Deb Fischer

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, a recent Washington Post headline has grabbed national attention. It reads: U.S. Government spends $890,000 on nothing. It almost sounds like a bad joke, but this is no laughing matter. The Post reported: This year, the government will spend at least $890,000 on service fees for bank accounts that are empty. At last count, Uncle Sam has 13,712 such accounts with a balance of zero. The American people are no strangers to reports of excessive government waste, from robotic squirrel research to Moroccan pottery classes. This latest example, however, comes at a particularly frustrating moment, as thousands of Americans are stuck waiting for hours in airport terminals with delayed fights--the result of the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to furlough thousands of air traffic controllers due to sequestration. The Post astutely noted: If you are a federal worker on furlough this week--or an airline passenger delayed by federal furloughs--you might want to save your blood pressure and go read another story. Federal law requires the government to reduce overall spending by 5 percent in each agency, totaling $85 billion for the remainder of this fiscal year. While the $890,000 currently spent on unused bank accounts may seem like a drop in the bucket, it nonetheless proves there is plenty of fat to trim in Federal spending. We can do that, and we can do it without directly impacting essential government services and jobs. The same holds true with the FAA. Similar to many Nebraskans, I remain concerned about the Federal Government's failure to effectively target these required but necessary budget cuts. Of particular concern is the FAA's complete mismanagement of the cost reductions which has resulted in unnecessary travel delays all across this Nation. Since 1996, the FAA's operations budget has grown by an astounding 109 percent, from $4.6 billion to $9.7 billion. A mere 5-percent budget cut would simply return the FAA to the 2010 funding levels. Despite 2 years to prepare for these budget reductions, the FAA chose to provide Congress and the airline industry with less than 1 week's notice regarding its plans to furlough its workforce, showing complete disregard for the traveling public. The FAA has insisted on targeting air traffic controllers, rather than solely focusing on lower priority personnel to ensure morale. I wonder if anyone has checked in with the folks waiting in airport terminals--and waiting in those terminals for hours--to determine their current morale. The FAA has 47,000 employees, of which 15,500 are air traffic controllers. While I appreciate the hard work of many Federal employees, air traffic controllers should be the last ones on the FAA's budgetary chopping block. Rather than selectively ratcheting up the pain of Federal budget cuts on American citizens with these long delays, the FAA should, instead, focus on cutting its $500 million consultant slush fund or the $325 million spent on supplies and travel. For months, the administration has argued it lacks the flexibility to target the required budget cuts in a smart, responsible manner--in a smart, responsible manner--that mitigates the impact on the public. To that end, I have cosponsored several legislative efforts to provide this administration with the tools to ensure that essential Federal employees continue to provide these vital services, such as our control tower operations. Most recently I cosponsored the Essential Services Act, which would simply require each Federal agency head to identify and exempt essential employees from any furlough policies by using the same standards that were created by multiple administrations during previous government shutdowns. Unfortunately, the President and my Democratic colleagues continue to oppose any of these measures to both achieve needed savings without tax hikes and preserve our important government functions. Notably, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta recently testified at a Senate hearing that he does, in fact, have discretion to prioritize the spending cuts. If that is true, then it appears the FAA is more interested in scoring political points rather than cutting its $2.7 billion in nonpersonnel operation costs. I am very disappointed in Administrator Huerta's lack of forthrightness with this Congress. When asked at the same hearing about the FAA's possible furlough strategy, Mr. Huerta provided only general statements. Hours later, FAA officials provided detailed furlough plans to airlines--a disturbing move to hide the ball from lawmakers, who were left without the opportunity to mitigate the impact of these extensive furloughs. I stand here ready to work with the President and any of my colleagues who are committed to making these budget cuts in a smart, effective, and efficient manner, a manner that preserves essential government services. I thank the chair. I yield the floor.

Mrs. FISCHER

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

Mrs. FISCHER

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

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise today in support of a resolution designating September 26, 2013, as ``National Pediatric Brain Cancer Awareness Day.'' Childhood is a time for growing--growing bodies, growing minds, and growing hearts. It is a time for bike rides that end in skinned knees and sleepovers in backyard forts. It is a time for wondrous stories of Neverland and family board games. It is a time to learn the difference between right and wrong and the difficult discipline of homework. It is a time--a very brief time--given to us by God to live without fear or physical pain or without burdens and responsibilities. For too many children, though, childhood is very different. Too many children in this country are forced to grow up far too quickly. The stark realities of hunger and poverty mature them and some have no choice but to learn the hard lessons of courage from the cruel, unyielding teacher of sickness. Despite this hasty transition from storybooks to the harsh realities of life, these children remain beacons of hope. They inspire us. They challenge us to overcome our own trials which seem trivial in comparison to the heavy burdens they shoulder. They prompt us all to believe in the power of miracles because they have no other choice. One such child is a friend of mine. He is a personal hero. His name is Jack Hoffman. Jack Hoffman is a 7-year-old boy. He was born and raised in Atkinson, NE. Jack's early years passed like those of many children his age who live in Nebraska communities. He learned to fish and hunt. He went for long bike rides. He played sports. He started school. He made friends with many of his classmates. I am willing to bet little Jack has also had a fight or two with his siblings. But childhood for Jack took a quick and unexpected turn on April 22, 2011--almost exactly 2 years ago--when Jack suffered a life-threatening seizure. Upon examining him, doctors had shocking news: Jack had brain cancer. Jack immediately underwent surgery to remove this cancerous mass on his brain, but the surgery did not bring about the results they hoped for. As doctors desperately sought an answer, Jack's young body continued to be riddled with seizures. Within 5 months, he endured a second brain surgery which removed 95 percent of the remaining tumor. But despite this success, in April 2012 the MRI showed that Jack's cancer had returned and doctors determined it was inoperable. So Jack quickly began 60 weeks of chemotherapy, employing an outdated regimen used by doctors for over 25 years. Unfortunately, diminished research funding for pediatric brain cancer has stunted medical advancements, so treatment options remain limited. But Jack and his parents didn't despair. They remain hopeful and determined to discover God's will in their hardships. In a recent Omaha World-Herald story, Jack's father Andy is quoted as saying: I don't know why God chose Jack to have this. But I do know that we can make something good out of it, and that's promote the improvement of treatments of this disease. So the Hoffmans set out, they set out on a mission to raise awareness for pediatric brain cancer. This is a rare but devastating disease that poses unique health and developmental problems for the 3,000 child patients who are diagnosed each year. Jack and other children suffering from brain cancer endure seizures, difficulty speaking, and trouble with their balance. The list, unfortunately, goes on. They spend long periods of time away from their families, friends, and classmates. They miss school, they miss football games, and they miss out on childhood. The Hoffmans' fundraising efforts through the Team Jack campaign have yielded over $300,000, and it is all for pediatric brain cancer research. Although there are countless worthy charities across our country, my husband Bruce and I feel a special connection with Team Jack, and we have worked very closely with the Hoffman family to increase awareness of pediatric brain cancer. While Jack and his family have been friends of mine for many years, he was first introduced to most Americans when he became an overnight football star--complete with his own trading card--and he did this at the Huskers spring football game on April 6, 2013. Jack suited up with football pads and a No. 22 jersey, and little Jack ran 69 yards. He scored a touchdown in front of 60,000 screaming fans in our Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, NE. In a single dash across the gridiron, little Jack Hoffman touched the hearts of millions of Americans, and that includes 7.6 million YouTube viewers, and he increased awareness of pediatric brain cancer. It didn't take a touchdown, though, to make Jack a hero. He smiles through the pain. His courage and his resilience represent the very best of the human spirit and the very best of our Nation. I admire the Hoffmans for their unwavering commitment to transform this very personal trial into a force for good. I am deeply grateful for all they have done to find a cure. Today the Senate commends the Hoffmans, Team Jack, and all those Americans who work tirelessly to battle and bring attention to pediatric brain cancer. The resolution Senator Klobuchar and I are submitting recognizes the unique struggles of pediatric brain cancer for their patients and their families. It commends scientists, researchers, and health care providers working to modernize and improve the diagnosis and treatment options; and, importantly, it designates September 26, 2013, as ``National Pediatric Brain Cancer Awareness Day'' to encourage efforts toward the early diagnosis and treatment and ultimate cure for this disease. So at this time I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 116, submitted earlier today.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I ask for such time as I may consume.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. I rise today on Tax Day, the deadline for Americans to file Federal tax returns on their hard-earned income for the 2012 tax year. Benjamin Franklin famously said the only sure things in life are death and taxes. Today we Americans live up to that second hard truth, the day when the taxman comes. For those of us in Congress, Tax Day serves as an important reminder of just who is funding all of the government's spending: it is the American taxpayer. Even as families across America have made tough decisions and tightened their household budgets, the Federal Government has gone on a spending spree. The government has posted four straight trillion-dollar deficits and is growing the national debt, which is approaching $17 trillion. In recent years the average annual deficit has skyrocketed to 8.7 percent of our gross domestic product. These deficits should be all the evidence we need in order we get our fiscal house in order. I believe, and Nebraskans believe, to generate economic growth we must first address our Nation's addiction to spending. We need to fix our broken tax system, and what better time than Tax Day to highlight this need? Tax Day is a day to renew our efforts to simplify the tax system and ease the burden on hard-working Americans. The act of actually filing taxes is never pleasant, but it also allows Americans the chance to assess just how much of their income is going toward subsidizing an ever-growing bureaucracy. Rather than make it easy for citizens to comply with the income tax requirements, the Federal Government has held onto an arcane, convoluted tax system. Many citizens, particularly small business owners, are forced to hire costly accountants or buy tax software just to sift through the 3,951,104 words of the Tax Code which, along with other rules and regulations, fills 73,608 pages of text, all in order to figure out just how much one owes. Nebraskans shouldn't need to waste their time or pay for expensive financial advisers just to fork over more money to Uncle Sam. Americans collectively spend more than 6 billion hours preparing their tax returns. Imagine what more could be done if Americans could focus less time and resources on tax compliance. According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, 90 percent of small businesses have given up attempting to comply with the Tax Code. Instead, they pay a professional tax preparation service. Through tax reform to make the Tax Code simpler and fairer, these small businesses could redirect scant resources currently used for tax compliance to focus more on growth and creating jobs. I am encouraged, however, by the recent efforts toward much needed comprehensive tax reform to simplify our Tax Code. Just last week the chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Max Baucus, wrote an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal with House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dave Camp highlighting their progress to date in pressing toward bipartisan tax reform. President Obama has called for revenue-neutral corporate tax reform in his fiscal year 2014 budget. Unfortunately, the President's proposal is contingent on a $1.1 trillion tax increase above and beyond the $1.7 trillion in tax increases the President has already sought and won. Such a tax hike sends the unmistakable message to every American taxpayer that the government knows how to spend their money better than they do. I believe American families know how best to spend their money, particularly during ongoing times of economic hardship when everyone is called upon to make tough decisions and to make those tough decisions about their budgets and about spending. Revenue-neutral, progrowth tax reform should not only be geared toward the corporate side of our Tax Code, we should pursue revenue- neutral tax reforms on the individual side as well which would benefit American families as well as small businesses that pay those taxes at the individual level. Small businesses generate two out of every three new jobs. Ninety- five percent of businesses, which employ nearly 70 million Americans, are organized in such a way that earnings are passed through the enterprise and therefore subject to taxation at the individual level. Tax day provides us with a needed reminder of how broken our Tax Code is. We can and should use it as the impetus to pursue progrowth tax reform. My goal for tax reform is simple--a fairer tax code that ensures that Nebraskans and our neighbors from across the country can keep more of the money they work hard to earn while providing for the core duties and responsibilities of our government. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise today to speak on the budget proposal released at long last yesterday by President Obama. Tardy though this budget may be, and despite our differences in opinion, I welcome the President's ideas to begin addressing our Nation's fiscal crisis and runaway spending. Unfortunately, though, I am disappointed that this budget amounts to more taxes, more spending, and more debt. The President's budget calls for $1.1 trillion more in taxes, on top of the $660 billion in tax hikes the President already demanded and won as part of the fiscal cliff deal enacted at the beginning of the year, before I arrived in Washington. That is a grand total of $1.8 trillion in tax hikes--before we add in another trillion dollar tax from ObamaCare. Yet, despite all of this new so-called ``revenue,'' the President's budget would never balance. No amount of taxes will ever begin to address our Nation's $17 trillion debt. But taxes aren't the only problem with the President's budget. There is also a trillion dollars in new spending. We tried that in 2009. It didn't work then and it won't work now. To spend more, we have to borrow more. The President's budget would add $8.2 trillion in new debt over the next 10 years. Of particular concern to farmers, ranchers, and small businesses in Nebraska is a proposed hike in the death tax. Under the fiscal cliff deal reached at the beginning of this year, the death tax was set at 40 percent, with an exemption per estate of $5 million, indexed for inflation. This is already an increase from 2011 and 2012, when the death tax rate was 35 percent. The President's budget, however, would hike the rate further, to 45 percent, while also diminishing the exemption per estate to $3.5 million. This disregards the bipartisan will of Congress. The Senate has repeatedly supported a lower death tax rate and higher exemption. Just 3 weeks ago, 80 senators--myself included--supported an amendment seeking to repeal, or at least reduce, the death tax. Instead, the President's death tax proposal would result in a $72 billion tax hike. This would be particularly harmful to family farmers and ranchers in my State of Nebraska and across our Nation. On average, more than 80 percent of the value of a family-owned farm or ranch is derived from land, buildings, and equipment. Following the death of a loved one, families often must sell part or even all of their land and property to pay the death tax bill. Yet these are illiquid assets which rarely receive their assessed value on the open market, leaving families to take cents on the dollar in order for them to keep that farm or ranch. Each day, farmers and ranchers across Nebraska and the United States rise well before dawn only to retire well after dark. After building a successful enterprise, family farmers and ranchers should be able to pass along the fruits of their labor to their children. Instead, the President's budget proposal would reward this lifetime of hard work with a higher tax bill. I will proudly cosponsor legislation to be introduced soon by Senator John Thune to permanently repeal the death tax. Absent a full repeal, I will continue fighting to ensure that family farmers, ranchers, and other small businesses escape as much of the brunt of the death tax as possible. This is not to say that I disagree with every aspect of the President's budget. Medicare and Social Security are both on the path to insolvency. I appreciate that the President sees this unsustainable path and has offered concrete proposals to reform these programs. Without action, seniors and other beneficiaries will see steep cuts in benefits from Medicare by 2024 and Social Security by 2033. While these cuts will not come overnight, neither will the solutions we need to keep the promises we have made to our seniors and those nearing retirement. This is the first step in what will be--and quite frankly needs to be--a prolonged, well-reasoned debate. I look forward to working with the President in good faith to reform and save these critical programs. I also appreciate the President's desire for revenue-neutral corporate tax reform. The devil, of course, is in the details. I have great reservations that the President's proposal would basically redistribute tax preferences instead of doing more to bring down what is the highest corporate income tax rate in the world. And I believe that we should not merely do this on the corporate side but reform our entire tax code on a revenue-neutral basis in order to unleash the economic growth of our Nation. There are areas where we can work together--and I am eager to do so. But higher taxes, higher spending, and higher debt are not the answer to the fiscal challenges our Nation faces. I yield the floor.

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise to deliver my maiden speech as a U.S. Senator from Nebraska. I am humbled by the trust placed in me by Nebraskans and inspired by their confidence to confront the great challenges before us. Our Nation's story began when bands of patriots fought a revolution to secure independence from an out-of-touch King residing an ocean away. The Framers believed a representative government closer to the people would be more responsive and better able to provide opportunity for individuals. From the start, leaders of good will and strong views disagreed over economic theories, the size of government, and foreign policy. Importantly, though, these divergent beliefs have been a source of national strength--not weakness--and through vigorous debate about the proper size and role of government, we have built a powerful nation. But as recent partisan disagreements prove, democracy is messy, and the best way forward is not always clear. While I do not aim to resolve this contest of ideas with a single speech, I do wish to outline a course I intend to chart during my time in the Senate. To understand my views, one must first understand Nebraska. Nebraska's motto is ``The Good Life''--a fitting maxim for a State with the second lowest unemployment rate in the country. Make no mistake, Nebraska's economic success and sound fiscal footing is no accident. Similar to 45 other States, Nebraska is legally required to balance its budget. But unique to Nebraska is a constitutional prohibition against incurring State debt greater than $100,000. That is a radical concept for lawmakers here in Washington. We can imagine Nebraskans' dismay when they take stock of our Nation's $16 trillion debt and annual trillion-dollar deficits. Needless to say, Nebraskans know better. Nebraska is known for its pioneer history and sturdy spirit, its prime grazing grasses and plentiful crop production, its abundant natural resources, growing metropolitan areas, and vibrant small towns. But the State's greatest treasure is its people. Nebraskans are hard working. We get up early to work farms and ranches and return home late after attending local school board meetings. I make this claim as a family rancher and a former school board member myself. Nebraskans run thriving small businesses on Rockwellian Main Streets and they sweat on factory floors. We lead multinational corporations and we are builders. We build homes, we build roads and infrastructure. Nebraskans value community. We join the PTA, we coach Little League teams after long workdays, and we volunteer for our churches and our synagogues. We work hard, but we are people with perspective. Nebraskans are tough. We are tested by droughts, by fires and floods, and a changing global economy. We have even endured nine-win football seasons. We are strong-willed people--you have to be to survive a winter on the Great Plains--and we adapt, we innovate, and we grow. Nebraska is home to the only unicameral legislature in the Nation. As a former two-term State senator, I was privileged to serve in the Unicameral for 8 years. Notably, State senators in Nebraska are nonpartisan. No matter party or ideological affiliation, any senator can serve in leadership. The only requirements are knowledge and ability. Serving in the Nebraska legislature taught me the importance of building relationships and seizing opportunities so we can work across party lines. That is a critical skill in order to avoid gridlock. Similar to many Nebraskans, I am deeply concerned about the future of our Nation. That is why I entered public service. No single issue is more important to our future than the Federal Government's addiction to spending. There are two main problems with government spending: First, runaway spending has failed to generate economic growth. Since 2009, the Federal Government has spent roughly $15 trillion. This spending spree includes $830 million in stimulus spending that was sold as ``help for the private sector.'' Instead, this so-called investment focused on growing the government. The result of this increased government spending has been a largely jobless economic recovery, a record number of Americans stuck in poverty and spiraling national debt. Rather than empowering individuals to improve their lives, these bad economic policies have held Americans back. To change course toward renewed prosperity, I support a limited government focused on fulfilling its core duties and responsibilities, a limited Federal Government performing its first constitutional charge: providing for the common defense. To protect the Nation we must maintain a highly trained, well- equipped fighting force. Equally important, a limited government keeps its promises to veterans who have risked life and limb in defense of freedom. A limited Federal Government has a responsibility to fund critical needs such as a 21st-century infrastructure. To the surprise of many in Washington, this can be done without raising taxes. Existing sources of revenue are sufficient for government to meet its fundamental responsibilities. As a member of the Nebraska Legislature, I introduced legislation directing a portion of Nebraska's existing sales tax to fund new road construction. I worked with my colleagues, both Republicans and Democrats, to utilize only existing revenue. With the right mix of hard work and good will the legislature passed this bill. The State will now be able to fulfill that fundamental core duty, that fundamental responsibility of government, and improve Nebraska's communities without raising taxes. We can make similar progress in Washington. Again, it is a matter of setting priorities. The second problem with government spending is that it robs hard- working taxpayers of their personal income just to grow bigger government. Big government crowds out the private sector and it stifles innovation. This means more Solyndra-style investment rather than policies that provide for the kind of risk takers who launch a world- changing business from their garage. Big government requires big funding. Rather than forcing Americans to forfeit more of their hard-earned tax dollars to Uncle Sam, I support policies that lower taxes, that bolster the private sector. Only then will the United States finally emerge from this long economic recession. Nebraskans understand that the bigger the government, the smaller the individual. The smaller the individual, the less attention is paid to freedom and personal responsibility. Limited government, on the other hand, remains grounded closer to home. Government that is closer to home is better suited for meeting individual needs, creating more opportunity, more efficiency, and more growth. The expansion of government and the subsequent erosion of freedom are not always obvious at first. Freedom can be chipped away at slowly but steadily through new legal requirements, such as ``employer mandates'' in the health care law or misguided attempts to regulate farm dust or the size of our soft drinks. Eventually individuals are constrained by lack of choice, society drifts without progress or creativity, and the economy stagnates. As President Reagan cautioned: The nature of freedom is that it is fragile. It must be protected, watched over, sometimes fought over. Reagan was right. Freedoms must be carefully guarded. We must remain vigilant against any attempt, large or small, to diminish it. Yet despite this fragility, our God-given freedom is vast, limited only by the boundaries we impose on it. Nebraskans understand vastness. We know what it is like to look up at the night sky and see stars that are undiminished by city lights. We appreciate the land which appears to roll without end. Yet it remains in need of care. Vastness gives us perspective. Some perspective would go a long way in Washington. Beyond the beltway's chattering class, there exists a Nation of quiet heroes: parents grateful for the dignity of hard work; entrepreneurs willing to take great risks to build businesses; farmers and ranchers dutifully tending the land and livestock; soldiers proudly wearing our Nation's uniform; veterans bearing scars, both physical and invisible, reminding us of freedom's price; and children whose simple joy dispels our cynicism, which can come with everyday struggles. While our Nation faces many challenges at home and around the world, only petty politics holds us back from overcoming them. We are a great and generous nation. We have faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles before and each generation has conquered them with that uniquely American combination of grit and grace. I believe, and Nebraskans believe, our Nation's future is bright. The United States remains the hope of the world, but this moment, this uncertain moment, requires real courage from our leaders. That is not to say the debate over the role of government or taxes or spending will be resolved by this Congress, but we can do better. This is what we were sent here to do. Americans are not mediocre. They are exceptional and deserve exceptional leaders. Today the whole world mourns the loss of such a leader, an uncommon woman born into common circumstances, the daughter of a grocer, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She was a woman who stood tall for principle. Yet she had the wisdom to seize opportunities and work with allies and foes alike to achieve great things for the British people. Along with her partner and friend Ronald Reagan, she helped to lead the world away from the long shadow of the Iron Curtain to a freer, more prosperous time. I admired her political courage to make those difficult decisions, and I hope to do the same here in Washington. I look forward to standing tall for Nebraska values and working with my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, on commonsense solutions to these ongoing challenges. I am proud to represent the citizens of Nebraska here in the Senate. I yield the floor.

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

Mrs. FISCHER

Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I have an amendment at the desk, No. 630, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise today to offer a side-by-side amendment to Senator Shaheen's amendment No. 438. My amendment defends the rights of employers opposed to subsidizing certain health care services because of conscience objections or religious beliefs. We have all heard from employers, hospitals, and physicians who have told us about their concerns about inadequate exemptions for those with religious objections to certain types of health care services. In my home State, the Nebraska Medical Association passed a resolution in 2012 calling for increased protection of conscience rights for licensed physicians. I am pleased that this amendment does just that. The amendment does not add a dime to the deficit, it protects the quality of women's health care, and it defends the conscience rights and religious principles of employers and physicians. I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this important amendment. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.