Carper's Corner
In Honor of President Ford
December 27, 2006Washington, D.C. -- Yesterday, the United States lost a true leader and a real gentleman. President Gerald Ford united our country during one of our darkest times and worked toward healing this nation after Watergate and the Vietnam War. He made the tough decisions - but the right decisions - during some very difficult days. Although President Ford had stepped down as President six years before I was first elected to the Congress in 1982, I had the honor of being with President and Mrs. Ford on several occasions. The last time was when Mrs. Ford was being honored with a Commonwealth Award here in the First State in 1998. She sat with a number of us at the head table. He sat close by in the audience at another table with - among others - my wife Martha.
Postal Service Reform
December 18, 2006Wilmington, DE -- On Friday, December 8, 2006, I stayed late into the night to help put the finishing touches on legislation providing for the first major overhaul of the United States Postal Service in more than three decades. There is a reason why postal reform isn't done more often, and the reason is that it is tough to do. There are so many competing interests - mailers large and small in areas both rural and urban; labor unions representing hundreds of thousands of postal employees; and companies like UPS and FedEx that have grown to be direct competitors of the postal service. However, my father used to say that the hardest things to do are oftentimes the things that are most worth doing.
Called to Serve
December 8, 2006Wilmington, DE -- Twenty-four days before Christmas, on the first Friday of December, I joined members of my staff and their guests at the Buena Vista conference center, located just south of the Town of New Castle, for our annual holiday reception (an event not paid for with taxpayer dollars). Unlike many traditional office gatherings, I also invited former staff members - regardless of whether they were part of my team during my time in the U.S. House of Representatives, as governor, as state treasurer, or in the U.S. Senate.
Returns Day Traditions
November 16, 2006Washington, DC -- In the modern era of negative political ads, smear campaigns and partisan politics, it is more refreshing than ever to participate in a Delaware custom that helps restore my faith, and that of a lot of Delawareans, in our political process. Like a lot of Delaware traditions, Returns Day is one of those "only in Delaware" experiences that helps to make the First State so dear to my heart. Every two years, two days after the election, candidates from all over Delaware converge on Georgetown to participate in Returns Day. Originally a Sussex Country tradition, the starting date of this now state-wide celebration is uncertain.
Questions about DaimlerChrysler
October 30, 2006Wilmington, DE -- DaimlerChrysler has been all over the news lately, at least in Delaware. The future of the company as well as the future of its Newark assembly plant have been the subject of considerable speculation. Ironically, barely a year ago, DaimlerChrysler was the toast of the town. After launching a series of new vehicles, including the Chrysler 300 series, the company's monthly sales, the company's monthly sales grew steadily, and its market share rose while that of Ford and GM continued to shrink. That was then. This is now.
What Might Have Been
October 12, 2006Wilmington, DE -- The end of the 109th Congress gives us a good opportunity to reflect at what we were able to accomplish this year and what "might have been." Unfortunately, as has been too often the case since I came to the Senate in 2001, "what might have been" trumps what we were actually able to get done. I share the frustration of many of my colleagues and constituents who wish that we would put progress in front of partisanship. It's frustrating because I believe that on any number of issues that I've worked on - such as energy independence, global warming, rail security, budget reform, etc. - there exists a coalition of the willing waiting to strike when the iron is hot.
September 11th
September 11, 2006Wilmington, DE -- I will never forget the events of September 11, 2001. My morning started just like most others. I was on the train en route to Washington that day and was on a conference call with my staff when they reported to me that a tragic accident apparently had occurred - a commercial airliner had flown into one of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Less than 20 minutes later, they called back to say that a second airplane had just flown into the other tower, and we knew at once that this was no accident. When I arrived at Union Station a short while later, I hurried up to the Hart Building where my office is located. As I quickly walked up Delaware Avenue, I could hear the sound of fighter aircraft in the sky above us that apparently had been launched in response to the attack. Off in the distance, I heard an explosion which I later learned was likely the sound of the fuel farm by the Pentagon going up in flames.
For Our Environment and Our Economy
September 5, 2006Wilmington, DE -- On my family's recent trip to Italy and England, I was happy to see that at least some of the citizens of those countries share one of my passions in life: recycling. I began recycling over 30 years ago in Palo Alto, California, just a few miles from Moffett Field Naval Air Station where my squadron was stationed when we weren't overseas during the Vietnam War. I found a recycling center in Palo Alto and faithfully used it until my tour of duty was over and I moved to Delaware to enroll in the University of Delaware's MBA Program. It wasn't too long before I started to recycle in the First State, too. I've never stopped.
Increasing Our Security
August 18, 2006Wilmington, DE -- As you may know, Congress is traditionally in recess for much of the month of August. My family took advantage of part of that recess to take a family vacation to a place we have been talking about visiting for years - Italy. Coming home this week, we were routed through England where we would spend a day and a night in Manchester, near Nottingham and Liverpool. Little did we know that our return to the states would coincide with the crackdown in airline security triggered by the terrorist plot recently uncovered by British intelligence.
Watch Where Your Money Goes
August 7, 2006Washington, D.C. -- People use the Internet for any number of things these days - helping their kids with their homework, hunting down cheap airline tickets, and, my personal favorite, keeping track of the Detroit Tigers. The Internet's become an indispensable tool, mostly because it's given regular people, like you and me, the ability to research practically any topic and learn more about the world around them. Late in July, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, of which I'm a member, approved legislation I've been working on to use the Internet to learn more about how the federal government spends its money.
Who Here Likes Oysters?
July 7, 2006Kent County, DE -- On a picture-perfect summer day this past Friday, I joined a number of my fellow Delawareans in the town of Leipsic to celebrate the one-year anniversary of a large-scale effort to reverse the decline in the oyster population of the Delaware Bay. As I addressed the crowd on the docking station of the research vessel, First State, on the Leipsic River, I asked, "Who here likes oysters?" Roughly half of the people in the audience raised their hand. I laughed and said, "I love oysters. But, you know who doesn't? My youngest son."
Fighting for Our Veterans
June 28, 2006Wilmington, DE -- Delaware might be a small state, but we have a large number of veterans living within our borders. In fact, nearly 10 percent of Delaware's population has served in the Armed Forces. I myself am a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served as a naval flight officer on both active duty and in the Naval Reserve for some 23 years. Later, as Governor of Delaware, I was privileged to serve for eight years as commander-in-chief of the Delaware National Guard. This experience has carved a special place in my heart for the brave men and women across America who serve or have served in our nation's armed forces.
The Mid-Atlantic Biodiesel Production Facility
June 15, 2006Wilmington, DE -- This past Monday, I had the pleasure of touring the almost-completed Mid-Atlantic Biodiesel production facility, located on what used to be a 6-acre abandoned railroad yard in Clayton. When fully operational, this facility - the first of its kind in our region - will annually produce approximately 5 million gallons of biodiesel made primarily from soybeans grown right here on the Delmarva Peninsula. This plant represents one common-sense solution to our nation's energy crisis. Instead of buying oil from countries that might not have our best interests at heart, we need to be investing in new types of alternative fuel technology.
Celebrating Memorial Day
May 25, 2006Washington, D.C. -- Since the late 1940's, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones in Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. The sight of these American flags always reminds me of the sacrifice that so many Americans have made to keep America safe and secure. Many people view Memorial Day weekend as a time for picnics and trips to the beach, as a way to spend time with their families and their loved ones. Unfortunately, for some families, this will be their first Memorial Day without a loved one.
Our Staff Retreat
May 16, 2006Washington, D.C. -- My reputation in Washington and in Delaware is that, once committed to a cause or issue, I don't give up. In other words, the word "retreat" is usually not found in my vocabulary. However, once each year I make an exception. For over 15 years, I've convened annual retreats, initially as a Congressman, as Governor of Delaware, and now with all members of my Senate staff in Delaware and D.C. Almost all of these retreats take place in Delaware. Typically, they begin around noon on a Friday and conclude shortly after noon on the following day. Often, our retreats are held on the University of Delaware's College of Marine Studies campus in Lewes.
Fiscal Responsibility
May 2, 2006Wilmington, DE -- Earlier this week, I participated in a public forum focusing on our country's continued slide into fiscal irresponsibility. The event was actually the eighth in a series being hosted around the country by the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan budget watchdog group that's tasked itself with the sometimes unenviable job of informing the public about the need for sound fiscal policy. In true Delaware fashion, Monday's forum was bipartisan, thanks to the participation of Congressman Castle and myself.
Cleaning Up Our Air
April 20, 2006Wilmington, DE -- I feel like spring officially arrived last week. Along with it came a desire to roll down the windows in my car, to fire up our barbeque grill and get home a little early to spend some time outdoors with my family. While the forecast isn't all that encouraging, I hope the weatherman is wrong and that this Saturday - which just happens to be Earth Day - turns out to be a beautiful day, too. Rain or shine, it's a great time to get outside and enjoy all that Delaware has to offer - while at the same reflecting on the state of our environment and what actions we need to take to preserve this planet of ours for generations to come.
Hurricane Katrina
April 11, 2006New Orleans, LA -- I first visited New Orleans in 1978. I had just been re-elected to my second term as Delaware's state treasurer and was attending a national conference there of state auditors, controllers and treasurers. I woke up early one morning and went for a run through what I later learned was the city's Garden District. It was one of the loveliest places I had ever seen - block after block of beautiful homes and immaculate landscaping. Over the years, I've returned to New Orleans several times, always for conferences or retreats. On each of those visits, I've found time to go for a run either through the Garden District or on the riverwalk that runs alongside the Mississippi River. These forays into the city gave me a first-hand perspective that has stayed with me throughout the years.
C-5 Crash at DAFB
April 4, 2006Dover, DE -- This past Monday morning, I was at home preparing for a busy day ahead in Kent County. Little did I know that my day, and the lives of 17 people on board a C-5B military transport plane, was about to be turned upside down. At 7:15am the phone rang in our kitchen. My Kent County director, Lori James, was calling me with news that a C-5 had crashed less than a mile south of the Dover Force Base. In an instant, my mind raced back some 30 years ago to the morning when a 13-man Navy P-3 aircraft assigned to my naval air station south of San Francisco crashed and burned just short of the runway. All crewmembers aboard lost their lives. Fearing the worst, I asked Lori to stay on top of the situation in Dover and to keep me in the loop.
Selling Port Operations
March 3, 2006Washington, D.C. -- Like many Americans, I have some concerns over the Bush administration's plan to allow Dubai Ports World, a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, to oversee the terminal operations of six ports along our nation's coastline, including the one located in Philadelphia. My initial reaction was one of skepticism. Granted, the United Arab Emirates is an ally of the United States, and its leaders have taken steps to dissociate themselves from radical Islamic factions and aid our country in the war on terror. However, we can't forget that the UAE was also one of three countries to recognize the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Academy Night
February 21, 2006Dover, DE -- When I was a senior in high school, I applied too late to be considered for a nomination to the Air Force Academy. To my knowledge, no one in my family had ever graduated from college. I came from a family of modest means, so we knew that in addition to working several part-time jobs, I would need financial help to go to school, like a lot of other students. A little later that same year, I was sitting in home room one day. Among the announcements that came over the P.A. that morning was this one, "If you are a senior and would like to learn more about winning a Navy scholarship to attend college, please visit your guidance counselor this week."
Dinner at the White House
February 13, 2006Wilmington, DE -- Two weeks ago, President Bush led off his State of the Union speech by a call for a return to civility. It's the kind of thing that people on my side of the aisle listen to with a grain of salt. But the next day, though, when I spoke in the Senate and reflected on the president's message, I led off by saying that if he sincerely meant what he had said the previous evening about civility, I'd be willing to reciprocate and expected that many of my Democrat colleagues would, as well.
Reaction to the State of the Union
February 3, 2006Wilmington, DE -- I've been privileged to attend State of the Union addresses for some time now, going back to 1983 when Ronald Reagan was our president, and I was a brand new freshman congressman from the First State. All were interesting. Some were truly memorable. This past Tuesday night, like most of you, I watched the address, not from a front row seat in the House chamber, but from a small television set that we have in the kitchen of our home in Wilmington, Delaware. Joining me from time to time in the audience there were my wife Martha and our two teenage sons. Our boys took study breaks to come downstairs, raid the refrigerator, listen to parts of the speech and then head back upstairs to hit the books.
On the Nomination of Judge Alito
January 26, 2006Washington, D.C. -- The following passage was selected from Sen. Tom Carper's floor speech on the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to serve as Justice of the Supreme Court. The speech was delivered on the floor of the U.S. Senate on January 26, 2005. The actions of the nine sitting justices of the Supreme Court can have a tremendous and lasting effect on the lives of every American, probably more so than any senator or governor and, perhaps, more than many Presidents.
In Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 13, 2006Wilmington, DE -- As we have every year since 1986, the U.S. Senate and the rest of the federal government will close down on the third Monday of January to celebrate the birth and life of a man who truly changed the lives of millions. Martin Luther King Jr. led the fight for racial equality and his ability to find common ground between people with opposing views has always inspired me. This ability to transcend the ugliness of racial discrimination and promote the equal treatment of all American citizens was in line with his beliefs and with his faith. He knew in his heart that all of God's children deserved to be treated with respect and dignity and that hatred and discrimination did more than just hurt the individual it was aimed at - it hurt the very essence of what America stands for.
North American International Auto Show (Part 2 of 2)
January 9, 2006Wilmington, DE -- Flying home Sunday evening with my sons, I told them that I saw a big difference between the 2006 show in Detroit and the one I attended in 2004. We still saw yesterday a number of new muscle cars, trucks and SUV's with big engines and big appetites for fuel. Having said that though, there is a far greater focus this year on fuel economy, more environmentally-friendly vehicles, and flexible fuel capability which allows a behemoth like the Ford Super Chief pick-up truck to run on either gasoline, 85% ethanol or hydrogen. Ford also unveiled a dynamic concept roadster called the Reflex, which is equipped with gull-wing doors and the first diesel-hybrid engine that I've seen in a passenger vehicle, a concept that makes a lot of sense as we continue to cut diesel emissions.
North American International Auto Show (Part 1 of 2)
January 8, 2006Detriot, MI -- As the lights went down in Cobo Arena, DaimlerChrysler's John Bozzella leaned over to my 15 and 17-year-old sons and me and said, "If we were in Hollywood, this would be the Oscars." We weren't in Hollywood, though. We were in Detroit. And, it wasn't the Oscars. It was the North American International Auto Show. Most people don't think of Delaware as a place where a lot of cars, trucks or vans are made; however, when the First State's GM and DaimlerChrysler assembly plants are operating at something approaching full capacity, more motor vehicles per capita are made in Delaware that in any state in America. The plants provide several thousand of the best manufacturing jobs in Delaware.
Governor or Senator?
January 3, 2006Wilmington, DE -- Five years ago today, at high noon, I stepped down as Governor of Delaware, stood up in the U.S. Senate, and took an oath to succeed Senator Bill Roth. The day before, I had walked through Legislative Hall, through Woodburn - the Governor's House - and through the Governor's office to say so long to many of the dedicated people I'd been privileged to work with during the previous eight years. While I'm sure that one or two of them were glad to see me head for the door, it was still hard to say goodbye. Working together, we had accomplished a lot over the course of those years. We balanced budgets, cut taxes, overhauled public education, reformed welfare, earned Delaware its first AAA credit ratings, cemented Delaware's reputation as a great place to start and grow a business, preserved farm land and open space, and more.
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