Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 222, H.R. 1117.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 147 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 283, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution

be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 284, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Thursday, October 5; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Quarles nomination, with the time until 10 a.m. equally divided between the two leaders or their designees.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the nomination of Mr. Heath Tarbert to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Markets and Development. This position is both a critical national security and international economic policy job.

A critical part of the Assistant Secretary's job--and the reason for which this position was created by statute and passed in the Banking Committee--is to marshal the procedures and processes of the interagency, Treasury-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which protects our Nation from hostile foreign transactions designed to undermine U.S. national security interests.

This is now a very time-sensitive post because Senators on both sides of the aisle are working to introduce legislation to change the CFIUS process for the first time in a decade.

Confirmation of Mr. Tarbert is critical so that he is available to provide necessary input on any proposed changes and to swiftly implement any new legislation.

Mr. Tarbert would also serve as the principal policy advisor to the Secretary on international economic matters, including serving as the Treasury's representative at the Financial Stability Board.

Finally, Mr. Tarbert has strong bipartisan support and was voice- voted out of the Banking Committee.

Mr. Tarbert has served in senior roles in all three branches of government and is an experienced lawyer and a recognized financial expert.

In short, he is an important asset whom the Congress and Treasury Department do not want to lose to further delay.

I urge all of my colleagues to support Mr. Tarbert's nomination today and to vote for his confirmation.

With that, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to yield back all time.

Mr President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to confirm Pamela Patenaude as Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Ms. Patenaude was advanced by voice vote out of the Senate Banking Committee on June 14, and continues to receive nearly unanimous bipartisan support from affordable housing advocates, public housing agencies, and industry leaders.

This month, Senate leadership received a joint letter signed by over 60 independent housing trade groups, urging that this nomination finally be brought to the floor for a vote.

Over her distinguished career, Ms. Patenaude has touched nearly every corner of housing policy and has held leadership roles at both the local and Federal level.

This is not the first time Ms. Patenaude has been considered for confirmation by this body. Twelve years ago, the Senate confirmed her by voice vote to become Assistant Secretary of Community Planning and Development at HUD.

The Senate recognized her back then for what she remains today: an experienced industry veteran who will provide steadfast leadership to

Mr President, I support the nomination of Mr. Kevin Allen Hassett to serve as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. His nomination received wide bipartisan support, not only in the Banking Committee, but also from other esteemed members of his profession.

Mr. Hassett was voted out of our committee on a voice vote with widespread support. We received a letter in favor of his nomination signed by a bipartisan group of 44 economists, including 14 former Chairmen of the Council of Economic Advisers and two former Federal Reserve Chairmen. At Mr. Hassett's confirmation hearing, he expertly fielded questions on a wide range of economic issues and provided insights on progrowth policies that would support all members of the economy. In my office, we discussed at length his extensive experience in economic and tax policy modeling.

Mr. Hassett brings a wealth of relevant experience in academia, government, and policy. His counsel, insight, and expertise will be invaluable as the administration addresses initiatives like tax reform, which undoubtedly will have a large impact on the macro economy.

Thank you.

Mr. President, in recognition of National POW/MIA Recognition Day, today I wish to call attention to the importance of maintaining focus on efforts to bring home America's prisoners of war, POWs, and missing in action, MIA. Let us join in honoring America's servicemembers, including those who have yet to make it home, and recognizing the enduring service of military families who watch and wait for the return of their loved ones.

We must continue to seek answers until all American servicemembers are home. Many American families have waited decades for resolution about the fate of their loved ones who went missing while serving our Nation. I commend those who are working to bring America's servicemembers home and who keep a spotlight on the service of those who remain missing. Idahoans, including members of the POW*MIA Awareness Rally Corp., raise awareness about the continued need to return our missing servicemembers, holding annual rallies and other events to keep a spotlight on the service of those who remain missing and the need for answers for their families. Their efforts are greatly valued in helping to ensure that the return of American servicemembers is prioritized.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency reports that more than 360 Idahoans are among those who have not yet been recovered following their service in World War II, the Korean war, and the Vietnam war. Their service and return must be ever fixed in our national attention. My prayers are with their families and friends that they may experience the long-awaited return of their loved ones. We cannot let up in the search. As Americans, it is our duty to bring home those who have given so much for us.

Mr. President, my colleague Senator Jim Risch joins me today in honoring the city of Cascade, ID, in its 100th year since its incorporation.

One hundred years ago, Cascade got its start as a prime location along the railroad tracks that crossed Valley County, ID, and developed into the county seat. Cascade became a central place for transporting the timber harvested nearby to area sawmills and a hub for mining. Like its neighbors in other parts of Valley County, Cascade has faced booms and downturns in the logging, mining, and agriculture sectors, with resilience and ingenuity. The beauty of the local landscapes and natural resources continue to attract recreation and other outdoor activities to this picturesque community, and residents embody the industriousness and warmth at the heart of the community and its historical roots. Cascade's chamber of commerce aptly highlights Cascade's ``scenic beauty, fresh mountain air, warm friendly people and unlimited recreational activities.'' It is truly a treasure of our great State.

Congratulations to the residents of Cascade on 100 years of accomplishments in developing Cascade that is a wonderful home and destination to so many. We wish you well as you continue to work for the advancement of this great community and its residents.

Mr. President, today I wish to mark a wonderful occasion, a birthday that many do not live to celebrate. Today we honor the 95th birthday and wonderful life of Betty Jenel Olsen Carr, born in Kimberly, ID, on August 2, 1922. Her early life was very much what you would expect from rural Idaho in the 1920s, and in many ways, rural life there now still has some of these echoes of a strong work ethic and family values.

Betty grew up with seven siblings in a family that learned self- sufficiency and self-reliance on an 80-acre farm. Edith, Andy, Lamoin, Melba, Phil, Vera, Nina, and Betty lived cozily together with their parents, Hannah Marie Sandberg and Neils Albert Olsen, in a small, white wooden farmhouse that had no electricity or running water when Betty was a child. However, the home did have a black potbelly cast iron stove that kept everyone warm and fed.

Education figured prominently in Betty's goals, as she graduated at the top of her Kimberly High School class, even though she skipped her final year of high school to start college. She fostered her love of reading through editing the school newspaper. She also played flute in the marching band and, improbably, at just 5 feet, 4 inches tall, played forward on the girls basketball team. She headed off to college at what was then called the Southern Branch of the University of Idaho--now Idaho State University--and studied journalism, but most importantly, she followed through on something she said in high school. She had been looking through her older sister's college yearbook and spotted the photo of a handsome young man. She declared, ``When I get to college, I am going to go out with that guy.'' She did indeed--she met and married Taylor Henry Carr a couple of years into college. Taylor served 3 years in World War II, and a family treasure is the love letters the two sent to each other during that difficult time that they were separated by his wartime service.

When Taylor returned home, he completed his education at the medical school at the University of Utah with the help of the GI bill and became a surgeon. Betty and he raised their seven children in Idaho Falls, ID. Each of those children has become remarkable in their own right, contributing to their communities, States, and country -- Katherine Ann, Taylor Douglas, Phillip Olsen, Jan Elizabeth, Kenneth Wright, Steven Edward, and Gregory Curtis. Their home was filled with love, education, and adventure.

From a personal perspective, there has never been a better child psychologist or wiser parent and aunt. Betty is my mother Melba's youngest sister--my beloved Aunt Betty, who was a second mother to me. She understood teenagers in a unique manner and knew just when to encourage me at those times when young people need to hear advice from someone who loves them and is not a parent. Growing up, I always knew I would find welcoming arms and a warm shoulder just a few blocks from my home. Aunt Betty understood that, ultimately, love and the relationship with our loved ones was more important than anything else, and she epitomized that with her acceptance and encouragement of even the craziest ideas. A few years ago, I was delighted to show her around the U.S. Capitol when she made the long trip from Idaho to Washington, DC. A treasured item on display in my personal office is a photo with her from that trip.

Today Betty, the lifelong lover of reading, is as sharp as ever. At 95, she remains active, interested, and involved. She races through the crossword puzzle, tends her garden and great-grandkids, and never misses exercise class or bridge club. She recently went underwater in a diving bell in Florida. I am privileged to claim her as part of my family and honored to recognize her longevity as an Idahoan. Happy, happy birthday.