Floor Statements

Madam President, I have spent my 12 years in the Senate trying to work across the aisle, trying to get things to happen around here. I found the way things happen is, if they go through the whole process--

I think the Senator's time expired.

Madam President, reserving the right to object, our side would like the additional 4 minutes, then, as well.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Maryland get an additional 2 minutes and I have 4 minutes.

Madam President, I thank the Senator from Maryland for her concern and her effort on the bill she has put together. I am going to express my strong support for S. 166, which is the Hutchison alternative. It is our understanding that if we are allowed to proceed, there will be an open amendment process. I guess I am being asked by the leader to allow that to happen once, so that we can see whether it is actually going to happen. But I still wish to register my objection to the process we appear to be going through. I worked for 12 years to make this a more agreeable body, to work across the aisle.

We have moved, the HELP Committee--Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee--from being the most contentious committee to being the most productive committee.

This bill should have gone through the committee process. We solve a lot of things, we shorten the debate on the floor, and we eliminate the need for all of these cloture motions which result in hours and hours of time with no productivity. I think the American people want the productivity, and the reasoning that comes from the committee process that winds up with a very good product. We can have that on the labor issues, but they have to go through committees.

I yield the remainder of my time to the Senator from Texas.

Madam President, for the past 2 weeks, I have been patiently waiting for what everyone in this chamber knew was inevitable. When the Senate passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act on October 1, 2008, we included a stipulation allowing the disbursement of the final $350 billion only upon the President's request to Congress, and after Congress had been given an opportunity to pass a resolution of disapproval preventing release of the funds. We did this to provide a chance to thoroughly assess the program, make changes, and get our country's economy on the right track again.

Although I voted against the act that created the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the TARP, I was pleased that this provision was added into the final bill. Many of my colleagues and I thought, optimistically, that the TARP would work better than we had predicted. It was even possible, some noted, that we would not have to spend the entire $350 billion final disbursement. Even if it was necessary to approve the additional funds, we would be provided the opportunity to evaluate the program and make it more effective in a rapidly changing market.

So in preparation for the President's request, I have been keeping track of the market conditions, following the headlines, and watching the stock market. Yesterday, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down almost 250 points. This is the lowest the market has closed in 2009, and the biggest drop since December 1, 2008.

Jobless claims have increased since the holiday slowdown. The U.S. Department of Labor statistics on unemployment released today indicate that the recession is getting worse and that those companies we were trying to save with the TARP program are cutting more workers than predicted in order to stay afloat. These are the same workers who have seen a lifetime of retirement earnings shrink to nothing. Others have lost their homes, their most stable financial asset in past years, due to rising unemployment and a frozen credit market. For those Americans without a job, they face dismal employment prospects as companies continue to cut their workforces to stay in the black.

The companies that employ them are not in any better shape. Headlines this week warned that even the largest financial institutions were forced to take drastic measures to remain viable. For example: ``Citigroup Ready to Shrink Itself by a Third.'' ``Bank of America to get Billions in U.S. Aid, Can't close deal for Ailing Merrill Lynch.'' These developments occur despite $350 billion of taxpayer money already spent, and billions more guaranteed through the Federal Reserve.

After more than 3 months, it is time we take a detailed look at the TARP program and ask ourselves, ``Are American taxpayers getting what they paid for?'' Based on my observations, it is clear that we are not. Our economy appears to be in no better shape than on October 1, 2008, when we passed this massive $700 billion emergency bailout, and today the Senate is poised and seemingly eager to send more money out the door. We are throwing good money after bad money, and expecting different results. But without substantial changes to the TARP and measurable, attainable goals, there is no chance of success for this program.

Let's be clear, this program has not worked. America is still in the grips of a frozen credit market, and the U.S. Treasury continues to operate this program in a manner never intended by the Congress when we created the TARP. In fact, upon passage of the act, Treasury gave it a different name. The TARP became the Capital Purchase Program and instead of buying troubled assets, the Treasury began buying stock directly from the market. Yet when Congress has an opportunity to put this program back on track, some of my colleagues would prefer to simply give Treasury more money to operate a $700 billion slush fund as it pleases. This is not the time to encourage blind spending and ignore the fundamental problems with our country's capital markets. Now is the time to modernize the TARP, add accountability and transparency, and hold Treasury to its commitment to operate this program the way we intended.

It will take more than blind spending to get our economy back on track. That is why I support the resolution of disapproval. My colleagues in the Senate must take a critical look at this program, measure its progress and setbacks, and make changes that will put this money where it is most needed. It is obvious that the first $350 billion has not worked, so why are we rewarding this failure with more money? Instead, let's work on a reform package that will hold Treasury's feet to the fire and get credit flowing through our markets again. We need a program that will put our money to work building construction projects, hiring employees, and operating small and large businesses across the country. We need a program that will bring confidence back to the market. This program must be temporary, and provide a reasonable chance of success for the businesses and the taxpayers who are participating in it. It also must be accountable and transparent. The American taxpayers should know what they are getting with their investment, and to date, they do not.

I am willing to work with my colleagues on a reform package that will do all of these things. However, the first step must be to put the brakes on this reckless spending. Doing so will provide us with the opportunity to make the program better, and fulfill our obligation to the taxpayers funding this program with their hard-earned money.

I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in support of the resolution of disapproval.

Mr. President, I congratulate Senator Mikulski and Senator Murray, and all of the people who have worked on the bill for their dedication to women's rights and their dedication to civil rights.

I have been referred to several times as a reasonable voice on this floor and in committee. I work across the aisle. And I have got to say, I went through an election where that was the toughest issue against me, the fact that I had worked across the aisle. People particularly wanted to know how I could work with Senator Kennedy to get stuff done. I always concentrated on the last part of that: ``getting stuff done.'' America expects us to get stuff done.

The way that really works is, we work across the aisle and we listen to everybody, and we work across the building, and we listen to 435 people down there as well, providing a process where people can have their views heard.

One of the reasons we go through a process--and we are talking about an appropriate legal process that people who are discriminated against need--is to make sure the voice of the people of the United States is heard.

The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was once the most contentious committee in this body. It is now the most productive committee in this body. We pass a lot of legislation. You do not hear much debate on the floor on it because it goes through the committee process.

How does that committee process work? Well, when a bill goes to committee, you usually have hearings. We have not had a hearing on this. You get a markup. That is when everybody can turn in every imaginable amendment they can think of for that bill, which is where you bring into account the perspectives of all of those people on the committee, 20, 22, 23 people, who concentrate on a subject, who know that subject.

From there, the chairman and the ranking member kind of divide things up and see what the relative amendments are trying to do, and the ramifications of those amendments. If you have 25 amendments, but all deal with one subject, you know that is a hot-button issue. But if you look through them, you usually find out there is kind of a common theme; not a common solution but a common theme. And because of the way a committee works, you have a chance to sit down with those people who have those opinions and see if there is a solution that fits in the bill. Usually there is.

That is why we have done some very difficult issues through committee. We passed the first change in mine safety law in 28 years, and we did it in 6 weeks, not 6 weeks of floor time. The floor time was about an hour. We did a pensions bill. That has always been a difficult process. We wanted to make sure people received the pensions they were promised and that companies were not put out of business so they could not pay those pensions. That was a 1,000-page bill. We had an agreement before it came to the floor, because of committee work, that we would have 1 hour of debate, two amendments that we could not agree on, and then a final vote. In less than an hour and a half,

we passed one of the most critical bills for this Nation, and it was because of committee work. It is because of the knowledge the committee has and shares in committee and the negotiation that goes on.

When we are presented a bill on the floor that has not been to committee, we have no voice, and it is take-it-or-leave-it. If we look at the history of the Senate, it is usually leave it. Why? Because there isn't that flexibility of amendments when it comes directly to the floor. There isn't that ability to see what the intensity of the amendments is, let alone the direction of the amendments, let alone the opportunity to find an alternate solution, one on which both sides agree. When you don't follow committee process it takes a lot more time. How much time does it take? I guess we will be talking about this today and tomorrow we will have a cloture vote on it. If that cloture vote succeeds, then there is 30 more hours of debate before we get to amendments.

One of the concerns on this side is whether the process will break down at that point as well so that if there is the approval to proceed, then there would not be any amendments allowed. That was a concern on the public lands bill, no opportunity for anybody to offer any amendments. That was a $3.5 billion bill. But that doesn't mean much when one is talking about $700 billion stimulus bill and when we haven't even done the appropriations process for last year. Where are the appropriations? Should that not be a part of the solution to the crisis we are in? Yet we are jumping right to this bill that has not been to committee.

I express my strong opposition to the process or, more accurately, the total lack of process which brings us to the consideration of S. 181. The manner in which this bill is being handled by the majority sets a disappointing tone for the new Congress and lays the groundwork for a legislative term that will surely be more partisan than productive. The majority has brought this legislation directly to the floor of the Senate and, in doing so, has completely circumvented the regular order of the Senate and its committee process.

This legislation has not been brought before the committee of jurisdiction and, as a consequence, has not been subject to scrutiny, open debate, and amendment which is an integral part of the Senate's deliberative process. This is not the legislative process our Founding Fathers created. It is an affront to Members and a disservice to the American people. We cannot have good legislation with a bad process. People may have wanted change when they voted last November, but the change they wanted was not the imposition of one party rule or 30 hours of debate followed by a vote, followed by 30 more hours of debate, followed by no amendment process, followed by a final vote. I don't think anybody thought that was the solution to what we were doing.

In the committee process, things can be done in a much more prudent and sometimes rapid manner, with less floor debate, and this is where the 80-percent rule can be applied. I have found that we can agree with 80 percent of the issues. Pick an issue that is in that agreement category, and we can agree on 80 percent of that issue. What we get to see on the floor of the Senate is the 20 percent debate on what we don't agree on, not the 80 percent that we could get done quickly.

In addition to slick procedural maneuvering and empty platitudes, there are other ploys in the political playbook at work. First and foremost, and guaranteed to be used to distract the public's attention, is to demagogue the issue and attempt to demonize anybody who dares to suggest there may be another way to achieve a particular goal. The Ledbetter bill is the perfect example of this divisive tactic. Anyone who suggests the bill is an overreach or the problem it seeks to address can be addressed in a better way is immediately painted as opposed to equal pay for women or is some kind of a sexist Neanderthal. What a nonsensical claim.

Let's not forget that the alternative to this bill, which has been introduced in this Congress and which the majority leadership will not let us consider, was authored by Senator Hutchison. I do not believe there is a single Member of the Senate who can credibly claim to be more sensitive to women's legitimate concerns over pay equity or more instrumental in assuring equal rights for women in the workplace than Senator Hutchison. Is there so little respect for the intelligence of the American public that despite this fact the proponents of the legislation will nonetheless foster this myth?

People may have wanted change when they voted last November, but the change they wanted was not a further coarsening of public discourse and the substitution of name calling for meaningful debate or the avoidance of following the process in a prudent and rapid way.

I intend to speak further with respect to the substance of the legislation, but I do not wish to dilute my concerns about the way this legislation is being handled with my concerns about the bill.

Accordingly, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I still suggest on bills that we are going to do, if they go through the committee process, the committee markup process, we have a better idea of the intensity from each of the members on the committee. We have a better idea of alternate solutions or sometimes just alternate wording: a comma, a word here or there. Change sometimes makes a tremendous difference. That is not possible to do from the floor of the Senate.

The publicity isn't very good from the committee. Those issues that we passed nearly unanimously every time have not risen to much of a level of publicity, but they have gotten the job done. That is what I am suggesting we ought to do on bills this year. I am worried about the way this came up so early and, without that process, what we are facing for the rest of the year.

Will we just short-circuit committees? I also believe committees were very important, and I have enjoyed working on this committee. It used to be the most contentious, and now it is the most productive. I want to keep it that way. The way to keep it that way is to make sure things go through committee so committee members are not left out.

Mr. President, the final gavel will soon bring to a close the 110th Session of Congress. When it does, we will all return home to spend time with our friends and families to celebrate the holidays. We will also have a chance to meet with our constituents as we prepare for the challenges the New Year, a new administration and a new session of Congress will bring.

Before all of that occurs, we will say goodbye to several of our colleagues who will be returning home at the end of the year. We will miss them and the important presence they have been in our lives and our work over the past few years. One Senator I know we will all miss is Elizabeth Dole, the Senator from North Carolina.

It's that time of year when we will be watching our traditional holiday film favorites and one that certainly brings Elizabeth Dole to mind is It's A Wonderful Life. I don't think anyone has had a more exciting or interesting career than Elizabeth and certainly no one has a more impressive or detailed resume than she does.

Elizabeth has been a trailblazer throughout her life as she set out on a path to show others what was possible. Thanks to her, women of all ages across the country have a role model and a champion to look up to who has raised their sights as to what is possible for them to achieve in their lives.

Looking back, Elizabeth has been on the front lines of our national political scene for many years. She has broken quite a few glass ceilings, too, as she has taken a position of leadership and worked in the administrations of five Presidents. In the recent past she was often mentioned as someone who would make a good Presidential candidate herself.

Elizabeth really has lived a wonderful life. After her graduation from Harvard Law School she was asked to serve as a consumer affairs aide to President Lyndon Johnson. She then served under President Nixon, President Carter, President Ford and President Reagan, who asked her to join his administration.

Elizabeth set another precedent when she was appointed to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Transportation. She was the first woman ever to serve in that post. It was another opportunity for her to make a difference and she got right to work. She increased automobile safety requirements, worked to raise the drinking age to 21, imposed tougher security measures at our airports, and helped to make our cars safer. All of these changes not only made our lives better, but they also helped to save countless lives over the years.

President George Herbert Bush then asked her to serve as his Secretary of Labor, a post that Elizabeth would use to help identify and erase the barriers that were preventing women and minorities from moving up the corporate ladder. She saw her service as an important opportunity to change things and make life better for others, and once again, she succeeded.

That would have been enough for most people, the end of a remarkable career, a wonderful life in itself, but Elizabeth was just getting started. When she left public life and entered the private sector, she then took up the reins as the President of the American Red Cross. She was the first woman to hold the post since Clara Barton, the organization's founder held it in 1881. It was a difficult job and a tremendous challenge, but she was more than up to the task. Elizabeth took over a Red Cross in real financial trouble, but when she got through organizing and overhauling things, a large deficit turned into enough cash on hand to provide the kind of assistance the Red Cross is known for in the event of any local or national emergency.

Elizabeth is probably one of Duke University's best known graduates. Her North Carolina roots then brought her back home to make a run for the Senate. As she campaigned, the people listened to her and they liked what they heard. They decided that sending her to Washington to represent them would be a good idea. The record shows they were right.

In the Senate, Elizabeth has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that our workers will have the training they will need to change careers and move on to better jobs in the current global economy. She had the insight to propose legislation to provide grants to small business owners so they could get the training they would need to be more competitive in the markets of today.

On the Banking Committee, Elizabeth has been at the center of the action on the Nation's financial problems. She has played an important role in the effort to enact tougher regulations to stop predatory lending and place tighter controls on government sponsored mortgages.

Clearly, Elizabeth has compiled a long list of achievements and accomplishments in her life that would make anyone proud. She has received a number of awards and recognitions for her tremendous efforts as a national political figure. But, what is probably most important to her, is the fact that she has blazed a trail for others to follow and by so doing she has inspired a new generation of women of all ages to set a higher standard for themselves and what they think is possible for them to achieve. In the end, that may be her greatest accomplishment of them all.

This is only a small part of Elizabeth's story and there are many more items on her record that are equally impressive. Together with her husband, Bob Dole, she has been part of a remarkable team and they have had a profound influence on the Senate and the Nation on every level.

Diana and I will miss seeing Elizabeth here in the Senate, but I have a hunch she will be close by to keep an eye on us and to keep in touch. She has had a remarkable career and a wonderful life and we were very proud to be a

part of it. We enjoy her company, her unique style, and most of all, we enjoy her friendship. We don't know what her next adventure in her life will be, but we will be watching with great interest as this exciting chapter comes to a close and she begins to write the next.

Mr. President, we have come to the end of another legislative session and we are all preparing to return home to celebrate the holidays with our friends and families back home. As we close the books on the 110th Session of Congress, it is good to have this opportunity take a moment to say goodbye to our colleagues who will not be with us when the gavel opens the next session of Congress. We will miss them all.

One Senator we will particularly miss when the next session of Congress begins is Gordon Smith. Gordon is a remarkable representative of his home State and he has been an important voice for the people of Oregon during his 12 years of service in the Senate.

I have enjoyed coming to know Gordon and having a chance to work with him on several issues of concern to the people of our States. During his service, he has compiled a remarkable record of success that has earned him a reputation for his ability to get things done in both the private and public sector.

Gordon and I have something in common--a love of numbers and the intricacies of the law and how they impact the small businesses of our Nation. We are both aware of the importance of the small business community and the jobs they provide to the people of this Nation. Without them our local, State and national economies would be in even worse shape than they are right now. With them, there is great hope and confidence that we will be able to find a solution to the economic problems facing our country.

Gordon knows something about running a small business from the days he spent trying to revive the frozen vegetable processing company that had been in his family's hands. Because of the strength of his will, his determination to succeed, and his commitment to excellence, he was able to produce amazing results. He took what had been an unprofitable business and turned it into one of the largest frozen food companies in the United States. His incredible ride to the top earned him a place in the Frozen Food Industry Hall of Fame.

It also earned him a spot on the Senate Finance Committee, where he has worked tirelessly to protect the small businesses of our Nation. His business sense and the practical experience he had of meeting a payroll and planning a budget helped him to master all of the details of our tax policy. He has an uncanny sense and a profound understanding of what works and what doesn't--and why. Fortunately, he has been at the right place at the right time and has known what to do to fix things and right our country's economic ship.

Gordon's commitment to our families has shown itself in many ways, most notably, by his work to tackle the problem of uninsured children. He offered an amendment that passed the Senate that provided for an increase in Federal cigarette taxes to fund a program to cover some 6 million uninsured children who were eligible for but were not enrolled in State health insurance programs or Medicaid.

He fought for our children because Gordon understands full well that they are our most important resource. If we don't provide them with affordable health care, a good education, and a supportive home environment that will make it possible for them to be successful in school and later in life, then nothing we do, no matter how well we do it will matter much in the long run.

Gordon knew it would not be easy to pass that amendment, but he was ready for a fight. He made it clear that if anything was worth fighting for, that was it. It really was no wonder, therefore, when he won a clear and decisive victory--not for himself, but for those 6 million children who now have a chance to live a happier and healthier life, thanks to Gordon Smith. It's another proud chapter in his legislative career--and it's part of a legacy of service to the people of Oregon that will never be forgotten.

As I have come to know Gordon, I have thought that he is a little like me because we both love to confound those in both parties who are surprised to see us working so well with members on both sides of the aisle. We have both worked with Ted Kennedy and thanks to his willingness to help us pursue a common agenda, we have both been able to make progress on the issues that concern us and the people back home.

In the months to come, I believe we will most remember Gordon for the way he faced the personal tragedy of losing a son. I can only imagine the pain that comes with such a loss. Gordon handled that time in his life with great strength and shared his experience with us, not to draw attention to himself, but because he knew that ``his having been there'' would enable him to reach out to help those who might be facing a similar struggle in the lives of their own families.

As he began to heal from that painful wound, he took that personal tragedy and gave it added meaning by working to pass a suicide prevention bill that now bears his son's name. It was another battle he fought because it was the right thing to do. He took up the cause because he believed in it with all his heart. As a result, the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act will forever serve as a loving testament of a father to the life of his son. It will encourage us all to reach out to those facing similar problems so they can receive the help and support they need to go on with their lives.

I have always known Gordon to be a man of great spiritual strength, a former Mormon bishop who has deep personal and moral convictions. He has a strong sense of right and wrong and his inner compass has helped to guide him in the direction that he felt was best for his State and the Nation. He is an individual blessed with a strong and determined spirit who has a special place in his heart and his life for his God and his country.

Mr. President, soon the gavel will bring to a close the 110th Congress and we will say goodbye to several good friends who will be leaving the Senate and returning to their home States. We will miss them all.

John Sununu will be heading home at the end of the current session and I know I will miss him when the next session of Congress is called to order on the Senate floor. I have enjoyed having an opportunity to come to know him during his service in the Senate and on the Senate Banking Committee. He has always impressed me with his knowledge of the intricacies of our Federal mortgage system. It is clear he has always had the tools and the talent to be an effective representative for the people of his State and he has always been a strong and effective voice for the people of New Hampshire.

John learned about politics and public service at a young age as he

watched both of his parents pursue their careers in their chosen fields. John's mother was a school board member, which explains his aptitude for science and math. He soon turned his talent for numbers into a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his interest in business into a degree from Harvard.

As the old adage says so well, he comes from good stock and a great political family. His father served as the Governor of New Hampshire and later as President Bush's Chief of Staff. He learned a great deal from his father about politics and what mattered to the people of his home State as he traveled around New Hampshire with his dad. He then put those lessons into practice when he made his own run for office.

John's initial run for the House led to three successful terms. He then launched a successful campaign for the Senate.

As soon as he arrived, he made it clear he was going to follow his own path and he had his own way of doing things. He had spent years working with the people of his home State and he had a clear view of those issues that were of great concern to them.

When he was asked, he had a ready explanation for the reason why he had such a unique perspective on things. It was all due, he would say, to his long New Hampshire roots. He knew that the people of New Hampshire are known for their independence and they have a long tradition of great respect for the rights and freedoms of this country. That, he would say, has drawn my focus and sparked my interest in these issues.

John has been a welcome and spirited presence on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. His educational background has helped him to stay on top of the latest technological advances and developments and that has helped him in the effort to keep our regulations on the latest technologies up to date, current and effective.

Yogi Berra used to say that you can observe a lot just by watching. I hope John will forgive me for quoting the words of a Yankee legend to a Red Sox fan, but as I have watched him in action, it is clear from his style that he has a bit of Wyoming in him. Never one to look for opportunities to speak to the press or make lengthy speeches to get noticed, John has always been focused on what he could do that would help to get things done. In my home State we like to say that you can get anything done if you don't care who gets the credit. John is like that. He has been working to get things done for New Hampshire and he has earned the credit he has received back home.

One of the issues that has always drawn John's interest has been the environment, especially the quality of our air. It is a sensitive issue for him, and he has always shown himself up to the task of fighting for cleaner air for the folks back home. His long list of achievements on this and many other issues will be his legacy, a record of which he can be very proud.

In the years to come, I will remember John for his unique sense of style, his determination to get things done for his state, and his willingness to stand up for those things he believed in with that remarkable intellect of his. He's not just a smart guy. There are a lot of very gifted individuals who knew what had to be done but could just never do it. John is a thoughtful man of action who has an in-depth understanding of the problems that face the Nation and a unique insight into what will work and what won't. Simply put, John knows how to make the right things happen.

Now John and Kitty will be returning home to New Hampshire to begin some new and exciting chapter in their lives. I don't know what they will decide to do, but I do know that John will stay active and involved in the issues that concern him that carried him to Washington for these past 12 years to serve in the House and the Senate. He would be the first to tell you that it has been a pleasure and an honor to work for the people of New Hampshire, and I am certain we haven't heard the last from him. For my part, I appreciate all his help on the issues we worked on together, but most of all, I appreciate his friendship and his willingness to play such an important part in the history of New Hampshire and the United States. He can be very proud of the difference he has made. He has been a good and effective Senator and the people of New Hampshire will always be proud of him and that they had the good sense to send him to Washington.

Mr. President, it is always a bittersweet moment as the clock winds down on the last minutes of the current session of Congress and we start to pack up and get ready to head home for the holidays. As we do, it's always good to take a moment to reflect on all we have accomplished over the past 2 years and those special Senators who did a lot of the heavy lifting who will be returning home at the end of the year. That is when we begin to realize just how much they will be missed. Such a Senator is Ted Stevens.

As Ted leaves Washington for his beloved Alaska, he will long be remembered for a long list of achievements in the Senate. The fact that he is the Senate's longest serving Republican is no accident. It came abut because Ted always had one foot in Washington and the other in his home State of Alaska. He was always heading back home whenever it was possible to keep in touch with the people of his State and let them know what he was doing on their behalf in Washington.

Ted has an affection for super heroes and that is no surprise because Ted is one. He may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but he was able to make sure that the needs of his constituents were heard and addressed unlike any other Senator for his entire Senate career. The people of Alaska watched Ted hard at work in Washington and they liked what they saw. It isn't any wonder that the folks back home call him not Senator Stevens but Uncle Ted.

When Ted returns home, Alaska will have lost a powerful force in the Senate. He is not only his State's greatest fighter, but he is also Alaska's best ambassador. He loves his State and he loves showing it off whenever he can. Many of us have had a chance to enjoy a wonderful dose of his special brand of Alaskan hospitality when we have had a chance to take a trip to visit that remarkable land up north.

I love fishing and hunting and all the activities that are possible in the great outdoors. So, for me, it was a special pleasure to be in Alaska and have a chance to take part in Ted's Kenai Tournament. Alaska is a magical place and the fishing and the scenery there is second only to Wyoming. More importantly, the Kenai Tournament is more than a social occasion or a chance to get in some great fishing during a break. It has a much more important purpose. The tournament was created to help raise the funds that are needed to restore and improve the habitat of the salmon in Alaska and over the years it has done a remarkable job of both protecting and helping to promote the wonders of his home State.

It might surprise some people to learn how much Ted loves the environment of his State and how concerned he is that it continues to be preserved for future generations to enjoy. It's a cause that Ted has worked on as he dealt with all of us in working to pass bills that would help to keep Alaska's great outdoors open and available to all those who love to hike, fish, hunt or just stand back and admire the scenery. Like me, Ted knows that our national treasures should be maintained not by excessive and intrusive regulation, but through the efforts of good stewards of the land who understand its value and its importance to our future as a nation.

For almost 40 years, whenever it came to fighting for Alaska's best interests on the Senate floor, or promoting the treasures of Alaska at home or here in Washington or anywhere in between, Ted Stevens has been the voice of Alaska. Whenever an issue was brought up in the Senate that affected his State, we all knew immediately to find out what Ted thinks. He always knew what would be best for Alaska and when he spoke, we all stopped to listen.

Alaska is perhaps best known for its towering spectacular and imposing mountains that seem to rise dramatically right out of the ocean. It is the perfect backdrop for Ted Stevens who is a man to match their mountains. Ted is a landmark of service and he has achieved a mountain of results for the people of his State.

As I have come to know Ted I have become very aware of the truth of the old adage that it isn't the number of years in your life that determines who you are, it is the amount of life in your years. For his entire Senate career, Ted has kept up an incredible pace and he has the results to show for it. He just celebrated his birthday and I can say that he is a very young 85 years of age.

He won't mind my mentioning his age. He's proud of it. He's earned every year of it and he certainly hasn't been taking it easy. At a time in his life when most people his age are sitting back and relaxing, Ted has been fighting here in Washington to protect their benefits, keep their taxes under control, and reduce Federal spending so that they could have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that things are in good hands--Ted's hands.

Ted and I get along so well because in a lot of ways, Wyoming is a lot like Alaska, and that often puts Ted and me on the same side on a lot of issues. We both understand the needs of rural America, and we both know how important it is to see that those needs are met.

His determination to serve the people back home was most evident when he took aim at keeping universal phone service in operation. He knew how important phone service is to people, especially those in isolated areas. For them, a phone is more than just an instrument they can use to keep in touch with others. For those in remote regions, a phone is their lifeline. It helps to provide them with the peace of mind that comes from knowing they can place a call and report an emergency whenever they are facing a life threatening emergency. For them and for all Alaskans, there was never any substitute for knowing that the Senator who speaks for you, understands your life and your needs and Ted has been the one to do that--ever since he first came to Washington.

It will be tough to say goodbye to Ted when he leaves Washington because I will miss having him riding shotgun as we go to work on those issues that are going to make a difference in the lives of the people of our states. As we say in Wyoming, Ted is a guy who walks the walk and doesn't just talk the talk. He says what he means and he means what he says. You know just where you stand when you deal with Ted and he has never been one to back down from a fight in committee or on the Floor.

In the years to come, whenever I think of Ted I will remember him as a man of action who knew it was more

important to get things done than to talk about doing things. He was always quick to put his words into action and get results. He has a wealth of knowledge about how to get things done in the Senate--and done right. When it comes to being an effective Senator, Ted could have written the book on it.

I won't say goodbye, Ted, I will just say we'll see you around town. I have no doubt that we will keep in touch with you and I am sure you will keep in touch with us--whenever something comes up in the Senate that we need to fine tune to make sure it treats Alaskans just right. Thanks for all you have done for me, for the West, for Alaska and for this Nation. Thanks most of all for your friendship. That is something I will always treasure most of all.

Madam President, it is one of the great traditions of the Senate, when we pass legislation that will change the direction of the Nation and our economy, that we pause for a moment after final passage to acknowledge the efforts of those members of our staffs who worked so hard behind the scenes to help us bring the matter to the floor for a vote.

We all have great staffs, people who are committed to the future of our country and to making a difference that will last for generations to come. Although that is true, I have always said that my team ranks with the best. In fact, if there were an Olympic event for staffs, I have no doubt my team would win the gold medal.

Because of the role they play in our work, they have a tendency to get noticed by the groups and organizations that are involved in the issues that come before the House and the Senate. The working relationship they develop with our staffs often leads to increased opportunities and sends some of our best workers off the Hill and into the private sector.

When that happens, I like to believe we are not losing a staffer; we are just expanding our field of influence. Still, when you lose someone who has played such a key role in the day to day work of our offices and the Senate, it is a great loss to the team as a whole.

I thought about that when I learned of Ilyse Schuman's plans to leave the committee and take a leadership position with the Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance. Although I was sorry to hear the news, I was pleased to know that she would be working for such a well respected and effective organization. It will be another great opportunity for her and I know she will make the most of it.

I can say that with certainty because that is the kind of person Ilyse Schuman is--thoughtful, reflective and committed to the future of our country and our health care system. Her interest in the problems we face as a nation and her ability to work with staffs on both sides of the aisle to find solutions that work and make sense was one of the principal reasons why we hired her several years ago.

I remember standing on the Senate floor earlier this year, when we passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. This groundbreaking legislation will unlock a door that will allow people to get the kind of genetic testing they need to give them an advance warning about something that might happen to their health down the road if they don't take the steps today to prevent or at least weaken its effects. The legislation we passed that day will ensure the results of our tests will be used for our benefit, and will not be allowed to be used against us in our employment or our insurance coverage.

That bill had been a key part of the committee's legislative agenda for 6 years. That was just about the time when we hired Ilyse Schuman. In my remarks on the bill's final passage, I said that I had often heard it said that it usually takes 6 years to get an important idea through the Senate. I said I wasn't sure I believed it, until I realized that she had been working on the bill for 6 years and that fact seemed to prove the idea has some merit.

I should have known that if it were possible to get the job done, Ilyse would have been a part of it because she has a history of excellence and making the impossible possible. She graduated cum laude from Tufts University and then earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center--with honors. More recently, she was named a John Stennis Congressional Staff Fellow for the 109th Congress.

She had been working as the senior counsel at a firm in Chicago when someone we interviewed suggested we talk to her about a position on the committee. She hadn't given much thought to government service, but the time must have been right because we were very pleased when she decided to pack her bags and come to Washington to begin this chapter in her life.

Now, as it comes to a close, Ilyse has a lot to look back on with a great deal of pride and personal satisfaction. Among the legislation she helped to shepherd through the legislative process, in addition to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, was the Food and Drug Amendments Act, Health Information Technology legislation, FDA Drug Safety Reform, the Pension Protection Act, Head Start, Patient Safety, the Workforce Investment Act, and many more. In addition, she has played a vital leadership role on the Committee and served as more than its staff director, she has been more of a coach who helped the whole team to work together and function as a more efficient unit. She is going to be very difficult to replace. In fact, she is one of those people who can't be replaced. We will find someone with special talents and abilities to take over the responsibilities of our new staff leader, but she will be missed and remembered with great appreciation for her outstanding efforts and her winning personality and attitude.

Ilyse was once asked about her position on the committee and how much it meant to her to have a chance to do something that would last, something that would make life better for us all. She said it meant a lot to her to be a part of the work on ``the issues that are most personal to everyone's lives.'' She saw it as ``an opportunity to have a huge impact on the quality of life across the country.''

Ilyse knew that to have the impact she hoped to achieve, she would need to forge good working relationships with staffs on both sides of the aisle. Fortunately, it was one of her strong suits. Ilyse knows how to disagree without being disagreeable. That was important because, at the end of the day, when she went home after a long day's work, she left with the respect of her colleagues in every office she worked with, a respect that was mutual and will prove to be lasting.

Now Ilyse is leaving to take on another exciting adventure in her life. Diana and I will miss seeing her every day because she has become part of our extended family. We wish her the best of luck in this and in all of her future endeavors. In the months to come, I know we can continue to look to her for her leadership, direction and guidance on our efforts to make our Nation's health care system better, more effective, more efficient and more responsive for all Americans. It is a heartfelt goal Ilyse is determined to achieve and I know she will continue to be a part of that effort in the years to come. Knowing Ilyse and the operation of the Senate, I would say that we will be seeing the results of her efforts in just about 6 years.

I won't say goodbye, Ilyse. I know I will be hearing more from you and about you in the months and years to come. So I will just say keep in touch and we'll all look forward to seeing you around this special campus on the Hill, I hope, for a long, long time.

Mr. President, when the final gavel brings an end to the current session of Congress, my good friend Wayne Allard has chosen to retire from the U.S. Senate. I know we will all miss him and the strong and powerful voice he has been for Colorado and the West. His eye for detail and focus on the issues that are of such great importance to his constituents and mine will be very difficult to replace.

Wayne is quite a remarkable guy. He knew at a very young age that he wanted to be a veterinarian and so he directed all his efforts to pursuing that calling. He graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in veterinary medicine and opened a veterinary practice in Loveland, CO, with his wife Joan.

As he worked at the profession he loved he got to know the people of the area and the problems they faced every day. He wanted to do more than just take care of their animals and livestock, so he started to branch out to a career in politics. He knew he could find the time for both his practice and for politics and the challenge of learning something new interested him.

Wayne had one great advantage as he began--his family's deep Colorado roots. Wayne's great-great-grandfather was a trapper and an explorer and he was one of the first permanent settlers of northern Colorado. His family was among the first to move into the area and establish a home there.

Wayne grew up on the family ranch. He learned at an early age the importance of a hard day's work and of always doing your best. His days were spent baling hay and helping out with whatever needed to be done around the ranch from dawn to dusk. Life on the ranch taught him a lot and instilled in him the values and principles that have served him well throughout his life and his political career.

Wayne is a strong believer in the idea of a citizen-politician. He believes that the more experience we have in the workforce, the better we are able to find legislative solutions to address the problems faced by families across the Nation.

That philosophy guided Wayne's efforts in the House and helped him win his present seat in the Senate in 1997. That was the same year that I came to Washington and Wayne was one of the first people I met. Our shared commitment to the people of the West made us natural allies.

It was soon after we were sworn in as freshman Senators that Wayne told me about his plans to hold an annual conference to get his constituents more involved in the day-to-day operations of the Government. His dream took shape as the Allard Capital Conference. This annual event gives those who attend an opportunity to learn more about how their Government works, and to share their good ideas about how to change things. When it is over, it sends all those who attend back home to Colorado with a hefty dose of encouragement to continue the dialogue they began here. It has been a great success and Wayne has been able to attract many of Washington's leaders to participate along with an impressive list of Senators from both sides of the aisle.

History will show that Wayne has been so successful in the Senate because he is committed to getting things done--and not in making sure he gets the credit. It is another philosophy we share. You can get just about anything done if you don't care who gets the credit for it. Wayne has been a workhorse more than a showhorse and that has always pleased his constituents.

Over the years, Wayne's commitment to fiscal sanity has been so strong and so compelling that it drove him to give up his seats on the Armed Services and Environmental and Public Works Committees to join the Appropriations Committee. From there he took the reins of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee and began the difficult and demanding task of overseeing the construction of the Capitol Visitor Center. Up till then, the project had been the center of a lot of attention because there were so many cost overruns, delays in its construction, and questions about how the project was being managed. Wayne brought some sanity to the process. He started checking in on the work being done on a regular basis and his oversight brought a much needed sense of accountability to the project which is now about to open its doors to the people who come to visit our Nation's Capitol every year. In the

years to come, the Capitol Visitor Center will be part of the legacy of Wayne's service to the people of our Nation.

There is another area of achievement that Wayne is probably more proud of--and that is his work on the Great Sand Dunes National Park, his successful effort to convert Rocky Flats, which was formerly a nuclear weapons facility, to a national wildlife refuge, and his determination to protect and preserve the area around the Rio Grande River. All these projects were important to him because they enabled him to make a difference back home in Colorado.

Now that his Washington years are drawing to a close, Wayne would be the first to give a lion's share of the credit for all he has accomplished to his wife Joan. She was there from the start, working alongside him in his veterinary clinic and she is still by his side, the most important part of his work in the Senate. They have long been a remarkable team and it can truly be said that he and I both overmarried. Joan has been his best friend, his most trusted adviser, and his wisest political adviser and counselor.

Now they will return to Colorado and to the life that they love. I don't know what Wayne's plans are for the future, but I hope and expect I will continue to hear from him whenever he thinks that we just aren't getting it right when it comes to the budget, the environment, or any of the other issues that have driven him during his service in the Senate. Whatever he decides to do, I know we will continue to hear from him and that is something that can only continue to serve us all well. Wayne is a special guy who loves Colorado and his country and he has dedicated his life to making them better places for us and for future generations to live. He can retire secure in the knowledge that he has succeeded because he cared enough to serve.

Thank you, Wayne, for your heartfelt commitment to Colorado and the Nation, for your willingness to serve the people in the Senate and most of all, thank you for your friendship. Diana joins in sending all the best for a continued rich and rewarding life to you and Joan. And Wayne, for me, please keep track of and share the good fishing spots. I know most of them will be in Wyoming.

larry craig

Mr. President, I appreciate having this opportunity to wish Larry Craig all the best as he retires and returns home to his beloved Idaho. I have enjoyed having a chance to work with him on issues of concern to the people of our States. He has been an important part of the work we have done on many of the issues that have come to the floor of the Senate and he will be difficult to replace.

Ever since he first arrived in the Senate, Larry has been a champion for the West and a strong and powerful voice on the issues that concern the people of Wyoming and Idaho. His dedication to making his home State a better place to live and his determination to make a difference in the Nation through his service in the Senate has made him a force to be reckoned with for many years.

Larry has long Idaho roots that date back to his family's arrival in Idaho more than a century ago. He was born on the family ranch that his grandfather had homesteaded back in 1899. The ranch has been the proud home of the Craig family ever since.

Sometime during the days when Larry was a young man growing up in Idaho, he was bitten by the political bug. It got him started on the path toward what would be a career of public service. Then, in 1974, Larry was elected to the Idaho State Senate. It set him on a path that would take him to the United States Senate.

Because of his background as a rancher and a farmer, Larry knows the importance of the land and the need for us to be good stewards of all the resources under our control. After all, as we have heard so very often, when it comes to the land, they aren't making any more of it. That is why Larry has always been determined to ensure that Idaho's natural treasures were well taken care of. It is not an exaggeration to say that Larry has been the guardian at the gate to ensure the Federal Government didn't overstep its boundaries and overregulate the land in Idaho during his watch.

His commitment to the land and to the people of Idaho who rely on it for their livelihood particularly showed itself during his service on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He took full advantage of the opportunity to work against any effort that would adversely affect the ability of the people of Idaho to make good use of their State's land. Also on his agenda was the Endangered Species Act and the problems that had come with its application. It was a fight Larry was determined to win and he did more than just express his concern. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work. The new law he helped to write is not only more effective, but it is also designed to minimize its impact on property rights, employment and our State and local economies.

In the years to come I will most remember Larry for his ability to present his case with power and emotion whenever he would speak in committee or on the floor. Larry's speaking and his debating skills are second to none. He has been called one of the most influential of all the western Senators and his conservative style has proven to be one of his greatest strengths.

Larry is probably best known for his work on immigration and his support for the ability of seasonal workers to come to the United States to work on our farms. He knows the importance of developing solutions to tough problems like immigration that do not hurt State economies or make life harder for our family farms and ranches.

The habits that he learned on the family ranch have been with him his entire life and that is why you will usually find him hard at work in his garden. It is his favorite activity when he is away from his office and it is one he can share with his grandchildren. As the grandfather of three children myself, I can identify with his interest and the time he sets aside to be with his eight grandchildren.

Speaking of his favorite hobby, he once said, ``My wife knows she's not a golf widow or a skiing or a hunting widow. She's a gardening widow.'' Larry is also a tremendous artist. His ``works'' are widely prized and collected.

Larry, I will be sorry to see you and Suzanne leave, saddlebags flapping in the wind as you ride off into the sunset. Now there will be time for all the things you have been putting off for some day, for now there will be plenty of some days for you to share with Suzanne. Diana and I wish you all the best in whatever you choose to do in the coming years. As we have found, the end of one great adventure is only the beginning of the next. So it will be for you. Good luck and God bless.

pete domenici

Mr. President, it is always a bittersweet moment in time for me when we come to the close of a session of Congress. As the clock counts down the final hours of our legislative activities, it also signals the day when several of our colleagues will be retiring and ending their service in the United States Senate. When the current session ends, one of my good friends and great allies in the Senate will be returning home to his beloved New Mexico. He is Senator Pete Domenici and I know we will all miss him and his powerful presence in the Senate.

In the months to come, Pete may no longer be serving with us, but he will not be forgotten. He has left his mark on the Senate and on us all in too many ways for us not to remember him and how hard he has been working for the people of New Mexico, the West, and the Nation over the years. Every day he came to the Senate he was focused on what he could do today to make our tomorrows better for us all. The leadership he provided on so many issues will be very difficult to replace.

Pete began his career right out of college when he was deemed to be a good enough pitcher to be signed by a Brooklyn Dodgers farm team. It was a good life, but it wasn't the one for Pete. He decided after the season was over that baseball wasn't what he wanted to do and so he decided instead to do a different kind of pitching--to the people of the city he lived in. That pitch helped launch him on his true life's work--serving the people of his State and helping to make New Mexico a better place to live.

When Pete decided to get involved in politics his friends told him he was

making a big mistake. They warned him that it was a tough way to make a living and that it would be a rough life. Politics is a harsh affair, they told him, and they warned him that people would attack him and his reputation. They wondered why a guy who had such great gifts wanted to take on what would be a very difficult challenge.

We are very fortunate that Pete didn't take their advice. Instead, he decided to run for the Senate and to bring his case to the people. To no one's surprise they liked what they heard and Pete came to Washington after the 1972 elections. They have been sending him back here with enthusiasm ever since.

It is not an easy thing to sum up a career in the Senate that has spanned four decades. That is the mark of an individual who has dared to try to achieve great things--and succeeded. He came to the Senate with a great awareness of what needed to be done and with a combination of his own brand of style and substance he has been part of a great effort to make those goals a reality.

Looking over his record in the Senate, it shows that Pete has been a key player in our work to achieve energy independence. Together with his New Mexico colleague, Jeff Bingaman, Pete worked to bring a national energy bill that seemed doomed to be stalled forever to the floor for a vote and on to the President's desk for his signature. Pete was always willing to work with any Member, no matter their place on the political spectrum, if it meant making progress on a key issue. That is why I would sum up Pete's career in one word--success. Pete has a knack of finding a way to make things happen and we have all benefited from his abilities.

For my part, I also worked with him on the Mental Health Parity bill. For too long the provisions of our health care system provided unequally for physical health and mental health problems. Pete knew that was unfair, and he was determined to do something about it. Working together with me and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Senator Edward Kennedy, Pete was able to help bring a bill to the floor that required health insurance plans that offer mental health coverage to provide it on an equal level with that afforded to physical illnesses. It is a major change in health care coverage that will make life better for millions and millions of Americans. It is a major accomplishment and it will serve as a special part of his legacy of achievements in the Senate.

In the months to come we will also miss Pete's leadership and his wise counsel as we continue to work on the economic problems facing the Nation. Pete is an expert on budget issues and he has served as our Budget Committee chairman. As I have served alongside him over the years, I have appreciated having the opportunity to observe him in action and work with him on measures of concern to us both. He has been a tireless worker in the effort to bring the Nation's expense account to a biennial budget. He has also fought long and hard to try to put a rein on runaway Federal spending. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to reach an agreement that would balance the budget. He got that done by once again working with Members of both sides of the aisle and a Democrat administration. That was just like him. If there was a way to get something done, Pete usually found it, and the new way he helped develop usually got the bill passed and signed into law.

For me and for most of us, what I will most remember is Pete's personality and his great warmth. He is a genuine good guy who is very down to Earth. He is a gentle man and a gentleman in every sense of the word. He is a man of great faith who believes that public service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy on God's green Earth. Simply put, he is the kind of person you would want to have for a friend. That is why so many of us treasure his friendship. He is loyal and close to other Members and to all his staff. He treats his staff like Members of his extended family and not like staff. I think that is why they work so hard for him. They love him like a father because he treats them, as he treats everyone he knows, with kindness and respect.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention his wife, Nancy. She has been a pillar of strength and a source of great support and encouragement to him in his life. I like to say that Pete and I both overmarried. She has been an essential member of his team since they met and I know he would say that whatever success has come to him in his life he owes in great degree to her influence. She is his greatest friend, his wisest counselor and his closest confidante. Together they have done a tremendous job for the people of New Mexico and the influence they have had on it can be seen from one corner of the State to the other. She has been a partner in the fight for mental health parity.

The story is told that when Pete was accepted into law school his father made him a deal. I will finance your law school education, he told him, but only if you agree to my terms. If you do well, I will be proud to pay your way. If you bring home an ``F'' I will expect to be repaid.

Well, my friend, as you return home, your father would be very proud of the report card you will take with you from the Senate and from the people of New Mexico. You have done a great job and everything you have done in your life and in your career you have done very well. You take with us our great praise and an ``A'' from us all for effort, for the work you have done and for the results you have achieved. God bless and be with you, Pete and Nancy. I know we will all miss you and think of you often. Make sure you leave your number with us for I know we will be reaching out to you for your advice and thoughtful suggestions in the days to come. That is one thing that will never change.

John Warner

Mr. President, I appreciate having this opportunity to join with my colleagues in wishing John Warner all the best as he retires from the United States Senate after 30 years of service to the people of Virginia. John has had a long and distinguished career and he will be greatly missed.

Like so many of us, John's early years had a great influence on his life and helped to shape his character and mold his destiny. John's father was a surgeon and he saw to it that John's education began at an early age and included samples of just about everything there was to learn. John was soon picking up on a course of study that included math, music, science, Latin and much, much more.

During those early years, John felt the call to serve his country, so he joined the Navy when he was 17 years old so he could be part of our Nation's heroic effort in World War II. He then joined the Marines in 1950 to be part of our forces fighting the Korean war.

John's service in our Armed Forces and his tenure as our Secretary of the Navy has made him one of the Senate's strongest and most knowledgeable voices on the use of our Nation's military. He has been one of the Congress' most respected and most sought after experts on our actions in Iraq, the war against terrorism, and our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. His experience has also made him a leader in the Senate's oversight on defense spending.

Through the years, John has been an important part of the debate on global warming. His concern about the issue and the future of our Nation led him to ask us for our good ideas and common sense proposals, regardless of our party affiliation, in an effort to reach a consensus on the issue that would ultimately lead us to a workable solution.

There are two important reasons why John has been such a tireless worker on this and other similar issues. John shares my love of the great outdoors and all that it has to offer. He enjoys taking time from his busy schedule to hunt and fish with his grandchildren. He remembers the days he spent with his father taking part in those great activities and he wants to give his grandchildren the same gift. So do I. I think that shows John Warner has a streak of Wyoming in him and has fished there.

In the years that I have served with John I have always been impressed with his unique style and his ability to present his positions on the issues with great power and force. John has always been one to reach out to members on both sides of the aisle, and his ability to bring us together on the issues has helped us to develop answers to problems that seemed to elude us. I don't

think anyone has a better grasp of the importance of finding a third way to do things than John. He knows that there are always three ways of beginning our work on the issues. The first two lead to gridlock as they are the extreme positions on the issue. The third way is closer to the middle and has elements in it that everyone can agree on. That is usually what gets things done.

That has always been John's measure of success. He has never been one who was concerned about making points, he has always been interested in making progress.

John will always be remembered for the leadership he brought to the Senate on a number of issues that concerned him. As he worked on them all he showed his independence and his willingness to consider all viewpoints to find the one that he thought stood the best chance of succeeding, on the floor and in the field. John would be an excellent diplomat because he knows how to disagree without being disagreeable. He has forged good working relationships with us all and that is why he has so many friends in the Senate.

John has been a great public servant and his career shows the results he has been able to achieve in every area of his life. I am proud of his service in the Senate on behalf of the people of Virginia, his service in our Armed Forces, and especially, I am proud to call him my friend.

It is always difficult at the end of the session to say goodbye to our colleagues who are retiring. We have worked together for so many years that we will miss their thoughtful suggestions, their well chosen words and their commitment to the issues we have worked on together.

For John, the good part of goodbye is the knowledge that we will meet again and, I am sure, we will work together again, laugh again, and continue to enjoy all that life has to offer again. This is not a time to say goodbye, just a reminder to be well until we see each other again.

Diana joins in sending our best wishes to you, John and to Jeanne. You deserve nothing but the best life has to offer and you shall have it. I look forward to the days ahead and a time when we can get out our fishing poles and explore some of Virginia's best rivers and streams. Good luck and God bless.

Chuck Hagel

Mr. President, soon the last remaining items of business on the legislative calendar will be taken up and the current session of Congress will draw to a close. When it does, several of our colleagues will be returning home and leaving public service. We will miss them, their good ideas and the touch of creativity they brought to our work in the Senate during their years of service to the people of their home States.

When I am asked about the members with whom I have had the privilege to serve during my Senate career, Chuck Hagel will certainly come to mind. I don't think anyone has a more interesting life story to tell than Chuck and certainly few have achieved the level of success he has been able to attain in his public life and in the business world.

Chuck grew up in a small Nebraska town where he learned the value of a day's work at an earlier than usual age. Chuck found his first job when he was only nine and he's been hard at work ever since. When he lost his father at the age of 16 it fell to him, as the oldest child, to help raise the younger ones of his family.

That was also about the time that Chuck made his first run for office. When he was in high school he decided to run for Student Council President. He knew he would have to do something different in his campaign to separate himself from the others who were running, so he tied a chicken to the hood of his car and drove around the school announcing the reasons why he was in the race. No one had ever seen anything quite like that before and he won quite easily I am sure.

After his high school years, Chuck heard the call to serve his country and he and his brother joined the Army and served in Vietnam. He was seriously wounded twice and received two Purple Hearts during his military service. During one of his missions, he and his brother were trapped in their armored personnel carrier when an enemy mine exploded beneath them. Chuck pulled his unconscious brother to safety and probably saved his life. It took 10 years for him to fully heal from the effects of the injuries he suffered that day.

When he graduated from the University of Nebraska he began his political career in earnest. He joined the staff of a Republican congressman from Nebraska and impressed him and his staff so much that he steadily rose in responsibility to be his top aide.

Equally impressive has been Chuck's success as a businessman. He sold almost all he had to begin a cellular phone company with two partners. His hard work and determination to succeed paid off and his investment was multiplied many times over.

That kind of success would have been enough for most people, but not for Chuck. Chuck felt the call to bigger things and he set his sights on going to Washington to make life a little better for the people back home in Nebraska.

That was his platform when Chuck ran for the Senate in 1996. The experts thought he was a long shot and a lot of people said he didn't stand a chance. Once again, Chuck defied the odds and relied on the judgment of the people of Nebraska instead of the predictions of the experts. The people of Nebraska knew a good thing when they saw it and Chuck was sent to the Senate to represent them.

Chuck and I were part of the same freshman class and when we arrived we both looked forward to being named to the committees on which we would serve so we could make a difference for our States and the Nation. Chuck was very pleased and proud when Senator Lugar offered him an invitation to join the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Chuck took full advantage of the opportunity and made it the focus of his efforts in the Senate. He made a point of visiting other countries and meeting with foreign leaders to increase his expertise on foreign policy. Working closely with Senator Lugar and Senator Biden, he has been a voice on the committee that is sought after for his perspective on the issues that involve our relations with other countries.

Over the years I have enjoyed serving with Chuck and working with him on two of his top priorities, cutting Federal spending and making our tax system more workable and more responsive to the needs of our national economy. He can be very proud of all he has achieved, especially his support of fast track authority so the President could negotiate trade deals that cannot be changed by the Congress. His work in the area of international trade has made a great difference throughout the United States and helped improve our relationship with our trading partners.

Now Chuck's Washington years are coming to a close and he will be moving on together with Lilibet to something new and different in their lives. Diana and I have always found that when one great adventure ends another one takes its place. That is our wish for you. Whatever the future holds for you and Lilibet we wish you all the best. The only good part about saying goodbye is the knowledge that you will keep in touch with us and continue to offer your good advice and the unique brand of common sense that you learned from your service in Washington, your success in your business, and your years growing up in Nebraska, Wyoming's neighbor to the East.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the historic vote that will occur today on the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Members of Congress and the U.S. Treasury Department have spent the last two weeks debating a response to the declining U.S. credit markets and a plan to get America's economic machine running again. The final product is a far cry from the Treasury's initial 3- page proposal. However, I am still not convinced that this is the best solution for our country.

Throughout this debate, I have listened to arguments from both sides. I studied this legislative proposal line by line, and tried to measure the benefit this legislation would bring to our financial markets against its enormous cost to our taxpayers. Ultimately, I do not believe this is the best solution for our economy or the taxpayer. Has Congress been rushed? Have we decided to do something, anything, even if it's wrong because of the dire warnings of an economic apocalypse? Yes, but in this case the wrong proposal is just too costly for our country in terms of dollars and in terms of our economic future. Something does need to be done to save our economy, but this package is just a very costly band-aide for big banks that will do very little to help patients who need major surgery.

Had Congress been able to use the regular committee process to craft a bipartisan and comprehensive legislation, the resulting bill may have gained my support. Unfortunately, Congress has been pressured into passing this bill in two weeks by Treasury and Wall Street. A rescue plan of this scale requires a clear plan of action with a substantial chance of success. This plan has neither.

When Treasury Secretary Paulson and FED Chairman Bernanke first came to the Hill to ask for help, my colleagues on the Senate Banking Committee and I told him that even his dire warnings of a global economic meltdown would not allow us to give him a blank check. Since that time, the markets have soared and plunged on each new development out of Washington. But the warnings about global collapse have not been realized yet, and I pray that they won't. By passing this legislation are we vastly underestimating the resilience of our markets and overestimating the need for this legislation? This does not provide us with any measurable goals for success.

This plan inadequately addresses the root cause of our market crisis, home foreclosure. Without addressing the root of our economic problem, I have little confidence that it will be successful. I cannot vote for a bill to authorize $700 billion in taxpayer money without a substantial chance of success.

What I was hoping for was a solution that would get closer to the real problem and to the people. The housing crisis accelerated the financial problem. The response was to bailout banks and investment firms and forget the hurting homeowner. That is still what we are doing while claiming to make the credit market more liquid using taxpayer money. The public still sees it as a big bank bailout.

In addition, this plan offers no clear plan to solve our market crisis. I questioned Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke about the asset purchase program last Sunday, and again during the Senate Banking Committee hearing last Tuesday. I did not receive satisfactory answers, and many doubts about this program still remain. The primary purpose of this program is to find the true value of these mortgage assets through a Treasury purchase

program. Yet this legislation provides no details on how that process works, who will participate, and how these assets will be priced.

I understand why many of my colleagues voted for this bill and why some of my constituents encouraged me to do the same. This was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make as a senator. I hope that, if this bill ultimately passes, that it does help. I really do. I know this economic hole is dark and there is a real risk of many Wyoming people suffering, but I believe there are other steps that we could try before jumping off a cliff $700 billion high.

I will continue to work with my colleagues to craft comprehensive, accountable, and common-sense reforms to our financial markets. We must consider reforming the fair value accounting method when there is no market. The current rules prevent banks from understanding the true price of their assets in the long term. We need to enact reforms that make federal financial regulation more efficient, vigorous, and transparent. The role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also needs to be re-evaluated in order to restructure the mortgage market from the bottom up. Finally, we should consider changes to our tax code, including capital gains and mortgage interest deduction, which will encourage liquidity in the marketplace. Another idea would be to expand the tax credit to those buying up foreclosed homes or homes on the market over 180 days.

The best way to solve this problem was to never get in the situation in the first place, but at this point that is not an option. Further disruption of our free market system by rewarding bad decisions with taxpayer money will only make this problem worse. That is why I oppose this legislation. We've got a lot more work to do and I look forward to working with my colleagues to reform our financial markets to ensure this situation never happens again.

Mr. President, I rise today to also speak about the turmoil in our financial markets and the urgent need for a legislative solution. If people around here are looking a little frazzled, it is because we have been putting in long hours trying to get a solution to this problem, and it is getting closer.

As everybody knows, on Wednesday Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke wrapped up their sales pitch to Congress on how to best rescue our economy. The fact remains that there are many questions today, as many as there were before they got here--maybe even more. The U.S. Treasury continues to ask Congress for a $700 billion check with as little accountability as possible about how to spend it. Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke have opposed oversight transparency, protections for taxpayers, and everything else, except a check and an envelope to deliver it in. We owe Americans more than just a rubberstamp on this proposal. Each American is going to loan $2,300 for this plan. For that price, they want to know why it is necessary, where their money is going, and if the investment is going to work. Unfortunately, I am completely disappointed with the answers so far.

Members and staff have worked through the week to address these questions to present a workable solution. Some have found ideas that deserve serious consideration. Others are the same old ideas wrapped in new packaging.

The best plan has to rely on three simple principles: accountability to the taxpayer, transparency to the Government function, and a clear plan of action. The worst plan would be to weigh down a bill with pet projects and special interests that Members were unable to get in the last housing bill.

Accountability to the taxpayer means protecting them against unexpected and unjustified costs. This is a serious concern of the Treasury's plan because no one knows the actual value of the assets the taxpayers are buying, except the seller. The seller dictates the purchase price. To protect taxpayers from getting bilked, Treasury should take an equity stake in the companies that participate in this plan. If these assets are worth what Treasury buys them for, the option will never be exercised. But we must send a message to investors that American taxpayers come first. Years of big firms' unconscionable lending has sent our economy into a spiral, and recovery cannot be a free ride for the banks that put us there in the first place.

Transparency of Government function is the second necessary principle for an economic fix. Treasury's original plan prohibited agency or judicial review of any kind. This provision would have granted complete immunity to the Treasury Secretary and any future Secretary in the operation of this $700 billion slush fund. Good governance demands transparency, including proper oversight of this asset portfolio. I support ideas that insulate the managers of these assets from political influence and create an independent entity with a chairman who is accountable to the taxpayer. Congressional oversight must also be vigorous. Congress should expect regular reviews of Treasury's actions, and Treasury should not expect mismanagement of the taxpayers' money to go unseen or unpunished.

Finally, Congress needs a clear plan of action. The Treasury's original proposal was only three pages long. It has since grown in complexity. Secretary Paulson was unable to provide detailed answers to essential questions during the hearing at the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday. What is the process for hiring asset managers that ensures no conflicts of interest? How will the price of assets be set so that they are not too low, causing more bank failures, or too high, crowding out private market investment? Perhaps the most important question is, Will it work?

Secretary Paulson calls this proposal an experiment. I am very uncomfortable passing a bill to give Secretary Paulson $700 billion in taxpayer money for an experiment.

I understand the urgency of this problem, but our markets and the American public need the confidence of a clear plan with measurable results.

I again caution my colleagues that this crisis is not an opportunity for Members to pass pet projects they were unable to attach to the last housing stimulus package. In fact, I think there are some problems with what was done in the last housing stimulus package. Proposals for financing housing trust funds and authorizing bankruptcy judges to renegotiate mortgages will not correct our markets or restore confidence. These are old ideas with a new coat of paint. Members trying to attach them to this legislation will only serve to politicize a bipartisan issue and slow our progress toward finding a solution.

As I work with my colleagues on a solution to this economic crisis, I will keep three principles in mind: accountability to the taxpayers, transparency of Government function, and a clear plan of action.

We are talking about a fundamental change in our Nation's free market system. This change will come at a high price and with a considerable amount of pain to Wall Street and to Main Street. However, apprehension about the pain of recovery is no excuse to push a hastily written proposal through Congress without blinking. Now is the time these three principles are needed the most.

Our best economic experts state it is not just Wall Street facing this problem. If this economic slide continues, businesses in Wyoming and other States could shut down. People could lose their jobs. In the worst case scenario, people would have less money to buy goods and services, forcing more businesses to shut their doors and unemployment to increase. Banks could bar the gates on credit, effectively halting business growth. Even people who have established excellent credit, who have paid their bills on time and kept their financial houses in order may not be able to get the financing they need. Students might not be able to get loans for college. Renters might have to stay renters because no one will loan them the money to buy a house. If no one is buying cars because they cannot get loans, then car dealerships will not be able to sell cars and automakers will not make any. Unemployment in this country could skyrocket.

These are some of the concerns on my mind as I seek to get a clearer idea of the scope and details of what we are dealing with. I have laid out the principles that I think are essential. It is my understanding that most of those, in the discussions I have been a part of, are in the package. I appreciate the efforts of those who are working on this legislation, working toward a solution. I appreciate the thoughts and information I am getting from people in Wyoming.

I wouldn't say the majority party leadership said we are likely to postpone today's scheduled adjournment of the Senate and come back next week. I say we have to work until we have an acceptable solution.

I hope everybody will keep track of what is happening, and I hope the principles where we have taxpayers' protection and executive compensation limits wind up in the legislation so people who got us into this mess feel the pain of getting us out. That means no golden parachutes, taxpayers need equity sharing, and I believe any profits gained from this package must be used to reduce the national debt.

As the money comes flowing back in from the $700 billion--and there will be money coming back in from it--it has to be used to reduce the national debt. Oversight and transparency--a congressional oversight board has to be in charge of administering these funds. We need Government accountability. We need office audits. We need an independent inspector general. Perhaps an additional idea that might be included would be that Congress would first provide Treasury with $250 billion, then

$100 billion, and then another $350 billion as the oversight shows that it is working and it is needed.

This is a critical time in the life of our country. We need to come together and find a solution, and we need to make sure we are watching out for the people who are paying the bills--the American taxpayers.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to talk about an important issue for the people of the state of Wyoming. It is one that this body has attempted to address several times over the last three years, but never successfully: immigration reform.

Last year I introduced a ``Ten Steps to Health Care'' plan. This plan set forth 10 pieces of legislation that enacted as a group or individually would make positive changes in America's health care situation. I believe this approach will work well for the topic of immigration reform so I created a principles document of six steps to address this issue. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list--we have tried comprehensive approaches in the past and it doesn't work. This is a proposal of six reasonable items, based generally on proposals and ideas in other pieces of legislation.

Amnesty for illegal immigrants is not a part of this proposal. Amnesty rewards people for breaking the law and sends the wrong message to those

wishing to immigrate to our country legally. It puts illegal immigrants at the head of the line, in front of those who are following the rules in order to gain citizenship.

These six steps address border enforcement, interior enforcement, temporary worker programs, the employer verification system, English as our national language, and a merit-based permanent alien program.

The first step is what I have always said must be the top priority of any immigration reform proposal. Our Nation must have control of its borders. The enforcement of our laws is constitutionally the responsibility of the executive branch. Congress can ensure that we have adequate authorization and funding for continuing to hire and train border agents and they must have the proper authorization and funding to do their jobs. Congress already enacted the Secure Fence Act to increase the security along our Southern border. The enactment of this law, however, has hit a number of snags. Congress should increase oversight over the construction of the physical barriers and the development of the elements of the virtual fence. To ensure that congressional intent is clear, any future legislation must include specific construction and acquisition goals. We should also include mandates for the administration to report regularly if those goals are being met and if not, detailed explanations of why.

Interior enforcement is also the responsibility of the executive branch and our law enforcement. Congress should use our authority to clarify the ability of local law enforcement to assist in the detention of illegal immigrants and the reimbursement of those costs from federal agencies. As a former mayor, I understand the burden placed on sherriff's departments, police departments, and highway patrols when their already strained budgets are impacted by the delays in receiving reimbursements. Congress should also close loopholes that allow so- called sanctuary cities to avoid and ignore enforcement of Federal immigration laws. When these cities blatantly disregard Federal laws, they put their own citizens at risk by harboring those with no driver's licenses. These community leaders increase the burden on their taxpayers when social services are provided to illegal immigrants. We also should look at increasing the penalties for employers who knowingly and willingly, and especially those who repeatedly, hire illegal immigrants. Employers must have adequate protections, but we need to show that no business can pay a simple fine and continue to hire illegal workers.

One of the best ways to help our businesses is by enacting some commonsense changes in our temporary worker system. The current system is serving as a deterrent for following our country's laws. The problems with this system are not about a policy debate in Washington, they are about the ability of a small business owner to operate, stay in business, and provide for their family. In Wyoming, I have heard from hospitality businesses under the H-2B program, ranchers under the H-2A program, and high-tech businesses under the H-1B program. American workers would always be the preference, but the reality is that some businesses and industries are not getting the workers they need from our domestic labor pool. Businesses must first look for domestic workers--that is a fair requirement and I have not heard from any business in my State that disagrees with that. I want to work with the business community on this proposal to create language that truly addresses their workforce needs.

Some ideas we should consider for an updated temporary worker system include requiring uniform procedures at all consular offices so that both employers and prospective employees understand their obligations, requirements, and the process. We could also reduce the amount of paperwork required for businesses going through the temporary worker process. We must reexamine the congressionally mandated caps on the visa numbers. The reality is that the need is much greater than what the caps currently allow. Congress can raise the caps by reasonable levels and then allow for market needs and usage to permit reasonable fluctuation in the numbers. Above all, Congress must listen to the businesses in our Nation and work with them to create a realist program that meets security and economic needs. We cannot afford for even more small businesses to close or for large businesses to move overseas.

Another area affecting business is the employer verification system or E-Verify. I am hopeful that before the 110th Congress adjourns for the year, we will address the expiring authorization. As we look to the future, we need to consider making this program permanent. I understand there are some who are concerned about the accuracy of the program. We need to encourage usage of the system to determine what shortfalls may exist and how to fix them. I am pleased that the President has directed that all Federal Government contractors use E-Verify. We should enact this requirement into law. We also need to give employers the option to verify the status of all employees and not just new hires. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, USCIS, should also be providing monthly reports to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, with information that merits investigation. In order for this system to work, information must be shared between federal agencies. Finally, I support USCIS creating a pilot system to provide small and rural businesses with the opportunity to use E-Verify.

One of the most common comments I have heard from the people of Wyoming is support for English as our national language. My proposal contains two elements addressing our national language. First, we should declare English as our national language. Currently, 30 States have laws in place doing so. A common language for our government unifies our citizens. We have a great Nation made up of immigrants and I encourage everyone, whether a new citizen or a 10th generation American, to keep their family's traditions and cultures thriving in their homes and lives. This effort is about government documents and ensuring all citizens know what to expect from their government. The second part of this proposal eliminates an Executive order that may have been well intended, but has costly consequences. Executive order 13166 was designed to help those with limited English proficiency have access to government documents and services, but the fact that there were no reasonable limitations set forth make this order effectively require that every document and every service be ready for access in every possible language.

The final step in this plan is creating a merit-based permanent alien program. This concept is based on permanent alien programs of other industrialized nations like Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The United States should have a similar program in place. This concept does not eliminate permanent alien programs for families or those with refugee status but would allow our Nation to ensure that a larger portion of green cards are going to those individuals who are contributing to our economy.

Canada's point system allows for approximately 60 percent of permanent resident aliens to qualify based on their skills and their benefit to the Canadian economy. The remaining 40 percent of permanent resident grants are based on family relations or refugee status. Current U.S. law allows about 70 percent of our annual 1 million permanent resident admissions be based solely on family relations and only about 13 percent to be based on employment with the rest going to refugees and diversity visas.

These six steps reflect ideas and concepts from a host of legislative proposals already introduced by my congressional colleagues. We could enact any one of these sensible proposals today and produce results tomorrow. I encourage my colleagues to listen to their constituents over the next several months. We need to get the message that Americans want our country's borders secure and our laws enforced. We need to hear the needs of our businesses and the financial concerns of our communities. The message has not gotten through that there are ways to improve our immigration system and make positive changes without amnesty. The people of America want Congress to improve our immigration system and we have not yet listened to them.

It is a great pleasure to work with my distinguished colleagues on H.R. 3343, the Health Care Safety Net Act. The Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has a long and distinguished history of championing legislation improving our health care system. Reauthorization of the health center program, the National Health Service Corps, rural health care programs, and dental workforce programs are a handful of examples of the successful programs the HELP Committee governs. I have had the pleasure of working with Senators Kennedy and Hatch on this bill, and I very much appreciate the work of Senators Smith, Barrasso, Roberts, and the other sponsors of S. 3367, which was the genesis of the rural health clinic provision included in this bill. I also sincerely appreciate the contributions of Senators Baucus and Grassley, as the rural health provision is under the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee. I look forward to strengthening our relationship next year as our two great committees work together on health care reform, and I am pleased the passage of this bill puts us one step closer to a higher quality health care system.

Mr. President, I am pleased to be before this body and congratulate my colleagues on the work they have done to facilitate passage of the Health Care Safety Net Act. I sincerely appreciate the work of Senators Kennedy and Hatch on this important issue; their leadership has led us to this point. I look forward to sending the bill to the President and seeing it signed into law.

Community health centers are a critical piece of the health care safety net and a vital piece of our health care system. The Community Health Center program has a long history of helping people get the care they need when illness or an emergency presents itself. Congress enacted the health centers program in the 1960s. Since that time, health centers have been regularly providing high quality health care to people living in rural and underserved areas, regardless of their ability to pay. The number of health centers continues to rise, and more people are getting the kind of high quality health care they have come to rely on every day.

A newly added provision in this bill requests the Comptroller General conduct a study on the implications of expanding the Federal Tort Claims Act to cover volunteer health care providers serving at community health centers. I am very supportive of encouraging health care providers to volunteer time serving underserved populations especially at community health centers, and I am interested to see the results of the study. I also have a separate piece of legislation, not included in this bill, that takes a slightly different approach at solving this problem. The Volunteer Health Care Program Act of 2008 provides grants to States that contract with providers who provide charity care as an agent of the State and the State assumes the liability risk. I hope Members will consider this approach next Congress as we look to address the problems volunteers face.

This bill also reauthorizes the National Health Service Corps, the Corps, program for 5 years. The Corps assists health professional shortage areas in all parts of the United States to meet their primary care, oral, and mental health services needs. The bill clarifies that all federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics shall be automatically designated as having a health professional shortage. In my home State of Wyoming, we have a shortage of every type of provider, so I am glad this committee is reauthorizing this important program.

The bill also reauthorizes for 5 years the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program, which increases access to primary health care services for rural Americans. Most of Wyoming is not classified as rural; most of Wyoming is classified as frontier because we have such a geographically large state with so few residents. I am pleased these programs were reauthorized.

Additionally, I appreciate all the help of my friend Senator Collins, who championed the provisions reauthorizing the primary dental health workforce programs. This program awards grants to States that develop and implement innovative programs to address dental health workforce shortages. Many States are doing great things with these funds, and I plan to encourage my home State of Wyoming to apply for one of these grants. Improving dental health is a critical part of keeping folks healthy and preventing disease and I commend the work of my friend from Maine.

A new section of the bill promotes greater coordination of primary care providers during emergency situations. I am pleased to say Wyoming is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the country with regard to this provision. During Hurricane Katrina, other States sent volunteer providers to Louisiana, but their medical liability protections did not follow them. Wyoming enrolled providers in the Volunteer Medical Reserve Corp Program, which allowed the Wyoming volunteers to have medical liability protections that followed them to Louisiana. I applaud the health care providers in Wyoming who did the right thing by volunteering and the State efforts that ensured that their liability protections followed them to Louisiana. I hope other States will follow in Wyoming's footsteps and enroll volunteers in the Volunteer Medical Reserve Cops.

I also appreciate the leadership of Senators Smith, Barrasso, Roberts, Grassley and the other members who championed revising the timeframe for recognition of certain designations in certifying rural health clinics under the Medicare Program. Because the

Medicare Program falls under the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee, we worked closely with the Finance Committee members and enlisted their support and expertise in designing this provision. I am pleased we could include this provision that will help rural health clinics continue to provide quality care to their patients.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention this Community Health Center bill is actually a part of step 9 of my 10-step plan to transform health care in America. Passing this bill puts us one step closer to fixing our health care system. I look forward to passing more of the 10 steps next Congress.

Mr. President, for far too long, American workers and businesses have awakened each day to wave after wave of bad news: rising foreclosures, $4 gasoline, job losses, inflation, bank runs, credit crises, embassy bombings, triple-digit stock losses, devastating hurricanes . . . the bad news just keeps coming. The burden is heavy and Americans are tired.

But today, a ray of sunlight is peeking through the storm clouds. Today, I am happy to share some good news with you. It is good news when the Senate can rise above partisan politics and find solutions to tough problems. And it is very good news when that solution lets taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money.

The legislation before us will provide much needed tax relief to individuals, families, and American industry and put us on the path towards recovery. It will spur the development of alternative energy sources and help free our dependence on foreign oil. It will protect working Americans from the overarching reach of the alternative minimum tax and expand the child tax credit to help low-income working families.

This bill also includes some very good news for Wyoming. It preserves the sales tax deduction on taxable income. This will enable residents of Wyoming and other States that have no State income tax to deduct their State sales taxes when filing their Federal income tax returns. Without it, Wyoming residents would shoulder an unfair share of the Federal tax burden.

This bill also enhances funding for rural schools. In States like Wyoming where a large percentage of land is federally owned, local and State governments lose property tax revenues which are traditionally used to fund education and other local government functions. Historically, the Federal Government shared timber sale produced receipts with rural counties with Federal forests but timber receipts have been inconsistent creating budget uncertainty for rural counties to provide for schools, roads, and other county needs. This tax extenders bill would reauthorize and expand the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act and provide additional support for Wyoming schools.

The bill also includes important tax provisions that promote charitable giving and reward the tireless volunteers who help rebuild our communities after natural disasters.

This legislation will encourage business research and development-- the twin engines that power our economy by spurring the development of new technology and creating more jobs.

And for the first time, the Senate will establish health insurance parity between mental health coverage and medical surgery coverage.

The Presidential campaigns spend a lot of time engaged in endless volleys about reforming health care, but my colleagues Senators Kennedy and Domenici--and I have actually done something about it. This is an accomplishment we have worked long and hard to achieve and I would like to take a moment and explain how important this is.

In 1996, Senator Domenici and the late Senator Paul Wellstone authored a law that provided parity specifically for annual and lifetime limits between mental health coverage and medical surgical coverage. Although it was a landmark accomplishment and an important step forward, it was just the first step in the effort to address this issue.

Our bill will improve upon the 1996 law by including deductibles, copayments, out-of-pocket expenses, out-of-network benefits, coinsurance, covered hospital days, and covered outpatient visits. Essentially, it will require health insurance plans that offer coverage for mental health to offer it in parity with their coverage for physical health. It will help ensure Americans with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are treated fairly and can receive appropriate care. It will not mandate mental health coverage, but it will improve coverage that is available to 113 million Americans.

Mental health parity has been a long time coming. We are here today because my colleagues and I worked together with business, insurance and mental health groups for thousands of hours over many years to forge a common solution. Instead of fighting for the same old positions, where one side wins and the other loses, we worked hard to find a third way to get it done.

I often say that on any given issue, people can agree on about 80 percent of it, and they will never agree on the other 20 percent. By focusing on the 80 percent we could agree on, instead of the 20 percent where we'll never reach agreement, we found common ground on mental health parity and a third way that addressed the concerns of stakeholders.

The broader tax extenders package before us today isn't perfect. It is expensive and some of the temporary tax credits are offset with permanent tax increases, but it's a start. I think Americans are tired of watching Congress pit the ``perfect'' against the ``pretty good'' so that both sides lose and nothing gets done. We have accomplished something today and makes today a good day.

Indeed, this bill is good news and I am happy to share it with the people of Wyoming and all hard-working Americans.

Mr. President, when I was home over the August recess, I traveled over 6,000 miles across Wyoming. I visited dozens of different cities in my home State, all of which have a variety of concerns and needs. I found, however, one common theme throughout every town and in every meeting I took. That theme was the need to do something about the high cost of energy.

High energy prices are hurting everyone, but they are especially impacting the people of Wyoming. People in Wyoming are often forced to commute long distances to get to work. Some have to drive miles for groceries and general services that are common in larger cities. We need to do something to make America energy sufficient and today I am introducing my plan to make that happen.

My bill is titled Eight Steps to Energy Sufficiency, and it follows a similar model I have used before. It breaks down the deficiencies in our Nation's energy policy into eight separate areas and provides a solution for those eight areas. It is a comprehensive approach, but it is broken down in a way that any one of the steps can be passed on its own merits.

First step--use less energy. The problem that we are facing today is a supply and demand issue. We have too much demand for energy and not enough energy supply. My bill takes the approach that we can use less by aiding in the development of technology that will make vehicles more efficient.

Second step--find more American energy. Traditional energy sources make up 85 percent of our energy portfolio today, and there is no way we can transition to renewable energy over night. Because that is the case, we should be focusing our efforts on developing as much American energy as we can so that we can stop sending money to countries that are not necessarily friendly to the U.S. My bill does this by opening up the Outer Continental Shelf to energy development and ending the senseless ban on oil shale development. These two actions will go a long way toward making America more energy sufficient.

Third step--speed up the process. We can't get refineries built in the U.S., even though we need them and so my bill includes a provision to help streamline the permitting process for refineries. In addition to that, it takes a look at the NEPA process in an effort to see how we can limit senseless litigation that is slowing the production of energy on already leased lands.

Fourth step--innovation. I am a huge believer in American ingenuity. Every year, I hold an inventor's conference because I believe our community of inventors will be key in solving our energy crisis. My bill recognizes this and helps move forward the development of hydrogen technologies. It also studies cellulosic ethanol to determine if we are doing all that we can to help move non-corn based ethanol forward.

The fifth step of my plan deals with incentives. We need to incentivize the production of energy and we need to let people know that the Federal Government is in it for the long haul by providing incentives that last for more than a year. My plan would reauthorize the wind production tax credit for 5 years and it would renew the solar production tax credit for 8 years. It would repeal the Federal Government's theft of States' fair share of mineral royalties so that States would be encouraged to allow for production on their lands. It is important that we help people who are doing their part, and making these important credits available is one way to do just that.

The sixth step of my plan to strengthen America's energy supply deals with our nation's most abundant energy source: coal. Wyoming is the Nation's largest coal producer, and any realistic effort to make America's energy supply more robust has to recognize that coal will play a major role in making that happen. My bill provides funding for research and development to help develop and deploy carbon capture and sequestration technologies. It promotes using coal to make diesel fuel and allows the Air Force to enter into long term fuels contracts so that our military has a secure source of jet fuel.

Nuclear energy must also play a role in making America energy sufficient, and the seventh step of my plan encourages the development of nuclear energy. The bill recognizes the important role Yucca Mountain could play, and it offers up tax credits to help build new nuclear reactors. Wyoming is the Nation's largest producer of uranium, and because nuclear is a clean and efficient energy source, we should be doing all that we can to move it forward.

Finally, the eighth step in my plan involves opening up a small area of Alaska's coastal plain to energy production. By opening up a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that is roughly the size of the Natrona County International Airport in Casper, Wyoming, we can produce about a million barrels of American oil each day. The Energy Information Administration recently sent a letter suggesting that the addition of 1 million barrels of oil a day to the market could drop the price as much as $20 dollars per barrel, and we should act on this matter expeditiously.

My bill is an eight step plan. I broke down my ideas for energy sufficiency into eight separate steps with the hope that each piece can be passed by Congress as stand-alone legislation. In Washington, bills that are smaller and more specific are much easier to pass than huge pieces of ``comprehensive'' legislation because those big bills can often gain opposition very quickly, and before you know it they will not pass. Whenever we try to push through big energy packages, nearly every Senator objects to some aspect of it, and that means we are not able get enough people in support of the bill to pass it. By breaking down my plan into sections, we have eight sensible solutions for Congress to consider, and if enacted, any one of them would ease the burden of high prices faced by consumers.

I hope my colleagues will take a look at my package and will work with me to move forward with this important legislation. All summer, I heard about the importance of moving forward with energy legislation, and I believe my approach is the best way to make America energy sufficient.

Mr. President, when I was home over the August recess, I traveled over 6,000 miles across Wyoming. I visited dozens of different cities in my home State, all of which have a variety of concerns and needs. I found, however, one common theme throughout every town and in every meeting I took. That theme was the need to do something about the high cost of energy.

High energy prices are hurting everyone, but they are especially impacting the people of Wyoming. People in Wyoming are often forced to commute long distances to get to work. Some have to drive miles for groceries and general services that are common in larger cities. We need to do something to make America energy sufficient and today I am introducing my plan to make that happen.

My bill is titled Eight Steps to Energy Sufficiency, and it follows a similar model I have used before. It breaks down the deficiencies in our Nation's energy policy into eight separate areas and provides a solution for those eight areas. It is a comprehensive approach, but it is broken down in a way that any one of the steps can be passed on its own merits.

First step--use less energy. The problem that we are facing today is a supply and demand issue. We have too much demand for energy and not enough energy supply. My bill takes the approach that we can use less by aiding in the development of technology that will make vehicles more efficient.

Second step--find more American energy. Traditional energy sources make up 85 percent of our energy portfolio today, and there is no way we can transition to renewable energy over night. Because that is the case, we should be focusing our efforts on developing as much American energy as we can so that we can stop sending money to countries that are not necessarily friendly to the U.S. My bill does this by opening up the Outer Continental Shelf to energy development and ending the senseless ban on oil shale development. These two actions will go a long way toward making America more energy sufficient.

Third step--speed up the process. We can't get refineries built in the U.S., even though we need them and so my bill includes a provision to help streamline the permitting process for refineries. In addition to that, it takes a look at the NEPA process in an effort to see how we can limit senseless litigation that is slowing the production of energy on already leased lands.

Fourth step--innovation. I am a huge believer in American ingenuity. Every year, I hold an inventor's conference because I believe our community of inventors will be key in solving our energy crisis. My bill recognizes this and helps move forward the development of hydrogen technologies. It also studies cellulosic ethanol to determine if we are doing all that we can to help move non-corn based ethanol forward.

The fifth step of my plan deals with incentives. We need to incentivize the production of energy and we need to let people know that the Federal Government is in it for the long haul by providing incentives that last for more than a year. My plan would reauthorize the wind production tax credit for 5 years and it would renew the solar production tax credit for 8 years. It would repeal the Federal Government's theft of States' fair share of mineral royalties so that States would be encouraged to allow for production on their lands. It is important that we help people who are doing their part, and making these important credits available is one way to do just that.

The sixth step of my plan to strengthen America's energy supply deals with our nation's most abundant energy source: coal. Wyoming is the Nation's largest coal producer, and any realistic effort to make America's energy supply more robust has to recognize that coal will play a major role in making that happen. My bill provides funding for research and development to help develop and deploy carbon capture and sequestration technologies. It promotes using coal to make diesel fuel and allows the Air Force to enter into long term fuels contracts so that our military has a secure source of jet fuel.

Nuclear energy must also play a role in making America energy sufficient, and the seventh step of my plan encourages the development of nuclear energy. The bill recognizes the important role Yucca Mountain could play, and it offers up tax credits to help build new nuclear reactors. Wyoming is the Nation's largest producer of uranium, and because nuclear is a clean and efficient energy source, we should be doing all that we can to move it forward.

Finally, the eighth step in my plan involves opening up a small area of Alaska's coastal plain to energy production. By opening up a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that is roughly the size of the Natrona County International Airport in Casper, Wyoming, we can produce about a million barrels of American oil each day. The Energy Information Administration recently sent a letter suggesting that the addition of 1 million barrels of oil a day to the market could drop the price as much as $20 dollars per barrel, and we should act on this matter expeditiously.

My bill is an eight step plan. I broke down my ideas for energy sufficiency into eight separate steps with the hope that each piece can be passed by Congress as stand-alone legislation. In Washington, bills that are smaller and more specific are much easier to pass than huge pieces of ``comprehensive'' legislation because those big bills can often gain opposition very quickly, and before you know it they will not pass. Whenever we try to push through big energy packages, nearly every Senator objects to some aspect of it, and that means we are not able get enough people in support of the bill to pass it. By breaking down my plan into sections, we have eight sensible solutions for Congress to consider, and if enacted, any one of them would ease the burden of high prices faced by consumers.

I hope my colleagues will take a look at my package and will work with me to move forward with this important legislation. All summer, I heard about the importance of moving forward with energy legislation, and I believe my approach is the best way to make America energy sufficient.

Mr. President, I rise today to voice my support for S. 3406, The Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008. Like the original ADA, this legislation is the result of extensive bipartisan effort; and I would take this opportunity to commend Senators Hatch and Harkin for their leadership on this issue. I would also note that this legislation was supported by a wide range of stakeholder groups in the employer and disability communities. These groups participated extensively in the development and negotiation of this legislation and it can safely be said that without their participation this bill would not be a reality today.

S. 3406 was principally crafted as a response to a number of Court cases that many observers felt had interpreted the ADA too narrowly, and, therefore, denied coverage to individuals that the statute was originally intended to cover. The legislation clarifies the legislative intent. It retains the inherently functional definition of disability from the original ADA; and continues to require that in order for a physical or mental impairment to rise to the level of a covered disability it must substantially limit one or more of an individual's major life activities.

Ensuring that individuals with disabilities are free from discrimination, and fostering their full inclusion in the workplace and in all other aspects of life are singularly important goals and responsibilities. It is also equally important to continually monitor our laws, and, as we do today, amend them, to make certain these goals and responsibilities are met.

Whenever changes are made in existing law, however, we must be mindful of the likelihood of increased litigation in the aftermath of such changes. The drafters of S. 3406 have attempted to be as clear as possible in an effort to avoid the type of confusion that could spawn such excessive litigation. That said, we are not unmindful of the concerns expressed by some smaller businesses in this regard. Those businesses should recognize that this legislation was intended to ensure restored coverage for individuals that all of us recognize are entitled to the law's protection; and that the legislation was not intended to promote litigation or prop up questionable or frivolous claims of coverage. Just as Congress has monitored the original ADA and acts today to correct problems with its interpretation, it will continue to monitor the amended ADA and take action in the event it is abused.

I would also note that there have been some concerns expressed by both institutions of higher education and boards of professional certification that this bill would somehow change the fundamental nature of the service which a covered entity provides or lower the standards for professional certification. As to the latter, it should be expressly noted that nothing in the legislation affects the standards for professional certifications; and, as to the former, the legislation itself does not require that accommodations be extended where to do so would alter the fundamental nature of the services being provided. These would seem to be fair safeguards against the legitimate concerns expressed by some stakeholders.

The legislation that we pass today will hopefully help to aid in the full integration of those with disabilities into all aspects of society. It is an important piece in the strategy for achieving this end, but we must remember it is only a piece and cannot be the only strategy. Despite the existence of the ADA the workforce participation levels for individuals with disabilities have remained unacceptably low. We therefore need to think of approaches beyond the traditional enforcement of rights statutes in an effort to achieve the goal of the full participation of all our citizens in the benefits of our society and economy.