[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 26, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S255-S260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE VICTIMS AND HEROES OF THE SHOOTING ON JANUARY 8, 2011, IN
TUCSON, ARIZONA
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the
Senate will proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 14, which the clerk
will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 14) honoring the victims and heroes
of the shooting on January 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Arizona.
Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, this resolution states that we honor the
victims and heroes of the shooting on January 8, 2011, in Tucson, AZ.
As we all know, and the Nation and the world knows, on January 8, a
gunman opened fire at a ``Congress on Your Corner'' event hosted by
Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, AZ, killing 6 and wounding
13 others.
Among those who lost their lives were 9-year-old Christina-Taylor
Green, Dorothy Morris, Judge John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan
Stoddard, and Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman.
Christina-Taylor Green was the 9-year-old daughter of John and
Roxanna Green. She was born on September 11, 2001. She was a third
grader, with an avid interest in government, who was recently elected
to the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School.
Dorothy Morris was 76 years old. She attended the January 8 event
with George, her husband of over 50 years, with whom she had two
daughters and who was also critically injured as he tried to shield her
from the shooting.
John Roll, whom I will talk about later on, is a Pennsylvania native
who was 63 years old. He began his professional career as a bailiff in
1972. He was appointed to the Federal bench in 1991 and became a chief
judge for the District of Arizona in 2006. He was a devoted husband to
his wife Maureen, father to his three sons, and grandfather to five
grandchildren. He heroically attempted to shield Ron Barber from
additional gunfire.
Phyllis Schneck, the proud mother of three and grandmother of seven
and great-grandmother, from New Jersey and spending the winter in
Arizona, was a 79-year-old church volunteer and New York Giants fan.
Dorwan Stoddard, a 76-year-old retired construction worker and
volunteer at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ, is credited with
shielding his wife Mavy, a long-time friend whom he married while they
were in their sixties and who was also injured in the shooting.
Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman was 30 years old, engaged to be married,
and served as director of community outreach to Representative
Gabrielle Giffords and was a social worker before serving with
Representative Giffords.
We all know Gabrielle Giffords was the target of the attack and was
critically injured. Overnight, we received extremely good news in that
her condition has been upgraded from critical to good. That is
incredible news and is heartening to all of us.
Thirteen others were also wounded in the shooting, including Ron
Barber and Pamela Simon, who were both staffers to Representative
Giffords, and several individuals, including Patricia Maisch, Army COL
Bill Badger, retired, was also wounded in the shooting. Roger
Sulzgeber, Joseph Zimudie, Daniel Hernandez, Jr., Anna Ballis and Dr.
Steven Rayle helped apprehend the gunman and assist the injured,
thereby risking their lives for the safety of others.
Some of the actions that took place during this tragedy have been
carried extensively in the media. The reaction of the people of Tucson
and in Arizona to this tragedy has been incredibly uplifting and
encouraging to all of us. There are so many stories of courage and
bravery associated with this action. The quick reaction of our police
and other first responders was remarkable, not to mention the
incredible and extremely rapid care provided by the doctors and nurses
and caregivers in Tucson. So in this great tragedy that has taken
place, we can be comforted with the knowledge that our citizens reacted
in the way that Americans do--with heroism, with courage, and with
sacrifice.
I think it is entirely appropriate that this resolution be passed as
one of the first acts of the new 112th Congress of the Senate and
House. I wish to thank all Americans for their concern, their prayers
and the sympathy and support they have extended not only to the victims
and their families but also to the people of Arizona.
There will be discussion for weeks and months ahead as to how it was
possible for this event to take place. I don't pretend to know all the
answers. It was clearly a deranged individual, an individual who
perhaps we could argue, while I can't say for certain, his mental
illness should have been brought to the attention of the proper
authorities. We do have a law that provides for such an action in the
State of Arizona. At the same time, the question needs to be asked: The
actions that we now have become very aware of, was the possibility of
those actions brought to the attention of the proper people so they
could take action?
The fact is it happened. The fact is we who are elected
representatives will continue to have contact with our constituents. We
will do so and not be deterred by the actions of this deranged
individual. We cannot allow the actions of a deranged individual to
prevent us from interacting, in a fundamental way, with our
constituents. They deserve it. I am confident we will be able to
continue the practice of townhall meetings, ``Congress on Your
Corner,'' the kinds of activities that are, in some ways, not entirely
unique to the United States of America but certainly are not practiced
in most parts of the world.
So we are encouraged by the news concerning Gabrielle Giffords and we
will harbor the hope and pray that she will return to her duties in the
Congress, representing the people of southern Arizona. We pray for the
family of Judge John Roll and those others who gave their lives.
Senator Kyl and I attended the various memorial services and events
surrounding this tragedy in Tucson and we come away obviously with deep
sorrow over the event, yet at the same time with a great deal of pride
and appreciation for our fellow citizens in Arizona and in Tucson who
have reacted in a heroic and giving and loving and sharing fashion.
So I guess we will be voting on this issue sometime this afternoon,
and I know other colleagues will be speaking on behalf of this
resolution.
(The remarks of Mr. McCain pertaining to the introduction of S. 188
are
[[Page S256]]
printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and
Joint Resolutions.'')
Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum, with
the time being charged to both sides.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, what is the pending business before the
Senate?
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. S. Res. 14.
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I want to thank Majority Leader Reid and
our colleagues from Arizona, Senators Kyl and McCain, for bringing this
important resolution to the floor of the Senate. It has been over 2
weeks, but our shock and sadness over what happened on that beautiful
Saturday morning in Tucson is still very real. They were just ordinary
Americans, engaged in what we might call the dialog of democracy, when
a gunman stepped in and began firing. Within seconds Congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords and a dozen innocent bystanders lay injured, and six
irreplaceable lives were ended.
Most of us never had the good fortune to meet Judge John Roll, Gabe
Zimmerman, Phyllis Schneck, Dot Morris, Dorwan Stoddard, or that
beautiful little girl, Christina Green. While they shared the Earth
with us, we did not know them. But we have come to know them in the
last 2 weeks. They were good and decent people who loved their
families, tried to help others, and believed in the promise of this
great Nation.
We mourn their loss. Gabby Giffords, our colleague in the House,
believes in the promise of America's democracy. She believes in it so
passionately that she chose to run for Congress, even though she
probably could have found a more comfortable and even more financially
rewarding life. She believed in democracy so much that she was one of
those Members of Congress who would hop on an airplane and fly across
America on a weekly basis to be back home in her district in Arizona.
She believed in this country so deeply that she continued to reach
out to her constituents even after the end of a spirited campaign when
a lot of Members of Congress were trying to find at least a few weeks
to take it easy before they got back into the swing of things.
She was concerned about her safety. But she was dedicated to her job
and her Nation and certainly the people she represented. We are
grateful to the doctors and all of the medical professionals who worked
wonders to save her life and to heal those who were hurt. We are
grateful to the first responders and ordinary citizens who acted with
such extraordinary courage to help the victims, tackle the gunman, and
prevent an even more devastating loss of life.
We offer our deepest condolences to the heartbroken families and
friends of those who were lost and all those who were wounded in body
and spirit by this tragedy. We pray that time and God in His infinite
mercy will bring them comfort and peace.
A few days ago, we were encouraged to learn that Congresswoman
Giffords was moving to a rehab hospital in Houston to begin a new phase
of her recovery. Yesterday her overall medical condition was upgraded
to ``good,'' certainly good news. Soon we need to begin the next phase
in our national discussion of this tragedy, in order to lessen the
prospects of such violence in the future.
We cannot simply mourn and move on. We have to have the courage to
face this tragedy squarely. It appears this terrible carnage was caused
by a man with a history of mental illness and a gun. It is not the
first time. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by a mentally ill
man with a gun. Nearly 4 years ago, a mentally ill student shot and
killed 32 people at Virginia Tech. On Valentine's Day 2008, a former
student with a history of mental instability walked into the lecture
hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, armed with a shotgun
and three handguns. He killed six people including himself and injured
21 others.
In 1998, a man with a serious mental illness walked into this
building, the Capitol, and before it ended he had shot and killed two
members of the Capitol Police force. Some are going to argue you cannot
stop a disturbed person who is intent on committing an act of violence.
To some extent that is certainly true. But you can take steps to limit
the harm that person can cause by keeping the deadliest of weapons out
of that person's hands. The gunman in Tucson used a semiautomatic
handgun with a high-capacity ammunition clip capable of holding over 30
rounds. He fired off 31 shots in a matter of seconds before he had to
reload and was tackled by brave citizens.
If he had had to reload sooner, say, after 10 rounds, at least 9
people in Tucson would not have been shot. High-capacity clips were
used to commit mass murder at Virginia Tech, Fort Hood in Texas, and in
Tucson. There is no legitimate sporting or self-defense purpose for
such high-capacity weaponry. Hundreds of homeowners do not need to fire
31 rounds in a matter of seconds.
High-capacity clips were once illegal under the 1994 Federal assault
weapons ban signed by President Clinton, supported by Presidents
Reagan, Carter, and Ford. But that law expired 7 years ago in 2004.
Even former Vice President Dick Cheney, a hunter, and an outspoken
second amendment rights advocate, has said in his words, ``maybe it is
appropriate'' to reinstate the ban on high-capacity clips in the wake
of the Tucson tragedy.
We also need to plug the holes in the Federal background check system
to make it harder for people with a history of serious mental illness
or substance abuse from getting guns. This man who was charged with the
murders in Tucson is someone who was rejected by our military because
of his mental condition. He was also told to leave a community college
because they feared that he was a danger to himself and others. And yet
he could purchase a weapon and a high-capacity clip in Arizona, in
America.
No one is proposing to take guns away from responsible hunters and
law-abiding citizens. The Supreme Court has made it clear, individuals
have the right to own guns and I respect that decision. But the Supreme
Court has also said that the second amendment is ``not a right to keep
and carry any weapon whatsoever, in any manner whatsoever, and for
whatever purpose.''
We ought to be able to agree to keep the deadliest weapons out of the
hands of people who are seriously unstable. President Obama gave a very
moving speech in Tucson about Christina Green, the little third grader
who had just been elected to her student council and often wore red,
white, and blue in honor of her country.
The President said, ``I want to live up to her expectations. I want
our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to
be as good as she imagined it.''
I hope we will put political agendas aside and put our heads together
so we can lessen the chances of another tragedy such as Tucson. That
would be the very best memorial we could build to those who lost their
lives, and the best we could do for America to do our job to keep it
safe.
I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Franken). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I rise to give some brief remarks
about the resolution we are considering today. First and foremost, this
resolution condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the horrific
attack that took place earlier this month in Tucson, AZ, while my
friend and colleague Gabrielle Giffords was giving time to her
constituents through a ``Congress at Your Corner'' event, an event that
many of us in the Congress host
[[Page S257]]
for our constituents, for them to come speak to us about issues that
matter to them most.
During that attack, many lives were lost. We express our deepest and
heartfelt condolences to the families and the friends and the loved
ones who lost their loved ones during that attack.
Each of those who are honored today will be remembered for all they
gave to their communities and all they have done, including a great
judge, John Roll, and community members Dorothy Morris, Phyllis
Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and a great public servant, Gabriel Matthew
Zimmerman. They are all in our thoughts and prayers.
President Obama took the time to really talk about one life that was
lost that affected me most deeply, and that was about Christina-Taylor
Green, the 9-year-old girl who went to the ``Congress at Your Corner''
event to learn about public service, to see her Congressman do her job,
to hear what she had to say.
That young girl and her life and the image President Obama talked
about in his speech not only in Tucson but in his speech last night I
thought affected all of us because his speech was about the hope and
the dreams that every child in America has for this country, for our
democracy, the true aspirations that Christina had for this government,
the expectations she had for us.
I believe last night President Obama gave a call to action to all of
us about who we should be as Americans, what this country stands for,
why we are all public servants, and why we are here to do our jobs. I
think it is the image and the life of Christina that gives us hope for
the future about what we can be and what we can do together, and I
think that is what last night's speech was most about.
I want to take a moment to talk about my dear friend Gabby, whose
courage and whose strength has been extraordinary and is something that
not only inspires me but I think inspires every one of the young people
here today and all of us in this country because she is surviving and
she is determined to overcome this horrific attack against her and our
democracy and against all of us. Every day she recovers is one more day
where her strength is there as a bright light for all of us, as a
reminder of what we are all capable of and a reminder of what is best
in each of us. I am going to go visit Gabby this weekend and sit with
her and give her the well wishes and the prayers of all of us here.
Having her seat remain open last night was a stark reminder of what
can be so easily lost, and the importance of our presence in that
Chamber to do the people's business, that we are there not for
ourselves, we are not there as Democrats or Republicans, but we are
there as public servants, to do the will of the American people, to do
our jobs, and to represent the people we are sent here to represent.
So I thank Gabby and her extraordinary husband Mark, whose love for
her truly is pulling her every day across the finish line, for their
courage and their dedication, and I wish to let them know we will
continue to pray for their recovery, we will continue to pray for all
those who were injured and are recovering, and we pray for all the
families who have lost their loved ones.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the debate time on the
resolution be extended to 2:30 p.m., that all provisions of the
previous order remain in effect, and that the vote on adoption of the
resolution occur at 2:30 p.m.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all
quorum calls during the remainder of the debate on S. Res. 14 be
charged equally to each side.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mrs. GILLIBRAND. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, yesterday I spoke to the events of January 8
in Tucson, AZ, specifically referencing the people we are honoring by
the resolution that is before us today. At 2:30 this afternoon, we will
have an opportunity to act as a body, Democrats and Republicans from
all parts of our country, to recognize the people who were injured, the
families of those who were killed, and, of course, the heroes of the
tragic Tucson shooting.
On that morning of January 8, Representative Gabrielle Giffords
arrived at a Tucson Safeway store for her ``Congress on Your Corner''
event. She was there to meet with constituents, which is something she
enjoyed doing very much. This was the first such event of the year. She
had hosted others previously.
She was joined by members of her staff. Among them were Pam Simon,
Ron Barber, Gabriel Zimmerman, and Daniel Hernandez, an intern. They
stood alongside as Congresswoman Giffords greeted her constituents who
had lined up to speak with her. One of those individuals was Judge John
Roll, chief judge of the U.S. District Court of Arizona, a personal
friend of mine. Like most mornings, he had attended mass. Then he
decided to stop by the Safeway to thank the Congresswoman for her
assistance in dealing with the court's overwhelming caseload. Also
attending the event was 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, who, like
Congresswoman Giffords, had recently won elected office. This third
grader had recently been elected to the student council by Mesa Verde
Elementary School. Dorothy Morris and her husband George, a retired
marine, were attending the event together. And Phyllis Schneck, a great
grandmother who spent the winters in Tucson but was actually from New
Jersey, was there as well, as were Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard. As all of
these people were waiting to speak to Congresswoman Giffords, a gunman
approached and shot the Congresswoman in the head, then turning his gun
on the others in line. Gabriel Zimmerman, Judge Roll, Christina-Taylor
Green, Dorothy Morris, Phyllis Schneck, and Dorwan Stoddard were all
killed. George Morris, Mavy Stoddard, Pamela Simon, Ron Barber, and the
Congresswoman were injured, along with eight others.
Those who were killed had much more to offer in their lives.
Gabe, the Congresswoman's director of community outreach, was only 30
years old. He was engaged to be married. According to news reports, he
was killed while rushing to assist others. He worked closely with my
Tucson staff.
Judge Roll was not only a very distinguished and respected jurist but
was known most of all in the Tucson community for his kindness and
courtesy. He was killed as he tried to protect Ron Barber, who had been
shot just moments before.
Christina-Taylor Green, as I mentioned, was only 9 years old, a third
grader.
Dorothy Morris was married for 50 years to George, and he was injured
trying to protect his wife. The couple has two daughters. I met one of
them when I visited with George in the facility in which he is
recuperating, where I was last Friday.
Phyllis, like others in this group, was a volunteer at her church.
She was also known for her cooking.
Dorwan Stoddard I mentioned was also a church volunteer, and he, too,
was shot as he dove to the ground to cover his wife, who escaped with
wounds to her legs. I had an opportunity to visit with her again Friday
as well.
As we know, the gunman was prepared to take more lives. His plans for
more bloodshed were thwarted by brave and selfless citizens. Their
stories have been documented in the media in the past few weeks, but a
few of their heroic acts are worth recounting here.
After a bullet grazed his head and took him to the ground, Bill
Badger, a 74-year-old retired Army colonel--and in good shape, I might
add--got up and he helped hold the gunman down until the police
arrived.
Anna Ballis was shopping that morning at Safeway. She was leaving the
store when the shooting began. According to reports, she rushed to the
aid of Barber after a bullet hit an artery in his leg. Anna is the
mother of two U.S. marines who have been deployed to Iraq and
Afghanistan multiple times. I mentioned yesterday visiting Ron Barber
in the hospital, holding Anna's hand, repeating over and over again how
she had saved his life.
[[Page S258]]
Such multiple acts of bravery and kindness.
Daniel Hernandez was in the gallery at the State of the Union speech
last night. He is a 21-year-old intern for Congresswoman Giffords. He
rushed to her aid right after the incident. He had some training in
first aid and applied pressure to her wounds, which prevented her from
bleeding more than she did. He stayed with her even after emergency
service personnel arrived.
Sixty-one-year-old Patricia Maisch grabbed the magazine of additional
ammunition the gunman was hoping to reload in his weapon and then
administered first aid to a shooting victim.
Steve Rayle, a doctor and former emergency room physician, helped
subdue the gunman until law enforcement arrived, and then he, too,
helped to care for the injured.
As the gunman was trying to reload his weapon, Roger Salzgeber
wrestled him down from behind.
Joseph Zamudio ran toward the scene from a nearby store when he heard
the shots being fired and helped subdue the gunman again until law
enforcement officers arrived.
We are obviously grateful for these acts of bravery. We are proud of
the people I have mentioned but also all of the emergency workers who
quickly arrived on the scene and provided lifesaving aid and comfort to
the injured in the very crucial moments following the attack.
I must mention also the incredible team of professionals, the
surgeons and other highly skilled personnel at University Medical
Center. We are proud of that facility in southern Arizona, and they
certainly showed their competence in dealing with all of the wounded
and some who died.
It has now been more than 2 weeks since the tragedy, and the families
who lost loved ones are obviously still grieving. We all pray that they
find comfort in the days ahead, and we hope and pray that the wounded
will soon make full recoveries. In recent days, we have received some
good news in that regard as those who were wounded are beginning to
recover and leave the hospital. Our friend and colleague Gabby
Giffords, although she remains in serious condition, we are heartened
to hear positive reports from her doctors, and we wish her the very
best as she begins a new phase of her recovery in Houston.
The tragedy in Tucson was a shock to us all. It is difficult to
comprehend that such horror could be visited upon such fine individuals
and their families. In some respects, however, we see once again how it
has brought out the best in good people.
In honor of the victims and the heroes of this tragic event, Senator
McCain and I ask our colleagues in the Senate to pass S. Res. 14. We
can do little to bring solace to those who lost loved ones, but we can
affirm that this body is united in its grief for the fallen, its
admiration for the heroes, and prayers for the injured.
Mr. President, I note the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Udall of New Mexico). The clerk will call
the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cardin). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Recognition of the Minority Leader
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader is recognized.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, first, I would like to express my
strong support for the resolution on the floor honoring the victims and
the heroes of the Tucson shooting, and I thank Senators Kyl and McCain
for submitting it.
Let me take this opportunity to express once again my sympathy to the
families of those who lost their lives that morning and to join with
all those who are persevering in prayer for the injured, including
Congresswoman Giffords, whose condition, thankfully, still appears to
be improving day by day.
We will never forget the heroism of those who sacrificed their own
safety that morning in Tucson for the good of those around them nor the
dedication of those who attended to the wounded immediately after the
shooting both at the scene and in the hospital rooms in the days that
followed.
We thank all of them for giving us, in the midst of this horrific
event, some reason for hope and a powerful example of service to
follow.
It is my hope that today's resolution will help in some way to
preserve the memory of the dead, the injured, and the heroes of Tucson.
Hopefully, out of this terrible national tragedy the rest of us can
draw strength and inspiration, grow in concern for those around us, and
deepen our sense of purpose about the work we do here every day.
State of the Union Address
Mr. President, for 2 years I have insisted again and again that the
two parties can and should work together on legislation that would spur
the economy, create an environment for good private sector jobs, and
put our Nation on a stronger footing for the future. Last night, the
President did the same. So this afternoon I would like to accept the
President's offer to work together just as I did after last year's
State of the Union.
I agree with the President that we can and should work together to
increase, without Federal mandates, production of more domestic sources
of energy, including nuclear, clean coal, and natural gas; on
strengthening and protecting our borders and enforcing immigration
laws; on increasing U.S. exports by completing free-trade agreements
with South Korea but also Panama and Colombia; on medical liability
reform to rein in frivolous lawsuits; on finding a bipartisan solution
to strengthen Social Security for future generations of Americans; on
finishing the job in Iraq and Afghanistan; and on simplifying the
individual Tax Code and reducing our corporate tax rates, which are
making it harder and harder for U.S. companies to compete around the
world.
Working together in all these areas would help the economy by
encouraging the creation of private sector jobs, improving security,
and helping us keep our commitments to our children and our parents. I
take the President at his word when he says he is eager to cooperate
with us on doing all of it.
But achieving each of these things should be an end unto itself. It
cannot be contingent on some cynical bargain whereby one party agrees
to secure the border as long as the other party agrees to amnesty for
illegal immigrants; where one side agrees to increase domestic energy
exploration as long as the other side agrees to cripple the economy
with higher fuel prices; where one side agrees to fight terror as long
as the other side agrees to artificial timelines and preordained
withdrawal dates--in other words, a bargain whereby the party offering
to work together has no real intention of working together at all. And
too often that has been the approach this President and his party have
taken over the last 2 years.
Take health care. For more than a year, we offered to work with the
White House and Democrats on a bill that would incorporate the best
thinking on both sides. They refused every step of the way. In the end,
they got the bill they wanted: a massive government-driven system that
creates an unknowable number of new bureaucratic entities and two
massive new government entitlements, which is already leading people to
lose the care they like, which nearly two-thirds of U.S. doctors
surveyed predict will lead to worse care, and which is causing already
struggling businesses to struggle even more with a mountain--a
mountain--of new mandates and fees. It is only after this disastrous
bill has become law that the President says he is now interested in
making it better, even as he belittles the legitimate concerns so many
Americans continue to have about it.
He has taken the same approach to spending and debt. Two years ago,
the President came to Congress and told the country we needed to invest
in the future through a trillion-dollar stimulus that was supposed to
be a model of transparency and efficiency. Within a year, this bill,
which was sold to us as the answer to our Nation's economic woes, had
become a national punch line, a tragic waste of money. And 2 years
after that investment in our future was signed into law, what do we
have? Nearly $3.5 trillion more in debt and nearly 3 million more
Americans out of work.
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These out-of-work Americans do not want to sit around and wait for
the Democratic vision of the future to appear, compliments of the
experts in Washington. They are not particularly moved by someone's
vision of what America could look like 40 years from now if only they
hand over more of their paychecks or more of their freedoms now. They
want a job. They want Washington to stop trying to help them and let
them help themselves.
So the President talks a good game, but call us skeptical, because
when all of the applause is over and the speeches are through, the debt
is higher, more and more wasteful spending and job-stifling regulations
come to light, and millions of Americans are still asking the same
simple, persistent question: Mr. President, where are the jobs?
The President made some good suggestions on areas where we could work
together, and we stand ready to do so, just as we have in the past. But
we have now seen enough to know that what the President says and what
the President does are two very different things. He has called for
investments in energy before and we got the stimulus. He called for
working with us on trade. We are still waiting. He said before we need
to get serious about the debt, even as it reached dizzying new heights
as a result of his policies. He speaks like one who recognizes that
spending is out of control, and yet his response is to propose that we
lock in spending levels we already know are completely unsustainable.
This isn't progress. This is an admission of defeat. Americans don't
want a spending freeze at unsustainable levels. They want cuts--
dramatic cuts--and I hope the President will work with us on achieving
them soon.
To put it simply, the President still sounds as though he is trying
to have it both ways. His tone may be changing, but based on past
performance we will remain skeptical until we see actual results.
Republicans have pledged to the voters that we will do everything we
can to cut wasteful government spending, work to lower the debt, get
government out of the way of economic growth, and to work to repeal the
health care bill, even as we replace that health care bill with the
kind of commonsense reforms people actually want. The President has
shown he is willing to talk about some of these things. Let's hope he
surprises us by showing a new willingness to do more than that--to
actually work with us on achieving real results.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is my understanding that all time has
been used under the order that is now before the Senate. If it has not,
let's pretend it has and let's start the vote now.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the order for the vote will
be changed to 2:25.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be.
The question is on agreeing to the resolution.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs.
Feinstein), the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Rockefeller), and the
Senator from Virginia (Mr. Webb) are necessarily absent.
I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from
California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from West Virginia (Mr.
Rockefeller), and the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Webb) would each vote
``yea.''
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 97, nays 0, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 1 Leg.]
YEAS--97
Akaka
Alexander
Ayotte
Barrasso
Baucus
Begich
Bennet
Bingaman
Blumenthal
Blunt
Boozman
Boxer
Brown (MA)
Brown (OH)
Burr
Cantwell
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Chambliss
Coats
Coburn
Cochran
Collins
Conrad
Coons
Corker
Cornyn
Crapo
DeMint
Durbin
Ensign
Enzi
Franken
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagan
Harkin
Hatch
Hoeven
Hutchison
Inhofe
Inouye
Isakson
Johanns
Johnson (SD)
Johnson (WI)
Kerry
Kirk
Klobuchar
Kohl
Kyl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Lee
Levin
Lieberman
Lugar
Manchin
McCain
McCaskill
McConnell
Menendez
Merkley
Mikulski
Moran
Murkowski
Murray
Nelson (NE)
Nelson (FL)
Paul
Portman
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Risch
Roberts
Rubio
Sanders
Schumer
Sessions
Shaheen
Shelby
Snowe
Stabenow
Tester
Thune
Toomey
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Vitter
Warner
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
NOT VOTING--3
Feinstein
Rockefeller
Webb
The resolution (S. Res. 14) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 14
Whereas on January 8, 2011, a gunman opened fire at a
``Congress on your Corner'' event hosted by Representative
Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, killing 6 and wounding
13 others;
Whereas Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, John Roll,
Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and Gabriel Matthew
Zimmerman lost their lives in this attack;
Whereas Christina-Taylor Green, the 9-year-old daughter of
John and Roxanna Green, was born on September 11, 2001, and
was a third grader with an avid interest in government who
was recently elected to the student council at Mesa Verde
Elementary School;
Whereas Dorothy Morris, who was 76 years old, attended the
January 8 event with George, her husband of over 50 years
with whom she had 2 daughters, and who was also critically
injured as he tried to shield her from the shooting;
Whereas John Roll, a Pennsylvania native who was 63 years
old, began his professional career as a bailiff in 1972, was
appointed to the Federal bench in 1991, and became chief
judge for the District of Arizona in 2006, was a devoted
husband to his wife Maureen, father to his 3 sons, and
grandfather to his 5 grandchildren, and heroically attempted
to shield Ron Barber from additional gunfire;
Whereas Phyllis Schneck, a proud mother of 3, grandmother
of 7, and great-grandmother from New Jersey, was spending the
winter in Arizona, and was a 79-year-old church volunteer and
New York Giants fan;
Whereas Dorwan Stoddard, a 76-year-old retired construction
worker and volunteer at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ,
is credited with shielding his wife Mavy, a longtime friend
whom he married while they were in their 60s, who was also
injured in the shooting;
Whereas Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman, who was 30 years old and
engaged to be married, served as Director of Community
Outreach to Representative Gabrielle Giffords, and was a
social worker before serving with Representative Giffords;
Whereas Representative Gabrielle Giffords was a target of
this attack, and was critically injured;
Whereas 13 others were also wounded in the shooting,
including Ron Barber and Pamela Simon, both staffers to
Representative Giffords; and
Whereas several individuals, including Patricia Maisch,
Army Col. Bill Badger (Retired), who was also wounded in the
shooting, Roger Salzgeber, Joseph Zamudio, Daniel Hernandez,
Jr., Anna Ballis, and Dr. Steven Rayle helped apprehend the
gunman and assist the injured, thereby risking their lives
for the safety of others, and should be commended for their
bravery: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific
attack which occurred at the ``Congress on your Corner''
event hosted by Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson,
Arizona, on January 8, 2011;
(2) offers its heartfelt condolences to the families,
friends, and loved ones of those who were killed in that
attack;
(3) expresses its hope for the rapid and complete recovery
of those wounded in the shooting;
(4) honors the memory of Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy
Morris, John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and
Gabriel Matthew Zimmerman;
(5) applauds the bravery and quick thinking exhibited by
those individuals who prevented the gunman from potentially
taking more lives and helped to save those who had been
wounded;
(6) recognizes the service of the first responders who
raced to the scene and the health care professionals who
tended to the victims once they reached the hospital, whose
service and skill saved lives;
(7) reaffirms the bedrock principle of American democracy
and representative government, which is memorialized in the
First
[[Page S260]]
Amendment of the Constitution and which Representative
Gabrielle Giffords herself read in the Hall of the House of
Representatives on January 6, 2011, of ``the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government
for a redress of grievances'';
(8) stands firm in its belief in a democracy in which all
can participate and in which intimidation and threats of
violence cannot silence the voices of any American;
(9) honors the service and leadership of Representative
Gabrielle Giffords, a distinguished member of the House of
Representatives, as she courageously fights to recover; and
(10) when adjourning today, shall do so out of respect to
the victims of this attack.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Begich). The motion to reconsider is laid
upon the table.
Mr. DURBIN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________