[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 81 (Thursday, May 12, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2494-S2495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. CARPER (for himself and Mrs. Capito):
  S. 4194. A bill to amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to 
reauthorize the volunteer services, community partnership, and refuge 
education programs of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, Senator Capito and I are introducing 
legislation today to reauthorize appropriations for the National 
Wildlife Refuge System's volunteer and partnerships program. I want to 
share with our colleagues some information about the Keep America's 
Refuges Operational Act and ask for their support.
  The Keep America's Refuges Operational Act reauthorizes the volunteer 
and partnerships program, with no increase, at $2 million per year. The 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses the modest Federal funding it 
receives for this program to leverage volunteer contributions by 
providing uniforms, training, equipment, and necessary travel.
  Our National Wildlife Refuge System is an exceptional network of more 
than 850 acres of public lands and waters dedicated to fish and 
wildlife conservation. Tens of millions of people visit our refuges 
each year to explore, fish, hunt, and view and study wildlife. This 
ecotourism strongly supports local economies. During the pandemic in 
particular, our national lands, including refuges, were safe outdoor 
spaces for recreation.
  Volunteers are critical to refuge operations. They assist with fish 
and wildlife surveys, restoring habitat, and supporting refuge office 
functions. Without volunteers and partner groups, refuges would likely 
have to cut back on public programs and reduce hours of operation.
  In my home State of Delaware, we have two beautiful refuges--the 
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and the Bombay Hook National 
Wildlife Refuge. Both refuges are highly dependent upon volunteers.
  Each year, people come to our refuges to observe the federally 
threatened red knot shorebird, which stops along the Delaware Bay to 
refuel on horseshoe crab eggs along its migration journey. Volunteers 
make sure these visitors have memorable experiences.
  When people can see these pristine habitats and the many species that 
call them home, they are inspired to be good stewards of our planet for 
the enjoyment and benefit of future generations.
  I want to ensure that these opportunities opportunities abound in 
Delaware and around the country. A small annual investment in the 
refuge system volunteer and partnerships program goes a long way. Every 
$1 appropriated to coordinate these volunteers translates to 
approximately $10 worth of volunteer services.
  These appropriations also help cut government costs. In fiscal year 
2021, more than 11,000 volunteers donated 68,879 hours, with donated 
time equaling that of 318 full-time employees. The value of this time 
contribution is about $18.5 million.
  I want to thank Senator Capito for cosponsoring this commonsense 
legislation. I look forward to working with her and our colleagues in 
the House to pass the Keep America's Refuges Operational Act and enact 
it into law.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Warner, 
        Mr. Moran, and Mr. Menendez):
  S. 4202. A bill to require an annual budget estimate for the 
initiatives of the National Institutes of Health pursuant to reports 
and recommendations made under the National Alzheimer's Project Act; to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Warner, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Markey, 
        Mr. Moran, and Mr. Menendez):
  S. 4203. A bill to extend the National Alzheimer's Project; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce two bills aimed 
at continuing the important progress we have made so far to prevent and 
effectively treat Alzheimer's disease. I know how devastating this 
disease is. My father, grandfather, and two uncles all died from 
Alzheimer's. I am committed to this effort both as a person whose 
beloved family members have suffered from this disease as well as a 
Senator concerned about the impact on our families and our healthcare 
budgets.
  When I founded the Congressional Alzheimer's Task Force in the Senate 
in 1999, there was virtually no focus on Alzheimer's in Washington. 
Twelve years ago, I coauthored the bipartisan National Alzheimer's 
Project Act with my colleague Senator Evan Bayh. Before we passed that 
legislation, there was no coordinated, strategic national plan to focus 
our efforts to defeat Alzheimer's and ensure that our resources are 
maximized and leveraged. NAPA

[[Page S2495]]

fixed this by convening a panel of experts to create a coordinated 
strategic national plan to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's 
disease by 2025. The expert council updates the plan annually.
  We have made some progress in our efforts to find a treatment, means 
of prevention, or cure, but Alzheimer's still costs our Nation an 
astonishing $321 billion per year, including $206 billion in costs to 
Medicare and Medicaid. If we continue along this trajectory, 
Alzheimer's is projected to claim the minds of 12.7 million seniors and 
nearly surpass $1 trillion in annual costs by 2050. It takes a 
tremendous toll on families, too. In 2021, family caregivers provided 
16 billion hours of unpaid care for loved ones with dementia. That job 
is often 24/7 and often harms the health of the caregiver.
  The National Alzheimer's Project Act is set to expire in 2025, so we 
need to reauthorize this critical legislation to make sure that our 
research investments remain coordinated, and we can maximize their 
impact.
  The first bill that I will introduce today with my colleagues 
Senators Warner, Capito, Markey, Moran, and Menendez, is the NAPA 
Reauthorization Act. It would reauthorize NAPA through 2035 and 
modernize the legislation to reflect strides we have made understanding 
the disease, like including a new focus on promoting healthy aging and 
reducing risk factors.
  The second bill that I will introduce, with my colleagues Senators 
Markey, Capito, Warner, Moran, and Menendez, is the Alzheimer's 
Accountability and Investment Act. That bill would continue through 
2035 a requirement that the Director of the National Institutes of 
Health submit an annual budget to Congress estimating the funding 
necessary for NIH to fully implement NAPA's research goals. Only two 
other areas of biomedical research--cancer and HIV/AIDs--have been the 
subject of special budget development aimed at speeding discovery, and 
this ``bypass budget,'' as it is known, helps us to understand the 
additional funding needed to find better treatments, a means of 
prevention, and ultimately a cure for Alzheimer's disease.
  Nearly half of baby boomers reaching age 85 will either be afflicted 
with Alzheimer's or caring for someone who has it. In many ways, 
Alzheimer's is the defining disease of this generation. We have made 
tremendous progress in recent years to boost funding for Alzheimer's 
research, which holds great promise to ending this disease that has had 
a devastating effect on millions of Americans and their families. The 
two bills I introduce today will maintain our momentum and make sure 
that we do not take our foot off the pedal just as our investments in 
basic research is beginning to translate into potential new treatments. 
We must not let Alzheimer's define our children's generation as it has 
ours.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Markey, and Mr. 
        Hagerty):
  S. 4209. A bill to require a feasibility study regarding establishing 
new diplomatic posts in the Pacific Islands; to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Expanding 
America's Pacific Diplomatic Presence Act, a bipartisan piece of 
legislation that seeks to deepen our diplomatic relations with Pacific 
Island countries and territories. I am thankful to Senator Cotton, 
Senator Markey, and Senator Hagerty for joining me in introducing this 
legislation.
  The United States enjoys strong historical ties, economic 
relationships, and cultural links with many Pacific Island nations. 
During World War II, these islands became the frontlines of some of our 
hardest fought battles of the Pacific campaign. Now, Pacific Island 
nations and territories are at the frontlines of climate change. Our 
friendships with Pacific Island nations are deepened by generations of 
Pacific Islanders whose presence in the United States and contributions 
have enriched communities throughout our country. We also recognize the 
strategic importance of Pacific Island nations, as demonstrated by the 
Compacts of Free Association we have with the Republic of the Marshall 
Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. Unfortunately, 
while our diplomatic presence in the region has waned in the last 
decade, the diplomatic and economic presence of the People's Republic 
of China, PRC, has increased as it seeks to forge closer ties with 
Pacific Island nations. What happens in the Pacific Islands matters to 
the United States and we must take steps to demonstrate the strength of 
our commitment to the region.
  Diplomatic engagement in the region is critical for understanding how 
we can better support our Pacific Island partners. President Biden has 
worked to elevate the U.S.'s diplomatic engagement by being the first 
U.S. President to participate in a gathering of the Pacific Island 
Forum leaders. The President also signaled his commitment to the Freely 
Associated States by appointing Special Presidential Envoy Ambassador 
Joseph Yun to lead negotiations over the Compacts of Free Association. 
Several high-ranking administration officials, including the Secretary 
of State Antony Blinken, have visited the region to pledge U.S. support 
for efforts related to COVID-19 response, climate change adaptation, 
maritime security, infrastructure development, trade, and economic 
investment. I applaud this level of meaningful diplomatic engagement in 
the region and would like to see this sustained in the future.
  Establishing new U.S. diplomatic posts would support our efforts to 
build lasting relationships with Pacific Island nations and 
territories. The United States currently has eight Embassies among 
Pacific Island nations, with plans to reopen an Embassy in the Solomon 
Islands. These Embassies play an important role in forging relations 
with host nations and serve as important symbols of the U.S.'s long 
term commitment to the region. Opening new embassies, consulate 
generals, or other diplomatic posts would allow U.S. diplomats to have 
more regular interactions with the governments of the Pacific Islands 
and learn more about the challenges and opportunities facing each 
nation. The year-round presence of more U.S. diplomats would improve 
our ability to compete with the PRC's growing presence in the region 
and would enhance our coordination with Australia, New Zealand, and 
Japan on economic development assistance and humanitarian aid. An 
expanded diplomatic presence in the region would also improve oversight 
of U.S. Government-funded programs in the region.
  The legislation I am introducing would direct the Government 
Accountability Office, GAO, to conduct a feasibility study on 
establishing new diplomatic posts in Pacific Island countries and 
territories that currently do not have a U.S. Embassy or other U.S. 
diplomatic post. This legislation recognizes and seeks to understand 
what potential benefits and challenges may exist for establishing new 
U.S. diplomatic posts in the region. I hope that the results of an 
independent study conducted by GAO will inform future decisions by 
Congress and the executive branch to establish and appropriately fund 
new diplomatic posts in the region.
  I urge my colleagues to pass the Expanding America's Pacific 
Diplomatic Presence Act to demonstrate our support for greater 
diplomatic engagement with our partners in the region and reaffirm our 
commitment to building a shared future with the people of the Pacific 
Islands.

                          ____________________