[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 82 (Thursday, June 22, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S6404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007--Continued

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, as a result of the extraordinarily hard 
work, dedication, and cooperation, on a bipartisan basis, of every one 
of our committee members, and our extraordinary staff, as well as the 
assistance of really superb floor staffs on both sides of the aisle, we 
have just seen a unanimous passage of the Defense authorization bill.
  As I mentioned before, this is a real tribute to our chairman. I am 
going to save all the accolades, however, for still a later time. When 
the chairman brings back a conference report, we will then, hopefully, 
have enough people here on the floor who can both join in the kudos and 
hear the applause for our chairman.
  Our staff loses a great deal of sleep to get this bill passed. And 
there is never enough attention that is paid to staff. No matter how 
many times we take a moment to just say thanks to our staff, it never 
comes close to paying the tribute which is really owed to them.
  Charlie Abell, who is the majority staff director, is just a 
wonderful human being as well as a gifted professional. He and all the 
other members of your staff, I say to Senator Warner, are really, 
really terrific. And I cannot say enough about Rick DeBobes, Peter 
Levine, and all of the members of my staff. Rick, our minority staff 
director, leads a truly extraordinary staff.
  Mr. President, I guess the best way I can express my gratitude is to 
ask that the names of my staff be printed in the Record at this time. I 
ask unanimous consent that a list of their names be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the list was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

       Jon Clark, Chris Cowart, Dan Cox, Madelyn Creedon, Rick 
     DeBobes, Brie Eisen, Evelyn Farkas, Richard Fieldhouse, 
     Creighton Greene, Bridget Higgins, Mike Kuiken, Gary Leeling, 
     Peter Levine, Mike McCord, Bill Monahan, Mike Noblet, Arun 
     Seraphin.

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, also, talking about accolades, I want to 
single out Senator Cantwell for an amendment which she authored 
relative to the replacement of National Guard equipment that has been 
left in Iraq and Afghanistan. The absence of this equipment has 
undermined the ability of the National Guard units to train and to meet 
the requirements in their home States. And the Cantwell amendment is 
going to require the Department to establish a comprehensive plan to 
recapitalize or to replace this equipment.
  It is going to be an essential addition, replacement for the National 
Guard. There was not enough attention paid to this amendment as things 
kind of flew through here. I want to thank Senator Cantwell for her 
leadership in making sure our National Guard is well equipped and given 
the support they deserve.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, if I might join my distinguished colleague 
from Michigan, it has been a privilege for me, as it has for these 28 
years we have been together, to work as partners and in many respects 
equals. He has been chairman of the committee. I have been chairman of 
the committee. We have both occupied positions of chairman and ranking 
member in these many years that we have been fortunate to serve on this 
committee together, and we have a very outstanding group of colleagues 
who are members of the committee. I thank my good friend for these many 
years. I am very proud, as he is, of this piece of legislation, which 
at this critical juncture in our Nation's history, with our forces 
serving in over 60 Nation across the world, and their families here at 
home are with them, we have them in mind at all times and, indeed, a 
very significant group of Civil Service employees who likewise are 
serving our Nation in their capacities with the Department of Defense 
and other departments and agencies related to our national security.
  Senator Levin mentioned particularly our senior staff, our full 
staff, as a matter of fact. In many ways, some of the juniors work 
harder than seniors some days, but I won't get into that. I best leave 
that to my able staff director, Charlie Abell, as you leave that to 
your staff director. But we are fortunate to have these two staff 
directors and these magnificent staffs. They really are professional 
staffs. The appointment of our staff, I don't even recall inquiring as 
to the political affiliation of so many of these individuals that I 
have had the privilege of working with these many years in the Senate. 
But indeed, they do work long hours. Their reward is not the pay. Their 
reward is a sense of satisfaction, as it is for you and me and members 
of our committee and, indeed, the Members of the Senate, of what we are 
trying to do on behalf of the uniformed men and women of the Armed 
Forces and their families and their civilian counterparts.
  I thank my distinguished colleague.
  I ask unanimous consent that S. 2766, as amended, be printed as 
passed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed immediately to the consideration en bloc of S. 2767 
through S. 2769, Calendar Order Nos. 427, 428, and 429, that all after 
the enacting clause of those bills be stricken and that the appropriate 
portion of S. 2766, as amended, be inserted in lieu thereof, according 
to the schedule which I am sending to the desk; that these bills be 
advanced to third reading and passed, the motion to reconsider en bloc 
be laid upon the table, and that the above actions occur without 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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