Joe Manchin

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. I know the Senator from Delaware was also, like myself, born in West Virginia. And when we think about all the famous people who have come from West Virginia, we think about the men with the right stuff--Charles Yeager, General Yeager, who broke the sound barrier in 1947; we think about the Rocket Boys and the movie ``October Sky.'' We think about the Hatfield and McCoy feud--a couple of feuds we have had and some might say are still going on; and we think about the logo for the National Basketball Association. Jerry West is the person dribbling the basketball. That is his picture. That is the logo. So we think about so many contributions, but most important of all the people in West Virginia and all over this great country have contributed to who we are today, and I am a proud West Virginian through and through.

Mr. MANCHIN. Madam President, this week the State of West Virginia will celebrate the sesquicentennial of its birth--a brave and daring declaration of statehood that is unprecedented in American history. West Virginia was born out of the fiery turmoil of the Civil War 150 years ago. It was founded by true patriots who were willing to risk their lives and fortunes in a united pursuit of justice and freedom for all. To West Virginians, the names of Pierpont, Willey, and Boreman are nearly as familiar as Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin. Each of these men was a pivotal figure in our States's improbable journey to independence from Virginia and to our very own place in the Union. But, of course, our forefathers could not have brought forth a new State conceived of liberty without the hand of Abraham Lincoln. It was Lincoln who issued the proclamation creating West Virginia and establishing our State's birthday as June 20, 1863. And characteristically with few words, the 16th President dismissed the arguments of the day that his proclamation was illegal. Lincoln wrote: It is said that the admission of West Virginia is secession, and tolerated only because it is our secession. Well, if we call it by that name, there is a difference between secession against the Constitution, and secession in favor of the Constitution. Indeed, the people of West Virginia had a choice of two different flags to follow during the Civil War. There was, as Francis Pierpont pointed out, ``no neutral ground.'' The choice, he said, was ``to stand by and live under the Constitution'' or support ``the military despotism'' of the Confederacy. We chose wisely. We chose the Stars and Stripes. We chose allegiance to the country for which it stands. We chose to live under a constitution that promised the constant pursuit of ``a more perfect union'' of States. And ever since that historic beginning, we the people of West Virginia have never failed to answer our country's call. No demand has been too great, no danger too daunting, and no trial too threatening. The abundant natural resources of our State and the hard work and sacrifice of our people have made America stronger and safer. We mined the coal that fueled the Industrial Revolution. We powered the railroads across the North American continent and still today produce electricity for cities all across this country. We stoked the steel factories that armed our soldiers for battles all across the globe and built the warships that plowed the oceans of the world. And we have filled the ranks of our military forces in numbers far greater than should ever be expected of our little State. Consider this: According to U.S. census data, West Virginia ranked first, second, or third in military casualty rates in every U.S. war of the 20th century--twice that of New York's and Connecticut's in Vietnam and more than 2\1/2\ times the rates of those two States in Korea. Today 13.8 percent of West Virginia's population is made up of veterans--the seventh highest percentage among all States. That is higher than the national average of 12.1 percent. That is higher than States with much larger populations, States such as Florida, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, or Massachusetts. It is like I always say: West Virginia is one of the most patriotic States in the country. The best steel comes from the hottest fires. We have all been told that. Well, the fires of the Civil War transformed West Virginia from a fragile hope to a well-tempered, steely reality, dedicated to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and guarantees of the U.S. Constitution. But West Virginia is great because our people are great-- mountaineers who will always be free. We are tough, independent, inventive, and honest. Our character is shaped by the wilderness of our State, its rushing streams, its boundless blue skies, its divine forests, and its majestic mountains. Our home is, in the words of the best-selling novelist James Alexander Thom, ``a place for health and high spirits, where one's first look out the cabin door every morning [makes] the heart swell up.'' Thom wrote of our magnetic land as it existed long before it achieved statehood, but his words ring just as true of today's West Virginia. They pay homage to a State of natural beauty, world-class outdoor recreation, year-round festivals, ancient crafts, rich culture, strong tradition, industry, and trade. It is a place of coal mines and card tables, racing horses and soaring eagles, Rocket Boys and right stuff test pilots, sparkling lakes and magical mountains, breathtaking backcountry and barbecue joints, golf and the Greenbrier, battlefields and big-time college football, college towns and small towns that are pure Americana. It is a place of power, pulse, and passion. It is the special place we call West Virginia, the special place we call home. I admit we have had our ups and downs and setbacks and triumphs. We have had some pretty famous family feuds--a few you might have heard of--and life can be tough sometimes. But the spirit of West Virginia has never been broken, and it never will. I learned that a long time ago growing up in a small coal-mining town of hard-working men and women called Farmington, WV. When things got tough, they got tougher. It is as if we still hear the words of Francis Pierpont to the delegates to the Second Wheeling Convention in 1861 as they debated whether to secede from Virginia. Pierpont said: We are passing through a period of gloom and darkness . . . but we must not despair. There is a just God who rides upon the whirlwind and directs the storm. It is as if we still hear the words of President John F. Kennedy from the rain-soaked steps of the State capitol in Charleston during our State's centennial celebration. President Kennedy said: The sun does not always shine in West Virginia, but the people always do. We are West Virginians. Even in the darkness and the gloom, we look to a just God who directs the storm. We are West Virginians. We are the 35th State of these United States. We are West Virginians, and like the brave, loyal patriots who made West Virginia the 35th star on Old Glory, our love of God and country and family and State is unshakable, and that is well worth celebrating every year. I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, as do all West Virginians, I feel a special surge of emotion every time I see the American flag. After all, Old Glory is the most enduring symbol of our country, representing the unity of our people and the cause of liberty and justice for all. But the Star Spangled Banner is also the most recognized symbol of freedom wherever it flies in the world, a powerful inspiration to people everywhere who are ``yearning to breathe free,'' as it is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. Every day, Americans all across this great land pledge their allegiance to the flag of the United States. We salute it; we fight for it; we cherish it; we honor it. But one day a year, we pay special honor to our flag. We set aside every June 14th as Flag Day, commemorating the date in 1777 when the Continental Congress officially made the Stars and Stripes the symbol of America. Tomorrow, my office is planning special events in West Virginia commemorating Flag Day. Members of my staff will be presenting American flags to selected organizations all across the State that have requested flags: To veterans in Logan at the ``Spirit of the Doughboy'' statue, which honors the victorious American soldiers of World War One. To the Veterans Museum of Mid-Ohio Valley in Parkersburg, which pays tribute to West Virginians who have fought to preserve this country's freedom. To Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, in conjunction with its Team River Runner program which includes kayaking programs for wounded warriors and their families. To American Legion Post 33, in Sutton, honoring them for conducting memorial services for veterans in Braxton County. To the City Council of Wardensville, to be displayed at the Wardensville Town Office. To the ``Here and There'' Transit of Philippi, as part of the dedication of its new operations facilities. And to the West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling, which only last month opened its Applied Technology Center to veterans and other students. Flag Day has a special significance to West Virginia. Our State was born out of the fiery conflict of the Civil War, and next week we will celebrate our 150th birthday. In that terrible war, West Virginians had a choice of two flags. We chose to follow the Stars and Stripes and in doing so, West Virginia became the 35th star on that Grand Old Flag. So as we prepare for our State's 150th birthday celebration, I urge all West Virginians to join me in celebrating Flag Day--by displaying the flag that from the first days of America came to symbolize a ``new constellation'' of hope and freedom and from the first days of West Virginia came to represent an allegiance to our remarkable Constitution. In doing so, we honor not only our flag, but also the ideals on which America was founded as well as the generations of Americans who have defended those ideals in battle, always ensuring at the end of the fight that ``our flag was still there.'' The Star Spangled Banner is a symbol of their sacrifice and our faith. Not long after Congress officially adopted the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States, George Washington said, ``We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty.'' But a little poem I learned as a child from my Uncle Jimmy perfectly captures how I feel about the American flag even now: It's only some stripes of red and white. It's only some stars on a field of blue. It's only a little cotton flag. Does it mean anything to you? Oh yes it does, For beneath its folds Our people are safe at land and sea. It stands for a land where God is still king, And His truth and His freedoms are free. So let us love it well And keep it pure as our banner of liberty. This ``little cotton flag'' is displayed proudly in our homes, in our schools, in our businesses, over the Capitol and the White House, in parades and ballparks, on the field of battle, and on the graves of the heroes who fought in those battles. It has flown from the tops of mountains, from the 9/11 rubble of Ground Zero, over the scarred wall of the Pentagon and from the surface of the moon--not once, not twice, but six times. May our beautiful flag ever wave, and may God ever bless the country for which it stands.

Mr. MANCHIN

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

Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I appreciate the power of the free enterprise system. It is one of the reasons for America's greatness. I know from experience that private businesses do some things better than the government ever could. But over the last couple of decades, the United States has increasingly relied on private contractors to do the work the men and women in our Armed Forces used to do, and they are getting exorbitant salaries to do the same work--in some cases, almost twice the salary of the President of the United States. To the people of West Virginia and to me it doesn't make any sense to pay a defense contractor up to $763,000 a year. That is almost twice as much as our Commander in Chief and almost four times as much as our Secretary of Defense. If we do nothing about this, this figure will automatically rise to $951,000 next year--$951,000. That is almost $1 million a year right in the middle of sequestration when we are cutting everything. With the war in Afghanistan winding down, it is only natural for defense contractors to be looking for new opportunities, and the southern border of our country is one of the places they are eyeing. In fact, the New York Times says some of them are getting ready to demonstrate military grade and long-range camera systems this summer in an effort to secure billion-dollar contracts with Homeland Security. I understand we need the expertise of a private industry to secure our borders, but taxpayers should not be responsible for the exorbitant salaries these contractors are demanding. So I am offering an amendment that would cap compensation for private contractors employed for border security. The cap would be $230,700 annually, which is the most a government civilian can be paid in a given year. So it is in line with what we are doing. That is significantly more than we pay Defense Secretary Hagel or our Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano. There is nothing in my amendment that would prevent contractors from making more than $230,000. We are not saying they can't make more than that. We are saying they can't pass that through to the taxpayers of America. They have to pay it out of the profits of their company. The only thing I am preventing is the taxpayers from having to foot the bill. I have heard some proposals to bring that figure down to $487,000. That is an improvement. But, frankly, I can't look West Virginians in the eye, and I am sure the Chair would have a hard time looking his constituents in Massachusetts in the eye, and justify paying government contractors that much money because it is just hard to justify. It can't be justified. We need to get our fiscal house in order. We can't do that if we allow private contractors to charge the taxpayers exorbitant salaries of almost $1 million. It is time for commonsense controls on contractors' salaries. So I am asking for the support of this amendment when it comes to the floor.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Madam President, today I wish to recognize Katherine Bomkamp, a West Virginia University student who has, out of profound compassion for wounded veterans and incredible talent in STEM sciences, created a prosthetic device to address phantom pain felt by millions of the world's amputees. At a young age, Katherine spent a significant amount of time at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center with her father, a U.S. Air Force veteran. There, she discovered her passion and eagerness to help suffering soldiers as she listened to the difficult challenges many of them were facing upon returning home. The conversations between Katherine and the many veterans she encountered are what inspired her to create the Pain Free Socket, an invention that incorporates thermal biofeedback to eliminate phantom pain. This device began as a tenth grade science project and has made her a hero to veterans in distress. Since patenting the invention, Katherine has started her own company and will soon begin clinical trials. Not surprisingly, Katherine has received a lot of media attention as a result of her innovation and achievement, including global coverage by CNN, the New York Times, BBC, and many others. The West Virginia University junior was even featured in Glamour Magazine as one of the Top 10 College Women in the country and won $2,500 from the L'Oreal Paris Beauty of Giving Award. Katherine, who came to West Virginia from Waldorf, MD, is an extraordinary example of success in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, not just in my home State, but across the Nation and the world. A Newman Civic Fellow, she is one of the youngest ever to present to the Royal Society of Medicine's Medical Innovations Summit in London, England. I am so proud of Katherine and her dedication to helping those who have fought courageously and honorably for this country. She has found a way to serve those who have served this great Nation--and who have risked it all in doing so. On behalf of the State of West Virginia, I congratulate Katherine on all her achievements and wish her the best of luck in her very bright future. And I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in thanking Katherine for her compassion to work for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces.

Mr. MANCHIN

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

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Madam President, I rise to speak about an amazing West Virginia family who is celebrating the 75th anniversary of their small business this week on June 8. Jim Tweel founded Jim's Steak and Spaghetti House in 1938 when he purchased the Kennedy Dairy Store and renamed it Jim's Dairy Bar. The restaurant specialized in burgers and milkshakes until 1944, when Roberto Elmoro, an Italian native, approached Jim about starting a spaghetti house using Elmoro's own personal recipes. Jim agreed and expanded the restaurant to the room next-door. Hence, the Spaghetti House opened in July of 1944. Since that time the restaurant has been renamed and remodeled, but the values of the restaurant have remained the same: to give customers excellent service and outstanding food. Located in the heart of Huntington on 5th Avenue, Jim's Steak and Spaghetti House offers great food, from homemade spaghetti, soup and sandwiches, to fresh coleslaw, pickled beets, and tasty pies. Over the years I think I have tasted and enjoyed all of them. But this family-owned-and-operated business offers so much more to its loyal clientele and visitors alike, because this is not just a restaurant, this is a landmark and an institution. As you step in the doors, you travel through time and are greeted by a smile from everybody. With its 1950-style decor, Jim's walls are adorned with photos of the restaurant's creator posing with some of the most renowned public figures and celebrities who have stopped by for a meal, people such as President John F. Kennedy, President Bill Clinton, President George Bush, Dustin Hoffman, Bill Cosby, and Muhammad Ali. In fact, many West Virginians also travel from miles away to get to Jim's because the restaurant is one of the most famous spots in our State. Folks from the Tweel family are not only successful business leaders but also community advocates who are committed to making a positive difference in Huntington and the Tri-State region. Jim Tweel established his recipe of success 75 years ago based on five principles: good service, good food, courtesy, cleanness, and ambience. Even though Jim Tweel is no longer with us, those same principles still guide the family-owned and community institution that is now run by Jim's daughter Jimmie. Small businesses are the heart and soul of West Virginia's economy. It has always been one of my top priorities to make sure small businesses have the support they need to be successful and create good- paying jobs in West Virginia. I wish to congratulate and recognize the Tweel family for their successes, especially 95-year-old Sally Rahall Tweel, Jim's wife and one of the current owners, as well as Jim's children: Jimmie Tweel Carter, the restaurant manager; Larry Tweel, the company president; and Ron Tweel, an officer of the corporation. Their strong work ethic, their passion for the business, and their love of their community, all of which have been passed down from generation to generation, represent the very best our State, the great State of West Virginia, has to offer. Congratulations on 75 wonderful years. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate my friend Steve McGowan for receiving this year's Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America. This is the highest commendation Scouting extends to individuals for their distinguished service to the organization, and I am so proud that the Boy Scouts have honored Steve for his extraordinary efforts on their behalf. Steve McGowan is a very successful lawyer in Charleston, WV, with the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson. And even though his law practice is demanding, Steve has devoted countless hours to the Boy Scouts of America as a volunteer. This should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Steve. He was, after all, an Eagle Scout long before he ever was a lawyer. The Boy Scouts of America inaugurated the Silver Buffalo Award in 1926, and in its 87-year history only 732 awards have been presented. This year, Steve is one of 12 Americans chosen to receive the award-- and the first ever from West Virginia to be so honored. And in receiving the Silver Buffalo Award, Steve now holds all three of the Boy Scouts highest commendations for adult Scout leaders and volunteers, having already been awarded the Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope Awards. Steve's background in Scouting was one of the reasons I reached out to him in 2007 when the Boy Scouts decided to move their National Jamboree from a Virginia military base to a permanent location. As Governor, I assembled a team of government officials and private volunteers to identify the best site in West Virginia and market it to the Boy Scouts. I called the group the West Virginia Project Arrow Task Force, and it was headed by Steve McGowan. The competition with other States was tough. Proposals were submitted for 82 sites in 28 States. But with Steve as its chief, the West Virginia Project Arrow Task Force hit the bull's eye. The Boy Scouts chose a home in West Virginia--a 10,600-acre site in the New River Gorge, with easy access to whitewater rafting, hiking, bicycling and rock climbing. And this July, this permanent new home for the National Jamboree, the Summit Bechtel National Family Scout Reserve, will welcome more than 40,000 Boy Scouts and their leaders from all across the country to their 10-day long gathering of Scouts. This is going to be a wonderful experience for the Scouts. But it's also going to be an unprecedented opportunity for the entire world to see West Virginia hospitality at its best. Steve McGowan helped to make all of this happen. And on Friday, when he accepts his Silver Buffalo Award at the Boy Scouts of America National Annual Meeting in Dallas, I hope he will take a well-deserved bow for all his contributions to Scouting. The Boy Scouts oath begins with a promise to do one's best and to do one's duty to God and country, and that is a promise Steve McGowan has kept every day. Again, I extend my sincerest congratulations to him on being honored with the Silver Buffalo Award, and I thank him for all he has done for the Boy Scouts of America, for God and country and for the great State of West Virginia.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor an American hero--SGT Charles Harris of the U.S. Army 2nd Infantry 3rd Brigade. This May 30, just 3 days after our Nation's Memorial Day salute to America's fallen heroes, Sergeant Harris will observe the 1-year anniversary of his ``Alive Day.'' That is the inspiring way our wounded warriors describe the day they were injured--wounded but alive, they celebrate their second chance at life. It was on May 30, 2012, that Sergeant Harris lost his legs and almost his life in an IED explosion in Afghanistan. And over the past year, he has come so far and so fast in his recovery at Walter Reed Army Hospital, where I first met him. With the help of his family and his devoted mother Lisa, who has been at his side throughout his recovery, he has come back from the dead. Family and loved ones are the unsung heroes in all of America's wars--and the best medicine for a faster recovery. Charles has a dream, and it is coming true: He is building a home in West Virginia, and he will live the rest of his life there, in what he calls almost Heaven. We are honored that such a great American has chosen to make his home in our beautiful State. He will be welcomed warmly to one of the most patriotic States in our Nation. To celebrate Sergeant Harris's ``coming home'' to a place he has never been before and to honor his heroism, sacrifice, and determination, I ask that a poem written by Albert Caswell of West Virginia be printed in the Record. Mr. President, I urge all my Senate colleagues to take time to read this warm tribute to such an inspiring hero and to congratulate him on the anniversary of his ``Alive Day.'' And may God grant him, his mother, and all of his friends many more anniversaries in the years ahead.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I am filled with so much pride every time I meet our military veterans who come to the Nation's capital to visit the memorials built to honor them and to commemorate the wars in which they served so courageously. Today, 31 veterans from West Virginia, representing three generations of warriors, are here to see the memorials that commemorate their sacrifice and valor and for a special ceremony honoring World War II veterans. And on the occasion of their visit, I want to express my deepest gratitude to these special men who helped keep America free and made the world safer for liberty-loving people across our country and beyond our borders. I also want to say how much I appreciate the Honor Flight Network, which, since 2005, has arranged for World War II, Korea and Vietnam veterans from all over the country to visit the memorials in Washington--free of any cost to the veterans. In West Virginia, the driving forces behind the Honor Flight Network are the Denver Foundation and Little Buddy Radio, located in Princeton. These nonprofits were founded by Bob Denver--also known as ``Gilligan'' from the iconic television show ``Gilligan's Island''--and his wife, Dreama, a West Virginia native. But it was Charlie Thomas Richardson, the Operations Manager at Little Buddy Radio, who got the ball rolling in West Virginia. He introduced the Honor Flight Network to our State, building on the organization established in 2005 by Earl Morse, a physician assistant and retired Air Force Captain in Springfield, OH, to honor the veterans he had cared for. The 31 veterans from West Virginia visiting Washington today came from Pocahontas, Raleigh, Greenbrier, Mercer, Giles, Wyoming, Nicholas, Fayette and Marion counties. They range in age from 63 to 94. And while their step has slowed, their spirit is keen, their pride is undiminished, and their patriotism is unbridled. Eleven served in World War II, one in World War II and Korea, 10 in Korea, one in Korea and Vietnam, four in Vietnam, and two in all three wars. Two other veterans are serving as escorts for the group, along with three high school ROTC cadets. These brave West Virginians served this great country in a wide variety of ways--as a B-24 pilot over Italy in World War II; in a heavy mortar company at ``Heartbreak Ridge'' in Korea; as a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam. They stitched up wounds in hospitals; they assembled bombs; they inspected combat aircraft; they operated radios and radars; they cooked; and they built roads through jungles and bridges over rivers. They won the Bronze Star, the Soldier's Medal, the Purple Heart and Presidential Citations. Some were lieutenants, some sergeants, some corporals. Some served abroad, some stateside. But they all served this great country. No matter the war, no matter the rank, no matter the duty, everyone of them answered America's call. In our time of need, they stepped forward and said, ``I'll do it--I'll protect this country.'' These heroic West Virginians came to Washington to tour our beautiful Capitol, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial. But the tour of the World War II Memorial is a little different than in the past. On the third Always Free Honor Flight in less than a year, the visit will include a special ceremony called ``Flags of Our Heroes'' to honor World War II veterans who passed away before they could ever see their memorial. Sadly, we are losing World War II veterans at the rate of approximately 800 per day--members of what we have come to recognize, and rightly so, as the ``Greatest Generation.'' This generation of Americans was united by a common purpose and by common values--duty, honor, courage, service, integrity, love of family and country. And their triumph over tyranny will be remembered forever. The ``Flags of Our Heroes'' ceremony involves taking a photograph of an American flag with a family photo of the deceased veteran in front of the Memorial. The photo and an Honor Flight certificate will then be presented to the family--a way to show this Nation's respect and regard for their hero. This is such a fitting gesture because, at the northern end of the World War II Memorial, the words of General George Marshall are inscribed, and they are well worth remembering every time we salute our veterans and every time this Nation prepares for war: ``Our flag will be recognized throughout the world as a symbol of freedom on the one hand and overwhelming force on the other.'' May it ever be so, and may God bless the United States of America and all the men and women who keep us free.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, today I wish to highlight a West Virginia business on its 100th year in the Mountain State--Steptoe & Johnson, a renowned and nationally respected energy law firm. From yesterday's humble beginnings, Steptoe & Johnson now has more than 270 attorneys and a staff of 570 people, including more than 220 real estate professionals, working in 14 offices in 6 states--my home State of West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio and Colorado. Over the past century of American history--through war and peace, through recessions and abundance, through tragedy and triumph--Steptoe & Johnson has persevered and prospered. I wonder if Philip P. Steptoe and Colonel Louis A. Johnson looked 100 years into the future when they hung out their shingle and established their law firm in Clarksburg, WV, in 1913. I wonder if they ever dreamed Steptoe & Johnson would grow so large or be so influential. They probably did, because they began their practice in Clarksburg, a perfectly centralized location with a diverse economy. That decision alone helped introduce their company to various service-related industries and public utilities. Over the next century, Steptoe & Johnson would grow and expand numerous times, opening six offices across West Virginia, including Bridgeport, Charleston, Huntington, Martinsburg, Morgantown, and Wheeling. That solid foundation helped propel them into five other States. Steptoe & Johnson's success story is similar to that of many of our Nation's great entrepreneurs: two men with one vision began this American-made story of service and perseverance. Today, more than 800 individuals join together on a daily basis to carry out the company's vision and mission, by offering strong representation and quality service to its clientele. But for Steptoe & Johnson, there is no end in mind--only the future.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Madam President, today I wish to speak with great pride about a high school in my home State of West Virginia and the important role it is playing in our American democracy--Meadow Bridge High School in Fayette County. For the 12th year in a row, 100 percent of the senior class at Meadow Bridge High School is registered to vote. This is a truly incredible accomplishment, and I am unaware of any school in our great State--or any school anywhere in the country, for that matter--that has registered every student in their senior class every year for the past 12 years. Young voters eligible to vote today are 44 million strong--more than one-fifth of the country's electorate--and they are changing the face of American democracy. They are engaged in their communities, they are passionate about issues, and they are politically aware. In the most recent elections, they have turned out in record numbers. They may be the future of our country, but their voices--and their votes--count NOW. This is just what West Virginia's own Jennings Randolph expected when he was working relentlessly in the Senate to win passage of the 26th Amendment to our Constitution--the Amendment that lowered the voting age in America from 21 to 18. It became law in 1971, and our country is all the better for it. Every vote counts. And every voter has not only a right but also a responsibility to take an active role in our electoral process. I tell young people all the time that you cannot just sit on the sidelines--you have to get in the game and get active, especially when it is the future of America that is at stake. Democracy is not a spectator sport. When I served as Secretary of State in West Virginia, from 2000 to 2004, one of my top priorities was to educate our young people about the electoral process and encourage them to get involved. That was the purpose of the Sharing History and Reaching Every Student Program, also known as the SHARES program. I am proud to say that before I left the office of Secretary of State, we had registered 42,000 high school students to vote. And, of course, those efforts have continued for the past dozen years since the SHARES program began, but nowhere more successfully than at Meadow Bridge High School. It would be remarkable enough if 100 percent of any high school senior class was registered to vote. But to accomplish that 12 years in a row is truly extraordinary--not just a testament to the dedication of the school's staff but also a reflection of the students' commitment to their community and civic responsibility. In fact, Principal Al Martine reports that the students themselves now take on the challenge of reaching the 100 percent registration mark. It's a matter of pride and patriotism. The right to vote is so precious because it is the right by which all our other rights are protected. So by getting our young adults involved, we are preparing them to be active and passionate defenders of our rights as Americans. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, but one that all Americans can and should embrace, the way the students, faculty and staff at Meadow Bridge High School have done. And I congratulate them on the example they have set for high school seniors everywhere.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Madam President, I rise to urge the Senate to confirm the nomination of Sylvia Mathews Burwell to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget. I do so with great pride because Sylvia Burwell is from my home State of West Virginia. I have been dear friends with her family for a long time. Her parents have been community leaders in Hinton, WV, for over half a century. Her father Dr. William Mathews is a longtime optometrist, and her mother the Honorable Cleo Mathews previously served as the mayor of Hinton, as well as in a number of other public service positions. I worked with Sylvia for many years as mayor when I was Governor of the State--she was quite competent--including 8 years on the State Board of Education when she served as president of the board of education. If you want to know Sylvia, you should look at her small hometown of Hinton, WV, and the surrounding Summers County that she grew up in because that is her grounding. It is pure Americana, a one-time railroad boom town, woven into the mountains of Appalachia. The downtown historic district, 200 buildings, including churches, storefronts, and private residences, is an architectural gem of American Gothic, Classical, Victorian and Greek Revival styles. It is a movie just waiting to happen. Hinton is the ideal example of smalltown West Virginia and probably smalltown America. It only has 2,600 residents. That is a pretty large town for West Virginia and probably North Dakota. It is nestled into a lush green valley on the banks of the New River, surrounded by the towering, majestic mountains and forests of Summers County, one of the most beautiful counties in West Virginia. New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world. It flows south to north, which may be due to the fact that it was formed long before the Appalachian Mountains. This is the special place Sylvia Mathews Burwell calls home, a showcase for the best of West Virginia and America, the beauty, the outdoors, and the people are warm and welcoming. Sylvia is humble, hardworking, has spent most of her life helping hard-working families everywhere achieve the American dream her Greek immigrant grandparents found in this country. She went off to Harvard, was a Rhodes Scholar, and has traveled the world over. But she has never lost touch with her West Virginia roots and the ties that bind us together. No matter where she is, 1 day each week like clockwork, Sylvia is on the phone with the two best friends she made in the first grade in Hinton. Think about it. That is who we are. That is the heart and soul of West Virginia, friends and family. But make no mistake, I am supporting Sylvia's nomination not because she is from West Virginia, which makes it all that much sweeter, but because she embodies the best of our State and our country. In West Virginia, we judge people by their deeds as much as their words, and Sylvia has already accomplished so much in her life, the public service and philanthropy she has been involved with. Sylvia Mathews Burwell is an exceptional choice to lead the Office of Management and Budget, especially in the aftermath of sequestration, which is what we are going through now, and which so many of our colleagues detailed on the Senate floor this past week. We are still discussing it. I say that because Sylvia served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, which now she will become Director of, from 1998 to 2001, which was our last era--think about the last time of fiscal responsibility, when balanced deficit reduction gave us balanced Federal budgets. The fiscal plan she and Erskine Bowles, whom she worked with, put together, had we followed it to this day and not changed, would have erased our national debt completely by now. Can you believe that. We would have been totally out of debt as a nation if we had followed the plan that was put forward back in 1996, 1997, 1998, and followed through after 2001. Sylvia was a key part of the Clinton White House team which reached across the aisle, negotiated those balanced budgets with a Republican Congress. If we look closely at the numbers, we can see what an accomplishment it was to fix our finances in the 1990s. Prior to 1993, when Sylvia joined the Clinton administration, the United States had failed to balance its budget for 23 years--23 years. By 1992, spending had risen to historic highs--I think we all know that story--and revenues had reached near historic lows. We know that one too. That is exactly the dilemma we are in right now, compared to the size of the economy. In 1992, the Federal budget deficit topped out at $290 billion. I think we are close to $17 trillion in debt right now. By the time Sylvia left the Clinton White House and went to the Office of Management and Budget in 1998 as a Deputy, the wheels were in motion of sustainable balanced budgets for years to come. She put these wheels on. Spending had shrunk drastically and revenues were soaring to historic highs, thanks to a thriving U.S. economy and reasonable tax policy that ensured both corporations and wealthy individuals paid their fair share.

Mr. MANCHIN. I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 5 minutes. At that time, I wish to be able to turn it over to the Senator from Iowa.

Mr. MANCHIN. In 1998, Sylvia's last year in the White House and the first year at OMB, the Federal budget had a $69.3 billion surplus, the first surplus in a generation. Sylvia has been out of government for the last 12 years. But I am confident she will bring a fresh perspective to the fiscal debate we will be having over the next few years. After serving in high-profile leadership positions, she has been well balanced, and she has been with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She has been their top person. I would hope all my colleagues on the Republican side and my colleagues on the Democratic side will look at Sylvia as part of America, part of this great country, a product of who we are. She will do a great job because she has a track record of already doing it. With that, I would encourage all my colleagues to please vote in support of Sylvia Mathews Burwell.

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

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak up to 15 minutes.

Mr. MANCHIN. I have no more than 15 minutes.

Mr. MANCHIN. I rise today to speak in support of the Marketplace Fairness Act. I was a cosponsor of this important legislation in the 112th Congress and I am proud to be a cosponsor in the 113th Congress, because this is truly a matter of fairness. The Marketplace Fairness Act will allow local Main Street--we call them brick and mortar, but they are basically businesses, little stores with real people in them, working hard to make a real living. It will provide much-needed financial relief to State budgets that have been cut to the bone in recent years and are facing even more cuts in Federal assistance thanks to what we were just discussing here, the disastrous sequestration with the Draconian cuts. This bill is not a Washington handout to businesses. It is not a special treatment. It is not a new tax. It is leveling the playing field. It is a leveling of the playing field. Every day we do not act to pass the bill is another day we risk another small business closing its doors--not only in West Virginia but all across this country. There is always a lot of talk in Washington about helping small businesses, and rightly so, because small businesses, as you know in your State, account for more than 60 percent of all the private sector jobs. It is the small businesses, not the large businesses. The Marketplace Fairness Act is a chance to do more than just talk about it for once. We have a chance to do something to show we care about small businesses. It levels the playing field and gives our Main Street businesses a fighting chance competing with Internet vendors that are not required to collect sales tax. Let me give an example in a small rural State such as West Virginia. We are expanding, working very hard on the Internet, broadband high speed, trying to get to every little holler, up and down every nook and cranny. We are trying to help the people, and that is great. But it really puts more pressure on small businesses, because now, with the convenience, people will not travel. They may not go to the store. But if they want the service and they know the price is the same, there is no unfair advantage, there is a level playing field, the small businesses still have a chance. That is all we are asking for. Business owners in West Virginia tell me all the time how unfair it is to watch their online competitors offer low prices on the exact same products. We have heard a lot of talk about that today. That is called showrooming and that is basically people shopping. They used to go shopping in the old days. They would go to one store and compare and then go to another store and compare and they worked back and forth and figured out where they had the best deal or where they thought they had the best deal with the best service. That does not happen on line. First of all, in my State they have a 6-percent advantage because our State tax is 6 percent in all our counties, so that is a 6-percent advantage from the get-go, and in these hard economic times price is the driving force. That is why this bill has so much bipartisan support: 74 votes. Mr. President, you have been here a short period of time, but you are very observant. You know that. You have watched and seen very few times that we have gotten that type of broad bipartisan support on anything, and that is what is refreshing to see. With all of my friends who come from States that do not have the taxes, and friends on both sides--my own colleagues on the Democratic side and Republican side--what I understand, and what I know will happen, is first of all they do not collect the tax of in-State residents. If they buy it on the Internet, they will not collect that tax because they do not have a sales tax. If they say it is unfair because they are collecting it for me in my State, even though someone in West Virginia might buy from a State that doesn't have a sales tax but they have an Internet business, that is not going to cause undue pressure, I don't believe, or unfair competition in any way, shape, or form. They still need to use all the services in my State while selling their product in a State where they don't have a sales tax. They are going to use the roads to deliver that product to the customer in my State, they are going to use the people who have been educated through the school system in my State, and all I am asking for is the fair share: the fairness--we charge our own customers and our own businesses collect for us in our State--for those who are using my State as their business to do the same. I don't think that is unfair. I really don't. I think the majority of businesses don't think that is unfair, and a majority of Americans don't think that is unfair. This is not a complicated piece of legislation. It is only 11 pages. It is pretty short compared to most of the bills we see around here. Basically, it just does what we said: It allows the States to collect sales tax on out-of-State sales, provided these States streamline their tax codes. There are some restrictions that come with this. They must either voluntarily adopt the measures in the streamlined sales and use tax law, which 24 States have already done, including my little State of West Virginia--do my colleagues know we were the No. 3 State in the Nation to join in this fairness movement many years ago. And when I was Governor, we worked very hard to work with the other States, and we built up to 24 States that basically were acceptable toward tax code fairness. That is really what it is about. Or a State can meet five mandates. There are five mandates they can meet. They can notify retailers of rate changes, they can create a single organization for collecting sales tax, they can establish a uniform tax base, or they can use destination sourcing for sales tax rates and provide free software and hold harmless protection for retailers. To simplify, what that means is some States might have different tax codes in different counties. Some counties have different taxes they add on to their State tax or they have a municipal tax, so they are saying there will be 9,600 different tax codes, which is almost impossible. For anyone to participate in this piece of legislation, they have to make a decision on one of those five criteria I just mentioned. That brings the tax code down to 46. It simplifies it. So that argument doesn't hold either, the complication of 9,600 jurisdictions I heard being used by my good friend from New Hampshire. The beauty is if a State without a sales tax doesn't want to participate, they don't have to. That is the beauty of it. They don't have to. They don't have to participate. They don't have to collect the sales tax from their people, as I said earlier, so they have that option. I know all the arguments against the legislation, but, again, I will say they are just wrong. Some critics say this is a tax increase. That is wrong. If I am paying 6 percent in West Virginia when I go to a store in Fairmont, Charleston, Huntington, Martinsburg, Greenbrier, or Lewisburg--wherever I go it is the same, 6 percent. The only thing we are saying is if a consumer buys on the Internet, the consumer will be charged the same 6 percent. It is not an increase. It is the same. I think that makes it pretty simple also. It really does give our little stores, owned by the people who basically are the same people to whom we go to participate, give donations and contributions to the Little League--how many times do we see an Internet company giving to the Little League in our hometown or contributing to the chamber of commerce in our hometown, giving to any of the different fund drives there might be, such as the volunteer fire department. What we are saying is we have to do everything we can to keep them alive and healthy. Some critics say online services don't use the local services that are paid for by the sales taxes, and they should be required to declare the sales taxes. That is wrong also, and I think we just talked about that. They also say whatever product a customer orders online--let's say it is a book from Amazon or shoes from Macy's or towels from Target--if it was delivered, it still has to get to the customer. It still has to use the infrastructure the State is responsible to invest into, and that is our sales tax. Sales taxes, in all States that collect them, go into general revenue. General revenue supports a cadre of things--anything we can imagine--from schools to roads to programs people need to supporting senior citizens. The taxes support every aspect of life in the State. When we look at the whole overall bill, including the fact that the little stores and online retailers sell identical products and use the same infrastructure to deliver those products, and collecting taxes owed on a purchase at the point of sale, whether they are relying on consumers to pay that tax voluntarily, as some critics have proposed, would mean $23 billion that is going uncollected. That is just the fairness we are adding to it. Just the fairness. But $23 billion is needed revenue in States that are having difficult times. We have heard a lot of people give testimony here today that if their little State gets the amount of money it would get by having a fair, level playing field in their taxes, they could reduce their taxes. Well, that is a good opportunity in these difficult times. If West Virginia could have collected sales tax on out-of-State sales during fiscal year 2012 only--not new taxes, just those already owed to the State--if we took the sales done over the Internet, we could have put $103 million more in our State's budget--$103 million more. Our budget is around $4 billion. That is a good chunk of money. We could have used it to do a couple of things. Let me give an example of what we could have done. With that extra money from Internet sales, we could have built 412 miles of new roads--412 miles. We could hire 2,000 schoolteachers with that money we didn't receive. We could have built 5 high schools. We could have built 7 middle schools or 10 new elementary schools. Now, we talk about jobs. We talk about infrastructure. We talk about basically investing back into the State, that is money we weren't able to do that with, and that would have helped us. When we talk about the e-commerce growth, if we look at the growth of business being done online versus business being done in retail stores, we will see quite a disparity, and it is going to continue to grow and put more pressure on businesses. We think this is not going to interfere with the Internet sales, and the reason we say that is because of our busy lifestyles. If that is the way a person wants to shop, that is fine. But they just would not be able to say, well, I can save money because I don't have to pay the sales tax. It might make somebody think they might go down to John's Hardware Store. I know them, and they do a heck of a job. They have a fighting chance now. I want to stay in my local community. They have a fighting chance now. Trust me, we would not put any Internet businesses out of business. That will not happen. In 2000, the U.S. economy supported $27 billion in e-commerce, which constituted only 9 percent of all retail sales. Over the next 12 years, e-commerce grew tenfold, totaling $224 billion, which is equal to 7 percent of all retail sales: Seven percent now of all retail sales, 10 years ago, 1 percent. One market analysis projects that online retail sales in the United States will grow by 10 percent annually through 2017--10 percent annually. So when we look at that, from $224 billion in 2012, that will be over $370 billion in the next 4 years. I will just told my colleagues in 2012 what our little State lost and what we could have done with it. Think of all the missed opportunities we are going to have not just in my State but in States all over the Nation. So just look at how the Internet use has soared in the United States since 2000. Some 240 million Americans are online today compared to half that amount when the century began. So a little over 10 years ago we only had about 120 million. We are going to have full integration of our Internet, which is good. I think it is good. I just want to make sure it is fair, that is all, just fair. As broadband speeds grow, home and mobile Internet mobile users will spend more time online, and that means more time online shopping. That is fine too. They just will not be able to say: I am going to save 6 percent. They can't say that upfront. That means they are going to shop around a little bit more, and that means we have a chance. If I have a little store in Farmington, WV, where I came from, I have a chance to survive. It gives me a chance. I don't start out in the hole. I don't start out with my hands in my pocket and 6 percent behind to begin with. Google researchers have found that already 97 percent of Americans look for local products online. So, clearly, the businesses back home are at a huge disadvantage in competing with online retailers if tax requirements are unequal. This makes sense. State governments are losing billions of dollars in uncollected sales taxes that could build the infrastructure we all need. I have heard from so many businesses back home in West Virginia, and I can tell my colleagues there is overwhelming support for this legislation, and there has been from day one, since we became one of the first States to enter into this streamlined compact. That was in 2003. It started with three States, up to 24 States now, and we have a pathway for all the States to have equalization. ``I own a small business that encourages local people to support local West Virginal artists.'' This is what a lady who wrote to me said. She is a small business owner. Her name is Parween Mascari. She says: I own a small business that encourages people to support local West Virginia artists. Because we sell from a physical storefront, we must collect and remit sales tax from our customers. Online merchants do not currently have to collect or remit a comparable tax on sales they make online. That is not only fundamentally unfair, but seriously impairs our ability to be competitive in the market when we have to charge our customers a tax that they don't have to pay when they shop online. I wish to commend Senator Durbin and Senator Enzi and my senior Senator Rockefeller for taking leadership on this important issue and for introducing the Marketplace Fairness Act. I am a proud cosponsor of it because I believe it is fair and good for America. I believe this legislation restores fairness and balance to our tax system and strengthens our businesses and revitalizes our downtowns. It creates jobs and helps States struggling to provide the services their citizens expect. This measure has broad support in both parties, as we have seen by the votes we have already taken. It is backed not only by mom-and-pop stores and Main Street merchants, but also by giant online retailers such as Amazon. I urge Senators to act without any further delay. I thank my colleagues and, again, I say this is a matter of fairness. It is a matter that I think restores the fairness in American retail. I yield the floor.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. I appreciate so much the Senator's sincere approach. The only thing I would say is that my and Senator Toomey's approach and what we are doing is not a universal background check and would not touch the private sector.

Mr. MANCHIN

Mr. MANCHIN. If you are committed to protecting Second Amendment rights, as I am, as well as the great citizens of this country, vote for this bill. If you desire for all of our veterans to be treated with dignity and due process when they return from battle, vote for this bill. If you wish to keep criminals and dangerously mentally ill people from purchasing guns at gun shows and on the Internet, you should vote for this bill. To always remember those 20 babies, beautiful children, the six brave teachers, and to honor the most courageous family members I have ever met in my life, please vote for this bill.

Mr. MANCHIN. No, no. I am saying, does the Senator believe we should have 48-hour postings?

Mr. MANCHIN. Will the Senator yield for one quick moment? If I may ask the Senator, would he agree that a bill or an amendment should be posted for 48 hours prior to voting?

Mr. MANCHIN. On the Internet right now, as I understand the law as we have it, without changing anything--mine or yours--if I buy from you in Texas, and you send me that gun, it has to go by law through a licensed dealer for me to go get a background check to pick it up. We have not changed that, sir. All we do is say if you buy in State or out of State they are treated the same.