A joint resolution providing for the reappointment of Patricia Q. Stonesifer as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Madam Speaker, as the ranking member of the House Administration Committee, I'm pleased to support the reappointment of Patty Stonesifer as a citizen regent of the Smithsonian Institution.

Six years ago I stood at this very microphone in a slightly different role as a member of the majority recommending Ms. Stonesifer for her initial appointment. I was very impressed with her qualifications at that time. She has not disappointed us. She has done very well.

In her role as chief executive officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ms. Stonesifer leads the foundation in their mission to help all peoples of the world lead healthy, productive lives. At the end of last year, under the leadership of Ms. Stonesifer, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had an endowment of approximately $33 billion, and remains one of the largest charitable foundations in the world.

In developing countries, the foundation focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people, especially those with the fewest resources, have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. For all three of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation program groups, Patty Stonesifer sets strategic priorities, monitors results and facilitates relationships with key partners.

Before helping Bill and Melinda Gates launch the Gates Learning Foundation in 1997, Ms. Stonesifer was a senior vice president at Microsoft, where she was responsible for an $800 million business activity focused on interactive entertainment, news, information and service products. She is active in a number of other charitable endeavors, and has served as a member of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS.

As Chair of the Smithsonian's Governance Committee, Ms. Stonesifer led the board's efforts to implement best practices in the nonprofit sector, and helped develop and implement the recommendations from the independent review committee designed to strengthen the board's oversight of the institution and reform its operations. In June, the board formally adopted the Governance Committee's 25 recommendations, and they are on target for completion by early 2008.

She has performed incredibly well in all of these areas, and the problems that we have had at the Smithsonian are well underway to conclusion simply due to the work of Ms. Stonesifer. The reforms include a reexamination of compensation, compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, and restructuring senior management to create a stronger reporting relationship with the board. Once implemented, these strengthened government practices will be an important step towards restoring faith in the Smithsonian and its management structure, and they demonstrate the positive impact of Ms. Stonesifer's leadership in this area.

After meeting once again with Ms. Stonesifer, I'm confident that her unique blend of business and philanthropic experience will continue to be a most valuable factor on the board

that is charged with overseeing the Nation's attic, our fond description for the Smithsonian.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting a very capable person, Patty Stonesifer, for reappointment to the Smithsonian's Board of Regents.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 8) providing for the reappointment of Patricia Q. Stonesifer as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this joint resolution and to include extraneous matter.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

This joint resolution would reappoint Patricia Stonesifer to a new 6- year term as a citizen regent of the Smithsonian Institute. Her current term will expire December 22. Ms. Stonesifer is the chief executive officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a renowned philanthropic institution based in Seattle, Washington. She was previously a senior vice president at Microsoft.

On the Smithsonian Board of Regents, Stonesifer is currently Chair of the Executive Committee, the institution's most important internal panel which acts on behalf of the board between its meetings. She also chairs the Compensation and Human Resources Committee.

Ms. Stonesifer previously chaired the Governance Committee which guided the board's most significant action this year, preparing its comprehensive report last June responding to the broad range of issues emerging from the resignation of former Secretary Lawrence Small. Proper implementation of this report will be critical to the effective reform and modernization of the Smithsonian.

The House Administration Committee, as the House panel with exclusive jurisdiction over Smithsonian governance matters, will exercise vigorous oversight to ensure that the board approves additional significant changes.

As the Smithsonian Board of Regents undertakes the urgent task of reinventing itself as a full-time management and policymaking body, Ms. Stonesifer's expertise and willingness to communicate with Congress will continue to be a valuable asset. Members of the House Administration Committee held a briefing with her 3 weeks ago, were impressed by her continued commitment to the task ahead, and agreed to move this joint resolution expeditiously. I want to thank the ranking member again, Mr. Ehlers, for his active participation and cooperation in these actions.

Madam Speaker, I urge the passage of the joint resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Rules Committee be discharged from further consideration of S.J. Res. 8 and that the Senate then proceed to its consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be read three times, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that any statements relating to the joint resolution be printed in the Record.

The joint resolution (S.J. Res. 8) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

S.J. Res. 8

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in

accordance with section 5581 of the Revised Statutes (20

U.S.C. 43), the vacancy on the Board of Regents of the

Smithsonian Institution, in the class other than Members of

Congress, occurring because of the expiration of the term of

Patricia Q. Stonesifer of Washington, is filled by the

reappointment of Patricia Q. Stonesifer, for a term of 6

years, effective December 22, 2007.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 276, and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent the amendment to the resolution be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the amendment to the preamble, which is at the desk, be considered and agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table en bloc, and that any statements related thereto be printed in the Record, without intervening action or debate.