quorum call: as if in

morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. brown: thank you, mr. president. i -- i come to the floor pretty regularly to read letters from

ohioans, from people in my state, about things in their lives that are important to them, and i think in this institution we -- all of us, myself included, can too often forget the pain of so many people at home who have lost gorks who have lost homes, who have lost herks and i think about -- often about as i know the senator from oregon does, often about how difficult it would be for a parent to explain to their son or daughter, you know i lost my job and we lost our health insurance, and now we may have to move. and nobody has worked harder in the senate than the presiding officer from oregon on fixing some of the programs that can help people stay in their homes. i appreciate the work that the presiding officer z my letters are from people all over ohio about health insurance. i know that -- it was a long fight to be able to take on the

insurance companies and basically say to the insurance companies, you're not going to run this health care system the way you have, excluding people with preexisting conditions, denying claims after they've turned in their insurance, after they've been sick, dealing with all the problems people have. and you know, the business model for insurance -- health insurance in this country too often has been the insurance companies hire a bunch of bureaucrats to keep people from buying insurance, the preexisting condition exclusion, and then hire a bunch of people on the other end when someone gets sick to try to deny them their claims. and that -- i understand insurance companies do that. i don't even blame insurance because they're competing with one another. they may have to do that. the fact is, it doesn't work for our health system of that's what we fixed last year. that's what ohioans understand. i guess i -- i don't want to say "resent" -- but i do resent when

i see conservative washington politicians who have been for 20-25 years -- have had taxpayer-financed health insurance for them and their families and now they want to vote in the house of representatives and some do here, to take away benefits for senior citizens or take away benefits for small business or young people that have a preexisting condition or others. so, mr. president, i'm just going to -- i won't take too long. i am going to read three or four stories -- or maybe a handful more than that -- that -- lawyer la -- i'll only mention first names. these are letters people from ohio have written me. laura from southwest ohio writes "my youngest nephew just started college in state and has diabetes. alth insurance health care law, go back on my second-oldest plan. my third-oldest nephew can now sister's insurance plan. it appears that some in congress care more about money than the american people. please fight for me so i don't

coo to worry about losing my health insurance plan if i get seriously ill in the future." this letter comes from christina in medina county, a county south of cleveland. she writes, i want to tell you the story of carol, my mom. nine-year-old my father was downsighsed. his position woos eliminated and so was my parents' health coverage. my father was a few months shy of retirement. medicare was available to him and my mom was on cobra. my mom's employer had just recently shut its doors. why me found work part-time, she didn't qualify for benefits. a few months later, my mom was diagnosed with emif i diseem diseem ma and non-hodgkin's disease. cobra is the plan that you pay a lot of money for actually. you may the imleers and the employee's side.

she writes, if you ever tried to find health insurance for someone with a history of cancer and emphysema. from personal experience, i know it is infuriating. it would cost her $1,400 month with a $4,000 deductible per year. that means she'd pay insurance, $1,400 a month. wouldn't be ail to get any -- collect on any of these -- her bills until she'd already paid an additional $4,000 out of her pocket. this was more than my mairntses were bringing home each month so needless to say, whatever savings and retirement they had was used up quickly. what other option did they have? my mom's health got worse. she required keep in mind ma and several hospital stays. i remember sitting with request her and listening to how worried she was about how she would pay her bills. as if these kinds of illness aren't bad enough and the stress is it causes to a father the anxiety it causes, on top of that they just -- they -- what do we do about insurance? and there is -- we know that

people get sicker and recover more slowly when they have that kind of anxiety about paying the bills. my parents are good people. my dad is a veteran. they worked their entire lives, sacrificed to five h. give me and my sisters a better life. they are fortunate to have three tireless advocates looking out for them. no everyone has that. she then goes on, "state and federal programs are what helped my parents. without them, i honestly don't know where they would be today?" state and federal programs are what helped my mother. this whole attitude of let's repeal the health care bill. then get the government out of it, let individuals take care of themselves, it is the american way. no, it isn't. the american way is medicare, medicaid, social security, it private enterprise, is individualism, is helping one another, is a spirit of community in our communities. it is all of that. and it is not get government out of our lives and government -- they're against srkts they're against medicare, i mean, it is

just simply -- those are not the american values i was raised with and most people i know were raised with. michael from twinsburg in northeast ohio writes, my 22-year-old son was kicked off my insurance plan because of his age last year. it now costs $400 month to insure him. since -- now in january he'll be added back to my policy. it'll cost nothing. there is no additional charge to add my son. this is due to the health insurance legislation. please talk about these good things most people don't know this and other good things. and that's what -- you know, keep in mind as i read these, this kind of benefit that goes to michael from -- from michael about his son, if the people in this body and in the other body, the people in the house of representatives who actually voted to repeal the health care bill, if they have their way -- and these are mostly people who they themselves are getting taxpayer-financed health insurance -- they want to deny -- they want to deny to michael and his son, they want to deny those kinds of benefits that we

have voted for while they at the same time are getting taxpayer-financed health insurance. i guess one word would be "hypocritical." another would be "callous and cold." no understand that kind of thinking from -- i don't understand that kind of thinking from some of my colleagues. steve writes, "i believe the new health care law is one of the greatest things ever done for the middle class. i am so tired of hearing that many are against t every poll i've seen shows it is split down the middle. the other side has got to be heard." and i think steve wrote this a couple of weeks ago. i think what we've seen change is as people learn more about these benefits -- for instance, come january 1, every senior in america can go to the doctor and get, without co-pays and deductibles, can get a physical or can get tested for -- can get a mammography or get a colow colorectal screening.

seniors also in the so-called doughnut hole where they continue to pay a premium but don't get a benefit under the bush-constructed health care bill, this whole that costs people a lot of money, because of the health care bill, because it is law, because the senator from oregon and i and others voted for and it the president signed it, those seniors now will see their drug costs during that period cut entirely in half. not taxpayer-subsidized cut in half but the drug companies giving up half of what they were paid. this is from donald in harden county west of columbus. "i know firsthand the lack -- that lack of necessary medical and deny it will services for children and students of all ages has created add serious impediment to the learning process. families are access to a regular source of medical care are more like toy keep the entire family healthy and create a better learning environment within the home. health care reforms are vital to the nation's economic recovery and a crucial ingredient for great public schools.

moreover, passage of this reform is a moral imperative." and donald, noition what he writes about young people, there is an effort in ohio legislature, i believe 30 -- 30 i believe republican legislate legislators, have legislation to cancel or eliminate universal all-day kindergarten as if cutting back on children of that age, when children's brains are developing and they're growing and maturing, especially at that crucial age of 3, 4, 5, 6 years old, to pull the rug out from under them makes no sense. the last letter i'll read, mr. president, rachel from cincinnati, ohio, in southwest, "i want to thank you for the preexisting condition insurance plan. it is very important to me. your support for health care reform is greatly appreciated. health insurance for my preexisting condition will become one less thing i would i i need to worry b thank you, thank you, thank you.

i can concentrate on finding a job to replace the one i lost in january. again, i hear people say -- i've heard this for years. president bush once said it a few times, oarsz said t everybody in this country gets health care. if something is wrong, you go to the hospital, you go to the emergency room. the emergency room doesn't take care of you if you have chronic as mavment the emergency room will not take care of you if you have cancer. the emergency room will take care of if you go in with a heart atafnlgt the emergency room doesn't take care of you if you need preventive care, to make less likely to have that heart tac. and, mr. president, i read these letters about health insurance -- i don't want to debate the health insurance legislation. i don't think we need to talk about this. we have passed a law, made things better, given people -- people that have insurance have better insurance now because of these consumer protections. people without insurance now will get assistance. people that have insurance and were about to get thrown off it can keep t all of these things -- we need to focus on the real

problems in this country that we haven't addressed we will enough and that's job creation. many a hopeful that my colleagues will join -- i'm hopeful that my colleagues will back off of this whole idea of let's keep debating health insurance and keep relitigating this and keep rediscussion this and let's try to repeal it. instead fix some things, as the president said last night. make some minor changes but let's go back to what we really need to do is to create jobs in this country, to really focus on helping manufacturing. my state is the third-largest manufacturing state in the country. we need a lot -- we need to do a lot to make sure, as we innovate, as we do the best innovation in the world and the best research and development, that those jobs stay in the united states, don't get outsourced. that's our mission, to make sure these jobs are created here. mr. president, i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

can can caquorum call:

quorum call: quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call: the presiding officer: in my capacity as the senator from oregon, i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. without objection. in my capacity as senator from oregon, i ask that the senate

stand in recess subject to the call of the chair. without objection. the senate stands in recess the senate stands in recess

the senate today took up a resolution honoring those wounded and killed in the recent shootings in tucson. the resolution also praises the first responders. here is arizona senators john mccain and john kyl on theca measure. this is 25 minutes.cain >> and president, the resolution states that we honor the victims and heroes of thmse shooting on january eight, 2011 in tucson, arizona. and as we all know and the nation in the world knows that on january 8, a gunman opened fire at a congress on yourun corner event hosted by representative gabrielle

giffords in tucson, arizona, killing six and wounding 13 others. among those who lost their lives, those who lost theirds. lives with 9-year-old christina green, dorothy morris, judge john roll, phyllis schenck -- schneck and dorwin stoddard and gabriel matthew zimmerman. christina taylor green was a 9-year-old daughter of john and roxannaa green. a she was born on september 11, o 2001. she was a third-grader with an avid interest in government, who was recently elected to the student council at mesa birdie elementary school. dorothy morris was 76 years old. attended the january 8 event with george, her husband of over 50 years with him she had two w daughters and who was also critically injured as she tried

to shield her from the shooting. john roll, who i will talk about later on, a pennsylvania native who was 63 years old who began his professional career as a bailiff in 1972 was appointed to the federal bench in 1991 and i became chief judge for the district of arizona in 2006. he was a devoted husband to his wife, maureen, father to his three sons and grandfather to fiveen grandchildren and and heroically attempted to shield ron barber, from additional gunfire. phyllis schneck, a proud mother of three, grandmother of seven and great-grandmother from new w jersey, for spending the winter in arizona and was a 79-year-old church volunteer and new york giants fan. darwyn stoddard, 76 robe retired construction worker and

volunteer at the mountain avenue church of christ is credited with shielding his wife, mavy, a longtime friend that he married while they were in their 60s who was also injured in the 6 shooting. gabrielle matthew zimmerman who was 30 years old and engaged to be married served as director of community outreach to representative gabrielle c giffords and was a social worker before serving withabriel representative efforts. we all know that gabrielleds giffords was the target of the attack and was critically injured, and we overnight have receivede extremely good news ad that her condition has beenup upgraded from critical to good. that is an incredible news and is heartening to all of us. w 13 others were also wounded in the shooting including ron barber and pamela simon, both

staffers to representative giffords, and several individuals including patricia meche, army colonel bill bachero retired who was also wounded in the shooting. roger sells burger, joseph zamudio, daniel fernandez jr.m and dr. steven rael helped apprehend a gunman and assistnd the injured thereby risking their lives for the safety of others. now, some of the actions to place during this tragedy has been carried extensively in the media. the reaction of the people of tucson in arizona to this tragedy has been incredibly uplifting and encouraging to all of us.ar there are so many stories of courage and braverriy associated with this action, the quick reaction of our police and other

first responders was remarkables not to mention the incrediblence and extremely rapid care provided by the doctors and nurses and caregivers in tucson. so in this great tragedy that has taken place, we can again be comforted with the knowledge that our citizens reacted and the way that americans do, and with heroism, with courage and the sacrifice. so, i think it is entirelyy appropriate that this resolution be passed as one of the first acts of the new congress of the 112th congress of the united states senate and house, and i want to thank all americans for their concern, their prayers and

the sympathy and support that they havee extended not only to the victims, their families, but also the people of arizona.iz there will be discussion for weeks and months and years ahead as to m how it was possible for this event to take place. and i don't pretend to know all of the answers. it was clearly h. arranged individual, an individual who perhaps we could argue, although i can't say for certain, should have been brought to the attention as mental illness should have been brought to the attention of the proper authorities. we do have a law that provides for such a thing in the state of arizona. at the same time, the question needs to be asked, was his actions that we now have become

very very aware of, where they made aware to a proper number oft people that they would take such action? the fact is that it happened. the fact is that we who are elected representatives willtrer continue to have contact withta their constituents. we will do so and not be deterred by the actions of this deranged individual. we cannot allow the actions of h. arranged individual too prevent us from interacting in a fundamental way with their constituents. they deserve it, and i am confident that we will be able to continue the practice of town hall meetings, congress on your corner, the kinds of activities that our in some ways not entirely unique to the united states of america, but certainly

isn't practiced in most parts of the world. so we are encouraged by the news concerning gabrielle giffords and we will harbored the hope and prayer that she will return to herr duties in the united states congress to representing the d people of southern arizona we pray for the family of judge john roll and those others who gave their lives.iv senator kyl and i were attending the various memorial services and events that surrounded this tragedy in tucson and become away obviously with deep sorrow over the event and yet at the same time, with a great deal of pride and appreciation for our f fellow citizens in arizona and tucson who have reacted in ae heroic and giving and loving and sharing session.

so, madam president i guess we will be voting on this issue sometime this afternoon, and i know that other colleagues of mine will be speaking on behalf of this resolution. with that, madam president, i would turn to the legislation introduced -- i introduce legislation to name the united statesgi courthouse, the united states courthouse in yuma arizona the john ambrose the united states courthouse. the legislation is at the desk. i suggest the absence of a quorum. roll.

mr. mccain: madam president, i >> and present i ask unanimous consent further proceedings under the quorum call beit suspended.obje >> without objection. >> i call up resolution -- billf number 188 and ask for its immediate consideration.of >> the clerk will report.

>> the bill will be received. >> madam president, and pleased introduce legislation with senator kyl that would designate the soon-to-be constructed federal courthouse in yuma arizona to be named in honor of chief judge john rollef who diee tragically during the senseless act of violence against congresswoman giffords and otheh arizonans in tucson earlier this month. p i had the distinct privilege of knowing and working with chief judge role for many years.t, in fact it was my honor to recommend him to president george herbert walker bush for t nomination to the federal bench in 1991. he served with distinction. most recently judge roll became known by so many new state of arizona for judicial conference and many in