Floor Statements

Madam President, as ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations, I regret that the Senate must consider in mid-April an appropriations bill for a fiscal year that is already half over. It disturbs me that we have subjected the Federal Government to eight short-term continuing resolutions over the past 6 months. Such measures are inefficient, add hidden costs to Federal contracts and procurements, and make it difficult for State and local governments to plan effectively. Such measures also have a detrimental impact on the morale of the Federal workforce, including our men and women in uniform who last week, even while engaged in hostilities overseas, were left wondering about their next paycheck.

However, this delay has made possible significant spending reductions. The bill cuts $38 billion from the spending levels in place at the beginning of this Congress. It also cuts $78 billion from the President's fiscal year 2011 budget request. These reductions in spending will compound over time and, if sustained, will result in a significant reduction in our national debt. These reductions don't come without consequences, however. The bill cuts programs that are important both nationally and in my State of Mississippi. This bill contains rescissions of funds I once fought hard to appropriate but which have not been spent for a variety of reasons. In many cases, we don't yet know the precise impacts of the various cuts because so much discretion is left to the implementing agencies. We all recognize, however, that sacrifices must be made in order to achieve the greater good of fiscal solvency.

We also recognize that the bill is only one step toward addressing our Nation's debt problem. Although discretionary spending will be an important component of any solution to that problem, we will fail to solve it if we focus on discretionary spending alone. Hopefully, the agreement reached on this bill will lay a foundation for the much more difficult decisions on entitlements and taxes that lie ahead.

We also realize some will think this bill cuts far too little and some will think it cuts too much. I suspect that, individually, each of us could write spending bills at much lower levels than are contained in this legislation. We could fund those things we deem to be priorities and significantly cut back or eliminate the rest. But this legislation, instead, represents the priorities of the people of the entire Nation as expressed and negotiated by their duly elected Representatives, Senators, and the President.

On balance, the process has worked well. But without a budget resolution or any agreement on an appropriate top-line discretionary spending level, there was little agreement on the level of funding in appropriations bills. As a result, we are once again presented with a single trillion-dollar package that no Senator has had an opportunity to amend. The bill gives enormous flexibility to the executive branch because it does not contain the detailed directives typically found in appropriations bills and reports. And, of course, it is 6 months late.

I hope in the coming months that Congress and the President will reach consensus on a budget plan that will address each of the major drivers of our current fiscal imbalance, including discretionary spending. We need to find a way to bring fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills to the floor individually and get them to conference with the other body. I believe such a process would provide needed constraints on spending levels while allowing all Members to influence the content of the individual bills.

Madam President, I will vote for this bill, and I urge the Senate to approve it.

Mr. President, I wish today to celebrate and commemorate the life and legacy of Roy Estess, who served as the Director of Stennis Space Center from 1989 until 2002.

Roy passed away in June 2010, and his life will be honored at a ceremony at Stennis Space Center on May 2, 2011.

I will always remember Roy as a son of Mississippi whose personal qualities contributed greatly to the growth of NASA and its presence in our State. Today, we recognize Roy Estess as one of the giants in NASA history because of his leadership, intellect, integrity and vision.

It was always a pleasure to visit with Roy in Washington or at the Stennis Space Center because he was both a visionary and a pragmatist. He was a great friend and a trusted source of good advice and counsel for me throughout my career.

I continue to marvel at the growth of Stennis, which came to be known as the ``Federal City,'' and at the national and international scope of work taking place there every day. Stennis is an essential part of NASA's mission today, due largely to Roy's commitment for over 40 years. His footprints will long remain along the paths and roads of that center, which has become a unique asset for our Nation.

Roy Estess' legacy continues to influence the future of Stennis and the gulf coast with the construction of the INFINITY Science Center. This project was his vision and dream, and one that will carry on his effective, but unassuming, way of inspiring passion for science, education and space exploration.

Roy Estess was a true leader who left an indelible mark on me, on the State of Mississippi, and on our Nation and the world.

Madam President, I am pleased to commend Dr. Cass Pennington of Indianola, MS, for his service and contributions to the State of Mississippi while serving as the 76th president of Delta Council. Delta Council is an economic development organization representing the business, professional, and agricultural leadership of the alluvial floodplain commonly known as the Mississippi Delta. The organization was formed in 1935 and is widely respected for its role in meeting the challenges which have historically been faced by the economy and quality of life for this region of our State.

Cass Pennington has served as president of Delta Council during a time when our Nation and the State of Mississippi have experienced enormous economic challenges at the local, State, and national levels. During his career, Dr. Pennington has been best known for his contributions to education and improved access to healthcare throughout the 18 Delta and part-Delta counties of northwest Mississippi. Prior to becoming the president of Delta Council, Dr. Pennington served as Superintendent of Education for school districts in Tallahatchie and Sunflower Counties, MS. He has served as a college sports referee and is a past chairman of the Board of Institutions

of Higher Learning in the State of Mississippi, which oversees the operations and management of the eight public universities in our State.

Upon retirement from the local public education system in Indianola, MS, Dr. Pennington served as executive assistant to the president of Delta State University. Later, he was asked to move into the position as the first chief executive officer of Delta Health Alliance, which has been a vitally successful program aimed at improving access to health care in the Mississippi Delta.

Cass Pennington is respected in all business and education circles throughout our State. Delta Council, itself, has been taken to a new level through the involvement of Dr. Pennington. He is a leader and a man of strong conviction, especially with regard to the future of the Mississippi Delta.

In Mississippi, we appreciate Cass Pennington, his wife Carolyn, and their daughter Athena for the sacrifices they have made to help improve the lives of all who live and do business in the Mississippi Delta.

Mr. President, I am pleased to commend the remarkable 58-year career of Jack Cristil, one of our Nation's legendary radio broadcasters and voice of the Mississippi State University Bulldogs. Jack called his last game this past Saturday as Mississippi State defeated the University of Tennessee in men's basketball.

For the better part of six decades, Mississippi State fans welcomed Jack's professionalism and his unambiguous play-by-play descriptions, free from hyperbole or favoritism, onto their radios. His distinctive voice and irreplaceable wit will be missed.

Jack grew up in Memphis, TN, the son of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Latvia. After discovering radio broadcasts of sporting events at the age of six, he knew exactly what he was going to do with his life.

After high school, Jack went on to study broadcast journalism at the University of Minnesota. From there, he worked the minor league baseball circuit in the Southeast before moving to Clarksdale, MI, to broadcast high school football and basketball games. In the summer of 1953, legendary Mississippi State athletic director C.R. ``Dudy'' Noble hired him for $25 a game. Now 58 years later, Cristil has covered 636 football games and 1,538 basketball games, roughly 63 percent of all football games played by Mississippi State and about 55 percent of all basketball games.

It was not only the number of games he covered that is of note today, it was at times the significance of the games themselves. During the 1963 NCAA men's basketball tournament, Mississippi State ignored an unwritten rule in our State that prohibited State universities from playing integrated teams. By sneaking out of town in the dark of night, and despite protests from our State's Governor and police, the Bulldogs were able to play an integrated Loyola team in Michigan. This was a significant blow to segregationist sentiment in Mississippi. Jack was right there with the team as it defied its own Governor to help move our State forward.

Through his microphone, Jack Cristil brought Mississippians some great moments in college athletics history. As the play-by-play man for Mississippi State, he also certainly endured some tough losses. Since Jack first broadcast a game for the Bulldogs in 1953, his tenure has spanned 11 head football coaches, 9 head basketball coaches, 11 university presidents, 13 Governors of Mississippi, and 11 Presidents of the United States. He has truly been an enduring figure in our State, throughout the South, and throughout college athletics.

In Mississippi, fans of all teams appreciate the talent and longevity of Jack Cristil. I think it fitting to close by quoting Jack Cristil in saying, ``You can wrap this one in maroon and white.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record an article titled, ``It's a wrap for Mr. Maroon and White'' from The Clarion Ledger.

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act. I am pleased to be joined as a cosponsor by my friend, the distinguished Senator from Maryland, Ms. Mikulski. The purpose of this bill is to improve geographic literacy among K through 12 students by supporting professional development programs for their teachers that are administered in institutions of higher learning. The bill also assists States in measuring the impact of education in geography.

Ensuring geographic literacy prepares students to be good citizens of both our Nation and the world. John Fahey, who is Chairman and CEO of the National Geographic Society, once stated that, ``Geographic illiteracy impacts our economic well-being, our relationships with other nations and the environment, and isolates us from the world.'' When students understand their own environment, they can better understand the differences in other places, and the people who live in them. Knowledge of the diverse cultures, environment, and distances between states and countries helps our students to understand national and international policies, economies, societies and political structures on a global scale.

To expect that Americans will be able to work successfully with other people around the world, we need to be able to communicate and understand each other. It is a fact that we have a global marketplace, and we need to be preparing our younger generation for competition in the international economy. A strong base of geography knowledge improves these opportunities.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that in 2010, the overall volume of international trade, as the sum of imports and exports, was over $4.3 trillion. Geographic knowledge is increasingly needed for U.S. businesses in international markets to understand such factors as physical distance, time zones, language differences and cultural diversity.

Geospatial technology is an emerging career that is now available to people with an extensive background in geography education. Professionals in geospatial technology are employed in federal government agencies, and in the private and non-profit sectors in areas such as agriculture, archeology, ecology, land appraisal, and urban planning and development. It is important to improve and expand geography education so that students in the United States can attain the necessary expertise to fill and retain the estimated 70,000 new jobs that are becoming available each year in the geospatial technology industry.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell once said, ``To solve most of the major problems facing our country today--from wiping out terrorism, to minimizing global environmental problems, to eliminating the scourge of AIDS--will require every young person to learn more about other regions, cultures, and languages.'' It is clear to me that we need to do more to ensure that the teachers responsible for the education of our students, from kindergarten through high school graduation, are prepared and trained to teach the skills necessary to solve these problems.

Over the last 15 years, the National Geographic Society has awarded more than $100 million in grants to educators, universities, geography alliances, and others for the purposes of advancing and improving the teaching of geography. Their models are successful, and research shows that students who have benefitted from this teaching outperform other students. State geography alliances exist in 26 states and the District of Columbia endowed by grants from the Society. But, their efforts alone are not enough.

In my home state of Mississippi, teachers and university professors are making progress to increase geography education in schools through additional professional training. Based at the University of Mississippi, hundreds of geography teachers are members of the Mississippi Geography Alliance. This Alliance conducts regular workshops for graduate and undergraduate students who are preparing to be certified to teach elementary and high school-level geography in our State. These workshops have provided opportunities for model teaching sessions and discussion of best practices in the classroom.

The bill I am introducing establishes a Federal commitment to enhance the education of our teachers, focuses on geography education research, and develops reliable and advanced technology based classroom materials. I hope the Senate will consider the seriousness of the need to make this enhanced investment in geography.

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act. I am pleased to be joined as a cosponsor by my friend, the distinguished Senator from Maryland, Ms. Mikulski. The purpose of this bill is to improve geographic literacy among K through 12 students by supporting professional development programs for their teachers that are administered in institutions of higher learning. The bill also assists States in measuring the impact of education in geography.

Ensuring geographic literacy prepares students to be good citizens of both our Nation and the world. John Fahey, who is Chairman and CEO of the National Geographic Society, once stated that, ``Geographic illiteracy impacts our economic well-being, our relationships with other nations and the environment, and isolates us from the world.'' When students understand their own environment, they can better understand the differences in other places, and the people who live in them. Knowledge of the diverse cultures, environment, and distances between states and countries helps our students to understand national and international policies, economies, societies and political structures on a global scale.

To expect that Americans will be able to work successfully with other people around the world, we need to be able to communicate and understand each other. It is a fact that we have a global marketplace, and we need to be preparing our younger generation for competition in the international economy. A strong base of geography knowledge improves these opportunities.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that in 2010, the overall volume of international trade, as the sum of imports and exports, was over $4.3 trillion. Geographic knowledge is increasingly needed for U.S. businesses in international markets to understand such factors as physical distance, time zones, language differences and cultural diversity.

Geospatial technology is an emerging career that is now available to people with an extensive background in geography education. Professionals in geospatial technology are employed in federal government agencies, and in the private and non-profit sectors in areas such as agriculture, archeology, ecology, land appraisal, and urban planning and development. It is important to improve and expand geography education so that students in the United States can attain the necessary expertise to fill and retain the estimated 70,000 new jobs that are becoming available each year in the geospatial technology industry.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell once said, ``To solve most of the major problems facing our country today--from wiping out terrorism, to minimizing global environmental problems, to eliminating the scourge of AIDS--will require every young person to learn more about other regions, cultures, and languages.'' It is clear to me that we need to do more to ensure that the teachers responsible for the education of our students, from kindergarten through high school graduation, are prepared and trained to teach the skills necessary to solve these problems.

Over the last 15 years, the National Geographic Society has awarded more than $100 million in grants to educators, universities, geography alliances, and others for the purposes of advancing and improving the teaching of geography. Their models are successful, and research shows that students who have benefitted from this teaching outperform other students. State geography alliances exist in 26 states and the District of Columbia endowed by grants from the Society. But, their efforts alone are not enough.

In my home state of Mississippi, teachers and university professors are making progress to increase geography education in schools through additional professional training. Based at the University of Mississippi, hundreds of geography teachers are members of the Mississippi Geography Alliance. This Alliance conducts regular workshops for graduate and undergraduate students who are preparing to be certified to teach elementary and high school-level geography in our State. These workshops have provided opportunities for model teaching sessions and discussion of best practices in the classroom.

The bill I am introducing establishes a Federal commitment to enhance the education of our teachers, focuses on geography education research, and develops reliable and advanced technology based classroom materials. I hope the Senate will consider the seriousness of the need to make this enhanced investment in geography.

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

Mr. President, I am pleased to support the nomination of Justice James E. Graves, Jr., to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. At this time, Justice Graves is serving as a presiding justice on the Mississippi Supreme Court. He was appointed to our State's highest court in 2001, and he was elected to the court in 2004. Prior to that, he served as a trial court judge for 10 years.

Justice Graves has earned impressive academic credentials, including an undergraduate degree from Millsaps College, a law degree from Syracuse University College of Law, and a master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University.

Justice Graves has served as a director of the Child Support Division of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. It is with pride and pleasure that I am able to recommend to the Senate the confirmation of Justice James E. Graves, Jr.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, it has been a great pleasure and honor to serve in this body with Judd Gregg. He and his wife Kathy have enriched our lives with their friendship and their contributions to the work and responsibilities of the U.S. Senate.

Judd's leadership on the Budget and Appropriations Committees have been especially important and worthy of high praise.

His sense of humor has helped make our service in the Senate an enjoyable experience.

I wish for him and his family all the best in the years ahead.

Mr. President, I was pleased to have an opportunity to hear most of the remarks made this morning by my friend and colleague from Pennsylvania and others who have spoken on the occasion of his retirement from the Senate.

I couldn't help but remember when he was campaigning in his first race for the Senate and I had been asked to be available to help out in some campaigns that year. I was a brandnew Senator and didn't know a lot of the protocols, but when I heard Arlen Specter wanted me to come up and speak in Pennsylvania somewhere during his campaign, I decided I would accept the invitation, although I was a little apprehensive about it, about how I would be received as a Republican from Mississippi going up and helping this new candidate who was running on the Republican ticket too. His wife Joan was a member of the city council in Philadelphia, as I recall--very well respected. Anyway, I enjoyed getting to know the Senator and his wife better during those early campaign events. Then, after he was elected, he asked me to make one more trip up.

He could not go to Erie, PA, and keep an invitation that he wanted to accept and speak to a retired group of businessmen. These were older gentlemen who had been prominent in Pennsylvania business and political life. I worried about it--that they would not think much about me. But I went up there and nearly froze to death. I thought this is just a payback for the Civil War, I guess, that Arlen never got to express. He was going to do his part to help educate me and refine me in the ways of modern America. But that led to an entire career here working alongside him on both sides of the aisle, which I have enjoyed very much.

We have all learned from him the commitment that he makes to the job, the seriousness of purpose that he brings to committee work, and he has truly been an outstanding leader in the Senate, through personal performance and his serious and impressive record of leadership.

I am glad to express those thoughts today and wish Arlen well in the years ahead. We will still have a friendship that will be appreciated. I look forward to continuing that relationship.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am pleased to support the approval by the Senate of the New START treaty.

On December 16, I joined Senators Inouye, Feinstein and Alexander in a letter to President Obama to express my support for ratification of the treaty and funding for the modernization of our nuclear weapons arsenal. At the time, I was concerned that this might not be taken seriously as a long-term commitment. The President has responded to our request and assured me that nuclear modernization is a priority for his administration and that

he will request funding for these programs and capabilities as long as he is in office. I appreciate his commitment to this long-term investment.

The treaty before us is not perfect. Many of our colleagues have brought forth ideas and offered amendments that will help address concerns about the treaty. I share concerns about missile defense, tactical nuclear weapons, and limits on delivery vehicles, but I cannot deny the potential national security consequences of not ratifying the New START treaty.

After listening carefully to national security experts and the debate on the Senate floor, I have been convinced that failure to ratify this treaty would diminish cooperation between our two countries on several fronts, including nuclear proliferation, and limit our understanding of Russian capabilities. Furthermore, failure to ratify this treaty would cause further delays in getting our inspectors back to Russia after a 1-year absence.

While I am dissatisfied with the way this treaty has been considered by the Senate in a lameduck session, I take our responsibility to provide advice and consent to international treaties very seriously; and I do not think that the politics of the moment should trump our national security priorities. I am cognizant of the fact that the New START treaty has received unanimous endorsement by both our country's diplomatic and military leadership, and it would be an unusual response for the Senate not to respect and consider their views on how best to support our national security interests.

I agree with them on the merits of this treaty, and I will support ratification.

Mr. President, I am pleased to support the President's nomination of Mr. Carlton Reeves to be a U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi.

Mr. Reeves practices law in Jackson, MI. He received his undergraduate degree from Jackson State University and his law degree from the University of Virginia.

He has served as a clerk and staff attorney for the Mississippi Supreme Court, and as the chief of the Civil Division in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.

Mr. Reeves has been actively involved with Mississippi Legal Services and other public interest organizations in our State which will serve him well as he takes on this important new responsibility.

Mr. President , I am pleased to recommend this nominee for confirmation by the Senate.

Mr. President, if there is no other Senator wishing to speak, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today at Arlington National Cemetery the final resting place for so many national heroes, the burial service of our friend and former distinguished colleague, Ted Stevens of Alaska, was attended by

a large number of friends. It was my honor and privilege to serve as a Member of the Senate with Ted Stevens. From him I learned the importance of hard work and seriousness of purpose that characterized his exemplary service in this body.

He was energetic and tenacious, and he used those assets to accomplish so much for the people of his State. His quick wit and capacity for hard work were formidable assets that enabled him to get things done for his country and his fellow citizens of Alaska.

It was a special pleasure to visit Alaska with him and especially to participate in his annual Kenai River fishing tournament which raised money for the preservation of that river and the unique beauty of its river basin.

Alaska and our Nation have lost a great leader and a true patriot, and I have lost a highly valued friend.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to commend Jim Weatherly of Pontotoc, MS, for his contribution to American music through prolific song writing and the attention that he has brought to the many talented artists in my home State of Mississippi.

This weekend, Pontotoc County will celebrate Jim Weatherly's accomplishments at its annual Bodock Festival. Governor Haley Barbour has designated a ``Jim Weatherly Day'' as part of the festival. I believe this is a fitting tribute to a man who is a source of pride for many in Mississippi.

Jim Weatherly has not only excelled in the arts; he has also excelled both academically and athletically. While I was a law school student at the University of Mississippi, Weatherly was a member of the Ole Miss football team. As quarterback, Weatherly led the Ole Miss Rebels to an unbeaten and untied season, resulting in a national championship in 1962 and Southeastern Conference Championships in 1962 and 1963. As a star quarterback at my alma mater, Weatherly earned three letters and was honored as a member of the All Southeastern Conference team in 1964.

Jim Weatherly first started writing songs around the age of 12. He moved to Los Angeles, CA, in 1966 to pursue a career in the music industry. Weatherly has written pop, R&B, country, gospel and jazz songs, some of which have become classics. Weatherly has authored numerous hits for artists such as Gladys Knight and the Pips, Dean Martin, Kenny Rogers, Reba McIntire, Kenny Chesney, Hall & Oates and The Temptations. Some of his well-known hits include ``Midnight Train to Georgia,'' ``Love Finds Its Own Way'' and ``Where Peaceful Waters Flow.'' He was nominated for a Grammy in the R&B Songwriter of the Year category and helped win numerous Grammys and awards for other artists. He has released seven albums, including a Christmas album that he wrote and recorded.

The American Society of Publishers, Authors, and Composers named Weatherly Country Songwriter of the Year in 1974. Weatherly is also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.

Weatherly's ``Midnight Train to Georgia'' was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2001, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America ranked this song 28th among 365 Songs of the Century.

Since moving back to the Southeast, Weatherly has continued to write, publish and record songs. Weatherly recently cowrote an album with Vince Gill that sold over 5 million copies, and he continues to have No. 1 country hits on the charts.

I congratulate Mr. Weatherly on being honored by his hometown of Pontotoc, MS, and on his long, illustrious career. I wish him the best in his future endeavours.

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

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.