November 19, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10613 

They don’t have the power to do 

these things. I know they don’t want to 

go into reorganization and bankruptcy 

as Delta Airlines did. But it is not 

going to be a horrible thing. Delta 

went in and emerged about a year and 

a half later. They reorganized, reduced 

expenses, altered and amended contracts and obligations, and they recently bought Northwest. They went 

bankrupt in 2005, and they came out 

leaner and more competitive and are 

now a viable company. But these 

CEOs—if you give them money, they 

are going to have less leverage with the 

unions, less leverage with their 7,000 

automobile dealers, when Toyota has 

1,500 automobile dealers. They are 

going to have less leverage with the 

lease agreements and health care 

agreements they entered into years 

ago, in a different situation, to deal 

with people’s health care requests and 

demands at that time. They are stuck 

with that until they can break loose 

from it. 

A bankruptcy judge whose motive 

would be to help them become leaner 

and more effective and sends them out 

as a viable entity so that jobs are saved 

and debts are fundamentally repaid— 

that would be the goal of reorganization and bankruptcy. I don’t think we 

ought to be putting a lot of money into 

this company until we see it in a position that would actually break the 

chains of $2,000 per car that is slowing 

them down, actually pulling them 

down hopelessly. 

I thank the Chair for the opportunity 

to share some of my thoughts. I believe 

when we violate the principles of intervening in the free market and picking 

winners and losers, we are taking a 

great risk. If we do so, it ought to be 

done with the greatest of care, the 

least exposure to the taxpayer, and 

with the greatest potential for creating 

a successful company in the end. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania is recognized. 

f 

THE LIFE OF DR. RANDY PAUSCH 

Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise 

today to honor the life of Dr. Randy 

Pausch, who died this past July 25 from 

pancreatic cancer. Dr. Pausch was a 

rare hero who rose above his illness 

and fought to the end for increased 

public awareness of this devastating 

illness. In doing so, Dr. Pausch captured the attention of the country, inspiring people with his extraordinary 

grace, courage, and love of life. 

Dr. Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, 

in my home State of Pennsylvania. He 

was an accomplished researcher and 

dedicated teacher. 

Many people know what Randy did 

because of his famous ‘‘Last Lecture,’’ 

which he delivered at Carnegie Mellon 

in September of last year. The video of 

the lecture became an inspirational 

phenomenon on the Internet. Literally 

millions of Americans wrote and 

blogged about the transformational impact Dr. Pausch’s lecture had upon 

them and their lives. Recently, ‘‘The 

Last Lecture’’ was turned into a bestselling book. 

The lessons from Dr. Pausch that 

have inspired so many people are simple, but ones we all too easily can forget. He reminds us about achieving 

childhood dreams and maintaining a 

sense of childhood wonder. He also encourages his listeners to work hard, 

tell the truth, be earnest, help others, 

apologize for mistakes, listen to advice, and never, ever give up. He helps 

us remember how important it is to 

simply enjoy life and that each day is 

a gift. 

As his disease progressed, Dr. Pausch 

was also an impassioned advocate for 

pancreatic cancer research. He testified before the House Appropriations 

Subcommittee on Labor, Health and 

Human Services, and Education, saying: 

We don’t have advocates for this disease 

because they don’t live long enough. We 

don’t have a Michael J. Fox because people 

die too fast. Pancreatic cancer is absolutely 

ruthless. Part of my job is to put a face on 

the disease. 

So said Dr. Pausch so poignantly 

about this disease, because indeed pancreatic cancer is ruthless. It is the 

fourth leading cause of cancer death in 

the United States of America. Seventyfive percent of pancreatic cancer patients die within 1 year of diagnosis. 

The 5-year survival rate is barely 5 percent. The survival rate for pancreatic 

cancer today is the same as it was 30 

years ago. 

Randy was only 45 when he died of 

pancreatic cancer on July 25 of this 

year. He left behind his wife Jai and 

their three children, Dylan, Logan, and 

Chloe. 

Dr. Randy Pausch lived life to the 

fullest in every sense of that word, in 

every sense of that phrase. He was a 

loving husband and father, a dedicated 

educator, and an impassioned advocate. 

While his life was cut short by pancreatic cancer, his legacy for living is 

one we should all cherish. I ask my 

Senate colleagues to join me in commemorating the life of Dr. Pausch with 

the resolution that I and others have 

introduced. This resolution calls upon 

communities across this country to 

recognize November as National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and 

urges greater public awareness and resources for prevention, early detection, 

and treatment of this disease. 

Let us, with this resolution, recognize the extraordinary gift that Dr. 

Pausch’s life was to humanity and 

strive to make progress with this deadly, ruthless disease. 

I commend Senator CLINTON for her 

leadership on this issue and for introducing this resolution. I am joined as a 

cosponsor by my colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator SPECTER. For their 

help, we are greatly appreciative. 

I yield the floor. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine is recognized. 

TRIBUTE TO RETIRING SENATORS 

PETE DOMENICI

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, as the 

110th Congress draws to a close, I rise 

to say thanks and farewell to one of 

our hardest working and most dedicated Members, Senator PETE DOMENICI

of New Mexico. 

PETE DOMENICI’s story is truly the 

American dream come to life. The son 

of immigrants, PETE worked in the 

family grocery business, earned a college degree, taught school, obtained a 

law degree, and served in local government before his election to the Senate. 

I cannot overlook one vitally important part of his biography, and that is 

his stint as a pitcher for a farm team of 

the old Brooklyn Dodgers. Who knows 

how much different history would be if 

his fast ball had had a little more 

‘‘pop’’ to it? 

For 36 years, however, baseball’s loss 

has been the Senate’s gain. The character developed by athletic competition—determination, hard work, a 

sense of fair play—is fully evident in 

PETE’s six terms in office. 

When the people of New Mexico chose 

PETE DOMENICI to be the longest serving Senator in their State’s history, 

they chose wisely. His tireless work on 

a wide range of issues has helped to ensure a better future for all Americans, 

rural or urban, large State or small. He 

is a respected leader on some of the 

most important challenges of our time, 

such as strengthening energy security, 

curbing nuclear proliferation, and promoting sound Federal budget policy. 

PETE’s understanding of the budget 

process is matched only by his appreciation of the critical role fiscal responsibility plays. His service on the 

Budget Committee established his universal reputation as one of the Senate’s 

hardest working, most intelligent, and 

best-informed Members. His focus on 

results rather than the limelight led 

one colleague to describe him as having ‘‘a terminal case of responsibility.’’ 

Senator DOMENICI is also a true 

champion for biomedical research, and 

especially for Americans suffering from 

mental illness. He has worked unceasingly over the years to increase the understanding and to eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness. He 

has led the effort in the Senate—first 

in partnership with Senator Paul 

Wellstone, and later with our colleague 

Senator TED KENNEDY, to pass legislation that requires insurers to cover 

mental illness in the same way they 

cover physical illnesses. 

Thankfully, those efforts have finally 

borne fruit with the inclusion of his 

legislation in the economic stimulus 

bill, the stabilization bill passed in the 

Senate. It is a victory not just for Senator DOMENICI’s longstanding efforts 

but also for the estimated 50 million 

Americans who suffer from some kind 

of mental illness. It is a testament to 

his dedication and his compassion. 

Senator DOMENICI’s tenure has been 

marked by vision, common sense, and a 


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S10614 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 19, 2008 

commitment to results. When he became chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in 2003, Senator DOMENICI set to work to craft the 

first major comprehensive energy bill 

in more than a decade. Many thought 

it would be impossible to put together 

the bipartisan support to pass the Energy Policy Act of 2005, but Senator 

DOMENICI did it. That landmark law 

laid the foundation for American energy independence, the responsible use 

of existing resources, and the development of new technology. We can build 

on that foundation by following the 

model he set of informed debate and 

thoughtful consensus. 

While most of his many accomplishments have national significance, there 

is one that may not be well known outside of his home State. More than a 

decade ago, PETE DOMENICI introduced 

a program that has helped the schoolchildren of New Mexico learn trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, 

fairness, caring, and citizenship. This 

program is called ‘‘Character Counts.’’ 

It fully epitomizes what PETE DOMENICI

is all about. It fully describes his legacy because, with PETE DOMENICI, character has always counted. 

Senator DOMENICI leaves this Chamber with an overflowing and bipartisan 

store of good will and gratitude. We are 

all losing an outstanding colleague. On 

a personal note, I am also losing an 

outstanding Washington DC neighbor, 

since PETE and his wonderful wife, 

Nancy, live right down the street from 

me. I am pleased to be among the many 

Senators offering thanks for his years 

of service and best wishes to him and 

to Nancy. 

GORDON SMITH

Mr. President, for nearly 70 years, 

the film ‘‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’’ has inspired Americans and 

people around the world with its uplifting story of how one man of conviction 

and character can make a difference. 

Today, I am honored to offer a few 

words to the Mr. SMITH of our time: 

Senator GORDON SMITH of Oregon. 

Senator SMITH came to Washington 

to make a difference—and he has. He 

and I were sworn into the United 

States Senate on the same day, January 7, 1997. Although his State and 

mine are a continent apart, we quickly 

found that we had a lot in common. 

It has been a joy to work with GORDON SMITH on so many important 

issues. Of course, where I come from, 

the name ‘‘Senator Smith’’ conjures up 

not just the beloved movie but also a 

towering, real-life figure, and my inspiration in public service. Although Margaret Chase Smith of Maine and GORDON SMITH are separated by time, they 

are united in a spirit of independence 

and integrity. Both served with strong 

convictions but with respect for the 

principles of others. Both spoke up 

when they saw wrongdoing. Both had 

extraordinary courage that allowed 

them to speak out when they thought 

their own party was in error. Both saw 

the aisle not as a barrier to progress 

but as a bridge to reaching consensus 

on behalf of the American people. 

This focus on moving forward is especially apparent in GORDON SMITH’s effective work on issues of great importance in Maine, in Oregon, and everywhere in between—health care, tax relief, small business, equal rights, and 

foreign policy. These challenges are 

ones that require careful consensusbuilding, a responsible approach that 

has defined GORDON SMITH’s service 

here. 

GORDON SMITH is simply a wonderful 

person and an extraordinary leader. We 

all remember the terrible tragedy he 

suffered with the loss of his son during 

his service here, a terrible tragedy that 

gave him and his family such sorrow. 

But it is typical of GORDON SMITH that 

out of that tragedy, he chose to do 

something to help prevent other families from enduring the tragedy of the 

loss of a child. That is so typical of 

GORDON SMITH—always thinking of 

others, always trying to do what is 

right, always committed to public service. 

‘‘Smith’’ is one of the more common 

names in the English language, but in 

this Chamber the name has special 

meaning, one of uncommon principles 

and extraordinary accomplishments. It 

reminds us of a cherished film, of the 

great lady from the State of Maine, 

Senator Margaret Chase Smith, and 

now of Senator GORDON SMITH. I thank 

him for his service and his friendship, 

and I wish him all the best in the future. 

Mr. President, I suggest the absence 

of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will call the roll. 

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. The Senator 

from Maine is recognized. 

ELIZABETH DOLE

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, when 

she came to the Senate 6 years ago, 

ELIZABETH DOLE brought with her a resume that for most would describe a 

full lifetime of public service and accomplishment. The intellect, principles, and dedication ELIZABETH applied to her earlier endeavors have 

been readily apparent in the Senate. 

America has been enriched by all of 

Senator ELIZABETH DOLE’s public service. 

Her record of public service is truly 

inspiring. From the Office of Consumer 

Affairs and the Federal Trade Commission to the Secretary of Transportation 

and Labor, she has served five Presidents. Her tenure in each of these positions has been marked by the dedication, effectiveness, and accomplishments that we have seen firsthand in 

the Senate. 

Nothing more fully describes ELIZABETH’s character than the fact that she 

left Government service only to become the president of the American 

Red Cross, joining founder Clara Barton as the only women to hold that position. In the spirit of that great organization, ELIZABETH worked as a volunteer her first year, accepting no salary. 

Under her leadership, the American 

Red Cross was a model for charitable 

organizations, with 91 cents out of 

every dollar contributed going directly 

to help those in need. 

ELIZABETH led the American Red 

Cross by example. Following the gulf 

war, she visited Kuwait to assess personally the services provided to our 

military personnel. She traveled to 

famine-stricken Somalia and Mozambique and to war-ravaged Croatia. She 

led a humanitarian relief operation to 

Rwanda refugee camps. That same 

commitment, courage, and compassion 

have been the hallmarks of her work in 

the Senate. 

Those of us who are women also appreciate the many times ELIZABETH

DOLE has blazed the path forward for 

other women. We know she was one of 

the very first women to attend Harvard 

Law School. Think how difficult that 

must have been for a woman raised in 

the South. Yet she persevered and she 

excelled and she broke barrier after 

barrier for other women. 

In her campaign for President in 2000, 

ELIZABETH DOLE had a profound effect. 

She attracted legions of new voters 

into the political process. She encouraged women throughout the country 

and of all political persuasions to step 

forward and get involved in the campaign and to run for public office themselves. Many of the cracks in the glass 

ceiling are the work of her hands. 

Here in the Senate, I have been privileged to work alongside Senator DOLE

as members on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She has been one of 

our strongest and most eloquent voices 

for the men and women in uniform, and 

her commitment to them is inspiring. 

Her dedication to strengthening our 

national security and modernizing our 

military is unsurpassed. 

It is certainly no accident that she is 

married to a man—former Senator Bob 

Dole—who exemplifies the quiet courage and devotion to duty that are the 

hallmark of America’s armed services 

and by which both Senator Doles are 

known. 

I know that all in the Senate and 

throughout our Nation will agree that 

just a few of the words that best describe ELIZABETH DOLE are ‘‘intelligence,’’ ‘‘principles,’’ and ‘‘commitment.’’ To those, I am proud to add the 

word ‘‘friend.’’ I will miss serving with 

ELIZABETH DOLE. I wish her all the best 

in the years to come. 

Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I 

suggest the absence of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. 

CASEY). The clerk will call the roll. 

The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 


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November 19, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10615 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

THE ECONOMY 

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, next 

week Americans across our country are 

going to be celebrating Thanksgiving. 

It is a time that we reflect and give 

thanks for our families and friends and 

all that we have. But far too many of 

our families across my State and 

across this country have far less than 

they did just a year ago. They lost 

their homes, their cars, their health 

care, their 401(k)s, and their jobs. Just 

this month, we learned that this country has lost a total of 1.2 million jobs 

this year. Over half of that decrease 

came in the last 3 months alone. 

Across this country, people are hurting, and some of the hardest hit have 

been our veterans from the wars in Iraq 

and Afghanistan. Thousands of our veterans are still recovering from physical 

or psychological injuries that make it 

very hard for them to pay their bills or 

to find a job, and too many find themselves sliding quickly into bankruptcy 

or foreclosure. Yesterday, in fact, the 

New York Times reported that advocacy groups have seen a huge increase 

in the number of veterans asking for financial help over the last year. 

Americans made it very clear on 

election day that they want a new direction in this country. They want action that will help pull us out of this 

economic crisis. President-elect Obama 

has already announced that his first 

priority will be an economic recovery 

plan that invests in our country’s infrastructure. As chair of the Appropriations Transportation and Housing Subcommittee, I stand ready to help with 

that. But, as the latest jobless reports 

show, we can’t afford to wait even until 

January, when we have a new President, to start providing the help Americans need today. That is why I have 

come to the floor. We need to take action that will create jobs, diversify and 

modernize our economy, and help our 

families cope with this economic downturn. 

This week, Senator BYRD and our 

majority leader, Senator REID, proposed an economic stimulus bill that 

would do just that. Their bill is targeted at the biggest needs in our country today. It will create more than 

635,000 jobs by investing in infrastructure and green energy development, 

and it would help our most vulnerable 

citizens put food on the table and keep 

a roof over their heads. 

Congress can make a real difference 

for millions of families across our 

country. If there was a mandate given 

on November 4, it was for Government 

to work for the people once again. 

America’s working families want a 

government that will turn our economy around and end this war, and they 

want true progress on health care and 

on education. That is our mandate. We 

have an awful lot of work to do, and we 

need a bipartisan effort to do it. But we 

cannot just sit around waiting until we 

have a new administration and a new 

Congress. Americans are hurting 

today. 

We have the ability in this Congress 

to come together across party lines and 

pass a bill that will put Americans 

back to work and stabilize our communities across this country. I wish to 

take a couple of minutes this morning 

to outline how that package will help 

get our country moving again and help 

those most in need. 

First of all, it is critically important 

that we help families who have already 

lost their jobs and are drawing unemployment today. Especially with employers cutting jobs each month, there 

are hundreds of thousands of Americans who need help for basic needs 

while they look for work. This package 

reaches out to those families by extending unemployment benefits by 7 

weeks across the country and 13 weeks 

in States where the jobless rate is the 

highest. It also brings relief to communities, since every dollar of unemployment benefits generates $1.64 in additional economic activity. This helps 

everyone. 

This bill also provides help for the 

millions of families who are struggling 

today to find safe and secure housing. 

Across the country, public housing is 

badly in need of repair and improvement. This bill will allow communities 

to rehabilitate vacant public housing 

units, improve energy efficiency, and 

jump-start construction of new 

projects that will serve those tenants. 

It will also help address a growing 

problem in our community: renters 

who lost their homes because their 

landlords were foreclosed on. This bill 

will help protect these innocent victims of the foreclosure crisis and help 

them find immediate shelter and longterm housing. 

One reason we need this bill badly is 

because it offers help to those who need 

it most, those who have lost their jobs 

and homes who are struggling to find 

housing today. But this bill will also 

help our communities and jump-start 

our economy by creating more than 

635,000 jobs, investing in new technology and repairing our infrastructure. For example, this package would 

make investments in highway and 

bridge construction in every single 

State—all 50 States—by providing $10 

billion to help fund projects that are 

ready to go today. We know that for 

every $1 billion we spend on highways, 

we create more than 34,500 good jobs. 

So this package will create more than 

345,000 jobs. 

Additionally, it is important to note 

there are no earmarks in this bill, no 

special projects as part of the highway 

funding in this bill. All highway dollars 

will be spent according to the formula 

that has been established for the Surface Transportation Program in our 

SAFETEA–LU highway bonds. States 

would have to put this money to work 

in 180 days. 

We also know that roads are not the 

only area where communities need 

transportation dollars. Cities across 

our country are struggling to repair 

and expand their bus and rail systems 

as demand for mass transit and public 

transportation is skyrocketing. So this 

bill will improve and expand masstransit systems so that millions of 

commuters can get to work smoothly 

and on time. It will help repair and improve our Nation’s airports. It will 

make needed investments in our Nation’s ferry transportation system and 

modernize our Nation’s shipyards to 

make them competitive and efficient. 

While creating these jobs will help 

get our economy going again, we also 

need to work to make sure our workers 

are prepared to compete for the jobs of 

the future. So this package does that 

by helping 160,000 dislocated workers 

and youth get education, training, 

counseling, and job assistance. This is 

particularly important for young people who are disengaged from school and 

for disadvantaged teenagers who are 

often hurt the most when our unemployment rates are high. It is critical 

that we enable these young people to 

get work experience now because if 

they lose out, they are less likely to 

move successfully into a career later. 

We know teens without jobs are more 

likely to turn to crime or join gangs 

which cost our communities millions 

in law enforcement and lost productivity. Not only will the programs this 

bill supports pay off as the economy 

picks up over time, they will help stimulate the economy in the short term 

too, because, you know, teens spend 

immediately all the money they make. 

So that will help everyone. 

This package also recognizes that we 

need to start investing in new and 

healthy industries that will help create 

new, good-paying jobs and help 

strengthen our economy for the long 

term. I think one of the most promising fields is green technology. That is 

why this package would invest almost 

$7 billion in research and development 

that would help us create new energy 

sources and improved energy efficiency. 

Not only is the research and development absolutely vital in order to create the technology and the new jobs 

that come with it, but research and development and clean technologies are 

critical if we are going to become energy independent. 

So these are parts of the package 

which I believe will be a shot in the 

arm, that will help our economy for 

many years to come. 

Before I finish today, I do want to address the provisions in this bill that 

would help the country’s struggling 

auto industry. I want the auto industry 

to remain viable and continue to support the millions of jobs across this 

country which depend on its success. 

But I cannot support any more funds 

without concrete assurance the automakers have a strategy to restructure 

and become viable, competitive companies. The auto industries cannot continue to follow a failed business model 

and then come here and ask for help. 


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