Congressional Record—Senate S2679
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April 16, 2013 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2679 so many hopes and dreams dashed, so The assistant legislative clerk pro- making private label socks not only in many families grieving, the country ceeded to call the roll. America, but in Vermont, since 1978. Third was heartbroken, my wife and I were Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent generation owner Ric Cabot, who launched heartbroken, and we are still. I wish we that the order for the quorum call be the company’s own label—Darn Tough Vermont—in 2004, says one of the secrets to could offer more than our thoughts and rescinded. Darn Tough’s success is the deceptive dif- our prayers and the thoughts and pray- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ficulty of making a good sock. ers of our fellow Minnesotans. objection, it is so ordered. ‘‘People think socks are easy to do, it’s We cannot turn back time. We can- f just a pair of socks, how hard could it be?’’ not bring back the lives we have lost. Cabot said. ‘‘I guess that allows people to But if there is something we can do MORNING BUSINESS come into the market, but the staying power of companies that don’t produce their own today in this Chamber—this week in Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- this Chamber—to save lives in our product is very short. There are so many imous consent that we now proceed to people that are doing it well, it’s hard to communities tomorrow, to make it a period of morning business, and Sen- maintain a presence.’’ more likely that boy will be coming ators be allowed to speak for up to 10 Perhaps the best symbol of Cabot’s fastidi- out of the school, then I think we minutes each. ousness when it comes to socks is the 18-inch should do it. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ruler projecting incongruously out of his Thank you. objection, it is so ordered. back pocket when he greets visitors at the I ask unanimous consent that the front door of the plain metal building that f time for debate only be extended until houses Darn Tough. 8:30 p.m. and that at 8:30 p.m. the ma- RECOGNIZING DARN TOUGH Cabot sat on the ruler and broke it about 20 years ago. He had one of Cabot’s mainte- jority leader be recognized. VERMONT nance workers glue it back together, giving The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, Vermont it the look of a broken bone that has healed objection, it is so ordered. is known for many of its great busi- well. There are certain things, Cabot says, Mr. FRANKEN. I suggest the absence nesses and products. Among those suc- you don’t want to replace. Cabot is never without his ruler as he of a quorum. cessful companies is Darn Tough The PRESIDING OFFICER. The roams the knitting floor and quality control Vermont, whose brand represents the departments of Darn Tough, handling socks, clerk will call the roll. commitment to quality and excellence The assistant legislative clerk pro- and measuring them. that defines Vermont. For nearly a ‘‘I sweat quarter-inches,’’ Cabot says. ‘‘The ceeded to call the roll. decade, Darn Tough Vermont has been first thing I do when I pick up a sock, is it Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- making the type of quality products the right length? If a sock is the right imous consent that the order for the our Nation has grown to expect from length, that means a lot of people are doing quorum call be rescinded. Vermonters. their jobs.’’ The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Later, at a quality audit station, Cabot Darn Tough was launched in 2004 by objection, it is so ordered. picks up a sock, a men’s large. Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unan- Ric Cabot, whose family founded Darn ‘‘Socks that made it this far, there’s not imous consent that it be in order for Tough’s parent company in Vermont 35 going to be a huge hole, or wrong color, but the sizing should be right,’’ he says. ‘‘This the Manchin-Toomey amendment No. years ago. For three generations, the Cabot family has stayed true to their should be at or on 103⁄4 inches.’’ 715 to be set aside and the following It’s dead on. Socks, Cabot explains, are a amendments be in order to be called roots and committed to the Northfield community. While other clothing man- math problem, ‘‘like most things in life.’’ up: Grassley substitute amendment Among the numbers you have to work out consistent with the summary, which is ufacturers have outsourced their labor, are the size and gauge of the needles used to at the desk; Leahy-Collins amendment the Cabots carry on where they knit the socks. The gauge of the needle is ba- No. 713, trafficking; Cornyn amend- began—manufacturing in New England, sically how many needles you can fit in a ment No. 719, conceal carry; Feinstein keeping faith with their customers and circumference, because socks are knit in a circle. amendment No. 711, assault weapons- their 120 employees. Darn Tough has a local feel to those ‘‘Those needles are in a cylinder,’’ Cabot clip bans; Burr amendment No. 720, says. ‘‘You have to take into account needle veterans-guns; Lautenberg-Blumenthal who visit its factory and know its oper- ators, but the company’s name brand is size, cylinder size, what’s the right weight of amendment No. 714, high-capacity clip wool, nylon and Lycra? How are you going to ban; Barrasso amendment No. 717, pri- known across the country and around reinforce it? How many stitches per inch? vacy; and Harkin-Alexander amend- the world wherever people appreciate a Where are you going to put the terry, the ment relative to mental health, the high-quality wool hiking and athletic cushioning?’’ Once you answer all of these many mathe- text of which is at the desk; that fol- sock, and its products are even worn overseas by our troops in combat. And matical questions, Cabot says, you have the lowing leader remarks on Wednesday, ‘‘DNA’’ of a Darn Tough sock. Then that April 17, the time until 4 p.m. be equal- as with other Vermont companies that equip and outfit our military, tax- DNA has to be expanded to hiking socks, ly divided between the two leaders or running socks, cycling socks. Every sock has payers can rest assured our troops are their designees to debate the amend- more in common, mathematically, than they ments concurrently; that at 4 p.m., the in good hands when their feet are in don’t have in common with other Darn Senate proceed to vote in relation to quality goods made by Darn Tough. Tough socks. the Manchin amendment No. 715; that The Burlington Free Press recently ‘‘That’s the math of it, the durability story, the comfort story, the fit story,’’ upon disposition of the Manchin paid tribute to Ric Cabot and all of the employees at Darn Tough for their Cabot said. amendment, the Senate proceed to But all those stories, he said, are trumped votes in relation to the remaining hard work that continues to benefit our troops and the Vermont economy. I by another story when it comes to mar- pending amendments in the order list- keting Darn Tough socks: The Vermont ed; that all amendments be subject to a ask unanimous consent that a copy of story. Darn Tough employs about 120 people 60-affirmative vote threshold; that no the recent Free Press article entitled in Northfield, maintaining the New England other amendments or motions to com- ‘‘Rebuilding American textiles, one tradition of textiles that once included hun- mit be in order to any of these amend- sock at a time: Darn Tough measures dreds of towns. ECORD. ‘‘You got to remind people, they know it, ments or the bill prior to the votes; success,’’ be printed into the R There being no objection, the article but you tell them nobody ever outsourced that there be 2 minutes equally divided was ordered to be printed in the anything for quality,’’ Cabot said. ‘‘That’s prior to each vote, and all after the the key.’’ RECORD as follows: first vote be 10-minute votes. f The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there [From Burlington Free Press, Apr. 4, 2012] LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO objection? REBUILDING AMERICAN TEXTILES, ONE SOCK Without objection, it is so ordered. AT A TIME: DARN TOUGH MEASURES SUCCESS RAMBLERS Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest (By Dan D’Ambrosio) Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, last the absence of a quorum. In Northfield, about 50 miles north of Monday, college basketball fans The PRESIDING OFFICER. The White River Junction where Ibex makes its crowned their newest champion, the clerk will call the roll. home, Cabot Hosiery Mills, Inc. has been Louisville Cardinals. I wish to take a VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:06 Apr 17, 2013 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G16AP6.044 S16APPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with SENATE S2680 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 16, 2013 moment to congratulate another his- The Game of Change altered college ‘‘Angels of the Pacific.’’ Upon their re- toric college hoops team. basketball and became a watershed turn to the U.S. in 1945, Mrs. Manning The NCAA recently announced that event in the civil rights era. Three and her fellow nurses were honored by the 1963 NCAA Men’s Basketball Cham- years later, for the first time in NCAA President Roosevelt with the Bronze pions, the Loyola University Chicago history, Texas Western, with an all- Star Medal and a Presidential Unit Ci- Ramblers, would become the first team black starting lineup, won the cham- tation.