Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate for up to 5 minutes as if in morning business.

Mr. President, on the last Monday of every May our country pauses to commemorate Memorial Day and honor the men and women who died in wars around the world in defense of freedom, liberty, peace, and the United States of America.

This coming Monday is no exception. I urge my fellow Members of the Senate, all Georgians, and all Americans, to take a moment sometime over this weekend to pause and give thanks for the sacrifices made so we can do what we are doing here today, and so Georgians and Americans can do what they do on the lakes, beaches, and mountains of our country as they celebrate Memorial Day.

I was honored and pleased to travel to eight of the American cemeteries in Europe--in Italy, Luxembourg, Great Britain, and France, particularly Normandy, on the 70th anniversary of D-day, which is coming up--and pay tribute to the thousands of graves of Americans who went overseas in World War I or World War II and gave their life-- sacrificed and died--so we can live in freedom and peace today.

Our Armed Forces are a great gift to us. They never ask for anything in return. They always give their service to our country. They swear their allegiance to protect and defend our domestic tranquility, and every single time they do the job.

Today we know they are deployed in Afghanistan, we know they are deployed in Africa, we know they are at sea--both on top of the sea and under the sea--and in the air, always looking to see that America is safe and free from harm.

I encourage all of my fellow citizens to say a special prayer of thanks this weekend for the men and women who sacrificed and died on behalf of our country, and on behalf of freedom, liberty, and peace for all mankind.

There is no secret that there is a scandal at the Veterans' Administration. We don't know how pervasive and we don't know how deep. But it surrounds the appointments and the cooking of the books in terms of appointments and services to our veterans and the VA health care system.

I know they have a hard job, but their first job and their main responsibility is to see to it our veterans get the health care they deserve, the health care we promised them, and the health care we are going to see to it they get.

I want the President to exhibit leadership and make sure we have a rudder

in the water so we sail the ship of state in the right direction in terms of the VA, and let the chips fall where they may--including if the Department of Justice should be involved in case there is any criminal intent or criminal activity. To cook the books or lie to the Federal Government would, in my opinion, be a crime and people should be held accountable. But to call for the head of just one person without going through the entire VA is wrong.

Last August I held a hearing in Atlanta because we had three untimely deaths in the Atlanta VA--two by suicide, one by drug overdose. All three were determined to be the fault of the VA in terms of the mental health ward in particular and the lack or failure to follow up on appointments. That was the beginning of my awareness of what was happening in Georgia.

To Georgia's and Secretary Shinseki's credit, we replaced the Director in Georgia with Ms. Wiggins. Ms. Wiggins now meets with me on an every-other-month basis to go over the activities in the VA--and when we had an incident 6 weeks ago, she was the first to call me before the news media, saying a mistake had been made and punishment had been issued, and she was going to see to it that VA had a 100- percent record of service to the veterans. We need that attitude and approach in every single VA hospital, VA clinic, and VA medical facility in the country.

I hope the President will exhibit the leadership necessary to call on every element of government--from the inspector general, to the Justice Department, to the VA itself--to get to the bottom of what has gone wrong, because it is intolerable, it is unacceptable, and it is wrong, here on the doorstep of a holiday where we celebrate those who sacrificed their life for our freedom, if there are veterans losing their life because of our inability to serve them in the VA hospitals.

I hope the President will exhibit that leadership. I hope we get to the bottom of it. As one member of the veterans committee, I pledge my commitment to get to the bottom of it. Our veterans deserve no less.

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

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

Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

I thank the Senator from Washington for her overly kind remarks with regard to my participation. To reiterate and underline what is in fact true, we were a team for 8 years when we both chaired and were ranking member of the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety in the HELP Committee. We time and again had gotten it to a point we thought we could pass it and then everything was falling apart.

We were at a huge divide and chasm at the beginning of this year. The House had passed the SKILLS Act; we had passed an act. They didn't think we did anything; we thought they did too much. It looked like a chasm too far to bridge, but because of the work of Senator Murray, my office, and Senator Alexander's office--Virginia Foxx, for whom I cannot say enough. She was the original author of the SKILLS Act. She came to the table with us, and we sat down one floor below this building, this floor right now. We sat down around a long table, and we started talking about the art of the possible, not the art of the impossible.

Here are the high points I wish to focus on: first of all, consolidation of programs that were not working to empower programs that were working; flexibility for Governors, both on what they can do with their one-stop shops, as well as their ability to transfer money for unemployed programs and underemployed programs; 100 percent transferability on the behalf of the Governors; 15 percent total flexibility of the appropriations that come to them through the WIA-- Workforce Investment Act--and workforce investment program.

We skinnied down the board so you don't have these huge boards. Instead, you have boards that can work. We reduced their size by about 61 percent. We included management as a majority but labor at the table, to make sure all facets of work were there.

Most important, we empowered the States to write the kind of curriculum for the kind of training their State needed. We have 4 million unfilled jobs in America. We sometimes talk about all the unemployment--and we all hate the unemployment--but we have some underqualified people who are underemployed who can take better and bigger jobs available in America right now if we train them for these jobs.

So this new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is just what it portends. It is an innovation in the WIA Program, and it is an opportunity for millions of Americans to find the training and skills necessary to find a job and keep a job, which is, in turn, good for our economy and good for our country.

But this is something that happened because people of good will on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol got together and said let's figure out what we can do rather than argue about what we can't do.

Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Miller in the House--whom I served with on that committee years ago--did a tremendous job. Virginia Foxx was very willing to work and Tim Scott, the Senator from South Carolina, who was the author of the SKILLS version of Virginia's bill in the Senate. Chairman Harkin deserves a lot of credit, particularly for his focus on those with disabilities, and we preserve the programs that make sense for people with disabilities, retraining them and giving them the training they need to have meaningful and skillful employment in the future.

But, most important of all, Lamar Alexander, the ranking member, kind of steered the ship. He was the rudder in the water who helped guide us to the point we got to today.

I am pleased both the Senate and the House Republican conferences have all had presentations. The feedback we have gotten to date is extremely favorable. We hope this is going to be one of those rare occasions in 2014 where Republicans and Democrats come together for the benefit of the American people to address the No. 1 problem we face in America; that is, unemployment and underemployment, and empower people through innovation and opportunity for jobs in the 21st century.

I will end where I began. It would not have happened without Senator Murray. I am grateful for her help and assistance and I am proud to be her partner.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, would the gentleman yield for 1 second?

To Senator Murray, if I could talk about our staff. Tom Nguyen is behind me. I could not have done what I did in this bill without Tom Nguyen, and Senator Murray has an outstanding staff who worked for us. I wish to have the Record include the tremendous staff work both of us received.

Madam President, this year Congress has not particularly been noted for much of an accomplishment of anything. We have been in cloture atrophy and we have been in political atrophy, but we are about to change that for a day.

I want to pause for a moment and acknowledge the hard work of a number of Members in the House and the Senate on what is known as the Water Resources Development Act, which soon will be on the floor of the Senate, and I understand will be on the floor of the House today for its ratification.

The Water Resources Development Act is the authority of the U.S. Government to move forward on infrastructure across the country.

I congratulate Chairman Shuster in the House and Chairman Boxer in the Senate for their hard work on the conference committee.

Ranking Member Vitter has been an untold hero for us and working hard for the Senate.

I give thanks to Sylvia Burwell of the OMB. She has been a lifesaver for us on the Port of Savannah. I appreciate her cooperation and her help.

I thank Vice President Biden. We did a tour of ports on the east coast of the United States to focus on the importance of improving our infrastructure.

In this WRDA bill are improvements across the country, but the one I want to talk about for a second is an example of why infrastructure is so important, and that is expansion of the Savannah Harbor and the deepening project in the Savannah at the Port of Savannah. That is a project that was authorized 16 years ago--the year I was elected to the House of Representatives. It was authorized to be built, but it hasn't been expanded for 16 years or authorized for 16 years because of environmental concerns, atmospheric concerns, sometimes funding concerns, and sometimes political apathy concerns. But finally everyone has their act together. NOAA has endorsed it, Fish and Wildlife has endorsed it, the EPA has endorsed it, and the Corps of Engineers has endorsed it.

Thanks to this Water Resources Development Act authorization, a $706 million project in my State for the southeastern United States will become a reality over the next 5 years.

Why is it important? It is important for this reason. As we sit and talk today, the nation of Panama is widening and deepening the Panama Canal. Within a few months, they are going to be taking through the Panamax ships of the 21st century, ships that can carry not 9,000, not 11,000 but 14,000 containers.

Ports along the east coast of the United States, such as the Port of Savannah, are not able to take that deep of a ship. They will have to wait until high tide to bring it in and then have to wait a day for high tide to come back to take the ship out. That costs money, and it causes people to divert to other ports, to other countries, and it hurts our economy.

Over the next 5 years as we deepen the Savannah River and Savannah Harbor, and as we improve that port, we are improving the opportunity for the entire southeastern United States to grow, prosper, and be competitive in the 21st century. The Port of Savannah directly contributes to 297,000 jobs in our State. It contributes to 49 of the 50 States on the continental United States. It provides jobs, economic vitality, tax revenues, and prosperity for America. Its time has come.

I am so delighted the Water Resources Development Act is done. I am so delighted that Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Vitter, and Chairman Shuster have put their teams together, dotted the last ``i'' and crossed the last ``t.''

I encourage everybody in the Senate to ratify prosperity, employment, and economic development for America. When the bill comes before the Senate, ratify the Water Resources Development Act and that final conference committee report.

I yield back the remainder of my time.

Madam President, I yield back all time.

Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the sesquicentennial of Georgia's Battle of Kennesaw Mountain that took place on June 27, 1864, and was an important moment in the Civil War's Atlanta campaign.

The Civil War had been underway for more than 3 years when GEN William T. Sherman began his movement south of Chattanooga, TN. Sherman's troops moved south following the general path of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. By mid-June, both the Union and Confederate armies were in the vicinity of Kennesaw Mountain. Both sides had to struggle with a common enemy--rain--that continued for 2\1/2\ weeks. From June 4 through June 18, 1864, southern GEN Joseph E. Johnston surprised Sherman by defending a line running from Lost Mountain to Brushy Mountain. A series of attacks on this line forced Johnston to draw back to the Kennesaw line on June 19, 1864. Using Kennesaw Mountain as the anchor for

his line, Johnston's forces prepared a strong defensive position blocking the likely avenues of approach Sherman would use to continue his advance toward Marietta and subsequently to Atlanta.

Following a tactical approach that had been successful throughout the spring, the Union army moved some of its forces to the Confederates' left flank. The Confederates countered and moved one of their corps from the right to the left of their line. Acting without orders from Johnston, John Bell Hood ordered his forces to attack the Union troops. Charging across Valentine Kolb's fields, the Confederates met a devastating combination of artillery and infantry fire from entrenched Union troops. This caused the Confederates to retreat and dig in. Although the attack led to costly casualties for the Confederates it prevented the Union from advancing toward Marietta. It also forced Sherman to change tactics and order a frontal assault on June 27, 1864.

Sherman's troops bombarded the Confederate positions on the morning of June 27 and then advanced along the base of Kennesaw Mountain. The Confederates repulsed this diversionary attack. Rough terrain and a stubborn defense obstructed the Union assault at Pigeon Hill that subsequently fell apart after a couple of hours. At Cheatham Hill, the heaviest fighting occurred along a stretch in the Confederate line dubbed ``Dead Angle'' by Confederate defenders. Union troops made a desperate effort to storm the Confederate trenches. However, the rough terrain and intense Confederate fire combined to defeat the Union army. Within hours, the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was over. Union casualties numbered some 3,000 men while the Confederates lost 1,000, making it one of the bloodiest single days in the campaign for Atlanta.

In 1899, a lieutenant of the 86th Illinois Infantry purchased 60 acres at Cheatham Hill, the site of the most deadly encounter at Kennesaw Mountain. The land was later transferred to the Kennesaw Memorial Association, which received $20,000 from the State of Illinois to construct a monument on Cheatham Hill to honor the soldiers of the 86th Illinois Regiment who died there. On June 27, 1914, the 50th anniversary of the battle, a marble monument was unveiled and dedicated to those fallen men. In 1917, the land was deeded to the United States government and 9 years later, in 1926, the U.S. Congress passed a law that placed the area under the protection of the War Department.

In 1935, legislation was passed creating Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park on the original 60 acres purchased by the lieutenant of the 86th Illinois Infantry. Today, the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park consists of nearly 3,000 acres where visitors enjoy 19.7 miles of trails and can see historic earthworks, cannon emplacements, interpretive signs, and three monuments representing States that fought in this momentous battle.

Mr. President, I wish to commemorate the Centennial of the city of Aragon, GA, on July 23, 2014.

During the past 100 years, Aragon has seen both good times and difficult times. Through periods of growth, economic struggle and social change, the leaders and residents of Aragon have upheld their commitment to remaining a city.

The origin of the city's name of Aragon has been widely disputed by historians. Some claim that Aragon was named after the Hotel Aragon located on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, GA, where some of the mill owners stayed when visiting the area. Others believe the city was named for the mineral aragonite that was mined nearby.

The city of Aragon was founded in 1899 in Polk County, GA. The city charter was adopted on July 23, 1914, and was approved by Georgia Governor John M. Slaton. The first three commissioners were Fred O. Myers, J.H. Arnold and R.L. Huckabe.

The city was established in 1898 in northwest Georgia following the construction of a mill by Wolcott and Campbell of New York. Over the years, numerous additions and improvements were made to the mill, which employed hundreds of workers and contributed to the livelihood of many families in the community. The mill closed for good in 1994 and remained empty until 1998 when it was purchased by brothers Brian and Kirk Spears and used as a production facility for pillows and wooden pallets until August 6, 2002, when fire engulfed and decimated the complex.

At the time of this centennial celebration, the local government is vested in Mayor Ken Suffridge and Councilmen Curtis Burrus, Mayor Pro Tem Duel Mitchell, Kevin Prewett and Hunter Spinks. They are dedicated to ensuring the city and its citizens are ready for tomorrow's challenges, and remain loyal to its motto, ``A Proud Past With A Promising Future.''

I congratulate the residents of Aragon, GA, on their centennial year and wish them great success with observances that raise awareness of and appreciation for the city of Aragon's contributions to the development and vitality of Polk County, GA. I hope that residents will use this year as an opportunity to learn more about the rich history of their community.

I would ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

At the outset, let me express my sympathy to the Senator from West Virginia on the tragedy that took place in his state. Our hearts and minds are with you and your citizens.

Remembering Clisby Clarke

Mr. President, one of the sad occasions from time to time of a Senator is to rise to pay tribute to a friend and a citizen in one's State who passes away. It is now that occasion for me.

This past week a great hero of Georgia--both the University of Georgia and the State of Georgia--Clisby Clarke passed away in his sleep in Highlands, NC. He will be laid to rest in Atlanta, GA, on this coming Thursday at a ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.

Clisby was not just a citizen of my State, he was an extraordinary citizen of my State, a University of Georgia graduate who was the hit of the University of Georgia as one of the great songwriters on our campus. He wrote most of the fight songs that are played today for the University of Georgia football team and could tear up the piano by playing by ear like no one you have ever seen.

He was a talented pitchman who could make things sound good at the drop of a hat, which is why he went to work for McCann-Erickson, one of the great public relations firms in the history of our city. He led that firm to unparalleled heights, and for a while, when I ran my company, I hired Clisby Clarke to do all the public relations for our company.

He married Bunny. From our days at the University of Georgia I remember Bunny and Clisby at the SAE House many nights, Clisby sitting around playing the piano, entertaining us, my wife Dianne and I--who then wasn't my wife, but I was dating her--enjoying it, just enjoying our friendship and his great talent.

Clisby, when he retired from McCann-Erickson, didn't quit working; he volunteered his time for others. In fact, when he passed away this week late at night in his sleep, it was after having a successful planning session for a dinner that is going to be held June 1 in Atlanta, GA, where over 750 people are coming to a black-tie event which will raise over half a million dollars for veterans who have been injured with traumatic brain injury or PTSD.

Clisby never stopped working for those less fortunate or those who needed help. His commitment to that project is unparalleled in our city's history. When we all go to that dinner on this coming June 1, on that evening, and celebrate the victory from raising money for those with TBI and PTSD, we will also dedicate that evening to Clisby Clarke, a great Georgian and a great American who from the day he was born until the day he passed away was always paying tribute and doing his loving work for those who were less fortunate and in need.

To his wife Bunny, to his family, and to his many friends, to all of us who were together fraternity brothers at the SAE House at the University of Georgia in Athens, we pay our tribute to Clisby Clarke, a great American. May God bless his soul.

I yield back the time, Mr. President.

I note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I thank the Senator from North Dakota, and I acknowledge and thank the distinguished majority whip for allowing us extra time to talk about a subject he would probably prefer us not to talk about, but I appreciate it very much. So I will be very brief and succinct.

For this administration and our country not to build the Keystone Pipeline or delay it is at best professional malpractice. There are three reasons for that.

We are a country that 40 years ago was held hostage by OPEC. We had our parents waiting in line to fill up their cars. Businesses closed because there was no oil supply, and prices went through the roof.

With the Keystone Pipeline and its capacity added to the Marcellus and the Haynesville shale, America will truly be independent in its energy and never be held hostage again by someone like OPEC. That is No. 1.

No. 2, it is important for our diplomacy around the world. Soft power is always preferable to hard power. And one of the best soft powers you can possibly have is having energy. Think about it for a second.

If Russia were not a factor in Ukraine because America could supplant their natural gas, think what that would do to what is happening right now in that part of the world. We need it for our soft power and for our diplomatic power.

Lastly, it is environmentally the thing to do. That oil is going to be refined somewhere in the world, and it is going to be delivered in some way. The safest and most environmentally sound way to deliver it is in a pipeline, No. 1. The best country in the world to refine it is the United States of America, No. 2. And, No. 3, and most importantly, it is environmentally sound because you keep trucks off the road, trains off the track. The oil goes underground. It does not generate any carbon and go into the global warming or any other part of our environmental threat.

It is the right thing to do, and it is professional malpractice for us not to be doing it for our people, for our country, for our diplomacy, and for peace around the world.

I thank the distinguished Senator for the time.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to be recognized for up to 2 minutes as if in morning business.

Madam President, this Friday, May 2, a gentleman from Georgia will retire after 29 years of service.

William--Bill--Cathcart, with WTOC for 29 years as general manager and 2 years with the firm, will be saying goodbye to his leadership with WTOC, one of the leading media stations of the coast of Georgia and one of the leading media stations around our State--a station I have dealt with often, and a station I have found to be professional, fair, and thorough.

In fact, even as I speak on the floor of the Senate today, my State of Georgia has already had a bad shooting incident this morning, terrible tornadoes this afternoon, and bad weather coming in this evening. It makes me appreciate the broadcast network and the people who come together to let our citizens know about things happening, giving them early warnings about bad weather and reporting the news fairly and straight.

Bill Cathcart is a great Georgian and a great American. He has done a tremendous job for our State and for WTOC. I wish him the best upon his retirement. I hope he will always call on me if I can ever be of help, and I thank him for all he has done for me.

I yield back my time.

Mr. President, I thank the leader for the introduction and I am very pleased to introduce today the Reverend Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. He is a gifted author, a gifted and prolific preacher, and a great citizen of the great State of Georgia and the great city of Atlanta.

Following in the traditions of the King family and the preachers of Ebenezer Baptist Church, he is the fifth pastor in the history of Ebenezer to carry out the mission of Ebenezer with great humility and great ability and great love, and is a great pastor in our eyes. I am pleased to welcome him to the U.S. Senate, and I know we will all be blessed in his presence today.

I yield back.

I rise to address two subjects briefly on the floor and would ask that my remarks be divided appropriately in the Record.

There has been a lot said about the Affordable Care Act on the floor of this Chamber for 5 years. I was here when we passed the Affordable Care Act. I am in the Senate as it is being implemented.

There have been lots of things said about it, but this year marks one of the things we need to recognize as a major hit to small business. Bernie Marcus, a founder of Home Depot and the former chairman and CEO, opined yesterday in the Wall Street Journal about the cost of ObamaCare to American business, a hidden tax that has been unveiled on the American people, the American ratepayer, and the American small business person.

A tax assessment of $8 billion in 2014 is being levied by the Affordable Care Act against every insurance company that sells to the small- and medium-sized market, to every insurance company that sells a Medicare Advantage policy or a Medicare managed care policy. The 2014 assessment is $8 billion, and it graduates up to where in 2018 it is $14.3 billion. That assessment is an arbitrary amount of money that was used as a pay-for in the ObamaCare legislation.

It is assessed on the insurance companies based on their market share of the insurance market in small- or medium-sized carriers, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid managed care plans. It represents about a $500- per-year rate increase on every one of those policyholders, because as we all know when an insurance company has the added cost to the administration of their policy, that cost is obviously passed on to the consumer; $500 a year is $5,000 in the next decade. It also represents over the next decade the loss, as estimated by the CBO and NFIB, of 146,000 jobs.

Let's think for a minute. The main topics we have had this year in the Senate of the United States is income inequality, the need to lower unemployment, and the need to create jobs. Yet the signature piece of legislation of this administration is going to cost us because of a new tax being levied against insurance companies that provide health insurance to the American people, and it is going to cost 146,000 jobs. It is another example of how we need to rethink the approach of the Affordable Care Act.

We have to recognize all the things it has done from the standpoint of taxes, cost, lost jobs, and lost wages. Reform that legislation, repeal that legislation, and get it right for the people of the United States of America.

I commend Bernie Marcus on bringing this to the people's attention. I commend him on all he has done for my State and for our country, and I hope he will keep on giving us his opinion for what is best for the United States of America.

I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a column written and published yesterday in the Wall Street Journal by Mr. Bernie Marcus, cofounder, former chairman, and CEO of Home Depot.

America was insulted earlier last month by the Iranian people. The government of the nation of Iran has appointed a new Ambassador to the United Nations.

The new Ambassador's name is Hamid Aboutalebi. He will be an Ambassador to the U.N. who served on the ground in the Iranian forces who took the American Embassy hostages in 1979, captured 52 Americans, and held them for 444 days--a man who claims he was just an innocent bystander and didn't have much to do with that horrible tragedy. If you were alive at that time and watched the ``Nightline'' shows night after night to watch the beatings, the torture, the terror, and the capture of the American people, you understand full well that nobody could have been within sight of that Embassy and not claim to be a part of it.

My State has been touched. Almost every State of the Union has been touched. Those hostages who were held--right up until the time Ronald Reagan was sworn in as President--were finally released at the last minute when the U.S. Government waived their right to compensation against the nation of Iran.

The nation that held 52 of our diplomats hostage for 444 days signed an agreement never to have to pay any reparation to those people and is now appointing to the United Nations, the world forum, an ambassador who was on the site in Tehran when those people were taken captive. It is an insult to America.

First and foremost, the Government of Iran should apologize; second and foremost, the Government of Iran should compensate all of those hostages who had been held. Fifty-two hostages were held and 25 percent of them have passed away. One of them, as recently as late last year, took their own life as a consequence of the injuries they suffered.

One of the citizens from my State, Col. Chuck Scott of Jonesboro, GA, was on television just 2 nights ago about the tragedy in Iran. His teeth were knocked out by a 2 by 4 during his captivity. He is going back for another surgery in another week to try to remedy some of the pain he harbors from that tragedy that took place 34 years ago.

It is an insult to everything the United Nations stands for, to the integrity of the people of the United States of America, and the memory of those who passed and those who lived who were held hostage. We should demand this appointment be withdrawn by the Iranian Government. We should demand an apology on behalf of the Iranian Government to the people of United States of America, and we should demand that they voluntarily compensate those hostages.

They are not going to do that, and I know that, which is why we introduced legislation, which I principally sponsored 3 years ago, to compensate the 52 hostages who were held in captivity from 1979 until 1981. It is a shame beyond belief that 52 Americans who were held hostage are the only Americans in the same circumstance who have not been compensated for the damages perpetrated upon them.

I hope a vehicle comes through the floor of the Senate where we can attach this. Senator Kerry, while he was chairman of the committee and now Senator Menendez, who is now the chairman, and Ranking Member Corker have all embraced our concept of seeing to it that we fight to see that recompense is finally made to those hostages who were captured from 1979 to 1981.

We have a great and compassionate country, and we owe them and their families every effort to see that the nation of Iran compensates them and they are in some way paid back for the terrible tragedy that was perpetrated upon them.

But first and foremost, Iran needs to know that this U.S. Senator, and I think every U.S. Senator, realizes the affront to the American people and the insult to the United Nations that Iran is perpetrating by making this appointment as Ambassador of their country today.

I yield back the remainder of my time, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. David Ratcliffe, the former chairman, president, and CEO of Southern Company Energy Solutions, LLC, until his retirement in 2010. He is the very definition of a leader.

On May 2, 2014, Senior Connections, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide essential home and community-based care that maximizes independence, will award David Ratcliffe with its 2014 Community Connections Award. The Community Connection Award was established in 2009 and recognizes older adults who have been and continue to be outstanding business and community leaders and who have given back significantly to the communities in which they live and work. I congratulate David for this award and thank Senior Connections for recognizing his outstanding achievements.

David's long career is impressive in itself. Prior to his final leadership positions at Southern Company, he served as president and chief executive officer of Georgia Power Company from June 1999 to January 2004 and also as its chairman and chief executive officer from January 2004 to April 2004. He served as an executive vice president of Southern Company, a subsidiary of Gulf Power Co., from 1999 until 2004. He served as an executive vice president, treasurer, and chief financial officer of Georgia Power Co. from 1998 to 1999. He served as senior vice president, external affairs of Southern Company for 3 years and served as chairman of Georgia Power Co. and director since June 1999. He served as the chairman of the board of Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. He also served as the chairman of the board and director at Edison Electric Institute, Inc., and previously served as its vice chairman. Additionally, David has been a director of CSX Corp. since 2003 and SunTrust Banks, Inc., since 2011. He has been a director at CSX Transportation, Inc., for more than 11 years. He serves as a director of GRA Venture Fund, LLC.

David Ratcliffe is a trusted friend and one upon whom I call regularly. A native of Tifton, GA, he continues to support his community, our State, and the world in his retirement through his work on the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Board, as well as the boards of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the Centers for Disease Control Foundation. He serves as a trustee of Georgia Research Alliance, Inc., and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc.

David and his wife Cecilia Chandler and their two grown children, Andrew and Elizabeth, deserve our great thanks for their generosity in so many areas.

Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the fifth anniversary of the tragic murder of a Georgia citizen who volunteered for the Peace Corps, who traveled to West Africa to the nation of Benin and lost her life. She lost her life because she did the right thing-- she reported the abuse of children in a village school where she taught.

The reason I have recently returned from Benin is that I have taken this case on as a personal passion, to see to it that justice and some closure comes to the family of this wonderful young lady. Her name was Kate Puzey. Kate Puzey was top of her class, valedictorian, outstanding student, and she wanted to go out and save the world, to help the world and fulfill the dream John Kennedy professed in 1961 when he created the Peace Corps.

So Kate Puzey went to Benin and she found that one of the village natives in the village where she was teaching was abusing children in the school where she was teaching. In this very remote area, she took the only communication mechanism she had to report the violation of these children to the appropriate authorities in Cotonou, Benin. Unfortunately, because those communications were not secure, a relative of the person she reported notified the person she had reported that he had been reported. That night, in her hut in the Nation of Benin, her throat was cut and she died. She died because she did the right thing.

This Senate, 2 years ago, joined me and Senator Boxer in passing the Peace Corps Protection Act, which is now named the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act. This provides a mechanism and a way where Peace Corps volunteers can report violations or trauma of a sexual nature, gender-based violence, or any other type of violence against themselves or in any other place where they might be as a servant of the Peace Corps. Because of that, there are now ombudsmen and ways and mechanisms where

our Peace Corps volunteers can safely report violations and damage and have the protection not only of the United States but of the nation where they serve.

But back to the point of my trip to Benin, which took place this last week. This was my second visit to Benin, because what I want to see is a continuation of the investigation of the death of this young lady until there is a trial and closure available for her and her family, just as any of us would want were we the parent of a young lady who had lost her life on behalf of the United States of America.

I rise to pay particular tribute first to Secretary Kerry; to the United Nations' Samantha Power; to the State Department of the United States of America; to Michael Raynor, the Ambassador in Benin; to Todd Whatley, the Deputy Chief of Mission; to Kevin Armstrong, the USAID Director; to Billy Alfano, to Marilyn Gayton, and to Robert Freedom-- Bob Friedman--the Peace Corps representative in Benin, all of whom have made the investigation and the fulfillment of bringing this case to a reality their top priority.

Three years ago, when I went to Benin for the first time, it was to encourage President Yayi of Benin to allow the United States to come in and assist in the investigation and the prosecution of the case--a rare thing to happen in a French colony which is governed by French law. To our credit and to President Yayi's credit he allowed the United States and Jennifer Dent, the FBI agent in charge in Lagos, to come in to Benin and begin assisting the investigation.

I went back last week during our break because it looked as though the case was dying. It looked as though the intensity of the interest was dying. And it was so important to me and for the family in my home State of Georgia to see to it we in some way finally bring closure, either right or wrong, for the terrible things that happened. I am happy to report the visit was successful.

President Yayi spent over 4 hours with the family members and myself. He committed the judiciary and the investigatory body in the Nation of Benin to accept the assistance of the U.S. FBI and our technology. During the course of our visit, he removed and separated the prisoners, as had been requested by the FBI, to see to it those who are being held and thought to be guilty in this case could no longer communicate in the prisons where they were held.

I don't know what the ultimate result will be, and I want justice to be done. I want the right person to be persecuted and prosecuted, and the right person to pay the price, but I want closure for this family.

I want to thank the American Embassy, the State Department, and Samantha Power at the U.N. for the intensity they have put into this investigation, as well as the U.S. FBI, and in particular Victor Lloyd, special agent in Lagos, Nigeria, for all the time he has dedicated. We seem to be at a point where everything is coming together toward a prosecution and, ultimately, a trial. When that happens, it will happen primarily because the U.S. Government, the people of the United States of America, both President Bush and President Obama, and all in this Congress have dedicated themselves to the interest of one child's life--Kate Puzey.

It is important the people of this country know that we as a body will come together behind any injured American, any loss of life, anybody who has deployed themselves on behalf of this country in the service of peace and prosperity. They deserve to know the U.S. Congress and this U.S. Senate are standing ready to help.

But I am here in particular to pay tribute to the Embassy of Benin, to FBI Special Agent Victor Lloyd, and to all those who have helped and assisted in seeing to it the prosecution of the case in the murder of Kate Puzey comes to a final conclusion. I am grateful for their service to America, grateful for what they have done for the Puzey family in Georgia, and grateful that I live in a country that protects and loves those who have represented our interests wherever it may be, on whatever shore it may be, and in whatever country it may be.

May God bless America, may God bless the Peace Corps, and may God bless the family of Kate Puzey.

I yield back, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.