A bill to expand the Rest and Recuperation Leave program for members of the Armed Forces serving in the Iraqi theater of operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to include travel and transportation to the members' permanent station or home.

Mr. President, I rise today with my colleagues, Senators Lugar, Lieberman and Bayh to offer legislation to honor our servicemen and women in Iraq, who serve far from home, and far from family and friends. They left the freedom and security of home to provide freedom and security to those who have not known it for many years. The human cost has been great, over 300 American fighting men and women will never come home, and over 1,500 will return wounded. Today, over 130,000 troops remain in the region. They remain to ensure that those who paid the ultimate sacrifice did not die in vain. They are also there to build a new Iraqi nation of stability and freedom. My fellow Senators, the liberation of Iraq is turning out to be the most significant military, occupation and reconstruction effort since the end of World War II.

Despite their sacrifice and courage, these brave young men and women will not be specifically recognized for their service in Iraq. Instead, the Department of Defense has decided to award them the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. I believe that this is a mistake, and that our military deserves better. Along with my colleagues, Senator Lugar, Senator Bayh and Senator Lieberman, I propose to correct this mistake by offering legislation authorizing the Iraqi Lieberation Medal in lieu of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

While some of us in this body have not shared the administration's view on this war, we are united when it comes to supporting our troops. These young men and women from active duty, National Guard, and Reserves are all volunteers and exemplify the very essence of what it means to be a patriot. They continue to serve even though they do not know when they will return home to family and friends. They continue to serve despite the tremendous hardships they face and they continue to serve despite the constant threat to their lives. The President agrees with our view of the exemplary service of these young men and women. On the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, President Bush proclaimed: ``In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty and for the peace of the world. Our Nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment, yet it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage, your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other made this day possible.''

I was extremely disappointed when I learned that those serving in Iraq would not be specifically recognized for their efforts. There will be no Iraqi campaign medal. Instead, the Department of Defense will award them a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary. I think this is a grave mistake.

During Operation Desert Storm, service members received three separate military decorations for their service: the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, and the Liberation of Kuwait medal. For service in Kosovo, our service men and women received the NATO Service Medal, and the Kosovo Campaign Medal.

Many within the military share this view; according to the Army Times: ``Campaign medals help establish an immediate rapport with individuals checking into a unit.'' An expeditionary medal like the GWOT does not necessarily denote combat. A campaign medal is designed to recognize military personnel who have risked their lives in combat.

Campaign medals matter. ``When a Marine shows up at a new duty station, commanders look first at his decorations and his physical fitness score--the first to see where he's been, the second to see if he can hang. `They show what you've done and how serious

you are,' said Gunnery Sgt. James Cuneo. `If you're a good Marine, people are going to award you when it comes time . . .'.''

My fellow distinguished colleagues, it is time.

We must recognize the sacrifice and courage of our young men and women who liberated Iraq, including great Americans like Army Specialist Joseph Hudson from Alamogordo, New Mexico, who was held as a prisoner of war. The Nation was captivated as we watched Specialist Hudson being interrogated by the enemy. Asked to divulge his military occupation, Specialist Hudson stared defiantly into the camera and said, ``I follow orders.'' Those of us with sons and daughters were united in worry with Specialist Hudson's family. The entire Nation rejoiced when he was liberated.

We have also asked much from our reserve and National Guard forces. The reconstruction of Iraq would not be possible without the commitment and sacrifice of the 170,000 Guard and Reservists currently on active duty. As recently as this weekend an additional 10,000 troops from Washington State and North Carolina were activated for service in Iraq.

My colleagues, Senator Lugar, Senator Lieberman, Senator Bayh, and I are committed to honoring our over 200,000 heroes who liberated Iraq. We believe that current administration policy does a disservice to our fighting men and women. Therefore we propose, in lieu of the GWOT medal, a new decoration that characterizes the real mission in Iraq, one that is distinctive and honors their sacrifice, the Iraqi Liberation Medal.

What we do today is not without precedent; Congress has been responsible for recognizing the sacrifice and courage of our military forces throughout history. Congress has had a significant and historically central role in authorizing military decorations. Our Nation's highest military decorations were authorized by Congress, including: The Congressional Medal of Honor; the Air Force Cross; the Navy Cross; the Army's Distinctive Service Cross; the Silver Star; and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

We have also authorized campaign and liberation medals similar to what we hope to accomplish with this legislation. A partial list includes: Spanish War Service Medal; Army Occupation of Germany Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Berlin Airlift Medal; Korean Service Medal; and Prisoner of War Medal.

And the list goes on and on. The great men and women of our military forces are doing their jobs everyday in Iraq. It is time to do our job and honor them with a medal that truly stands for their heroic service, the Iraqi Liberation Medal.

I ask unanimous consent that an Air Force Times article also be printed in the Congressional Record.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to discuss one of the most important issues facing our country today. How we prepare our students to compete for the jobs that are still in demand today and the jobs that will be in demand tomorrow. In order to address this issue, we must increase our support for the entire education and training continuum--incuding secondary schools, community colleges, 4-year colleges and universities.

Today, I want to focus on one key part of this continuum: community and technical colleges. Nationwide, there are now more than 1,100 of these institutions, which enroll 10.4 million students. For over a century, community colleges have grown and changed with the times. No other segment of higher education is more responsive to its community and workforce needs than the community college. Whether providing academic preparation for a 4-year degree, or technical training for a job requiring a community college credential, 2-year institutions play a very significant role in creating a skilled workforce.

However, transfer rates are low: only about one quarter to one third of those students who intend to transfer to a 4-year institution actually do so. These low transfer rates and the continuing challenges employers face in finding skilled workers mean that we must strengthen the connections between community colleges and 4-year institutions and between community colleges and employers.

I am introducing a bill today that will address these issues. The Community College Partnership Act of 2003 will encourage partnerships between community and technical colleges and 4-year colleges and universities. This bill will provide $70 million for 6 to 12 grants to partnerships between 2- and 4-year institutions to identify and address barriers to staying in school, to transferring to a 4-year institution, and to responding to the demand for skilled workers in high-quality, emerging and established industries.

The fact is employers depend on skilled workers to provide services and produce goods. Even in this time of high unemployment, some employers are having hard times finding skilled workers. For example, according to the American Hospital Association, there are 126,000 nursing positions that are unfilled across the country. In Washington State, there are currently 2,564 nursing vacancies even though our State ranks as one of the highest unemployment States. Why are these jobs going begging? The answer is that we have a lack of trained workers.

From personal experience as both an employee and as an employer, I understand the importance of skills in the private sector. When I changed careers several years ago, I was able to succeed as a software company executive because I had the chance to get a good basic education. I come from a working-class family, but I was able to be the first in my family to get a college degree, thanks to the Federal Pell Grant program.

As an employer in that software company, I realized that because of the fast pace of change we needed to hire a workforce of people who were prepared to respond quickly to changing situations. We also had to hire people who could create new ways of doing business literally overnight. I strongly believe that a good basic education coupled with lifelong training opportunities are key to equiping workers with the types of decision-making abilities necessary to be successful in today's economy.

Yet, we are failing at our job of preparing workers. There is a crisis in our education and training system. Underfunding is a significant issue. Both 2- and 4-year institutions lack the capacity to respond to demand. More State and Federal investment is essential. However, to truly close the skills gap, we must also address the other problems 2- and 4-year institutions face. These problems center on keeping students in the system and advancing them to the next level.

The sad reality is that along the way to a good basic education, students get diverted away from their goals. In high school, they may lack information about the opportunities higher education promises. If they make it into a community college, they may be forced to abandon their education because the opportunity cost of not earning a wage is too high. If they do earn an associate's degree, the transition to a 4- year institution is fraught with challenges.

Agreements between 2- and 4-year institutions to accept students may not exist. Credits may not easily transfer. Community or technical college students may need additional tutoring, mentoring or support to succeed in a 4-year institution. Programs and schedules may be structured to preclude work and study--a growing necessity as college costs rise.

These are significant barriers than can and should be addressed. That is why I am introducing the Community College Partnership Act today. I am proud of this bill and believe that it will go a long way toward closing our skills gap. In addition, however, I remain committed to addressing the significant funding shortfalls that our educational institutions face. Ensuring students get the skills necessary for our new economy is essential. We must meet the needs of employers who have unfilled jobs now, as well as employers in emerging technologies that will provide significant job opportunities in the coming years.

Mr. President, I am pleased today to introduce the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2003, and to be joined by Senators Smith, Leahy, Warner, Bunning, and Jack Reed. This bill permanently authorizes the National Oilheat Research Alliance, commonly referred to as NORA, which was created by a referendum of oilheat retailers and wholesalers in February of 2001.

I was proud to sponsor the Senate bill that originally authorized the creation of NORA during the 106th Congress, and I am pleased to report that during its almost three years of existence, NORA has proved an unqualified success. Its activities have created genuine, tangible benefits for the heating oil industry and its consumers in the areas of research, education, safety and training, as well as providing information about the industry to existing and potential customers.

This bill is necessary because the original authorization statute for NORA included a sunset provision that, without congressional action, will force NORA to cease operations four years after its creation. The provision was included to allow Congress to assess its performance and determine whether it deserved continued authorization. It is readily apparent, from its numerous activities and the wide support it enjoys from consumer, environmental, and labor groups, along with the industry itself, that NORA should continue in perpetuity.

In a short time, NORA has set the standard for industry-wide cooperative activity with its professionalism, effectiveness, and most importantly, satisfaction from its supporting members. Through its rigorous commitment to activities that benefit all of its members, customers and the public at large, NORA is able to harness the collective strength of its companies and their resources to share cutting-edge technological advances, the latest in training methods, and promising environmental initiatives throughout the industry.

Of particular note is the creation of the National Oilheat Research Institute, or NORI, which oversees valuable study as the industry moves toward the introduction of low sulfur heating oil to help reduce the amount of sulfur emissions in the industry. This forward-looking work highlights NORA's genuine commitment to building an environmentally sound oil heat industry.

Other research undertaken by NORI includes a thorough, systematic evaluation of the fuel component of the oil heat system to maximize fuel performance--and therefore lower heating costs--for oil heat customers. These and other consumer-friendly activities have won NORA the support of the Consumer Energy Council of America, the oldest public interest energy policy organization in the Nation.

In fact, NORA's research and development activities were identified in a report from the Brookhaven National Laboratory, which concluded that the NORA program ``will provide economic support to millions of American households by reducing fuel bills, and thousands of small family businesses in the United States who will gain from having satisfied consumers and reduced operating costs.''

NORA is also playing a leading role in continuing education and training for oil heat technicians through the introduction of new and updated training

material, creation of a standardized certification program to encourage professional development, partnerships with community colleges to provide equipment for training, and a new website to provide easy access to NORA safety and training material.

NORA also understands that new homeowners who buy houses with existing oil heat systems have questions about the best way to make use of and maintain their heating source, and publishes a Homeowner's Guide that describes the cleanliness and efficiency of their system, and offers helpful information for real estate purchasers.

This is just a sampling of the many activities taking place in states using oil heat all over the country. Numerous State associations benefit from their partnership with NORA, which supports local and statewide initiatives for the heating oil industry, its customers, and the professionals working within it. Indeed, the Maine Oil Dealers Association has provided me with uniformly positive feedback about its partnership with NORA, including its assistance with development of information brochures and production of safety manuals in both printed and electronic form.

I am persuaded that NORA's performance has exceeded all expectation and deserves permanent authorization from the Congress. I look forward to helping make sure that NORA can continue its beneficial activities long into the future.

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

Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation, S. 1670, which would pay for the travel of U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, or in that theater, to and from their homes for the 2-weeks leave they are being granted.

Incredibly, while asking the Congress for an additional $87 billion for the war in Iraq, the Department of Defense wants to drop soldiers on leave off at the Baltimore Airport and then make them pay for their transportation home and back. Those service men and women are serving with great courage in 115-degree temperatures and other truly awful conditions. They are being given 2 weeks leave--many of them--because they are in the Reserves or National Guard and they have just had their 5- or 6-month tour extended by another 6 months. This will be the only time that many of them will have a chance to see their families during an entire year.

The least we can do is get them home and back at Government expense. If all 138,000 troops who are stationed in Iraq were to take this leave to travel to their homes, the total cost would be approximately $69 million. My legislation would not increase the $87 billion requested by the President, it would just direct that up to $69 million be available to be expensed for this purpose.

Last week, I also cosponsored legislation introduced by Senator Bob Graham, which exempted soldiers wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan from having to pay for meals while they are hospitalized. I was astonished to learn that the military would otherwise dock their pay for the cost of their meals. We are appropriating over $400 billion for our military operations next year through the regular appropriations and supplemental bills. Surely, that provides enough money that U.S. troops who are fighting, risking their lives, being wounded, and dying can be treated compassionately and fairly, not nickeled and dimed with travel and meal costs while on leave, or, even worse, while being hospitalized with combat wounds and injuries.

The American people are generous enough to support our troops properly and care for the wounded compassionately. The Department of Defense should not have to be required to do the right thing. It should be obvious enough to them, but if not, they should give me a call and I will let them know.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation, S. 1670, which would pay for the travel of U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, or in that theater, to and from their homes for the 2-weeks leave they are being granted.

Incredibly, while asking the Congress for an additional $87 billion for the war in Iraq, the Department of Defense wants to drop soldiers on leave off at the Baltimore Airport and then make them pay for their transportation home and back. Those service men and women are serving with great courage in 115-degree temperatures and other truly awful conditions. They are being given 2 weeks leave--many of them--because they are in the Reserves or National Guard and they have just had their 5- or 6-month tour extended by another 6 months. This will be the only time that many of them will have a chance to see their families during an entire year.

The least we can do is get them home and back at Government expense. If all 138,000 troops who are stationed in Iraq were to take this leave to travel to their homes, the total cost would be approximately $69 million. My legislation would not increase the $87 billion requested by the President, it would just direct that up to $69 million be available to be expensed for this purpose.

Last week, I also cosponsored legislation introduced by Senator Bob Graham, which exempted soldiers wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan from having to pay for meals while they are hospitalized. I was astonished to learn that the military would otherwise dock their pay for the cost of their meals. We are appropriating over $400 billion for our military operations next year through the regular appropriations and supplemental bills. Surely, that provides enough money that U.S. troops who are fighting, risking their lives, being wounded, and dying can be treated compassionately and fairly, not nickeled and dimed with travel and meal costs while on leave, or, even worse, while being hospitalized with combat wounds and injuries.

The American people are generous enough to support our troops properly and care for the wounded compassionately. The Department of Defense should not have to be required to do the right thing. It should be obvious enough to them, but if not, they should give me a call and I will let them know.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.