Floor Statements

Mr. President, I am pleased to join the junior Senator from Virginia in introducing the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act. I doubt there has been a more defining period in this country's history than the Civil War. The scars left by that conflict were deep and slow to heal. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first major Civil War battle in the western theater and with Memorial Day approaching, the preservation of historic battlefields reminds Americans of those who have fought and died for freedom. Stressing preservation, commemoration, and education, the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, for almost 15 years, has partnered with neighboring communities to promote resource protection and heritage tourism. By bringing together local, State, and national stakeholders to preserve America's most historically significant Civil War battlefields, the program has built a consensus to protect 19,000 acres of hallowed ground in 16 states. In my state, more than 3,300 acres of related Civil War battles have been protected. Among the many other battlefields that have benefited from this program are: Antietam, Maryland; Averasboro, North Carolina; Chancellorsville, Virginia; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; Mill Springs, Kentucky; and Prairie Grove, Arkansas. I am pleased that this legislation will extend program eligibility to Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields. This is an appropriate time for the Congress to embrace this legislation and to preserve and discover our history, our culture and our individual stories. By highlighting the history and cultural significance of these battle sites, we can help maintain our sense of place as Americans. With it, we can be more aware of our history and reflect upon how we have become who we are as individuals and who we are collectively as Americans. It is an investment in the preservation of our history and culture, which is well spent.

Mr. President, on May 17, 2013, Mr. Bill Litton of Greenwood, MS, will conclude his term as the 78th president of the Delta Council. I am pleased to commend him for his

service and contributions to the delta region and the State of Mississippi.

Organized in 1935, Delta Council plays an important role in uniting the agricultural, business, and economic development leadership to solve problems and promote opportunities in the Mississippi Delta region, which includes eighteen counties in northwest Mississippi.

Mr. Litton has put in a strong performance as Delta Council president. His tenure as council president concludes as we are crafting a new, long-term Farm Bill, which will establish Federal policies for American agriculture and other important areas including conservation, agricultural research, and nutrition. Given this bill's importance to the delta's economy, I have appreciated Mr. Litton's advice and counsel related to serving the interests of our State. His input over the past year will contribute to the overall success of this endeavor.

In addition to his role as President of Delta Council, Mr. Litton is the President of Wade Incorporated in Greenwood, MS, which serves as the John Deere equipment dealership in many counties in the delta. He is also director of the Bank of Commerce. Some of his previous leadership positions include Chairman of the Greenwood Utility Commission and President of Delta Wildlife. He has been a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

Born in New Hampshire, Mr. Litton moved to Greenwood, MS and earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi. As a Mississippian, Mr. Litton has demonstrated leadership and dedication to improving the quality of life in the delta and the entire State. I commend Bill Litton for his service to Mississippi, and share this appreciation with his wife Ann, and their three children Gerard, Powell, and Wade.

Mr. President, it is encouraging that for the first time in 4 years the Senate is considering a budget resolution. The absence of a resolution during this time has contributed to a breakdown in the legislative process. As a result, we have operated the Federal Government without a blueprint for revenues or spending.

Unfortunately, the budget resolution being considered by the Senate does not reflect a workable effort to get our country back on a sustainable path.

But rather than setting us on a new path toward a more affordable, efficient, and effective Federal Government, the Budget Committee has laid out a plan for higher taxes and more spending. It does not even pretend to balance the budget. Support of this budget would represent support for a bigger Federal Government and a weaker economy.

I have heard from many of the hard-working citizens in my State who are ready for better economic times and more opportunities to improve their lives. Our priority should be to help strengthen the economy and get government spending under control. The Obama administration has embraced a course which locks us into higher and higher deficits for the foreseeable future.

I am hopeful we can amend this resolution to produce a serious proposal that will lead to a more efficient, more effective Federal Government that better serves hard-working Americans rather than increasing the government's burden upon them.

Mr. President, Mississippi State University and my State of Mississippi lost one of its most outstanding leaders with the passing of Dr. Donald Zacharias on March 3 at the age of 77. Dr. Zacharias served as the president of Mississippi State University from 1985-1997. His name became synonymous with the highest qualities of leadership, vision, and humanity. He was blessed with gifts that enabled him to make important contributions to higher education throughout the country.

I ask that a March 3, 2013 article from the Clarion-Ledger newspaper titled ``Former MSU president Donald Zacharias' legacy one of transformation,'' be printed in the Record.

The article follows.

[From the Clarion-Ledger, Mar. 3, 2013]

Former MSU President Donald Zacharias' Legacy One of Transformation

(By Therese Apel)

Former Mississippi State University President Donald

Zacharias is being remembered among friends, family and MSU

faithful as a man with a vision for the university--and a man

who left a legacy of growth and progress at the school he

loved.

Zacharias, who led the Starkville university from 1985-97,

died Sunday of complications from multiple sclerosis after an

extended illness. He was 77.

``He had an influence not just on MSU but on higher

education at large in Mississippi,'' said Sid Salter,

director of University Relations. ``He had some rather

tumultuous battles with the Legislature over funding higher

education. I think that's really where he could shine in his

ability and his willingness to fight for what he believed

in.''

Roy Ruby was vice president for student affairs when

Zacharias joined the MSU family and later was dean of the

College of Education and interim president of the university.

Until a year ago, when Zacharias was admitted to a nursing

home, the two were neighbors.

``He was a man of solid integrity, and he was a man of his

word,'' said Ruby. ``He was a man who, in all aspects of his

life, tried to do right. He was a good family man, a good

citizen of the state, and an exemplary college

administrator.''

Current MSU President Mark Keenum said Zacharias was

someone he looked up to.

``I counted him as a friend, a mentor and an inspiration.

Don Zacharias was a man of

great courage and dignity--and he was one of the most

influential leaders in the history of Mississippi higher

education,'' Keenum said.

Salter said he and his late wife, Paula, who also had

multiple sclerosis, were friends with Zacharias and his wife

of 53 years, Tommie.

``They took an interest in Paula, and, ironically, he would

later be diagnosed with MS,'' Salter said. ``He had a

tremendous impact on me. He was a solid guy and a man of

great integrity.''

Zacharias brought Mississippi State to a new level of

prominence during his 12\1/2\ years of service.

He raised MSU's visibility and reputation nationally, and

enrollment climbed to the largest in the state at almost

16,000. African-American enrollment more than doubled to

2,200, 15 percent of the student body and the highest

percentage among SEC schools, according to a Sunday news

release from the university.

Enrollment, private contributions, research and athletic

achievement all grew significantly as part of Zacharias'

legacy.

``Dr. Donald Zacharias was a transformative figure at

Mississippi State University,'' Keenum said. ``He really

helped bring MSU into the modern era, and he did so by

developing a broad vision for the leadership that Mississippi

needed from a land grant university.''

Zacharias, upon his retirement from MSU, said: ``I saw

things in Mississippi State University that others might not

have seen. I felt that I had made the right decision to be at

this university because I liked both what it stood for and

its overall character. I liked its mission, and I liked the

students and alumni. I saw the potential.''

Gary Harris, a coach and educator at Heritage Academy in

Columbus who graduated from MSU in the early 1990s, said he

remembers Zacharias as someone who was able to connect with

everyone, regardless of their backgrounds.

``Because of my involvement in several campus

organizations, I was around Dr. Z many times,'' he said. ``He

was a very kind, knowledgeable man who always seemed to know

how to make everyone in the room seem important. He was a

tremendous leader for our campus during some very difficult

financial times.''

Salter said many of Zacharias' dreams for the university

continue to be fulfilled.

``He had a long reach, and his influence extended past his

own tenure as president.''

Funeral arrangements are incomplete, but the Zacharias

family will communicate details through the university. A

public memorial service is tentatively planned for Thursday

on the Starkville campus of MSU.

Madam President, today I rise to recognize the work of Dr. Hannah Gay, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children in Jackson, MS. On March 3, the news broke that one of Dr. Gay's patients, a baby born with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, had been ``functionally cured'' of the infection. Now 2\1/2\ years old, this child is only the second person in history to be cured of the virus. The infant was born to her HIV-infected mother at a rural Mississippi hospital and then transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she came under the care of Dr. Gay. Only 30 hours after the baby was born, Dr. Gay began an immediate and aggressive approach to treatment that seems to have made all the difference in this child's life.

News of Dr. Gay's work and this baby's apparent cure has been celebrated around the world. This development opens a significant door to advance research and treatment for HIV and AIDS, the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Millions of children around the globe have been infected at or during birth, and it is my hope that the spread of HIV among newborns will begin to slow and eventually stop with what has taken place in Mississippi what one doctor at Johns Hopkins University Medical School called a ``game-changer.''

I share the pride of all Mississippians in Dr. Gay, a native of Jackson, for her achievement and her dedication to our State. She not only teaches and practices at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, but received her training there. As a mostly rural State, Mississippi faces many health care challenges, and our homegrown health care providers give us the best chance of finding solutions so that Mississippians can live healthy lives. Dr. Gay's work at the University of Mississippi Medical Center is addressing critical needs in our State with the potential to impact other countries and regions that struggle with the scourge of HIV.

Congratulations, again, to Dr. Gay and her colleagues. Thanks to them, one child has the opportunity to lead a normal, healthy life, and we may be one step closer to ending the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. I wish all the best to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions as they explore the potential for Dr. Gay's method of treatment. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the Clarion Ledger article from March 7, 2013, titled: ``Congratulations in order for Dr. Hannah Gay, UMC.''

Mr. President, I am pleased to commend Woods E. Eastland of Indianola, MS, as the recipient of the 2012 Harry S. Baker Distinguished Service Award. The officers of the National Cotton Council of America recently selected Mr. Eastland to be the 27th recipient of this award, which is given annually to the individual who has contributed most significantly to the advancement of the U.S. cotton industry.

In bestowing this honor on Woods E. Eastland, the National Cotton Council cited his extraordinary leadership during his year as the council's chairman and his continued service to the U.S. cotton industry. The Harry S. Baker Distinguished Service Award was started in honor of former council president Harry S. Baker, and it is the industry's most prestigious award.

Woods E. Eastland is the chairman of the board of Staple Cotton Cooperative Association and the Staple Cotton Discount Corporation, which are headquartered in Greenwood, MS. He served as their president and CEO from 1986 until 2010. A native of Doddsville, MS, Mr. Eastland earned a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He practiced law and was a faculty member of the Jackson School of Law from 1972 until 1974. In 1974, Woods married Lynn Ganier Wood and became a cotton, soybean and rice grower in Sunflower County, MS. He and Lynn have two children and three grandchildren.

Woods E. Eastland, in addition to being a farmer, has built a remarkable record of service to the cotton industry, his State and our Nation. He is a past chairman of the National Cotton Council, past president and chairman of Cotton Council International, and a past director of the Memphis Branch Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He was a member of the board of managers of the New York Board of Trade when it was formed from the merger of the Cotton and Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchanges. He served 1 year as the vice chairman of the board of governors of the New York Board of Trade.

In 2005, during Mr. Eastland's term as the council's chairman, international trade in cotton and textiles dominated the U.S. cotton industry's policy concerns. In addition, the World Trade Organization's, WTO, Doha Round of negotiations was a primary focus of the cotton industry during Mr. Eastland's tenure as council chairman.

Under Mr. Eastland's leadership, the council worked as part of a fiber/textile/labor initiative that successfully convinced the United States to self-initiate WTO-sanctioned textile safeguards to impose a measure of discipline on the shipment of Chinese textiles into our country. U.S. officials were also persuaded to make changes in provisions of the Dominican Republic--Central America Free Trade Agreement that led to the U.S. cotton industry's support for congressional approval of that pact.

Mr. Eastland traveled to Geneva and Washington, D.C., to confer with key trade officials on trade developments and to convey the U.S. cotton industry's message that cotton should not be singled out for different treatment from the rest of agriculture in the WTO Doha negotiations.

Beyond his year of service as the Council chairman, Mr. Eastland has remained active in Council leadership. He was named chairman of the council's Trade Promotion Authority task force in 2007 to guide the industry on trade promotion policy. He is an advisor to the Council's board of directors and an active member of its Operations Committee.

I am pleased to congratulate Mr. Eastland on receiving this prestigious award, and to commend him for his contributions to the cotton industry, American agriculture and fair trade.

Mr. President, I am pleased to join the Senator from Louisiana in introducing the Small Business Disaster Recovery Act. The purpose of this bill is to streamline certain burdensome procedures for small businesses that are affected by a Presidentially declared disaster. This bill would complement provisions adopted by this body and enacted into law earlier this year that the Senator from Louisiana and I sponsored to improve FEMA procedures. Like the bill we are introducing today, we derived these provisions from our States' experiences with Hurricane Katrina. They will not cost anything, but they will improve government services at times when they are most critical.

Through two budget-neutral provisions, this bill continues to improve the way we respond and recover from disasters using the lessons that we have learned from past disasters. Current practice dictates that small business owners can only use their homes as collateral for a post- disaster loan. The legislation's first provision clarifies that the collateral requirement for SBA disaster loans can include business assets of actual value other than a primary residence. This removes a key obstacle to small business owners who want to restart operations after a disaster but are unable or unwilling to use their homes when they could conceivably provide sufficient business assets as collateral for the loan.

The bill clearly states that these assets should be of equal or greater value to the amount of the loan and ensures that the Small Business Administration is responsive to the needs of small businesses seeking disaster loans less than the maximum allowable. I encourage the Small Business Administration to ensure that the asset requirements for collateral are established in a way that minimizes any potential waste, fraud, and abuse. This bill will maintain the traditional standards for appropriate collateral assets, which includes commercial real estate, machinery and equipment, business inventory, and furniture and fixtures.

The second provision included in this legislation addresses assistance provided by small business development centers, or SBDCs, to out-of-State businesses. It seeks to repeal processes that discourage SBDCs to work across State lines when doing so actually makes good sense. Sharing resources and knowledge across State lines is essential when disasters overwhelm local capacity or expertise. This legislation has the support of the Association of Small Business Development Centers and the International Economic Development Council because it encourages such information and resource sharing.

I am pleased to join the distinguished Senator from Louisiana in encouraging States and SBDC networks to formalize partnerships across State lines before disasters strike. We are both aware that any action or decision that takes place prior to a disaster is an action that does not waste time or resources during a time of crisis. The Emergency Management Assistance Compact system shows how well this can work.

I thank the Senator from Louisiana and her staff for working with me and my staff to make sure that this legislation addresses the need for SBDCs to be properly reimbursed for work when they appropriately respond to concerns in another state.

The reforms in this bill represent commonsense lessons that we have learned from our constituents after experiencing the effects of some of the most severe natural disasters in our Nation's history. I urge serious consideration of this legislation and invite other Senators to cosponsor this bill.

Mr. President, I support the confirmation of our former colleague and my friend, Chuck Hagel, to serve as Secretary of Defense.

Providing advice and consent on a nomination for the President's Cabinet is one of the Senate's most significant constitutional responsibilities, particularly in the case of the Secretary of Defense. It is a very serious responsibility because no duty is more important than preserving the safety and security of our Nation and its people.

I believe this nominee has the knowledge and ability to carry out the duties of this important office. Chuck Hagel feels strongly that the United States should be the most capable military power in the world. He also believes the United States must continue to be committed to Israel's security and its ability to defend its borders.

At a time when our adversaries continue to increase their arsenals of rockets and missiles and to develop medium- and long-range ballistic missiles that threaten our security, the security of our deployed forces, and the security of our friends and allies, it is imperative that we continue to develop, field, and maintain a robust missile defense capability. I know Senator Hagel is supportive of these efforts, and I will be pleased to join with him in further advancing these priorities.

Senator Hagel is a decorated Vietnam veteran, a successful entrepreneur, Deputy Administrator of the Veterans' Administration, President and CEO of the USO, and a two-term United States Senator. Throughout his distinguished career in public service, Senator Hagel has proven himself to be a fair, intelligent and courageous leader of good character and integrity.

I am confident that Senator Hagel will serve with distinction as Secretary of Defense.

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

Ensuring geographic literacy prepares students to be good citizens of both our nation and the world. John Fahey, 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, environments, 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 geographic knowledge improves these opportunities.

In a report prepared for leading Internet company, Google, the study estimated that geography service industries generate up to $270 billion every year. Geographic knowledge is increasingly needed for U.S. businesses in electronic mapping, satellite imagery, and location-based navigation to understand such factors as physical distance, time zones, language differences and cultural diversity among project teams.

Additionally, geospatial technology is an emerging career field available to people with an extensive background in geography education. Professionals in geospatial technology are employed in federal government agencies, the private sector and the non-profit sector and focus on 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 skilled 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.'' We need to do more to ensure that the teachers responsible for the education of our students, from kindergarten through high school graduation, are trained and prepared to teach the critical 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 benefited 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. The Mississippi Geography Alliance conducts regular workshops for graduate and undergraduate students who are preparing to be certified to teach elementary through 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, advanced technology based classroom materials. I hope the Senate will consider the seriousness of the need to invest in geography, and I invite other Senators to cosponsor the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act.

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

Ensuring geographic literacy prepares students to be good citizens of both our nation and the world. John Fahey, 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, environments, 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 geographic knowledge improves these opportunities.

In a report prepared for leading Internet company, Google, the study estimated that geography service industries generate up to $270 billion every year. Geographic knowledge is increasingly needed for U.S. businesses in electronic mapping, satellite imagery, and location-based navigation to understand such factors as physical distance, time zones, language differences and cultural diversity among project teams.

Additionally, geospatial technology is an emerging career field available to people with an extensive background in geography education. Professionals in geospatial technology are employed in federal government agencies, the private sector and the non-profit sector and focus on 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 skilled 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.'' We need to do more to ensure that the teachers responsible for the education of our students, from kindergarten through high school graduation, are trained and prepared to teach the critical 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 benefited 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. The Mississippi Geography Alliance conducts regular workshops for graduate and undergraduate students who are preparing to be certified to teach elementary through 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, advanced technology based classroom materials. I hope the Senate will consider the seriousness of the need to invest in geography, and I invite other Senators to cosponsor the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act.

Madam President, these amendments have been cleared by the managers on this side. I know of no objections to their adoption.

Madam President, I object.

Madam President, we have no objection to the request of the Senator.

Mr. President, let me join with the Senator from Maryland in commending all Senators for the expeditious way we have been able to move this bill but in particular the chairwoman herself, who has provided strong leadership, capable leadership, and fairness, a sense of fairness for all Senators. I thank her for the honor of serving with her on this committee.

Mr. President, we wish to thank the distinguished manager of the bill for her courtesies and for her skill in managing this bill, and her sensitivity to the need for improvements in sustaining the disaster assistance capabilities of our great country.

Mr. President, I commend the Senator from Indiana, Mr. Coats, for the work he has done on this bill. He has proposed changes to the bill to balance our help for the victims of Hurricane Sandy with our duty to be responsive to the public trust.

His effort would provide aid now that is clearly needed now and consider separately the longer term proposals in the substitute. I think his intent was to propose a bill that could be enacted into law quickly so that disaster recovery would not be delayed. I thank him for his contributions to this debate.

Mr. President, we yield back all time on this side.

I commend the distinguished Senator from Maryland for her outstanding service here today to the Senate.

Mr. President, I am pleased in joining my colleagues in commending and congratulating our distinguished colleague from Texas. Her service in the Senate has truly been outstanding and she has made an impact in our Committee on Appropriations. We have deliberated about the funding of all the Federal agencies and departments of the Federal Government. She has been very careful. She is very serious about her responsibilities, and I am glad to be here today to wish her well in the years ahead and compliment her on a very distinguished career in the Senate.

Mr. President, the Senate and our Nation have lost one of our finest leaders, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. He was an outstanding Senator, a true statesman, a patriot, and a gentleman.

It has been an honor and pleasure to be able to work closely in the Senate with Dan Inouye as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. His service as chairman of the committee--and especially the Subcommittee on Defense--has been marked with consistently strong and thoughtful leadership. He was appreciated for his courtesies to other Members and his seriousness of purpose as he carried out his important responsibilities.

He has also earned the high praise he received from the men and women of the Armed Forces, who are the best equipped and trained military force in the world thanks to his diligent efforts on their behalf.

Senator Inouye was friendly and kind to all, but he was also a man of resolute courage and strength. He was very successful as an advocate for his State of Hawaii and our Nation. All Americans should be grateful for his service in the Senate.

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

Mr. President, I will not object to the request made by the Senior Senator from Washington, and I do not object to the policy provisions in this bill. However, I must point out that this bill indiscriminately diverts Overseas Contingency Operations funds, which are necessary to ensure resources, equipment, and supplies are available to our servicemembers deployed across the globe. This is not how the provisions of this bill should be paid for. Taking away funds intended for our men and women who are currently serving could, in time, place some of the veterans that this bill intends to help at greater risk. This legislation could also divert funding intended for the security of our Ambassadors, Foreign Service Officers, and other State Department officials, placing them at additional risk.

Quality healthcare for those who have honorably served our country is something that I think all Senators, including me, support. If the provisions of this legislation are a priority for this body, we should be deliberate in determining how we should pay for them. The Senior Senator from Washington has put forward a thoughtful bill that merits consideration, but I think this body would prefer to consider other means to pay for new programs that do not divert funds intended to keep our troops well-equipped and safe.