Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2003

Mr. President, this week, May 11 through 17, is ``National Police Week 2003.''

This is the week when thousands of law enforcement officers from all over the United States gather here in our Nation's Capital. Representing a full spectrum of our Nation's law enforcement personnel including local, State, and Federal officers, they gather here to honor their fallen comrades, as well as to celebrate all who serve this country and its citizens. Some of this year's highlights include the May 11 ``Law Ride,'' the May 13 ``Candlelight Vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial'' and the May 15 ``National Peace Officers' Memorial Day Service'' which will be held on the Capitol grounds. These events are being held to specifically pay tribute to the more than 145 peace officers who were killed in the line of duty across the U.S. during 2002.

In honor of ``National Police Week,'' today I am introducing two bills that will help improve our Nation's justice system and protect the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line for us all on a daily basis.

The first bill I am introducing is the ``Stolen Gun Penalty Enhancement Act of 2003'' which would increase the maximum prison sentences for violating existing stolen gun laws.

A growing number of crimes in our country are being committed with stolen guns. The extent of this problem is reflected in a number of recent studies and news reports which indicate that almost half a million guns are stolen each year.

This problem is increasing, and is therefore especially alarming among young people. A Justice Department study of juvenile inmates in four States showed that over 50 percent of the inmates in those prison systems had stolen a gun. In the same study, gang members and drug sellers were also more likely to have stolen a gun.

Specifically, this bill would increase the maximum penalty for violating four provisions of the firearms laws. Under title 18 of the U.S. Code, it is illegal to knowingly transport or ship a stolen firearm or stolen ammunition. It is also illegal to knowingly receive, possess, conceal, store, sell, or otherwise dispose of a stolen firearm or stolen ammunition. The penalty for violating either of these provisions is a fine, a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, or both.

My bill increases the maximum prison sentence to 15 years.

I am a strong supporter of the rights of law-abiding gun owners. However, I firmly believe we need tougher penalties for the illegal use of firearms.

The ``Stolen Gun Penalty Enhancement Act of 2003'' will send a strong signal to criminals who are even thinking about stealing a firearm. I urge my colleagues to join in support of this legislation.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the Stolen Gun Penalty Enhancement Act of 2003 be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, the second bill I am introducing today is the ``Officer Dale Claxton Bullet Resistant Police Protective Equipment Act of 2003''.

This bill is named in honor of Officer Dale Claxton of Cortez, CO, a fine law enforcement officer and family man, who was fatally shot through the windshield of his patrol car on May 29, 1998, after stopping a stolen truck. His assailants turned out to be dangerous fugitives and as a result, a large-scale man hunt was launched. The assailants were brought to justice, but Officer Claxton was tragically and prematurely taken away from his wife and four children.

``The Officer Dale Claxton Bullet Resistant Police Protective Equipment Act'' would aid law enforcement agencies in acquiring bullet resistant equipment for their forces, including bullet

resistant glass for law enforcement vehicles, hand-held shields and any other equipment that officers may need when they serve on the front lines of law enforcement. Specifically, this legislation would help our Nation's State and local law enforcement officers acquire the bullet resistant equipment they need in order to protect themselves from would-be killers. This legislation would authorize the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance to administer a $40 million matching grant program to assist these agencies purchase bullet resistant equipment.

This legislation is a worthy companion, and similar in many ways, to S.764, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act, which I recently introduced for reauthorization. Like S. 764, today's bill would help State and local law enforcement agencies acquire bullet resistant equipment--however this bill would simply provide for a wider array of bullet resistant equipment to supplement bullet proof vests.

As a former deputy sheriff, I am personally aware of the dangers which law enforcement officers face on the front lines every day. One way in which the Federal Government can improve their safety is to help them acquire bullet resistant glass and other equipment for patrol cars. These partnership grants are especially crucial for officers who serve in small, local jurisdictions that often lack the funds to provide their officers with the life saving equipment they may need.

The second component of this legislation would launch expedited and targeted research and development by authorizing $3 million over 3 years for the Justice Department's National Institute of Justice, NIJ, to conduct research and development of new bullet resistant technologies, such as bonded acrylic, polymers, polycarbons, aluminized material, and transparent ceramics.

Promising new bullet resistant materials now being developed could be as revolutionary in coming years as the development of Kevlar was in the 1970s for the manufacture of body armor. These exciting new technologies promise to be lighter, more versatile and hopefully less expensive than traditional heavy bulletproof glass.

Our Nation's police officers, sheriffs and deputies regularly put their lives in harm's way as they protect the people and preserve the peace. They deserve to have access to the bullet resistant equipment they need. The Officer Dale Claxton Bullet Resistant Police Protective Equipment Act will both accelerate the development of new lifesaving bullet resistant technologies and then help get them deployed into the field where they are needed. Officers lives will be saved.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of Officer Dale Claxton Bullet Resistant Police Protective Equipment Act of 2003 be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, an historian and poet once penned that the history of Colorado would be written in water. In the midst of Colorado's worst drought in 300 years, this prediction has proven an accurate account of life in the headwater State and has proven a strong reminder that water is indeed our most precious natural resource. Yet in Southeastern Colorado, home of the Arkansas River, finding clean, inexpensive water, can be difficult. That is why today I am introducing legislation that will ensure the expedited construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit--a pipeline that will provide the small, financially strapped towns and water agencies along the Arkansas River with safe, clean, affordable water. By creating a Federal/Local cost share formula to help offset the costs of constructing the Conduit, this legislation will protect the future of Southeastern Colorado.

By way of background, the Arkansas Valley Conduit was originally authorized by Congress forty years ago as a part of the Fryingpan- Arkansas Project. Due to the authorizing statute's lack of a cost share provision and Southeastern Colorado's depressed economic status, the Conduit was never built. Until recently, the region has been fortunate to enjoy an economical and safe alternative to pipeline-transportation of Project Water: the Arkansas River. Sadly, the water quality in the Arkansas has degraded to a point where it is no longer economical to use as a means of transport. At the same time, the Federal government has continued to strengthen its unfunded water quality standards.

In order to comply with these standards, the region's municipalities have begun exploring options for water treatment, some of which are estimated to cost between $20 million and $40 million. Taken together, the municipalities alone are facing potential expenditures of up to $640 million simply to comply with federally mandated water quality standards. Construction of over a half a billion dollars worth of water treatment facilities is simply not a feasible alternative for the financially strapped farming communities along the Arkansas River. With the Conduit, the communities will not need to build new water treatment facilities.

In an effort to resurrect the Conduit, last year, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell and I, worked to secure $200,000 for a Bureau of Reclamation Re-evaluation Statement on the project. Thanks to this effort, the people of the valley are beginning to realize that the Conduit is much more than just a pipedream, and that Congress is serious about fulfilling the promise of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.

According to the draft feasibility study, the Conduit is estimated to cost $200 million. My legislation calls for a 75/25 Federal/Local cost share, meaning that the local communities will be required to come up with at least $50 million to pay for their share. This is a sizeable sum, but is a far cry from the $640 million it would cost to build the new treatment facilities that would be required if the Conduit is not built. This will leave $150 million for the Federal government's share. However, I would like to point out that this $150 million undoubtedly would be exceeded if the communities were forced to seek Federal grants to help build new treatment plants.

The Arkansas Valley Conduit will deliver fresh, clean water to dozens of valley communities and thousands of people along the river. The local sponsors of the project have initiated and are nearing the completion of an independently funded feasibility study of the Conduit, and have developed a coalition of support from water users in Southeastern Colorado. They continue to explore options for financing their share of the costs, and are working hard to develop the organization that will oversee the Conduit project.

With the help of my colleagues, the promise made by Congress forty years ago to the people of Southeastern Colorado, will finally become a reality.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of legislation to provide more bankruptcy judges for several States, including four additional bankruptcy judgeships for my own State of Maryland. This legislation is being introduced today by Senator Biden, and is being cosponsored by myself and Senators Carper, Nelson of Florida, Clinton, Edwards, Graham of South Carolina, Hollings, Levin, Pryor, Reid, Chambliss, Miller, Alexander and Graham of Florida.

This bill is another significant step forward in our efforts to strengthen Maryland's Federal bankruptcy court. We have been working for several years to get these additional judgeships approved, yet no legislation has been passed that would authorize them. With such inaction, the burden facing Maryland's sitting bankruptcy judges has grown, and Maryland has remained without the additional judgeships it so desperately needs to make our bankruptcy system work.

Maryland's four sitting bankruptcy judges continue to show remarkable dedication given the extraordinary burdens placed upon them. However, additional judgeships remain essential to the fair and timely administration of the Bankruptcy Code for all of the businesses and individuals that come before the Maryland District.

Since 1992, we have been requesting additional judgeships for the District of Maryland; thus far none have been approved. In 1992, there were approximately 15,000 bankruptcy filings in the District of Maryland. From 1998 to 2002, there were over 30,000 bankruptcy filings per year in Maryland. In the past few years the number of new filings per year has been closer to 35,000, and in 2002 there were 35,900 new cases. The caseload has more than doubled in the past ten years, and the Court still does its work with only four bankruptcy judges. This dire need for additional judgeships in Maryland has yet to be remedied by the Congress.

This legislation provides four additional judgeships for Maryland, in accordance with a September 2002 recommendation from the United States Judicial Conference. These four additional judgeships would help reduce the overwhelming workload of the four sitting bankruptcy judges. As of June 30, 2002, the national weighted filing average for bankruptcy judges was 1,641. The weighted filing per judge for Maryland's four bankruptcy judges was 3,030--almost twice the national average.

Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, which would provide much needed help on the bankruptcy courts in Maryland and across the Nation.

Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of legislation to provide more bankruptcy judges for several States, including four additional bankruptcy judgeships for my own State of Maryland. This legislation is being introduced today by Senator Biden, and is being cosponsored by myself and Senators Carper, Nelson of Florida, Clinton, Edwards, Graham of South Carolina, Hollings, Levin, Pryor, Reid, Chambliss, Miller, Alexander and Graham of Florida.

This bill is another significant step forward in our efforts to strengthen Maryland's Federal bankruptcy court. We have been working for several years to get these additional judgeships approved, yet no legislation has been passed that would authorize them. With such inaction, the burden facing Maryland's sitting bankruptcy judges has grown, and Maryland has remained without the additional judgeships it so desperately needs to make our bankruptcy system work.

Maryland's four sitting bankruptcy judges continue to show remarkable dedication given the extraordinary burdens placed upon them. However, additional judgeships remain essential to the fair and timely administration of the Bankruptcy Code for all of the businesses and individuals that come before the Maryland District.

Since 1992, we have been requesting additional judgeships for the District of Maryland; thus far none have been approved. In 1992, there were approximately 15,000 bankruptcy filings in the District of Maryland. From 1998 to 2002, there were over 30,000 bankruptcy filings per year in Maryland. In the past few years the number of new filings per year has been closer to 35,000, and in 2002 there were 35,900 new cases. The caseload has more than doubled in the past ten years, and the Court still does its work with only four bankruptcy judges. This dire need for additional judgeships in Maryland has yet to be remedied by the Congress.

This legislation provides four additional judgeships for Maryland, in accordance with a September 2002 recommendation from the United States Judicial Conference. These four additional judgeships would help reduce the overwhelming workload of the four sitting bankruptcy judges. As of June 30, 2002, the national weighted filing average for bankruptcy judges was 1,641. The weighted filing per judge for Maryland's four bankruptcy judges was 3,030--almost twice the national average.

Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, which would provide much needed help on the bankruptcy courts in Maryland and across the Nation.

Mr. President, I am proud to sponsor the World War II POW Pay Equity Act of 2003. In 2000, we passed legislation intended to correct an injustice of not paying Navy and Marine Corps POWs for promotions while they were interned during World War II. Unfortunately, this legislation omitted an adjustment for inflation. The result was that these heroes were paying in 1942 dollars, roughly equating to ten cents on the current dollar. It is well past time to properly compensate them for their dedicated service. This bill ensures these former WWII POW, or their surviving spouses, would receive the appropriate back pay adjusted for inflation for their military service.

Many of these WWII veterans need our help, not only to fix a discriminatory act upon Navy and Marine Corps POWs, but financially as well, since many suffer from extreme financial distress. The total number of surviving WWII POWs is now less than 1,000 and approximately 400 spouses. We can not abandon the ``greatest generation'' who are responsible for the successes and riches we currently enjoy in this great country. It would be shameful for Congress and our Nation not to compensate these veterans appropriately, as this is a debt that our country incurred during their internment of POWs.

Make no mistake,this is a readiness issue, as well. Today's service members are acutely aware of retirees' disenfranchisement from delinquent policies enacted over the years, and exit surveys cite this issue with increasing frequency as one of the factors in members' decisions to leave service. In fact, a recent GAO study found that ``inadequate military retirement benefits'' was a significant source of dissatisfaction among active duty officers in retention-critical specialties.

I would like to emphasize that this year's defense authorization bill contains over $1 billion in pork--unrequested add-ons to the defense budget that deprive our military of vital funding for priority issues. With the amount of unrequested spending attached to the defense authorization bill, we could certainly find the funding for this legislation. We must fulfill our commitment to a group who we collectively owe our full support, admiration, and gratitude.

I request unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.