S5968 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 2, 2012 

Liberty is the philosophy that guided 

Constantino Brumidi’s hand as it fired his 

imagination and inspired his creations in our 

nation’s Capital. Imagine what he would 

think if he could walk these corridors today. 

He would see that his beautiful work has 

stood the test of time, especially after being 

cleaned up after the accumulated lamp 

smoke. He would know of the appreciation 

and admiration of countless visitors from 

our shores and around the world. He would 

see that his art continues to thrill the millions who flock here every year. I believe he 

would be both proud and humbled to be the 

center of such attention. 

Throughout the Capitol, each careful 

stroke of Brumidi’s brush will continue to 

remind us that we are blessed and truly fortunate to live in this land of promise and opportunity. 

Now it is only fitting that the Congress of 

the United States of America should bestow 

on Constantino Brumidi the nation’s highest 

civilian honor—the Congressional Gold 

Medal—which incidentally is to be permanently displayed in the Capitol. It will be the 

only one displayed in the Capitol, and will 

give people an opportunity to see what a 

Congressional Gold medal looks like. 

And now I would like to introduce my colleague and fellow Italian-American, Senator 

Pat Leahy of Vermont, who served since 

1974, and if you check his left lapel, he is 

wearing one of the highest awards that Italy 

can give to a son of Italy. He was one of the 

original sponsors on my Senate Constantino 

Brumidi bill and helped me gather every single signature to support this bill. Senator 

LEAHY is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is a senior member of 

both the Agriculture and Appropriations 

Committee. I give you my fellow Italian, 

Senator Pat Leahy. 

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CPSIA ANNIVERSARY 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, few 

states appreciate the importance of 

outdoor recreation the way we do in 

Minnesota—whether it is cross-country 

skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, hiking 

or off-roading, these activities are 

more than just hobbies for us—they are 

a way of life and they are woven into 

the fabric of our economy. That is why 

today I rise to commemorate the 1- 

year anniversary of the passage of the 

lead standard exemptions for youth allterrain vehicles. 

Minnesota is home to many strong 

recreational product manufacturers 

that provide jobs and have helped move 

our economy forward during these difficult times. Our economy doesn’t 

hinge on churning money around Wall 

Street, it hinges on building things and 

the motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle 

industry is a shining example of that. 

This industry is not just about recreation—it is about jobs, it is about manufacturing, and it is about preserving a 

key part of our culture and economy. 

I supported the Consumer Product 

Safety Improvement Act when it 

passed in 2008 because it addressed serious safety concerns about lead in children’s toys. But when we have legislation as detailed and sweeping as the 

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, certain adjustments and 

clarifications sometimes need to be 

made, as we saw with the lead limits 

for youth all-terrain vehicles. Simply 

put, children’s off-road vehicles were 

never supposed to be subject to requirements in the Consumer Product Safety 

Improvement Act. 

The law was designed to protect our 

kids, but by banning youth-sized allterrain vehicles children were put at 

risk because they started riding oversized adult vehicles that don’t take the 

same considerations as a model meant 

to accommodate children. Once it became clear that the Consumer Product 

Safety Commission was going to hold 

youth all-terrain vehicles to the new 

lead requirements, I began working to 

find a solution to the problem. 

That is why I pushed to pass the 

amendments to the Consumer Product 

Safety Improvement Act last year to 

exempt youth all-terrain vehicles from 

lead standards. August 12th will be the 

1-year anniversary of enactment of 

these amendments to Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act into law. 

I would like to commemorate the 1- 

year anniversary of passage of these 

amendments to Consumer Product 

Safety Improvement Act that help protect our children and ensure they enjoy 

the outdoors for many years to come. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO TOM SULLIVAN 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I 

rise today to recognize the exceptional 

leadership and dedication of my deputy 

chief of staff Tom Sullivan, who has 

been with me since my first days in the 

Senate and will soon be leaving to accept a senior adviser role at the U.S. 

State Department. 

To say that Tom will be missed 

would be an understatement. Over the 

last 6 years, he has distinguished himself as an invaluable member of my 

staff, rising through the ranks and filling many key roles along the way. He 

started out as a legislative assistant, 

but it wasn’t long before he was serving as my deputy legislative director 

and, eventually, my deputy chief of 

staff. 

In many ways you could call Tom the 

nerve center of my office—the utility 

player who can step in and perform virtually any task that is asked of him, 

regardless of whether it is press strategy or scheduling or legislative analysis. No policy was ever too complex 

for him, no assignment too daunting, 

no challenge too thorny. 

Tom’s versatility is especially apparent in his knowledge of policy, which 

spans the full spectrum of State and 

Federal issues. He came to my office 

with a background in foreign relations 

but quickly became an expert in everything from energy to technology to 

health care, mastering and remembering even the most minute of details 

without losing sight of the forest for 

the trees. That is a rare talent, and 

Tom has it in spades. 

Mr. President, as you know, Senate 

offices often become like their own little family units. In the last 6 years, 

Tom Sullivan has become an esteemed 

member of the Klobuchar family, and 

he will be sorely missed—not just for 

his skill and expertise but for his 

composure, kindness, and unflappable 

good nature. We wish Tom well in his 

new position at the State Department 

and know that we can expect to see 

great things from him as he begins a 

new and exciting journey in public 

service. 

f 

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT 

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise 

today to talk about the importance of 

passing the Violence Against Women 

Act, and reauthorizing this critical 

funding for survivors of domestic violence. We have heard about the protections the Senate version offers that the 

House does not, to women on college 

campuses, to women on tribal lands, to 

LGBT victims, and to immigrants. It is 

important to remember all of the other 

programs supported by this important 

legislation. 

On this day, when preventive health 

care finally becomes available to 47 

million women, including free domestic 

violence screening and counseling, it is 

worth taking a look at how domestic 

violence impacts healthcare for women 

and families in this country. 

According to a study by the Centers 

for Disease Control, the average cost of 

health care services for women is more 

than twice the average cost for men, 

and this is largely due to the costs and 

impact of domestic violence. 

The CDC estimates the direct health 

care costs associated with domestic violence to be around $4.1 billion every 

year. And we know this is a conservative estimate, because many victims 

never come forward. 

But we have a proven tool in this 

fight, and that is the protections in the 

Violence Against Women Act. Since 

the bill first went into effect in 1994, 

reporting has increased by 51 percent 

according to the Department of Justice. The FBI reports that the number 

of women killed by an intimate partner 

has decreased by 34 percent. And 

VAWA saved $12.6 billion in its first 7 

years alone. 

It is not just that women are safer 

because of VAWA, our economy also 

improves when domestic violence is 

successfully prevented, because fewer 

women are going to the emergency 

rooms, missing work, or deciding they 

cannot care for their children. 

I have had a chance to visit several 

crisis centers in New Hampshire who 

benefit directly from VAWA funding. 

Most recently, I visited the Monadnock 

Center for Violence Prevention in 

Keene, and had a chance to speak with 

caseworkers and survivors. I spoke 

with two women who told me that 

when they decided it was time to leave 

their abuser, they had no place else to 

go. 

And I asked them, ‘‘What would have 

happened if this center wasn’t here?’’ 

‘‘My husband would have killed me,’’ 

replied one woman. 

This is why we need to reauthorize 

the Violence Against Women Act. This 


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