[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2472-2475]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Ms. Cantwell, and Ms. Hirono):
  S. 2610. A bill to approve an agreement between the United States and 
the Republic of Palau; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with Senator Maria 
Cantwell and Senator Mazie Hirono to introduce legislation to approve 
the 2010 Agreement between the Governments of the United States and the 
Republic of Palau following the Compact of Free Association Section 432 
Review.
  Palau's history with the United States dates back to the Battle of 
Peleliu, fought between United States

[[Page 2473]]

and Japanese forces for over two months with the highest casualty rate 
of any battle in the Pacific Theater. Following World War II, Palau 
became a district of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under 
the auspices of the United Nations, but administered by the United 
States. Palau was the last district of the Trust Territory to choose 
its political future, when in 1994, it became a self-governing, 
sovereign state and entered into a fifty-year Compact of Free 
Association with the United States similar to that of the Marshall 
Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.
  Under the Compact, the United States, through the Department of the 
Interior, provides economic and financial assistance, defends Palau's 
territorial integrity, and allows Palauan citizens the opportunity to 
enter the United States as non-immigrants. In return, the United States 
receives exclusive and unlimited access to Palau's land and waterways 
for strategic purposes. U.S. assistance is intended to help Palau 
develop its infrastructure and economy so that it has a sustainable 
government and economy capable of functioning without the United 
States' support. Section 432 of the Compact provides that after the 
fifteenth, thirtieth, and fortieth anniversaries of the Compact, the 
United States and Palau shall formally review the terms of the Compact 
and shall consider the overall nature and development of their 
relationship, including Palau's operating requirements and its progress 
in meeting development objectives.
  The United States can count on Palau to vote with us on a broad range 
of issues, including some that are controversial and where we need 
reliable allies. On a number of important resolutions that have come 
before the United Nations' General Assembly, Palau stood by us and 
provided critical votes. For example, in 2014, Palau voted with the 
United States on 97 percent of votes before the U.N. General Assembly, 
and Palau voted with the U.S. 90 percent of the time in important 
votes. From 2011-2013, Palau voted with the United States 100 percent 
of the time in important votes. Palau has been a steadfast ally of the 
United States in international forums and we should be mindful of and 
grateful for their support.
  It is also important to recognize that Palau has consistently 
demonstrated a commitment to the U.S.-Palau partnership under the 
Compact. Palauan nationals serve in U.S. coalition missions, 
participate in U.S.-led combat operations, and have given their lives 
for the safety of our nation. Approximately 500 Palauan men and women 
serve as volunteers in our military today, out of a population of about 
21,000. Palau is indeed a strong partner who punches well above its 
weight. We are grateful for their sacrifices and dedication to 
promoting peace and fighting terrorism. After reviewing the progress 
achieved by Palau in the first 15 years of the Compact, and with the 
13th anniversary coming upon us, the administration is recommending 
continued assistance, but at lower levels.
  This agreement, reached in 2010, has been before Congress in prior 
years and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has held 
hearings on the matter. To the best of my knowledge, there is no 
objection within Congress on the policy of continuing to provide 
financial assistance to Palau under the Compact of Free Association. 
The hang-up has been finding a viable offset to pay for that 
assistance. I would note that since 2010 Congress has provided just 
over $13 million in annual discretionary funding to the Government of 
Palau in lieu of the Agreement's enactment--a total of over $90 million 
in that timeframe. At the same time, the administration has failed to 
identify an acceptable offset for a cost that is now just under $150 
million over 10 years.
  For such a steadfast ally, partner, and friend, whose citizens serve 
in our Armed Forces for the protection of our nation, and whose 
government supports the United States' position on critical issues in 
international forums, we should be able to come up with a viable 
funding solution. I call upon the administration to work with Congress 
on this matter, find an offset, and enact the 2010 Agreement between 
the United States and Palau.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter of support be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                February 22, 2016.
     Hon. Joseph R. Biden, Jr.,
     President of the Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: Enclosed is draft legislation to amend 
     Title I of Public Law 99-658 (100 Stat 3672), regarding the 
     Compact of Free Association between the Government of the 
     United States of America and the Government of Palau 
     (Compact). This legislation would approve and implement the 
     results of the mandated 15-year review of the Compact, as 
     well as the Agreement Between the Government of the United 
     States of America and the Government of the Republic of Palau 
     (Compact Review Agreement), signed on September 3, 2010. We 
     strongly urge this draft bill be introduced, referred 
     appropriately, and passed in Congress at the earliest 
     opportunity.
       The relationship between the United States and Palau, as 
     embodied in the Compact, is grounded in shared history, 
     friendship, and a strong partnership in national security, 
     especially with respect to the Asia-Pacific region. In the 
     Battle of Peleliu, in Palau, more than 1,500 American 
     servicemen lost their lives, and more than 8,000 were 
     wounded, resulting in one of the costliest battles in the 
     Pacific in World War II. After the war, the United States 
     assumed administrative authority over Palau as part of the 
     Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and in 1994 Palau 
     became a sovereign nation in free association with the United 
     States under the Compact of Free Association. The Compact 
     provides U.S. military forces full authority and 
     responsibility for security and defense matters in or 
     relating to Palau. Conversely, the United States has the 
     extraordinary advantage of being able to deny other nations' 
     military forces access to Palau, an important element of our 
     Pacific strategy for defense of the U.S. homeland.
       In addition to the important historical and security 
     relationship, Palau has consistently demonstrated a 
     commitment to the U.S.-Palau partnership under the Compact. 
     Palauan nationals have served in U.S. coalition missions and 
     participated in U.S. led combat operations. Palauan citizens 
     volunteer in large numbers in the U.S. military. Since 
     September 11, 2001, seven Palauans have lost their lives in 
     combat. At the United Nations, Palau has voted with the 
     United States more than 95 percent of the time, including on 
     key foreign policy issues.
       The Compact has seen the goal of self-governance and 
     democracy in Palau realized. However, to bolster this 
     progress and maintain stability in the region, we must now 
     help to ensure Palau's financial independence. By approving 
     the Compact Review Agreement, the pending legislation would 
     extend U.S. assistance through 2024, helping to meet and 
     achieve this critical goal. Under the agreement, Palau has 
     committed to undertake economic, legislative, financial, and 
     management reforms. Additionally, this agreement assures the 
     United States can withhold economic assistance in the absence 
     of significant further progress in implementing meaningful 
     reforms.
       The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 requires that the 
     cumulative effects of revenue and direct spending legislation 
     in a congressional session meet a pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) 
     requirement. In total, such legislation should not increase 
     the on-budget deficit; if it does, it would produce a 
     sequestration if it is not fully offset by the end of the 
     congressional session. This draft bill would increase 
     mandatory outlays and the on-budget deficit as shown below:

                                                                                          FISCAL YEARS
                                                                                      [Dollars in millions]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        2017          2018          2019          2020          2021          2022          2023          2024          Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deficit Impact....................................................           46            26            20            17            15            14             6             5           149
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       This proposal would increase direct spending, and it is 
     therefore subject to the Statutory PAYGO Act and should be 
     considered in conjunction with all other proposals that are 
     subject to the Act. Approving the results of the Agreement is 
     important to the national

[[Page 2474]]

     security of the United States, stability in the Western 
     Pacific region, our bilateral relationship with Palau, and to 
     the United States' broader strategic interests in the Asia-
     Pacific region. We stand ready, as always, to provide you 
     with any information and assistance necessary to help secure 
     the passage of this legislation.
           Sincerely,
     Sally Jewell,
       Secretary, Department of the Interior.
     Heather Higginbottom,
       Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, Department 
     of State.
     Robert O. Work,
       Deputy Secretary, Department of Defense.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
        Johnson, Ms. Heitkamp, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Murray, 
        and Mrs. Gillibrand):
  S. 2612. A bill to ensure United States jurisdiction over offenses 
committed by United States personnel stationed in Canada in furtherance 
of border security initiatives; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, last year, I hailed the signing of a new 
agreement between the United States and Canada designed to improve 
cross-border travel, commerce and security between our two countries. 
Secretary Johnson of the Department of Homeland Security was joined in 
Washington by Canada's Minister of Public Safety, Steven Blaney, for 
the signing of that new preclearance agreement, which was negotiated 
under the Beyond the Border Action Plan.
  Preclearance facilities allow travelers to pass through U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection, CBP, inspections in Canada, prior to traveling 
to the United States. Preclearance operations relieve congestion at 
U.S. destination airports, facilitate commerce, save money, and 
strengthen national security. The United States currently stations CBP 
officers in select locations in Canada to inspect passengers and cargo 
bound for the United States before departing Canada. The new agreement 
signed in March 2015 will lead to expanded U.S. preclearance facilities 
in Canada in the marine, land, air and rail sectors.
  However, the Department of Homeland Security requires specific, 
narrowly tailored legislation to fully implement the new agreement. CBP 
Officers assigned to preclearance locations operate with law 
enforcement authorities and immunities as agreed upon by the United 
States and the host country's government. Under the new preclearance 
agreement with Canada, the United States secured the right to prosecute 
U.S. officials if they commit crimes on the job while stationed in 
Canada--and thereby preclude a prosecution by Canadian prosecutors. But 
in some cases, the United States may lack the legal authority to 
prosecute U.S. officials because many federal crimes do not have 
extraterritorial reach. The Promoting Travel, Commerce and National 
Security Act of 2016, which I am proud to introduce today with Senator 
Murkowski, would ensure that the United States has the legal authority 
to hold our own officials accountable if they engage in wrongdoing 
abroad in Canada. This legislation will allow for full implementation 
of the expanded Canada preclearance agreement.
  Enacting this legislation will promote two key national goals: 
enhancing our national security, and creating a more efficient flow of 
travelers and goods. By placing CBP personnel at the point of 
departure, screening occurs before a person boards a flight, increasing 
our ability to prevent those who should not be flying to the United 
States from doing so. In 2014, preclearance stopped more than 10,000 
inadmissible travelers worldwide before they left foreign soil. As 
Secretary Johnson has said, ``We have to push our homeland security out 
beyond our borders so that we are not defending the homeland from the 
one-yard line.'' At the same time, preclearance facilitates travel and 
trade.
  I am pleased that a bipartisan coalition in the House of 
Representatives, led by Representatives Elise Stefanik and Ann Kuster, 
will also introduce companion legislation today as well. And I am 
grateful for the support of Senators Schumer, Johnson, Heitkamp, 
Shaheen, Cantwell, Murray and Gillibrand for this important 
legislation. I hope with this bipartisan, bicameral support, this 
simple, straightforward enabling legislation will be enacted this year.
  In Vermont, we look to our Canadian neighbors as partners in trade 
and commerce, and as joint stewards of our shared communities. While 
both nations strive to ensure that the border is secure, the ties 
between Canada and Vermont run deep. We rely on each other for trade, 
commerce, and tourism. And many Vermont families have members on both 
sides of the border. This agreement has long been a dream for 
Vermonters who have fond memories of taking the train north to Montreal 
to enjoy all that this vibrant cultural hub offers. It is also a win 
for visitors from Canada's largest cities who love to come to Vermont 
to ski, shop and dine. I commend Secretary Johnson for his commitment 
to forging this agreement that will greatly benefit Vermont and the 
United States. I look forward to enacting this legislation into law so 
that these projects can move forward.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Hatch, and Mrs. 
        Feinstein):
  S. 2613. A bill to reauthorize certain programs established by the 
Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006; to the Committee on 
the Judiciary.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, we have all heard accounts of innocent 
children being victimized and abused by predators. Today I will 
introduce legislation to extend two of the key programs that Congress 
established under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 
2006. With today's legislation, I hope to send a strong message to all 
Americans about Congress' continued commitment to keeping our Nation's 
children safe.
  Many of us here in the Senate worked very hard on the original 
version of the Adam Walsh Act, which is named for a six year-old who 
was tragically murdered in 1981. President George W. Bush signed that 
legislation on the 25th anniversary of Adam Walsh's abduction from a 
Florida shopping mall. I am pleased that Senators Hatch, Schumer, and 
Feinstein--who cosponsored the Senate version of that legislation when 
it was first introduced in the 109th Congress--have joined me as 
original cosponsors of today's legislation.
  John Walsh, the father of Adam Walsh, worked closely with us on the 
development of the 2006 Adam Walsh Act, and we worked with him on the 
development of today's legislation as well. Reauthorization of the Adam 
Walsh Act is a priority for him and has the support of the National 
Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
  The Adam Walsh Act was enacted in response to multiple, notorious 
cases involving children who had been targeted by adult criminals, many 
of them repeat sex offenders. Its passage became a national priority 
after Congress discovered that criminals were taking advantage of gaps 
and loopholes in some States' laws to circumvent sex offender 
registration requirements--with tragic results for some of the nation's 
children.
  Who can forget Jetseta Gage--a beautiful 10-year-old girl from Cedar 
Rapids, Iowa who was sexually assaulted and murdered by a registered 
sex offender in 2005? As a cosponsor of the Senate version of the Adam 
Walsh Act, I championed the inclusion in the 2006 law of language 
imposing mandatory minimum penalties for those who murder, kidnap, or 
inflict serious bodily harm to children like Jetseta.
  Of course, the centerpiece of the Adam Walsh Act is the Sex Offender 
Registration and Notification Act, or SORNA. SORNA divides sex 
offenders into three categories, or tiers, depending on the seriousness 
of their crimes. It encourages States to set minimum criteria for the 
registration of sex offenders in each tier, with the aim of 
discouraging ``forum shopping'' by offenders who prey on children.
  The Adam Walsh Act also established several programs that are key to 
its

[[Page 2475]]

successful implementation. One such program, known as SOMA, or the Sex 
Offender Management Assistance Program, makes federal grant resources 
available to states to offset the costs of Walsh Act implementation. 
Today's legislation would extend the authorization for that program, 
which expired 8 years ago.
  The federal government, through the U.S. Marshals Service, also 
supports States and localities in tracking down sex offenders who fail 
to register or re-register. Those fugitive apprehension activities were 
authorized under the 2006 Adam Walsh Act, and today's legislation would 
extend the authorization for those U.S. Marshals Service activities at 
$60 million annually for each of the next 2 years.
  Nothing can bring back Adam Walsh, Jetseta Gage, Dru Sjodin, Megan 
Kanka, or the other innocents for whom the Adam Walsh Act was passed. 
But it is important that we continue to not only honor their memories 
but also protect America's future children from harm by extending the 
key programs that were authorized under the original Adam Walsh Act. 
The authorization for these programs expired at least 7 years ago.
  According to the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics, 
there are about a hundred thousand people convicted of sexual violence 
offenses in state prisons, and hundreds of thousands more who currently 
reside in neighborhoods across the United States. As a father of five 
and the grandfather of 9, I believe we should continue to make sex 
offender registration and notification a priority.
  Mr. President, July 27 of this year will mark the 35th anniversary of 
Adam Walsh's abduction. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting 
the passage of this important legislation before that date elapses.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mr. Grassley, and Mr. Tillis):
  S. 2614. A bill to amend the Violent Crime Control and Law 
Enforcement Act of 1994, to reauthorize the Missing Alzheimer's Disease 
Patient Alert Program, and to promote initiatives that will reduce the 
risk of injury and death relating to the wandering characteristics of 
some children with autism; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today Senators Schumer, Tillis and I 
will introduce legislation to help America's families locate missing 
loved ones who have Alzheimer's disease, autism or related conditions 
that may cause them to wander. Our bill would extend existing programs 
designed to assist in locating Alzheimer's disease and dementia 
patients. It also adds new support for people with autism.
  We have named the legislation in honor of two boys with autism who 
perished because their condition caused them to wander. One of these 
children, nine-year-old Kevin Curtis Wills, slipped into Iowa's Raccoon 
River near a park and tragically drowned in 2008. The other, 14-year-
old Avonte Oquendo, wandered away from his school and drowned in New 
York City's East River several years ago.
  Theirs are not isolated cases. We have all read or heard the 
heartbreaking stories of families frantically trying to locate a 
missing loved one whose condition caused him or her to wander off.
  We have also seen benefits of notification systems to locate missing 
children and bring relief to families through community assistance. Our 
bill will use similar concepts and other technology to help locate 
people with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia as well as 
children with autism spectrum disorders who may be prone to wander away 
from their families or caregivers.
  My home State of Iowa has the fifth highest Alzheimer's death rate in 
America, according to the Alzheimer's Association. As further noted by 
the Alzheimer's Association, which we consulted on this bill's 
development, as many as one in three seniors will die with a form of 
dementia. About 63,000 Iowans are living with Alzheimer's disease.
  In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released 
information on the incidence of autism in this country. The CDC 
identified 1 in 68 children as having autism spectrum disorders. 
Experts tell us that, in Iowa alone, about 8,000 individuals have been 
diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, and we worked closely with 
the Autism Society of Iowa on the development of this bill.
  Because police often are the first people to respond when a child 
goes missing, the bill also will make resources available to equip 
first responders and other community officials with the training 
necessary to better prevent and respond to these cases. With better 
information sharing, communities can play a central role in reuniting 
these children with their families.
  Finally, the bill will ensure that grants from the U.S. Department of 
Justice also can be used by state and local law enforcement agencies 
and nonprofits for education and training programs to proactively 
prevent and locate missing individuals with these conditions. The 
grants will facilitate the development of training and emergency 
protocols for school personnel, supply first responders with additional 
information and resources, and make local tracking technology programs 
available for individuals who may wander from safety because of their 
condition. Grant funding may also be used to establish or enhance 
notification and communications systems for the recovery of missing 
children with autism.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

                          ____________________