Floor Statements

Mr. President, first I wish to welcome everybody back. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.

Shortly before we all left last week, we got some disappointing news when the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction announced it was unable to reach the kind of bipartisan agreement many of us had been hoping for. As I said then, this was a major disappointment to those of us who had hoped the joint committee would ultimately agree to the kinds of serious entitlement reforms and job-creating tax reforms that all of us know would have been a big help in getting our fiscal house in order and in jolting this economy back to life. Such an agreement would have also sent a clear message to the American people and to the world that despite our many differences, lawmakers here are capable of coming together and making the kinds of very tough decisions about our Nation's economic future that continue to elude lawmakers in Europe.

I know for a fact that Republicans wanted this committee to deliver, and the good news is that we will still see $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction. But, frankly, it is hard to escape the conclusion that some in the White House and even some Democrats here in the Senate were rooting for failure and doing what they could to ensure that failure occurred. I mean, what else are we supposed to think when the Democrats' top political strategist here in the Senate goes on national television and predicts failure 2 weeks ahead of the deadline and then comes right out and says--yesterday--that he thinks the outcome he predicted is good politically for the President? This stuff isn't rocket science, but it is a big mistake. It might seem like a good political strategy to some, but it is bad for the country.

That is why I am continuing my call today for the Democrats who control the Senate to work with us on jobs legislation that can actually pass here in the Senate and that can get us beyond the permanent campaign by actually getting something done by working together. For the past several weeks, I have implored the Democratic majority here in the Senate to work with us on a number of job-creating bills that have already attracted strong bipartisan support over in the House. It seems to me that if the two parties share control of power in Washington, we should spend our time and our energies identifying job- creating measures the two parties do agree on and make them law.

It is no secret that many people at the White House and a number of Democrats here in the Senate would still rather spend their time designing legislation to fail in the hopes of trying to frame up next year's election. But with all due respect to the political strategists over at the White House, I think most Americans would rather we took an entirely different approach. That is why I think we should put aside the massive stimulus bills along with the permanent tax hikes Democrats are calling for in order to pay for them. In fact, I think it is safe to say that any attempt to pass another temporary stimulus funded by a permanent tax hike on the very people we are counting on to create the private sector jobs we need in this country is purely political and not intended to do a thing to

help the economy since we already know it is likely to fail with bipartisan opposition.

Let's focus instead on the kinds of targeted bipartisan bills the President quietly agreed to last month: the 3-percent withholding bill, championed by Senator Scott Brown, and the veterans hiring bill. As I have pointed out again and again, the House has been busy all year passing bipartisan jobs bills just like these that we can rally around in a sign of unity and common concern for the millions of Americans who are looking for jobs. There is no reason we shouldn't focus on passing these bills rather than using the Senate floor as the stage for symbolic show votes that we know won't lead to anything except more tension and political acrimony. We should do what we were sent here to do, and that means more bill signings and fewer bus tours.

At the moment, the Senate business is the Defense authorization bill, and there is a lot of work that needs to be done. We have a lot of amendments pending on this important legislation. Members on both sides would like to see these amendments taken up and voted on. So let's stay on this legislation and focus on doing it right. Let's show we can actually legislate around here. Once we are finished, I am hoping we will be able to find a bipartisan path to resolve the other issues before us before the end of the year.

Americans are growing tired of the same old political shouting matches and political brinkmanship that has marked this Democratic-led Senate over the past few years. They are tired of careening from one crisis to another, holding their breath in the hopes that the two parties will put their differences aside and work something out at the eleventh hour, only to be disappointed when Democrats decide they would prefer to have a political issue to run on rather than solutions to vote on.

At last count, House Republicans had passed 22 jobs bills which were designed not only to incentivize the private sector to create jobs but which were also designed to attract strong bipartisan support. In other words, they have been designing legislation to actually pass. They have been legislating with an eye toward making a difference instead of simply making a point. What I am saying is let's follow their lead. Let's come together and pass more bipartisan jobs bills and show the American people we are not going to settle for the easy way out. The economic crisis we face is much too serious for more of the same.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I stand today to congratulate an extraordinary Kentucky woman and a dear friend of mine, Ms. Ruth Smith. Ruth was recently one of nine to receive this year's distinguished UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Foundation's Senior Star Award, an award given each year to those who exemplify graceful aging by remaining engaged in an active lifestyle. Ruth, now 86, was recognized for her great character and outstanding service to her community during this year's Senior Star Award luncheon, which took place on October 13, 2011, in Lexington, KY.

Ruth, a longtime resident of Wayne County, KY, is an active member of the Lake Cumberland Area Development District, a quasi-governmental agency comprised of local city and county governments, and special districts in south-central Kentucky to improve life for the region's citizens. Ruth has served as a member of the LCADD's board of directors since 1993 and has served as a member of the executive committee since 2003. In 2008, Ruth was named LCADD Citizen Board Member of the Year for her exceptional work.

Currently, the LCADD serves the counties of Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, Taylor and Wayne by providing a regional forum to local governments to help identify issues and opportunities and then provide leadership in planning and implementing programs that will help improve the quality of life of the region's citizens.

Over the years, Ruth's strength of character, adventurous spirit, and care for her fellow man have been a constant echo throughout the many successes she has enjoyed in her life. During World War II, Ruth traveled from her home in Pennsylvania to California to work in a factory--her personal contribution to the war effort. Some years

later, after marrying her husband Randolph and relocating to Kentucky, Ruth immediately immersed herself in the local community. She spent her time working side by side with her husband helping to run both a dry goods store and a small-town retail store to support their young family while simultaneously volunteering and supporting many community organizations. She has been chosen for many leadership roles, including president of the local chamber of commerce and delegate to the Republican National Convention.

About 15 years ago, Ruth was widowed when Randolph passed unexpectedly. Ruth was burdened with the task of liquidating the family business and finding a job. Not long after, Ruth began a new career which lasted for over 17 years when the Lake Cumberland District Health Department hired Ruth to work with teen mothers through the Clinton, McCreary and Cumberland County Health Departments in the HANDS Program. Ruth mentored countless young women into becoming responsible mothers, employees and citizens while loving and nurturing their children into feeling special at the same time.

Throughout this unintended second career, Ruth continuously found herself in situations where the needs were clear but the means to achieve them were not always so. Yet, with her determination as her guide, she always found a way to meet these daily demands, oftentimes reaching into her own pockets when resources were not available, and never complaining.

Last summer, Ruth took a road trip to Pennsylvania with her daughter- in-law to visit her family and friends. A day or so later, news spread back in Kentucky that she had fallen ill, and at her age some feared the worst. But it turned out it was not Ruth that had fallen ill but her daughter-in-law--and the ever-resourceful Ruth Smith quite possibly saved the younger woman's life by calling an ambulance and administering CPR until help arrived.

Ruth truly loves people, especially those of her community, and they respond in kind. For example, when she decided to retire in July of last year at the age of 85, people from all over came to her retirement celebration to honor her--the impact that she had on those who were fortunate enough to know and work with her over the years was evident and immeasurable.

My dear friend, Ms. Ruth Smith, is an honorable Kentuckian whose selflessness and service to her fellow citizens deserves the utmost respect. She dedicated her life to helping her community and improving the lives of her fellow Kentuckians. She leaves behind her a legacy of inspiration and hope to all those she touched, and her achievements will not soon be forgotten.

I would ask that my Senate colleagues join me in congratulating Ms. Ruth Smith in receiving the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Foundation's Senior Star Award. She is most deserving of this honor, and I commend her for all that she has done for our great Commonwealth.

Over the past few weeks, I have repeatedly come to the floor to highlight the good work Republicans in the House have been doing in identifying jobs legislation on which the two parties can actually agree. At last count, House Republicans had passed 22 jobs bills which were designed not only to incentivize the private sector to create jobs but which were also designed to attract strong bipartisan support. In other words, House Republicans have been designing jobs legislation that could actually pass. They have been legislating with an eye toward making a difference instead of just making a point.

I have been encouraging the Democratic majority here in the Senate to follow the House's lead, take up these bipartisan jobs bills, pass them here in the Senate, and send them to the President for signature. That way we would actually be helping to create jobs, and we would send a message to the American people that we can actually do something many of them think we don't do enough of around here; that is, work together.

This morning, I would like to call on my Democratic colleagues once again to take me up on the offer. Once we get back from Thanksgiving, let's take up these bipartisan bills that have already passed the House, pass them here in the Senate, and send them down to the President for signature. We showed we can do it last week when we worked together to pass Senator Brown's 3 percent withholding bill and Senator Murray's Veterans bill. In fact, yesterday the House passed this legislation 422 to 0, sending it to the White House for the President's signature. So I would like to call on the President this morning to invite Senator Brown down to the White House for the signing ceremony, which would show the American people that cooperation is, indeed, possible when the Senate focuses on bipartisan job-creation solutions.

Let's continue to build off that momentum and do more. Many of the bipartisan House-passed bills already have companion or similar legislation here in the Senate. There is no reason we can't start to take them up as soon as we get back. There is a lot we could do.

Yesterday, I highlighted a bill by Senator Collins, the EPA Regulatory Relief Act. It has strong support from both Republicans and Democrats right here in the Senate, including 12 Democratic cosponsors. Let's pass it. The House-passed version of this bill passed overwhelmingly. It got more than 40 Democratic votes. It is supported by more than 300 business groups, including the American Forest and Paper Association, the National Association of Manufacturing, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Business Roundtable. According to one estimate, this bill could save more than 200,000 jobs and provide greater certainty for businesses that are asking us for it. The EPA has asked for more time. Both parties support it. Let's pass it.

Once we pass that bill, we should take up the four other bipartisan House-passed bills I highlighted last week. These four bills would help businesses raise capital, expand their businesses, and create more jobs. They all passed with bipartisan support over in the House. We have bipartisan companion or similar legislation right here in the Senate. What is the holdup? Let's pass these bills too.

There is the Small Company Capital Formation Act, cosponsored by Senators Tester and Toomey. Its companion legislation got 183 Democratic votes in the House. Let's pass it.

There is the Community Bank Resource Improvement Act, cosponsored by Senators Hutchison and Pryor. Its companion legislation in the House got 184 Democrats. Let's take it up and pass it.

There is the Private Company Flexibility and Growth Act, cosponsored by Senators Toomey and Carper. Let's pass it.

There is the Democratizing Access to Capital Act, sponsored by Senator Scott Brown. A similar bill in the House passed with 407 votes, including 169 from Democrats. Let's pass it.

There is the Access to Capital for Job Creators Act, cosponsored by Senator Thune. It passed the House with 413 votes, including 175 Democrats. Let's pass it.

And we shouldn't stop there. As I see it, there is no reason we shouldn't take up every one of these bipartisan bills that have already passed the House once we get back and pass them, one by one. They all passed the House on a bipartisan basis. They all help the private sector create jobs. There is no good reason we shouldn't take up all these bills and pass them right here in the Senate because if we can't pass jobs legislation on which we all agree, then what are we going to pass? This should be a layup.

The Republican House has done its job. It is time for the Senate to act. Let's do what the American people expect us to do. Let's take up these jobs bills when we return, pass them, and send them down to the President for signature. Let's do the work we were sent here to do.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, I am offering this amendment on behalf of the Senator from Illinois, Mark Kirk, because the time has come for our country to sanction the Central Bank of Iran.

It has become commonplace for political leaders to state that an Iranian regime armed with nuclear weapons is unacceptable. President Obama has stated that an Iranian regime armed with a nuclear weapon is unacceptable. Unfortunately, the Iranian regime has not been deterred from conducting activities relevant to the development of such an explosive device.

The report of the IAEA of November 8, 2011, makes clear that Iran has worked on the development of an indigenous design of a nuclear weapon, including the testing of components, and that Iran has yet to answer all of the IAEA's questions concerning the military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program.

Last month, the world learned of the Quds Force plot to assassinate the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States.

Iran remains undeterred, and the United States is left with fewer options for dealing with the Iranian nuclear program as time elapses.

This amendment by Senator Kirk from Illinois would add to the current sanctions against Iran by targeting the central bank of that country. This, in my judgment, is one of the few remaining actions, short of an embargo of Iranian shipping and military intervention, to slow or end the Iranian nuclear program. It is worth supporting and pursuing.

I yield the floor.

Today, I would like to begin once again by focusing on a piece of jobs legislation that Republicans in the House have recently passed with significant bipartisan support and by calling on the Democratic majority in the Senate to follow the lead of the House Republicans by taking up this legislation and passing it right here in the Senate.

The legislation I would like to highlight is H.R. 2250, the EPA Regulatory Relief Act. This legislation passed the House overwhelmingly last month. Forty-one Democrats supported it over in the House. Senator Collins has introduced a similar bill here in the Senate. It has strong bipartisan support.

Most Americans are probably aware by now that the Obama administration is crushing businesses across the country with a mountain of redtape and new regulations that it imposes outside of the legislative process. When asked about their challenges, small business owners now rank these regulations at the very top of the challenges they face.

One of the chief offenders is the EPA, and one of the most potentially damaging regulations this redtape factory has proposed relates to the boilers that are used by just about every manufacturer or institution in this country that doesn't get the power it needs from standard utilities.

Right now, EPA wants to force anybody with an industrial-sized boiler to change their facilities to comply with a burdensome new regulation that, according to one study, could put 230,000 jobs at risk.

So here is what Senator Collins has in mind that the EPA Regulatory Relief Act would do about all of this problem. Here is what it would do to protect jobs right here in America:

First, Senator Collins' bill would provide more time for EPA to issue regulations for industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers, process heaters, and incinerators. This is the time EPA itself has indicated it needs in

order to collect more data and analysis and to finalize the rules, so it gives EPA what it says it needs. More specifically, it would provide EPA 15 months from the date of the bill's enactment to repropose and finalize the new boiler rules, which I want to emphasize the EPA has actually already requested at this time. This bill would also extend the compliance deadlines from 3 to 5 years, which would allow companies adequate time to comply with the new standards and install the required equipment.

Crucially, this bill would also direct the EPA to ensure that the new rules are achievable and realistic. We all recognize the vital role the EPA plays in keeping the air we breathe and the water we drink clean and safe. We also need to get some commonsense limits on its actions, and that means putting in place laws that protect Americans against the kind of regulatory overreach that too many unelected bureaucrats in Washington seem to live for these days, especially in these challenging economic times.

As I said, this bill has a lot of support not only from Republicans but from Democrats here in the Senate. In fact, 12 of the bill's cosponsors are Democrats. Like me, they understand and appreciate how these new rules would adversely affect jobs and manufacturing in this country, and they want to work with us to do something about it. So this is the perfect example of an issue on which the two parties actually agree. The perfect example.

Senator Ron Wyden supports this bill because it directs the EPA to go back to the drawing board and craft boiler rules that are more in line with what is realistic from mills and factories, he said. Senator Wyden argues that the EPA itself has admitted its boiler rules need to be fixed.

Here is how Senator Landrieu put it over the summer:

With manufacturing being one of our bright spots in our

economic recovery, we cannot afford to jeopardize the

industry's health and the high-paying jobs it supplies to

this country. This legislation will give the EPA the time

extension it needs to craft a balanced approach that not only

keeps our environment clean, but also our economy strong . .

.

This legislation is supported by the American Forest and Paper Association, the National Association of Manufacturing, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Business Roundtable, the Biomass Power Association, and around 300 other business groups. Too many jobs are at stake for the Senate not to act on this legislation that has actually already passed the House. I have previously mentioned an Ohio paper mill where 200 jobs are at stake as a result of this rule. The American Forest and Paper Association says 700,000 jobs in the paper industry alone are also at risk.

The Republican House has done its job. Now it is time for the Senate to act. Let's take up the EPA Regulatory Relief Act, pass it, and send it on down to the President for his signature.

If Democratic leaders cannot agree to take up and pass legislation the two parties actually agree on, then what will they agree to pass? Let's follow the House's lead and show the American people we can work together on this commonsense, bipartisan bill to protect jobs in American manufacturing.

Madam President, today I pay tribute to a good friend of mine, and a man who has been a good friend of the Commonwealth of Kentucky for decades. Whether as a State legislator, a pastor, an evangelist, a radio station operator, or as a dedicated and loving family man, the Rev. Gene Huff of London, KY, has been a good and faithful servant in his community for many years. He has my respect as a model Kentuckian.

Gene Huff was born October 6, 1929. Before he was 20 years old, he had heard the call to preach and began traveling Kentucky as an evangelist. His wife of nearly 60 years, Ethel, recalls the first time she laid eyes on Gene when he came to preach at her church.

``On March 13, 1949, he came to Newport, Kentucky, to preach his first revival at age 19,'' Ethel remembers.

It was my home church. I had never seen or heard a teenager

preach before, so when I first saw Gene, I wondered what he

would be able to tell us. He was so young-looking to be a

preacher. But I loved his broad, friendly smile and wonderful

voice from the very start. And to my surprise, he really

could preach!

At that first meeting Ethel was a 16-year-old church pianist. She must have been smitten with the handsome 19-year-old preacher. They dated for 3 years and were married on July 4, 1952. That same year Gene found a permanent home as a preacher when he became the first pastorate at the First Pentecostal Church in London, KY, the church that would eventually become his home for three decades. From 1955 to 1963, he followed some other pursuits, including serving as pastor at the Upper Colony Holiness Church and Carmichael Community Church in London, and at the Deer Park Christian Assembly of God Church in Cincinnati.

He also worked for a time as a public school teacher and a tutor. But in 1963, Gene returned to pastor at the First Pentecostal and remained in that capacity until 1989.

Many Kentuckians have also come to know Gene through his life-long experience in politics. He was first elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1967. In 1971, he won a seat in the Kentucky Senate representing the 21st district and served there until 1994.

I worked with Gene in his legislative capacity over the years and can truly say the people of the 21st district could not have asked for a more dedicated, loyal, or hardworking senator. Gene was always true and faithful to his convictions in the State senate. He was the leader of efforts to oppose a lottery coming to Kentucky. Although he was ultimately unsuccessful, I know he was proud of waging that fight. He would eventually rise to serve as both the minority caucus chairman and minority floor leader and as the ranking Republican on the Appropriations and Revenue Committee for 14 years. In 2000, he was inducted into the 5th District Lincoln Club Hall of Fame.

Gene continued to serve as a pastor while serving his constituents in Frankfort. In 1974, inspired by his son, Marty, who had seen a presentation on a bus ministry, Gene found four schoolbuses for his church to buy and fix up, and he began running these buses across the region to bring people in to hear him preach at First Pentecostal. They named the four buses Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Before the bus service began, Gene's Sunday school had an average attendance of around 150. Within three months over 400 people were attending Gene's services.

Gene traveled even farther than the back roads of Kentucky when it came to spreading the word. In the 1980s, while serving as a State senator, Gene successfully got a resolution passed to assist persecuted Christians in Romania. Shortly afterwards, Gene traveled to Romania to see the situation there himself firsthand. What he saw so moved him that he began an entirely new phase of foreign missions in ministry. Gene would go on to make 28 trips to Romania, and he and Ethel traveled to 33 countries. In 1990 they formed the Good News Outreach missions organization to support their work in foreign missions. Here's how Ethel puts the effect these trips have had on her and Gene: ``Involvement and support of foreign missions has been a beautiful addition to the tapestry of our lives.''

As if all this service to both congregants and constituents were not enough, Gene succeeded in many other pursuits as well. He has installed air conditioners and furnaces, repaired washing machines, rebuilt cars, worked in home construction, worked at a car dealership and an ice cream shop, and hauled hay, coal, lumber, and watermelons. He once worked as a travel agent for KLM Airlines. In the 1970s he became part owner of an airplane and earned his pilot's license. On the day he resigned from the State senate in 1994, Gene and Ethel raised a 50,000- watt tower for WYGE, a Christian radio station which he continued to operate until 2007. I remember doing two interviews with Gene on WYGE.

Gene played a key role in seeing the brand-new, state-of-the-art St. Joseph-London Hospital completed, an acute-care hospital that serves a population of over 50,000 in four counties. When construction for the new facility came

to a crossroads a few year ago, it was Gene who brought the community together on a Thanksgiving weekend to lobby for the hospital's completion. I am sure he is proud to see the new hospital and its award-winning cardiovascular services up and running.

Gene Huff is not only a well-rounded man but a well-educated one as well. He enrolled in Sue Bennett Junior College in London in the fall of 1952, beginning a pursuit of higher education that would continue over a period of 25 years. He finished Sue Bennett in 1954 and earned a bachelor's degree from Union College in Barbourville, KY, in 1960. His master's degree was earned at Morehead State University in Morehead, KY, in 1976. He also earned an educational specialist degree there in 1977. He pursued further graduate work at the University of Kentucky. In 1999 Gene was awarded an honorary doctor of public education degree from Union College.

Gene turned 82 years old a month ago, and I certainly hope he took the happy occasion of his birthday to look back proudly at a life filled with achievement. The number of lives he has touched, whether through his preaching, his public service or his warm and steady presence among family and friends cannot be counted.

I had the pleasure of talking to Gene on the phone a few days ago and we got to reminisce about old times. I wanted him to know I was thinking of him and that I am proud of him for his decades of service to his community, to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and to God.

It is an honor to come to Washington to represent Kentuckians such as the Rev. Gene Huff. I am sure no one could be prouder of Gene than his wife, Ethel; their five children, Arlene, Martin, Marsha, Anna Marie, and Jeanie; their 19 grandchildren, their 7 great-grandchildren, and many other beloved family members and friends.

I would ask my Senate colleagues to join me in recognizing Rev. Gene Huff for his lifetime of accomplishment. Kentucky is honored to call him one of our own, and I am honored to call him my friend.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, over the past few weeks I have highlighted some of the good work Republicans in the House are doing in identifying jobs legislation that Members of both parties can agree on, and I have suggested that the Democratic majority here in the Senate follow the lead of House Republicans and take up bipartisan legislation that has already passed in the House and pass it here in the Senate. The American people want us to do something about jobs. They want us to work together. Here is the formula. Let's apply it.

We made some progress last week with the Veterans bill and the 3- percent withholding bill, but there is a lot more we could do. The House has now passed more than 20 pieces of jobs legislation, many of which have companion bills that are ready to go here in the Senate. I outlined some of them last week. Why don't we take them up?

Let's acknowledge the fact that we live in a two-party system and that if we are going to make progress, we need to do it on a bipartisan basis. That means doing precisely what Republicans in the House have been doing for the past year--finding areas where the two parties can actually agree and passing bills that reflect those areas of agreement. That is how legislation works. It is easy to push partisan legislation and then complain, when it doesn't go anywhere, that the other party is intransigent. The more difficult job and the one we were sent here to do is to work together to find solutions, to accomplish more than fodder for campaign ads and bus tours.

This morning, I would like to call on our Democratic friends again to take up these bipartisan House-passed bills. One of these bills, for example, makes it easier for businesses to raise the capital they need to expand and to create jobs. Senators Tester and Toomey have companion legislation right here in the Senate.

Another one increases the number of shareholders who are allowed to invest in a community bank before that bank is required to shoulder costly new burdens from the SEC.

Senators Hutchison and Pryor have companion legislation to this bill in the Senate. Senators Toomey and Carper have a bill that would expand it, by applying it to businesses other than banks. Let's take them both up and let's pass them.

Two other bipartisan House-passed bills give small businesses a new avenue to raise capital and small investors a new opportunity to invest in them by allowing small businesses to raise money over the Internet and through social media without having to shoulder the same kind of regulatory obstacles as big businesses.

We all know access to capital is one of the key ingredients to economic growth. Here is a way to make it easier for folks to get capital that also creates new avenues for the little guy to invest--and to start hiring. Senators Thune and Scott Brown have companion bills in the Senate. Why don't we take them up and pass them?

This is the kind of approach we should be taking in the Senate, putting aside these great big partisan bills that Democrats know have bipartisan opposition and focusing on smaller proposals that can actually pass. On their own, these bills will not solve the jobs crisis. Frankly, no piece of legislation can, large or small--but they will help, and they make it easier for businesses to start hiring.

They will show the American people something they do not believe we do enough of around here; that is, to work together on their behalf. This is how divided government works, through real cooperation and a search for common ground and solutions. This is what Republicans on the joint committee have been trying to do for the past several weeks. It is what House Republicans have been doing all year.

I say let's take up these bills and pass them and then send them on down to the President for signature. The administration supports many of these House-passed bills. Democrats in the House strongly support many of them and Republicans support them overwhelmingly. So let's do it. Let's build on the momentum we have from last week after passing the 3-percent withholding and the veterans bill, and let's show the American people we have hit upon a formula for legislative success around here.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to a very fine Kentuckian and World War II veteran, Mr. Eldred Musgrove of McCreary County, KY. Eldred, who is now 91, has played an instrumental role in developing many of the basic services that are currently enjoyed by the citizens of McCreary County, KY.

Eldred was raised in Strunk, KY, in a house just behind the old Lum Strunk homeplace. As a teenager, he became familiar with responsibility and hard work. The oldest of six, by the time he was 14, Eldred remembers having to help raise his brothers and sisters after their mother passed away. He recalls carrying his 3-year-old baby brother to his grandmother's each morning and returning each afternoon to pick him up, before walking a mile himself just to get to school each day.

``When I was 16, I worked my first `real' job,'' Eldred explains. At the time, ex-county sheriff Neil Stephens owned a sawmill that was located up above the Marsh Creek Schoolhouse. ``He paid me 10 cents an hour to roll logs down for him to saw,'' Eldred says. As a result, Eldred developed a resilient worth ethic, which would eventually help pave the way to a long and successful career in community service.

Eldred met Sophie, who is 90 years old and his wife of 64 years, while they attended school together at Pine Knot as kids. ``I didn't pay any attention to her when we were in school!'' he recalls. After he returned home from the military, though, Eldred got a job working at the Ford garage in Stearns and began to see Sophie as he drove home from work each day. They began dating and have been happily married ever since.

Not long after they wed, Eldred began taking a more active role in the community. ``I became a charter member of the Pine Knot Kiwanis Club in 1950,'' he remembers. Eldred and the organization were very active for several years, selling stock, helping to establish the county's first dial-telephone company, and even playing an instrumental role in helping to build the first Pine Knot fire truck. In 1967, Eldred helped form the McCreary County Fire Commission and served as the board chairman for the South McCreary County Fire Department for many years.

Eldred also served as one of three original water commissioners for the McCreary County Water District. Eldred presided over the Pine Knot portion of the district he helped create. In his later years, he became involved with the McCreary County Development Association, and also served as a member of McCreary County's first airport board, where he helped develop a local runway. Additionally, Eldred has also been a member of the McCreary County Industrial Development Association, the first Stearns Museum Board, and the Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation for 31 years.

These days, the Musgrove home is decorated with countless photographs, certificates, and awards including a picture of Eldred shaking President Bill Clinton's hand that serve as a reminder of Mr. Musgrove's many successes and achievements throughout the years. However, Eldred admits that he is not yet finished. ``I still have a job to do. My job may be taking care of my wife, writing letters to congressmen, or erecting a monument. All I know is that I still have a job to do.''

Mr. President, Mr. Eldred Musgrove's long life of selflessness and service to McCreary County and his fellow Kentuckians is truly admirable. Mr. Musgrove is a true American patriot and an inspiration to the people of our great Commonwealth. A local newspaper, the McCreary County Voice, published an article on October 20, 2011, to celebrate Mr. Musgrove's many accomplishments in life. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I would like to start today on a positive note. Later this very day, the two parties will come together to do something we haven't been doing enough of around here: we will pass a jobs bill on a bipartisan basis, and then we will send it back to the House, where we hope it will pass shortly. In other words, we are going to legislate. I know that might sound a little like a groundbreaking idea to some of my colleagues on the other side who would rather spend all of their time putting together legislation aimed at sending a political message, but hopefully today's votes will help change that.

As I have been saying for weeks now, we have two choices: We can either acknowledge the fact that we live in a two-party system and work together on legislation both parties can embrace or we can spend our time, as Democrats have for the past 2 months, putting together legislation that is designed to fail.

House Republicans have chosen the former approach. Since taking over the

majority earlier this year, they have searched for common ground when it comes to jobs legislation, and they have found it, passing more than 20 bills aimed at spurring the economy and creating jobs that have attracted strong bipartisan support.

Meanwhile, the Democratic majority here in the Senate has opted for the latter approach. Taking their cues from the political team down at the White House, Senate Democrats have spent most of their time trying to make Republicans look bad instead of looking for ways to work with us on meaningful jobs legislation.

But today they have taken a break from all that, and I am pleased to say the two parties will pass two important pieces of jobs legislation: Senator Brown's 3 percent withholding bill, which eases the burden on government contractors, freeing up more money they can use to expand and to hire, and a veterans bill sponsored by Senator Murray that not only helps returning veterans but the businesses that hire them.

On their own, these bills won't solve our jobs crisis--far from it. No single piece of legislation can. But this attempt at bipartisanship that has been used to get them over the finish line represents our best shot at making progress on jobs and the economy as long as Republicans have the majority in one half of Congress and Democrats have the majority in the other. We can still improve on the process, of course, through greater consultation within the committee of jurisdiction, but it is a good start nonetheless. This is how divided government works-- through genuine cooperation and a search for common ground. It is what Republicans on the joint committee have been doing these past several weeks, and it is what House Republicans have been doing for the past year on legislation of the kind we will actually pass today.

This isn't to say we shouldn't have open, full-throated debates that showcase our differences. The two parties clearly have different points of view when it comes to restoring the economy and creating jobs. That is why we will also have a vote today for the McCain-Paul-Portman bill, which aims at unleashing the private sector instead of shackling it with more government, as our Democratic friends propose. The McCain- Paul-Portman bill is a clear alternative to the President's failed model of endless stimulus. Members should have a chance to express their support for it, and I am glad we will, even as we vote on things on which we can all agree.

So my message is this: Let's keep it up. Let's build on today's success and move on to some of the other jobs bills that have already passed the House on a very broad bipartisan basis. I have highlighted two of them already. Today, I will highlight two more: the Access to Capital for Job Creators Act, H.R. 2940, and the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act, H.R. 2930--two bills that make it easier for small businesses to raise money in innovative ways from small donors, generally over the Internet, often through social media. Here is a way to enable the little guy to raise money for his or her business and let small investors get into the game too. We all know access to capital is one of the key ingredients to economic growth. Here is a way to make it easier for folks to get that capital that also creates new avenues for the little guy to invest. Senators Thune and Scott Brown have companion bills here in the Senate. We should take them up and we should pass them.

You don't hear a lot about Republicans and Democrats agreeing on legislation these days, but here is some on which we do actually agree. So I would say let's take them up, pass them, and send them to the President for his signature. The Obama administration has already said it supports these ideas, and 169 Democrats in the House voted for one of these bills last week, with 175 voting for the other. Republicans support both overwhelmingly as well. So let's do it. Let's build on the momentum we have today, after passing the 3-percent withholding and the Veterans bill. Let's show the American people we have discovered and embraced a formula for success around here.

Mr. President, tomorrow is a very important day-- Veterans Day--a day we set aside to honor the service and sacrifice of the heroic men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. America remains a beacon of freedom throughout the world today because of the commitments and sacrifices they have made. Over the years, many brave Americans donned their country's uniform to ensure we would remain safe and free here at home.

My own State of Kentucky has a proud and honorable military history and today is home to both Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, which together house thousands of soldiers. The Commonwealth is also home to scores of brave National Guard members and reservists. The efforts of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines from Kentucky and all 50 States continue today, as our fighting forces courageously defend freedom from dangerous enemies all around the world.

I have been honored to meet with the families of Bluegrass State servicemembers who have been lost in war. I would like to share with my colleagues a little of what they have told me about how proud they are of their loved ones' service.

One soldier's son said:

Nobody wants to see their father die . . . but to have it

be while doing something of this significance, we're proud of

him.

Another soldier's widow told me:

There are no great words in a time of deep tragedy. But

surely there are great men in the midst of great tragedy.

And I will never forget what a preacher said of his lost congregant:

[He] didn't want to die, he didn't intend to die. But he

was willing to lay down his life. That's what a hero is.

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to everyone who ever bore arms in service of this Nation. We can express our thanks and our gratitude to those who are still with us. And we must honor in our memories those who did not return home.

We pay tribute to the families of our servicemembers, too, because they have made a sacrifice as well by loaning America their sons, daughters, husbands, and wives.

And we pay tribute to the indomitable American spirit that is essential to the survival of liberty. It is thanks to America's veterans and their exceptional service that we have upheld this spirit.

Lastly, I would like to offer best wishes for a happy birthday to our marines deployed across the globe, especially to our Kentucky marines who have been such a source of pride to the Commonwealth.

On a related matter, Mr. President, I would like to recognize Eastern Kentucky University, located in Richmond, KY, for all the school has done on behalf of Kentucky's Veterans. EKU has been named one of the top two universities in the Nation for veterans for the second consecutive year. The recognition was given to EKU by the Military Times EDGE magazine for the university's commitment to helping military veterans advance their education.

EKU has made a concerted effort over the past several years to make the institution more hospitable to America's brave veterans. These initiatives include dropping admission fees for undergraduate veterans, granting in-state tuition to all out-of-State veterans, giving priority registration to veterans, designating housing specifically for student- veterans, and creating a helpful withdrawal and readmission process for veterans.

EKU's commitment to better education for our Nation's heroes has, by all accounts, been a huge success.

In addition to receiving national recognition from the veterans community, the university has seen its veteran population grow by some 40 percent in the last year.

So today, on the eve of Veterans Day, I wish to honor Eastern Kentucky University for its dedication to better serving our country's brave veterans, and to congratulate the university and President Doug Whitlock on this well-deserved recognition.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to S.J. Res. 27.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Kentucky Army National Guard for surpassing its recruiting goal for the eighth consecutive year, a feat which appears to be without precedent in the

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a couple who truly exemplify the spirit of Kentucky. Mackie and Doris Reams have been happily married for 57 years and have lived an exciting and romantic life together in London, KY.

When Mackie, now 80, first saw Doris, he was about 20 and was working as a tobacco cutter in a field near her house; she was only 16 at the time. ``I saw her a few times and I just got brave enough to ask her to go out,'' he recalled. ``I couldn't resist those pretty blond curls . . . .That's how it started. We went together for about three years before we got married.'' Mackie and Doris were married on October 3, 1953, by preacher Layton Vandaventer and have been inseparable ever since.

The couple lived in Mackie's parents' house on Old Salem Road for several years after they wed and worked on the family farm. Each day they milked 8 cows by hand and tended to 6,000 broiler chickens. ``We fed and took care of them for nine weeks,'' recalls Doris, now 76. ``Then Purina Company came and we loaded them on a truck that took them to a processing plant in Mt. Sterling.''

In 1955, Mackie began a brief stint of service in the U.S. Army--his service ended in 1957. Afterwards, he began a career at Caron Spinning where he worked for 27 years. Doris was also employed at the Caron Spinning factory for almost 13 years until it finally closed down. Mackie's final job before he retired was as a door greeter at Walmart. ``My legs and knees got to bothering me, standing there all the time,'' Mackie said. ``So, I just quit. We just go and do whatever we want to do,'' he says in reference to their daily routine.

Each day the couple walks at Kmart every morning and visits the Laurel County Older Person Activity Center. ``We play cards and play cornhole in the exercise room,'' Doris said. ``We have lunch. OPAC has a lot of things to do. They took us to the state fair this year,'' she explained. In what spare time they do have, Doris and Mackie also attend Calvary Baptist Church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.

``We have been very healthy and happy all our life together,'' Mackie and Doris are lucky enough to say. ``We thank God for that.''

Doris and Mackie Reams are an outstanding pair of Kentuckians who are truly blessed for the wonderful lifetime they have shared together. They are hard-working, caring citizens whose lifetime of success and happiness serves as an inspiration to the people of our great Commonwealth.

The Laurel County-area publication the Sentinel Echo recently published an article highlighting this couple's achievements over the years. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in the Record.