Ken Salazar

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I thank my wonderful staff, many of whom are here today, some of whom are watching back in Colorado, for having made this possible. Without their great effort, frankly, we would not be able to do what we have done. I thank them. I thank my good friend, the Presiding Officer. I look forward to our continuing to work together. I yield the floor. (Applause, Senators rising.)

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I thank the Chair, the distinguished Senator from Rhode Island. I thank my great friend the majority leader, Senator Reid, for his inspiration and for his leadership of this body and his love for this Nation. I think our journey together in many ways has been a similar journey because if you think about a man from Searchlight, NV, raised in the house where he was raised, raised in the circumstances in which he was raised, working in the mines and being essentially part of the poorest part of Nevada, and yet today he is serving in the Senate as majority leader, that is a pathway that illustrates the opportunity and promise of America. For his support and his leadership, I will be forever grateful, and for the support from his family, Landra and Rory and all of his children as well. I admire him and admire them. I appreciate the comments that were so heartfelt from him, and I appreciate the comments as well from Senator McConnell. I thank my colleagues who are here this morning. I know almost everybody took off last night, so the Chamber is not exactly full this morning, but I see both Democrats and Republicans who came to hear me say the last few words I will say from this desk in the U.S. Senate. Let me start out first by giving tribute to my family. My wonderful wife Hope, and my daughter Melinda, who is at Stanford, my daughter Andrea and my granddaughter who are in Denver today watching us on the Senate floor, they truly are the bedrock of my life. Without them I would not be here, and without them I would not have traveled the 64 counties of my great State of Colorado probably 20 times in the last 10 years because they were always there at my side since they were little, holding up balloons and walking parades and doing all the rest of the things it takes to become part of an elected office in such a large geographic area of Colorado. So today I say thank you, and I love you all very much. I wish to pay tribute as well to my father Henry. As Senator Reid described his history, it is a very true history. He was born into poverty and lived through a lot of sacrifice but always remembered the two most important things in his life, as my brother Congressman Salazar often says: No. 1, family; and No. 2, love for country. I think those two values guided him to achieve what he still at the end of his life considered to be his greatest success, and that is that all eight of his children--all eight of his children--became first generation college graduates. So of my father Henry who taught me so many things about life, I will always be forever proud. Within his family, as well as within my mother's family, if you look at the genealogy, which I will insert for the Record, we started back with Juan de Salazar who was born in 1520 and Juan de Salazar born in 1555, who became one of the original founders of the City of Sante Fe-- the City of Holy Faith--NM, and then Jose Bernardo de Salazar. It goes on to the point where I am a 12th generation son of the southwest of New Mexico and Colorado. It is a history I am very proud of. It is a history that I hope is not forgotten. It is a history that for a long time was essentially shoved beneath the dust and was not given the illumination of its reality. I hope in some small part my role here in the Senate has been to give credence as well as to celebrate that history that makes us such a wonderful and diverse America. So I appreciate everything I received from my father's side. Yes, he was a proud soldier in World War II. He was a tough master as we grew up. He made us understand the importance of hard work. He had a strong sense of pride, a strong sense of community and giving back, and a strong sense of love for his family. My mother Emma likewise in so many ways was a strong spiritual person whom I still today call Saint Emma. I call her Saint Emma because nothing can even shake her from her roots. She is who she is. She has a great faith. She is not afraid to live or die. I remember many times in my life, including the death of my oldest brother Leandro, my mother was the one who held the family together after a tragic accident on our ranch back in 1992. To her selfless--completely selfless--love which she has taught the world and has taught my family, I thank her from the bottom of my heart. I often have asked my mother: Is there a single person in the world you do not like, or is there a single person in the world you hate? My mother will think about it for a minute, and she will say no. She says: I love everybody. Just as she loves everybody, everybody loves her. So I thank her for her faith and all that she has taught us. To my brothers and sisters--there are seven of us still left. My oldest brother Leandro, who passed away, taught us a lot about history and about the culture of our community. I remember his days working with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers and then coming back to the ranch and farming and working with us for so long. He is and always will be my hero. I miss him. To all the rest of my brothers and to my sisters, they have all been the bedrock also of my successes. Today, here on the floor of the Senate, as I give my farewell address, I have the honor of being joined by Congressman John Salazar, who is a Congressman for the Third Congressional District which covers about 65 percent of the State of Colorado. Congressman Salazar, in his own way, is a personification of many things that my family stands for. If you look at his history and his profile, he is a farmer, he is a soldier and veteran, he is a businessman. He knows issues such as water. He knows and has taught me so much. As he and I have grown up together, being here in Washington with him has been one of the highlights of my entire life. I wish to also thank all of my colleagues here, and I will say just a few specific words about them in a few minutes. In early February, the Senate selects a Member to perform its oldest nonlegislative tradition, the reader of George Washington's Farewell Address on the floor of the Senate. In 2006, Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, gave me the honor of doing that reading. I think Washington's famous words are important for us to remember at this time of transformation in America. In his farewell to public life in 1796, Washington warned us of the dangers of partisanship, of geographic sectionalism, and the politics of division. Washington said: We are one Nation. With slight shades of differences you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles. You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together; the independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint counsels and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings, and successes. Washington's Farewell Address is a message to be reborn today. In this moment, in this time, with the inauguration next Tuesday, with this body in the Senate and in the House of Representatives, there is a new hope, with a growing sense that we are all in this together, and we are again becoming the one Nation the first President of the United States of America imagined. Our next President, Barack Obama, embodies this historic change. He is asking us not to think of ourselves first as red States and blue States but as Americans first, with obligations of service to one another. We can solve our problems, no matter how difficult they are. We can reach the horizon of human possibilities no matter how difficult it might seem, but in order to do that, we must all work together. It is in this spirit of collaboration--of Nation before party, of compromise, of results-driven government--that Americans believe we can get it done this time. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you in this Chamber who have guided me in our work over the last several years. I wish to comment specifically just on four or five areas I am very proud of that we have worked on together in the Senate. The first is about the forgotten America and the work we have done together to make sure the rural part of America that has so often been forgotten is no longer forgotten. When you look at the United States of America, the fact is, there are about 3,000 counties. About 1,700 of those counties are characterized as rural, and in each of those counties, we have significant unemployment. We have income disparities of some $10,000 per capita between people who live in those rural counties and the people who don't live in those rural counties. So it has been important for us to address the issues and needs of rural America. We have done that in some significant ways. The passage of the farm bill, which we ultimately had to pass out of this Senate, I think, on three or four different occasions during the last year, was a culmination of that promise to the forgotten America. I wish to thank Senator Reid for making sure we kept our feet to the fire to get that bill done. I wish to thank the people who were involved in that legislation, including the chairman of the committee, Senator Tom Harkin; our ranking member, the great Senator from Georgia, Saxby Chambliss; as well as Kent Conrad and others who were involved in that historic effort, including all of the members of the Agriculture Committee. Secondly, the creation of a new energy frontier. There were many of us, including some of us who are on the Senate floor this morning, who set about some 4 years ago with a vision that we could set America free; that we could deal with the reality of the inescapable forces of our time of national security and economic opportunity at home and environmental security for our planet; and that we could set America free from our addiction to foreign oil. Under the leadership of Senator Bingaman from New Mexico as chairman of the committee, and the work of Senator Pete Domenici and other members of the Senate Energy Committee, I believe we have taken some steps in that direction which are very significant. There is much more we must do, and we are absolutely committed to making sure we take the moon shot to energy independence in the years ahead. Of this I am confident: this time we will not fail. We cannot afford to fail in the energy imperative for our Nation. I thank all of my colleagues with whom I have worked on the Senate Energy Committee. I also wish to thank every Member of this Chamber who has worked to make sure America's defenses remain strong and that we protect America at home through homeland security efforts and the implementation and recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, and the efforts we have worked on together in this Chamber to give the United States of America a new direction with respect to the war in Iraq. It is because of the debates that have taken place in this Chamber that today we are on a new pathway and new plan in Iraq. As divisive as those debates have been, I am confident that the people who worked on that issue had the best interests of the United States of America in mind. It is in that vein that I enjoyed very much the work I did with many Senate Democrats and Republicans in trying to craft the legislation that implemented the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. Sixteen Members of the Senate joined us in that legislation. Because that legislation really created the roadmap for where we are in Iraq today, I am pleased with the work I was able to do in that effort. I will never forget the fact that Senator Levin, Senator Warner, and Senator Reid were among the first people who took me to that place in the Middle East, places I had never traveled to before, right into Baghdad, to places around that country. It was information I gleaned from those trips that helped me participate in one of the debates of our time that characterizes the last 4 or 5 years in America. I wish to make a quick comment about health care. There are many people who have worked on this issue over time. I do think that what we were able to do with the Children's Health Insurance Program and the passage of that bill last year demonstrates how Republicans and Democrats can come together. When I see an Orrin Hatch and a Max Baucus working together to move forward with legislation that is so enormously important for the children of America, it is the right step for us as we try to deal with this enormous domestic problem that faces all of us. And there have been so many people who have been involved in those efforts. Finally, I have spent a lot of time in this Chamber at this desk and my other desk working on the issue of immigration. It is an issue which, frankly, still continues to call out in a very clarion and clear voice that we must get to a resolution with respect to this issue because it affects so much. It affects our national security, it affects whether we really are a Nation of laws, and it affects the reality of 12 million people who live in the shadows of America today. I am hopeful that with President Obama's leadership, the leadership of the Senate, and the leadership of the House of Representatives, Republicans and Democrats coming together, this is an issue we will finally resolve in the year ahead. As I conclude, I want to make one more tribute to Senator Harry Reid. We both are men of faith, and we often share our faith together. He encouraged me, along with Senator Mark Pryor, to be a part of the Wednesday Prayer Breakfast in the Senate. I was proud to chair that breakfast with Mark Pryor over the last several years and with my colleague, Senator Mike Enzi. I appreciate the fact that among those of us who attended that Prayer Breakfast, I am certain that among the 100 Members of the Senate, there is a great common sense that the possibilities of humanity are somehow achievable to all of us, that it is we as human beings who somehow stand in the way of finding what those human possibilities are for all of humanity. I think back to a story some of you have heard of my grandmother who lost five of her eight children before those children reached the age of 5 years old. I always ask myself: What is it that kept her going? At the end of the day, my answer to my question has been that what kept her going was the fact that she had a faith in the future, that somehow around the corner, in a future she could not see, the world would be much better for her children and for her grandchildren. For sure she could not have seen that the eight surviving children of her only son would all graduate from high school. I am sure she could not foresee that one would become a U.S. Senator, another a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. What she could see was the world would be better for humanity. It is a common bond for Members of this august, wonderful Chamber of the U.S. Senate. As I close, I want to share the prayer that I have shared with Senator Reid and many of my colleagues in this Chamber before. It is a prayer that my brother, Leandro, the oldest in the family, learned when he worked with Cesar Chavez, the founder of the United Farm Workers of America. In many ways, I believe this prayer embodies what we do in public service. The prayer is as follows: Show me the suffering of the most miserable; So I will know my people's plight. Free me to pray for others; For you are present in every person. Help me take responsibility for my own life; So that I can be free at last. Grant me courage to serve others; For in service there is true life. Give me honesty and patience; So that the Spirit will be alive among us. Let the spirit flourish and grow; So that we will never tire of the struggle. Let us remember those who have died for justice; For they have given us life. Help us love even those who hate us; So we can change the world. Mr. President, one thing I forgot to say. The 5 million people of the State of Colorado have give me a great honor to serve as their attorney general and to serve on their behalf. I will submit for the Record some of the work we have done in the representation of all of the 5 million people of the State of Colorado. No matter where they were from, no matter what their economic circumstance, they knew we were working on their behalf. I am elated that Senator Mark Udall has joined us in the Senate because I am absolutely confident he will become one of the stellar Senators of this body. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the genealogy chart of my family and a list of the wonderful DC and Colorado staff.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the life and heroic service of SSG Christopher Smith. Staff Sergeant Smith, a member of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, died in Baghdad, Iraq, on December 24, 2008, from injuries sustained when his military vehicle overturned into a canal. He was 28 years old. After spending 2 years at Kellogg Community College in Michigan studying for a career in sports medicine, Staff Sergeant Smith joined the Army in 2001. He served in Iraq from March 2005 to February 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and returned to the country for his second deployment in September of last year. As a cannon crewmember, Staff Sergeant Smith played an integral role operating high technology weapons systems. He distinguished himself as a strong leader within ``Bulldog'' Company and would lead his unit in his captain's absence. His extraordinary bravery and talent earned him more than 11 awards and commendations during his service. Staff Sergeant Smith is remembered by those who knew him as a true patriot who always looked out for his fellow soldiers and believed strongly in his mission. He was deeply admired by his men, so much so that five members of his squadron incurred hypothermia in a dogged and heroic effort to rescue him from the canal. He was often hunting and fishing, rooting for the University of Michigan Wolverines, and grilling brisket and ribs for his friends. Most of all, he was a devoted husband and father. Mr. President, Teddy Roosevelt famously said, ``it is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.'' Staff Sergeant Smith sacrificed his life for this Nation as a man who knew that his country needed him to be ``in the arena,'' helping others. He accepted the risks of his job with extraordinary professionalism and served with honor and a dedication to duty that was second to none. We cannot repay our debt nor replace his loss. To Staff Sergeant Smith's mother Donna, his father Virgil, his wife Bobbi Jo, his son Adler, his brother Phillip, and all his friends and family, I know no words that can assuage the pain you must feel. I hope that in time your grief will give way to the pride you must feel for Chris for all he accomplished and for all the lives he touched. His country will always honor his legacy.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I thank the Chairman. As with any wilderness legislation in a headwaters State, the water rights language in the Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness bill proved to be the most challenging. This legislation strikes a good balance between protection of park wilderness resources and protection of existing water rights, ditch rights-of-way, and water infrastructure, some of which predate the existence of the park. The Water Supply and Storage Company--WSSC--owns and operates the Grand River Ditch, which is a water supply ditch located in the Never Summer Range in RMNP. The Grand River Ditch provides irrigation water to approximately 40,000 acres of land located in Larimer and Weld Counties in northern Colorado. WSSC owns, operates and maintains 11 reservoirs and 7 ditch systems, including the Grand River Ditch. WSSC's system of ditches, canals and laterals is more than 100 miles in total length and provides approximately 60,000 acre-feet of water annually to 173 shareholders. The Grand River Ditch is an integral component of WSSC's system. WSSC holds a right-of-way for the Grand River Ditch under the Irrigation or General Right of Way Act of March 3, 1891--1891 Act--codified at 43 U.S.C Sec. Sec. 946-49. The Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Act itself should not cause any change in land use, land management, or water rights within Rocky Mountain National Park. Towards this end, section 1953(e) is intended to clarify that neither the Grand River Ditch nor its right- of-way will be adversely affected if the end use of water diverted by the Grand River Ditch is for municipal purposes as opposed to irrigated agriculture. The Grand River Ditch diverts water high in the Colorado mountains and transports it some 50 miles downstream to its location of use. At present, all of the water is used for agricultural irrigation; however, a portion of WSSC's stock is owned by Colorado municipalities and Grand River Ditch water will be used for this purpose in the future. No matter what the end use is, the existence of the Grand River Ditch in RMNP imposes the same burden on the park. In other words, there is no difference in land use, land management or water rights in the park, whether the end use of water is agricultural irrigation or municipal use. In 1921, the Supreme Court approved forfeiture of a right-of-way that had never been used for its authorized purpose of irrigation, but instead was used for developing electric power. See Kern River Co. v. United States, 257 U.S. 147, 1921. The case is distinguishable on several grounds from the Grand River Ditch, but the purpose of Section 1953 (e) is to avoid any attempt to apply a Kern River-type theory to the Grand River Ditch. Over 20 years ago the U.S. Department of Agriculture recognized this point when it said: ``The end use of water off the Federal lands, as it may change over time, casts no greater burden on the Federal property to carry the water to its place of use.'' See letter dated October 1, 1986, from Douglas W. MacCleery, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture, to Malcomb Wallop of the United States Senate, included in the legislative history of Public Law 99-545. Conversion of agricultural water to municipal purposes is commonplace in Colorado, and the Grand River Ditch is no exception. In a mutual ditch company such as WSSC, ownership of stock represents a pro rata share of ownership in the water rights of the company. The language of section 1953(e) ensures that WSSC and the right-of-way of the Grand River Ditch will not be adversely affected by the change in end use of GRD water. The language of section 1953(e), ``primarily for domestic purposes or any purpose of a public nature,'' was not lightly chosen. It was taken directly from the act of May 11, 1898, which--in the words of the great Justice Van Devanter, who is considered the most knowledgeable authority on public land law to ever sit on the Supreme Court-- ``permit[ted] rights of way obtained under the Act of 1891 [like the Grand River Ditch], the use of which was restricted to irrigation, to be also used for the other purposes named in the section,'' namely ``purposes of a public nature'' and ``domestic purposes.'' See Kern River Co. v. U.S., 257 U.S. 147, 152-153, 1921. After more than a century, the terms ``purposes of a public nature'' and ``domestic purposes'' seem to be fairly well understood. The phrases ``purposes of a public nature'' and ``domestic purposes'' are especially broad, and include municipal uses following delivery, by a potable water provider, through the Grand River Ditch or by means of another conveyance structure. We have agreed to exempt the Grand River Ditch from any restriction that conditions the existence of the right-of-way on agricultural uses and instead to allow them to make ``purposes of a public nature'' or ``domestic purposes'' the sole or predominate purpose. The Grand River Ditch ``right of way . . . was granted on an implied condition that it should revert to the United States in the event the grantee ceased to use or retain it for the purpose indicated in the [1891 and 1898] statutes. That purpose--the main and controlling one-- was irrigation.'' See Kern River Co. v. U.S., 257 U.S. 147, 154 (1921). In the future, the water transported in the ditch will be increasingly used for water supply and municipal purposes, not irrigation. This transition may eventually ``entitle[] the United States to assert and enforce a forfeiture of the grant. . . .'' 257 U.S. at 154. To address this concern, we have agreed to state in the bill that ``the right of way . . . shall not be terminated, forfeited, or otherwise affected as a result'' of the change in purpose, ``unless the Secretary determines that the change in main purpose or use adversely affects the park.'' If the Secretary, in his discretion, makes that determination, he would then have to assert and enforce a forfeiture of the grant in court.

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I commend the chairman and ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee for their diligent work on this package, which contains several bills that I have championed for Colorado. I particularly wish to thank my colleague and friend, Chairman Bingaman, and his staff, for his work and cooperation on the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness and Indian Peaks Wilderness Expansion Act, which is included in subtitle N of title I of S. 22, and which is critical to preserving some of the Nation's most beautiful and critical wilderness lands. This has been a long road to reach agreement with all constituencies involved and we have faced some unique challenges. But ultimately, and with the chairman's assistance, we have worked through a number of issues to our mutual satisfaction in order to pass a bill that is good for all Coloradans. One of those challenges has been our effort to protect the operation and maintenance of the Alva B. Adams Tunnel which is the critical component of the Colorado-Big Thompson Reclamation Project. The Adams tunnel was authorized in 1915 by Congress and later constructed within the park and has delivered water from the Colorado River drainage to Colorado's north eastern communities for decades. I appreciate the Chairman working with us on protecting this facility that provides water to hundreds of thousands of people in Colorado. With his help, we included within section 1953(d) a provision that ensures that nothing in the subtitle, including the designation of wilderness, ``prohibits or affects current and future operation and maintenance activities . . . that were allowed as of the date of enactment . . . under the Act of January 26, 1915 (16 U.S.C. 191), relating to the Alva B. Adams Tunnel or other Colorado-Big Thompson Project facilities located within the Park.'' The bill also includes in section 1953(g) an additional savings clause, which ensures that the Secretary of the Interior's authority to manage lands and resources within the park is not diminished. It is my understanding that this type of general savings clause does not undermine or contradict the more specific provisions included in section 1953(d) of the subtitle. That is, the savings clause included as section 1953(g) does not alter or affect the provisions in section 1953(d), which make clear that the designation of the park as wilderness is not meant to affect the current and future operation and maintenance activities for the tunnel nor to prohibit or restrict the conveyance of water through the Alva B. Adams Tunnel for any purpose. Am I correct in my understanding of section 1953(g)?

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to briefly discuss the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area Act, which is included in the omnibus public lands package, S. 22, that we are currently considering on the floor. The Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area Act would designate approximately 210,000 acres of federally-owned land on the Uncompahgre plateau as the Dominguez- Escalante National Conservation Area, NCA, of which approximately 65,000 acres would be designated as the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area. The legislation is the product of several years of work in local communities to find a way of better protecting these Federal lands in Montrose, Delta, and Mesa Counties in Colorado. I was proud to introduce this legislation and to work with Senator Wayne Allard on it in the 110th Congress. Senator Udall has been a great champion as well, and he is the cosponsor of the Senate legislation this year. Congressman John Salazar has been the leader of this effort in the House and again this year introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives. The legislation has broad support in local communities and I am hopeful we will pass it in the coming days. I briefly want to make a few points about the bill. First, the water rights language of the bill was carefully crafted to strike a balance between Federal interests and State law. The area boundaries in the bill are crafted to specifically exclude the Gunnison River from the wilderness area. The bill disclaims any new Federal reserved water rights, instead relying principally on the State of Colorado's instream flow program to provide and protect the stream flows necessary to maintain the purposes of the wilderness within the conservation area in perpetuity. However, the Secretary of the Department of the Interior is directed to appropriate and file for a non-reserved Federal instream water right to ensure protection of such stream flows in the circumstance that the State's program proves unsuccessful or insufficient. Such filing must be made in Colorado's water court and will follow the procedural requirements of Colorado law. Additionally, water users' water quality concerns were addressed by clarifying that no higher water quality standard than would otherwise be appropriate is attached to the designating of the National Conservation Area. The water language in the bill will help ensure that we are able to protect the water resources of area streams, based on seasonally available flows, that are necessary to support aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial species and communities in the conservation area and in the wilderness area. Second, I am pleased that this bill protects the life estate of Mr. Billyie Rambo. Mr. Rambo lives within the boundaries of the proposed national conservation area so we worked to make sure that the legislation would have no effect on valid existing rights. Third, I want to enter into the record a narrative description of the boundary of the wilderness area that this legislation would create. This description is consistent with the map referred to in the legislation. Beginning at the northernmost point of the wilderness where the wilderness boundary adjoins private property, at Dad's Flat, and reading counterclockwise around the wilderness, the wilderness boundary: Follows the private property line westward to a point 30 feet off the centerline of the road leading to the private property from the southwest; follows the road, at a set-back 30 feet from the centerline of the road or 30 feet from select existing stockponds along that road, to the point at which the road and the original wilderness study area-- WSA--boundary diverge; from that point, the boundary follows the WSA boundary--with select set-backs for existing stockponds and roads, and following select drainages, rims, elevation contours, and national forest boundaries around Wagon Park--to the point at which the WSA boundary reaches Delta county road; follows the WSA boundary, immediately adjacent to Division of Wildlife land--no set-back--and at a set-back 100 feet from the centerline of the county road, to the point at which the WSA boundary reaches private land; generally follows WSA boundary, at a set-back of 100 feet from private land, adjacent to Division of Wildlife Land--no set-back, and 100 feet from the centerline of the county road, as applicable, but with three variations on the reference noted immediately above: from the point approximately 38 degrees 41'35.05" N 108 degrees 18'28.91" W to the point approximately 38 degrees 41'38.87" N 108 degrees 18'28.98" W, the boundary follows the base of the first visible rim; near an existing structure, the boundary is moved to a point 50 feet set back from existing water development; near the ``stack yard'' north of the county road, from the point approximately 38 degrees 42'04.32" N 108 degrees 18'01.71" W to the point approximately 38 degrees 42'04.29N 108 degrees 17'55.26" W, the boundary follows an arc with apex 200 feet north of the county road; beginning at the northeast corner of the wilderness-- southwest of Escalante townsite, and continuing to the point at which private and Federal land adjoin at the edge of the Gunnison River south of Bridgeport townsite, the boundary follows a line variously 100 feet set-back from private land or 100 feet set-back from the centerline of access road, except: beginning at a point approximately 38 degrees 45'40.11" N 108 degrees 17'00.95" W and continuing approximately 1,500 feet northwest, follows the road at a set-back 200 feet from the centerline of the road; beginning at a point approximately 38 degrees 45'48.58" N 108 degrees 17'20.32" W and continuing approximately 2,000 feet northwest, follows the road at a set-back 200 feet from the centerline of the road; beginning at a point near existing cultivated land south of the Gunnison River--southeast of Dominguez townsite and continuing approximately 2,000 feet northwest, follows the trail at the base of the rise, beginning at approximately 38 degrees 47'07.75" N; 108 degress, 18'50.25" W with a southern apex at approximately 38 degress, 47'38.09" N; 108 degrees 19'21.49" W and meeting the 100 foot setback of the road at approximately 38 degrees 47'38.9" N; 108 degrees 19'39.23" W beginning at a point near large side canyon that drains from the southwest) (southwest of Peeples townsite), and continuing approximately 5,000 feet northwest, the boundary follows the road at a set-back of 100 feet south from private land; beginning at the western end of the east-west private land line, where that line touches the Gunnison River south of Bridgeport townsite, and following the southern edge of the river to the mouth of Dominguez Canyon, the boundary follows the edge of the Gunnison River--the boundary changes with the river level--the river is out of wilderness, land immediately adjacent is in wilderness; at the mouth of Dominguez Canyon, the boundary circles around an existing water diversion at a set-back 100 feet; follows the ditch at a set-back 100 feet from the ditch to private land, then 100 feet set-back from private land; beginning at the western end of the east-west private land line, where that line touches the Gunnison River, and following the southern edge of the river to the next private land line--beginning point for full boundary description, the boundary follows the edge of the Gunnison River--changes with river level--river is out of wilderness, adjacent land is in wilderness; thus returning to the beginning point. I want to thank all the stakeholders in Colorado who worked so hard on this legislation. I want to thank Chairman Bingaman and his staff, along with Ranking Member Domenici, Ranking Member Murkowski, Senator Allard, Senator Udall, Congressman Salazar and their staffs, for helping move this bill through the legislative process. This is a strong, sensible bill that has broad support. I am proud of all the progress we have made and hope that it will pass both houses of Congress in the coming weeks.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the life and heroic service of SSG Timothy H. Walker. Staff Sergeant Walker, a member of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, was killed in Sadr City, Iraq on November 8, 2008, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was 38 years old. A native of Tennessee, Staff Sergeant Walker joined the Army in 1990. He served in Bosnia from 1999 to 2000, Kuwait in 2001, and also served two tours of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his most recent deployment, Staff Sergeant Walker, a combat medic himself, was actively involved in training Iraqis to treat combat wounds on the battlefield, and he served as the medical material coordinator for the Iraqi Security Forces logistics coordination team, which teaches Iraqi police officers and soldiers how to track and receive medical supplies. Throughout his 18 years of service, and in every capacity, Staff Sergeant Walker distinguished himself through his courage, his dedication to duty, and his willingness to take on any challenge--no matter how dangerous, no matter how big or small. His extraordinary bravery and talent earned him more than 20 awards and medals, including the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Meritorious Service Medal. Staff Sergeant Walker is remembered by those who knew him as a consummate professional and friend who they could turn to in times of need, and who they could always count on to raise their spirits in times of sadness. They recall his knack for giving people nicknames, and the infectiousness of his laughter. And, most of all, they remember his devotion to his wife and children, and to his country. The Greek historian Thucydides wrote that ``the bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.'' Throughout our Nation's history, the bravest have gone out to meet every danger that has imperiled our way of life. They stormed the beaches of Normandy and Iwo Jima facing long odds, and now, in 2008, they traverse the mountains of Afghanistan and navigate the cities of Iraq under constant threat of insurgent attacks. The bravest have kept us safe and strong. They will always make us proud. Staff Sergeant Walker's service was in keeping with this American tradition. At substantial personal risk, he braved the chaos of combat zones throughout the world to attend to the injuries of his men. And though their fate on the battlefield was uncertain, his men knew that, in Staff Sergeant Walker, they were in good hands. For the lives he saved, and for the lives he touched, Staff Sergeant Walker will be forever remembered as one of the bravest. To Staff Sergeant Walker's mother Barbara, his father Wayne, his wife Dawn, his children Gregory and Madison, his sister Shelly, and all his friends and family, I cannot imagine the sorrow you must be feeling. I hope that, in time, the pain of your loss is assuaged by your pride in Tim's service to his country and by your knowledge that his country will never forget him. We are humbled by his service and his sacrifice. Sergeant Jon L. Stiles Mr. President, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the life and heroic service of Sergeant Jon L. Stiles. Sergeant Stiles, assigned to the 927th Engineer Company, 769th Engineer Battalion, was killed on November 13, 2008, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol in Shubhuyan, Afghanistan. He was 38 years old. Sergeant Stiles grew up in Highlands Ranch, CO, and after graduating from high school, spent nearly 13 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and 2 years in the Army. Two years following his discharge, he moved back to Colorado, joined the Colorado National Guard, and was deployed to Afghanistan, where he worked to clear transportation routes of IEDs and insurgents in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This past October, Sergeant Stiles saved the lives of three fellow soldiers when he rescued them from underneath a burning vehicle that was struck by a suicide bomber, an act of incredible bravery that earned him the Bronze Star. He suffered serious damage to his lungs and vocal chords as a result of this incident, but instead of taking medical leave, he insisted on returning to battle. He believed strongly in our mission in Afghanistan, cared deeply for his men, and wanted to make a difference. Sergeant Stiles' friends and family remember him as a soldier's soldier with a passion for military service in his DNA. He was an avid outdoorsman known to brave sub-zero temperatures to get in a day of fishing. He was generous with hugs and incredibly loyal to his friends. He was a loving husband who wanted to live peacefully with his wife in the mountains of Colorado. And he was a proud American willing to sacrifice everything in defense of the country he held dear. Adlai Stevenson once asked, ``what do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility . . . a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.'' Sergeant Stiles felt this sense of responsibility at a young age and served with the steady dedication that reminds us of what it is to be a true patriot. In his memory, and with his inspiration, may we all continue to work to make our union more perfect, and our world safer for all. To Sergeant Stiles' mother Linda, his father Lynn, his wife Launa, his sister Natalie, his brother Charles, his grandparents Maxine and Kenney, and all his friends and family, I cannot imagine the sorrow you must be feeling. I hope that, in time, the pain of your loss is assuaged by your pride in Jon's service to his country and by your knowledge that his country will never forget him. We are humbled by his service and his sacrifice.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to the life and service of SGT Michael Clark. A member of Fort Carson's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Sergeant Clark was killed on October 7 when his foot patrol was ambushed in Mosul, Iraq. He was 24 years old. Sergeant Clark was on his second deployment to Iraq and in his fourth year of service in the 3rd Brigade. He was assigned to the brigade's 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, and served as a fire support specialist, a job that requires quick thinking, unusually strong stamina, and a mastery of the techniques of target processing. In this urban, guerrilla-style conflict, where the enemy's location is often difficult to acquire, Sergeant Clark played a vital role as the eyes and ears of his team. Sergeant Clark's dedication and talent earned him a number of awards, including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Combat Action Badge. He was also a two-time recipient of the Army Commendation Medal, which recognizes exemplary service. Sergeant Clark and his team were charged with maintaining security in the eastern portion of Mosul, which is Iraq's second largest city and one of the remaining centers of operation for al-Qaida in Iraq. They carried out their mission--one of the most dangerous and important of the war--with courage and tenacity. As a result of their efforts, security conditions in Mosul have markedly improved, and neighborhoods in the city that were once under control of extremists have been reclaimed and turned over to the Iraqi people. Two days before Sergeant Clark's death, American forces in Mosul killed Abu Qaswarah, the second-in-command for al-Qaida-in-Iraq who coordinated operations in the region. Thanks in large measure to the incredible courage and skill of Sergeant Clark and his men, the tide in Mosul is turning. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that, ``the characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be common, nor the common heroic.'' Sergeant Clark possessed the persistence and dedication to duty that is the mark of a genuine hero. He enlisted at a young age. He deployed and he redeployed. He served every day in Iraq committed to his country, his men, and his mission. He carried out his mission with distinction and honor. He was anything but common, and we are all better for it. To Sergeant Clark's mother Cherie, his father Bradley, his wife Nalini, his son Lucas, and all his friends and family, I cannot imagine the sorrow you must be feeling. I hope that, in time, the pain of your loss is assuaged by your pride in Michael's service and by your knowledge that his country will never forget him. We are humbled by his service and his sacrifice. Corporal Adrian Robles

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate this historic time in the history of the United States of America. I give my accolades to President-elect Obama and to Vice President- elect Biden for their transformative and historic campaign and election. I also recognize Senator John McCain as a friend and for his extraordinary contributions to our Nation. I am certain Senator McCain will continue to serve as a force for good on the floor of this Chamber, as he has for so many years. I look forward to working with him. Just a few short years ago, President-elect Barack Obama arrived in the Senate in the 109th Congress as an unlikely occupant from the Illinois State Senate. President-elect Obama's story is an American story. The son of a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya, he learned the values of hard work and service to others. He studied at some of our Nation's finest schools but chose to apply his immeasurable talents to serving the people: a community organizer, an Illinois State senator, a U.S. Senator, and soon to be the President of these United States of America. President-elect Obama is, in fact, the personification of the American dream and the idea of what it is to be an American. His election is also a reminder of just how far our country has come. America has always been a work in progress--an idea that generation after generation has worked to perfect. We must never forget that for over 250 years on this continent, and through the first century of this Nation, we lived in a society where slavery was allowed. It took the bloodiest war of our country's history--the Civil War-- where over a half million Americans were killed on our own soil, to bring about an end to slavery and to usher in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments of our Constitution. These three amendments, in my view, are a significant part of the bedrock proposition that all constitutional liberties are endowed upon all Americans without exception. Unfortunately, neither the Civil War nor these amendments brought an end to the division or discrimination that were a part of our Nation's past. In 1896, in Plessy v. Ferguson, our U.S. Supreme Court sanctioned a system of segregation under the law. The Court upheld an 1890 Louisiana law which mandated racially segregated but equal railroad carriages. It was a dark period in our Nation's history. ``Jim Crow'' laws extended across the South. In the Southwest, Mexican Americans were also systematically denied access to ``White Only'' restrooms and other public places. In the South, the signs read: ``No Blacks Allowed.'' In the Southwest in many places the signs read: ``No Mexicans Allowed.'' There were, however, many voices who knew that an America divided by race was an America which could not stand. In the now infamous Plessy case, Justice Harlan, in the dissent to that case that sanctioned segregation under the laws, said the following: The destinies of the races, in this country, are indissolubly linked together and the interests of both require that the common government law shall not permit the seeds of race hate to be planted under the sanction of law. It took more than a half century of an America in progress to revisit its decision in Plessy v. Ferguson and to begin achieving the vision of Justice Harlan. It was not until 1920 that our Constitution guaranteed the right to vote to women. In fact, for the first several hundred years women were not entitled to vote in the United States of America. It was not until 1954, in Brown v. Board of Education, that the Supreme Court, under the able leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren, struck down the ``separate but equal'' doctrine as unconstitutional under the 14th amendment. Thurgood Marshall, another American hero of ours who gave his life for equal opportunity for all Americans, argued that case before the U.S. Supreme Court. But even after the 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, there was much more work to do. The 15th amendment, ratified in 1870, guaranteed all citizens the right to vote regardless of race. But almost a century later--in 1965--only a very small percentage of African Americans were registered to vote in States such as Mississippi and Alabama. In 1965, for example, in Mississippi, only 6.7 percent--6.7 percent-- of African Americans were registered to vote. In Alabama, less than 20 percent of African Americans were registered to vote. To prevent people from voting, there were literacy tests, poll taxes, and language barriers, not to mention voter intimidation and harassment, which occurred in those days in the 1960s. But the 1960s also brought change to America and ensured that we continued as an America in progress. In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. In signing that law, he said: We believe that all men are created equal, yet many are denied equal treatment. We believe that all men have certain unalienable rights, yet many Americans do not enjoy those rights. We believe that all men are entitled to the blessings of liberty, yet millions are being deprived of those blessings, not because of their own failures, but because of color of the skin. Our work, President Johnson said that day, was not done. He was right. In early 1965, Jimmy Lee Jackson was shot by a State trooper during a civil rights demonstration. On March 7, in Selma, AL, more than 500 nonviolent civil rights marchers attempting a 54-mile march to the State capital to call for voting rights were confronted by an aggressive assault by authorities. That day, still known and remembered as Bloody Sunday, stirred a nation to do what it knew was right. President Johnson, in those days, called for the country to summon its better angels. He said: At times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week in Selma, Alabama. President Johnson continued: This time, on this issue, there must be no delay, no hesitation and no compromise with our purpose. We cannot, we must not, refuse to protect the right of every American to vote in every election that he may desire to participate in. On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the landmark legislation--the Voting Rights Act--that opened the doors of democracy to all Americans. In our country's history, yes, we have stumbled. But yet at each stumble, leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Cesar Chavez, and many others, have encouraged us to get up, to stand up, to move America forward. We, like them, believe America truly is an America in progress. Today, thanks in large measure to their work, we are at the dawn of a new America, an era in which doors of democracy and opportunity are open to all Americans. We are waiting today for the inauguration of the first African- American President in the history of the United States. That in itself is history. But what is also historic about this reality is that as President he will be President for all 325 million people of America. In his election, I think you see the statement that is truly the American ideal: that no matter who you are, no matter where you are from, anything is possible in this America of ours. That is what makes us a great nation. That is what we have seen as an America in progress which has brought us to this point in our Nation's history. We have much work to do ahead. But I am very confident that America's best days are still ahead, as we continue to be the beacon of hope and opportunity and human possibilities for the entire globe. Mr. President, I thank you and yield the floor.

Mr. SALAZAR

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

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend and colleague, Wayne Allard, the senior Senator from Colorado. As all of us in the Senate know, Senator Allard will retire from the Senate at the end of this legislative session. Senator Allard is a Coloradan through and through. Raised on a ranch in Walden, CO, a very small town in the northwest corner of our State, he found his calling in animal medicine. He followed this passion to Colorado State University at Fort Collins, where he received his doctorate of veterinary medicine. Even today, he proudly wears his tie as a Colorado State University Ram. At CSU, Wayne met his future wife Joan who was studying microbiology at the time. After graduating, Wayne and Joan built the Allard Animal Hospital in Loveland together. They made their home there. They had two wonderful daughters, Christi and Cheryl. Living and working in Loveland, Wayne developed a passion for public service. He developed a passion for the good that could come from serving in politics. He began his political career in the Colorado State Senate. There, he served the people of Weld and Larimer Counties in the State legislature for 7 years. A strong believer in preserving the idea of citizen legislators, Senator Allard championed a Colorado law that limits legislative sessions to 120 days, a law that is still in our Constitution today. It works to ensure that Colorado representatives are able to spend the bulk of their time in their communities as opposed to the corridors of the State Capitol. In 1991, the people of the fourth congressional district elected Senator Allard to the U.S. House of Representatives. Five years later, Coloradans elected him to serve as Colorado's United States Senator. Throughout his career on the Federal level, Senator Allard has been a strong voice for fiscal responsibility and ensuring the security of America at home and abroad. He has used his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to champion priorities important to Colorado. He has played an active role on the Senate Budget Committee to restore integrity to the government's use of taxpayer dollars. Yet, even as Senator Allard served in Washington, he has never forgotten where he came from and who he works for. He was always traveling throughout Colorado, engaging his constituents, hearing their hopes and concerns. It is there, in those communities of Colorado, that Senator Allard feels most at home. I have been privileged to work with Wayne Allard in the Senate for the past 4 years. We fought together for clean and safe drinking water for the communities in the Lower Arkansas Valley and through the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit which we hope will happen in the next several years. We worked to ensure the Animas La-Plata Water Project in southwest Colorado and making sure that project is fully funded to implement the historic settlement between Colorado and its Indian tribes. Over the past few months, we came together to move judicial nominees for the Federal Court in Colorado through the often contentious Senate confirmation process. It has been a productive and fulfilling partnership. Now, to be sure, Senator Allard and I have not always seen eye to eye on a number of issues. But in spite of our differences, I have always respected him. He works hard. He is humble. He loves the people of Colorado. But more than his love for Colorado and his country, Senator Allard is devoted to Joan, Christi, Cheryl, and his five grandsons. You will never see him have a smile wider or laugh harder than when he is in their company. I am happy that his return to Colorado will afford him the opportunity to spend more time with them. He deserves it. I know Senator Allard is a great admirer of a Democrat from Colorado by the name of Wayne Aspinall, who served in this Congress for a very long time. Wayne Aspinall was a strong protector of Colorado's water and the champion of the people of the Western Slope during his 24-year tenure in Congress. Congressman Aspinall once said: We all have moments when we feel that ``the system'' is wrong, but that does not entitle us to assume that only we could be right and therefore permit us to secede from our society. We have to learn to live with it--to improve on it if we can, to change it through established procedures, if we must, but we must always remember that individually we are only one person and that the views and ideas of others might be equally valid as our own. For the past 25 years, Senator Allard has committed himself and his talents to the people of Colorado in this spirit--a spirit of reform and a spirit of humility. He has served with honor and distinction and with an unyielding focus on what he thinks is best for our State. I thank him for his service and his friendship, and I congratulate him on his retirement. Mr. President, I thank the Presiding Officer. I yield the floor and I note the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise to discuss the economic crisis that is gripping our country and the bipartisan economic rescue package currently before the Senate. These are troubling times for the American people. We are facing a devastating credit freeze and the possibility of a catastrophic economic collapse. The problems that started with the excesses and ``anything goes'' attitude on Wall Street, are, unfortunately, not contained to Wall Street. The news from Colorado over the last few days has been grim. Small businesses are worrying that their credit will dry up and they won't be able to make payroll. Workers are seeing their pensions and retirement savings hanging in the balance. Young families are worrying they won't be able to borrow money for their first home. Students fear that their bank won't extend their college loans. Farmers and ranchers worry that credit will not be available and interest rates will skyrocket, making it more difficult to buy seed, fuel, and fertilizer. And construction projects in Colorado are grinding to a halt. Borrowing money is getting too expensive. To be sure, the economic pain inflicted by the financial credit crunch is not new to middle-class families in Colorado and across the Nation. Over the last 8 years, middle-class families have seen their incomes drop, while the cost of energy and health care and education have skyrocketed. Gas is still near $4 a gallon. Meanwhile, in the last 2 years, millions of families have been forced into foreclosure or have seen the value of their homes plummet. For these families on Main Street who have been playing by the rules but who have been left behind by the failed economic policies of the last 8 years, it is entirely legitimate to ask who was ``minding the store'' on Wall Street over the past 8 years. While ordinary Americans were struggling to pay the bills and fill the tank, and while many of my colleagues and I were calling for action, the administration was twiddling its thumbs. We heard over and over that the fundamentals of our economy were strong. In March, we heard that the credit crisis would be contained if the Federal Reserve came to the rescue of Bear Stearns. Then we heard the same thing when the administration asked for the authority to back up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, when it was forced to use that authority, and when the Fed loaned $85 billion to AIG. I can understand why Americans are angry and frustrated. I am angry and frustrated. But today, we must do our very best to concentrate on the task at hand. The question before this body is whether the proposal that has been negotiated by congressional leaders in both parties and the administration can unfreeze the credit markets that are so vital to healthy economic activity, prevent future financial failures, and prevent economic paralysis. Millions of jobs are at stake. American prosperity is at stake. The economic security of middle-class families is at stake. With that in mind, the Senate today is considering an economic rescue package that aims to protect middle-class Americans from the Nation's financial crisis. The package would create the Troubled Assets Relief Program, or TARP. The goal of the program is to inject liquidity into a cash-strapped market and restore the confidence of investors, lenders, and borrowers. I strongly support this goal. But let me be clear: I am glad that Congress has overhauled the administration's original proposal and not handed the Secretary of the Treasury a blank check. The proposal before us contains a number of provisions that will ensure strong, independent oversight of the program; better protect the taxpayer; impose limitations on executive compensation for participating companies; and increase foreclosure mitigation assistance to distressed homeowners. First, I am especially pleased that the money will be provided in installments: $250 billion of the $700 billion requested will be made available at the outset. The President would have to certi the need for an added $100 billion, and the final $350 billion would be contingent on congressional approval. I believe this structure provides an important safeguard in the event that the program does not achieve its intended objectives. Second, the proposal before us requires the Treasury Department and other Federal agencies to try and work out the mortgages it purchases or controls in an effort to keep families in their homes. It also expands eligibility for the Home for Homeowners program, which was created as part of the housing stimulus bill earlier this year, and which would offer FHA-insured refinancing to distressed homeowners. Third, in order to provide as much protection for taxpayer dollars as possible, the bill requires companies that sell some of their bad assets to the Government to provide warrants so that taxpayers will benefit from any future growth these companies may experience as a result of participation in the program. It also requires the President to submit legislation that would cover any losses to taxpayers resulting from this program. Fourth, the proposal contains a number of provisions designed to limit executive compensation for participating companies, including the elimination or limitation of certain tax benefits and, in some cases, caps on compensation. In addition, the bill limits or penalizes the excessive severance packages for departing executives frequently referred to as ``golden parachutes.'' Finally, the legislation includes strong oversight mechanisms and reporting requirements to ensure that Congress and the American public have timely and relevant information about the program and its activities every step of the way. Specifically, the bill requires the Treasury Secretary to report regularly on the use of funds and the progress made in addressing the crisis, and establishes two independent oversight mechanisms: a bipartisan oversight board and a special inspector general for the program. Each of these provisions represents a vast improvement over the bill that Secretary Paulson and President Bush submitted to Congress, and I joined many of my colleagues in urging their inclusion through the course of the negotiations. I am also pleased that after the first attempt to pass the economic rescue package in the House of Representatives earlier this week, additional improvements were made to the bill to provide greater protection to middle-class Americans whose savings are at risk. Importantly, this bill increases the FDIC limits from $100,000 to $250,000. This will better protect the savings of ordinary Americans and helps ease concerns that I had with the initial compromise. In addition, I am extremely pleased that, in passing this economy recovery package, we will extend a wide range of important tax relief provisions for middle-class families, including protection from the Alternative minimum tax for 23 million Americans and deductions for college tuition and teachers' out-of-pocket classroom expenses. This package would also create jobs through a new set of tax incentives to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. These tax provisions are vital to setting our economy back on the track to prosperity by spurring investment in a new generation of clean energy technologies. In the 3 years between 2004 and 2007, renewable energy sector jobs in the Denver metro area surged from 5,760 to 13,940 and the number of renewable energy companies in the 9 counties surrounding Denver rose from 104 to 1,010. Extending and expanding these tax incentives will be critical to enabling the continued growth of this industry in my State and across the Nation. Having said all of that, despite these modifications to the administration's original proposal, I believe there are a number of additional areas that need to be addressed and important questions that need to be answered. For example, as we consider whether and how to protect the American public from the consequences of the failures of our financial sector, we must take steps to ensure this situation does not occur again in the future: That means stronger oversight and regulation of our financial industry. While I understand that we must act quickly and that the proposal must be focused, I urge my colleagues to join ale in pledging to enact a strong and effective regulatory structure within the next 6 months. In addition, there are legitimate questions about how the administration settled on $700 billion, why Congress was asked to undertake this large and wide-ranging proposal on an extremely abbreviated timetable with limited opportunity to conduct hearings, and what, exactly, the TARP program will look like--what kinds of assets it will buy and how much it will pay for them. Should this legislation become law, I am committed to forcefully exercising the congressional oversight authority that it provides to get answers to these and other questions, and to hold the administration accountable for its actions. This proposal is far from perfect. And I respect the positions of my colleagues who have expressed principled opposition to this bill. Their voices have been important to this debate. However, after devoting considerable time and thought to the severity of our current financial crisis and to the consequences of inaction for business, families, and farmers in Colorado and across the Nation, I have concluded that I must support this proposal and work diligently to ensure its effective implementation. We are in the midst of an extraordinarily serious financial crisis. Despite legitimate concerns over the circumstances that brought us to this juncture, we have an obligation--today and always--to act in the best interest of the people we were elected to represent. This proposal has serious shortcomings, but I believe it is firmly in our constituents' best interests that we act now to protect Main Street from the failures of Wall Street; to ensure that small businesses, farms, and ranches can continue to access the credit they need to survive and ultimately thrive; and to secure the ability of families to save for retirement, find good jobs, and provide for their children's future. None of us can be sure exactly where our economy will be in 6 months or a year. But what I do know is that the economic security of all Americans is at risk today. I am angry with how we got here, and I am not fully satisfied with this proposal, but given a fighting chance, the American people have always risen to the challenges before them. This bill will give American families that chance by protecting them from the failures of Wall Street and rescuing Main Street from the perils of a devastating credit crunch. I am confident that our best days are still ahead. We will soon turn the page on the failed economic policies of the last 8 years, right our economic ship, put our Nation back on a path to prosperity, and restore our economy to its rightful place as the envy of the world.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6353, which was received from the House.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 6083 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate concur in the House amendments, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1594, which was received from the House.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate concur in the House amendment; the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate; and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Chair lay before the Senate a message from the House to accompany S. 431.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on EPW be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1714, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 3658, which was introduced earlier today.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.