A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to expand passenger facility fee eligibility for certain noise compatibility projects.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 996. This bill is going to help alleviate the impact of airport noise in Los Angeles, California, by permitting passenger facility charges collected by the Los Angeles International Airport to be used for noise mitigation during the construction of a new school.

Furthermore, this bill defines the projects that are eligible to ensure that money intended for noise mitigation is used for exactly that and nothing else. This bill is yet another provision to be pulled from H.R. 2881, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2007, and moved as a standalone bill.

Unfortunately, our counterparts in the Senate have not been able to reach an agreement among themselves and pass a comprehensive 4-year bill, and time is running out to get just such a bill done this year.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge the Senate to settle their differences and allow the Congress to send much-needed relief to an agency in turmoil as well as the flying public.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have?

I was going to pretty much just talk about the specific merits of S. 996, but since my colleague pointed out that we should stay on topic, I think I would just expand just a little bit because this is an aviation bill, this is talking about--and it was mentioned-- the number of planes flying in and out of Los Angeles International Airport and just how important that part of the transportation system is to this country and how much we are going to lose in this country if pieces of legislation like the un-American energy bill that was passed last night are enacted into law.

It's unfortunate because so many things in this country travel. Every single product, every single person in this country travels one way or another, either by train or by plane or by ship or by barge or by pipeline or by truck. Everything in this country travels, and we are a country that is very, very dependent on foreign sources of oil, unfortunately, for those products that we need for gasoline, for diesel fuel.

We would like to see, and I would like to see, that dependence reduced. That dependence needs to be reduced, and we have the resources right here in the United States. Unfortunately, the bill that was passed last night locked away the biggest chunk of those resources permanently. That bill permanently put away any opportunity to go after those resources off the Outer Continental Shelf between zero and 50 miles where the biggest chunk of those resources are and where it would be the easiest to go after those resources.

It's unfortunate because there are no alternatives in certain areas of transportation, for instance, aviation, which we're talking about today. There are no alternatives but aviation fuel. It comes from petroleum. No alternatives are out there.

It will be nice one of these days in this country when we do have alternatives to address some of our issues when it comes to being a country so dependent on petroleum, on gasoline, and diesel fuel.

We already have a few great hybrids in this country, whether it's electricity or ethanol or biofuels. We have some great alternatives. But if you're talking about real power to pull a train or to drive a ship or to push a barge or to pull farm machinery or to pull a truck or to fly an airplane, we have to have fuel. And it's unfortunate that we continue to see pieces of legislation brought forth in this Chamber that do absolutely nothing to address our real need in this country. And we're talking about all of those things that are important to us for energy--nuclear power, clean-burning coal technology, coal to gas, more drilling in places like ANWR and the Outer Continental Shelf, and all of those areas throughout the United States that have oil.

And we can do it in such an environmentally friendly way. And that's one of the most frustrating parts of this entire argument. We can do it in such an environmentally friendly way because of the technologies today that allow us to do so many different things underground when it comes to those wells and comes to those rigs. We don't have to hurt our environment to be dependent on the United States and to Americanize United States resources. We don't have to harm our environment in any way. We can work with our environment. And we continue to use those resources that are un-American.

So it's unfortunate, again, that we passed such an un-American bill in this Chamber last night. Many of us did not support that bill simply because it makes us more dependent on those foreign sources of oil and it locks away the biggest percentage of that oil that we have and those resources that we have right here in the United States. It didn't even address the refining issue that we have in the United States and the capacity problems that we have in the United States. And that's as much a part of this as anything else.

So all of these modes of transportation, we're going to be doing a few things here for a little while, talking about different areas of transportation. It's unfortunate because all of those modes of transportation carry those goods and those people from one place to another. And when the price of that energy goes up, it costs consumers money. It costs everyone out there more money when it comes to purchasing those products or just transporting themselves from one place to another.

So again, a very un-American energy bill was passed out of this Chamber last night. And we hope that we will be able to have an American energy bill, one that is dependent on American sources, sometime soon before this Congress breaks in October. This Congress continues to break time and time again without addressing this issue, without coming up with a bill that will solve those problems and will go to the President's desk. And it's unfortunate, Mr. Speaker.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 996. I do think it's a good bill. I think it makes sense, obviously. And in light of time, I will urge support.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, today I am joined by Senator Landrieu in introducing the Telework Enhancement Act of 2007. This legislation will build on the existing Federal telework program to ensure maximum participation in the program among those in the Federal workforce. This measure will improve the cost-efficiency of the Federal Government and will also serve to reduce traffic congestion and thereby save fuel and greenhouse gas emissions. It will also enhance efforts by the Federal Government with respect to continuity of operations, COOP, provide employee incentives to attract and retain highly skilled Federal personnel, and provide a model for the private sector.

In 2000, the key legislation affecting telework in the Federal Government was signed into law as part of that year's highway bill. The enacted provision provided that ``each executive agency . . . establish a policy under which eligible employees of the agency may participate in telecommuting to the maximum extent possible without diminished employee performance.'' The measure was intended to apply to 25 percent of the Federal workforce, and to an additional 25 percent of the workforce each year thereafter.

The objective of that measure, as outlined in the bill's conference report, was to ``reduce traffic congestion'' and to allow Federal employees to telework to the maximum extent possible. The Report also made clear that each Federal agency was to establish telework criteria, and remove any ``managerial, logistical, organizational, or other barriers to full implementation and successful functioning of the policy. . . and provide for adequate administrative, human resources, technical, and logistical support for carrying out the policy.''

The lead agencies that have carried out this telework mandate are Office of Personnel Management, OPM, and the General Services Administration, GSA. Together these agencies formed a common Web site www.telework.gov to facilitate the advancement of the program, which has had a degree of success. As of 2004, of the 1.7 million Federal employees in the 82 agencies, 752,337 had been deemed eligible for telework, which was an increase from 521,542 in 2001. But despite a very loose definition of ``telework,'' which only requires that an employee work from home 1 day per week to be considered a ``teleworker,'' 140,694, or 19 percent of those eligible, were deemed as having teleworked in 2004. Critics argue that this low percentage of teleworkers comparable to the much larger pool of telework-eligible employees can be attributed to insufficient employee education, program coordination, and workforce culture issues.

While OPM and GSA should be commended for the strides they have made in implementing the Federal telework program, there are several enhancements to the program that can be made legislatively to facilitate the original goal of maximizing telework among eligible Federal employees.

The bill we introduce today would, among other things: invert the telework eligibility presumption to make all Federal employees eligible unless expressly determined otherwise; revise the definition of ``telework'' to be an arrangement where the employee regularly works at an alternate site at least 2 business days per week in order to reduce his/her commute, the current definition only requires 1 day; require that each agency designate a full-time Telework Managing Officer, TMO, within the agency's chief administrative office, or comparable agency office, to oversee the respective agency's telework program; require that the TMO coordinate the telework policy for the agency or office, serve as the liaison between employees and managers, and keep employees informed of their telework eligibility; require the TMO to work to expand the agency's telework program, oversee the COOP program, and develop a telework performance and accountability system; require the TMO to submit a report to the head of the agency annually with an analysis of measures in place to carry out the telework policy; and require the Government Accountability

Office, GAO, to evaluate each agency's telework policy, and publish a report that rates each policy and the level of employee participation.

The events of September 11, 2001, the anthrax attacks that occurred shortly thereafter, and the recent severe weather experienced across the country have focused our attention on the importance of energy independence, as well as our need to be prepared in the event of a disaster. This legislation would be a step toward achieving these broader national strategic objectives, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Pediatric Research Improvement Act, legislation to reauthorize the Pediatric Rule and extend it permanently. I believe that doing so is critically important to ensure that the drugs designed for children are safe and effective for children. This legislation will result in better health outcomes for our children, grandchildren, and many generations of children to come.

In 1998, the FDA issued a regulation called the pediatric rule, which allowed the agency to require companies to perform pediatric clinical trials on medications used by children. It is important to note that this requirement does not slow the drug approval process. If a drug is not likely to be used in the pediatric population, it is not subject to this testing. Companies can also apply for a deferral, so that they can perform necessary tests after a drug has been approved and is being used in the adult population.

In October 2002, a U.S. District Court found that the FDA had exceeded its statutory authority when it promulgated the Pediatric Rule, and that Congress needed to explicitly award the FDA the power to require these clinical trials.

In response, I worked with my colleagues in Congress to pass the Pediatric Research Equity Act, legislation that codified the Pediatric Rule, and which was signed into law on December 3, 2003.

Since 2003, over 100 drugs have been evaluated under PREA--and since 1998, more than 1,000 drugs have fallen under the authority of the pediatric rule. The legislation has successfully resulted in increased pediatric evaluations. We've been able to collect data on drugs commonly used in children--like azithromycin, an antibiotic used to treat bronchitis, pneumonia, and other respiratory infections--as well as drugs that may not be so commonly used, but that help keep children alive, like emtriva, one of the newer drugs we have to treat AIDS.

But unless we act to reauthorize this legislation now, the pediatric rule is set to sunset on September 30 of this year, placing in jeopardy the ability of the agency to require these safeguards for our children.

In order to address this, I am introducing the Pediatric Research Improvement Act to remove the sunset for the pediatric rule, so that we will never again be in danger of losing the authority to make sure that the drugs designed for children are safe for children.

In addition to making the rule permanent, this reauthorization would do the following:

Improves Coordination between Pediatric Specialists and Others at the FDA. In order to improve coordination with the pediatric exclusivity provisions of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA), PRIA would expand an internal FDA committee to review all issues of pediatric-related labeling and assessments. Doing so ensures that a drug that falls under PRIA or BPCA is reviewed not only by experts for that particular drug, but those with pediatric expertise.

Streamlines the process for obtaining pediatric data on already- marketed drugs. If a company chooses not to pursue pediatric exclusivity for an already marketed drug under the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act, the Secretary has the authority to require the submission of pediatric data for the drug. This authority has never been utilized, in part due to the lengthy administrative process required. PRIA would streamline this administrative process and help get essential data on drugs for which it is vitally needed, while preserving the ability of companies to have a fair review of the agency's decisions.

Increases Data about the Use and Applicability of PRIA. PRIA would require two reports--one from the Institute of Medicine and one from the GAO--that would allow us to have better data on the number and ways in which the pediatric rule is used, and evaluate its contributions to ensuring overall pediatric drug safety.

This legislation is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Ambulatory Pediatric Association, American Pediatric Society, Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, and the Society for Pediatric Research.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to pass this vital piece of legislation as quickly as possible, and help to ensure that our pediatricians and other health professionals have the tools they need to provide safe and effective treatment to our Nation's children.

Mr. President, I have spoken many times about one of our Nation's greatest public servants, the late Senator Paul Simon. He was an honorable man who devoted his life to working for the public good.

In the months before his untimely death, Senator Simon returned to Washington to talk to his former colleagues about the need to strengthen our Nation's international understanding and our ability to remain a world leader in the 21st century. His desire to promote peace and security through mutual understanding and sensitivity to the rest of the world was borne out of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

Senator Simon struggled with the question of how America could lead when so few of our citizens have the proper knowledge and understanding of the world beyond our borders. He knew that America's security, global competitiveness, and diplomatic efforts in working towards a peaceful society rest on our young people's global competence and ability to appreciate languages and cultural and social realities beyond what they may have experienced in the United States. He envisioned a United States populated by a generation of Americans with a greater knowledge and understanding of the world--a generation of our Nation's future leaders that have been abroad and have a personal connection to another part of the world.

Senator Simon's tireless efforts led to Congress's establishment of the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Commission. I was honored to serve on this bipartisan Commission, and it was a privilege for me to introduce legislation last year that brought Senator Simon's dream one step closer to reality. The bill, based on the Commission's recommendations, would have established a study abroad program for undergraduate students that would help build global awareness and international understanding.

I am once again proud to stand here today and introduce legislation that embodies Senator Simon's vision. The bill has been renamed the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act so that all future generations will remember Senator Simon's commitment to international education.

The goal of this legislation remains the same: to encourage and support the experience of studying abroad in developing countries--in countries whose people, culture, language, government, and religion might be very different from ours. This bill aims to have at least 1 million undergraduate students study abroad annually within 10 years and to expand study abroad opportunities for students who are currently underrepresented.

The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act would establish study abroad as a national priority and provide the catalyst for the education community to commit to making study abroad an institutional priority.

This legislation would create an independent public-private entity, the Senator Paul Simon Foundation, that would award grants to carry out the goal of making study abroad in high-quality programs in diverse locations around the world the routine, rather than the exception, for college students. Students who were previously unable to study abroad due to financial constraints would be eligible for grants. Grants also would provide colleges, universities and nongovernmental institutions with the financial incentive to develop programs that make it easier for college students to study abroad.

The future of our country depends on having globally literate citizens--those who are able to look at other points of view and incorporate those ideas into their thinking and manner of interacting with others. I have shared this

Paul Simon quote before, and I will do so again because it is the most poignant example of Paul's vision in his own words:

A nation cannot drift into greatness. We must dream, and we

must be willing to make small sacrifices to achieve those

dreams. This major national initiative can lift our vision

and responsiveness to the rest of the world.

I ask my colleagues to join with me and with Senator Coleman in support of this legislation and to see to it that Senator Paul Simon's dream of building a stronger and more culturally aware nation is realized.

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

Mr. Speaker and Members, I would like first to thank Congresswoman Laura Richardson for allotting me time to speak on this bill that I have coauthored with Congresswoman Jane Harman. I thank her for her interest.

I had an opportunity to talk with Congresswoman Laura Richardson on our way to the floor, where she told me about similar problems that she has encountered in the Long Beach area dealing with the Long Beach Airport. So I know of her concern, and I thank her for the interest that she is showing in this bill.

Of course I rise in strong support of S. 996, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 1708, a bill, again, that was introduced by Congresswoman Jane Harman and myself. This bill permits funding for noise mitigation in local schools in the cities of Inglewood and Lennox.

The city of Inglewood is located in my district. Mr. Speaker and Members, this is a proud little city of 17,750 students. We have 13 elementary schools, six secondary schools, one preschool, and one community adult school in the Inglewood Unified School District. These schools are very, very important to this community.

In 2005, the City of Los Angeles settled a lawsuit with the Inglewood and Lennox School Districts. Under the settlement, the Los Angeles World Airports, known as LAWA, agreed to provide the two cities funding for noise mitigation in local schools; however, Federal Aviation Administration rules have prevented the funds from being paid. S. 996 will allow the 2005 agreement to go forward.

Specifically, S. 996 allows Los Angeles World Airports to use airport passenger facility fees for noise mitigation projects at Lennox and Inglewood schools. The bill permits funding of $111 million for the Lennox District and $118.5 million for the Inglewood School District over 10 years.

As you know, Los Angeles International Airport is in my district. And I represent not only Inglewood, but several other communities in this district and this very important economic engine, the Los Angeles International Airport. And there are many issues that we are confronted with.

I belong to a strong coalition in the district working to make sure that we, of course, maintain and support this economic engine, but at the same time, make sure that we attend to the needs of the people and deal with the noise and disruption that is caused by the Los Angeles International Airport.

It is sometimes a challenge, and we cannot always take the side of our international airport. We have to be concerned about the quality of life for all of the people in that area, and particularly our school children. Airplanes arriving at and departing from Los Angeles International Airport cause excessive noise in my district. Deafening noise and rattling windows frequently interfere with the education of school children. Noise causes disruptions in lessons, making it very difficult for students to learn and diminishing the opportunity to study in a stable and calm environment. Noise mitigation funding is essential to allow the school districts to construct permanent sound- proof facilities and help soundproof existing schools.

This bill was drafted with the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration and has the support of the Inglewood and Lennox School Districts, the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), and the mayor of the City of Los Angeles.

Again, I would like to thank Congresswoman Harman for initiating this much-needed solution to the problems of noise and disruption that interferes with our children's ability to learn in a noise-free school environment.