A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the President should designate the week beginning September 14, 2003, as "National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week".

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 31, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. to conduct a markup of S. 627, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Bill, and H.R. 659, The Hospital Mortgage Insurance Act of 2003.

After the markup, the Committee will meet in open session to conduct a hearing on ``Addressing Measures To Enhance the Operation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, July 31, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., on pending committee business.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 31, 2003, at 3 p.m., to hold a subcommittee hearing on corruption in North Korea's economy.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, July 31,

2003, at 10 a.m., for a hearing titled ``Terrorism Financing: Origination, Organization, and Prevention.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet for a hearing on solutions to the problem of health care transmission of HIV/ AIDS in Africa during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 31, 2003, at 10 a.m., in SD-430.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, July 31, 2003, at 10:30 a.m. in Dirksen Room 226.

Agenda

I. Nominations

Steven M. Colloton to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit; P. Kevin Castel to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Sandra J. Feuerstein to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York; Richard J. Holwell to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; R. David Proctor to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama; Stephen C. Robinson to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Rene Alexander Acosta to be Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice; Daniel J. Bryant to be Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, United States Department of Justice; and Paul Michael Warner to be United States Attorney for the District of Utah.

II. Bills

S.J. Res. 1, A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution of the United States to protect the rights of crime victims [Kyl, Chambliss, Cornyn, Craig, DeWine, Feinstein, Graham, Grassley].

S. 1177, Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act [Hatch, Grassley, Kohl].

S. 1451, Runaway, Homeless, and Missing Children Protection Act [Hatch, Leahy].

S. Res. 30, A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the President should designate the week beginning September 14, 2003, as ``National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week'' [Graham].

S. Con. Res. 25, A concurrent resolution recognizing and honoring America's Jewish community on the occasion of its 350th anniversary, supporting the designation of an ``American Jewish History Month,'' and for other purposes [Voinovich, Chambliss, DeWine, Feingold, Schumer, Sessions, Specter].

S. 204, National Veterans Awareness Week [Biden, Chambliss, Hatch, DeWine, Durbin, Feingold, Grassley, Kennedy, Kohl, Leahy, Sessions,].

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 31, 2003, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Thu7rday, July 31, 2003, at 2 p.m., in the Dirksen Senate Office building Room 226 on ``Department of Justice Oversight: Funding Forensics Sciences--DNA and Beyond.''

Witness List

Panel I: Sarah Hart, Director, National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

Panel II: Ms. Susan Hart Johns, President, American Society of Crime Lab Directors, Springfield, IL; Dr. Michael Baden, Co-Director, Medicolegal Investigative Unit, New York State Police, New York, NY; Randy Hillman, Esq., Executive Director, Alabama District Attorneys Association, Montgomery, AL; Frank Clark, Esq., District Attorney, Erie County, Buffalo, NY; Peter Neufeld, Esq., Co-Director, Innocence Project, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, New York, NY; and Ms. Rosemary Serra, Victim, New Haven, CT.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Communications be authorized to meet on Thursday, July 31, 2003, at 2:30 p.m. on the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Mr. President, I am pleased to submit a Senate Resolution calling on North Korea to return the USS Pueblo to the United States Navy. The legislation I am reintroducing today is based on a resolution I introduced last year during the 107th Congress, Senate Resolution 246.

On January 23, 1968, the USS Pueblo was unjustly attacked and captured by

the North Korean Navy, becoming the first United States Navy ship to be hijacked on the high seas by a foreign military force in over 150 years. At the time of its capture, the USS Pueblo was operating as an intelligence collection auxiliary vessel, and did not pose a threat.

This act of aggression resulted in the USS Pueblo's 82 crew members being held in captivity for eleven months, often in inhumane conditions. Another brave crew member, Duane Hodges, was killed during the initial attack and several more crew members were wounded. On December 23, 1968, after nearly a year of being unjustly detained the surviving USS Pueblo crew members were finally released and allowed to return home.

It is interesting to note that the USS Pueblo I am calling on the North Koreans to return today is in fact the third ship of the fleet to be named in honor of the city and county of Pueblo, located in my home State of Colorado. The first ship of the fleet to be named in honor of Pueblo was an armored cruiser which had previously been named the Colorado. In 1916, the USS Colorado was renamed as the USS Pueblo when a new battleship named USS Colorado was authorized. The first USS Pueblo served until 1927. The second USS Pueblo was a city class frigate which served from 1944 to 1946. She was later sold to the Dominican Republic where she serves today.

The third USS Pueblo is the ship now wrongly held by the North Koreans. Built by the Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Corporation, Kewaunee, WI, the ship originally served as a general purpose supply vessel FP-344 for service in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps when she was launched on April 16, 1944. During 1966 and 1967 the ship was converted, redesignated as the USS Pueblo and commissioned as an environmental research vessel, AGER-2.

It is important to note that even to this day the capture of the USS Pueblo has resulted in no reprisal against North Korea, demonstrating remarkable restraint by the United States. Even though the USS Pueblo still clearly remains the legal property of the United States Navy, the North Korean Government has kept it on display as a sort of traveling propaganda museum.

Recent events have made it clear that many unresolved issues remain regarding our Nation's relationship with North Korea. For example, North Korea's recent high-profile resumption of nuclear saber-rattling presents a serious resurgent challenge that we, our allies in Northeast Asia and the rest of the world community must take seriously.

While I certainly agree that successfully resolving this situation is first and foremost, I also believe that there are other positive restorative steps that the North Koreans should take in order to help improve our bilateral relationship. One such action would be to return the USS Pueblo to its rightful owners, the United States Navy and the American people they serve and protect.

While returning the USS Pueblo may not necessarily remove the 35 year-old scars inflicted by the attack of January 23, 1968, and especially those suffered by the crew of the USS Pueblo and by their families and loved ones, it would serve as a good will gesture, a salve if you will, signaling hope for a brighter future between our two nation's peoples.

I stand with my colleagues back home in the Colorado State General Assembly in demanding the return of the USS Pueblo to the United States Navy.

I urge my colleagues here in the U.S. Senate to join me in supporting passage of this important resolution.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 242, S. Res. 30, and Calendar No. 243, S. Res. 204, en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to en bloc, the preambles be agreed to en bloc; further, that the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate.