Claire McCaskill

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I am on the floor this afternoon to talk about S. 579, which is called the Inspector General Empowerment Act, but it really ought to be called ``Let the inspectors general do their jobs.'' As I look back on my time as a State auditor and I think of all I learned about how government works well and how government behaves badly, I have a special point of respect for inspectors general because of the work I did as an auditor. I believe they are our first line of defense against waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. We should be helping them every way we can to do their jobs. I want to thank Senator Johnson, the chairman of the committee I serve on that has primary jurisdiction on government oversight, and I want to thank Senator Grassley for his long championing the cause of inspectors general and the GAO and all of the noble public servants who are out there every day trying to uncover government behaving badly. This bill serves three main purposes. It provides additional authority to inspectors general to enhance their ability to conduct oversight investigations. It reforms the process by which the Council of the Inspectors General integrity committee investigates accusations against IGs, which is very important. IGs need to be above reproach. Any whiff of politics, any whiff of unethical conduct, any whiff of self-dealing--we have to empower the Council of the Inspectors General to deal with that in a way that is effective. It restores the intent of the 1978 Inspectors General Act to ensure that IGs have timely access to documents they need to conduct good, comprehensive oversight audits and investigations. Many of the provisions are authorities that the IGs have been seeking for a long time, and most of them are beyond noncontroversial. I wish to focus on one section of the bill for a minute and explain how critical its provision is to congressional overseers and for the taxpayers. The main issue I wish to talk about today is the section of the bill that ensures IGs have access to all agency documents. The Inspector General Act, which was passed in 1978, explicitly grants access to ``all records, reports, audits, reviews, documents, papers, recommendations, or other material.'' For the last 37 years, we lived in a world where ``all'' meant all. But this summer, the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion that allows agencies to withhold documents from the inspectors general. Other than national security concerns, intelligence concerns, and statutes that explicitly restrict disclosure of documents to IGs, all of which are addressed by this bill, there is absolutely no reason that IGs should have their access to documents restricted. There is no universe in which the Inspector General Act should be interpreted to mean anything less than what it says. They have to have access to the documents or they can't do their work. It really isn't any more complicated than that. The convoluted legal reasoning that is being implemented by the counsel at the Department of Justice is a big step backwards for effective oversight of our government. We can't expect them to do their jobs well without fear or favor if they can't get access to the information that is vital to their work. When the auditors in my office came back with an access issue, my instruction to them was this: Well, get on your ``dog with a bone act,'' because if they are trying to withhold documents from you, there is something in those documents we need to see. I think if every agency knows that the inspector general has access to documents, it will have a deterrent effect on people behaving badly with taxpayer money or engaging in self-dealing or other activities that frustrate taxpayers and heighten the level of cynicism that, frankly, right now is breaking my heart in this country about our government. I join with my Republican colleagues today in asking unanimous consent for this bill to be brought up. We have worked on it for years. It is time. I appreciate the hard work of both on this, and I stand shoulder to shoulder with them trying to get this one across the finish line.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, listen, I am lucky to be from Missouri because I love baseball. I love sports. I was raised by a great uncle who was like my grandfather and made me go out to the backyard every night in the summer. I even remember he had a small burgundy transistor radio. I would lie on a blanket, he would sit in a lawn chair, and he would hush me--hush me--when important parts of the game came on. He was a big Cardinals fan. I was raised as a Cardinals fan. I spent time in Kansas City early in my career. In fact, I was in Kansas City during the 1980s, the last time that Kansas City won the World Series. Some people have the nerve to call our part of the world flyover country but not when it comes to baseball. For 4 of the last 5 years, teams who play ball in the middle of America with lower payrolls and with smaller media markets have made it to the World Series, and for 2 of those last 5 years, the world has seen a different kind of ball team. In this day and age when it is all about endorsements, and it is all about your agent, and it is all about whether you are a free agent and how much money you are going to make, they have seen a team that plays like a team. From the fun they have with each other to the way they interact with the community, this is a different kind of professional baseball team. Yesterday, when most teams would have on swag that talked just about their team, T-shirts that would say ``World Series Champion'' or hats that would say ``World Series Champion,'' what did this team have on yesterday in front of those, some say 800,000 people from Kansas and Missouri who flooded into the city in such numbers that they abandoned their cars on the interstate so they would be part of it? What did the team have on? Thank you, KC. It wasn't about them; it was about the community and how closely knit the team felt with the community. From the fun they had with 1738 to the T-shirts that people wore saying ``Straight Outta Kauffman,'' this was a team that took baseball seriously but didn't take themselves too seriously. They played the game with intensity, they played the game with immense skill, but always with joy. I have to tell you the truth. I never thought I would be on the floor of the Senate quoting the amazing orator Jonny Gomes. Most people in America probably don't know who Jonny Gomes is, but the people of Kansas City know. Just because you are a backup outfielder doesn't mean you are not important on this team. Jonny Gomes stole the show yesterday. To paraphrase him--and I have to be careful, because I can't exactly paraphrase him. I don't think one of the words he used I am allowed to use on the floor of the Senate. But I believe it went something like this: Cy Young winner? Not on our team. We beat them. Rookie of the year? Not on our team. We beat them. MVP of the league? No, sorry guys, not on our team. We beat them. We kicked all of their-- something which I can't say on the floor of the United States Senate. So I am proud to quote Jonny Gomes today. I am proud of who he is and what he represents. I am proud of this team. This is a team that understands the essence of being an underdog and coming from behind and proving to everybody they are wrong. There is a famous poem about baseball, and one of the famous lines starts with the phrase ``there is no joy.'' I have to tell you, there is joy; there is unbridled joy in Kansas City for this team and for all the right reasons. I am incredibly proud to represent a State and an area of our country that has produced this kind of sportsmanship and this kind of grit and determination. The Royals never say quit. Thank you, Mr. President, and I will turn it over to my colleague from the State of Kansas, who is appropriately sporting a very royal blue tie.

Mrs. McCASKILL. Well, I was lucky enough to be a witness to game 5 in New York, surrounded by a lot of apple-eating fans who were in shocked disbelief when it looked like the Mets had it under control and the Royals pulled a patented move out of their back pocket to tie up the game in the ninth inning. That particular play was one of those that you could tell it was almost instinct on the part of Hoz because he saw the throw and just went. Frankly, a bad throw to home plate was his savior. I am not sure he would have made it had it not been for the throw that went wild at home plate from the first baseman. But that is the thing that is fun about this team. We can go through--Salvi got the hit. It was a sacrifice hit, but nonetheless this is a guy who got MVP. And it wasn't as if he hit a bunch of home runs in the World Series; he got MVP because he consistently performed in almost a utilitarian way, getting a hit when it was really needed, getting banged up consistently behind the plate. At one point he got hit so hard in the clavicle that I am sure a lot of players would have said: I need an inning. I need to get out. I need to be replaced. But he just kept shaking off every injury. It could get dangerous because he could go on and on. There were so many contributors on this team. That is what made it so incredibly special. As Senator Roberts said, it is not as if there was one hero here, like so many teams that have an A-Rod or a Robert Griffin. We can name the big players who have been standouts, Ripkin and the rest. This is a team in which everybody is a standout because it is all about the team.

Ms. McCASKILL

Ms. McCASKILL. Mr. President, today I would like to recognize and thank Walter Galvin for his years of service with Emerson, a great employer for 125 years in the State of Missouri. Walt joined Emerson in 1973 and has had an enormous impact on the company and the St. Louis community. Walt's service with Emerson began as the controller at the Ridge Tool subsidiary. In 1993, he was named chief financial officer of Emerson and served in this role for 17 years. During his time as CFO, he served as a management member of Emerson's Board of Directors and as vice chairman. Walt retired from Emerson in February of 2013, but worked for Emerson for another 2 years to lend his expertise and knowledge to the next generation of company leaders. Walt's experience working at Emerson provided him with the insight necessary to influence positive change in U.S. lawmaking. In 2004, he was directly involved in the passage of the American Jobs Creation Act, which included many provisions intended to incentivize and expand domestic manufacturing. He appeared as a witness many times before committees in the House and Senate, shedding light on the struggle American companies face in such a competitive international environment and lending his expertise to discussions of our Tax Code and comprehensive tax reform. He served as a member of the Board Of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and as vice chairman and later, chairman of the Chamber's tax committee in Washington, DC. He also served on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers, NAM, and, for a time, as the chairman of NAM's tax committee. Other companies such as Ameren Corporation, F.M. Global Insurance, and Aegion Corporation also count Walt as a director. In addition to his service to Emerson and broader policy discussions, Walt was active in charitable endeavors in the St. Louis community. He served on the board of Interco Charitable Foundation, the United Way of Greater St. Louis, and is the past president of the Saint Louis Zoo Association and Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. St. Louis and the entire State of Missouri are very lucky to have such a dedicated community leader making a difference on a local, State, and national level. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing Walter Galvin's impact on American businesses and leaders nationwide.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Madam President, I was born in a small rural community where deer season was as much a part of fall as football and falling leaves. I was raised in a household where my dad taught us that hunting was part of our culture in Missouri. I don't know any of my dad's friends, but I certainly know that my father, were he still alive, would be shaking his head about the massacres, about school shootings--45 school shootings in one year--of innocent children, innocent college students being mowed down. It is horrific and it is tragic. The American people want us to respect gun rights, but they want us to use common sense. They don't want terrorists to be able to buy a gun at a gun show. We should not be selling AK-47s to terrorists at gun shows. We should not be allowing someone who is convicted of stalking the ability to buy a gun. That is the only thing we are talking about, the principles of common sense that run deep in my State. Close the gun show loophole. Make background checks more effective in order to keep guns out of those hands that should never hold them. No one is trying to do anything other than protect the innocent. No one is trying to remove a gun from lawful citizens of the United States, but if we do nothing, if we shrug our shoulders and do nothing when an overwhelming majority of our country want us to try to close these loopholes and make background checks more effective, then we are part of the problem. We really need to look in the mirror at the billions we are spending to fight terrorists who are not mowing down our citizens, our innocent children sitting in classrooms, and the billions of dollars we are spending to try to make sure illegal immigrants don't come in this country when, among us, we allow terrorists to buy guns at gun shows, and we allow convicted stalkers to get a weapon. Fifty percent of murder victims in domestic violence have been stalked. I hope that Americans rise up and call their Congressman, call their Congresswoman, call their Senator, and get busy because we have to take action.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I wish to honor Harold Caskey, a former Missouri State senator of Butler in Bates County, MO, with whom I had the great pleasure of serving in the Missouri General Assembly. Harold was one of Missouri's most influential legislators. Harold was known by many as ``the old lion''--a reference to his doggedness in debating. A dedicated public servant, Harold will be remembered for his love of family, his community in western and west central Missouri, and the State. Harold was blind, but he never let this prevent him from succeeding. Harold was a whip smart, strategic, loyal and hard-working man who conquered adversity. The State of Missouri has lost a special man, and he will be greatly missed and never duplicated. Harold was born in Hume, MO, in 1938. During childhood, Harold became legally blind due to a genetic condition, but this did not prevent him from being a stellar student and becoming his high school's senior class valedictorian. He attended Central Missouri State University at Warrensburg, now the University of Central Missouri, where he graduated magna cum laude with dual majors in psychology and sociology. He then earned his law degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. After earning his law degree, Harold started practicing law in the office of former Missouri State Senator William Cason in Clinton. In 1965, Harold started his own law practice in Butler. He was elected prosecutor for Bates County in 1967 and served three terms, ending in 1973. Harold continued his public service by serving as the city attorney for the communities of Butler and Rich Hill from 1973 to 1976. Harold was also an assistant professor in law enforcement and business education at Northeast Missouri State University, now Truman State University, in Kirksville. Harold began his tenure in the Missouri Senate after winning election in 1976 and served for 28 years before retiring in 2004 due to newly enacted term limits. He was chairman of the Senate Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee and the Senate Ethics Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the Missouri Senate, he was a tireless advocate for rural public education and sponsored influential public school laws, such as the 1993 Outstanding Schools Act, which significantly increased state public school funding and mandated higher school standards. As a member of the Missouri Commission on Performance, Harold advised the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on education reform and school finance. Harold had great influence over Missouri's criminal justice laws by increasing sentences for the most violent and, at the end of his term, sponsoring a sentencing reform bill that reduced some sentences for less serious offenders. He was also a passionate leader and advocate for the visually impaired and disabled. Harold served as vice chairman of the Missouri State Capitol Commission until his passing. Harold received numerous honors for his legislative accomplishments, including recognitions from the Missouri Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities, the Public Telecommunications Association of Missouri, the Missouri Deputy Sheriffs Association, the Judicial Conference of Missouri, the Missouri Association of Counties, the Missouri Association of Pharmacists, the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the Missouri Cable Television Association, the Missouri Crime Commission, the Missouri Police Chiefs' Association, the American Business Women's Association, and the Cooperating School Districts of Suburban Kansas City. Outside his work as an elected official, Harold's dedication to his community was passionate and unselfish as he served in countless ways, including as a member of the Rotary Club of Butler, the Missouri Bar Association, the Crescent Hill Masonic Lodge No. 368 A.F. and A.M., the Scottish Rite of Free Masonry in the Valley of Orient in Kansas City, MO, and the Ararat Shrine. He was also an honorary fellow of the Harry S. Truman Library Institute for National and International Affairs, a member of the Bates County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, and a member of Butler First Baptist Church. Harold is survived by his wife, Kay; son, Kyle; sister, Velma Elaine May; and brothers, Robert, Leon, and Ray Lee. I witnessed firsthand his strong leadership and tenacious commitment to issues he cared about. I am grateful for the wisdom, knowledge, and lessons Harold shared with me. He made me a better legislator and public servant. While one might have seen Harold as intimidating or stern, he was secretly a sweet softie--kind and gentle. I am deeply saddened by his passing and join his family and friends in reflecting on his many life accomplishments. Harold touched the lives of many and will be remembered as an invaluable public servant to the State of Missouri and an inspiration to all. I ask that the Senate join me in honoring Harold Caskey. (At the request of Mr. Lee, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I rise to talk about something very important to small businesses in Missouri. Ironically, tonight there is going to be a debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. I hear a lot of talk from my friends on the other side of the aisle about small businesses, but here we are today confronting the failure and the job losses associated with our not embracing the Export-Import Bank. President Eisenhower, President Ford, President Reagan, President George Bush--both President George Bushes. This was not controversial, and it is really easy to understand why. The Export-Import Bank has never been controversial. This is a credit agency. There are 60 other credit agencies around the world that support companies in their countries--60 around the world. It is not a level playing field in the global economy if America decides to no longer support our manufacturing economy and the small businesses associated with that by removing this important tool for exports. It is real jobs. This is not fairytale stuff, and this is not crony capitalism. This is an analysis of risks done by a credit agency and that credit agency, when it analyzes the risk, can keep track of it. We can figure out if in fact they are taking good risks or if in fact it is scratching somebody's back by virtue of the fact that $7 billion has been put in our Treasury after the Bank has covered its expenses.

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak in morning business for a couple more minutes.

Mrs. McCASKILL. In 2014 this credit agency that all the other countries in the world have access to put $674 million in the U.S. Treasury. Let me count off here. It creates jobs, supports manufacturing, and adds money into our Treasury. What is the problem? My staff and I have met with nearly 100 companies in Missouri, and 90 percent of Ex-Im's work directly supports small businesses. I will say that again: 90 percent supports small businesses. I will give a couple of examples. There is a small company in Joplin, MO. These kids started it in their garage. They build skateboard parks. They now have a manufacturing facility, and they are manufacturing skateboard parks which are exported around the world. They can't go to their local community bank to help their customer in Indonesia. They need what other countries have--a credit agency that analyzes risk on a global basis. I toured a small Kansas City company now run by the third generation of the same family. They rely on Ex-Im Bank to help them manage their risk of extending credit in foreign markets. Sixty percent of their sales are exports. Do we want to shutter this company? Is that what we want to do? Do we want them to have to cut their employee base by 60 percent because they can no longer export? There is a St. Louis company that makes cutting-edge play equipment for children and uses the insurance from Ex-Im Bank to work with customers in South America, Australia, and beyond. There is another small St. Louis manufacturer that was founded as a family-owned company in 1951 that sells electrical components to Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Thailand. They depend on Ex-Im Bank. What is going on in this place? How has this become controversial? This was never been controversial, and there is one representative that is in a key position in the House of Representatives that is shutting this whole thing down. The American people ought to be outraged. We can vote on Iran as many times as you guys want us to if it makes everybody feel better. I have no problem with that. It was a tough decision for me. I made up my mind. But to be wasting time on political posturing when these jobs--and I have real examples of contracts that aren't going through now because Ex-Im is not there. I plead with my friends on the other side of the aisle: Make time in your busy schedule of scoring political points on the Iranian agreement to reauthorize Export-Import Bank. Jobs in my State depend on it. Yes, we have unemployment down to 5 percent in this country, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't still focus on jobs every day in the Senate. With that, I yield the floor and ask for the help of all my Republican colleagues to help us get Ex-Im Bank across the finish line so small businesses in this country do not suffer at the hands of global competition that figures out that this ought to be easy. I thank the Presiding Officer.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I ask the Senate to join me in congratulating my good friend Melba Curls on her retirement from her many years of service to the city of Kansas City and the State of Missouri. Melba's journey as an agent of change began early in her life as a member of one of the first classes to integrate Kansas City's Central High School. Soon thereafter she found herself active in the NAACP's Youth Program. It was through that involvement that she met her future husband and my good friend State senator Phil B. Curls. While Phil passed from us far too soon, it was not before spending 43 wonderful years wed to Melba. Melba began her career in public service as a valued staff member to former Kansas City mayor Charles Wheeler and then to U.S. Senator Tom Eagleton. She then dedicated nearly 15 years of her life to improving the lives of countless Missourians, through her work at KCMC Child Development Corporation and its Head Start Program. The people of Missouri's 41st House District elected Melba to represent them in the Missouri House of Representatives in 1999. Her 7 years in the general assembly saw her work across the political aisle, with both urban and rural legislators and with officials from executive departments in order to make her community and her State a better place for us all. In 2007, Melba was elected as city councilwoman for the third District, At-Large in Kansas City, MO. In typical fashion, Melba jumped in feet first to tackle a wide range of issues facing the city. Whether it was housing, transportation and infrastructure, or issues pertaining to public safety, Melba was going to be a leader fighting for the good of her community. Melba is now completing her second and final term on the city council. During her time in elected office, she has earned the respect of her colleagues, civic organizations, and the community at large. I know Melba is now looking forward to traveling and spending more time with her beautiful family. However, I also know Melba--when she sees work that needs to be done, she will be there. While her time as an elected official may be coming to an end, her time as a force for good is not. Thanks to her lifelong passion and drive, her neighborhood, the city of Kansas City, and the State of Missouri are, and will continue to be, better places for us all. I ask that the Senate join me in congratulating Melba Curls on a job well done, and wishing her nothing but the best in the years to come.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that MAJ Rick Trimble, an Army fellow in my office, be granted the privilege of the floor for the remainder of the year.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, last year we gathered here to debate this issue, and I think it is really important to point out that everyone in this body has the same heart when it comes to this issue; that is, that we want to make sure victims who are assaulted in our military are protected and supported, that the system is highly trained and professional, and that perpetrators have due process but also are put in prison if the system finds them guilty. This difference is an honest policy difference over which system would better accomplish those goals. Now, we have agreed on so much, I think it is important to point out the work the Congress has done reforming sexual assault in the military. Last year, we had over 26 different provisions that were enacted into law. This year, we haven't stopped. We have 13 more provisions in this piece of legislation. There is simply a disagreement over which system would protect victims better. There have been historic reforms, such as commanders having been stripped from their ability to overturn convictions. They are being held accountable under rigorous new standards and oversight. Every victim who reports now gets their own independent lawyer to protect their rights and fight for their interests. It is now a crime for any member to retaliate against a victim who reports a sexual assault. The ``good soldier'' defense has been removed, along with dozens and dozens more. Yes, there were panels that looked at this issue, as the one just referenced by my colleague from Iowa--DACOWITS. They heard no testimony from expert witnesses. They heard a brief presentation by myself and Senator Gillibrand, but they didn't spend days on it; whereas, the system's response panel, put in place by this Congress, spent weeks and weeks examining this and heard from dozens and dozens of witnesses from every side of the issue. By the way, this panel was made up of a majority of civilians--the majority of them women--and it voted overwhelmingly to reject an approach that removes commanders from their responsibility and their duties and, therefore, their accountability. One of the members of this Commission, the woman who runs the victims center at the Department of Justice for the entire country, said: ``I went into this thinking Senator Gillibrand's legislation made sense . . . but when you hear the facts, it doesn't hold up.'' She was joined by the liberal icon--a feminist icon--Elizabeth Holtzman, who was the author of the rape shield statute in the Congress when she served as a Representative. She, too, spoke out, saying that once she understood the system and understood the facts, she agreed that keeping commanders accountable was crucial. Now, have we seen progress? It is one thing to have anecdotal information, it is another to have a statistically valid survey. The same survey that shows retaliation is still a stubborn problem that we can't give up on also shows some very important data. So if you are going to argue retaliation is a continuing problem, you are relying on the very same survey that tells us the following: incidents are down-- that is meaningful progress--dropping 29 percent just in the last 2 years. Reporting continues to go up, which was our stated goal as we began these reforms. Reports are up 70 percent from 2012. Back in 2012, only 1 in 10 victims were reporting. We have that down to one in four. That is not spin, that is fact. These victims are coming forward because they have renewed confidence they will have support, they will get good information, and that the system is not stacked against them. Increased reporting occurred in all categories. The number of unrestricted reports are up, restricted reports are up, and, importantly, the number of reports that victims converted from restricted to unrestricted. Furthermore, they went around the country and did focus groups with victims. This was RAND. This wasn't the military, this wasn't the Department of Justice, this was the RAND Corporation--well known for its ability to do statistical information--that went around the country and did focus groups--11 different focus groups--on different bases with just victims and asked victims to come forward and participate in the survey. In that survey--and this is really important--82 percent agreed their unit commander supported them, 73 percent were satisfied with their unit commander's response, and 73 percent said they would recommend others report if they were a victim of sexual assault. And this is really important: The Gillibrand amendment does nothing to combat retaliation. The recent RAND survey found that the majority of reported retaliation does not come from commanders; it comes from peers. This is a cultural problem we have to get after, and certainly I would stand ready to work with Senator Gillibrand, Senator Grassley, and all of my colleagues to look to see what we have to do to get at this peer-to-peer retaliation, which is the vast majority of what was reported. Finally, the Gillibrand amendment actually weakens punishment for the crime of retaliation. By moving retaliation from article 92 to article 93 of the UCMJ, it would actually reduce the maximum punishment for this crime, and it, finally, prohibits the resources necessary to get at this problem. The amendment says we cannot add any additional resources to get after this. Historic reforms have been made. They are working, based on data. Talking to dozens and dozens of prosecutors and untold victims, as a former sex crimes prosecutor who cares about nothing more than taking care of victims and making sure they have due process and are respected and deferred to, I must urge this body to reject the Gillibrand approach, which removes commanders from being held accountable where they must be held accountable. Mr. President, I urge a ``no'' vote on the Gillibrand amendment.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I congratulate my good friend Woody Overton on his retirement after 14 years as director of governmental affairs and community relations at JE Dunn Construction and his many years of leadership and service to Kansas City. Woody demonstrated exceptional professionalism, and I am pleased to recognize his outstanding career today. Woody, a native of Trenton, MO, received his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Missouri--Kansas City. He is a U.S. Army veteran and is deeply involved with nonprofit and civic organizations in the Kansas City area. Woody served as assistant to former U.S. Senator Thomas Eagleton in charge of major projects and constituent services from 1977 to 1986. He learned from the best and embodied the lessons he learned from Senator Eagleton throughout his life and career. Each time you talk to Woody he will share a lesson he learned through an anecdote. That time in his life was the defining moment of his career, and his love of public service and community involvement came directly from his respect and admiration for his boss and friend, Senator Tom Eagleton. In 1992, Woody ran the Clinton Presidential campaign in Missouri, helping President Clinton secure a must-win State by ten points. In 1993, Woody was appointed as the Regional Administrator of the General Services Administration's, GSA, Heartland Region which includes Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. Woody served as its chief executive officer and regional liaison to other Federal agencies, State and local Governments. Woody's leadership and accomplishments in providing better customer service to Federal agencies earned him the GSA Administrator's ``Exceptional Service Award'' in May 2001. Woody's ability to work with Democrats and Republicans to help Kansas City remain a Federal regional center during his tenure as head of Kansas City's GSA should be commended. He oversaw construction of several important Kansas City buildings including the Federal courthouse, the Illus W. Davis Civic Mall, the FBI office, and the Agriculture Department complex and in Kansas City, Kansas another courthouse and the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters. Woody is looking forward to spending more time with his family, and especially his grandchildren. I know they will enjoy the opportunity to spend more time with him. It is my pleasure to honor Woody Overton today. He has touched the lives of many and immensely improved the Kansas City community. I ask that the Senate join me in congratulating and honoring Glen W. ``Woody'' Overton.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I ask the Senate to join me today in honoring the life and achievements of Fred Curls, who passed away on May 15, 2015. Fred was a dear friend and fought tirelessly to promote political and economic empowerment for African Americans. Fred was one of a kind, and will be remembered as a man committed to improving the lives of others and his community. Fred was born in Kansas City, KS and grew up in both Kansas City and Norwata, OK. He was a member of the first class of graduates from Lincoln High School in Kansas City. In 1952, Fred began a career in real estate and opened his own business, Curls & Associates in 1954. He became the first African-American licensed real estate appraiser in Kansas City. Based on his own experiences with discrimination in the workplace, Fred wanted something better for himself and his children. He became a pioneer for civil and political rights and was the last surviving founder of Freedom, Inc., one of the oldest and most active political organizations in the country. In 1962, he and four other influential leaders in Kansas City founded the organization with the belief that the primary way to get equal treatment was through the ballot box and the inception of a political party. The group helped give African Americans in Kansas City and throughout Missouri political power and strength by registering voters, backing civil rights efforts, and elevating candidates to elected office at the local, State and Federal level. Throughout his life, Fred received numerous awards and commendations. He most recently received the Legacy Award from Jackson County and was inducted into the Missouri Walk of Fame. Several of Fred's own children and grandchildren have been involved in State and local politics including his late son Phil, who was a Missouri State senator, his daughter-in-law Melba who is a councilwoman in Kansas City, and his granddaughter Kiki, who is a Missouri State senator. Fred had seven children over two marriages to Velma Wagner Curls and Bernice Curls Church. Three of his children preceded him in death. Millicent Curls Sillimon, Garland Michael Curls, and Senator Phillip Burnell Curls. He is survived by his children Janice Curls Parker, Darwin Lenard Curls, Dr. Karen Elaine Curls, Darrell Dwain Curls, 22 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great grandchildren. To countless residents of my State and across the country, Fred Curls is a hero. He witnessed first-hand the harsh consequences of racial inequality and chose to devote his life to ending that injustice. Fred is an inspiration to so many Americans, across all racial lines, and to me personally. Because of leaders like him, who fought and sacrificed but ultimately believed in our country's ability to empathize and change, we are all better off and our lives more enriched. Fred left an indelible and permanent mark on Kansas City and will be fondly remembered and dearly missed. Fred's life and commitment to empower black voters serves as an inspiration to me and to all Missourians. I ask that the Senate join me in honoring the life and legacy of Fred Curls.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, briefly, this should be a happy day for America. This should be a day that is circled on the calendar as another day, as the Presiding Officer of this Senate knows, that this is about the American dream. This woman is the embodiment of the American dream in action. We should be celebrating her confirmation to the most important law enforcement position in the United States of America. So why am I not happy? I am sad. I am depressed, because what we are going to witness in a few minutes is base politics at its ugliest. It does not get any uglier than this because what we are saying today-- what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are saying today is that it does not matter if you are qualified. It does not matter if you are one of the most qualified nominees for Attorney General in the history of our country. That makes no difference. We have a new test: You must disagree with the President who nominates you. Let me say that again because we love common sense in Missouri. This defies common sense. You must vote against a nominee for the Cabinet of the duly elected President of the United States because she agrees with the duly elected President of the United States. Think of the consequences of that vote. Think what that means to the future of advise and consent in this Senate. If we all adopt this base politics ``place in the cheap seats,'' I can't get elected President unless I am against Loretta Lynch, if we all adopt that in the future, how is any President elected in this country going to assemble a Cabinet? Because it will be incumbent on all of us to be against Cabinet members who have the nerve to agree with the President who has selected them for their team. It is beyond depressing. It is disgusting. She is so qualified. She has worked so hard all of her life. She is a prosecutor's prosecutor. She has prosecuted more terrorists than almost anybody on the face of the planet. The notion that this has occurred because she agrees with the man who selected her--I think everyone needs to understand what that means to the future if all of us embrace that kind of base politics in this decision. It is not a happy day. It is a very sad day. I am proud of who Loretta Lynch is. I am proud she will be Attorney General of this country. I am sad it will be such a close vote.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I wish to congratulate Dr. Kenneth Dobbins on his retirement and to thank him for his many years of leadership and service to the field of higher education. For 24 years, including the last 16 years as president, Ken Dobbins has served Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO. Ken considered his job as president the position of a lifetime, and his dedication and passion for the University and its students is unparalleled. It is my pleasure to honor him today. Ken received a B.S. in accounting from the University of Akron in 1971. Upon graduation, Ken served as a commissioned officer and civilian executive in the U.S. Air Force for nearly 10 years and was awarded the 1978 Air Force Audit Agency Outstanding Civilian Auditor of the Year. Ken also received an M.B.A. from Old Dominion University in 1979 and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Kent State University in 1987. Before his tenure with Southeast Missouri State, Ken held positions in higher education administration at Kent State. At Southeast Missouri State, Ken served as the University's vice president of finance and administration from 1991 to 1993 and executive vice president from 1993 until his appointment as president in 1999. During Ken's presidency, the university reached significant milestones in enrollment and diversity, academic partnerships, programs, and construction. Ken's effective leadership shaped Southeast Missouri State University into the outstanding school it is today. As president, one of his greatest accomplishments was the significant increase in enrollment of students. In 1994, there were 7,500 students. Today there are over 12,000 students. In addition, Ken oversaw more than $400 million in new construction and building improvement projects, including the Seabaugh Polytechnic Building and the $58 million River Campus. New academic programs, including the College of Science, Technology, and Agriculture and the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts were established. Ken instituted a comprehensive review of all academic and nonacademic programs to minimize student fee increases in the face of extensive State appropriation reductions. He was also responsible for developing an innovative postprofessorial merit program, which provides base salary increases and professional development funds for faculty members. As president, Ken held numerous leadership positions in higher education administration. He served a 2-year term as president of the Missouri Council on Public Higher Education, and served 3 years as president of the Ohio Valley Conference. He currently serves on the board of directors for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Outside his work in higher education, Ken serves on the Greater St. Louis Area Council for the Boy Scouts of America, and was elected by local council associates to serve on the National Council for the Boy Scouts of America. Ken was awarded the Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor given to a Boy Scout volunteer by a council. Additionally, Ken has been elected to the St. Louis Regional Chamber board of directors and is a member of the Hawthorne Foundation. Ken is looking forward to spending more time with his wife Jeanine, son Paul, daughter-in-law Stacey, and his two grandchildren. I know they will enjoy the opportunity to spend more time with him. Ken will continue to be involved in higher education during his retirement by serving as a consultant with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. It is my pleasure to honor Ken Dobbins today. He has touched the lives of many and immensely improved the quality of Southeast Missouri State University and the Cape Girardeau community. His dedication to higher education and the State of Missouri has been invaluable. I ask that the Senate join me in congratulating and honoring Dr. Kenneth Dobbins.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I have to say that I am a little confused about what is happening right now. The Republican Party is in charge--totally in charge of Congress. I am sure Speaker Boehner's and Majority Leader McConnell's staffs talk on a daily basis. I am sure they are talking, coordinating, and realizing the Republican Party now has the responsibility of showing this country they can run Congress. So what do we do right out of the gate? We threaten to shut down the Department of our government that protects our homeland while ISIS is burning prisoners alive on film? The irony of this is Republicans are in charge. All they have to do is present a clean funding bill for Homeland Security, and the very next day take up immigration reform and debate it. But they are trying to play a political trick and trying to make it look as if somehow their disagreement with the President on immigration trumps the protection of our country and that somehow we will all go along with that. Speaker Boehner mentioned me. My friend and my colleague from Texas just mentioned me. Yes, I said it. I am uncomfortable with the President issuing Executive orders such as this--no matter what party it is, no matter who the President is. But what I said when I made that statement is--I pivoted, and I said: Do you know how we prevent that from happening? We have a House of Representatives that is willing to take up and debate immigration reform. This body passed a bipartisan immigration reform bill by a wide margin. It wasn't even a squeaker. Many of my Republican colleagues voted for it, understanding this is a public policy area in our country that needs to be addressed. We can't make it a political punching bag on either side. My party can't say: We are for the immigrants; we get their votes. And the Republican Party can't say: Well, we are for the tea party, and we are against all immigrants. We need to come together and do public policy in a system that is broken. The bill we passed here was amazing in terms of border security. But Speaker Boehner wouldn't take it up for more than 18 months. Speaker Boehner wouldn't even allow it to be debated on the floor of the House. Now the Republicans are in charge. Do they take up immigration reform? Do they have a proposal? By the way, that is the way you get rid of the President's Executive order; that is, we do our jobs. We do our job. It is a little bit like ``replace'' for health care. I have heard repeal and replace for 4 years. Has anybody seen replace? Has it been identified anywhere? If it is out there, I would love to see it. It has been talked about a lot. The same thing for immigration. If you don't like what the President has done, then put up a bill and let's debate it. By the way, the Republicans have the power to do that immediately after we fund Homeland Security. We don't have to talk about anything else. We can stay on immigration reform and pound out a compromise and public policy that won't please everyone but will do exactly what the American people want us to do, and that is find a compromise that works. As countries around the world have united in their opposition to ISIS and the barbarians who are participating in ISIS activities, as all of our allies and some who haven't traditionally been our allies are beefing up their cyber security, their border security, beefing up their homeland security, their airport security, adding more resources, what are we doing in America? Talk about a mixed signal--we are threatening to shut ours down. We are threatening to shut ours down to score political points. I know there would be tough votes on immigration reform when we debate it, for me in my State and for many in their States. We had those tough votes last year and the year before. We pounded out a bill that nobody loved, but it was pretty good. It made sure, by the way, that people who had broken the rules went to the back of the line. If you want people who break the rules to go to the back of the line, then let's get busy on immigration reform. But this is exactly the nonsense that frustrates Americans--threatening to shut down a vital part of protecting our country in the name of politics. The notion that the senior Senator from Texas, the assistant majority floor leader, just said--that we were denying a debate--is absurd on its face. We debate whatever the Republican Party wants us to debate now. They are in charge. So step up, fund Homeland Security, and move on to an immigration debate. You will find a lot of willing partners trying to find a way forward but not with this gamesmanship. It is not going to happen. It isn't going to happen because homeland security is too important, especially at this moment in our history. I yield the floor.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, people who work in politics sometimes suffer a bad image. People who run for office, obviously, sometimes suffer a bad image. But sometimes even worse is the image that what we call the political handlers have--those people who have made a career of professionally helping people get elected. They are seen as ruthless, as hired guns, as aggressive, even soulless, unprincipled. I am here to talk about one of those political operatives, but this political operative was special. This political operative was my friend. He was principled, he was brave, but most of all he was a patriot. Pat Gray passed away very recently and he will be missed. Pat grew up in Oklahoma. After serving 4 years in the Navy, he moved to Kansas City where he took a job with the Kansas City Power and Light Company. He also became very active in the Jaycees. He found that work as part of the Jaycee organization was exhilarating. He had his first taste of working on campaigns to improve the community and he was hooked. Very quickly he moved into advertising. That advertising job then morphed into working on political campaigns. Pat made his bones in 1982 as a political consultant when he took on the city incumbent county executive in Jackson County, MO. Jackson County is the county where the person who used to have this desk is from, Harry Truman. Jackson County is the county that contains Kansas City. It was then and still is a place where Democrats do well. So for Pat Gray to take on a candidate to be a sitting incumbent county executive was quite brave because, as I am sure the Presiding Officer understands, politics is rough locally. When someone takes on a powerful person in the predominating party in a community, there is usually a price to pay, but Pat was not deterred. His candidate, Bill Waris, beat that sitting county executive, Dale Baumgardner, in 1982. The following year Pat was hired in an important mayoral campaign where he was also successful, electing the Kansas City mayor. Pat was low key, but he was aggressive. Pat had little ego but lots of laser- like strategy. He was very easy going, but he was very hard on his opponents. As one Kansas Citian put it after Pat had passed away: Pat slid into second with his spikes in the air. So you either had to make a very good throw or get out of the way. That was his style, very hands-on. He wanted to win badly. Pat was instrumental in electing the first woman as Jackson County executive, the first woman as Jackson County prosecutor--my campaign for that office in 1992--and the first woman as mayor of Kansas City. He helped to elect mayors, legislators, city council members, too many for me to name, too many campaigns, too many candidates. Nine out of ten times he was successful. He helped me throughout my career. I remember vividly in 1990, when I was running for the county legislature, his coming to my home in Coleman Highlands with a camera and shooting a commercial with me sitting on my living room couch, just the two of us. He became a trusted advisor and my dear friend until his death. As I stand at the very desk Harry Truman used in the Senate, I stand here in part because of his help and his loyalty. I will be reaching for the phone to call Pat Gray countless times in the coming years. While he helped many candidates, including me, it was on community issues that his record was particularly impressive. The e-tax renewal in Kansas City, which many thought had no chance, Pat successfully steered; the renewal and invigoration of our sports complex in Kansas City, the home of the division champion Kansas City Royals and our Kansas City Chiefs. Pat Gray strategized a brilliant campaign to revitalize downtown Kansas City through the building of a major sports arena, which has now resulted in blocks and blocks of revitalization. In fact, real estate in Kansas City--residential real estate in downtown Kansas City--is now a hot ticket in large part because of Pat Gray; the very first area transportation tax, which gave a lifeline to thousands of Kansas Citians in the urban center, allowing them to find that way to get to work; a property tax for indigent care at Truman Medical Center. Can you imagine anything that might be more difficult to pass? Asking people to pay more property taxes to help care for the poor who were turning up in the emergency room at our major local hospital, Pat Gray did that; additional tax moneys for both police and fire and an issue very near and dear to my heart. He helped me renew the community antidrug tax in Kansas City, which has been so instrumental in doing research and development on the antidrug strategies that work--not just more police, not just more prosecutors, not just more jail space but also prevention and treatment. Pat Gray was there helping me as we started one of the very first drug courts in the country in Kansas City, as a result of his help with the COMBAT tax initiative. Pat adored his family. His wife Brenda always patient and smiling, he really adored Brenda. She climbed into the roller coaster with Pat Gray in the late 1970s. While she had to hold on hard during part of the ride, there was never any question that they were a team and she was his rock. His children, Christopher, Donna, and Lauren, he was their guiding light and they were his pride and joy. Pat loved this country. He loved his family. He loved his city. He loved his friends and he loved his work. But most of all, he loved this country. Pat's biggest secret, as a sometimes rough-and-tumble political brawler: he was an idealist who was inspired every day by our grand and glorious democracy. He had deep respect for the system he worked within. He understood that in America a good idea is sometimes enough; a good idea helped along by a professional consultant who was a patriot. We will miss you, Pat Gray. We will miss you, Pat Gray, the patriot. I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I ask the Senate to join me today in honoring the 150th anniversary of the State of Missouri's Emancipation Proclamation which ended slavery in the State of Missouri. This proclamation of freedom was imperative for democracy and progress in our State. It is undoubtedly a landmark in Missouri's history. In 1720, the arrival of 500 slaves to the areas presently known as St. Louis County and Jefferson County, marked the beginning of slavery in Missouri. Those slaves, who were brought to work in the lead mines in those counties, experienced great discrimination over the course of 1\1/2\ centuries. When the Territorial Slave Codes were created in 1804, slaves were banned from using firearms, participating in assemblies, holding church services and selling alcohol. Under the codes, slaves were also punished severely for participating in resistance efforts and the mutilation of slaves for the sexual assault of white women was made legal. White men who sexually assaulted slave women, however, were charged for trespassing upon a slave owner's property. Retained by the State Constitution in 1820, the Territorial Slave Codes were only a premonition of more to come. In 1821, Missouri entered the Union as a slave State with the passing of the Missouri Compromise and in 1825, the Missouri Legislature passed a law which declared slaves to be incompetent as witnesses in legal cases involving whites. That gloomy trend continued as the education of slaves was banned in an 1847 ordinance. One of the most foreboding events, however, occurred in 1857 with the infamous Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sandford when the judicial system in the state of Missouri and the wider judicial system in the United States decided that persons of African descent were not U.S. citizens. At the time of the Civil War, over 100,000 slaves were living in the State of Missouri and when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Missouri's slaves were not freed as Missouri was not officially in rebellion against the United States. Missouri's slaves received their freedom on January 11, 1865, when the Emancipation Ordinance was signed at a State convention in St. Louis. That ordinance was made effective immediately and the strict codes of the past were eliminated. I ask that the Senate join me in reflecting upon this difficult time in Missouri's history and honoring the historical significance of the Emancipation Ordinance which ended slavery in the State of Missouri, 150 years ago.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I wish to talk about Senator Levin from a different perspective than my colleagues have. There is a seduction that goes on around here. You can get lulled into a false sense of security by excellent staff. Carl Levin is fortunate that he has excellent staff, but what many of us are tempted to do at times is to allow staff to do the arcane and tedious work of checking statutory language. I have been blessed to have a front-row seat to watch Carl Levin work. From my seat on the Armed Services Committee and on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I have not only watched his excellent staff, I have watched Carl Levin. This is a man who understands every nook and cranny of statutory construction. He would never be lulled into a false sense of security that he understood the bill just because of what he was told. I will think of Carl Levin fondly in one way: his shoulders slightly stooped, his hand grasping a piece of paper, not an electronic device, him walking quickly toward me with his head down, peering over those ubiquitous glasses, saying: Claire, have you read the language? Claire, have you read the language? Read the language. Read the language. He understands the hazards of a misplaced comma. He understands the danger of using an ``and'' instead of an ``or.'' He understands that the essence of our work is to make sure we craft language that lives up to our purpose and ideals. Carl Levin is a Senator's Senator. There are no sharp elbows, no heated rhetoric, and, frankly, there is no star power on cable TV. No one is dying to get Carl in front of a camera because he will say something incendiary or pick a fight, which all of our friends are anxious for us to do--if we would only pick a fight. Carl is methodically doing the grind-it-out work of legislating. He has the tools of a great Senator: intellect, integrity, good manners, and an unsurpassed work ethic. I will always call him my most important mentor in the Senate. He has taught me more than I can ever say. I will try desperately to live up to the ideal he has set for all of us. I thank the Presiding Officer.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. I yield back all time.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr President, I wish to recognize a noble Missourian, the spirited and courageous Mrs. Frankie Muse Freeman. Fifty years ago today, this body confirmed Mrs. Freeman as President Lyndon B. Johnson's choice to be the first female Commissioner to serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She served honorably in this capacity for 16 years, having been reappointed by Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. By the time President Johnson first nominated Mrs. Freeman to the Civil Rights Commission, she had worked tirelessly to end racial discrimination and secure equality, justice and fairness for every citizen. Born Marie Frankie Muse on November 24, 1916 in Danville, VA to parents who experienced the benefits of formal education and who in turn supported their daughter's educational pursuits, Frankie was educated in Virginia and attended college at the distinguished and well-known historically black college Hampton University. Almost 10 years after she started college, Frankie began her law school career at Howard University School of Law, where she graduated second in her class. Soon afterward, Frankie settled in St. Louis, MO, and began her successful career as a civil rights attorney. She worked on a variety of important civil rights issues ranging from education to hiring practices. Most notably in 1954, Frankie argued and won the fight against racial discrimination in public housing in the landmark NAACP case Davis et al. v. St. Louis Housing Authority. The following year, Frankie became the first associate general counsel of the St. Louis Housing Authority and Land Clearance Authority. Three years later in 1958, she joined the Missouri advisory committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The quality and breadth of her work combined with her passion for advocacy eventually led to her selection as a U.S. Civil Rights commissioner. In the five decades since her historic appointment, Frankie's energy and devotion to justice has not diminished. She has received appointments from former Presidents to serve on other service-related commissions. In addition, she worked as a municipal court judge for many years and was instrumental in the formation of the Citizens Commission on Civil Rights, an organization that seeks to ensure the Federal Government's vigilance in its enforcement of anti- discrimination laws. In addition to this public service, Frankie wrote a book about her storied life and career. Just 6 years ago at the age of 92, she retired after spending the latter part of her career in private practice. Not surprisingly, even retirement has not slowed Frankie down. She remains active on a number of urban and community service-based social welfare boards. To countless residents of my State and across the country, Frankie Muse Freeman is a hero. She is a woman who grew up in Jim Crow-era South when racial segregation was legal. Growing up, if Frankie wanted to go somewhere, her options were to either walk or take the segregated streetcar. She witnessed first hand the harsh consequences of racial inequality and she chose to devote her entire career to ending that injustice. Frankie is an inspiration to so many Americans, across all racial lines, and to me personally. She is a public servant whom my children and grandchildren can look up to. Because of leaders like her, who fought and sacrificed but ultimately believed in our country's ability to empathize and change, we are all better off and our lives more enriched. Therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mrs. Frankie Muse Freeman on the 50th anniversary of her Senate confirmation to the United States Commission on Civil Rights. In addition, I ask my colleagues to recognize Frankie's distinguished service to the people of this country.

Mrs. McCASKILL

Mrs. McCASKILL. Madam President, today I congratulate Judge Edith Messina on her retirement from the 16th Circuit Judicial Court of Jackson County and to thank her for her many years of leadership and service. For over 30 years, Judge Messina demonstrated exceptional litigation skills, judicial integrity, and professionalism while serving the State of Missouri. I am pleased to recognize her outstanding career today. Judge Messina, a native of Kansas City, MO, received her bachelor's degree in English Literature and her master of science in counseling psychology from Avila University. Upon graduation, Judge Messina served in the Peace Corps in northern Nigeria where she taught and worked to advance community development. She returned to Kansas City and obtained her juris doctor degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1974. Prior to her appointment by Governor Bond in 1984, Judge Messina worked in private practice and as an assistant public defender. She became the first female circuit judge in Jackson County, and in January 1998 the first woman to serve as the 16th Circuit Court's presiding judge. As an administrative judge for the Criminal Court and Family Court, she played an instrumental role in establishing the Family Court Division, which remains in place today. In 2008, Judge Messina was honored by the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, KCMBA, with the ``Dean of the Trial Bar'' award for her longstanding commitment to law, legal knowledge and professionalism. She is well-known and admired for guiding and helping young lawyers develop their skills and pursue their passions which has made a positive impact in the legal community. Beyond the courtroom, Judge Messina is an adjunct instructor for Avila University's MBA program. Judge Messina's dedication to Missouri's judiciary for over 30 years has helped improve the way our courts function today. Judge Messina is a much-loved member of the Kansas City community and has left a lasting legacy of public service. I ask that the Senate join me in congratulating and honoring Judge Edith Messina.