Johnny Isakson

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate as in morning business.

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, at this precise minute and this precise hour in Jacksonville, FL, countless friends and admirers are gathering to pay tribute to Tillie Fowler. It is only fitting and proper that in this Chamber this Congress do the same. For me personally, it is more than just the loss of a colleague. I served with Tillie's dad, Culver Kidd, a State senator in Georgia for years when I served in the legislature--colorful and distinguished, a leading citizen. Her brother Rusty is a warm and trusted friend. Her daughter Tillie worked for me the first 4 years I served in the House of Representatives. I honor, admire, and respect her loving husband Buck who, together with Tillie, has meant so much to me personally in my career. I know the bible teaches us in the book and chapter of Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything, a time to live and a time to die. But there are some times that it is so difficult to accept, the loss of one so vibrant and so important, not only to their community but to their country. Such is the case with Tillie Fowler. I know that her family, gathered today at this moment in Jacksonville, FL, would want us in the Senate and in this Congress, in this building today, to pay tribute to the legacy of Tillie Fowler: an accomplished attorney, a loving wife, a devoted mother, a committed servant of the people she represented, an honored Member of the United States House of representatives, a lady who became the highest elected woman in leadership in the Congress of the United States at the time she ascended to the position of vice chairman of the Republican conference in the majority of the House, respected by both sides of the aisle as the most formidable and knowledgeable member of the Armed Services Committee in the House, one who had the temperament and the ability to calm the waves of partisanship and point to the direction that we all knew we should go, and one that would also stop to help, regardless of the need of an individual. In fact, on Tuesday of this week, just one day after she was stricken, I was to have had an appointment in my office in the Russell office building with Tillie Fowler. Obviously, because of her illness, she could not come. But the person she was going to introduce me to could. Only a Tillie Fowler would have sent to me the new director of the largest public and charitable hospital in Georgia and the largest trauma center in our State because she was spending part of her time trying to see to it that those that help others got help themselves. It was an honor for me to serve in the House with Tillie Fowler. It is a privilege for me to stand here today in the Senate and pay tribute to our colleague. On behalf of all the Members of this Senate, we extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to her husband Buck, her daughter Elizabeth, her daughter Tillie, and all of her extended family.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, Senators have until 2:30 p.m. on Monday, March 7 to file first-degree amendments to S. 256, the bankruptcy bill, and until 12 noon on Tuesday, March 8, to file second-degree amendments.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of a resolution at the desk submitted by Senator Lott of Mississippi.

Mr. ISAKSON. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, March 7. I further ask that following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and the Senate resume consideration of S. 256, the Bankruptcy Reform Act; provided that at 2:30 p.m. the Senate begin 3 hours of debate on the Santorum and Kennedy amendments, as provided under the previous order.

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that at 10:15, Tuesday, March 8, the Senate proceed to the consideration of the Schumer amendment No. 47; provided further that the time until 12:15 be equally divided in the usual form and that at 12:15 the Senate proceed to a vote on or in relation to the amendment prior to the vote. I further ask consent that, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the Senate proceed to the vote on invoking cloture at 2:15 on Tuesday.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the provisions of this order.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, on Monday, the Senate will continue its consideration of the bankruptcy bill under an agreement reached yesterday. We will debate the Santorum and Kennedy minimum wage amendments on Monday afternoon. At 5:30 p.m., we will proceed to the two stacked rollcall votes. The first will be on the Kennedy amendment, to be followed by a vote on the Santorum amendment. Additional amendments may be considered during Monday's session as well. On behalf of the majority leader, I remind my colleagues that cloture was filed on the bill today. Senators have until 2:30 p.m. Monday to file their first-degree amendments to the bill. That vote will occur at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Finally, as a further reminder, the vote in relation to the Schumer amendment will occur at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 15, 2004 at 9:30 a.m. to hold a nomination hearing.

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 15, 2005, for a hearing on the administration's proposed fiscal year 2006 Department of Veterans' Affairs budget. The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 15, 2005, at 4 p.m., in open session to consider the following nominations: Mr. John Paul Woodley, Jr., to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works; Mr. Buddie J. Penn to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment; and Admiral William J. Fallon, USN, for reappointment to the grade of Admiral and to be Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. committee on commerce, science, and transportation

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Tuesday, February 15, 2005, at 10 a.m., on the President's FY 2006 Budget request for the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and related programs. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it so ordered. committee on foreign relations

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations be authorized to meet on Tuesday, February 15, 2005, at 9:30 a.m., for a hearing entitled ``The United Nations' Management and Oversight of the Oil-for-Food Program.''

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the subcommittee on Energy be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 15th at 2:30 p.m. to receive testimony regarding the prospects for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the United States (panel 1) and to discuss the safety and security issues related to LNG development (panel 2). Witnesses will be the FERC, the Coast Guard, State authorities, and industry stakeholders. Issues that will be discussed include LNG siting process; risk assessment; and the State and local level's role.

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 15, 2005, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to receive testimony on the priorities and plans for the Atomic Energy Defense activities of the Department of Energy and to review the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2006.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, last night we had the occasion on the House floor to hear a speech from the Commander in Chief, the President of the United States of America--a speech that to me was about two overriding themes--one, freedom, and the other, security--and two primary subjects--one, the war in Iraq and its liberation, and the other, the security of the American people and their retirement. To the first, I simply say, as eloquent as the President's speech was, as dramatic as his words were, and as many of them as there were, the most powerful message last night was not words, but a picture. For when Janet Norwood embraced Sofia, the President stopped speaking, the Chamber erupted, tears flowed, but not a word was said. If the saying ``a picture is worth a thousand words'' was ever appropriate, it was on that occasion. I am very proud of our men and women in the Armed Forces, I am proud of this Congress, I am proud of this President, and I am proud of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, and all freedom-loving people. The second subject the President addressed was Social Security, which is all about freedom and security, and it is the subject about which I will make my few remarks on this morning. I would like to begin these remarks by asking you to visualize another picture. Think about how powerful Sofia and Janet were, and think about this picture. Picture the year 2042 or 2052, if you like. Picture you in your living room or your den. Picture you looking at your son or your daughter and their grandchildren squarely in the eye, and picture explaining to them that when you had the chance 37 years earlier, you did nothing to secure their future. There are those who say Social Security does not have a crisis today, but it has a big crisis tomorrow. When I entered into my campaign for the Senate, I ended every speech by saying ``I will soon be 60''--and I am 60 now--``and the rest of my life is about my children and my grandchildren.'' So it is true about all of us in this room. To do nothing is unacceptable if you visualize that picture 37 years from now, if you look at your daughter or your son or their grandchildren. I want to talk about Elizabeth Sutton Isakson and Jack Hardy Isakson, both born last year, both of whom will be 37 in 2042 when I would have to give them the ``good'' news--if this Congress did nothing--that America's promise on Social Security is gone, that by law their benefits are lowered and, by absolute practice, their taxes will be raised. I heard someone in opposition to reform last night criticize the President for saying it is their money. They said it is not their money. They said, ``It is my mother's money.'' That is what is wrong with the system. We have robbed Peter to pay Paul. We are running out of Peters, and we are getting a greater number of Pauls. Now, personal accounts and a nest egg in the future are a viable decision that should not be criticized and rejected out of hand. In fact, I will tell you an interesting little fact. Had the United States of America 70 years ago invested the surpluses of the payroll tax paid by the American workers throughout that time, we would not have the problem today. But we robbed Peter to pay Paul. There are those who say personal accounts are a gamble. Arithmetic is a fact, and facts are stubborn. In the 70-year period since the advent of Social Security, pick any 20 consecutive years that you like and pick any traditional conservative investment model that you like, and in that 20-year period of time, it exceeded the return on Social Security four to five times. The time value of money is the solution to all problems. Procrastination on the investment of money is a message for disaster. We should not reject this debate out of hand. We should embrace it. We should not reject personal investment; we should encourage it. Who in this room has not told their children, when we created IRAs, to invest in them because you cannot count on Social Security? Who in this room has not said it? It has been said this morning. I told my children to plan on more because Social Security would not be enough. The President has said for a modest debt today, we can prohibit a $26 trillion catastrophe 37 years from now by giving younger Americans a choice to do what we do as Members of Congress in the Thrift Savings Plan. We have the opportunity to empower their future and enhance their security. Yes, there are disciplines we should apply. Yes, there is math that we should run. But facts are stubborn. Had we done as a country, with the surpluses we received, what the President wants to offer voluntarily to younger Americans, we would not be here today. Facts are stubborn, and pictures are worth a thousand words. I hope I am here in 2042, and I pray to God that Elizabeth and Jack will be here, too, and they are going to sit in my den in front of my fireplace, and we are going to talk. I am not going to tell them that 37 years before when I had a chance to make their future brighter I said we really did not have a crisis, we really did not need to do a thing. George W. Bush is a great President for many reasons but, most importantly, because he is willing to look a problem square in the eye regardless of size and make suggestions and solutions for its correction. We owe the American people no less, and I owe Elizabeth Sutton Isakson and Jack Hardy Isakson no less. I yield the floor.

Mr. ISAKSON. I thank the leader.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, as Senator Zell Miller retires from the United States Senate, he returns to the State he has served so well for over four decades. Zell Miller of Towns County, GA, has served his State as a State Senator, four-term Lieutenant Governor, two-term Governor, and U.S. Senator. Though he reached the highest peaks of political success, he never left his roots in the mountains of north Georgia. Today in Georgia, thousands of young adults have earned college, university or vocational degrees through full scholarships paid for by the HOPE scholarship Zell Miller created. Today in Georgia, thousands of young 4-year-old children attend public or private prekindergarten provided through Zell Miller's leadership. As Governor of Georgia Zell Miller empowered educators and improved education. His no-nonsense approach to law enforcement made Georgia's streets and neighborhoods safer. Georgia's economy prospers because Zell Miller invested in her ports, roads, and infrastructure. Following the September 11 attacks on America, Zell Miller's strong voice, leadership, and commitment to our Country and the safety of our people never wavered. His legacy is a legacy of love of Country, love of Georgia and love of Democracy. Zell Miller has served Georgia and America as a visionary statesman and a patriot. Georgia and America are all the better for his service.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to pay tribute to the Cobb County Board of Realtors on the occasion of their fiftieth anniversary. Originally founded by a handful of local brokers, the Cobb County Board of Realtors has grown with its county to become one of Georgia's largest Boards of Real Estate Professionals. Board members subscribe to a strict code of ethics as prescribed by the National Association of Realtors. Their members participate in the Realtors Political Action Committee, and the Board is active in Federal, State and local public affairs. Many individuals and organizations have contributed to the dynamic growth of Cobb County, but none have contributed more than the Cobb County Board of Realtors. Homeownership is the cornerstone of America's strength, and in Cobb County homeowners have no greater advocate than the Cobb County Board of Realtors. I am pleased to commend the Realtors of Cobb County on this, the fiftieth anniversary of their Board, and wish them continued success and prosperity.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, America's ability to innovate will determine our citizens' standards of living and competitiveness in the 21st century. I would like to highlight what leaders in my district, IBM and Georgia Tech, are doing to ensure that America remains the most innovative country in the world. Sam Palmisano, the CEO of IBM, and Wayne Clough, the President of Georgia Tech, launched a National Innovation Initiative last fall through the Council on Competitiveness. They have pulled together hundreds of the nation's top minds from industry, academia, and government to develop a national agenda that will be released in December of this year. An interim report will be issued soon. These leaders understand that innovation relies on much more than science and technology funding, although that remains important. Innovation is putting new ideas into action to better our lives--a blend of invention, insight and entrepreneurism that launches new growth industries and creates high-value jobs. Innovation can be a new product, process--or increasingly in our economy--a service. Our future relies on whether we establish an ecosystem of smart policies that recognize how innovation is changing in our global, open and connected economy. The National Innovation Initiative will sharpen our understanding of contemporary innovation and recommend bold action on many fronts to ensure that America has the talent, infrastructure, and investment to succeed. I salute IBM and Georgia Tech for their leadership; look forward to reviewing the National Innovation Agenda; and pledge to be a partner in keeping the United States at the forefront of innovation.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Vince Dooley upon his retirement as Athletic Director at the University of Georgia. I could use the time to recite the countless achievements of this great Georgian as a Coach and Athletic Director, but I will not. Instead, I will submit for the Record a 4-page resume outlining Coach Dooley's lasting contributions to the University of Georgia. I prefer to use this time telling America about the man who made such a difference in so many lives, including my own. I first met Coach Dooley in 1961, when he was the guest speaker at my high school banquet for our football team. He was the freshman coach at Auburn and friends with our coach, Jim Loftin. That night, he made a three-win team feel like national champions, just like Vince Dooley always did, always encouraging and always motivational. Three years later, he arrived in Athens, Georgia, as the new football coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, and Athens would never be the same again. He took a three-win team from the previous year and molded it into a 7-3-1 team, defeating Georgia Tech and winning the Sun Bowl Championship over Texas Tech. In the years to follow, Vince Dooley led Georgia to intersectional victories over Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, UCLA and Michigan State. In his 25 years as head coach, he led the Bulldogs to six Southeastern Conference championships, 20 bowl games and the 1980 National Championship. His tributes, however, do not lie in the trophies he collected, but rather in the lives he molded; men like Tommy Lawhorne, an undersized, over-achieving linebacker, now a leading surgeon in Columbus, Georgia; and Billy Payne, an all Southeastern Conference end, responsible for convincing the world to come to Georgia for the Centennial Olympic Games; or the greatest player ever to play for Georgia, or, I would submit, for any other university in the country, Hershel Walker. Only a coach like Vince Dooley could instill the character and humility for which Hershel is known. There are thousands more I could mention. They may not be in a Hall of Fame, but they played for Vince Dooley. They all represent the character, humility and work ethic that Vince Dooley instilled in all that came his way. We know them as Bucky Kimsey, Clayton Foster, Fred Barber, Andy Johnson and Frank Ros. Their communities know them as leaders. There is no greater tribute to a man's career than the success of those who learned under him. It is only fitting that the man replacing Vince Dooley as Athletic Director is Damon Evans, just one of many who played for Georgia's greatest coach, Vince Dooley. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), the former national championship coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the profile on Vince Dooley I referred to earlier. Vince Dooley head football coach: 1964-1988; athletic director: 1979-2004 For the past 40 years, Vince Dooley has had an enduring impact on the University of Georgia, Southeastern Conference, and collegiate athletics across the country. He has been a man of great foresight in times of charting the future, stability in times of change, and vision in critical times that have shaped the path of college athletics. His national stature was reinforced when he was chosen from athletic leaders around the country to chair a national sportsmanship summit in the spring, 2003. There is no stronger indicator of Georgia's overall athletic prominence than its recent success in the annual Sears Directors Cup which includes a second place finish in the 1998-99 season, third place finish in 2000-01, and top ten finishes in four of the past five years. Sears Directors Cup competition annually recognizes the top athletic programs in the country. Under his watch as athletic director (since 1979), Georgia teams have won 18 national championships (nine in the past five years) including an unprecedented four during the 1998-99 year (women's swimming, gymnastics, men's tennis, men's golf). Since Dooley became athletic director, Georgia athletic teams have also won 75 SEC team championships and numerous individual national titles in both men's and women's sports. He has also been a standard-bearer for academic excellence. Under his leadership, more than 100 Georgia student-athletes have been named first team Academic All-America, 43 have received NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarships, seven have been named recipients of the SEC's Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, seven NCAA Top Eight Award winners, three NCAA Woman of the Year recipients, and well over $275,000 has been awarded to the University's general scholarship fund through performances by Georgia student-athletes. In 1985, Dooley was also instrumental in fostering the pledge which has resulted in $2 million being contributed by the Athletic Association to the University--the principle being used for non-athletic scholarships and the interest used in the recruitment of top students and other nonathletic programs. These funds also provided private matching money which made possible the construction of the chemistry building expansion and the Performing and Visual Arts Center. And as part of the University's Third Century Campaign, he also initiated the Vincent J. Dooley Library Endowment Fund which was created with Coach Dooley's personal gift of $100,000 to the University library. Under his leadership, the Fund raised over $2.3 million. In addition to his commitment to Georgia's athletic facilities, he was instrumental in the Athletic Association's participation in the University's Ramsey Student Activities Center, a facility rated by Sports Illustrated in 1997 as the top student physical activities building in America. It cost more than $35 million, over $7 million of which was funded by the Athletic Association including $2 million in advance to begin the project. The complex, which hosted the 1999 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships and the 2002 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, includes competition facilities for varsity swimming and volleyball and practice arenas for basketball and gymnastics. His community service and charity work is extensive and includes work with the Heart Fund, Multiple Sclerosis, Juvenile Diabetes, Boy Scouts, the homeless, and he is currently serving on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army. He has served 28 years as the long-standing chairman of the Georgia Easter Seals Society and in 1987 was named National Volunteer of the Year for his service. For his many contributions, a new Easter Seals facility in Atlanta was built and named for him in 1990. He and his wife, Barbara, are currently co-chairing a fund-raising campaign to establish a Catholic high school in the Athens and northeast Georgia area. Dooley, who was instrumental in the University's campus being designated as an arboretum, was presented with the Georgia Urban Forest Council's 2001 Individual Achievement Award given for significant accomplishments in promoting urban forestry in Georgia. He served six years on the Advisory Committee to the Atlanta Olympic Organizing Committee and was in Tokyo with his former player, ACOG president Billy Payne, when Atlanta won the bid to host the 1996 Games. Through his efforts and association with Payne, Dooley helped secure for Athens and the university three Olympic venues (soccer, volleyball, and rhythmic gymnastics) which was the largest number of events in a city outside Atlanta. Dooley was selected as a flame bearer in the 1996 Summer Olympics torch relay receiving the flame from Payne in Sanford Stadium. He also chaired a $1.5 million fund raising campaign for new Salvation Army facilities in Athens. Another honor came Dooley's way in June, 2001, when he was named the Division 1-A Southeast Region Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and award sponsor Continental Airlines. Dooley was born into an athletic family in the Alabama coastal city of Mobile, September 4, 1932. His younger brother Bill, former head football coach at North Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest, was an All-SEC guard at Mississippi State in 1954. After graduating from McGill High in Mobile, Dooley accepted a football scholarship to Auburn where he was an all-star football and basketball player. He received his Bachelors Degree in Business Management ('54) and Masters in History (1963). After serving in the Marines and as an assistant coach at Auburn, he was named head coach of the Bulldogs in December, 1963, at the age of 31. Dooley still maintains his academic and continuing education interests by auditing classes at the University in such disciplines as history, political science, art history, and horticulture. Dooley is married to the former Barbara Meshad of Birmingham. They have four children; Deanna (Mrs. Lindsey Cook), Daniel (married to the former Suzanne Maher), Denise (Mrs. Jay Douglas Mitchell), and Derek (married to the former Allison Jeffers). The Dooleys also have ten grandchildren: Patrick, Catherine and Christopher Cook; Michael and Matthew Dooley; Ty, Joe and Cal Mitchell; and John Taylor Dooley and Peyton Dooley.

Mr. ISAKSON

Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for his leadership on this resolution and the gentleman from Georgia for his support. America is a great country for a lot of reasons, but amongst the most important is the wide distribution and ownership of real estate in this country. We are a Nation of owners, not of tenants, and that sets America apart. And in the last decade, we have had dramatic change because of dramatic leadership. I entered the real estate industry in 1968, and then it was hard to buy a home; with the exception of VA loans and FHA loans, almost impossible. But things have changed because of the leadership of this Congress, because of the leadership of this President, and because of the leadership of the financial industry in this country. Jim Johnson, in his book of a decade ago Showing America a New Way Home, declared through Fannie Mae an ability and a desire to see to it that Americans who could not find homeownership could, in fact, find it. And, boy, did they ever. Through creative financing mechanisms and through targeted programs, today Americans who never dreamed of owning homes do. Through the National Association of Home Builders, easy- living homes were created; where handicapped and disabled Americans now find available, affordable, accessible housing in the competitive marketplace, which 30 years ago was not possible. Those who do not own their own automobile now find financial incentives and preferences in financing to locate in housing near Metro centers, bus stations and rapid transit. In essence, through the National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Realtors, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Learning Institutions of America, this Congress and the President of the United States, the American dream of 100 years ago is the American reality for 2 out of every 3 Americans, and in the months and years ahead, as we work forward to improve that, we will only improve the greatness of the United States of America and the distinction that separates us from the rest of the world.