November 17, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10551 

am immensely grateful to all who have 

served this great Nation. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO SENATORS 

LARRY CRAIG

Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, I 

rise to recognize the service of a great 

public servant and an outstanding leader. 

Senator CRAIG has served his home 

State of Idaho for 17 years in the U.S. 

Senate. He has been a fervent leader to 

the people of Idaho with unwavering 

devotion. 

Senator CRAIG has sought to establish Federal policies that respond to 

the needs and interests of Idahoans by 

constructing strong, sustainable rural 

communities, seeking access to adequate, affordable health care and developing natural resource and energy policies that protect the environment and 

keep consistency with economic 

growth. 

Senator CRAIG’s leadership in promoting economic development and 

strengthening American agriculture 

has led to the improvement of both agricultural studies and programs. His resilient leadership has helped to foster 

numerous programs in Idaho that will 

benefit agricultural entrepreneurship 

and help to strengthen the partnership 

between State and Federal groups. Senator CRAIG has truly served the people 

of Idaho with distinction. 

Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 

this magnificent Senator. 

PETE DOMENICI

Madam President, I rise to recognize 

the service of a great public servant 

and an outstanding leader. 

Senator DOMENICI has been a tremendous and dedicated servant to his home 

State of New Mexico. His distinguished 

career spans 36 years, making him the 

first New Mexican to serve six full 6- 

year terms and the longest serving 

Senator of his State. 

Senator DOMENICI has been a devoted 

champion of the State of New Mexico. 

His relentless commitment to the people of New Mexico is evident to all who 

know him. As a respected leader in the 

Senate, he has pushed to strengthen 

energy security, curb nuclear proliferation, promote fiscal responsibility in 

the Federal budget, and has demonstrated profound leadership skills in 

his desire to continuously improve New 

Mexico’s economy. 

Among his many accomplishments 

and priorities, Senator DOMENICI has 

placed the importance of our future 

generation at the forefront. He recognizes the necessity of cultivating the 

young minds of today to ensure a 

bright future. Over a decade ago, Senator DOMENICI introduced the Character Counts Program into New Mexico’s school curriculum. Under the guidance of this program, schoolchildren 

learn the value of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, 

and citizenship as they build their 

character. Such traits are reflected in 

Senator DOMENICI. His legacy of public 

service has truly left its mark on Congress and will forever remain in the 

hearts of New Mexicans. 

Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 

this magnificent Senator and friend. 

CHUCK HAGEL

Madam President, I rise to recognize 

the service of a great public servant 

and an outstanding leader. 

Senator HAGEL has been a committed 

and avid servant to his home State of 

Nebraska. He has served in Congress 

for two consecutive 6-year terms with 

ardent fervor for the welfare of Nebraskans and all Americans. 

Senator HAGEL has always placed the 

well-being of Nebraska and our Nation 

ahead of partisanship and personal feelings. He has been an earnest supporter 

of bipartisanship, recognizing the productivity that can accompany joint 

labor. His devotion to the people of his 

State and this Nation is apparent to 

any who know him. He has distinguished himself as a soldier and public 

servant of the people, demonstrating 

an exemplary character of which Nebraskans can be proud. 

Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 

this magnificent Senator. 

WAYNE ALLARD

Madam President, I rise to recognize 

the service of a great public servant 

and an outstanding leader. 

Senator ALLARD has been a tremendous and dedicated servant to his home 

State of Colorado. His distinguished career spans 17 years in the U.S. Senate 

and the House of Representatives. 

Senator ALLARD has been a devoted 

champion of the State of Colorado. His 

tireless commitment to the people of 

Colorado is evident to all who know 

him. He has been an ardent supporter 

of increased national attention to the 

importance of savings plans and investments and small business concerns. 

Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 

this magnificent Senator. 

JOHN WARNER

Madam President, I rise to recognize 

the service of a great public servant 

and an outstanding leader. 

Senator WARNER has been a tremendous and dedicated servant to his home 

State of Virginia and our Nation. His 

distinguished career spans 30 years in 

the U.S. Senate, making him the second longest serving U.S. Senator from 

Virginia. 

Senator WARNER has always placed 

the well-being of Virginia and the 

United States ahead of partisanship 

and personal feelings. He has been an 

ardent supporter for the men and 

women of the Armed Forces. As a respected leader, he pushed to modernize 

the structure and operations of the 

military to ensure its effectiveness in 

the 21st century. 

Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 

this magnificent Senator. 

JOHN SUNUNU

Mr. CONRAD. Madam President, I 

rise today to honor my colleague, Senator JOHN SUNUNU, who will be leaving 

the Senate at the end of this term. 

Senator SUNUNU has represented the 

great State of New Hampshire for 12 

years in Congress, serving six of those 

years in the Senate. Senator SUNUNU

and I both served on the Finance Committee. Although we did not always 

agree, I found JOHN to be willing to 

work in a bipartisan manner to confront the major challenges that our 

great Nation faces. 

Raised in Salem, NH, JOHN SUNUNU

became interested in public service 

early in life when his mother served as 

chair of the local school board. JOHN

attended public school in Salem and 

later earned advanced degrees from the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

and the Harvard Graduate School of 

Business. 

JOHN SUNUNU was elected to represent New Hampshire’s First Electoral 

District in the House of Representatives in 1996. In the House, JOHN served 

on the Budget and Appropriations 

Committees. He quickly rose in rank 

on the Budget Committee, becoming 

its vice chairman. In 2002, he was elected to represent the Granite State in 

this Chamber, becoming its youngest 

Member. 

JOHN and I worked together on numerous occasions. We both served on 

the Finance Committee This summer, 

JOHN joined the so-called ‘‘Gang of 

Ten’’ as it expanded from 10 to 20 members. Together, we sought pragmatic, 

bipartisan solutions to our Nation’s energy crisis. Senator SUNUNU also joined 

me in standing up for our Nation’s senior citizens and opposing cuts to Medicare-financed nursing home care. 

JOHN will be remembered for his commitment to individual liberties and 

limited Government. In the uncertainties of today’s world, Senator SUNUNU

has been a voice for preserving civil 

liberties in the light of increased law 

enforcement needs. 

I thank Senator SUNUNU for his years 

of public service and wish him and his 

family the best in the future. 

f 

HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES 

SERGEANT MICHAEL K. CLARK

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, it 

is with a heavy heart that I rise today 

to pay tribute to the life and service of 

SGT Michael Clark. A member of Fort 

Carson’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 

Sergeant Clark was killed on October 7 

when his foot patrol was ambushed in 

Mosul, Iraq. He was 24 years old. 

Sergeant Clark was on his second deployment to Iraq and in his fourth year 

of service in the 3rd Brigade. He was 

assigned to the brigade’s 1st Battalion, 

8th Infantry Regiment, and served as a 

fire support specialist, a job that requires quick thinking, unusually 

strong stamina, and a mastery of the 

techniques of target processing. In this 

urban, guerrilla-style conflict, where 

mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY

S10552 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 17, 2008 

the enemy’s location is often difficult 

to acquire, Sergeant Clark played a 

vital role as the eyes and ears of his 

team. 

Sergeant Clark’s dedication and talent earned him a number of awards, including the Global War on Terrorism 

Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign 

Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and 

the Combat Action Badge. He was also 

a two-time recipient of the Army Commendation Medal, which recognizes exemplary service. 

Sergeant Clark and his team were 

charged with maintaining security in 

the eastern portion of Mosul, which is 

Iraq’s second largest city and one of 

the remaining centers of operation for 

al-Qaida in Iraq. They carried out their 

mission—one of the most dangerous 

and important of the war—with courage and tenacity. 

As a result of their efforts, security 

conditions in Mosul have markedly improved, and neighborhoods in the city 

that were once under control of extremists have been reclaimed and 

turned over to the Iraqi people. Two 

days before Sergeant Clark’s death, 

American forces in Mosul killed Abu 

Qaswarah, the second-in-command for 

al-Qaida-in-Iraq who coordinated operations in the region. Thanks in large 

measure to the incredible courage and 

skill of Sergeant Clark and his men, 

the tide in Mosul is turning. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that, 

‘‘the characteristic of genuine heroism 

is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to 

be great, abide by yourself, and do not 

weakly try to reconcile yourself with 

the world. The heroic cannot be common, nor the common heroic.’’ 

Sergeant Clark possessed the persistence and dedication to duty that is the 

mark of a genuine hero. He enlisted at 

a young age. He deployed and he redeployed. He served every day in Iraq 

committed to his country, his men, and 

his mission. He carried out his mission 

with distinction and honor. He was 

anything but common, and we are all 

better for it. 

To Sergeant Clark’s mother Cherie, 

his father Bradley, his wife Nalini, his 

son Lucas, and all his friends and family, I cannot imagine the sorrow you 

must be feeling. I hope that, in time, 

the pain of your loss is assuaged by 

your pride in Michael’s service and by 

your knowledge that his country will 

never forget him. We are humbled by 

his service and his sacrifice. 

CORPORAL ADRIAN ROBLES

Mr. HAGEL. Madam President, I rise 

to express my sympathy over the loss 

of United States Marine Corps Corporal 

Adrian Robles of Scottsbluff, NE. Corporal Robles died on October 22 from 

injuries he sustained while supporting 

combat operations in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. 

A graduate of Scottsbluff High 

School, Corporal Robles, who was 21 

years old, was an exemplary marine. 

Throughout his service, which included 

a tour in Iraq during 2006, Corporal 

Robles received three medals of Good 

Conduct from the Marine Corps; two 

Sea Service Deployment Ribbons; the 

Afghanistan Campaign Medal; the Iraq 

Campaign Medal; the Global War on 

Terrorism Service Medal; the National 

Defense Service Medal; and the Purple 

Heart. 

All of Nebraska is proud of Corporal 

Robles’ service to our country, as well 

as the thousands of brave men and 

women serving in the U.S. Armed 

Forces. 

Corporal Robles is remembered as a 

devoted son and brother. He is survived 

by his parents Cesar and Yolanda; sister Beatriz; and stepsiblings Cesar and 

Ricardo Robles and Yovana Chaparro. 

I ask my colleagues to join me and 

all Americans in honoring U.S. Marine 

Corps Corporal Adrian Robles. 

f 

NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH 

Mr. CARPER. Madam President, I 

rise today to recognize National Mentoring Month. The designation of January as National Mentoring Month allows us to focus national attention on 

the need for mentors, as well as how 

each of us—individuals, businesses, 

schools and community groups—can 

work together to ensure brighter futures for our young people. 

Mentors serve as role models, advocates, friends and advisers. Numerous 

studies show that mentors help young 

people augment social skills, enhance 

emotional well-being, improve cognitive skills and plan for the future. 

For some children, having a caring 

adult mentor to turn to for guidance 

and encouragement can make the crucial difference between success and 

failure in life. 

As a longtime mentor myself, I certainly know that there are few things 

more rewarding than making a difference in the life of a child. Mentoring 

programs are not only advantageous to 

our students, but they are also rewarding to the mentor. In Delaware, mentoring has become an integral part of 

our school system and is one of the 

keys to improving academic achievement among at-risk students. 

As Governor, I helped recruit 10,000 

mentors as part of a statewide effort 

and was actively involved in encouraging individuals, churches, service 

clubs, students and corporations to 

help mentor Delaware’s at-risk children. However, at the national level, 15 

million children are still in need of 

mentors, and it is imperative that we 

continue to expand grant programs. 

I am proud that Congress has been 

working toward increasing the funding 

for mentoring. I have cosponsored two 

pieces of legislation that support mentoring including the Mentoring America’s Children Act, which was introduced by Senator CLINTON. This bill is 

based on joint recommendations of the 

MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the National Collaboration for 

Youth. The act would broaden the 

reach of mentoring programs to include a number of specific populations 

of young people—including children in 

foster care and those living in communities with high rates of youth suicide. 

The Mentoring America’s Children Act 

would also help students gain professional skills by implementing internship programs during the school year. 

The second piece of legislation I have 

cosponsored is the Mentoring for All 

Act. This bill, introduced by Senator 

KERRY, would create a competitive 

grant fund to strengthen and grow 

mentoring infrastructure across the 

country and provide additional support 

and funding to direct service mentoring organizations, both at the national and local levels. 

In addition to cosponsoring these two 

bills, I also signed onto a letter to Senators HARKIN and SPECTER encouraging 

increased funding for mentoring to be 

added into the fiscal year 2009 budget. 

The letter encourages the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and 

Human Services, and Education to include $100 million in their appropriations bills for mentoring. 

There are literally millions of students in our schools who would benefit 

greatly from having another positive 

role model in their lives. I pledge to 

continue to fight for increased funding 

of mentoring programs all year, not 

just during National Mentoring Month. 

I am proud and grateful to our Nation’s 

mentors who realize that less than an 

hour of our time each school week can 

make a lifetime of difference to a child 

and to each of us. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF TIM LITVIN 

Mr. GREGG. Madam President, today 

I rise to make a few comments about a 

longtime staffer in my office, Tim 

Litvin. 

A native of Manchester and a graduate of Central High School, Tim came 

to work for me first as an intern from 

Colgate University and then joined the 

office full time in 2001. Through his 7 

years of service, Tim rose through the 

ranks from manning the front desk to 

becoming a legislative aide on critical 

defense and military issues, as well as 

on other matters. From making sure 

our veterans and soldiers received the 

highest level care and attention, to his 

work with the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Tim gained respect from all those 

who crossed his path. 

In my office, Tim always came to 

work with a smile, a willingness to 

help, and a good sense of humor. At office functions in the conference room 

or on the softball field, Tim would always crack a few jokes among his coworkers, sometimes at his own expense 

to add a bit of levity. This low-key, 

low-ego approach helped keep things in 

the office light and upbeat. Where 

there was laughter in my office, Tim 

was usually there and we all appreciated it. 

mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY