Floor Statements

Madam President, I too am honored to be able to rise today to speak of our dear friend Barbara Mikulski. So many good things have been said, so many accolades have been shared about what Barbara has done and what she means to all of us. I can only tell you there is not a better ally, mentor, neighbor, and, most important, friend to have in the Senate than Barbara Mikulski.

My State shares a border with Barbara's State. Maryland and West Virginia have had a long and illustrious relationship. As Governor, I had always known of Barbara and had met her a few times when I served the great State of West Virginia. But as a Senator, I have had the privilege of being her colleague and working with her and becoming friends, listening to her and watching her in how she works with her constituents, how she considers the issues, how she fights for issues. I don't think anyone has ever had to guess where Barbara stands on an issue because we all know.

In the 15 months we have worked together, I can say it has been extremely rewarding to serve alongside her, whether it is her wisdom she shares on the train ride over to our sessions here or whether we talk about our both being raised in a grocery store. My grandfather had a little grocery store and, as you know, Barbara was raised with her father in a grocery store. I think, basically, if you have retail in your blood, you understand the people of America.

Her sense of humor is something to behold. Every day I have the privilege of serving with her is a good day in the Senate.

I know colleagues have all shared their stories about Barbara, and they have had more experience with her in the Senate. As a freshman, being here only a little over a year and a half, I have not had that many personal experiences, but I can tell you this: If there is a fight that breaks out, if there is something going wrong, you want Barbara on your side. She is the person to have in that foxhole when the shooting starts. And I have been so appreciative to have her as my friend and always counting on her.

As we have all heard, she has been an advocate for women's health, the space program, and her most beloved State of Maryland, which she fights for every day.

Last year she became the first woman to reach the milestone of serving a quarter of a century in the Senate. Madam President, I have staffers who are younger than her years of service. But I also have young staffers, especially my female staffers, who have said they see a world of possibility because of the trail Senator Barbara Mikulski has left for them. With all of that, she has blazed a trail for all of us. No one will be able to fill the shoes of Barbara Mikulski. We will all be lucky enough to follow in her footsteps.

When she began serving on the Hill in 1977, there were 20 other women in all of Congress. She and 17 others served in the House, while there were 3 in the Senate. Today, 35 years later, there are 17 women serving in the Senate. If there is anything we can learn from Senator Barbara Mikulski, it is that 17 women is far too few. We need more women like you, Barbara, and, just as important, we need more Senators like you.

I can honestly say that I know the State of Maryland is much better off because of Barbara Mikulski, but I can tell you that the United States of America is a better country because of Barbara Mikulski. So I say thank you to my dear friend Barbara for her service to this great country and to all the constituents in Maryland who must be extremely proud of her and have a right to be so. I too am so proud to call her my friend and my neighbor.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Mr. President, I rise to applaud the confirmation of Judge Gina Marie Groh to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.

As then-Governor of West Virginia, I was honored to have the first female from the Eastern Panhandle, with the highest of credentials, Judge Groh, brought to my attention. I was so proud to appoint her to the 23rd Judicial District in 2006, and she has served with great distinction ever since.

I am also very pleased my colleague and friend Senator Jay Rockefeller saw the same qualities in Judge Groh that I did and recommended her for this prestigious position on the Federal bench. I thank him for his steadfast support.

I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate some of Judge Gina Groh's fine qualities and the reasons I know she will be an exceptional judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.

Judge Groh is a well-respected and recognized member of her community in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, as I have known her for many years. In addition to being the first female circuit judge to serve in the Eastern Panhandle, Judge Groh is only the third female circuit judge to be selected in all of West Virginia.

Prior to her circuit court appointment, Judge Groh served as assistant prosecuting attorney at the prosecuting attorney's offices in Berkeley County and Jefferson County, WV. During her 8 years as prosecutor, she established a strong record of protecting her fellow West Virginians by tirelessly pursuing convictions for such crimes as murder, robbery, rape, child abuse, drunk driving, and drug-related offenses.

Judge Groh has not only excelled professionally but has also risen to become a true pillar of her community in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. She dedicates her time to countless foundations and serves on a number of boards. For many years, she has worked for such programs as Robes to School and the Meals with Love Ministry and has been very involved with her alma mater, Shepherd University, serving both with the Wellness Center and as a member of the alumni board.

Judge Groh graduated summa cum laude from Shepherd University in 1986, with a bachelor of science degree. She earned the university's highest academic honor as a McMurran Scholar, in addition to serving as editor-in-chief of the newspaper and vice president of her graduating class. Judge Groh went on to earn her J.D. from West Virginia University's College of Law in Morgantown, WV.

I believe Judge Groh's experience, intellect, leadership, impartiality, and deep roots in the community make her a prudent choice for the vacancy in the Northern District of West Virginia. She exemplifies not only the qualities of a talented jurist but also the high moral character and sense of justice necessary to make a great judge.

I know it has been exasperating for Judge Groh and her family waiting for this confirmation, knowing that she came out of the Senate Judiciary Committee without any opposition. It has been very difficult that we as a body have gotten to the point of slowing down these nominations, and I believe very strongly our system needs to be changed so we can get quality judges such as Judge Gina Groh on the bench as quickly as possible so they can work to protect the people of the United States.

Again, I thank my colleagues for confirming an exemplary candidate for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, Judge Gina Marie Groh.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I also rise in support, along with Senator Rockefeller. What a good job he has done. We have both had the honor of serving our great State as Governors. As every Governor and legislator knows, we fight for every job we can create. We fight like the dickens to save every job we have.

As the Senator said, he has been fighting these battles for many years. I was in the legislature when he was our Governor. We fought side by side then. When I became Governor, he was a Senator in Washington, and he fought along with me on every job we created and saved. Now here we are again side by side fighting.

Ravenswood, in Jackson County, is a very unique place. In Ripley and all the surrounding towns, we have about 22,000 people who live there, and 4,200 people live in Ravenswood, 3,000 in Ripley. One can tell how that is the lifeblood, truly, of the community. Lucy Harbert is the mayor. She is dogmatic. Karen Gorrell is unbelievable. There are men and women there fighting basically for what was promised to them, fighting for survival.

I think the big story is that in 2009, the plant closed, as the Senator said. In 2010, all the employees were told all of their health care benefits that had been promised to them and negotiated in good faith were gone--all gone by the stroke of a pen. The courts upheld it.

Lo and behold, we have a new management team. We have Mike Bless--and we are talking about Monterey, CA. Clear out there. These people came in and saw what we had, the fabric of the town and the fortitude of these people. So management said: We need to do something. Karen Gorrell and the rest of them never let up. They said: We want to be treated fairly. We want what we were promised. Everyone made considerations here.

What we have coming up with a vote tomorrow--as the Senator said, there will be a vote for the retirees to accept the proposal they have been negotiating, which I am hopeful and I know Senator Rockefeller is too--will be

passed tomorrow. That is the first step in the right direction. The State has entered as a partner also. With the State, they will work out power contracts and things of this sort. How important are power prices? How important is the coal and the power that coal produces? Without that, we would be dead in the water.

There is so much promising going on. But when you see a community come together--Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, our friend, worked hard in the legislature. This is not a story we see today in America that much.

In 2009, the plant closed. Over 600 people lost their jobs in a little town of 4,200 people. Now we have a chance to at least get 400 or 500 back on the job. We have not seen that turn around too much. You can imagine why Senator Rockefeller and I are so excited, and I think more than anything we are so proud that we represent a State that has so much resilience. They have stuck together. So our hat is off, from the corporate end to the union end, to the people working together from the community.

I need to say that the President of the Steelworkers Union, Leo Girard, has just been a rock. Leo gets right in there. The Steelworkers stood behind their retirees. They stood behind them. They would not take anything less than the retirees being treated fairly. That brought everybody to the table and gave us the glue it took.

Senator Rockefeller is persuasive, as you know, in his ability to get involved and persuade people to do the right thing, and all of us were behind this effort. It came to fruition. Today, West Virginia is a brighter spot, and Ravenswood is a brighter place. Hopes are up again. The people are enthusiastic, and we can see they have a little skip in their step. That means an awful lot. These are the hardest working people, who don't ask for a whole lot--just an opportunity to take care of themselves and their families.

To Lucy Harbert, Karen Gorrell, Mike Bless, and Leo Girard, Senator Rockefeller, and the entire West Virginia delegation, I think everybody should be extremely pleased. Tomorrow we know it will be a successful vote. We are going to show the country we can compete with anybody in the world. I know the occupant of the chair feels the same way in Maryland, and you have been able to. We will work together on this and start rebuilding America one job at a time. This is 400 jobs at one time.

With that, I say thank you to all of the good people in West Virginia who made this happen. I thank Senator Rockefeller for his leadership over the years. I have been honored to work with him. He has been a tremendous mentor. We will continue to work together for many years.

With that, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize two pillars of West Virginia--an educational institution that is educating the people of our State for good-paying jobs they are going to need and a beloved figure who put our State at the forefront of advances in mental health.

First, please allow me to recognize Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College for its distinguished ranking as the 14th best community college in the Nation because of all the work its staff and students have done together to develop the skills necessary to compete in the workplace.

All of us in my great State know about Southern's dedication to active and collaborative learning, and we are so proud that Washington Monthly recognized the school's achievements in its most recent rankings.

This accomplishment is not the work of any one person, but a shared commitment to excellence from the school's leadership, faculty, staff, and students. I applaud everyone who is involved at Southern for their focus on improving educational quality through strengthened student engagement and student success.

In addition, I am so pleased that Southern is thriving under the steadfast leadership of President Joanne Jaeger Tomblin, who is also serving the public as West Virginia's First Lady. For more than 12 years, Joanne has been the visionary and the driving force behind many of these accomplishments. Her unwavering enthusiasm and tireless dedication transcend geographical barriers to bring extraordinary educational opportunities to all of southern West Virginia.

I tell young people all the time that they cannot sit on the sidelines and watch life happen. They have to get in the game and start making the calls. The same goes for those students who are returning to school for training or who are taking the initiative to take their careers to the next level.

Southern helps all students--those who are just starting out and those who are in the middle of their careers--build critical skills and get an education to become a workforce that will meet our needs in the 21st century and beyond. Every day, these students and their teachers are doing the hard work

that will make our great State and country competitive by finding new ways to create good jobs and rebuild our economy.

Again, I am so proud of this accomplishment at Southern, and it is just one example of what we can achieve when we all work together.

Remembering Dr. Mildred Mitchell-Bateman

Mr. President, I also rise today to recognize the accomplishments and life of a mental health pioneer and a most beautiful and true West Virginia hero, who we were so sad to lose last month. It is only fitting to honor her today on the last day of Black History Month.

Dr. Mildred Mitchell-Bateman leaves behind a remarkable legacy. She transformed care for mentally ill patients by working tirelessly to provide hope to people who were once believed to be untreatable. Her work emphasized the importance of family and community--two values we hold so dear in West Virginia--and she put a high priority on making sure people received care near their homes.

Mildred Mitchell made West Virginia her home in 1946, when she was hired as a staff physician at West Virginia's Lakin State Hospital, which at the time was a hospital for mentally ill patients who were African American. There she met and married her husband William L. Bateman, a therapist at Lakin and a native West Virginian.

Throughout her 89 years, Mildred Mitchell-Bateman remained committed to serving those without a voice in our community. After leaving Lakin to practice medicine privately, Mildred returned to the hospital as the clinical director, and 3 years later was promoted to superintendent. In 1962, Mildred was named as the director of the State's Department of Mental Health, becoming the first African-American woman to lead a West Virginia State agency.

Mildred's vision for psychiatric care extended beyond West Virginia, earning her national recognition and requests for service. In 1973, she became the first Black woman to serve as vice president of the American Psychiatric Association. A short time later, she was appointed to the President's Commission on Mental Health, where she played an important role in the creation of the 1980 Mental Health Systems Act.

Dr. Mitchell-Bateman was a doctor, a teacher, and a pioneer. Her accomplishments are made even more remarkable by the adversity she faced. Her life serves as a powerful example to us all of what one can accomplish with conviction, dedication, and true West Virginia grit.

Mildred Mitchell-Bateman will forever be remembered for her many years of dedicated service to the Mountain State, her passion and dedication to the mental health community, and for touching the lives of so many patients. On top of that, she was also a loving mother to seven children, and a very proud grandmother to ten wonderful grandchildren.

Gayle and I are keeping the Mitchell-Bateman families in our hearts and prayers. While we know that Mildred Mitchell-Bateman is gone, her legacy and service to the people of West Virginia will keep her alive in our hearts forever.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Madam President, I rise today to speak about the dire finances of this great Nation and the policies and laws of this government that are only weakening our fiscal standing for future generations.

A year ago, I was in a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting and then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ADM Mike Mullen was asked: What is the greatest threat to our Nation and our national security? I would have thought he would have said terrorism, the terrorists, al- Qaida, North Africa, could have been Iran, it could have been another rising military power, but he didn't hesitate in responding that the national debt is the greatest threat to our country.

That was one of the most sobering moments I have experienced since becoming a Senator. I thought more people would hear what he said and take this situation more seriously, but things have only gotten worse since then. Our debt ceiling is at a record here, $16.4 trillion. By 2022, according to the President's newly proposed budget, we will be $25.9 trillion in debt. That means every man, woman, and child will be responsible for more than $79,000 of debt. Our children and grandchildren will be paying more in interest on that debt than we spend on education, energy, and defense--combined. Our elected leaders should be negotiating solutions but instead everyone is

cooking up short-term Band-Aids that create long-term obligations that will take years for future generations to repay. They are trying to figure out how to point fingers at the other side.

There is not a person in West Virginia who can understand why politics is trumping our future fiscal stability. I don't think there is a person in America who understands why in Washington we cannot come together on a long-term fix to the problems we have. And for the life of me, I cannot imagine why our elected leaders from both sides of the aisle continue to play political football with our spending, our debt, and our children's future. This isn't how we reach a solution.

When I was Governor of the State of West Virginia, I didn't blame previous administrations for our problems. I took the responsibility for fixing them. And I didn't come here to blame anyone for our problems either. I came here to fix them. I didn't come here to put the next generation into more debt; I came here to get them out of it. I came here to serve my State and Washington because my parents and grandparents left me a country that was in very sound fiscal shape and I want to do the same for the next generation. I came here because in West Virginia, even during a recession, we lived within our means and had a surplus every year that I was Governor. The people of my State are proud of what our little State accomplished, and I know Americans can again feel that same pride in this great Nation of ours. I know we can put our fiscal house back in order.

I had those priorities in mind when I looked at the President's proposed budget, the projected deficits, the accumulated debt over the next decade and wondered, what in the world are we doing? This budget claims to be balanced, but only if we don't count the exploding interest we must pay on our ever-increasing debt. Including interest, there is not a single year that this budget is balanced. At the end of the decade, this budget puts an additional $6.7 trillion more on the debt. And I would ask anybody, how does that make sense?

This is not the first time I have shared my concerns about this country going down the wrong fiscal track, and I can already hear some folks saying: Oh, there goes Joe Manchin again blaming President Obama. Well, let me tell you, I am a proud Democrat, but I am a proud West Virginian and American first, and I will stand and speak my mind whether our President is a Democrat or Republican. I am trying to be as understanding and respectful as possible in my critique, but what we are doing doesn't make any sense at all to me, and I certainly cannot in good conscience tell the people of West Virginia any differently. And if we don't do anything to address this fiscal mess, the priorities of both Democrats and Republicans will face the consequences.

Standing here, I tell my Democratic friends that we must face the truth that the very programs we care so dearly about and fight so hard for will be destroyed unless we do something about this exploding debt. Standing here, I also tell my Republican friends that they too must face the truth or not only will the programs they care about be destroyed, they may be forced to one day support a massive tax increase to simply keep this country solvent. Both scenarios are unacceptable and preventable.

There is a commonsense solution to our Nation's dire fiscal woes within our grasp. We already have a template with substantial bipartisan support, split evenly between Democrats and Republicans in both the House and the Senate, that gives us a starting point with which to move forward. As I have said before, the Bowles-Simpson framework might not be perfect, but it has more support from both sides of the aisle than anything else I have seen since I came here. Not only that, it withstood the test of time better than any other proposal I have seen. It is a framework that cuts trillions from our debt, makes our tax system more fair, and raises revenue without raising tax rates. The only problem is that our country's leaders from both parties won't move forward with the recommendations of the Bowles-Simpson Commission. So instead of real solutions where we choose our priorities based on our values, we see political proposals that will only send this country further into a death spiral of debt.

Take for example the fact that this body will soon debate extending the so-called payroll tax cut for the remainder of this year, 10 more months. Let's call that what it really is: It truly is cutting funding to Social Security. This Congress has voted twice since I have been here to tell Americans that they don't have to pay their share as far as their obligation to Social Security. I voted for the idea the first time around because I thought, as it was proposed to me, it might create jobs or save jobs. But I don't think we have seen much evidence that that happened, so I decided to stop throwing good money after bad and stop jeopardizing Social Security. But, as I warned this fall, along with my dear friend Senator Mark Kirk, whom all of our prayers are with, now we are talking about extending this policy indefinitely because once something like this is enacted, even an act of Congress can't reverse it. It might take an act of God to reverse it.

I know going back home and saying we voted for tax cuts is popular. Everyone wants to be popular in this arena. But this is not a tax cut, this is a Social Security cut, plain and simple, and you cannot make it look any different. Knowing that we are adding 10,000 beneficiaries turning 65 years of age every day--and when you look at last year, Social Security was the first time we paid out more than we took in--it doesn't make any sense. Just what exactly will continuing this policy do to the long-term solvency of Social Security? The answer is very simple: It will be a disaster.

The so-called experts will tell you that everything will be right because we will backfill those contributions with revenue from the general fund. Let me remind you that this is the fourth straight year the general fund has operated with a deficit of more than $4 trillion. That has never happened in the life of this great country. We have accumulated $15.36 trillion of debt as of today, and the President just allowed that to grow to $16.4 trillion with a new debt ceiling. These are the same experts who tell us we can balance a budget if we simply ignore the fundamentals of math. Does that make sense?

When this body votes on whether to extend the so-called payroll tax cut or, as it should be more accurately described, the defunding of Social Security's revenue stream, I cannot in good conscience vote to undermine Social Security. I have taken this position because at the end of the day the people of West Virginia and this Nation must be told the truth, which is why the budget proposal the President offered this week is so disappointing and maddening.

Let's be clear. Both Republicans and Democrats are responsible for our budget problems. Everybody is responsible for where we are today. In fairness, this administration inherited a tremendous debt, falling revenues, and a terrible economy. Everyone was at fault, and the public spoke loudly and clearly. They changed things with the 2008 election, and they said: Fix it. But we haven't done it, and this budget doesn't do it either.

If we are going to address our fiscal nightmare and stop digging a deeper debt hole, we must have meaningful tax reform that not only ensures that everybody pays their fair share but that also strengthens our economy and creates jobs--good jobs. Instead, this budget is not balanced even once. Over the next decade, it would actually add an additional $6.7 trillion more debt on top of the $16.4 trillion debt ceiling we have now that the President just authorized. That is more than $23 trillion of debt by 2022. That is simply unsustainable.

This proposed budget relies too much on phantom accounting from so- called war savings from a war that should have been over when its purpose changed to what I call nation building.

In terms of energy investment--one area that business and labor both believe is critical to not only creating more jobs but keeping the good jobs we have--this administration continues to pick winners and losers. Take the role of coal, for example. As I just pointed out in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the administration's own Department of Energy forecasts that coal will play a major role in

the energy portfolio well into the coming decades, up through 2035. But this budget slashes funding for the research that would allow us to use coal more efficiently and cleanly with environmental standards for which we must be responsible. This doesn't make sense, and it puts the livelihoods of an awful lot of West Virginians and Americans in jeopardy. Those priorities defy common sense, especially when millions of people rely on coal for their jobs and the affordable, reliable electricity it produces.

We are spending more where we don't need to and less where we do. We are extending programs that do not work and going into debt to pay for them, and then we wonder why this great Nation faces such a dire fiscal future. So if and when the President's budget proposal comes up for a vote, I simply cannot support it. As always, though, I will continue to work diligently with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to push for a more commonsense fiscal approach based on the bipartisan Bowles- Simpson template so we can finally and responsibly address the fiscal problems our Nation and our families face. I urge the President and my colleagues to do the same.

Madam President, allow me to close by saying I do travel my State, like most of my colleagues, and I am sure you do in Missouri. I meet with my constituents, as you do also, and I can tell you what I find out from them. There are a lot of issues they are worried about. There are some places where they disagree, but there is one issue that gets universal agreement and brings everybody together when they tell us, to a person, they are concerned that those of us in Washington are not listening to their cries to put the country ahead of our politics. They urge all of us to stand and do what is right for this country.

We must not let selfish ambitions about the next election cloud what must be done for the Nation that I know we all love. The challenge before us is a simple one. Over the course of our history, this Nation has succeeded because our parents and grandparents left our country better off than what they inherited from their parents and grandparents. We cannot be the first generation to fail to leave the United States in better shape for the next generation. I don't want to be a part of that. I do not intend to stand by and let a party or politics destroy the hopes of the next generation for this great country, and I urge all of our congressional leaders and our President to put politics aside and realize one simple fact: Whether we are Democrats or Republicans or Independents, we all belong to the same party, and that party is called America, and we will rise or fall together.

I thank the Chair.

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

Madam President, I rise today to mark a truly important day for my State, and indeed this entire nation.

December 6 is National Miner's Day, a time when we stop to honor our nation's coal miners and remember those who have done so much to make this great country what we are today. These brave men and women work every day to meet the challenge of keeping our great nation free and strong, and although the history of mining has been marked by hardship and tragedy, the bravery of our miners has never faltered.

It is so fitting that today we also learned--just this morning--of a landmark settlement of more than $200 million in one of the worst mining tragedies our State has faced.

April 5, 2010, 29 miners lost their lives in the Upper Big Branch mine, which was then owned by Massey Energy. Today, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, Booth Goodwin, announced an agreement with Alpha Natural Resources, the company that purchased the Massey mines.

This comprehensive and forward-looking settlement takes the right steps to truly protect our miners. By investing more than $120 million of this settlement in mine safety--including improvements to existing mines, a new West Virginia safety training facility and a research trust--this agreement demonstrates that the government and the company are serious about creating a true legacy of mine safety.

While nothing can replace the beloved miners who we lost that terrible day, today's agreement shows that we all have zero tolerance for anything corporations do--or don't do--that leads to a mine fatality.

As I have always said, at the heart of this tragedy is the simple fact that we must do everything in our power to never, ever allow any worker to be in the position where this could happen to them or their family. Especially since today is National Miner's Day, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of the 29 miners who died at Upper Big Branch--and I want to assure the families that the loss of their loved ones will not be in vain. Every worker should know that when they kiss their children goodbye in the morning that they will return home at the end of that shift or the end of the day to kiss them goodnight.

I thank U.S. Attorney Goodwin and his entire team for their skill and dedication in negotiating this settlement that focuses on safety and training in the future. I also thank Alpha Natural Resources for rising to this occasion and meeting these terms. Even though Alpha did not own the Upper Big Branch mine at the time of the disaster, I applaud the company for taking responsibility for both the mistakes that were made and for investing in the future of mining to help prevent another tragedy like this from ever taking place. I encourage them--and all our mining companies--to continue to take steps to protect our miners.

In addition, I am pleased that this agreement does not impede the families from pursuing additional civil remedies and does not prevent the authorities from prosecuting individuals whose actions may warrant criminal charges. There should be no immunity for anyone who is determined to be responsible in any way for the tragedy at Upper Big Branch.

April 5, 2010 was one of our State's most heartbreaking days. I hope and pray that we will never again endure a tragedy like the Upper Big Branch deaths, and I will work every day to make sure that we don't.

Today we also remember the 104th anniversary of the Monongah Mine tragedy, our Nation's worst mining disaster--one that took 362 brave souls.

So on this day, it is fitting to pay our respects and show appreciation for the miners of yesterday and today. We need to recognize the contributions of past miners who have led us to where we are now, and today's miners who keep traveling deep into the darkness to provide millions of Americans with the electricity that powers our lives and the steel with which we build our Nation.

Without these men and women, our world would look very different. They are the true backbone of our country. Our miners extracted the coal that powered military ships in World War I and World War II--and every conflict since.

Coal provided the steel to make our country the greatest industrial power in the world, ushering in prosperity that built our infrastructure and developed a quality of life that became and is still the envy of the world. Coal provides nearly half of the electricity in our country and every day millions of homes are warm, safe and full of light thanks to coal.

Think for a moment. Try to imagine our country if there had been no coal. It is almost inconceivable.

Coal is mined all over our great Nation. I thank all men and women everywhere who work in this industry, but I can speak personally about our brave and hardworking miners in West Virginia. The miners of West Virginia and their families are the heart and soul of the Mountain State and truly an inspiration for me.

Extracting minerals from the earth is not for the faint of heart. This work requires engineering brilliance, nerves of steel and fearless dedication. West Virginia coal miners continue to set the bar for productivity, quality, and innovation. Their work ethic is second to none. Coal miners are not looking for a handout. All they want is a work permit so they can go to work, earn a good wage, and provide for their families.

And coal miners are much more than just the work they do--they are some of the most loyal, brave, trusted, and patriotic folks that you could ever meet. Like their fellow West Virginians, these folks can shake your hand, look into your eyes, and touch your heart. Our coal miners love their families, the outdoors, their communities and their State. These miners work hard every shift, but if they get home and find a person in need, their day begins again. If you are hungry, you will be fed; if you are lost, you will get directions and then an escort to your destination. That's just the kind of people we are, and that makes me so proud every day to be a West Virginian and have the honor of representing them.

I will continue to tell our State's story when it comes to 'coal. And I will constantly work with my colleagues on both sides of aisle to develop technology that allows us to continue to use American coal to help achieve energy independence for our great country--which will ensure our national security and grow our economy. The simple fact is: This country needs coal and our coal miners are still willing and able to do the job.

So today it is my privilege to say thank you for the job that our brave coal miners perform. This Nation was

built on the backs of our coal miners, and all of us should thank them not only today but every single day of the year, and every year to come.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I thank my colleague.

Mr. President, I rise to give a voice to the countless children in need of good homes all across this country and to recognize an organization in my State that helps provide these children with a safe environment and a nurturing family.

The Children's Home Society has served West Virginia for 115 years. This organization has 12 locations all across our State that work to meet one critical mission: finding homes for children who don't have a loving place to live.

I have always said the best investment we can make in our country is an investment in the next generation, and that starts with making sure each of our children has a place to call home. That is why the work of the Children's Home Society is so important.

More than 400 children in my home State of West Virginia are currently living in a foster home. For many of them, it is the first time they have received a safe place to live and loving care. The Children's Home Society has worked tirelessly on their behalf. Their programs range from emergency shelters to foster and adoption services and mentoring. The organization exists to help care for, protect, and nurture children, as well as strengthen and protect families.

The Children's Home Society has also worked vigorously to build awareness throughout our State. This fall the organization hosted the Footsteps for Foster Kids Festival, an event created to illustrate the need for foster families in West Virginia and recruit families who can provide loving homes for children. All day long, children and families had opportunities to participate in various activities at the festival, including paddle boat races and fishing competitions. More than 400 people attended, and the Children's Home Society was able to reach out to new families interested in opening their homes to children in need.

In fact, the idea for the Footsteps for Foster Kids Festival first came from our young people, when 10 area youth called the Band Together Organization worked with the Children's Home Society to make the day a true success. They are an inspiring group, and we are all proud of their efforts and service to the community.

I would like to congratulate the Children's Home Society for their legacy of impressive and meaningful work and thank the Band Together Organization for the commitment they have demonstrated to improving the lives of children. Your example serves our State and our Nation well.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business.

Mr. President, I want to speak on these very strange days in Washington, in this Congress.

This esteemed body's approval rating is at 9 percent, and I am having a hard time finding the 9 percent. It seems to me that the only thing we are working hard on is whether we can get the approval rating to zero, and I think we seem to be going in that direction.

We fight over political solutions that can't pass and, more importantly, won't solve this Nation's great problems. We fight for political points and mistakenly believe that the American people care who is up or down. But they don't.

I didn't come to Washington for the purpose of playing games, taking names, or keeping score. That is not what I was sent here to do. That is not what the people of West Virginia want me to do. I came here to fix things and to be a part of the solution. I have not come here to worry about my next election or whether Republicans or Democrats are up or down. I came here to do what I could to improve life for the next generation. I, for one, am willing to sacrifice my next election so the next generation can win. And if that means losing, so be it.

I rise today to speak about the next chapter of this sad state of affairs which the American people are forced to witness: whether we should extend and expand the payroll tax cut that will cost more than $240 billion in 1 year.

Many accusations are being thrown back and forth in the debate over the so-called tax cuts or tax increases, depending on which side of the fence you are on. There is one very basic fact that is missing from all of this very important conversation: Americans pay for one thing with our payroll tax--One. Social Security.

Social Security isn't just another government program. It was established in 1935 to provide economic security for our Nation's seniors who worked hard and earned their retirement benefits. They worked their whole life to provide our generation and those that will follow with a better and greater America.

Yet at the time when our Nation faces a death spiral of debt, when we should be talking about how we can come together to fix a fiscal nightmare that will threaten the very programs we care about such as Social Security, instead we are talking about undermining the very foundation of our longest standing retirement program. Right now, Social Security is on a collision course. By 2037, according to the trustees, if we do not do anything, benefits for everyone will have to be cut by 22 percent. Yet we are digging a deeper hole by destabilizing its funding with this recommendation. All in return for what? A temporary measure that has already cost nearly $120 billion and has at best created few if any jobs.

In the real world, when policy doesn't work, we stop and try something else. Apparently, in Washington we double down. Why would we do this? Why would we double down on a policy that did not work? The answer is simple. For the sake of a short-term political gain, leaders of both parties and the President are willing to fight over how we should pay for a failed program that jeopardizes the fundamental way that

we pay for our retirement security in this country. That does not make any sense to me, and it does not make any sense to the good people in West Virginia.

I know in the coming days we are going to hear a lot of political talk about extending the payroll tax. What they are saying sure sounds good: More money in our pockets. In fact, politicians will offer assurances that Social Security will not be hurt at all. My good friend, who will be speaking also on this, Senator Kirk from Illinois, is going to show a graph that basically shows that to be different.

What you will not hear them say, though, is that reducing payroll taxes even temporarily would take more than $240 billion out of Social Security's funding stream, if we approve the President's proposal. We certainly will not hear them say the way they would repay those hundreds of billions of dollars is through our general revenue fund. If we extend the cuts this year, what about the next year and the year after? When does it stop? When do we have the political will to finally say we better start paying again for Social Security.

Our approval rating is at 9 percent, and we are rapidly losing the support of our family members. Just how many Americans really believe that Congress will make sure our general fund is solid enough to live up to the responsibility of funding Social Security? If the payroll tax cut is extended as it stands this year, the average family in West Virginia will pay $14 less per week. For a lot of people that is a lot of money. But the few West Virginians who even realize they are getting help say they would gladly give that up in return for a reliable Social Security safety net or for a real tax reform that cuts rates across the board and that ensures that every American, especially the wealthy, will start paying their fair share. They would gladly do that.

Let me be clear. As a country, we cannot expect that Social Security will remain secure if we keep telling Americans we do not have to pay for it, and that is exactly the conclusion people will reach if we keep reducing their contributions. Social Security is one of our highest priorities as a country, and we should not let the Federal Government undermine Social Security by convincing Americans they do not really have to pay for it.

Then, again, there are some in Washington who want us to believe the very act of reducing our contributions to Social Security will spur job creation. Unfortunately, the reality is very different.

We tried the payroll tax cut last year, and I supported it. But I will not double down on the failed policy, especially one that jeopardizes the future of Social Security. Truth be told, over the last year I traveled more than 18,000 miles in my State, and I have yet to find very many West Virginians who even know they are getting a discount, let alone business owners who say they will hire anybody if we give them a discount for 1 year.

What business owners do tell me is that what they want more than anything is some certainty and some confidence in this economy; that we will do the right thing and stabilize this economy. Instead, the President and leadership in both parties are trying to give them more of the same failed policies--taking steps that will further undermine our finances, worsen our debt crisis, and jeopardize hundreds of billions from Social Security's regular funding stream, all without the reality that it will create any jobs.

With this great Nation now more than $15 trillion in debt--it will be $17 trillion next year and going to $21 trillion by 2021--the enormity of this problem is that just servicing the debt by 2021 will be greater than what we spend on our Department of Defense to secure this great Nation. We cannot afford to continue to double down on failed policies.

As for taxes, don't get me wrong. I don't want to see Americans paying higher taxes. No way. I simply want a commonsense tax system that ensures everyone pays their fair share, especially the wealthy, who have benefitted the most from this failed tax system we have right now--real tax reform that will lower tax rates for everyone as we close the loopholes, credits, and offsets that allow some corporations and some Americans to avoid paying their fair share. It is time to stop all of that.

Some will say that it is impossible; it cannot be done. I think they are wrong. It requires leadership from the White House to every corner of Congress, and it requires each and every one of us to be willing to sacrifice our political futures for the Nation's future. I, for one, am willing to do just that.

This is our moment. At this critical moment in our history we must get our financial house in order and letting Americans believe we do not have to pay for Social Security is wrong. It is dead wrong. It is the wrong policy. It is wrong for our seniors, it is wrong for our future, and I will not vote for it, period, under any condition. For the sake of the next generation we must get our fiscal house in order, and we can do that if we are willing to make difficult decisions.

I will not vote for either of these two proposals to extend the payroll tax cuts. Looking forward for the sake of our Nation, I hope we will begin to work on a proposal that makes the hard decisions while also protecting the programs and commitments we value as a nation. For myself, and I believe many of my colleagues, there is a bipartisan path forward that can help save this Nation, and I have my good colleague, the Republican from Illinois, who is going to speak to it also.

I believe the best path forward is based on the framework and recommendations outlined in the Bowles-Simpson proposal. When those recommendations were laid out a year ago today--this is the anniversary today--I had been a Senator for less than a month--brandnew, less than 1 month. What I saw in that report gave me great hope. It gave me hope that we could identify our problems, which we did--the fiscal responsibility that we had--and willingly tackle them together. So I was on a high for that one short period.

As a brandnew Member, I was so encouraged that such a responsible, bipartisan group of people, put together by the President, offered a no-holds-barred report on our fiscal situation and some pathways to fix it. Then the proverbial air came out. Not only did the President and his administration walk away from these bipartisan proposals, but leadership in both Chambers of Congress failed to pick up this report and run with it.

Here we are a year later. If anything, our problems are worse. We are going to be forced to make deeper cuts than we wanted to, all because our leadership would not confront the enormous problems we face with a comprehensive long-term solution. But the Bowles-Simpson plan is still the only proposal that enjoys strong bipartisan support. It started as a bipartisan commission. It grew in numbers and it is still growing. It has a responsible manner to balance this problem we have.

It is not perfect; no plan is. I do not agree with everything it proposes. But no plan can be everything to everyone. With today being the 1-year anniversary of the unveiling of that proposal, I am urging, and will continue to urge, our President and the leadership of both Chambers to support any and all efforts--not only to pick up this report, but also to put the resources behind drafting and passing this legislation into law. I ask we all remember the great opportunity we have before us to do what is right.

I do not want to be part of the first generation--and I know the Presiding Officer doesn't want to be part, and I know my good friend from Illinois doesn't want to be part of the first generation that leaves this Nation in worse shape for the next generation. I don't believe this President or any Member of Congress wants to fail the next generation either.

With that, I want to turn over my time to my colleague from Illinois.

I say to my friend from Illinois, what he says is absolutely correct. We have so many people, especially in West Virginia and Illinois, who depend on Social Security. In fact, in West Virginia, for 62 percent of the people who receive Social Security it is their major funding mechanism. It is how they live day to day. They have told me: Do not touch our Social Security Program, our core values of Social Security, what it does for us. If we pass this, not only do we touch it, we jeopardize its solvency in the long term.

If you believe we are going to be responsible enough to pay for this in the 10 years outgoing, then we have some beach-front property in West Virginia we would love to interest you in.

I think we are very strong in support of the Bowles- Simpson, basically, the template that it laid out. It is the only one that is bipartisan. As you can see, it stayed bipartisan with the Senator and I, and it will remain bipartisan. It has a tax reform, but everyone pays a fair share. The very wealthy who have escaped paying because of the flawed tax policies would now start paying if we had real tax reform--not increased rates but just their fair share. That is what we ask.

I thank the Bowles-Simpson committee, Mr. Bowles and Mr. Simpson, for what they have done a year ago, bringing it to our attention, bringing a pathway to fixing the financial problems we are dealing with. We are concerned about the next generation more so than our next election. That is what we were sent here to do.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, I rise to speak about an honorable, dedicated public servant and a good friend from West Virginia whom we lost last month on October 29.

Lloyd G. Jackson was a true West Virginian, born in our southern coalfields in a small town in Lincoln County on May 30, 1918. Throughout his 93 years, Lloyd Jackson always answered the call of service--whether it was for our great Nation or for the beautiful people of West Virginia.

Lloyd is the type of person who was well thought of by everyone who met him. From my own personal experience with Lloyd, I can say that I had the utmost respect for his humanitarian approach to every problem, most importantly for his professionalism.

Lloyd's love for country and deep commitment to public service started when he was a young man and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941, during World War II. Before he left the military, Lloyd rose to the rank of master sergeant.

After returning from war, Lloyd's commitment to his beloved family and public service continued. He pursued and expanded his family's oil and gas business, and through his business he created good-paying jobs and touched the lives of countless West Virginians.

In 1946, he was elected to serve in the West Virginia State Senate, representing his home region of Bonne, Lincoln, and Logan Counties. That same year a man well known to this body, Senator Robert C. Byrd, was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates, and joined Lloyd Jackson in the West Virginia Senate in 1950. The two became lifelong friends. For nearly 25 years, Lloyd Jackson represented the people of the southern part of our State with the utmost distinction. Lloyd was known for his leadership qualities as a State senator, and he took an active role in national legislative organizations, such as the National Council of State Legislatures and the Council of State Government.

His peers recognized his leadership abilities and made him president of the West Virginia Senate. As Senate president, Lloyd demonstrated true characteristics of a dedicated public servant--leadership, passion, commitment, and persistence.

Lloyd G. Jackson will forever be remembered for his many years of unwavering service to the Mountain State and its people. However, Lloyd will also be remembered for his passion and dedication to his community and for touching the lives of so many. He was a faithful member of the Central United Methodist Church in Hamlin. Lloyd was a loving husband of nearly 63 years to Pauline and a caring father of two children, Suzanne Rabin of Eugene, OR, and Lloyd II of Hamlin, WV, and a proud grandfather of Lloyd III of Hamlin and Ryan of Palo Alto, CA.

Gayle and I are keeping his wife Pauline and the entire Jackson family in our hearts and prayers. While we know that Lloyd Jackson is gone, his legacy of public service and compassion for the people of West Virginia will live in our hearts forever.

Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak about a very real problem, making sure that we do everything we can to protect jobs, safeguard our environment, and make sure utility companies can provide reliable and affordable electricity from our domestic resources. There are two EPA rules that are at the heart of this issue. One is the utility MACT rule, which would require a decrease in mercury emissions at powerplants, and the cross-State air pollution rule, which would require powerplants to lower emissions of pollutants that may reduce air quality in neighboring States.

Some utilities have already complied with these rules. Many have not. You can put the blame for the past sins on anybody and everybody, and we seem to do it well here from time to time. This is not what we are here for today.

My good colleague and my friend from Indiana will be speaking after me. This is truly a bipartisan effort trying to bring reasonability and common sense to this subject. But we have proven here in this body time and again that you truly cannot fix it if you blame people for it. What we intend to do with our legislation is truly fix the problem.

Let me be clear. I believe both of these rules aim to accomplish important objectives. But as they are written, they are nearly impossible to realize. If we do not extend the deadline for utilities to responsibly comply, we are going to lose the jobs and the reliability of the electricity we depend upon, and that hike of rates to consumers will be unimaginable. So we need to find a balance with our economy and the environment. That is why I am proud to stand today with my friend Senator Coats, a Republican from Indiana, to offer a commonsense solution to this problem, and to move forward with responsible, reasonable legislation that would get plants in compliance.

We are offering a bill today which is called the Fair Compliance Act of 2011, which has broad support from labor and industry and across the aisle. It is rare for so many groups with different points of view to come together behind a bill, but let me give you a list of some of our supporters: the Building and Construction Trades, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, United Mine Workers of America, AES, American Electric Power, Enerfab, the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, to name a few.

I believe this bill provides a reasonable, responsible extension of the deadlines, while also protecting our most important priority, our environment and our responsibility to the environment, the reliability of our electric grid, the consumers who have to buy energy and can only afford to pay a reasonable price, using our own domestic resources so that we depend less on foreign energy and, most importantly, the thousands of jobs that are on the line.

I yield the floor for my friend from Indiana.

Mr. President, let me say to the Senator that that question has been out there, and the naysayers are saying we should not delay it longer or extend it any more. This has gone through a real storied past, if you will. It had been repealed by previous administrations, it had gone through a court system and was overturned, and we are back where we are.

They are going to say: Well, some of them have complied and some haven't. There is ample time.

We can sit here--and we have talked and we have watched, in the last year, the blame game. That doesn't work. We haven't fixed a thing in this body this year by blaming the other side or blaming a previous administration or some other partisan group. We have a chance, with what the Senator and I have teamed up on, to fix this.

The only thing I would say, which the Senator eloquently laid out, is that a 2-year extension on one to comply, not just to extend and forgive--we are not asking to reduce in any way possible or to amend the Clean Air Act. We want it in force, and we want to do it with the energy we have used for the last century--it is domestic, and it is a fossil fuel. We have cleaned up the air in West Virginia by putting scrubbers and SCRs on boilers to the tune of 89 percent within the last two decades. We can do a lot more.

What we are allowing now is to bring plants into compliance without shocking the system. The shock is this: The cost, if I may quote this-- even by EPA's own estimate, they peg the cost--if this rule is not extended so that we can comply, it will cost $2.4 billion. Who do you think will pay that? It will be your consumers, your constituents, and, most importantly, people who cannot afford it. It is putting a burden on, it is challenging jobs that rely on reliable, dependable, and affordable energy so that they can compete globally. It is knocking us out of the market to compete. Why would we shoot ourselves in the foot economically?

We can work within the Clean Air Act and comply with it, and it doesn't make any of these rules less stringent. We are not saying relax it. We are just saying: Let us comply. Don't blame what happened in the past. Let's fix what is before us right now.

That is what I would say to my good friend.

If I may, I will ask my good friend a question. What has he heard from the utilities in Indiana about the EPA's current timeline? What have they told the Senator?

I thank my good friend, the Senator from Indiana, Mr. Coats, for his diligence in working on this issue. In the greatest Nation on Earth, not to have an energy policy is wrong. It is also wrong to be so insecure--or less secure, if you will--by depending on foreign oil as we have. We know the results we are faced with now.

We are saying: Let us comply and make sure we are working in harmony with the environment and the economy. We can make that happen within a reasonable amount of time. That is all we have asked for. We are not asking to make the rules less stringent or to forget about them and throw caution to the wind. We know jobs and the economy are at stake. We know that, basically, the security of the Nation is at stake. But until we find a fuel of the future, we need to use what we have right here in America. Coal has supplied energy for a hundred years and will do so until we find a fuel that will replace it that is dependable, reliable,

and affordable. So what we are asking for is something that is reasonable, and we are not blaming anything.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Reid for Tester amendment No. 927 be modified with the changes at the desk.

Mr. President, we have had a lot of conversation today. We all agree we need infrastructure. On both sides of the aisle we have had a good conversation. I have said before, a road is not a Democratic or Republican road, a bridge is not a Democratic or Republican bridge, nor is a water line or a sewer line. So I rise to address the competing proposals to build infrastructure in this country and to start getting America back to work.

Earlier this week, I attended a ribbon-cutting at the Bluestone Dam in beautiful Hinton, WV. When they started work on that dam, I was the Governor of our great State of West Virginia. I was sitting in my office and said to the Corps colonel: Explain to me what the problem could be.

He said: Maybe the bedrock, and there might be some possibilities with unusual flooding where we could lose that dam, breach that dam.

I asked: What does that mean?

He said: Think of it this way, Governor. We are sitting in your office in the capitol, in Charleston, WV. We would be underwater right now.

So it brought it to reality for me, the extent of the water we are dealing with and the billions and billions of dollars in downstream costs that would be incurred. So we decided we had to fix that. With the help of our Federal Government, we started working on that way back in 2002, and we are going into our third phase of that project.

Roads and bridges are in terrible condition all over the country and in every part of everybody's State. Every Member of the House and every Member of the Senate has a road or a bridge--all 535 of us--Republicans and Democrats alike have a road or a bridge or a water line or a sewer line in our area that needs repair. As the Presiding Officer from Delaware had noted with the work he did for all the good people of Delaware, there was still an awful lot of repair that was needed.

I believe in infrastructure. In West Virginia, we say: Our economy can't grow if people can't go. With that, you have to be able to be mobile. We also say in West Virginia: You have to drive to survive because we are one of the most rural States in the Nation. Our people drive as far, if not farther, than people in most other States do for their jobs.

With that, we have to make sure they have the ability to get to those good jobs and be able to provide for their family.

I have said before--and it has been heard on the floor over the last few hours--that infrastructure is not a Democratic idea or a Republican idea. It is a commonsense idea.

In 2007, we Governors at that time met in Philadelphia. Knowing the economy was slowing down, we asked: What can we do? We looked back in history and saw President Roosevelt, in the 1930s, basically invested in infrastructure. We had the WPA projects which we see today. A lot of us have used the projects and still are. Tremendous value was returned to this country and the infrastructure of this country through those hard-working people at that time who just needed a helping hand.

President Eisenhower, in the 1950s--after the Korean war, the economy needed a jump-start, and we saw the Interstate Highway System being built for a very mobile society coming off the wars. We are still using that same infrastructure that was put in place then.

This issue is bipartisan because building infrastructure is bipartisan. It solves two problems. It fixes our crumbling roads and bridges, and it creates much needed American jobs. Of all the people in my State applying for unemployment--and it might be true in most every State--construction workers are the biggest group of unemployed people today, with the most skill sets in America. Almost 20 percent of the unemployment is in the construction trades. That is unacceptable in this great country when we have repairs being needed everywhere.

We are going to vote on two proposals today. I know one was just put on quick order, and there is another one we are going to be voting on. One is a Democratic measure, which is our Rebuild America Jobs Act, and the other one is a Republican measure that funds transportation, and it reins in the EPA, for which I have been trying to make sure there is a commonsense approach to how we balance the economy and the environment. In West Virginia, I think we can do it as well if not better than most because we are dealing with those types of challenges.

I believe both these bills will help kick-start the economy and create American jobs--I do--and we all know we need that. I will vote for both of them. One is a Democratic proposal and one is a Republican proposal. But I do believe I was sent here as a West Virginian to help my State.

It is not because they are bad ideas or wrong ideas that they are probably going to fail. They both have good merits to them. But as our good friend from Alabama just said, it is politics of the order. That is what we are dealing with, and we will find reasons, probably, why we can't give our support.

On our jobs bill, there is $60 billion--$50 billion, which I think the Presiding Officer spoke so eloquently on earlier, and $10 billion for an infrastructure bank. I know what an infrastructure bank does in my State. In my State, we have $2 billion of need. We have a $300 million resolving account. It is the same as what we are talking about here. It has helped us tremendously. But everybody comes to the table. We are able to bridge some financing and put projects together that we never could have done, and it is tremendously needed.

With that being said, it probably will not pass because our dear friends on the other side of the aisle, our Republican colleagues, and our friends over in the Republican Party, are going to say: It has a seven-tenths-of-1-percent tax on incomes over $1 million--seven-tenths of 1 percent.

I can vote for that. I support that. But I also recognize that is a problem for them. So in recognizing that, I am

willing to reach out and look for other ways to pay for this. I think that is the spirit we should be working in. Are there offsets or credits? I think 73 of us have voted in a bipartisan fashion for an ethanol credit. Isn't that something we could work on? How about the money we are spending in Afghanistan and Iraq and rebuilding those nations' infrastructures? I have said this before: If you help us build a new bridge in West Virginia, we will not blow it up. If you help us build a new school, I guarantee we will not burn it down. We are so proud to say the good people all over this country have helped us in West Virginia, and we like to help other people in other States. We will work together. That is what we should be doing, rebuilding America.

That is what I have asked of everyone: Come together. Let's make sure the infrastructure need we have all over our great country is the first and foremost thing we are working on together because we do agree, as Democrats and Republicans and as Americans, we need it. That is something I think we can come together on.

Let me turn now to the Republican bill, which a few hours ago I was notified will be coming up. This bill is not perfect either. A 2-year extension of transportation spending does not give States the certainty they need. We have usually had a 6-year authorization. I know when I was Governor of West Virginia we did 6 years. We did our 6-year planning of our roads in our State based on the Federal bill, the authorization of the Federal highway bill. With only 2 years, it is hard to get any project completed. Sometimes it is even hard to get it on the drawing board.

That being said, I am a strong supporter of reining in the EPA, which this bill does. I believe we have to set our transportation priorities. Unfortunately, Washington and all of us here seem to have become so dysfunctional that politics--whether it is the party politics or the personal politics--is put before the good of the country. This has to stop.

I heard one of our good Senators from Arizona this morning saying we are down to a 9-percent approval rating. If it was not for our staff and our family, we don't know if we would be within the margin of error. With that being said, we have to come together. We have had disagreements throughout the history of this great country, and we have come together many times on very difficult issues.

This is one I think will challenge all of us to come together as Americans. The people of West Virginia did not send me to Washington to play the blame game. I have said many times, I have never fixed a problem by blaming somebody else for it. I fixed a problem by identifying that we had a problem and then trying to bring all sides together to fix it. That is what we need more of in Washington. I do not think any of us were sent to blame each other. I think we were sent to work together.

Again, I am going to urge all my colleagues and friends on both sides of the aisle to focus on the next generation. We see them every week we come here, our young pages. They are our next generation. We need to be making votes for them, not our next election, which will be in 2012. That election is going to come and go. But if we do not give them the opportunity to have the building tools they need to build a foundation that they can be the greatest next generation this country has ever seen, then I do not know what we are going to say for the future of this country.

I, for one, am not going to vote along those lines, to where it is going to be based on what is good for me, based on what is good for the party I belong to but strictly based on what is good for America and this next generation.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Montana for speaking on behalf of the rural States. It is clear our Nation is facing two grave economic threats: a job crisis and a debt spiral. As much as some people may wish, we cannot ignore one threat over the other. For the sake of our Nation's economic future, we must work together, Democrats and Republicans, and try to find a commonsense solution that protects and creates jobs but does so without adding to our growing deficit and debt.

In a more sensible legislative process, we would be able to sit down and work out compromises that make sense. It is what legislators throughout the Nation's history have done.

Unfortunately, looking at where things stand now, it is clear the legislative process in Washington has gotten so dysfunctional that it doesn't make much sense at all.

I came here to try to fix things, not to make excuses. I sure didn't come here to play the blame game. I have never fixed a thing by blaming someone else. As I have said many times before, it is time for all of us who have been given the great privilege to serve to focus on what is right for the next generation, not worry about the next election.

It is why--as frustrating as this legislative process can be--I will not lose hope that we can make this legislation better.

With respect to the current Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act, there is no doubt about the fact that our teachers and first responders have a critical role in our Nation. From the classroom where teachers educate our children to the streets where first responders put their lives on the line to keep our communities and Nation safe, these great Americans are so important to the future of this Nation.

They and the American people deserve better than a temporary 1-year legislative proposal that does nothing to fix the long-term fiscal problems that led so many States to lay off thousands of teachers and first responders in the first place.

What will we do next year when States come back again asking for more Federal money? Will we give out more money and go further in debt? Will we borrow more money? What will we do?

As it stands, without any changes, this bill will not solve the fiscal problem that will come once the aid ends. But this bill is not hopeless. It can be made better. I know it.

In my State of West Virginia, we didn't have major layoffs of teachers or first responders during this brutal recession. As difficult as it was, we balanced our budget based on our values and priorities. We made difficult decisions, but we kept our teachers in the classroom and our firefighters protecting our citizens.

Make no mistake, we cut back our spending, but we did so responsibly. We spent where it was needed--on our priorities.

That is the commonsense approach that works in West Virginia because that is how people run their lives. It is how they operate their small businesses, and it is how we should run this country.

We make budget choices based on what is important in our State, to our family, to our business, and to our country.

In West Virginia, this simple, commonsense approach paid off. Every year I was Governor, we ended the fiscal year with a surplus. Every year for the past 3 years, West Virginia has seen its credit rating upgraded.

But now, because of the impact of this recession and the fact that other States did not make the difficult decisions years ago, the taxpayers of West Virginia are being expected to foot this bill for other States.

I believe there is a better way. I believe there is a better way where we can balance the fiscal constraints that States face with the need to protect these vital jobs.

I believe there is a better way we can balance the need to keep teachers and firefighters working, while not asking West Virginia taxpayers--or any taxpayer in any State--to pay for more than is necessary.

That is why I am offering a commonsense amendment that would transform this $35 billion in funding to keep teachers and first responders working into a loan program instead of a grant.

The loan program would allow any State to borrow at very low--or no-- interest the money they need to keep teachers and firefighters employed and pay it back over time, when this recession basically ends.

I don't know of any State that wouldn't put their teachers and firefighters as one of the highest priorities and budget that first.

So this loan program would ensure that States are making the decisions on how much money they actually need and not the Federal Government's willingness to put us further into debt by giving away more money.

It would also ensure that States make smarter and more responsible decisions about what they can and cannot afford to do.

Such a loan program would help protect these jobs and would protect the fiscal future of States when they get in trouble. In short, it just makes common sense.

I encourage my Republican and Democratic colleagues to embrace this commonsense amendment. I encourage them to help me make it even better.

I hope they will support this cloture motion, not because they support the bill as it stands but because they believe in what this legislation could be if we all put politics aside and work to make it better.

If we can get past a filibuster, I hope the amendment process will be a testament to the great legislative moments this body has seen in the past.

As I have been assured by my leadership, this bill, if it gets to the floor, will have an open amendment process that will give us all an opportunity to make this legislation better. It is the

reason why I will vote for this motion to move on with debate.

To my Republican and Democratic friends who may not support this bill as it stands, I respectfully ask them to seize this opportunity to work together to make this bill better.

Trust me, I share many of their concerns. To be clear, if we cannot and do not adopt this commonsense approach that stops throwing money at the problems we have in this country, I will join them and vote against it.

This country is looking to us to do what is right. It is not about this vote or this bill. It is about the fact that so many Americans have lost confidence in this great body. They have lost confidence in the process that they see as broken and incapable of working. They have lost confidence in a legislative process that has become so political it doesn't matter what we do, it just seems all we care about is scoring political points to be used in the next election.

It is a fact that some folks in this town are so busy trying to make the other side look bad that they don't realize they are making us all look bad.

I don't believe for one minute that anybody in this Chamber-- Democratic or Republican--is rooting for our economy to fail or jobs to be lost. We just all have different ideas. While we should question each other's ideas and policies, we should never question each other's convictions.

Shame on us if the blame game is the best thing we can do. We are better than that. I came here to fix things, not to play politics. It is time for us to stop with the bickering and remember one thing: We may be members of different political parties, but we are all party to this great Nation. We are all Americans.

As difficult as it may seem, America and the future of the American people are more important than politics or an election.

I ask again, let's work together on commonsense, bipartisan ideas to get this country on a responsible financial path that will strengthen the economy and create jobs.

Let's work together on making America's future brighter--not just for us but for the next generation.

I yield the floor.

Yes.

Mr. President, I say to my friend that the way the system is set up and the bill, we are able to use this money where possible. An example of where money was used prior--we had two rounds of stimulus funding. This is our third. It was for a very worthy cause. For my State and your State, which didn't have the layoff of teachers or have the cutbacks in education, they would short that into their budget proposal, so when the Governor made his proposal, that money would backfill. That is how it was used. We only created 33 new jobs that first round, but that was $217 million.

The bottom line is--that is why I said we need a loan program. If spending money will fix our problems in America, we have no problems. We have to do it wisely. The Senator's amendments are appreciated, and I hope to support them.

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

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

Mr. President, only a few people in your lifetime stand out as people of the highest caliber, people who truly care about making the world a better place not only for the present generation but also for the next generation and many generations to come.

My dear friend Mike Puskar was one of those rare people. My wife Gayle and I consider ourselves extremely lucky to have even known a man of his caliber, let alone be dear friends with him for many years.

Mike passed away on Friday after a long battle against cancer.

I first met Mike in the early 1980s before the start of a football game in the then-gravel parking lot at the WVU stadium, a place we both truly loved. The generator in his motor home was not working, and, luckily, the generator in my brother's RV that I was using did work. So Mike plugged into our RV that day, and we were plugged in thereafter.

Mike was a man whose friendship was unconditional. It was not about whether you lined up exactly with his beliefs. He supported you as a person.

Mike dedicated his life to helping others and to making a real lasting impact in West Virginia. He had a tremendous heart and a strong sense of giving. Mike truly epitomized the word ``friend'' at every level.

We can see Mike's handprint everywhere--at West Virginia University, at Mylan Park, and in charitable organizations throughout West Virginia that serve those in need.

Mike loved to build things--whether it was his company or the waterfront in Morgantown. He gave the largest gift in the history of West Virginia University because he truly believed in making our State, our schools, and our hospitals the best in the country. In fact, that gravel parking lot where we

first met at the WVU stadium is now the site of the Mylan Tailgate Tent. But the thing Mike was most proud of was when he helped people build their own lives--and those people who knew Mike know exactly what I am talking about.

Mike was a pioneer who started Mylan Pharmaceuticals to give people access to affordable quality medicine. Mylan is a homegrown West Virginia company that he started with his Army buddy Don Panoz in 1961. He led Mylan until 2002, and Mylan has continued to grow and has now become the third largest generic and specialty pharmaceutical manufacturer in the world.

There are so few people like Mike, whose legacy will echo for generations to come. On Thursday, his friends and family will gather to pay tribute to his legacy when he is laid to rest in Morgantown, WV--a town he loved and gave so much to improve.

Tomorrow and every day our thoughts and prayers will go out to the entire Puskar family, Mike's friends and colleagues, and everyone whose life he touched, as all of them mourn the loss of this great man.

While every one of us is truly going to miss Mike, he truly will never leave us. We all have beautiful memories of Mike that will last a lifetime, and his legacy to West Virginia and its people will remain in our hearts forever.

Mr. President, I think we all appreciate so much the passion and compassion our colleague from Louisiana has for the people of America--not just the people of Louisiana but all over America. I thank her for taking this fight and making sure people understand what we are fighting for. Being one of the other centrists in this body--and I think we have a majority right now--three of us--I appreciate all of us being in attendance.

I rise today to address the enormous frustration the American people must feel witnessing their government and their leaders engaging in another futile political exercise. Our government is being driven--and I agree with the Senator from Louisiana that we are not going to shut down over this, but it is unbelievable to get into the fuss we are in right now, to make people believe we could come to the brink of another when we just went through this bloody mess in August.

There is not a State in this great Nation that has not suffered the terrible tragedy and cost of a natural disaster. While there are many government programs and issues we should vigorously debate, we surely cannot question the responsibility of government to help our communities in their darkest moments. In the America I believe in, we don't look the other way when a community is suffering from the pain of a natural disaster. We stand to offer a helping hand. It is this spirit of helping each other that has defined this Nation since its very beginning, and we cannot let politics destroy that spirit.

Our belief in helping each other is a bedrock value for this country, and it runs much deeper than a belief in a political party. We are Americans, and for the sake of this great Nation I know we all love, these petty squabbles that define this place must end. That is why we must fund FEMA disaster relief and why I voted for a Senate bill that would fund FEMA through the end of the fiscal year.

Yes, we all agree that funding for disaster relief should be paid for in these most difficult times and especially now that we are looking at these deficits we have accrued. Yes, we must save and set aside that money. My grandfather once told me, Mr. President--and I think you can appreciate this, being a small businessperson--you can't give someone the shirt off your back if you don't have a shirt to give them. We have to plan and work hard to make sure we can put ourselves in position to help others.

Yes, we must return to the path of fiscal responsibility where we manage our budgets wisely and put away enough money for the eventual disasters we know will strike. In my great State of West Virginia, we have a contingency fund. We know we are going to have floods and challenges throughout our State, and we set aside, every budget year, X amount of dollars, and we accumulate that to use for a crisis. We can do the same right here in this great country of ours and in the Nation's Capital.

It is absolutely wrong--no ifs, ands, or buts about it--to pay for disaster relief out of funds that are creating jobs, with the potential of creating more jobs. Are there problems with some of the programs? Absolutely. Can we fix those programs? Absolutely. Should we eliminate programs that cost too much and offer little return? Absolutely. But are we so desperate to score political points that we eliminate a program--the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program-- which is actually helping to bring jobs back to America? For the record, that program is credited with saving or creating 39,000 American jobs, most with the Ford Motor Company, an American manufacturer. It is something we need more of in this country. It is a program with support from both the chamber of commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers. In fact, Ford actually moved a hybrid battery facility from Mexico to Michigan because of this loan program. I can think of a lot of loan programs we should fight over, but are we really going to defund a program that has helped bring jobs back to America? I don't think so.

So where do we go from here? Well, of my Republican and Democratic leaders, I respectfully ask them to consider how simple a choice we face. We can rebuild America or we can afford to pay for it. We can choose to fund FEMA or afford to pay for it. We can do all of this if we face the fact that we cannot continue to go into debt and spend billions in Afghanistan while suggesting that in order to fund FEMA, we must cut a program that actually helps to create jobs in America.

As I have said before, we must choose between rebuilding Afghanistan or rebuilding America. Today, we can make that choice. I, along with many of you, choose to rebuild America. At a time when our economy is strugglingly and our deficit is exploding, I cannot believe we in Washington would choose to rebuild another nation at the expense of our own. We can do better for this, and for the sake of our Nation's future, we must to better than this. We should not engage in a political theater that makes the false choice between funding disaster relief or eliminating a jobs program that actually helped create American jobs.

It is time for us to set our priorities. It is time for us to rebuild America, not to rebuild Afghanistan or Iraq. Helping America to rebuild during times of natural disaster must be a priority that cannot be defined by partisanship.

In West Virginia alone, several projects worth nearly $\1/2\ million have now been put on hold because of the bickering and squabbling that goes on. Those projects include funding to help individuals whose property was damaged in the severe snowstorms in 2009, flooding in 2010, as well as critical equipment that monitors waterflow in areas prone to flooding, equipment that is vital for forecasting river levels during our floods. This doesn't make any sense to me, and I know it doesn't make any sense to the people of West Virginia.

I cannot believe that any American would choose to lose billions more in waste and corruption in Afghanistan while we ignore the needs of our neighbors here at home--our neighbors who just this year survived tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes, and who need shelter and food.

I would like to offer the following amendment to offset the cost of funding FEMA by eliminating $1.6 billion from programs that will fund nation building in Afghanistan and instead direct that money to FEMA, to programs that rebuild America.

I yield the floor.

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