Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I now move to proceed to Calendar No. 363, S. 2320, the LIHEAP bill, and I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. President, I now withdraw the motion.

Mr. President, when you reflect back to that many votes, that many thousands of votes, very quickly you could go back and look at various issues Pat Leahy has been involved with. I think that is important to do. It reflects a great legacy for our country, what he has stood for, the values and principles.

I wish to add to the accolades what I have found, and that is, as I have gone around the world over the last several years in humanitarian causes, part of which is done as official CODELs as a Senator but even more than that as a volunteer physician, going on the ground into communities, into villages all over the world, what is interesting to me--people don't care about the majority leader, they don't care about the typical names you hear from the Senate floor, but Pat Leahy's name comes up again and again from the underserved, from the people who have suffered the tragedy of landmine injuries. It is remarkable. It is something we don't talk about on the floor a lot. But to have real people thousands of miles away coming forward with his name reflects the great legacy he leaves, that he continues to leave, and I am sure there will be another 12,000 votes as we come forward.

I do want to express both to him and to Marcelle, a nurse, who greatly influenced his life and for whom he has so much love that he expresses so directly to so many of us in casual conversations or the sorts of occasions that people don't see--that is the Pat Leahy I want to recognize today--congratulations.

Mr. President, each year, during the month of February, America celebrates the achievements, contributions, and history of the African-American community.

In previous years, I have had the honor of joining my colleague Congressman John Lewis on his civil rights pilgrimage to Alabama and Tennessee.

It is an extraordinary journey that changes all who partake.

It connects us to our history, our geography, our shame and redemption, and to the astonishing bravery and commitment of the civil rights leaders who fought for America's honor: Martin Luther King, Jr., his wife Coretta Scott, Rosa Parks, the Greensboro Four, to name a few.

Their willingness to face violence and intimidation, injustice and oppression, with steadfast love and bravery transformed America.

Indeed, it led to a great awakening that continues to reverberate around the world.

This year, as we celebrate those extraordinary individuals and events, let us also recognize the exceptional leaders in our midst who toil every day for justice and racial reconciliation.

This year, I have the pleasure of presenting Mr. Jeffrey T. Higgs of Memphis, TN, with my office's first ever American New Trailblazer Award in honor of Black History Month.

In January, my office sent out requests to over 200 recipients of our African-American leader's newsletter. We asked our readers to nominate individuals of extraordinary character and achievement.

We received the nominations of published authors, clergy, local community leaders, and business professionals. All were deserving candidates and I am both humbled by and proud of their example of service.

After culling through the nominations, we chose Mr. Higgs for his outstanding work as executive director of LeMoyne-Owen College Community Development Corporation.

For over 15 years, Mr. Higgs has been involved in urban community housing, economic development and micro lending.

As CEO of the multi-million-dollar organization, he has led the efforts to revitalize the community surrounding LeMoyne-Owen College.

Among his many development projects, he led the renovation of the historic JE Walker House. Today, the building serves as a community resource center for housing development, computer training, economic development and investment.

Currently, Mr. Higgs is leading the charge for 2 major capital projects generating over $25 million in economic activity.

His sponsor for the award, Bridget Chisolm, President and CEO of BBC Consulting, wrote to tell us that Mr. Higgs is, ``truly a Renaissance man and community trailblazer. We are blessed to have such a leader striving to make a good city great.''

Indeed, America is blessed to have individuals like Mr. Higgs selflessly serving his fellow citizens.

I congratulate Mr. Higgs for his contributions to his community. And I thank him for carrying forward the torch of social justice.

As we close this month of celebration, let us remember that the movement is not over. So much has changed in so very short a time. But the great hope of the movement has yet to be realized: full equality not only before the law, but in the lives of every citizen.

It is citizens like Mr. Higgs who are working to make that happen.

I close with a quote from the great Dr. King.

In his historic speech following the march to Selma, the Reverend told his fellow freedom marchers,

We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at

peace with itself, a society that can live with its

conscience. And that will be a day not of the white man, not

of the black man. That will be the day of man as man.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination on today's Executive Calendar: Calendar No. 525. I further ask unanimous consent that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and that the Senate then return to legislative session.

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

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

Mr. President, S. Res. 374 concerns a request for testimony, document production, and representation in a criminal case. The U.S. Department of Justice has brought a case in Federal court in the District of Columbia against the former chief of staff of the General Services Administration. The five-count indictment includes charges of making false statements and obstructing the investigation of the Committee on Indian Affairs into allegations of misconduct by lobbyists in the

course of the representation of Native American tribes.

Both the Government and the defense are seeking trial testimony and documents from committee staff who assisted in the conduct of the Committee's investigation. The chairman and vice chairman of the committee would like to assist by providing necessary evidence in this trial, consistent with any rulings of the Court. Accordingly, this resolution would authorize committee staff, where appropriate, to testify and to produce documents in this case with representation by the Senate Legal Counsel.

Mr. President, S. Res. 375 concerns a request for testimony and representation in related criminal trespass actions in Concord District Court in the State of New Hampshire. In these actions, eight defendants have been charged with criminally trespassing on the premises of Senator Judd Gregg's Concord, NH, office on December 5, 2005, for refusing repeated requests to leave Senator Gregg's office at the end of the business day in order to allow the office to close. Trials on the charge of trespass are scheduled to commence on or about March 1, 2006. The State has subpoenaed a member of the Senator's staff who witnessed the defendants' conduct. The enclosed resolution would authorize that staff member, and any other employees of Senator Gregg's office from whom evidence may be required, to testify in connection with these actions.

Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading.

In order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to further proceeding.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session; provided further that the Commerce Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of the following nominations: from the Commerce Committee, Coast Guard nominations PN 1299; and from the Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Boucher, PN 1167; further that the Senate proceed to their consideration en bloc.

Finally, I ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed, with the motions to reconsider laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that during the adjournment of the Senate, the majority leader and the senior Senator from Virginia be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions.

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by current action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 345, the adjournment resolution; provided that the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.