Floor Statements

Mr. President, I want to pay tribute to a Kentucky Special Operations Forces soldier who was lost in service to his country, the life of SFC Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller of Catlettsburg, KY, which prematurely ended on February 3, 2010, in Pakistan, where he was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was killed when the enemy attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was 35 years old.

For his service in uniform, Sergeant First Class Sluss-Tiller received many awards, medals, and decorations, including the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, two Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, five Army Achievement Medals, five Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Star, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals with Bronze Service Stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, three noncommissioned officers professional development ribbons, the Army service ribbon, two overseas service ribbons, the NATO Medal, the combat action badge, and the senior parachutist badge; obviously a much decorated soldier.

Pictured behind me is Sergeant First Class Sluss-Tiller with his daughter Hannah, who was only 3 years old when he died. Matthew's wife Melissa proudly sent this picture to my office so it can be honored on the Senate floor. It was taken the summer before Matthew was killed, and it was his last picture with his daughter.

Melissa remembers the bond between Matthew and Hannah fondly. ``He used to sing to me and Hannah,'' she says.

He would dance with her standing on his feet, singing

loudly. Thinking of it makes me smile. He loved being a

husband and a father, and he was great at both.

Born and raised in eastern Kentucky, Matthew graduated from Lawrence County High School in 1993. Brenda Thornbury, his former art teacher, remained friends with Matthew after he graduated and recalls he knew from a young age what he wanted to do. ``Matthew was a wonderful person,'' she says.

He was always eager to do whatever he needed to do to serve

his country . . . he knew he would serve his country. He

loved the Lord, and he loved his family.

Matthew's father Edward Tiller agrees. ``From the time I bought him his first GI Joe, he wanted to be an Army man,'' he said.

In short, it seems clear that for Matthew, the Army was not just a job, it was a way of life. He was dedicated to justice and service in the name of our country.

In 1991, Matthew enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves as a heavy construction mechanic and served at the 261st Ordnance Company located at Cross Lanes, WV. In 1993, he left the family farm and enlisted in the Active-Duty Army as a signal specialist. He served at Fort Bragg, NC, as well as in Germany and in Kuwait.

SFC Jamie Mullinax, a friend of Matthew's who trained with him at Fort Bragg, knew well the look of happiness we can see in Matthew's face behind me. He says:

If you knew Matt, you knew that smile. He always strived to

do the best at what he did. I know he believed in what he was

doing and loved wearing the military uniform and believed in

what it stood for.

As the list of awards, medals, and decorations I read earlier makes clear, Matthew excelled at being a soldier. In his many years of training, he successfully completed the U.S. Army Airborne course, the Jumpmaster course, the Master Jumpmaster course, the Air Movement Operations course, the Military Transition Team course, the Civil Affairs Qualification course, and the Advanced and Basic Noncommissioned Officer's courses.

Prior to his time of deployment, Matthew deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo. In his final deployment Matthew was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade, based out of Fort Bragg.

In his free time Matthew loved golf, hunting, hiking, camping, and riding motorcycles, and he was a passionate fan of UK basketball.

The many people who came to pay their respects at Matthew's funeral in eastern Kentucky witnessed the recognition of Matthew's sacrifice when they saw a three-star general come to their small town to lead the honor guard.

LTG John Mulholland delivered these remarks at the service:

Matthew was part of America's Army Special Operations

Forces and as such was one of the finest soldiers in the

world.

He went on:

That's no exaggeration, that he was embarked on a very

important if not critical mission that is directly tied to

the security of this country.

Of course, as impressive as his service record was, I think the picture behind me makes clear that the most important job to Matthew was husband and father. I know his family misses him terribly.

Melissa says the following about her husband:

I believe that our souls are beacons glowing immensely with

light so powerful and beautiful that only in heaven can we

become a true vision of ourselves. I know my Matthew is

standing tall in heaven, his light so stunning a reflection

of who he was. God needed him, and I cannot question that.

We are thinking of Matthew's loved ones today, including his wife Melissa, his daughter Hannah, his parents Edward Tiller and Jane Blankenship, his stepparents Von Tiller and Forest Blankenship, his siblings Selena Dawn Pack Blankenship, Michael Blankenship, and Annette Sorg, and many other beloved family members and friends.

Our country has lost a faithful and devoted hero with the passing of SFC Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller. I know my colleagues join me in expressing great condolences to his family for their loss, and great gratitude to them for lending our country such an honorable and noble patriot.

I hope Hannah and all of Matthew's loved ones know that America will always--always--be grateful for his sacrifice.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, the Democratic majority led us to believe the Senate would be discussing jobs this week, but it seemed to be a pretty one-sided discussion.

Republican Senators came to the floor to talk about our innovative ideas to create jobs and grow opportunity for all Americans. As for Senate Democrats though--well, they wouldn't even stand to call for votes on the jobs proposals.

I think this reflects a growing divide in the Senate between a Republican Party focused on the middle class and a Democratic Party that is obsessed with November 4.

That is very disappointing for America. The American people need two serious political parties in this country. But at least our constituents can be assured of one thing: Republicans are laser-focused on delivering real prosperity to the families who have struggled so much in this economy. It is the impetus behind basically everything we do, and it is the impetus behind the numerous jobs proposals Republican Senators are rolling out this week.

For instance, several Republican Senators will take to the floor again today to talk about energy's potential for driving growth and American job creation and why the government needs to stop holding Americans back from sharing in the energy boom. I also plan to join and discuss my own amendment that would fight back against the President's war on coal jobs. I am looking forward to that colloquy.

But right now I wish to talk about another jobs proposal Senator Paul and I have again introduced: national right-to-work legislation. It would allow American workers to choose whether they would like to join a union, and it would protect the worker from getting fired if she would rather not subsidize a union boss who fails to represent her concerns and priorities. It is such a commonsense proworker proposal. According to one survey, about 80 percent of union workers agree that employees should be able to decide whether joining a union is right for them. One obvious benefit is increased take-home pay for workers who choose to keep the hundreds of dollars that would otherwise be taken from their paychecks by union bosses. There is a huge opportunity component here as well, because most unions operate on a seniority system with pay raises often based off the amount of time the worker has spent at a company rather than on her performance. Well, I think an American worker deserves an opportunity to earn more money if she works hard. I think she deserves the opportunity to rise through the ranks and put more money in her pocket if she is determined to do it. That is real paycheck fairness.

These are bedrock American values--core workers rights that should never be denied to our constituents, especially in a terrible economy such as this one. Many of Kentucky's neighboring States have gone right-to-work with great success, and I hope Kentucky will join them soon. I recently read an op-ed that laid out how much we could have gained over the last decade if we had. It noted that private sector jobs have grown about 15.3 percent in right-to-work States compared to just 6.9 percent in Kentucky; manufacturing had expanded three times faster in right-to-work States and compensation had grown about 14.2 percent compared to just 4.3 percent in Kentucky.

So I am encouraged by the members of Kentucky's legislature who continue to fight for right-to-work legislation. Kentuckians shouldn't be subjected to that kind of prosperity gap any longer, and neither should millions of other Americans struggling across our country. I believe they should have a more equal chance of finding work in every State, and they should no longer see their communities failing to secure new investment because their State hasn't passed right-to-work. That is just one more reason why I believe in our national legislation too.

So I am asking our Democratic friends to join Senator Paul and me in standing up for workers rights and a stronger middle class to join us in passing right-to-work legislation.

Let's be honest. After more than 5 years of economic misery under their watch, that is the least Washington Democrats can do for the American people. Unfortunately, I suspect we will hear a lot of excuses instead about why Washington Democrats cannot or won't stand with us in this fight. No matter what they say, though, the American people will know the truth: It is because big labor bosses have such sway over today's Democratic Party and because big labor bosses aren't about to give up their perks or their vise grip over American workers.

Well, big labor bosses should know that Republicans are determined to fight for American workers, American jobs, and a stronger middle class, even if the bosses work against us every step of the way. Right-to-work is a smart way to get America on the path to real recovery, and it is critical to empowering workers and giving them more freedom.

I commend Senator Paul for his leadership on this legislation and for his long-time advocacy on this issue. I hope our colleagues on the other side of the aisle will prove me wrong by working together to pass important job initiatives such as right-to-work for the American people.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Reservation of Leader Time

I thank my friend from Missouri.

What we have been talking about is how to create jobs. Unfortunately, the agenda of the Senate Democratic majority does just the opposite. It appears as if we are not likely to be able to get any amendments offered that would actually create jobs and opportunity for our people.

One of the things I have been so disturbed about over the years is the inability of employees to make a voluntary choice about whether they want to belong to a union.

In addition to the energy jobs measures we are discussing here today, I have another related measure I would like to highlight. As I mentioned earlier this morning in my opening remarks, enacting national right-to-work legislation is just plain common sense. My colleague from Kentucky, Senator Paul, has been the leader on this issue.

This is a fundamental issue of worker freedom. This amendment would empower American workers to choose

whether they would like to join a union. It would protect a worker from getting fired if she would rather not pay dues to a union boss who fails to represent her concerns and her priorities. According to one survey, 80 percent of unionized workers agreed that workers should be able to choose whether to join a union.

It is an issue of upward mobility. A worker should be able to be recognized and rewarded for her individual hard work and productivity.

This is paycheck fairness. A worker should no longer be held back by an antiquated system where pay raises are based on seniority rather than on merit.

This is an issue of leveling the playing field. Workers in all States would have a more equal chance of finding work in every State, and they would no longer see their communities failing to secure new investments because their State hasn't passed a right-to-work law.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for me to offer my amendment No. 2910, which I have just described to my colleagues here in the Senate.

Mr. President, Washington Democrats have controlled the White House and the Senate for years now. They have tried just about every tool in the liberal toolbox to turn the economy around. Yet according to the latest Gallup tracking poll, just 19 percent of Americans think the economy is doing well. Millions are out of work, and close to 60 percent of Americans say things are getting even worse.

By basically any objective standard, we would have to say the Washington Democratic approach hasn't worked. We would have to say it is time for a change, to do something that can work, and that is what Republicans are proposing again this week.

While Senate Democrats dust off the same poll-tested ideas for papering over the symptoms of malaise, Republicans are proposing concrete ideas aimed at igniting the economy and giving people real hope for something more, something better than what they have been getting for the last 5 years, something which speaks to their hopes and their potential. In other words, the other side is doubling down on the status quo while Republicans are offering change.

Specifically, we will be proposing numerous jobs-related amendments which have one unifying purpose; that is, to break through the stagnation of the Obama economy and kick domestic job creation into high gear.

Our approach is simple: Let's give free enterprise and private initiative a chance. Let's use the tools we know can lead to the creation of the stable, well-paying 21st century jobs our constituents want and deserve.

Too often it seems our friends on the other side are single-mindedly focused on treating the symptoms of a down economy rather than actually providing struggling Americans with positive, meaningful paths to a better life. They can't seem to get their minds around any legislative proposal that puts ordinary Americans and private initiative in the driver's seat instead of the government. To me that largely sums up the difference between the parties. But it goes even further than that, because Washington Democrats are not just reluctant to embrace any idea that doesn't emanate from Washington; they don't even want to hear about it.

If we are going to get this country back on track, that needs to change, and that is what Republicans are arguing for this week. What we are saying is, if all you want is subsistence-level relief, then that is what the party of government is going to give you. But if your goal is to help those who want to truly aspire to join the middle class, if you want to really help people maximize their potential and build a better life, it is time to start looking beyond Washington.

Deep down I think our Democratic friends understand this too. I think they understand that pushing big government legislation with words such as ``jobs'' or ``affordable'' in the title isn't the same as actually creating jobs or actually making things more affordable. It is like handing someone a menu instead of serving them a meal. The tragic effects to this approach are clear: from an Affordable Care Act that turned out to be anything but, to a stimulus bill that seemed better at stimulating late-night punch lines than good paying jobs. But despite all the evidence, Washington Democrats remain stubbornly attached to the same old playbook. If you need proof, just take a look at the poll- tested, campaign-crafted agenda they rolled out this week--an agenda packed to the brim with base-pleasing show votes and few if any real solutions for the middle class. In fact, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office tells us that one of their proposals could cost up to a million jobs--cost jobs, not create jobs.

Look, this prioritization of party-pleasing show votes over actually helping grow the middle class is a tragedy for our country. The American people really deserve two national parties that are serious, and it is long past time for Democrats to start engaging with us in a serious effort to help Americans who struggle so much in the Obama economy.

The good news is they will have their chance this week. The Republicans are filing amendments on a whole range of

job-centered policies, amendments that deserve not just a vote but bipartisan support. For example, an amendment from the junior Senator from South Carolina would eliminate ObamaCare's 30-hour workweek rule, which is hurting Americans' take-home pay in our already depressed economy.

One of our Members from Utah is putting forward an amendment to repeal ObamaCare's job-destroying medical device tax. A good number of Democratic Senators have joined us in the past to get rid of this job killer, and they deserve the opportunity to help us eliminate it once and for all.

The senior Senator from North Dakota has an amendment that would speed approval of the Keystone Pipeline. This is a project that would create thousands of jobs right away, and it is just a no-brainer. Senate Democrats need to join Democrats across the country who have already endorsed this commonsense initiative and help us pass it.

I personally plan to file an amendment that would give Congress the ability to stop EPA's back-door national energy tax and would also keep unelected bureaucrats from blocking desperately needed jobs in Kentucky by sitting on surface mining permitting. Remember, this administration's anti-Kentucky policies have helped bring about a depression--that is a depression with a capital D--in many Kentucky coal counties. It is about time they started having a little compassion for the coal families who just want to put food on the table, and that is exactly what my amendment aims to do.

So these are just a few of the many proposals Republican Senators will be putting forward this week. They represent the kind of solutions our country needs right now to finally emerge from this awful economy-- real solutions that focus on creating well-paying jobs, increasing take-home pay, training a world-class workforce, and breaking a seemingly endless cycle of chronic high unemployment.

As I have indicated, we have tried the Washington Democratic approach for years now. We know that it just hasn't worked. We know their new agenda isn't serious, that it is nothing more than an ObamaCare distraction strategy. We know this because Democrats actually told us it was created by their campaign committee, that it was designed to appeal to their base.

So if the Democratic majority is finally ready to get down to business and create jobs, this is a moment to prove it. This is the moment to drop the endless campaigning. This is the moment to work with us to actually create jobs and help the middle class, and this is the moment for legislation that would do just that.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I believe my Senate colleagues are well aware of how seriously we take our college basketball in my home State of Kentucky. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association, KHSAA, State Basketball Championship has been played every year since 1918 and is truly a special event.

Kentucky is one of three States that does not divide its schools into classes based on size--that means one State, one tournament, and only one champion. Teams that advance out of their district tournaments play in one of sixteen regional tournaments--the winners of which advance to play in the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen in Lexington's legendary Rupp Arena.

This year, over 14,000 fans packed the stands for the championship game and watched Covington Catholic High School defeat Scott County in an overtime thriller. I rise today to pay tribute to the players, coaches and fans of the 2014 champions--the Covington Catholic Colonels.

For the Colonels, led by head coach Scott Ruthsatz, the road to the school's first-ever title was not easy--it seldom is in this grueling, statewide tournament. Covington Catholic found themselves down in the second half in three out of their four Sweet Sixteen games--including the championship. The players never gave up hope, though. On his team's 27 to 18 halftime deficit in the championship game, tournament MVP Nick Ruthsatz--Scott's son--said coolly, ``We've been in this position before and we knew we could pull through.''

As it turned out, Nick's confidence was not misplaced. The Colonels stormed back, tying the game at 47 with only 50 seconds to go, and sending the game into overtime. In the extra period, it was the Colonels staunch defense and clutch free throws that propelled them to a 59 to 51 victory.

The 97th KHSAA Basketball Championship, like so many before it, was an excellent display of athletic ability as well as sportsmanship. This tournament would not be what it is without the efforts of the players, coaches, fans, and teachers of all the participating schools. They are all worthy of our praise.

However, in Kentucky, there can only be one champion. Thus, I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in congratulating the Covington Catholic Colonels on winning the 2014 KHSAA State Basketball Championship.

An article was recently published in the Cincinnati Enquirer chronicling Covington Catholic High School's championship win. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

There being no objections, the article was ordered to be printed in

Mr. President, I would ask to proceed on my leader time.

Mr. President, we all know a huge percentage of Americans across the country filled out their brackets a couple of weeks ago to get ready for March Madness. Now it is down to the final four, and once again the University of Kentucky is in the final four. It has become something we are quite accustomed to after having won the championship at UK in 2012. We kept the championship in our State for 2013 with the University of Louisville. Now we intend to further underscore that the college basketball capital of the world is indeed in the Commonwealth, and we look forward to watching in Dallas the final four next weekend.

ACA Signup Deadline

Mr. President, today is the normal deadline for most people to sign up for ObamaCare, and while one Senator on the other side of the aisle said yesterday there is no such thing as ObamaCare, that will come as news to millions of our constituents--the millions of Americans facing higher premiums, canceled plans, and the loss of doctors and hospitals they like as a result of this law.

ObamaCare is definitely real to middle-class families whom we represent. If our friends on the other side want to make the pain of this law go away, they can work with us to replace it with smart, bipartisan reforms. They are trying to wish away their own ObamaCare law or are simply pretending it is not there. That is not going to work. The American people deserve a law better than that.

Innovation and Opportunity

We will be having a vigorous debate this week in the Senate about how to create jobs and rebuild the middle class. On the one side our good friends the Democrats will be offering more of the same. They will propose treating the symptoms instead of meaningfully improving the prospects of people who are struggling out there.

On the other side Republicans will be proposing concrete ways to break the cycle of unemployment and hopelessness that pervades the Obama economy, ideas aimed at helping people reach their true potential and build a better life for themselves. The Republican message is all about innovation and opportunity and making it easier for more people to join the ranks of the middle class. It is about reforming the underlying causes of unemployment instead of just perpetually treating the symptoms. It is about how we create jobs for the future that will allow Americans to do a lot more than simply pay their bills. Republicans will offer a series of jobs amendments this week that underline our determination to reorient America's economic trajectory. We want to lift our country from stagnation to growth, from hostility toward enterprise to an embrace of innovation, and from a system rigged by government elites for their own benefit to one that can actually work for the middle class again.

Americans will hear two competing agendas this week: on the one hand, a tired, government-centered Democratic agenda designed by and for ideologues of the left; on the other, a modern, enterprise-oriented Republican agenda designed around the hopes and potential of the middle class.

This is a debate Republicans welcome. It is one we have been waiting to have for a very long time, and we hope Washington Democrats will actually be serious this time when they say they want to focus on jobs because every time they say that, they keep getting distracted and pivot to other issues.

Here is something else we need to expect from the majority: votes on amendments for positive reform. The American people deserve at least that much. After so many years of failure, the middle class deserves the chance for something better. Remember, there are nearly 4 million Americans who have been unemployed for 6 months or longer. These Americans deserve to have a Congress that is committed to making it easier, not harder, to create jobs.

Let's have this debate. Let's vote on Republican jobs amendments, and let's give some hope again to the middle-class families who have suffered for entirely too long.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I wish to say a word about our longtime colleague Peter Robinson, who is retiring this week.

Peter joined the Office of the Senate Parliamentarian in 2002 and quickly distinguished himself as a standout talent. He brought a remarkable breadth of knowledge to a job that really requires it and a legendary facility for reading and digesting complex legislation in record time. His colleagues describe him as kind of a genius, actually--somebody who can remember not only where he read something but the exact page on which he read it. According to Senate legend, one staffer actually showed up one day asking for the software program that he just assumed Peter had been using to analyze complex bills. He was that fast. He was that good.

Peter has all sorts of interests and hobbies, so I am sure he will make very good use of his retirement, but he will be missed around here. Pete's colleagues will miss his professional skill and mastery of precedent and procedure, but they will also miss the good humor and the equanimity which have made him such a great colleague and such a valuable and respected member of the Senate family over the years. We wish Peter all the best.

Mr. President, I will start by acknowledging the majority leader's candor yesterday in outlining his party's agenda for the rest of the year--in admitting he actually asked his party's ``political arm,'' the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, to come up with it. Maybe he didn't intend to admit that his party's so- called agenda is actually a political gambit or that it basically has one intent--to bail out imperiled Democrats, Democrats desperate to distract from how ObamaCare is devastating the middle class--but it slipped out anyway.

But that wasn't the only Freudian slip we heard at yesterday's press conference. Here is a quote from one of the majority leader's top lieutenants:

When we play the political games that we're playing here,

[middle-class families] feel that we are detached from their

priorities.

Boy, I couldn't agree more with that. Maybe that is why even the press isn't taking this ``agenda'' seriously. The New York Times reported that helping struggling Americans is ``not really the point'' of Democrats' agenda and that a main goal is actually just ``to motivate the Democratic base'' and drive turnout in places they need to win in November. The Times also noted that the show votes associated with the Democratic agenda ``will be timed to coincide with campaign- style trips [by the President].'' According to the Washington Post, ``Democrats hope to use the votes . . . as fodder . . . in hopes of staving off potential losses in several states.''

Look, it doesn't get any more cynical than that--to demonstrate such a total lack of seriousness in such troubling times for the middle class.

At this point Washington Democrats are in the sixth year of trying to fix the economy, and the middle class continues to suffer. It is just not working.

As I have been saying for months now, this presents Washington Democrats with a choice. One option they have is to try something different. This means coming to the middle and working with us on bipartisan solutions that can create jobs, increase take-home pay, and give a leg up to the middle class. The other option is to double down on failed ideology and political gimmicks--the kinds of things that get the Democrats' leftwing base all excited.

In short, Washington Democrats have a choice between helping the middle class and pleasing the left. So when they release a poll-tested, campaign-crafted ObamaCare distraction ``agenda'' packed to the brim with ``lefty show votes,'' I think middle-class families can tell whose side Washington Democrats are really on. It is certainly not their side.

The people we represent all deserve better than this. They are hurting, really hurting, and all Washington Democrats seem to have for them is a bunch of show votes. I mean, how will show votes help our constituents? How will they help the people who have been writing to me about the impact of ObamaCare on themselves and their families?

One woman who wrote me from Louisville had been enrolled in Kentucky's high-risk pool for people with preexisting conditions. She said she had been battling cancer for years and that in 2012 her cancer metastasized and moved into her liver, pelvis, lung, and diaphragm. Just imagine hearing devastating news like that. Now imagine hearing a year or so later that you are going to lose the insurance you liked too, insurance that had helped you manage your cancer treatment, and, worse, that your new ObamaCare plan was going to classify your chemo medicine as a specialty drug that costs more than $1,000 for a 3-week supply. ObamaCare, this constituent wrote, ``is about as helpful in saving my life as a wet paper sack to help cover me from the rain.''

I would note she contacted me because she wanted me to know that ObamaCare stories like hers are anything but ``lies,'' despite what some in this Chamber might imply.

Does anyone really think constituents like her care about some show vote? No. What she needs is relief from ObamaCare.

So does another Kentuckian, who wrote me from Henderson County, whose premium will jump $400 a month to over $1,100 a month under ObamaCare. He wrote:

Americans were told that we could . . . keep our existing

policy [if we chose]. . . . Not only was [this] a lie--[it's]

a lie that will cost me an additional $700 per month!

How is a political show vote going to help him? Of course it isn't. And there is not a thing the Democratic Party's ``political arm'' can do to fix these problems.

Kentuckians and countless Americans suffering under ObamaCare need real solutions--not gimmicks, not base-pleasing ideology. Solutions are what is needed. Look, Washington Democrats forced America's middle class into this impossible situation. They basically blocked every reasonable attempt to reform this law or to change it in any meaningful way. Yet now ObamaCare is becoming politically difficult for them. They are deflecting blame. Just this morning we saw several imperiled Obama Democrats spin an op-ed that underscores the point, but Americans are not going to be fooled by any of this. Americans agree it is time for Washington Democrats to work with us to remedy the mess they created, and that means repealing this law and replacing it with real reform.

It is time for them to work with us on a real jobs agenda too, and to take up the numerous bills the House has already sent over and get them onto the President's desk.

Americans are fed up with the games and the tricks. They want serious solutions. They don't need a campaign poster to figure that out, and Republicans believe it is about time the American people got those solutions.

Remembering sergeant Michael C. Cable

Mr. President, I want to pay tribute to a Kentucky soldier who tragically has been lost while serving his country. SGT Michael C. Cable of Philpot, KY, was killed by the enemy while guarding American and Afghan officials in Afghanistan on March 27, 2013, exactly 1 year ago today. He was 26 years old.

For his service in uniform, Sergeant Cable received several awards, medals, and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.

A decade ago as a high school student, Michael was a star on the Daviess County High School cross-country team, and they won many races. ``I sent out an e-mail this morning with this Bible verse,'' says Tony Rowe, Michael's former high school coach.

``Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down

his life for his friends.'' He is a hero. He died fighting

for us and trying to make life better for the people of

Afghanistan.

What Tony Rowe says about Michael is absolutely true, and in fact the most important thing that Michael's family wants the world to understand is that Michael was performing a mission at the time he was attacked, and this important mission was protecting others. It was not only highly important work but highly dangerous.

Before leaving on his final deployment, Michael pulled his family members aside to warn them his mission would be dangerous. ``He was prepared before he left for anything that happened,'' said Raymond Johnston, Michael's older brother. In that conversation Michael described his sisters and a close family friend as the most important people in his life, and he asked his family to take care of them if anything happened to him.

It is very hard. He was my little buddy. He wanted to make sure that no matter what, we continued to enjoy life. And we are trying to do that.

Michael's tragic loss was the first combat death for the 101st Airborne Division, based in Fort Campbell, KY, for that deployment to Afghanistan. He joined the Army in August 2007 and arrived at Fort Campbell in December of 2010. He served as a fire support specialist.

In his family Michael was known as a prankster. His last big prank was pulled on his younger sister Idalis. Michael promised he would buy Idalis a car. He had his older sister Wendy tell Idalis that Michael was determined to make good on his word but that he had bought her a really old and ugly car. Wendy told Idalis she would have to act excited so as not to hurt Michael's feelings. Far from a beat-up clunker, Michael gave his sister his own Jeep Cherokee just before he deployed to Afghanistan.

Michael loved sports of all kinds. He played golf to relax and won a golf tournament at Fort Campbell. His favorite professional sports team was the Green Bay Packers.

Michael had planned to leave the Army after his tour in Afghanistan to open his own home remodeling business. His family remembers Michael as always busy spending time with friends.

We are thinking about Michael's family today, including his parents, Vickie and Raymond Johnston, his siblings Raymond, Lisa, Wendy, Kennedy,

and Idalis, and many other beloved family members and friends.

I would like the family of SGT Michael C. Cable to know this Senate recognizes that Sergeant Cable was doing his job, and we are filled with gratitude. Without the men and women brave enough to wear our country's uniform and do the jobs our country asks them to do, I fear for what would become of our Nation.

I know my colleagues join me in honoring Sergeant Cable for his life of service and for his tragic sacrifice, and I extend my deepest condolences to Michael's family for their loss 1 year ago today.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Reservation of Leader Time

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize an exceptionally talented country music duo from my home State of Kentucky. Kris Bentley and Nick Jamerson have vaulted their band, Sundy Best, from the small bars and music halls of eastern Kentucky into the national spotlight. The story of their rise is remarkable, and one that is far from its conclusion.

Nick and Kris first met in elementary school in Prestonsburg, KY, where they both grew up in music-loving families. The two started a band together in high school but parted ways when Nick went to play football at Pikeville College and Kris enrolled in Centre College, where he played basketball. Nick's passion for music never subsided, though, and after college he contacted Kris to inquire about purchasing a drum set. As it happened, Kris's passion for music remained as well-- he didn't have a set to sell, but he would gladly come play with his old buddy Nick. The two friends picked up right where they left off, and the very next night they were playing their first gig together.

The band's big break came in November of 2010. Nick had just moved to Lexington with Kris, and the two landed a gig at Redmon's, a classic Lexington live music establishment. Previously the two had played just as ``Nick and Kris,'' but for a venue like Redmon's they needed a name that they could promote. The two settled on one that reflected their musical roots in Sunday church services. As Kris tells it, ``It was originally going to be Sunday's Best but then we said, `No, Sundy Best.' '' The duo dropped the ``a'' from Sunday because, ``That's the way we talk.''

The show at Redmon's was an enormous success, so much so that they began to play a regular gig there. This consistent venue for their music was instrumental in establishing the band's fan base and name recognition. Kris acknowledges that this was when ``people started taking us seriously . . . because that's a premier music venue.''

Things have been looking up for Sundy Best ever since. In 2013 they re-released their first album, Door Without a Screen, and watched it climb into the iTunes Top 10. The video for the hit song from the album, ``Home (I Wanna Go),'' helped drive the album's success and is a fixture on Country Music Television.

As a fellow Kentuckian, I am proud of the success seen by Sundy Best. Nick and Kris are not only talented musicians, but they are also outstanding ambassadors for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Although their

music is spreading further across the country each day, their roots remain grounded in eastern Kentucky.

I ask that my Senate colleagues join me in recognizing the success of Sundy Best and wishing them well with the recent release of their new album, Bring Up the Sun.

Kentucky Monthly recently published an article chronicling the rise of Sundy Best. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

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

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

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

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

Mr. President, here on the Senate floor we often speak about numbers of great magnitude. Whether we are speaking of the national debt, jobs, or tax dollars, the numbers can be in the thousands, millions, or even billions. Sometimes these numbers are enough to numb even the most policy minded to the sheer volume and amount of people and resources that go into running the Nation's Capital City.

Today, as I bid farewell to Rochelle Eubanks, a diligent, beloved, and loyal staffer for 25 years, there is one number in particular I want to bring to my colleagues' attention. That number is 1,807,181.

For a quarter of a century, Rochelle has been the backbone of my office, in charge of the one critical task that all of us honored enough to be elected to Congress are charged with: to listen, to respond to, and to act on behalf of our constituents.

First as my correspondence mail system, or CMS, operator; and since 1994, as my CMS production manager, Rochelle has been at the front lines of communicating with Kentuckians. CMS is the computerized system Senate offices use to keep track of their letters to constituents. And that number--1,807,181--is the number of letters to the Bluegrass State Rochelle has sent out in her 25 years of service.

It is truly remarkable. If every letter were to go to a different person, then Rochelle has mailed a letter to nearly half the State. No one else on my staff has had more contact with the voters back home than she has. After her retirement on April 4, she will be very much missed by myself and by all of her colleagues in my office.

Rochelle started back in March of 1989. But her Senate service extends back to April of 1982, when she began work as a mail manager for the Republican Conference. She also worked with Senators John East and Jim Broyhill, both of North Carolina, before moving to the House side in 1987. I am very glad we were able to lure her back over to the Senate side to work in my office beginning in 1989.

Most staff offices have two or three staffers working on CMS. But for the majority of her tenure with my office, Rochelle has handled CMS duties on her own. How in the world does she do it? Well, ``I just do what I do,'' Rochelle says, in her usual modest fashion. Perhaps the key to how she does it

is that Rochelle is always the first to arrive in the office, often by 5:30 in the morning. I know for a fact Rochelle can be counted on as the first to arrive at work, because I can recall a time or two when she had to let me in my own office.

I knew I could always count on, as I have called her, the early bird. In fact, that is how I introduced Rochelle to my wife Elaine: This is my early bird. Rochelle could always be counted on to be there.

Because of her long tenure, Rochelle has become almost a den mother of sorts to many of the younger staff members and interns in my office. Rochelle has been with us in three different office locations, all in the Russell Building, and every time her desk has been located near the mailroom and the office interns.

When new interns or mailroom staffers start their first day, they already know who is looking out for them. ``You must be Rochelle,'' many have been heard to say. ``I've heard so much about you.''

One of my longtime staffers who worked with Rochelle for nearly 20 years remembers her fondly.

She interacted with me the same day I came as a staff

assistant, to the day I left as chief of staff. It was the

same way she treated everybody. It didn't matter if you were

a senator or an intern. She was always sweet and pleasant and

positive.

Another longtime staffer recalls:

Rochelle has long been the master of mass mail. Regardless

of how many bins I brought her, she always had a bright

smile, a kind word, a listening ear, and a delightful laugh.

All the things that make a colleague a dear friend--that's

what Rochelle is truly the master of.

Yet another former longtime time staffer says in tribute to her:

Rochelle . . . you were always the sounding board, the

moral compass and the reality check for the people you worked

with, some of whom you may have forgotten, but who will

always count you as a friend. And while your work over the

years was excellent, please know that those you have worked

with will remember you for much more.

The fidelity and loyalty Rochelle has shown to my office is exceeded only by her fidelity and loyalty to her family. Rochelle has two daughters: Rochelle and Endyia, and six granddaughters: Nyla, Jermany, Albany, Liberti, Milini, and little Marlei, who was born just this March 9.

Everyone in the office knows how cute Rochelle's granddaughters are because she proudly displays several pictures of them at her desk. Some former staffers recall years ago when Rochelle would occasionally bring her then-school-aged daughters into the office and they would show off their cartwheels. The tradition continues today with Rochelle's granddaughters. ``Granny, can we come work with you?'' they ask.

Family is also the reason that after 25 years, Rochelle is taking her well-earned retirement and moving into the next phase of her life. I was thrilled to learn Rochelle will be marrying her fiance Kevin Perry. They will soon be moving to New York. Of course, she will be missed by her family here in the District as well as by everyone in the McConnell office, but our loss is Mr. Perry's gain, and I wish the two of them great happiness in their marriage.

Kevin is a professional musician who plays the guitar, and his genre of choice is R&B and funk music. He and Rochelle have known each other since high school and after 30 years recently reconnected. Now they are back in each other's lives and looking forward to starting a new life in Queens--``not Manhattan,'' as Rochelle is quick to point out.

Rochelle is a native Washingtonian, and of course Rochelle's daughters, granddaughters, and other family here will miss her terribly, but Rochelle is reassuring. ``I'm only 4 hours away. And we'll do a lot of Skype,'' she says. ``They don't want me to stop [working] and they don't want me to leave DC. But I'm ready for a change.''

Quite a change it will be. It is hard to imagine the McConnell office without Rochelle. She is the fourth longest serving staffer in the history of my office. When she retires next Friday, she will have 9,140 days of continuous service. In fact, the three longest serving staffers still in my office are all women who have more than 25 years of service each; field assistant Sue Tharp, archivist Nan Mosher, and Rochelle.

For Rochelle it all comes down to family--her own family and the McConnell family which she has formed and grown close to in her time with us. So it is fitting that she is retiring to start a new chapter with her family.

``It's a very close-knit office,'' Rochelle says of her tenure. ``Everybody cares. Everybody helps each other out.'' I am glad Rochelle feels that way, and I couldn't agree more.

Another longtime staffer and longtime friend of Rochelle's sums up the special place she holds in our hearts this way:

For Rochelle, it comes down to family. To her, that's the

unifier. My nephew is 20 years old; she still asks what he's

up to. She's that way with everybody. She's the glue.

Now the McConnell office is going to have to soldier on without the vital glue Rochelle Eubanks has provided for 25 years. It is a great loss not only for us but for the people of Kentucky--for all of my constituents she reached out to, for the recipients of 1,807,181 letters, each letter representing a vital link between them and their elected representative.

So farewell, Rochelle, my friend, and thank you ever so much for two and one-half decades of tireless service. It is going to be a very different office without your welcoming smile and easy laugh.

Congratulations and best wishes on your marriage and the wonderful new life you will begin with your husband. You certainly deserve every happiness.

It would be such a remarkable turn of events and a genuine pleasure to receive a letter from you for a change. I would even settle for a postcard. I hope you will send us one from New York.

Ukraine

Mr. President, I wish to start by acknowledging the majority leader's decision to remove extraneous IMF provisions from the Ukraine bill. As I noted yesterday, no legislation could have passed with those provisions included. So I think it is a positive step forward. We are glad he took our advice, and now Congress will be able to pass an effective bill on Ukraine very soon.

The Economy

Mr. President, President Obama and his Washington Democratic allies are well into their sixth year of presiding over our economy. Yet the jobs recovery they keep promising us just never seems to materialize.

We have to give Washington Democrats at least some credit though. They have tried regulating, taxing, spending, stimulating, just about everything their ideology will allow. The problem is their ideology just simply doesn't work. Many of their policies just end up making things worse. Of course, the best example is ObamaCare.

They promised the Sun and the Moon to sell this thing. They said it would create jobs. They also said it would improve the economy, lower premiums, insure the uninsured, without causing Americans to lose their insurance, their doctors or their hospitals--the kind of claims which would have made Billy Mays blush.

But now Americans know better. Evidence shows that not only will ObamaCare encourage less job creation, but it is also making the economy worse, that it is driving premiums higher, and it will not come anywhere near insuring all the uninsured, while causing millions of Americans to lose the insurance and the doctors they were promised they could keep.

It is also a law which is unraveling before our very eyes. As we read this week, the administration has now handed out so many waivers, special favors, and exemptions to help out Democrats politically that the heart of the law--the individual mandate--may actually no longer even be viable. It has basically become the legal equivalent of Swiss cheese.

There is a broader point. If Washington Democrats think ObamaCare is so bad they need to exempt that many people from its mandates, then why shouldn't we remove the hardship for everyone? Doesn't the middle class deserve a break too?

Why shouldn't we repeal the 30-hour workweek created by ObamaCare, the provision which reduces take-home pay for the middle class.

Why shouldn't we do away with ObamaCare's job-killing medical device tax, something even many Democrats would vote to abolish if the majority leader would allow the vote.

What I am saying is if Washington Democrats are actually serious about

job creation, then it is time to actually show it. Work with us to eliminate the things that hurt jobs, that hold Americans back from a real recovery--such as these job-killing ObamaCare mandates--and work with us to enact things which can actually create jobs.

Approving the Keystone Pipeline would create thousands of jobs right away. Passing trade legislation--legislation President Obama has already endorsed--would help create even more, but Washington Democrats need to work collaboratively with us to make those things happen. Yet this morning's New York Times highlights their strategy for the rest of the year. Here it is summed up in three words, ``political show votes.''

Get this. Their plan is not to pass legislation but to time show votes to ``coincide with campaign-style trips by President Obama.'' Rather than take up House-passed jobs bills which would actually help middle-class Americans, they plan for yet another year of turning the Senate floor into a campaign studio.

I am asking Washington Democrats to put the ideology and political show votes aside for once and finally join us, join us to give the American people what they have been asking for all along--more jobs, more opportunity, and an economy which works for the middle class once again.

I yield the floor.

Reservation of Leader Time

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

Mr. President, I wish to start with a few words about the legislation the Senate is considering this week on Ukraine. It touches on the jurisdiction of many committees and is of high interest to Senators on both sides of the aisle. How the United States meets the Russian invasion of Crimea matters. It is related to the future vitality of NATO, the negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, and our own energy policy regarding the export of natural gas.

We have Members on both sides of the aisle working closely, and there is a decent amount of common ground here, which is good. Nearly everyone agrees the Ukrainian people deserve our support. Most of us also agree we should back up that support with meaningful legislation, not just to show our support for an independent, democratic, and free Ukraine but also to show President Putin there will be costs for his actions.

So one would think it wouldn't be that difficult to get a solution here, but roadblocks keep popping up. First, there was a House-passed bill prior to the recess that would have provided loan guarantees to Ukraine. It was blocked by the majority leader. We should have passed that and sent it to the President. Now the majority leader seems determined to blow up the process too. Yesterday he actually came to the floor to effectively blame the Republicans--believe it or not--for the invasion of Crimea. I mean, who writes this stuff? It is not just completely unhelpful, it also injects hyperpartisanship into the process at a time when we should all actually be working together. At this point it is not at all certain the majority leader might not even make things worse by shutting down the amendment process. I hope that is not where we end up. This issue is way too important for that.

Look, this bill in the Senate cannot pass the House or become law in its current form. It has to be amended. Not only have many Members not yet had a chance to offer amendments in committee, but so many developments have unfolded in this crisis in the weeks since the bill was drafted, the legislation has to be at the least modified to take those realities into account. In order for this bill to become law, the controversial IMF provision must be removed.

This simply cannot be a ``take it or leave it'' situation. That is just nonsensical. The people who sent us here to represent them deserve better. We should give them that. That means allowing a sensible amendment process, and it means dropping the kinds of wild partisan accusations we have seen--attacks that will only make it that much harder to get an effective bipartisan solution.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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