A resolution commemorating the 70th anniversary of Ellsworth Air Force Base.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of a pretty common sense goal--getting more kids outside and engaged in the great outdoors.

In America today, I am sad to say that one in three children are overweight or obese. Kids between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of 7 and a half hours a day using some sort of entertainment media such as TVs, computers, video games, cell phones and movies. I believe this is a major reason why only \1/3\ of all children get the recommended level of physical activity every day, contributing to high obesity rates.

The grave effects of childhood obesity on our children's quality of life are troubling, and the impacts on our economy distressing. But the effect on our national security is equally alarming. With current obesity rates, I have serious concerns that our military will have difficulty finding soldiers physically qualified to serve in the near future.

A healthier Nation is a stronger Nation, and encouraging greater physical activity in America's youth by getting more kids outdoors will help stop this disturbing trend.

That is why I am proud to submit a bipartisan resolution today which recognizes May 19, 2012, as the second annual National Kids to Parks Day. I led this effort last year, and was extremely pleased to see the many thousands of families that made it out to a national, State, or local park to enjoy the great outdoors.

So far, over 70,000 people across the country have signed the pledge to get outside on National Kids to Parks Day.

Enjoying the outdoors has been a lifelong passion for me. Growing up in the American southwest, my parents would take our family on frequent trips to the nearby parks and helped inspire me to become a mountain guide with Outward Bound. At Outward Bound I developed a strong love not just for being outdoors, but for sharing the outdoors with others.

In Congress, I have similarly tried to ensure that open spaces in both urban and rural areas are preserved so that families in Colorado and across America have ample opportunity to get out and take advantage of our greatest natural resources, our parks, and open spaces.

Preserving open spaces is critical to our ability to enjoy the outdoors, which is essential not just to public health but to our economy as well. In Colorado, a big part of our economy is dependent on having open spaces--from skiing to whitewater rafting, hiking, and mountain biking--protecting land for outdoor recreation keeps us and our economy healthy.

In this same spirit, on Saturday families all across the Nation will get outside to celebrate National Kids to Parks Day and America's commitment to getting kids outdoors.

Getting kids outdoors won't completely solve our childhood obesity problem, but it may help them get excited about being active and healthy outdoors. It may help inspire the next generation of American stewards to enjoy and protect our Nation's special places.

I would like to thank Senator Bingaman, Senator Murkowski and Senator Portman for joining me in submitting this resolution.

I would like to close by asking my colleagues to support my National Kids to Parks Day resolution.

S. Res. 464

Mr. President, today I am submitting a resolution concerning water in the State of Colorado. This resolution recognizes the importance of water to the State of Colorado and the contributions of many of the organizations that have innovated and cooperated over the past century to develop, protect and conserve this scarce resource. I want to thank my colleague from Colorado Senator Bennet for cosponsoring the resolution.

In the arid West, water is our most precious natural resource. It is woven into our history as a source of life, a source of recreation and even economic growth. But as a limited resource, it is also a source of conflict. As the old saying in the West goes, whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting.

However, I rise today to highlight not our disagreements but our cooperation. Generations of Coloradans have joined together and worked hard to solve Colorado's water challenges, because a resource as valuable as water must ultimately unite us.

The year 2012 is a particularly significant year for water in Colorado, as it marks numerous anniversaries that have had an enormous impact on how water is managed in my state.

It is the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Rio Grande Reservoir, 90th anniversary of the Colorado River Compact of 1922, 75th anniversary of

the creation of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, 75th anniversary of the creation of the Colorado River Water Conservation District, 75th anniversary of the creation of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District and the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, 50th anniversary of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, 10th anniversary of the Colorado Foundation for Water Education and 10th anniversary of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District.

In fact, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has designated 2012 as the Year of Water in Colorado.

I am proud of efforts underway in the state to raise awareness about the importance of water. For example, a statewide celebration named Colorado Water 2012 will help to engage and educate Coloradans about past achievements and highlight the challenges we face in the future management of water. Colorado Water 2012 will continue throughout the year, and I look forward to participating in the education and engagement of our citizens.

I hope that this resolution can in some small way add to the appreciation of water issues in the United States Senate and to efforts underway in Colorado.

Mr. President, today I wish to mark the 70th anniversary of Ellsworth Air Force Base. For the past seven decades, my home State of South Dakota has had the distinct honor of being home to Ellsworth Air Force Base. This weekend, I will gather in Rapid City with Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz, 28th Bomb Wing Commander Colonel Mark Weatherington, Governor Dennis Daugaard, Senator John Thune, Congresswoman Kristi Noem, past and present Airmen, and proud South Dakotans to celebrate this anniversary.

A lot has changed since the Rapid City Army Air Base opened in 1942. At the time, the base served as a training location for B 17 Flying Fortress crews and thousands of pilots, navigators, radio operators, and gunners trained there during World War II. Over the years, the base has adapted and grown to support new missions but a reminder of its early days remains in the PRIDE hangar. This historic building was completed in 1949 to house the RB 36 Peacemakers and later was home to the 44th Strategic Missile Wing and the 77th Bomb Squadron.

The 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base has been home to such impressive aircraft as the B 17 Flying Fortress, B 29 Superfortress, the RB 36 Peacemaker, the B 52 Stratofortress, and, for the past 25 years, the B 1B Lancer. All these planes have graced the skies of western South Dakota, offering South Dakotans a visual and audial reminder of the power of the United States Air Force. Ellsworth has played an important role in every major conflict since World War II, including flying over 6,000 combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Enduring Freedom. On March 20, 2011, history was made as the first ever B 1B combat sorties launched directly from the United States to strike targets overseas were launched at Ellsworth and hit targets in Libya. Ellsworth continues to evolve and as we reflect on the past, we also look to a bright future for the base, including the arrival later this year of the MQ 9 Reaper mission.

Ellsworth Air Force Base is the largest employer in western South Dakota and has had a significant economic impact on our State. The impact of the base on our State goes beyond the economic, however; the base and its personnel are a part of the fabric of our state. Rapid City, Box Elder, and communities throughout the Black Hills have enjoyed a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship with the base. This is something that, unfortunately, cannot be said at every military installation. This symbiotic relationship has displayed itself in numerous ways, such as in 1972 when base personnel assisted in the recovery and relief efforts when historic flooding struck Rapid City. When snowstorms crippled the region in 1949 and 1950, Ellsworth personnel airlifted food and hay bales to stranded ranchers and livestock. Today, personnel from Ellsworth contribute to many charitable efforts in the community, such as helping with the United Way's annual Day of Caring and the Children's Miracle Network.

As I reflect on this anniversary, I'm reminded of all of the dedicated Airmen, past and present, that have served at Ellsworth Air Force Base. The Air Force is only as strong as its members, and Ellsworth has seen many talented, patriotic individuals over the past 70 years. Many former Wing Commanders have gone on to serve in top positions in the Air Force, including as commanders of U.S. Transportation Command, Air Education and Training Command, and Air Force Global Strike Command.

Mr. President, for the past 70 years Ellsworth Air Force Base has made significant contributions to the State of South Dakota and the security of the United States. I commend Ellsworth Air Force Base on this occasion and know that the base, and the brave men and women who serve there, will continue to make invaluable contributions for decades to come.

S. Res. 465

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration en bloc of the following resolutions which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 463, S. Res. 464, and S. Res. 465.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the resolutions be printed in the Record at the appropriate place as if read.