thank you for his service to you and country. lord, we're also grateful for all of our military men and women who back their words with courageous deeds. in this season that brings tidings of a coming dawn, guide our lawmakers through the darkness that precedes the breaking of day. you have guided this nation through stormy places, and we have felt the winds and have been tossed by troubled seas. may our senators, amid the tumult, hear the whisper of your promise to never forsake us. remind us of life's brevity so that we will number our days and have hearts of wisdom. we pray in your marvelous name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington d.c., december 15, 2014. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable joe donnelly, a senator from the state of indiana o' to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: for those watching the owe opening of the senate, i'm sure some of you are wondering why the chaplain was dressed in a navy dress uniform. he is an admiral in the united states navy. he has spent many years traveling the world. we are so fortunate to have this good man here. it's always difficult to know what to call him -- doctor, chaplain, mister, admiral, and on and on, but what i call him is just a fine man, a real gentleman. so for those of you watching, he has a uniform on because he is an admiral in the united states navy. following my remarks, mr. president, the senate will proceed to executive session to debate the murthy, santos, rose, saldana and blinken nominations. i'm not going to give any extensive -- i'm not going to speak extensively on any of these. i'm going to just say now tony blinken i have known for many years. he was integral to the success of joe bidden as a -- joe biden as a united states senator. he has been with him as vice president. now he is going to be second in command at the state department. when we have our briefings in the classified room, there is no one more articulate and can answer the questions any better than tony blinken. i have great admiration for him. i think we as a country are so fortunate he is going to be in the position he's in. at 5:30 today, there will be four roll call votes. those votes will be as follows -- cloture on murthy to be surgeon general of the united states, confirmation of murthy nomination, cloture on the santos nomination to be a member of the defense nuclear facility safety board, and cloture on executive calendar number 635, frank rose being assistant secretary of state. mr. president, this man has been waiting 513 days. 513 days. an extremely important job. verification of plants nuclear. i don't think the republicans dislike him. they don't like the job he is going to have. they have left it basically empty for all this time. so we have some important stuff to do. we can complete everything we wanted to today, today. everything is scheduled now for moving forward, we could finish it today. so i hope that everyone understands we can move forward and we -- but we're going to have to be here until we finish our work, whether that's tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday or saturday. so everyone should understand you can't be leaving. i know we all have things to do. i haven't home, mr. president, in such a long time. and i want to go home. i bought a new home there, as everyone knows. i sold my place in searchlight. i have a home in the greater las vegas area. i'd like to be able to see the home. i have not slept in it. we bought it in may. i have not been there. my wife is there getting it ready for the move-in which is now taking place. so we have a lot of work to do. we have to work together to get it done as quickly as possible. mr. president, alaska's a state unlike any other state in the country. often referred to as the last frontier. alaska's landscape is as breathtaking and beautiful as it is immense. its residents are some of the most kind and accepting people one would ever meet. any person who represents the state of alaska must possess a true love for the exceptionally -- exceptional beauty of this region and the vastness of it, mr. president. it is so far away from everything. the capital juneau, you can only get there in an airplane. that's the only way you can get there, capital state alaska. so i'm going to spend a little bit of time today talking about senator mark begich for his faithful service to the people of alaska. there is no surprise that he is dedicated to alaska and the people of alaska. his father congressman nick begich was dedicated to alaska, as has been his mom peggy. they moved to then the territory of alaska in 1957 to teach school. congressman begich became involved in alaskan politics and successfully ran for a seat in the united states house of representatives. tragedy struck. the whip of the house, hale boggs, and he were in alaska campaigning, and they were flying to an event, the plane disappeared. they have searched, they have searched, they have searched. after two months, congressman boggs, congressman begich and the pilot were declared dead. their plane and bodies to this day have not been found. they were heading someplace in the vastness of alaska, in one of the mountains, in one of the many bodies of water, we don't know. but in spite of this heart breaking loss, the begich family has pushed on. his mother continued to raise six children aloan while managing real estate properties and being active in local politics. by the age of 17, mark had already acquired his mother's business acumen, starting his first business, a jewelry venture and also owning and managing real estate. one reason senator begich has been a good united states senator is because of his innate business acumen. at age 26, he was elected to the anchorage assembly which is the city council, a position which he held for ten years. then in 2003, he was elected mayor of anchorage. he served two terms before running for the senate. 2008 was a really dark time for alaskan politics, but mark's senate victory brought a fresh face and new hope to the state. from the time he stepped foot on the senate floor, he has not let the people of alaska down. he has fought to expand economic opportunity, defend the right of alaska natives and fortify rural alaska. senator begich's efforts to reform the alaskan veterans' health care system was exemplary, exemplary service and it's a blueprint for a bipartisan solution that the senate reached this year to reform the department of veterans' affairs. senator begich has made tremendous contributions to the senate over the past six years. i know that he will continue to fight for what's best for alaska as he transitions into the next stage of his life. i hope it's public service somewhere in mark's future. every state needs a man of his quality. he will always have his wife deborah and his son jacob by his side. i can remember the first time i saw jacob was right behind us by the ohio clock. president obama walked by and that little boy yelled obama! so he loves politics, the little boy does. it's really been an honor to serve with senator begich. i'm glad that he has been part of our leadership team as head of the steering committee. he has done a really remarkable good job. i thank him again for his service to the committee and certainly to our country. mr. president, i would ask that there be a separation in the record. i would ask that there be a separation in the record for the next statement i make. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: the famous english poet william blake said -- quote -- ""great things are done when men and mountains meet." there could go nothing more apt when talking about mark udall than when you talk about men and mountains. he knows mountains. he has climbed nine himalayan peaks. he has climbed mount mckinley. he has climbed 99 of the highest summits in colorado. that's the place where you have the great rockies. those are big mountains. he once attempted to scale mount everest but was stopped by a see see -- severe storm. some of us while we were waiting told me they were hoping to go skiing on sunday. i said where are you going to go skiing? they told me the place. how high is that place? they said 800 feet. mr. president, in the sierra nevada mountains where i am fro fro -- from and the rockies, that's not a mountain. we have mountains in colorado and nevada. mark udall once attempted to scale mount everest and was nearly there when one of the most violent storms came, and he and the others, using good sense, decided that they shouldn't do it, and it was the right thing to do. people die by saying they are stronger than nature. he understands his limitations, and his limitations are not very much. mark is a tremendous athlete. he could do anything athletically. he had the genes of his dad, morris udall, who i had the good fortune of serving with in the house of representatives. morris udall is the only person to have played professional basketball being blind in one eye, couldn't see, but he was able to adjust his perceptive qualities with a basketball hoop to play professional hbl. -- professional basketball. we all felt mark's loss when his brother randy was found dead. he was found dead in the place that he loved more than anyplace else, the wind river mountains in wyoming. that's where randy loved to go, mark loves to go. people told randy he shouldn't go alone, but he went alone. it appears maybe he had a heart attack while he was out there, but they found him several weeks later in the mountains that he loved, dead. it was real tough for mark who looked up so much to his brother. mark, though, has met many mountains and many great things. served in the house of representatives where he was stellar, but it's the work here in the senate where his greatest feats have been accomplished. in 2013, he had those violent storms in colorado. there was catastrophic flooding. it was really, really bad. lives were lost, homes washed away. the people of colorado needed help, and mark would not stop. he held up legislation here until the people of colorado got what they deserved. he helped secure nearly a billion dollar in federal assistance for the people of the state. that's money to rebuild homes, bridges, roads and re-establish lives. while he dedicateed himself to the people of colorado, he also was committed to safeguarding the constitutional rights of all americans. who has done more in exposing what has been going on with invasion of people's privacy. no one has done more than mark. he's done this in a number of different ways, but as a member of the intelligence committee, his work sounded the alarm of the national security administration bulk data collection program. he fought in the c.i.a.'s detention and interrogation program. together senator feinstein has pushed to make public committee study of the c.i.a.'s torture program. perhaps people have said if mark hadn't been so concerned about individual riots about the bulk data collection, about the torture, maybe he would have been elected, re-elected, but that's not mark udall. he comes from a family with a long tradition of public service as i've indicate evidence. his uncle stewart was secretary of the interior after serving in congress for many years as was mo udall. mo udall is one of the most recognizable politicians in the 20th century, having run for president and he had a sense of humor that was quite remarkable. mark has cousins here in the senate, it's been interesting, the last few years we've had a lot of cousins. mark, tom, mike lee, gordon smith. all cousins, first cousins. how did that come about? mark would look at, as he did just a day or two ago, look at kind of smile and say it could have been polygamy and it was but they're a very, very close family. a very close family. in spite of the closeness of tom and mark, which is two brothers couldn't be closer than that these two men. they climb mountains together, i've talked to them about putting on crampons, the spikes you put on your shoes in the ice. i mean these are adventurers. so we're going to miss mark. but he's forged his own path and his own legacy and now as his time in the senate draws to a close he'll carry that legacy to other endeavors. i wish mark all the best. he's been such -- it's been such a privilege to serve with him. he'll be deeply missed. i now move, mr. president, to proceed to calendar number 627 which h.r. 5771. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 627, h.r. 5771, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions and make technical corrections to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to provide for tax treatment of able accounts established under state programs for the care of family members with disabilities and for other purposes. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations which the clerk will report. the clerk: public health service, vivek murthy of massachusetts to be medical director and to be surgeon general. defense nuclear facilities safety board, jesse hill robertson of alabama to be a member. department of state, frank a. rose of massachusetts to be an assistant secretary. department of homeland security, sarah r. saldana of texas to be an assistant secretary. department of state, antony blinken of new york to be deputy secretary. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. >> in 1986, the people of south dakota elected me to serve them in the 100 session of the united states congress quorum call: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from wyoming. mr. barrasso: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. barrasso: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i rise today to oppose the nomination of dr. dr. vivek murthy to be surgeon general of the united states. surgeon general is known as america's doctor. americans have great respect for this important position. they expect their surgeon general to be someone who has substantial experience in helping patients, helping them improve their health and in helping them reduce their risk of illness and injury. this important position has been vacant since july of 2013, so about a year and a half. it's far too long, and it's been completely avoidable. now, we have seen how the obama administration has struggled in response to important health issues like the ebola crisis. america should have had an experienced doctor in the job as surgeon general to lead our fight against ebola. and to take on other serious health challenges as well. dr. murthy is a smart man, very well educated, has an undergraduate degree from harvard, an m.b.a. from yale, an m.d. from yale school of medicine. these are impressive academic credentials and i'm sure he will be a fine doctor. they are not sufficient qualifications for this important job. is dr. murthy a renowned expert in treating patients or-reaching diseases? no, not at all. he's not. has he actually built a career teaching medicine or leading public health organizations? no, not yet. in fact, dr. murthy only completed his medical training, his residency, in 2006, just eight years ago. now, i speak as someone who has actually practiced medicine for 25 years, who has been an instructor of surgery at yale medical school that dr. murthy attended. and i saw that being a doctor is about much more than going to school. doctors learn more and more as they progress through their careers, and they spend more time with their patients,if listening to patients and the patients' families. dr. murthy has just not had the time to develop these kinds of skills. so what qualifies him to be surgeon general of the united states? well, in 2008, just two years out of his residency, he founded a group called doctors for obama. the purpose? to elect a president. the majority of his career has been spent not as a doctor treating patients but as an activist, an activist focused on gun control and political campaigns. even former senator -- i'm sorry, even former surgeon general richard carmona has said that dr. murthy doesn't have the medical experience to serve in such an important position. let me point out, dr. carmona is a democrat. he wrote an article for "the huffington post" on december 4. it was titled in search of a surgeon general. i want to read a little bit about what he wrote. he says we don't appoint doctors early in their career to be a university dean or chairman. he said graduate business students at the top of their class don't become instant c.e.o.'s. top law yachts graduates of elite law schools don't get nominated to be u.s. attorney general or supreme court justice. he asks, why should the u.s. surgeon general are any different? -- be any different? he concludes by asking the question, is the health, safety and security of the nation any less important? is the health, safety, and security of the nation any less important? well, no. the health, safety, and security of the nation are not less important and the job of surgeon general is not less important. americans want the same thing from a surgeon general that they all want from their own doctors. people want honest and straightforward advice about medical dangers like cancer, like heart attacks, like stroke. they don't want inexperienced, unqualified political appointee. patients don't want a doctor who might let political ideology get in the way of treatment and their best interest. americans don't want a surgeon general who might use this position of trust to promote his own personal campaign against the second amendment of the constitution. this is just another example of president obama giving someone an important job based solely on their support of the president's political career. just like his nomination of a soap opera producer to be ambassador to hungary or the president's nomination of a man to be ambassador to norway when the person didn't know the first thing about the country. now, of course, both those nominations to be ambassadors had funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to the president's campaigns. well, those nominations were embarrassing. and so is the nomination, this nomination, to be surgeon general. this office of surgeon general is not just honor -- an honor area title. it is not just a figurehead position. the surgeon general commands the entire commissioned corps of the uniformed public health officers. there are 6,700 people that the surgeon general commands. it is one of the key positions leading america's public health efforts. america has a long history of qualified and talented people filling this job. when president bill clinton nominated bill sapper in 1998 he had already searched as president of a medical school, president of a medical school and as director of the centers for disease control and prevention. c. everett koop had spent 35 years as a leading world refound pediatric surgeon. they were substantial candidates who brought serious experience to the job. the responsibilities of being america's surgeon general require a strong professional leader, and the american people deserve a qualified nominee. now, there's a long list of capable doctors who could meet those requirements. the president should pick one of them. we've seen over the years that when the president nominates qualified people for this position, the senate has approved their nominations on overwhelmingly bipartisan votes. now, when president obama nominated regina benjamin to be surgeon general, she was confirmed unanimously. so was richard carmona when president bush nominated him. now, today even democrats have objected to the nomination of dr. murthy. so why are we wasting the senate's time talking about this now? well, the president obama thinks dr. murthy is qualified, why haven't we voted on him? he was nominated more than a year ago. we've had no surgeon joan, had the ebola crisis. he was nominated more than a year ago. his confirmation in the committee was last february. the majority leader could have brought this up for a vote at any time in the past nine months but he didn't do it. why? because he knew this nominee, this unqualified nominee, this partisan nominee, didn't have the votes, couldn't get the votes on the democrat side of the aisle, and the nomination would have been an embarrassment before the election. now is not the right time for this nomination, and it is not the right job for dr. murthy. the ebola problem and the other health crises facing our nation are enormous challenges. they require skills, they require talents that this nominee hasfully simply not had time to develop. and which he has so far not demonstrated in his career. now, i want to close by quoting from a letter that former surgeon general carmona sent to all the members of this sentence earlier this month, sent it to each and every one of us. and, madam president, i ask unanimous consent that this be made part of the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. barrasso: this is what he wrote about dr. murthy. this is a former surgeon general, democrat, about this current surgeon general nominee who we're going to vote on later today. dr. car mona writes his partisanship and lack of qualifications for the job of surgeon general gives this nomination the scent of political patronage. political patronage. that's for -- from someone who has actually served as surgeon general, a democrat, who knows what it takes to do the job well. dr. carmona added in his letter to all the members of the united states senate, he said his confirmation would undermine the credibility and the authenticity of the office of surgeon general. undermine the credibility and the authenticity of the office of surgeon general. while demeaning, demeaning the selfless service of qualified career union formed officers -- uniformed who merit consideration. that's who the president of the united states has chosen to nominate. someone who would undermine the credibility and the authenticity of the office of surgeon general while demeaning the selfless service of qualified career uniformed officers who merit consideration. madam president, americans deserve a surgeon general who has substantial experience in managing complex crises and delivering patient care. the american people deserve a surgeon general who has proven throughout his or her career that their main focus is a commitment to patients, not a commitment to politics. dr. murthy has time to learn, time to gain experience, and that may make him a fine surgeon general someday, but that day is not today. madam president, i call on the senate to defeat the nomination of dr. murthy for surgeon general of the united states. thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: a senator: madam president? the presiding officer: the assistant majority leader. mr. durbin: i ask the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: i see my friend and colleague from wyoming who just spoke on the floor is still in chamber, and i want to acknowledge publicly, i hope he will, too, we're friends, we disagree on the nomination of dr. vivek murthy to be our next surgeon general. i'd like to speak for a few moments about why i'm supporting him and why i hope a majority will join me in support of his nomination. this is an indication of what can go wrong in the senate. we received this nomination from the president of the united states to fill this post of surgeon general, reported from committee in february this year. obviously, we're in december. it's been sitting here since never. in fact the most of surgeon general has been vacant since july. the surgeon general was supposed to be the leader, one of the leaders in america speaking to issues of public health. can anyone think of a public health issue that we've had to face since february when dr. murthy was reported to the floor of the united states senate? perhaps one of the deadliest diseases that has ever been recorded is being fought in west africa, and we are being asked on a regular basis how we will respond in the united states. the center for disease control plays a major role in it, but historically surgeons general have played a major role when we face similar public health challenges. i can remember coming to the united states house of representatives years ago when president reagan had been elected and he had chosen c. everett koop to be his surgeon general. c. everett koop was a controversial choice by president reagan because he had been outspoken on some major political issues. he personally had strong feelings against abortion and had said as much before his nomination and some other issues, and it led many people to believe that he was too political for the job and that president reagan had made the wrong choice. but koop was chosen, despite the fact that he had been at least engaged as a medical doctor in discussing political issues. he was chosen. i wasn't in the senate at the time. i didn't have a vote when it came to his choice, but i will tell you this -- when dr. koop took over as surgeon general, he made it clear that he understood that his obligation was to be the nation's doctor, not the nation's leading medical politician. he did some extraordinary things. i don't know what america would have been like if it were not for dr. koop's presence pushing back on a lot of political spin when it came to public health issues, issues involving aids, for example. it's no secret, it's well known, that many politicians in both parties, for that matter, were reluctant to go into the whole issue of the aids crisis in america for a variety of reasons, but if you will remember, history shows that under dr. koop, we ended up mailing every household in america to let them know about the danger of the aids epidemic. that was an extraordinary act of public leadership when it came to public health, and dr. koop was surgeon general when that occurred. so those who worried that c. c. everett koop was just too little for the job were disabused of that notion as we watched his service to our country. i make that point because i don't want the same mistake to be made in criticizeing dr. dr. vivek murthy, who we're going to vote on later today to be our next surgeon general. it is true that he has engaged in political activity, as any american citizen is entitled to. i hope that would not disqualify him. when i read in a few moments the groups that are supporting him, you will understand that he isn't in this position of being nominated simply because of his political activity. he has an extraordinary backing of individuals in the medical profession. now we need him more than ever. we need to fill the post of surgeon general of the united states of america. we hope that we can see an end to the ebola epidemic. we're not quite there. but we ought to have a surgeon general in the united states of america. to think that we have waited since february while this doctor's name has been on our calendar, and we had to use some extraordinary parliament moves to even bring his name up for a vote here. i think it's time for us to vote and it's time for us to confirm the nomination of vivek murthy as our next surgeon general. this past year, americans have battled public health crises on all fronts. here at home, parents watched while a severe train of entero virus spread from state to state threatening young children. illinois, my home state, was one of the hardest hit. i heard from doctors across the state that the minute they discharged one child with respiratory symptoms from the emergency room, another came in. abroad, we still face the worst ebola epidemic in history. with over 6,300 deaths and many more diagnosed with this devastating disease, now more than ever america needs to fill the spot of top doctor. it has been vacant since july, since july. dr. vivek murthy is that doctor, and i'm proud to vote for him as the next u.s. surgeon general. i'm hoping my colleagues will join me. let me tell you a little about his background. dr. murthy is an attending physician at brigham and women's hospital, an instructor at the harvard medical school. part of what is extraordinary about him is that as well as treating his patients individually, he also thinks about the systemic issues affecting the health of patients and tackles those as well. he is a leading voice in public health, publishing his research on the participation of women and minorities in cancer clinical trials in top journals, including "science," "journal of the american medical association "and" journal of the american cancer institute." critics of dr. murthy who say he is not up to the job should just look at the literature. he has published in medical research areas of great importance. he also cofounded and chairs the trial network, a software company that helps clinical researchers collaborate more effectively and efficiently with drug developers to speed up drug discovery. in 2011, dr. murthy was appointed to the advisory group on prevention health promotion and integrative and public health. over 100 national state and local public health organizations have endorsed his nomination. they describe him as -- quote -- a well-qualified, forward-thinking, innovative leader with a strong commitment to public health." end of quote. does that sound like a political hack, when 100 organizations say that about this doctor? the organizations that support dr. murthy include the american college of physicians, the american academy of family physicians, the american academy of pediatrics, the american public health association, the american hospital association, the american cancer society, the american heart association, the american diabetes association, and the list goes on from there. in his confirmation hearing before the senate help committee last february, dr. murthy stated if confirmed he would prioritize his efforts on obesity and tobacco-related disease and -- quote -- make prevention and health promotion the backbone of our communities. this is something that i share with dr. murthy. for the past 30 years, serving in the house and senate, i have worked on the issue of tobacco and public policy. i have worked to reduce youth smoking, implement programs to help people to quit and rein in the most insidious practices of the tobacco industry. moreover, i have chaired the -- as a cochair of the senate hunger caucus, i have become familiar with the complex and arguably unjust way food is distributed and consumed in america, leaving communities, including many in illinois, simultaneously facing high levels of food insecurity and high rates of obesity. obesity and tobacco-related diseases are part of a growing trend of chronic disease that claims seven out of ten deaths in america and makes up 86% of america's health care costs. dr. murthy says these are his priorities. they should be. these statistics are unacceptable. i believe dr. murthy understands the importance of the national crises before him. i feel confident that his experience, his training and his tenacity have proved him -- that he has qualifications that are needed to tackle these issues. not only is dr. murthy an outstanding doctor and public health expert, but he also remains closely connected to his community and family. dr. murthy was born to parents who originally were from the southern part of india. he came to the united states at the age of 3 and grew up in miami, florida. he did very well in school. he was valedictorian of his high school, graduated magna cum laude from harvard in just three years, and then got a combined medical and business degree from yale. so senators who come to the floor and question this man's resume, his ability, for goodness sakes, he has an extraordinary background, and that's why the president nominated him. from a very early age, dr. murthy did not set out to make money. he set out to make a difference. in 1995, he cofounded visions worldwide, a nonprofit organization that conducts and supports hiv-aids education and empowerment programs in india. until 2003, he served as the president of that organization and then board chair. he's a dedicated uncle and friend, consistently described by those who know him as humble, soft-spoken and tireless. i know the indian-american community across this nation is so proud of dr. murthy's accomplishments, as all of us should be. madam president, many years ago, i worked for a state senator in illinois named cecil partee. cecil partee used to say for every political controversy, when you listen to the arguments, understand there is a good reason and a real reason. what is the real reason for the opposition to dr. murthy? it may have come down to just one thing that he said. it was alluded to by the senator from wyoming earlier. during the course of his hearing, he said that he believed that gun violence was a public health issue. gun violence, a public health issue. for making that statement, he has been pilloried and excorps excorps -- excoriated by the gun lobby, and that may be a major reason why his nomination is controversial. i'm proud to represent the city of chicago and the state of illinois. gun violence is a public health problem. go to the emergency rooms, and i'll give you the list of the names of hospitals in chicago to start with. go to the emergency room on a friday our -- or saturday night, and you tell me that gun violence isn't a public health issue. in those emergency rooms, you will see the victims of gun violence. many of them fighting for their lives. if you go to mount sinai hospital in the englewood section of chicago, you can look across the street to a rehab institute. those who have survived gun violence at mount sinai go across the street to the schwab rehab institute and learn how to live a life as a paraplegic or a quadriplegic. does that have anything to do with public health? it certainly does. gun violence is a public health issue. no apology necessary. but i think dr. murthy, like dr. koop, has made it clear they are not aspiring to be the leading doctor in america to engage in a political debate, but rather to engage in public health debates about obesity and tobacco and things that make a dramatic difference to the lives of so many people who live in this country. i'm supporting dr. murthy. i think he will be an extraordinary surgeon general. i'm sorry that he and america have had to wait so long for this vote. i hope the majority of my colleagues will step up and support his nomination as well. at this time of challenge, when it comes to public health issues, we need his leadership. we need his expertise. we need a person of this quality, a surgeon general of the united states. i yield the floor, suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: i ask unanimous consent the call of the quorum be terminated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reid: mr. president, north carolina's official motto is a latin phrase which means simply translated, to be, rather than to seem. to be, rather than too seem, means don't talk about being a hard worker, be a harped worker. don't pretend to be honest, be honest. might means if you talk about being sincere, be genuine about it. senator kay hagan, a native of shelby, north carolina embodies her state's motto. she's genuine and honest and anyone could be. it's no wonder that in 2008 when the country was seeking change the people of north carolina elected kay hagan to be united states senator. from the moment she arrived here, she got to work. the very first piece of legislation she cosponsored was the lilly ledbetter act. having worked as a corporate executive, she is aware of the difficulties working women faced. this ladies and gentlemen was personal to kay and she issue threw it through till completion. the daughter of a veteran, kay has spent her time in the senate creating sound passage for members of the armed services. she has done it not only as a united states senator but on that important committee, armed services. as a former executive with north carolina national bank, she knows all the challenges facing businesses in her state and how women have a little different view of how difficult it is to work your way through the corporate world. she's fought tirelessly to create a better climate for small business, to create jobs and grow. in any given sense at any given time kay hagan has advocated her position and done it well and refused to give up until meaningful solutions were discovered. madam president, while i'm sure senator hagan will take some well-deserved time off to think about her future, i'm convinced her service on behalf of the people of north carolina and the american people is not going to end. senator hagan has a lovely family. we all like chip very, very much. a navy vietnam veteran. she has three children, tilden, jeanette and kerry. i wish her family very best as they transition to a new chapter of their lives. on a personal basis no one has impressed me more as action hard worker. we're so disappointed she's now going to have to find different public service, but it could be be -- i know nothing, no inside information but she could be back in this body. i have no doubt the people of north carolina are going to miss her dearly. i applaud her for serving with conviction and look forward to the great things she'll accomplish for north carolina and our country in the future. i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: