Combat-Related Special Compensation Act of 2006

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a critically important bill for our national security and our immigration system. My bill is called the Border Operations Reform and Development of Electronic Remote Surveillance Act of 2006--otherwise known as the BORDERS Act. Getting control over our Nation's borders is an indispensable part of comprehensive immigration reform.

The Government of the United States has the obligation to protect its citizens and to provide for homeland security by having control of its international borders. Yet, as we all know, our borders with Mexico and Canada are broken. Recognizing the dangerous situation that this presents, the bipartisan 9/11 Commission strongly recommended that the United States get operational control of its borders.

Because our Government has not succeeded in adequately securing our borders, millions of undocumented aliens have crossed into our country without our Government's permission. Despite our best efforts to have an orderly system of immigration and to control who enters the United States, it's simply not working.

Comprehensive immigration reform demands that we find aggressive, practical, and cost-effective methods to quickly secure our borders. The BORDERS Act of 2006 does exactly that, building on recent reports by the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the Government Accountability Office.

Let me briefly summarize the BORDERS Act of 2006 and explain why this bill is so important to our national security.

First, and most importantly, this bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to implement state-of-the-art surveillance technology programs to build an integrated ``virtual fence'' at our borders. These programs would use unmanned aerial vehicles--like the type already used by our military in combat zones--to monitor remote border locations.

These surveillance programs also would use a host of other technologies--like cameras, sensors, satellites, and radar--to patrol every inch of our United States borders. Right now, our Government has the capability to use these technologies and has tried to build a virtual fence. But the one major problem is that the current surveillance program uses components that are not fully integrated and automated.

For example, as the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security recently recommended, a virtual fence must use sensors that automatically activate a corresponding camera to focus itself on the direction of the triggered sensor. If someone if sneaking across our border and trips a sensor, I want the closest camera to automatically focus on the person sneaking in. And then I want the camera to send images to multiple border personnel at different locations, who can immediately dispatch the closest Border Patrol agents to capture the person. That's what my bill does: provides for an integrated, automated virtual fence that will allow our Border Patrol agents to apprehend anyone trying to sneak into the United States.

The BORDERS Act also requires the Department of Homeland Security to greatly increase its detention facilities. Right now, the border patrol is sometimes able to capture illegal aliens sneaking into the country, but we simply lack enough facilities to detain them. In some border areas, up to 90 percent of captured aliens are released, and only 10 percent of them show up for their immigration court hearing. Does that make sense?

If our Government cannot detain illegal aliens who are caught, we lose our

ability to make them report to their immigration proceedings. We never hear from them again. Thus, this bill instructs the Department of Homeland Security to increase its detention space by 20,000 beds for the next 5 years. The bill also instructs the Department to devise other ways to monitor illegal aliens who are captured, such as using ankle bracelets that can remotely track aliens.

Moreover, the BORDERS Act recognizes that our Government simply lacks the personnel manpower to effectively enforce our immigration laws and secure our borders. Therefore, the bill authorizes the addition of thousands of critical Federal jobs, ranging from Border Patrol agents to investigators to detention officers. And the bill requires that these personnel receive crucial training in matters like detecting fraudulent documents.

Another important section of this bill recognizes that in order for our detention mechanisms to function effectively, we need uniform detention standards. The BORDERS Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to implement standard operating rules so that costs are minimized and all detained aliens are treated fairly and humanely. I want to note that this bill contains a section specifically designed to ensure that detained alien children are treated properly while in U.S. custody. Children are the most vulnerable of illegal aliens, and especially when they are separated from their parents, we must ensure their safety.

Finally, the BORDERS Act of 2006 authorizes the Federal Government to reimburse States that incur the financial burden of detaining illegal aliens. It is unfair of us to expect the States to shoulder this huge cost by themselves.

Again, let me stress that border security is just one aspect of comprehensive immigration reform. I also will support legislation to address the status of undocumented aliens currently in the United States, if--and only if--such legislation is fair, humane, and recognizes the role that undocumented workers currently play in our nation's economy.

But border security is a policy area that should find wide agreement--across both parties. By setting up a cutting-edge, integrated ``virtual fence,'' and by building more detention centers, I believe that the United States can take a giant step forward in its quest to get control of our borders. In this post-9/11 world, our national security simply demands it.

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

Mr. President, along with many of my colleagues, I have been fighting for sometime to end the ban on Concurrent Receipt, so disabled veterans can get the fair benefits they deserve. We have made some progress over the last few years, but as everyone knows, we still have work to do.

Let's remember what Concurrent Receipt is. It is an unfair and outdated policy that prevents disabled veterans from collecting both their military retirement pay and disability compensation. It requires a retired disabled veteran to deduct from his retirement pay, dollar for dollar, the amount of any disability compensation he receives.

Our veterans have given so much to our country. We owe it to them to get rid of this policy, and to make sure they get the full benefits they have earned and deserve.

I'm proud to say we have been able to chip away at this unfair practice in recent years.

In 2003, we passed my bill to allow--after a ten year waiting period--concurrent receipt for veterans with at least a 50 percent disability rating.

In 2004, I proposed legislation to eliminate that ten-year period and also to provide full concurrent receipt of military and disability pay to veterans with 100 percent service-related disability.

In November, 2005, we passed another amendment to expand concurrent receipt to cover America's most severely disabled veterans, and to implement the new policy immediately instead of phasing it in over a decade.

I was pleased with the passage of that amendment last year, but disappointed that the conference committee chose not to enact this valuable legislation for veterans rated as ``unemployable'' until 2009.

Today, concurrent receipt remains one of my highest priorities. We need to continue to chip away at this policy, and I am committed to that goal 100 percent.

With that in mind, today I am introducing the Combat-Related Special Compensation Act of 2006. This legislation will take care of soldiers who had hoped to make the military a career, but were discharged prematurely for an injury sustained in combat and forced to retire medically before attaining 20 years of service.

Right now, these soldiers receive combat-related disability benefits, but are not eligible to get retirement benefits because they cannot serve out the required 20 years. That is unfair, and this legislation will make sure they can get both.

This is the right thing to do. These veterans have been forced into retirement, and we need to take care of them.

I would note this legislation is especially important given the injuries we are seeing in Iraq. Improvised Explosive Devices have created numerous amputees and therefore, an increase in medically discharged veterans.

I have visited military hospitals on several occasions and have seen first hand the injuries sustained by military personnel. Many of the members have reached the 10, 12, 14-year marks of their military careers and have been forced to retire medically before the 20 year retirement norm. They'll get medical benefits, but they won't receive legitimate retirement compensation because they have been injured and are unable to serve until retirement, as they had planned.

That's wrong.

We shouldn't penalize veterans because they were injured serving their country. My legislation will fix this problem, and get them their prorated retirement pay, along with their disability pay.

Taking care of our veterans is the right thing to do. We must never forget the sacrifices they made to protect our freedom. Taking care of our veterans is also key to winning the war on terror. In our all- volunteer military, it is critical to attract and retain professional, dedicated soldiers.

These people serve because they love America. In turn, they expect that we will honor our commitments to provide health care and other primary benefits for them and their families.

By ending the ban on concurrent receipt, we have an opportunity to show our gratitude to our veterans. While our Nation is at war, there is no better honor we could bestow upon them than to pass this legislation.

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

Mr. President, along with many of my colleagues, I have been fighting for sometime to end the ban on Concurrent Receipt, so disabled veterans can get the fair benefits they deserve. We have made some progress over the last few years, but as everyone knows, we still have work to do.

Let's remember what Concurrent Receipt is. It is an unfair and outdated policy that prevents disabled veterans from collecting both their military retirement pay and disability compensation. It requires a retired disabled veteran to deduct from his retirement pay, dollar for dollar, the amount of any disability compensation he receives.

Our veterans have given so much to our country. We owe it to them to get rid of this policy, and to make sure they get the full benefits they have earned and deserve.

I'm proud to say we have been able to chip away at this unfair practice in recent years.

In 2003, we passed my bill to allow--after a ten year waiting period--concurrent receipt for veterans with at least a 50 percent disability rating.

In 2004, I proposed legislation to eliminate that ten-year period and also to provide full concurrent receipt of military and disability pay to veterans with 100 percent service-related disability.

In November, 2005, we passed another amendment to expand concurrent receipt to cover America's most severely disabled veterans, and to implement the new policy immediately instead of phasing it in over a decade.

I was pleased with the passage of that amendment last year, but disappointed that the conference committee chose not to enact this valuable legislation for veterans rated as ``unemployable'' until 2009.

Today, concurrent receipt remains one of my highest priorities. We need to continue to chip away at this policy, and I am committed to that goal 100 percent.

With that in mind, today I am introducing the Combat-Related Special Compensation Act of 2006. This legislation will take care of soldiers who had hoped to make the military a career, but were discharged prematurely for an injury sustained in combat and forced to retire medically before attaining 20 years of service.

Right now, these soldiers receive combat-related disability benefits, but are not eligible to get retirement benefits because they cannot serve out the required 20 years. That is unfair, and this legislation will make sure they can get both.

This is the right thing to do. These veterans have been forced into retirement, and we need to take care of them.

I would note this legislation is especially important given the injuries we are seeing in Iraq. Improvised Explosive Devices have created numerous amputees and therefore, an increase in medically discharged veterans.

I have visited military hospitals on several occasions and have seen first hand the injuries sustained by military personnel. Many of the members have reached the 10, 12, 14-year marks of their military careers and have been forced to retire medically before the 20 year retirement norm. They'll get medical benefits, but they won't receive legitimate retirement compensation because they have been injured and are unable to serve until retirement, as they had planned.

That's wrong.

We shouldn't penalize veterans because they were injured serving their country. My legislation will fix this problem, and get them their prorated retirement pay, along with their disability pay.

Taking care of our veterans is the right thing to do. We must never forget the sacrifices they made to protect our freedom. Taking care of our veterans is also key to winning the war on terror. In our all- volunteer military, it is critical to attract and retain professional, dedicated soldiers.

These people serve because they love America. In turn, they expect that we will honor our commitments to provide health care and other primary benefits for them and their families.

By ending the ban on concurrent receipt, we have an opportunity to show our gratitude to our veterans. While our Nation is at war, there is no better honor we could bestow upon them than to pass this legislation.

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

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce legislation today--as we celebrate international Women's Day--to strengthen and empower the women and girls of Afghanistan.

International Women's Day is an event celebrated world-wide to inspire women to achieve their full potential. But in so many places around the world, women continue to suffer from persecution and abuse, and many lack resources to become fully integrated

and equal members of society. Despite international intervention, Afghanistan is one such example. More than four years after the invasion of Afghanistan and the fall of the Taliban government, the women of Afghanistan still face significant hurdles as they seek to realize their full potential.

The maternal death rate for Afghan women remains tragically high-- with an estimated 1,600 deaths for every 100,000 live births. The illiteracy rate for women continues to hover around 80 percent.

And perhaps most troubling, the security situation for women is getting worse--threatening to slow or even reverse the gains that Afghan women have made over the past four years.

Lieutenant General Michael D. Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, recently testified that violence by the Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan in 2005 increased by 20 percent 2004 levels, specifically noting that the insurgency in Afghanistan ``appears emboldened.''

Women and girls have felt the impact particularly hard. In recent months, attacks against schools in Afghanistan that educate girls have increased substantially. According to media reports, teachers and principals are being threatened and killed--the headmaster at a coed school was even beheaded in January--and eight schools have been burned in the Kandahar province during the current school year alone.

Just today, the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai admitted that Afghan women and girls have much to overcome. ``We have achieved successes in various dimensions during the past four years,'' Karzai said. ``But this journey has not ended . . . women especially are being oppressed, there are still women and young girls who are being married to settle disputes in Afghanistan, young girls are married against their will.''

The legislation I am introducing today, the Afghan Women Empowerment Act of 2006, will provide resources where they are needed most in Afghanistan--to Afghan women-led nongovernmental organizations, empowering those who will continue to provide for the needs of the Afghan people long after the international community has left.

The legislation will provide $30 million to these women-led NGOs to specifically focus on providing direct services to Afghan women such as adult literacy education, technical and vocational training, and health care services, including mental health treatment. It also provides assistance to especially vulnerable populations, including widows and orphans.

In addition, the Afghan Women Empowerment Act authorizes the President to appropriate $5 million to the Afghan Ministry of Women's Affairs and $10 million to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission--two vitally important entities dedicated to advancing the cause of women and human rights within Afghanistan.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. President, today I rise to introduce and present to my colleagues the Protecting Consumers Phone Records Act. I am pleased to be the lead sponsor of this legislation and I want to thank my colleagues, including Senators Stevens and Inouye, for working with me on this important issue.

In recent months, a number of Web sites have been selling consumers' confidential phone records to anyone willing to pay a small fee. According to experts, these records are usually obtained by unscrupulous individuals who fraudulently pose as customers requesting their own records. This common fraud is no less harmful, and in some cases even more disconcerting, than when a third-party uses false pretenses to obtain an innocent person's confidential financial records. In some cases, even physical harm can result from one's private phone records becoming public. We cannot allow these reprehensible practices to continue.

The goal of the Protecting Consumers Phone Records Act is to prevent the unauthorized and intrusive third party access of American consumers' phone records. Specifically, our legislation makes it illegal to solicit, acquire or sell a person's confidential phone records without that person's consent. It also specifically prohibits the practice commonly referred to as ``pretexting,'' where individuals obtain records by fraudulently misrepresenting that they have the authorization to obtain the records.

Fully combating this problem requires a team effort. That is why our legislation requires telephone companies to comply with minimum security requirements, similar to those required of financial institutions. Companies must do their part to protect their customers' records.

In order to deter this bad behavior, our legislation increases the penalties for violators. Should someone fraudulently solicit, obtain or sell an individual's phone records, they will be subject to an $11,000 penalty for each record, up to $11 million. Phone companies are subject to a $30,000 penalty, up to $3 million if they do not sufficiently protect their customers' phone records.

Finally, the Protecting Consumers Phone Records Act recognizes the importance of enforcement. The legislation provides the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and State Attorneys General with strengthened enforcement authority. Additionally, telephone companies are given the authority to take legal action against those entities or individuals who have illegally acquired confidential phone records.

This legislation will send a clear message to the unscrupulous individuals profiting from the invasion of an innocent individual's privacy, that this fraudulent and deceptive behavior will not be tolerated. We are prepared to use all of the appropriate tools to eliminate this harmful practice.

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