Wayne Allard

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, when Lavenia McCoy arrived in Bayfield in 1939 as new teacher, she also went to the library to volunteer. She has served that library continuously: from the small space behind the post office, to the town hall on the east side of the post office, to the entire 1100-square-foot building at the corner of Mill and Pearl Streets, to the new 8200-square-foot library on the north side of town. Lavenia McCoy was the first person in Bayfield to catalog books by the Dewey Decimal System, a change for the alphabetical order by author's last name of the 500 or so books. She began serving on the Library Board in 1948, at the behest of Betty Stock, as secretary. About 35 years later, Lavenia McCoy became treasurer, including keeping the library's financial records; she did that until 2006. By then the budget had increased from pennies for overdue fees to several million dollars, the staff from all volunteer to six paid librarians, the circulation from a few shelves of books to 20,000 volumes, and the financial records from ledger to computer. Always she encouraged folks to use their library. Lavenia McCoy is a lifelong library user, and she is one who is willing to do the work in order to enjoy the privilege. In 2005, the Library Board named its new library ``Lavenia McCoy Public Library'' in recognition of her contribution. I wanted to take a moment to congratulate her and her service.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Senator Crapo you have been a strong advocate for renewable energy for years, and I am sure are looking forward to cochairing the caucus. Do you have any comments?

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about a subject that is near and dear to my heart, the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. Would the distinguished gentlemen from North Dakota and Idaho engage in a colloquy with me on this topic?

Mr. ALLARD. I thank my colleagues. The need for a strong renewable energy policy has never been more timely. This is something I have worked on for many years. As a member of the House of Representatives I was a member of the House Renewable Energy Caucus, and when I was elected to the Senate, discovered that no such similar caucus existed here. So I, along with Senators Jeff Bingaman, Tim Johnson, Jim Jeffords, and Bob Kerry, founded the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. The caucus is still going strong today with leadership from Senator Byron Dorgan, Senator Joe Lieberman, and myself. It is a nonpartisan group that strives to increase awareness of the various forms of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in the United States. I have been honored to serve as the Republican cochair since the inception of the Senate caucus, during this time we have seen the caucus membership grow and today more than a third of the Senate is a member. The caucus has hosted numerous events and briefings and helped hundreds of renewable energy groups display their ideas and technologies. It has also been a forum for sharing thousands of news articles relating to renewable energy and energy efficiency. As many of you know, I am retiring from the Senate at the end of this term and will no longer serve as cochair of the caucus. I am proud of the work that the caucus has done, and I am confident it will continue to do great work in the future. I know it will do great work in the future because it will have strong leadership. I greatly appreciate the work of the other cochairs, Senators Dorgan and Lieberman. They have a remarkable dedication to renewable energy. With the addition of the new Republican cochair, I have no doubt that the caucus will be as strong as ever. The man replacing me on the caucus is an ardent advocate for renewable energy, Senator Mike Crapo. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Crapo has helped craft successful legislation to provide tax credits for production and investment in renewable energy such as wind, solar, and geothermal, and as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, he supported expanded usage of renewable biofuels. Senator Crapo also represents a State that is passionate about renewable energy and energy efficiency. The State of Idaho has received awards for its dedication to renewable energy and cutting edge research is taking place every day at the fine colleges and universities in Idaho.

Mr ALLARD

Mr ALLARD. Senator Dorgan, you have helped me cochair the caucus for several years, and your efforts have been invaluable. Do you share my estimation that Senator Crapo will make a strong co-chair?

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I wanted to take a moment to say how much I have appreciated the friendship of Ted Stevens. He and his wife are a wonderful team. Since I was elected a short--to him--12 years ago, it has been truly enjoyable to work with Ted on the numerous western issues before this body. Often, those issues correspond to Alaska issues, working for a strong military, missile defense, sound land management practices, energy development. He has been very helpful to Colorado. I have particularly admired his work for our Nation's military. Ted and I worked together, and worked hard, on missile defense. He was an appropriator, I was an authorizer. I should also say, he was a titan of the Senate, I was a freshman Senator. So the workload was a little unfair, in my favor. But we, along with many others, got the missile defense established. I am delighted that after such a rocky fight the system is now a cornerstone of not only our national defense, but of our NATO relationship as well. European militaries understand the value of what we can do, and what protections we can afford them. Ted saw this, he knew what the results would be, and he shouldered the burden, fought the fight, and dragged the system into reality. I have had the pleasure of helping Ted raise money for his conservation efforts on the World Famous Kenai River. I have been fortunate enough to join him on the river. I had the even greater fortune to win his annual tournament a couple times. Some rivers are just lucky for some fisherman, and while I might wish my lucky river is a little closer to home than Kenai, AK, being lucky on a river famous for its prize salmon is not so bad. And what he is doing for that river, his conservation efforts, is remarkable. I have noticed a difference between my first visit and my last. My wife Joan and I wish Ted and his wife Catherine the best. God Bless.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, what is the regular order of business?

Mr. ALLARD. I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, first, I wish to thank the Senator from New Hampshire who just spoke for his leadership in the Congress, and it has been a pleasure serving with him. I also will be retiring, but one of the people I will miss is John Sununu from New Hampshire, because I think he has contributed a lot to the process. I wish to also take a moment to bring to your attention and the attention of my colleagues an issue I have worked hard to address in legislation I proposed this Congress. The issue is identity theft. I was hopeful Congress would pass legislation that addresses the problem of unauthorized foreign workers stealing Social Security numbers and then using the numbers to obtain employment and then, eventually, accruing Social Security benefits. Almost 2 years ago, I introduced S. 699. It is legislation that facilitated the sharing of existing information among government agencies in instances where the infrastructure, if shared, could expose cases of identity fraud. Unfortunately, my bill stalled in committee and has not since received further action. Congress's failure to enact such legislation is disappointing, because it has left in place existing law which is ineffectual in deterring unauthorized foreign workers from stealing the identity of citizens--that is Americans--and nationals. Individuals continue to engage in this activity in violation of our criminal laws as well as our immigration laws while also defrauding Social Security and citizens. Identity theft continues to plague our country at an alarming rate. If there was ever any doubt, let last week's discovery--in Weld County, Colorado--of 1,300 stolen Social Security numbers by illegal immigrants serve as a reminder of the pervasiveness of this problem. A single additional case of an unauthorized worker stealing a U.S. citizen's identity is one case too many, for it is well within the Federal Government's ability to stop this rampant problem. If my legislation had been enacted, the 1,300 illegal aliens using fraudulent Social Security numbers and resulting in more than $2.6 million in stolen tax dollars would have caught the attention of law enforcement much sooner. Last week, after an intense and lengthy investigation by the Weld County Sheriff s Office, the Greeley Police Department, and District Attorney Ken Buck's office, a series of arrests began in a case that is far-reaching and has national implications. What is upsetting is that Congress has had foresight about the devastating effects of identity theft. We have also been educated, notably by Secretary Chertoff, of the susceptibility for citizens' identities to be stolen by aliens that are in the United States illegally and without authorization to work. I introduced legislation that recognizes the compelling need to modify the law in order to allow our Government both to enforce immigration laws and also protect the victims of identity theft. Under the current law, by the time identity theft is discovered, the damage has already been done. For instance, an 84-year-old Grand Junction woman was deemed ineligible for Federal housing assistance because her Social Security number was being used at a variety of jobs in Denver, making her income too high to qualify. Several individuals had been using her I.D. number, and each individual's salary was then being reported to Social Security. As a result, her income was recorded much higher than what she was receiving. If the discrepancy had been discovered earlier, before she had applied for her housing grants, there would have been an opportunity to address the disparity before she became a victim twice over. What is incredible is that the Federal Government, specifically the Internal Revenue Service, is enabling this. Under current policy, the IRS is under no obligation to share information with other agencies upon the discovery of a Social Security number being used with multiple names or in the case where it is discovered that an individual has more than one person reporting earnings for him or her during a single tax year. I propose to allow the Commissioner of Social Security to share information with the Secretary of Homeland Security, where such information is likely to assist in discovering identity theft, Social Security misuse or violations of immigration law. It is worth noting Secretary Chertoff supports my proposal, believing it is a practical solution that overcomes the current limitations on information sharing. Despite the force of these arguments supporting legislation that tears down the wall that prevents the sharing of existing information among Government agencies, Congress has so far rejected Secretary Chertoff's call for a legislative solution. The 1,300 cases of suspected stolen identities exposed in Weld County alone were brought to light after authorities discovered that an illegal immigrant accused of stealing and using a man's Social Security number to get jobs, loans, and other services, had also been filing and receiving tax returns from the Federal Government. It did not take long for investigators to come to the realization that this particular illegal immigrant's suspected use of stolen identity was not an isolated case. As it turns out, these 1,300 other illegal immigrants filed tax returns using the same tax preparer based in Greeley. This is one tax preparer handling 1,300 fraudulent returns. Take a moment and consider the 1,300 illegal aliens' tax returns, which yielded $2.6 million in tax refunds, were handled by a single tax preparer; now consider the number of tax preparers nationwide and the exorbitant amount of tax dollars--likely in the billions--distributed among illegal aliens using fraudulent Social Security numbers. The way our system works, the tax preparer is relieved of liability, absent reckless misrepresentation or a finding of exceptional negligence. With whom should the liability lie? The obvious answer is the illegal alien guilty of stealing someone else's identity. But what happens to the helpless victim of the identity theft? Shouldn't our law protect the person who has had their identity compromised, and shouldn't our Federal agencies be required to communicate information about an individual's compromised identity before the individual is robbed of opportunities such as taking out a student loan, purchasing a home, or purchasing tools or equipment with a small business loan? Shouldn't we do all that we can to prevent law-abiding citizens falling victim to identity theft? Occurrences of identity theft perpetrated by illegal immigrants have risen and will continue to rise as better systems are developed for verifying employment. Illegal immigrants will continue to assume the names and Government-issued ID numbers of American citizens in order to thwart detection at workplaces, get driver's licenses and obtain credit. Once a person takes a job in the U.S., one of the first things his employer will likely ask for is his Social Security number. The integrity of the immigration system depends on the genuineness of our efforts to protect citizens from immigrant-related identity fraud. Identity theft prevention and immigration enforcement will be greatly enhanced by legislation that permits the sharing of social security data among agencies. The Weld County Tax I.D. case is just the tip of the iceberg. If more than 1,300 illegal immigrants can receive more than $2.6 million in tax refunds using stolen Social Security numbers in a community of 100,000 people, how many other cases exist throughout the country? It adds insult to injury that a legislative solution is easily within reach of Congress. I know we have a lot on our plate this week, but I would ask the Senate to act to close this loophole. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I wish to address the report to Congress of the Independent Assessment Panel on the Organization and Management of National Security Space, which was released on Tuesday, September 16. The Institute for Defense Analyses, led by Mr. A. Thomas Young and a team of six qualified and experienced experts, undertook this project to provide the Congress with a comprehensive assessment of the state of our national space policy, especially as it relates to our national security and our position as the global leader in space. I raised concerns in 2006 when then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld suggested that the commander of Air Force Space Command, based in Colorado Springs, should be downgraded from the four-star level to three stars. I reminded the Secretary that space is critical to our Armed Forces; that nearly every military operation we carry out makes use of assets in space in one way or another, be it using our satellites to locate the position of the enemy, providing instant communications, or gathering dependable intelligence. I was pleased the Pentagon opted not to institute this troublesome proposal. Following this episode, I authored legislation in the 2007 Defense authorization bill to establish a new space commission, similar to the 2001 Commission to Assess U.S. National Security Space Management and Organization. I wanted an independent panel of space, intelligence, and military experts to study, analyze, and make recommendations to the Congress on the current state and future vision of America's national space agenda. This review began last fall, and I am pleased that it was completed in a timely manner. The panel began their report articulating what I have always understood to be true, that U.S. leadership in space is paramount to the preservation of our national security. It is key to our lasting ability to ward off modern and unexpected threats against our homeland or our allies and essential to maintaining our economic superiority in the ever-changing information age. Most importantly, the report reinforced that space-based technology is essential to our intelligence gathering and warfighting capabilities. As such, according to the panel, and I agree, updating and modernizing our national space policy and its related personnel structure must be a top priority. America's willingness and capacity to continue to lead in space provides our Nation with a priceless strategic advantage that will pay dividends for generations to come. As a result of their extensive research and thorough investigations, the panel uncovered what they believed were fundamental structural and organizational flaws with the Federal Government's space sector. Such flaws include major management problems, poor communication among and between involved agencies, a lack of proper oversight and direction, a lack of expert professional personnel, and a host of others. The panel also recognized a scary reality--space technology is rapidly proliferating to all corners of the Earth, and America is not keeping up with its space competitors. This proliferation, combined with our space industry bogged down by aging legacy space projects that take vital resources away from newer, more modern projects, has taken its toll on our competitive edge with China and other emerging nations. Although some of these and other deficiencies were recognized and exposed by the 2001 Space Commission, drastic measures to adequately deal with the problems uncovered were not proposed and undertaken. This panel, however, took an alternate route and recommended bold proposals to redirect and radically improve our national space agenda. The panel recommends, and again I agree, that America needs a top-to-bottom overhaul to restore the vitality of our space programs and regain and sustain the competitive advantages afforded the United States by our preeminence in space. In no uncertain terms, the panel outlined a bold new vision for the future of America's role in space. It laid out four suggestions of significant substance to restructure our approach to space and realign our defense, intelligence, and commercial priorities as they relate to space. First, it calls for the President to create and implement a truly national space strategy. The President should announce to the American people that he is updating and modernizing America's space program immediately and elevating its priority status to the top tier of the national agenda. The panel recommends the President reestablish the National Space Council in the Executive Office of the President, under the leadership of the National Security Advisor, to implement the new strategy and coordinate its activities with the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, NASA, and other responsible agencies. This will provide one of the President's top advisers with the power to assign responsibilities, set priorities, and break through the barriers to cooperation that have stymied progress on key space programs in the past. Second, the panel believes that no one is really in charge of the national space agenda. They discovered that in the midst of so much bureaucracy and competing authorities, regrettably there has been no one at the helm. This needs to change. The authorities and responsibilities for all Government space programs are spread widely throughout the Pentagon and within various intelligence agencies. Therefore, the panel recommends the creation of a National Security Space Authority that will be responsible to the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence. The proposed arrangement is needed to remedy the ruinous deficiencies in the current system, including the frequent inability to reconcile budget priorities and the common failure to ensure that innovative acquisition program requirements are affordable and integrated across military and intelligence space domains. Third, the panel recommends to strip the National Reconnaissance Office and the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center of their status as traditional, independent entities and incorporate their personnel and functions, as well as the functions of other parts of the Air Force Space Command, into a single National Security Space Organization. Under unified leadership, this organization could allow all the space experts to work more effectively together. The panel recommends this path because it most effectively utilizes the scarce talent available to achieve our Nation's goals in space. Under this type of organizational structure, the Government's space management team can focus on installing best engineering and acquisition practices, including early systems engineering and cost estimating. I am not sure I agree yet with this recommendation, but I think it does warrant serious consideration by the Congress. It is true that the continual problem of space acquisition program delays, cost overruns, and cancellations has drained resources and caused America to rely heavily on satellite constellations that have matured beyond their original design lives. This is simply unacceptable, and I think the panel is correct when they say that small modifications to the status quo, which have been proposed time and again in the past, are not enough. A new and innovative organizational structure is a good idea, but the details of the panel's third recommendation need to be vetted before I can lend my full support. Finally, the panel suggests that the intelligence community and each of the military branches adopt and execute strategies for identifying, selecting, educating, training, and managing a sufficient number of Government experts and professionals to support the country's space acquisition obligations. The careers of these space acquisition and technical professionals should be designed and administered so that they can provide continuity for the execution of long-term projects, while remaining eligible and competitive for career advancement. It is unrealistic to expect that we can modernize our space strategy and succeed in developing complex space systems without enough technically capable and sufficiently experienced Government scientists, engineers, and acquisition experts that are immersed in the space arena and assigned to see projects through to completion. These types of professionals are critical to the success of our future endeavors in space. Throughout my time in the Congress I have fully supported science- related education. This support includes space, defense, and national security studies as well. For example, I have supported funding requests for the Center for Space and Defense Studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The mission of this center is to build and define space policy studies curriculum for the undergraduate cadets. I have long supported the Center for Geosciences and Atmospheric Research at my alma mater, Colorado State University. This center is a national resource for the Department of Defense in the areas of atmospheric and hydrologic research, which are both critical to our national security. America needs more engineers, physicists, rocket scientists, mathematicians, and the like. We need them now and in the coming decades more than we ever have in the past. The future of our national security and defense capabilities rests with our ability to recruit, train, and equip more and more Americans with the critical knowledge and know-how of the hard sciences. The first step is making this type of education a top national priority, and it is my hope that America's future leaders will do so. Mr. President, I appreciate all four and fully support three of the panel's suggestions for the improvement of our national space strategy. In my opinion, if we fail to act on these recommendations, we face the possibility that our preeminence in space will erode to the point at which we will no longer enjoy a significant competitive national security advantage in an all-important global arena. Along with the American people, I am indebted to the panel for their hard and thoughtful work on this study. Their discoveries and suggestions for improvement are invaluable. It is my hope that the next Congress and the next administration will take a serious look at this study and craft an aggressive and coherent strategy for America's future presence in space.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr, President, throughout the past 3 years the Colorado Drug Investigators Association, DIA, has united peace officers and other professionals who share a common interest in illegal and illicit drug enforcement. Through the leadership of State president Ernest Martinez, State vice president, Jerry Peters, regional vice presidents David Arcady, Rick Needham, Brian Roman, Rob Pride, Kevin Hathaway, at- large members Janelle Crain, Mechele Berge, Sandra Evans, Rick Millwright, Gary Graham, Kelly Horton, Jim Welton, Francis Gonzales, and Ron Hollingshead, the Colorado Drug Investigators Association continues to unite into one organization all Colorado peace officers and individuals committed to protecting the State from all drug-related crime. This organization provides comprehensive counternarcotics training for all members in all aspects of drug enforcement and continues to educate and recommend legislation favorable to effective drug enforcement in Colorado. It recognizes the critical importance of information exchange and actively facilitates this communication between members of the association on the movements of drug violators and new and innovative techniques used by either the criminals or law enforcement. In addition, the Colorado Drug Investigators Association, through cultural, legislative, political, fraternal, educational, charitable, welfare and social activities, fosters an atmosphere of cooperation and information sharing among all law enforcement in Colorado, private industry and the public. I believe the CDIA represents a valuable tool in the fight against drug-related crime and express my appreciation to all association members for their commitment to the safety and security for the citizens of Colorado.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I object. There is objection on the Republican side.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I object. The Banking Committee is working on new language which has not yet been cleared.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I wish to make a comment about the Senator from Rhode Island before he leaves the floor. I have had the distinct privilege of serving with my colleague on a number of committees during my tenure in the Senate. I want the people of Rhode Island to know what a class act he is in representing their State in the Senate. It has been a thrill to be able to work with him on issues. We were on a couple subcommittees together and actually shared the chairmanship and ranking position depending on who was in control of the Congress at that time, whether it was Republicans or Democrats: the Personnel Subcommittee and the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, both very important subcommittees in the Armed Services Committee. Then we found ourselves on the Banking Committee. We found ourselves again working as the top Republican and top Democrat on housing and mass transit issues. We worked together on transit security issues. And now we are together on the Securities, Insurance and Investment subcommittee. Senator Jack Reed from Rhode Island comes from a different part of the country. He has different issues that are important to him. I come from the West. I have different issues that are important to me. But we were able to find a lot of commonality and work together in a professional way. I attribute a lot of that to the high moral standards, dedication, and ability to work with others of my good friend from Rhode Island, Jack Reed. I want him to know what a pleasure it has been for me to be able to serve on the various committees with him through my tenure in the Senate. I am getting ready to retire with the close of this session. So I wished to make a few comments and to recognize a few people whom I have appreciated working with, and particularly I wish to recognize Senator Jack Reed from Rhode Island because he is a topnotch Senator and somebody I have enjoyed working with.

Mr. ALLARD. I thank the Senator very much. The Senator from Rhode Island is one individual I am going to miss being able to work with. Mr. President, I wish to make some remarks about leaving the Senate, but I do see the top Republican is here.

Mr. ALLARD. Yes.

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, that does not create a problem for me and, I say to the Senator, I appreciate your willingness to come down and say a few words. When you are finished, I also would like to say how much I have appreciated your leadership on the Republican side. I think you have been a superb leader. I think we have been fortunate to have your leadership in the Senate during some very tough times. A lot of leaders have come and gone. I have always felt comfortable in supporting you all along. Sometimes I can be frustrating because of my commitments to my constituents and maybe my commitment to my issues, but you have been very tolerant of me, and I appreciate that very much. I yield the floor to the top Republican.

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Kentucky for his more than generous remarks. Joan and I have been thrilled to have been able to work with you and your lovely wife on many issues. The people of Colorado need to know I got things done in this body because of your help and your assistance. Many times we shared common issues that we wanted to see move forward. But lots of times you were more than generous in giving me an opportunity to put forth my bills and my arguments on various bills, and I will forever be thankful for that. I think the country needs to know that in your wife and you we have two great leaders in this country. I brag about both of you when I get back to Colorado and talk about those people who I think have made a huge influence on this country and have set a great example for Americans. So I thank you. I thank you for your continued leadership. I look forward to your continuing to serve in this body. America needs you, and the people of Kentucky ought to be thankful they have such a fine Senator.

Mr. ALLARD. I thank the Republican leader.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I would like to now wrap up with a few comments. I have now spent 12 years in the Senate, 18 years in the Congress all together, when you consider the 6 years I served in the House of Representatives. I can say it has been a great experience. In my view, I have represented the best State in the Union. We refer to it as the ``Centennial State'' because it joined the Union exactly 100 years after we became the United States. It has always been enjoyable to talk to my colleagues and talk to visitors to the Capitol about my State of Colorado because they have usually had great experiences when they have visited my State. It is a tourist attraction. We have a lot of things that bring people to Colorado. It is a beautiful State. People have great vacations when they go there, and they are more than anxious to share their wonderful experiences with me, share the wonderful and welcoming attitude they experienced from the people of Colorado, and share with me how much they have enjoyed visiting the great State of Colorado. And, when people get tired of talking about the great State of Colorado, we have always been able to talk about their favorite cat or their favorite dog because, as a veterinarian, it has always been a common interest among many of my colleagues in the Senate, as well as visitors to our office, to talk to me about their favorite pet. So it has been a wonderful experience. This is the greatest legislative body in the world. It is an honor to serve here. There are a lot of dedicated employees who have helped me get things done in this body. They put their own political preferences aside and thought of the well-being of the institution. They have always been very polite and most supportive and helpful. I wish to thank them. I have had great employees in my office. I wish to mention that you get things done because of the people with whom you surround yourself. I have two members who are currently on my staff who have served with me since I was first elected to the Congress. I was elected to the House of Representatives in 1990. They came in with me and worked with me on the House side for 6 years and then they came over here and continued to work in my office for the last 12 years. I appreciate their dedication. Those kinds of people don't come along everyday. They spent 18 years with me, bless their souls. The two I speak of are Sean Conway and Doris Morgan. Both of them have been dedicated staff people who have helped to make my service to the people of Colorado successful. There are also some staffers who joined me after I became a Senator in 1997, in addition to the two I mentioned, including Andy Merritt, who is now my State director; Dick Poole, who is one of my top staff people; Tewana Wilkerson, who has helped me on the Banking Committee; and Kris Hanisch, who has helped us balance our books as well as helping us to move through the maze here in the Senate. We do have our own little bureaucracy in the Senate. She knows it and understands it and has helped us move through it. She has been my office manager and has kept us on the straight and narrow. I appreciate the dedication of all of the employees who have worked with me. I have a great group of employees currently serving me in my office. We have had a number of people who have come and gone, but I never felt it was because they were disappointed in having to work in our office. When I talked to people who came to work as employees in my office, I would say: If your ultimate goal is to work in a Senate office, I want you to rethink your goals. I want you to get an experience here that will help you grow once you leave the Senate, so you can be a better citizen, so you can contribute more fully to whatever path you decide to assume once you leave this great body and leave our office. So I have always tried to encourage them to think about where they want to go. We have had employees who have worked in my office, continued their education, and have become very outstanding. I have a number of former staff people who are actually serving in elected office; I think some five or six people right now who are serving. They decided to go back to Colorado and pursue elected office. I congratulate them, as they are very active citizens in their communities. I wish to mention some of the committee chairmen I have had an opportunity to work with. One of the committees I was successful in getting on was the Budget Committee, with Pete Domenici as chairman, and then Judd Gregg following him, and now we have Senator Kent Conrad. All of these chairmen have been very gracious and helpful in working with me on issues. Then I have had the chance to serve on the Armed Services Committee. Senator John Warner, a great friend, and somebody who is retiring and who has been very helpful, served as the chairman of that committee while I was on the Armed Services Committee. I also served on the Banking Committee. The first chairman I served under was Phil Gramm and then Richard Shelby and now Chris Dodd. I have to say I have been blessed with great leadership on all of those committees. I also served on the Intelligence Committee. I served with Senator Shelby, who was chairman, and Senator Kerrey who was ranking member at the time I served on the Intelligence Committee. Now I serve on a different committee this Congress, the HELP Committee. It deals with health, education, pension and labor issues. My well-known colleague here in the Senate, Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts, is chairman of that committee. He is a wonderful person and someone whom I greatly appreciate and who has spent a lot of time in Colorado, I might say. I also serve with my very good friend who was chairman of that committee for a while, Senator Enzi. I couldn't ask for a better friend. He is from Wyoming, a neighbor of Colorado. So we had many issues in common, and both Joan and I consider Diana and Mike Enzi as our very good friends. Pete Domenici I wish to say a few things about those people who are retiring, starting with Senator Pete Domenici, who I mentioned was my chairman on the Budget Committee. I have worked with him also on the Appropriations Committee. I worked with him on energy issues and issues that are common to New Mexico and the State of Colorado. His service here in the Senate has been remarkable and dedicated. The West has been blessed that we have had such a good spokesman as Senator Domenici out there, carrying many of the issues that are important to his neighboring States, as well as New Mexico. The institution will miss him. I am sure New Mexico will miss him. I consider it an honor and a pleasure to have served with him. John Warner Senator Warner I mentioned earlier. We couldn't ask for a greater statesman. He has made a number of trips to Colorado. I worked with him on the Defense Authorization bill. He has been more than considerate and helpful to those issues that are important to Colorado. He has been supportive on matters that we worked on for Fort Carson and for Peterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Academy and the many other issues involving the military and military installations we have in Colorado. He has been tough at times, but his leadership has been greatly appreciated by me. I think the Senate and the country have been blessed because Senator Warner has been willing to dedicate so much of his time and effort to making this a better country, a stronger country. He is somebody I am very proud to have been able to serve with. Larry Craig Also retiring is Senator Larry Craig from Idaho, another westerner with whom I found a lot in common. He and I both have strong agricultural roots. He has been a very strong advocate of those issues important to the West and his State of Idaho. Again, I have appreciated working with him on national park issues and public lands issues. He is a superb individual. Chuck Hagel Another individual I wish to recognize who is retiring is Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska; again, one of the neighboring States of Colorado. The State of Nebraska is downstream from Colorado. So we have ribbed each other a little bit about water issues. Basically, though, we have been partners on water issues. We have been able to work together on many issues that have improved the management of water in the Platte River drainage system, which is one of the many rivers that originates in Colorado and flows downstream. I also worked with Senator Hagel on the Banking Committee. He was one who pushed early on for the reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He brought to this institution a great deal of experience. Again, he has decided to retire the same year as I have. I will always remember Senator Chuck Hagel and our relationship and how we have been able to work together, I think for the betterment of both of our States. I would be remiss if I didn't brag about my partner and my wife, Joan Allard. Joan has spent much of her time being with me, whether I have been in Colorado or here in the Senate. Senator Mitch McConnell talked about the town meetings she attended. She attended about as many of those town meetings as I. It has been kind of embarrassing at times because sometimes the number of people who came just to see her in the back of the room was large and they were having more fun back there than I was, up front trying to conduct the meeting. People loved Joan as they got to know her throughout the State of Colorado. Her dedication to me and to her family and the people of Colorado is remarkable and unique. We are known as partners here in the Senate. Wherever I go, Joan is very close by, and people are used to seeing us both at receptions. Many times I was invited to events where they wanted me to come alone. I said: No, I want my wife with me, and if you can't accept my wife, maybe we won't make the reception, because she is somebody who I didn't want to be divorced from this process. She has been willing to make a personal commitment in time and in supporting me in my work. So I wanted to make sure that the responsibilities of serving in the Senate didn't drive a wedge between what a wonderful relationship we have had. She worked side by side with me at the veterinary hospital. We worked and met the challenges of raising two wonderful daughters whom we are very proud of, and now we are seeing grandsons coming up. So I couldn't have asked for a more dedicated wife. We still have a lot ahead of us. I am very pleased that she was willing to take an interest in my job of representing the people of Colorado. The first vote I took in the House and in the Congress was on whether to authorize the first Gulf War in 1991. That was a tough vote. I have now possibly cast my last vote on the economic bailout or the stabilization act we voted on yesterday. So my congressional career has been bookended by hugely significant votes that have humbled me in terms of the trust the people of Colorado have granted. I wish to thank the people of Colorado who have been supportive and who have expressed their views to me in my town meetings, letters, e-mails, faxes, and phone calls. My office has sent out roughly 2.1 million constituent letters since I was sworn in. I say honestly that I relish every opportunity to hear from and explain myself to the people of Colorado. Even those who weren't supportive and who expressed those views in town meetings, letters, e-mails, faxes and phone calls, I thank them for that. I have no regrets and leave this institution with a clear conscience. I feel as though I have been true to my campaign promises and have worked to hold down taxes, hold down spending, hold down the growth of government here in Washington, and I have fought to balance the budget. I feel as though I have worked to defend local control and keep America strong. I have kept in mind private property rights and the power of the State in managing its own water resources. It is time to say goodbye and wish my colleagues the very best, and to wish my successor, whoever that might be, the very best. It is time for Joan and me to move on, hopefully returning to a future in the private sector. I came to Washington with small business experience, and I hope to continue working in the business sector. The challenge, as I see it, is for future Congresses to protect the freedom that continues to create opportunity for us and future generations and to ensure that we have a secure America. May God bless America, and may God bless Congress's future endeavors. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, while the Senator from Idaho is on the floor, I made some comments earlier about the pleasure of being able to work with him in the Senate. I wish to also recognize the fine work he has done on energy. We certainly appreciate his work on that. Colorado is an energy-rich State. We have all forms of energy, not only fossil fuels but also wind and solar and geothermal. I think Senator Craig has been very sensitive to those. When working with the Senator from Idaho I felt like he truly had the Nation's interest in mind. It has been a pleasure for me to serve with Senator Craig, particularly on the Appropriations Committee. The Senator brought in a very competent staff and was himself extremely knowledgeable. As we leave this institution, I wish to thank the Senator from Idaho for all the work he did to help me along with legislation. What a privilege it has been to be able to know Senator Craig and work with him in the Senate. Also, I wish to recognize the Senator's hard work in the Senate. Senator Salazar was making some comments earlier on, talking about my retirement. I happened to have gone downstairs and grabbed a lunch and there he was. I also want the people of Colorado to know I have enjoyed working with Senator Salazar. We have not agreed on some of the national issues, but I think generally one thing we have agreed on is we need to work for Colorado. I think we have truly been partners in that effort. I appreciated the opportunity to get to know you. I'm reminded that when Colorado came into the Union, in 1876--we are known as the Centennial State--the Republicans were pretty much in control of everything. You see, Colorado is a State that is recognized as a swing State, it swings back and forth between the Republican and Democratic Parties. But at that particular time, there was a big effort to have a Senator from the north and a Senator from the south of our State. Similarly, today, I grew up about as far north as you can get in Colorado, Senator Salazar grew up about as far south as you can get in the State of Colorado. I think, at least in the spirit, and certainly in geographic location, we have been able to represent all of the State of Colorado and deal with those issues in a civil and responsible way. I wish to thank Senator Salazar publicly for his service to the State of Colorado and also want the people of Colorado to know I highly respect Senator Ken Salazar, who is sitting in the chair right now, for his dedication and the rich heritage he has in the State of Colorado. I have appreciated the opportunity to serve with Senator Salazar in the State of Colorado and I wish the Senator well in future years.

Mr. ALLARD. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I object. I understand Senator Coburn has a hold.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. ALLARD

Mr. ALLARD. Madam President, I would like to associate myself with the remarks of Senators Kyl and Inhofe. I supported the Space Test Bed study requested by the President. I would have preferred to be here today urging that my fellow Senators keep an open mind until that study can begin providing data to policy makers. Yet there are those who refuse to study--even study--whether space- based interceptors can offer added defensive capability against ballistic missile threats to the United States, our allies, our deployed forces, even our national security space systems. As a result, this space interceptor study is the best we could get out of the Congress this year. Let there be no mistake, this is an important step forward. I am pleased to have been able to help to push this study across the finish line. I urge the Secretary of Defense to move quickly to get this study underway so that the next administration and the next Congress can build on today's study and finally move past the ivory tower debate about the weaponization of space.