[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3761-S3764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECONVENING THE PARLIAMENT OF NEPAL
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AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE
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CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS
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HONORING MALCOLM P. McLEAN
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the en bloc consideration of S. Res. 451, S. Res. 452, S.
Res. 453, and S. Res. 454, which are at the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and the motions
to reconsider be laid upon the table, all en bloc.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolutions were agreed to.
The preambles were agreed to.
The resolutions, with their preambles, read as follows:
S. Res. 451
Whereas, in 1990, Nepal adopted a constitution that
enshrined multi-party democracy under a constitutional
monarchy, ending 3 decades of absolute monarchical rule;
Whereas, since 1996, Maoist insurgents have waged a violent
campaign to replace the constitutional monarchy with a
communist republic, which has resulted in widespread human
rights violations by both sides and the loss of an estimated
12,000 lives;
Whereas the Maoist insurgency grew out of the
radicalization and fragmentation of left wing parties
following Nepal's transition to democracy in 1990;
Whereas, on June 1, 2001, King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya
and other members of the Royal family were murdered, leaving
the throne to the slain King's brother, the current King
Gyanendra;
Whereas, in May 2002, in the face of increasing Maoist
violence, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba dissolved the
Parliament of Nepal;
Whereas, in October 2002, King Gyanendra dismissed Prime
Minister Deuba;
Whereas, in June 2004, after the unsuccessful tenures of 2
additional palace-appointed prime ministers, King Gyanendra
reappointed Prime Minister Deuba and mandated that he hold
general elections by April 2005;
Whereas, on February 1, 2005, King Gyanendra accused Nepali
political leaders of failing to solve the Maoist problem,
seized absolute control of Nepal by dismissing and detaining
Prime Minister Deuba and declaring a state of emergency,
temporarily shut down Nepal's communications, detained
hundreds of politicians and political workers, and limited
press and other constitutional freedoms;
Whereas, in November 2005, the mainstream political parties
formed a seven-party alliance with the Maoists and agreed to
a 12 point agenda that called for a restructuring of the
government of Nepal to include an end to absolute monarchical
rule and the formation of an interim all-party government
with a view to holding elections for a constituent assembly
to rewrite the Constitution of Nepal;
Whereas, since February 2005, King Gyanendra has
promulgated dozens of ordinances without parliamentary
process that violate basic freedoms of expression and
association, including the Election Code of Conduct that
seeks to limit media freedom in covering elections and the
Code of Conduct for Social Organizations that bars staff of
nongovernmental organizations from having political
affiliations;
Whereas King Gyanendra ordered the arrest of hundreds of
political workers in January 2006 before holding municipal
elections on February 8, 2006, which the Department of State
characterized as ``a hollow attempt by the King to legitimize
his power'';
Whereas the people of Nepal have been peacefully protesting
since April 6, 2006, in an attempt to restore the democratic
political process;
Whereas on April 10, 2006, the Department of State declared
that King Gyanendra's February 2005 decision ``to impose
direct palace rule in Nepal has failed in every regard'' and
called on the King to restore democracy immediately and to
begin a dialogue with Nepal's political parties;
Whereas King Gyanendra ordered a crackdown on the protests,
which has left at least 14 Nepali citizens dead and hundreds
injured by the security forces of Nepal;
Whereas the people of Nepal are suffering hardship due to
food shortages and lack of sufficient medical care because of
the prevailing political crisis;
Whereas King Gyanendra announced on April 21, 2006, that
the executive power of Nepal shall be returned to the people
and called on the seven-party alliance to name a new prime
minister to govern the country in accordance with the 1990
Constitution of Nepal;
Whereas the seven-party alliance subsequently rejected King
Gyanendra's April 21, 2006 statement and called on him to
reinstate parliament and allow for the establishment of a
constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution;
Whereas on April 24, 2006, King Gyanendra announced that he
would reinstate the Parliament of Nepal on April 28, 2006,
and apologized for the deaths and injuries that occurred
during the recent demonstrations, but did not address the
issue of constitutional revision;
Whereas political party leaders have welcomed King
Gyanendra's April 24th announcement and stated that the first
action of the reconvened parliament will be the scheduling of
elections for a constituent assembly to redraft the
Constitution of Nepal.
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses its support for the reconvening of the
Parliament of Nepal and for an immediate, peaceful transition
to democracy;
(2) commends the desire of the people of Nepal for a
democratic system of government and expresses its support for
their right to protest peacefully in pursuit of this goal;
(3) acknowledges the April 24, 2006 statement by King
Gyanendra regarding his intent to reinstate the Parliament of
Nepal;
(4) urges the Palace, the political parties, and the
Maoists to immediately support a process that returns the
country to multi-party democracy and creates the conditions
for peace and stability in Nepal;
(5) declares that the transition to democracy in Nepal must
be peaceful and that violence conducted by any party is
unacceptable and risks sending Nepal into a state of anarchy;
(6) calls on security forces of Nepal to exercise maximum
restraint and to uphold the highest standards of conduct in
their response to the protests;
(7) urges the immediate release of all political detainees
and the restoration of full civilian and political rights,
including freedom of association, expression, and assembly;
(8) urges the Maoists to lay down their arms and to pursue
their goals through participation in a peaceful political
process; and
(9) calls on the Government of the United States to work
closely with other governments, including the governments of
India, China, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, and
with the United Nations to ensure a common and coherent
international approach that helps to bring about an immediate
peaceful transition to democracy and to end the violent
insurgency in Nepal.
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S. Res. 452
Whereas American Ballet Theatre (known as ``ABT'') is
recognized as one of the world's great dance companies;
Whereas ABT is dedicated to bringing dance to the United
States and dance of the United States to the world;
Whereas, over its 65-year history, ABT has appeared in all
50 States of the United States, in a total of 126 cities, and
has performed for more than 600,000 people annually;
Whereas ABT has performed in 42 countries as perhaps the
most representative ballet company of the United States, with
many of those engagements sponsored by the Department of
State;
Whereas ABT has been home to the world's most accomplished
dancers and has commissioned works by all of the great
choreographic geniuses of the 20th century;
Whereas President Dwight D. Eisenhower recognized ABT's
ability to convey through the medium of ballet ``some measure
of understanding of America's cultural environment and
inspiration'';
Whereas over the years ABT has performed repeatedly at the
White House, most recently in December 2005;
Whereas ABT is committed to bringing dance to a broad
audience and provides exposure to dance to more than 20,000
underprivileged children and their families each year;
Whereas ABT's award-winning Make a Ballet program and its
other outreach initiatives help to meet the need for arts
education in underserved schools and communities;
Whereas ABT's Studio Company brings world class ballet to
smaller communities like--
(1) Rochester, New York;
(2) Stamford, Connecticut;
(3) Sanibel, Florida;
(4) South Hadley, Massachusetts; and
(5) Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and
Whereas the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT and
the ABT's other artistic development initiatives provide the
highest quality training consistent with the professional
standards of ABT: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes and commends the American Ballet Theatre for
over 65 years of service as ``America's National Ballet
Company'', during which it has provided world class art to
audiences in all 50 States;
(2) recognizes that the American Ballet Theatre also serves
as a true cultural ambassador for the United States, by
having performed in 42 countries and fulfilling its
reputation as one of the world's most revered and innovative
dance companies; and
(3) recognizes that the American Ballet Theatre's extensive
and innovative education, outreach, and artistic development
programs both train future generations of great dancers and
expose students to the arts.
S. Res. 453
Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and
challenge our students to reach their potential;
Whereas charter schools provide thousands of families with
diverse and innovative educational options for their
children;
Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a
designated public entity that are responding to the needs of
our communities, families, and students and promoting the
principles of quality, choice, and innovation;
Whereas in exchange for the flexibility and autonomy given
to charter schools, they are held accountable by their
sponsors for improving student achievement and for their
financial and other operations;
Whereas 40 States and the District of Columbia have passed
laws authorizing charter schools;
Whereas more than 3,600 charter schools are now operating
in 40 States and the District of Columbia, serving more than
1,000,000 students;
Whereas over the last 12 years, Congress has provided
nearly $1,775,000,000 in support to the charter school
movement through facilities financing assistance and grants
for planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination;
Whereas charter schools improve their students' achievement
and stimulate improvement in traditional public schools;
Whereas charter schools must meet the student achievement
accountability requirements under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 in the same manner as
traditional public schools, and often set higher and
additional individual goals to ensure that they are of high
quality and truly accountable to the public;
Whereas charter schools give parents new freedom to choose
their public school, routinely measure parental satisfaction
levels, and must prove their ongoing success to parents,
policymakers, and their communities;
Whereas nearly 56 percent of charter schools report having
a waiting list, and the total number of students on all such
waiting lists is enough to fill over 1,100 average-sized
charter schools;
Whereas charter schools nationwide serve a higher
percentage of low-income and minority students than the
traditional public system;
Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan
support from the Administration, Congress, State Governors
and legislatures, educators, and parents across the United
States; and
Whereas the seventh annual National Charter Schools Week,
to be held May 1 through 6, 2006, is an event sponsored by
charter schools and grassroots charter school organizations
across the United States to recognize the significant
impacts, achievements, and innovations of charter schools:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the Senate acknowledges and commends charter schools
and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators
across the United States for their ongoing contributions to
education and improving and strengthening our public school
system;
(2) the Senate supports the seventh annual National Charter
Schools Week; and
(3) it is the sense of the Senate that the people of the
United States should conduct appropriate programs,
ceremonies, and activities to demonstrate support for charter
schools during this week long celebration in communities
throughout the United States.
S. Res. 454
Whereas Malcom P. McLean is widely recognized as the father
of containerization;
Whereas the innovative idea of using intermodal containers
suitable for rail, truck, and maritime transportation
revolutionized and streamlined the process of shipping goods,
allowed products to be moved to the market more quickly, and
reduced prices for consumers;
Whereas the use of containerization in shipping practices
enabled the United States to increase international trade by
modernizing and globalizing the economy of the United States;
Whereas Mr. McLean launched numerous successful
transportation businesses that were located in the Port of
Newark, New Jersey, including--
(1) the Pan-Atlantic Steamship Company; and
(2) Sea-Land Service Incorporated;
Whereas those businesses were crucial to the growth of
shipping and industry in New Jersey;
Whereas the innovations of Mr. McLean have enabled
businesses to create thousands of jobs that provide liveable
wages for the citizens of New Jersey and other citizens of
the United States;
Whereas, on April 26, 1956, the first ship loaded with
goods to be transported from the United States in intermodal
containers, the Ideal X, set sail from Port Newark under the
direction of Mr. McLean;
Whereas 2006 marks the 50th anniversary of that historic
event;
Whereas the Containerization and Intermodal Institute in
Holmdel, New Jersey, has planned activities to commemorate
that occasion; and
Whereas Mr. McLean was a transportation pioneer whose
remarkable achievements are worthy of recognition and
commemoration: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) celebrates the remarkable contributions of Malcom P.
McLean to the development of a new era of trade and commerce
in the United States through the containerization of cargo;
(2) honors the 50th anniversary of containerization, and
recognizes the crucial role that containerization has played
in the modernization of--
(A) shipping practices; and
(B) the economy of the United States; and
(3) encourages all citizens to promote and participate in
celebratory activities that commemorate that landmark
anniversary.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I am pleased that today the Senate
passed a resolution to designate the week of May 1 through May 6, 2006
as National Charter Schools Week. I was joined in offering this
resolution by Senators Lieberman, Gregg, Frist, Carper, Vitter,
Landrieu, Burr, Coleman, Allard, DeMint, and Martinez.
One of my last official acts as U.S. Secretary of Education in 1992
was to write a letter to every school superintendent in America urging
them to create charter schools. That year, the Nation's first charter
school had opened its doors in St. Paul, Minnesota. I saw charter
schools as ways to remove burdensome rules, regulations, and overhead
so that teachers could have more opportunities to use their good
judgment to help children and so parents could have more choices of
schools. This was the time when General Motors' newest automobile plant
was a start-from-scratch facility making Saturn cars. Al Shanker, the
late president of the American Federation of Teachers, said then, ``If
we can have a Saturn plant, why not a Saturn school?'' A lot of
educators agreed.
Today, there are over 3,600 charter schools serving more than 1
million students in 40 states and the District of Columbia. Over half
of these schools report having waiting lists, and there are enough
students on these waiting lists to fill another 1,100 average-sized
charter schools.
Charter schools play a unique role in public education by offering
students a variety of options to meet their different learning needs
and styles. They
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vary in specific mission and focus, but not in their commitment to
excellence and preparing students to succeed. In return for autonomy
and freedom from burdensome regulations and policies, they accept
strict accountability for academic and fiscal success. If charter
schools fail to educate their students well and meet the goals of their
charters, they are closed.
Charter schools are raising student achievement. Research shows that
charter school students are more likely to be proficient in reading and
math than students in neighboring traditional schools, and that the
greatest achievement gains can be seen among African American,
Hispanic, and low-income students. Research also shows that the longer
charter schools have been in operation, the more they outdistance
traditional schools in student performance.
It is worth noting that not all charter schools are high-quality, and
not all are outperforming traditional public schools. But charter
schools whose students don't perform academically will close--as they
should. It is also worth noting the impact charter schools are having
on their neighboring traditional public schools. Districts with a large
number of charter schools have reported that they are increasing
interaction with parents and creating new education programs, many of
which are similar to those offered by charter schools. These
improvements benefit all our students, not just those who choose
charter schools.
I am pleased that twelve charter schools have opened in Tennessee
since passage of the State's charter school law in 2002. Ten of these
charter schools are located in Memphis, where they enjoy critical
support from local school officials, dedicated private partners, and
philanthropic organizations.
Options for Memphis students range from programs for elementary
students that stress mastery of reading, math, and foreign language
skills to middle schools focused on health sciences and business. High
school options include charter schools that emphasize science, liberal
arts, or visual and performing arts.
I had an opportunity to visit one of these outstanding charter
schools, the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering (MASE), which
was the first charter school established in Tennessee. MASE provides an
academically challenging program to prepare at-risk students for
college through an intensive math, science, engineering, and technology
curriculum in grades 7-9, including the first ninth grade AP Biology
class in the state. The school was established as an innovative public/
private initiative aimed not only at training a well-educated workforce
for the city's rapidly growing bioscience industry, but also helping
students excel in a technology-based environment, regardless of the
career path they choose.
I am impressed by the school's clear record of achievement results.
By the end of eighth grade, MASE students--who were failing or at risk
of failing in their previous schools--more than doubled their pass
rates on State reading, math and science tests compared to their
achievement in sixth grade prior to entering MASE. Last year, MASE was
the second highest performing school--public or charter--in Memphis,
and a University of Memphis study found that MASE seventh graders
scored better on the state math assessment than similar students in
public schools.
Unfortunately, Tennessee's highly restrictive charter school law does
not create the conditions that would enable more students to benefit
from attending schools like MASE. The law received a grade of C in a
recent Center for Education Reform study, which found that higher
student achievement and higher-quality, more viable charter schools are
found in States with stronger charter school laws.
Strong laws grant the power to approve charter schools to more than
one entity, including local school boards, State education agencies,
colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations. Strong laws
also grant greater freedom and independence to charter schools,
guarantee full per-pupil funding, and do not restrict the number of
schools that may open or students who may enroll.
States should take the opportunity during National Charter Schools
Week to examine their statutes and ensure that they create the
conditions necessary to allow high-quality charter schools, and thereby
options for students, to flourish.
Charter schools are also a key element of the education revival
taking place in New Orleans, where Hurricane Katrina dealt a
devastating blow to a school system already plagued by low achievement
and corruption. The city has a truly historic opportunity to transform
its education system into a network of high-performing charter schools
that could serve as a model for urban education in the rest of the
Nation.
So far, 25 of 117 public schools have reopened in New Orleans. 70
percent of these schools are charter schools managed by the Recovery
School District, the Orleans Parish School Board, or the State Board of
Education.
New Orleans officials are working diligently to open more schools to
serve students as they return to the city. They have been assisted by a
$21 million Federal Charter Schools Program grant, which helped reopen
charter schools damaged by the hurricanes, create new charter schools,
and expand existing charter schools to accommodate displaced students.
I am encouraged that Louisiana continues to receive applications to
open charter schools in New Orleans, but more work needs to be done to
ready facilities for approved schools to accommodate the substantial
student enrollment projected for this fall.
Charter schools in other parts of the country also leapt into action
to serve students impacted by Katrina. After the hurricane, the high-
performing Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), in partnership with the
Houston Independent School District and Teach For America, exhibited
extraordinary leadership by quickly opening a new charter school in
Houston--New Orleans West College Prep--to serve over 300 students in
grades K-8 displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
According to KIPP co-founder Mike Feinberg, ``When there's a problem,
we at KIPP roll up our sleeves and look for a solution. Together with
the [Houston Independent] District and Teach For America, we hope to
provide students not only with a safe haven, but also with a rigorous
academic environment. Even if they are not at home, these students will
receive a top-notch education with caring, committed teachers.'' Mr.
Feinberg's comments exemplify the attitude that motivates so many in
the charter school community--that of doing whatever it takes to get
the job done.
I expect that we will see charter schools continue to expand across
the Nation as word of their success spreads. Four years ago, the
President signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act, which contains
several programs that support charter school development, and provides
school districts with the option of converting low-performing schools
into charter schools. As we prepare to reauthorize No Child Left
Behind, we'll take a close look at how these programs are performing to
ensure that the Federal Government is doing everything it can to help
create and sustain viable, high-achieving charter schools.
I commend the charter school students, parents, teachers, community
leaders and others who, working together, are helping transform our
system of public education. I encourage my colleagues to visit a
charter school during National Charter Schools Week to witness
firsthand the ways in which these innovative schools are making a
difference in students' lives and in their communities.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise in support of S. Res 454
honoring a true transportation pioneer, Malcom McLean. His use of the
intermodal shipping container--first used successfully in the United
States 50 years ago yesterday--streamlined the shipping process and set
the stage for our modem globalized economy through containerization.
Before the age of containerization, shipping raw materials and
consumer goods was an extremely arduous process; to transfer goods from
a ship to a train, or from a train to a truck, the merchandise first
needed to be unloaded, sorted, and reloaded. As a truck driver in 1937,
Malcom McLean realized that the goods could be shipped more cheaply,
efficiently, and quickly if they didn't need to be unloaded and re-
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loaded into different shipping containers on each leg of a trip. He
invented a type of container that was durable and versatile enough to
be attached to a train, loaded onto a tractor-trailer, and secured to
the deck of a ship; the revolutionary idea created efficiencies in the
process by making loading and un-loading at each step of the intermodal
shipping process obsolete.
Mr. President, yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the Ideal X
setting sail from Port Newark, in my home State of New Jersey, and
bound for Houston, TX. This historic trip marked the first successful
implementation of Malcom McLean's grand idea: it was the first time a
ship left U.S. loaded with intermodal containers, 58 in total. Putting
these containers on ships allowed for great cost savings in shipping--
as much as 25 percent or more--and the triumphant voyage of the Ideal X
signaled that the exciting new method was indeed practical and
worthwhile.
It is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of his
innovation. If you enjoy consumer products imported from overseas, or
from distant areas of our own country, you can credit Malcom McLean's
revolutionary idea for making them more affordable. If you enjoy fresh
produce or baked goods from your local grocery store, thank McLean's
innovation for bringing them to market more quickly. Container
ization surely has made the world a smaller place by allowing goods
from all over the world arrive at their destinations more cheaply and
more quickly, and our standard of living in America has improved
markedly in the process.
Before I was elected to the Senate, I served as commissioner of the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 1978 until 1982. I had
the opportunity to get to know Malcom McLean, a singularly focused man,
who was successful in nearly all of his pursuits because of his strong
work ethic and unmatched talent for innovation. While Mr. McLean passed
away in 2001, his legacy lives on through his widow Irena McLean and
his family, and through his lasting contributions to industry in New
Jersey, the United States, and the entire world.
I encourage he Senate to adopt this resolution and honor a great
American.
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