Floor Statements

Mr. President, I understand the Republican leader will be coming to the floor and I will yield the floor as soon as the Republican leader is here and then, after that, I ask that I will have the opportunity to speak. But until the Republican leader comes to the floor, let me compliment my colleague from Ohio, Senator Brown. He points out this debate is about allowing every American to be able to tell their children that when they get sick, they will have an opportunity to see a doctor. It is about a small business owner who should not have to chose between insuring his employees or maintaining his workforce or expanding his workforce. It is about our seniors having to decide whether they can take a pill or have to split that pill because they fall within the doughnut hole and cannot afford prescription medicines.

This debate is about whether we are, as a nation, going to be able to bring down the growth rate of health care costs and guarantee that every American has access to affordable health care and also bring down our budget deficit in health care, which clearly we have to do in this Nation.

I look forward to engaging in that debate. I came to the floor to talk about the FAA bill, and I will do that after the Republican leader has his opportunity on the floor, but I wished to thank Senator Brown for pointing out how critically important this debate on health care is to the American people.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, first, let me respond very briefly to the Republican leader and say that, looking at what the Congressional Budget Office has said, the objective scorekeeper, it says this bill will accomplish bringing down the growth rate of health care costs, it will substantially increase the number of Americans who have access to affordable health care, and it will bring down our budget deficit. It will bring down our budget deficit by over $130 billion during the first 10 years but $1.3 trillion during the second 10 years.

That is making progress on dealing with health care costs and bringing down the Federal budget deficit. The overwhelming majority of Americans will see their health insurance premiums under this bill go up at a slower growth rate than they would otherwise go up, and it will cover another 31 million Americans who currently do not have health insurance. They will be covered.

The appropriate question that should be asked is how will this legislation affect health care versus what will happen if we do not get health care reform passed, and I think it is clear this bill will improve health care for Americans and bring down the cost of health care for Americans.

Mr. President, I take this time to talk about the modernization of the Federal Aviation Administration bill, and I wish to first thank Senators Rockefeller, Hutchison, Dorgan, and so many others who have worked on the FAA Modernization Act. Our aviation system clearly needs modernization. Air traffic control needs to get into modern technology. What I like most about this bill is what it does under facilities and equipment, the NextGen flight guidance system using GPS satellite-based guidance in order to control air traffic in America. That will substantially cut down travel time for air passengers.

It will save us energy, which we all are talking about. Let me give one example that will demonstrate how dramatic it is to go to a GPS system. I think most Americans will be surprised to learn they are using more high-tech technology in their cell phones than they are on airplanes in America. I think they would be surprised to learn that. But this bill will allow us to put that type of satellite technology into the way that we control air traffic in America.

As I said, it will save time for the passenger, save energy for our Nation. To give an example, today a flight from Washington, DC, Reagan National Airport to Boston takes about 537 miles of air travel and consumes over 7,000 pounds of fuel. Using GPS, using NextGen, we can save over 20 percent of the mileage traveled and the fuel consumed. We actually save over 1,000 pounds of fuel. That is just one flight. Multiply that times the hundreds of thousands of flights throughout our Nation. We can make a substantial improvement on productivity, efficiency, and on energy consumption. We can significantly reduce the number of delays. The delay not only inconveniences that one passenger but, as you know, the whole system gets thrown into a morass when we have delays. We will have much better on-time arrival rates because it will be a more predictable flight using NextGen GPS technology.

The legislation also provides for new technology training requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers. That is the safety issue. We know air travel is safe, but we want to make it safer. This legislation will give us the tools in order to do that.

It provides for grants for improvements to our airports around the Nation. Let me talk for one moment about BWI, Thurgood Marshall Airport, the largest airport in the State of Maryland. We have over $400 million in projects ready to go to improve the efficiency of that airport. I know Senator Warner is aware, at Washington Dulles Airport, they have projects ready to go that will help in regard to not just convenience for the people who use that airport, which is important, but also safety issues, providing for the types of improvements necessary to deal with the newer aircraft that are coming on board. All this will reduce noise in the community, which is also another issue that is important and I am sure Senator Warner has heard about.

We had 21 million passengers in 2009 use BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport--21 million passengers. We have to keep up with that, and these grant programs will allow us to do it. But let me tell you something else. We have 35 other airports in Maryland. These are commercial, municipal, regional, and general aviation airports. These airports are in need of improvement. I have visited many of them.

That will not only be important for air traffic to our rural areas, but it is also about economic development. This FAA modernization bill is about jobs. It is about creating new jobs. But it is also about communities being able to have the type of improvements to their regional airports that will allow businesses to come in and take advantage of that regional airport, bringing jobs to parts of Maryland and our Nation that are, at times, difficult to find. Of course, today, we need to find more jobs for America. This bill will help us in our goal to increase the number of jobs.

I have talked about rural air service. I wish to talk particularly about the essential air service, EAS, issue. I offered an amendment-- and I wish to thank the managers for accepting that amendment--that would extend the expiration date on the mileage determination for those rural airports that can qualify for essential air service.

That is important to the people of Hagerstown and that region because that is the difference between the Hagerstown airport being eligible for EAS help.

I have visited that airport in Hagerstown. I can tell you how critically important it is to have passenger service. As a result of that amendment, we have Cape Air service at Hagerstown. If we did not have EAS, we would not

have that passenger service. That means that airport is much more viable. That is the reason for the EAS program, the viability of airports in rural areas.

That is important for passenger service, but it is equally important to have a viable airport so it can bring in the type of economic activities that are associated by having an airport close by. Hagerstown, that area, has been able to attract industry relating to the aircraft industry because it has an airport there.

I must tell you, I do not think they would have the type of airport if they did not have passenger service. So all of this comes together and helps us create jobs in a part of Maryland that otherwise could find it difficult to bring in new economic opportunities.

This bill is very important. I thank the managers again for including that amendment in the managers' package. It includes the passengers' bill of rights. Many of my colleagues have talked about the passengers' bill of rights. We all know about passengers being stranded on the tarmac for hours, strapped to their seats in a very uncomfortable position. Well, that is inexcusable. Congress needs to speak to that.

I am pleased the passengers' bill of rights is included in this legislation that will provide passengers with certain basic rights that airlines will need to adhere to.

I also am pleased it includes workers, pilots, flight attendants. This bill is about helping not just the passengers but helping all those who work in the industry. It will help all the workers. That is an important issue.

Before I yield the floor, I wish to talk about one other issue that I understand the distinguished Senator from Arizona, Mr. Kyl, talked about a little bit earlier; that is, amendments that are being considered and several have been filed, I understand negotiations are taking place as to the modification of the perimeter and slot rules as it relates to Reagan National Airport.

Let me tell you, before we start fooling around with this, let's make it clear that my colleagues understand how important this issue is to the people of the District, Virginia, and Maryland. In 1987, a peace agreement was entered into between the three jurisdictions and the three airports that are located here: Washington Dulles International, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Reagan National Airport.

All were involved in that agreement because, quite frankly, having an airport located in a residential community is an issue of concern of safety and noise and economic activities. So we have to be very mindful what is done at Reagan National.

For that reason, we entered into these restrictions in regard to the number of slots and the perimeters in which the flights originating from Reagan National can travel. They were carefully negotiated, and I urge us to be very careful about any modifications in those slots and perimeter rules.

We also created the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority to deal with Reagan National and Washington Dulles International. But then the slot issue and the perimeter issue were very important for the development of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland. These are very delicate balances.

The growth airports are clearly Washington Dulles and BWI Thurgood Marshall. They have the capacity for growth; Reagan National does not. It has a serious issue in regard to noise and safety to the community. We know that. I would urge my colleagues to be very cautious on modifying either the slot rule or the perimeter rule.

If we modify the slot rule, obviously, we are putting more traffic into Reagan National that it cannot handle. The aviation experts have told us that, that Reagan National is at capacity. It cannot handle more slots. If you change the perimeter rule, then you are talking about flights that currently go to cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Providence, Minneapolis, Miami, Boston, Detroit, Cincinnati. All those flights are going to be affected.

So this is not about giving the airplanes more flexibility, it is about affecting a delicate balance that currently exists when you have three major airports located within a very short distance. I would urge my colleague to be very cautious as we consider these amendments.

The ones I have seen so far are ones that I would oppose. I would urge my colleagues to respect the three jurisdictions in which these airports are located. We are not coming to you suggesting changes in the slots and perimeter rules. We are not the ones coming to you asking for it. It is our communities that are affected by the decisions. I would hope my colleagues would respect the judgment of the Senators from Maryland and Virginia.

This is a very important bill. It is a very good bill. It modernizes our FAA. It provides for safety, convenience, and, as I said earlier, will save time, save energy, and make our air traffic meet the growing needs of those of who use our airports and Nation.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business as part of the comments made by Senator Landrieu and Senator Shaheen.

Mr. President, we are here today to talk about the importance of job creation in our economy. We all know we need to create jobs. The way to create jobs is to help small businesses. Too much of the focus over the last couple years has been in helping the large companies, the large banks. We need to focus on small companies in order to create new job opportunities for Americans.

I compliment Senator Shaheen for her comments. She is absolutely right. Small businesses can create many jobs in the United States by creating products that are wanted around the globe. The problem is, it is very complicated for a small business owner to have the type of staff to deal with the difficulties of entering the international marketplace.

Senator Shaheen pointed out very clearly that the legislation Senator Landrieu has been instrumental in bringing forward in the Small Business Committee that deals with enhancing international trade for small companies, S. 2862, will provide more jobs in America by helping smaller companies be able to get their products into the international marketplace. That makes common sense.

As I said in the beginning, we need to create more jobs. Senator Landrieu, in her leadership on the Small Business Committee, has made that our top priority, and I congratulate her for bringing this to our attention.

We know over 50 percent--over 50 percent--of private sector jobs are with small companies. We know 64 percent of the net new jobs during the past 15 years have come from small companies. That is where the job growth will be. We are talking about creating jobs. We create more jobs through small companies, but we have to help them because they have many obstacles

today to be able to create those new jobs.

Forty percent of high-tech workers work for small companies. This is a very interesting statistic. There are 13 times more patents per employee in small companies than in larger companies. Innovation comes from our smaller companies. It does not mean we ignore larger companies. They have opportunities small companies do not have. But if we are going to create the jobs and innovation, we have to have a healthy atmosphere for small businesses today, and we need to do a better job.

What is the problem? Problem No. 1 is credit. Small companies cannot get traditional credit. Many large banks have just closed out giving loans to small companies. I can tell you of the calls I have gotten in my office, the letters I have gotten. There is a high-tech company located in Hunt Valley, MD. It is a small business that cannot get a bank to make a refinancing loan so that high-tech company can expand. They are doing very well. Their customer base would be very familiar to many of the Members of the Senate. But they cannot get a bank to be their partner in this environment because they are a small company.

As a result, many small companies, many small businesses resort to the use of their personal credit cards--their personal credit cards--in order to finance their business. One-third of small companies have over 25 percent of their overall debt from credit cards. Fifty percent of small businesses' interests rates are 15 percent or higher. That is not sustainable. You can't run a business based upon that type of financing. We have to do much better in that regard.

That is why I was particularly pleased by S. 2869, which Chairman Landrieu has brought forward with Senator Snowe, that would strengthen the SBA's capacity to make credit available to small businesses. It would increase the 7(a) loan program. The 7(a) loans are the traditional loans small businesses get in order to finance their operations. It would increase the amount from $2 million to $5 million and continue the 90-percent Federal guarantee. The 504 loans, which are used primarily for bricks and mortar, would increase from $1.5 million to $5.5 million. The microloans, which give a business the opportunity for working capital so they can move forward with an innovation and an idea and create jobs, increase from $35,000 to $50,000. That tells us how important that is to a small business. That extra $15,000 can be the difference between developing an idea to create jobs or not.

I congratulate Chairman Landrieu for bringing forward that legislation. It passed our committee by a 17-to-1 vote. This is a strong bipartisan bill that we hope will be made permanent.

I think we need to do more. I have introduced legislation that follows in the direction of the President. President Obama has suggested we take some of the TARP funds and use it to help community banks make loans to small businesses. I think we should look at having direct loans by the SBA to small businesses, certainly as a backup, if the private sector is not going to show enough interest to help our small businesses.

I know there are other suggestions to help our States. Governor O'Malley has suggested a program that could use some additional Federal support and get money out quickly to small businesses for credit. We need to focus on that because there is a credit crisis for small businesses. We need to be able to do better than we are doing today if we are going to be able to create jobs. In every State in the Nation, I know my colleagues have heard from their small business owners that they can't get affordable credit. We need to act in order to bring us out of this current economic downturn.

There are other bills I wish to mention briefly. Chairman Landrieu mentioned the bill I have been involved with, S. 2989, the Small Business Contracting Improvement Act. Small businesses depend upon government procurement as an effort to get started and to grow. The problem is, there is this cozy relationship between procurement officers and larger companies, so they have developed into practices that have hurt small companies in being able to get the set-asides that we in Congress said they should get. So what the contractor for the government agency does is bundle a lot of contracts that should be offered individually, but they bundle them to make them too large for small businesses to be able to bid on. This legislation deals with the abuses of bundling. I congratulate our chair for bringing that forward.

It also deals with the abuses between subcontractors and prime contractors. It is no surprise to anyone here that small businesses are more likely to be subs. Well, we don't have transparency and openness and timely payments to the subs. The prime contractor is abusing privileges, and we have a responsibility to make sure the law is carried out with the set-asides to small businesses in our procurement policies. This legislation, which passed our committee by a unanimous vote earlier this month, I think will go a long way to helping small businesses create jobs in our community.

There is other legislation that is out there to strengthen the SBA counseling program that Chairman Landrieu mentioned. I think that is an important bill. It passed our committee by a 19-to-0 vote--again, strong bipartisan support.

There is another program I wish to mention quickly, because during the Recovery Act there should have been funds set aside for the SBIR/ STTR programs. They were not. We have spoken about that before in this body. The legislation that passed our committee by an 18-to-0 vote would increase the allocations for the SBIR and STTR programs, which are high-tech set-asides for small high-tech companies, which help us develop innovation technology here in America, keeping jobs in America and expanding jobs in America. It would increase that set-aside from a modest 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent. It passed our committee by an 18-to- 0 vote.

These are all important bills that I hope we will have an opportunity to take up shortly as we look at the next jobs bill. I hope these provisions can be incorporated into legislation we consider. This is bipartisan. I think all my colleagues understand we have to create more job opportunities in America. The way to do it is to help small businesses deal with their current needs.

I will mention one other bill before yielding the floor; that is, the health care bill which will help small businesses. The problem I used to hear the most from my small businesses was about paying health care costs. Now I hear credit. Credit is their No. 1 problem. But we provide a credit--Senator Landrieu was helpful in getting this started earlier--to our small businesses so they can afford to provide health care for their employees. I thank Senator Landrieu for that provision. That is going to help small companies and help job growth.

We also created the exchanges. These are the exchanges where a small company can go in and buy health insurance policies. I can't tell my colleagues how many times I have heard from a small business owner saying: I am getting ripped off. I have no choice with an insurance plan I can take. I have a 30-percent increase, a 40-percent increase in premiums. My employees' health didn't deteriorate. Our costs didn't go up by that, but I have no choice. There is no other company I can get a policy with.

Well, under health reform, we provide options and choice and competition for the small business owner. Today, they are paying, on average, 20 percent more than large companies pay for comparable insurance coverage for their employees. That practice needs to end. We shouldn't be discriminating against small businesses in America, and we take major steps forward to eliminate that discrimination.

These are all things we can do to create jobs in America, to help our small businesses, help our Nation, help our recovery, and help us grow as a nation, to be even more competitive, offering good jobs to the people in our communities who are seeking employment.

With that, let me yield the remainder of my time to the chairman of the Small Business Committee, the Senator from Louisiana.

Mr. President, this week we celebrate Sunshine Week, not as a seasonal way to welcome the spring weather but as a time to mark the importance of transparency in our government.

At the U.S. Helsinki Commission we monitor 56 countries, including the United States, to ensure compliance with human rights and other commitments made under the Helsinki Final Act.

A major part of that compliance rests on governments being open and acting transparently--the same focus that is at the heart of the American Society of Newspaper Editors' Sunshine Week.

Practicing open governance is not something countries, States, and cities should do because they have to comply with some international agreement or public records law; rather, being transparent should be an organic part of providing a democratic government and empowering citizens.

When President Obama began his Presidency he called for unprecedented transparency. In his Open Government Directive, he outlined a clear plan for government to become more transparent, participatory, and collaborative.

The logic is clear--only through transparency can people gain the knowledge needed to participate and hold their governments accountable. And only if the people participate can government collaborate with them to glean the best ideas.

This directive was bold and action-oriented, but sadly we have not seen the U.S. bureaucracy react with the same swiftness with which this directive was made. Most agencies, in fact, have not made concrete changes to comply with the directive, according to a government-wide audit released earlier this week by the National Security Archive based at the George Washington University.

It seems for all the White House is doing disclosing its visitors log, broadcasting policy meetings, increasing interactivity through townhall meetings and YouTube interviews--a lot of work remains at the agencies.

Most glaring to me are the delays and in some cases outright denials of Freedom of Information Act requests. I was surprised to learn in the National Security Archive audit that some requests have been pending for 18 years when the law very clearly calls for responses within 20 business days when possible.

Most baffling from the audit may be what files still remain locked in government vaults. For example, today--more than 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall--the Pentagon still has not responded to a request for records detailing the military's reaction in 1961 to the building of the wall.

When it comes to diplomacy, this President and Secretary of State Clinton deserve great praise for the work they have done around the world to strengthen dialogue and improve U.S. relationships abroad. This successful record, however, is slightly tarnished by the Department of State's efforts on open governance. The Department more than doubled the number of denials it issued to people filing Freedom of

Information Act requests last year--the largest increase of any agency except for the Social Security Administration, which tripled its denials.

Fourteen months is a short time to change a bureaucracy charged with managing countless records. But a handful of agencies have already shown it is possible and committed to open government changes. On top of other positive reforms, the Departments of Agriculture and Justice, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of Management and Budget all increased how much information they released and decreased how many requests they denied last year. These agencies have embraced the spirit of transparency ushered in by President Obama, and as we mark Sunshine Week, I hope others will follow suit with their own innovative ways to increase transparency and spur citizen involvement. And once agencies adopt these practices, I hope they stick with them-- not because they fulfill any Presidential directive but because they give us a better democracy.

Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the 80th birthday of a Maryland lacrosse legend, Mr. Bob Scott, a former Johns Hopkins University athlete, coach, and athletic director.

Lacrosse is the official team sport of Maryland and there is perhaps no other Marylander who has done as much for the game as Mr. Scott. His 41-year career at Johns Hopkins, spanning from 1955 to 1995, were years of great success for Hopkins lacrosse as well as Blue Jays athletics in general.

At a university that expects nothing less than dominance on the lacrosse field, Mr. Scott more than lived up to the high expectations. As the head lacrosse coach from 1955 to 1974, Mr. Scott left a legacy that will be hard to match. He led the Blue Jays to an unparalleled seven national championships, his players were recognized as first-team All-Americans an outstanding 42 times, and he left his position with 158 wins, more than any other head coach in program history.

Mr. Scott was a successful lacrosse player for Johns Hopkins from 1948 to 1952 as well. During his playing days, he received national recognition as the winner of the Penniman Award for outstanding play as a midfielder and as an honorable mention All-American.

In addition to his playing and coaching acumen, Mr. Scott also wrote the premier lacrosse book. ``Lacrosse: Technique and Tradition,'' written in 1976, still sits in lacrosse players' lockers and on coaches' desks to this day. The book has since been translated into other languages and has given Mr. Scott the vehicle to become the sport's unofficial ambassador.

Mr. Scott is more than just a lacrosse legend, however. He helped build Hopkins into the division III powerhouse it is today. During his 22-year tenure as director of athletics, the Blue Jays emerged as national contenders in many different sports--including baseball, basketball, fencing, swimming, and soccer--and Mr. Scott played a pivotal role in successfully developing the women's athletics program that continues to thrive today.

Most of Mr. Scott's life has been dedicated to sports, but he also spent 2 years in the U.S. Army after graduating from Johns Hopkins. He rose to the position of instructor in the Ranger Department and was stationed at Fort Benning, GA.

In honor of Mr. Scott's 80th birthday today--St. Patrick's Day--I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the life of a great Marylander who has served our country and has given so much of his time to help mold our Nation's student-athletes.

Mr. President, let me thank Senator Warner for organizing this presentation to point out the abuses the minority has used in blocking the responsibility of the Senate to confirm appointments made by the President. I believe in the right of the minority. At times, it needs to be exercised. But it has been abused. The American people need to know that because it is affecting their rights and the ability of agencies and the courts to protect the rights of Americans.

Let me cite one number: 60 individuals the President has nominated for important offices have been blocked in their confirmation votes on the Senate floor even though their nominations were approved by the committees either by voice vote or unanimous vote or by significant supermajorities. These are just being delayed, when we now know the final outcome will be approval. As a result, Americans are being denied judges on the courts and administrators who can help enforce their rights.

We have already heard the circumstances about our courts, how we have had to take to a cloture vote, which means floor time, for the nomination of Judge Keenan, who received 99 votes and no one in opposition. We have two vacancies on the Fourth Circuit right now. These appointments have been approved overwhelmingly by the Judiciary Committee--Albert Diaz and James Wynn--by votes of 19 to 0 and 18 to 1. They have the support of Senators Burr and Hagan. Yet they have still not been brought to the floor for a vote. That represents a 20-percent vacancy on the Fourth Circuit, denying the people of my region their full representation on the appellate court.

We are very proud of legislation we have passed to help the disabled--the ADA law--to guarantee gender pay equity with the Lilly Ledbetter law, and genetic discrimination prohibition legislation. But it takes the EEOC to enforce those rules. President Obama has submitted four nominees for the EEOC. They have been approved by the committee by voice votes, which means they are not controversial. Yet we cannot bring those nominations to the floor for quick action because Republicans are abusing their rights to hold up action on the floor of the Senate to carry out our constitutional responsibilities to act on the President's nominations.

This is denying the people of America the protections they are entitled to by the courts and by agencies. It is wrong. It is time for this practice to end.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, this month's release of the State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices shows the value of consistently monitoring human rights around the globe.

As Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission charged with monitoring international human rights commitments in 56 countries from the U.S. and Canada to Europe and Central Asia, this annual report is a key tool that we, and others, use to track progress being made on universal freedoms.

This year's reports have increased significance as 2010 is the 35th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act and the 20th anniversary of historic international human rights agreements, the Copenhagen Document, and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe.

In a year commemorating such landmark human rights documents, this month's State Department reports remind us that many of the commitments countries made in the past still have not been met with meaningful action today.

In Belarus, where I visited last summer, the political space for opposition remains tightly controlled, independent media face continual harassment, and elections are a farce.

The overall situation in Russia remains disturbing as well. There 2009 was a year again filled with mourning the very people who stood for freedom, be they journalists, human rights advocates or lawyers simply trying to present a case against corruption. The country's harassment of Jehovah's Witnesses and forceful break up of public demonstrations remain particularly concerning.

I urge Kazakhstan, as the current chair of the OSCE, to lead by example through concrete actions, starting with the release of activist Yevgeny Zhovtis, whom staff from the Helsinki Commission visited this week in prison. Zhovtis at least deserves the same freedoms afforded other prisoners in his facility, including the right to work outside the facility during the day.

In Kosovo, in addition to problems with human trafficking, official corruption and a lack of judicial due process, the State Department notes the lack of progress regarding displaced persons of all ethnicities, politically and ethnically motivated violence, and societal antipathy against Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church. The lack of progress regarding the country's international recognition, while unfortunate, does not absolve Kosovo authorities from their responsibility to ensure greater respect for human rights and adherence to the rule of law.

Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner, who serves as the State Department Commissioner on the U.S. Helsinki Commission, did a superb job of unveiling the report today with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

I was heartened to hear him specifically flag examples of 2009 human rights violations within the OSCE region that drew the attention of the Commission last year. The banning of construction of Muslim minarets in Switzerland, the pervasiveness of discrimination against Roma--Europe's largest ethnic minority, and the continued rise of anti-Semitism in Europe sadly still remain concerns this year.

While these country reports help to hold all governments--including our own--to account; and while much of their text shows the reality of a world troubled by violent conflicts and the mistreatment of our most vulnerable people; the State Department reports also show the positive that surrounds us.

In this vein, Assistant Secretary Posner was right to mention the fairness of Ukraine's recent elections, for which my colleague Cochairman Hastings led the election observation mission. And the reports are eager to cite progress where appropriate.

But these reports affirm something else, and that is the strength of the legislative-executive branch cooperation when it comes to upholding universal standards. The Helsinki Commission is unique among all federal agencies for being comprised of Senate, House and executive branch commissioners, and Assistant Secretary Posner's activity with the Commission

and the State Department's annual human rights reports mandated by Congress are but two examples of our two branches working together to keep a spotlight on human rights abuses.

Mr. President, I thank Senator Shaheen for her leadership on S. Res. 433. I thank her for coming to the floor this evening to explain what this resolution does, that it would have the Senate go on record in support of recognizing March 8 as International Women's Day. I appreciate Senator Shaheen reading into the Record what is included in this resolution. The resolution supports the goals of International Women's Day. It recognizes that the economic growth and empowerment of women is inextricably linked with the potential of nations to generate economic growth in sustainable democracies. It recognizes the women in the United States and around the world who have worked throughout history to strive to ensure that women are guaranteed equality and basic human rights. It reaffirms the commitment to end gender-based discrimination in all forms, to end violence against women and girls worldwide, and encourages the people of the United States to observe International Women's Day with appropriate programs and activities.

I think it is important, as Senator Shaheen has done, to point out we have not been able to adopt this resolution because of the objection of a Senator. This should have been done. There is nothing controversial in this resolution. It has 15 cosponsors. It is bipartisan.

But most important, it points out a very important fact about women around the world; that is, that they are being discriminated against; they are being abused; they are being treated unjustly, and we should go on record as to what we need to do in order to recognize that fact. It is beyond dispute. These are the facts. These are facts stated by respected international organizations about how women and girls are abused.

We know about the trafficking of young women and girls. We know about the lack of maternal health care. We know about the lack of health care for children. We know about the discrimination in education. In Sub- Saharan

Africa, only 17 percent of girls are enrolled in secondary schools. We know about that. We know about the abuses in the workforce, the fact that Senator Shaheen mentioned--66 percent of the work done by women and only 10 percent of the income. These are facts, and we know we need to go on record to say we will not allow this to continue.

I am disappointed we are not going to be able to approve this resolution because of the objections. I think it is an inappropriate use of a Senator's right to object. I think it is important the American people understand that. I thank my colleague from New Hampshire for bringing to the attention of our colleagues in the Senate, bringing to the attention of the American people, that we stand for gender equality. Unfortunately, one Senator is preventing us from passing a resolution that should have been passed unanimously by this body.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for the International Women's Day.

Rooted in the long-term struggle for equality, International Women's Day has been observed since the beginning of the last century, at a time when American women were fighting for basic rights, such as voting or fair employment. We should commemorate the determined and courageous women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women's rights.

While women have made hard fought and important strides towards equality since then, they continue to face significant obstacles in all aspects of their lives, particularly those living in poverty. Over a billion people worldwide live on a dollar a day or less--and women are most likely to be among them. This is a problem that affects all of humanity--when women are poor, entire communities suffer because they are not free to earn an income, feed their families, or protect themselves and their children from violence. And their efforts are critical to rebuilding countries in peril like Afghanistan and Haiti. Until women around the world have improved access to economic, political and social opportunities, the great challenges we face today will go unresolved.

Indeed, investing in women and girls is one of the most efficient uses of our foreign assistance dollars and best ways to make the world more peaceful

and prosperous. Decades of research and experience prove that women are more likely to invest their income in food, clean water, education, and health care for their children, creating a positive cycle of change that lifts entire families, communities and nations out of poverty. Simply put, when women succeed, we all do.

If we ignore these realities, the results will undoubtedly be negative. The statistics are staggering. A World Bank report confirms that societies that discriminate on the basis of gender pay the cost of greater poverty, slower economic growth, weaker governance, and a lower living standard of their people.

In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, less than 2 out of 10 women have a job with a regular income and lower economic risk. GNP per capita is far lower in countries where females are significantly less well educated than men. Also in sub-Saharan Africa, inequality between men and women in education and employment suppressed annual per capita growth between 1960 and 1992 by 0.8 percentage points per year. This is significant, as a boost of 0.8 percentage points per year would have doubled economic growth over that time period.

But when women's voices are fully included in societies and economies, the reverse is true. According to UNICEF, when women hold decisionmaking power, ``they see to it that their children eat well, receive adequate medical care and finish school. Women who have access to meaningful, income-producing work are more likely to increase their families' standards of living, leading children out of poverty.''

The World Bank states that, at the macroeconomic level, there is evidence that removing gender disparities spurs growth. According to one estimate, growth rates in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa would have been 30-45 percent higher had these regions closed the gender gaps during the school years as fast as East Asia did between 1960 and 1992.

The economic growth that can result from gender equality is exemplified by Eugenia Akuete. Eugenia grew up in Ghana surrounded by poverty and started making products from shea butter because she was looking for a way to earn money to help supplement her family's income. At first the market was difficult--she was only producing a small amount, she lacked necessary business and technical training and it was hard to get the shea butter soaps and lotions to U.S. customers. She eventually received training that focused on women's entrepreneurship.

Now she is earning a steady income and teaching other women to do the same by producing and selling shea butter. She has 10 employees, most of whom are women, who she pays above than the government minimum and going market rate. She also now employs 300 women in northern Ghana who gather nuts for the factory to convert into shea butter. Stressing that they are all connected to each other, she explained that it is in her best interest that everyone produce the best quality possible--so that all communities benefit.

When asked what she would like to tell Americans, Eugenia said that what women like her need most are tools so that they can help each other and themselves.''Yes, we need help,'' she said, ``[but] we are also responsible to other people so that we'll have a multiplying effect. I don't believe in freebies: part of the package of responsibility is that if you are helped you in turn have the responsibility to help someone else.''

As we in Congress and in the administration are moving forward with the vital process to revamp our foreign assistance, we have an opportunity to make women's empowerment a central focus of U.S. foreign policy. With these unprecedented plans as a backdrop, we should remember Eugenia when we are thinking of ways to maximize our foreign aid dollars. Because of the obvious multiplier effect, one of the best ways to do that is to ensure that women are empowered. Women's success always benefits more than one person.

While we should reflect on progress that women have made in pushing for greater rights and equal opportunities, we must be conscious we still have much to do in working towards greater global gender equality. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I am committed to continuing to work with my colleagues to put women at the center of U.S. foreign assistance and to marshal all the resources necessary to achieve this goal.

Mr. President, today I rise to celebrate service-- specifically the dedication of Americans volunteering in the Peace Corps, which this week marks its 49th year of connecting committed volunteers with meaningful work around the globe.

There are a lot of ways to give of ourselves. We donate food. We donate money. We donate time. But the Peace Corps takes community service--global service, really to another level, with volunteers committing 27 months to improve the quality of life in developing countries.

Some projects focus on agriculture; others business. Some improve health, while others emphasize education or the environment, but all programs build a unique international relationship with a spirit of volunteer service at its core.

As Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I recently saw one program up close during a congressional delegation I led to Morocco, which is an active Mediterranean partner country in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Meetings with local government officials there were informative. And the briefings from the embassy staff were important. But the time we spent with a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Aitourir was nothing short of inspiring.

The Youth Development Program there run by Peace Corps volunteer Kate Tsunoda, with help from local community volunteers, is giving children from kindergarten through high school critical education, language, and art skills.

Inside a small community center, below a library still in need of dictionaries and elementary schoolbooks, we sat down with a group of young men, some in college, some recently graduated. In a part of the world where unemployment tops 15 percent, these are the people one may see as most susceptible to recruitment by extremists, but not these men. They spoke of dreams that included higher education, better jobs, and a transforming of their local towns.

These men credit the Peace Corps program for empowering them and building their language skills. I credit the Peace Corps for something even greater--forging international understanding, something the Peace Corps

has excelled at now for 49 years in 139 countries through 7,671 volunteers.

On the other side of town, several members of our delegation visited a start-up small business, the brainchild of retiree and Peace Corps volunteer Barbara Eberhart, whose second career is dedicated to empowering the women of Morocco.

The group visited a fabric and embroidery shop developed by a community of Berber women aided by a microcredit loan and Barbara's guidance and unbounded energy. These women, unable to read or write and essentially marginalized in Moroccan society, have formed a cooperative where they create fine embroidered goods and sell them in local markets. Their small business not only provides desperately needed income, but gives these women a stronger sense of themselves, their community and hope for their future and that of their children.

With Peace Corps volunteers coming from all backgrounds, ages and various stages of life, this program is as diverse as our country. The local citizen collaboration inherent in all Peace Corps work helps build enduring relationships between the United States and Peace Corps partner countries.

The Peace Corps invests time and talent in other countries, but it pays dividends back here in the United States as well. Those who are taught or helped by Peace Corps volunteers are likely to have more favorable opinions of the United States. More than that, many of the volunteers themselves are inspired to public service upon their return to this country, some becoming Governors and Members of Congress, including our own colleague and fellow Helsinki Commissioner, Senator Dodd of Connecticut.

I left Aitourir thinking Kate was the exemplary Peace Corps volunteer with her welcoming smile, passion for service and genuine love for the Moroccan people. But aware of the success of so many other Peace Corps programs around the world, I know Kate is one of many volunteers--all of whom would have left as great an impression.

The Peace Corps is a program that works. Volunteers year in and year out continue to fulfill the Peace Corps mission of bringing training and education to interested countries and strengthening understanding between Americans and our neighbors in the global community. Congratulations to the Peace Corps for 49 remarkable years. I look forward to its continued success.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak using the majority time in morning business.

Madam President, I take this time to first thank the Democratic leadership for bringing forward a bill that would extend unemployment insurance; COBRA protection, which allows the unemployed to get health insurance; to extend our highway program, and the reimbursement structure for our physicians under Medicare so our seniors can continue to receive the health care they need.

We have a short-term extension that many of my colleagues have been talking about which would extend these programs so there would be no gap in the unemployment insurance protection Americans are currently receiving--or were receiving as of February 28--allowing them to continue getting the COBRA protections and to continue our highway programs. As has been pointed out, one Senator has exercised his right to object, which has caused major problems for this country, and I feel compelled to talk about this because there are real people being hurt by that decision.

We need a short-term extension so we can continue the orderly process. It is the right thing to do. We all talk about jobs; that we need jobs. Each of us is committed to bringing up legislation that will create more job opportunities for Americans, and the bill that would be on the floor would help us in that effort by extending important tax provisions so businesses can invest in more

jobs for Americans, extending unemployment insurance.

Let me point out, for every dollar we spend in unemployment compensation, it brings back $1.90 to our economy. It is the best stimulus dollar you can put out there. It is immediate. This is an insurance program where employees and employers put money away during good times to pay for benefits during recessions and tough times and we are in a tough time. There are millions of Americans who can't find jobs, who are looking for jobs. Americans want to work but can't find work. Many have been looking for work for a long time--for over a year. Now, because of the objection of one Senator, the benefits that should be paid this week cannot be paid this week.

In my own State of Maryland, 16,405 people were cut off as of Monday from their unemployment compensation. Each one of these individuals represents a family, and this insurance provides them the ability to feed their families, to keep their house out of foreclosure. This is wrong. They can't find work because there are not enough jobs out there, and we need to extend this unemployment compensation. I feel confident we will, but it is wrong for us to have this gap because of the objections of one Senator.

This is hurting our economy. That money should be in our economy. The people who receive this unemployment insurance will use it to buy food, to make purchases that will help our economy. Those dollars are being lost because of the objection of one Senator.

The same thing is true with the COBRA protection. COBRA protection says to a person who is unemployed or who has lost their job that we are going to help them maintain their insurance for their family. Now, because of the objections of the Senator, that help is no longer available to those who are unemployed. As of January, there were 6.3 million Americans who had been unemployed for 6 months or longer. Think about that. How can you afford to pay your insurance premiums for health care if you have been unemployed for 6 months? That is why we passed COBRA protection, so those who had lost their jobs could maintain their health insurance for their families, keep them out of bankruptcy, and to make sure, if they had an emergency, their family could get the needed health care and that it is properly reimbursed.

We all agree that should be done, and the underlying bill we will take up today would extend that throughout the year, which is what it should do. But in the meantime, that protection expired on Monday because of the objections of an individual Senator.

There is the short-term extension of the highway program I wish to mention because 2,000 employees in the Department of Transportation got furlough notices because of our failure to extend that program. I can tell you what it means in my own State of Maryland. It halted work on Federal lands. We had a project--the Great Falls entrance road construction, a $3.1 million project in Montgomery County--that was stopped as a result of the failure to pass this short-term extension.

I could talk about the situation in Medicare. CMS is doing everything they can to make sure the physicians--the 600,000 physicians who treat our seniors every day--will continue to participate in the Medicare system. But as of Monday, there was a 21.2-percent cut in physician reimbursement rates. That is unconscionable, unreasonable, and it will deny our seniors access to care.

We need to do this in an orderly way. The overwhelming majority of the Members of Congress supports the extension the majority leader and the assistant majority leader have made repeatedly on the floor to allow for this short-term extension. We need to move forward with that and then let us come to the floor and debate the longer term extensions. I have a feeling, when that vote comes up on the floor of this body, you will see an overwhelming number of Members voting in favor of the extension of unemployment compensation and insurance protection for the unemployed because it is the right thing to do.

It is the right thing to do as a nation in a recession. It is the right thing to do in order to strengthen our economy and create more job opportunities because that money is spent in our communities and it keeps and expands jobs. It must be part of our strategy in creating more job opportunities for Americans.

I take the floor to encourage my colleague to withdraw his objection, let us move forward in a way that is in the interest of the American people and in the interest of our economy so we can continue to see the types of improvements for job opportunity in America. That should be our priority. It is not a partisan issue. It shouldn't be a partisan issue. We need to work together--Democrats and Republicans--and it starts by removing the objection and letting us get this short-term extension and then coming to the floor to debate the bill on the floor that will extend it through the end of the year, as we should. That is what we should be doing today to help the people in Maryland and the people around this Nation and to help our economy grow.

With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the vote on the confirmation of the nominee occur at 2:15 p.m. and that postcloture time be considered expired at that time; that upon confirmation, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session; further, after this unanimous consent request is granted, the Senate then stand in recess until 2:15 p.m.

Mr. President, I move that the point of order be waived.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my waiver of the relevant point of order that was recently entered into include all relevant points of order that were raised.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 10 minutes as in morning business.

Mr. President, I rise today on the occasion of Black History Month to recognize the accomplishments of three leading Marylanders in American medicine. Established by Howard University historian Carter G. Woodson in 1927 as Black History Week, this now month-long celebration is an opportunity to elevate awareness of Black Americans' contributions to our Nation's history.

It is customary for American families to spend time in February learning more about famous Black Americans who helped shape our Nation, including Marylanders Harriet Ross Tubman, the ``Moses of her people,'' who ran the Underground Railroad, and Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court Justice and the architect of the legal strategy leading to the 1954 landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Today, I come to the Senate floor to highlight the contributions of three Marylanders who are currently at the pinnacle of the medical profession--Dr. Ben Carson, Dr. Eve Higginbotham, and Dr. Donald Wilson.

I have spoken before on the crushing burden of health disparities on our health care system and the urgent need to eliminate them. It is an issue directly affecting one out of every three Americans: 37 million African Americans, 45 million Latinos, 13 million Asians, 2.3 million Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, and 400,000 Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in our Nation. While minorities represent one-third of our Nation's population, they are fully one-half of the uninsured. So when we enact legislation that expands access to millions of uninsured Americans, it will make a difference in minority communities, in minority health overall, and in the health of our Nation.

But providing access to comprehensive health insurance addresses only one of the factors contributing to health disparities. Research informs us that even after accounting for those who lack health insurance, minority racial and ethnic groups face inequities in access and treatment; and they have adverse health care outcomes at higher rates than whites. Even when insurance status, income, age, and severity of conditions are comparable, racial and ethnic minorities tend to receive lower quality health care. Therefore, coverage is not enough.

Despite many attempts over the years by health policymakers, providers, researchers, and others, wide disparities still persist in many facets of health care. When it comes to equitable care for minorities, low-income, geographic, cultural and language barriers, and racial bias are found to be common obstacles. These inequities carry a high cost in terms of life expectancy, quality of life, and efficiency, and they cost our Nation billions of dollars each year.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland found that between 2003 and 2006, racial and ethnic disparities cost the Nation more than $229 billion in excess direct medical costs. Adding indirect costs reveals a staggering $1.24 trillion from lost wages and premature and preventable deaths and disabilities. By elevating the focus on health disparities, we can bring down these costs and improve the quality of care across the board.

If we are to improve the health care status of Americans, we must focus on and eliminate these disparities. One step is ensuring every community has a sufficient supply of well-trained medical professionals, and this is where our Nation's academic medical centers play an essential role. All three physicians--Drs. Carson, Higginbotham, and Wilson--shine as leaders in their medical profession and have devoted their careers to academic medicine.

First is Dr. Benjamin Carson, a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon who works daily to save and improve the lives of children as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Carson's story is truly inspiring. He was born and raised in Detroit by a mother who encouraged Ben and his brother to work hard and succeed in school. Dr. Carson graduated high school with honors and was admitted to Yale University to study psychology. He attended the University of Michigan Medical School, specializing in neurosurgery. Dr. Carson completed neurosurgery residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where at age 33 he became the youngest physician ever to head a major division there. Dr. Carson has surgically separated several pairs of conjoined twins and has pioneered new, groundbreaking procedures to save children's lives.

Most notable among Dr. Carson's numerous accolades and honors is the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian award, which he received in 2008. In addition to his surgical acumen, Dr. Carson is a dedicated community activist. He is president and cofounder of the Carson Scholars Fund which recognizes young people of all backgrounds for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments. He is also president and cofounder of the Benevolent Endowment Network Fund, an organization that works to cover the medical expenses of pediatric neurosurgery patients with complex medical conditions.

Second, I wish to recognize Dr. Eve Higginbotham, an internationally recognized physician who was recently appointed senior vice president and executive dean for health services at Howard University. Dr. Higginbotham is

the first woman to chair a university-based ophthalmology department in the United States, and she held this position at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore from 1994 to 2006. Her next appointment was dean and senior vice president for academic affairs at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Dr. Higginbotham is a frontline warrior in the fight to eliminate health disparities. As a member of the Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus Foundation, she developed a glaucoma screening training program that has been implemented in more than 40 medical schools nationwide. Through this program, medical students provide glaucoma screening to elderly residents in underserved communities, making possible early detection and treatment for the leading cause of blindness among African Americans.

Dr. Higginbotham was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has served on the boards of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Women in Ophthalmology, and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. She is also a past president of the Baltimore City Medical Society and the Maryland Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons.

Finally, I wish to recognize Dr. Donald Wilson, who was Dr. Higginbotham's immediate predecessor at Howard University. Dr. Wilson served as dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine from 1991 to 2006. The University of Maryland's medical research funding increased nearly fivefold, from $77 million to $341 million during Dr. Wilson's leadership. His tenure at Maryland distinguished him as the Nation's first African-American dean of a nonminority medical school. While at the University of Maryland, Dr. Wilson also served as the director of the Program in Minority Health and Health Disparities Education and Research.

Dr. Wilson has also chaired Federal health committees at the NIH and the FDA, as well as serving on the advisory council of HHS's Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. He was chairman of both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Council of Deans of U.S. Medical Schools. And he was the first African American to hold each of these positions. He is a member of several medical and research societies, including the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Association of American Physicians. He is a master of the American College of Physicians, an honor bestowed on fewer than 1 percent of its members. Dr. Wilson also cofounded the Association for Academic Minority Physicians in 1986.

Numerous honors and awards have been bestowed upon Dr. Wilson, including the Baltimore Urban League's Whitney M. Young, Jr., Humanitarian Award. In 2003, he received the prestigious Frederick Douglass Award from the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. Dr. Wilson is also the recipient of the Institutional Leadership Diversity Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Student Affairs-Minority Affairs Section.

Drs. Carson, Higginbotham, and Wilson are three living reasons why we celebrate Black History Month. Their contributions have made invaluable contributions to American medicine, but they are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of African Americans who have made a noteworthy impact upon our Nation.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the contributions of these three noteworthy physicians as this body seeks to make health care available to everyone, and join me in celebrating their accomplishments during Black History Month.

Mr. President, to clarify, my intention on my previous motion to waive was to waive the Budget Act and budget resolutions with respect to the motion to concur with an amendment and that the yeas and nays previously ordered be considered as ordered on the motion as modified. I ask unanimous consent for this request.

Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 2:30 p.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 10 a.m. in room 406 of the Dirksen Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 10 a.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Trade and Tax Issues Relating to Small Business Job Creation.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on February 23, 2010, at 10 a.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Are Foreign Libel Lawsuits Chilling Americans' First Amendment Rights?''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 10:15 a.m., to hold a African Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled ``Exploring the Nigeria-U.S. Bilateral Relationship.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 10 a.m., in room 253 of the Russell Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010 at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Countdown to Census Day: Progress Report on the Census Bureau's Preparedness for the Enumeration.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 3 p.m., to hold a joint International Operations and Organizations, Democracy and Human Rights and Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled ``Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan.''

Mr. President, I rise today to express my continued concern over the humanitarian situation in Haiti after the catastrophic January 12, 2010, earthquake. While the destruction has proved to make the aid and relief situation on the ground complicated and difficult to navigate, President Obama's promise to the people of Haiti that ``you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten'' has rung true to date.

The global outpouring of support, in resources, money and people on the ground has been encouraging. American contributions and activities, in particular, have been exemplary. All Americans should be proud of how we have responded to help our neighbors who are truly facing the direst of situations. Countless U.S. Government agencies and the military quickly swung into action, managed by Operation Unified Response and Joint Task Force Haiti, and have moved with an impressive and coordinated effort.

I would like to make a special mention of the efforts carried out by Marylanders.

The USNS Comfort, which we are proud to have based in Baltimore Harbor, provides a mobile, flexible, and rapidly responsive afloat medical capability for acute medical and surgical care, with a 550- person medical team and a capacity of 250 hospital beds and room to treat 1,000 people. The day after the earthquake, the Comfort was ordered to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts as a crucial part of Operation Unified Response. Upon its arrival in Haiti on January 20, the crew of the Comfort immediately began critical lifesaving medical treatment early that day, and on the following day, the first baby was safely born aboard.

Four weeks after the earthquake, the Comfort remains on station and is operating at maximum capacity. Surgeries are being performed around the clock and the intensive care units and wards are filled. Navy Dr. (CAPT) Jim Ware, the medical group commander, noted upon arrival, ``We have never had that number on the ship, but we can do it,'' capturing the spirit of the all the U.S. troops on the ground in Haiti. Yet these committed men and women are certainly facing a daunting challenge--the Comfort has cared for more patients in the last 5 days than it did during all of the two wars in Iraq. In less than a week, it has changed from a dormant hospital floating in Baltimore into one of the busiest U.S. Department of Defense medical facilities in the world and we applaud them for their work.

I have always been heartened by good work done by the many international aid organizations based in Maryland. IMA World Health, Lutheran World Relief, and the Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore are just a few of many agencies that are providing critical supplies and volunteers on the ground.

We are grateful for good news from these agencies, such as the safe return of IMA employees Sarla Chand, Ann Varghese and IMA President Rick Santos, who were trapped for 55 hours under the rubble of a destroyed hotel. In Haiti to work on treatment of tropical diseases that afflict much of the population, they wanted to stay and help with earthquake relief as soon as they were freed from the rubble. While they have now returned home to Maryland, their colleagues at IMA have followed suit, sending 80 boxes of relief supplies, each with medication and supplies to treat common illnesses of 1,000 people for 2 months.

The Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services was already providing vital lifesaving and development programming before the earthquake struck and was tapped by the Vatican to head up all of the Church's efforts in Haiti. The 313 permanent staff members on the ground are part of the lead agency providing aid in partnership with the 82nd Airborne Division. They have distributed food to more than 200,000 people through relief distribution sites in Port-au-Prince, and are coordinating with local agencies to speed up the distribution. They have worked tirelessly to open three operating rooms at St. Francois de Sales Hospital in Port-Au-Prince, where volunteer medical teams are now performing up to 200 operations a week, with at least one Baltimore based doctor already working there--Dr. Guesly Delva, a native of Haiti.

It is important to remember that donations made by ordinary citizens are what allow these wonderful organizations to continue doing their important work. I am proud that Marylanders have pitched in. Catholic Relief Services has raised more than $38 million in donations, including generous second collections from local parishes. Text donations by Maryland residents to the Red Cross and other worthy organizations carrying out aid and relief projects are in the top 10 percent nationwide. These organizations will continue to need support over the coming months, so I am pleased to see the U.S. Congress, with my support, moved quickly to pass the Haiti Assistance Income Tax Incentive--HAITI--Act, which allows U.S. taxpayers to make charitable contributions to Haiti relief programs before March 1, 2010, and claim those contributions on their 2009 income tax return.

The earthquake and the reconstruction effort further underscore the need for smart and effective U.S. development aid to countries mired in poverty, like Haiti. I am heartened to see that the newly confirmed USAID Administrator Raj Shah was in place to skillfully manage the government-wide aid process. But more must be done to strengthen and empower the U.S. Agency of International Development. This is precisely why I was an original cosponsor to the bipartisan Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009, S. 1524. Reforming our foreign assistance matters and can have a direct effect on how people withstand and move on after disasters.

If the U.S. has the best trained and most equipped development agency in the world, the foreign aid we deliver and implement will foster sustainable development, enabling the governments of these countries to have the infrastructure and capacity to better manage the situation when tragedy strikes. I am glad this legislation has passed through committee and I look forward to working with my colleagues in both the Senate and the House to ensure effective development assistance is a key part of U.S. foreign policy.

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will continue to closely monitor the situation and help provide the needed assistance and resources to our Haitian neighbors.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the December 25, 2009, attempted bombing of Northwest flight 253, and the steps we must continue to take to improve the effectiveness of our Nation's antiterrorism tools and interagency information sharing and communication. On December 25, 2009, a Nigerian national, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, attempted to detonate an explosive device while onboard Northwest flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit. The device did not explode, but instead ignited, injuring Mr. Abdulmutallab and two other passengers.

As a result of their heroic actions, the flight crew and passengers were able to restrain Mr. Abdulmutallab and the plane safely landed. Mr. Abdulmutallab was not on the U.S. Government's terrorist Watch List but he was known to the U.S. intelligence community.

Following the December 25, 2009, attempted bombing, President Obama directed that a number of actions be taken and that government officials conduct a complete review of the terrorist watch listing system. The White House made public a summary of the preliminary report, and the President issued several directives to the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center, NCTC, as well as to a number of Departments and Agencies.

Since the December 25, 2009, attempted bombing, the State Department, the Transportation Security Administration and the Customs and Border Patrol have also made a number of changes to their procedures, including the addition of new and enhanced screening procedures.

Information sharing and interagency communication have come a long way since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and our ability as a government to share information and coordinate our actions to detect terrorist threats and protect the American people is better today than it was on September 11. Our intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security communities have successfully disrupted and prevented numerous terrorist threats.

But the attempted bombing of Northwest flight 253, the January 20 full Judiciary Committee hearing, and the Terrorism and Homeland Subcommittee hearing I chaired in April 2009 on information sharing, prove that our ability to detect, disrupt and prevent terrorist threats still has gaps.

As chairman of the Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee, my first hearing was on information sharing. I said at that time that I was concerned that the U.S. Government did not have in place ``a comprehensive strategy to overcome bureaucratic hurdles to sharing of information that could prevent a terrorist attack.'' It is clear that terrorism-related information on Mr. Abdulmutallab was available, but no one acted on that information enough to challenge him before he boarded the airplane.

We face evolving terrorist threats to our Nation, and our enemies and their supporters are clever, resourceful, diverse and dangerous. We need to be able to detect tomorrow's plots whether they are in the air, on land or from the sea.

As a result, I am going to continue to work to ensure that we remove the cultural, institutional and technological obstacles that impede our ability to prevent the next terrorist attack. Having access to the right information has little or no value if it is not pushed, on an ongoing basis, to the specific agencies that have the responsibility to both analyze it and take follow-up action, as necessary. When new information is added to our databases, relevant data must be able to find other relevant data. We need to explore real-time connections that can constantly update analysts to ensure that information is sent and seen before terrorists are able to board airplanes.

During the January 20 full Judiciary Committee hearing, I sought answers on who in our government is responsible for analyzing terrorism information and taking the necessary follow-up actions to protect the American people. The FBI Director indicated that NCTC was responsible for analyzing threat information and nominating known or suspected international terrorists to the Terrorist Screening Center for watch listing purposes. The Department of Homeland Security stated that it was a ``consumer'' of that information. But clearly, no one followed up to conduct further screening to prevent Mr. Abdulmutallab from boarding the plane. The President has ordered the Director of National Intelligence to ``reaffirm and clarify roles and responsibilities,'' and he has directed that NCTC ensure that there is a process to ``prioritize to pursue thoroughly and exhaustively terrorism threat threads,'' to include ``follow-up action.''

We must make sure that our law enforcement, intelligence, and homeland security professionals clearly know who is responsible for taking follow-up actions on terrorist threats to protect the American people, and that those officials have the authorities they need to act.

At the same time, as I have said previously, we must make sure that our government uses its scare resources wisely, and that it strikes an appropriate balance between national security and protecting civil liberties. We have now begun consideration of the fiscal year 2011 budget. We need to ensure that we have well-qualified and highly skilled airport screeners and security personnel, and that they have all the tools they need to do their jobs effectively. Mistaken profiling, however, that improperly relies on racial and ethnic factors, and not on a broad and valid set of behavioral indicators of potential terrorist activity, will waste resources, harm innocent individuals, and impede commerce.

And while technology can play a crucial role in helping to prevent terrorists from bringing explosives onto our airplanes, the first priority must be to identify potential terrorists and keep them off our airplanes.

The memory of 9/11 has been seared in our hearts and our minds, but it does not blind us to the wisdom that we must fight our enemies while remaining true to the fundamental principles and values upon which this great nation was founded. The men and women of our Armed Forces and their families have sacrificed much to protect and preserve the American way of life and what this nation stands for. The ongoing threat from al-Qaida and other terrorists who intend to harm us is real. However, we do not need to choose between security and liberty. Legitimate debate will continue on how we should strike the balance between the two at this time in our Nation's history.

But we must reject what the 9/11 Commission described as the ``false choice'' between security and liberty. Whether the issue is information sharing, airport screening procedures, or the use of technology, we can protect the American people from harm while preserving civil rights and liberties.