David Vitter

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I rise also to laud a really significant achievement that we are going to finalize tonight with the final passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. This much needed bill will provide updates that have been due literally for decades to the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, known as TSCA for short, which has been outdated and overdue for updating since almost that time. Now, getting to where we are tonight, about to pass this by an overwhelming vote, following the 403-to-12 vote in the House a few weeks ago, did not happen overnight. In fact, it took about 5-plus years. In 2011 I started discussions with a broad array of folks, certainly including Senator Lautenberg. That is when I first sat down with Frank and started this process in a meaningful way and when we agreed that we would try to bridge the significant differences between our two viewpoints and come up with a strong bipartisan bill. That same year I also sat down with John Shimkus of Illinois to let him know that Frank and I were going to put in a lot of effort to come up with this framework, and we wanted him to be a full and equal and contributing partner. Over the next year and a half, we slogged through that process of trying to come up with a strong bipartisan bill. It wasn't easy. Between Senator Lautenberg and myself and our staffs and other staffs, there was an often brutal stretch of difficult negotiations and challenging times, testing everybody's patience. Several times we walked away to come back together again. Finally, it did come together. In early 2013, that really started taking shape. Toward the end of April 2013, we were far enough along to lock a small group of staff and experts in a room to finalize that first bipartisan bill. There were folks like Bryan Zumwalt, my chief counsel then; Dimitri Karakitsos, who is my counsel and is now a key staffer who continues on the EPW Committee; Senator Lautenberg's chief counsel, Ben Dunham; and his chemical adviser, Brendan Bell. That led finally to this first bipartisan bill that we introduced on May 23, 2013. Now, that wasn't the end of our TSCA journey. Unfortunately, in many ways, the most difficult segment of that journey was soon after that introduction on May 23, because on June 3, just a few weeks later, Frank passed. The single greatest champion of reforming how chemicals are regulated died at 89 years of age. That was heartbreaking. But it was a moment when all of us who had been involved only redoubled our commitment to following this through to the end. Soon after Frank's unfortunate passing, our colleague Tom Udall really stepped up to the plate in a major way to take Frank's role as the Democratic lead in this effort. We had a quiet dinner one night here on Capitol Hill to talk about our commitment to carry on this fight and get it done. We formed a partnership and a friendship that was really built around this work with an absolute commitment to get that done. I will always be so thankful to Tom and his partnership and also to his great staff, including their senior policy adviser, Jonathan Black. As with most major undertakings, we had a lot of other help all along the way. Early on, at that stage of the process, Senators Crapo and Alexander were extremely helpful. Also, a little later on, Senators Booker, Merkley, and Markey did a lot to advance the ball and refine the product. Of course, at every step of the way, I continued to meet and talk with Congressman John Shimkus. He was a persistent and a reliable partner in this process, as was his senior policy adviser, Chris Sarley. Throughout this process, staff was absolutely essential and monumental. They did yeoman's work in very, very difficult and trying circumstances. I mentioned Bryan Zumwalt, my former chief counsel. He was a driving force behind this. I deeply appreciate and acknowledge his work, as well as someone else I mentioned, Dimitri Karakitsos, who continues to work as a key staffer on the committee and who is seeing this over the goal line. Let me also thank Ben Dunham, the former chief counsel to Senator Lautenberg. I think in the beginning, particularly, Ben, Bryan, and Dimitri gave each other plenty of help but worked through very difficult negotiations to get it done. Also, I want to thank Jonathan Black and Drew Wallace in Senator Udall's office and Michal Freedhoff and Adrian Deveny in Senator Markey's office. On the outside, there are a lot of experts from all sorts of stakeholders across the political spectrum, certainly including industry representatives with the American Chemistry Council. I want to thank Mike Walls, Dell Perelman, Rudy Underwood, Amy DuVall, Robert Flagg, and, of course their leader, Cal Dooley. Finally, there is one enormous figure who is owed a great debt of gratitude and a lot of credit for seeing this over the goal line tonight; that is, Frank's better half--and I say that with deep respect and admiration to Frank, but surely his better half--Bonnie Lautenberg. She has been called the 101st Senator, particularly on this issue. She was devoted to seeing Frank's work completed. I thank her for her relentless effort reaching out to Members in the House and Senate and stakeholders to make sure this happened. As I mentioned at the beginning, this is long overdue. All stakeholders across the political spectrum agreed for decades that this aspect of the law needed to be updated. We needed to fully protect public health and safety, which we all want to do. We also needed to ensure that American companies, which are world leaders today in science, research, and innovation remain so and do not get put behind a regulatory system which is overly burdensome and unworkable. This TSCA reform bill, properly named after Frank Lautenberg, achieves those goals. It is a positive, workable compromise in the best sense of that term, so that we will achieve public health and safety. It ensures that our leading American companies, great scientists, great innovators, and great world leaders in this sector remain just that and that they remain the world leaders we want and need them to continue to be. So I thank all of those who have contributed to this long but ultimately successful and worthwhile effort. With that, I look forward to our vote. I yield the floor.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Madam President, let me say that I regret an objection to this very reasonable path forward. No one objects to all Members of the Senate reading the bill. I encourage all Members of the Senate to read the bill. There has been and is continuing opportunity to do that. As you heard, that unanimous consent request wasn't rushing through anything; it was a 3-hour debate and a rollcall vote. The final version of the bill has been publicly available for everyone to read, dissect, and digest for about a week. It is largely similar to the Senate version that passed months ago and to which there was no objection raised. That passed by voice vote. So there is no impediment to everyone having adequate time to read and digest the bill. The final version has been available for that purpose for about a week. I think it is unfortunate that we can't move forward in this sort of clear, reasonable, and straightforward way, but we certainly will in the near future, and I look forward to that.

Mr. VITTER. Madam President, we rise together with so many other Members of the Senate on a bipartisan basis to strongly support the chemical safety bill which passed the U.S. House of Representatives with enormous bipartisan support and is ready to pass here in the Senate. This is a long day coming. First, this is an element of Federal law that has been in dire need of updating. All stakeholders--left, right, and middle--have said that for decades. Secondly, we have been working on this specific bill, this solution to that problem, for over 5 years. I started over 5 years ago with what I think we would reasonably characterize as a Republican proposal, in contrast to a clearly Democratic proposal by then-Senator Frank Lautenberg. We had these competing partisan proposals for some time, but in early 2013 we made a very determined effort to try to bridge that divide and come up with a strong bipartisan proposal to achieve two absolutely necessary objectives: one, to make sure we fully protect the health and safety of all Americans with regard to chemicals that are in products we use every day--that is paramount, and that has to happen--and two, to make sure we do it in a way that allows American companies to remain science and innovation leaders in this important sector of our economy. I have to say that when we started these discussions in early 2013, I think both Frank Lautenberg and I were very cynical about our chances of success. We were miles apart, but we were determined to get this done. We met and negotiated and discussed in good faith. Our staffs did as well. That led to a real breakthrough in 2013--a bipartisan bill to update this area of environmental law with regard to chemical safety. In 2013 we introduced the first bipartisan proposal with regard to that. Sadly, Frank Lautenberg passed shortly after we completed that work and introduced that bill. But I am very happy that many others took up the cause, led on the Democratic side by Tom Udall of New Mexico. Many others were involved. I see Senator Booker here, Frank Lautenberg's successor in that New Jersey Senate seat. He has been involved. Certainly the chair of our committee, Jim Inhofe, has been extremely involved and in the weeds in a positive way and supportive. Over the 3 years since the introduction of the first version of the bill, that led to this strong bipartisan bill we have before us that passed the House with overwhelming support. Not many things pass the U.S. House of Representatives with that sort of overwhelming support--I think there were a total of 12 ``no'' votes. Not many things come to the U.S. Senate with this sort of near unanimous or unanimous support. Nothing in the last several decades in the category of major environmental legislation has done that. This is a major achievement, and it is a positive achievement when we look at the substance of the legislation. It ensures the proper protection of health and safety for all Americans because these are chemicals in products that we use and touch every minute of every day and that enhance our lives and quality of life, and it is a workable regulatory regime that does it in a workable way so that American companies in this sector--and a lot of them, I am proud to say, are in Louisiana--can remain science and innovation leaders. That is why it has widespread industry support. That is why it has widespread support among many other groups, including environmental groups. That is why it garnered such an overwhelming bipartisan vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. And that is why it has overwhelming bipartisan support here in the Senate. The Senate version of this bill passed by voice vote. There were no articulated objections to it. It passed by voice vote with very strong support. That remains the base of this bill. That remains the heart and soul of this bill. The final version--the bill we are considering now--has been posted online for almost a week. Under the House rules, that needed to happen. That happened late last week, and it has been publicly available for some time, certainly enough time for all Members to dissect and digest it. So I encourage final positive action on this bill to move us forward in a significant way. Madam President, with that, I yield to the chairman of the committee, who has been a great leader to advance this cause.

Mr. VITTER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that since Senator Inhofe and I will speak on the same important topic, we speak back to back for up to 15 minutes total.

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

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the week of May 15 through 21, 2016, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. As each Louisianian knows, the beginning of June marks the beginning of hurricane season, and we are acutely aware of how dangerous and damaging these storms can be. As we recognize National Hurricane Preparedness Week, I want to emphasize the importance of making adequate preparations to keep our families and communities safe. While it is impossible to predict when a disaster will strike, being informed, prepared, and having a plan can make all the difference in the world. The National Hurricane Center recommends that folks take specific steps to prepare, such as creating a plan for your family, buying proper supplies ahead of time, locating a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard, making a plan for your pets, and taking First Aid, CPR, or disaster preparedness classes. On a Federal level, I have been working to implement precautionary measures. As chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, I worked with my Republican and Democrat colleagues on the critically important Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which recently passed through the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. This bill would advance numerous hurricane protection efforts that will make our communities safer and better prepared for such disasters, most notably through the support it provides to coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana. Passing WRDA 2016 is an absolute top priority, and I will continue working to bring it to the Senate floor for a vote in the near future. Regarding long-term preparedness, I am proud to announce that my bipartisan bill to reauthorize the National Estuary Program is on its way to the President's desk to be signed into law. Louisiana's estuaries create a natural buffer zone and have protected thousands of square miles of land along the coast, including some of the Nation's busiest ports, high-yielding fisheries, and vast oil and mineral deposits. My bill will make sure our critical estuaries are restored and preserved so that our coastal communities are better protected ahead of future storms. Hurricanes are part of life, especially in Louisiana, but diligence and preparation can help reduce their impact on your family, home, and business. I urge you to take hurricane watches and warnings seriously. Please plan ahead for your family's safety, and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Ms. Margaret N. Laurant, of Slidell, LA. Ms. Laurant was born in Bonfouca, LA, in 1926 to Jean and Elmonia Narcisse, both of whom were direct descendants of original French settlers of Bofouca. Ms. Laurant is the last remaining of her nine siblings and currently serves as the matriarch of the Narcisse family. As a young child, Ms. Laurant dealt with racism firsthand. She recalls attending a small segregated one-room school called the Golden Key. Later she attended middle school at the St. Tammany Parish Training School for Negros, where each day she walked to school as she was unable to ride a school bus with her White schoolmates. Soon after completing her middle-school education, Ms. Laurant selflessly began working full time in an effort to ease her family's financial hardships. In 1946, Ms. Laurant met her future husband, Norvell Laurant, in her hometown of Bonfouca. After marrying, the couple left Louisiana for Columbus, OH, where Mr. Laurant was stationed in the U.S. Army and Air Force. After receiving an honorable discharge from the military in 1948, the two moved back to Bonfouca. There, they built their home and raised seven children, to whom they stressed the importance of strong Christian values and a well-rounded education. Leading by example, Ms. Laurant attended adult evening classes at St. Tammany High School. During this time she also worked as a housekeeper to provide for her family. Using her past experiences, Ms. Laurant advocated for racial integration in schools throughout Salmen and Slidell, LA, to ensure that African-American students were treated fairly and received a quality education. Ms. Laurant still resides in Bofouca, now an incorporated part of Slidell, where after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she rebuilt the home in which she raised all seven of her children. As she approaches her 90th birthday, I would like to honor Ms. Laurant's life, her accomplishments, and her commitment to her community and advancing the rights of African Americans during a tumultuous time in our Nation's history. I wish her the happiest of birthdays.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Gregory Champagne, sheriff of St. Charles Parish, LA. Born and raised in St. Charles Parish, LA, Champagne attended Hahnville High School and graduated from Nicholls State University in 1979 with a B.A. in government. Champagne went on to earn a J.D. from the Louisiana State University Law Center in 1982, after which he served as the assistant district attorney in St. Charles Parish for nearly 14 years. In 1995, Champagne was elected to serve as sheriff of St. Charles Parish. He was reelected in 1999 with overwhelming support and has won the subsequent four elections, making him the second sheriff in St. Charles Parish history to win six terms. In 2003, Sheriff Champagne was selected Louisiana Sheriff of the Year by the Louisiana Crime Victim's Coalition. Champagne was also elected by his peers to serve as president of the Louisiana Sheriff's Association from 2007 to 2008. Currently, he serves as the first vice president of the executive committee for the National Sheriff's Association, NSA, which represents 3,080 sheriffs across the United States. Sheriff Champagne additionally chairs the NSA's legal affairs committee and sits on the congressional affairs committee, global affairs committee, and homeland security committee. Most recently, Champagne joined the U.S. Department of Justice's National Commission on Forensic Science, using his decades of experience and expertise to advise the Justice Department on fighting crime and keeping our communities safer. Champagne has been married for over 30 years to Alice Landry Champagne and is an active member of the St. Charles Parish community. Champagne is a longtime member of the Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus Council 2409, and the Holy Family Catholic Church. Sheriff Champagne has also served as a mentor with the St. Charles Parish Public School District for over 10 years. In his downtime, the Sheriff enjoys playing music and is known for being an accomplished trumpet player and a member of multiple bands. Today I would like to honor Sheriff Champagne for his remarkable career and to thank him for his endless commitment to serving the community of St. Charles Parish.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life of Frank Levingston of Lake Charles, LA. Known affectionately as Uncle Frank, Levingston was the Nation's oldest living World War II veteran until his passing last week. Levingston was born on November 13, 1905, to Frank and Ida Levingston in Cotton Valley, LA. He was one of seven children. Along with his younger siblings, Levingston helped to maintain approximately 200 acres of land, which remains in his family today. When the United States entered World War II after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, Levingston enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, where he dutifully served as a private and automobile serviceman during World War II and participated in the Allied invasion of Italy. After his honorable discharge from the Army in 1945, he became a union worker specializing in cement finishing. In 1981 Levingston moved to Lake Charles, LA, which he called home for the rest of his life. As the oldest living World War II veteran, Levingston saw many changes and much growth during his lifetime, including the Great Depression, the Jim Crow era, and the civil rights movement. In November 2015, he was invited by Austin, TX, Honor Flight to travel to Washington, DC, to visit the White House and lay a wreath at the National World War II Monument in remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Frank Levingston entered eternal rest on May 3, 2016. It is a privilege to join with the Senate to honor Frank Levingston's life, his accomplishments, and his commitment to serve his country.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, in recent weeks our State has faced disastrous storms and flooding, but with true Louisiana strength, families and communities are already banding together for the recovery. In that spirit, I would like to recognize Delta Contract Interiors as Small Business of the Week, whose community has rallied together to respond to and recover from the recent storms. In 1976, John and Martha Peters founded Delta Contract Interiors in their hometown of Homer in northwest Louisiana with the goal of providing quality interior design services and unique gifts to clients in their community. Offering additional services in custom drapery and design in their factory in Homer, they produce draperies, hospital curtains, blinds, and other items for hotels and hospitals nationwide, from Massachusetts to Washington to California to Florida. One of their most well-known project was providing the interior designs for the historic Waldorf Astoria hotel in New Orleans. Today, the company boasts a statewide and nationwide clientele, largely due to their commitment to personally measuring, producing, and installing each order that many large corporations sometimes cannot provide. The company has earned a reputation among large hotel brands, enabling Delta Contract Interiors to grow and employ more and more local workers in their manufacturing factory. In the aftermath of a strong upper level storm system that brought dangerous thunderstorms and flooding across Louisiana this month, the Peters found themselves in a seemingly impossible situation: their life's business was literally underwater. The Homer community came together to help the Peters recover all undamaged products and remove what had been destroyed by the rising water. With friends, family, and neighbors coming to their aid, the Peters have been inspired to pick up the pieces and rebuild their small business. In the next several months, countless businesses like Delta Contract Interiors will put the pieces of their businesses back together again with the help of family, friends, and neighbors. As the Peters family and their team at Delta Interiors rebuild after these disastrous storms, I am honored to name Delta Interiors as Small Business of the Week, and I wish them a quick recovery and many more years of growth and success.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I rise to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oilspill that took the lives of 11 men and devastated so many gulf coast communities. It was a horrible event, but I think it is very important and appropriate that we always recognize the lives lost in that disaster. The 11 lives lost were Jason Anderson, then 35, of Midfield, TX; Aaron Dale ``Bubba'' Burkeen, 37, of Philadelphia, MS; Donald Clark, 49, of Newellton, LA; Stephen Ray Curtis, 40, of Georgetown, LA; Gordon Jones, 28, of Baton Rouge, LA; Roy Wyatt Kemp, 27, of Jonesville, LA; Karl Dale Kleppinger, Jr., Natchez, MS; Keith Blair Manuel, 56, of Gonzales, LA; Dewey Revette, 48, of State Line, MS; Shane Roshto, 22, of Liberty, MS; and Adam Weise, 24, of Yorktown, TX. The gulf coast is one of the most resilient parts of the country, of the world, having faced a variety of disasters and yet always bounces back, always continues to push forward. In Louisiana, offshore oil and gas development is more than just our State's largest economic driver, it is a way of life, supporting countless jobs and families across the region. That is why our top priority must always be maintaining the highest level of safety standards. In the last 6 years, we have been working to make sure this kind of human tragedy that we commemorate today on this sixth anniversary never happens again. It has been a real uphill battle, but the good news is that we have had a few solid wins during that time. Louisiana's resilience and recovery cannot be easily measured in terms of numbers and figures, but I can say with confidence that each and every Louisianian should be proud of how far we have come, including in these last 6 years. That is why as a region it continues to be imperative that we fight misguided attempts coming out of Washington that would hinder the progress we have made. From fighting President Obama's misguided drilling moratorium to working to pass the RESTORE Act, our region has continually shown our ability to work together to produce the right positive results, but the battle certainly is ongoing. The current dramatic downturn in energy production has had ripple effects across Louisiana and the country, which is why the very last thing the government should be doing now is imposing new obstructive rules and regulations. Instead, we should be focusing on finding commonsense solutions to improve safety and buoy our Louisiana-based businesses and preserve thousands of crucial jobs. We must support policies that create a strong balance between having a solid regulatory scheme that certainly promotes strong safety standards while also allowing the energy industry to thrive and prosper. In the 6 years since the tragic Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill, Louisiana has done what we do best: recover, rebuild, and progress. In order to build a broader future for our families, businesses, and communities, we must also protect the symbiotic relationship between Federal regulations and the oil and gas industry and not allow the former to strangle the positive livelihood so many depend on in that industry. I thank the Presiding Officer, and I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Madam President, in recent weeks our State has faced disastrous storms and flooding, but with true Louisiana strength, families and communities are already banding together for the recovery. In that spirit, I would like to recognize Delta Interiors and Gifts as small business of the week whose community has rallied together to respond to and recover from the recent storms. In 1976, John and Martha Peters founded Delta Interiors and Gifts in their hometown of Homer in northwest Louisiana with the goal of providing quality interior design services and unique gifts to clients in their community. Offering additional services in custom drapery and design in their factory in Homer, they produce draperies, hospital curtains, blinds, and other items for hotels and hospitals nationwide, from Massachusetts to Washington to California to Florida. One of their most well-known projects was providing the interior designs for the historic Waldorf Astoria hotel in New Orleans. Today, the company boasts a statewide and nationwide clientele, largely due to their commitment to personally measuring, producing, and installing each order that many large corporations sometimes cannot provide. The company has earned a reputation among large hotel brands, enabling Delta Interiors to grow and employ more and more local workers in their manufacturing factory. In the aftermath of a strong upper level storm system that brought dangerous thunderstorms and flooding across Louisiana this month, the Peters found themselves in a seemingly impossible situation: their life's business was literally underwater. The Homer community came together to help the Peters recover all undamaged products and remove what had been destroyed by the rising water. With friends, family, and neighbors coming to their aid, the Peters have been inspired to pick up the pieces and rebuild their small business. In the next several months, countless businesses like Delta Interiors will put the pieces of their businesses back together again with the help of family, friends, and neighbors. As the Peters family and their team at Delta Interiors rebuild after these disastrous storms, I am honored to name Delta Interiors as small business of the week, and I wish them a quick recovery and many more years of growth and success.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Madam President, with the recent celebration of International Women's Day, it is fitting that we recognize hard-working women all around our country and in our local communities. There are inspiring women running small businesses all over our great State, from right out of the swamps of south Louisiana to the big cities. This week I would like to recognize Bart's Office Moving Company, Inc., of New Orleans, LA, as small business of the week for their commitment to supporting the local economy and serving as a shining example for women entrepreneurs across the State. In 1978, with the dream of owning and running their own successful business, Bart and Kathleen Thibodeaux opened Bart's Office Furniture Repairs in New Orleans, LA. Quickly establishing a reputation for reliability and dependability with a can-do attitude, the Thibodeaux's business flourished, just as the couple began having children and building their family. When Bart suddenly developed a chronic illness, hindering him from working, Kathleen took the reins of the day-to-day operations of running the business, keeping up the principles and quality for which the company has become so well known. Today, Kathleen's and Bart's daughters--Ashley, Courtney, Kasie, and Alexie--have joined the family business and expanded the furniture repair shop to include a full-service office moving and office furniture installation company. Congratulations again to the Thibodeaux family and Bart's Office Moving for being selected small business of the week. We look forward to your continued growth and success under the leadership of the Thibodeaux women entrepreneurs.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my longest serving staff member, my chief of staff, campaign manager, and close friend Kyle Ruckert, who is departing the Senate at the end of this week to start an exciting new career. Kyle was one of my very first hires when I was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1999. He started as my legislative director in the House under the wonderful tutelage of my first chief of staff, Marty Driesler. And I know Kyle and I are both indebted to Marty, who is now unfortunately deceased, for getting us started on a wonderful footing in Congress. Then Kyle became my chief of staff upon Marty's retirement in 2002. I guess I would sum up the bottom line in a very simple but important way: There has not been one moment during these 17 years when I have regretted placing my complete trust in Kyle to lead our office and serve the people of Louisiana--not one. From day one, Kyle set the office standard of service to constituents and set it as a top priority. He established offices throughout the State. One of his most memorable decisions instituted a mobile office on wheels so that we could reach out to those hit hard by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008--folks who could not otherwise reach our permanent offices. I say ``memorable'' because for the staffers who actually had to man and woman that vehicle, it was an adventurous ride. Of course, Kyle's leadership style and commitment to service comes from his wonderful parents, and I take a moment to thank his parents, John and Ellen Ruckert, who are with us in the Gallery and whom I have also come to know and respect. I also think a big part of Kyle's commitment to serve others comes from his time at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, where the motto is ``Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam''--``For the Greater Glory of God''--and where all students are expected to accept the challenge of becoming a ``man for others'' as part of the Ignatius tradition. Kyle is probably one of the best ambassadors for Jesuits, and he even played a role in my son Jack going there. Go, Blue Jays. In 2004, Kyle moved down to Louisiana to manage my first Senate campaign. He quickly earned the respect of national political prognosticators on the campaign side who quite frankly belittled our chances from the beginning. Kyle reacted to the conventional wisdom that we couldn't win a runoff against our so-called moderate Democratic opponent in a pretty straightforward way: He simply made sure we got more than 50 percent of the vote in the open primary, so we never went to a runoff. Problem solved. Kyle's discipline and strategic thinking are largely to thank for that win, and after that he immediately returned to manage our Senate office as chief of staff. Unfortunately, our first major test in the Senate was a tragic one. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana and was followed very shortly by Hurricane Rita. Constituent service, always a top priority, took on an even greater urgency and seriousness, and Kyle led our team to help, console, and serve all ``For the Greater Glory of God,'' acting as a ``man for others.'' Kyle led our staff managing an effective operation, first and foremost, assisting constituents on the ground, and in Congress, helping to put together emergency assistance legislation, making sure people in real need received what they absolutely needed. This was one of the most chaotic times for all of us from Louisiana, but Kyle was always calm and methodical, always steering the ship with a steady hand. Kyle's leadership is contagious. His expectations are very high--be at work, get it over 100 percent, and get the job done. If that means working at night and on weekends, he would expect that out of everyone on the team and, unlike some other so-called leaders, he would be right there leading the way in that regard. Our staff has become stronger because of that leadership by example and that contagious work ethic. Besides his calm, disciplined, methodical leadership style, Kyle's strongest attribute is his loyalty and trust he places in those he works with. He always encourages staff to take chances, to be bold in pushing new reforms, in negotiating amendment votes, in pushing important stories with the press. When staff would run ideas by him and ask him what he thought, he would say: If you think it is the right thing to do, go for it. Just don't--bleep--it up. His leadership was tested again on the campaign side in our 2010 reelection race, where again the political commentators largely bet against us, and again Kyle made sure they were wrong in a big way. We won that race by 19 points. Since then I have had the real fortune of serving in leadership positions in the Senate, as the ranking Republican in the EPW Committee in 2013 and 2014 and currently as chair of the Small Business Committee. Aside from our many legislative accomplishments under Kyle's leadership, what I am perhaps most proud of is the close-knit team we built together. We call it Team Vitter, and those are more than just words in our office. We both look at our staff as an extension of our immediate families. Certainly my wife Wendy and our kids and I definitely think of Kyle and his family as part of ours. Kyle sets a gold standard for thinking of staff as family--for treating them that way. Perhaps, in part, because he married another one of my former staffers, Lynnel. Lynnel started working in my office on the House side early on in 2002. She worked there until 2004 and also joined that first winning Senate campaign. It is interesting, Kyle and Lynnel started dating secretly, not telling anyone in the office-- certainly not me. I think they were first discovered when my first chief of staff, Marty Driesler, got a call from her daughter who had witnessed them being weekend tourists in Philadelphia together. Of course, I was still kept in the dark for months after that, even though Marty discovered their courtship. Lynnel, too, always stressed constituent service and is a brilliant political strategist. They truly were meant for each other in all sorts of ways. Lynnel has continued her extremely successful career, most recently serving as chief of staff to House majority whip Steve Scalise. In 2005, Kyle and Lynnel got married, and since then our office has had three other couples from Team Vitter get married. Perhaps there is more to those late work nights than I had imagined originally. Kyle and Lynnel and their two kids, Jack, who is now 9, and Mary Kyle, who is now 6, are getting settled in Baton Rouge as part of a new, exciting chapter of their lives. It is going to be fun. We are going to miss them, but it is going to be fun to see this new chapter for Kyle and Lynnel and their family develop, especially when we get to see Kyle, as a New Orleans native and an avid Tulane Green Wave alumn, having to start wearing purple and gold around Baton Rouge at the urging of their son Jack. Who knows, maybe he will even develop a superstition before LSU games. Something a lot of folks don't know about Kyle is he is incredibly superstitious--knock on wood. He will detour his Monday morning drive in New Orleans to pass by the Superdome if the Saints won on Sunday. He will sip the same type of bourbon for good luck or wear his lucky green polo if we need a win in sports, politically, or anything in between. I will tell a quick story related to that about his green polo. On election day in 2004, Kyle was wearing a campaign T-shirt, but he wasn't going to be able to go to the polls that way to vote and do some poll watching, so he asked around the office if he could borrow a different shirt. Mac Abrams, who is now Dean Heller's chief of staff-- and who was a key staff member in my office in my campaign at the time--loaned him his green polo. Well, we won that race big, and Kyle hasn't returned the green polo yet. He wears it every election day, although we are not sure if it is superstition or also because he is so darn cheap. While Kyle will now be living in Louisiana, his impact will remain strong in our work and our office and our culture. He will be able to see it in legislation which helps Louisiana and the country, in thousands and thousands of constituents whom he and our team effectively reached out to, and in the great example he set for so many staffers and interns and others on our team. So let me end really where I began, by paying him the highest compliment possible, repeating that there hasn't been one moment in these great 17 years where I regretted placing my complete trust in Kyle Ruckert to lead our team, to lead our office, to help lead us in serving the people of Louisiana--not one. Kyle, thank you for your service to Louisiana, for the countless hours you have spent helping me, for the fun memories and laughs we have shared, and most importantly for your friendship. You truly are part of my family. I have the greatest confidence that you will continue on ``Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam''--``For the Greater Glory of God''--truly a ``man for others.'' Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, today I honor the late Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Antonin Scalia. During his many years of serving our country, Justice Scalia proved to be a great defender of our constitutional liberties. Regardless of one's politics, it is undeniable that Justice Scalia was a true patriot whose passion for upholding our American principles was matched only by his eloquence and intellect. Justice Scalia's record of public service stretched from the time President Nixon appointed him as general counsel of the Office of Telecommunications Policy in 1971 to when President Reagan nominated him as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1986, where he served until his death in February 2016. Before and intermingled during this service, Justice Scalia also served as an extremely talented attorney in private practice, a brilliant law professor, including for my alma mater Tulane Law School in its summer programs, and an effective leader in the U.S. Justice Department at a number of levels. One of the single most memorable events in my time in the Senate was when Justice Scalia agreed to visit with and speak to me and my staff. His presence and authority impressed all of us and, as he discussed a number of topics including the importance of protecting our constitutional rights; I admit to being awestruck. It was a great honor to hear directly from one of most significant jurists in American history, and I know my staff remember that day as clearly as I do. One thing that distinguished Justice Scalia was not necessarily what he did, but what he chose not to do. As a staunch adherent of limited, constitutional government, on numerous occasions, he advocated for the Court to separate itself from political fights or matters involving individuals who are free to decide their own fate. Originalism, the theory that the clear meaning given to words in the Constitution by our Founding Fathers should be honored, was prevalent in Justice Scalia's decisions. He abhorred judicial activism, and he correctly understood that the place for instituting laws was in the legislature, where the will of the people is democratically represented. I know that Justice Scalia will also be remembered for his upbeat nature, affability, charm, and wit. At the heart of his larger-than- life personality was an educator, a person who not only ruled on the law, but also took the opportunity to inform readers of his opinions about the history behind the decisions. I commend his lifetime commitment as a public servant and hope his example will inspire us all as we work to respect the Constitution and protect the freedoms of all Americans. We would be wise to follow Justice Scalia's lead in remembering America's founding principles as we are deciding matters of the future. I also wish to express our deepest condolences to his wife, Maureen, and to the rest of his family. I am honored to join with the rest of the United States Senate in celebrating the wonderful memory and lasting legacy of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2016, at 2 p.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Enforcement of the Antitrust Laws.''

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2016, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice.''

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2016, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``The President's FY2017 Indian Country Budget.''

Mr. VITTER. 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 March 9, 2016, at 10 a.m., in room SD-106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2016, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Cooperative Federalism: State Perspectives on EPA Regulatory Actions and the Role of States as Co-Regulators.''

Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2016, at 10 a.m.