Mark Begich

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize a friend of Alaska for his extraordinary 34 years of service to the U.S. Coast Guard and our Nation. In Alaska, we know him best for his service as the commander of the Coast Guard 17th District, but he has served valiantly across our Nation throughout his long and distinguished career. On June 1, he will retire as the deputy commander of the Coast Guard's Pacific Area Command in Alameda, CA. Rear Admiral Colvin is a native of Erie, PA. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1976 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science and entered Coast Guard Officer Candidate School in November 1978, earning his commission in March 1979. His 34-year Coast Guard career has included a variety of operational and staff assignments on both coasts. He served aboard eight Coast Guard cutters and commanded three. In 2003 he commanded Coast Guard Cutter DALLAS, WHEC 716, while attached to the USS Truman/ USS Roosevelt battle force conducting combat operations during the first 6 months of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2004, Rear Admiral Colvin served as commander of Coast Guard forces off Haiti and as the maritime component commander to Joint Task Force Haiti, helping prevent a mass migration and preserving order in Port au Prince Harbor following the unexpected departure of former Haitian President Aristide. He is a 1999 graduate of the Naval War College in Newport, RI, earning a master of arts degree in national security and strategic studies. His staff expertise is in cutter management, operations, strategy, and readiness. He has enforced U.S. sovereignty in the maritime arena by interdicting illegal drugs, detaining illegal migrants, seizing foreign fishing vessels, and saving lives. Rear Admiral Colvin's first flag assignment was as the deputy director of operations for U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs, CO. From there he was assigned as the commander of the 17th Coast Guard District in Juneau, AK, from 2009 to 2011, when he was responsible for Coast Guard operations throughout Alaska and the U.S. Arctic. He currently serves as the deputy commander of the Coast Guard's Pacific Area Command in Alameda, CA. His many notable accomplishments from his current assignment include coordinating USCGC HEALY's historic 2011 to 2012 icebreaking mission to mitigate a critical fuel shortage in the city of Nome, AK. Rear Admiral Colvin married his wife Kristin in 1985, and they have two children. Their son Mark is a high school freshman and their daughter Meagan is a student at the University of Central Florida. Rear Admiral Colvin's parents are Dr. Charles and Evelyn Colvin of Erie, PA. Mr. President, on behalf of the State of Alaska, I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing Rear Admiral Colvin's exceptional career. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his commitment to the Coast Guard and to our Nation. We wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, to mark the occasion of President Obama's Camp David G8 Summit focusing, in part, on the problem of food security in Africa, I want to take this opportunity to address the necessity for the United States to help foster stable and democratic nations as partners as we build multilateral coalitions to tackle global issues like hunger and poverty. Alaska is a long way from Africa, but the citizens of my State are committed to a stable and prosperous Africa. Many Alaskans contribute their time and resources toward this goal. A year ago in Deauville, France, President Obama joined other leaders of the G8 in reaffirming that ``democracy lays the best path to peace, stability, prosperity, shared growth and development.'' As the events in North Africa and the Middle East have shown, supporting reliable autocrats who are helpful on matters of security and economics at the expense of human dignity, basic democratic rights, and access to economic opportunity is more perilous than ever to long-term U.S. national security interests. It is for this reason that I make a few points about our reliable partner in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia. Two weeks ago at the World Economic Forum, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi made hopeful remarks about the virtues of democratic society. I publically commit my continuing support for efforts to make such important principles a reality in Ethiopia. It is in the U.S. interest to match Ethiopia's progress in economic development and poverty reduction with movement toward economic opportunity, social justice and judicial independence. It has been said that basic human rights and free and fair elections are nothing but dreams for all except for the developed countries of the world. I do not believe that to be true; Ethiopia is ready to realize that dream. To foster the benefits of a diverse citizenry, the many political prisoners and journalists should be released, the Charities and Societies Act, as designed and as it is implemented, should be prevented from strangling peaceful civil society advocacy. Beginning in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt and Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II launched a long and mutually beneficial history of working together on important geopolitical and economic strategic partnerships that last to this day. Our friend and partner, Ethiopia, has been a champion with the United States during many critical times for almost 110 years. When Italy invaded Ethiopia, we refused to recognize the conquest. When the United States asked for help during the Cold War, Haile Selassie was ready to help. When the regime of Mengistu Haile- Mariam failed, the United States came to Ethiopia's side with help to prevent violence in Addis Ababa, by facilitating Mengistu's departure. We gave this support for the mutual benefit and promise of democratization in Ethiopia. Ethiopia's macroeconomic successes of rapid growth rates and better than average performance in poverty reduction have been celebrated at this past week's G8 Summit, and at the recent World Economic Forum. There Prime Minister Meles pondered aloud: What is the substantive political thing that creates such an environment [of fair economic opportunity for all citizens]? The one [thing] that creates such an environment is an engaged citizenry that is able to create an environment where corruption and loot cannot happen at the lower level, at the mid-level, at the higher level, and that goes beyond elections every four and five years. On the microeconomic level, aside from the lack of progress on land reform, this is good news indeed, given recent complaints about poor state of economic opportunity for all of Ethiopia's citizens. We are hopeful this is a sign that Ethiopia's federal ministries are ready to engage and assist the local citizenry in issues that relate to their economic interests. Many observers are pessimistic, but I prefer to think of the glass as half full, and ready to be filled to the brim. The Prime Minister's sentiments raise many issues, including: the nation's commitment to an environment conducive to free speech and citizen participation; a commitment to building an informed and engaged citizenry as a key to inclusive, long term economic development; a call for the quick and unconditional release of journalists and political prisoners as a measure of good faith; and commitment to a diverse and multi-party election in 2015, free from federal government interference. Hopeful as I am, I urge my Senate and House colleagues to re-commit to assistance we have offered the people of Ethiopia and their government in the past. Let us help build a national consensus on the value of the following goals in Ethiopia: robust public institutions that represent the diversity of perspectives in Ethiopia; free and fair political processes drawing legitimacy from broad citizen participation; an independent judicial system as outlined in Ethiopia's constitution; a press with institutional independence and legal protection to enable it to accommodate and a broad range of perspectives and ensure the free flow of information, ideas and opinions that are necessary in a democratic society, as outlined in Ethiopia's constitution; an environment where each citizen can take advantage of Ethiopia's economic success; and the security that comes with the assurance that universal rights are respected and protected. Our international partnerships are stronger and more enduring when we share values of opportunity and freedom with our partners. A more democratic Ethiopia would represent a more stable and reliable partner for the United States and serve the long-term interests of peace and security in the Horn of Africa. A more democratic Ethiopia would ease the free flow of information, which would ease trade and ensure more informed investments. A more democratic Ethiopia would ensure that government policies are the result of broad national consultation with all segments of society. Such are hallmarks of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and they provide a return of accountability and transparency to both American taxpayers and Ethiopian citizens. Let's do what we can to help our fast and true friend, Ethiopia, extend opportunity and freedom to the majority of its citizenry.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I rise to commend the members of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division from Fort Wainwright, AK upon completion of their deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I am pleased to offer a resolution with Senator Lisa Murkowski to recognize the service of these Arctic Wolves and honor the 21 brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the Nation. Deployed to Kandahar, one of the most volatile areas of Afghanistan, the 1/25 SBCT conducted more than 7,500 patrols and over 60 named operations. They made significant gains against insurgents in the Southern region. Our nation will forever be grateful to them and we will never forget those who perished or were wounded during their tour. We must also never forget Private Danny Chen. While the actions of those involved in the maltreatment of Private Chen are not a reflection of the honorable service of thousands of others in the brigade, abuse and hazing of another individual must never be tolerated under any circumstances. Private Chen was a son, he was a friend, he was a soldier. He will be remembered. I also want to thank the families of the Arctic Wolves for their service and sacrifice. The support of their loved ones gives strength to our military. I urge my colleagues to join me in thanking the Arctic Wolves and their families for the sacrifices they make every day on behalf of our country.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I come down to talk about the issue of student loans, as someone who has two ends of this equation--one as the former chairman of the Student Loan Corporation for the State of Alaska for 7 years. I took that corporation from the brink of bankruptcy, junk bond rating, you name it--it was in dismal condition. We turned it around, and 7 years later the corporation ended up paying a hefty annual dividend to Alaska for higher education and had one of the lowest interest rates in the country and increased the capacity for students to borrow money not only for 2- and 4-year degrees and master's degrees but also for career education, something most people told me, when I became chair of that corporation, would never be able to be done. Good luck. We wish you the best. And off they went and most of them got off the board very quickly. We were able to bring it together. In the process, in my experience around the issue of education, in making sure young people had the capacity to borrow money at reasonable rates, it went down about 2 percent, which is a pretty incredible rate for a student or parent to borrow money at. I was also chair of the Postsecondary Education Commission for 7 years, a copartner with the Student Loan Corporation, making sure we had strong educational institutions to provide career, college, and other types of education for young people. I come with that experience, and also I come from experience as a small businessperson, which I will get to in a minute, with regard to how we are trying to pay for this interest rate, controlling the interest rates and making sure they don't rise. The rate for subsidized interest loans will rise from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent in July. That will increase the average cost for students by $1,000 over the course of a loan. Students are truly waiting and families are waiting, as kids are graduating right now across this country from high school, getting ready to move on to higher education and making their plans--be they scholarships or grants or loans or whatever they need to cobble together the amount of money needed to move on to a higher education and to ensure they can afford it. And the interest rate is part of that equation. Doubling the interest rate would be damaging to our young families who are making sure their kids can get on and have an opportunity to be educated. As you know, many of us have gone onto our Facebook page and Twitter accounts and asked constituents from our districts to tell us their stories--tell us what is happening: If this interest rate doubles, what will happen to you. One Anchorage resident says her granddaughter graduated from Charter College. I know this college well. This is a privately run college which has an incredible placement rate--almost 90-percent placement rate once they graduate with their degree. It is an intensive program. It is like a job. Students are there 8 to 5 every day, all day, for several months, and they consolidate the time. She has been working on her accounting degree, and now, 6 years later-- because she had to work two jobs while going to school, trying to pay for this and borrowing money--her total debt is $72,000. She is 31 years old. Her family is truly wondering how she will ever get out of debt if this bill doesn't pass, because if the interest rates adjust, it is truly money that comes out of her pocket to literally pay off interest, and the net result is she gets deeper and deeper in debt. We know the cost of college is more and more expensive every year, and one way we are going to make sure students can afford this is by making sure we do not double the interest rate. We had a vote earlier this week that did not succeed. We tried on this side to move it forward. It is important for us to make sure every kid has access to education--whether it is higher education, career education, voc education or whatever the new title is they like to use to describe it--because we are in a globally competitive economy, and we need to make sure our kids are well educated and have access to education, which means affordability. Yesterday I was listening to the debate, and this is where my small business part comes in. I have been in the small business arena since the age of 14. I have operated and owned a variety of businesses--some successful, some not so successful. Hopefully, you learn from those that are not so successful, and I think I have. The Democrats' pay- for--the majority's pay-for--was to close a tax loophole used by high- income earners--basically lawyers, lobbyists, and consultants. No disrespect to their fields, but they basically use the system to avoid paying the Medicare taxes, for example, that all of us pay. All of us who sit in this Chamber, the people who work at the restaurants outside here, the people who drive the buses, and everyone else, pays that tax. But some use this to organize under an S corporation. It is a technical term under the IRS Code that allows those profits to go right to the individual. So they decided instead of paying it as a wage, they would take it as profit or a dividend, thus avoiding the Medicare taxes all of us pay. They are getting a free ride. I heard the phrase used yesterday on the floor, ``a bunch of new taxes.'' These aren't new taxes. These are taxes that are owed. They just found a loophole--again, consultants, lobbyists and lawyers-- through the writing of the laws. And they probably wrote them. Actually, they did, if you look at the history of it. They wrote the law so they could avoid the Medicare taxes everyone else has to pay. So when I hear people saying it is the restaurant owner, it is the retailer, the plumber, I think, that is a bunch of baloney. That is misinforming the public. It is unbelievable. I know this, because as a former retailer who had an S corporation, we paid our taxes. We paid with a wage. We paid it all. This loophole is clear. All you have to do is look at it. They have to meet three standards: modified gross income above $250,000 for joint filers, $200,000 for individuals and shareholders, and an S corporation that derives 75 percent or more of gross revenues from services of three or fewer shareholders. Service is defined as lobbying, law, engineering, architect, accounting, actuarial science--which is a science--performing arts, athletes, and brokerage services. I am looking here, and I don't see where it says retailers. It doesn't say the mom-and-pop folks who work every day and pay their taxes. So for Members to come to the floor and try to trick the public-- because that is what they tried to do by using convoluted words, knowing people are getting the 10-second sound bites--saying, oh, it is going to raise new taxes and cause all these small businesses not to hire, that is baloney. This is about lawyers, lobbyists, and consultants who wrote the law making sure they didn't have to pay a dime. That is what that is about. For people to come to the floor and say we are going to raise the interest rate on hard-working families who are trying to get their kids through college is unbelievable. I hope we take this up again. I hope we vote on it and get this thing resolved, and make sure working families can afford to get their kids into college and can afford the high cost so they can become productive parts of this country, perhaps opening their own small business and paying their taxes, as every other small business does. I was appalled when I heard some of the Members speaking on this, and they sounded so logical. But to be frank with you, there are not many in this body--no disrespect to my colleagues--who have owned and operated a true small business. I am talking about starting with a few nickels and dimes because you got turned down by the bank; where the banker told you your idea was a dumb idea. I can say this from personal experience. Three years later, I sold that business for three times what I had invested. I thought it was a good idea, but the banker didn't. But I had to scratch together two nickels to make that business successful. I had to work 12 to 15 hours every day to make sure it was successful. That is a small businessperson. There are not many in this body. So when a Member comes to the floor and sounds so professional in their description of how it is going to affect certain people, it is incorrect. And one thing I wouldn't mind in this body is to have factual debates. That is what the public deserves, not this kind of 10- second media bite, where they can get away with anything and then say back home, we didn't raise taxes, we didn't do this. What they are doing is jacking up rates on students. That is what is going to happen at the end of the day here, by July 1, if we don't take action. And we have taken action on this side. But the end result will be that families, hard-working families, middle-class families, will pay more for their students' education, and students will pay more for their education because of a simple law that we can correct. All we have to do is close the loophole that lobbyists, lawyers, and consultants are taking advantage of and wrote to their advantage to stick it to the middle class. I think it is time to reverse the trend, for once, around this place--just once--and give the middle class a break here. This is a break they deserve and it will help to build our economy in the future because we will have a highly educated workforce meeting this global economy. I know there is another alternative out there. There is a new pay- for, and here is what that does: It takes away prevention funds for health--$226 million used to reduce diabetes and heart disease. I don't know about my colleagues, but if we don't prevent it, then we may have a higher cost later. Those are preventable diseases. This money is well invested. They also want to take away the $93 million used for anti- tobacco education and $190 million used for immunizations. Our Republican friends do not like the plan that closes the loophole on lobbyists, lawyers, and consultants, but they do like the one that takes away prevention programs that help the middle class, that helps our young families who might be experiencing signs of a preventable disease--heart disease. And a little prevention might save their lives, but it will also save on health care costs in the future. I see this proposal as crazy talk. I don't know how else to describe it. I am trying to keep it simple. Let's get on with closing the loopholes people took advantage of by lobbying and wheeling and dealing in the halls of Congress. Let's fix that and protect our working families, our middle-class families, and make sure we are doing the right thing. That is what they sent us here to do, and I think we have an obligation. Again, I hope we move forward and make sure we are not going to allow the rates on these loans to double. I am not for doubling the rates; 3.4 percent is a good rate. We should ensure students can get that rate as they get prepared for the fall session and are borrowing money to get on with their higher education. I thank the Chair, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, on the occasion of his upcoming inauguration for his second term in office, I am pleased to commend Republic of China, Taiwan, President Ma Ying-jeou. President Ma has shown himself to be a dedicated public servant, continually electing to serve his nation even through difficult times. During his first term, President Ma--like many world leaders had to struggle with the worldwide economic crisis. His stewardship during this difficult time helped Taiwan avoid some of the worst disasters that other countries have faced and also helped Taiwan recover more quickly than many other countries. Taiwan has been a great economic partner for Alaska in the past years under President Ma's leadership, and we are fortunate to have such a relationship. Taiwan has remained in Alaska's top 20 export markets for the past 15 years. Alaska's exports to the country have totaled more than $22 million in sectors such as energy, forest products, machinery, and seafood products. In addition, Taiwan is one of Alaska's three sister states or provinces, and it is my hope that we will continue this sister-state exchange for many years to come. We witnessed during President Ma's first years in office his diligence in dealing with economic and international challenges, and the upcoming 4 years for President Ma will continue to be challenging. I am confidant President Ma will overcome difficulties and serve his nation to the best of his ability. Once again, I offer my congratulations to President Ma, and I wish him all the success in his future endeavors, and for the future of Taiwan.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I rise with my colleague from Arkansas, Senator Boozman, to introduce a bill that will help veterans who have been forced out of their homes because of domestic violence. This bill will expand the definition of homeless veteran to include domestic violence. Due to an oversight in the law, the legal definition of ``homeless veterans'' differs significantly from the existing definition of homelessness. Existing law recognizes individuals who have been forced from their homes by domestic violence as ``homeless'' but for the purposes of special ``homeless veteran'' benefits, this situation is overlooked. The small wording change in our bill will allow those veterans who are in a domestic violence situation access to the same benefits available to other homeless veterans. In order to qualify for benefits offered to homeless veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs, must meet the definition of homeless in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. That is all we are changing. One out of four women will experience domestic violence sometime in her lifetime, including veterans who have served honorably for this country. They should qualify for the benefits they deserve and need to protect them. This bill simply updates the legal definition of ``homeless veteran'' to bring it to the same standard as the rest of the law--correcting a grievous oversight that could deny those who served our country the support and benefits they earned a thousand times over with their patriotism and courage. In closing, it is an honor for me to serve as a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. I feel very privileged to work on behalf of our veterans. I appreciate the work of my distinguished colleagues on the committee and ask them and all senators to join me in supporting this small but very important expanded definition of homeless veterans.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I rise with my colleague from Arkansas, Senator Boozman, to introduce a bill that will help veterans who have been forced out of their homes because of domestic violence. This bill will expand the definition of homeless veteran to include domestic violence. Due to an oversight in the law, the legal definition of ``homeless veterans'' differs significantly from the existing definition of homelessness. Existing law recognizes individuals who have been forced from their homes by domestic violence as ``homeless'' but for the purposes of special ``homeless veteran'' benefits, this situation is overlooked. The small wording change in our bill will allow those veterans who are in a domestic violence situation access to the same benefits available to other homeless veterans. In order to qualify for benefits offered to homeless veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs, must meet the definition of homeless in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. That is all we are changing. One out of four women will experience domestic violence sometime in her lifetime, including veterans who have served honorably for this country. They should qualify for the benefits they deserve and need to protect them. This bill simply updates the legal definition of ``homeless veteran'' to bring it to the same standard as the rest of the law--correcting a grievous oversight that could deny those who served our country the support and benefits they earned a thousand times over with their patriotism and courage. In closing, it is an honor for me to serve as a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. I feel very privileged to work on behalf of our veterans. I appreciate the work of my distinguished colleagues on the committee and ask them and all senators to join me in supporting this small but very important expanded definition of homeless veterans.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 9, 2012, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 9, 2012, at 2:30 p.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. The Committee will hold a hearing entitled, ``The Need for Privacy Protections: Perspectives from the Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.''

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 9, 2012, at 10 a.m.

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 9, 2012, at 10 a.m., in room SD 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator.''

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 9, 2012, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Nominations.''

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 9, 2012, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``The National Flood Insurance Program: The Need for Long-Term Reauthorization and Reform.''

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 9, 2012, at 2 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Is Simpler Better? Limiting Federal Support For Financial Institutions.''

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 9, 2012, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled; ``Building and Maintaining an Effective Human Resource Workforce in the Federal Government.''

Mr. BEGICH

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

Mr. BEGICH. I rise to support S. 1925, the Violence Against Women Act. It is not every day that we vote on a law that actually saves lives, but this one does. The Senate needs to send the simple and important message that America will not tolerate violence against its women, children, and families. We must do our part to reduce domestic violence and sexual assault. It is time for us to step up and make sure this happens now. I look forward to casting my vote for the reauthorization, hopefully very soon. Truly this legislation, as we continue to move forward, is headed in the right direction. There is bipartisan support with 61 Members in this Chamber signed on as cosponsors, and lots of good work on this bill has been done in the Judiciary Committee. All of us have heard from prosecutors, victim service providers, judges, health care professionals, and victims themselves. Unfortunately, the fight to protect women and families from violence is far from over. The Violence Against Women Act was first passed just 18 years ago. It has not been reauthorized since 2006. The law has made a difference. We are making progress, and we know a great deal more about domestic violence than when the law was first written. Services for victims has improved. More communities provide safe shelters. Local, State, and Federal laws are stronger. Listen to the national statistics: Since the law was first passed in 1994, the number of women killed by an intimate partner has dropped 30 percent, and annual rates of domestic violence against women have decreased by two-thirds. The VAWA law saves lives and works. Yet there are too many awful stories and inexcusable numbers, especially in my home State. Alaska continues to have some of the worst statistics in the country. Three out of every four Alaskans have or know someone who has experienced domestic or sexual violence. Child sexual assault in Alaska is almost six times the national average. Out of every 100 adult women in Alaska, nearly 60 have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both. The rape rate in Alaska is nearly 2\1/2\ times the national average, and it is even worse for Alaska Native women. In Alaska's rural and native communities, domestic violence and sexual assault is far too common. Our numbers are often far worse than the rest of the country, and clearly we have to continue to do more work in this area. We are insisting that Alaskan tribes retain their current authority to issue civil protective orders, and I am working on a separate bill to expand resources for Alaskan tribes in their fight against violence. So one can see why I am standing here today. We need to do something about this--not someday, not next year, but truly today. I have been around for 3 years now, and I am not shy about having my say in a good political fight. But in this case, on this issue, truly, I have no patience. It is hard to believe we even have to debate the law that protects people from abuse and sexual violence. It is truly a piece of legislation we should move forward on and vote. We need fewer victims, whoever they are--women, kids, White, Black, American Indian, Alaska Natives, immigrants, lesbian and gay people, even men. As a former mayor in a city and State with a higher rate of abuse than the rest of the country, I know this issue. I was responsible for the municipal department that prosecuted domestic violence cases. I was also responsible for the police investigating these cases and the agencies providing health services to victims and funding to shelters. With the support of the entire community, we pooled our efforts. Using resources from the State and local government and businesses and nonprofits alike, we improved services for victims of child sexual abuse. But intervention and better treatment is not enough--far from it. Domestic and sexual violence is a public health epidemic. So what we need is prevention, and this reauthorization effort is just that, the right step in eventually stopping this epidemic. In Alaska the Violence Against Women Act dollars are used in our biggest cities and our smallest villages. Funding goes to every corner of the State, including the Emmonak Women's Shelter in remote southwest Alaska, the Aleut community of St. Paul in the North Pacific Ocean, the AWARE Shelter in urban Juneau, and many others throughout Alaska. We asked the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault for their stories and examples of how VAWA is helping real families. Here is just one. It is uncomfortable to hear, but it is why we need to act now. A shelter in rural Alaska helped a young woman after she suffered a domestic assault by the father of their 3-year-old child. When she had asked the father for money for food, he choked her and threw her to the ground in front of the child. She reported this was the third such instance of violence, and she could not live there anymore. She spent time in a shelter recovering from her injuries and working to find safe housing in her home village. She also attended DV education groups and received a referral for legal services to assist her with her custody order. Months later the shelter program received a call from this quiet young woman. She and her child were safe and doing well. She read all the books recommended to her by the shelter to understand the cycle of domestic violence. She was looking for suggestions on more reading material to continue her education on the topic. Now it is hoped that the young woman will become a leader in her community so she can help educate others and work to end domestic violence in Alaska. There are stories of rape and murder from all over the country. Need we hear more? It is time to reauthorize VAWA. Before I yield the floor, I have one more bit of business. I want to thank the shelter staff, the police, the court system employees, the advocates and everyone else, who work so hard to protect women, children, and families across this country. To the victims of domestic violence, there is truly hope. We will work with them to break the cycle of violence and to bring an end and a change in this area. I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I rise to submit a resolution to recognize the Week of the Young Child. My resolution recognizes April 22 to 28 as the Week of the Young Child. This week in Alaska, and in States and communities across the Nation, we celebrate and bring greater awareness to the importance of the early years of children's lives. The Week of the Young Child officially began in 1971 as an annual observance and public education effort of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Nation's oldest and recognized leader in early childhood education for children from birth through age 8, to reach out to families and communities and to emphasize the crucial role adults play in giving children the foundation they need to succeed in school and beyond. This week focuses attention on the importance of children's early years. Early childhood educators, librarians, United Ways, and other organizations provide a range of activities to highlight how each of us can help children and families thrive. This is a national issue as well as local issue. Federal policy and funding is a significant component of early childhood education in this country, from Early Head Start and Head Start to the Child Care and Development Block Grant as well as Title I and even higher education financial aid and teacher support programs for the early childhood education workforce. Yet our investments remain inadequate, especially when you consider the work of noted economists such as James Heckman on the return on investment to our Nation's economy. Today, not quite half of the poorest preschoolers in our country can enroll in Head Start and only 3 percent of the babies and toddlers who could benefit from Early Head Start can attend because of inadequate resources. Child care assistance reaches only one in seven eligible children, making it harder for families to have stable jobs and for children to have safe and nurturing places to grow and learn. The committed individuals who work in child care earn woefully inadequate salaries, often without health care or retirement support. I hope all of my colleagues will find out more about the activities celebrating the Week of the Young Child in their States and can show their support for families and the professionals who work with young children every day.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I wish to recognize Kikkan Randall, an Olympic athlete and World Champion Nordic skier from Anchorage, AK. On March 18, 2012, Kikkan was awarded the Joska crystal globe as the Cross Country World Cup sprint champion, recognizing her as the world's top sprint ski racer. She clinched the sprint title in Drammen, Norway, despite breaking a binding and skiing on one ski for part of the race. Nevertheless, Kikkan secured the sprint title with a World Cup record that included four podium finishes. This victory makes Kikkan the first American to win a World Cup Nordic skiing title since Bill Koch in 1982. Kikkan made her Olympic debut in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Since then, she has represented the United States in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. In 2010 Kikkan finished eighth in the sprint competition, registering the best ever Olympic finish for a female American Nordic skier. Kikkan has been a role model for thousands of young athletes through her extensive community involvement and encouragement of a healthy and active lifestyle. She has worked with young athletes and trained with her fellow Alaskans as a member of the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Team. Her hard work, training, and dedication have clearly paid off. She is an inspiration to young skiers and athletes everywhere. I would like to congratulate Kikkan on her championship season and wish her the best of luck as she trains for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. All of Alaska is proud of Kikkan and her accomplishments.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to introduce a piece of legislation honoring a great Alaskan. Robert Boochever was a giant of my state's judicial community for over 60 years--even longer than Alaska has been a State. This legislation, naming the Juneau Federal courthouse facility in Judge Boochever's honor, is a fitting tribute to his legacy. Robert Boochever first came to Alaska in the 1946, after having fought in World War II as a Captain in the U.S. Army. In territorial Alaska, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for two years, before joining a private practice in Juneau for almost 25 years, and was before long, one of the most respected lawyers in the state. He served as President of the Juneau Bar Association and the Alaska Bar Association. In 1972, Governor Egan tapped Boochever to serve as an Associate Justice on the Alaska Supreme Court. He served on the court for eight years, three of which he had the honor of being the fourth ever Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. President Jimmy Carter nominated Judge Boochever to be a Judge of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on May 22, 1980. He was quickly confirmed by the U.S. Senate and received his commission to the Federal bench about a month later. This made Judge Boochever the first ever Alaskan to be a judge on the Ninth Circuit, a court he would serve on for the next thirty years. Judge Boochever is well known for his commitment to the city and the people of Juneau. He lived in Juneau and maintained an office there for most of his life. Even when he moved to California in his later years to facilitate travel and communications, he still maintained his Juneau office and returned to it every year with his clerks. In addition to his impressive record of accomplishments and his years of public service, Judge Boochever was known for his love and commitment for the law. He is well known as a tireless advocate for the rights of the disadvantaged and for his strong commitment to protecting individual freedoms and First Amendment rights. Naming the Juneau Federal courthouse facility in Judge Boochever's honor is broadly supported by Alaskans and so appropriate because he kept his chambers there for many years. In fact, this effort has the support of the Juneau Bar Association, the Alaska Bar Association's Historians Committee, the Mayor of Juneau, and many of its residents. For all these reasons, today I am proud to introduce this legislation to designate the United States Courthouse in Juneau as the Robert Boochever United States Courthouse. He was a great man and this is a fine way to remember all he did for my State. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to introduce a piece of legislation honoring a great Alaskan. Robert Boochever was a giant of my state's judicial community for over 60 years--even longer than Alaska has been a State. This legislation, naming the Juneau Federal courthouse facility in Judge Boochever's honor, is a fitting tribute to his legacy. Robert Boochever first came to Alaska in the 1946, after having fought in World War II as a Captain in the U.S. Army. In territorial Alaska, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for two years, before joining a private practice in Juneau for almost 25 years, and was before long, one of the most respected lawyers in the state. He served as President of the Juneau Bar Association and the Alaska Bar Association. In 1972, Governor Egan tapped Boochever to serve as an Associate Justice on the Alaska Supreme Court. He served on the court for eight years, three of which he had the honor of being the fourth ever Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. President Jimmy Carter nominated Judge Boochever to be a Judge of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on May 22, 1980. He was quickly confirmed by the U.S. Senate and received his commission to the Federal bench about a month later. This made Judge Boochever the first ever Alaskan to be a judge on the Ninth Circuit, a court he would serve on for the next thirty years. Judge Boochever is well known for his commitment to the city and the people of Juneau. He lived in Juneau and maintained an office there for most of his life. Even when he moved to California in his later years to facilitate travel and communications, he still maintained his Juneau office and returned to it every year with his clerks. In addition to his impressive record of accomplishments and his years of public service, Judge Boochever was known for his love and commitment for the law. He is well known as a tireless advocate for the rights of the disadvantaged and for his strong commitment to protecting individual freedoms and First Amendment rights. Naming the Juneau Federal courthouse facility in Judge Boochever's honor is broadly supported by Alaskans and so appropriate because he kept his chambers there for many years. In fact, this effort has the support of the Juneau Bar Association, the Alaska Bar Association's Historians Committee, the Mayor of Juneau, and many of its residents. For all these reasons, today I am proud to introduce this legislation to designate the United States Courthouse in Juneau as the Robert Boochever United States Courthouse. He was a great man and this is a fine way to remember all he did for my State. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to my esteemed colleague, Senator Barbara Mikulski from the great State of Maryland. I am honored to recognize the historic achievements of my fellow Senator. On Saturday she became the longest-serving woman in congressional history after serving more than 35 years in both the House and Senate. Originally a social worker and community organizer in Baltimore, Senator Mikulski's congressional legacy began in 1976 when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Ten years later with her election into the U.S. Senate she became the first female Senator from Maryland as well as the first woman to be elected to both the House and Senate. Senator Mikulski deserves great honor and reverence for her dedication to the people of Maryland, the United States, and to the institution of the Senate. Three years ago I entered these chambers as a freshman from a faraway State. Senator Mikulski was already known as a legend, to me and so many of my constituents. Since then, she has been an inspiration--and, to no one's surprise, a straight shooter and passionate advocate of her issues. More than once, when I have not yet signed onto one of her bills--usually something near and dear to her, like child abuse prevention--she has cornered me. And in a tough stance, all 4 feet 5 inches of her, she'll tell me why it is my duty to sign the bill. She is always right, and I am happy to follow her lead on such issues. Throughout her time in Congress Senator Mikulski has been a champion for civil rights, fighting to end discrimination of all kinds. As the chairwoman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions she has continually fought to end discrimination in the workplace. In 2011 she was a sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which ensures equal pay, regardless of gender. She has also defended our Nation's teachers and students by fighting for more affordable and accessible education and supporting the needs of rural school districts. Just this year she introduced legislation that would ensure veterans who receive educational assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs also receive adequate counseling when considering their educational options. Senator Mikulski's accomplishments are numerous and diverse, from the day-to-day needs of workers, business owners, and students to the strengthening of scientific innovation and research. Senator Mikulski deserves great honor and esteem for her dedication to fighting for the good of the people of Maryland and the Nation. I am honored to serve alongside such a devoted advocate, and I look forward to her continued service in the U.S. Senate. She began her tenure in 1977 as one of 21 women serving in the House and today is one of 17 women in the Senate. She has helped paved the way for future generations. Yet she likely would not agree that women have come a long way over those years; instead she will say there is a long way to go. Today I congratulate and pay homage to Senator Barbara Mikulski. She is a friend, a mentor, and--so very often--the good conscience of the United States Senate.

Mr. BEGICH

Mr. BEGICH. Will my friend from Delaware yield for a question?

Mr. BEGICH. The Senator was a county executive; I was a mayor of a community. We had to deal with the real-life aftermath of what happens around here, especially when it comes to these extensions. I know in my city, when I saw these extensions from that end of the table, we always had to stop projects, slow them down, didn't have the money to finish them, winter shutdown. All it did was add costs, decrease the capacity of roads, and literally take projects off the list. In his community, the Senator had to deal with this probably like I had to. Did the Senator have the same kind of impact where you had to tell contractors: I am sorry, we don't have the money because the Federal Government has not done their job that they said they would do 20-some times before and never completed it? Is that a similar situation?

Mr. BEGICH. Absolutely, I say to the Senator from Delaware. In Alaska, I chaired the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the MPO, which had this money that would come from this legislation. It would come to us, and if they delayed it here or they had these crazy continuations because for some reason they could not get their work done--and now we are seeing that on the House side. They have had months to work on this. I think they actually banked that we would not work together here, Democrats and Republicans, and get something done. We actually did, and a pretty significant piece of legislation about transportation infrastructure that is crumbling in this country got 74 votes, bipartisan, from all spectra of political persuasions. I think they banked that we would fail, but we didn't. There were five weeks of work and a lot of compromise because we know what the impacts are on the street if we don't do this. Back home, if the House doesn't take action on a very reasonable bill, a bipartisan bill, what will happen in Alaska is that some of these projects will de-obligate, or not obligate the funds, which means they will delay them. That means the contractors who expected to do work this summer will not. And in Alaska, because we are a winter climate--a lot of Northern States have a similar situation--the plant that provides the asphalt closes usually the first part of October. So you have a window that shrinks very rapidly. If you are not careful, the net result is that you have no projects and you pay more, which means that the delay the House side is doing is going to cost taxpayers more money and there will be less jobs. In Alaska we have 18,000 jobs at risk. And at the end of the day, again, you get less product, fewer roads. I can only assume the experience I have here matches the Senator's State government that worked with the county when he was county executive; it is the same thing they had to go through, as the Senator explained on his water and sewer projects. But, as he said, times are different. You can't supplement it with local money, the way it used to be, because we don't have it. The economy is struggling and starting to come back. But here we are at a moment when the economy is moving in the right direction, and what are we doing? The House over there is just waiting. I think that is not the example we are looking for but what we are doing and what we are suffering through.