[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 18697-18724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010--Continued

  Mr. BURRIS. Mr. President, I rise to speak on the National Defense 
Authorization Act, S. 1390.
  Mr. President, as a member of the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs 
committees, I have addressed this Chamber many times about the need to 
keep our Nation's commitment to the brave men and women who-fight for 
this country.
  It is a commitment that begins on the day they volunteer for military 
service, and it extends through the day they retire and beyond.
  But just as we work to uphold our obligation to servicemembers who 
are in harm's way, we need to offer strong support to those who they 
leave here at home.
  Military families bear a burden that must not be forgotten. They, 
too, deserve our utmost gratitude.
  Mr. President, that is why we must increase funding for impact aid, a 
program which, in part, provides assistance to school districts that 
serve military families.
  Throughout my career in public service, I have been a strong believer 
in education as a powerful force to shape lives--to give people the 
tools they need and the inspiration that will help them succeed.
  But even when we see an improvement in scholastic performance at the 
national level, certain groups of students continue to fall further and 
further behind.
  Many children of Federal employees, including military personnel, 
fall into one of these groups.
  Military installations--and other Federal facilities--occupy land 
that might otherwise be zoned for commercial use.
  Because of this, local school districts suffer from a reduced tax 
base to fund their expenses.
  This limits the amount that can be spent in the classroom and leaves 
students at a serious disadvantage compared with children in 
neighboring towns.
  In North Chicago, IL--the home of the Great Lakes Naval Training 
Center--only half of the 4,000 students meet or exceed State standards.
  Even with some Federal assistance, North Chicago's School District 
187 is able to spend just under $7,000 per student, per year.
  But nearby District 125 has the resources to spend nearly twice as 
much per pupil, and the school performs among the best in the State.
  An increase in impact aid funding would help to level this playing 
field, ensuring that the children of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and 
marines are not at a disadvantage because of their parents' service.
  Impact aid funds are delivered directly to the school districts in 
need, so they do not incur administrative costs at the State level.
  This makes it one of the most efficient--and effective--Federal 
education programs.
  Scott Air Force Base is located near Mascoutah, IL--a community whose 
schools receive impact aid funding.
  The local school district is able to spend only $6,000 per year on 
each child, but 90 percent of the students meet or exceed State 
standards.
  If these are the results that some students can achieve with only 
$6,000 per year, imagine how well Mascoutah's schools might perform 
with even a small increase in available funds.
  It is impressive that school districts like North Chicago and 
Mascoutah are able to operate as effectively as they do, especially 
when compared to the national per-pupil expenditure of $9,700 per 
student.
  Mr. President, it is vital that we target Federal assistance to those 
who need it most.
  That is why I am proud to be a member of the Senate impact aid 
coalition, a group of 35 Senators devoted to protecting this important 
program.
  And that is why I believe that the $50 million we have set aside for 
schools that are heavily impacted by military students is a step in the 
right direction in our commitment to military families.
  It is time to make sure all children have access to a quality 
education, regardless of who they are or where they are from.
  I applaud Chairman Levin and Ranking Member McCain for their support 
of this funding in the past--and for including funding in the fiscal 
year 2010 Defense authorization bill.
  This funding will be significant to military children across the 
country.
  To students in North Chicago, Mascoutah, O'Fallon, and Rockford--and 
hundreds of communities in Illinois and over 260,000 students in 103 
school districts across the United States.
  We owe them the same support we continue to show to their parents in 
uniform.
  And it is time to step up our efforts to meet that commitment.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from South Carolina is 
recognized.
  Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 10 
minutes as in morning business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.


                           Health Care Reform

  Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I will return to the issue of health care 
in America, the reform of our health care system, and how we help 
Americans find the health insurance that is affordable to every family.
  It is important, as we talk about this, that we get the facts out on 
the table. I am glad to see this has become an issue that is front and 
center. I know the President called for a press conference tonight to 
talk about his vision of health care. I want to set the record straight 
on a number of things that have been said that I think are politically 
motivated and, obviously, don't represent the truth.
  My colleagues on the other side of the aisle, including the 
President, have talked about Republicans representing the status quo on 
behalf of big special interests, and they have accused us of 
representing the big insurance companies, when, in fact, the voting 
record in the Senate has proved the exact opposite.
  When the President was in the Senate, and when we, as Republicans, 
proposed health care reform--which we did many times while the 
President was a

[[Page 18698]]

Senator--the President and my Democratic colleagues voted with the big 
insurance companies. We had one proposal that would allow small 
businesses to come together to buy health insurance for their employees 
at a lower price. The big insurance companies opposed that, but the 
Democrats voted with the big insurance companies and against the reform 
proposals.
  I put forth a proposal that would have allowed individuals in this 
country to shop for their health insurance in any State in the country, 
just like other products and services, to have a competitive national 
market, which so many on the other side have called for. The big 
insurance companies that have State-by-State monopolies opposed that 
bill. Senator Barack Obama and the Democrats voted with the big 
insurance companies and against Americans' ability to buy health 
insurance anywhere in the country.
  Republicans are not standing with special interests. Look at the 
proposals that have been put on the table in the House and Senate by 
the Democrats, which the President will be advocating when he speaks 
tonight. Let's see what party is representing special interests.
  First of all, the abortion industry, Planned Parenthood, and other 
organizations that make their money performing abortions--their 
interests are clearly represented in this bill. This proposal the 
President is advocating would require that health insurance plans cover 
elective abortions in this country, which means taxpayers who are 
morally opposed to abortion will be forced to subsidize insurance plans 
that pay for abortion.
  I ask my colleagues, who is representing special interests? Who is 
representing the abortion industry in this debate?
  What about who loses their health care coverage in these new plans 
that have been proposed? The independent Lewin Group has looked at 
these proposed plans by my Democratic colleagues in the House and 
Senate, and they concluded that 80 million Americans who have health 
insurance that they now like will lose it under this current proposal.
  But who is protected? Who would not lose their health insurance? It 
is union members who are protected. Do we think that has anything to do 
with politics--that the average American will lose their health 
insurance but the unions that support the Democratic Party are 
protected? Who is standing up for special interests in this health care 
debate?
  Let's talk about the plaintiffs' attorneys. One of the biggest 
problems in health care today is what doctors call defensive medicine--
running all kinds of unnecessary tests so they avoid all these 
expensive lawsuits. We have talked for years about reforming the health 
care system to eliminate these wasteful, frivolous lawsuits that cost 
so much money, and every doctor and hospital has to have huge liability 
policies for the cost of the lawsuits that come every year. You would 
think a health care reform proposal would have some lawsuit abuse 
reform in it. But who is protected? What special interests are 
protected in this health care proposal? The plaintiffs' attorneys. 
There is absolutely no tort reform, no reform of abusive lawsuits in 
this plan.
  So I ask my colleagues: Who is representing the special interests 
here--the big insurance companies, the abortion industry, the unions, 
the plaintiff's attorney? All of those are represented and protected in 
this so-called health reform legislation that does nothing to help 
individuals access affordable personal policies for themselves.
  When the President was in the Senate, I personally every year 
proposed major health care reform. I proposed that individuals who do 
not get their insurance at work at least get to deduct the cost of that 
insurance from their taxes, as we let businesses do. Barack Obama voted 
against that, and so did my Democratic colleagues.
  I proposed that individuals be allowed to buy health insurance 
anywhere in the country so that it would be more affordable, more 
competitive. Barack Obama voted against that, and so did my Democratic 
colleagues.
  Republicans proposed small businesses come together and buy health 
care less expensively so they could provide more health insurance to 
their employees. Barack Obama voted against that, and so did my 
Democratic colleagues.
  I ask you: Which party is standing for the status quo of trying to 
keep things the same? Real health care reform has been proposed in the 
Senate many times by Republicans. But the truth is, the Democrats do 
not want individual Americans to have access to affordable health 
insurance. What they want is a government takeover of health care. The 
President has made that clear by his own voting record.
  As he holds his press conference tonight, I am sure the crowd will be 
loaded with friendly reporters, but there are a few questions I would 
like him to answer.
  If the major provisions in this health care bill he is promoting do 
not take effect until 2013, which they don't, why this mad rush to pass 
a bill that is over 1,000 pages that no one in this body has read? Why 
the mad rush to pass it before we go home for the August break?
  I can answer it for him. Because if Americans find out what is in it, 
they are not going to support it.
  I have a second question: You said your health care bill will cut 
costs and not increase the deficit. But the independent analysis of the 
nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office contradicts those claims, 
saying it will raise costs and increase the deficit by $240 billion. 
The policy does not support the promise.
  A third question: The President has repeatedly said that the health 
care bill will allow Americans who like their current plans to keep 
them. But as I said, an independent expert group, the Lewin Group, has 
analyzed this legislation and concluded that it will force over 80 
million Americans to lose the health insurance they have today.
  Question No. 4: The President said the other day when he was speaking 
at Children's Hospital that opponents of the plan are content to 
perpetuate the status quo. How does that compare with your record, Mr. 
President, when you were in the Senate? What health reform did you 
propose? Why did you vote against every health reform proposal that 
could have increased access to affordable health insurance for all 
Americans?
  And just a yes-or-no question: Will you guarantee that pro-life 
Americans under your plan will not be forced to subsidize elective 
abortions?
  I hope the President will answer some of these questions for the 
American people because I am convinced that if Americans know the truth 
about this legislation, they will conclude this is not about getting 
them affordable health insurance or access to quality health care. This 
is a continuation of this power grab that is going on in Washington.
  This spending spree, this proposal for more and more taxes, is a 
power grab for the government to take over yet another industry, the 
health care industry in America. Health care is the most personal and 
private service we have for ourselves and our families. Why would we 
want to turn that over to government to make the decisions for us?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator has used 10 minutes.
  Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I thank you for your indulgence. I 
encourage my colleagues to read any bill we vote on before the August 
break.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I wish to address the Senate as in morning 
business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that after the 
Republicans have a chance to speak, the next Democrat be Senator 
Kaufman.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.


                           Health Care Reform

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, we just heard the Senator from South 
Carolina urging Members to vote against the health care bill. He talks 
about the

[[Page 18699]]

truth about the health care bill. We don't have a health care bill 
before the Senate because we have two committees that are working on 
it. One already reported out a bill, the HELP Committee, which stresses 
prevention, because we all know that if you look at the major costs to 
our families, they all encompass--70 percent of them--five major 
diseases. I think we know what they are. They are heart issues, 
pulmonary issues, cancer issues, stroke issues. We know what they are. 
Putting prevention first, which is not something we have ever done, is 
going to save money, is going to make our people healthier, is going to 
work. There are many other aspects of the health bill that are very 
good for our people.
  I have to say, when the Senator from South Carolina comes to the 
floor and starts attacking Democrats, I think people have to understand 
that very Senator was quoted in the press as saying that essentially we 
can break Barack Obama if we destroy his push for health care. He said 
it will be his Waterloo.
  I support my colleagues' right to say what they want. They will be 
judged by what they say. They will be judged by what is in their heart. 
They will be judged on how they act. But we are here to take care of 
the American people, not to bring down a President or raise up a 
President. Our job is to represent the people who sent us here. It is 
not to break a President. It is not to play politics with one of the 
most important issues facing our country. And good for this President 
for having the courage to step forward and point out that the current 
status quo on health care is disastrous, and, yes, we are going to 
address it and we are going to make sure that the people in this 
country, if they like their health care, can keep what they have, keep 
their insurance. If they don't, they have a chance to buy into other 
options. That will be their choice. We will stress prevention now. We 
will have healthier families.
  I want to point out that there has been a recent study that says if 
we do nothing, if we bring down this opportunity we have to do 
something to better the health care system in this country, if we turn 
away from that and do nothing, in California, by 2016, Californians 
will have to spend 41.2 percent of their income on health insurance. I 
want you to think about that. And that is not the worst. In 
Pennsylvania, Senator Casey told me, it would be over 50 percent of 
people's incomes. How are we going to sustain that? Who can sustain 
spending 40 percent of their income on premiums? Fifty percent? It 
isn't going to happen. People will have to walk away. People will get 
sicker.
  We cannot afford the status quo. That is why I have this chart here 
that says: No equals the status quo. It is no, no, no. No, let's not do 
this. No, let's not help our President. No, let's not address this 
issue. Scare tactics, throwing around words, ``government-run health 
care.''
  I say to my friend from South Carolina--unfortunately, he is not 
here--government-run health care, does he want to bring down the 
veterans health care system? Just try that one with your veterans. That 
is a government-run health care system. Veterans get free health care. 
Does he want to bring down the health care that our military gets every 
single day run by this government? Of course not. They are getting the 
best care in the world on the battlefield, and it is done because 
taxpayers pay the freight. That is a government-run health care.
  Does my friend want to bring down Medicaid that helps the poor people 
get some insurance? I hope not because it would be tens of thousands of 
people in his State, including many children. How about SCHIP? That is 
a government-run health care system that helps our poor kids. Does he 
want to bring it down? Why doesn't he try to do that? See where the 
votes are. And last but not least, Medicare. Medicare is a single-payer 
system, government run, very low overhead costs. Our seniors love 
Medicare. Does my friend want to bring down that government health care 
system?
  This is ridiculous. There is no plan that is moving forward that is a 
government takeover. Yes, we keep veterans health care going and 
military health care going. Yes, we keep SCHIP for the kids going. Yes, 
Medicaid. Yes, veterans. But we don't expand that except to say as we 
go out to the American people to tell them we are going to save them 
from enormous premium increases, that there will be an option, a choice 
they can make to buy into a public plan or a public interest plan. Some 
say it could be a co-op. We don't know the details. But to have my 
friend from South Carolina come to this floor and tell us: Vote no on 
this health care when we don't even have a plan before us means he is 
for the great big red stop sign because no equals the status quo. And 
no action is in itself a hostile act.
  Employer-sponsored health care premiums have more than doubled in the 
last 9 years. Two-thirds of all personal bankruptcies are linked to 
medical expenses. Let me say that again. Two-thirds of all personal 
bankruptcies are linked to medical expenses. And how about this: The 
United States spends more than twice as much on health care per person 
than most industrial nations, and it ranks last in preventable 
mortality. It ranks last in preventable mortality, and we spend twice 
as much as any other nation. Status quo is no, no change.
  Is that what we want to see continued--continued increases in 
premiums for businesses, for individuals, getting to a point where it 
is 40, 50 percent of a family's income? That is not sustainable. Where 
do they get the money for food, for clothing, for shelter?
  The other problem we have is 46 million Americans have no health 
insurance, including one in five working adults. What does that mean? 
It means that the people without health insurance are waiting for a 
crisis to occur. They don't take any preventive steps. They don't see a 
doctor until late in the process in an emergency room. It means that we 
are picking up the bills because when people go to an emergency room 
and they cannot pay, who is picking up the tab? Those of us who have 
insurance. That is how it goes.
  I am hoping that the American people weigh in on this debate, as they 
have begun to do. I was told ever since I was a young person that you 
need to try hard when there is a problem. Try hard. Be constructive. 
Don't call other people names. You may disagree with them, respect 
them. Don't try to bring them down, don't try to break them. Make your 
arguments; put forward an alternative. I have looked at the course of 
history, and history says to people who do nothing that they haven't 
contributed very much. In this case, because the status quo is 
unsustainable, they are hurting our people. They are hurting our 
people. More than half of all Americans live with one or more chronic 
conditions. The cost of caring for an individual with a chronic disease 
accounts for 75 percent of the amount we spend on health care. I have 
those five chronic diseases in front of me. They are: Heart disease, 
cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes. 
Those five are responsible for more than two-thirds of the deaths in 
the USA. That is information that is important because, when you look 
at this, many of these can be prevented and treated in a way so that 
they do not wind up costing so much and hurting our families.
  We have an extraordinary opportunity before us, and I think you are 
going to see the parties showing who they represent. Do they represent 
the forces of the status quo that are going to scare people or do they 
represent the forces of change--positive change? I think history will 
show that those who stepped to the plate here and were constructive are 
going to be the ones about whom people say: She tried. He tried. He 
fixed a lot of problems. Not all of them. but they started moving in 
the right direction.
  Our families deserve change here. Our families cannot sit back and 
absorb the kind of increases in health care premiums they have seen in 
the past. We know how to fix it. If we work together, we will be able 
to fix it.
  I wish to take a minute to thank the Republicans who are working so 
constructively with our Democrats. You don't hear them speaking much on 
the floor, as you did the Senator from

[[Page 18700]]

South Carolina, who, as I say, was quoted as saying he wants to make 
health care President Obama's Waterloo. He wants to break him on this. 
The Republicans whom you don't see on the floor talking like that are 
the ones who are sitting with the Democrats, working day after day, 
night after night, to solve this problem.
  I hope people will remember, when you hear these scare tactics--
government-run health care--that we don't even have a bill yet, and 
they are saying it is about government-run health care, not one bill 
that I have seen is government-run health care, not one. But I 
challenge my friends. If they do not like Medicare--it is government 
run--why not try to repeal it and see how many senior citizens come to 
your office. If my Republican friends don't like government-run health 
care, take away the health care from the veterans because it is 
government run. Take away health care from the military. Privatize 
that. Take away Medicaid. Take away SCHIP from our kids.
  They are not going to do that because they know these programs work. 
Are they perfect? Of course, they are not perfect. Do we have to 
continue to make them better? Yes, we do. But we need to come together. 
We need to find that sweet spot that we look for in legislation. I wish 
to, again, thank those Republicans who are meeting with the Democrats. 
Be courageous. Stick with it. Don't play politics. Don't try to bring 
down this young President. Try to work with him. Don't threaten that 
this is going to be a Waterloo. Don't talk about government-run systems 
when that is not in the bill. Don't frighten people. Because at the end 
of the day, this is our moment if we work together.
  I certainly reach out my hand and compliment those who are willing to 
work across party lines because we cannot sustain the health care 
system as it is. We can make it better, we can make it affordable, we 
can keep choice in there, we can turn to prevention, and that is what I 
hope we will do. We will work hard, but I think we can do it with the 
help of some courageous folks on the other side of the aisle.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Tennessee is 
recognized.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business and ask the Chair to please let me know when I have 
finished 9 minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I was listening to the Senator from 
California, and with respect to her comments let me state the position 
of the Republican Senators on health care reform. Our leader, Mitch 
McConnell, the Senator from Kentucky, stated yesterday to the news 
media: This isn't about winning or losing. This is about getting it 
right.
  Health care is very personal to every one of us, to every one of our 
families, and to all the American people. Our goal, on the Republican 
side, and I am sure for many Democrats as well, is to start with cost 
and make sure we can say to the American people they can afford their 
health care policy; and when we have finished fixing health care, they 
can afford their government. So far, that has not been the case.
  We have offered plans which we believe will reach that goal. Just to 
give my own example: Last year, I joined with Senator Wyden, a 
Democrat; Senator Bennett, a Republican, in endorsing their plan. It is 
not perfect, but it is a very good plan, and it has a completely 
different approach than the bill that came out of the Senate HELP 
Committee or that is coming through the House. I believe it is a better 
approach.
  The point is there are 14 Senators on that plan today--8 Democrats 
and 6 Republicans. Why isn't it being considered? It doesn't have a 
government-run program in it. Why shouldn't we talk about not having a 
government-run program? Medicaid, the largest government-run program we 
have today, is used to cover low-income Americans and forces them to 
take their health care in a system that 40 percent of America's doctors 
won't serve because, in general, they are paid about half as much for 
their services as they are if they serve the 177 million of us who have 
private health insurance.
  The Wyden-Bennett bill is constructed along the idea of rearranging 
the subsidies we already give to the American people for health care 
and gives it to everyone in a way that will permit them--all the 
American people--to afford a health insurance plan that is about the 
same as a plan that congressional employees have. Literally, we would 
say to low-income Americans: Here, take this money and buy a private 
insurance plan of your own, like the rest of us do. This is a much 
better idea than dumping 20 million more people into a failed 
government program called Medicaid--which is not only not serving those 
low-income people but bankrupting States.
  What is wrong with that idea, 14 of us think it ought to be 
considered? Yet it has not been given the time of day.
  Senator Coburn and Senator Burr have proposals that I have endorsed. 
Senator Gregg has a proposal. Senator Hatch has a proposal. None of 
them have been given the time of day.
  We have had very friendly discussions, but they do not qualify as 
bipartisan discussions. I give the Senate Finance Committee members 
great credit for trying to work in a bipartisan way, but they are 
working in a bipartisan way that is still going in the wrong direction, 
which is expanding an existing government plan that has failed--
Medicaid--they are working on creating a new government plan for people 
who lose their health care under the theories that have been proposed. 
Don't think they are not.
  I would hope the President would see what is happening and say: Whoa, 
let's slow down. I have stated what I want. I have put my neck out. I 
have said to the American people, if they have a health care plan they 
like, they can keep it. Unfortunately, under the plans we see today, 
they are going to lose their health care. They have a very good risk of 
losing their health care and ending up, if they are poor, with their 
only option being a failed government program that none of us would 
join, if we could possibly avoid it.
  Why would we stuff 20 million people into a program we don't want to 
be in, when we could give them the opportunity to be in a program 
similar to the one we are in? That is what we should be doing. On the 
Republican side, we are saying to our Democratic colleagues: We know 
you have the majority. We know you have the Presidency. But we have 
some ideas we think the American people would benefit from.
  We only have one chance to pass this, to change this big system we 
have, and we better make sure we do it right. If you don't want to take 
our advice, we would say, respectfully: Why don't you listen to some 
others? There is the Mayo Clinic. The Senator from California asked: 
Why are they talking about government programs? Because the Mayo 
Clinic--often cited by the President, by many of us, as the kind of 
high-quality, good results, low-cost health care we would like to have 
more of--the Iowa Clinic, the Marshfield Clinic, and other clinics say 
these health care plans are headed in the wrong direction, and one 
reason is because they would create a new government plan which would 
eventually drive the Mayo Clinic and these other clinics out of the 
market, which means they wouldn't be serving Medicare patients.
  So why would we do that? I think we should take our time and get it 
right. If the Mayo Clinic is saying we are heading in the wrong 
direction, if the Democratic Governors are saying that, if the 
Congressional Budget Office is saying we are adding to the cost and 
adding to the debt, wouldn't the wise thing be to say: Well, maybe they 
have a point.
  Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, a Democrat from my State, knows a 
lot about health care--Medicaid--and he says Congress is about to 
bestow ``the mother of all unfunded mandates.'' Governor Bredesen, a 
former health care executive, continued:


[[Page 18701]]

       Medicaid is a poor vehicle for expanding coverage. It is a 
     45-year-old system originally designed for poor women and 
     children. It is not health care reform to dump more money 
     into Medicaid.

  Here is the Governor of Washington, a Democrat.

       As a governor, my concern is if we try to cost-shift to the 
     States we're not going to be in a position to pick up the 
     tab.

  Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, a Democratic Governor, said:

       I'm personally very concerned about the cost issue, 
     particularly the $1 trillion figures being batted around.

  Gov. Bill Ritter of Colorado, a Democrat.

       There's a concern about whether they have fully figured out 
     a revenue stream that would cover the costs, and that if they 
     don't have all the dollars accounted for it will fall on the 
     States.

  So said Gov. Jim Douglas of Vermont. And Gov. Brian Schweitzer of 
Montana said:

       The governors are concerned about unfunded mandates, 
     another situation where the Federal government says you must 
     do X and you must pay for it. Well, if they want to reform 
     health care, they should figure out what the rules are and 
     how they are going to pay for it.

  So instead of standing on the other side and saying the Republicans 
are saying no, I am saying the Republicans are saying yes. We support 
the bipartisan Wyden-Bennett bill. We have offered the Burr-Coburn 
bill. We have offered the Gregg bill. We have the Hatch bill. Take our 
proposals and consider the ideas because they do not involve 
government-run programs, they do not dump low-income people into 
Medicaid, where you would not be able to see a doctor. That is akin to 
giving someone a bus ticket to a route with no buses. We already do it 
with 60 million people, so why should we do it with 80 million people, 
which is the suggestion we have.
  We want to work with the President and with our friends on the 
Democratic side to come up with health care reform this year. We want 
to be able to say to the American people: We want a plan you can afford 
for yourself. And when we're finished fixing it, we want a government 
you can afford. If the Mayo Clinic and the Democratic Governors and the 
Congressional Budget Office are all saying we are headed in the wrong 
direction, then why don't we start over and work together and try to 
get a result we can live with for the next 30 or 40 years?
  We can only do this once, and we need to do it right.
  I thank the President.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator has used 9 minutes.
  Mr. DURBIN. Will the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. ALEXANDER. On the Senator's time, I will be happy to.
  Mr. DURBIN. I don't know that we are in controlled time; are we, Mr. 
President?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. We are not in controlled time, but 
the next speaker to be recognized under the unanimous consent agreement 
is the Senator from Delaware, when the time of the Senator from 
Tennessee has expired.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Delaware is 
recognized.


                        honoring dr. deborah jin

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, I have often spoken about the need to 
invest in technology and innovation. We cannot afford to fall behind in 
this area after leading the world in science research and discovery for 
half a century.
  Since I began coming to the floor to talk about great Federal 
employees, I have honored individuals who have made significant 
contributions in the areas of engineering, medicine, defense, housing 
assistance, land conservation, and international aid. The list of 
fields benefiting from the work of our Federal employees is lengthy.
  Another such area is physics. At a time when our planet faces 
resource scarcity and higher energy costs, the work of physicists at 
Federal research institutions remains an important investment in our 
future security and prosperity.
  Dr. Deborah Jin is one of these outstanding Federal employees 
pioneering advances in the field of physics. She serves as a research 
team-leader at the JILA-National Institute of Standards and Technology 
joint institute in Boulder, CO.
  Deborah's team created a new form of matter, a major discovery in the 
race toward superconductivity. Superconductivity, or using extremely 
low temperatures to move electrons through a magnetic field, can 
potentially lead to breakthroughs in energy efficiency and computing. 
Her work will likely improve the lives of hundreds of millions of 
people.
  This achievement was far from easy. To create a new form of matter, 
Deborah and her team needed to get particles called fermions to join 
together in pairs. Unfortunately, fermions have a natural tendency to 
repel each other.
  Deborah discovered that fermions will pair up when exposed to certain 
gasses at more than 450 degrees below zero.
  This exciting advance takes us one giant step closer to understanding 
superconductivity. The uses of this technology could include faster 
computers and cell phones, smaller microchips and more efficient home 
appliances. Potentially, superconductivity could eliminate the ten 
percent of energy lost in transfer from power plants to homes and 
businesses.
  Deborah and her colleagues exemplify the spirit of ingenuity and 
determination that has always characterized Americans working in 
scientific research. They had been racing against six other teams from 
laboratories around the world, and they were the first to reach this 
milestone.
  It is unlikely that we will be able to appreciate the full extent of 
this breakthrough for many years, and future generations may not 
remember those who worked so hard to achieve it.
  But, like all of those who work in public service, Deborah knows that 
she and her team have made a difference--that the impact of their 
findings will be felt in every subsequent discovery on the path to 
making superconductors a reality.
  I call on my fellow Senators and on all Americans to join me in 
honoring the service of Dr. Deborah Jin, her colleagues at the joint 
institute in Boulder, and all Federal employees working on scientific 
research. They are the unsung heroes of America's global leadership in 
science and technology.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Merkley). The Senator from Texas is 
recognized.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I want to speak briefly about a very 
important amendment, amendment No. 1725, which I think will help us 
restore the franchise, the vote, to our deployed military overseas. 
This is a bipartisan amendment. The lead sponsors are Senator Chuck 
Schumer and Senator Bob Bennett, the chairman and ranking member of the 
Rules Committee, but this builds on the work Senator Begich and I, 
Senator Chambliss, and others have put into this effort to address what 
can only be described as a national disgrace.
  Our military service members put their lives on the line to protect 
our rights and our freedoms. Yet many of them still face substantial 
roadblocks when it comes to something as simple as casting their 
ballots and participating in our national elections. Sadly, this is not 
a new problem. President Truman urged Congress to address obstacles to 
voting faced by troops serving in Korea. Today, however, troops 
deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq face many of the same problems.
  In 2006, less than half of the military voters who requested absentee 
ballots were successful in casting them, according to the U.S. Election 
Assistance Commission.
  In 2008, those problems continued. More than a quarter of the ballots 
requested by uniformed and overseas voters went either uncollected or 
uncounted, according to a recent survey of seven States with high 
military voting populations.
  In a soon to be released study of the 2008 cycle which looked at 20 
States with large military populations, the Heritage Foundation has 
concluded that as many as three-quarters of our troops and their family 
members were ``disenfranchised by their inability to request an 
absentee ballot'' and that as many as one-third of the ballots that

[[Page 18702]]

were requested never reached the appropriate election officials to be 
counted.
  Voting has remained a challenge for our troops and their families for 
many reasons. First, our election laws are complex and multiple levels 
of government are involved. Election challenges and other unforeseen 
events can delay the finalization of ballots. The high tempo of 
military operations often requires frequent deployments for our troops 
and their families.
  Let me describe what this amendment, which I hope we will adopt later 
today, does.
  Our legislation addresses several of the biggest roadblocks our 
troops and their families face when attempting to vote. First, this 
legislation will provide voter assistance services to every service 
member and family member upon transfer to a new military installation. 
As part of each installation's in-processing, every service member will 
now be offered an opportunity to fill out a simple form the Department 
of Defense will return to the appropriate election officials. That form 
will update the address on file with election officials and request 
absentee ballots for the next Federal election cycle. These voter 
assistance services will give our military personnel some of the 
support that civilians now enjoy through motor voter laws.
  Second, this legislation reduces the reliance on snail mail for 
correspondence between troops and their election officials. Under 
current election laws, many troops must mail a request for an absentee 
ballot, then wait for the election officials to mail them the blank 
ballot, and then to return the completed ballot in time to be counted. 
This legislation requires elections officials to create electronic 
blank ballots and to post them online. Election officials must also 
accept faxes and e-mails to expedite correspondence with our troops.
  Together, these reforms will reduce dependence on snail mail until 
the service member is ready to return the completed ballot to be 
counted.
  Third, this legislation will expedite the return of the completed 
ballot to election officials. Under current law, each servicemember is 
responsible for making sure his or her ballot is postmarked and 
returned on time. This legislation requires the Department of Defense 
to take possession of completed ballots and ensure that they get to 
election officials on time by using Express Mail, if necessary.
  This legislation also requires election officials to give our troops 
45 days, at least, to return their ballots.
  This important amendment contains many other commonsense reforms 
suggested by other Senators and will help end the effective 
disenfranchisement of our troops and their families. Our goal has been 
to balance responsibilities between elections officials and the 
Department of Defense, and I believe this amendment accomplishes that 
goal.
  As I said, this amendment would not be in its current posture without 
the leadership of Senator Schumer and Senator Bennett. And I appreciate 
them working to include two pieces of legislation I introduced earlier 
this year, something called the Military Voting Protection Act, which, 
just this weekend was unanimously endorsed by the National Association 
of Secretaries of State, and a second piece of legislation called the 
Military Voters' Equal Access to Registration Act. These two pieces of 
legislation have received broad bipartisan support from the beginning, 
including Senators Begich, Inhofe, Wyden, Vitter, and Hutchison. We 
have also worked closely with leaders in the House of Representatives, 
especially Congressmen Kevin McCarthy and Duncan Hunter.
  All of our work was not done in Washington. We relied on support and 
technical assistance from the Texas Secretary of State's Office, 
especially our Director of Elections, Ann McGeehan, dozens of military 
support organizations and veterans service organizations, and many 
other citizens and patriots who want our troops to enjoy their right to 
vote--that it be protected, particularly for those who defend all of 
us.
  I urge all of our colleagues to support this amendment when it comes 
to the Senate floor, I hope, later on today, and to give this important 
amendment our unanimous consent.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois is recognized.
  Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Health Care Reform

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, once every 20 years we take up critical 
issues like health care reform. Many of us believe this particular 
moment in history is perhaps the only opportunity in our public career 
to tackle an issue of this magnitude. We know overwhelmingly the people 
of America want us to do this.
  Many people like their health insurance policies, particularly if 
they don't use them. But most people understand the health care system 
we have in this country is broken. We have to fix what is broken, and 
we have to preserve those things that are good about the current 
system.
  I have heard a lot of speeches from the other side of the aisle about 
the situation we currently face, the debate that is underway. I think 
what recently happened in the Senate HELP Committee is a good indicator 
of a good-faith effort by the Democratic majority and Senator Dodd to 
try to come up with a bipartisan Republican-Democratic approach.
  Over the course of over 60 days of hearings the Senate HELP Committee 
had filed over 800 amendments, considered over 400 amendments, adopted 
160 Republican amendments in the course of 61 hours of straight 
hearing, and at the end of the day when the rollcall was taken, not a 
single Republican Senator would support the bill. I think Senator Dodd 
made a good-faith effort, and I think we should continue to.
  Now the Finance Committee is taking up the same bill. It will be a 
lot better bill if it is a bipartisan effort and if compromises are 
reached, if we try to do this together in an expeditious way. But if it 
becomes a standoff where there are no Republican votes in support of it 
or where they will not negotiate, where they all vote against it, then 
I am afraid it will not be in the best interests of what the American 
people want to see.
  Yesterday on the front page of the Washington Post they had headlines 
about some of the comments being made by some of my colleagues on the 
other side of the aisle. The headline read, ``GOP Focuses Effort To 
Kill Health Bills.'' Not to modify, not to improve, but to kill health 
bills.
  From a perspective of Republican leadership, that is what our health 
care debate is about. Many of them just want to stop health care 
reform. It has been 15 years since we made our last effort to provide 
quality, affordable health care coverage to every American. The 
Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele, today suggested 
that the President should take another 8 to 10 months to formulate a 
plan.
  It has already been 8 months since Barack Obama won the 2008 election 
on a platform of reforming health care. It has been 6 months since he 
took office. Yet on the other side of the aisle, their chairman says 
let's wait 8 to 10 months more.
  It may fit in perfectly with a strategy to delay this debate as long 
as possible, but it doesn't fit in with a strategy of solving the 
problem. Tonight, President Obama will be speaking to the American 
people, answering questions from the press on health care. Tomorrow, in 
a trip to Cleveland, he will be visiting the Cleveland Clinic and some 
other facilities to talk about health care reform. We are just a couple 
of weeks away from an August recess. We will come back in September and 
by then I hope we can roll up our sleeves and get to work. The American 
people want us to. They understand the problem.
  Health care spending per person has increased rapidly over the past 
10 years, rising over 40 percent. The people of the United States spend 
over $2 trillion on health care each year. That is more than twice as 
much per person as any other country on Earth, and our health results 
do not show that money is being well spent.

[[Page 18703]]

  Many countries, spending a lot less, get better results. We are 
wasting a lot of money. It is money that is being taken out in fraud 
and profit taking. It is money that does not make us feel any 
healthier. It is just money that we have to pay, many times from 
paychecks where it is a struggle to pay it.
  The average annual premium of family coverage in Illinois during the 
George W. Bush Presidency, those 8 years, went up $5,000. The average 
annual premium went from $600 a month to over $1,000 a month.
  The employer's share rose by 72 percent, the worker's portion rose by 
78 percent. I might tell you in the same period of time, workers' wages 
were not going up, just the cost of health care. People know this. They 
sense it is getting out of hand.
  Clearly, two-thirds of all the personal bankruptcies filed in 
America, two-thirds of them, are related to medical expenses. Over 46 
million Americans have no health insurance, and 14,000 Americans lose 
their health insurance every single day.
  If you hear about the 47, 48 million Americans without health 
insurance, and say: It is a darned shame, but the poor will always be 
with us, and we cannot solve every problem, Senator, sadly, some of 
your neighbors, maybe some of the members of your family may find 
themselves in that predicament soon if we do not address health reform.
  Those of us who are lucky enough to have health insurance--for the 
record, Members of Congress have the same health insurance plan as 
Federal employees, 8 million of us; Federal employees and their 
families, Members of Congress and staff, are in the same basic health 
care plan. There is a lot of bad information out there about our health 
insurance. It is a good plan, do not get me wrong, but it is the same 
one Federal employees are entitled to. I think that is a fair way to 
approach it.
  But even those of us paying for health insurance are paying a hidden 
tax. We pay up to $1,000, $1,100 per year per family to subsidize those 
who are uninsured, who show up at the hospital and still get treated. 
They get treated, they cannot pay for it, their expenses are shifted to 
others who do pay. That includes those of us under health insurance, 
about $1,100 a year.
  At this point, we have 2.3 million more people losing health 
insurance every year across America. It is something that should 
concern us. But let's get down to specifics. Because I think if my 
friends on the other side of the aisle will join us on this side of the 
aisle and talk to American families about what they are going through, 
we would get a better understanding of why this is so important and why 
we cannot wait 8 months, 10 months, a year or more, we have to move on 
this and do it decisively.
  There is a fellow in my district who lives in Libertyville, IL. His 
name is Rene Apack. He has been an insurance broker for 11 years. He 
knows that business. He sells all kinds of insurance. He will sell 
private health insurance to close friends and family members, but he 
shies away from it when it comes to the general public because he says 
it is too complicated to explain, there are too many underwriting 
tricks and traps in those insurance policies.
  Mr. Apack does not want to get into the business of trying to defend 
those policies to his clients. If his clients are denied coverage for 
health care based on some fine print they do not understand, even 
though he had nothing to do with it, he feels bad about it. So he 
discourages the sale of private health insurance to his clients.
  Medicare, he said, is the opposite. We have heard people come to the 
floor day after day on the other side of the aisle criticizing 
government health insurance. But I have yet to hear the first 
Republican Senator call for eliminating Medicare. Medicare covers 45 
million Americans, seniors and disabled, with affordable health 
insurance. It is a government-administered program. I have yet to hear 
the first Republican Senator say we should do away with it.
  It is a program which saves a lot of people, some of whom retire 
before they reach the age of 65 and run into medical problems and pray 
they can be eligible for Medicare and not lose their life savings. It 
happened to a member of my family, my brother.
  Luckily for him, Medicare kicked in at the right moment, saved his 
life savings. It might have saved his life. He is 77 now, so for 12 
years Medicare has been helping to pay his bills. Mr. Apack says:

       My mom, my mother-in-law, my uncle--they have Medicare 
     supplement insurance and everything works like clockwork. I 
     have never had one Medicare supplement claim denied.

  It is not just his clients who have problems with health insurers, 
his own health insurance has had a high deductible, $7,000 a year is 
his deductible on his health insurance for his family coverage, 
himself, his wife, and his 12-year-old son. Last year his wife was told 
she needed a routine mammogram, basic preventive care. But they did not 
know how much it would cost. So they did what conscientious consumers 
would do since they knew they had to pay the first $7,000 deductible 
before the health insurance paid anything.
  They called and they said: Give us a ballpark estimate of how much it 
will cost for a mammogram. Is it $200 or $2,000? No one would tell them 
the price.
  Mr. Apack, an insurance broker, said: It is like walking into a 
restaurant and ordering a meal and hoping you can afford it. In the 
end, Mrs. Apack decided it was too risky to go in for this test and not 
know how much it would cost. She did not do it. That is not a good 
outcome.
  Preventive care could save her life and avoid more serious and 
expensive medical care. A while back, after his premiums increased 38 
percent over 2 years, Mr. Apack reapplied with the same insurer, wanted 
to see if he could lower his premiums by switching to a higher 
deductible. He answered every question on the application form. 
Remember, this man is an insurance broker. Then he got a letter from 
his insurer, and the letter asked him: Are you sure about all the 
answers you gave us? Do you want to stand by all the answers?
  Then he got a phone call from the insurer, and the caller asked: Are 
you sure there is not something you failed to tell us? And he named a 
date 8 years earlier. The person from the insurance company said: Is it 
not true that you had a prescription in your name filled that day 8 
years ago?
  Well, finally he remembered. Mr. Apack remembered he had been in a 
car accident that day. He was not hurt badly, but he was a little sore. 
His doctor said: Here is a prescription for pain medication, take it if 
you need it. He filled the prescription. Eight years later that 
prescription apparently gave his insurer pause about keeping him as a 
customer.
  We talk about preexisting conditions. We talk about unknown costs in 
the current system. To think they could go in your past and find a 
prescription you filled 8 years ago and call you back and say: Are you 
sure you have not failed to disclose something here?
  That is what the current system is, a health insurance system full of 
tricks and traps. Those on the other side of the aisle who say we do 
not need to change it, one Senator from South Carolina said let the 
market work, which means basically hands off. Mr. Steele, who heads the 
Republican National Committee, said: Let's wait 8 to 10 more months 
before we get into that.
  Do they not understand what families are facing on an everyday basis? 
Mr. Apack knows he is probably luckier than some who live around him. 
One of his neighbors pays $15,000 a year for health coverage for 
herself, her husband, and child--more than they pay on their family 
mortgage.
  He met with a client recently, a real estate company with about 50 
employees. Last year, the employees all decided to switch to part time 
so no one would be laid off. Their incomes are down at least 50 percent 
from a year ago. Their health insurance premiums went up 5 percent.
  In the professional opinion of this Illinois insurance broker, we 
need a better system, health care coverage that is affordable, simple, 
and fair. That is

[[Page 18704]]

the challenge we face in the Senate. It is a challenge we cannot 
ignore.
  The Finance Committee now is trying to work out a reasonable way to 
deal with this challenge. We know the providers have to be in on this 
conversation. If we are spending more than twice as much as any nation 
on Earth for health care, then we obviously need to ask if there can be 
savings.
  United Health Care reported their earnings, if you followed that in 
the business pages of the paper, another big recordbreaking profit, far 
beyond expectations. Health care insurance companies are doing very 
well.
  Pharmaceutical companies historically have been some of the most 
profitable companies. There are providers in the health care system 
that are doing extremely well. We need to bring costs down within the 
system, without compromising quality. That is the challenge we face.
  I know they tried in the HELP Committee adopting 161 Republican 
amendments and could not find a single Republican Senator to support 
the final bill. Tonight the President is going to renew the challenge, 
the challenge to all of us not to miss this once-every-two-decades 
opportunity to deal with health care.
  I fear, if we do that, we are going to find ourselves in an 
unsustainable position. The cost of health care is going to continue to 
go up at expense levels we cannot handle as a nation. We have to make 
sure we have basic health care reform and get it right. We have to 
reduce costs for families, businesses, and the government. We have to 
protect people's choice of doctors, hospitals, and insurance plans. If 
you have an insurance plan you like, you ought to be able to keep it 
and assure affordable high-quality health care.
  We have to make sure health insurance companies are not denying 
coverage for preexisting conditions, health status or medical 
condition. We have to eliminate the caps on coverage so a very 
expensive chronic disease does not end up blowing the top off your 
health insurance policy and going right into your savings account.
  We have to put a limit on out-of-pocket expenses. We have to 
guarantee equal treatment for men and women, Black, White and brown, 
young and old, and different geographic locations. Incidentally, I 
noted the health insurance companies have now said they are going to 
look into this to make sure they start billing women a little more 
favorably than they have in the past--I wonder if it has anything to do 
with our debate--that the basic health insurance plan in America has a 
kind of coverage and protection that is adequate for every family. We 
have to bring down the costs.
  One of the ways we are going to do that is provide some tax 
incentives and help for low- and middle-income families. We have to 
make sure people are paying fair premiums. Finally, we have to make 
sure we support small businesses. Of the 47 million uninsured, the vast 
majority of those are people working in small businesses and their 
families.
  Senator Snowe, Senator Lincoln, myself, and others have introduced a 
bill called the SHOP bill that would give small businesses across 
America the same basic option Federal employees have in the health 
benefit program.
  That is a way to get small businesses into purchasing pools to lower 
their costs, to make sure their employees and the small businesses have 
the same benefits when it comes to health care coverage.
  I encourage my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, we have to 
get beyond ``no.'' You have to get to a point where you work with us to 
try to change the status quo and bring about real health care reform.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, it is my understanding we may move ahead 
shortly with debate and vote on an amendment by Senator Brownback and a 
side-by-side vote on the same subject with Senator Kerry.
  I believe Senator Kerry's amendment would be first. Hopefully, we can 
agree with that soon.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, we are expecting that unanimous consent 
agreement can be propounded within the next few minutes so we can 
continue to press forward.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I wish to ask the distinguished 
chairman and ranking member if there is going to be a quorum call, I 
ask unanimous consent that I speak until the agreement has been 
reached.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Health Care Reform

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I wish to speak as in morning business 
on health care. It has been the topic of conversation while the Defense 
bill has been negotiated behind the scenes. I wished to talk about 
health care reform because it is the issue of the day. I think America 
is focusing on this issue now, and I am so glad they are because the 
more we learn about the proposals that are being made in the House and 
in the committees on the Senate side, the more concerns are being 
raised by the American people and by the experts who are studying the 
proposals.
  What I am concerned about is the proposals that have been put forward 
from the Senate committee, and what is being put forward on the House 
side are proposals that are going to be the beginning of a government 
health care system that is modeled after Canada and Great Britain. What 
we are looking at is more government, more taxes, more expensive health 
care, and what we see less of is quality health care, less choice, less 
reimbursement to hospitals and Medicare and Medicaid; exactly the wrong 
direction.
  We have hospitals all over my home State of Texas that treat indigent 
patients and patients who cannot pay.
  Every one of our hospitals, rural and urban, gets extra help from 
Medicare and Medicaid for doing these services. The problem is that 
people go into the emergency rooms for primary care, care they could 
get from a doctor in a doctor's office if they had health care 
coverage. But they don't, so they wait until their diseases are much 
more progressed, and they go to an emergency room. What does that do? 
It makes the cost of health care higher for everyone. It makes the cost 
of health care continue to go up, and it raises premiums for people who 
have coverage. It costs taxpayers who have to pay for the emergency 
room care in the form of tax increases.
  What we are looking at now is a proposal that will take money out of 
the hospitals. Every one of the hospitals in Texas will have lower 
reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid, every one. That is estimated 
to cost more taxpayer dollars to cover the people who are going to the 
emergency room. Rural hospitals, particularly, may have to close their 
doors. I am hearing from rural hospital administrators that they don't 
have the money to absorb these cuts. They have a choice. They can cut 
services, or they can close hospitals--neither of which is an outcome 
any of us wants to see.
  In addition, there are Medicaid requirements for States. Every 
Governor, Democratic or Republican, is saying: What are you thinking? 
More Federal mandates that are unfunded? That is why people are so 
frustrated with the Federal Government right now, more unfunded 
mandates. The estimate is that it would cost my home State of Texas $3 
billion a year to absorb just the Medicaid unfunded mandate that is in 
the proposed bill making its way through Congress.
  There has been an urgency. Many of the people on the floor here, as 
well as the President, are saying: We have a deadline. We have an 
August deadline, and we must pass this bill by August.
  We are talking about a complete overturning of our health care 
system, not reform. Reform is what we all want. We need reform in our 
health care system. We need lower costs and more people covered. That 
is not what the bill going through Congress will do. It is a complete 
upheaval of the health care system. It will be a single-payer 
government system that will start encroaching on and displacing the 
private health care people know and that provides the quality assurance 
we expect.

[[Page 18705]]

  The private health care system will start being displaced by a big 
government system that will be cheaper but will also give fewer choices 
and less service. That is the concern so many people are beginning to 
have as more and more comes out about this health care plan.
  In addition, there is an effort being made to pay for this big 
government takeover of health care. What are the options on the table? 
This is what is being proposed: that we will fine employers who do not 
offer private health care to their employees. That is like saying: OK, 
if you hire more people and you don't offer health care, your fines 
will go up. So that is going to discourage the hiring of people at a 
time when unemployment is at a record high. We should be encouraging 
people, especially in small business, to hire people. We want to create 
jobs, not cut them. Instead, we are going to increase taxes on small 
business. As much as 45 percent is being proposed on small business. 
That will make small business taxes higher than corporate taxes. 
Corporate taxes in America are among the highest in the world. Yet we 
are going to add on top of the 45 percent that the small businesses 
will pay, 35 percent for corporate. And then you fine the businesses 
that don't offer health care. It is almost as though we are in a self-
fulfilling death wish. In the unemployment atmosphere in which we find 
ourselves, all of a sudden we are going to pass new taxes and new fines 
on small businesses which are the economic engine of America. It is 
small business that creates jobs, not big business, not government. Big 
business does some, but mostly it is small business growing that 
creates economic vitality. It is certainly not government.
  When we get to bigger and bigger government, we are going to find 
ourselves in a spiral where half the people are working to support the 
other half of the population. It will go down from there.
  It is important to read what the Mayo Clinic said about the House 
bill. They said:

       Although there are some positive provisions in the bill, 
     the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help 
     create higher quality, more affordable health care for 
     patients. In fact, it will do the opposite.

  This is the Mayo Clinic, one of the premier health care providers in 
the country.

       In general, the proposals under discussion are not patient-
     focused or results-oriented. Lawmakers have failed to use a 
     fundamental lever, a change in Medicare payment policy, to 
     help drive necessary improvements in American health care.

  The Mayo Clinic goes on:

       Unless legislators create payment systems that pay for good 
     patient results at reasonable cost, the promise of 
     transformation in American health care will wither. The real 
     losers will be the citizens of the United States.

  Today 40 percent of physicians turn away Medicaid patients because 
the system is poorly administered and has a weak record of 
reimbursement. We know that billions of taxpayer dollars are wasted on 
fraud and abuse in Medicare every year. Are we going to emulate a 
program that doctors are walking away from and that is costing billions 
of wasted dollars to the taxpayers?
  This is not responsible governing. We need to take our time. 
Republicans have come forward and will continue to come forward with 
alternatives, alternatives that don't break the backs of taxpayers, 
that don't break the backs of small business people, that give the 
quality health care Americans have come to expect and should. We have 
alternatives that are responsible. Small business health plans, for 
one, would be the best approach to this, because more people being 
covered means lower cost for everyone.
  What does every family in this country want? They want a job to 
support their families, and they want health care coverage for their 
children. We can give them that by giving affordable opportunities for 
small businesses to give health care coverage options to their 
employees. That is what Americans want. They don't want a big 
government health care system that is going to rob them of quality and 
cost them more in the meantime.
  I appreciate the opportunity to talk today about this important issue 
and why we must take time to do this right. If we completely overturn 
our health care system, we may never be able to get it back. We may 
never be able to recover. We can do this right, if we take the time and 
if it is truly bipartisan, if Republicans will have a seat at the 
table. They didn't have a seat at the table when the Senate committee 
voted its bill out taking two Republican amendments out of 45 offered. 
That is not bipartisanship. That is being polite and saying no. What we 
want is to have real options that will keep the quality, keep the 
choice, keep the private sector employment in our system and give 
families a chance to have good jobs with health care coverage. We can 
do that, if we will get together on a bipartisan basis and go forward 
in a positive way.
  The bills coming out of the House and Senate right now, with 
virtually no Republican input, are not right for America. That is why 
we are saying: Let's go back to the drawing board.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.


                           Amendment No. 1761

  Mr. LEVIN. I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set 
aside so that I may call up an amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEVIN. On behalf of Senator Kerry, Senator Lugar, and myself, I 
call up amendment No. 1761.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Michigan [Mr. Levin], for Mr. Kerry, for 
     himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Levin, and Mr. Webb, proposes an 
     amendment numbered 1761.

  The amendment is as follows:

  (Purpose: To express the sense of the Senate that the United States 
should fully enforce existing sanctions, and should explore additional 
   sanctions, with respect to North Korea and to require a review to 
determine whether North Korea should be re-listed as a state sponsor of 
                               terrorism)

       At the end of subtitle C of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1232. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON ENFORCEMENT AND IMPOSITION 
                   OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO NORTH KOREA; 
                   REVIEW TO DETERMINE WHETHER NORTH KOREA SHOULD 
                   BE RE-LISTED AS A STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM.

       (a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:
       (1) On April 5, 2009, the Government of North Korea tested 
     an intermediate range ballistic missile in violation of 
     United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1695 (2006) and 
     1718 (2006).
       (2) On April 5, 2009, President Barack Obama issued a 
     statement on North Korea, stating that ``Preventing the 
     proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means 
     of delivery is a high priority for my administration'', and 
     adding, ``North Korea has ignored its international 
     obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and 
     further isolated itself from the community of nations''.
       (3) On April 15, 2009, the Government of North Korea 
     announced it was expelling international inspectors from its 
     Yongbyon nuclear facility and ending its participation in the 
     Six Party Talks for the Denuclearization of the Korean 
     Peninsula.
       (4) On May 25, 2009, the Government of North Korea 
     conducted a second nuclear test, in disregard of United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which was issued in 
     2006 following the first such test and which demanded that 
     North Korea not conduct any further nuclear tests or launches 
     of a ballistic missile.
       (5) The State Department's 2008 Human Rights Report on 
     North Korea, issued on February 25, 2009, found that human 
     rights conditions inside North Korea remained poor, prison 
     conditions are harsh and life-threatening, and citizens were 
     denied basic freedoms such as freedom of speech, press, 
     assembly, religion, and association.
       (6) Pursuant to section 102(b)(2)(E) of the Arms Export 
     Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2799aa-1(b)(2)(E)), President George 
     W. Bush, on February 7, 2007, notified Congress that the 
     United States Government would oppose the extension of any 
     loan or financial or technical assistance to North Korea by 
     any international financial institution and the prohibition 
     on support for the extension of such loans or assistance 
     remains in effect.
       (7) On June 12, 2009, the United Nations Security Council 
     passed Resolution 1874, condemning North Korea's nuclear 
     test, imposing a sweeping embargo on all arms trade with 
     North Korea, and requiring member states not to provide 
     financial support or

[[Page 18706]]

     other financial services that could contribute to North 
     Korea's nuclear-related or missile-related activities or 
     other activities related to weapons of mass destruction.
       (8) On July 15, 2009, the Sanctions Committee of the United 
     Nations Security Council, pursuant to United Nations Security 
     Council Resolution 1874, imposed a travel ban on five North 
     Korean individuals and asset freezes on five more North 
     Korean entities for their involvement in nuclear weapons and 
     ballistic missile development programs, marking the first 
     time the United Nations has imposed a travel ban on North 
     Koreans.
       (9) On June 10, 2008, the Government of North Korea issued 
     a statement, subsequently conveyed directly to the United 
     States Government, affirming that North Korea, ``will firmly 
     maintain its consistent stand of opposing all forms of 
     terrorism and any support to it and will fulfill its 
     responsibility and duty in the struggle against terrorism.''.
       (10) The June 10, 2008, statement by the Government of 
     North Korea also pledged that North Korea would take ``active 
     part in the international efforts to prevent substance, 
     equipment and technology to be used for the production of 
     nukes and biochemical and radioactive weapons from finding 
     their ways to the terrorists and the organizations that 
     support them''.
       (11) On June 26, 2008, President George W. Bush certified 
     that--
       (A) the Government of North Korea had not provided any 
     support for international terrorism during the preceding 6-
     month period; and
       (B) the Government of North Korea had provided assurances 
     that it will not support acts of international terrorism in 
     the future.
       (12) The President's June 26 certification concluded, based 
     on all available information, that there was ``no credible 
     evidence at this time of ongoing support by the DPRK for 
     international terrorism'' and that ``there is no credible or 
     sustained reporting at this time that supports allegations 
     (including as cited in recent reports by the Congressional 
     Research Service) that the DPRK has provided direct or 
     witting support for Hezbollah, Tamil Tigers, or the Iranian 
     Revolutionary Guard''.
       (13) The State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism 
     2008, in a section on North Korea, state, ``The Democratic 
     People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was not known to have 
     sponsored any terrorist acts since the bombing of a Korean 
     Airlines flight in 1987.''.
       (14) The Country Reports on Terrorism 2008 also state, ``A 
     state that directs WMD resources to terrorists, or one from 
     which enabling resources are clandestinely diverted, poses a 
     grave WMD terrorism threat. Although terrorist organizations 
     will continue to seek a WMD capability independent of state 
     programs, the sophisticated WMD knowledge and resources of a 
     state could enable a terrorist capability. State sponsors of 
     terrorism and all nations that fail to live up to their 
     international counterterrorism and nonproliferation 
     obligations deserve greater scrutiny as potential 
     facilitators of WMD terrorism.''.
       (15) On October 11, 2008, the Secretary of State, pursuant 
     to the President's certification, removed North Korea from 
     its list of state sponsors of terrorism, on which North Korea 
     had been placed in 1988.
       (b) Report on Conduct of North Korea.--Not later than 30 
     days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     President shall submit to Congress a detailed report 
     examining the conduct of the Government of North Korea since 
     June 26, 2008, based on all available information, to 
     determine whether North Korea meets the statutory criteria 
     for listing as a state sponsor of terrorism. The report 
     shall--
       (1) present any credible evidence of support by the 
     Government of North Korea for acts of terrorism, terrorists, 
     or terrorist organizations;
       (2) examine what steps the Government of North Korea has 
     taken to fulfill its June 10, 2008, pledge to prevent weapons 
     of mass destruction from falling into the hands of 
     terrorists; and
       (3) assess the effectiveness of re-listing North Korea as a 
     state sponsor of terrorism as a tool to accomplish the 
     objectives of the United States with respect to North Korea, 
     including completely eliminating North Korea's nuclear 
     weapons programs, preventing North Korean proliferation of 
     weapons of mass destruction, and encouraging North Korea to 
     abide by international norms with respect to human rights.
       (c) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that--
       (1) the United States should--
       (A) vigorously enforce United Nations Security Council 
     Resolutions 1718 (2006) and 1874 (2009) and other sanctions 
     in place with respect to North Korea under United States law;
       (B) urge all member states of the United Nations to fully 
     implement the sanctions imposed by United Nations Security 
     Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874; and
       (C) explore the imposition of additional unilateral and 
     multilateral sanctions against North Korea in furtherance of 
     United States national security;
       (2) the conduct of North Korea constitutes a threat to the 
     northeast Asian region and to international peace and 
     security;
       (3) if the United States determines that the Government of 
     North Korea has provided assistance to terrorists or engaged 
     in state sponsored acts of terrorism, the Secretary of State 
     should immediately list North Korea as a state sponsor of 
     terrorism; and
       (4) if the United States determines that the Government of 
     North Korea has failed to fulfill its June 10, 2008, pledges, 
     the Secretary of State should immediately list North Korea as 
     a state sponsor of terrorism.
       (d) State Sponsor of Terrorism Defined.--For purposes of 
     this section, the term ``state sponsor of terrorism'' means a 
     country that has repeatedly provided support for acts of 
     international terrorism for purposes of--
       (1) section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 
     (50 U.S.C. App. 2405(j)) (as continued in effect pursuant to 
     the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 
     1701 et seq.));
       (2) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
     2780); or
       (3) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2371).

  Mr. LEVIN. I ask unanimous consent that amendment Nos. 1761 and 1597 
be debated concurrently for up to 30 minutes, with the time equally 
divided and controlled between Senators Kerry and Brownback or their 
designees; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate 
proceed to vote in relation to amendment No. 1761, to be followed by a 
vote in relation to No. 1597; that no amendment be in order to either 
amendment; that prior to the second vote there be 2 minutes of debate 
divided as provided above.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, in addition to Senator Lugar and Senator 
Levin, I believe Senator Webb is also an original cosponsor of this 
amendment. I believe this amendment is a responsible alternative to the 
amendment offered by Senator Brownback. This amendment appropriately 
takes note of and condemns North Korea's recent behavior as a threat to 
the northeast Asian region and to international peace and security. But 
in contrast to the Brownback amendment, which expresses the sense of 
the Senate that North Korea should immediately be relisted as a state 
sponsor of terrorism, the Kerry-Lugar-Levin-Webb amendment requires 
something to happen, not just a sense of the Senate that there might be 
a relisting. It mandates a report, a formal report, to be completed 
within 30 days, examining North Korea's conduct since it was removed 
from the terrorism list last June, including the evaluation of any 
evidence that North Korea has engaged in acts of terrorism or provided 
support for acts of terrorism or terrorist organizations.
  One of the reasons for requiring that is that in the Brownback 
amendment on page 3, section 9, line 21, it says:

       There have been recent credible reports that North Korea 
     has provided support to the terrorist group Hezbollah, 
     including providing ballistic missile components and 
     personnel to train members of Hezbollah . . .

  Let me state unequivocally to my colleagues in the Senate: The most 
recent intelligence assessments of our intelligence community simply do 
not sustain this charge. In fact, President Bush specifically refuted 
that charge because it was an old one, and he refuted it last year. It 
would be the height of irresponsibility for the Senate to pass an 
amendment based on a finding that is false. It is important to have a 
report to the Senate that requires us to evaluate, that would have the 
administration submit to us precisely what the situation is.
  The report will also assess the effectiveness of relisting North 
Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism for achieving our national 
security objectives; namely, completely eliminating North Korea's 
nuclear weapons programs, preventing North Korean proliferation of 
weapons of mass destruction, and encouraging North Korea to abide by 
international norms with respect to human rights.
  Our amendment then expresses the sense of the Senate that if the 
United States finds that North Korea has, in fact--that we would know 
this within these 30 days--provided support for terrorism, then the 
Secretary of State should immediately relist North Korea as a state 
sponsor of terrorism.

[[Page 18707]]

  It also expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States 
should vigorously enforce all existing unilateral and multilateral 
sanctions and consider the imposition of additional sanctions if 
necessary to achieve the policy goals with respect to North Korea.
  I believe it is an important, realistic amendment. I think it is 
tougher because it mandates some things specific, and it rightly 
condemns North Korea, as we have.
  Let me emphasize, the United States, this administration, has fully 
and rightly condemned North Korea's launch of ballistic missiles and 
its test of a nuclear weapon on May 25, 2009. We have led a strong 
international response to those provocations, and we succeeded in 
winning unanimous support from the United Nations for U.N. Security 
Council Resolution 1874, imposing sweeping new sanctions against North 
Korea. The sanctions mandated under the U.N. Security Council 
Resolution 1874 include not only a comprehensive arms embargo but also 
robust new financial sanctions on North Korean trading companies, and 
visa restrictions on North Korean officials engaged in the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
  These sanctions have teeth. They are multilateral. And they are 
having an impact. A North Korean cargo ship suspected of carrying arms 
to Burma turned around after it was denied bunkering services in 
Singapore. The Government of Burma joined with us, and the government 
itself warned that the ship would have to be inspected on arrival in 
order to ensure that it did not have munitions onboard. The sanctions 
have had a bite. They are working.
  As strong as those measures have been, additional measures may be 
necessary, and this report will help us to evaluate that. But 
additional steps, including the relisting of North Korea as a state 
sponsor of terrorism, ought to be based on a careful examination of the 
facts--that is how we ought to do things in the Senate--and an 
assessment of whether those sanctions are going to advance our 
interests. That is precisely what the Kerry-Lugar-Levin-Webb amendment 
mandates, and that is why it is actually a better sanctions policy than 
the alternative Brownback amendment.
  Let me add one last word. We are currently deeply concerned about the 
fate of two American journalists currently under detention in North 
Korea. The administration is engaged right now in sensitive discussions 
with the North Korean Government attempting to secure the immediate 
release of these two American citizens. For the Senate to suggest--on 
something we already know is factually incorrect but out of emotion and 
otherwise--that North Korea ought to be returned to the list of state 
sponsors of terrorism without regard to whether they have, in fact, 
engaged in acts of terrorism or provided support to terrorist 
organizations would be irresponsible with respect to those particular 
efforts and otherwise at this time.
  We ought to proceed according to facts. We ought to proceed in ways 
that best advance the interests of our country.
  Mr. President, I reserve the remainder of our time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, thank you very much. I appreciate the 
chance to debate this issue with my colleague, the distinguished 
Senator from Massachusetts.
  I find it very interesting to hear the statement that the sanctions 
are working. I am trying to think of how they are working at all. They 
are working to prevent North Korea from detonating another nuclear 
weapon? That did not quite work. We got another one of those. They are 
working to prevent them from launching more missiles? Well, that one 
did not quite work. They are working to prevent North Korea from taking 
Americans hostage? Well, that one did not quite work.
  I am trying to think how these sanctions are working. And if they are 
so great on an international basis, why aren't we doing them on a 
domestic basis, for us toward North Korea? I am having difficulty. 
Maybe they are working for us to prevent North Korea from associating 
with the military junta in Myanmar. Wait a minute, that was in the news 
yesterday, that North Korea is working to provide the military junta in 
Myanmar with weapons and possibly nuclear weapons that the Secretary of 
State, Secretary Clinton, is talking about now happening. Well, maybe 
it prevented--well, I guess it did not quite prevent that.
  I am trying to figure out how the sanctions have worked at all. I 
thought it was a mistake when the Bush administration delisted them 
from the terrorist list in a negotiation of the six-party talks and 
said: OK, we will do this, and they do that, and then ended up doing 
nothing and, indeed, stepped up what they are doing more and more.
  It seems to me very strange to suggest that the sanctions are 
working. I respect my colleague from Massachusetts. He is a strong 
chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. I do not see where they 
have worked at all. I would ask my colleagues to examine: Do they 
believe that the sanctions to date have worked toward North Korea from 
the United States? And when you examine the factual setting here, you 
have to go: I don't think so. I don't think these have happened.
  Plus, I am very concerned that the administration now is taking the 
tack of discussing an additional set of incentives to the North Korean 
regime to try to get them from proliferating further. This is an 
interesting, hot-off-the-press article from yesterday: ``Obama 
Administration Preparing Incentives Package for North Korea.''
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the article be printed in 
the Record after my full statement.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Reading from this article:

       The Obama administration is consulting with allies on a new 
     ``comprehensive package'' of incentives--

  Not sanctions; incentives--

     aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear 
     programs, senior U.S. officials confirmed Tuesday.
       The officials, who were traveling with Secretary of State 
     Hillary Clinton in Thailand, told reporters that the package 
     is only in its early stages and will not be offered to North 
     Korea unless and until the allies sign off on it. Pyongyang 
     would also have to first take specific, concrete and 
     ``irreversible'' steps to begin destroying its arsenal of 
     nuclear weapons.

  This is the third round of us giving incentives to North Korea not to 
develop nuclear weapons. It has not worked in the past. It is not going 
to work now. Why on Earth would we do something like this?
  The Kerry amendment calls for a study. Studies are fine. But it 
actually delays the study that the State Department has already 
promised to me: that by the end of this month they will have a study 
out as to whether they are proliferating further weapons, that they 
should be listed as a terrorist state.
  The Kerry amendment says: 30 days after the enactment of this bill. 
Even if the bill gets through the floor this week, it has to go to 
conference, and it has to come back in front of this body. You are 
looking, probably, at October, maybe early November, that this actually 
comes back--this law--and then 30 days after that the report has to be 
issued. So we are looking at somewhere, maybe November, December, for 
the report taking place, when the State Department has already told me 
they will have their report out by the end of July. So this is actually 
slowing down the process, if we adopt this amendment.
  And it calls for a report. I am sure Pyongyang is very concerned 
about this report. But I do not think it is going to change any of the 
behavior that is taking place. If we do not have a strong answer, as a 
matter of fact, it is probably going to urge them to do something even 
further.
  My colleagues are saying: Well, OK, you are being irresponsible in 
this statement on this narrow category of whether they are doing 
anything with Hezbollah. It is a bipartisan amendment that I put 
forward with Senator Bayh, who wanted that provision in it.
  There is a current CRS report that talks about North Korea supporting

[[Page 18708]]

Hezbollah, building bunkers, and supporting and helping that out. That 
is a current factual setting, and my colleague on the other side of the 
aisle, Senator Bayh, has asked and pushed that this be in the overall 
bill.
  I would ask my colleagues to look at this interesting definition of 
``international terrorism,'' as shown on this chart. This is a 
definition that is in U.S. statute on international terrorism. It 
appears to be written for North Korea and North Korea in mind.
  It defines the term under (1)(A), and then under (B)--these are in 
the alternative--(B) ``appear to be intended''--the actions of 
``international terrorism'' ``appear to be intended to intimidate or 
coerce a civilian population''--that is what North Korea does and Kim 
Jong Il's regime does--``to influence the policy of a government by 
intimidation or coercion''--that is the flying of missiles over Japan, 
that is the intimidation toward South Korea or the United States--``to 
affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, 
or kidnapping''--they have done kidnappings of Japanese citizens--``to 
affect the conduct of a government''--clearly trying to affect our 
conduct--(C) ``occur primarily outside the territorial jurisdiction of 
the United States.'' This is what North Korea is doing.
  I would further point out to my colleagues that this is a sense of 
the Senate. As to the Kerry amendment, with all due respect toward 
Senator Kerry, this is asking the administration to do a report and 
asking and directing the administration to take some steps. Ours is a 
sense of the Senate as to what the Senate thinks, and it is saying that 
the Senate believes North Korea should be relisted as a state sponsor 
of terrorism.
  I would ask my colleagues, in a commonsense review of what North 
Korea has done recently: Don't you think they qualify or, if they do 
not, what country in the world would qualify as a state sponsor of 
terrorism if North Korea does not, with what it has done, what it has 
done personally, what it has conducted with other countries, with 
Syria, with Myanmar, with these other rogue groups?
  It is a sense of the Senate to state we believe North Korea is a 
state sponsor of terrorism. It is bipartisan with Senator Bayh and 
myself. It has a number of cosponsors on it. It actually would be 
productive for us to say to North Korea, in a public way, we believe 
they are acting like state sponsors of terrorism. I believe it would be 
actually counterproductive if this body were to say we think it should 
be studied and a report issued. That is not going to be the sort of 
strong action that would be understood at all by the government in 
Pyongyang at this point in time.
  With that, I would urge my colleagues to look at the Brownback-Bayh 
amendment, to support it on its very sensible grounds--it is a sense of 
the Senate--and to vote for the amendment.
  With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor and reserve the remainder 
of our time.

                               Exhibit 1

                   [From FOXNews.com, July 21, 2009]

   Obama Administration Preparing Incentives Package for North Korea

                            (By James Rosen)

       Bangkok.--The Obama administration is consulting with 
     allies on a new ``comprehensive package'' of incentives aimed 
     at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear programs, 
     senior U.S. officials confirmed Tuesday.
       The officials, who are traveling with Secretary of State 
     Hillary Clinton in Thailand, told reporters that the package 
     is only in its early stages and will not be offered to North 
     Korea unless and until the allies sign off on it. Pyongyang 
     would also have to first take specific, concrete and 
     ``irreversible'' steps to begin destroying its arsenal of 
     nuclear weapons.
       The aides said that the administration needs to see 
     concrete action. Mere assurances from North Korea that it 
     will take action in the future would not be enough to trigger 
     the presentation of the incentives package, they said.
       The United States, though, has not yet conveyed to the 
     North Koreans what the ``irreversible'' steps might entail, 
     as Washington continues discussions with its allies in the 
     so-called Six Party Talks.
       The aides, who work on North Korea policy for three 
     separate agencies in the U.S. government, portrayed the 
     development of the new package as the second track of a two-
     track approach.
       The first track consists of continued aggressive 
     enforcement, also in conjunction with other nations across 
     the globe, of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874--which 
     gives U.N. member states increased authority to interdict the 
     flow of weapons and possible nuclear material in and out of 
     North Korea.
       The aides made clear they expect the two-track approach to 
     remain in place for the foreseeable future.
       ``This is not going to be resolved in a couple of weeks,'' 
     one official said. ``This could be a sustained, substantial 
     effort that could go on quite a long time.''
       The package of incentives would include some elements that 
     are ``familiar'' from the Six-Party talks, the officials 
     said, as well as new ones and some that differ in their 
     ``dimensions.''
       The United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia are 
     the other participants in the long-running--and long-
     stalled--Six-Party Talks aimed at persuading North Korea to 
     abandon its nuclear programs.
       The emphasis on consultation with these other countries 
     derives, the officials said, from the perception among some 
     of them that the Bush administration did not adequately 
     confer with them prior to the removal of North Korea from 
     Washington's list of state sponsors of terrorism last year.
       ``The Japanese do have anxieties about engagement of North 
     Korea,'' one official said.
       The officials also echoed the ``growing concerns'' about 
     reports of a military relationship between North Korea and 
     Burma that Clinton voiced earlier Tuesday in a news 
     conference with Thailand's deputy prime minister.
       ``It would be destabilizing for the region'' if such 
     reports were true, Clinton said, adding, ``It would pose a 
     direct threat to Burma's neighbors. And it is something, as a 
     treaty ally of Thailand, that we are taking very seriously.''
       Briefing reporters after Clinton's news conference, the 
     senior officials said their concerns range from suspicions 
     that North Korea is supplying small arms to Burma to reports 
     of possible nuclear collaboration between the two countries. 
     Pressed on the nuclear question, the officials refused to 
     discuss classified intelligence data but noted North Korea's 
     history of proliferation with Syria. One aide said the 
     possibility of nuclear collaboration between Pyongyang and 
     Burma is ``one of those areas that we would like to know more 
     about.''
       To that end, U.S. intelligence agencies are studying 
     recently published photographs purporting to show an 
     elaborate set of underground tunnels that North Korea has 
     built along Burma's border with Thailand. The officials said 
     they see ``some similarities'' between the tunnels in the 
     photographs and a network of underground tunnels in North 
     Korea, the existence of which the United States learned about 
     in the 1990s.
       Both North Korea and Burma, a repressive military 
     dictatorship whose leaders have renamed the country Myanmar, 
     have been the target of broad sanctions by successive U.S. 
     administrations over the last decade.
       Clinton said Tuesday she would like to see Washington 
     develop a ``more productive'' relationship with Burma, 
     starting with steps by the government to release political 
     prisoners and dissidents jailed there.
       ``We are very much engaged with partners such as Thailand 
     and others in assessing and determining not only what is 
     going inside of Burma but also what we can do effectively to 
     change the direction and behavior of the Burmese 
     leadership,'' Clinton said.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I yield myself such time as I will use, and 
I will be very brief.
  The Senator from Kansas just cited the Congressional Research Service 
report in his statement about Hezbollah. I am reading from a memorandum 
from the President of the United States. This is the Presidential 
report, certification, when he lifted the designation of North Korea. 
And he wrote--this is from the President--

       Our review of intelligence community assessments indicates 
     there is no credible or sustained reporting at this time that 
     supports allegations (including as cited in recent reports by 
     the Congressional Research Service) that the DPRK has 
     provided direct or witting support for Hezbollah, Tamil 
     Tigers, or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Should we obtain 
     credible evidence of current DPRK support for international 
     terrorism at any time in the future, the Secretary could 
     again designate the DPRK a state sponsor of terrorism.

  We have not received that evidence. We specifically request it. And 
contrary to what the Senator just said, this does not delay the report. 
It says: not later than 30 days after the passage. The report can come 
next week. The report can come in answer to the Senator's request. We 
would ask for that.

[[Page 18709]]

  Let's be accurate in this designation. The President of the United 
States said there is no credible evidence. And there is none to this 
date. Our report asks for whether any currently exists. That is the way 
the Senate ought to behave with respect to serious matters such as 
this.
  Mr. President, I yield the remainder of the time to the distinguished 
chairman of the committee.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the language in the Kerry amendment does 
one other thing relative to this report. It says if the United States 
determines that the Government of North Korea has indeed engaged in 
terrorist activities, then the Secretary of State shall ``immediately 
list North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.'' So it requires a 
report in not more than 30 days. That could come at any time. But it 
also requires action if the Secretary of State makes the finding.
  The last administration, the Bush administration, delisted North 
Korea. They found there was no credible evidence of state-supported 
terrorism. We are a government of laws. Our laws provide for a listing 
of countries that engage in terrorist activities or support terrorist 
activities. It does not provide for a listing of countries that, no 
matter all of the other things they do which are so wrong, so bad, so 
objectionable to the international community, so justifiably producing 
sanctions and other kinds of diplomatic actions against them--
regardless of those activities, unless they are a supporter of 
terrorist acts, our laws do not provide that they be put on the 
terrorist list. That is our law. That is what the Bush administration 
was applying when they delisted North Korea.
  North Korea is a country which engages in horrendous activities. That 
is not the issue. I don't know of anybody in this Senate who does not 
believe North Korea engages in repressive, authoritarian activities. I 
don't know of anybody in this Senate who does not believe the North 
Korean leadership is reprehensible in the way it treats its citizens. 
There is a long list of actions on the part of North Korea in terms of 
its pursuit of ballistic missiles, provocative actions it has taken of 
the testing of nuclear devices, firing a series of missiles. It has 
clearly solidified its status as a pariah of the region and of the 
international community at large.
  So the question isn't whether strong action should be taken. We 
should take strong action which will be effective against the 
government--not the people but the government--of North Korea. The 
Kerry amendment lays out a course of action, exploring additional 
sanctions so that we can put additional power and leverage against the 
Government of North Korea, as well as requiring our administration to 
consider whether the Government of North Korea should be listed again. 
And if so, if they find that under our law there is reason to put it 
back on the terrorist list, then they must, under the Kerry amendment, 
take that step.
  What the Kerry amendment avoids doing is what the Brownback amendment 
does in one part of the Brownback amendment, which is saying that the 
Government of North Korea should be on a list of terrorist states when 
the last thing we have heard from an American administration was from 
the Bush administration taking the North Korean Government off the list 
because they could not find credible evidence that the government took 
actions which would require it being placed on the list of terrorist 
states.
  So again, it seems to me that clearly our goals here are similar. I 
had hoped we might be able to reach a consensus on common language, but 
so long as this body expresses itself very strongly, as the Kerry and 
Lugar amendment does, it seems to me we will then have made an 
important statement to the Government of North Korea and at the same 
time avoided taking a step which our laws do not provide for.
  One of our arguments with North Korea is that they are lawless, they 
are a totalitarian government. Our government is a government of laws. 
We have a law that provides for the listing of countries that support 
terrorist acts. The administration, after a long assessment, concluded 
there was no credible evidence that North Korea engaged in the 
activities which appropriately required it or appropriately permitted 
it to be listed on the terrorist state list and therefore removed it 
from that list. That is the last action by the administration.
  By the way, being on that terrorist list did not change the actions 
or the activities of the Government of North Korea, in any event. I 
very much support that terrorist list. I very much support it being 
kept up to date and being used appropriately. But I don't think we 
should in any way kid ourselves as to whether being on that list is 
going to change the activities of North Korea.
  We need other countries to support us in putting maximum pressure on 
North Korea. When we act lawfully--when we put sanctions on North 
Korea, working with other countries, we are acting lawfully. If we do 
not abide by our own law which defines when a country will go on a 
terrorist list, we are setting the wrong example for the world, and it 
makes it more difficult for us to obtain the kind of support from other 
countries which we deserve in going after the abominable activities of 
the Government of North Korea.
  I don't know whether our side has any time left, but if we do, I 
reserve the remainder of our time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Burris). The time has expired.
  The Senator from Arizona is recognized.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to ask several 
questions of the Senator from Kansas.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, has the Senator from Kansas detected any 
change in North Korean behavior since the imposition of sanctions by 
the United Nations?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Yes. They have taken more provocative actions rather 
than less provocative actions since the imposition of the U.S. 
sanctions, if not more.
  Mr. McCAIN. Including launching missiles on the Fourth of July.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. It is a strange day they would pick, the Fourth of 
July, but they did.
  Mr. McCAIN. Isn't it true that there is evidence that North Koreans 
were involved in the construction of a nuclear facility in Syria which 
the Israelis felt was enough of a threat to their national security 
that they destroyed it?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Absolutely, abundant evidence, and it was amazing how 
quiet the world community was for a long period of time, because I 
guess they didn't want it known that the North Koreans did built that 
facility or that it was in Syria.
  Mr. McCAIN. Isn't it true that there is a published news report that 
North Korea and Iran have worked together in the development of nuclear 
weapons and nuclear technology, and if Iran acquires that capability, 
it certainly ratchets up the tensions between Iran and Israel?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Published reports, and the missile technology the 
Iranians use is built off of the No-dong system of the North Koreans.
  Mr. McCAIN. The latest information in the last few days is that there 
is cooperation between North Korea and Myanmar, better known to some of 
us as Burma, one of the real rogue nations of the world.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. There is.
  Mr. McCAIN. So if that North Korean ship, which was shadowed for a 
period of time by the U.S. Navy, had gone into port in Myanmar, do you 
think there is any likelihood the Government of Myanmar would have 
complied with the U.N. resolution that required that ship to be 
inspected by ``port authorities''?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Myanmar has not cooperated with anything the United 
Nations has directed to date. I don't know why they would cooperate 
with anything such as that.
  Mr. McCAIN. I thank the Senator. Of course, maybe North Korea, when 
we look at it with a very fine definition of terrorism--from the recent 
Washington Post article about 200,000 people in the most horrible 
prison conditions in the

[[Page 18710]]

world perhaps would argue that we should do whatever we can--short, 
obviously, of any military action--to try to see that the North Korean 
regime acts at least in some civilized fashion.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. I think they should.
  Mr. President, I would point out, if I could, to my colleagues as 
well--if I could have the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas is recognized.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. I am frustrated on this topic. I would presume the 
chairman--I know the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee is 
frustrated, along with the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. I 
have worked too long with the refugees and the people in the gulag and 
people trying to get out of North Korea for us to now back up and say: 
OK, we want a report. These folks are dying. They are in a gulag the 
likes of which was in the Soviet era. This has been published and it is 
all available to us and we want a report. I understand people don't 
want to go this far, but this is very frustrating. If you were in one 
of those situations--and people track what comes out of the Senate, 
just as in the Soviet gulag they tracked what came out of here then--it 
would be like saying to them: Well, we are not that concerned about 
you; whereas, if we take strong action such as what I am saying, it 
does give them hope. That is what I am asking us to do. I think it is 
very responsible, and it is a sense of the Senate, what we are asking 
them to do. That is what is at the root of this.
  The chairman of the Armed Services Committee says: Well, they were 
delisted by the last administration. And they certainly were, but they 
were not removed from that list because they stopped sponsoring 
terrorism. The regime was delisted in order to entice them to dismantle 
their weapons of mass destruction program. It was a six-party talk 
negotiation, and that didn't work, just as the prior negotiations on 
weapons of mass destruction didn't work. Why should we continue the 
problem if that is the case?
  Mr. KERRY. Would the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. I am happy to yield for a question.
  Mr. KERRY. Is the Senator suggesting that the President of the United 
States in his letter of certification misinformed the American people 
and the Senate?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. What I am suggesting is that this was part of a 
negotiation and that they have wide latitude. In fact, if I may 
continue my answer for my colleague who has asked a very pertinent 
question on this issue and who is very familiar with the six-party 
talks, as I am partially, somewhat familiar with the six-party talks, 
these have been talks going on for a long period of time. The North 
Koreans hate being listed as a state sponsor of terrorism. Their big 
push was to be delisted. The administration has broad authority. It has 
broad abilities to be able to interpret this, and they said: OK, we are 
going to be able to do this, and we will find some room in here to 
interpret it this way, in exchange for you guys stopping your weapons 
of mass destruction, which did not happen.
  I am saying that what we should do now is not continue with that 
mistake. What I am saying we should do now is, let's call a spade a 
spade in this situation. This is a terrorist nation. The Senator from 
Massachusetts knows that. He knows what is taking place and what they 
are doing. They are one of the lead sponsors of terrorist activities in 
arming, bad, rogue regimes around the world, and the Senator knows 
that. What we should do is call that what it is in this Senate and not 
call for just a report.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, if the Senator will further yield, does the 
Senator from Kansas believe this language:

       Our review of intelligence community assessments indicates 
     there is no credible or sustained reporting at this time that 
     supports allegations they have provided direct support--

  Et cetera--

     and should we have credible evidence of international 
     terrorism at any time in the future--

  The President clearly----
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
  All time has expired.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on amendment 
No. 1761.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to 
be.
  The yeas and nays are ordered.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I have a parliamentary inquiry, if I 
could. Have the yeas and nays been ordered on both amendments?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The yeas and nays have been ordered on 
amendment No. 1761.
  The Senator from Michigan is recognized.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on both 
amendments.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be.
  The yeas and nays are ordered on both amendments.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to amendment No. 
1761.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. 
Byrd), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), and the Senator 
from Maryland (Ms. Mikulski) are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 66, nays 31, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 238 Leg.]

                                YEAS--66

     Akaka
     Alexander
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Begich
     Bennet
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Brown
     Burris
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Collins
     Conrad
     Corker
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Franken
     Gillibrand
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagan
     Harkin
     Inouye
     Johnson
     Kaufman
     Kerry
     Klobuchar
     Kohl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lugar
     McCaskill
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nelson (NE)
     Nelson (FL)
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Rockefeller
     Sanders
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Webb
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                                NAYS--31

     Barrasso
     Bennett
     Bond
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burr
     Chambliss
     Coburn
     Cochran
     Cornyn
     Crapo
     DeMint
     Ensign
     Enzi
     Graham
     Hatch
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johanns
     Kyl
     Martinez
     McCain
     McConnell
     Risch
     Roberts
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Thune
     Vitter
     Wicker

                             NOT VOTING--3

     Byrd
     Kennedy
     Mikulski
  The amendment (No. 1761) was agreed to.
  Mr. KERRY. I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that 
motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.


                           Amendment No. 1597

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will be 2 
minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote in relation to 
amendment No. 1597, offered by the Senator from Kansas. Who yields 
time?
  The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask for an ``aye'' vote on this 
amendment even if people voted for the Kerry amendment. It was 
critically important during the Soviet gulag days that the people in 
the gulags knew we cared and that we were focused on them. If we vote 
to say we are going to issue a report, that is fine. But it doesn't say 
much to people in a gulag. If we vote to say it is the sense of the 
Senate that North Korea is a state sponsor of terrorism, it is a strong 
message. It gives hope to people who don't have hope today.
  Who in this body doubts that North Korea is a state sponsor of 
terrorism? With nuclear weapons, missiles being launched, a connection 
with Myanmar--with all these things taking place today, who can doubt 
that they are a terrorist country?

[[Page 18711]]

  I urge my colleagues, even those who supported the Kerry amendment, 
to also vote for this one to send the message that North Korea is a 
state sponsor of terrorism and to send a message of hope to those in 
the North Korean gulags.
  I yield back my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, it would be both inconsistent and 
inappropriate to vote aye on both amendments for a couple of reasons. 
First of all, the amendment we just passed with 66 votes mandates that 
no later than 30 days after this is passed--it could happen next week, 
in 3 weeks--we are mandating the report from the administration with 
respect to whether there is evidence at this time of North Korea 
actually aiding or abetting or being a terrorist state.
  The most recent finding of the intelligence community says no. The 
President of the United States, George Bush, certified to us when he 
decertified them as a terrorist state that they were not engaged in any 
activities of aiding and abetting terrorism at that time in the world. 
There is no evidence within the intelligence community at this moment 
in time that says so.
  The Brownback amendment states that there is. So it is wrong, and it 
would be inappropriate for the Senate to base designating North Korea 
as a terrorist state on findings that do not exist, as well as doing so 
at a time when we are negotiating to get the release of two young 
journalists. This would be a completely inappropriate measure by the 
Senate at this time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to amendment No. 
1597. The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call the 
roll.
  Mr. LEVIN. Parliamentary inquiry.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, after the conclusion of this vote, is there 
any pending amendment?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There will not be.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, to let folks know, I intend to ask for a 
quorum call immediately following this vote to try to work out an 
orderly way to proceed on amendments.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. 
Byrd), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), and the Senator 
from Maryland (Ms. Mikulski) are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 43, nays 54, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 239 Leg.]

                                YEAS--43

     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Bayh
     Bennett
     Bond
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burr
     Chambliss
     Coburn
     Cochran
     Collins
     Cornyn
     Crapo
     DeMint
     Ensign
     Enzi
     Graham
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hatch
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johanns
     Kyl
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Martinez
     McCain
     McConnell
     Murkowski
     Nelson (NE)
     Nelson (FL)
     Risch
     Roberts
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Snowe
     Thune
     Vitter
     Voinovich
     Wicker

                                NAYS--54

     Akaka
     Baucus
     Begich
     Bennet
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Brown
     Burris
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Conrad
     Corker
     Dodd
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Franken
     Gillibrand
     Hagan
     Harkin
     Inouye
     Johnson
     Kaufman
     Kerry
     Klobuchar
     Kohl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lugar
     McCaskill
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murray
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Rockefeller
     Sanders
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Warner
     Webb
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--3

     Byrd
     Kennedy
     Mikulski
  The amendment (No. 1597) was rejected.
  Mr. LEVIN. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
  Mr. LEVIN. 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. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, first, there 
be a period of morning business of 5 minutes, so Senator Brown can 
speak as in morning business. Then we proceed to consideration of the 
amendment of Senator Cardin, amendment No. 1763. After the disposition 
of that amendment, that the Senator Kyl amendment, No. 1760, be in 
order. There may or may not be a second-degree amendment to that of 
Senator Kyl--that it be in order if there is a second-degree amendment. 
After the disposition of the amendment of Senator Kyl and the second-
degree amendment thereto, we then proceed--presumably it would be in 
the morning--to an amendment by Senator Lieberman, No. 1744, with a 1-
hour time agreement and a side-by-side amendment or a second-degree 
amendment of Senator Bayh relative to the--relevant to the Lieberman 
amendment, which would also have a 1-hour time agreement.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. SESSIONS. Reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona is recognized.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object and I will 
not object, I say in the case of the amendment of Senator Cardin, there 
is no objection on this side. We would be glad to agree to a 15-minute 
time agreement, if that is agreeable.
  Mr. LEVIN. That presumably might be adopted without a rollcall as 
well.
  Mr. President, let me revise my unanimous consent request for Senator 
Cardin's amendment having a 15-minute time agreement, that there not be 
a time agreement set yet on the Lieberman amendment No. 1744 and the 
Bayh second-degree amendment or side-by-side amendment to it because 
apparently we could not get that, for some reason I don't understand or 
know. I don't understand the reason or the objection.
  One other correction. The Cardin amendment is No. 1475, not No. 1763.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Reserving the right to object, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
  Mr. SESSIONS. I wonder, I know the bill managers have many 
challenges, but I wonder if they contemplate that I would have the 
opportunity to call up Sessions amendments Nos. 1657 and 1533 before we 
go too far in this process.
  Mr. LEVIN. There are a number of people who have asked to be put in 
line at this point. We have been unable to go beyond where we are. That 
took enough time. We thought, if we went any further, it would be 
impossible to get this unanimous consent done because there are many 
people who are in the same position as our friend from Alabama.
  Mr. SESSIONS. I am not delaying, of course. We want to see this bill 
move forward. But I do have two amendments I care about. Maybe I can 
talk to the chairman in a little bit. I thank him for his courtesy. I 
will not object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. McCAIN. In response to the Senator from Alabama, I will do 
everything I can to get his amendment in order. Senator Isakson and 
Senator Burr and Senator Bond and others have all come up and said they 
want their amendments in line. I think we have to have some kind of 
consultation on our side to establish a priority.
  I also would like to point out, the amendment of Senator Sessions, I 
believe, is on missile defense, a very important amendment.
  I also think, in full disclosure, the majority leader, I am told, 
will file cloture tonight, which will then, at some point, rule out 
nongermane amendments. But I will do everything I can

[[Page 18712]]

to get Senator Sessions' amendment up, in order. But we have been 
following a process, as I am sure the Senator from Alabama knows, of 
one side's amendment and then the other side's amendment, going back 
and forth.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama is recognized.
  Mr. SESSIONS. The missile defense amendment is one that is a sense-
of-the-Senate amendment that Senator Lieberman is offering now. That 
was not the two I referred to. I agree with Senator McCain that sense 
of the Senate definitely needs a vote. It is an important issue.
  The other two amendments I have I hope also can be considered. I will 
be pleased to talk with the Senator and his staff about it.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection to the request? Without 
objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEVIN. I thank the Presiding Officer and thank Senator Sessions 
as well. As I understand it, the amendments Senator Sessions was 
referring to were amendments relating to al-Qaida; am I correct?
  Mr. SESSIONS. That is correct.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio is recognized.


                           Health Care Reform

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, the progress of this country does not and 
has not come easily. Passage of the Civil Rights Act was not easy. 
Passage of the Voting Rights Act was not easy. Passage of the Social 
Security Act was not easy. The Fair Housing Act, that was not easy. 
Passage of Medicare and Medicaid was not easy.
  This year, passage of health care reform will not be easy. Time and 
time again, decade after decade, special interests--the drug companies, 
the insurance companies, medical interests--have delayed and denied and 
destroyed meaningful health care reform.
  In recent weeks and months, opponents have ramped up their efforts to 
derail health care reform, saying you have to slow down but, as with 
other historic legislative victories, we must find a path forward.
  Last week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
Committee found a path forward that works for American families and 
businesses.
  The HELP health reform legislation is designed to lower costs, 
provide more coverage choices, and ensure that Americans have insurance 
they can count on.
  This legislation would give every American access to quality, 
affordable, and flexible health insurance.
  This legislation would reduce costs by decreasing fraud, abuse, and 
medical errors while promoting best practices and prevention and 
wellness initiatives.
  It would provide insurance security for people who lose their job, 
their coverage, or maybe their patience with an insurer who has let 
them down.
  And, this legislation gives Americans more health care choices.
  The public option in our legislation--the Community Health Insurance 
Option--is a national insurance program modeled after coverage offered 
to Members of Congress.
  A strong public option would ensure Americans in every State have 
insurance choices they can trust.
  It would increase price competition in the health insurance market to 
drive premiums down.
  And a strong public option would set a standard for quality coverage 
that gives private insurers a benchmark and Americans new options.
  Let's face it. There is nothing like good old fashioned competition 
to keep insurers honest.
  Under our bill, no longer would insurers be able to hide behind 
preexisting conditions, health history, age, gender, or race to deny 
coverage and delay care for patients.
  Done right, health reform represents a real opportunity to expand 
access to quality, affordable coverage for all Americans, like Robert 
and Carol of Bryan, OH, in Williams County, northwest Ohio.
  Carol is a social worker who works for a nonprofit drug, alcohol, and 
mental health agency. Her husband Robert, a self employed barber, had 
his first bout with cancer in 2003 and is facing, just days from now, 
another cancer surgery.
  Robert and Carol wrote to me that they depleted their life savings to 
cover cancer treatments and maintain coverage to monitor cancer 
remission.
  Carol wants Members in this Body to let her husband fight for his 
life, not fight with insurance companies.
  Joseph, in Summit County, operates a small land surveying business 
that is struggling to pay health insurance premiums.
  After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004, Joseph wrote 
to me that it is impossible for his business to shop around for more 
affordable health coverage because of his preexisting condition.
  The HELP Committee's Affordable Health Choices Act represents a 
victory for the millions of American families and business owners, like 
Joseph, whose health care costs have soared out of control.
  It is a victory for the 46 million uninsured Americans and millions 
more underinsured, those whose financial security is at risk day in and 
day out because of health care costs.
  And it is a victory for U.S. taxpayers.
  If we are going to get a grip on health spending, we have got to 
squeeze out waste, needless redtape, and costly medical errors.
  We have to give private insurers a reason to charge reasonable 
premiums, not grossly inflated ones.
  I am proud that the President is touring the Cleveland Clinic 
tomorrow.
  Cutting edge health systems like the Cleveland Clinic University 
Hospitals, and the Metro Health System all in Cleveland, have helped to 
give Ohio its reputation as a leader in high quality health care.
  Our work will not be done until Ohioans like 73-year-old Bert from 
Allen County can afford the retirement he deserves.
  Bert wrote to me that he cannot afford to retire, despite suffering a 
heart attack last year.
  He described how exorbitant prescription drug costs leave the 
unacceptable choice between his medication or his wife's medication. 
But not both.
  Bert wrote to me, ``God help us should anything happen to my wife 
medically. We will, no doubt, lose everything we have worked all of our 
lives for.''
  Our work cannot be done until Bert, Joseph, Robert, and Carol, and 
every American live in a Nation with an affordable, effective, and 
inclusive health care system.
  Our work will not be done until crucial national priorities are no 
longer crowded out by health care spending.
  Our work will not be done until exploding health care costs no longer 
cut into family budgets, no longer weigh down businesses, and no longer 
drain tax dollars from local, State, and Federal budgets.
  It will not be easy, but as history demonstrates the important 
changes rarely are.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the unanimous consent request indicated 
that there would be 15 minutes on the Cardin amendment, No. 1475. I am 
wondering if my friend from Arizona might listen to this as well. On 
Senator Cardin's amendment, we did not say ``equally divided.'' We are 
not sure whether there is opposition to it. If there is, we should now 
say ``equally divided.'' If not, Senator Cardin only needs about 5 to 
10 minutes.
  Mr. McCAIN. I am not sure anyone wants to challenge Senator Cardin's 
eloquence.
  Mr. LEVIN. In that case, I ask unanimous consent we say ``equally 
divided'' in case anyone changes their mind.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Maryland is recognized.


                           Amendment No. 1475

  Mr. CARDIN. I call up amendment No. 1475 and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Maryland [Mr. Cardin] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 1475.

  Mr. CARDIN. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment 
be dispensed with.

[[Page 18713]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To require the Secretary of Defense to report on the numbers 
 and percentages of troops that have served or are serving in Iraq and 
Afghanistan who have been prescribed antidepressants or drugs to treat 
                                anxiety)

       At the end of subtitle C of title VII, add the following:

     SEC. 724. PRESCRIPTION OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS FOR TROOPS SERVING 
                   IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.

       (a) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than June 30, 2010, and annually 
     thereafter until June 30, 2015, the Secretary of Defense 
     shall submit to Congress a report on the prescription of 
     antidepressants and drugs to treat anxiety for troops serving 
     in Iraq and Afghanistan.
       (2) Content.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall 
     include--
       (A) the numbers and percentages of troops that have served 
     or are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan since January 1, 2005, 
     who have been prescribed antidepressants or drugs to treat 
     anxiety, including psychotropic drugs such as Selective 
     Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs); and
       (B) the policies and patient management practices of the 
     Department of Defense with respect to the prescription of 
     such drugs.
       (b) National Institute of Mental Health Study.--
       (1) Study.--The National Institute of Mental Health shall 
     conduct a study on the potential relationship between the 
     increased number of suicides and attempted suicides by 
     members of the Armed Forces and the increased number of 
     antidepressants, drugs to treat anxiety, other psychotropics, 
     and other behavior modifying prescription medications being 
     prescribed, including any combination or interactions of such 
     prescriptions. The Department of Defense shall immediately 
     make available to the National Institute of Mental Health all 
     data necessary to complete the study.
       (2) Report on findings.--Not later than two years after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
     shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of the 
     study conducted pursuant to paragraph (1).
  Mr. CARDIN. I want to thank Senators Levin and McCain for their help 
in allowing me to bring forward this amendment. This amendment is an 
important amendment which deals with the increasing numbers of suicides 
and attempted suicides by the young men and women serving in the U.S. 
military.
  We have not only seen each month an increased number of suicides and 
attempted suicides, but recently we saw the killing of five of our 
servicemembers when a fellow soldier allegedly opened fire inside a 
mental health clinic at Camp Liberty in Iraq.
  The purpose of this amendment is for the Department of Defense to 
give us information on the type of medications that are being 
prescribed so we can get a better handle on whether there is more that 
we can do in order to protect our young men and women who are serving 
our Nation.
  Yesterday, we did something to help in approving the Lieberman 
amendment. The Lieberman amendment increased our force levels, our 
authorized force levels. One of the suspected reasons suicides and 
attempted suicides are increasing is the number of deployments, the 
length of deployments, and the fact that we do not have enough 
personnel in order to do the normal military responsibilities so that 
we have to continue to call up again our young people for renewed 
deployments. That will certainly help.
  This Congress has passed significant increases in funds for mental 
health services for our service personnel. That will clearly help. But 
one thing we should all be concerned about is that there are more and 
more of our soldiers who are using prescription antidepressant drugs, 
SSRIs, and we are not clear as to whether they are under appropriate 
medical supervision. I say that because these SSRIs take several weeks 
before they reach their full potential as far as blocking depression or 
dealing with the causes of depression. During that period of time, 
particularly if they are in the age group of 18 to 24--many are in that 
age group--they are susceptible to increased thoughts of suicide.
  Many of our service people are changing from location to location. 
They may very well be in the theater of battle. They may not be able to 
get the proper type of supervision. So we are concerned about whether 
the use of these drugs is being appropriately administered, but we do 
not have the facts; we do not have the information. We need to get that 
information.
  There have been surveys which have shown that as many as 12 percent 
of those who are serving in Iraq and 17 percent of those who are 
serving in Afghanistan are using some form of prescribed antidepressant 
or sleeping pills in order to deal with their needs. That would equal 
20,000 of our service personnel using prescription medicines or 
antidepressants or sleep medicines. We need to get the information.
  My amendment is simple. My amendment says starting in June of 2010 
and through 2015, the Department of Defense will make available to 
Congress the information on the number of personnel receiving these 
antidepressant drugs. It is done in a generic sense; therefore, there 
is no individual information about any service personnel. We protect 
their individual privacy as we have under HIPAA. This is absolutely 
protected. There is no stigma attached at all to this survey.
  I think we have tried to deal with the legitimate concerns that have 
been raised. I hope my colleagues would agree that this is an important 
matter that should be included in our DOD authorization. I talked about 
it yesterday. I am glad now that I had the opportunity to, in fact, 
offer this amendment.
  With that, if there is no one interested in speaking in opposition, I 
am prepared to yield back my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the question is 
on agreeing to the amendment.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
  Mr. McCAIN. I move to lay that motion upon the table.
  The motion to lay upon the table was agreed to.
  Mr. LEVIN. 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. KYL. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call 
be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Amendment No. 1760

  Mr. KYL. What I am going to do now is seek to get an amendment which 
is filed pending. The other side will want to offer a side-by-side 
amendment. I understand there may be an opportunity to debate some of 
this tonight. Some of the other debate may have to be tomorrow, and 
that is fine. But at this point, is there an amendment pending?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is not an amendment pending.
  Mr. KYL. I call up amendment No. 1760 and ask for its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Arizona [Mr. Kyl], for himself, Mr. 
     McConnell, Mr. McCain, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Graham, 
     Mr. Vitter, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Risch, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Barrasso, 
     Mr. Lieberman, and Mr. Wicker, proposes an amendment numbered 
     1760.

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

(Purpose: To pursue United States objectives in bilateral arms control 
                      with the Russian Federation)

       At the end of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1232. LIMITATION ON FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT REDUCTIONS IN THE 
                   STRATEGIC NUCLEAR FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES 
                   PURSUANT TO ANY TREATY OR OTHER AGREEMENT WITH 
                   THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) In the Joint Statement by President Dmitriy Medvedev of 
     the Russian Federation and President Barack Obama of the 
     United States of America after their meeting in London, 
     England on April 1, 2009, the two Presidents agreed ``to 
     pursue new and verifiable reductions in our strategic 
     offensive arsenals in a step-by-step process, beginning by 
     replacing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new, 
     legally-binding treaty''.

[[Page 18714]]

       (2) At that meeting, the two Presidents instructed their 
     negotiators to reach an agreement that ``will mutually 
     enhance the security of the Parties and predictability and 
     stability in strategic offensive forces, and will include 
     effective verification measures drawn from the experience of 
     the Parties in implementing the START Treaty''.
       (3) Subsequently, on April 5, 2009, in a speech in Prague, 
     the Czech Republic, President Obama proclaimed, ``Iran's 
     nuclear and ballistic missile activity poses a real threat, 
     not just to the United States, but to Iran's neighbors and 
     our allies. The Czech Republic and Poland have been 
     courageous in agreeing to host a defense against these 
     missiles. As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will 
     go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-
     effective and proven.''
       (4) President Obama also said, ``As long as these [nuclear] 
     weapons exist, the United States will maintain a safe, secure 
     and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee 
     that defense to our allies, including the Czech Republic. But 
     we will begin the work of reducing our arsenal.''
       (b) Limitation.--Funds authorized to be appropriated by 
     this Act or otherwise made available to the Department of 
     Defense for fiscal year 2010 may not be obligated or expended 
     to implement reductions in the strategic nuclear forces of 
     the United States pursuant to any treaty or other agreement 
     entered into between the United States and the Russian 
     Federation on strategic nuclear forces after the date of 
     enactment of this Act unless the President certifies to 
     Congress that--
       (1) the treaty or other agreement provides for sufficient 
     mechanisms to verify compliance with the treaty or agreement;
       (2) the treaty or other agreement does not place 
     limitations on the ballistic missile defense systems, space 
     capabilities, or advanced conventional weapons of the United 
     States; and
       (3) the fiscal year 2011 budget request for programs of the 
     Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security 
     Administration will be sufficiently funded--
       (A) to maintain the reliability, safety, and security of 
     the remaining strategic nuclear forces of the United States; 
     and
       (B) to modernize and refurbish the nuclear weapons complex.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
     stockpiles of strategic and nonstrategic weapons of the 
     United States and the Russian Federation.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Advanced conventional weapons.--The term ``advanced 
     conventional weapons'' means any advanced weapons system that 
     has been specifically designed not to carry a nuclear 
     payload.
       (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following 
     committees:
       (A) The Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
       (B) The Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate.
  Mr. KYL. If there are others who wish the floor, I would be happy to 
accede to their wishes so that I can come back tomorrow and discuss it 
further.
  This is identical to an amendment that was unanimously adopted by the 
House of Representatives in their version of the Defense authorization 
bill. So I would hope that on both sides of the aisle this should not 
be particularly controversial.
  It has to do with the START negotiations, the negotiation the 
administration is engaged in with the Russians right now on the number 
of warheads and delivery vehicles that both Russia and the United 
States will field in the next many years.
  Whatever those numbers are, whatever the agreement is, that treaty 
will be presented to the Senate later this year. Presumably we will act 
on it either late this year or early next year.
  All this amendment does is say that during the 7 years when the START 
Treaty is implemented, the United States needs to do certain things. We 
want to make sure the treaty is verifiable. That is something we all 
agree with. We need to ensure that our missile defenses are protected; 
that our conventional strike capability is protected, that is, our 
submarines and bombers that deliver conventional weapons, for example, 
and, very importantly, we want to make sure the modernization program 
for our nuclear weapons complex and the weapons themselves, the 
modernization program that was recommended by the bipartisan Perry-
Schlesinger Commission begins to be implemented.
  In fact, this amendment does not identify exactly what that program 
is. It does not say it has to be a particular amount of money or 
describe the details of it. But it does say we need to get a 
modernization program underway.
  The point of this is to simply acknowledge the obvious; which is, as 
we begin to reduce the number of warheads and delivery vehicles in our 
strategic nuclear deterrent, we need to make more and more sure what we 
have works and works well.
  It is an aging stockpile. The Perry-Schlesinger Commission noted that 
there is a lot of work that needs to be done to bring these weapons up 
to modern conditions to maintain them appropriately to ensure they are 
safe and reliable. The work that has to be done on that is going to 
take some time and cost some money.
  So it makes sense to put Congress on record with the administration 
as insisting that we begin this process right away. The amendment does 
not say this, but my strong recommendation to the administration is, 
since they are going to begin putting the budget for fiscal year 2011 
together starting in another month or two, that they need to be working 
now on what their budget recommendations for 2011 are for the 
modernization of our nuclear complex and stockpile.
  So what this amendment would do is to say, as the START Treaty is 
implemented, whatever that treaty is, it does not bind the 
administration in terms of what it negotiates, whatever it is, that 
that money cannot be spent on that until these other conditions are met 
as well.
  I hope that since this received a unanimous endorsement in the House, 
it would not be particularly controversial on this side. I would just 
reiterate one final time, this does not bind our negotiators at all. It 
does not tell the negotiators what they can and cannot negotiate with 
the Russians.
  What it says is, once they have negotiated whatever they have, then 
we need to start a process of modernizing our nuclear weapons program 
and stockpile. I think that is something, since it was the unanimous 
recommendation of the Perry-Schlesinger Commission, that we ought to be 
able to agree upon.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, 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. LEVIN. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call 
be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, under the existing unanimous consent 
agreement, the Lieberman amendment that would be in order after the 
disposition of the Kyl amendment was listed as being amendment 1744. 
The correct number is 1627. I ask unanimous consent that the consent 
agreement be so modified.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEVIN. 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. SESSIONS. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I rise to make a few remarks in support 
of the Kyl amendment. This amendment relates to the possible follow-on 
agreement to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, so-called START. 
The Joint Understanding issued at the recent Moscow summit suggests the 
United States and Russian Federation are well on their way toward 
completing a new agreement, perhaps even before the end of this year. 
Rather than wait until the agreement is signed and submitted to the 
Senate for the Senate's consent, this amendment provides an opportunity 
for the Senate to give its advice before the treaty's provisions are 
agreed to. It reflects this Senator's desire to see a follow-on treaty 
that does not weaken our nuclear

[[Page 18715]]

deterrent or place in doubt our nuclear guarantee to our allies and 
partners who depend on it.
  It also reflects a caveat that any future agreement should not limit 
U.S. missile defense capabilities or U.S. capabilities for long-range 
conventional strike. Finally, this amendment makes clear that any 
reductions in our nuclear stockpile should be supported by long-range 
plans to modernize our aging nuclear deterrent and supporting 
infrastructure. This is important. We have had testimony in the Armed 
Services Committee on a number of occasions from our top military 
commanders who deal with this issue. They say continued reductions of 
nuclear weapons must be accompanied by a modernization of the limited 
number we have left. When we do that, we can make them safer and far 
more difficult for anyone who were to nefariously obtain them to 
utilize and protect them and make them more reliable.
  Most, if not all, would agree that it is important to ensure that the 
verification and monitoring provisions of the START Treaty of 1991 not 
be allowed to lapse come December 6.
  While there are a number of ways to handle this, either by extending 
the current agreement or drafting a new agreement dealing specifically 
with these matters, the United States and Russia have chosen the more 
ambitious goal of a new treaty that would make further reductions in 
the current nuclear stockpiles which are today at the lowest levels 
since the Cold War. We have about 2,200 warheads today. We had 6,000 
not too many years ago. We have reduced those numbers. I support that.
  The rush to complete an agreement before START expires in December 
has led the United States to agree to provisions in the Joint 
Understanding that potentially may not be in our best interest. It is 
not a critical thing that we reach a firm agreement by the end of 
December. We should not allow the Russians to put us in a position 
where we are so desperate to reach an agreement by the end of the year 
that we would reach a bad agreement. At the very least, it can be said 
that these matters have not sufficiently been analyzed to know whether 
they are in our interest.
  First, with respect to the central limits to be enshrined in a new 
agreement, the two sides agreed to warhead limits of between 1,500 and 
1,675 warheads, and limits on the number of strategic nuclear delivery 
vehicles to somewhere between 500 and 1,100. That is quite a wide 
range. The final number is to be negotiated by the parties. The Senate 
has yet to see the analytical basis for the levels agreed to in the 
Joint Understanding which means we are not off to a good start in the 
advice and consent process.
  Today the United States deploys approximately 2,200 operational 
nuclear warheads on some 900 delivery vehicles. These are our ICBM 
missiles, our SLBMs, and bombers. Whether it is prudent to go below 
these numbers depends on some important considerations. To take that 
down to 500 would be a dramatic reduction of our delivery systems. 
Whether it is prudent to go below these numbers that we currently have 
depends on some important considerations, not the least of which is the 
impact on the size and shape of the U.S. nuclear TRIAD, the ICBMs, the 
submarine-launched missiles, and our bomber fleet; our ability to 
extend credible nuclear guarantees to our allies; and whether lower 
levels provide an incentive to other nuclear powers to build up their 
forces so they can be a peer competitor with the United States and 
Russia.
  I will have more to say on this in the future. Suffice it to say that 
I have yet to hear a convincing strategic rationale that would justify 
going this low. Indeed, I believe the burden of proof will be on those 
who think it is necessary to continue to reduce U.S. nuclear force 
levels that are today but a fraction of what they used to be. My major 
concern, however, is language in the Joint Understanding which seems to 
suggest the two sides may establish limitations on U.S. missile defense 
and long-range conventional strategic strike capabilities. In other 
words, an agreement could well involve a limitation, either in part of 
the treaty or a corollary agreement, to limit our national missile 
defense capabilities. That is a dangerous and unwise linkage.
  For example, the Joint Understanding states there will be a provision 
``on the interrelationship of strategic offensive and strategic 
defensive arms.'' I find this troubling because we have made it clear 
to the Russians that our missile defense capabilities are not directed 
at, nor are they capable of being an effective defense against, massive 
Russian capabilities. We only have a plan to put in 44 missiles in the 
United States and 10 in Europe. That is a fraction of the capacity that 
the Russians have today. Instead we build missile defenses to address a 
threat to the United States and its allies posed by rogue nations such 
as North Korea and Iran. That is what 40 missiles in Alaska and 
California can do. That is what 10 in Europe could do. It can't defend 
against massive Russian delivery systems. It has no capability of doing 
that. They know it. So why do they object?
  What do we mean, as we carry out this discussion, by the term 
``strategic defensive arms''? How does one distinguish between a 
strategic and nonstrategic missile defense system? Is the United States 
SM-3 missile, which has some capability against long-range North Korean 
missiles, considered a strategic missile defense system? It is best not 
to get into negotiations that could eventually constrain our ability to 
build missile defenses against countries such as Iran and North Korea. 
To be sure, any such limitations would make a START follow-on agreement 
dead on arrival in the Senate. I don't believe the Senate would pass 
such an agreement.
  The Joint Understanding also contains--between the Obama 
administration and Russia--a provision addressing the impact on 
strategic stability of strategic missiles in a nonnuclear 
configuration. This apparently is an attempt by Russia to constrain the 
ability of the United States to field long-range strike systems armed 
with conventional warheads, nonnuclear warheads.
  Conventionally armed long-range strike systems, also known as 
``prompt global strike,'' are consistent with a move by both countries 
to place less reliance on nuclear weapons for deterrence. Prompt global 
strike would allow the United States to launch a missile without a 
nuclear weapon that could take out a dangerous threat anywhere around 
the world in a very prompt fashion. We have debated that over the years 
in the Senate.
  Finally, the amendment by Senator Kyl would send a strong message to 
the administration that a START follow-on agreement must be supported 
at the same time it is submitted to the Senate for ratification by a 
long-term program to modernize the remaining nuclear forces of the 
United States, including warheads, delivery systems, and infrastructure 
needed to support both. Such a modernization is called for by the 
Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States 
and by the Secretary of Defense, Secretary Gates, who last October 
said:

       There is absolutely no way we can maintain a credible 
     deterrent and reduce the number of weapons in our stockpile 
     without resorting to testing our stockpile or pursuing a 
     modernization program.

  Our colleagues don't want us to test. They think this would be a bad 
example to Iran and North Korea. If we did that, somehow they might be 
more likely to want to test. I don't think it will have any impact on 
those rogue nations. The Secretary of Defense is saying that if we 
don't continue testing, we need to modernize the weapons system we 
have. If we continue to draw down the number, these 40-, 50-year-old 
weapons need to be modernized. They need to be reliable. This Senator 
will condition his support for a START follow-on agreement upon a 
serious commitment by the administration to modernize our nuclear 
deterrent which remains necessary to protect the United States and our 
allies against threats to our vital interests.
  I wish to note a similar version of this amendment was adopted 
unanimously by the House on their version

[[Page 18716]]

of the national Defense authorization bill. I commend Senator Kyl for 
offering it and note the importance of sending a clear message to the 
administration and to our allies and to Russia regarding our views on 
the ongoing START follow-up negotiations.
  I wish to say what is obvious to all of us who have been here a long 
time. Senator Kyl is a real patriot who has maintained a deep interest 
in these issues throughout his career. This is a well-thought-out, 
well-conceived amendment that is wise for our Senate to pass. I believe 
we will. I think if my colleagues will find the time to review it and 
think it through, they will be convinced this is a wise step for us to 
take at this time so we don't end up with misunderstanding later on 
when a treaty plops down in the Senate that has a lot of problems for a 
host of Senators.
  I yield the floor and 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. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


 Amendments Nos. 1472, 1518, 1569, 1553, 1471, 1512, 1473, 1561, 1520, 
1600, 1555, 1488, 1476, 1612, 1560, 1500, 1535, 1536, 1510, 1492, 1495, 
        1599, 1636, 1619, 1638, 1642, 1499, 1634, 1676, and 1677

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I send a series of 30 amendments to the 
desk, which have been cleared by myself and Senator McCain, and I ask 
for their immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Begich). Is there objection?
  Without objection, the amendments will be considered en bloc.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the amendments, I understand, have been 
cleared by the Republican side.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the 
amendments be agreed to en bloc and that the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table en bloc.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendments were agreed to en bloc, as follows:


                           AMENDMENT NO. 1472

     (Purpose: To modify the reporting requirement for the defense 
            nanotechnology research and development program)

       At the end of subtitle D of title II, add the following:

     SEC. 252. MODIFICATION OF REPORTING REQUIREMENT FOR DEFENSE 
                   NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
                   PROGRAM.

       Section 246 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization 
     Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-314; 10 U.S.C. 2358 
     note) is amended by striking subsection (e) and inserting the 
     following new subsection (e):
       ``(e) Reports.--The Under Secretary of Defense for 
     Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics shall submit to the 
     National Science and Technology Council information on the 
     program that covers the information described in paragraphs 
     (1) through (5) of section 2(d) of the 21st Century 
     Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 
     7501(d)) to be included in the annual report submitted by the 
     Council under that section.''.


                           AMENDMENT NO. 1518

  (Purpose: To require the Secretary of the Army to expand the First 
 Sergeants Barracks Initiative (FSBI) throughout the Army in order to 
    improve the quality of life and living environments for single 
                               soldiers)

       On page 565, after line 20, add the following:

                       Subtitle D--Other Matters

     SEC. 2841. EXPANSION OF FIRST SERGEANTS BARRACKS INITIATIVE.

       (a) Expansion of Initiative.--Not later than September 30, 
     2011, the Secretary of the Army shall expand the First 
     Sergeants Barracks Initiative (FSBI) to include all Army 
     installations in order to improve the quality of life and 
     living environments for single soldiers.
       (b) Progress Reports.--Not later than February 15, 2010, 
     and February 15, 2011, the Secretary of the Army shall submit 
     to Congress a report describing the progress made in 
     expanding the First Sergeants Barracks Initiative to all Army 
     installations, including whether the Secretary anticipates 
     meeting the deadline imposed by subsection (a).


                           AMENDMENT NO. 1569

   (Purpose: To require a plan to manage vegetative encroachment at 
                            training ranges)

       On page 92, between lines 18 and 19, insert the following:

     SEC. 342. PLAN FOR MANAGING VEGETATIVE ENCROACHMENT AT 
                   TRAINING RANGES.

       Section 366(a)(5) of the Bob Stump National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-314; 
     10 U.S.C. 113 note) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``(5) At the same time'' and inserting 
     ``(5)(A) At the same time''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(B) Beginning with the report submitted to Congress at 
     the same time as the President submits the budget for fiscal 
     year 2011, the report required under this subsection shall 
     include the following:
       ``(i) An assessment of the extent to which vegetation and 
     overgrowth limits the use of military lands available for 
     training of the Armed Forces in the United States and 
     overseas.
       ``(ii) Identification of the particular installations and 
     training areas at which vegetation and overgrowth negatively 
     impact the use of training space.
       ``(iii)(I) As part of the first such report submitted, a 
     plan to address training constraints caused by vegetation and 
     overgrowth.
       ``(II) As part of each subsequent report, any necessary 
     updates to such plan.''.


                           amendment no. 1553

    (Purpose: To authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct a 
   previously authorized Armed Forces Reserve Center in vicinity of 
  specified location at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire)

       On page 553, between lines 15 and 16, insert the following:

     SEC. 2707. AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED ARMED 
                   FORCES RESERVE CENTER IN VICINITY OF SPECIFIED 
                   LOCATION AT PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, NEW 
                   HAMPSHIRE.

       The Secretary of the Army may use funds appropriated 
     pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in section 
     2703 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act 
     for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4715) for 
     the purpose of constructing an Armed Forces Reserve Center at 
     Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, to construct 
     instead an Armed Forces Reserve Center in the vicinity of 
     Pease Air National Guard Base at a location determined by the 
     Secretary to be in the best interest of national security and 
     in the public interest.


                           amendment no. 1471

 (Purpose: To release to the State of Arkansas a reversionary interest 
                      in Camp Joseph T. Robinson)

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. RELEASE OF REVERSIONARY INTEREST.

       The United States releases to the State of Arkansas the 
     reversionary interest described in sections 2 and 3 of the 
     Act entitled ``An Act authorizing the transfer of part of 
     Camp Joseph T. Robinson to the State of Arkansas'', approved 
     June 30, 1950 (64 Stat. 311, chapter 429), in and to the 
     surface estate of the land constituting Camp Joseph T. 
     Robinson, Arkansas, which is comprised of 40.515 acres of 
     land to be acquired by the United States of America and 
     40.513 acres to be acquired by the City of North Little Rock, 
     Arkansas, and lies in sections 6, 8, and 9 of township 2 
     North, Range 12 West, Pulaski County, Arkansas.


                           amendment no. 1512

 (Purpose: To require additional disclosure of poor performance in the 
                    contractor performance database)

       On page 259, between lines 12 and 13, insert the following:

     SEC. 824. MODIFICATIONS TO DATABASE FOR FEDERAL AGENCY 
                   CONTRACT AND GRANT OFFICERS AND SUSPENSION AND 
                   DEBARMENT OFFICIALS.

       Subsection (c) of section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 
     110-417; 122 Stat. 4556) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as paragraphs 
     (8) and (9), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following new 
     paragraphs:
       ``(6) Each audit report that, as determined by an Inspector 
     General or the head of an audit agency responsible for the 
     report, contains significant adverse information about a 
     contractor that should be included in the database.
       ``(7) Each contract action that, as determined by the head 
     of the contracting activity responsible for the contract 
     action, reflects information about contractor performance or 
     integrity that should be included in the database.''.


                           amendment no. 1473

 (Purpose: To modify the provision requiring the inclusion of pension 
 obligations for certain Department of Energy facilities in the budget 
    request of the President to include pension obligations for all 
                    Department of Energy facilities)

       On page 590, lines 7 through 9, strike ``for the National 
     Nuclear Security Administration or for defense environmental 
     cleanup''.

[[Page 18717]]




                           amendment no. 1561

  (Purpose: To expand the authority of the Ombudsman under the Energy 
    Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000)

       At the end of subtitle C of title XXXI, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. 3136. EXPANSION OF AUTHORITY OF OMBUDSMAN OF ENERGY 
                   EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION 
                   PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 3686 of the Energy Employees 
     Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (42 
     U.S.C. 7385s-15) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (c), by inserting ``and subtitle B'' 
     after ``this subtitle'' each place it appears;
       (2) in subsection (d), by inserting ``and subtitle B'' 
     after ``this subtitle'';
       (3) in subsection (e), by inserting ``and subtitle B'' 
     after ``this subtitle'' each place it appears;
       (4) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
       (5) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(g) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
     Ombudsman.--In carrying out the duties of the Ombudsman under 
     this section, the Ombudsman shall work with the individual 
     employed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety 
     and Health to serve as an ombudsman to individuals making 
     claims under subtitle B.''.
       (b) Construction.--Except as specifically provided in 
     subsection (g) of section 3686 of the Energy Employees 
     Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000, as 
     amended by subsection (a) of this section, nothing in the 
     amendments made by such subsection (a) shall be construed to 
     alter or affect the duties and functions of the individual 
     employed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety 
     and Health to serve as an ombudsman to individuals making 
     claims under subtitle B of the Energy Employees Occupational 
     Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 7384l et 
     seq.).


                           amendment no. 1520

 (Purpose: To require a report on the re-determination process of the 
Department of Defense used to determine the eligibility of permanently 
 incapacitated dependents of retired and deceased members of the Armed 
 Forces for benefits provided under laws administered by the Secretary 
                              of Defense)

       At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1073. REPORT ON RE-DETERMINATION PROCESS FOR PERMANENTLY 
                   INCAPACITATED DEPENDENTS OF RETIRED AND 
                   DECEASED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a 
     report on the re-determination process of the Department of 
     Defense used to determine the eligibility of permanently 
     incapacitated dependents of retired and deceased members of 
     the Armed Forces for benefits provided under laws 
     administered by the Secretary. The report shall include the 
     following:
       (1) An assessment of the re-determination process, 
     including the following:
       (A) The rationale for requiring a quadrennial 
     recertification of financial support after issuance of a 
     permanent identification card to a permanently incapacitated 
     dependent.
       (B) The administrative and other burdens the quadrennial 
     recertification imposes on the affected sponsor and 
     dependents, especially after the sponsor becomes ill, 
     incapacitated, or deceased.
       (C) The extent to which the quadrennial recertification 
     undermines the utility of issuing a permanent identification 
     card.
       (D) The extent of the consequences entailed in eliminating 
     the requirement for quadrennial recertification.
       (2) Specific recommendations for the following:
       (A) Improving the efficiency of the recertification 
     process.
       (B) Minimizing the burden of such process on the sponsors 
     of such dependents.
       (C) Eliminating the requirement for quadrennial 
     recertification.


                           amendment no. 1600

 (Purpose: To require the Comptroller General of the United States to 
 conduct an audit of assistance to local educational agencies for the 
    education of dependent children of members of the Armed Forces)

       At the end of subtitle D of title V, add the following:

     SEC. 537. COMPTROLLER GENERAL AUDIT OF ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL 
                   EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF 
                   MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

       (a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall conduct an audit of the utilization by local 
     educational agencies of the assistance specified in 
     subsection (b) provided to such agencies for fiscal years 
     2001 through 2009 for the education of dependent children of 
     members of the Armed Forces. The audit shall include--
       (1) an evaluation of the utilization of such assistance by 
     such agencies; and
       (2) an assessment of the effectiveness of such assistance 
     in improving the quality of education provided to dependent 
     children of members of the Armed Forces.
       (b) Assistance Specified.--The assistance specified in this 
     subsection is--
       (1) assistance provided under--
       (A) section 572 the National Defense Authorization Act for 
     Fiscal Year 2006 (Public Law 109-163; 119 Stat. 3271; 20 
     U.S.C. 7703b);
       (B) section 559 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Public Law 108-375; 
     118 Stat. 1917);
       (C) section 536 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
     for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136; 117 Stat. 1474);
       (D) section 341 of the Bob Stump National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-314; 
     116 Stat. 2514);
       (E) section 351 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
     for Fiscal Year 2002 (Public Law 107-107; 115 Stat. 1063); or
       (F) section 362 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (as enacted into law 
     by Public Law 106-398; 114 Stat. 1654A-76); and
       (2) payments made under section 363 of the Floyd D. Spence 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (as 
     enacted into law by Public Law 106-398; 114 Stat. 1654A-77; 
     20 U.S.C. 7703a).
       (c) Report.--Not later than March 1, 2010, the Comptroller 
     General shall submit to the congressional defense committees 
     a report containing the results of the audit required by 
     subsection (a).


                           amendment no. 1555

  (Purpose: To permit the extension of eligibility for enrollment in 
   Department of Defense elementary and secondary schools to certain 
                  additional categories of dependents)

       At the end of subtitle D of title V, add the following:

     SEC. 537. AUTHORITY TO EXTEND ELIGIBILITY FOR ENROLLMENT IN 
                   DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
                   SCHOOLS TO CERTAIN ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES OF 
                   DEPENDENTS.

       Section 2164 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(j) Tuition-Free Enrollment of Dependents of Foreign 
     Military Personnel Residing on Domestic Military 
     Installations and Dependents of Certain Deceased Members of 
     the Armed Forces.--(1) The Secretary may authorize the 
     enrollment in an education program provided by the Secretary 
     pursuant to subsection (a) of a dependent not otherwise 
     eligible for such enrollment who is the dependent of an 
     individual described in paragraph (2). Enrollment of such a 
     dependent shall be on a tuition-free basis.
       ``(2) An individual referred to in paragraph (1) is any of 
     the following:
       ``(A) A member of a foreign armed force residing on a 
     military installation in the United States (including 
     territories, commonwealths, and possessions of the United 
     States).
       ``(B) A deceased member of the armed forces who died in the 
     line of duty in a combat-related operation, as designated by 
     the Secretary.''.


                           amendment no. 1488

     (Purpose: To include in the study on options for educational 
  opportunities for dependent children of members of the Armed Forces 
 consideration of the impact of such options on students with special 
                                 needs)

       On page 125, between lines 9 and 10, insert the following:
       (H) The extent to which the options referred to in 
     paragraph (2) would improve the quality of education 
     available for students with special needs, including students 
     with learning disabilities and gifted students.


                           amendment no. 1476

(Purpose: To permit the Secretary of the Air Force to convey to certain 
       Indian tribes certain relocatable military housing units)

       At the end of title XXIII, add the following:

     SEC. 23__. CONVEYANCE TO INDIAN TRIBES OF CERTAIN HOUSING 
                   UNITS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Executive director.--The term ``Executive Director'' 
     means the Executive Director of Walking Shield, Inc.
       (2) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' means any 
     Indian tribe included on the list published by the Secretary 
     of the Interior under section 104 of the Federally Recognized 
     Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C.479a-1).
       (b) Requests for Conveyance.--
       (1) In general.--The Executive Director may submit to the 
     Secretary of the Air Force, on behalf of any Indian tribe 
     located in the State of Idaho, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, 
     South Dakota, Montana, or Minnesota, a request for conveyance 
     of any relocatable military housing unit located at Grand 
     Forks Air Force Base, Minot Air Force Base, Malmstrom Air 
     Force Base, Ellsworth Air Force Base, or Mountain Home Air 
     Force Base.
       (2) Conflicts.--The Executive Director shall resolve any 
     conflict among requests of Indian tribes for housing units 
     described in paragraph (1) before submitting a request to the 
     Secretary of the Air Force under this subsection.
       (c) Conveyance by Secretary.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, on receipt of a request under subsection 
     (c)(1), the

[[Page 18718]]

     Secretary of the Air Force may convey to the Indian tribe 
     that is the subject of the request, at no cost to the Air 
     Force and without consideration, any relocatable military 
     housing unit described in subsection (c)(1) that, as 
     determined by the Secretary, is in excess of the needs of the 
     military.


                           amendment no. 1612

    (Purpose: To modify the provision clarifying responsibility for 
     preparation of the biennial global positioning system report)

       Beginning on page 419, strike line 10 and all that follows 
     through page 420, line 2, and insert the following:
       (a) In General.--Section 2281(d) of title 10, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) by striking ``the Secretary of Defense'' and inserting 
     ``the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of 
     Transportation, in their capacity as co-chairs of the 
     National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, 
     Navigation, and Timing,''; and
       (B) by striking ``the Committee on Armed Services of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
     Representatives'' and inserting ``the Committees on Armed 
     Services and Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate and the Committees on Armed Services, Energy and 
     Commerce, and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
     of Representatives''; and
       (2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following 
     new paragraph (2):
       ``(2) In preparing each report required under paragraph 
     (1), the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary 
     of Transportation, in their capacity as co-chairs of the 
     National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, 
     Navigation, and Timing, shall consult with the Secretary of 
     Defense, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
     Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security.''.


                           amendment no. 1560

  (Purpose: To make technical corrections regarding certain military 
 construction projects at Cannon Air Force Base and Holloman Air Force 
                           Base, New Mexico)

       On page 508, between lines 15 and 16, insert the following:

     SEC. 2005. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS REGARDING CERTAIN MILITARY 
                   CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, NEW MEXICO.

       Notwithstanding the table in section 4501, the amounts 
     available for the following projects at the following 
     installations shall be as follows:

                   Air Force: Inside the United States
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Senate
            State               Installation  Project Title   Authorized
                                                                Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Mexico...................  Holloman Air   Fire-Crash              $0
                                Force Base..   Rescue
                                               Station.....
------------------------------------------------------------------------


                       Special Operations Command
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Senate
            State               Installation  Project Title   Authorized
                                                                Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Mexico...................  Cannon Air     SOF AC 130      $6,000,000
                                Force Base..   Loadout
                                               Apron Phase
                                               1...........
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       On page 523, in the table preceding line 1, in the item 
     relating to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, strike 
     ``$15,900,000'' in the amount column and insert 
     ``$5,500,000''.
       On page 525, line 2, strike ``$1,746,821,000'' and insert 
     ``$1,736,421,000''.
       On page 525, line 5, strike ``$822,515,000'' and insert 
     ``$812,115,000''.
       On page 529, in the table preceding line 1 entitled 
     ``Special Operations Command'', in the item relating to 
     Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, strike ``$52,864,000'' in 
     the amount column and insert ``$58,864,000''.
       On page 531, line 16, strike ``$3,284,025,000'' and insert 
     ``$3,290,025,000''.
       On page 531, line 19, strike ``$963,373,000'' and insert 
     ``$969,373,000''.


                           amendment no. 1500

   (Purpose: To include analysis of military whistleblower reprisal 
  appeals in the assessment by the Comptroller General of the United 
             States of military whistleblower protections)

       On page 428, between lines 21 and 22, insert the following:
       (3) A sample of military whistleblower reprisal appeals (as 
     selected by the Comptroller General for the purposes of this 
     section) heard by the Boards for the Correction of Military 
     Records referred to in section 1552 of title 10, United 
     States Code, of each military department.


                           amendment no. 1535

(Purpose: To require the Director of National Intelligence to report on 
            Cuba and Cuba's relations with other countries)

       At the end of subtitle B of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1222. REPORT ON CUBA AND CUBA'S RELATIONS WITH OTHER 
                   COUNTRIES.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall provide 
     to the defense and intelligence committees of the Congress a 
     report addressing the following:
       (1) The cooperative agreements and relationships that Cuba 
     has with Iran, North Korea, and other states suspected of 
     nuclear proliferation.
       (2) A detailed account of the economic support provided by 
     Venezuela to Cuba and the intelligence and other support that 
     Cuba provides to the government of Hugo Chavez.
       (3) A review of the evidence of relationships between the 
     Cuban government or any of its components with drug cartels 
     or involvement in other drug trafficking activities.
       (4) The status and extent of Cuba's clandestine activities 
     in the United States.
       (5) The extent and activities of Cuban support for 
     governments in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Central America, 
     and the Caribbean.
       (6) The status and extent of Cuba's research and 
     development program for biological weapons production.
       (7) The status and extent of Cuba's cyberwarfare program.


                           amendment no. 1536

(Purpose: To require the Director of National Intelligence to report on 
    political and other support provided by Venezuelan officials to 
                      terrorist and other groups)

       At the end of subtitle B of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1222. REPORT ON VENEZUELA.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall provide 
     to the defense and intelligence committees of the Congress a 
     report addressing the following:
       (1) An inventory of all weapons purchases by, and transfers 
     to, the government of Venezuela and Venezuela's transfers to 
     other countries since 1998, particularly purchases and 
     transfers of missiles, ships, submarines, and any other 
     advanced systems. The report shall include an assessment of 
     whether there

[[Page 18719]]

     is accountability of the purchases and transfers with respect 
     to the end-use and diversion of such materiel to popular 
     militias, other governments, or irregular armed forces.
       (2) The mining and shipping of Venezuelan uranium to Iran, 
     North Korea, and other states suspected of nuclear 
     proliferation.
       (3) The extent to which Hugo Chavez and other Venezuelan 
     officials and supporters of the Venezuelan government provide 
     political counsel, collaboration, financial ties, refuge, and 
     other forms of support, including military materiel, to the 
     Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
       (4) The extent to which Hugo Chavez and other Venezuelan 
     officials provide funding, logistical and political support 
     to the Islamist terrorist organization Hezbollah.
       (5) Deployment of Venezuelan security or intelligence 
     personnel to Bolivia, including any role such personnel have 
     in suppressing opponents of the government of Bolivia.
       (6) Venezuela's clandestine material support for political 
     movements and individuals throughout the Western Hemisphere 
     with the objective of influencing the internal affairs of 
     nations in the Western Hemisphere.
       (7) Efforts by Hugo Chavez and other officials or 
     supporters of the Venezuelan government to convert or launder 
     funds that are the property of Venezuelan government 
     agencies, instrumentalities, parastatals, including Petroleos 
     de Venezuela, SA (PDVSA).
       (8) Covert payments by Hugo Chavez or officials or 
     supporters of the Venezuelan government to foreign political 
     candidates, government officials, or officials of 
     international organizations for the purpose of influencing 
     the performance of their official duties.


                           amendment no. 1510

   (Purpose: To provide technical changes to land conveyance matters 
           regarding Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota)

       On page 565, after line 20, add the following:

     SEC. 2832. LAND CONVEYANCE, ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SOUTH 
                   DAKOTA.

       (a) Change in Recipient Under Existing Authority.--
       (1) In general.--Section 2863(a) of the Military 
     Construction Act for Fiscal Year 1998 (division B of Public 
     Law 105-85; 111 Stat. 2010), as amended by section 2865(a) of 
     the Military Construction Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (as 
     enacted into law by Public Law 106-398; 114 Stat. 1654A-435), 
     is further amended by striking ``West River Foundation for 
     Economic and Community Development, Sturgis, South Dakota (in 
     this section referred to as the `Foundation')'' and inserting 
     ``South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority, Pierre, South 
     Dakota (in this section referred to as the `Authority')''.
       (2) Technical and conforming amendments.--Section 2863 of 
     the Military Construction Act for Fiscal Year 1998 (division 
     B of Public Law 105-85; 111 Stat. 2010), as amended by 
     section 2865(b) of the Military Construction Act for Fiscal 
     Year 2001 (as enacted into law by Public Law 106-398; 114 
     Stat. 1654A-435), is further amended--
       (A) by striking ``Foundation'' each place it appears in 
     subsections (c) and (e) and inserting ``Authority'';
       (B) in subsection (b)(1)--
       (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``137.56 acres'' and 
     inserting ``120.70 acres''; and
       (ii) by striking subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E).
       (b) New Conveyance Authority.--
       (1) Conveyance authorized.--The Secretary of the Air Force 
     may convey, without consideration, to the South Dakota 
     Ellsworth Development Authority, Pierre, South Dakota (in 
     this subsection referred to as the ``Authority''), all right, 
     title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
     parcels of real property located at Ellsworth Air Force Base, 
     South Dakota, referred to in paragraph (2).
       (2) Covered property.--The real property referred to in 
     paragraph (1) is the following:
       (A) A parcel of real property, together with any 
     improvements thereon, consisting of approximately 2.37 acres 
     and comprising the 11000 West Communications Annex.
       (B) A parcel of real property, together with any 
     improvements thereon, consisting of approximately 6.643 acres 
     and comprising the South Nike Education Annex.
       (3) Condition.--As a condition of the conveyance under this 
     subsection, the Authority, and any person or entity to which 
     the Authority transfers the property, shall comply in the use 
     of the property with the applicable provisions of the 
     Ellsworth Air Force Base Air Installation Compatible Use Zone 
     Study.
       (4) Reversionary interest.--If the Secretary determines at 
     any time that the real property conveyed under paragraph (1) 
     is not being used in compliance with the applicable 
     provisions of the Ellsworth Air Force Base Air Installation 
     Compatible Use Zone Study, all right, title, and interest in 
     and to such real property, including any improvements and 
     appurtenant easements thereto, shall, at the option of the 
     Secretary, revert to and become the property of the United 
     States, and the United States shall have the right of 
     immediate entry onto such real property. A determination by 
     the Secretary under this paragraph shall be made on the 
     record after an opportunity for a hearing.
       (5) Description of property.--The exact acreage and legal 
     description of the real property to be conveyed under this 
     subsection shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to 
     the Secretary.
       (6) Additional terms and conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require such additional terms and conditions in connection 
     with the conveyance under this subsection as the Secretary 
     considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
     States.


                           amendment no. 1492

(Purpose: To authorize a land conveyance at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, 
                           Cheyenne, Wyoming)

       On page 565, after line 20, add the following:

     SEC. 2832. LAND CONVEYANCE, F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, 
                   CHEYENNE, WYOMING.

       (a) Conveyance Authorized.--The Secretary of the Air Force 
     may convey to the County of Laramie, Wyoming (in this section 
     referred to as the ``County'') all right, title, and interest 
     of the United States in and to a parcel of real property, 
     including any improvements thereon and appurtenant easements 
     thereto, consisting of approximately 73 acres along the 
     southeastern boundary of F.E. Warren Air Force Base, 
     Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the purpose of removing the property 
     from the boundaries of the installation and permitting the 
     County to preserve the entire property for healthcare 
     facilities.
       (b) Consideration.--
       (1) In general.--As consideration for the conveyance under 
     subsection (a), the County shall provide the United States 
     consideration, whether by cash payment, in-kind consideration 
     as described under paragraph (2), or a combination thereof, 
     in an amount that is not less than the fair market value of 
     the conveyed real property, as determined by the Secretary.
       (2) In-kind consideration.--In-kind consideration provided 
     by the County under paragraph (1) may include the 
     acquisition, construction, provision, improvement, 
     maintenance, repair, or restoration (including environmental 
     restoration), or combination thereof, of any facilities or 
     infrastructure relating to the security of F.E. Warren Air 
     Force Base, that the Secretary considers acceptable.
       (3) Relation to other laws.--Sections 2662 and 2802 of 
     title 10, United States Code, shall not apply to any new 
     facilities or infrastructure received by the United States as 
     in-kind consideration under paragraph (2).
       (4) Notice to congress.--The Secretary shall provide 
     written notification to the congressional defense committees 
     of the types and value of consideration provided the United 
     States under paragraph (1).
       (5) Treatment of cash consideration received.--Any cash 
     payment received by the United States under paragraph (1) 
     shall be deposited in the special account in the Treasury 
     established under subsection (b) of section 572 of title 40, 
     United States Code, and shall be available in accordance with 
     paragraph (5)(B)(ii) of such subsection.
       (c) Reversionary Interest.--
       (1) In general.--If the Secretary determines at any time 
     that the County is not using the property conveyed under 
     subsection (a) in accordance with the purpose of the 
     conveyance specified in such subsection, all right, title, 
     and interest in and to the property, including any 
     improvements thereon, shall revert, at the option of the 
     Secretary, to the United States, and the United States shall 
     have the right of immediate entry onto the property. Any 
     determination of the Secretary under this subsection shall be 
     made on the record after an opportunity for a hearing.
       (2) Release of reversionary interest.--The Secretary shall 
     release, without consideration, the reversionary interest 
     retained by the United States under paragraph (1) if--
       (A) F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Cheyenne Wyoming, is no 
     longer being used for Department of Defense activities; or
       (B) the Secretary determines that the reversionary interest 
     is otherwise unnecessary to protect the interests of the 
     United States.
       (d) Payment of Costs of Conveyance.--
       (1) Payment required.--The Secretary shall require the 
     County to cover costs to be incurred by the Secretary, or to 
     reimburse the Secretary for costs incurred by the Secretary, 
     to carry out the conveyance under subsection (a) and 
     implement the receipt of in-kind consideration under 
     paragraph (b), including survey costs, appraisal costs, costs 
     related to environmental documentation, and other 
     administrative costs related to the conveyance and receipt of 
     in-kind consideration. If amounts are received from the 
     County in advance of the Secretary incurring the actual 
     costs, and the amount received exceeds the costs actually 
     incurred by the Secretary under this section, the Secretary 
     shall refund the excess amount to the County.
       (2) Treatment of amounts received.--Amounts received as 
     reimbursements under paragraph (1) shall be credited to the 
     fund or account that was used to cover the costs incurred by 
     the Secretary in carrying out the conveyance and implementing 
     the receipt of in-kind consideration. Amounts so credited 
     shall be merged with amounts in such fund or account and 
     shall be available for the

[[Page 18720]]

     same purposes, and subject to the same conditions and 
     limitations, as amounts in such fund or account.
       (e) Description of Real Property.--The exact acreage and 
     legal description of the real property to be conveyed under 
     subsection (a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory 
     to the Secretary.
       (f) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require such additional terms and conditions in connection 
     with the conveyance under subsection (a) as the Secretary 
     considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
     States.


                           amendment no. 1495

 (Purpose: To authorize a land conveyance at Lackland Air Force Base, 
                                 Texas)

       On page 565, after line 20, insert the following:

     SEC. 2832. LAND CONVEYANCE, LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS.

       (a) Conveyance Authorized.--The Secretary of the Air Force 
     may convey to an eligible entity, all right, title, and 
     interest of the United States to not more than 250 acres of 
     real property and associated easements and improvements on 
     Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in exchange for real property 
     adjacent to or near the installation for the purpose of 
     relocating and consolidating Air Force tenants located on the 
     former Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, onto the main portion of 
     Lackland Air Force Base.
       (b) Condition of Conveyance.--The conveyance under 
     subsection (a) shall be subject to the condition that the 
     eligible entity accept the real property in its condition at 
     the time of the conveyance, commonly known as conveyance ``as 
     is'' and not subject to the requirements for covenants in 
     deed under section 120(h)(3) of the Comprehensive 
     Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 
     1980 (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)(3)).
       (c) Eligible Entities.--A conveyance under this section may 
     be made to the City of San Antonio, Texas, or an organization 
     or agency chartered or sponsored by the local or State 
     government.
       (d) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance 
     under subsection (a), the eligible entity shall provide the 
     Air Force with real property or real property improvements, 
     or a combination of both, of equal value, as determined by 
     the Secretary. If the fair market value of the real property 
     or real property improvements, or combination thereof, is 
     less than the fair market value of the real property to be 
     conveyed by the Air Force, the eligible entity shall provide 
     cash payment to the Air Force, or provide Lackland Air Force 
     Base with in-kind consideration of an amount equal to the 
     difference in the fair market values. Any cash payment 
     received by the Air Force for the conveyance authorized by 
     subsection (a) shall be deposited in the special account 
     described in section 2667(e) of title 10, United States Code, 
     and shall be available to the Secretary for the same uses and 
     subject to the same limitations as provided in that section.
       (e) Payment of Costs of Conveyance.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary may require the eligible 
     entity to cover costs to be incurred by the Secretary, or to 
     reimburse the Secretary for costs incurred by the Secretary, 
     to carry out the conveyances under this section, including 
     survey costs, costs related to environmental documentation, 
     and other administrative costs related to the conveyances. If 
     amounts are collected from the eligible entity in advance of 
     the Secretary incurring the actual costs, and the amount 
     collected exceeds the costs actually incurred by the 
     Secretary to carry out the conveyance, the Secretary shall 
     refund the excess amount to the eligible entity.
       (2) Treatment of amounts received.--Amounts received as 
     reimbursement under paragraph (1) shall be credited to the 
     fund or account that was used to cover the costs incurred by 
     the Secretary in carrying out the conveyances. Amounts so 
     credited shall be merged with amounts in such fund or 
     account, and shall be available for the same purposes, and 
     subject to the same conditions and limitations, as amounts in 
     such fund or account.
       (f) Description of Property.--The exact acreage and legal 
     description of the real property to be conveyed under 
     subsection (a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory 
     to the Secretary.
       (g) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require such additional terms and conditions in connection 
     with the conveyances under this section as the Secretary 
     considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
     States.


                           amendment no. 1599

 (Purpose: To authorize a land conveyance at Haines Tank Farm, Haines, 
                                Alaska)

       On page 565, after line 20, insert the following:

     SEC. 2832. LAND CONVEYANCE, HAINES TANK FARM, HAINES, ALASKA.

       (a) Conveyance Authorized.--The Secretary of the Army may 
     convey to the Chilkoot Indian Association (in this section 
     referred to as the ``Association'') all right, title, and 
     interest of the United States in and to a parcel of real 
     property, including improvements thereon, consisting of 
     approximately 201 acres located at the former Haines Fuel 
     Terminal (also known as the Haines Tank Farm) in Haines, 
     Alaska, for the purpose of permitting the Association to 
     develop a Deep Sea Port and for other industrial and 
     commercial development purposes. To the extent practicable, 
     the Secretary is encouraged to complete the conveyance by 
     September 30, 2013, but not prior to the date of completion 
     of all obligations referenced in subsection (e).
       (b) Consideration.--As consideration for the conveyance 
     under subsection (a), the Association shall pay to the 
     Secretary an amount equal to the fair market value of the 
     property, as determined by the Secretary. The determination 
     of the Secretary shall be final.
       (c) Reversionary Interest.--If the Secretary determines at 
     any time that the real property conveyed under subsection (a) 
     is not being used in accordance with the purpose of the 
     conveyance, all right, title, and interest in and to such 
     real property, including any improvements and appurtenant 
     easements thereto, shall, at the option of the Secretary, 
     revert to and become the property of the United States, and 
     the United States shall have the right of immediate entry 
     onto such real property. A determination by the Secretary 
     under this subsection shall be made on the record after an 
     opportunity for a hearing.
       (d) Payment of Costs of Conveyances.--
       (1) Payment required.--The Secretary shall require the 
     Association to cover costs to be incurred by the Secretary, 
     or to reimburse the Secretary for costs incurred by the 
     Secretary, to carry out the conveyance under subsection (a), 
     including survey costs, costs related to environmental 
     documentation, and other administrative costs related to the 
     conveyance. If amounts are collected from the Association in 
     advance of the Secretary incurring the actual costs, and the 
     amount collected exceeds the costs actually incurred by the 
     Secretary to carry out the conveyance, the Secretary shall 
     refund the excess amount to the Association.
       (2) Treatment of amounts received.--Amounts received as 
     reimbursements under paragraph (1) shall be credited to the 
     fund or account that was used to cover the costs incurred by 
     the Secretary in carrying out the conveyance. Amounts so 
     credited shall be merged with amounts in such fund or account 
     and shall be available for the same purposes, and subject to 
     the same conditions and limitations, as amounts in such fund 
     or account.
       (e) Savings Provision.--The Haines Tank Farm is currently 
     under a remedial investigation (RI) for petroleum, oil and 
     lubricants contamination. Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to affect or limit the application of, or any 
     obligation to comply with, any environmental law, including 
     the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
     seq.), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
     Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et 
     seq.) and the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et 
     seq.).
       (f) Description of Property.--The exact acreage and legal 
     description of the real property to be conveyed under this 
     section shall be determined by a survey satisfactory to the 
     Secretary.
       (g) Additional Term and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require such additional terms and conditions in connection 
     with the conveyance under this section as the Secretary 
     considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
     States.


                           amendment no. 1636

(Purpose: To authorize land conveyances of certain parcels in the Camp 
           Catlin and Ohana Nui areas, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii)

       On page 565, after line 20, add the following:

     SEC. 2832. LAND CONVEYANCES OF CERTAIN PARCELS IN THE CAMP 
                   CATLIN AND OHANA NUI AREAS, PEARL HARBOR, 
                   HAWAII.

       (a) Conveyances Authorized.--The Secretary of the Navy 
     (``the Secretary'') may convey to any person or entity 
     leasing or licensing real property located at Camp Catlin and 
     Ohana Nui areas, Hawaii, as of the date of the enactment of 
     this Act (``the lessee'') all right, title, and interest of 
     the United States in and to the portion of such property that 
     is respectively leased or licensed by such person or entity 
     for the purpose of continuing the same functions as are being 
     conducted on the property as of the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.
       (b) Consideration.--As consideration for a conveyance under 
     subsection (a), the lessee shall provide the United States, 
     whether by cash payment, in-kind consideration, or a 
     combination thereof, an amount that is not less than the fair 
     market of the conveyed property, as determined pursuant to an 
     appraisal acceptable to the Secretary.
       (c) Exercise of Right To Purchase Property.--
       (1) Acceptance of offer.--For a period of 180 days 
     beginning on the date the Secretary makes a written offer to 
     convey the property or any portion thereof under subsection 
     (a), the lessee shall have the exclusive right to accept such 
     offer by providing written notice of acceptance to the 
     Secretary within the specified 180-day time period. If the 
     Secretary's offer is not so accepted within the 180-day 
     period, the offer shall expire.
       (2) Conveyance deadline.--If a lessee accepts the offer to 
     convey the property or a portion thereof in accordance with 
     paragraph (1), the conveyance shall take place

[[Page 18721]]

     not later than 2 years after the date of the lessee's written 
     acceptance, provided that the conveyance date may be extended 
     for a reasonable period of time by mutual agreement of the 
     parties, evidenced by a written instrument executed by the 
     parties prior to the end of the 2-year period. If the 
     lessee's lease or license term expires before the conveyance 
     is completed, the Secretary may extend the lease or license 
     term up to the date of conveyance, provided that the lessee 
     shall be required to pay for such extended term at the rate 
     in effect at the time it was declared excess property.
       (d) Payment of Costs of Conveyances.--
       (1) Payment required.--The Secretary shall require the 
     lessee to cover costs to be incurred by the Secretary, or to 
     reimburse the Secretary for costs incurred by the Secretary, 
     to carry out a conveyance under subsection (a), including 
     survey costs, related to the conveyance. If amounts are 
     collected from the lessee in advance of the Secretary 
     incurring the actual costs, and the amount collected exceeds 
     the costs actually incurred by the Secretary to carry out the 
     conveyance, the Secretary shall refund the excess amount to 
     the lessee.
       (2) Treatment of amounts received.--Amounts received under 
     paragraph (1) as reimbursement for costs incurred by the 
     Secretary to carry out a conveyance under subsection (a) 
     shall be credited to the fund or account that was used to 
     cover the costs incurred by the Secretary in carrying out the 
     conveyance. Amounts so credited shall be merged with amounts 
     in such fund or account and shall be available for the same 
     purposes, and subject to the same conditions and limitations, 
     as amounts in such fund or account.
       (e) Description of Property.--The exact acreage and legal 
     description of any real property to be conveyed under 
     subsection (a) shall be determined by a survey satisfactory 
     to the Secretary.
       (f) Additional Term and Conditions.--The Secretary may 
     require such additional terms and conditions in connection 
     with a conveyance under subsection (a) as the Secretary 
     considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United 
     States.


                           amendment no. 1619

  (Purpose: To authorize the Department of Defense to participate in 
programs for the management of energy demand or the reduction of energy 
                       usage during peak periods)

       At the appropriate place in title III, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. __. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAMS FOR 
                   MANAGEMENT OF ENERGY DEMAND OR REDUCTION OF 
                   ENERGY USAGE DURING PEAK PERIODS.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 173 of title 10, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 2919. Department of Defense participation in programs 
       for management of energy demand or reduction of energy 
       usage during peak periods

       ``(a) Participation in Demand Response or Load Management 
     Programs.--The Secretary of Defense, the Secretaries of the 
     military departments, the heads of the Defense Agencies, and 
     the heads of other instrumentalities of the Department of 
     Defense are authorized to participate in demand response 
     programs for the management of energy demand or the reduction 
     of energy usage during peak periods conducted by any of the 
     following parties:
       ``(1) An electric utility
       ``(2) An independent system operator.
       ``(3) A State agency.
       ``(4) A third party entity (such as a demand response 
     aggregator or curtailment service provider) implementing 
     demand response programs on behalf of an electric utility, 
     independent system operator, or State agency.
       ``(b) Treatment of Certain Financial Incentives.--Financial 
     incentives received from an entity specified in subsection 
     (a) shall be received in cash and deposited into the Treasury 
     as a miscellaneous receipt. Amounts received shall be 
     available for obligation only to the extent provided in 
     advance in an appropriations Act. The Secretary concerned or 
     the head of the Defense Agency or other instrumentality, as 
     the case may be, shall pay for the cost of the design and 
     implementation of these services in full in the year in which 
     they are received from amounts provided in advance in an 
     appropriations Act.
       ``(c) Use of Certain Financial Incentives.--Of the amounts 
     derived from financial incentives awarded to a military 
     installation as described in subsection (b) and provided for 
     in advance by an appropriations Act--
       ``(1) not less than 100 percent shall be made available for 
     use at such military installation; and
       ``(2) not less than 30 percent shall be made available for 
     energy management initiatives at such installation.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such subchapter is amended by adding at the end 
     the following new item:

``2919. Department of Defense participation in programs for management 
              of energy demand or reduction of energy usage during peak 
              periods.''.


                           amendment no. 1638

  (Purpose: To require a master plan to provide world class military 
           medical facilities in the National Capital Region)

       At the end of title XXVII, add the following:

     SEC. 2707. REQUIREMENT FOR MASTER PLAN TO PROVIDE WORLD CLASS 
                   MILITARY MEDICAL FACILITIES IN THE NATIONAL 
                   CAPITAL REGION.

       (a) Master Plan Required.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Defense shall develop and implement a comprehensive master 
     plan to provide world class military medical facilities and 
     an integrated system of health care delivery for the National 
     Capital Region that--
       (1) addresses--
       (A) the unique needs of members of the Armed Forces and 
     retired members of the Armed Forces and their families;
       (B) the care, management, and transition of seriously ill 
     and injured members of the Armed Forces and their families;
       (C) the missions of the branch or branches of the Armed 
     Forces served; and
       (D) performance expectations for the future integrated 
     health care delivery system, including--
       (i) information management and information technology 
     support; and
       (ii) expansion of support services;
       (2) includes the establishment of an integrated process for 
     the joint development of budgets, prioritization of 
     requirements, and the allocation of funds;
       (3) designates a single entity within the Department of 
     Defense with the budget and operational authority to respond 
     quickly to and address emerging facility and operational 
     requirements required to provide and operate world class 
     military medical facilities in the National Capital Region;
       (4) incorporates all ancillary and support facilities at 
     the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, 
     including education and research facilities as well as 
     centers of excellence, transportation, and parking structures 
     required to provide a full range of adequate care and 
     services for members of the Armed Forces and their families;
       (5) ensures that each facility covered by the plan meets or 
     exceeds Joint Commission hospital design standards as 
     applicable; and
       (6) can be used as a model to develop similar master plans 
     for all military medical facilities within the Department of 
     Defense.
       (b) Milestone Schedule and Cost Estimates.--Not later than 
     90 days after the development of the master plan required by 
     (a), the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense 
     committees a report describing--
       (1) the schedule for completion of requirements identified 
     in the master plan; and
       (2) updated cost estimates to provide world class military 
     medical facilities for the National Capital Region.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) National capital region.--The term ``National Capital 
     Region'' has the meaning given the term in section 2674(f) of 
     title 10, United States Code.
       (2) World class military medical facility.--The term 
     ``world class military medical facility'' has the meaning 
     given the term by the National Capital Region Base 
     Realignment and Closure Health Systems Advisory Subcommittee 
     of the Defense Health Board in appendix B of the report 
     entitled ``Achieving World Class--An Independent Review of 
     the Design Plans for the Walter Reed National Military 
     Medical Center and the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital'', 
     published in May, 2009.


                           amendment no. 1642

 (Purpose: To require the Comptroller General of the United States to 
 conduct a review of spending in the final quarter of fiscal year 2009 
                     by the Department of Defense)

       At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1073. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW OF SPENDING IN THE 
                   FINAL QUARTER OF FISCAL YEAR 2009 BY THE 
                   DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

       (a) Review of Spending by the Comptroller General.--The 
     Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a 
     review of the obligations and expenditures of the Department 
     of Defense in the final quarter of fiscal year 2009, as 
     compared to the obligations and expenditures of the 
     Department in the first three quarters of that fiscal year, 
     to determine if policies with respect to spending by the 
     Department contribute to hastened year-end spending and poor 
     use or waste of taxpayer dollars.
       (b) Report.--Not later than the earlier of March 30, 2010, 
     or the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress 
     a report containing--
       (1) the results of the review conducted under subsection 
     (a); and
       (2) any recommendations of the Comptroller General with 
     respect to improving the policies pursuant to which amounts 
     appropriated to the Department of Defense are obligated and 
     expended in the final quarter of the fiscal year.

[[Page 18722]]




                           amendment no. 1499

 (Purpose: To authorize an Air Force Academy athletics support program)

       On page 120, before line 1, insert the following:

     SEC. 524. AIR FORCE ACADEMY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 903 of title 10, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting after section 9361 the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 9362. Air Force Academy athletic programs support

       ``(a) Establishment Authorized.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Air Force may, in 
     accordance with the laws of the State of incorporation, 
     establish a corporation to support the athletic programs of 
     the Academy (in this section referred to as the 
     `corporation'). All stock of the corporation shall be owned 
     by the United States and held in the name of and voted by the 
     Secretary of the Air Force.
       ``(2) Purpose.--The corporation shall operate exclusively 
     for charitable, educational, and civic purposes to support 
     the athletic programs of the Academy.
       ``(b) Corporate Organization.--The corporation shall be 
     organized and operated--
       ``(1) as a nonprofit corporation under section 501(c)(3) of 
     the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
       ``(2) in accordance with this section; and
       ``(3) pursuant to the laws of the State of incorporation, 
     its articles of incorporation, and its bylaws.
       ``(c) Corporate Board of Directors.--
       ``(1) Compensation.--The members of the board of directors 
     shall serve without compensation, except for reasonable 
     travel and other related expenses for attendance at meetings.
       ``(2) Air force personnel.--The Secretary of the Air Force 
     may authorize military and civilian personnel of the Air 
     Force under section 1033 of this title to serve, in their 
     official capacities, as members of the board of directors, 
     but such personnel shall not hold more than one third of the 
     directorships.
       ``(d) Transfer From Nonappropriated Fund Operation.--The 
     Secretary of the Air Force may, subject to the acceptance of 
     the corporation, transfer to the corporation all title to and 
     ownership of the assets and liabilities of the Air Force 
     nonappropriated fund instrumentality whose functions include 
     providing support for the athletic programs of the Academy, 
     including bank accounts and financial reserves in its 
     accounts, equipment, supplies, and other personal property, 
     but excluding any interest in real property.
       ``(e) Acceptance of Gifts.--The Secretary of the Air Force 
     may accept from the corporation funds, supplies, and services 
     for the support of cadets and Academy personnel during their 
     participation in, or in support of, Academy or corporate 
     events related to the Academy athletic programs.
       ``(f) Leasing.--The Secretary of the Air Force may, in 
     accordance with section 2667 of this title, lease real and 
     personal property to the corporation for purposes related to 
     the Academy athletic programs. Money rentals received from 
     any such lease may be retained and spent by the Secretary to 
     support athletic programs of the Academy.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 9361 the following new item:

``9362. Air Force Academy athletic programs support.''.


                           amendment no. 1634

   (Purpose: To express the sense of Congress regarding airfares for 
                      members of the Armed Forces)

       On page 201, after line 25, add the following:

     SEC. 652. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON AIRFARES FOR MEMBERS OF THE 
                   ARMED FORCES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The Armed Forces is comprised of over 1,450,000 active-
     duty members from every State and territory of the United 
     States who are assigned to thousands of installations, 
     stations, and ships worldwide and who oftentimes must travel 
     long distances by air at their own expense to enjoy the 
     benefits of leave and liberty.
       (2) The United States is indebted to the members of the all 
     volunteer Armed Forces and their families who protect our 
     Nation, often experiencing long separations due to the 
     demands of military service and in life threatening 
     circumstances.
       (3) Military service often precludes long range planning 
     for leave and liberty to provide opportunities for reunions 
     and recreation with loved ones and requires changes in 
     planning due to military necessity which results in last 
     minute changes in planning.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) all United States commercial carriers should seek to 
     lend their support with flexible, generous policies 
     applicable to members of the Armed Forces who are traveling 
     on leave or liberty at their own expense; and
       (2) each United States air carrier, for all members of the 
     Armed Forces who have been granted leave or liberty and who 
     are traveling by air at their own expense, should--
       (A) seek to provide reduced air fares that are comparable 
     to the lowest airfare for ticketed flights and that eliminate 
     to the maximum extent possible advance purchase requirements;
       (B) seek to eliminate change fees or charges and any 
     penalties for military personnel;
       (C) seek to eliminate or reduce baggage and excess weight 
     fees;
       (D) offer flexible terms that allow members of the Armed 
     Forces on active duty to purchase, modify, or cancel tickets 
     without time restrictions, and to waive fees (including 
     baggage fees), ancillary costs, or penalties; and
       (E) seek to take proactive measures to ensure that all 
     airline employees, particularly those who issue tickets and 
     respond to members of the Armed Forces and their family 
     members are trained in the policies of the airline aimed at 
     benefitting members of the Armed Forces who are on leave.


                           amendment no. 1676

 (Purpose: To require the Comptroller General of the United States to 
 review the assessment and plan for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense 
            element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System)

       On page 66, between lines 19 and 20, insert the following:
       (e) Comptroller General Review.--The Comptroller General of 
     the United States shall--
       (1) review the assessment required by subsection (b) and 
     the plan required by subsection (c); and
       (2) not later than 120 days after receiving the assessment 
     and the plan, provide to the congressional defense committees 
     the results of the review.


                           amendment no. 1677

     (Purpose: To avoid a break in production of the Ground-based 
   Interceptor missile until the Department of Defense completes the 
   Ballistic Missile Defense Review and to ensure there is no gap in 
   homeland defense by ensuring that Missile Field 1 at Fort Greely, 
 Alaska, does not complete decommissioning until seven silos have been 
              emplaced at Missile Field 2 at Fort Greely)

       At the end of subtitle C of title II, add the following:

     SEC. 245. CONTINUED PRODUCTION OF GROUND-BASED INTERCEPTOR 
                   MISSILE AND OPERATION OF MISSILE FIELD 1 AT 
                   FORT GREELY, ALASKA.

       (a) Limitation on Break in Production.--The Secretary of 
     Defense shall ensure that the Missile Defense Agency does not 
     allow a break in production of the Ground-based Interceptor 
     missile until the Department of Defense has--
       (1) completed the Ballistic Missile Defense Review; and
       (2) made a determination with respect to the number of 
     Ground-based Interceptor missiles that will be necessary to 
     support the service life of the Ground-based Midcourse 
     Defense element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System.
       (b) Limitation on Certain Actions With Respect to Missile 
     Field 1 and Missile Field 2 at Fort Greely, Alaska.--
       (1) Limitation on decommissioning of missile field 1.--The 
     Secretary of Defense shall ensure that Missile Field 1 at 
     Fort Greely, Alaska, does not complete decommissioning until 
     seven silos have been emplaced at Missile Field 2 at Fort 
     Greely.
       (2) Limitation with respect to disposition of silos at 
     missile field 2.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that 
     no irreversible decision is made with respect to the 
     disposition of operational silos at Missile Field 2 at Fort 
     Greely, Alaska, until that date that is 60 days after the 
     date on which the reports required by subsections (b)(3) and 
     (c)(3) of section 243 are submitted to the congressional 
     defense committees.
  Mr. LEVIN. Now, Mr. President, I would ask unanimous consent that 
Senator Udall be recognized as in morning business for 10 minutes; then 
that Senator Akaka be recognized to speak on an amendment, which he 
intends to offer, and which we will do everything we can to make in 
order tomorrow; and then that Senator Murray be recognized for 10 
minutes as in morning business.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, and I will 
not object, it is also my understanding then that at the beginning of 
business tomorrow we will be taking up the Kyl amendment and the Bayh 
either second degree or side-by-side, with 2 hours equally divided.
  Mr. LEVIN. No. The UC, I believe, as it reads, is that we will take 
up the Kyl amendment tomorrow, with a possible second degree or side-
by-side; and then after they are disposed of, then we would go to the 
Lieberman amendment and a second degree or a side-by-side amendment of 
Senator Bayh.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. On the alternate engine.
  Mr. LEVIN. On the alternate engine.

[[Page 18723]]


  Mr. McCAIN. So we would be taking up the Kyl amendment first, and 
then----
  Mr. LEVIN. Then a possible second degree or side-by-side to Kyl. 
Then, after the disposition of Kyl and any side-by-side or second 
degree, we would move to the Lieberman amendment on alternate engines, 
with a Bayh second degree or side-by-side.
  Mr. McCAIN. And there are time agreements on both amendments?
  Mr. LEVIN. We do not have a time agreement yet on any of the 
amendments. We hope in the morning to have time agreements. But we did 
not have the language available for any--we did not have either the 
second-degree amendment language or the side-by-side available, so your 
side was unable, understandably, to agree to a time agreement.
  Mr. McCAIN. Once the other sides of these amendments are aware of the 
side-by-side, then it is our intention to have an hour or two equally 
divided, and then move on to pending amendments.
  Mr. LEVIN. If it is not already agreed to, I think there was an 
understanding on the Lieberman and on the Bayh amendments there would 
be an hour for each.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. That is fine.
  Mr. LEVIN. We need the language before that can be agreed to. But 
that is the understanding or intent.
  Mr. McCAIN. I thank the chairman. I think that clears up what our 
plans are for a good part of tomorrow.
  Mr. LEVIN. There will be no more votes tonight.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there any objection to the speaker order?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to 
speak as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                          Sotomayor Nomination

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, 28 years ago my father, former 
Congressman from Arizona, Morris Udall, took the long walk from the 
House of Representatives to come to the Senate. The divide that 
separates the two great Chambers of Congress sometimes struck my father 
as deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon of Arizona, but he crossed 
over that day because he had a mission. He came to testify before the 
Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of a fellow Arizonan--Sandra Day 
O'Connor--the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
  My father, who was often at odds with ideologues of every stripe, 
noted she was ``clearly conservative,'' but he also spoke of her 
``great judicial temperament'' and her disposition to always put 
justice ahead of partisanship.
  Justice O'Connor proved to be an outstanding member of the Court, and 
my father never regretted his decision to support her nomination.
  A generation later, I am honored to stand here today to voice my 
strong support for the first Hispanic woman nominated for the U.S. 
Supreme Court--Sonia Sotomayor.
  Judge Sotomayor's story is truly the quintessential example of the 
American dream. The daughter of Puerto Rican parents who moved to New 
York City at a time when racial and ethnic prejudice was widespread, 
she lost her father at age 9. Her extraordinary mother worked hard to 
provide an example of striving in the best sense of that word. Sonia 
Sotomayor took that example to Princeton, Yale Law School, the 
Manhattan District Attorney's Office, and as a Federal judge.
  It is no wonder the Hispanic community is proud of this nomination 
and has shown an outpouring of support for Judge Sotomayor. I was moved 
personally to learn that Hispanic citizens from across the country 
traveled to Washington, DC, and stood in line for hours in order to be 
in the audience for her confirmation hearings.
  Former Colorado State Senator Polly Baca was one of those who 
traveled from Colorado. As a friend of the Sotomayor family, Polly's 
reaction mirrored many others when she said that the judge is ``just 
brilliant.'' ``Some people viewed her as a bit of a nerd,'' Senator 
Baca said, ``because she worked so hard, studied so hard. And she's led 
her life that way. . . .'' ``She is who she is,'' Senator Baca 
concluded. This historic nomination is not only a source of pride for 
Hispanic Americans, but for all of us. That is because we all take 
heart and experience pride when we hear of a fellow American who 
overcomes great obstacles and does good through hard work and 
perseverance.
  Let me quote the Greeley Tribune out on our eastern plains in my home 
State of Colorado. The Tribune wrote:

       This is, instead, a celebration of the growth of our 
     democracy . . . it is important that we recognize her 
     nomination for what it is: a signpost on the unending road 
     toward a more perfect union.

  The Framers of the Constitution specifically outlined the advise and 
consent role of the Senate regarding nominations. This is one of our 
most solemn duties as Senators, the importance of which cannot be 
overstated. I take this responsibility very seriously. The Supreme 
Court is the highest Court in our land. Once it rules on a case, that 
holding and rule become the law of the land. The Presiding Officer, as 
the former attorney general of Illinois, knows that to be the case. The 
men and women we send to serve there make decisions and render 
judgments that can chart our destiny, literally, as a people.
  So an inspiring life story is not the only or even the most 
compelling reason to confirm Judge Sotomayor. What matters most? Her 
qualifications for the job, her record, and her approach to the 
Constitution.
  Last week my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee began the 
confirmation proceedings for Judge Sotomayor and examined her record. 
During those hearings, the judge handled herself with grace and poise. 
She answered tough questions and clearly demonstrated her commitment to 
the law and the Constitution.
  Out on the west slope of our great State of Colorado, we have the 
city of Grand Junction. The Daily Sentinel, that city's newspaper, 
stated last week: ``Sotomayor is unquestionably qualified.'' And I 
agree.
  There is no doubt that she is superbly qualified to be our next 
Supreme Court Justice. As a Federal trial judge, in addition to her 
more recent experience on the court of appeals, Judge Sotomayor brings 
more experience as a judge to the job of serving on the Supreme Court 
than anyone currently serving on the Court.
  In addition, the judge received a ``well-qualified'' rating from the 
American Bar Association. This is the highest rating from the ABA, 
notable because it is given by Judge Sotomayor's peers.
  Judge Sotomayor has received endorsements from a variety of 
organizations, ranging from law enforcement and sportsmen and hunters, 
to legal and higher education professionals.
  The Framers of the Constitution anticipated the importance of having 
an independent and duty-bound judiciary. Alexander Hamilton, in the 
Federalist Papers, noted that:

       To avoid an arbitrary discretion in the courts, it is 
     indispensable that they should be bound down by strict rules 
     and precedents, which serve to define and point out their 
     duty in every particular case that comes before them. . . .

  From her record, it is unmistakable that Judge Sotomayor has 
demonstrated a commitment to precedent and the rule of law, as Mr. 
Hamilton described it. During her confirmation hearings, she said:

       As a judge, I do not make the law . . . judges must apply 
     the law.

  Some have raised the question whether Judge Sotomayor is a ``liberal 
activist'' because of her involvement on the board of the Puerto Rican 
Legal Defense and Education Fund. But Judge Sotomayor's role and 
involvement has not been in directing legal opinions from this 
organization, but it has been directed instead at encouraging Puerto 
Rican youth to pursue careers in the legal profession.
  According to her record, she has participated in 434 published panel 
decisions where there was at least one judge appointed by a Republican 
President. Despite notions to the contrary, she has agreed with the 
result favored by the Republican appointee 95 percent

[[Page 18724]]

of the time. What does that demonstrate? Well, it demonstrates that 
Judge Sotomayor does not have an ideological bias but that she is a 
moderate jurist.
  I also wish to acknowledge another alleged controversy Judge 
Sotomayor's critics have seized upon as a reason to oppose her 
confirmation; that is, her so-called ``wise Latina'' remarks in which 
the judge waxed not so eloquently on her hopes that she might draw 
special wisdom and insight from her personal experience. Judge 
Sotomayor herself has acknowledged the clumsiness of her language. If 
anything in her record suggested a special bias or prejudice, these 
words might be evidence of a larger problem, but that is simply not 
borne out in a review of her record on the bench. Nor did her decision 
on the Ricci case strike me as evidence of activist bias so much as it 
was a case of deference for judicial precedent. It strikes me as 
particularly unfair for Judge Sotomayor's critics to assail her for 
social activism when there is little, if any, evidence of that in her 
record, and they also used the Ricci case as an example. Frankly, I 
think the judge's opinions consistently show judicial restraint, 
respect for established legal precedent, and deference to the 
policymaking role of the elected branches--even when it leads to a 
result that may be unpopular or different from her personal opinion.
  After I had a chance to meet with Judge Sotomayor, I came away with 
the opinion that she possesses the temperament, the qualifications, and 
the experience to meet the challenges of serving at the highest level 
on the Supreme Court.
  I also appreciated that she acknowledged one of the most important 
issues to the livelihood of westerners: water. She surprised me when 
she said that all of the questions surrounding water may be among the 
most challenging legal controversies we face in the next 25 to 50 
years. We did not have a conversation about the specific legal issues 
that might emerge around water, energy, or public lands in the West, 
but what I saw was a reassuring appreciation for the unique problems of 
our region and an intellectual curiosity to match it.
  So as I conclude, I have reviewed Judge Sotomayor's impressive 
judicial record. I have watched and listened carefully to her answers 
during her confirmation hearing and met with her in person. Like 
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, I believe she is poised to make history. I 
am proud to support her nomination, and I would encourage my colleagues 
in the Senate to do likewise.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that after the 
remarks of the Senator from Hawaii, the Senate go into a period of 
morning business, with Senator Murray to be recognized first for 10 
minutes and other Members of the body permitted to speak for up to 10 
minutes each.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Hawaii is recognized.


                           Amendment No. 1522

  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise to speak on amendment No. 1522 to S. 
1390. I understand there is not yet an agreement to consider the 
amendment, but I am hopeful there will be one soon.
  Amendment No. 1522 would enhance the retirement security of Federal 
employees and address inequities in the system. As chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal 
Workforce, and the District of Columbia, I am proud to join with 
Senators Collins, Lieberman, Voinovich, Murkowski, Begich, Kohl, 
Mikulski, Cardin, Inouye, Webb, and Warner in this bipartisan 
amendment.
  Each of these revisions is much needed and has been thoroughly 
debated by the appropriate committees in the House and Senate. Many of 
the changes were requested by the administrators of the retirement 
plans and are strongly supported by many organizations. The list of 
supporters is too long to read here, but it includes every major 
Federal employee union; postal unions, supervisors, and postmasters; 
the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and several 
government managers groups.
  Most important to my home State of Hawaii, the amendment provides 
retirement equity to Federal employees in Hawaii, Alaska, and the 
territories. More than 23,000 Federal employees in Hawaii, including 
more than 17,000 Defense Department employees and another 30,000 
Federal employees in Alaska and the territories, currently receive a 
cost-of-living allowance which is not taxed and does not count for 
retirement. Because of this, workers in the nonforeign areas retire 
with significantly lower annuities than their counterparts in the 48 
States and DC. COLA rates are scheduled to go down later this year, 
along with the pay of nearly 50,000 Federal employees if we do not 
provide this fix.
  In 2007, I introduced the Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity 
Assurance Act. The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent in 
October 2008. Unfortunately, the House did not have time to consider 
the bill before adjournment.
  I reintroduced S. 507, which is included in the amendment, with 
Senators Murkowski, Inouye, and Begich. It is nearly identical to the 
bill that passed the Senate last year. It is a bipartisan effort to 
transition employees in Hawaii, Alaska, and the territories to the same 
locality pay system used in the rest of the United States while 
protecting employees' take-home pay. The measure passed unanimously 
through the committee on April 1, 2009.
  The second provision I wish to highlight corrects how employees' 
annuities are calculated for part-time service under the Civil Service 
Retirement System. This provision removes a disincentive that now 
discourages Federal employees near retirement from working on a part-
time basis while phasing into retirement. It would treat Federal 
employees under CSRS the same way they are treated under the newer 
Federal Employee Retirement System.
  The third provision I wish to discuss would allow FERS participants 
to apply their unused sick leave to their length of service for 
computing their retirement annuities as is done for CSRS employees. The 
Congressional Research Service found that FERS employees within 2 years 
of retirement eligibility used 25 percent more sick leave than 
similarly situated CSRS employees. OPM also found that the disparity in 
sick leave usage costs the Federal Government approximately $68 million 
in productivity each year. This solution was proposed by Federal 
managers who wanted additional tools to build a more efficient and 
productive workplace and to provide employees with an incentive not to 
use sick leave unnecessarily near retirement.
  Finally, I wish to add that this amendment will make good on the 
recruitment promise made to a small group of Secret Service agents. 
Approximately 180 Secret Service agents and officers hired from 1984 
through 1986 were promised access to the DC Police and Firefighter 
Retirement and Disability System. This amendment is meant to provide 
narrow and specific relief only to this small group of agents and 
officers by allowing them to access the retirement system they were 
promised at the time they were hired.
  I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this amendment, the 
Federal retirement reform provisions, and the bill.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.

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