[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 22]
[Senate]
[Pages 30786-30788]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    FIRST SESSION OF 109TH CONGRESS

  Mr. ALLARD. I rise today to speak in review of the first session of 
this 109th Congress. I have served in the Congress since 1991, and I 
can say without exaggeration that this year has been the single most 
productive year I have participated in. As I will detail, we have 
passed numerous significant legislative items, some of which have 
languished in Congress for many years. We have stayed a determined 
course in the global war on terror, maintaining our commitment to our 
troops and to those eager to adopt a democratic way of life in place of 
tyranny. We have stayed a proven course to reduce the tax burden on 
Americans and on American business. Economic indicators in the markets, 
home ownership data, and employment all illustrate the wisdom of this 
course. This Congress has shown a very real commitment to principle. 
While there are those in this body and in the media who would like to 
deny it, I am confident that this session of Congress will go down in 
history as singularly productive and representative of the will of the 
people.
  The list of significant legislative items passed and signed into law 
this year is extensive. We got off on the right foot by passing a 
budget resolution out of the Senate on March 17, and the Congress 
adopted the budget conference report on April 28. This is amazingly 
early when compared to the struggles we have encountered in recent 
years. The Budget, as I have said many times before, is a vital 
blueprint for our work and a responsibility we must assume to serve the 
taxpayers. I am a member of the Senate Budget Committee and a former 
member of the House Budget Committee, and I am pleased to say that our 
chairman in the Senate has been as efficient and principled an advocate 
for good budgeting policy as I have ever worked with.
  In previous years, we have also struggled to complete our work on 
appropriations legislation. The House, where appropriations measures 
are to originate, reported every single appropriations bill out of 
committee by June 21. The Senate passed every bill before October 27. 
Today, as we wrap up a few remaining issues, all but the Defense and 
Labor-HHS bills have been signed into law, but it is important to note 
that these bills were passed by the Senate in October. The leadership 
on both sides of the Capitol and the members of the various 
appropriations subcommittees certainly deserve accolades for making 
such quick work of these difficult legislative items.
  Congress passed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act authorizing more than $286 billion of 
investment in our national infrastructure. The Congress also took a 
major step forward this year by passing a comprehensive energy policy. 
A comprehensive energy policy will help America meet long-term demands 
for energy. This policy will encourage greater domestic production, 
fuel diversity, research and development of new energy technologies, 
and an across-the-board improvement of energy infrastructure. One piece 
of this forward-looking policy includes the Oil Shale Development Act, 
which I worked on with my colleagues. This has been a prominent issue 
for years, but we have made the right policy decision, and it is one 
that will benefit millions of Americans in the decades to come. This 
year, Congress also addressed the energy needs of low-income families 
by increasing funds for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program, 
LIHEAP. Increased funding for this program will help those in need as 
winter grows more cold.
  The work we have done on energy and transportation represents 
historic commitments to the public good. Virtually no aspect of our 
economic prosperity is unaffected by our fortunes in

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transportation and energy, and I am pleased to have been a part of 
these policy achievements.
  After years of opposition that cost consumers untold millions, 
Congress finally passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer 
Protection Act, the first major revision to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code 
since 1978. This law will save approximately $3 billion a year for 
consumers through lower interest rates and better products and 
services. Consumers will further benefit from The Protection of Lawful 
Commerce in Arms Act and the Class Action Fairness Act. The former puts 
an end to the frivolous lawsuits that sought to financially drain 
lawful firearms manufacturers for the acts of criminals, and the latter 
curbs abuses in our courts that have driven costs for consumers up 
without benefitting the public. Frivolous lawsuits forced the firearms 
industry to spend nearly $200 million a year to defend itself from 
third-party actions and class action lawsuits had grown over 1,000 
percent nationwide. Lawyers were getting rich while consumers suffered. 
These two bills represent a major accomplishment for both consumers and 
American business. We also passed the Dominican Republic-Central 
America-United States Free Trade Implementation Act which will benefit 
American business, consumers, and our neighbors in this hemisphere.
  I would like to highlight another recent achievement of this 
administration and of this Congress that we celebrated this week when 
the first shipment of U.S. beef since December 2003 arrived in Japan. 
As my colleagues know the Japan Government recently declared that U.S. 
beef is every bit as safe as Japanese beef and that the beef trade may 
resume. This is a tribute to sound science, the hard work of our beef 
producers, and the diligent work of policymakers. It is with some pride 
that I note the first shipment of beef to be shipped to Japan was sent 
from Denver, CO.
  In addition to these notable and historically significant 
accomplishments, the Congress has also passed a more humble pair of 
consumer-friendly items in the Junk Fax Prevention Act and The Family 
Entertainment and Copyright Act. These aren't the kinds of bills that 
the Washington, DC, crowd may see as being vital national issues, but 
these are issues felt deeply by our constituents and the small business 
community.
  It cannot be overstated that these policies have fostered continued 
economic growth and prosperity. More than 56,000 jobs were created in 
our economy in October this year, and more than 4.2 million jobs have 
been created sine May 2003. Unemployment continues to steadily decline 
as more Americans than ever are working. This is a remarkable feat by 
policymakers, investors, small businesspeople, and families across the 
country. Our economy is strong.
  Congress continued the national commitment to our men and women in 
uniform in a variety of ways this year. Though we await completion on 
the Department of Defense appropriations bill, we have already passed 
into law more than $80 billion for the further prosecution of the war 
in Iraq, the reconstruction of Afghanistan, and aid for our 
international partners. We have increased the pay of our service men 
and women with an across-the-board 3.1 percent raise, increased housing 
allowances, increased bonuses for additional retention and recruiting, 
and increased specific bonuses for those deployed overseas. We have 
also increased the maximum life insurance allowed for an insured 
veteran or service member and secured more than $140 million for body 
armor and personal protection.
  I am particularly pleased with the steps we have taken to support our 
troops. Too often policymakers talk the talk without regard to action. 
It is my hope that we will continue to be responsive and supportive of 
our troops. The people of the United States are grateful for their 
dedication and courage. We tackled important veterans health issues 
this year, as well, by passing the Veterans Medical Services 
Supplemental. This legislation provided $1.5 billion to meet our 
commitment to those who have served our Nation.
  The same Defense supplemental appropriations bill included almost a 
billion dollars in aid for those impacted by the tsunami in the Indian 
Ocean almost a year ago, including more than $650 million for the 
Recovery and Reconstruction Fund.
  Though not a legislative accomplishment, this would be a good time to 
mention the tremendous yield we have seen from the years of work by 
this administration, the military, and Congress. This year started with 
Parliamentary elections in Iraq to democratically select those 
responsible for drafting the framework of a free Iraq. In October, the 
Iraqi people approved their new constitution, and the mechanisms of 
democracy are still working. In Afghanistan, after many years of 
turmoil, we also witnessed the free election of a Prime Minister and of 
the new Parliament. We must stay this course.
  In the past year, we have also enacted a series of legislative 
proposals to provide relief to families in the gulf region. The 
unprecedented impact of Hurricane Katrina demanded an immediate 
response. The Gulf Coast Emergency Water Infrastructure Assistance Act, 
The Community Disaster Loan Act, The Natural Disaster Student Aid 
Fairness Act, Pell Grant Hurricane and Disaster Relief Act, Temporary 
Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Response and Recovery Act, and 
Katrina Tax Relief Act, among others, put us on the road to recovery. 
The pair of emergency supplemental appropriations bills that Congress 
passed total well over $65 billion and have provided needed 
infrastructure, security, and humanitarian relief. While there is a 
great deal of work to be done in the Gulf States, Congress has and will 
continue to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to this region.
  Congress also engaged in one of the most important debates we could 
hope to have as far as our national security is concerned, that of 
enhancing the security of our borders. This year's Homeland Security 
Appropriations Act provides unprecedented funding to protect our 
borders from those who wish to enter illegally. This year we passed 
more than $31 billion in new budget authority for the Department of 
Homeland Security, increasing border security accounts, providing an 
additional 1,000 border patrol agents, and providing more 220 detention 
beds.
  Among the most high-profile issues of the year were the nominations, 
hearings, and thus far one confirmation for the U.S. Supreme Court. Not 
only did the Senate confirm John Roberts to the Court, but Justice 
Roberts was also named to be the new Chief Justice of the Supreme 
Court. In the time since Chief Justice Roberts came before the Senate, 
we have also worked through a pair of nominations, one of which we will 
take up as our first order of business in the new year. The Roberts 
nomination demonstrated the value of our system and all of its various 
parts, working together for a greater good. I look forward to the 
timely hearings on Judge Alito's nomination and an up-or-down vote on 
his nomination.
  This has been an amazing year of accomplishment for the Congress. As 
I said earlier, there has not been a more productive year in my time 
here. As proud as I am of these many accomplishments I would also like 
to discuss a few accomplishments a little closer to my home, the State 
of Colorado, where we have had a pretty big year, as well.
  One of the ongoing projects I have worked on for many years now is 
the cleanup of Rocky Flats. This year, we secured more than $560 
million for the final stages of the cleanup. Contrary to what many may 
expect, this cleanup was completed ahead of time and below projected 
costs, serving both the region and the taxpayer by cleaning up this 
facility.
  Another long-term project that I have worked on is the destruction of 
chemical weapons at the Pueblo Depot. By working with the Department of 
Defense, we have increased funding and maintained good management 
principles to meet our treaty obligations in the destruction of more 
than three-

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quarters of a million chemical weapons on site.
  Just down the road from Pueblo is Fort Carson. I recently held a town 
meeting at Fort Carson to discuss a variety of issues important to that 
base and to that community, including the political process that 
accompanies BRAC. We secured more than $120 million in military 
construction funds for new barracks and training at the facility as 
well as securing funds to prevent encroachment at the base. Even 
further on up the road is another jewel in America's military 
infrastructure, the U.S. Air Force Academy. Our ongoing efforts to 
assess progress and address problems at the Academy have been very 
productive thus far, and we secured $18 million to upgrade academic 
facilities and family housing this year. It is with some pleasure that 
I can also say I attended all four board of visitor meetings at the 
academy this year.
  This has also been a year of accomplishment for Colorado's space 
industry. This year we added $60 million for military satellite 
projects in Colorado, secured $12 million for the space control 
facility at Peterson Air Force Base, and $6 million for the space 
warning facility in Greeley. In keeping with these efforts to modernize 
and expand our posture in space I held four Space Power Caucus events. 
Space is indeed a great frontier, and it is one where we must maintain 
an aggressive stance. Just as it is important that the military sector 
be moving forward in space, it is equally vital that our workforce and 
our students learn about space science and perform cutting-edge 
research. This year we secured more than $10,000,000 for student space 
programs at the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, the 
Challenger Learning Center, and the Space Foundation. The students who 
will benefit from these programs are our future.
  Students in my home State will likewise benefit from our continued 
support of the University of Colorado's Center for Micro and Nano-
technology, which will receive three-quarters of a million dollars for 
cutting edge scientific research that dwells on the cutting edge. 
Congress has seen fit to support Colorado State University's Pueblo 
campus, as well, providing $250,000 for the Western Forensic Law 
Enforcement Training Center.
  I spoke earlier of the importance of the highway bill and its impact 
on our Nation's infrastructure. In Colorado, this will translate in to 
a variety of projects. We secured $80,000,000 for the T-Rex highway 
improvement program, $5 million for the west corridor, and $9 million 
for the Colorado Association of Transit Agencies, a statewide coalition 
of agencies focused on the future of mass transit in my home State. Our 
successful year of investment in infrastructure includes a variety of 
projects around the State, including projects such as the Rio Grande 
bike trail in Garfield County, funding for the Pikes Peak Highway, 
State Highway 145 from Dolores to Stoner, the Ports-to-Plains Corridor, 
and Frisco's West Main Street.
  In the Agriculture Appropriations Act we secured more than $300,000 
for the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services 
for the Russian Wheat Aphid Resistance, Stress Tolerance and Quality 
Enhancement Project, more than 800,000 for infectious disease research 
to the Center for Economically Important Infectious Animal Diseases at 
Colorado State University, and almost $900,000 for the National Beef 
Cattle Evaluation Consortium, comprised of Colorado State University in 
Fort Collins, Cornell University, and the University of Georgia.
  Our efforts this year also yielded $400,000 for tamarisk eradication 
efforts, more than $10,000,000 for new science and technology facility 
at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and $10,000,000 for design 
and construction of a new NREL Administrative Facility, and more than 
$55,000,000 for the Animas-La Plata project. In addition to securing 
funding to help my home State combat chronic wasting disease, we worked 
this year to direct the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service at USDA 
to begin to promulgate rules for dealing with this disease.
  Another ongoing project that I have been pleased to work on with my 
colleagues is the modernization and expansion of the Centers for 
Disease Control lab in Ft. Collins. This facility, which provides vital 
research on vector-borne disease, will receive $24,000,000 this year.
  We have been very fortunate in the State of Colorado. I appreciate 
the efforts of my colleagues in recognizing the vital research, 
military, and educational facilities housed in Colorado.
  On a more personal note, this year I opened a new State office in 
Durango, CO. I would like to urge colleagues, if they have not been, to 
pay a visit to this charming mountain community in southwestern 
Colorado. Durango offers terrific recreation in summer and winter, and 
I look forward to being able to enhance my constituent service with 
this new office.
  Each of my State offices and my office here in Washington joined with 
the University of Denver and the University of Northern Colorado this 
year to host the sixth annual Allard Capitol Conference. This year, we 
hosted more than 100 Colorado citizens for 3 days of civic learning and 
participation. This annual conference is one of the most enjoyable 
things I am able to do with constituents each year.
  It has been an extraordinary year of accomplishment for the Congress 
and for Colorado. We have a tremendous amount of inertia going in to 
the second half of the 109th Congress, and I look forward to the new 
year and all of its challenges.

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