Floor Statements

Mr. President, for several weeks now I have spoken on the Senate floor, urging my colleagues of both parties to extend the wind production tax credit or, as it is known, the PTC. The Presiding Officer has had an opportunity to listen to me on a number of occasions. I thank him for his interest and support. I am here again this morning to continue my work because I do not want to lose one more American job because of our failure, Congress's failure, to act. I also want to assure, as I know the Presiding Officer does, that we, the United States, remain competitive in the global clean energy economy.

Today, I wish to talk specifically about the PTC's impact on the State of Utah, one of America's fastest growing wind energy producers. Similar to other Western States, including my home State of Colorado, Utah's geography and climate make it an ideal location for wind production. It is estimated that if fully utilized, Utah's wind resources could provide up to 132 percent of the current electricity needs. Think about that, the entire State's electricity needs could be met by wind power alone. If we look at the map of Utah that is displayed here, we will see that the largest wind projects are located in Beaver and Millard Counties, which are in western Utah. In those two counties, the first wind corporation has constructed the Milford Wind Project. That project produces enough electricity to power over 64,000 homes, avoids 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions and provides good-paying jobs to hundreds of hard-working Utahns.

Beyond the obvious and enormously positive effect the Milford Wind Project has had on the Utah environment, it has also been an economic boon to the surrounding rural communities. Beaver County's tax base increased so much that it allowed for a new elementary school to be built without any tax increases to local residents. In effect, those tax receipts replaced a school that had fallen into disrepair.

This project has brought more than $50 million in economic benefits to Utah as a whole. It has created over 300 onsite jobs during construction and engaged more than 60 local Utah businesses throughout construction and development. That is a win-win-win situation no matter how we calculate it.

Only if we extend the wind PTC will we continue to see the investment, job creation, and economic growth Utah has seen in recent years. Now is the time for us to act to preserve and create thousands of jobs and to usher in a clean energy future for the American people. Without our support, the growth of the wind energy industry will slow, and, in fact, wind energy producers likely will shed jobs and halt projects.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the article that was published in the Wall Street Journal this week be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, that article says if Congress does not promote PTC, my State could lose hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs. Naturally the numbers are higher with suggestions and estimates that we could lose 30,000 jobs.

The PTC is a perfect example of how Congress can play a positive, productive role in encouraging economic growth and supporting American manufacturing. The American people expect us to do everything we can to create jobs and economic growth. They expect us to work across the political aisle and produce results. They deserve results, and we should not disappoint them by succumbing to election-year gridlock. We have a solid base of bipartisan support for wind energy and for the passage of the wind PTC. That is why I have been urging my colleagues to work with me to pass it as soon as possible.

From Colorado and Utah to Rhode Island and beyond, the PTC has helped American families and businesses prosper in a time when other industries have faltered. The wind industry has been one of the few industries of real growth in recent years, and it has so much more potential. Americans have said again and again that they want Congress to extend the wind PTC. Let's not let them down. Our economy and our future depend on it. Let's pass the PTC as soon as possible. It equals jobs.

I will be back on the floor tomorrow to keep fighting for this commonsense policy. Coloradans expect no less. Let's pass the production tax credit as soon as possible and protect American jobs.

Mr. President, if I might, I wish to turn to another topic that is on everybody's minds, and that is the efforts here in the U.S. Senate to reform the way in which our campaigns are financed and the way in which that information is shared with the public.

Many of my colleagues took to the Senate floor last night to discuss the importance of the DISCLOSE Act and to draw attention to the enormous volume of undisclosed money that is now flowing into this campaign season and into those campaigns. Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act or, as it is known in its shorter form, the DISCLOSE Act, is an important step forward.

It was conceived as a response to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision. Many of us have watched with deep concern as the consequences of that decision played out this election season. Unlimited and often secret contributions to organizations known as super PACs are pouring into our election system and literally drowning out the voices of ordinary Americans who don't happen to be millionaires or billionaires.

Instead of a system where candidates exchange ideas and share their vision for a more prosperous country, the Citizens United decision has released a relentless display of attack ads, and the American people have no idea where they are coming from or who is footing the bill. This sort of unlimited and secret influx of cash is raising the specter of corruption in our elections. Frankly, I am worried we are entering an era of politics that we haven't seen since the Watergate scandal of some 40 years ago.

However, there is hope. Despite what I thought was a misguided decision tied to Citizens United, the Supreme Court did uphold Congress's power to require transparency when it comes to those unlimited campaign dollars, and so the DISCLOSE Act was born.

Let me share with the viewers what the DISCLOSE Act would do. It would require that super PACs, corporations, labor unions, and other independent groups file a public disclosure with the Federal Election Commission for any campaign-related disbursement of over $10,000 or more within 24 hours of the expenditure.

This basic requirement is designed to bring the exchange of these secret campaign dollars out of the shadows so Coloradans and all the American people know who is trying to influence our elections. That is it. It is simple and it makes sense. We are only asking that political spending and funding be disclosed and held to the same standard as political action committees and candidate expenditures. This sensible requirement will not create burdensome regulations or be in conflict with any of the holdings of the Supreme Court. It is the kind of commonsense transparency that Coloradans are calling for.

It might sound cliched, but sunlight is truly the best disinfectant. In fact, I heard the Republican leader, Senator McConnell, use that same concept: Sunlight is truly the best disinfectant. We literally step on the basic principles of democracy when we allow tens of millions of dollars to be secretly spent on our elections.

I want to emphasize that this should not be a partisan issue. Despite last night's vote, you would think we could all truly agree on transparency. For example, our colleague Senator McCain has lamented that without the reform of transparency, the Citizens United decision could lead to a major campaign finance scandal. And, of course, that is not healthy for our democracy.

The Supreme Court affirmed Congress's authority to require disclosure, so let's do our job to protect democracy and bring sunlight to our elections. Let's bring the DISCLOSE Act forward and pass it right away.

I also know many Americans would like to see us overturn the effects of Citizens United altogether, and there are efforts to do exactly that. For example, Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico has introduced a constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to regulate political spending. I support that effort. I also support an effort to change the way in which we fund the Presidential elections.

I have introduced legislation in the Presidential Funding Act that will reform the currently outdated Presidential public finance system. It is a bill that is aimed at preserving the voices of average Americans.

In 1974 the Presidential public campaign finance system was developed in an effort to restore public faith in elected officials after the Watergate scandal, and it has been used in nearly every Presidential election since. By establishing public financing, we allow candidates to compete based on their ideas instead of competing on who has the most support from special interests and deep-pocket donors.

In fact, my father, Congressman Morris Udall, who served in the House representing the second district in Arizona for some 30 years, was actually

one of the first to use the public financing system, which he had helped craft 2 years prior when he ran for the Democratic nomination in 1976. My father was a big believer in running for office on behalf of his constituents instead of on behalf of big money. I believe strongly that ethos ought to apply to today's elected officials more than ever.

The public financing system funded candidates for 30 years and has enriched the political discourse for the country by ensuring that the American people have more say than connected insiders, special interests, or wealthy donors. Unfortunately, the current system's ability to keep up with the enormous spending required in Presidential campaigns has rendered it less effective. Thanks to Citizens United, public financing is no longer a viable option to compete against unlimited special interest dollars.

My legislation would strengthen the public financing system and incentivize candidates to obtain support from actual citizens, not special interest super PACs or secret financiers. It would ensure that our proven public financing system will be available for future elections, and that corporate and special-interest money doesn't drown out genuine ideas and debates in our Presidential elections.

For those of us who are committed to fixing our campaign finance system in the wake of Citizens United, there is a lot of challenging work ahead. I know Coloradans agree with me that reform could be the single most important issue to fix the way our democracy functions. As I have suggested, and as we know, unfortunately Federal elections are increasingly about who can secretly appeal more to wealthy and special interests instead of working to improve the lives of average and hard- working Americans. This sows corruption, dysfunction, and a government that is less responsive to the needs of the people.

Today we have an opportunity to start with a sensible requirement that we should all be able to agree on. Disclosure is nothing to be afraid of. I urge my colleagues to reconsider their vote and to allow the Senate to at least debate the DISCLOSE Act. We cannot afford to let another filibuster stand in the way of fair and open campaigns. Let's pass the DISCLOSE Act and take a big step toward turning the power of our government back over to the American people.

I note that the leader of this important effort, the DISCLOSE Act, Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island, is on the floor. I thank the Senator for his leadership and his commitment to ensuring that it is the American people who determine our future, not special interests, super PACs, millionaires, billionaires, and financiers who leave no track and no trace of where their money is going and where it is coming from.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be authorized to hold a hearing entitled, ``Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: 2 Years Later,'' during the session of the Senate on July 17, 2012, at 10 a.m. in room SR-328A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 17, 2012, at 10 a.m., to conduct a committee hearing entitled ``The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 17, 2012, at 10 a.m., in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 17, 2012, at 9:30 a.m., to hold a hearing entitled, ``The Next Ten Years in the Fight Against Human Trafficking: Attacking the Problem with the Right Tools.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 17, 2012, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 17, 2012, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``U.S. Vulnerabilities to Money Laundering, Drugs, and Terrorist Financing: HSBC Case History.''

Mr. President, today I wish to acknowledge a great Coloradan--Mr. William J. Hybl--on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The epitome of a public servant, Bill has spent the better part of his career tirelessly working to improve the lives of Coloradans. It is only appropriate, therefore, that I take this opportunity to honor his tremendous contributions to our home State and express my profound appreciation.

Raised in Pueblo and educated at the Colorado College and the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder, Bill is a true product of Colorado--and he began giving back almost immediately upon graduation. After serving as a captain in the U.S. Army, Bill was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1972 and continued to stay involved in the public sector, serving as Special Counsel to President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

In 2010, Bill served as the cochairman of Colorado Governor-elect John Hickenlooper's transition team, but his history of working across the political divide reaches further into the past. Appointed to the U.S. Commission on Public Diplomacy by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, Bill was reappointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. After 4 years as the committee's vice chairman, President George W. Bush appointed Bill as chairman in 2008 following confirmation by the Senate, and he was reappointed by President Barack Obama in 2011. I think all of us would agree there are not many public servants who are appointed over this many years--by Presidents of both political parties. But that is a testament to Bill and his leadership.

Bill serves as the civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, having served in this role for 25 years. Additionally, President George W. Bush appointed him as U.S. Representative to the 56th General Assembly of the United Nations, and was chairman of the board of International Foundation for Electoral Systems from 2003 to 2009, currently serving as vice chairman of the board and executive committee chairman.

Despite all of this success, Bill's impact is better measured by looking at the countless lives he has touched and improved. His contributions to our country's Olympic athletes provide a great example. He served twice as president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, leading team delegations at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France, and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. In 1998, he again led the U.S. Team at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and, in 2000, at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Bill was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 2000 to 2002. He serves as president emeritus of the USOC and is chairman of the U.S. Olympic Foundation. Especially noteworthy, Bill was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Bill Hybl's reach stretches far beyond sports, though--his philanthropic accomplishments have forever changed the State of Colorado. As chairman and CEO of El Pomar Foundation, he has overseen one of the largest and oldest private foundations in the Intermountain West. Since his arrival in

1973, El Pomar has granted millions of dollars to worthwhile projects and continues to grant approximately $20 million annually. Bill has expanded the general-purpose foundation, creating many programs that focus on excellence in individual and organizational leadership. Because of his service, communities across Colorado are more empowered to improve their quality of life. The fact that the Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized El Pomar in 1998 as the National Foundation of the Year is a testament to Bill's strategic vision and leadership.

Bill is also vice chairman of the board of BROADMOOR Hotel, Inc--a true Colorado landmark--and is president of the Air Force Academy Foundation and the Hundred Club of Colorado Springs. In 2009, Bill received the Outward Bound Compass Award for a lifetime of outstanding service to America's young people. And in 2005, Bill was reelected to the Colorado College Board of Trustees and in 2003 named Citizen of the West. Additionally, he serves on the boards of directors for Garden City Company, in Garden City, KS; FirstBank Holding Company of Colorado in Denver, CO; and Mountain States Employers Council in Denver.

Perhaps most importantly, Bill and his wife Kathleen have two sons and six beautiful grandchildren.

Colorado is fortunate to be home to a citizen like Bill Hybl. I would like to congratulate him for all of his accomplishments, thank him for his endless service, and honor him on his 70th birthday. I look forward to many more years of Bill's leadership in the Centennial State.

Mr. President, I rise today, as I have been every day, to urge my colleagues to work with me and to work with the Presiding Officer to extend the production tax credit for wind. The PTC, as it is known, has broad economic effects, positive effects all across our great country.

I am going to talk today, as I have each day, about an individual State that is known for its wind resources, and today that is the great State of Kansas. Kansas is already known as a national leader in both wind manufacturing and production. In fact, Kansas has the most wind projects under construction, as we sit here today, and is on track to almost double their installed wind energy capacity.

We can see from this map of Kansas that there is a lot of activity. For example, there is construction currently underway in what will be the largest wind farm in Kansas, which is located just southwest of Wichita, in south central Kansas. The Flat Ridge 2 Wind Farm will cover about 66,000 acres, and it should be up and running by the end of the year.

The two companies running the project--BP Wind Energy and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power--have invested over $800 million and have employed 500 construction workers. Those are impressive numbers wherever you might find them. But that is not all. Once this project is done and operating, the local community should receive over $1 million annually in tax payments from the project. There are some 200 property owners who own the land under the turbines, and they will receive a similar amount in royalty payments. That is real money for real Americans, all thanks to wind energy and the production tax credit.

These are jobs and investments that are created here at home, and they create good-paying jobs in Kansas, helping the local economy and providing critical income for rural communities. I have to say this is especially important as the drought takes a steep toll on farmers across the Midwest this year. Wind power, if you think about it, is a cash crop that always ripens and always returns the investment in the marketplace.

This is just one project in Kansas that isn't even completed yet, so let me talk about the overall effect of wind energy in Kansas.

The wind energy industry in Kansas supports 3,000 jobs, it results in $3.7 million in property taxes from wind projects that go to local communities, and 8 percent of Kansas's power comes from wind. Those are impressive numbers, and they would only grow as Kansas invests.

There are thousands of Kansas wind energy jobs supporting millions of dollars of local tax revenue and, as I pointed out here, almost one- tenth of Kansas's total power needs. This harnessing of the wind has truly become an economic driver, and it presents enormous opportunity for this important Midwestern State.

I would like to focus on one county. Lane County's economic development operation is headed up by Dan Hartman. Dan moved to western Kansas 5 years ago, in large part because he wanted to live in the heart of rural America, but he also wanted to help create a better, more secure energy future for America, with Kansas playing a central role. Since then, Dan has been working with counties, farmers, and landowners to bring as much wind energy as possible to western Kansas, and I think those possibilities are almost unlimited because there is enough potential wind power in Kansas to meet the needs of Kansas some 90 times over.

That brings me to the point I wish to make today, and it is why I keep coming to the floor. The uncertainty we have created by failing to extend the wind production tax credit, unfortunately, has sidelined roughly $3.5 billion in wind energy investments. That just defies common sense. Back home in my State of Colorado, I keep hearing from my fellow Coloradans: Why the heck aren't you in Congress working to save wind energy jobs right now? To Dan Hartman, the solution seems simple, and I want to quote him. He said:

I look at the wind energy industry as a matter of survival

and our future in Kansas. If we don't extend the PTC, we're

throwing away our future. We need it badly. If you really

look at the money, the PTC cost is dwarfed by the capital

investment it encourages.

Dan has it right, and we should listen here in the Congress. If we refuse to develop our wind energy resources, there are a lot of countries that are willing to outcompete us--take China, for example. We have to work to keep these jobs and that investment here in the United States, and that is why the Congress must extend the production tax credit as soon as possible.

Mr. President, you also know we have bipartisan support. This isn't solely a Republican or a Democratic issue. Senator Moran from Kansas, my good friend, has joined me and others to make this happen. We have offered an amendment to the bipartisan small business lending bill that would extend the PTC by 2 years, until the end of 2014.

We need the PTC. It equals jobs. We need to pass it as soon as possible. I want to ask my colleagues again, as I have every day, to join Senator Moran, Senator Udall of New Mexico, Senator Thune, and others to help pass this much needed, commonsense, bipartisan amendment or find another way to extend the PTC to ensure that more investment and more jobs in States such as Kansas, Colorado, and others all across our country will be the result.

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

Madam President, I am here on the Senate floor to highlight our country's clean energy future.

I would be happy to yield.

Madam President, I am here on the floor, as I have been for a succession of morning speeches, to talk about the importance of extending the tax credit for wind power. If you look in every corner of our great country, the production tax credit has resulted in good-paying jobs for Americans--jobs, I might add, that can't be exported overseas.

I have taken a tour of the country. This morning I wish to highlight the beautiful State of South Carolina.

South Carolina is one of the few States that do not have installed onshore wind power, but that has not stopped South Carolina from attracting literally dozens of manufacturers

that support 1,000 good-paying wind energy jobs across the State.

As we look at this chart of the State of South Carolina, we can see that the green circles acknowledge the manufacturing facilities that built components for wind turbines. Nearly every component in a wind turbine is built in South Carolina.

I wish to highlight Greenville, up here in the northwestern part of South Carolina. GE has a facility there, and they have designed the 1.5-megawatt wind turbine that is a hallmark of GE. That facility supports more than a dozen suppliers and hundreds of jobs across the State.

One of the most exciting ventures outside of manufacturing that is going on in South Carolina is the massive investment that has been made in innovation. In 2009 Clemson University won a $45 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Department of Energy for the construction of a brandnew facility that will be the largest wind turbine testing facility in the world. In that facility, they will test cutting-edge drivetrain technologies for the next generation of wind turbines.

Now, South Carolina has doubled down on that support of wind innovation. The university donors and other partners have joined Clemson and have come up with another $53 million to supplement the $45 million that came through the Recovery Act. That is $98 million that will be an investment in South Carolina's economy and in our wind energy future.

So not only will there be good-paying jobs created at this wind turbine drivetrain testing facility, but this facility will be a global leader in developing wind turbines capable of 3 to 10 times as much power as wind turbines today. I was under the impression that wind turbine technology had matured and that we had wrung out every electron possible. I have been told we can increase the yields by 3 to 10 times through this kind of research. This facility will focus on onshore and offshore wind turbines. So this is crucial research.

We know in Colorado that the presence of top-notch research and development institutions attracts incredibly talented individuals and often results in the creation of new companies that commercialize the new and innovative technologies developed in these R&D facilities. I know that in the Presiding Officer's State, that is a formula for success. When we make the investments such as South Carolina, Colorado, and New York are making, we draw top-notch resources that are able to exploit in a responsible way natural resources.

The grant I mentioned combined with the research dollars that have come from the private sector represent an enormous opportunity for South Carolina and for our country in turn. We already see millions of dollars that have been attracted into South Carolina from global investors because they see the potential of what is going to happen at Clemson.

The point I want to make is that if we don't extend the wind tax credit, the PTC, then these wind manufacturers may not have the wherewithal, frankly, to team up with Clemson, to commercialize the new technologies that will be developed in South Carolina, and then the jobs that follow won't be created. That just doesn't make sense. South Carolina and Clemson are going to be global leaders in the development of these new technologies.

The question is, Where will these new turbines be built? I know, for one, that the Chinese would be happy to step in and take away our manufacturing jobs. But if we get our act together and extend the PTC, then these wind turbines will be built here in America. They will be built in South Carolina, they will be built in Colorado, and they will be built in Pennsylvania. They will be built all over our country in literally every corner. But if we let the PTC expire, we risk shipping this industry and our good-paying jobs overseas.

Coloradans keep telling me--and I know in the Presiding Officer's home State as well--that there is no reason to outsource these jobs. There is no reason to outsource energy production, and there is no reason to handicap a growing industry that has helped make us and our country more energy independent. Let's pass the extension of the PTC today. Let's create jobs today. Let's build this clean energy economy. Let's pursue an all-of-the-above strategy. Let's do it here in the United States, and let's do it now.

Madam President, thank you for your attention and your interest.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, from June 25 to June 29, 2012, I was unable to vote on Senate rollcall votes due to personal family reasons, as well as the devastating wildfires that were burning in many parts of Colorado. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on vote Nos. 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, and 172.

Mr. President, I rise once again to discuss the production tax credit for wind energy, and I wish to urge all my colleagues to extend it as soon as possible.

I have been coming to the Senate floor on an ongoing basis to highlight the tremendous growth of the wind energy industry from Colorado, to Texas, to Pennsylvania. Today I would like to talk about the future of clean energy jobs in the great State of Rhode Island.

If we look around our country, we find success stories everywhere, and wind energy is a bright spot for communities across America that supports good manufacturing jobs in places such as the United States and Rhode Island, and this is despite the great recession.

Rhode Island has dedicated itself to building a clean energy future, a key

part of which is offshore wind energy. The entire eastern seaboard has massive offshore wind potential, and Rhode Island is one of the first States to begin construction on a project off of its coast. If we look at the chart I have here, we can see the potential for job creation, and we also see that Rhode Island is on track to meet 75 percent of its energy needs through offshore wind development.

Rhode Island has been the beneficiary of a number of companies locating themselves there, but one in particular I wish to call attention to is TPI Composites. It has been manufacturing wind turbine blades at its facilities in Warren, RI, for years. The decision to move to Warren was a good one for TPI because Rhode Island is known for its manufacturing acumen. And good-paying jobs have been the result of TPI's locating itself in Warren, RI.

In fact, I might also mention that President Obama just paid a visit to a TPI facility in Iowa last month. TPI has also opened a facility just across the Rhode Island State line in Fall River, MA. They will also focus on the development and manufacturing of wind blades for offshore wind turbines.

But I want to return to the reason I am coming to the floor of the Senate on a daily basis. With the looming expiration of the production tax credit, orders for new wind blades have dropped and TPI has been forced to cut its Rhode Island workforce by 15 percent. In fact, its new facility in Fall River sits empty and idle as new wind blade development has been put on hold.

This is why I keep coming to the floor--because we need to pass an extension of the wind production tax credit. It equals jobs. We need to pass it as soon as possible. It is a travesty that we have not extended the wind production tax credit, particularly at a time when we still need to create more jobs.

I know the two Senators from Rhode Island agree with me. Communities such as Warren, RI, have benefited from the growth in the wind energy industry, but they are still hurting because of the great recession. Our failure to act is making things worse. We face a stark choice: We can let the PTC expire and continue to lose good-paying Rhode Island jobs or we can invest in America's future and take advantage of a manufacturing sector that is poised to expand.

The development of offshore wind is coming to the eastern seaboard, and the opportunities for American manufacturers such as TPI to grow their business and beat our international competitors are right there within our grasp. There is simply so much more economic growth possible if we would just simply extend the PTC.

Our inaction is stunting the growth of this important industry today. That is why I urge my colleagues to join us in extending the wind PTC as soon as possible.

I am pleased my colleagues from Rhode Island--who of course know their home State better than I could ever hope to--have joined me, Senator Reed and Senator Whitehouse. They know the difficult economic challenges their State has faced and they know how important the production tax credit is to jobs in their State. They have spent their public service careers fighting for the middle class, fighting for policies that create good-paying, American-based jobs. I am very much interested in hearing what they have to say on this important subject. So as my colleagues have come to expect, I will be back on the floor tomorrow talking about the wind PTC every day, until we pass the extension of it.

I look forward to hearing from my colleagues from the State of Rhode Island.

Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate the distinguished Aspen Center for Physics, located in Aspen, CO, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. I offer these congratulations on behalf of Senator Bennet of Colorado as well.

We would like to commend the Aspen Center for Physics for their dedication and excellence in the field of theoretical physics. Since the 1960s the Center has been one of the world's foremost research centers for the pursuit of basic scientific understanding on topics ranging from cosmology to biophysics.

With Federal funding primarily from the National Science Foundation and the support of dozens of corporate, institutional, and individual sponsors, the Aspen Center for Physics has become an international hub for revolutionary physics research. More than 10,000 scientists, representing 65 countries and including 52 Nobel Laureates, have participated in Center programs. They come to Aspen to converse with their peers, conduct groundbreaking research, and explore uncharted areas in theoretical physics.

The atmosphere created by the Aspen Center for Physics is unique. While surrounded by beautiful landscapes, researchers are encouraged to participate in informal dialogue and pursue creative and novel paths in their research, both individually and in collaborative groups.

The unstructured environment has been key to the exchange of ideas among the world's best theoretical physicists, and it has led to impressive results: more than 10,000 scientific papers and books have cited the Center's influence.

The Center is also a good neighbor. For more than 25 years, the Center has offered free public lectures on cutting-edge science to the community. It offers informative and interactive programs designed to engage children in learning and get them excited about science. Physicists from the Center also visit local schools and serve as mentors for students.

Colorado is fortunate to be home to the Aspen Center for Physics. Senator Bennet and I would like to congratulate them for an impressive first 50 years and wish them continued success for the next 50 years.

Mr. President, good morning to you. Good morning to my colleagues.

PTC for Wind Energy

I am here again on the Senate floor to urge all of my colleagues to vote for an extension of the production tax credit for wind energy, otherwise known as the PTC.

Today, as I have been doing, I will focus on an individual State. I am going to look at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and show all of us the promise it holds as a wind energy manufacturing hub, as well as the negative effects that will occur if we do not extend the production tax credit.

Pennsylvania has a strong blue-collar background and an extraordinary number of highly skilled workers. With those factors, those positive elements in Pennsylvania, it has seamlessly transitioned into a wind energy powerhouse.

Look at this map I have in the Chamber of the State of Pennsylvania. You will see, from Philadelphia to Rockwood, from Pittsburgh to Scranton, there are wind projects all over the State. Those wind projects have created good-paying jobs and stability for Pennsylvania families.

Pennsylvania, as I have alluded to, has long been a center of manufacturing in the United States, and the wind industry has taken note.

You can see these green circles on this map. Each one of those indicates a manufacturing facility that makes parts for wind turbines in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. That represents over 20 plants and hundreds of employees in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

I would suggest that the State of Pennsylvania is only beginning to realize its potential when it comes to the wind energy industry.

My colleagues know I have been on the Senate floor talking about the economic benefits of wind energy. I want to highlight what has happened in Pennsylvania.

If we look at this chart, in Pennsylvania, the wind energy industry supports 4,000 jobs. There are 180,000 homes that are powered by wind, and there is a conservative $1.4 million in property taxes from wind projects that go to local communities.

So this is an important set of numbers. It is money, particularly on the

tax side, that helps local communities pay for basic services, and it is critical in this time of decreasing local and State budgets.

If we think about it, all of these figures--the jobs, the revenues, the investments--are prime for significant growth going forward. But that future and that growth are going to be threatened unless we act, unless the Congress acts to extend the production tax credit.

Just last week, Gamesa--which is a global leader in the manufacturing of wind turbines--announced it is ending the development of the Shaffer Mountain Wind Farm, which is in northeastern Somerset County. This project would have ultimately ended up with 30 new wind turbines, and it was planned to come online in 2013. That is just 6 months from now. But because of the uncertainty tied to Federal policies, such as the production tax credit, Gamesa has sidelined this project.

In short, our inaction is costing this community jobs, this Commonwealth of Pennsylvania jobs. It does not make any sense in the current economic environment we now face and as our Nation is desperately focused on becoming more energy independent.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette made the point that this is the third wind project under development that has been stopped--all in the last month--just because of the uncertainty we have created here by not extending the PTC. These are on-the-ground examples of how congressional inaction is costing American jobs and investment.

I know the Acting President pro tempore knows this is not a partisan or regional issue. There is strong bipartisan support for extending the production tax credit, and the wind industry has a presence in almost every single State in our country. So if we look at the overall picture, this is not the time for companies such as Gamesa to grow, reluctant to invest in the future. So we have to expand the PTC. It will incent this industry to continue its rapid growth, and it will build a strong foundation for a 21st-century clean energy economy.

So I am again on the floor urging my colleagues to work with me to extend the wind production tax credit as soon as possible.

As I close, I want to highlight an event that is on Capitol Hill today where Members, staff, and others can learn more about the potential of wind energy, as well as other types of renewable and energy-efficient technology.

That event is the 15th Annual Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO. It is underway all day in the Cannon Caucus Room on the House side.

The bipartisan Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, which I cochair along with Senators Lieberman and Crapo, is an honorary cohost of the event. I encourage all of us to go over there, look at the technologies. They are awe inspiring. They are awesome. They are truly the future. When we implement policies that will help these technologies penetrate all of these various markets, we are going to continue to be a leader in the clean energy economy.

So I will be back next week to talk about the wind production tax credit. I will be here every day until we pass it and extend it.

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

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Brown of Ohio.) The clerk will call the roll.

Madam President, I thank the Senator from Oklahoma.

I rise in support of this important amendment.

I would also like to note that this provision is included in a larger bill I introduced this week to reform our Presidential public financing system. I would welcome support for that broader initiative.

This is a bipartisan short-term step we can take to preserve more money for publicly funded candidates who are running for President instead of using that money to fund what we know now as expensive parties in our conventions. So I would urge a ``yes'' vote. This is a way to get our fiscal house in order. It is a small step, but it is an important step.

I thank the Senator from Oklahoma for his leadership in this matter.

Madam President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to oppose S.J. Res. 37, a resolution of disapproval of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, offered by Senator Inhofe. The Senator from Oklahoma is a powerful advocate for his point of view, but I respectfully disagree that we do not need to control the emission of mercury and other toxics into our air.

This vote is one in a continuous drumbeat of attacks on environmental rules we have seen of late. It is unfortunate that some of my colleagues are attacking clean air and water rules with such fervor, especially in the name of economic recovery. When it comes to putting America back on firm economic footing, we should be working towards a comprehensive budget solution that shows the American people and the world that Congress can still function in the face of major challenges rather than with attacks on the Environmental Protection Agency.

Yet so often we hear vague, catch-all criticisms that upcoming EPA rules--real or imagined--will create uncertainty in the regulated community, impeding economic recovery. The irony is that attacks that seek to delay or remand EPA rules only exacerbate and prolong regulatory uncertainty.

Also, recall that Congress directed EPA in the Clean Air Act more than 20 years ago to develop many of the rules the agency is currently working on. That is the case with the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Many other rules are coming about as a result of court orders. So, put simply, EPA is doing its job.

To be sure, Congress also has a job to do when it comes to oversight of administration rules. For instance, I have been and will continue to work with EPA to make sure EPA actions respect the realities of life in rural and arid communities. This is especially important when it comes to regulations impacting Colorado water users and our farmers and ranchers.

However, wholesale assault on an agency whose mission is to protect

human health and the environment is neither a recipe for economic recovery nor a path to fostering healthier communities within which our families and neighbors live.

Let me turn specifically to the resolution of disapproval offered by Senator Inhofe.

Many of my colleagues have described on the Senate floor the various health benefits of the rule. I would like to associate myself with their remarks, because the health benefits of controlling mercury emissions are remarkable: as many as 11,000 fewer premature deaths each year; 130,000 fewer cases of childhood asthma each year; and 4,700 fewer heart attacks each year just to name a few.

But I want to add two other aspects to the debate. One, clean air and water are good for our economy.

In Colorado, for example, outdoor recreation and tourism make up the second largest sector of our economy. Coloradans enjoy skiing, hiking, hunting, angling, camping, boating and many other outdoor activities, and many Americans come to Colorado for these experiences. Our outdoor recreation economy contributes $10 billion a year to the State's economy and supports over 100,000 Colorado jobs.

This isn't limited to Colorado. Nationally, the outdoor recreation economy is worth $646 billion, supporting 6.1 million jobs.

Clean air and water are an integral part of the national outdoor recreation system. It can not function if our children are too sick to come outside to play or our waters are too polluted to fish.

Two, investing in our infrastructure through modern pollution controls is how we ensure long-term economic recovery.

ADA-Environmental Solutions is a company in Highlands Ranch, CO. ADA- Environmental Solutions is the leading producer of mercury control equipment for utilities across the country. Part of their mission is to ``sustain the viability of coal'' through the development of technologies that ``reduce emissions, increase efficiency and improve the competitive position'' of their customers.

As the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards go into effect, many utilities will upgrade their facilities with modern pollution controls. It may surprise some of my constituents in Colorado to learn that some of these plants have been operating without pollution controls for 40 years or more.

Those upgrades will be installed by Americans and provided by companies like ADA-Environmental Solutions. Those upgrades represent an investment in American jobs and a modern utility infrastructure.

In summary, clean air and water do not come at the expense of our economy. Rather, a healthy environment and a healthy economy go hand- in-hand.

Putting safeguards in place on the largest source of mercury emissions in the United States is long overdue. That is why I will be opposing S.J. Res. 37 today, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2295.

Mr. President, I have offered this amendment with my colleague Senator Thune from South Dakota.

This is a commonsense amendment that would increase resources to land managers to address insect and disease epidemics spreading across our forests, while maintaining the farm bill's more than $23 billion in mandatory savings, and that is important.

This bark beetle epidemic, which is in many States, has left dangerous dead and dying stands of trees that worsen the threat from forest fires. This is particularly evident to Coloradans because, today, we have an 86-

square-mile fire, and more than 1,600 brave firefighters are challenging this blaze, which is already the most destructive fire in Colorado's history. We don't expect to fully defeat this fire or bring it to ground for several weeks.

The Forest Service has set a goal of doubling the number of acres treated to address beetle kill and prevent forest fires. This amendment would help them reach that goal. If we don't pass the amendment, they will not have the wherewithal and resources to do so.

I ask my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment.

Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Massachusetts for generously yielding to me.

Wind PTC

Mr. President, I am on the Senate floor today to continue urging this body to extend the production tax credit for wind. I intend to return to the floor every morning until the PTC has been extended, and I am going to talk about the economic and jobs effect on the nonextension in each State, and I am going to press my colleagues for an immediate extension.

Today I want to focus on a wind giant in our country--Texas. Texas leads the Nation in wind energy production. The Lone Star State has more turbines than all but five countries.

As you can see, this chart I have in the Chamber outlines all the installed wind projects in Texas. You can see that across the State-- from the south to the west, from El Paso to Galveston, from the Panhandle to southern Texas--the wind industry has created thousands of jobs and it has helped boost the manufacturing and construction sectors with good-paying American jobs.

For example, Sweetwater, a town of 11,000 people, has become the new Spindletop: You drive past it on the interstate and there is a forest of giant wind turbines. Among the cotton fields of this west Texas rural community, Sweetwater is home to one of the largest wind farms in Texas. And the wind industry, using Sweetwater's open spaces, constant winds, and transmission capacity, has helped revitalize this rural community--and really all of Nolan County.

Even oil-rich Houston has become something of a wind power capital in Texas--thanks to developers such as EDP Renewables Pattern Energy, and Iberdrola Renewables, as well as BP and Shell.

They say everything is bigger in Texas--and that certainly applies when it comes to their vast energy resources. Texas has it all, from traditional sources, like oil and gas, to renewable energy, like hydro and wind.

Texas' success in harnessing wind energy is no accident. Thanks to smart State policies, including a renewable portfolio standard, which passed in 1999, and was later amended in 2005, as well as strong Federal support from the wind PTC, the Texas wind industry has grown dramatically.

Texas has an all-of-the-above energy strategy. The Senator from Massachusetts supports that kind of strategy. I support that kind of a strategy. Texas embodies this. They have shown great promise when it comes to renewable resources--growing and coexisting with traditional energy sources.

So if you look at what is happening in Texas, Texas' wind energy industry supports almost 7,000 jobs. With more energy from wind than any other State in our country, wind powers over 2.7 million Texas homes, and almost 7 percent of Texas' overall electric power comes from wind. It was the first State to reach 10,000 megawatts of wind installations, and that wind power has helped avoid greenhouse gas emissions in the equivalence of 3,725,500 passenger cars.

As well, the supply chain of the manufacturing opportunities in Texas stands out. It is home to wind turbine manufacturers such as DeWind and Alstom, five major tower manufacturers, blade manufacturer Molded Fiber Glass, and many component suppliers.

This is an example of why we have to act, why we have to extend the PTC. Without certainty, wind energy companies are not able to grow, and they, frankly, will shed jobs and whole projects.

In the Senate, we have a bipartisan coalition. Senators Grassley, Boozman, Scott Brown, Hoeven, Moran, and Thune have engaged with many of us on this side to extend the wind PTC.

Let me end by quoting Karl Rove, who is known as a proud Texan and former senior adviser to President George W. Bush. He explains the wind PTC as follows:

It is a market mechanism, you don't get paid unless you

produce the power, and we're not picking winners and losers,

we're simply saying for some period of time we will provide

this incentive.

Let's extend the PTC now. The solution is simple. We have to act. It will help American jobs. It will help the American economy. It will help our energy security efforts.

So, Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Massachusetts again, and I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise again to continue the fight for our effort to extend the production tax credit for wind. I am going to continue to return to the floor every morning until we get the PTC extended.

It has a positive economic effect on each and every one of our States and we ought to immediately extend it. If we do not, there are tremendous risks because there will be uncertainty. There will be 37,000 jobs at risk, per the estimate of the American Wind Energy Association, in 2013, if we let this important, crucial tax credit expire.

On the other hand, looking at this prohibitively, a recent study by Navigant concludes that a stable tax policy would allow the wind industry to create and save 54,000 jobs. That is a clear choice. Do we want to lose 37,000 jobs or do we want to create and save 54,000 more?

Over the last number of years in tough economic times, the wind industry has been a bright spot. We have seen growth in the wind industry on the manufacturing side, and these are good-paying jobs. But we are at a make-or-break moment for wind energy. If we let the wind PTC expire, we will lose thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment.

We also run the real risk of losing our position in the global economic race for clean energy technology. Other countries are taking note. While we are dithering in the Congress, our foreign competitors are literally eating our lunch.

I am about to attend a hearing in the Energy Committee on our competitiveness in the clean energy sector. We are going to be discussing how China is outpacing us in the clean energy economy. The witnesses, I know, will emphasize--because I have seen their testimony--that we have to improve and maximize domestic manufacturing capacity or we risk losing these jobs to overseas competitors.

I wish to give an example this morning. In North Carolina, there is a company, PPG Industries. It is a fiberglass company, hundreds of employees. They have been threatened by foreign competition in the last few years. Fiberglass is a primary component of wind turbine blades. The company has found new buyers in the wind industry.

I wish to quote the manager, Cheryl Richards, of this factory. She has urged us to act. She said:

That's investment in the U.S. That's investment in jobs, in

technology, in the future, in clean energy. If we're not

doing it, there are people across the ocean who will. And

they'll be happy to sell their products here.

So while we cannot get our act together in Congress to pass the wind PTC, our economic competitors in Europe and Asia have moved ahead. They have developed robust manufacturing capacity to serve both their domestic demands, and now they are beginning to sell all over the world.

To emphasize how real this threat is, I wish to show all of the viewers and my colleagues what has happened in the past when the PTC has expired. Look back in 2000. There was a 93-percent drop. There was a 73-percent drop from 2001 to 2002. It does not make sense. I hear this from Coloradans. I hear this from Americans.

Wind project developers in the United States and American manufacturers are not receiving orders. We could see another boom-and- bust cycle, where we get a 73-percent or 93-percent drop in installations. Our economy does not need that, especially right now. So there is a time for leadership. It is time to show the American people we can bridge partisan divides in the Congress, we can act, and we can take urgent action.

Let's get the wind PTC reauthorized as soon as possible. It is within our power to stop sending jobs overseas, to prevent falling behind major economies such as China, Germany, India, and to stop harming domestic industries and manufacturing.

Again, look at this chart. This tells the story. We have to stand and do the right thing. Let's start by passing the wind PTC extension now. We can do it today. I am going to continue coming back to the floor of the Senate until we get the wind PTC extended.

Tribute to Tejal Shah

As my time begins to expire, I wished to take a moment of personal privilege and note that Tejal Shah, who has been working in my office as a fellow from the State Department, is leaving my office this week. She is returning to the State Department to continue doing her work there.

I wish to thank her for the phenomenal support she has given me, for the knowledge and skill she has brought to my office. I wish her well in her efforts at the State Department.

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

I thank Senator Conrad. He is always gracious and compelling, and I appreciate the strong case he made for his point of view.

I rise as I did yesterday, and I will continue to do so, to highlight why it is so important that we extend the production of the tax credits, or PTC as it is known, for wind energy. Senator Bennet from Colorado joins me, feeling the urgency of the moment. Members of both parties have agreed that the PTC is vital for continued economic growth in our country. Put simply, the PTC means good-paying American jobs. The longer we wait, the more American jobs we can expect to be lost in the coming months and weeks ahead.

When I go home, Coloradoans say to me it does not make any sense that we would not extend the production tax credit. So over the next couple of weeks I am going to come to the floor every day to talk about how the wind production tax credit affects each State across the country, to drive home the point that real American jobs will be lost if we do not take this commonsense step.

The PTC has meant economic growth in Colorado. We have a favorable business climate in Colorado, and we have tremendous wind resources. In fact, if we harness the wind potential that is there, similar to the wind potential that is off the shores of the State of the Presiding Officer, there is enough wind power to go way beyond our needs. In Colorado's case, 25 times over the State's electricity needs could be met if we harness and harvest that wind.

That is an amazing statistic. It is generated by the National Renewable Energy Lab, which we are happy to host in Colorado, a flagship of energy research, development, and innovation.

I hope I will not have to say too many days in the future what I said yesterday: The strong growth in the wind sector is at risk. Thousands of jobs, as you can see in this chart of Colorado, have been created across my State, all the way from Pueblo in the south central portion of the State, to Greeley, Fort Morgan up in the northeast, to Yuma County way out in the eastern part of the State.

These are quality jobs. These jobs support families and communities. I want to put a face on these families and these communities. I want to talk about Derek Palmer. He lives in Greeley, up here in the northeastern part of the State. He has three children and a wife. He graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 2011 with a degree in business management, and he has worked at the Windsor manufacturing plant--it is a Vestas plant that manufactures wind blades--for the past 9 months. He left an excellent managerial job in the service industry and joined Vestas, in large part because of the strong benefits package that is there for his wife and kids. He loves working there. He is patriotic, and he is helping our country become energy independent. Because of our inaction, thousands of jobs like Derek's are in jeopardy. This industry deserves some certainty, some stability, and so do countless families like Derek's in Colorado and all over the country. So if we don't act, I fear dire consequences.

The CEO of Vestas--I think you have met him, Mr. President--says that he expects the wind market in the United States to fall by 80 percent if the PTC isn't extended. Eighty percent is a huge number. That is 80 percent fewer jobs, 80 percent fewer families pulling themselves out of this recession, and 80 percent less investment than we have today, all because we are not active, all because we are not taking the right steps for it.

As I close, this is not a partisan issue. Both Democrats and Republicans, Senators and House Members, agree that we need to extend this commonsense tax credit. There are bipartisan bills to extend it. I led an effort with six Democrats and six Republicans here earlier urging us to extend the PTC. The solution is simple. We just need to extend the PTC ASAP. We need to do it. Let's do it as soon as possible.

I yield the floor.