S5864 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 1, 2012 

legal. Two months later, he used that 

same weapon to open fire on a movie 

theater, filled with innocent people. 

The oversized ammunition magazine 

allowed him to fire continuously. 

Thankfully, the weapon jammed during 

the attack, and he was forced to switch 

to one of the other three firearms he 

had purchased, legally, in the preceding weeks. He killed 12 and injured 

58. Some were fathers and sons, mothers and daughters. They were all individuals with plans and dreams. Some 

were members of our armed services, 

who had volunteered to fight for our 

country. 

Mr. President, as elected officials, 

our greatest responsibility is to protect 

the lives of the American people. A renewal of the Federal ban on assault 

weapons would help keep these combat 

weapons off our streets and out of our 

neighborhoods. It would prevent them 

from getting into the hands of criminals who can legally buy them today or 

who can easily secure a straw purchaser to do so. They aren’t used to 

hunt; they are too often used to kill. I 

urge my colleagues to reinstate the 

Federal ban on assault weapons and to 

take up and pass legislation like S. 32, 

the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act, which would prohibit 

the sale of military-style ammunition 

cartridges. We can honor the memory 

of those who lost their lives in Aurora 

in many ways—one would be by passing 

such legislation. 

f 

CONGRATULATING KRISTIN 

ARMSTRONG 

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, my colleague Senator JIM RISCH joins me 

today in congratulating fellow Idahoan 

Kristin Armstrong, who won her second 

consecutive gold medal in the Olympic 

cycling time trial. Kristin’s perseverance and drive is an inspiration. 

In the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Kristin, who is a Boise resident and graduate of the University of Idaho, took 

home the gold. She returned to racing 

in 2011 after a retirement to give birth 

to her son, Lucas. 

Throughout her racing career, Kristin has demonstrated remarkable dedication and strength. Despite breaking 

her collarbone in the Exergy Tour in 

Idaho 2 months ago and sustaining 

minor injuries from a crash just a few 

days before her London win, Kristin did 

not let these difficulties hold her back. 

She surpassed many skillful competitors to once again achieve the gold 

medal while also becoming the oldest 

champion in a road cycling event. 

Kristin’s time of 37 minutes and 34.82 

seconds for the 18-mile course was 

more than 15 seconds faster than the 

silver medalist. These are considerable 

accomplishments. 

We join the many Idahoans and 

Americans who applaud Kristin’s commitment and excellence. We also commend Kristin’s friends and loved ones, 

including her husband, Joe Savola, and 

son, Lucas William Savola, who have 

supported Kristin. Kristin is truly a 

gifted athlete with immense abilities 

and talents. Her capacity to push forward beyond the challenges provides 

encouragement to all of us, and we congratulate her on this, and her many, 

extraordinary achievements. 

f 

JOHN ‘‘JACK’’ KIBBIE 

Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I have 

come to the floor today to pay tribute 

to a truly exceptional public servant 

and fellow Iowan, Jack Kibbie. Jack is 

retiring this year after 32 years of public service in the Iowa State Legislature. A decorated war hero before his 

time in office, Jack was awarded the 

Bronze Star for his service as a tank 

commander during the Korean war. 

After serving 4 years each in the Iowa 

House of Representatives and the Iowa 

Senate, he left the Senate in 1968 but 

returned in 1988 and has served ever 

since. The longest serving Senate president in Iowa’s history, Jack has dedicated his life to fighting for Iowans and 

all Americans and I am truly proud to 

have the opportunity to honor his life’s 

work today. 

Jack has spent much of his time in 

public office supporting Iowa students. 

Known as the ‘‘Father of Iowa’s Community Colleges,’’ he sponsored the 

1965 bill that created Iowa’s community college system. Later on, Jack 

served on the Iowa Lakes Community 

College Board for 17 years and was 

president for 10 of those years. What is 

most remarkable about all of this work 

is that Jack himself does not have a 

college degree, but he spent his life 

making sure his fellow Iowans had the 

opportunity to attain one. Over the 

years, we have seen the Iowa community college system grow and succeed. 

The statewide community college student body, which began with a modest 

enrollment of 9,000 students, has flourished into a system of 15 schools that 

now serve more than 155,000 college 

students and more than 254,000 noncredit students in every corner of the 

State. Together, these students represent nearly 22 percent of Iowa’s 

working population. 

This will forever stand as Jack 

Kibbie’s great legacy—a living legacy 

that will enrich and empower Iowans 

far into the future. By 2018, for instance, Iowa will add 101,000 jobs requiring postsecondary education, according to the Georgetown University 

Center on Education and the Workforce. By this same year, nearly two 

out of every three jobs in Iowa will require postsecondary training beyond 

high school. At a time when community colleges are needed more than 

ever to help the United States regain 

its standing as the Nation with the 

highest proportion of college graduates 

in the world, Iowa’s system—thanks to 

Jack Kibbie’s life’s work—is up to that 

task. 

Another legacy of Jack Kibbie—often 

overlooked—is his leadership in ensuring that the Iowa Public Employee Retirement System is rock-solid. Jack 

has fought to ensure Iowa has one of 

the best funded public pension funds in 

the United States because he believes 

strongly in providing workers with traditional pensions. I couldn’t agree 

more. 

And I don’t think there is anyone in 

Iowa who has been more persistent and 

determined—going back many years— 

in championing alternative fuels such 

as ethanol, biodiesel, and wind energy. 

Today, Iowa is the No. 1 biofuels producer in the United States and that is 

in no small measure thanks to Jack 

Kibbie. 

Mr. President, Jack Kibbie’s retirement is a tremendous loss for Iowans. 

For more than five decades Jack has 

fought for them and stood up for the 

values that make this country great. I 

wish him a long and happy retirement 

with his wife Kay and family. 

f 

JUSTICE FOR THE BYTYQI FAMILY 

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today is 

the 37th anniversary of the Helsinki 

process. Starting with the signing of 

the Helsinki Final Act on August 1, 

1975, this process began as an ongoing 

conference which helped end the Cold 

War and reunite Europe. It has continued as a Vienna-based organization 

that today seeks to resolve regional 

conflicts and promote democratic development and the rule of law throughout the region. 

While serving in both chambers of 

the U.S. Congress, it has been a unique 

and rewarding privilege to engage in 

this diplomatic process and its parliamentary component as a member 

and chairman of the U.S. Helsinki 

Commission, with the goal of improving the lives of everyday people. While 

they may be citizens of other countries, promoting their human rights 

and fundamental freedoms helps us to 

protect our own. It is, therefore, in our 

national interest to engage in this 

process. 

On this anniversary, however, I do 

want to focus on three U.S. citizens 

who suffered the ultimate violation of 

their human rights when they were 

taken into a field and shot, deliberately murdered, in July 1999 by a special operations unit under the control 

the Interior Ministry in Serbia. They 

were brothers: Ylli, Agron and Mehmet 

Bytyqi. 

The Bytyqi brothers were AlbanianAmericans from New York. Earlier in 

1999, they went to Kosovo to fight as 

members of the Kosovo Liberation 

Army in a conflict which eventually 

prompted a NATO military intervention designed to stop Serbian leader 

Slobodan Milosevic and his forces. 

When the conflict ended, the Bytyqi 

brothers assisted ethnic Roma neighbors of their mother in Kosovo by escorting them to the Serbian border. 

Accidently straying into Serbian territory, they were arrested and sentenced 

to 2 weeks in jail for illegal entry. 

When released from prison, they were 


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