Floor Statements

Madam President, I rise today to honor Nebraska Army National Guard Sergeant Heather Springer, in recognition of receiving the Army Veterans' Association Medic of the Year award and the Bronze Star Medal for Valor.

Sergeant Springer is a native of Lincoln, NE, and currently attends the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing. She joined the Nebraska Army National Guard on April, 8, 2004, and served with the 313th Ground Ambulance and 110th Medical Battalion. On March 1, 2006, Sergeant Springer transferred to Charlie Company 2-135 General Support Aviation Battalion, 36th Combat Brigade, to become a flight medic. Soon after, she was deployed to Iraq in Diyala Province in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

On July 15, 2007, Sergeant Springer was transported to a landing zone where several U.S. soldiers had been struck by a roadside bomb. While conducting treatment for a critically injured soldier, her team suddenly came under enemy fire. She immediately secured the wounded soldier she was attending to and then moved 10 meters to a second wounded soldier, willingly exposing herself to open fire. During this hostile situation, Sergeant Springer remained composed and demonstrated assertive judgment by concluding that the wounds sustained by the first soldier were more critical. She determinedly led part of her team through 60 meters of open road, completely susceptible to enemy fire, to secure the soldier inside a Black Hawk helicopter. Once inside the helicopter, Sergeant Springer noticed that the second wounded soldier she had attended to was being moved towards the helicopter, and instantly moved to help safely transport the soldier aboard the aircraft.

Sergeant Springer displayed remarkable courage and selflessness while placing her own life at risk. These two wounded warriors are alive today as a direct result of her steadfastness and superb medical skills. The DUSTOFF--Dedicated Unhesitating Service to Our Fighting Forces--Association recently awarded her the DUSTOFF Medic of the Year award. The DUSTOFF Association is a nonprofit organization for the Army Medical Department's enlisted and officer personnel, aviation crew members, and others who have actively supported Army aeromedical evacuation programs in war or in peacetime.

Sergeant Heather Springer's admirable performance in Iraq led her to become the second woman in Nebraska National Guard history to receive the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. I wish Sergeant Springer all the best as she pursues her education in nursing school, and join all Nebraskans in honoring the heroism of this exceptional soldier.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the courage

and selflessness of the men and women serving so bravely in America's military and, in particular, to acknowledge those from my home State of Nebraska. Last week, the testimony of GEN David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker before the Senate on the situation in Iraq reminded everyone of the personal sacrifices of the men and women and their families who are serving their country in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

The United States is engaged in a protracted war for the first time since the end of the military draft 35 years ago. The strains of this prolonged engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan are underscored by the burdens placed on our service members and their families. The voluntary nature of our military accentuates these burdens, being borne by a relative few. This present situation is unique compared to America's past military engagements. World Wars I and II and the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam relied on conscription; consequently, the effects of these wars were felt by a broad number of ordinary Americans. Today, the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have placed our soldiers and military families in an extraordinary situation.

I have visited Iraq four times and Afghanistan twice since the commencement of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and have met with countless soldiers and their families. Each of these visits and meetings has further elevated my personal gratitude and appreciation of these men and women, and consequently, these soldiers and their families are constantly at the forefront of my thoughts. Last week, a news story described the battle of Sadr City, a district in Baghdad, Iraq, and featured a young man whom I had watched grow up in Nebraska. This news story evoked those same feelings of deep gratitude and immense pride.

The soldier featured in the story was Army CPT Logan Veath, of Chadron, NE. I had last seen Captain Veath 5 months ago at a reunion of the Big Red Battalion, the University of Nebraska's Reserve Officers' Training Corps, ROTC, unit, of which he was a member while attending our shared alma mater. I had first met Captain Veath when he was 16 years old, and we reminisced at that reunion of our past experiences together. Captain Veath was dressed in cowboy attire--because that is exactly what he is in Nebraska. In fact, I almost didn't recognize him in the news story from Iraq, as he had a Kevlar helmet on his head instead of his usual cowboy hat.

Captain Veath's entire family was also at the reunion, and they provided a brief glimpse into how a family copes with a loved one who is called upon to serve tours of duty lasting from 12 to 15 months. Captain Veath is unique in that this is his sixth tour of duty serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Less than 1 percent of Army service members have been deployed six times; this speaks to Captain Veath's remarkable dedication and selflessness.

That day was a vivid reminder of our American soldiers, who must leave their loved ones in order to serve in battles nearly 7,000 miles away from their homes. Today, I offer my most sincere appreciation and gratitude to soldiers such as Army CPT Logan Veath. We must never forget these brave men and women, who have valiantly and selflessly served their country, together with their families, who provide them with immeasurable support. Their honor in service must remain a source of inspiration for us all.

Madam President, I rise today to speak on an item included in the bill before us. Before I address this particular issue, I first want to voice my strong support for some of the individual components that have been assembled in the consolidated package currently before the body.

The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail extension and the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and Pathfinder Modification Project authorization are measures I have been working on for some time, and I want to thank Chairman Bingaman for his efforts in bringing these measures to the point where they will shortly pass the Senate.

But there is another matter in this bill that is of some importance to Nebraska and to my constituents. Included in the bill is a section expressing the sense of Congress that a museum located in Paducah, KY should be designated as ``the National Quilt Museum of the United States.'' Now, this measure is nonbinding and carries no legal authority. As far as we can tell, it confers no authority for funding or anything of that nature. However, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that I had been working to resolve some concerns that I and some of my constituents have with this section.

You see, just the week before last, the International Quilt Study Center & Museum opened its doors in Lincoln, NE. This is a remarkable, 37,000 square foot facility that houses the world's largest privately held collection of quilts.

Thus, back in February, I objected to a unanimous consent request to pass H. Con. Res. 209, a concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress regarding the designation of the museum. That resolution had previously passed the House of Representatives unanimously. I have been working with the distinguished minority leader, Mr. McConnell, and Congressman Whitfield of Kentucky, whose district includes Paducah, to craft a solution that would appropriately praise both museums for their individual and unique contributions to the world of quilts and quilt- making. I would like to thank them for their willingness to work with me.

Unfortunately, the entirety of H. Con. Res. 209 was included in section 335 of this bill before these discussions were able to run their course. I have filed an amendment to strike this section from the bill, so that we might continue to work out a resolution that properly honors the Paducah museum while not making any exclusive designations that exclude the International Quilt Study Center, but I understand the situation is such that my amendment is prevented from consideration before the full Senate.

Looking forward, I plan to honor this remarkable organization at the University of Nebraska in an appropriate manner. For purposes of balancing the record here today, I want to mention a few things about the remarkable facility in Nebraska.

The International Quilt Study Center & Museum has 37,000 square feet of exhibition galleries, collections storage, collections care, a reception hall, a library, reading room and classroom space. It is housed in a beautiful, newly constructed building designed by world- renowned architecture firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects and built with $12 million in private donations.

The mission of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum is to collect, preserve, study, exhibit, and promote discovery of quilts and quilt-making traditions from many cultures, countries, and time periods. The International Quilt Study Center & Museum is a dynamic center of formal and informal learning and discovery for students, teachers, scholars, artists, quilters, and others from across the Nation and around the world.

The International Quilt Study Center & Museum has the largest privately held quilt collection in the world--more than 2,300 quilts from 49 States and 23 foreign countries.

The International Quilt Study Center & Museum is centrally located in the heart of the United States and is open to the public year-round. I wish I could share information on the number of visitors who enjoy the museum each year, but the new facility is so new that such data is unavailable. However, we do know that individuals from all 50 States and from more than 15 foreign countries have visited the International Quilt Study Center & Museum in its previous homes.

The International Quilt Study Center & Museum has an international advisory board and annual supporters from all 50 States and many foreign countries, and hundreds of supporters, volunteers, and quilt guilds have supported the International Quilt Study Center annually since its formation in 1997.

The International Quilt Study Center's collections represent the entire gamut of quilt making in the United States, plus its antecedents in Europe. In addition, the International Quilt Study Center holds examples of cultural traditions from more than 23 countries.

In closing, the International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Nebraska is recognized nationally and internationally for its place of prominence in its field. It has the largest publicly held collection of quilts in the world; it is the largest quilt museum in the world; it is the only academic center devoted to quilt studies; it offers the only graduate program in textile history with a quilt studies emphasis. At the appropriate time, I hope the Congress will see fit to bestow upon it an honor befitting its contributions to our Nation's art, our heritage, and our history.

Mr. President, the modification is not in the body of the amendment but in the stated purpose. To make the statement of purpose acceptable to the other side, we have stricken the word ``emergency.'' That meets with the approval of the other side, so it is now as changed.

As we all know, the budget resolution before us includes room in the budget in 2008 and 2009 for an additional stimulus package. The distinguished chairman included this ``insurance policy'' against further economic downturn, and I commend him for it. I also thank him and Senator Baucus and all the distinguished bipartisan cosponsors for working with me to adopt this amendment.

The amendment simply allocates more of the stimulus money for ``ready to go'' infrastructure projects. The amendment moves $3.5 billion from the allowances functions to the transportation function and designates it as fiscal year 2008 discretionary funding. This existing money is already assumed in the resolution.

I reiterate this point: The $3.5 billion is already assumed in the resolution. The idea behind this amendment is simple. If we are going to spend, we should invest. This amendment injects money into the economy and creates jobs, over 40,000 jobs per billion dollars of infrastructure expenditures, but it also makes a lasting investment in infrastructure that will remain long after the economy recovers.

I urge adoption of the amendment.

Four or 5 minutes.

Madam President, I am here to speak about amendment No. 4212. It is already at the desk, and as Senator Conrad said, he will call it up at the appropriate point. But I rise today to speak about this amendment to the budget resolution that will create jobs and make a lasting investment in our national infrastructure. I ask unanimous consent to add Senator Conrad and Senator Stabenow to the amendment as cosponsors.

Let me thank as well the current cosponsors of the amendment: Senator Baucus, Senator Voinovich, Senator Klobuchar, Senator Durbin, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, and Senator Schumer. I am pleased to work with my colleagues to increase our investment in infrastructure to help create jobs. I also wish to thank the National Conference of State Legislatures for supporting my amendment. I believe that as more information is developed about this amendment, others will seek to join as well.

This amendment is very straightforward. It says that if we are going to do additional economic stimulus, then we should invest, not simply spend, taxpayer dollars.

My amendment doubles the amount in the stimulus in the budget for ``ready-to-go'' infrastructure projects from $3.5 billion to $7 billion. It is fully paid for and does not increase the deficit compared to the underlying resolution.

The budget resolution before us sets aside $35 billion over 2008 and 2009 for a second economic stimulus package, if necessary, as we continue to keep a close eye on the economy. Included in this stimulus at the present time is $3.5 billion for these ``ready-to-go'' infrastructure projects--projects that can be up and running in a matter of weeks. My amendment would increase this amount to $7 billion and is paid for by reallocating a portion of the $30 billion of stimulus resources to transportation infrastructure.

If Congress decides that additional stimulus is necessary, we need to ensure that we make a real investment in the economy. Including infrastructure investment will create jobs and make a lasting investment in infrastructure that is so desperately needed. These are projects that will go wanting without the necessary financial support to have them concluded, but they won't go away. Infrastructure needs will continue, and the only way to reduce the need is by investing in them.

This amendment in effect kills two birds with one stone: We get the immediate boost to the economy by investment in job creation, and when the economy recovers, the roads we pave and the infrastructure improvements we make will last for years. They are truly, in that sense, an investment.

When the initial stimulus package was under consideration, the States identified nearly $18 billion in projects that would be classified as ready to go within 3 months. These are projects that are waiting for only one thing, and that is funding.

This amendment does, in fact, create jobs. According to a U.S. Department of Transportation study, over 40,000 jobs are created for each $1 billion we spend on roads and infrastructure. This amendment will create jobs in Nebraska and in all 50 States and will provide an important boost to the economy at the same time.

I also want to be clear what this money is intended for: projects that are ready to go, as I have said, projects that can begin nearly immediately and certainly as soon as funding is available. There are already ready-to-go projects in Nebraska and in all 50 States, as we have been able to determine.

States are crying out for help in this area. The National Conference of State Legislatures supports this amendment. Our Nation's infrastructure needs are immense and are continuing to the point of being staggering. We have an opportunity to stimulate the economy, make lasting improvements to our infrastructure, and assist in more job creation. We can invest more in this area, and we should invest more in this area. So I urge the adoption of this amendment by my colleagues. I ask that their support continue as others will join in over the next day or so.

I yield the floor.

That is correct.

This is part of the allocating, part of the stimulus package as it is right now for emergency spending. What it would do is it would allocate part of the $35 billion already set aside in the budget to be added to the $3.5 billion to make a total of $7 billion. It doesn't add any more to the deficit or outside of the deficit than is currently indicated in the current budget resolution. In other words, of the $35 billion right now, only $3.5 billion is allocated to infrastructure. With this amendment, $7 billion would be allocated to infrastructure.

The $3.5 billion.

Not on top. We are reallocating, of that $35 billion, an additional $3.5 billion within the $35 billion to infrastructure, making a total of $7 billion within the $35 billion.

It wouldn't be taking money from, it would be allocating money that has not yet been allocated. So there would be other projects that would not be funded because of this, but it wouldn't be taking any money away from anything already allocated because the balance of it is unallocated.

It moved from function 820 over to 400.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor John Roberts of Omaha, NE.

John was an independent and dedicated individual who found comfort in life through helping others. He was a 2001 graduate of Omaha Westside High School and a 2005 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying art history. His inquisitive nature toward different cultures and languages, along with his desire to help others, led him to volunteer for the Peace Corps. John was sworn in on December 8, 2005, and served as a construction and skilled trades education volunteer on the island of Erromango in the Republic of Vanuatu.

John's impact in Vanuatu was tangible to the people who lived in his village. He was credited for strengthening South River's transportation, income generation, and communications capabilities. When his parents visited him in Vanuatu, they were proud to see the sense of community John brought to his village. His father, Doug, said the people loved him as though he were one of their own; one Erromango community representative regarded him ``as our son.'' His sincerity and enthusiasm to help those in need is epitomized by his Peace Corps aspiration statement:

Why I have volunteered is a question that I do not fully

know the answer to. Coming from a stable farming family I was

always taught to help my neighbors but I also feel an

internal pull to help lend a hand. Somewhere back in my short

life, I made a choice to serve and have been doing so every

since. Instead of a single moment defining my reasons to

serve, a whole lifetime of learning is driving me to

volunteer for the Peace Corps.

On October 11, 2007, John passed away while working at his site, a branch that was being cut by a student inadvertently struck John and another member of the community. He is survived by his parents Doug and Rose of Omaha.

Today, I join all Americans in mourning the loss of this remarkable young man. John Roberts' altruism, compassion, and exemplary service will remain an inspiration for those who wish to follow in his footsteps.

Mr. President, I was unable to cast my cote on Thursday, February 7, 2008. As a result,

I would ask that the Record reflect the following:

On vote No. 9, if present and voting, I would have voted ``yea.''

On vote No. 10, if present and voting, I would have voted ``yea.''

On vote No. 11, if present and voting, I would have voted ``no.''

On vote No. 12, if present and voting, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. President, I rise today to honor PFC Christopher F. Pfeifer of Spalding, Nebraska.

Private First Class Pfeifer grew up in Spalding and, during high school, played football, as well as the drums in the school band. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, golfing, and especially music and playing his drums. His music teacher said he was one of the better drum players she had ever seen. After joining the Job Corps, he earned his high school diploma, and met his future wife, Karen. They married on March 22, 2006, and 1 month later, he joined the U.S. Army, partly influenced by his brother's service as a Green Beret. His father said he loved the Army and, after completing his military commitment, wanted to use the G.I. bill to go to college.

Private First Class Pfeifer was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, in Schweinfurt, Germany. On August 17, 2007, his unit came under enemy fire near Kamu, Afghanistan. Private First Class Pfeifer sustained wounds while bravely trying to pull fellow soldiers to safety. He passed away on September 25, 2007, at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX. Private First Class Pfeifer was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Private First Class Pfeifer is survived by his wife Karen and their newborn daughter Peyton; his parents Michael and Darlina Pfeifer of Spalding, NE; his brother, Aaron of Fort Bragg, NC; and his sister Nichole, of Hauppauge, NY. I offer my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Private First Class Pfeifer. He made the ultimate and most courageous sacrifice for our Nation, and his daughter will grow up knowing her father is a hero. I join all Americans in grieving the loss of this remarkable young man and know that Private First Class Pfeifer's passion for serving, his leadership, and his selflessness will remain a source of inspiration for us all.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor 2LT Seth Pierce of Lincoln, NE.

Lieutenant Pierce was a proud member of the U.S. Marine Corps, whose friends remember him as a dedicated and passionate person who ``wore his heart on his sleeve.'' While attending Lincoln Southeast High School, he ran the first leg on his relay team and won the State championship in 2001. His coach described his team as ``the most overachieving boys I've ever coached. They won because they were connected to each other.''

A 2002 graduate of Lincoln Southeast High School and a 2006 graduate of Arizona State University, Lieutenant Pierce was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in December 2006. Leutenant Pierce passed away due to a car accident on October 21, 2007, in Quantico, VA, where he was stationed.

Lieutenant Pierce is survived by his parents, Larry and Linda Pierce of Surprise, AZ; his brother and sister-in-law, Aaron and Crystal Pierce, of Omaha; and his grandparents, Edwin and Ruth Steffens and Luther and Esther Pierce, all of Lincoln. I offer my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Lieutenant Pierce. His noble service to the United States of America is to be respected and appreciated. The loss

of this remarkable marine is felt by all Nebraskans, and his courage to follow his dreams will remain as an inspiration.

Mr. President, with the Senate having reconvened after the recess, I start the new year by rising to recognize Bo Pelini, the new head coach of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers' football team.

The University of Nebraska at Lincoln, my alma mater, has a proud and distinguished record in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, football, including 5 National Championships, 3 Heisman Trophies, 8 Outland Trophies, 93 Academic All-Americans, and other impressive records and awards.

Nebraskans statewide are united behind their Cornhuskers and will undoubtedly welcome Coach Pelini at Memorial Stadium with an NCAA- record 290th consecutive sellout for his first home game on August 30, 2008. Husker fans' optimism has been renewed with the hiring of Coach Pelini, who we hope will build our program back to its glory days, which were marked not only by athletic success on the field, but also academic success in the classroom.

I joined many of my fellow Cornhusker fans on January 7, 2008, in celebrating the 38-24 victory of Louisiana State University, LSU, over Ohio State University in the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game. Our partisanship was directed more at LSU's then- defensive coordinator, Bo Pelini, than it was for the team itself. Although Coach Pelini had already been hired as Nebraska's new head coach, he honorably chose to finish his commitment at LSU.

Coach Pelini and the Tigers came through as champions, further encouraging Nebraska fans everywhere that the Big Red can return to national prominence under our new leader. We look forward enthusiastically to the annual Red/White Spring Game and the start of the fall collegiate football season. On behalf of my fellow Huskers, I welcome Coach Bo Pelini with a resounding, ``Go Big Red!'' or perhaps, even more appropriately, ``Bo Big Red!''

Mr. President, I rise today to honor a dear friend and fellow Midwesterner who is close to each of us, South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson. After suffering a rare brain hemorrhage last year, Senator Johnson had a tall mountain to climb in his recovery. He worked hard and followed a rigorous rehabilitation regimen. The results are obvious. He has had an outstanding recovery--due in large part to his intense determination to get better, the support of his family and friends, and the quality rehabilitation care that he received--and continues to receive. Senator Johnson was able to return to the Senate earlier this year. It is a great honor to serve with Senator Johnson, and we are all grateful to have him back.

As many know, we recognized Senator Johnson's outstanding recovery by renaming S. 543, legislation aimed at preserving access to rehabilitation hospitals the ``Tim Johnson Inpatient

Rehabilitation Preservation Act of 2007.'' This legislation aimed to block implementation of a bureaucratic rule change that severely limits seniors' access to rehabilitation hospitals. Senator Johnson's recovery through rehabilitation treatment is an inspiration to many who have suffered from similar conditions and other brain injuries. The care that he received from his team at the National Rehabilitation Hospital was outstanding and their service was critical to his return to the Senate. I believe that it is crucial that we preserve access to similar rehabilitative care for many of America's senior citizens.

Four years ago, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services promulgated a new rule that would severely limit the types of rehabilitation treatments available to Medicare patients. The rule known as the ``75 percent rule'' would require rehab hospitals to ensure a certain percentage of patients fall into one of 13 specific diagnoses. That percentage was set to increase to 75 percent--forcing rehab hospitals to turn away patients and limit rehab services in their community. I know firsthand how harmful this can be, as my own mother faced inadequate care before finally receiving the rehabilitation services she desperately needed.

The 75 percent rule was set to close the doors of rehabilitation hospitals and push seniors away from the care they desperately needed. As many of you know, I have been working with a number of my colleagues on an inpatient rehabilitation Medicare fix for the last several Congresses.

Yesterday, the Senate passed the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, which included our provision to freeze the 75 percent rule compliance threshold permanently at 60 percent, ensuring rehabilitation hospitals have the flexibility to serve a variety of patients who desperately need quality rehabilitation treatment to restore their physical function and return home to their families and daily lives.

Without our Nation's rehabilitation capacity, other Americans may not have access to the same kind of care that brought my close friend back to the Senate.

I want to offer special thanks to Senator Johnson for lending his name to our efforts and putting a familiar face on the importance of rehabilitation care. I also want to thank Senators Baucus and Grassley, chairman and ranking member of the Finance Committee, as well as Senators Bunning, Stabenow, Snowe, Kerry, Schumer, and each of the 60 cosponsors of the Tim Johnson Inpatient Rehabilitation Preservation Act of 2007. Their support was critical in pushing for a permanent fix to the 75 percent rule and provided those Americans who need rehabilitation treatment with a gift this holiday season--access to quality treatment and the hope for recovery.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of the consolidated appropriations bill before the Senate and to discuss one small part of the bill that is an important component to our many efforts to advance the biofuels industry and to wean our nation off of its reliance on oil.

In the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, the Senate Appropriations Committee provided $2 million to the Department of Energy for ``E-85 infrastructure deployment.''

I want to highlight the importance of this funding and stress the need for DOE to utilize this money in the most cost efficient and effective manner possible.

E85 is an alternative form of transportation fuel that consists of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. It has been developed, in part, to address American's air quality issues and its dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

Currently, there are over 6 million E85 capable vehicles on the Nation's highways, and the use of E85 in these vehicles has the potential to significantly reduce the Nation's dependence on foreign oil, add billions to total farm income, help improve rural and the American economies, and help reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

Recognizing the importance of E85, President Bush and Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters participated with the CEOs of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler in an event on March of 2007, where they announced the growth in the production of flexible-fuel vehicles, FFVs, that can run on E85.

The automakers pledged to double their existing production of flexible fuel vehicles by 2010. They also pledged that by 2012 fully 50 percent of all vehicle production would be FFVs.

This pledge, however, was predicated on the fact that adequate fueling infrastructure would be available by that time to fuel the millions of additional E85-compatible vehicles.

It is the responsibility of Congress to provide adequate funding to help advance the deployment of E85 fueling infrastructure. I was encouraged then that the Senate elected to set aside $2 million for this purpose in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Once finalized, it will become the Department of Energy's responsibility to allocate this funding to the entity that can provide the most effective and cost-efficient service.

As Governor of Nebraska I helped create the Governors' Ethanol Coalition. In 1997, this coalition, along with the National Corn Growers Association, domestic automakers, and others, established a group named the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, NEVC, to be the Nation's primary advocate for the use of E85 ethanol as an alternative to oil-based transportation fuel.

Working with its many partners, NEVC maintains the primary national database on E85 fueling locations, E85 fuel providers, and comprehensive data on the technical requirements necessary to install E85 fueling systems. NEVC also provides the marketing and promotional materials used by all E85 fueling stations in the nation.

NEVC accomplishes all of these actions in a cost effective, timely, and prudent manner. In addition to having assisted with the opening of 1,413 existing stations, NEVC has provided assistance to station operators for securing reasonably priced supplies of ethanol. NEVC has also provided assistance regarding State and Federal tax credits and the materials needed for proper marketing and promotion by these stations.

NEVC has an extensive background, high level of technical competence, and vast experience in establishing and maintaining E85 fueling facilities, and they have proven themselves capable of effectively delivering assistance in a cost-efficient manner.

I note that there is broad consensus that additional alternative fueling infrastructure is needed in this country, and I stress the need for DOE to wisely use the limited funds we have made available.

As such, Mr. President, I strongly urge the Department of Energy to work closely with NEVC and give them all due consideration when it is expending the funding Congress has provided to meet the needs and goals for E85 fueling stations.

Madam President, I want to take the opportunity to applaud the leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee for their efforts on the Defense authorization conference report. Chairman Levin and the ranking member, Senator McCain, have done a Herculean job of working through the hundreds of conference issues in this bill with the House companion bill. The work and effort of all parties involved is one of the shining examples of the Congress working together in a bipartisan, bicameral effort to support our men and women in uniform.

As a signatory to the conference report, I support this bill. There is much to like in this bill. We provide necessary benefits to keep our recruiting and retention on the right track. This

bill includes a 3.5-percent pay increase for uniformed service personnel, establishes a Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, prohibits the increase in TRICARE fees for retirees and reservists, increases the grade of the Chief of the Guard Bureau from lieutenant general to general. The bill also includes an increase in Active Army and Marine Corps end-strength, increases funding for Mine Resistance Ambush Protected vehicles, increases funding for cooperative threat reduction program efforts, and provides authorizations for critical military construction projects.

In addition, as a response to the problems from the Walter Reed incidents reported earlier this year, we provide a comprehensive Wounded Warriors Act as part of the authorization bill. The Wounded Warrior provisions would require the Department of Defense, DOD, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, to jointly develop a comprehensive policy on improvements to care, management, and transition of recovering servicemembers, require DOD to develop a comprehensive plan to treat traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder and authorize respite care and other extended care benefits for seriously injured servicemembers.

While I support this conference report, I want to point out one provision in particular that I have concerns with. This particular issue, as I have expressed to the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, is a section of the bill that would require that prescriptions dispensed through the TRICARE retail pharmacy program be procured at or below Federal ceiling prices. As I understand it, it is the intent of the language and the intent of the conferees not to modify the current master agreements. I hope that this clarification is appropriate, and I wanted to briefly point this out.

Again, I thank my colleagues for their hard work on this report. We as a Senate can be proud of this bill. Mr. President, I believe that this is good legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to adopt this Defense authorization conference report.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor and remember the victims of yesterday's tragic shooting in Omaha, NE. I know every one of my colleagues joins me in extending our prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims and the entire Omaha community.

On Wednesday, December 5, 2007, the worst mass slaying in Nebraska history occurred at the Westroads Mall in Omaha, claiming the lives of eight victims. The names of those victims are: shoppers Gary Sharf of Lincoln, NE, and John McDonald of Council Bluffs, IA; and store employees Angie Schuster, Maggie Webb, Janet Jorgensen, Diane Trent, Gary Joy, and Beverly Flynn, all of Omaha. We must never forget these individuals or the horrible tragedy which took them from us.

In addition, five people were wounded. Nebraska stands with each of them on their road to recovery.

I concur with the words of Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey, who said, ``We are a community who will grieve this loss. Omaha is a good city with wonderful people.''

At Westroads Mall, this time of year is especially lovely with holiday decorations and music. That peace and tranquility were forever shattered by this senseless act of violence. Today, many Nebraskans are asking, ``Why?'' but there are no answers.

We are shocked, grief-stricken and in complete disbelief. Things like this should not happen anywhere, but headlines like these are unexpected in places such as Omaha. Our community has been altered forever--a sentiment reflected in today's headline in the state's largest newspaper, which declared: ``It Happened To Us.''

So, now as we are celebrating what should be the most joyous season of the year, Nebraskans are preparing to bury our dead. And we are praying. We ask the nation to continue to pray with us; and on behalf of my fellow Nebraskans, I thank you for all the prayers and expressions of sympathy we have received.

Madam President, I wish to pay tribute to a historic church celebrating its 120th anniversary on November 10 to 11, 2007. Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Omaha, NE, was founded in 1887 and continues to thrive as it serves a vast congregation within the minority community living in Nebraska's largest city.

This anniversary is a significant achievement, especially for an institution born during a time of racial bigotry and hatred in America. The church's founding required the strength, courage, and faith of early African-American leaders, who recognized the importance of their mission to create a church which has now succeeded in delivering the Word of God to generations in three different centuries.

Mount Moriah Baptist Church has an interesting history. It was first organized in 1867, but due to the lack of a Black presence, membership declined. Then in 1887, the Reverend Amos Johnson organized a new baptist church with just seven members. A name was not immediately selected for the newly organized body. Finally, in 1888, the parishioners settled on Mount Pisgah Baptist Church. However, in 1897, the Enterprise newspaper reported the resignation of the Reverend R. January, who asked some of the church members to form a new congregation. The remaining members reorganized their congregation as the Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church.

Mount Moriah, whose name means ``prepared for God,'' has had to survive numerous challenges, including several changes in location and a fire which caused significant damage during the mid-1920s. In 1956, during the administration of Reverend St. Clair, who served for 20 years, the church underwent extensive renovations.

Today, 12 decades after it was formed, Mount Moriah Baptist Church remains a focal point in Omaha, NE, just as its namesake, Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, has always been a focal point in biblical history.

I wish to commend Rev. Ralph B. Lassiter, Sr., and the congregation of Mount Moriah Baptist Church of Omaha, NE, for continuing the long and glorious tradition of teaching the Bible and its meaning and training the faithful how to live its message. Your service is truly admirable.