Sherrod Brown

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I appreciate the comments from the Senator from Maine. I was just asking that they be offered. I was going to speak on them together, but I am certainly willing for a Republican to go next and then I speak about my two amendments together--whatever the Senator from Maine would like.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 260, S. 1236.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I want to take 60 or 90 seconds to discuss the subject that the Senator from Iowa discussed; that is, the appointment of Richard Cordray to the Consumer Protection Bureau. I checked with the Senator's story earlier during this move through the Banking Committee on which the Presiding Officer sits. Never in history has anybody in one party blocked even a vote of a Presidential nominee who is admittedly qualified only because they don't like the agency. That would be a little like, as Senator Reed from Rhode Island said, refusing to confirm an appointee to run the FDA until the Congress weakens food safety laws. It runs counter to everything we believe. I wasn't insisting that my Senate colleagues all support Richard Cordray, former attorney general from Ohio, who is eminently qualified for this job. We were saying to just let it come to an up-or-down vote. Instead, the minority party filibustered, stopped that, and the President had no choice but to act because the agency simply could not do its job. Only 2 years ago, this agency was created, this consumer bureau, to have a consumer cop on the beat to keep Wall Street banks and payday lenders and everybody in between honest. It took 60 votes in the Senate, including the Presiding Officer and me, and 58 others, to say this agency should be created and the consumer bureau should be in effect. That is the history of that.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I rise today to honor Detective Brandon Moore, of the Morrow County, OH, Sheriff's Department and Ohio's first recipient of the Congressional Badge of Bravery. Established in 2008, the Congressional Badge of Bravery is an annual award from the U.S. Attorney General to public safety officers who display bravery in the line of duty. Earlier this month, Congressman Jim Jordan and I had the honor of presenting the award to Detective Moore, along with Morrow County Sheriff Steven Brenneman and sheriffs and law enforcement officers from across central Ohio. It was an honor to meet Detective Moore--to hear his story of heroism and to see his humility firsthand. In October 2010, Detective Moore was shot multiple times and nearly killed in the line of duty during an ambush and firefight. When you hear about what happened, you can imagine the scene. Then-Deputy Sheriff Moore received a report of neighbors engaged in a property dispute. He traveled to the scene. But in the course of the investigation, he suspected criminal drug activity in one of the homes. The story quickly turned to the unimaginable. One of the neighbors came out of his house with an assault rifle and started firing. Detective Moore was shot in the groin, leg, foot, and abdomen. As Detective Moore has described it, the normal reaction of fear, shock, doubt, and panic was overwhelmed by a calmness that only highly- skilled police training could provide. Severely wounded and laying on the ground--Detective Moore first used his belt to create a tourniquet on his leg. He then shot and disabled his assailant from more than 50 yards away. In doing so, he saved himself, three civilians, and other officers. Yet his injuries were so life-threatening that he made the unimaginable call to his wife--Diandra, his high school sweetheart-- explaining what happened, wanting her to know how much he loved her and their children, Alec and Andrew. Fortunately, help quickly arrived to the scene. Detective Moore was airlifted to the hospital for multiple surgeries and where he stayed for a month. Law enforcement from across central Ohio visited the hospital to show their support--speaking volumes of the solidarity of a sacred brotherhood and sisterhood. Today, Detective Moore is on the road to recovery--well ahead of schedule. He was told it could take two or three years before he could return to duty. Detective Moore thinks he'll do it in 18 months. He recently hit one of his goals of running a quarter of a mile without stopping. Before April, his goal is to run half a mile. And as difficult as the recovery has been for him--he remains grounded by humility and faith, and the love of his family. Diandra has been with him on every step of the highs and lows of rehabilitation. To their children, Alec and Andrew, when you're older, you'll understand more than most people, the meaning of duty, love, and faith. I had the honor of meeting Detective Moore's parents, who raised him and his siblings near my hometown of Mansfield, OH. His parents--mother Tommie and father Jim--still live there. Jim is also a police officer--the sense of duty and faith runs deep in the family. And it's not just for a father seeing a son follow his footsteps-- it's also for a mother seeing both her husband and son put on a uniform to protect the public. Like much of our great State, Mansfield is a place where you grow up with the values of hard work and fair play--service, community, and faith. Detective Moore's story illustrates those values as clearly as any. We ask a great deal from our law enforcement officials--to risk their lives each day and each night. And while we may never guarantee their safety, in honoring their service we give meaning to their sacrifice. That's what the Congressional Badge of Bravery reflects--the very character of our Nation that honors those who serve us. We ask. And as he says himself, guided by faith in God, family, and his fellow officers, Detective Moore gave. And we're all humbled by that service. Thank you, Detective Brandon Moore. A proud State and grateful Nation continue to offer our prayers and well wishes for you and your family. I yield the floor.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 358, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 357 submitted earlier today.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I understand there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I now ask for a second reading in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, and I object to my own request.

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

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. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate adjourn until 10 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, January 31, 2012; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business until 11:30 a.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half, and that following morning business, the Senate proceed to vote on the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 301, S. 2038, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. to allow for weekly caucus meetings.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, we will begin consideration of the STOCK Act during tomorrow's session of the Senate. Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

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

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Con. Res. 34, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, we ask a great deal from our first responders, from firefighters, and from police officers to keep our neighborhoods safe from violence and drugs. We ask them to put their lives on the line, to save people from burning buildings, to track down armed criminals. We ask and they give each day and each night. That is why we cannot just honor them through parades, memorials, speeches on the Senate floor, showing up at various kinds of festivals, but we honor them by the priorities we set in our Federal Government, in State legislatures in Santa Fe and Columbus and Atlanta, in city halls, and in county courthouses. Earlier this year, Ohioans overwhelmingly rejected issue 2, which would have curtailed the ability of first responders, firefighters, and police officers not just to organize and bargain collectively for their wages and their benefits but, much more broadly than that, to have them sit down and negotiate with their employers, with cities, with counties, with the State, and with taxpayers for safety equipment and adequate staffing. This was a victory for them. The defeat of issue 2 was a victory for hard-working men and women in Ohio. It was the only time in American history when the issue of collective bargaining was on a State ballot for a statewide vote, and voters voted more than three-fifths--61 percent to 39 percent--to preserve collective bargain rates. Again, collective bargaining not just for themselves in terms of wages and benefits but collective bargaining for police officers' safety vests; for firefighters to have the right kind of safety equipment; for teachers organizing and bargaining collectively at the negotiating table for class size. It was way more than about them and that is why the voters of Ohio, in such a resounding number, voted to preserve collective bargaining and what it meant to public employees and what it meant to our way of life for those who are not public employees, and that is at the State level. At the Federal level we must continue to fight to ensure these brave public servants have the resources necessary to safely perform their jobs. That is because so many give the ultimate sacrifice. In the last 10 years, 47 law enforcement officials representing 35 Ohio agencies were killed while on duty. Forty-seven law enforcement officials were killed while on duty just in a decade. According to the FBI, 48 law enforcement officials across the country were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2009. More than 57,000 law enforcement officials were assaulted while performing their duties. This past May during National Police Week, I attended a Greater Cleveland Police Officer Memorial service in Huntington Park in Cleveland. During the service, I met Sara Winfield of Marysville, OH. Sara's husband Bradley Winfield was a deputy in the Marion County Sheriff's Department, a north central community, when he was shot and killed while on duty. In her grief, this widow, with two young sons to care for, has become an advocate ensuring that those who protect us are protected themselves. That is why I cosponsored legislation introduced by Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin that would create a national blue alert system aimed at apprehending criminals who injure or kill law enforcement officials. Modeled after the Amber Alert System used to find missing children, the blue alert system would disseminate critical information about suspected criminals to other law enforcement agencies, the public, and the media. When someone has gunned down a police officer, police departments all over the region, the State, and the country need to know about it. Blue alerts would be broadcast to local media and on messaging signs. It would include a detailed description of the suspect, the vehicle, and other identifying information. It would encourage State and local governments to develop additional protocols to help apprehend suspects. Eleven States already have such a system, but if it is only on the State level and the perpetrator who killed the police officer escapes to another State that doesn't have it, it doesn't work so well. That is why Senator Cardin's national blue alert bill is so important. Ohio doesn't have this. I am encouraged that the Ohio Senate recently passed a version of this law. Again, it needs to be national so that it goes across State lines, and we can obviously do that as police departments are talking to each other more than they ever have through technology. I spoke to police chiefs from across Ohio like my city of Lorain, OH. Cel Rivera, the chief there, said the blue alert system would be a critical resource to track down criminals and to protect law enforcement. It would be made possible with existing community-oriented policing services such as, the COPS Program funded by the Department of Justice. I remember 15, 18 years ago when the COPS Program began with President Clinton and the Congress in the 1990s. It made such a difference in helping local communities, small towns, big cities, rural areas, suburbs, to be able to staff up in a better way with community police officers. It is these types of Federal investments that are so critical for communities facing significant budget shortfalls. Too many communities are forced to make cutbacks in essential services reducing staff size and scaling back investments on safety equipment. These choices are difficult, and they are made with great reluctance. That is why Federal grants such as the staffing for adequate fire and emergency response, so-called SAFER grants, or the assistance for the firefighters grant are critical to help communities hire more firefighters as well as recruit and retain first responders. The omnibus bill we are considering now will provide much needed investments that will help communities do that. While I fight for stronger investments, it is clear every little bit helps. Earlier this week the Chillicothe Fire Department received a funded grant through the AFG Program. It follows the SAFER grant that not only helped hire personnel, it saves lives. Fire Chief Steve Gallacher, whom I have spoken with prior to this, was off duty when he experienced a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot to the lung. Without a grant that kept his neighborhood firehouse open or without the medic who was hired because of the AFG grant, Chief Gallagher says he would have died. These Federal investments literally helped to save Chief Gallacher's life. According to him, 40 percent of deaths among firefighters occur due to cardiac arrest. He wrote to me: When I helped write the grant application, I knew that it would save lives. But I never imagined that one of those lives would be my own. With reduced tax revenues, with the increased need of vital public services such as fire and police, it is critical we help our communities carry out the most basic and lifesaving duties. We can keep first responders and firefighters and officials on the job. We can establish an alert system to warn us when criminals seek to harm law enforcement officials. These are bipartisan actions that can help communities across Ohio and throughout the Nation. I yield the floor.

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 ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for up to 10 minutes.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I rise to honor a long-time friend and a hero to veterans and to those who believe in justice in Ohio: Frank Anderson, a long-time leader of paralyzed veterans in Ohio, who passed away last week from complications of an infection. Frank was a friend and a trusted advocate. He always spoke eloquently about issues facing veterans and people living with disabilities. Confined to a wheelchair as a paraplegic for the overwhelming majority of his adult life, Frank was soft spoken, yet larger than life, with a commanding presence. As a leader of the Buckeye Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans Association, he drove himself to veterans events across Ohio. He spoke out against inequality in disability pay--and the barriers that face disabled veterans, from health care to transit accessibility, to economic opportunity. He was a strong advocate for the Americans with Disabilities Act. He fought to ensure housing was affordable and accessible for all Americans. He testified in front of Congress on issues facing veterans in rural areas and would return that night to Cleveland to fight for veterans in cities. He would always do so the right way--prepared in facts and figures, armed with anecdotes and stories. Born in Cleveland in 1953, Frank Anderson graduated from East Tech High in 1971. In 1976, he left Bowling Green State University to enlist in the Ohio Army National Guard's 107th Armored Cavalry Regiment. In 1981, Frank was paralyzed after an 18-wheeler crashed into an Ohio National Guard convoy he was traveling in. He recovered and rehabbed at what is now the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland, meeting other disabled veterans--hearing their stories, learning from them, all becoming advocates charged with helping veterans. While taking away his ability to walk for the rest of his life, the experience strengthened his will to serve and to live his life on his terms. He remained active in wheelchair sports--playing tennis, lifting weights, and throwing a discus and a javelin. He became a longtime leader for all Americans with disabilities and became a trusted leader in the African-American community. He embraced life's challenges. He made the world better for all of us--even dressing as Santa for children at the Cleveland Clinic's Children's Hospital. He traveled the country. He cooked his favorite seafood. He listened to his favorite old rhythm and blues music. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record Frank Anderson's obituary from the Cleveland Plain Dealer and a letter about Frank's life from Bill Lawson, president of the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, Frank served as director of government relations for the Paralyzed Veterans Association's Buckeye Chapter in my State. He served as vice president of the Memorial Day Association of Greater Cleveland, as well as a commissioner of the Ohio Rehabilitation Services. He belonged to the Governor's Council on People with Disabilities, the ADA Ohio Network, the Maximum Accessible Housing of Ohio, and the Greater Cleveland RTA, the transit system's Citizens Advisory Board. He was a trustee of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial in downtown Cleveland, responsible for installing its wheelchair lift. I will miss Frank. I will miss his friendship, his wit, and his humor. But his State and Nation will miss him more--his strong will and his dedication to public service and the lives he helped to improve. Frank was an inspiration to anyone in or out of a wheelchair--a tireless advocate whom everyone loved and respected. On Thursday, December 15--a couple days from now--at Mount Sinai Baptist Church, on Woodland Avenue in Cleveland, Frank's family and friends will gather for his funeral--his going home. I wish I could be there. I will be here. But I wish I could be there to say goodbye--to join his wife Joe Ann, their children Yolanda, Patrice, Chemenda, Tamika, Franklin and seven grandchildren and Frank's sister and two brothers. For them, I offer my condolences but also reaffirm a commitment to serving Frank's cause on behalf of all disabled Americans, especially those who are disabled and paralyzed in service to our country.

Mr. BROWN of Ohio

Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I rise to submit a bipartisan resolution recognizing the 40th anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971--supported by 33 Democrats and 11 Republicans. A special thank-you to Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and Kansas Senator Jerry Moran for their leadership on this issue. It is unfortunate but likely true that we each know someone who has been affected by cancer. We know a survivor. We remember a victim. We know cancer affects not just the patient but the parents, the family, the friends, and the loved ones. This year more than 1.5 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer. One out of every three women, one out of every two men will develop some form of cancer in their lifetimes. More than half a million Americans die from cancer year after year after year, in any 1 year. More than one person every minute and nearly one out of every four deaths is from cancer. We also know that behind the statistics there are thousands of people representing thousands of friends, families, and loved ones, with ribbons, donations, and races for the cure. These are the stories that motivate us to fight harder and to fight with one voice. It is also a story of a nation's commitment to cancer research. There is interest in dealing with environmental causes. There is great interest in dealing with cures and prevention and all that we should as a nation and usually do know what to do. Forty years ago, Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts, as chairman of the Health Subcommittee, forged a bipartisan consensus and public demand to bolster investments in cancer research. He held hearings. He worked with leading public health advocates and economists who understood the need for bipartisanship on such an urgent national need. His work, along with Jacob Javits, a Republican Senator from New York, led to the framework of the National Cancer Act. When it was clear President Nixon would only sign the act into law if Kennedy's name were not on it, Kennedy backed off. The goal was to put cancer research into a new era of discovery, and that is what the National Cancer Act did. It established a national cancer program, which expanded the authority and the responsibilities of the National Cancer Institute, and its parent agency, the National Institutes of Health. The National Cancer Institute is, by far, the biggest of the two dozen or so National Institutes of Health. Today, 12 million cancer survivors are alive because of the advances in the way we prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer. Because of the investments by the NCI, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institutes of Health, critical cancer research is being conducted in hospitals and foundations and communities and in all kinds of centers everywhere and in our universities. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a list of more than 100 cancer research institutions, physicians, and researchers who have endorsed this resolution be printed in the Record.