Bob Casey

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the proposed cuts to nuclear nonproliferation programs in the continuing resolution, which I believe seriously endangers our Nation's security. When the Senate was presented with H.R. 1, the House's fiscal year 2011 appropriations bill, we all knew that sacrifices were needed. We knew that we needed to examine programs and determine which were broken, which were redundant, and which needed to be eliminated. Likewise, we also had a responsibility to determine which programs worked and provided positive returns on investments for our security and economic stability. I would assert that the National Nuclear Security Administration's, NNSA, nonproliferation programs fall into this category. For the past decade, one threat has dominated our national security agenda: the threat of a nuclear weapon in the hands of a terrorist. Yet when H.R. 1 passed in February, the House proposed a 24-percent cut to the President's request for NNSA nonproliferation programs. These cuts would endanger programs that have removed a total of 120 bombs' worth of highly enriched uranium, HEU, and nuclear material from six countries since April 2009. This past November, enough HEU to make 775 nuclear weapons was removed from Kazakhstan. I would consider these outcomes an underreported, yet remarkable success. I question why such highly effective programs, vital to our national security interests, were targeted in the first place. I would contend that should a terrorist set off a nuclear or radiological explosion, the physical, psychological and economic consequences would far exceed the money saved by these shortsighted cuts. The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States stated that ``the surest way to prevent nuclear terrorism is to deny acquisitions of nuclear weapons or fissile material,'' and that the United States should ``accelerate'' not decelerate the process of securing nuclear material. In the Commission's opinion this should be ``the top priority'' for the United States, especially in light of al- Qaida's expressed desire to obtain nuclear material or weapons. H.R. 1 cuts more than $600 million from the Global Threat Reduction Initiative, which seeks to secure nuclear material before it ends up in terrorist hands. These program cuts are not only irresponsible, they are negligent. Nonproliferation programs are a vital part of our Nation's security and should be treated as such. This view is shared by former Presidents and national security experts and has been included in our National Security Strategy that was developed by various agencies, including the Departments of Defense, State and Energy, as well as the National Security Council. In a July 14, 2010 letter to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, former Secretary of State George Shultz and former Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sam Nunn wrote that they ``believe the threat of nuclear terrorism remains urgent, fueled by the spread of nuclear weapons, materials and technology around the world.'' They further concluded that it ``is absolutely essential'' for the United States and Russia to lead these efforts. I urge my colleagues today for their support in ensuring that we do all we can to limit the ability of terrorists to get their hands on fissile material. We all recognize and have referred to this threat. And now we have an opportunity to do something about it. Nuclear proliferation is a top concern and we as a nation can effectively lead the world in nuclear security and decrease the threat posed by nuclear terrorism.

Mr. CASEY

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

Mr. CASEY. Madam President, first, I thank Senator Landrieu for her leadership on these many issues and especially on this critically important legislation to small businesses and for allowing me for a few minutes to talk about the amendment I have submitted. It is amendment No. 216. It addresses a crucial issue that affects subcontractors, particularly subcontractors who are minority owned or women-owned firms in the United States of America. When I was the auditor general of Pennsylvania, we audited a similar program at the State level and found all kinds of problems, all kinds of abuses when prime contractors do not do what they are supposed to do. In many instances, prime contractors will routinely list a minority-owned firm or women-owned firm to make their application in a competitive process without informing the named subcontractor. It puts that subcontractor at a disadvantage. Once the contract is awarded, the business is not given to the named subcontractor. The purpose of this amendment is very simple. It will ensure that all subcontractors are aware of their inclusion in Federal procurement bids by prime contractors and establish a system in which those subcontractors can report any fraudulent activity. It is a simple but critically important remedy to part of this problem. We have more work to do on this issue, but it will give subcontractors the ability to more fairly and more fully participate in contracting. That is the least we should be doing at a time when so many small businesses are struggling to survive and to thrive. I am grateful Senator Landrieu gave me this opportunity. I yield the floor.

Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I rise to speak about an amendment I have offered and we will be voting on in a little while. It is amendment No. 216, and it is a basic, very simple amendment, but it will rectify or remedy a problem we have in our contracting. We have all kinds of businesses across the country that are part of the contracting process. But often when we have prime contractors who will have the opportunity to bid on Federal work, they will list subcontractors in their application. In some cases those subcontractors happen to be minority-owned firms and women-owned firms, known, of course, by the acronyms MBE and WBE. So the prime contractors will list them to make their applications more competitive, without informing-- this is where the problem comes in--without informing the subcontractor. This amendment does two basic things, and it is an amendment all of about 13 lines when we get to the heart of it. Basically, what it requires in these instances is that the prime contractor notify the subcontractor. That is part one. Part two is, in these instances where there may be an allegation of fraud or other problems the subcontractor wants to report, the Administrator, in this case, will establish a reporting mechanism that allows that subcontractor to report fraudulent activity by the contractor. So two very basic elements: a notification provision, so if you are a firm that is listed on paperwork a prime contractor files, you be notified of that--that is No. 1--and, in addition to the notification of the subcontractor, that the Administrator set up a program, a method where you can report fraudulent activity by the contractor. It is that simple. At a time when we are trying to create jobs and support small businesses across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and across the country, I think it is a very basic change that needs to be made. So I commend the work Chairman Landrieu has done on this bill and her leadership but in particular her support for this amendment. I yield to Senator Landrieu.

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I already spoke earlier on the amendment-- actually, twice today, so I won't reiterate those points. I wish to thank and commend the work done by Senator Landrieu and Senator Snowe and the way they have worked together in a bipartisan manner to move this bill forward but in particular to help us pass this amendment. We are looking forward to the vote, and I want to thank them for their help. I yield the floor.

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business until 3:30 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I wish to take a couple moments to express my gratitude, and I think people across the country--if we can get this done--will express their gratitude as well. At a time when the economy is still recovering--and there is good news that the recovery is moving at a faster rate than it was 1 year ago or certainly than 6 months ago. I wish to talk about that for a moment. I express my gratitude to Senator Boxer for her leadership on this issue. All we are saying together--as she did in the mid-1990s, when this came up at the time of that shutdown--is, Members of Congress have to play by the same rules as everyone else who depends upon the Federal Government for a program or their pay; that we will play by the same rules. I commend Senator Boxer for her leadership, as she demonstrated all those years ago, when at the time it passed, but it was taken out in a conference committee. I believe, if Members of Congress are going to be deciding whether the government continues to operate or whether it shuts down, they have to play by the same set of rules. I mentioned the economy because this has a direct connection to why we are discussing this today. We have, as I said, a recovering economy. In Pennsylvania, there is data to show that. I know in California the unemployment rate has been high. It was high for a long period of time in Pennsylvania. It is still high but, in a relative sense, lower than a lot of places. We are at 8.5 percent in our State. That translates into 538,000 people out of work, which is an incredibly high number. I will say this. That number was higher this past summer. We were approaching 600,000 people out of work. We were below 540,000 at last count. I hope we are still moving in that direction when we see the monthly numbers again. We have a recovering economy. We also have very high deficits and debt. The American people are worried about that, justifiably. I have no doubt that when we continue to work together in the Senate--and I hope it happens in the House as well--we can come to a consensus about the 2011 budget, which is where most of the attention is now, and the 2012 budget but also, longer term, about how we pay for essential services, create jobs, and reduce deficit and debt. Along the way, if Members of Congress are going to vote for a shutdown, they should not be paid their salary while that shutdown is in effect. It is about basic values such as accountability, not having one set of rules for Members of Congress and another set of rules for the American people. It is also about playing by the rules. We have to play by the same rules that we vote to attach to what happens in the Federal Government. Finally, I think it is about restoring or beginning to restore some of the basic trust we hope the American people will have in their government. That trust, that faith that keeps our democracy together, can be badly broken if we have Members of Congress who vote for a shutdown but are still getting their pay after the shutdown is in effect. Finally, it is about a basic value called fairness. People expect us to be fair. We cannot say to the American people that a Member of Congress is voting to shut down the government, with all the implications of that and the instability that would create, but then in the same breath say we still want to get the pay we have as Federal employees. So it is good accountability, trust, and fairness. I commend Senator Boxer for, once again, showing the leadership she demonstrated in the mid-1990s on this issue and again making it very clear we are going to do everything we can to live by the same rules. If there is a shutdown, our pay should be shut down. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise to ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise to offer a tribute to honor Robert W. Bogle and the Philadelphia Tribune newspaper. Bob Bogle's family and many of his friends are with us in Washington, DC. They traveled from Philadelphia and other parts of our State and beyond to be with us as we pay tribute to his leadership and his commitment to the Philadelphia African-American community and to all the people in the city of Philadelphia and southeast Pennsylvania. I rise as well to honor the role the Philadelphia Tribune, as a leader in the Black press, has played in communities throughout our State. This is the fifth year I have come to the floor of the Senate to honor a prominent African-American Pennsylvanian as part of the celebration of Black History Month. Bob Bogle today joins the Reverend Leon Sullivan, Judge Leon Higginbotham, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Bill Coleman, and former Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth C. Delores Tucker in being recognized this month in this way. Today, I will talk about Bob Bogle and the Philadelphia Tribune and, in a larger sense, the history and the future of the Black press in Pennsylvania and across the country. From the time Bob was a young child, his life has been inseparable from the Philadelphia Tribune. Bob's father John Bogle was the advertising director at the Philadelphia Tribune. Bob still reminisces about the playground he lived in, which was much different than the playgrounds in which most children live. As early as age 7, Bob would roam the Tribune building while waiting for his father to finish work. Bertha Godfrey, employed by the Tribune since 1946 and now senior vice president, recalls a young Bob Bogle wandering around curiously, observing the production department and other areas of the production of the Philadelphia Tribune newspaper. In 1970, Bob Bogle started selling advertising for the Tribune and quickly worked his way up, impressing his colleagues and business associates alike. In 1973, he became advertising director, in 1976 director of marketing, and, by 1983, executive vice president and treasurer, before becoming president and chief executive officer of the Tribune in 1989. Despite his early exposure to the Tribune, Bob did not initially plan on a career in journalism. He attended Cheyney State College--now Cheyney University--to study sociology, earning a B.A. in urban studies. After it became clear he was going to play a role in the management of the Tribune, he also attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School to study marketing and economics. He has completed courses of study at Temple University and the Rochester Institute of Technology and continues to this day to hone his newspaper expertise by participating in annual workshops in many areas of marketing and advertising and publishing. Bob has become a role model for Philadelphia African Americans and for the community at large. He served in leadership roles in a wide range of professional, civic, and social organizations. He is chairman of both the Hospitals and Higher Education Facilities Authority of Philadelphia and the Council of Trustees at Cheyney University, and serves as a commissioner of the Delaware River Port Authority. He also serves on the executive committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and on the boards of the Mann Music Center for the Performing Arts, the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, the African- American Chamber of Commerce, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and of course, The Philadelphia Tribune. In 1995 Bob became the first African American to serve on the board of U.S.-Airways Group, one of the Nation's largest airlines. He served two terms as president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the nationwide trade association for Black newspapers. Some of Bob's more recent board affiliations include the Philadelphia Museum of Art Corporate Partners Board, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Foundation, the Academy of Vocal Arts, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. He is also a founder and serves as a convener for the Forum for a Better Pennsylvania, a statewide, private sector leadership organization committed to enhanced civic and economic inclusion for African Americans. Bob has also been honored for his service and leadership. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed him to serve as a member of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Commission. In 2000, he received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Drexel University in Philadelphia. In addition, Bob has been a member of so many organizations too numerous to name. While he is recognized as a community leader in various realms, it is Bob's role at the Tribune and with the Black press movement that stands out as his life's work. Today, few question that the right to a free press, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights, applies to all. The right ensures that all Americans can participate in a vigorous and healthy debate necessary for a well-functioning democracy. But when our Constitution was first ratified, as we recall, most African Americans were not recognized as citizens and had few, if any, opportunities for participation in our democracy. It was not until a group of courageous men living in New York gathered some 30 years after the ratification of the Constitution that African Americans finally found an institution where they ``could plead their own case,'' as they said at the time. In 1827, editors John Brown Russwurm and Samuel Eli Cornish published Freedom's Journal, the first Black newspaper in America. The newspaper provided African Americans with a public square of their own, where they could participate in discussions and advocate for African Americans. As these two distinguished leaders wrote in their first editorial, ``Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the public been deceived by misrepresentations. . . . '' While the Freedom's Journal was short-lived, it began what was no less than a revolution. Other Black newspapers arose and began to explore subjects that were previously off-limits in the press of the day. New Black newspapers delved into previously unmentionable hardships in crafting a new identity for free and enslaved African Americans. Topics such as slavery and menial labor were examined by African Americans for African Americans. For the first time in the history of our country, African Americans were able to speak freely through a press of their own. In addition, African Americans could start announcing to the world some of their most precious moments in life, such as births, anniversaries, deaths, and other family news. The Black Press helped establish a new extended community of African Americans all across the United States. The Black Press expanded in the years prior to the Civil War, as over 40 publications across the Nation provided African Americans with viewpoints on issues such as immigration to Africa, emancipation in the South of the United States, and, of course, abolition and freedom. Frederick Douglass was one of the many who published a Black newspaper in which he, like many others, urged African-American men in the North to enlist in the Union Army. The post-Civil War era saw a period of rapid growth for the Black Press. The first daily newspaper, the New Orleans Tribune, was published in 1864, and newspapers continued to open across the country as African Americans migrated from the South. By the 1880s, it became obvious that the growing African-American population in Philadelphia, PA, needed a newspaper. Christopher J. Perry filled the void. Following graduation from high school, Mr. Perry moved to Philadelphia to start a newspaper because, he said: For my people to make progress, they must have a newspaper in which they can speak and speak out against injustice. Mr. Perry's newspaper, the Philadelphia Tribune, often told a different story from a perspective other than that of the city's traditional newspapers. Mr. Perry and the Philadelphia Tribune quickly established themselves as leaders of the growing African-American community in Philadelphia. The Tribune published stories highlighting Black institutions across Philadelphia that were not reported by the mainstream papers. Mr. Perry championed the causes of the African- American community, from covering important events to offering articles about champions of social and racial equality. Additionally, he provided a forum for African Americans to report on job openings, musical performances, and other happenings within the African-American society. After Mr. Perry passed away in May of 1921, his children continued the traditions he began in the pages of the Philadelphia Tribune. The second generation of Perrys continued to fight for equality for African Americans. Eugene Washington Rhodes, Mr. Perry's son-in-law, succeeded him as editor. As Dorothy Anderson wrote in a tribute in 1958, ``In no year since The Philadelphia Tribune first burst upon the Philadelphia scene was there a single edition which did not press for equal rights, equal opportunities and equal privileges'' for the African-American community. Eugene Rhodes continued to spotlight social issues around the city of Philadelphia and around the country by focusing on the northern migration during the 1920s and dangerous housing conditions for African Americans in Philadelphia during the 1930s. In addition, he provided much needed support for some of the first African-American politicians in the city of Philadelphia, such as John Asbury and Andrew Stevens, the first African Americans elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Perhaps most importantly, the Tribune led the fight against segregation in the Philadelphia School District by creating its own legal defense fund and publishing many editorials championing the equality of African Americans. In 1940, the publisher of the Chicago Defender called a meeting of the major publications which made up the Black Press. He proposed that newspapers form an advocacy group to ensure the long-term survival of the Black Press. The Philadelphia Tribune was one of the newspapers invited to take part, and out of this first conference grew the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Over 200 newspapers are members today, and the association provides vital services to the Black Press so that its members can continue to report on African-American communities and society. As the current president and CEO of the Philadelphia Tribune, Bob Bogle has continued the tradition of Christopher Perry, while leading the African-American community of Philadelphia into and beyond the 21st century. The Philadelphia Tribune is now the longest operating African- American newspaper in the Nation. Recognizing Bob's leadership, the National Newspaper Publishers Association has honored the Tribune five times with the Russwurm Award, the association's highest honor for ``Best Newspaper in America.'' The award is named for John B. Russwurm, cofounder, as I mentioned before, of Freedom's Journal in the 1800s. Recognized as a leading member of the Black Press, Bob Bogle has served two terms as president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association and is credited with increasing awareness of African- American issues, values, and lifestyles. He is also a founding member and president of the African American News and Information Consortium, a group of premier Black newspapers in some of the largest markets in the United States of America. Finally, Bob continues in his role as ambassador for the city of Philadelphia. He sees race as a leading issue still plaguing our Nation, but he remains relentlessly optimistic. I am quoting Bob here: I am deeply engaged in the community. I believe that Philadelphia, as the birthplace of America, is the best city in America--it is diverse, it has great size; and our success will come from our collective understanding of who we are. The Philadelphia Tribune, though it is dedicated to covering the black community, also honors diversity. We have non- African Americans in every area of our business. Of course, Bob has been not just a leader in the African-American community but a leader in the Philadelphia community at large for many years and especially active in the advancement of young African Americans who live in Philadelphia and the region. He describes his essential philosophy this way: To be responsible for what you do and be the best at it. We need to account for what we do. Accountability means responsibility and taking pride in your work and doing the best you can. So says Bob Bogle, and those are good words to live by. They are words we can take to heart and strive every day in our own lives to live by. So I am honored to be able to offer this tribute today to Bob Bogle, to his team at the Philadelphia Tribune and in a larger sense the history and, most importantly, the future of the African-American press--so-called the Black Press--in the United States. So please join me today in honoring a man of strength, a man of character, accomplishment, and service--Robert W. Bogle of Philadelphia, PA. Christian A. Fleetwood

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I have a second unanimous-consent request which I will offer. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 359, which was received from the House and is at the desk; that a Casey substitute amendment providing for a 4\1/2\ month extension of trade adjustment assistance and the Andean Trade Preference Act be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. CASEY. What you have just heard is another objection. They object to another short period of time. Let me go through it again. They object to a 4\1/2\ month extension, they object to an 18-month extension, and now they object to an extension through Mother's Day. I do not think it is asking that much to go from here to May 8. I do not think we are helping the economy at a very difficult time when there is objection after objection. But I hope the American people understand what is at stake here in the midst of a still recovering and for some people still--for many people I should say; millions of people--a horrific economic circumstance. Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. CASEY. Madam President, I think both sides understand these should move together as a package, both trade adjustment assistance and the Andean trade preference legislation as well. But let's try something here. We have talked about the arguments back and forth. I would ask my friend from Wyoming if he would agree to an extension through Mother's Day, which is Sunday, May 8. I would ask him to respond to that request.

Mr. CASEY. Madam President, let me add a few words to what Senator Brown said. Think of what is happening here, what happened in the last couple minutes. We had three unanimous-consent requests. The first one I offered was an 18-month extension of trade adjustment assistance. What are we talking about? Trade adjustment assistance is basic to people's lives when they lose a job. Over the years it has had a lot of support from both parties. It is about training, income support, reemployment so people can get from joblessness through no fault of their own to a job. It is a very basic program. It works well. The evidence is clear. I asked for an 18-month extension. That was objected to. Then we tried again. The next consent request I offered was a 4\1/2\ month extension. Just as we were leaving here in December, Senator Brown and I worked out an agreement with two Members of the Republican side, two Members who said: Let's extend it for a short period, a much shorter period than I wanted and a much shorter period than Senator Brown wanted, but we got an extension. That is what we are asking for here, helping people in the midst of what is still a very tough economy, almost 14 million people out of work, 13.9 according to the last number. That is what we are talking about, not some fuzzy theoretical program. This is a program we know works. It is a program that helps people get from here to there, from joblessness to a job, and provides some training and skills. Why is this objected to time after time by people on the other side? Then you add to that the health care provisions Senator Brown talked about. Everyone in this Chamber--every elected official in this Chamber--has both a steady income and health care. All we are asking for is to extend, for a very short period of time, a program that helps people in the midst of a tough economy, and the other side objects and objects and objects. It is hard to understand, as Senator Brown said. It makes no sense. This is not some new program we are experimenting with. This is a program that works. As I said before, in our State, 67,000 workers are positively impacted by this program. So I would like to hear more from the other side about why they keep objecting to a program we know works in every State and we know people need at this time.

Mr. CASEY. First, I thank Senator Brown and others who have helped us in this battle. Just a couple of words about trade adjustment assistance as it relates to Pennsylvania and, more importantly, Pennsylvania workers. As many people know, the trade adjustment assistance provisions were enhanced by amendments made to the program in 2009. It was updated in two critical ways. First, it expanded coverage to more workers, including service workers and workers whose jobs have been offshored to places around the world. The change was essential because it made workers whose jobs were lost to China and India eligible for assistance which these days is an essential safeguard for those workers. The amendments also increased and improved training, health coverage, and other benefits available to trade adjustment assistance certified workers. What does that mean for Pennsylvania? The 587 certifications issued in Pennsylvania cover an estimated 67,000 workers. To give one example, General Electric announced in 2009 that they would be cutting 1,500 jobs. We have worked with them and others to get them through this period. They recently got a solution in the form of trade adjustment assistance. As a result of their certification, the workers have been able to go to school, feed their families, and contribute to the local economy. So General Electric in Pennsylvania is hiring again with the help of trade adjustment assistance. With that by way of background, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 359, which was received from the House and is at the desk; that a Casey substitute amendment providing an 18-month extension of trade adjustment assistance and the Andean Trade Preference Act be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, tomorrow the managers of the bill will continue to work with the leadership on an agreement to dispose of the pending amendments. Senators will be notified when any votes are scheduled.

Mr. CASEY

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

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be discharged from further consideration of S. 188, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 2; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and following any leader remarks, Senator Paul be recognized in morning business for up to 20 minutes in order to deliver his maiden speech to the Senate; finally, I ask that following his remarks, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 5, S. 223, the Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill.

Mr. CASEY

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise tonight to speak about the conflict in Afghanistan from one perspective; that is, of those who have given their lives in the service of our country. I do so, knowing we have a lot of work to do this year, to debate and discuss and spend a good deal of time this year talking about the policy, what is happening in Afghanistan, whether it is our policy as it relates to security or governance or development. But tonight I just wish to focus on those who gave, as Lincoln said, ``the last full measure of devotion to their country.'' At times such as this, we have to ask maybe one threshold question. For me, it is this question: How do we adequately pay tribute to our fighting men and women serving in Afghanistan or anywhere around the world? I guess the other part of that question is, How do we adequately express our gratitude for those who are serving, those who served and came back with no injury or were able to get back to some semblance of a normal life, those who served and came back but are suffering grievously from an injury, and finally how do we adequately express our gratitude to those who were killed in action and express gratitude to their families as well? The answer to all those questions is we cannot adequately express our gratitude. But even though it is inadequate, even though it falls short of what we hope it could be, we still have to thank them--we still have to--and should express our gratitude. I do that tonight, with a healthy dose of humility, with recognition it is very difficult to express our altitude. We are a nation at war. As we pay tribute to the troops who are fighting for us, we should also never forget the sacrifices of their families, the families who support those fighting men and women--and of course, by extension, support all of us--an enormous sacrifice when a loved one goes overseas. Even, as I said before, if they serve and come back and are OK at the end of that service, just the time away, the things they miss in their families' lives, month after month, year after year--they miss family celebrations, birthdays and weddings and literally the birth of a child is sometimes missed because of their deployment. That is nowhere near an exhaustive list. We do want to pay tribute, in a very personal way, to the families as well. Sometimes--when we talk about our troops and talk about our country, we search for language and stories and meaning--we look to the Scriptures. As I have often done, we quote Abraham Lincoln. We can also look to some of our more modern and current artists, and there are plenty of them we can cite. I am thinking a lot about some words from the great recording artist Bruce Springsteen. He wrote a series of songs that connected to or were inspired by the horrific events of 9/11. Most of the songs on that, what we used to call an album, ``The Rising,'' were connected to the events of 9/11. But he wrote one song, of which I think the words and the theme of the song have direct application to folks who are serving our country and who are, in fact, missing from their families. There is a repetition of some lines in that song where he says: You are missing. At one point the song goes like this. He says: You are missing. When I shut out the lights, you are missing. When I close my eyes, you are missing. And he finally says: When I see the sunrise, you are missing. I always thought that made a lot of sense to me in terms of trying, as best I can, to understand what our families are going through when a loved one is deployed, that that family is missing that family member when they are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere around the world. Of course, it is especially meaningful and poignant and sad and moving when it means you are missing because you have been killed in action. And every day they are missing, when someone is turning out the lights at night, when they are sleeping, and when they see the sun rise in the morning. So we think of those words and the fact that there are a lot of people missing today from their families, because of their deployment, or because of their death. I have read the names of those who were killed in action in Iraq over time, in 2007, 2008 and 2009. We got through that list of those who had lost their lives in Iraq. In that conflict to date, 197 Pennsylvanians lost their lives. As we remember those who were killed in action, from--in this case I will be referring to Pennsylvanians--we also must remember the wounded warriors who have returned from the battlefield. In Pennsylvania that is, to date, 398 brave men and women who have been wounded in this war, the war in Afghanistan. Last week I met two courageous young men, Army CPL Russell Carter of Springfield, PA, Delaware County, right outside of the city of Philadelphia, and Marine CPL David Noblit of Herndon, PA. That is in North Umberland County in the middle of our State. They had just returned from Afghanistan, both wounded, remarkably strong and capable soldiers fighting for us, and not a word--the Presiding Officer knows from the soldiers he has spoken to--not a word of complaint about what happened to them, not a word of complaint about their care. And they are getting great care at Walter Reed. I salute obviously their bravery and their valor, but we also, of course, salute the sacrifice of their families at this time. We commend the efforts of the Walter Reed staff who take care of them, remarkable, almost miraculous care and treatment of our soldiers. They work every day to make sure that those soldiers not only are cared for but that they are progressing because of that care, because of that dedicated care at so many facilities, whether it is Walter Reed or veterans hospitals or whatever across the country. One of the reasons they do that is to ensure that the future choices of those young service members are not determined by an IED blast or by the bullet from a sniper; that because of the rehabilitation, because of the healing and hope that comes from that work, that that soldier's future is determined and will be determined by that soldier and not by the enemy. The rehabilitation work done at Walter Reed is remarkable. We are reminded when we see those soldiers in that care of their strength, we are reminded of their skills, the dignity that comes as a result of that care and treatment over time. And they, in fact, will determine their own future because of that care. So what I will do now for the next couple of moments is I will read the names of Pennsylvanians who have been killed in action in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom. I will do so in alphabetical order and read their hometown. But the alphabetical order, of course, will be based on the last name of the soldier. I will start with someone actually from my home county: SGT Jan Argonish of Scranton, PA; SFC Scott Ball of Carlisle, PA; LTC Richard Berrettini of Wilcox, PA; CPT David Boris of Pottsville, PA; PVT Matthew Brown of Zelienople, PA; SGT Douglas Bull of Wilkes-Barre, PA; SGT Joseph Caskey of Pittsburgh, PA; 1LT Jeffrey Deprimo of Pittston, PA; PFC James Dillion, Jr., of Grove City, PA; PFC Michael Dinterman of Littlestown, PA; SSG Troy Ezernack of Lancaster, PA; LCPL Ralph Fabbri of Gallitzin, PA; SGT Louis Fastuca of West Chester, PA; SFC Robert Fike of Conneautville, PA; SSG Sean Flannery of Wyomissing, PA; SGT James Fordyce of Newtown Square, PA; PO3 John Fralish of New Kingstown, PA; LCPL Michael Freeman of Fayetteville, PA; A1C Austin Gates Benson of Hellertown, PA; SGT Christopher Geiger of Northampton, PA; 2LT Michael Girdano of Apollo, PA. CPL Joshua Harton of Bethlehem, PA; SGT Michael Heede, Jr., of Delta, PA; SGT Brett Hershey of State College, PA; SP Derek Holland of Wind Gap, PA; SFC Bryan Hoover of West Elizabeth, PA; LCPL Abram Howard of Williamsport, PA; SSG Matthew Ingham of Altoona, PA; PFC David Jefferson of Philadelphia, PA; LCPL Larry Johnson of Scranton, PA; SGT Nathan Kennedy of Claysville, PA; CPL Jarrid King of Erie, PA; SP Dale Kridlo of Hughestown, PA; PFC Serge Kropov of Hawley, PA; SSG Patrick Kutschbach of McKees Rocks, PA; SGT Ryan Lane of Pittsburgh, PA; MSG Arthur Lilley of Smithfield, PA; CPT Ronald Luce, Jr., of Wayne, PA; SP Jonathan Luscher of Scranton, PA; MSGT Thomas Maholic of Bradford, PA; SGT Jonathan McColley of Gettysburg, PA; SGT Andrew McConnell of Carlisle, PA. 1SG Christopher Rafferty of Brownsville, PA; SP Jesse Reed of Orefield, PA; SGT Joshua Rimer of Rochester, PA; GYSGT Justin Schmalstieg of Pittsburgh, PA; SGT Derek Shanfield of Hastings, PA; SFC Michael Shannon of Canadensis, PA; CWO4 Michael Slebodnik of Gibsonia, PA; SSG Marc Small of Collegeville, PA; SSG Glen Stivison, Jr. of Blairsville, PA; CPL Sascha Struble of Philadelphia, PA; PFC Brandon Styer of Lancaster, PA; SSG Paul Sweeney of Lakeville, PA; SSG Richard Tieman of Waynesboro, PA; CPL Eric Torbert, Jr. of Lancaster, PA; LCPL Joshua Twigg of Indiana, PA; SP Anthony Vargas of Reading, PA; SSG William Vile of Philadelphia, PA; SGT David Wallace III of Sharpsville, PA; SGT Jonathan Walls of West Lawn, PA; SSG David Weigle of Philadelphia, PA; CPT Bryan Willard of Hummelstown, PA; and CPL Anthony Williams of Oxford, PA. Those are the names of those Pennsylvanians who have been killed in action in Afghanistan. We now have a total of 64 brave servicemembers from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who as I said before, quoting Lincoln, gave the last full measure of devotion to their country. Twenty-seven of these young men came from towns with less than 5,000 people. You notice in that list some came from big cities such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and other big cities such as Erie and Allentown. But 27 of the 64 came from very small communities where the death of one soldier in a town of 5,000 or less has a seismic impact, a searing impact, first and foremost on that soldier's family and on their relatives and loved ones, but obviously even on the community itself. All we can do at times like this, when it comes to paying tribute, is to do our best to convey a sense of gratitude, a sense of respect, and also to commit ourselves not only to helping the living, to help those who come after them, who have been wounded, their family and others. Lincoln also talked about ``him who has borne the battle,'' and talked about those who have been wounded and their families. But all we can do for those who have been killed is, as best we can, to help their families and to pay tribute to their service and their memory, but also to make sure we are doing everything possible to get this policy right, to make sure that our policy is commensurate with their sacrifice. In one sense, as my father said a long time ago, in reference to the gulf war of 1991: We pray for them who serve. We pray for them and we pray for ourselves that we may be worthy of their valor. So tonight we do that, not only for those killed in action that I have read from Pennsylvania, but for those who have lost their lives from States across the country, including the State of Colorado that our Presiding Officer represents. I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask to speak as in morning business, ask unanimous consent to do that.

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

Mr. CASEY

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