[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3745-S3753]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL SERVICE REAUTHORIZATION ACT

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
resume consideration of H.R. 1388, which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 1388) to reauthorize and reform the national 
     service laws.

  Pending:

       Mikulski amendment No. 687, in the nature of a substitute. 
     Crapo-Corker amendment No. 688 (to amendment No. 687), to 
     increase the borrowing authority of the Federal Deposit 
     Insurance Corporation.
       Johanns amendment No. 693 (to amendment No. 687), to ensure 
     that organizations promoting competitive and non-competitive 
     sporting events involving individuals with disabilities may 
     receive direct and indirect assistance to carry out national 
     service programs.
       Baucus-Grassley amendment No. 692 (to amendment No. 687), 
     to establish a Nonprofit Capacity Building Program.


                 Amendment No. 691 to Amendment No. 687

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I understand that an amendment is 
pending; is that correct?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending 
amendment for purposes of offering an amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Alaska [Ms. Murkowski], for herself, Mr. 
     Dorgan, Mr. Bingaman, and Mr. Barrasso, proposes an amendment 
     numbered 691 to amendment No. 687.

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment 
be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

  (Purpose: To modify certain provisions relating to Native Americans)

       Section 129(d) of the National and Community Service Act of 
     1990 (as amended by section 1306) is amended by striking 
     ``and to nonprofit organizations seeking to operate a 
     national service program in 2 or more of those States'' and 
     inserting ``, to nonprofit organizations seeking to operate a 
     national service program in 2 or more of those States, and to 
     Indian tribes''.
       Section 193A(b)(23) of the National and Community Service 
     Act of 1990 (as amended by section 1704(1)) is amended by 
     striking ``and collect information on challenges facing 
     Native American communities'' and inserting ``collect 
     information on challenges facing Native American communities, 
     and designate a Strategic Advisor for Native American Affairs 
     to be responsible for the

[[Page S3746]]

     execution of those activities under the national service 
     laws''.

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, before I speak to the amendment I have 
sent to the desk on behalf of my colleague, Senator Dorgan, and others, 
I would like to speak generally to the measure before us, the Serve 
America Act. I am a strong supporter of volunteer service, including 
Global Youth Service Day. I am proud and pleased that this 
reauthorization has been developed and brought to the floor in a 
bipartisan manner. The work done on this legislation is the product of 
the best tradition of the Senate HELP Committee and of the Senate 
itself. I offer my congratulations to those who have worked very hard 
on this--Senators Kennedy, Mikulski, Hatch, Enzi--and all their very 
hard-working staff who do a good job.
  I also thank some very professional and dedicated people in the State 
of Alaska for their thorough review of and comments on the various 
drafts of the legislation. We would send it off to them and get good 
response back, good feedback. I appreciate that.
  They include: Nita Madsen, executive director of Serve Alaska, and 
her staff; Rachel Morse and all the great people at RurAL CAP who 
implement AmeriCorps and VISTA programs; Denise Daniello at the Alaska 
Commission on Aging; Angela Salerno at the Alaska Department of Health 
and Social Services; and many others who were helpful in providing 
insights from the providers' perspective.
  AmeriCorps and the VISTA programs are a vital part of Alaska's 
communities. I would like to take a few minutes this morning to give 
some of the examples of their valuable work in the State and to 
congratulate the volunteers for their service.
  For more than 10 years, AmeriCorps volunteers with the Student 
Conservation Association have served Alaska and the Nation on our 
public lands in Denali National Park and Preserve, the Kenai Fjords, 
and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Every year over 1 million 
people visit Alaska to see these natural resources, to hike and camp 
and fish and explore. The conservation service provided by these 
students helps protect scenic beauty of our State, including the 
volcanoes, glaciers, wild rivers, and waterfalls.
  My family and I hiked the Chilkoot Trail a couple years ago and ran 
into a group of AmeriCorps volunteers who were out on the trail 
building and refurbishing some of the old historic cabins along the way 
and making the trail safe for its many visitors.
  The students also research and monitor fish and wildlife populations 
as well as watersheds that are essential for the red salmon. This year 
80 of SCA's AmeriCorps volunteers will work in Cook Inlet in the 
watershed there to monitor and support active fish management. In 
addition to providing natural resource stewardship, visitor services, 
and environmental education, their work supports Alaska's key economic 
engines which are our fisheries and tourism.
  In 2008, SCA placed over 236 high school students and college interns 
in Alaska who provided over 76,000 service hours, valued at over $1.5 
million. In Alaska last year, there were also 64 VISTA volunteers who 
served with 18 project sponsors. I will give a little snapshot of one 
of those projects. It was at Juneau-Douglas High School, the CHOICE 
project. The CHOICE Program, which is Choosing Healthy Options in 
Cooperative Education, focuses on improving the academic achievement of 
100 at-risk students at Juneau-Douglas High School. The VISTA 
volunteers help the students develop a sense of belonging and ownership 
within CHOICE, the high school, and the community at large. So VISTA 
not only involves the CHOICE students in the community; they also 
involve the community in the education and learning of the students. 
Our VISTA coordinator, Jennifer Knaggs, recruited 42 community members 
to provide internships in State and local offices in the agencies and 
in the local businesses. In conjunction with the National Council on 
Alcohol and Drug Dependency, she helped facilitate three Alaska teen 
institute retreats. She also organized and coordinated the Beyond 
School Program, in which six community volunteers teach small groups of 
high school freshmen a hands-on, real life skill, such as Tlingit 
carving, writing and producing radio public service announcements about 
healthy choices, creating short video biographies of tribal elders, and 
visual promotions of healthy choices within the school.
  In a small community such as Juneau, retention of internships is no 
small feat. Students have reported very positive experiences with their 
internships and their hosts, and the performance we are seeing coming 
out of these kids is great. They are proud of their accomplishments. 
The students have become involved in the community, and it is a real 
win.
  The great public servants who run Alaska's national service programs 
have noted the many positive aspects of this reauthorization for 
increasing the recruitment and retention of volunteers, focusing on 
directions Alaska has already begun to move toward, and increasing the 
accountability for positive outcomes. In their view, there are a few 
items they look to in the Serve America Act that are especially 
helpful. The first is the increase in the living allowance and 
education awards. It has the potential to increase the recruitment and 
the retention of AmeriCorps members, especially from rural Alaskan 
communities. Also, it allows senior volunteers to transfer the 
education award to a child or a grandchildren. Again, this will help 
with recruitment efforts. It increases focus on individuals with a 
disability, paralleling one of the focus areas of our Alaska State 
Commission. Increasing the connection with the Commission on Aging and 
Intergenerational Programs also meets another one of Alaska's 
performance measures. So having this provision in the act will assist 
with moving this partnership forward.
  The accountability provisions will strengthen the State service plan. 
Having a minimum amount for the formula grants for both AmeriCorps and 
Learn and Serve is very good for the State of Alaska and other States 
that have equally small populations. The increase for the operation of 
the State Commission is a positive; even if obtaining the required 1-
to-1 match will be challenging for a State such as ours, we believe it 
is a positive step.
  From the perspective of one of Alaska's largest service grantees, 
they noted the following: The effort to expand and improve 
opportunities for national and community service should positively 
benefit Alaska's engagement in the service; the grouping of ``corps'' 
for the service programs into Education Corps, Healthy Future Corps, 
Clean Energy Service Corps, Opportunity Corps or Veterans Corps, 
coupled with defined performance indicators, will add value to the 
existing Corporation for Community and National Service framework; 
linking the value of the education award to the maximum value of the 
Pell grant will improve the strength and success of AmeriCorps programs 
in Alaska; increasing the AmeriCorps living allowance from $16,000 to 
$18,000 will especially benefit the programs serving rural Alaskan 
communities.
  Let me speak to the amendment I have called up. This is amendment No. 
691, offered on behalf of my colleague, Senator Dorgan. This amendment 
to the Serve America Act designates a tribal liaison for the 
Corporation for National and Community Service and keeps Indian tribes 
as eligible under existing law for nationally competitive grants. The 
corporation has recognized the need for a tribal liaison position and 
has designated an individual to reach out to Native American 
communities. This amendment will make that position permanent. The 
tribal liaison will work across all programs and support units to 
increase Native participation in national service and help to develop 
and enhance programming to address the unique needs of Native American 
communities.
  In addition, we propose to keep Indian tribes as eligible under 
existing law for nationally competitive grants. Current law allows 
tribes to compete for funds with States and national nonprofit 
organizations. This amendment would maintain the eligibility of tribes 
to compete with States and national nonprofit organizations for 
national competitive grants. Many of these activities and indicators 
under the proposed corps in this act are directly applicable to Indian 
Country, and access to these grants with the assistance of a

[[Page S3747]]

tribal liaison is important. We recognize that the education of 
American Indians and Alaska Natives lags far behind that of the rest of 
the country, and the provisions of the Education Corps will help 
address these needs by providing mentors and tutors to Native students. 
Likewise, the Healthy Futures Corps would help address the lack of 
access to health care on many of our reservations.
  Likewise, the Healthy Futures Corps will help address the lack of 
access to health care on many of our reservations. American Indians 
have higher disease rates and lower life expectancy than the general 
population. Volunteers serving in the Healthy Futures Corps could 
assist those who live on reservations or in Alaskan communities in 
obtaining health services.
  I encourage my colleagues to look at the amendment and provide 
support for this important tribal liaison and in retaining tribal 
eligibility for competitive grants within the Corporation for National 
and Community Service.
  I thank Senators Kennedy, Mikulski, Hatch, and Enzi for their 
dedication to public service and congratulate them on what I believe is 
good legislation.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I, personally, congratulate the 
distinguished Senator from Alaska for her comments. She has a very 
important amendment to this bill. I assure her we will work that out so 
we don't have to have a vote on it. If we do have to go to a vote, we 
will, but the fact is I think we can work that out. It is a very good 
amendment. Personally, we want to have those funds as part of this 
bill. We will work it out.
  I want to take a few minutes and pay tribute to some of the wonderful 
national service efforts that have gone on in my home State of Utah. As 
I have said throughout this debate, Americans are the most generous and 
energetic people in the world. Indeed, a volunteer spirit is encoded 
into our country's cultural DNA. Nowhere is this concept better 
exemplified than in my home State.
  According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, 
between 2005 and 2007, an average 792,000 Utahns gave 146.9 million 
hours of service every year. Using Independent Sector's estimate of the 
dollar value of a volunteer, the estimated contribution of these 
efforts is $2.9 billion annually. Nearly 44 percent of all Utahns do 
some sort of volunteer service every year, making Utah's volunteerism 
rate No. 1 in America, more than 4 percent higher than the State ranked 
second.
  Salt Lake City, UT the second-highest volunteerism rate of any major 
metropolitan area in the country at 37.2 percent. Among midsize cities, 
Provo, UT has the Nation's highest volunteerism rate at 63.8 percent, 
with Ogden, UT coming in at No. 4 with a rate of 41 percent. Much of 
this volunteer work is done by members of the Mormon church in food 
canneries and storehouses as they stockpile food and supplies for those 
in need, whether they be members of the church or nonmembers. As with 
any community, volunteerism in Utah comes in a variety of forms.
  In addition to the privately-led projects throughout the State, 
national service programs have had a profound impact on communities 
throughout the State of Utah. For example, there is the Utah AmeriCorps 
Literacy Initiative, which currently manages programs in 66 schools 
covering the entire State of Utah, including both urban and rural 
communities. There are 87 AmeriCorps members in the program who recruit 
and train community volunteers to tutor struggling readers.

  Unfortunately, the current budget situation in Utah is similar to 
those faced by State governments around the country. As a result, Utah 
schools have been required to cut their budgets 4 percent this year and 
5 percent for next year. However, national service participants have 
been able to step up and fill the void in schools left by the reduction 
in the State education workforce. Several teachers' aides whose 
positions have been downsized due to the budget cuts will be qualified 
to participate in the Literacy Initiative next year and, accordingly, 
will receive a small living allowance and an educational award which 
will allow them to get further training, broadening their skills to 
obtain gainful employment.
  Over the past 5 years, this program has helped over 8,000 elementary 
schoolchildren serve as mentors, helping younger children improve their 
reading. The average growth in reading for both the mentor and the 
mentee they are helping has been one full grade level over the course 
of the 9-week program. In addition, through this initiative, over 2,000 
children have received one-on-one tutoring from community volunteers 
twice a week over the course of a 30-week program. These are children 
who did not pass the Utah State End of Level tests the previous year. 
After 1 year of tutoring through the Utah AmeriCorps Literacy 
Initiative, 62 percent of the students passed that test at a proficient 
level.
  I think this program exemplifies what we are trying to accomplish 
with this legislation. All of this work, which has improved the 
education of literally thousands of students and leveraged the efforts 
of thousands of other students and community volunteers, has been 
anchored by a small group of only 87 AmeriCorps members. That is pretty 
phenomenal when you think about it. Why wouldn't we want to expand this 
approach? It seems to me it is something we ought to be doing 
everywhere.
  I am convinced that, once this bill is passed, we will see more 
programs such as this spring up over time, not only in Utah but 
throughout the country. They will be buoyed by the increased direction, 
efficiency, and accountability that this legislation will add to the 
existing national service structure. In the end, more people will be 
helped, more traditional volunteers will be put to work in their 
communities, and more of our Nation's problems will be solved.
  That is precisely the point of this legislation.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, thus far, we have had what I believe to be 
a constructive discussion regarding the Serve America Act. We have seen 
some fine amendments, and Senator Mikulski and I are working together 
to try to accommodate as many Members as possible. I said at the outset 
that I hope we can avoid a situation where too many changes to this 
bill would eventually split the bipartisan support the bill has 
enjoyed. So far, this does not appear to be a problem.
  As we continue to debate this important piece of legislation, it is 
my hope these constructive efforts will continue. This is a good 
opportunity for us to set aside partisan differences and do some good 
for the American people. I once again thank Senator Mikulski for her 
efforts here on the floor to see this effort through.
  I thank Senator Kennedy as well. Even though he has not been here, 
except for the last cloture vote, he certainly has been working it from 
home, and he has been on the phone regularly. We also have others who 
have worked on our side very diligently to try to make sure this bill 
passes, and in the form it is in.
  I mentioned yesterday that I believe the Serve America Act should be 
a bipartisan bill, not because I believe it is either liberal or 
conservative but because it is both. I think the bill plays to the 
greatest strengths of those on both sides of the aisle. It marries what 
is typically thought of as a ``liberal'' instinct for Government to 
make proactive efforts to help those in need with the typical 
``conservative'' desire to place more power in the hands of individuals 
instead of the Government. It is not all that often we are able to work 
together to find ways to satisfy both of these ideals, but I believe we 
have done so with this legislation.
  For me, the conservative case for this legislation has been obvious 
from the beginning. Indeed, many of the provisions in the bill have 
what I consider to be very conservative roots. In 1990, William F. 
Buckley, Jr., one of the fathers of modern conservatism, who had served 
in World War II, published a wonderful book called: ``Gratitude: 
Reflections on What We Owe to Our Country.'' He became a staunch 
advocate of

[[Page S3748]]

national service, which he believed, ``like gravity, is something we 
could accustom ourselves to, and grow to love.''
  Buckley believed we owe a debt of gratitude to our country and 
offered creative ideas for a plan for universal voluntary national 
service for men and women 18 years and older. While the Serve America 
Act is not so ambitious as to contemplate that national and community 
service will become universal, it does provide more Americans 
opportunities to serve, in the belief that our democracy and the values 
of our free society take constant vigilance to preserve their vitality 
and health. It is citizens, acting at the local level, who should play 
the prominent role, not Government.
  For the past several years, I have supported efforts to reposition 
our Government's support of national and community service from the 
perception of paying Federal ``volunteers'' to a more effective model 
where Government provides a small amount of infrastructure and support 
to community-based groups that are recruiting, training, and deploying 
traditional volunteers. That model has worked. The number of 
traditional, nonsubsidized volunteers who are leveraged into service by 
existing national service programs dwarfs the number of participants 
receiving Government assistance--by a ratio of nearly 30 to 1. We have 
heard that statistic quoted many times during this debate, but I 
believe it bears repeating.
  This model is based on our faith in civil society--not distant 
Government agencies--and a focus on the efforts of the traditional 
volunteer. We know so many Americans show up to volunteer--to help with 
a cause or to serve in the aftermath of a disaster--and are turned away 
or are not well used. This is a waste of very precious resources. The 
Serve America Act will help fix that by establishing a volunteer 
generation fund that will help already successful service programs 
devote more resources for the recruitment of volunteers, allowing them 
to expand their efforts.
  Help offered by a compassionate neighbor will always be superior to 
Government-driven approaches designed in Washington. In recognition of 
this fact, the Serve America Act ensures that the vast majority of 
service efforts will be generated by local and private organizations 
responding to community needs.
  Young Americans, whose rates of unemployment have soared to more than 
21 percent in a tough economy, with college graduates having the 
highest unemployment rates ever, will be given new opportunities to 
serve. The good news is that research tells us this is a sound and 
efficient investment. Not only does it put many unemployed Americans to 
work at a low cost to Government and meet urgent national needs, those 
young adults most at risk in our communities gain more by serving 
others than they do by being passive recipients of services. During 
their terms of service, they gain valuable skills that help them secure 
permanent employment at higher wages. They also outpace their 
nonnational service peers in remaining committed to volunteer service 
for the rest of their lives.
  These platoons of civil society more often than not consist of faith-
based institutions. More Americans perform volunteer service through 
church-sponsored and faith-based organizations than any other venue. 
The Serve America Act continues the tradition of enabling volunteers to 
serve through faith-based institutions in a variety of different ways, 
including its new Serve America Fellowships and the State competitive 
and formula grants that may be given to faith-based institutions 
providing social services. This legislation also introduces new 
indicators of accountability to ensure that investments generate 
significant returns. For the Education Corps, for example, we want to 
know how programs are improving student engagement, attendance, 
behavior, academic achievement, graduation rates, and college-going 
rates at high schools with high concentrations of low-income students. 
Eligible entities for funding through the Education Corps must have a 
proven record of improving or a promising strategy to improve 
performance based on these indicators.

  The days of simply funding programs that might make us feel better 
but not generate results are over. Effective programs over time should 
and will continue to get support, and ineffective programs will 
ultimately be closed down. These indicators will help us make those 
decisions.
  America utilizes a number of indicators to regularly track the 
country's economic progress, including unemployment, GDP, housing 
starts, and more. But our country does very little to measure 
indicators of our civic health. Even though an active, well-connected, 
trusting, and engaged citizenry is fundamental to our vibrant 
communities, a strong democracy is important, and our personal welfare 
is important as well. So the Serve America Act provides for the 
collection of data that can give us a snapshot every year of how 
communities throughout the country are stacking up with respect to 
rates of volunteering, charitable giving, connections to civic and 
religious groups, knowledge of American history and government, and 
more. Policymakers can use this data to strengthen efforts to increase 
these activities. Indeed, this civic health index will pay dividends 
through the policy spectrum.
  Although some of my colleagues may argue otherwise, the Serve America 
Act reflects what I believe are conservative values, and because of 
this I believe many of my Republican colleagues will be on board with 
this legislation. The bill is founded on a fundamental belief in the 
power of people working at the local level to improve their communities 
and country, a belief in looking first to community and faith-based 
institutions to help solve our toughest challenges, a belief in public-
private partnerships where the cost is low to the Federal Government 
and the return on investment very high, and a belief in tough 
accountability for results and making sure we support only programs 
that work and end the programs that don't.
  But the Serve America Act is also about something deeper that we all 
value whether we are liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat. 
It is about fostering a spirit of patriotism, a love of country, at a 
time when that patriotism has been fractured somewhat by a tough 
economy, institutions that fail, individuals whose schemes hurt people, 
and distrust in government itself to have the answers.
  Benjamin Rush, one of our Founding Fathers, wrote a brief text called 
``On Patriotism'' in 1773 that captures my view of the subject and the 
role that service plays. Here is what Benjamin Rush, one of the 
Founders of this country, said:

       Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice, and is as 
     necessary for the support of societies as natural affection 
     is for the support of families. The love of country is both a 
     moral and a religious duty. It comprehends not only love of 
     our neighbors, but of millions of our fellow citizens, not 
     only of the present, but of future generations.

  I often think of our Nation's veterans when I read those words. I 
think of the men and women serving during wars and campaigns from the 
American Revolution through Operation Iraqi Freedom who literally had 
us in mind when they sacrificed their own lives so those in future 
generations might be free. Those who serve today--whether it is in the 
military, in government, in national community service, or as 
traditional volunteers--truly connect themselves to millions of their 
fellow citizens, not only of today but of the future. Such service is 
not only the means to our own happiness, it strengthens and makes this 
country better. It makes better this country that we love so much.
  These principles and ideals are the driving force behind this 
legislation. Every Member of this body, whether they support this bill 
or not, loves this country and has devoted his or her life to serving 
it. I believe it is this devotion that we all share--the common belief 
in something bigger than ourselves--that has led so many to support 
this legislation. While I am convinced the final result will be pretty 
lopsided in favor of passing this bill, I am going to keep trying to 
get it as close to unanimous as I can. Toward that end, I urge all 99 
of our Senate colleagues to support the Serve America Act.
  I notice the distinguished majority whip is here and would like to 
speak, so I will reserve my time and speak a little later on some of 
the other aspects of this bill.

[[Page S3749]]

  So with that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I wish to thank my friend and colleague 
from Utah, Senator Orrin Hatch--and he is my friend. We have had many 
political battles in the past, but we have also joined forces in doing 
some things that I think are important for our Nation. I wish to thank 
him for his continued support of the DREAM Act. This is a bill which we 
kind of fought over on initial introduction; we both had the same idea. 
We are going to continue to work together on that in years to come and, 
I hope, see it to its successful conclusion. It is the kind of 
commitment Senator Hatch has made to the ideals of our Nation which he 
makes again in this Serve America Act.
  This act is known on the Senate floor, depending on which side of the 
aisle you sit, as the Kennedy-Hatch Act or the Hatch-Kennedy Act. It is 
fitting that Senator Hatch would be teamed up with his old friend and 
political rival from time to time, Senator Ted Kennedy, as they both 
came together in a common effort to pass this important legislation.
  I spoke earlier this week about the Serve America Act which is now 
pending before the Senate and what it would mean to our Nation. Let me 
tell my colleagues a few stories that I think illustrate it.
  In my home State of Illinois, each year, 2.7 million volunteers 
dedicate 302 million hours of service. The estimated economic worth of 
that contribution and voluntary service is almost $6 billion a year. 
More than 66,000 of these volunteers participate in national service 
programs through 144 different projects and programs. Each of them has 
a story to tell about a life they have influenced or changed: a mother 
they have helped feed her family, a child they have helped to learn, or 
a community that is cleaner and safer because they are working and 
volunteering to make it that way.
  All of these volunteers can also tell about how their time and 
service improved their lives. Let me mention a few stories.
  In Chicago, the City Year Program places young volunteers to work 
full time in some of Chicago's neediest schools. They serve as tutors 
and mentors and role models to the kids. A volunteer I talked to 
recently tutored a young girl named Zariah. She was struggling with a 
lot of problems in school, with reading and behavior. I won't hold it 
against her--her behavior problem; I had the same problem, and I ended 
up in the Senate. Zariah was in jeopardy of failing the fourth grade, 
so this volunteer showed up and decided to take a personal interest in 
her.
  A few weeks after tutoring Zariah, this volunteer heard a little 
voice cry out as he walked by the school. It was little Zariah, and she 
was yelling to this volunteer tutor: I passed fourth grade. I passed 
fourth grade.
  What a reward for that volunteer and what a happy moment for that 
child.
  In Waukegan, IL, four AmeriCorps volunteers helped Habitat for 
Humanity construct homes and train and recruit volunteers. One of the 
AmeriCorps members told a story that I think is so heart-warming about 
driving by a school every morning as an AmeriCorps volunteer, in their 
notable jackets, and seeing a woman wave and cheer as they came by. She 
wasn't a homeowner or volunteer herself. She was just a member of the 
community, and she recognized the AmeriCorps jacket. She knew what the 
volunteers were doing, and she wanted to say thank you with a wave and 
a cheer each morning.

  Throughout Illinois, the Equal Justice Works Summer Corps Program 
provides crucial legal assistance to communities. Law students give 
their time and talents in exchange for a very modest AmeriCorps 
educational award of $1,000 for a summer of work, many of them turning 
down far more lucrative opportunities in the private sector.
  In 2008, the Summer Corps Program had 23 members serving in my State, 
and they served over 1,000 low-income people who couldn't afford a 
lawyer any other way. One of those corps members was Nichole Churchill 
of Chicago. She spent a summer serving with the Children's Project of 
the Legal Assistance Foundation working with parents, foster parents, 
and adoptive parents. This is what she said about her time there:

       It has opened my eyes to the myriad of problems that many 
     of our low-income clients face on a daily basis. This 
     experience has only strengthened my resolve to continue this 
     kind of work and to effectuate meaningful change in their 
     lives.

  Those are only a few of many stories told from my State of Illinois.
  This week we are considering a bill that will dramatically expand the 
opportunities for voluntarism and service across America. The Serve 
America Act will triple the number of national service participants to 
250,000 participants within 8 years. Along with this dramatic 
expansion, it is going to create a new corps within AmeriCorps focused 
on areas of national need such as education, environment, health care, 
economic opportunity, and giving a helping hand to our veterans.
  We are expanding opportunities to serve for Americans at every stage 
of life, too. Middle and high school students will be encouraged to 
participate in service projects during the summer or during the school 
year. By serving their communities early in life, these students will 
be put on a path to a lifetime of service.
  For working Americans who can't commit to a full-time volunteer job, 
the bill provides opportunity for them to work part time in their 
community. Retirees can be given a new opportunity to serve with the 
existing Senior Corps and through new expansion.
  The bill also increases the education award for the first time since 
the creation of the national service program. I think that is a perfect 
complement, that these good, well-meaning Americans would serve their 
Nation and in return we would help them, give them a helping hand with 
their education at a time when education is so expensive for so many 
students. The education award in this program will be raised to the 
Pell grant level which makes it easier for college students with 
significant student loan debt to consider national service. The award 
is transferable so that older volunteers can transfer the education 
award to their children or grandchildren--a perfect generational 
legacy.
  Each American has the power to make a small difference in the success 
of a child, the health of the environment, or the lives of their hungry 
neighbors. All of those small differences repeated over and over again 
can add up to something truly powerful, truly inspiring. This bill will 
expand the opportunities for Americans to serve their communities. 
President Obama has urged us to pass this on a timely basis, and I am 
going to encourage my colleagues to fight off the amendments which have 
nothing to do with this bill. Let's get this one done and done right. 
Let's not get bogged down in a lot of other issues that might be 
presented. They are all, I am sure, equally meritorious and worth our 
consideration, but we need to finish this one. Let's get this bill done 
so that we can expand service and make an even stronger Nation.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Casey). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I am pleased to support the Serve 
America Act, which expands opportunities for Americans to serve their 
country at a time of critical need. I thank Senator Kennedy and Senator 
Hatch for their willingness to work with my staff to include language 
that ensures the volunteers funded by this bill can also work on 
service projects that expand access to affordable housing in our 
communities. Providing more affordable housing is one of Wisconsin's 
most pressing needs and language that Senator Reed and I worked to 
insert will help ensure that volunteers can build, improve, and 
preserve affordable housing throughout the country.
  Just as voluntarism plays a crucial role in strengthening our 
communities and building a stronger America, that same energy, 
compassion, and knowledge must also be harnessed to help rebuild our 
image abroad as it has been severely damaged over the past 8 years.
  The amendment I am offering today with Senator Voinovich encourages

[[Page S3750]]

those efforts by strengthening and expanding the Volunteers for 
Prosperity program authorized in title V of the bill. This program 
provides a valuable tool to assist international volunteer service, and 
with my improvements I believe we can make it even more effective.
  A recent survey released by the Pew Global Attitudes Project 
indicates that between 2002 and 2008, opinions of the United States 
declined steeply in 14 out of the 19 countries polled. And a similar 
2007 survey of over 45,000 people in 47 countries found that 
``[o]verall, the image of American people has declined since 2002,'' 
even among those who used to count us as friends and allies.
  The Obama administration has already taken some important steps to 
rebuild our image abroad, such as the President's decision to close 
Guantanamo and redeploy troops from Iraq, and his recent address to the 
people of Iran. But individual Americans can contribute, too, and we 
can support those efforts by increasing the opportunities for Americans 
from all backgrounds and experiences to volunteer abroad.
  While the surveys I mentioned showed worsening attitudes toward 
Americans and the declining popularity of the United States, studies 
have shown that in places where U.S. citizens have volunteered their 
time, money, and services, opinions of the United States have improved.
  To put it simply, some of our best diplomats are our private citizens 
who spend time overseas working closely with small communities and 
spending time with the citizens of other countries. Their volunteer 
work is enhanced by their ability to share stories and create 
individual connections. Collectively the two are a force for positive 
global change and greater cultural understanding.
  One example is a story from a constituent, Kathy Anderson from 
Marathon, Wisconsin, who shared with me her thoughts on the exchange 
opportunities she and her husband Mike have experienced, including a 
recent trip to Ukraine to discuss farming methods with folks under the 
Community Connections program:

       We have lots and lots of stories, but the headline may be 
     that people interact with people at a very different level 
     than countries interact with countries. I may not like what 
     your country is doing, but if I get to know you as an 
     individual, I can still build a connection. Programs like 
     these put a face on the country, making it less abstract and 
     impersonal. Once the guests get to know a farmer from 
     Wisconsin, I'm sure they also have a better understanding 
     that our country is more than the image they see presented by 
     the politicians, or the sports figures, or the media folks. 
     It's real folks with the same kind of dreams, hopes, and 
     wishes for the future that they have. And perhaps we get a 
     bit closer, one relationship at a time.

  Our Federal Government should continue to recognize the important 
role that people-to-people engagement can play in countering negative 
views of America around the world and help facilitate such 
opportunities by promoting both short- and long-term international 
volunteer options for U.S. citizens. Existing programs such as the 
Peace Corps, Volunteers for Prosperity, and the exchange programs 
administered through the Department of State's Bureau of Education and 
Cultural Affairs already do tremendous work in this area. But even with 
these existing programs, we need greater, more varied and more flexible 
citizen diplomacy initiatives. Mr. President, we can and should be 
doing more.
  In 2007, I introduced the Global Service Fellowship bill to offer 
U.S. citizens the flexibility and support they need to pursue 
international volunteering opportunities. This bill reduced barriers to 
volunteering by offering financial assistance and flexibility in the 
time period Americans could spend abroad--opening the door for more 
Americans to participate. This bipartisan bill was approved by the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee last Congress.
  Now, in title V of the Serve America Act, we have the opportunity to 
see a very similar program become a reality. This section authorizes 
the Volunteers for Prosperity Office created by Executive Order 13317 
under President Bush. This program promotes short- and long-term 
international volunteering opportunities with specific development 
objectives, and establishes the Volunteers for Prosperity Service 
Incentive Program or VfPServe program which provides eligible skilled 
professionals with grants to offset the cost of volunteering abroad. 
This is a modest program costing only $10 million per year and yet it 
will significantly expand the numbers of Americans who can participate.
  I support Volunteers for Prosperity and, in fact, my global service 
fellowship bill would have authorized that program. The amendment I am 
offering, which is based on my legislation, makes a few changes to the 
current language in title V. This is a modest amendment but reflects 
suggested improvements I have received from constituents, experts and 
organizations active in the field of international voluntarism. As we 
authorize the Volunteers for Prosperity office, we should make sure the 
office has the utmost ability to reach as many interested Americans as 
possible, particularly those who face financial barriers or time 
constraints.
  In the current bill, VfPServe would help offset the cost of 
international volunteering expenses for prospective volunteers, 
provided that they match dollar-for-dollar any grant awarded through 
the program. VfPServe will enable many dedicated volunteers to raise 
the additional funds needed to pursue international projects--but by 
requiring the dollar-for-dollar match grants, participants in VfPServe 
would still be required to cover a substantial amount of their 
expenses.
  Financial limitations are a common obstacle to international 
volunteering by Americans, and I have heard from many constituents who 
are interested in volunteering internationally but are unable to do so 
due to the cost. My amendment goes an extra step to ensure that even 
more Americans from a range of backgrounds can volunteer abroad--not 
just those with the resources or time to pay for half of their 
expenses.
  My amendment complements VfPServe by establishing the VfP Leader 
Program to award fixed grants that would offset up to 80 percent of the 
costs of volunteering abroad, including any sponsoring organization 
fees. In return for this higher Federal contribution, VfP Leaders must 
commit to sharing their experiences with their communities when they 
return. By continuing to serve as ambassadors once they return home, 
VfP leaders will be ensuring that more Americans learn about the 
benefits of international volunteering, and about people and places 
beyond our borders. In addition, my amendment would give VfPserve 
participants the option of raising or providing private funds to meet 
their matching requirements. I have heard from many organizations that 
the inability to raise adequate funds has stymied a number of 
individuals from fully participating in the program. This small tweak 
will open the door wider to those interested to participate in either 
VFP program, who may be willing and able to spend some of their own 
money to do so.

  The VIP Leader Program would be administered by the VfP office, along 
with the VfPserve program in the bill. The USAID Administrator would be 
in charge of awarding VfP leader grants and would develop the 
guidelines for selecting recipients, based on the objectives laid out 
in the underlying bill, which include a commitment to helping reduce 
world hunger and combating the spread of communicable diseases. My 
amendment adds a few mote objectives: providing disaster response, 
preparedness and reconstruction, providing general medical and dental 
care and promoting crosscultural exchange. These are all important 
priorities, and opportunities for Americans to bolster our global image 
while providing essential services.
  Other than these additions, my amendment does not change the 
underlying authorization of VfP, nor does it change the total cost of 
title V. Authorization for title V will remain at $10 million annually 
for the fiscal years 2010 through 2014, with half of the money 
appropriated for grants going to the VIP Leader Program.
  I would like to thank Senator Voinovich, who cosponsored the Global 
Services Fellowship Acts of 2007, 2008, and 2009 and who is a cosponsor 
of this amendment. This amendment is supported by 82 international 
volunteer organizations such as American Jewish World Service, Cross-
Cultural Solutions, and the National Peace Corps Association as well as 
91 university

[[Page S3751]]

international programs including the University of Maryland's Office of 
International Programs, its School of Public Policy and its Study 
Abroad office, and the Fletcher School at Tufts University in 
Massachusetts. I would like to submit the lists with all the supporting 
organizations and university international programs in their entirety 
for the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                College & University Members--March 2009

       American University; Boston College--The Center for 
     Corporate Citizenship; Boston University; Boston University--
     Center for International Health and Development; California 
     Colleges for International Education; California State 
     University, San Marcos--Office of Community Service Learning; 
     Cardinal Stritch University; Catholic University; Central 
     Michigan University Volunteer Center; City College of New 
     York; Chilean Ministry of Education--National Volunteer 
     Center; College of William and Mary--Office of Student 
     Volunteer Services; Columbia University--School of 
     International Public Affairs; Cornell University; Dowling 
     College; Drexel University; Duke University--Center for 
     Engagement & Duke Engage; Duke University--Global Health 
     Institute; Emory University; and Everett Community College--
     World Languages.
       George Mason University--Multicultural Research and 
     Resource Center; George Washington University; Georgetown 
     University--Center for Social Justice; Georgia Institute of 
     Technology--Community Service; Global Citizen Year; Hartwick 
     College; Hillsborough Community College Grants Development; 
     Iowa State University; James Madison College; John Hopkins 
     University; Kennesaw College; Kingsborough Community College/
     CUNY--Academic Affairs; Lone Star College--Tomball; Lone Star 
     College--Tomball--Academic and Student Development; Lone Star 
     College System--International Programs and Services; Miami 
     Dade College; Missouri State University--International 
     Programs and Affairs; Monroe Community College Foundation; 
     Montgomery College Office of Equity & Diversity; and Moore 
     School of Business.
       Mount Wachusett Community College; Mount Wachusett 
     Community College--Community Relations; NC Campus Compact; 
     New York Medical College; New York University--Office of 
     Global Education; North Arkansas College--Institutional 
     Advancement; Norwalk Community College--Academic Affairs; 
     Ohio University; Onondaga Community College--Career and 
     Applied Learning Center; Oregon University System; Palm Beach 
     Community College; Palm Beach Community College--President's 
     Office; Polk Community College--Grants; Ramapo College of New 
     Jersey; Rutgers University; Santa Monica College--
     Communication; Skagit Valley College--College Advancement; 
     Southwestern Oregon Community College Service--Leanring; 
     Stanford University--Haas Center for Public Service; and 
     State University of New York--New Paltz Center for 
     International Programs.
       StonyBrook University; Syracuse University Maxwell School 
     of Citizenship and Public Affairs; Tufts, The Fletcher 
     School; University of California, Berkeley--Blum Center for 
     Developing Economies; University of California, San Diego--
     International Relations and Pacific Studies; Richard J. Daley 
     College; University of Connecticut Center for Continuing 
     Studies, Academic Partnerships and Special Programs; 
     University of Connecticut Global Training & Development 
     Institute; University of Denver--Graduate School of 
     International Studies; University of the District of 
     Columbia; University of Maryland--Office of International 
     Programs; University of Maryland--School of Public Policy; 
     University of Maryland--Study Abroad Office; University of 
     Michigan--International Center; University of Michigan--
     Gerald Ford School of Public Policy; University of 
     Minnesota--Learning Abroad Center; University of Missouri, 
     St. Louis--Center for International Studies; University of 
     North Carolina at Charlotte; University of San Francisco; and 
     University of Texas at Tyler--Office of Community Relations.
       University of Tulsa; University of Vermont; University of 
     Virginia--Alternative Spring Break; University of Wisconsin-
     Madison Global Studies & Go Global!; University of Wyoming 
     Center for Volunteer Service, Wyoming Union; Washington 
     University in St. Louis--Center for Social Development; 
     Washington University in St. Louis--Gephardt Institute for 
     Public Service; Western Connecticut State University--
     International Services; Western Piedmont Community College 
     Humanities/Social Sciences; Western Piedmont Community 
     College Student Development; and White Plains City School.

          Volunteering & Supporting Organizations--March 2009

       ACDI/VOCA; Action Without Borders/Idealist.org; Adventure 
     Aid; American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative; 
     American Jewish World Service; American Refugee Committee; 
     Amigos de las Americas; AngelPoints; Atlas Corps; BeGlobal; 
     Bridges to Community, Inc.; Building Blocks International; 
     Catholic Medical Mission Board; Catholic Network of Volunteer 
     Services; Catholic Relief Services; Child Family Health 
     International; Christian Reformed World Relief Committee; 
     Citizens Development Corps; Cross-Cultural Solutions; and 
     Earthwatch Institute.
       Experiential Learning International; Fly for Good (Fly 4 
     Good); Foundation for International Medical Relief of 
     Children; Foundation for Sustainable Development; Global 
     Citizen Year; Global Citizens Network; Global Medic Force; 
     Global Volunteers--Partners in Development; GlobalGiving 
     Foundation; Globalhood; Globe Aware; Greenforce; Habitat for 
     Humanity International; Hands On Disaster Response; Health 
     Volunteers Overseas; Hope Worldwide; Hudson Institute; 
     Innovations in Civic Participation; InterAction; and 
     International Assoc. for Volunteer Effort (IAVE).
       International Medical Corps; International Partnership for 
     Service Learning; International Student Exchange Programs; 
     International Student Volunteers; International Volunteer 
     Programs Association; International Volunteer Ventures LLC 
     (INVOLVE); Karuna International; LanguageCorps; Lifetree 
     Adventures; Manna Project International; Medical Teams 
     International; Mobility International; National 
     Association of Social Workers (NASW); National Peace Corps 
     Association; Nourish International; Operation Crossroads 
     Africa; Partners of the Americas; Partners Worldwide; 
     Encore! Service Corps; and PEPY Ride.
       Points of Light Institute; Prevent Human Trafficking; 
     Projects Abroad; ProWorld Service Corps; Service for Peace; 
     SEVA; Student Movement for Real Change; The Advocacy Project; 
     The Volunteer Family; Travel Alive; UN Volunteers; United 
     Planet; United Way of America; US Center for Citizen 
     Diplomacy; Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA); 
     Volunteers for Peace; Volunteers for Prosperity (USAID); 
     Winrock International; World Hope International/Hope Corps; 
     World Servants; Worldteach; and Youth Service America.

  Mr. FEINGOLD. As we debate the Serve America Act and highlight the 
important role of volunteer service in our communities, we must not 
overlook the opportunities for volunteers to help restore our image and 
standing abroad. Wisconsinites have a strong tradition of public 
service, particularly among young people in my state and it is because 
of their consistent interest in such opportunities that I offer this 
amendment today.
  International volunteering opportunities are an effective method of 
addressing critical human needs, building bridges across cultures, and 
promoting mutual understanding. In turn, this can bolster our national 
and global security. Though they may be working overseas, Americans who 
volunteer abroad are truly serving the interests of America.
  The VfPServe and VfPLeaders Programs would be a valuable addition to 
our public diplomacy, to our development and humanitarian efforts 
overseas. I encourage my colleagues to support the amendment I will 
offer at a future time.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.


                           Amendment No. 688

  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the Crapo 
amendment which incorporates the Dodd-Crapo bill that I have 
cosponsored. Every Senator in this Chamber has heard from folks in 
their own communities who have lost jobs, families whose savings are 
disappearing, businesses that cannot meet payrolls. Unfortunately, 
until we solve the root of the economic crisis--our credit crisis--
there will not be real relief or recovery for these struggling families 
and businesses.
  The bottom line is our financial system is not working. It has become 
clogged with toxic assets. Some call them legacy assets, but they are 
toxic as well as old. Until they are removed, fear and uncertainty will 
continue to dominate the markets.
  Earlier this week, Secretary Geithner released his long-awaited 
details on the administration's plan to solve the credit crisis. While 
Secretary Geithner did not take all of my advice, I am heartened that 
the administration has finally developed a plan to tackle the most 
pressing issue facing our Nation and the largest obstacle to economic 
recovery.
  All Americans need this plan to work. Our Nation cannot afford 
another lost decade such as Japan faced in the nineties. No one wants 
to doom the Nation's families and workers to a recession any longer and 
deeper than the one we have already experienced. But before the 
Government commits trillions more in tax dollars, I hope Secretary 
Geithner will recognize that he owes the taxpayers some answers to some 
very important questions.

[[Page S3752]]

  Unfortunately, under the previous administration and the current 
administration, there have been too few answers and too many questions 
for taxpayers about how economic rescue dollars are being spent. 
Instead, under both Treasury Secretaries Paulson's and Geithner's 
watch, billions in taxpayer dollars have been thrown down the rat hole, 
with no clear plan, no end in sight, and no positive return. So now, 
this week, the taxpayers need to hear how the administration's plan 
will provide accountability, transparency, and oversight of taxpayer 
funds.
  First, Secretary Geithner needs to tell taxpayers how this plan will 
protect their hard-earned dollars. Taxpayers have the right to question 
whether they are getting a fair deal since the taxpayers are taking on 
the vast majority of the risks under the new public-private investment 
partnership initiative.
  Right now, private investors only stand to lose a small amount with 
their invested capital, with opportunities for great returns. In other 
words, are we again privatizing profits but socializing losses? Do we 
run the risk that this ends up being ``heads they win, tails taxpayers 
lose''? This plan is dependent on taxpayers subsidizing and excessive 
leveraging of private resources to purchase these toxic assets. While 
it is important to encourage private capital, and I believe that is the 
best solution, we seem to be using the same formula--but this time 
risking billions of taxpayer dollars--that got us into the present 
situation. I am concerned that the administration's plan appears to be 
too generous to Wall Street investors, some of whom contributed to the 
crisis.
  The second point is, what is the ultimate cost to taxpayers? Right 
now, the administration projects that its plan will initially require 
$100 billion in taxpayer funds to leverage up to $500 billion in 
taxpayer dollars. But most estimates show there are about $2 trillion 
of toxic assets in the system. I believe the taxpayers deserve to know 
how much Secretary Geithner's plan will really cost them.
  Third, the administration and the Treasury Secretary need to explain 
how he will prevent the rules of the game from changing again. Since 
the initial rescue of Bear Stearns last summer, the previous and the 
current administrations have taken an ad hoc approach that has changed 
and shifted numerous times. This ``adhocracy'' has amounted to throwing 
billions of good taxpayers' dollars into failing banks, treating the 
symptoms rather than the cause, with no apparent exit strategy. This 
``adhocracy'' has resulted in fear and uncertainty in our markets and 
has done nothing to hasten the much needed economic recovery. As a 
matter of fact, one skilled observer, Professor John Taylor, said the 
lack of certainty has been a great cause in the failure of the markets 
to respond positively to any of the previous activities.
  Is the plan announced this week the one and final approach? Will the 
administration stick to the plan? And just as important, what about 
Congress? Will we allow the plan to work or will we come in later and 
change the rules of the game after they have been set? The 
administration, and I think we in Congress, must convince Wall Street 
and Main Street that the rules will not be changed again midgame. What 
expert after expert has told me, people who are looking at the market, 
people who want to see the market succeed, what the markets desperately 
need is certainty in a plan.
  Finally, will banks and financial institutions holding toxic assets 
be willing to participate in the program? Despite what seems to be 
generous incentives for private investors to purchase the assets, it is 
not clear whether the banks will be willing to negotiate a fair deal 
with the Government and the partners. If banks are not willing to 
participate, then toxic assets will continue to clog the system. If 
they do not participate, will the administration finally turn to the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to resolve these problem banks?
  Before closing, I note that we all understand we need to strengthen 
the ability of our regulators to prevent this kind of systemic failure 
from occurring in the future, but we need to consider any changes 
carefully. A critical first step would be our pending amendment which 
incorporates the Dodd-Crapo bill, S. 541, the Depositor Protection Act, 
to boost the FDIC's borrowing authority to deal with larger 
institutions and to prevent further substantial fee increases on good 
banks.
  I heard from smaller, well-performing banks in Missouri that did not 
participate in the subprime and exotic loans that will bear more costs 
to cover the failures of the large banks that did. These smaller banks 
should not have to be a casualty of the mistakes of the larger 
financial institutions. Will the FDIC use the expanded authority that I 
hope we will give them to return FDIC premiums to their previous level? 
We need a diverse banking system. We need a system. There are over 
8,000 banks of all sizes in communities and States throughout the 
Nation. It is my hope that this financial crisis resolution preserves 
that system instead of allowing it to be dominated by a few ``too large 
to fail'' institutions.
  What else will the Treasury do? How will the Treasury assure these 
other banks will be strengthened when they are not in the top 20 on 
which the Treasury seems to focus?
  These are just a few of the critical questions about Secretary 
Geithner's untested, complicated plan. We, on behalf of taxpayers, 
deserve answers. Taxpayers deserve to hear solutions that will work. It 
is more important than anything else in solving the economic crisis 
that we solve the credit crisis.
  Our banking and financial system affects every American's standard of 
living, our ability to create and maintain jobs, and our ability to 
compete globally. We must tackle the root of this problem--the toxic 
assets--and lead us out of the economic crisis and help Americans get 
back to work.
  I, like most Americans, am suffering from bailout fatigue. Rightfully 
so. Taxpayers are fed up over the waste of hard-earned tax dollars and 
the plans that have wandered all over the lot in the past. Secretary 
Geithner now has a tough challenge, and that is to convince the 
taxpayers that this plan is a smart investment that will solve the root 
of our economic crisis.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support the Dodd amendment. I 
yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Pennsylvania.


                      Nomination of David S. Kris

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to speak 
briefly on the nomination of David S. Kris to be Assistant Attorney 
General in the National Security Division of the Department of Justice.
  Let me say preliminarily how nice it is to see the other--I shouldn't 
say ``the other Senator''--the Senator from Pennsylvania presiding 
today. I compliment Senator Casey on an outstanding tenure for, let me 
see, 2 years and almost 3 months. I express my appreciation for his 
cooperation in working together on so many projects.
  May I say further for the Record, since it is in black and white and 
not in Technicolor, I think there is a slight blush on Senator Casey 
for the warranted praise.
  Now on to the other subject at hand.
  David Kris has been nominated for this very important position. He 
comes to it with excellent credentials. He is a graduate of Haverford 
College, a college I know very well, being my oldest son, Shanin, 
graduated there, and the Harvard Law School, an institution I don't 
know quite so well but one I hear is a very good school, not perhaps up 
to--well, I won't comment about that. After graduation from law school, 
Mr. Kris served as clerk to Judge Stephen Trott on the Ninth Circuit; 
was in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice for 8 years; 
was Deputy Attorney General for 3 years. He has excellent academic and 
professional standards.
  I ask unanimous consent to have Mr. Kris's resume printed in the 
Record at the conclusion of my comments.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, Mr. Kris has the commendations and 
recommendations of both Attorneys General for whom he worked--Attorney 
General Janet Reno and Attorney General John Ashcroft. John Ashcroft, 
our former colleague in the Senate who sat on the Judiciary Committee, 
described Mr. Kris's ``intelligence, independence,

[[Page S3753]]

and wisdom'' as ``valuable national assets.''
  After years of public service, Mr. Kris joined Time Warner and even 
found time to write a legal treatise on national security 
investigations and prosecutions. He is considered an expert on the 
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and leading authority on national 
security law.
  I urge my colleagues to support his nomination.
  I yield the floor.

                               Exhibit 1

 David S. Kris, Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division

       Birth: 1966, Boston, Massachusetts.
       Legal Residence: Bethesda, Maryland.
       Education: B.A., Haverford College, 1988; J.D., Harvard Law 
     School, 1991.
       Employment: Clerk, Judge Stephen S. Trott, U.S. Court of 
     Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1991-1992. Attorney, Criminal 
     Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1992-2000. Associate 
     Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, 2000-
     2003. Vice President, Time Warner, Inc., 2003-2005. Chief 
     Compliance Officer, Time Warner, Inc., 2005-Present. Senior 
     Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Time Warner, Inc., 
     2006-Present. Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings 
     Institution, 2008-Present. Adjunct Professor of Law, 
     Georgetown University Law Center, 2008-Present. National 
     Security Adviser, Hillary Clinton for President and Obama for 
     America, 2008. DOJ Agency Review Team Member, President-Elect 
     Transition Team, 2008-2009.
       Selected Activities: Award, Attorney General's Award for 
     Exceptional Service, 1999, 2002. Award, Assistant Attorney 
     General's Award for Special Initiative, 1998. Awards for 
     Special Achievement (various dates prior to 2000). Member, 
     Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court, 1995-2007; 
     Massachusetts Bar, 1991-Present; New York State Bar, 2003-
     Present; Maryland State Bar, 2008-Present.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I join with my colleague from Pennsylvania 
in urging my colleagues to give an overwhelming vote to David Kris. I 
have had the pleasure of working with him on national security matters 
in my position as vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee. I 
believe our national security will be well served by Mr. Kris. I 
wholeheartedly endorse his nomination.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I also wholeheartedly endorse his 
nomination. He is an extremely talented, experienced intellectual in 
the law. I expect him to be one of the best we have ever had. I am very 
proud he is willing to serve in this administration and go through the 
processes many people are trying to avoid at this particular point.
  Let me just say, as the longest serving person on the Senate 
Intelligence Committee, we need people such as Mr. Kris in Government. 
I commend the administration in cooperating and appointing him.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________