S5958 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 2, 2012 

was. Back in the 1950s, the site visitors 

see today looked very different. 

Where now-restored historic homes 

line a gravel street in a stately and 

peaceful neighborhood, then stood souvenir shops surrounded by a neighborhood that Paul Findley would later recall was, ‘‘rundown and decaying in all 

directions.’’ The Lincoln home itself— 

what Lincoln’s own private secretary 

once called ‘‘the precious heirloom of 

the republic’’—was then the property 

of the State of Illinois. 

For years, developers had tried to encroach on the historic site with the 

goal of exploiting the area for commercial opportunities. Some wanted a 

theme park. Others tried to build wax 

museums or hotels or buffet restaurants in close proximity. Still others had been trying unsuccessfully to 

ensure the home’s restoration and the 

preservation of the historical integrity 

of the surrounding area. In Congressman Paul Findley, those who wanted 

to honor this piece of history found 

their champion. 

Findley traces his own interest in 

this project back to a presentation at a 

meeting of the Pittsfield Chamber of 

Commerce in 1955 well before he held 

elected office. At the meeting, a 

Springfield resident presented a case 

for preserving the Lincoln Home and 

developing the site commercially. 

While the plan for development never 

got off the ground, the presenter did 

make a point that Findley never forgot—that the Lincoln Home had largely been neglected compared to other 

Presidential homes. This, Findley regarded as ‘‘shameful, awful, scandalous.’’ It was in 1967, as the congressman representing the district that encompassed the Lincoln site that Findley became directly involved and took 

up the mantle of this effort. After 

years of lining up local, state, and national support, Congressman Findley 

announced in 1969 at a Springfield dinner that he would introduce legislation 

in Congress to make the site part of 

the National Park System. At that dinner was New York Governor Nelson 

Rockefeller, whom Findley had successfully enlisted in the effort, 

The late Senators Charles Percy and 

Everett Dirksen introduced companion 

legislation in the Senate. The bills had 

the support of every member of the Illinois congressional delegation. But even 

with all this support, as those of us 

who have been around here long 

enough know, the fight wasn’t over. 

Money, as always, was an issue. People 

began trying to raise private funds. 

Congressman Findley worked tirelessly 

to get the attention of the relevant 

committee and subcommittee chairs— 

Democrats held the majorities in both 

Chambers at the time. Among other 

things, he invited key members to 

Springfield to tour the site after which 

they usually agreed to support his efforts. 

I have no doubt that the commitments of these members to support his 

bill had as much to do with Findley’s 

tenacity, passion, and determination as 

it did the power of seeing the Lincoln 

Home in person. 

Then the Nixon administration threw 

its support behind Findley, and even 

asked that the bill be amended to fully 

authorize the appropriation required 

for the site—so the private fundraising 

was unnecessary. The House passed the 

bill first, and it enjoyed, as Findley 

says, ‘‘swift approval’’ in the Senate we 

can’t say that about too many matters 

around here anymore. On August 18, 

1971, years of efforts culminated in a 

ceremony in the Old State Capitol in 

Springfield, just blocks away from the 

Lincoln Home. With Congressman Findley looking on, President Richard 

Nixon signed the Findley bill authorizing the establishment of the Lincoln 

Home National Historic Site. 

Think about it, this was an effort 

championed by a Republican Congressman, passed by a Congress controlled 

by Democrats, and signed by a Republican President. It was a different time. 

One year after the signing ceremony, 

then-President of the Illinois State 

Senate, Paul Simon, signed legislation 

transferring the title for the Lincoln 

home to the National Park Service. 

Thanks to the leadership of Congressman Paul Findley and the many local 

supporters of his efforts—including 

then-Springfield Mayor Nelson 

Howarth, the first superintendent of 

the Lincoln Home National Historic 

Site Albert Banton, the architect of 

the Lincoln Home Visitor Center and 

early supporter of preservation efforts 

Wally Henderson, and countless others—visitors to the site today can 

stroll the street Lincoln once strolled 

and take in the neighborhood in much 

the same way it would have looked to 

him more than 150 years ago. 

The experience of visiting the Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site 

will undoubtedly inspire generations of 

young Americans to serve their country, just as Paul Findley has and as 

Abraham Lincoln did. 

This is Paul Findley’s legacy. 

It is a legacy that forever will be 

intertwined with President Lincoln— 

an honor that Paul richly deserves. 

Throughout his 91 years on this 

Earth, my friend and this great American, Paul Findley, has made an indelible mark on our State of Illinois and 

our country—and he has not done yet. 

f 

CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF 

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, last 

week, the Senate Foreign Relations 

Committee reported out the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

How fitting that this treaty was considered and passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the 22nd 

anniversary of the enactment of Americans with Disabilities Act. 

If anyone questions how important 

this treaty is to the millions of Americans living with disabilities, all they 

needed to do was look around the room 

at the hearing earlier this month. The 

hearing room was filled to capacity— 

standing room only—with people urging the Senate to ratify this important 

document. 

The United States has led the world 

in creating the legal framework, building the infrastructure, and designing 

facilities that ensure inclusion and opportunity for those living with disabilities. We celebrated the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities 

Act—‘‘ADA’’—by reporting the treaty 

out of the Foreign Relations Committee on a strong bipartisan basis. I 

thank Sen. Kerry for holding that 

hearing and moving the treaty through 

the committee process. 

As the majority leader has made 

clear, the Convention on the Rights of 

Persons with Disabilities will soon be 

considered on the Senate floor. The 

Members of this body will have an opportunity to affirm our Nation’s leadership on disability issues by ratifying 

this important treaty. I hope that we 

will do so. And I hope we will ratify 

this treaty with the strong bipartisan 

support that has always characterized 

the Senate’s work on disability issues. 

For the 54 million Americans living 

with a disability, laws like the ADA 

have provided an opportunity to learn, 

travel, work, and live independently. 

Perhaps no one knows that better than 

Ann Ford of Springfield, Illinois. Ann 

had polio as a child and for many years 

she commuted on crutches. This challenging and energy-consuming task required Ann to meticulously plan every 

trip. At the grocery store, Ann would 

purchase all she needed in 20 minutes, 

in order to be home before becoming 

exhausted. 

After the ADA was enacted, the store 

manager invited Ann to use a recently 

purchased electric scooter. Ann remembers that day clearly, in part because she shopped for an hour and a 

half going up and down every aisle in 

the store. 

Most of us don’t give a second 

thought to buying groceries. But for 

Ann and millions like her, our Nation’s 

commitment to removing physical barriers has expended their world. Now, we 

have an opportunity to demonstrate 

our commitment and advance disability rights around the world by ratifying this treaty. 

The support for this treaty is broad 

and bipartisan. I thank my friend, Senator JOHN MCCAIN, for leading this effort with me. Heis a great ally and 

without him we would not have made 

such great progress. 

I also thank Senator BARRASSO, HARKIN, TOM UDALL, MORAN, and COONS for 

their bipartisan support and dedication 

to the ratification effort. 

This treaty is supported by 165 disability organizations, including the 

United States International Council on 

Disabilities, the American Association 

of People with Disabilities, Disability 

Rights Education & Defense Fund, and 

the National Disability Rights Network, and 21 veterans groups, including 


bjneal on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE
August 2, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5959 

the Wounded Warrior Project, the 

American Legion, Disabled American 

Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign 

Wars are also calling on us to ratify 

this treaty. President George H.W. 

Bush, who signed the ADA into law, 

and former Senator Bob Dole, a lifelong advocate for disability rights, are 

strong proponents of this treaty. 

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a humanrights treaty that seeks to ensure that 

people living with disabilities are afforded the same opportunities available to others. Thanks to the ADA and 

similar laws, the United States has 

been so successful providing opportunities, increasing accessibility, and protecting the rights of those living with 

disabilities that our Nation is already 

in full compliance with all terms of the 

treaty. 

Before transmitting this treaty, the 

Obama administration conducted an 

exhaustive comparison of the treaty’s 

requirements to current U.S. law. It 

concluded that the United States does 

not need to pass any new laws or regulations in order to meet the terms of 

the treaty. The fact that we already 

meet or exceed the treaty’s requirements is a testament to our nation’s 

commitment to equality and opportunity for those living with disabilities. There are, nevertheless, very important reasons to ratify this treaty. 

Disabled Veterans and Other Americans Traveling Abroad—There are 

more than 5.5 million veterans living 

with disabilities. They and thousands 

of other Americans living with disabilities travel, study, work, and serve 

overseas, often with their families. 

Ratifying the treaty will ensure they 

enjoy the same accessibility and opportunity abroad that they have here at 

home. 

Accessibility in Other Countries— 

ratifying this treaty will give the 

United States a seat at the international table, so that the U.S. can 

provide its guidance and expertise to 

other countries working to adopt laws, 

upgrade infrastructure, and modernize 

facilities to meet the very high standards we have set. 

Leveling the Playing field for American Businesses—American businesses 

have invested time and resources to 

comply with the ADA. Businesses in 

some countries are not required to 

comply with similar standards. Compliance with the treaty levels the playing field by requiring foreign businesses to meet accessibility standards 

similar to those in the U.S. 

New Markets for American Businesses—we lead the world in developing 

accessible products and technology. As 

other countries comply with the treaty, American businesses will be able to 

export their expertise and products to 

the new markets serving the more than 

1 billion people living with disabilities 

around the world. 

While this treaty will ensure inclusion and access for those living with 

disabilities, it is also important that 

we note what the treaty will not do. 

The treaty will not change any U.S. 

law or compromise U.S. sovereignty in 

any way. 

The treaty will not lead to new law 

suits because its terms do not create 

any new rights and it cannot be enforced in any U.S. Court. 

For families that choose to educate 

their children at home, the treaty will 

not change any current rights or obligations. 

The treaty will not require the U.S. 

to appropriate any new funding or resources to comply with its terms—not 

a single dime. 

Leading pro life groups, like the National Right to Life Committee, confirm that the treaty does not promote, 

expand access, or create a right to an 

abortion. 

Thanks to decades of bipartisan cooperation, our country embodies the 

worldwide gold standard for those living with disabilities. 

When the Senate ratifies the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we can be proud that our coworkers, friends, family members, and 

courageous veterans will soon enjoy 

the same access and opportunity when 

they travel abroad that they have 

come to expect here at home. 

f 

REMEMBERING SHELBY HARRIS 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise 

today to celebrate the life of Mr. 

Shelby Harris, from Rock Island, IL. 

When he passed away on July 25, 2012, 

at the age of 111, he was the oldest man 

in the country and the third oldest 

man in the world. 

Mr. Harris was born in Indiana on 

March 31, 1901. That same year President William McKinley was assassinated and Vice President Theodore 

Roosevelt took over the White House, 

there were only 45 stars on the American flag, and the life expectancy in 

this country was just 47 years of age. 

Throughout his 111 years, Mr. Harris 

lived a varied and rich life. In Indiana, 

he worked at a coal mine. He moved to 

the Quad Cities in 1942 where he enlisted in the Army during World War 

II. He also worked for the former Union 

Malleable and the John Deere Foundry 

in East Moline. He outlived two wives 

and three daughters. His oldest grandchild is 57 years old, and he was a 

great-great-great-great grandfather. 

Mr. Harris was a lifelong Democrat and 

credited his longevity to his faith in 

God. 

Age did not slow him down. Mr. Harris served as a deacon of Second Baptist Church until he was 102 years old 

and had a bucket list that included getting remarried and playing baseball. A 

month after his 111th birthday, Mr. 

Harris was able to cross baseball off his 

list after he threw out the first pitch at 

a Quad Cities River Bandits minor 

league baseball game. 

Living beyond the age of 110 made 

Mr. Harris a supercentenarian. This 

designation is particularly rare for a 

man because women typically live the 

longest all over the world. The oldest 

person in the world today is a woman 

who has reached age 115. 

Mr. Harris will be missed by the staff 

at the Rock Island Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where he lived since 

he was 105 years of age. For the past 5 

years the nursing home has thrown a 

big party on his birthday, and the staff 

there plan to hold a remembrance for 

him next year on the date. 

It is my honor to recognize the long 

and full life of Mr. Shelby Harris. 

f 

LIBOR 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, It was 

recently revealed that at least one 

bank—Barclays Bank of Great Britain—attempted to manipulate LIBOR 

over a 4-year period beginning in 2005. 

LIBOR stands for the London InterBank Offered Rate. This rate is a 

benchmark used by industries all over 

the world to set interest rates for nearly $800 trillion worth of financial instruments. 

LIBOR determines how much people 

across the world pay for student loans, 

mortgages, and credit card fees. The 

higher LIBOR is, the more it costs a 

college student to borrow money for 

school or a business to obtain a line of 

credit. 

This means that people across the 

world with student loans, mortgages 

and credit cards, and municipalities 

selling bonds may have paid more to 

borrow money because of Barclays’ actions. 

Barclays settled with U.S. and British authorities and paid over $450 million in penalties to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the U.S. 

Department of Justice, and British regulators. 

Now, as many as 20 megabanks, including several U.S. banks, are under 

investigation or named in lawsuits alleging they also rigged LIBOR. 

Over the next several weeks and 

months we will learn more details 

about exactly what happened. 

But it seems clear we are facing a 

scenario that is all too familiar: the 

largest banks have once again put 

greed and profit above the best interests of their customers and the economies of at least six nations, including 

the United States. 

At the same time—nearly 4 years 

after the worst financial crisis in our 

lifetime and 2 years since the Democratic-majority Congress passed Wall 

Street reform—my Republican colleagues continue to undermine the financial regulators by cutting their 

funding and spending countless hours 

in the House of Representatives debating and passing bills to roll back the 

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. 

This is not good for our financial system and it certainly isn’t good for the 

American people. 

But let me back up. What is LIBOR? 

It is a benchmark used by industries 

all over the world to set interest rates 

LIBOR impacts—directly or indirectly—nearly every person in the 

world. 


bjneal on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE