A resolution recognizing the Civil Air Patrol for 65 years of service to the United States.

Mr. President, last December, the Civil Air Patrol completed its 65th year of distinguished service to our Nation. I've come to the floor today to pay tribute to the brave men and women who helped this important organization reach this milestone.

In the late 1930s, Gill Robb Wilson, General Henry ``Hap'' Arnold, and other American aviation leaders recognized the need for a civilian group which could complement air operations undertaken by our military. Their vision led to the establishment of the Civil Air Patrol on December 1, 1941.

Less than a week later, Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States was drawn into World War II. The newly formed Civil Air Patrol played a vital role in keeping America safe during this dark period in our history. CAP members kept watch for enemy submarines, assisted the Army Air Corps with training exercises, and helped transport military personnel and cargo. They rescued hundreds of crash survivors and helped force the Nazis to withdraw U-boat operations from our East Coast. In total, thousands of CAP volunteers flew more than 500,000 hours and 24 million miles during the war.

The tremendous accomplishments and potential of this organization did not go unnoticed. After World War II, President Truman signed a law designating the Civil Air Patrol as a nonprofit, benevolent corporation and an ``instrumentality of the United States.'' Two years later, Congress passed legislation establishing CAP as a volunteer auxiliary of the United States Air Force.

Today, the three principal missions of the Civil Air Patrol are to administer cadet training programs, provide aerospace education, and perform operations related to homeland security and emergency services. This organization has exceeded all expectations in each of these areas.

Approximately 750,000 American children have learned important life and leadership lessons from CAP's cadet programs. More than 300,000 teachers--and some eight million students--have received training and instructional materials through CAP's aerospace education program. CAP volunteers have now flown more than one million hours of search and rescue operations, and thousands of lives have been saved as a result. As an Alaskan, I am particularly appreciative of these efforts--since 2004, the Civil Air Patrol has saved at least 57 lives in our State. And, I served as a Legal Officer for the Civil Air Patrol in Fairbanks, AK, in the 1950s.

Today, the Civil Air Patrol is a nationwide organization of nearly 57,000 volunteers. CAP wings can be found in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The organization's members--all volunteers--fly approximately 120,000 hours each year as they assist with border patrol, terrorism preparedness, the War on Drugs, and natural disaster responses.

The Civil Air Patrol also submits an annual report to Congress. In 2005, this report was titled ``Everyday Heroes . . . The Faces of the Civil Air Patrol.'' In part, the word ``hero'' is defined as ``a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.''

Mr. President, I can think of no title more fitting for the members of the Civil Air Patrol. The men and women of this organization have volunteered their time and resources in the service of others for the past 65 years. Each is truly an ``everyday hero'' and worthy of our Nation's deepest gratitude.

In honor of the Civil Air Patrol's 65th anniversary, Senators Inouye, Domenici, Crapo, Murkowski, Wyden, Sanders, Snowe, Collins, Warner, Inhofe, and I have introduced S. Res. XX. I encourage each Member of the Senate to support this resolution.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, May 17, 2007, at 10:15 a.m., in open session, to receive testimony on United States European Command in review of the Defense authorization request for fiscal year 2008 and the future years Defense Program.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, May 17, 2007, at 3 p.m., in executive session, to consider a pending military nomination.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, May 17, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct an oversight hearing on law enforcement in Indian Country.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, May 17, 2007, at 10 a.m. in Dirksen Room 226.

Agenda

I. Committee Authorization

Authorization of Subpoenas in Connection with Investigation into Replacement of U.S. Attorneys.

II. Bills

S. 221, Fair Contracts for Growers Act of 2007 (Grassley, Feingold, Kohl, Leahy, Durbin).

S. 376, Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2007 (Leahy, Specter, Grassley, Kyl, Sessions, Cornyn).

S. 1079, Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission Act (Cardin, Warner, Kennedy).

S. 1327, A bill to create and extend certain temporary district court judgeships (Leahy, Brownback, Feinstein).

S. 1027, Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2007 (Kohl, Kyl, Leahy, Schumer, Specter).

III. Resolutions

S. Res. 138, Honoring the accomplishments and legacy of Cesar Estrada Chavez (Salazar, Durbin).

S. Res. 132, Recognizing the Civil Air Patrol (Stevens, Inouye).

S. Res. 130, Resolution designating a National Day of the American Cowboy (Craig, Cornyn, Hatch).

THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Select Committee on Intelligence

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 17, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed mark-up.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet on Thursday, May 17, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. for a hearing entitled, Evaluating the Progress and Identifying Obstacles in Improving the Federal Government's Security Clearance Program.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on May 17, 2007, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing on ``Consolidation of NASD and the Regulatory Functions of the NYSE: Working Towards Improved Regulation.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Signature Learning Center in Evansville for being recognized as one of the top charter schools in the nation by the Center for Education Reform (CER). The Center is one of only 53 schools to receive the National Charter School of the Year Award and was selected based on student achievement, satisfaction of parents, and its policies and programs.

The Signature Learning Center has approximately 275 students with an average class size of 20. Its students excel academically with 100 percent enrollment in advanced college preparatory courses and 100 percent graduation rate. For these reasons and others, the school was listed by Newsweek as one of the top 100 High Schools in the nation in 2006.

Signature Learning Center joins nearly 4,000 charter schools nationwide in educating over 1 million American children.

Children are our nation's greatest resource. The quality of education they receive has a direct impact on the strength of our economy, the safety of our communities, and the ability of our nation to compete in the world. The Signature Learning Center is providing children in southern Indiana with the tools they need to meet their full potential and make a difference in our world. I am proud to recognize them for their accomplishments today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order for the Senate to proceed, en bloc, to the consideration of the following calendar items: Calendar No. 154, S. Res. 132; Calendar No. 174, H. Con. Res. 76; Calendar No. 192, S. Res. 82; Calendar No. 194, S. Res. 173; Calendar No. 200, S. Res. 105; and Calendar No. 201, S. Res. 215.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, en bloc, the preambles be agreed to, en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, that consideration of these items appear separately in the Record and any statements related thereto be printed in the Record, without intervening action or debate.