A resolution designating January 2010 as "National Mentoring Month".

Mr. President, I am pleased today to join many of my colleagues in supporting a resolution designating January 2010 as ``National Mentoring Month.''

We all agree that young people need a supportive environment based on structured and trusting relationships with adults. The world is more complicated for children today than it ever was when I was growing up. Mentors can help young people through the difficult periods, help them see the difference between right and wrong, alleviate their doubts and concerns, and answer their questions frankly. Mentors can dramatically impact a young person's life by providing the support and encouragement that children need in order to grow into responsible, caring adults.

This resolution recognizes the value of volunteering time to make a difference in the life of a child. A growing body of research has shown that high-quality programs can make all the difference and help students in need achieve the type of future they might never have thought possible. Children with mentors are shown to improve in school performance and attendance. Also, they are more self-confident, have good social skills, and above all else, they are motivated to reach their full potential. Unfortunately, a severe shortage of volunteers has left over 15 million young people without mentors.

National Mentoring Month highlights the needs and goals of mentoring in this country and honors the contributions of the many volunteers across the country that are currently connecting with youth in such programs. Next month, nonprofit organizations, schools, businesses, faith communities, and government agencies--led by the National Mentoring Partnership and the Harvard School of Public Health--will join together to encourage adults to serve as mentors for our young people. Programs must be expanded to recruit more volunteers to help fill the mentoring gap. Mentoring has successfully helped many children in this country and we must work together to expand such valuable programs. I urge the Senate to approve this resolution.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, first of all, I appreciate very much the patience of the Presiding Officer and all the staff.

In prior years, before you arrived in the Senate, I used to spend a lot of time on the floor when I was the whip and we had one of the staff here who talked about how Senate time was dog time--1 minute is really 7 minutes. In fact, as his going away gift to me, my friend Jack, who was right down here, before he retired gave me a dog chain as a souvenir. I kept it in my desk here for years. But sometimes things take a long time to get worked out. It may not seem like much, but it took a long time to get this done.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 706, submitted earlier today.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I make a note that these appointments to the National Security Working Group were inadvertently left off the March 9, 2009, appointment to this group.