Barbara Mikulski

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. I just wanted to assure the Senator from Arizona of that and I have respect for the Senator and his regard for the purse. Does the Senator from Arizona have a sense of when he will be finished reviewing the bill?

Ms. MIKULSKI. And if perhaps there are amendments the Senator from Arizona could share with Senator Shelby. I expect there to be amendments from Senators McCain and Coburn. It wouldn't have been a real bill if they did not offer amendments. It somehow or another wouldn't have counted in the process. So we look forward to it. If we can move it in an expeditious way, and courteously understanding the Senator's right to offer amendments, I think we can get going.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, before the distinguished Senator from Vermont leaves the floor, I really wish to compliment him not only in the way he has moved legislation but really the values, the American values, behind it. I think he has worked steadfastly on a bipartisan basis with Senator Lindsey Graham on our foreign operations. This is what has been called soft power, but there is nothing soft about it. It is part of our smart power strategy. And what has it meant? It has meant healing the sick, feeding the hungry, making sure children whose legs have been blown off with land mines have an opportunity for rehabilitation or for the children of Haiti who lost their limbs because of the horrific nature of the earthquake--taking lessons learned from other places in the world, that they have a chance to do it. Baltimore is the home of the Catholic relief organization. These are people who serve the world without religious creed. They serve whomever is in need. The way they extol the virtues of what they have been able to do has been amazing. What they say to me is that because of the work Senator Leahy has done, they are able to leverage philanthropic dollars. Rather than being in lieu of government, they can leverage it because we are coming in to help the children, to help the children learn to walk, and they then come in with community development so that they learn a trade, so that we are literally rebuilding the lives of children in Haiti but also giving them a future where they are going to earn a livelihood. It is pretty terrific. We have President Clinton, who does his global initiative like in Haiti, but we all have to be in it together, whether it is Bill Gates-- the women of the Senate on a bipartisan basis last week met with Melinda Gates in terms of the great Gates Foundation, and they talked about their health care initiatives. We said: Well, what does all this mean in terms of us? They said: If you do the job only government can do, we can then do what we need to do. This is unique. I do not know of other countries in the world that quite work with this synergy, letting our private philanthropic community do splendid, inspirational work. But they need a government. The other thing we are able to do in this bill is provide something very near and dear, which is embassy security. We know we wanted to do more. We know that over the last couple of years the House has denied $400 million in embassy security. So we are heartsick at the way our Ambassador died. And while there is all that back-and-forth over talking points, which we are not getting into, the fact is that we need to protect our American men and women working in embassies because they are at a duty station, and now that duty station has become a battle station. We need to make sure we provide embassy security in the best way possible. We can debate policy, management, and so on, but at the end of the day we need to put money in the Federal checkbook to do that. We lost an Ambassador in Benghazi. I lost an Ambassador, and America lost many others a few years ago at Khobar Towers. One was our Consul General. His name was Bartley. He was the highest ranking African American in the Foreign Service. His son was interning with him. They blew up the Embassy. He and his son died. We need to look out for these people. There was also a young lady who was there from the community, from CDC, working to make sure we were doing the right health initiatives, teaching, educating the leadership there. She died. Again, they were at their duty station, which has now become a battle station. So I compliment the Senator for the children, his work on land mines, and his work on feeding the hungry. And do you know what. We make wise use because of the strong oversight. I know the Senator from Vermont listens to the inspector general, scrutinizes those GAO reports. We get a dollar's worth of assistance, and at the end of the day America is stronger because of what we do in this bill. I wish to salute the Senator for his sense of bipartisanship, his leadership and stewardship not only in this bill but over the years. The Senator should be saluted, and I want to make sure this bill moves forward so we can get on to next year and even do a better, smarter job.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I wish to comment on the remarks by our colleague from Connecticut, Senator Blumenthal. I say to the Senator, we in Maryland want to once again express our condolences to the people of Newtown. We have lost people in gun violence, nothing like you have, but we have it there. Most recently when a high school opened, a young man who needed mental help came in and one of our young men was shot. Fortunately, he survived. He is an intellectually challenged young man, full of spunk. He has been made an honorary Raven, honorary Oriole. Lady Gaga, who is his favorite, even sent him CDs. We need to deal with this issue. We need to deal with guns and--I agree with the NRA--we need to deal with mental health. We need to put mental health in the Federal checkbook to train the professionals, do the research and know we are doing the right thing. One of the fathers from the Newtown tragedy has cycled through Maryland to raise the issue through all of the awful rain in the only way he can to speak up for his daughter. I want to congratulate the Senator and his colleague from Connecticut, Senator Murphy, for continuing to be steadfast. I wish to say we support you not only with words but deeds. It is wonderful to express our condolences, to send toys to the children, to do all of that. We need to put money in the Federal checkbook. We must first of all confirm our BATF Administrator. The very person in charge of guns should be confirmed. We need to then look at our own legislation about illegal guns, all of what the Senator is talking about. On the mental health side, the Senator was a member of the HELP Committee. I know now Senator Murphy of Connecticut is on the HELP Committee, the Presiding Officer also. We need to look, even now as we look at the CR, how we may do the right research. I wish to close with one melancholy thing, which is a consequence of the sequester. Senator Harkin with the HELP Committee held a hearing on mental health. The Director of the Institute on Mental Health was on that committee, and I believe the Presiding Officer was there. I asked him what would be the consequences of sequester on the National Institute of Mental Health, since everyone wants mental health, and that is the research. This is what he replied: We are not going to fund certain research projects. Let me tell you one that holds such promise it is going to be a sad day for us not to do it. Here is the test--and, please, I am not a scientist and certainly not a neurological scientist. But there are certain kinds of mental health problems that come on onset, particularly on young males, who are postpuberty, often after high school or as they go into college. As in Aurora, the young man who shot the people was already a graduate student. These things come on. The Director of the NIH mental health said they wanted to do research for early detection, biochemical as well as environmental. This is not to earmark, paint them in a corner, or push them in a corner and stigmatize them, but they could receive that help early. We need to know more. Whether that study is a good idea--I am sure it is, it is peer reviewed--I wish to say to the Senator, the reason we need to get this bill done, the budget done, and go on to regular order is to actually put money in the Federal checkbook to do what the American people want. We can do great gun control legislation on the this floor, but I want to support that mental health component. I call upon the NRA and all of its members to support us to move the Federal budget, look at the mental health aspects. I believe we would have bipartisan support. I believe we would have grassroots support. At the end of the day not only would we prevent gun violence, but along the way, the President's brain initiative. We could learn a lot more and we could help our people. This is what I mean when I say we need to fund compelling human need and do the research. But I salute the Senator for his advocacy. And my condolences to the people of Newtown, but not with words, let's get to the deeds and let's get the deeds done. Madam President, I yield the floor.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I would like to compliment the Senator from Alabama, my vice chairman. He outlined how we tried to look at this bill and scrub it for nonsense or no sense, OK? I know we are waiting for the Senator from Oklahoma, Mr. Coburn, to lift his hold. I know he is looking closely at the bill. A few years ago, when I was moving the Commerce-Justice bill, he found that one of the agencies was hosting a conference and they were paying $4 a meatball, so we called it the lavish meatball amendment. Often, the Senator from Oklahoma has great ideas. You know, Madam President, that people from Oklahoma have great ideas, and so we would like him, as quickly as he can, to lift the hold so we can move our bill and he can offer amendments. And I hope he is scrubbing it. I am sure somewhere he will find a rogue meatball. I don't want to minimize what he is doing. He really does scrub for foolishness and folly, and if he has a foolishness-and-folly amendment, I probably will support it. I can't tolerate it either. My constituents really work hard for their money, and they want the money they pay in taxes to work hard for them. So, Madam President, I see the distinguished majority leader here on the floor. I am hoping that we are going to have a solution to some of that deadlock here. I yield the floor.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, a question for the majority leader.

Ms. MIKULSKI. This is tough, but the leader has to govern the Senate and move the bill. But a question for the people who watch us and don't know what all these parliamentary maneuvers mean. If there is an agreement to move forward with amendments, is it possible that tomorrow we could vitiate it?

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I really want to thank my vice chairman, Senator Shelby, for being on the floor all day today in anticipation that we would have already voted on two amendments. I think he and I both regret the present situation. I would hope the Senator who has grave concerns and waited to read the bill could really finish it overnight. We worked every night, I must say, not only my staff, but in talking to the Senator, and we were available to each other by phone. I was talking to Congressman Rogers, our House counterpart, and we were working. I know that Saturday night we didn't close out until 9 o'clock at night; Sunday, not until 11 o'clock at night. That is why we wanted to get this over, so they could look at it. So I say to those holding up the bill, I would like you to work through the evening the way we worked through the evening. If you want to see if there are other issues--and we acknowledge the Senator's right to do that, but, really, we do not want to face a shutdown, and there is this other issue of the Budget Committee that we would like to get on the floor. What a great message to the American people that with good will and sensibility and give-and-take--and there was a lot of give-and-take--we can govern. My hope is that by the time we get to the end of next week--actually, the end of this week--we will have passed the continuing funding resolution and we will have passed a budget, with ample debate. The Senator and I, House Members, Senate Members--we welcome amendments. We welcome debate. But what is frustrating to me is that we have had a very interesting day, but we had two amendments pending, two different viewpoints on health care and human services. We could have debated and been able to dispose of them in a way that would have brought honor to the institution and moved our legislation forward. So let's show we can govern. Let's really show we can govern. And I hope we can get to our bill tomorrow and not necessarily go through the whole usual filibuster rules. Again, I thank the vice chairman, Senator Shelby. I thank Senator McConnell for the way he helped and conferred on many issues. I yield the floor.

Ms. MIKULSKI. The Senator from New Hampshire is a member of the Appropriations Committee; is that correct?

Ms. MIKULSKI. Is this her first year on the committee?

Ms. MIKULSKI. Does the Senator from New Hampshire know what regular order is? This is not a quiz.

Ms. MIKULSKI. The Senator is exactly right. What we are trying to do is to run a rescue operation to keep the continuing funding going on-- really, the President will submit his budget next week, and the Budget Committee will be off and running. We will actually hold hearings on every subcommittee, and it will be an open and transparent process. Members will be able to participate, and we will return to that bill by bill. When you are dealing with a bill that has all 12 subcommittees in it and it is $1 trillion, they think, wow. But we are going to do that regular order. I thank the Senator. I am so happy she is on the committee. I look forward to showing her what regular order is. I know the Senator is going to stand up, as she has done on so many occasions, to champion the cause of women; is that correct?

Ms. MIKULSKI. Well, in the dignified way of the Senate and the way we talk, go for it.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 12, 2013, at 9:30 a.m.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 12, 2013, at 10 a.m.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet, during the session of the Senate, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Job Corps Budget Shortfall: Safeguarding Workforce Training for America's Disconnected Youth'' on March 12, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on March 12, 2013, at 10:15 a.m., in SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to continue its executive business meeting from March 7, 2013.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 12, 2013, at 10 a.m.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I submit to my colleagues the following explanatory statement with regard to H.R. 933: The divisions contained in the Act are as follows:

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the distinguished public service of Raymond Davis, who for 40 years has served the U.S. Senate, first for the Architect of the Capitol and later as a technical assistant and information specialist in the Office of Public Records for the Secretary of the Senate. His institutional knowledge and understanding of filing processes and disclosure laws have been invaluable in helping the Senate fulfill its commitment and obligation to openness and transparency, while his kind and helpful character has been a benefit to everyone in the Senate community. Raymond first worked for the Architect of the Capitol where he was tasked with jobs from busing tables at lunchtime to flying flags over the Capitol Building. He was soon hired as a clerk by the Secretary of the Senate and would go on to serve in the Office of Public Records taking on responsibilities ranging from lobbying registration to campaign finance disclosure. During his many years of service, Raymond always put customer service first. Candidates who filed a Senate campaign report, and Senators and staff members who filed a financial disclosure report or other Senate report, encountered Raymond's efficient and very capable assistance. Over the years, he also assisted those filing lobbying registrations and reports. The public, the press and researchers have all benefitted from his knowledge and guidance in the Office of Public Records. Raymond is known throughout the Senate community, to those who frequent his office and to those who look forward to his cheerful greeting each day in the halls, as a friendly and welcoming colleague. An avid sportsman, Raymond was a slugger for the Senate Document Room softball team and a regular at Senate coed football and Capitol Hill touch football league games. Through his deft knowledge and faithful customer service, Raymond has significantly contributed to the functioning of this institution. He has been an important mentor to others, helping to train staff and pass on the knowledge he gained in four decades of work. The Senate can be proud of Raymond Davis' legacy of public service. We are grateful for his many contributions, and we wish him well in retirement and all his future endeavors.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I am pleased to come to the floor in support of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013, PAHPRA. Last week, the Senate passed this bill by unanimous consent and last night the House passed the bill with overwhelming bipartisan support. I am so pleased PAHPRA is getting sent to the President to be signed into law. Enacting this bill is critical for Marylander's safety, jobs, biotech companies, State and local health departments, and our State's economy. It is also critical that we understand and be responsive to the unique health care needs of children in disasters. Recent disasters at home and abroad have underscored the importance of preparing our Nation to respond to a range of medical and public health emergencies, whether naturally occurring or the result of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack. Over the past decade, multiple Congresses and administrations have worked together to put in place critical medical and public health preparedness and response programs and policies. As a result of the passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, PAHPA of 2006, the Federal Government, in partnership with State and local governments, took significant steps to strengthen our Nation's medical and public health preparedness and response capabilities. This bipartisan reauthorization builds on these efforts by enhancing existing programs and authorities using lessons learned over the past 5 years to maximize our Nation's resilience to threats, whether naturally occurring or deliberate. I thank Senators Harkin, Enzi, Burr, Alexander, and Casey for their dedication and commitment to reauthorizing the programs in this bill and protecting our country from threats. By coming together, passing this bill, and sending it to the President to get signed into law, we will strengthen our Nation's ability to prepare for and respond to all hazards emergencies, and we will ensure that we have looked out for our children. The congenial and bi-partisan process we followed should be a model for how we do all of our work here in Congress. PAHPRA includes important provisions that I fought for as Chairwoman of the HELP Subcommittee on Children and Families. I led the effort to create a National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters to continue the good work started by the National Commission on Children and Disasters. The advisory committee, established by my amendment, will bring together children's advocates and federal agencies to ensure we are well equipped to care for our most vulnerable population when preparing for, responding to and recovering from a disaster. I am committed to getting this advisory committee up and running this year. Doing all that we can to protect our most vulnerable is of the utmost importance. I would also like to thank the American Academy of Pediatrics for their commitment to children's health and for building a coalition of support for my amendment to establish the Advisory Committee. Save the Children and the Children's Health Fund were also steadfast advocates for this committee and other important pediatric provisions contained in this bill. This advisory committee will include a variety of pediatric experts, from those who work in Federal agencies, to non-federal health care professionals, to employees of relevant State and local agencies. I made sure that at least four members of this committee would not be federal bureaucrats to ensure that all views and perspectives are considered. Community-based pediatricians, nurses, and State and local public health and emergency management professionals are on the front lines responding to emergencies every day. These folks know what the situation is like on the ground. The advisory committee will serve an important role in making sure that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security swiftly implement the medical and public health recommendations put forth by the National Commission on Children and Disasters. Committee members will also advise federal agencies on the medical and public health policies and procedures that the agencies and their grantees should implement to meet the needs of children when preparing for, responding to, and recovering from all-hazards. As we all know, children are not little adults. Kids who are battered during a disaster and suffer physical harm or are exposed to an infectious disease, need special medications, devices, and supplies, whether it is a liquid form of a medication, a pediatric ventilator, baby formula, or even diapers. PAHPRA reauthorizes several provisions that I have fought for over the years that support the research and development of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear countermeasures. Project Bioshield and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, BARDA, are economic engines of Maryland's economy supporting both biotech innovation and domestic manufacturing. Project Bioshield is a secure funding source dedicated to the purchase of medical countermeasures. BARDA contracts with companies to support the development and commercialization of medical countermeasures and carries out all Project Bioshield acquisition contracts. Project Bioshield and BARDA together provide drug manufacturers with the incentives they need to enter this market and develop lifesaving therapeutics. Maryland companies are investing in research and development of medical countermeasures for bioterror threats because they know there is a federal market to buy their drugs, vaccines, needles and masks for the Strategic National Stockpile for use when a disaster strikes. Marylanders are working hard every day to create countermeasures that we hope to never use but will rely on when we are most at need to save our lives and our kids' lives. They are developing the next generation anthrax, influenza, and smallpox vaccines for the Strategic National Stockpile. The drugs we are working so hard to develop also protect our troops deployed around the world so that our soldiers get the right treatments to keep them safe. PAHPRA also codifies the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise Strategy and Implementation Plan. I worked to ensure that the Department of Health and Human Services would report on what our country needs to protect our kids so that companies will know what countermeasures to develop and HHS and Congress will know how many and which products to buy for the stockpile. I also made sure that FDA would report to Congress annually on the scientific challenges and progress made in developing and licensing countermeasures for pregnant women and children. I also fought to make sure that State and local health departments would have the workforce and financial resources they need to prepare for infectious disease outbreaks like the H1N1 influenza, earthquakes, and floods, as well as numerous other public health threats that communities face on a day-to-day basis. In that vein, I worked to improve state and local disaster planning for kids. It is important that local education, child care, and other agencies are regularly partnering and consulting with health departments as they develop and revise their preparedness plans. PAHPRA supports the good work that happened in our communities during H1N1. State education, child care and health agencies were partnering and consulting with each other day in and day out for almost a year to minimize the ill health effects of this novel virus. Our public servants at the federal level were critical to the response and they worked closely with local officials to protect us every hour of every day during the pandemic. We must prevent and respond to health threats before they are on our doorstep. Making this bipartisan legislation the law of the land will help do just that. And I will fight to make sure we are funding these programs so that we can be prepared for any and all emergencies that we may face here in the United States.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, the Senate Appropriations Committee has adopted rules governing its procedures for the 113th Congress. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, on behalf of myself and Senator Shelby, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the committee rules be printed in the Record.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to speak on behalf of the Democratic alternative that would cancel the sequester for this year. Before the Senator from New Hampshire leaves, I would like to take a minute to compliment her on her energy, her passion, and the fact that she actually wants to present ideas to be discussed. I think that is excellent. I want her to also know I support the concept she is advocating of no more delay; that we cannot solve America's fiscal situation and also important public investments we need to make in research and innovation and keep our fragile economy going by just punting now. I think we agree on that. The other thing we agree on is the goal to get our fiscal crisis in order, to strengthen our economy, and to keep America strong. We just are going to disagree on the means. But that is OK. That is called America. That is called the Senate. That is called debate. Let's let the world watch and hear that we actually have ideas, and just as we are doing this minute, we can do it with civility and with interest in what is being said. I found what the Senator from New Hampshire had to say very interesting, and I will have a few comments about that and what the Senator from South Carolina said, but I wanted her to know that I do think we must begin to move with urgency. I do think the politics of delay, ultimatum and brinkmanship, should come to an end. I like the idea of debating ideas and look forward to that both in conversation and so on. I just wanted to say that to her.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Yes.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I absolutely will. Just to respond, first of all, I have a great vice chairman, Senator Richard Shelby, from the other side of the aisle, who shares that same idea. What does the regular order mean? It means we bring out one bill at a time; that we don't have a $1 trillion bill on the floor at one time, where we can't discuss it, debate it, analyze it, and certainly no more of these 7,000-page bills, where we find things have parachuted into the bill in the middle of the night. I agree with my colleague and I look forward to that, and I must say I have enjoyed working with her and look forward to doing more of the same.