[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 31, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S537-S539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Tribute To James D. Wise
Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, today I wish to honor a great man, a
colleague, and my friend: Jamie Wise.
It was nearly 10 years ago that Jamie joined Team Montana. The
passionate Representative Rosa DeLauro had toughened him up and groomed
him for success in the world's most deliberative body. As a newly
elected Senator ranked 100 in seniority, one of the first decisions I
made was to hire Jamie.
Some may say it is tough to break into Team Montana. We are few but
proud, an independent but tight-knit family, a little unpolished, but
persistent and most often underestimated. Jamie fit right in.
With his sharp wit and dry sense of humor, he quickly became a
Montanan. Hailing from his adoptive hometown of Great Falls, it was a
natural fit for him to tackle my veterans, defense, and homeland
security portfolios. And tackle it he did.
He wrote my first bill that was signed into law to more fairly
reimburse veterans who are traveling to and from their doctors'
appointments. It may seem like a simple thing, but it has been life
changing for veterans all across this Nation who cannot afford a tank
of gas but are facing debilitating medical conditions and need to see
their doctor. This bill would set the stage for Jamie's long and
incredible career in my office.
Jamie's dedication to Montana has taken him down into the silo of an
intercontinental ballistic missile, from the embassy in Yemen, to the
Port of Wild Horse on the border of Canada. Needless to say, his
legislative chops are unmatched on the Hill. His ability to look 1 inch
ahead while also calculating the roadblocks 100 miles away is a skill
that can't be taught. It is instinctual.
Jamie worked hard, long hours and rose through the ranks from
legislative assistant to legislative director and ultimately chief of
staff. It was common to find Jamie sitting in his office into the wee
hours of the night plowing through appropriations bills, making sure
Montana got its fair shake. Those long hours produced real results for
families and small businesses across the State. You can see Jamie's
fingerprints on hundreds of letters, thousands of press releases, and
the careers of dozens of young, aspiring staffers.
James D. Wise has left his mark on this world, and I can't wait to
see what he takes on next.
So today, I wish to thank Jamie on behalf of this Nation, 1 million
Montanans, and one grateful Senator.
STATE OF THE UNION ESSAY CONTEST FINALISTS
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask to have printed in the
Record some of the finalist essays written by Vermont high school
students as part of the seventh annual State of the Union essay contest
conducted by my office.
The material follows:
ZOE HOULIHAN, NORTH COUNTRY UNION HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN (FINALIST)
When you think of America, do you think of McDonald's, big
cities, high-tech phones and computers, or do you think about
violence, fear, and hatred amongst people? Although America
seems like a great place full of opportunities and freedom,
it is quite the opposite if you are not a white, straight,
cisgendered male. There are many problems in America that
need to be fixed.
Racism has been ongoing for hundreds of years. Blacks,
Hispanics and many other
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non-white groups have faced discrimination and hatred because
of the color of their skin. Blacks are thought as more
violent and lazy than whites. African Americans now
constitute 1 million of the 2.3 million imprisoned
population. They are also incarcerated at six times the rate
of whites. NAACP says that 5 times as many whites are using
drugs as Blacks, but they are being sent to prison at 10
times the rate of whites. Moreover, Blacks are getting shot
at higher rate than whites. Although more whites are getting
shot, there are about 160 million more white people than
there are black people. While Whites make up 49% of those
fatally shot by police officers, Blacks make up 24%, despite
only being 13% of the US population. More than 250 blacks
were killed in 2016. Furthermore, 47% of hate crimes have to
do with race. Racism is such a big problem in America it's
hard to say what an effective solution would be. One solution
to this could be to get media stars that are POC to talk
about racism. This could cause their fan base (which can be
quite large) to change their ideas about African Americans.
Another solution is to educate people on racism. Teaching
young children in school about how racism started could
lessen the number of people in each generation that feel
negatively about people of color. Lastly, the government
should make the policies about racism in schools and
workplaces stricter. Telling kids ``That is not appropriate''
when they make a racist comment isn't doing anything. People
need to be punished for making these comments because if they
aren't it makes it seem like it isn't a big deal.
Another problem in America is sexism and sexual assault.
Sexism makes it harder for women to get jobs and be well-off
in life. According to the Huffington Post, well-off white men
are three times more likely than women to be offered a job
interview. Moreover, women that work 41-44 hours per week
earn 84.6% of what a man working that same time would earn.
Women that work more than 60 hours a week earn only 78.3% of
what a man would earn. Similarly, in the House of
Representatives only 19.3% are women, and in the Senate only
20% are women. In addition, when a woman claims to have been
sexually assaulted, men usually blame the women. They ask
what they were wearing, how ``revealing'' it was, and if they
were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. One in four
women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Also,
683,000 adult women are forcibly raped each year. This is
equal to 56,916 per month, 1,871 per day and 78 per hour. One
solution to women not getting payed as much as men could be
to make a policy that both women and men are to be paid
equally. Furthermore, a solution to sexual assault is to
teach kids about consent and to give longer sentences to
people that have committed sexual assault. Another solution
to sexism is to have more women representation in media and
politics. This could help eliminate the thought that women
are only made to have children, clean and cook. It would also
give young girls more role models to look up to.
Finally, the last issue that needs to be fixed is hate and
discrimination against the LGBT+ community. According to an
analysis of data collected by the FBI, lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender people are the most likely targets
of hate crimes. An example of a hate crime against the LGBT+
community is the Orlando nightclub shooting. 49 were killed
and at least 53 were injured. This shooting is considered the
worst mass shooting in the United States and the nation's
worst terrorist attack since 9/11. Additionally, LGBT+ people
experience discrimination in the workforce. They actually
have a higher unemployment rate than African Americans (15%
versus 12%). People of color that are also apart of the LGBT+
community face the most discrimination. A solution to this
problem could be to educate young children about the
different sexualities and explain that it's okay to feel
attracted to whomever. Another solution is to create policies
that would help protect people in the LGBT+ community.
Lastly, there should be stricter rules about when a teacher
hears a homophobic comment. Many kids say ``That's so gay''
when something that they don't like happens and i could make
other kids feel unsafe.
In conclusion, America has many issues with equal rights
that need to be fixed. One of the main solutions to every
problem is education. When people are educated, they can use
their knowledge to base their opinions off instead of going
with what the popular opinion is or what they are hearing
around them.
GRAHAM JANSON, MONTPELIER HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR (FINALIST)
Whenever you ask someone the question, ``What is the most
pressing issue facing our nation today?'' you will most
likely get a different answer every time. An environmentalist
might say, ``Carbon emissions and global warming.'' A
conservative activist might say, ``The increasing national
debt.'' There are many answers to this question. But there is
only one answer that addresses an issue that lies at the
center of our nation's existence. That answer is that the
fundamental democratic principles on which the United States
is based are being eroded by voter suppression and
gerrymandering.
Efforts to suppress voting rights for many people have been
around since the Constitution was adopted as the supreme law
of the land, when only property-owning white men could vote.
We have come a long way since then, with African Americans,
Native Americans, and American women gaining the right to
vote, but we still have a long way to go. Similar to during
Reconstruction, when literacy tests were used to deny African
Americans the right to vote, a now-overturned North Carolina
voter ID law was in effect that, according to the federal
appeals court that dealt with the case, deliberately
``target[ed] African-Americans'' in an attempt to suppress
their voter turnout. Other states, such as Ohio, Kansas, and
North Carolina, have had voter ID laws that have been
overturned after being ruled discriminatory by a federal
appeals court. The overturning of these laws is already a
step in the right direction. A way to address voter-
suppression efforts is to require a federal court review for
every voter ID law to make sure that there is no
discrimination or infringement of American rights. Another
way is to restore the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of
1965.
Additionally, the repeal of some of the key aspects of the
Voting Rights Act in 2013, which allowed nine states to alter
their election laws without the approval of the federal
government, demonstrates how gerrymandered elections can
serve to undermine basic democratic principles.
Gerrymandering involves altering the areas of electoral
districts to favor one party or another, and both Democratic
and Republican politicians have engaged in gerrymandering in
the past. There have been many cases in which a political
candidate has won an election because of gerrymandering. This
clearly undermines our nation's democratic principles because
now a candidate can carry the minority of an electorate and
win an election, and it needs to change now. Furthermore,
because these same elected officials appoint and confirm
federal judges, voter suppression and gerrymandering can also
undermine the judiciary's vital role in protecting democratic
voting rights.
In conclusion, the restoration of equal voting rights and
the elimination of gerrymandering would allow the United
States to remain a true democracy. Indeed, the other pressing
issues that face our nation today, such as global warming,
economic development, immigration, healthcare, and
gender equity, cannot be fairly addressed while our nation
continues to utilize this flawed system that does not
reflect democratic values.
IRA RICHARDSON, BELLOWS FALLS UNION HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR (FINALIST)
When George Washington delivered his farewell address, he
stated that ``The alternate domination of one faction over
another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party
dissension . . . is itself a frightful despotism.'' Our first
and only president who was not a member of a political party
attempted to warn us of the threats they can pose to
democracy. Today, however, the Democratic and Republican
parties have become so powerful that one can hardly imagine
the American democratic system without them. In a sense, this
is one of the sources of their overbearing power: many
Americans see them as an intrinsic part of our democracy
rather than two organizations that were created long after
the union to organize like-minded voters. Political parties
are not inherently bad, but a system which creates a forced
dichotomy by only giving voters two realistic choices for any
given position has unquestionable negative effects on our
nation. Firstly, it forces citizens who care deeply about
specific issues to routinely vote for candidates whom they
may not agree with in any other capacity so as to not violate
their personal moral code. This, in turn, allows parties to
cynically align themselves with these single-issue voters to
win their votes without truly sharing their values.
Additionally, two diametrically opposed political parties
give rise to an us-versus-them mentality among citizens,
eroding the mutual trust that is intrinsic in the formation
of a nation.
To reduce the near-hegemonic power that the parties
currently hold, it is imperative to make it more clear to the
American public that both parties are private organizations,
operating within their own processes and promoting goals that
are not necessarily those of their constituents. The
intention is not to cause Americans to stop supporting the
party they belong to, but rather not to follow any party
blindly, and to understand their complex histories and role
in American democracy. Another step towards a system in which
people could more consistently vote for politicians they
truly support would be the implementation of an instant run-
off (aka alternate or ranked) voting system. In such a
system, a voter does not select a single candidate to receive
a position, but rather ranks the order in which they support
each candidate. If no candidate has over fifty percent of the
vote, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated and
every citizen who selected them has their votes moved to
their next choice, and the votes are tallied again. This
process is repeated until a candidate has a majority. This
alternative would allow people to vote their conscience
without fear of handing the election to a candidate on the
opposite side of the political spectrum. It would not destroy
the existing political parties (which would be destabilizing)
but rather allow third-party and independent candidates to
speak for portions of the population who cannot identify with
either existing party. By reducing the power of the two major
parties, the environment necessary to address the many
problems facing America could be created.
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JULIA STERGAS, BELLOWS FREE ACADEMY FAIRFAX SENIOR (FINALIST)
Nearly 260 years ago our country endured a war over the
rights of our states and the rights of its peoples. From this
war came the first legislation to protect African Americans
living in the United States. One-hundred years later, our
country faced another revolution, resulting in new
legislation that enhanced the ability for African Americans
to participate in political and social life. Since then, many
Americans have believed that racial equality has been
achieved.
But here we are, fifty years later, struggling through yet
another conflict over the divide between black and white.
Tensions are high between African Americans and white
authority figures in the United States. Distrust and anxiety
separates black Americans from their government and onlooking
citizens. In 2014, Michael Brown was shot and killed by a
police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. That same year, a
barrage of negative media emerged from an originally peaceful
protest in Baltimore, Maryland, depicting unlawful rioters
who looted and set fire to business, injuring six police
officers. Now, we continue to watch video clips on nightly
news highlighting the struggle between black and white.
Through this our attention has been distracted from the true
cause of continued racial conflict: the lack of recent
successful intervention.
White authority figures are perpetually distrusted by the
black community, and groups such as Black Lives Matter still
believe inherent biases against African Americans are
abundant in society. We must rebuild this connection. To
achieve comprehensive change we must redirect our nation's
path. The first step toward action is awareness. This issue
must be introduced into schools, universities, and community
centers. If we can enlighten young adults they will share
their knowledge and work to obtain equality nationwide.
Educators would lead discussions on current and historic
racial tensions in a non-partisan, open environment. Focusing
on historic and current events and their social and political
ramifications, these open debates would promote civic
engagement and thoughtful problem solving. Prompts regarding
the government's involvement and the responsibilities it
should assume, the action we as the nation's youth should
assume, and opportunities to develop individual solutions
would be considered during discussion. Our young population
is critical to the future of our nation, so it is necessary
that we provide them with opportunities to immerse themselves
in their political and social world.
Today's generation and the ones to follow will be our
leaders and our visionaries. Incorporating awareness into
education programs would introduce these leaders to the
nuances of the world they will come to inspire, and allow
them to develop an understanding of their political efficacy.
Raising consciousness of this racial strain would encourage
young leaders to take charge of their futures, and ours, and
incite change. It is critical to the well being of our nation
that we cultivate a generation of educated young adults who
possess the skills to maneuver themselves in their political
and social world. Addressing our nation's imperfection and
coaching our youth will only be the start to a nationwide
revolution of change and acceptance.