Small Business Environmental Stewardship Assistance Act of 2010

Mr. President, I seek recognition today to introduce an important piece of legislation entitled the Student Loan Forgiveness and Repayment Assistance Act of 2010.

This legislation is in response to the increasingly high cost of postsecondary education, an important issue that I recently discussed with Pennsylvania students. During this conversation I discussed the need for what I called an ``education bill of rights'' and today I am introducing a practical approach to increasing the accessibility and affordability of higher education.

On March 30, 2010, the President signed into law the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, AFRA, as part of the healthcare and education reconciliation bill, which I am proud to have supported in the Senate. This historic legislation made an important investment in higher education, including: $36 billion to fund and strengthen the Pell Grant program, $2.55 billion to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions, $1.5 billion to strengthen the Income Based Repayment, IBR, plan as well as several other student financial assistance and deficit reduction provisions.

These actions were an important first step, but we must do more. According to Campus Progress--the total federal student debt is more than $617 million; the average student today graduates college with student debt 25 percent higher than that of college graduates a decade ago; the average college senior graduated with $4,100 in credit card debt and $23,200 in student loans; almost 7 in 10 college graduates are burdened with educational debt; student debt is outpacing the starting salaries of jobs in teaching and social work; 38 percent of graduates delay buying their first house because of debt, 14 percent marriage, and 21 percent delay having children; and over 60 percent of minorities face a gap between their expected family contributions, grants and loans and the cost of their education. These troublesome statistics underscore the need for further action.

I strongly feel that education is our Nation's greatest capital investment. The legislation that I am introducing today reinforces this belief and helps us make several smart investments in our Nation's future. We must improve accessibility to higher education, and the key to accessibility is affordability. For these reasons, the Student Loan Forgiveness and Repayment Assistance Act of 2010 will focus on 5 key initiatives which help make prudent and targeted investments in higher education.

First, my bill will strengthen the IBR plan. The IBR plan is an important tool that helps borrowers afford their monthly student loan payments by capping a borrower's monthly payment based on his/her income and family size. Currently the IBR plan caps monthly payments at 15 percent of a borrower's discretionary income. SAFRA lowered the percentage to 10 percent starting in 2014, which will allow more borrowers to take advantage of this helpful plan. I propose to further reduce the percentage to 7 percent, thereby allowing more students to participate in the IBR plan. In addition to capping monthly payments, a borrower's remaining debt will be forgiven after 20 years of making qualified monthly payments. SAFRA reduced this threshold by 5 years from the original 25 year requirement. My legislation will further reduce the number of years that a borrower must make his/her payments before debt is forgiven to 15 years.

Second, the bill I am introducing will enhance the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. This program, which was created in 2007 by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, discharges remaining student loan debt if the borrower is employed in public service for 10 years. This program not only provides important loan forgiveness, but it encourages essential public service. My legislation proposes to make the benefits of this program more generous and encourage greater public service participation. My bill would reduce the number of years, from 10 to 5 that a borrower must work in the public sector before being able to take advantage of this program. After the 5th year, a percentage of the borrower's debt will be incrementally forgiven each year, up until after the 10th year of public service when all remaining debt will be forgiven.

Third, my legislation will expand the student loan programs or health professions, primary care, and nursing by reducing the interest rate to 3.5 percent. My bill will also expand the health professions student loan program to include physician's assistants. Health care reform's embrace of some 32 million previously uninsured Americans has created a need for additional doctors and nurses. Ways must be found to make medical education more affordable and accompanying debt burdens less onerous. I believe my bill helps achieve this goal.

Fourth, my bill will enhance opportunities for minorities by creating a new pilot program administered by the U.S. Department of Education, which will provide funding opportunities for minority serving institutions. This program will provide grants on a competitive basis to eligible institutions based on a college's plan to increase enrollment and graduation rates without increasing costs to students. My legislation authorizes $100 million annually for this purpose, for 5 years.

Fifth and lastly, my legislation will establish an Assistant Secretary position to evaluate and promote accessibility and affordability in higher education. It is important that we have a person who can not only evaluate the efficacy of the programs that I have discussed and to make recommendations to Congress on how to improve them, but also to help make prospective students aware of how they can gain access to, and afford a higher education. As I said earlier, education is our greatest capital investment, and I believe that the Student Loan Forgiveness and Repayment Assistance Act of 2010 will help our nation make a smart investment in our future.

Mr. President, the health and future of Pennsylvania's veterans has been a longstanding concern of mine. The first veteran I knew was my father, Harry Specter, a veteran of WWI.

My father received terrific care from the VA following his service to our Nation. I want to make sure today's veterans, whatever their age, receive the benefits and services we owe them.

I have had the privilege of serving for 6 of my nearly 30 years in the Senate as chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Under my chairmanship from 1998 to 2002, funding for the VA increased by 28 percent, and from 2004 to 2006, funding increased a further 16 percent. Such funding increases have allowed the VA to expand to meet increasing challenges.

I want to note at this time that I recently cosponsored legislation to restore collective bargaining rights to VA medical personnel, as their well being is vital to ensuring that veterans get the best possible care.

The ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, coupled with the recession, have put tremendous stress on the VA, and necessitate further improvements. Today I will outline proposals for making improvements in five related areas: reducing the claims backlog; increasing veterans' employment opportunities; combating homelessness among veterans; widening education opportunities through the Post-9/11 GI Bill; and expanding veterans courts.

In a slap at the men and women who fight our wars, a court created by Congress expressly to handle appeals of veterans' disability claims turned down the appeal of a disabled Korean War veteran because he missed a filing deadline.

The veteran, David L. Henderson, served in the military from 1950 to 1952. He was discharged following a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and assigned a 100 percent disability rating. In 2001, he applied for in-home care and was turned down by a regional Veterans Administration department.

The congressionally established Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims--the Veterans Court--then refused to hear his appeal on grounds that he missed the filing deadline by 15 days. A divided federal appeals court upheld the decision.

After fighting a war and suffering long-term disability as a result, Henderson in later life has been penalized because he took 135 days, instead of 120, to file his claims appeal.

The fact that he had good reason for missing the deadline didn't matter. His psychiatrist called him ``incapable of rational thought or deliberate decisionmaking.''

On April 12, 2010, I introduced the Fair Access to Veterans Benefits Act, to provide for the tolling of the timing of review for appeals of final decisions of the Board of Veterans' Appeals. Its main provision would require the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, known as the Veterans Court, to hear appeals by veterans of administrative decisions denying them benefits when circumstances beyond their control--sometimes the very service-related disabilities that entitle them to benefits--render them unable to meet the deadline for filing an appeal.

On January 28, 2010, I met with VA Secretary Eric Shinseki in my Washington, DC office. Secretary Shinseki identified reducing the VA claims backlog--which currently numbers 400,000--as being his top priority this year. The average processing time for an individual claim was 161 days in January 2010. This is simply too long.

In January 2010, Secretary Shinseki initiated a pilot project at the VA Pittsburgh Regional Office to identify opportunities to reduce the time required for the VA to request and receive evidence required to support veterans' claims. I believe that efforts such as this, which leverage the expertise of veterans' service organizations, will help to decrease significantly the claims backlog by streamlining each claims submission, and so improving the care and benefits given to our veterans. I recently requested that the Milcon/VA Appropriations Subcommittee increase funding by $1 million in fiscal year 2011 for costs associated with expanding the pilot program.

Beyond this pilot program, I am introducing legislation to give the Secretary of the Veterans Affairs the authority to award grants to state and local agencies, and non-profit organizations such as VSOs, to assist in collecting evidence and submitting claims. I believe this pre-submission assistance will aid the Veterans Benefits Administration in reducing the claims backlog.

The National Guard has played a vital role in ensuring our nation's security since September 11, 2001. The citizen soldiers and airmen serving in the Guard have been called upon to serve both domestically and overseas.

Current law protects Guardsmen who are called up to serve overseas from losing their civilian jobs, but the same degree of protection does not extend to domestic missions. After repeated deployments, Guardsmen could soon find themselves having to chose between critical national security missions--like protecting the southern border or responding to natural disasters--and keeping their civilian job due to a five-year cap on cumulative service for employment protection, which can be waived for overseas service but currently not domestic.

Legislation is needed to ensure that Guardsmen receive the same employment protection whether they are called to serve domestically or overseas.

Congress took an important step when it established a tax credit incentivizing the hiring of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This tax credit is set to expire in August 2011, and I am introducing legislation to extend through 2010 the veteran-specific provisions of the tax credit to assist recently discharged veterans secure employment.

On November 3, 2009, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki unveiled an ambitious five-year plan to end homelessness among the nation's veterans. According to the VA's latest estimates, there are currently 107,000 homeless veterans, down from 131,000 in 2008.

The VA's fiscal year 2011 budget request includes $4.2 billion to prevent and reduce homelessness among Veterans--over $3.4 billion for core medical services and $799 million for specific homeless programs and expanded medical programs.

On November 11, 2009, I held a field hearing on the issue of unemployment and homelessness among veterans. Among those who testified were four formerly homeless veterans who have benefited from HUD-VASH vouchers and VA job training programs. The hearing highlighted the success of the HUD-VASH voucher program and the need to expand it, so I cosponsored Sen. Reed's Zero Tolerance for Veterans Homelessness Act of 2009, which would increase the number of vouchers by 60,000 over the next four years. Additionally, two of the witnesses were single mothers. Their testimony underscored the importance of tailoring assistance to the needs of individual veterans, and to ensuring that the specific needs of veterans with special needs, such as homeless female veterans and homeless veterans with children are addressed. I cosponsored Senator Murray's Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act, which would authorize $10 million a year in grants for five years to assist homeless veterans with special needs or dependents. I voted for this legislation when it was passed by the Veterans Affairs Committee on January 28, 2010.

The GI Bill of Rights, which had remained largely unchanged for over two decades, was in need of revision. I was pleased to cosponsor and advocate for the Post-9/11 GI bill, which was signed into law in June 2008. This bill, which went into effect in August 2009, will provide for this generation what the post-WWII GI Bill provided for veterans of that conflict. As our men and women serving today will continue to lead and serve our country tomorrow, it is in our best interest to ensure that they are afforded higher educational opportunities.

Yet there remain aspects of this legislation which need improvement. While all veterans deserve educational opportunities, they also deserve the right to choose where to secure their education. For some, a vocational program, apprenticeship, or on the job training is more appealing than a traditional university education. We should support such decisions, and so I recently cosponsored the Veterans Training Act, introduced by Senator Lincoln, to make this enhancement.

Various studies report that between 20- and 50-percent of the veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, depression, traumatic brain injury, TBI, or other mental disorders, and half of those veterans will not receive the mental health care they need.

The symptoms and subsequent behavior associated with PTSD and TBI, as well as the abuse of drugs and alcohol by veterans suffering from these symptoms, bring many of these veterans into contact with the criminal justice system. Veterans account for 9 of every 100 inmates in U.S. jails and prisons. In Pennsylvania state prisons, there are approximately 3,000 male and female military veterans currently incarcerated, according to Dr. Mark L. Dembert, Chief of Psychiatry, Bureau of Health Care Services, Pennsylvania

Department of Corrections. That number does not include those locked up in county jails.

The chief goal of the Veterans Court program is to direct veterans who have been charged with a crime into an intensely monitored network of support coordinated by the VA and the courts. While Veterans Courts are voluntary, they will offer participating veterans a pathway to rehabilitation and reduced rates of recidivism. Following my February 2010 hearing on veterans courts in Pittsburgh, I cosponsored legislation, S. 902, the Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act, introduced by Senators Kerry and Murkowski, which would authorize the Attorney General to award grants up to $25 million over 5 years to assist States in the development of Veterans Courts.

Our freedom has been assured by the courageous service of our veterans. Our gratitude can best be shown by ensuring that their needs are met, whether medical, educational, professional or legal. I will continue to fight for treatment of our veterans worthy of the sacrifices they have made and dedication they have shown.

Mr. President, I have sought recognition to introduce legislation titled The Weekends Without Hunger Act. This legislation will ensure that children who rely on free and reduced-price school meals have access to nutritious meals on the weekends and during other periods in which they are away from school.

Nearly 20 million school-age children, including more than one million in Pennsylvania, eat a free or reduced-price meal at school. Existing programs designed to ensure access to affordable meals for these disadvantaged children at home are inadequate. A Department of Agriculture survey released in November 2009 reported that 49 million Americans were unable to consistently get enough to eat during 2008; 17 million of them were children. A recently conducted survey by Drexel University shows that the number of children under the age of 6 experiencing very low food security has tripled since 2006.

The legislation I am introducing today addresses the food insecurity experienced by our Nation's school children by providing them a weekend feeding option. My legislation establishes a 5-year pilot program during which time eligible institutions, such as schools and food banks, may provide a free backpack of child-friendly, non-perishable food for the weekend. It is my intention to seek inclusion of The Weekends Without Hunger Act in the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Coltsville National Historic Park Act, which provides for the designation of the Coltsville Historic District in Hartford, Connecticut, as a national park. I would like to thank my colleague, Senator Lieberman, for supporting this legislation, as well as my good friend, Congressman Larson, who recently introduced an identical version of this bill in the House.

I recognize that when most of us think of national parks, we picture the vast, sprawling landscapes of Yellowstone and Yosemite. Clearly, Connecticut's smaller size precludes it from having a national park on the scale of these sites. In fact, Connecticut itself is only about twice the size of Yellowstone National Park and currently has only one national park, the Weir Farm National Historic Site, which spans 60 acres in the towns of Ridgefield and Wilton. But, while Connecticut may not possess the physical grandeur of our nation's largest parks, it is home to a rich national heritage that must be made accessible to every American.

Located in Hartford's Sheldon-Charter Oak neighborhood, Coltsville grew around Samuel Colt's firearms factory, a landmark red brick building with a blue onion dome, during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. Colt made Hartford the center of precision manufacturing. While Americans may associate the name Sam Colt with firearms, the Colt legacy goes far beyond. Colt was a key figure of the Industrial Revolution, contributing to the development of waterproof ammunition, underwater mines, and the telegraph. He was also the first American manufacturer to open a plant overseas. Colt set the standard for a nation that fast became known for its technological innovations and industrial productivity. It is also a little-known fact that after Colt's death in 1862, his widow, Elizabeth Hart Jarvis Colt, successfully managed Colt Industries for 42 years and presided over the company during its most prosperous years in a period when men dominated the industrial world.

Today, the Colt armory remains a beacon in the Hartford skyline, and Coltsville still boasts grand Victorian homes, including Armsmear, the home of Sam and Elizabeth Colt. Other nearby attractions include old mill housing, the Church of the Good Shepherd, and the Colt Memorial. A national park at Coltsville would be the main venue on a tour of Hartford that could include sites such as the houses of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe and the riverfront. It would also be a prime destination for anyone taking an extended tour of historic and scenic New England.

A national park at Coltsville would include more than 200 acres and be comprised of both public and private space. The centerpiece would be a museum within the armory celebrating Sam Colt and the growth of American industry. The museum could hold the vast collection of Colt firearms that currently rests in the Museum of Connecticut History as well as other machinery and memorabilia from the Industrial Revolution. Private property which is currently located within the proposed boundaries of the park, such as artists' studios and condominiums, could remain private. In fact, a museum and visitors' center in the Colt armory itself would take up only part of the building, the rest of which could be left open for private development. The armory already houses a business that manufactures replica Colt firearms, which would only enhance the proposed museum.

In my capacity as Connecticut's senior Senator, I have fought hard alongside my colleagues in the State's Congressional delegation to help realize the goal of including this testament to America's industrial and manufacturing prowess within the National Park System. In 2003, we were successful in passing legislation that required the National Park Service to conduct a study assessing the feasibility of designating Coltsville as a national park. On July 22, 2008, Coltsville reached another critical milestone in this effort when it was designated as a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior.

Unfortunately, Coltsville has not been immune from the devastating effects of the global financial crisis that began later that year. While the Park Service's report, which was finally released last November, found that Coltsville is nationally significant and suitable for inclusion in the Park System, its determination of feasibility largely hinged on the ability of a private developer to manage the site in conjunction with the Park Service. Given the challenges currently facing our Nation's economy, Coltsville has run into some difficulties with this requirement. As a result, the Park Service was unable to conclude that Coltsville met the feasibility standards for inclusion in the Park System.

That is why the legislation I introduced today with Senator Lieberman is so timely and important. The Coltsville National Historic Park Act authorizes the establishment of a national park in Coltsville when the feasibility issues outlined in the Park Service's November 2009 study, namely those surrounding private management of the site, are resolved. Our bill also sets standards for administration of the park, and creates a local advisory commission to develop and implement an overarching management plan for the park. This legislative approach is supported by a variety of State and local stakeholders, and in my view, provides us with a great opportunity to jump-start efforts to bring Coltsville into compliance with Park Service feasibility standards.

I firmly believe that one of our most important obligations as Senators is to ensure that our Nation's vast array of natural treasures and historical landmarks are managed responsibly and preserved for the benefit of future generations. I urge my colleagues to join me in extending these protections to the Coltsville Historic District.

Mr. President, I have come to the floor, today, to introduce the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act. I am very pleased that Senator Hatch has joined me in introducing this legislation, as well as Senator Dodd, who has been a long time supporter of the Best Buddies program. We are also joined by 8 other co-sponsors, both Republicans and Democrats, demonstrating the bipartisan support for this legislation.

The Special Olympics program is respected around the world as a model and leader in using sport to end the isolation and stigmatization of individuals with intellectual disabilities. For more than 40 years, Special Olympics has encouraged skill development, sharing, courage and confidence through year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Through their programs, Special Olympics has helped to ensure that millions of individuals with intellectual disabilities are assured of equal opportunities for community participation, access to appropriate health care, and inclusive education, and to experience life in a nondiscriminatory manner. Special Olympics gives athletes with intellectual disabilities the tools they need to be included in society, and it gives society the understanding and tools it needs to include them.

I can speak first-hand about what a rewarding experience it is for all of us who have been involved in Special Olympics. In 2006, my State of Iowa hosted the first USA National Summer Games. Thousands of athletes, volunteers, coaches, and families attended our Games, in addition to 30,000 fans and spectators. Ames, IA, was transformed into an Olympic Village, and it was thrilling to experience.

Similarly, the Best Buddies program is dedicated to ending the social isolation of people with intellectual disabilities by promoting peer support and friendships with their non-disabled peers. The aim is to increase the self-esteem, confidence and abilities of people with and without intellectual disabilities. Equally important, the Best Buddies program has provided opportunities for integrated employment for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Research shows that participation in activities involving both people with intellectual disabilities and people without disabilities results in more positive support for inclusion in society, including in schools.

This new bill is named in honor of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who devoted her life to improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities around the world. Mrs. Shriver founded and fostered the development of Special Olympics and Best Buddies, both of which celebrate the possibilities of a world where all people, including those with disabilities, have meaningful opportunities for participation and inclusion.

In addition to reauthorizing the former Special Olympics Sports and Empowerment Act and providing an authorization for the Best Buddies program, this bill will also allow the Department of Education to award competitive grants to support increased opportunities for inclusive participation by individuals with intellectual disabilities in sports and recreation programs.

I am pleased to be the chief sponsor of this legislation, which will continue our support for these important programs which promote the extraordinary gifts and contributions of people with intellectual disabilities as well as broader community inclusion.

I urge all my colleagues to join with me, Senator Hatch, Senator Dodd, Senator Casey, Senator Collins, Senator Franken, Senator Johanns, Senator Mikulski, Senator Reid, Senator Risch, and Senator Snowe in supporting this very worthy bill.

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

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Small Business Environmental Stewardship Assistance Act of 2010, a companion bill to the legislation introduced in the House by another member of the Oregon delegation, Congressman Schrader. I am pleased to launch this legislation in the Senate and am joined today by Senator Merkley from my home State, as well as Senators Stabenow, Specter, and Harkin.

Trees provide numerous benefits to our communities--from cleaner air to energy efficiency to more beautiful city streets. But trees and green spaces are also good for business and good for green job creation. Beyond the most obvious benefits of trees, studies have shown that businesses thrive in green, attractive, pedestrian-oriented retail environments. And this legislation will help America's small businesses and communities plant trees and enhance those kinds of environments. As a Senator from Oregon--a State that grows many of the trees that beautify cities around our Nation, including some of the very trees that grace the Capitol grounds--I also know how critical jobs in our nursery and landscaping sector can be. In my State, the industry provides 21,000 jobs and helps provide over $2 billion worth of economic activity.

This bill would reauthorize the National Small Business Tree Planting Program, which existed for several years in the 1990s. Between 1991 and 1994, more than 18,000 green industry firms were employed to plant more than 23 million trees across the country through the Small Business Administration program. This program had numerous successes, including in my home State where 109 tree planting

grants were administered between 1991 and 1994. Nearly 11,700 shade, landscape, and riparian area trees were planted.

The program would be authorized at $50 million a year between fiscal years 2011 and 2015. The funding provides grants to State forestry agencies to enable communities to plant trees around retail storefronts, rental housing units, and other public areas. This program requires a 25-percent match for any grant received under the program, including in-kind contributions such as the cost or value of providing care and maintenance for a period of 3 years after planting. Having a match requirement ensures that both private and community investments are made for the installation and care of trees funded by this program Ultimately, this program will lead to healthier, greener more vibrant communities and result in green jobs. I look forward to working with Senate cosponsors, the nursery industry, State foresters, and the bill's other supporters to advance this legislation to the President's desk.

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Small Business Environmental Stewardship Assistance Act of 2010, a companion bill to the legislation introduced in the House by another member of the Oregon delegation, Congressman Schrader. I am pleased to launch this legislation in the Senate and am joined today by Senator Merkley from my home State, as well as Senators Stabenow, Specter, and Harkin.

Trees provide numerous benefits to our communities--from cleaner air to energy efficiency to more beautiful city streets. But trees and green spaces are also good for business and good for green job creation. Beyond the most obvious benefits of trees, studies have shown that businesses thrive in green, attractive, pedestrian-oriented retail environments. And this legislation will help America's small businesses and communities plant trees and enhance those kinds of environments. As a Senator from Oregon--a State that grows many of the trees that beautify cities around our Nation, including some of the very trees that grace the Capitol grounds--I also know how critical jobs in our nursery and landscaping sector can be. In my State, the industry provides 21,000 jobs and helps provide over $2 billion worth of economic activity.

This bill would reauthorize the National Small Business Tree Planting Program, which existed for several years in the 1990s. Between 1991 and 1994, more than 18,000 green industry firms were employed to plant more than 23 million trees across the country through the Small Business Administration program. This program had numerous successes, including in my home State where 109 tree planting

grants were administered between 1991 and 1994. Nearly 11,700 shade, landscape, and riparian area trees were planted.

The program would be authorized at $50 million a year between fiscal years 2011 and 2015. The funding provides grants to State forestry agencies to enable communities to plant trees around retail storefronts, rental housing units, and other public areas. This program requires a 25-percent match for any grant received under the program, including in-kind contributions such as the cost or value of providing care and maintenance for a period of 3 years after planting. Having a match requirement ensures that both private and community investments are made for the installation and care of trees funded by this program Ultimately, this program will lead to healthier, greener more vibrant communities and result in green jobs. I look forward to working with Senate cosponsors, the nursery industry, State foresters, and the bill's other supporters to advance this legislation to the President's desk.