S8004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 13, 2012 NAYS—42 can be a case made for the supple- here long, he has certainly made his Alexander DeMint Moran mental. So we hope to have a consent mark. I have seen a lot of politicians in Ayotte Enzi Murkowski agreement on that within the next cou- my day, but few have been as talented Barrasso Graham Paul as SCOTT BROWN. He is a unique talent. Blunt Grassley Portman ple of hours. Boozman Hatch Risch The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Re- I have no doubt we will see him back in Brown (MA) Heller Roberts publican leader. Washington someday in the not too Burr Isakson Rubio distant future. Chambliss Johanns Sessions f The truth is, SCOTT’s victory was not Coats Johnson (WI) Shelby TRIBUTES TO DEPARTING Coburn Kyl Snowe the first time he had done what others Cochran Lee Thune SENATORS thought impossible. As a young man, Corker Lugar Toomey SCOTT BROWN he knew poverty first hand, and a bro- Cornyn McConnell Vitter Crapo Mikulski Wicker Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, ken home, and even took to shoplifting I would like to continue the difficult to feed himself and his sister. Yet NOT VOTING—8 task of saying goodbye to Senators SCOTT overcame these early challenges. Boxer Inouye Leahy who will not be with us in the next As is often the case, he owes a lot of it Hoeven Kirk McCain Inhofe Lautenberg Congress. Sadly, that includes Senator to an adult who saw his potential early SCOTT BROWN of Massachusetts. on. The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this Senator BROWN came to us already In SCOTT’s case, that adult was Judge vote, the yeas are 50, the nays are 42. something of a political legend. In just Samuel Zoll. When SCOTT showed up in Three-fifths of the Senators duly cho- a few short years, he leaves behind an his chambers one day, Judge Zoll saw a sen and sworn not having voted in the outsized legacy. We all remember how troubled but decent young man who affirmative, the motion is not agreed SCOTT rose to national prominence in needed a friendly nudge. to. the election literally heard about ‘‘We had a long talk about [the] tal- The point of order is sustained. around the world. After the death of ent I thought he had, and I didn’t want Under the previous order, the motion Senator Kennedy, there was an open to see him squander it,’’ Judge Zoll to invoke cloture on S. 3637 is with- seat in Massachusetts and a special later recalled. drawn. election to fill it. Few people even en- SCOTT, of course, remembers it a lit- The majority leader. tertained the thought of a Republican tle differently, saying the judge ‘‘ver- Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask winning. And for good reason. Few bally kicked [his] butt.’’ The judge ordered SCOTT to write a unanimous consent that today, Thurs- States are as synonymous with polit- 1,500-word essay about disappointing day, December 13, at 1:45, the Senate ical liberalism. his family. After reading it, he told proceed to executive session to con- Democrats outnumber Republicans in SCOTT he would give him a break this sider the following nominations: Cal- the State 3 to 1, and the entire congres- time, but if he ever stole anything endar Nos. 830, 832; that there be 30 sional delegation is composed of Demo- again—anything—he would be sent to minutes for debate equally divided in crats. But supported by his wife Gail jail. Judge Zoll’s lesson stuck so deeply the usual form; that upon the use or and their daughters, along with some that the two men remained friends yielding back of that time, the Senate key early allies, including our own until Judge Zoll’s death last year. proceed to vote without intervening ac- Senator MCCAIN, SCOTT appealed to the tion or debate on Calendar Nos. 830 and SCOTT went on to be a baseball star State’s political independents, ran a in high school and in college, earning 832, in that order, the motions to re- flawless campaign, and won. As he put consider be considered made and laid the nickname ‘‘Downtown Scotty it on election night, he beat the odds Brown.’’ That was for his accuracy upon the table, with no intervening ac- and the experts, and the people became tion or debate; that no further motions with a 3-point shot. Then he went to the machine. I think the 2006 GMC Can- law school, the Army National Guard, be in order; that any statements re- yon that SCOTT drove around during lated to this matter be printed in the held city and State political office, the election should actually go to the where he was 1 of just 5 Republicans in RECORD; that the President be imme- Smithsonian. a body of 40 in the State senate and diately notified of the Senate’s action, We all remember that night, and, in and the Senate then resume legislative then the U.S. Senate. particular, SCOTT’s acceptance speech. Senator BROWN also famously found session. Most people focus on what he said time to do a little modeling in his The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without about his daughters, but the speech youth, and it was through this work objection, it is so ordered. itself was a masterpiece. It perfectly that he met his wife Gail. I have had f summed up the political moment, and the pleasure to get to know SCOTT and it captured something essential about MORNING BUSINESS Gail well over the last 3 years. They SCOTT’s success; that is, the notion have two daughters and make an abso- Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask that no politician has a right to his or lutely wonderful family. I am sure unanimous consent that the Senate her seat; that we are all here to serve Gail, Ayla, and Arianna are very proud proceed to a period of morning business our constituents. of SCOTT and just as sad as I am to see until 1:45 p.m. with Senators permitted Every day I hold this office, SCOTT his tenure cut short. But they should to speak for up to 10 minutes each; fur- said, ‘‘I will give all that is in me to be proud of the fact that SCOTT has ac- ther that Senator SNOWE be recognized serve you well and to make you proud complished a lot in 3 short years in the at 1 p.m. for up to 45 minutes; finally, . . . [and] most of all, I will remember Senate. at 1:45 p.m. the Senate proceed to exec- that while the honor is mine, this Sen- He led the charge to repeal a burden- utive session as provided under the pre- ate seat belongs to no one person and some withholding tax that hurt small vious order. to no political party, and as I have said businesses. He crafted legislation for The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without before, and you said loud and clear crowdfunding, which allowed job cre- objection, it is so ordered. today, it is the people’s seat.’’ ators to raise startup funds for their f SCOTT lived up to his promise. He businesses over the Internet with less captured the imagination of the entire redtape, and he introduced legislation ORDER OF BUSINESS country when he corrected David to ensure that children’s hospitals have Mr. REID. Madam President, we hope Gergen by telling him the so-called access to discounts on orphan drugs that after the first vote this afternoon Kennedy seat was, in fact, the people’s that are used to treat rare diseases. All we will be in a position to enter an seat. He carried that message straight of these bills are now law. order that we would be on—when we to Washington. As a 32-year member of the National come back on Monday—the supple- I remember SCOTT telling me in our Guard, Senator BROWN takes a special mental. We are going to come in ear- very first meeting that I could not interest in our men and women in uni- lier than usual. There will not be a count on his vote, that I would have to form and their families. He introduced vote until 5:30. That will likely be on a earn it. I told him he could do what- legislation to give businesses incen- judge. But during the afternoon, there ever he pleased. While he has not been tives to hire veterans, who, sadly, have

VerDate Mar 15 2010 02:59 Dec 14, 2012 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A13DE6.002 S13DEPT1 tjames on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with December 13, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S8005 higher unemployment rates than the our Nation. Over the past several dec- nomic prosperity for all have been re- national average. He introduced and ades, top earners have taken a bigger duced, and economic gains have been saw to passage legislation creating the and bigger chunk of income while concentrated at the top. Meanwhile, in Office of Service Member Affairs to wages have stagnated for far too many spite of repeated claims, lower tax protect troops who are often targeted Americans. rates for the wealthiest haven’t driven by financial fraud and scams. He saw to From 2000 to 2007, incomes for 90 per- job creation and economic growth. We the passage of legislation making it cent of workers rose by about 4 per- have had record low income tax rates; easier to void government contracts cent, while the top one-tenth of 1 per- yet now we are struggling with one of with businesses found to be funneling cent of Americans saw income gains of the worst unemployment crises we taxpayer resources to terrorist groups. 94 percent. The vast majority of Ameri- have seen since the Great Depression. He fought for National Guard members cans have seen wage gains that are I believe the election has shown and their families to receive their fair barely enough to keep their heads Americans want us to return to the housing allowance when deployed over- above water, while a very small num- principles that work for the benefit of seas. ber of top-income earners have seen an everyone, not just a select few. With Although his work in the Senate has extraordinary growth in income. that in mind, the path forward should come to an end, I am sure SCOTT In 2010 alone, about 20 percent of all be clear. We should continue tax cuts for in- BROWN’s work in public service, in income went to the top 1 percent. We whatever capacity, will not. He is still are now back to income inequality lev- come up to one-quarter of a million a young man with a bright future els similar to just before the Great De- dollars and reduce the deficit by nearly $1 trillion. We should continue ex- ahead of him. I, for one, am very much pression. Such wide disparities are tended unemployment insurance for 2 looking forward to seeing how he uses unsustainable, create economic insta- million people who will lose it other- his talents next. bility and threaten our social fabric. wise. We should prevent further imme- From the statehouse to the Senate, In the past, when income inequality diate cuts to Federal investments in from the modeling shoot to the basket- has reached these kinds of levels, things that keep us safe, grow our ball court, Senator SCOTT BROWN has Democrats and Republicans have both economy, and enhance the lives of always made his own success. I do not recognized its destabilizing impact and Americans, whether it be infrastruc- think he knows any other way. worked together to reward success ture, workforce training or research SCOTT, it has been an honor serving while providing meaningful opportuni- ties and a sense of fairness for all and development. with you. You not only made history, What we should absolutely not do is Americans. you made a difference. You should be make changes, hasty changes, to Social proud. I believe there are straightforward ways we can begin to reverse this esca- Security and Medicare that would un- I yield the floor. dermine the promise of economic secu- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- lating income inequality—ways which rity to seniors, not just this generation are true to the founding principles of ator from Rhode Island. of seniors but succeeding generations Mr. REED. Madam President, I ask our Nation. After all, we have done it of seniors. Fairness, opportunity, re- unanimous consent to speak for up to before. From the end of World War II spect for the rules, and a sense of secu- and well into the 1970s, incomes grew 15 minutes in morning business. rity in retirement, those are the prior- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without rapidly across the United States and ities that can’t be lost as we debate the economic prosperity was broadly objection, it is so ordered. budget. f shared. As our economy grew, every So I am disheartened to hear that level of America shared in that growth. THE FISCAL CLIFF Republicans are holding the middle By making education affordable, fos- class and the entire economy hostage Mr. REED. Madam President, I rise tering innovation and job creation, and in order to preserve nearly $1 trillion today to speak about the real-world providing economic security to retirees in additional tax cuts for the top 2 per- consequences of failing to achieve a through Medicare and Social Security, cent of Americans, while at the same fair and balanced solution to avert the our country went from a paralyzing time proposing detrimental changes to automatic tax hikes and spending cuts Great Depression to an economic su- Social Security, Medicare and Med- that would otherwise occur at the end perpower. We were able to accomplish icaid. I believe this is an untenable po- of December—the end of this month. such a drastic transformation because sition and one I hope my colleagues on Failing to continue unemployment we were willing to consider revenue as the other side will soon abandon. insurance, allowing taxes to rise on a way to invest in the future and prom- Moreover, the Republican proposal middle-income Americans, and cutting ise economic security to our seniors. does not provide immediate, short- Federal spending too much and too Focusing spending on policies that term aid to 2 million Americans out of soon during a struggling economic re- work and balancing revenue is at the work and looking for employment. covery could, as the nonpartisan Con- core of this debate. I have made tough These were men and women who were gressional Budget Office has estimated, choices in the 1990s that balanced the working, and as a consequence of the cause a new recession. budget, generated a surplus, and sup- economic difficulties over the last few This is a fate we can and should ported robust job creation. In January years have lost their jobs. Their pro- avoid for people in my State and across of 1993, the unemployment rate stood posal would not, as the President’s the country. Indeed, families in Rhode at 7.3 percent, and by January of 2001 plan does, put Americans back to work, Island are still getting their economic that rate had been reduced down to 3.9 not just by continuing benefits in footing and cannot afford another eco- percent. That period of record growth terms of unemployment insurance but nomic setback. An economic downturn also saw a substantial decline in the by putting Americans back to work im- will erase the strides we have made so poverty rate. In 1993, 15.1 percent of proving our roads, bridges, and trans- far to strengthen our economy and ex- Americans were in poverty, but thanks portation infrastructure. acerbate the widening income inequal- to job growth and an expanding econ- Unfortunately, in the past, too many ity, which Americans sense and recog- omy based upon a balanced approach to on the other side of the aisle have sty- nize in an economy that all too often deficit reduction—including revenue mied efforts to accelerate the recovery seems stacked against them. Instead, and reduction in expenditures—poverty like blocking jobs legislation that was we must work toward a compromise fell to 11.3 percent in 2000. paid for by asking millionaires to pay that is fair, helps the middle class, cre- But the unpaid wars of the Bush ad- Clinton-era rates on income over $1 ates jobs, and strengthens and acceler- ministration, excess tax cuts for the million. They have endorsed proposals ates our economic recovery. wealthy, and a financial crisis brought that would transform Medicare into a As I see it, widening income inequal- on by lax regulation under the Bush voucher program and Medicaid into a ity and the sense that future genera- Presidency erased those hard-fought block grant, which would merely shift tions will not see the same kind of eco- gains of the 1990s. As a result, we have health care costs to seniors and States nomic security as my generation is one seen education become more expensive, rather than address underlying cost of the most pressing challenges facing Federal investments that support eco- drivers and inefficiencies.

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