Jeanne Shaheen

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize Katherine ``Kay'' McLaughlin. Kay was born in South Boston, MA, on July 11, 1921. She is the middle child of the five children of Francis Pucci and Mary O'Donnell. Kay grew up a short walk from Boston Harbor near Castle Island, a Revolutionary War-era fort that still stands today, and spent many days walking from her home to Castle Island and back, a lifelong habit that has contributed greatly to her long life. She graduated from Boston Girls High School and would take great joy in telling her children of the day she and her friends skipped school to see Frank Sinatra perform. After high school, she attended Boston Secretarial School and went to work at Submarine Signal Company located in Boston. By that time, she had already caught the eye of a young man in the neighborhood named Leo McLaughlin. In 1944 they were married. Leo and Kay's first child, a girl, arrived in 1946 and there were more to come. In 1957, Kay and her family moved to Bedford, NH. By 1961, there were six girls and seven boys in the McLaughlin family. Included in this group were the children of Kay's deceased sister-in- law and brother-in-law. At the age of 36, Kay was a mother of 13 with another child to come in the immediate future. With wisdom beyond her years, Kay arbitrated disputes between rival factions amongst her children. She provided what was needed to solve their problems and keep the family moving in the right direction. Though Kay endured many losses--the death of a baby in childbirth, losing a talented daughter in the prime of her life, and losing her husband--they were not enough to stifle her spirit. As time passed and her children produced children of their own, she once again became a resource to her 16 grandchildren, keeping secrets and providing aid and comfort. Should Kay somehow find a way to live forever, we are all sure she will provide the same aid and comfort to her 17 great-grandchildren. While she is with us today in person, she will always be with us in spirit.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize Plaistow Chief of Police Steven Savage for his extraordinary leadership and service to New Hampshire and to our Nation. The Plaistow Police Department will soon dedicate the town's tactical training center in his honor. As a young man, Chief Savage enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and answered the call to service during the Vietnam war. He was honored with numerous service ribbons including the Air Force Presidential Unit Citation, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation. After an honorable discharge from the Air Force, Chief Savage went on to earn a B.S. with honors in criminal justice from Northeastern University. He first worked as a police officer in Baltimore, MD, where he earned a Bronze Star and four Ribbons of Commendation from the city's Meritorious Conduct Board. He returned to his native New Hampshire in 1977, when he was selected as police chief of Haverhill. After 10 years there, he became chief in Plaistow, where he has served for 28 years. These combined 38 years have distinguished Chief Savage as the second longest serving police chief in the state of New Hampshire. Chief Savage has held leadership positions in local, regional and national law enforcement organizations, from chairman of Plaistow's Highway Safety Committee to president of the New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association. He has been active in his community as well, volunteering on social service boards, committees, and supporting local youth sports. For more than 25 years, Plaistow's police department has been working to upgrade its firing range and tactical training facilities, which are used by police from Danville, Hampstead and Haverhill for their annual re-qualification as well as by U.S. postal inspectors from across New England and upstate New York. Finally, under Steven's leadership, a site plan was approved for the project earlier this year. Previously maintained unofficially by its many stakeholders, it will now be more permanently improved and supported. Chief Savage has worked tirelessly his entire career to keep others safe, and the tactical training center, to be dedicated on June 26th, will stand as a lasting symbol of his commitment. I ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in congratulating Chief Savage on his distinguished career in service to New Hampshire and to our country.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. I will.

Mrs. SHAHEEN. I know my colleague from California wishes to answer, but I will say that I share the Senator's disappointment. I think this was a great opportunity for us to address both energy efficiency in the Shaheen-Portman legislation and to also get a vote on the Keystone Pipeline, which is something we discussed several weeks ago when the energy efficiency legislation came to the floor. I thought we had an agreement where we would vote on the bill and then separately vote on Keystone, and they would both have a 60-vote threshold. Sadly, some of those sponsors of the legislation didn't vote for it when the bill was filibustered, and so it did not pass. I am hopeful we can still bring it back. I am happy to bring it back in a way that allows us to have the same 60-vote threshold for a vote on the Keystone Pipeline.

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Happily.

Mrs. SHAHEEN. I wish to say I am disappointed we can't move forward to address the concern on both voting on the Keystone Pipeline as well as the concern Senator Portman and I have to consider the Shaheen- Portman energy efficiency bill. Shaheen-Portman is legislation that would go very far to address our energy needs. After all, energy efficiency is the first fuel. It is the cheapest, fastest way to deal with this country's energy needs. It has support from those people who believe in fossil fuels and from those people who support alternatives, such as wind and solar. It is something everybody benefits from, and it is something that would move us in a direction that would help address the pollution we are seeing-- not just from carbon but from so many other pollutants that are being thrown into the air. It is a reasonable way to address both our concerns as well as the concerns of those people who support the Keystone Pipeline. Let's have this vote--up or down--with a 60-vote threshold. I believe we have strong bipartisan support for Shaheen-Portman. We saw that in the motion to proceed when it got more than 70 votes here on the floor. We had strong bipartisan cosponsors on the legislation. I think we could have those votes now, everybody would be happy, and let the votes fall where they may. I am disappointed to hear the objection. I hope we will have an opportunity to reconsider, and I hope we can all agree that there is a benefit to both sides of the aisle in voting on both of these issues in a way that gives the American people some idea of where we stand. I thank the Presiding Officer, and I yield the floor.

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I appreciate my colleague from California giving me an opportunity to respond. As those of us on the floor probably remember, several weeks ago we were talking about trying to address the Energy Efficiency and Industrial Competitiveness Act, also known as Shaheen-Portman, an effort that Senator Portman and I had worked on for 3\1/2\ years to try and put in place a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy for this country. The bill has no mandates in it and no new spending. It has the support of over 260 groups--everybody from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the National Association of Manufacturers to the NRDC to several trade unions, companies from Johnson Controls to Honeywell, the American Chemistry Council. It has the support of a broad coalition of people. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, if the legislation of Senator Portman and myself were to pass this year, by 2030 it would help create 192,000 jobs, save consumers $16.2 billion a year, and it would be the equivalent of taking 22 million cars off the road. As part of that discussion, we actually had what we thought was an agreement to have a vote on Shaheen-Portman on a date certain that would have a 60-vote threshold and also have another vote on the Keystone Pipeline on a date certain. All the Senators would know when the vote would take place, and again it would have a 60-vote threshold. Sadly, some of the sponsors of that legislation who worked with us to try and get a bill put forward refused to vote to consider the bill, and it went down. It is unfortunate because we could have had a vote on the Keystone Pipeline at that time. It was an agreement I thought we had all agreed made sense. Unanimous Consent Request--S. 2262 Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the majority leader, after consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate resume consideration of S. 2262, the Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill; that the motion to commit be withdrawn; that amendment Nos. 3023 and 3025 be withdrawn; that the pending substitute amendment be agreed to; that there be no other amendments, points of order, or motions in order to the bill other than budget points of order and the applicable motions to waive; that there be up to 4 hours of debate on the bill equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill, as amended; that the bill be subject to a 60-affirmative-vote threshold; that if the bill is passed, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 371, S. 2280, at a time to be determined by the majority leader, after consultation with the Republican leader, but no later than Thursday, July 17, 2014; that there be no amendments, points of order, or motions in order to the bill other than budget points of order and the applicable motions to waive; that there be up to 4 hours of debate on the bill equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill; finally, that the bill be subject to a 60- affirmative-vote threshold. THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Mrs. SHAHEEN

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

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, it is with a heavy heart that I rise this evening to honor the life and service of U.S. Marine Corps LCpl Brandon Garabrant. Brandon was a native of Greenfield, NH, who, sadly, was killed in action on Friday in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal Garabrant was serving his first tour overseas after completing basic training at Camp Lejeune last year. In the days since we learned that Brandon made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, we have been touched by the selfless devotion with which he lived his life and which defined him as a citizen and a marine. His dedication to our country was so focused that he completed his basic training at Camp Lejeune just 1 day before he graduated from ConVal Regional High School. Brandon also served throughout his high school years as a volunteer firefighter with the Temple Volunteer Fire Department. Although he was just 19 years old when he deployed to Afghanistan, Brandon faced the enormous task of defending our Nation with unshakable conviction. Brandon's thoughts on the eve of his April deployment most aptly demonstrate his devotion to his country, to his community, and to his fellow marines. Brandon wrote: Fighting for our country, our brothers to the left and right, our friends and families back home. So that you can have the right for freedom and to live the American dream without fear of anything. Here comes a long journey into the unknown. It is certainly a very long journey for Brandon. Brandon is survived by his mother Jessie, his father John, and his younger siblings Jacob and Mykala. It is my hope that during this extremely difficult time Brandon's family and friends will find comfort in knowing that Americans everywhere appreciate deeply his sacrifice in defense of our country so the rest of us may continue to live in peace and freedom. Brandon epitomized the best New Hampshire tradition of service, and his example will not soon be forgotten by those who were fortunate enough to have known him. I ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in honoring the life and service of this brave young American, Brandon Garabrant. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, today I honor Joseph ``Joey'' Lee for his outstanding achievements as a teacher at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH. Mr. Lee is the New Hampshire Department of Education's Granite State Teacher of the Year for 2014, selected from a field of 36 nominees. Mr. Lee is also New Hampshire's candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award, the Nation's oldest and most prestigious program focused on excellence in teaching. In May, Mr. Lee visited Washington, DC, to meet President Obama and discuss education initiatives with representatives from the Department of Education. Born in Hooksett and a graduate of Plymouth State University, Mr. Lee has taught at Pinkerton Academy for 6 years. A social studies teacher, he currently teaches cultural geography while also coaching golf, directing the hockey program and co-advising the China Exchange Program. Mr. Lee has a talent for connecting with students, recognizing their unique strengths and challenges and adapting his teaching style to their needs. He is passionate about applying classroom content to real- life situations. The New Hampshire Department of Education recognized Mr. Lee for his conviction and passion for teaching, his energy in the classroom and his commitment to his students. I congratulate Mr. Lee on the honor of being the Granite State Teacher of the Year.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize Bill Lonergan for his exemplary leadership as assistant principal of Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH. Bill was named Assistant Principal of the Year by the New Hampshire Association of School Principals for commitment to helping students succeed. A 1980 graduate of Pinkerton Academy, Mr. Lonergan first returned to the school as a student teacher in the English department. He soon became a full-time member of the staff, both teaching and serving as associate dean of students. In total, he has worked at Pinkerton for 21 years. Mr. Lonergan developed Pinkerton's ``Freshman Academy'' program, working with parents, teachers and students to ease the transition from area middle schools to the high school level. The program, which is among Mr. Lonergan's many accomplishments, is personalized to each student's strengths and interests, and has improved academic performance and integration into the Pinkerton community. Mr. Lonergan's vision and dedication have made a difference for countless students. I am pleased to recognize his contributions to Pinkerton Academy, and congratulate him on being named Assistant Principal of the Year.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 10, 2014, at 9 a.m.

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 10, 2014, at 10:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Semi-Annual Report to Congress.''

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 10, 2014, at 2:30 p.m.

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 10, 2014, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled, ``A More Efficient and Effective Government: Examining Federal IT Initiatives and the IT Workforce.''

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 10, 2014, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Protecting Taxpayers and Ensuring Accountability: Faster Superfund Cleanups for Healthier Communities.''

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. SHAHEEN. I rise this morning to discuss the very pressing challenge that too many of our young people are facing; that is, the issue of college affordability. As I travel throughout New Hampshire, I continue to hear young people and their families express their deep concerns about the high cost of college and about their student loans. In New Hampshire this problem is especially significant because New Hampshire ranks second highest in the Nation for the proportion of students who are graduating from college with debt and also for the average amount of debt per graduate. Seventy-four percent of students in New Hampshire graduate with debt, and that debt is an average of $33,000 per student. I have talked to some young people who worry that they are never going to be able to get out from under that student debt burden. We all know that obtaining a college education has been viewed as a step that can propel Americans into the middle class, allowing them to pursue goals such as starting a family, opening a business, or purchasing a home. Unfortunately, education costs have increased at four times the rate of inflation from 1985 to 2011. This is a problem that has both short- term and long-term implications for our citizens who want to continue their education after high school. It is also a problem that has serious implications for the Nation's economy. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, approximately 40 million Americans hold more than $1.2 trillion in student loan debt. The agency also indicates that student loan debt has exceeded credit card debt in the country and is exceeded only by home mortgages in terms of total amount of debt. So we have more student loan debt than credit card debt, and only home mortgages exceed the student loan debt. While Americans are struggling to pay back this staggering debt, it is projected that the Federal Government will earn $66 billion in profits from its role in student lending between 2007 and 2012. That is just not right. Clearly it is time for Congress to take action to help individuals with student debt. It is time to help them reclaim their American dream, to help them have a chance at pursuing the goals that drove them to college in the first place. To this end I am very pleased to join with so many of my colleagues in supporting the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act. This legislation would allow eligible borrowers who took out student loans before July 1, 2013, to refinance those loans at rates currently being offered to new borrowers. It is clear that Congress needs to come together to work to reduce the cost of college for aspiring students throughout the country, but we also need to provide relief to those who have already borrowed to pursue their education, many of whom have interest rates for their student loans that are much higher than they would be if they were purchasing a home or a car. This action is also way overdue. The extent to which young people are feeling this pressure really came home to me when I visited a veteran from New Hampshire named Calvin, who served in Afghanistan. I first met Calvin at Walter Reed Medical Center, where he was recovering after losing his leg from stepping on an IED. He was married, had a young child, and he was talking about the challenges he faced after he recovered from his injuries. But what impressed me the most was his No. 1 concern was how he and his wife were going to repay their student loans. That is why I think we have to do something about this problem. We have to make sure young people such as Calvin don't spend their professional lives worrying about how to pay back student loans. I plan to file an amendment today as we take up the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act that will address the challenge young people have as they look at how to keep track of their student loans. I think they need to have a portal that gives them a one-stop shop so they can view all of their student loan information, public and private, in one central online location. I have heard stories from young people in New Hampshire about this concern, from people like Kim, who is from Nashua. She is a 30-year-old woman, and she has student debt from obtaining her bachelor's and two master's degrees. Her student loan payments cost her more per month than a home mortgage. She recently found a job that is helping her make her loan payments, but before she got that offer she felt overwhelmed by her debt and she found it difficult to communicate and work with her lenders. By providing a one-stop online shop for debt management, the amendment I will be offering will give people like Kim an easier way to track and understand their loans and their repayment options. I am pleased that just yesterday the President announced a number of initiatives to help borrowers, including plans similar to the provisions in my Simplifying Access to Student Loan Information Act, so we can encourage the use of innovative methods to communicate with borrowers, but as we all know, we need to do more in this Congress to ensure that we can help borrowers who are struggling to repay their student loans. I thank my colleague from Massachusetts, Senator Warren, for her work on this bill. I look forward to continuing to work with her and my other colleagues to ensure that student loan borrowers finally see some relief.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I was necessarily absent from the Senate earlier today. Along with Senator Ayotte, I was in New Hampshire this morning and afternoon attending memorial services for Officer Steve Arkell of the Brentwood Police Department, who was tragically killed in the line of duty on May 14, 2014. I missed rollcall votes in relation to the confirmation of Stanley Fischer to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of David Barron to be U.S. circuit judge for the First Circuit. I support both the Fischer and Barron nominations, and would have voted yes if I were present during these votes.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, it is with great sadness that I rise today to honor the memory of Brentwood Police Officer Stephen Arkell. Officer Arkell's life was tragically cut short yesterday while responding to the call of duty--the same call of duty he courageously answered countless times over the course of his career. A 15-year veteran of the Brentwood Police Department, Arkell served as a part- time officer as well as an animal control officer for the town of Brentwood where he was born and raised. As is the case with all of our first responders, his commitment to protecting our communities was unparalleled. That commitment was integral to keeping our families, our children, and our community safe every day. That same commitment, and Officer Arkell's sacrifice, is something New Hampshire will never forget. Stephen Arkell's life and career epitomized the heroism of our first responders, and all of us, every day, will be forever grateful for that. Today my thoughts and prayers are with his family--his wife and his two teenage daughters, his loved ones, the Brentwood Police Department, and the entire Brentwood community, as well as New Hampshire's entire law enforcement community. I hope they can all take some solace in knowing that New Hampshire joins them in both mourning Officer Arkell's loss as well as celebrating his selfless sacrifice and his service on behalf of Brentwood and our beloved State. Thank you, Madam President. I note the absence of a quorum.

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

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 60th anniversary of the New England Chapter of the American Public Works Association. Sixty years ago marked the first meeting of the New England Chapter of the American Public Works Association, which includes Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and my home State of New Hampshire. This organization has been an integral part of our State, bridging our past to our future through education and public service. The members of this dedicated organization have built the infrastructure, from highways to water supply treatment systems, that is critical to New Hampshire's well-being and economic strength. As a former Governor of New Hampshire, I understand the importance of this organization and the positive impacts of their work on all New Hampshire residents. During my time as Governor, I appointed an American Public Works member, Carl Quiram, to the New Hampshire Solid Waste Task Force, which was designed to study the effects of limited disposal capacity for solid waste in our State. His work and the work of all the members of the New England Chapter of the American Public Works Association have had truly meaningful impacts on the lives of residents in New Hampshire and around the country. It is my honor to recognize the New England Chapter of the American Public Works Association's 60th anniversary.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I am very disappointed at the actions of the Senate this evening: that we were not able to come together after all of the work and all of the support from groups across this country for energy efficiency legislation; that we cannot bridge our differences and get this bill done, despite the broad bipartisan support, despite the support of organizations from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the National Association of Manufacturers to the NRDC environmental groups to the painters union. We had groups across the political spectrum supporting this legislation--the Alliance to Save Energy, which was really the brain child behind this legislation. Yet we were not able to come together to support a bill that would have made progress on the jobs front, progress on savings for consumers, and progress on preventing pollution. I thank Senator Landrieu, who has chaired the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Senator Boxer, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, for their kind words about this legislation this evening. I also thank my partner, who worked as hard on this bill as I did, Senator Rob Portman from Ohio, and the good work of both his staff and my staff in trying to move this efficiency agenda forward. Unfortunately, we saw tonight that differences in this body have prevented positive progress. The reason that is so unfortunate is because energy efficiency is the cheapest, fastest, cleanest way to address this country's energy demand, because energy that we don't use is energy that we don't have to produce. And efficiency saves money, lessens our dependence on imported energy, decreases pollution, and improves our Nation's global competitiveness. In addition, energy efficiency investments enable domestic businesses to leverage private capital, to reduce business risks associated with price volatility, to spur economic growth, and to create jobs. All of those are part of this Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act that Senator Portman and I cosponsored along with a great group of bipartisan sponsors from this body. One of the aspects I like about energy efficiency is that it doesn't matter whether one supports fossil fuels or whether one supports alternative sources of energy; everyone benefits from energy efficiency. In the last 40 years we have saved more through energy efficiency in this country than we have produced through fossil fuels and nuclear power combined. So there is huge potential benefit in energy efficiency, and it is important for us to figure out a way to move this legislation forward. In the last 3\1/2\ years I have visited businesses across New Hampshire--small retail businesses, manufacturing companies, ski areas, apartment complexes, municipal buildings. Today I was at the opening of a new expansion of Airmar Technologies in New Hampshire, a beautiful new facility. They make sensors that go in everything from ships to weather instruments to detect weather. They were very proud that in constructing the new building they made it energy efficient. This is a win-win-win. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, if we pass this bill this year by 2030 we will help create 192,000 jobs, we will save consumers $16.2 billion a year, and it will be the equivalent of taking 22 million cars off the road, all because we are saving energy. We ought to all be able to come together behind this. I am not going to quit. I don't think the sponsors of this legislation are going to quit. All of those 260-plus businesses, organizations out there that have been advocating for this bill, are not going to quit because this is legislation that makes sense. It makes sense for job creation, it makes sense for saving on pollution, it makes sense for saving money, it makes sense to our national competitiveness, and we are going to keep at it until we pass this legislation. I hope politics will stay out of the way; that we will come together, we will agree on amendments we can all vote on, and that we will be able to move forward in a positive way. I thank the Presiding Officer. I yield the floor.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I wish to congratulate Marelli's Market in Hampton, NH, on celebrating their 100th anniversary. Opened in 1914 by Italian immigrants Luigi and Celestina Marelli, Marelli's has been serving traditional Italian fare, including cigars, olive oil, and homemade ice creams, to generations of families in the Hampton community. They are most well-known for their world-famous roasted cashews and peanuts, which the family continues to roast themselves. Today Marelli's is run by Luigi and Celestina's sons, Richard and Bobby, and grandchildren, Karen Raynes and Marcia Hannon-Buber, and the market has remained a cornerstone of the Hampton community. The market was recently entered into the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places, a testament to its place in our State's history. Karen and Marcia have marked this celebration with a book entitled ``Marelli's Market: The First 100 Years in Hampton, NH.'' The book includes a century of stories from both the family's and the business' history. I congratulate the Marellis on their 100th anniversary and thank them for their remarkable dedication to their family, their business, and the Hampton community.

Mrs. SHAHEEN

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I wish to honor Bill Marcello for his 45 years of service to New Hampshire and thank him for his endless dedication to Southwestern Community Services and the people of our State. A Portsmouth native, Bill went to Keene State College, where he earned a teaching certificate. From then on, he dedicated his entire career to serving southwestern New Hampshire, first working as a teacher at Head Start in Keene. In 1978, Bill was named deputy director of Southwestern Community Services and soon rose to the position of CEO. Under his leadership, Southwestern Community Services has provided housing, jobs, and fuel assistance to those in need, while also serving as the lead agency in the area for Head Start, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, New Hope New Horizons, and a host of other community programs. With Bill's leadership, Southwestern Community Services now serves more than 30,000 residents in 38 communities, accounting for $30 million in annual economic impact. New Hampshire has always been able to turn to Bill in times of need. When flooding hit the State's southwest region in 2005, residents looked to Bill to help recover and rebuild. When someone in Sullivan or Cheshire counties has needed skills training to find a job or help with heating their home, they have found support in Bill and Southwestern Community Services. He has worked tirelessly his entire career for New Hampshire families. On behalf of New Hampshire and the countless lives Bill has touched, I thank him for his leadership and determination to serve Granite Staters in need. I ask my colleagues and all Americans to join me in celebrating the selfless service that Bill has given to his community and congratulating him on his retirement.