Bill Nelson

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, today I rise in recognition of June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. This Saturday will be the eighth commemoration since the day was first established in 2006. By observing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we are joining organizations around the world to raise awareness and support existing efforts to combat the serious problem of elder abuse in all forms. Every year, millions of older Americans are abused, neglected, or exploited, with an estimated 84 percent of these cases going unreported. This problem is particularly relevant for my constituents in the great State of Florida, which has the highest proportion of individuals over age 65 in the United States. As chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, I will shine a spotlight on this issue and work with my colleagues to eradicate and hold accountable those that would take advantage of our seniors. I am proud of the State of Florida's leadership to raise awareness about World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. For example, the Seminole County Triad--a collaborative of local law enforcement, public safety, and senior organizations in Seminole County, FL--will host its eighth annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day symposium. The focus this year will be on Alzheimer's, an area the Aging Committee has and will continue to work on as this session of Congress continues. The University of Miami Health System Center on Aging will host a webcast on financial exploitation and its impact on the health of older adults. This webcast, along with similar informational events being held throughout our country and the world, provide essential information for professionals who work with seniors. Our 11 area agencies on aging are on the frontlines of helping older Floridians. They share a common information and referral system, making access to services faster and more efficient. By calling 1-800-96- ELDER, individuals receive advice and information on a range of issues, including health care, housing, nutrition, abuse prevention, and other social programs. One of these agencies, Elder Options, recently moved to a new location in Gainesville, allowing them to better provide vital services to seniors living in 16 different counties in the mid-Florida region. Florida is also home to the Elder Rights Center of Excellence at the Palm Beach-Treasure Coast Area Agency on Aging. Led by director Mary Jones, the Elder Rights Center conducted 24 trainings for over 670 different professions, provided over 3,100 hours of service, and assisted over 4,400 senior crime victims last year in Palm Beach County. It also has a staffer dedicated to working solely on financial abuse. I am proud of these events, and all those events that will be held this year that aim to protect our seniors from harm. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is not only a time to recognize and support these efforts but also to critically examine what further steps can be taken. As Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I will continue to work on eradicating elder abuse as one of many issues that are critical to ensure the health health and economic security of older Americans. In honor of the many advocates working tirelessly to combat elder abuse throughout the United States and the world, I am pleased to recognize June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. I would just conclude by saying that I not only speak of this for my State of Florida, of which citrus is one of its primary industries and now the product of which is a staple on every American breakfast table, but I speak also of our sister States, Arizona, California--and, by the way, to the Presiding Officer I can say that the psyllid and the bacteria are in the State of Hawaii as well-- Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama. I am very grateful for this commitment. USDA Biobased Markets Program

Mr. NELSON. I thank Senator Stabenow for her commitment to helping fund a cure for citrus greening, and it is just that; it is an emergency situation. Because of the devastating nature of this citrus greening disease, the citrus research trust fund must have guaranteed funding in the farm bill. We simply can't wait any longer. Graciously, Senators Stabenow and Baucus have both been so encouraging and have agreed with me personally to restore the funding mechanisms of the trust fund when the Senate and the House go to conference on the farm bill. When this farm bill makes its way to the President's desk, the citrus trust fund needs to be a fully functional and a funded component.

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I am grateful to the chairman of the committee to engage in a colloquy with me about a devastating disease of bacteria called greening, which is devastating the citrus industry. We know of no cure. The bacteria kills the citrus tree in 5 years, and we are not going to have a citrus crop or industry unless we can find a cure for this bacteria. The bacteria is transported by an insect called a psyllid, and once the psyllid bores its snout into the bark of the tree and the bacteria is injected into the foam or sap of the tree, it will kill the tree. They found various methods of spraying to try to prolong the life of the tree, but in essence the tree will die in about 5 years. It is in every grove in Florida. It is now in the citrus industry in California and Arizona and they have found the psyllid likewise in other gulf coast States--Alabama, Louisiana--and greening is also in the State of Georgia. So what we are trying to do is set up a trust fund, which is authorized in the bill, and to get it funded in order to find a cure for this disease so an industry that has become so important to the entire country can be saved. I have talked at length with the chairman of the Finance Committee Senator Baucus, who has been very supportive. As a matter of fact, we passed a similar bill out of the Finance Committee in the last Congress. I plan to work with Senator Baucus and Senator Stabenow to make sure this trust fund becomes a reality as we move forward with this farm bill.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I was greatly saddened to learn about the passing of Senator Lautenberg on Monday. I was fortunate to serve with Senator Lautenberg on the Commerce Committee. His life was about public service, plain and simple. Frank was a great example of the American Dream. Over the past few days we have all heard Frank's story of being born into a Russian and Polish immigrant family, and working his way from humble beginnings to a prosperous career as a chief executive in the private sector. But Frank's true calling was public service and giving back to his community, his State, and our Nation throughout his life. As a young man, he served our country in the U.S. Army in WWII and went to Columbia University on the GI bill. In Congress, Frank fought to create economic opportunity for all Americans by supporting our public infrastructure. He was a staunch advocate for passenger rail and Amtrak. Frank's achievements on transportation issues were not only concerned with promoting commerce, but also public safety. His work to ban smoking on domestic flights and combat drunk driving has saved countless lives. Frank also fought side-by-side with me on the Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee to make sure that critical NASA safety research was being shared with the commercial aviation industry to help protect members of the flying public. Florida and New Jersey are very different States, but they share a coastline. After the Deepwater Horizon spill devastated the Gulf, I worked with him to stop offshore drilling until more was known about what caused that tragedy. Frank was also a trusted ally in securing essential funding to keep our beaches clean and water safe for people to enjoy. Frank was a crucial supporter of many other important environmental causes. He fought to keep our oceans clean by pushing for a ``double- hull'' standard for oil tankers, banning ocean dumping, and taking other steps to promote better water quality. He also sponsored legislation to crackdown on companies that release dangerous toxins into the air and water, and make polluters pay for their toxic mess. Frank was a great champion for the environment. As the last WW II veteran in the Senate, we lost a true hero on Monday and one of this body's last members of the Greatest Generation.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, today I wish to congratulate the University of Central Florida as the school celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. It has been impressive to watch UCF over the years grow into what is now the Nation's second largest university. The school--one of 12 public universities in Florida--is second in size only to Arizona State. It is educating nearly 60,000 undergraduate and graduate students this year from all around the world at what is now a sprawling campus located in Orlando, FL. Throughout the years, UCF has increasingly become an integral part of the Sunshine State--and a nationally recognized hub for research. Located adjacent to the university is Central Florida's Research Park--a 1,000-acre, high-tech complex that fosters innovation through its collaboration of UCF students, private-sector researchers and government agencies all working together in the same location. Together these researchers and students are working on projects in the sciences, engineering, photonics and optics, as well as a variety of health- related fields. The facilities they use also are home to some of the most state-of- the-art modeling and simulation equipment in the country. Just 2 months ago, NASA awarded UCF a $55 million grant to build a satellite that will enhance our ability to study the Earth's atmosphere. Not only is this award the largest grant in UCF's history, it also makes it the first university in Florida to lead a NASA mission--which is a fitting honor for a university located in the shadow of Kennedy Space Center. It was President Kennedy's historic call for a manned mission to the moon that prompted the Florida Legislature to authorize the creation of Florida Technological University--the original name of UCF--in 1963. Five years later, NASA awarded UCF its first research grant. And, as evidenced by this most recent one, the partnership continues to this day. So, I want to congratulate the University of Central Florida for the tremendous progress it has made in its first five decades. I have no doubt the university will continue to build on its many successes for many decades to come.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I wish to address the issue being debated in front of the Senate. I thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee for the leadership he has offered. The chairman has a strong and firm but fair hand. He has allowed the bill to be here and has been assisted by very able lieutenants on the Judiciary Committee, not the least of whom is Senator Schumer of New York who, as the subcommittee chairman, has been absolutely key. I also wish to compliment our colleague from Florida Senator Rubio. People in this highly charged partisan atmosphere say, How can a Democrat or a Republican, or vice versa, say good things about each other; and, of course, I am not only willing to do so but do so at the drop of a hat, to give credit where credit is due. It is too bad so much of the discussion is based on ideological philosophies and is so partisan-charged and tinged. We seem to be looking for that slight little advantage in the next election so that we get to the point where we can't come together. I think what we are going to see on display in the Senate over the course of the next several weeks is that the Senate can function and it can function in a bipartisan way. I give no small amount of credit to the bipartisan group in the Gang of 8. They have arrived on the scene at the right place at the right time. A number of us have been trying in this Chamber, and previously when I was a Member of the House of Representatives, going back to when I was a young Congressman, to get comprehensive immigration reform. I voted on it in the 1980s. We actually passed a bill. It is instructive to know at that time, in the 1980s, there were less than 3 million illegal aliens or undocumented individuals, however we wish to refer to them, in the country. That attempt at immigration reform failed because there were no safeguards to make sure the law was followed--especially among employers--to make sure the people they were hiring were legal. As a result, over the ensuing decades, the law wasn't followed. So what happened? The amount of undocumented individuals in the country rose from less than 3 million in the 1980s all the way to where it is now, which is about 11.5 million. So the time and the place has arisen to do something about it. It is too bad it hasn't been done, but what is done is done. Now we have a chance to change that. If one happens to come from a State such as my beloved State of Florida that has such a rich mixture in the fabric of our society of so many different peoples from so many different parts of the world, then, of course, a person ought to be a little more sensitive to the broken system we have. Thus, it was not unusual that when it came time that suddenly a case exploded in the newspapers of a child, a DREAMer who had come here as a child with parents who were undocumented, the child never even knew he or she was not American and it gets down to the end of their graduation in high school and they want to go off to college or they want to go into the military and, lo and behold, they are now under the order of deportation. Of course, this Senator, similar to many other Senators, has had to try to intervene in these very egregious cases. I wish to mention one, and it illustrates the ridiculousness of the present system that is so broken. A child brought at age 6 months from the Bahamas now grows up in America thinking he is American. He is a Floridian. He goes into the Army. How he missed the checks there that he was undocumented I do not know. But he goes into the Army. He serves two tours in Iraq. He has a top secret rating. When he comes back, after the two tours, going into the private sector, he enlists in the Naval Reserves, and because of his top secret clearance, this particular now Navy reservist on Active Duty is sent to the very sensitive position--because of his top secret clearance--of being a photographer at the Guantanamo detention facility for the detainees, and he serves in that position admirably. Somehow in the process after this, back in civilian life, this particular former Army, now Navy, reservist, in applying for an application for a passport, answers something incorrectly on the passport application--because he does not know he is not an American-- and he gets arrested and he is thrown in jail and is in jail for 3 going on 4 months, until this Senator finds out about this case--because I am reading it in the newspaper--and, of course, once we blew this up to the attention of the public at large, even the Federal judge asked the prosecutor: Why in the world are you prosecuting this case? That shows the ridiculousness of existing law because it is so broken. That, of course, had a good outcome. It did not have a good outcome while somebody who had a top secret clearance is sitting in jail for over 3 months, but it is illustrative, again, that we have to do something about the existing system. Thus, we have in front of us a compromise. Remember, the art of legislating is respecting the other fellow's point of view, reaching out, trying to bridge the differences, with the goal that we want to achieve a result. There are some here who do not want to achieve that result, and they are going to try to torpedo it. They are going to try to put poison pills that are so seductive as amendments that will kill the bill. They are going to make a lot of the Senators on both sides of the aisle take tough votes on things they would ordinarily support, but they are going to have to reject them to keep the integrity of the compromise in order, at the end of the day, to pass an immigration reform bill and then hope we get a big enough vote so that there is such a momentum-- and with all the different advocacy groups, including businesses, farmers, the immigration community, pro-immigration reform community, all of them--to start to lean heavily on the House of Representatives, and maybe at that point we can get the bill passed. As we consider this bill to fix this broken immigration system, many of us are going to disagree about details, but we have to remember what is the goal at the end of the day. This bill includes important things to secure the borders. You think the borders are secure now? By the way, they are a lot more secure now than they were just a few years ago. They are catching some 60 percent of all the people who are coming across the border now, but that is not good enough. Forty percent is still coming across. This bill is going to try to take it up to 90 percent. They are going to reform the visa program. They are going to make it easier, at the end of the day, because of the technology we have, where you can swipe the passport. Some countries desperately have wanted to get into a visa waiver instead of having families come hundreds of miles to the consulate. Because of the information that is going to be contained on that passport--biometric information--we are going to be able to streamline that process. Certainly, at the end of the day, we are going to be able to supply the workforce needs of the country if the employers will follow the law. So now this reform bill is going to make it mandatory upon those employers to follow the law so they can have a legal workforce instead of what is the case now: Do not look. I have to have them for my business or my farm, my agriculture--whatever the business is, I have to have them--but do not look because I know they are illegal. That is going to be changed. Then there is another component. What about those people who came here on a legal visa, but now they have overstayed the visa. We are going to be able to check because now, with that biometric information, they are going to swipe as they leave the country that information so it matches with the information we got when they came into the country on a legal visa. Now we are going to know who is staying behind. By the way, those countries that want to be in the visa waiver program, such as Chile or Brazil, they have to keep those defaults under 3 percent of the total visas. Lo and behold, now those countries that want to keep the visa waiver to make it easier on their citizens to travel to the United States--how about all those Brazilians who want to come to Disney World--now they have an incentive to help their own people by keeping those defaults under 3 percent of the total visas for that country. This reform of the visa program is very important. What about the people who are here? Does anybody think the solution to the problem is to deport 11 million people? We cannot do that. But if we could, what would happen to this national economy? It would collapse. So we are going to make a very lengthy path to getting a green card, of which they are going to have to pay fines, they are going to have to pay the taxes, they are going to have to learn English, and they are going to have to go to the end of the line, but they are going to be here legally so they can be employed, and they have to stay employed. If they do not stay employed, they are out. Anybody who does not abide by all of that presently--we do not have a requirement that they have to learn English. Now they are going to have to learn English. So anybody who does not make all of those requirements is going to have to leave. I have just scratched the surface of the bill. But I think we can see it is a good-faith attempt to bring together all of the interests, using a little common sense to try to reform what is a broken system. I hope we will get a huge vote out of the Senate. I hope this vote exceeds three-quarters of the Senate. That will send a real message to the House. I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. I thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. A good example--this isn't even a Federal district judge, this is court of appeals--we confirmed the judge 94 to 5, when we finally got a vote. That was Judge Adalberto Jordan, the first Cuban-American-born judge, from Miami, to serve on the U.S. court of appeals. The Eleventh Circuit is one of the busiest circuits in the country. It encompasses the Southeastern United States. He was unanimously reported out of the Judiciary Committee, but he was blocked by a filibuster of judicial nominees after 4 months of waiting on the Executive Calendar. Obviously, with a vote of 94 to 5, he was eminently qualified. He was not controversial. He had the support of Senator Rubio and myself, a unanimous vote in the Judiciary Committee. Yet his nomination was filibustered. In addition, highly qualified district court judge nominees are facing the same partisan delays. Obviously, these nominees ought to get confirmed without the needless obstacles, facing potential cloture motions, just to receive an up-or-down vote. I am told the majority leader has had to file cloture on as many as 20 of the Federal district court nominees since 2009. It is an indication that we are clearly going in the wrong direction in this Senate. I will give one other example. Here the judge we are about to confirm--and before the chairman came in I thanked him profusely, and the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, for bringing Judge Chappell up for a vote today. There is no controversy over Judge Chappell. She has the support of Senator Rubio and myself. She was voted out of the Judiciary Committee twice unanimously. It is a judicial vacancy emergency declared in the Middle District of Florida. She is waiting. Today is the 329th day. She was originally nominated during the 112th Congress, but it has taken 329 days to get us to this point today. Judge Chappell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Wisconsin and her juris doctor at Nova Southeastern University. Judge Chappell is serving as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Florida, where she has been since 2003. Prior to which she served as a county court judge in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit of Florida and she began her legal career as prosecutor in Fort Myers. Judge Chappell has also been an active member of the community. She has served on the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Domestic Violence Task Force, and the truancy board. Judge Chappell is a true public servant and she will make a fine district court judge. As of May 20, 2013, according to the United States Administrative Office of the Courts, there are 34 judicial emergency vacancies across this Nation. Florida is home to four empty benches--two in the middle district of Florida and two in the southern district of Florida. In total there are 84 judicial vacancies waiting to be filled and 28 nominees stuck in the pipeline waiting for confirmation. These delays in filling vacancies mean that courts are overburdened. It also means that our citizens are seeing their day in court delayed. The public is concerned as these delays are further exacerbating the problem facing the courts. In fact, these delays are a scathing indictment of the lack of cooperation and growing partisan nature of process for confirming judicial nominations. These delays undermine the public trust and are illustrative of the stranglehold that partisanship has on Washington and on the rest of the country. We cannot have that. It is time to confirm Judge Polster Chappell and move with purpose on the rest of these nominations so we can get our courts fully staffed and the judicial system working how it is supposed to. I again thank the Judiciary Committee for bringing up Judge Chappell, but it cannot keep going on like this. I hope we are going to see some reform and movement quickly.

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I would say to my colleague from Connecticut: Amen. And I would say to my colleague from Oregon: Thank you for your courtesy in letting me go ahead, in light of the fact we have a Federal judge coming up for a vote at 5:30. I am very grateful to the Judiciary Committee--to both the Democrats and the Republicans--in allowing us to vote, and I urgently implore we confirm Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. While I rise to speak in favor of Judge Chappell, I want to express my concern for the growing partisanship that is dragging down our efforts to fill these judicial vacancies across the Nation. In the past we have had qualified consensus judicial nominees who would be confirmed in weeks, if not in days. Unfortunately, even the judicial nominees who have the support of both Senators from the State--and sometimes, as is the case of Florida where we have the Republican Senator, Senator Rubio, and myself, the Democratic Senator--we are still finding the judges are being held up. We are experiencing waiting months for an up-or-down vote only to then have them confirmed overwhelmingly.

Mr. NELSON. Of course, I yield to the distinguished chairman of the committee.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I was necessarily absent for votes on amendments to the Water Resources Development Act on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, and Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Had I been present, I would have voted against amendment No. 868 and amendment 815. I would have voted to in favor of amendment 889.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Mr President, today I wish to recognize and honor the achievements of the 65th Infantry Regiment known as the ``Borinqueneers'' for their contribution to the defense of our great Nation. The Borinqueneers were a segregated Puerto Rican Army unit which served our Nation with great distinction during World War I, World War II, and the Korean war. The Borinqueneers served our Nation with valor during a period of history in which their own nation's sovereignty was dependent upon the United States. The Borinqueneers earned 10 Distinguished Service Crosses, 256 Silver Stars, 606 Bronze Stars, and 2,771 Purple Hearts. Six hundred and seventy Borinqueneers gave the ultimate sacrifice for both Puerto Rico and the United States. After watching the Borinqueneers in action during his visit to Tokyo, General Douglas MacArthur wrote the following, The Puerto Ricans forming the ranks of the gallant 65th Infantry Regiment give daily proof on the battlefields of Korea of their courage, determination and resolute will to victory, their invincible loyalty to the United States and their fervent devotion to those immutable principles of human relations which the Americans of the Continent and of Puerto Rico have in common. They are writing a brilliant record of heroism in battle and I am indeed proud to have them under my command. I wish that we could count on many more like them. I would also like to honor the men and women of Puerto Rico, who wear the uniform of the United States military to this day and continue the legacy of the Borinqueneers. The Borinqueneers have brought great credit upon themselves, the U.S. Army, Puerto Rico, and the United States of America.

Mr. NELSON

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

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, may I be recognized.

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I rise to speak in support of the Water Resources Development Act. I congratulate Senator Boxer and Senator Vitter for showing how two Senators of opposite parties can work together, which is something that is sorely needed around here. I thank them for clearing the amendment Senator Blunt and I offered on resilient construction, to study the need to improve our infrastructure in order to withstand extreme weather conditions and events such as hurricanes. The last time we passed a water bill was back in 2007. The gridlock the American people are seeing so much of now is part of what has delayed us passing a new water bill--and the controversy over earmarks. But all of this inaction since 2007 puts our ports, beaches, and environmental restoration projects such as the Everglades restoration in jeopardy. This water bill is going to authorize new flood protection, navigation, and specific restoration projects which are so important to our State of Florida, such as Everglades restoration. Also this bill is going to authorize important updates to our Nation's ports. Our ports obviously are a main part of the economic engine of this country. All of these projects are now in this bill and will be able to proceed. This Senate water bill means good news for Florida's beaches, waterways, ports, and the Everglades. Rather than talk about the specific projects, I want to say Congress made a promise 13 years ago to restore the Everglades and this bill puts us on the path to finally fulfilling that promise and restoring as much of that extraordinary ecosystem known as the Everglades as it could be in the way Mother Nature designed it. I also want to talk about another part of this bill that is extremely important to the State of Florida. People think California has the biggest coastline. Not so; Florida's coastline is much larger. Actually, Alaska's coastline is the longest, but when it comes to a coastline with beaches, almost all of Florida's coastline is beaches. So beach renourishment is exceptionally important to us. It is important to our economy, with all of our tourism that comes to Florida. It is important to our environment. Beach restoration saves lives, mitigates property damage, and it keeps the recovery costs down. Beach renourishment is one of the reasons I support the bill. I come from a State that has more beaches than any other State, so naturally our beaches are of critical importance to us. It is important not only from an environmental standpoint but also from an economic and tourism standpoint. There is something known as the lateral drift, which is from north to south. It takes sand off the beach and pushes it south. When we have a cut in the beach--such as an inlet--that goes into a port, it all the more aggravates beach erosion. When the storm comes, watch out, because the beach can completely disappear. So I strongly oppose any efforts to cut the funding of beach renourishment. This is about protecting our communities from natural disasters. These investments save lives, mitigate property damage, and keep recovery costs down. For every $1 that is spent on shoreline protection, we see a return of $4. In Florida, we have several coastal communities anxiously waiting for the reauthorization of beach renourishment programs because they are so vulnerable to erosion caused by hurricanes and the rise of the sea level. This is pretty simple for us. We have to protect coastal communities from flooding and storms by adding sand to the beach. I will continue to try to prevent any kind of cut that we seek. As a matter of fact, we are going to see a Coburn amendment that is going to try to take money out of the beach renourishment. I will urge my colleagues to vote no on that Coburn amendment. Suspicious Arrests Before I conclude, I wish to talk about a very disturbing circumstance which occurred about a week ago in the Turks and Caicos. There was an arrest and jailing of two older American tourists on ammunition charges at the Turks and Caicos Islands Airport. These two Americans were arrested on back-to-back days. The first person arrested was a 60-year-old businesswoman from Texas, and that was on April 25. The second person arrested was an 80-year-old retired neurosurgeon from Florida, and that was the next day. Both were on vacation in the Turks and Caicos and arrested at the airport. The reason they spent days in jail is because after their luggage was checked--and supposedly examined by the authorities--they found a single bullet in the luggage. Does that sound suspicious? I found it to be even more suspicious when I heard that both of the American tourists--who were on vacation-- have said adamantly that they had no ammunition and, therefore, had no way of putting a bullet in their luggage. It sounded even more suspicious when I was told that after they were arrested and hauled off to jail, they had to pay $4,000 cash for bail in order to get out of jail and to return home. The Senator from Texas, Mr. Cruz, and I sent a letter to the Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas--which includes the Turks and Caicos--to ask them to investigate this matter. We want to know if there have been similar cases this year to make American tourists a target under a similar kind of scheme. We are asking him to examine this so he knows we are very concerned on behalf of our constituents. In essence, we want to know whether this was a shakedown operation or legitimate. The fact that this happened on two successive days with a single bullet found in the luggage of American tourists gets to be awfully suspicious. I ask unanimous consent that our letter be printed in the Record.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, today I rise in recognition of May as Older Americans Month. I am pleased to be submitting a resolution commemorating the month with my colleagues, Senator Collins and Senator Sanders. The 2010 Census estimated that 40 million adults in the United States are over the age of 65. By 2030, there may be as many as 72 million seniors, or almost 20 percent of the entire U.S. population. President John Kennedy recognized the first Older Americans Month 50 years ago. By continuing to observe the month of May as Older Americans Month, we are not only reminding ourselves of our duty to provide for the needs of this population, we are showing our respect for the numerous valuable contributions and lessons these individuals give to us every day. Let me give one motivating example out of many from my home State of Florida. Cecil Daniels, a 70-year-old Miami resident, was recently recognized in a nationwide competition as the 2012 Richard L. Swanson Inspiration Award from the Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness Program. Mr. Daniels has successfully changed his lifestyle to better manage his diabetes and high blood pressure. Thanks to changing his diet and joining friends in fitness classes, he now receives encouraging reports from his physicians about his health. Mr. President, in honor of Cecil Daniels and all older Americans, I am pleased to recognize May as Older Americans Month and celebrate the contributions and achievements of seniors nationwide.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, indeed I want to talk about this amendment and why it is a good thing, but I first want to compliment the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, who is not seated at her desk in the Chamber, but she is seated as the Presiding Officer. I want the chairman of that committee to know that she must be Merlin the Magician because in rapid fashion she brings the bill out of her committee and to the floor, along with her ranking member, the Senator from Louisiana, Mr. Vitter. This water bill is so important to the future of this country, and it is so important to infrastructure in this country. I commend the chairman and the ranking member for the rapidity with which they have worn out the leadership in order to get the leadership's attention to bring it to the floor. What Senator Blunt and I are sponsoring is common sense. Anybody who has been through a hurricane, tornado, or any other kind of natural disaster knows what new building codes have done. There is a fancy new term now called ``resilient construction,'' and the resilient construction is making it more resilient in withstanding a natural disaster. I will never forget flying in a National Guard helicopter after a monster hurricane in 1982--Hurricane Andrew--that hit a relatively unpopulated part of Miami-Dade County, the southern end, and it ended up being a $20 billion-insurance-loss storm. Had it turned 1 degree to the north and drawn a line on northern Dade County-Southern Broward County--in other words, north Miami and south Fort Lauderdale--it would have been, in 1992 dollars, a $50 billion-insurance-loss storm. That would have taken down every insurance company that was doing business in the path of the storm. We had that warning, and we saw the results of the lack of attention to resilient construction--in other words, the building codes. As I flew over that area of Homestead, FL, in the National Guard helicopter, everything was wiped out in homeowner areas, completely wiped out. They were gone. They were a bunch of sticks. As a matter of fact, the trees were sticks. There were no leaves and limbs left. In downtown Homestead, there were two things that were left standing: one was the bank, and the other one was an old Florida cracker house built back in the old days when they built to withstand hurricanes. I will never forget going through and meeting the head of Habitat for Humanity. He told us stories about how he had a ``Habitat for Humanity'' sign on his briefcase, and when he walked through the airport, people would come up and say: Oh, you are with Habitat. I want you to know that all of your homes survived. They would ask him: How did your homes survive? He would answer and say: Inexperience. They would say: Inexperience? What do you mean? He would say: Well, since our homes are built by volunteers, instead of driving 2 nails, they would drive 10 nails. This is resilient construction--extra straps on the rafters, building to the codes that will withstand the wind. Senator Blunt was talking about some of his constituents in Missouri and this tornado. Well, my wife Grace and I were in our condominium in Orlando, and all of a sudden--did you know that the new smartphones beep when there is a national weather warning, and you pick up--I mean, I haven't turned it on, and it will beep anyway. It says: Severe weather warning. A tornado is en route. Take cover. And I look at our condo, and it has all these glass windows, and I am thinking, what inner room can I go in? Since we have a two-story, what I decided to do was go into the elevator and put it down to the bottom floor as a place for taking cover. In Missouri, there are plenty of basements that are specifically built for the purpose of taking cover. This is what we want the construction industry to do. What the Senator from Missouri and I are doing is saying to the National Academy of Sciences: We want you to come up with additional studies on how our people can save lives and save property with resilient construction. That is simply what this amendment does. I would conclude by saying, my goodness, do we need another reminder of Katrina? Remember, the Katrina problem was not the wind; the Katrina problem was the wind on the back side coming across Lake Pontchartrain that caused the water to rise. The levees weren't there, and it breached the levees, and that became a multiple hundreds of billions of dollars storm. We should have learned our lessons there. Sometimes resilient construction is not only about people's homes, but it is about dikes and levees as well. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, since 1974, the Community Development Block Grant program has provided cities and counties with critical funding to help low and moderate income people through community projects for economic development, revitalization and infrastructure improvements. The Community Development Block Grant program also gives local governments the flexibility to use some of this funding to provide basic public services directly to the most vulnerable people in their communities. These essential services include providing meals, clean water, shelter and clothing to low income senior citizens, abused or neglected children, the disabled and the homeless. For all the good programs that the Community Development Block Grant program does, communities are limited because local governments can only spend a maximum of 15 percent of their funding on these vital services. For many of our local communities in Florida and across the country, the 15 percent cap is too low to adequately help the number of people in need, especially during these tough times. In one particular case, the City of Miami wants so desperately to use more of its Community Development Block Grant funds for assistance to seniors for food programs, but they can't because of the 15 percent cap. That is why I filed S. 855 on April 25, to raise that modest amount so that grant recipients can tailor the program to the needs of their communities, in this particular example, the needs of senior citizens. This important legislation, which is being reintroduced in the House by Representative Ros-Lehtinen, allows local governments to spend up to 25 percent of their funding for the Community Block Development program on essential public services, rather than just 15 percent. The bill does not require local governments to spend 25 percent of their funding on services, but it gives them the flexibility to do so if it is in the best interest of their communities. Let me be clear, the bill does not increase funding to any part of the Community Development Block Grant program. It simply allows local communities to do more with what they have, which is why both the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities have supported this position. I hope that we in the Senate will take this critical step to help local governments to ensure that the most, vulnerable will continue to receive the most basic services.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Mr President, I submit these remarks today to honor the achievements of the USS John Rodgers, DD-574, a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy. The USS John Rodgers was commissioned on February 9, 1943, with Commander H.O. Parish, USN, commanding. The USS John Rodgers joined the Pacific Fleet upon arrival in Pearl Harbor in June 1943. During her 2 years of almost constant service in the forward area, the USS John Rodgers was under frequent air attacks, yet still assisted other ships and planes in destroying innumerable enemy aircraft. The courageous crew of the USS John Rodgers sank an enemy patrol craft, destroyed six mines, rescued twenty-five downed airmen, to include three British personnel, and engaged in eight bombardments of Japanese held territory in support of various amphibious operations. The sailors of USS John Rodgers bravely executed an anti-shipping sweep 30 miles into Suruga Qan, the deepest penetration of Japanese homewaters made by surface vessels during the war. The crew was recognized by the commanding general, Third Marine Division, for outstanding performance while in contact with the enemy. The commanding officers and squadron commanders who embarked in this vessel and honorably served the USS John Rodgers: Captain E.M. Thompson, Captain Henry Crommelin, and Captain Joseph W. Ludewig, Commander H.O. Parish, and Commander J.G. Franklin. The USS John Rodgers earned 12 battle stars in World War II, and remarkably she sustained zero personnel losses during her service. At all times the morale of the crew was excellent and in keeping with the highest traditions of the naval service. The USS John Rodgers was decommissioned on 25 May 1946. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the sailors and the families of the USS John Rodgers for their commitment, patriotism, and dedication to the USS John Rodgers, the United States Navy, and the United States of America.

Mr. NELSON of Florida

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, I wish to talk about the issue of gun violence. Our hearts are still heavy from the reminders of what happened in Connecticut, and I want to say that I come to this issue from a position of moderation and common sense. I come to this issue having grown up in the country as a hunter. I grew up on a ranch. I have had guns all my life. I am very familiar with guns. And to this day I still enjoy hunting quail and pheasant with my son. But is there anybody who realistically doesn't believe we ought to have a criminal background check for the person who is purchasing a gun? I am very encouraged to hear that Senator Manchin and Senator Toomey have come together to find a way to close the gun show loophole. That is instructive. In my State of Florida, years ago we amended the State constitution with an overwhelming vote of the people in Florida, and then there were ways that in practice had been found to subvert the law that was the will of the people in our State--that you can't purchase a gun at a gun show without having a criminal background check. What they do is they say: I will consider you a personal friend, and therefore that is an exception to doing a background check on you. So Senator Manchin and Senator Toomey have come to an agreement to find a way to close that gun show loophole, and that proposal will also establish a commission to better understand the root causes of how to prevent mass violence. There is simply no reason we shouldn't be able to do a criminal background check, which is one way to find out the intention of somebody who is buying a gun. If you bring it back to basics, it is all about common sense, and it is especially so given the circumstances in which we find ourselves where people are slaughtering children. Is there anybody who thinks we need ammunition clips for 60 rounds? That is not common sense. When I go hunting, if it is quail, I usually have two shotgun shells in the gun. If you are going to give the quail a chance and if it is hunting instead of killing, then let's see how good a marksman you are. So I can't see any reason that common sense would dictate that we would have more than 10 rounds in a clip. Yet people want to go out and buy clips for 60 rounds. I think that is telling us something about their intention. I voted on this back in 2004, to extend the existing law that came out of the 1990s. We said in that legislation that 10 and fewer is OK. Now, is that not reasonable? Is that not common sense? So if we don't reasonably have a need for more than 10, then that is where we ought to draw it in the law. Then there is another element of common sense; that is, why assault weapons? I served, wearing the uniform of this country. The U.S. military has assault weapons. People are going out and buying these AK- 47s that are a derivative of the same weapon that was used by the North Vietnamese against us in the Vietnam war. And I simply ask this question: Are these guns for hunting or are they for killing? And if the legitimate answer is that they are not for hunting or for some collector's purposes, then they have another purpose. Obviously, that is what they were designed for--as an assault-type weapon in a combat circumstance. So how do we approach the legitimate recognition of the second amendment, the right to bear arms, with assault weapons? And I don't think we can. It seems that among people of good will, using common sense and moderation, that we can come to some definitions that would ban these types of assault weapons. Now, we are probably not going to have the votes to pass it here, but we need to take the vote and we need to see how everybody feels about this issue. I wish to conclude by saying that those of us who are portrayed, by taking this position of moderation and common sense, as if we were not for the second amendment, that is false. Of course I support the second amendment. I just gave you my history of growing up in the country with guns, having guns all my life and still having a number of guns in my home today. I support the second amendment. I do so in light of the circumstances in our society today that have changed. My final comment is that in all of this it is moderation and common sense that are so much the solution to facing the issues that confront us today, and here is another example. Let's use a little common sense. Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, last week the State of Florida lost a dear friend, Fred Karl. I was honored to be asked by Fred's family to participate in his service and would like to share with you what I shared with them: Listen to what some of the people of Florida have said about Fred Karl . . . ``His word was his bond . . .'' ``No one questioned his integrity . . .'' ``He was always helping others . . .'' ``He was a legislative reformer who fought but genuinely liked his nemesis, Senator Dempsey Barron . . .'' ``He was idealistic, but a realist . . .'' These are the thoughts of Floridians who knew and loved Fred Karl and appreciate his exceptional public service. His smooth, lilting baritone belied the fact that he was a tank commander in World War II in the fierce Battle of the Bulge. He ran for Governor--as a champion of education--but he couldn't amass the funds to beat Haydon Burns. Education was a passion. No wonder. His mother, Mary Karl, was an educator. Her school, Mary Karl's Vocational School, later became the community college and today is Daytona Beach State College. He almost died because of medical mistakes in a hospital. The irony was later, when another hospital got into trouble; it was Fred who rescued them. He was a smart savvy lawyer for almost everyone, more often than not turning around their near destruction toward success. When Hillsborough County called upon Fred to be their attorney, he was able to restore honesty and integrity to a local government that had suffered from the corruption of its commissioners and judges. He has been a blessing to the people of Tampa Bay--just as he has been a blessing to the people of Florida while serving in the Legislature and then on the High Court. I remember Fred running for our state's Supreme Court. At the time he was campaigning for himself, he was also promoting a constitutional amendment to have justices appointed instead of elected. He later recalled ``on one hand, I was saying please elect me to the court, [on the other] I was saying vote for the amendment that does away with this election.'' To Fred, it was demeaning to see our judges out there raising campaign money. He would later say: ``Here was somebody aspiring to sit on the Florida Supreme Court and making decisions about life and death and about constitutional matters . . . and I was out glad-handing and back-slapping like I was running for dog catcher.'' Well there's no doubt, Fred Karl was rare. And he always saw public service as one of the highest callings. He was a public servant we could trust--a man who personified honesty and integrity . . . So much so, his counsel was sought from the governor's mansion to the mayors' offices to the suites of Florida's newspaper publishers. ``There's no higher form of public service than the honest practice of politics,'' Fred said. And Fred practiced what he preached! And in so doing, he made a magnificent and cherished contribution to Florida's history. To so many of us here today, he was our friend. He was our confidant. But above all he was a devoted husband; a loving father; and, a beloved grandfather and great-grandfather. May the family be granted strength to bear their loss. And let all of us all be forever grateful that Fred Karl touched our lives.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I want to comment on the comments of the Senator from Rhode Island. First of all, I know it is so heartfelt and so genuine, and I want to thank him for that. And I want to thank him for approaching it from a faith-based standpoint about this fragile ecosystem we live on called planet Earth. He has brought a perspective, with that chart he has of the Earth, that it is so beautiful and yet it looks so fragile. As a matter of fact, when you look at the rim of the Earth from the perspective in space, you see a thin film, and you realize that is what sustains all of life, which is the atmosphere. Even with the naked eye from space, you can see how we are messing it up. I could see, coming across Brazil, the color differentiation where they were destroying the Amazon. Then I could look to the east at the mouth of the Amazon and see the effects of the extra silt that discolored the waters of the Atlantic for hundreds of miles. So the Senator brings a great perspective, and I thank him for it. Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. NELSON

Mr. NELSON. Madam President, I rise today to remind this body of the plight of a missing person and the suffering of his family. On March 8, 2007, retired FBI agent Bob Levinson traveled to the Iranian island of Kish on a business trip. From what we know, he checked into his hotel, checked out on March 9, got into a taxi, and then disappeared. This week marks the sixth year of his disappearance, making Bob one of the longest held or missing Americans in history. And for Bob's wife Christine and their seven children, it's been 6 years of excruciating suffering. Bob's safe return remains their highest priority--as it must for the U.S. Government as well. With the assistance of the U.S. Department of State, we continue to receive word that Bob is alive and remains in captivity somewhere in Southwest Asia. Yet the Government of Iran continues to provide next to nothing in terms of real assistance. Given Iran's resources and capabilities in the region, they could be doing so much more to help reunite Bob with his family. I remain convinced that our two countries share the same goal: finally putting to rest all the speculation behind Bob's disappearance by safely getting him back to Florida where he belongs. Today I rise to implore all parties to view this as a humanitarian case that transcends the differences between the United States and Iran. We must all redouble our efforts to bring Bob home.

Mr. NELSON

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