Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

Mr. President, I rise to express my gratitude and, truly, this country's gratitude, to Chuck Ludlam of my staff, for his 33-year career in government service and public policy. He's retiring on June 24, 40 years to the month after his first job on Capitol Hill as a ``Stanford in Government'' intern in the House of Representatives.

Thomas Jefferson once asked the question: What duty does a citizen owe to the government that secures the society in which he lives?

Answering his own question, Jefferson said: ``A nation that rests on the will of the people must also depend on individuals to support its institutions if it is to flourish. Persons qualified for public service should feel an obligation to make that contribution.''

Chuck has answered that call--a call as old as our Republic--with dedicated service to our Nation and continued service to our world.

Chuck began his public service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal in 1968-1970. After his Senate retirement, he and his wife, Paula Hirschoff, also a 1960's Peace Corps volunteer, in Kenya, will serve again as Peace Corps volunteers, in Senegal. This full circle expresses well their commitment to service.

The professionalism and accomplishments of congressional staff are often unsung and even unappreciated. While it is difficult to summarize a career as varied and distinguished as Chuck's, let me touch on a few highlights.

I have known Chuck since I arrived in the Senate in 1989, and he has served as my economic counsel since 2001. Following the anthrax attack on the Senate in October 2001, Chuck went to work on biodefense and infectious disease policy issues. BioShield I, enacted last July, was in significant part due to his work, and he has now helped Senator Hatch, Senator Brownback, and me fashion BioShield II, S. 975, a visionary tour de force on the full range of issues we must address to prepare for a bioterror attack or infectious disease outbreak. This bill provides a prescription for how to prepare ourselves for these threats to our national health and well being. Now it is incumbent on us to enact it. It is hard to describe the importance to our country of moving this legislation. It is an area of extreme future risk not only for ourselves but for all nations. Chuck developed a profound view of what must be done to deter this nightmare, a nightmare not only of bio attacks but of infectious disease in general, and has been relentlessly pressing this problem and its solutions onto our national policy agenda since 2001. It has been an exceptionally dedicated and unique legislative effort and it underscores the kind of remarkable role talented and driven Senate staff like Chuck can play assisting Senator policymakers.

Chuck had a long and very special working education that has enabled him to serve in this Senate policy-developer role. Before his service in my office, Chuck served as chief tax counsel on the Senate Small Business Committee, 1985-1993, with Senator Dale Bumpers; as legal counsel on the Joint Economic Committee, 1982-1985, with Congressman Gillis Long; as legal counsel on the Carter White House Domestic Policy Staff, 1979-1981, working with Si Lazarus and Stu Eizenstat; as counsel to the Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Subcommittee on Separation of Powers of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 1975-1979, with Senator James Abourezk; and as a trial attorney in the Bureau of Consumer Protection of the Federal Trade Commission, 1972-1975. In addition, he served as vice president for Government Relations, Biotechnology Industry Organization, 1993-2000, and Counsel, Musick, Peeler and Garrett, 1981-1982).

During his long career on Capitol Hill, Chuck has brought his strong talents to bear on a wide range of legislative issues. While on my staff, these ranged from Federal fiscal responsibility and honest government accounting, S. 1915; to building assets for the poor, S. 476; to promoting U.S.-China educational and cultural engagement; S. 1117; to U.S. economic competitiveness policy, S. 2747; and, as I mentioned, to enacting Project BioShield, Public Law 108-276.

Long before joining me, Chuck worked to establish the Office of Senate Legal Counsel, Public Law 95-521; to defeat problematic Airline Noise legislation in 1978; to enact the first law on the subject of organizational conflict of interest, Public Law 95-70; to enact the Regulatory Flexibility Act, Public law 96-354; to save the tax exemption for the bonds for non-profit hospitals and schools, Public Law 97-248; enact the Patent Reform Act of 1999, Public Law 106-113; to enact the first law banning genetic discrimination, Public Law 104-191; to make permanent the Orphan Drug Tax Credit, Public Law 104-188 and 105-34; and to

defeat attempts to criminalize some stem cell research in 1997-1998.

We know Chuck to be a passionate and tenacious advocate, a dedicated mentor to the talented legislative fellows who have worked for him, an adventurer who continues to trek over some of the most forbidding and fascinating parts of the planet, a loyal friend to many in our office, someone who is always searching for the ``big idea-big picture'' as a visionary policy developer, and a generous human being with a sense of humor. As a Congressional Staffer, he has always kept his focus on the public interest, undistracted by partisan concerns, and I found I could always count on hearing his frank and perceptive perspective on what would be the right policy for the country.

Chuck is completing an oral history of his unusual and remarkable Senate career, based on interviews with the Office of the Senate Historian, which has been transcribed and will be available on line. This history describes the challenges, skills and tactics of a Capitol Hill staffer who has fought in the political trenches over forty years.

Chuck hopes that this history will encourage young people to consider careers in public service. He's served as the principal advisor and mentor for 25 years to the ``Stanford in Government'' program. He was one of 100 alumni awarded medallions to honor their service to Stanford University during centennial celebrations of the University's founding in 1991; the headquarters for ``Stanford in Government'' at the Haas Center for Public Service is named after him.

We wish Chuck and Paula well in their venture in Africa. We will miss Chuck in the office but we know that he's following one of his great dreams, and starting on a remarkable and courageous new round of public service. My office and I are grateful for his dedicated service to our office, to the Senate, and to our Nation, as well as for his friendship.

Somewhere right now Jefferson and our Founding Fathers are looking down and smiling proud that our Nation still produces men and women like Chuck and Paula.

Congratulations Chuck. Keep in touch and keep teaching us. We eagerly await your reports from Africa.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce my comprehensive immigration reform legislation. This legislative package consists of four bills that deal with national security, employment security, America's workforce, and bringing accountability to those living here illegally. This package is an enhanced version of immigration reform legislation I introduced in 2004 with former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle.

Immigration reform is an urgent national security priority. We cannot continue to defer making tough choices about our nation's immigration policy. It is not in our interest to have 8 to 12 million people undocumented and unaccounted for in our country. The American people won't accept immigration reform until they are convinced we are controlling our borders. Congress must reform the patchwork of immigration laws that have created an underground, black market labor force.

The first bill is the Strengthening America's Security Act of 2005. The bill strengthens national security and U.S. borders by assisting law enforcement in their efforts to secure our borders. It will increase the number of Customs and Border Protection officers; require DHS to use updated technology at the border; increase criminal penalties for alien smuggling, document fraud, misuse of social security numbers, gang violence, and drug trafficking at the border; authorize continued funds to reimburse states for the costs of detaining undocumented aliens; and give DHS additional tools to detain and deport undocumented aliens.

The second bill, the Employment Verification Act of 2005, requires employers to verify the employment eligibility of their employees. The bill will assist all employers in their effort to hire legal workers by establishing a mandatory electronic worker verification system. The system would be managed by DHS in conjunction with the Social Security Administration. The system will allow employers to immediately verify whether an individual is authorized to work in the U.S. This system is already being used by the federal government and by certain employers across the country, including some in Nebraska. The system will be phased-in over a 5 year period, starting with large employers. The legislation includes protections to ensure that the system will not result in hiring discrimination based on race or national origin, nor will it interfere with the regular hiring process. Employers who use the system will receive a ``safe-harbor'' from prosecution for hiring unauthorized workers.

The Strengthening America's Workforce Act of 2005 will amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to address

the demand for foreign workers. The bill will provide foreign workers for low-skilled jobs that would otherwise go unfilled by admitting a limited number of workers annually through a new temporary worker program. Employers seeking to hire foreign workers through this program must first demonstrate that no qualified U.S. worker exists and that they will provide the same wage levels and working conditions as U.S. workers. Workers will be admitted for a limited period of time and will be allowed to change employers. Visas are good for 2 years and can be renewed. Qualified workers and their families would be provided an opportunity to adjust their immigration status over time.

In order to address the need for high-tech workers and to reduce the existing worker visa backlog, this legislation would allow foreign students who have earned an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or math from U.S. universities to receive a H-1B work visa without leaving the country and without regard to the annual cap of 65,000. In addition, high-tech workers who have worked in the U.S. for three years may be allowed to adjust to permanent resident status without regard to the annual cap of 140,000. The spouses and children of immigrant workers would also be allowed to adjust status without regard to this cap.

In order to encourage more foreign students to study in the U.S., this legislation would give full-time foreign college and graduate students the opportunity to work part-time while studying at U.S. universities.

The fourth bill, the Immigrant Accountability Act of 2005, will amend the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to encourage those in the U.S. illegally to apply for legal status. The legislation would create an earned adjustment program for long-term undocumented Immigrants and provide an opportunity for illegal aliens and their families to become invested stakeholders in the country if they can demonstrate that they have met all of the following requirements:

Passed national security and criminal background checks;

Resided in the U.S. for at least 5 years preceding the date of introduction;

Worked a minimum of 3 years in the U.S. preceding the date of introduction, and 6 years after introduction;

Paid all Federal and State taxes;

Registered for Military Selective Service;

Demonstrated knowledge of English language and American civics requirements;

Paid a $2,000 fine, in addition to required application fees. Fines assessed from this program could total as much as $12 billion.

The legislation would create a program for short-term undocumented immigrants who cannot meet the work or residence requirements. They will register with DHS and will be allowed to apply for a visa. However, these undocumented immigrants must return to their home country to obtain the visa and be readmitted through the legal process. These undocumented immigrants will have three years to complete the application process and will be authorized to work during that time.

There is a backlog reduction provision in the bill that would exempt certain individuals, living outside the U.S., from existing caps on family-based immigrant visas. This section was originally included in the 2004 Hagel/Daschle Immigration Reform bill.

The new fines and fees created by this legislation will fund the new and expanded programs created in it. Fines assessed by this legislation could total as much as $12 billion. A majority of the funds will come from the $2000 fine illegal aliens would pay under the Earned Adjustment Program.

This legislation is the product of years of discussions with law enforcement, business, labor, and advocacy communities. The bills are a serious effort to meet the President's principles for reform with commonsense legislation. In March, I visited the Mariposa Nogales Port of Entry in Arizona at the U.S.-Mexico border and saw first-hand border patrol operations with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

I understand that immigration reform is a complex and difficult issue. In addition to the legislation I have introduced today, there are other proposals on the table. The American people won't accept any more excuses. Now is the time for us to stop deferring tough decisions and take action on this urgent national priority.

Mr. President, I rise along with my colleagues, Senators Landrieu, Byrd, Specter, Lott, Lieberman, Inouye, Levin, and DeMint, in order to introduce the Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

As a veterinarian, I am well aware of the love that Americans have for their horses. Much of our Nation's early history and culture is associated with these animals. We think of George Washington's horses and the legend of Paul Revere's ride and the Pony Express. More recently, we were reminded of how the Depression Era race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral

raised the spirit of our Nation during desperate times.

While horses in the United States are not raised for food, last year alone more than 65,000 horses were slaughtered in the United States for human consumption abroad. Tens of thousands more were transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter there. Work horses, race horses, and even pet horses, many of them young and healthy, are slaughtered for human consumption in Europe and Asia, where the meat is sold as a high- end delicacy. Polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support an end to this practice. This sentiment was reflected in the Senate's recent 69-28 vote to prohibit the use of Federal funds to facilitate horse slaughter. The House of Representatives passed identical legislation by a similarly bipartisan vote in June.

Often, owners who sell their horses at auction are unaware that their horses may well be on their way to one of the three remaining slaughterhouses in America where horses are killed for human consumption. These slaughterhouses are foreign-owned and the product is shipped abroad, as are the profits.

While several States are attempting to address the concerns of citizens regarding the tens of thousands of horses going to slaughter each year, the absence of Federal law creates a loophole through which the slaughter can continue. Some States have prohibited the use of double-deck cattle trailers to move horses to slaughter. Texas, which is home to two of the three slaughter plants, has had a law in place since 1949 to effectively prohibit horse slaughter for human consumption. Yet the district attorneys with jurisdiction over the plants have been unable to prosecute these foreign companies, and horses continue to be slaughtered. To end this situation, we must have a Federal law that prohibits sending horses within States, across State lines, or over our domestic borders for the purpose of slaughtering them for human consumption. We can effectively achieve this goal by passing the Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Congress has the constitutional authority to regulate the horse slaughter trade--including intrastate shipment--because such trade has a substantial impact on interstate and international commerce. Horses are regularly moved across State lines to be slaughtered in the three remaining horse slaughter plants--one in Illinois--and the other two in Texas. Others are exported across the U.S. border to Canada and Mexico for slaughter there. Even the meat of slaughtered horses is eventually moved across State lines or our domestic borders for sale outside of the United States. Our bill will end this practice.

I know that some people have expressed concerns about what will happen to horses if their slaughter is ended. Many of these horses will be sold to a new owner, kept longer by their original owner, or euthanized by a licensed veterinarian. Others will be cared for by the horse rescue community, and efforts are now underway to standardize practices in this ever-growing sector. Guidelines for these rescue organizations have been developed by the animal protection community and embraced by sanctuaries across the country.

Some people have questioned whether this law will result in the abuse and neglect of unwanted horses. Thankfully, statistics do not support this claim at all. Recently released figures show that the number of abuse cases dropped significantly in Illinois from 2002 to 2004, the period in which the State's only horse slaughtering facility was closed due to fire. Also, since California passed a law banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption, there has been no discernible increase in cruelty and neglect cases in the state.

Furthermore, it is currently illegal to ``turn out,'' neglect, or starve a horse, so this bill will not result in an increased number of orphaned horses in the United States. If a person attempts to turn his or her horses out, under current law, animal control agents will be able to enforce humane laws. As I stated before, this bill seeks only to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption. If a person wishes to put an animal down, it costs about $225 to have the horse euthanized by a licensed veterinarian and disposed of--a fraction of what it costs to keep a horse as a companion or a work animal. That cost is not too big a burden to bear when no other options are available.

The time for a strong federal law ending this slaughter is now. This bill does not target other forms of slaughter, rendering, or euthanasia, rather it focuses solely on the slaughter of American horses for human consumption. The House version of this bill, H.R. 5031, currently has more than 120 cosponsors. Please join Senator Landrieu and me in cosponsoring the Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise along with my colleagues, Senators Landrieu, Byrd, Specter, Lott, Lieberman, Inouye, Levin, and DeMint, in order to introduce the Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

As a veterinarian, I am well aware of the love that Americans have for their horses. Much of our Nation's early history and culture is associated with these animals. We think of George Washington's horses and the legend of Paul Revere's ride and the Pony Express. More recently, we were reminded of how the Depression Era race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral

raised the spirit of our Nation during desperate times.

While horses in the United States are not raised for food, last year alone more than 65,000 horses were slaughtered in the United States for human consumption abroad. Tens of thousands more were transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter there. Work horses, race horses, and even pet horses, many of them young and healthy, are slaughtered for human consumption in Europe and Asia, where the meat is sold as a high- end delicacy. Polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support an end to this practice. This sentiment was reflected in the Senate's recent 69-28 vote to prohibit the use of Federal funds to facilitate horse slaughter. The House of Representatives passed identical legislation by a similarly bipartisan vote in June.

Often, owners who sell their horses at auction are unaware that their horses may well be on their way to one of the three remaining slaughterhouses in America where horses are killed for human consumption. These slaughterhouses are foreign-owned and the product is shipped abroad, as are the profits.

While several States are attempting to address the concerns of citizens regarding the tens of thousands of horses going to slaughter each year, the absence of Federal law creates a loophole through which the slaughter can continue. Some States have prohibited the use of double-deck cattle trailers to move horses to slaughter. Texas, which is home to two of the three slaughter plants, has had a law in place since 1949 to effectively prohibit horse slaughter for human consumption. Yet the district attorneys with jurisdiction over the plants have been unable to prosecute these foreign companies, and horses continue to be slaughtered. To end this situation, we must have a Federal law that prohibits sending horses within States, across State lines, or over our domestic borders for the purpose of slaughtering them for human consumption. We can effectively achieve this goal by passing the Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Congress has the constitutional authority to regulate the horse slaughter trade--including intrastate shipment--because such trade has a substantial impact on interstate and international commerce. Horses are regularly moved across State lines to be slaughtered in the three remaining horse slaughter plants--one in Illinois--and the other two in Texas. Others are exported across the U.S. border to Canada and Mexico for slaughter there. Even the meat of slaughtered horses is eventually moved across State lines or our domestic borders for sale outside of the United States. Our bill will end this practice.

I know that some people have expressed concerns about what will happen to horses if their slaughter is ended. Many of these horses will be sold to a new owner, kept longer by their original owner, or euthanized by a licensed veterinarian. Others will be cared for by the horse rescue community, and efforts are now underway to standardize practices in this ever-growing sector. Guidelines for these rescue organizations have been developed by the animal protection community and embraced by sanctuaries across the country.

Some people have questioned whether this law will result in the abuse and neglect of unwanted horses. Thankfully, statistics do not support this claim at all. Recently released figures show that the number of abuse cases dropped significantly in Illinois from 2002 to 2004, the period in which the State's only horse slaughtering facility was closed due to fire. Also, since California passed a law banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption, there has been no discernible increase in cruelty and neglect cases in the state.

Furthermore, it is currently illegal to ``turn out,'' neglect, or starve a horse, so this bill will not result in an increased number of orphaned horses in the United States. If a person attempts to turn his or her horses out, under current law, animal control agents will be able to enforce humane laws. As I stated before, this bill seeks only to end the slaughter of horses for human consumption. If a person wishes to put an animal down, it costs about $225 to have the horse euthanized by a licensed veterinarian and disposed of--a fraction of what it costs to keep a horse as a companion or a work animal. That cost is not too big a burden to bear when no other options are available.

The time for a strong federal law ending this slaughter is now. This bill does not target other forms of slaughter, rendering, or euthanasia, rather it focuses solely on the slaughter of American horses for human consumption. The House version of this bill, H.R. 5031, currently has more than 120 cosponsors. Please join Senator Landrieu and me in cosponsoring the Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, the House of Representatives has passed, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is considering, legislation to increase petroleum refinery capacity in the United States. The argument is that the shortage of domestic refining capacity is contributing to the rising price of gasoline which, in turn, is squeezing families' pocketbooks and complicating our Nation's economic future. The theory is that relaxing environmental regulations will unlock long dormant investment in new domestic refining capacity.