Richard Blumenthal

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, in the midst of this momentous debate, truly one which will determine the future of the country, I rise on a matter of equal importance, in my view. Today we welcomed to the Capitol 26 bicyclists, riders who left Saturday morning on this journey. This journey led them to travel the roads from Newtown, CT, to dramatize the importance of actions against gun violence in the United States. I have said about Newtown that we saw on December 14 of last year enormous evil and depravity in the deaths of 20 beautiful, innocent children and 6 dedicated, courageous educators who literally perished trying to save the lives of those children. We saw evil that day in Connecticut, but we also saw enormous goodness and heroism in the educators who sought to save those children and the first responders who charged into the school. They did so not knowing what would befall them, what they would see, and thereby stopped the massacre. The community came together in support of the families and all who were affected so deeply by that tragedy. This community has demonstrated enormous strength and courage over these months. It is an example of the quintessential values which make us proud to be an American. The riders who came to the Capitol, who rode from Newtown on a rough and difficult journey, also showed something profoundly significant and important about Newtown as a community, as well as about themselves. They included as an honorary rider a parent of one of the victims, Chris McDonnell, who was at the departure, and his wife, Lynn, who was also there at the beginning, although she didn't ride. They carried with them, those 26 riders, the memory of Grace McDonnell. As one of them said--, Monte Frank, who organized and led the effort--Grace was on their wheels. They carried with them the memory of Grace, but they also carried the hopes and hearts of America. Everywhere they went on that journey, people stopped them, thanked them and honored them, as I seek to do today here on the floor of the Senate. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record two letters, both written to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the ranking member, along with Senators Murphy and myself, letters written by Lynn and Chris McDonnell and a separate letter written by the families of some of those victims.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to my dear friend and lifelong Connecticut resident and business owner, Bob Rich, who passed away this past November. Born in Stamford, Mr. Rich graduated from Stamford High School in 1944 and from Princeton in 1948. He returned to Connecticut to eventually take over his father's business, the F.D. Rich Company, which had been founded in 1920. For more than 60 years, he and his brother, Frank D. Rich, Jr., grew their father's construction company into one of our Nation's foremost real estate development firms. Their family history in construction and real estate development became an important part of our national history of economic growth. Under Mr. Rich's leadership, the F.D. Rich Company built innovative buildings where there was a great need both in Stamford, CT, and across the Nation--from shopping centers and office buildings to schools, hospitals, and hotels. In 1958 the F.D. Rich Company made its mark on our Nation's Capital when it completed the aircraft hangars for Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base. To this day, F.D. Rich continues to create interesting and functional urban and suburban buildings that add to our country's landscape. Since his death, Mr. Rich has been deservedly memorialized for playing a significant role in revitalizing the city of Stamford between 1970 and 2000. The New York Times wrote that he ``transform[ed] Stamford from a fading industrial town suffering from severe urban blight to a thriving city which has emerged as an important center for commerce, culture, education and recreation.'' Mr. Rich led the creation of countless buildings, including an addition to the Stamford Hospital in 1967, One Landmark Square in 1973, and the Rich Forum in 1992, which continues to house the city's center for the arts. The University of Connecticut and the Rich family are also closely connected. In 1934 Mr. Rich's father oversaw the construction of the Wilbur Cross Library at UConn's Storrs campus. When UConn opened its downtown Stamford campus, the Riches helped build the Rich Concourse, which to this day serves as a central meeting place on campus. In addition to Bob Rich's community involvement through the F.D. Rich Company and at UConn, he was involved in numerous national and local organizations including the Boys and Girls Club of Stamford, the Regional Plan Association, and Stamford's State Street Debating Society. He and his family founded the Rich Foundation, which continues to serve nonprofit organizations, primarily in Fairfield County, enriching Connecticut's arts, education, health care, and social services. Bob was beloved by family and friends throughout his life, and he will be remembered by countless residents who live and make memories in the spaces he built. I invite my colleagues to pay tribute to a man who forever changed the Stamford skyline and improved the community.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. I ask unanimous consent that on Tuesday, February 26, 2013, the Senate proceed to executive session and that the motion to proceed to the motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on Executive Calendar No. 10 be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be agreed to, the time until 12:00 p.m. be equally divided in the usual form, and that following the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote on cloture on the nomination, upon reconsideration.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 26, 2013; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that following any leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the nomination of Senator Hagel to be Secretary of Defense, under the previous order; further, that following the cloture vote on the Hagel nomination, upon reconsideration, the Senate recess until 2:15 p.m. for the weekly caucus meetings; and finally, that if cloture is invoked, the time during recess, morning business, and adjournment count postcloture on the Hagel nomination.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I further ask that the committee- reported amendment be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; and that the motions to reconsider be made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 16, S. 298.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

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

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, there will be a reconsideration of the cloture vote on the Hagel nomination at noon tomorrow.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 41, submitted earlier today.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I am proud to stand here to support the nomination of Chuck Hagel as our next Secretary of Defense. I believe he will be confirmed by this Chamber, I hope, on a bipartisan basis. He is, in fact, extraordinarily qualified for this position of unique trust and responsibility. That is the criterion we must apply. Is he qualified? We may have, probably each of us does have among us 100 Senators, someone whom we would make our first choice or a better choice or is the right person, in our view. That is not the question before us. It is whether he is qualified to be part of the President's team and to be held accountable for the policies the President sets. Chuck Hagel is a decorated war veteran with two Purple Hearts. He is a highly successful businessman and entrepreneur and a real manager at a time when we need a manager in the Department of Defense. He is a former colleague as a Member of this body, but he is also a former deputy head of the Veterans' Administration. He has given his life to public service and, most especially, to helping men and women in uniform while they serve this country in the military, and then when they come back to civilian life, helping them contribute and continue to give back to this Nation. He is a Republican who has won the confidence of President Obama and whom President Obama has chosen to be a member of his team. We speak, as Members of the Senate, about giving the President a measure of deference, a prerogative in making the selection about who will serve on his team because it is the President who sets policy. The President will set our policy on the Middle East and on Israeli security. Chuck Hagel has said he is committed, unequivocally, clearly, unambiguously, to the security of Israel and to whatever weapons systems are necessary to provide Israel in maintaining and sustaining that security, the Iron Dome, David's Sling, and other measures this Nation has committed to its great ally in the Middle East. This is an ally that is necessary not only to stability there and hopefully to peace but also to our national interests. Chuck Hagel may have made comments in the past that seemed to vary somewhat from the President's policy, but it is the President who sets that policy and whom we will hold accountable for that policy. Likewise, on Iran, Chuck Hagel has said he is in favor of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, not containing it but preventing it. Whatever his past says, it is the President who sets that policy. Chuck Hagel has indicated he is completely in accord with it, in support of it, and will implement it. Again, it is the policy of the President to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, and we must in this body give support and encouragement to the President in being strong and tough, setting even stronger and tougher sanctions, and using the military option, if necessary, to stop a nuclear-armed Iran. Going from policy to what I think is perhaps the unique challenge of the next Secretary of Defense, which is to attract and retain the best and the brightest to our military--we talk all the time about people being our greatest asset in the military. We have weapons systems that defy the imagination, let alone comprehension. At the end of the day, the people who run those weapons systems, the people who staff and work every day to keep America safe, are the ones who are our greatest asset. At a time when we are bringing troops back from Afghanistan when Secretary-to-be, hopefully, Hagel, has indicated we ought to do it even more quickly, our greatest challenge will be to prevent the hollowing out of our military as has occurred in the wake of past conflict. That hollowing out is not only about hardware and weapons; it is about the people who command and the people who run those weapons. We need to ensure we keep those midlevel officers and enlisted members who are so important to the leadership of our military. Chuck Hagel's leadership and commitment will be critical to that task. I have met with Chuck Hagel privately. I asked him tough questions about Iran and Israel. I am satisfied on those points that he will advise the President in accord with those policies. But even more important, I am struck by his passion and the intensity of his commitment to our men and women in uniform. His caring about them is indicated in so many ways--spontaneously and strongly in his testimony as well as in his private conversation. He will make sure that sexual assault in the military--the epidemic and scourge of rape and assault against men and women who serve and sacrifice for this country--will be stopped; that there will be, in fact, zero tolerance not only in word but in deed, and his viewing, for example, of the documentary ``Invisible War''--his understanding that this kind of misconduct is an outrage, never to be even complicitly condoned and to treat as a criminal offense the most extreme kind of predatory criminal activity is important to the future of our military and our men and women in uniform. He is committed to making sure that women in combat--a policy of the President--is implemented forcefully and faithfully. He is committed to making sure the policy of repealing don't ask, don't tell is implemented zealously and vigorously. He is committed to making sure that our veterans--not only for our returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans but also for the veterans of his own generation--our Vietnam veterans who had Post-Traumatic Stress at a time when it was undiagnosed and, in fact, unknown as a condition resulting from combat--have the benefit of policies and practices we are now implementing to deal with Post-Traumatic Stress and traumatic brain injuries. He is also committed, equally importantly, to making sure the epidemic of suicide among our currently serving men and women in uniform and also our veterans is addressed forcefully. There are tragedies every day involving those suicides--families who lose loved ones and a country that loses a great public servant--and Chuck Hagel cares about those men and women. He will see a person in uniform not as simply an officer or an enlisted man but as someone who will soon be a veteran and become part of a continuum. Chuck Hagel has served the VA as well as now in the Defense Department, and he will make sure the transition from active service to reservist service is seamless; that veterans are provided with the transition assistance they need for employment, education, and health care, and that our National Guard receives the respect and service it deserves. I am convinced Senator Hagel's No. 1 priority will be taking care of our troops. He was a veteran's advocate with the USO, and he has won the respect and admiration of veterans groups. In addition, he has won the support of an extraordinary array of former Secretaries of Defense, ambassadors and diplomats, senior retired military leaders, and, in particular, two former Members of this body who appeared with him at his testimony, former Senators Warner and Nunn. I believe Chuck Hagel is the right man for the fiscal challenges that will confront the Department of Defense. Putting aside sequester--which I dearly hope will not happen; Secretary Panetta has said it would be irresponsible for the Congress to allow it to happen, and many of us agree it must be avoided--and the challenges in the next month or series of months, the long-term outlook for the Department of Defense is that it must do more with less, and Secretary Hagel, if he is confirmed, will have that management task. He is one of the people in this country who is almost uniquely qualified to carry it out, and I believe he will, with great distinction. He will take care of our men and women in uniform and strengthen our national defense. He will do what he thinks is right, even if it is not popular. Finally, Chuck Hagel is, as everyone has said, a good and decent man. And I thank in particular Senator McCain for his very compelling and telling comments during our consideration before the vote in the Armed Services Committee. He said, and I agree, that no one should impugn Chuck Hagel's character. He is a person of integrity and character, and I believe he will have the respect at all levels of our defense--the men and women who serve and sacrifice every day, the men and women who are essential to our national security--and I recommend him and urge my colleagues to support him. I respectfully hope he will be confirmed quickly and that it will be done on a bipartisan basis so we will be united--as our Armed Services Committee in this body is almost always united--in favor of the President's choice for this uniquely important responsibility. I yield the floor.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today and throughout the coming weeks, I hope this body will move closer to comprehensive immigration reform. Actually, accountable immigration reform would be a more appropriate term to call it--accountable to the people of the United States who overwhelmingly want this dysfunctional, broken system to be mended. We are a nation of immigrants, and the people of our Nation know it. They know it not only intellectually and abstractly; they know it in their gut because they see on the walls of their homes the proud photographs of their parents, their grandparents--people who have come to this country as a beacon of economic opportunity and freedom, some of them struggling through the most horrific kinds of trials and tribulations to reach this great land, the greatest Nation in the history of the world. I have told my colleagues in the past--and I will state again--one of the most inspiring things I do--and I had done it as attorney general for a long time but now as a Senator--is to visit our courthouses where immigration and naturalization ceremonies take place. Those ceremonies are profoundly inspiring because they come--new citizens, people about to become citizens--with their families. It is a day of joy and pride unmatched and unexcelled in their lives. They come with friends, and they come to celebrate with their friends and families, with tears in their eyes and their hearts and their throats. There is no time when I have seen one of these ceremonies that I have not been deeply moved and uplifted. If you ever have a down day, if you are ever discouraged about this Nation, see one of these ceremonies. You will know what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America and how important it is and how important we should regard it. So I approach immigration reform with a profound appreciation of its importance to people who seek liberty and economic opportunity and justice in this great land but also how we are enriched as a nation of immigrants by the diversity, the talent, the dedication they bring to our factories where they work, to our laboratories where they invent, to our military where they serve and sacrifice and give their lives. So I hope we will embark on accountable immigration reform that provides a path to earned citizenship for the 11 million people or more now in this country undocumented. Many times they pay taxes, they live here, and they regard the United States as their home. They have no criminal background. They have done nothing wrong. We need to find a way to bring them out of the shadows and provide earned citizenship, with background checks to show they have no criminal records, that they will learn to speak English, if they do not now do so, go through all the other steps that may be set, and then go to the back of the line behind people who have legally sought to come here. That reform should also include much stronger security at the borders, a crackdown on employers who hire undocumented immigrants-- people in this country who are here illegally but who can be exploited by those employers--and, of course, a streamlined immigration process. The elements of this reform are becoming clearer and attracting a growing consensus. If nothing else, we should make sure we provide an expedited route for people who now come with H-1B visas. Some of the details of these proposals need to be resolved so we give those people who come to this country with extraordinary skills or who are educated here and are now forced to leave the country, to the detriment of our tech corporations--and many are in my home State of Connecticut. And maybe, first and foremost, we need to make sure we give the DREAMers what this country so richly deserves--one would think, I might say, what they deserve, but truly the country deserves what they have to contribute and give back to this country. For some time I have come to the floor of the Senate to talk about individual DREAMers. I wish to talk about a young person, Cinthia Perez, whose photograph is here in the Chamber and who is one of those DREAMers--many of whom are brought to this country as infants or very young children. They know no other country. They often know no other language but the one spoken here. Their lives are rooted in this country. Their friends are here. They are going through our schools. They are serving in our military. Yet they can be deported at any time. Right now, the President has commendably offered the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals--DACA--system for them, but it is only for a limited period of time. It does not provide the certainty and security they need to do what Cinthia Perez wants to do with her life. That is why the nearly 2 million immigrants nationwide who would benefit from the DREAM Act--between 11,000 and 20,000 in Connecticut--deserve the benefit of a more secure route, an expedited route to citizenship. That has to be part of accountable immigration reform. Cinthia Perez was born in Mexico. She was brought to America at the age of 5. She has not left America since. Her family settled in New Haven, CT. She went to the New Haven public schools from elementary school through high school. It was in high school that Cinthia came to understand how her undocumented status would actually affect her future, because during her senior year of high school, Cinthia attended a college preparation class. From the start of that class--supposedly to prepare her for college--Cinthia could not fully take part in the course because she thought she would not be eligible to go to college because of her undocumented status. Still, she continued in that class as a way to stay motivated about her future and to experience the college application process, as many Americans do. In fact, she eventually applied to four universities-- some State and some private. She was accepted by how many? All four. Her excitement and her family's soon faded as she realized the choice she faced. She would not be able to attend any of these schools because she could not afford it, and her dream school looked even further out of reach because her parents could not afford to pay full tuition and Cinthia could not share the financial burden because she was afraid to seek work. She is ineligible to work in this country, and she felt hopeless because all she wanted to do was attend college, work her way through, so she could create a better future for herself and make a difference for the country. Around that time, Connecticut passed a State law--and I advocated it--to allow undocumented students who have graduated from high school in Connecticut to pay instate tuition rates that are available to other Connecticut residents. With that financial burden slightly lessened, Cinthia was able to enroll at Southern Connecticut State University. She is now proud to be in her sophomore year at SCSU, and she hopes to use her education to pursue a career in community development or environmental management. Basically, she wants to help improve education and support for children in need--children such as herself who simply want an education so they can give back to this country, children such as herself who are motivated and inspired to contribute to America, and children such as herself who are undocumented and, therefore, hampered and impeded in their aspirations. I have no doubt Cinthia will continue to contribute to Connecticut. She will, unfortunately, face the dangers of deportation from her home and may be sent back to a country she has not seen for many years--in fact, since she was 5 years old. I hope every DREAMer is given deferred action status under the President's program. I hope Cinthia's application will be favorably received. I hope she will be able to pursue her education and work and give back to this Nation and that she will be eligible at some point for financial aid. But the full measure of relief from deportation will not come to her or any of the other DREAMers without the DREAM Act. Therefore, I urge that the comprehensive immigration reform under consideration by a bipartisan group headed by Senators Schumer and McCain and the solution eventually adopted by this body to fix that broken system of immigration law will include the DREAM Act. I wish to thank and give credit to Senator Durbin, who has championed this measure for a long time, giving a model to many of us at the State level, where I was attorney general for 20 years and championing our equivalent of the DREAM Act there, providing aid, as we did with Cinthia, so she could fulfill her aspirations to seek education. But at the end of the day, just and effective comprehensive immigration reform must resolve the status of those 11 million people, including Cinthia's relatives who may be here, including the DREAMers' parents who may be here. It has to be comprehensive so as to establish an earned pathway to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants already giving back, already here, already contributing members of our society, and, most especially, the children who were brought here, through no fault of their own, when they were 5 years old or 6 years old or 5 months old, and we reaffirm that America is a land of justice and opportunity. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

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

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, earlier today cloture was filed on the Hagel nomination. That cloture vote is expected on Friday.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

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

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 31, S. Res. 32, S. Res. 33, and S. Res. 34.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

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

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 14, 2013; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; and that following any leader remarks, the Senate resume executive session and consideration of the nomination of Senator Hagel to be Secretary of Defense.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

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

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations, Calendar Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and all nominations placed on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and that the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, I want to again thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy, for his leadership on this bill and on the issue of human trafficking. He has led this Chamber. I want to thank my colleague, Senator Portman, for truly a commonsense amendment that aims to combat one of the great scourges in the United States and around the world, sex trafficking involving young people. We can take a strong step and send a strong message by providing the kinds of services to young victims as we do to other victims who receive aid under VAWA. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, I want to first of all begin on this day when Connecticut, like other New England States, is digging out from an historic, truly an epic, snowstorm, to give my thanks to the first responders and to the men and women who have been working behind snowplows and payloaders for endless hours, literally almost without stop since the beginning of this snowstorm, and have risked their lives, given boundlessly of their energy and effort to make sure the people of Connecticut and also Massachusetts, our neighbor, and New York, have been made safer and more secure during this time of another monstrous storm. I know much of America in the more temperate zones may not appreciate what a monstrous snowstorm, carrying 3 feet of snow to many parts of Connecticut, poses in the way of challenges and even threats to human life. And I would say without any disrespect--in fact, with great admiration to the Presiding Officer, who happens to be from Hawaii-- that it is unlikely in her State that anything approaching this magnitude of snow ever will be approaching. But I know that Hawaii, like every other State, shares its need to confront weather crises, and I believe that as a Nation we have always come together, whether it is tornadoes, hurricanes, or floods, to address these common challenges and we rally together as a Nation. So I hope we will again. The relief is necessary, and the President has issued a declaration of emergency for Connecticut. I thank him for that action, and I hope it will be followed by tangible aid that will be necessary in the wake of this monstrous storm. I come to the floor to talk about the action and bill I hope will be approved later today or as soon as possible. The Senate is considering the Violence Against Women Act. I am a cosponsor and a strong supporter. I wish to particularly thank Chairman Leahy, who has demonstrated such patience and perseverance. If the definition of courage is grace under pressure, he certainly has shown tremendous grace under huge pressure. Again, we face the need, a pressing need to reauthorize this measure. It was first passed 18 years ago and was permitted to expire during the last Congress. The Senate passed this measure during the last Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan vote. It was stalled and then stopped in the House of Representatives. I thank Chairman Leahy for his excellent work on this essential legislation. Partly, it was stalled over a measure that demands particular focus today. This legislation is critical to the 54,000 Connecticut women who became domestic violence victims in 2011. But it is particularly so to many of our Native Americans and to women who right now are, in effect, caught in a legal limbo when they seek prosecutorial action to vindicate their rights and to deter this cruel and unspeakable form of violence against them. Native Americans' predicament is described very compellingly by a New York Times story this morning. The New York Times tells the story of Diane Millich, a Native American woman who was abused for years by her husband. She is one of 60 percent of Native American women who will experience domestic abuse. That number is 60 percent. One-third of Native American women are assaulted during their lifetime. Native American women are 2\1/2\ times more likely to be raped than non-Native American women. The provisions of this bill that apply to Native American women are meant to address literally an epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault that right now the law fails to deter and prevent. By any measure, this epidemic is a tragedy. In human terms, the numbers are powerful, but they fail to give a face and a voice to this problem, as the Times did this morning with Diane Millich. These statistics are the result of Federal law that prevents tribal courts from hearing cases against non-Native American abusers of Native American women. It is a limbo that is the result of a jurisdictional catch-22. If the abuser is a non-Native American, the tribal courts have no jurisdiction. But if the crime occurs on sovereign tribal land, Federal prosecutors face a variety of obstacles to effective enforcement. So this measure would protect Native American women who right now are so much the victims of abuse. I know Senator Cornyn has just spoken about his amendment that would, he has said, protect the potential defendants, protect their constitutional rights under the Bill of Rights. His amendment is not before us. What is before us is Senator Coburn's amendment which would, in effect, eviscerate these protections for women against those defendants. I wish to respond, though, to Senator Cornyn, who has raised, thoughtfully and pertinently, some important questions about this legislation. Let me answer in two very affirmative and unequivocal ways. First of all, this bill would protect all the rights currently guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Second, it would provide a right of appeal, first to the tribal courts in whatever process that is provided there but then by habeas corpus to Federal courts where actually the Bill of Rights would apply with full force, in my view, as I read this bill. Senators should be clear when they vote on this measure that the Coburn amendment, in my view, would destroy, utterly undermine and eviscerate the purpose of this bill and provisions of this bill that are designed to protect Native Americans against domestic violence and assault, and it would fully guarantee protections under our Bill of Rights to defendants who are charged, civilly or criminally, in the tribal courts. No woman should be left defenseless because of the identity of their abuser. Every woman deserves to know she is protected by the law of the land. Again, I thank and commend Senator Leahy for addressing this important issue in the legislation before us by giving all Native American women the protections of these tribal courts. I don't understand why this should be controversial. We are still facing efforts to strip this provision from the bill. I urge my colleagues to approve it. I also commend Senator Leahy for offering an amendment that contains the bulk of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. I am a cosponsor of that measure and proudly of this amendment as well. He has been the leader in this body and in the Congress and the Nation against human trafficking. He has been a mentor to many of us on this issue. I am very proud to cosponsor this very important amendment. Human trafficking remains a scourge in our world and in our country. It is not some distant abstract problem. It is here and now in the United States, the greatest Nation in the history of our world, and we have an obligation to counter and combat it as this very important amendment would do. It relies on partnerships between the States and Federal Government, between the public and private sectors, and between the United States and other countries. It allows one piece of the legislation to achieve a massive impact and global reach. Twenty-seven million human beings are bought and sold as property each year, more than at any time in our history. We must have a solution as broad and wide-ranging as the problem we face. The Leahy amendment allows the Federal Government to leverage a small outlay of taxpayer dollars into a giant system of protections and services for victims of human trafficking, not to mention law enforcement actions to put the perpetrators of trafficking behind bars, put them in prison where they belong, and send a message of deterrence as well as punishment. This landmark proposal also creates new grant programs to help our law enforcement agencies and service providers respond to sex trafficking of American children--American children who are victims of sex traffic. This amendment would help to protect them. These grant programs will help to ensure that child victims of sex trafficking have access to services they need and justice they deserve. They are children, but they are no less deserving of justice. That proposition ought to be so obvious as not to need stating in this Chamber. I know, for the purposes of this body, it need not be stated. But the Leahy amendment recognizes that the traffickers' most effective weapon is simply the ability to take the victims' identification documents. This measure would make that taking a crime, taking away identification documents. The Leahy amendment also recognizes that the statute of limitations designed for other contexts is an unjustified impediment to effective private enforcement in the trafficking area. It extends the statute from 6 years to 10 years for civil suits involving violations of Federal trafficking laws. That statute of limitations may simply be an obstacle that cannot be overcome because the witnesses cannot be provided and because the children themselves may have to grow, in both maturity and physically, before they can effectively help prosecute a civil or criminal action. I have also cosponsored an amendment with Senator Portman, and I am proud to have done so, to ensure that youth grants provided under section 302 of VAWA can be made available to child victims of sex trafficking. In this country, sex trafficking remains a problem, a serious problem. There are an estimated 293,000 children at risk for commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that between 2008 and 2010, 83 percent of sex trafficking victims found in the United States were U.S. citizens and 40 percent of sex trafficking cases involved sexual exploitation of children. The fact is a tragic one, an unacceptable and intolerable fact, that sex trafficking is a major source of child exploitation, a major source of damage to our children, and the voices and faces of those children should be before this body when it considers this amendment. It is a bipartisan amendment cosponsored by Senators Gillibrand, Brown, Collins, Ayotte, Rubio, and Cochran. I thank them for their leadership on this issue, most especially Senator Rob Portman, my partner in this effort, and I again thank Senator Leahy for his leadership, which has inspired us to bring our amendment forward. I encourage my colleagues to support the Leahy amendment as well as the one Senator Portman and I and others have brought before this body and the underlying VAWA legislation. We have an opportunity to make history. We have an obligation to pass this measure and make history. I hope we will do so by the same overwhelming bipartisan vote that we did in the last session of Congress so the House of Representatives hears our message, and it is a message from the country: Domestic violence will not be tolerated. We will come to the aid of Native American women and all women who are victims of this heinous crime. Amendment no. 13

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Robert Tellalian--an attorney, community advocate, and beloved family member and friend, who brought joy to many in Connecticut. He was a true community leader in a very timeless, enduring way--wisely guiding civic organizations, unstintingly contributing time and energy, and enthusiastically giving of his great spirit and good humor. After helping the Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut to incorporate in 1951, Mr. Tellalian served on its board for many years. He also connected with Goodwill's clients and staff personally on the frontlines in quite another way. Donning a red suit and beard for the annual Goodwill Christmas party, he shared his good energy and holiday spirit with those who needed it the most--the poor and suffering and the Bridgeport employees who had seen it all. He was given Goodwill's Leadership Award in 2011. And, as if he had planned it, he passed away this past year on Christmas Day at age 91. He earned a Soldier's Medal for Valor in World War II, fighting at the Battle of the Bulge in the Army's 10th Armored Division, but instead, chose to be remembered through seemingly minor but extremely meaningful gestures of kindness and personal connection. Mr. Tellalian was born in New Haven and raised in Bridgeport. After attending Yale University and the University of Connecticut School of Law, he along with his brother, Judge Aram H. Tellalian, Jr., founded the firm, Tellalian & Tellalian. The Tellalian's firm was a fixture in Bridgeport, and Robert practiced family and estate law for his entire career. The firm later moved to Trumbull, where Mr. Tellalian continued his involvement. This fact and many others demonstrate his uncommon dedication to tradition, intense loyalty for his community and the practice of law, and strong, authentic relationship with his brother and countless loved ones. Throughout his life, he was intensely involved in a number of charities and local organizations throughout Connecticut, especially in Bridgeport and Easton. In addition to the Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut, he was an active member of the Yale Club of Eastern Fairfield County, the Bridgeport Area Foundation, and the United Way. He also served as the secretary of the Easton Senior Center Board of Directors and the president of the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport. Aside from his tremendous contributions to charity and community, Mr. Tellalian would most like to be remembered, I believe, for his love of music. He had great pride for the Greater Bridgeport Symphony and the joy it added to Connecticut. He was a man who, in his role of chairman of the board, would greet patrons in the lobby of the concert hall for decades. One time, when interviewed by the Connecticut Post, he commented that the opportunity to guest-conduct the Symphony was ``the biggest thrill of [his] life.'' Additionally, he was an avid acapella singer, and treasured the memories he made with his barbershop quartet--the Eastonaires--with whom he performed throughout the State and country, even on the White House lawn during a Fourth of July picnic hosted by President and Nancy Reagan. And, for more than 50 years, he sang in the church choir--most recently for the United Congregational Church in Bridgeport--where he and his wife, Jean, who died this past November, were longtime congregants and celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Last month, the United Congregational Church hosted a musical memorial service for Mr. Tellalian. Almost 100 singers and instrumentalists gathered from around the region to volunteer their time in tribute to a man they loved. Robert Tellalian was generous of spirit and filled with compassion, dedicating much of his life to the happiness of others. He loved life, and lifted others up. Today, I invite my colleagues to honor the life of a man who will be deeply missed, but whose spirit of kinship will live on in all he touched.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.