Floor Statements

Mr. President, in the Obama administration's latest defensive on the war on coal, it has proposed new regulations that threaten Kentucky's 20 existing coal-fired powerplants while potentially putting thousands out of work. If enacted, the massive new regulations would prove the single worst blow to Kentucky's economy in modern times and a dagger to the heart of the Commonwealth's middle class.

Despite what they are called, the proposed restrictions on Kentucky's coal-fired powerplants amount to little more than a massive energy tax, and they will have a devastating effect on Kentucky.

The administration announced it would hold four public hearings on the new proposed regulations, and given the dramatic effects they are sure to have on my home State, you would think they would hold one of those hearings in eastern Kentucky or, at the very least, somewhere in Kentucky. But then, of course, you would be mistaken.

Once again, just like last year when the Obama administration held public hearings before proposing this national energy tax, not one of the sessions is slated for a nonmetropolitan area dependent on coal. The session that is the nearest to eastern Kentucky is a 10-hour roundtrip.

Since coal employs 11,000 Kentuckians and is over 90 percent of Kentucky's electricity, I wrote a letter to Gina McCarthy, the EPA Administrator, formally requesting that she convene a hearing in coal country. Of course I have yet to get a response. However, it doesn't appear that Administrator McCarthy is too busy to talk to some people. Imagine my surprise when I found she had time to appear on an HBO late- night comedy show where she admitted that the Obama administration is, in fact, waging a war on coal.

The host asked her this question:

Some people call it a war on coal. I hope it is a war on

coal. Is it?

After a moment of indirection, Administrator McCarthy conceded that a war on coal is ``exactly what this is.'' The EPA Administrator said the war on coal is ``exactly what this is.''

Of course, this talk show was recorded in front of a friendly anti- coal host and audience in a television studio in Los Angeles. It almost sounds like the site of one of her EPA anti-coal hearings.

So why does Administrator McCarthy have the time to appear on HBO but does not have the time to appear on WYMT-TV in Hazard so she can explain her war on coal to the people it is most directly affecting? Why does she have the time to sit down with a TV comedian but not with the editors of the Appalachian News Express in Pikeville so she can look my constituents in the eye and explain how these rules will impact them?

Of course, for those of us who watch this administration closely, this kind of admission is nothing new. A year ago an adviser to the White House acknowledged that ``a War on Coal is exactly what's needed.''

Last year, because the administration refused to hold any of its listening sessions in coal country, I held one of my own. We heard a lot of riveting testimony from those in the industry and their families, and I brought their stories back to the administration where I testified on their behalf since the Administrator would not directly hear from them.

I am committed to making sure Kentucky's voice is heard on this issue even if the Obama administration doesn't want to listen. That is why I immediately responded to the administration's new regulations in my own legislation, the Coal Country Protection Act, to push back against the President's extreme anti-coal scheme. Supported by the Kentucky Coal Association, my legislation would require that the following simple but important benchmarks be met before the rules take effect.

Here is what it would do: No. 1, the Secretary of Labor would have to certify that the rules would not generate loss of employment.

No. 2, the Director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office would have to certify the rules would not result in any loss in American gross domestic product.

No. 3, the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration would have to certify the rules would not increase electricity rates.

And No. 4, the Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the president of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation would have to certify that electricity delivery would remain reliable. That is it.

My legislation is plain common sense, and I urge the majority leader to allow a vote on my legislation.

I yield the floor.

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

Yesterday the Senate passed bipartisan legislation to address the VA scandal. The Sanders-McCain bill will increase patient choice, it will infuse some much needed accountability into the VA system, and it was important for us to show some urgency in addressing the crisis. That is why I voted for it, and that is why I am glad that the majority leader decided to move forward on this effort, even if it took a vote to set aside a partisan bill in order to take up this important bipartisan legislation.

It will now go to conference so it can be improved further. The sooner the bill managers begin negotiations with their colleagues in the House, the sooner we can get a bill on the President's desk. I am optimistic they will do just that.

As I have said all week, the systemic failures and scandals we have seen within the administration are a national disgrace. When you see 100,000 veterans--100,000 of them--waiting for care, that is a national disgrace. When you see so many veterans waiting 3 months or longer just to get an appointment, that is a national disgrace. And when you see veterans dying before they even receive care they were counting on, it is completely unacceptable.

So this problem needs to be solved, and there is more to be done. A lot of the responsibility here resides with the President himself. He still needs to nominate a capable manager who possesses the necessary skills, leadership, and determination to fix this scandal. He needs to support the thousands of VA workers committed to serving our veterans and to provide all those who serve bravely with the timely care they deserve, and he needs to use all the tools in his toolbox to address the systemic management failures--both the tools he already has and the new ones we can provide him, such as those contained within the legislation we passed yesterday. Our veterans have waited long enough for care, and they shouldn't be made to wait any longer.

Obviously much of Washington's focus this week has been on doing right by our veterans. That is exactly what we should be doing. We owe so much to the men and women who protect us. In that spirit I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge an important milestone just reached by one of America's most famous veterans.

Today our Nation's 41st President, George H.W. Bush, turns 90. It is a rare milestone. Only 4 other presidents have ever reached it: Herbert Hoover, John Adams, Gerald Ford, and the man President Bush once served under, Ronald Reagan.

Beyond wishing him a very happy birthday, I want to acknowledge President Bush's extraordinary record of service. On his 18th birthday the future President volunteered as a World War II Navy pilot, going on to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery. From there he would go on to excel in a dizzying number of fields as a businessman, a Congressman, a diplomat, CIA Director, leader of his party, Vice President and President, and Commander in Chief during Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

Even his post-Presidency has been marked by continuing and gracious willingness to serve. Yet for all of his professional distinction, I know President Bush's favorite job never appeared on his resume. It was his role as proud husband to Barbara, who also turned a year older this week, and as the father of five adoring children and proud grandfather and great-grandfather. Maybe that is why every time you see him these days he always has a big smile on his face and a lively pair of socks on his feet. With a loving family like that, it is not hard to see why.

So I am proud to cosponsor the resolution we agreed to yesterday honoring this good man and former President for such a long lifetime of service. I know my colleagues join me in sending President Bush the warmest of birthday wishes.

Mr. President, one final note concerning our Nation's veterans. I want to honor an exemplary citizen of my home State, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, who has devoted her life to service of our country. Martha J. Cassity is a veteran of the U.S. Army, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and this Saturday she will be named the first female veteran State commander of the Kentucky VFW. Her ascension to this post is an accomplishment I believe is deserving of recognition and praise here in the Senate.

Martha was born on September 29, 1957, in my hometown of Louisville. She was raised there by her parents Joan and Charles Blanford. While attending Western High School, Martha joined the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1974, thus beginning her life of devoted service to her country.

The stated mission of the Ladies Auxiliary is to serve ``the veterans of this country and our communities in honor of the sacrifices and commitment of every man and woman who has served in uniform.'' For 9 years Martha worked tirelessly to advance this mission, holding multiple chairmanships in the organization.

Martha joined the U.S. Army in October of 1984 as a track vehicle repairer and gave 10 years of honorable service to the Army, including postings in Germany and South Korea. She became eligible to join the VFW while stationed in South Korea, and she did so in 1991.

Upon returning from South Korea, Martha was stationed at Fort Stewart, GA, where she was injured during the battalion's preparations for Operation Desert Storm. She was honorably discharged in 1994. After leaving the Army, Martha earned her associate's degree in applied science from Alabama Southern Community College. Although her days in the military were behind her, Martha's service to America and her fellow veterans would continue. Since 1999 Martha has been heavily involved in the Veterans of Foreign Wars. She has held numerous chairmanships and chairs on the post and

district levels. She has served as VFW post and district commander. She has held chairmanships on the national level and has been on the National Women Veterans Committee for the past 3 years. She currently serves as senior vice commander of the Kentucky VFW, and this Saturday she will be named the first female veteran State commander of the Kentucky VFW.

We owe our veterans an unimaginable debt for their service to our country. In this new post Martha will continue to serve her Nation by advocating on veterans' behalf. Martha works to make real the VFW's vision: ensuring that veterans are respected for their service and recognized for the sacrifices they and their loved ones have made on behalf of a grateful America.

So today I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in recognizing Martha J. Cassity's lifetime of service to our country and wishing her well in her new post as veteran State commander of the Kentucky VFW. She is a true friend to Kentucky veterans, to the Commonwealth, and to our country.

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

Madam President, I rise to pay tribute to a great friend of mine and a friend of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, former Senator Jim Bunning. Jim has been an inspiration to Kentuckians for decades in many different roles--as a public servant, a man of integrity, a devoted father of 9 children, grandfather of 35, and a great-grandfather of 12, with 1 more on the way. But few public servants or family men can also claim to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jim Bunning can, for his extraordinary Major League pitching career with the Detroit Tigers and with the Philadelphia Phillies.

With Father's Day approaching this weekend, I thought it appropriate to remember what Jim Bunning accomplished on Father's Day 1964. The date was June 21, and in front of his wife Mary, his eldest daughter Barbara, and more than 32,000 cheering fans, Jim Bunning delivered the perfect Father's Day gift by pitching a perfect game.

Let me take a moment to explain, for those who do not spend their youth playing baseball and collecting baseball cards as some of us did, what pitching a perfect game means and why it is such a legendary feat. To pitch a perfect game, a pitcher must pitch a full nine innings without allowing a batter to get on base for any reason--no hits, no walks, no hits by a pitch, and no errors. Twenty-seven batters must step to the plate and all 27 must sit down. It is an achievement that has been accomplished only 23 times in more than 135 years of Major League Baseball history--23 times in the history of Major League Baseball.

At the time Jimmy's pitching perfection was only the seventh perfect game in Major League Baseball history. It was the first perfect game in regular season play in more than 42 years and the first in the National League since 1880. As the Philadelphia Phillies were the visitors against the New York Mets, it was also the first-ever perfect game pitched in Shea Stadium.

Jimmy's day started as did any other Sunday. He went to 9 a.m. Mass and

had a breakfast of eggs and sausage. He was worried about getting tickets for his wife and daughter to attend the game. He showed up at Shea Stadium to warm up for the first game of a doubleheader. ``I felt good and loose,'' Jim recalls. ``I realized right away that I had exceptional stuff.''

With a combination of fastballs, curveballs, and sliders, Jim began to make short work of the Mets' batting order. By the sixth inning, he began to consider that he was on the cusp of history.

``Everyone is supposed to do perfect work, but perfection in the game of baseball is a rarity I never expected to accomplish.'' That is what the big right-hander had to say about that.

The final Met at bat was John Stephenson, a lefty. Here is how the Philadelphia Inquirer described the game's dramatic conclusion:

The rookie swung at a low-breaking ball and missed, took a

pitch for a second strike, then took two balls, one low

outside and the other high and away. Bunning came back with a

curve at the knees on the outside part of the plate.

Stephenson swung and missed and the Phillies made a bee-line

for the mound. They came running from their positions and

streamed out of the dugout to pound the former American

Leaguer on the back and escort him to the dugout.

The story continues:

A few minutes later, [Bunning] went on television for an

interview during which his wife and daughter rushed up to

kiss him. It was the thrill of a lifetime for the pitcher,

who richly deserved it.

That he did.

For baseball fans, the statistics on Jim's perfect game are truly numbers to behold. He threw only 90 pitches in the Phillies' 6-to-0 victory--an average of only 10 per inning. He struck out 10. He did not miss the strike zone more than four times in any inning. And he went to a three-ball count on only two batters. Statistically, it may be the most perfect of perfect games ever pitched.

Acclaim was instant. Jim appeared on ``The Ed Sullivan Show'' that night. This man, who was always a fierce competitor both on the pitching mound and in the Halls of Congress, had reached the pinnacle of his profession. But it won't surprise any of my colleagues who know and worked with Jim that he did not let this sudden rush of fame go to his head. ``Fame is fleeting as far as the next hitter at the plate is concerned,'' says Jim. I admire my friend and former colleague's ability to keep such a momentous event in perspective.

It is fitting that his perfect game occurred on Father's Day because family is really what Jim Bunning is all about. The Bunning family celebrated their dad's perfect game not at a fancy Manhattan restaurant but at the Howard Johnson's on the New Jersey Turnpike. And I know his lovely wife Mary has been his rock and his foundation for his entire career in both baseball and politics.

Jim Bunning was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. But for any baseball fan, including this Senator, the thrill of Jimmy's perfect game is as fresh as if it happened yesterday, not 50 years ago.

Jim Bunning always stood tall, firm, and unafraid, whether in sports, politics, or life. That is how he became one of Kentucky's favorite sons. That is how he became an inspiration to his family and his friends and his colleagues. And that is how he threw that perfect game on Father's Day 1964. It is his strength of spirit that has enabled Jim to succeed. Kentucky is honored to have had Jim Bunning pitching for our home team for so many years.

I am sure that every Father's Day brings back special memories for the Bunning family. I am proud to wish my friend and former colleague well on the eve of this Father's Day and to extend my best wishes to him and to his family.

Thank you, Jim. Thank you for the example you have set for how to compete, how to win, and how to live a good and full life.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, for several years now I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing Robert L. ``Bob'' Williams. Bob hails from Independence, KY, and is a member of our Nation's Greatest Generation. Like so many in that generation, he answered the call of duty and fought valiantly in the Second World War. I rise today to honor his service to this country.

Early on the morning of June 6, 1941, Bob was among the first Allied paratroopers dropped into Normandy as a part of Operation Overlord, on the historic day of D-day. Several hours later, the largest amphibious assault in the history of war would commence. For the time being, however, Bob and his fellow paratroopers fought behind enemy lines, securing the roads and bridges that were vital to the operation's success. You could say that these men constituted the tip of the sharpest sword this Nation has ever thrust into battle.

The airborne soldiers' mission that day was extremely dangerous-- simply making it to the battlefield through the barrage of German anti- aircraft fire was a feat in itself--yet Bob displayed remarkable courage under fire. Upon landing, an enemy machine-gunner placed 12 bullet holes in his baggy pants pockets. Undeterred, Bob continued to fight that day, and for 10 more days until he was seriously wounded on June 16.

Since the war's conclusion, Bob has done his part to keep alive the memory of those who served. On the 50th anniversary of the D-day invasion, he joined 18 fellow veterans in re-creating their parachute jump into Normandy. He has also written a book containing his, and other veterans' stories from the war. Most recently, Bob was honored to be inducted into the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame in March of this year.

As the Second World War drifts further and further into the past, it becomes increasingly important that we remember the sacrifices made to secure victory. So today, I ask that my U.S. Senate colleagues join me in honoring Robert L. Williams and his service to his country during the great battle to make the world safe for democracy that was World War II.

Mr. President, the Lexington Herald-Leader recently published an article detailing Bob Williams' and other Kentucky World War II veterans' stories

from the war. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

The senior Senator from Tennessee has summed it up quite accurately. I have been calling on the majority leader to press pause on his party's nonstop campaign so we can take up bipartisan legislation for a change, because there is a real crisis in the country. It is a scandal that demands the Senate's full attention.

According to the Obama administration's own internal audit, its veterans scandal has now spread to more than three-quarters--three- quarters--of the VA facilities that were surveyed. Nearly 100,000 veterans continue to wait for care at VA centers and many of our veterans have been forced to wait 3 months or longer. Eighteen veterans have already died in Phoenix alone waiting for care that never came. This is a national disgrace.

The President needs to nominate a capable leader and manager who possesses the skills, leadership ability, and determination to correct the failings of the VA, support thousands of VA workers who are committed to serving our veterans, and provide all of those who have served bravely with the timely care they have earned. He also needs to use the tools he already has to address the systemic failures of management in his administration, and he needs to use the new tools we can provide him with the legislation as well. We in this body have a responsibility to act and to do so with a sense of urgency.

Yesterday the House passed bipartisan legislation unanimously-- unanimously--to help deal with this crisis. It is similar to the bipartisan Sanders-McCain bill right here in the Senate. It would increase patient choice, it would introduce some much needed accountability into the VA system, and it is past time to take up that kind of legislation in the Senate. Veterans have been made to wait long enough. Senate Democrats shouldn't be keeping them in the waiting room even longer.

I know the majority leader and his Democratic colleagues would rather stick to their campaign playbook. We know they would rather talk about a bill they claim is about student loans, but the Senate Democrats' bill isn't about students at all. It is all about Senate Democrats because Senate Democrats don't actually want a solution for their students, they want an issue to campaign on to save their own hides this November.

Recall that around this same time last year Republicans had to swoop in with a bipartisan piece of legislation to save students from a rate increase after Senate Democrats blew past the deadline, and Senator Alexander was right in the middle of that incredible and effective solution. Now Senate Democrats are pushing yet another--yet another-- student loan bill, one they actually hope will fail.

I think Senate Democrats are in for a surprise. Americans are not going to fall for this spin because students can understand this bill will not make college more affordable, they understand it will not reduce the amount of money they have to borrow, and students know it will not do a thing--not a thing--to fix the economy that is depriving so many young Americans of the jobs they seek.

Of course Senate Democrats understand all of these things too. Here is what the majority leader's lieutenant, the senior Senator from New York, said when he was asked a couple of years ago about student loans. He said that if Democrats had wanted to be ``political about this'' issue, they ``would have paid for it with'' the very same gimmick being used to pay for the bill before us today.

I give the Senator from New York points for honesty. His words show without equivocation that Senate Democrats are now playing politics with the futures of young Americans instead of doing something about the VA crisis.

So let's just accept the Senator's admission that his party's bill is truly about helping Democrats, not students, and let's move on to fixing the VA scandal instead. The time is now to turn away from designed-to-fail politicking and toward actual bipartisan solutions. Our constituents demand it and our veterans deserve it.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, Americans across the Nation have been truly shocked by the way our veterans have been mistreated. The fact that 18 veterans died in Phoenix alone while waiting for care is, as we all know, a national tragedy. This should be reason enough for Washington to take decisive action to reform a system that has allowed this tragedy to occur and action to hold those responsible accountable.

Yet, as we know, the scandal extends well beyond Phoenix. In the words of the government's own inspector general report, the kind of problems we saw there are systemic and extend throughout the administration's facilities.

A new internal audit released just yesterday found that the scandal has spread to 76 percent of the VA facilities that were surveyed. It also found that about 100,000 veterans continue to wait for VA appointments and that many veterans have already had to wait 3 months or more. This is a national disgrace.

I recently received a message from a disabled veteran who lives in West Liberty, KY. He said he has experienced delay after delay in the VA system, and he is understandably fed up. He said every time he thinks he is getting somewhere, he finds that some VA employee has changed a date in his file or posted a ``no show'' for appointments he was not aware of.

``I suppose I will become a casualty of the war with the VA,'' he wrote, ``before I ever receive a decision on my appeal or ever receive proper treatment.''

We know this is not right. That is not the promise this country made to our veterans, and there is no good reason to make veterans wait another day longer. There is no reason for the majority leader to prioritize partisan bills aimed at boosting Democratic turnout in November over bipartisan legislation that is aimed at fixing the problems at the VA.

We will have a vote tomorrow on one of these partisan bills that is going nowhere, when we know the Sanders-McCain bill is ready. It has been filed and that is what we ought to be moving to. Veterans have been made to wait long enough at these hospitals. Congress should not keep them in the waiting room by putting partisan games ahead of solutions. Fixing this problem is where the Senate's focus should be right now.

As the Acting VA Secretary recently said, the extent of the problems at the VA ``demand immediate actions.'' He is certainly right about that.

I know the majority leader is going to have us turn to another one of these political show votes tomorrow, written by people over at the campaign committee, but we will have plenty of time to consider bills designed to fail later. Instead, now is the time for the Senate to act like the Senate again--to be serious and more than just a campaign studio for one political party.

Senators Burr, Coburn, and McCain have been working extremely hard on the issue, along with the chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. We all know there is no one in this Chamber better suited to tackle this crisis than John McCain. He understands the experience and needs of our veterans.

We should give Senator McCain and the rest of this group the space and support they need to get effective and bipartisan reform through the Senate. Given that their legislation contains provisions similar to a bill that has already passed the House overwhelmingly, I think we will get there as well, but we need to give the effort the attention it deserves first, and that means putting the designed-to-fail bills off to the side for a minute because, look, this is what the American people actually sent us to do--to legislate.

I am calling on the majority leader and the President to hit the pause button on the never-ending campaign. Veterans have been denied care. Veterans have actually died. This is an issue that deserves the Senate's immediate attention.

If our colleagues are serious about getting to the bottom of the scandal, holding the perpetrators accountable, and enacting reform to fix it, then they will actually focus on helping our veterans instead of worrying about saving their own seats this November.

I yield the floor.

Tomorrow marks the 70th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy, a day known across the world as D-day.

On this fateful day, which proved to be such a decisive turning point for the allied victory in Europe, thousands of allied forces were killed or wounded in the invasion. While we are sadly losing more and more members of the ``greatest generation'' with each passing year-- including the last of the original Navajo code talkers whom we lost just yesterday--the heroism of these brave Americans can never be forgotten.

I have one constituent, Bob Williams from Boone County, KY, who jumped on D-day, jumped again 50 years later, and was on the front cover of Time magazine. I saw him earlier this year, and he says he is not going to jump again because his wife will not let him, but Bob Williams is still in good shape 70 years after the day he jumped into the night of D-day.

Tomorrow I will be honored to commemorate the most important anniversary by meeting with a number of Kentucky heroes--veterans from World War II and the Korean war--who will be visiting the national monuments built here in the Nation's Capital to honor their service and sacrifice. They will be making a trip with the help of the Bluegrass Chapter of the Honor Flight Program, which has already brought more than 1,000 veterans--mostly from Kentucky--to Washington for this very purpose. The program provides transportation, lodging, and food for the veterans.

Without Honor Flight, many would not be able to visit the World War II Memorial--a memorial erected to honor the sacrifice of the men and women who served on D-day and throughout that era.

I have met with groups of Honor Flight veterans before, and it is always a moving experience. It is gratifying to see these heroes receive the recognition they deserve. Many of them never thought they would be able to make the trip, and for every veteran who does, I am sure they hold cherished memories of their fellow soldiers in arms who did not.

I look forward to greeting them tomorrow and thanking them for their extraordinary service to our country. I am proud and honored that Kentucky is home to so many of these brave heroes.

I had indicated to the majority leader I was going to have a unanimous consent request. I am going to propound that now.

I ask unanimous consent that the Environment and Public Works Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 2414, the Coal Country Protection Act and the Senate proceed

to its immediate consideration. I further ask consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

President Obama's new energy regulations would shift middle class jobs overseas, splinter our manufacturing base, and boost energy costs for struggling families.

The regulations could also lead to a reduction of nearly half a million jobs, according to an AFL-CIO union estimate. The union's leader characterized the job loss as ``long term and irreversible.'' He noted that the President's regulations would not achieve ``any significant reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions''--this is an AFL-CIO union leader--in other words, lots of pain for minimal gain.

The President's energy regulations would hurt the poor, the unemployed, seniors, and especially families in Kentucky. Kentucky coal sector employment has collapsed by about 7,000 jobs since President Obama took office.

Eastern Kentucky just saw a 3-percent reduction in coal jobs in the first quarter of 2014. At least three additional Kentuckians lose their paychecks indirectly for every mining job that is lost.

As one coal leader noted, the administration's proposed regulations would only add to the economic challenges facing Kentucky--especially in Eastern Kentucky, which is ground zero for what is happening in coal country.

The Coal Country Protection Act is cosponsored by several Senators, including Senator Rand Paul, and is supported by the Kentucky Coal Association.

It would require that simple but important benchmarks be met before the President's new rules could take effect. No. 1, the Secretary of Labor would have to certify that the regulations would not generate a loss of employment.

No. 2, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office would have to certify that the regulations would not result in any loss in American gross domestic product.

No. 3, the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration would have to certify that the regulations would not increase electricity rates.

No. 4, the Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the president of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation would have to certify that electricity delivery would remain reliable. So the Coal Country Protection Act is just common sense.

Moments ago the majority leader blocked consideration of this measure. Unless we take this up, debate it, and pass it, the President's rules will cause job loss, utility rate hikes, and potentially brownouts. The President's regulations will actually increase energy prices and create job loss.

Opponents of this bill will be supporting job loss in Kentucky, our economy being hurt, and seniors' energy bills spiking for almost zero meaningful global carbon reduction.

So the majority leader and the Democrats in this body need to listen. And even if they won't, Kentuckians should know I will keep fighting for them.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, 4 years ago Washington Democrats sold this country a bill of goods. Like a Ginsu knife pitchman, they promised that ObamaCare would create jobs, improve the economy, lower premiums, and reduce health spending--all for the low, low price of not causing Americans to lose their insurance, their doctors or the hospitals they liked.

Today, Americans know the truth. It was a sham, the lie of the year, convenient deceits told to advance the far left's agenda.

The people we represent just want the pain of ObamaCare to go away, but the Democrats who run Washington have other ideas. Just yesterday they rolled out the red carpet for a sequel. That is just what we saw when the Obama administration announced its latest front in the war on Kentucky coal jobs.

The newest attack is the most extreme yet. The President wants Americans to believe that his national energy tax can somehow heal the planet and regulate the oceans, and he wants you to believe that it can be done without harming middle-class families; that, in fact, his massive regulatory scheme will actually create jobs and bring billions in economic benefits and shrink--you heard that right, shrink-- America's energy bills.

Well, if you believe that, I have some ObamaCare to sell you. This is the same President, remember, who boasted as a candidate that his energy tax policies would make electricity prices skyrocket. The truth is the President's energy tax won't even have an appreciable effect on global carbon emissions anyway.

President Obama's last Environmental Protection Agency head told us as much, saying: ``U.S. action alone will not impact world CO2 levels.'' That is a quote from her. She said: ``U.S. action alone will not impact world CO2 levels.'' That was spoken by the previous EPA Administrator.

You need emissions-heavy countries such as India and China on board first. That is just a scientific fact, although I suspect our friends on the left will conveniently ignore it because the point of this whole exercise is sadly obvious. It is not about science or global warming at all. It is all about making privileged elitists--elitists who may not feel the pinch of a higher utility bill or the pain of a lost job--feel as if they did something.

There is another reason why the echoes of ObamaCare here are so unmistakable. The President's national energy tax represents a direct attack on the American middle class.

Experts say it would devastate entire swaths of our economy and could lead to a loss of nearly half a million jobs, according to one AFL-CIO labor union estimate. In fact, the head of that union, the United Mine Workers of America, said this energy tax would lead to long-term and irreversible job losses.

The national energy tax would also shift middle class jobs overseas, shatter our manufacturing base, and drive up energy costs for families. It is a dagger aimed right at the heart of the American middle class, at a time when our constituents are already struggling under the weight of so many of this administration's other failed policies.

Let's not forget: Opportunity has already decreased for too many families under this President's watch. Millions of our friends and neighbors are still out of work, and the economy is at a standstill.

This is President Obama's plan, to squeeze the middle class even harder, ship American jobs overseas and to do it by going around Congress? It is clear that the President is trying to impose this national energy tax via Executive order because he knows the representatives of the people would never vote for it.

He knows that Congress already rejected a similar national energy tax when he tried to pass it back in his first term. Maybe he is avoiding legislative accountability because he knows this energy tax is too cruel, because he knows it would have an especially devastating impact on the most vulnerable members of our society--the poor, the unemployed, and seniors on a fixed income.

It is a curious thing. The same elites who like to lecture us from their privileged perches about helping others are often the same people who seem to care the least about who their extreme policies hurt. To them the American people are just hoi polloi, the commoners who these elites think need their enlightened guidance.

That is especially true when it comes to coal-mining families in my State, good people who this administration hasn't even bothered to hear from. Kentucky miners know that coal keeps the lights on. All they want to do is provide for their families and put food on the table.

They have committed no crime, they have done nothing wrong, but the Obama administration has declared a war on them all the same. A White House advisor was quoted as saying that a war on coal is ``exactly what's needed.''

These are callous positions, to be sure, but they are easy things to say when you live hundreds of miles away, when you don't have to live with the real-world consequences of your ivory tower ideological fantasies, when you don't have to see the raw human costs of your schemes. That certainly was the approach the administration took when it scheduled listening sessions to discuss its anti-coal regulations. It only wanted to hear applause from fellow leftwing elites, so it didn't schedule a single listening session in coal country--not one.

This is what one miner said at a coal listening session that I hosted in Eastern Kentucky after the administration refused to attend: ``Our biggest worries now are just trying to keep a roof over our heads [and] food on the table.''

He is not alone, and he needs to know this: We are on the side of the aisle that hears him. We are not going to let this administration's anti-middle class policies go unchallenged.

That is why today I am introducing legislation, the Coal Country Protection Act, that would push back against the President's extreme anti-coal scheme. It would require that simple but important benchmarks be met before his rules could take effect.

The Secretary of Labor would have to certify that it would not generate loss of employment. The Director of the Congressional Budget Office would have to certify that it would not result in any loss in the American gross domestic product.

The Administrator of the Energy Information Administration would have to certify it would not increase electricity rates, and the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the president of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation would have to certify that electricity delivery would remain reliable.

It is just common sense. That is why I call upon the majority leader to schedule a vote on this legislation immediately and to help us pass it, because Kentucky mining families are counting on him and so are countless middle-class families in my State and across the country who stand to get hurt by this administration's cold ideological attacks.

If the majority leader and Senate Democrats stand in the way of passing this bill, Kentuckians and the American people will remember who stood with them and who worked against them. I imagine they will want to send a majority to Washington that would actually work for the middle class for a change, instead of hurting seniors and shipping jobs overseas.

At the end of the day it comes down to this: The President's national energy tax is ObamaCare 2.0. It is a massive big-government boondoggle that is being marketed as something it isn't. It is an idea that will not even solve the larger problem it purports to address, and it will hurt the middle class.

So the President can pretend his national energy tax is about helping the environment, but we know better. It is not going to do a thing to meaningfully control global carbon emissions. This is really about growing government. It is really about making leftwing elitists feel better about themselves, and it is really about helping political supporters in places such as California and New York while inflicting serious pain on people and places like Kentucky.

I am going to continue to fight. Kentuckians deserve no less. I am going to keep vigorously fighting against the Obama administration's continued war on coal jobs and this extreme, extreme anti-middle class national energy tax in particular.

I yield the floor.

Reservation of Leader Time

Madam President, last month, Lois R. Hatfield received the 2014 Business Woman of the Year award from the Somerset Business and Professional Women's Club. I wish to honor this exemplary citizen and to recognize her tremendous career as an educator.

Lois took her first job in 1951, teaching grades one through eight at a one-room school house called Union Ridge School in the Jabez portion of Wayne County. She continued to devote herself to education in Kentucky for the remainder of her career, which lasted over 60 years.

Her accomplishments over the years are many. In 1978, she became the principal of her alma mater, Nancy Elementary, making her the first female principal in the history of the Pulaski County School System. She has also served as president of the Alpha Delta Kappa Educational Sorority, precinct chair for the Pulaski County Republican Party, and president of the Pulaski County Republican Women's Club.

Officially in retirement since 1997, Lois has a hard time staying away from the classroom and still serves when needed as a substitute principal or teacher. The fire that burns within her, propelling her to educate the children of our Commonwealth, has not waned in the slightest degree since she began her career in education.

Lois's dedicated commitment to her community and its children deserves the praise of this body. Therefore, I ask that my U.S. Senate colleagues join me in recognizing Lois R. Hatfield and her many accomplishments in the field of education.

The Commonwealth Journal recently published an article detailing Lois Hatfield's career and her receipt of the 2014 Business Woman of the Year award. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Madam President, this weekend Americans will gather to remember all who have fought and perished so that we might live in freedom. Memorial Day is our chance to honor their extraordinary sacrifices.

Of course, Kentucky has long played a proud and vital role in the defense of our Nation. I am honored to represent so many Kentuckians in the Armed Forces, including those stationed at Fort Knox, Fort Campbell, the Blue Grass Army Depot, and members of the Reserves and Kentucky National Guard.

One of the reasons Memorial Day is so important to me is because it allows Americans to reflect and give thanks for all that we have--to recognize that none of it would have been possible without so many Americans we have never met putting everything on the line for us. That is why the men and women who protect us deserve our full support when they are deployed, when they are training, and when they return home. Most Americans certainly agree with that statement.

Yet as we have recently learned, that is not what is happening. So many Americans now turn on the evening news just to be sickened by the steady drip, drip from the Obama administration's growing veterans scandal. The denial of care to our veterans is a national disgrace and the scandal only seems to increase in scope by the day.

We first heard about 1 hospital in Phoenix, then we heard about 10 medical centers across the Nation, now there are at least 2 dozen VA facilities under investigation. It all leads to an obvious question: How widespread is this failure to treat our veterans?

We need answers from the President and his administration. The White House claims the President didn't even know about the latest scandal until hearing about it on the news, even though a top official testified he knew of inappropriate scheduling practices at VA health care clinics as far back as 2010. It sure raises a lot of questions.

It is a curious thing. President Obama, the most powerful man in the free world, always seems to be the last to know about what is going on in his own administration. From the Obama administration's IRS scandal to its ObamaCare Web site fiasco, just about every time, the President claims to be in the dark until the wrongdoing surfaces on its own-- usually in the press. The pattern is incredibly worrying.

If it is true he learns so much through the press--if he knows that little about what is going on in his own administration--then I recommend he get reengaged. Right now. Right now. Because American Presidential leadership is needed today. This scandal appears to be a failure of huge magnitude, and the people we represent are demanding he rise to the challenge.

Our veterans are counting on him to work with both parties to get to the truth and to pursue solutions that can make things better-- solutions such as the VA reform bill that passed the House yesterday with strong bipartisan support. That legislation, which I have cosponsored and which Senator Rubio has been the leader on, would make it easier to remove high-level VA employees for performance failures. It is a smart idea. There is no reason for us not to pass it quickly right here in the Senate. The President should call for its passage right away too. That would be one positive step forward for him--a small one, but a positive one, even though, for some reason, the White House has been ambivalent about the bill.

Look, we all remember how engaged the President was when healthcare.gov flopped. He was very engaged. He didn't just send a staffer out to Phoenix; he didn't just give a secretary a stern talking to; he didn't say he wouldn't stand for it. He pulled out all the stops. He made it his No. 1 priority to get that Web site running, even if that is still not done. What I am saying is the President should put more effort into helping our veterans than his attempt to fix a Web site. Only he can work with us to get to the truth. Our veterans deserve it. They deserve answers. They deserve accountability, and they deserve solutions.

As we look ahead to Memorial Day, I hope the President will work constructively with us to give them just that--to prove how grateful we are to the brave men and women who protect us every single day.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, our All-Volunteer military relies upon several critical factors to recruit young Americans who are sufficiently well educated, physically and mentally qualified, and adequately motivated to wear the uniform. Our recruits expect to be well led, well trained, adequately compensated, effectively challenged, and fairly treated. Critically, they also expected to receive the health care promised to them while they were on Active Duty or as veterans.

Later this morning Secretary Shinseki will testify on stories that emerged several weeks ago about administrators at the VA hospital in Phoenix falsifying medical records to conceal delays in providing care to veterans. In the wake of these reports similar stories from Wyoming, North Carolina, Missouri, and Texas have come to light about employees using similar tactics to conceal backlogs in medical care. The questions awaiting the Secretary will be tough, but this is his job. The American people are demanding and deserve answers to these questions.

To his credit, Secretary Shinseki has ordered an inspector general review of the Phoenix VA health care system. It would not surprise me in the least if additional inspector general reviews end up being required at other VA hospitals.

One thing I will be listening for today is whether Secretary Shinseki states a belief that the VA is, in fact, facing a systemic crisis because just this morning the Wall Street Journal reported that his Department has made ``minimal progress at best'' on a host of problems identified in 2012 by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office--``minimal progress at best.'' That is how a nonpartisan GAO official described it.

Many letters have come into my office on this issue. Kentuckians are really concerned. Let me read what one Kentuckian had to say:

As a veteran, I have read the recent revelations of events

in Phoenix with horror. These [Americans] . . . sacrificed

for their country . . . In return, we owed them competent

care and treatment as a person, and not an obstacle to a

``good evaluation.'' In order to regain the trust of our

veterans, it is vital that we hold those responsible

accountable . . .

This Kentucky veteran could not be more right.

Last year I called the Obama administration's veterans backlog a ``national disgrace.'' I have also made several appeals to the Secretary. I know, of course, I was not the only one. Yet the initial reports of the shocking situation in Phoenix indicate that things have only gotten worse. With similar stories now filtering in from other parts of the country, it is getting harder to believe this is not more of a sort of systemic, administration-wide crisis. The Veterans' Administration needs to get to the bottom of how widespread the problem has become.

My concern is that the Obama administration will treat this scandal the way it does all the others--like a political crisis to get past rather than a serious problem to be solved. We know the President appointed a member of his staff yesterday to look into it. That is a start, but if the President is truly serious, he needs to treat these stories at least as seriously as he did the ObamaCare Web site fiasco when he pledged his complete attention and the full force of his administration to do whatever needed to be done. That was on the Web site fiasco when he let it be known that his people would not rest until a solution was worked out. Incredibly, so far the President has made no such pledge when it comes to the treatment of our veterans. The President needs to understand that our veterans deserve at least as much attention as a Web site--at least as much attention as a Web site. In fact, they deserve a heck of a lot more.

This is a really big deal. It is our job as Senators to get to the bottom of it. We need to ask the tough questions. We need to uncover the truth. Any misconduct found at VA hospitals should be met with swift punishment.

Administration officials need to be held accountable because America's ill and wounded veterans have already paid a price. They have already paid a price. They have a right to expect that our country will be there when they need help. If we break faith with them, we are breaking faith with the recruiters who made commitments to the next generation of American military leaders. All of those people have made commitments. The recruiters, the military leaders have all made commitments. As one of my colleagues put it, American veterans ought to be first in line--first in line--for the best care, not pushed to the back of the line for what they are getting.

So our joint mission, whether we are Democrats or Republicans, should be to get to the bottom of the Obama administration's veteran crisis swiftly and fix it. It means holding officials accountable. It means getting serious about solutions, such as Senator Rubio's bill that would make it easier to remove high-level VA employees for performance failures. I am proud to cosponsor that legislation. I know some of my colleagues will have other good ideas in the coming days and weeks too. The point is, that is where our focus needs to be. We owe it to every veteran who has served.

50th Anniversary of the Bourbon Resolution

Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to the spirit of Kentucky literally. This month marks the 50th anniversary since the U.S. Congress passed S. Con. Res. 19, which recognized bourbon whiskey as a distinctive product of the United States and unlike any other type of distilled spirit, whether foreign or domestic.

On May 4, 1964, Congress declared that bourbon whiskey had achieved recognition and acceptance throughout the world as a distinctive product of the United States and expressed a sense of Congress that the United States should prohibit the importation of any other whiskey purporting to call itself bourbon. This resolution helped to promote the thriving bourbon distillery industry that we can be thankful is located in the United States today.

Kentucky is, of course, the birthplace of bourbon. The drink itself is named for Bourbon County, KY. Bourbon County, KY, is 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 our State's tourism and economy. The industry generates close to 9,000 jobs and contributed almost $2 billion to Kentucky's economy in 2010. Production of bourbon in Kentucky has increased by more than 120 percent since 1999. Not to go unnoticed, the bourbon industry has taken an active role in promoting the responsible and moderate use of its product by everyone.

S. Con. Res. 19 was originally introduced 50 years ago by Kentucky Senator Thruston Morton, and a companion measure was introduced in the House by Representative John C. Watts. They recognized that just as Scotch whisky is a distinctive product of Scotland, Canadian whiskey a distinctive product of Canada, and cognac a distinctive product of the Cognac region of France, all with official government recognition, bourbon deserved the distinction that comes with official recognition as well. However, the International Federation of Manufacturing Industries and Wholesale Trades in Wines, Spirits, and Liqueurs could only enforce the protection of the bourbon appellation if Congress passed a resolution declaring such. Therefore, on May 4, 1964, Congress adopted the original bourbon resolution.

Fifty years later, I rise to introduce, along with my friend and colleague Senator Paul, a new Senate resolution to recognize the 50th anniversary of this original declaration of independence for bourbon.

Kentucky is celebrating this 50th anniversary in appropriate fashion through various exhibits, events, and tastings. Perhaps the most exciting of these events is the display of the original bourbon resolution, which has been released from the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington. For the first time since its adoption, it is to be exhibited in Louisville at the Frazier History Museum. I was proud to be able to work with my friend and fellow Kentucky Representative Andy Barr to assist in bringing the original resolution to Kentucky. I thank the Kentucky Distillers Association and the Frazier History Museum for their efforts to honor the anniversary of the bourbon resolution. I am also proud today to follow in the footsteps of Kentucky leaders from the past in honoring and recognizing the original bourbon resolution with this 50th anniversary resolution.

Bourbon production in Kentucky has grown strong and thrived over the last half century, and I am sure it will continue to do the same for the next 50 years. I thank and congratulate all the hard-working Kentuckians who contributed to building our State's vibrant bourbon industry.

I urge my Senate colleagues to support this resolution and look forward to its swift adoption.

Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Congressional Declaration of

Bourbon Whiskey

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 446, submitted earlier today.

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

I yield the floor.

Reservation of Leader Time