Floor Statements

Mr. President, I stand before you today in honor of someone who has made a substantial contribution to the people of Caldwell County, KY, for his work in the field of journalism: Mr. Chip Hutcheson, publisher of Caldwell County's local periodical, the Princeton Times Leader. Mr. Hutcheson was recently inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in Lexington, KY, along with five other esteemed broadcasting and journalism colleagues from all over the Commonwealth.

The relationship between Chip Hutcheson and the paper that would become the Princeton Times Leader began when Chip was just 10 months old. His parents, the late John and Betsy Hutcheson, purchased the then-Princeton Leader and moved to Princeton, KY, just after the birth of their son, Chip. John and Betsy shared a love for their chosen profession of journalism, a love of the trade that Chip, too, would inherit at a young age.

Looking back, Chip recalls the paper being a big part of his adolescent life. He remembers writing sports news all throughout his teenage years. Chip left Princeton after high school to attend the University of Kentucky, just like his father before him. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from the college and served 4 months of active duty in Vietnam.

Upon his return from the service, he immediately re-entered the field he had been passionately involved with for so long. He understood that journalism was his calling, and he wanted to make a career out of bringing the news to the people of Caldwell County, just as his beloved mother and father had. Chip remembered a piece of advice his father gave him about the media industry: ``He said, This is a good business, but remember this--you will never be caught up; there will always be one more advertiser you can see, one more story you can write.'''

After watching his parents run a newspaper throughout his childhood, Chip was no doubt aware of the difficulties of producing a new edition day in and day out, but he was okay with it. He had a deep desire to be in the thick of reporting. He wanted to follow leads, piece together stories, record monumental events, and most importantly, inform the citizens of Princeton of the goings on of the world around them.

Chip became publisher of the Princeton Leader in 1976, assumed the role of publisher of the Times Leader in 1992, and has been doing an outstanding job ever since. Chip Hutcheson is a testament to the success one can achieve when one enters a field of work one has a true passion for.

It is with the most sincere gratitude that I congratulate Mr. Chip Hutcheson on his induction to the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame and thank him for the heartfelt devotion he has shown the people of Princeton, Caldwell County, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky throughout the years. And I would like to ask my colleagues in the United States Senate to join me in commemorating Mr. Chip Hutcheson for his many accomplishments in the field of journalism.

There was recently an article published in the Princeton Times Leader which made note of Chip Hutcheson's induction into the 2012 Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

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

Madam President, with gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, I think it is important for the American people to realize there are really two camps on this issue here in Washington: there are those who want to do something about the problem, and there are those who want people to think they are doing something about the problem. And let's be clear--President Obama is firmly planted in the ``say anything but do nothing'' camp. If there were any doubt about that, he dispelled it when he blocked the Keystone Pipeline and then again this week by embracing the age-old Democratic dodge of blaming gas prices on speculators.

Look, what bothers Americans is not that the President has unpopular views on this issue. Everyone knows he does not really support an all- of-the-above approach to energy. What bothers people is the fact that he pretends as though he does.

What bothers people is the President is blocking one-half of a pipeline one day and showing up at a ribbon cutting for the other half on another day. It is blocking domestic energy and then taking credit for increases that came about as a result of his predecessor's decision. It is pretending that speculators have a big impact on the price of gas when his own staff can't even point to any.

The President said he was different, and a lot of people believed him. But to a growing number of Americans that is just what he has become: just one more politician saying the same things they always say.

This week has been a real clarifier for people when it comes to this President. Whether it is the Buffett tax that would not lower the deficit or a commission on speculators that even the White House says would not lower the price of gas, what people have seen this week is a President who seems a lot more interested in looking like he is solving problems than actually solving them.

For years Washington Democrats have had the same totally rigid opposition to expanding domestic energy exploration. The only people they seem to listen to are extremists. But instead of just stating their position and letting the political chips fall where they may, they pull out the same poll-tested talking points they always do, on the assumption that reporters will just reprint them like it is the first time they have used them and that everybody else will just somehow forget.

But with gas prices at about $4 a gallon, it is time somebody called them out on it. Ten years ago today Democrats voted down a bill to open a tiny

area of Alaska known as ANWR to drilling. They relied on the nonargument that it would take too long to get the oil to market. That was 10 years ago today. Every Democrat who was asked about it said the same thing, that it would take too long to get the oil to market. I have two pages of quotes from Democrats saying it would take at least 7 to 10 years to get the oil to market.

Well, here we are 10 years later. In some places gas prices are now three times what they were in April 2002. The United States still imports one-half of its oil. ANWR is still off-limits. If we ask Democrats why they oppose more domestic exploration, they will say the same thing they said 10 years ago.

This is precisely the kind of thing this President campaigned against 4 years ago. He was the one who was going to stop kicking the can down the road. He was the one who was going to tackle the problems everybody else was afraid to face. He was the one who was going to rise above petty squabbles and the tired talking points of the past and offer something different. He was going to be a different kind of politician who would usher in a new era of authenticity.

What did the American people get? They got the same gimmicks as before. They got someone whose idea of solving a problem is to give a speech about it or to blame whatever person, place, or thing doesn't happen to poll well that day. What the American people got was a President who absolutely refuses to lead.

It is the same thing they got from the Democrat-controlled Senate, the same tired talking points, the same evasion, the same refusal to address our problems at all.

Yesterday, the chairman of the Budget Committee made it official. For the third year in a row, Senate Democrats will refuse to do the basic work of governance by refusing to offer a budget blueprint for government spending--by the way, as required by the law.

After pledging both to me and his Republican counterpart on the committee that he would, in fact, mark up a budget this year, the chairman of the Budget Committee bowed, once again, to the political pressure and said he would not put his Democratic colleagues at any political risk by asking them to vote on a plan their constituents might not like; that is, not until after the election. The Democratic chairman did suggest, however, that if Europe implodes, he might change his mind.

Well, with all due respect, the statute doesn't say the majority must present a budget if the European economy implodes. It says it must present a budget, period, so that the American people can see how much they are going to be taxed and how their tax dollars are going to be spent.

I am having a hard time thinking of a word to describe the level of leadership we are getting from Democrats in Washington these days-- whether it is the President or the Democratic Senate. Frankly, it is a disgrace. There isn't a single issue I can think of that they are willing to do anything about.

Under this President's watch, Washington has been spending more than $1 trillion a year more than it takes in. Senate Democrats don't even have the courage to put it all in black and white. They don't have any problem spending it; they just don't want to be on record voting for it. That is what passes for leadership in Washington these days.

Well, something has to give. Our challenges are too urgent. The status quo just would not cut it anymore.

Madam President, I want to talk about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This is the Federal agency that ensures the safety of our Nation's nuclear powerplants.

Specifically, I want to bring attention to the reappointment of Kristine Svinicki--or, rather, the curious lack of action surrounding her reappointment.

Commissioner Svinicki is one of the most respected Commissioners ever to serve at the NRC. She is an experienced and fair-minded regulator whose leadership has earned her the admiration of Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. She was confirmed for her first term without a single dissenting vote.

Prior to her 4 years on the Commission, Commissioner Svinicki spent more than two decades in public service working on nuclear safety issues in the Senate, at the Department of Energy, and with the Wisconsin Public Utilities Commission. A nuclear engineer, she is one of the world's foremost authorities on nuclear safety and nuclear power, and a great asset to the Commission.

Last year Commissioner Svinicki had the courage to stand up and blow the whistle on a sitting NRC Chairman, Gregory Jaczko, for bullying subordinates.

According to an Associated Press story from December:

The commissioners told Congress [that] women at the NRC

felt particularly intimidated by Jaczko. Commissioner William

Magwood--

Who is a Democrat, by the way--

told the oversight panel that Jaczko had bullied and

belittled at least three female staff members, one of whom

told Magwood she was ``humiliated'' by what Magwood called a

raging verbal assault.

This is the Democratic Commissioner on NRC, and here is an excerpt from the inspector general's report:

``Several current and former Commission staff members,'' it

says, ``said the Chairman's behavior caused an intimidating

work environment. A former Chairman told OIG that the

Chairman often yelled at people and [that] his tactics had a

negative effect on people. He described the behavior as

ruling by intimidation.''

Commissioner Svinicki stood up to this guy, who somehow managed to avoid being fired in the wake of all of these revelations, in an effort to preserve the integrity of the agency and to protect the career staffers who were the subject of the Chairman's tactics. Now, for some mysterious reason, she is being held up for renomination.

The FBI completed its background check on Commissioner Svinicki 15 months ago. Her ethics agreement was approved around the same time. She has been ready to go for more than a year. There is no legitimate reason for Commissioner Svinicki not to have been renominated and reconfirmed by now. Any further delay is unacceptable.

If Commissioner Svinicki isn't renominated by June 30, NRC will lose one of its finest members, the Commission's work will be impaired, and we will be forced to conclude that the reason is related to her honorable actions as a whistleblower--that she is being held up in retaliation for speaking up against a rogue Chairman who bullies his subordinates.

There is a reason Congress charged five Commissioners with the responsibility to protect public health and safety. Ensuring the safety of our Nation's nuclear powerplants is serious business. So this morning I am calling on the White House to renominate Commissioner Svinicki today to ensure that this well-qualified and widely respected woman remains in place for another term.

The public is best served by a commission that is fully functional. There should be no question in anyone's mind that it will be fully functional. We cannot wait any longer for this nomination.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today in honor of a man who has made a great contribution to our Nation's judiciary system and to his native Commonwealth of Kentucky. The man of whom I speak has valiantly served in the line of duty and justly served in almost every level of our Nation's court system. He is a pioneer in the legal discipline, a patriot through and through, and a dear friend: the Honorable Judge G. Wix Unthank of Harlan County, KY.

Judge Unthank has announced his retirement and will soon bang the gavel for the last time on June 1 of this year, ending a six-decade- long legacy in the legal field. Although his official day-to-day job may be coming to an end, his public service is most likely far from over. Judging by the colorful life he has led thus far, I trust that his passion for the law and the legal system will lead him back inside the familiar walls of the courthouse for many years to come.

The Honorable Judge Unthank is a solid testimony to the attainment of the American dream. G. Wix Unthank proved that with hard work and ambition you can accomplish truly anything. He was born in the small Harlan County, KY, town of Tway in 1923. His father, Green W. Unthank, and mother, Estelle Howard Unthank, were both teachers in the Harlan County school system. Between the two of them, they spent 68 years in the classroom inspiring young men and women to achieve great things. The emphasis placed on education in the Unthank household rubbed off on young Wix, and he graduated from Loyall High School in Harlan County with the class of 1940. That same year he enlisted in the U.S. Army and proudly served in World War II.

Not even having been on this Earth for two decades, the young Mr.

Unthank displayed courage, bravery, and patriotism well beyond his age. While in the service, he was a member of the 509th Paratrooper Battalion. During their training, the unit practiced jumping out of airplanes that flew at heights of 250 to 300 feet. Squad sergeant Ernie Komula of Wix's battalion will never forget how surprised his men were when the planes wouldn't go lower than 2,000 feet once behind enemy lines. Despite the unfamiliar new height, Unthank and the rest of the men didn't think twice about jumping out of that plane and fighting for their beloved country.

After completing a 5-year stint in the Army, in which he received both a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, he was honorably discharged in 1945. He attended the University of Kentucky for his undergraduate schooling. Then he went on to the University of Miami, where he obtained a J.D. in 1950. Once he had acquired the knowledge his parents had always hoped he would, Wix entered public service in what would turn out to be a prosperous and fulfilling professional life.

Judge Unthank worked as a practicing attorney in Harlan County for a short time before running for the public office of county judge. Throughout his political career, Judge Unthank used the slogan ``You'll never be Unthankful with Unthank,'' and obviously the people never were because he never lost an election.

In the summer of 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed G. Wix Unthank to the U.S. district court to serve as the presiding judge of the Eastern District of Kentucky. Eight years after his appointment, he assumed the honorable title of senior judge on the U.S. district court.

After many years of successfully running the courts in the Eastern District, Judge Unthank was honored with a portrait unveiling ceremony in Lexington, KY, in 1991 and Pikeville, KY, in 1992. At the ceremonies the judge was honored by his colleagues, family, and friends for the many achievements he had been blessed with throughout his lifetime up until that point. His portrait was hung in the courtrooms of both Lexington and Pikeville, which Judge Eugene E. Siler, Jr., who led the ceremonies, said that he believed were among the best courtrooms in the United States.

Judge Unthank was known for running a top-notch court system. He promoted collegiality amongst the judges and employees of the Eastern District. Under the leadership of Judge Unthank, they were more than just colleagues, they were a family. They enjoyed working together and seeing that the law was carried out equally and justly with each and every case.

Despite the judge's high-ranking senior status, he never shied away from work. He had an unheard-of workload for a senior judge. Day in and day out, he worked through social security cases, bankruptcy appeals, and retirement disputes with hard work and dedication.

The words carved into the front of the Supreme Court Building in our Nation's Capital read ``Equal Justice Under Law.'' That is a standard that we as a country hold up highly and a motto that those in the legal profession look to for guidance in every decision they make. Wix Unthank was no exception to this rule. He understands the importance of equal justice, and he demonstrated an unbelievable amount of integrity both in and out of the courtroom.

As I have said many times before, I am not in the business of speculation, so I would not testify to the character of Judge G. Wix Unthank if I was at all unsure of it. Therefore, with the utmost certainty, it is my pleasure today to stand and honor the Honorable Judge G. Wix Unthank for his tremendous contribution to his profession, his community, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the United States of America, and I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in paying tribute to a brave veteran, a wise jurist, and a confirmed patriot of our great Nation.

Mr. President, yesterday I highlighted some of the tremendous challenges we face in our country and this President's refusal to face them with the seriousness they demand.

At a moment when the Federal debt makes us look a lot like Greece, President Obama spends his time running around stumping for a tax hike that he knows will not help and that he knows will not pass. On gas prices, the President's response has been to call for a tax hike on energy manufactures, which, if anything, will drive the price of gas even higher and which he knows will not pass.

Now we hear that the President is announcing some kind of task force on oil speculation today--in other words, the same thing Washington Democrats always call for when gas prices go up. If I were to guess, I would say today's proposal by the President probably polls pretty well, but I guarantee you it will not do a thing to lower the price of gas at the pump. It never has in the past. White House officials admit as much. So why would it now?

The Democrats' favorite policy adviser, Warren Buffett, weighed in on the issue a few years ago. Here is what Warren Buffett had to say about it. Asked about the role speculation in the oil markets plays in determining price, he said, ``It's not speculation, it's supply and demand.'' That is Warren Buffett on speculation relating to the oil markets. ``It's not speculation,'' Warren Buffett said, ``it's supply and demand.'' But, of course, that is not the point for this White House. President Obama only seems to care about Warren Buffett's opinion if it polls well.

The President's goal here is not to do something about the problem, it is to make people think he is doing something about the problem until the next crisis comes along. And that is the larger problem, that we have a President who is more concerned with looking as if he is doing something than in actually doing what is needed to tackle the challenges we face. We have a President who told us that he was a different kind of politician doing the same old things and using the same old talking points politicians in Washington have been peddling for literally years--for years. I mean, weren't these kinds of gimmicks and stale talking points precisely what President Obama campaigned against 4 years ago? I thought he was offering something new, something different.

I think the Associated Press summed up the President's latest proposal pretty well this morning. The White House plan, which Obama was to unveil Tuesday, the AP said, is more likely to draw sharp election-year distinctions with Republicans than to have an immediate effect on prices at the pump. Well, AP pretty well summed it up. They said it is more about drawing a distinction. Look, we do not need new distinctions, we need solutions. Americans need lawmakers who are more concerned with facing up to the problems we face than getting reelected. They need a President who thinks about solving a problem, a President who thinks solving a problem involves more than giving a speech about it and pointing the finger at whatever does not poll well that particular day.

As I said yesterday, the President seems to have forgotten why he was elected in the first place. He seems to have forgotten his own campaign rhetoric: that he was going to be different, that he would bridge differences, that he would bring people together. The reality could not be more different or more disappointing. The sad truth is that it is all politics, all the time in this White House. They are out of ideas. They have nothing new to offer. Today's announcement is all the proof you need of that.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, if there is one thing on which every American can agree right now it is that we have serious challenges in this country and that time is not on our side. Action needs to be taken soon. To cite a few things, everybody is holding their breath waiting for the Federal debt to catch up with us. It is not a question of if, it is a question of when. Many young people are basically giving up on the American dream. Seniors and those approaching retirement are concerned about the safety and sustainability of entitlements. Working Americans and those who employ them are frustrated by the growth and the reach of government. And nearly 14 million Americans who cannot find work are wondering how it got so hard to land a good-paying job in what is supposed to be the most prosperous economy on Earth. All these people know we are in rough shape. They live it every day and, frankly, a lot of them have given up hope that lawmakers here in Washington are interested in doing anything at all that would help.

But the truth is that there is some good news to report out of Washington; that is, the growing bipartisan consensus not only about the existence of these problems but also about the proper solution. Just about everybody agrees that comprehensive tax reform would help turn this economy around, strengthen entitlements, spur innovation and economic growth, and create jobs.

The problem is that we have a President who seems more interested in pitting people against each other than he is in actually doing what it takes to face these challenges head on and to solve them in a bipartisan manner. And if anybody had any doubt about that, the President's relentless focus on this so-called Buffett tax over the past few weeks should have dispelled it.

This entire debate has been very illuminating for a lot of folks. It has revealed a lot about this President. By wasting so much time on this political gimmick that even Democrats admit will not solve our larger problems, it has shown that the President is actually more interested in misleading people than he is in leading. I know that may sound a little strong to some, but just step back and think about what is going on here. We have a $15 trillion debt. Some call it the most predictable crisis in history. We have the largest tax increase in the history of the country looming that will hit every single American who pays income taxes in less than 9 months from today.

Well, President Obama looked at the options in front of him, sat down with his political advisers, and said: You know what, let's go with a poll-tested tax increase on investment and job creation that will not fix anything and will not pass anyway, instead of actually doing something about the debt and the deficit. It is the same thing on gas prices; the President looked at $4-a-gallon gasoline and said: Let's go with a poll-tested tax on energy manufacturers, which would increase the price at the pump instead of actually doing something to solve the problem. Is this not precisely the kind of thing President Obama campaigned against in the first place--politics as usual? But that is all we get. The worse our problems get, the less serious he becomes. The more people coalesce around a bipartisan solution, the more he focuses on something that is completely irrelevant or that has absolutely no chance of passing.

We are in a crisis here and, sadly, it is all politics all the time. Somewhere along the way this President seems to have forgotten why he was elected. For him, it is not about jobs or the economy, it is about his idea of fairness, about imposing it on others. And if we lose more jobs in the process, oh, well, so be it.

Just take the Buffett tax. Anytime the President proposed anything in the past, he told us how many jobs it would create, whether it was the FAA bill, the highway bill, the stimulus--you name it. Apparently, those days are over. Nobody is even claiming this creates jobs. It is all about the President's idea of fairness now.

I think Americans are tired of the blame game. They want their President to solve problems, not point fingers. They think their President should spend his time working on a solution between the two parties instead of running around the country trying to distract people from his own inability to get the job done, instead of running around lecturing everybody on fairness.

The President is using two arguments in favor of the Buffett tax. First, he says it is a matter of fairness. Second, he thinks the government would do a better job of investing the money than the people he hopes to take it from. First, it is a matter of fairness and, second, he assumes the government would do a better job of using that money than the people he is taking it from.

On the first point, I think most people have heard enough about the President's notion of fairness to know it does not match up with theirs. To most people, what is fair about America is that they can earn their success--earn their success--and expect to be rewarded for it. Nobody ever crossed an ocean or a desert to come here for government health care. People come here because they think everybody has a shot at something more than that.

It is a point my colleague, the junior Senator from Wyoming, hit home pretty well this morning in an op-ed he wrote for Investor's Business Daily. It is entitled ``Buffett Tax Divides Americans, But Solves Nothing.''

I ask unanimous consent that be printed in the Record.

Here is some of what he wrote. This is Senator Barrasso:

President Obama thinks it's fair that our children and

grandchildren will be burdened with debt because of his

unprecedented reckless spending. Washington borrows 42 cents

of every dollar it spends.

The President thinks that is fair.

He thinks it's fair to pile another $40,000 of debt onto

every household in the U.S. over the last three years.

The President thinks that is fair.

He thinks it's fair to use college students as props for

his campaign-style rallies, without explaining how his bad

policies will leave them in debt.

He thinks it's fair to force hardworking taxpayers to

subsidize a wealthy person's purchase of a hybrid luxury

car--because it fits his idea for American energy.

He thinks it's fair to hand out hundreds of millions of tax

dollars to politically connected solar energy companies that

then go bankrupt.

He thinks it's fair to tell thousands of workers they won't

have jobs because he blocked the Keystone XL pipeline--to

solidify the support of a few far left environmentalists.

And apparently, President Obama thinks it's fair that three

years of his policies have left us with more people on food

stamps, more people in poverty, lower home values, higher gas

prices, and higher unemployment.

Senator Barrasso then explained what he thinks Americans actually think fairness consists of: equality of opportunity and freedom for everybody to pursue their dreams without government blocking the way.

For the President, fairness is about taking from some and giving it to others. It is about taking from taxpayers and giving it to solar companies. It is about taking from the private economy and giving it to government workers so they can blow it on an $823,000 awards dinner for themselves. It is anything but fair.

As for the President's second argument--well, you tell me. What about the way government spends the money it gets from taxpayers makes anybody think they would do a better job with the money they hope to get from this tax? Does anybody seriously think the government would do a better job spending this money than the people from whom they would extract this additional tax? It is completely ludicrous. Until Washington can show that it is a better steward of taxpayer dollars, or that it knows how to invest in a winner, it should not expect people to hand over another penny.

Here is my point: We have serious problems to address, and the President is not behaving seriously. There is a need and a growing desire on both sides of the aisle to do something. The President needs to step up and provide the serious leadership he promised the American people, and our folks--all 306 million people in this country--have every right to expect something better.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a distinguished veteran of our Nation's great Armed Forces, Master Sergeant Charles Robert ``Bob'' Stokes of East Bernstadt, KY. MSG Stokes enlisted in the United States Air Force on June 6, 1955. He had just graduated from London High School the week before; he was 18 years old.

There was a wide variety of disciplines Bob could have entered within the Air Force. He prayed all throughout his basic training for God to put him in the field he would be best suited to. Being the son of a mechanic, he possessed natural tendencies to fix things, and had worked on machinery previously in his life. So after much praying, Bob was assigned to be an aircraft mechanic, an act he later would refer to as a ``divine intervention.''

Stokes had never traveled much before the service, but he soon found himself stationed all around the country at Air Force bases in Missouri, Arkansas, and Puerto Rico, to name a few. Stokes eventually landed a spot on the presidential squadron put in charge of the famous presidential aircraft, Air Force One. He was part of that outfit throughout the administrations of Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford.

Stokes's career in the Air Force continued to prove fortuitous. He saw the world through the window of Air Force One, visiting places that he had dreamed of seeing his entire life. He witnessed monumental historic events, like Nixon's resignation, from an arm's length away. He executed his job superbly, ensuring the President would always arrive safely on the ground. And finally, Bob received the greatest benefit he would ever come across while running the presidential squadron, meeting his wife Varlene. She too was serving on Andrews AFB at the time.

Bob and Varlene retired to East Bernstadt in 1976, where they reside to this day. The two have three children--Robert Jr., Tricia, and Ward, all of whom appreciate the dedication their mother and father have shown to our great Nation throughout the years.

Mr. President, in November 2011 there was an article published in Laurel County, Kentucky's local periodical magazine, the Sentinel Echo: Silver Edition. The article noted the accomplishments of Mr. Stokes throughout his many years of service in the United States Air Force.

At this time, Mr. President, it is my wish that my colleagues in the United States Senate join me in honoring Master Sergeant Charles Robert Stokes for his dedication to our great country; and I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today in honor of a devoted and loyal serviceman from the United

State Navy: Mr. Martin Young of London, KY. Martin enlisted in the Navy on September 22, 1942, when he was 19 years old. His brother was in the Army, so Martin decided to go a different route. He knew that he would have to leave home, but what he didn't know is that he was going to explore a variety of foreign locales and cross the Atlantic Ocean 14 times.

Up until his enlistment in the Navy, Martin had lived in Perry County, KY, his entire life. He was first sent to basic training at Great Lakes Training Center in Illinois. After basic training, Mr. Young decided he would attend gunnery school in San Francisco Bay, CA.

After his 6-week stint in gunnery school, Martin was finally prepared to take to the high seas. He was assigned to the Joseph Gale, a supply ship that carried ammunition and supplies as well as airplanes. During his first deployment on a ship, Mr. Young remembers that he didn't see land for 32 long days.

While aboard the Joseph Gale, Mr. Young traveled through New Guinea and the Loyalty Islands in the South Pacific; Tocapilla, Chili in South America; the West Indies; and Cuba, all before an emergency port in St. Albans, NY. The ship's bow was badly damaged by a torpedo from a German submarine and the crew had no choice but to stop for repairs on dry land.

Once in New York, Mr. Young returned to work on the tanker SS Manassas, a ship that hauled fuel to England. He would go on to make the journey 14 times while serving on that ship. Looking back, Mr. Young remembers the tension amidst the crew on the Manassas during the French Invasion. Although not involved in the attack, the ship was in the English Channel, and all members had to constantly be on alert, ready at a moment's notice to enter the fight.

Once Mr. Young returned to the States, he was given a 32-day furlough in which he and some Navy buddies hitchhiked from San Francisco to St. Louis before finally taking a bus to his eastern Kentucky home. During his leave the war ended, and Mr. Young returned to the Navy without the threat of combat looming over him.

Although the war was over, Mr. Young still had time in the Navy to complete, so when he heard about an opening in the Naval Barber Shop, he applied. He got the job, and cut hair during the days while attending barber school in the evenings. He enjoyed it so much that when he returned to Perry County on August 8, 1946, he continued to wield the scissors in the Commonwealth.

The Navy offered Martin Young the journey of a lifetime. He traveled around the world more than once and had the opportunity to port in breathtaking and beautiful locations on several continents.

Now retired, Martin Young enjoys the finer things in life, such as spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren. Although he has retired from cutting hair, he still uses his hands to make woodcrafts and play several different musical instruments. While Martin would probably say the Navy has given him so much, today I wish to recognize him and say that it is he who has given us so much. Martin Young's service to his country during World War II is something that each and every American to this day should be truly grateful for.

An article was recently published in London, KY's local newspaper magazine, the Sentinel-Echo: Silver Edition. The article highlighted the many achievements made by Martin Young throughout his eventful lifetime.

At this time, I wish to invite my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to join me in commemorating Mr. Martin Young and his dedication to our great Nation, and I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to a father and son who are bravely serving in our Armed Forces simultaneously: MSG Micah B. Mason and his son, PFC Micah J. Mason, both of London, KY. Master Sergeant Mason has served in the National Guard for 28 years. He now has had the opportunity to see his son, Private First Class Mason, learn, work, and grow in the same organization that the elder Mason began his career in almost three decades ago.

Not only are the Mason men both involved in the same service branch, they also served on the same mission, in the same truck. Master Sergeant Mason was excited to be given the opportunity to work alongside his son in ``real world'' missions. He feels that he is lucky to be able to experience a work environment firsthand with his son in a way very few parents get the chance to do.

Private First Class Mason is excited to be able to go on missions with his father. The 22-year-old didn't know that his father was going to be on the same truck as him until the day they deployed. He is overjoyed to show his father the proficiency at which he does his job on a day-to-day basis.

There is obviously a certain level of concern when deploying on a mission solo, and that level increases when there are not one but two members of the same family on a single mission. Nonetheless, the two have expressed that at the end of the day, they are glad they have each other for support.

The resiliency and strength shown by these two individuals in such a tolling work environment is truly remarkable. With men like the Masons serving in our Armed Forces, we have little reason to doubt our military's abilities. These men are true American heroes who have given much so that we may sleep soundly at night and know that our freedoms and liberties will always be protected.

Master Sergeant Mason and his son Private First Class Mason deserve a great deal of recognition, just as all those in military service do, for what they have done to protect the citizens of their community, the great State of Kentucky, and our great country of the United States of America.

Mr. President, I would like to ask my colleagues in the Senate to join me in recognizing the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice of MSG Micah B. Mason and his son, PFC Micah J. Mason.

There was recently an article printed in Whitley County, Kentucky's local newspaper, The Times-Tribune, which highlighted the outstanding service of this father and son duo who have so graciously contributed to our Nation's defense throughout the years. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to an exceptional veteran of the United States Navy who wore the uniform during World War II, First Class Seaman James Francis of Laurel County,

Mr. President, I stand before you today to pay tribute to a man who has been successful in serving his country, in his career, and in building longlasting relationships with family and friends, all because he has learned to incorporate his passion into all that he does: Mr. William ``Bill'' A. Santor of Lexington, KY.

Bill Santor lives on the Griffin Gate golf course with his wife of 72 years, Nettie. He tries to play golf at least twice a week, sometimes more. Mr. Santor turned 100 years old on Easter Sunday of this year. Despite his age, he is a competitor through and through; he recently accumulated an astonishing score of 42 strokes after playing 9 holes.

Mr. Santor truly loves the sport of golf, so much, in fact, that he passed his knowledge of the game down to both of his children as they were growing up. Now they, too, have fit the game into their livelihoods in one way or another. His son, Tom, played golf in college at the University of Kentucky, while his daughter, Patty Driapsa, instructs professional golfers at the Club Pelican Bay in Naples, FL. Both children are not only amazed that their father is still able to play the game but are also awestruck by how good he is. Despite his age, after a long lifetime of practice, he still has exceptional skill.

Bill was first exposed to the game when he began caddying in Youngstown, OH, at age 12. The pay he received was usually 25 cents for working an entire 18-hole game. He picked up a few spare clubs here and there and began playing himself at the age of 15. Bill quickly found that he was a natural-born golfer, and he began playing in and winning local tournaments.

When World War II began Bill enlisted, but he never ceased to play golf. He was stationed at Fort Knox, close to the Lindsey Golf Course, where Bill would eventually play against Byron Nelson, winner of two Masters, a U.S. Open, and a PGA, in the Kentucky Open in 1943. Although Bill didn't win the tournament that year, just being able to participate is one of Bill's fondest memories to this day.

Not long after the Open, Bill was deployed to Europe, but again he found himself in close proximity with the game he loved so dearly. Bill worked maintaining a golf course on the Czechoslovakia-Germany border. Military officers would come to the course when they were on leave to play, relax, and enjoy their time off. One of the visitors was Bob Hope, with whom Bill had the opportunity to play nine holes. All these years later, Bill will be the first to tell you he won that game.

When Bill returned home after the war, golf was a big part of his family and work life. His wife Nettie remembers most of their family vacations were to golf destinations, where the whole family would play. Bill worked for a business equipment company for almost 50 years and he spent a lot of time with clients discussing business over a game of golf. But Bill's competitive nature would never allow him to let a client win.

To this day Bill tries to fit a round of golf into his schedule every chance he gets, which is something he has done his whole entire life. Bill can drive a golf ball 175 yards, and he has a running count of 10 holes-in-one to this day. Bill's children both agree that golf is what keeps their father going; it is something that he has built his life around. Golf has opened many doors for Bill throughout his life, and for that he is grateful.

It is my wish at this time that my colleagues in the Senate join me in celebrating the successful and still very active life of Mr. William ``Bill'' A. Santor.

Mr. President, there was recently an article published in the Lexington newspaper the Herald-Leader. The article featured the legacy of Mr. Bill Santor and the love and passion he has for his country, his State, his family, and the game of golf. I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a group of individuals who have been working to make a difference in the lives of local veterans in their community for over 60 years. The honor guard of Frankfort, Kentucky's Veterans of Foreign Wars Office Post 4075 has been providing an official military funeral ceremony for local veterans in the central Kentucky area since the 1950s.

Veterans K.B. Johns, Ralph Spooner, Bill Hampton, and Charlie Mauer founded the first VFW Post 4075 color guard over 60 years ago. The men worked together to increase the size of the color guard over the next decade into a full honor guard with 11 members: 2 flag folders, 7 riflemen, 1 bugler, and 1 leader. The honor guard takes any and all requests to play at a fellow serviceman's funeral, free of charge.

The honor guard is made up of veterans from World War II, the Vietnam war, the Korean war, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. They may be from different generations, but they all share the same respect for one another. Charlie Mauer is the only surviving original member of the troop; he is 85 years old.

Mr. Mauer is joined by three other World War II veterans: Mr. Burnett Napier fought with the U.S. Marines in the Battle of Peleliu in the Pacific Theater at the age of 19. He is now 87 years old, and he is the recipient of the Purple Heart and the Silver Star, two of the highest honors awarded by the U.S. military. Mr. Charlie Hinds, who is 88 years old, served as a scout for GEN George Patton for 2 years. He enlisted in the Army at age 18. The youngest of the WWII veterans at age 84 is Jim Wolcott. He was stationed in Europe from 1944 to 1947.

According to Charlie Mauer, the honor guard is ``a great bunch of guys.'' The men have conducted ceremonies for hundreds of funerals throughout the program's lifetime and expected nothing in return. They are driven by compassion for their fellow servicemen who have gone on and their families who are left behind with only the memories of their loved one. The men are honored to get the chance to pay tribute to Frankfort veterans who have passed away. When asked, all of the men say that they plan to stay involved in the honor guard as long as they are able to.

It is inspiring to witness others who truly receive joy and satisfaction from helping their fellow man. The men of Frankfort's VFW Post 4075 honor guard will sometimes perform at as many as three funerals a day, all for free. These men have all been involved in historic battles throughout our Nation's history, and they have served their country valiantly. And although they have already given so much, they are still far from done giving back to their community, State, and country.

Mr. President, at this time I ask that my fellow colleagues in the Senate join me in recognizing the valiant dedication to service shown by these brave individuals. There was recently an article published in the Lexington Herald-Leader that featured Frankfort's Veterans of Foreign Wars Office Post 4075. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I stand before you today to commend and pay tribute to a Kentuckian who spent time with the Marines serving in Afghanistan in 2009. Although he was far from home and a visitor in a foreign land, LCpl David Mays of London, KY, treated the Afghan people with the utmost respect, proving that he exemplified the characteristics the U.S. Marine Corps upholds: character, compassion, honor, courage, and the integrity to always do what is right. Lance Corporal Mays enlisted during his senior year of high school at the age of 18.

In May of 2009, just 2 days before his second deployment with the Marines, David's firstborn son, Landon, came into the world. David left for Afghanistan before his newborn son was able to leave the hospital in London. Although David was greatly saddened about having to leave his baby boy behind, he proudly answered the call of duty, and for the second time David returned to the Middle East. However, this time around, David was a different man: he was a father now. Fatherhood caused him to take an interest in the local Afghan children. David felt that interacting with the children helped him to not miss his own son as much.

David missed his boy back home terribly, but he would play with the Afghan children and buy them gifts. In turn, the children would offer David and his fellow marines fruit as a token of their gratitude. The kinship David and his men built with the local children was the foundation of a successful relationship with the local Afghan tribe leaders.

During his time overseas, David had limited contact with his family in Kentucky, but his mother, Wanda Caudill, sent letters and care packages as frequently as possible. She would also send photos of Landon. The gifts from home and the relationships David made with the local people, local children, and fellow marines all helped to console him until he finally returned home just before Christmas in 2010.

It had been almost a year since David had seen his son Landon, who was only 2 days old at their last meeting, There was no way that the little boy could have remembered his father's presence. But when David first saw his son Landon at the airport that December, Landon reached for him as if he had never left and kissed him three times.

David has since joined the London-Laurel County Rescue Squad and London Fire Department. He is still in the Marines Active Reserve, but he plans to stay as involved as he can in his 2-year-old son's life. David decided that missing 1 year of his son's life is enough, and he is not missing any more.

Mr. President, an article appeared in the Laurel County publication the Sentinel-Echo: Silver Edition in November 2011 that profiled the upstanding character of LCpl David Mays. I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today in honor of MSgt Charles Hayes of London, KY. Master Sergeant Hayes served in the U.S. Air Force from 1972 to 1996, and was involved in both the Vietnam and gulf wars. Hayes volunteered to join at age 21 and continued to be a volunteer for the duration of his two-decade stint in the military.

During Hayes's extended period of time in the Air Force, he had the opportunity to visit a variety of foreign countries, including Germany, Turkey, and Thailand, just to name a few. Hayes enjoyed every aspect that went along with being a part of the Armed Forces. He flourished as a member of the U.S. Air Force in more ways than one.

What Hayes enjoyed most about the service was experiencing history in the making. Hayes remembers participating in the evacuation of Saigon, South Vietnam, in April 1975. It was a mission in which Hayes and his team were given the objective of recovering an American merchant ship that had been pirated by the Khmer Rouge navy. The ship was successfully recovered on May 13, 1975, and Hayes was an instrumental part of the operation, one that many of us remember paying close attention to while back home in the States.

Hayes also enjoyed the Air Force because it inspired its members to show initiative. In 1987, Charles was assigned public affairs duties for his section. He remembers how difficult and ``utterly impossible'' the men told him it was to get an article published in the base newspaper. Hayes took on the challenge of getting a story published head on, and that year he had 37 articles and 17 pictures with captions published in the newspaper.

Lt. Col. Richard Vaught recalls that Hayes was one of the best sergeants he has ever commanded. It wasn't unusual for those who worked with Hayes to speak highly of him. While serving as the squadron safety noncommissioned officer from 1990 to 1996, Hayes's unit received numerous honors and awards, including Best Small Unit Safety Program Award and Best Additional Duty Safety NCO Award.

Many different attributes have been used to describe Charles Hayes over the years. Talented, ambitious, reliable, and persevering are just a few of the countless positive references of the master sergeant. Lieutenant Colonel Vaught is recorded as saying, ``Charlie always knew how to get everything when nobody else could. If you go to war, he's the one you want to go with you. He'll get you everything and then some.''

Charles Hayes exemplifies every characteristic of a successful member of our Nation's Armed Forces. His dedication and service to our great country over 24 years will most certainly not go unnoticed and is the very cause of my standing here today. It is my wish that my colleagues in the Senate join me in commemorating MSgt Charles Hayes at this time.

There was an article published in Laurel County's local news magazine, the Sentinel-Echo: Silver Edition, in November of 2011. The article highlighted Charles Hayes and the outstanding dedication he has shown throughout the years in his involvement with the U.S. military. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.