Floor Statements

Mr. President, as I depart this body, I would like to extend a heartfelt personal thank you to Chaplain Barry Black. From comforting staff and Members in the wake of tragic deaths to leading erudite Bible study groups, to opening the Senate each morning with prayer, Chaplain Barry Black has shown himself the epitome of a great minister. He is a man of keen intellect, enormous oratorical skill, and great faith.

Personally, I have always been taken by his voice as he offers our opening prayers each morning we are in session. He has a voice that makes everyone perk up, listen, and remain attentive.

I have seen Chaplain Black become a friend, an ally, and a helper to staff and Members from all points on the political spectrum. He has kept his door open to people of all faiths and, as a Seventh Day Adventist minister himself, has helped many Christian Senators and staff--including me--enter into a closer and more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.

I am delighted that he will be continuing his service and I am pleased that I could have the honor of appointing him. Barry Black, thank you.

Mr. President, Since 2003, Bill Pickle has served this body with enormous distinction. As the Senate's Sergeant at Arms, he has helped us and he has protected us. Now, as he departs, I wish to thank him, recognize him, and honor him.

For over 3 years, he has excelled in one of the hardest jobs I know of, not just in the Senate, not just in our legislative branch, not just in our Federal Government but I honestly believe, in the entire Nation.

When I came to the job as majority leader, I wanted to find the best professional possible in law enforcement, information technology, security, and continuity planning to lead the Sergeant at Arms operation. I found him in Bill Pickle, and it was one of the smartest decisions I made during my tenure as leader. Bill is the consummate professional. He is smart, with good instincts, and like my colleagues, I value his counsel and insight.

Originally, his office existed to keep order in the Senate Chamber and compel the attendance of Members for votes. In this body's early days, the Sergeant at Arms would circulate through the drinking houses of what was then known as Washington City, rounding up recalcitrant Members and dragging them--sometimes by the coattails--back to the Senate Chamber.

Perhaps today's members do a slightly better job showing up for votes. To my knowledge, Bill Pickle has never had to bodily drag any of my colleagues in for a vote, but that has not made his job easier.

Today's Sergeant at Arms is part security specialist, part corporate executive, and part management information systems administrator, and that is just part of it. Every day, the Sergeant at Arms' office must deal with the demands of 100 opinionated, demanding men and women, thousands of American citizens, officials from every part of our own Government, and people from around the world.

The duties that fall under his office range from running our recording studio to serving on the board that oversees the U.S. Capitol Police, but one thing unites them all their ability to connect this body to the people of this Nation.

Through his leadership, his courage, and his vision, against immense challenges, Bill Pickle has kept this building and this body open and accessible to the people we serve.

During the whole of Bill Pickle's time in office, our Nation has been at war against Islamic fascists, enemies who wish to strike at the principles of openness and democratic governance that this body represents. And he has kept us safe. Not a single serious assault has occurred on this body during his time in office. The Capitol is safer than it has ever been. For that alone, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.

Every time his office has faced a challenge. Bill Pickle has risen to the occasion. Time after time, he has tackled difficult tasks with aplomb. He preside over a necessary expansion of the Capitol Police, appointed the Senate's first chief information officer, helped

oversee expansion of our computer networks needed to deal with the ever-growing stream of e-mail sent to our offices, and, of course, the demands to keep the Senate accessible amidst ever-changing security requirements. In short, he has realized the goals he set out for himself on his first day of work: Providing State-of-the art technology and world class security.

He has won the respect and admiration of people throughout the Senate, members of both parties.

Bill has taken continuity planning and security to a new level for us in the Senate, and I know his successor, our former police chief, Terry Gainer, will follow Bill's lead on these critical issues.

As a person with a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, I trust that Mr. Pickle will not mind if I paraphrase the great American police chief, August Vollmer. In his service to the Senate, I believe, Bill Pickle has shown ``the wisdom of Solomon, the courage of David, the leadership of Moses, the strategic thinking of Alexander the Great, and the diplomacy of Lincoln.''

Bill Pickle: I thank you, the Senate thanks you, and the Nation thanks you.

Mr. President, a few days ago, an extraordinary Tennessean, Dolly Parton, received one of the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors. As a singer, a songwriter, an actress, a television producer, and an entrepreneur, she has emerged as one of the preeminent cultural figures of our era. Her life story, her talent, and her rise to success can serve as an inspiration for all Americans.

Dolly Parton, in fact, could turn out to be the last prominent American actually born in a log cabin. She was born at home on January 19, 1946. Growing up, by her own description, ``dirt poor,'' in east Tennessee's town of Sevierville, her family of 14 lived in a hand-built log house. She discovered her gift for singing in church, gave public performances before she turned 10, recorded her first tracks at age 12, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry at 13. Well-known country artists recorded her original compositions before she turned 20. Her own recordings hit the country charts for the first time with the song ``Dumb Blonde'' in 1966. Today, she has recorded more No. 1 Billboard hits than any other female artist ever and received 25 gold, platinum, and multiplatinum honors. She has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, seven Grammy Awards, and two Oscar nominations. Her unique personal style and her sense of humor have influenced Americans across the country.

Since 1986, her theme park, Dollywood, has generated thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in the Great Smokey Mountains. As one of the most visited theme parks in the country, Dollywood now serves as an economic anchor for east Tennessee. Today, a statue of her sits Sevierville's town square. She has also given back: Her Imagination Library charitable program has shared her love of reading with millions of children around the United States.

Dolly Parton stands as one of the most influential living Tennesseans. We all owe her a debt of gratitude.

I must close in expressing my strong agreement with sentiments about her own musical genre: ``If you talk bad about country music, it's like saying bad things about my momma. Them's fightin' words.''

Dolly Parton: I thank you. America thanks you.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 864, which we received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent the Enzi amendment at the desk be agreed to, that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged and the Senate proceed to the immediate en bloc consideration of the following postal naming bills:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 3990 and the bill be placed on the Senate Calendar.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 586, S. 3546.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee- reported amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 622, H.R. 854.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 641, H.R. 4588.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 4092, introduced earlier today.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 4093, introduced earlier today by Senator Harkin.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 625 which was submitted earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 511, S. 2735.

I ask unanimous consent that the amendment at the desk be agreed to, the committee-reported amendment, as amended, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third timed and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 654, S. 3718.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.

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