island and to continue to maintain the highest quality at our state veterans home. in fact, those two institutions, particularly the cemetery, are monuments to his efforts. he undertook this great effort at a time when there is a lot of discussion about the service of veterans. but no one was standing up and doing what george was doing. cajoling and persuading and convincing and using all manner of his charming temperament and his booming voice to start to assemble the resources in rhode island and then nationally to build what i feel and i'm sure i'm speaking for my colleague, the finest state veterans cemetery in the country. it is a place of reverence. it is a place of inspiration. it is a place where the families of rhode island veterans feel is

appropriate as a resting place of those who served this nation. and in october of 2008, in recognition of his great dedication and service, the administrative building at the cemetery was named after george, a fitting tribute. he was, in addition to an active patriot of his country, our country, the united states of america, he never lost sight of the need to be a powerful force in greek american relations. his constant effort to assist both in terms of business enterprises in greece, in terms of charitable organizations in greece, his continued work to pull together the bonds between greece and the united states was remarkable. he was someone who was keenly interested and very effective in

advocate a wise american policy towards gre. ce, cyprus and towards the ecumenical patriarch. an extraordinary individual. he will be missed. in all of his endeavors, he had the support and the love and the raw strength of his wife angela, who was a wonderful, wonderful worth and of course his daughters denise and joan, have continued the tradition of service and making the community a better place. his son george jr. has a proud name, and he carries it proudly. and of course his grandchildren are remarkable, too. i think that the only way to end these few words for a great gentleman is to recall the words of another greek 0 who said that the bravest of the brave are those who see both the glory and the danger and go forth to meet it. george benechia said that, as an

airman, as a citizen, as an american who used his opportunity to help others. mr. president, we miss this great gentleman, and we're just so honored to be able to say a few words. and i would yield the floor. officer office the presiding officer: the

senator from north dakota. mr. dorgan: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vacated. the presiding officer: we're nolt in a quorum call, senator. mr. dorgan: we are hopeful, as i indicated earlier, that we would be able to reach conclusion on this bill. we were hopeful perhaps of doing it tonight. that was not possible. but we expect to have final passage on the f.a.a. reauthorization bill on monday at 5:30. let me describe the discussions that we have had more recently with senator kyl and senator warner and many other colleagues, senator hutchison. there remains very little to be done on this bill. we have 17 amendments that have been agreed to both sides that would be offered en bloc. we weren't able to offer those until we were able to resolve another issue or at least begin discussion of another issue. and then there is an issue dealing with slots and perimeter rules for reagan national airport. it has been controversial in the past, for many, many years, and some colleagues on both sides of

the aisle have offered amendments dealing with slots and the perimeter rule. and so it has caused a lot of discussion for some long while, and we've got people on both sides of these issues, for and against increasing slots, exspandling the number of flights beyond the perimeter at reagan national. what we have discussed more recently is an amendment would be offered by the minority. they would perhaps modify an amendment that is now filed, and they would offer an amendment 0 on the slots and, i guess, slots and the perimeter rule, and to have that debated and discussed. and one of the things we discussed is that we understand going into conference with the house, the how has provisions that increase slots at reagan national. so that's going to be an issue in rches. the question is, what is the senate's position going to conference? and it can be determined by a vote on the floor of the senate, "yes" or "no."

or it can be determined in good faith by discussions with all of us who understand that there will be modifications, some kind of modifications on slots and the perimeter rule. what will they be? well, though, it seems to me, can also become between niewndz monday a part of the discussion and good-faiths negotiation on how to approach conference. it reaches the interests and needs of the broadest group of senators. so that's what we have done. we expect to have an amendment filed, a new amendment filed, that will modify one previously filed, have a discussion and debate about that. my hope is that we would not need a vote on that, and that instead we would reach some common understanding that we would work together on the slot and the perimeter issue in a way that can satisfy the broad interests here of the united states senate and take that position into conference in a very assertive way and hope that the senate provision would prevail in conference. mr. president, that's my understanding of where we are, and let me, with that, yield the floor.

mrs. hutchison: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from fairfax is recognized. -- the senator from texas is recognized. mrs. hutchison: mr. president, i appreciate what the senator from north dakota has stated. i am also working in this group to try to finish this f.a.a. reauthorization bill. there's so much in this bill that will let airports throughout our country have the stability and the airport trust funds to go forward. there are many safety issues that have rult resulted from thn accident that we are trying to correct, and other information. this is a very good, very bipartisan bill. the issues that are left -- there are approximately 17 amendments that we will be able to clear with the consent of everyone who has been interested in these, after we dispose of

the perimeter issue. we are going to have the reformed amendment filed on the perimeter issue, and it will be available for a vote on monday, where we hope that we will either be able to vote or get some sort of colloquy that is an understanding, and then we will, after everyone is satisfied with that, we will then clear the other amendments and hope to go to final passage on monday. i believe that is the goal that i think is very reachable. the perimeter rule at national airport is -- it's a rule that was put in place for many reasons. for one thing, there are noise issues, there are traffic issues, there are air traffic issues because national is a very close-in airport. but then, of course, there is

also the dulles airport issue and the way it has evolved is that dulles airport is the long-haul airport into our nation's capital, and the -- and national is used by people who come into our capital and it is convenient, and we don't want to jeopardize the dulles airport service in any way. but the people who live further out west in our country have been discriminated against, clearly, in not having access to national airport because there is a perimeter rule with only 12 flights that go beyond that perimeter. so, we have tried for a long time to settle this in an equitable way that does extend the perimeter but not at the detriment of either national or dulles airport. and so senator warner has --

from virginia -- has been a very strong advocate of the protection of national airport, as well as dulles airport, as he should be, and i will let him speak for himself, but he's been a very strong advocate, which we all appreciate. i think the western senators have also been very strong in their efforts for a long time, for many years. i have u.a.e. a been on the -- i've been on the aviation committee and now ranking member of the commerce committee, and i will tell you that we've tried to deal with this perimeter issue to accommodate the needs of western constituents, western citizens who want to be able to come in to national airport and have the choice to come into national airport. so, i believe that we are working very constructively in this, and i support the agreements that have been made

for us to go forward, as described. wand that, mr. president, i will yield the floor. -- and with that, mr. president, i will yield the floor. mr. warner: mr. president? the presiding officer: is not frr virginia is recognized. mr. warner: thank you, mr. president. first of all, i want to agree with my colleagues, the rank merger the senator from texas, and the senator from north dakota, the senator from arizona, on the fact that -- of the very good work that's been done on this f.a.a. reauthorization bill. and the importance of this bill and not only in terms of starting us down at least -- finally down the path on nextgen, starting to deal, recognizing some of the safety issues that are addressed. and as a member of the committee, i am i really compliment the bipartisan approach that's been taken on this bipartisan piece of legislation. and i, like my colleagues and i think most americans, want to see us move forward on this important piece of legislation. i also appreciate the rankin rag

member's comments about the long and challenging journey this has been about the slots and perimeter rules between national and dulles. i appreciate her comments in terms of my role as a virginia nor to make sure that the -- senator to make sure that the unique nature of national and dulles are protected and she made the comment that senator warner has been a fighter for this. in this case i'm simply filling the shoes of my esteemed predecessor, senator john warner, who i know for 20 years probably has had this battle and my colleagues have gone through some of the twists and turns. i want to simply make two or three comefntses, not take long today. i'll have more to say on monday. one is, while national and dulles serve our nation's capital, they also serve --

they're the local airports for people in virginia, d.c., and maryland. and there have been a number of issues, the unique nature of national airport in terms of sound keynes, in terms of traffic concerns, in terms of safety concerns. i also say that dulles, we've seen dulles, those of us who have lived in this area for decades, have seen dulles grow from being somewhat of a foresight or white elephant over the last 30 years to grow to be an international hub, an airport that has enormous potential, enor opportunity and has candidly benefited from the maintenance of the perimeter rule. an airport that this government has invested in heavily. i also have to recognize that technology has changed. the nature of jets in and out of national, technology improvements have allowe alloweh

quieter aircraft coming in and out of national, which has mitigated some of the concerns of the neighbors around the airport. we've also seen dulles make enormous strides, as to not only a long-haul airport but a gateway airport for international airports. senator dorgan made mention of the fact that the house has already acted in terms of changing the status quo. so the statisticked quo, at least from the house perspective, is going to change. what i look forward to -- and hopefully a colloquy and conversation or debate on monday -- and i appreciate the fact that my colleagues will offer their amendment and if we get to a vote, we get to a vote. if we can resolve this through a conversation, i hope we can resolve it through a cmpleghts i'll have that opportunity to lay out some of the challenges that these airports serve to the traveling public and particularly to my constituents

but also recognize that the status quo of the last 20-odd years is going to change, and we want to work it in a way that that change can be dealt with that accommodates the needs of the local community, that maintains national's incredibly important role, that doesn't cannibalize the great progress that's been made at dulles, but also recognizes the traveling needs of those folks -- those americans who live outside the perimeter in a way that strikes that appropriate balance. i appreciate the support i've received from chairman rockefeller and chairman dorgan on this issue and a number of my colleagues sms i also particularly appreciate as well the good-faith efforts that senator hutchison and senator kyl have made in raising this discussion but raising it in a way that we can perhaps resolve it so that the senate -- those folks who would be on the

conference committee can represent a view of the senate that reaches thand