Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today frustrated, embarrassed, and angry. It is absolutely inexcusable that all of us find ourselves in this place at this time standing on the floor of the Senate in front of the American people, hours before we plunge off the fiscal cliff, with no plan and no apparent hope, but here we are, and we have to do something.

If we are as determined to go over the cliff as we seem, we have to do something to soften the landing because at the bottom of the fiscal cliff are immediate and massive tax increases, deep and indiscriminate spending cuts, and the risk of another recession. So, as we come down on the final hours, we have two choices--to do nothing and cause an unbelievable amount of hardship for our fellow Americans or to do something to reduce the suffering inflicted on our citizens by an inflexible political system.

I choose to do something. Today I am introducing the CALM Act, which stands for the Cliff Alleviation at the Last Minute Act. The CALM Act will do three important things: It will soften the financial blow of the fiscal cliff, it will calm our financial markets, and it gives us the certainty of a plan now but allows us, if we ever find the courage, to pursue the fiscal grand bargain that has eluded us so far. Make no mistake, the financial markets are watching us, and they are getting more nervous by the hour. We need to reassure them that we are capable of making big financial decisions.

This bill, the CALM Act, is not something I am excited about or proud to offer. This is not a great plan, but it is merely a better plan than going over the cliff. It should never have come to this. We have known for more than a year that this day was coming. For more than a year, I have asked Congress for a big fix to our Nation's fiscal challenges. I pushed strongly for the Simpson-Bowles framework for deficit reduction. Yet here we are, no closer to a sensible decision on how to bring our $1.1 trillion budget deficit and our $16.1 trillion public debt under control.

Guess what. Time is up. No more games. No more excuses. No more kicking the can down the road. We have to act, and we have to act in a way that puts our fiscal house in order, reassures the financial markets, and puts the people ahead of politics. We have to deal with these tax increases and spending cuts in a humane and tolerable way. The CALM Act does all of that. Just look at what happens to people in need if we go over the cliff and just do nothing. On New Year's Day the lowest income tax rate will jump from 10 percent back to the Clinton- era rate of 15 percent. That is a pretty big financial bite for people in West Virginia, and I know in Ohio, too, sir. These are people who are struggling right now.

Instead of an overnight tax hike of 5 percent, the CALM Act smoothes the transition by phasing in increases over 3 years. So instead of a 5- percent increase, the 10-percent bracket would only go to 11.6 percent the first year. The CALM Act does the same with the other tax rates, phasing them in over 3 years under the same proportions.

The CALM Act also puts the Senate on record in support of comprehensive overhaul of our tax system. We can still work toward a big fix like the Simpson-Bowles framework. If we can do that next year, we could stop the full increase from ever occurring.

Another important feature of the CALM Act is the way it treats sequestration. Again, if we go over the cliff and do nothing, nearly every government program will be hit with the same percentage cut, and that includes social services, education, research, and infrastructure. Those are all the things we need to grow our fragile economy.

The CALM Act gives the Office of Management and Budget discretion and flexibility to recommend what programs, agencies, and accounts to cut. If OMB fails to do the job, then the sequestration across-the-board cuts kick back in. Of course, the final word rests with Congress. OMB's decision can be overridden by a joint resolution.

Every provision of the CALM Act is familiar to the Senate. In fact, at one time or another nearly every feature of this plan has been offered by both Republicans and Democrats, including President Obama and Speaker Boehner. All I have done is pull them together to offer them as a compassionate alternative to what happens if we go over the fiscal cliff.

It is true that from the very beginning I have favored a comprehensive solution to put our fiscal house in

order, which was something along the lines of the Bowles-Simpson plan. We don't have that luxury right now. Perhaps the CALM Act will not only soften the blow of the fiscal cliff, but it will also give us a sense of urgency about a grand bargain to repair our financial house.

I am not so naive as to believe everybody is going to check their politics at the door, even at this late hour, but this is not a time for politicking, bickering, or partisan games. To allow the country to plunge over the fiscal cliff without any alternative plans to soften the landing is completely unacceptable. I cannot think of anything more irresponsible than to play games with the lives of Americans in such a callous way and let this great country go over the fiscal cliff. This would jeopardize the financial standing of our country and alarm our financial markets in ways that could trigger another recession.

Something has gone terribly wrong when the biggest threat to the American economy is the American Congress. I repeat: Something has gone terribly wrong when the biggest threat to our American economy is our American Congress.

It does not have to be that way. I am putting something on the table that is fair and balanced. It includes a slow phase-in of the tax increases that are going to happen inevitably if we go over the cliff. It includes a slow phase-in of all the tax increases, it includes targeted spending decreases, and it moves us closer to tax reforms. Everybody helps, and we do it in a way that keeps our country strong and prosperous.

This is one of those moments that the Senate was intended to live up to and provide leadership, find common ground, level with the American people, and be honest with each other. With our debt continuing to soar and too many Americans still looking for jobs, these are times that demand the very best of the Senate.

Everywhere in West Virginia--and, in fact, all over this country-- families are making tough choices about how to make ends meet. It is time for Washington to do the same.

Here in the Senate it seems to me that we are always fighting about something. Well, that might not change anytime soon, but more often than not, I believe we can rise to the common ground of great national purpose. I believe with all of my heart that this is one of those times.

Mr. President, I rise in support of the amendment of my colleague, Senator Merkley from Oregon, his amendment on Afghanistan. I know we all have good ideas. We all have input here. We all have our own personal opinions. But it is time to bring our troops home from Afghanistan. They have been there since October 7, 2001. They have defeated al-Qaida, they have killed Osama bin Laden, and it is time to bring them home.

Mr. President, 66,000 American combat troops still remain in Afghanistan. President Obama plans to reduce that number by ``a steady pace'' until they are moved completely out by the end of 2014. I would prefer a faster pace, as many of my colleague would, but as long as it did not jeopardize the safety of troops, because I think that is the most important thing we do. After all, the war has already surpassed the Vietnam war, your area and mine, Mr. President, as the longest in American history. It has already cost us dearly; more than 2,000 American troops have died for the cause and many thousands more have been maimed and more than $500 billion has been spent just in Afghanistan.

Even so, I support the bipartisan amendment sponsored by Senator Merkley. It backs the President's current plan to end combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but I support it because it also calls for a quicker transition of security operations from U.S. forces to Afghan security forces. Instead of the end of 2014, the amendment urges the transition to take place in the summer of 2013, this coming year. That, hopefully, would bring a quicker end to the U.S. involvement in combat in Afghanistan. This amendment merely expresses the sense of the Senate. It is not binding on President Obama and it will not affect any negotiations between Washington and Kabul on whether a residual force of U.S. military advisers in Afghanistan would be there after 2014.

U.S. forces went to Afghanistan in pursuit of those who planned and ordered the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States that killed over 3,000 of our citizens. With valor and courage they drove from power the Taliban, which had given bin Laden a base from which he could launch horrific attacks on innocent American civilians. They captured, killed, or brought to justice the leader of al-Qaida and eventually they tracked down bin Laden himself and made sure he would never, ever harm another American.

After more than 10 years, more than 1,900 American lives, and more than $500 billion, it is time to bring our warriors home to a hero's welcome, time to focus our resources on rebuilding America, not on rebuilding Afghanistan. I have said many times on this floor, if you help us build a new road or bridge in West Virginia, help us build a school for our children, we will not blow it up or burn it down.

It is time to help rebuild America for this great country and bring our heroes back to a hero's welcome.

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay upon the table was agreed to.

Amendment No. 3016

Mr. President, today I wish to speak about a great West Virginian, Lewis D'Antoni, and his extraordinary family. I do so because the D'Antoni family is being honored tonight for the countless lives they have influenced and the untold students they have inspired to reach for the stars. At its annual dinner in Charleston, the Education Alliance of West Virginia will celebrate the D'Antonis. And I wish to add my salute to this remarkable family and to thank its patriarch for all he has done for the people of West Virginia in a lifetime of almost 99 years--as a dedicated educator, as an innovative coach, as an inspiring man of integrity and industry.

Lewis D'Antoni had a long career as an educator but he is best known throughout West Virginia as the ``coach's coach.'' And for good reason! He was one of West Virginia's greatest high school basketball coaches, with 450 victories, including a State championship, while coaching at Mullens High School in Wyoming County. He believed in fast-forward basketball even before there was a shot clock. So it should not surprise anyone that two of his sons, Mike and Dan, have been advocates of the run-and-gun offense in their NBA coaching careers. And with Mike named just this week as the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers-- reunited with point guard Steve Nash--look for a lot of full-court play at The Forum this season.

All four of the children Lewis parented with his late wife, Betty Jo, are accomplished and respected throughout West Virginia. Their youngest son, Mark, was an Academic All-American basketball player at Coastal Carolina College and is a partner in a Charleston law firm. And their daughter, Kathy, is an assistant state superintendent of schools in West Virginia and the author of two books on adult education. The D'Antonis personify the power of families--working hard, supporting each other and standing together, no matter how tough times may get. These are the values of the D'Antoni family. These are the families of the West Virginia family.

Lewis D'Antoni's father, Andrea, came from Italy to West Virginia in 1910. He was so proud to be an American that he initiated what is probably a very unique tradition in any American household, especially these days. Every April 15, after paying his taxes, Andrea D'Antoni would open a bottle of wine and celebrate Tax Day with the entire family. Kathy D'Antoni remembers stories of how happy her grandfather was to pay his taxes because, as she explains, ``he loved America and he wanted to show his appreciation and to give something back to this great country.''

That has been the hallmark of the D'Antoni family ever since Andrea D'Antoni's Tax Day celebrations. That certainly has been the hallmark of Lewis D'Antoni's life work--through his many years as a coach, a teacher and school administrator. He taught discipline on the court and in the classroom. He emphasized that success depends on ``how well you prepare'' and ``how you react to the ebb and flow'' of the game. And never, ever give up. And that has also been the hallmark of the careers of his children, Mike, Dan, Mark and Kathy. All have given great service to their communities, their State and their country.

The Education Alliance is a non-profit organization that works to keep students in school and on track to graduate through various programs, including mentoring. And every year, at its annual dinner, the organization honors West Virginians who have had a positive impact on the lives of students, as role models for discipline and hard work. This year, the Education Alliance is honoring the D'Antoni family whose own lives bear witness to the fact that talent is unstoppable, that tenacity has rewards and that dreams can come true. They have lived lives that made Andrea D'Antoni's dream come true--that the D'Antoni family name would be honored in America and in West Virginia.

Mr. President, something unusual is happening in Congress. Democrats and Republicans are agreeing on something; we appear headed toward same goal.

The problem is, what we are agreeing on is more business as usual in Washington. They want to pass yet another continuing resolution instead of a real budget solution. I can almost hear the people back home and all over this country saying, There they go again.

I can argue this both ways. A continuing resolution will let the government limp along again for another 6 months. That way, we can go home now and come back after election to fix the budget.

I haven't had anybody in West Virginia tell me that we should hurry home to campaign. I have had plenty of them tell me that we need to stay here and do the job they hired us to do. And that means fixing the budget, because our debt is piling up every day and it is choking our economy.

These continuing resolutions are supposed to be temporary, but it looks to me as though they have become a permanent way of doing business here in Congress. And let me tell you, it is a bad way of doing business. It ignores the dire circumstances of a record $16 trillion of national debt that will increase close to $1 trillion a year if we don't balance our annual budget, and do it soon. It makes me think of the goofy kid on the cover of Mad Magazine, Alfred E. Neuman, ``What? Me worry?''

I came to the Senate not quite 2 years ago, and in the time I have been here there have been 12 of these continuing resolutions. There were three in December of 2010. In 2011 there were two in March, two in April, two in September, one in November, and three in December. Now we are being asked to pass another CR to keep things going a little bit longer, for 6 more months, so we can all go home--that is the problem-- so we can all go home and worry about our elections, and we are going to worry about this country's growing debt later. We have got to get home first.

Well, a baker's dozen is one too many for me. Enough is enough. I can't vote for this measure to simply kick the can any farther down the road. It can't go on. The people of West Virginia didn't send me here or send the Presiding Officer from the great State of North Carolina to do that. They sent us here to help fix our budget problems with bipartisan commonsense solutions.

That is the way we did it in West Virginia when I was Governor. We didn't pull these kinds of stunts on West Virginians. We stayed on the job until the work was done. We wouldn't leave. We stayed and worked. If it was all through the night, we would stay. If it was an extra day or an extra week, we would stay and get our work done. We came together to make decisions on what was best for our State, not best for us individually. It is time we do the same here in Washington.

We have to stop putting off what we need to do to get our fiscal house in order. It is time to cancel the flights home, it is time to roll up our sleeves and get down to the people's business, because we have reached a dangerous point in our history--a point in which our debt is threatening not just our economic standing in the world but also our national security.

I know everybody expects that we will come back after elections in a lameduck session, and we are going to rush to fix all of our fiscal problems at the last minute. But if Congress's past performance is any indication of what to expect after the election, I wouldn't expect too much. That is a shame. A lameduck session of Congress is cutting it pretty close, because we have gotten ourselves into a real bind.

The so-called fiscal cliff is real. We are looking at over $5 trillion of economic swing by the end of this year, December 31, coming up to January 1. One part of that is sequestration. I think we all remember the sequestration. That was a penalty we put on ourselves if the supercommittee did not do their job. Well, the supercommittee wasn't that super. It didn't work out the way we all thought it would. It means that what we have to do is take painful cuts. Because we said if we make the penalty strong enough and great enough, we will definitely come to the table and fix the financial problems. But we didn't do it. That was a year ago. We could have been working and fixing all that between, but here we come down to last minute and we are asking for 6 more months.

These are the kinds of meat axe spending cuts--and I will talk about that. I never did put budgets together that were across-the-board cuts. If you had to cut, you looked at it. Government can do two things with your money: It can spend your money or it can invest your money. We have done a poor job of investing. We have done a great job of spending the money. That has got to reverse and change. We can't just say, Well, across-the-board cuts. We have to look and find out and put forth priorities based on our values. And you shouldn't cut where investments should be made, but overall there will be a reduction. That can happen.

Some of our congressional leaders who put together the sequestering in order to force us are now acting as though, We really didn't mean it. It really wasn't sincere about we should do this. We knew we couldn't do it, but it sounded good back then because we really thought we would do so. Can you think what would happen to the confidence of the people in this country if we don't do what we said we were going to do? It is not a smart way to run this country.

Then they talk about cutting the defense budget. Oh, that can't be done. That can't be done. We want to make sure we have the strongest and toughest. And every one of us here supports our military to the hilt. Every man and woman in uniform should have the best equipment, the best training, and the best support this country can give them. But when you look at the ballooning costs of what has happened to our Department of Defense, most of the money spent on contracting, most of the increases on contracting--people doing the same job making three and four and five times more than a man or woman in uniform? That is not right. And they are telling me, We can't cut it? Oh, no. If we do that, you are not strong for America.

Well, I have said this: The automatic cuts go into effect January 2, as we know. Our national security budget is still over $600 million in 2013. That is more than we had in 2006, at the height of the Iraq war. In fact, even after the automatic cuts, the United States will still account for 40 percent of all military spending in the world. Forty percent of all the military spending is by our country. I promise you, we are going to make sure that America keeps the strongest defense in the world.

I have been in this body for 2 years. One of the most sobering moments I have ever had, I am sitting on the Armed Services Committee learning, as the Presiding Officer and everyone else, about the dangers we face around the world and the threats to the United States of America. The question was asked to then-Chairman ADM Mike Mullen, What is the greatest threat America faces? I am thinking I am going to hear about all the different North Africa problems we have, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, and on and on. He didn't hesitate, he didn't waiver. He said, ``The debt of this Nation is the greatest threat we face as America.'' He wasn't worried about our military might. He wasn't worried about a terrorist attack. He was worried about us coming apart from within.

That was perhaps my most sobering moment since coming to the Senate. And when you have the highest ranking officer of the world's most powerful military that history has ever recorded, I think you should take that seriously. I did. That alone should give everyone in Congress a sense of urgency and doing something about our out-of-whack spending. And it truly is out of whack.

If anybody is betting that we can fix our finances in a lameduck session of Congress, I will remind them that some people made the same bet on the supercommittee last year. That didn't work out too well.

In fact, we are about to leave town with a lot of unfinished work. We are not just unsure about our finances, and it is not just about finances. The 112th Congress--and I am ashamed to say this--is one of the least productive Congresses in the history of this country in terms of passing new laws. The Congress we are in right now, the 112th, passed only 173 public laws as of last month. As you recall, in our history books, President Harry Truman--who

dubbed the 80th Congress as the do-nothing Congress--passed 906 bills. I don't even know if he would have a definition of what we have done.

So a do-nothing Congress is something I am not proud of. It is clear to me that betting on Congress getting religion after the election is also a risky gamble--a gamble with America's future, a gamble with the next generation. We tried that with the supercommittee, but it failed. That is the reason we are here today facing the fiscal cliff. The sunsetting of the Bush tax cuts, the tax extenders, the end of emergency unemployment benefits, sequestration, those are all meat axe cuts, and we know that.

The Congressional Budget Office says the fiscal cliff could cut the GDP by 4 percentage points next year and send the economy back right into a recession. Look at the time we have wasted. The supercommittee fell apart almost 1 year ago, and yet here we are. Instead of voting on a real and permanent solution to our financial problems, we are getting ready to vote on yet another temporary measure that will allow us to leave before we have addressed a single one of these most critical issues.

What has happened since the supercommittee shut down with no agreement? One thing that has happened is our long-term national debt has topped $16 trillion a couple weeks ago. That is a figure that is almost impossible to wrap your mind around. But I think you can wrap your mind around this: Each one of us who lives in this great country is now in debt $50,700, every man, woman, and child.

Sixteen trillion dollars is roughly the same as our country's entire economic output for the first time in 40 years. The last time our debt was 100 percent of GDP was right after World War II. We were fighting to save our Nation, to save a society, to save a way of life. This has been self-inflicted, and we can't keep going on this way.

We have reached what the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform called the moment of truth. The report it prepared for the President almost 2 years ago--in fact, that was the title of its report, The Moment of Truth. And while the commission faced the moment of truth with a comprehensive bipartisan plan for reducing our debt, Congress has yet to do so. Now is the time. We know how to fix things. Congress has done it before.

In the early 1990s, our economy was faltering because deficits and debt were freezing capital. But Congress sent a signal to the market that it was capable of being fiscally responsible. And it was. The result was the longest economic expansion in history: the creation of over 22 million jobs and unprecedented wealth in America, with every income bracket rising--every income bracket, not just the chosen few.

The budget framework put together by Congress and the White House led to the first balanced budget in generations and put our country on track to be debt free this year, in 2012. If we had stayed the course, we would be debt free as a United States of America right now. Let me repeat that. This year we would have been debt free.

But we got totally off track with tax cuts, two wars, and expansion of the prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients--none of which was paid for. All great ideas, but none was paid for. And the 10- year $5.6 trillion surplus forecast in 2001 has become a debt of more than $16 trillion. That is a $22 trillion swing in less than a decade. It is unbelievable. It is mind boggling.

But we can get back on track if we follow a simple formula, roughly the same one the Bowles-Simpson debt commission recommended. We have to curtail spending, we have to have a fair revenue stream, and we have got to look at cutting the fat; and, to do that, an overhaul of our tax system so it is not only more equitable for everyone but also encourages the kind of entrepreneurship that makes our country the bedrock of the global economy.

In America, we need a tax system where everybody pays their fair share, and where American businesses are free to do what they do best: outproduce, and outinnovate competitors all around the world. To keep a bright future, we have to reform our entitlement programs so we can preserve the benefits. There is serious trouble ahead if we don't act.

Think about this. In 2016, Social Security disability is basically insolvent; 2024, Medicare insolvent; 2033, Social Security will only be able to deliver 75 cents on the dollar, a 25-percent discount.

The American people are hungry for plain talk on our debt. That is why a few weeks ago in Charleston, WV, we hosted Senator Alan Simpson and White House Chief of Staff under Bill Clinton Erskine Bowles. They packed the house, and they spoke the truth. What they were saying is, give the American people the facts, show them the options the way we did at our fiscal summit, and they will do their part to get our country back on the right track. They always have. That is what makes this country so great.

So don't sell the United States of America short. Don't sell the American people short because this is an election year. They can tell when you are dealing straight with them or when you are playing politics. Right now, there is no more time to play politics.

In fact, I got a letter yesterday from James of Clarksburg, WV, talking about the summit. Here is what he said.

It is time for responsible Members of the Senate like you

to take to the floor and tell your fellow Senators, ``It is

past time for us to take responsible action to address the

fiscal crisis which is our responsibility to the people who

sent us here--because it is just that. There is no excuse for

delaying action until after the election.

No excuse to delay it just because of an election.

James got it exactly right; there is no time to waste. I am not naive. I understand some of the choices we face are going to be hard for some of us to make. I know Republicans don't want to talk about new revenue, and I know Democrats don't want to talk about entitlement reform. But we need to start thinking more about the next generation than of ourselves, or the next generation than the next news cycle or the next flight out of Washington.

Millions of Americans are struggling in this tough economy, working overtime to pay their bills, find a job, and find a way forward for their families. They are looking to us for the leadership they need. They are looking to us for solutions. They are looking to us to come together and do what is best for the country in a balanced and practical way. They are simply looking to us to do our job, and I intend to do that to the best of my ability.

Winston Churchill once said: You can always count on Americans to do the right thing--after they have tried everything else.

I think we have tried everything else, including kicking the can down the road 12 times before. Now it is time for us to do the right thing. This temporary step is the wrong thing at the wrong time. We have work left to do, and we need to stay and do it. The people of America expect us to do better, to stand up for them, to put politics aside. The people of West Virginia can be assured that I will always stand, and I will continue to try to do the best that I possibly can for them and for the people of this great country.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, first of all, I wish to thank my colleague and good friend from the State of Washington, Senator Cantwell, for honoring and recognizing a true American hero. We have had so many of them, and we still have so many, and I wish to thank her for that.

As the country mourns for those we have lost in Libya and those who remain in harm's way to keep us all safe, we are reminded of the sacred debt we owe the men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day. No matter the generation and no matter the war, America's soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen are always tough, always determined, and always victorious. Even when we have asked the impossible of them, they have served us well.

However, how well have we served them? How well have we kept our sacred promise to care for those who, as Abraham Lincoln said, ``have borne the battle'' for us and for this great country of ours?

The Veterans Jobs Corps Act is an opportunity to make good on that promise, but it is more than an opportunity; it is an obligation. It is also a duty and, most importantly, it is a privilege. It is one of the best welcome home celebrations we could give the men and women in our armed forces, as well as the 9/11 generation of their families--more than 1 million military spouses and 2 million children, many of whom have lived their entire lives in a nation at war.

Today, one of our Nation's great challenges is a new generation of veterans coming home to a weak economy. Those veterans are disciplined and have some of the best training in the world, but now those veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan now fight for jobs.

The unemployment rate for these post-9/11 veterans is 10.9 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics this past August, and that is well above the national average. That is unacceptable. That is why every day in the U.S. Senate I will stand with our veterans--as I know the Acting President pro tempore does and all of our colleagues--24/7. That is why one of my top priorities in the Senate has been--and will continue to be--to make sure there are good jobs for our returning veterans.

I am particularly pleased that the Veterans Jobs Corps Act includes provisions to provide veterans with access to the Internet and computers to assist them in their job searches. This is important because, as we all know, today's veterans are tech-savvy.

I have talked with Labor Secretary Solis about establishing an Internet portal for job seekers, and I will be working closely with the Secretary to make sure this provision of the act is up and running as quickly as possible.

I do, however, suggest that we amend the legislation so it is abundantly clear that employment opportunities available through the Veterans Jobs Corps are maintained on one--only one--Internet portal--a simple, one-stop center for job seekers. In this technology age, we need a central clearinghouse to match veterans with available jobs.

I also want to propose two more amendments to the Veterans Jobs

Corps Act that might have been overlooked.

First, as written, the legislation addresses commercial driver's licenses, CDLs, as we know them, but not construction equipment or heavy equipment operating licenses. I suggest we amend the legislation to include reciprocity on licensure, which, clearly, will make it easier for veterans to get jobs operating this heavy equipment at construction and mining sites. They have been doing these jobs already every day in the military. There is no reason why they should have to face a complete new hurdle to get a new license for the same work here at home.

And second, I would like the legislation to encourage Members of Congress to lead by example and hire qualified veterans for openings in all of our offices both here and at home. I proudly display the ``I Hire Veterans'' logo in my office, and many of our colleagues do. I have made this a commitment to every veteran: that we will do all we can to put them back into employment. But we must all lead by example.

As members of the Veterans Jobs Caucus, we must do everything we can to end the unemployment crisis our veterans are facing. In fact, while I was in my great State of West Virginia during our most recent State work period, I had the privilege of working with a private sector partner, DuPont--International DuPont--which has joined the ``I Hire Veterans'' project. They have committed that for all of their new hires, at least 10 percent will be veterans. That is tremendous. This project is our new yellow ribbon and, as I have always said, if you want to really help a vet, hire a vet and then do business with folks who also hire vets.

I have seen firsthand the positive impact veterans have on our economy. Leadership, teamwork, commitment, and trust--these are the hallmark qualities of all of our military heroes. And these are skills every American business--big or small--needs and can use today.

Like every generation of warriors, today's young veterans make great hires. Their resumes include maturity, crisis management skills, and loyalty, and those resumes should be at the top of every stack of a person looking for a good employee today.

Patriotism has many requirements and one requirement is to keep faith with those who have worn the uniform of the United States of America. It is one thing to recall President Lincoln's immortal words and the commitment to those who have ``borne the battle.'' It is another to live by them--to always stand with the men and women who have kept this Nation safe and free.

They answered the call. We must do so as well. And I am so proud to support this legislation.

Three million veterans have returned from military service over the past 10 years, and another 1 million are expected to return to civilian life over the next 5 years.

Can we rise to the challenge, the way our warriors did in Iraq and Afghanistan? Can we make sure our economy is ready for them? Of course we can. And just as importantly, we must.

So I ask all of my colleagues--Democrats and Republicans--to please vote ``yes'' on this most important piece of legislation.

I yield the floor.

I thank the Senator.

Wind Production Tax Credit

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for up to 12 minutes.

Mr. President, I rise today to announce a rare opportunity for the people of my State, who care so much about the future of our country.

When I travel all around my beautiful State of West Virginia, one of the biggest concerns I hear from the people is simply that our Nation's finances are in such bad shape we could be the first generation that leaves this country and leaves our next generation in worse shape than we received it.

I am determined to make sure that doesn't happen, and I am sure the Presiding Officer is as well. I am determined to bring people together to fix our finances and put this country back on the right path. I am also determined that all our children and grandchildren will be able to live a more fulfilling and prosperous life than we do.

But we are running out of easy options to put our country's financial house in order. And every day we delay a big fix, the price will be higher, the changes will be more painful, and the choices will be more stark. With our country's finances so far out of control, all of the priorities we all care about--whether it is creating jobs, maintaining the best military in the world, keeping the core of vital programs such as Social Security, or educating the next generation--are in jeopardy.

If we care about rebuilding America--investing in our highways and our roads, our airports, our water and sewer systems--we cannot do it if we don't pay for it. If we care about creating jobs and giving our businesses certainty, we can't do that either if we can't pay for it. And if we care about educating the next generation and preparing this generation with the skill sets they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow, we can't do it if we can't pay for it.

If we care about having an energy policy that uses all of our domestic resources in the cleanest possible manner; if we care about developing technology for clean coal; if we care about finally ending our dependence on foreign oil from hostile countries, we can't do it if we can't pay for it.

If we care about having the best military in the world, one that can defend the liberty of this great Nation at home and, where needed, abroad, we simply can't do it if we can't pay for it.

If we care about helping the vulnerable, the sick, the weak, and keeping our vital core promises--such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Head Start--we simply can't do it if we can't pay for it.

Any nation that wants to be a strong nation, that wants to invest in its priorities and wants to leave the country in better shape for the next generation cannot be shackled by crippling debt. If the Federal Government can't get its financial houses in order, the hard truth is all these priorities I spoke about will be slashed--sooner than any of us would like to admit.

Whether we consider ourselves a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, or we have no affiliation at all; whether we consider ourselves a liberal, a conservative, or a centrist--wherever we fall in the spectrum--none of the priorities we care about on all those sides can happen unless we can pay for it. The old saying is as true today as it ever has been: You can't help others if you're not strong enough to help yourself.

It is time to make America strong again.

Let me give some troubling figures that illustrate how bad it has gotten: The debt hole we have dug for ourselves now equals the entire amount of goods this country produces; in other words, our gross domestic product. That hasn't happened since 1947.

Think of the next group of lawmakers who will be sitting where we sit in 2033, which is just around the corner. They are going to have to look Americans in the eye and tell them the Social Security check they are receiving will only be 75 percent of what is owed to them. They will have to say it is because the group who came before us didn't do their job.

Think of 10 years from now, truly around the corner, when every man, woman, and child in this country will owe more than $79,000 to pay off our national debt. Today it is about $50,700, which is way too high, but it is only going to get worse if we don't do our job and fix it.

There are 3 million jobs going unfulfilled in this country because they say the workforce doesn't have the right skills in order to perform those jobs, and our unemployment rate has been the highest for the longest period of time. That is not acceptable.

Who exactly is supposed to pay for all this debt? If we do the math, the picture isn't pretty. We are not balancing our budget, we are not training people for the jobs of the future, and we are leaving our children and grandchildren a massive debt that, as of today, equals the entire economic production of this great Nation.

To me, however we do the math--even if we use funny Washington accounting tricks--this situation adds up to a train wreck at best. I am determined to prevent this oncoming train wreck, and I will do all I can, working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I have said people back home didn't send me to Washington to put the next generation into more debt. They sent me to, hopefully, help get them out of debt.

Putting this country back on the right path will hurt, but we have to be willing to come together across party lines. We have to determine our highest priorities and make tough choices. That is what the people of West Virginia sent me to do, not to cater to any one special interest group.

There are plenty of politicians who will talk about fixing the problem, who will pay lip service to coming up with a plan, who will talk a good game--what we call talk the talk--but can't walk the walk. But in the end, the problem will continue to fester if we don't do something.

I am not one of those politicians who can turn a blind eye to our debt and walk away from it. The people of West Virginia expect more. They expect me to make hard choices and work with both Democrats and Republicans to do the right thing for our State. No matter how hard it will be to fix our problems--and it is clear everyone will need to have a little skin in the game and share these sacrifices--I am determined to do it.

But no Senator--no matter how committed they may be--can do it alone. That is why I am so pleased to announce that two of the Nation's greatest financial leaders will be coming to West Virginia to hold an open forum with the people of our State about the future of our finances, and we call that ``Our Finances and Our Future.'' Former Senator Alan Simpson, a Republican from Wyoming, and Mr. Erskine Bowles, a Democrat who is the former White House Chief of Staff under President Bill Clinton, are two of the toughest and smartest people in this country when it comes to our finances.

Since I have been here, the most bipartisan effort to fix our finances has been led by Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson. They were asked to head the President's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. It was bipartisan when it began, it has stayed bipartisan all this time, and it has grown with the number of Senators from both sides of the aisle who understand we need a big fix that comes from both sides of the aisle in a bipartisan way.

Bowles and Simpson paint a grim picture about the problems we are facing. In December of 2010, they laid out a serious blueprint for a solution--one that isn't perfect but that has earned more support from members of both parties than anything else that has been proposed in Washington.

Since then, too many of our leaders have put their heads in the sand about this proposal and the choices we face. But West Virginia is different from most of the States. We welcome the hard truth because we know we have to face the truth. Believe me, we can handle the truth in West Virginia.

On September 10, West Virginians will have an opportunity to hear some truth telling. I am so proud that Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles will hold a forum, ``Our Finances and Our Future: A Bipartisan Conversation about the Facts,'' at our magnificent cultural center. They will present the facts--and there is no doubt the facts are dire-- and lay out the magnitude of the problem we face, and then we will talk about solutions. It is a rare opportunity to have a frank bipartisan conversation about the grave conditions of our Nation's finances.

I am inviting all West Virginians--be it business, labor, senior groups, the young people who are expected to pay off our debt, and anyone else with an interest in our future--to come and participate in this session. We will talk about what this framework will do, which is to find the balance between revenue and spending, fundamentally changing our Tax Code and cutting spending. In short, it will make our system more fair.

Let's look first at the Tax Code. There are some Americans who, because of their connections and ability to hire lobbyists, have manipulated our Tax Code so they get special tax breaks. That is not right. Too many corporations that depend on the strength of this great Nation--as has been noted, such as G.E.--are paying nothing or virtually nothing in taxes. That is wrong. It is not right.

We need to make our tax system more fair and straightforward. The bipartisan Bowles-Simpson plan would end many of those loopholes and lower tax rates for everyone. When it comes to our spending, right now in this country we spend so much more than we can afford. I know so many Americans who tell me they would be more than happy to pay more-- if we were using it in the right direction--to pay down our debt and to invest in infrastructure.

But we are not spending well. I have always said public servants can do one or two things with public tax money: We can either spend it or invest it. Frankly, we have been doing too much spending and not enough investing.

Our annual deficit--the amount we spend versus the amount we take in--is about $1.2 trillion this year alone. Looking into the future, if nothing changes, we will have deficits every year for the next decade. No one can tell me we can sustain that pace and still afford Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defending this Nation, and educating our children. The math doesn't add up. The bipartisan Bowles-Simpson framework addresses this by cutting more than $2 trillion for our spending over the next decade.

After we address our spending and our Tax Code, guess what happens. Our interest payments--the amount we are spending every year just for the privilege of borrowing money from countries such as China to finance our day-to-day operations--will go down nearly $700 billion over the next 10 years.

That is the bipartisan Bowles-Simpson framework. Yes, it will have some painful cuts, and, yes, everyone will have to share in the sacrifice. But because the pain is spread out, no one takes too deep a hit. That is why I believe this proposed blueprint is the

only plan that has garnered any real show of bipartisan interest from the beginning of its inception to today.

When I became Governor of the great State of West Virginia, our State finances were in a tough place. We had to make very hard choices about our priorities, and not everyone was happy with those decisions. Seven or eight years ago, people believed West Virginia was hopeless; that we would always be challenged; that our finances would always be on the brink; that we wouldn't be able to invest in our priorities; that our economy would always be stagnant; that our credit ratings would always be miserably low; that we wouldn't be able to turn any of that around.

But I will tell you what. At the end of my term, we had lowered tax rates, reduced our food tax, ended our fiscal years with a budget surplus each and every year, and increased our credit rating three times in 3 years during the greatest recession because we put our priorities based on our values of what was important to West Virginia. Together, we weathered the recession better than 45 States. We are finally getting the last piece of our puzzle in place with a fix to the retirement system.

I can tell you this: I am not talking about fixing our Nation's finances from some ivory tower, from some rigid ideological position. I am talking about this country's finances because I know how much it costs all of us to live in debt. I know the burden of high interest payments and the way it robs us of the opportunity to pay for more important priorities. I know how much stronger this country will be when we manage our debt. I know because we came together in West Virginia and improved the quality of life in our State, and I know we can do it together in this country.

The truth is, Democrats don't have a lock on good ideas and neither do Republicans. But with less than 100 days to go before the election, we are not going to hear many Democrats giving Republicans any credit and we won't hear many Republicans acknowledging that Democrats have anything to bring to the table.

That is a true shame. We will not fix our problems with a go-it-alone attitude because the only way America has ever solved our problems is to put partisanship aside and come together for the good of this great Nation.

Put America first. The West Virginia fiscal summit is just one honest way we can take an important step toward, coming together to solve our problems and one more way for the people of West Virginia to show this great Nation that we can--and will--do the heavy lifting it will take to put this country back on the right track.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the thousands of West Virginians who have chosen to serve this great Nation as members of our military. West Virginia is one of the most patriotic States in the Nation, and we are humbled by the sacrifice of 39 brave West Virginians who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Throughout the generations, thousands of brave men and women gave us our freedom; they deserve the best we can give them in return.

In recognition of these values and the service of all West Virginians, today I am launching the Mountain State National Security Fellowship.

While working on Capitol Hill or in my State offices, selected fellows will use the skills and experience gained while serving in our armed services to assist my office with military and veterans-related issues. They will also personally represent the West Virginia veteran community and embody the values of all who served, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

This is our next generation of leaders, and this fellowship will help encourage them to develop their interest in public service. Fellows will gain a firsthand understanding of how we help our constituents by staying connected to their lives and serving their needs. Our office will benefit from a servicemember's perspective on the problems we are trying to solve.

This fellowship is a small but important step in a much larger national problem. Veterans face the highest unemployment levels of almost any group of people in our economy, and that is wrong. We need to do more to match our veterans with available jobs in their communities.

As cofounder of the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus, I have joined with many colleagues from both parties to focus on the problem of veterans' unemployment. As we draw down from the Middle East, veterans will be returning to our communities and trying to build new lives with their families, and we should do everything we can to put their incredible skills to good use.

In my own office, we employ four veterans, and they are the most dedicated, trained, committed kind of employees imaginable. I am so appreciative to have that quality of a workforce in my office.

As a nation, we fly the flag and we proudly display yellow ribbons, but if you really want to say thank you to someone who was willing to sacrifice and give their all, you hire a veteran. They are well trained, disciplined, and ready to go to work.

That is the drive behind our jobs caucus, our ``I Hire Veterans'' project, and this fellowship program. It is easy to talk the talk, but you have to walk the walk, and this fellowship is one way for us to do so.

I want to say thank you to all West Virginia veterans and their families and that it will be an honor to work with you as Mountain State National Security Fellows.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 10 minutes, and that following my remarks the Senator from Rhode Island be recognized to speak.

Mr. President, I rise today to express my indescribable frustration and genuine disbelief that we are looking at two proposals that do not do enough to fix this Nation's financial problems--and both have been predicted by both respective sides to fail. I speak of the Bush tax cuts and how those of us in the responsible middle find ourselves caught between a rock and a hard place, with a vote that offers, truly, no real solutions.

It is no secret that I prefer fixing the problems this country faces, like most of my colleagues, and we all have different approaches. We are hurling toward $16 trillions in debt, and for the first time since the World War II era our debt exceeds the output of our economy. Even our generals say the greatest threat this Nation faces is not a foreign power or a terrorist organization but the debt we have created ourselves.

We are staring down the barrel of insurmountable obligations for decades to come, and we are passing up a key opportunity to put this country in better shape for the next generation.

As you can see, and as West Virginians know, we urgently need to put our country's financial house back in order, and the people of West Virginia are tired of temporary solutions to our long-term problems.

As I have said so many times, I will work with both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, on a comprehensive solution that lowers tax rates, broadens our revenue base, closes loopholes, cuts spending, and reduces our debt, like the framework proposed by the Bowles-Simpson plan.

Unfortunately, neither of the proposals on the Bush tax cuts will solve our long-term debt and fiscal problems. At the same time, with our debt problems getting worse every year, we must come together to take responsible action and fair steps toward reducing our debt, even if they are only temporary.

Let's look at the two proposals that have been offered, one from my Republican colleagues in the House that, unfortunately, kicks the can down the road entirely and extends these tax cuts at a cost of $400 billion. What people do not know is that even though it would extend tax cuts for the wealthiest--and this is what they do not know--it would actually get rid of some tax reductions for middle- and low- income Americans, such as the expanded child tax credit. That is tremendously unfair.

Another proposal from the Democrats here in the Senate, our side, would cost about $250 billion, which is at least starting to move in the right direction to reduce our deficit, and it keeps the tax cut for more than 99 percent of all West Virginians and a high percentage in every State such as the Presiding Officer's.

When considering these two proposals, I kept two priorities in mind-- putting our fiscal house back in order and restoring fairness to the Tax Code. So while I would prefer a bipartisan comprehensive solution, I will support the plan to keep taxes low on families that make less than $250,000. According to the latest available figures from the West Virginia Department of Revenue, more than 99 percent of all West Virginians will get a break on their taxes under this proposal. And the wealthiest among us will pay the rates they did during Bill Clinton's Presidency, which was the greatest era of prosperity I can remember in my lifetime.

On the other hand, the proposal that includes extending the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans carries a heavy price for this Nation. It is about $150 billion more than the Democrats' proposal. Given our dire budget situation, this country cannot afford that. We simply have to prioritize and close the gap. The fact is we cannot keep trying temporary solutions to our serious budget problems. And the truth is,

these tax cuts will not restore confidence in our government or our economy to create good jobs or keep the ones we have. They certainly do not put our fiscal house back in order. What they will do is be used as fodder in political ads in the next 100 days against both sides. I cannot understand why we continue to take votes that are more about making one side look bad or worse than the other, or taking cheap shots, than actually solving the problems we have before us.

I will continue to work across the aisle on a comprehensive bipartisan plan, because when it comes right down to it these tax cuts simply will not fix the financial problems our country faces. I have talked to countless business leaders and laborers all over the State of West Virginia and all over the country. When I asked them what will encourage them not only to create the good jobs we need but to keep the jobs we already have, the answer is simple: Certainty. They need to be able to plan their next steps. They need to know their government is working as a partner, an ally, not as an adversary.

We did not pull these stunts in West Virginia when I was Governor. We were willing to get our hands dirty, to come to the table, to have a genuine and respectful discussion on the right direction for our State, and sometimes that led to respectful agreement to disagree. But in the least, we moved forward and made a decision. It has been nearly 2 years since the bipartisan commission on reducing our debt recommended a plan that people of all political stripes support. It is time to go back to that framework and provide this country with an honest solution.

In fact, the only thing that seems to be holding our feet to the fire right now is the sequester, which is becoming quite the scary term around here. For people who do not live and work in the Beltway, here is what the sequester is: If those of us in Congress cannot agree on a real, substantial plan to fix our finances, we will have to make some very painful cuts in some very important areas--our Department of Defense, our schools, and our domestic priorities such as veterans services and Head Start. Both Democrats and Republicans care about those issues.

So both Democrats and Republicans have some skin in the game when it comes to finding an agreement, because, let me tell you, the reason the sequester was put in place almost a year ago was in case we could not come up with an agreement on a big fix, one the so-called supercommittee was tasked to put forward. Well, they did not agree on the superfix and this is our penalty. I believe the greatest mistake we could make would be to walk away before the end of the year and not vote on a clear direction to fulfill the commitment and promises we made to the American people, which were that we would fix the country's financial problems or the sequester would go into effect. That is the biggest mistake we can make as a Nation, letting the American people down.

So now a year after Congress has failed to reach an agreement, I am surprised to find some of my colleagues who voted for the sequester, knowing full well that Congress needs the threat of painful cuts before we can get anything done, are complaining about something they supported. I stand with those, including the President, who are drawing a hard line in the sand on our finances.

Like it or not, this painful sequester is the linchpin to a better government and a better agreement. It is the only way we are going to get something bigger. A better agreement will look a lot like the bipartisan comprehensive Bowles-Simpson framework, not the Bush tax cuts, because this country needs a real solution, because this country needs to come together on that solution, because if we cannot come together, there will be dire consequences for this country with or without the cuts in the sequester.

I sincerely hope and pray and will work for a compromise. But I believe the threat of a sequester might be the only thing that will force Congress to get its job done.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to address the disturbing role that money is playing in our politics, especially when it comes to anonymous groups with deep pockets that are trying to tear people down. There is no question this is a corrosive situation and it is hurting our democracy.

When you have unaccountable outside groups with virtually unlimited pockets, more and more lawmakers--all of us included--have to spend more time dialing for dollars that takes us away from legislating. That is simply backwards, sir. Elected officials should be working on fixing our problems, not having to worry every minute of every day about raising money so you can be protective or fend off people who are attacking you. And the effects are very clear: This Congress has stalled when it comes to tackling our biggest problems as a nation, but we are raising more money in politics than ever before.

Those priorities in my State of West Virginia are totally out of order, and we need to do something to change the system. I am not alone with this concern. In private, I have talked to my fellow Senators on both sides, Democrats and Republicans, who basically say they are spending more time raising money for reelection and that constant fundraising events interfere with the everyday business of governing this great Nation in the time they are spending to do that.

I try to spend time in my great State of West Virginia every weekend. I can tell you the people of West Virginia are also deeply troubled by the increasing role money is playing in our politics. Ever since the Supreme Court decision on the Citizens United campaign finance case, we have seen outside groups unleash an unprecedented flood of money to sway elections, and we have seen it time and again in West Virginia over the past several years.

I was deeply troubled by some statistics about how few Americans are involved in financing elections. This is cited by Professor Lawrence Lessig, a campaign finance expert, in The Atlantic.

Let me put this issue in perspective for our viewers and my colleagues. The population of this country is approximately 311 million people. We live in this great United States of America. A tiny number of those Americans--only 806,000 people out of the 311 million--give more than $200 to a congressional campaign. To break that down even further, only 155,000 out of the 311 million contribute the maximum amount to any congressional candidate.

Then look at the people who participate in a number of elections who give more than $10,000 in an election cycle--the maximum they can give to a candidate and to other candidates--and of those people in the United States of America out of the 311 million, only 31,000 Americans do that.

Let me break it down to even the super PACs--the money that comes from the super PACs. Just in this Presidential election so far, there are only 196 Americans out of 311 million--only 196 people--who have given hundreds of millions of dollars. They account for 80 percent of the funding so far. That is unheard of.

First of all, let me thank Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island. He has been truly a champion of common sense, bringing this together and bringing all sides together. Some of my friends would say spending money to influence an election is their first amendment right of freedom of speech. To my friends, I understand and respect their concerns. But I truly believe the DISCLOSE Act will not limit their freedom of speech. Instead, it will prevent the anonymous political campaigning that is undermining our democracy.

The people of West Virginia believe we need openness and transparency to stay informed and keep our democracy strong, and the DISCLOSE Act would do that. The people of this country have a right to know who is spending large amounts of money to influence elections. This bill would make the information available.

I ask unanimous consent for 2 more minutes.

In fact, the measure is quite simple. Anytime an organization or individual spends $10,000 or more on a campaign-related expense--that is the issue that is very important, campaign-related expense--they have to file a disclosure report with the Federal Elections Commission within 24 hours. Every one of us who runs for office has to disclose every penny we get. It should be that way. Some States, such as our sister State of Virginia, already have a transparency and disclosure law, and it has not stifled free speech there, nor does this provision affect organizations' regular operations. The disclosure is only required when organizations and individuals spend money on campaigns or try to influence elections.

Instead, this bill makes sure every person and organization plays fairly and by the same rules. Whether those organizations or individuals are in the middle, the left, the right, forward, backward or upside down, they have to play by the same rules.

In fact, I truly believe this provision will take an important step forward to increase transparency and accountability. That seems only right and fair to me. I am proud to cast my vote in favor of the DISCLOSE Act.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise this morning to address a situation that is very hard for me to believe, and I am sure for many of my colleagues, and maybe the Presiding Officer as well. It makes no sense to the people of our great State of West Virginia.

For nearly 2 weeks, hundreds of thousands of West Virginians have been deprived of basic necessities such as water and electricity because of massive storms--not just West Virginia but up and down the east coast. At the peak of the outage, FEMA estimates that 688,000 West Virginians didn't have power. That is a third of our State. One-third of our State was completely knocked out. Hundreds of thousands of people had to throw away all of the food in their refrigerators and freezers because of the lack of electricity.

Our National Guard and first responders did a superb job of keeping

people safe. But this country learned just how vulnerable and inadequate our infrastructure is and how much we have come to depend on it. Up and down the east coast, our electrical grid was crippled by this storm because there is no backup plan--none whatsoever--that could keep the vital necessities of life running during these horrific storms.

The fact is we have to invest in our Nation's infrastructure. We all talk about it but still very little is being done. Power outages cost this country between $79 billion and $164 billion every year. That is because on top of powering our hospitals, our nursing homes, and our schools, reliable energy underpins our economy and keeps Americans at work.

I know there are other needs around the world, but seeing firsthand how vulnerable our system is, I was so surprised--and the Presiding Officer might be also--and disappointed to hear yesterday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is making a massive investment in power infrastructure in another country by awarding a $94 million contract to provide--listen--reliable power in Afghanistan. So I thought: How will I explain this back home? We are providing reliable power to the Afghans when nearly 200,000 West Virginians spent an entire week without electricity, lost all of their food, and suffered through nearly 100-degree heat during this period of time, when our country is losing tens and hundreds of billions of dollars because of power outages all over the east coast? As of 6 p.m. yesterday--this is more than 12 days after the storm--we still have over 30,000 people without electricity.

I cannot count the number of times I have come to the floor of this Senate Chamber to say it is time to start rebuilding America and not Afghanistan. But in all my time in the Senate, I have not seen a starker example of misplaced priorities. It is wrong to invest in reliable power for the Afghan people when tens of thousands of not just West Virginians but Americans all over this country have been without power for nearly 2 weeks because our infrastructure is so vulnerable.

In fact, in our State, too many people still don't have reliable water. When the power goes out, the water systems can't purify the water. In McDowell County in our southern coalfields, FEMA expects it will be another 2 to 3 weeks before our water service is restored to the customers in the Northfork public service district. Let me repeat that. They will go another 2 to 3 weeks without water, a basic necessity of life. That will be a full month after the storm without one of life's basic necessities.

Something is truly out of balance. It has been almost 2 weeks since a storm of unprecedented strength hit our State. How can I look the people of my great State of West Virginia in the eye when our infrastructure is so poor that they do not have reliable power or water but still tell them we are investing in transmission lines to provide reliable power to Afghanistan? It just does not make sense.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the American taxpayers have already spent more than $9 billion--$9 billion--on infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, including the costs of reconstruction assistance, diplomatic security, and activities by non- Department of Defense agencies. This is in addition to the $551 billion we have spent on military operations. And that does not even begin to address Iraq, where we have spent at least $5 billion on electrical systems and $61 billion total on infrastructure projects, according to the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

Still, when we take a closer look at the project that was announced yesterday, the facts are even more disturbing. The Army Times reported that the Corps' awarding of $93.6 million to improve electrical transmission from the Kajaki Dam power station throughout the Helmand Province of Afghanistan includes burying transmission lines--burying transmission lines which we do not even do in America--and providing backup generators--which we do not have, which is why we have lost our water systems and our food.

But believe it or not, the people of the United States already paid to build the Kajaki Dam powerhouse in the 1970s. I am going to quote from this article from the Army Times.

Because the entire electrical system has largely been

neglected--

Neglected--

due to decades of war, Afghan and U.S. agencies are

partnering to increase power generation and distribution to

solve the severe lack of electricity in the region.

Trust me, in West Virginia we can understand the severe lack of power.

This facility was not maintained in the 1970s. It was not maintained in the 1980s. It was not maintained in the 1990s. It is still not being maintained. What makes us think it is going to be maintained now that we are spending millions and millions of dollars?

This is only one small piece of an even more costly contract to bring electricity to southern Afghanistan. The $93.6 million contract is the first of six integrated components collectively called the Kandahar Helmand Power Project, a USAID initiative to expand the electrical distribution system of two provinces in southern Afghanistan, with a combined estimated population of 1.7 million. That is short of the population of my home State of West Virginia. We are about 1.8 million.

It is one thing to help another country with loans--which I am all for--that will help them get back on their feet so they can repay their debts, but it is another thing entirely to pour billions of taxpayer dollars into another country for a decade with no chance of any repayment to this country and to the taxpayers of the United States of America. Something is wrong with that.

I cannot say it enough: If you build a bridge in West Virginia, we will not blow it up. If you help us build a school, we will not burn it down. We are very appreciative. We appreciate the help of all American taxpayers because we are part of this great country. If you help us invest in a more reliable electricity system, we will use that power to make this country stronger, to power this Nation's economy, and to provide good-paying jobs all over this country.

Not only that, the scope of the problem with electricity infrastructure in West Virginia is tremendous. According to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, power outages in West Virginia take four times longer to fix than the national average. We have been blessed with so much beauty, but we have kind of a challenging topography, if you will, and it makes it much more difficult.

If we modernize our grid to make it more flexible and reliable, we can make a return on investment of up to $6 for every $1 we invest, according to studies from both the Electric Power Research Institute and the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Instead of investing that money in Afghanistan, doesn't it just make sense to invest it here at home? And we will start right in West Virginia if you like.

Madam President, I would feel the same if this was in your State, if it was in any other State in the country. This might have been a ``once in a lifetime'' storm, one where millions of people lost power no matter how well we prepared, but the fact that tens of thousands of West Virginians are still without power and water is a sign that we must do better as a country.

This could have happened to any State--whether it is a storm, an earthquake, tornado, fire, flood, or a hurricane--and I hope that my colleagues in the Senate would share my feelings. We cannot help others if we do not make and keep ourselves strong. We are beginning to neglect our very real needs at home.

As West Virginians, I am proud to say we are a strong people. We are able to pick ourselves up faster than most, and we go to the aid of our friends and neighbors who need it most--even though we are in need ourselves. But when you go to a filling station and the sign says ``cash only,'' and then you find out that the banks are closed because all the power is down, and the ATM is out--we are changing and transforming our whole monetary system, but there is no backup plan-- what do you do? We have a problem. We truly have a problem. But I know we can fix it because we are Americans.

That is why it is time to rebuild America and our infrastructure, not Afghanistan or other places of the world. Let's make ourselves strong again so we can help people.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, to lighten the mood a little bit today, I rise to recognize West Virginia's United Way as this special organization celebrates its 125th anniversary.

The United Way was founded in 1887 by community leaders in Denver, CO. The renowned organization originated through a group of individuals who came together with the drive to improve community conditions. Since then, the organization has grown to 1,800 community-based United Ways in 41 countries and remains the world's largest privately supported nonprofit, raising nearly $5 billion annually.

In our little State of West Virginia, United Way has touched the lives of so many. United Way volunteers have clocked thousands of hours of community service through health services,

senior assistance programs, student tutoring, nutrition sites, job skills training, and financial literacy services.

United Way has enthusiastically embraced local institutions throughout our State. This wonderful organization has provided for at- risk teens at residential treatment centers, such as the Daymark around Kanawha Valley. It has supported comprehensive medical and health services at establishments such as the West Virginia Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, West Virginia Health Right, Cabell Huntington Children's Hospital, Thomas Memorial Hospital, and the Putnam County Dental Health Council. United Way has supported family counseling at the Kanawha Valley Fellowship Home and at Family Counseling Connection. It has also benefited emergency assistance facilities, such as the Boone County Community Organization and Madison Baptist Church, Mountain Mission, and Nitro-St. Alban's Care and Share.

In 2011 alone, 68,337 individuals were served by United Way-supported programs in West Virginia alone. More than 13,162 children and youth benefited from the services of United Way partner agencies, and more than 26,997 people received financial assistance from a United Way partner agency. In addition, nearly 28,000 people received health- related assistance from a United Way partner agency.

I have always been an avid supporter of United Way and their community service efforts. My wife Gayle also served as chairwoman of Marion County's United Way. I applaud the organization's ability to inspire members in their communities to work together and improve all aspects of their neighborhoods.

United Way has so many laudable goals. The organization is working to promote a healthier society by working with families to develop healthy lifestyles. While Americans continue to struggle in tough economic times, United Way has worked with families to help them achieve financial stability. For example, United Way launched the Financial Stability Partnership, which aims to halve the approximately 40 million Americans who are working in low-paying jobs without basic health benefits. United Way has also targeted key areas of education, addressing problems such as the student dropout rate and preparing children for success at an early age.

United Way also has identified community health care needs and focuses efforts on changing health policies and practices for Americans of all ages. About 47 million Americans don't have health care coverage, and more than 80 percent are working families. The organization tackles tough health problems, such as health insurance coverage, along with the obesity epidemic and prescription drug abuse. These are tough issues that oftentimes have no easy solutions.

I applaud United Way and all of its staff members, its volunteers, and community leaders for their efforts to improve the quality of life in all of our communities. Today the United Way has every reason to celebrate its success as they face this impressive milestone. I once again congratulate their achievements, and I look forward to seeing what this great organization will accomplish in the next 125 years and beyond.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, if I may say I appreciate the leadership of my good friend from Oklahoma and his unwavering support in bringing this to all of our attention. I have been a pilot for not quite 55 years, but 45 years, and I understand completely. Senator Inhofe brought it to the attention of all of us, even the nonpilots here. His steadfast leadership in support of this action and also his ability to work across the aisle with those on our side of the aisle, Democrats, I appreciate so much.

I know Senator Boxer feels very compelled about this and the Senator's leadership in working with her on the Transportation bill and both of them bringing that to the forefront for all of us. We are all going to benefit from that.

I thank the Senator and look forward to continuing to work with him.

Mr. President, since we first began consideration of the FDA bill, I have stood on this floor again and again to highlight the importance of an amendment I offered to this legislation that is very significant to my fellow West Virginians and all Americans.

This amendment would put tighter control on drugs containing a substance known as hydrocodone, a highly addictive prescription painkiller that is destroying communities across this country and leaving families devastated by abuse and addiction.

It was a proud moment for me when the Senate came together across party lines on May 23 and unanimously adopted my amendment to reclassify hydrocodone as a schedule II substance from a schedule III. In practical terms, this means those who are using hydrocodone for illegitimate reasons would have a harder time getting their hands on it.

I cannot tell you how much this amendment means to the people of West Virginia and to every law enforcement group fighting the war on drugs across this Nation who believe very strongly that access to hydrocodone would give them a powerful tool in combating prescription drug abuse. So it pains me to stand here following last night's vote to move forward with the passage of the FDA bill, which did not contain this important amendment. That is because the influence of special interest groups suppressed the voices of the people--not just in the State of West Virginia but in Delaware and all across the country--who are begging us to do something about the prescription drug abuse epidemic.

According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States, and it is claiming the lives of thousands of Americans every year. Prescription drugs are responsible for about 75 percent of all drug-related deaths in the United States and 90 percent in West Virginia. These narcotic painkillers claim the lives of more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined.

But the groups opposed to my amendment have a huge financial stake in keeping these pills as accessible as possible, and I understand that. That is why my amendment was stripped from the FDA bill we advanced last night.

High-powered and well-funded lobbyists may have gotten their victory this time around, but I can assure you I will

not give up this fight. On a daily basis, I am hearing from my constituents in West Virginia and all around this country who are counting on us to do something about the prescription drug epidemic ravaging their communities.

Since I offered this amendment, I have heard from so many West Virginians who have seen a ray of hope because we might be able to do something about this problem. I will not pretend it will solve it completely, but it is sure a good step in the right direction. So I am coming to the floor to share the stories of the people of West Virginia, in the hopes of bringing people together around a solution to this terrible problem.

This is from Sheila from Charleston, who sent me this letter in support of my amendment after losing a close family member:

Please continue to fight the drug companies and pharmacies

regarding this issue. Our family in the last two months lost

a beloved family member to prescription drug overdose. He was

a promising young man that lost his life because of addiction

to pain medication.

Our family continues to be devastated, wondering how did

this happen. He came from a highly-educated family that was

involved in his treatment and cared deeply for him. His

family spent $100,000+ in his recovery, but it was all too

easy for him to obtain legal prescriptions.

What truly makes it more painful is he was showing signs of

overcoming his five-year battle.

We are not blaming anyone but the system. We know we are

each responsible for our own actions. I have thought for

years that our health care system is far behind in technology

and record keeping for doctor shopping and prescription

dispensing. Please understand I am very much opposed to more

government in our personal lives, however this is much needed

in the medical arena.

Please continue to fight this enormous battle for us.

That letter could have come from our constituents or any Congressman's home district from anywhere in this great country. The fact is I don't know of a person--whether it be in the Senate, our colleagues in Congress or anywhere in America--who hasn't been affected by the abuse of legal prescription drugs used in the wrong way. It touches everyone's life. It is of epidemic proportion.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. I understand that limiting access to illegitimate uses of hydrocodone pills doesn't necessarily fit into the model of selling more product, but there are times when even the best business plan can be altered while staying successful. Certainly, one of those times is when the health of our country and the public good is at stake.

In fact, the Huntington Herald Dispatch, the second largest newspaper in my State, located right on the border between West Virginia and Ohio, describes why this amendment is so important.

Congress is missing out on an opportunity to close the

spigot at least partway on the large volumes of commonly

abused prescription drugs that flood the country and harm so

many Americans.

In 2010, the most recent year for which data is available, a study showed there were 28,310 recorded instances of toxic exposures from hydrocodone. The same study showed that 24 million individuals have admitted to abusing hydrocodone drugs for nonmedical purposes-- unbelievable.

A different study, put out by the Centers for Disease Control in November, showed that more than 40 people die every day from overdoses involving narcotic pain relievers such as hydrocodone. Isn't it worth doing something to get the pills out of the wrong hands?

My amendment may not have gone into this bill yesterday, but it is not going to go away--I think we all know that--and I am determined to see this through to the end.

While the people of West Virginia, Delaware, and elsewhere are disappointed in the outcome of the hydrocodone amendment, I do wish to highlight one measure that was included in the legislation that we are proud of and is important to me and everybody in this body. It would make the sale and distribution of synthetic marijuana and other synthetic substances, known as bath salts, illegal by placing them on the list of schedule I controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act. These drugs are also taking a terrible toll on all our States, and I was proud to cosponsor this provision with my friend Senator Schumer. I want to thank Senator Schumer for his leadership in getting this passed.

Finally, I wish to close with one more story from my home State of West Virginia as a way to remind everyone what I am fighting for and why. This letter comes from Rebecca, a woman who started a group called Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse as a way to deal with the terrible realities that have accompanied her son's 5-year battle with prescription drug abuse:

Jamie was a great kid growing up. He played basketball,

football, and baseball. When he was 14 years old his team won

the state tournament and went all the way to Wisconsin to

play in Regionals. Jamie was always helping others and had

such a kind heart. . .

When Jamie got out of school he married his high school

sweetheart and was employed in the mines.

After that he just went downhill. He began abusing

prescription drugs. For two years I tried everything to get

help for him and tried to get him to stop. Things only got

worse. He lost his wife, his home, his truck and then his

freedom.

My story is typical to so many families out there who are

struggling with loved ones that are addicted. They just want

someone to listen. They need to be able to reach out to

someone who understands the nightmare that they go through

daily, and know that they are not alone. The addict is not

the only one who suffers. The family members carry around

guilt, sadness, shame, anger, hopelessness, fear, anxiety,

etc. . . . I could go on and on about how bad this experience

has been for me and how it has not stopped.

I will continue to fight prescription drug abuse for as

long as I have a breath in my body. I will not give up on my

son or anyone else who is addicted. Things need to change

within our system. We cannot continue to allow just anyone to

have access to prescription pain medicine. Parents need to be

educated while their children are still at home. Communities

need to be aware of crimes (drug dealers) and report them.

Doctors need to stop prescribing pain pills to people on the

street, and they need to be held accountable.

What happened to our medical ethics when people who need

pain medicine for a while are given strong addictive pain

medicine, only to have to keep coming back to the doctor over

and over again for refills? Is it greed that is behind the

beginning of this growing epidemic? Doctors definitely profit

from the addict's return visits, as well as the

pharmaceutical companies that make the medicine. We know

there is a problem but what are people going to do about it?

I am doing what I can, but is it enough? Will you help?

For Rebecca and all the other mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers out there who are pleading for help, we owe it to them to get this amendment agreed to.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 26, 2012 at 10 a.m., to conduct a committee hearing entitled ``Empowering and Protecting Servicemembers, Veterans and Their Families in the Consumer Financial Marketplace: A Status Update.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 26, 2012, at 2:15 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 26, 2012, at 10 a.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Prohibiting the Use of Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Tactics in Federal Elections: S. 1994,''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 26, 2012, at 2:30 p.m.