Floor Statements

To my colleague from North Carolina, thank you for the part about explaining the process. Some people think by tomorrow if there is a vote on defunding, suddenly something happens. Thank you for pointing out the issue of the statute. We may not agree on the total picture, but I have presented lots of ideas on how to fix the health care act. I would be anxious to work on that as we pass by tomorrow. I thank the Senator for his comments.

I know in the last 48 hours or longer we have been talking about a lot of issues. We have been talking about health care, and I can read all kinds of stories about people who called me, such as the 50-year- old male from rural Alaska who was self-employed. He had lung cancer. Today, because of ACHIA and the ability to get into that high-risk pool, he now is living a good life, healthier, and running his business.

I can go through all kinds of stories, but I don't want us to forget the big issue that is facing us Tuesday; that is, the risk of a government shutdown and what that means. We can talk about health care for a long time. We will for generations, and they have done it for generations before I even got here. We need to focus on the big issue that faces us; that is, this shutdown that is potentially in front of us.

The inability of Congress to pass a budget, pass annual appropriations bills, address these harmful automatic budget cuts known around here as sequester, because of true political brinksmanship, is honestly shameful and not why I came to Congress. When the budget passed, I didn't vote for it, but it passed.

The House has a budget, it passed. Now for some reason we can't get people from the minority to sit down and let us move to a conference committee to figure this out. To me, it is amazing. It is a simple thing.

For the time I have been here, 3 years at minimum, we have been hearing there is no budget passed. There is one passed. I didn't vote for the one that passed--it had too many taxes--but it did pass.

Let's get on with the conference committee and figure it out. The Presiding Officer, my colleague from Montana, and I are on the Appropriations Committee. We passed bills out of the Appropriations Committee and most of them passed in some form of bipartisanship--not 100 percent but in some form. Bringing those forward would be helpful. It would help us to do the job we were sent to do on an annual basis; that is, to get our budget moving forward.

I came to get the job done. I came to Washington to represent Alaska. I didn't come to participate in this back-and-forth showmanship that has to go on in order for someone to get some highlight on TV or be able to get some byline on TV or whatever it might be. These games that are being played and played on the Senate floor are affecting our national homeland security.

Think about it. What is it like for a Federal employee today as they watch these shenanigans that go on. If you are one of the 5,000 dedicated Department of Defense employees in Alaska, you didn't get paid for 6 days already this year because of sequestration. Now you are wondering if you are going to get a paycheck on time or face more furloughs because this institution may not be able to pass a clean continuing resolution.

For those who are watching, the continuing resolution says the budget we have is going to continue for a short time while we try to get our appropriations bills to the floor so we can move those forward. It is not complicated. It keeps the government running, and it is the way we move this system forward, but it is not the right approach. We need to have regular order for our appropriations bills and get rid of the sequestration issue once and for all. Don't be confused about the issue. I know people like to complain about the Federal Government. We are the largest service provider in the country. We provide services.

We don't make widgets. We produce service. We build roads. We are out there taking care of forest fires when they are happening. We are taking care of our veterans. We are making sure we are protected in the homeland as well as across the world with our national defense. The list goes on and on. We are a service company.

As I stand here, I am honestly stunned we are on the verge again. I don't know how many times we have been on the edge, just hanging over the edge of what might happen. Will we close down the government?

I am not here to do that. As painful as these days are in going through the process, we need to move forward. We cannot delay military members' paychecks, leaving them wondering if they are going to get paid again or if they can pay their bills on time, knowing we will face the same situation again and again in a few months. We need to finish this so we can move on to the annual Department of Defense bill to continue to fund this Federal Government.

Many of our military members are also wondering if they will be training,

waiting for the missions we call them out to do. Commanders can't plan a training exercise now, such as the Red Flag-Alaska, which is a critical training program, not only for our military but our allies. They don't know how much money they will have in the next fiscal year to plan. They can't just decide on a Thursday, Friday, and the next week we are doing a massive military mission. It takes months of planning, but they can't plan if they don't have the resources.

Military leaders are not only losing sleep over the rogue nations such as Iran and North Korea, they are losing sleep over not having the funds to pay their workforce and breaking faith with their troops as we ask them to do so much. We are asking the one organization we rely on to be ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and to stay ready amidst uncertainty and potential shutdowns.

We are asking its members to carry on without expecting pay or money to train. It is unrealistic, it is unreasonable, and it is risky for our national security.

Our Nation's veterans--and we have 77,000 veterans in Alaska--are wondering what the shutdown means for the claims they are waiting for. They are wondering if the process will create even lengthier delays in an already unacceptably slow process. I know the Presiding Officer and I have worked to try to streamline this process to get these claims resolved after hundreds of days of delay.

Our Nation's homeless veterans are wondering if they will be able to get their housing vouchers or lose them in budget cuts or if they will have to sleep on the streets after serving our country because we can't pass a continuing resolution and a budget.

In Alaska, let me tell you what that is like in October, moving into November and into December. Sleeping on the streets is not a comfortable situation. Sleeping on the streets, period, is not a comfortable situation. But when you are in those cold situations, it is even worse.

We are hurting local economies and stifling potential job growth. We have $202 million of military construction that will be delayed in Alaska because we haven't passed an annual Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill. We passed it in appropriations, we are ready, and we want to do it, but this back-and-forth of 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, continuing resolution again delays the regular order so we can create certainty--certainty with our ability to provide for businesses in this country but also for the business community, construction companies. In Alaska you cannot just start a project in December and say, well, we are going to start doing the foundation work. It is a little cold. The ground is a little frozen. You have to be doing this in the summer. You have to be planning for this in the winter and late spring.

For us to delay these projects, all we do is hurt the private sector jobs related to it, the families who depend on this, the veterans, and the military that depend on these important construction projects.

When the funding comes too late, the project is delayed, costs go up. It is not complicated.

For the Senate, I have learned over time it is almost irrelevant. Some people don't care about it. They don't care what it costs. They don't even want to know, because they know when they hear it, it will be an unbelievable cost that we have to bear because of this delay and these tactics.

I get it. We are not going to always agree on everything, but we have to compromise and solve these problems.

As an appropriator, that is what we do in appropriations. It is not always easy. Some things I want to have happen, we can't have. It is the same thing on the other side, but at the end of the day we find common ground.

Sequestration also has hurt the Coast Guard. In Alaska, the Coast Guard is the lifeblood of our oceans for the fishing industry, oil and gas industry, our recreational industry, our cruise ship industry. I can go through the list. They have lost $200 million from their operating expenses because of sequestration and an inability for some people to come to the table to solve this problem. That means about 30 percent fewer cutters and aircraft doing things such as enforcing fishing laws.

We have a reduced presence in the Arctic. They had to cut back on patrols to stop drugs coming from South America into this country.

When you think about it, the impact is significant. It spreads throughout this whole country. As the drugs come in and the jobs in the country go out, millions of Americans are watching to see what Congress does. We have created a situation where not only are we unable to budget for this country, but Americans can't budget for their future. They can't even budget for the holiday season. It is unbelievable.

We need to complete this work on this short-term continuing resolution, move right into our annual appropriations bills, address sequestration once and for all, and finish the budget. We owe it to the American people. We owe it to them to ensure they have certainty, and we owe to it our business community to make sure they know. Look at last week in the market. It wasn't a deep slide, but it was a slide.

If you read the Wall Street Journal today or last night, there is a commentary and some articles because they weren't sure what the House was doing. The House was playing these games back and forth: Let's tie this to it; let's tie that to it. They are playing with an economy that has come back from the depths of a great recession.

Is it a perfect economy? No. Is it better? Absolutely. Do we have a fragile moment that we need to continue to build on this? Yes.

I am not sure if those folks on the other side care about making sure our economy is strong. In some ways, I think they want it to falter so they can go into an election and say: See those guys, they caused the economy to go bad so vote them out. That is all this seems to be.

I was presiding earlier and one of my colleagues on the other side mentioned a story about Alaska. I was appreciative that he recognized Alaska and understood we had some issues in Alaska. Then he mentioned three other Senators and their States--all the ones, to be frank with you, who are being targeted by groups as the ones most at risk this election cycle.

I get it, but that is not what people are here to do. If you want to have that conversation, let's go outside this building. Run those ads. Do everything you need to do. Do whatever you want on the campaign trail. Do whatever you need to do.

To play these games and try to pretend you are doing the government's business is very irresponsible. That is not what is going on. What is going on is picking people and trying to pigeon hole them so they can run commercials against them in campaigns. I get that. I think the American people are fed up with it. They are outraged by it. I hear it every time I go back to Alaska. I hear it when I talk to people around the country.

We have to do the work we were sent to do. The work here is to get our business done. Setting policy is part of it and passing appropriations bills. We should be doing these on an annual basis, doing a budget. Again, we passed one out of the Senate. I didn't support it because it had too many taxes, but we passed it. The House passed it. Let's get on with doing the work.

Every day I know some sit around and they say: Well, we have to do it this way. This is the only way it works.

You don't understand. The Senate is complicated.

Hey, life is complicated, get on with it. The public expects us to do our job. Quit using process, rules, and gobbledygook to try to get away from your responsibility in the Senate. It is time we sit down and deal with it.

There will be some in my party, and there will be some in their party who--guess what--aren't going to get what they want. That is the way it works. Compromise, find your balance, and move forward.

I would love 100 percent of everything. I will try it every day, but that is not how it ends up all the time. Compromise and try to find a middle ground, that is what we should be doing.

As an appropriator, that is what I want to do. This is what I tried to do as a member of the Appropriations Committee, and that is what we should be doing on this floor.

I get it. There are a couple on each side. It happens. We saw one who stood out here for 21 hours or whatever the

heck it was. I get it. He is passionate. It is important to him to make his point, but I also see what else is going on.

Focus on your job. We are Senators. We are not candidates for some other office. We are Senators. We are here to do the job. It is time to get busy and do the job. The American people want it. Alaskans tell us every day they want us to do this.

Let's figure this out and get on with the show.

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

Madam President, I wish to speak about the crisis in Syria and the role that one company in one nation is playing in perpetuating the strife.

Every day Syria descends deeper into chaos and civil war. Since March 2011, more than 100,000 Syrians have been killed, an estimated 5 million have been internally displaced, and at least 1.6 million have fled their war-torn land. By the end of 2013, half of Syria's population may have left their homes.

The pressure on neighboring countries, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, is only increasing. Beyond the refugee crisis, the resulting chaos threatens unprecedented violence and instability for all of Syria's neighbors. As Syria's conflict grows increasingly radical, its borders are increasably insecure.

In August 2011, now nearly 2 years ago, President Obama declared that Syria's dictator, Bashar Asad, had lost all legitimacy and ``must go.'' At the time of that statement, the number of Syrians butchered by the Asad regime numbered a then-shocking 6,000. There were frequent grim comparisons to Bashar al-Asad's father Hafez, who shelled Hama for days in 1982, killing perhaps 20,000. Now, today we see a nation on a path to destruction and Hafez Asad's 20,000 dead is just a fraction of the number his son has killed.

America must take seriously its commitment to doing what it can to bring an end to the Asad regime. We must not tolerate the empowerment of forces antithetical to our interests. And we certainly must not be complicit in their behavior.

The triumph of the Asad regime would validate and encourage the murderous behavior of leaders who spurn democracy and the rule of law. It would empower the belligerent regime in Tehran and offer support to Iranian proxies who seek to annihilate Israel and ultimately threaten our own nation.

While we view the Asad regime with rebellion, some others have stepped up support for him, facilitating Asad's brutal success. Among these is the Government of Russia. Russia has demonstrated time and again its support for Bashar Asad and its opposition to our own humanitarian and democratic values.

Russia has consistently thwarted multilateral efforts to stem the violence in Syria, including vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have penalized Asad's failure to carry out a peace plan. It has made clear its unwavering support for Asad's brutality. Addressing the compounding challenges posed by Russian intransience has proven increasingly difficult. The Obama administration has made a serious effort to engage in a direct dialog over matters related to Syria, most recently along the sidelines of the

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and pay tribute to COL Kevin J. Wilson for his exceptional contributions to the Nation as he concludes 30 years of service in the U.S. Army, culminating as commander of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. Throughout his Army career, Colonel Wilson has displayed superior leadership, outstanding professional competence and initiative, dedication, and commitment to the welfare of soldiers, civilians, and their families. He has made significant and lasting contributions to the development, training, and leadership of the Army.

Colonel Wilson has performed with distinction in all of his assignments including as the group operations officer for the 555th Combat Engineer Group, the military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works while stationed at the Pentagon, the battalion commander of the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power) at Fort Belvoir, VA, the U.S. Northern Command/J-4 Army engineer officer at Peterson Air Force Base, CO, the Commander of the Alaska District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and, most recently, as the commander of the Engineer Research and Development Center.

As commander of the Engineer Research and Development Center, the Department of Defense's largest multi-disciplined engineering and research center, Colonel Wilson has taken the organization to the highest performance levels with a focus on human capital and positioning the center for dramatic increases in performance and effectiveness. His support of research and development is second to none, and he provides innovative pathways for technology transfer that speeds the integration of new ideas. Colonel Wilson has also supported the warfighter by equipping both deploying tactical units and the U.S. Army Engineer School with new combat systems and training on the Engineer Research and Development Center's capabilities.

Colonel Wilson was an extremely effective brigade-level commander in Afghanistan, responsible for all corps operations for Regional Command- South and Regional Command-West. His efforts focused on military construction in support of the buildup of U.S. forces, facilities for the Afghanistan National Security Forces, and water resources and infrastructure projects. While deployed, he coordinated with regional and battlespace commanders, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and coalition partners, Provincial Reconstruction Teams, U.S. Forces- Afghanistan, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and U.S. and Afghan government agencies and organizations at all levels. During this deployment, he focused on big picture projects such as electricity for Kandahar and critical road infrastructure for Regional Command-S, proving he could successfully integrate the operations of U.S. and coalition partners.

Colonel Wilson was commander of the Alaska District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he led 500 personnel, executing military construction, civil works, and environmental programs throughout the State. Due to his drive and foresight, Colonel Wilson's command was able to execute end-of-year funding to protect Alaska Native villages from coastal erosion. This tremendous feat was recognized by the Alaska Congressional delegation and the Alaska Native community. As commander of the largest geographic and perhaps most complex U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district, Colonel Wilson deftly weaved disparate units into a cohesive team driven to deliver excellent products to its customers, winning four Pacific Air Force Engineer awards and being named the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Project Delivery Team of the Year. Under his leadership, the Alaska District consistently improved its delivery of military construction, civil works, and environmental projects, ensuring they were on time and under budget, routinely winning accolades from customers.

As the U.S. Northern Command/J-4 engineer officer stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colonel Wilson was the subject matter expert on Army military construction capabilities, prime power, electrical power systems, and emergency support functions. He served as a trusted member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster response team during several hurricanes, later leading a hurricane conference, from which a pre-scripted request for assistance was developed, to help local officials better understand the assets available during a disaster. As a part of the Joint Planning

Group, he was an integral part of long range homeland defense planning. He was also a member of the Current Operations Group and played a key role as the J-4 representative during crisis operations and exercises.

Colonel Wilson had the distinct honor of leading the 249th Engineer Battalion, the only Prime Power Engineer Battalion in the Army. He was responsible for contingency deployment of power production personnel, as well as power generation and distribution of equipment in support of Combat Commanders, Joint Task Forces, and Installation Commanders worldwide. His soldiers kept up an unbelievable operations tempo during Operation Iraqi Freedom and deployments to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Guam, and Turkey. Support operations included major deployments in disaster relief. Colonel Wilson was also responsible for the Prime Power School, for its training program and for recruitment and retention. As a battalion commander, he was a proven professional who always accomplished the mission, took care of his soldiers, and planned, thought, and communicated as a leader.

I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Colonel Wilson for his many years of service to our Nation. I wish the absolute best to him and his family as they begin this next stage in their lives.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Nellen Budd, my longtime office manager and dedicated staffer whose patience, organizational skills and kindness have served the people of Alaska very well for many years. She has listened to thousands of Alaskans on the phone and in person, and directed many people toward help when they needed it most.

Nearly 40 years ago, a young professional named Domnelia ``Nellen'' Regal, traveled from the Philippines to the United States to realize a dream. Nellen married Larry Budd and raised three sons in Alaska: Earl, Don and Evan Budd. All three of her sons currently serve in the U.S. military, as does her daughter-in-law Kay. As a working mother, Nellen balanced home, social, church and career responsibilities with finesse and gained an excellent reputation as an esteemed professional.

For 25 years, Nellen greeted the people of Anchorage and kept city hall

running smoothly while working in the mayor's office. Between 2003 and 2009, during my tenure as mayor, Nellen was there for me every day. After I was elected to the Senate, Nellen moved across downtown Anchorage from city hall to the Senate. She managed my Anchorage regional office, and she continued to be a dedicated public servant and valuable part of my staff.

Nellen is known as ``Lola'' to her grandchildren and to a few others who are lucky enough to know her well. For years she has served as an articulate emcee and featured dancer at Maharlika, an annual cultural celebration of the Filipino community of Anchorage.

Nellen Budd is kind, considerate and gracious. She has a keen fashion sense and has modeled professional decorum for many interns and young staffers. Nellen is the example of courtesy, style and conduct and has mentored many people including, I am certain, a few future executives and legislators.

While Nellen is retiring from official public service, I know she will stay busy as a volunteer and grandmother. I encourage her to relax and enjoy Alaska and all of her friends and family--and to not work too hard. Nellen is a bright shining star in our community, and my wife Deborah and I thank her for all of her years of hard work and dedication. Salamat, Nellen.

Mr. President, I am here today to honor Katie John, an Ahtna Athabascan elder, for her service to Alaska Native peoples and to all Alaskans. Katie made history in 1985 when she filed suit against the State of Alaska to reopen her family's fish camp at Batzulentas and to protect her family's right to subsistence fish. Katie battled against the State and Federal Government legal systems for almost two decades in order to protect her right and Alaska Native people's right to hunt and fish in their traditional homelands.

Katie was born in Slana, AK, in 1915 to Sara and Charley Sanford, who raised her in the traditional Ahtna way. Her father was the last chief of the Batzulnetas. When she was 14, she took a job at Nabesna Mine, where she learned English. At age 16, Katie married Fred John, Sr., and moved to Mentasta, where they had 14 children and adopted 6. They raised their children off the land, hunting, gathering, and fishing with the changing seasons.

In 1964, the State of Alaska closed down Katie's fish camp at Batzulentas, denying her the right to provide for her family. The injustice of this was the State allowed sport and commercial fisherman to continue fishing downriver while denying upriver subsistence users the ability to fish. In 1984, Katie and another Ahtna elder, Doris Charles, submitted a proposal asking the State of Alaska open Batzuletas to subsistence fishing. When their request was denied, Katie, with the help of the Native American Rights Fund, filed suit against the State and argued that Federal law prioritizes and protects subsistence uses of fish. For the next 10 years, the case worked its way through the court system. Katie never wavered in her determination to do what was right. She steadfastly maintained that Alaska Natives had a right to support their families in a way that was culturally meaningful. Finally, in 1994, Katie won her case, but it continued to be appealed and litigated for years afterwards.

The Katie John Case, as her suit became known, finally had some resolve in 2001 when the ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed Katie's--(and by extension all Alaska Native and rural peoples--right to subsistence fish in all Federal waters. For her hard work and service to her family, Ahtna people, Alaska Natives, and all of Alaska, Katie was presented with an honorary doctorate of law degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2011.

The Katie John Case, though it continues to be litigated, has become a cornerstone of subsistence law in Alaska. Katie stood up for what was right and bravely fought to protect the Alaska Native subsistence way of life.

Katie is survived by over 250 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, through which her legacy lives on. Her work changed the way fisheries and natural resources are managed in Alaska for the better. For that, Alaska Natives and all Alaskans are grateful.

Mr. President, the American Radio Relay League is the national association for amateur radio, connecting ham radio operators around the world. Each year, the league sponsors a 24-hour Field Day in June. The weekend of June 22 to 23 was chosen for 2013.

Ham radio has a variety of uses from private recreation, to roundtable discussions, self-training to emergency correspondence. Throughout its history, amateur radio has been a tool for inventors and hobbyists to share experiences and spread ideas. Notable enthusiasts include the late Walter Cronkite, ``CBS Evening News'' anchor, and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Joseph H. Taylor. In the past, just by signing on one could converse with a foreign dignitary or even bounce radio waves off the Moon or aurora borealis to speak with cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station.

In Alaska, there are 16 ham radio clubs. These clubs provide a vital communication link that may otherwise not be available. This link includes checkpoint updates for the Yukon Quest and Iditarod sled dog races, support for local organizations such as the Boy Scouts, and critical forecast information to and from the National Weather Service.

In 2011, a superstorm in the Bering Sea crippled communities along the west coast of Alaska. Ham radio operators took up the task of providing real time data to local, State, and Federal weather services, as well as to emergency responders, on the condition of residents. As ham radio can operate independent of AC power or internet connection, it is well-suited to communities in rural Alaska.

Indeed, ham radio operators have been there throughout our Nation's times of need: the 1964 Good Friday earthquake in Alaska and more recently Hurricane Katrina in the lower 48. These operators are deeply committed to public service, and they work tireless unpaid hours to maintain the flow of information.

As Alaska's Field Day approaches, let us remember the vital role ham radio operators have played in education, science, survival, entertainment, and relationship-building in the United States.

Madam President, I would like to honor all the Alaskans, clubs, and other organizations that collect, restore, show off, and otherwise love their classic and antique automobiles.

All over the State, there are clubs dedicated to antique autos, classic cars, muscle cars, street rods, and all kinds of specialty vehicles. I really get a kick out of some of the expressive club names: the Juneau Dipsticks, the Antique Auto Mushers of Alaska, and the Valley Cruzers, to name a few.

But it is what they do that is great. Restoring cars and trucks and keeping them in good running order contributes to preserving the history of automotive technology and our culture. And their efforts mean we get to view a wide variety of vintage vehicles at all sorts of venues.

Maybe it is the iconic 1957 Chevy you saw at a local meet that caught your fancy. Perhaps you feasted your eyes on a Ford Model T at a Father's Day car show. Or you glimpsed an old Jeep amongst a caravan of restored military vehicles. Who hasn't marveled at antique cars in parades? As an elected official, I have ridden in many an old car or truck on the Fourth of July. The beauty of classic car collections is that there is something for everyone.

In Fairbanks, the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum has a world-class collection including Alaska's first automobile, one-of-a-kind and sole- surviving autos, the first American V16-powered car--and much more.

Also in Fairbanks, students in an automotive technology class at Hutchison High School are restoring a 1963 Chevy truck, and they are doing it for more than just the learning experience. They are honoring a former student who passed away in 2011. He bought two dilapidated pickups to work on but was unable to continue the project.

In Delta Junction, the Buffalo Center Gas Station sponsors an Annual Classic Car Night in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Car collecting is so popular in America that the Senate has annually proclaimed a day in July as ``Collector Car Appreciation Day'' to raise awareness of the role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society.

Whether it is the Vernon Nash Antique Automobile Club, the Midnight Sun Street Rod Association, or the Anchorage Corvette Club, it is typical of members to trade parts, knowledge, and stories. That makes for lifetime friendships.

I encourage Alaskans to join car clubs and take the time to thank collectors and restorers.

Mr. President, I rise today to describe the devastating spring breakup flooding affecting my home State of Alaska. As we just heard about Kansas, weather patterns are affecting long-term droughts in farmlands, while in Alaska it is warm weather that is actually going in the opposite direction.

Over the last several weeks our country has witnessed devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma. Our hearts go out to the families of Moore, Oklahoma City, and many others that have been affected, as they rebuild their lives.

Disasters such as these remind us of the importance of family and community, and it should make us again examine the work being done by FEMA and other agencies to help communities prepare for natural disasters. While it didn't make national news, Alaska's families along the Yukon River are putting their lives back together after record flooding last week.

Thick river ice, high temperatures, and fast melting combined to flood the community of Galena during what we call ``breakup'' in Alaska. For those who have never witnessed it, breakup on Alaska's biggest and mightiest river is a spectacle almost beyond description. As the ice begins to move, buckle, and crack, you can sometimes hear it from miles away. The trouble is, in the wrong conditions, the moving ice can get caught where the rivers make their natural bends. It piles up into mountains of jumbled ice, creating a natural dam that floods everything behind it, or when it suddenly breaks loose, torrents of raging water and ice rush downstream. This year breakup has, unfortunately, caused some extreme conditions in interior Alaska.

Last week, quickly rising waters from a 30-mile ice jam along the Yukon River had the village of Galena underwater for 3 days. This is an example of what you can see. The woods, the trees are there, but all along there is water burying the buildings.

Galena is a village of fewer than 500 people located in the interior of Alaska. At least 300 of these residents had to be evacuated to keep them from danger. Others moved to buildings on higher ground to keep safe from the rising water.

We are grateful to be able to say no deaths or serious injuries have been reported. It is a miracle when you look at the photos of the damage. As I said, this photo, the aerial photo of Galena, shows the extent of the damage. As mentioned, this was a severe flood. It came on very fast, and we had to try to deal with this very quickly because the power of the Yukon, when it is moving, is fast and furious. These ice jams move fast once they break. It is the worst flooding they have seen in 70 years.

When this happens in very remote communities such as Galena, they don't have communications, river-monitoring technology, and transportation infrastructure to react quickly. Let me remind people that you cannot drive out of this community. You have to fly out of this community. So when the river is breaking, it is all hands on deck for everybody.

We are thankful for the response by the Tanana Chiefs Conference, which safely evacuated many residents. The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and many volunteers provided invaluable help. I am proud of the community for coming together to support each other and evacuating the elders and those most in need first. Alaskans are the type of people who are always willing to lend a hand to their neighbor.

This flood hit the community hard. Nearly every structure in Galena and the surrounding 25-mile-wide valley basin was under water. You can see here in this photo how that water moved and flooded out the whole area. The ice jam on the Yukon causing this flooding isn't gone yet. Villages down river from Galena, such as St. Mary's or Holy Cross, remain on alert and are bracing for their possible evacuation.

Once again I remind folks, you cannot drive out of these communities, you have to fly out or take the river. The people who live along the Yukon River respect it as a resource but know that living along the banks can also bring dangerous conditions which we must prepare for.

Although the waters in Galena are subsiding, we know the real work is just beginning. This community must rebuild stronger, more prepared for future disasters. And they must do so within the short summer construction season, an added complication for Alaska. Again, our spring is here now, summer will soon be here, and within 3\1/2\ months winter will be back.

As chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management, I take this flooding event very seriously. I have been in touch with local leaders, State disaster response agencies, and FEMA. I will remain engaged throughout the cleanup and rebuilding process.

I am working with the State on this emergency, and I will make sure we have all the resources possible as Galena repairs and rebuilds. The emergency response priorities right now are restoring essential services and getting people back in their homes. I am pleased Alaska's Governor Parnell declared a State disaster for Galena last week, and I urge the President to act quickly to declare a Federal disaster to free up vital resources to help our State and its people recover.

Responding to natural disasters in Alaska is very different than in the lower 48. We have very unique challenges. It is important to have some perspective on the size and scope of Alaska. Alaska's land is two- and-a-half times the size of the State of Texas. Our road system is smaller than that of Rhode Island, and 82 percent of Alaskan communities are only accessible by air. Flying from Galena to Fairbanks, or back and forth, is equivalent to flying from Washington, DC, to New York. Actually, it is a little longer. It is an amazing distance when you have to go from place to place.

I remind folks, as you can see the great Yukon, in order to bring supplies and necessities in, it is an hour-long flight from the Fairbanks region. This makes the traditional lower 48 disaster response unrealistic for Alaska. In most communities we don't have the road system to truck in critical supplies. We frequently rely on skilled bush pilots and boat captains to bring relief to communities in need. Our pilots are often forced to land on gravel runways or river sandbars and our barge captains must navigate dangerous waters to access rural villages.

Most residents of the lower 48 couldn't even begin to imagine these experiences. This disaster in Galena is a stark reminder of why we must continue to invest in the aviation and maritime lifelines Alaskans rely on for survival.

Another issue unique to my State is the absence of broadband access in rural areas. When I say that, most people say: What is the big deal? Everyone is hooked up. Not in Alaska. This is something most people would consider critical infrastructure in order to respond to disasters.

Increased broadband deployment throughout rural Alaska would help communities such as Galena by providing vital information, such as telehealth access to help injured residents, up-to-date information on changing weather conditions, better communication between responders and the disaster response center, and information on incident response teams and cleanup strategies.

I might relate a personal example here. When I called the individual in charge of the situation on the ground, we were waiting for another radio call-in--let me repeat that: a radio call-in--to get an update from someone on the site because the technology doesn't exist at the level necessary to monitor a disaster of this magnitude.

This disaster is a reminder of the inequities that still exist in serving rural America. I will continue to look for ways to work with my Senate colleagues to act to provide rural communities with better broadband access, not only for emergency disasters, such as we are having here, but also for basic communication.

All these factors mean Alaskans must work and respond differently when disasters occur in our State. As our State emergency response chief often tells me, ``You can't do `big city' response in most of Alaska.'' FEMA rules don't always work for rural Alaska. One key concern is making sure FEMA programs for individual assistance are fully employed and complement State assistance.

I am hopeful that between the Federal, State, local, and tribal governments we can get some much-needed assistance to the residents of Galena who are living through this nightmare. I know how strong the people of Galena are, and we know they will continue to stick together through this trying time. But they couldn't do it without the ongoing support of the National Guard and the Alaska Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management Office. We will all continue to work with them as we help the residents of Galena get back on their feet.

Looking forward, as chairman of the Emergency Management Subcommittee, I will be holding listening sessions in Alaska to discuss preparedness and mitigation solutions to natural disasters. Because it is not just the interior that faces serious threats from natural disasters, we must also consider North Slope communities that are often confronting changes from the warming Arctic. It is important for us to tackle these issues head on, to create public-private partnerships, strong communication lines, and disaster response plans so our communities are protected and our residents are safe.

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

Madam President, I would like to take the time to recognize Polynesian Flag Day. This day commemorates the first raising of the American Flag on the Tutuila Island in American Samoa by the United States Navy on April 17, 1900.

An annual Polynesian Flag Day event was established to bring Polynesian elders, children families, friends, and communities together across Alaska to celebrate, respect, and share their culture and history together. Polynesian Flag Day is a time to recognize the Polynesian community's years of nationality, freedom, and honor, and to commend the service of Polynesian Americans who have fought and are fighting for the freedoms that we all hold dear.

This year marks the 8th Annual Polynesian Flag Day celebration in Alaska, highlighting a proud cultural exchange between Alaska and the Polynesian Islands. The Polynesian Association of Alaska promotes community building, fosters leadership skills for Alaskan youth, and helps cultivate an exchange of ideas and respect between elders and youth, further strengthening our communities.

I join the Alaska Polynesian community in celebrating the 8th Annual Polynesian Flag Day in Alaska.

Thank you for allowing me to take a moment to recognize this year's Polynesian Flag Day.

Mr. President, today I would like to recognize the 15th anniversary of the founding of Wellspring Revival Ministries in Fairbanks, AK. In 1998, Michael and Linda Setterberg recognized the need for more youth activities in the Fairbanks area and set out to do something about it. In 1999, the Setterbergs opened Joel's Place, a place for young people who needed somewhere to belong.

It began with a weekly youth group meeting but it grew to be something much bigger. Today, relying on volunteers, grants and charitable contributions, Joel's Place is open 6 days a week with a concert hall, a cafe, a garden, and sports activities including the only indoor skate park in Alaska. Joel's Place works with local school counselors and is a National Safe Place, offering shelter and counseling.

Part of the success of Joel's Place is due to partnerships with other local nonprofits and national foundations, as well as State and local governments. Federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture provide support for the organization's Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program, which ensures that low-income children receive nutritious meals.

The power to keep the program going comes from the passion and devotion of the founders of Joel's Place, the professionals who run it, the board of directors who oversee the organization and the volunteers who give their time. I give my congratulations to the people who make Joel's Place go, and I look forward to hearing about their continued success.

Mr. President, I would like to take the time today to congratulate the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, RCC, for completing their 5,000th mission since July 1, 1994.

The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center has operated in Alaska since 1961, but since July 1, 1994, the RCC has been staffed solely by Alaska Air National Guardsmen under the operational active-duty commander of the 11th Air Force. Since that time, the men and women of the Alaska Air National Guard have kept watch 24 hours a day, seven days a week, coordinating an average of more than five missions a week for nearly 19 years.

The 12 Alaska Air National Guard members who work in the RCC on a rotating schedule all have a background in either rescue operations as a member of the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th, 211th or 212th Rescue Squadrons, or are command and control specialists with experience in rescue control operations.

On March, 27, 2013, the RCC coordinated the Alaska Air National Guard's successful recovery of a pilot who crashed a Super Cub aircraft near the Bering River northeast of Cordova, AK, completing their 5,000th mission.

The RCC relies heavily on the support of other agencies during search-and-rescue missions. Aside from the Alaska Air National Guard and Alaska Army National Guard, during a mission, these agencies can also be called upon: Alaska State Troopers, U.S. Coast Guard District 17, Civil Air Patrol, National Park Service, North Slope Arctic Borough Search and Rescue, Alaska Mountain Rescue, SEADOGS K-9 Search and Rescue Team, Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol and various other volunteer search groups.

Their busy season follows the weather trends with an increase in search-and-rescue missions toward the end of summer into the fall hunting season. Ask anyone in the rescue business, and you will hear that no two search-and-rescue cases are alike. Throughout the years, there have been many high-profile missions adding up to the 5,000 missions and Alaskans are thankful for their knowledge, dedication, and expertise.

Thank you for allowing me to take a moment to recognize the heroic efforts of the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and their 5,000 missions.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor and remember Mrs. Jean Clark Rogers. Mrs. Rogers died on February 20 at the age of 93 in the home designed by her beloved late husband George. Her daughter, Sidney, was by her side.

Jean became an Alaska treasure who enriched the territory and State for over 65 years. Mother to six adopted children, she was also a celebrated children's book author, an educator, a volunteer, and a passionate friend of the arts.

With savings from her first job as a fifth-grade teacher, Jean Clark enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley. There she met and married the love of her life, George Rogers. In 1945, after completing their degrees, they set sail for Juneau where George had a job with the U.S. Office of Price Administration.

From the time she arrived in Juneau, Jean Clark Rogers made an impact. An avid reader, she was also a talented writer who authored children's books that appealed to both children and adults. Her best known work is ``A King Island Christmas,'' on which she collaborated with a close friend and well-known Alaskan artist, Rie Munoz. The inspirational book describes an extraordinary effort by a small and isolated island community to celebrate Christmas in the midst of a winter storm. Adapted into a libretto for an oratorio by playwright Deborah Brevoort, the work premiered at Juneau's Perseverance Theater in 1997 and is still performed throughout the United States. This August it will be presented by a Juneau cast at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Literature was so important to Jean that she regularly provided animated readings at schools and public libraries. Recognized endearingly by children as ``the lady who pushes books,'' she was awarded an honorary doctorate of human letters by the University of Alaska Southeast in recognition of her contributions to children's literacy and literature.

Jean was a busy author and mother, but she always found time to contribute to her State and her community. She served on boards for the Alaska Public Offices Commission, the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission, and Juneau's Capital City Broadcasting, Inc.--the KTOO family of public stations.

Jean was an avid supporter of local performing arts groups. She loved to sing and added her voice to the St. Paul Singers and the Juneau Lyric Opera. Rarely did she miss a performance of the Juneau Symphony, Perseverance Theater or Opera to Go. In oversized glasses and colorful attire, she stood out in the crowd.

Most recently, Jean Rogers became a visual artist. At age 87, her intricate collages of cut paper were exhibited at the Canvas studio in Juneau, where note cards featuring her designs enjoyed brisk sales.

Despite physical frailties near life's end, Jean found joy outside her challenges. She would comment on the beauty of the day or how much she enjoyed a game of cribbage or dominoes.

While we mourn the loss of Jean's presence, all things shared by this remarkable woman live on.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I understand there are two bills at the desk. I ask for their first reading en bloc.

I now ask for a second reading and object to my own request en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16, 2013; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business for 1 hour, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half; further, that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of S. 649, the gun safety legislation, and the time until the recess for the caucus meeting be for debate only; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.