Max Baucus

Mr. BAUCUS

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 I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, we are on the jobs and tax bill, but we seem not to be making a lot of progress tonight. Senators are under no constraint to come to the floor and say what is on their minds about any subject under the Sun. I wish to address a couple remarks given by Senators recently. Most recently, I share the concerns of the Senator from Texas about the debt that is owned by lots of different folks, not just Americans but owned by foreigners. He made special reference to China. I think it would be better if the United States could avoid borrowing so much. It is unfortunate the United States has borrowed a lot to run its affairs. So have other countries, I might add. It is not just the United States. There are many countries, regrettably, that have overborrowed. Greece comes to mind, as do other European countries: Spain, Portugal, perhaps even Hungary. It is becoming quite a concern worldwide. It is one reason we have the Deficit Reduction Commission set up to figure out the proper way to reduce our deficits, which by definition would mean that other countries would be borrowing less from other countries. But I also think we need to act responsibly. The Senator from Texas sent a resolution--I think it is a resolution--which was pretty strongly worded in its implied criticism of China. It somewhat reminds me of the Pogo cartoon: We have met the enemy, and he is us. But, in any regard, we need to avoid taking actions that might unsettle bond markets in these very uncertain times. The markets are jittery right now. So I look forward to working with the Senator from Texas to improve his amendment. We have to be very responsible on this subject and not cause a greater problem by acting too precipitously. On another matter, Madam President, just prior to the Senator from Texas speaking, the Senator from Wyoming addressed the Senate, and he delivered a full-throated diatribe against health care reform. He called his attack ``a second opinion.'' But instead of offering a second opinion, which he did not do at all, he delivered, frankly, the same old negative criticisms that many on his side of the aisle have been delivering since enactment of health care reform. Not one Republican voted for health care reform--not one--and that bill passed. We do live in a democracy. The majority vote rules. The President signed the bill. I would think that issue has been settled. Health care reform has been enacted into law, signed by the President. So I am a little confused as to why he still wants to criticize this bill so much, except he does say: Well, gee, it should be repealed. The Senator from Wyoming, for example, derided the antifraud provisions in the health care reform bill. He called them ``miniscule.'' But I might say, as a matter of fact, we advanced every antifraud provision we could possibly find. In the meantime, working with the Senator from Florida, Mr. LeMieux, we are also looking to find other antifraud provisions to cut back waste and get rid of the waste in our health care system. But we needed the health care reform law to pass so we can weed out that waste, get rid of that waste, and to pass these antifraud provisions. If the Senator has another health care fraud measure, I sure would like to hear it. It reminds me of that phrase: Where's the beef. He keeps criticizing, but I hear no solutions. I hear no alternatives. I am a little surprised at that because he is my neighbor. We in Montana know a lot of folks in Wyoming, and we like to think we are people who do not just bellyache and complain but we are, rather, people who come up with positive solutions, constructive solutions, as good neighbors do. The Senator from Wyoming goes on further to say that the President's nominee to head CMS ``plans to ration care.'' This is simply a libel, Madam President. If the Senator were not protected by the speech and debate clause, he would be subject to a suit for slander. Certainly truth would not be a defense. The Senator from Wyoming uttered a slanderous statement. He is protected by the speech and debate clause of the Constitution of the United States, and that is about the only place he could make slanderous statements like that with impunity. The Senator from Wyoming says his ``second opinion'' is that Congress should repeal the new health care law--just repeal it. But by calling for repeal of health care reform, the Senator from Wyoming apparently seeks to repeal one of the biggest budget reduction measures in the decade. I say that because the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office tells us that health care reform will reduce the Federal deficit by one-half of 1 percent of GDP in its second decade. It will reduce the deficit. I would think the Senator from Wyoming would like to reduce the Federal budget deficit. I am quite certain he wants to reduce the Federal budget deficit. But if he asks for repeal of health care reform, I guess he no longer cares about reducing our Federal budget deficit. By calling for repeal of health care reform, the Senator from Wyoming seeks to repeal the law that reins in insurance companies. Boy, in the private market there is just so much abuse of individuals by insurance companies. By calling for the repeal of health care reform, apparently the Senator from Wyoming wants to bring back the ability of insurance companies to discriminate against people who have preexisting conditions, to discriminate against Americans who are denied insurance based upon some health care status or to go back and deal with the rating provisions of States where the States, unfortunately, allowed insurance companies to take advantage of certain groups of people. By calling for repeal of health care reform, apparently he seeks to bring back the doughnut hole and preserve it in the future. He seeks to continue hardships for seniors who need help paying for their prescriptions. Madam President, this health care reform bill closes the doughnut hole. What is the doughnut hole? That is the dollar amounts above which and under which people have to pay all their prescription drug benefits. When they get up to the doughnut hole, they get a certain break. When they get above the doughnut hole, I guess 90 percent of their drugs are paid for--something like that. But within the doughnut hole, if you are a senior, you do not get any help. Apparently, the Senator from Wyoming says: Oh, that is fine. Those people don't deserve to get any breaks in their prescription drug benefits. He wants to repeal health care reform, so the effect of that would be: Seniors, you are not going to get any help. Sorry. No help in the doughnut hole. By calling for repeal of health care reform, the Senator from Wyoming seeks to eliminate the tax credits that the new law will give Americans to help them buy insurance. I guess he does not care about that, the Senator from Wyoming. He does not want to give people tax credits. He does not want to give people tax credits to help them buy insurance. And by calling for repeal of health care reform, the Senator seeks nothing less than the continuation of a system where millions of Americans struggle, struggle by, struggle without health insurance, struggle without quality health care. They struggle because of greater pain and discomfort and greater risk of early death. I could go on and on and on and on as to the reasons the Senator from Wyoming's so-called second opinion is defective, to say the least. I know some on the other side oppose health care reform. But this is, as I mentioned earlier, a democracy. In our country, the majority generally determines whether a law passes. Congress and the President enacted health care reform, and I wish my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would just stop fighting the last war--stop fighting the last war. Rather, let us try to find opportunities to work together to improve the law together. Let's leave behind the politics of destruction. Let's work together to build a better health care system for America because, after all, we are here to help the people who sent us here. The people who sent us here want a better health care system than they now have. So let's work together to find that better solution. Let's not forget that health care is basically indiscriminate. Poor people, wealthy people get cancer. Women, men get cancer. Cancer strikes anybody. It does not make a difference whether you are a Republican or a Democrat. The same thing is true with any other health discomfort or condition. So I am just beside myself in trying to figure out why it is that the other side of the aisle just keeps attacking health care reform. The only conclusion I can come up with is they just want to stir up things. They want to cast all kinds of doubt and confusion in the minds of Americans, with respect to perhaps these elections coming up this next November. That is a conclusion I do not like to reach but, logically, it is the only one I can possibly come up with. I will say something else. This health care reform is going to be relitigated again when we in the Finance Committee take up the nomination of Don Berwick to be the new CMS Director. I know, as sure as I am standing here, those who voted against health care reform--and they all happen to be Republicans--are going to be just relitigating health care reform. They are going to accuse this administration of about anything under the Sun, including Don Berwick. It is going to be very unfortunate. It is my job--it is going to have to be as chairman of the committee--to try to keep the debate, if you will--it will not even be a debate; in part, it will be a diatribe in certain circumstances--to just keep the discussion, the debate on a constructive level so we can serve our country and serve our people. But I felt compelled to speak in the wake of the remarks by the Senator from Wyoming because they deserved a response. Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, we have had an interesting start today on the jobs-tax bill, but it has been fruitful and productive. We have four amendments pending. That is progress. Tomorrow, I want to move ahead and clear out the underbrush, if you will, to get those amendments disposed of. I have spoken with the leader, and we have agreed that it makes good sense to get those four amendments processed tomorrow morning before we do much else and that we go to other amendments subsequent to that. I hope we can get those amendments processed so that we can proceed.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, the Senator from Alabama took issue with the use of an emergency designation in the substitute before us. Let me take a moment to explain why that use of the emergency designation is entirely appropriate. First, the concluding section of the amendment designates two items as emergency items. Those items are unemployment insurance and additional payments to States under Medicaid. Both of these items are directly related to the economic emergency that we find ourselves in; namely, the great recession. From the beginning of emergency designations, with the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, Congress has recognized periods of recession as true emergencies, and that makes good economic sense as well. It makes good sense to allow automatic stabilizers such as unemployment insurance and Medicaid to spend more when the economy is in rough shape. Programs such as unemployment insurance and Medicaid help to cushion the blow for those hurt by bad economic times. Programs such as unemployment insurance and Medicaid help to increase economic demand, and that helps to keep the recession shorter than it otherwise would be. That is why the old Gramm-Rudman-Hollings law provided for exceptions to budget discipline in periods of recession. It is why the Budget Enforcement Act carried on that policy by allowing exceptions for budget emergencies, and budget resolutions have carried that policy further to the current day. The Senator from Alabama also took issue with the budgetary treatment of payments to doctors under Medicare. That provision is in our amendment, paying doctors at the end of next year. In our amendment, the provision on doctors' payments simply says this provision will be accounted for as Congress provided in the Pay-As-You-Go Act. This provision does not evade the budget law. This provision merely provides for this bill's treatment in accordance with the budget law. So the budgetary treatment of this bill is consistent with the budget law and it is entirely appropriate. The Senator from Alabama has once again offered his amendment to put caps on appropriated spending. That is basically the same amendment the Senate has repeatedly rejected. The Senator from Hawaii, the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee, will no doubt have more to say about this in due course. At this point let me note the Sessions amendment violates the Congressional Budget Act and I expect a point of order to be raised against the Sessions amendment later today. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the Sessions amendment be temporarily laid aside so the Senator from Maryland may offer an amendment.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following staff from the Finance Committee be allowed on the Senate floor for the duration of the debate on the tax extenders legislation: Logan Timmerhoff, Kathryn Spika, Logan Baker, Benjamin Furnas, John Merrick, Andrew Fishburn, Mary Baker, Emily Freeman, Drew Colling, Ellen Montz, Randy Aussenberg, and Jenn Rigger.

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following staff of the Finance Committee be allowed on the Senate floor for the duration of the debate on the tax extenders legislation: Greg Sullivan, Nicole Marchman, Chris Goble, and Claire Green.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, June 9; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate resume consideration of the House message with respect to H.R. 4213, the tax extenders legislation.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, Senators should expect rollcall votes in relation to amendments to the tax extenders legislation to occur throughout the day tomorrow.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be waived.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, a few moments ago, the Republican leader sought once again to throw mud at the new health care law that Congress enacted earlier this year. Let me take a moment to set the record straight. The Republican leader said the premiums would go up for some Americans. What the Republican leader did not say is the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that health care reform would lower premiums for the overwhelming majority of Americans. After taking into account the tax credits to help buy insurance, health insurance will cost less for 9 out of 10 Americans--no small amount. The Republican leader mocked the new payments to seniors the President is highlighting today; that is, the $250 for drug benefits. The President made the point that that is important for seniors. The truth is, seniors will welcome the help they will soon be receiving to pay for prescription drugs in their coverage gap, the so-called doughnut hole. Starting very soon seniors will receive $250 to help pay for their prescriptions. By the time health care reform is fully phased in, we will have completely eliminated the doughnut hole. This is something seniors care about very much. No longer will seniors have to choose between their rent and the prescriptions they need. No longer will seniors have to cut their pills in half just to get by. No longer will seniors live in unnecessary pain just because of drug costs. So the fact is, health care reform will help to control the costs in health care. Health care reform will reduce costs for the taxpayer over the decades to come. That is not my assertion, it is that of the Congressional Budget Office. Health care reform will increase access to lifesaving medical treatments for millions of Americans who all too often now must do without. Madam President, on the matter before us today, 15 million Americans have lost their jobs during this great recession. Although the unemployment rate came down some last month, it remains near 10 percent. At the depth of the great recession, during the first months of last year, the economy lost an average of 750,000 jobs a month. That is practically the population of my State. We have come a long way since then. Even if we exclude temporary census jobs, in the first 5 months of this year the economy has created nearly half a million new jobs. But we still have a lot more to do. We have to get more Americans back to work. We began doing just that with the Recovery Act. We enacted that as one of the first things the new Congress did in February of last year. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Recovery Act increased by between 1.2 million and 2.8 million the number of Americans employed. We continued getting more Americans back to work with the Hiring Incentives Act that we enacted in March of this year. The HIRE Act should help to bolster job creation in coming months. We are continuing again today with the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act. This bill would create jobs by improving our Nation's infrastructure. It would reduce the cost to local governments to build roads, bridges, and water treatment facilities that would create jobs. This bill would also extend provisions that expire at the end of May. These provisions would provide important relief for many Americans. Americans who are out of work are depending on our job creation efforts. This bill extends the needed lifeline of unemployment benefits to more than 5 million Americans who would not be able to support themselves or their families without this help. We are talking about people who have worked, want to work, and will work again. These are our neighbors. And they need our help. In my home State of Montana, we have seen some promising signs of recovery. In Yellowstone County, unemployment is down from 6 percent in March to 5.2 pesent in April. That is good news. But there still remain people who need our help. Some counties in Montana have unemployment as high as 16.8 percent. In Montana, as with the rest of country, we have seen an increase in people looking for work. Unemployment rates will continue to hover around 10 percent even as the economy improves. As the economy adds jobs, many unemployed people grow more hopeful and resume their search for work. That is one reason why economists call unemployment a lagging economic indicator. The bill that we are considering today includes improvements to the unemployment insurance program. This bill would eliminate the penalty in unemployment insurance for getting part-time or temporary work. Under current law, if people who are unemployed take part-time or temporary jobs, and then lose that job, they receive lower benefits than people who did not take short-term work. This bill corrects that inequity. This bill also expands the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Program. The bill would broaden the program to include workers who are eligible for unemployment insurance. This will help more Americans who are looking for work to get the education and looking career training that they need. If we do not pass this bill, doctors who see Medicare and TRICARE patients will take a 21 percent pay cut. More and more physicians are threatening to leave the Medicare and TRICARE programs if this happens. Seniors and military families could lose access to their doctors. We cannot keep postponing this issue every month or two. Seniors worry they will lose their doctors. And physicians cannot run a business with this much uncertainty. We need to pass a long-term reform. I would life to fix the problem permanently. But the votes are not there today. We will permanently reform Medicare's system to compensate doctors as soon as we can. In the meantime, this bill provides security to doctors and the patients they see for the next year and a half through 2011. It provides a modest payment increase to physicians for the rest of this year and next year. This multi-year provision would prevent the untenable cut in physician payments. And this bill would provide a pathway to a permanent change in how doctors are paid. The budget rules have to score a permanent reform as a cost. But we all know that this is something that we have to do for America's seniors, military families, and doctors. This bill would also provide tax relief for American families and businesses. This bill would help communities that have suffered a natural disaster. And this bill includes important tax incentives to improve America's energy independence. For individuals and families, this bill provides much-needed tax relief in a time of economic uncertainty. This bill would extend the teacher expense deduction for teachers who buy school supplies for their classrooms. And it would extend the qualified tuition deduction to help with college costs. This bill would extend much-needed relief for communities that have suffered from natural disasters. And it would extend important business tax provisions to help create jobs and make our companies competitive in a global economy. The bill would extend the research and development credit to help businesses to continue to be on the cutting edge. The bill would also extend important energy tax incentives. For example, the bill would extend the dollar-per-gallon credit for biodiesel and renewable diesel. And the bill would extend the manufacturer's credit for the construction of new energy-efficient homes. In addition to these important provisions that provide direct assistance in job creation, the bill includes other proposals that will provide relief for businesses and individuals. One such provision is pension funding relief. With the weak economy, American employers are faced with the need to make higher pension contributions. Several factors have combined to require these higher contributions. There is the funding changes of the Pension Protection Act of 2006. There is the slide in the stock market in 2008. And then there is the ensuing great recession. These requirements for higher contributions are coming upon employers just when they are facing lower asset values and lower cash flow. Meeting the new funding rules could divert resources that employers could use to keep workers on the payroll. We addressed this bind temporarily in 2008. But employers are still facing the prospect of closing plants and stores. Employers are still faced with the possibility of letting workers go in order to make up for lost asset values. This bill contains additional temporary, targeted, and appropriate relief for these employers. And at the same time, the bill still maintains the pension security system. These tough economic times have hit the States hard, as well. In last month's employment report, for example, State and local governments cut 22,000 jobs. So, included in the substitute amendment is a 6-month extension of the additional Federal financial assistance for State Medicaid programs. This would allow States to plan for their next fiscal year with the greater certainty. Additional Federal Medicaid match money, known as FMAP, helps the economy grow. According to the economist Mark Zandi, this funding has a return on investment of about $1.40 for every dollar invested. The nation's governors have repeatedly asked for an extension of this Federal assistance. And this bill answers their pleas. With so many Americans out of work, our country needs Congress to enact this legislation. This bill continues valuable tax incentives to families and businesses that will help them in these difficult economic times. And the bill sustains vital safety-net programs that will also help foster economic growth. This legislation is important to the American people. It would prevent millions of Americans from falling through the safety net. It would extend vital programs that are set to expire. It would put cash in the hands of Americans who would spend it quickly, boosting economic demand. And it would extend critical programs and tax incentives that create jobs. And so, let us help America's businesses to create more jobs. Let us join together to work across the aisle on this common-sense legislation. Let us enact these tax incentives and safety-net provisions into law. I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House with respect to H.R. 4213. The Acting President pro tempore laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the House agrees to the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 4213) entitled ``An Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes,'' with the House amendment to the Senate amendment. Motion to Concur with Amendment No. 4301 (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I move to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the House bill with an amendment which I send to the desk.

Mr. BAUCUS

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

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

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I wish today to recognize the achievements of five very bright students from the Frenchtown High School Academic Team. While academic extracurricular activities may not receive recognition as often as they should, these young individuals have put their brains over brawn to steal the spotlight by qualifying for the Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence Championship, taking them over 2000 miles away from their hometown of Frenchtown, Montana to our Nation's Capital. The Frenchtown High School Academic Team is here today because of hard work. Taylor Amundsen, Joseph Taylor, Eamon Thomasson, Mary Brooks and Michael Rebarchik have gathered in their advisor's, Merle Johnston, class room during their lunchtime and afterschool for practice. They competed against bigger schools and won. This season at the Brainfreeze competition, held on their home turf, the Frenchtown team went ten rounds undefeated and went on to edge out their rivals, Billings Skyview for the championship trophy. This weekend at the national tournament they proudly represented Montana. I congratulate the academic team and their advisor Merle Johnston. These outstanding young people are the future of our Nation, and I know they will continue to make Montana proud.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and it is not with great pleasure, I object to the request offered by my good friend from Iowa. This provision he is seeking unanimous consent about is one of the provisions in the larger tax extenders bill that the House is working on and attempting to pass tonight. They are laboring mightily but so far have not been able to pass the extenders job legislation that would contain the provision mentioned by the Senator from Iowa. This is the tax credit for biodiesel and renewable diesel. It has created jobs. It is a good provision. I might say to my friend, the jobs are now lost because it expired. It expired the end of last year. We will extend this provision. We should extend it and we will extend it. We are not able to extend it tonight by itself. Why? Because many other Senators have specific provisions in the job extenders legislation that are particularly applicable to their States. One I am particularly interested in is the property tax deduction, irrespective of whether the taxpayer itemized his or her deductions. There will be a time, when we get back after the recess, to try to get these provisions passed so jobs are created. But we have to do it together as a package. We can't do it singly, separately, tonight. I want to tell my good friend from Iowa I will work with him when we get back after the recess. For the time being I feel obliged to object.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the sacrifice of the thousands of men and women serving in harm's way overseas and to introduce legislation that will help these brave men and women when they return home. I recently led a congressional delegation to Afghanistan. During my visit, I was deeply impressed by the service and dedication of our brave troops. These men and women work under the most difficult conditions. They serve every day. Weekends, holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays. They serve 24 hours a days, seven days a week. Our troops are some of the hardest working Americans. They patrol the mountains, fix trucks and fire artillery. They are not only warriors, but diplomats as well. They organize meetings known as shuras with local leaders and village elders. I was awestruck by our troops' professionalism, courage and tenacity. Many of these troops are from Montana. Montanans volunteer for duty at among the highest rate in the country. Montana's military recruiting rates are roughly 50 percent higher than the national average. Tragically, Montana has the highest per capita rate of service members killed or injured fighting overseas since 9/11. While in Afghanistan I met a young Army captain named Casey Thoreen. Casey commands an infantry company that is working to improve security in the Maiwand district of Kandahar Province. A reporter recently wrote a piece about Casey that described him as the ``King of Maiwand'' because of his important efforts to improve the lives of those that live there. Casey has developed close working relationships with the local district leader and other important power brokers. We couldn't dream of succeeding in Afghanistan without dedicated talented officers like this young man. Skilled efforts such as his are the lynchpin of our mission in Afghanistan. My congressional colleagues and I have worked hard to give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines all the tools necessary to succeed in combat. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we give our troops the tools to succeed upon their return home. President George Washington once said ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.'' President Washington's words are a serious reminder of our obligation to Casey and all of the brave men and women serving our country overseas. We have a solemn obligation to our veterans when they return home. And recent suicide statistics and veteran unemployment data make it clear that we have a long way to go. For veterans between the ages of 20 and 24, the suicide rate is roughly two to four times higher than non-veterans the same age. A recent survey found that only 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans ``strongly agreed'' that their transition home was going well. And just 9 percent ``strongly agreed'' the needs of their family were being met. The unemployment rate among veterans who have served in the military since September 2001 far exceeds that of their peers. According to the American Legion, nearly 15 percent of post 9/11 veterans are unemployed. The rate of unemployment for veterans aged 18 to 24 is over 30 percent--nearly double the rate for non-veterans the same age. These numbers are unacceptable. I want to applaud my friend and colleague, Senator Patty Murray, for the important work she has done to address this problem. She recently introduced the Comprehensive Veterans Employment Act of 2010. The bill seeks to allow the GI Bill to pay for on-the-job training and apprenticeships. I strongly support her efforts. Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion on veterans' employment earlier this year. During the discussion she learned that some veterans were deliberately taking their military service off their resumes when applying for work. These veterans feared employers might think they suffered from post-traumatic stress due to time in combat. This discussion is a telling sign that we need to do a better job of welcoming our troops home from war. I can't think of anything more important to readjusting to life back home than having meaningful employment. Our veterans are national assets. The skills veterans have learned in the military are valuable in the civilian workplace and in communities across America. History has proven this to be true. Just look to the boom years in the late 1940s and 1950s. America welcomed back millions of World War Two veterans into the workforce. The leadership and strength of our veterans fueled the unprecedented growth and strength of our Nation. I expect nothing less from this generation of veterans as well. That is why Senator Grassley and I are introducing the Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2010. This legislation will reward employers that hire any veteran who has recently completed their service in the military with up to a $6,000 tax credit. The bill simplifies the administrative process that currently exists for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring a recently discharged veteran. Any recently discharged veteran with discharge paperwork is eligible. This includes those men and women who were activated by their states as members of the National Guard. Enacting this legislation is just first step. I want to ensure all veterans understand the benefits of this tax credit. That is I am working with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other Veteran Service Organizations to help veterans use this tax benefit as a tool to find good paying jobs. The day after this bill becomes law, the VFW will notify their members on how to use the credit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will post a webcast to their members to explain how best to take advantage of this benefit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will also publish a document online that a veteran can print and hand in with a resume when applying for a job. This document will explain to employers how they can take advantage of the credit if they hire the veteran. Briefly, I want to thank my first Defenders of Freedom Fellow, Iraq veteran and Montana-native Charlie Cromwell. As a legislative fellow in my office, Charlie worked hard to create and advance this bill. I created the Defenders of Freedom Fellowship so that Montana veterans could work on legislation that helps their fellow veterans. The legislation I am introducing today is the perfect example of what this fellowship was intended to accomplish. I encourage all interested Montana veterans to contact my office for more information. It will take this kind of team work to provide the support our veterans need when they come home from war. It is an honor to introduce this legislation and I look forward to its quick passage in the weeks to come.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the sacrifice of the thousands of men and women serving in harm's way overseas and to introduce legislation that will help these brave men and women when they return home. I recently led a congressional delegation to Afghanistan. During my visit, I was deeply impressed by the service and dedication of our brave troops. These men and women work under the most difficult conditions. They serve every day. Weekends, holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays. They serve 24 hours a days, seven days a week. Our troops are some of the hardest working Americans. They patrol the mountains, fix trucks and fire artillery. They are not only warriors, but diplomats as well. They organize meetings known as shuras with local leaders and village elders. I was awestruck by our troops' professionalism, courage and tenacity. Many of these troops are from Montana. Montanans volunteer for duty at among the highest rate in the country. Montana's military recruiting rates are roughly 50 percent higher than the national average. Tragically, Montana has the highest per capita rate of service members killed or injured fighting overseas since 9/11. While in Afghanistan I met a young Army captain named Casey Thoreen. Casey commands an infantry company that is working to improve security in the Maiwand district of Kandahar Province. A reporter recently wrote a piece about Casey that described him as the ``King of Maiwand'' because of his important efforts to improve the lives of those that live there. Casey has developed close working relationships with the local district leader and other important power brokers. We couldn't dream of succeeding in Afghanistan without dedicated talented officers like this young man. Skilled efforts such as his are the lynchpin of our mission in Afghanistan. My congressional colleagues and I have worked hard to give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines all the tools necessary to succeed in combat. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we give our troops the tools to succeed upon their return home. President George Washington once said ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.'' President Washington's words are a serious reminder of our obligation to Casey and all of the brave men and women serving our country overseas. We have a solemn obligation to our veterans when they return home. And recent suicide statistics and veteran unemployment data make it clear that we have a long way to go. For veterans between the ages of 20 and 24, the suicide rate is roughly two to four times higher than non-veterans the same age. A recent survey found that only 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans ``strongly agreed'' that their transition home was going well. And just 9 percent ``strongly agreed'' the needs of their family were being met. The unemployment rate among veterans who have served in the military since September 2001 far exceeds that of their peers. According to the American Legion, nearly 15 percent of post 9/11 veterans are unemployed. The rate of unemployment for veterans aged 18 to 24 is over 30 percent--nearly double the rate for non-veterans the same age. These numbers are unacceptable. I want to applaud my friend and colleague, Senator Patty Murray, for the important work she has done to address this problem. She recently introduced the Comprehensive Veterans Employment Act of 2010. The bill seeks to allow the GI Bill to pay for on-the-job training and apprenticeships. I strongly support her efforts. Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion on veterans' employment earlier this year. During the discussion she learned that some veterans were deliberately taking their military service off their resumes when applying for work. These veterans feared employers might think they suffered from post-traumatic stress due to time in combat. This discussion is a telling sign that we need to do a better job of welcoming our troops home from war. I can't think of anything more important to readjusting to life back home than having meaningful employment. Our veterans are national assets. The skills veterans have learned in the military are valuable in the civilian workplace and in communities across America. History has proven this to be true. Just look to the boom years in the late 1940s and 1950s. America welcomed back millions of World War Two veterans into the workforce. The leadership and strength of our veterans fueled the unprecedented growth and strength of our Nation. I expect nothing less from this generation of veterans as well. That is why Senator Grassley and I are introducing the Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2010. This legislation will reward employers that hire any veteran who has recently completed their service in the military with up to a $6,000 tax credit. The bill simplifies the administrative process that currently exists for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring a recently discharged veteran. Any recently discharged veteran with discharge paperwork is eligible. This includes those men and women who were activated by their states as members of the National Guard. Enacting this legislation is just first step. I want to ensure all veterans understand the benefits of this tax credit. That is I am working with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other Veteran Service Organizations to help veterans use this tax benefit as a tool to find good paying jobs. The day after this bill becomes law, the VFW will notify their members on how to use the credit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will post a webcast to their members to explain how best to take advantage of this benefit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will also publish a document online that a veteran can print and hand in with a resume when applying for a job. This document will explain to employers how they can take advantage of the credit if they hire the veteran. Briefly, I want to thank my first Defenders of Freedom Fellow, Iraq veteran and Montana-native Charlie Cromwell. As a legislative fellow in my office, Charlie worked hard to create and advance this bill. I created the Defenders of Freedom Fellowship so that Montana veterans could work on legislation that helps their fellow veterans. The legislation I am introducing today is the perfect example of what this fellowship was intended to accomplish. I encourage all interested Montana veterans to contact my office for more information. It will take this kind of team work to provide the support our veterans need when they come home from war. It is an honor to introduce this legislation and I look forward to its quick passage in the weeks to come.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the sacrifice of the thousands of men and women serving in harm's way overseas and to introduce legislation that will help these brave men and women when they return home. I recently led a congressional delegation to Afghanistan. During my visit, I was deeply impressed by the service and dedication of our brave troops. These men and women work under the most difficult conditions. They serve every day. Weekends, holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays. They serve 24 hours a days, seven days a week. Our troops are some of the hardest working Americans. They patrol the mountains, fix trucks and fire artillery. They are not only warriors, but diplomats as well. They organize meetings known as shuras with local leaders and village elders. I was awestruck by our troops' professionalism, courage and tenacity. Many of these troops are from Montana. Montanans volunteer for duty at among the highest rate in the country. Montana's military recruiting rates are roughly 50 percent higher than the national average. Tragically, Montana has the highest per capita rate of service members killed or injured fighting overseas since 9/11. While in Afghanistan I met a young Army captain named Casey Thoreen. Casey commands an infantry company that is working to improve security in the Maiwand district of Kandahar Province. A reporter recently wrote a piece about Casey that described him as the ``King of Maiwand'' because of his important efforts to improve the lives of those that live there. Casey has developed close working relationships with the local district leader and other important power brokers. We couldn't dream of succeeding in Afghanistan without dedicated talented officers like this young man. Skilled efforts such as his are the lynchpin of our mission in Afghanistan. My congressional colleagues and I have worked hard to give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines all the tools necessary to succeed in combat. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we give our troops the tools to succeed upon their return home. President George Washington once said ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.'' President Washington's words are a serious reminder of our obligation to Casey and all of the brave men and women serving our country overseas. We have a solemn obligation to our veterans when they return home. And recent suicide statistics and veteran unemployment data make it clear that we have a long way to go. For veterans between the ages of 20 and 24, the suicide rate is roughly two to four times higher than non-veterans the same age. A recent survey found that only 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans ``strongly agreed'' that their transition home was going well. And just 9 percent ``strongly agreed'' the needs of their family were being met. The unemployment rate among veterans who have served in the military since September 2001 far exceeds that of their peers. According to the American Legion, nearly 15 percent of post 9/11 veterans are unemployed. The rate of unemployment for veterans aged 18 to 24 is over 30 percent--nearly double the rate for non-veterans the same age. These numbers are unacceptable. I want to applaud my friend and colleague, Senator Patty Murray, for the important work she has done to address this problem. She recently introduced the Comprehensive Veterans Employment Act of 2010. The bill seeks to allow the GI Bill to pay for on-the-job training and apprenticeships. I strongly support her efforts. Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion on veterans' employment earlier this year. During the discussion she learned that some veterans were deliberately taking their military service off their resumes when applying for work. These veterans feared employers might think they suffered from post-traumatic stress due to time in combat. This discussion is a telling sign that we need to do a better job of welcoming our troops home from war. I can't think of anything more important to readjusting to life back home than having meaningful employment. Our veterans are national assets. The skills veterans have learned in the military are valuable in the civilian workplace and in communities across America. History has proven this to be true. Just look to the boom years in the late 1940s and 1950s. America welcomed back millions of World War Two veterans into the workforce. The leadership and strength of our veterans fueled the unprecedented growth and strength of our Nation. I expect nothing less from this generation of veterans as well. That is why Senator Grassley and I are introducing the Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2010. This legislation will reward employers that hire any veteran who has recently completed their service in the military with up to a $6,000 tax credit. The bill simplifies the administrative process that currently exists for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring a recently discharged veteran. Any recently discharged veteran with discharge paperwork is eligible. This includes those men and women who were activated by their states as members of the National Guard. Enacting this legislation is just first step. I want to ensure all veterans understand the benefits of this tax credit. That is I am working with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other Veteran Service Organizations to help veterans use this tax benefit as a tool to find good paying jobs. The day after this bill becomes law, the VFW will notify their members on how to use the credit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will post a webcast to their members to explain how best to take advantage of this benefit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will also publish a document online that a veteran can print and hand in with a resume when applying for a job. This document will explain to employers how they can take advantage of the credit if they hire the veteran. Briefly, I want to thank my first Defenders of Freedom Fellow, Iraq veteran and Montana-native Charlie Cromwell. As a legislative fellow in my office, Charlie worked hard to create and advance this bill. I created the Defenders of Freedom Fellowship so that Montana veterans could work on legislation that helps their fellow veterans. The legislation I am introducing today is the perfect example of what this fellowship was intended to accomplish. I encourage all interested Montana veterans to contact my office for more information. It will take this kind of team work to provide the support our veterans need when they come home from war. It is an honor to introduce this legislation and I look forward to its quick passage in the weeks to come.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the sacrifice of the thousands of men and women serving in harm's way overseas and to introduce legislation that will help these brave men and women when they return home. I recently led a congressional delegation to Afghanistan. During my visit, I was deeply impressed by the service and dedication of our brave troops. These men and women work under the most difficult conditions. They serve every day. Weekends, holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays. They serve 24 hours a days, seven days a week. Our troops are some of the hardest working Americans. They patrol the mountains, fix trucks and fire artillery. They are not only warriors, but diplomats as well. They organize meetings known as shuras with local leaders and village elders. I was awestruck by our troops' professionalism, courage and tenacity. Many of these troops are from Montana. Montanans volunteer for duty at among the highest rate in the country. Montana's military recruiting rates are roughly 50 percent higher than the national average. Tragically, Montana has the highest per capita rate of service members killed or injured fighting overseas since 9/11. While in Afghanistan I met a young Army captain named Casey Thoreen. Casey commands an infantry company that is working to improve security in the Maiwand district of Kandahar Province. A reporter recently wrote a piece about Casey that described him as the ``King of Maiwand'' because of his important efforts to improve the lives of those that live there. Casey has developed close working relationships with the local district leader and other important power brokers. We couldn't dream of succeeding in Afghanistan without dedicated talented officers like this young man. Skilled efforts such as his are the lynchpin of our mission in Afghanistan. My congressional colleagues and I have worked hard to give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines all the tools necessary to succeed in combat. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we give our troops the tools to succeed upon their return home. President George Washington once said ``The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.'' President Washington's words are a serious reminder of our obligation to Casey and all of the brave men and women serving our country overseas. We have a solemn obligation to our veterans when they return home. And recent suicide statistics and veteran unemployment data make it clear that we have a long way to go. For veterans between the ages of 20 and 24, the suicide rate is roughly two to four times higher than non-veterans the same age. A recent survey found that only 13 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans ``strongly agreed'' that their transition home was going well. And just 9 percent ``strongly agreed'' the needs of their family were being met. The unemployment rate among veterans who have served in the military since September 2001 far exceeds that of their peers. According to the American Legion, nearly 15 percent of post 9/11 veterans are unemployed. The rate of unemployment for veterans aged 18 to 24 is over 30 percent--nearly double the rate for non-veterans the same age. These numbers are unacceptable. I want to applaud my friend and colleague, Senator Patty Murray, for the important work she has done to address this problem. She recently introduced the Comprehensive Veterans Employment Act of 2010. The bill seeks to allow the GI Bill to pay for on-the-job training and apprenticeships. I strongly support her efforts. Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion on veterans' employment earlier this year. During the discussion she learned that some veterans were deliberately taking their military service off their resumes when applying for work. These veterans feared employers might think they suffered from post-traumatic stress due to time in combat. This discussion is a telling sign that we need to do a better job of welcoming our troops home from war. I can't think of anything more important to readjusting to life back home than having meaningful employment. Our veterans are national assets. The skills veterans have learned in the military are valuable in the civilian workplace and in communities across America. History has proven this to be true. Just look to the boom years in the late 1940s and 1950s. America welcomed back millions of World War Two veterans into the workforce. The leadership and strength of our veterans fueled the unprecedented growth and strength of our Nation. I expect nothing less from this generation of veterans as well. That is why Senator Grassley and I are introducing the Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2010. This legislation will reward employers that hire any veteran who has recently completed their service in the military with up to a $6,000 tax credit. The bill simplifies the administrative process that currently exists for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring a recently discharged veteran. Any recently discharged veteran with discharge paperwork is eligible. This includes those men and women who were activated by their states as members of the National Guard. Enacting this legislation is just first step. I want to ensure all veterans understand the benefits of this tax credit. That is I am working with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other Veteran Service Organizations to help veterans use this tax benefit as a tool to find good paying jobs. The day after this bill becomes law, the VFW will notify their members on how to use the credit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will post a webcast to their members to explain how best to take advantage of this benefit. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will also publish a document online that a veteran can print and hand in with a resume when applying for a job. This document will explain to employers how they can take advantage of the credit if they hire the veteran. Briefly, I want to thank my first Defenders of Freedom Fellow, Iraq veteran and Montana-native Charlie Cromwell. As a legislative fellow in my office, Charlie worked hard to create and advance this bill. I created the Defenders of Freedom Fellowship so that Montana veterans could work on legislation that helps their fellow veterans. The legislation I am introducing today is the perfect example of what this fellowship was intended to accomplish. I encourage all interested Montana veterans to contact my office for more information. It will take this kind of team work to provide the support our veterans need when they come home from war. It is an honor to introduce this legislation and I look forward to its quick passage in the weeks to come.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with my colleagues Senator Crapo and Senator Tester that will establish a single definition of renewable biomass for the purposes of the Renewable Fuel Standard, RFS, a future Renewable Electricity Standard, RES, and climate change legislation. When I travel back to my hometown of Helena, MT, trees that line the roads there are turning red. Mountain pine beetles are killing Montana's trees at a terrible rate. Our legendary harsh winters once were enough to keep the beetles at bay, but no longer. Global warming has literally hit home for me. These thousands of acres of red, dead trees are virtually worthless under current law, serving as little more than kindling for wildfires. This bill can help add value to this biomass while also creating a source of renewable domestic energy. It will establish a simple, broad, single definition for renewable biomass that is consistent with current law--the 2008 Farm Bill. Some say this definition is too broad and fails to protect ecologically sensitive areas. In fact, there are many laws that dictate Federal forest management, and my amendment does nothing to change these laws. All projects that would create biomass due to my amendment would have to comply with the National Forest Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and others. All projects on federal forests must go through NEPA where the land management agency must study potential environmental impacts and mitigate those impacts. The public has many opportunities to comment and shape these projects and nothing in my amendment changes these safeguards. Further, my amendment would do nothing to change designated Wilderness areas or Wilderness Study Areas or otherwise weaken the Wilderness Act. Right now our national forests are growing 20 billion board feet per year. Eight billion board feet die every year and only two million board feet are removed. This has resulted in overstocked, unhealthy forests. We can either restore forest health, produce renewable energy and local high-wage jobs, or we can allow nature to impose its own will through wildfire and infestation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I look forward to working with them to enact this bill this year.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with my colleagues Senator Crapo and Senator Tester that will establish a single definition of renewable biomass for the purposes of the Renewable Fuel Standard, RFS, a future Renewable Electricity Standard, RES, and climate change legislation. When I travel back to my hometown of Helena, MT, trees that line the roads there are turning red. Mountain pine beetles are killing Montana's trees at a terrible rate. Our legendary harsh winters once were enough to keep the beetles at bay, but no longer. Global warming has literally hit home for me. These thousands of acres of red, dead trees are virtually worthless under current law, serving as little more than kindling for wildfires. This bill can help add value to this biomass while also creating a source of renewable domestic energy. It will establish a simple, broad, single definition for renewable biomass that is consistent with current law--the 2008 Farm Bill. Some say this definition is too broad and fails to protect ecologically sensitive areas. In fact, there are many laws that dictate Federal forest management, and my amendment does nothing to change these laws. All projects that would create biomass due to my amendment would have to comply with the National Forest Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and others. All projects on federal forests must go through NEPA where the land management agency must study potential environmental impacts and mitigate those impacts. The public has many opportunities to comment and shape these projects and nothing in my amendment changes these safeguards. Further, my amendment would do nothing to change designated Wilderness areas or Wilderness Study Areas or otherwise weaken the Wilderness Act. Right now our national forests are growing 20 billion board feet per year. Eight billion board feet die every year and only two million board feet are removed. This has resulted in overstocked, unhealthy forests. We can either restore forest health, produce renewable energy and local high-wage jobs, or we can allow nature to impose its own will through wildfire and infestation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I look forward to working with them to enact this bill this year.