A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of a National Child Care Worthy Wage Day.

Mr. President, I wish to inform all Senators that the Committee on Rules and Administration has updated the U.S. Senate Travel Regulations to include two changes.

First, P.L. 110-81 requires the Rules Committee to make certain changes to

the U.S. Senate Travel Regulations. The provision dealing with how Members estimate costs for charter jets is amended in section III Transportation, paragraph C, of the Travel Regulations, as follows:

C. Corporate/Private Aircraft: Reimbursement of official

expenses for the use of a corporate or private aircraft is

allowable from the contingent fund of the Senate provided the

traveler complies with the prohibitions, restrictions, and

authorizations specified in these regulations. Moreover,

pursuant to the Ethics Committee Interpretive Ruling 444,

excess campaign funds may be used to defray official expenses

consistent with the regulations promulgated by the Federal

Election Commission.

i. An amendment to Rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the

Senate, paragraph 1(c)(1)(C), enacted September 14, 2007,

pursuant to P.L. 110-81, states:

(C)(i) Fair market value for a flight on an aircraft

described in item (ii) shall be the pro rata share of the

fair market value of the normal and usual charter fare or

rental charge for a comparable plane of comparable size, as

determined by dividing such cost by the number of Members,

officers, or employees of Congress on the flight.

(ii) A flight on an aircraft described in this item is any

flight on an aircraft that is not--

(I) operated or paid for by an air carrier or commercial

operator certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration

and required to be conducted under air carrier safety rules;

or

(II) in the case of travel which is abroad, an air carrier

or commercial operator certificated by an appropriate foreign

civil aviation authority and the flight is required to be

conducted under air carrier safety rules.

(iii) This subclause shall not apply to an aircraft owned

or leased by a governmental entity or by a Member of Congress

or a Member's immediate family member (including an aircraft

owned by an entity that is not a public corporation in which

the Member or Member's immediate family member has an

ownership interest), provided that the Member does not use

the aircraft anymore than the Member's or immediate family

member's proportionate share of ownership allows.

ii. Prior to the commencement of official travel on a

corporate or private aircraft, the traveler or the traveler's

designee shall contact a charter company in the departure or

destination city to request a written estimate of the cost of

a flight between the two cities on a similar aircraft of

comparable size being provided by the corporation or private

entity.

1. For example, if a Learjet 45 XR aircraft is being

provided by the corporation or private entity, the traveler

or the traveler's designee shall request a written estimate

of the cost to charter a Learjet 45 XR aircraft from the

departure city to the destination city.

2. If no charter company is located in either the departure

or destination city which rents a similar aircraft of

comparable size, a charter company nearest either the

destination or departure city which does so shall be

contacted for a written estimate.

iii. Following the completion of official travel on a

corporate or private aircraft, reimbursement for related

expenses may be processed on direct pay vouchers payable to

each individual traveler, to the corporation or private

entity, or to the travel charge card vendor. The written

estimate received from the charter company shall be attached

to the voucher for processing.

The second change concerns travel by Members to the home State for funerals. The provision is amended in section of the Travel Regulations entitled ``Special Events, II. Funerals,'' as follows:

II. Funerals: Members who represent the Senate at the

funeral of a Member or former Member may be reimbursed for

the actual and necessary expenses of their attendance,

pursuant to S. Res. 263, agreed to July 30, 1998.

Additionally, the actual and necessary expenses of a

committee appointed to represent the Senate at the funeral of

a deceased Member or former Member may be reimbursed pursuant

to S. Res. 458, agreed to October 4, 1984.

A. Pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 58e, which authorizes reimbursement

for travel while on official business within the United

States, Members and their staff may be reimbursed for the

actual and necessary expenses of attending funerals within

their home state only.

B. Examples of funerals that may be considered official

business include, but are not limited to, funerals for

military servicemembers, first responders, or public

officials from the Member's state.

These changes became effective on December 20, 2007.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have the updated U.S. Senate Travel Regulations printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I am proud to be submitting a resolution designating May 1, 2007, as National Child Care Worthy Wage Day. On this day, child care providers and other early childhood professionals nationwide conduct public awareness and education efforts highlighting the importance of good early childhood education for our Nation's young children. This resolution is an effort to support these initiatives and to help develop greater public awareness to our early educators and the critical work they do.

Every day, nearly 63 percent of children under the age of 5 are cared for outside their home so their parents can work. Early care and education workers, who number more than 2.3 million, make it possible for millions of parents to leave their children at day care and go to work. By enabling parents to go to work every day, our early education workers add more than $580 billion to our economy nationwide.

The importance of early education cannot be overstated. From the day they are born, children begin to learn, and the quality of care they receive will affect their language development, math skills, behavior, and general readiness for school. Our early educators help future leaders and workers of our Nation develop their social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills so they can be ready for school.

However, the committed individuals who nurture and teach these young children continue to be undervalued, with grossly low wages and lack of benefits. It is outrageous that the average salary of our early education staff is just a little over $18,000 per year, that only one- third has health insurance and even fewer have pension plans.

Early childhood educators perform essential work by supporting the development of our Nation's children. Yet poor wages and benefits have made it difficult to attract and retain high-quality early childhood care takers and educators, and one-third of all early childhood educators leave their jobs every year. This is not only unfair to our child care workers, but it undermines the quality of care that our children receive.

Our early educators deserve nothing less than to be recognized and adequately compensated for the work they do. We must give our Nation's early childcare workers wages worthy of the incredible work they do every day to train and develop the future workforce of America.

The Nation's childcare workforce, and the families who depend on them, deserve our support, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Madam President, I wish to inform all Senators that the Committee on Rules and Administration has updated the U.S. Senate Travel Regulations. The Ethics Committee recently issued guidance to the Rules Committee that making more than one reservation for official travel with a participating airline would not constitute a gift under Senate rule XXXV, the Gift Rule. Consistent with the Ethics Committee's guidance, the transportation expenses section of the U.S. Senate Travel Regulations has been updated to address the issue of making more than one reservation on scheduled flights.

The following statement has been added to I.B of the transportation expenses section, found on page IV-64 of the U.S. Senate Handbook:

3. A Member shall be permitted to make more than one

reservation on scheduled flights with participating airlines

when such action assists the Member in conducting his/her

official business.

This change is effective immediately.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the updated U.S. Senate Travel Regulations be printed in the Record.