A bill to grant a Federal charter to Korean War Veterans Association, Incorporated.

Mr. President, many have called the 20th Century ``the American century.'' The 21st Century will be one, too, provided that we understand and act on a new reality: that global interactions make each country, even the U.S., more dependent upon others. Nowhere is this more striking than in our battle against emerging infectious diseases and bioterrorism. Whether we like it or not, the very security of our Nation depends upon the capability of nations in remote regions to contain epidemics before they spread.

Today, I am introducing the Global Pathogen Surveillance Act of 2007. I am very pleased to have as original cosponsors Senator Hagel, who is an esteemed colleague on the Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Kennedy, who chairs the HELP Committee. Each of these gentlemen also cosponsored earlier versions of this bill. Also cosponsoring this bill is one of my fine new colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Casey.

Our action today is timely, as there is still time to prevent bioterrorist attacks on the U.S. It is urgent, because the disease surveillance capabilities in foreign countries that this act will promote are vitally needed to protect our country against not only bioterrorism, but also natural diseases such as avian influenza, which threatens to become the greatest pandemic since at least 1918. And it is long overdue, as this bill was first passed by the Senate in 2001 and was again passed in 2005. All of us hope that the third time will be the charm.

The purpose of this bill is to bolster the ability of developing countries to detect, identify and report disease outbreaks, with particular attention to outbreaks that could be the result of terrorist activity. My concern, as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is that today, the many deficiencies in the capability of

developing nations to track and contain disease epidemics are the equivalent of cracks in a levee. Right now, when the epidemiological ``big one'' hits, whether it is a natural outbreak or a terrorist attack, the world simply won't be able to respond in time.

The odds of a major bioterrorism event are very low, but they are hardly zero. In 2001, the American news media, the U.S. Postal Service and this United States Senate learned first-hand what it is like to receive deadly pathogens in the mail. To this day, we do not know whether the murderous anthrax letters were just a criminal act or actually a bioterrorist attack. But we surely know that neither our military power nor our economic wealth or geographical distance affords us immunity from the risk that a deranged person or group will visit biological destruction upon us.

The odds of a major outbreak of a new, but natural, disease are much higher, and the possible consequences, while variable, are truly frightening. At the high end, an avian flu pandemic similar to the Spanish flu of 1918 could kill many millions of people and threaten social cohesion everywhere, including in the U.S. Viruses and other pathogens respect no borders. Increased contact between humans and animals, coupled with vastly increased travel of goods and people, has made it possible for a new and distant outbreak to become a sudden threat to every continent.

The SARS epidemic was a good example of this. Now the world watches nervously as avian flu spreads westward from Asia, occasionally striking poultry flocks in Europe and Africa. We wonder when it will reach the Western Hemisphere and whether, or when, it will mutate into a disease that is readily transmitted between humans, who lack any immunity to it.

Last month, a man with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, or XDRTB, flew across one ocean, twice, and drove across several national borders, reminding us how readily a disease can be spread in the modern world. We dodged a bullet this time; XDRTB is especially difficult to treat, but does not spread as readily as influenza or some other diseases. Authorities knew who the disease vector was, moreover, and they knew what he had. The risk with avian flu or a bioterrorism attack is heightened by the likelihood that the disease will spread before anybody even knows it's here.

As if that were not enough, recent advances in biotechnology that open the door to new cures for diseases could also lead to the development of new diseases, or new strains of old ones, with much greater virulence than in the past or with the ability to resist our current vaccines or medicines. Such man-made diseases have already been developed by accident, and there is a clear risk of their being developed on purpose.

The U.S., and this Senate, have acted to address the twin threats of bioterrorism and new pathogens. We enacted the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, introduced by Senators Frist and Kennedy, to buttress the ability of U.S. public health institutions to deal with a bioterrorism emergency. In 2004 we enacted the Project BioShield Act to spur the development of new vaccines and medicines.

The Centers for Disease Control has a program to put electronic surveillance systems in 8 American cities as the cornerstone of an eventual national network. Delaware is developing the first State-wide, electronic reporting system for infectious diseases, which will serve as a prototype for other States. And the Department of Health and Human Services funded a 3-year, $5.4 million program, early warning infectious disease surveillance, to assist the Government of Mexico to improve its disease surveillance capabilities near the U.S. border. Other funds were provided to U.S. States on the Mexican border.

But these efforts, as vital as they are, address the threats of disease and bioterrorism only when they are inside our house or on our doorstep. We must lift our eyes and look farther, to the places around the world where diseases and terrorism so often breed. We must battle bioterrorism not just at home, but also in those countries where lax governance and the lack of public health resources could permit both strange groups and stranger diseases to get a foothold and to get out of hand. We must not treat the threat of a massive biological pandemic the way we treated the threat of a category 5 hurricane striking New Orleans. If we do not prepare to combat realistic, once-in-a-century threats, then we will be left again to pick up the pieces after enduring massive physical and social harm.

There are precedents in current programs, moreover, for promoting disease surveillance as a means to lessen the risk of bioterrorism. For example, our programs to find useful careers for former Soviet biological weapons scientists, under the leadership of the State Department's Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction, currently fund the disease surveillance activities of anti-plague institutes in six states of the former Soviet Union, which had a major pathogen surveillance program ever since tsarist days. The Department of Defense also has programs with former Soviet scientists, as well as overseas laboratories that work with doctors in developing countries.

We need to build on those programs. We must create a world-wide disease surveillance capability that matches that of the old anti- plague institutes. We must help the rest of the world gain the capability to detect, contain, and report on disease outbreaks in a timely manner, and especially to spot outbreaks that may be the result of biological terrorism.

Part of the answer to the threat of new natural diseases is to stockpile vaccines and medicines, and the means to deliver them quickly. But rapid detection and identification of an outbreak is equally necessary, wherever it occurs. Only disease surveillance can give us the lead time to manufacture vaccines and enable the world community to help control a disease outbreak where it initially occurs.

In 2005, two sets of researchers reported in the journals Nature and Science that, based on computer simulations, if an outbreak of human- to-human-transmitted avian flu occurred in a rural part of Southeast Asia, it might be possible to stem that dangerous epidemic by using anti-viral drugs to treat the tens of thousands of people who might have been exposed in the initial outbreak. One key requirement, however, was that the outbreak would have to be discovered, identified and reported very quickly; in one study, the assumption was that countermeasures were instituted when only 30 people had observable symptoms. That is a tall order for any country's disease surveillance system, let alone a poorly equipped one.

The National Intelligence Council, NIC, reported in January 2000 that developing nations in Africa and Asia have only rudimentary systems, at best, for disease surveillance. They lack sufficient trained personnel and laboratory equipment, and especially the modern communications equipment that is needed for speedy analysis and reporting of disease outbreaks. The NIC estimated that it would take at least a decade to create an effective world-wide disease surveillance system.

According to an August 2001 report by the General Accounting Office, World Health Organization officials said that more than 60 percent of laboratory equipment in developing countries was either outdated or nonfunctioning, and that the vast majority of national personnel were not familiar with quality assurance principles for handling and analyzing biological samples. Deficiencies in training and equipment meant that many public health units in Africa and Asia were simply unable to perform accurate and timely disease surveillance.

The poor sanitary conditions, poverty, close contact between people and animals, and weak medical infrastructure make developing countries ideal breeding grounds for epidemics.

So it is vital to give these countries the capability to track epidemics and to feed that information into international surveillance networks. Disease surveillance is a systematic approach that requires trained public health personnel, proper diagnostic equipment to identify viruses and pathogens, and prompt transmission of data from the doctor or clinic level all the way to national governments and the World Health Organization, Who.

The Global Pathogen Surveillance Act will offer such help to those countries that agree to give the United

States or the World Health Organization prompt access to disease outbreaks, so that we can help determine their origin. Recipients of this training will also be able to learn to spot diseases that might be used in a bioterrorist attack.

In drafting this bill, we worked closely with the Department of Defense and others, which have all supported the underlying goals of the bill. We also accepted several suggestions for improving the bill from the State Department and, in 2005, from the HELP Committee, all of which contributed to making this a better bill.

This bill targets U.S. assistance to developing nations in the following areas: Training of public health personnel in epidemiology; aquisition of laboratory and diagnostic equipment; Acquisition of communications technology to quickly transmit data on disease patterns and pathogen diagnoses to national public health authorities and to international institutions like the WHO; expansion of overseas CDC and Department of Defense laboratories engaged in infectious disease research and disease surveillance, which expansion could take the form of additional laboratories, enlargement of existing facilities, increases in the number of personnel, and/or expanding the scope of their activities; and expanded assistance to WHO and regional disease surveillance efforts, including expansion of U.S.-administered foreign epidemiology training programs.

Two years ago the Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, expressed her strong backing for this legislation:

We believe that the Global Pathogen Surveillance Act will

indeed help strengthen developing countries' abilities to

identify and track pathogens that could be indicators of

dangerous disease outbreaks--either naturally-occurring or

deliberately-released. Improved disease surveillance and

communication among nations are critical defenses against

both bioterrorism and natural outbreaks. We look forward to

working with you in support of the Global Pathogen

Surveillance Act.

Secretary Rice went on to make clear that she shares the sense of urgency that Senators Hagel, Kennedy, Casey and I feel on this subject:

One of the true ``nightmare'' scenarios--of a bioterrorist

attack or a naturally-occurring disease--involves a

contagious biological agent moving swiftly through a crowded

urban area of a densely populated developing nation. Thus, we

believe that it is critical to increase efforts to strengthen

the public health and scientific infrastructure necessary to

identify and quickly respond to infectious disease

outbreaks--and that the Global Pathogen Surveillance Act will

provide valuable support in these efforts.

The WHO also shares our concern. During the SARS epidemic, Dr. Michael Heymann, who was the highest-ranking American in the WHO, stated: ``it is clear that the best defense against the spread of emerging infections such as SARS is strong national public health, national disease detection and response capacities that can identify new diseases and contain them before they spread internationally.'' He went on to highlight the important role that disease surveillance plays in combating both natural and terrorist outbreaks:

Global partnerships to combat global microbial threats make

good sense as a defense strategy that brings immediate

benefits in terms of strengthened pubic health and

surveillance systems. The resulting infectious disease

intelligence brings dual benefits in terms of protecting

populations against both naturally occurring and potentially

deliberately caused outbreaks. As SARS has so vividly

demonstrated, the need is urgent and of critical importance

to the health of economies as well as populations.

Support to developing countries such as proposed in the

Global Pathogen Surveillance Act . . . will help strengthen

capacity of public health professionals and epidemiologists,

laboratory and other disease detection systems, and outbreak

response mechanisms for naturally occurring infectious

diseases such as SARS. This in turn will strengthen WHO and

the world's safety net for outbreak detection and response,

of which the United States is a major partner. And finally,

strengthening this global safety net to detect and contain

naturally occurring infectious diseases will strengthen the

world's capacity to detect and respond to infectious diseases

that may be deliberately caused.

The purpose of the Global Pathogen Surveillance Act is precisely to build these partnerships. And today, with the global war on terrorism an ever-present concern and with the threat of avian flu on the horizon, we have no time to waste. I urge my Senate colleagues to once again pass this bill and, with new leadership in the other body and with the support of Secretary Rice, I look forward to its speedy enactment.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1692) to grant a Federal charter to Korean War Veterans Association, Incorporated.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I would now like to yield 1 minute to our distinguished majority leader, Mr. Steny Hoyer, the author of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I would like to now yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) who also desires to rise to thank the Korean War veterans.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Madam Speaker, let me rise in appreciation to the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Mr. Conyers, and the ranking member, Mr. Smith, in working with the Senate and working with the staff on this very important initiative. And I would like to acknowledge both former Senator Sarbanes, Senator Cardin, and of course our very, very able and distinguished and dedicated Majority Leader Hoyer in collaboration with Congressman Sarbanes to have this legislation, S. 1692, move, which is to create the Korean War Veterans Association to become a Federally tax-exempt organization. It was a Federally tax-exempt corporation that was incorporated in the State of New York on June 25, 1985. And now this bill will grant a Federal charter to the Korean War Veterans Association.

The veterans association is an association of persons who have seen honorable service during the Korean War at any time between June 25, 1950 and January 31, 1955, both dates inclusive, and of certain other persons, the particular qualifications for membership to be set forth in the bylaws of the Korean War Veterans Association.

Over the years, the organization has established a strong record of service and commitment to fellow Korean War veterans ranging from the efforts on behalf of Project Freedom to a successful effort to construct a national Korean War veterans memorial on the National Mall.

I certainly personally want to thank my friend and colleague from Texas, Congressman Sam Johnson, who has never wavered from his commitment and dedication to the men and women of the United States military, to his love of Texas, and certainly to his particular love of those who served in the Korean War as he did, along with his service in the Vietnam War.

He made mention of our friends and colleagues, Congressman John Conyers and Congressman Charlie Rangel. So today we honor them as we honor many, many of those who served. The Korean War, often overlooked in American history, is anything but forgotten by the nearly 1.2 million American veterans of the Korean War still alive today. And during the 3-year course of the war, some 5.7 million Americans were called to serve.

And by the time the Korean War Armistice Agreement was signed in July 1953, more than 36,000 Americans sacrificed their lives, 103,284 were wounded, 7,140 were captured and 664 were missing. And so we know it was, in fact, a war that saw a painful time in American history but yet saw the valiant effort of our American soldiers.

American troops fought to protect our freedom as we know it today and paved the way for the United States to vanguard the movement for global democracy and liberty, a movement that afforded many countries the opportunity to shift to democratic regimes.

And so it is a special honor to me to able to stand today and join my colleagues, to be able to support this legislation, S. 1692. I would ask my colleagues to support this legislation and be reminded that no war should ever be forgotten. We stand here today to acknowledge that the Korean War is not forgotten, and as well, that we will have the opportunity to celebrate in the passing of this legislation.

With that, Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote for S. 1692.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S.1692, a bill to grant a Federal charter to the Korean War Veterans Association. This legislation honors the sacrifice and courage of our soldiers who served in the Korean War. My distinguished colleague from Maryland, Senator Benjamin L. Cardin and the Majority Leader Steny Hoyer seek to recognize the heroic deeds of Korean War veterans by granting the Korean War Veterans Association Incorporated a Federal Charter.

The Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA) is a federally-tax exempt organization that was incorporated in the State of New York on June 25, 1985. Its original founder was Mr. William T. Norris, of New York, a member of F Company, 27th Infantry Regiment (Wolfhounds), 25th Infantry Division, when he served as a sergeant in the Korean War.

This legislation provides an opportunity for each of us, regardless of political views, religion, ethnicity, gender, or background to come together, and to recognize and honor our nation's heroes. We gather here today, in the midst of ongoing conflict and warfare, honoring the dedication of our men and women in uniform. Though we may be divided by our positions on the war in Iraq, we stand together to support all of our veterans, highlighting in this particular legislation those who fought in the Korean War.

Our nation has a proud legacy of appreciation and commitment to the men and women who have worn the uniform in defense of this country. We must be united in seeing to it that every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine is welcomed back with all the care and compassion this grateful nation can bestow. S.1692 assists us in these endeavors by extending a small gesture of gratitude that grants a federal charter to an organization that promotes and maintains benevolent and charitable endeavors. The Korean War Veterans Association is an association of persons who have seen honorable service during the Korean War at any time between June 25, 1950 and 31 January 1955, both dates inclusive, and of certain other persons, the particular qualifications for membership to be set forth in the by-laws of the Korean War Veterans Association. Over the years, the organization has established a strong record of service and commitment to fellow Korean War veterans, ranging from efforts on behalf of Project Freedom to its successful effort to construct a national Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall.

The Korean War, often overlooked in American history, is anything but forgotten by the nearly 1.2 million American veterans of the Korean War still alive today. During the three year course of the war, some 5.7 million Americans were called to serve, and by the time the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in July 1953, more than 36,000 Americans sacrificed their lives, 103,284 were wounded, 7,140 were captured and 664 were missing.

American troops fought to protect our freedom as we know it today and paved the way for the United States to vanguard the movement for global democracy and liberty; a movement that afforded many countries the opportunity to shift to democratic regimes.

Sadly, all too many of our veterans are left without the help and support they need to transition from the horrors they bravely faced on the front lines of battle to a successful civilian life. According to the Veteran's Affairs Department, as of 2006, on any given night, 196,000 veterans of all ages were homeless. As we work to curb this formidable reality, let us demonstrate our support for the veterans of the Korean War by supporting this legislation. This should encourage us to continue to honor this nation's troops who are fighting and who have fought for the rights of all of us in places we do not dare to go, under environments we cannot fully appreciate from this comfortable position.

I firmly believe that we should celebrate our veterans after every conflict, and I remain committed, as a Member of Congress, to both meeting the needs of veterans of previous wars, and to provide a fitting welcome home to those who are now serving. Veterans have kept their promise to serve our nation; they have willingly risked their lives to protect the country we all love.

I have always been a strong supporter of our country's troops, male and female. That is why I introduced the House Concurrent Resolution 320 which celebrates one of our heroic daughters of Texas, Specialist Monica L. Brown of the United States Army with for her efforts earlier this year.

Spec. Brown was the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest medal for valor. This soldier from Lake Jackson, Texas was only 20-years-old.

On April 25, 2007, Specialist Brown was part of a four-vehicle convoy patrolling near Jani Kheil in the eastern province of Paktia on April 25, 2007, when a bomb struck one of the Humvees.

When Spec. Brown saw her fellow soldiers were injured, she grabbed her aid bag and started running toward the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded soldiers from her platoon scrambled out. Under this commotion, she assessed her patients and moved them to a safer location because they were still receiving incoming fire.

Other veteran's legislation that I am pursuing entails guaranteeing that our VA hospitals have the capacity to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of our troops. The Riverside Hospital in Houston, Texas is a historic medical center that has served the needs of veterans in the Houston area for a long time. However, currently, the hospital is lacking the tools necessary to treat the augmenting number of troops who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other common problems associated with fighting in battle. Today, at this very second let us take a united stand for the well being of our veterans; to say the very least, they deserve it and to say the most; we've promised it.

This attests to the fact that we must now ensure that we keep our promises to our veterans by extending our gratitude and appreciation. Currently, there are over 25 million veterans in the United States. There are more than 1,633,000 veterans living in Texas and more than 32,000 veterans living in my Congressional district alone. I hope we will all take the time to show appreciation to those who have answered the call to duty. As the Winston Churchill famously stated, ``Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.'' This recognition for our nation's Korean War Veterans is long overdue, and it is a small expression of appreciation our nation can offer to these men and women, and it will enable them to ensure that the ``Forgotten War'' is forgotten no more.

Madam Speaker, as we approach the 55th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting and serving those who have served this nation.

With that, I yield back my time.

Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senator Hatch in support of this important legislation to reduce the difference in sentencing between crack and powder cocaine. It is important to ameliorate harsh drug laws that have discriminatory consequences.

The Sentencing Reform Act was enacted over 20 years ago to reduce unwarranted disparities and assure proportionality in punishment. Instead, the severity of crack-cocaine sentencing has had a harsh impact on low-income and African-American communities and has undermined public confidence in the fairness of the criminal justice system. Unfair sentencing feeds the perception that the criminal justice system unjustly targets the poor and minority communities.

The crack powder laws were intended to punish those at the highest levels of the illegal drug trade, such as traffickers and kingpins. But the low amount needed to trigger the harsh sentences is not associated with high-level drug dealing. As the Sentencing Commission reported in 2005, only 15 percent of Federal cocaine traffickers were high-level dealers. The overwhelming majority of defendants were low-level participants, such as street dealers, lookouts, or couriers. Harsh sentencing in such cases has only a limited impact on the drug trade because they involve low level offenders who are not at the top of the drug chain. The mass incarceration resulting from these sentences has done nothing to decrease drug use. Recent data indicate that such use has actually increased over time.

When these laws were enacted, there was widespread belief in the extraordinary dangers of crack cocaine. It was viewed as highly addictive and likely to cause violent behavior. We know much more about crack cocaine now than we did 20 years ago. The rationale that crack is more dangerous or more addictive than powder is not supported by research. In fact, research has demonstrated that the effects of crack cocaine are much like the effects of powder cocaine.

Medical experts have determined that the pharmacological effects of crack were overstated. They found that crack use doesn't incite violent behavior. As with other drugs, the violence is related to the distribution of the drug.

Changes in the drug market have also called the 100-to-1 ratio into question. Demand for crack cocaine by new users has decreased significantly, and the violence associated with crack cocaine has declined. How can Congress continue to support a policy it knows is flawed? Changes are long overdue and will be an important step in reducing the disparity that plagues drug sentencing policies.

Under the current sentencing laws, the statutory ratio for powder and crack cocaine is 100 to 1. One gram of crack cocaine triggers the same penalty as 100 grams of powder cocaine. Possession of 5 grams of crack triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum penalty. It is the only drug with a mandatory prison sentence for a first-time possession offense. This disparity results from an early attempt by the Commission to incorporate congressionally mandated minimum penalties into the guidelines, even though such harsh mandatory minimums are completely inconsistent with the structure and goals of the Sentencing Reform Act.

Judges, experts, and practitioners in the Federal criminal justice system have long opposed mandatory minimums on the ground that they undermine the goals of the Sentencing Reform Act by creating unwarranted disparities, subjecting defendants with different levels of culpability to the same punishment, and adding another unnecessary layer of complexity to the sentencing process.

In its 2002 report, as well as an updated report to Congress in May, the commission has repeatedly recognized that the 100-to-1 ratio exaggerates the relative harm of crack cocaine and creates unwarranted disparities that are correlated with race and class. With a new sense of urgency, the Commission continues to call on Congress to eliminate the 100-to-1 ratio.

Senator Hatch's legislation takes two important steps toward this goal. It reduces the ratio from 100-to-1 to 20-to-1, and it eliminates the mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years for first-time possession. Under the new sentencing scheme proposed by this legislation, the amount of crack cocaine triggering a mandatory minimum sentence would be raised from 5 grams to 25 grams, an amount that targets the more serious traffickers. This change will make cocaine laws more consistent with the penalty structure for other types of drugs that require much greater amounts to trigger a mandatory minimum. For heroin and marijuana, it is 100 grams. Even for methamphetamine, the triggering amount is 10 grams. Congress must take action to support the recommendations of the Sentencing Commission.

Changing the ratio will also provide important benefits to the criminal justice system as a whole. The Sentencing Commission estimates that the 20-to-1 ratio could save over 3,000 prison beds in the Federal system over a 5-year period, with millions of dollars in savings each year. Resources for prosecution could also be redirected toward more serious drug offenders, whose prosecution may actually make a difference in drug trafficking. Adjusting the ratio will also help to restore public confidence and fairness in the criminal justice system. Currently, 5,000 people are convicted under the Federal crack cocaine laws every year. The Sentencing Commission recently proposed amended guidelines for crack cocaine by reducing sentencing ranges, a change that will affect 78 percent of Federal defendants. The commission's proposed amendment to the guideline will result in an average sentence reduction of 16 months.

Drug abuse and addiction are increasingly being recognized as public health issues, not just as crime problems. More resources must be directed at breaking the cycle of drug addiction, which often leads to involvement in crimes. More resources must also be directed toward drug courts, which provide nonviolent drug offenders with treatment, not punishment. We are currently working to reauthorize SAMSHA to improve substance abuse treatment, since punishment and incarceration only address one part of the overall drug problem.

The commission recognizes, however, that its efforts are only a partial step to eliminate unwarranted disparities in the Federal crack powder laws. It has strongly urged Congress to address the problems with the 100-to-1 ratio. It is important for us to move forward on this issue without any effort to raise penalties for powder cocaine. Current law provides for 5-year and 10-year mandatory minimum sentences for offenses involving, respectively, 500 and 5000 grams of powder cocaine. There is no evidence that existing powder-cocaine penalties are too low.

Our goal is to return to the original intent of these laws and direct our limited resources to arresting and prosecuting high level drug traffickers. Our harshest punishments should be reserved for those who truly deserve them.

Mr. President, 53 years ago, President Dwight Eisenhower named November 11 ``Veterans Day,'' setting aside that day to honor all Americans who have served our country so honorably in the military, both in war and in peace.

I want to take the opportunity this day of remembrance provides to say to all veterans and their families, thank you for your courage, your character, your strength, and the enduring power of your example. All Americans owe you our gratitude and appreciation for your commitment to and sacrifice for our Nation.

Since our Nation's struggle for freedom more than two centuries ago, nearly 50 million men and women have served in the U.S. military and nearly 25 million of these veterans are alive today. Our thoughts and prayers also are with our veterans of tomorrow--the 1.4 million Americans serving in our Armed Forces, including the more than 189,000 service men and women who are in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. Because of the noble service and tremendous sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, the United States stands as a beacon of democracy, hope, and opportunity to the rest of the world.

At this moment, as we send soldiers to fight overseas, our support for our servicemembers must remain steadfast and strong. Our veterans have earned access to quality health care, affordable educational opportunities, and a chance to thrive once home.

I am proud today to be a part of this Congress that has worked to honor our commitment to our Nation's veterans. In September, the Senate passed the Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill for 2008. The legislation provides nearly 65 billion dollars for the Veterans' Administration. Specifically, the bill makes substantial new investments to improve and strengthen health care for our brave veterans, making critical investments in medical services, including treatment of traumatic brain injury, TBI, and post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans; funding for new claims processors to address the backlog of pending disability claims, and the investment in VA repair and maintenance necessary to prevent another Walter Reed type situation. These investments address key shortcomings in our veterans health care system.

Although a minority in the Senate blocked our ability to send that legislation to the President's desk last week, we voted this past Thursday to provide temporary funding at the level the Bush administration requested. That amount is $4 billion less than what we in Congress originally intended. We remain committed to ensuring the VA receives the full $65 billion necessary to provide veterans the care and services they have earned.

But just as important as the quality of care is access to care. My colleague, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, and I have worked together to secure Federal funding for two new VA community-based clinics in Maryland--one at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince

George's County and another at Fort Detrick in Frederick County. Not only will facilities like these help to reduce backlog and waiting times, they will allow more veterans to receive care close to home.

We know, however, that we can and must do more for our Nation's veterans, for those who have given so much to our country. In addition to giving our veterans the benefits they deserve, we must continue to honor their service and keep the memory of our fallen soldiers alive. In that spirit, I introduced bipartisan legislation to grant a Federal charter to the Korean War Veterans Association, S. 1692, the only fraternal veterans' organization in the Unites States devoted exclusively to veterans of the Korean war. This bill unanimously passed the Senate, and I am hopeful it will soon pass the House. Should that happen, it will ensure that the nearly 1.2 million American veterans of the Korean war will receive the Federal recognition they deserve for their dedication and sacrifice.

As elected leaders, we also have an obligation to act as good stewards for our military, exercising wise judgment for its use and providing the equipment, training, and materiel necessary for its success. My colleagues and I have made a good faith effort to act as those stewards.

Just this past Thursday evening, Congress passed a spending bill that provides $460 billion for the Department of Defense, which is $40 billion above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level. Congress directed that money be spent on a pay raise and better medical care and benefits for our troops but also on procuring new equipment for our National Guard, increasing troop strength, and developing the Armed Forces and the tools necessary to engage in the very different types of conflicts we are confronted with in the world today.

In his second inaugural address, a portion of which is engraved on our Veterans' Administration building, President Lincoln said:

Let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up

the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the

battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which

may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among

ourselves, and with all nations.

I see those words as a charge to us here in Government, laying out the grave and important work we have left to do. But I think these words can serve as a guide to all of us, in every community, today and every day, as we welcome and honor our returned and returning heroes and work toward a more perfect Union.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 26, 2007, at 10 a.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. The purpose of this hearing is to explore U.S. readiness for and the consumer impact of the nationwide transition from analog television broadcasting to digital television broadcasting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 10 a.m., in room 406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in order to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Examining the Case for the California Waiver: An Update from EPA.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 26, 2007, at 2:30 p.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. The hearing will focus on proposed efforts to improve the safety of the Nation's railroads through targeting highway-rail grade crossing safety, reducing employee hours of service and fatigue, and developing and using new rail safety technology.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 26, 2007, at 3 p.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to consider S. 1607, the ``Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2007,'' with a substitute amendment, and to consider favorably reporting pending nominees who have responded to all written questions and been cleared by both sides.

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 26, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on Extraordinary Rendition.

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 26, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a hearing on the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet in executive session during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. in SR-325. We will be considering the following:

Agenda

1. S. 625, Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

2. S. 1183, Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act

3. S. 579, Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2007

4. S. 898, Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2007

5. S. 1858, Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007

6. The following nominations:

Diane Auer Jones, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education

David C. Geary, of Missouri, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences

Miguel Campaneria, of Puerto Rico, to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet Thursday, July 26, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. in room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on the nomination of Charles W. Grim to be Director of the Indian Health Service.

Mr. President I ask uanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate in order to conduct a markup on Thursday, July 26, 2007, at 10 a.m. in

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 26, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 300, to authorize appropriations for the Bureau of Reclamation to carry out the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program in the States of Arizona, California, and Nevada, and for other purposes; S. 1258, to amend the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 to authorize improvements for the security of dams and other facilities; S. 1477, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the Jackson Gulch rehabilitation project in the State of Colorado; S. 1522, to amend the Bonneville Power Administration portions of the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act of 2000 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2008 through 2014, and for other purposes; and H.R. 1025, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project to improve water supply reliability, increase the capacity of water storage, and improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas.