Floor Statements

Madam President, today I wish to pay homage to Buck O'Neil a splendid athlete, a peerless ambassador of baseball, and a wonderful man who has become an American icon beloved by millions.

Many people first got to know Buck O'Neil as a major contributor to ``Baseball,'' Ken Burns's landmark documentary on our national pastime. While narrating the history of the Negro Leagues and the breaking of the color line in Major League Baseball, Buck passed along not only his prodigious knowledge of baseball and the society it helped to change forever but also his indomitable spirit, joy of living, and love of the game.

Before becoming a television star, Buck O'Neil was a baseball star in the Negro Leagues. As a first baseman and manager between 1937 and 1955, he played on nine championship teams and three East-West All Star teams, won a batting title, starred in two Negro Leagues World Series, and managed five pennant winners and five All Star teams. As manager of the Kansas City Monarchs, he mentored more than three dozen players who eventually made it to the Major Leagues.

In 1962, Buck O'Neil became the first African-American coach in the Major Leagues, where he helped the Chicago Cubs' Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Lou Brock develop the skills that led them to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Today, at age 94, Buck is still bubbling over with enthusiasm for baseball, life, and his fellow human beings. He continues to serve on the Veterans' Committee at the Hall of Fame and as chairman of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.

On May 6, 2006, the San Diego Padres will honor Buck O'Neil as part of their Third Annual Salute to the Negro Leagues. I am honored that this statement will be a part of that salute, and I send my great admiration and appreciation along to Buck O'Neil and all of the other great players of the Negro Leagues.

Mr. President, I know that you and all of our colleagues in the U.S. Senate will join me in sending our best wishes to Buck O'Neil for this very special day and for many more years of great service to baseball and the Nation.

Mr. President, today, I rise to honor the memory of the late Buck Owens, the Country Music Hall of Fame honoree who introduced a uniquely California sound to country music. Mr. Owens, a long time Bakersfield resident, passed away at his home on March 25, 2006. He was 76 years old.

Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. was born in Sherman, TX, in 1932. At an early age, he nicknamed himself, ``Buck,'' after a mule on the family farm. Seeking better fortune during the Great Depression, the Owens family moved west in 1937, settling in Mesa, AZ.

An avid music fan, Buck learned to play the guitar in his early teens. By his late teens, he was already a regular on local radio stations and was playing shows in honky tonks and bars around Phoenix. A precocious and determined young man, it was apparent to many that Buck was a prodigiously talented musician who was destined for great success.

Buck's many accomplishments amassed over a five-decade recording and performing career have rightfully cemented his status as one of the greatest country-western entertainers ever. He was truly a trailblazer whose trademark stinging electric guitar and rhythm sound revolutionized country music. Buck's 21 country singles from 1963 to 1988 were a testament to his longevity and staying power. Buck's music was universally celebrated and embraced, as evidence by the Beatles' cover of his song, ``Act Naturally'' in 1965. The consummate entertainer, Buck's iconic television entertainment show, ``Hee Haw'' enjoyed a remarkable 25 year run on the airwaves.

I was delighted to have met Buck back in 1997 at his Crystal Palace in Bakersfield. He was kind and generous of spirit, as when I was invited to present one of his special red, white, and blue guitars to a promising music student named William Villatoro. I still vividly remember how the young man was deeply moved and inspired by his generous gesture. I will certainly remember Buck Owens as a man of great compassion who possessed a profound love for his country. Although he is no longer with us, I take great comfort in knowing that Buck Owens was not only able to be a shining light in the life of a young man from Bakersfield, but also to the millions of others who admired his musical gifts and were touched by his humanity.

Buck Owens has left behind a legacy of artistry and boundless love for his adopted hometown of Bakersfield and California's Central Valley. He will be dearly missed.

Buck Owens is survived by his three sons, Buddy Alan, Michael, and Johnny.

Mr. President, I rise to recognize the 100th anniversary of the city of Coalinga, one of the few California cities that was founded as a mining boomtown and survived.

The city originally known as ``Coaling'' was a sleepy coal mining town until oil was prospected in the region as early as 1865 by Southerners displaced by the Civil War. However, aside from being used to control dust on the roads and as a pitch for roofing, there was limited use for petroleum in those days. Limited uses, coupled with transportation challenges, caused early interest in oil to die down considerably. In 1891, the Southern Pacific Railroad purchased the 160- acre Melville Curtiss homestead and laid out the town site that became Coalinga. Local folklore attributes the desire for better musical effect for the addition of the final ``a'' and the eventual adoption of the town name, Coalinga. By the time the city was incorporated on April 3, 1906, the interest in oil had risen again.

In 1909, the Silver Tip well broke loose in the greatest gusher recorded in California at that time; spraying 36,000 barrels of oil in a 72-hour period. The emergence of Coalinga as an oil boomtown caused enough excitement that the Los Angeles Stock Exchange was shut down for a day so that the financiers of California could go witness and experience the boom for themselves. At its peak, the Silver Tip well produced 10,000 barrels of oil a day.

Coalinga's thriving oil fields of that time were to produce personalities and companies that were to become the giants of the industry. R.C. Baker, the founder of Baker Oil Tools, first honed his trade in Coalinga. Republic Oil Field Supply can also trace its beginnings to the city. The formula for world famous A&W root beer was first concocted in downtown Coalinga. Perhaps most famously, Coalinga's oilfield workers fought and won the industry's first 8-hour workday.

On May 2, 1983, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake altered the face of Coalinga. All the brick buildings constructed during the 1900s boom toppled or they had to be demolished. A large slice of the character and charm of Old Coalinga was lost. However, the town's residents demonstrated remarkable unity and determination in putting forth the hard work to make sure that Coalinga continues to grow in spite of the earthquake. Today, the former boomtown with the old brick buildings that was left reeling after the 1983 earthquake is a thriving city that is primed for even greater residential and business growth in the future.

For the past century, the city of Coalinga has served as a testament to the importance of community, optimism, and cooperation. As the residents of Coalinga work together with great pride to make their city a better place to call home, I congratulate them on their centennial anniversary and wish them another 100 years of good fortune and success.

Mr. President, I take this opportunity to honor the life of Delbert Wong, the first Chinese-American judge in the continental United States. Judge Wong passed away on March 10, 2006, at the age of 85.

Delbert Wong was born in Hanford, CA, on May 17, 1920, and was raised a short distance away in Bakersfield. After obtaining an associate of arts degree from Bakersfield College, he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where he received an undergraduate degree in business.

After he left U.C. Berkeley, Delbert joined the Army Air Corps during World War II and became one of 18 B-17 Flying Fortress navigators that graduated in his class at Mather Field in Sacramento. During his service with the military, he was 1 of only 3 navigators who completed their 30 bombing missions. For his bravery and dedication, 1LT Delbert Wong was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, as well as four Air Medals, for his wartime service.

Following the war, Delbert was faced with a tough choice: should he join his family's grocery business or enter law school? He chose law school, and in 1949 became the first Chinese American graduate of Stanford University's School of Law. After his graduation, Delbert continued to break new ground. He was the first Asian American to be appointed Deputy Legislative Counsel serving the California State Legislature, and the first Asian American to be appointed a deputy state attorney general.

During his tenure as a deputy State attorney general, Delbert was appointed by then-Governor Pat Brown to the Los Angeles County Municipal Court bench in 1959, making him the first Chinese American named to the bench in the continental United States. Two years later, Judge Wong was elevated to the superior court, where he served for over 20 years.

Throughout his career, Judge Wong was an exemplary jurist who dedicated his life to public service. Even after he retired from the bench in 1986, he continued to be deeply involved in his community.

Among his many accomplishments, Judge Wong researched and reported on racial issues within the Los Angeles Airport Police Bureau at the request of the Los Angeles Department of Airports; was appointed by then-mayor of Los Angeles Tom Bradley to serve on a panel tasked with drafting an ethics policy for the city of Los Angeles; and was appointed chair of the Asian Pacific American Focus Program of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, to combat the rise in violence against Asian Americans.

Together with his wife Dolores, Judge Wong was also an ardent supporter of the Chinese American community, making significant contributions to the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, the Chinatown Service Center, and the Asian Pacific American Friends of the Center Theater Group.

Judge Wong was a trailblazer for Asian Americans in the field of law. His dedication to justice and equality was evident in everything that he did. His many years of service--for the city of Los Angeles, for the State of California and for the Nation will not be forgotten.

Judge Wong is survived by his wife Dolores; his children Kent, Shelley, Duane, and Marshall; and his three grandchildren. I extend my deepest sympathies to his family.

Whether he was fighting for our country or fighting for integrity and equality under the law, Judge Delbert Wong was undeterred in his efforts to make America a better place to live. He will be missed by all who knew him. We take comfort in knowing that future generations will benefit from his passion and dedication to justice.

Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to Erma Ora Byrd, the wife of our esteemed colleague, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. It has always warmed my heart to watch the Senator from West Virginia speak of his wife in conversation, of which we have had many, or as he has stood on this Senate floor. He has mentioned her name, and whenever he mentioned it, he immediately got this glow on his face in reverence to his friend, his wife, his love of nearly seven decades.

Love of this magnitude should be celebrated. And their marriage of 69 years should be celebrated. As a matter of fact, recently I talked to Senator Byrd about his marriage, and he said: I just hope that we can celebrate 70 years of marriage. Well, they did not get to 70 years. They got to 69, plus. And although her body failed her this past weekend, and their time together on this Earth ended, the love they shared--Senator Byrd and Erma--that love is timeless and that love is forever.

Robert Byrd is known throughout the country for his intellect and his patriotism, for his devotion to this country, to the State of West Virginia, his reverence for the Constitution, and his reverence for the Senate. But as famous as he is, and as eloquent as he is, and as far as he has gone in this Senate--he has been the leader here; he has been the chairman of committees here--he never would fail to share the credit for his many accomplishments with his wife, who inspired him and humbled him.

Erma never sought the spotlight, nor, according to Robert, would she allow her husband to bask in it for any longer than absolutely necessary. She strived to be a model of duty and service--service to one's family and service to one's country.

Erma Byrd has always been by her husband's side, ever since they were married, both of them at the age of 19. Imagine: the age of 19. Their love never waned. It is as strong now as it was on the very day they said their wedding vows. And I would posit that it has actually grown deeper, far deeper. That love is a bond that will never be broken, and even in her death her spirit will remain by his side to guide him on.

Erma had been struggling with illness for the past several years. God ended her battle, allowing her to be at rest. Although Erma's struggle with illness is over, and the deep pain that Robert felt as he watched her struggle with this illness is over, we should all know that he needs us now, his friends and his colleagues. He needs us to be his friend as he grieves for the loss of his soulmate.

Although we mourn her loss, we must not forget to also celebrate the rich, full life she made with her husband, her children, and her grandchildren.

The good Senator from West Virginia has always had a penchant for poetry, especially when it was used to help him describe Erma. So in closing, I will quote a poem by Charles Jeffreys that the Senator himself has used to describe his marriage to Erma:

We have lived and loved together

Through many changing years;

We have shared each other's gladness

And wept each other's tears;

I have known ne'er a sorrow

That was long unsoothed by thee;

For thy smiles can make a summer

Where darkness else would be.

Like the leaves that fall around us

In autumn's fading hours,

Are the traitor's smiles, that darken,

When the cloud of sorrow lowers;

And though many such we've known, love,

Too prone, alas, to range,

We both can speak of one love

Which time can never change.

We have lived and loved together

Through many changing years,

We have shared each other's gladness

And wept each other's tears.

And let us hope the future,

As the past has been will be:

I will share with thee my sorrows,

And thou thy joys with me.

When Robert Byrd spoke these words, he meant them deeply in his soul toward his one love. And so my husband joins me, and our family joins me, and I know all of our colleagues feel this way: We offer our thoughts and prayers to our dear friend Senator Byrd, to his family, and to the good people of West Virginia during this difficult time. I know my friend Robert will dedicate his future in the Senate not only to the people of West Virginia, whom he serves so proudly, but to his incomparable soulmate who so inspired him.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I wish to take a couple of moments here to pay tribute to Erma Ora Byrd, the beloved wife of our good friend and colleague, Senator Robert Byrd. I will be a very few minutes.

I thank Senator Lott because I know he has business he wants to attend to, and he is very supportive of my making a statement.

(The remarks of Mrs. Boxer are printed in today's Record under ``Morning Business.'')

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am very pleased to take a few moments to recognize the amazing life accomplishments of Arthur Winston as he is honored by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority--MTA--family during his retirement and 100th birthday celebration.

Arthur Winston began his association with the MTA at the young age of 15. He would assist his father who was employed by the maintenance department for one of MTA's predecessors, the Pacific Electric Railway Company. In 1924, Arthur began his career with the Pacific Electric Railway Company. After a brief period of separation between 1928 through 1934, he returned at the age of 28 and began 72 years of continuous work. In total, Arthur has devoted 76 years of his life to public service and has missed only day of work since 1934, which occurred when his wife passed away in 1988.

In 1996, Arthur Winston received a congressional citation from President Bill Clinton as ``Employee of the Century.'' In 1997, the MTA board of directors named the agency's bus operating division in South Central Los Angeles, Chesterfield Square, after him. He has also appeared on the Oprah Winfry television show where he was invited to share his life's story with her television viewing audience.

Arthur Winston was born in Oklahoma on March 22, 1906 before Oklahoma was officially recognized as a State. He and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1918, when Arthur was 12. He attended Jefferson High School and graduated in 1922. Currently assigned to the bus operations division that bears his name, Arthur serves as an attendant leader and directs a crew of 11 employees. Through their efforts, Los Angeles city buses are properly maintained for use by the city's residents.

I invite all of my colleagues to join me and the members of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority family in commending Arthur Winston for his 100th Birthday and his 76 years of service and dedication to MTA and the city of Los Angeles.

Mr. President, today, I am pleased to introduce the Boxer-Smith-Durbin STOP-TB Now Act of 2006. This bill would authorize additional resources to fight tuberculosis, a deadly infectious disease that knows no borders.

In January, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a long-term strategy was developed to cut in half the number of TB cases and deaths. This Global Plan to Stop TB estimates that the 10-year cost to control tuberculosis is $56 billion, including $47 billion to detect and treat TB and $9 billion for additional research and development. If this plan is implemented over the next 10 years, it is estimated that it will save the lives of 14 million people throughout the world.

Tuberculosis is a deadly disease, especially in the developing world. Tuberculosis kills nearly 2 million people per year--one person every 15 seconds. One-third of the world is infected with the germ that causes TB and an estimated 8.8 million individuals will develop active TB each year. Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age and of people who are HIV-positive.

While developing nations are most heavily impacted by TB, there is also a concern here at home. It is estimated that 10-15 million people in the United States are infected with the germ that causes TB. And, California has more TB cases than any other State in the country. Ten of the top twenty U.S. metro areas for TB case rates are in California; San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Fresno, Los Angeles, Stockton, Sacramento, Ventura, Vallejo, and Oakland.

This funding is a wise investment for our Nation. A recent article published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a $35 million investment in the health system of Mexico to fight TB would yield a savings to the U.S. taxpayer of $108 million in terms of reduced TB healthcare costs domestically.

I have been working with Senator Smith to fight the spread of international tuberculosis since 1999. I am proud that he has been such a strong partner on this issue. And, I am grateful for the support of Senator Durbin, a champion on the issue of global AIDS and other infectious diseases.

The Boxer-Smith-Durbin bill is consistent with the Global Plan to Stop TB, including the goal to reduce by half the international tuberculosis death and disease burden by 2015. It also sets a goal to detect at least 70 percent of cases of infection tuberculosis, and the cure of at least 85 percent of the cases detected.

The bill authorizes not less than $225 million for fiscal year 2007 and not less than $260 million for fiscal year 2008 for foreign assistance programs that combat international TB. It also creates a separate authorization of $30 million for the Centers for Disease Control to combat international TB.

This bill will not only save lives, it will help reverse a troubling trend--the emergence of multi drug-resistant tuberculosis caused by inconsistent and incomplete treatment. In the U.S., a standard case of TB takes 6 months to cure at the cost of $2,000 per patient. A case of multi drug-resistant TB can take up to 2 years to treat costing as much as $1 million per patient.

TB kills more people than any other curable disease in the world. I hope my colleagues will join us in supporting this important legislation.

Mr. President, today, I am pleased to introduce the Boxer-Smith-Durbin STOP-TB Now Act of 2006. This bill would authorize additional resources to fight tuberculosis, a deadly infectious disease that knows no borders.

In January, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a long-term strategy was developed to cut in half the number of TB cases and deaths. This Global Plan to Stop TB estimates that the 10-year cost to control tuberculosis is $56 billion, including $47 billion to detect and treat TB and $9 billion for additional research and development. If this plan is implemented over the next 10 years, it is estimated that it will save the lives of 14 million people throughout the world.

Tuberculosis is a deadly disease, especially in the developing world. Tuberculosis kills nearly 2 million people per year--one person every 15 seconds. One-third of the world is infected with the germ that causes TB and an estimated 8.8 million individuals will develop active TB each year. Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age and of people who are HIV-positive.

While developing nations are most heavily impacted by TB, there is also a concern here at home. It is estimated that 10-15 million people in the United States are infected with the germ that causes TB. And, California has more TB cases than any other State in the country. Ten of the top twenty U.S. metro areas for TB case rates are in California; San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Fresno, Los Angeles, Stockton, Sacramento, Ventura, Vallejo, and Oakland.

This funding is a wise investment for our Nation. A recent article published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a $35 million investment in the health system of Mexico to fight TB would yield a savings to the U.S. taxpayer of $108 million in terms of reduced TB healthcare costs domestically.

I have been working with Senator Smith to fight the spread of international tuberculosis since 1999. I am proud that he has been such a strong partner on this issue. And, I am grateful for the support of Senator Durbin, a champion on the issue of global AIDS and other infectious diseases.

The Boxer-Smith-Durbin bill is consistent with the Global Plan to Stop TB, including the goal to reduce by half the international tuberculosis death and disease burden by 2015. It also sets a goal to detect at least 70 percent of cases of infection tuberculosis, and the cure of at least 85 percent of the cases detected.

The bill authorizes not less than $225 million for fiscal year 2007 and not less than $260 million for fiscal year 2008 for foreign assistance programs that combat international TB. It also creates a separate authorization of $30 million for the Centers for Disease Control to combat international TB.

This bill will not only save lives, it will help reverse a troubling trend--the emergence of multi drug-resistant tuberculosis caused by inconsistent and incomplete treatment. In the U.S., a standard case of TB takes 6 months to cure at the cost of $2,000 per patient. A case of multi drug-resistant TB can take up to 2 years to treat costing as much as $1 million per patient.

TB kills more people than any other curable disease in the world. I hope my colleagues will join us in supporting this important legislation.

Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3105 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I call this amendment the ``Gucci afterschool amendment'' because we are asking millionaires to give up one Gucci jacket or $2,000 out of their $114,000 tax cut they are going to get in 2007 so we can offer 716,000 additional children an afterschool program.

This amendment begins to fulfill the promise this President and this Congress made to our children. It will mean a big difference in every Senator's children's lives. In other words, I am looking at Senators all across this country. Every one of their States will see an increase of eligible children: in Alaska, 3,000 more children; in Florida, 33,000 more; in Indiana, 9,000 more; in Maine, 3,000 more--and it goes on--in New Hampshire, 3,000 more; in Ohio, 20,000 more; in Pennsylvania, 27,000 more; in Texas, 68,000 more.

So I think the people earning $1 million can give up a Gucci jacket to send more children to afterschool. I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. President, I rise in enthusiastic support of the confirmation of Judge Stephen Larson to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, one of the Nation's busiest Federal courts, serving seven of Southern California's most populous counties.

Judge Larson is a model of hard work, fairness, moderation and judicial independence. Judge Larson is skilled at bringing all sides together. He is a Republican with broad local, bipartisan support and respect from lawyers, judges and Federal practitioners in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, where he currently serves.

Judge Larson has had a distinguished legal career and a sterling reputation within the California legal community. He was sworn in as magistrate on September 25, 2000. Prior to this position, Judge Larson was a Federal prosecutor and chief of the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Judge Larson is a nationally known expert in organized and international crime. He was heavily involved in fighting Russian gangs and helped form the Russian Organized Crime Program in Los Angeles.

Judge Larson earned his undergraduate degree from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. While at Georgetown, he served as a teaching assistant to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. He earned his law degree from the University of Southern California in 1989. He worked as an associate at O'Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles until 1991, when he joined the U.S. Attorney's Office.

I congratulate Judge Larson on his confirmation vote. And I look forward to what I hope will be many years of service to the people of California and the Nation.

Mr. President, I take this opportunity to honor the life of Sam Chu Lin, who broke new ground as one of the first Asian American journalists. Mr. Chu Lin passed away on March 5, 2006, at the age of 67.

Mr. Chu Lin was born and raised in Mississippi. He had a lifelong interest in news and journalism. When he was a teenager, Mr. Chu Lin would listen to the radio at night, emulating the voices of the top broadcasters. His practice paid off in 1956, when he convinced his hometown radio station in Greenville, MS, that he could find sponsors and host a show of his own. Mr. Chu Lin later attended Michigan State University, where he received degrees in journalism and communications.

In the 1960s, Mr. Chu Lin began his career as a journalist, working as a reporter and anchor at television and radio stations, including KRON-TV in the San Francisco Bay area, and KTLA Channel 5 and KFWB radio, both in Los Angeles. In the 1970s, he became one of the first Asian-American journalists to rise from local to network news, working for CBS News in New York. While at CBS, Mr. Chu Lin reported to a national television audience the historic news that the Vietnam War was over.

Throughout his career, Mr. Chu Lin demonstrated his versatility as a reporter. He interviewed Presidents and world leaders, and he covered earthquakes and other natural disasters. In the late 1980s, he reported from China about the government crackdown on the Tiananmen Square demonstration for democracy. Since 1995, Mr. Chu Lin worked at KTTV Fox 11 News in Los Angeles. In addition, he wrote numerous articles about Asian-American affairs for news publications such as Asian Week, Rafu Shimpo, the Nichi Bei Times, and the San Francisco Examiner. He was also a regular contributor to KQED radio in San Francisco.

Over the years, Mr. Chu Lin was the recipient of many awards and accolades from prestigious organizations, including the Associated Press, United Press International, the Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Greater Los Angeles Press Club, and the Radio and Television News Association. As a strong advocate for Asian-Pacific-Americans and their contributions throughout history, Mr. Chu Lin was also the recipient of many awards from Asian-Pacific-American organizations, most recently the 2005 Spirit of America Award from the Chinese American Citizens Alliance.

Sam Chu Lin believed that journalism should be educational, and that ``informing and helping others is what makes journalism exciting.'' He felt that journalism was a ``chance to use your roots for a positive purpose.'' In his reports, articles, and stories, it was evident that Mr. Chu Lin did just that. He was a tireless advocate on behalf of the Asian-Pacific-American community, whether he was producing documentaries on the Asian-Pacific American experience or speaking to organizations about the importance of civic participation. His contributions to the field of journalism, especially within the Asian- Pacific-American community, will not be forgotten.

Mr. Chu Lin is survived by his wife, Judy; his two sons, Mark and Christopher; and his mother. I extend my deepest sympathies to his family.

Sam Chu Lin was a pioneer among Asian-American journalists, and he will be missed by all who knew him. We take comfort in knowing that future generations will benefit from his tenacity, his strength and his desire to make America a better place to live.

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

Mr. President, is there any limit on the time for Senators at this point?

I ask unanimous consent that be extended on both sides by an additional 5 minutes.

Mr. President, if you would let me know when I have used up 9 minutes so I can wrap up?

Mr. President, I have been watching the developments on the Senate floor with, let's say, much surprise. It is very hard for me to understand why this Senate would not want to go on record in opposition to the Dubai ports deal when we have an opportunity to do that, to dispose of that amendment by Senator Schumer and go right back to the ethics reform bill that is before the Senate.

I thank Senator Schumer for his courage because I know how it is around here sometimes. You need courage to say: Look, this is so important I am not going to back down. Senator Schumer explained that he and his colleagues from New York and New Jersey and Connecticut suffered the biggest blow on 9/11, although, believe me, the whole country suffered a blow--certainly in Pennsylvania directly and in my home State of California, where all those planes were going. We lost many people on that day.

But Senator Schumer explains that when you tell the people at home: I am going to do everything in my power so that we never have another 9/ 11, you better mean it. You better mean it. That means you have to step up to the plate. If you believe this deal presents a danger to our security, you have to step up to the plate, you have to use every legislative prerogative at your disposal, and you have to say to your colleagues: I am sorry, we are going to take 5 minutes out, we are going to take 10 minutes out, we are going to take 15 minutes out of this bill, and we are going to vote on this.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle, God bless them--I know they must have a reason for this--they have stopped us from voting. They have stopped us from voting to stop this Dubai ports deal. Why is it important? There are so many reasons. This deal involves a port operator that is fully owned and controlled by a foreign country. Do we, in a post-9/11 world, want to have our very important infrastructure controlled by another country? I say no. Pre-9/11 we didn't think this way so much.

We had a situation, Senator Feinstein and I, in Long Beach, the Los Angeles port, where China took over the running of a terminal. We were very concerned. This was in about 1997, well before 9/11. We were concerned then, and we asked for a special report from then-Secretary of Defense Cohen and Sandy Berger--he was our National Security Adviser. We asked them to do a written report to us before we let that go through. I believe now it ought to be looked at again. Not only that, but for all of the other ports that are being operated by foreign countries, we ought to have a look back. We ought to see if that is the right thing to do.

But one thing I know for sure, today, this deal has to stop. We have a chance here, thanks to Senator Schumer, who took a lot of abuse-- maybe not publicly but privately--for having the courage to do this. We have to have a vote. It is amazing to me that those on the other side would stop us.

This is the same group who said to the Democrats: You better step back and let us have a vote on every judge we want, you better step back and let us have votes on all these things, and they will not let us have a vote on the most sacred responsibility we have, which is to keep our country safe.

Let the American people understand what this is about. It is not as if we have done so much for port security in this Congress. We have gotten failing grades for what we have failed to do on port security. It is not for lack of trying.

I want to show you how many amendments we voted on, to try to increase port security, and what happened. In the 107th Congress, $585 million increase for port security in the fiscal year 2003 appropriations; another vote, $500 million increase for port security; another vote, $200 million increase for the Coast Guard; $1 billion for port security. Guess what happened in the 107th Congress. Every one of those amendments went down. Every one of those amendments went down because my colleagues on the other side pretty much voted party line, voted down.

What happened in the 108th Congress? An amendment for a $460 million increase for port security plus a $70 million increase for the Coast Guard for homeland security was voted down; $450 million increase for port security, voted down; $100 million increase--we went at it again and again--voted down; $324 million increase for the Coast Guard, voted down; $80 million increase for the Coast Guard, voted down; $150 million increase for port security grants, voted down.

My colleagues on the other side voted down every one of these while they voted for tax breaks for the most wealthy Americans who already earn $1 million a year.

I hope the American people are catching on to what is going on. Had we done some of these things and you had the country, the United Arab Emirates, that had connections to 9/11--two of the hijackers were from there. We know that money was laundered for the operation through Dubai. We know that Dr. Khan, the Pakistani scientist who turned on the civilized world and smuggled nuclear components to Iran, to North Korea, and to Libya--how did he smuggle those? Through the port of Dubai. And what we are going to do is reward these people, is give them the right to operate a terminal.

Then you hear from my colleagues: Oh, the terminal operator has nothing to do with security.

Wrong. We have a letter from the No. 2 man at the Port Authority in New Jersey and New York. Do you know what he said? The terminal operator is one of the major players in port security. They are the ones who decide who gets hired. They are the ones who do the background checks.

I have that letter. I ask unanimous consent to have it printed in the Record.

Mr. President, here is the letter. They hired two security guards--that would be the Dubai people--and purchased the technology that will protect the terminal properties. They have control over who can enter and exit a facility. They have their own systems for checking and identifying workers.

Let me tell you that the terminal operators, according to the people who know best, are very much into the loop of security. As a matter of fact, they are deemed one of the main players. That is what they are called--main players in port security consisting of Customs, Border Patrol, Coast Guard, Immigration, Customs enforcement, and the terminal operators.

If anyone says to you it doesn't matter who loses the terminal, you just relate to them that we know better. When Senator Stevens had the CCO of Dubai Ports World before our committee, I said to him: What do you think about the fact that this Dr. Kahn got all of these smuggled nuclear components through Port of Dubai?

Do you know what he said? This is the chief corporate officer of Dubai Ports World. He said, ``We don't know anything about it. We never look at containers.''

Can you imagine? So here it is. We have a chance to stop this Dubai Ports deal in its tracks. To do so is in the best interests of the people of this country. To do so would be reflective of what the House of Representatives did yesterday in their Appropriations Committee. To do so is our highest responsibility to the people of this country. To do so is common sense. To do so is to stand for the security of this country.

This deal is greased. The underlying bill that Senator Schumer attached this to, you and I, Mr. President, could live by the rules of this bill. And I intend to do it whether it is passed today, tomorrow, or next week. But we have to stop this deal from going forward. Listen, that deal was greased. That deal was greased. The President is all for it. He said: I didn't know anything about it. But 50 seconds later he was all for it.

This is our only chance today, unless there is an agreement to have a stand-alone bill. I hope colleagues will fight for the right to vote for this important amendment. Thank you very much.