Richard Blumenthal

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I rise in a tribute to Zev Wolfson, an extraordinary philanthropist and humanitarian whose great deeds are unknown to most people because he never sought to make them known. Throughout his remarkable career, Mr. Wolfson offered millions of people--of all ages all around the world--the opportunity to experience Jewish education and give back to their families, religion, and communities with dignity and pride. He dedicated his life to supporting and advocating for Jewish outreach projects, tirelessly devoted to the power and importance of faith for future generations. Throughout his life, Mr. Wolfson constantly aided communities wherever Jewish education was endangered. He began as an advocate for the Jewish nation. Walking the halls of Congress, he vigorously and expertly supported programs and institutions in Israel, such as schools and other educational centers--many helping Jewish refugees and their children who had escaped from Arab countries. Committed to providing assistance on a global scale, he focused on a particular project and, once it was sustainable and self-sufficient, moved to the next one. Mr. Wolfson donated millions of dollars to underprivileged areas of the United States and underserved areas of the world. He drew from the personal pain of exile to Siberia in wartime--where he carried his father's body to a place where he could have a proper Jewish funeral in the freezing tundra--and then served as a father figure to millions. He helped young people, students, and families to stay connected with the Jewish nation, in lands stretching from the former Soviet Union and Israel to France and the United States. As deliberately and tirelessly as he advanced his good deeds, he consistently avoided public recognition for them. He gave without any expectation of praise or acclaim, and his anonymity was purposeful and persistent. His diverse and numerous initiatives--birthright programs in colleges around the country, vocational and religious education activities around the globe, and many other programs--made Mr. Wolfson one of his generation's most influential leaders, but he remained virtually unknown. Now, I invite my colleagues to join me in according Mr. Wolfson this measure of recognition for the millions of people whose lives he touched and enhanced.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Douglas Hutton, recipient of the 2011 Milken Educator Award. He is the first teacher from Glastonbury High School to have ever received this prestigious award and the only educator from Connecticut to be awarded last year by the Milken Family Foundation. Since 1985, the Milken Family Foundation--under the leadership of education visionary Lowell Milken and his family--has given thousands of Milken Educator Awards to top innovators of elementary and secondary education across the country. Whether teachers, principals, or specialists, these honorees are an exclusive group of experts who contribute every day to the critical debate on how we can make our Nation's schools better spaces for learning, growth, and the sparking of lifelong interests. One of the Milken Family Foundation's initiatives--through the Lowell Milken Center--is distinguishing ``unsung heroes that have changed the course of history.'' And so with the Milken Educator Award, we acknowledge our Nation's dedicated educators who are not usually spotlighted but conscientiously work to help turn ideas, thoughts, and questions into interests, passions, and projects. Mr. Hutton has taught physics for 19 years, serving 17 of them at Glastonbury High School in Glastonbury, CT. He illuminates abstract concepts that are difficult to grasp, sharing his love of Stephen Hawkins, science, and math with his students. Through practical demonstrations, group projects, and experiments, he shows that problem- solving is challenging but rewarding. Mr. Hutton has said that teaching ``all comes down to seeing [the students'] eyes light up when they understand a new idea.'' Mr. Hutton did not apply for this award but was selected by a panel of education experts who, each year, seek out unsung teachers who demonstrate potential for and proven success in the classroom, engage in national discourse on academia, and convey an ``engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues, and the community.'' The Milken Family Foundation makes education a shared national agenda, connecting educators with other sectors of our society. The foundation's multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach brings business, government, and philanthropic leaders together in the quest for innovative, realistic, and well-tested teaching methodology. Through programs administered by the Milken Family Foundation's National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, NIET, such as the System for Teacher and Student Advancement and the NIET Best Practices Center, the Milken Educator Award regards our Nation's best early to mid-level teachers as policy figures who can contribute their practical knowledge on a national stage. The Milken Family Foundation and especially Douglas Hutton, now a member of the Milken community, deserve thanks for restoring faith in our educational system. I invite my Senate colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Hutton, who has contributed to the lives of our young people in lasting, significant ways.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I wish to honor a dedicated, inspiring--and one of our Nation's longest serving--emergency responders. Ross Ogden has quite literally given to the American Red Cross for his entire adult life. Beginning his service in 1960 as one of the youngest members of the Greenwich chapter of the American Red Cross, Mr. Ogden served since his high school days with his local chapter, now known as Metro New York North. Throughout his academic tenure at Swarthmore College and then the University of Virginia, Mr. Ogden has helped and rescued fellow Americans confronting crisis, loss, and pain. He has administered aid during our most devastating national disasters, traveling around the country to join his family of Red Cross volunteers, ready to help at a moment's notice. In the wake of Los Angeles' deadly earthquake in 1994, on 9/11, and during Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Ogden risked danger to help others without hesitation. He is now, most deservedly, the national chair for disaster services. While giving on a national scale, Mr. Ogden maintains his regional allegiance to the Connecticut area, currently a member of the board of directors for the Red Cross' blood services in the metro north region. He is passionate about maintaining a plentiful blood supply for Americans in critical need, working as a blood volunteer for Greenwich's emergency blood coverage team. Over the past years, Mr. Ogden has been formally recognized through two significant lifetime achievement awards, including the Clara Barton Award and the Harriman Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service, which is the most highly regarded, national recognition given by the Red Cross. Appropriately, Mr. Ogden received this high honor on the anniversary of his 50 years of service to the Red Cross. A mentor to young volunteers and passionate about inspiring citizens and communities to volunteer for the first time, he is unwaveringly committed to the future of the American Red Cross. Mr. Ogden is a role model for all who give back. I welcome my colleagues in the Senate to join me in commending Mr. Ross Ogden for his tremendous personal service.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize United Way of Connecticut as they celebrate their 125th anniversary and over a century of mobilizing local communities to achieve positive change. Founded in 1887 by community leaders in Denver, CO, United Way Worldwide is now the world's largest privately supported nonprofit organization. This invaluable national network--rooted in our country's history but ever-attuned to the present--brings together a diverse collection of community stakeholders for a common purpose. Schools, government agencies, businesses, labor groups, the faith community, and many others have combined to promote academic achievement, financial stability, and healthy living. Connecticut is lucky to have 15 local United Way chapters serving communities all across the State. Remarkably, United Way of Connecticut has enhanced the quality of life for countless citizens. Almost everyone benefits from programs supported by United Way. Almost every community has critical organizations whose good work is supported by United Way. Connecticut's United Way pioneered use of an informational database for citizens. While many States and major cities have developed an information hotline in the last few years, United Way of Connecticut had already created its ``2-1-1'' system in 1976. Connecticut's system quickly gained national recognition for its efficiency and effectiveness, and by the middle of the 1980s, it had become a model emulated by the rest of the country. In 2012 alone, this hotline was used over 550,000 times by constituents of all ages to find assistance on topics ranging from health and early childcare to crisis intervention and disaster response. This information is offered in a streamlined and user-friendly manner, and in this way, United Way and United Way of Connecticut help constituents help themselves. These excellent communication methods and this attention to accessibility at State and local levels have enabled the incredible influence of United Way throughout the Nation and world. Sensitive to the rise of unemployment, United Way of Connecticut has also developed crucial resources that help constituents get back to work. After losing a job, many are unaware of the Federal, State, and local resources at their disposal. Thankfully, local United Way chapters can offer support, such as assistance with unemployment compensation, job training services, foreclosure prevention aid, and utility assistance programs. Every day, these United Way chapters are helping Connecticut citizens get back on their feet. Additionally, despite challenging economic times and thanks to a robust partnership with local labor organizations, United Way has made significant contributions to alleviating hunger. Annually, on the second Saturday in May, the National Association of Letter Carriers and United Way of Connecticut team up with the Connecticut Food Bank for the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. In 2012, this invaluable initiative, which has become the world's largest 1-day food drive, collected over 70 million pounds of nonperishable food items. When a citizen is struggling to comprehend a complex health insurance program, searching for answers about their child's development, or simply looking for a helping hand, they know that they can count on their local United Way. The Connecticut chapters have done extraordinary work in educating citizens, making accessible important community resources, and serving as a constant source of hope. I applaud the wonderful work of United Way in local communities over the last 125 years and look forward to supporting and celebrating their accomplishments in the years ahead.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, I rise to protest an action by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that punished my State of Connecticut and four other States for effectively protecting our citizens against unfair and abusive mortgage foreclosure practices. I want to say right at the outset I am determined to fight this action along with my colleagues during the comment period that we have, to contest this very unwise, misguided, unacceptable decision. These agencies have just posted for 60-day comment a decision to increase Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's guarantee fee for Connecticut and four other States--New Jersey, New York, Illinois, and Florida. Why? Because of the protections we have in place now against those abusive banking tactics that have so pervaded the mortgage foreclosure process and increased the length of time that it sometimes takes for foreclosure. And we have a mediation process that keeps people in their homes and enables settlements that actually save money. That is Connecticut's crime. That is the reason Connecticut and four other States and our homeowners will pay more in those guarantee fees. Those fees, by the way, are imposed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in exchange for assuming the risk that a loan will default. These entities guarantee investors in mortgages and mortgage-backed securities, making it less expensive and easier for home purchasers to obtain financing. The cost of the guaranteed fund is generally passed along to the borrower so homeowners will pay these increased fees. They will bear this burden, and it will be a burden not only on those homeowners, but eventually on the housing market, which is in all too slow and fragile a recovery. Also, our economy depends so vitally on the housing market. I am proud of Connecticut. I am proud of every State like Connecticut that protects its homeowners from robo-signing or fraudulent affidavits. We believe in justice and due process. We believe in giving homeowners an opportunity to mediate with the banks because so often the banks fail to come to the table. In effect, they give homeowners the runaround. They often fail to even give them a person with whom to negotiate in good faith, and mediation forces them to come to the table. In 80 percent of the cases where there is mediation, homeowners stay in their homes. That saves money for other homeowners in the neighborhood because their property values are maintained. It saves money for the homeowner who doesn't have to find a place to live and maybe even buy another house, and it saves money for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In fact, every time they avoid foreclosure, they save on average at least $11,000. That is the kind of savings they ought to relish, not reject. The foreclosure process around the country has rightly raised fears of abuses that Connecticut has sought to prevent. This kind of protection ought to be rewarded, not rejected. The additional time it has taken for foreclosure because of these protections is a cost well worth the larger savings that are eventually realized. That is the reason I have determined that I will fight this new proposed guarantee fee, which increases significantly and substantially by 30 basis points for every homeowner who takes advantage of a Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae loan. From the moment families take out a loan, they are faced with fees and charges that we ought to seek to minimize so we can expand and enlarge and continue the recovery in our housing market while preventing unnecessary and illegal foreclosures. I am determined to fight this fee. I will enlist help from other colleagues who have already indicated their opposition, and I believe that together we will succeed in persuading Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that this increase in fee is misguided, unwise, and unacceptable. I also want to speak separately and distinctly about the DREAM Act. DREAM Act Last week I came to the floor to talk about the importance of the DREAM Act and to share the story of a Connecticut DREAMer. I am here again with the story of a different DREAMer. This is another young person from Connecticut. Again, I urge my colleagues to take action on this critically important bill. Young people who are known as DREAMers are undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country at an early age. Some were infants. Through no fault of their own, the consequence is they are here without proper documentation. America is their home. They often know no other language. All of their life they have been here. They have no memories of the country of their origin, where they were born. Our unfair and impractical immigration system fails to give them a path to citizenship and to stay in this country, the country they know and love. The DREAM Act would give these young immigrants a chance to earn their citizenship through education or military service. By earning their citizenship they can begin to give back to this country. In fact, they are individuals who will continue to contribute to this country and give back to it. Again, I wish to recognize the distinguished leadership of my colleague Senator Durbin, who has been fighting tirelessly for the passage of the DREAM Act for over 10 years. At the State level I have fought for similar measures that would give rights, particularly in the area of education and tuition aid, to these DREAMers. We have succeeded in Connecticut in giving them the benefit of in-state tuition. The immigrants who would benefit from the DREAM Act have already been helped by an order from the President that defers their deportation for 2 years. Although it defers their deportation, it does not permanently grant them any rights. In fact, if there is a change in administration, that order could be easily reversed. So the benefit is temporary and the need is for a more certain, stable, and secure solution so they can come out of the shadows, avoid being marginalized by our outdated immigration laws, gain the kind of scholarship aid they need, seek to serve our country on a more permanent basis, and benefit, but also discharge the obligations of citizenship in this country. I want to talk today about Yusmerith Caguao. Yusmerith Caguao is a college student who grew up in Norwalk, CT. She was born in Venezuela. She came to this country when she was 11 years old. She was told by her mom that the reason for coming here was to learn English, and the idea of learning a new language in a new country was immensely exciting to her. Her family settled in Norwalk, and she began middle school a week or two after arriving in America. She remembers those early days of her life, but she also remembers the excitement and struggle. Arriving without any knowledge of English, she mastered this language. Her grades improved over time and she kept in mind why her parents had brought her to America. She was dedicated to that day when she would be successful, when she would have visions realized and dreams achieved that she could not accomplish in Venezuela. She graduated from middle school with excellent grades. She was proud of what she had accomplished and learned, and soon after completing middle school, to her dismay, she became aware of her legal status in this country. Learning that she was undocumented affected her performance and her state of mind. By the time Yusmerith Caguao was in high school, she stopped trying to get perfect grades because she feared that colleges would not accept her anyway. At this point Yusmerith says she became depressed and felt hopeless. She graduated high school. She had almost given up the idea of attending college, but she didn't lose hope. After she graduated from high school, she decided to continue her education in Norwalk Community College, a wonderful institution. I attended their graduation this year. It is a place that does wonders and provides immense opportunities for people regardless of their race or background or documentation and citizenship. It did wonders for Yusmerith. She worked at a lot of different jobs to pay for her education, from waitressing in restaurants to working at a pet store and babysitting. She continues to work to pay for her education. Now having graduated from Norwalk Community College, Yusmerith went on to attend Western Connecticut State University. This picture is of her graduation, but we are hopeful she will have another graduation. She is currently pursuing a double major in accounting and finance at Western State University and expects to graduate in 2014. She hopes to be an accountant. She hopes to have a career where she can put her skills to work. She hopes to give back to this country. That hope deserves recognition and realization, and that is why I stand here asking this body to give Yusmerith and thousands of other young people in Connecticut, the DREAMers, that opportunity to have a secure and permanent status, a path to citizenship that they will earn through education or military service. I am hopeful my colleagues, even in a time of tremendous partisanship, will see the importance of what Yusmerith and the DREAMers can do not only for themselves but what they can give to our Nation and us. With her skills, talent, and dedication, this Nation will be even greater. We are the greatest Nation in the history of the world, but even greater with the contributions of young people such as Yusmerith. I yield the floor.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I proudly celebrate two of Connecticut's most outstanding teachers, who have been recognized as Connecticut Teachers of the Year. Kristen Record, physics teacher at Frank Scott Bunnell High School in Stratford, was awarded in 2011, and David Bosso, social studies teacher at Berlin High School, was honored in 2012. Since 1952, the Connecticut Teacher of the Year program has highlighted educators who make significant impacts in Connecticut classrooms and schools. Sponsored yearly by the Connecticut State Department of Education, one teacher in each local district is nominated. These district educators of the year have the opportunity to exchange advice and strategies and partake in advisory committees, workshops, conferences, and forums, serving as changemakers for public education on a national level. A teacher from each State is selected yearly from this pool and considered for the title of National Teacher of the Year. I applaud Ms. Record and Mr. Bosso for earning this very well deserved distinction. This yearly award highlights the vital importance of teachers in our States who can show our future leaders how to embrace accountability, self-assessment, and motivation for years to come. They demonstrate that the quest to learn does not end at school, inspire exceptional teaching, and encourage all members of a community to become involved as teachers, mentors, and coaches. Kristen Record has been central to the Bunnell High School community for 12 years as a physics teacher, mentor to colleagues, and adviser on education policy. Community participation and lifelong learning are key principles of her successful teaching methodology. In addition to her daily responsibilities, Ms. Record is able to take a larger view of her classroom, developing updated curriculum and achievement assessments while ensuring that every student is learning effectively. She has worked with her school district and throughout the State to improve the physics curriculum, institute electronic grading methods, create digital databases, and develop more effective ways of evaluating teachers and forming professional standards. Additionally, she has volunteered as senior class adviser, supported fellow teachers as a TEAM mentor, and volunteered on the Stratford Education Association's executive board. Ms. Record is regarded as a leader throughout the State in roles to include science education consultant for the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and the Connecticut Science Center and high school director for the Connecticut Science Teachers' Association, demonstrating that opportunities to bring about positive change as a teacher are vast and exciting. Last year, she was appointed by the Connecticut Commissioner of Education to the Legislative Task Force for Secondary School Reform. And, recognized nationally in 2009 with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, she serves as a model of engaged teaching around the country. Growing up in a family of teachers, Ms. Record has continued her legacy, sharing this wisdom and experience with our future leaders. David Bosso earned degrees from Eastern Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford, and has given back to the State as a social studies teacher at Berlin High School since 1998. Beloved by students, he has inspired proficiency in communication skills, analysis, and reading comprehension by comparing current events with historical patterns. Mr. Bosso has also advised student government and coached basketball. He is a national leader for social studies, serving on the board of directors of the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies, as cochair of the Northeast Regional Conference on the Social Studies in 2012, and a participant of this year's National Council for the Social Studies' annual national conference. He has been published in Connecticut History and is currently working towards a doctorate in education. When named 2011 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, Ms. Record eloquently described her role and the important job of educators around the world, recognizing that ``tonight, we celebrate the fact that, as a teacher, you never truly know where your influence will end.'' Mr. Bosso similarly proclaimed the significant, multifaceted role of teachers, while speaking at the Connecticut Education Association's Representative Assembly this year, urging fellow teachers to ``never, never, again use the phrase, `I am just a teacher.' '' I invite my colleagues to join me in acknowledging Ms. Record and Mr. Bosso, and ask for their continued support of our concerned, courageous teachers.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

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

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, like many of my colleagues, I am very proud to support the Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012. Very simply, this measure keeps faith with our veterans, offers them employment opportunities commensurate not only with what they have given to the country, what they have served and sacrificed to accomplish and give back, but also with their skills and talents and gifts that have been enhanced and enlarged by their military service. This measure addresses the chronic and persistent problem of unemployment among our young veterans. It is a searing indictment of our Nation that unemployment among these young veterans is many percentage points higher than the average population. What is happening in this country is that a new generation is returning home--a new generation of veterans ready to work, wanting to serve in civilian life just as they had in the military. With the ending of the war in Iraq and the winding down of our presence in Afghanistan, 200,000 servicemembers are transitioning to the civilian workforce every year. In July 2011 there were 232,000 post-9/11 era veterans unemployed. That is 12.4 percent as an unemployment rate. The August jobs report of this year shows that the most recent unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans is 10.9 percent, and for Connecticut it is just under 10 percent. There are many more statistics that show unemployment rates for these young veterans--particularly for our enlisted men and women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan--are higher, some would estimate double the average rate across the population. They are an indictment of our commitment and our obligation unfulfilled so far by the greatest Nation in the history of the world. Too often in our history we have failed to keep faith, and we have left veterans behind. I have advocated measures in health care, counseling, training, and employment opportunities. But I want to focus on one measure in particular where all of us joined forces and reached a consensus as recently as last November. The Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012 is a new measure that would provide opportunities in conservation and in other kinds of public service, firefighting, and police. But there is an existing measure whose very life is threatened because it will expire in 2012. This measure is the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, specifically the tax credits under those measures for hiring unemployed or disabled veterans. Those tax credits will expire at the end of this year unless they are renewed. That is the reason I am introducing legislation, along with cosponsors Senators Webb, Cantwell, Tom Udall, Heller, and Mikulski, that extends the VOW to Hire Heroes Act tax credit through the end of 2016. This measure is important to be extended because it offers these veterans new opportunities, and promotes and incentivizes employers to put our veterans to work. Hiring a veteran is not only the right thing to do to honor the men and women who have sacrificed, the men and women of our country, it also makes good business sense. Veterans are among our most highly skilled, capable, disciplined, reliable, and dedicated workers. Businesses ought to relish their services. Countless businesses big and small have already found that veterans are a tremendous asset to their workforce. This bill is important to build on the measures we have in place. Simply, it makes these veterans even more attractive. Last month I visited the Arna Machine Company in Bristol, CT, and I talked with a young veteran whose name is Nick Saucier, a former Army sniper who served in Afghanistan and now works there as a machinist. Being a former Army sniper, Nick knows about precision and care, taking your time to be on target. He is now training to use computer-assisted manufacturing software with the same care and precision and discipline that he developed in his Army training as a sniper. While I was at Arna, I talked to Stephen Shanahan, the president of the company, who is very proud and rightly proud of having 42 employees and growing in this tough economy. He is hiring and he said to me these tax credits have helped him fill positions with young qualified personnel who are veterans. I have also worked with Congressman Chris Murphy to survey manufacturers about veteran hiring. This legislation is the result of those conversations and discussions, the data and the feedback we received, as well as consultation with my friend Bud Bucha, who has helped me time and again address the challenges facing veterans. These tax credits will expire, they will end unless we renew them. We owe it to our veterans, to our business community, to manufacturers and small businesses that want to do the right thing, to make sure they have this incentive. I have heard from employers and veterans firsthand that many of them were not aware of this tax credit, so I have proposed as part of this legislation increased measures to create awareness and spread the word about these tax incentives so that big companies with their tax attorneys, but also smaller companies that may not have the consultants and the accountants to do this kind of work, know of it and take advantage of it. This measure also simplifies the process for veterans and small businesses to take advantage of the tax incentives. Currently, to be a ``qualified veteran,'' individuals must gain approval through a local employment agency, which can be unnecessarily time consuming and burdensome to them and to the potential employer. This bill offered today would modify the Work Opportunity Tax Credit process to allow individuals to be considered qualified veterans for tax purposes if they simply provide a DD 214, have an honorable discharge, and valid proof of unemployment. This bill would also extend the amount of time employers have to take advantage of tax credits for hiring unemployed or disabled veterans, enhancing its use to countless small businesses as well as veterans. It would allow employers to take advantage of these tax credits for an additional 4 years, providing returning service men and women with a clear path to employment when they need it, and they will need it over these 4 years. I am very honored that this bill has been endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, which have been championing employment opportunities for veterans. I urge my colleagues to continue their support for veterans by supporting this legislation which will create more good jobs. We owe our veterans more good jobs. And it will grow our economy. Let me say, finally, nearly three-quarters of a million veterans--to be more precise, 742,000 men and women--are eligible for the employer hiring tax credits. Let's do the right thing. Let's extend these tax credits. We adopted them overwhelmingly last November in the VOW to Hire Heroes Act. We have it in our power and it is our obligation to meet this challenge. For our veterans we should do no less. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, like many of my colleagues, before I begin my remarks on the subject that brings me to the floor today, which is the DREAM Act, I wish to take a moment to reflect on the brutal, unconscionable attacks that occurred on our diplomatic posts in Libya and Egypt. Like many of my colleagues, I am outraged and saddened by the brutal murder of four courageous Americans in a cowardly, unconscionable attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Their families are in the thoughts and prayers of my family as they are for many others of my colleagues. These great diplomats were patriots and professionals, putting their lives on the line to advance American ideals and interests. Their vital work is done daily by countless Americans, diplomats abroad who serve in every corner of the world. In my own visit to Libya last year with a number of my colleagues, including Senator McCain and Senator Graham, I saw the vital work and the accomplishments of such brave Americans on the ground as well as the great peril and severe danger they constantly face. I also saw their sense of satisfaction and patriotism in the work they are doing. I add my voice to that of my colleagues asking for more support for security, enhanced safeguards, and protection for our diplomats in these kinds of situations. They go about their work with understated perseverance and determination as well as constant courage in the face of often chaotic and unpredictable dangers. The cowardly attacks on these patriots should not deter the people of Libya from moving forward. Neither should it deter us from working together with others abroad who have a common interest in tolerance, freedom of speech, and democracy. I commend President Obama and Secretary Clinton for their immediate response to this situation, their words of encouragement. I wish Godspeed to the Marine Corps Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team en route to Libya. The diplomats who were killed in this tragic and brutal action embodied American values and the highest traditions, not only of the professionals among our career diplomats, but all who serve and sacrifice for this country in uniform in very similar situations of danger--the marines who guard our embassies as well as the other marines and troops who are fighting on foreign soil to uphold our freedoms. The DREAM Act Those American values in some sense bring me also to the floor today to talk about the DREAM Act and about a young generation of people in our communities across America and across the country who would benefit from this important legislation. Our immigration system right now is broken and is in dire need of comprehensive reform. Any comprehensive immigration reform legislation must include the DREAM Act. I believe the DREAM Act is worthy of adoption without that comprehensive overarching reform because these young Americans in our communities deserve the opportunity to earn their citizenship by contributing to our Nation. That is exactly the opportunity the DREAM Act seeks to afford them. Over this last recess I was pleased to talk to many of those DREAMers. I was particularly proud to talk to them about the work a number of us are doing here, to try to achieve and make possible this legislation that would enable and empower them to contribute further. I am grateful to Senator Durbin and others who have championed this measure at the Federal level, much as I have done in the State of Connecticut as attorney general. I was also proud to talk about the Department of Homeland Security's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. This policy took effect on August 15 when DHS started to accept applications for deferred action. Under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DREAMers will have a temporary reprieve--and I emphasize temporary reprieve--from deportation. This policy step is a good one. It is in the right direction. But it affords only a temporary reprieve. The DREAM Act would afford a permanent path to individuals who qualify: individuals who have entered the United States before the age of 16; they have been brought here by parents who may be undocumented-- but young children, many of them much younger than 16, most of them in fact younger than 5 or 6 years old and who have been present in the United States for at least 5 consecutive years prior to enactment of the bill; are here through no fault or action of their own but who want to be here permanently and contribute and give back. They must have graduated from a U.S. high school or have obtained a GED or have been accepted into an institution of higher education. They must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of application and be of good moral character. These requirements establish a path for people who want to contribute, have come here through no fault of their own, know the United States as the only country where they have ever lived. They usually speak no other language. Their life and their friends and their future are here. I want to talk, as I hope to do literally every week that I am able, about an individual who embodies the DREAM Act. Her name is Zuly Molina. Her full name, actually, is Zuleyma Molina, but she goes by ``Zuly.'' She is a proud member of our Connecticut community, one of 11,000 to 20,000 young people living in Connecticut who would benefit from the DREAM Act. Zuly is here with us today through her picture. I want to talk about her life, which has been full of hardships and challenges, but also her future. She was born in Mexico and brought to America when she was 6 years old. Her family settled in Connecticut--in fact, in New Britain. She had to learn English, which was not easy for her. In fact, she was taunted and bullied because of her lack of language skills. But she was up to the challenge. She learned English. She speaks it absolutely fluently. She decided to go to the library and translate books on her own so that she would have a command of English. She went through the New Britain public schools and graduated from New Britain High School in 2008, but at that point there were additional challenges. Zuly wanted to stay in Connecticut and perhaps attend 2 years of community college before going to a 4-year institution. But she was not eligible at that point for in-State tuition and the option of staying in Connecticut was simply too expensive. What did she do? Endlessly resourceful and determined, she decided to commute every day to Bay Path College in Massachusetts. There she worked in many leadership positions outside the classroom. She was president of Rotaract, which is Rotary's youth service club for young people. She was vice president of the Bay Path Christian Fellowship. She was cocaptain of the cross-country team. And she graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology, becoming the first college graduate in her family. She felt discouraged even after graduation because she knew she could not apply for many jobs that require documentation. She decided to pursue further education, a master's degree from Bay Path College in occupational therapy. She understands now life will not be easy, but her goals of working for a hospital's feeding program and pursuing an MD are realistic. She hopes she can pursue that profession so she can work for nonprofits that help families with low income--not altogether different from the one where she grew up. It has taken many years for Zuly to accept and thank her mother for sending her to America. She would be upset--more than upset--if the land of her life, the land that she loves--America--refuses to give her the opportunity to stay here. She has that opportunity temporarily with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program. It is an administrative program. It could be ended with a new administration. It could be ended by any administration virtually overnight. She has applied for deferred action and she is undergoing the process, but she deserves more than a temporary reprieve. That is why I stand here urging my colleagues to enable Zuly to come out of the shadows, to seek a career that will enable her to contribute mightily and monumentally to all of us as a doctor, and to raise a family of her own here, as a proud United States citizen. To these young people who identify as Americans and who were brought to this Nation at young ages as children or infants and who are here through no fault of their own, I urge my colleagues to offer one of the greatest gifts, one of the greatest privileges one can have, which is United States citizenship, so that we can say to the DREAMers on some day soon, ``my fellow American.'' Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

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

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I hope that many of my colleagues, in returning to their home States for the August recess, may have an opportunity to attend a citizenship ceremony. I do so regularly when I go home. During the July 4th break, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend several. These ceremonies can occur in courthouses or in townhalls. They swear the oath and are newly made citizens. They are accompanied by families and friends. It is a uniquely joyous and proud day in their lives. Many have waited years to become U.S. citizens, and they do so not only willingly but joyfully. There are tears in many of their eyes, and there are tears in my eyes as well because it recalls to me the day many years ago, decades ago, when I first attended such a ceremony, which in turn recalls for me the stories of my own relatives who came to this country from other shores. So did many of the parents or grandparents--forebears of we who serve in this body. The meaning of citizenship of the United States and the value of those rights that come with citizenship are often forgotten or unappreciated by many of us who were born in this country. We sometimes, unfortunately, take them for granted. But there is a tremendous value placed on those rights and liberties by people who come to the United States. Today I wish to talk about people who come to the United States or more precisely are brought to the United States as young people, as infants or children, many under 4 or 5 years old, and this country becomes the only one they have known. The history of this country is their history. They may not even know the language of the country from which they came. The language of this country is the only one they know, and they have no memories or scant recollections of the countries where they were born. These young people are here, and they were brought here perhaps by parents who came illegally, but they are here through no fault of their own. Many of them have achieved remarkably and have contributed extraordinarily. Their promise of future achievement is staggering, extraordinarily impressive in its potential contribution to the lives of their communities--to teaching, to giving back to their communities--their contributions in terms of scientific or literary accomplishments. One such young person is Muller Gomes. I am going to tell his story today much as Senator Durbin has told other stories on the floor of this Chamber in his steadfast and energetic advocacy of a measure called the DREAM Act. I want to follow him in engaging this Chamber in this effort. I thank distinguished colleagues, such as Senator Durbin, who have been tireless advocates for the passage of the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act, called by its full name, ``Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors,'' should be a top priority for this Congress. States such as Connecticut have passed their versions of it, but a national and uniform effort is essential. Much as we hope and I support that we will have comprehensive immigration law reform, I also believe the DREAM Act is an idea whose time has more than come. We should be adopting it as soon as possible in this Chamber to provide the kind of certainty and promise that is so important to young people like Muller Gomes. Muller Gomes was brought to this country from Brazil when he was 5 years old. He came with a tourist visa in 1995. The tourist visa expired a year later, in 1996, so he has been here without proper documentation since then. He has been through the Bridgeport public schools, Central High School in Bridgeport, and then he went to Fairfield University. This is this young man at his graduation from Fairfield University-- his graduation summa cum laude. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Mu Epsilon and Sigma Xi. He won the American Chemical Society Outstanding Senior Chemistry Major Award, and he has been accepted at the University of California at Berkeley's physical chemistry Ph.D. program. All that he lacked was a student visa to pursue his studies at UC Berkeley. He lacks a student visa, and if he returns to Brazil to seek one, he will be denied it because he has been undocumented in this country. If there were ever a catch-22, Muller Gomes is its poster child under our current immigration law. Under current law, that student visa will be denied him. Fortunately, on June 15, 2012, the Obama administration made a very strong statement of support for young men and women like Muller Gomes. They issued a regulation or a directive that will permit him to remain in this country. That directive is lacking in a number of respects compared to the DREAM Act. It will be temporary--only for a couple of years. It is not a path to citizenship, as the DREAM Act would provide. It does not make him eligible for the kind of financial aid he would need. Most importantly, it requires him to go through the stress and uncertainty of applying again for deferred action. It is only a deferral of deportation. So the DREAM Act remains a vitally important measure for literally thousands of young people--between 11,000 and 20,000 young people living in Connecticut who would benefit from the DREAM Act and 2 million young people nationwide. Under the DREAM Act, they would comply with rigorous standards and requirements--lack of criminal record, criminal history, and they would in effect be provided this pathway to citizenship because of their promise and their potential for contributing to this country--in Muller Gomes' case, the potential for contributing to this country as a scientist who would make new discoveries, perhaps breakthrough discoveries that would benefit the entire country. We laud young people like him who are motivated and smart and dedicated to this country. I am committed to comprehensive immigration reform achieved through bipartisan congressional action. That ought to be one of our immediate goals so that young people like Muller Gomes, brought to this country as children through no fault of their own, will have the opportunity to contribute to this Nation and be part of their communities, as the DREAM Act would provide and as comprehensive immigration reform would also achieve. But in the meantime, let's pass the DREAM Act so these dreamers, such as Muller Gomes, will have the basic guarantees and certainty that they can remain in this country and that the promise of the greatest Nation in the history of the world will be truly theirs and irrevocable. This country will be theirs regardless of religion, race, gender, or any of the arbitrary labels we say consistently and constantly should have no place in our judgments about human beings. Our Nation will be better because Muller Gomes will be with us and our Nation would be better still if the millions like him have the security and certainty of a path toward citizenship--a path that will benefit them and benefit the greatest Nation in the history of the world. I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Gaetano ``Tom'' Mazzarella, an admired Connecticut constituent and Norwich resident, military hero, and beloved member of our veterans community. I had the privilege and honor of knowing Tom, who truly was extraordinary in dedication to country, drive to service, and passionate loyalty to his fellow veterans. He was rich in personality and so warm and generous to me that I feel the loss almost as a family member. The Nation will be forever indebted to Tom for his military service as a U.S. Marine and a member of the Connecticut Army National Guard. For extraordinary bravery and sacrifice in the Pacific Theater during World War II, he was decorated with the Silver Star and Purple Heart. He also served courageously in the Korean war. But these honors reflected only part of the significance of his service. The city of Norwich will never forget Tom's good-spirited dedication to community, gracious sense of humor, and engaging smile. He worked part-time at both the Norwich Ice Rink and the Norwich Golf Course. He also gave years of devoted, hard work to Electric Boat. Throughout his lifetime, his service to his country never ebbed or ended. Dressed in his Marine Corps dress blues, he inspired current military members, veterans, and citizens of Connecticut as a representative of ``the greatest generation.'' He and his brothers would visit local groups, telling stories and sharing memories that displayed their genuine pride of their military service for a country that they loved deeply. He was an eloquent, moving speaker, who instilled national loyalty, civic duty, and the importance of public service at many parades, military ceremonies, and veterans organizations with memories of American bravery and sacrifice. Through my moving conversations with Tom--most recently at the ribbon cutting for Jewett City, Connecticut's housing for homeless veterans--I came to know why he was a hero to so many. He inspired all to aspire to a life of valor and patriotism and to understand the true importance of working for the greater good. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Tom--a national hero and a hero for all who adored and knew him in daily life. He will live on through the love of country, strength, friendship, and comradeship that he instilled, and continues to instill to this day on the floor of the Senate.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I am honored and grateful to follow that very enlightening and energetic exchange between two of the most able and respected Members of this body on a range of issues. One of them I want to address now, and I want to particularly thank the Presiding Officer for his contribution, my distinguished friend from Minnesota, who has really addressed so instructively some of the privacy concerns in various proposals in an amendment I have joined. I think his work on that issue is really reflective of the approach that has been brought to this issue of cyber security--an issue that this entire body, in my view, has a historic opportunity and also a historic obligation to address this week, deal with it now authoritatively and effectively and in a way that the Nation expects us to do it. I thank not only the Presiding Officer but a bipartisan group of colleagues, beginning with Senators Lieberman, Collins, Rockefeller, Feinstein, and Carper, who deserve our appreciation for drafting this bill and bringing it to the floor, and a number of other colleagues, including, along with the Presiding Officer, Senators Whitehouse, Mikulski, Coons, Coats, Blunt, Akaka, and Kyl. I mention this number because I think it is an important fact about the process that has brought us to this point. It really reflects the kind of collegial approach that is so important to this legislation. This legislation has undergone very significant and substantial revisions to reflect suggestions made by myself and our colleagues, and this bill will give the government and private sector an opportunity to collaborate and share information so that they can confront the ongoing, present, urgent cyber threat directly and immediately. This bill is not a top-down approach; it is voluntary in its direction to the private sector. What it says to critical industries-- industries that are critical to our infrastructure--is that you determine what the best practices are, you tell us what the standards should be, and then those standards will be shared throughout the industry and overseen by a council that the Departments of Commerce and Justice and Defense and Homeland Security will be involved in implementing. And if companies comply with those standards--voluntary standards--they receive benefits that will enlist them in the program, benefits that will form incentives in the form of limited immunity in the event of an attack. If companies decline to comply, if they are not provided with sufficient incentives, in their judgment, there is no compulsion, no legal mandate that they need to do so. To use an often overused imagery, what we are talking about here is a carrot, not a stick, in solving one of the most pressing and threatening challenges our country faces today. It is the challenge of this moment, the challenge of our time. I have been in briefings, as has been the Presiding Officer and other Members of this body, with members of the intelligence community and others who have, in stark and staggering terms, presented to us the potential consequences of failing to act. Just last week, GEN Keith Alexander, the chief of the U.S. Cyber Command and the Director of the National Security Agency, said that intrusions on our essential infrastructure have increased 17-fold between 2009 and 2011 and that it is only a matter of time before physical damage will result. He has said that the loss of industrial information and intellectual property--putting aside the physical threat and taking only the economic damage--is ``the greatest transfer of wealth in history.'' We are permitting with impunity the greatest transfer of wealth in history from the United States of America to adversaries abroad, companies based overseas, at a time when every Member of this body says our priority should be jobs and protecting the economy of this country. It is an economic issue, not just a national security issue. In fact, cyber security is national security. The United States is literally under attack every day. General Alexander described 200 attacks on critical infrastructure within the past year. He alluded to them without describing them in detail. And on a scale of 1 to 10, he said our preparedness for a large-scale cyber attack--shutting down the stock exchange or a blackout on the scale comparable to the one in India within the past few days--is around a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. That situation is unacceptable. We are, in a certain way, in a period of time now that is comparable to 1993, after the first World Trade Center bombing. Remember, in 1993 the World Trade Center--1,336 pounds of explosives were placed in a critical area of the World Trade Center, killing 6 people, injuring 1,000, fortunately, at that point, failing to bring down the building, which was the objective. That first bombing was a warning as well as a tragedy. America, even more tragically, disregarded that warning in failing to act. We are in that period now, comparable to 1993 and before 9/11, when the country could have acted and neglected to do so. We cannot repeat that failure now. We cannot disregard the day-to-day attacks, the serious intrusions that are stealing our wealth and endangering our security, our critical grid, transportation, water treatment, electricity, and financial system. The scale of damage that could be done is horrific, comparable to what 9/11 did. We have an obligation to act before that kind of damage is faced in reality by the country. We have been adequately and eloquently warned on the floor of this body, in private briefings available to Members of this body, and in the public press, to some extent. One of the frustrations I think many of us feel is that we cannot share some of the classified briefings we have received which would depict in even more graphic and dramatic terms what this Nation faces. Some of these attacks are launched by foreign countries that seek to do us harm. Some are launched by domestic criminals who simply want to steal money. Some are sophisticated and some are very crude. Former Deputy Secretary William Lynch has detailed just one attack in which a foreign computer hacker--or group of them--stole 24,000 U.S. military files in March of 2011. As others have noted on the floor as recently as a few minutes ago, in late 2011 the computers of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce were completely compromised for more than a year by hackers. Yet today the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has essentially opposed the voluntary standards-based plan to help secure our Nation against attack. In fact, how extraordinary it is that certain parts of this bill have actually combined a consensus among the business community, the privacy advocates, as well as public officials, the National Security Agency. That consensus on privacy, again, reflects a profound and extraordinary feature of this bill, which is that we are coming together as a nation to face a common problem in a way that is demanded by the times and threats we face. Shawn Henry, the Executive Assistant Director of the FBI, has said that ``the cyber threat is an existential one, meaning that a major cyber attack could potentially wipe out whole companies.'' That is the reason the business community has been involved and should support these proposals. These attacks are not only ongoing, they have been occurring for years. These criminals are infiltrating our communications, accessing our secrets, and sapping our economic health through thefts of intellectual property. Finally, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, as has been frequently quoted, said: The next Pearl Harbor we confront could very well be a cyber attack that cripples our power system, our grid, our security systems, our financial systems, our government systems. The panoply of harm is staggering, and we cannot wait for that harm to be a reality to this country. The consequences comparable to 9/11 are tragic to contemplate. FBI Director Mueller has said the cyber threat, which cuts across all programs, will be the No. 1 threat to our country. FBI Director Mueller speaks the truth. We must make sure our government has the tools and authority they have asked for. The NSA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, our business community and privacy advocates are all united in feeling this threat must be confronted. We have the opportunity but we also have a historic obligation to make sure we move this bill and that it moves forward so we do not squander this opportunity. I thank the Presiding Officer and I yield the floor.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, I am honored to follow the Senator from Vermont, who has been such an extraordinary leader in this area, and look forward to yielding shortly to the Senator from Washington, who has championed this bill and helped us all see the urgency of approving it. In the minutes that I will be talking, and they will be brief minutes, every minute, two to three women will become victims of domestic abuse. Every minute that I am standing here, every minute that we occupy with debate and delay on this measure, two to three people in the United States, the greatest country in the history of the world, will become victims of domestic violence. We cannot afford to wait. That is why I urge that my colleagues advance this critical piece of legislation and urge the House of Representatives to agree to the Senate version of this bill so we can make this bill more inclusive to include Native Americans and immigrants and others who would not be covered by the House version. We find ourselves at a crossroads. We can either strengthen VAWA or we can retreat and go back. I say let's go forward with the philosophy that the Senator from Vermont has articulated so well as a prosecutor, not to mention knowing how our police work. We do not ask whether someone is an immigrant, what their sexual preference is, whether they are Native American. We protect them if they are victims of domestic abuse and violence. That should be our philosophy in the greatest country in the history of the world. There are two protections for battered immigrant women in VAWA that are particularly important. The first allows immigrant women married to an abusive U.S. citizen to apply for legal status independent of that spouse. The second, which is the U visa, provides temporary status to victims who cooperate with law enforcement to prosecute their abuser. The reauthorization of VAWA is currently stalled principally because of the U Visa provisions in the Senate bill, S. 1925. Let me illustrate the importance of this provision with one story. A woman who came to Connecticut from Guatemala fled her native country to escape her abuser and arrived in Connecticut in 2005. Her abuser followed her to Connecticut, where he continued to abuse her. He was eventually deported to Guatemala on criminal charges, but she found herself in another abusive relationship. Eventually, she was able to find shelter at a local domestic violence agency. She could not convince family to sponsor her so she could apply for legal status. She would have had nowhere to turn but for a transitional living program for domestic violence victims that connected her to a Connecticut legal aid attorney, who then enabled her to file for a new visa. I am happy to report that this constituent survivor received her new visa in May of 2012. Because of VAWA, she is now safe, and so is her son. This story is repeated countless times across Connecticut and the country by women who suffer in silence. Their undocumented status makes them particularly vulnerable and powerless to escape their abusive situations. My constituents tell me-- and I want to listen to them--that we cannot afford to compromise those basic protections that are fundamental to human rights and dignity, and that is why I urge this body, and the Congress as a whole, to move forward, not backward. Again, every minute, two to three women become the victims of domestic violence. The consequences of this horrific problem are too high and the costs too dire to stay the course and simply repeat the inaction we have seen so far. Thousands of victims of domestic violence are entrusting us with their safety today. We have an obligation to them to avoid the gamesmanship, end the gridlock, and move forward with S. 1925. I thank the Chair and yield the floor.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I am here today to express my sincere appreciation and thanks and admiration to a number of our distinguished Foreign Service officers who were similarly lauded by Senator McCain earlier today. I heard his remarks, and I wish to be associated with them. I wish to express my thanks to three very brave and able men who have served this country under the most demanding and difficult conditions, requiring huge personal courage as well as insight and strong action. They are Ryan Crocker, who has served as Ambassador to Afghanistan; his deputy who will replace him shortly, James Cunningham; and our Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter. What they share and what they have given us in these two critical posts is the best of our Nation's public service and foreign service. I had occasion to meet both Ambassador Crocker and Ambassador Cunningham on a number of visits to Afghanistan and to be briefed by both of them, so I know personally how extraordinarily honest and forthright they are in the insight and intelligence they give to congressional visitors. And many of us have been among those visitors and many of us have met with them, so I know others have had that experience as well. I know them both to be extremely capable and intelligent, thoughtful, and insightful. They understand the complexities of this region, and they have succeeded in maintaining strong relationships with our partners in Afghanistan and Pakistan to the extent they were able to do so amid the most complex and challenging circumstances. Somehow, in between all of the challenges they faced on the ground day to day, they also welcomed congressional visitors with extraordinary grace and graciousness and generosity. I was proud to be one of them in visiting both Pakistan and Afghanistan. I wish to recognize particularly the efforts of Ambassador Munter in addressing the supply chain of IED--improvised explosive device-- ingredients, the fertilizer and other chemicals that compose the roadside bombs that have literally caused more than half of our Nation's casualties in Afghanistan. Those ingredients are smuggled, sometimes in broad daylight, across the border from Pakistan. He has worked hard and made a valuable contribution in challenging the Government of Pakistan to do better, and to confront the threat and to ensure interagency coordination between the Department of State and the Department of Defense in confronting and attacking the IED network. He has written to me personally, and I thank him for his commitment to a cause that others have also made a priority, including Dr. Ashton Carter, presently Deputy Secretary of Defense. Together, we worked on this issue and made progress, but so much more must be done to stop the flow of IED bomb-making material across the border which does such horrific, destructive damage to our troops. One need only visit the Bethesda Naval Center to see it firsthand. Our hearts go out to the young men--principally men--and women and their families who are victims of these bombs. Thank you to Ambassador Munter for making it a priority. I thank Ambassador Crocker likewise for working on this problem as he led the Embassy in Kabul through profoundly and deeply challenging times. When we here in Washington revise our policy toward Afghanistan and as we go through those revisions now, he has adopted and he has carried out policies, and he has served well our national interests, even in the midst of change and challenge. I welcome Deputy Ambassador Cunningham to his new post. I have worked and been briefed by him. I, in fact, stayed with him in the Embassy. I have seen his keen insight, his quiet, understated manner, and his strength and will. Indeed, all of these men are men of intellect, but they are also men of action, committed to delivering results to the Nation. They are men of loyalty and courage. I will just finish on this note. Nobody should underestimate the courage that is required to serve in these positions. Anyone who has visited these countries knows the threat of physical danger is ever- present not only to the brave men and women who serve in uniform in our Armed Forces but to our diplomats who every day put their lives on the line to serve us. So I thank not only them but the thousands of men and women who have served with them in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, and in other countries, at postings in places whose names most Americans can barely pronounce. They have demonstrated the kind of bravery that Ambassadors Crocker, Munter, and Cunningham have every day. They deserve our thanks and our good wishes as they leave their present posts--as Ambassador Crocker retires--and our good wishes for continued success for the sake of their lives and for the sake of our Nation. I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, I thank my very distinguished and effective colleague from Delaware for his great work as part of a team that has sought to enhance the protections of privacy in this bill. His perspective as a local official, as a constitutional expert, as someone who cares deeply about privacy and civil liberties, has been invaluable to this effort. He too has participated in the critical infrastructure team which both of us have been privileged to join with Senators Whitehouse and Kyl, who have been so enormously helpful in this effort. I join him as well in thanking our colleagues Senators Akaka, Durbin, Franken, Sanders, and Wyden for their very important efforts to protect privacy and civil liberties in the information-sharing title of the cybersecurity act. We have truly worked as a team and, in many ways, a bipartisan team in forging this legislation. Of course, we have followed the lead of Senators Lieberman and Collins who have been at the forefront of this effort, as well as Senators Rockefeller, Feinstein, and Carper, who deserve our appreciation for drafting the bill, shepherding it through committee, and bringing a modified version to the floor where now we have the historic opportunity to move forward. I am here to urge my colleagues, in fact, to move forward and vote to proceed to the bill later today. We have made good progress on this legislation. I am optimistic that we will pass a cybersecurity bill in the very near future--as we must for all the reasons that have been articulated by myself and others. This Nation is under attack. It is under cyber attack. Literally, every day our defense industrial base, our military systems, and our private industry are under attack by nations and by hackers, both sophisticated and unsophisticated, abroad and at home. We must make sure we provide the tools and the resources, legal resources and authority to stop that attack, to deter it, to defeat it, to make sure our country is defended against it effectively and comprehensively. The nature of defending against cyber attack involves information sharing. There is no way around that basic fact that information about the attacks--the sources, the objects and targets, the times--all the details are, in essence, the power to defend. Information is power when it comes to defending against cyber attack. Yet we also know that information, when shared, can also be abused. Some of the most tragic chapters of our Nation's history have involved snooping, spying, surveilling, and then sharing of information that is inappropriate and unnecessary and sometimes illegal. We know also that one of our core constitutional protections is, in fact, the right to privacy. It is enshrined in our Constitution. It dates from our founding. It is integral to the fabric of the rule of law. We resisted and rejected the rule of the British, in part, because they had no respect for the privacy of the colonials. That basic value has inspired the rule of law since. There is a saying--I believe it is a Latin saying--that in war, law is the first casualty. We are in a cyber war, but our constitutional law cannot be a casualty. Our right to privacy and civil liberties must be protected. Information sharing must involve the right information shared with the right people and officials for the right purposes. There must be red lines and red lights. There must be consequences if those red lines or red lights are disregarded or dismissed. This bill meets those basic requirements. It is enforceable and it must be enforced. In fact, I will offer an amendment to increase the enforceability and enforcement of these basic protections by increasing the penalties for violating these basic protections. The trust and confidence of our Nation in the rule of law depends on our getting it right: information sharing with the right information to the right people and for the right purposes. The kinds of modifications contained in this bill are critically important. They are in sharp contrast to the House-approved version of CISPA, which utterly fails to protect civil liberties and privacy rights in sufficient degree. Unlike past versions, this measure establishes unequivocal civilian control of cybersecurity information exchanges. Unlike past versions, this bill bars companies from using cybersecurity as a pretext for violating FCC net neutrality rules. Unlike other versions, this bill bars companies from using cybersecurity as a pretext for violating other guarantees, and it allows citizens to hold companies accountable and take them to court for knowingly or grossly negligent violations of the information- sharing provisions of this bill. Equally important, it enables them to hold the U.S. Government and other public officials responsible and take them to court if they violate the privacy guarantees in this bill. A private company receiving someone's private information while monitoring for cyber threat should protect that information. It is a public trust and a public responsibility. This act protects Americans' privacy by requiring companies that obtain that kind of information-- some of it medical or financial of the most confidential and private nature--through monitoring, to protect that information. This measure also imposes restrictions on the use of shared information for law enforcement purposes. The government can only provide information to law enforcement if it relates to a cyber crime or a serious threat to public safety; that is, physical safety--bodily harm. Law enforcement can only use information to prosecute or stop cyber attacks to prevent that kind of imminent and immediate harm to a person or a child. There are other protections--some of them have been mentioned by Senators Franken and Coons before me--that I will support. For example, Senator Franken mentioned that his amendment would eliminate new authorities in the bill to monitor communications or operate countermeasures. Senator Coons mentioned a 5-year sunset on the use of information sharing under this measure to help guard against unforeseen consequences of the legislation and ensure that congressional oversight occurs on a regular and foreseeable basis. Other measures which I consider important would require Federal agencies that suffer a data breach to notify affected individuals and allow those individuals to recover damages and require the creation of a new office in the Office of Management and Budget, that of Chief Privacy Officer. I support these amendments and I support also increasing the penalties in the event that government or companies violate the protections in this statute. We have indeed made progress. There is more to do. I hope more progress will be made. I foresee passage of a cybersecurity measure that is desperately and direly needed in this country--not at some point in the future but now. As others before me have said on this floor and as I have said before, cybersecurity is national security and we must protect our national security while at the same time retaining the reason, our fundamental rights and civil liberties, that we want to protect our Nation and its constitutional values. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I am honored on the opening day of the 2012 London Olympics to congratulate our U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams. Proudly, 16 of our top Olympian athletes hail from Connecticut, including 6 women, who played for our legendary University of Connecticut women's teams and will represent our State and Nation as members of the U.S. women's basketball team. These athletes will make history on a global stage, representing the United States and sharing personal stories that fuel their drive to win. They have this momentous opportunity and responsibility because they have worked hard, demonstrated unremitting character and integrity, and believed in the power of athletic excellence to bring our nation and the world together. Six extraordinary UConn alumni will compete as members of the 2012 U.S. women's basketball team: Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tina Charles, Asjha Jones, Maya Moore, and Diana Taurasi. All six players brought UConn teams to national championships during their college careers. The head coach of the U.S. Olympic team, Geno Auriemma, has led the University of Connecticut teams through many exciting seasons while serving as a tremendous role model and mentor. Both Asjha Jones and Tina Charles currently live in Uncasville and play for the Connecticut Sun. Although the others may no longer list Connecticut as their formal residence, these players remain a part of our lives. Charlie Cole, Ken Jurkowski, Nick LaCava, Sara Hendershot, and Sarah Trowbridge will compete in London as members of our U.S. rowing team. Mr. Cole grew up in New Canaan, CT, and attended New Canaan High School and Yale University where he rowed for the heavyweight team. He has received many national and international titles, including most recently winning the pair at the 2012 National Selection Regatta number 1 and finishing fourth in the four at the 2011 World Rowing Championships. He has been named USRowing's 2011 Athlete of the Year. Mr. Jurkowski was raised in New Fairfield and attended New Fairfield High School and Cornell University, where he walked onto the team his freshman year, competed all 4 years, and graduated with a degree in biological engineering. He has also served as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Texas women's rowing team. In London, he will compete in the single sculls event an event that he placed 11th in during the 2008 Beijing games. Mr. LaCava is from Weston, CT, and attended Phillips Exeter Academy and Columbia University. Among other distinctions, he placed fifth in the lightweight eight at the 2011World Rowing Championships and placed first at the lightweight eight at the 2011 Head of the Charles Regatta. In London, he will compete in the men's lightweight four. Ms. Hendershot grew up in West Simsbury Connecticut, only starting to row in 2003 as a high school freshman. Already by 2004 and again in 2005, she won the open eight at the USRowing National Championships. She rowed for Princeton University and graduated in 2010. She will compete in the Women's Pair in London with Sarah Zelenka of Illinois. Ms. Trowbridge was born in Washington, DC, and is a member of the Potomac Boat Club. She was raised in Guilford, CT, and attended Guilford High School. She rowed at University of Michigan on a scholarship. Most recently among her international and national results, she finished ninth in the double sculls at the 2011 World Rowing Championships and won the double sculls at the 2011 National Selection Regatta No. 2. She cites her parents, coaches, teammates, and Olympic hero, Nadia Comaneci, as inspirations. She will compete in the Women's Double Sculls event. Craig Kinsley and Donn Cabral will represent the United States in track and field. Hailing from Fairfield, CT, Mr. Kinsley brings his experience at high jump and javelin at Fairfield Preparatory High School and Brown University to the international arena. He won the NCAA title in the javelin event in 2010 and in the same year was named Academic All-American and Northeast Region Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. At Brown University, he studied geology and economics. Mr. Cabral was born and raised in Glastonbury, CT. He attended Princeton University, where he received All-American titles in track and field and cross country, and in 2012 won the NCAA title and set the U.S. collegiate record in the steeplechase event. He will compete in the Men's 3000M steeplechase this Olympic games. Rob Crane will hit the water in sailing. Born in Stamford and raised in Darien, he went on to attend the Holderness School and Hobart College. He continues a family legacy of sailing, joining the ranks of his mother and father, who won world and North American championships, respectively. In 2011, he finished 14th in the International Sailing Association and Federal's Sailing World Championships. This Olympics, he will participate in the men's singlehanded laser dinghy sailing event. In addition to the successes of these 10 accomplished and inspiring athletes, I wish to recognize all around the world poised to participate in the USA Paralympics. Guided by the U.S. Olympic Committee's Paralympic Military, Veteran, and Community Program, State and local communities have developed important programs to enable individuals with physical or visual disabilities to participate and compete in sports. The growing prevalence of community level sports clubs, such as the paralympic sports clubs, offers disabled Americans the opportunity to come together as a community, share their love of sports, and rally around each other. Our American competitors are inspirational to athletes and nonathletes of all generations. Athletics and sportsmanship connect us, reaching the core of our humanity. They represent our hopes, dreams, and aspirations. They serve as national and international diplomats, working together as a team to best represent our country. Along with my Senate colleagues, I wish our athletes from Connecticut and around the Nation the best of luck and thank them for their incredible public service as leaders during these Olympic games.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, let me begin by thanking my colleague from California for her leadership over many years and her steadfast courage and vision on this issue; likewise, my colleague from the State of Washington who spoke before her, Senator Murray, for her leadership, as well and others in this body who passed VAWA, the Senate's version of that measure, S. 1925, by an overwhelming bipartisan margin, in fact, 68 to 31, back in April. This measure truly is bipartisan, and it has commanded overwhelming support in this body and, more important, from across the American public. In Connecticut, I hear again and again from men and women, members of all communities, that the Violence Against Women Act is an idea whose time came 18 years ago but continues to demand the kind of respect and support the Senate has given it. Now is the time for the House to adopt the Senate bill because it is more inclusive and more effective. For a bill that works, as this measure truly does, to include more potential victims, to provide more tools of enforcement is absolutely appropriate and necessary at this point in our history. Of course, I hear from Connecticut constituents such as Hillary from Fairfield, who tells me: One in four women, worldwide and in the U.S. is at risk for violence at some point in her life. Men are at risk too, and VAWA supports provisions for men to be safe and healthy in their relationships as well. VAWA supports programs for both men and women perpetrators of abuse to get the help they need to stop the violence, and it ensures that women and their children have a safe place to go when in danger. Susan from New Haven: Reauthorizing VAWA sends the message that survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking must have the tools to heal and reclaim their lives; that women and girls, our communities and our families, must be safe; that the next generation must be engaged in this effort--and that the evolution of our collective thinking on how to break the cycle of violence is a national priority. To send any other message is unconscionable. Congress must act swiftly. Renew VAWA now. Renew VAWA is the message we carry to the House: Renew VAWA with the improvements and reforms we have wisely adopted in this body and continue a measure that has benefited 54,000--let me repeat that, 54,000--domestic violence victims in Connecticut alone, millions across the country, and has provided organizations in Connecticut nearly $5 million in just the last fiscal year from VAWA programs. These measures make a difference in people's lives. So often we can speak and think in this Chamber without the kind of connection to individual lives, where we see legislation, our acts here, making a difference. This measure offers us the opportunity to make a difference by broadening and making more inclusive this measure. It makes it more effective. I am proud it makes it more effective with an amendment I offered to prosecute criminals who use the Internet to intimidate, threaten, harass, and incite violence against women and children. The use of the Internet is increasingly prevalent for these kinds of crimes. The legislation I introduced, included in the Senate's bill, enhances current law for the Internet age. That section of the bill is not in the House version. It should be. That is a reason I am urging the House to adopt the Senate version. But it is also more inclusive in including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender constituents--whom all of us have--in these protections. LGBT Americans experience domestic violence at the same rate as the general population, but they often face discrimination in accessing services. In fact, a survey found that 45 percent of LGBT victims were turned away when they sought help from a domestic violence shelter. There is a real need--an unquestionable and immediate need--to improve the access and availability of services for LGBT victims, and our measure does it; the House version does not. Over 800 constituents--and I welcome them in contacting me--have written me to urge that we preserve the LGBT provisions of the Senate bill as VAWA moves forward. S. 1925 also includes protections for Native Americans that are absolutely vital. One of the invisible, unknown, unrealized, unacknowledged facts about this community is that nearly three out of five Native American women are assaulted by their spouses or intimate partners. One-third of all American Indian women will be raped during their lifetime. Those numbers alone should dictate the result. The members of the Tribal Council of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and others across the country--the Mashantucket Pequots happen to be from Connecticut--have appealed to me to protect the tribal provisions in the Senate measure, not to waiver, not to relent to the House version. Again, I urge the House to adopt our measure. Protecting immigrant populations ought to be a given for the Senate. The House version of VAWA would ``endanger the safety of noncitizen victims and society as a whole.'' That is a quote from the International Institute of Connecticut, which has urged me to hold firm to support the provisions of the Senate bill and not surrender to the House and relent on protecting immigrants who need this help. Again, I quote. The House version would ``endanger the safety of noncitizen victims and society as a whole.'' VAWA symbolizes for our immigrants, those who come to this country, what makes America great. We protect everyone who needs it. We enforce the laws equally without discriminating against people as to their national heritage or origin or ethnicity or race or other background. Equal protection of the law is one of the unique constitutional principles of the American democracy and the American Constitution. Our landmark measure enhances and enforces equal protection of the law. I hope this body stands firm. I hope the House understands that it is not one body being better than another. We are way beyond that kind of comparison at this point. It is one version of the same legislation, one set of provisions seeking a common goal, doing it better, more inclusively, and more effectively in the great tradition of the legislative process. I urge the House of Representatives to put partisanship aside, to put aside any kind of cameral personal differences and take immediate action to support all in America who are victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I rise to say a few words about the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, legislation Congress passed with strong bipartisan support just before we returned home to our States for the Fourth of July. This bill was a big one. It was a big bill with complex provisions and an essential purpose: to safeguard the public, to protect patients and encourage innovation and invention, which are so important to treating and curing diseases in this country as well as other problems. And this measure was revolutionary in many ways. It contained complex, new provisions, provisions that we must make sure are implemented as Congress intended. I was proud to work on many parts of this bill with my colleagues, including title VIII of this legislation, to generate new antibiotics to treat emerging serious and life threatening superbug infections. I want to clarify two points for the record on this legislation: I want to be clear that pathogens identified in this title are illustrative, not all-inclusive. There are many deadly pathogens that we may not even know of yet; title VIII is intended to spur innovation against all superbug infections as soon as they arise. And, I want to be clear, language in section 801(b) is not intended to prohibit or preclude innovative drug products that will spur the antibiotic pipeline, so long as they meet the definition for a qualified infectious disease product. FDA approval of new antibiotics has decreased by 70 percent since the mid-1980s, yet reports from the CDC suggest that resistant MRSA infection deaths are now at more than 17,000 lives lost in the United States each year--more than AIDS. Resistant infections have now been elevated to one of the World Health Organization's top three threats to human health. It is my sincere hope that title VIII will spur production of the weapons we need to fight this threat.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, for a few minutes, let us recall a young patriot, a military veteran, and a Connecticut son who tragically passed away on July 15, 2012. His name was Kenneth Saavedra, Jr. He was just 29 years old. Kenneth was born in Bridgeport, CT and lived in Shelton for most of his life. He graduated from Shelton High School and the University of Connecticut. Kenneth was an electrician and worked for Sikorsky Aircraft. But I speak about Kenneth today because of another job a different distinction that he held for a number of years: sergeant in the U.S. Army. Kenneth Saavedra, Jr., served with the Army's 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry Regiment, including two tours of duty in Afghanistan, and served with the National Guard for almost 10 years. Kenneth was an American patriot. He selflessly dedicated his life to serving his country and never asked what he would receive in return. And after he came home from two tours in Afghanistan, he continued to stay active in veterans' causes as vice chair of the Teamsters Veterans Caucus Connecticut Chapter 1 and an avid supporter of the Wounded Heroes Fund. This Saturday, Kenneth will be laid to rest in the Connecticut Veterans' Cemetery in Rocky Hill with full military honors. We owe a debt of gratitude to Kenneth Saavedra, Jr., and to military men and women like him who have risked everything to protect our Nation, and served and sacrificed, often at great cost to themselves. We must keep faith with them and make sure that we leave no veteran behind. I want to offer my sincere condolences to Kenneth's parents, Evelyn and Kenneth Sr., as well as to his many family members and friends who are mourning his loss.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam President, I am very honored and proud to follow the Senator from Maryland, who has been such an extraordinary leader in so many areas and, most prominently and recently, this one that involves the future of our country. I thank the Senator from Rhode Island for his leadership and my colleague, Senator Coons of Delaware, because he has been at the forefront. This issue truly is bipartisan. Senator Blunt has played a leading role, as have Senator Graham and Senator Kyl and, of course, Senators Lieberman and Collins and Senator McCain, who was on the floor before, and Senator Chambliss. This kind of amassing senatorial consensus reflects the urgency and immediacy of this problem. Our Nation is under attack. I came today from a meeting with one of the major accounting and consulting companies in the United States, whose name would be immediately recognizable to you, and by happenstance, sheer coincidence, he said to me that his company is attacked literally 1,000 times a day. His company has information that is intensely valuable and private and has taken steps to safeguard itself. But the magnitude of this attack on this single company and others like it that may have intellectual property lost to this country if it gets stolen by hackers and by other nations reflects the seriousness and importance of this issue. Time is not on our side. We must act immediately. The Senate must follow its duty and make sure we meet the challenge, No. 1, of bringing together all the stakeholders to enhance the resiliency of our critical infrastructure systems. Much of this infrastructure lies beyond the purview of the Federal Government. Cybersecurity is a major concern of both the government and the private sector. There must be a partnership between them; it is not for either to do alone. Today, the computers that control energy and manufacturing, water, and chemical facilities across the country are connected via the Internet. None of them is an island. No one is an island in the Internet age. We are all under attack when any one of us is under attack. I believe we have a path forward to strengthen protection of our Nation's network industrial control systems without heavyhanded regulation and in partnership with the businesses that own the systems. Many are already pursuing best practices. Many already are addressing this threat. And my hope is that the legislation coming forward as a result of the leadership by my colleagues here today will make sure these best practices become common practices and uniform to every industry so that access to controls and audits and monitoring is done systemically. Finally, let me emphasize--and I think this point is especially critical to many who are watching this process today--we can make progress in strengthening the privacy and civil liberties protection in cybersecurity while preserving its underlying goal of safeguarding the Nation. Americans have become aware of the need to protect online privacy. As I have seen personally in my contacts with the citizens of Connecticut, they are outraged and fearful about frequent reports of massive data breaches and the theft of personal information as a result of the very hacking that threatens private industry and the government. Hacking and spear phishing attacks that have become a daily occurrence in our lives threaten our privacy, our financial integrity, and our security. A recent United Technologies National Journal poll found that 62 percent of respondents believe that government and businesses should not be allowed at all to share information because it would hurt privacy and civil liberties. That same poll found that 67 percent of those surveyed said they were either very or somewhat concerned about threats to our country's computer networks. The two anxieties go hand in hand, they fit together, and we must find a path forward on this legislation reconciling these views. I personally believe this cybersecurity is compatible with privacy protection and with the liberties--including the liberty to go to court and protect the individual rights--that are so integral and fundamental to our constitutional protections and American civil liberties. We can make sure adequate protections are in place. Again, this task is one we must address--and address it now. I again thank the Senator from Rhode Island, and I yield to him.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

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

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I come to the floor to join the voices of my colleagues in favor of supporting strongly, and I hope persuasively, the Bring Jobs Home Act. The Bring Jobs Home Act is a measure that contains some provisions that are hardly novel, not complex, and a matter of common sense. They involve some of the basic ideas we have advanced and advocated in this Chamber for some time. They are measures that are contained in a proposal very eloquently argued for by my colleague, Senator Stabenow, and I thank her for her leadership, as well as for Leader Reid's leadership, in bringing this measure to the floor now. Very simply, the Bring Jobs Home Act will reshore and restore jobs to this country with two simple, straightforward provisions. This measure provides a 20-percent tax credit for the expenses incurred in moving facilities or plants--basically, jobs--back to America. It also does something that is critically vital to this country, which is to close the loopholes that right now reward companies for moving those jobs overseas. Again and again over the past 2 years I have advocated this straightforward, simple step: Close the loopholes that permit companies to deduct expenses when moving those jobs overseas. The average American--certainly the average person in Connecticut-- when told that these loopholes exist, simply is incredulous. They cannot believe the United States of America rewards companies for moving these jobs overseas. Let's close that loophole now. It will produce revenue for the United States. Literally tens of millions of dollars will come back to our country as a result of closing this loophole, and jobs will come back as well. The 20-percent tax credit, although it may not sound like a lot of money to major corporations, could well be the tipping point for executives considering what to do in terms of investing in this country. It is an incentive to invest in the United States instead of moving those jobs abroad. A 20-percent tax credit could be a critical decision point and a turning point in those decisions. The Boston Consulting Group surveyed 37 companies which have $10 billion or more in revenues and found that 50 percent are at that tipping point. This measure should not be partisan. It should not be a matter of geography or party as to whether one of our colleagues supports it. There should be a bipartisan coalition behind it. I have found in Connecticut, as I go around the State, regardless of party, people support this idea of bringing jobs home and reshoring and restoring jobs to our State and to our country, particularly manufacturing jobs. In the city of Waterbury, I visited on Monday a steel plant where there are 3,000 manufacturing jobs--part of the 165,000 manufacturing jobs that we have in Connecticut. Manufacturing is alive and well. Taxpayers should not be subsidizing companies that move those kinds of jobs overseas. In the last 10 years, 2.4 million jobs were shipped overseas--mostly manufacturing--and taxpayers helped to foot the bill for it. In Connecticut, the National Bureau of Economic Research has found more than 250,000 jobs are at risk of being outsourced. People are angry and outraged that they are subsidizing that risk, that outsourcing and offshoring of jobs. In the steel plant I visited, fortunately those jobs have stayed. But from around the country and in Connecticut, many of them have moved overseas because of the economic incentives we have created and that now we should stop. At a time when job creation is our No. 1 priority, American taxpayers deserve that these loopholes and hidden subsidies be closed and ended forever. I hope I speak for many of my colleagues in saying shipping jobs overseas with the subsidies and incentives now provided very simply is unacceptable. Let's pass the Bring Jobs Home Act now to close those loopholes and to provide these incentives so that companies such as Otis Elevator, United Technology, DuPont, Ford, Master Lock, GE, Spectrum Plastics in Ansonia, CT, will be encouraged to continue doing the right thing, bringing those jobs back, walking the walk, and walking jobs back to Connecticut and to the United States. I will be voting yes to bring jobs home. Again, I thank my colleague Senator Stabenow for her invaluable leadership on this issue. I am proud to join her today. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. BLUMENTHAL

Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the tremendous lifetime of service by one of our Nation's most courageous heroes, CDR William Moeller. Commander Moeller has served for 22 years in the Coast Guard in four location assignments, dedicating his time, energy, and even risking his life for his fellow servicemen and women, the U.S. Coast Guard, and his country. On September 1, 2012, he will retire from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. Upon graduation from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1990 with a B.S. in government, Commander Moeller began his career and his sea tour as a deck watch officer aboard the USCGC Tamaroa. He soon rose to first lieutenant and in this capacity led the rescue of four members of the Air National Guard in October 1991. This rescue among monstrous waves, churned by the worst storm off the Eastern seaboard in 100 years, captured the Nation's imagination in the book and later the film adaptation of ``The Perfect Storm.'' Following his commission as group captain, he transferred to reserve status at the Port Long Island Sound in New Haven. Promoted to lieutenant commander in the Marine Safety Office located in Portland, ME, he served in the Coast Guard Reserve until recalled to active duty during 9/11. Returning to reserve status and to the Sector Long Island Sound, he was promoted to commander in 2006. After a few years at Activities New York, he returned to New Haven in 2010 for the last time as reserve logistics section chief. Commander Moeller's dedicated protection of the Nation, most of which took place at the Long Island Sound--waters significant to Connecticut and the Eastern seaboard--is appreciated by millions. In addition to receiving extensive military recognition--including the Coast Guard Medal for Extraordinary Heroism, the Coast Guard Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal--Commander Moeller has been awarded the Coast Guard Medal by President George W. Bush. In April 2012, he was inducted as a member of the Coast Guard Academy's Wall of Gallantry. Commander Moeller has further contributed to our Nation's safety and security as a business executive with Pratt & Whitney. In this capacity, he has furthered the development of the aerospace industry, committed to our national defense by both air and sea. I invite my Senate colleagues to join me in congratulating Commander Moeller on his retirement and remarkable allegiance to the Coast Guard and his country. We wish him great success and thank him for his tremendous service.