Floor Statements

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the ``Flight Attendant Certification Act.''

Since September 11, flight attendants have become a last line of defense against terrorist attacks. As we all know, the terrorists hijacked four commercial jets--all of which were heading to California. That day forever changed air travel in this country, and in turn forever changed the security functions of flight attendants.

No one can forget that it was a flight attendant who discovered that Richard Reid was trying to ignite a bomb on his shoe. If not for the aware flight attendant, the bomb could have gone off over the Atlantic and all the passengers and crew would have been lost.

Today, I can say with certainty that air travel is more secure than it was a year and a half ago. But that does not mean that more should not be done. We must continue to take the appropriate steps to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to prevent terrorist attacks and protect the American people. That is why I am proud to offer this legislation.

This bill would make American air travel safer by requiring that flight attendants be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA. Currently, flight attendants are not required to receive formal certification even though they have the responsibility for safety, security, and emergency response.

In addition, the legislation would close the growing gap in the quality and content of training programs between airlines by creating a single training standard across the industry. This bill would require uniform training standards and establish a central approval process for certification of flight attendants at the FAA.

The FAA already recognizes the training of other airline personnel by issuing certification to pilots, mechanics, air-traffic controllers and others. Flight attendants deserve the same recognition and certification.

Mr. President, as we pray for all those who are in harm's way, I rise to pay tribute to seven additional young Americans who were killed in the Iraqi war.

I have made it a priority of mine to come to the Senate Chamber to read the names of the fallen military personnel who were from California or were based in my State. So far, 41 individuals have died who are connected in some way to California.

GySgt Jeffrey Edward Bohr, age 39, was killed on April 10 during a shoot-out in downtown Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment, Alpha Company of Camp Pendleton, CA. He and his wife lived in San Clemente, CA. He was originally from northeast Iowa. He began his military career 20 years ago, serving in both the Army and the Marine Corps. During his career, he fought in Operation Desert Storm, and took part in operations in Panama, Somalia and Granada.

Cpl Jesus Gonzalez, age 22, was killed on April 12 in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, CA. He was born in Mexico and moved with his family to Indio, CA, 10 years ago. He was known as ``Hugo'' by his friends and family. He was a soft-spoken activist in his short life, marching in a Gulf War protest in 1992 and organizing a walk-out at his high school to support immigrant rights. However, when he was called to duty, he did not hesitate to fulfill his orders. He is survived by his wife, his 2-year- old daughter, and his parents.

SSgt Riayan A. Tejada, age 26, was killed on April 11 during combat operations in northeast Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from New York City. He moved from the Dominican Republic to the United States in 1989. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Marines. He is survived by his parents and two children.

LCpl David Edward Owens, Jr., age 20, died from a chest wound inflicted during combat on April 12 in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Winchester, VA. He graduated from James Wood High School in 2000. He loved hunting and athletics and was a wrestler and football player in high school. He joined the Marines with the long-term goal of a career in law enforcement. At his funeral service, he became the first person ever given an honorary appointment to the Virginia State Police. He is survived by his parents.

Cpl Jason David Mileo, age 20, was killed on April 14 in Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, CA. He was from Centreville, MD. He was a 2000 graduate of Chesapeake High School in Pasadena, MD. He is survived by his parents.

Army SGT Troy David Jenkins, age 25, died on Friday, April 24, from injuries sustained during combat. He was from Ridgecrest, CA. He was assigned to the B Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, Fort Campbell, KY.

Army 1LT Osbaldo Orozco, age 26, was killed in Iraq on April 25. He was from Delano, CA. He was assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, Fort Hood, TX. He was a star football player at Delano High School and later played football at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he attended on a full athletic scholarship. He was a captain for the Mustangs in 1999 and was named the team's Most Inspirational Player. He was commissioned as an Army officer in 2001. He was the second oldest of five sons of Mexican immigrants and the first in his family to graduate from college.

Forty-one individuals who were from California or based in California have

died in the war. The people of California, as well as all Americans, mourn their loss.

May these beautiful young Americans rest in peace.

I continue to pray for those who have been injured in the war. I hope that they and the rest of our brave young men and women serving abroad will return home safely.

Mr. President, the budget that passed the Senate was bad. This budget is worse. Though the budget is supposed to set priorities, this budget does not reflect America's priorities.

Overall, for domestic needs, this budget cuts $6.9 billion from what was passed by the Senate. That means less for education, less for health care, less for homeland security. It means $4 billion less next year for education than what passed the Senate--and $20 billion less over the next 10 years.

This budget begins by failing our kids. It provides $8.9 billion less than what was promised in the No Child Left Behind Act, which was signed into law with great fanfare just 1 year ago. That would leave millions of kids behind, and in the program to help States educate disadvantaged children, it would leave more than 600,000 California kids behind. This budget also cuts afterschool programs by 40 percent-- kicking

570,000 kids nationally and over 81,000 kids in California out of their afterschool programs.

This budget fails our young people struggling with rising college tuition. Conferrees stripped out the Senate provision to increase Pell grants for 4.8 million students nationwide and for almost 600,000 students in California. That means a loss of $165 million in Pell grant aid for California students.

On health care, this budget fails to address national needs. This budget stripped out the Senate provision adding $38 billion to help the uninsured get health care. On prescription drugs, this budget accepts the President's plan to force seniors into HMOs in order for them to get help to pay for needed medicines. It cuts $100 million over 10 years in Medicaid--putting at risk health care for sick and needy children, their parents, the disabled, low-income workers, and the elderly.

On homeland security, this budget leaves us less secure. This budget stripped out the Senate provision providing an additional $2 billion over the next 2 years for port security. This budget cuts support to State and local law enforcement by over $1 billion, including eliminating all funding to hire more police officers and put more police in the schools and eliminating funding for the local law enforcement block grant program. It provides no increase in funding for first responders--those on the front lines of a possible terrorist attack.

Incredibly, this budget eliminated the Senate provision that set aside almost $400 billion to strengthen Social Security.

For highways, this budget is nearly $25 billion less over the next 6 years than the Senate bill. For transit, it is over $7 billion less over the next 6 years. These cuts will make it difficult to pass a transportation bill--a key to economic growth and alleviating the traffic problems in California.

On the tax cut, the budget does too much for the wealthy when more targeted tax cuts with broad benefits would bring dramatically more positive results. This budget increases the overall tax cut to $1.3 trillion over 10 years. The reconciliation tax cut was increased from $350 billion to $550 billion. This was done in order to pass a tax cut that provides 80 percent of the benefits to the richest 10 percent of Americans--and a dividend tax cut that gives 49 percent of the benefits to the richest 1 percent of Americans.

I support tax cuts. I support tax cuts that help working people and target growth. I support Senator Schumer's effort to make up to $12,000 per year in college tuition costs tax deductible and create a $1,500 tax credit to help college graduates pay off their student loans. I support increasing the child tax credit and providing a $2,000 tax deduction to help people pay for health insurance. I also support lowering the tax for 1 year on the transfer of capital from abroad for companies willing to invest the savings in jobs at home. And I support increasing the expensing deduction for small businesses. But we can do all of that in a fiscally responsible manner. That is not this budget.

This budget favors the wealthy, turns our priorities upside down, and returns us to the days of exploding deficits and debt. I will vote against it.

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

Mr. President, I come to the floor to pay tribute to 14 young Americans who have been killed in the Iraqi war. All of these young men are either from California or based out of California. I have already eulogized 20 individuals from California, either born there, raised there, or based there. So we are now talking about 34 of my constituents who have been killed.

We pray that the killing is coming to an end. I am sure it cannot come soon enough for all Americans. We pray the POWs will be returned safety. We pray for stability. We pray that we can bring our young men and women home, get them out of harm's way, and share the burden of the rebuilding of Iraq with many nations, so that the people of Iraq can realize their hopes and dreams.

SGT Michael V. Lalush, age 23, grew up in Sunnyvale, CA, before his family moved to Virginia in the mid-1990s. He was killed on March 30 in a helicopter crash in southern Iraq. He joined the Marines 2 weeks after graduating from high school in 1997. He was assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, CA. He is survived by his parents, a sister in Los Angeles, and grandparents in Folsom, CA.

SGT Brian D. McGinnis, age 23, was assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from St. Georges, DE. He is a graduate of William Penn High School in New Castle, DE, where he was a star member of the wrestling squad. He was killed March 30 in a helicopter crash in southern Iraq. He is survived by his wife, who is living at Camp Pendleton in California, and he is also survived by his parents.

PFC Christian D. Gurtner, age 19, was assigned to the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twenty-Nine Palms, CA. He was killed April 2 as a result of a noncombat weapons accident in southern Iraq. He is from Ohio City, OH. In March, 2002, while still a high school senior at Van Wert High School, he enlisted in the Marines. His grandfather fought in World War II, and a great-grandfather served in World War I. He also had relatives who fought in Vietnam. His friends have said that Christian loved bowling, the Atlanta Braves, and Ohio State football.

CPL Erik H. Silva, age 22, from Holtville, CA, was killed in action in Iraq Thursday. Erik was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton, CA. He graduated from Holtville High, where he played the trumpet, was a drum major, and a member of the varsity golf team. He wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. He is survived by his mother, living in Chula Vista, CA; two brothers; and a sister, who is currently serving in the Navy.

CPT Benjamin W. Sammis, age 29, was assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was killed in action on April 4 when his AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter crashed during combat operations in Iraq. His hometown was Rehoboth, MA. He was a sailor, an Eagle Scout, a military school graduate, and a career marine, who had yearned to fly helicopters and jets since he was 10 years old. He is survived by a wife, his parents, and two brothers.

PFC Chad E. Bales Metcalf, age 20, was assigned to the 1st Transportation Support Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was killed on April 3 in a vehicle accident during convoy operations in Iraq. A native of Texas, Chad was born in Lubbock and grew up in Coahoma, where he played high school football. He is survived by his parents, two half sisters, and two half brothers.

CPL Mark A. Evnin, age 21, joined the Marines in 2000. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Twentynine Palms, CA. He was killed in action on April 3 during a firefight in central Iraq. Corporal Evnin was from Burlington, VT. In the last letter he sent to his mom, he mentioned that he decided to go to college to study international relations.

CWO Eric A. Smith, age 41, lived in San Diego, CA, for a few years in the eighties. During his time in San Diego, he became acquainted with some Air Force pilots who sparked his interest in becoming a pilot. He joined the Army in 1987. Chief Warrant Officer Smith was killed when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed in central Iraq on Wednesday, April 2. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, GA. He grew up in Rochester, NY. Eric played soccer at Brighton High School and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

CAPT Travis A. Ford, age 30, lived in Oceanside, CA, with his wife and their 1-year-old daughter. He was assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was killed in action on April 4 when his AH-1 Super Cobra helicopter crashed during combat operations in Iraq. He grew up in Nebraska.

PVT Devon D. Jones, age 19, was from San Diego, CA. He was killed in a vehicle accident on April 4 in Iraq. Private Jones was assigned to the 41st Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Stewart, GA. He graduated from San Diego's Lincoln High School in 2002. He planned to become an English teacher and serve as a teaching intern at Kennedy Elementary School located across the street from his high school.

SGT Duane R. Rios, age 25, was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Griffith, IN. He was killed on April 4 during a firefight in central Iraq. Sergeant Rios was a 1990 graduate of Griffith High School in Indiana. He is survived by his wife living at Camp Pendleton and his parents.

1stSGT Edward Smith, age 39, was from Vista, CA. He joined the Marines when he was 17. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, CA. He also served as an Anaheim, CA, reserve police officer. He died April 5 as a result of wounds received in combat in central Iraq. Edward was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. He graduated in 1982 from Cosmopolitan Preparatory School. He is survived by his wife and three children.

CPL Jesus Martin Antonio Medellin, age 21, was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Fort Worth, TX. Corporal Medellin was killed on April 7 in central Iraq after his vehicle was hit by enemy fire. He was active in his church. He loved his grandma's tortillas, and he enjoyed spending time with his 11-year-old brother.

PFC Juan Guadalupe Garza, Jr., age 20, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was born in Michigan. Private First Class Garza was killed in action on April 8 in central Iraq.

Mr. President, 34 men who were either from California or based in California have died in the Iraqi war. The people of California, and I know the people of the whole country, mourn their loss and all the other losses we

have had. May these beautiful young Americans rest in peace, may all the fighting end soon, and may we pray for the souls of those we have lost.

I cannot help but note that Cpl Mark Evnin, age 21, wrote to his mother and said he wanted to study international relations. I hope and pray, in his memory, that we can forge relations in this world such that war is not a necessary tool; that we can forge relations in this world such that the power of democracy and our ideals will be shared by the people of the world, and that the power of those ideals will lead the whole world to peace.

Mr. President, I rise today to bring to the Senate's attention His Eminence Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, on the 52nd anniversary of his ordination.

Archbishop Hovsepian is an inspirational and dynamic leader in the Armenian Church, and this milestone anniversary is a symbol of the Archbishop's 52 years of dedicated service and commitment to the Armenian people and the greater community in which he serves. Since 1996, he has served as the Archbishop of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.

During his 50 years of service to his Church and community, His Eminence Vatche Hovsepian has been very active. The Archbishop has met with five Presidents of the United States, along with various religious leaders and political figures from all over the world, created new parishes, Armenian schools and summer camps. His Eminence Vatche Hovsepian has traveled and studied all over the world, thus allowing him to have the knowledge of many customs, traditions, cultures and languages.

The Archbishop has spoken eloquently about the Armenian Genocide and the importance that it be remembered by Armenians and people around the world.

He has addressed the California State legislature and been warmly received. He is widely known for his good works, including assistance with reconstruction in Armenia after the 1988 earthquake.

His Eminence Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian is a warm, compassionate and charismatic leader who is most deserving of the outpouring of admiration that greets him today and each day. I am honored to pay tribute to him, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Archbishop on this grand anniversary.

Mr. President, today I am submitting a resolution to support the goals of the Japanese American, German American and Italian American communities in recognizing a ``National Day of Remembrance.'' This resolution will increase public awareness of the events surrounding the restriction, exclusion and internment of individuals and families during World War II.

On February 11, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of over 120,000 Americans of Japanese, Italian and German ancestry. Not until 34 years later--on February 19, 1976--was E.O. 9066 formally rescinded by President Gerald Ford.

Since then, Congress and Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Clinton have recognized the ``fundamental violation of the basic civil liberties and constitutional rights'' of individuals detained and interned under E.O. 9066. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians established by Congress under President Carter concluded that the decision to issue E.O. 9066 was shaped by ``race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.''

In the last half century, organizations, families and individuals all over the country have observed a day of remembrance on February 19 to educate others of the distinct experiences of Japanese, Italian, and German Americans during World War II. Congressional recognition of this ``National Day of Remembrance'' would assist in promoting dialogue and education of Americans on this very important event in our history.

We need to recognize and support the efforts to raise awareness of the experiences of interned Americans. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation guaranteeing a community's right-to-know about pollution discharges, seepage and potential drinking water contamination by the toxic chemical perchlorate.

Perchlorate is the main ingredient in rocket fuel, which accounts for 90 percent of its use. Perchlorate is also used in lesser amounts for ammunition, fireworks, and other products. It dissolves readily in many liquids, including water, and moves easily and quickly.

The sources of drinking water for up to 10 million Californians and millions of other Americans are contaminated with perchlorate. Alarming levels of perchlorate have been discovered in Lake Mead and the Colorado River, the drinking water source for millions of Southern Californians. Communities in the Inland Empire, San Gabriel Valley, Santa Clara Valley, and the Sacramento area are also grappling with perchlorate contamination. In addition, more than 20 million Americans in at least 19 states drink water contaminated with perchlorate.

Perchlorate is a clear and present danger to California's public health. Perchlorate poses a variety of serious health risks relating to thyroid function, especially in newborns, children, and pregnant women. Exposure to perchlorate interferes with the thyroid gland's ability to produce the hormones needed for normal prenatal development. This can cause both physical and mental retardation. Perchlorate is also linked to thyroid cancer.

Despite the gravity of the situation, we currently have no way of knowing who is dumping it or where they are dumping it. We cannot wait four more years to address this threat while EPA continues to delay regulation and clean ups. Communities need to get moving to protect their drinking water sooner rather than later. Guaranteeing a community the right-to-know about potential perchlorate contamination is a first step.

My bill would do just this. First, my bill addresses the legacy of perchlorate contamination by requiring anyone who has stored more than 375 pounds of perchlorate since January 1, 1950, to report annually to the U.S. EPA, beginning no later than June 1, 2005. This does not apply to facilities that store

perchlorate for a retail or law enforcement purpose. EPA must annually publish the list of all perchlorate storage facilities in existence since January 1, 1950, beginning no later than June 1, 2005.

Second, my bill would also require anyone who discharges perchlorate into the water to report the discharge, its volume, monitoring methods, and remedial actions to the EPA. EPA must publish this information annually in the Federal Register beginning no later than June 1, 2005.

Third, failure to report as required under my bill would result in fines. All fines will be deposited into a loan fund for public water suppliers and private well owners to pay for clean water when their water supply is shut down because of perchlorate contamination.

Communities have a right to know what is in their water and where it comes from. My bill will ensure that communities have the necessary information to act now to address the health threat of perchlorate. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.

Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation guaranteeing a community's right-to-know about pollution discharges, seepage and potential drinking water contamination by the toxic chemical perchlorate.

Perchlorate is the main ingredient in rocket fuel, which accounts for 90 percent of its use. Perchlorate is also used in lesser amounts for ammunition, fireworks, and other products. It dissolves readily in many liquids, including water, and moves easily and quickly.

The sources of drinking water for up to 10 million Californians and millions of other Americans are contaminated with perchlorate. Alarming levels of perchlorate have been discovered in Lake Mead and the Colorado River, the drinking water source for millions of Southern Californians. Communities in the Inland Empire, San Gabriel Valley, Santa Clara Valley, and the Sacramento area are also grappling with perchlorate contamination. In addition, more than 20 million Americans in at least 19 states drink water contaminated with perchlorate.

Perchlorate is a clear and present danger to California's public health. Perchlorate poses a variety of serious health risks relating to thyroid function, especially in newborns, children, and pregnant women. Exposure to perchlorate interferes with the thyroid gland's ability to produce the hormones needed for normal prenatal development. This can cause both physical and mental retardation. Perchlorate is also linked to thyroid cancer.

Despite the gravity of the situation, we currently have no way of knowing who is dumping it or where they are dumping it. We cannot wait four more years to address this threat while EPA continues to delay regulation and clean ups. Communities need to get moving to protect their drinking water sooner rather than later. Guaranteeing a community the right-to-know about potential perchlorate contamination is a first step.

My bill would do just this. First, my bill addresses the legacy of perchlorate contamination by requiring anyone who has stored more than 375 pounds of perchlorate since January 1, 1950, to report annually to the U.S. EPA, beginning no later than June 1, 2005. This does not apply to facilities that store

perchlorate for a retail or law enforcement purpose. EPA must annually publish the list of all perchlorate storage facilities in existence since January 1, 1950, beginning no later than June 1, 2005.

Second, my bill would also require anyone who discharges perchlorate into the water to report the discharge, its volume, monitoring methods, and remedial actions to the EPA. EPA must publish this information annually in the Federal Register beginning no later than June 1, 2005.

Third, failure to report as required under my bill would result in fines. All fines will be deposited into a loan fund for public water suppliers and private well owners to pay for clean water when their water supply is shut down because of perchlorate contamination.

Communities have a right to know what is in their water and where it comes from. My bill will ensure that communities have the necessary information to act now to address the health threat of perchlorate. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.

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

Madam President, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam President, I thank the clerk.

If my colleague would like to make a statement at this time, I would be happy to yield, without losing my right to the floor.

I absolutely will agree. I am waiting for my coauthor, Chuck Schumer. As soon as we get word as to how much time he would need, yes, we would definitely want to do that.

I thank my friend. And, yes, as soon as we get word, I will ask for a quorum call, and then we will make an agreement on the time.

Whether we speak about this for a half hour or 2 days, this is a very important amendment. I think one of the things we learned after 9/11, tragically, is that we have to take warnings very seriously--our intelligence agencies, we, as a Congress, the administration, all of us working together.

We know now that there is a threat out there that is very real. We have constructed an amendment that does not add any money to this bill but merely says that out of the funds that have been allotted for homeland defense, that $30 million be made available immediately for research and development of countermeasures that could be taken should a shoulder-fired missile be aimed at a commercial aircraft.

I want to read to you the latest statement of the FBI. This is the FBI warning, which really must not go unheeded if we are to do our job:

. . . given al-Qaeda's demonstrated objective to target the

U.S. airline industry, its access to U.S. and Russian-made

MANPAD systems--

MANPAD stands for shoulder fired missiles--

and recent apparent targeting of U.S.-led military forces in

Saudi Arabia, law enforcement agencies in the United States

should remain alert to the potential use of MANPADs against

U.S. aircraft.

How clear could this be? If this body turns its back on a threat that our commercial aircraft are facing right now, it would be a very sad day, indeed.

I see Senator Schumer has approached the floor. What I will do is ask that a quorum call be put in place so I might discuss with him a timeframe he will need on this amendment we have worked so hard on together.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I will take it from the top because this is such a crucial amendment. The amendment I am offering with Senator Schumer will provide $30 million that is already in the bill--we are not adding new money--for the Department of Homeland Security to research and develop and to initially deploy countermeasure systems for commercial aircraft to combat the threat of manned portable shoulder-launched missile systems.

I have held one of these missiles. I am a little person. They are very lightweight. They can be easily used. They have been used in the past. As I say, this $30 million is not new money. I hope, therefore, it will not be opposed on the other side of the aisle.

The chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, a Republican, said just yesterday that the threat of these shoulder-fired missiles being aimed at a commercial aircraft in the United States or one of our assets abroad ``keeps me up at night.'' This is a Republican chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee who came into this debate, in his own words, not convinced that we needed to move on this threat. But after a secret briefing--and I was there--said this threat ``keeps me up at night.''

Shoulder-fired missiles, such as the SA-7 and stinger missile, are available on the black market for $25,000 to $80,000 each. Most can be used with very little training and they take just minutes to fire. As I said, I have held one of these missiles in my hand. Almost anybody could do the same and fire one.

Nearly 30 guerrilla and terrorist groups are in possession of these weapons, including al-Qaida. We will show a chart of the terrorist groups, the guerrilla groups we believe have these

weapons or have access to these weapons: al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Kurdistan Workers Party, the Palestinian Authority, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Taliban. It goes all the way down the line. These are the groups that have these missiles and could use them against a commercial aircraft.

Al-Qaida has shown it is willing to use these weapons as weapons of terror. They are suspected of targeting U.S. military aircraft in Saudi Arabia last May with an SA-7 missile.

Yes.

I am so pleased my friend would come over and engage in a colloquy with me. I was not aware of where these countermeasures were made. I know there are corporations working on them.

He is right. Our military planes are protected--thank God--because these are heat-seeking missiles. They are attracted to these engines. Our military aircraft are protected. It is interesting because if you look at El Al, although they will not confirm or deny that their planes are so equipped, we believe they are. We don't have any specific information, but we believe they are.

The point is, we need to now take this technology that is used on military aircraft and do a little more work so these technologies can work on commercial aircraft. That is what the amendment does.

I say to the Senator, who I know is a fiscally responsible Member, we don't add any new funds because the first stage, $30 million, we can take out of existing money for research and development and begin to deploy a few airplanes with this system so we can make sure it works before we make a bigger investment.

Before my friend leaves the floor, I want to put up the FBI warning we have been given. It is not as if we haven't been warned. That is why I want to make the case to my friends on both sides of the aisle as to how important they are.

Given al-Qaida's demonstrated objective to target the U.S.

airline industry, its access to U.S. and Russian-made systems

and recent apparent targeting of U.S.-led military forces in

Saudi Arabia, law enforcement agencies in the U.S. should

remain alert to the potential use of the MANPAD'S against

U.S. aircraft.

When you put that together with the list of terrorist groups that have the weapons, you are so right. The Taliban is at the top. That is why now in Afghanistan we face threats from these shoulder-fired missiles, because they have them.

My friend is so much on point. It is true that the attempt to down an Israel airliner in Kenya failed. However, it is estimated that over the last 25 years, more than 550 people have been killed in incidents involving shoulder-fired missiles and commercial aircraft.

I want to show my friend a statement made by a member of the travel industry, as we look at more funding for the airlines, which I think is essential right now given what they have gone through, because we have a war and we had terrorism and we have a recession. This is what Ed Adams, chairman of a big tourism industry group, said:

The travel industry is painfully aware of what a successful

attack of using a shoulder-fired missile on a commercial

airliner could do to the confidence of the traveling public.

It is a situation we would prefer not to even imagine, but we

must understand the reality of such an event if we intend to

prevent it. The blow to the economy, in general, and the

travel and tourism sector, in particular, combined with the

loss of human lives would be staggering. These costs would

certainly outweigh the expense of the precautionary measures

you are recommending today to make sure our commercial planes

are safe from such a terrorist attack.

My friend is right. We know that, right now--before we have even seen research and development in a robust fashion to bring down the cost of these countermeasures--they are about a million dollars per plane. I say to my friend that $1 million on a $120 million aircraft is not too much to ask.

We had a big breakthrough because Chairman Mica on the House side, yesterday, came on board on this amendment and is working on the other side. I have spoken to the leadership. I think if the Senate today can come together--I know we are voting so much on party lines now, and I can see that, but if we can come together on this amendment, which doesn't add any money at all, but simply says this is a priority--by the way, it is not only the Senator from Indiana, or the Senator from California, or the Senator from New York saying it is a priority; it is the FBI saying it is a priority. Who knows better what threats we face than the FBI?

The TSA is saying it is a priority, too. On Sunday, there was a report in the New York Times saying that the Bush administration has ordered major security improvements at several of the Nation's largest airports after inspections showed that passenger planes taking off or landing at those airports could be vulnerable to attack by a terrorist using a shoulder-fired missile.

So the fact is we see--I know at Los Angeles Airport dozens of National Guard troops are deployed. It is a good thing to patrol the perimeter and at road checkpoints, in part, because of concerns about shoulder-fired missiles.

So the administration now takes this very seriously. We all know that while the National Guard is going to be very helpful in this regard, and more troops are going to help in this regard--and I support these measures--we know these missiles can reach commercial aircraft up to 12,000 feet. We know that stepped-up patrols of the perimeters are only part of the solution because you can have one of these shoulder-fired missiles pretty far away from the

airport--in an apartment building, or anywhere else, or in the middle of a park, and it would be very difficult.

The Senator hasn't interrupted my argument; he has made it stronger and better. Also, we know that military transport and refueling aircraft--and you have mentioned this--such as the C-17, C- 130, KC-135, and the KC-10 are some of the models that employ these countermeasure systems that we believe can be and must be used for commercial aircraft.

Just going to the Senator's point about the military, they are conducting thousands of hours of training on countermeasures. So to underscore what my friend has stated, we know these systems work. We also know there is a threat.

I think if you look at this amendment and all the parts of it, No. 1, it is a modest step because we are not adding new funding; we are simply taking out--there is more than a billion dollars in that particular section--it is $1.135 billion--and we are saying $30 million of that should go to support the research and development and getting these prototypes ready, so we know they can be put on aircraft.

Chairman Mica and I have spent time talking about this, as well as Senator Schumer. We have come to understand that as we do this research and development, and the price comes down, when the airlines in the future order new commercial aircraft--and they are spending up to $150 million a copy--to spend an extra million dollars on that is not going to be very much.

So we think this is a very responsible amendment. We think it would be foolish and foolhardy not to begin this work right now, because I can tell you, God forbid, if a terrorist were successful, or even unsuccessful but came close to hitting one of our commercial aircraft, everybody in this body would say: Oh, my God, we had our chance and we blew it. We didn't do what we should have done.

Whether you look at the fact that these technologies are working on military planes, whether you look at the fact that we have enormous warning from the FBI, and we have seen this administration begin to move forward, if you put this all together, it speaks loudly and clearly in favor of this amendment.

This is a chart of recent incidents of attacks. In November 2002, an Israeli jetliner was fired upon seconds after takeoff in Mombasa, Kenya, and al-Qaida is suspected.

In May of 2002, an empty shoulder-launched missile tube was found outside Prince Sultan airbase in Saudi Arabia, and our military thinks that was from a shoulder-fired missile.

In October 1998, we had rebels down a civilian Boeing 727 over the Democratic Republic of the Congo in which 40 were killed. This is just recent incidents, but if we go back 25 years, we see this occurred.

I expect Senator Schumer is going to be coming to the Chamber. Until he does, I am going to continue to go over these charts. If we look at any of these charts, we get the picture.

This chart shows the groups we believe have access to shoulder-fired missiles. This would make anybody shudder because we know these groups are well funded and active, and we know many of them view the United States of America as their target:

Al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Kurdistan Workers Party, Palestinian Authority, Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine, Taliban, Armed Islamic Group, Huta Militiamen, UNITA, Oromo Liberation Front, Somali National Alliance, United Somali Congress, Hark at ull-Ansar, Hizbul Majahideen, Khmer Rouge, Liberation Tigers of Tamil, United State Wa Army, Kosovo Liberation Army, National Liberation Army, and the IRA. We know these groups have access to shoulder-fired missiles. We know some groups, particularly some on the top part of this chart, would like to go after United States interests, given the past and given the present situation.

I want to read what Chairman Mica said after he came out of an intelligence briefing on this issue:

I went into the meeting somewhat skeptical. I came out

convinced that this is probably one of the most serious

challenges we face in combating terrorism. I think that's

important.

Then he said:

Since that hearing, I've lost some sleep and have great

concern.

We are saying this is very important.

Honoring our Armed Forces

Madam President, until Senator Schumer comes to speak on my amendment, I wish to pay tribute to five additional young Americans who were killed in the Iraqi war who were either from California or based in California. Sadly, these numbers are growing, and I have tried in every case to read their names on the floor.

LCpl Patrick T. O'Day, age 20, was from Sonoma, CA, which is not very far from where I live. He was assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms, CA. He was killed in a tank accident in Iraq on March 25.

His family moved to the United States from Scotland in 1987. He was captain of the wrestling team at Santa Rosa Middle School. He enlisted in the Marines after graduating from Santa Rosa High School in 2001. He is survived by his wife, his parents, his three brothers, and his wife is expecting their first child in September.

PFC Francisco A. Martinez Flores, age 21, from Los Angeles, CA, was assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms, CA. He was killed in a tank accident in Iraq on March 25. He moved to California with his family when he was 3 years old. He was expecting to become a U.S. citizen in 2 weeks.

CPT Aaron J. Contreras was assigned to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron, Marine Aircraft Group-39, Marine Corps Air Station in Camp Pendleton, CA. He was 31 years old. He was killed on March 30 in a helicopter crash in southern Iraq.

He was born on the Fourth of July in 1971. His family moved from San Jose, CA, to Sherwood, OR, in the late seventies, and he was a graduate of Sherwood High School. He joined the Marines in 1997. He is survived by his wife and three children, his parents, and four brothers.

SSgt Donald C. May was assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms, CA. He was from Richmond, VA. He was 31 years old. He died March 25 in a tank accident in Iraq. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Cpl Robert M. Rodriguez, age 21, was assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Air-Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms, CA. He was killed in a tank accident in Iraq on March 25. He was from Queens, NY. He was born in Brooklyn and grew up in the Maspeth section of Queens. He was known to treasure his Puerto Rican heritage. He is survived by his parents, four siblings, and 17 nieces and nephews.

I have come to this Chamber to honor our fallen military personnel before. We now have 20 men who have died in the Iraqi war who were either from California or who were based in my home State. My State mourns their loss. May these beautiful young Americans rest in peace. May we have a short war. And may we also pray for the wisdom of those who sent our young men and women into their mission.

When we speak about the realities of war and how families will never be the same, as we take this bill up to make sure we have the best equipped military in the world and they have everything they need to protect them from harm, we also need to protect civilians from harm, which gets me back to the amendment that is before the body today.

We have been warned by the FBI that the chance of a shoulder-fired missile being fired at one of our civilian aircraft is real. We have been warned by

the Transportation Security Agency that the threat is real. The administration has deployed National Guard to various airports in our country to try to spot one of these individuals with a shoulder-fired missile. We know there are skeptics who have now come to the conclusion that this is, in fact, a very real threat to our people. We have heard from the travel industry that such an attack would be more than catastrophic, and as we vote more and more funding for our airline industry because we do not want to lose our airline industry, we need to take steps to protect it from further harm as well.

We have an amendment that ought to get bipartisan support. We have an amendment that is fiscally responsible. We are not adding more money. We are saying this is a high priority and it ought to happen because if we can get the cost of these systems down below $1 million--right now they are about $1 million a plane. Even that is a small amount when one considers an aircraft costs $100 million to $150 million a copy. If we can get it even lower than that, it becomes less and less of a burden to both retrofit the older planes, the 6,800 planes we have flying now, and make this a mandated safety measure on all future commercial aircraft.

There is a lot of support for this amendment. I just hope the Senate will put it in place. I think all of us will be able to sleep a little bit better at night because there are folks out there who want to hurt us. We know that. They look at civilians in a way we have never seen before. On 9/11 we saw that just because you are a civilian does not protect you from terrorists. It is our job to make sure we protect our people from terrorists.

I am hopeful Senator Schumer will join us shortly. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Madam President, Senator Schumer is working hard on a major amendment dealing with first responders. I thank the Senator from the bottom of my heart for all his work on this issue and this amendment. Senator Schumer and Senator Clinton had an experience that no other Senator had. Yes, we had horrific pain in this area with the Pentagon being hit. The Senators from this region dealt with the pain and suffering and grief, but Senators Schumer and Clinton saw something they will never forget--none of us will, they particularly--and they deal with the fallout of this every day.

When we talked about trying to get ahead of terrorists and listening to the FBI warnings, the TSA warnings, Senator Schumer said: I want to work closely with you on this. God forbid something like this should happen and a shoulder-fired missile would bring down a commercial aircraft. We would all say, my God, why didn't we do something? We have the technology.

I yield to my friend for as much time as he has remaining before Senator Stevens takes time to respond.

Will my colleague yield?

Will the Senator yield?

I thank the Senator. I think the Senator makes a very important point that I absolutely supported a study in the committee. Since that has occurred, however, two things have happened. Chairman Mica on the other side invited me to a secret meeting.

I was hoping--I don't have any time left.

I do have a question. I was just going to let the Senator know what had happened and then I was going to ask the question.

What happened at that time was this threat had been rising and the administration took action since the time of the study that said to all the big airports around the country, national guardsmen will protect against this threat. Chairman Mica changed his mind after those hearings and I became more concerned. That is the reason why I drafted this to be both a study and a deployment on just a couple of planes.

I just wanted to know if my rationale made any sense.

Parliamentary inquiry. Is my friend intending to move to table my amendment or will it be a straight up-or-down vote?

Mr. President, we have worked hard to protect aircraft by making sure pilots are equipped to defend the airplane. We need to go an extra step today. The FBI warned us that terrorists with shoulder- fired missiles are a threat to our commercial aircraft. The administration has determined airports are vulnerable to shoulder-fired missiles and they have deployed the National Guard. But we need to do more. We need to adapt countermeasures now installed in our military aircraft for commercial use. It is possible to do this. El Al is doing this.

Opponents argue, and we will hear this, we should wait until a study provision I wrote into another bill becomes law. We should not wait because things have moved on since that study.

This amendment is not even inconsistent with it. It will, in fact, make the money available for that study. This is about fighting a war on terrorism. I hope we will vote in favor of my amendment and not to table this amendment

Reserving the right to object, then I would like 30 seconds to conclude debate.

Mr. President, I am very grateful. Senator McCain is my chairman, Senator Hollings is the ranking member. We will work together on this threat.

I have to say when we are dealing with an emergency supplemental bill where we have a study already accepted by my friend, which I am very happy about, which is moving forward, this is not inconsistent with that. This will just move along a little quicker. If you look at the FBI warning, we need to act.

Mr. President, I will vote not to table the Hollings amendment.

We still do not know how much the war in Iraq will cost, and we do not know how we will pay for those costs.

I have been concerned about the United States shouldering the entire financial burden not only of the ongoing war, but also of the necessary postwar reconstruction. The President has released a list of more than 40 nations that are supporting our effort in Iraq. However, a close look at the nations on that list will show that the overwhelming majority of them are in no position--and have made no commitment--to help pay for the effort.

In comparison, during the 1991 gulf war, our allies paid for 88 percent of the costs of the war. We have no such assurance this time.

Because of this uncertainty, I believe the Senate should be discussing and debating this issue. That is, discussing and debating how we will meet the costs of the war and the costs of reconstruction.

Will we receive contributions from our allies? Will we use revenues from Iraqi oil after the war is over? Will we cut wasteful government spending?

These questions need to be asked and debated. That is why I voted not to table the Hollings amendment. With his amendment, the Senator from South Carolina tried to raise the issue of how we will pay for the war and reconstruction. And, his amendment was intended to force the Senate to debate this issue. I believe we need to have that debate, and that is why I voted not to table the Hollings amendment.

Mr. President, first, let me thank Senator Schumer for offering this amendment to immediately provide more resources to our local first responders. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this amendment.

This amendment is vital to our first responders at the State and local levels of government. We must increase the resources available so that our police, firefighters, and other emergency personnel can help prevent and respond to terrorist acts.

This amendment makes $2.2 billion available to the Office for Domestic Preparedness in the Department of Homeland Security.

This $2.2 billion is for direct grants to States and local governments. This funding will be passed to the States, and then on to local governments within 45 days.

This expediency is an important concern of many States, including my State of California. We have all heard about the budget shortages that many States are facing. These budget shortages then affect cities and counties.

My State of California is facing a budget shortfall of between $26 and $35 billion. In California, revenue from vehicle license fees helps communities pay for the equivalent of 12,000 police officers or 15,000 firefighters for one year. But, because of the State shortfall, this funding may not be passed on to local communities.

Already, the financial crunch is taking its toll. For example, the city of Marysville faces a $700,000 budget shortfall. This shortfall will affect the police payroll, which accounts for 60 percent of the city's budget. The cities of Santa Cruz, and Napa have also made cuts in police and fire departments. This amendment will assist cities like Marysville, Santa Cruz and

Napa to have full teams of first responders.

On top of this budget crunch, the Federal Government has handed additional responsibilities and a heightened terror alert to already troubled State and local governments. The states are paying for security costs that the Federal Government has asked them to cover. In California, the Governor estimates $500 million in statewide homeland defense costs for the State and local governments. These estimates are probably low, especially if the war in Iraq goes on for several months.

The city of Los Angeles spent an additional $4.2 million just during the 20 days of code orange to meet the demands of heightened security. The city of Fresno is spending between $15,000 and $20,000 per week on homeland security costs. On average, the city of San Francisco is spending $2.3 million per week, second only to New York City. In fact, of the five cities nationwide that are spending the most money on protecting the homeland, two of them--San Francisco and Los Angeles-- are in my State.

This amendment is vital for our communities, vital for our local police, vital for our local firefighters, vital for the protection of the American people. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. President, 2 weeks ago Ambassador Wendy Chamberlain of the U.S. Agency for International Development testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that there is as little as a 1-month supply of food available to Iraqi citizens. I am told that the administration has had informal discussions with the Appropriations Committee on how they plan to spend the $2.4 billion in the supplemental for the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund.

After hearing about these consultations with the administration, I am very concerned to learn that there is virtually no new money in this bill for food aid. Rather, the money that is being requested will be used primarily to reimburse funds that were already borrowed from other fiscal year 2003 foreign operation accounts to pay for food aid or to pay for logistics and distribution. The good news is that the Senate may be working to increase the amount of food aid in this bill and the House version of the supplemental appropriates funds for food aid.

With this food aid, we have a chance to help not only the Iraqi people, but also America's farmers. Many of America's farmers are experiencing a surplus of commodities that could provide valuable nutrition to the Iraqi people while alleviating potential crop losses for our Nation's farmers. Our high quality food products such as rice, beans, raisings, dates, dried fruit and other relatively nonperishable items are familiar foods in that region of the world and would be appropriate for inclusion in our relief supplies.

I am wondering if the chairman and ranking member of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee could tell me if this additional food aid funding can be used to purchase surplus agricultural commodities, which would both help feed the Iraqi people and benefit American farmers?

I thank my colleagues.

Mr. President, I am pleased to co-sponsor the port security amendment offered by Senator Hollings.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, ports are struggling with an entirely new set of challenges to protect ports, citizens and the economy from the possible threat of terrorism. This is a huge task.

I was fortunate to be named as a conferee on the port security bill last year. The bill that became law was a good bill.

It will greatly improve security at our Nation's port in light of the challenge following September 11. But only if we provide the money. And so far, we have failed to do so.

I feared this would happen. Many potential funding options were suggested during the conference. But, all of them were rejected by the other body. So, we had no funding source. We had to rely on appropriations. And, we are not providing enough funding for our local ports.

Let me explain why this law is so crucial and why we must fund it with this amendment.

The law creates national and regional maritime transportation/port security plans to be approved by the Coast Guard, including better coordination of Federal, State, local, and private enforcement agencies.

The law mandates the development of regulations to determine secure areas in ports and to limit access to these areas through background checks that will result in a transportation security identification card.

The bill also establishes a grant program for local ports, waterfront facilities operators, and State and local agencies to provide security infrastructure improvements.

But again, there's no money.

Port Security must be a priority.

The Hart-Rudman report was released last October. Their report, ``America Still Unprepared--America Still in Danger,'' discusses the shortcomings in port security. This report

recommends making ``trade security a global priority.''

According to the report, 43 percent of all maritime containers that arrived in the United States in 2001 came through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach requested $70 million in post-September 11 security grants. To date, they have received only $6.175 million.

That's just one port. The American Association of Port Authorities estimates the costs of adequate physical security at the Nation's commercial seaports to be $2 billion. Only $92.3 million in Federal grants have been authorized and approved.

We know that last year with the closing of the West Coast ports because of a lockout, the cost to the economy was $1 billion per day for the first five days. Then, the costs increased exponentially. This shows how vital it is for our economy to keep the ports operating.

If there was an incident at any port in the country, all the ports would be closed. This would cost billions and billions per day.

The Hart-Rudman report also says we need to be proactive. We have identified the threat, but we haven't done enough to protect our ports.

This amendment provides $1 billion for port security, including $600 million in grants for local ports.

We cannot leave our homeland unprotected against terrorism. This is why I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment to add more funding for port security.

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

Madam President, Senator Lincoln has been coming here every morning on behalf of the Democratic side of the aisle, and I know Senator Hutchison and others have come on behalf of the Republican side. Senator Lincoln asked me to come down here to pay tribute to our young men and women. It is an honor for me to do this.

Very sadly, this morning I come down to pay tribute to five young Americans who were killed in the Iraqi war, all of them from California or based in California. I have done this before. We have lost an additional 10 to whom I have payed tribute already, and that is a very large proportion of those who have been lost.

As we pray for all of those in harm's way, I think it is important to put a human face on war, and therefore I come down to discuss the great loss we feel in our State.

First is Navy Hospital Corpsman Third Class Michael Vann Johnson, Jr., age 25, killed on Tuesday, March 25, in Iraq, while attending to injured marines. He was assigned to the Naval Medical Center, 3rd Marine Division Detachment, in San Diego, CA. Michael was born and raised in Arkansas and graduated from Parkview High School in Little Rock. He attended the University of Central Arkansas in Conway before joining the Navy in 1997. He is survived by his wife in San Diego, his parents, and his seven siblings. I send them my deepest condolences.

MAJ Kevin Nave, age 36, was killed March 26, in a vehicle accident in Iraq,

assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. His wife and his two children live in Oceanside, CA. He is from Union Lake, MI. He was on the football team and wrestling squad at Waterford Kettering High School in White Lake Township, MI.

LCpl William W. White, age 24, was killed in a vehicle accident on March 29, in Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Brooklyn, NY.

GySgt Joseph Menusa, age 33, from San Jose, CA, died on Thursday, March 27, from a gunshot wound. He was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was born in the Philippines and moved to San Jose when he was just 10 years old. He served in the 1991 gulf war and was a marine recruiter in the San Francisco Bay area. His wife and his young son live at Camp Pendleton.

LCpl Jesus A. Suarez Del Solar, age 20, died Thursday, March 27, in combat action in Iraq. He is from Escondido, CA. He was assigned to the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He moved from Mexico to the United States in the late 1990s with his family. He attended San Pasqual High School in Escondido and graduated from Escondido's Valley High School in 2001. He is survived by his wife and his 1-year-old son, as well as many family members in Los Angeles County, San Diego, and Mexico.

As I said, I have already read the names of 10 others into the Congressional Record:

CPL Randal Kent Rosacker, age 21; LT Thomas Mullen Adams, age 27; CAPT Ryan Beaupre, age 30; 2LT Therrel Shane Childers, age 30; LCpl Jose Gutierrez, age 22; CPL Brian Matthew Kennedy, age 25; SSG Kendall Watersbey, age 29; SGT Michael Bitz, age 31; CPL Jose Garibay, age 21; CPL Jorge Gonzalez, age 20.

So, Madam President, out of the 43 who were killed, 15 were from or based in the State of California. And my State mourns them. May these beautiful young Americans rest in peace. And may the war end soon.

I pray for the wisdom of those who send these young men and women on their mission.

The people of my State feel very strongly on both sides about this war. I say to them today that they have every right to express themselves for and against this war; that those are indeed the freedoms that are the basis of our Nation. I also say to both sides that however one feels about the policy of this war--people know how I felt--I voted for the Levin resolution because I did not want us to go it alone, or virtually alone, because I was fearful of what could happen; and I felt it was important to lead the world as a superpower. Whether you are for or against this war, this isn't about who loves the troops more.

These troops are our children. I am a mother. I am a grandmother. These troops are our children. Some of them are parents themselves. So let us not deal with who loves our young people more. The debate is about policy, and there will be much time to debate that policy as there was before this war. And anyone who has a feeling about that policy has a right--I would say a duty--to express that view regardless of what that view is because that is what makes our country strong, that is what makes us different from other places.

So that is my message to the people of my State: to respect each other's differences. This isn't a debate about who loves the troops more; it is about policy.

California is contributing mightily to the military effort in Iraq. I have read you the names of many who have died so far. Tens of thousands of military men and women have been deployed from my State.

One of them, Patrick Sailors, is a chief warrant officer in the Marine Reserves, and he is the brother of one of my most treasured staff members, Kelly Gill, who works out of my Fresno office. He is a member of the Marine Wing Communications Squadron 48, attached to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force that is now in Iraq.

Chief Warrant Officer Sailors has spent 17 years in the Marine Corps and is a second-generation marine. His wife Liz and their two children are awaiting his return to their home in Galt, CA. His parents, Delbert and Carol Sailors, live in California as well.

I pray that Patrick Sailors and all of our men and women are safely returned to their families as soon as possible.

Madam President, one of the things I have noticed--I am sure you have noticed--is that many of those who are losing their lives are parents. Before the vote on the resolution giving the President the authority to go to war without U.N. backing, I had a conversation with one of the most treasured Members of this body who had fought in World War II. He pointed out to me that so many of our people who are over in Iraq are members of the Reserves and the Guard. They have families. They have children. They have spouses.

I am very concerned about those families and about the children of those dual-military families. I am very concerned about deploying a mother and a father into a combat zone at the same time.

Two weeks ago I introduced S. 687 which would prohibit the concurrent deployment of both parents with minor children to a combat zone. I hope my colleagues will join me in this legislation.

In discussing education legislation back home, it has come to my attention that in school districts where there is a heavy population of military families, they are finding that the young children there are crying out for help during this time. Impact aid is something that we give to these areas to help them meet the needs of those families. Clearly, they need this help at this time.

There are two ways to help: One is to push forward with impact aid--I hope we will do that--and, secondly, to help me with this legislation which would say that two parents of a minor child cannot go to a combat zone at the same time.

Last week there was an editorial in the Washington Post entitled ``Mothers at War.'' The editorial calls on the Department of Defense to consider staggering the deployment of two parents so the impact on children is minimized. That is exactly what my legislation does. I hope I will get help with it.

It is a horror to lose one parent in a war and one that one never, ever gets over. To lose two parents in such a circumstance would be beyond devastation. The Department of Defense should work to ensure that the children of dual military families never have to suffer seeing both parents sent off to a combat zone at the same time. This is an issue whose time has come.

I ask, what is the order at this time?

Is it the understanding, further making a parliamentary inquiry, that the Democrats have until 10 or is that not determined?

I will continue until 10.

I wanted to make sure I was functioning under the rules. It is very important that we have a chance to pay tribute to the young men and women who are out there. The debate over what the expectations were in this war will go on for many weeks and months and years. I am not here to debate that. What I am here to say is that when all of us said that war is a last resort--and that was stated by everyone--I think we see daily why we said that. We see daily why we have to try everything short of war that we can.

In my own history in the Senate, I have voted to go to war twice. I voted

not to go twice. Each of us in our own mind makes this decision. Of course, our voters will decide whether we were correct or not. But regardless of the policy fights, what we have to continually remember, every single minute, is that we have our sons and daughters over there right now.

Unlike other wars, many of them are parents. So the tragedy of losing them cuts deeper and deeper than were they not, because the tragedy cuts to the parents and the grandparents and to the spouses and to the children. And for a child to really never know their father or mother cuts very deep.

I pray that this war ends soon. I pray that we don't see more of these deaths and casualties and POWs. I pray that the POWs are treated right--they must be treated right according to the Geneva Conventions-- that we find out more about them and that the Red Cross can get in there and see that they are OK. I pray that we won't see casualties to innocent children and women. I pray for a lot.

Today I pay tribute to my Californians who will never come back and see our beautiful State. I hope I won't have to come here in the days and weeks to come with more names.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill that will protect hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness in Northern California. The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act would designate 295,410 acres in 14 areas as Federal wilderness and would protect 24.4 miles of the Black Butte Creek.

California's natural treasures have always been one of the things that make California unique, drawing millions of people to them over the years to revel in their wild beauty. But that beauty must not be taken for granted. That is why I introduced the California Wild Heritage Act during the 107th Congress and will soon be reintroducing it. It was the first statewide wilderness bill for California since 1984.

The California Wild Heritage Act would protect more than 2.5 million acres of public land, as well as the free-flowing portions of 22 rivers. Every acre of wild land is a treasure, but the areas protected in this bill are some of California's most precious.

I was thrilled that the 107th Congress passed legislation to designate over 56,000 acres of my statewide bill, lands in the Los Padres National Forest, as wilderness. It was a wonderful first step. While I look forward to passage of the entire statewide bill, it is important that we move now to designate these special places as California wilderness areas.

That is why today I am pleased to be joining Representative Mike Thompson of California in introducing legislation that contains the portions of my bill in five counties in California's First Congressional District. Let me mention a couple of examples. In southwestern Humboldt and northwestern Mendocino counties, 41,100 acres of the King Range will be protected as wilderness. This is the wildest portion of the California coast, boasting the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in the United States outside of Alaska. This bill also protects 24.4 miles of the Black Butte Creek as a wild and scenic river. Black Butte Creek is so wild it is only crossed by one road for its entire length.

This bill would also protect the precious plant and animal species that make their homes in these areas. Endangered and threatened species whose habitats will be protected by this bill

include the California brown pelican, steelhead trout, coho salmon, bald eagle, peregrine falcon, northern spotted owl, and Roosevelt elk.

For every Californian, there is currently less than half an acre of wilderness set aside. This is too little. During the last 20 years, 675,000 acres of unprotected wilderness--approximately the size of Yosemite National Park--lost their wilderness character due to activities such as logging and mining. As our population increases, and California becomes home to almost 50 million people by the middle of the century, these development pressures are going to skyrocket. If we fail to act now, there simply will not be any wild lands or wild rivers left to protect.

Those of us who live in the United States have a very special responsibility to protect our natural heritage. Past generations have done it. They have left us with the wonderful and amazing gifts of Yosemite, Big Sur and Joshua Tree. These are places that Americans cannot imagine living without. Now it is our turn to protect this legacy for future generations--for our children's children, and their children. This bill is a start.

Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill that will protect hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness in Northern California. The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act would designate 295,410 acres in 14 areas as Federal wilderness and would protect 24.4 miles of the Black Butte Creek.

California's natural treasures have always been one of the things that make California unique, drawing millions of people to them over the years to revel in their wild beauty. But that beauty must not be taken for granted. That is why I introduced the California Wild Heritage Act during the 107th Congress and will soon be reintroducing it. It was the first statewide wilderness bill for California since 1984.

The California Wild Heritage Act would protect more than 2.5 million acres of public land, as well as the free-flowing portions of 22 rivers. Every acre of wild land is a treasure, but the areas protected in this bill are some of California's most precious.

I was thrilled that the 107th Congress passed legislation to designate over 56,000 acres of my statewide bill, lands in the Los Padres National Forest, as wilderness. It was a wonderful first step. While I look forward to passage of the entire statewide bill, it is important that we move now to designate these special places as California wilderness areas.

That is why today I am pleased to be joining Representative Mike Thompson of California in introducing legislation that contains the portions of my bill in five counties in California's First Congressional District. Let me mention a couple of examples. In southwestern Humboldt and northwestern Mendocino counties, 41,100 acres of the King Range will be protected as wilderness. This is the wildest portion of the California coast, boasting the longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in the United States outside of Alaska. This bill also protects 24.4 miles of the Black Butte Creek as a wild and scenic river. Black Butte Creek is so wild it is only crossed by one road for its entire length.

This bill would also protect the precious plant and animal species that make their homes in these areas. Endangered and threatened species whose habitats will be protected by this bill

include the California brown pelican, steelhead trout, coho salmon, bald eagle, peregrine falcon, northern spotted owl, and Roosevelt elk.

For every Californian, there is currently less than half an acre of wilderness set aside. This is too little. During the last 20 years, 675,000 acres of unprotected wilderness--approximately the size of Yosemite National Park--lost their wilderness character due to activities such as logging and mining. As our population increases, and California becomes home to almost 50 million people by the middle of the century, these development pressures are going to skyrocket. If we fail to act now, there simply will not be any wild lands or wild rivers left to protect.

Those of us who live in the United States have a very special responsibility to protect our natural heritage. Past generations have done it. They have left us with the wonderful and amazing gifts of Yosemite, Big Sur and Joshua Tree. These are places that Americans cannot imagine living without. Now it is our turn to protect this legacy for future generations--for our children's children, and their children. This bill is a start.