Floor Statements

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hold a hearing entitled, ``Medicare Vulnerabilities: Payments for Claims Tied to Deceased Doctors.'' The Subcommittee hearing will examine fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare program in connection with the payment of claims containing the physician identification numbers of doctors who had died at least 1 year before the prescription was filled. The hearing will focus on Durable Medical Equipment (DME) claims citing a deceased doctor as the prescribing physician, and inadequate oversight by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to correct the problem. The Subcommittee will also issue a Subcommittee staff report in conjunction with the hearing summarizing its investigative findings. Witnesses for the upcoming hearing will include representatives from CMS, Health & Human Services' Office of the Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration.

The Subcommittee hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9, 2008, at 10:30 a.m., in Room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please contact Elise Bean of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations at 224-9505.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, last February, the Iraqi Government set October 1, 2008, as the date for provincial elections to occur. These elections are critical to U.S. and Iraqi efforts to bring about reconciliation in their country. For instance, those elections will give members of the Sunni community, many of whom did participate in the previous rounds of provincial elections, a chance to vote for fair representation in Iraqi's provincial councils. Unfortunately, the provincial elections law, which is the enabling legislation needed for these elections to take place, remains stalled in the Iraqi Council of Representatives and will likely delay provincial elections by at least several months.

The administration's silence on the Iraqi Government's failure to adopt election laws that were promised in February--and which set a date of October 1 for those elections--is disturbing, and it is the exact wrong way to send a message to the Iraqi leaders. Many of us have tried repeatedly to get this administration to shift responsibility to the Iraqi leaders for their own future, since there is a broad consensus that there is no military solution and only a political settlement among the Iraqis can end the conflict. The administration, however, has repeatedly missed opportunities to shift this burden to the Iraqis and appears willing to miss another opportunity.

President Bush indicated in February that he was confident that the Iraqi Government was ``going to continue to work to make sure that their stated objective of getting provincial elections done by October of 2008 will happen.'' And after meeting the Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in April, Secretary Rice said, ``They know that provincial elections need to be held before October 1, as has been the announcement.'' The administration is well aware that the failure of the Council of Representatives to pass a provincial elections law in the near future is likely to cause the previously established October 1 date for Iraqi provincial elections to be postponed.

The recent GAO report, entitled ``Securing, Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq,'' paints an even bleaker picture. According to that GAO report, it is likely to take 4 to 8 months to prepare for elections after a provincial election law is passed. That means that even if this law was passed next week, the October 1 deadline is unlikely to be met.

Ambassador Crocker said on April 10:

The way forward for a stable Iraq lies as much through

successful elections, in my view, over the long term, as it

does through the necessary application of force against those

who resist the state.

Where is the pressure on the Iraqi Government to keep their commitment to an October election? Where is the administration's message of disappointment? Iraqi leaders are likely to read the administration's silence on their failure to act as a shrug of our shoulders.

We have made some security gains in Iraq, but progress is spotty on most political benchmarks set by the Iraqis for themselves, including provincial elections. The administration's silence on this issue needs to end. It needs to make clear to the Iraqi Government that further delay in passing the provincial election law is totally unacceptable.

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, according to data released this month by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, ATF, gun dealers in this country ``lost'' an average of 82 firearms every day last year. That means more than 30,000 firearms are mysteriously unaccounted for in gun dealers' inventories in 2007 alone. With no record of sale, these guns could be prime candidates for sale on the black market.

Perhaps even more disturbing is that the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence believes that the 30,000 guns are actually likely an undercount of the total number of guns that disappeared from gun shops last year. The ATF conducted inspections at approximately 10,000 of the Nation's 60,000 gun dealers last year, finding over 30,000 firearms missing from the dealers' inventories with no record of sale. The other 50,000 dealers were not inspected due to limited ATF resources. In fiscal year 2005, the ATF examined 3,083 gun dealers and found 12,274 missing firearms.

The underground market for guns is apparently largely supplied by the diversion of this massive number of guns from licensed gun shops into the hands of criminals. Based on its own gun-trafficking investigations, the ATF has concluded that corrupt gun dealers are the largest source of firearms diverted to the illegal market. The Brady Center report, ``Death Valley: Profile of a Rogue Gun Dealer,'' details one particular gun dealer who was cited over 900 times for Federal gun law violations. Over 480 guns from this dealer were apparently traced to gun crimes, including 41 assaults and 11 murders. In 2003 alone, the dealer reportedly failed to account for 422 guns, more than one-quarter of his entire inventory, during a single inspection.

This kind of activity can be addressed by vigorously enforcing our gun laws, providing law enforcement with stronger tools to crack down on gun trafficking, corrupt gun dealers, and criminals, and by passing sensible gun safety legislation. Unfortunately, the failure of Congress to act on several common sense bills has allowed criminals and possibly terrorists continued easy access to guns. I urge my colleagues to reverse this trend of inaction, and to help put a stop to this huge source of guns for the black market.

Mr. President, small towns are at the heart of our country's history and cultural heritage. These communities, and the institutions and groups that make up these towns, are an enduring aspect of our political, economic and social structure, offering their unique and special chapters to the American story. It is in this spirit that I recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of Gwinn, MI. This town, which is flanked by the Escanaba River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is an important part of America's industrial history.

Situated in the Swanzy region, this area is rich in red iron ore, which attracted companies to the region as early as the 1870's for mining. As a result of these mining efforts, Gwinn was formally founded in 1908 by William Gwinn Mather, president of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company as a ``model town'' for its company's employees. Gwinn is one of only three ``model towns'' built in the Lake Superior mining region. Mather named the town in honor of his mother, and hired Warren Manning, a prominent architect from Boston, to design the layout of the town. Intended to provide for the social, physical, and cultural well-being of its residents and inspired by European and northeastern design, this thoughtfully conceived town remains a fine and relatively pristine example of a model town of that era. On June 24, 2002, the town of Gwinn was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, an important federal recognition of its historical significance.

Like many small mining towns, Gwinn has weathered some major industrial shifts in the century following its founding. Mining operations in the region began to decline between the 1920s and 1940s and were all but eliminated after World War II. In the mid 1950s, KI Sawyer Air Force Base was established in Marquette County and quickly became a major, and much needed, source of employment for the region. After the closure of Sawyer in 1995 as a result of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission process, it was successfully transformed into a hub of private enterprise. Now home to many businesses and some residential housing, the former base is a testament to the collective efforts of this region to reinvent itself after experiencing yet another significant blow to its economic base.

Gwinn's 100th anniversary is a tribute to the strength and perseverance of its citizens and of America's working families. This milestone will be celebrated through festivities spanning from July 3 to July 12. I know my colleagues in the Senate join me in recognizing the residents of Gwinn as they celebrate their town's 100th anniversary. I wish them another 100 years achievement and success.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 377, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the concurrent resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the following bills en bloc: Calendar No. 841, S. 3015; Calendar No. 842, S. 3082; Calendar No. 843, H.R. 3721; Calendar No. 844, H.R. 4185; Calendar No. 845, H.R. 5168; Calendar No. 846, H.R. 5395; Calendar No. 847, H.R. 5479; Calendar No. 848, H.R. 5517; and Calendar No. 849, H.R. 5528.

I further ask unanimous consent that the bills be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, and that any statements relating to the measures be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 443, H.R. 3564.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a Coburn amendment which is at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar Nos. 474, 510, 517, 518, 582, 592, 594, 611, 637, 638, 639, 640, 641, 642, 643, 644, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655, 656, 657, 658, 659, 660, 661, 662, 663, 664, 667 to and including 682, all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Foreign Service, NOAA, Marine Corps and Navy, and that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from consideration of PN 1815, Lyndon L. Olson, and the Banking Committee be discharged from further consideration of PN 568, Elizabeth A. Duke, and the HELP Committee be discharged from further consideration of PN 1501, Constance Barker, and the Senate proceed en bloc to their consideration; that the nominations be confirmed, en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, en bloc, that no further motions be in order; provided further that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate return to legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Monday, June 30 for a pro forma session only; that following the pro forma session, the Senate stand adjourned under the provisions of H. Con. Res. 379, the adjournment resolution, until 2 p.m. on Monday, July 7; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate proceed to a period of morning business until 3 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each; that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 3221, the housing reform legislation, as under the previous order; I further ask that the Record remain open until 2 p.m. for the introduction of statements, cosponsorships, introduction of bills, and committee reporting.

Mr. President, under a previous order, at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, the Senate will proceed to a cloture vote on the motion to concur with respect to the housing reform legislation. As Senator Reid stated earlier today, last night we were able to reach an agreement with respect to the FISA legislation. When we return from the Fourth of July recess, we will take up the FISA legislation and consider three amendments with limited debate time. Senators should be prepared to debate and vote on FISA on Tuesday, July 8.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, I support the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, H.R.6331, which makes a number of needed changes related to Medicare reimbursement, including reimbursement for physicians' services.

Medicare physician fee schedule payments are updated each year according to a complex formula based on a sustainable growth rate, SGR. Unfortunately, because of the way the formula is calculated, even if Congress prevents the cuts in a given year, scheduled reimbursements cuts are likely to increase in subsequent years unless Congress takes additional action, such as developing a permanent alternative to the SGR formula.

I support efforts to ensure that physicians receive adequate reimbursement for their services. It could be financially unsound for physicians to continue to provide services to Medicare beneficiaries if reimbursement is inadequate. As a result, allowing reimbursement cuts to enter into effect could pose significant access problems as physician's are unable to afford providing services to Medicare beneficiaries in need of medical attention.

While I believe past measures to alleviate this burden on physicians have been helpful, I know from my discussions with health care providers throughout Michigan that more needs to be done. For the long term, Congress must find an alternative to the SGR. The SGR is linked not to the cost of providing health services, but to the performance of the overall economy. The cost of health care has been rising much faster than inflation. Our Nation should address the rising costs of health care as part of a larger discussion on health care reform. Reimbursement should more accurately represent the cost of providing services.

In the meantime, I support this legislation, which includes a delay on Medicare reimbursement cuts for physicians' services and replaces the cut with a 1.1-percent increase for 2009. I am hopeful that the Senate will pass this legislation and that the President will heed the will of Congress and the American people and sign this bill into law before the cuts enter into effect on July 1.

Mr. President, I strongly support the extension of unemployment insurance benefits. Extending unemployment insurance benefits would fairly and rightly extend much needed assistance to Americans who are struggling to find jobs. While I was disappointed that the provision in this bill does not include extra benefits for states with high unemployment rates, I believe this unemployment insurance extension, or benefits of an additional 13 weeks for all States, is an important step forward. If the trend of rising unemployment rates continues, it is my hope that Congress will consider another emergency unemployment insurance package that will do more to help states struggling with the highest rates of unemployment.

The Nation's unemployment rate jumped to 5.5 percent in May from 5 percent in April--the biggest jump in 1 month in 22 years. Since the beginning of the Bush administration, Michigan has suffered significant jobs losses and the State's unemployment rate has increased from 4.5 percent in January 2001 to 8.5 percent in May of this year, the highest unemployment rate in the Nation. Michigan has not seen an unemployment rate this high since October of 1992. For too long, the administration has stood idle as 3.3 million manufacturing jobs have been lost, and as working families have felt the squeeze of the rising costs of energy, health care and food. An estimated 428,000 Michigan residents were unemployed in May. Between May 2007 and May of this year, over 170,000 residents exhausted their unemployment benefits and could not find jobs. This year, on average each month about 15,000 more Michigan residents face this same predicament.

President Bush's opposition to an extension of unemployment benefits is apparently based on his belief that, somehow, the availability of unemployment benefits would discourage people from looking for a job. I am disappointed that President Bush would repeat this tired and inaccurate excuse for failing to provide Americans the help they need in these tough times. The devastating reality is that about 7.6 million Americans are unemployed and cannot find jobs, not because they are refusing to look, but because the labor market simply does not have the jobs. Millions of workers have been searching for a job for over 6 months, to no avail. The number of long-term unemployed workers is now higher than when it was when we provided an unemployment insurance extension in 2002. The high rate of unemployment has disproportionately affected veterans, minorities, and young people. While Americans continue to search high and low for a job, their unemployment benefits are running out.

Our people face tremendous economic pressures, from a rate of home foreclosures that is up 130 percent from 2006, soaring costs of health care, to skyrocketing prices for food and gas. Unfortunately, this situation is unlikely to improve soon. Since President Bush took office, the price of health insurance is up 44 percent, the price of college tuition is up 47 percent, the price of gas is up 95 percent, the Federal debt has almost doubled and the dollar has lost a third of its value.

Meanwhile, American families are facing a cost crunch. According to a study by a prominent Harvard Law School professor, the median household income fell by $1,175, in 2007 dollars, between 2000 and 2006. During that same period, consumer expenditures for basic family needs such as mortgage payments, gas, food, phone bills, household appliances, and health insurance increased by $3,552, also in 2007 dollars. Available data in 2008 suggest that the cost of basic needs has continued to increase since 2006, and, between a lower real income and higher basic costs, families are facing as much as a $5,700 shortfall, as compared with 2000 figures.

Extending unemployment insurance during times of recession is nothing new. In the past 30 years, Congress has acted three times to establish temporary extended unemployment benefits, each time during a recession. On average, the length of time that Americans have struggled to get by without a job is longer than it has been in the 30 years since Congress first extended unemployment insurance benefits.

Extending unemployment insurance during tough times is one of the most effective ways to stimulate the economy, dollar for dollar, and this money can be distributed within weeks. Extending unemployment insurance is essential to provide much-needed support to those who have lost their jobs and are struggling to reenter the job market. Workers who receive these unemployment benefits are likely to spend them quickly, making this one of the fastest ways to infuse money into our economy in the short term.

I supported an economic stimulus package considered in the Senate, which included important provisions including an unemployment insurance extension. Unfortunately, this legislation was blocked due to a filibuster by Senate Republicans. It was deeply disappointing that the Senate was forced to pass a short-term stimulus package that did not include an unemployment insurance extension. On May 22, 2008, the Senate overwhelmingly supported an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental bill that included a 13-week extension for unemployment benefits, with an additional 13 weeks for states like Michigan with high levels of unemployment. While the latter important provision is not included in the bill before us, I believe Congress must act with urgency to provide an emergency unemployment extension and therefore I support this legislation.