Floor Statements

Mr. President, although I am extremely concerned about global warming, I voted in opposition to Senator McCain and Senator Lieberman's Climate Stewardship Act. My chief concern was that this bill would raise gas and electric prices at a time when Arkansas' economy is struggling to recover and many residents from my state are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

I firmly believe that we have a responsibility to seek a solution to global warming. But at this time, when our economy is struggling and our federal deficit is at record levels, I can not support a measure which in all likelihood will result in higher energy prices for consumers in Arkansas and a loss of jobs in my state. If the United States stands alone on this issue, I fear other countries will be able to take businesses away from our country with the lure of weaker environmental regulations. A comprehensive global solution must be developed that includes all nations. I do believe we must continue to work toward initiatives to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and encourage cleaner sources of energy, such as the numerous biodiesel measures I have fought to include in the Energy bill.

I would like to take this opportunity to voice my opposition to the Bush administration's view on this subject. The indifferent and callous approach taken to global climate change sent a message to the world that this issue is not a priority. President Bush has stated that compelling evidence of global warming does not exist. I disagree. It is time for the administration to change its policy. It is only through cooperation with the global community that we can see these warming trends reversed. I applaud the efforts of Senators McCain and Lieberman in bringing this bill before the Senate when few committee chairmen showed interest in it. While I was not able to support them today for the reasons I have stated, I am eager to work with them in the future to find a solution to this important issue.

Mr. President, I compliment my colleague, Senator Murray, from the great State of Washington and the great job she does on behalf of her State. I appreciate all the hard work she has put into looking toward this amendment and others.

I hope in my opposition to this amendment I can at least provide some comfort that we have looked at trying to make sure the old growth in this Nation is protected. I rise today to oppose this amendment that would apply old-growth restrictions to insect and disease treatments, as well as to clean up after severe weather events. Part of why I do that is, simply, our forests are very different across this land. We want to make sure everyone is participatory in what we are doing in protecting and keeping healthy our forest lands.

Insects do not care about the size of the tree. In fact, as many scientists

have stated for years, they prefer older trees that are in poor health. Old growth, as I said, is very relative. In these older stands where trees are stressed for water and nutrients, insects will go after both large and small trees. The idea is to allow forest managers to go there and remove the problem trees, reducing the density of the stressed stands to immediately address the insect or disease problem which in our forests in the South are our most common and immediate problem. Insect and disease treatments are vastly different from preparing for a potential fire somewhere down the road.

I join my colleague from Washington in sending our prayers and thoughts to all of those who are valiantly fighting the wildfires in California and the families and the communities that are affected by those.

Fighting against an insect or disease outbreak is not like preparing for a fire. It is exactly like fighting a slow-moving wildfire. You would not ask firefighters to only fight a fire in certain sections of the forest, would you, and require them to skip around certain stands in the forest? It would seem ludicrous to do that. You could not effectively fight a fire that way.

That simple logic is why Chairmen Cochran and Domenici, and Senators Crapo, Craig, Feinstein, Wyden, McCain, Kyl, and myself, have worked hard to craft some compromise language. We ensure that when our forest managers treat and prevent the spread of insect and disease outbreaks or attempt to clean up after a severe weather event, they do not have their hands tied to only treating a certain portion of the forest. Managers must be able to treat all of the forest or we are all just going to watch the forests die--both inside old-growth stands and throughout all of the forests of this Nation.

Forests in my State of Arkansas and throughout the country are being affected by unprecedented and catastrophic outbreaks of insect and disease. Whether it is the southern pine beetle in the Southeast, the sudden oak death in California, or the red oak borer in Arkansas, this Nation's public and private forests are under attack.

In Idaho, the Douglas-fir bark beetle is another predator of our forests. This beetle seldom attacks trees that are less than 12 inches in diameter. These bugs like large trees, optimally 24 inches in diameter and larger.

In this case, to prevent or mitigate an infestation, in many circumstances it is absolutely necessary to remove some of the larger trees in order to treat the insect outbreak. The larger trees have been devastated.

The southern United States and the Rocky Mountain West are currently experiencing outbreaks of bark beetles, including the southern pine beetle and the spruce beetle at levels unprecedented in historical times. As Senator Murkowski demonstrated earlier, over 90 percent of the spruce trees have been killed in Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. In the Southwest, the pinion pines have suffered severe mortality. The Lake Arrowhead region is a horrifying example of where forest managers were unable to address the overdense stand conditions in a timely manner.

Right now, on the San Bernardino National Forest, over 230,000 acres, half of the forest land, have more than 40-percent tree mortality because of an outbreak of western pine beetle. This is a case in point where forest managers were unable to actively treat the area and it resulted in a massive insect infestation and right now is at a very high risk of catastrophic wildfires, as well.

In my home State of Arkansas, the red oak borer is attacking older, living oak trees at unprecedented magnitudes. Again, older growth is relative to the forest that you are talking about. This outbreak is rampant throughout the oak forests of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma affecting roughly one-third of the interior highlands.

The red oak borer complex is the greatest threat to the oak component in the interior highlands in recent history. This is from a native insect never before considered anything other than a minor pest or concern to the forests. These are insects that have been there forever. This is not something new that has just been introduced to our forests.

It is essential that we allow the Forest Service the flexibility it needs to attack this overwhelming problem wherever it happens throughout our forests.

This legislation is about forest health. We have done everything in working to bring about compromises in good conscience that are going to protect the health of our forests. It is about restoring forests to more resilient ecosystems, making these systems less susceptible to disturbances such as wildfire, insects, disease, and invasive species.

In my mind, reducing the flexibility to address these forest health issues will eventually destroy the very trees we have been trying so hard to protect. If we do not enable our forest managers to proactively address insect and disease outbreaks wherever they happen and before they become extensive, you can be sure insects such as the Douglas-fir bark beetle will be certain that there are no old-growth forests to protect.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and to remember one of the most critical parts when we are talking about old growth; that is, this is the first statutory protection for old growth that we have ever seen. There are protections throughout this bill for old growth, many focusing on smaller trees, but without a doubt, making sure the protections for old growth are there and recognizing this is the first time we have had statutory protection for old growth.

I encourage my colleagues to take a good look at this and to defeat this amendment and rest assured that we have done everything we can in this compromise to make sure we will protect that old growth, particularly with the statutory language we have but ensure the flexibility that we can also protect and save our forests.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have risen on numerous occasions over the last several months to pay tribute to our Nation's troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the globe in support of the war on terrorism. Today I would like to add to that ongoing tribute by honoring the troops of the 39th Infantry Brigade or ``the Arkansas Brigade,'' as we know it at home. The 39th was recently mobilized for action in Iraq with troops pulling out this week for training in Fort Hood before a 12-month deployment in the Middle East.

Last weekend I had the honor of attending a send-off ceremony for the 39th Brigade in Little Rock. That ceremony brought together soldiers, families, friends, and loved ones to commemorate the occasion and to wish them the best in their mission. The send-off was not a celebration. In fact, it was a sober occasion. After all, no one relishes the prospect of traveling halfway around the world, far from family, friends, and home, to take on a dangerous but necessary mission.

But along with the sense of sobriety at the ceremony, there was an enormous sense of duty, honor, and pride among these individuals. These men and women recognized that they were taking on a great personal risk, but they also recognized that, in so doing, they are part of a long tradition of American soldiers taking up arms to defend our freedoms and to bring security and stability to the world. As their fathers and grandfathers and great grandfathers fought in the First and Second World Wars, in Korea, Vietnam, the gulf war, and in countless other conflicts in the last century, these men and women are embracing a new historic mission.

The 39th Infantry Brigade is the largest combat command in the Arkansas Army National Guard, with nearly 3,000 troops comprising 47 units from across the State. While this is the first time since World War II that the entire brigade has been activated for overseas service, the 39th has been remarkably active within Arkansas for decades.

At the Governor's behest, the 39th has been quick to respond in the event of State emergencies. When floods, tornadoes, forest fires, ice storms, and drought have struck Arkansas, the members of the 39th have been there to offer their expertise and to lend a hand to communities in need. The 39th has offered assistance to law enforcement in missing persons cases, anticrime efforts, and counterdrug programs. Members of the 39th have offered themselves for countless hours of leadership and volunteer service in their communities, in schools and churches, civic organizations, private businesses, law enforcement, and even elected office.

Consider, for example, the small town of Bradford just a few miles northeast of Little Rock. This town of 800 people is preparing to lose their mayor, their police chief, and the school librarian, all of whom are leaving for Iraq. While these temporary losses may bring temporary hardships, I have every confidence that these communities, Bradford and many others, will pull through.

I am happy to report that Bradford is already coping--Grebe Edens, a 78-year-old former school teacher who serves as the town's recorder and treasurer, will be serving in the mayor's place until he returns.

I ask unanimous consent that an October 24 Washington Post article about how the town of Bradford is coping be printed in the Record following my remarks.

Mr. President, this is but one example of the effect this deployment will have on my home State of Arkansas. Many communities in Arkansas will no doubt be able to share similar stories of losing key personnel in the next 18 months.

Furthermore, let us not lose sight of the impact of this deployment on the families of these troops.

I was standing in that auditorium on Sunday visiting with mothers, aunts, daughters, as well as wives and children, and watching their faces with a sense of not knowing what is coming down the pike and yet being so incredibly proud of their loved ones who are serving this great Nation.

I have an October 27 newspaper story written by Stephen Ziegler, editor of the Searcy Daily Citizen in White County, AR.

Mr. Ziegler's story focuses on the troops of the Second Battalion, 153rd Brigade, and their families. Some are newly married, or have young children.

The stories illustrate the mixed emotions that many Arkansans experience

in seeing loved ones, friends, and neighbors leave to serve our great Nation.

Here is one young couple who are expecting a child in May. Here is a school superintendent who has been away from his job for 3 of the last 6 years on account of frequent deployments. Here is a young Army medic whose greatest fear is that he may see a friend die.

But coupled with the uncertainty is a clear sense of dedication and commitment.

I ask unanimous consent that this article from the Daily Citizen be printed in the Record following my remarks, so that we may be ever mindful of the effects of war both on those who serve and on those they leave behind.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

(See exhibit 2.)

As recent events have made startlingly clear, the situation in Iraq remains dangerous.

It is true that some parts of the country--notably in the south and in the Kurdish north--have achieved a measure of stability and security. To the extent that stability has been achieved in these areas, it has been entirely attributable to the hard work, commitment, and ingenuity of American troops on the ground. We praise them for that.

Unfortunately, it is also true that parts of Iraq remain critically unstable, particularly in the country's central region around Baghdad and Tikrit. With these facts in mind, let us salute the remarkable courage of our men and women who are placing themselves at great risk to serve in bringing security and peace to Iraq. We owe them a tremendous, tremendous debt for this service and sacrifice.

Finally, I would like to once again pay tribute to the troops currently serving in Iraq--roughly 140,000 American troops, with an estimated 5,000 from Arkansas. Many have given their lives to this mission, and many more have been wounded, some quite seriously. Those who remain in Iraq, and those who are preparing to enter into rotation in theater, will be in our thoughts and prayers in the months to come. We pledge to take care of their families and loves ones who are left behind.

We wish our troops safety, we wish them success, and we wish them a swift and safe return to their homes and loved ones as soon as their service is complete.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Exhibit I

[From washingtonpost.com, Oct. 24, 2003]

A Town's Leaders Marching Off to War

(By Lee Hockstader)

Bradford, AR.--For months, Paul Bunn had an inkling that

his unit of the Arkansas National Guard would be shipped to

Iraq, and there were a few things he wanted to get done

before he left.

Such as running the drug dealers out of town, ensuring a

safe supply of drinking water and compelling his more

slovenly constituents to get rid of the junk in their yards--

if necessary by fining them.

Bunn, 36, took office in January as the supercharged mayor

of Bradford, a one-blinking-stoplight hamlet of cow pastures,

low-slung houses, rickety shacks and modest churches set

among the rice and soybean fields an hour's drive northeast

of Little Rock. His impending departure for the Middle East--

Bunn has already reported for training and expects to be in

Baghdad early next year--has shaken this town of 800.

So has the scheduled deployment of the police chief, the

school librarian and five other townsmen, all members of the

39th Infantry Brigade of the Arkansas National Guard.

``I'd say our town is paying one heck of a price, but to me

it's a price worth paying,'' said Bunn, a former Army Special

Forces soldier who fought in Panama and the Persian Gulf War.

The deployment of the 39th Infantry Brigade, announced in

late September, means about 3,000 Arkansas Guardsmen from 47

units scattered across the state will be going to Iraq early

next year as part of a major deployment with the Army's 1st

Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Tex. The troops are

expected to replace soldiers of the 1st Armored Division who

have been serving in Iraq since April.

For Arkansas, the effect is dramatic. Counting 2,000

guardsmen already deployed elsewhere overseas, including in

Afghanistan, the departure of the 39th means that more than

half the state's 11,000 guardsmen will be serving overseas.

Only a handful of other states--Oklahoma, North Carolina

Washington--have a similarly large portion of their guardsmen

serving overseas, according to the National Guard.

To the extent that Bradford--or at least its leadership--is

being decapitated, the town is unusual. But it is also

typical of communities that, disproportionately, are sending

military men and women to serve in Iraq and other areas of

conflict.

``Broadly speaking, [the military] tends to be more rural

and more southern,'' said Doug Bandow, who has analyzed the

demographics of the U.S. military for the Cato Institute, a

think tank. ``But it is also a broadly Middle America,

middle-class force.''

The departure of so many prominent citizens is causing

ripple effects and dislocations not easily absorbed in so

small a rural town. At the town's one school, for instance,

the departure of the librarian, Nolan Brown, 57, a

grandfather of nine who is a personnel clerk in the Guard,

triggered a domino effect in which one new teacher was hired

and three others, in the departments of math, science and

social studies, were compelled to add or drop courses they

had already begun.

At Bradford's somewhat misleadingly named city hall, a one-

story red brick building that also houses the police and

water departments, Mayor Bunn's powers have been transferred

to Greba Edens, 78, a retired schoolteacher whose last

specific memory of a combat casualty that touched her life

involved a friend's brother--killed in World War II.

``I'm not moving into the mayor's office,'' said Edens,

known locally as Miss Greba, the town's recorder-treasurer

for 19 years, who by law will assume Bunn's duties until he

returns. ``But he made promises that he'd clean up the trashy

places around town and try to get rid of some of the drugs,

so I guess I'll try to do that.''

Like the mayor and the librarian, the police chief, Josh

Chambliss, 28, is expected to be gone from 18 months to two

years on duty in Iraq. Chambliss, recently married, had been

hoping to start a family, but those plans may be on hold for

now. His five-officer police department, which deals mainly

with domestic disputes, thefts and a methamphetamine drug

problem common in small rural towns, will be led in his

absence by Michael Ray, the assistant chief.

Ray, 34, who counts the chief as well as the mayor among

his best friends, seems slightly uneasy both at their

departure and his own ascendance.

``In the last Gulf War, they were all surrendering to

anyone who came along,'' said Ray, whose badge, affixed to

his belt, still says assistant chief. ``This time, it's just

a whole different ballgame, and there's a good chance that

some of [the Americans] aren't coming back.''

Ray's apprehension about the fighting in Iraq is widely

shared, even though most people in this resolutely

conservative town are quick to say they support the troops as

well as President Bush. Many say they want to see the troops

``get over there, get the job done and get home quickly''--

intoning their wishes almost like a mantra--and in

practically the same breath acknowledge that they see no

swift end to the fighting or the U.S. engagement in Iraq.

``We don't want to get into another situation like in

Vietnam, of not supporting these people,'' said Larry

Robinson, a county veterans services officer. ``You bet we're

behind them, and this is really bringing the Iraqi situation

right to the front door. But this is a new type of war, and

it worries me.''

For his part, Bunn has no illusions about the toll that may

result from the 39th Infantry Division's deployment. A

sergeant who expects to be a Humvee squad leader in Iraq,

Bunn has already bluntly told his two children and two

stepchildren, ages 11 to 15, that he and some of his fellow

guardsmen may not be coming home alive.

``I'm hard as woodpecker lips when it comes to this, but in

this job here there's gonna be body bags coming home and

bullets going downrange,'' he said. ``I don't believe in

lying to the kids about it.''

Bunn worries nearly as much about what he is leaving behind

in Bradford as what he will face in Iraq. He worries about

his insulation business, in which he has several hundred

thousands of dollars in loans, and whether it will survive

his absence. He worries about miss Greba, the stand-in mayor,

and whether she will be able to oversee an $800,000 grant

from the state that Bunn secured to improve the town's

drinking water. He worries about what will happen in the

event of tornadoes hitting Arkansas--Bradford lies in the

heart of twister country--in the absence of thousands of the

state's National Guard troops.

``I'm a wheeler-dealer, and it doesn't bother me to pick up

the phone and call the governor,'' Bunn said. ``But I'm not

even going to try over there. My job now is to be a soldier

and take the guys I got and bring them over there and bring

them back safe.''

Yet he also worries about making it back to Bradford for

his stepson Bradley's high school graduation in the spring of

2005. And he frets about his friend Chambliss, a staff

sergeant in the Guard who has never been in combat.

``Josh to me is a special person,'' Bunn said of his police

chief. ``Not too many people that you find who have an

innocence about them, and Josh does. . . . That innocence

will be shattered, and that's what bothers me.''

Bunn believes he will be prepared for Iraq, but the other

guardsmen are much less experienced. Nolan Brown, the school

librarian, was in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive of 1968,

but he was a clerk in a dental unit at the time, not involved

in combat.

The younger men enlisted, in some cases while still in high

school, were lured mainly by the Guard's generous provisions

for helping pay for college and health insurance. Few

imagined they would be heading off to combat anytime soon.

Two of them, both privates in the Guard, wandered into the

Bradford school the other day dressed in green fatigues,

their hair cropped short. One, Richard Farmer, 21, a supply

specialist, joined the Guard a few years ago when he was

still in school. The other, Wesley Hodges, 20, an

administrative assistant in the Guard, joined shortly

thereafter.

Asked if they would have joined then had they known it

would mean duty in Iraq, the two shrugged and mumbled an

unconvincing ``yeah.''

Madam President, I am very proud to be in the Chamber discussing the Healthy Forests Restoration Act with an eye toward its quick passage through the Senate.

I first want to applaud both Chairman Cochran for shepherding this bill through the Agriculture Committee and to the floor.

I'd also like to thank Senator Crapo, who chairs the Forestry Subcommittee, for his leadership in moving this legislation through the Committee expeditiously.

Chairman Domenici and Chairman Cochran, and Senators Crapo, Wyden, Feinstein, Craig, Kyl, McCain, and I have brokered a workable compromise to Title I of this bill which we believe will prove amenable to the Senate and move on to a conference with the House.

Want to especially thank our staffs, who have put in many hours of hard work over two months to bring us to this point.

this bipartisan compromise legislation builds upon the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year.

Our legislation will ensure that we can address the many problems affecting all of our Nation's forests--both on public and private forestlands, in southern and western forests, and throughout both hardwood and pine ecosystems.

This legislation is intended to correct the direction of forest legislation in this country.

I am also proud that the bill contains many provisions that I have championed and that are beneficial to my home State of Arkansas.

I began my work on this legislation with the intent to accomplish a few, very specific goals related to the health of Arkansas' forests.

First and foremost, we must provide the Forest Service with the tools necessary to immediately address the epidemic of oak decline and mortality in the Ozark highlands of Arkansas and Missouri.

I am proud the bill incorporates language I have championed to provide the Forest Service with the tools necessary to immediately address the epidemic of oak decline and mortality in the Ozark highlands of Arkansas and Missouri.

Just as our Western forests are under constant threat from fire, our Eastern forests are under constant threat from insects and disease.

We cannot let any more time pass without ensuring the Forest Service can quickly mitigate the effects of insect and disease damage throughout our forests before it reaches disaster proportions.

Oak decline is a natural occurrence in older forests or in areas where trees are stressed by conditions such as old age, over population of the forest, poor soil conditions, and the effects of several years of severe drought. And under normal conditions, oak decline is not necessarily fatal to the tree.

However, these conditions have allowed insects such as the red oak borer to flourish throughout the forest and have led to an epidemic of oak mortality throughout our forests.

In fact, many estimates now suggest that potentially up to one million acres of red oaks have been affected in the Ozark highlands--a devastation we never anticipated.

It is important to note that this epidemic has not been long in coming--it was only first discovered in the late 1990s, and quickly was out of control.

I am concerned that this epidemic will lead to a complete loss of red oak from the Ozark highlands and cause long-term changes to the health of the forest ecosystem.

It is also important to remember that the epidemic has not been limited to public lands. Private forest landowners and homeowners throughout the Ozarks face the same problem. The past several years of extremely dry summer conditions have weakened trees throughout the region.

Secondly, as we have seen, Arkansas was caught almost flatfooted as the epidemic of oak mortality swept through the Ozarks and severely endangered the health of our forests.

One of my priorities was to establish a new Upland Hardwood Research Center to ensure there is adequate research performed on the issues affecting Arkansas' and this Nation's hardwood forests.

I am pleased that the bill includes language I authored to establish an Upland Hardwood Research Center within the U.S. Forest Service. This new center will study the myriad of insects, disease, and problems affecting our ability to rehabilitate, restore, and utilize our upland hardwood forests. Establishing this new research center will help ensure that this does not happen again.

The establishment of this new research center is necessary to ensure we can quickly identify and respond to the multitude of pests, disease, and other damaging agents that can dramatically affect our beloved forests, especially when they are smaller ones as we have in Arkansas.

It is also important to find ways to streamline and improve the environmental, administrative, and judicial

review process for hazardous fuel reduction projects under this legislation.

I join many of my colleagues in believing that the review process for hazardous fuel reduction projects, while necessary and beneficial, often consumes more time, effort, and resources than the initial intent of the project.

As we have seen with the epidemic of oak mortality in Arkansas, the Forest Service must have the ability to quickly respond to insect infestation in order to protect, preserve, and rehabilitate the entire forest.

Streamlining of the environmental, administrative, and judicial review process for hazardous fuel reduction projects will ensure that we can quickly address what ails our forests.

This legislation also provides increased funding and direction for forest land research in this country. It will ensure our Nation's colleges and universities are able to devote more research into the insects and diseases affecting our forests.

We also require that any forest land research is conducted at a scale appropriate to the forest damage and that it be conducted within the requirements of each individual forest management plan.

Our legislation also includes requirements to ensure this research has clearly stated forest restoration objectives and is peer reviewed by scientific experts in forest land health.

I am also pleased the bill incorporates additional language from S. 1449 to provide funding for emergency grants to immediately remove the invasive plants that have become so pervasive throughout this Nation's forests. As many know, when we talk about invasive plant species in the South, you bet we are talking about kudzu.

Kudzu was brought into this country several decades ago to be used as cover for bare hillsides and has since spread to cover everything, including shrubs, bushes, entire trees, and oftentimes large sections of our forest. The grant program will provide the means for landowners to immediately remove kudzu and the myriad other invasive plants that are choking out forests.

Finally, this legislation includes widely agreed upon language that would provide for grants to remove noncommercial biomass from our public and private forests, provide for protection of our private forested watersheds, and provide for grants to establish private healthy forest reserves throughout the Nation.

Many of these important provisions were included in the Senate-passed farm bill last year, but they were not included in the final legislation, unfortunately.

Providing grants to remove noncommercial biomass will immediately reduce the amount of fuel on the forest floor and directly reduce the fire danger in our forests and around our communities.

Similarly, providing grants to protect our forest watersheds will ensure that we can address our water quality concerns with a voluntary, incentive-based approach.

Finally, providing funding to establish new healthy forest reserves from willing private landowners will encourage the preservation and rehabilitation of this Nation's forest lands.

I believe this important legislation will focus needed attention on a number of extremely critical goals for our national forest policy.

One lesson we have learned over the years is that if we value our forests and if we want to conserve our woodland resources, if we want to preserve their natural beauty, if we want to ensure that the natural bounty of our forest land is available to future generations to come to know and love and enjoy just as we all have in our different parts of this great country, then it is important that we manage those lands and resources with a careful eye toward their long-term health.

I look forward to this legislation's quick passage through the Senate and its quick enactment into law. I am delighted by the leadership provided by all of the Members working on this issue. I very much encourage my colleagues to join us in supporting Senator Cochran's amendment and moving forward with this bill in a timely way.

I thank the Chair.

Mr. President, as debate about the supplemental appropriation for military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan comes to a close, I would like to ensure that our focus remains on the welfare of our Nation's troops.

That is why I would like to speak on behalf of the men and women who are serving in our Nation's Armed Forces--those currently on active duty as well as in the National Guard and Reserves--who are serving today in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the globe.

Since the President declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq 5\1/2\ months ago, 195 American troops have died in action, and over 1,900 have been wounded.

Even if combat in Iraq is being waged at a lesser level than it was 6 months ago, it is still agonizingly clear that, in many parts of Iraq, our troops remain in danger.

The imminent and ever-present danger of guerilla attacks is one of the most severe threats that our soldiers in the field are facing.

Many U.S. troops have expressed concern that they are not adequately trained for the specialized demands of peacekeeping and policing that the reconstruction effort requires. Despite the fact that many of these soldiers are burdened with jobs and responsibilities outside their area of expertise, they have shown themselves to be resourceful and resilient in taking hold of their assignments.

But, alarmingly, the dangers and difficulties that our troops face go far beyond the threat posed by attacks from insurgents and guerillas.

There are additional threats to their safety and security that we cannot neglect. I have grown increasingly concerned about the conditions under which many of our troops are being forced to serve in the Middle East.

Currently, the difficult conditions posed by a desert deployment-- including brutal temperatures of 120 degrees or even higher in the summer months, along with high winds and sandstorms--are compounded by shortages of quality water and food.

While the military has emphasized to these troops the need to drink plenty of fluids and to eat properly, we have seen reports that military field hospitals in Iraq are contending with cases of dehydration and heat exhaustion on a fairly regular basis.

Given the nature of the desert climate, are our soldiers adequately supplied? It has become quite clear that they are not.

Troops are limited to a ration of two 1-liter bottles of water per day, according to numerous reports we have heard from the field.

I know of at least one mother in Arkansas who has routinely shipped cases of bottled water to her son who is serving in Iraq. I hear frequently from spouses or mothers who are forced to ship food, water, or other needed supplies to their loved ones in the field, at their own expense.

In many respects, the food supply situation is also a cause for concern.

One news report from this summer detailed the dismay of American troops who, while surviving on MRE rations, learned that Italian troops serving alongside them were being fed freshly cooked pasta.

These shortages of quality water and food are causing troop morale to flag.

On top of that, many soldiers are growing concerned, confused, and frustrated by the length of their deployments--particularly members of the National Guard and Reserves who are now bumping up against what should be the end of their deployment time.

Many of these soldiers have already served longer than they had been led to believe, causing great stress and hardship for them and for their families.

Adding to the uncertainty and frustration, news reports from earlier this summer indicated that the Bush administration was exploring a cost-cutting proposal to reduce the pay of reservists and guardsmen.

The administration quickly back-pedaled from this plan in the face of an outcry from the public, but the pay-cut proposal was the next in a series of indignities and insults to the thousands of brave men and women who left their jobs and families for what they were led to believe would be a short stay in the Middle East.

On the front page of yesterday's Washington Post is a story about the dissatisfaction of our troops in the field, based upon an informal survey of soldiers conducted by the Stars and Stripes newspaper. According to the survey, half of the troops questioned rated their unit morale as ``low'' or ``very low.'' Forty percent, according to the survey, believe that the jobs they are doing have ``little or nothing to do'' with what they have been trained to do.

Right now, Arkansas reservists in the 39th Infantry Brigade have been called up for rotation into Iraq beginning early next year. Nearly 3,500 Arkansas soldiers are being activated, which is the largest deployment of troops from our State in Arkansas history. As a Senator and as an Arkansan, I want to know that these troops are going to receive the supplies that they need to do the job, and the pay that they deserve for their service.

When this President ran for office 3 years ago, one of his central promises was that he would make the needs of the uniformed military a paramount concern.

But the record of this administration in supporting our troops and their families suggests otherwise.

Now the President comes to Congress seeking an additional $87 billion to sustain our engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While this legislation was being crafted, I asked that the President use his leadership to place a higher priority on the well-being and quality of life of American troops serving in these war-torn nations.

The President has expressed his great pride in our troops, and I share that pride. I ask that he now match that pride with a commitment to these troops and their families.

First, the President and the Pentagon need to review the allocation of rations, water, and supplies to our troops to ensure that they can maintain their strength and health, as well as a modicum of comfort, in an extremely harsh desert environment.

Third, the President should instruct military commanders to develop greater certainty with regard to the length of combat assignments, so that troops and their families can plan for their futures.

Finally, the President should continue working to build an international coalition of countries to share in the burden of post-war Iraq.

American troops have paid with their lives and American taxpayers are paying for the reconstruction at rates that are greatly disproportionate to the rest of the free world.

The model of international forces working together for security and reconstruction has worked before. In fact, this model is working right now in places like Afghanistan, where troops from Germany and Holland, among other countries, are working alongside United States troops to bring security and peace to that nation.

Although Afghanistan still faces a number of security challenges and we still face a long commitment to the Afghan people, there is no doubt that the country is much better off now than it was at this time 3 years ago. This progress is a direct result of the multinational force working to secure and reconstruct Afghanistan today.

We should continue to seek a similar force structure for the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq. The United Nations Security Council resolution that was passed today is one step in the right direction. Even if we don't yet have concrete commitments of troops or funding, it does help bring our allies to the table. It does give us an opportunity to begin the process of healing

the rifts in the global community and perhaps to ensure a more peaceful future. I urge the President to continue working to secure the support of our allies and the United Nations.

At this point, it is clear that there is a great deal of work to be done in Iraq, and that our commitment of troops in the Middle East is going to last for several more years at the least.

This latest request for billions of dollars to support operations and reconstruction in Iraq is the clearest suggestion from the administration that our commitment is only going to grow more intense in the coming months and years.

It is important to recognize that these decisions are not made in a vacuum. We have a responsibility to ask how these funds are being spent. We have a right to know what further resources will be needed beyond this supplemental appropriation. And we have an obligation to ask what effects this spending will have on our domestic priorities and the needs of our constituents.

I have heard repeatedly from my constituents in Arkansas, who are deeply concerned about this funding and how it is being spent. In Arkansas, we have a tremendous need for water projects, for education funding, for health care, for infrastructure, and for all the necessities that federal investment can bring. My constituents ask, how can we afford $87 billion for Iraq when we're repeatedly told that there is no money for projects at home? Where is this money going to come from? How is it going to be spent?

Further, I support providing a substantial portion of the funding in this legislation designated for reconstruction projects in the form of a loan. I do not believe my children and possibly my grandchildren should be required to pay for this effort without at least some help from the Iraqi people. I was pleased the Senate approved an amendment with my support that converts $10 billion of the reconstruction funding contained in the bill into a loan.

I also believe that to be successful in the long run, the Iraqi people and the global community must have a vested interest in this reconstruction effort.

When constituents from Arkansas come to ask me for help with projects in their communities, I have to tell them in most cases that I can't help them with funding to construct buildings, but I can help secure money for equipment, training and programming.

The rationale behind this Federal policy is that projects are much more likely to succeed if the participants have a vested interest. I think the same policy holds true for Iraq.

I am voting in favor of this supplemental appropriations bill, because I believe it is important that we support our troops and it is important that we assist the people of Iraq with rebuilding their country so that our men and women in uniform can finish the job and return home to their loved ones as soon as possible.

Even though we have made some significant improvements in this bill during consideration in the Senate, I do have some reservations. I remain concerned that we are spending too much money on reconstruction projects of dubious value, and too little on ensuring the safety and security of our troops. And I am deeply, deeply concerned of the effect of this additional spending on our burgeoning deficit--a burden that our children and grandchildren are going to have to bear.

In the weeks and months to come, I expect the administration to make a better effort to improve communications with Congress on the progress we are making in Iraq. I expect the administration to keep Congress better informed about progress in Iraq, and to present a clear plan for the future--how this money is being spent, how it is to be paid for, and what the results of this spending will be. I have supported legislation that promotes greater disclosure from the administration, and encourage the President to cooperate with Congress in good faith.

President Bush and members of his administration have told us repeatedly that this funding is needed in order to ensure that Iraq is stabilized and secured, and to ensure that we can bring down troop levels and casualty levels. I, along with the people of Arkansas, intend to hold them accountable for those goals.

Mr. President, as a member of the Senate Ethics Committee, I take seriously any action which raises questions about the integrity of the Federal Government. I believe firmly that the Federal contracting process in Iraq and elsewhere should be transparent and accountable to ensure Federal tax dollars are spent appropriately. Like many of my constituents, I question the circumstances under which Halliburton was awarded a contract in Iraq in a process that did not include soliciting competitive bids from other companies. I believe all aspects of that transaction should be carefully examined and open to public inspection.

While I sympathize with the proponents of the Lautenberg amendment, I do not believe a punitive, absolute statutory prohibition is the correct approach under the circumstances. Instead, I support efforts to ensure Federal contracts in Iraq are awarded through a process that is subject to rigorous Congressional oversight and that applies strict penalties for any unethical or illegal conduct that is uncovered. Additionally, I believe contracts should be awarded through full and fair competition.

As a U.S. Senator, I am ethically bound to conduct my official duties in a manner that avoids even the appearance of impropriety. I fully intend to honor that commitment to my country and my constituents. I also intend to hold the Bush administration to the same standard.

Madam President, yesterday I submitted an amendment to the supplemental spending bill which I do hope the Senate will consider favorably. I know it is going to be difficult because of the issue I am bringing up. The amendment primarily consists of the Military Tax Fairness Act and the acceleration of the refundable child credit. Both of these bills have passed the Senate overwhelmingly.

We have been talking and talking and talking about them over the past many months, and I know there will be thousands of excuses we will be hearing telling us why we should not include this tax relief bill on the supplemental spending bill.

I know this is a tax bill on an appropriations bill. I know we have a child credit in two different conferences. I know the Military Tax Fairness Act has been going back and forth between the two Chambers. I know all of these excuses I am going to hear. I know there will be tremendous numbers of those who will come forward and opportunities to try to stop what I am trying to do.

But, Madam President, I am truly exhausted. I am truly exhausted with all of the excuses we have had. And I know the hard-working American families are just as exhausted as I am with the inability of us to be able to move forward these two very simple acts within the Congress that would be such a tremendous help to the working families of America.

The death gratuity paid to the survivors of a military member has historically been exempt from taxation. In 1986, the amount of the death gratuity benefit was $3,000. In 1991, the payment was raised from $3,000 to $6,000 in connection with the Persian Gulf conflict. But the Tax Code was not adjusted accordingly.

Currently, the military survivor must pay taxes on the $3,000 increase to the death gratuity payment. This is a very simple problem to fix. And I do not want any more excuses of why we cannot do it. I simply want to get it done.

In 1997, Congress passed legislation revising the taxation of capital gains on the sale of an individual's principal residence, providing up to a $250,000 exclusion, $500,000 per couple, on their home sale if the individual owned and lived in the house for at least 2 of the 5 years preceding the sale. Congress failed to provide a special rule for members of the uniformed service and Foreign Service who are required to periodically move either within the United States or abroad, making it difficult to meet those exclusion requirements.

The proposal in this amendment would permit military and Foreign Service men and women to suspend the 5-year period for a maximum of 10 years while away from home on assignment. In other words, those years away would count toward neither the 2-year lived-in-home nor the 5-year period.

Most American homeowners have the opportunity to build equity in their homes and are afforded this great tax benefit to do so. Members of the uniformed and Foreign Service who serve our country are deserving of no less. This should be an easy fix. It is something we can do; we should do; we have all agreed upon many times over. Why can we not do it? I do not want to hear the excuses. And I certainly do not want to present these excuses to my constituents.

Again, under the current law, military personnel located in a combat zone are provided an extension for filing taxes until 180 days after they return from the combat zone. This provision does not currently apply to contingency operations where military personnel are confronted with demanding circumstances similar to those faced by members in a combat zone.

Contingency operations we have seen recently include Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, Operation Restore Hope in Somalia in 1992, and Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti in 1994.

Right now, for example, an airman who is currently deployed overseas in a contingency operation in support of our troops in Afghanistan or Iraq combat zones happens to be left out.

This, again, is a simple fix, something we can do for the hard- working military service men and women who are there serving our Nation, putting their lives on hold here at home to protect our freedoms, and to be a part of the overall war on terrorism. It is something very simple that we could fix if we just took the time to do it.

Some reservists must travel away from home to perform mandatory weekend drill one weekend per month and may incur significant travel and lodging expenses. Under current law,

these are deductible as itemized deductions, as unreimbursed business expenses, to the extent they exceed 2 percent of the member's adjusted gross income. Most lower income, junior reservists do not itemize deductions, so they receive no tax benefit for their expenses. For those who do, the 2 percent floor limits the amount of benefit of the deduction. For young reservists, their expenses may cost them as much as their entire take-home pay for that weekend.

This is a real-life issue for working men and women who are there serving each and every one of us in the military of this great Nation.

Why can't we just get it done? These are issues on which we have all agreed. It makes so much sense for us to come forward now, as we are talking about the issues that affect our service men and women who are stationed abroad. Let us give them the tools to be able to keep their families together here at home, to provide for their children, to make sure their families are going to stay together no matter how long they may be deployed.

Under current law, a veterans organization is exempt from taxation if it meets the requirements of section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code. However, this status is in jeopardy. Many of these veterans organizations, such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, could face losing their tax-exempt status if the Congress and the administration do not act to change the technical requirements of the Internal Revenue Code.

We have to get these things done. We are talking about wrapping up our business here in the next month or so. We have ample opportunity to move these issues. We have come to agreement on all of them. We have moved them in years past. Why can't we make them happen?

I could go on and on, describing all of the varied Tax Code fixes for veterans and military families that should have been enacted months ago. They are all included in this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Now is the time to act. We talk about how valuable our service men and women are to us, how much they mean to us, the sacrifices they are making, and how much that means to us as a nation and as individuals. Let's move on our Military Tax Fairness Act now. Let's make sure we see this legislation through and that we enact it before we leave here.

The last provision of this amendment I would like to speak about is something I have talked a great deal about because I feel very strongly about it. I feel strongly about it because I am a mother. I am trying to keep my family together, working hard with my husband as a dual- parent household, recognizing the real challenges that American families face in raising children today. That is the child tax credit, its impact on military families and all of our working families.

The President promised America's families an advanced payment of the $400 increase in the child tax credit. These checks were sent out to a chosen few Americans earlier this summer. However, for millions of working and military families, hard-working military families, this promise was not fulfilled. The families of 12 million children did not receive the full child credit check this summer. By now they all know who they are.

We should extend the child tax credit to the other working families who were left out. These are people who work hard every day to provide for their children and their families, to keep their families together. These are hard-working families who have a family member, a father or mother, who may be stationed abroad or is in training now, someone who is out there who they have been dependent on who we are not going to give the same opportunity to in the refundability of a child tax credit simply because they make less money. Please remember, you are not even eligible for this child credit unless you are working and unless you have children.

This is not a giveaway. These are working families who are paying taxes every day, whether it is sales tax, payroll taxes, excise taxes, to get themselves to and from work. Why wouldn't we want to give these families the same ability, as they are working hard to preserve their families, why wouldn't we want to give them the same advantage we give other higher income working families to take care of their children and families?

I believe we need to extend that child credit to working families, all working families, and we need to do it now. A family with two parents making minimum wage and two children would not receive any increase in the child credit under the bill signed by the President. They would not receive any check this summer. Did they not work hard enough for this Congress? Did they not work hard enough for this administration? Did they not work hard enough to be a part of trying to revive this economy and strengthen the fabric of our Nation?

It isn't just minimum wage workers who were left out. These children in the shadows are living on our military bases as well. Roughly 200,000 military personnel have incomes between $10,500 and $26,000, and most of these families will not receive the increased child tax credit. In addition, roughly 100,000 military personnel stationed in combat zones will be ineligible to receive the full credit because they were called to duty. They did not receive a check this summer. Did they not work hard enough? Wherever they were stationed in uniform to protect our freedoms, did they not work hard enough for this Congress and this administration to get the same fair treatment as a working individual in this country to take care of their children and their families? The blue jeans, the milk, the loaf of bread, or anything else they buy, was it any less expensive than what other working families are dealing with?

I think they worked hard enough. I am ashamed that we have been hiding from these families, hiding behind our rhetoric, hiding behind our process. This great institution is full of processes that are here to make the effort more reasonable, to make sure that what we are doing is right, that it can be dealt with in an appropriate way. But these processes are not here for us to hide behind. These are working families in our military and in our communities that deserve the same fair treatment.

I, for one, am tired of telling them that if they will just wait a little bit longer, we will finally get around to them--maybe somewhere down the road. We could have done this 6 months ago. We could have done it 4 months ago. We could have done it 2 months ago before we left on our break. But we didn't. We have not and we probably will not.

It is so important that we address this issue. It is important we tell these people that they are a priority, not only because they are the fighting military men and women of this country but because they are the salt of the earth, the working families putting the fabric of this Nation back together, one family at a time. We owe it to them to give them the same opportunity to invest in their families, to reinvest in the economy, and to help make us strong so we can be and will remain the superpower of the world that is there to reach out to other nations to help them through liberation and rebuilding and a multitude of other issues. But we are only as strong as each of the individual families of this Nation that make up our whole.

I am ready for the excuses that my colleagues may throw at me. I am sure there are going to be many. I hope those families who got nothing from the trillions of dollars in tax cuts that we have shoved out of the door are listening, too. I hope they are listening, but I doubt that they are. These are the men and women who are too busy, too busy at work, too busy in the trenches and in the desert, too busy raising those children and working hard at one or two jobs to make sure their families will stay home, regardless of whether we find them as a priority in this Nation. They are too busy for our excuses.

I hope for just once my colleagues will join me in doing what is right on behalf of the working families in this great country and the 12 million children who are our future.

Madam President, I call up my amendment.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, in recent months I have risen on several occasions to pay tribute to the men and women who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the global war on international terror. Today I rise once again to pay tribute and to honor an Arkansas native recently who died last week in Afghanistan--LTC Paul Kimbrough, a native of Little Rock, AR. He was 44 years old.

Paul Kimbrough graduated from Little Rock's Parkview High School in 1977. Four years later, he graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway with a degree in political science. He joined the U.S. Army before returning to complete his education at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, where he headed up the Black Law Students Association. Paul followed his commitment to public service into the political arena, first working on the staff of U.S. Representative Ray Thornton, and then running in his own campaign for a seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives. He lost that race, but that didn't slow him down. Paul's next challenge took him to Washington, DC, where he came to work in the U.S. Department of Transportation in the inspector-general's office.

Lieutenant Colonel Kimbrough remained active in the U.S. Army reserve, and in June he was deployed to Afghanistan with the 416th Engineer Command, where he helped to oversee improvements to living conditions for

soldiers at Bagram Air Base. On October 3, he was flown to Incirlik, Turkey, for medical treatment. He died of cardiac arrest en route to Turkey.

His family and friends remember him as a true leader--driven, determined, and deeply committed to his country and its cause. In a message to his colleagues at the Department of Transportation sent before he left for Afghanistan, Paul wrote, ``Always there echoes in my mind: duty, honor, and country. Therefore, I will do my duty as God has given me light to see.''

LTC Paul Kimbrough is survived by his father, Major Kimbrough; his son, Paul Kimbrough, Jr.; his four brothers; and his sister. I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest condolences to Paul's family and friends.

Paul Kimbrough's resolve and his commitment to his country will not be forgotten. The mission continues in Afghanistan and Iraq, and we remain confident that Paul Kimbrough's courage and sacrifice will have been given in a worthy cause.

Mr. President, in recent months I have risen on several occasions to pay tribute to the men and women who are fighting in Iraq and elsewhere in the global war on international terror. Today I rise once again to pay tribute and to honor a young man who was recently killed in action in Iraq--Dustin K. McGaugh. Dusty was killed Tuesday near Balad, Iraq. He was 20 years old.

Dusty grew up in Springdale, AR, and graduated from high school in Tulsa, OK. After graduation, he joined the Army ROTC. His father, James McGaugh, told one newspaper in Arkansas that Dusty joined the Army because he was looking for direction in life and because he ``wanted to serve and be part of something important.'' Dusty enlisted shortly before September 11, 2001--in fact, when the terrorist attacks occurred on that horrible day, he was undergoing basic training in boot camp. One newspaper account quotes a close friend who told of Dusty being so dedicated to his Army service that he finished his last three weeks of basic training after breaking his shin bone in a fall. Dusty decided not to report his injury, so that he might graduate from basic training on time with his colleagues. He graduated with special honors. In April of this year, Dusty's unit--the U.S. Army 17th Field Artillery Brigade--was deployed to the Middle East. He accepted his mission with pride and served with honor.

Dusty is survived by his father James of Springdale; his brother, James McGaugh, of Claremore, OK; his mother, Marina Hayes, of Tulsa; his stepmother, Katrina McGaugh, of Springdale; and a twin sister, Windy McGaugh, of Derby, KS. I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our deepest condolences to Dusty's family and friends.

When he learned that he would be going to Iraq, Dusty reportedly told one friend, ``I believe in this. I want to serve our country.'' His resolve and his commitment to his country will not be forgotten. The mission continues in Iraq, and we remain confident that Dusty McGaugh's courage and sacrifice will have been given in a worthy cause.

Mr. President, I will vote in favor of Senator McConnell's sense of the Senate amendment because it expressed strong support for our Nation's armed services and their success in accomplishing the important mission to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein. I am especially proud of the men and women in uniform from Arkansas who represent the best and brightest our country has to offer. It is vital that we continue to support our troops in every way we can, as they continue to come under attack in Iraq.

As Congress continues debate on this legislation and related bills in the future, I believe we in Congress have a responsibility to exercise careful oversight of the administration's plan to rebuild Iraq and to ask tough questions about specific plans, objectives, and results to ensure our mission is accomplished. To that end, we must realistically assess the United States efforts in the war on terror. While the dedication and efficiency of the men and women who comprise our military is unparalleled, recent difficulties in Iraq demonstrate that there is much work left to be done.

Mr. President, I have risen on numerous occasions in the past 6 months to pay tribute to the men and women who are fighting in Iraq and elsewhere in the war on international terror. Today I rise once again to pay tribute and to honor a young man who was recently killed in action in Iraq--Master Sergeant Kevin Morehead, a native of Little Rock, AR, and a soldier in the U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group. MSG Morehead was killed September 12 in the early morning raid in Ar Ramadi, an Iraqi city about 70 miles west of Baghdad.

Keven Morehead graduated from Central High School in Little Rock in 1987. After attending the University of Arkansas, Kevin opted for a military career, enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1989. In 1994, he joined the elite Special Forces. His service over his 14-year career in the Army was exemplary, earning him a number of commendations, including the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart. In the last 2 years, he served with distinction in the Middle Eastern theater, first in Afghanistan, where he served as an adviser to the Northern Alliance in the fight against the Taliban extremists. In Afghanistan from October 2001 to February 2002, MSG Morehead called in airstrikes on Taliban positions, and his actions reportedly saved the lives of hundreds of men. MSG Morehead was sent to Iraq in January of this year, where he served with further distinction. Although his unit had already returned from service in Iraq, MSG Morehead had stayed behind to help with orientation for his unit's replacements.

Keven was buried on September 21 in Bald Knob, AR, in a grave on a hilltop next to that of his grandfather. Our condolences and our prayers go out to Kevin's wife Theresa; to his stepdaughters, Kirsten Inman and Kaylyn Council, to his sister, Kristen Wright; to his grandmother, Zelda Guthrie; and to his parents, James and Jeanette Morehead, of Benton, AR.

One attendee at his funeral was quoted in our State's newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, as saying that Master Sergeant Kevin Morehead ``did not die in vain. Hopefully, by his actions the world will be a better place for all mankind.'' The mission continues in Iraq, and we remain confident that, as coalition troops move to secure and stabilize the country, Iraq will emerge as a democracy in the Middle East, and that Kevin Morehead's courage and sacrifice will prove to have been given in a worthy cause.

Mr. President, I wish to recognize the Epsilon Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity was founded on October 15, 1898, by nine women at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, VA. The Epsilon Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha, founded on December 18, 1903, at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, will celebrate 100 years of sisterhood from September 26-28 on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. The Centennial Celebration is expected to bring many Epsilon alumnae back to the campus, including Amber Elbert, a member of my staff and 1998 Epsilon initiate.

The Epsilon Chapter is unique in many ways. It is the first chapter in Zeta Tau Alpha history to reach a centennial mark and the first chapter founded west of the Mississippi River. Epsilon was also the very first chapter to be announced through the fraternity's official magazine, ``Themis.'' The first pictures ever used in ``Themis'' were those of Epsilon, its chapter room and the University of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas students who founded the chapter in 1903 were Elizabeth Kell Rose, Hattie Williams, Margaret Hutcherson, Grace Jordan, Bess Byrnes, Della McMillan and Mabel Sutton.

The mission of Zeta Tau Alpha is to make a difference in the lives of its membership by developing the potential of each individual through visionary programming, which emphasizes leadership development, service to others, academic success and continued personal growth for women with a commitment to friendship and the future based on the values and traditions of our past. Having been actively involved with Chi Omega Fraternity as both a collegiate member and an alumna, I have witnessed firsthand the lifelong benefit that can come from membership in a Greek organization, such as Zeta Tau Alpha.

On behalf of all Arkansans, I would like to extend congratulations to the Epsilon Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity for 100 years of excellence and enriching the lives of its members from Arkansas and across the Nation.

I join my friend and colleague in supporting this project. I believe this will be a place that junior high and high school kids will truly enjoy and where they can be engaged. According to the Pew Foundation, academic achievement, student engagement, and teacher satisfaction all improve significantly when schools link academics with hands-on study of the surrounding environment and community and that is exactly what the Little Rock Audubon Nature Center will do.

The Nature Center site is just a 15-minute school bus ride from 50 schools in southeast Little Rock, giving it the ability to serve as an outdoor classroom for thousands of school children.

In short, this is a kid-friendly, cost-effective approach to reaching the underserved and teaching science and math. This is the kind of project this body must support to help our kids meet the challenges of the future.

What we are talking about here is stimulating the minds of children and fostering their aspirations to become our next great scientists and engineers. The education investments we make now can lead our country to the discovery of the next vital scientific finding, invention or cure. This is an opportunity to inspire our children to strive for greatness in science and mathematics and to harvest their creativity, curiosity and knowledge so they may one day help their fellow man and society at large.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Madam President, I rise to join Senators Alexander, Frist, and Pryor to introduce a resolution in honor of a great American, and one of our greatest Arkansans--Johnny Cash, who passed away on Friday, September 12, at the age of 71.

John R. Cash was born in Kingsland, AR on February 26, 1932. When he was just 3 years old, his father moved the family to Dyess Colony, a New Deal program that set up new farming communities on uncleared land near the Mississippi River. The family had 20 acres upon which they farmed cotton and other seasonal crops and from the beginning, John was taught to work for a living. It was this time spent farming and living in Northeast Arkansas, that inspired songs such as ``Look at Them Beans'' and ``Five Feet High and Rising.'' At the age of six, he was hauling water for a road crew. At twelve he was chopping cotton. When he reached high school he was singing on the radio in Blytheville. Still, John didn't pick up a guitar until he was stationed in West Germany as a soldier in the Army. The instrument was so cheap, he said, that ``it didn't even have a brand name.''

When he returned from Germany, John moved to Memphis, determined to make it in the music industry. He sold appliances door-to-door and went to broadcasting school on the GI bill, playing music whenever he could. Finally, he managed to get an audition before Sam Phillips, the owner of the legendary Sun Records studio. The first time Phillips heard Cash sing, he turned him down, saying that he sounded ``too country.'' John returned with a more rockabilly sound and Phillips began to send his group out with another artist on the Sun Records label, Elvis Presley. Phillips also began to refer to John as Johnny, a name Cash disliked because he thought it made him sound too young. Johnny would go on to record some of his most cherished songs for the label, including such classics as ``Cry, Cry, Cry'' and ``I Walk the Line''.

Over the next 5 decades, Johnny Cash recorded over 400 albums, with 48 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and over 130 hits on the Billboard country music charts. In the process, the boy from Dyess Colony managed to sell over 50 million records. He is part of a distinguished group of musicians from Arkansas including: Conway Twitty, Sonny Boy Williamson, Glen Campbell, and Charlie Rich. Even though Johnny Cash and these other distinguished artists found fame outside of Arkansas, the experience of growing up in Arkansas gave them a unique perspective on the feelings of the common man and woman, working hard to just get by, a perspective which came through in their music.

The number of artists he has influenced is immeasurable. He has been inducted into the Country & Western Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He received 11 Grammy Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and has been honored by both the Kennedy Center for his contribution to American Culture and the United Nations, receiving the Humanitarian Award. The last two awards illustrate how Johnny Cash became so much more than a musician.

His songs shined a light on aspects of American culture that are integral to our Nation's history but too often overlooked. He never forgot where he came from and the people he met along the way. He told stories about people who worked hard just to survive, people so poor they couldn't afford a car so they snuck out the parts to build one from the plant where they worked, ``One Piece At A Time''. And he told it all with a voice that once was described as ``the perfect voice for a man of his spirit. It's unmistakable. It doesn't sound like anybody else. And it sounds like the real thing, which is what he is.''

I ask that all my colleagues in the Senate join me in honoring a true

American original, a prodigiously talented musician, with a conscience that matched those gifts. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends.