Trent Lott

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I just want to take a few moments to talk about Amtrak and inter-city passenger rail. In the last Congress, I worked with Senators Stevens, Inouye, and Lautenberg--and other members of the Commerce Committee--to develop S. 1516, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. Last year during the Senate's consideration of the reconciliation bill I offered an amendment to add the text of S. 1516. The amendment passed by a vote of 93 to 6. So I know there is widespread support for this legislation. Today we are introducing the same bipartisan legislation in hopes of gaining the same level of support as we did in the last Congress. The bill was developed with input from the Administration, the Department of Transportation's Inspector General, States, Amtrak Board members, and many others. The bill makes a number of important reforms to Amtrak, and has three major themes: Amtrak Reform and Accountability; cost cutting; and, creating funding options for States. By increasing executive branch oversight over Amtrak, this bill ensures that the taxpayers' money is used more effectively. Under its past President, David Gunn, Amtrak has made some improvements in its management. However, much remains to be done. Amtrak must be run more like a business. This bill requires Amtrak to develop better financial systems and to evaluate its operations objectively. It forces Amtrak to improve the efficiency of long distance train service. The bill reduces Amtrak's operating subsidy by 40 percent by 2011 by requiring Amtrak to use its funding more effectively, The bill promotes a greater role for the private sector by allowing private companies to bid on operating Amtrak routes. The bill also creates a new rail capital grant program that States can use to start new inter-city passenger rail service. This will be the first time that States will have a Federal program they can use for passenger rail, putting intercity passenger rail on a similar footing to highways, transit, and airports, all of which have Federal assistance programs for infrastructure. States won't have to rely only on Amtrak for intercity passenger rail service. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bipartisan legislation signed into law this year

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Allard), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Minnesota (Mr. Coleman), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Domenici), and the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Hagel). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Allard) and the Senator from Minnesota (Mr. Coleman) would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent. The Senator from Colorado (Mr. Allard), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from Minnesota (Mr. Coleman), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Domenici), and the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Hagel).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senator was necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senator is necessarily absent: The Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback).

Mr. LOTT. The following Senator was necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback).

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) would have voted ``no.''

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback) and the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise again, for the second year in a row, in support of the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007. It was my pleasure, last year, as the chairman of the Rules Committee, to work with my colleague on the Democratic side of the aisle, Chris Dodd, and in fact, the entire committee in a bipartisan way to produce this legislation from the Rules Committee. Then we brought it to the floor. We had an open process. We had lots of amendments offered. At some point it was the will of the Senate we bring debate it to a close, and we produced legislation because there is a need for ethics and lobby reform. I have been an aggressive supporter of many of the provisions that have been already mentioned today and that are included in this bill. So I want to make it clear that last year the Senate passed this legislation, with significant improvements or changes in the law with regard to the rules of the Senate, ethics, and lobbying reform, and moved it into the process of being in conference with the House. Unfortunately, it was not concluded. I do have a long history in this area, going back to when I was in the House in the 1970s, and when we passed some gift reform in the 1980s. And here we are again. I don't back away from having in the past supported some changes. And having done it last year and again this year, I think we should move forward in this area. But I must say, I am delighted to yield the leadership role on this issue to the distinguished Senator from California, Mrs. Feinstein. She is now the incoming chairman of the Committee on Rules managing this legislation in place of Chris Dodd of Connecticut who did such a good job last year, and my colleague from the great State of Utah, Senator Bennett. These two people will work together. They will do a credible job. They will aggressively support responsible changes in the ethics rules and lobbying laws of this country. However, I believe they will have the courage to say to us sometimes: Wait a minute, what does this mean? What are we doing to ourselves, the institution, and the job we do? I have been in Congress 34 years. I know when changes need to be made. I also know sometimes when we are about to put a gun to our head and pull the trigger. Let's do this in a responsible, nonpartisan way that is good for the institution and good for America. But, please, let's not turn it into feckless positioning to make it look good when, in fact, the result could be very counterproductive. I hope we will not do that. I don't question anybody's motives. We all have perspectives we have to think about. Take, for instance, the issue of earmarks. We all have views on that. In some areas it is called pork. I have said many times that earmarks are pork when they are north of Memphis, TN. I am from one of the poorest States in the Nation. I am not going to give up the right, the opportunity to get some help for some of the poorest people in America when the bureaucracy won't do it. I have a little old town in Mississippi, Tchula, MS, with an African- American woman, Republican mayor, where they have to haul water to their houses for drinking. That is in America today. It is unbelievable that in 2006, you have people who don't have safe drinking water in this country. We passed the safe drinking water legislation in 1996. Yet it still doesn't seem to filter down to the poorest of the poor sometimes. I tried for years to get HUD to help this little town that sits in a saucer that floods every year. I said: Please help us move these people onto higher ground, get them out of their snake-infested, annually flooded houses; help us get them water and sewers; help us get them decent housing; help us get them a community center, a police station. Just help them. I never got a nickel. So my colleague Senator Cochran and I started earmarking funds for this little town. It wasn't big. It was a relatively small amount of money. But if we cannot, as Senators or Congressmen from a district or a State, whether it is Montana, Minnesota or Mississippi, step up sometimes where legislation has not done the job, or where the bureaucracy has not done its job, and fix the problem, then we are not fulfilling our Constitutional obligations to the citizens of our states. Sometimes I know more about the need for a transportation project than some bureaucrat at the Department of Transportation. I am not going to give up what I consider a Constitutional right, and that is the right to shape how federal money is spent. However, has earmarking gotten out of control? Yes. Has it been growing like topsy over the years under Democrats and Republican? Yes. Some people say: You shouldn't get an appropriation unless it has been authorized. Do you know why we started getting appropriations for projects that weren't authorized? Because we quit authorizing. The Senate got in a situation in recent years--and it goes back to both Republicans and Democrats; we share the blame on this--where we quit getting bills done. How many bills lie dormant at this desk because there is a hold by a fellow Republican or a Democrat against a fellow Democrat? If you wait until you get authorization, such as a water resources bill, before you get the appropriation, you may never get it. That forced a lot of what has happened. I am a firm believer in sunshine. Disclose it. That is the best antiseptic. I am not ashamed of what I do. If I am going to be embarrassed if it is made public, I won't do it. Of course, there is one danger. The more we publicize what we are doing, there may be more and more pressure on us to do more. Somebody is going to have to explain on the Appropriations Committee why Senator X gets an earmark and Senator Y doesn't. So we may be, again, creating growth in this process. But I think we should disclose it. I don't have any problem with identifying earmarks, explanations of earmarks. There is no amount of disclosure you can come up with that I wouldn't think is OK. I also--and Senator Feinstein knows this--have developed a real concern about what has been going on now and growing for a number of years where things are added in conference at the last minute that were not considered by, or included in, either the House or the Senate bill. That unnerves me. By the way, it is not just appropriations; it is authorizations, and it is tax bills. The one incident that alarmed me actually involved a tax bill. Because if you are a conferee in the last minute of conference some night at 10 o'clock and you can change a phrase in a tax bill that can mean billions for a particular sector of the economy, that is very dangerous. But it happens. I know it is difficult to write exact language to deal with the problem of last minute inserts in conference reports. I drafted such language that I believe will be workable. I welcome these new leaders of the Rules Committee and recommend they review closely the language I have drafted that addresses this issue and I believe will not create a tremendous problem for the leadership. Harry Reid is going to be standing here one day trying to wrap up a session on a major bill and if we create point of order authority on anything that is added in conference without some limits on it, he could be hit with a series of points of order, one after the other after the other. Then how do you complete the conference report? The leadership has to worry about that on both sides of the aisle. I think we could do more on these earmarks. My colleague from Mississippi Senator Cochran has been chairman of Appropriations, as well as the ranking member. I am going to make sure I work closely with him on how we do this. But we need to do more. I believe this legislation we have before us is a good effort. Some people say it is not good enough. Look, if we start trying to satisfy certain media people, certain ethics groups, there is no limit. We will all be living in robes in the Russell courtyard with no access to the outside. So we can't do that. But let's do all we can. Let's do some things that will improve the way we do business. I think this legislation does this. It is bipartisan in introduction. I understand a substitute will be offered later this afternoon that will maybe move the ball forward some more. I am not sure exactly what all that would be, but what I have looked at, I don't see major problems there. I do think how you deal with the defining earmarks and how you disclose sponsorship is important but more delicate than some may think. With regard to gifts, we ought to get over that. We should not be having gifts from lobbyists. We shouldn't be having meals paid for by lobbyists. Some of you have heard me say this, anyway. If I never have to have another meal at night with, frankly, anybody, the happier I will be. But I am so offended that somebody says for the price of a meal, I can be had by a lobbyist or anybody else. People wouldn't elect me Senator from Mississippi if they thought I could be had for a meal. Plus the meals you have up here are not any good, anyway. You can't get blackeyed peas up here. You can't get really good, properly prepared catfish up here. It is outrageous. So my point is, I am insulted by the accusation. Get rid of the gifts and meals and get that perception off the table. You are not giving up much, anyway. I would rather go home and have dinner with my wife. That is what more of us ought to do. By the way, I hope under the present leadership we will have a little more time at night with our families. I have this unique idea about my job. I think you should work during the day, and I think you should go home at night. I hope we will not be nocturnal. I am glad to see Senator Reid saying he is going to hold the votes to 20 minutes. I am glad we are going to be working on Mondays and Fridays. When I had a little bit to say about that, we did that. We voted on Mondays and Fridays. I would rather work during the day and do the responsible thing and go home and be with my family at night. With regard to third-party-funded travel, again, I think we need to have a lot more disclosure. I think you ought to have detailed trip identification or itinerary, and a listing of who was on the trip. I do think we need to be careful. Are we going to totally ground ourselves around here? There are constitutional questions we have to consider. We do have to get places within our own States. I do think we should be aware that if you represent Maryland--maybe Senator Bennett made this point--if you represent a State that is relatively small, you can get where you need to be in an hour in a car. But if you represent Alaska or California, you can't get there. Even my State, when I go from the Mississippi gulf coast devastated by the hurricane to north Mississippi to that great center of learning at Oxford, the University of Mississippi, it is 346 miles. That is not even the end of the State. You can't get everywhere you need to be with just automobile transportation. Should you have to report it? Should there be a limit on how you do that? Absolutely. But let's be careful about making it impossible for us to do our jobs here as men and women of the Senate. With regard to some of the other rules included in this bill, floor privileges for former Members where the possibility, perception may be that a former Member is here lobbying on a bill, you can't have that, no. At the same time, we shouldn't prohibit former Members on the day we are sworn in, as we had this past week, from coming on to the floor and participating in that celebratory ceremony. Again, let's use some common sense. Don't prohibit them en bloc. Allow former Members to come on certain occasions, but don't allow them to come when we are legislating, certainly, if they are lobbying. Another issue deals with job negotiations by sitting Senators. Again, we ought to have disclosure. If you are negotiating for private employment, you should disclose that. That's what this bill does. In conclusion, I think we have a good base bill. It sounds as though the substitute may be OK. I am sure there are going to be some amendments that we should think about very carefully. Let's be careful about pompous pontificating or questioning other people's motives. Let's be careful that when we do something, we can actually enforce it. Let's think it through. I think we can do that. I think the way it has been brought up is fine. I am very concerned about the idea of an outside office of public integrity and how that could be used unfairly in a political season. Some people say: Well, don't worry about that. Well, you have to. Because we could do it to each other. You would hope that we wouldn't; I wouldn't do it to the Senator from Florida and he wouldn't do it to me. But it has been done. Going way back to my years in the House, I was on the franking commission. We had a process to file complaints with the franking commission if a Member of the House misused the frank. It was interesting, right before the election, how many extra complaints about abuse of the frank showed up before that commission. It became a political issue that was used to beat up a Member who quite often wasn't even guilty of anything wrong. But the damage was done. It was in the media. Mr. President, we can and should pass a reform bill. I said that last year. It is the right thing to do. But I hope that we will use common sense. Let's not turn ourselves into something where we can't even do the job. Let's not inadvertently make criminals out of ourselves and our staffs. I am not saying there haven't been problems and that there won't be in the future. We are all human beings, and we are capable of making mistakes. But we can do a better job. I think it is time we do that. I want to make it clear that as far as I am concerned, this is going to be a bipartisan effort. This is not partisan. The mistakes made over the years that I have seen since I have been in Washington have been made on both sides of the aisle. We can do a better job of putting things into place where we are less likely to make a mistake. I wish the very best to the Chairlady and the ranking member. I think they can do a good job, and I think we can do something good for the institution, and we will restore a modicum of faith in us from the American people.

Mr. LOTT. I think my time has expired. Who has the floor, Mr. President?

Mr. LOTT. I am glad to yield to the Senator from Florida.

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, it is a very good adage. I yield the floor.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. If the Senator from North Dakota will yield, I wonder if we have any information that is available with regard to a vote or votes tonight that Members can be made aware of. Does the Senator from North Dakota have any information on that?

Mr. LOTT. I understand Senator Feinstein might have had some information she could provide on that. I know there are Senators waiting to hear the expected schedule for tonight. Parliamentary inquiry: Are we still in debate on the underlying ethics and lobbying bill?

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, Senator Feinstein is in the Senate. If the Senator from North Dakota would yield briefly.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. The following Senators were necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Brownback), the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Gregg), the Senator from Texas (Mrs. Hutchison), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain) and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Voinovich). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. Dole) and the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I am taking this opportunity to announce that in accordance with title V of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee on Rules and Administration, the Committee intends to update the Policy for Use of Senate Rooms. Based on the Committee's review of the policy for use of Senate Rooms, the following changes to these policies have been adopted effective today, December 7, 2006. The changes are designed to streamline communications between the Rules Committee and Senate offices and to clarify the rules governing the use of Senate rooms. Set forth below is the policy for the use of Senate rooms. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the material be printed in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I am taking this opportunity to announce that in accordance with title V of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee on Rules and Administration, the committee intends to update the U.S. Senate Travel Regulations. Based on the committee's review of the 1991 regulations and the January 1, 1999, amendments to the regulations, the following changes to these policies have been adopted effective today, December 7, 2006. The changes reduce from 45 days to 30 days the period when travel advances must be repaid. In addition, the amended regulations establish a uniform $200 minimum travel advance level for all offices within the Senate. Set forth below are the updated U.S. Senate Travel Regulations. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the material be printed in the Record.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, as chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing, I want to commend and pay tribute to Bruce R. James, the 24th public printer, who has announced he will retire from his post as chief executive officer of the Government Printing Office on January 3, 2007. At the President's request, Bruce came out of retirement to take office at the GPO in December 2002. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to transform that venerable institution from a printing agency into a 21st century digital information processing facility. After a period of factfinding and consultation with GPO's stakeholders, he issued a strategic vision for the GPO's future that has guided the management of the agency ever since. Under the plan, he initiated the effort to construct a future digital system to organize, manage, and output authenticated Government information in a broad range of online and print formats. He led efforts to modernize the GPO's plant operations supporting Congress. He assisted the State Department's development and issuance of the new electronic U.S. passport and has led efforts to further enhance the GPO's security and intelligent documents operation. He worked with the library community to ensure the continued transition to predominately electronic Federal Depository Library Program and began a pilot project to test the GPO's ability to digitize retrospective Government publications for online public access. Throughout his tenure, Bruce has ensured that we have the products and services we need to conduct our daily business in Congress. In carrying out this program of change, Bruce brought to the GPO a broad range of business principles and practices, earning him the title of 2006 Civilian Executive of the Year from Government Computer News. He instilled a new focus on customer service for Congress and the departments and agencies that depend on the GPO and has provided new service options that make it easier and more convenient to use the GPO. He turned around the financial status of the agency, posting a positive financial performance every year since 2004 and reversing a pattern of previous losses that has provided the agency with the capital to make much-needed investments in technology. He brought aboard a wide range of experts in technology and systems integration, finance, marketing, secure and intelligent documents, digital media, and related fields, to guide the GPO forward. And to his credit, Bruce brought before the Congress the issue of how best to utilize the GPO's aging and outsized buildings for its future operations. Mr. President, Congress, Federal departments and agencies, and all those among the public who rely on the GPO have been well served over the past 4 years by Public Printer Bruce James. His unceasing call for technology modernization and his steadfast adherence to business best practices will leave a legacy of continued improvement at the GPO for many years to come. As Bruce departs the GPO to return to retirement in his beloved Nevada, he leaves with our best wishes and the thanks of a grateful nation for a job well done.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, as chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing, I want to pay tribute to Jerry Hammond, Director of Congressional Publishing Services, who retired from the Government Printing Office, GPO, after 37 years of Government service. Mr. Hammond graduated from DeMatha High School in 1969 and then served as a sergeant, E-5, in the U.S. Marines Corps. Jerry came to GPO in 1972 and graduated in the apprentice class of 1977 in the Hand Section of the Composing Division. Mr. Hammond joined the Office of Congressional Publishing Services in 1985 and was promoted to the position of Director in 2004. Jerry worked on the night shift at GPO for many years working closely with several congressional offices, House and Senate, night in and night out, to ensure the production and delivery of the Congressional Record, House and Senate Calendars, and congressional bills and reports. He was also instrumental in establishing remote composition capabilities at congressional offices which continue to be used today. Jerry Hammond also worked very closely with my staff on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. He assisted us with the very successful redesign of the inaugural tickets, enhancing their security, usability, and appearance. Additionally, he personally oversaw the printing of the programs, gifts, menus, and various other inaugural products. Anyone who has worked with Jerry over the years could not help but be impressed with his easygoing demeanor, especially under the pressure of meeting the printing requirements of Congress. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Jerry Hammond for his service to GPO and Congress. We wish him all the best in his retirement.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize an outstanding officer upon his retirement from the U.S. Air Force. Brigadier General David K. ``Bob'' Edmonds will retire on February 1, 2007, after almost 28 years of service. His successes and accomplishments have been significant and many. He has been recognized by his superiors and subordinates alike for his ability to motivate and lead teams and mentor future leaders. Today, it is my pleasure to recognize some of General Edmond's many accomplishments and commend his service to the Air Force, the Congress, and our grateful Nation. Brigadier General Edmonds was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1979 as a distinguished graduate and the top cadet in the civil engineering major. He was selected for a Guggenheim Fellowship at Columbia University and graduated in May 1980 with a master of science degree in civil engineering. He began his Active Duty career at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, where he completed undergraduate pilot training as a distinguished graduate and was selected to fly the F-15 Eagle. He has served in numerous flying positions throughout his career, both as an instructor pilot and a commander, and led 45 combat missions with the 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron during Operation Desert Storm. He is a command pilot with over 2500 flight hours and 300 combat hours. General Edmonds' last assignment was deputy director for operations, National Military Command Center, the Joint Staff, Pentagon, where he led a team that performed initial analysis of developing military and political situations worldwide for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense, and President of the United States. He also performed nuclear watch in conjunction with the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Strategic Command and was ready to advise the President on available courses of action and transmit the President's nuclear decisions. We especially remember General Edmonds' his service to the Congress as the Deputy Director for Air Force Legislative Liaison from 2003 to 2004 and as the Chief of Air Force Senate Liaison from 2001 to 2003. During these tours of duty, he was responsible for articulating Air Force priorities and programs to members and their staffs and responding to congressional inquiries regarding a broad range of issues. From 1999 to 2001, General Edmonds was the 16th commander of the 131st Fighter Wing, St. Louis, MO, where he uniquely served as an Active Duty officer commanding an Air National Guard Wing. He had great success leading the Wing to achieve and maintain air superiority with the F-15 Eagle aircraft and, accordingly, was awarded the 2001 Executive of the Year for the St. Louis metropolitan region. Prior to assuming this command, he was the chief, Joint Requirements Division in the Directorate of Force Structure, Resources, and Assessments, J-8, Joint Staff, at the Pentagon. In June 1997, he graduated from the National War College as a Distinguished Graduate. From 1995 to 1996, he was a White House Fellow assigned as a Special Assistant to Philip Lader, a member of President Clinton's Cabinet, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration. In 1994, he served as commander of the 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, where he commanded over 300 personnel and supervised the operation of 26 F-15 aircraft. Under his leadership, the squadron was recognized as the 325th Fighter Wing Squadron of the Year. Previously, he served in the Air Force Headquarters, with the Air Staff Training Program, and was an air officer commander, civil engineering instructor, motorglider instructor pilot, and women's rugby coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy. On the eve of General Edmonds' retirement, I offer my congratulations to him, his wife Ann, his son Gregory, who is a freshman at the Air Force Academy, and daughter Katelyn. General Edmonds will be missed, and I know that I speak for all my colleagues in expressing my heartfelt appreciation to him. He is a credit to both the Air Force and the United States of America. We wish our friend the best of luck in his future endeavors and congratulate him on completion of an outstanding and successful active-duty career.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I wish to take this opportunity to recognize and say farewell to an outstanding Air Force officer, BG Benjamin J. Spraggins, upon his retirement from the Air Force after more than 34 years of service. Throughout his career, Brigadier General Spraggins has served with distinction, and it is my privilege to recognize his many accomplishments and commend him for his service to the Air Force, the Congress, and our grateful Nation. Brigadier General Spraggins is a longtime resident of my home State and devoted public servant of Harrison County, MS. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force on March 17, 1972. After over 6 years of successful enlisted service, reaching the grade of technical sergeant, Brigadier General Spraggins received his commission from the Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson, TN. Following graduation from Officer Candidate School, Brigadier General Spraggins completed aviation school at Mather Air Force Base, CA, and RF-4C training at Shaw, Air Force Base, SC. Brigadier General Spraggins was then stationed with the 187th Transport Ready Group at Dannelly Field, AL, flying the RF-4C fighter aircraft. While stationed in 187th, Brigadier General Spraggins served in many critical positions including instructor, scheduling officer and assistant chief of standards and evaluations. He was a weapon systems officer in the RF-4C from 1979-1983 and a weapons system instructor in the F-4D from 1983-1988 at the 187th Fighter Wing. Brigadier General Spraggins completed his military flying career with over 2,500 hours in the T-37, T-43, RF-4C, and F-4D aircraft. On September 23, 1987, Brigadier General Spraggins was assigned to the Combat Readiness Training Center, Gulfport, MS. During his tenure at the training center, he served in various positions including range control officer, director of operations, operations group commander, and finally as commander of the Combat Readiness Training Center. As commander, Brigadier General Spraggins was responsible for operations and training of over 20,000 military personnel annually and provided oversight for a $75 million dollar budget. Concurrently, Brigadier General Spraggins was sent to Andrews Air Force Base, DC, in 2002 to run the Crisis Action Team for the Air National Guard. In 2003, he also served as the interim commander of the 186th Air Refueling Wing where he was responsible for operations of KC- 135 aircraft wing, with over 1,000 personnel and oversight of a $48 million dollar annual budget. He was the first member of the Mississippi Air National Guard to simultaneously command two major units, the Combat Readiness Training Center and the 186th Air Refueling Wing. Brigadier General Spraggins was assigned to the Tennessee Air National Guard in November 2005 as the chief of staff. In this capacity he was responsible to the adjutant general for readiness of Tennessee's three flying wings and three mission support units. In addition to duties as chief of staff, Brigadier General Spraggins also served as the air deputy commander, joint forces Headquarters, Tennessee National Guard. Brigadier General Spraggins was also attached as the battle commander for Air Force North, Tyndall AFB, FL. In this capacity he was responsible for ensuring the air sovereignty and air defense of the continental United States. During his long and distinguished career, Brigadier General Spraggins successfully completed Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff, and the Air War College with the Air University. His decorations and awards include Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Mississippi Magnolia Cross, Tennessee Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Readiness Medal, Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal and the Air Force Training Ribbon. Upon the retirement of Brigadier General Spraggins after 34 years of dedicated service, I offer my congratulations to him and his wife Judy. Brigadier General Spraggins is a credit to both the Air Force and the United States of America. I know that I speak for all my colleagues in expressing heartfelt appreciation to him. I wish Brigadier General Spraggins blue skies and safe landings and congratulate him on completion of an outstanding and successful career.

Mr. LOTT

Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, the first African American to serve a full term in the United States Senate represented my great State of Mississippi. Blanche Kelso Bruce was elected to the Senate in 1874 by the Mississippi State Legislature where he served from 1875 until 1881. On February 14, 1879, he broke a second barrier by becoming the first African American to preside over a Senate session. He was a leader in the nationwide fight for African American rights, fighting for desegregation of the Army and protection of voting rights. Blanche Kelso Bruce was born into slavery near Farmville, VA, on March 1, 1841, and spent his early years in Virginia and Missouri. He was 20 years old when the Civil War broke out. He tried to enlist in the Union Army but was rejected because of his race. He then turned his attention to teaching and while in Missouri organized that State's first school for African Americans. In 1869 he moved to Mississippi to become a planter on a cotton plantation, and the Magnolia State is where he became active in Republican politics. He rose in Mississippi politics from membership on the Mississippi Levee Board, as the sheriff and tax collector for Bolivar County surrounding Cleveland, Mississippi, and as the Sergeant- at-Arms for the Mississippi State Senate. It was Blanche Kelso Bruce's perseverance, selfless public service and commitment to Mississippi that led to the Mississippi State Legislature's election of him to serve in the U.S. Senate. In the Senate, he served on the Pensions, Manufacturers, Education and Labor committees. He chaired the Committee on River Improvements and the Select Committee to Investigate the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company. Senator Bruce left the Senate in 1881 and was appointed Registrar of the Treasury by President James Garfield, a position he also held in 1897. He subsequently received appointments from Presidents Chester Arthur, Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley. Senator Bruce joined the board of Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he received an honorary degree. He died in Washington on March 17, 1898, at the age of 57. Four years ago, on September 17, 2002, in my position as Senate Majority Leader, I joined with Senator Chris Dodd in honoring this revered adopted son of Mississippi by unveiling the portrait of Blanche Kelso Bruce in the U.S. Capitol. Today I rise to further honor this great statesman and pioneer by introducing legislation to issue the Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce commemorative postage stamp. Mississippi takes great pride in our leaders who often quietly, with little fanfare, blaze paths for the rest of the Nation to follow. Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce is one such great pioneer, and I call on my colleagues to join me in honoring him.