E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012 No. 159 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was Mr. WEBB thereupon assumed the won’t go into the details of everything called to order by the Honorable JIM chair as Acting President pro tempore. I said, but the Senator from Virginia WEBB, a Senator from the Common- f knows—I came out of that meeting rec- wealth of Virginia. ognizing what kindred spirits these two RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY gallant warriors were and are, both PRAYER LEADER having been highly decorated, one in The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- the Navy, the other a marine; one with fered the following prayer: pore. The majority leader is recog- a Medal of Honor, the other—the Act- Let us pray. nized. ing President pro tempore—the Navy Gracious God, infuse our Senators f Cross, Silver Star, more than one with the spirit of peace in the midst of Bronze Star for Valor, and a number of SCHEDULE the twists and turns of these uncertain Purple Hearts. times as You guide them to do what is Mr. REID. Mr. President, following So I say again, but I can’t say it too best for this land we love. Lord, guide leader remarks we will be in a period of much, what an honor and pleasure it them beyond the meager resources of morning business for 1 hour. The ma- has been to serve in this body with the their talents so they will trust and jority will control the first half, the Senator from Virginia, JIM WEBB. I lean on You. Give them the wisdom to Republicans the final half. Following have learned so much about what a dif- believe that in every circumstance You morning business we will resume con- ference a positive attitude will make. can provide them exactly what they sideration of the motion to proceed to And there is no better example of that need. May they find opportunities to S. 3637. than the new GI bill of rights. To think honor You in each challenge they face The Senate will recess as we nor- a new Senator—a brand new Senator— as You empower them to lift burdens mally do on Tuesdays from 12:30 p.m. would have the idea, the confidence that are heavier than they can bear. to 2:15 p.m. to allow for our weekly that he could do this; not only the con- We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen. caucus meetings. fidence that this bill is important, but f At 2:15 p.m. there will a cloture vote he wrote it himself. The Acting Presi- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE on the motion to proceed to S. 3637. dent pro tempore wrote that bill him- There could be additional votes today. self. He didn’t go to bill drafters, as The Honorable JIM WEBB led the f most of us do, he wrote it himself and Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: proceeded to get it passed. So this is a TRIBUTES TO DEPARTING I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the man I will miss a whole lot. United States of America, and to the Repub- SENATORS lic for which it stands, one nation under God, DANIEL AKAKA JIM WEBB indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. President, I want to spend a lit- Mr. REID. Mr. President, I would f tle time today talking about the junior note the Acting President pro tempore Senator from Hawaii, DANIEL AKAKA, APPOINTMENT OF ACTING today. I had the good fortune of being as he retires from a life dedicated to PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE able to come to the floor last week to his community and this country. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The talk about the Acting President pro Senator AKAKA’s service to this Na- clerk will please read a communication tempore’s tenure in the Senate—some 6 tion began during wartime, when he to the Senate from the President pro years—and I talked about some of the was a teenager. He graduated from tempore (Mr. INOUYE). many accomplishments he had in that high school and the war was ongoing. The legislative clerk read the fol- relatively short period of time, as we Of course, people were watching Hawaii lowing letter: call Senate time. very closely because they had such a U.S. SENATE, But I am reminded again of the Sen- huge Asian population—a huge Japa- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, ator from Virginia, having spent an nese-American population. So it was Washington, DC, December 11, 2012. hour on Friday with Bob Kerrey. Bob watched very closely, and for reasons To the Senate: Kerrey and I reflected back on his ex- that weren’t valid, but that is what we Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, perience here in the Senate, and one did then. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby memorable meeting he and I had. The DAN AKAKA spent 2 years as a civilian appoint the Honorable JIM WEBB, a Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, to per- purpose of that meeting was for Bob worker with the U.S. Army Corps of form the duties of the Chair. Kerrey to introduce me to Senator Engineers and 2 years on active duty in DANIEL K. INOUYE, WEBB. It was a wonderful meeting be- the U.S. Army. His duties with the President pro tempore. cause when the meeting finished—and I Army, as I recall, having talked to DAN

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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Senator AKAKA believes he Hawaii. And he was. Democrats even believe their own rhet- would never have become a U.S. Sen- Senator AKAKA served as choir direc- oric on spending? Or, contrary to the ator if not for the GI benefits he re- tor of the Hawaii Christian mother clear wishes of the majority of Ameri- ceived through his service in the mili- church, where his brother was min- cans, do they just want more tax rev- tary. That is why, as a member and ister. His brother was minister there enue to fund a government without any past chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs for some 17 years. Senator AKAKA is limits—any limits whatsoever—which Committee, he has worked to make im- still a member of that church. keeps getting bigger and bigger with portant improvements to the 21st Cen- He is blessed with a wonderful family every passing year? tury GI Bill. Today’s GI bill is mod- as well as a rewarding career. He and Think about it. The Federal Govern- eled, after the work done by JIM WEBB, his wife Millie have 5 children, 15 ment spent $1.8 trillion in 2001, and last after the educational opportunity pro- grandchildren, and 14 great-grand- year—10 years later—$3.6 trillion. children. gram that DAN took advantage of when These are nominal dollars, I realize, Senator AKAKA has served his con- he was a young boy. but by any measure the size of govern- stituents well and with distinction. He Senator AKAKA was chairman of the ment has grown well beyond its means. Veterans’ Affairs Committee from 2007 has served not only his constituents and the State of Hawaii but our coun- Government spending is completely to 2010, as thousands and thousands of and totally out of control and we need Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans were try with distinction. He has enjoyed a long and productive career and his to start acting like it. coming home from combat. As Demo- Yesterday the Government Account- crats collectively worked to bring our presence in the Senate will be missed. I offer congratulations to Senator ability Office revealed that govern- troops home from Iraq, DAN AKAKA la- AKAKA on his dedicated military and ment workers and private contractors bored with the Veterans’ Administra- public service and wish him and Millie are doing the same exact work on Med- tion to meet the needs and challenges happiness in their retirement. icaid claims, leading to billions in of a new generation of veterans. The f waste. Meanwhile, Senator COBURN has 21st Century GI Bill ensures those vet- shown all of us some of the ridiculous erans get the educational opportunities RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY things taxpayers are paying for with they deserve. LEADER their tax dollars—some of the things DAN so valued his own education that The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- that caused us to spend a trillion dol- he went on to serve his community as pore. The minority leader is recog- lars more than we take in every single a teacher after he graduated from col- nized. year. lege. He became a principal, worked for f Last year he put out a report show- the Department of Health, Education THE FISCAL CLIFF ing how we could save more than $100 and Welfare, and the Hawaii Office of billion—about one-tenth of the annual Economic Opportunity. He served 14 Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, deficit—by eliminating duplicative and years in the House of Representatives with the fiscal cliff fast approaching, I overlapping government programs. We before he was appointed to the Senate feel the need to point out something have 94 Federal initiatives aimed at en- in 1990. He won election to the Senate this morning that is perfectly obvious couraging green building through 11 later that year. to most Americans but which Demo- different Federal agencies. We have 14 As chairman of the Indian Affairs crats in Washington still don’t seem to programs with the sole purpose of re- Committee, DAN has been a strong grasp. I am referring to the fact that ducing diesel emissions. voice and tireless advocate for Native any solution to our spending and debt A few weeks ago Senator COBURN Americans. He has taught us all about problem has to involve cuts to out-of- issued a study that showed taxpayers history—the history of Hawaii and its control Washington spending. native communities, as well as the I know that might sound obvious to are funding Moroccan pottery classes, issues facing indigenous Hawaiians most people, but for all the President’s promoting shampoo and other beauty today. talk about the need for a balanced ap- products for cats and dogs, and a video Senator AKAKA is a descendent of na- proach, the truth is he and his Demo- game that allows them to relive prom tive Hawaiians. He is 75 percent Hawai- cratic allies simply refuse to be pinned night. ian and he has Hawaiians on both sides down on any spending cuts. Americans Taxpayers also just spent $325,000 on of his family. He is very proud of his overwhelmingly support some level of a robotic squirrel named Robo-Squir- heritage. DAN was the first Native Ha- cuts to government spending as part of rel. The President just sent us a 73- waiian in the Senate. a plan to cut the Federal deficit. Yet page report detailing how $60 billion in He is also a deeply religious man who the President will not commit to it. He Sandy funds would be spent. Don’t you comes from a strong faith tradition. refuses to lead on the issue. The Presi- think he could put together a list of His devout mother taught her children dent seems to think if all he talks spending cuts that would at least in- a custom of charity. His mother was about is taxes, and that is all reporters clude Robo Squirrel? really a soft touch. Anyone coming by write about, somehow the rest of us We are still waiting. Why? Because with a sad story, she would invite them will magically forget that government for Democrats apparently every dollar in. Sometimes her hospitality only al- spending is completely out of control in Federal spending is sacred; once se- lowed her—because she had nothing and that he himself has been insistent cured, it can’t be cut. That is why we else—to give them something to drink. on balance. have trillion-dollar deficits. The truth His family was very poor when he was A couple of weeks ago we saw his is, until the President gets specific young. But DAN was able to work plan. After four straight trillion-dollar about cuts, nobody should trust Demo- through this. Even if his mother had deficits and 2 years of running around crats to put a dime in new revenue to- spent the grocery money for the calling for a balanced approach to ward real deficit reduction or to stop month, strangers were always welcome bring those deficits under control, we their shakedown of the taxpayers at at her table. saw his idea of balance—a $1.6 trillion the top 2 percent. As one liberal law- A friend of DAN’s brother came to Ha- tax hike, new and totally unprece- maker put it last week, that’s just the waii from Chicago for a very brief pe- dented power to raise the Federal debt beginning. riod of time, and his mother took him limit at his whim, and a $50 billion When it comes to deficit deals, the in. He never left. He basically was stimulus for infrastructure; in other taxpayers need to trust but verify. On raised in the Akaka home. A boy words, even more spending. cuts, that means specifics.

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