Floor Statements

Mr. President, this Monday, May 28, is Memorial Day. It is a day for all Americans to honor the brave men and women in uniform who have served and defended our Nation--especially those who sacrificed their very lives for this sacred duty.

It is only right that we set aside this day to remember those who have given us so much. Freedom as we know it in America could not exist without their heroism.

On Memorial Day, we honor servicemembers who laid down their lives fighting under the command of GEN George Washington, to those who have perished in Afghanistan and Iraq. What a proud legacy of fighting for freedom our country has. I am honored to live in a nation that boasts the bravest warriors in the world.

I am also honored to serve my fellow Kentuckians, who understand the importance of this day more, I think, than most. Kentucky has a proud tradition of military service that is upheld today by the many Armed Forces members at our State's military bases, the members of the Kentucky National Guard, our reservists, and Kentuckians fighting around the world. Since September 11, 2001, 107 Kentucky servicemembers have fallen while fighting for their country.

I have been honored to meet many of the family members of these soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who did not return home. I have let them know that their loved ones will not be forgotten. Memorial Day is a chance to make sure that message is heard loud and clear across America.

I want to share with my colleagues a special story about one soldier in particular from Kentucky. SGT Felipe Pereira of the 101st Airborne Division, based out of Fort Campbell, KY, recently was awarded the Nation's second highest military honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, for his acts of bravery in battle.

Sergeant Pereira is the first soldier from the 101st Airborne to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross since the Vietnam war. At a ceremony this April at Fort Campbell, Chief of Staff of the Army GEN Ray Odierno presented Sergeant Pereira with the venerated military decoration.

According to the award citation, on November 1, 2010, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, a squad of soldiers that included Sergeant Pereira was on dismounted patrol when an improvised explosive device went off, killing two of Sergeant Pereira's comrades and wounding Sergeant Pereira with shrapnel that caused his lung to begin to collapse. As an enemy ambush began to unfold, ``with little regard for his own safety or care'' Sergeant Pereira drove an all-terrain vehicle into enemy fire to help evacuate wounded soldiers.

After moving the first set of casualties, the sergeant went back into the line of fire once more to help others. Sergeant Pereira is credited with ``saving the lives of two of his fellow soldiers while risking his own [on] multiple occasions. Only after all the wounded soldiers had been evacuated and were receiving medical care did he accept treatment himself.''

Mr. President, Sergeant Pereira's selfless actions demand our admiration and respect. What is more, so does his selfless attitude about his bravery on that fateful day.

``Every time I have the opportunity, I always say remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice,'' said Sergeant Pereira in an article published by the Fort Campbell Courier. ``I still get to come back and enjoy barbecues with my family and their love and everything. Those guys, they really gave it all. Those are truly the heroes. Just remember those guys. I think even on a happy occasion like this, I think we need to celebrate their life and their sacrifice.''

I can't improve on those words. Sergeant Pereira has captured the meaning of Memorial Day right there, in those words of wisdom.

So I hope this Memorial Day, people will heed the advice of SGT Felipe Pereira. The men and women who ``really gave it all'' are truly the heroes, and this Monday is their day to receive our admiration and our respect. I know my friends in Kentucky and people across America will not forget that.

Madam President, yesterday morning I came to the floor to call attention to a quiet and costly PR campaign that President Obama is mounting on the taxpayers' dime. While the President and his surrogates spend most of their time deflecting attention from his record, he has Washington bureaucrats working overtime to try to put on a good face.

I mentioned yesterday the administration is spending yet another $20 million in taxpayer money to promote a health care bill that most Americans would like to see repealed. Let me repeat that--$20 million to promote a health care bill that most Americans would like to see repealed.

There is more. There is a pattern that I, and I am sure many other Americans, find pretty outrageous at a time of trillion-dollar deficits and a near $16 trillion debt. The administration also spent more than $25 million in stimulus funds on grants to public relations firms--PR firms--ostensibly to do public relations related to promoting the stimulus. It spent nearly $20 million on mailings to seniors to tout ObamaCare--a mailer, by the way, that the Government Accountability Office found overstated the law's benefits.

Millions of taxpayer funds were spent on postcards that promote ObamaCare's small business tax credit--a credit the GAO said was ineffective and infrequently used. These are just a few of the ways the administration is quietly promoting its own fatal policies; how it is trying to change people's minds about the President's policies with their own money, and using our tax money to try to promote the President's policies. The campaign is one thing, but using our tax money to promote the President's policies is outrageous.

There is a larger issue than the fact that the President is quietly marketing policies with taxpayer dollars that he is clearly afraid to talk about in public. That is bad enough, but the larger point is the fact that we have a nearly $16 trillion debt, the largest tax hike in history right around the corner, chronic unemployment, and sky-high gas prices, and the President thinks it is a good idea to spend $20 million to promote ObamaCare. We don't have the money to begin with, and he is spending it to market his policies.

The President needs to face the facts. Americans do not want him spending their hard-earned money trying to spin policies they don't like. How about setting some priorities first? How about working with us to lower the deficit and the debt? How about working with us to fund things we actually need? We are more than ready to work with the President, as I said time and time again over the past few years, but he needs to set some priorities and lead.

I yield the floor.

Reservation of Leader time

Mr. President, let me just add that I think this is a good agreement that allows us to go forward on the FDA bill with appropriate amendments and also allows an opportunity for the Senate to express itself on the issue of the student loans.

I would join the majority leader in encouraging people to do their debate today or in the morning because once we get into the votes tomorrow afternoon, they will be dealt with in rapid succession.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I want to call attention to a couple of stories from the last 2 days. I think they say a lot about the difficulties of addressing the economic challenges we face.

The first is a story from Politico. It says the Budget Committee chairman can't remember the last time he talked to the President. The Budget Committee chairman can't remember the last time he talked to the President. Another chairman, dealing with student loans, says he has not talked to the President in months--in months. The Democratic point man on energy doesn't seem to talk to the President much at all.

If you want to know why we can't solve these economic problems, this is it. We have a President who is more interested in running around to college campuses, spreading some poll-tested message, than he is in actually accomplishing anything. That is the problem.

The second story, also interesting, is about HHS signing a $20 million contract to promote ObamaCare; $20 million of taxpayer money to promote a bill most Americans want to see repealed. That is $20 million of our tax money spent on commercials to promote ObamaCare. Let me suggest the President spend a little more time trying to do something about spending, debt, and gas prices, and a little less time trying to spin the unpopular things he has already done. It might require a little more work but it is what we need. It is time to lead.

I ask unanimous consent those two articles to which I referred be printed in the Record.

Madam President, yesterday, we learned about the resignation of the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Dr. Gregory Jaczko. As I said yesterday, I am not surprised by Jaczko's resignation. Even Democrats on the Commission testified before Congress that his inappropriate conduct as chairman resulted in a hostile work environment for women and threatened to undermine the mission of the NRC itself. But what should surprise us all, is how this administration could remain silent for more than a year after the allegations of Jaczko's offensive behavior first surfaced.

Jaczko's alleged behavior is unacceptable in any workplace. The fact that it was allowed to persist at a critical agency that oversees the safety of our Nation's nuclear power plants is astonishing. The White House must now move swiftly with a replacement for Jaczko and I urge the Senate to move quickly to reconfirm the nomination of Kristine Svinicki as NRC commissioner before her term expires on June 30th. The only reason her nomination was held up by the White House and the Democrat-led Senate in the first place was because she had the courage to stand up to a hostile work environment, and to the bully who was responsible for it. Now that Jaczko has submitted his resignation, it's time for the Senate to move forward on Kristine Svinicki.

Commissioner Svinicki's credentials are unmatched. She is one of the world's leading experts on nuclear safety. She was confirmed by the Senate to her current term without a single dissenting vote.

It's time we act. Svinicki has served as commissioner with distinction, is enormously qualified, has bipartisan support and deserves a speedy reconfirmation. The American people are best-served by a commission that is fully functional.

I yield the floor.

Reservation of Leader Time

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, today I wish to honor Mr. James Cecil, who is believed to be the last living member of the 729th Platoon of the 2nd Marine Division, known as the Lexington Platoon. Mr. Cecil and 69 other men from the central Kentucky area formed the Platoon in 1942, 8 months after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. These young men went on to fight in some of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific, including in Okinawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Guadalcanal.

The Lexington Platoon was honored on Thursday, May 17 at the Lexington Urban City Council meeting, with Mr. Cecil being the only member present. Lexington Mayor Jim Gray proclaimed it James Cecil Day, and Councilman Jay McChord spoke about his interviews with Mr. Cecil while writing his 2010 book, A Veteran's Legacy: Field Kit Journal.

James Cecil grew up on a tobacco farm, and chose to join the Marines when the United States entered the war rather than being drafted. He was promoted from private to corporal after killing a Japanese officer and obtaining his map of artillery positions, and received a Purple Heart for injuries suffered during the battle of Saipan in June 1944.

Although Mr. Cecil was recommended for officer candidate school in August 1945, he never got the chance to attend, as in the weeks following, the United States bombed Japan, thus ending World War II.

After his service, Mr. Cecil moved to Ohio and became the owner of a successful trucking company. He moved back to Lexington after the death of his wife, Janet, in 1988. Today, Mr. Cecil is in good health and still often reflects on his wartime experiences. He says that he feels ``honored and proud that [he] served [his] country.''

I would like to ask at this time for my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to join me in recognizing Mr. James Cecil for his brave service to our Nation during World War II. There was recently an article published in the Lexington Herald-Leader highlighting Mr. Cecil's valorous service and his platoon's legacy. I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

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

Mr. President, yesterday in the Senate we got a vivid look at why the challenges we face in this country are so difficult to address. With a looming fiscal crisis some have called the most predictable in history, with a national debt at a level none of us ever even imagined, with millions unemployed and millions more underemployed, with the biggest tax hike in history looming at the end of the year, and with entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security drawing ever closer to insolvency, here is what Senate Democrats did yesterday: They ducked. They were presented with five different options for dealing with these problems and they voted against every single one of them.

No one was particularly surprised to see Democrats reject the Republican proposals. We hoped some of them would support them, but we weren't altogether surprised they didn't. But every American should be surprised that Democrats didn't offer a single plan of their own, and they didn't even support the plan offered by the President of their own party. But, sadly, that is what passes for leadership in the Democratic-led Senate these days: Oppose everybody else--including a President of your own party--and hope nobody notices you are not doing anything yourself. Most people would say it is the responsibility of the party in power to propose solutions, and they would be right.

The problems we face are simply too serious and too urgent to avoid any longer, and yet Democrats continue to duck any responsibility for addressing them. We certainly saw that yesterday. I would imagine there are some Democrats this morning who are having second thoughts about their party's performance yesterday. And if I am right about that, I would invite them to stand and work with us. Put aside what is politically safe and do what is right. The problems we face are too great to put off for another day. It is time for all of us to come together and to act.

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

Would my friend yield?

Do I have the floor now?

I would say to my good friend the majority leader, this is an outrage I do not understand. My staff tells me we did not receive the draft amendment until late last night, and this morning we were told it was final. We got the draft late last night, and this morning we were told it was final.

Now, look, we have debates around here about a lot of things, but one of the things we have typically not been unable to reach an agreement on is the Iran issue. I do not know what the problem is here. A little communication ought to be able to bring us together behind something we can speak to unanimously, with a goal that I think we all have in this body--virtually everyone--which is to do everything we can to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed country.

So there is no reason in the world why we cannot resolve whatever minor differences we have and move forward. We certainly do not want to take a step backward. And there are Members on my side of the aisle who are concerned that the way the measure is currently crafted could actually be a step in the wrong direction. It could have been a drafting error. But what is wrong with sitting down on a bipartisan basis, looking at the language, and making sure we get it right and achieve the goals that I think virtually everybody in the room would like to achieve? There is nothing to get angry about. A proper response would be to work out our differences and to go forward.

Timeliness is an issue. We need to do this quickly. We can all agree to that on both sides of the aisle. I say to my friend, I don't think there is anything to be outraged about. Why don't we work out the differences and pass the resolution?

Mr. President, most people in America work 5 days a week. It is 1 o'clock on a Thursday. What is the problem? We have broad bipartisan agreement about the approach we ought to take with regard to the Iran sanctions issue. The leaders on my side are all standing on the floor of the Senate and are anxious to be involved in working out the language.

I say to my friend, he said it is a sentence in the resolution. A sentence can sometimes change the entire meaning. How this is crafted is not irrelevant. Rather than us standing out here on the Senate floor pointing fingers, it is only 1 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon; let's sit down and work out the differences and pass something we can agree on and try to make a difference.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the Pikeville Medical Center for its continued commitment to providing superior medical care to the people of Kentucky. Pikeville Medical Center has been named National Hospital of the Year, making it the only repeat winner of this prestigious award. The 261-room hospital has over 2,000 employees, including more than 270 physicians and residents, and its superior facilities, equipment, and staff have drawn in qualified medical professionals from around the country.

In January 2011, Pikeville Medical Center became affiliated with Cleveland Clinic's Heart Surgery Program, which has been ranked number one among heart programs in the United States for 16 years. This recent affiliation has allowed PMC to provide cutting-edge technology and treatments to its patients.

Prior to receiving this award, Pikeville Medical Center was named 12th in the Nation of Top 100 Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare Magazine and first on the Best Places to Work in Kentucky list by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Individual units of the Medical Center have also received recognition. The Heart Institute is one of the first 10 hospitals in the United States and the first in Kentucky to reach the highest distinction awarded by the Society of Chest Pain Centers, and the Stroke Center is one of 10 Kentucky recipients of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get with the Guidelines--Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. Along with this, the Leonard Lawson Cancer Center was awarded the ``Outstanding Achievement Award'' 2 years in a row.

While the Pikeville Medical Center has much to be proud of, it continues to strive for excellence. The hospital recently completed a $10-million emergency department expansion and renovation, and is currently undergoing a $100-million construction project to provide new offices and outpatient surgery units. This is all part of the organization's mission to ``provide quality regional health care in a Christian environment.''

Mr. President, I would like to ask at this time for my colleagues in the Senate to join me in recognizing the Pikeville Medical Center. There was recently an article published in eastern Kentucky's local periodical magazine, the Sentinel-Echo: Silver Edition, highlighting the center's many successes. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record said article.

Madam President, before I was Republican leader, I was probably best known as a lonely warrior against campaign finance reform on the grounds that it violates the first amendment right to free speech. Before that, I was probably best known--at least in some quarters--for an ad that I ran in my first Senate campaign that featured a pack of bloodhounds running around looking for my opponent, who had missed so many votes giving paid speeches around the country that we thought we should call him out on it. Well, I can't help but think back on that ad when it comes to Senate Democrats and the Federal budget. Where in the world is it? Where is the budget?

We have a nearly $16 trillion debt. We are borrowing more than 40 cents of every dollar we spend. Entitlements are going broke. Millions are out of work. And Senate Democrats can't even put a plan on a piece of paper so we can have a vote. What are they doing over there? What are they doing?

Isn't anybody over there embarrassed by the fact that they haven't offered a budget in 3 years? It has been 3 years since the Democrat-led Senate felt it needed to put a budget together so the American people can see what their priorities are and what they plan to do to fix this mess, 3 years in which they have completely abdicated their responsibility as the majority party to show the American people what they stand for, to put their vision in black and white for all the world to see. The fact is they don't have it. They don't have a budget.

As far as I can tell, their only plan is to take shots at our plans and hope nobody notices that they don't have one of their own. They are so unserious, they won't even vote for a budget that was written by a President of their own party. It doesn't get more irresponsible than that.

I think Treasury Secretary Geithner summed it up pretty well when he was asked a few months ago what the administration planned to do to address entitlements--the single biggest driver of the national debt. Here is what the Secretary of the Treasury had to say:

We're not coming before you today to say we have a definite

solution to that long-term problem. What we do know is, we

don't like yours.

You have to give the guy points for candor--no plan of his own, but he doesn't like ours. What breathtaking disregard for the problems we face.

So if you are looking for a simple three-word description of the Democratic approach to the problems we face, it is this: Duck and cover. Duck and cover. They don't have a budget of their own. They are going to vote against their own President's budget later today, in all likelihood, and they are going to vote against every budget Republicans put up.

Now, the majority leader has tried to get around all this by suggesting that the Budget Control Act we negotiated last fall should count as a budget since it sets the top-line amount we are going to spend. But he knows as well as I do that is not a budget. A budget is a list of priorities. It reflects your values as a party. It shows the tough choices you are willing to make. It is not just dollar figures, it is a vision. It is the responsibility of any majority party to put one together, to stand and be counted. But since Democrats refuse to do their duty by the Nation, Republicans will attempt to do it for them.

Later today we will vote on five different budget proposals: the President's, Congressman Paul Ryan's, Senator Pat Toomey's, Senator Paul's, and Senator Mike Lee's. We will give Democrats a choice and see if they have the courage to get behind any of these proposals--or none of them--and we will learn a lot in the process.

By the end of the day we will know whether there is a budget that Washington Democrats support, and the American people will know without a doubt who is voting for solutions in this town and who isn't. They will know who has a plan to fix the mess we are in and who doesn't. They will know who would rather spend their time criticizing others than doing the hard work of setting priorities and making choices.

Senate Democrats do not want to explain how they will fix the fiscal mess we are in. They do not want to say how they will preserve and strengthen entitlements. What they want to do is complain about others. They are putting their desire for campaign material ahead of their responsibility to govern.

The tragedy is every year they do so, the problems we face only get worse. The debt gets bigger, entitlements get closer to insolvency, and the American people have to go another year wondering when things will ever change.

Some people up here think it is time to do something now and we will know who those people are by their votes.

Madam President, I now ask the Chair execute the order with respect to the five motions to proceed to the budget resolutions provided for under the order.

Reservation of Leader Time

Mr. President, there is a lot of talk on the left these days about the Senate being a dysfunctional institution. And they are right. For the past few years, the Senate hasn't functioned as it should. The question is, Why? In my view, the answer is quite clear: a majority party that believes it should be able to dictate from above the shape of every single piece of legislation we take up.

The common complaint from the other side, as I understand it, is that because Republicans insist on playing a role in the legislative process around here, we are somehow violating some unspoken rule that says Democrats should always get their way, that we are somehow disturbing the legislative harmony by suggesting we do the kinds of things our constituents want. We have been dealing with this strange view of the Senate in some form or fashion for 5 years but particularly over the past 3.

Here is how it works. Following the lead of our very liberal President, Democratic leaders in the Senate propose some piece of legislation without any Republican input at all. Then Republican amendments are blocked from even being considered. The point in most cases is to draw Republican opposition and ensure that the legislation fails. Democrats then cry obstruction as a way of distracting people from the fact that they basically have given up on governing and done nothing to ensure that our most pressing national problems actually get addressed. Rather than working with us on bipartisan solutions that reflect the concerns and input of our constituents and that therefore have a good chance of actually passing, Democrats blame the other side for obstruction--not only avoiding their own responsibilities as the majority party but handing the President a useful election-year theme on which to run.

What my colleagues and I have been saying for 3 years is that it doesn't have to be this way. Give us an opportunity to play a role in the process and we will work together on bipartisan solutions. Just look at the record. When Democrats blocked all debate and amendments on the Export-Import Bank legislation, it went nowhere. When they agreed to our reasonable requests for input on the bill, that changed. They could have accepted this offer, actually, much earlier, but they didn't because it didn't fit the story line. The same thing on the postal bill--when Democrats blocked all amendments and debate, the bill stalled. When they agreed to a reasonable list of amendments, it passed. The same could be said about trade adjustment assistance, patent reform, FAA reauthorization, the highway bill, unemployment insurance, the doc fix, the payroll tax holiday, and others. It is the same story every time: Poisoned pills are removed, Republican input is allowed, and then things happen.

Republicans have been crystal clear that the Export-Import Bank reauthorization needed some work. Remember, Democrats tried to add it as an amendment to the JOBS Act before the House reached the agreement that enabled it to pass on a bipartisan basis over in the House. But, again, they wanted to do it without giving Senate Republicans a chance to debate or amend on the floor, so it didn't go anywhere. Now that we are being allowed to offer further improvements to the bill, there is a path forward. Republicans fought for the right to make this bill more responsive to the concerns of the American people, who, understandably, want proof that we take our fiscal problems seriously. This is how the Senate is supposed to work, and it has been all too rare over the past several years.

The Founders established the Senate as a place where issues would be resolved through consensus and considered bipartisan debate, so that once that consensus is actually reached, our laws would be stable and we could move on, confident that we had done the right thing.

The Social Security Act of 1935 was approved by all but six Members of the Senate. The Medicare and Medicaid acts of 1965 were approved by all but 21. All but eight Senators voted for the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. The idea in all these cases--and many others--was that on issues of broad national importance, on issues that affect all of us, one party shouldn't be allowed to force its will on the other half of the Nation. Yet, over the past few years, Democrats have felt quite differently.

So I am pleased today to see a departure from the Democratic standard operating procedure on this particular piece of legislation before us. Because they have agreed to allow a reasonable amendment process on this bill--something they objected to last month and then objected again even as recently as last week--this bill will be considered today after debate and votes on amendments aimed at improving it.

There is a lesson here: When both sides have a chance to debate and amend, legislation tends to move. But when the majority refuses any ideas that they didn't come up with, things slow down. Let's hope this new process will stick.

National Police Week

Mr. President, this week we commemorate National Police Week 2012 and pay tribute to the men and women in the law enforcement community for their service and their sacrifice.

In 1962 President Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which it falls as Police Week.

During National Police Week, the Nation's Capital welcomes tens of thousands of law enforcement officers to honor those who have fallen in the line of duty. Among those visiting Washington are hundreds of police officers from my home State of Kentucky, and I want to personally welcome them and extend a special-thank you for their service and sacrifice that they make to keep Kentucky's communities and families safe. Your hard work and dedication is unmatched and does not go unnoticed.

Today we honor the approximately 900,000 peace officers across the country as well as the more than 19,000 officers who have lost their lives dating back to the first known line-of-duty death in 1791, including 163 officers who died in 2011 and 36 officers who have been killed thus far in 2012. In addition, this year we are paying tribute to 199 officers who died in previous years but whose acts of courage and sacrifice were not discovered until recently.

It is with great sadness that one of those officers we lost last year was from the Commonwealth--Officer James Philip ``Stumpy'' Stricklen of the Alexandria, KY Police Department.

Officer Stricklen was well respected amongst his peers and a leader within the community. He will be sorely missed.

This week the Nation honors Officer Stricklen, as well as all those police officers that have fallen. I would also like to take a moment to remember the families of the fallen. It is only through supportive families that these men and women were able to dedicate their lives to protecting others. May God continue to look after them and may God continue to protect all those, whose daily work is to protect us.

I hope paying tribute to those who serve and especially those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice reminds all of us of the heroes we have all around us, keeping us safe, each day. I encourage everyone to take a moment this week and going forward to extend a thank you to law enforcement officers who have sworn to protect us and keep our communities safe.

On behalf of myself and my Senate colleagues, thank you to all members of the law enforcement community for your service. You have our deepest admiration and respect.

I yield the floor.

Reservation Of Leader Time

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I certainly share my friend the majority leader's views about Senator Lugar's record, but he has 8 more months to be among us and to serve this country. I think an appropriate time to celebrate his outstanding career would be when it comes to an end here in the Senate.

Time for Action

With regard to what has been going on here in the Senate, the problem clearly is the majority, which seems not to be interested in accomplishing anything but, rather, turning the Senate floor into an opportunity for show votes for the President and his campaign.

Earlier this week the President repackaged a list of old ideas into a Post-it note checklist for Congress. He said he did not want to ``overload'' Congress. Unfortunately, besides the weekly political show votes to which I just referred to coincide with the President's campaign schedule, the work that needs to be done isn't--no budget, nothing to prevent the largest tax hike in history, and House-passed bills sitting in the hopper.

While the President is trying to manufacture arguments he can run on, House Republicans have spent the last year and a half voting on and passing energy and jobs bills. In fact, more than two dozen jobs proposals are currently collecting dust on the majority leader's desk. One after another, the House has passed a budget, a small business tax bill, bills to expand domestic energy production, and bills to reduce burdensome, job-killing regulations. Despite some saying nothing can get done in an election year, they are not done yet over in the House. I commend my House colleagues for their leadership, energy, and good work.

I have a suggestion. Instead of focusing on his political Post-it note checklist, the President and Senate Democrats should show some leadership and work with Republicans to move on critical progrowth bills. These proposals will help provide certainty and provide a much needed boost to our economy. They would allow businesses to plan for the future and to begin to hire again.

Common ground can be achieved on these jobs bills, and Republicans stand ready to work with Democrats to get them passed. With nearly 13 million Americans unemployed and millions more underemployed or giving up looking for work altogether, inaction and political gimmicks and games are really just not acceptable. Action is required by this President and this Congress now, not after the election or by some future Congress or administration. The country's problems are far too pressing. The American people expect us to work together for the good of our country.

This year the Senate should pass a budget. Three years without a budget is completely unacceptable. Congress should also move on comprehensive tax reform, a true all-of-the-above energy policy, and the elimination of burdensome regulations that are hurting businesses and hindering job creation. And we can't stop there. Congress must act swiftly to put forth a plan to deal with the largest tax increase in U.S. history that is only--only--8 months away.

These are issues that can't be dealt with overnight. We need to start now. And anyone who says there is no time to get these things done either hasn't been watching the Senate floor lately or does not believe this country is headed toward a fiscal cliff. Where is the Democratic- led Senate and the President? Where are they? What are they waiting for? What is the reason for the delay? The President giving another speech loaded with the same old ideas that have failed before is not going to cut it anymore. The President's Post-it note checklist is insufficient to handle the challenges we face as a nation, and, frankly, it is completely counterproductive.

Yesterday the majority leader said Democrats are willing to make the tough choices. Well, we are waiting. We are waiting. And with all due respect, we have a tough time believing our friends across the aisle when the only issues they care about these days are show votes coordinated with the White House for political gain. So today let's stop the show votes that are designed to fail. Let's stop the blame games. Let's come together and do what the American people expect us to do. As I said yesterday, our offer still stands. We are ready when you are.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Reservation of Leader Time

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the dedication and devotion shown by a group of men and women to their local community. The longstanding services of the Bush Volunteer Fire Department in Laurel County, KY, has been on the cutting edge of rural and volunteer fire departments in the State of Kentucky since the department's beginnings in 1975.

What is so inspiring about the individuals in the Bush VFD is that despite the obstacles placed before them, they have always persevered and prevailed. While the men and women of the department have experienced many successes and accomplishments, I think it is safe to say that these individuals feel that their biggest achievement is the opportunity to serve and protect their fellow citizens in the face of danger.

The Bush Volunteer Fire Department was conceived of by a group of 13 local men who saw a flaw within their community. At the time, the Laurel County Fire Department presided over the Bush community, but the LCFD was over half-an-hour away. The 13 men in Bush decided that the LCFD was just too far away, and for the safety of their citizens, it was time to assemble a firefighting unit closer to home. The LCFD donated a 1947 K-model International fire truck, and just like that, the Bush Volunteer Fire Department was born.

Since the beginning of the department, the men and women at BVFD have sought to become the best that they could possibly be, by implementing new and innovative practices at each and every turn in the road. In less than a year since their start in 1975, the department had secured funds to develop a fire station to house its truck and equipment. Bush VFD was also the third rural volunteer department in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to receive a Class 7 rating from ISO.

In 2011, the department began a junior firefighter program to enlist the help of eager youth in the community in a safe and beneficial way. In 2011, BVFD also enlisted its first female member, Whitney Minton, who joined in alongside her father Rick. These changes, and others, have assisted the Bush Volunteer Fire Department in attaining much of the success it knows today.

I am encouraged by the passion for service of the men and women firefighters and EMTs of the Bush Volunteer Fire Department. Former Bush Chief Ernest Rudder has had the pleasure of following in his father's footsteps, Birchell L. Rudder, in working in the fire house. Ernest's son Marc joined the ranks once he had reached the proper age, and now his son Noah is anxious to be the fourth generation of Rudders to enter firefighting. The Bush Fire Department is truly a family affair for families like the Rudders.

I wonder if those 13 men who took it upon themselves in 1975 to enact change in their community ever thought their dream of a volunteer fire department would become such a huge success. Although this story is common in our country, let us not go without recognizing those who set themselves apart in pursuit of a better future, like those in the Bush community.

Mr. President, at this time I would like to ask my colleagues in the United States Senate to join me in paying tribute to the outstanding service of the many volunteers over the course of the lifetime of the Bush Volunteer Fire Department.

There was recently an article published in the Sentinel-Echo: Silver Edition, an eastern Kentucky local periodical magazine, highlighting the many years of service given by the Bush Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today in honor of a group of men from the Commonwealth of Kentucky who all acted bravely and valiantly during their time of service in the United States Armed Forces in World War II. Glenn Combs, Toleman Combs, Mansell Stone, Benjamin Garrison, Walter Garrison, Rufus Miller, Earl Hobbs, and Elvy Roberts, who are all from different towns and hollers in Clay County, KY, each has a fascinating story of his experiences while in the military. And it is my hope to share a few of those with you today.

When the United States of America decided to enter the Second World War, we did so with an insurmountable level of patriotism, dedication, and determination to defeat the Axis Powers. Men were going to extreme lengths to enlist and answer the call to serve their country, and protect freedom and democracy in the foreign countries around the world in which it was being tested.

Earl Hobbs, one of the men in this group of eight, had learned that he was just 2 pounds shy of the minimum weight required by the U.S. Army at the time of his enlistment. Upon hearing this news, he hurriedly ran to the nearest convenience store and purchased 3 square pounds of bananas. He gobbled them down right there outside the grocery, every last one of them. Later that day he passed the physical, including the weight requirement, and was an official member of the U.S. Armed Forces. It was instances like Earl's that truly inspire me; instances of men and women going to such great lengths to secure their freedom and the freedom of the ones that they love.

Earl's action that day so long ago was just one of many from what we call the ``Greatest Generation.'' Men and women alike across the Nation assumed new and unfamiliar assignments and positions that they may not have been comfortable with, all for the cause of defending liberty and securing freedom. We must look to the veterans of not only the Second World War, but the veterans of all the Nation's conflicts and struggles, with the utmost respect. We must not take for granted the inalienable rights we have so passionately fought to gain and maintain, and we must never forget those who have made the greatest sacrifice made by many on behalf of those rights.

I truly cherish the opportunity to stand on the floor of the U.S. Senate today to speak on behalf of these eight men and relate a true story of a local Kentucky ``Band of Brothers'' who decided to honor God and country and selflessly serve all those who inhabit this great Nation.

Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the great contributions of Glenn Combs, Toleman Combs, Mansell Stone, Benjamin Garrison, Walter Garrison, Rufus Miller, Earl Hobbs, and Elvy Roberts to the cause of freedom.

In July of 2011 there was an article published in the Manchester Enterprise, Clay County's local newspaper, which featured the truly unique journey these eight World War II veterans have experienced in their lifetimes. I ask unanimous consent the said article be printed in the Record.

Madam President, with President Obama officially on the campaign trail now, it is hard not to be reminded of the kind of candidate he was the last time around and to marvel at the difference.

At some point the postpartisan healer who pledged to unite Red and Blue America became the ``divider in chief,'' a deeply divisive President who never seems to miss an opportunity to pit one group against another and who is now determined to win reelection not by appealing to America's best instincts but all too often to its worst.

Even the New York Times editorial page, this very morning, says the country is more divided than it was 4 years ago under this President. Some have argued that the transformation we have witnessed proves that the President was a liberal ideologue all along, that the task of governing revealed his true instincts. That may be true. But there is an even simpler explanation than that, and one that in some ways is even more disappointing. It is the idea that the President said what he needed to say to get elected then and that he will say whatever he needs to say to get reelected now.

It encapsulates why the American people are so very skeptical of politicians. The President's policies may have disappointed. A health care bill that was supposed to lower costs is causing them to rise. A stimulus bill that was supposed to create jobs was better at generating punch lines. But one of the greatest disappointments of this Presidency is the difference between the kind of leader this President said he was and the kind he has turned out to be.

How did that happen? Well, I think the President just put too much faith in government. Let's face it; there isn't a problem we face that this President didn't think the government could solve. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, he still can't seem to shake the idea that more government is the answer for what ails us.

When the stimulus failed, it wasn't the government's fault; it was the Republicans. When the health care bill caused health care costs to rise, the same thing. When trillions are spent and jobs don't come, it is ATM machines, it is the weather, it is bankers, it is the rich, it is Fox News--it is anything other than the government.

This is why the sickening waste of taxpayer dollars we have seen so many times over the last 3 years--whether it was at a solar company such as Solyndra or at a lavish party that Federal bureaucrats threw for themselves in Vegas--is viewed not as a symptom of a larger problem in Washington but as a problem to be managed, something to acknowledge and then move beyond because they just don't seem to see it. The President seems to view government the way some parents view their children: It can do no wrong.

So if there is a problem to solve, a challenge to tackle, the solution is always the same: more government, more government. And the results are always the same: a disappointment to be blamed on somebody--anybody--else.

I think the President summed it up pretty well during a speech he gave in New York just yesterday. This is what he said:

The only way we can accelerate job creation that takes

place on a scale that is needed is bold action from Congress.

Really? The only way to accelerate job creation is through Congress? Not the private sector? Hasn't the experience of the last 3\1/2\ years taught this President anything at all about the limitations of government action?

Madam President, 3\1/2\ years and $5 trillion later, there are nearly a half million fewer jobs in the country than the day the President took office. That is not what most people would describe as a good return on investment. Yet that is all we get--the same government- driven solutions he has been pushing for 3\1/2\ years.

Nearly 13 million Americans who are actively looking for jobs can't find one. Millions more have given up looking for a job altogether as the worker participation rate is the lowest it has been in 30 years.

More than half of all college graduates--the best prepared to enter the workforce--can't find a good job. More than half of college graduates can't find a job. And this President is proposing the same old ideas that have failed before. Some government action failed? Then just do it again on a larger scale. That is the approach this President has taken. It is his approach still. It is the clearest sign he is literally out of ideas.

But he is unwilling to try something different. He is unwilling to confront the fact that a government that might have worked well a half century ago is outdated and in desperate need of reform. So he is resorting to the same old political gimmicks and games that he criticizes others for using.

Earlier this year the President mocked those who, every time gas prices go up, dust off their three-point plans to lower them, especially in an election year. That was the President. Yet yesterday he was proposing a five-point plan of his own to revive the economy, a to-do list in effect for Congress.

The cynicism is literally breathtaking. Here is a President who, in the morning, worked hand-in-hand with Senate Democrats to ensure that legislation to freeze interest rates on student loans wouldn't pass, and in the afternoon gave a recycled speech in which he pleaded for an end to the very gridlock he was orchestrating. There is perhaps no better illustration of how far this President has come from the heady days of his last campaign.

Look: Americans voted this President into office on a promise of bipartisan action.

Orchestrating political show votes on student loans and giving Congress a post-it note checklist of legislative items to pass before the election is not what the American people expected.

They expected us to work together and they still do.

The President knows as well as I do that the solution to our economic problems lies not in a Post-It-Note congressional agenda dictated from a lectern in New York, but through a sound limited-government pro- growth plan, which includes comprehensive tax reform, a true all-of- the-above energy policy and the elimination of burdensome regulations that are hurting business and hindering job creation.

Republicans have been calling for these policies for years and the President at one time or another has claimed to support them. These are proposals where Republicans and Democrats can find common ground. In other words, a plan designed not to control free enterprise from Washington but to liberate it. We just need the President to show some courage and leadership.

We will get this economy going not by handing out more special favors and credits to favored industries and groups, but by simplifying the code, clearing out the loopholes, and lowering rates for everybody.

In less than 8 months, Americans will be hit with the biggest tax increase in history--unless we act.

The President knows as well as I do how devastating this would be for the American people--for everyone.

People who are already struggling will have to do with even less. Businesses that are already struggling just to keep afloat will see Washington getting an even bigger take than it already is.

This looming tax hike will be absolutely devastating. Yet here we are less than 8 months away from it, and the President is busy orchestrating failure in the Senate and waving around some 5-point plan cooked up by some high-paid political consultant in Chicago.

Now, I am not in the business of giving the President campaign advice. But I am in the business of trying to get the best possible outcome for the American people. And here is an issue--tax reform-- where I know the two parties have a shot at working together to help this economy, and restore the American Dream for all those who've started to doubt whether it will even be there in a few years.

So I would respectfully ask the President to ignore his campaign consultants for once and do what's right for the nation as a whole. Republicans in Congress are ready to work with you, Mr. President, on the kind of comprehensive reforms that you yourself have called for in the past.

Working together might not help your campaign, but it would help the country. So my message to you is this: We are ready when you are.

I yield the floor.