Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee left a trail of devastation across New York State. I saw firsthand the impact they left on our communities: hundreds of families living in shelters, complete homes destroyed, belongings piled up on people's front yards, small businesses uncertain whether they would even reopen and worrying about whether they could hire back their employees, farms that had no feed for livestock for days, crops and livelihoods vanishing without any trace in a single day, crumbling bridges, washed- out roads, heating oil soaking into buildings and the ground. I was born and raised in upstate New York, and I can say we have never seen this kind of devastation--certainly not in my lifetime.

America has always stood by those who have suffered greatly from disaster and we have always helped them to rebuild. We have an obligation to these families, businesses, and farmers to help them rebuild today.

This picture is of downtown Binghamton. I met with hundreds of families displaced and placed in a Red Cross shelter at the University of Binghamton. They were on day four at the shelter, unclear if they would be able to see what was left of their homes.

I can't fully describe the worry and fear in the eyes of parents who are in a shelter with their children. I talked to one mother who has 10 children, the youngest of whom was 2 years old, trying desperately to keep them fed, keep them safe but literally having no sense of when she could return to her home and what it would look like when she returned.

I talked to one father whose daughter turned 13 years old that day in the shelter and his worry was mostly: I don't know what is in front of us. I don't know when we will be able to go home. I don't know how much has been destroyed, and I don't know how I will rebuild.

One parent I talked to was a young mother. She held a 6-week-old infant in her arms, and she said to me: I have everything I need right here. That exemplified the courage of Americans when they fight through suffering--the strength of New Yorkers that they will pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and make the difference. But we in Washington must help.

In Schoharie County, on the main street of the villages of both Schoharie and Middleburgh, every single home was flooded. The water mark was at about 7 feet. As you drive down the main street and begin to talk to the business owners and the families, you can see there was not one left untouched. Every piece of these families' belongings is literally on the front lawns of these homes and businesses.

But I watched these business owners begin to rebuild. I could see them literally bringing the mud from the basements, bringing the mud from their ground floors, pulling down all the drywall because obviously the damage was so great it would cause long-lasting damage. People are very worried about how they can make sure their business is safe.

This is just a snapshot right here in this picture of the town of Middleburgh. This is the farming community within Schoharie County. These farmers have lost everything. I can tell you, the water was so strong, the surge was so great, it literally took trees out of the ground, completely uprooted and overturned. The crops that we could see on this farm--they were so covered with silt from the river, we could not even recognize what kind of crops they were. I saw potatoes that had been uprooted from the ground all over the road. That farmer could salvage nothing of their farm.

We had one farmer who came down to meet with me because her cows were stranded. They had 800 cows stuck because the roads had been completely washed out. They had no way to get feed up to those cows. They had no way to deal with manure and dump all the milk that had to be destroyed. They needed a rescue effort. Because of the efforts of our Governor--he reacted quickly--our National Guard got up there, got food and water up to those farmers, they fixed the road, and the feed was delivered. But this is the kind of reaction we need from government. This is why the Federal Government must be there to help and protect these families and businesses.

Our next picture is of Greene County. In Greene County, waters rushed down the main street of Windham--this is a picture of Windham--and destroyed all businesses in its wake. The homes of families were also destroyed. There was absolute destruction throughout Greene County.

I talked to just one business owner, and she had a business for children's clothing, children's needs, children's toys. She had just a couple employees, but she said: I have nothing to rebuild. I have no way that I can rebuild my business. I don't think I could rehire those employees.

So there is the feeling of hopelessness and worry and dread and concern on top of a very tough economy anyway. These are the businesses and families and farmers we need to help because we need them to rebuild. We need them to have the ability to rehire those employees, to produce food for our families, to make sure we have thriving communities once again.

The last picture I wish to show is of Keene, up in the North Country. In Keene, the river rose 22 feet above the flood stage, washing out roads and bridges, and it left much of the town actually stranded for days. Half the town's firehouse was ripped apart and swept away by the river. Up in the High Peaks, the rain came down so hard it brought huge chunks of the mountainside with it, creating slides that have changed the face of the Adirondacks for generations.

As you can see, this is just four communities. Throughout New York State--the North Country, the Capital Region, the Mohawk Valley, the Hudson Valley, the Southern Tier, and Long Island--no one can question the absolute devastation that these storms have left in our communities. We must stand with them in their greatest time of need.

Federal assistance is essential to help these families, these farmers, these businesses, and communities not only recover but rebuild and be stronger than they were before.

We need immediate funding for FEMA and the USDA disaster assistance to provide relief for these communities all across New York and for all the other States that were affected by these storms.

Mr. President, I would now like to address a second issue that is causing me very grave concern. I would like to talk for a moment about a piece of legislation I have introduced with Senators Kirk and Lieberman to toughen the sanctions on Syria.

Syrian President Assad has killed over 2,000 of his own people in an alarming torrent of violence from one of the world's most repressive regimes--2,200 people are estimated to have died so far.

Assad's aggression against the Syrian people is matched by his subversive aggression abroad. His regime is a state sponsor of terrorism, one of Iran's closest allies, and a key backer of Hamas and Hezbollah. Assad's regime has for years helped foreign fighters enter Iraq and kill our U.S. soldiers.

In response to this violent crackdown, I introduced the bipartisan Syria Sanctions Act of 2011 to hold Assad's regime accountable. This legislation would block access to the U.S. market for companies that invest in Syria's energy sector, purchase the county's oil, and sell gasoline to Syria. This sanction is critical, since Syria's energy sector accounts for one-third of that state's revenue.

I ask my colleagues to sponsor S. 1472 and send a clear message to Syria that until the Assad regime responds to the democratic urging of its people, halts its nuclear development, and ends support for terrorism, Syria will not and should not have access to the global economy, and any company that does business with Syria will no longer have access to the global economy.

This legislation is very clear and simple: that no company should be allowed to put their profits before our national security.

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

Mr. President, no one disputes that we must act now to reduce our growing debt. The interest we pay on our debt costs us dearly in lost opportunity to invest in America. We spend millions of dollars a year paying interest to countries, like China, that we should be investing here in America to create jobs and get our economy moving again. At the same time, it is essential that we do not, for the first time in history, fail to pay our obligations and default on our debt. Doing so will only make our economic and debt challenges more difficult, and could make it almost impossible to turn our economy around.

Unfortunately, I think this legislation is shortsighted and mistaken. It neither guarantees that the United States will not default on its obligations, nor does it provide a balanced blueprint to addressing our long-term budget obligations. Instead, it would constitutionally protect tax breaks for millionaires and special interest while forcing benefit cuts to Social Security and Medicare beyond those proposed in the House Republican budget.

This legislation also distracts from making the hard choices we need to make to reduce the deficit and at the same time create jobs and grow our economy. The legislation makes it almost impossible to increase revenues, even on the millionaires and billionaires who are doing just fine in this economy. It also fails to reduce Pentagon spending, which accounts for more than half of our discretionary spending budget, forcing more pain on families, seniors and other hard-working Americans.

We must address our budget challenges, but we cannot do so on the backs of our seniors and working families. For these reasons, I am opposed to this legislation, and while I was ill and could not vote, I would like the record to show that I would have voted to table the motion to proceed on HR 2560, the Cut, Cap and Balance Act. I am strongly opposed to this legislation.

Mr. President, today I am pleased to offer my strong support to the nomination of James Paul Oetken to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In Mr. Oetken, President Obama has sent to the Senate a nominee who we all should be proud to support.

J. Paul Oetken is a brilliant lawyer with a remarkable level of accomplishment. A graduate of the University of Iowa, where he received his bachelor of arts degree with highest distinction, and Yale Law School, where he received his juris doctorate, Mr. Oetken has built a successful career spanning the public and private sectors.

During the Clinton Administration, he served as an attorney-adviser at the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and at the White House as associate counsel to the President. Prior to that, he clerked for three distinguished Federal judges, including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun.

He currently serves as senior vice president and associate general counsel at Cablevision Systems Corporation, a New York Company, following several years in private practice.

Throughout his career, J. Paul Oetken has demonstrated a strong commitment to public service and civil rights, especially for gay and lesbian Americans. He has worked pro bono on amicus briefs defending the rights of LGBT Americans against laws that discriminate based on an individual's sexual orientation.

Mr. Oetken is the first openly gay man to be nominated to serve on the U.S. district court, and if confirmed, will be only the second openly gay individual serving in a U.S. district court or circuit court of appeals.

I firmly believe that the American people will be best served by a Federal judiciary that reflects our diversity as a nation, broadening the range of perspectives and experiences represented on the Federal bench. J. Paul Oetken will bring a strong intellect and commitment to justice, but also the diversity of experience that is currently lacking in our Federal courts. It is for that reason that I particularly want to applaud the President for submitting this nomination to the Senate.

J. Paul Oetken was unanimously favorably reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and it is rare that we see a nominee come to the Senate floor with that kind of bipartisan support. To date, there are still 90 judicial vacancies in article III Courts, and 53 pending nominations that still need to be acted on by the full Senate. This is simply unacceptable. It is my hope that more of President Obama's highly qualified nominees will be reported out of committee and receive an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor.

J. Paul Oetken has the experience, education, and commitment to the rule of law and equal rights to be an outstanding Federal judge. He received a

unanimous rating of ``qualified'' by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary and I am confident that if confirmed, he will be an excellent fit for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting yes on this nomination.

Mr. President, I commend my colleague for her extraordinary remarks and her leadership in fighting for these issues.

It is a privilege to be in the Senate today to listen to the remarks of all of the Senate women colleagues who care so deeply about women in America and how they are literally being used as a pawn in a debate about the budget.

These women have drawn a line in the sand, a line in the sand that we will not let you cross. You may not balance the budget on the backs of women, period.

It is very simple. The election last November was not about a mandate for these social issues. It was about the economy. It was about, How are we going to create jobs? How do we get a body of representatives to come together, work together across party lines, to come up with solutions? That is what the election was about.

The American people voted overwhelmingly for a vote and a discussion of issues relating to jobs. How do we create jobs? How do we create the atmosphere and the landscape so our small businesses can grow?

But that is not what the House of Representatives has focused on. No. They have created an entire agenda around an assault on women. Women's safety nets, women's health care, protections for women and children, early childhood education, prenatal care, Pap smears--you name it--this is what they are beginning to focus their attention on.

Millions of Americans depend on reproductive services. Millions of women depend on prenatal care, on early cancer screenings, breast exams--all of the types of preventive health care that families rely on. In fact, in New York, there are over 200,000 New Yorkers who rely on this preventive care.

For my friends and colleagues, this is a factual statement: Current law already prevents Federal money from paying for abortions. This has been the law of the land for over 30 years.

Shutting down the government to fight a political argument is not only outrageous, it is irresponsible. The price for keeping the government open is this assault on women's rights, equality, access to health care, access to preventive care.

Women shoulder the worst of health care costs, including outrageous discriminatory practices that we worked so hard during health care reform to fix.

The National Women's Law Center tells us that under the previous health care system, a 25-year-old woman would have to pay 45 percent more to get basic health care than a male her same age. Some of the most essential services required by women for their basic health were not covered by many insurance plans, such as prenatal care, Pap smears, or mammograms or preventive screenings, including postpartum depression, domestic violence, and family planning.

The institutionalized discrimination in our health care system is wrong and it is a tax on women and their families. What we did in health care reform was to begin to address these issues to make sure the inadequacies of our current system could be addressed, safeguarding women's health, and making sure this institutional discrimination no longer exists.

Yesterday was Equal Pay Day. Women all across America earn 78 cents for every $1 their male colleagues earn for doing the exact same job. Yesterday was the day it would take a woman to work all of last year and this year to earn exactly what that male colleague earned in 1 year.

Well, who does that affect? It affects families. It affects every family in America who has a working mother who is bringing money home to pay for her children, for her family, for their well-being.

So when we should be talking about the economy and issues about how do we have equal pay in this country, the Republican House is talking about how to continue this rhetoric and assault and negative effects on women and their families and what they need to protect themselves.

The votes we are going to have tomorrow to defund Planned Parenthood, to repeal health care--American women, make no mistake about it, this is an attack on you. It is an attack on every preventive health service, every safety net, everything you care about, whether it is early childhood education, Pap smears, mammograms, or prenatal care when you are pregnant. That is what their efforts are all about, and you should just know you have women of the Senate who will stand by you. We have drawn this line in the sand, and we will not allow them to cross it. We are your voice in Washington, we are your voice in Congress, and we will protect you and the basic safety nets and equality you should expect out of the U.S. Government.

Since I am the last speaker, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, we rise today to engage in a colloquy regarding funding for the 9/11 health program. The chairman has been a tireless supporter of the 9/11 World Trade Center health program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's, CDC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH. This program has helped our first responders who bravely rushed in on September 11 and thousands of others who were in the area on that terrible day.

The 2011 continuing resolution proposed by Senator Inouye that the Senate will vote on today makes fiscally prudent adjustments to our Nation's spending, but I wanted to clarify with the Senator, through this colloquy, that none of the spending reductions in the CR will impact the current health care screening and treatment for first responders, survivors, residents, students and others related to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

I thank the Chairman for that clarification and for ensuring that these American heroes were not forgotten. I hope we can all work together each year on this important program.

Mr. President, I thank the Senator for her leadership.

I rise today to join my colleagues and speak out about the failure that is taking place on the other side of Capitol Hill right now in the Republican-controlled House. The election last November was not a mandate for any one political party or extreme ideology. It was a mandate for action--for solutions that will create jobs and get our economy moving again. But rather than focusing on jobs and responsible budgeting, House Republicans have engaged in an all-out assault on the health and well-being of women, children, and families in America.

The American people voted overwhelmingly for debate on economic solutions that will create jobs. That is what many of my colleagues and I have been trying to focus on during this Congress. But what are the House Republicans focused on? Not creating jobs, not creating ideas for how we are going to create economic growth, but undermining the health care rights of millions of American women and families.

We have an undeniable job crisis on our hands and they are ignoring it. Unemployment is still far too high. Having a national rate of close to 10 percent means real unemployment is closer to 15 or 20 percent when we look at all of those who are underemployed, working less hours, or who are no longer looking for work. Twenty-two percent of our youngest veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan are unemployed. That is more than one in five. What are they doing to address those problems?

Rather than debating the solutions for how we create this economic growth or how we spur growth among small businesses and how we help our middle-class families, they are focused on degrading women's rights-- basic privileges and health care priorities and safety nets for the women and children who are most at risk in this country. They have shown a heinous disregard for the health and safety of women and young girls, and they have worked to undermine their ability to buy affordable, accessible health care.

Republicans lament at length that government is too intrusive, too large, too overblown. But tell me: What is more intrusive than telling every woman in America that their decisions are going to be made in Congress, not by them, not by their doctors, not by their families?

Let's look at the facts. The temporary budget bill that came out of the House slashes critical funding for prenatal care, that unbelievably important care when a woman is expecting. They have cut nearly $750 million from nutrition programs for pregnant women and their children. They have cut access to lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings for more than 5 million American women. Their budget destroys early childhood education, taking nearly $1 billion from Head Start and nearly $40 million from childcare, robbing nearly 370,000 American children of early childhood learning. They have even cut more than $2 billion from job training programs that we need to prepare America's workforce for the jobs of today and the jobs of tomorrow.

What kind of priorities does that demonstrate? It demonstrates a disregard for the future of this country--for our children, for our women, for their health, their well-being, their education, for job training, for the future. This debate is much more than about where the dollar figures lie. It is about what will happen to the women and children they are now disregarding.

Let's look at the single mother who has two jobs and needs this support to feed her children. Let's look at the young women in every State of this country who will now get cancer because they were denied those precancer screenings. Let's look at the children who will never walk through the door of a university because they were denied access to the early childhood education that would have prepared them so that they could achieve their God-given potential.

We cannot slash and burn our way to a healthy and growing economy. It is time these Members of the House get serious about economic growth, about our small businesses, creating access to lending, creating a tax policy that is going to create economic growth. Those are where the solutions lie, not undermining the health, well-being, and future of our women and our children and America's prosperity.

I now yield the floor to my colleague from California.

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

Mr. President, I rise to give some brief remarks about the resolution we are considering today. First and foremost, this resolution condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the horrific attack that took place earlier this month in Tucson, AZ, while my friend and colleague Gabrielle Giffords was giving time to her constituents through a ``Congress at Your Corner'' event, an event that many of us in the Congress host

for our constituents, for them to come speak to us about issues that matter to them most.

During that attack, many lives were lost. We express our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families and the friends and the loved ones who lost their loved ones during that attack.

Each of those who are honored today will be remembered for all they gave to their communities and all they have done, including a great judge, John Roll, and community members Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and a great public servant, Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman. They are all in our thoughts and prayers.

President Obama took the time to really talk about one life that was lost that affected me most deeply, and that was about Christina-Taylor Green, the 9-year-old girl who went to the ``Congress at Your Corner'' event to learn about public service, to see her Congressman do her job, to hear what she had to say.

That young girl and her life and the image President Obama talked about in his speech not only in Tucson but in his speech last night I thought affected all of us because his speech was about the hope and the dreams that every child in America has for this country, for our democracy, the true aspirations that Christina had for this government, the expectations she had for us.

I believe last night President Obama gave a call to action to all of us about who we should be as Americans, what this country stands for, why we are all public servants, and why we are here to do our jobs. I think it is the image and the life of Christina that gives us hope for the future about what we can be and what we can do together, and I think that is what last night's speech was most about.

I want to take a moment to talk about my dear friend Gabby, whose courage and whose strength has been extraordinary and is something that not only inspires me but I think inspires every one of the young people here today and all of us in this country because she is surviving and she is determined to overcome this horrific attack against her and our democracy and against all of us. Every day she recovers is one more day where her strength is there as a bright light for all of us, as a reminder of what we are all capable of and a reminder of what is best in each of us. I am going to go visit Gabby this weekend and sit with her and give her the well wishes and the prayers of all of us here.

Having her seat remain open last night was a stark reminder of what can be so easily lost, and the importance of our presence in that Chamber to do the people's business, that we are there not for ourselves, we are not there as Democrats or Republicans, but we are there as public servants, to do the will of the American people, to do our jobs, and to represent the people we are sent here to represent.

So I thank Gabby and her extraordinary husband Mark, whose love for her truly is pulling her every day across the finish line, for their courage and their dedication, and I wish to let them know we will continue to pray for their recovery, we will continue to pray for all those who were injured and are recovering, and we pray for all the families who have lost their loved ones.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the debate time on the resolution be extended to 2:30 p.m., that all provisions of the previous order remain in effect, and that the vote on adoption of the resolution occur at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all quorum calls during the remainder of the debate on S. Res. 14 be charged equally to each side.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in honoring the Senator from Maryland, Barbara Mikulski--the longest serving woman in the history of the U.S. Senate.

It has been an honor to serve with Senator Mikulski in my 2 years in this body. She quickly became a dear friend and a valuable mentor--just as she has been for all of her other female colleagues as the dean of the women Senators.

It wasn't until 1932 that Hattie Caraway became the first woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. And it wasn't until a half century later-- 1986--that against all odds, Barbara Mikulski became the first Democratic woman ever elected to the Senate in her own right.

Now the longest serving woman in this Chamber's entire history, Senator Mikulski is showing just what is possible when you ignore conventional wisdom, never stop fighting for what is right and just, and honor our commitment to the families that elect us every single day.

One of her hallmark battles has been the fight for equal pay for equal work for women. This is not only an issue of

justice, but an economic imperative. Even today, for every dollar a man makes, a woman makes just 78 cents--a disparity that is even worse for women of color. Latino women make just 53 cents, and African-American women make just 62 cents for every dollar a man makes. I know Senator Mikulski won't give up until we correct this outrageous injustice.

She also fought to strengthen our laws against domestic violence, and open up access to health screenings and treatment that can save lives. And, she led the fight against insurance companies that made being a woman a pre-existing condition.

Senator Mikulski has always fought to protect women's health and a woman's right to choose. Last year, I was proud to stand with her to defeat the dangerous Stupak amendment that would have denied lifesaving reproductive care for the women of this country--a victory we would not have won without Senator Mikulski.

In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, ``the battle for the individual rights of women is one of long standing, and none of us should countenance anything which undermines it.''

It is that spirit--never backing down in the face of injustice-- Senator Mikulski is one of the strongest voices we have for women in this country and women around the world.

And every single day she's paving the way for more women in leading roles in America. There still may only be 17 women serving in the Senate today, but with her leadership and her strong voice, Senator Mikulski is showing the young women and young girls of this country that women's voices matter and are needed in the public debate.

Whether it is here on Capitol Hill or in State capitols around the country or heading small business or the boardrooms of major companies, Senator Mikulski is helping to inspire the next generation of women leaders by showing that our voices solve problems and lead to change.

Each of us owe her a debt of gratitude for her vision and pioneering spirit.

Thank you, Senator Mikulski, and congratulations on your historic achievement. It is an honor to work with you, and I hope to serve with you for many years to come.

Mr. President, I am pleased to stand in support of Raymond J. Lohier, Jr., who is President Obama's nominee to serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Ray is a highly talented and accomplished New Yorker, and I applaud President Obama for this excellent choice.

Ray Lohier has dedicated his career to public service and protecting the rule of law. For nearly a decade, Ray has served with distinction as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he has been successfully involved in some of the Nation's most challenging and complex cases. He has led that office's efforts to prosecute securities fraud, commodities fraud, insider trading and Ponzi schemes. Notably, he served on the team that successfully prosecuted Bernard Madoff for a Ponzi scheme that defrauded billions of dollars from New Yorkers and individuals across the country. Prior to his service as an assistant U.S. attorney, Ray worked as a senior trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

In addition to his impressive professional career, Ray Lohier is actively involved in his community, serving on Brooklyn Community Board 6, where he is currently the first vice chairman and chairman of the Public Safety Committee. While he worked as an attorney in private practice in New York, Ray was a member of his firm's pro bono committee, while also serving the State of New York on the Gubernatorial Task Force on Judicial Diversity on the Bench and the Second Circuit Task Force on Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Court, Subcommittee on Court Appointments. He has also been a member of the National Black Prosecutors Association.

Ray is a cum laude graduate of Harvard College and an alumnus of the New York University School of law, where he earned his juris doctorate and was awarded the Vanderbilt Medal. He also has served as editor-in- chief of the Annual Survey of American law.

In addition to all of these outstanding professional and educational accomplishments, he has been married for the past 10 years to his wife Donna,

a professor at CUNY Law School and former chair of the New York Asian Women's Center. Together they are raising two children, William who is 8 and John who is 6.

I am confident that given his extraordinary background of professional accomplishment, Ray Lohier will be an excellent addition to the U.S. Circuit Court for the Second Circuit. He was unanimously supported by the Judiciary Committee on May 13 of this year, and I urge all of my colleagues to support his confirmation.

Mr. President, I rise in support of the two very important votes we are having today on the DREAM Act and the repeal of don't ask, don't tell.

The DREAM Act is a moral imperative. These are young people who have come to this country through no fault of their own, who want nothing but to achieve the American dream--either through education or through military service--but they want to be part of this community and be able to give back to this community.

In a country that was founded on immigrants, where the richness of our heritage and culture and the breath of our economy is due to our immigrants, we want to make sure every one of these young people can become American citizens.

With regard to don't ask, don't tell, I cannot think of a policy that greater undermines the integrity of our entire Armed Services and who we are as a Nation. This is a policy that is corrosive. We are saying to men and women who want nothing but to serve this country, to give their lives for this country: No, you cannot because of who you love. I cannot think of something more egregious, more undermining of our command structure and of our goodwill, and the entire fabric of the military lives of the men and women who serve.

Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to look at this as an urgent priority for national security. When we are talking about worrying about having two wars and terrorism at every front, we need to know all of our best and brightest--how many are not serving today because of this policy; how many will return to the military when this policy is removed. All I know is, since this policy has been in place, we have lost 13,000 personnel, more than 10 percent of our foreign language speakers, and more than 800 in mission-critical areas who cannot be easily replaced.

If you care about national security, if you care about our military readiness, then you will repeal this corrosive policy.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the DREAM Act. This legislation is critically important. Not only is this a humanitarian issue, but also an economic and security issue. In order to compete in a 21st century world, we must provide education opportunities to all of our students.

Our current laws unfairly penalize thousands of young adults, many of whom know only the United States as home, denying them the opportunity to achieve the American dream. Current law paralyzes the lives of these young people, effectively banning them from college and the military.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has publically advocated in support of the DREAM Act, calling it crucial to our national security and our ability to compete in the global marketplace in the coming generations. In a time when our military is strained because of demands in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places of concern around the world, we should be allowing all of our best and our brightest to serve.

The DREAM Act allows young people with good moral character who attend college or provide significant service to our military with an earned path to citizenship. These are young people who received all their education in the

United States and know only the United States as home. We need comprehensive immigration reform, but this is an instance where current law is unfairly penalizing thousands of young adults who did nothing wrong.

I want to take this opportunity to highlight the story of a young New Yorker who exemplifies the DREAM Act. Cesar Vargas was brought by his parents to the United States when he was only 5 years old. It was not his decision to come here, but he grew up in New York, graduated from high school, completed college, and is now in his final year of school at City University of New York School of Law, with a 3.8 GPA. He dreams of becoming a military lawyer after he graduates. But, he cannot fulfill his dream of serving in our military because he is undocumented. Our country would benefit from the dedication of young men and women like Cesar, who grew up as our neighbors and our children's class mates and friends--young men and women who want to serve this great nation of immigrants and give back to the country they call home.

This legislation creates opportunities for young people who did not come here on their own choosing, and ensures that they will become productive members of our society. For these reasons, I support this measure and I implore my colleagues in the Senate to vote in support of this measure, as well.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider en bloc Calendar Nos. 1174, 1175, 1176, 1177, 1178, 1179, 1204, 1214, and all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Coast Guard and NOAA; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc; that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House of Representatives with respect to S. 3817.

The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives.

Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 3817) entitled

``An Act to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment

Act, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, the

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act

of 1978, and the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act of 1988 to

reauthorize the Acts, and for other purposes'', do pass with

an amendment.

The amendment is printed in the Record of December 8, 2010, at page H 8114.)

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate concur in the House amendment, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.