfill his dreams.

Mr. President, I rise today in the Senate to pay tribute to Jessica Lowell, of Louisville, KY. Recently, Ms. Lowell received the AP State Scholar Awards based on her outstanding performance on the advanced placement program examinations.

AP State Scholar awards are presented to one female and one male student in each State and the District of Columbia. As a senior at Louisville's DuPont Manual High School, Ms. Lowell was one of only 105 from across the Nation who have qualified to receive this honor.

The citizens of Louisville, Kentucky are fortunate to have Ms. Lowell living and learning in their community. Her example of hard work and determination should be followed by all in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

I congratulate Ms. Lowell for her success. But also, I congratulate all her peers, coaches, teachers, administrators, and her parents for their support and sacrifices they've made to help Ms. Lowell reach this goal and fulfill her dreams.

Mr. President, today I would like to take the opportunity to remember Frederick Booker Noe II of Bardstown, Kentucky, the master distiller of Jim Beam Bourbon. He passed away on Tuesday at age 74 in his home in Bardstown, and will be greatly missed by his surviving family and the Jim Beam Brands Company.

In 1950, Mr. Noe entered the family business, the bourbon that is the namesake of his grandfather, Jim Beam. He directed the production and aging of bourbon at Jim Beam and was named master distiller in 1965. While he oversaw production of Jim Beam Bourbon, production increased and innovations were made that revitalized the bourbon industry forever.

His friends considered him ``larger than life,'' and ``one of the crown jewels of American distilling.'' Jim Beam Brands honored him upon his retirement in 1992 by placing his photo on the bottle labels alongside the family distillers who preceded him. Kentuckians are proud of our bourbon, and we are proud of Mr. Noe's contributions to the industry. He will be greatly missed, and our hearts go out to his family during this time.

Mr. President, today I would like to take the opportunity to honor the service of Ms. Brenda Cowan, originally of Sturgis, KY. Her death while performing her duty as a firefighter is a great loss to us all.

On February 13, 2004 Brenda was responding to a domestic violence call. Tragically, Brenda and the person she was trying to help were shot and killed while waiting for police to arrive on the scene.

Her service with the Lexington, KY fire department was exemplary and duly appreciated. Brenda was also a pioneer. She was the first African American woman to become a firefighter in Lexington. As one of the U.S. Senators from Kentucky, I know that Brenda served as a fine example of what it means to serve one's community.

We are humbled and honored by the sacrifice Brenda has made. Without men and women such as Brenda, America would not be as great as it is now. Lexington and Kentucky are truly lucky to have benefited from her fine service. She is an example to us all.