Mark Udall

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 30, 2013, at 9:15 a.m., in room SD-430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 30, 2013, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 30, 2013, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Nominations.''

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 30, 2013, at 2 p.m., in room SR-418 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 30, 2013, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Jobs Act at a Year and a Half: Assessing Progress and Unmet Opportunities.''

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam President, for nearly 2 weeks I have watched the debate on the Senate floor as well as on the House floor, and I have become more and more frustrated. My frustration is, in part--I would say in large part--driven by the contrast to what I see going on in my home State of Colorado. During the past several weeks, Coloradans have come together in the wake of Biblical rains and beyond devastating flooding to begin the long process of rebuilding our State better and stronger. We in the West--and I think I can say we as Americans--are rugged cooperators. Sure, we are each strong individuals--and that is a strong point of view in the West; it is the core of who we are, that we are strong as individuals--but we know we are best when we band together, despite any political or philosophical differences, to face our shared challenges. I am doing my level best to bring that spirit to Washington, DC, especially now in this time of shutdowns and ultimatums and ideology that doesn't make sense to the people I represent in Colorado. I invite all of my colleagues to come to Colorado to see the collaborations occurring in these flood-ravaged communities such as Jamestown, Lyons and Estes Park and Fort Morgan. There are no games. There is no posturing. There is no politics. There is just a doggedness to make their communities better. I surely hope the strength and the focus of Coloradans could be an inspiration to all of us as we tackle what are very pressing policy issues. On that note, I wish to speak about one of my constituents, someone I work for--Jeff. He is a Federal employee. He demonstrates the resilience, to me, of the people of Colorado. But his situation also typifies the worst of what this shutdown and this brinkmanship is doing to the real people, the good people of my State of Colorado. Jeff is a Federal employee. He was trapped for 3 days in last month's flood. That flood cost him almost everything. He has very few possessions left. Once he was free, he went immediately back to his day job. He was working for an agency that is integral to the flood disaster response. What happened? The government closed. So now he rents out an apartment. His home is inaccessible, literally, due to the flooding. He doesn't have a paycheck and he is being told he is not essential and he shouldn't come in to work. There are a lot of reactions I have to that. There are a lot of reactions anybody who is paying attention would have to that. One is that now there is one less pair of boots on the ground helping with the flood response efforts in Colorado. To a certain extent, politics is about finding the right strategy to advocate for what a person believes is right. But what is going on right now is shameful. What is happening to Jeff is flatout shameful. What we are seeing is one faction of one party, in one Chamber, in one branch of government, holding this Nation's health, economy, and security hostage and, in the process, causing the Federal Government to shut down and threatening a government default on our obligations. By doing so, these individuals are holding our flood recovery hostage. It makes no sense. I guess you have to ask yourself why. Why would a small group, a faction, be doing this? It strikes me that in part they are doing it because they are obsessed with undermining a law that is providing affordable health care to Americans, some for the first time in their lives, a law that is saving seniors hundreds of dollars a year on prescription drugs and is leveling the playing field when it comes to providing health care and putting consumers back in charge of their own health care. I want to make this clear: After having legally passed both Houses of Congress, being affirmed by the Supreme Court, and then serving as a referendum in the just concluded campaign that overwhelmingly reelected President Obama, the Affordable Care Act is settled law. Let me say that again. The Affordable Care Act is settled law. But describing it as settled law alone I know is not enough to resolve this latest crisis. So I would like to take viewers and my colleagues back a decade when the Presiding Officer was a Member of House at that time, when President George W. Bush pushed us to pass what was an unpaid-for Medicaid prescription drug benefit. Members of my caucus over in the House felt that this massive unpaid law was thrust upon us without due consideration and at a time when we should not be racking up further debt. Many of us on my side of the aisle were literally reeling with anger after it passed. It also passed in ways with which we disagreed, in the middle of the night, literally. The desk in the House was kept open--I think the Presiding Officer knows--for close to 4 hours to find those last votes. I was angry. I voted against that Medicare prescription drug benefit. I am sure I was as angry as some of my colleagues were when the Affordable Care Act passed over 3 years ago. So what did I do? I took a lot of deep breaths. I listened to the counsel of people I respect, I listened to my own counsel, and I not only decided it was settled law, but I decided to start holding townhalls and listening sessions so I could help my constituents sign up for it. I knew it was the settled law of the land, just like ObamaCare is today, and I wanted my constituents to be best served by its implementation. So I went out and spread the word about the benefits, figured out what questions my constituents would have. I wanted them to sign up. I wanted to make it a success. I wanted them to have those benefits. So let's fast forward to today. Far from helping people, our friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle have relentlessly spread uncertainty about ObamaCare, attacking its implementation at every turn, and now to close down the Federal Government over their concerns about it. We are in the 10th day of a government shutdown. Our national security has suffered. Seventy percent of the intelligence community is furloughed. We do not have enough food inspectors on the job. Our veterans are not getting the services not only that they need but that they have earned. Our national parks are closed, hurting economies like ours in Colorado. I mentioned Estes Park. Estes Park is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. If Estes Park is going to recover from these devastating floods, Rocky Mountain National Park has to be open for business. This is not how the greatest Nation in the world can go on doing business. I have said from the very beginning--I think the Presiding Officer agrees with me--the Affordable Care Act is far from perfect. No mandate law is. As with every law, it will undoubtedly need some improvements and some constructive changes during its implementation. I am committed to doing that, just like we did after President Bush moved his prescription drug law to the finish line. In the past few days we have seen statements indicating that some Republicans are starting to understand that this partisan focus on ObamaCare is futile. So as their next step they have seized on yet another destructive tactic, manufacturing a new crisis, an even more serious, potentially devastating crisis than shutting down the government. What have they done? They are threatening the full faith and credit of the Federal Government to push their budget demands. They have threatened to force us past the deadline, which is October 17-- that is a week from today--when the United States will no longer be able to meet its financial obligations. Grandstanding on funding the government is bad enough. If we do not agree on a way forward to reopen the government, but we also do not agree on a way to ensure that the Treasury Department does not default on our Nation's debt obligations, we will seriously damage global confidence in the United States, make no mistake. There are some voices in this building who think that will not happen. They are wrong. If we damage the global confidence in the United States, we are going to hamper our economic recovery, we will slow job creation, and we will make borrowing costs more expensive for government and families alike. This is no way to win the global economic race in which we find ourselves. Coloradans are telling me in every way they can that they expect a lot better than this. Ronald Reagan used to joke in only the way he could that he was not worried about the debt; it is big enough to take care of itself. But every American should worry if Congress refuses to meet the obligations we have already made. I know many Americans are worried about our debt and our capacity to pay the bills we have incurred. I have been worried about this for a long time. I think if you would ask anybody around here, they would tell you I would vote in a minute for a sensible grand bargain. It is true. I have worked across the aisle and built a record of efforts to reduce wasteful spending and set our budget on a more sustainable footing. It should be one of our top priorities. It has to be one of our top priorities. I have been a longtime supporter of the line-item veto. I supported the initial structure around which the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction commission worked. I called for an end to earmarks. I worked with Senator Coburn from Oklahoma on ending some wasteful public subsidies, including those for the political party conventions every 4 years. It is why I was the first Democrat to champion a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution in many a year. I am not the only Member, as well, of my party who has been fighting for commonsense reforms. This is critically important work. I would love nothing more than to bring a serious deficit reduction plan to the floor and pass it along with raising our debt limit to avoid an American default. But let me be crystal clear: To default on our debt because a grand bargain eludes us would make our debt and deficits even worse and thrust us into an economic tailspin. It is irresponsible to even suggest forcing America into default as a legitimate negotiating position. Let's sit down and have a grownup discussion about these important issues, but not like this. Let's fund the government, let's pay our bills, and then let's sit down and negotiate again. Negotiation is good. Compromise is good. But we cannot have this important set of discussions with one party constantly threatening to shut down the government or throw our country into default, each of which makes our deficits and debt even worse. We have, literally, centuries of examples of a Congress collaborating, working together. We have done that for over 200 years. We can debate, we can have contentious back-and-forth, but in the end we need to compromise and agree. We need a comprehensive and balanced deficit reduction plan that can pass both Chambers and be signed into law. No party gets to threaten the American economy and shut down the government when they do not get their way. No party gets to jeopardize middle-class families' 401(k)s or senior citizens' retirement savings or set our economic recovery back just because their positions are not strong enough to prevail on their own. That just is not the way to address our Nation's shared problems. And trust me, our debt and deficits are a shared problem. We can do better. I want to begin to conclude by again referring to the Coloradans I am so fortunate to represent, just like the Presiding Officer, I know, is honored to represent the good people of Wisconsin. Coloradans have shown the true strength of our State in the wake of this tragic flooding that literally has wiped communities off the map and destroyed thousands of homes. If we could have done anything to prevent that natural disaster, we would have. We now face a potential manmade disaster. We have to protect Americans from a looming manmade disaster that is emerging right here. We have to bridge the partisan divide. We have to end this government shutdown. We have to stave off an American default. We have to pay our bills. We could do this today if Speaker Boehner would just allow the House to vote on a clean funding resolution that we have already sent to the House, with the House numbers in it, by the way. So let's just see a vote in the House. The continuing resolution would pass in the House today with Republican and Democratic votes. So let's just vote. Let's hold the vote. The Presiding Officer and I served in the House. When we were eager to go to work we would shout: Vote, vote, vote; work, work, work. It is time for the House to go to work. Let's vote to end this debt ceiling crisis and make sure our Nation pays the debts it has already incurred. These are the basic functions of Congress. If we fail to act, history will never forgive us--any of us. I yield the floor.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 10, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. The PRESIDENT OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. 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 October 10, 2013, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Impact of a Default on Financial Stability and Economic Growth.'' The PRESIDENT OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Committee on Finance

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 10, 2013, at 8 a.m., in room SH-216 of the Hart Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Debt Limit.'' The PRESIDENT OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Select Committee on Intelligence

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 10, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. The PRESIDENT OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I believe the Deficit-Neutral Disaster Relief Act Senator Bennet and I have drafted is at the desk. It is my understanding both sides have cleared the bill, I would add, after a lot of pushing from Senator Bennet and me and other Coloradans, along with the Governor and Department of Transportation. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1560, introduced earlier by Senators Bennet and Udall of Colorado, that the bill be read three times and passed, and the motions to reconsider be made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I wish to thank my colleagues and once again outline what this important act we passed will do. It is critically important. I was on the floor Friday, and the Presiding Officer was here on Friday and was patient and listened to the case Senator Bennet and I made at that time. This is critically important because it will allow Colorado to begin rebuilding our battered roads and bridges and highways without having to wait years for relief. We are close now to getting this legislation to the President's desk, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House, with Senator Bennet, to get this bill signed into law as soon as possible. Senator Bennet and I have been on the floor on a number of occasions in recent days to highlight how devastated certain parts of our beautiful State are as a result of these biblical floods we suffered a few weeks ago. Many communities are just now beginning to comprehend how serious the damage is and to see firsthand how many hundreds of miles of highways, roads, bridges, and other parts of our infrastructure are ruined or in some cases even washed away entirely. I have had many occasions to see this damage firsthand in the last few weeks, starting in my own neighborhood, which was evacuated, but all over the northern front range. I was in Jamestown on Saturday. Senator Bennet was there a few days earlier. It is one of the worst-hit communities in Boulder Canyon. It is almost beyond description. The homes are literally washed off their foundations, cars were embedded in the ground, completely buried. Families were left in some cases with 2 to 3 feet of mud and silt, river cobbles literally inside their homes. I was in one home in Jamestown standing on the mud and silt, and my head was touching the ceiling because of the 3 feet of debris that was inside that house. We have seen entire roads and highways completely decimated. Without this help, it is a fact that communities will not be able to rebuild. By passing the Deficit-Neutral Disaster Relief Act, we have lifted the statutory cap of $100 million to a limit of $450 million. The money applies to highway relief, so it will be enough to help us rebuild swiftly. As I have done here before, I want to again make it clear that this isn't new money. It doesn't increase budget authority or increase net outlays. It simply allows us to access an already existing appropriated fund of money. Historically, this $100 million cap on relief has routinely been recognized by Congress as an unwise impediment to helping States recover and it has been raised for nearly every natural disaster in recent years. Examples would be familiar to anybody listening. We raised the cap on transportation disaster relief for Hurricanes Gustav, Ike, Irene, Sandy, as well as during the Missouri River basin flooding in 2011. I am truly appreciative and truly grateful that all of our colleagues have come together to recognize that the floods in Colorado are no exception. We are all in this together when it comes to responding to national disasters. I am glad that today we can say to Coloradans Members of Congress from all across the United States of America have stood with us in our recovery efforts, and we will stand with them in their recovery efforts as we have in the past as we experience natural disasters. I thank the Senate for clearing this crucial legislation. Mr. President, I yield the floor and look forward to the remarks of my colleague Senator Bennet.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business until 4 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, and the majority leader be recognized at 4 p.m.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak once again about the floods that were of biblical proportions that afflicted our State just a couple of weeks ago and the necessity of passing a piece of legislation, as we have done in the past on the heels of such natural disasters, that will allow my State to access existing emergency transportation funds more efficiently. This is legislation my colleague and my friend and fellow Coloradan Senator Bennet and I have introduced. It is critically important because it will allow us in Colorado to begin rebuilding our battered roads and bridges and highways without having to wait years for relief. In Colorado, hundreds of miles of roads and approximately 50 major bridges have been damaged. I want to display one photograph to give you a sense of what happened in Colorado. I know Senator Bennet is here. I think he and I would agree that this is moderate damage represented in this photograph. There are many, many other scenes in our State where the roads are completely gone. You would not even know there was a road in the canyon like this one here. But this gives you a sense of what we have to do to repair all of this infrastructure. Many towns, as I am implying, have seen the roads which provide access in and out of their communities severely limited. In fact, there a couple of communities that have been cut off. But the good news is that there are emergency relief dollars for transportation projects that have already been appropriated. They are available right now. Why do I come to the floor, then, if that is the situation? There is an arbitrary statutory cap of $100 million per disaster that applies to those funds. This could limit the flood relief that we receive and then unnecessarily delay repairs, not necessarily this year or next year, but for decades. But historically, this is the good news, this opportunity we all have, as Members of the House and the Senate, to lift this cap. It has routinely been recognized by Congress as an unwise impediment to helping States recover, particularly when they are hit by the size of this disaster. We have made exceptions to this cap for nearly every natural disaster in recent years. We waived it for Hurricanes Gustav, Ike, and Sandy, as well as for the Missouri River Basin flooding in 2011. In other words, when States are devastated, as we have been by natural disasters, we as a Congress have said that putting arbitrary impediments in the way of relief efforts just does not make sense, especially--and this is really important to understand--when no new funds need to be appropriated. The good news is, as I have alluded to, we are not asking Congress to appropriate any new money for transportation projects, nor does our bill increase budget authority or increase spending by the Federal Government. We are simply making sure that Colorado has fair access to the program that was created for the very purpose of helping States such as Colorado rebuild after a natural disaster. In fact, if we do not raise the cap, then we may be in the situation--not just Senator Bennet and I--but the Congress may be in a position where we have to pursue something more serious that does require money--in other words, additional appropriations. This is critically important. We have to do this. We need to. We must provide Colorado with certainty and relief as soon as possible. I want to again underline what happened in Colorado and what we are facing. Beginning on September 11, historic rains poured down. We had had a heat wave. We had been in the 90s, a very warm spell of weather. Literally overnight, beginning on September 11, historic rains poured down on our State without cessation. Rivers overtopped their banks from Rocky Mountain National Park, which is our crown jewel in the National Park System in Colorado, all the way out onto the eastern plains. It washed away highways, it drowned family homes, and it transformed entire farms into lakes. Creeks such as South Boulder Creek, which runs right behind my home, swelled. My neighbors were evacuated. I could not get home for 24 hours. Culverts such as those near Commerce City quickly filled with rushing water. Rivers such as the Big Thompson near Estes Park turned into walls of water that devastated entire communities. Let me give you another set of metrics. The affected area covers nearly 200 square miles and over 80 percent of our State's population. If we counted--Senator Bennet and I would agree--5 million Coloradans that we represent or 80 percent of our State's population has been affected. For a sense of scope--I did not know Senator Murphy would be presiding--the floodwaters cover an area the size of Connecticut. Nine counties are considered major disasters. At least 9 Coloradans have died. Thank God it was not more. We had a lot of missing people, but we think we have identified where all of those people are. We lost 9 Coloradans. Nearly 20,000 homes are damaged or destroyed. Nearly 2,500 people were evacuated by the Colorado National Guard, the most since Hurricane Katrina. Some bit of good news: The muddy waters have begun to recede. That has given us a better look at the vast extent of the damage: 200 miles of State highways and 50 bridges are damaged or destroyed. Preliminary estimates are that the infrastructure repairs could cost up to $475 million. I come with a heavy heart when I think about all of that. Then I have to also confess that this is a natural disaster that is beyond our capacity and Colorado's ability to address alone. We need help. We need support from our Federal partner. I have always supported disaster aid whether I was serving in the House, as the presiding officer has, and when I have been in the Senate, for Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina and for all of the natural disasters that have hit our country since I began serving in the House in 1999. I have to say that Coloradans now need our Federal partner to support our rebuilding and recovery efforts. I want also to say, though, in the face of this historic disaster, that I have been so heartened to see our Federal partners in the administration, led by FEMA, team up with our State leaders, who have been tireless, with the mayors, the council members, the county commissioners, our Governor, local communities, nonprofit organizations, and with countless friends and neighbors who have begun the hard work of recovery. Our strong sense of community will allow us to recover and to rebuild stronger and more resolute than before. But we want to get going. We want to access these dollars right now. Those dollars are sitting in this account, waiting to help States such as Colorado rebuild and repair in the wake of a disaster. In fact, the U.S. Department of Transportation--I see our chairman of the EPW Committee, Senator Boxer, who is such a leader on infrastructure and knows infrastructure policy backwards and forwards--the U.S. Department of Transportation projects that Colorado, New York, and New Jersey, plus the 11 other States that have projects in the queue, could receive every single dollar they need and there would still be $221 million in remaining funds in this account available for future emergencies across our country. That is right. Everyone who has disaster-related infrastructure needs can receive relief, and we will still have significant funds to help other areas that may find themselves in need such as Colorado, New York, and New Jersey. I want my colleagues to know that we have a real opportunity here. Coloradans need these dollars. These are legitimate uses of these dollars. Senator Bennet and I are going to be working every minute today, this weekend, next week, to make sure that Colorado can recover as quickly as possible. Perhaps in light of the challenges that we face in Congress, moving the government forward and doing what is right for the American people, maybe this is an example of how we can work together and do the right thing not just for Colorado but for the United States.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. I would.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. I certainly did. I so appreciate the point the Senator from California is making. We have been assured that a shutdown would not affect Colorado. But as we all know there are unintended consequences. Just in the last 24 hours, Senator Bennet and I came to understand that the Utah National Guard, which was sending over a unit that has engineers and experts in flood recovery, probably cannot come to Colorado because their funds are going to be limited by the government shutdown. For all of the assurance that this is emergency aid and emergency support--there are always situations where the full weight, if you will, and the focus of all of those good people who serve us, it is local, county, State, and Federal Government--they will be affected by this shutdown. It is all the more important. We feel it in Colorado. The other thing I would add, and I wish to cede the floor to my good friend Senator Bennet, but what has been remarkable in Colorado is the partnership between the local, county, State and Federal governments. It has been seamless, for the most part. Then you mix in the NGOs, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and citizens who would hear the call and come to work to muck out basements, cut up debris. The spirit of community in Colorado has never been stronger. We ought to reflect that here. We were sent here to reflect that approach. That is America at its best. I thank the Senator. I very much look to hearing the remarks of my friend and colleague Senator Bennet. I yield the floor.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam President, I thank the Chair for the recognition, and I rise today to talk about the unimaginable losses all of us in Colorado have experienced over this last week. While much of the Nation's attention was focused on Syria or on the activities here in Washington, those of us in Colorado watched rain fall for 1, 2, 3, and 4 days straight with no end in sight. Creeks, such as the one that runs behind my home in Eldorado Springs, swelled. Culverts, such as those in Commerce City, quickly filled with rushing water. Rivers, such as the Big Thompson near the beautiful town of Estes Park, turned into walls of water that threatened entire communities. From the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the Eastern Plains, rivers overtopped their banks--crumbling highways, drowning family homes, and transforming entire farms into lakes. Many Americans have seen photos like this one that show the widespread and indiscriminate path of the floodwaters. In some places even today entire communities are still underwater, with families and homes uprooted by the ferocious strength of nature. We say that water makes the West possible, but this past week Mother Nature gave us rain for 5 straight days, and now at least eight people are dead and hundreds are still missing or in need of rescue. We pray that we find every single one of those missing persons alive and in good health. As of today the President has issued major disaster declarations for 4 counties and 15 counties are in a state of emergency, where lifesaving rescue efforts are still underway. In these areas active search and rescue operations are being conducted 24 hours a day by the Colorado National Guard, local police and fire departments, and rescue teams flown in from across the State and around our country. At least 19,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. Several towns, such as Jamestown and Lyons, have been washed out and lack even the most basic public services. The town of Estes Park, which I mentioned earlier, the gateway community to the Rocky Mountain National Park, has literally been cut off from the rest of the State because the two major highways to it have literally been destroyed and the only access road will soon be closed for the winter. There are some wonderful, inspiring stories that have come out of these events that we couldn't possibly comprehend or predict, and I want to start with the National Guard. The National Guard has been amazing, doing outstanding work and rescuing thousands of Coloradans who have been affected by this disaster. They tell me that more people have been rescued by air in the past few days than at any time since the devastation we saw with Hurricane Katrina. We saw--Senator Bennet, who is here with me, and I, along with the Governor and many members of our congressional delegation--the devastation from these floods with our own eyes. Just a few days ago-- Saturday, to be exact--Senator Bennet and I joined others to fly over flooded areas in Boulder and Larimer Counties with a Colorado National Guard unit. At one point, as we circled over an area, we spotted a couple of families waving for help. We were able to land and be a part of the effort that brought them out of one of those isolated situations. That experience impressed upon me the very human side of this disaster. As we all know, behind these graphic images being shown on TV are the lives of thousands of Colorado families, some forever changed. While so much of this disaster has taken on the grand proportions of a historic disaster, those whose lives have been affected by this flood have endured it on a very personal scale. I think this photograph says it all. It is the family who has to dig through mud and debris just to get into their kitchen or the older couple who returns from the evacuation to see their lifelong home completely destroyed or even, as I mentioned earlier, the extended family members who sit by the phone waiting for a call from a missing aunt, a niece, a child, or a friend. These are the very human faces of this tragedy. This is a tragedy from which we can't recover alone. The outpouring of support from our friends and neighbors has been crucial to early response efforts, and this generosity will only strengthen us as we begin to recover. After all, there is no ``i'' in Colorado, and it is this strong sense of community which will allow us to recover from this disaster and to rebuild stronger and more resolute than before. We are also going to rely on the full support of our Federal partners. I have long supported disaster aid, such as during Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, as well as when we have experienced other countless acts of God, and now it is time for us to come together as one Nation and rebuild. This will not be fast. It will not be easy. Many of our narrow mountain highways that had been carefully built through steep canyons have been destroyed and washed downstream. These highways, such as those in the Presiding Officer's State, are the economic basis for our Mountain State. Without them, trade and movement of any kind comes to a complete standstill. I took this photo as we flew over what looks to be a river, but it actually used to be a stretch of U.S. Highway 34 outside of Estes Park. That major east-west highway is gone. In looking at this photograph and seeing what Senator Bennet and I and many others saw on Saturday, it is one of those ``oh my God'' moments over and over again. Mother Nature has literally rewritten the map. This isn't an isolated incident in this canyon. There are dozens of these washouts, as we see here. That is why I am going to fight in this Congress for full Federal support for recovery and rebuilding efforts. I am confident the support will be there, just as it was for so many others in their time of need. In the meantime, individuals and businesses that are still dislocated or figuring out the extent of their damage must take action. So I want to share some advice I have received from FEMA and the other agencies involved. If your home was damaged because of the storms of the past week, please go to DisasterAssistance.gov to view Federal assistance that may be available to you and to submit your claim. So that is right here-- DisasterAssistance.gov. I urge everybody to go there and enroll, if you will, on that Web site. If you operate a small business that has been affected by the flooding, you should register your claim with the Small Business Administration by going to DisasterLoan.SBA.gov. Again, if you have a small business and you have been affected by the flooding, go to this Web site: DisasterLoan.SBA.gov. If you are just looking, as so many people are, for a way to help the people suffering from this disaster, go to HelpColoradoNow.org, where the State of Colorado has pooled resources to assist those in need. Madam President, as I conclude, again I want to reference that in so many ways the history of our part of the Nation--the West--has been a story of water, but now that very resource that is our lifeblood is writing a new chapter in our history as it runs uncontrolled over every road, field, and structure in its path. But we are Colorado tough and we are rugged cooperators, and our spirit of strengthened independence has seen us through the most trying of times. It will see us through these days of loss and hardship. I thank the Chair for her attention and her support, and I yield the floor to my colleague and friend Michael Bennet.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the outstanding military service of a group of incredible Coloradans. At critical times in our Nation's history, these veterans each played a role in defending the world from tyranny, truly earning their reputation as guardians of peace and democracy through their service and sacrifice. Now, thanks to Honor Flight, these combat veterans came to Washington, DC, to visit the national memorials built to honor those who served and those who fell. They have also come to share their experiences with later generations and to pay tribute to those who gave their lives. I am proud to welcome them here, and I join with all Coloradans in thanking them for all they have done for us. I also want to thank the volunteers from Honor Flight of Northern Colorado who made this trip possible. These volunteers are great Coloradans in their own right, and their mission to bring our veterans to Washington, DC, is truly commendable. I wish to publicly recognize the veterans who visited our Nation's capital, many seeing for the first time the memorials built as a tribute to their selfless service. Today, I honor these Colorado veterans on their visit to Washington, DC, and I join them in paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of liberty. Veterans from World War II include: Homer Anderson, Ernest Baugh, Norman Bever, William Compton, Alton Cooper, Arthur Cushing, Robert Davis, Harold Dawe, Jr., Richard Doyle, Robert Eldridge, Stewart Fonda, Jr., Donald Forry, Albert Gablehouse, Charles Gebauer, William Hammond, Sidney Hanks, William Hargis, Walter Hayward, Herman Huwa, Reinard Jansssen, Donald Larson, Evelyn Lee, John MacQueen, Robert Martin, Isaac Martinez, George Norton, Eugene Olson, Herbert Pugh, Eugene Replogle, William Ripple, Max Rodgers, Loyal Smoke, Glen Springer, Harold Sutton, Donald Steinshouer, Eugene Turnbull, Roger Van Thorre, Charles Webb, James Whitley and Lawrence Zuppan. Veterans from the Korean War include: Harry Ahlbrandt, Wallace Akers, Ronald Anderson, Joseph Annello, Filbert Baca, Gilbert Ball, Delbert Black, Keith Bordewyk, Delmar Bonser, Emilio Brito, Robert Burkholder, Charles Crihfield, Marvin Crihfield, Charles Dunfee, Sr., Thomas Eckrich, Verne Einspahr, Virtus Einspahr, Frank Faiella, Theodore Farwell, Edwin Foss, Loren Garretson, Henry Geisert, Scott Goshorn, Earl Graham, Howard Hanson, Fred Hara, Jerry Herring, Bernard Hill, John Holloway, Harold Hoyland, Vealess Hudspeth, William Hughes, Jimmie Hylton, John Jacobson, Ray Jacoby, Richard Jaggers, Kenneth Jan, Frances Killinger, Jr., Raymond Kosley, Edward Kirvonak, William Krupke, Pat Lanphear, Owen Lecheler, William Leppert, Clarence Lueb, Robert MacLauchlin, Philip Mahoney, Roquez Martinez, Horacio Masearenas, Edward Minch, Howard Morgan, Robert Muller, Leonard Peatrowsky, William Phillips, Dean Pope, Charles Pugh, George Pugh, Teddy Putnum, Thomas Ramm, Tommy Richie, Theodore Roos, Leonard Schmidt, Paul Schroeder, Lloyd Seekamp, Robert Sharrett, Richard Sherman, James Sparks, Boyd Stark, Harvey Steward, Joseph Stockert, Leon Stone, Richard Stoner, Jr., Betty Taylor, Leo Thielen, John Toth, John Wachsmann, Benjamin Wagner, Roger Warden, Jr., Robert Weber, Lester Weers and James Weitz. Veterans from other conflicts include: Frank Griggs, James Smith and Robert Wideman. Our Nation asked a great deal of these individuals--to leave their families to fight in unknown lands and put their lives on the line. Each one of these brave Coloradans bravely answered the call. They served our country with courage, and in return, let us ensure they are shown the honor and appreciation they deserve. Please join me in thanking these Colorado veterans and the volunteers of Honor Flight of Northern Colorado for their tremendous service.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

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

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I was next going to ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment and call up my amendment No. 1845. I understand the Senate is in an a bit of an impasse, but, if I might, I would like to talk about my amendment without calling it up with the hope that later my friend and colleague Senator Wyden will be able to call up my amendment and put it on the list of pending amendments.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. I am going to talk a little bit about this important effort which has been authored in partnership with my good friend from the wonderful State of Maine, Senator Collins. I wish to take a minute before I do that and say how important it is that we are finally debating, for the first time in years, an energy bill in the Senate. The fact that we are here today beginning this important debate is a huge testament to my colleague from the great State of New Hampshire, Senator Shaheen, and my good friend from the days I served in the House and now fellow Senator from the great State of Ohio, Senator Portman, and the leadership of Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Murkowski. I think Senator Portman and Senator Shaheen are saying this in every way possible: For our country to truly realize energy independence, energy security, we need to efficiently use the energy we have. That is exactly what Senators Portman and Shaheen envision with their legislation. We support energy security, and we save Americans money. With that background, let me turn to our amendment. Improving the energy efficiency of our schools is a no-brainer, and that is why I am proud to partner with Senator Collins to make sure our efforts have the biggest bang for the buck. This is a bipartisan amendment. It will help streamline efforts to improve the energy efficiency of our Nation's schools while, most importantly, strengthening our children's education. Our schools are often confused by where to go and whom to work with to pursue energy efficiency efforts and education, and this is in part because of how many agencies, departments, State governments, and the like are involved. By providing a coordinating structure for schools to better navigate existing Federal programs and the financing options available to them, we are going to pare back duplicative efforts and make it easier for schools across my State of Colorado and across the United States to save thousands of taxpayer dollars each year that then can be reinvested in strengthening our education system. The amendment also has the dual benefit of making Federal programs work better for our schools while still leaving decisions to the States, school boards, and local officials to determine what is best for their schools. This is a commonsense amendment. I truly hope we get a chance to debate it and to have an up-or-down vote on it. Before I yield the floor, I would also like to point out--I know my colleague Senator Wyden is well aware of this, as are Senator Shaheen, Senator Portman, and Senator Murkowski--that when we have schools that operate on an energy efficient basis, studies show our young people, our children learn more effectively because if you are in an environment that is comfortable, where the light is appropriate, where you can see, where you can take in what is being taught, you are, of course, going to have a better educational experience. A better educated America means a stronger America, means a more productive America, a more competitive America. This has benefits across the board in every way imaginable--the broader effort that Senators Shaheen and Portman brought forth but also that Senators Wyden and Murkowski are handling here on the floor of the Senate. I wish to draw attention to this important amendment. I thank my colleague Senator Collins. I know she will be here later to talk about her perspectives and the other good work she is going to do when it comes to this important legislation. I yield the floor.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Kevin Reed, a legislative fellow in my office, be granted the privilege of the floor for the remainder of the consideration of S. 1392.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam President, today I wish to pay tribute to the outstanding military service of a group of incredible Coloradans. At critical times in our Nation's history, these veterans each played a role in defending the world from tyranny, truly earning their reputation as guardians of peace and democracy through their service and sacrifice. Now, thanks to Honor Flight, these combat veterans came to Washington, DC, to visit the national memorials built to honor those who served and those who fell. They have also come to share their experiences with later generations and to pay tribute to those who gave their lives. I am proud to welcome them here, and I join with all Coloradans in thanking them for all they have done for us. I also want to thank the volunteers from Honor Flight of Northern Colorado who made this trip possible. These volunteers are great Coloradans in their own right, and their mission to bring our veterans to Washington, DC, is truly commendable. I wish to publicly recognize the veterans who visited our Nation's Capital, many seeing for the first time the memorials built as a tribute to their selfless service. Today, I honor these Colorado veterans on their visit to Washington, DC, and I join them in paying tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of liberty. Veterans from World War II include: Donald Benson, Joe Blossom, Hobert Bodkins, Robert Beuker, George Carlson, Wayne Clausen, Maurice Dragoo, Homer Dye, Karl Easterly, James English, George Flaig, Stuart Gordon, Dale Gruber, Frank Gunter, Vern Hammond, Robert Henderson, Otto Hindman, Lawrence Jackson, John Jobson, Elvin Kahl, Doward Kilmer, Thomas Kokjer, Edward Kooper, Raymond Kusmirek, Ralph Leckler, George Lichter, Lyle Lukas, Alfred Marez, Richard Marquart, Maregito Martinez, LeRoy Marx, Hugh McGinty, Damon McMahan, Robert Minnick, Allen Oakley, Gerald Oakley, Vernon Rand, Gerald Rennels, Carol Rhoades, Elmer Rose, Donald Smith, Walter Sparrow, George Stager, Clarence Streit, Richard Tedesco, Sr., Rueben Ulrich, Howard Walter, Raymond Yost, Robert Yost, Thomas Youree, and Joseph Zito. Veterans from the Korean War include: Charles Adams, Joseph Beaulieu, David Beldus, John Bevins, James Blue, William Cecil, Thomas Clements, Clifford Closson, Donald Dalton, Stanley Davies, Jerry Delcamp, Leonard Dickey Jr., Robert Eddy, Dale Erickson, Ann Evans, Lemuel Evans, Frank Faucett, Byron Foster, Kent Foutz, Jerry Galpern, Wayne Gibb, Thomas Gordon, Oscar Haake, Doyle Hall, William Harte, William Hitchcock, Claire Hoffman, Raymond Horton, Carl Houkom, Bennett Houston, Eugene Johnson, Richard Kekar, Marvin Kembel, Ralph Knoll, Tom Mandis, George Mason, Alvin Mosch, Doyle Myers, Richard Oversteg, David Owen, Johnnie Prock, Duane Purcell, Herbert Reimer, John Rinne, John Rust, Jr., Darrel Schafer, Leonard Schmitz, Virgil Scott, Robert Scott, Herbert Shevins, Wayne Small, Frank Stiver, Robert Stoll, Bernard Streit, Ernest Stumpf, Walter Sutton, Norman Swanson, Arthur Trevarton, Junior Weisshaar, Raymond Williams, George Wilson and Harry Wisell. Veterans from other conflicts include: Jerol Arguello, Zachary Dinsmore, William Frank, Allen Laible, Dennis Lee, Lonnie Sebold, Allan Silk, Saxton Wiley and Salvador Velasquez. Our Nation asked a great deal of these individuals--to leave their families to fight in unknown lands and put their lives on the line. Each one of these brave Coloradans bravely answered the call. They served our country with courage, and in return, let us ensure they are shown the honor and appreciation they deserve. Please join me in thanking these Colorado veterans and the volunteers of Honor Flight of Northern Colorado for their tremendous service.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I rise to speak about bipartisan legislation I am introducing today with Senator Alexander to provide much needed help to our Cold War patriots. In 2000, Congress passed the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program to help Cold War workers like those from Rocky Flats in my home state of Colorado and other nuclear weapons facilities around the country. This effort was designed to get these patriots the help they need to treat cancer and other illnesses they developed as a result of exposure to radiation. Since then, the program has been plagued by procedural inconsistencies and delays preventing former nuclear workers from accessing the benefits they are owed. In March 2010, the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a report on the efficacy of EEOICPA, confirming workers' ongoing frustrations with the program and recommending that Congress consider creating an advisory board. More recently, in March 2013, the Institute of Medicine issued a report recommending that an external advisory panel be created to review the health effects of the Department of Labor's approach to awarding benefits. Today, Senator Alexander and I are reintroducing our bill requiring the President to establish an independent advisory panel to do just that. This advisory board would add much needed transparency and certainty to decisions made affecting workers' compensation and access to benefits. Some 600,000 Cold War era workers, including thousands of workers at Rocky Flats, put their health on the line to preserve our national security during one of the most uncertain times in our nation's history. They were exposed to radiation and are sick and dying. Our country made a commitment to these patriots, but so far that promise has not been kept. Coloradans find that unacceptable. We cannot let another family suffer through the uncertainty of delays caused by bureaucratic red tape or see their loved ones denied the benefits they deserve. It is time for us to do right by these workers. I urge my colleagues to join me and Senator Alexander in this fight by cosponsoring this important legislation.

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing legislation designed to help promote the cleanup of abandoned and inactive hard rock mines that are a great detriment to the environment and public health throughout the country, but especially to the West. I want to thank my colleague Senator Bennet for joining me in this effort. For over one hundred years, miners and prospectors have searched for and developed valuable ``hard rock'' minerals--gold, silver, copper, molybdenum, and others. Hard rock mining has played a key role in the history of Colorado and other states, and the resulting mineral wealth has been an important contributor to our economy and the development of essential products. Too often, however, the miners would abandon their work and move on, seeking riches over the next mountain. The resulting legacy of unsafe open mine shafts and acid mine drainages can be seen throughout the country and especially on public lands in the West where mineral development was encouraged to help settle our region. Unfortunately, many of our current environmental laws designed to mitigate the impact from operating hard rock mines are of limited effectiveness when applied to abandoned and inactive mines. As a result, many of these old mines continue to pollute streams and rivers and pose a risk to the health of people who live nearby or downstream. The bill I am reintroducing today will help address this impediment and make it easier for volunteers, who had no role in creating the problem, to help clean up these sites and improve the environment. It does so by providing a new permit program under the Clean Water Act whereby volunteers can, under an approved plan, reduce the water pollution flowing from an abandoned mine. At the same time, volunteers will not be exposed to the full liability and ongoing responsibility provisions of the Clean Water Act. I would be remiss not to thank the Environmental Protection Agency for its work in addressing this issue. Most recently, EPA issued a memorandum on December 12, 2012, to reduce the Clean Water Act legal vulnerability faced by ``Good Samaritans'' by clarifying that parties who volunteer to clean up these abandoned sites are generally not responsible for obtaining a permit under the Clean Water Act both during and following a successful cleanup. While this was an important step forward, my legislation will provide binding legal protections for Good Samaritans, allowing them to move forward--knowing the long-term certainty of their rights--with the imperative work of mine cleanup. The new permits proposed in this bill would help address problems that have frustrated federal and state agencies throughout the country. As population growth continues near these old mines, more and more risks to public health and safety are likely to occur. We simply must begin to address this issue--not only to improve the environment, but also to ensure that our water supplies are safe and usable. This bill does not address all the concerns some would-be Good Samaritans may have about initiating cleanup projects and I am committed to continue working to address those additional concerns, through additional legislation and in other ways. However, this bill can make a real difference, and I think it deserves approval without unnecessary delay.