Commodity Distribution Act of 2003

Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill, along with Senators McCain, Feinstein, Dodd, and Kerry, to make women and children a priority of our assistance of programs, women and children who are suffering the ravages of war and natural disasters, suffering from food shortages and a lack of basic necessities, suffering from the degradation of complex humanitarian emergencies. War has been the major cause.

Over the past fifty years the nature of war has changed dramatically. Increasingly, sadly, women and children seem to bear the brunt of it. According to the United Nations Children's Fund, since 1990, more than 2 million children have been killed and 6 million maimed or injured as a result of war. Today, 90 percent of the casualities in any war are civilians. They are mostly women and children.

It is incomprehensible to me that rape has been used as a weapon of war all over the world from Burma to Bosnia to Sierra Leone. It is equally incomprehensible that forced displacement of civilians, rather than being one of the unfortunate results of war, has actually become a deliberate tactic.

Under these circumstances, what choice do people have but to leave their homes? They leave out of fear for their lives and their children's lives. Some find their way into camps where instead of safety, they suffer extraordinary violence and abuse. Allegations of sexual exploitation by camp residents and humanitarian workers in refugee camps in west Africa and Nepal are all-too-real examples of the sad fact that women and children remain vulnerable even in the very places they flee to find safety.

This bill seeks to do something about this. It seeks to enhance the U.S. Government's ability to ensure that women and children's protection needs are addressed before, during, and after a complex humanitarian emergency.

It does this in several ways. First, it directs the Secretary of State to designate a special coordinator for protection issues. That person will be changed with making sure that our embassies and consular posts are made aware of the earliest warning signs that a complex humanitarian emergency is imminent. The Coordinator is to compile a watch list of such countries and regions so that our aid missions can plan to meet potential need.

Second, the bill specifies basic measures that will improve our ability to help these women and children, help the refugees, help internally displaced people cope during an actual complex humanitarian crisis.

It requires that relief organizations funded by the United States Government review their procedures to ensure adequate measures have been taken to provide adequate physical security for refugees and internationally displaced people, especially the women and children.

The legislation prohibits U.S. funding for relief agencies that do not sign a code of conduct that prohibits improper relationships between humanitarian aid workers and aid recipients, and encourages the Secretary to pressure the U.N. refugee agency to implement a ``whistle- blower'' system under which aid workers, refugees and internally displaced persons can report instances of gender-based violence and exploitation.

Because women have unique health needs that are often unmet when they are forced to flee their homes, the bill includes a provision mandating health services for women within 30 days of the onset of a complex humanitarian emergency.

Additionally, the bill amends the Micro-Enterprise Development Act to expand the availability of micro-loans to refugees and internally displaced women. When women are given access to income generating activities, they are less vulnerable to coercion from those who would demand sexual favors in return for food or other basic necessities.

Finally, the bill deals with rehabilitation and recovery.

The bill requires the Secretary of State and the Administrator for the Agency for International Development to develop and implement economic development programs to assist female heads of households, to help women increase access to ownership of land and other productive assets, to ensure that education and training programs are integrated with economic development programs to encourage reintegration of women who were displaced during war, and programs to politically empower women.

It calls upon the United States Executive Director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to work on ensuring that World Bank demobilization, disarmament and reintegration programs extend the same benefits that ex-combatants receive to women and children who were formally or informally associated with them.

As it now stands, women and children who were used as cooks, porters, and so called ``wives''--a euphemism for women who were kidnaped to serve as sexual slaves--are given nothing with which to rebuild their lives, despite the fact that they rarely served with armed groups by choice. And yet the very people who forced them into such conditions are assisted with no qualms or reservations.

Finally, the bill calls upon the Secretary of State to report to Congress all the programs that they are funding

that are aimed at improving the awareness of foreign law enforcement officials of women's human rights and the ability of foreign law enforcement officials to investigate and prosecute crimes of rape and sexual violence.

This bill is not a panacea. It does not cure all the ills that war and displacement create for women and children. It seeks to provide some relief for those who are entirely reliant--through no fault of their own--on the largess of the international community.

I believe this legislation will improve the way we respond to the needs facing women and children trying to survive in the most dire of circumstances, and I hope my colleagues will join me by supporting it.

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

Mr. President, those of us privileged to represent our fellow citizens on this hallowed floor get far too few opportunities to help usher in visionary projects that can potentially transform communities, both of man and of nature. I rise today to tell you about a project that has been discussed before on this floor; I bring it to your attention again because I believe it's a project worth doing and worth doing well. It concerns one of New Mexico's unique natural treasures: the Middle Rio Grande Bosque.

According to an old Chinese Proverb, ``if you are thinking 1 year ahead, sow seed. If you are thinking 10 years ahead, plant a tree. If you are thinking 100 years ahead, educate the people.'' The bill I am introducing today encompasses the wisdom of this proverb.

Two years ago, I joined the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District and the Army Corps of Engineers in unveiling a vision for the Bosque that would rehabilitate and restore this long neglected treasure of the Southwest. I return here today to begin implementing that vision.

The Albuquerque metropolitan area is the largest concentration of people in New Mexico. It is also the home to the irreplaceable riparian forest which runs through the heart of the city and surrounding towns that is the Bosque. It is the largest continuous cottonwood forest in the Southwest, and one of the last of its kind in the world.

Unfortunately, mismanagement, neglect, and the effects of upstream development have severely degraded the Bosque. The list of its woes is long: it has been overrun by non-native vegetation; graffiti and trash mar locations along its length; the drought and build up of hazardous fuel have contributed to an increased susceptibility to fire. As a result, public access is problematical and crucial habitat for scores of species is threatened. And yet, it remains one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the Southwest. My goal is to restore the Bosque and create a space that is open and attractive to the public.

This is a grand undertaking to be sure; but I want to ensure that this extraordinary corridor of the Southwestern desert is preserved for generations to come: not only for generations of humans, but for the diverse plant and animal species that reside in it as well.

Situated in the heart of the State's largest city, its potential to be a special attraction for residents is exciting. Equally exciting are the potential benefits to the ecosystem as a whole. The rehabilitation of this ecosystem leads to greater protection for threatened and endangered species; it means more migratory birds, healthier habitat for fish, and greater numbers of towering cottonwood trees.

This project could be one of the far too rare opportunities to both increase the quality of life for a city while assuring the health and stability of an entire ecosystem. We would be increasing the attractiveness of Albuquerque to businesses while improving the home of the Silvery Minnow. Where trash is now strewn, walking paths and horse trails will run. Where jetty jacks and discarded rubble lie, cottonwood will grow. The dead trees and underbrush that threaten devastating fire will be replaced by healthy groves of trees. School children will be able to study and maybe catch sight of a bald eagle. The chance to help build a dynamic public space like this does not come around often, and I would like to see Congress embrace that chance.

Having grown up in along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, the Bosque is something I treasure; and I lament the degradation that has occurred. Because of this, I have been involved in Bosque restoration since 1991 and I commend the efforts of groups like the Bosque Coalition for the work they have done, and will continue to do, along the river. I propose to build on that rehabilitation. The effort I put in front of you today is a logical complement to these previous efforts as well as towards Bosque revitalization, restoration, and recovery for the entire Rio Grande.

Already work is underway. Over the past two years, the Army Corps of Engineers has undertaken the task of conducting a study so that we might gain a better understanding of how best to rehabilitate and restore this beautiful Albuquerque greenbelt.

I remain grateful to each of the parties who have been involved with this

idea since its inception. Each one contributes a very critical component. The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District owns this vital part of the Bosque which runs from the National Hispanic Cultural Center north to the Paseo Del Norte Bridge. The MRGCD has proven to be a valuable local partner in identifying areas for non-native species and other environmental restoration work. Additionally, MRGCD continues to work on the development and implementation of an educational campaign for local public schools on the importance of the Bosque. Finally, MRGCD has continually worked with all parties to provide options on how the Bosque can be preserved, protected and enjoyed by everyone.

The Army Corps of Engineers is developing a preliminary restoration plan for the Bosque along the Albuquerque corridor. The plan is well underway and is moving towards the development of a feasibility study.

Specifically, this bill authorizes $10 million dollars in fiscal year 2004 and such sums as are necessary for the following nine years to complete projects, activities, substantial ecosystem restoration, preservation, protection, and recreation facilities along the Middle Rio Grande. I urge my fellow members to help preserve this rare and diverse ecosystem and to aid the city of Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico in building a place to treasure.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague Senator Johnson in introducing the Commodity Distribution Act of 2003.

Children are our future. I strongly believe each child deserves at least one warm, nutritious meal every day. I stand before you today with a new bill that will restore $500 million to the School Lunch Program. The positive impacts of this program are endless. Children should not have to pay the price of not having enough money for food.

Originally enacted in 1946, the school launch program set goals to improve children's nutrition, increase low-income children's access to nutritious meals, and to help support the agricultural industry. A family of four has to have an income at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty level to qualify for a free lunch. The income for these families is tragically low. Congress has a role in providing these children with assistance their families cannot provide.

In 1999, Congress enacted the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act. This legislation amended the School Lunch Act to require the United States Department of Agriculture to count the value of bonus commodities when it determines the total amount of commodity assistance provided to schools. This change continues to provide a $500 million budget cut for the school lunch program over its 9-year projection.

In 2001, the school lunch program comprised over 90 percent of schools, with some 99,000 public and private schools enrolling approximately 50 million children. Today over 28 million children receive free or low-cost lunches every school day. Each State and millions of children are affected. This program provides a basic requirement of food for needy children.

The 2002 Farm Bill passed almost a full year ago included language that extended this authorization language until the end of this fiscal year. Without Congressional action, $50 million will be cut from the food budget for school districts. This legislation would further extend this support through 2007, when the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch act is scheduled for reauthorization.

It is my belief that no child should be without food. The Commodity Distribution Act of 2003 would ensure that schools receive the full value of entitlement commodity assistance, and allow the School Lunch Program to continue to meet its dual purpose of supporting American agriculture when it needs it most while providing nutritious food to schools across the country. I urge members to support this bill, support children, and support our future.

Mr. President I rise to introduce legislation that will remove any ambiguity as to the intent of the Central Idaho Wilderness Act of 1980 to provide for continuation of the historical use of outfitter hunting camps on the Salmon River. In short, these lodges were established well before the river designation, have been managed as a part of the river designation for 23 years and allow users, in particular the elderly and the physically challenged, to have access to and enjoy the spirit of this wild area. Their rustic nature upholds the ideals envisioned by Congress, and they are used in accordance with all provisions of the law.

I am mystified as to why someone would want to eliminate this historical use. However, that is what some extreme wilderness organizations would like to do. They want the Forest Service and the Courts to ignore the intent of Congress in establishing the Central Idaho Wilderness Act and re-establish a pristine area which blocks access to many current users.

In the Findings Section of the Central Idaho Wilderness Act, it is clearly stated that ``protection can be provided--to the Salmon River-- without conflicting with established uses.'' It is my understanding that a great deal of time and effort was put into crafting this designation so that established and historic uses of the area would be maintained while preserving one of our Nation's treasures--the River of No Return.

In reading the voluminous hearing record and report language, I found references to ``lodges,'' ``hunting lodges,'' ``outfitters lodges,'' and ``commercial services may be performed'' throughout the record. It is clear to me that Senator Church, of Idaho, the main proponent of the legislation, intended for these lodges to remain. The report language specifically states, ``We favor administration of the main Salmon River under the provisions of the Wild and Scenic River Act so as to permit continuation, as appropriate, of motorized travel on the river and outfitter and camping facilities.''

However, I believe the record shows Senator McClure of Idaho was more of a prophet when he stated, ``Whether it is this year, next year, or 5 years from now, or 10 years from now, some forest administrator in the area is going to say it would be a lot more convenient for us to manage that problem if we did not have to deal with that guy that is there. . . . We all know that it was intended for the wild and scenic river classification as attached to that river, that the existing use was going to be permitted to continue; and then, all of a sudden, we find out that that is now unacceptable.''

Senator McClure is off by only 20 years and it is not a forest administrator, but an extreme wilderness organization that is seeking the elimination of these well established lodges.

This legislation clarifies that these three specific lodges are an established and historical use in the Central Idaho Wilderness Act and should remain a part of the legacy of this great river.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Healthy Children Learn Act with my colleague from Maine, Senator Collins. I am also pleased to have Senator Clinton as an original cosponsor of this measure. This legislation focuses on eliminating some bureaucratic barriers that make it more difficult for schools to provide their students with health care services, if they so choose.

Many schools have found that the health of a child can significantly affect his or her ability to learn. To enhance children's learning ability and to increase the well-being of their students, these schools sometimes choose to provide health care services including health care screenings.

One example of a disease that significantly affects children's education is asthma. Asthma is the single greatest reason for school absenteeism today. Over five million children in America suffer from asthma. Forty-nine percent of children with asthma missed school in the last year, and 48 percent of children with asthma are limited in sports and recreation. Lack of physical activity, in turn, can lead to childhood obesity with its concomitant health care problems.

``America is in the middle of an asthma epidemic--an epidemic that is getting worse, not better.'' So says the PEW Environmental Health Commission in its most recent report on asthma. The prevalence of asthma continues to rise at astounding rates, in every region of the country and across all demographic groups, whether measured by age, race or sex.

My home State of Illinois has some of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country. Unfortunately, Chicago has the highest childhood asthma-related death rate in the Nation. Over 60 percent of childhood admissions to the emergency room in Chicago are for asthma. This disease exacts a very significant toll on children in my State.

For the next 15 minutes, imagine breathing through a tiny straw the size of a coffee stirrer, never getting enough air. Now imagine suffering through the process three to six times a day. This is asthma. Can a child really concentrate on learning when he or she is gasping for air?

Due to the very high rates of asthma in Chicago and its effects on absenteeism and children's ability to learn

when at school, the Chicago Public Schools, CPS, instituted an asthma screening program. The school system developed an asthma manual to provide a standard plan of care for all students with asthma. They provided citywide nurse training to develop a uniform, high standard for approaching students with asthma and their parents and high-quality education about the environmental triggers for asthma and how to lessen them, together with education on how to use asthma inhalers. In 1999, they identified 12,374 cases of asthma. CPS continues to monitor and evaluate this program, and they have also partnered with other organizations such as the American Red Cross Asthma Program, the University of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Public Health Asthma Programs. CPS has also developed parent tutoring programs and has linked asthmatic children with primary health care providers for appropriate follow-up.

All of these efforts are extremely important, but they are resource intensive. This legislation addresses a barrier to children receiving vital health screenings in schools. It provides for a $10 million grant program for school districts such as CPS to apply for funds for asthma screening for those children who are not eligible for either S-CHIP or Medicaid. The grants would be targeted to those districts that have the highest prevalence or deaths associated with asthma.

CPS has also found that a child's ability to learn is affected by impaired vision and hearing, and as a result, children with vision deficits are far more likely to fail academically. In 1998, CPS found that children who were retained failed their school-based vision screening at a rate 50 percent higher than children who were not failing. Likewise, children who have difficulty hearing often struggle with language development, social processes and communication. This can seriously impair all aspects of the educational process. Through these programs, CPS has provided more than 5,000 free eye exams, and 4,000 free pairs of glasses have been dispensed. They currently are reimbursed less than 40 percent of the cost of the vision and hearing screenings. To address some of these funding shortfalls, this legislation creates a $10 million grant program for vision and hearing screening.

This legislation would also remove barriers that prevent school systems from receiving reimbursement for health screenings are services. Schools that make the extra effort to provide their students health care services should be adequately reimbursed. For an example, when they provide Medicaid-eligible children with Medicaid-covered services, they should receive appropriate reimbursement for those services. Likewise, reimbursement for the S-CHIP program should be available for covered services for children enrolled or eligible for the program. and clarifies Medicaid payment rules so that schools can be reimbursed when they provide a Medicaid covered service to a Medicaid child.

No child should have his or her education threatened by the lack of effective screening to diagnose these health problems. The treatments or corrective devices are available and we should see to it that the children receive them when necessary. The Healthy Children Learn Act will help children receive the health care services they need so that they can seize the educational opportunities available to them.

Mr. President, today, I am joined by my colleagues Senators Brownback, Edwards and Graham in introducing the Amateur Sports Integrity Act of 2003. This legislation would make it illegal to gamble on Olympic, college, or high school sports, and it would authorize appropriations for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to fund research into methods of detection and prevention of the use athletic performance-enhancing drugs. The bill is similar to legislation that has been reported twice in previous Congresses.

The legislation is designed to respond to a number of troubling issues plaguing amateur athletics, including a gambling epidemic among high school and college students, and a significant increase among our youth in the use of performance-enhancing drugs and supplements. This bill is essential to ensuring the integrity and legitimacy of amateur athletics--an important institution in the social fabric of this country.

This bill would codify a recommendation made by the congressionally- created National Gambling Impact Study Commission, NGISC, to ban betting on collegiate and amateur athletic events. In the summary of its comprehensive report to Congress dated June 1999, the NGISC noted growing concern regarding increasing levels of sports wagering by high school and college students. The NGISC cites a 1996 study sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which found that of the over

200 student athletes surveyed in Division I basketball and football programs, more than one in four admitted to betting on college sports while in school.

More recently, a study conducted by the Psychology Department of Central Connecticut State University contends that the problem of gambling among college students has been relatively overlooked when studying student risk-taking behavior. The study links legal and illegal gambling by indicating that, ``it is reasonable to expect that the growth of legalized gambling over the past decade would result in an increase in student gambling and gambling problems, including students who gamble at a pathological level.'' It is important to understand that gambling is not a problem that occurs in a vacuum. The Connecticut study found that one out of nine students at four Connecticut universities suffered from a gambling problem that was ``significantly connected'' to substance and dietary problems, such as marijuana use, cigarette smoking, and binge eating and drinking.

Just as the use of performance-enhancing drugs threatens the integrity of amateur sports, so does gambling, as it invites public speculation as to their legitimacy and transforms student athletes into merely objects to be bet upon. Betting can also provide unnecessary temptation to amateur athletes to agree to point-shaving and other outcome-fixing schemes at the expense of their teammates, their fans, and their futures. Many of the same pressures that lead college players to cheat also push these young people to use performance-enhancing drugs. The combination of stresses placed on student athletes to perform athletically, handle newly-found notoriety, and pursue professional athletic careers drive many to seek an edge through the use of such substances.

Although the Amateur Sports Integrity Act would ban legal gambling on amateur athletics, it may also reduce a substantial amount of illegal gambling. The relationship between legal and illegal gambling was addressed by the NGISC, which observed that ``legal sports wagering-- especially the publication in the media of Las Vegas and offshore- generated point spreads fuels a much larger amount of illegal sports wagering.''

In 1992, Congress recognized the Federal interest in protecting amateur sports from the harmful effects of gambling, and prohibited state-sanctioned sports betting in the overwhelming majority of states. Although Congress ``grandfathered'' Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware, only Nevada has chosen to permit legal gambling on amateur sports. Recently, however, the gaming industry has lobbied aggressively in an effort to convince the Delaware State legislature to exploit the loophole by legalizing gambling on amateur and professional sports.

Congress must act quickly to close the loophole that currently allows just a handful of States to serve as national clearinghouses for betting on our youth. By allowing betting in any state, we send a confusing message to our youth as to whether gambling on amateur athletics is, in fact, legal or illegal. While I do not pretend that this bill solves all problems associated with gambling and the use of performance-enhancing drugs, I do believe that it will send a clear message that gambling on amateur athletics and the use of these substances is dangerous and wrong.

I urge my colleagues to respond to the pleas of prominent college presidents and coaches, and join in supporting this important measure.

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