Floor Statements

Mr. President, later today the Senate will take up and attempt to pass the JOBS Act. So we find ourselves once again on the cusp of passing a bipartisan jobs package that will make it easier for entrepreneurs and innovators to get the capital they need to build businesses and create jobs.

As I said yesterday, this bill had overwhelming bipartisan support over in the House. Nearly 400 Members voted for it, and the President himself says it will create jobs. He supports it, and he would sign it when we get it to him.

Yet for some reason some in the Democratic-controlled Senate seem intent on slowing it down. Others want to essentially take a step actually backward and undermine a critical provision sponsored by Senators Toomey, Carper, and Hutchison included in the House bill, and that was just this week, endorsed by the SEC's Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. The Reed amendment could subject thousands of businesses to SEC regulation unnecessarily, and the Senate should reject it.

So, once again, I ask them to reconsider. Let's put politics aside and pocket this important bipartisan jobs bill.

The JOBS Act is a great example of the type of legislation we should all be able to agree on, and there is simply no good reason for delay. Let's get this done. Let's get it to the President's desk and have him sign it into law.

Mr. President, yesterday I outlined a number of the broken promises we have seen in connection with the new ObamaCare law: from the promise of being able to keep the plan you have and like, to the promise of protecting Medicare, to the promise of lowering premiums, to the promise of lowering health care costs. Democrats also said taxes would not go up and existing conscience protections would be respected.

Looking back, it seems like there was not anything our Democratic friends, including the President, were not willing to promise in order to get the bill across the finish line. But there is another category of disappointments too; that is, in all the aspects of this bill Democrats did not even talk about before it passed.

We all remember when Speaker Pelosi famously said: We have to pass this bill so we can find out what is in it. One of the things Americans found out about was something called the IPAB--the Independent Payment Advisory Board. This is an unelected, unaccountable board of bureaucrats empowered by this law to make additional cuts to Medicare based on arbitrary cost control targets. As a result of this new board, 15 bureaucrats would now have the power--without any accountability whatsoever--to make changes to Medicare.

What is more, there is no judicial or administrative review of IPAB personnel or recommendations. In other words, they are accountable to no one. IPAB is not answerable to voters, and it cannot be challenged in the courts.

Its main role, as the Wall Street Journal editorial board put it, will be ``the inevitable dirty work of denying care''--``the inevitable dirty work of denying care.''

In an effort to control spending, IPAB will limit patient access to medical care. It is that simple and, frankly, it is totally unacceptable.

Republicans recognize the problem with Medicare spending and the need for reform. We also recognize that IPAB is not the answer.

This is just one more reason ObamaCare needs to be repealed and replaced, and that is why even Democrats are cosponsoring a bill to repeal it over in the House, calling it ``a flawed policy that will risk beneficiary access to care.'' So this is not just a Republican issue; there is strong bipartisan opposition to this new law.

Look, if the President himself does not even want to talk about this law anymore, and even Democrats in the House are sponsoring repeal of parts of their own law, it should be pretty obvious there is a fundamental problem.

We need to reform health care. But this reform made things worse. The evidence and broken promises are all around us. It is time the President acknowledged it, and it is time the two parties came together and did something about it.

It is time to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with the kind of commonsense reforms Americans want--reforms that actually lower costs and which put health care back in the hands of individuals and their doctors rather than bureaucrats in Washington.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who has made a great sacrifice to protect and defend the liberties of his beloved United States, and the Republic of France as well: 2LT Herbert S. Verrill of Laurel County, KY. Mr. Verrill is a veteran of World War II and served a tour of duty in Europe in 1945. Today he is 92 years old and resides on Old Whitley Road in Laurel County.

Mr. Verrill, or ``Herb'' as many call him, served in the U.S. Army, Company E, 399th Infantry Regiment, 100th infantry division. Near Reyersviller, France, on March 15, 1945, he commanded a small troop. He was just a lieutenant, and at the time he and his men ventured into the midst of an attack that day. To Herb's horror, his unit found themselves trapped in a maze of barbed wire and landmines while bullets whizzed around them. Herb accidentally set off one of the buried mines, and the explosion took off his foot in a nearly fatal wound. In a superhuman act of courage, Herb ignored the pain and forgot the wound he had just received. All the 24-year-old lieutenant would think about was the safety of his troop. Using the one foot he had left, Herb directed his men safely out of the middle of the heated skirmish.

After the war, Herb returned home to Kentucky and settled down. He married, fathered three successful children, and found his way back to civilian life. For the next many years Herb, like many other World War II veterans, kept the courage and selflessness he had shown on the battlefield to himself. He sat by quietly and humbly, watching those around him enjoy the freedoms and liberties he and many others had made such a great sacrifice to preserve. Although Herb had done his best to move on, the world would not forget the great heroism that he had shown.

Herb received a letter from the Consul General of France, based in Chicago, IL, in July of 2011. He had been named a Knight of the Legion of Honor by the President of the French Republic, one of the highest awards one can receive in the country of France. The letter read:

My fellow countrymen will never forget your sacrifice.

Their children and grandchildren are as proud of your

courageous actions as can be your own children and

grandchildren. This outstanding distinction is the highest

honor that France can bestow upon those who have achieved

remarkable deeds for France. It is also a sign of gratitude

for your invaluable contribution to the liberation of France

during these difficult times in the history of our nation.

The award was authorized on July 4, 2011.

Herb was also recognized by the country whose flag he had worn on his uniform in Europe--the United States of America. He received the Distinguished Service Cross. The letter he received from GEN Donald Storm recalled the ``indomitable courage and resolution'' displayed by Herb during the battle in Reyersviller that ``prevented confusion and consequent casualties among the men, which made possible the capture of the objective.''

Herb's nephew, Randy Stanifer, is in awe of the great sacrifice that was made by the service men and women during the Second World War. ``The men from those wars were pre-cell phones and pre-Internet,'' he says. ``They were out in the field and would go months without hearing from their families. They went through many things and when most of them came home, they didn't talk about it.''

Randy went on to declare, ``I think we should all pause for a few minutes and recognize the things they had to go through and appreciate their sacrifices.''

Herb was extremely pleased to receive both awards. He is one of the few remaining veterans of World War II; sadly, our country loses more every day. He answered his country's call to serve, and he did so valiantly. Herbert Verrill undoubtedly deserves every recognition.

Mr. President, at this time I would like to ask my Senate colleagues to join me in commemorating the service and sacrifice made by 2LT Herbert S. Verrill in World War II on behalf of the United States of America and the French Republic.

Recently an article appeared in the Laurel County-area publication the Sentinel Echo. The article highlighted the courageous life of Mr. Verrill and reported on the awards bestowed upon him by the French Republic and the United States in July, 2011. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who has not only valiantly served his country but has also been a devoted husband and a loving father and grandfather, Mr. Wilmer Lee Boggs of Laurel County, KY. Mr. Boggs served in the U.S. Army Air Corps for over 3 years, and upon returning home he contributed to the Nation in a different way, by serving with the U.S. Postal Service for a quarter of a century.

Wilmer was drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces in 1942. He was 21 years old. Shortly after receiving glowing scores on his entrance exam, he was pulled out of basic training in Ft. Thomas, KY, after only a few days and transferred to the Air Corps, the Army service division from which the Air Force would later come. At the time, the Army Air Corps was in need of mechanics, specifically supercharger mechanics. Superchargers were built onto plane engines to provide the vehicle with more power and speed. The skills displayed by the young Wilmer Boggs showed that he was the man for the job.

Wilmer Boggs, along with the rest of his supercharger class No. 21, graduated from the Aviation Institute of Technology in 1943. Based in England, Wilmer spent the next 7 months going wherever the Corps called him to repair, service, stock, and fuel the airplanes.

Born and raised in Laurel County, Wilmer Boggs had never lived anywhere else. While he was in the Army Air Corps he traveled through 19 different countries and made sure to hold onto a little piece of home the entire time: his dear friend Wilma Vaughn. Mr. Boggs had promised Wilma, whom he had met at Sue Bennett College, that he would write to her faithfully each month, and that is exactly what he did. The two kept up until the soldier returned home in January 1946.

Just 6 months later, in July of 1946, Wilmer went to pick Wilma up from her house with the idea of marriage in the back of his mind. The unsuspecting Wilma was no doubt surprised by Wilmer's request. But love prevailed, and later that day the two were wed, and according to Wilmer, ``She was the best wife there ever was.''

Wilmer went on to become a postmaster in the U.S. Postal Service while Wilma taught elementary school. They retired together in 1981. Sadly, his beloved Wilma passed away in 2011 but not before the two had seen almost the entire western part of the United States together.

Wilmer has spent his 89 years on Earth forging a legacy that is matched by few. His character is upstanding, and he is a man driven by principle. He is deeply loved and admired by his family, and he is greatly respected by those who know him. It is men like Wilmer whom we can all look up to. Underneath the loyalty and service he has shown his country in its time of need, there is a deep and humble appreciation for his fellow man and local community, which he has conveyed throughout his lifetime.

Mr. President, at this time I would like to ask my Senate colleagues to join me in commemorating Mr. Wilmer Lee Boggs for his upstanding character and devoted service to country and community throughout his prosperous lifetime.

An article was published in the Sentinel Echo Silver Edition in the fall of 2011. The story observed the phenomenal life and times of Wilmer Lee Boggs and his dedication to the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Army, and his local economy. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I rise today in honor of Captain Paul ``Chip'' Jaenichen, United States Navy, who is retiring this month after three decades of dedicated service to our great Nation. Captain Jaenichen has spent the last 2 years of his career serving the U.S. Congress as the Navy's Deputy Chief of Legislative Affairs. In this role, Captain Jaenichen maintained oversight of the Navy team that provides Members and committees of Congress with information concerning the programs of the Department of the Navy.

Captain Jaenichen's Kentucky roots run deep. He spent his formative years in Brandenburg, graduating from Meade County High School in 1978. During his senior year he was selected as one of 50 football players from across the Commonwealth to play in the 1978 East-West All-star game. Chip's wife Paula was born in Morganfield, grew up in Louisville and later attended Meade County High School with him. After her graduation from Western Kentucky University, Paula and Chip were married in Brandenburg. The couple then moved to Louisville, where they lived until he began the Nuclear Training pipeline. Their daughter Rachael attended Murray State University and is now an English teacher at Reidland High School in Paducah. Chip and Paula's son Nathan currently serves as a Marine Corps pilot.

Chip was able to pay homage to his Kentucky heritage in his career as the Executive Officer of the USS Kentucky, an Ohio Class ballistic missile submarine. During this tour he started a Namesake State school partnership with Raceland Elementary School near Ashland. Through this program, which continues to thrive, he coordinated several visits for the crew of the Kentucky to work on humanitarian projects in the Commonwealth. Chip's efforts led to his nomination and selection to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels in 1996, an organization with which he remains active.

Captain Jaenichen's naval career began in 1978 with an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy from Representative William Natcher. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a submarine officer and spent the majority of his career on sea duty. He honorably served on four different submarines before assuming the role of Executive Officer aboard the USS Kentucky. After three strategic deterrent patrols with the Kentucky, Captain Jaenichen assumed command of the USS Albany. Captain Jaenichen served the final 2 years of his career with the Navy's Legislative Affairs office here in Washington.

I thank Captain Jaenichen for his 30 years of loyal service to this Nation. He has made a lasting and significant contribution to the United States Navy and our Nation. I wish him and his family all the best as they begin this new chapter in their lives.

Madam President, for the past several months, I and others have been calling on the Democratic majority here in the Senate to take up and pass the various bipartisan jobs bills that House Republicans have been sending across the dome. These bills on their own certainly will not

solve the jobs crisis, but they will make it a lot easier for entrepreneurs and innovators to get the capital they need to build businesses and create jobs. And because these bills are more concerned with getting Washington out of the way than getting it more involved, these bills also send an important message that the economy and the country are a lot better off when folks have more control over their economic destinies, not less.

Last night, we were on the cusp of passing a collection of bills known as the JOBS Act. This bill had overwhelming bipartisan support in the House. Nearly 400 Members voted for it. And the President himself says it will create jobs, he supports it and would sign it into law.

Unfortunately, a handful of Democrats here in the Senate wants to slow it down. They denied Americans this bipartisan victory for jobs that we could have had last night.

So this morning I would ask our friends on the other side to reconsider. I would ask them to put the politics aside and allow this bipartisan bill to actually move forward. We could pocket this achievement and move on to other measures, including the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, which I suggested yesterday. One bill alone cannot undo the damage inflicted on the economy by this administration, but it sure could help, and we need to show the American people we can do this.

This bill is exactly the kind of thing Americans have been asking for: greater freedom and greater flexibility. That is one of the reasons it has had such overwhelming bipartisan support. At a moment when millions are looking for work and Democrats say they want more bipartisan action on jobs, this is it.

We are in the middle of March Madness here. To use a basketball metaphor: This is a layup. Let's get it done.

Madam President, this week marks the 2-year anniversary of the President's health care law--one that is often described as his signature legislative achievement. But you would not know it based on the President's schedule this week. For a President who is not particularly shy about taking credit even for things he did not have anything to do with, he is curiously silent this week about a bill he talked about for more than a year before it passed. According to news reports, the President does not even plan to mark the occasion.

Well, we are happy--Republicans are very happy--to talk about it for him, even though he is reluctant. We are happy to point out the ways in which this law has failed to live up to the promises the President made about it. We are happy to make the case for why this unconstitutional infringement on America's liberties needs to be repealed and replaced with the kind of commonsense reforms Americans actually want.

Two years ago, then-Speaker Pelosi said:

We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is

in it.

Well, 2 years later, here is what we have found so far.

The Democrats' health care law has led and will continue to lead to higher costs and hundreds of thousands of fewer jobs over the next decade.

We now know it is loaded with broken promises, such as the one the President made over and over during the health care debate. He said:

If you like your current plan, you will be able to keep it.

According to the independent Congressional Budget Office, 3 million to 5 million Americans will lose their current plan each year under the most likely scenario.

The health care law will strip billions out of Medicare and increase the Medicaid rolls in States by nearly 25 million, costing already cash-strapped States an additional $118 billion and almost certainly lowering the quality of care for millions of Americans who depend on this vital program.

In my State of Kentucky, an estimated 387,000 more people will be forced into Medicaid--at a time when Kentucky's Medicaid Program is already facing huge deficits just trying to provide benefits to current Medicaid recipients. As a result of this law, more than a million Kentuckians or 29 percent of my State's population will soon be on Medicaid. Kentucky's Governor, a Democrat, is on record saying he has no idea--no idea--how Kentucky will meet its responsibilities if the law forces several hundred thousand more people into the State's Medicaid Program. The math simply does not add up.

This is just one example of how the law is unsustainable and hurts the most vulnerable the most. The bottom line is this: This health care law is an absolute mess--a mess--and the American people do not want it. According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll out this week, more than a half of Americans do not like it--a figure that has not changed much at all since the Democrats forced it through Congress 2 years go. Two-thirds believe the Supreme Court should throw out the individual mandate or the whole law.

When it comes to the cost of health care, this law makes everything worse. Two and a half years ago, the President said his health care plan would ``slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government.'' Yet the Obama administration itself now admits total spending on health care will increase by $311 billion under the President's health care law. According to the CBO, it increases net Federal health spending and subsidies on health care by $390 billion, and drives up premiums on families by $2,100 per year.

Americans wanted lower costs and to have more control of their health care decisions, and they got the opposite instead. They wanted lower premiums; they got higher premiums. They wanted a government that lives within its means, and they got a new entitlement instead. They wanted more options; they got fewer. They wanted better care; it is going to be worse. That is why Americans want this bill repealed.

Look, this bill would be unconstitutional even if it did the things the President said it would. But the fact that it did the opposite of what he promised means it should be repealed either way, whether the constitutionality of it is upheld or not.

It should say something when the President himself is not talking about this bill except in closed campaign events.

It is time to repeal this bill and replace it with the kind of commonsense reforms people want--reforms that actually lower costs, protect jobs and State budgets, and return health care decisions back to individuals and their doctors. That is a reform that both parties and all Americans could support.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, it is my honor to be here this afternoon to extend, on behalf of the Republican Conference of the U.S. Senate, our respect and admiration for the senior Senator from Maryland on achieving this important milestone.

I am sure she would be the first to tell you that becoming the longest serving woman in the Congress wasn't easy. A life in public service is filled with many highs and lows. But Barbara is nothing if not both tough and resilient.

Barbara would point to her upbringing as the daughter of a Baltimore grocer, where she learned firsthand how hard work, honesty, and determination can lead to a successful and rewarding life. She later learned, while fighting a freeway that would have destroyed several Baltimore communities, including her own, that if you fought hard enough for something you believed in, you too can make a difference. So if you knew Barbara back then, it wouldn't surprise you we are honoring her today.

Last year, when Senator Mikulski became the longest serving female Senator, she said she never saw herself as a historical figure. To me, Barbara said, history is powdered wigs and Jane Addams and Abigail Adams, both pioneers in their own right.

However, Barbara is a pioneer. She is only the second woman to be elected to both the Senate and the House. When first elected in 1986, she was only the 16th woman to serve. Today, in Congress, there are 76 women in the House and 17 in the Senate. As dean of the Senate women, she served as a role model and a mentor to many of these women. To put this in perspective: When she first arrived in the Senate, there weren't any natural mentors to teach her the ways of the Senate. At the time, even the Senate gym was off limits. A lot has changed since then, and Barbara had a lot to do with it.

Later, as more women were elected to the Senate, Barbara worked with them to help them understand the Senate and how best to be an effective Senator, both here and back home. She wanted to give back.

Most importantly, regardless of party or issue, Barbara would push her female colleagues in the Senate to think differently, encouraging them to think of themselves as a force--a force of good and, oft times, a force for change. I know many are grateful not only for Barbara's leadership and courage but for her willingness to take the time to share her experiences with them. I don't want to just be a first, Barbara once said. I want to be the first of many.

In 35 years, nearly 13,000 days as a Member of Congress, Barbara has been a champion of the space program, science research, welfare reform, major transportation, homeland security, and environmental issues in Maryland.

I wish to recognize Barbara not only for the tremendous accomplishment as the longest serving female in the history of the United States in Congress but also for all of her many accomplishments in the House and the Senate. As she once said herself, it is not how long you serve, but it is how well you serve.

I wish to recognize Barbara for the pioneering model she has been to so many women in her distinguished career.

Congratulations, Senator Mikulski.

Madam President, on my leader time, briefly, there is substantial support on this side of the aisle for the Ex-Im Bank. However, it is important that we get this bipartisan JOBS bill that passed the House overwhelmingly and that the President supports on down to the President. So it is going to be my recommendation to my Members, which I hope they will follow, that we oppose cloture on adding the Ex- Im to this bill.

I say to my friend the majority leader, I have discussed this with virtually all my Members. We believe that if you turn to the Ex-Im matter, we can pass it in a relatively short time with very few amendments related to the subject matter. But I think it is important that we get this JOBS bill down to the President.

I urge my colleagues at this particular point on this particular bill to oppose cloture.

This JOBS bill passed overwhelmingly in the House, with only 23 votes against it, supported by the President of the United States. It is ready to go down to him for signature. If we add the Ex- Im Bank to it, we only delay the passage of this bipartisan JOBS bill, and we send it back to the House, and we don't know how they feel about the Ex-Im extension. We do know that here in the Senate, as I just indicated, there is a significant majority in favor of passing this legislation, which we ought to be able to do very quickly.

I do not think there is any particular reason for delaying a jobs bill that is overwhelmingly supported on a bipartisan basis; therefore, I say to my friends on this side who are in favor of the Ex-Im Bank, I am in favor of moving to that rapidly. I can say to the majority leader, as I said before, we would be willing to agree to very few amendments related to the subject matter. I encourage him to turn to that soon, even though it doesn't expire, I believe, until sometime in May.

With that, I yield the floor.

If I may say to those who are watching and those interested in the Ex-Im Bank, if I had my good friend Harry Reid's job and I were the majority leader, we would be turning to the Ex-Im Bank next, right after this, and we would be doing it with very few amendments because the advantage to being the majority leader, obviously, is you have the ability to schedule. I want everybody who is following this issue to understand that if I were setting the agenda, the next item up, right after this bipartisan jobs bill, would be the Ex-Im Bank.

Madam President, today I wish to pay tribute to a family who has built their lives around the legacy of their heritage but has not turned a blind eye toward progress in their pursuit for a better future: the Mortimer family of the town of Salyersville, in Magoffin County, KY. Doug, his wife Sue, and their son Ritter have spent the greater part of their

lives investing in the future of their local community, to make it not only a better place for themselves, but for all of the residents of their beloved town.

The Mortimer family is active in several different areas of the business world, but they got their start in the media industry. Doug and Sue were photographers for WSAZ TV in Huntington, WV, for quite some time. But what they found was that Huntington was too far away to be covering Magoffin County news. One day when Ritter told his parents that he wanted to do something ``creative'' instead of return to school, it sparked a crazy idea in Sue. She thought of the potential that a local TV news station could have, and she proposed her idea to her husband and son. They were sold. And YNT, ``Your News Today,'' took off.

Ritter is the sole proprietor of the 30-minute news show that started in 1998. He operates virtually every part of the show that airs every weekday. The family has found that the town cherishes their local news. Ritter believes its success comes from the fact that the material his news show covers can't be heard anywhere else in the world. The show covers serious topics such as fatal accidents as well as happier topics like Little League softball games, making it really local news for local people.

As the news station continues to grow, so do the other projects of the innovative Mortimer family. The family opened up two restaurant franchise locations, a Dairy Queen and a Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, on the city's new parkway. The location on the parkway was necessary to bring in business because of the heavy traffic flow in the area. But Doug and Sue remember a time when downtown Salyersville was the place to be. The downtown area has been slowly decaying in the town of Salyersville as businesses move to the parkway, downtown buildings get older, and times change.

Sue, however, believes that downtown still has a lot more potential than one may think. She has headed up a movement called Renaissance on Main that is devoted to renovating and restoring the historic buildings of the once-popular downtown area. The movement has already made major headway in the downtown area, thanks to the superb leadership of Mrs. Mortimer.

Whether it is delivering the news, serving up the day's meal, restoring a building to its former glory, or taking wonderful photographs, the Mortimers have a driving force behind every move that they make, and that force is family. The good of the family is at the heart of every decision they have made, the greatest of these probably being the decision to stay in the small town of Salyersville despite their many chances to move away. Doug, Sue, and Ritter believe they have an obligation to stay and serve the town in which they were born and raised, and they are saddened when young and talented residents move away. The Mortimers are constantly fighting to better their community so that young ones are motivated to take a stake in their heritage and invest in the future of their hometown.

The Mortimer family treasures the past and embraces the future. They have come to understand the importance of their heritage and to respect the legacy of those before them. They have also realized that change is necessary, and if you embrace the future and prepare for it, you can be more in control of the changes brought on by time. The Mortimer family is passionate about bettering their local community, providing jobs, delivering information, and beautifying their surroundings--all things that contribute to helping their fellow residents of Salyersville. That is why I would like to take the time today to give them the credit they most assuredly deserve.

Mr. President, I would ask my Senate colleagues to join me in recognizing the Mortimer family of Salyersville, KY, for honoring and preserving the past, as well as preparing and embracing for the future.

In 2011, an article was included in a publication released by the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce that highlighted the many accomplishments of this remarkable family over the years. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

Madam President, today I wish to pay tribute to a man who has shown the utmost compassion and care for Kentucky families who are grieving the death of a loved one. Mr. Gervis Singleton of Laurel County, KY, has been established in the funeral and mortuary services business for over 50 years. He has treated each and every family who has had the unfortunate need for his services as if they were his own.

Mr. Singleton owns Cumberland Memorial Gardens and Mausoleum and is a partner, along with his son, Craig Singleton, of Singleton Embalming Service. Gervis has experienced first-hand the grief process thousands of families have gone through during the death of their loved ones; his father passed away when he was only 11 years old. He believes that mourning is a very important part of the grieving process, and he takes pride in knowing that he is doing what he can to help them through such difficult circumstances. As someone who is experienced in an area that is new to many of us, he is more than happy to assist the deceased's loved ones in whatever way he can.

Gervis knows that his job is very much linked to emotion, but as a mortician, he understands that he must block out his own emotions while working on the important process of restoring the deceased individual to more closely resemble how their loved ones remember them in life. He feels that if he can assist the family during their time of mourning, that they will more likely gain closure on the loss.

During his half century working in the business, he has seen fads come and go. Mr. Singleton remembers the day when it was almost a requirement to wear all black to a funeral, a custom that he has seen almost completely go away. He has also seen families transition to more cremations in the past few decades. Cremation is a cheaper, sometimes more convenient alternative. The increase in number of cremations sparked an idea for Mr. Singleton, and in 1995 he built a signature addition to the Cumberland Memorial Gardens. The result was a 360-crypt mausoleum along with accommodations for 48 cremains.

Mr. Singleton takes a walk through his 16-acre cemetery every day, and reflects on the lives of the many who have passed away and are buried there. It is inspiring to see someone who is so involved and compassionate in an industry that is an uncomfortable topic for some, but still a vital service. Although the passing of loved ones is something we may prefer not to think about, it will most assuredly befall upon each of us at some point in time, which is why knowing there are those like Gervis to help is a comforting thought. There is a need for individuals like Gervis Singleton, who are so deeply convicted to lend a helping hand in whatever way they can.

I would like to ask my Senate colleagues to join me in commemorating Mr. Gervis Singleton. He is a fine Kentuckian who has made many a family feel comforted at a difficult time thanks to his deep respect for those who have passed away.

Recently, an article appeared in the Laurel County-area publication, the Sentinel Echo, that illustrated the contributions of Mr. Singleton to the people of Laurel County, KY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that said article be printed in the Record.

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

Mr. President, I would like to start out this morning by saying I am glad we are turning to the bipartisan jobs bill that passed the House last week by such a lopsided margin. Here is a chance not only to help entrepreneurs build their businesses and create jobs but to show we can work together around here to get things done on a bipartisan basis.

Unfortunately, some of our friends on the other side do not seem to like that idea very much. Apparently, they would rather spend the time manufacturing fights and 30-second television ads than helping to create jobs.

First, they tried to even keep us from bringing up this jobs bill for debate in the Senate. Now we read they are trying to figure out ways to make this overwhelmingly bipartisan bill controversial. They want to pick a fight rather than get this bill to the President's desk, and then they are going to use the same strategy on a number of other bills.

Their plan is not to work together to make it easier to create jobs but to look for ways to make it easier to keep their own; then use it for campaign ads in the runup to the November elections.

If we are looking for the reason this Congress has a 9-percent approval rating, this is it. One day after we read a headline in the Congressional Quarterly about Democrats moving to slow a jobs bill that got 390 votes, we see a story today about how the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate is scheming to spend the rest of the year hitting the other side. It goes on to list all the ways he plans to do it, and then it says this:

None of these campaign-style attacks allow for the policy

nuances or reasoning behind the GOP's opposition, and some of

the

bills stand no chance of becoming law. But that's not really

the point.

So at a moment of economic crisis, the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate-- the Democrat in charge of strategy over there--is sitting up at night trying to figure out a way to create an issue where there is not one, not to solve our Nation's problems but to help Democrats get reelected.

I would like to have printed in the Record the Politico story I just referred to entitled ``Schumer schemes to hit GOP'' and ask unanimous consent to do so.

It lays out the Democratic strategy. The American people need to know what is going on in the Democratic-controlled Senate and, frankly, so should posterity. Fifty years from now, I would like an American doing a research project to look back at what is outlined in this Politico article so they can understand what this Democratic-controlled Senate is like, so they can understand what their priorities are. What did this country's leaders do to make America stronger for the next generation? Read this Politico piece. It provides a unique insight for future generations of Americans to understand what this Senate has done for the country. They can decide for themselves what they think of it and what its legacy should be.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, this week the average price of a gallon of gas is $4. The national unemployment rate is 8.3 percent. If we include those who are so frustrated they have stopped looking for work altogether, of course, the unemployment rate is much higher than 8.3 percent.

With all of this, the Democratic majority is about to spend more of the Senate's time on another heavy-handed power play that will not get them anywhere. But it will make clear yet again how out of touch they are with the needs of the American people.

First, we need to make clear what this is about and what this is not about. This is not about making sure the President's judicial nominations are being treated fairly. Despite what the majority would like us to believe, the President is doing quite well on that score, as is clear from both the facts and the admissions of our Democratic friends themselves.

As Senator Alexander noted yesterday, the Senate has confirmed 76 out of 78 district court nominees whom President Obama submitted in his first 2 years. The President withdrew the other two. That is a 97- percent success rate. Not bad.

The Senate confirmed 62 of President Obama's circuit and district court nominations last year alone. If we look at President Bush's and President Obama's lower court confirmations when they both had two Supreme Court appointments for the Senate to consider, President Obama is doing much better than President Bush. President Bush had a total of 120 lower court judges confirmed in 4 years, while President Obama already has 129 lower court judgeships confirmed in just 3 years. So President Obama has had more confirmations in a much shorter period of time.

To the extent there is anyone here to blame, the Obama administration and Senate Democrats should actually look in the mirror. Of the 83 current vacancies, over half of them--44--don't even have nominees. Let me say that again: Of the 83 current vacancies, over half of them--44-- don't even have nominees.

As for the minority of the vacancies for which the President has actually submitted a name, almost half of those are still in the Judiciary Committee. So nearly three-fourths of the current vacancies-- 61 of 83--are due either to the administration failing to nominate someone or the Democratic-controlled Judiciary Committee failing to move them out of committee.

Given what we have to work with, it is no wonder the majority leader complimented Republicans--complimented Republicans--at the end of last year, noting that the Senate had, in fact, accomplished quite a bit on judicial nominations. That was the majority leader of the Senate just last year. The senior Senator from Minnesota, a Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, acknowledged the same thing.

So this is not about making sure the President is treated fairly in his judicial nominations. In fact, this isn't even about judicial nominations at all. This is about giving the President what he wants when he wants it, and what the President wants is to distract the country from his failed policies that have led to soaring gas prices and high unemployment and instead try to write a narrative of obstruction for his campaign. He doesn't care if he eviscerates the Senate's advice and consent responsibility to do so.

What the majority should do is work with us to move these lifetime appointments in an orderly manner as we did 62 times last year and as we have already done 7 times this year. As I suggested yesterday, we could get to the bipartisan jobs bill this week and process some judicial nominations as well. The jobs bill passed the House by a vote of 390 to 23--390 to 23--and the President says he supports it as well. While we are working on a bill to get people back to work, we can make progress on other judicial nominations.

So I encourage the majority to work with us on both legislation and nominations and not to go off on a partisan, unprecedented path that would not get us anywhere and would not solve the problems Americans care about.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I associate myself with the excellent remarks of the majority leader about Senator Boxer and Senator Inhofe. They have worked together in a collegial way to bring us to this point on the highway bill.

The majority leader and I have worked out an agreement to go forward and handle the judges. Also, I am pleased that he has agreed to turn to the jobs bill next. I think that is something everybody in the Senate will be pleased about. So I am happy to say we have reached an understanding, which

we will have an opportunity to explain to our colleagues.