S5964 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 2, 2012 

In addition, to his accomplishments 

in athletics, Captain Pace excelled in 

academics. He was at the top of his 

class in High School. He initially attended Brigham Young University, before being called to a mission for the 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day 

Saints in Cordoba, Argentina. After his 

mission, he was accepted to the United 

States Military Academy at West 

Point. 

At West Point, Captain Pace continued to set the example by not only 

graduating with a major in nuclear engineering, but continuing his love of 

athletics by playing varsity basketball, 

sprint football, and was a member of 

West Point’s intercollegiate handball 

team. In fact, Captain Pace was named 

the most valuable player when West 

Point’s Handball Team won the Division II National Championship. 

Upon graduating West Point, at the 

same time as his brother, Rick, Captain Pace chose aviation and became a 

OH–58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter pilot 

and a platoon leader. He then served 

two back-to-back deployments, for a 

total of 20 months, in Iraq. 

When he returned in 2009, Captain 

Pace was assigned to Fort Huachuca, 

AZ. There he completed the Captain’s 

Career Course and intelligence training. After completing his studies, he 

was assigned to Fort Bragg, where he 

became the commander of Fox Troop, 

1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 

82nd Airborne Division. It was in this 

leadership role, when his helicopter 

was shot down while engaging the 

enemy in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. 

I was also quite taken by the comments of Captain Pace’s teammates, 

fellow servicemembers, and friends who 

stated he always motivated them, not 

only to do their best, but to be their 

best, even when no one else was watching. 

Captain Scott Patrick Pace was an 

outstanding young man. He was among 

the best our Nation has to offer. I know 

I am joined by the entire Senate in extending our heartfelt condolences to 

Captain Pace’s family. Elaine and I 

will always keep them in our prayers. 

f 

WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION 

AIRCRAFT TRANSFER ACT OF 2012 

Mr. MCCAIN. Mr. President, as Members depart Capitol Hill for August recess, wildfires will be raging across 

much of the Nation perhaps in their 

home States. Over 1.3 million acres 

have burned this summer, and historic 

drought conditions will continue to fan 

the flames. Last year, my home State 

of Arizona experienced the largest 

wildfire in State history, the Wallow 

Fire, which consumed over 500,000 

acres. This year has been particularly 

distressing for States like Colorado, 

where the Waldo Canyon Fire near Colorado Springs forced the evacuation of 

thousands of residents, destroyed more 

than 350 homes, threatened the U.S. 

Air Force Academy, and became the 

most expensive fire in that State’s history. Currently, there are 29 large uncontained wildfire burning across the 

Nation, according to the National 

Interagency Fire Center. 

Wildfires like these underscore the 

urgent need to start modernizing our 

antiquated Forest Service airtanker 

fleet. Airtankers are a vital tool capable of rapidly altering the paths of 

major fires and providing immediate 

protection to ground personnel. Many 

of the core aircraft operated by the 

Forest Service are Korean-era DC–3s 

and P–2Vs that are rapidly failing. Just 

last month, a P–2V built in 1962 crashed 

in Utah, tragically killing the pilot and 

co-pilot. These are but a few examples 

in long list of terrible accidents where 

worn out aircraft are being operated 

far beyond their intended service lives, 

the perfect recipe for future accidents. 

That is why Senator BILL NELSON, 

Senator DIANNE FEINSTEIN, Senator 

MIKE JOHANNS, and I have introduced 

S. 3441, the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 2012. Our bill 

would transfer fourteen excess C–27J 

aircraft from the U.S. Air Force to the 

Forest Service to help recapitalize 

their airtanker fleet. These are nearlynew aircraft that will greatly enhance 

the mission flexibility and lifespan of 

the Forest Service fleet. This legislation is supported by the Forest Service 

as well as certain stakeholder groups 

like the International Association of 

Fire Chiefs. 

My colleagues and I attempted to 

pass this legislation before the Senate 

adjourned for August recess. Regretfully, there are several members with 

an interest in keeping these aircraft 

operating who objected to our bill, 

even though the Pentagon wants to retire them. This is disappointing because our legislation would not interfere with the Congressional prerogative 

to approve or reject the Department of 

Defense force structure plan for Fiscal 

Year 2013. Clearly, there are differing 

opinions over divesting the C–27J, and I 

respect the right of Senators who want 

to address that issue in the context of 

the National Defense Authorization 

Act. Our legislation is intended as a 

post-divestment authority to ensure 

that that the C–27J is put to good use 

fighting wildfires instead of being 

mothballed. Over the August recess, I 

hope to work with the Members who 

have objected to S. 3441 because I believe these platforms can be utilized to 

save lives and property. 

f 

THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS 

OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 

Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I want to 

say a few words about the Convention 

on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

I am pleased to report that the Foreign Relations Committee approved 

this Treaty on July 26, the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I am also pleased that, like 

the ADA, the Disabilities Convention 

has strong bipartisan backing. 

This treaty is personal to so many of 

us. I am deeply grateful to our committee members for their thoughtful 

input on the treaty and the resolution 

of advice consent, and to Senator 

MCCAIN and former Majority Leader 

Dole, who are as deeply committed to 

this cause as Senator Kennedy was to 

the original Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Passing this treaty isn’t just the 

right thing to do. It is also the smart 

thing to do. It will extend essential 

protections to millions of disabled 

Americans, including our disabled service men and women and veterans, when 

they travel, study, work, and live 

abroad. In addition to enshrining the 

principles of the ADA on the international level, the convention will provide us with a critical tool as we advocate for the adoption of its standards 

globally standards to which all of us 

should aspire. By joining, we put ourselves in a stronger position to advance 

the goals of equality of opportunity, 

independent living, economic self-sufficiency, and full participation for individuals with disabilities. 

The Disabilities Convention is a reflection of our values as a nation. It is 

who we are from the Civil Rights Act 

to the Voting Rights Act to the ADA. 

We saw how America responded to horrifying civil rights images—our country met collectively to right a wrong 

at home and break the back of Jim 

Crow. Now is the time to step up and 

meet collectively to help make it right 

for the millions of Americans with disabilities when they are overseas and 

for the hundreds of millions of disabled 

individuals throughout the world. 

This is one of those moments the 

Senate was intended to live up to—and 

it calls on all of us to provide leadership and find the common ground. The 

winners of this treaty will not be defined by party or ideology. The winners 

will be the American people. 

I look forward to working with my 

colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 

ensure that the Senate approves the 

Disabilities Convention during the 

112th Congress. 

f 

NOMINATIONS 

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, a few 

weeks ago the president of the ABA a— 

purportedly nonpartisan organization— 

wrote a letter to the majority and Republican leaders regarding nominations and the Leahy-Thurmond rule. I 

noticed that my good friend the chairman of the Judiciary Committee entered a copy of that letter in the 

RECORD. 

That letter failed to mention quite a 

few pertinent facts. The Republican 

leader and I sent the ABA a letter 

which highlighted some of those facts. 

I ask unanimous consent that this letter be printed in the RECORD. 

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the 

RECORD, as follows: 


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