July 30, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5211 At this moment, my mind is awash this, I put out an email to all of the threatens the American economy be- with memories and images; for exam- Senators and said: Here is the chal- cause it no longer operates as it did, ple, in 1997, standing with Carl before a lenge that is presented, and here is well, we have Senator Carl Levin to crowd of 50,000 pro-democratic Serbians what we need to do to protect the fu- thank for that. in Belgrade, calling for a democracy to ture economy. Would anyone join me There is so much more he did here. replace the dictator, Milosevic. It was in undertaking to establish this Colleagues have been speaking to other a moving moment. In 2003, visiting our to shut down the Wall chapters of his work, but this was the troops in —one of the first codels Street casino? chapter I was involved in. I think it to enter Iraq—to find out for ourselves The next day, I came to the floor of said so much about who he was. His what was happening; what the troops the Senate, and Carl Levin comes up to policy expertise, his humble approach needed; what we could do to protect me. And he says: About your email to the fight, his willingness to take on them and give them the tools to do from yesterday, about your email, I powerful actors, that is truly what it is their job; and in 2009, crowded to- want to join you in that project. to be a public servant. gether, sitting on the floor on carpets He knew a lot about this issue, and I wish Carl were here so we could with Afghan leaders in a small village, he had staff members who knew a lot have him hear these stories from us di- trying to determine a path forward. about this issue. Then he went on to rectly. I am thinking now about his Carl always led by example and with say: And you may think because you colleagues representing who decency and integrity. are new and I have been here for a have followed in his footsteps. They are Later this summer, it will be the while that I am going to sweep in and here: , . honor of my life to speak at the com- take this over. He said: But I want to I know they are inspired by the exam- missioning of the U.S. Navy’s newest tell you, I am not going to do that. I ple he set. warship, the USS Carl M. Levin. It is a don’t want to do that. I want to work A couple of years ago, I had a chance great and formidable ship, bearing the in full partnership with you, together. to debate in Michigan and called up name of a great and formidable man. I And that is what it became, this full Carl so we could get together for din- wish more than anything that Carl partnership: our team members work- ner, together with his wife Barbara. could be there to witness the tremen- ing closely together, Carl and I work- And, boy, he was just interested in dous honor for his namesake ship’s ing closely together, no one leading, if every aspect of what we were doing commissioning. But Carl always did you will, or, to put it differently, lead- here and how we were, hopefully, mak- prefer to avoid the spotlight and the ing together. And it had many, many ing the Senate work better. fanfare, and, I think, perhaps he will be chapters in this effort. And just not so long ago, he wrote an smiling even wider as he looks from It was not an easy path to say the big op-ed about how to make the Senate above at the christening of that ship. banks needed to change how they oper- work better by enabling the minority Carl’s life was defined by service, and ate. But what struck me in how he con- to slow things down, to have leverage we should all be grateful to be part of ducted himself was he expressed not but keep this body from being para- the legacy that he created in this very egoism but altruism. He didn’t focus on lyzed. So he continued to think and to Chamber. His loss is immeasurable, but what he should do to advance himself engage right up to his final days. I am grateful for his lifetime of con- politically; he wanted to know what we So, Barbara, we are thinking about tributions to the people of Michigan can do to serve the best interests of you. We are holding you and your fam- and the people of our Nation. this Nation, not grandstanding but ily in the light, and we are doing so We can best honor Senator Levin by problem-solving to make the United with such appreciation of the life and carrying out his ideals and example in States of America work better for ev- work of Carl Levin. what we do here and what we do for the eryone. And so we proceeded. Thank you. Nation, and, particularly, what we do During the debate on Dodd-Frank, we The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- for the brave young men and women had an opportunity to put forward an ator from Minnesota. who serve this Nation. amendment to establish the Volcker Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I yield the floor. rule. Colleagues across the aisle were I, of course, join my colleagues in their The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- none too happy about that, and it shut fond words for Carl Levin. ator from Oregon. down the Senate for a full day. So Carl He was a mentor to me, like so many. Mr. MERKLEY. Madam President, I and I kept working during that day to And I am looking forward to speaking rise today to add my voice to my col- say: No, this should be debated. This about him as well as my good friend leagues in remembering and paying our should be voted on. But eventually, our Senator Enzi, whom we also tragically respects to our dear friend and former second-degree amendment died when lost this past week, in the coming colleague Senator Carl Levin, whom we the first-degree amendment was taken days. sadly lost last night. down. But our team members had But, today, I am focused on another My colleagues have been sharing worked through the night to make it a topic, and that is the Olympics. their stories and their experiences of germane amendment so it would have TRIBUTE TO this incredible human being, this amaz- survived had that not taken place. Madam President, I rise today to ing Senator, and I want to share one of So then we went, in partnership, over congratulate and honor Minnesota’s my own, a story of how he made an im- to speak with Mr. Frank, Congressman own Sunisa Lee, who won the gold pact on my life and my approach to Frank on the House side. And Con- medal in the women’s all-around gym- being a Senator. gressman Frank joined in the battle. nastics event at the 2020 Olympics in It was back in 2009, when we had an And we kept pushing, and eventually, Tokyo. enormous collapse of our economic sys- in conference, the Volcker rule was I got up, like many Minnesotans, at 5 tem. I came here as a freshman Sen- brought to life. in the morning to watch this live, and ator, and we were working to say what And then we started partnering and it was a sight to behold. happened and how can we prevent this trying to prevent the rulemaking from Suni hails from St. Paul. The young- from happening again. A lot of what tearing it down. And Carl would call est member of the U.S. women’s gym- happened was enormously leveraged me up and say: Here is what is hap- nastics team at just 18, she has been bets made in the Wall Street casino. A pening. What are we going to do? And competing on the national and inter- staff member of mine kept saying, you we would write a letter and we would national stages since 2015. She is now have got to read this essay by Chair- call the regulators and we would rally officially the best women’s gymnast in man Volcker about how we take and our fellow Senators. He just kept at it. the world. shut down this Wall Street casino and Like a dog with a bone, he was not Suni Lee’s journey is a remarkable how it puts our entire economy at risk going to let go. He was tenacious, say- one. She faced incredible challenges to and will do so again in the future again ing: This matters. Every piece of it compete on the world’s stage, including if we don’t act. matters. We are going to get this done. training through the coronavirus pan- After two or three times that my So when we think about the fact that demic, breaking her foot, and sadly ex- team member had approached me on that Wall Street casino no longer periencing tragedies within her family

VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:21 Jul 31, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G30JY6.027 S30JYPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE S5212 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 30, 2021 when she lost two relatives to COVID I yield the floor. Madam President, in this moment, I and when a 2019 accident left her father The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- also would like to take an opportunity paralyzed. ator from Minnesota. to acknowledge the awe-inspiring lead- On Thursday, July 29, 2021, she led Ms. SMITH. Madam President, I am ership of . Her choice to the American team’s quest for gold in just delighted to be here today on the withdraw from the all-around event in the women’s all-around floor of the U.S. Senate with my col- order to protect her health and safety event after the legendary Simone Biles league Senator KLOBUCHAR to offer my was courageous and is an important re- withdrew. But Simone Biles stayed and heartfelt congratulations to Sunisa minder that mental health is an essen- was there for her teammate and was Lee of St. Paul, MN, who won Olympic tial part of our overall well-being. there in the stands. But with the pres- Gold in the individual all-around event In addition to being the greatest of sure of the world upon her, Suni Lee, in women’s gymnastics in Tokyo this all time, Simone’s powerful advocacy who never thought she would be lead- week. and her unwavering support for Suni ing that team, who never thought that Suni gave a historic performance and the rest of her team show that she this honor would be hers, gave the per- while under immense personal pressure is also a great team player and an ac- formance of her life. and under the difficult circumstances tivist. Suni’s difficult and daring uneven that have defined the 2021 Olympic Every Olympic medal represents un- bars routine sealed her victory. The Games. But she stepped up, and she told hours of hard work and struggle routine set a 6.8 difficulty mark and gave an astounding performance to and resilience, and Suni Lee’s all- earned a score of 15.3, tied for the high- bring home gold, continuing the Amer- around gold is no exception. est score by any gymnast in the com- ican tradition of excellence in women’s So congratulations to Suni. We are petition. She defended the American gymnastics. Her routine on the uneven all so proud of you. Thank you for your title in the women’s all-around gym- bars, as Senator KLOBUCHAR said, one courage, your dedication, and your in- nastics event, marking the fifth con- of the most difficult ever attempted in spiration to all of us everywhere in this secutive Olympic win for an American. women’s gymnastics, was just stun- country. She also contributed to the U.S. ning. I yield the floor. women’s gymnastics team’s silver On her way to Olympic Gold, Suni The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- medal performance in the team com- faced really tremendous obstacles. ator from Ohio. petition. She is a teamplayer and a role After beginning her gymnastics train- CHILD TAX CREDIT model for young men and women ing at age 6, Suni showed incredible Mr. BROWN. Madam President, with around the Nation. dedication, focus, and drive to reach the Presiding Officer’s help, and the Suni’s entire family contributed to the elite levels of her sport despite in- help of 48 others—48 others in this her success. And for many of us who juries and personal challenges. body, we provided back in March an watched, we saw them all in that room, In 2019, her father was paralyzed in amendment; and then in final passage, cheering her on. an accident but continued supporting we provided the biggest tax cut—the Her family, back in time, fled terror his daughter’s gymnastics career. And largest tax cut for working families and violence in their native country of while continuing her training during ever. Laos to create a better life for their the coronavirus pandemic, Suni suf- It is called the Child Tax Credit. It children. Her father John Lee built fered a broken foot, an Achilles tendon has been several years in the making. Suni a wooden in their injury, and the tragic loss of her aunt We didn’t make so much progress the backyard when she was a child because and uncle to coronavirus. last 4 years, but an election and a new they could not afford to buy one. While pandemic precautions meant President, coupled with a new U.S. As she said after her championship there were no spectators to cheer her Senate, has made all the difference in performance, ‘‘We both worked for this. on in Tokyo, Suni’s family, friends, the world. [My father] sacrificed everything to community members, and gymnastics In my State, 2.4 million children are put me in gymnastics.’’ fans all over the country got together eligible. And 2.1 million of those—I will Suni Lee represented the best of to cheer her on from afar with watch get to that in a moment; we haven’t America on the world stage. parties held in her honor. The videos of reached everybody yet. But 2.1 million Minnesota, as my colleague TINA these gatherings show the incredible saw last week in the mail—in their SMITH will share with you soon, is shared joy and pride in her incredible mailbox or direct deposits in their home to more than 81,000 Hmong Amer- accomplishment, and I am sure that bank accounts—2.1 million children icans, the largest urban concentration she could feel all that love and support were the beneficiary of $250 or $300 last in the United States. Suni’s family, as she competed in Tokyo. week. like many, arrived in America in the Not only is Suni the youngest mem- So every month—July 15, coming up aftermath of the Vietnam war seeking ber of the U.S. women’s Olympic gym- August 15, September 15, October 15, a better life. nastics team, but she is also the first children from zero to 5, their parents Suni is the first Hmong American to Hmong American on the U.S. Olympic will get $300 each of those months. If make the U.S. Olympic team and the team and now is the first Asian Amer- their children are 6 to 17, those fami- first to win an Olympic Gold Medal. ican to be the Olympic women’s all- lies will get $250 per child. Almost She is the first Asian American to win around champion. every child—92 percent of children in the women’s all-around gymnastics Her leadership and sportsmanship are Ohio, roughly the same; 9 out of 10 in competition. Her accomplishments rep- an inspiration, and Minnesota is so the State of Wisconsin, the Presiding resent the resiliency of her community proud to call her one of our own. In Officer’s State, will be getting—their and are an inspiration to Hmong Amer- fact, Minnesota’s Governor, Tim Walz, families will be getting checks in the icans and all of us. They also represent and St. Paul’s mayor, Melvin Carter, mail—these checks in the mail. her own personal resilience to be able have announced that today, Friday, In sort of a macro big way, we know to shine in that moment with such July 30, 2021, is ‘‘Sunisa Lee Day.’’ It is this does a number of things. First of grace under pressure. Truly, she has too bad that Ms. KLOBUCHAR and I can’t all, it drops the poverty rate among captured the hearts of Minnesotans and be there to help them celebrate in St. America’s children by almost 50 per- people around the world. Paul. cent. Imagine that. One bill we do Suni Lee’s win is a remarkable I also wanted to take this oppor- drops the poverty rate among children achievement. I am pleased to take this tunity to congratulate those who con- in this country by 50 percent, some- opportunity to congratulate her; her tributed to Suni’s victory: her parents, thing government has never been able coach, Jess Graba; her parents, John John Lee and Yeev Thoj, and her to do. And because of this Child Tax Lee and Yeev Thoj; and her entire ex- coach, Jess Graba. After Suni won her Credit, the largest tax cut for working tended family. I wish her continued gold, she reminded us all that no one families in American history, it will success throughout her gymnastics ca- achieves success alone as she said, make a huge difference. reer and beyond, and we can’t wait to ‘‘This is my family’s medal, my medal. In another macro sort of way, the welcome her home. My coach’s medal.’’ people of Wisconsin and Ohio and other

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