Blanche Lincoln

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Madam President, today I recognize Sandi Sanders of Fort Smith, AR, for her leadership on the U.S. Marshals Service National Museum to be located in Fort Smith. Because of her efforts, Sandi will be honored during a ``Salute to Sandi'' event hosted by the museum later this month. In January 2007, Fort Smith was given a highly sought after opportunity: designation as the site for a national museum, the U.S. Marshals Museum. As the oldest Federal law enforcement agency in the Nation, the U.S. Marshals Service reflects the history of the United States. Throughout their 219-year history, U.S. marshals and deputy marshals have been involved in many of the Nation's most historic events. Within the history of the Service are powerful stories that touch and inspire all people. Sandi's involvement with the museum dates back to 2007, when she was named director. She has worked tirelessly to create a museum that will educate all visitors about the history, values, and dedicated individuals of the U.S. Marshals Service. Although she no longer serves as director, Sandi has remained an integral part of the Nation's U.S. Marshals Museum. Madam President, I salute Sandi and all of the residents of Fort Smith for their dedication and commitment to this project. The entire community of Fort Smith should be proud of its efforts to bring the U.S. Marshals Museum home where it belongs.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduced a resolution with my colleague, Mr. Chambliss of Georgia, recognizing hardwood trees as an abundant, sustainable and renewable resource. Specifically, the resolution states that the U.S. Senate Recognizes that United States hardwoods are an abundant, sustainable, and legal resource under United States law; and urges that United States hardwoods and products derived from United States hardwoods should be given full consideration in any program to promote construction of environmentally preferable commercial, public, or private buildings. Hardwoods are found throughout the U.S., but they are a major component of forests from New England, through the Lake States, and the South-Central and Southeastern states. Hardwood inventories are expected to increase by 27 percent over the next 40 years, according to the Forest Service. Most of these forests are owned and managed by families who make substantial investments in these lands, sometimes without the expectation of timber income in their lifetimes. This resolution recognizes the environmental qualities of hardwood lumber, as well as the generational commitment of America's family forest landowners who grow and nurture this valuable resource. The Arkansas timber industry has suffered badly during the recession. This resolution will provide new markets for our State's hardwood growers, many of whom are small family landowners who may harvest trees only once or twice in a generation. With more than 60 hardwood facilities in Arkansas, the industry is an important piece of our economy. Hardwood is valued world-wide as a superior and long-lasting building material and I am proud to encourage their use. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar resolution, H. Res. 81, on September 15, 2009, by voice vote. It enjoyed widespread, bipartisan support and had more than 50 cosponsors. I urge my colleagues join us in supporting U.S. hardwoods, the hardwood industry and an abundant and renewable resource.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I congratulate Curtis Stewart and Peggy Clayton Chapman as the 2009 Man and Woman of the Year, as named by the Dumas Chamber of Commerce. I was pleased to be on-hand as Curtis and Peggy were recognized last month during the Annual Dumas Chamber of Commerce Banquet. I have felt a long kinship to Dumas, and I am grateful for the friendships I have made there. Dumas is a community with a great spirit of volunteerism and caring. Mr. President, we should all embrace the spirit of service and volunteerism on display by these deserving individuals. I send my heartfelt congratulations to both Curtis and Peggy.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I congratulate the Jason Smith family for being named the Desha County Farm Family of the Year for 2009. I have felt a long kinship with Desha County, and I am grateful for the friendships I have made there. As a seventh-generation Arkansan and farmer's daughter and as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I understand firsthand and appreciate the hard work and contributions of our farm families. Agriculture is the backbone of Arkansas's economy, creating more than 270,000 jobs in the State and providing $9.1 billion in wages and salaries. In total, agriculture contributes roughly $15.9 billion to the Arkansas economy each year. Our farm families are critical to our Nation's economic stability. We must work to continue the farm family tradition, so families such as the Smith family are able to maintain their livelihoods and continue to help provide the safe, abundant, and affordable food supply that feeds our own country and the world and that is essential to our own economic stability. I salute the Smiths and all Arkansas farm families for their hard work and dedication.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I recognize Monticello's Educators of the Year: Dr. Juan Serna, assistant professor of physics at the University of Arkansas at Monticello; Cindy Flemister, a second grade teacher at Drew Central Elementary School; and Wanda Jackson, a third grade teacher at Monticello Elementary School. These educators represent the best of our Arkansas educational system, and I am pleased to see them receive these recognitions. The University of Arkansas at Monticello selected Dr. Juan Serna, an assistant professor of physics, as its educator teacher of the year. Serna, who is responsible for the pre-engineering program at UAM, completed his Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas in 2005. His research interests are in mathematical physics and quantum optics. The Drew Central Educator of the Year is Cindy Flemister, a second grade teacher at Drew Central Elementary School. According to her coworkers, Cindy was chosen for her ``extraordinary kindness, open- mindedness, tolerance, and patience as she works with students or visits with parents.'' The Monticello School District's Educator of the Year is Wanda Jackson, a third grade teacher at Monticello Elementary School. According to her fellow teachers, Wanda believes that all students are capable of learning and achieving. They say her dedication to student success is evident from the moment you enter her classroom, where she provides lessons and activities tailored to meet the specific needs of her students. As a mother of twin boys and as an aunt with many nieces and nephews, I know firsthand that no child is alike. They each have unique personality traits and different abilities. They also have their own learning habits and interests. I have heard from many Arkansas teachers, administrators, parents, and students who have expressed the same view. There is no issue more intricately connected to the future prosperity of our Nation than the quality of our schools. I am proud to see our Arkansas educators, especially those in Monticello, offer every child the chance to achieve his or her full potential.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the town of Hot Springs in my home State of Arkansas. Hot Springs was recently voted the ``Best Attraction in Arkansas'' by the readers of Southern Living magazine, one of the largest lifestyle magazines in the country. I have always felt a close connection to the community of Hot Springs. I have many fond memories of the trips to Hot Springs that my parents took me and my siblings on when we were young. Exploring the downtown shops, restaurants, and National Park bathhouses was always exciting. We also spent untold hours on the area lakes boating, swimming, and fishing. I am pleased that I am able to continue experiencing those wonderful memories with my own children, who I know will someday look back on their childhood days spent in Hot Springs, as I have, as some of the most happy times of their lives. In 1832, Congress set aside the natural hot springs site as a Federal reservation, making Hot Springs National Park America's ``first resort.'' Hot Springs provides opportunities for camping, fishing, hiking, and boating on its lakes and in its forests. Hot Springs is also known for its vibrant arts community, with a variety of art galleries and antique shops, along with the nationally recognized Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and Hot Springs Music Festival. Hot Springs is also home to Oaklawn Park, which offers thoroughbred racing each, spring and simulcast racing throughout the year. I salute the residents of Hot Springs for their efforts to maintain the heritage, beauty, and history of their community. I join all Arkansans to express my pride in this jewel of Arkansas.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I congratulate the Norris Stevens family for being named the Drew County Farm Family of the Year for 2009. I have felt a long kinship with Drew County, and I am grateful for the friendships I have made there. I have many fond memories visiting the Drew County Courthouse, where my southern Arkansas field office was located when I was first elected to the U.S. Senate. As a seventh-generation Arkansan and farmer's daughter, and as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I understand firsthand and appreciate the hard work and contributions of our farm families. Agriculture is the backbone of Arkansas's economy, creating more than 270,000 jobs in the State and providing $9.1 billion in wages and salaries. In total, agriculture contributes roughly $15.9 billion to the Arkansas economy each year. Mr. President, our farm families are critical to our Nation's economic stability. We must work to continue the farm family tradition, so families such as the Stevens family are able to maintain their livelihoods and continue to help provide the safe, abundant, and affordable food supply that feeds our own country and the world and that is essential to our own economic stability. I salute the Stevens and all Arkansas farm families for their hard work and dedication.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I proudly join all Monticello residents to congratulate SeaArk Marine and Ray's Restaurant as the Monticello-Drew County Industry and Business of the Year, respectively, as named by the Chamber of Commerce and Monticello Economic Development Commission. I have felt a long kinship to Monticello, and I am grateful for the friendships I have made there. I have many fond memories visiting the Drew County Courthouse, where my southern Arkansas field office was located when I was first elected to the U.S. Senate. Industry of the Year SeaArk Marine is one of the Nation's leading commercial and military boat builders. Known for its commitment to customers and quality, SeaArk has been under the same ownership for over 51 years, with many of their key craftspeople employed for more than 30 years. Business of the Year Ray's has been a local icon since 1951, when the restaurant first began serving burgers at what was then known as C.L. and Ruth Ray's Anchor Drive In on Hyatt Street. Ray's now serves a diverse menu of Arkansas favorites, including burgers, catfish and hickory-smoked barbeque. Mr. President, I salute these Arkansas businesses for their hard work and dedication in serving our State.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I congratulate Shay and Sherrie Gillespie of Monticello as the 2009 Man and Woman of the Year, as named by the Monticello-Drew County Chamber of Commerce and Monticello Economic Development Commission. I have felt a long kinship to Monticello, and I am grateful for the friendships I have made there. I have many fond memories visiting the Drew County Courthouse, where my southern Arkansas field office was located when I was first elected to the U.S. Senate. Monticello is a community with a great spirit of volunteerism and caring, as evidenced by the Gillespies. Owners of Head of the Class Childcare and Learning Center, the Gillespies are known throughout the community for their work with youth, their church and community activities, and their service on the Monticello City Council. Sherrie is a current city alderman and Shay is a former alderman. According to those who know her best, Sherrie is quick to open up her home to the youth in her church and community, using her personal finances to help feed senior citizens and provide clothing for the needy. She was instrumental in forming a community action organization that provides tutoring to African-American students to help them make the most of their future. Mr. President, we should all embrace the spirit of service and volunteerism on display by these deserving individuals. I send my heartfelt congratulations to both Shay and Sherrie.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, this year marks the 100th anniversary of a landmark institution in my home State of Arkansas. On February 1, Delta Trust & Bank will celebrate 100 years of service in our State. In honor of this milestone, the towns of Parkdale, Hamburg, Wilmot, Little Rock, and Bella Vista will proclaim Monday, February 1, as Delta Trust Day. At a time when many banks across our Nation are struggling, Delta Trust represents a long history of financial strength and security in Arkansas. Founded as The Bank of Parkdale in 1910, Delta Trust's origins lie in the small town of Parkdale in Southern Arkansas. Parkdale is similar in many ways to my hometown of Helena, where faith, community, and family are an integral part of rural life. These values have stayed with Delta Trust throughout its 100-year history. Delta Trust touches every corner of our State, with branches in northwest Arkansas in Bella Vista and Fayetteville; in central Arkansas in the Little Rock neighborhoods of Hillcrest, Chenal, and Walton Heights; and in the southeast part of the state in Parkdale, Hamburg, Eudora, and Wilmot. Delta Trust's assets are impressive at $298 million. But this institution is about much more than assets or the bottom line. Delta Trust is known for its commitment to community service, not to mention its top-notch customer service. Integrity, privacy, and intelligent advice are the trademarks of Delta Trust. Through its Women's Advisory Council, Delta Trust has committed to serving the banking needs of women, their families, and their businesses. Mr. President, I salute the partners, associates, and employees of Delta Trust for their dedication to serving the people of Arkansas. I send my best wishes for the next 100 years of service to Arkansans.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize a man who I am proud to call a fellow Arkansan. Hope native George Frazier, 91, embodies Arkansas and the values we hold so close to our hearts: community, family, and faith. Earlier this month, George was honored by his fellow Kiwanis Club members in Hope for 62 years of service in the organization. Known by some as ``Mr. Hope, Arkansas,'' George and his wife Effie have touched countless members of the Hope community, including former President Bill Clinton, who telephoned George on his 75th birthday to thank him for the positive impact he had on his life. George is such an integral part of his community that the local newspaper, The Hope Star, recently penned a series of articles in his honor. I salute George Frazier and all residents of Hope for their strong sense of Arkansas values and community pride. Renowned for its annual watermelon festival, Hope is often said to be ``a slice of the good life.'' I couldn't agree more.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I honor two brave Arkansas Guardsmen who risked their lives to rescue a citizen in need. Maumelle resident Major Steven Hall, a native of Rector, and Chief Warrant Officer Ricky Bullinger of North Crossett recently received the Soldier's Medal, the highest award for heroism not involving combat, for risking their lives to rescue a woman who was being electrocuted underneath a hotel dock on Lake Hamilton in Arkansas. On August 23, 2008, Hall and Bullinger had spent the day at a training workshop, later joining their families to boat on Lake Hamilton. Before long, they heard cries for help from two families nearby on the water and immediately went to their aid. Both Hall and Bullinger jumped into the water, quickly finding it to be full of electricity from a nearby streetlight. The pair spent 15 minutes diving for a woman trapped in the water. Eventually, their efforts were successful as they pulled her from the lake. Not everyone was saved, however. A 14-year-old girl lost her life that day. I salute these two brave servicemen. My father and both grandfathers served our Nation in uniform and taught me from an early age about the sacrifices our troops and their families make to keep our Nation free. All of our service men and women from the Greatest Generation to Vietnam war veterans to the new generation of servicemembers in the Middle East and across the globe have sacrificed greatly on behalf of our country and local communities. It is the responsibility of our Nation to provide the tools necessary to care for our country's servicemembers and honor the commitment our Nation has made to them. During these tough economic times, it is even more important that we don't shortchange our veterans. It is the least we can do for those whom we owe so much.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I recognize Boone and Newton Counties, in my home State of Arkansas, for their efforts to create communities where children and their families have access to healthy, affordable foods and safe places to play and exercise. These counties, through the North Arkansas Partnership for Health Education, NAPHE, recently received a $360,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's ``Healthy Kids: Healthy Communities'' program. The funding will help local officials and organizations create policies that encourage active lifestyles for children and healthier eating habits for all residents in Boone and Newton Counties. The project will create a walking path to connect the south side of Lake Harrison to the schools and grocery stores to the north and will develop a system to deliver healthy foods to underserved neighborhoods and more remote parts of the counties. According to Rick Hinterthuer, NAPHE executive director, ``our community model is extremely efficient and effective. If we can do it in Harrison, it can be done in other places. We reach our community best through the Home Town Health Coalitions of Boone and Newton Counties.'' I have had the pleasure of visiting the Boone County Hometown Health Improvement Coalition. The program is a model for the rest of the country and illustrates how a community can leverage its resources to address community health issues through local, State, regional and national partnerships. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, I have fought to include funding to provide meals to needy children during summer months, to secure grants for States to modernize their school lunch delivery systems, to improve health outcomes for infants participating in the WIC Program, and to promote the health of young children in early childhood settings. I salute the good work going on in Harrison and North Arkansas to help keep our youngest citizens healthy.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I congratulate Norma Strabala as ``Citizen of the Year'' and Debbie Ahrens as ``Volunteer of the Year'' for Stuttgart, AR. I was pleased to be on-hand as Norma and Debbie were recognized earlier this month during the 70th Annual Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce Membership Meeting and Banquet in Stuttgart. I have felt a long kinship to Stuttgart, one of our delta communities not far from and very similar to my hometown of Helena. Stuttgart always feels like home, and I am grateful for the friendships I have made there. As members of a community with such a great spirit of volunteerism and caring, Norma and Debbie should be particularly proud of their recognitions. According to those who know her best, Norma always strives to help other people through her attitude and actions. She has consistently worked to establish programs that help those less fortunate. She was a key figure in coordinating volunteer efforts during and after the 2008 tornado and 2009 straight-line winds that damaged much of the city, and during each holiday season. Similarly, Debbie is known throughout Stuttgart for her volunteer efforts. Through the years, she has been active on many local Chamber of Commerce committees and is a deserving recipient of the designation of ``Volunteer of the Year.'' We should all embrace the spirit of service and volunteerism on display by these deserving individuals. I send my heartfelt congratulations to both Norma and Debbie.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I would like to congratulate Wynne Intermediate School, in Wynne, AR, on achieving the designation as a ``Program of the Month'' from the national ``Reading Is Fundamental,'' or ``RIF,'' program for the month of December 2009. RIF prepares and motivates children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to children and families who need them most. Located in the Arkansas Delta, not far from where I attended public school myself, the Wynne Intermediate School RIF program serves 462 children in the 4th and 5th grades. For the past 16 years, Wynne Intermediate School has held engaging motivational activities for both students and parents. With the closest bookstore 50 miles away, families depend on the RIF program to enjoy reading together. I believe that education is the key to success for our young people. The knowledge and training that students receive today are the tools that carry them for the rest of their lives. That is why I am so proud to help recognize Kaley Boeckmann, RIF coordinator, and the entire faculty and staff at Wynne Intermediate School for their dedication in helping increase opportunities for students to read and learn. Through their leadership and good example, countless students have been motivated to expand their horizons through the written word. Most important, I would also like to congratulate all of the students in Wynne who have discovered the joy of reading. I encourage them to make the most of their education and opportunities.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I congratulate the Brandon Bauman Family for being named the 2009 Northern Arkansas County Farm Family. The recognition comes in honor of the Baumans' efficiency of production, conservation of energy and resources, leadership in agriculture and community affairs, home and farm improvement, and home and farm management. Brandon and his wife Amy have two daughters, Caroline and Abigail. They farm 2,200 acres with rice, soybeans, wheat, and oats. I was pleased to help recognize the Baumans earlier this month during the 70th Annual Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce Membership Meeting and Banquet in Stuttgart. As a seventh-generation Arkansan and farmer's daughter, and as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I understand firsthand and appreciate the hard work and contributions of our farm families. Agriculture is the backbone of Arkansas's economy, creating more than 270,000 jobs in the state and providing $9.1 billion in wages and salaries. In total, agriculture contributes roughly $15.9 billion to the Arkansas economy each year. Our farm families are critical to our Nation's economic stability. Agriculture leads all U.S. product groupings with the largest trade surplus at $23 billion in fiscal year 2009, almost triple the next largest category of transportation products. We must work to continue the farm family tradition, so families such as the Baumans are able to maintain their livelihoods and continue to help provide the safe, abundant, and affordable food supply that feeds our own country and the world and that is essential to our own economic stability. I salute the Baumans and all Arkansas farm families for their hard work and dedication.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. I would like to engage my colleague, the distinguished Senate Finance Committee chairman, in a short colloquy regarding the Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement provisions in the Senate health care reform bill.

Mrs. LINCOLN. I thank my colleague and agree with him. That is why I ask him the purpose behind the language in the bill that would establish the Federal upper limit for generics at no less than 175 percent of the weighted-average average manufacturer price. I know this amount is less than the chairman originally proposed in the Medicaid Fair Drug Payment Act from last Congress, which I cosponsored. However, in what cases would it be the intent of the intent of the chairman that the Federal upper limit would be set at more than 175 percent? I am particularly concerned about my small independent pharmacies in Arkansas that fill a significant number of Medicaid prescriptions. Would it be the intent to set a higher rate for these pharmacies? Would it be the intent to set a higher rate for generics that might be in short supply or for which there are availability problems to encourage more manufacturers to make them?

Mrs. LINCOLN. I thank the chairman for his insights into this provision and his work on behalf of our Nation's community pharmacies.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Madam President, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry has amended and adopted subcommittees for the 111th Congress. On behalf of myself and Senator Chambliss, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the subcommittees be printed in the Record.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Yes.

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, thank you. And I appreciate the courtesies of my colleague from Oregon for allowing me to speak now. I rise today to talk a little bit about the health care concerns, particularly, in our small businesses. I first wish to compliment and thank my colleagues, particularly Senator Landrieu, who is chairman of the Small Business Committee, as well as Senator Snowe, with whom I have worked for years on the plight of the small businesses in our States and across the country--their need to be able to really access the kinds of competition and choice that allow them to make good decisions and spend their health care dollars more wisely and being able to do what they all want to do in small business, and that is to be able to cover their employees, to make sure their employees and their employees' families are covered with reasonable and meaningful health insurance that actually covers what they need but is at an affordable price. So I thank those women, as well as Senator Stabenow, who I know has also been working on these issues. But I really come to the floor today to highlight the challenges Arkansas small business owners face in providing quality, affordable health care for themselves, their families, and their employees under the current system and to look at what we can do to improve what their challenges are, what it is they face. Small businesses are our No. 1 source of jobs in Arkansas, and they are truly the economic engines of our local economies, but they are also the economic engines of our national economy, not to mention learning laboratories for great ideas that will allow us in this great Nation to be truly competitive in the 21st century. Arkansas's nearly 250,000 small business and self-employed individuals make significant contributions to our State's economy and generated $7.2 billion in 2008. Small employers account for 97 percent of the employers in our State, and I would daresay nationally it is somewhere at that same level. Addressing the needs of small businesses is absolutely critical to any health insurance reform legislation we bring forward. As I mentioned before, Senator Snowe and I have worked together for many years to try to address these concerns, talking with small businesses and their advocacy groups to try to figure out what it is we can provide them, just as we provide ourselves as Federal employees the ability to access health insurance that has been negotiated, where people have come together, pooled the resources of all of our risks as Federal employees--all 8 million of us--to really get a better deal in the marketplace. We want to be able to allow small businesses to do the same, to come together nationwide, pool themselves in their State exchanges, and be able to really take advantage of sharing their assets and their risks in the health insurance marketplace and get the best possible product they can. Those small businesses that are able to afford health care coverage for their employees in today's world continue to experience skyrocketing costs, jeopardizing our States' and our Nation's competitive edge, both among themselves nationwide domestically but also internationally. We find that our small businesses are finding themselves more and more in the situation of having to be competitive globally to be able to do the business they do and to create the jobs they need to create. Yesterday, I spoke with a radio station owner from Wynne, AR, in Cross County, who said high costs have threatened his ability to be able to provide coverage for his employees. Or, worse, skyrocketing costs are forcing business owners to consider giving up their businesses altogether, like the small business owner from Malvern, AR, who wrote me that he was giving up his 17-year-old business because he can no longer afford his rising health care insurance premiums. His wife and his daughter each have a preexisting medical condition, and he feels pressured to find a new job that provides affordable employer-sponsored coverage for his family. I heard from another small business owner in Mena who told me that at the age of 65, he continued to keep himself on his own small business's health insurance plan in order to ensure that he could maintain providing health insurance to his employees, many with whom he grew up. They were friends of his from grade school or church and community services and other places where he had built lifelong relationships, not only as an employer and an employee but as part of a community. Being able to maintain providing that to them was so critical to him that he was willing to ante up. I have heard from small business owners from all across my State who desperately want to offer health care coverage for their employees, but it is simply not cost productive. The fact is, so many people think small businesses just want to opt out, that they don't want to provide health insurance, but they do. They do because it is important to them as a part of that community to do something for their employees who also happen to be their friends and neighbors. They also want to make sure their business is the best it can be, and in order to do that they have to compete for those skilled workers. Getting the best workers means providing good benefits, with health care being at the top of that list. Another Arkansan asked me to please include the self-employed in my efforts to secure affordable health care. There are many small businesses with only one employee, and health care under this scenario is extremely expensive. They are put in an individual market where they are rated against themselves in many instances and not given the benefit of what we enjoy as Federal employees; that is, pooling ourselves together, adding our assets and our risks together so that we can mitigate that risk among all 8 million Federal employees. These are just a few of the stories I have heard from Arkansans, and that is why in every Congress since 2004, I have introduced legislation to help small business owners afford health coverage for themselves, their employees, and their families. Several of my provisions are already included in the health insurance reform bill currently before the Senate, including the tax credit to help small businesses afford coverage, and we want to improve upon that. Also included are insurance exchanges through which consumers can compare insurance plans side by side so that they will be able to choose the option that is best for them, allowing their employees to see what is available to them and making sure that they are having access to all the options of the marketplace. There are reforms that force insurance companies to change the way they do business by limiting what an insurer can charge based on age and by banning the practices of denying coverage based on preexisting conditions or increasing rates when customers all of a sudden get sick. We look at our small businesses and, yes, there are a lot of young entrepreneurs, but a lot of our small businesses are those individuals in that category above 55. These are people who, unfortunately, are starting to see chronic disease challenges in their life as they age. Unfortunately, they become an issue, or certainly their coverage becomes an issue when we talk about preexisting conditions. So it is critical that we make sure we change the way insurers do business as usual today and make sure they are playing fair with the small business entities out there. Just one more of my efforts is something on which we worked with Senator Snowe and Senator Durbin, which is to allow that there would be national private insurers, as there are today, but allowing them to sell multistate plans nationwide, to be able to sell their plans in all 50 States. It would be with a strong Federal administrator who would be able to negotiate for quality and affordable coverage. Some of this has emerged as another potential part of the framework for national health insurance reform that can help us achieve our goals of more choices and more affordability for consumers, particularly those in the small business marketplace. So I wish to thank the Presiding Officer for the opportunity to share with my colleagues and certainly those Americans out there who are the ingenuity and the engine of our economy. I know my colleague from Oregon has talked so much about choice and competition. It is so important, more important than ever in that small business marketplace and in that individual marketplace, as well as providing exchanges and the ability for national insurers, private insurers to be able to provide these types of products across all 50 States. Also, a multistate plan gives our small businesses and our self-employed, our individual marketplace, our independent contractors, such as our realtors and others, the ability to have access to greater choice, greater competition in that marketplace, and, therefore, a better product--greater, more meaningful coverage at a more reasonable cost, and that is what we want to see. More importantly, that is what our small businesses want to see. So I thank the Presiding Officer, and I yield the floor to my colleague from Oregon and my colleague from Indiana, and the Senator from Maine as well, whom I know will have a great addition to this conversation. Thank you.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I join many of my fellow Arkansans in recognizing and thanking Terry Sherwood with the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District for his 40 years of work with this agency and to wish him all the best in his retirement. Since the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District was organized and began operation in 1967, it has served local governments by working as an indispensable partner to identify and implement State and Federal programs. Through Terry's hard work and leadership with the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District, communities throughout southwest Arkansas have been positively impacted and their lasting results are a testament to his dedication and vision and will be felt for decades to come. Not only has Terry admirably served in his chosen career, but he has also offered his talents and expertise to a variety of local, state and national organizations. Terry has served as past President and board member of the National Association of Development Organizations, chairman of the Arkansas I-69 Association and vice-president of Arkansas Good Roads, board member of the Council of Peers and Southwest Regional Economic Development Association, chairman of the Association of Delta Development Districts, member of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Public Participation's Committee, and a member of the Arkansas Association of Development Organizations. Terry's efforts have enhanced the lives of the citizens of our state. I am thankful for his work and his friendship and wish him a productive retirement. I am proud to represent Terry in the U.S. Senate and pleased to have this opportunity today to publicly thank him for his contributions to the State of Arkansas and the people he touched.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I think it is so important we look at the choice we will be making when we vote on this amendment in a few minutes. It is very simple. When health insurance reform becomes law, health insurance companies will receive millions of new customers purchasing their product for the first time. My amendment is intended to encourage those insurance companies to put the additional premium dollars they will be bringing in with the volume of new customers back toward lowering their rates and making more affordable coverage for consumers, not putting it in their own pocketbooks. Where health insurers spent more than 90 cents of every dollar on patient care in the early 1990s, that number has decreased dramatically to just over 80 cents for every dollar in 2007, and even more so in recent years. According to testimony delivered in the Senate Commerce Committee earlier this year, this trend has translated into a difference of several billion dollars in favor of insurance company shareholders and executives at the expense of health care providers and their patients. I think it is so important we understand what it is. This amendment does not dictate what insurance companies can pay their executives. They have the complete ability to pay what they choose. It is not a salary cap. But it does limit the American taxpayers' subsidization of outrageous pay and, instead, devotes those resources to protecting Medicare. A vote for this amendment is a vote in support of strengthening the Medicare trust fund. A vote against this amendment is a vote in support of having the IRS write a check of $650 million to the health insurance companies to subsidize the multimillion-dollar salaries they are paying their executives. So I urge my colleagues to support this effort on behalf of the American taxpayer and our seniors and to vote in favor of our amendment.

Mrs. LINCOLN

Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I am proud to join in this debate on an issue that is absolutely critical to all Arkansans and all Americans. I compliment Chairman Baucus because, as we talk about this issue in terms of health care reform, clearly, our delivery system in health care is broken. We have the best hospitals and doctors, research and technologies in the world. Yet our delivery system is broken. For the last 24 months, the Senate Finance Committee has held hearings and roundtables, summits, all kinds of different deliberative efforts working in partnership with associations that represent providers, advocacy groups on behalf of patients, anybody who would come to the table to talk about how we reform this system and make it better for the constituents we serve, the patients who are the ultimate recipients of the health care system. I applaud him and the work we have done. To anyone who says we are jumping in here and moving too fast, I have tremendous respect for the minority leader from Kentucky. My husband trained at Kentucky, did his subspecialty there. His admiration for one of those he trained with is a good friend of Senator McConnell's. But the minority leader's comment that we are saying to our constituents, sit down and shut up, again, like the comment from the Senator from Tennessee that we are throwing seniors under the bus, we are in a body that is here to be respectful of one another, respectful of our differences, our different approaches, how we come to the ideas we have of how we solve these questions. The Senator from Massachusetts brings up a great point. Where are the suggestions from the other side of how we solve this? Come to the table. Are they going to come to the table with ideas of how we do something other than just going with the status quo? Clearly, Americans understand that we are not throwing them under the bus. We are trying to figure out how we preserve a Medicare Program that is going to be bankrupt in 2017. How do we make the difference in the delivery system so we bring down those long-term costs in health care, so that we can actually preserve the programs that work and that are so meaningful to people in their lives. As we come to this debate, I hope we will continue the age-old attitude in the Senate of being respectful for one another's views and one another's efforts in trying to bring about something that will make sense and that will be helpful, not throwing people under the bus, not telling constituents to sit down and shut up, but actually working hard to come up with some solutions. Senator McCain was trying to call an awful lot of people in Arkansas. My mother was one of those whom he tried to get in touch with to tell them that something is wrong up here and that we are not doing what we need to do. I certainly visit with my mom an awful lot. I hear about her experiences and the concerns she has about Medicare, which is a system that is great for her, and I am proud I live in a country that provides her with that kind of care. She does believe very strongly in some of the things she has seen in her Medicare bill, inefficiencies that could be changed, ways that we could make it a better program. I hope we will all come to the table here with good ideas and ways that we can make a difference. I notice that there was an effort or certainly a concern about wanting to add people to my amendment. I would welcome Republicans, if they wish to offer their own amendment to include other entities, if they wish to do that. I have worked on my amendment, and I like my amendment the way it is. I think it focuses on an industry with the sole purpose to provide health insurance. Their sole purpose is to provide health insurance. If they want to add other people----