[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 149 (Thursday, October 6, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6354-S6356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TODAY

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration en bloc of the following resolutions, 
which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 288, S. Res. 289, and S. 
Res. 290.
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolutions en bloc.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, 
the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and any related 
statements be printed in the Record.
  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. 288

Designating the week beginning October 9, 2011, as ``National Wildlife 
                             Refuge Week''

       Whereas in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established 
     the first national wildlife refuge on Florida's Pelican 
     Island;
       Whereas in 2011, the National Wildlife Refuge System, 
     administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, is the premier 
     system of lands and waters to conserve wildlife in the world, 
     and has grown to more than 150,000,000 acres, 553 national 
     wildlife refuges, and 38 wetland management districts in 
     every State and territory of the United States;
       Whereas national wildlife refuges are important 
     recreational and tourism destinations in communities across 
     the Nation, and these protected lands offer a variety of 
     recreational opportunities, including 6 wildlife-dependent 
     uses that the National Wildlife Refuge System manages: 
     hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, 
     environmental education, and interpretation;
       Whereas more than 370 units of the National Wildlife Refuge 
     System have hunting programs and more than 350 units of the 
     National Wildlife Refuge System have fishing programs, 
     averaging more than 2,500,000 hunting visits and more than 
     7,100,000 fishing visits;
       Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experiences 
     28,200,000 wildlife observation visits annually;
       Whereas national wildlife refuges are important to local 
     businesses and gateway communities;
       Whereas for every $1 appropriated, national wildlife 
     refuges generate $4 in economic activity;
       Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System experiences 
     approximately 45,700,000 visits every year, generating nearly 
     $1,700,000,000 and 27,000 jobs in local economies;
       Whereas the National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses 
     every kind of ecosystem in the United States, including 
     temperate, tropical, and boreal forests, wetlands, deserts, 
     grasslands, arctic tundras, and remote islands, and spans 12 
     time zones from the Virgin Islands to Guam;
       Whereas national wildlife refuges are home to more than 700 
     species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 species of 
     reptiles and amphibians, and more than 1,000 species of fish;
       Whereas national wildlife refuges are the primary Federal 
     lands that foster production, migration, and wintering 
     habitat for waterfowl;
       Whereas since 1934, more than $750,000,000 in funds, from 
     the sale of the Federal Duck Stamp to outdoor enthusiasts, 
     has enabled the purchase or lease of more than 5,300,000 
     acres of waterfowl habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge 
     System;
       Whereas 59 refuges were established specifically to protect 
     imperiled species, and of the more than 1,300 federally 
     listed threatened and endangered species in the United 
     States, 280 species are found on units of the National 
     Wildlife Refuge System;
       Whereas national wildlife refuges are cores of conservation 
     for larger landscapes and resources for other agencies of the 
     Federal Government and State governments, private landowners, 
     and organizations in their efforts to secure the wildlife 
     heritage of the United States;
       Whereas 39,000 volunteers and more than 220 national 
     wildlife refuge ``Friends'' organizations contribute nearly 
     1,400,000 hours annually, the equivalent of 665 full-time 
     employees, and provide an important link with local 
     communities;

[[Page S6355]]

       Whereas national wildlife refuges provide an important 
     opportunity for children to discover and gain a greater 
     appreciation for the natural world;
       Whereas because there are national wildlife refuges located 
     in several urban and suburban areas and 1 refuge located 
     within an hour's drive of every metropolitan area in the 
     United States, national wildlife refuges employ, educate, and 
     engage young people from all backgrounds in exploring, 
     connecting with, and preserving the natural heritage of the 
     Nation;
       Whereas since 1995, refuges across the Nation have held 
     festivals, educational programs, guided tours, and other 
     events to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week during the 
     second full week of October;
       Whereas the Fish and Wildlife Service will continue to seek 
     stakeholder input on the implementation of the 
     recommendations in the document entitled ``Conserving the 
     Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation'', which is 
     an update to the strategic plan of the Fish and Wildlife 
     Service for the future of the National Wildlife Refuge 
     System;
       Whereas the week beginning on October 9, 2011, has been 
     designated as ``National Wildlife Refuge Week'' by the Fish 
     and Wildlife Service;
       Whereas in 2011, the designation of National Wildlife 
     Refuge Week would recognize more than a century of 
     conservation in the United States and would serve to raise 
     awareness about the importance of wildlife and the National 
     Wildlife Refuge System and to celebrate the myriad 
     recreational opportunities available to enjoy this network of 
     protected lands: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week beginning on October 9, 2011, as 
     ``National Wildlife Refuge Week'';
       (2) encourages the observance of National Wildlife Refuge 
     Week with appropriate events and activities;
       (3) acknowledges the importance of national wildlife 
     refuges for their recreational opportunities and contribution 
     to local economies across the United States;
       (4) pronounces that national wildlife refuges play a vital 
     role in securing the hunting and fishing heritage of the 
     United States for future generations;
       (5) identifies the significance of national wildlife 
     refuges in advancing the traditions of wildlife observation, 
     photography, environmental education, and interpretation;
       (6) recognizes the importance of national wildlife refuges 
     to wildlife conservation and the protection of imperiled 
     species and ecosystems, as well as compatible uses;
       (7) acknowledges the role of national wildlife refuges in 
     conserving waterfowl and waterfowl habitat pursuant to the 
     Migratory Bird Treaty Act (40 Stat. 755, chapter 128);
       (8) reaffirms the support of the Senate for wildlife 
     conservation and the National Wildlife Refuge System; and
       (9) expresses the intent of the Senate--
       (A) to continue working to conserve wildlife; and
       (B) to manage the National Wildlife Refuge System for 
     current and future generations.

                              S. Res. 289

      Celebrating the life and achievements of Reverend Fred Lee 
                             Shuttlesworth

       Whereas the Reverend Fred Lee Shuttlesworth was born on 
     March 18, 1922, in Mount Meigs, Alabama;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth, a former truck driver who 
     studied theology at night, was ordained in 1948;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth became pastor of Bethel 
     Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1953, and was an 
     outspoken leader in the fight for racial equality;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth worked alongside Dr. Martin 
     Luther King, Jr. and was hailed by Dr. King for his courage 
     and energy in the fight for civil rights;
       Whereas, in May 1956, Reverend Shuttlesworth established 
     the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights when the 
     National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 
     was banned from Alabama by court injunction;
       Whereas, in a brazen attempt to threaten Reverend 
     Shuttleworth's resolve and commitment to the fight for 
     equality and justice, 6 sticks of dynamite were detonated 
     outside Reverend Shuttlesworth's bedroom window on Christmas 
     Day, 1956;
       Whereas, on the day after the attack on his home, on 
     December 26, 1956, an undeterred Reverend Shuttlesworth 
     courageously continued the fight for equal rights, leading 
     250 people in a protest of segregated buses in Birmingham;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth was beaten with chains and 
     brass knuckles by a mob of Ku Klux Klansmen in 1957 when he 
     tried to enroll his children in a segregated school in 
     Birmingham;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth co-founded the Southern 
     Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as the first 
     secretary of the organization from 1958 to 1970 and as its 
     president in 2004;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth participated in protesting 
     segregated lunch counters and helped lead sit-ins in 1960;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth worked with the Congress of 
     Racial Equality to organize the Freedom Rides against 
     segregated interstate buses in the South in 1961;
       Whereas it was Reverend Shuttlesworth who called upon 
     Attorney General Robert Kennedy to protect the Freedom 
     Riders;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth freed a group of Freedom 
     Riders from jail and drove them to the Tennessee State line 
     to safety;
       Whereas, in 1963, Reverend Shuttlesworth persuaded Dr. King 
     to bring the civil rights movement to Birmingham;
       Whereas, in the spring of 1963, Reverend Shuttlesworth 
     designed a mass campaign that included a series of nonviolent 
     sit-ins and marches against illegal segregation by Black 
     children, students, clergymen, and others;
       Whereas, in 1963, while leading a nonviolent protest 
     against segregation in Birmingham, Reverend Shuttlesworth was 
     slammed against a wall and knocked unconscious by the force 
     of the water pressure from fire hoses turned on demonstrators 
     at the order of Bull Connor, the Commissioner of Public 
     Safety;
       Whereas the televised images of Connor directing the use of 
     firefighters' hoses and police dogs to attack nonviolent 
     demonstrators, and to arrest those undeterred by violence, 
     had a profound effect on the view of the civil rights 
     struggle by citizens of the United States;
       Whereas as a result of those violent images, President John 
     Fitzgerald Kennedy called the fight for equality a moral 
     issue;
       Whereas those violent images helped lead to the passage of 
     the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-352; 78 Stat. 
     241);
       Whereas, in his 1963 book ``Why We Can't Wait'', Dr. King 
     called Reverend Shuttlesworth ``one of the nation's most 
     courageous freedom fighters . . . a wiry, energetic, and 
     indomitable man'';
       Whereas, in March 1965, Reverend Shuttlesworth helped 
     organize the historic march from Selma to Montgomery to 
     protest voting discrimination in Alabama;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth became pastor of the Greater 
     New Light Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1966 and 
     served as pastor until his retirement in 2006;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth advocated for racial justice 
     in Cincinnati and for increased minority representation in 
     the public institutions of Cincinnati, including the police 
     department and city council;
       Whereas, in the 1980s, Reverend Shuttlesworth established 
     the Shuttlesworth Housing Foundation in Cincinnati, which 
     helped low-income families in Cincinnati become homeowners;
       Whereas, in 2001, President William Jefferson Clinton 
     awarded Reverend Shuttlesworth a Presidential Citizens Medal 
     for his leadership in the ``nonviolent civil rights movement 
     of the 1950s and 60s, leading efforts to integrate 
     Birmingham, Alabama's schools, buses, and recreational 
     facilities'';
       Whereas the Birmingham international airport was named for 
     Reverend Shuttlesworth in 2008, and is now known as the 
     Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport;
       Whereas Reverend Shuttlesworth was inducted into the Ohio 
     Civil Rights Commission Hall of Fame in 2009;
       Whereas in Reverend Shuttlesworth's final sermon he said 
     ``the best thing we can do is be a servant of God . . . it 
     does good to stand up and serve others''; and
       Whereas upon the death of Reverend Shuttlesworth, President 
     Barack Hussein Obama said of Reverend Shuttlesworth that he 
     ``dedicated his life to advancing the cause of justice for 
     all Americans. He was a testament to the strength of the 
     human spirit. And today we stand on his shoulders, and the 
     shoulders of all those who marched and sat and lifted their 
     voices to help perfect our union'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate celebrates the life and 
     achievements of Reverend Fred Lee Shuttlesworth and honors 
     him for his tireless efforts in the fight against segregation 
     and his steadfast commitment to the civil rights of all 
     people.

                              S. Res. 290

 Supporting the designation of October 6, 2011, as ``Jumpstart's Read 
                          for the Record Day''

       Whereas Jumpstart, a national early education organization, 
     is working to ensure that all children in the United States 
     enter school prepared to succeed;
       Whereas, year-round, Jumpstart recruits and trains college 
     students and community members to serve preschool children in 
     low-income neighborhoods, helping them to develop the key 
     language and literacy skills necessary to succeed in school 
     and in life;
       Whereas, since 1993, Jumpstart has engaged more than 20,000 
     adults in service to more than 90,000 young children in 
     communities across the United States;
       Whereas Jumpstart's Read for the Record, presented in 
     partnership with the Pearson Foundation, is a national 
     campaign that mobilizes adults and children in an effort to 
     close the early education achievement gap in the United 
     States by setting a reading world record;
       Whereas the goals of the campaign are to raise awareness in 
     the United States of the importance of early education, 
     provide books to children in low-income households through 
     donations and sponsorship, and celebrate the commencement of 
     Jumpstart's program year;
       Whereas October 6, 2011, would be an appropriate date to 
     designate as ``Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day'' because 
     it is the date Jumpstart aims to set the world record for the 
     largest shared reading experience; and
       Whereas Jumpstart hopes to engage more than 2,100,000 
     children in reading Anna

[[Page S6356]]

     Dewdney's ``Llama Llama Red Pajama'' during this record-
     breaking celebration of reading, service, and fun, all in 
     support of preschool children in the United States: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the designation of October 6, 2011, as 
     ``Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day'';
       (2) commends Jumpstart's Read for the Record in its sixth 
     year;
       (3) encourages adults, including grandparents, parents, 
     teachers, and college students--
       (A) to join children in creating the world's largest shared 
     reading experience; and
       (B) to show their support for early literacy and 
     Jumpstart's early education programming for young children in 
     low-income communities; and
       (4) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to Jumpstart, one of the 
     leading nonprofit organizations in the United States in the 
     field of early education.

                          ____________________