Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I want to honor the passing of America's last surviving veteran of the First World War, Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles. It is important that we as a nation express our deep appreciation for the sacrifices that Mr. Buckles and his brothers-in- arms endured for our country nearly a century ago. Men like Frank have fought in numerous battles in the defense of this Nation and have made sure that we as Americans are able to enjoy the quality of life that we so cherish.

Mr. Buckles witnessed the world change dramatically throughout his lifetime and had experiences that most of us can only dream about. He saw the metamorphosis that defined the American social and cultural revolutions of the last century. As a young man, he served in the Army's ambulance corps in France and Germany, where he evacuated wounded soldiers from the battlefield. As a civilian during the Second World War, he spent more than three years in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines.

As a tribute to Mr. Buckles and for all the World War I veterans that he represents, we must remember all of his brothers and sisters who defended our country along with him. Nearly 4.5 million U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines joined forces with over 37 million Allied soldiers to defeat the Central Powers. These service members witnessed atrocities such as gas warfare that were unprecedented at the time. Each and every one of them made their own significant contribution to the war effort that cannot be understated. This generation of dynamic and dedicated Americans was able to alter the course of history for the betterment of each and every one of us here today.

As a tribute to Mr. Buckles, I have introduced a bipartisan resolution so he can lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda on March 14 to allow the American people to properly pay their respects. To further honor his generations' sacrifices, Mr. Frank Buckles will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. President Obama has ordered all flags flown over government buildings be flown at half- mast on this day as we mourn the loss of a citizen and a generation who will forever hold a place in our nation's history.

I want to conclude by offering my deepest sympathies to Mr. Buckles' daughter, Susannah Buckles Flanagan. She has been the loving daughter at his side in recent years taking such good care of him which allowed him to live at home in dignity, surrounded by family and friends.

As America's longest surviving veteran of World War I, Frank Buckles represented our final link to a generation that built a legacy as the defenders of the free world in the first large scale global conflict. I can promise you that his legacy and the legacy of all veterans will live on forever in the ideals and values that make America the strongest nation in the world.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment so I may call up amendment No. 134.

I know the Senator from Utah, and I remind him he was the lead author of the Hatch-Waxman Act, creating the 180-day period for generics.

Will the Senator from Utah object if I talk about it?

Mr. President, my amendment is based on legislation I introduced earlier this year, obviously quite recently. The cosponsors of that bill, which is called the Fair Prescription Drug Competition Act, are Senator Shaheen, Senator Leahy, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, Senator Inouye, Senator Stabenow, and Senator Schumer, who is on the Judiciary Committee.

I wish to acknowledge that the managers of this bill, Chairman Leahy and Senator Grassley, have been steadfast partners in pushing the Federal Trade Commission to investigate further consumer access to generic drugs, which is a huge problem. We do a lot of talking about the health care bill and a lot of other things about saving money and saving consumers money. This is a bill which would do this, if I were allowed to actually proceed to it.

This amendment eliminates one of the most widely abused loopholes that brand-name drug companies use to extend their shelf life, their monopoly, and limit consumer access to lower cost generic drugs which are just as good and just the same, but they have a system to work on that. It ends the marketing of so-called authorized generic drugs during the 180-day marketing exclusivity period that Congress designed to give real low-cost generics a major incentive to enter the market.

What was happening was the brand-name drug companies had their 18 years of exclusivity. That is a monopoly time unrivaled. Then somebody else would come in with a cheaper way of doing the same thing, an FDA- approved drug, but it would be a generic drug. It would be the same drug, have the same effect, but it would be much cheaper. Since millions of people buy these drugs, that would seem to be a good thing in a budget-conscious era for American families, as well as for the government.

As I say, this amendment ends the so-called authorized generic drugs during the 180-day marketing exclusivity

period Congress designated to give real low-cost generics a major incentive to enter the market. You have to be able to enter the market to compete and to get your lower priced, equally good drugs out there. They do that by challenging a brand-name patent. That is the only way they can do it.

An authorized generic drug is a brand-name prescription drug produced by the same brand manufacturer yet repackaged as a generic. That is clever, but it is also a little devious. Many brand-name drug manufacturers are repackaging their drugs as generics for the purpose of extending their market shares after their patents expire. They have a little subsidiary which produces something which they shift over to them.

Unfortunately, this often eliminates the incentive for an independent generic to enter the marketplace. Therefore, the price of drugs remains much higher, and that would seem to be not in the interest of the American people.

In 1984, Congress passed the Hatch-Waxman Act to provide consumer access to lower cost generic drugs. Under the law which the Senator from Utah led, if a true generic firm successfully challenges a brand- name patent, the generic firm is provided a 180-day period for that drug to exclusively enter the market. This is a crucial incentive for generic drug companies to enter that market and make prescription drugs more affordable for consumers. It would seem to me this would be a very laudable pursuit.

Every American agrees on the need to reduce health care costs. Generic drugs save consumers an estimated total of $8 billion to $10 billion a year--$8 billion to $10 billion-a-year savings for the same quality of drug. Of course, they get that at the retail pharmacies where the prescription is handed out. For working families, these savings can make a huge difference, particularly during very tough economic times, which we are going through.

This amendment would restore the main incentive generic drug companies have to challenge a brand-name patent and enter the market. We give them the incentive to challenge the brand-name prescriber.

That is what this amendment is about. It is profoundly important. It has been before this body many times. I guess it is a question of do we want to help people who have to take a lot of prescriptions and older people--any kind of people. Do we want to help them pay less? I guess it divides into if you do or if you don't. I am in the camp of, yes, I want to have people pay less. So I would just say that.

Mr. President, I yield the floor for the time being.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the filing deadline for second-degree amendments be extended up until the cloture vote.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, Senator Boxer--and not everybody knows this--is the author of the passengers' bill of rights. It has been an obsession of hers. It is not about helping airlines; it is about helping human beings. That has been a long process on the committee. It is in the bill. It is a very good part. She is responsible for all of that.

When Senator Boxer talks about more flights to the West, she echoes my deepest thinking. It is hard sometimes for people to understand. We are the East, and we get the feeling that everything happens in the East. But the fact is, the West is growing and the East is not. All of our slots are predicated on the fact that everybody lives in the East. Yes, there are some people out West--well, there are a lot more people out West. Los Angeles is huge beyond belief. That happens to be the home of Senator Boxer. But there are a lot of cities out there which don't get service and should have service. We have tried to address that in this bill.

The slots issue has been a very difficult one in the bill. But we have tried to address that by allowing the Department of Transportation to say: Are they getting enough? Is DC overcrowded or is it not? If it isn't, then they allow more to come on.

I enormously appreciate Senator Boxer in general. She chairs an important committee, but she comes to our hearings and always makes enormous contributions. On this bill of rights she is the author, which puts her right up there with the Founding Fathers.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I wish to make a couple of observations. First of all, I apologize to all of our colleagues having to postpone cloture and precloture votes. What has happened is a number of folks have come in at the very last second and asked for changes. That is not usually the way committee business is done. We have been on this for a number of years. But we have to face the reality of that fact. We want to get cloture, and we want the bill to pass.

I say to my friend from Arizona that I will work with him and with-- whether it is GAO, DOT, or whomever we decide to work with or both, which we can obviously do and which is in the legislation; the GAO is automatic for any Member--that I will work to try and resolve this problem as best as I can.

There are many problems wandering around, but the basis of the bill, the structure of the bill, the overall bill is actually not just about slots. That is a relatively small part. It has been virtually all of the conversation and the debate.

As Senator Hutchison pointed out, a new air traffic control system, airline safety, all kinds of other things, are so predominantly important that we have had to proceed in this way to try to accommodate our colleagues, and that we will continue to try to do.

Madam President, I wish to echo what Senator Hutchison has just said. In the process of legislation, if you look at it logically, you do it over a period of years--1 or 2--or a number of months, and people get their amendments in. That has not been the case here. On the other hand, one has to recognize that people feel very strongly, and when Senators feel very strongly, they have that right, and they have the right to try, therefore, to affect the legislation even though it may be at the very last moment. I think everybody is acting in good faith.

I appreciate very much the Senator from Washington, Maria Cantwell, because she has given up a lot and she has also been very cooperative. She is going to be the new chair of the aviation subcommittee, which I look forward to and appreciate. I also appreciate the leadership of Senator Hutchison and all other Members--the Senator from Virginia whose time I have taken, Senator Wyden--who have participated in trying to work this out. It is not a beautiful process, but it is one that throughout the Senate has been solid and strong, and it needs to be voted for when that time comes. As I said, slots are not the only issue. The other issues are huge, and they are resolved without any contentiousness at all. So in that spirit of really thanking all who fought for what they have a right to fight for and saying that we have tried to respond as best we could--and if nobody is entirely happy, that probably means it is a good bill, a good approach--I wish to thank everyone.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, in about 5 minutes, we are going to be, hopefully, voting for cloture on the underlying bill, the basic FAA bill, which has been the product of an awful lot of work. I think, generally speaking, we have tried to bring everybody in. Senators do have rights, and as a bill comes closer to a cloture vote or passage vote, some of those rights are exercised, which then complicates things. On the other hand, it is what the system is, and people ought to have those rights. You cannot ask everybody to sort of sit back and think through a whole bill. Something occurs to them at the last moment, and they need to come down and address that. We have tried to do that.

I think we are pretty close to a slots amendment agreement. Not everybody is happy about it, but everybody has

given up and everybody has gotten from it.

So we will have this vote, and then we will continue work on various aspects of the bill. I hope we can get it done tonight from the Senate side. Then we have to go negotiate with the House, and their bill is quite different.

But what is interesting about the aviation bill, it truly does affect America vastly. I do not know how many times I have said it employs 11 million people. Actually, it employs, directly and indirectly, probably closer to 13 million people, and it affects people's lives in every single way. They are trying to build a high-speed rail system. You cannot build a high-speed interstate system. You can take a chance at it, but it does not work very well.

So travel by aviation is how people get to where they want to go. It is a complicated industry. Costs go up. Sometimes it is because of fuel. Passengers are held on tarmacs. Sometimes it is because there is just congestion or there is a crisis at the airport of some sort. Passengers, when they are on their way from one place to another, do not sort of think about the problems the airline industry or airports are going through. They just think about the fact that they are being inconvenienced, if, in fact, they are being inconvenienced.

But I think it is a very good bill, and it has been worked on a very long time by myself and an extraordinarily wonderful Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison, whom I call cochair of the Commerce Committee, because she is.

People have operated in good faith. We have had a lot of scrums and huddles about on the Senate floor. But that is the way legislation probably needs to work. It is a very complicated bill, but it is a bill that I think we will get cloture on, and people should actually be very anxious to vote for it when it comes to final passage.

I will give a talk about that. But I just remind people again, we have an air traffic control system which is so antiquated that there are actually very many near misses in the sky because we are using a radar system and planes often come very close to running into each other on the tarmac. It is a very old system. It is a 50-year-old system. This bill will fix that and make it safer for people to travel. More planes can take off and fly.

So I hope we invoke cloture at 2 o'clock, and then we will continue to work on the bill. It is important for America, and it is important to satisfy as many people as we possibly can.

I thank the Presiding Officer.

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

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

Mr. President, I ask to move to the vote.

Cloture Motion

Mr. President, I thank the Senator very much. I thank him. I agree with what the Senator from Oregon is saying. I want to be helpful, and we will continue to be helpful. There are some in positions not to be helpful and are not being helpful. I understand that. Such is life. I will continue to be helpful on this issue, not just on the substance because he has been so important in the resolution of what he mentioned at the very end, the slots. He has been a nonstop peacemaker, sort of the Secretary General of the UN. He really has. I respect that, and I appreciate it.

This is complicated. It is emotional. He has been great. I will continue to work with him on this issue to try and get to our mutual goal.

Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Oregon. I like what he said.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume consideration of the McCain amendment No. 4 and proceed to a vote in relation to that amendment; that upon disposition of the McCain amendment, the Senate resume consideration of the Paul amendment No. 18 and there be 4 minutes equally divided prior to a vote in relation to that amendment; that no amendments be in order to the amendments prior to the votes; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

I move to table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, on behalf of Senator Brown of Ohio, to call up the Brown-Portman amendment No. 105 to the Ensign amendment No. 32.

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

I yield back my time on our side.

Amendment No. 105

I move to table and ask for the yeas and nays.

I move to table the amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.

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

I am aware of these agreements.

I am aware that the Senator has filed an amendment on this issue, and I understand his concerns about this issue and its effect on his constituents.

I would be glad to continue working with the Senator on this issue, and I appreciate his work to ensure that there is fairness in this regard.

Mr. President, I believe this bill is fundamental to our Nation's long-term economic competitiveness. It will create good- paying jobs across the country. It will improve the safety and efficiency of our Nation's air transportation system. And it will help to make sure the United States remains the global leader in aviation.

As we approach a final vote on the FAA reauthorization, I want to close by touching briefly on why this is so important--and why we have spent 3 weeks working on this bill.

This FAA reauthorization is about more than aviation, it is about stimulating the economy and securing jobs and retaining jobs.

The aviation sector supports over $1 trillion in economic activity and over 11 million jobs in the United States. This bill will support hundreds of thousands of aviation jobs annually. Moreover, it is critical to the businesses that rely on aviation and will provide a base for financial success in an increasingly global economy.

This bill is about improving commercial airline service to small and rural communities, making sure all areas of the country have adequate access to the Nation's air transportation network.

It also establishes better consumer rights protections for travelers, giving passengers a more consistent and improved air travel experience.

Ultimately, it is about improving safety and modernizing our system.

In other words, it is about people's lives every day--the safety of our skies for passengers and their families is critical and we must get this right.

Statistically, the United States has the safest air transportation system in the world. But statistics do not always tell the whole story.

It has been just over 2 years since the crash of Flight 3407 in Buffalo, NY, took the lives of 50 people. This tragedy reminds us that we must remain vigilant in making the national airspace system as safe as possible.

Although we were able to take important steps last August to improve pilot training and fatigue, this bill still has several critical provisions that will further improve the safety of our skies.

Modernizing the air traffic control system will not just make our skies more efficient, it represents a quantum leap forward for aviation safety by providing our air traffic controllers and pilots' real-time traffic and weather information.

The bill also takes steps to strengthen inspections of airline operations, require better oversight of foreign repair stations, and improve helicopter emergency service operations.

This bill is also about equality and economic stability. It will provide needed resources to airports large and small, urban and rural.

Although the U.S. airline industry has begun to recover from the recent economic downturn, hundreds of rural communities across our country continue to struggle.

The future of small communities' economic standing depends on access to air service.

I have witnessed firsthand the positive impact that aviation has made on my home State of West Virginia, and I have seen time and time again how important a lifeline it is for local communities.

The Federal Government must continue the commitment it made when the industry deregulated to provide the resources and tools small communities need to attract adequate air service.

Our legislation accomplishes this by building on existing programs and strengthening them with appropriate reforms.

This bill also strengthens passenger protections by incorporating a passenger bill of rights to deal with the most serious flight delays and cancellations.

Passengers have had it with endless delays--especially when they are stuck on the tarmac. They have had it with being overlooked and dismissed by the aviation system.

The Department of Transportation, DOT, has already begun implementing similar measures and seen great success--this legislation makes certain the Federal Government continues to focus on passengers' rights.

Our air traffic control system is outdated and strained beyond its capacity.

America's air traffic control network is still using WWII-era technology. We are behind Mongolia, and that is unacceptable.

The Next Generation Air Transportation System, NextGen, will save our economy billions by creating additional capacity and more direct routes. This will allow aircraft to move more efficiently and effectively.

Drastic reductions in fuel consumption will reduce carbon and noise emissions in the aviation sector.

And as I noted before, NextGen will dramatically improve safety.

A modern air traffic control system will provide pilots and air traffic controllers with better situational awareness--giving them the tools to see other aircraft and detailed weather maps in real time.

But achieving a modernized air transportation system requires sustained focus and substantial resources.

This reauthorization bill takes concrete steps to accelerate implementation of a modern, satellite based air traffic control system so we can begin to reap these benefits now.

We must move boldly or risk losing our leadership in the world. Over the 3 weeks, I have spoken about the primary goals we set out to achieve with this bill: 1, to address critical safety concerns; 2, to establish a clear roadmap for the implementation of NextGen and accelerate the FAA's key modernization programs; 3, to invest in airport infrastructure; and 4, to continue improving small communities' access to the Nation's aviation system.

I am proud of how far we have come. I also want to thank Senator Hutchison, the ranking member of the Commerce Committee and my able partner, for her work on this bill. It is truly a bipartisan bill that reflects a shared vision and goal of making sure the United States continues to have the safest, most efficient, and most modern aviation system possible.

This bill passed 93 to 0 last year. I know a few of my colleagues have had substantial differences over the issue of slots at National Airport. But this issue is minor compared to the benefits provided by the larger bill.

Flights at National Airport should not bring down a bill that is critical to so many Americans and supports so many jobs.

I urge my colleagues to move forward and give the FAA the tools, the resources, the direction, and the deadlines to make sure the agency can provide effective oversight of the aviation industry.

I urge my colleagues to support reauthorization and advance our system now. We cannot afford to wait any longer.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, before we wrap this up entirely, there is just a couple of people I want to thank. I particularly want to thank my ranking member, whom I refer to as my cochair, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, for her incredibly hard, smart, indefatigable commitment and pure determination to see this bill through. I could not have asked for a better partner on this bill or as a partner on the Commerce Committee. We work in sync. It doesn't mean we have to agree on everything, but it happens we usually do.

I know, and our colleagues should know, this bill simply would not have happened without her hard work, without her negotiating skills everywhere, constantly. She was tenacious in getting a lot of deals done on what was the most contentious issue, slots. She was patient and she was fair. I want my colleagues and the whole world to know how much I admire her as a person and as a professional, and I am grateful she has applied her considerable expertise and legislative savvy to this effort.

I also want to take a moment to tell my colleagues that I am very disappointed that Senator Hutchison has chosen not to seek reelection. She has been a model public servant--she is a model public servant--who has made a real difference in the lives of Americans. She has made Texas proud. The Senate will be worse off without her. The Commerce Committee will be worse off without her. The aviation world will be worse off without her. Most importantly, the people of Texas will miss her talent and her clear ability to represent their interests at the Federal level. She is amazing.

I will reluctantly not begrudge her the opportunity to bring her considerable talents to her post-Senate life, which she fully deserves. But I have her as my partner in the Commerce Committee for 2 more years, and for that I am very grateful. We have 2 more years to team up and see what we can accomplish together and as a committee. We have a full agenda, and this bill is just the first of what I hope will be many joint successes in this Congress.

I want to take a few minutes to thank the staff who have worked so incredibly hard on this bill. The issues we deal with are very difficult. Sometimes they are very boring. And sometimes they are just persistent. You have to scratch them all the time. They are always arcane. We would not be able to do our jobs without the assistance of a very dedicated and smart staff on both sides of the aisle.

I am going to start with Senator Hutchison's staff first. I would like to thank Jarrod Thompson, Senator Hutchison's lead aviation staffer, who worked seamlessly with my staff. Such is not always the case in this body. The importance of his work on this bill cannot be overstated. He managed every issue in this bill with a calm professionalism that made a challenging process a lot easier.

I would also like to thank her staff director, Ann Begeman, who is truly a gem--that is called a jewel. Ann has been nominated to be Commissioner on the Surface Transportation Board, and she is going to be a great asset to that commission. The committee will consider her nomination soon. Not trying to look ahead too far, I hate the thought of losing her, but she is going to make a fantastic Commissioner.

Finally, I would like to recognize the work of Brian Hendricks, whose fierce tenacity was essential to getting this bill done. He was instrumental in quietly working away, constantly getting things done.

For my part, I am fortunate to have a tremendous staff, too--in my State, in my personal office, and on the committee. I am genuinely lucky I have managed to hold on to a very talented group of people who each fundamentally appreciate it is a privilege to be in public service. If you don't have that instinct, you are not going to do a lot around here.

The staff of the aviation subcommittee is truly exceptional because Gael Sullivan never seeks recognition. I want to spend a minute on giving him the enormous credit and recognition he deserves. Gael Sullivan has spent 10 years on the subcommittee and almost 20 years as a staffer on the Commerce Committee. He knows everything there is to know about aviation. He works enormously hard day in and day out, whether we are on the floor or just trying to solve a problem of a rural airport or a small community depending on Essential Air Service. Gael is here because he is absolutely dedicated to making a difference. He has been critical to every aviation bill that we have tried on this committee. His hard work has helped produce a safer and more efficient air traffic control system and a more secure aviation system.

Working with Gael is Rich Swayze. Rich is an aviation expert as well. From his Ph.D. thesis on air service to his work at GAO, Rich has developed his aviation expertise and the committee and my Senate colleagues have benefitted from that. They may not know that, but they have. Rich has put countless hours into this bill over the last 3 years. He has worked tirelessly on helping resolve the thorniest of issues, such as, for example, slots.

Adam Duffy is the third member of my aviation team. Adam keeps the subcommittee running. Besides helping draft briefing materials for the bill and preparing points for the floor, he has done yeomen's work managing the paper--the amendments--and making sure I had what I needed. His is not a glamorous job at times, but sometimes those are the most important jobs of all.

Finally, there is James Reid. James Reid, for many years, has been a senior adviser to me on Commerce Committee issues--both in my office in the Hart Building and at the committee--including aviation. He has been the deputy staff director of the Commerce Committee since I became chair, and I don't know what I would do without him--literally don't know.

I have known James for many years. I know how smart he is. The tragedy of how things get done is that staff is never recognized for who they really are--the group who puts all of it together--and how funny he is. Now, it is an art form to get to the funny part, but he is one of the funniest people I know, and he has a good heart. I still marvel at the sheer skill he has. Whether it is working through the details of a vexing legislative dilemma or thinking through the best strategic maneuver to achieve success, James can do it all. I totally rely on him. I

am so grateful for his willingness to sacrifice more lucrative opportunities, as so many of our staff are willing to do, to make the Commerce Committee work. I know the entire staff feels the same way I do.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation adopted rules governing its procedures for the 112th Congress earlier today. Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the accompanying rules from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Incentives to Educate American Children Act of 2011--I TEACH. This bill provides important tax incentives to promote the quality of all public school teachers by encouraging them to achieve certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. It provides further incentives to teachers in rural and high-poverty schools.

We all know that teachers are the front line for the education of our nation's children. Still, teachers continue to earn less than other college graduates. A recent study found that teachers only earn 77 percent as much as other college graduates. It is even worse for teachers in rural schools. Rural schools struggle with many unique challenges, and one of them is how to pay competitive salaries when transportation costs are necessarily higher than for urban schools. The Department of Education has reported that rural school districts have the lowest base salaries for starting teachers. This bill helps combat this inequity by providing a tax incentive to public school teachers in rural and high-poverty schools.

All schools today are struggling with the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers. Due to retirements and decreasing retention of beginning teachers, the experience level of our teachers is decreasing. In the 1987-1988 academic year, the most common number of years of experience for our teachers was 15 years. The most recent data from the 2007-2008 shows the most common years of experience is now just 1 year. The distribution of teaching experience in the data shows the strong need for incentives to encourage teachers to stay in the profession. We know that more experienced teachers help our students learn.

States are responsible for certifying teachers in their own states, but teachers have had the additional opportunity since 1987 to earn a certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization provides teachers with a national board certification similar to those in other professions. Since 1987, more than 91,000 teachers have completed the rigorous process of National Board Certification. The National Research Council of the National Academies recently affirmed that students taught by National Board certified teachers make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by teachers who have not applied or have not achieved this certification. This bill provides an incentive to public school teachers to achieve this certification and stay in the classroom.

The I TEACH Act of 2011 provides important incentives for teachers to serve in rural and high-poverty schools as well as for all public school teachers to demonstrate the accomplishment of National Board Certification. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Community Hospital Jobs Act of 2011, legislation that gives Fairmont General Hospital, a small community hospital in West Virginia, the chance to make an important transition.

Many of Marion County's residents were born at Fairmont General Hospital--founded in 1939. And many of the hospital's 700 employees are from the surrounding area. That is why, when Fairmont's leaders told me the hospital was going to lose a large portion of its Medicare payments because it was going to lose its status as a Sole Community Hospital, I knew it was important to make sure Fairmont General maintained its role as a vibrant health care leader in our community--and I began looking for ways to help.

Over the last couple of years, I have worked extensively with Fairmont officials and with other members of the West Virginia delegation to identify possible solutions to Fairmont's problem, which the hospital did nothing to cause. First we looked for a regulatory solution. However, after speaking extensively with federal and hospital officials, scrutinizing every regulation, we determined that without intervention from Congress, Fairmont would lose its status as the sole community hospital--and with it, additional federal payments that are helping the hospital stay afloat and maintain jobs, as many as 70 of which may be at stake.

Once it became clear that legislation was necessary, I got to work again on behalf of Fairmont. Last fall, I started to work on a legislative solution to allow Fairmont to retain its sole community hospital status. And, when the Senate began consideration of an end-of- the-year health care bill, I pushed for the inclusion of legislative language to allow Fairmont to keep its sole community hospital status for a three-year transition period. Unfortunately, this language was not ultimately included in the final Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010--but I am not going to give up.

Fairmont General does not give up on its patients, and I am not giving up on Fairmont. That is why I am introducing this important legislation today.

I urge my colleagues to support the Community Hospital Jobs Act.

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Incentives to Educate American Children Act of 2011--I TEACH. This bill provides important tax incentives to promote the quality of all public school teachers by encouraging them to achieve certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. It provides further incentives to teachers in rural and high-poverty schools.

We all know that teachers are the front line for the education of our nation's children. Still, teachers continue to earn less than other college graduates. A recent study found that teachers only earn 77 percent as much as other college graduates. It is even worse for teachers in rural schools. Rural schools struggle with many unique challenges, and one of them is how to pay competitive salaries when transportation costs are necessarily higher than for urban schools. The Department of Education has reported that rural school districts have the lowest base salaries for starting teachers. This bill helps combat this inequity by providing a tax incentive to public school teachers in rural and high-poverty schools.

All schools today are struggling with the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers. Due to retirements and decreasing retention of beginning teachers, the experience level of our teachers is decreasing. In the 1987-1988 academic year, the most common number of years of experience for our teachers was 15 years. The most recent data from the 2007-2008 shows the most common years of experience is now just 1 year. The distribution of teaching experience in the data shows the strong need for incentives to encourage teachers to stay in the profession. We know that more experienced teachers help our students learn.

States are responsible for certifying teachers in their own states, but teachers have had the additional opportunity since 1987 to earn a certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization provides teachers with a national board certification similar to those in other professions. Since 1987, more than 91,000 teachers have completed the rigorous process of National Board Certification. The National Research Council of the National Academies recently affirmed that students taught by National Board certified teachers make higher gains on achievement tests than students taught by teachers who have not applied or have not achieved this certification. This bill provides an incentive to public school teachers to achieve this certification and stay in the classroom.

The I TEACH Act of 2011 provides important incentives for teachers to serve in rural and high-poverty schools as well as for all public school teachers to demonstrate the accomplishment of National Board Certification. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Community Hospital Jobs Act of 2011, legislation that gives Fairmont General Hospital, a small community hospital in West Virginia, the chance to make an important transition.

Many of Marion County's residents were born at Fairmont General Hospital--founded in 1939. And many of the hospital's 700 employees are from the surrounding area. That is why, when Fairmont's leaders told me the hospital was going to lose a large portion of its Medicare payments because it was going to lose its status as a Sole Community Hospital, I knew it was important to make sure Fairmont General maintained its role as a vibrant health care leader in our community--and I began looking for ways to help.

Over the last couple of years, I have worked extensively with Fairmont officials and with other members of the West Virginia delegation to identify possible solutions to Fairmont's problem, which the hospital did nothing to cause. First we looked for a regulatory solution. However, after speaking extensively with federal and hospital officials, scrutinizing every regulation, we determined that without intervention from Congress, Fairmont would lose its status as the sole community hospital--and with it, additional federal payments that are helping the hospital stay afloat and maintain jobs, as many as 70 of which may be at stake.

Once it became clear that legislation was necessary, I got to work again on behalf of Fairmont. Last fall, I started to work on a legislative solution to allow Fairmont to retain its sole community hospital status. And, when the Senate began consideration of an end-of- the-year health care bill, I pushed for the inclusion of legislative language to allow Fairmont to keep its sole community hospital status for a three-year transition period. Unfortunately, this language was not ultimately included in the final Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010--but I am not going to give up.

Fairmont General does not give up on its patients, and I am not giving up on Fairmont. That is why I am introducing this important legislation today.

I urge my colleagues to support the Community Hospital Jobs Act.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 17, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. in room SR-328A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 17, 2011, at 9:30 a.m.

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 February 17, 2011, at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 17, 2011, at 10 a.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 17, 2011, in the President's Room, S-216 of the Capitol.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate of February 17, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Homeland Security Department's Budget Submission for Fiscal Year 2012.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on February 17, 2011, at 10 a.m., in SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct an executive business meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Rules and Administration be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 17, 2011, at 3:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 17, 2011.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 17, 2011 at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 17, 2011, at 2 p.m., to hold a Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Global Narcotics Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled, ``U.S. Policy toward Latin America.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 12, S. 365.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Environment and Public Works Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 307 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no interviewing action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be discharged from further consideration of S. 266 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions, which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 72, S. Res. 73, S. Res. 74, S. Res. 75, and S. Res. 76.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no interviewing action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 17, the adjournment resolution, which was received from the House and is at the desk; that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 12; that the nomination be confirmed; the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and that the Senate then resume legislative session.