Native Hawaiian Medicaid Coverage Act of 2004

Mr. President, today I introduce the U.S. Military Cancer Institute Research Collaborative Act of 2004. This legislation would formally establish the U.S. Military Cancer Institute (USMCI), and support the collaborative augmentation of research efforts in cancer epidemiology, prevention and control. Although the USMCI already exists as an informal collaborative effort, this bill will formally establish the institution with a mission of providing for the maintenance of health in the military by enhancing cancer research and treatment, and studying the epidemiological causes of cancer among various ethnic groups. By formally establishing the USMCI, it will be in a better position to unite military research efforts with other cancer research centers.

Cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment are significant issues for the military population, thus the USMCI was organized to coordinate the existing military cancer assets. The USMCI has a comprehensive database of its beneficiary population of 9 million people. The military's nationwide tumor registry, the Automated Central Tumor Registry, has acquired more than 180,000 cases in the last 14 years, and a serum repository of 30 million specimens from military personnel collected sequentially since 1987. This population is predominantly Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic.

The Director of the USMCI, Dr. John Potter, is a professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). A highly talented cancer epidemiologist, Dr. Kangmin Zhu, has also been recruited to lead the USMCI Prevention and Control Programs.

The USMCI currently resides in the Washington, DC area, and its components are located at the National Naval Medical Center, the Malcolm Grow Medical Center, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, and the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute. There are more than 70 research workers, both active duty and Department of Defense civilian scientists, working in the USMCI.

The USMCI intends to expand its research activities to military medical centers across the Nation. Special emphasis will be placed on the study of genetic and environmental factors in carcinogenesis among the entire population, including Asian, Caucasian, African American and Hispanic subpopulations.

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

Mr. President, today I introduce the Native Hawaiian Medicaid Coverage Act of 2004. This legislation would authorize a Federal Medicaid Assistance Percent (FMAP) of 100 percent for the payment of health care costs of Native Hawaiians who receive health care from Federally Qualified Health Centers or the Native Hawaiian Health Care System.

This bill was originally a provision within the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill, which the Senate passed by an overwhelming majority of 76 to 21, but was dropped from the final Medicare Prescription Drug Conference Report.

This bill is modeled on the Native Alaskan Health Care Act, which provides for a Federal Medicaid Assistance Percent (FMAP) of 100 percent for payment of health care costs for Native Alaskans by the Indian Health Service, an Indian tribe, or a tribal organization.

Community health centers serve as the ``safety net'' for uninsured and medically underserved native Hawaiians and other United States citizens, providing comprehensive primary and preventive health services to the entire community. Outpatient services offered to the entire family include comprehensive primary care, preventive health maintenance, and education outreach in the local community. Community health centers, with their multi-disciplinary approach, offer cost effective integration of health promotion and wellness with chronic disease management and primary care focused on serving vulnerable populations.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the International Free Press and Open Media Act of 2004.

This legislation will provide greater focus on, and more coordination of, initiatives to develop free, fair, legally protected, and self- sustaining press and media in the world.

A free press is enshrined as a cornerstone of democracy in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, passed by the United Nations in 1948, also proscribes free press and media.

The United States government through various agencies and programs has long been involved in helping to train journalists around the world, and establish newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations.

These programs, however, are not centralized in one bureau or agency. Many are orphans to other assistance programs. They are effective in training journalists, but they stop short of ensuring that the media in a developing country has the necessary legal protections, follows basic rules of fairness and equal access, and can sustain itself financially.

In addition, these existing media programs are not established in ways to leverage federal government spending with the assistance of America's vibrant media sector. There is a strong desire by our finest journalism schools, newspapers, broadcasters, and marketing and advertising enterprises to help build free press and open media in the world. We also need to engage all the new media, like Internet companies and wireless forms of communications.

To better organize and focus these efforts, this legislation directs the Secretary of State to provide funding to the National Endowment for Democracy for the work a free press institute. For more than 20 years the National Endowment for Democracy has been leading American efforts to help build the required democratic institutions of a free society. The President's proposed 2005 budget wisely doubles the funding for the work of the Endowment.

It is important to note that the National Endowment for Democracy and its four existing institutes--representing the two major political parties, business, and labor--have established a reputation in the world for integrity and transparency. They are ambassadors of the best traditions of American democracy, and they have provided continuity to democratization efforts, even as administrations and policies have changed.

Having served on the board of the Endowment for a number of years, as have some of my colleagues, I can attest that the independence of the NED is central to the success of its initiatives to help develop a free press in the world. This bill seeks to employ the uniquely independent organization of the NED to accomplish a mission that complements public diplomacy, but is separate from it. The U.S. government maintains important public diplomacy programs, where the goal is to communicate American views to the world. But developing a free press in emerging democracies goes beyond advocacy of American views. It requires us to have a tolerance for criticism, to take into account cultural differences, and to commit to long-term projects. The NED is suited to this mission.

A fully successful U.S. foreign policy requires that we make progress in building democratic institutions internationally, especially free and open media. Societies that are built on the foundation of a free press are far less likely to abuse human rights or threaten American security.

I look forward to the support of my colleagues on this legislation, and hope for speedy consideration.

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

Mr. President, today I introduce the Native Hawaiian Medicaid Coverage Act of 2004. This legislation would authorize a Federal Medicaid Assistance Percent (FMAP) of 100 percent for the payment of health care costs of Native Hawaiians who receive health care from Federally Qualified Health Centers or the Native Hawaiian Health Care System.

This bill was originally a provision within the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill, which the Senate passed by an overwhelming majority of 76 to 21, but was dropped from the final Medicare Prescription Drug Conference Report.

This bill is modeled on the Native Alaskan Health Care Act, which provides for a Federal Medicaid Assistance Percent (FMAP) of 100 percent for payment of health care costs for Native Alaskans by the Indian Health Service, an Indian tribe, or a tribal organization.

Community health centers serve as the ``safety net'' for uninsured and medically underserved native Hawaiians and other United States citizens, providing comprehensive primary and preventive health services to the entire community. Outpatient services offered to the entire family include comprehensive primary care, preventive health maintenance, and education outreach in the local community. Community health centers, with their multi-disciplinary approach, offer cost effective integration of health promotion and wellness with chronic disease management and primary care focused on serving vulnerable populations.

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