E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 114 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 162 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016 No. 56 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was this bipartisan FAA reauthorization TRIBUTE TO CHRISTINE CATUCCI called to order by the President pro and security bill. I appreciate his work tempore (Mr. HATCH). with the Aviation Subcommittee chair, Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, 40 years ago this week, Christine Catucci f Senator AYOTTE, and their counter- parts, Senator NELSON and Senator set out to spend her summer as a tour PRAYER CANTWELL, to move this important bill guide at the Capitol. She still remem- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- forward. bers her first day in the summer of fered the following prayer: There are several good security 1976. It was a much different time back Let us pray. measures included in the bill, such as then, without the screening protocols Almighty God, the refuge of the dis- increased efforts to prevent cyber secu- and limitations on where visitors could tressed, thank You that in our troubles rity risks and efforts to help better go as we have today. Christine parked You sustain us with Your loving kind- prepare us when it comes to commu- her car and walked straight up the ness and tender mercy. Forgive us nicable diseases. But these Senators main Rotunda steps, ready to work. when we neglect to find in You a shel- didn’t stop there; they worked to in- She didn’t have intentions of staying ter from life’s storms. clude additional safety measures in an past the summer, much less for four Today, fill our Senators with a vi- amendment that passed by a bipartisan decades. But today, some 16 Sergeants brant faith. Give them complete con- majority. fidence in Your providential leading. Here is what we know the amend- at Arms and 7 Presidential administra- May the fire of Your love consume all ment will do: It will help prevent the tions later, Christine is still a smiling, things in their lives that displease You. ‘‘inside threat’’ of terrorism by enhanc- friendly face to those who enter, which As they are led by Your Spirit, give ing inspections and vetting of airport is important because, as director of the them Your peace. employees. It will require a review of Senate Appointment Desk, she is often We pray in Your sacred Name. Amen. perimeter security. It will also improve the first person a visitor sees when vis- f various efforts to secure international iting the Capitol. flights coming into our airports. As the years have gone by, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE In addition to these steps designed to Christine’s responsibilities and admira- The President pro tempore led the ramp up security, we also adopted an tion for the Senate have grown. She Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: amendment from Senator HEINRICH still considers it an honor and a privi- that would increase security in I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the lege to help those visiting the Capitol, prescreening areas which could be vul- United States of America, and to the Repub- and that is true, she says, ‘‘whether it lic for which it stands, one nation under God, nerable to terror attacks. And Sen- is an official business visitor or a ‘star- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ators TOOMEY and CASEY have worked ry-eyed’ tourist.’’ She says that she f tirelessly to get the Senate to pass an amendment addressing the security of loves seeing the awe people have when RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY cockpit doors. they visit the Capitol and she is proud LEADER These three amendments, put forth to be a part of that experience. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. by Republicans and Democrats, empha- The joy this institution and this ca- PAUL). The majority leader is recog- size the bipartisan nature of this issue reer have brought to Christine obvi- nized. and of this bipartisan FAA reauthor- ously made a pretty big impact on the f ization and security bill. love of her life, her daughter Nichole. Nearly 60 amendments from both FAA REAUTHORIZATION BILL Nichole works just one floor up from sides were accepted in committee, and her mom, and in Christine’s words, she Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, more than a dozen from both sides were is ‘‘a constant reminder . that fam- whether traveling for business or lei- accepted here on the floor. I encourage ily comes first.’’ sure, American passengers want to feel Members to continue working across safe and informed when flying. They the aisle to move this bill forward. Today, Christine’s Senate family also want to feel assured that in light As the chairman reminded us yester- would like to congratulate her on this of recent terror attacks, more is being day, this bill contains the most com- notable milestone. We thank her for done in our airports and in our skies. prehensive set of aviation security re- her four decades of steadfast service, Chairman THUNE knows this, and that forms in years. So let’s take the next and we look forward to seeing the im- is why he has worked attentively with step in passing this legislation and get- pact she will continue to make here in Members from both sides to put forth ting it one step closer to becoming law. the Capitol. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S1983 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:19 Apr 14, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A13AP6.000 S13APPT1 rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with SENATE S1984 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 13, 2016 RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY from that one experience. She does All it took was one phone call, obvi- LEADER have a disarming smile, for which we ously, from the Republican leader for The PRESIDING OFFICER. The should all be grateful. I know I am. Senator GRASSLEY to abandon any pre- Democratic leader is recognized. She has been here for 40 years. The tense of transparency and shut the only person who has been here as a American people out of the Supreme f Senator longer than Christine is PAT Court nomination process—shut them AN ENJOYABLE DIVERSION LEAHY from Vermont. She has senior- out. ity over everybody except Senator This is the same Senator who once Mr. REID. Mr. President, no matter LEAHY. said, ‘‘As a matter of principle, the what work or occupation one has, it is Her career began in the last year of American people need to be made always good to have a diversion away Gerald Ford’s Presidency. She worked aware of any action that prevents a from their duties of the day. as a tour guide, chaperoning people matter from being considered by their I am very careful about never speak- through the Capitol and giving people elected Senators.’’ ing for the Republican leader, but I will explanations as to what they were Nothing that Senator GRASSLEY has make an exception today and talk a looking at at the time. In 1980 she done with respect to the Supreme little bit about my friend the Repub- moved to the Office of the Doorkeeper Court vacancy meets his own standard lican leader. of the Senate and moved through a for transparency. We both find a diversion during base- number of positions there for 11 years. There was no transparency when the ball season. We can leave here—it real- In 1991, she arrived at the Senate Ap- Judiciary Committee chairman and his ly doesn’t matter what time; usually pointment Desk, where she has worked Republican committee members shut the games are at night—and we can for the last 25 years. She is the direc- Democrats out and met with the Re- watch the Nationals play baseball. The tor, overseeing a staff of nine. publican leader behind closed doors. Republican leader and I have talked Over the years, she has developed a There was no transparency when he about this often—how much we enjoy close relationship with Senators and twisted the arms of his own committee the games—and we have enjoyed the staff, and she can recount with pleas- members to sign a loyalty oath, again games much more since this young ure the times that Senator Robert behind closed doors. There was no man from Las Vegas, Bryce Harper, is Byrd—the legendary Robert Byrd from transparency when he sought to move on the baseball team, the Washington West Virginia—would invite her and a public committee meeting behind Nationals. He comes from a great fam- some of her coworkers to have lunch closed doors just to avoid talking ily, a working family. His father was with him in his Capitol office. He about the Supreme Court nomination. an ironworker. They are a close family. didn’t eat much, if anything, but he And there was certainly no trans- Prior to the Nationals even having a talked all the time, telling stories. I parency on Tuesday—yesterday—when team here—I have been here a long was the recipient of a number of the at 8 o’clock in the morning he met time—I followed the Orioles, and just stories of the late, great Senator Byrd. downstairs with Judge Merrick Gar- as a side note, I should mention how The Senate is her family, literally. land in the private Senate Dining happy I am for Peter Angelos, the Her father was a Senate doorkeeper Room moments before slipping out the owner, that fine man, that his team is from 1967 to 1977.