Sherrod Brown

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I would like to talk about an important part of the transportation jobs bill the Senate is debating this week. The bill is about creating jobs by modernizing our roadways and highways, about making our bridges safer--we know what that means in Minnesota, the State of the Presiding Officer--and about improving public transportation and reducing congestion across the country. But it is also about improving the public safety of the vehicles that travel our country. We know about the success we have had as a nation because of the partnership between the auto industry and the government and adopting safety rules and working with the industry and making our travel safer. We know about the very impressive increase in safety on our Nation's highways. And there is still work to be done. Five years ago tomorrow, a fatal motorcoach accident rocked a small Ohio community and brought national attention to the need for commonsense safety measures that could save lives. Bluffton University is a small university in Bluffton, OH, near Interstate 75 in Allen and Hancock Counties in the northwest part of the State. The school's baseball team was on their way to Florida for spring training when their bus lost control on a poorly marked exit ramp outside Atlanta. The bus toppled from the overpass. Like the majority of fatal motorcoach accidents, when the bus rolled over, the passengers were ejected from their seats and thrown through the bus windows. Seven people were killed and dozens were injured. John and Joy Betts of Bryan, OH--a couple who have become friends of mine--lost their son David, one of the students who died that day. He was a baseball player and student at Bluffton. I have gotten to know the Betts family since the accident. They have been courageous advocates in raising awareness of motorcoach safety and demanding congressional action. To the family's credit, they used the loss of their son to save the sons and daughters of many others who will not face those tragedies because of the work the Betts family is doing on behalf of this motorcoach safety legislation. The National Transportation Safety Board's final report from the Bluffton motorcoach accident--released almost 4 years ago--echoed recommendations the NTSB has been urging for years. For nearly 5 years, I have been working with Senator Hutchison, whose State has seen its share of tragic motorcoach accidents, to put those recommendations into law. In a bipartisan manner, we are fighting to make motorcoaches safer for the millions of passengers who ride them every day. Today, because of the Betts family, other courageous families, and activists, we are taking a step in the right direction if we pass the bill. In the 110th, 111th, and now the 112th Congress, Senator Hutchison and I have introduced the bipartisan Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act, which includes many of the NTSB's ``most wanted'' safety improvements. Specifically, the bill would address many of the major safety shortfalls from the Bluffton accident, which have plagued tour bus operations for too long. It would mean better protection systems for occupants and stronger passenger safety standards. It would improve safety equipment and devices and the need for onboard recorders with the capability to collect crash data. These safety measures are neither exotic nor complicated; they are commonsense safety features that have been and in many cases are widely used. But since they are not required by law, they have not been installed in most American motorcoaches. Instead of saving lives, the public safety remains at risk. Some who oppose improved tour bus safety standards will tell you that this isn't a motorcoach problem, that they have a problem with rogue bus companies or bad drivers. Certainly, that is part of the problem, but we cannot simply look the other way and reject the idea that improving the safety of motorcoach manufacturing and motorcoaches is unnecessary or fiscally imprudent. John Betts said: It is necessary through our current regulations to get bad operators off the road. However, it is not sufficient as it does nothing to ensure safety once the crash has occurred. I couldn't agree more. We can get bad operators off the road, but that is not enough to ensure passenger safety in the tragic event of an accident. If the technology to save lives and reduce injury in motorcoach accidents exists, we must put that technology to use. This bill does that. Last year in Cleveland I was joined by John's sister and brother-in- law, Pam and Tom Bryan of Vermillion, OH. We met with a Greyhound bus driver who showcased new Greyhound buses equipped with some commonsense safety measures that clearly will save lives and protect both passengers and motorists on the road. The Betts family and operators like Greyhound understand the urgent need and have too often relived the painful reminders that safety improvements for tour bus operations are long overdue. That is why this Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act is important, and it is why Greyhound's endorsement of this bill is so critical to turning public sadness and outrage into public action. Bus operators such as Greyhound think we can do this, and manufacturers do too. The technology is there. The bill is common sense, bipartisan, and it will save lives. How many more motorcoach deaths--in Ohio, Texas, and most recently in New York and New Jersey--do we have to witness before bus companies start doing the right thing? As a father and Senator, it is disturbing to know that students are still traveling in motorcoaches without even the option of buckling up. Our laws should ensure that our vehicles and roads are safer, not less safe, for students, families, and elderly people, who often take motorcoach charters to events and concerts and such. Tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of the Bluffton University tragic motorcoach accident. Our legislation is in the underlying Transportation bill we are debating on the floor. I urge its passage. I urge continued inclusion of these provisions, as Senator Hutchison and I have asked. It is commonsense, middle-of-the road, bipartisan legislation that will save lives, undoubtedly. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I have had, over the last couple weeks around my State of Ohio, a number of conversations with workers and management both who work for auto companies, from foreign-owned Honda in central Ohio to the big three auto companies, which are very involved in the Ohio economy--Chrysler, GM, and Ford--and a number of conversations with auto suppliers: those companies that are less well known, companies such as Magna and Johnson Controls and companies that are smaller than that that are so-called tier 1, 2, or 3 suppliers, those companies that sell components into the manufacturing supply chain that ultimately end up in a Jeep Wrangler made in Toledo or a Chevy Cruze made in Lordstown, OH, near Youngstown. In almost all these conversations, these companies, these executives, and workers are simply incredulous that the auto rescue is still being debated--that it worked or it did not work. One just has to come to Ohio, and not just northern Ohio, where the assumption is that is sort of where the auto industry is in Ohio--it is true, but it is also in the rest of the State--but people all over Ohio and all over the whole industrial Midwest and I think all over the country understand the auto rescue worked. We remember back when Senator Levin and Senator Stabenow and Senator Voinovich, a Republican from my State who has since retired, took to the floor--and in committee hearings and all that--in December of 2008, when President Bush realized the auto industry needed, at a minimum, some bridge loans to stay in business, not because we have any interest in the government owning auto companies but because we knew hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of workers and thousands of small businesses that manufacture goods in our State and in Michigan and in Indiana and all over the region, all understood it would be economic devastation. I think and I think most economists think and most auto people think and I think most Ohioans think it would have led to a depression. That was in December of 2008. Because of a whole bunch of reasons, this place decided not to do what President Bush thought we should do. Then, later on, a few months later, when President Obama said we have to step up and do the right thing, it was still a difficult vote. It passed, with some Republican support but not as much as we had hoped. But it passed. This was in December 2008 and then early 2009 when President Obama took the oath of office. We can now look at what has happened in this country. Fundamentally, we see an auto industry that is so important to manufacturing in our country and so important to building a middle class. We can see what that has meant to our country. I will give you one big example. From 1997 to 2010, every single year we have seen a decline in manufacturing jobs in our country--every single year. In my State, and I know in the Presiding Officer's State of North Carolina, in which manufacturing has been a huge presence, they have suffered as every State has. From 2008 to 2010, every single year there have been manufacturing job losses. But you know what, since the auto rescue, for the last 20, 21, 22 months, we have seen manufacturing job growth-- manufacturing job growth every single month for the country and for my State of Ohio. Every single month, we have had more manufacturing jobs than the month before. That is not good enough because it is not enough growth, but it is clearly going in the right direction. In auto alone, you can see what is happening in my State. The four large auto companies in Ohio--Ford, Chrysler, General Motors, and Honda--all four of them have announced major expansion plans, major investments in our State, including building a new car in some cases, building a new line of cars, and in other cases expanding significantly. Look at a car like the Chevy Cruz. Its engine is made in Defiance, near the Indiana border. Its bumper is made in Northwood. Its transmission is made in Toledo. Its speakers are made in Springboro, near Dayton in southwest Ohio, so the Dayton-Cincinnati area. There are brackets made in, I believe, Brunswick and other places. The steel comes from Cleveland. The aluminum comes from Cleveland. Stamping is in a plant in Parma--the stamping, I believe, of the components to the car. The assembly is ultimately in Lordstown, and 5,000 people work in Lordstown, OH, stamping and assembling this small car that has been one of the best sellers of any car in the United States of America. In Toledo, where the Jeep Wrangler is assembled, prior to the auto rescue, only about 50 percent of the components in a Jeep Wrangler were American made--only 50 percent. So half of them came from production outside of the United States. Today about 75 percent of the Jeep Wrangler--the components to the Jeep Wrangler are assembled in the United States--is so-called domestic content. What does that mean? That means jobs. That is why it is so important that the President continue to move forward--and I hope more aggressively--on the whole issue of auto supply parts. We saw how just 10 years ago we had a deficit with China of about $1 billion in auto parts. Today we have a trade deficit with China in auto parts of almost $10 billion. So I know how concerned the President is. I know that American auto companies, including Honda, want to source more and more of their products in the United States of America. They want those products to be manufactured here in addition to being assembled here. And manufactured here obviously means it will be close to the final assembly point in the critical mass that these manufacturers want to grow jobs. So we are seeing a partnership now that we have never seen in my lifetime, I believe, between the auto industry and the U.S. Government, not for the government to have ownership, not for the government to tell the auto industry what to do, but for the government to make the business climate for these auto companies more and more favorable. That is what is good. That is what has come out of the auto rescue for Toledo--the assembly of the Jeep Wrangler. That is what has come out of the auto rescue in Youngstown--in Lordstown, the Youngstown area--for the Chevy Cruz. All of that is good news, that economic growth, that manufacturing job growth we have seen for more than 20 months. It clearly takes us in the right direction. It is important that the naysayers just kind of drop--I mean, they can say whatever they want about the auto rescue. They are going to say what they want for political reasons. But it is clear that we as policymakers--you know Presidential candidates are going to do what the Presidential candidates are going to do in both parties. I don't really much care. But I do care that this body, the Senate, focus its efforts on how do we cooperatively grow this industry. It means more union auto workers going to work. It means more nonunion supply chain workers going to work. All of these are good-paying jobs. What do we care about more here than preparing an environment for good-paying jobs that put people back to work and can help them join the middle class. I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, since 2009 the last day of February has been observed as Rare Disease Day. Each rare disease affects a small patient population--less than 200,000 people--but there are more than 7,000 rare diseases that, combined, affect 30 million Americans. Sadly, children with rare genetic diseases account for more than half of the rare disease population. Patients with rare diseases--such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Tay-Sachs, epidermolysis bullosa, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and many childhood cancers--face unique challenges. Too many of these conditions lack effective treatments and cures, and too often people with rare diseases experience challenges in obtaining an accurate diagnosis. In addition, there is often difficulty finding physicians or treatment centers with the necessary expertise in rare diseases or disorders. Great strides have been made in research and treatment as the result of the Orphan Drug Act, but more must be done to prevent, identify, combat, and treat rare diseases. By designating February 29, 2012, as Rare Disease Day, I hope we create greater awareness of these conditions, encourage accurate and early diagnosis of rare diseases and disorders, and help demonstrate and support a national and global commitment to improve treatment options for individuals with rare diseases and disorders.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for up to 10 minutes.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I was presiding earlier today before the Senator from North Carolina. I listened to Senator Boxer talk about the importance of this Transportation bill, this highway bill, which I underscore. This week we have seen movement on extension of the payroll tax and tax cuts and unemployment benefits, two very important things--with the doctors fix too--very important things to keep our economy moving. It made me think back what has happened in the last couple of years. In 2009, when Senator Obama became President Obama, we were losing 800,000 jobs a month in the United States. We know what was happening, especially to manufacturing and especially in States such as the Presiding Officer's, North Carolina, and my State of Ohio. In fact, we had for 12 years-- every single year for 12 years--from 1997 to 2009, we had lost manufacturing jobs every single year in Ohio and in the United States. But after President Obama took office, we passed the Recovery Act, we did some other things, the health care bill, all of that. We have begun to see, month after month after month, job growth. Not job growth that we want yet, not the kind of strong job growth we want. But for 21, 22 consecutive months we have seen more manufacturing jobs than the month before, including my State of Ohio--more manufacturing jobs every single month than the preceding month for 20, 21, 22 months in a row. Why is that? There are a lot of reasons. No. 1 is we have begun to put the economy on track--no longer losing 800,000 jobs a month; instead, gaining manufacturing jobs every month. The auto rescue has made a huge difference in States such as Ohio, but really across the country as we have seen manufacturing take off. Coming out of every recession, what leads out of the recession? Typically it is the auto industry. And in the Midwest and throughout the country, people are making cars, they are buying cars, all the economic activities generated from making a car and buying a car and running a car. One of the untold stories, in Toledo, OH, in northwest Ohio, near the Michigan border, the Jeep plant, the Chrysler-Jeep plant--Chrysler, a company that was saved by the auto rescue. They went into bankruptcy. The restructuring and the financing by U.S. taxpayers got that company back on its feet, back into business making cars. But prior to the auto rescue in 2008, the Jeep plant in Toledo--only 50 percent of the products going into a Jeep, the components assembled in Toledo, only 50 percent were American made. Do you know what happened after the auto rescue? Now 75 percent of those products are American made, those components. That is exactly the point. Because it is not just the companies you hear about--Honda has a big operation in Ohio, Chrysler, GM, Ford, all big operations in Ohio, all expanding, all investing-- just in the last 6 months, each of those four companies has announced major investment dollars going into Ohio operations. It is not just those auto plants, it is the supply chain. So if a Chrysler Jeep is made out of 75-percent American parts rather than 50- percent American parts, think of the jobs that creates: tires, steering wheels, blocks, transmissions, the engine, the fenders, all of the steel, all of the electronics, all of the products that go into those automobiles and trucks. That is in many ways the untold story. The problem, though, with that is we are still seeing China, the People's Republic of China, Communist China, cheating when it comes to auto parts. The auto parts trade deficit a decade ago was about $1 billion, meaning that the U.S. companies bought $1 billion in Chinese- made auto parts more than we sold to China--auto parts made in this country. We had a $1 billion deficit in auto parts. Today, that deficit is about 800 percent bigger than that. It is around $10 billion, that auto parts trade deficit. So the point of that is if we can turn that around, if we can force the Chinese to play fair and stand up and practice trade according to our national interests, not according to some economic textbook that is 20 years out of print, if we can do that, it will mean way more American jobs making auto components in steel, in rubber, and all of those things that go into the creation of an automobile, the assembly of an automobile and a truck. Yesterday, 100 feet from here, a group of us met with the Vice President of China, who will soon be the leader of that country, people who know China well predict. I asked him a question about that, that China does not play fair, they do not play fair on currency, they do not play fair when it comes to subsidizing energy and water and capital and land. Of course, he deflected the question. He did not answer. I did not expect him to. But I wanted him to know as eight or nine of us were sitting around the table, I was the only one who directly brought up the issue of jobs and this economic relationship, leveling the playing field. But that is why it is so important that the House of Representatives pass my China currency bill. This is legislation the Senator from North Carolina, Mrs. Hagan, has cosponsored. It is legislation that Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, a Republican, has cosponsored. It is legislation that Chuck Schumer of New York, a Democrat, has cosponsored, along with Olympia Snowe, a Republican from Maine, and Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat from Michigan, and Senator Sessions, a Republican from Alabama, all of us who have come together. My currency bill was the largest bipartisan jobs bill that the Senate passed in 2011. Unfortunately, Speaker Boehner in the House of Representatives is blocking it. It is important that he move on that. It will have a strong bipartisan vote out of the House of Representatives, as it did--far in excess of 60 votes in the Senate. It works like this, briefly: With China cheating on currency, it means that a product made in Cleveland, OH, and sold in Wuhan, China has a minimum 25 percent--some former Reagan administration officials say 40 or 50 percent--but at least a 25-percent currency tariff or tax, that every one of our products is taxed that way. That cost is added to it when it is sold in China. Conversely, if the Chinese make something and sell it into Akron or Lima or Mansfield, OH, that product is 25 percent less expensive, which means that American companies cannot compete. There was a company in Brunswick. I was talking to two brothers who run this company. They were about to make a million-dollar sale. All of a sudden the Chinese competitor came in, with that 25-percent bonus that they get because China games and cheats on the currency system, and they were underpriced by 20 percent. So that clearly does not work. That is why I said that to the Vice President of China about the importance of currency. That is why the House of Representatives needs to pass my legislation. It will mean we can keep this recovery going. The 21 months in a row of manufacturing job growth, coupled with the extension of the payroll tax cut, coupled with the extension of unemployment benefits, coupled with the Transportation bill, the highway bill that Senator Boxer and Senator Inhofe bipartisanly are working on, coupled with standing up to the Chinese on trade enforcement and on this currency bill, will mean we are going to get this recovery, we are going to sustain it, we are going to grow it. It is going to mean significant new jobs in my State of Ohio and across the country. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Res. 377, submitted earlier today.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Portman and myself, I am proud to have submitted this bipartisan resolution--joined by 18 Senators, 10 of whom served with John Glenn in the Senate. Fifty-years ago next week, on the morning of February 20, 1962, John Herschel Glenn, Jr. of Ohio became the first American to orbit the Earth. I was 9 years old. Like other families around Ohio, I watched him on television at home in Mansfield with my parents and two brothers. The broadcast also showed John Glenn, Sr. and Clara Glenn, John's parents, watching anxiously. Across the country, others were listening on transistor radios. In New York City, the subway system broadcast the liftoff and flight progress over loud speakers. In Grand Central Station, CBS News set up a large 12 foot by 16 foot screen over the main ticket window--by the time of lift-off 10,000 people had packed the terminal. Like millions of Americans, they watched Walter Cronkite set the scene. Our Nation was in the midst of the Cold War--worried about Russian nuclear aggression, worried about the race into space. Cronkite would later say that: It was a time when the intricacies of science were complicated by deep American doubts and anxieties over where we stood in the race with Russian science. With the arms race in a dead heat, space had become the scoreboard of Cold War competition. That's why a few years earlier, President Eisenhower launched Project Mercury as the first human spaceflight program in the United States--to put our country on the playing field. Hundreds of our Nation's bravest and patriotic aviators signed up-- only seven were selected as the original Mercury 7: John Glenn, Jr. of Ohio; M. Scott Carpenter of Colorado; L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. of Oklahoma; Virgil I. ``Gus'' Grissom of Indiana; Walter M. Schirra, Jr. of New Jersey; Alan B. Shepard, Jr. of New Hampshire; and Donald K. ``Deke'' Slayton of Wisconsin. Glenn later wrote of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, ``The world was at the door of a new age, and we were the people who had been chosen to take the first steps across the threshold.'' And when President Kennedy took office, he continued our Nation's pursuit into space--and race against the Russians. He said, ``Our leadership in science and industry, our hopes for peace and security . . . require us to solve these mysteries and to solve them for the good of all men.'' Alan Shepard piloted the Freedom 7 in May 1961 and Gus Grissom piloted Liberty Bell 7 in July 1961 to prove that Americans could launch humans into suborbital flight. But then the Russians successfully launched Yuri Gagarin into orbit around the Earth. America's response was left to a decorated Marine aviator born in Cambridge, Ohio who grew up a few miles away in New Concord. On the morning of February 20, 1962, the eyes of the world were on John Glenn, who was tasked with piloting our space program's most dangerous flight at the time. He would command Friendship 7--named by Glenn and his children, Dave and Lyn, to emphasize our Nation's intentions in space. But over weeks and months, his mission was scrubbed ten times. The reasons were varied--from inclement weather to technical problems. Tensions remained high throughout. Any miscues or failure would undermine national security--along with national pride and the country's psyche. Finally, at 9:47 a.m. on February 20, 1962, with 70 degree Fahrenheit weather at NASA's Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Friendship 7 was blasted off into space. As the rocket ascended, people cheered. Others cried and prayed--the hopes of an entire nation rested on the shoulders of a single man in a space capsule hurling into an unknown place. Everything was going as planned--from launch to orbital entry--and once successfully in space, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. He would observe three sunrises, three sunsets, and the wonder of the universe in 4 hours and 56 minutes. But during the flight, problems occurred. The spacecraft's automatic control system malfunctioned, causing Glenn to manually control the capsule. And he was prepared to do so--benefitting from NASA's vigorous training that included 70 simulated missions and malfunction response training for nearly 200 simulated system failures. His model of calmness, which I have seen many times over the years in all kinds of situations, would become standard operating procedure for future NASA manned space missions. And despite having to deal with the malfunctions, Glenn still carried out critical parts of the mission. He took photographs of the Earth, observed weather on the Earth's surface, and gave constant feedback to flight controllers about his physical responses to the zero-gravity environment. But earlier in the flight, Glenn saw an indicator light that Friendship 7's heat shield had loosened--threatening his re-entry into Earth. With its world-class scientists and engineers leading the way--and confident in its flight planning--NASA decided to keep the retrorocket pack attached to secure the heat shield. As planned, Friendship 7 re-entered the Earth's atmosphere--with Glenn describing the ``fire-ball'' re-entry as one of the most exhilarating parts of the flight. It is the streak of light that people on Earth could see in the sky. And in descent, the capsule successfully parachuted and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the Grand Turk Island, at 2:43 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. The USS Noa retrieved Friendship 7 and brought Glenn aboard--validating our Nation's pursuit of discovery and ensuring its place in the space race against the Russians. And just as important--the flight of Friendship 7 and the courage of John Glenn inspired generations of new scientists, engineers, and aviators. It launched a new era of science, aerospace, and defense industries, and it showed that our advancements in science--in exploring the unknown-- are not only a national security imperative, they are an economic imperative, too--reaffirming that we have what it takes to out-compete and out-innovate any nation in the world. After his flight, Glenn received a hero's welcome--decorated with awards and accolades--and honored in ticker-tape parades and magazine profiles. Throughout it all, he remained humbled by his patriotism and his small town Ohio roots--as a son whose father was a plumber, and whose mother was a schoolteacher. And he remained grounded by his love for his wife, his childhood sweetheart, Annie. Much has been written about John and Annie. Both are just as in love with each other now in their 90s as they were as children when they met--as John says, in a playpen in New Concord. He says of Annie, ``that she was part of my life from the time of my first memory.'' It is fitting that in celebrating the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's historic orbit of Earth, we honor his family--Annie and their children, Dave and Lyn who gave public blessing and private prayers and support during his service to our Nation. I was fortunate to sit with Lyn and Dave and Annie in the Rotunda when John Glenn, with three other astronauts, received the Congressional Gold Medal for his flight aboard Friendship 7. We also honor the thousands of dedicated and patriotic men and women of NASA's Project Mercury Program. It took a huge team of people as dedicated as John Glenn, and perhaps as courageous, who ensured the safety and security of their astronauts and preserved the pride of a grateful Nation. John will be in Florida on this weekend to meet with those who were part of that operation--the engineers, the scientists, the technicians--thanking them again for sending him up and bringing him down safely. Their service has inspired generations of future NASA technicians and mission control specialists--from Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, to NASA Glenn in Cleveland, to NASA centers around the country. At one of the first press conferences of the Mercury 7 astronauts, Glenn said: This whole project . . . stands with us now like the Wright Brothers--Ohioans also--stood at Kitty Hawk . . . I think we stand on the verge of something as big and expansive as that was 50 years ago. It is that spirit of discovery, that conviction, duty, and faith that John Glenn embodies and that his flight aboard Friendship 7 symbolizes. It is my honor to submit this bipartisan resolution celebrating such an important national and scientific achievement. It is also my honor to be accompanied on the floor today by Nicole Smith, who is a fellow from NASA Glenn, an aeronautical engineer, who has done things as varied as having trained cosmonauts to the work she has done in our office, guiding the success of NASA Glenn, one of the best NASA centers in the country. I am also joined on the floor by Laura Lynch, who has been with my office for 3 years--a Clevelander--who is actually leaving our office for bigger and better things in a couple of weeks. She has been part of this too. In my last personal moment with this resolution, I remember 40-some years ago--44 years ago, I believe--when John Glenn was not Senator Glenn but still Colonel Glenn. I received my Eagle Scout award in Mansfield earlier in the year, and COL John Glenn came to a dinner with a number of other Eagle Scouts in Mansfield. I have a picture in my office in the Senate Hart Building of me standing there in my Boy Scout uniform with my Eagle Scout pin with John Glenn, and next to that is a picture of John Glenn and me some 38 years later before he walked me down the center aisle to be sworn in to the Senate with the Senator from Rhode Island in January of 2007. John Glenn is special to our Nation. He is special to my wife Connie and me because of our love for John and Annie and our respect for Dave and Lyn, their children. He has honored our country in so many ways, it is my honor to submit this resolution and I thank my colleagues. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a fellow in my office, Nicole Smith, be allowed the privilege of the floor for the remainder of the day.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, today, only 54 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24 have jobs--the lowest employment rate for young people since this data was first collected in 1948. It is a job deficit that cripples our economy in both the short-term and long-term. But it's also a deficit we can close if we do the right thing and invest in programs that help young people find the jobs they--and our economy-- need. That is why I am introducing the Youth Corps Act of 2012. The Youth Corps Act of 2012 would establish a competitive grant program in the Workforce Investment Act to expand the Youth Corps program across the Nation. The Youth Corps is a direct descendent of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, his most successful and popular New Deal program aimed at helping young men find employment during the Great Depression. From 1933 to 1942, more than 3 million young men served in the Civilian Conservation Corps dramatically improving the Nation's public land, while also receiving food, housing, education, and a small stipend. They helped plant nearly 3 billion trees to reforest the nation, constructed more than 800 parks nationwide, and built a network of public roadways in remote areas. In Ohio, their legacy persists across our State in organizations like the Muskingum Conservancy Watershed District, which provides the system that protects thousands of acres of land from flooding. Today, more than 30,000 young men and women participate annually in the Youth Corps program in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. Some Corps members improve and preserve public lands and national parks, while others work with students in our Nation's public schools. Finally, some members provide disaster preparation and recovery services to underresourced communities. The Youth Corps Act of 2012 would provide more young adults with the opportunity to experience Youth Corps, while ensuring a steady source of funding for these programs. Currently, funding for Youth Corps programs comes from a wide variety of sources, forcing many Corps to operate with uncertainty. By investing in Youth Corps, we are investing in our Nation's future teachers and principals, doctors and lawyers. The men and women who participate in Youth Corps are selfless, dedicated, and passionate people. While some may have faced challenges during their childhood or struggled in school, all of them are interested in bridging the gap between education and opportunity that too often plagues our communities. With the guidance of an adult community leader, a modest stipend, and support services like education and career preparation, participants are able to gain valuable life and career skills. Ohio is home to three Youth Corps programs: the WSOS Quilter Conservation Corps, City Year Cleveland, and City Year Columbus. Members of these Corps provide a great public service to the citizens of Ohio--a legacy like that of the CCC which will persist for generations. The WSOS Quilter Conservation Corps members serve as Benefit and Tax Counselors, helping low-income individuals file their State and Federal taxes, apply for benefits like health care coverage, home energy assistance, child care subsidies and food stamps. Members of City Year Cleveland and City Year Columbus serve as mentors and educators in our most challenged schools. My daughter, Elizabeth, was a City Year Corps Member in Philadelphia, and my other daughter, Caitlin, was a member of City Year in Providence. City Year is a national model on how each of us can serve our Nation. For this reason, we must invest more in these vital programs. Each of these programs improves our state while providing skills to our Nation's future leaders. And for this reason, we must invest more in these important programs. That is why I am proud to introduce the Youth Corps Act of 2012. By empowering our young people to serve their communities, we can help provide them with the skills they need to find jobs, strengthen our economy, and enrich our communities.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, the first vote tomorrow will be at approximately noon on confirmation of the Jordan nomination. Additional votes in relation to amendments to the surface transportation bill are possible.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous order.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I understand that S. 2105, introduced earlier today by Senator Lieberman, is at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent for its second reading and object to my own request.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, today, only 54 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24 have jobs--the lowest employment rate for young people since this data was first collected in 1948. It is a job deficit that cripples our economy in both the short-term and long-term. But it's also a deficit we can close if we do the right thing and invest in programs that help young people find the jobs they--and our economy-- need. That is why I am introducing the Youth Corps Act of 2012. The Youth Corps Act of 2012 would establish a competitive grant program in the Workforce Investment Act to expand the Youth Corps program across the Nation. The Youth Corps is a direct descendent of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, his most successful and popular New Deal program aimed at helping young men find employment during the Great Depression. From 1933 to 1942, more than 3 million young men served in the Civilian Conservation Corps dramatically improving the Nation's public land, while also receiving food, housing, education, and a small stipend. They helped plant nearly 3 billion trees to reforest the nation, constructed more than 800 parks nationwide, and built a network of public roadways in remote areas. In Ohio, their legacy persists across our State in organizations like the Muskingum Conservancy Watershed District, which provides the system that protects thousands of acres of land from flooding. Today, more than 30,000 young men and women participate annually in the Youth Corps program in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. Some Corps members improve and preserve public lands and national parks, while others work with students in our Nation's public schools. Finally, some members provide disaster preparation and recovery services to underresourced communities. The Youth Corps Act of 2012 would provide more young adults with the opportunity to experience Youth Corps, while ensuring a steady source of funding for these programs. Currently, funding for Youth Corps programs comes from a wide variety of sources, forcing many Corps to operate with uncertainty. By investing in Youth Corps, we are investing in our Nation's future teachers and principals, doctors and lawyers. The men and women who participate in Youth Corps are selfless, dedicated, and passionate people. While some may have faced challenges during their childhood or struggled in school, all of them are interested in bridging the gap between education and opportunity that too often plagues our communities. With the guidance of an adult community leader, a modest stipend, and support services like education and career preparation, participants are able to gain valuable life and career skills. Ohio is home to three Youth Corps programs: the WSOS Quilter Conservation Corps, City Year Cleveland, and City Year Columbus. Members of these Corps provide a great public service to the citizens of Ohio--a legacy like that of the CCC which will persist for generations. The WSOS Quilter Conservation Corps members serve as Benefit and Tax Counselors, helping low-income individuals file their State and Federal taxes, apply for benefits like health care coverage, home energy assistance, child care subsidies and food stamps. Members of City Year Cleveland and City Year Columbus serve as mentors and educators in our most challenged schools. My daughter, Elizabeth, was a City Year Corps Member in Philadelphia, and my other daughter, Caitlin, was a member of City Year in Providence. City Year is a national model on how each of us can serve our Nation. For this reason, we must invest more in these vital programs. Each of these programs improves our state while providing skills to our Nation's future leaders. And for this reason, we must invest more in these important programs. That is why I am proud to introduce the Youth Corps Act of 2012. By empowering our young people to serve their communities, we can help provide them with the skills they need to find jobs, strengthen our economy, and enrich our communities.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 373, S. Res. 374, and S. Res. 375.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I would like to speak on one of these resolutions, S. Res. 375, about the Columbus, OH, bicentennial. Today marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of the city of Columbus, our largest city, one of the great cities of America, the capital of the great State of Ohio. I have lived in different neighborhoods in Columbus over the last 30 years--from German Village to Berwick to the Hilltop. My grandson and his parents live in Clintonville, a great neighborhood in the north side of Columbus. Our daughter lives in the Short North, one of the most exciting places of any city in the Midwest. For 200 years Columbus has been a hub of economic and cultural activity for the State. We talk often in Columbus about the great brain gain; how Columbus is one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest and east of the Mississippi. Columbus started in its early days as a trading post along the Scioto River and continued as steamboats and railroads connected more people with new opportunities and new commerce. I should add that the Presiding Officer, if I am allowed to say this, once lived in the great city of Columbus. I think I am allowed to say that. He now is the very able junior Senator from Colorado. During the Civil War, Columbus became an important location for the Union Army, and something I am more particularly proud of, the Underground Railroad. Through the turmoil of that era, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, which led to the creation of the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1870. In 1878 it was renamed Ohio State University. Today, OSU is one of the Nation's premiere public universities, and there are many other institutions of higher learning in Columbus: Capital University, established much earlier than that, 1830; the Columbus College of Art and Design, established in 1879; the Pontifical College Josephinum, established in 1888; Franklin University, established in 1902; the Mount Carmel College of Nursing in 1903; Ohio Dominican University, established in 1911, the year my father was born; and the Columbus State Community College, part of the great group of community colleges who were visiting the Capitol today--many people from those colleges--established in 1963. Columbus is home to some of the Nation's earliest schools for Americans living with disabilities. The Ohio School for the Deaf was established in 1829. Many graduates of that school have gone on to Gallaudet University located in Washington, founded during the Civil War by Abraham Lincoln, the most outstanding school of its kind in the country. The Ohio School for the Blind was established in 1837. In 2011, the Columbus library system was named the best in the United States, the recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Columbus prospered in the post-Civil-War era through new banks, expanded railroad networks, extended streetcar service, and the city's first waterworks system. Manufacturers from horse-and-buggy manufacturers, to steel, and brewers made Columbus an important location for organized labor. The American Federation of Labor later merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations into what we know today as the AFL-CIO. The American Federation of Labor was founded in Columbus 116 years ago in 1886. Today the legacy of advanced manufacturing continues at Ohio's cutting-edge Edison Networks, the Ohio Manufacturing Association, and Battelle. The spirit of the labor movement continues as workers of the Columbus local unions represent all types of industries and professions. Attracted by world-class workforces and cultural outlets, leading retail corporations, health care, insurance companies, and financial institutions such as the Limited, Nationwide, Grange, Cardinal Health, and Huntington all call Columbus their home. Columbus is a leader in cutting-edge medical research and hospital systems. We see it at the Ohio State Medical Center, the Arthur James Cancer Hospital, the Richard J. Solove Research Institute, and Nationwide Children's Hospitals. Of the top 10 Children's Hospitals in America, three of them are in Ohio consistently: Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, in addition to other great Children's Hospitals in Ohio: Mount Caramel Hospital, Riverside Community Hospital, and Grant Medical Center. Columbus is a crown jewel of arts and culture in the Midwest. The majestic Southern Theatre, Southern Theatre and Hotel attracted world- class performances for more than 100 years. The Southern Hotel was one of President Theodore Roosevelt's favorite stops as he traveled through the Midwest. The Short North is the epicenter of the burgeoning art scene, home to galleries, parks, and restaurants such as Betty's, the Happy Greek, Jeni's Ice Cream, and the North Market that attract an incredible number of young people with energy and commitment to that city. It hosts some of the Midwest's largest concerts, fairs, and festivals ranging from ComFest to the Pride Festival. Columbus is also home to the Midwest's largest Fourth of July festival and the very famous Ohio State Fair. Mayor Coleman and the Columbus Partnership, which is much more than just business organizations, are doing a tremendous job promoting economic development from the South Campus Gateway to the Short North, to the Scioto riverfront and the German Village. Like Ohioans across the State, our people have long served those who serve us. One of the first Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters in the country was founded in Columbus in 1899. Aside from the Buckeyes of Ohio State, Columbus is home to professional sports teams, including the Columbus Clippers, the Columbus Crew, and the Blue Jackets. This year, Columbus will commence a year-long bicentennial celebration, with the theme ``Honoring the Past. Celebrate the Present. Envision the Future.'' In doing so, it will celebrate the economic, cultural, educational, and artistic contributions of the people of Columbus to our great State and Nation. On behalf of the Senate, with unanimous consent, I wish all the citizens of Columbus a happy 200th anniversary.