Support for Injured Servicemembers Act of 2007

Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill that will help deliver clean energy technologies from the research pipelines of our labs into the hands of our farmers and ranchers, so that we can take better advantage of our farms and fields for clean energy production. This bill, called the Harvesting Energy Act, will bolster the energy title of this year's farm bill, building on the good ideas that Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Chambliss, and the rest of us on the Agriculture Committee have been working on for several months.

I am proud that the Harvesting Energy Act reflects the broad-based, bipartisan input of the 25 by '25 coalition which, earlier this year, provided us with their policy recommendations for how we can produce 25 percent of our energy from renewable resources by 2025. The 25 by '25 vision has been endorsed by 22 current and former Governors and several State legislatures across the country, along with over 500 organizations and companies, including the Big Three automobile manufacturers, agricultural producers, and environmental groups. We established 25 by '25 as a national goal earlier this year when we passed the Energy bill in the Senate. We must now implement the policies that are necessary to achieve that goal.

I have spoken many times about the urgency of moving this Nation toward energy independence by making better use of the resources we have here at home. Responsible development of our oil and gas resources, improved efficiency and conservation, and more aggressive investment in renewable energy technologies--these are the three pillars upon which we must build an economy that is less dependent on foreign oil.

I do not need to remind my colleagues of the dangers that oil dependence poses to the United States and to global security. It is oil that empowers states such as lran, Venezuela, and Syria. It is oil that contributes to violence in Iraq, Nigeria, and the Sudan. It is oil that places Russia and China in a dangerous competition for oil in Central Asia and Africa.

This Congress has made remarkable progress since January in confronting the daunting task of reducing our dependence on foreign oil. It is an effort that has spanned several committees.

The Energy bill that we passed in early June represented the diligent work of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Commerce Committee, and the Finance Committee. I was proud of the work we did on that bill, from creating meaningful oil savings targets to making smarter investments in renewables, improving vehicle standards, and establishing a national goal of producing 25 percent of our energy from our farms and fields by 2025.

I am also proud of the energy work we are doing on the farm bill in the Agriculture Committee. Thanks to Chairman Harkin's leadership, the 2007 farm bill will build on the 2002 farm bill's first-ever energy title.

This is an important step that recognizes the central role that our farmers and ranchers must play in a new, clean energy economy. We have the most productive lands and most efficient farmers in the world, allowing America to be the breadbasket for the global community. With these resources, talent, and ingenuity, there is no doubt that we can grow our way to energy independence.

As I travel through Colorado, the possibilities of a clean energy revolution, driven by farmers and ranchers, are clear.

In Weld County, Logan County, and Yuma County, we are seeing biofuel plants spring to life, creating new markets and new opportunities for our rural communities. In 2004, there were no ethanol plants in Colorado. Today, three plants produce more than 90 million gallons per year, and a fourth plant will come on line later this year, adding another 50 million gallons per year.

But it is not just biofuels. In the San Luis Valley, where my family has lived for five generations, Xcel Energy just broke ground on the largest solar plant in North America.

We have added 60 megawatts of wind capacity in Colorado in the last 2 years, and by the end of 2007, we will add another 775 megawatts, more than tripling the State's production of wind power to more than 1,000 megawatts. This is good for households along the Front Range that get clean, affordable power, and it is good for the ranchers in Prowers County, who own the land on which the turbines sit.

These biofuel plants, wind turbines, and solar farms are revitalizing rural communities that have been withering on the vine. They are bringing life back to main streets that were boarded up and excitement back to farmers and ranchers who are eager to be a part of our clean energy revolution.

The bill I am introducing today will help stimulate this revolution by getting more renewable energy technologies out of the development pipeline and into the fields, where they belong.

It is based on the recommendations contained in the 25 by 25 Action Plan and builds on those ideas with important new initiatives to supplement the energy title of the farm bill. Our goal is to ensure that the renewable energy work being done at the Department of Energy and in colleges and universities throughout the country, in which we invested earlier this year through the Energy bill, is accompanied by a strong commitment at USDA to bring the resulting technologies and methods out to farmers and ranchers.

USDA has a long history of identifying promising new production methods and technologies, refining them, and making them available to agricultural producers. The Akron Research Station in Washington County, CO, is a great example. For 100 years it has connected our farmers in eastern Colorado with the latest practical agricultural research available.

USDA can and should be making the same efforts to disperse the latest and best developments from the renewable energy revolution to farmers and ranchers.

I want to briefly describe four ways in which my bill will bolster USDA's capabilities in this area and help make the 25x'25 vision a reality.

First, the Harvesting Energy Act of expands and extends Section 9006 of the farm bill, which offers competitive grants and loan guarantees to help farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses invest in proven clean energy technologies. My bill adds $280 million to section 9006, following the recommendations of the 25x'25 Agriculture Energy Alliance. This will ramp up the loan guarantees for cellulosic ethanol facilities, encourage community wind and other electric power projects, and expand the number of eligible applicants for these loans and grants. This is a responsible way to help more farmers become net energy producers of on-farm renewable energy.

Second, my bill accelerates research, development, demonstration, and deployment of renewable resources such as biomass, wind, solar, and renewable natural gas. I am proposing that we devote an additional $200 million per year to these efforts, with the specific goals of bringing biomass energy feedstocks such as native grasses and short-rotation trees into production; perfecting our biorefinery and conversion technologies; refining biofuels from these biomass feedstocks; and making use of the biobased coproducts to add value to the process.

Third, if we are to continue to expand biofuels production, we need to ensure that the supply is stable so that we don't encounter major shortages in droughts or in periods of adverse weather. Storing feedstocks like corn, oilseed crops, and biomass for cellulosic ethanol will better protect consumers from huge price fluctuations or shortages. My bill would create a voluntary biofuel feedstock reserve that would encourage farmers to store these feedstocks on-farm and make them available for biofuel production when a price spike or a shortage occurs.

Fourth, the Harvesting Energy Act invests in research and development in new production technologies that promise to yield high energy returns and carbon storage. One of the key investments that this bill makes is in biochar. Biochar is a type of charcoal produced from biomass that is valuable as a soil amendment. The USDA and DOE are finding that they can produce biochar as a carbon-capturing byproduct of cellulosic ethanol production. This is good for farmers, who put the biochar back into the soil as a fertilizer, good for the environment because it reduces carbon emissions, and good for consumers because it could drive down cellulosic ethanol production costs. My bill would provide $50 million in competitive funding for research and development grants to scale-up and commercialize biochar production systems. Like so much else we are doing in the energy title of the farm bill, this would move ideas from the research pipeline out into the field, where they need to be.

This bill includes a wide range of other provisions that build on the good work that the Agriculture Committee is doing on the farm bill. Like the provisions I have described, they aim to expand the menu of renewable energy options we have available as we work to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

I again thank Chairman Harkin and Senator Chambliss for their leadership on the Agriculture Committee and for their commitment to creating a robust energy title in this year's farm bill. I firmly believe that with the right investments and a commitment from this Congress, our farmers and ranchers can help lead us down the path to energy independence.

Mr. President, as Ranking Member on the Coast Guard's oversight subcommittee, I am pleased today to co-sponsor the Coast Guard Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008.

The Coast Guard serves as the guardian of our maritime homeland security and provides many critical services for our nation. Last year alone, the Coast Guard responded to over 28,000 calls for assistance, and saved nearly 5,300 lives. These brave men and women risk their lives to defend our borders from drugs, illegal immigrants, acts of terror, and other national security threats. In 2004, the Coast Guard seized 287,000 pounds of cocaine, including over 20 tons in a single interdiction action, the largest drug bust ever recorded. They also stopped nearly 8,000 illegal migrants from reacting our shores. In addition they conducted 6,100 boardings to protect our vital fisheries stocks and they responded to 4,400 pollution incidents.

In today's post-9/11 world, the men and women of the Coast Guard have been working harder than ever securing the nation's coastline, waterways, and ports. This rapid escalation of the Coast Guard's homeland security mission catalogue continues today. While our new reality requires the Coast Guard to maintain a robust homeland security posture, these new priorities must not diminish the Coast Guard's focus on its traditional missions such as marine safety, search and rescue, aids to navigation, fisheries law enforcement, and marine environmental protection.

The bill we introduce today would authorize funding at $8.3 billion for fiscal year 2008. This authorization will continue to allow the Coast Guard to perform non-homeland security missions such as search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, and marine environmental protection, as well as fund the necessary missions related to ports, waterways, and coastal security. It also includes funding to allow the service to continue replacing its rapidly aging assets so it can increase efficiency of its actions and reap the benefits of advances of modern technology and engineering.

The Coast Guard's rapid operational escalation has taken a significant toll on the ships, boats, and aircraft that the Coast Guard uses on a daily basis, putting additional strain on vessels that already collectively comprise the world's third oldest navel fleet. The Coast Guard is now 5 years into the acquisition phase of a program designed to recapitalize its aging infrastructure the Integrated Deepwater Program. In recent months, we have heard a litany of bad news regarding Deepwater, from the decommissioning of eight 123-foot patrol boats following a failed effort to extend them, to reports that Deepwater's flagship, the National Security Cutter, will not meet the specifications required by the Coast Guard. The service has taken numerous steps to rectify contractual shortcomings that have led to many of these problems, but much work remains to be done before the Coast Guard can regain the confidence of its overseers and the American public. This bill authorizes nearly $1 billion for Coast Guard acquisitions programs, a large sum to be sure. But Senator Cantwell and I, and the rest of the Coast Guard's oversight subcommittee will closely monitor developments with the program to ensure that the mistakes of Deepwater's past are not carried over into its future.

This bill also includes a provision to increase the Coast Guard's ability to prosecute those engaged in illegal alien smuggling in the maritime environment. Under current law and practice, individuals have to be seriously injured or die in a maritime migrant smuggling event before the smugglers are faced with meaningful legal penalties. This allows organized groups of experienced smugglers to operate with near impunity, facilitating the entry of

thousands of illegal immigrants annually. The Maritime Alien Smuggling Law Enforcement Act, contained within this bill would close this serious loophole at the frontline of our homeland security efforts.

The bill also contains provisions vital to navigation security, including a requirement that the Coast Guard continue to operate the LORAN-C navigation system. Though advances in Global Positioning System technology have allowed our mariners to receive accurate, timely positioning data, many seafarers, particularly in the northern latitudes where GPS signals are less strong, still rely on LORAN signals as a back-up to their more modern systems, or in some cases, as a primary navigation aid.

The service men and women of the Coast Guard do yeoman's work in support of our homeland security and to ensure the safety of the maritime domain, and this bill also contains provisions to help them in numerous ways. Provisions ensure the Government is providing adequate access to medical care for those stationed on remote islands; grants Coast Guard servicemen and women access to the armed forces retirement homes; and authorizes funding for additional facilities to improve their quality of life.

In sum, this bill contains provisions too numerous to mention individually that support the Coast Guard's missions and enhance its ability to safeguard our homeland, our environment, and our maritime operations. I thank Senator Cantwell and the rest of my fellow co- sponsors for all their hard work on this bill, and I ask my colleagues in this body to join me in expressing support for the valiant men and women of the Coast Guard and this bill that will facilitate execution of their appointed missions.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Coast Guard Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2008 along with Senators Snowe, Inouye, Stevens, Lautenberg, and Lott. This comprehensive legislation will provide the Coast Guard with needed resources to carry out missions critical to our Nation's security, environmental protection, and fisheries enforcement.

The U.S. Coast Guard plays a critical role in keeping our oceans, coasts, and waterways safe, secure, and free from environmental harm. After September 11 and Hurricane Katrina, the Coast Guard has been a source of strength. As marine traffic grows, the number of security threats in our ports increases. Climate change is raising the stakes of another Katrina happening.

The Coast Guard faces many challenges, and those serving in the Coast Guard routinely serve with discipline and courage. From saving lives during natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to protecting our shores in a post-9/11 world, the Coast Guard has served America well, and continues to serve us every day.

Each year, maritime smugglers transport thousands of aliens to the U.S. with virtual impunity because the existing law does not sufficiently punish or deter such conduct. During fiscal years 2004 and 2005, over 840 mariners made $13.9 million smuggling people into the U.S. illegally. Less than 3 percent of those who were interdicted were referred for prosecution.

This bill gives the Coast Guard the authority it needs to prosecute mariners who intentionally smuggle aliens on board their vessels with a reckless disregard of our laws. It also provides protection for legitimate mariners who encounter stowaways or those who may need medical attention.

Our Nation relies heavily on polar icebreakers to conduct missions in the Arctic and Antarctic. They conduct vital research on the oceans and climate, resupply U.S. outposts in Antarctica, and provide one of our Nation's only platforms for carrying out security and rescue missions in some of the world's most rapidly changing environments.

Currently, the United States' icebreaking capabilities lie with the Coast Guard's three vessels: the HEALY; the Polar Sea; and the Polar Star. But the fleet is aging rapidly and requires extensive maintenance. In fact, the Polar Star is currently not even operational because the Coast Guard lacks the resources required to maintain this vessel.

With increased climate change, the role of icebreakers is changing. With an ice-free Arctic summer expected by 2050, more and more international expeditions will be headed to the region to examine newly revealed oil and gas reserves and other natural resources.

Canada, Russia and other countries will begin to compete with America over jurisdiction and, without a strong polar icebreaker fleet, our Nation will suffer a severe disadvantage.

A recent 2007 report by the National Academy of Sciences found that the U.S. needs to maintain polar icebreaking capacity and construct at least two new polar icebreakers. This bill follows those recommendations.

This bill includes many provisions of the Oil Pollution Prevention and Response Act of 2007, which I introduced on June 14, 2007. These provisions are vital for the environmental protection of our Nation's oceans and coasts. For example, this bill would require improved coordination with federally-recognized tribes on oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response. It would also address oil spills resulting from the transfer of oil to or from vessels, spills resulting from human error, and small oil spills that are an all-too-common occurrence in many of our waterways.

For my home State of Washington, it provides a mechanism for year- round funding of the Neah Bay response tug, a key element of the oil spill prevention safety net for Washington State's Olympic Coast. It would also increase oil spill preparedness in the Strait of Juan de Fuca by changing the definition of ``High Volume Port Line'' so as to deliver better incident response throughout Puget Sound.

The Coast Guard is responsible for ensuring our country's security, marine safety and protecting our environment and fisheries. Every day the Coast Guard carries out these missions and does so with limited resources. It is our job to ensure the Coast Guard has the tools it requires to continue getting the job done. This bill will go a long way towards that goal. I urge my colleagues to consider this legislation.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Support for Injured Servicemembers Act of 2007. This bill will implement one of the key recommendations of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors. First of all, I commend former Senator Bob Dole, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, and the distinguished members of the Commission for their thoughtfulness and thorough work on this critically important matter.

More than 20 years ago, I began the effort to bring job protection to hard-working Americans so they wouldn't have to choose between the family they love and the job they need. This effort, after more than seven years, three presidents, and two vetoes, eventually led to the enactment of the Family Medical Leave Act, FMLA, which provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave for eligible employees to care for a newborn or adopted child, their own serious illness or that of a loved one. Since its passage, I have worked to expand this act to cover more workers and to provide for wage replacement, so that more employees can afford to take leave when necessary.

Mr. President, it is essential that we do everything possible to support our troops and to allow their loved ones to be with them as they recover from a combat-related injury or illness. That is why we must expand and improve leave benefits to those caring for our injured or ill servicemembers. The bill I introduce today provides up to 6 months of FMLA leave for primary caregivers of servicemembers who suffer from a combat-related injury or illness. FMLA currently provides for 3 months of unpaid leave to a spouse, parent or child acting as a caregiver for a person with a serious illness. However, some of those injured in service to our country rely on other family members or friends to care for them as they recover. This legislation allows these other primary caregivers, such as siblings, cousins, friends or significant others to take leave from their employment when our returning heroes need them most.

Our troops are giving their all on the battlefield. The very least our Government owes them is its total support for their family and medical needs. While FMLA has provided critical support to more than 50 million American families, I will not rest until we are able to modernize this statute to cover our wounded warriors. Plain and simple, the loved ones of these brave men and women should be allowed to care for them without the fear of losing their job.

I am pleased that I am joined today by Senators Ben Nelson, Kennedy, Reed and Lieberman in introducing the Support for Injured Servicemembers Act of 2007 and ask for the support of all my colleagues for this critically important effort to care for our returning wounded warriors and their loved ones.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Support for Injured Servicemembers Act of 2007. This bill will implement one of the key recommendations of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors. First of all, I commend former Senator Bob Dole, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, and the distinguished members of the Commission for their thoughtfulness and thorough work on this critically important matter.

More than 20 years ago, I began the effort to bring job protection to hard-working Americans so they wouldn't have to choose between the family they love and the job they need. This effort, after more than seven years, three presidents, and two vetoes, eventually led to the enactment of the Family Medical Leave Act, FMLA, which provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave for eligible employees to care for a newborn or adopted child, their own serious illness or that of a loved one. Since its passage, I have worked to expand this act to cover more workers and to provide for wage replacement, so that more employees can afford to take leave when necessary.

Mr. President, it is essential that we do everything possible to support our troops and to allow their loved ones to be with them as they recover from a combat-related injury or illness. That is why we must expand and improve leave benefits to those caring for our injured or ill servicemembers. The bill I introduce today provides up to 6 months of FMLA leave for primary caregivers of servicemembers who suffer from a combat-related injury or illness. FMLA currently provides for 3 months of unpaid leave to a spouse, parent or child acting as a caregiver for a person with a serious illness. However, some of those injured in service to our country rely on other family members or friends to care for them as they recover. This legislation allows these other primary caregivers, such as siblings, cousins, friends or significant others to take leave from their employment when our returning heroes need them most.

Our troops are giving their all on the battlefield. The very least our Government owes them is its total support for their family and medical needs. While FMLA has provided critical support to more than 50 million American families, I will not rest until we are able to modernize this statute to cover our wounded warriors. Plain and simple, the loved ones of these brave men and women should be allowed to care for them without the fear of losing their job.

I am pleased that I am joined today by Senators Ben Nelson, Kennedy, Reed and Lieberman in introducing the Support for Injured Servicemembers Act of 2007 and ask for the support of all my colleagues for this critically important effort to care for our returning wounded warriors and their loved ones.

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