[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 51 (Friday, April 8, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2338-S2340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     EXTENSION OF MORNING BUSINESS

  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the period 
for morning business for debate only be extended until 10:30 p.m., with 
Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each, with the 
majority leader to be recognized at 10:30 p.m.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas is recognized.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to add 
Senators Leahy, Merkley, and Boxer as cosponsors to S. 724.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, this brings to 77, out of 100 
Senators, who are now sponsoring this bill. Our bill, S. 724, is very 
simple. It just says if there is a government shutdown, our military 
will be paid their full pay on time.
  This bill is the very least we can do to assure every military family 
that they do not have to worry for one minute whether their mortgage is 
going to be paid, whether their car payments will be paid, or whether 
they will be able to get over this hump without thinking that there 
might be a halving of their pay, or that it might be delayed.
  I am especially concerned, of course, about those who are overseas, 
but their families are at home, because if the mom or dad is overseas 
and there is a glitch somewhere, they are not here to help. I think it 
would be unthinkable that we would go to midnight and not have taken 
care of these families and assured them that everything is going to be 
fine.
  I want to say that I hope there is an agreement, and I have heard the 
rumor that there is an agreement. If there is one, I know that it will 
include military pay. I believe that. If, for any reason, that 
agreement does not happen in the next 3 hours, or if the agreement 
doesn't include military pay--which I don't think will happen--I think 
both Houses of Congress want to serve our soldiers and their families, 
but I will be here until midnight, and I am going to make sure that 
whatever happens, either S. 724, with 77 sponsors in the Senate, is 
passed, or that we have an agreement that both Houses have before them 
that will assure that the military pay is handled in that other 
agreement.
  So we are going to be here for 3 more hours and make sure that the 
will of the Senate, which is very clear with 77 sponsors, is met.
  I want to just mention again that there was a Web site put up early 
this morning by just one woman who was very concerned about this issue 
and heard about my bill in the news. Her name is Hope Guinn Bradley. 
She is from Hawaii. I do not know her. She has started a social media 
network like I have never witnessed in my life. We now have over 1 
million support hits on her Web site, called Ensuring Pay for our 
Military Act of 2011. In one day, she has accumulated 1 million support 
sentences, or messages, for what she is doing.
  If you would go to that Web site and do nothing else but read those 
comments by people who are supporting our military and who are clearly 
in the support of our military--you know, I would like for the military 
people to see it just so they understand how much America appreciates 
them and what they do because they are saying to the people here in 
Washington, DC: You take care of our young men and women who are 
fighting for us. You better do it or there will be consequences.
  Are they right? Absolutely. I have spoken a couple of times today. I 
want to make sure that we have the letters from the military 
organizations that have been written in support of S. 724. There is one 
from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America that wrote a 
wonderful letter. I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the 
Record along with two other letters to which I will refer.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                              Iraq and Afghanistan


                                          Veterans of America,

                                    Washington, DC, April 7, 2011.
     Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison,
     248 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Hutchison: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of 
     America (IAVA) strongly supports S. 724, the Ensuring Pay for 
     Our Military Act of 2011. This bill ensures that all members 
     of the Armed Forces will continue to receive the pay and 
     allowances they have earned despite any lack of interim or 
     full-year appropriations.
       Our men and women in uniform protect our nation and 
     continue to do so despite budget disagreements in Washington. 
     The members of our Armed Forces are essential to the defense 
     of our nation and must be treated as such.
       Many young service members and their families are dealing 
     with multiple deployments and often live paycheck to 
     paycheck. Military families should not be asked to bear 
     further financial stress in addition to fighting the war on 
     terrorism. This legislation protects the men and women who 
     protect us.
       If we can be of any help in advancing S. 724 please contact 
     Tim Embree at (202) 544-7692 or [email protected]. We look forward 
     to working with you.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Paul Rieckhoff,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                              National Association


                                       for Uniformed Services,

                                   Springfield, VA, April 7, 2011.
     Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Hutchison: On behalf of the more than 180,000 
     members and supporters of the National Association for 
     Uniformed Services (NAUS), I would like to offer our full 
     support for your legislation S. 724, the Ensuring Pay for Our 
     Military Act of 2011, a bill to assure that, in the event of 
     a federal government shutdown, our nation's men and women in 
     uniform would continue to receive their military pay and 
     allowances.
       The Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act would make available 
     the necessary funds to prevent an interruption in pay for 
     members of the military if there is a funding gap resulting 
     from a government shutdown. The bill also includes a 
     provision to authorize the Secretary of Defense to allow 
     those who serve as DOD civilians or contractors in support of 
     our men and women in uniform to continue to be paid as well.
       The National Association for Uniformed Services thanks you 
     for introducing legislation that demonstrates our nation's 
     appreciation for those who serve in our Armed Forces. We look 
     forward to working with you and your staff and deeply 
     appreciate your continued support of the American soldier and 
     their families.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Richard A. Jones,
     Legislative Director.
                                  ____

                                     Military Officers Association


                                                   of America,

                                                    April 8, 2011.
     Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Hutchison: On behalf of the 377,000 members of 
     the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), I am 
     writing to urge you to cosponsor S. 724, the ``Ensuring Pay 
     For Our Military Act of 2011,'' recently introduced by 
     Senators Bob Casey and Kay Bailey Hutchison.
       Recent media stories stating servicemembers may not be paid 
     in the event

[[Page S2339]]

     of a government shutdown are only adding to unfair pressures 
     on already over-stressed troops and families.
       With loved ones involved in three separate combat 
     operations and humanitarian relief in Japan, military 
     families should not have to wonder if they will be able to 
     cover house and car payments and other bills.
       S. 724 would continue pay and allowances for active and 
     reserve component forces in the event of a failure to enact 
     interim or full-year appropriations for the Armed Forces. 
     Absent any assurance that pay will continue, MOAA believes 
     this legislation is essential to provide fair treatment for 
     military members and families.
       We respectfully request that you cosponsor and support 
     immediate passage of S. 724 to ensure this situation never 
     arises again in the future.
           Sincerely,
                                           VADM Norbert Ryan, Jr.,
                                                  President, MOAA.

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America 
understand better than anybody what it is like to serve there and to 
not have any other stresses that would add to what they are already 
doing for our country. They say pass S. 724.
  The National Association for Uniformed Services, with more than 
180,000 members, sent a letter in support.
  The Military Officers Association of America has also added its 
support with 377,000 members.
  We have the grassroots support. Everyone understands this. I will 
read a couple of the messages that have been on this wonderful Web 
site, but, first, here is one that came to my Web site:

       Dear Senator Hutchison: My husband serves as a Captain in 
     the United States Army. As the wife of a currently deployed 
     soldier and mother to our two-year-old son, I find it 
     outrageous that our government is debating whether or not to 
     continue to pay our troops.
       While my husband and I are very fiscally responsible, many 
     of his junior soldiers simply cannot handle the implication 
     of what it would mean to not receive their paychecks. We 
     worry for these soldiers' families. How will they afford 
     groceries? How will they afford diapers for their babies? 
     Will they be able to pay their rent or mortgages? These are 
     not questions that we should have to ask. Money should not be 
     a worry on these soldiers' minds. My husband and the soldiers 
     in his unit do incredibly dangerous missions and quite 
     frankly it frightens me that this could split their focus in 
     a very negative way.
       My husband and his fellow soldiers risk their lives on a 
     daily basis. They miss holidays and their children's 
     birthdays. They deserve to know that the same government that 
     sent them over to fight is looking out for them. They deserve 
     to know that our government would not send them over to a war 
     zone and then deny them their pay. My husband does not have 
     the luxury to ``walk off the job.'' He stays there until the 
     mission is complete, and the Senate has a mission as well: to 
     pass the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act of 2011, S. 724.

  Here is another hit that was found on the Ensuring Pay for Our 
Military Act of 2011 Web site:

       As a military wife who is expecting our first child in 
     June, my husband and I recently PCS'd overseas and are 
     already on a tight budget to pay our new bills in Euros and 
     our bills stateside in dollars. Now we have to worry that we 
     will not have enough money to pay our bills and our credit 
     might be harmed, there is no safety net to help catch us when 
     we fall behind, no interest on the back pay that we will be 
     missing, or the late fees waived when we can't pay all of our 
     bills. We would have to tell our German landlords that we 
     cannot afford to give them money, how are they supposed to 
     understand? They are not in this situation, we as Americans 
     are. I am not complaining of being a military spouse; I chose 
     this life. I knew of the hardships of deployments (my husband 
     has served in both Afghanistan and Iraq), and I love what my 
     family does. I hope and pray that this issue will be resolved 
     soon.

  Mr. President, really--I mean really, we have 3 hours until midnight. 
Can we tell these people that they might get half their paycheck on 
April 15? We can't.
  Here is another letter. I am obviously not reading the names, 
although they are on here. I don't want to in any way harm them:

       As a veteran of OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom), I stand 
     behind you 100 percent and so do many others. This will tear 
     morale from the troops and their families, which can be a 
     dangerous thing. The mental and financial balance soldiers 
     and their families are on, as it is, is a delicate one. They 
     live month to month. Most are enlisted and make scratch as it 
     is. Cutting more pay will put these families on the chopping 
     block, and when a soldier's family is put in that position, 
     that soldier is no longer fighting for his country but is now 
     fighting for his family against his country. This would 
     destroy the basic foundation of all our forces from the 
     core.

  There are 1 million hits on this Web site. So many of them are 
touching, many are pleading, some are angry. I just want to say I do 
have faith that in the next 3 hours, we will ensure that these people 
are taken care of. I do have that faith. But we only have 3 more hours. 
I want to ensure that we are going to be here. If it starts getting to 
11 o'clock and we have 1 more hour to ensure that not 1 more hour 
passes after midnight that this cannot be taken care of, I am going to 
be here, and we are going to do it. And I am so proud that so far we 
have 77 cosponsors of this bill. I think we will have unanimous support 
for it. I do. But 77 people have made sure they called to be a 
cosponsor of this bill. I am proud we have something very bipartisan in 
a very partisan atmosphere. That is maybe a ray of hope that this is 
going to be done in the right way.
  I want the people of this country to know and I want it to be in the 
Congressional Record the overwhelming support that has now come because 
of the debate, what people are seeing and their support for the 
military.
  The Presiding Officer is a cosponsor of the bill. The Senator who is 
taking his place right now is also a supporter of this bill--Senator 
Merkley, Senator Udall, Senator Durbin, Senator Kerry. We have very 
strong bipartisan support. It is my faith that we are going to do what 
is right for our military because we can do no less.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Merkley). The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Texas and her 
cosponsor, the Senator from Pennsylvania, Mr. Casey. They expressed the 
deep-felt sentiments of all of us. I am happy to be a cosponsor of this 
legislation.
  I can assure the Senator from Texas that we have discussed this at 
length in our caucus, and there will be ample opportunity for all 
Members to join in an effort to make certain our men and women in 
uniform, who are risking their lives, will not be in any way 
disadvantaged by what is going on on Capitol Hill.
  I share her frustration and anxiety. I have been listening and 
watching these negotiations now for weeks. I cannot believe we have 
reached this point--less than 3 hours from a government shutdown--when 
the differences are so minor, when there are so few things in 
disagreement. It is time, literally, for the Speaker of the House to 
come forward and accept the dollar amount he agreed to last night in 
the White House Oval Office, to accept that amount which dramatically 
cuts spending to help reduce our deficit.
  I do not know why we have literally wasted this entire day in 
negotiations back and forth. Part of it was wasted, I am afraid, on 
this whole question of funding the access of women and families across 
America to health care. I understand that has been worked out now 
during the course of the day. The Speaker has considered a different 
approach to it, thank goodness.
  Now is the time to close the deal. Now is the time to get our job 
done. Now is the time to not only stand up for the men and women in 
uniform--and they should be our first obligation--but stand up for so 
many others deserving of our help too. They are not covered by this 
bill. Right now, there are FBI agents in America risking their lives 
tracking drug dealers and terrorists who are about to learn at midnight 
that their jobs are in jeopardy, if not closed down, until Congress 
relents. The same thing is true about those in our intelligence 
community around the world. They may not wear a uniform, but they are 
literally risking their lives as well for the security of the United 
States in countries far and wide across this globe. The list just goes 
on and on.
  We first think of our military, as we should, but they are not the 
only ones who are making great sacrifice for the safety of this 
country. When I think of their valor and courage, I wonder whether our 
leaders can summon 
the courage, particularly at this point I hope the Speaker can summon 
the courage to bring his caucus together and to vote, to avert this 
embarrassing--embarrassing--shutdown which will occur in less than 3 
hours unless something happens.
  I still believe it will. I still believe we have that chance, and I 
hope Senator

[[Page S2340]]

Hutchison, who has been a leader on this issue, does not have to come 
to the floor again. I can assure her, before anything happens to 
disadvantage our troops, we will stand together in a bipartisan way, 
maybe on her bill, maybe on another bill, but we will stand in a 
bipartisan way to protect these troops. I thank her again for her 
leadership. There is evidence between her and Senator Casey that there 
is a strong bipartisan feeling that we need to get this job done before 
the Senate shuts down.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I appreciate very much what the leader 
has said. I know this has been arduous, and I know the negotiations 
have been arduous. That is why I believe that in the next 3 hours, we 
will do the right thing on this issue. I hope we do the right thing for 
all of our country.
  We have not talked about the other Federal employees who are 
essential and those who are going to be furloughed. There are so many 
people in this country who are going to be affected in so many ways if 
there is a government shutdown. I am focusing on the ones who cannot 
help themselves right now because they are overseas protecting our 
freedom, but there are many people who are going to have hardships that 
are unnecessary.
  I do appreciate what Senator Durbin has said.
  There is one other person I want to mention; that is, Congressman 
Louie Gohmert. He started on the House side with the same bill I have 
introduced on the Senate side. He has gained large support on the House 
side for this legislation. I commend Congressman Gohmert for assuring, 
as we were watching this week the very spirited debate that has gone on 
about the possibility of having a government shutdown--Louie Gohmert 
stepped up first. I give him credit for saying there is one group we 
cannot leave behind no matter what happens. Our bills are virtually the 
same. Whichever House can pass it first is fine with me because 
whatever we do, we have to do it together and we have to do it before 
midnight.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.
  Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I just wandered onto the floor hoping we 
were coming close to some type of an agreement. I very much regret that 
we have to careen from week to week, from period to period funding our 
government on a temporary basis. I think all of us were hoping we could 
get this resolved. I still hold out some hope. There is 2 hours and 50 
minutes or so of negotiations still to go.
  I commend the Senator from Texas, Mrs. Hutchison, for her efforts. 
She has been relentless in reminding us for several days, if not more, 
that we cannot leave our troops in the field and those who are wearing 
the uniform serving our country in a situation where they are not paid. 
This, of course, affects drug enforcement agents and many others across 
the Federal spectrum. But these troops overseas are bearing hardship 
enough to not be caught up in a debate here which is necessary, a 
debate that needs to be resolved.
  As I said earlier when I spoke this morning or early afternoon, this 
is just a small little brushfire, as dramatic as the press has made it, 
and it does have consequences--serious consequences. But compared to 
the size of the problem our Nation faces from a fiscal standpoint 
relative to what we need to do and what we need to be debating, this is 
a small part, just talking about funding for the next 6 months to fill 
a gap that was left when no budget was passed and no action was taken 
on it in the last Congress, the last fiscal year, to put us in a 
position where we can move into and debate the real issue that is 
before us; that is, how do we make decisions that will affect the long-
term spending of this country, affect our budget and our deficit, and 
bring us back to a fiscally responsible place?
  I hope as negotiations continue to go forward that we can resolve 
this today so that we can begin that important debate. But if we 
cannot, at the very least, I believe it is important that we extend 
this for a small amount of time--I regret we have to do it--so we can 
bring it to its final conclusion. But the most important point is that 
before midnight, we have to make sure we pass legislation which will 
ensure that our people in uniform are paid their rightful due for the 
service they are providing. Again, I commend the Senator from Texas for 
reminding us of that and being vigilant in making sure we absolutely 
address that issue before this time runs out.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to add Senator 
Landrieu as a cosponsor of Senate bill 724.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, that makes 78 Members of the Senate 
who are now sponsoring this bill for our military.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Coons). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________