Floor Statements

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to recognize the fourth Honor Flight from Kentucky that took place this week. Honor Flight is a nonprofit organization which transports surviving World War II veterans from around the country to see their memorial free of charge. I have been privileged to have participated in previous flights from Kentucky, and I very much regret that my schedule prevented me from attending this one. I hope to have the opportunity to meet again soon with the inspiring veterans from my home state on future Honor Flight trips.

On Wednesday, Honor Flight's Bluegrass Chapter arrived in Washington with 38 World War II veterans from the Commonwealth to see the memorial which they inspired. These brave Americans also paid tribute to one of their fellow Kentuckians who gave his last full measure of devotion in March 1945. 2LT Howard Clifton Enoch, Jr., of Marion, Kentucky, paid the ultimate sacrifice while engaging with enemy aircraft over Germany.

Earlier this year, the Department of Defense honored its promise to account for every one of its men and women, and, more than 60 years later, the remains of Second Lieutenant Enoch were repatriated. He will find his final resting place among other American heroes at Arlington National Cemetery later this month. The son of Lieutenant Enoch, Mr. Howard Enoch III, traveled with the veterans from Kentucky to honor his father, who he never knew. I would like to convey my deepest appreciation to Mr. Enoch for his father's service and to his family for their sacrifice.

I also wish to express my tremendous gratitude to the 38 Kentucky veterans who were here on Wednesday for having served to protect our great Nation's principles from the enemies of freedom. The inscription on the western corner of their monument--a quote by President Harry S Truman--perhaps best puts into words those sentiments:

Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service

of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our

undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifice.

Indeed, our Nation will never forget their bravery or their sacrifice as it lives on today in the men and women of our armed services who display the same honor and continue to defend the same principles.

I ask unanimous consent that the names of the 38 World War II veterans from the Commonwealth be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, the horror of September 11, 2001, is still very fresh in our minds. This day will always be a sad one for Americans.

It also has become a day of solemn pride as we remember the tremendous heroism and self-sacrifice of so many in New York, at the Pentagon, and on a plane over Shanksville, PA.

Later this morning, the Senate will take time to remember, and it is fitting that we do so. It is fitting that we should pause as a body and as a nation to remember the victims and their families, as well as the heroes, and to remind ourselves of the dangers we still face.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, we have a limited number of workdays between now and November, so we will obviously have to focus our priorities starting with the Defense authorization bill which the distinguished majority leader was just discussing, which is now before us. Among other things, the bill authorizes a much deserved pay raise for America's military men and women. Of course, an authorization bill only gets us halfway there. In order for this military pay raise to reach the families it is intended for, the Senate will need to pass an appropriations bill as well. So my suggestion is that we begin processing amendments to the Defense bill today, as the majority leader has indicated, starting with the first four amendments which will be voted on later today. We weren't, unfortunately, able to vote on any amendments yesterday. As everyone knows, the Defense bill is typically a heavily amended bill. It usually takes 2 or 3 weeks to complete, but it is my hope we can make some good forward progress today. Kentucky is home to two major military installations and more than 357,000 veterans. They, and the rest of America's veterans, deserve our full attention.

We have time but not a lot of time. Tomorrow, we will be taking some time out to remember the 9/11 attacks. Friday, we have an all-day energy summit. So let's use our time wisely. If we do, it is my hope we can work together and, with cooperation, finish this bill, at least early next week.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable teacher from my home State of Kentucky, Laura Sanders, who was recognized on August 19 as Kentucky's 2008 No Child Left Behind American Star of Teaching.

Sanders, a kindergarten teacher at Cumberland Trace Elementary School in Bowling Green, KY, has based her teaching career on the belief that all children can achieve and holds high expectations for each and every one of them.

She looks at each child's strengths and weaknesses and works with them individually or in small groups to ensure their success. She is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing her contributions to education.

For the 2006-2007 school year, her students' reading scores went from the 52 percent benchmark in the fall to 91 percent in the spring. For the 2007-2008 school year, her kindergarteners started with a 58 percent benchmark and by mid-year, 85 percent had met the benchmark scores.

However, it is her love of teaching, and the love she has for her students, that defines her effective and creative teaching style that gives students a willingness to learn.

``Love. Love the children that come in your door every day,'' Sanders advises other educators.

Patrice McCrary, who has been a colleague and friend of Sanders for over a decade, nominated Sanders for this year's award.

``I've had the honor and privilege of team teaching with her. This is our 11th year together, and I have never seen anybody who puts more into their teaching or loves their students more than Ms. Sanders does,'' McCrary said.

Each year since 2004, teachers across all grade levels and disciplines are honored in the fall as American Stars of Teaching based on their success in improving academic performance and making a difference in their students' lives.

Margaret Spellings, the Secretary of Education, acknowledged the outstanding teaching style that Sanders brings to her students.

``Teachers like Laura Sanders combine a passion for teaching with high expectations that every child can learn,'' Spellings said. ``We at the U.S. Department of Education are proud to recognize these dedicated, hard-working professionals, who are committed to closing the achievement gap and challenging every child to achieve his or her potential.''

Her former students are walking examples of her success and her passion for teaching. Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join with me in recognizing Laura Sanders's unwavering dedication to education, her community, and Kentucky.

Mr. President, I welcome my good friend the majority leader back to Washington. I hope he is renewed after the August break.

These past several weeks have been extremely instructive for me, as I am sure they were for a lot of the rest of our colleagues. I talked to a lot of Kentuckians, and not a single one suggested that I come back to Washington and do nothing until the November election.

America faces a number of daunting challenges. Very few of them were unknown to us when we all showed up here in January of 2007. Very few of them have been addressed, but there is still time to do significant work in the next weeks. I am still hopeful that we will.

We can protect millions of Americans from the alternative minimum tax and extend a host of expired and expiring tax incentives, including the renewable energy tax credits that drive much needed investment in alternative energy sources such as solar and wind. We should come together and agree to a long-term extension of these important tax incentives before the end of this year.

So far, Congress has been unable to come together on a comprehensive solution to our Nation's energy crisis. But the book hasn't closed yet on the 110th Congress. There is still time to act on this issue. And we should. We must work to provide much needed relief for Americans across the country who are struggling with the high price of gas at the pump. Congress can still show that we are responsive to the needs of the American people by doing something about the crisis now.

Some might disagree. One Senator on the other side recently said that he thinks frustration over the high price of gas has ``peaked.'' But I have seen no evidence of this whatsoever in my State. In fact, I am confident, after spending the past month away from Washington, that if we did little else these next few weeks but pass a serious response to high gas prices, fund the Government, and protect taxpayers, the American people would view these next few weeks as extremely productive.

Americans want us to act to increase offshore exploration. There is nothing to fear in this. We can and should increase domestic energy exploration, even as we encourage the use of alternative energy sources and new conservation measures. There is no good reason we cannot all get behind a balanced approach that would allow us to find more and use less at the same time.

We also need to do our basic duty of funding the Government by passing appropriations bills. Over the last 25 years, no other Congress has failed to pass a single appropriations bill this late in the year. Even the infamous do-nothing Congress of 1948 had passed more than a dozen appropriations bills at this point on the legislative calendar. This is certainly not a record to be proud of. But it is not a record that has to stand. We still have time to change course. And we should.

While at war, we have yet to fund the troops, homeland security, and critical domestic programs. We have yet to fund veterans hospitals, education, transportation, and national parks. These are the basics. We should take them on. The upcoming election is no excuse to put off our responsibilities for another day. Americans have held a regularly scheduled election every 2 years for more than two centuries. The work of Government must go on regardless of how strong the partisan currents flow. It always has, and this year should be no exception.

We still have a few more weeks to do right by the American people. Let's not just mark time. Let's make a difference and do something constructive to help the American people in a difficult economic time. Let's put political games aside for a few weeks and do what is expected of us. This is not too much to ask, and I, for one, remain hopeful that we can rise to the occasion.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, we talked about this a couple of times before the August break. I know he is concerned because this bill has frequently been targeted for nongermane amendments. I can recall that, as recently as last year, a nongermane amendment was offered by a member of the majority and actually adopted and became a complication in trying to complete the legislation.

I say to the Senator from Virginia, I don't know what is possible. I just got in from the airport. I will meet with the Republican leadership later this afternoon to discuss with our colleagues what we might be able to achieve. I am certainly open to trying to move the measure along. I will consult with everybody on our side to see whether that is possible.

At the risk of being redundant, I will consult with the leadership of my conference and other members, and surely we will be able to get on the bill, at the latest, sometime tomorrow and proceed with the amendment process.

Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a dear friend of mine who has left behind her beloved

Commonwealth stronger than when she found it. Mrs. Trilby Whobrey Ball was 80 years old when she passed away in her Owensboro, KY, home this August 26.

Born in the Kentucky town of Semiway, in McLean County, Trilby--or Trib, to her friends--graduated from Calhoun High School in 1946. She married her husband, Dr. Coy ``Eddie'' Ball, in 1947 when they both were attending Western Kentucky University. The Balls moved to Owensboro in 1964, where they would stay until this day.

Trib became well known to her neighbors and friends as she became active in her community. She was a member of the Daviess County Medical Auxiliary/Alliance since 1964 and served on the boards of several important charitable causes, including the Ellis Park Foundation, the Alma Randolph Foundation and the H.L. Neblett Center.

In fact, I first became aware of the H.L. Neblett Center through Trib. The old building she showed me wasn't good enough, and I was able to appropriate funds to construct a new H.L. Neblett Center for the community to focus on mentoring children and their families. That is directly due to Trib, and a room in the new building is appropriately named after her.

Since 2005, she was a member of the Kentucky State Legislative Ethics Commission. She joined Owensboro's First Baptist Church and became an integral member of the New Ladies Sunday school class, a group of fast friends who were very supportive of the Ball family during Trib's final years.

Trib also became involved in local politics and devoted a lot of time to serving her community and her country that way. Back in the days when Kentucky was very much dominated by one political party, she stood up for a competitive two-party system. She became active in the Republican Party of Daviess County and of Kentucky, and was chairperson of the 21-county Second District from 1968 to 1972. She cochaired the Daviess County gubernatorial campaign for Kentucky Governor Louie B. Nunn.

Trib served on the party's State Central Committee for more than 20 years, and represented Kentucky as either a delegate or a guest at the Republican National Convention three times. In fact, in my role as its temporary chairman, I selected her to be my honorary escort for the 2008 Republican Convention, just held last week. Sadly, she left us before that date, but I decided to let her appointment stand as I know Trib would have loved to be with us in St. Paul, MN.

May I add, that Trib was also a longtime, steadfast supporter of my own campaigns, and I remember her eagerness to help and to volunteer very well. Trib was very helpful to me back when no one knew who I was or if I could win a statewide election. I'm gratified that 24 years after the fact, she told a reporter at a Lincoln Day luncheon this year that my first Senate race in 1984 was one of the sweetest campaigns she ever worked on. It was made all the sweeter by her presence.

Friends and family members will remember Trib's love of boating, basketball and bluegrass music when they think of her long, well-lived life. She leaves behind her husband of nearly 61 years, Eddie; their two children, Bonnie Harris and her husband Jay as well as David Ball and his wife Christy; her grandchildren, Jack, Cal and Keeley Harris; her sister, Sylvia Gross; several nieces and nephews; and many other beloved family members.

Mrs. Trilby Whobrey Ball was a very special woman and one of Kentucky's finest citizens. I extend my deepest sympathies to her family. She will be greatly missed by all who loved her.

Mr. President, all across America today, people are looking to Capitol Hill with astonishment. They are wondering how it is even possible that lawmakers who have been hearing from their constituents for months about the burden of record-high gas prices could fail to work out a sensible response.

I don't blame them. High gas prices have triggered a crisis in American homes and in the broader economy, and the American people have a right to expect their elected representatives to do something about it.

Every crisis is a call for leadership, and this one was no different. This was an opportunity for the Democrats who control Congress to demonstrate courage and resolve. They squandered it. In their hunt for more seats in Congress and control of the White House, they took the path of least resistance. They decided that they could increase their hold on Congress by avoiding tough votes, and then blaming the mess that followed on a party that wasn't even in charge.

While Republicans were working out a legislation solution that addressed high gas prices head on, Democrats embarked on a concerted effort of pointing fingers and casting blame. Americans were looking for answers, and the Democrat answer was to make everyone accountable but themselves.

First came the energy producers, who were threatened with higher taxes that would have passed along to consumers, making the problem worse. Then came the foreign oil producers, who were threatened with lawsuits unless they increased production, even though America sits on massive energy reserves that dwarf their own.

Finally, it was the speculators. Citing the testimony of a lawyer whose previous statements on energy provoked a stinging bipartisan rebuke, the Democrats claimed that writing a few new regulations for speculators would solve the energy crisis. Republicans agree that we need greater transparency in the market and more cops on the beat. But the notion that speculators alone have led to a dramatic surge in gas prices is, according to every serious person, completely and totally absurd.

The chairman of the Federal Reserve has rejected the idea that speculators alone were the cause of the oil shock. Warren Buffett, a prominent Democrat and perhaps the most successful investor of our generation, has said speculators alone are not the problem. The 27- member International Energy Agency said speculators alone are not the problem. T. Boone Pickens, who has been cited by both sides in this debate, has said unequivocally that speculators alone were not the problem.

When asked about high gas prices, all the experts seem to agree on two things: first, that speculators alone are not the problem. And second, that the high price of gas is primarily the result of increased demand and static supply. Increase supply, and the price of gas will go down. Keep it static and prices will continue to rise. That is why even the liberal New York Times derided the Democrats' speculators-only approach as a ``misbegotten plan.''

Republicans didn't invent the law of supply and demand. It's as old as commerce itself. And it has the virtue of being perfectly straightforward: any serious proposal for bringing down high gas prices would have to increase supply. And any serious proposal that aims to decrease our dependence on Middle East oil would have to increase supply here at home.

Every expert in America tells us that Americans will be dependent on fossil-fuels for decades to come. And until the day when we're all plugging in our cars or using alternative fuels, Americans can't be expected to shoulder the crushing burden of ever increasing gas prices. Congress has a responsibility to act, and that action must involve a comprehensive approach.

This is why Republicans put together a solution to this crisis that seeks, first of all, to accelerate the day when America will no longer be dependent on foreign sources of oil. We do this in our plan by addressing not only the principal cause of rising fuel prices-- insufficient supply--but also by promoting new energy technologies, such as plug-in hybrid cars and trucks.

We heard the concerns of the American people, brought together the best ideas from both sides of the aisle, and pressed forward, confident that here was a solution that would be embraced by Americans and acceptable to a majority in Congress who could claim shared credit for the result. But, in the end, the Democrat Leadership showed it would rather cast blame than share success.

Americans are wondering why the Democrat Leadership voted to leave town last night without proposing a comprehensive solution of their own to $4-a-gallon gasoline. And they deserve an honest answer. The moment that gas prices became a major issue here in Washington, Democrats started to build a protective blockade around their Presidential nominee.

Rather than come up with a comprehensive solution that would do something to lower the price of gas, they set out to insulate their candidate from ever having to take a difficult vote on the issue. They have done this because their nominee opposes expanding the domestic energy supply. Recall that his initial response to high energy costs was that Americans would have to learn to turn their air conditioners down and consume fewer calories.

He has stated publicly that high gas prices are only a problem because America didn't have enough time to adjust to them. And just this week the junior Senator from Illinois unveiled his own comprehensive solution to the high price of gas: ``We could save all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling,'' he said, ``If everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune- ups.''

This is the proposal of the man that Democrats in Congress want to lead us through the Nation's energy crisis: regular tune-ups. This is the answer the junior Senator from Illinois has proposed to the patients at the Woodland Dialysis Center in Elizabethtown, KY, who are now limiting their treatments because they can't afford the cost of getting to them. This is Senator Obama's answer to $4-a-gallon gas: issue some new regulations and go to Jiffy Lube.

Add it to the growing list of laughably inadequate proposals that our Democrat friends have brought forward over the last few months. Some of them wanted to sue foreign countries as a way of forcing them to open up their supplies. Others proposed tax incentives for riding bicycles to work. But Senate Democrats really outdid themselves earlier this summer when they showed off a two-seat, electric-powered Tessla Roadster. It gets excellent mileage, and any American family can buy one of its own for a mere $109,000. These are the kinds of solutions we have heard from the other side.

Over the last few weeks, the time for real action arrived. And when it did, the Democratic leadership blocked and stalled every attempt to advance a real solution to the energy crisis. They canceled appropriations hearings out of fear that a deep-sea exploration amendment to lower gas prices would be offered. They offered a speculation-only bill, which no serious person thinks is in itself the answer to $4-a-gallon gas. And then over the last 7 days, they tried to take us off the issue of high gas prices seven times. Seven times they have tried to take us off the issue of high gas prices, taunting Republicans for standing on principle rather than taking the bait. In every case, Republicans refused to turn their backs on the people at the pump.

These last few weeks were a time for decision, and the Democrats made theirs. When Americans demanded action, the Democrats played games. They changed the topic so the man they want to lead our country would not have to make a public decision about high gas prices.

Some on the other side may think this kind of behavior is acceptable. They might think it makes sense to block the Senate minority from offering a balanced solution to high gas

prices in order to protect one Senator and the 20 percent of Americans who think we should not use more energy from American soil. We couldn't disagree more.

When faced with a crisis, the Democratic leadership opted instead to follow the political playbook of the senior Senator from New York who recently told a reporter that Democrats should wait until after Inauguration Day--when he hopes to see a Democrat in the White House-- before doing anything about high gas prices.

This is precisely the kind of statement that frustrates the American people. They have waited for a solution long enough. They should not have to wait another day.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, my home State of Kentucky is mourning the loss of a brave young soldier. On August 31, 2005, SPC Jason E. Ames was killed while serving his country in Mosul, Iraq. Hailing from Cerulean, KY, Specialist Ames was 21 years old.

For his valor in uniform, Specialist Ames received several medals, decorations, and awards, including the Army Commendation Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Jason was taken from his loved ones much too soon. But those closest to him know he packed his 21 years with all he could. ``Jason was always a happy-go-lucky person,'' says his mom Susan Foust. ``Whatever he encountered . . . he did it with a lot of life and a lot of laughter.''

Born in Illinois to a military family, Jason moved around a lot as a kid and saw many parts of the world. Wherever he went, he made his own fun.

Susan recalls:

Jason loved to play Army as a child and played it often

with kids in the neighborhood. He made a suit out of

camouflage netting, sticks, and leaves. Using the military

acronym for Battle Dress Uniform--

She says--

he would also wear his mother's BDUs.

Susan also says:

Another favorite of Jason's was riding in his mother's

Dodge convertible with the top down, no matter the weather,

and listening to ``Danger Zone'' from ``Top Gun.''

Young Jason could also rely on the companionship of man's best friend. As Susan explains it:

Jason would often play in the woods for hours while trying

to hide from the family dog named Moocher. I would tell

Moocher to find Jason, and no matter how well hidden Jason

thought he was, Moocher would find him.

Jason eventually settled in Cerulean, a town in Trigg County, in the southwestern part of my State. He attended Trigg County High School in Cadiz and graduated in 2003.

Even before reaching high school graduation, however, Jason felt strongly that he wanted to serve his country. Perhaps he was influenced by the respect for duty and service that ran deep in his family. At the age of 17, while still in high school, he asked his mother to grant her permission for him to enlist. Susan wanted Jason to wait until he turned 18, but Jason was so eager he convinced his mom to let him go ahead and sign up.

``We supported him with whatever decision he made,'' Susan says.

Jason enlisted and became an infantryman. By the time he was deployed to Iraq in October 2004, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, based in Fort Lewis, WA.

Sadly, Jason's life was taken just a few weeks shy of when he was due to return home and shortly before his 21st birthday.

The Reverend Ron Hicks, a close friend of the Ames family, officiated at the services, and Jason was buried with full military honors at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West in Hopkinsville, the Commonwealth's first State veterans cemetery.

Many beloved family members and friends across the country mourn Jason's loss, including his mother, Susan Arlene Ames Foust, and his sister Krystal Dawn Knight. Our thoughts turn to them as they are confronted with this great loss.

Jason's mom Susan says:

Jason had just turned 21 years old when he was taken. For

the 21 years that he was with us, those years are priceless.

Susan and all of Jason's family are certainly right to treasure those 21 precious years. It is my hope they are also comforted by the knowledge that this country and this Senate honors SPC Jason E. Ames as a patriot and as a hero. He left his Nation stronger by his service and his sacrifice.

Staff Sergeant Nicholas R. Carnes

Additionally, Mr. President, I rise because another Kentucky family is missing a husband, son, and brother, and our great State is missing a patriot who loved his country. SSG Nicholas R. Carnes was tragically killed on October 26, 2007, in Afghanistan while in combat with the enemy. A native of Dayton, KY, he was 25 years old.

Staff Sergeant Carnes had volunteered for the mission that would be his last, stepping in for another soldier on leave. For his bravery and service, he received several medals, awards, and decorations, including the Combat Action Badge, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star Medal.

Because of a letter he sent to his wife Terri, we know why Nick chose to serve and place himself in harm's way. This is what he wrote in November 2006, a few weeks after he deployed to Afghanistan. He said:

Dear Terri . . . If the other soldiers who came before me

did not stand up for freedom, then we would not have freedom.

So I feel that I am obliged to stand up for freedom to ensure

that everyone else after me has the same freedoms we do

today.

Nick's family and friends remain inspired to this day by that young man's courage. His mother, WrayJean, puts it simply:

My son has been a hero from the second he was born. He

became a bigger hero when he did the job he did over there.

Nick grew up in Dayton, and WrayJean and his father, Gove, recall he had a fun-filled and active childhood. He loved to hunt and he loved to fish. Gove taught him how to shoot. He played football in high school and practiced martial arts.

Nick loved country music, especially Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Hank Williams, Jr. ``I have a country band and Nicholas would sing with us,'' Gove remembers.

His sister, Amanda Manasra, remembers: ``We went four-wheeling often and got a little muddy.''

She also remembers the time she and Nick built a treehouse, a treehouse Amanda was too scared to climb. ``I never went up there,'' she says.

Nick helped me overcome my fear. He always pushed me over

my limits. He always had a can-do attitude. He said:

``can't'' isn't in your vocabulary.

Gove and Gove's uncle were both in the Kentucky National Guard, and Nick grew up climbing on Army trucks. In 1999, when he was 17, he entered a Guard training program and by his senior year at Dayton High School, Nick was in the Guard. ``It was in his blood,'' WrayJean said.

There was no stopping the desire. He would say, ``Who would

keep us free if I don't do this?''

Nick graduated from high school in 2000 and went to work for BB Riverboats, a company that runs riverboat cruises along the Ohio River. It was there he met Terri, the woman he would ask to become his wife. ``We ran off to Las Vegas for my 30th birthday,'' Terri says.

When we were there, we went to Lake Mead . . . he got on

his knee and asked me to marry him. I said, ``Sure! Let's

go!'' It was meant to be.

With a happy life and friends and family who loved him, Nick still felt the call to duty. WrayJean remembers what Nick said to her on the day of the worst terrorist attack in this Nation's history.

``When 9/11 happened, Nicholas and I sat side by side on the couch,'' she says.

We both sat there with tears rolling down our face. He

said, ``This is what I want to do.''

Terri also remembers how her husband was eager to serve. ``He could not wait to go overseas,'' she says.

He would say, ``Can you imagine preparing for your whole

life and never getting to fight for your country?'' He loved

what he was doing over there . . . I know he would do it

again.

Nick's Guard unit was activated and he was eventually deployed to Afghanistan with Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, based out of Carrollton, KY. His friend, Brian Sawyer, who served alongside him, remembers Nick's dedication to his training and to his mission.

``Nick was by the rulebook,'' Brian says.

When he graded my physical training test, if it wasn't a

push-up by the books, he didn't count it. . . . With

everybody, he was by the book. Not mean, but fair. Fair and

firm. . . . He knew pushing me to do the push-up the right

way was better for me.

Nick believed he had been sent to Afghanistan to make people's lives better, and he did it even in his downtime. He asked Terri to send him toys and gifts he could distribute to the kids there.

``Everything he did was sweet,'' Terri says.

It was rare, because mainly guys typically aren't caring

and understanding. He was different than all the rest.

Nick's work ethic also impressed everyone. His commanding officer, MAJ Walt Leaumont, had this to say:

When Nick came into the National Guard originally, I was

his battery commander. He was this little chubby 18-year-old

who had a spirit that wouldn't quit. He had a positive

attitude. He was a dream to command.

Sadly, Major Leaumont was also the officer charged with the sad task of telling Nick's family he would not be coming home. ``The night I notified his family was probably the toughest time I have ever worn this uniform,'' the major recalls.

Our prayers are with the Carnes family after their terrible loss. We are thinking of his wife Terri Bernstein-Carnes; his mother WrayJean; his father Gove; his sisters, Amanda Manasra and Sarah Carnes; his brother Brian Carnes; his grandmother, Frankie Glascock; his grandfather, Gove Carnes, Jr.; his stepmother Charlotte Carnes, and many other beloved family members and friends.

Nick was predeceased by his grandfather, Earl Glascock, and his grandmother, Hazel Carnes.

Before Nick shipped out, he and his family threw a birthday party for his wife Terri. Nick's sister, Amanda, jokingly told him:

You don't have to go. I can break your legs.

But Nick would have none of it. He told his little sister:

Just always know that I did it for us and I did it for

them. This was my destiny given by God and I have to fulfill

it.

SSG Nicholas R. Carnes represented the very best his town, his State, and his Nation have to offer. His service and his sacrifice prove it. The Senate is proud to honor men like him who see that America needs defending and bravely step forward to defend it.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, are we in a quorum call?

Mr. President, we had hoped to make significant progress over the last week or two to begin to address the most important issue in the country, and that is the price of gas at the pump. Regretfully, it seems we are bogged down here in trying to move ahead. So in order to try to facilitate progress, I have notified my friends on the other side that we intend to propound a number of consent agreements that virtually every Member of my conference believes would move us in the right direction and begin to address the No. 1 issue in the country.

Unanimous Consent Request--Amendment No. 5137

In that regard, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of a Senate bill to address drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, the text of which is identical to the amendment No. 5137, filed by Senator Coleman to the Energy bill.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I know the Senator from Minnesota is on the floor. The amendment I propounded in the form of a consent agreement was essentially the Coleman proposal to open the Outer Continental Shelf. It was not geared to any particular price of gasoline at the pump. But I renew consent for the very same proposed consent agreement with one modification--that the enactment date is triggered when the price of gasoline reaches $4.50 a gallon.

Mr. President, our good friends on the other side of the aisle apparently do not believe $4.50 a gallon gasoline is sufficient emergency to open the Outer Continental Shelf, those portions of it that are currently off limits which--by the way, 85 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf is currently off limits. I renew my consent agreement with the following modification, that the enactment date is triggered when the price of gasoline reaches $5 a gallon.

Mr. President, if $5 a gallon gasoline is not an emergency, I am compelled to ask what is the definition of an emergency? Maybe it is $7.50 a gallon gasoline. Therefore, I renew my consent request with the following modification: that the enactment date which triggered the implementation of the amendment would occur when the price of gasoline reaches $7.50 a gallon.

Mr. President, I am going to propound my consent agreement with a modification one more time and then I am going to engage in a colloquy with Senator Coleman. It is his amendment that he had hoped to offer, which I initially offered consent that we take up. Then these additional amendments were a different trigger, these additional consents were with a different trigger. I say to my friend from Minnesota, I will give our friends on the other side one more opportunity to maybe get their attention. Then we will discuss the amendment of the Senator from Minnesota.

Mr. President, I renew my request with the modification that the trigger be $10 a gallon at the pump.

We know why we cannot get to a bipartisan energy package. The American people are saying--some 70 percent of them--that we ought to open the Outer Continental Shelf, those portions that are currently off limits, and it is my understanding that 85 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf is currently off limits. I

have been proposing a series of consents, basically drafted consistent with the Coleman amendment that would have been offered had we had a chance to offer it.

I would ask my friend from Minnesota if he would describe his proposal?

I say to my friend from Minnesota, I think he has it entirely correct. I have offered a series of consent agreements here to give us an opportunity to take up and pass the Coleman proposal with differing triggers, starting at $4.50 a gallon and going up to $10 a gallon. Our friends on the other side have objected to passing legislation even with those ascending triggers, leading me to believe there is opposition on the other side to opening the Outer Continental Shelf, 85 percent of which is currently off limits--and over 70 percent of the American people support that--even if gasoline reaches $10 a gallon.

I say to my friend from Minnesota, it makes sense that if you were betting on the future, so to speak, which I guess is what the futures market does, if there were signs of optimism, an indication that the United States of America was going to do something within its boundaries to deal with this problem, it is reasonable to expect that the markets would respond favorably.

I might add--it was not alluded to specifically by my friend from Minnesota, but I might add that the underlying bill which we have been seeking to amend is actually opposed by the New York Times, the most liberal newspaper in America, as being ineffectual and actually making the matter worse. So clearly doing that alone runs the risk, according to the New York Times, of destroying or at least adversely impacting one of America's great markets. But also refusing to amend it to allow such reasonable proposals as the Coleman amendment means we would be making an ineffectual response to the issue that is the most important issue in the country.

Yes.

The Senator from Minnesota is entirely correct.

Well, my friend from Minnesota is entirely correct. I learned from the distinguished Senator from New Mexico, who has been our leader on energy issues for a number of years, that we can be entirely independent and sufficient in natural gas. We have enough here in the United States, if we would simply go get it, to take care of our natural gas needs.

So, yes, we are walling off natural gas as well as oil, exacerbating all of these problems, driving up the price of fertilizer and every other product in which natural gas is used, refusing to exploit our own resources. It strikes the American people, and we know that by looking at all of the public opinion polls. It is not making any sense at all.

I thank my friend from Minnesota for his observations.

Mr. President, it is not only offshore that we have enormous potential to increase our production. It has been estimated that we have three times the reserves of Saudi Arabia right here in our country onshore in oil shale.

Last year, this new Democratic Congress passed a moratorium on going forward with oil shale research and development. I think that moratorium was a foolish thing to do. It should be lifted.

Unanimous-Consent Request--Amendment No. 5253

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the Senate bill to address oil shale leasing, the text of which is identical to amendment No. 5253 filed by Senator Allard to the Energy bill.

I would further ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I see the Senator from New Hampshire is on his feet with some observations about this objection.

I would say to our good friend, the other side had plenty of time to discuss their proposal.

I say to my friend from New Hampshire, he is entirely correct. Why would we not want to look. Maybe we don't want to look because we might find something. If the potential is as vast as the Senator from New Hampshire portrays and as other experts have indicated, it seems to me we would be foolish in the extreme not to pursue this further. The American people simply would not understand.

Not at this time.

I think the American people would not understand our reluctance to continue to explore this alternative given the vast potential it seems to possess.

The Senator is entirely correct. All we are asking for is the way the Energy bill was handled last year, the way the Energy bill was handled in 2005, in which we had an open amendment process, in which Members from both sides of the aisle were given an opportunity to offer their amendments. Forty or fifty amendments were adopted on each bill. It ultimately led to a law. What we have been engaged in in the last 2 weeks is not designed to lead to anything other than a check- the-box exercise and move on. That is why Republicans in great numbers have insisted that we stay on this subject, the No. 1 issue, that we continue our effort to both find more and use less. The only way to achieve that is with a balanced approach, not a sort of single-issue approach which is in the underlying bill.

In addition to addressing gas prices directly, there are also a great many Members of the Senate on both sides of the of the aisle who understand we need to move in the direction of more nuclear power. A lot of us think the French have not done a whole lot right in recent years, but one thing they have done rather well is develop a nuclear power industry that supplies the vast percentage of their electricity. Had we been given the opportunity, we would have been offering a nuclear power amendment.

Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of a Senate bill to promote nuclear power generation, the text of which is identical to amendment No. 5179 filed by Senator Lindsey

Graham to the Energy bill. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I will use leader time to allow us to get up to the same 30 minutes that was used by the other side of the aisle.

I know Senator Domenici and Senator Alexander both are knowledgeable about the nuclear industry. I see Senator Domenici, our energy expert in the Senate, on his feet.

I thank the Senator from New Mexico.

Madam President, what time remains on this side to achieve the 30 minutes?

I will use a few more minutes of leader time. If the other side wants to expand their time, it would be perfectly permissible with me.

There is one other area that is important to me and to other Members on both sides and that is coal. We have vast reserves of coal in this country. There is a promising technology we know works to turn coal into liquid. We have a customer, the U.S. military. We have an interested potential customer in American commercial airlines. One of the amendments that would have been offered was related to coal to liquid.

Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of a Senate bill to promote coal-to-liquid energy, the text of which is identical to amendment No. 5131 filed by Senator Bunning to the Energy bill. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I know the Senator from Texas is on his feet. I know he has strong feelings about this issue.

Absolutely. Of course, I come from a big coal- producing State. The amendment I sought to call up is actually authored by Senator Bunning, my colleague from Kentucky. We are, not surprisingly, enthusiastic about this option. But putting aside the Kentucky-specific interest, the military is looking for a reliable, secure source of fuel for our planes. They don't want to be dependent on the Middle East.

I am not an expert on the figures, but it sounds correct to me. I know the military has great desire for the kind of reliable, secure energy source this would provide.

Those are statistics I have heard in the past. It certainly underscores what a promising

alternative this would be, were we willing to pursue it. I thank my friend from Texas for his thoughts.

Madam President, I see the Senator from Tennessee is on his feet as well.

Madam President, I say to the Senator from Tennessee, I am perplexed. The American people do not understand taking a time out until next year. The senior Senator from New York, for example, was recently quoted as saying we are not going to do anything about this until next year. Well, the American people are paying these high prices now, and I do not think they sent us here to engage in a 2-week partisan battle and achieve nothing.

The Senator from Tennessee is entirely correct when he says our goal from the beginning, on this side of the aisle, was, as he reminds us frequently--and as the sign points out--to both find more and use less. Virtually every member of our conference is in favor of almost every conservation measure you can think of.

Our fundamental problem in here is it seems as if the other side does not want to do any finding of more. They may share our view about using less, but they do not want to find any more, as if somehow we could simply conserve our way out of this problem. I know of not a single expert in America who thinks we can, by conservation alone, solve this problem and get the price of gas at the pump down.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Yes, that is fine.

Mr. President, I would say to my friend, the majority leader, we are prepared to vote right now.

A number of Members are prepared to have a vote immediately. I think we all understand what we are voting on. I am not sure many of our Members think any further debate about the whole issue of whether to go to the Defense bill at this particular time would be enlightened by any additional debate.

We have a number of Members who have plans who know how to vote and would be happy to vote.

Mr. President, I think the majority leader made a good point. I think we have heard the speech. Of course, we will not be passing the bill before recess. This vote will be about whether we stay on the No. 1 subject in America and whether we then do the Defense bill.

It appears to me as if we have had the suggestion, and I say to my good friend, the majority leader, why do we not now have the vote?

Mr. President, if I may, our good friend, Senator Warner, has, of course, been a leader on this issue throughout his tenure in the Senate, and we respect his views. He has been a strong supporter of a strong national defense.

But the issue before us tonight is whether we are going to continue to try to solve the No. 1 issue in the country, and that is the price of gas at the pump. It is not whether we will do a Defense authorization bill.

The ranking member of the Armed Services Committee shares my view, that the first thing we ought to do is stay on the subject of energy, stay on the subject of getting the price of gas at the pump down, and then do the Defense authorization bill.

I am authorized to speak on behalf of the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, our colleague, Senator McCain, who shares my view that at this particular moment, the most important issue related to the national security of our country is to stay on the subject of energy, finish the job, and then, as Senator Warner and Senator Levin have suggested, do the job of passing the Defense authorization bill.

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

Mr. President, I rise because a soldier from my home State of Kentucky has fallen. On June 5, 2007, PFC Timothy R. Vimoto was tragically killed while on patrol in the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan. Private First Class Vimoto, who called the town of Fort Campbell, KY, his home, was 19 years old.

For bravery in service to his country, Private First Class Vimoto received several awards, medals, and decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal.

Private First Class Vimoto's Kentucky story may be more circuitous than most; yet I am proud to stand here and say we both hail from the Bluegrass State. Born in Hawaii, Tim's father is CSM Isaia T. Vimoto. Being from a military family, Tim followed his father to Army postings as a child.

This led Tim to Fort Campbell, KY, home to thousands of our brave soldiers and the 101st Airborne Division. Command Sergeant Major Vimoto was a senior advisor to the commander of the 101st. Tim attended Fort Campbell High School, where he made many friends and was part of the school's football team.

``Tim was known throughout the school as the kid with the biggest and best smile,'' says Shawn Berner, Tim's high school football coach. ``He was always smiling and willing to help anyone in the school. . . . He was a very caring and generous person that touched a lot of people's lives in a positive manner.''

``He's one of our babies,'' says Kesha Ladd, one of Tim's old teachers at Fort Campbell High. ``When you teach on post, it's like you help raise these children when their parents are deployed.''

``Tim was liked by everyone,'' Shawn Berner adds.

After graduating high school in 2006, Tim chose to follow in his father's footsteps and enlist in the Army.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based in Camp Ederle, Italy. In fact, he was at the same posting as his father at that time, and as Isaia Vimoto was the brigade's most senior enlisted soldier, Tim actually fell under his command.

Fellow soldiers remembered the influence Tim's father had on him and how it shaped him into the model soldier he became.

``He saw the transformation from being a son to being a soldier,'' says SGT Andy Short. And ``no matter what Vimoto was doing, he had a smile on his face.''

``Throughout his childhood, [Tim] watched his father train, deploy, re-deploy and develop into one of the strongest leaders in the Army,'' says another fellow soldier, CPT Matthew Heimerle.

Command Sergeant Major Vimoto himself, currently stationed in Italy, says his son was ``a very talented young man with lots of potential.''

Tim's family and fellow soldiers held a memorial service for him in Italy, and hundreds of friends who wanted to say goodbye packed the chapel. We are thinking today of all those who mourn his loss.

Our thoughts are with his parents, Isaia and Misimua Vimoto; his brothers, Isaia Jr. and Nephi; his sisters, Sabrina and Ariel; and many other loved ones.

Mr. President, the Vimoto family's loss of their beloved son and brother--while serving alongside the father who raised and inspired him, no less--cannot be measured. But neither can this U.S. Senate's immense pride and reverence for his service and his sacrifice.

Our Nation honors him as a soldier and a patriot. And we thank the Vimoto family for giving their country such a hero.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, voting for cloture on this bill will take us off the single most important issue in America. The American people are clamoring for legislation that will bring down the price of gas at the pump. They expect their representatives in Washington to do something about this crisis and to do something about this crisis right now.

Unfortunately, the Democratic leadership has already tried to take us off the subject, to take us away from this issue a full four times in the last 5 days. About 8 in 10 Americans disagree with them. Eight out of ten Americans disagree with the decision to try to move us off legislation dealing with the No. 1 issue in America. The American people think $4-a-gallon gasoline is a crisis that ought to be dealt with now; not in September, now. Dealing with this issue should not have to wait until even next year, as some have suggested. The high price of gas at the pump is the most important domestic issue in America. I am not even sure at this point what is in second place, but we all know what is in first place.

I will vote that we stay on the Energy bill, and we ought to stay on it until we get a solution for the American people. I urge my colleagues to vote against moving off the subject of lowering the price of gas at the pump. Let's finish the job. This is only July. We have plenty of time left this year to do other things that are confronting our country. But let's focus on the No. 1 issue confronting the American people: the price of gas at the pump. The way to do that is to stay on the subject and vote to stay on the subject, vote to avoid going to some other issue. While it may be important, it is not as important as this one.

Mr. President, I reserve the remainder of our time, and I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the service and sacrifice of the hundreds of Korean war veterans living in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This July 27 marked the 55th anniversary of the cease-fire that ended that conflict.

After 3 years of battle which nearly forced American and South Korean troops from the peninsula, the determination and bravery of our servicemen prevailed. Our heroes in uniform ensured that the people of South Korea would remain free.

Recently, nearly 300 Kentuckian Korean war veterans were recognized for their service by retired Korean Major General Seung-Woo Choi. Major General Choi was a child during the Korean war, but he wanted to say thank you to the brave Americans who fought to protect his and his family's freedom. So he traveled from South Korea to my hometown of Louisville, KY, to honor them.

I ask unanimous consent that the full newspaper article describing this ceremony be printed in the Record. I know the entire U.S. Senate stands with me to recognize the tremendous valor of our veterans, and to honor the sacrifice of those who did not return.