Michael Bennet

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Senator John McCain came out and said we might not like everything in here, but it makes a great deal of sense and we need a game changer to deal with this debt debate we are having right now. I wish to applaud him for that. When someone comes to the Senate they say a person can have two mentors, one is a Democrat and one is a Republican, but one has to ask the person if they will do it. I asked Senator McCain if he wouldn't mind being my Republican mentor and he thought about it a little bit, he came out on the floor and he said, I will take you to lunch. Even though he didn't exactly support me in my last campaign, he has given me a lot of advice over the last number of months. To see him out here today saying, you know what, we may need to think differently about this, gave me some hope that maybe we are not going to run out of time. The other person I wish to thank is Senator Chambliss from Georgia who was speaking when I was sitting in the chair and said that everything needs to be on the table. This isn't a time to draw bright lines. It is a time to pull ourselves together, roll up our sleeves and do what is right. We have the outlines of a plan from the deficit and debt commission. I don't love everything in it--no one would love everything in it--but we have to find a way to compromise and come together for the benefit of our kids and for our grandkids, and I think importantly, in the short term, to give American business the confidence it needs to invest again in this economy. There is $2.3 trillion of cash sitting on the balance sheets of our Nation's businesses. There may be a lot of reasons for that, but I know one is they are uncertain about our ability to straighten out the fiscal quagmire we face. We have spent a lot of time on this, but we haven't made a lot of progress and we are running out of time. So I urge all of my colleagues to come to the floor in the spirit of people who want to work across the aisle, who are not interested in drawing these bright lines, and come to a big deal--not a small deal--one that gets to the $4.5 trillion that the deficit commission recommended or in that direction generally, and gives us the chance to feel as though we have done something useful for our kids, one that will give us the chance to feel patriotic, that we actually have honored the legacy of our parents and grandparents, and that we have passed along more opportunity to the next generation. I want the Presiding Officer to know, and I know he feels the same way, that we will work with anybody on the other side of the aisle to try to get this done. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. I see we are joined by Senator Coons from Delaware, and I am going to stop, but along that line, just to give people who are here in the Chamber or might be watching some optimism, just 2 weeks ago we took a vote on one subsidy, an ethanol subsidy, and I think it was Senator Coburn and Senator Feinstein who put it on the floor, a Democrat and Republican, and it had like 73 votes. I get in trouble with my kids. It wasn't ``like'' 73 votes, it was 73 votes to end that subsidy. By the way, there were around 40 Democrats and 30-some Republicans who supported that. We need more of that around here. I think it would--if we keep working at it and keep chipping away at it, in the end, we will be able to see common sense will prevail over politics.

Mr. BENNET. I completely agree, and why wouldn't we want to look at our Tax Code and our regulatory code. I hear about that from the other side, and I share their view. I have been in government. Listen, I was a school superintendent for almost 4 years. If one thinks I don't understand what it is like to be on the receiving end of well- intentioned legislation from Washington, DC, that by the time it gets to a school or classroom, makes no sense at all, believe me, I lived it every single day. So why wouldn't we look at our Tax Code and our regulatory code and ask ourselves: Are these things more or less likely to drive innovation in the United States? Are these aspects more or less likely to grow our economy and to create jobs? It is clear we have the highest corporate tax rate in the world now. It used to be second, but Japan either changed theirs or is about to change theirs. That is sending a very uncompetitive message to the world. On the other hand, we have so many loopholes, so many special interest loopholes that underlie the Tax Code, we are not actually getting the revenue we would be suggesting as high rates. So in a way, this isn't a partisan issue, but it is the worst of all possible worlds because we are sending out an anticompetitive message to the world that says we are closed for business, and we have a whole bunch of loopholes that may or may not--and I suspect in many cases do not--drive innovation in this country. In fact, most of them are looking backward into the 20th century. They may have made sense in the middle of the 20th century, but they don't necessarily make sense to build new industries here, to develop things such as a new energy economy that is so important to our State which, by the way, would help lead us toward energy independence from the Persian Gulf. There is no reason to think all these things that have been written down are written in stone, and, frankly, our job is to make sure it is working better for people. So I think the debt and deficit commission made some excellent recommendations on that side. The other side is on personal income tax. What they said there was, we can actually lower rates and raise more revenue. Why? Because there are so many deductions that are part of the code, and only 30 percent of the people in this country itemize, get the benefit of those deductions. We can imagine a world where everybody gets the benefit of a lower rate but we are able to have revenue to drive us forward. We can get there. The thing on the debt and deficit commission is, Tom Coburn, who is one of the most conservative Members of this body--I don't think he would mind my saying that--and Dick Durbin, one of the most liberal Members of this body, both voted for that deficit and debt commission report. That is almost good enough for me.

Mr. BENNET. It is clear to me, if this decision were left up to 100 Coloradans, we would scratch our head and we would probably argue out some things. But I think it would probably take about a day for us to come to a set of solutions that would solve the problem or at least move us down the road, and we would feel pretty patriotic about what we had done; that we had done something useful for our kids at the end of this process, if we are able to deliver something like that. I think that is how we ought to feel. There are too many days around this place where I feel like we have lost sight of all that. In that conversation the Senator talked about--Al Simpson was such a big part of, Gary Hart was there, Alice Rivlin, and a number of people--it was abundantly clear, blindingly obvious to the people in that room that we couldn't approach this problem by drawing bright lines and saying: No, we cannot touch this or, no, we cannot touch that. They knew everybody was going to have to give a little bit in order to make this work. Unfortunately, some of that line drawing is what we are seeing around here that we have to find a way to get past.

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I am pleased to be here today with the senior Senator from Colorado to talk about these important issues. The first thing I want to talk about is the debt ceiling itself. People at home are asking me constantly: Michael, what in the world is going on back there? We are dealing with our budget at the local level, we are dealing with our budget at the State level, we are making choices that are not popular and are not easy to make but we are moving ahead and making decisions in our businesses and making decisions at home. We are moving ahead. What is wrong with Washington, DC? Part of the problem in this place is that people are not just entitled, it seems, to their own opinions, they are also entitled to their own set of facts. I think when you are getting paid by the taxpayer you have an obligation to actually not play with your own set of facts but to come out here and say what the facts are. What the facts are on the debt ceiling, the debt ceiling and the vote, is that this is not a case of deciding as you are sitting at the kitchen table and you are spending too much and so you are going to cut up your credit card. I would be for that. That is not what we are talking about here. This is about bills that have already been incurred by the United States. These are debts already owed by the United States. What this is about is not cutting up your credit card, it is about sitting at home and saying: You know what, I didn't budget very well last month, I didn't budget very well last year, so even though I watched cable happily all year long, I am not going to pay my cable bill this month. I am not going to do it. Even though I lived in this house all year, I am not going to make my mortgage payment this month. I am not going to do it. That is not fiscally responsible for a family to do and it is not fiscally responsible for the Federal Government to do. At home, if you do that what you discover is that your mortgage rate goes through the roof because the bank says to you: Michael Bennet, you did not pay your mortgage last month and I am not going to lend you money on the same terms that I lent you money before because you are a lousy risk. That is exactly what this is about. It is not about new money. It is important for everybody to understand that because if we do not raise the debt limit and we say to the creditors of the United States you are not getting paid--not to mention our veterans and our seniors and the men and women who are fighting in Afghanistan--but to our bondholders, you are not going to get paid, they are going to raise our interest rates, and every percentage point increase in our interest rate is going to drive us 1.3 trillion more dollars into debt. There are people coming out here saying it is the fiscally responsible thing to do, not to raise the debt ceiling when, if we do not, we are going to have $1.3 trillion more of debt to pay and the interest on that debt and nothing to show for it. It is not surprising to me that, Washington being Washington, there are people who see this as an opportunity to create leverage over things, to have a negotiation about the direction of this country. I understand that. I believed for a very long time that we have to get hold of our deficit and our debt. We have a $1.5 trillion deficit. We have almost $15 trillion of debt on our balance sheet. I think we have a moral obligation not to constrain the choices of our kids and grandchildren. I have 3 kids of my own who are 11, 10 and 6. One of them heard me say that during a townhall meeting and she followed me out to the sidewalk and she said: Daddy? This is Caroline, the oldest, and I said: What? She said: Just to be clear-- She was making fun of me because I use that expression sometimes. She said: Just to be clear, I am not paying that back. That is the right attitude for her to have. We need to be advocates for Caroline Bennet and all the kids living across this country, not just to be fiscally responsible, which we need to be, not just asking what we are going to cut, which we need to do, but also prioritizing what we are spending to make sure we are maintaining the American dream, to make sure we are honoring the legacy of our parents and grandparents and their parents and grandparents and honoring our national creed. It is our job, not as Senators but as Americans, to provide more opportunity, not less, to the people who are coming after us, and the debt and deficit is a huge piece of that. But, you know what, it is not the only thing. I lie awake at night worrying about the fact that if you are poor in this country it is hard for you to get a decent education. If you are born into a ZIP Code that is defined by poverty in the United States, your chances of graduating with a college degree in the 21st century in the greatest country in the world are 9 in 100. That means 91 of you are consigned to a future where you cannot participate meaningfully in the democracy, you can't participate meaningfully in this economy. We need to deal with that. The fact is we have an economy that is not generating jobs, where median family income for the first time in our history is falling, not rising. People are coming to my townhall meetings and saying: I have done everything I can do over the last decade, but I am earning less at the end than I was at the beginning. They are saying to me: Michael, we sent our first kid to the fancy school, but we are not going to be able to send our second kid there, or we cannot send our kid to the best college they got into. We need to be working on that. We have an energy policy in this country right now--maybe it is better to say a lack of an energy policy in this country right now-- that forces us to ship billions of dollars a week of our treasury to the Persian Gulf to buy oil. That doesn't make any sense. I was on a call last week with farmers from my State, saying to me they are being driven out of business by the broken immigration policy we have. I think the people at home are sick and tired of the screaming match. I think people at home are sick and tired of the partisanship. I believe that people do not think it is going to address these issues and I think they look at this deficit and debt situation and they say to themselves: This is such a reflection of incompetence that we are fearful to have a conversation about all the other things we have to do for our kids and for our grandkids. Their standard of what they want us to do is extremely clear to me. The senior Senator and I are from the most beautiful State in this country, but we are also proud of the fact that it is a third Democratic, a third Republican, and a third Independent. What I have taken out of the townhall meetings I have had is this: They want us to materially address this problem. They do not believe we are going to fix it all at once--unfortunately, they are right about that--but they want us to materially address it. They want to know we are all in it together, that everybody has some role to play in helping preserve choice and options for the next generation of Americans and to make sure business understands that we are going to make good on the accounts we have. That is not Washington speak, though; that is Colorado speak. It is tougher around here. And they want it to be bipartisan because they do not believe in either party's go-it-alone approach on this question. I would add a corollary to all of that, which is that the capital markets need to be assured that their paper is going to be worth what they paid for it. We need a comprehensive approach. It is an approach that is going to require us to cut discretionary spending. It is an approach that is going to require us to reform our entitlement system. It is an approach that is going to require us to do real tax reform in this place. We are not great here at walking and chewing gum at the same time but that is what we need to start doing. These are comprehensive and complicated questions. No one would rather vote on something than I would that did not raise any taxes, but the math doesn't work. It is clear at the end of the day for us to move ahead we are going to have to have an agreement that has all of those aspects in it: discretionary spending cuts, entitlement reform, tax reform. That is why Senator Johanns and I, a Republican here, circulated a letter to the President that had those three elements in it. Thirty-two Democrats and thirty-two Republicans signed the letter--the Presiding Officer of the Senate signed the letter--agreeing that all these elements were going to be part of a final product here. What I want to do this afternoon is simply implore all of us to do our jobs, to get this behind us, to begin the building of America again in the 21st century, to make sure we are not the first generation of Americans to leave less opportunity to our kids and our grandkids. There is a lot more agreement behind closed doors in this place than there is out on the floor. We need to bring some of that agreement out here, because if we fail to reach some conclusion before this debt limit vote and we unintentionally or intentionally end up in a place where we have turned our back on the debts we owe, we are not going to be able to solve this problem. The choices are going to make these look like easy choices. We are going home for a few days this weekend, the senior Senator and I, to celebrate the Fourth of July, Independence Day, to spend some time with our families and friends and our neighbors. Then we are coming back next week. My hope is that everybody comes back--everybody, on both sides--with more of a seriousness of purpose than we have had, with an ability to see not just political benefit but the benefit to the country of coming to agreement. If I can go home and say to people that we have reached a deal that meets the terms I mentioned earlier, my view is that will be perfectly fine in Democratic parts of the State and in Republican parts of the State. That is what we should strive to do. I hope the American people will hold the people in this Chamber accountable in the way they hold people at the local level and the State level accountable. No mayor would ever say I am going to willingly or wantonly jeopardize the credit rating of my city--the Presiding Officer was a mayor--and live to fight another day, and we should not do that either. I hope we move past the rhetoric of this debt ceiling discussion and actually get into a conversation that will solve the fundamental problems and challenges that are facing our country, because if we do not do that, we are not going to do the even more important work than that, which is to support the aspirations all of us have for this country and for our children in a world that is becoming more complex and uncertain every single day. I thank the senior Senator from Colorado for his incredible leadership on these issues. I believe if we continue to try to reach out and continue to try to work together, ultimately we are going to find a path. I yield the floor.

Mr. BENNET. One of the things Senator Udall said reminded me of a conversation I had a number of months ago with somebody who is in the capital markets and who watches everything going on down here pretty closely, but quizzically. He cannot figure out what in the world we are doing. I saw him, I think maybe it was in February, sometime in that timeframe. I asked him, as I always do: What are you doing? He is one of the smartest investors I know. He said: I am buying gold. I said: Why are you buying gold? He said: I don't have any confidence that you guys are going to be able to work this out and get our deficit and debt under control. First, think how unproductive that is. I am not telling anybody to buy or sell gold, but it doesn't create jobs in this economy. We want people investing in companies so they can grow and hire people and create jobs. Anyway, I saw him again about 6 weeks ago. We started talking about the debt ceiling conversation. He said: It is beyond the realm of my comprehension that you guys would fail to lift the debt ceiling. Here is a guy cynical enough about the way this place works who is saying he is buying gold, but it is even beyond his comprehensive that we could fail to lift the debt ceiling. The reason is, he actually understands what the facts are around this. I think we will lift the debt ceiling. I certainly hope we will. But the more important point is what the Senator has been working on for all these many months, which is coming to a comprehensive plan that actually addresses the underlying problem of our debt and deficit. I thank the Senator.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, today we honor the life and heroic sacrifice of CWO Kenneth R. White of Fort Collins, CO. He died on June 5, 2011, in Khost Province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his helicopter crashed during combat. He was 35 years old. Chief Warrant Officer White's family remembers him as a wonderful man of God, an extraordinary husband, and a loving father to his three children. He was a respectful and courageous friend, who demonstrated those attributes in abundance as a successful officer. After joining the Army in 1994, Chief Warrant Officer White grew in his career and attended warrant officer flight training in 2002. He fought bravely during two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Most recently, he served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a member of the 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Aviation Combat Brigade, 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, NY. His bravery and outstanding service quickly won the recognition of his commanders. Chief Warrant Officer White earned, among other distinctions, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, and two Global War on Terrorism Service Medals. Mark Twain once said, ``The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.'' Chief Warrant Officer White's service was in keeping with this sentiment--by selflessly putting country first, he lived life to the fullest. He lived with a sense of the highest honorable purpose. I stand with people in Colorado and nationwide in profound gratitude for Chief Warrant Officer White's tremendous sacrifice. At substantial personal risk, he fought in Afghanistan with unwavering courage to protect America's citizens and the freedoms we hold dear. For his service and the lives he touched, Chief Warrant Officer White will forever be remembered as one of our country's bravest. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Chief Warrant Officer White's parents, John and Linda, his wife Sarah, their three children, and his entire family, who carry on his memory and will forever remind us of his sacrifice.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, today we honor the life and heroic sacrifice of PFC John C. Johnson of Phoenix, AZ. He died on May 27, 2011, in Bayman Province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his mounted patrol received small arms fire. He was 28 years old. Private Johnson and his wife Jennifer were expecting a baby daughter at the time of his death. Private Johnson's parents remember him as a honest, affectionate son, and his wife remembers him as a dedicated husband and loving father. Growing up in Arizona's rugged landscape, he developed hunting and tracking skills that would later contribute to his resourcefulness as a soldier. Private Johnson enlisted in the Army in February 2010, commenting that he was committed to providing a better life for his family. He served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a member of C Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, NY. His bravery and outstanding service quickly won the recognition of his commanders. Private Johnson earned, among other distinctions, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the NATO Medal. Mark Twain once said, ``The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.'' Private Johnson's service was in keeping with this sentiment--by selflessly putting country first, he lived life to the fullest. He lived with a sense of the highest honorable purpose. I stand with people in Colorado and nationwide in profound gratitude for Private Johnson's tremendous sacrifice. At substantial personal risk, he fought in Afghanistan with unwavering courage to protect America's citizens and the freedoms we hold dear. For his service and the lives he touched, Private Johnson will forever be remembered as one of our country's bravest. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Vicki, his mother, John, his father, Jennifer, his wife, and his entire family, who carry on Private Johnson's memory and will forever remind us of his sacrifice. Sergeant William Steele

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I rise today to implore my colleagues and to implore the negotiators who are working on this budget issue to come to a comprehensive solution that meaningfully addresses our deficit and our debt. If all you knew about our politics was what you see on the television at night, you would think we were committed to an endless stream of invective, of name-calling, of division, that we had absolutely no interest or desire to solve the Nation's problems or solve the Nation's challenges, and you would be right to sort of give up all hope we could actually honor the heritage of our parents and our grandparents and make sure we are not the first generation of Americans to leave less opportunity, not more, to our kids and our grandkids. That is what you might think if all you knew about our country was what you saw on the TV at night. Fortunately, I have had the privilege, as has everybody in this body, to travel my State and to learn that actually the American people are nowhere near as divided as Washington, DC, or as what you see on television at night. In fact, we share an awful lot in common in my State of Colorado whether we are Republicans, Democrats, or Independents, and part of that is because we are coming out of the worst recession since the Great Depression. By the end of the discussion I was having during the campaign over the last couple of years, there were about four things people thought might be good ideas. They thought it would be good to have an economy in this country where median family income was rising instead of falling, that we were creating jobs in the United States rather than shipping them overseas. They thought it would be a good idea if our energy would not require us to send billions of dollars a week to the Persian Gulf to buy oil. They thought it would be a good idea--and as a former school superintendent, I agree with them--to educate our kids for the 21st century. They thought it would be a good idea if we were actually willing to make hard choices to deal with our debt and our deficit. There is a lot of disagreement around here that I do not really understand, but in Colorado, the way they would like us to do that is to see a comprehensive plan that materially addresses the problem. They know we cannot solve it overnight, but they would like to see us materially address the problem. They want to know we are all in it together. They are not interested in the Washington game of whose ox is going to get gored; they want to know we are all in this together, that all of us have something to contribute to solving this problem. They emphatically want it to be bipartisan, which is good because we have a divided Congress now, and it needs to be bipartisan to get this work done. The reason is that they do not trust either party's go-it-alone strategy. I think they are right to believe we are better off compromising on a set of comprehensive proposals than continuing to fight. I would add a corollary to it, which is that whatever we do, we better satisfy the capital markets that their paper is worth what they paid for it. If they are not satisfied, we are going to be in an interest rate environment that is going to make all of the discussions we have had about cuts seem trivial in terms of the effect on the deficit and debt. Then I come here, and we have these phony conversations about solving the problem. We had a discussion, you will remember, about whether we ought to shut the government down. And I did the math on the bid ask spread that divided the two parties over whether we are going to shut the government down, and that math equalled about 4 cents on the $20 meal at Applebee's. It would be like you and me, Mr. President, fighting over that 4 cents because we couldn't figure out how to pay the bill. It would be like the city of Alamosa in my State, in the San Luis Valley, where my predecessor, Ken Salazar, came from--it would be like the mayor saying: We can't agree on $27,000, so we are going to shut the government down, we are not going to pick up your trash, we are not going to educate your kids. The American people should know that is what that debate was about. Now we come to the debt ceiling debate where people are saying: We are not going to vote to raise the debt ceiling. Somebody in a townhall meeting said to me: Michael, don't you know my neighbor and I are having to figure out how to pay as we go? We have to figure out how to pull in our purse strings to make sure we can afford to do what we need to do? I said: I absolutely agree with you. He said: Why aren't you guys showing the same restraint? And I said: We need to show the same restraint, but that is not about the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling is about bills we have already incurred; it is not about cutting up your credit card. It would be great if it were. That is not what it is about. It is about saying: I have a cable bill this month, and I am just not going to pay it. I got my mortgage this month, but I am just not going to pay it. That is not fiscally responsible. In fact, do you know what happens to people who do that? Their interest rates go up because lenders say to you: You are not a good risk because you didn't pay your mortgage on time. You are not a good risk because you didn't pay your cable bill on time. That is what our lenders are going to say to the Federal Government of the United States if we are willing to jeopardize the full faith and credit of the United States. It is fiscally and politically irresponsible for us to do that. In this context, we are having a debate about dealing with the fact that we now have a $1.5 trillion deficit and a $15 trillion debt. By the way, I would say on the debt ceiling that at least this Senator would settle for raising it just the amount the Ryan plan would increase our debt. I would be happy with the Ryan plan, which is the House Republican plan, to raise the debt by about $5.4 trillion. Everybody over there voted for it. A lot of people here voted for it implicitly; therefore, they are suggesting the debt ceiling ought to be raised by at least that amount, and I would be happy to support that and cosponsor that. But what I want us to do is come together in a comprehensive way. Mr. President, Mike Johanns from Nebraska and I circulated a letter on March 15. I ask unanimous consent that letter be printed in the Record.

Mr. BENNET. We sent it around to people, and it was a letter to the President that in part said: Specifically, we hope that the discussion will include discretionary spending cuts, entitlement changes and tax reform. A comprehensive plan. Sixty-four Senators signed that letter--more than a majority of the Senate. It is more than the 60-vote threshold necessary to pass legislation around here--a majority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats recognizing what is blindingly obvious to the American people, which is that we need a comprehensive plan because the math does not work otherwise. And we need people of good will to come together and say: We understand we are not going to be able to solve this problem if we continue to fight with each other. We are not going to be able to solve this problem if we continue to pretend there are some magical mathematics out there that allows us to solve the debt crisis based on political ideology rather than our working together. People ask me sometimes what they can do to help with this discussion. What I say to them is they ought to be holding the people in this body to the same standard they hold our local officials back in Colorado--that mayor in Alamosa or a superintendent in Denver--who never in their wildest dreams would think they were going to phony up the math and go back to people and say: Sorry, we could not make it work, so we are going to shut down or, sorry, we could not make it work, so we are going to destroy our credit rating, so you end up spending more money on interest instead of on the services you care about. Our job is to fix this problem. It is not going to be easy. It is going to take people on both sides of the aisle to think differently about what is possible. My own view is the Deficit and Debt Commission gave us a roadmap here. It was a bipartisan group. The final result got the vote of Dick Durbin, one of the most liberal members of the Democratic Party, and one of the most conservative members of the Republican Party, Tom Coburn, who signed onto a plan that said: Let's take a quarter of it from discretionary spending, let's take a quarter of it from entitlements, let's take a quarter of it from interest savings, and let's get a quarter from tax reform. That sounds about right to me. If we could produce a plan here that satisfied the test I mentioned earlier, I could go back to the townhalls in Colorado, and I guarantee you what people would say is: Thank you for finally working together. Thank you for producing something that is credible. Let's now move on to the other business in this country to make sure we can compete and win in the 21st century. I would say I hope, to the extent anybody is listening to the floor today, they would think again about the importance of using this moment to try to create a comprehensive plan, to try to figure out what the compromises are. I for one am happy to work with anybody on either side of the aisle to make sure we get this done. I see the chairman of our Budget Committee is in the Chamber. I thank him for his efforts on the Deficit Commission, and also for the work he has been doing with the Gang of Six--the Gang of Five, trying, month after month after month, for the last 18 months, to produce a comprehensive plan that actually addresses the problems. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the life and heroic service of SGT Vorasack T. Xaysana. Sergeant Xaysana, assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, based in Fort Hood, TX, died on April 10, 2011. Sergeant Xaysana was serving in support of Operation New Dawn in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was 30 years old. A native of Westminster, CO, Sergeant Xaysana enlisted in the Army in 2005. During over 6 years of service, he distinguished himself through his courage and dedication to duty. Sergeant Xaysana's exemplary service quickly won the recognition of his commanding officers. He earned, among other decorations, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Good Conduct Medal. Sergeant Xaysana worked on the front lines of battle, serving in the most dangerous areas of Iraq. Mark Twain once said, ``The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.'' Sergeant Xaysana's service was in keeping with this sentiment--by selflessly putting country first, he lived life to the fullest. He lived with a sense of the highest honorable purpose. At substantial personal risk, he braved the chaos of combat zones throughout Iraq. Though his fate on the battlefield was uncertain, he pushed forward, protecting America's citizens, her safety, and the freedoms we hold dear. For his service and the lives he touched, Sergeant Xaysana will forever be remembered as one of our country's bravest. To Sergeant Xaysana's parents, Thong Chanh and Manithip, and to his entire family, I cannot imagine the sorrow you must be feeling. I hope that, in time, the pain of your loss will be eased by your pride in Vorasack's service and by your knowledge that his country will never forget him. We are humbled by his service and his sacrifice.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, today I recognize the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in which bicyclists race the steam-powered Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from Durango to Silverton. May 28, 2011 will mark the 40th anniversary of this race which is an institution in my home State of Colorado. This year's race has attracted some 2,500 racers from 44 States and 5 countries and 3,500 riders participating in all of the weekend's many cycling related events. This race is the third oldest continuously sanctioned bike race in the United States and probably the most grueling of them all. The Iron Horse Classic is a 50-mile race that takes riders over two beautiful mountain passes in Colorado's awe inspiring San Juan Mountains. The race course tops out at 10,860 feet and has a vertical climb of some 6,600 feet for every racer. The race is one that many professional bike racers compete in at some point in their career with many Olympians, National and World Champions riding in the race over the decades. Organized for decades by cycling legend Ed Zink of Durango, the Iron Horse Classic is a tremendous asset to all of southwest Colorado. The race's economic impact on our economy is around $2 million each year and it has donated around $500,000 to local causes over the years. As I am sure you can imagine, this is a grueling event for which all riders put in many long months of training. I am proud to recognize all the riders, staff, volunteers and community members from southwest Colorado who have made the Iron Horse Classic into a premier Colorado cycling event on this its 40th anniversary.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, today I rise to remember the life and heroic service of SGT Ken Hermogino, who died on May 10, 2011, in Herat Province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his military vehicle overturned. Fort Carson cannot replace a leader like Sergeant Hermogino. His passing represents a tragic loss for his hometown of Henderson, NV, and for our country. Sergeant Hermogino's story is uniquely American. Within 2 months of the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, that took the lives of nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children, Sergeant Hermogino began a military career that would span 10 years and two branches of the armed services. His exceptional character shone in the face of our shared adversity; he chose to serve when his country needed him most. In 1998, he graduated from Basic High School in Henderson, NV, where he participated in the Marine Corps Junior ROTC program. This experience allowed him to build up the skills and discipline that would become the foundation of his success in the services. Outside of school, Sergeant Hermogino relaxed by skateboarding, BMX racing, and displaying his talent for fixing just about anything. Sergeant Hermogino enlisted in the Air Force in 2001, and he served for 8 years as a medical administrator based in the U.S. and Manas, Kyrgyzstan. While he assisted fellow servicemembers suffering from life-threatening wounds, Sergeant Hermogino always felt compelled to expand his contribution. His brother, Marvin Jeff, has said, ``He wanted to be more involved.'' In 2009, Sergeant Hermogino joined the Army and served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a member of the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, based at Fort Carson, CO. Sergeant Hermogino's bravery and exemplary service did not escape the notice of his commanders. He earned, among other decorations, the Air Force and Army Commendation Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Mark Twain once said, ``The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.'' Sergeant Hermogino's service was in keeping with this sentiment by selflessly putting country first, he lived life to the fullest. He lived with a sense of the highest honorable purpose. Today's tribute to the memory of Sergeant Hermogino must also honor his profound love for family. In this spirit, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest respects and condolences to Norma, his mother, Renato, his father, and to his entire family. Please know that Colorado and Americans across the country are profoundly grateful for Ken's sacrifice. For his bravery in Afghanistan and across the world, he will forever be remembered as one of our country's bravest.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I unfortunately experienced a travel delay on my way back to Washington this evening and was unable to make tonight's procedural vote on whether to reauthorize a portion of the PATRIOT Act. My plane was late, and the Senate had to close the vote at 6 to ensure that 30 hours of postcloture time expires by midnight tomorrow night. Keeping to this schedule is important since three provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act are scheduled to expire later this week. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' I would thus ask to let the Record reflect that I would have voted ``yea'' on Recorded Vote No. 75.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Madam President, today I pay tribute to a young Coloradan, LCpl Christopher S. Meis, who died on March 17, 2011, from wounds he received while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was 20 years old. The loss of Lance Corporal Meis weighs heavily on his hometown of Bennett, CO, where he grew up dreaming of serving his country as a marine. According to his mother, Lance Corporal Meis set his mind to becoming a soldier in the eighth grade. He always preferred the Marines, she says, because of its distinct reputation for rigor and excellence. Lance Corporal Meis enlisted in January 2010 after graduating from Bennett High School. He served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, earning numerous decorations. He was a machine gunner in the 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, NC. This post situated Lance Corporal Meis on the front lines of battle in Afghanistan, which for him meant an opportunity to contribute. His mother said that, when he called home, he spoke of his readiness for action and commitment to ``making a difference.'' He told his family that he ultimately wanted to pursue the Marine Corps as a career. Lance Corporal Meis's bravery and exemplary service quickly won the recognition of his commanding officers. He earned, among other decorations, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Just 3 weeks before his passing, he received a promotion to lance corporal. His record as a soldier exhibits America's proudest traditions of valor, commitment to duty, and strength of character. To his family, he will be remembered as a dedicated son and brother. For Lance Corporal Meis, family and duty sometimes took the same form. By putting on the uniform, he followed his two grandfathers in a proud family tradition of service in the Armed Forces. His paternal grandfather served in World War II, and his maternal grandfather retired from the Air Force. Mark Twain once said, ``The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.'' Lance Corporal Meis's service was in keeping with this sentiment--by selflessly putting country first, he lived life to the fullest. He lived with a sense of the highest honorable purpose. I stand with the citizens of Colorado and across our country in profound gratitude for Lance Corporal Meis's tremendous sacrifice. In Afghanistan, he fought with unwavering courage to protect America and her citizens, and for his service he will forever be remembered as one of our bravest. To honor those who survived him, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest respects and condolences to Holly, his mother, Chris, his father, Hunter, his brother, and to his entire family.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Colorado National Monument on May 24, 2011. The monument's 32 square miles of red rock canyons, pinnacles and vistas on Colorado's Western Slope are a wonder to behold. They provide essential habitat for keystone species like the golden eagle and desert bighorn and a unique campus for junior rangers to learn and connect with the high desert ecosystem. Anyone who has hiked one of the Monument's many trails or driven historic Rim Rock Drive understands that this is a place worthy of celebration. For a century now, visitors to this monument have been not only awed by its beauty but also inspired by its past. This rare piece of earth gained Federal recognition due to the dedicated efforts of John Otto, who made his home in these canyons. He worked for years to build trails and organize support, succeeding in 1911 as President William Howard Taft signed a proclamation declaring the monument. Just weeks later, Otto made his first daring climb to plant an American flag at the top of the 450-foot tall spire known as Independence Monument, on the Fourth of July. That day confirmed what Coloradans already knew--that we had something special. But John Otto didn't end his commitment there. He became the monument's first park ranger, living in a tent and helping visitors discover the canyons for 16 more years. Through the lens of history, his dedication stands as a shining example of what it means to work for something you believe in so strongly. The history of the Colorado National Monument remains a testament to the spirit, conviction, and love of our land that makes the State of Colorado what it is today. By offering educational field trips to public schools, rangers at the Colorado National Monument are working to ensure that the science and history of the monument will remain in the minds of young people across western Colorado. All Coloradans are proud of the fact that this treasured landscape will continue to inspire visitors for generations to come. Mr. President and all other Members here today, please join me and all Coloradans in celebrating the monument on its centennial.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate proceed to a period for the transaction of morning business for debate only until 2 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the first hour equally divided and controlled by the leaders or their designees, with the Republicans controlling the first 30 minutes and the majority controlling the next 30 minutes; that following morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session under the previous order.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask for its second reading and object to my own request.

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I understand that S. 940, introduced earlier today by Senator Menendez, is at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, 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 that any statements relating to the matter be printed in the Record.

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 178, submitted earlier today.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, today I honor the National Association of Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Every year, on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect nonperishable food as part of the Nation's largest one-day food drive, distributing the donations to local food banks. In these difficult economic times--as families continue to make ends meet and food banks deal with tightening budgets--these efforts are especially important. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is just one example of how letter carriers work to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. Since the food drive was launched 19 years ago, they have collected a billion pounds of food, including 77.3 million pounds last year alone. They do all of this in service of the communities in which the live and work. And the work they do remains essential. Even in today's electronic society, millions of us depend on letter carriers to deliver everything from birthday cards to life-saving prescription medications. In recognition of all letter carriers, their hard work and their commitment to their communities, I ask that all of us join with them in support of their one-day food drive and make a donation of nonperishable food items this Saturday, May 14, 2011, the National Association of Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day.

Mr. BENNET

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

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, there will be a rollcall vote around 3 p.m. tomorrow on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 44, the nomination of Arenda Wright Allen to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Mr. BENNET

Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.