Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent on amendment No. 230 to change my vote. I voted ``nay''. I ask unanimous consent to change my vote to ``yea''. This change does not alter the outcome of the vote.

Mr. President, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Montana FFA, an organization near and dear to my heart. As a former blue jacket myself, I know firsthand how much this organization contributes to the development of leadership skills. A number of my staff, including my chief of staff, are former Montana FFA officers. I couldn't be prouder to introduce today, along with my colleague, Senator Baucus, a resolution congratulating the Montana FFA on its 75th anniversary.

With over 2,500 current members from 75 chapters, the Montana FFA provides outstanding career and technical education to students across the State. Over 40,000 Montanans have participated in FFA programs.

As this resolution states, the mission of the FFA, a federally chartered national organization, is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agriculture education. In Montana, that mission is achieved every day. Whether focusing on public speaking skills, or developing business expertise, or learning about horticulture at the new greenhouse at Park High in Livingston, FFA ensures that our students are ready to embrace all the opportunities the future holds for them.

When the national FFA began in 1928, it did so with just 33 members. Today, it has blossomed into a powerful force for career education, with over 475,000 members. Each year, the halls of Congress are filled with the familiar blue-and-gold jackets, as FFA students from across the nation come to share their thoughts and concerns with us.

The contributions of both the Montana FFA and the national FFA are numerous, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to honor this great organization today. I know this program will continue to flourish and offer our youngsters skills in leadership, personal growth, and career options in the agricultural community as it has done every day since its inception back in Kansas City.

Mr. President, I rise to speak on behalf of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act. This bill reauthorizes the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 and supports a key goal for this country's future: to ensure America's students have the knowledge and skills to be competitive in today's global economy. Specifically, this legislation supports the creation of stronger partnerships between high schools, colleges, and businesses to allow for career and technical education programs to better meet the needs of the workforce, including small businesses. Also, S. 250 provides for the creation of outlines for logical sequences of courses, including high school and college courses, that will lead to an industry recognized credential, certificate, or postsecondary degree. Furthermore, this measure promotes activities to improve the recruitment and retention of career and technical education teachers, including those underrepresented in the profession.

As a former member of the organization previously known as Future Farmers of America FFA, I am proud of Montana's highly successful vocational education programs. Montana has over 500 approved career and technical education programs and more than 800 certified teachers in agriculture, business, marketing, family and consumer sciences, industrial technology, and health occupations. Over 160 Montana high schools participate in the Federal Carl D. Perkins and State career and technical education grant programs in order to support and improve their career and technical education programs. These valuable programs prepare Montana K-12 students for a variety of careers and post secondary education programs.

I will continue my strong support of vocational education programs and look forward to working with the leadership as the Senate examines education programs during the 109th Congress.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of this resolution. I wish it didn't have to come to this. Maybe it is just an exercise, in light of a Federal judge ruling yesterday, when some of the stockmen in my State have chosen to settle this in court rather than what they can get through the policy of Congress.

I reluctantly rise in support of this because I wish that USDA would have listened to those of us who have been saying for two months that this rule has some problems. I want to say up front that I appreciate the new Secretary of Agriculture Johanns's work on this issue. We met with him. He came down and talked to us. He got thrown in on this with a cold hand, and I know he has been working tirelessly to try to respond to everybody's concerns. Then it comes down to the point where you come to the fork in the road that everybody's concerns cannot be fully addressed. I thank him for doing the right thing and restricting the eligible beef cattle to under 30 months old. I feel strongly about that. I appreciate his action. I think when we said we are not going to take products or cattle over 30 months into this country, that was a prudent move.

But there are still lingering concerns. Whenever this whole thing broke out in 2003, I think I was the only one who stood up and said: They have a feed problem because, No. 1, it started with an Angus cow in Alberta, and then the second cow was the Holstein cow that we found in the State of Washington. Then of the two after that, you had one Angus cow, two dairy cows, and one Charolais cow. So we know we don't have a genetic problem.

In this ban, we have to be very careful of another unintended consequence because there is a great exchange of breeding cattle and seed stock production that crosses that border both ways. So we have to have some way to deal with that. The Department of Agriculture is addressing that situation, too. But it hadn't got there yet.

I said from the get-go, it is the feed. And every number that we see coming out of Canada, and even the report of our USDA team does not draw the conclusion that Canada has not really gotten serious about checking feed, livestock, or cattle feed, in Alberta, Saskatchewan, or across the whole country as far as that goes.

That is where we all have a little bit of a problem. Consumer confidence in beef has never been as good as it is right now. It is because we have taken certain steps to make sure that the safety of the food is utmost because losing consumer confidence would be much more costly than anything that we could do.

So, yes, I eat beef. Obviously, I have eaten quite a lot of it. I have never missed a meal, nor do I plan to.

So when we talk about those things that are based on science--and my friend from Colorado, who has points in this debate, is right on target--we have to face the reality of what is best for the cowman. Because in my State, unlike Colorado, we don't have a predominance of processors. We don't even have a lot of feed cattle, but we have cow- calf producers and we deal in older cattle, especially at this time of the year. And, of course, we sell yearlings and feeder calves. Some of those calves will go to Canada under Canada's new rules. That was a positive step.

But if we back off and take a look at this and let the facts come to the top and we consider those facts, we will make better decisions not only for our cattle people but also the consumers of this country. Even when we got the report of the USDA's team back from Canada, we were on break and had little time to look at that report and make a decision: Are they doing what they are supposed to do in order to protect their own livestock people? That is what Canada did. They let their own people down--when you don't enforce the rules of the 1997 ban of certain ingredients in cattle feed.

So what we are saying right now, is that this action furthers the protection of two of the most important economies that we have in this country, and that is our consuming public and our cow-calf producers.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to introduce Members of the Parliament from Canada and that we proceed as in morning business for those introductions.

Mr. President, I present the Honorable David Tkachuk, Senator Joyce Fairbairn, and Senator Lan Gustafson, who are Members of the Senate in Canada and members of the Senate Agricultural Committee. Welcome.

(Applause.)

I yield the floor.

Amendment No. 29

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

Mr. President, what is the order of business now?

I ask unanimous consent that I may proceed as in morning business for 10 minutes.

Mr. President, I rise today to join some of my friends on both sides of the aisle to talk about and to do something about taking action regarding the Department of Agriculture's decision to open the border to Canadian beef on March 7.

I have been vocal about this for some time. We have been negotiating with the powers that be in trying to improve this controversial regulation.

First, I congratulate and appreciate Secretary Johanns of the Department of Agriculture for his candid responses on this issue and for his timely decision to limit beef to cattle slaughtered at under 30 months. That action took care of most of the concerns I had with reopening the border since the outbreak of BSE in May of 2003.

We have all been trying to find answers to this situation, but my producers still have some serious concerns about Canada's compliance with the feed ban and the firewalls that have been put in place up there. There has been a team representing the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Canada looking at this situation. The feed ban compliance appears to be the best way to reduce outbreaks of BSE, so it is a critical component of our negotiations and it is a critical component of what actions we take from here on.

Compliance with that feed ban must be consistent, but they also must be long term. Because BSE, or mad cow, can lay dormant in a cow for such a long period of time, feed ban violations from years ago can still be a problem today. Thus, the 30-month rule. Products from animals or live animals older than 30 months was taken from the rule. We had to work very hard to do that, and I know it took great leadership on the part of the Secretary of Agriculture to change that part of the rule.

Now the technical team we had in Canada is back in the United States. Unfortunately, we will not get their report for another week. Congress will be on break. So very few of us will be able to get hold of that report, analyze it, and make a judgment on how we should handle a rule that goes into effect on March 7. It leaves us very little time. Thus, the resolution that will come before this Congress puts a hold on the rule and gives Congress some time to operate. We just cannot afford to allow this situation to move any further with the information that we have now. If the USDA will not delay the implementation of this rule and allow Congress to consider its findings, then I am left with no other choice but to support the disapproval resolution.

Again, I thank the Secretary for doing what he did. That took care of a lot of the concerns about the rule. The decision is critical for our cattlemen, and the Secretary showed tremendous leadership in taking that action so quickly.

It is also important to the entire cattle industry and it is important to consumers to have confidence in one of the safest products they find in their grocery store. We know the border will be open at some point, but what we do and the steps we take are very important, both to our friends in Canada and to our consumers and producers in the United States.

If this rule should go into effect and we have another situation, I am afraid of the erosion that could take place in my industry. So I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, not as a means of cutting off trade with Canada indefinitely but as a way of ensuring that Congress has the time and takes the time, all the time it needs, to consider the provisions of this rule. It is important for producer and consumer alike for this industry we call the great beef industry.

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

Mr. President, today I rise in support of S. 267, to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. I cosponsored the original 2000 act because it stabilized payments to Montana's timber producing counties.

In 1905, the establishment of the national forests removed over 150 million acres in the Western States, including 16 million acres in Montana, from future private property ownership. To compensate the States and counties for this loss of property tax revenue, Congress passed the Twenty-Five Percent Fund Act of 1908. The act provided that 25 percent of receipts from each national forest would be paid to the State and county where the national forest is located for the benefit of public schools and public roads. Until the decline of the timber harvest program, the 1908 act provided enough funding to the States and counties.

However, beginning in the 1990s both nationally and in Montana, the timber harvest program declined over 85 percent and Federal payments to State and county governments declined just as significantly. The reasons for the declining timber harvest are many; appeals and litigation by special interest groups, wildfires destroying valuable timber, internal Forest Service redtape, and each of those issues needs to be addressed to ensure the Forest Service is meeting its obligation to restore healthy forests and the communities that depend on them. This act is important because it doesn't punish schools and counties when timber harvests are uncertain.

In 2000, just like in 1908, Congress recognized these States and counties needed stability in the 25-percent payments in order to plan year to year and provide valuable services. Without the Secure Rural Schools Act, in 2004, Montana counties would have received only $6 million, rather than the $11.7 million provided under the 2000 act. The education of nearly 100,000 Montana schoolchildren in 170 school districts in 34 counties is affected by these payments.

Another benefit of the act is the ``full payment'' option. Under this option, counties can reserve 15 to 20 percent of the payment for title II, Public Land Projects. These project funds are allocated by a 15- person Resource Advisory Committee, RAC, comprised of tribal members, local elected officials, and Federal land user organizations.

Let me give you some examples of title II projects funded in Lincoln County, where the RAC allocated $1.6 million in project work that included improving soil and water quality at a ski area; restoration of a mile of bull trout and west slope cutthroat stream habitat; and road maintenance projects to improve water quality.

I have talked with county commissioners and other Montanans who are RAC members. The RACs have fostered a spirit of cooperation and focus on what everyone has in common and encourage stewardship of our national forests.

I can't think of anything better to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of our national forests than the reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the achievements of a remarkable group of young people from my beautiful state of Montana. On January 29, 2005 the Loyola Sacred Heart High School speech and debate team won its 22nd state championship in a row for Class B competition. This victory extends the longest series of state championships ever in Montana.

Early on a crisp Saturday morning, while other kids their age were sleeping, students from 72 high schools from every corner of Montana met in Corvallis to compete in the A-B-C State Tournament. They competed in 7 speech events--Memorized Public Address, Original Oratory, Expository Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, Serious Oral Interpretation of Literature, and Humorous Oral Interpretation of Literature--and 2 debate events--Policy Debate and Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

This year, Loyola earned its 22nd consecutive state title by a margin of 80 points. Two students, Sarah Stergios and Rebecca Natelson were individual State champions, and they were well supported by 13 other individual medalists. Such success is not a new thing for Head Coach Matt Stergios, who has been with the team since 1981, when the team had only four members.

Since that time, over one thousand students have competed for the team; in fact, in 2004, one out of four students at Loyola competed at one or more tournaments. The team has generated 31 individual state champions, and over 200 medalists. Since the streak began, Loyola has won over 200 individual tournament titles. The building that the students attend classes in is not large enough to hold all of the trophies, so some of them have to be stored next door.

But Loyola Sacred Heart High School is not just known for its speech and debate team. While I was in the Marines I learned that it's important to hone the mind as well as the body. Well, every year, students from Loyola rank at the top of the state in test scores. Ninety percent of students who graduate from Loyola go to college. On Advanced Placement exams Loyola students score 25 percent higher than the national average. Loyola boasts 13 Hearst Foundation Senate Youth Awards, and a Senate Page. And Loyola is as successful with feats of the body as it is with feats of the mind. The boys cross country team has won six straight State titles, and the girls cross country team has won state titles in the last 2 years. The Loyola Fighting Ram football team made state quarterfinals this year, and both the girls basketball and volleyball teams won their Division. The girls track team was second in the State last year after both the boys and girls teams swept District and Divisional competition. Two years ago, the girls softball team won the state title and placed fourth this year. Now all of this is already quite impressive. But it's even more amazing considering that Loyola Sacred Heart High School has only about 200 students.

I congratulate Loyola Sacred Heart High School for their 22nd consecutive State title in speech and debate.

Loyola Sacred Heart Speech and Debate 38-person Divisional and State Team Roster: Frankie Barnhill, Loren Barstad, Adam Benson, Adam Bigelow, Brian Bobowiec, Nick Corn, Karra Cuplin, Paul Dalapiazza, Miles Dauterive, Jason Devoe, Liz Diehl, Ryne Dougherty, Brian Doyle, Sambath Eat, Ben Eddy, Matt Eddy, John Eikens, Dan Evans, Brian Geer, Tyler Grutsch, Megan Hess-Homier, Julie Hurd, Ben Kappelman, Tricia Karsky, Katie Lawhorn, Matt Lovejoy, Abby Mayer, Keith Miller, Cory Monroe, Rebecca Natelson, Dan O'Brien, Joe Sanders, Nadia Selim, Paul Stergios, Sarah Stergios, Will Taylor, Lauren Titchbourne, Caroline Wade

Head Coach: Matthew Stergios

Assistant Coaches: Frank Grady, Sarah Jennings, Dave Klein, Theresa Stergios.

I thank my friend from Wyoming.

Could the Senator arrange some more snow to Montana?

Mr. President, I am in support of the nomination of Judge Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General of the United States. We have all heard his life story. I can relate to that somewhat because he grew up in Texas. I grew up in Missouri, starting out on 160 acres consisting of two rocks and dirt. He comes to this job with a different perspective.

When we look down the line of the nominees the President has sent to the Senate for confirmation, we can see there are a lot of calluses, a lot of dirt under their fingernails. That is what he brings to this job.

We congratulate the former Attorney General. John Ashcroft has done a wonderful job on the heels of September 11. As the primary law enforcement officer, he was not only in charge of law enforcement on the domestic side but had a lot to do around the world with the collection of intelligence, coordinating, protecting.

We are in a time where we do not get smacked and then just simply pick up the pieces and continue. We are in the business of preempting activities. When these nominees come with a different perspective, a ground-level perspective, everything they do touches American lives.

I commend Judge Gonzales for accepting the President's call to service. It is a thankless job if you look at the dollars. Yet it carries with it great responsibilities.

We are quickly learning how to adapt to the threat of terrorism. In an attempt to make all Americans safe, we have changed policy and government structure dramatically. In a free society, a mobile society this makes our job even more difficult.

The groundwork we have laid and will continue to build upon is what makes us a great nation. The United States is a world model for picking up the pieces, adapting to new challenges.

I am hopeful and confident Judge Gonzales will continue that legacy in his new position. He is a man of great integrity. I encourage all my colleagues to entrust him with the honor and responsibility of being our next Attorney General.

I also take a few moments to formally thank Attorney General John Ashcroft for his tremendous service the past 4 years. I have a personal relationship with the Ashcroft family and understand what he went through in the last 4 years. He has done his job with great dedication and integrity. He is a man who put the right people in the right places at the right time.

He has served us well. He reorganized the Department of Justice with new directives, new directors. I thank him. His friendship, his service to the country, should not go unnoticed and unappreciated. He has done a tremendous job in very stressful times. I venture to say for an Attorney General, no time has been more stressful than the time John Ashcroft has hung his hat as Attorney General downtown.

We welcome the nominee. We have the highest hopes for him. We wish him not only good luck but good hunting. We also thank the outgoing Attorney General.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I support the nomination of Condoleezza Rice to be our next Secretary of State. She will replace a great patriot and a man I call my friend, Secretary of State Colin Powell, who has served over the past 4 years with decency, strength and selflessness. While I am sad to see him go, I look forward to working with Condoleezza Rice in her new capacity and know she will serve tirelessly and thoughtfully in the challenges ahead.

As President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice was instrumental in developing the nation's response to September 11th. Ms. Rice understands as good as, or better than anyone, the global political forces at work. Her great intellect and sound judgment will lend themselves well to the office--one which is America's face to the world.

She has served our country well in the past, and I have full confidence in Condoleezza Rice's abilities as Secretary of State. I urge my colleagues to quickly move to a vote on her nomination and approve Ms. Rice as our next Secretary of State.

Mr. President, yesterday, along with my colleagues Senators Johnson, Thomas, Thune, Bingaman, and Dorgan, I introduced a bill on country-of-origin labeling. The bill would accelerate the date of implementation of mandatory COOL, and expand labeling requirements to include processed foods.

Country-of-origin labeling is probably one of the most important issues for cattle producers in Montana. They raise the best beef in the world, and they are proud of that. They want the American consumer to know that beef in the freezer case is ``Made in the U.S.A''.

Of course, I have supported country-of-origin labeling for many years, and I was glad to see it finally pass in 2002 when we passed the 2002 farm bill. But since then, there have been some folks who won't rest until they dismantle the program. The implementation has been delayed, writing the rules has been delayed--well, I say enough is enough. Mandatory COOL is the law of the land. Let's get it implemented.

We need to get the country-of-origin labeling done. It needs to be done right, and it needs to be mandatory. Getting it done right is the key. I have a concern with the COOL law currently on the books. My legislation begins to fix one part of that law.

Right now, very little beef will actually be labeled in the grocery stores. The law excludes over half of the beef sold in this country. ``Processed foods'' includes a big portion of the beef products you and I are used to: Beef jerky,

sausage, marinated foods--all of these items would be excluded under the current COOL law. I want to see that fixed, and that is what my bill will do. But I do not want mandatory COOL to be delayed any longer. That is why my legislation will implement the mandatory COOL law, as it is written, 1 year ahead of what the current law says, and then direct USDA to work on including processed foods.

Let me be clear. I want to see COOL done right, but under no set of circumstances do I support rolling back country-of-origin labeling. COOL needs to be mandatory. We have tried a voluntary program for 2 years. No one has participated. It is time for the packers and the processors to realize that Montana's cow/calf producers want labeling. They want to tell consumers where their beef comes from. I support that. I have pushed for mandatory COOL for years, and I will continue to do so in this Congress.

Mr. President, with great pride and admiration I honor the Carroll College football team, better known as the Fighting Saints who, on December 18, 2004, defeated the University of St. Francis Cougars to win their third consecutive NAIA football championship. Carroll is the first team to achieve this feat since Texas A & I accomplished it in 1974-1976.

St. Francis was leading 13-12 with just 1:13 left to play in the game and 89 long yards for Carroll College. Without a timeout remaining, quarterback Tyler Emmert drove the Saints within field goal range and with ten seconds on the clock to spare, which gave freshmen kicker Marcus Miller an opportunity to kick a 32-yard field goal.

Along with the honor of being national champions, quarterback Tyler Emmert was named the offensive MVP of the NAIA All-American Team. Four other team members of the Fighting Saints were also named to the NAIA All-American Team and two received honorable mentions. This great team is led by head coach Mike Van Diest who was named 2003 NAIA National Coach of the Year and Frontier Conference Coach of the Year. Van Diest also received the Frank Leahy Coach of the Year Award and the Johnny Vaught Head Coach Award, both presented by the All-American Football Foundation. The Carroll College football team was well represented on the 2004 NAIA All-American squad with five players making the first team. The Saints placed three players on offense--lineman Kyle Baker, quarterback Tyler Emmert and wide receiver Kevin McCutcheon. Linebacker Gary Cooper and defensive lineman Kevin Cicero were named to the first- team defense.

On this outstanding Carroll team, 23 of the 52 players had never been to a

championship game before. This victory must be credited to all of the players on this fine team. At this time I would like to submit a full roster of the Fighting Saints to be printed for the Record of the Senate following my statement.

Carroll College is not known just for their football program. U.S. News and World Report ranked Carroll College as the Fourth Best Western Regional Comprehensive College in America's Best Colleges for 2005. The Talking Saints forensics team is ranked in the top five of all universities and colleges in the United States. Their Nursing Department uses state-of-the-art technology including a $30,000 simulated patient, the most advanced of its kind and the only one in the state of Montana. Nine faculty members received Fulbright Scholarships, which continues to add to the school's excellent reputation. The ABET, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, recently presented Carroll College with its Innovation Award in recognition of the creative way that they combined their engineering and mathematics curriculums.

I congratulate the three-time national champions and the fine educational institution of Carroll College.

Carroll College 2004 Football Roster, 51-man playoff roster:

A.J. Porrini, Mike Pancich, Seamus Mohillo, Justin Rigen,

Mark Esponda, Cody Zimmerman, Marcus Miller, Andy Johnson,

John Barnett, Matt Thomas, Dustin Michaelis, Tyler Emmert,

Kevin McCutcheon, Jed Thomas, Regan Mack, Zach Thiry, Nick

Milodragovich, Josh Schmidt, Zach Bumgarner, Austin Hall,

T.J. Lehman, Jayce Peavler, Ryan Grosulak, Mike Maddox, Gary

Cooper, Ellis Beckwith, Nick Bradeen, C.J. Bugas, Jeff Pasha,

Phil Lenoue, Dan Mazurek, Kyle Baker, Kyle Cicero, Jason

Ostler, Devin Wolf, Bryson Pelc, Sam Morton, Kevin Cicero,

Nick Hammond, Paul Barnett, Tom Boyle, Scott Holbrook,

Kendall Selle, Casey Crites, Nick Colasurdo, Mike Donovan,

John Klaboe, Andrew Davenport, Jeff Shirley, and Chris

Ramstead.

President: Dr. Tom Trebon.

Athletic Director: Bruce M. Parker.

Head Coach: Mike Van Diest.

Assistant Coaches: Nick Howlett, Jim Hogan, Mike McMahon,

Kyle Mihelish, Gary Guthmiller, Mark Gallik, Mark Lenhardt,

Jarod Wirt, Daryl Wilkerson.

Student Coaches: Mike Mahoney, Tyler Peterson.

I thank the chairman of the Commerce Committee. I rise in strong support of Carlos Gutierrez as the next Secretary of Commerce. I applaud the President for this choice for many reasons. Not only is he a classic American success story, as we have heard from Senators Inouye and Stevens, but he is an example for all the opportunities that are afforded to Americans.

I am especially happy to see the President chose someone from a manufacturing background. He also has a background on the ground, so to speak. It is something to manufacture a product; it is also something to sell the product because we live in an economic system where nothing happens until a sale is made. Mr. Gutierrez understands both ends of that equation.

For a long time, and since I have been here, this is the first Secretary of Commerce who has an agribusiness background. Everything the Kellogg Company does starts in the ground. I am especially happy about that. I would hope we could work together. I have always said there is nothing wrong on the farm except we just don't get as much of the consumer dollar as we used to. We are going to work on that kind of situation.

The Commerce Committee oversees some of the most important and controversial issues that challenge this country and my State of Montana. With his commitment--I have yet to meet the man, but we have had an extended telephone call--to work with Congress on these issues, his quick response to the questions I sent to him, and the things he is going to be doing at Commerce, will put him in a position to assist many sectors of our economy. I would like to take a few moments and highlight some of them and where these issues will be discussed prominently in the upcoming session.

Let's start with one that affects my State, the timber industry and softwood lumber. Small mill operators in Montana rely on effective enforcement of U.S. trade laws, particularly against unfair trade acts, such as we have seen coming out of Canada. It is important that the Commerce Department ensures full enforcement of the trade laws in the softwood lumber sector, including selection of accurate subsidy measurement benchmarks. The 911 implementation was critical legislation. The enhanced 911 bill that

passed the 108th Congress is now law. The law authorizes $1.25 billion in grants to build out lifesaving emergency location capabilities across the country. I can remember passing the 911 bill some years ago. I said then it is probably the best step that we have taken in public safety in a long time. These grants will be administered by a joint program office run by the Department of Commerce and the Department of Transportation. Basically, what it is, on your cell phone, you dial 911 to get emergency. Many years ago, that call did not know where to go. It could have gone anywhere. Today, it goes to the nearest first responder or communications center, no matter where you are in the country. They can also locate you.

ICANN reform. I am concerned about the organization that manages the Internet critical domain system. ICANN is falling victim to a little bit of a mission creep, turning into a mini-international organization. ICANN should retain its focus on technical coordination, which makes me all the more concerned that the Department of Commerce plans to abandon all oversight of ICANN next year. I urge the Secretary to review that issue closely and get back to Congress.

Our Nation's spectrum policy remains outdated, and I look forward to working with the Secretary in reforming that to keep pace with the communications revolution. Broadband expensing; the Hollings manufacturing extension partnership program; it is important that these programs move forward, with a good deal of interest coming from his Department.

Again, I want to reiterate my support for Mr. Gutierrez's nomination. I look forward to working with him on many of the challenges that my State and this country face under a vast umbrella called the Department of Commerce. That is what makes our committee probably one of the most exciting committees of any that operates in the Senate. I heartily support his nomination. He should be confirmed.

Mr. President, again, I applaud the President for his choice. Mr. Gutierrez certainly has a classic American success story and can be looked at as an example of how great our country really is and the opportunities it presents.

I am especially happy to see the President has chosen someone with a manufacturing background. I believe Mr. Gutierrez's tenure at the Kellogg Company will bring an important insight to the Department in an area that certainly needs attention.

The Department of Commerce oversees some of the most important and controversial issues that challenge my State of Montana. I appreciate Mr. Gutierrez's commitment to working with Congress on these issues, and his quick response to my questions following his hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee.

Mr. Gutierrez will soon be in the position to assist many important sectors of our economy. I would like to take a few moments to discuss some of the challenges, priorities and issues faced in my State and many others.

As you know, the U.S. timber industry jobs and operations, including small mill operators in Montana, rely on effective enforcement of U.S. trade laws, particularly against unfair Canadian lumber imports. In evaluating the extent of Canadian timber subsidies, for example, it is imperative that the Commerce Department ascertain the true market value of Canadian timber in comparison to timber pricing data that reflects full value. It is important the Department ensures full enforcement of the trade laws in the softwood lumber sector, including selection of accurate subsidy-measurement benchmarks. Mr. Gutierrez has indicated his support of full enforcement of trade laws in the softwood lumber sector and I applaud that support.

Mr. President, during my time as the Chairman of the Communications Subcommittee, I made it a priority to move forward and implement the deployment of universal broadband. Along with my colleague Senator Jay Rockefeller we have pushed for legislation that would allow for broadband expensing. As you may know, broadband expensing would allow companies to accelerate depreciation of capital-intensive broadband equipment. I am hopeful the Department will provide assistance in passing this legislation as part of the President's vast broadband vision.

I also would urge the Secretary to devote his personal attention to an important issue regarding the future of the Internet. I am referring to the security of the Domain Name System, which is what ensures that each website address in the Internet resolves to a unique website reliably and securely. It is vital for the future of e-commerce, and those parts of the economy that increasingly depend on it, that this process work flawlessly. During the Clinton administration, a private non-profit company known as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, was established to oversee the real technical challenges associated with managing the Domain Name System during a time of explosive growth and political challenges.

However, I am concerned, and I know some of my colleagues are as well, that ICANN may fall victim to ``mission creep'' in this case, the tendency for it to turn into a mini-international organization, and all the political baggage that comes with that. If so, ICANN's actions could potentially go well beyond the narrow technical mandate that was envisioned for it at its creation. ICANN currently is subject to an agreement with the Commerce Department, and I am concerned that not enough high-level attention in the Department gets paid to this issue especially since, as I understand it, the Department of Commerce plans to abandon any and all oversight role over ICANN some time next year. I hope the Secretary will review this issue carefully and with all due attention to the national interest and to the interests of Internet stakeholders everywhere.

The U.S. Government has played a crucial and positive role in the creation of the Internet and in Internet governance, and I do not think that such a decision as this should be taken without thorough review and understanding of its implications. I hope that Secretary Gutierrez will take the initiative to understand this vital issue and consult with Congress closely on it in the coming years.

Finally, I would like to voice my support for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership which is administered at the Department of Commerce. Montana is a rural State but we have needs and opportunities that the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership has addressed. In recent years, I have grown concerned for the programs advancement, but I am hopeful Mr. Gutierrez, with his manufacturing background, will see the important role the program plays in small States. It is important the Department ensures small manufacturers have access to technical and information resources to allow them to remain competitive.

Again, I would like to reiterate my support of Mr. Gutierrez' nomination and I look forward to working with him on many of the challenges my State and the country are faced with under the vast umbrella of the Department of Commerce.

I yield the floor and thank the chairman of the Commerce Committee for giving me this time.

Mr. President, Senator Baucus and I are honored today to pay tribute to Paul Kasten and thank him for the exceptional service and commitment he has given to the people of Montana. Mr. Kasten served faithfully with the U.S. Postal Service, particularly to Montanans along the Brockway, Paris, Watkins, and Flowing Wells rural mail route loop. As he celebrates a well-deserved retirement, let it be known that he leaves behind a memorable and strong legacy, spanning 57 years of dedicated service to the U.S. Postal Service, his eastern Montana mail route loop, and the people of the State of Montana. We know Congressman Rehberg sends his support and congratulations as well for Paul's significant achievement.

Beginning with a team of horses, Mr. Kasten delivered the mail faithfully to this frontier mail route for 57 noteworthy years, honorably upholding the U.S. Postal Service's code of conduct. In fact, he has gone above and beyond the call of duty on many occasions, delivering groceries and other necessary items to many people along this remote mail route during his tenure. It is clear that Mr. Paul Kasten has ceaselessly served the U.S. Postal Service and the State of Montana for nearly six decades, and is justly deserving of the honor due to him today. It is with great pride that Senator Baucus and I bring to the attention of this great body the hard work that Mr. Kasten has completed, both to the State of Montana and to Montana's people. Thank you for all your commendable service, Paul, and we wish you and your family all the best in your future endeavors.