Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2005

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 15, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to continue to receive testimony on the Joint Strike Fighter F136 Alternative Engine Program in review of the Defense Authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years Defense Program.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 1:30 p.m., on Innovation and Competitiveness.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 15 at 11:30 a.m. The purpose of this meeting is to consider pending nominations and any other pending calendar business of the Committee which may be ready for consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on Post-Palestinian Election Challenges in the Middle East.

Mr. Enzi. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 9 a.m. on legislative items.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on S. 1899, the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act Amendments of 2005.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 9 a.m. in The Mansfield Room, S-207 The Capitol.

Agenda

I. Nominations: Norman Randy Smith, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Patrick J. Schiltz, to be U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota; Steven G. Bradbury, to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel; John F. Clark, to be Director of the United States Marshals Service.

II. Bills: S. , Comprehensive Immigration Reform; Chairman's Mark; S. 1768, A bill to permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings: Specter, Leahy, Cornyn, Grassley, Schumer, Feingold, Durbin; S. 829, Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2005: Grassley, Schumer, Cornyn, Leahy, Feingold, Durbin, Graham, DeWine, Specter; S. 489, Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act: Alexander, Kyl, Cornyn, Graham, Hatch; S. 2039, Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2005: Durbin, Specter, DeWine, Leahy, Kennedy, Feinstein, Feingold; S. 2292, A bill to provide relief for the Federal judiciary from excessive rent charges: Specter, Leahy, Cornyn, Feinstein, Biden.

III. Matters: S.J. Res. 1, Marriage Protection Amendment: Allard, Sessions, Kyl, Hatch, Cornyn, Coburn, Brownback.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 15, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed briefing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet tomorrow, March 15, 2006 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in Dirksen 106 for the purpose of conducting a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing on ``Hospital Group Purchasing: Are the Industry's Reforms Sufficient to Ensure Competition?'' in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Witness List

Panel I: Richard J. Bednar, Coordinator, Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative, Washington, DC; Mark B. Leahey, Executive Director, Medical Device Manufacturers Association, Washington, DC; S. Prakash Sethi, Professor, Baruch College, The City University of New York, New York, NY; and Mina Ubbing, President and CEO, Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, OH.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at 2:30 p.m., for a hearing entitled, ``The GAO High-Risk List: An Update.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 15, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to receive testimony on ground forces readiness in review of the Defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 2, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to receive testimony on the Defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years Defense program.

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 March 2, 2006, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing on ``Continued Examination of Implementation of the Exon-Florio Amendment: Focus on Dubai Ports World's Acquisition of P&O.''

Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 2, 2006, at 10 a.m., on USF Distributions.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 2, at 10 a.m. The purpose of this hearing is to review the proposed fiscal year 2007 Department of Interior budget.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 2, 2006, at 9 a.m., to hold a closed briefing on A Nuclear Iran: Challenges and Responses.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 2, 2006, at 10:30 a.m., to hold a hearing on A Nuclear Iran: Challenges and Responses.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 2, 2006, at 10 a.m. in SD-430.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 2, 2006, at 10 a.m. for a business meeting to consider pending committee business.

Agenda

Legislation

1. S. 2128, Lobbying Transparency and Accountability Act of 2005.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, March 2, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. in Senate Dirksen Office Building room 226.

I. Nominations

Jack Zouhary, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; Stephen G. Larson, to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California; Steven G. Bradbury, to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel; John F. Clark, to be Director of the United States Marshals Service; and Terrance P. Flynn, to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York.

II. Bills

S. 1768--A bill to permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings, Specter, Leahy, Cornyn, Grassley, Schumer, Feingold, Durbin; S. 829--Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2005, Grassley, Schumer, Cornyn, Leahy, Feingold, Durbin, Graham, DeWine, Specter; S. --Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Chairman's Mark; S. 489, Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act, Alexander, Kyl, Cornyn, Graham, Hatch; S. 2178--Consumer Telephone Records Protection Act of 2006, Schumer, Specter, Cornyn, DeWine, Feinstein, Feingold, Kyl, Kohl, Durbin; S. 2039--Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2005, Durbin; Specter, DeWine, Leahy, Kennedy, Feinstein, Feingold; and S. 2292--A bill to provide relief for the Federal judiciary from excessive rent charges, Specter, Leahy, Cornyn, Feinstein.

III. Matters

S.J. Res. 1--Marriage Protection Amendment, Allard, Sessions, Kyl, Hatch, Cornyn, Coburn, Brownback.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 2, 2006, to hear the legislative presentations of the Fleet Reserve Association, the Air Force Sergeants Association, the Retired Enlisted Association, the Gold Star Wives of America, and the Military Officers Association of America. The hearing will take place in room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 2, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed briefing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 2, 2006, at 2 p.m., in open session to receive testimony on military installations, military construction, environmental programs, and base realignment and closure programs, in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be authorized to conduct a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 9, 2006, at 10:30 a.m. in SR328A, Senate Russell Office Building. The purpose of this committee hearing will be to review the United States Department of Agriculture's Management and Oversight of the Packers and Stockyards Act

The PRESIDING, OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

committee on armed services

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2006, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to receive testimony on the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future year's defense program.

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 March 9, 2006, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``A Review of Self-Regulatory Organizations in the Securities Markets.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 9, 2006, at 3:15 p.m., on Nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 9 at 10 a.m. The purpose of this hearing is to consider the pending nominations of Raymond L. Orbach, of California, to be under Secretary for Science, Department of Energy; Alexander A. Karsner, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy); Dennis R. Spurgeon, of Florida, to be Assistant Secretary of Energy (Nuclear Energy); and David Longly Benhardt, of Colorado, to be solicitor of the Department of the Interior.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, March 9, 2006, at 9 a.m. in Senate Dirksen Building Room 226.

Agenda

I. Nominations: Steven G. Bradbury, to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel; John F. Clark, to be Director of the United States Marshals Service; Donald J. DeGabrielle, Jr., to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas; John Charles Richter, to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma; Amul R. Thapar, to be U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Mauricio J. Tamargo, to be Chairman of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate for a hearing entitled, ``The President's FY2007 Budget Request and Legislative Proposals for the SBA'' on Thursday, March 9, 2006, beginning at 10 a.m. in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 9, 2006, to hear the legislative presentation of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Blinded Veterans of America, the Non-Commissioned Officers Association, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Jewish War Veterans.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed business meeting.

Mr. President, I as unanimous consent that the Specia1 Committee on Aging be authorized to meet Thursday, March 9, 2006 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in Dirksen 138 for the purpose of conducting a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, and Nuclear Safety be authorized to hold a hearing on Thursday, March 9th at 9:30 a.m. to conduct oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights be authorized to meet to conduct a markup to

consider S.J. Res. 12, The Flag Desecration Resolution on Thursday, March 9, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 9, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. for a hearing regarding ``Reporting Improper Payments: A Report Card on Agencies' Progress''

Mr. President, I am pleased to re-introduce the Quality Cheese Act of 2005. This legislation will protect the consumer, save taxpayer dollars and provide support to America's dairy farmers, who have taken a beating in the marketplace in recent years.

When Wisconsin consumers have the choice, they will choose natural Wisconsin cheese. But some in the food industry have pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change current law, which would leave consumers not knowing whether cheese is really all natural or not.

If the Federal Government creates a loophole for imitation cheese ingredients to be used in U.S. cheese vats, some cheese labels saying ``domestic'' and ``natural'' will no longer be truly accurate.

If USDA and FDA allow a change in Federal rules, imitation milk proteins known as milk protein concentrate, casein, or dry ultra filtered milk could be used to make cheese in place of the wholesome natural milk produced by cows in Wisconsin or other parts of the U.S.

I was deeply concerned by these efforts to change America's natural cheese standard. This effort to allow milk protein concentrate and casein into natural cheese products flies in the face of logic and could create a loophole that could allow unlimited amounts of substandard imported milk proteins to enter U.S. cheese vats.

While the industry proposal was withdrawn, my legislation would permanently prevent a similar back-door attempt to allow imitation milk as a cheese ingredient and ensure that consumers could be confident that they were buying natural cheese when they saw the natural label.

Over the past decade, cheese consumption has risen at a strong pace due in part to promotional and marketing efforts and investments by dairy farmers across the country. Year after year, per capita cheese consumption has risen at a steady rate.

These proposals to change our natural cheese standards, however, could decrease consumption of natural cheese by raising concerns about the origin of casein and milk protein concentrate. Use of such products could significantly tarnish the wholesome reputation of natural cheese in the eyes of the consumer and have unknown effects on quality and flavor.

This change could seriously compromise decades of work by America's dairy farmers to build up domestic cheese consumption levels. It is simply not fair to America's farmers or to consumers. After all, consumers have a right to know if the cheese that they buy is unnatural. And by allowing milk protein concentrate milk into supposedly natural cheese, we are denying consumers the entire picture.

Allowing MPCs or dry ultra-filtered milk into natural cheeses would also harm dairy producers throughout the United States. Some estimate that the annual effect of the change on the dairy farm sector of the economy could be more than $100 million.

The proposed change to our natural cheese standard would also harm the American taxpayer. If we allow MPCs to be used in cheese, we will effectively permit unrestricted importation of these ingredients into the United States. Because there are no tariffs and quotas on these ingredients, these heavily subsidized products would quickly displace natural domestic dairy ingredients.

These unnatural domestic dairy products would enter our domestic cheese market and could depress dairy prices paid to American dairy producers. Low dairy prices, in turn, could result in increased costs to the dairy price support program as the federal government is forced to buy domestic milk products when they are displaced in the market by cheap imports. So, at the same time that U.S. dairy farmers would receive lower prices, the U.S. taxpayer would pay more for the dairy price support program.

This change does not benefit the dairy farmer, consumer or taxpayer. Who then is it good for?

It would benefit only the subsidized foreign MPC producers out to make a fast buck by exploiting a system put in place to support our dairy farmers.

This legislation addresses the concerns of farmers, consumers and taxpayers by prohibiting dry ultra-filtered milk, casein, and MPCs from being included in America's natural cheese standard.

Congress must shut the door on any backdoor efforts to undermine America's dairy farmers. I urge my colleagues to pass my legislation and prevent a loophole that would allow changes that hurt the consumer, taxpayer, and dairy farmer.

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

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Senior Elder Care Relief and Empowerment Act--the SECURE Act.

The SECURE Act would provide eligible taxpayers with a nonrefundable tax credit equal to 50 percent of qualified expenses incurred on behalf of senior citizens above a $1,000 spending floor.

The Senate Special Committee on Aging, which I chaired in the 108th Congress and of which I remain a member, held several hearings over the last couple years on different facets of the growing long-term care crisis in this country. A major concern of mine is that the Federal long-term care policy mix may not have the right incentives--especially when it comes to the tough choices faced by families who want to care for their frail and aging relatives.

More and more families are facing the stress and financial difficulties that come with caring for their aging parents.

It is critical to note that families, not government, provide 80 percent of long-term care for older persons in the United States. This is an enormous strength of our long-term care system. The U.S. Administration on Aging reports that about 22 million people serve as informal caregivers for seniors with at least one limitation on their activities of daily living.

These caregivers often face extreme stress and financial burden-- especially those we call the sandwich generation. The sandwich generation refers to those sandwiched between caring for their aging parents and caring for their own children.

It is difficult for families to balance caring for children and saving or paying for college, while at the same time struggling with financing care for frail and aging parents.

Many caregivers forgo job promotions, reduce their hours on the job, cut back to part-time, or take extended leaves of absence to stay at home and care for their aging family members. Direct expenses include the cost of prescription drugs, durable medical equipment, home modifications, and physical therapy.

Caregivers also endure emotional and personal health strains.

The average age of a caregiver is 57, with one-third over age 65 themselves. Caregivers suffer from higher rates of depression or anxiety. These conditions often lead to higher risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or other chronic conditions.

For many families, the nursing home is the only solution for providing long-term care, and that can be a good choice. For other families, keeping aging and vulnerable relatives in their own home or in the caregiver's home makes sense.

Family caregiving for aging and vulnerable relatives requires a flexible national response to ensure seniors and their families have the most appropriate high quality choices.

That is why I am introducing the SECURE Act. This legislation would help reduce the financial strain and related emotional and medical stress faced by family caregivers, as they care for their frail and aging parents, by providing much-needed tax relief for qualified expenses.

The SECURE Act would increase the eldercare choices available to families and has the potential to reduce the number of seniors forced to spend down their nest-egg in order to qualify for Medicaid services.

Qualified expenses include costs that are not reimbursable--those not covered by Medicare or other insurance--for physical assistance with essential daily activities to prevent injury; long-term care expenses, including normal household services; architectural expenses necessary to modify the senior's residence; respite care; adult daycare; assisted living services that are non-housing related expenses; independent living; home care; and home health care.

Seniors with long-term care needs also would be able to use the tax credit on their own behalf.

The SECURE Act should not preclude seniors or those near retirement from purchasing long-term care insurance. The Act would provide tax relief for high-risk seniors who cannot qualify for long-term care insurance policies.

I invite my colleagues to cosponsor this compassionate legislation.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill and a brief description be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 16, 2006, at 8:30 a.m., to receive testimony from combatant commanders on their military strategy and operational requirements, in review of the defense authorization request for Fiscal Year 2007 and the future years defense program.

Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Disaster Prediction and Prevention be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 16, 2006, at 10 a.m. on Volcanic Hazards.

Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 3 p.m. on pending Committee business.

Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to hold a hearing on Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 10 a.m. on the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration's strategy to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 9:30 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``Cuno and Competitiveness: Where to draw the line''.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 9:15 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 Wednesday, March 16, 2006, at 9 a.m. in The Mansfield Room, S-207 The Capitol.

Agenda

I. Nominations: Norman Randy Smith, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Patrick J. Schiltz, to be U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota; Steven G. Bradbury, to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel; John F. Clark to be Director of the United States Marshals Service.

II. Bills: S. , Comprehensive Immigration Reform; Chairman's Mark; S. 1768. A bill to permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings; Specter, Leahy, Cornyn, Grassley, Schumer, Feingold, Durbin; S. 829, Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2005; Grassley, Schumer, Cornyn, Leahy, Feingold, Durbin, Graham, DeWine, Specter; S. 489, Federal Consent Decree Fairness Act; Alexander, Kyl, Cornyn, Graham, Hatch; S. 2039, Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2005; Durbin, Specter, DeWine, Leahy, Kennedy, Feinstein, Feingold; S. 2292, A bill to provide relief for the Federal judiciary

from excessive rent charges; Specter, Leahy, Cornyn, Feinstein, Biden.

III. Matters: S.J. Res. 1, Marriage Protection Amendment; Allard, Sessions, Kyl, Hatch, Cornyn, Coburn, Brownback.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, March 16, 2006, for a committee hearing titled ``Looking At Our Homeless Veterans' Programs: How Effective Are They?'' The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security be authorized to meet on Thursday, March 16, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. for a hearing regarding ``Earmark Reform: Understanding the Obligation of Funds Transparency Act''.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226 on S.J. Res. 12, the Flag Desecration Resolution.

Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 16, 2006 at time 3:30 p.m., in open session to receive testimony on global strike plans and programs in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation that will help address the devastating health workforce shortages we will be facing in this country. Health care expenditures represent 15.3 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. These expenditures are expected to rise to l8.7 percent by 2014. As health care needs grow, society faces increasing challenges related to the health care workforce. By 2020, 29 percent nursing positions are projected to be vacant. From 2000-2010, an additional 1.2 million aides will be needed to cover projected growth in long-term care positions and replacement of departing workers. An aging health care workforce means that by 2008, almost half of the workforce will be 45 years of age and older. Currently, U.S. providers rely on international medical graduate and foreign trained nurses to fill some critical roles, while continuing to face a shortage of providers in health professional shortage areas. Health workforce challenges need to analyzed, understood, and alleviated, to ensure better access and better quality of care.

The Health Workforce Advisory Commission Act of 2005 will help to create a national vision to serve as a roadmap for investing in the health workforce. Through analysis and recommendation, an 18 member commission of national workforce and health experts will provide insight regarding the solutions necessary to enhance our health workforce. Key areas for commission focus will include forecasting of supply and distribution of physicians, nurses and other health professionals, studying the national and global impact of workforce policies related to the utilization of internationally trained practitioners, and developing appropriate measures to ensure diversity of the U.S. health workforce. The commission will make recommendations to Congress on health workforce policy.

It is vital that the U.S. take new measures to ensure that workforce challenges are met and overcome for current and future generations. By undertaking and overcoming the challenges before us, we will enhance both the quality of healthcare and the quality of life, provide access nationwide, and build a health care system that is consistent with our current and future health and economic needs. The Health Workforce Advisory Commission can serve a new and integral role for our health care system and our society, now and in the future.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bills be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today, along with Senator Lautenberg, I am introducing legislation, the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Act, to establish the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area in the State of New Jersey. I am proud to be joining my New Jersey colleagues, Representatives Rodney Frelinghuysen and Rush Holt, who have introduced this legislation in the House of Representatives, with the support of the entire New Jersey delegation.

This legislation recognizes the critical role that New Jersey played during the American Revolution. In fact, New Jersey was the site of nearly 300 military engagements that helped determine the course of our history as a Nation. Many of these locations, like the site where George Washington made his historic crossing of the Delaware River, are well known and preserved. Others, such as the Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan and Freehold, and New Bridge Landing in River Edge, are less well known and are threatened by development or in critical need of funding for rehabilitation.

To help preserve New Jersey's Revolutionary War sites, this legislation would establish a Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, linking about 250 sites in 15 counties. This designation would authorize $10 million to assist preservation, recreational and educational efforts by the State, county and local governments as well as private cultural and tourism groups. The program would be managed by the non-profit Crossroads of the American Revolution Association.

Simply put, we are the Nation that we are today because of the critical events that occurred in New Jersey during the American Revolution and the many who died fighting there. By enacting the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Act of 2005, we will pay tribute to the patriots who fought and died in New Jersey so that we might become a Nation free from tyranny.

In the 107th Congress, I was proud to see the Senate approve this legislation as part of a bipartisan package of heritage area bills. Unfortunately, the bill was not approved in the House of Representatives. I will work even harder in the 109th Congress to see that this important legislation passes both houses and goes to the President's desk for his signature. I hope my colleagues will support this legislation, and I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.