Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, today I rise to report some sad news to my Senate colleagues. David Gordon Harmon--a Kentuckian and U.S. Air Force veteran--passed away last week at the age of 78.

David was born on April 28, 1936, to William Thomas and Sarah Boyd Harmon in Dunbar, KY. When he was only 17, he left school to serve his country in the Air Force. After completing basic training, David served on Active Duty for 4 years, which included 18 months in the Philippine Islands and service in the Korean war.

Following his service in the Air Force, David returned home to take over the family business, Harmon Construction, from his father, which he ran until he passed down the responsibility to his three sons in 1989.

Outside of his business, David was an active member of the Manchester Christian Church, served as commander of the DAV Chapter 137 in Manchester, and played a leading role in the construction of the Clay County Veterans Memorial. He is a Kentucky Colonel, and was named Clay County's Man of the Year in 2013.

David is survived by his three sons, as well as his daughter and his loving wife Elsie Collins Harmon whom he married in 1958.

David served his country with honor, and was a devoted member of his family, church, and community. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in paying tribute to the life of David Gordon Harmon.

Rominger Funeral Home recently published an obituary for Mr. Harmon. I ask unanimous consent that the obituary be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to a proud member of the U.S. Marine Corps, Miguel Rivas. Rivas hails from Magoffin County, KY, and served his country with honor in two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Only 18 years old, and having just graduated from Magoffin County High School, Rivas joined the Marine Corps in 2004. He did so out of a sense of duty to the country as well as to obtain an education and employment.

In January of 2006, he was deployed to Camp Fallujah, Iraq with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. During this tour he worked on administrative support duties in addition to holding long, 16-hour shifts on tower duty.

Rivas was deployed on a second tour in November of 2012, this time in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he was a part of the ``drive team'' that is responsible for transporting civilians, military employees and high- ranking officials between bases.

Rivas served his country honorably in Iraq and Afghanistan. For his service, he is well deserving of our praise here in the Senate.

Therefore, I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in honoring Miguel Rivas.

The Salyersville Independent recently published an article detailing Rivas' service in Iraq and Afghanistan. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to U.S. Army veteran and former CPT James P. Simons, one of our Nation's and the Commonwealth of Kentucky's brave heroes from the Vietnam war.

From June 1966 to June 1967, Mr. Simons served as a lieutenant in Troop A, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile, in South Vietnam. During the first 9\1/2\ months of his deployment, then- Lieutenant Simons flew unarmed OH-13 helicopters as a scout pilot, flying deep into enemy territory, above the jungle, to search for insurgents below. Lieutenant Simons would radio back enemy locations to his post, and American forces would move in.

Lieutenant Simons logged an incredible 1,430 flight hours during the first 9\1/2\ months of his deployment. He often flew four and five missions per day, landing every few hours to refuel and returning to the air a short time later. Ten- and 12-hour days spent flying in enemy territory were not uncommon. During a period in which scout pilots were scarce, Lieutenant Simons remarkably flew missions on 27 consecutive days.

Captain Simons has received numerous medals for his heroism and service during the Vietnam war. They include: the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and two Air Medals--a rarity--which were needed to appropriately represent the 625 combat missions Lieutenant Simons flew in Vietnam. In addition to these medals, former Captain Simons has received three Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Distinguished Service Cross.

Mr. Simons received Purple Hearts for each of the combat wounds he sustained; he was injured twice when the helicopters he was piloting were shot down by enemy fire. The third injury occurred when the enemy launched a nighttime mortar attack and a mortar exploded in Lieutenant Simons' tent. Following the attack, Lieutenant Simons was transported to a field hospital where he had 26 pieces of shrapnel removed. After sustaining his third combat injury, Lieutenant Simons was no longer permitted to fly due to the number of times he had been wounded. He spent the remaining 10 weeks of his tour in Vietnam serving our military and our country in other capacities.

Mr. Simons received the prestigious Distinguished Flying Cross due to his valiant action on November 24, 1966, during a search-and-destroy mission near Bong Son, Vietnam. Lieutenant Simons was flying ahead of U.S. ground forces to locate areas concentrated with enemies when he took on machine gun fire. In the face of this attack, Lieutenant Simons conducted reconnaissance of the area to assist with the ground mission. As he took on heavy enemy fire his helicopter eventually was shot down. Lieutenant Simons fortunately was not wounded, and he bravely assisted an injured crewmember in seeking cover before the two were evacuated.

Less than 1 month later, on December 17, 1966, Lieutenant Simons carried out acts of bravery for which he ultimately was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the military's second-highest decoration for a member of the U.S. Army. He received this award for his ``extraordinary heroism'' during yet another ground search-and-destroy mission near Bong Son, Vietnam.

Lieutenant Simons was leading a helicopter scout group screening ahead for U.S. forces on the ground. During heavy exchanges of ground fire, Lieutenant Simons flew low and in harm's way to mark enemy positions with smoke grenades. As the battle continued, Lieutenant Simons saw that U.S. troops below him had become stranded. In response, he dropped grenades on enemy bunkers and continued to fly low to attract enemy fire so his fellow American servicemembers could be rescued. Lieutenant Simons took a number of actions at tremendous personal risk, and his heroism and selflessness ultimately saved the lives of three of his fellow comrades.

Former Captain Simons' courageous military service on behalf of the United States during the Vietnam war deserves the recognition of this body. Thus, I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in honoring Mr. James P. Simons today.

The Obama White House likes to pretend that its war on coal is about protecting the planet. Yet his newest regulations would hardly do a thing to impact global carbon emissions.

The President's own EPA Administrator basically admitted it when she said a few years back that U.S. action alone won't meaningfully impact global CO2 levels.

They don't seem to care that their regulations would devastate the lives of whole families in my State, working-class Kentuckians who just want to put food on the table and give their children a better life.

They don't seem to care that their regulations threaten to undermine Kentucky's traditionally low utility rates, splinter our manufacturing base, and shift well-paying jobs overseas. They don't seem to care that the people who stand to be hurt most by their regressive policies are those who can afford it the least.

As a candidate President Obama wasn't just open about his plan to make American energy bills skyrocket, he was pretty cavalier about it too. For him it was a necessary sacrifice to achieve an ideological aim.

But for a working mom in Ashland, KY, a skyrocketing utility bill can mean the difference between an annual trip to Lake Cumberland and a tearful apology to her kids. It can mean choosing which bills to pay this month and which to put off just a little longer. It can mean birthday disappointments and missed credit card payments.

These types of consequences may not be a big deal to the President, but for many people in the country and many in Kentucky, they are a very big deal. Families have had to put up with enough in nearly 6 years that this administration has been in power: higher medical costs, stubborn unemployment, and the feeling of less opportunity.

What I am saying is middle-class families deserve a break. They deserve to have Washington battling in their corner instead of against them. That is why I keep fighting this war on coal.

Later this morning I will take my message to one of the administration's so-called listening sessions on these extreme energy regulations. The Obama administration may have been too afraid to hold a hearing anywhere near coal country, but that doesn't mean they will be able to ignore the voice of my constituents. I will be joined by Kentuckians who have had to travel hundreds of miles just to get here.

One of them is Jimmy Rose, the former coal miner from Pineville who rose to national attention with his song: ``Coal Keeps the Lights On.'' As Jimmy puts it: ``Coal keeps the bills paid, clothes on the backs, and shoes on the feet.'' And that is true for so many in our State.

I will note the irony that the administration's so-called listening session in Atlanta had to switch locations due to a significant power outage.

As one person put it, the power outage is either cruel irony or a glimpse of coming cruel reality; that is, of course, if the Obama administration and the EPA are successful in their quest to end the use of affordable, reliable coal. It is hard to disagree.

The point is the President's extreme energy regulations are little more than a political turnout strategy masquerading as a serious environmental policy. Not only could they end up making the environment worse rather than better but they threaten to hurt countless middle- class families in the process while shipping American jobs overseas.

So they need to be stopped. The administration needs to be stopped. Kentuckians aren't going to take this lying down. We are going to keep fighting back.

Reservation of Leader Time

Mr. President, I rise to commemorate the 30th anniversary for two excellent charities in my home State of Kentucky, the Ronald McDonald House Charities. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana in Louisville and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass in Lexington both first opened their doors to needy families in 1984.

Since then, each house has served more than 25,000 families. In the last

year alone, more than 1,100 Kentucky families have spent nearly 15,000 nights in the two homes operated by these charities. The two homes operate thanks to the generosity of Kentucky's McDonalds' owners, a broad swath of Kentucky businesses, countless individual donors, and the hundreds of thousands of hours given by tireless volunteers.

For those of my colleagues who are not familiar with the Ronald McDonald House, it serves as a home away from home, at low or no cost, for the families of children who are hospital patients. At a time when a family is undergoing such a crisis as the illness of a child, infant, or newborn, the last thing these families need to worry about is finding housing near the hospital. The Ronald McDonald House eases that need by providing a home away from home for families of children receiving health care at area medical facilities while also lending support to other organizations that aid children. Today there are 125 local chapters in 55 countries.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana first opened in Louisville in September 1984. Since their most recent expansion in 2009, they feature 36 guest rooms, each accommodating up to four people.

In 1992, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana helped pioneer one of the first Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in the world--a smaller version of a Ronald McDonald House located inside a hospital so a parent is only steps away from their seriously ill child. Today there are Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in three Louisville hospitals.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass in Lexington similarly opened their doors in 1984, and have since expanded to 20 rooms. In 2005, through a partnership with the University of Kentucky, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass began the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile to offer eastern Kentucky's children free professional dental care and education aboard a state-of-the-art mobile clinic. Centered in Hazard, KY, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile cares for underserved children in their own neighborhoods and schools.

Together, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of both Kentuckiana and the Bluegrass have accomplished a great deal for the Commonwealth and helped thousands of Kentucky families. Kentucky residents and businesses are proud to have supported them for 30 years, and I know will continue to do so for many years more. I want to thank the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana and the Bluegrass for serving as the home away from home for distressed families with a child in the hospital for 30 years. Kentucky is proud of these institutions and the many people behind them who make them work.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a friend and legendary Kentuckian, Wild Turkey Distillery's Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. This year marks the 60th year Jimmy has been making Bourbon for Wild Turkey, a fact that the distillery is rightfully proud to celebrate. As a 60-year Bourbon veteran, Jimmy is the longest tenured active spirits master distiller in the world.

Kentucky is, of course, the birthplace of Bourbon. The drink itself is named for Bourbon County, KY, in the heart of the Bluegrass State, where the product first emerged. Kentucky produces 95 percent of the world's Bourbon supply, and Kentucky's iconic Bourbon brands ship more than 30 million gallons of the spirit to 126 countries, making Bourbon the largest export category among all U.S. distilled spirits. Not only is Kentucky the overwhelming producer of the world's Bourbon, Bourbon gives much back to Kentucky. It is a vital part of the state's tourism and economy.

Jimmy grew up only 5 miles away from the Wild Turkey Distillery, located in Lawrenceburg, KY. His passion for Bourbon led him to study under whiskey luminaries, including Bill Hughes, Wild Turkey's second master distiller; and Ernest W. Ripy, Jr., great-nephew of distillery founder James Ripy and Wild Turkey's third master distiller. Jimmy recalls being taken under Bill's wing and learning everything about the business from the ground up. Since becoming master distiller in the mid-1960s, he has traveled the world as an unofficial ambassador of Bourbon, introducing people from as far and wide as Japan and Australia to American's native spirit.

Over the past 60 years, Jimmy has been responsible for the launches of several new Wild Turkey brands and expressions, such as Tradition, Tribute, 17-year-old Wild Turkey for Japan, Rare Breed, American Spirit, Kentucky Spirit and Russell's Reserve, which he cocreated with his son and distilling partner Eddie Russell. Jimmy broke new ground in 1976 with the first honeyed Bourbon, at the time called Wild Turkey Liqueur. The evolution of that product today is known as American Honey. Jimmy is also responsible for overseeing the production of Wild Turkey 101, the distillery's flagship brand. This fall, Wild Turkey released a commemorative Diamond Anniversary limited-edition Bourbon created by Jimmy's son, distilling partner and Bourbon Hall of Famer Eddie Russell. As for Jimmy himself, he is known to enjoy his Bourbon neat or with a touch of branch water.

As a legend in the distilled spirits industry, Jimmy is a member of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Whiskey Hall of Fame and a whiskey judge for the International Wine and Spirits Competition. He has been honored by the Commonwealth of Kentucky General Assembly, been anointed a Kentucky Colonel, and received the key to the city from the mayor of Lawrenceburg.

When not hard at work at Wild Turkey, Jimmy spends time with his wife Joretta. They have three children, Eddie, Mike, and Kathy, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. An avid sports fan, Jimmy is a lifelong supporter of local Anderson County High School athletic programs for girls and boys.

I want to congratulate Jimmy Russell for reaching his 60th anniversary of work at Wild Turkey Distillery. His lifetime of achievement in the distilled spirits industry is certainly something to be proud of. I know my Senate colleagues join me in commending Jimmy for decades of success.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to SPC Marcus Adams. Adams hails from Magoffin County, KY, and proudly served his country on a tour of duty in Iraq.

Adams graduated from Magoffin County High School, and after his freshman year in college he decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. Because of the strong military tradition in his family--his father, grandfather, and two uncles all served--he felt it was an easy decision to carry on that legacy.

After completing his basic training and advanced individual combat training, Adams was assigned to the 555th Engineer Brigade. In September of 2008, he and his brigade were sent to Balad, Iraq, where they would remain for the duration of their yearlong tour of duty.

In Iraq, Adams was responsible for all of his brigade's technology. Managing the computer networks, servers, and radios were tasks that all fell under his purview.

Adams is now happily back in his old Kentucky home with his wife Ash'leigh and his son Alistair and will soon be joined by his first daughter Hermione.

For his honorable service to this country, he is well deserving of praise from this body. Therefore, I ask that my U.S. Senate colleagues join me in honoring SPC Marcus Adams.

The Salyersville Independent recently published an article detailing Adams' service in Iraq. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

America makes a promise to every man and woman who puts on the uniform. In exchange for their service, our country pledges they will be well trained, well equipped, and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

It is the least we can offer to the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who put everything on the line so we can live in freedom. It is a solemn pact, and that is why the American people were so shocked to read some of the headlines we have seen over the past few months, headlines such as: ``Veterans languish and die on a VA hospital's secret list.'' Then, as the Obama administration tried to cover its tracks, a headline such as: ``Veterans Affairs spies, stonewalls on people investigating it.''

It is a national disgrace, ailing veterans being put off for months by a hospital system that should be rushing to their aid, and veterans dying while waiting for care.

According to the government's own report on these failures, we also know these problems were so systemic that they spread to more than three-quarters of the VA facilities surveyed, literally to every corner of the country, including Kentucky.

Kentuckians heard shocking news stories such as the one about a Harrodsburg veteran who was being treated at the VA facility in Lexington. The staff there declared him dead. Yet when the veteran's wife came to say her final good-byes, she found her husband breathing-- with a pulse.

I was glad to hear this veteran is now back home with his family and recovering. But no veteran and no spouse should ever have to go through such a horrific ordeal. Yet I continue to receive letters from Kentucky veterans who have been denied the care they deserve, such as this one from a disabled veteran in Gradyville. This is what he had to say:

I have had some of the most frustrating of times trying to

receive the quality of health care that anyone deserves.

Not only has it taken me months to be seen, but I have been

told by a primary care physician that ``He did not need to

see me until my 6 month checkup''. . . . I simply no longer

have the time and money to invest in the run around I receive

in trying to make an appeal. . . . I gave up 4 years of my

life and proper use of my right arm in this nation's defense.

I would have given my life without question to protect a

country that I love. It breaks my heart to no longer be a

part of an institution I so lovingly became a member [of].

Our nation's veterans deserve so much more.

Well, he is certainly right. Thousands of Kentuckians have had to wait for more than a month at VA facilities in Louisville and Lexington.

So the Obama administration needs to use every tool available to address the systemic failures of the VA, and it needs to work with Congress on reforms that can help address these challenges too.

Initially, the Obama administration was slow to respond to the crisis. The White House tried to treat it as some PR predicament to get beyond rather than the true tragedy that it was--a tragedy that required bipartisan action to investigate and address.

Ultimately, pressure from Republicans and revulsion from the American people forced the White House to take this crisis seriously. Audits were conducted. Management changes were undertaken. And the necessity of serious reform was accepted--eventually.

I was proud to support bipartisan VA reform legislation that passed the Senate last month, and I am encouraged by the progress of the conference committee toward completing a final compromise that can pass Congress and be signed into law. The compromise legislation would introduce some much-needed accountability into the VA system and help increase patient choice. In fact, the compromise appears to include two initiatives I specifically pressed with the President's nominee to head the Veterans Affairs Department when I recently met with him.

One, I said we need to make it easier to fire VA bureaucrats who fail our veterans; and, two, I said we need to allow veterans to seek care outside the VA if they face long wait times or if they do not live near a VA facility.

The conference report, fortunately, appears to include both. I thank Senators Burr, McCain, and Coburn for steadfastly fighting for the veterans choice part of the conference agreement that will allow our deserving veterans the option of accessing care in hospitals when VA facilities are not available.

As for the President's nominee to run the VA Bob McDonald, we all know he has a tough job ahead of him after his confirmation. I made clear my expectations for dramatic change when I met him. But if Mr. McDonald is willing to work in a collaborative and open manner with Congress--and I expect he will--he will find a constructive partner on this side of the aisle.

Look, we know there is much we can and should do to address this crisis together. So I am hopeful because when veterans are denied care, it is a priority deserving of bipartisan attention, and the government needs to start living up again to the promises it made to our veterans. We certainly owe them no less.

Emergency Supplemental Appropriation

Mr. President, Israel's military campaign against the terrorist organization Hamas has a clear-cut objective: to restore Israel's security by eliminating rockets, shut down these infiltration tunnels from which Hamas is launching its attacks against Israel, and, indeed, to demilitarize Gaza. That is Israel's objective.

This is clearly justified in the face of more than 2,300 rocket attacks into

Israel from Gaza since early July. I strongly support Israel's recent efforts through Operation Protective Edge to defend itself and to end the threat of additional rocket and infiltration attacks by Hamas. Operation Protective Edge also serves a larger purpose, and its resolution has broader implications for the future of the Palestinian people.

If Hamas declares victory by keeping its weapons stockpile, by continuing to undermine Israel's security, and by turning away from Egypt's efforts to forge a reasonable cease-fire, the net result will be a relative weakening of the Palestinian Authority and of those in the West Bank who have worked toward a peaceful resolution of the overall conflict.

So I support any effort which brings this campaign to an end in a manner that increases Israel's security. That means specifically that Hamas cannot be left with a large stockpile of missiles and rockets and cannot be left with infiltration tunnels. They must be destroyed. Hamas cannot be allowed to aggressively rest, refit, and build up a weapons stockpile. That weakens Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Here is what I oppose. I oppose any efforts--any efforts by the international community, especially the United Nations--to impose a cease-fire on Israel that does not meet these military objectives and that therefore risks actually rewarding Hamas for a campaign of terror and that seeks to make additional concessions to Hamas such as easing security along the borders of Gaza.

An unfavorable settlement, especially one that left the terrorist group Hamas with a stockpile of weaponry, would create incentives for Hamas to continue smuggling arms from Iran and, of course, to return to violence. An unfavorable settlement would also undermine the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, which has attempted to negotiate with Israel through peaceful means.

So let's be clear. The terror tactics employed by Hamas show contempt for human life, whether Israeli or Palestinian. By employing rockets and mortars as weapons of terror against Israel's civilian population or by using its own schools within Gaza as weapon depots, Hamas has shown a gross disregard for civilians.

The Prime Minister of Israel put it very well when he said: ``[Israel] uses missiles to protect our people. They (Hamas) use their people to protect their missiles.''

There is no moral equivalency--none whatsoever. These tactics should be loudly and widely condemned, and Israel's right to defend itself should be affirmed.

As I noted last week, Secretary Hagel wrote to the majority leader seeking urgent funding for components of the Iron Dome missile defense system. I and others support this request, as Iron Dome has afforded Israel some real protection from these indiscriminate rockets.

This morning some of my colleagues will further explain the importance of Iron Dome and the need for the Israeli Defense Forces to press on and finish the job in destroying the infiltration tunnels and weapons stockpiles. Republicans are united in our support of Israel's defense, and this morning my colleagues will explain our opposition to any effort to force a cease-fire on Israel that does not further its security objectives.

In a situation such as this, Israel only has one dependable friend. The United States should not be trying to pressure Israel to make a bad deal that leaves Hamas in a position to continue these attacks against Israeli civilians.

No one has been more active on this issue than my colleague from South Carolina. I see him on the floor now. Therefore, I yield the floor.

Will the Senator yield for a question?

We all remember that 10 or 12 years ago Israel--which had previously occupied Gaza for the purpose of preventing these types of devastating attacks--left. They said: We are through. They made a solid statement and said: We are uncomfortable occupying, and all we ask in return for the removal of our occupation is a peaceful border.

The Senator from South Carolina has just outlined that periodically this is what they have gotten in return for basically leaving Gaza alone and giving it a chance--if it chose to--to have a normal, peaceful existence. Yet they choose to continue the conflict, as the Senator from South Carolina indicated, because they are not in favor of a two-state solution; they are in favor of a one-state solution.

Mr. President, briefly before Senator Ayotte takes the floor, I wish to commend Senator Graham for his suggestions. All three of those suggestions should be carried out this week. Time is of the essence.

In listening to the litany of actions by the Palestinians that he recounted--and we all remember, going back almost to the founding of the State of Israel--I am reminded of what one of Israel's early Foreign Ministers once said about the Palestinians. He said the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

Sad but true. I recall when Prime Minister Barak was in office at the end of the Clinton years. The administration brokered a deal that Israel at that time was willing to offer and Palestine said no. It was a deal they probably could not get today.

We have seen a litany of opportunities wasted over the years, and the people who suffered as a result of it have obviously been the Palestinian people.

Mr. President, if I may before Senator Ayotte leaves the floor, I commend her on her contribution to this discussion and particularly with her stories with regard to Israel, and I would also add that I am sure the Senator from New Hampshire agrees with me that the last thing the American Government needs to do right now is try to pressure Israel into a bad cease-fire that doesn't allow this terror to be stopped.

At times it appears to me that the American administration is trying to push the Israelis into stopping before they have finished the job. We all know, based on past history, that unless this operation is completed, these challenges will continue.

I wanted to see if the Senator from New Hampshire shared my view.

Mr. President, today I would like to begin by remembering two men to whom we owe so much: Officer J.J. Chestnut and Detective John Gibson. Exactly 16 years ago these Capitol policemen were shot in the line of duty, paying a terrible price in defense of every one of us--Senators, staffers, pages, fellow officers, and every American citizen who passes through these hallowed halls. These men knew the grave risk that came with the job. Yet they chose to wear the badge anyway. They made the decision to stand in defense of the democratic ideal this building symbolizes.

We owe these men a debt that can never be repaid. So let's never forget their lives or their final act of heroism. We are reminded every time we pass the Capitol Police headquarters, which bears both of their names. We are reminded every time we notice the plaque in the Capitol that commemorates them. We are reminded by observing today's men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police as they continue to protect this institution, honorably continuing the watch of these two fallen officers.

Today the Senate honors Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson for their sacrifice. We send our sincere condolences to the family and friends left behind.

Mr. President, if Senate Democrats were half as concerned about American jobs as they are about saving their own jobs this November, there would be almost no limit to what we could accomplish. Yet, rather than work with us to get anything serious accomplished for our constituents, we see the majority leader once again bowing to the whims of his campaign consultants and the Senate becoming little more than a campaign studio this week.

The majority leader can spend all of his time fighting for the consultant class if he wants, but that will not stop Republicans from offering commonsense, job-saving ideas that both sides should be able to support. For example, the senior Senator from Utah will offer an amendment that would repeal a Democratic tax that helped push manufacturing overseas and could kill as many as 165,000 American jobs. It is a measure that would likely pass if the majority leader would only allow a vote. I know some of our friends on the other side plan to offer amendments too. The question is, Will those Senators join us to demand that their amendments be considered too or will they allow the majority leader to shut down the legislative process one more time, silencing their constituents. I hope they will make the right decision.

Since the majority leader seems so determined to convince everyone that he cares about protecting American jobs this week, I am going to offer an opportunity to prove he is serious about it. He can do it by allowing a vote or even voting himself for an amendment of mine called the Saving Coal Jobs Act. He has already blocked this bill once before, but I will give him a chance to reconsider.

Everyone knows the administration's war on coal jobs is little more than an elitist crusade that threatens to undermine Kentucky's traditionally low utility rates, splinter our manufacturing base, and ship well-paying jobs overseas. My amendment seeks to push back against this war on coal, this war on ordinary American livelihoods, and it seeks to help protect the administration's targets too--Kentucky coal families who want little more than to put food on the table and give their children a better life. It is really not too much to ask. So the majority leader has a choice. Is he in favor of shipping Kentucky jobs overseas or will he help me protect the middle class by supporting this amendment?

Regardless of what he decides, though, I am going to keep fighting against this administration's unfair regulations. Yesterday the EPA Administrator came to Capitol Hill to defend the administration's extreme proposed energy regulations. She tried to assure legislators that the administration wanted input from the public as it went about developing and implementing its job-killing agenda. But it is hard to take her seriously because earlier this week I met with her in person and urged her to hold at least one listening session in coal country, the region most likely to be affected by the administration's regulations. She was unmoved. Apparently the Obama administration isn't all that interested in what Kentucky thinks. Well, if Washington officials won't come to Kentucky, then Kentuckians will come to Washington. Beginning next week, the administration plans to hold one of its listening sessions in Washington. I plan to testify and so do several of my constituents. Even though they will have to travel hundreds of miles to get here, these Kentuckians will make Washington understand they are more than just some statistic. They are our neighbors, they are moms and dads, and they refuse to be collateral damage in some elitist war dreamed up in a bureaucratic boardroom in Washington.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, yesterday Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel wrote to the majority leader seeking $225 million in additional U.S. funding for the production of Iron Dome components in Israel so they can maintain adequate stockpiles and defend their population. Republicans are united in support of our ally Israel. We have legislation that would allow Congress to meet the Secretary's request, and we hope our friends on the other side will join us in coming to a sensible, bipartisan solution that can be passed quickly.

As most Senators know, the Iron Dome missile defense system has played a critical role in defending Israel's population from rocket attacks launched by Hamas from within the Gaza Strip.

While our friends in Egypt are working to bring Hamas to a cease-fire and end this mirage of rocket attacks--attacks that indiscriminately target the civilian population of Israel--the Iron Dome system will remain critical to Israel's security until a true cease-fire is achieved. It will remain vital afterwards as well, because this defensive system helps blunt the impact of one of Hamas's preferred tools of terror.

By passing a bipartisan measure to meet the Secretary's request, we can send a message to Hamas that its terrorist tactics and its attempts to terrorize Israel's populace will not succeed. And we can help Israel defend its civilian population against indiscriminate attacks as it continues its campaign--Operation Protective Edge--to destroy the often Iranian-supplied weapons stockpiled within Gaza, as well as to eliminate the tunnels that allow terrorists to infiltrate into Israel and smuggle arms into Gaza.

Burma

Now, on a different matter in a different part of the world. For more than two decades I have been coming to the Senate floor to discuss the latest events in Burma. Typically, in the spring, I would introduce legislation to renew the import sanctions on the then-Burmese junta contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act. In addition to pressuring the junta, the annual renewal of the import sanctions provided a useful forum to focus public attention on Burma.

After much deliberation, last summer Members of Congress chose not to renew these sanctions for another year as Burma had demonstrated progress toward implementing governmental reform. That said, Burma's path to reform is far from complete. Much work remains to be done. As such, it is important to continue focusing attention on the country in a regular fashion. That is what I wish to do today, to highlight an important, immediate, intuitive step that the country can take to reassure those who wish the country well, that it remains on the path to reform.

In many ways the Burma of 2014 scarcely resembles the nation that existed in 2003 when Congress first enacted the BFDA against the Burmese junta. Beginning about 3 years ago, Burma began to make significant strides forward in several key areas.

Under President U Thein Sein, the Burmese Government began to institute reforms that surprised virtually all of the onlookers. In the following years, the government granted numerous amnesties and political pardons to political prisoners and has released more than 1,100 political prisoners to date.

As a result of the new government's actions, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was released from house arrest after spending 15--15--of the previous 21 years in detention. Since her release from House arrest, Daw Suu has been permitted to travel abroad. Moreover, a by-election was held in April 2012 and she was elected as a member of Parliament along with a number of her National League for Democracy colleagues. In fact, when she did travel abroad back in 2012, at my invitation she came to Louisville, KY. It was an incredible experience to have her in our State and in our country.

In light of these democratic reforms--many of which I witnessed firsthand when I visited the country in January of 2012--I believe that to no small degree Burma has been a remarkable story among many dark developments in the world today.

However, even though the country has made incredible progress in a relatively short period of time, to many Burma of late appears stalled amidst a score of pressing challenges. These include continued conflict between the government and ethnic minorities, governmental restrictions on civil liberties, and ongoing humanitarian issues in Rakhine State. All are serious concerns that command close attention. And related to all of these issues is the need for Burma to continue to bring the military under civilian control if it is to evolve into a more representative government.

With the by-election in Burma scheduled for late this year and a parliamentary election scheduled for late 2015, reformers in the Burmese Government have an opportunity to regain their momentum. To my view, the time between now and the end of 2015 is pivotal--pivotal--for Burma. The elections will help demonstrate whether the country will continue on the reformist path.

With that in mind, the Burmese Government should understand that the United States, and the Senate specifically, will watch very closely at how Burmese authorities conduct the 2015 parliamentary elections as a critical marker of the sincerity and the sustainability of democratic reform in Burma.

President U Thein Sein has made public assurances that the upcoming parliamentary election will be ``free and transparent.'' However, his pledge has already been challenged by several campaign restrictions.

One of those restrictions is a simple one. It involves who can be chosen for the most important civilian office in Burma: The Presidency.

Burma has several requirements governing who can hold this highest office. Some of them make sense. For instance, like the United States, Burma has a minimum age requirement for its highest office. Its President must be at least 45 years old. I suppose that helps assure that only someone with a fair amount of life experience can be President.

In addition, the Burmese constitution stipulates that the President must be a citizen who is ``well acquainted'' with the country's ``political, administrative, economic, and military'' affairs, and is ``loyal to the union and its citizens.'' This requirement helps ensure that a president is knowledgeable about public affairs and has a vested interest in serving in Burma's executive office.

However, Burma's constitution also includes a deeply disconcerting limitation on Presidential eligibility. Section 59 stipulates that the Burmese President may not be a foreign national and may not have any immediate family members who are foreign nationals.

This limitation on the home nation of a candidate's immediate family has no bearing on an individual's fitness for office. This restriction prevents many, including Daw Suu herself, from even being considered for Burma's highest office. Daw Suu, for example, would not be permitted to run because her deceased husband was, and her two sons are, British nationals. To think that the nationalities of family members have relevance for fitness to hold office or allegiance to Burma is dubious at best.

Not only is Daw Suu discriminated against but so are the Burmese who fled or were exiled from the country during the junta's rule. Many of them

were out of Burma for years--not by choice, I would add--and during this time many became naturalized citizens in another country out of necessity. These men and women are also ineligible to be President.

Deciding who will be the next Burmese President is obviously up to the people of Burma through their elected representatives and not up to the international community. But, at a minimum, I believe that otherwise qualified candidates should be permitted to stand for office.

More important than the provision's unfairness for certain Presidential candidates is that this provision restricts the ability of the people of Burma, through their representatives, to have a choice in who can hold their highest office. This is profoundly undemocratic, and it is profoundly undemocratic at a time when Burma's commitment to democracy is actually open to question.

It is notable that one apparent roadblock to amending the Presidential eligibility requirement is the fact that the military holds de facto veto power over constitutional amendments. Under the constitution, the military controls a block of 25 percent of the parliamentary seats and in excess of a 75-percent vote is required for a constitutional amendment to go forward. The military controls 25 percent of the Parliament; they need over 75 percent of the Parliament to change the constitution. It becomes clear what this is about.

I understand the Burmese parliamentary committee is in the process of finalizing plans for the implementation of constitutional reform, but I am concerned that eligibility changes will apparently not--not--include amending the narrow restrictions of the constitution that limit who can run for President. To me, it will be a missed opportunity if this provision is not revisited before the 2015 parliamentary elections.

Modifying this provision is one way the Burmese Government can display to the world, in an immediate and clearly recognizable way, that it remains fully committed to reform. Permitting a broad array of candidates to run for President is an unmistakable symbol to the world--even to those who do not follow Burma closely--that Burmese reformers actually mean business; otherwise, such a restriction will quite simply cast a pall over the legitimacy of the election in the eyes of the international community and certainly to Members of the U.S. Senate.

While Congress did not renew the BFDA's import ban last year and there is little appetite to renew the measure this year, several U.S. sanctions toward Burma remain on the books. They include restrictions on the importation of jade and rubies into the United States and sanctions on individuals who continue to hinder reform efforts. It is hard to see how those provisions get lifted without there being progress on the constitutional eligibility issue and the closely related issue of the legitimacy of the 2015 elections.

As the 2015 elections approach, I urge the country's leadership--its President, Parliament and military--to remain resolute in confronting the considerable obstacles to a more representative government that Burma faces. That is the only way the existing sanctions are going to get removed--the only way.

I wanted to highlight the eligibility issue as an example of an important step Burma could take to continue its reformist momentum. Such a step is of course necessary but not sufficient. As I noted, undergirding many of Burma's problems is the need to enhance civilian control over the military. This concern manifests itself in many ways, including the need to clarify that the commander in chief serves under the President and the importance of removing the military's de facto veto authority over constitutional amendments.

One tool the United States could use to help reform Burma's armed forces is through military-to-military contacts. I believe that exposure to the most professional military in the world--our own--will help Burma develop a force that is responsive to civilian control and to professional standards. Security assistance and professional military education are not simply rewards to partnering countries, as some view such programs. They are tools with which we advance our foreign policy objectives. Helping the Burmese military to reform is in our interest but it cannot be done through mere exhortation; it needs to be done through training and regular contact with the highest professional military standards. Only then, I believe, will the Burmese military see that being under civilian control is not--not--inimical to its interests.

This realization by the Burmese military, coupled with a successful 2015 election that is open to all otherwise qualified Presidential aspirants, will greatly enhance the cause for reform and peaceful reconciliation in Burma.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to Jeremy Holbrook a Marine from my home State, the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Jeremy hails from Magoffin County, and graduated from Magoffin County High School in 2004. The attacks of September 11, 2001, had a profound impact on Jeremy, and inspired him to enlist in the Marine Corps after graduating at the age of 18.

After completing basic training, combat training, and tank school, Jeremy was deployed to Ramadi as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Despite being wounded on this first tour, for which he received the Purple Heart, he remained determined to serve his country. Jeremy returned to Iraq for a second tour, this time in Fallujah and, as in his previous tour, participated in counter-insurgency missions.

Both Jeremy's uncle and grandfather served in the U.S. Army, and for Jeremy it just made sense to continue that legacy of service. As he puts it--``pretty much whenever I saw our Nation needed people to defend our Nation, I felt I needed to take the call, and that's what I did.''

Jeremy's honorable service to this country is deserving of the praise of this body. Therefore, I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in honoring Jeremy Holbrook.

The Salyersville Independent recently published an article detailing Holbrook's two tours in Iraq. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to Jim Mortimer. Mortimer hails from Magoffin County, KY, and served his country honorably over the course of his career with the Kentucky National Guard.

After graduating from Castle Heights Military Academy in Tennessee, Mortimer enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves. Only 22 at the time, it would be 30 years before he retired from the military.

In 1960, 2 years after enlisting, he was transferred to the Kentucky National Guard. His experiences in the Guard ran the gamut from clearing out swamps in southern Georgia to riot control on the University of Kentucky campus during the Vietnam war to responding to natural disasters. It is this diverse range of service to our country that epitomizes the National Guard motto--``Always Ready, Always There.''

Mortimer retired from the Guard in 1988 with the rank of command sergeant major. In addition to his military service, he also took the time to substitute teach in Lexington high schools and obtain his masters from Georgetown College.

His service to this country is worthy of our praise here in the Senate--so, I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to Mr. Jim Mortimer.

The Salyersville Independent recently published an article detailing Mortimer's military career. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.