E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 154 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2008 No. 128 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was appoint the Honorable E. BENJAMIN NELSON, RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY called to order by the Honorable E. a Senator from the State of Nebraska, to LEADER perform the duties of the Chair. BENJAMIN NELSON, a Senator from the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- State of Nebraska. ROBERT C. BYRD, President pro tempore. pore. The Republican leader is recog- nized. PRAYER Mr. NELSON of Nebraska thereupon The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- assumed the chair as Acting President f fered the following prayer: pro tempore. HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES Let us pray. f PRIVATE FIRST CLASS TIMOTHY R. VIMOTO Eternal Father, our help and our RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I hope, we honor Your Name. Lord, often rise because a soldier from my home LEADER when we need You most, we find it dif- State of Kentucky has fallen. On June ficult to come to You. Sometimes we The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- 5, 2007, PFC Timothy R. Vimoto was do not come because we are impressed pore. The majority leader is recog- tragically killed while on patrol in the with our own strength and don’t feel nized. Korengal Valley in Afghanistan. Pri- any need. Sometimes our failure and f vate First Class Vimoto, who called the sin blocks the path to You. Either way, town of Fort Campbell, KY, his home, Lord, it is pride that deprives us of SCHEDULE was 19 years old. Your blessings and favor. Forgive us, Mr. REID. Mr. President, following For bravery in service to his country, Lord, for finding it difficult to under- leader remarks, there will be an hour Private First Class Vimoto received stand and accept the unmerited favor for debate, with the time equally di- several awards, medals, and decora- of Your grace. vided and controlled by the two leaders tions, including the Bronze Star Medal. Today, as our lawmakers reach out or their designees. I will control the Private First Class Vimoto’s Ken- their hands to accept Your grace, free final 10 minutes and the Republican tucky story may be more circuitous them to do Your will. Help them to see leader will control the 10 minutes prior than most; yet I am proud to stand You are a Friend who can keep them here and say we both hail from the to my statement. Senator LEAHY will strong and turn their sorrow into sing- control 10 minutes of the majority Bluegrass State. Born in Hawaii, Tim’s ing. Lead and guide them so that Your time. At 11 a.m. the Senate will pro- father is CSM Isaia T. Vimoto. Being Name will be honored. Amen. ceed to vote on cloture on the motion from a military family, Tim followed his father to Army postings as a child. f to proceed to the media shield bill, S. This led Tim to Fort Campbell, KY, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2035. If cloture is not invoked, the Sen- home to thousands of our brave sol- The Honorable E. BENJAMIN NELSON, ate will proceed to vote on the motion diers and the 101st Airborne Division. led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: to invoke cloture on the Senate tax ex- Command Sergeant Major Vimoto was I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the tenders bill, S. 3335. a senior advisor to the commander of United States of America, and to the Repub- There are other matters we could the 101st. Tim attended Fort Campbell lic for which it stands, one nation under God, turn to: the consumer product safety High School, where he made many indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. conference report, the higher education friends and was part of the school’s f reauthorization conference report. football team. APPOINTMENT OF ACTING They may be made available later in ‘‘Tim was known throughout the PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE the week. school as the kid with the biggest and Mr. President, I suggest the absence best smile,’’ says Shawn Berner, Tim’s The PRESIDING OFFICER. The of a quorum. high school football coach. ‘‘He was al- clerk will please read a communication The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ways smiling and willing to help any- to the Senate from the President pro pore. The clerk will call the roll. one in the school. He was a very tempore (Mr. BYRD). The assistant legislative clerk pro- The assistant legislative clerk read caring and generous person that ceeded to call the roll. the following letter: touched a lot of people’s lives in a posi- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I tive manner.’’ U.S. SENATE, ask unanimous consent that the order ‘‘He’s one of our babies,’’ says Kesha PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, for the quorum call be rescinded. Washington, DC, July 30, 2008. Ladd, one of Tim’s old teachers at Fort To the Senate: The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Campbell High. ‘‘When you teach on Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, pore. Without objection, it is so or- post, it’s like you help raise these chil- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby dered. dren when their parents are deployed.’’ ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S7709 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 05:17 Jul 31, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A30JY6.000 S30JYPT1 jbell on PROD1PC69 with SENATE S7710 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 30, 2008 ‘‘Tim was liked by everyone,’’ Shawn The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under bill. There is similar support from both Berner adds. the previous order, the hour prior to liberal and conservative sides. After graduating high school in 2006, the cloture vote will be equally divided Here is how the conservative Wash- Tim chose to follow in his father’s foot- and controlled by the two leaders or ington Times put it: steps and enlist in the Army. their designees, with Senators per- A sound shield law guards not ‘‘the media’’ He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, mitted to speak for up to 10 minutes but something much more vital—the public’s 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Air- each, with the final 20 minutes under right to know . A measured law would not borne Brigade Combat Team, based in the control of the two leaders, with the shield sources who perpetrate demonstrable Camp Ederle, Italy. In fact, he was at majority leader controlling the final 10 and articulable harm to the country’s na- the same posting as his father at that minutes prior to the vote, and with 10 tional security interests. But it would right- ly shield most others. Such a bill awaits Sen- time, and as Isaia Vimoto was the bri- minutes of the majority time under the ate action now. It should be passed. gade’s most senior enlisted soldier, control of Senator LEAHY of Vermont. That is from an editorial of July 25, Tim actually fell under his command. The Senator from New York. 2008. Fellow soldiers remembered the in- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise Unfortunately, given the broad and fluence Tim’s father had on him and to speak in support of S. 2035, the Free bipartisan support of this legislation, a how it shaped him into the model sol- Flow of Information Act. minority of critics have taken to at- dier he became. This legislation is truly a product of tacks that are overwrought and over- ‘‘He saw the transformation from bipartisan effort during this Congress. stated. being a son to being a soldier,’’ says Senator SPECTER and I have worked Every criticism is either wrong or is SGT Andy Short. And ‘‘no matter what closely together to craft a careful bill effectively addressed in the substitute Vimoto was doing, he had a smile on that protects both the freedom of the bill, which I spoke about last night on his face.’’ press and the safety of our citizens. the floor and is in the RECORD as of last ‘‘Throughout his childhood, [Tim] In a free and democratic country, we night, so my colleagues can see it. Sen- watched his father train, deploy, re-de- should be able to do both, and this bill ator SPECTER and Senator LUGAR and I ploy and develop into one of the does. have worked to meet every one of these strongest leaders in the Army,’’ says Other Senators—including Senators objections. another fellow soldier, CPT Matthew LUGAR, DODD, and GRAHAM—have been Fundamentally, critics have sug- Heimerle. instrumental in moving the bill to this gested the bill would represent a rad- Command Sergeant Major Vimoto point, and I wanted to thank our chair, ical change in the law. Nothing is fur- himself, currently stationed in Italy, Senator LEAHY, for being not only a ther from the truth. It even tracks this says his son was ‘‘a very talented sponsor of the bill but somebody who Justice Department’s own guidelines. young man with lots of potential.’’ helped bring it to the floor. S. 2035—a product of lengthy com- All we are saying is that given recent Tim’s family and fellow soldiers held promise and negotiation—is ripe for events and Government actions, a a memorial service for him in Italy, passage. In fact, it is long overdue.