Carl Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the Great Lakes are a magnificent resource and unique in the world. These water bodies, formed during the last ten thousand years, are the largest source of surface freshwater on the planet. The lakes shaped how people settled and secured resources for their survival. Native Americans, French explorers, early European settlers, immigrants flocking to new industrial cities, along with the current populations of today all rely on the lakes for their survival-- providing food and drinking water, transportation, power, recreation, and magnificent beauty. However, the vast resources the Great Lakes provide must not be taken for granted. We must do all we can to protect these waters and clean up the areas that have been harmed by toxic contaminants, polluted runoff, untreated wastewater, and destructive invasive species. That is why as co-chairs of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Senator Kirk and I, along with several of our colleagues, are introducing today the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013, or GLEEPA. This bill builds upon the work of a multitude of stakeholders-- environmental organizations, business associations, tribal governments, community leaders, and Federal, State and local officials--who worked together to craft the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, a 2005 plan to guide restoration and protection for the Great Lakes. The legislation we are introducing today would formally authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, GLRI, an inter-agency program designed to implement the plan articulated in the Collaboration Strategy. The GLRI is an action-oriented, results-driven initiative targeting the most significant problems in the Great Lakes, including aquatic invasive species, toxics and contaminated sediment, nonpoint source pollution, and habitat and wildlife protection and restoration. While broadly authorized under the Clean Water Act, the GLRI should be specifically authorized in law to clarify its purpose and objectives and to demonstrate support from Congress. Since the GLRI was launched in fiscal year 2010 with $475 million in funding, real progress has been made to restore the health of the Great Lakes: More than a million cubic yards of contaminated sediments have been cleaned up. More than 20,000 acres of wetland, coastal, upland and island habitat have been restored or enhanced. New technologies are being developed to combat the sea lamprey. Asian carp have been prevented from establishing a sustaining population in the Great Lakes. Hundreds of river miles have been restored to enable free fish passage from the Great Lakes to their spawning grounds. Reduction of nutrient loading from agriculture runoff has lessened occurrences of harmful algal blooms. In addition to authorization of the GLRI, this legislation would reauthorize two existing programs: the Great Lakes Legacy program, which supports the removal of contaminated sediments at more than thirty Areas of Concern, AOCs, across the Great Lakes; and the Great Lakes National Program Office, which handles Great Lakes matters for the EPA. The health and vitality of the Great Lakes not only provide immense public health and environmental benefits, but they are also critical to the economic health of the region. For example, in Muskegon Lake, which is directly connected to Lake Michigan, cleanup of 430,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, also provided jobs to barge and dredge operators, truck drivers, biologists, chemists, toxicologists, and general laborers. The cleanup will help lift fish consumption advisories and restore fish habitat, which is vital to this area that is a popular fishing and boating destination. Reports find a two to three dollar return for every dollar invested in cleanup and restoration activity. And preventing future damage to the lakes--from aquatic invasive species for example--could easily save the public hundreds of millions of dollars in future expenditures. With a $7 billion fishery, $16 billion in annual expenditures related to recreational boating, and about 37 million hunters, anglers and bird watchers enjoying the Great Lakes each year, we cannot afford to not protect and restore this precious resource. The legislation we are introducing today includes important safeguards to ensure that tax dollars are wisely spent on activities that actually achieve results. Projects are directed to be selected so that they achieve strategic and measurable outcomes and which can be promptly implemented through leveraging additional non-Federal resources. The bill would also authorize an inter-agency task force to coordinate Federal resources in a way that most efficiently uses taxpayer funds, focusing on measurable outcomes such as cleaner water, improved public health, and sustainable fisheries in the Great Lakes. Finally, State and local officials, tribal governments, business organizations, environmental organizations, and other stakeholders need an avenue to communicate on matters pertaining to Great Lakes restoration. Recently, the EPA created a board that advises the EPA and other Federal agencies on Great Lakes cleanup and protection activities. This bill would make the advisory board permanent to ensure that the many voices across the Great Lakes region can have a direct conduit to the Federal Government. The Great Lakes are home to more than 3,500 species of plants and animals and support 1.5 million direct jobs, $62 billion in wages and a $7 billion fishery. This legislation is needed to address the threat of invasive species such as Asian carp, polluted runoff that can harm aquatic and public health, toxic sediments, and harmful algal blooms that kill fish, foul coastlines, and threaten public health. The legislation will also help the United States implement its commitment to the bi-national 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. We hope the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will promptly act on this important legislation, as it did in 2010 when it approved similar legislation.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I am delighted to congratulate Pontiac High School chemistry and biology teacher Phillipe Ribiero for winning the qualifying round and advancing to the final round of the Make My Lab WoRx contest. This is a wonderful achievement that reflects his talent as an educator and the fine work that is happening across Michigan to ensure that the best and brightest are teaching our young people. The 2013 Make My LabWoRx contest is part of a program developed by Astellas Pharma. It seeks to increase the understanding of the role science plays in human health and medicine. The contest is comprised of seven qualifying rounds that take place across the country, including Michigan. To participate in the contest, science teachers must submit a lesson plan or experiment, along with a video demonstration. Involvement in this program allows teachers to showcase their passion for teaching science in a creative and exciting way. Mr. Ribiero's winning video and lesson plan instructed students on how to make an acid/base indicator using common household items. Mr. Ribiero's win in the 2013 Make My LabWoRx contest has provided Pontiac High School with a new microscope and funding necessary to purchase additional lab equipment. A quality education is fundamental to the future success of our young people, and to the health and prosperity of our country. This award is indicative of Mr. Ribiero's creativity, dedication and hard work as a science teacher, and his ability to challenge Pontiac High School students academically and to nurture their growth as individuals. I am proud of the example he has set, which represents the best of our State's educational system. I know that Mr. Ribiero's family, friends and the Pontiac High School community are all truly proud of his accomplishment. I also know my Senate colleagues join me in congratulating Phillipe Ribiero on this achievement. His work has brought pride to both Pontiac High School and the community at large. I wish Mr. Ribiero the best of luck as he continues to educate and inspire young minds for years to come.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to honor a great American on his retirement. ADM James G. Stavridis will retire at the end of this month after a distinguished Navy career lasting 37 years. During that career, he commanded forces at several levels, including a destroyer, a destroyer squadron, and a carrier strike group. He has also held significant joint commands, including U.S. Southern Command and, most recently, U.S. European Command, EUCOM, and Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. Of note, he was the first Navy officer to command EUCOM. At EUCOM, Admiral Stavridis had the very difficult task of ensuring that the members of the coalition operating in Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, pulled together as a coherent team to support NATO strategic objectives there. In this position, Admiral Stavridis was a steady voice upon whom we could always rely for an accurate assessment of the facts on the ground. Admiral Stavridis was a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, the Naval War College, and the National War College. He also was an outstanding student at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where he earned two degrees: a doctor of philosophy and a master of arts in law and diplomacy. Admiral Stavridis has been a strong leader of the men and women in his commands, but he has also been a leading strategic thinker with the Department. He has published numerous articles and essays, and has co- authored several books on subjects as diverse as ship handling and foreign policy. I am pleased that Admiral Stavridis will continue to make his talents available to our country. Admiral Stavridis will assume new roles as dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and chairman of the board of the United States Naval Institute. On behalf of the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I wish Admiral Stavridis ``fair winds and following seas'' as he approaches a new set of challenges in life. I know he will bring to them the same steady hand, good heart and clear thinking he has given to our Nation for almost four decades.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this week, specifically June 19, people all across the Nation are engaging in the oldest known observance of the ending of slavery, Juneteenth Independence Day. It was on June 19, 1865, when African Americans in the Southwest received the news from Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, that the enslaved were free. This was 2\1/2\ years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued on January, 1, 1863, and months after the conclusion of the Civil War. For more than 145 years, descendants of slaves have observed this anniversary of emancipation as a remembrance of one of the most tragic periods of our Nation's history. The suffering, degradation and brutality of slavery cannot be repaired, but the memory can serve to ensure that no such inhumanity is ever perpetrated again on American soil. Today, 42 States, the District of Columbia, and several other countries, including Goree Island, Senegal, a former slave port, recognize Juneteenth Independence Day with special activities in commemoration of the emancipation of all slaves in the United States. We also celebrate Juneteenth across the country in large measure because of the efforts of Lula Briggs Galloway, of Saginaw, MI, whose efforts to promote recognition of Juneteenth played a major role in the passage of the first resolution on Juneteenth Independence Day by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, in 1997. Already, Congress has observed an important moment today in honoring the history of the fight for justice and equality. The unveiling of a statue depicting Frederick Douglass in Emancipation Hall, on this day, June 19, 2013, means visitors to the Capitol from now forward will be reminded of this man's immense contributions to the moral and intellectual foundations of our Nation's drive for justice. Douglass escaped from slavery and became a leading writer, orator, publisher and one of the most influential advocates for abolitionism, and equality of all people. Today, I am very pleased that the Senate will unanimously adopt a resolution, S. Res. 175, recognizing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day, which I jointly sponsored with Senator Cornyn, and is cosponsored by Senators Landrieu, Cowan, Harkin, Gillibrand, Cardin, Mark Udall, Leahy, Brown, Stabenow, Durbin, Schumer, Hagan, Murray, Pryor, Cochran, Sessions, Coons, Whitehouse, Shaheen, Kaine, Warner, Boxer, Cruz, Rubio, Risch, Mikulski, Wicker, Baldwin, Casey, Begich, Nelson, Tom Udall and Warren. The resolution expresses support for the observance of Juneteenth Independence Day, and recognizes the faith and strength of character demonstrated by former slaves, that remains an example for all people of the United States, regardless of background or race. All across America we also celebrate the many important achievements of former slaves and their descendants. We do so because in 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, son of former slaves, proposed such a recognition as a way of preserving the history of African Americans and recognizing the enormous contributions of a people of great strength, dignity, faith, and conviction--a people who rendered their achievements for the betterment and advancement of a nation once lacking in humanity towards them. Every February, nationwide, we celebrate African American History Month. And, every year on June 19 we celebrate ``Juneteenth Independence Day.'' Lerone Bennett, Jr., writer, scholar, lecturer, and acclaimed Executive Editor for several decades at Ebony Magazine, has reflected on the life and times of Dr. Woodson. Bennett tells us that one of the most inspiring and instructive stories in African American history is the story of Woodson's struggle and rise from the coal mines of West Virginia to the summit of academic achievement: At 17, the young man who was called by history to reveal Black history was an untutored coal miner. At 19, after teaching himself the fundamentals of English and arithmetic, he entered high school and mastered the four-year curriculum in less than two years. At 22, after two-thirds of a year at Berea College [in Kentucky], he returned to the coal mines and studied Latin and Greek between trips to the mine shafts. He then went on to the University of Chicago, where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees, and Harvard University, where he became the second Black to receive a doctorate in history. The rest is history--Black history. In keeping with the spirit and the vision of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, I would like to pay tribute to two courageous women, claimed by my home State of Michigan, who played significant roles in addressing American injustice and inequality. These are two women of different times who would change the course of history. The contributions of Sojourner Truth, who helped lead our country out of the dark days of slavery, and Rosa Parks, whose dignified leadership sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the start of the civil rights movement, are indelibly etched in the chronicle of the history of this nation. Moreover, they are viewed with distinction and admiration throughout the world. Sojourner Truth, though unable to read or write, was considered one of the most eloquent and noted spokespersons of her day on the inhumanity and immorality of slavery. She was a leader in the abolitionist movement, and a groundbreaking speaker on behalf of equality for women. Michigan has honored her with the dedication of the Sojourner Truth Memorial Monument, which was unveiled in Battle Creek, MI, on September 25, 1999. In April 2009, Sojourner Truth became the first African American woman to be memorialized with a bust in the U.S. Capitol. The ceremony to unveil Truth's likeness was appropriately held in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor's Center. I was pleased to cosponsor the legislation to make this fitting tribute possible. Sojourner Truth lived in Washington, DC for several years, helping slaves who had fled from the South and appearing at women's suffrage gatherings. She returned to Battle Creek in 1875, and remained there until her death in 1883. Sojourner Truth spoke from her heart about the most troubling issues of her time. A testament to Truth's convictions is that her words continue to speak to us today. On May 4, 1999, legislation was enacted which authorized the President of the United States to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks. I was pleased to coauthor this tribute to Rosa Parks--the gentle warrior who decided that she would no longer tolerate the humiliation and demoralization of racial segregation on a bus. I was also pleased to be a part of the effort to direct the Architect of the Capitol to commission a statue of Rosa Parks, which was recently placed in the United States Capitol, making her the second African American woman to receive such an honor. Her personal bravery and self-sacrifice are remembered with reverence and respect by us all. Over 55 years ago, in Montgomery, AL, the modern civil rights movement began when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus. The strength and spirit of this courageous woman captured the consciousness of not only the American people, but the entire world. The boycott which Rosa Parks began was the start of an American revolution that elevated the status of African Americans nationwide and introduced to the world a young leader who would one day have a national holiday declared in his honor, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. In addition, the overwhelming majority of my colleagues in the Senate joined me in sponsoring legislation authorizing the Congressional Gold Medal to be presented to Dr. King, posthumously, and Coretta Scott King in recognition of their contributions to the Nation. Companion legislation was led in the House by Representative John Lewis. We have come a long way toward achieving justice and equality for all. We still, however, have work to do. In the names of Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and many others, let us rededicate ourselves to continuing the struggle of civil rights and human rights. In closing, I would like to pay tribute to the Juneteenth directors and event coordinators throughout my State of Michigan. They have worked tirelessly in the planning of intergenerational activities in observance of Juneteenth, heading up a wide range of activities over several days in Detroit, Flint, Holland, Lansing, Saginaw, and other areas around the State.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, much of what we read today in newspapers or on the Internet, much of what we hear on TV, much of what dominates our national conversation and our conversation here in the Senate is bad news. And it's understandable in a way that we're focused on righting wrongs and debating the solutions to problems. But too often we lose sight of the remarkable accomplishments and uplifting stories that are every bit as much a feature of the human condition as conflict and tragedy. With that in mind, I want to alert my colleagues to an extraordinarily good-news story from right in my home State of Michigan. There, experts at the University of Michigan's CS Mott Children's Hospital, recently broke important new ground in treating a rare but life-threatening condition, and made an enormous difference in the lives of one little boy and his family. At just 3 months old, Kaiba Gionfriddo's life was in danger. The Ohio baby was threatened by an unusual weakening of the wall of his bronchus, the passage leading to his lungs. His condition caused him to stop breathing, and his physicians worried that the condition would prove fatal. But they knew that doctors and engineers at the University of Michigan were working to develop a new treatment that offered hope. At UM, pediatrician Dr. Glenn Green and biomechanical engineering professor Scott Hollister were working on a groundbreaking procedure. Alerted to young Kaiba's condition, they went to work. Kaiba was airlifted from his Ohio hospital to Ann Arbor, and the UM team went to work. Their ingenious idea combined several important technologies. They used high-resolution imaging to create a detailed picture of Kaiba's airway. Through computer-aided design techniques and the use of a three-dimensional printer, they created a customized tracheal splint to support the weakened walls of his bronchus and allow him to breathe. And they fashioned this device out of a bioresorbable polymer that will be absorbed by Kaiba's body by the age of four, after it has given his body time to form a stronger breathing passage. There are many heroes in this story: Kaiba's parents, who moved heaven and earth for their son while dealing with the fear that they might lose him; the Ohio physicians who searched for solutions to a difficult case; of course, Dr. Green and Professor Hollister and their team at UM; and, not to be forgotten, the countless researchers, engineers, and developers who put remarkable technological tools such as high-resolution imaging, computer-aided design, and 3D printing in the hands of the UM experts. A year after his procedure, Kaiba's mother April says her son is doing well. ``He's getting himself into trouble nowadays,'' she said in a newspaper interview. ``He scoots across the floor and gets into everything.'' It's a remarkable story--but every day, countless Americans are engaged in similar efforts to help loved ones, neighbors, patients, even total strangers they will never know or meet. The combination of remarkable ingenuity and public spirit are defining characteristics of our Nation, and so long as they remain, there is nothing Americans cannot accomplish. As we focus on the problems we need to solve and the challenges we face and the flood of negative and discouraging news, I hope we will also keep in mind the remarkable good news that also happens every day and take inspiration from it.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, in Flint, MI, a family anxiously awaits word of when their son and brother will return to them. For more than 600 days, Amir Hekmati has been imprisoned in Iran, accused of spying for the United States. His capture, detention, trial and sentencing have brought great anxiety to his loved ones here in the United States. Amir, who spent much of his childhood in Michigan and whose family still lives there, was visiting relatives in Iran in August of 2011 when he was arrested by Iranian police. In January of 2012, an Iranian trial court sentenced him to death. But on March 5, 2012, Iran's Supreme Court overturned that sentence, ruled Amir's trial had been flawed and ordered a new trial. That was more than a year ago, and yet Amir's family still has little clue as to his fate. Amir has been held for much of his captivity in solitary confinement. He has not been granted access to his Iranian attorney and has been allowed only limited contact with family. Switzerland, which oversees U.S. interests in Iran, has not been granted consular access to him. There is no evidence that Amir was engaged in any espionage activity while visiting his family in Iran. There is every reason to believe-- including the ruling of the Iranian Supreme Court--that the information used against Amir in his original trial was deeply flawed. A videotaped ``confession'' broadcast on Iranian television was obviously edited. Iranian officials have yet to make clear what charges, if any, Amir faces, or when he might be re-tried on those charges, even though more than a year has passed since his original sentence was overturned. Humanitarian and human rights groups including Amnesty International have called for Amir's release. So have a number of U.S.-based Islamic organizations, including Islamic Circle of North America, Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Public Affairs, Council, Council on American-Islamic Relations of Michigan, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan, Islamic House of Wisdom, the Muslim Center of Detroit and the Michigan Muslim Community Council. Recently, Amir's family has received some limited communication with him. He has been able to send them letters, and an uncle in Iran has been given permission to visit Amir in prison. This limited contact has been welcome, but has only increased the family's desire to secure Amir's return. This desire is all the stronger because Amir's father, a college professor in Flint, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Ali Hekmati faces his illness wondering if he will ever again be able to see his son. Islamic and universal principles of compassion and mercy argue for his release. Our two nations have wide differences of opinion, many of them longstanding, others which have emerged more recently. But innocent citizens of both our nations should not be caught up in matters of state. I urge the Iranian government to recognize the humanitarian necessity of releasing Amir Hekmati and returning him to the Michigan family that has missed him for so long.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, in May, thousands of law enforcement officers from around the Nation came together at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC to commemorate Peace Officers Memorial Day. The Congressional resolution that created this day of reflection dedicated it to the extraordinary law enforcement officers ``who, night and day, stand guard in our midst to protect us through enforcement of our laws,'' as well as the ``Federal, State, and municipal officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty.'' As we commemorate Peace Officers Memorial Day, it is vital for us to not only to honor the extraordinary work of our Nation's law enforcement professionals, but also to listen to their suggestions for how we can make our Nation a safer place to live. And on one subject, the overwhelming majority of our Nation's law enforcement communities have been resolute and clear: Congress needs to support common sense measures, such as background checks for gun sales, to help stem the gun violence that plagues our Nation. This is far from a revolutionary idea. Polls consistently show that approximately 90 percent of Americans support universal background checks. So do major law enforcement groups such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the Police Executive Research Forum and the Police Foundation. These groups, each of them dedicated to the safety of our people, tell us that the time is now to act to prevent more senseless gun violence. The extension of background checks to all gun sales would go a long way toward making our neighborhoods safer. Today, anyone, including convicted felons and the mentally ill, can walk into a gun show and walk out with a deadly weapon. As Police Chief Ronald Haddad of Dearborn, MI put it in a letter he wrote to me this past April, ``Police see firsthand the toll that gun violence takes in our schools, on our streets, and among our fellow officers--and we know from experience that our broken gun laws are a significant part of the problem.'' This status quo has dangerous consequences. A 2004 Department of Justice survey found that 80 percent of prisoners who committed crimes with handguns got them through private transfers, where no background check is required. In many of these cases, a simple background check could have stopped a tragedy and saved lives by keeping a weapon out of the hands of someone who sought to use it for harm. As Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson put it at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year, ``The best way to stop a bad guy from getting a gun in the first place is a good background check.'' We should listen to the voices of those entrusted with the safety of our communities. We should listen to the officers who every day confront well-armed criminals who legally purchase weapons to turn on innocents. We should live up to the spirit of Peace Officers Memorial Day by passing the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013, a common sense piece of legislation to protect our society from more senseless gun violence. We owe the brave law enforcement professionals who keep our communities safe nothing less.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 contains many important provisions for my State of Michigan and for our Nation's farmers and that is why I am voting in support. The Senate passed a farm bill in 2012, but the House took no action. This was unfortunate, as that farm bill as well as the one before us now contain important reforms to agricultural programs. Reforms that will better help farmers manage their risk and better protect the environment. CBO estimates that the Senate introduced bill would reduce direct spending by $18 billion over a 10-year period. The bulk of these savings come from the elimination of direct payments to growers and restructuring of conservation programs. While achieving this budgetary savings, the bill provides important funding for agricultural producers. I am pleased that this farm bill provides funding for specialty crops. My home State is second only to California in the number of crops grown and is second to none in production of 18 different commodities including tart cherries, cucumbers, blueberries, dry black and red beans and cranberries. The bill before us provides mandatory funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, continues funding for specialty crop block grants and consolidates efforts to fight invasive pests. The bill also includes important conservation provisions to reduce erosion, improve wildlife habitat, and protect water quality, including that of the Great Lakes. Compliance with conservation measures is required for lands receiving Federal assistance. Every year, about 600 million tons of topsoil erode from agricultural lands in the Great Lakes region. This soil erosion also includes fertilizer and other chemicals, polluting waterways and contributing to harmful algal blooms, a growing problem in the Great Lakes. The conservation requirements in the bill would help prevent this from occurring, as well as protecting the soil quality and productivity of the farmland. I am also pleased the bill includes the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which would support locally-led conservation projects in priority watersheds such as the Great Lakes. The program would allow a broad range of issues to be addressed including sediment reduction, water quality improvements, and habitat conservation. Because the Great Lakes region already has a regional plan in place, our region should be able to effectively compete for the $110 million in annual funding that would be provided for this program. We have made some solid progress in cleaning up our Great Lakes and other waters in Michigan, but there is still much to be done. The conservation funding provided in the farm bill would help to protect and restore the Great Lakes as well as Michigan's inland waterways.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, for the Committee on Armed Services I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the Congressional Record on the dates indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretary's desk for the information of Senators.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, through no one's fault but my own, I got here a couple of minutes late for the last amendment, the vote on the Feinstein amendment. I would have voted aye had I gotten here in time. The Senator from Michigan.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I wish to start by thanking Senator Whitehouse who has shown such strong leadership on the issue we are going to be discussing this afternoon, which is how do we get out of the sequestration box we are now in. I also wish to thank him for joining with me in sponsoring the Cut Unjustified Tax Loopholes Act, which could do so much to address the problems we will be discussing today, including the need to move forward on solutions to our budget deficit and to ending sequestration. I ask unanimous consent that following my remarks, the Senator from Rhode Island be recognized for his remarks on this subject.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, at the beginning of March, when Congress's failure to reach a compromise on deficit reduction triggered sequestration, some in Congress were ready to declare victory. ``Sequestration will take place . . . [and] I am excited,'' said one Member of the House of Representatives. ``It's going to be a home run,'' said another Member of the House of Representatives. ``This will be the first significant tea party victory,'' said a third Member of the House of Representatives. Well, sequestration may be a victory for the tea party, but it isn't a victory for the American people. It is not a victory for the men and women of our military and their families. Over the past 2 months, the Senate Armed Services Committee has heard testimony from our highest ranking military leaders, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Army Chief of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Air Force Chief of Staff, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Combatant Commanders who are responsible for our forces in Afghanistan and Korea and around the world. Each of these military leaders told us that continued sequestration will damage our security and harm the troops they lead. General Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, warned us: If sequestration occurs, it will severely limit our ability to implement our defense strategy. It will put the Nation at greater risk of coercion, and it will break faith with men and women in uniform. He warned us that continued sequestration would ``destroy'' military readiness. General Amos, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, told us: ``Sequestration will leave ships in ports, aircraft grounded for want of necessary maintenance and flying hours, units only partially trained and reset after 12 years of continuous combat, and modernization programs canceled.'' The result, he stated, would be ``a lapse in American leadership.'' General Odierno, the Chief of Staff of the Army, told us: Sequestration will result in delays to every one of our 10 major modernization programs, the inability to re-set our equipment after 12 years of war, and unacceptable reductions in unit and individual training. . . . It will place an unreasonable burden on the shoulders of our soldiers and civilians. . . . If we do not have the resources to train and equip the force, our soldiers, our young men and women, are the ones who will pay the price, potentially with their lives. The Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force warned: Lost flight hours will cause unit stand-downs which will result in severe, rapid, and long-term unit combat readiness degradation. We have already ceased operations for one-third of our fighter and bomber force. Within 60 days of a stand down, the affected units will be unable to meet emergent or operations plans requirements. The Vice Chief of Naval Operations told us: In FY13, we will reduce intermediate-level ship maintenance, defer an additional 84 aircraft and 184 engines for depot maintenance, and defer eight of 33 planned depot- level surface ship maintenance availabilities. At our shore bases, we have deferred about 16% of our planned FY13 shore facility sustainment and upgrades, about $1 billion worth of work. . . . By the end of FY13 . . . nearly two thirds of the fleet . . . will be less than fully mission capable and not certified for Major Combat Operations. We rely on the men and women of our military to keep us safe and to help us meet the U.S. national security objectives around the world. We expect our men and women in uniform to put their lives on the line every day, but in return what we tell them is that we will stand by them, we will stand by their families, we will provide them the best training, the best equipment, and the best support available to any military anywhere in the world. Sequestration in fiscal year 2013 is already undermining that commitment to the men and women in the military and their families. There may be a few people who, hearing all of this, might still consider sequestration a ``victory.'' But members of the Armed Services Committee who have heard the testimony--Democrats and Republicans-- believe the continued sequestration is a grave mistake. These cuts will damage our military readiness, restrict our ability to respond when crisis erupts, and restrict our flexibility in confronting national security threats from Iran to North Korea to international terrorism. These cuts will cost taxpayers in the long run because maintaining our military readiness today is far less expensive than rebuilding our military readiness tomorrow after it has been squandered. The devastating effects of sequestration are also felt in other of our agencies and departments. These effects are going to harm students and seniors and farmers and families across this Nation. Continued sequestration will set back our slow climb out of recession, as well as education and medical research and health care and public safety. As former Defense Secretary Panetta told our committee in February: It's not just defense, it's education, loss of teachers, it's childcare. . . . It's about food safety, it's about law enforcement, it's about airport safety. The desire to avoid this outcome is, I believe, bipartisan. That is why it is so baffling to me that some of our Republican colleagues still refuse to allow us to take the necessary next step to avert this continued damage. By refusing to allow a House-Senate conference committee to meet--a meeting in which Members of both Chambers and both parties would work to resolve differences between the Senate- and House-passed budgets--a few Senate Republicans are objecting to the search for a solution to sequestration. For reasons I do not understand, they are objecting now to the normal budget process they previously urged us on with such energy to follow. It is truly baffling because 2 months ago we heard from some Republicans that it was a travesty that we had failed to pass a budget. They called failure to pass a budget an outrage. Now that we have passed a budget, a few of our colleagues across the aisle are preventing us from going to conference so we can work out our differences with the House and finalize a budget. Those colleagues want a guarantee in advance of a conference in which they will get their way on a number of issues or else, they say, they are going to prevent the conference from even occurring. They want the rules of the game to guarantee they are going to win even before they agree to play. The budget resolution is no game, but the analogy is apt. I cannot understand the reasoning--I simply cannot understand that reasoning--but at a time when our national security is challenged on so many fronts and we face the effects of sequestration that I have outlined, this is not just illogical, it makes responsible governing impossible. It is harmful to our Nation. Getting to conference and working out our differences is simply essential. I am very much encouraged that some of our Republican colleagues have come to the floor to point this out. They have spoken forcefully, admirably, courageously about the need for the Senate to move forward. They give me hope. Those Senate Republicans who have come to the floor and urged us to go to conference and urged those who are blocking our move to conference to remove the blockage have a mission which I hope succeeds. I have spoken on this floor on a number of occasions about what I see as the proper path to sensible deficit reduction, and that is the reverse of sequestration. A significant majority of Americans believes we need a balanced deficit reduction plan to dig us out of the hole we are in. Such an approach would include some additional discretionary budget cuts, but prudent, prioritized cuts, replacing the hatchet which is sequestration with a scalpel instead. Such an approach would include reforms to entitlement programs, and it would include revenue. Budget experts of all ideological stripes know additional revenue must be part of our deficit solution. By closing unjustifiable tax loopholes, such as those my Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has outlined in detail on a bipartisan basis, we can provide tens of billions of dollars for deficit reduction--deficit reduction that does not require us to raise the burden on working families or on the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line to keep us safe. That kind of revenue will help us reverse sequestration--part of a solution to this budget crisis we are in. A balanced approach to deficit reduction is the approach to the budget which this body passed on March 24. I hope this position prevails in conference when we get to conference with the House. I would hope the Senate position prevails. But I cannot even believe that Members of this body would consider obstructing the budget process until they were given a guarantee they could get their way. It is the wrong way to govern. Most of us know it. You cannot guarantee in advance of a conference that the conference is going to have your outcome. If you want to instruct conferees, fair enough, and that is what the effort has been here on the part of the Democratic majority leader. But for some Members of this body to insist that unless they are guaranteed they will get their way in conference or else they are going to block us going to conference is not the way we are able to get anything done here. If we all took that position, we would never get anything done. This obstruction does a disservice to the men and women who serve in our military and to the people of this great Nation whom they protect. Their position is as damaging as it is illogical. I hope they will soon relent to logic, to the needs of the Nation, and end the objection to proceeding to conference with the House of Representatives, because that is the way we can try to work out our differences, finalize a budget, and take the necessary steps toward deficit reduction and the end of sequestration. I thank our Presiding Officer. Again, I thank Senator Whitehouse. It is his initiative that brings us to the floor today. It is his initiative which has cast a light in so many ways on the budget dilemmas we face, but also the solution to these challenges. I yield the floor.

Mr. LEVIN. If the Senator would yield for a question, if that position were taken by all of us, that is a guarantee of inaction?

Mr. LEVIN. Since I have interrupted the Senator, let me ask one additional question. I notice that even though the Senator's menu yields $127 billion, that he only requires $85 billion for the 1-year sequester replacement, which means that, for instance, if just the Buffet rule were put in place, which is a tax fairness approach, plus the bottom one, a tax break for offshoring, those two items out of this menu--and there are many other items which are not on the Senator's menu, those two items alone could reverse sequester for 1 year?

Mr. LEVIN. I wish to make one more comment about offshoring. My dear friend from Rhode Island knows that my permanent subcommittee has done a lot of work on the tax breaks for offshoring. In addition to what the Senator said about delaying the tax on profits, under our Tax Code, companies which move jobs overseas get a tax deduction for the cost of the moving?

Mr. LEVIN. If they are building a plant overseas, the cost of that plant can be deducted currently?

Mr. LEVIN. This is perhaps the most stunning thing I have learned fairly recently. It is even possible under our Tax Code for the cost of operations of that facility to be deducted currently, while the tax on the profits or the income of that operation is delayed, which means they can cut domestic taxes by the cost of running a foreign operation currently. That takes a little bit of gimmickry to do it, but that is what is going on. I just wanted to kind of fill in that one little element of some of these offshore bonanzas, these incredible loopholes that are in the Tax Code. As the Senator from Rhode Island said, we should get rid of some of these things even if we had no deficit because, as the Senator put it, they are embarrassments.

Mr. LEVIN. Again, if my friend would yield, the name of the bill which the Senator cosponsored is called Cut Unjustifiable Tax Loopholes. There are plenty of tax deductions which are totally justified. Mortgage interest is justified, accelerated depreciation, there are all kinds of contributions.

Mr. LEVIN. These are justifiable tax deductions. What we are talking about are the unjustifiable ones which shouldn't be there. As the Senator points out, we are not proposing tax rate increases. The way I phrase it is I am talking about collecting taxes which should be paid.

Mr. LEVIN. Not increasing taxes or the rates for taxes, but collecting the taxes which, in all justice, really should be collected by Uncle Sam.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, Senator Inhofe and I are introducing, by request, the administration's proposed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2014. As is the case with any bill that is introduced by request, we introduce this bill for the purpose of placing the administration's proposals before Congress and the public without expressing our own views on the substance of these proposals. As Chairman and Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, we look forward to giving the administration's requested legislation our most careful review and thoughtful consideration.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I support the resolution on Iran that we are voting on today, and I hope it sends a strong message to Iran as it continues to flout the international community in pursuit of a nuclear program that is a significant challenge to our Nation, our allies, and the world. While a diplomatic arrangement in which Iran rejoins the responsible community of nations remains far and away the preferred outcome, there is a consensus in that a nuclear-armed Iran is not acceptable and that all options--including military options--must remain available to prevent such an outcome. However, according to a New York Times report today, Iran is pressing ahead with the construction of a research reactor that could offer it another way to produce material for a nuclear weapon should it decide to do so. If true, this is further evidence that Iran is not interested in a diplomatic solution, but rather in walking up to the line of a nuclear weapon capability to fuel an arms race in the region, increase the risk of proliferation, and challenge the global community. Over the past 2 years, the National Defense Authorization Act has included sanctions provisions that have ratcheted up the pressure on Iran's ability to facilitate and support its illicit network of nuclear suppliers and has made it more difficult for the government of Iran to conduct business as usual until Iran changes its course. I will continue to support additional unilateral and multilateral sanctions regimes that further increase the pressure on Iran's economy. I look forward to supporting this resolution today, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, for the Committee on Armed Services I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the Records on the dates indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretary's desk for the information of Senators.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to support President Obama's nomination of Dr. Ernest J. Moniz to be the next Secretary of Energy. Dr. Moniz has a solid and extensive background in the energy field and I believe will bring a balanced and practical perspective to our Nation's energy policy. Dr. Moniz has significant familiarity with the Department of Energy and its issues, having served as Under Secretary during the second Clinton administration. During the Obama administration, he has served in a number of advisory positions, including as a member of the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, the Department of Defense Threat Reduction Advisory Committee, and the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future. The Committee on Armed Services, which I chair, has jurisdiction over both the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, and Department's Environmental Management Program. The NNSA is responsible for the management and security of the Nation's nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, and naval reactor programs. The Environmental Management Program is responsible for cleanup of the environmental legacy from the Nation's nuclear weapons development and government-sponsored nuclear energy research. Combined, these programs represent more than $16.7 billion of the Department of Energy's $26.3 billion budget, or more than 63 percent. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Moniz and to highlight several issues of importance to the State of Michigan and to the Nation. I look forward to working with Dr. Moniz on these issues. Among these issues is the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, FRIB, which will be the world's most powerful rare isotope accelerator and provide cutting-edge research capabilities to study questions about the fundamental nature of matter. Applications of research discoveries from FRIB will assist development of new technologies in the fields of biomedicine, environmental science, and national defense. Michigan State University, MSU, was selected in 2008 after an extensive competitive process, and the FRIB project plans and schedules have been through rigorous Federal review. As home of the National Science Foundation's National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, MSU has solid and well-known expertise in the field of rare isotopes and nuclear physics, with the largest nuclear physics faculty in the Nation and a nuclear physics graduate program that ranks No. 1 in the United States. MSU already produces 10 percent of the Nation's Ph.D.s in nuclear physics. In addition to expanding our knowledge of physics and the life science, successful completion of FRIB also will enhance the education of nuclear scientists and engineers needed to maintain U.S. competitiveness. Another important issue to the State of Michigan and the Nation is collaboration between Federal agencies, the private sector, and academia on the development and transition of advanced ground vehicle and energy technologies. Collaboration in these areas is critical to leverage and maximize the value of the work being done in the Federal Government, in the private sector, and at our academic institutions around the country. The Advanced Vehicle Power Technology Alliance, AVPTA, is a partnership between the Department of Energy and the Department of the Army which was created to provide a mechanism for this collaboration. A charter was signed between these two agencies in July 2011 establishing the mission of the AVPTA to ``leverage resources and research involving the commercial automotive and defense ground vehicle manufacturers to transition technologies into both the commercial and military marketplaces and increase precompetitive research and development.'' Dr. Moniz is familiar with and supportive of these programs, and I look forward to his Senate confirmation as Secretary of Energy. The Department of Energy has been effectively led by Dr. Steven Chu. Dr. Moniz will carry on that good work. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. I thank Senator Klobuchar for adding that important point regarding the interconnected nature of the Great Lakes Navigation System. And thank you, Chairman Boxer, for working us to begin to improve the maintenance of the Great Lakes Navigation System, which is critical to our economy and jobs and to our global competitiveness.