A resolution commending the Virginia Retail Merchants Association on 100 years of service to the community.

Mr. President, I am proud to submit today with my friend and colleague Senator Specter a bipartisan resolution to designate May 15, 2005, as National Peace Officers Memorial Day. Joining us in the introduction of this resolution are Senators Hatch, Biden, Brownback, Cornyn, DeWine, Durbin, Feingold, Feinstein, Kennedy, Kohl, Kyl, and Schumer.

This is the ninth year running that I have been involved in the introduction of this resolution to keep alive in the memory of all Americans the sacrifice and commitment of those law enforcement officers who lost their lives serving their communities. For 8 years I introduced this resolution with my old friend and our former colleague Senator Campbell, a former deputy sheriff who was a true leader on this issue. Now I have teamed with Senator Specter, a former prosecutor who has witnessed first-hand the risks faced by law enforcement officers every day while they serve and protect our communities. His knowledge and experience in this area is a true asset to the American people and I thank him for his leadership on it.

I also want to thank each of our Nation's brave law enforcement officers for their unwavering commitment to the safety and protection of their fellow citizens. They are real-life heroes, too many of whom too often give the ultimate sacrifice, and they remind us of how important it is to support and respect our state and local police officers.

Currently, more than 850,000 men and women who guard our communities do so at great risk. Each year, 1 in 15 officers is assaulted, 1 in 46 officers is injured, and 1 in 5,255 officers is killed in the line of duty in the United States every other day. After the hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, 72 peace officers died while trying to ensure that their fellow citizens in those buildings got to safety. That act of terrorism resulted in the highest number of peace officers ever killed in a single incident in the history of our country.

In 2004, 154 law enforcement officers died while serving in the line of duty, well below the decade-long average of 169 deaths annually, and a major drop from 2001 when a total of 237 officers were killed. A number of factors contributed to this reduction including better equipment and the increased use of bullet-resistant vests, improved training and advanced emergency medical care. And, in total, more than 17,500 men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice--of that number 42 are police officers who have already been killed in 2005 while serving in the line of duty.

In the 108th Congress, we shepherded into law a number of measures to issues to make a difference in the lives of all police officers and the communities they serve. We improved the Justice Department's Public Safety Officers Benefits Program by making law the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act, P.L. No. 108-182, which allows survivors of public safety officers who suffer fatal heart attacks or strokes while participating in non-routine stressful or strenuous physical activities to qualify for Federal survivor benefits.

Also becoming law was the Campbell-Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act, P.L. No. 108-372, which extends through fiscal year 2007 the authorization of appropriations for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program that helps State, tribal and local jurisdictions purchase armor vests for use by law enforcement officers. I hope that with the help of this program we can make sure that every police officer who needs a bulletproof vest gets one.

Last year, the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, which Senator Campbell and I championed in the Senate, was signed into law, P.L. No: 108-277. This measure established national measures of uniformity and consistency to permit trained and certified on-duty, off-duty or retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms in most situations so that they may respond immediately to crimes across State and other jurisdictional lines, as well as to protect themselves and their families from vindictive criminals.

National Peace Officers Memorial Day will provide the people of the United States with the opportunity to honor the extraordinary service and sacrifice given year after year by our police forces. More than 25,000 peace officers are expected to gather in Washington to join with the families of their fallen comrades. I hope my colleagues will join us in supporting passage of this important bipartisan resolution.

Mr. President, today I rise, on behalf of myself, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Obama, and Mr. Kennedy, to support a bipartisan resolution calling on the American people to observe North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, May 1 through May 7, 2005. This week is designed to increase the awareness and importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace. I introduced a similar resolution in May 2002, and I am proud to sponsor it again.

The focus of this year's North American Occupational Safety and Health Week is on the estimated 5,500 people killed in workplace accidents and the millions who suffer on-the-job injuries and illnesses each year. The week will focus on preventing such tragedies from occurring and draw attention to the positive return on investment for businesses that invest in occupational safety and health.

The Department of Labor recently gave the Monsanto research facility in Waterman, IL, its top safety classification: Star Certification in the Voluntary Protection Program. VPP is a program that goes beyond current workplace regulations to establish cooperative relationships between management and workers to implement a comprehensive health and safety system. It requires rigorous review by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and involves companies with injury rates which average about 53 percent lower than the average for their industry.

OSHA also recognized three Illinois beef packing companies for their exemplary injury and illness records. Aurora Packing Company, Inc., of North Aurora, New City Packing Company, Inc., of Aurora, and Prairie Packaging Company of Bridgeview were commended by OSHA's VPP. Aurora and New City have achieved Star Conditional status for 11 years now, and Prairie was recognized this year as a Merit Participant. Fewer than 1,000 Federal worksites under Federal jurisdiction share this honor and I am very proud of their accomplishments. The Labor Department says VPP sites are ``models for what employers and employees can accomplish by working cooperatively with one another and with OSHA to achieve a level of worker protection that goes beyond compliance with Government regulations.'' The VPP program is a win-win situation for everyone because workers experience fewer illnesses and injuries, and companies can expect lower workers' compensation costs. While there is more work to be done to improve the health and safety of America's workers, I congratulate these firms for their achievements.

The American Society of Safety Engineers, based in Des Plaines, IL, is a major proponent of North American Occupational Health and Safety Week and has sponsored this awareness week for many years. ASSE is the world's oldest and largest professional safety organization. It is a 90-year-old nonprofit association and has more than 30,000 members. It is committed to protecting people, property, and the environment. Together with OSHA, ASSE will be working to educate employees, employers and the public about the positive benefits of occupational safety and health programs; raise the awareness of the role and contribution of safety, health, and environmental professionals; and reduce workplace injuries and illness by increasing awareness and implementation of safety and health programs.

In addition to ASSE, the Canadian Society of Safety Engineers, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, the Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers, the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the American National Standards Institute are all working toward the goal of a safer, healthier, working America and support this resolution.

In support of that goal, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan resolution.

Mr. President, I rise today to support an important resolution designating the 30th day of April 2005 as ``Dia de los Ninos: Celebrating Young Americans.''

Nations throughout the world, and especially within Latin America, celebrate Dia de los Ninos on the 30th of April, in recognition and celebration of their country's future--their children. Many American Hispanic families continue the tradition of honoring their children on this day by celebrating Dia de los Ninos in their homes.

The designation of a day to honor the children of the Nation will help affirm for the people of the United States the significance of family, education, and community. This special recognition of children will provide us with an opportunity to reflect on their future, articulate their dreams and aspirations, and find comfort and security in the support of their family members and communities. This resolution calls on the American people to join with all children, families, organizations, communities, churches, cities, and States across the Nation to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

Joining me as original cosponsors to this resolution are John Cornyn, Charles E. Grassley, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Mel Martinez, and Lisa Murkowski.

I strongly urge my colleagues to join us in promptly passing this resolution designating April 30, 2005, Dia de los Ninos: Celebrating Young Americans.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed en bloc to the following resolutions submitted earlier today: S. Res. 128, S. Res. 129, S. Res. 130, and S. Res. 131.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the preambles be agreed to, the resolutions be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc.