Floor Statements

Mr. President, I recognize the incredible impact of the disasters in your States and other States across the country this year and agree that CDBG is an effective tool in helping aid recovery efforts. The Senators from North Dakota and the Senator from Vermont have been strong advocates for this badly needed assistance. I pledge to work with them to ensure that communities impacted by this year's disasters have the support they need to recover.

Mr. President, I am so pleased that we have completed work on the transportation, housing and urban development appropriations bill. This is an important bill that supports critical transportation investments--it is a jobs bill. It also supports housing and services for the Nation's most vulnerable.

This bill was difficult to put together, and there are cuts in here that I would rather not see. But on the whole it is a good bill. I thank all of my colleagues for all of the efforts and input on this bill, and I look forward to working with the House to get a final bill that we can send to the President.

I want to say a special thank-you to Senator Collins and her staff for all of their hard work. Senator Collins has been a great partner. And I thank my own staff as well for all their efforts.

Mr. President, I thank Senator Coburn for his passion on this issue. He has raised valid concerns about the bad actors who are part of the Federal program.

The problem is, the way this is drafted, it goes too far. This amendment puts the tenants at risk. It will put the tenants out of a place to live.

Earlier, I offered to work with the Senator to address the issue in a way that would make sure we protect residents. We were not able to get to a resolution. I hope we can continue to work on this. This amendment, as drafted, will put the tenants at risk and out. If once in 5 years a HUD property falls under the troubled category, the tenants will be at risk.

I ask my colleagues to reject this amendment. I offer to work with the Senator to address this in a way that gets after the problem he has defined.

Mr. President, today, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I would like to show my strong support for Senate passage of S. 894, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2011.

Effective December 1, 2011, this measure directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the rates of veterans' compensation to keep pace with a rise in the cost-of-living, should an adjustment be prompted by an increase in the Consumer Price Index, commonly known as the CPI. Referred to as the COLA, this important legislation would make an increase available to veterans at the same level as an increase provided to recipients of Social Security benefits.

All of my colleagues on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, including Ranking Member Burr and Senators Rockefeller, Akaka, Sanders, Brown of Ohio, Webb, Tester, Begich, Isakson, Wicker, Johanns, Brown of Massachusetts, Moran, and Boozman join me in supporting this important legislation. I look forward to our continued work together to improve the lives of our Nation's veterans.

Last year, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, Public Law 111-247, which would have increased veterans' compensation rates had there been an increase in the CPI. While there was no cost-of- living increase in 2011; the 2012 adjustment will be 3.6 percent.

The COLA affects so many important benefits, including veterans' disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. It is projected that over 3.9 million veterans and survivors will receive these benefits in fiscal year 2012.

Mr. President, our Nation's veterans are hurting. The cost of food and fuel continue to rise. Failing to pass a cost-of-living adjustment will have serious effects on the quality of life veterans deserve. We have an obligation to care

for our brave veterans and their families by providing them with the compensation needed to maintain a quality standard of life.

I ask my colleagues to keep our promise to our Nation's veterans by working together to ensure this benefit remains available and is not diminished by the effects of inflation.

Madam President, I would very much like to thank the Senator for yielding me time and will take just a couple minutes in rising to speak in opposition to the McCain amendment No. 739.

I believe the intent of my colleague is to prohibit the use of funds communities across the Nation use for streetscaping and bike and pedestrian paths and transportation improvements that help separate motor vehicles from local wildlife.

I believe communities should determine for themselves, as they have done for decades, how to use those funds. And the proper place for updating these laws would be in the reauthorization process. So I oppose the amendment on those grounds alone.

However, the amendment goes much further than that. It actually prohibits the use of funds in the entire division C; that is, the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, for any landscaping or historic preservation. So this impacts not just the Department of Transportation but also HUD. In particular, it would prohibit cities and towns from using their CDBG dollars for eligible activities, such as historic preservation or basic landscaping or streetscaping activities.

It actually prohibits the use of funds for the rehabilitation or operation of historic transportation buildings, structures, and facilities. That would cripple Amtrak. There are over 126 stations that Amtrak services in 41 States that are on the National Register of Historic Places. Under this amendment, Amtrak would not be able to operate or rehabilitate any of them. Amtrak could not make any improvements to stations to comply with access requirements for persons with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Amtrak could not even operate in Union Station.

The amendment would also prohibit the structural preservation and rehabilitation of historic bridges, such as the Brooklyn Bridge, or other covered bridges in the Northeast.

This amendment goes too far, and it is not appropriate for the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill we are currently considering. So I urge my colleagues to oppose the McCain amendment.

Again, I thank my colleague for yielding time to me.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Rules of the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute to a great American Governor, dedicated public servant, and community leader from the State of Washington, Governor Albert D. Rosellini.

Governor Rosellini has the kind of classic American story that so many of us can tell about our parents and grandparents. The son of Italian immigrants, he was born Jan. 21, 1910, in Tacoma, WA. His father, Giovanni, opened a saloon but was forced to close it during Prohibition. The family then moved to Seattle's Rainier Valley.

Rosellini was a graduate of the University of Washington law school in the early 1930s and was hired by King County prosecutor Warren G. Magnuson. He was elected to the State senate in 1938 and served for 18 years, during which time he championed the creation of the medical and dental schools at the University of Washington.

Rosellini was elected Governor of Washington in 1956 and reelected in 1960. His first term has been praised as one of the most effective and progressive in our State's history. In particular, he was credited with improving conditions in State prisons, mental hospitals, and juvenile homes. Rosellini fought for more modern facilities, training of staff members, jobs for inmates, and forestry camps for low-risk offenders. He also helped push for the creation of the SR 520 floating bridge across Lake Washington, from Seattle to Medina, WA, that bears his name today.

Governor Rosellini passed away on October 10, 2011, in Seattle at the age of 101. Rosellini's wife of 64 years, the former Ethel McNeil, passed away in 2002. Survivors include five children and 15 grandchildren. He will be missed dearly.

In addition to his many years serving the people of Washington State, Governor Rosellini also used his time and energy to mentor a new generation that wanted to get involved in government. He was one of the first supporters in my corner when I got into politics, and I know there are countless others across our State who benefitted from his advice and support over the years.

While the legacy Governor Rosellini leaves will be forever engrained in the State he loved so much, it will also be preserved through the men and women he boosted and supported who will continue building on his great work for Washington State families and communities.

I would like to ask my colleagues to join me in paying homage to Governor Albert D. Rosellini. He lived a long and full life and the people of Washington State will always be indebted to him for his role in shaping the future of our State. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time of great loss.

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

Mr. President, I am pleased the Senate is now considering the fiscal year 2012 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill.

This bill has been supported by broad bipartisan majorities. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations subcommittee has 19 members. That is almost a fifth of the Senate. It is one of the largest subcommittees in the Senate.

Despite the diversity of views on our very large subcommittee, back on September 20, we voted unanimously to report the bill to the full Appropriations Committee. The next day members of our committee voted 28 to 2 to report the bill to the Senate.

This bill has strong bipartisan support because it addresses pragmatically the very real housing and transportation needs of families across all regions of our Nation.

We all realize that middle-class families face many challenges in these troubling economic times. Businesses across the country continue to struggle in the aftershocks of the financial and economic crisis that has rocked communities everywhere. Too many workers are struggling to get back on the job and far too many families are still fighting to stay in their homes. Yet, at the same time, our Federal Government's debt continues to grow.

Sensitive to these realities, we put together legislation that funds critical pieces of our Federal Government, while cutting spending in a responsible way. I believe this bill achieves these goals while continuing to ensure that we are investing in our future and protecting the most vulnerable among us.

It was not an easy task. The allocation for housing and transportation programs is 19 percent lower--almost $13 billion less-- than the level Congress appropriated in fiscal year 2010. Believe me, the demands for the activities that are funded in this bill have not diminished. If anything, the needs have increased.

With unemployment still painfully high, poverty rates are now at their highest level in almost 20 years. This bill funds a critical piece of the safety net--housing assistance and homeless shelters--for millions of families who are one step from the street.

This bill is also a principal underwriter of the Nation's transportation network. The investments we included make it possible for people to get to work and get products to market.

Investing in our aging transportation system--our highways, aviation, and mass transit--is a key factor in making sure America can compete and win in the 21st century economy.

There are undoubtedly elements in the bill that many will not like. That was unavoidable. But Senator Collins and I had some very clear priorities, however, that guided our decisionmaking.

We wanted to invest in our transportation system, ensure that it remains safe, and protect the poor and disabled who depend on the programs in this bill to keep a roof over their heads, so the bill before the Senate includes funding to preserve the highway program at the current level of $43.7 billion. This funding will allow communities to continue improving our transportation network, while providing critical jobs.

It also includes $550 million for the highly competitive TIGER Grants Program for surface transportation projects that make a significant difference in our communities across the country.

This program has already helped finance projects in many States across this country, including in Seattle and Spokane in my home State of Washington.

This bill also provides funding to support FAA's efforts to develop its next-generation air transportation system to accommodate growth in air travel in future years. It continues Federal support for Amtrak, providing the same level of funding as in fiscal year 2011 to maintain this key element of the transportation grid.

We are also investing in transit, providing almost $2 billion to meet our commitments to communities that are improving their transit systems. These systems, as we all know, help reduce congestion and provide a critical service to those who rely on them every day to get to their jobs and home to their families.

Importantly, we continue the Federal oversight that makes travel on our Nation's air, road, and rail transportation systems the safest in the world.

The bill also provides funding to preserve rental assistance and affordable housing for the Nation's low income, including $18.9 billion for the section 8 program, which over 2 million elderly, disabled, and low-income families rely on to ensure they have a safe place to live.

For those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, we have provided $1.9 billion for homeless assistance grants. As part of this, we have included $285 million for the Emergency Solutions Grant Program, which is critical to helping the growing number of homeless or at-risk families avoid or quickly escape homelessness.

I am also very proud that we worked to include $75 million to fund over 11,000 new HUD-VA supportive housing, or HUD-VASH, vouchers.

Providing permanent housing for homeless veterans and their families, including veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will help us achieve the goal of ending homelessness among our Nation's veterans.

The bill includes efforts to preserve and revitalize public housing, including $120 million for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, as well as the Rental Assistance Demonstration. These programs support innovation and collaboration, including leveraging private sector resources. In this difficult fiscal environment, these are tools we need to help protect irreplaceable public housing, which is so desperately needed throughout our country.

Finally, the bill includes $1.8 billion to provide disaster relief to communities where highways, public facilities, and other infrastructure have been damaged by flooding and other disasters.

Achieving all these goals required very difficult choices. The bill provides significantly reduced funding for high speed and intercity passenger rail grants. It also makes deep cuts to the Community Development Block Grant HOME Investment Partnership, and other programs I have long supported and I continue to believe in. It wasn't easy to make these decisions, but the real sacrifices will be felt in communities across our country.

The programs funded in our bill support important investments back

home. Our constituents will be the ones to see firsthand the impact of these cuts. Unfortunately, these types of painful sacrifices were necessary within the allocation we were provided.

In summary, this bill provides assistance to those who need it most, and it directs resources in a responsible and fiscally prudent way. It is a good bill. It will help commuters, homeowners, the most vulnerable in our society, and it helps our economy.

This bill has broad bipartisan support because it takes a practical approach to addressing the real needs we find in the transportation and housing sectors. I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill and help us move it rapidly toward passage.

Before I yield, I will take a moment to specifically thank Senator Susan Collins for her hard work and partnership. This was a very difficult bill to put together. It benefited from her input and from the hard work of her and all of her staff. I thank her for that.

With that, I yield for my friend and partner, Senator Collins.

Mr. President, today I am proud to introduce legislation to name the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Spokane, WA, after two Medal of Honor recipients, Private First Class Joe E. Mann and Platoon Sergeant Bruce A. Grandstaff. My colleague Senator Cantwell is joining me to introduce this bill in the Senate. This proposal has received widespread support from the Washington state chapters of several key national veterans service organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Vietnam Veterans of America.

I would like to share something about these two heroes. Private Mann was born in Reardan, Washington, and served in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. While attempting to seize the bridge across the Wilhelmina Canal, his platoon was isolated, surrounded, and outnumbered by enemy forces. Despite heavy enemy fire, he bravely advanced to within rocket-launching range of the enemy as the lead scout. Private Mann was wounded four separate times while destroying an enemy artillery position near Best, Holland. Despite his wounds, he volunteered to stay on sentry duty that night with both his arms bandaged to his body. The following day when the final assault came, an enemy grenade was thrown in his vicinity. Unable to throw it to safety due to his

wounds and bandages, Private Mann threw himself on the grenade, sacrificing his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers.

Sergeant Grandstaff was born in Spokane, Washington, and served in the 4th Infantry Division. While leading a reconnaissance mission near the Cambodian border, Sergeant Grandstaff's platoon was ambushed by heavy automatic weapons and small arms fire from three directions. He ran through enemy fire to rescue his wounded men, but was only able to save one. Twice he crawled outside the safety of his unit's position to mark their location with smoke grenades for aerial fire support, and twice he was wounded. His second marker successfully notified the helicopter gunships of his location, but drew even more enemy fire. Seeing the enemy assault about to overrun his position, Sergeant Grandstaff inspired his remaining men to continue the fight against enemy forces. He called in an artillery barrage on himself to thwart the enemy forces, and continued to fight until he was finally and mortally wounded by an enemy rocket. Although every man in his unit was a casualty, survivors testified that his spirit and courage inspired the unit to inflict heavy casualties on the assaulting enemy even though the odds were stacked against them.

I am especially proud to introduce this bill. Its purpose is to honor not just one American hero, but two native sons of Washington who gave their lives fighting on behalf of our nation. Also, both of these men now rest in peace approximately 10 minutes away from the Spokane VA Medical Center, which serves veterans of all generations, from World War II to Vietnam to our newest generation of American heroes.

Above all else, this bill is intended to honor both Private Mann and Sergeant Grandstaff for their ``conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.'' By renaming the Spokane VA Medical Center as the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, we will honor the service and ultimate sacrifice provided by these two local heroes. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and thank them for their continued support of our dedicated men and women in uniform.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I am proud to introduce legislation to name the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Spokane, WA, after two Medal of Honor recipients, Private First Class Joe E. Mann and Platoon Sergeant Bruce A. Grandstaff. My colleague Senator Cantwell is joining me to introduce this bill in the Senate. This proposal has received widespread support from the Washington state chapters of several key national veterans service organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Vietnam Veterans of America.

I would like to share something about these two heroes. Private Mann was born in Reardan, Washington, and served in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. While attempting to seize the bridge across the Wilhelmina Canal, his platoon was isolated, surrounded, and outnumbered by enemy forces. Despite heavy enemy fire, he bravely advanced to within rocket-launching range of the enemy as the lead scout. Private Mann was wounded four separate times while destroying an enemy artillery position near Best, Holland. Despite his wounds, he volunteered to stay on sentry duty that night with both his arms bandaged to his body. The following day when the final assault came, an enemy grenade was thrown in his vicinity. Unable to throw it to safety due to his

wounds and bandages, Private Mann threw himself on the grenade, sacrificing his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers.

Sergeant Grandstaff was born in Spokane, Washington, and served in the 4th Infantry Division. While leading a reconnaissance mission near the Cambodian border, Sergeant Grandstaff's platoon was ambushed by heavy automatic weapons and small arms fire from three directions. He ran through enemy fire to rescue his wounded men, but was only able to save one. Twice he crawled outside the safety of his unit's position to mark their location with smoke grenades for aerial fire support, and twice he was wounded. His second marker successfully notified the helicopter gunships of his location, but drew even more enemy fire. Seeing the enemy assault about to overrun his position, Sergeant Grandstaff inspired his remaining men to continue the fight against enemy forces. He called in an artillery barrage on himself to thwart the enemy forces, and continued to fight until he was finally and mortally wounded by an enemy rocket. Although every man in his unit was a casualty, survivors testified that his spirit and courage inspired the unit to inflict heavy casualties on the assaulting enemy even though the odds were stacked against them.

I am especially proud to introduce this bill. Its purpose is to honor not just one American hero, but two native sons of Washington who gave their lives fighting on behalf of our nation. Also, both of these men now rest in peace approximately 10 minutes away from the Spokane VA Medical Center, which serves veterans of all generations, from World War II to Vietnam to our newest generation of American heroes.

Above all else, this bill is intended to honor both Private Mann and Sergeant Grandstaff for their ``conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.'' By renaming the Spokane VA Medical Center as the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, we will honor the service and ultimate sacrifice provided by these two local heroes. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and thank them for their continued support of our dedicated men and women in uniform.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for 12 minutes.

Mr. President, as every one of our colleagues knows, so much of what we do depends on the hard work and commitment of the dedicated staffers who toil behind the scenes on behalf of us and the constituents we represent. I wish to take a few minutes to recognize a member of my own staff who has been with me for many years, through good times and bad, and whose work ethic, competence, intelligence, and passion for public service is truly deserving of admiration and recognition as she now moves on to a new job, after more than 10 years of service in my office.

Alex Glass came to work for me on April 2, 2001. We hired her on as the deputy press secretary. She had graduated from Bryn Mawr the year before and had gone to work for the Gore for President campaign before joining my staff. Alex was similar to many young people who make their way to our Nation's Capitol after college. She was passionate about public service, wanted to make a difference, and cared deeply about her country and the serious issues we faced.

From the start, I knew Alex was a strong addition to my team. But just a few months later, it became clear to me she was much more. It was a Tuesday morning. We were right here in the Nation's Capitol. My communications director happened to be traveling that week. So even though Alex had just joined my staff, she was my only press staffer here that day.

As we all remember, a little bit after 9 a.m., we got word in the Capitol that planes had struck the World Trade Center. Shortly after that, I looked out the window of the Capitol and saw black clouds of smoke filling the sky above the Pentagon. It was September 11, 2001, a day of unspeakable tragedy and devastating loss for our Nation. For those of us here in Washington, DC, and those in New York, and for families across America, it was a day of great confusion, uncertainty, and fear.

On that day, Alex stepped up for me, she stepped up for our office, and she stepped up for our constituents. Alex felt the same way every one of us did that day. But right away, she realized families in my home State of Washington were going to want to hear from their elected official in this time of national crisis. She was calm, she was collected, and she was already thinking ahead to what we were going to need to do that day.

So before we even evacuated, she quickly scribbled down the phone numbers of the major press outlets in Washington State, and then throughout that dark day and into the night, Alex and I stayed together and, through our State's press, I was able to reach out to families who were desperate for news and who needed to know that, despite this tragedy, their government remained strong. That day, I knew what Alex was made of, and I saw that spirit and dedication again and again over the next 10 years because Alex always knew what this job was all about--it was about helping people and solving problems.

I remember so many times I was in the room with my staff, where we were discussing one issue or another. Every once in a while, we would hear a soft voice from the chair to my left--Alex only talks when she has something to say--and in the clearest and most concise way, she would help bring our discussion from the theoretical to the practical: How does this affect families in our State? How will these policies help the people I was sent to represent? These were the questions that were always on Alex's mind because she knew those were the most important questions to me.

So many times over the years I would wake and check my e-mail and see an article Alex had forwarded to me--stories about veterans who weren't getting the care they deserved, workers who couldn't find a job or families falling through the cracks. She didn't include a comment with those stories. She knew she didn't have to. She just passed them along because she knew I would want to see them. She understood it was those people, the ones in those stories, whom I came to DC to fight for. Alex isn't from Washington State, but she dove into her adopted State with gusto, and within a few months she knew more about the issues facing our local communities than most people from Washington.

I remember one time--and I never thought I would tell this story out loud--Alex and I were in Port Angeles, and someone thought it would be a good idea for us to travel in a helicopter to our next event. It may have

been a good idea, but Alex and I--5 feet tall, both of us--had to put on these huge bright orange flight suits that were made for someone much bigger than either of us. I just remember catching her eye and we started laughing at each other and at ourselves. She and I had so many moments such as that together because Alex is very serious about her work, but she doesn't take herself seriously. She is much fun to be around, and she has a fantastic sense of humor, which is good for me because I don't think there is anyone I have spent more time with in my car traveling around Washington State than Alex.

On a particularly stressful or long day on the road, Alex always made sure we had cookies in the car, which I very much appreciated. Once, during a busier day than usual, I remember Alex and I having a conversation about all the fun places we had to pass by in the car as we drove to the next events but never had time to stop and visit.

We resolved to find the time to visit some of those when things got a bit slower, and I haven't forgotten about that. One day Alex and I are going to visit that alpaca farm up in Skagit Valley.

Alex also knew there was nothing I liked more than doing events where I could wear my jeans and tennis shoes, and I know she fought hard to make sure that happened as often as possible; and, Alex, I appreciate that.

Alex always had my back. She was always ready to get done what needed to get done. Back in 2004, I was facing a tough reelection campaign in my State. Alex had a life here in DC, but I went to her and I asked her to move back to the State to help me. I wanted her there, not because she is just good at her job and knows my voice so well--though she certainly is and does--but because she shares values, and I had every confidence that she would know exactly how I would want to tell my story and get my message out to the people in Washington. And Alex, without blinking, said yes. She packed up her bags and boxed up her apartment, she put her pet bunny in the car--I think this may be one of the most well-traveled rabbits in all of America--and she drove all the way across the country to fight by my side in Washington State. I don't know if I could have done it without her.

Alex then, after that election, came back here to DC and spent 6 years as my communication director. Then she did it all over again-- uprooting her life, packing up that bunny, and driving all across the State when I needed her out in Washington State again last year. After she finished that job, I asked Alex to come back here to Washington, DC, to serve as my senior adviser and provide me with counsel and advice as I took on new challenges, and I was grateful when she accepted and got to work.

But 10\1/2\ years after Alex Glass first started working for me, the moment came that I knew was always going to come but never looked forward to. Alex knocked on the door of my office and walked in, and before she could say a word I knew exactly what she had come to tell me. I gave her a hug. We talked. There may have been a few tears shed. But I always knew that Alex has the skills, the talent, and the experience to do absolutely anything she wants to do, and I am proud that she has chosen to continue working in public service and has accepted a job at USAID.

Although she is moving on, her amazing work and strong influence in my office will continue. Her words and her ideas have helped shape so much of what I have done and how I have communicated with my constituents. I can't tell you how many Washington State reporters have come over to me to thank me. They told me how helpful Alex was, how responsive and how good she was at connecting the policy debates here in Congress to the struggles of families and communities in our State.

Alex didn't just keep this to herself. She helped build and mentor a strong team in my office that knows what we are trying to do and understands my voice and how I want to communicate with the people I represent.

I have had many members of my staff come and go in my time here in the Senate. Many of them have been outstanding. Every one of them has added value and done good work for me and my constituents. But there are very few I have come as close to as I have to Alex.

Over the last 10 years, Alex, you have been like a member of my family, truly like a daughter to me. You have gone to the mat time and time again for me. You have been through thick and thin with us. You have sacrificed so much for me and my office, and I can't express enough how deeply I appreciate it. I know there is nothing you wouldn't do for me, and I hope you know I feel the same way about you. So on behalf of everyone in my office, all the constituents I represent, I want to thank you for the years of service to Washington State and to the Nation. You have been my voice, my adviser, my confidante and, most importantly, my friend. It has meant so much to me. And although I know it will continue, you aren't going away very far, I am going to miss seeing you in the office and hearing your voice almost every day.

So, Alex, as you start this exciting new chapter in your professional life, remember what Rob and I would say to you when times got tough out in the State: Shoulders up. Shoulders up. You have helped me keep mine up for more than 10 years, and I wish you luck now as you tackle your next challenge with the same heart, gusto, and good humor that you brought to our office every day.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 12, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. The Committee will hold a hearing entitled, ``Universal Service Reform--Bringing Broadband to All Americans.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 12, 2011, at 2:15 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the

Senate on October 12, 2011, directly after the business meeting scheduled for 2:15 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, to conduct a hearing entitled ``The State of Chronic Disease Prevention,'' on October 12, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 12, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Ten Years After 9/11: A Status Report on Information Sharing.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 12, 2011, immediately after the first vote, off the Senate floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 12, 2011, at 2 p.m. in room 562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``A Time for Solutions: Finding Consensus in the Medicare Reform Debate.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Eli Zupnick, Alex Glass, Paula Burg, Matt McAlvanah, Moire Duggan, Shawn Bills, Adam Goodwin, Zach Mallove, Lauren Overman, and Evan Schatz, members of my staff, be granted the privilege of the floor for the remainder of today's session.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment today to recognize Dr. Alfonso Batres with the Department of Veterans Affairs for his dedicated service to our Nation's veterans. Dr. Batres is a Vietnam veteran who now serves as the chief officer for Readjustment Counseling Service, where he has devoted his career to building a national network of community-based vet centers. At these vet centers, veterans can obtain counseling, job assistance, and medical referrals, in addition to other services.

Dr. Batres was recently awarded a 2011 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal from the Partnership for Public Service. The award, also known as a ``Sammy,'' is awarded annually to exceptional Federal employees. Specifically, Dr. Batres was awarded the 2011 Career Achievement Medal, which recognizes a Federal employee for significant accomplishments throughout a lifetime of achievement in public service.

Under Dr. Batres' leadership, the number of vet centers across the country has dramatically expanded from 200 to 300 in an effort to meet the growing needs of hundreds of thousands of combat veterans and their families. In addition, Dr. Batres created and launched 50 mobile vet centers, greatly improving the access to services available to veterans. Dr. Batres also developed the Combat Call Center, a national call-in service where combat veterans can call in to talk to another combat veteran regarding any readjustment issues they may be facing.

Dr. Batres is an especially deserving recipient of the Career Achievement Medal as he has led the Vet Center Program to provide services to a record level of veterans and their family members. As a result of Dr. Batres' efforts, over 191,000 veterans and their family members visited vet centers nearly 1.3 million times in the year 2010 alone.

Vet centers have proven so successful due to the unique services they provide, which seek to treat the whole person. At vet centers, combat veterans can receive counseling from other combat veterans who truly understand the struggles veterans face. In 2010, approximately 80 percent of vet center staff members were veterans, 60 percent were combat veterans, and approximately one third of all Vet Center staff had served in Iraq or Afghanistan.

In addition, vet centers are located in convenient locations within communities that possess a large population of underserved veterans. The programs are constantly adapting to meet the evolving needs of veterans and have strict protections in place in order to ensure maximum privacy for veterans. This is a truly revolutionary method of delivering services and Dr. Batres' vision, along with his natural propensity to foster young talent, have proven invaluable in its success.

Dr. Batres' selfless service on behalf of our Nation's veterans has greatly improved the lives of many, and I am so pleased to see his achievements recognized.

Mr. President, I would like to take a moment today to recognize W. Todd Grams for his service to our Nation's veterans. Mr. Grams serves as the chief financial officer and executive in charge for the Office of Management at the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, where he has led the effort to improve the provision of benefits for our veterans through efficient financial management.

Mr. Grams was recently awarded the prestigious 2011 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Management Excellence Medal from the Partnership for Public Service. The award, also known as a ``Sammy,'' is one of the most important annual awards provided to Federal civil servants who have made a significant contribution to our country. Mr. Grams was recognized for his leadership in integrating and streamlining VA's operations, reducing costs, and improving delivery of services to veterans.

Mr. Grams is a worthy recipient of the Management Excellence Medal. In his role as VA chief financial officer, he has demonstrated not only the courage, but also the creativity and tenacity necessary to help VA maximize value for our veterans. Along with the help of his qualified team, Mr. Grams' initial push for an in-depth analysis of VA's financial management priorities allowed VA to serve veterans with higher quality service and care. He redirected resources to lower the cost and risk for investment for VA. Furthermore, Mr. Grams integrated the management governance structure and established systems that allowed VA to spend money more wisely and improve services to veterans.

I appreciate Mr. Grams' hard work and dedication at VA, and I am so pleased that his extraordinary talents and effort have been recognized.