Floor Statements

Our friends on the other side, the Senate Democrats, have put on a clinic this week on how not to run a serious legislative body. If they have achieved anything at all, it is to make Americans even more frustrated with Congress, as if that were possible.

Faced with skyrocketing gas prices, Senate Democrats turned to a bill that even they admit doesn't lower them. Then, to make matters worse, they blocked Republicans from offering anything that might. That was their brilliant plan on how to deal with gas prices: raise taxes on energy companies, when gas is already hovering around $4 a gallon, then block consideration of anything else just to make sure gas prices don't go anywhere but up.

Somehow they thought doing this would set up some kind of political win for them, which, frankly, I don't understand. I mean, I can't imagine anybody giving them any high-fives for not lowering gas prices. But, anyway, that was obviously the plan. It appears to have fallen short because now they want to move off this issue and on to another political vote to yet another debate where the goal isn't to make a difference but, rather, to make a point--to increase taxes not lower prices at the pump.

Well, I don't expect this next vote will have the political punch they expect either. But that is the Democratic plan anyway. It is getting quite tedious. Day after day after day, Senate Democrats all choose to come out here not so we can make an actual difference in the lives of working Americans and families struggling to fill the gas tank, but so we can watch them stage votes for show. For some reason they thought they would put some political points on the board this week if the American people saw them voting for a tax hike we all knew ahead of time didn't have the votes to pass.

That didn't work. If anyone has any doubt about that, just ask yourself why they were moving to actually get off of it. Now they think they will score political points by staging another vote on a tax hike we know doesn't have the votes to pass.

None of this makes sense to me. But that is how the Democrats have chosen to run this place. If they want to keep trying to distract the American people from the fact they do not have any solutions to the problems we face, that is their prerogative. But that is not going to keep Republicans from talking about ours. That is not going to keep us from trying to actually make a difference around here.

Surveys show two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the way the President is handling high gas prices.

We know high gas prices are having a negative impact on Americans' daily lives. So we think the American people are entitled to this debate. They sent us to do something other than put on a show, and that is why we will continue to insist on a serious debate.

The majority leader frequently complains there isn't any time to focus on priorities such as cybersecurity, postal reform, and the Export-Import Bank, not to mention maybe passing a budget for the first time in 3 years. Yet he seems to find the time to hold not one but two political show votes on tax hikes.

The way I see it, the American people didn't send us to score political points. As I said, they sent us to make a difference. So I will be voting against this tax hike on American energy manufacturers, and I would urge my colleagues to do the same.

I hope that when the Senate returns in April, Democrats will have heard from their constituents and will focus on jobs and prices at the pump--rather than the latest political vote.

I will be happy to yield.

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

Madam President, we have all been following what has been going on across the street this week with great interest. While we all have our preferences, none of us knows at this point how the Supreme Court will rule. But one thing we should all be able to agree on is that the President's health care bill is a mess, an absolute mess.

The American people clearly don't like it. Polls show the majority want the law repealed. More than two-thirds of the public, including most Democrats, believe the core of this bill is unconstitutional. It is loaded, literally loaded with broken promises.

The President said it would lower costs. It is, in fact, raising costs. Proponents said it would create jobs. Now we know it means fewer jobs. The President said families would save on their premiums. They are, in fact, going up. He said people would be able to keep the insurance they have and like. They will not. CBO's most likely prediction finds 3 to 5 million Americans will lose their current plan every single year. The President said he would protect Medicare, but, instead, the law raids Medicare for over $500 billion, cutting billions from hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and Medicare Advantage.

The President promised the American people their taxes wouldn't go up one penny. Two years later, the American people found out their taxes will be going up by more than $550 billion. The Joint Committee on Taxation found no fewer than 11 separate taxes and penalties that fall squarely on the middle class.

Remember the CLASS Act? The administration said it would be fiscally stable and would reduce the deficit. A couple months ago, it was determined to be unsustainable and was shut down before it even began.

The President told the American people, ``Federal conscience laws will remain in place.'' Two years later, he turned around and gave his approval to HHS to mandate that religious-affiliated schools, universities, hospitals, and charities would have to violate their religious tenets or pay a hefty fine.

Finally, the health care law will increase Medicaid rolls by nearly 25 million people, costing already cash-strapped States another $118 billion--money many Governors, including Kentucky's, don't know where to get.

This law is bad for Kentucky, it is bad for the country, and it is bad for health care. Americans don't want it. Regardless of what the court decides this summer, it should be repealed and it should be replaced. It should be replaced with commonsense reforms that lower costs and that Americans actually want--reforms that protect jobs and State budgets, reduce the deficit, reform entitlements, and strengthen Medicare.

One broken promise is one too many. This law is full of broken promises from top to bottom.

Two years ago, then-Speaker Pelosi said we would have to pass this bill to find out what was in it. Now we know. The American people have had a chance to decide for themselves. They don't like it. They want it repealed, and that is what we plan to do.

Tornado Relief

Madam President, I once again share with my colleagues stories of the heartbreaking events in my home State of Kentucky in the aftermath of the horrific wave of storms and tornadoes that ravaged my State, along with several others in the Midwest, earlier this month.

As I have already stated on the floor, these were very severe tornadoes, with at least 11 funnel clouds confirmed by the National Weather Service to have touched down in my State, blowing at wind speeds up to 125 miles an hour.

We know 24 Kentuckians lost their lives and more than 300 were injured. Many homes, churches, schools, and places of business were destroyed. Scenes of destruction still exist across the State in places such as Magoffin County, Menifee County, Kenton, Morgan, Laurel, Lawrence, Martin, Pulaski, Johnson, and Trimble, all those counties in my State which were among the hardest hit.

Kentuckians are working hard to rebuild. I am pleased to say that despite the tragedy of lives lost, families grieving, and memories destroyed forever, there is some good news to report; that is, how inspiring it is to see so many good-hearted Kentuckians come together to provide for their neighbors in the wake of these tornadoes.

Take, for example, the congregation of Arthur Ridge Baptist Church in the town of East Bernstadt, located in Laurel County. Thanks to the leadership of Pastor Steve Smith, Arthur Ridge Baptist Church opened its doors within hours of the storm's end to provide food and shelter for those who needed it.

Pastor Smith kept the church doors open for 24 hours a day and served up to 700 meals a day to local residents who had no food, no kitchen, and no home to call their own. According to Pastor Smith, people from all over the area pitched in. Folks from different churches worked to prepare meals, and many residents donated items such as dishes, silverware, toiletries, pillows, and blankets for care packages to distribute to the victims of the storm. Local businesses did their part too. The nearby Little Caesar's pizza in London gave away 120 pizzas in 1 day, soon after the tornadoes. Many other local restaurants donated food as well.

Thanks in part to the efforts of Pastor Smith and the congregation of Arthur Ridge Baptist Church, life is just a little bit better for many in East Bernstadt. At first, the church had to tend to people's most immediate and ``simple needs--water, a hot meal, an air mattress to sleep on,'' says Pastor Smith, who is a Laurel County native and has been the pastor at Arthur Ridge now for 6 years. He says, however, ``People are over the shock and awe.''

Weeks after the tornadoes passed, the church was still open 14 hours a day, distributing 125 to 150 meals a day and running a clothing distribution center. Pastor Smith's latest focus was on finding a place to set up donated washing and drying machines so local storm victims without homes can actually clean their clothes.

Over 3,500 people have registered to volunteer in the region, and as of last week over 25,000 meals had been served to displaced families.

This is just one story of how many Kentuckians have joined together to help the least fortunate in my State. Hawk Creek Baptist Church in Laurel County, First Baptist Church of East Bernstadt, and Trinity Freewill Baptist Church of Martin County also opened their doors to provide shelter and relief to displaced Kentuckians and the volunteers working to help them in the days after the disaster struck.

Jim Paul, director of the organization called Ken-Tenn Relief Team, was in East Bernstadt the morning after the storms with food supplies. He trucked in a tractor-trailer load of donated food and other items and personally volunteered dozens of hours in at least three counties to aid storm victims.

In Morgan County, the local Appalachian Regional Healthcare hospital suffered serious damage. Every second-floor window of the hospital was literally blown out, doors were torn off their hinges, and part of the roof was ripped off. Dozens of people were injured and the patients had to be evacuated to nearby hospitals.

Luckily, Martie and Teresa Johnson, owners of a nearby Wendy's restaurant, stepped in to help. They served 450 hot meals to the cleanup crew who came in to repair the Morgan County ARH hospital and also traveled to Salyersville and gave away food there.

One television station in Hazard, WYMT, held a telethon to raise money for victims across the State. I was pleased to play a small part in that effort myself, as the television station asked me to record a greeting describing the devastating effects of the tornados. The people of the region raised over $180,000 in the telethon for disaster relief.

The local J.C. Penney of Corbin donated clothing and shoes to area elementary school students, and the employees of the store took up a collection to donate winter, spring, and summer clothing for the children.

``Some of [the employees] don't have a lot to give, but when this came up, they all wanted to know what else we needed,'' says Tiffany Flint, the Corbin J.C. Penney store manager.

We hope it will help the children to look good and feel

good. We just wanted to do this to help them get back on

their feet.

The men's soccer team from Kentucky's University of the Cumberlands donated some of their time to help the less fortunate. Head soccer coach Brenton Benware, his staff, and nearly 30 student athletes drove to East Bernstadt to help clean up debris in the area.

``Going . . . was just another reminder of how blessed we really are,'' said Coach Benware. ``I think we were all deeply affected by what we saw and reminded how important it is to serve and help our neighbors in times of need.''

While there, the University of the Cumberlands soccer team may have run into the soccer team from Union College, which also traveled to Laurel County to help. The team stacked wood from downed trees, cleared debris from backyards, and helped a man move a displaced steel roof that the tornado had deposited in his yard.

Union College dean of students Debbie D'Anna was responsible for sponsoring the trip, while the school's campus food services donated snacks and bottled water, and James Jimerson of the school's physical plant loaned out tools. Local businesses, such as Knox Hardware and Pope's Lumber, donated work and cleaning supplies. Many faculty, staff and students of Union College donated items such as food, clothing, and other essentials.

In Salyersville, a town in Magoffin County, the block known as ``Restaurant Row'' was hit by a tornado and nearly every restaurant on it destroyed. One of the few left was a Dairy Queen owned by Doug and Sue Mortimer.

On the night of the storms, they opened their restaurant, running on generator power, and served free meals to the volunteers working to clean up the wreckage.

Several Home Depot stores in Kentucky and Indiana contributed to the relief efforts as well. In the West Liberty area, district manager Becky Young and store manager Jim Householder coordinated donations of approximately $2,600, and Jim's store employees were out immediately after the storm handing out paper towels, trash bags, and gloves to relief volunteers.

Other Home Depot stores in Kentucky and Indiana, led by district manager Tim Choate and district human resource manager Lee Ann Bruce, donated thousands of dollars' worth of products such as chainsaws, gloves, respirators, tarps, water, and trash bags to organizations such as the Henryville Fire Department and local United Way chapters. And store employees volunteered to assist those organizations in the recovery.

Lowe's stores in Kentucky have also pitched in, providing gloves, tarps, shovels, bleach, and other supplies to communities all across the State. In addition to over $300,000 donated by the company to relief efforts after the storms, the Lowe's district manager for Kentucky, Stephen West, dispatched ``Lowe's Heroes,'' store employees who are volunteering their time and construction know-how.

Local Walmart stores in Kentucky as well as the company's foundation have provided tens of thousands of dollars' worth of water, cleaning supplies, baby food, diapers, and more to help the community. Bob Gound, the market human resources manager for Walmart locations in eastern Kentucky, has taken the lead in coordinating these efforts. And local store employees are making bag lunches and handing them out in the hardest-hit Kentucky communities.

I have seen firsthand in my recent visits to the Bluegrass State both how severe the destruction is, and how hard the people of Kentucky are working to rebuild and lift their neighbors out of the dire circumstances that the cruel forces of nature have put so many of them in.

It is thanks to altruistic and generous Kentuckians like Pastor Steve Smith, among many others, that I am confident that the Kentuckians hurt by these storms will recover. I and my staff throughout the State have heard so many heart-warming stories like the few I have just shared that it would not be possible for me to recite them all on this Senate floor.

But I hope that the few stories I have shared are more than enough to reassure my colleagues, the people of Kentucky, and the world that we Kentuckians are stout of heart and firm in our resolve. We will prevail over this tragedy. We will rebuild towns like East Bernstadt to be better than they were before. And the families of Kentucky will hopefully one day heal the wounds in their hearts and continue on.

Tribute to Laura Dove

Madam President, I know I have inconvenienced the Senator from Georgia, but I have one more rather brief comment. I would like to say a few words about Laura Dove, who is leaving us this week, sitting right here at the table on the Republican side of the Chamber in the well.

For C SPAN2 watchers out there, Laura is the assistant secretary for the minority. We wish she were the assistant secretary for the majority, but she is assistant secretary for the minority, which means she is one of the people who make this place run every day but whose names you don't hear on the rollcall.

She has put in her time, starting out as a page in high school and later moving to the Republican cloakroom. She did a stint at the Senate Republican Conference and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. And then Dave Schiappa, the Secretary for the Minority, hired her back into his shop about 10 years ago.

And she's done a fabulous job. Senate work is in Laura's DNA. Her dad's a past Senate parliamentarian. And she's been an invaluable member of the floor team for as long as I can remember--counseling members on the floor, working with committees to clear legislation, and doing countless other essential tasks, big and small, that nobody watching from home would even notice.

She always has a smile, always handles the pressure down in the well with a cool-head, and I know she's been an anchor for Dave over the years. So we will miss having her around.

And we wish her all the best as she moves onto other things.

I know she wants to travel with her husband Dan, and her two children Jakey and Abby. I don't think any of us would be surprised if Laura came back. But for now, I thank her for her service to the Senate.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have one question before this morning's vote--one simple question: Is this the best we can do? Is this the best we have to offer folks who are staring at $4-a-gallon gasoline, a bill that even Democrats admit won't do anything at all to lower the price of gas, and a process that blocks any other idea from even coming to the floor for a vote? Is this the best we can do? No other idea has been allowed other than a proposal that will inevitably raise the price of gasoline at the pump. Does anybody think the Senate has done its job on this issue?

Well, if you don't, if you think we should do more for the American people at a time when they are paying $4 a gallon for gas than raise taxes on energy manufacturers and block a pipeline from Canada, then you ought to vote against cloture. You should stand with Republicans and insist we do more to lower gas prices in this country.

I see the President made a statement a little while ago in support of this proposed tax hike. My question is: Where

was the White House when the Democrats voted to actually get off of this proposal? Maybe they were too busy lining up votes against the Keystone Pipeline. Maybe the President was too busy telling the Russians about how he is hoping for more flexibility.

My point is Democrats don't have to take orders from the White House. They don't need to serve the President's political strategy. They can do what their constituents want them to do on this issue. They can vote to stay on this bill and fight for real solutions to the problems of high gas prices and any other number of issues the Democrats refuse to face, for that matter. We can use this institution to actually make a difference. I hope at some point that is what my colleagues on the other side decide to do.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I would say to my friend from Rhode Island, I am not the one who will be asking consent.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object.

The problem with accepting the Boxer amendment is that it would shut down the Federal-Aid Highway Program, which means States wanting reimbursement for projects will not get paid. It will cause already nervous State Department of Transportation directors to cut back further on the work because there will be no reimbursements on Federal projects, and it would cost the highway trust fund $100 million per day for any day the gas tax is not collected, thereby adding to the deficit.

Therefore, I object.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object.

I will spare the Senate the repetitious repeating of my remarks with regard to the initial Boxer modification, but the principles remain the same.

I object.

I object.

I object.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I mentioned to the majority leader I have to do some more consultation over here in order to clear this nomination, but for the moment I must object.

Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to a true American hero who honorably answered the call to serve his country in its dire time of need, Mr. Leonard Gilliam of Laurel County, KY.

Mr. Gilliam was born in McWhorter, KY, in 1919. The 92-year-old has had an incredible life on this Earth thus far. Leonard was a country boy who had lived on his family farm his entire life. He was the first boy from McWhorter to get the call from the U.S. Army in 1941; he was 21 years old.

The newly enlisted men, along with Gilliam, headed to basic training in Fort Thomas, KY. Gilliam was trained in artillery; during training he learned how to man a tank gun. After training ended he was transferred to Fort Benning, GA, where he would reside until December of 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor led to the declaration of war, which for Gilliam would mean being deployed to the front.

The young Leonard Gilliam knew that going to war would be difficult, and his bringing up had prepared him to face the difficult road ahead. He had spent his childhood working on the farm and walking through fields and creeks, to and from the Twin Branch School, every day. But what the eager Gilliam did not foresee was the opportunities he would be presented with during his time in the service. A chance to see the world and forge a lifelong friendship were not in the then 21-year- old's plans back then.

His much needed experience with tanks landed him a spot on the front lines, and Gilliam entered the war in Casablanca, North Africa. He traveled through Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia before heading towards Europe. Gilliam was called to invade the island of Sicily on July 10, 1942. He was later awarded the Bronze Arrowhead for his courageous actions during the invasion.

Gilliam spent time in Sicily guarding POWs. He remembers eating with them, talking with them, and even giving them cigarettes. Looking back, he says that the prisoners were some of the finest people he has ever met. He stayed at the prison in Sicily until he was called to go to Normandy. He arrived in France a mere 4 days after the invasion of the beach on June 6, 1944.

The hardships experienced by Gilliam in France were some of the toughest times of the war for him. But in the midst of a dark shadow cast by war, Gilliam met Vayne McCoy, a fellow tank gunner who would soon become his best friend. The two friends helped each other see the end of the war, and then they lost track of each other once they had returned back to the States. It wasn't until 1997--53 years later--when the two would reunite. The two war buddies shared a deep bond, one that they continue to share to this day.

The veteran now recalls the warm welcome he received when he finally made his return trip home in 1945 after 3 years overseas. Mr. Gilliam is a modest man. He feels like he is undeserving of the hero's welcome he received after World War II. He believes that the real heroes were the ones that ``stayed over there,'' the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and never got the chance to come home.

The former soldier now enjoys life as a full-time family man. He is a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Leonard is a remarkable man who has been on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Even after all that he has been through, both the good and the bad, he is still grateful he had opportunity. Although he says he wouldn't go on a trip around the world again for $1 million, he doesn't regret getting to see the world for free the first time.

In November 2011, there was an article about Mr. Leonard Gilliam published in the Sentinel Echo Silver Edition, a magazine based in Laurel County, KY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I will not be objecting, but I do want to briefly make a comment. This is the result of a successful discussion among the majority leader, the White House, and myself. Based on the White House assurance that there will be no recess appointments during the upcoming adjournment, I will not be objecting.

I wish to say to my friend, the majority leader, this is the way we ought to be conducting business. I think it was a successful negotiation, and I certainly do not object.

Madam President, if I may just add, the colloquy between the majority leader and my good friend from Arizona certainly underscores once again the extraordinary contribution legal immigration has made to our country for over 200 years. I think of, as an example, my own wife, who came here at age 8, not speaking a word of English. The majority leader was just pointing out an immigrant from Vietnam who has done well. Senator McCain has said the same thing that all three of us have said on numerous occasions. So it is indeed something to celebrate.

Madam President, yesterday afternoon I came to the floor to suggest that what has been happening in the Senate this week is precisely the kind of thing the American people do not like about Washington.

Gas prices have more than doubled under President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Senate. This is a problem that affects every single American, that drives up the cost of everything from commuting to groceries. Yet the Democratic response is to propose legislation that even they admit does not do a thing to lower the price of gas.

We have seven Democrats, in fact, on record saying the bill does not do a thing to lower gas prices. One of them has called it laughable. But this is apparently the best our friends on the other side can do. It is the most, apparently, they are willing to do. At a time when gas prices are at a national average of nearly $4 a gallon, this is what passes for a response to high gas prices for Washington Democrats: a bill that simply does nothing about it.

But it even gets worse than that because not only is the Democratic solution to high gas prices a bill that even they admit does nothing to lower gas prices, they will not even allow Republicans to offer any amendments that would help. Not only are they pushing a bill that will not lower gas prices, they are blocking any measure that would actually make a difference.

So at a moment when working Americans are struggling with high gas prices, the message Democrats in Washington are sending this week is simple: Get used to it. Get used to it because they have nothing-- nothing--but a phony proposal aimed at distracting people from the fact that they have nothing to offer.

Maybe the reason they voted yesterday to get off their own bill is they realized the American people were on to them. Maybe they realized they did not have the political issue they thought they did. Well, my point is that they should be more concerned about helping Americans than helping their own campaigns.

So if Democrats will not allow us to offer any proposals to address this crisis, we are still going to talk about

them anyway because Americans need to know there are some things we could do about this issue. We could actually have an impact on high gas prices right here in Congress. They need to hear us debate these ideas, and they need to know Democratic leaders in the Senate will not even allow a vote on any of these ideas.

This whole episode is completely unacceptable. Hopefully, at some point, a number of Democrats will recognize this--will recognize that this should be about more than political games. We ought to actually try to accomplish something.

This issue affects real people. For them, it is an urgent matter. Democrats should summon the same urgency in dealing with it. We were sent here to solve problems, not to hide from them.

Madam President, something very special in the world of sports is happening in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Kentucky is well known as the home of the Kentucky Derby, often called the greatest 2 minutes in sports. But this coming Saturday, March 31, we will witness one of the greatest moments in Kentucky sports history. Two of the most storied and winningest programs in all of college basketball, the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, will meet this Saturday in the 2012 NCAA Tournament Final Four. The two teams will face off in a semifinals game in New Orleans, and the winner of that game will contest for the national championship next Monday night.

In my State of Kentucky, the rivalry between UofL and UK is indeed a passionate one. From birth, it seems, Kentuckians are raised to root for one of these two teams; you either wear red for the Louisville Cardinals or blue for the Kentucky Wildcats. The two teams boast two legendary coaches, Rick Pitino and John Calipari. The teams have met every year since 1983, and they have met in the NCAA tournament four times in the past--most recently in the Mideast Regionals way back in 1984. Between them, they have 24 visits to the Final Four. But never have these two teams faced each other in the Final Four with the stakes so high. If the excitement and frenzy and turbulence that has been stirred up in Kentucky could be harnessed, we could solve our energy crisis. Basketball fans from Kentucky have been waiting their whole lives for this game.

On Saturday, we will prove that these two schools have the best rivalry in all of college basketball and that the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the best college basketball State in the Nation.

Let me say that again so my friends in North Carolina can hear it. UofL and UK have the best rivalry in all of college basketball, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the best college basketball State in the Nation.

But only one team can win on Saturday.

I am actually an alumnus of both schools. I attended the University of Louisville as an undergraduate, and I went to law school at the University of Kentucky.

I don't know who will win Saturday's game, but whoever the winner is will go on to defeat either Kansas or Ohio State and bring the national championship back home to Kentucky where it belongs. So count me in with my fellow Kentuckians and college basketball fans everywhere as we tune in this Saturday to see history in the making. It is going to be really exciting to watch.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I rise to commemorate my very dear friend, Mr. Bill Swope of Elizabethtown, KY, for his many successes in business and in life. Mr. Swope has made many contributions to philanthropy and his local community, and has affirmed a commitment to public service on behalf of the Commonwealth while setting an example for his family and others of what it means to be a distinguished citizen.

I have been very closely acquainted with Bill Swope, his brother Sam, and the rest of their family for quite some time. Bill was born in 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford, OH, with a degree in business administration. Bill served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a sergeant specializing in artillery. He recently received the French Legion of Honor in 2009, and is now considered a knight of the French Republic.

His wife Betty was a lieutenant, junior grade, in the Navy WAVES before she married Bill on July 26, 1945. According to Bill, the couple's long-lasting relationship is because Bill has always remembered who holds the higher rank--and it isn't him.

The first business venture of Mr. Swope was established in 1952 in Winchester, KY; it was called Swope Motor Company Plymouth-Dodge. There were many doubts about the future of the young company in its beginnings, but the Swope family business survived and thrives. This year marks the 60th year of the family business. Bill is now retired has left the running of the business to his three sons Carl, Bob, and Dick.

The first generation of Swopes laid the foundation of the business. The second generation is now in charge and makes sure the business runs smoothly. One thing both generations can agree on is that the company needs to remain a local, family-run enterprise. Bill is excited about the next 60 years in the automotive industry, and he is the first to tell you how proud he is of the three generations of Swopes' leadership.

Mr. Swope has been involved in a tremendous amount of volunteer activities, charities, and leadership roles throughout the years. He has been an active member of the Lion's Club since 1952, a deacon, elder and trustee of First Presbyterian Church in Elizabethtown, KY, and the past president

of the Fort Knox Chapter, Association of the United States Army in Fort Knox, KY. As a former member of the Elizabethtown City Council, he holds his community very dear to his heart. He has made sure to give back to the place he calls home in just about every way possible.

If you ever have the chance to sit down and talk with Bill Swope, you would quickly learn his passion for cars. Starting a company that has sold over 500,000 automobiles is just the beginning of his immersion in the industry. Bill likes to collect and restore antique and classic cars. Over the years he has become so good at this that in 1999, he opened Swope's Cars of Yesteryear Museum in Elizabethtown, KY. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, and admission is free. The attraction houses every type of classic car you could imagine, and people from around the world have made a trip to the Commonwealth just to take a look.

Bill is very proud of his accomplishments in the business world, not because of the success he himself acquired, but for the opportunities he has helped to provide for so many other Kentuckians. Bill is a sensitive and thoughtful individual, and a natural-born leader. And he is first and foremost a loyal family man, a husband, father, foster- father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Bill is a joy to be around, he has a great sense of humor, and he always knows how to make you smile. He is an instrumental part of the economy of Hardin County, he is a vital part of the success of the State of Kentucky, and I am proud to say he is my good friend. I extend to him my heartiest congratulations on his lifetime of accomplishments, and I look forward to his future endeavors, wherever they may lie.

I would like to ask my U.S. Senate colleagues to join me in paying tribute to all Bill Swope has achieved for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

An article was recently published in Hardin County's local newspaper, the News-Enterprise, which highlights the life of Mr. Bill Swope, and also follows Bill as he looks back on over 60 years of success in the private sector. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, what we are seeing in the Senate this week is exhibit A in what the American people just don't like about Congress. Gas prices have more than doubled under President Obama and the Democratic control of the Senate. This is an issue that affects every single American and drives up the cost of everything from commuting to groceries.

What is the Democratic response? Well, it is legislation that even they admit won't do a thing to lower the price of gas at the pump. We have seven Democratic Senators on record saying this bill doesn't do a thing to lower gas prices. One of them has actually called it laughable. Yet that is what they are proposing here this week

at a time when gas prices are at a national average of nearly $4 a gallon. This is what passes for a response to high gas prices for Washington Democrats--a bill that does nothing about it. I cannot think of a better way to illustrate how totally out of touch and irresponsible the Democratic majority has become.

Look, Democrats know they have to say something about this issue, so what they are doing is taking a page out of the President's playbook and blaming somebody else. That is what this entire exercise is about-- blaming somebody else--and, frankly, the American people are tired of it.

If Democrats don't want to do anything to lower gas prices, just go ahead and admit it. If Senate Democrats don't have any interest in lowering gas prices, then just say so, but don't waste the public's time by using the Senate floor to talk up a piece of legislation the only purpose of which is to convince people that you do. If the President doesn't want the Keystone Pipeline, why doesn't he just admit it? But don't insult the public by showing up for a ribbon cutting--for one part of it that you had nothing to do with while lobbying against the most important part at the same time.

Americans are tired of the political games and double-talk on this issue. They are tired of the constant campaign. They sent us here to actually fix problems, not to avoid them, and on this issue there is a lot we could be doing to make things a whole lot better. So Republicans are happy to use this opportunity to talk about some of those things. Who knows. Maybe more Democrats will decide it is long past time they joined us in actually supporting and approving some of these proposals. But we are never going to solve the problems we face if Democrats insist on using the Senate to make some political point instead of actually making a difference in the lives of working Americans at a moment of urgency like this. And we are certainly not going to make a difference if we keep sort of flitting from one issue to another.

We are now hearing that the Democrats want to move off this tax-hike legislation--maybe it didn't make the intended political point as forcefully as they wanted--to move on to postal reform. Evidently, the Senate schedule is driven not by the needs of the public but by the Democrats' perceived political needs, which seem to change from minute to minute around here.

I would suggest that the Democrats learn to prioritize. Let's stick with one thing and actually do something. As I said, there is much we could do to address gas prices. Why don't we stick with that? This is something that matters to every American. Postal reform is important, but we all know nothing is going to get done on it until after we return from the Easter recess anyway. Let's make that the pending business when we return and put first things first.

We were sent here to solve problems, not avoid them, and the refusal to come together on commonsense solutions such as the ones we are proposing on gas prices is precisely the kind of thing people detest about Washington, and they are perfectly right to do so. So I would suggest that our friends on the other side rethink this strategy of theirs and join us. Why don't we just try doing the right thing.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I share the majority leader's view that we ought to turn to the postal reform bill. What I intend to do is to ask that we modify the consent that the majority leader just offered--modify his request so that on Monday, April 16, we proceed to the consideration of S. 1769, the postal reform bill.

That would give us an opportunity to further debate and discuss the Menendez proposal, which we just invoked cloture on yesterday, for the remainder of the week. So I object.

Mr. President, I object to the initial request.

Mr. President, as Americans filled up their cars with gas this weekend, I am sure a lot of them wondered how much higher gas prices could actually go. Well, today the Democratic-controlled Senate plans to send these folks a message: If they had their way, gas prices would be even higher.

Today Democrats will propose raising taxes on America's energy manufacturers, something common sense and basic economics tell us will lead to even higher prices at the pump. This is the Democratic response to high gas prices, and, frankly, I cannot think of a better way to illustrate how completely and totally out of touch they are on this issue. That is why Republicans plan to support moving forward on a debate over the legislation because it is a debate the country deserves.

We are going to use this opportunity to explain how out of touch Democrats are on high gas prices and put a spotlight on the commonsense ideas Republicans have been urging for years--ideas that reflect our genuine commitment to the kind of ``all of the above'' approach the President claims to support but actually doesn't.

Look, this isn't terribly complicated. Americans from Maine to California are frustrated at high gas prices. What do they see in Washington? They see Democrats pushing legislation that even they admit doesn't have a thing to do with lowering gas prices. At least seven Democrats are on record saying this bill doesn't do a thing to lower gas prices. Last year its own sponsor said nobody has made the claim this is about reducing gas prices--all of which raises an obvious question: What are we doing it for? How does this help the American people now?

Of course it doesn't. In response to record-high gas prices, Democrats in Congress want to raise taxes on the very people who produce it. Meanwhile the President is blocking a pipeline that would decrease our dependence on Middle East oil and create literally thousands of American jobs.

Americans see the Democratic response to high gas prices to make them even worse. That is the Democrats' response to high gas prices, to make them even worse. They are starting to wonder if this might as well be the Democrats' official slogan: Vote for us, and we will make things worse. Because whether it is jobs or debt or spending or gas prices, that is the Democratic record, which leads me to health care.

Today, as we all know, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments on the President's health care law. Among other things, the Court will consider whether the mandate at the core of this law is constitutional. As one of the many public officials who filed a brief before the Court opposing this law, I believe strongly the law is, in fact, unconstitutional, and I hope the Court agrees.

Even if the Court ends up disagreeing with me, the case for repeal becomes increasingly difficult to refute. The President was right to seek reform, but the bill he gave us and the Democrats forced through Congress on a party-line vote is not working. Instead of lowering costs, it is increasing them. Instead of strengthening Medicare, it raided Medicare. Instead of helping States, it has created financial burdens they cannot even bear. Instead of lowering insurance premiums, it has caused them actually to go up.

When it comes to jobs, some have called the law the single biggest detriment to job creation in America right now, and most Americans believe it is unconstitutional. This law is a mess, an absolute mess, and regardless of what the Court decides, it needs to be repealed and replaced with commonsense reforms that actually lower costs and that Americans really want.

So we will keep one eye on the Supreme Court this week, and we are basing our opinion on something simpler than the legal arguments we will hear this week. We are looking at whether this law helped or hurt. On that question the verdict is already in, just like so much else this President has done over the past few years.

Look, we need health care reform, but this law has made things worse. On that basis alone it should be repealed and replaced. That is what Americans want, and that is what we plan to do.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Grassley be allocated 45 minutes of the Republican time during the debate on H.R. 3606.