Thomas Carper

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. I am happy to yield to the Senator.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I extend my thanks to the majority whip and to the floor managers of the bill. Senator Reid cares very deeply about this issue. I have known him for some time. We came to Congress together in 1982. We were classmates in the House of Representatives that year. Mike Bilirakis of Florida has been a champion of this issue for close to 20 years. I served as Governor for 6 years with George W. Bush when he was Governor of Texas. I do not know that I know him better than anybody else on the floor. I know him reasonably well. I am not altogether surprised that he would issue a veto threat on this issue. Before we go forward and approve it, I think that is clearly what is going to happen. I don't believe he is doing this out of some sense of lack of respect for the military. I clearly don't believe he would be doing this out of a lack of respect for those who served and became disabled during their service to their country. I have not seen the veto message that Senator Reid placed in the trash receptacle there. But it would be interesting to hear what the President's words actually were on the message. Does the Senator mind? It is not very lengthy.

Mr. CARPER. I thank the majority whip for sharing that message. I also had the privilege of serving on active duty in the military, in the U.S. Navy, when Senator Warner was Secretary Warner, Secretary of the Navy. And many of my colleagues, then and before and since, have become disabled and have retired in some instances, and a number of them, frankly, would like to draw a disability pension, and they would like to receive their retirement check as well. The point in the President's veto message is this: We do not provide, anywhere in the Federal Government that I am aware of, for a person to receive the disability payment and retirement check for the same years of service. For a person who served on active duty and was disabled, and subsequently took another job in the Federal Government, and earns a pension, they may receive their disability check for the years they served on active duty and were injured and then separately for their years they served in another capacity in the Federal Government. But the service is not for the same number of years. What the President is saying in his veto message, just as his predecessors said, is: Should we make this exception? We, as Members of the Senate, for those of us who served in the military, can actually earn service credit for the time we served on active duty. There is a difference, though. We have to pay for it. It is not a gift. It is something we have to pay for in order to have our military service count toward our pension as a Senator or a Member of the House of Representatives. I think the question the President is raising in his veto message is, Is it appropriate for us to say that a person who served in the military on active duty, who was injured, should subsequently receive a pension check, a retirement check, as well as a disability check for the same number of years? That is the issue. The other issue is this: How do we pay for this? For me, that is really as important as the first question, maybe even more important. I have been here a year and a half, and I am becoming increasingly concerned that whatever sense of fiscal responsibility held sway here in the past is ebbing. I criticized President Bush for not providing leadership on the executive side for a balanced budget, for helping to lead us back into this situation where we now have looming deficits for as far as the eye can see. I have been critical of him on this point. For him now to come before us and say, in the name of fiscal responsibility, this is something we maybe ought not to do--I think it would be hypocritical of me to ignore him for actually taking a stand I urged him to take in other areas. I do not know about the rest of my colleagues, but when I see us cutting taxes and continuing to spend, and knowing that the money we are spending is money simply coming out of the Social Security trust fund, I do not feel good about that. And I do not see how any of us could either. The question of whether or not someone should be paid a military pension and a disability check for the same time, same service, is one issue. But for me, a greater issue--I hope the chairman of the committee, the ranking member, or the Senator from Nevada can assure me that we are going to pay for this, not taking money out of the Social Security trust fund. That is my question. I am happy to yield.

Mr. CARPER. When I was on active duty in the Navy, I was 21 years old and served until I was 25. We served three tours in Southeast Asia. Our aircraft was the P-3 which we used to track Soviet nuclear submarines in the oceans of the world. When we were in Southeast Asia, our job was to track shipping traffic in and out of Vietnam. I flew a lot of low- level missions. I loved the Navy. The Senator loved the Navy as well. I served for 23 years active and reserve duty. Four years before that, I was a Navy ROTC midshipman. I loved the mission. I was young. I had no family. I could not wait to get in that plane. I could not wait to take off, and I loved being part of my squadron. This was a time in my young life when we felt we were invincible. We knew we weren't, but we sure felt that we were. I served the country, as I know you did, because I loved my country. I would do it all over again if given the opportunity.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, if I could ask one question to the chairman and manager of the bill, then I will stop. I listened, when I was presiding, to the chairman explaining the amendment and explaining how this benefit would be paid for. I have to tell you, I did not understand the rationale for offering this amendment outside of the bill, why it was not included as part of the bill. I did not understand why it is subject to a budget point of order. Would the chairman explain how we propose to pay for this benefit? That is my question: How do we propose to pay for it?

Mr. CARPER. My basic question for the committee chairman is, How do we pay for this benefit?

Mr. CARPER. I thank the chairman.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. As did a number of my colleagues in the Senate, I served as the Governor of my State before I was privileged to come to the Senate. As a Governor of my State, I was a supporter of tax cuts. We cut taxes for 7 years in a row. In fact, we eliminated the gift and inheritance tax altogether. While we cut taxes 7 years in a row, we also balanced the budget 8 years in a row. We also were able to slow the growth of debt in our State. We earned ourselves a AAA credit rating for the first time in Delaware history. Others have spoken to the equity and the fairness of eliminating altogether the estate tax. I will leave those arguments to those who have already spoken. I simply want us to keep this in mind. There is an old theory called a theory of holes. It goes something like this: When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. To have voted yesterday to raise the debt ceiling by another $450 billion and then to turn around and cut taxes in a way that will only increase our indebtedness is a matter of concern to me and ought to be to all. Our Republican friends are right: We cannot simply be opposed to cutting taxes in ways that perhaps are unfair in this case and turn around and simply vote to increase spending. I had a good long conversation with one of our Republican colleagues on the phone last night about this body and about our propensity to spend ever more money for defense, for homeland defense, more money for social programs, good social programs, and at the same time, voting to cut taxes. It does not add up. I do not know how to stop it. I want to put down a marker today and say it is something that is not a sustainable policy, and one I hope we will not continue.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of James Johnson upon his retirement from DaimlerChrysler and as president of UAW Local 1183 in Newark. DE, after more than thirty-eight years of dedicated service. Known to friends and colleagues alike as ``JJ,'' he is a man with a kind heart, diverse interests and great abilities. JJ embodies the best of Delaware, the UAW and the American worker. JJ joined Chrysler as an assembler in 1964 and affiliated with UAW Local 1183. Over time, he began to work his way up through the leadership ranks of his local. By the 1980's, he had been elected a committeeman, and he served as a facilitator for the negotiation of the assembly plant's historic Modern Operating Agreement. His leadership ability apparent, he continued to climb the leadership ladder. Beginning in the early 1990's, his brothers and sisters of Local 1183 elected him as their vice-president three times, a post that he held for eight years. Then, in June of 2001, JJ assumed the post of president of his local, a leadership position that he has held until his retirement. I have had the privilege of knowing JJ for more than two decades. We first worked together when I was Delaware's State treasurer in 1980 and negotiated the State's loan to Chrysler during the company's darkest hours. Right from the start, JJ impressed me as one who possessed the qualities of a leader. He was interested in doing what was right. He believed in doing things well. He followed the Golden Rule, treating others the way he wanted to be treated. He was adept at hammering out compromises, but when he knew he was right, he was loath to give up. Never boisterous or overbearing, JJ's quiet confidence helped to make him an effective advocate for his members and won the respect of Chrysler's management team at their Newark, DE assembly plant. I especially respected his willingness to share the credit when things went right, while assuming the blame when things went wrong. JJ deserves a good deal of the credit for helping to foster the positive relationship between labor and management that is the hallmark of DaimlerChrysler's Newark assembly plant. The rapport he helped to establish has served to preserve the plant during an era when many other automotive plants were closed due to over-capacity. Under his leadership, an atmosphere of cooperation emerged to replace the atmosphere of confrontation that had earlier existed. Under his watchful eye, quality products were built and productivity was enhanced as labor and management learned to work together towards common goals. JJ has been a respected colleague for over half of his life, and he remains a trusted friend to many. He takes pride in his work and has made thousands of autoworkers proud to work alongside him. I thank him for his friendship, congratulate him on a successful first career and wish him and his family only the very best in all that lies ahead for him and for them.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, today I recognize James Johnson upon his retirement from DaimlerChrysler and as president of UAW Local 1183 in Newark, Delaware after more than thirty-eight years of dedicated service. Known to friends and colleagues alike as ``JJ,'' he is a man with a kind heart, diverse interests and great abilities. JJ embodies the best of Delaware, the UAW and the America worker. JJ joined Chrysler as an assembler in 1964 and affiliated with UAW Local 1183. Over time, he began to work his way up through the leadership ranks of his local. By the 1980's, he had been elected a committeeman, and he served as a facilitator for the negotiation of the assembly plant's historic Modern Operating Agreement. His leadership ability apparent, he continued to climb the leadership ladder. Beginning in the early 1990's, his brothers and sisters of Local 1183 elected him as their vice-president three times, a post that he held for eight years. Then, in June of 2001, JJ assumed the post of president of his local, a leadership position that he has held until his retirement. I have had the privilege of knowing JJ for more than two decades. We first worked together when I was Delaware's state treasurer in 1980 and negotiated the state's loan to Chrysler during the company's darkest hours. Right from the start, JJ impressed me as one who possessed the qualities of a leader. He was interested in doing what was right. He believed in doing things well. He followed the Golden Rule, treating others the way he wanted to be treated. He was adept at hammering out compromises, but when he knew he was right, he was loath to give up. Never boisterous or overbearing, JJ's quiet confidence helped to make him an effective advocate for his members and won the respect of Chrysler's management team at their Newark, Delaware assembly plant. I especially respected his willingness to share the credit when things went right, while assuming the blame when things went wrong. JJ deserves a good deal of the credit for helping to foster the positive relationship between labor and management that is the hallmark of DaimlerChrysler's Newark assembly plant. The rapport he helped to establish has served to preserve the plant during an era when many other automotive plants were closed due to over-capacity. Under his leadership, an atmosphere of cooperation emerged to replace the atmosphere of confrontation that had earlier existed. Under his watchful eye, quality products were built and productivity was enhanced as labor and management learned to work together towards common goals. JJ has been a respected colleague for over half of his life, and he remains a trusted friend to many. He takes pride in his work and has made thousands of autoworkers proud to work alongside of him. I thank him for his friendship, congratulate him on a successful first career and wish him and his family only the very best in all that lies ahead for him and for them.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Madam President, I would like to set aside a moment to reflect on the life of Mrs. Lola V. Gibbs, a longtime educator, community and civic leader. She has made a lasting impact on the generations of people and the communities she has touched. Today, I rise to celebrate her 100 years of life. Born the only daughter of Tabitha and George Gibbs on Easter Sunday, 1902, Lola enjoyed a childhood home filled with the laughter of foster children. Her family owned a farm, and together Lola and her father planted vegetables and tended to crops. At the age of seven, Lola began her education in a one-room schoolhouse. She attended high school at State College, graduating in a class of four. It was the degree she earned from the larger West Chester Normal College, in the company of other African Americans, which shaped the woman she would become. Lola was assigned to Reeves Crossing School, teaching students in her hometown school in Woodside. Inspired by the excitement of her pupils, she became interested in 4-H. Before long, she organized the Woodside Silver Leaf 4 H Club, which was quickly recognized throughout the state for excellence. She would be a 4-H leader for 55 years. Lola married Edward, whom she met at West Chester Normal, in the spring of 1931. They wed in her rose garden and honeymooned in Washington, DC. In September 1936, Lola and Edward were blessed with their son Edward B. Gibbs, Jr. Never complacent, Lola Gibbs went back to college. With her son just a year old, she enrolled in classes and earned a second degree before returning to Woodside to run her own classroom again. Lola's students spanned four grades. When attendance dropped, she moved to a two-room schoolhouse in nearby Viola, instructing children, many of whom she had taught before- in grades four, five and six. She organized another 4-H club, called the Viola Jolly 26. The club quickly became the largest in Delaware. Upon her retirement, Lola V. Gibbs was appointed president of the Kent County Teachers Association. In the years that followed, she became active in the Eastern Star, AARP and the Women's Auxiliary of the Smyrna Home for the Critically Ill. A life member of Star Hill AME Church, Lola focuses much of her energy on the success of the congregation's Historical Society. Both her church and her community were stops on the Underground Railroad. Both benefit from her pride in her heritage. Lola V. Gibbs is an active, independent woman of many talents and gifts. She has four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In 2000, Mrs. Gibbs renewed her driver's license, driving her Ford station wagon throughout Kent County, DE. Until just a few years ago, she continued to play the organ for her church. Today, I rise both to celebrate Lola's one hundred years and the life she breathes into her community. To her grandchildren and great- grandchildren she will leave a legacy of determination, tenacity, and kindness. With pride in her students, her family, her heritage and her community, she is living proof that a life filled with good works is a good life indeed.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Madam President, this May, more than 1,200 students from across the United States will visit Washington, DC to compete in the national finals of the We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution program. It is the most extensive educational program in the country developed specifically to educate young people about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I am proud to announce that a class from Lake Forest High School from Felton will represent the State of Delaware in this national event. These students, with the leadership of their teacher Amy Reed-Moore, have worked diligently to reach the national finals. Through their experience they have gained a deep knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and values of our constitutional democracy. This three-day national competition is modeled after hearings in the United States Congress. The hearings consist of oral presentations by high school students before a panel of adult judges on constitutional topics. The students' testimony is followed by a period of questioning by the judges who probe their depth of understanding and ability to apply their knowledge. Administered by the Center for Civic Education, the We the People . . . program has provided curricular materials at upper elementary, middle and high school levels for more than 26.5 million students nationwide. The program affords students a working knowledge of our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the principles of democratic government. It is inspiring to see these young people advocate the principles of our government, particularly in the aftermath of the tragedy on September 11. These principles identify us as a people and bind us together as a Nation. It is important for our next generation to understand the values and principles that serve as the foundation in our ongoing effort to preserve and realize the promise of democracy. These students from Lake Forest High School are currently conducting research and preparing for their upcoming participation in the national competition in Washington, DC. I wish these young ``constitutional experts'' the best of luck at the We the People . . . national finals. They represent the future of our State and Nation.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bills be printed in the Record.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bills be printed in the Record.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. I yield 30 seconds to the Senator from Pennsylvania.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, the Levin-Bond amendment language which is in this bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate regulations increasing fuel efficiency standards. Our amendment changes nothing in the Levin-Bond amendment. Our amendment says that in establishing those fuel efficiency standards, we direct the Secretary of Transportation to also consider reducing oil consumption through alternative fuels--ethanol, biodiesel, and energy from coal waste.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Madam President, I yield 2 minutes to the Senator from Pennsylvania, Mr. Specter.

Mr. CARPER. Madam President, I yield another minute to the Senator.

Mr. CARPER. Thank you. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Pennsylvania.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I yield myself 5 minutes. Today, the United States of America will consume some 7.8 million barrels of oil to power our cars, trucks, and vans. Between now and the year 2015, we are told by the Secretary of Energy that 7.8 million barrels of oil per day consumption for our cars, trucks, and vans will rise by some 36 percent to over 10\1/2\ million barrels of oil per day. My own view is that it would be better for our country if we had no increase. The amendment Senator Specter and I offer today is one that seeks to reduce by one-third--1 million barrels of oil per day--the amount of oil we are going to consume in 2015 to power our cars, trucks, and vans. There are a variety of ways to achieve those savings. Earlier in this debate on the energy bill, Senator Levin and Senator Bond offered an amendment that sought to conserve oil with respect to our cars, trucks, and vans. I voted for it, as did Senator Specter. I voted for that amendment because I like a number of aspects of it. I will mention a few of those aspects. No. 1, it has been said that we should use the Government's purchasing power to commercialize new technologies and provide tax credits to consumers to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles, and that the auto industry be given a reasonable lead time. There were a number of very positive aspects to the Levin-Bond amendment. One thing that was missing in the Levin-Bond amendment was a measurable objective. During the time I served as Governor of Delaware for 8 years, we worked often with measurable objectives--job creation, improving credit rating, getting people off welfare, and reducing the rate of teen pregnancies. In setting the objectives, we tried not to micromanage the process. We set a measurable objective and tried to hold ourselves accountable to that measurable objective. Today, in offering this amendment, we set a measurable objective. We don't change the Levin-Bond amendment. It is all there in place. We don't change the amendment offered earlier by the Senator from Georgia, Mr. Miller, with respect to pickup trucks; that remains where it is. But we say that in 2015 we want the consumption of oil for our cars, trucks, and vans consuming at that time 1 million barrels less than what it otherwise would be without this amendment. Senator Specter, in joining me in this amendment, I thought offered a very constructive change. He suggested that in order to meet these savings, rather than just having the Secretary of Transportation issue a regulation to change the CAFE standard, why don't we ask the Secretary of Transportation to take into consideration a number of other factors, including the use of alternative forms of fuel. The amendment, as amended by Senator Specter, does just that. The Secretary of Transportation, in issuing his regulations in the future, can require so much savings from CAFE changes, so much savings from alternative fuels, including biodiesel, soydiesel, ethanol, even diesel fuel derived from coal waste. I think our obligation here is to set the objective. The responsibility of the Congress and the President is to say--and we now rely for almost 60 percent of our oil from abroad. We have a $400 billion trade deficit, and it is growing, and one-third of that is attributable to oil, which is troublesome, and the notion that we have global warming, and one-quarter of the carbon dioxide that goes up into the air which comes from cars, trucks, and vans--we have an obligation to set measurable objectives in terms of slowing growth and reserving oil. This amendment does so in a flexible way. It says to the Secretary of Transportation very clearly: We expect you to rely on working with the auto industry on issuing a regulation that may involve CAFE changes. We also want to make sure we rely on alternative fuels. For a State such as Delaware, we have a heavy reliance on the raising of soybeans. We like the idea of encouraging soydiesel. For those who come from States where there is a lot of corn, there is the notion that the Secretary of Transportation can issue regulations to encourage the consumption of ethanol to help power our cars, trucks, and vans in the future. For those who come from States with a fair amount of coal and coal waste, there is the notion that you can use that waste product to actually create a cleaner diesel fuel that can be used for reducing our reliance on oil, and particularly foreign oil. I reserve the remainder of my time. Mr. President, how much time have I consumed?

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, amendment No. 3198, which is at the desk, I believe is now in order under the previous order.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield, I am willing to go with 20 or 15.

Mr. CARPER. I would like to have the opportunity to close, if I can. Will the Senator be willing to accommodate me?

Mr. CARPER. And the other side?

Mr. CARPER. Madam President, in listening to the comments against the Carper-Specter amendment, I am not sure they have fully read the Levin- Bond amendment. I know they have not read the amendment we offer today. Senator Specter and I both voted for the Levin-Bond amendment. It is a good amendment. It has a number of positive features that make common sense for our country. In a moment or two, a budget point of order will be brought against our amendment. None was brought against the Levin-Bond amendment. The reason is because in the Carper-Specter amendment, we are looking for a real reduction in oil consumption. We do not vitiate the Levin-Bond amendment. The whole language stays in the bill. The Levin-Bond amendment directs the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate regulations, essentially CAFE regulations, in order to meet high fuel efficiencies. We do not change that, but we do say in order to reduce the consumption of oil for our cars, trucks, and vans by 2015, not only should the Secretary of Transportation have the opportunity to consider changes in CAFE, but they should also consider how it can reduce oil consumption through alternative fuels. Alternative fuels could be biodiesel or soy diesel. It could include ethanol, diesel created from coal waste in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, or other States. Four things are different than when we voted a month ago on the Levin-Bond amendment. The Middle East today is in turmoil. Venezuela is in turmoil. We voted last week not to drill in ANWR, and we voted last week to cut off oil imports entirely from Iraq. That is 1 million barrels a day. Those things are different. We need to put into this legislation meaningful objectives, measurable objectives. This amendment would do that.