Floor Statements

Mr. President, I join with my colleague in the Senate from Virginia, Senator Jim Webb. I am also pleased to note that Representative Thelma Drake from Virginia is the champion and author of this resolution in the House of Representatives.

Our resolution is introduced for the purpose of commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's ''Great White Fleet,'' launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 16, 1907, from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February 22, 1909.

This major historical event will be commemorated in a Navy ceremony onboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia on December 15, 2007.

The launching of the Great White Fleet marked the emergence of the United States as a true global seapower, able to dispatch 16 new battleships on a worldwide deployment for 14 months. The battleships, which were painted entirely white, were manned by 14,000 sailors and conducted visits across the world to reinforce friendships and partnerships with other nations. At the same time, the Great White Fleet demonstrated the naval presence of the United States.

This resolution commemorates the wisdom of President Theodore Roosevelt in developing and launching the Great White Fleet, and the resolution indicates that the Congress supports a one-time designation of a day to celebrate the 100th centennial of the Fleet and the special role it played in building enduring friendships with important allies and partner nations.

The resolution also commends efforts by the Department of the Navy to maintain and strengthen our cooperative partnerships with foreign nations and safeguard our Nation's interests in the maritime domain; commends efforts by the Department of the Navy in leading the development of a Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower; and honors the sacrifices made and services rendered by the servicemembers of the Navy, Marine

Corps, and the Coast Guard and the civilians who constitute our maritime services.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. President, today I introduce legislation that will, I hope, help provide some measure of assistance to those family members who lost loved ones and to those who suffered wounds as a consequence of the horrific shootings that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Tech. I am pleased to have my colleague from Virginia, Senator Webb, as a cosponsor of this legislation.

In the aftermath of that tragic day, where 32 lives of promise were forever cut short, over 20,000 individuals and groups across the country demonstrated their support for the victims and their families with generous financial donations that totaled approximately $7.5 million. Virginia Tech established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund within the Virginia Tech Foundation to accept these charitable contributions. The Hokie Spirit Fund distribution plan offers families of the 32 individuals who lost their lives a choice of receiving proceeds from the Fund or dividing those proceeds between a cash payment and a scholarship in the victim's name. Injured victims are also eligible for Fund proceeds. On October 30, 2007, the University officially distributed these funds to the 79 families and individuals in accordance with the protocols established. While no amount of money can truly compensate for the loss of life or limb, these payments provide both the families of the deceased and the injured survivors with some financial resources to help, in some modest way.

Unfortunately, Federal law is not clear as to whether these payments are subject to Federal taxation. In my view, not only does precedent indicate that these types of payments should be free of Federal income tax, common sense concurs. Accordingly, the legislation that Senator Webb and I introduce today makes it clear that any payments by Virginia Tech from the Hokie Spirit Fund in conjunction with the April 16, 2007, shooting at Virginia Tech should not be taxable for Federal purposes.

It is my hope that the Congress will expeditiously pass this important legislation. I ask for unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I introduce legislation that will, I hope, help provide some measure of assistance to those family members who lost loved ones and to those who suffered wounds as a consequence of the horrific shootings that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Tech. I am pleased to have my colleague from Virginia, Senator Webb, as a cosponsor of this legislation.

In the aftermath of that tragic day, where 32 lives of promise were forever cut short, over 20,000 individuals and groups across the country demonstrated their support for the victims and their families with generous financial donations that totaled approximately $7.5 million. Virginia Tech established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund within the Virginia Tech Foundation to accept these charitable contributions. The Hokie Spirit Fund distribution plan offers families of the 32 individuals who lost their lives a choice of receiving proceeds from the Fund or dividing those proceeds between a cash payment and a scholarship in the victim's name. Injured victims are also eligible for Fund proceeds. On October 30, 2007, the University officially distributed these funds to the 79 families and individuals in accordance with the protocols established. While no amount of money can truly compensate for the loss of life or limb, these payments provide both the families of the deceased and the injured survivors with some financial resources to help, in some modest way.

Unfortunately, Federal law is not clear as to whether these payments are subject to Federal taxation. In my view, not only does precedent indicate that these types of payments should be free of Federal income tax, common sense concurs. Accordingly, the legislation that Senator Webb and I introduce today makes it clear that any payments by Virginia Tech from the Hokie Spirit Fund in conjunction with the April 16, 2007, shooting at Virginia Tech should not be taxable for Federal purposes.

It is my hope that the Congress will expeditiously pass this important legislation. I ask for unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, today I pay tribute to ADM Wesley L. McDonald, U.S. Navy, Retired, a great American naval officer who served his country in uniform for over 35 years, culminating with his simultaneous assignments as Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic and Commander-in-Chief U.S. Atlantic Command.

Following his illustrious naval career, Admiral McDonald has gone on to promote both education and aviation, giving wise counsel to American industry and valued service on several key boards including the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation, the U.S. Naval Aviation Museum and the Armed Services YMCA. This year he has been honored with the ``Elder Statesman of Aviation'' Award by the National Aeronautic Association for 15 years of exceptional service to this fine organization.

On 1 December 1985, ADM Wesley L. McDonald retired from his assignment as the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, and the Commander- in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Command, after having served in the U.S. Navy for over 42 years. He is a former carrier naval aviator who served in various staff and command positions following his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946. He also holds a M.S. degree from the George Washington University.

Before entering flight training in 1948, Admiral McDonald was a member of Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd's South Pole expedition ``High Jump.'' He received his wings in 1950 and served in several carrier fighter and attack squadrons. He participated as a flight leader in the first retaliatory strike into North Vietnam following the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, while serving as the commanding officer of Attack Squadron Fifty-Six. Other command tours included Carrier Air Wing Fifteen, amphibious landing ship dock USS Hermitage, LSD-34, and the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea, CV-43.

After promotion to rear admiral in 1972, he was assigned duty as the Commandant, Thirteenth Naval District. This tour was followed by assignment as Commander Carrier Group Three, where Admiral McDonald deployed to the Western Pacific as a Carrier Battle Group Commander in the final stages of the Vietnam war. He continued duty in the Pacific as the commander, Naval Air Force Pacific representative embarked in USS Midway, CV-41, homeported in Yokosuka, Japan, in 1974. He then served as the Chief of Naval Air Training in Corpus Christi, TX, for 1 year before being reassigned to Washington, DC, in 1975 as the Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel.

In July 1977, he was promoted to vice admiral and assumed command of the U.S. Second Fleet. Concurrently, Admiral McDonald commanded the NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic. Following this tour, Admiral McDonald was named Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Air Warfare, where he established policy for the conduct of Naval Air Warfare and served as an advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations for all matters involving Naval Aviation.

He was promoted to the rank of admiral and assumed the duties of Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Commander-in-Chief U.S. Atlantic Command, and Commander-in-Chief U.S. Atlantic Fleet in September 1982. During this tour of duty, Admiral McDonald and his staff planned the U.S. intervention in Grenada in October 1983, and was the commander in charge of the successful execution of the operation.

Admiral McDonald's awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, three Navy Distinguished Service Medals, two Legions of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, five Air Medals, and awards from the Netherlands, Federal Republic of Germany, France, Iceland, Norway, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil.

Throughout his career in the U.S. Navy and the private sector, Admiral McDonald has provided exemplary

leadership and sound professional judgment on issues of importance to the Navy and our country. He is an extraordinary individual and leader whose record of service exemplifies the highest traditions of our military and our country.

Mr. President, I speak in regard to Senate amendment No. 3394, an amendment sponsored by Senator Clinton and I, which provides $10 million in funding--fully offset--for the Lifespan Respite Care Act. Currently, the House of Representatives fiscal year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education appropriations bill contains $10 million for this important program. However, the Senate's version contains no such funding.

As you know, the Lifespan Respite Care Act passed unanimously in the Senate last year and was signed into law by the President on December 21, 2006. This important program authorizes competitive grants to Aging and Disability Resource Centers in collaboration with a public or private nonprofit State respite coalition to make quality respite available and accessible to family caregivers, regardless of age or disability.

I know that my good friends Senator Harkin, the chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator Specter, the ranking member of the subcommittee, recognize that funding this program will be a win-win-win for everybody involved. Patients will be able to receive care in the home from loving, caring family members rather than in a nursing home. Family members will be even further encouraged to serve as a family caregiver knowing that services will be available to assist them. And, finally, the Federal Government and our health care system will recognize fiscal savings as more care will be given in the home by a family member rather than in the more costly nursing home setting. As we all know, given the aging baby boomer generation, the cost of Medicaid nursing home care is expected to be a primary reason of increased health care costs in the years to come. Funding the Lifespan Respite Care bill is one step in the right direction towards controlling these costs.

I encourage the chairman and ranking member to try to achieve $10 million in funding for the Lifespan Respite Care Act.

Mr. President, I am greatly concerned. I had breakfast early this morning, together with the Senator from Michigan, the chairman of our committee, and two House senior Members of the Armed Services Committee--our annual meeting to work toward conference of the authorization bill--Secretary Gates and the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Admiral. We addressed this issue of the Armenian resolution in the House. I do not in any way imply that the House has moved forward on that in an improper way. I don't want to get into the politics. I simply say I perceive that this is changing, a changing issue in the House. It may well not be brought up. But the Secretary of Defense again, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, reiterated the possible impact of such a resolution, were it to be passed, upon our operating forces, both in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

Mr. President, I rise today to respond to amendment No. 3322 offered by my good friend the junior Senator from Oklahoma. As you know, the amendment of the Senator from Oklahoma would, among other things, strike $150,000 in Federal funds that I helped provide for a worthy initiative in the Commonwealth of Virginia called the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center's Beyond the Aquarium Program.

The Beyond the Aquarium Program is a hands-on, educational outreach program that brings science directly into K-12 classrooms. As we know, school field trips have declined and teachers are struggling to motivate students to study the sciences. Our ability to remain ahead of the curve in scientific advancements is a key component to ensuring America's homeland security in the post-9/11 world of global terrorism. Yet alarmingly, the bottom line is that America faces a huge shortage of homegrown, highly trained scientific minds. The Beyond the Aquarium Program will inspire children to take an interest in science.

I applaud the Senator from Oklahoma in his efforts to obtain additional funding for IDEA. There is no Senator who is more supportive of fully funding IDEA than myself. Over the years, I have worked with Senators Hagel, Dodd, Roberts, and Harkin to ensure that Congress provide the highest possible funding for part B of IDEA. Unfortunately, Congress has never come close to meeting the 40-percent commitment to fund the cost associated with this legislation, although progress has been made the last several years. I encourage the good Senator from Oklahoma to join me and others as a cosponsor of S. 1159, the IDEA Full Funding Act.

I am proud to stand up in support of this worthy project.

Mr. President, I first thank our distinguished chairwoman from California. From the very moment she seized the reins of the chairmanship of this committee, she indicated a strong desire to address this problem.

I thank my colleague from Connecticut. He is the chairman of the subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over this matter. I purposely chose, as the longest serving member on the Environment and Public Works Committee on the Republican side, to be ranking for the purpose of this day coming to the floor of the Senate and indicating to our colleagues that we had formulated a starting point for the Congress to assume its leadership which I believe, as a coequal branch of our Government, we have.

I am proud of the achievements we have made to date. I shall address them further, but at this time, I yield the floor to our distinguished colleague, Senator Inhofe, the ranking member of the full committee, and thank him. While we differ on the substance of these matters procedurally and we work our will in the subcommittee and eventually the full committee, I do hope we can have his cooperation.

Mr. President, at this time, I ask that the hour for this debate be extended from 10:30 a.m. to 10 minutes to 11 to accommodate Senator Inhofe, who now will give his remarks, and then Senator Collins and Senator Alexander.

Once again, I thank my distinguished chairman and ranking member. We are off, we are out of the starting gate.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, my understanding is the Senator wants 5 or 6 minutes.

Mr. President, this wonderful organization, the Senate, has strong friendships. That is the way we operate. It may not be apparent. We tend to be a little contentious. Partisanship has always been a part of the legislative process since its very inception, but we do have mutual respect for one another in this Chamber across the aisle.

I thank my dear colleague from Connecticut for his very heartfelt remarks, and I assure him I return in full measure the compliments he has bestowed upon me, such as I can bestow the same upon him.

Now, I am not as sure we are on the 50-yard line. I want to drop back a little bit. I think we have caught the punt and we are beginning to move down the field. This is going to be a very long and contentious, as it should be, piece of legislation. But somehow, I have a measure of confidence that the Senate, as a body, will eventually act on a bill for climate change. I am also confident that bill, in its final analysis, will have the basic goals we are outlining today.

I say to my good friend from Oklahoma, the distinguished ranking member of the full committee, yes, we just finished the bill last night, but that is often the way things go around here. I have been absent a few days, but I am hopefully back now for an extended time to get this bill underway in our committee. But we did sort of open our doors for business, as the commercial world says, in August. That brought forth a very important forthcoming from the widest possible diversity of sources in the private sector, and not only the business world but the educational world, the philanthropic world, and on it goes. They came to accept our offer to work with us to try and fashion this bill. So together with our colleagues and others, we have put this together and we are launching it today.

I want to make certain that time is given to my other colleagues, so I will give my remarks later, but I stress the work that has been done by so many of our colleagues prior to this bill being introduced today: the McCain-Lieberman bill, which my colleague from Connecticut has mentioned; the Bingaman-Specter bill. Senator Lieberman and I have made a point of personally going to the offices and visiting with each of the principal cosponsors, I believe, of all of these various bills and indicating to them our desire to take a portion of their work product and weave it into this, the bill that is before the Senate as of today: The Alexander powerplant bill, and Senator Alexander will soon be addressing the Senate on that; the Landrieu-Graham-Lincoln-Warner cost containment bill; the Kerry carbon capture and storage bill; the Coleman CO2 pipeline bill; and the Klobuchar-Snowe registry bill.

We readily acknowledge the ground that has been broken, the important gains thus far of so many of our colleagues. But with due respect to the

administration, the basic difference between the administration's approach and our approach is we feel that voluntarism will not achieve the goals, the leadership that America must simply take on this issue to join the other nations of the world that have taken up leadership. The only way we feel to do this is by law.

Essentially, we are asking the infrastructure in America--the industrial infrastructure, the transportation infrastructure, the power infrastructure--to consider very significant investments, calling upon the investment community in America to bring forward the private sector resources and begin to make those commitments now so we can attain the goals in the future. And, quite frankly, we have recognized from the beginning there will be a burden on the American taxpayers.

There will be a burden, in fact, on almost every single American, and it will be financial in some respects. We do not anticipate exactly how much it will be, but every time you fill up your car with gasoline, some portion of that will go toward America's role to lead in global climate change. The power industry, the transportation industry, they will all have to make their respective contributions.

So I join my good friend from Connecticut in acknowledging the work that has been done by our respective staffs, the staff of our chairman and others, but this is like a great ship that has been launched today. And as we say in the Navy, you launch them and then you finish outfitting them. Now it is up to our colleagues to come forward with their ideas. We approach it with an open mind. This body will eventually shape the bill.

We will move it into subcommittee next week, do our markup, hopefully report that out successfully, move on to full committee, and in this calendar year finish a product by the Environment and Public Works Committee such that next year our respective leaders can determine when is the appropriate time for this measure to be brought to the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the balance of the time be equally divided between Senators Coleman, Collins, and Alexander, in that order, and that they be given the opportunity, even though they are not at this point in time sponsors, to address the body. So that I believe the hour for this debate will continue from now until the hour of 11 a.m.

I so make that unanimous consent request.

We did that in consultation with our respective leaders. I ask the time equally be divided between these two Senators.

I yield the floor to Senator Coleman.

Mr. President, I wish to thank my colleagues, Senators Coleman, Collins, and Alexander. Each of you made a contribution.

I thank the leadership of the Senate who made available this very important hour for our bill to be laid down. Now the work begins.

Mr. President, I first thank our distinguished chairwoman from California. From the very moment she seized the reins of the chairmanship of this committee, she indicated a strong desire to address this problem.

I thank my colleague from Connecticut. He is the chairman of the subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over this matter. I purposely chose, as the longest serving member on the Environment and Public Works Committee on the Republican side, to be ranking for the purpose of this day coming to the floor of the Senate and indicating to our colleagues that we had formulated a starting point for the Congress to assume its leadership which I believe, as a coequal branch of our Government, we have.

I am proud of the achievements we have made to date. I shall address them further, but at this time, I yield the floor to our distinguished colleague, Senator Inhofe, the ranking member of the full committee, and thank him. While we differ on the substance of these matters procedurally and we work our will in the subcommittee and eventually the full committee, I do hope we can have his cooperation.

Mr. President, at this time, I ask that the hour for this debate be extended from 10:30 a.m. to 10 minutes to 11 to accommodate Senator Inhofe, who now will give his remarks, and then Senator Collins and Senator Alexander.

Once again, I thank my distinguished chairman and ranking member. We are off, we are out of the starting gate.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, my understanding is the Senator wants 5 or 6 minutes.

Mr. President, this wonderful organization, the Senate, has strong friendships. That is the way we operate. It may not be apparent. We tend to be a little contentious. Partisanship has always been a part of the legislative process since its very inception, but we do have mutual respect for one another in this Chamber across the aisle.

I thank my dear colleague from Connecticut for his very heartfelt remarks, and I assure him I return in full measure the compliments he has bestowed upon me, such as I can bestow the same upon him.

Now, I am not as sure we are on the 50-yard line. I want to drop back a little bit. I think we have caught the punt and we are beginning to move down the field. This is going to be a very long and contentious, as it should be, piece of legislation. But somehow, I have a measure of confidence that the Senate, as a body, will eventually act on a bill for climate change. I am also confident that bill, in its final analysis, will have the basic goals we are outlining today.

I say to my good friend from Oklahoma, the distinguished ranking member of the full committee, yes, we just finished the bill last night, but that is often the way things go around here. I have been absent a few days, but I am hopefully back now for an extended time to get this bill underway in our committee. But we did sort of open our doors for business, as the commercial world says, in August. That brought forth a very important forthcoming from the widest possible diversity of sources in the private sector, and not only the business world but the educational world, the philanthropic world, and on it goes. They came to accept our offer to work with us to try and fashion this bill. So together with our colleagues and others, we have put this together and we are launching it today.

I want to make certain that time is given to my other colleagues, so I will give my remarks later, but I stress the work that has been done by so many of our colleagues prior to this bill being introduced today: the McCain-Lieberman bill, which my colleague from Connecticut has mentioned; the Bingaman-Specter bill. Senator Lieberman and I have made a point of personally going to the offices and visiting with each of the principal cosponsors, I believe, of all of these various bills and indicating to them our desire to take a portion of their work product and weave it into this, the bill that is before the Senate as of today: The Alexander powerplant bill, and Senator Alexander will soon be addressing the Senate on that; the Landrieu-Graham-Lincoln-Warner cost containment bill; the Kerry carbon capture and storage bill; the Coleman CO2 pipeline bill; and the Klobuchar-Snowe registry bill.

We readily acknowledge the ground that has been broken, the important gains thus far of so many of our colleagues. But with due respect to the

administration, the basic difference between the administration's approach and our approach is we feel that voluntarism will not achieve the goals, the leadership that America must simply take on this issue to join the other nations of the world that have taken up leadership. The only way we feel to do this is by law.

Essentially, we are asking the infrastructure in America--the industrial infrastructure, the transportation infrastructure, the power infrastructure--to consider very significant investments, calling upon the investment community in America to bring forward the private sector resources and begin to make those commitments now so we can attain the goals in the future. And, quite frankly, we have recognized from the beginning there will be a burden on the American taxpayers.

There will be a burden, in fact, on almost every single American, and it will be financial in some respects. We do not anticipate exactly how much it will be, but every time you fill up your car with gasoline, some portion of that will go toward America's role to lead in global climate change. The power industry, the transportation industry, they will all have to make their respective contributions.

So I join my good friend from Connecticut in acknowledging the work that has been done by our respective staffs, the staff of our chairman and others, but this is like a great ship that has been launched today. And as we say in the Navy, you launch them and then you finish outfitting them. Now it is up to our colleagues to come forward with their ideas. We approach it with an open mind. This body will eventually shape the bill.

We will move it into subcommittee next week, do our markup, hopefully report that out successfully, move on to full committee, and in this calendar year finish a product by the Environment and Public Works Committee such that next year our respective leaders can determine when is the appropriate time for this measure to be brought to the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the balance of the time be equally divided between Senators Coleman, Collins, and Alexander, in that order, and that they be given the opportunity, even though they are not at this point in time sponsors, to address the body. So that I believe the hour for this debate will continue from now until the hour of 11 a.m.

I so make that unanimous consent request.

We did that in consultation with our respective leaders. I ask the time equally be divided between these two Senators.

I yield the floor to Senator Coleman.

Mr. President, I wish to thank my colleagues, Senators Coleman, Collins, and Alexander. Each of you made a contribution.

I thank the leadership of the Senate who made available this very important hour for our bill to be laid down. Now the work begins.

Mr. President, the First Congressional District of Virginia is, like all of Virginia, a unique treasure. Beginning not far from the Nation's Capital, it stretches down Virginia's eastern coast along the Chesapeake Bay, as far south as the cities of Newport News and Hampton. Today, the First District is home to crucial national defense resources, like the Marine Corps' installation at Quantico and Langley Air Force Base. It is also home to national historic landmarks like Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg, places that gave birth to Virginia and that are forever tied to the independence of our Nation and our Constitution.

On October 6, 2007, the people of Virginia's First Congressional District lost one of its most respected and admired leaders, a dedicated Member of Congress and loyal friend, Representative Jo Ann Davis. It is with deep sadness that I share my thoughts on the passing of my colleague.

Born in North Carolina, Jo Ann Davis attended Hampton Roads Business College in Virginia, later obtaining her real estate license and real estate broker's license over the next several years. In 1990, she started her own company, Jo Ann Davis Realty, and followed this successful endeavor with a run for public office in 1997. Serving as a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly for 4 years, Jo Ann Davis became the first Republican woman to serve Virginia in the U.S. Congress after winning election in 2000.

Representative Davis was a relentless champion for the needs of the First District. It was my privilege to work with her on many matters, ranging from national defense to the environment, and in that regard she worked hard to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Also, I commend her diligent leadership in the removal of the James River Reserve Fleet from Newport News. From her support for the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge to her concern with the preservation of Dragon Run or providing funding for oyster restoration, she always put the quality of Virginia's environment above politics.

With sincere passion and concern, Representative Davis worked to improve our Nation's armed services and the lives of the men and women who bravely answer the call to duty. She provided strong representation for the communities in and surrounding the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren and the Marine Corps base at Quantico, ensuring that these facilities continue to make important contributions to protecting the Nation and to the economic foundations of their respective areas. Her initiative to increase the life insurance benefit paid to survivors of military members and her advocacy on behalf of the rights and benefits of Federal employees will continue to be appreciated in the years ahead.

I have always admired Representative Davis for her strong convictions and the tenacity that she brought to bear in acting on them. She fought a courageous struggle against cancer, and I will miss her insights and her friendship in our Virginia congressional delegation.

I close with a personal note that we both shared interests in equestrian activities. There is an old English saying that ``the outside of the horse is good for the inside of the man.'' As an avid, accomplished rider, she often quipped with me that the saying applies equally to a woman. She loved the noble horse.

I join with my colleagues from the Commonwealth and from the entire U.S. Congress in expressing my deepest sympathies to her husband, her two sons, and her extended family. They will remain in our thoughts and prayers during the difficult days ahead.

No objection.

Mr. President, at this juncture, I think the Senator from Michigan and I might commend our staffs for doing a lot of diligent work through a good part of the weekend to achieve this package of amendments. I think this adds up to about 180 amendments we have done now. So much of that work is done by our magnificent professional staff, many of whom have been on the Armed Services Committee for numbers of years.

Mr. President, over 180 amendments.

Well, where have you been?

We have both been chairman of this committee, Mr. President, three times.

Mr. President, I thank the indulgence of our distinguished Presiding Officer and suggest the absence of a quorum.

I withhold the request.

Mr. President, will the Senator from Massachusetts yield?

Mr. President, the Senator from Massachusetts has been on this committee for more than two decades, and there is no one who works harder and more diligently. I wish there were more programs on which we had a concurrence of philosophy and policy, but nevertheless I say to the Senator, you are a very prodigious worker.

Madam President, I wish to associate myself with the remarks of our colleague and Senator Sessions, the ranking member. I can remember the days on the authorization bill when we would spend a week or more on the one issue, missile defense. I think both sides have pretty well reconciled that the present posture of the program is about where it should be.

No objection.

I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. President, I very much value the friendship and the working relationship we have had together. It would be interesting if somebody wanted to try to look at records. I suppose since this is our 29th bill we have worked on, that might be a bit of a record. But I think also both of us have been chairman three times. That might be a bit of a record too.

But I say to the Senator from Michigan, I give you a most sincere and warm congratulations for your achieving this bill. This is the 19th day the bill was on the floor, and our good friend, the ranking member, was on the floor many of those days. He has called in each day to our distinguished chief of staff, Mike Kostiw, and has talked with me and other members of the staff. So he is very much hands on.

But I think we probably got through with a little less contention this time than in years past. I think that reflects a lot of credit on the distinguished chairman and the distinguished ranking member and the wonderful staff and very active membership by each and every one of the, as you say, 25 members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

We work well together as a team. People are very proud to be on this committee. They believe they are serving a most noble cause; that is, the men and women of the Armed Forces, and their families, who tonight are on two battlefronts and, indeed, in many other places of personal danger throughout the world, for the sole purpose of guarding freedom and, most importantly, the freedom we have here at home.

So I thank the chairman. I thank all who made it possible, and say, also, how well our two staffs worked together in a bipartisan way to achieve, as you say, a consensus on almost 200 of those amendments. So I think we have done our job, I say to the Senator. It is at a critical time in the course of our country. Again, I wish the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families only the best.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, my chairman has overlooked a minor item.

Mr. President, the distinguished chairman, Senator Levin, and I are prepared to go forward with any amendments. We are anxious to have Members bring those amendments to the floor.

At this time, I see one of my colleagues seeking recognition.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, if I might add, on our most recent trip visiting Iraq, you went out of your way--as a matter of fact, I joined you--in not only meeting with representatives of these Christian minorities who had been persecuted through the years, but then we included a trip into Jordan, where we also made some assessment of the refugee situation over there. I think some credit goes to our chairman for his personal initiatives.

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

Mr. President, Senator Reed and I have talked with our colleague Senator Sanders. He has two very laudable amendments. It is our hope we can work through these amendments, but they do relate to the responsibilities of other committees of the Senate, primarily the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the Appropriations Committee.

I think we have agreed that our distinguished colleague from Vermont would have an opportunity this morning to discuss these amendments to make a case in the Congressional Record for use by many on Monday as we further assess the amendments should they actually be brought up before the body and acted upon. I would ask Senator Reed if that is a fair appraisal of the situation?

Is that agreeable to the Senator from Vermont?

So the status on the floor is the Defense bill is pending and there is an amendment at this time, and there is no request at this time to set aside that pending amendment.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, can we determine from the Presiding Officer the pending matters? Are we in morning business?

Mr. President, I object on behalf of Senator Coburn, who was unable to be here today. I understand he has spoken to the colleagues enumerated in this request and they are aware of the basis for his objection. So, for the moment, I object.

Mr. President, I thank my distinguished colleague and long-time friend of 29 years, standing here together with the Defense bill. It was important in this case. On Monday, the current Chief of Naval Operations, a man of great distinction, Admiral Mullen, as we say in the Navy, lowered his flag as Chief of Naval Operations and becomes the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

I felt it imperative there not be a moment's gap in the Navy for the new Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral

Roughead, who is in this group of nominations confirmed by the Senate, and that he be in position to assume the full responsibilities as soon as he is able to take the oath of office.

I thank my good friend. I thank him kindly for his personal mention. I have had a long association with the U.S. Navy. I have learned more from them than they have ever learned from me, beginning as a young sailor a half century ago. I feel a strong obligation toward all men and women in the Armed Forces, as does my distinguished chairman, but there is something very special about the U.S. Navy. I was privileged for 5 years to serve as Under Secretary and Secretary many years ago. So there will not be a gap. I thank my chairman for making that possible and allowing me to go forward with this nomination.

Has the Chair formally ruled on the nominations?

And the President will be so notified?

If I might ask my colleague, I think it is the intention of the leadership that this bill--I believe it is in the order--will be brought up again on Monday, with the hope and expectation that we will complete the bill during the course of business on Monday.

Mr. President, if I might add, earlier I had the opportunity, as did the chairman, to speak to Senator Akaka. Admiral Roughead served with great distinction in an assignment in Hawaii and is personally known to the distinguished Senator from Hawaii, Mr. Akaka.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, if the Senator will yield, I want to commend the Senator for the leadership he has taken in this area. I had the opportunity to work with the Senator. As a matter of fact, one of the amendments we jointly worked on eventually became law in the appropriations cycle that required Ambassador Crocker to come before the Senate, General Petraeus to come before the Senate, and the President to make a report to the Nation.

We also created the Jones Commission. All of these matters had the Senator's support all along, and I wish to

say that the Senator has been absolutely tireless in his efforts to try to help the Senate do the necessary oversight on this situation.

While we have not, in this current legislation, specific things--the Senator from Michigan brought up an amendment which failed. It should not be looked at as a failure. The Senate is doing oversight. The Senate will continue every single day to give oversight on this situation. But we also have to be respectful to the Constitution, which delegates very carefully the responsibilities of the legislative branch, i.e. the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that of the President in his role as Commander in Chief, where specifically it is entrusted to the President to decide the strategy and the mission, and the Senate and the House are primarily responsible for the authorization and appropriation of funds.

But it does not relieve in any way the obligation of this body to watch what is taking place in Iraq, to give our best thought and counsel to the executive branch--namely, the President--to try to bring about an achievement of the basic goals of a free and sovereign and stable Iraq, which hopefully someday can join the other nations of the world, particularly as it relates to the ongoing war with those who are termed ``terrorists,'' for lack of a better term, who are challenging our respective countries, whether it is the United States or other nations in the world.

So I just wanted to thank the Senator for his leadership. Senator Salazar has done a marvelous job.

Mr. President, I assure my colleague that I fully anticipate we will have further debates on the very issues that have been of concern to my colleague from Colorado during the Defense appropriations bill, which we will be following up with at the conclusion of work on this bill.

But I point out that it has not all been lost. I will give the Senator specific examples. A number of us have indicated a desire to have some of our troops brought home as early as possible, and the President initiated, after testimony by General Petraeus, the steps to start bringing our troops home, some elements of them, before Christmas. He laid out a program for reduction in forces with an objective to be at what we call a presurge force level by late next spring or very early next summer. So the voices in this Chamber are being heard.

I know personally that the President is quite anxious, more so than most, to bring our forces home, but only after achievement of the goals for which heavy sacrifices have been made. We are now crossing 3,800 who have been lost and many others wounded. We must be certain that great sacrifice was not in vain.

I thank the Chair, and I thank my colleague.

I remember being in the Cabinet room when that dialog took place.

Interesting, but it is important we constantly reiterate the message there is no military solution. As you well know in all the hearings of the Armed Services Committee, every uniformed officer has told us that straightforwardly. They are carrying out their orders from the President, but they are reminding us, the Congress and others, there is no military solution. The solution has to come by reconciliation amongst the Iraqi people, and it is incumbent among the current leadership to exercise their sovereign rights to do so.

I think we have generously taken up the time of our colleague.

Mr. President, may we have order?

Amendment No. 2999, as Further Modified

Mr. President, I compliment my colleagues from Missouri and Virginia, Senators McCaskill and Webb.

The amendment was carefully reviewed by myself and others on this side. We made several recommendations. Each of those recommendations were accepted. We indicate for the record that the amendment is accepted on this side. I ask that we have a voice vote.

Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that we may have printed in the Record at this point such other statements relative to the changes that we deem appropriate to support this amendment, including a document dated September 25, 2007, by the Deputy Secretary of Defense subject: ``Management of DOD Contractors and Contract Personnel Accompanying U.S. Armed Forces in Contingency Operations Outside the United States.''

This is a step by the Deputy Secretary to correct some of the problems that this commission will be addressing. It underlies the necessity for the commission that these two Senators and others have advocated.

I think we are prepared to vote.

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote and I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Amendment No. 2196

Mr. President, I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Amendment Nos. 2902, 3000, 3041, 3073, 2127, as Modified; 3088, 2983,

3076, 2991, 2989, 3081, 3078, 3104, 2133, 3077, 2265, as Modified; 3087, 2954, 2049, 2101, 2261, 2074, 2000, 2161, 2925, 2912, 2066, 2984,

as Modified; 3075, as Modified; 3089, as Modified; 3090, 2993, as Modified; 2872, as Modified; 2214, as Modified; 2942, as Modified, to

amendment No. 2011

Mr. President, we are now in the postcloture status.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on this amendment.

Mr. President, we are now on the bill in a postcloture status. The distinguished chairman, Senator Levin, is here. I am here. We are prepared to deal with whatever amendments come forward this evening and, again, we will be here tomorrow.

Mr. President, there is no objection on this side. We will resume the bill tomorrow morning, I presume, around 10 o'clock.