Max Baucus

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act, along with my good friend, Senator Tester. We introduce this bill as a critical step in 2 decades of negotiations between the Blackfeet Nation, the State of Montana, and the U.S. The bill ratifies the water rights compact with the Blackfeet Nation. It confirms that the United States is a nation that honors its commitments to all its citizens, including those who belong to Tribal Nations. Over 150 years ago, the United States and the Blackfeet people signed a treaty that created the Blackfeet Reservation on a tract of land the size of Delaware abutting what became Glacier National Park and the Canadian Border. Over 100 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that such treaties imply a commitment to reserve sufficient water to satisfy both present and future needs of a Tribe. Honoring this particular commitment has been delayed for decades. With the introduction of this bill, we are on the brink of fulfilling that commitment. The Blackfeet people call the mountains of their homeland the ``backbone of the world.'' When you visit their land, you can feel a shiver in your own backbone at its beauty and spiritual significance. These mountains are also the wellspring of the reservation's water. Their cirques and flanks, frozen for much of the year, store the crucial resource that makes the Great Plains inhabitable. The drainages and storage systems that define how the snow melts and the water flows are the principal subject of this legislation. This water is necessary for irrigation, livestock, fisheries, wildlife, homes, and other uses. By ratifying this compact, Congress will both establish the federal reserved water rights of the Tribe and authorize funds to construct the infrastructure necessary to make the water available for use. This infrastructure includes rehabilitation of the Blackfeet Irrigation Project and construction of other water projects. It also mitigates the impacts of the Tribe's water rights on current non-tribal water users. The Blackfeet Water Compact has already been ratified by the State of Montana. The Montana Legislature has appropriated $15 million toward the overall Blackfeet settlement and has committed to provide an additional $20 million in this bill. The bill that Senator Tester and I have introduced addresses a vital concern of the Blackfeet people and the State of Montana. It is time for the U.S. to honor its commitment to the Blackfeet Nation.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act, along with my good friend, Senator Tester. We introduce this bill as a critical step in 2 decades of negotiations between the Blackfeet Nation, the State of Montana, and the U.S. The bill ratifies the water rights compact with the Blackfeet Nation. It confirms that the United States is a nation that honors its commitments to all its citizens, including those who belong to Tribal Nations. Over 150 years ago, the United States and the Blackfeet people signed a treaty that created the Blackfeet Reservation on a tract of land the size of Delaware abutting what became Glacier National Park and the Canadian Border. Over 100 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that such treaties imply a commitment to reserve sufficient water to satisfy both present and future needs of a Tribe. Honoring this particular commitment has been delayed for decades. With the introduction of this bill, we are on the brink of fulfilling that commitment. The Blackfeet people call the mountains of their homeland the ``backbone of the world.'' When you visit their land, you can feel a shiver in your own backbone at its beauty and spiritual significance. These mountains are also the wellspring of the reservation's water. Their cirques and flanks, frozen for much of the year, store the crucial resource that makes the Great Plains inhabitable. The drainages and storage systems that define how the snow melts and the water flows are the principal subject of this legislation. This water is necessary for irrigation, livestock, fisheries, wildlife, homes, and other uses. By ratifying this compact, Congress will both establish the federal reserved water rights of the Tribe and authorize funds to construct the infrastructure necessary to make the water available for use. This infrastructure includes rehabilitation of the Blackfeet Irrigation Project and construction of other water projects. It also mitigates the impacts of the Tribe's water rights on current non-tribal water users. The Blackfeet Water Compact has already been ratified by the State of Montana. The Montana Legislature has appropriated $15 million toward the overall Blackfeet settlement and has committed to provide an additional $20 million in this bill. The bill that Senator Tester and I have introduced addresses a vital concern of the Blackfeet people and the State of Montana. It is time for the U.S. to honor its commitment to the Blackfeet Nation.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, one of Aesop's Fables teaches us, ``In union there is strength.'' In 2009, Haiti's future was beginning to strengthen. A U.S. trade preference program, known as the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act, or HOPE II, created incentives to increase textile and apparel production in Haiti. As a result, Haiti's textile and apparel sector was growing, creating new jobs and a viable economic future. But on January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that took hundreds of thousands of lives, left a million people homeless, and shattered Haiti's burgeoning economy. As Haiti recovers from this devastation, we must unite with our neighbor to help provide the strength that it needs to recover and rebuild. Today, Senator Grassley and I introduce the Haiti Economic Lift Program Act of 2010--the HELP Act--to strengthen Haiti's path to economic recovery. Congressmen Levin, Camp, and Rangel are also introducing a companion bill in the House. The HELP Act would build on the success of the HOPE Act by expanding access to the U.S. market for textile and apparel products from Haiti. As a result, it would create incentives for immediate and long-term private investment in Haiti, which would in turn create sustainable jobs and a stable economy. The HELP Act would also extend all of our trade preference programs for Haiti to 2020, ensuring that Haiti could rely on these tariff benefits as it plans its own economic future. As we considered the needs of Haiti, we were also watchful of the needs of our domestic textile industry. We worked closely with the domestic industry for months to craft a bill that would not hurt our own workers, even as we help others. The HELP Act represents a landmark union among the Senate, the House, Democrats, Republicans, and the domestic textile industry to help Haiti recover from its devastation. This union resulted in an unprecedented bill that will help Haiti emerge from the earthquake stronger than ever. I urge my colleagues to join this union and quickly approve this legislation.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, one of Aesop's Fables teaches us, ``In union there is strength.'' In 2009, Haiti's future was beginning to strengthen. A U.S. trade preference program, known as the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act, or HOPE II, created incentives to increase textile and apparel production in Haiti. As a result, Haiti's textile and apparel sector was growing, creating new jobs and a viable economic future. But on January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that took hundreds of thousands of lives, left a million people homeless, and shattered Haiti's burgeoning economy. As Haiti recovers from this devastation, we must unite with our neighbor to help provide the strength that it needs to recover and rebuild. Today, Senator Grassley and I introduce the Haiti Economic Lift Program Act of 2010--the HELP Act--to strengthen Haiti's path to economic recovery. Congressmen Levin, Camp, and Rangel are also introducing a companion bill in the House. The HELP Act would build on the success of the HOPE Act by expanding access to the U.S. market for textile and apparel products from Haiti. As a result, it would create incentives for immediate and long-term private investment in Haiti, which would in turn create sustainable jobs and a stable economy. The HELP Act would also extend all of our trade preference programs for Haiti to 2020, ensuring that Haiti could rely on these tariff benefits as it plans its own economic future. As we considered the needs of Haiti, we were also watchful of the needs of our domestic textile industry. We worked closely with the domestic industry for months to craft a bill that would not hurt our own workers, even as we help others. The HELP Act represents a landmark union among the Senate, the House, Democrats, Republicans, and the domestic textile industry to help Haiti recover from its devastation. This union resulted in an unprecedented bill that will help Haiti emerge from the earthquake stronger than ever. I urge my colleagues to join this union and quickly approve this legislation.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize an outstanding leader from my home State of Montana as he embarks on a new adventure in his life. Since 1990 George Dennison has served as the president of the University of Montana; he is now the longest serving president in the history of the institution. This summer on August 15, 20 years to the day after he began his duties at UM, President Dennison is retiring. I would like to speak today about some of George's achievements and all he has done to better higher education in Montana. A historian by training, George earned a bachelor's degree with highest honors from the University of Montana in 1962, as well as his master's degree in 1963. After earning his Ph.D. in history from the University of Washington, George went on to serve as a professor and administrator for universities in Arkansas, Washington, and 18 years at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. George eventually returned to Missoula from Kalamazoo, MI, where he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs for Western Michigan University, to become president of the University of Montana in 1990. I have enjoyed working with George during his tenure as president of the university. We share a strong desire to ensure that Montana's students have access to a high-quality, world class education that prepares them for the careers of the future and to be active members in their communities. The University of Montana has seen tremendous growth under President Dennison's leadership. Over the past two decades, student enrollment has jumped from 10,000 to over 15,000. In the 20 years that George has served as president, more students have graduated from UM than did in the entire previous century. The number of doctorates awarded has increased from 15 to 75 annually. External research funding has expanded from $7 million in 1990 to over $170 million in 2010. The athletic programs at UM have competed well on a national level and have created a great sense of school and community spirit as the Griz have a faithful following throughout Big Sky country. Like President Dennison, I strongly believe that an understanding of the world in which we live is essential to a well-rounded education. Under George's leadership, the university has developed strong international and exchange programs. Building on the work done by our dear friend Mike Mansfield, the former Senate majority leader and Ambassador to Japan, UM has relationships with universities across Asia. These partnerships help strengthen our educational, diplomatic, and economic ties with our friends across the Pacific and carry on the legacy and good work of Mike and Maureen Mansfield. One initiative on which I have been particularly proud to work with President Dennison is the educational and cultural exchange program that the university recently started with Vietnam. I invited the Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. to visit Missoula in 2008 to meet with President Dennison about the exchange. President Dennison then traveled to Vietnam last year to meet with several universities and subsequently signed memoranda of understanding with Can Tho University and Vietnamese National University to establish student and faculty exchanges. It is important that we provide our students, the leaders of tomorrow, with the knowledge they will need to thrive in our increasingly global society--this exchange program does just that. George has received numerous awards and recognition during his time at UM including the Governor's Humanities Award in 2009, the Montana Excellence in Leadership Award in 2007, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Region VIII Leadership Award in 1999. President Dennison has received honorary doctorates from universities in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. During his career, George has had a number of historical works published. His 1976 book, ``The Dorr War: Republicanism on Trial, 1831-1861,'' was runner-up in the Frederick Jackson Turner Award Competition. Upon retiring as president, George plans to spend the first years of his retirement writing a history of the University of Montana. I would like to once again thank President Dennison for all his hard work and commend him for his leadership over the years. I wish him and Jane all the best as they start a new chapter in their life.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I would like to return to the nomination of Dr. Lael Brainard. Today, at long last, the Senate is considering the nomination of Dr. Lael Brainard to be Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs. President Obama nominated Dr. Brainard more than a year ago, in March of 2009. After an extensive vetting process, the Finance Committee held a hearing on her nomination in November of last year. And the Finance Committee favorably reported her nomination with a bipartisan majority in December of last year. The path to her Senate confirmation has been neither short nor easy. But throughout this process, Dr. Brainard has demonstrated persistence and determination. These vital qualities supported her well as a nominee. And these qualities will support her well as she assumes her responsibilities as Under Secretary of Treasury. The world economy is emerging from a deep economic recession. America must lead the way to recovery. And we must do so by creating jobs, reducing unemployment, and encouraging smart, balanced growth here at home. But the health of the global economy does not rest on our shoulders alone. In fact, the recent financial crisis has demonstrated how interconnected our world is. The world's many national economies have the potential to rise together. And they have the potential to fall together, as well. To ensure a stable, prosperous economic future, countries must work together to support balanced economic growth. No country can rely solely on export-driven growth, just as no country can rely solely on its domestic consumption. But this economic rebalancing will not happen overnight. The global economic downturn has been powerful because of its persistence. And we must be just as persistent and determined in our efforts to overcome the effects of this crisis. As Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs, Dr. Brainard will lead our bilateral and multilateral efforts on these issues. She will work with key trading partners such as China and the European Union. And she must help to guide our country from an economic recovery to economic growth. Dr. Brainard has demonstrated that she has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to confront the tasks that lie ahead. She is brilliant and hard-working. She has shown the tenacity and doggedness necessary to be successful as Under Secretary for International Affairs. And she has revealed that she has the persistence and determination to address the vital issues facing America and the global economy today. I might add, I worked with Dr. Brainard during the Clinton administration. A very key question is, What would the U.S. economic relation be with China? Up to that point, America had annual extensions of MFN for China. They were contentious. They caused more problems than they solved, and I spent some time with the President and others in the Clinton White House and then later worked with Dr. Brainard as we moved away from these annual extensions of MFN and more toward PNTR with China. It was a hallmark change in United States-China economic relations. I think this worked out very well for our country's best interests. I must say it has also helped China. We pursued that objective, in part, because that meant China could then be a member of the WTO, and once China became a member of the WTO--that is, the World Trade Organization--that would help China live up to world standards that other countries were living up to under WTO. Again, Dr. Brainard, throughout this confirmation process, has shown her dedication to serving the Treasury Department, the President, and the American people. I am confident--and I am confident because she has had deep experience and she is very talented; she is very good--I am confident she is up to the task for which she has been nominated. I urge the Senate to approve her nomination. I now ask unanimous consent that the assistant majority leader, the Senator from Illinois, be recognized to speak on whatever topic he chooses.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I rise to reflect on the current state of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the special role the United States must play in moving these talks forward. Peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians have been stalled for nearly a year. To restart these talks it is abundantly clear that it will require great courage amongst the negotiating parties to negotiate in good faith. Efforts to negotiate a lasting peace in the region have been interrupted by violent clashes and mistrust. When it comes to peace, no one should doubt the sincere yearning of the Israeli and Palestinian people. Their dream of peace will be best realized when our countries work together. Ever since Israel declared independence in 1948, the United States and Israel have enjoyed a close friendship. And our support for Israel remains unwavering. For over a half-century Israel has been a pillar of freedom and democracy in the Middle East. In the face of countless threats and challenges it is this commitment to freedom that has kept our relationship strong. In the past Israel played an integral role in combating Soviet expansionism in the Middle East during the Cold War. Today it stands with the U.S. in confronting Iran in its dangerous pursuit of a nuclear program. Israel is an important strategic partner of the United States. Our national interests are linked through our ongoing cooperation in trade, diplomacy, intelligence, weapons development and military exercises. Since 1985, the U.S. has provided nearly $3 billion in grants to Israel annually. I am confident that we in Congress will continue to provide the assistance that befits such long-standing strategic allies. While there are moments of disagreement between Israel and the U.S., they do not affect the mutual interests that we share in the Middle East. The cause of freedom unites our vision for a peaceful future. It is critical that we continue our longstanding relationship of trust and cooperation as we meet the common challenges we face today. During rare moments of disagreement, it is best for two allies to resolve them privately and amicably. We should not allow our occasional differences to be exploited by our adversaries. Restoration of the peace process is a shared goal because its benefits are shared. For Israel, a lasting peace agreement brings assured peace to a land where peace has for too long been fleeting. For the U.S., the pursuit of a mid-east peace deal illustrates America's commitment to working for peace and security. Comprehensive peace in the Middle East is, and should remain, one of the U.S. highest foreign policy priorities.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, yesterday, the Senate tabled the amendment offered by the Senator from Oklahoma by a vote of 51 to 46. That motion to table was successful, and shortly I will move to table the two pending Coburn amendments. The Senate should reject these two amendments offered by the good Senator from Oklahoma for the same reasons the Senate rejected the other amendment yesterday. The Senator makes basically the same argument for each of his three amendments. They appear to be pretty much a set in terms of amendments. The Senator argues this emergency temporary extension of unemployment insurance benefits is the place to draw the line. It is the place to draw the line on which we need to take a stand to balance the budget. Madam President, I agree with him the Nation should turn to serious budget negotiations. Our high budget deficits are unconscionable and must be addressed. We should balance the budget over the life of the business cycle. We should balance the budget as quickly as we possibly can. But we should not balance the budget while in the grips of the worst recession since the Great Depression. Doing that would only put more people out of work. I might say, Madam President, that at a hearing held yesterday by the Finance Committee, the well-known economist Mark Zandi, who was an adviser to Presidential candidate John McCain, volunteered that this is not the time to draw that line in terms of deficit reduction. We should not force people who are unemployed to bear the brunt of offsets at this time. This is not the time to balance the budget, now that we are facing this recession. I might also point out that we should not balance the budget on the backs of unemployed Americans who, through no fault of their own, are struggling to get by in this recession. They need these unemployment benefits, and if we were to adopt the amendment offered by the Senator from Oklahoma, first of all, it would be a mistake; and second of all, it would have to go to the House, and the House has said they wouldn't accept it. So for another couple of days people who deserve unemployment insurance benefits would not be getting them. This Congress failed to act some time ago. As a consequence, unemployment benefits have expired and people who deserve unemployment benefits are not getting those unemployment benefits. Again, if we were to adopt the Coburn amendment and send it to the House and have it come back, then it would be a longer period of time that people who are waiting for their benefits would not be getting them. It is just wrong for Congress not to have passed this extension a short while ago. It is wrong, but it is something that happened so we are here trying to correct it. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are already going without unemployment insurance benefits because we have not passed this bill. Hundreds of thousands more will go without unemployment insurance benefits if we do not pass the bill this week. I will repeat myself: If we were to adopt either of the Coburn amendments, the House of Representatives has made it clear they will simply send it back to us again without the Coburn language. So adopting either of these amendments would simply further delay the needed aid to unemployed Americans struggling to get by. So I urge Senators to vote for the motion to table so we can temporarily extend the benefits that so many people justly deserve. Madam President, I yield the floor, and 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. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at 12:10 p.m. today, the Senate proceed to vote in relation to the Coburn amendment No. 3726, to be followed by a vote in relation to amendment No. 3727; that prior to the second vote, there be 2 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled in the usual form; that no amendment be in order to either amendment prior to a vote in relation thereto; further, that the time until 12:10 be equally divided and controlled in the usual form.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I yield such time as she may consume to the Senator from New Hampshire.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, how much time remains?

Mr. BAUCUS. Six minutes? I yield six minutes to the Senator from Illinois.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Hagan.) Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, what is the pending business?

Mr. BAUCUS. I move to table the Coburn amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I might ask my friend from Oklahoma, I think we are----

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I yield back my time. I think the Senator from Oklahoma wants to yield back his time so we can go straight to the vote. I move to table Coburn amendment No. 3727, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, for the information of all Senators, I am aware of only one more amendment on this bill. The Senator from Arizona has an amendment on the value-added tax. I am hopeful the Senate can consider that amendment at about 1:30 or so this afternoon and perhaps vote on the amendment shortly thereafter. I yield the floor.

Mr. BAUCUS

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, the amendment by the Senator from Arizona would state a sense of the Senate that we should not adopt a value-added tax. Personally, I agree with him. I do not favor a value- added tax. I, for one, would be happy to accept the amendment. I don't know if the Senator from Arizona wants a rollcall vote. I don't know if it is provided for. I hope we don't have to have one, but if he wants one, that is fine with me. The order states we will start voting at 5 o'clock, and when we do get to the vote on the McCain amendment, I intend to vote for it.

Mr. BAUCUS. I yield back my time.

Mr. BAUCUS. I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask consent that the next two votes be 10-minute votes.

Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.