Floor Statements

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on May 24, 2012, in room SD 628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Programs and Services for Native Veterans.''

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224 2251.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Save More Tomorrow Act of 2012. This act seeks to make a modest, commonsense modification to the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, which is the tax- deferred, defined contribution plan for Federal employees, similar to private sector 401(k) plans.

The Save More Tomorrow Act would build on the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2009, which was enacted with support from large, bipartisan majorities in Congress. Under the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act, new Federal employees are automatically enrolled in the TSP unless they opt out, with a default employee contribution rate of 3 percent of basic pay. This legislation would adjust the TSP's automatic enrollment mechanism to allow it to automatically increase employee contributions, unless the employee chooses a different contribution rate. To accomplish this, the bill authorizes the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the agency that administers the TSP, to pair the current auto enrollment at 3 percent with automatic escalation of 1 percent per year, for at least 2 consecutive years following the first year of enrollment. This promotes a goal of the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986, often referred to as FERSA, which was designed to encourage Federal employees to save at least 5 percent of their pay in the TSP.

This ``three plus one plus one'' model closely mirrors the model Congress

prescribed for the private sector in the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which Mr. Boehner of Ohio introduced, the House and Senate passed with significant bipartisan support, and President George W. Bush signed into law. In enacting the Pension Protection Act, Congress endorsed pairing automatic enrollment with automatic escalation, by incentivizing companies to automatically enroll employees in 401(k) plans at no less than a 3 percent savings rate, and automatically escalate that rate by at least 1 percent for at least 3 years.

This act is informed by rigorous oversight I have conducted as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia. For example, at a recent Subcommittee hearing, Dr. Brigitte Madrian, a Harvard Kennedy School professor and leading expert on employer-sponsored retirement savings plans, stated, ``the evidence from the private sector is that automatic escalation is, in fact, extremely effective at increasing employee savings rates. And you asked specifically is this [automatic escalation] something that should be considered for the Thrift Savings Plan, and I would say absolutely.''

To preempt any possible misconceptions or misunderstandings that may arise regarding this act, I want to be clear from the outset about which employees the Save More Tomorrow Act applies to, and the voluntary nature of the bill. Since this act builds on the statutory framework established by the Thrift Savings Enhancement Act, it only applies to newly hired Federal employees who are eligible to participate in the TSP's automatic enrollment feature. Additionally, just like the TSP's auto enrollment feature, auto escalation authorized by this act would be voluntary, and allow participants to terminate default contributions, or change contribution rates, at any time.

This bill has a limited, targeted scope. It would increase the savings only of the small percentage of new employees who enroll in the TSP, but do not raise their contribution rate enough to reach the goal Congress established with FERSA of having most Federal employees contributing at least 5 percent of basic pay. Under the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act, an impressive 97.2 percent of new Federal employees are enrolling in the TSP--82,632 Federal employees have been automatically enrolled in the TSP since the practice began in August 2010. Most of those employees increase their contributions far above the default rate of 3 percent. These enrollees boast an average TSP savings rate of 12.1 percent. Currently, only about 9 percent of employees in the Federal Employee Retirement System enrolled in the TSP contribute less than 5 percent.

Of course, one must not confuse this act's limited scope with the potential benefits. From the most recent survey of TSP participants, we know that just like in the private sector, low-income workers who can least afford to forgo matching contributions are the most likely to do so. Lower-income Federal employees are more than twice as likely as higher-income employees to cite automatic enrollment as the reason they are contributing to the TSP. Many employees who contribute less than 5 percent are not even aware of the benefits of increasing the amount they save--18 percent of this group reported they did not contribute 5 percent because they were unaware agencies matched contributions dollar-for-dollar on the first 3 percent of basic pay, and 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2 percent.

Today's Federal workers must plan carefully to ensure their retirement security. Fortunately, the vast majority of the Federal employees are responsibly saving for retirement, exhibiting average savings rates that are far greater than the private sector. However, I am concerned that the most financially vulnerable Federal employees, individuals earning less than $25,000 a year, are saving at a lower rate that will hinder their ability to retire with dignity. We should build on the success of the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act by making it as easy as possible for employees to increase their contributions.

The Save More Tomorrow Act is a limited, yet effective legislative response to do just this. Informed by rigorous data from real world experiences in the private sector, this act represents the best in serious, evidence-based policymaking. The modest authorities provided by the Save More Tomorrow Act will enhance the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board's ability to meet FERSA's goal of encouraging TSP contributions of 5 percent of pay. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Save More Tomorrow Act of 2012. This act seeks to make a modest, commonsense modification to the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, which is the tax- deferred, defined contribution plan for Federal employees, similar to private sector 401(k) plans.

The Save More Tomorrow Act would build on the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2009, which was enacted with support from large, bipartisan majorities in Congress. Under the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act, new Federal employees are automatically enrolled in the TSP unless they opt out, with a default employee contribution rate of 3 percent of basic pay. This legislation would adjust the TSP's automatic enrollment mechanism to allow it to automatically increase employee contributions, unless the employee chooses a different contribution rate. To accomplish this, the bill authorizes the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the agency that administers the TSP, to pair the current auto enrollment at 3 percent with automatic escalation of 1 percent per year, for at least 2 consecutive years following the first year of enrollment. This promotes a goal of the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986, often referred to as FERSA, which was designed to encourage Federal employees to save at least 5 percent of their pay in the TSP.

This ``three plus one plus one'' model closely mirrors the model Congress

prescribed for the private sector in the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which Mr. Boehner of Ohio introduced, the House and Senate passed with significant bipartisan support, and President George W. Bush signed into law. In enacting the Pension Protection Act, Congress endorsed pairing automatic enrollment with automatic escalation, by incentivizing companies to automatically enroll employees in 401(k) plans at no less than a 3 percent savings rate, and automatically escalate that rate by at least 1 percent for at least 3 years.

This act is informed by rigorous oversight I have conducted as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia. For example, at a recent Subcommittee hearing, Dr. Brigitte Madrian, a Harvard Kennedy School professor and leading expert on employer-sponsored retirement savings plans, stated, ``the evidence from the private sector is that automatic escalation is, in fact, extremely effective at increasing employee savings rates. And you asked specifically is this [automatic escalation] something that should be considered for the Thrift Savings Plan, and I would say absolutely.''

To preempt any possible misconceptions or misunderstandings that may arise regarding this act, I want to be clear from the outset about which employees the Save More Tomorrow Act applies to, and the voluntary nature of the bill. Since this act builds on the statutory framework established by the Thrift Savings Enhancement Act, it only applies to newly hired Federal employees who are eligible to participate in the TSP's automatic enrollment feature. Additionally, just like the TSP's auto enrollment feature, auto escalation authorized by this act would be voluntary, and allow participants to terminate default contributions, or change contribution rates, at any time.

This bill has a limited, targeted scope. It would increase the savings only of the small percentage of new employees who enroll in the TSP, but do not raise their contribution rate enough to reach the goal Congress established with FERSA of having most Federal employees contributing at least 5 percent of basic pay. Under the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act, an impressive 97.2 percent of new Federal employees are enrolling in the TSP--82,632 Federal employees have been automatically enrolled in the TSP since the practice began in August 2010. Most of those employees increase their contributions far above the default rate of 3 percent. These enrollees boast an average TSP savings rate of 12.1 percent. Currently, only about 9 percent of employees in the Federal Employee Retirement System enrolled in the TSP contribute less than 5 percent.

Of course, one must not confuse this act's limited scope with the potential benefits. From the most recent survey of TSP participants, we know that just like in the private sector, low-income workers who can least afford to forgo matching contributions are the most likely to do so. Lower-income Federal employees are more than twice as likely as higher-income employees to cite automatic enrollment as the reason they are contributing to the TSP. Many employees who contribute less than 5 percent are not even aware of the benefits of increasing the amount they save--18 percent of this group reported they did not contribute 5 percent because they were unaware agencies matched contributions dollar-for-dollar on the first 3 percent of basic pay, and 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2 percent.

Today's Federal workers must plan carefully to ensure their retirement security. Fortunately, the vast majority of the Federal employees are responsibly saving for retirement, exhibiting average savings rates that are far greater than the private sector. However, I am concerned that the most financially vulnerable Federal employees, individuals earning less than $25,000 a year, are saving at a lower rate that will hinder their ability to retire with dignity. We should build on the success of the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act by making it as easy as possible for employees to increase their contributions.

The Save More Tomorrow Act is a limited, yet effective legislative response to do just this. Informed by rigorous data from real world experiences in the private sector, this act represents the best in serious, evidence-based policymaking. The modest authorities provided by the Save More Tomorrow Act will enhance the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board's ability to meet FERSA's goal of encouraging TSP contributions of 5 percent of pay. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on May 17, 2012 in room SD 628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 2:15 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Fulfilling the Federal Trust Responsibility: The Foundation of the Government-to-Government Relationship.''

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224 2251.

Madam President, I rise today in support of S. 1925, the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization of 2011.

Since its enactment in 1994, VAWA has enhanced the investigation and prosecution of incidents of domestic and sexual violence and provided critical services to victims and their advocates in court. It has truly been a lifeline for women across the country, regardless of location, race, or socioeconomic status.

For these reasons, VAWA's two prior reauthorizations were overwhelmingly bipartisan. This year, however, a number of my colleagues are opposing the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization because they object to, among other things, the authority that it restores to Native American tribes to prosecute those who commit violent crimes against Native women.

This bill's tribal provisions address the epidemic rates of violence against Native women by enabling VAWA programs to more directly and promptly

respond to their concerns and needs. These tribal provisions are critical to the lives of Native women and doubly important to me as chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and a Native Hawaiian.

Native women are 2\1/2\ times more likely than other U.S. women to be battered or raped. These are extremely disturbing statistics: 34 percent of Native women will be raped in their lifetimes and 39 percent will suffer domestic violence. That is more than one out of every three Native women. We must come together to put a stop to this.

Last summer I chaired an oversight hearing entitled ``Native Women-- Protecting, Shielding, and Safeguarding Our Sisters, Mothers, and Daughters.'' I heard the heartbreaking stories that lie behind the grim and troubling statistics on violence against American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women.

My committee heard from the chief of the Catawba Nation, who gave a moving account of his experience growing up with domestic violence and the impact it had on the women and children in his community. He also spoke of the importance of reauthorizing VAWA.

We heard from officials who described how existing laws are failing Native women. We heard, for example, that women in tribal communities live in a confusing and dangerous jurisdictional maze, in which the absence of clear lines of authority often leads to offenders, many of whom are non-Native men, escaping investigation and prosecution, to say nothing of punishment. This outrageous and unacceptable situation has led to repeated offenses against Native women that too often spiral into violence with tragic consequences for the women, their children, and their communities.

My committee also heard that Native women are being increasingly targeted by the sex-trafficking industry and that many have, according to police reports in tribal communities across the country, simply vanished into this terrible underworld. The draft bill to address violence against Native women was circulated to a wide range of stakeholders for feedback. This led to strengthened provisions in the draft bill which I introduced as S. 1763, the Stand Against Violence and Empower Native Women Act.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a legislative hearing on my bill the following month and then reported it out of the committee in December.

Since then, I have worked closely with my good friend and colleague Senator Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, as we developed S. 1925, which now includes the SAVE Native American Women Act. S. 1925's tribal provisions empower tribal courts to prosecute crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, or violations of protection orders regardless of the race of the alleged abuser. This bill also strengthens research and programs to address sex trafficking. Since VAWA was enacted 18 years ago and reauthorized twice since then, a hallmark of the law is that it has expanded its protections to classes of once neglected victims. Accordingly, S. 1925's tribal provisions are consistent with VAWA's history as well as its intent and purpose, which past Congresses have embraced.

Last week 50 law professors from leading institutions across the country sent a letter to Congress expressing their ``full confidence in the constitutionality of the legislation and in its necessity to protect the safety of Native women.'' Just this week the White House released a Statement of Administration Policy stating that it strongly supports these provisions, which will ``bring justice to Native American victims.''

I commend Chairman Leahy for his dedicated leadership in developing this bill. He has truly worked in the spirit of aloha by partnering with the Indian Affairs Committee and other offices to craft a VAWA reauthorization bill that reasserts VAWA's intent, purpose, and history.

I would also like to say mahalo--thank you--to each of this bill's other bipartisan cosponsors. As we all know, domestic and sexual violence continues to occur, and far too many women across the country are victims of these horrible acts. We have heard from victims, from service providers, and from law enforcement that these crimes can leave victims with lasting emotional and physical scars, while endangering their security, their families, and their lives.

This bill will strengthen the Violence Against Women Act and extend its protections to include Native women who are underserved in the current system.

This is not an issue that should divide us along partisan lines. On the contrary, it should unite us to take a stand against these awful crimes. So I urge you to join me and the rest of S. 1925's cosponsors to protect our sisters, mothers, and daughters and pass this bill.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am proud to once again introduce legislation addressing the health care disparities in racial and ethnic minority communities, the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2012. I would like to thank my cosponsor, Senator Inouye, along with a number of our colleagues in the House of Representatives, for all their support and contributions to this important legislation, and for raising awareness of this widespread problem.

While there are glaring health disparities based on racial and ethnic identity alone, they are further exacerbated by factors such as socioeconomics, geography, and sexual orientation and identity. Although the exact causes for the current state of health disparities in our country may be debatable, it is undeniable that ethnic, racial, geographic, and other minorities across the United States are plagued by disproportionately high rates of disease and experience a diminished quality of health care. Statistics paint a disturbing picture of minority health, consistently showing higher rates of illness and death for members of minority and marginalized groups.

For instance, HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact on minorities in the U.S. In 2009, ethnic minorities accounted for over 70 percent of newly diagnosed cases of HIV. That year, nine out of ten babies born with HIV belonged to minority groups. The Office of Minority Health reported that, compared to Caucasians, Hispanic individuals are 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS; Native Americans are 1.4 times more likely; and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS.

Cancer is the number one killer of Asian American Pacific Islanders and the second leading cause of death for most other racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Cancer also affects African Americans at particularly alarming rates and has a disproportionate prevalence in the population of Hispanic women, who are 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer than non-Hispanic women. In addition, Native Americans are twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to develop stomach or liver cancer.

The infant mortality rates for African Americans are one-and-a-half to 3 times higher than the rates for infants born to women of other races and ethnicities. Hispanic individuals are three times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS than Caucasian individuals. As our nation continues to struggle with obesity, trends show increasingly high rates of obesity in minority groups, with young Mexican-American men under the age of 20 experiencing obesity at a rate of 25 percent of the population, while white men of the same age have a rate of just 15 percent.

Circulatory diseases are a growing problem in the Pacific region. These diseases not only lower patients' quality of life, but they are also very costly. Data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that eliminating preventable hospitalizations that are associated with lower incomes would save $6.7 billion in health care costs each year. However, the numbers alone do not capture the full extent of health disparities since there are additional issues with data collection and multiple factors often contribute to deaths.

In 2005, I introduced a similar piece of legislation, S. 1580, because many of the indigenous and ethnic minority communities across the United States and its territories lacked essential access to health care and suffered from certain key diseases at disproportionately high rates. The bill I am introducing today addresses many of the same issues and also takes into account the strong advances made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In 2008, the landmark health care reform legislation laid the foundation to start reducing some of those health disparities. Senator Inouye and I are introducing this legislation today to build on the work of the Affordable Care Act, and to advance the national discussion on how we can better achieve health equity.

While the Affordable Care Act expanded care in diverse communities across the country, such as Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, it is important that we take further steps to ensure that all Americans, regardless of racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, physical, and geographic circumstances, have affordable access to high- quality health care. Because the causes of health care disparities are wide-ranging, the scope of this bill must be equally encompassing. Therefore, my bill focuses on two main strategies: first, encouraging research on diseases and conditions that disproportionately impact minority individuals; and second, improving access to effective care for minority communities.

We must make it easier to identify existing disparities through comprehensive data collection, ensure workforce diversity, target diseases that disproportionately affect minorities, and make culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services available to all.

We need more comprehensive data on the most significant health care problems experienced by minority individuals and the factors that play a role in how these diseases affect different communities. The more we know about the way populations are affected by disease, the better prepared health care professionals will be to create strategies to both treat and prevent each high-impact disease in specific communities. My bill will help to accomplish this by strengthening both data collection and the reporting of health data.

To complement our efforts in data collection, we must also target disease awareness education and effective preventative services towards communities with large populations of ethnic and racial minorities at high risk for certain diseases. Community-based programs as well as comprehensive disease-specific programs already in place are helping to ensure that the health needs of minority communities are being met. My legislation would revitalize efforts in community health and preventive services, which are the most cost-effective ways of providing care.

This bill builds upon the Affordable Care Act's historic investment in prevention and calls for resources to target communities striving to overcome negative social factors. This bill encourages these investments and focuses on preventing fatal diseases, which could save thousands of lives each year and lower health care costs.

Although prevention plays a critical role in finding ways to close disparities, we also have to invest in research to develop better treatment plans for diseases that disproportionately affect indigenous, racial, and ethnic minorities, and to ensure that currently underserved communities have access to care. My bill proposes focused approaches to combat a variety of diseases and conditions, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/

AIDS, which have a disparate impact on racial and ethnic minorities. This legislation also helps to provide affordable and culturally appropriate access to care in several ways.

My bill, the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2012, includes proposals to remove significant barriers to health care coverage and access and maximize the positive impact of federal investments in health care in minority communities. For example, it would re-establish Medicaid eligibility for citizens of the Compact of Free Association nations living in the United States. This would greatly ease the financial burden on States like Hawaii and Arkansas, which have been forced to absorb the costs of providing health and social services, education, and public safety for Compact migrants in accordance with unfunded Federal mandates since 1996.

My bill would also make health care more affordable and improve access by providing a 100 percent Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage, FMAP, for Native Hawaiians who receive health care from Federally Qualified Health Centers or the Native Hawaiian Health Care System. The increased FMAP will ensure that Native Hawaiians have access to the essential health services provided by community health centers and the Native Hawaiian Health Care System. These provisions would provide treatment for Native Hawaiians that is similar to that already provided to Native Alaskans through the Indian Health Service or tribal organizations.

This legislation will make it easier for minorities with cultural and language barriers to improve their health outcomes by enhancing language access services, making health literacy a priority in patient care, and making sure there is culturally competent care in the health care delivery system. My bill will support professionals who are well- equipped to provide quality health care that is culturally and linguistically appropriate. As a part of this effort, this legislation creates training opportunities for willing and competent minority candidates to enter the health care workforce.

The Health Equity and Accountability Act also seeks to ensure that communities of color benefit from the rapid advances in health information technology, or health IT. It also encourages new investments in health IT infrastructure, which will serve as the foundation for improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency for all Americans in our future health care system. Improvements in health IT and health IT infrastructure will also make it possible for rural communities to access mobile health services and other treatment and diagnostics that were previously unavailable.

Another vital service that my bill seeks to make more accessible is mental health care. The Affordable Care Act fundamentally improved services for individuals with mental health and addiction disorders. Despite the improvements, mental health treatment remains underutilized, especially by minorities, due to social stigma and cultural resistance. To develop access and encourage treatment, my bill incorporates culturally competent strategies to address mental and behavioral health problems affecting minority communities and authorizes investment in researching and treating these serious conditions.

However, we cannot simply put these provisions in place and believe that they will eliminate all health disparities. We must have accountability and regular evaluation of these programs to ensure they are being carried out as they were intended, and that they are meeting their goals. To that end, my bill strengthens oversight by the Department of Health and Human Services, requiring the Department to make regular scheduled reports to Congress on the impact of these initiatives to ensure that they are continuing to reduce health disparities.

April is National Minority Health Month, and as we work diligently to transform health care in America, it is essential that we strive to eliminate the health disparities that affect our minority groups. This bill would significantly improve the quality of life for indigenous people, ethnic and racial minorities, as well as other marginalized groups. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and begin an open dialogue on how we can close the gap in health care across the country.

Mr. President, I am proud to once again introduce legislation addressing the health care disparities in racial and ethnic minority communities, the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2012. I would like to thank my cosponsor, Senator Inouye, along with a number of our colleagues in the House of Representatives, for all their support and contributions to this important legislation, and for raising awareness of this widespread problem.

While there are glaring health disparities based on racial and ethnic identity alone, they are further exacerbated by factors such as socioeconomics, geography, and sexual orientation and identity. Although the exact causes for the current state of health disparities in our country may be debatable, it is undeniable that ethnic, racial, geographic, and other minorities across the United States are plagued by disproportionately high rates of disease and experience a diminished quality of health care. Statistics paint a disturbing picture of minority health, consistently showing higher rates of illness and death for members of minority and marginalized groups.

For instance, HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact on minorities in the U.S. In 2009, ethnic minorities accounted for over 70 percent of newly diagnosed cases of HIV. That year, nine out of ten babies born with HIV belonged to minority groups. The Office of Minority Health reported that, compared to Caucasians, Hispanic individuals are 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS; Native Americans are 1.4 times more likely; and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS.

Cancer is the number one killer of Asian American Pacific Islanders and the second leading cause of death for most other racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Cancer also affects African Americans at particularly alarming rates and has a disproportionate prevalence in the population of Hispanic women, who are 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer than non-Hispanic women. In addition, Native Americans are twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to develop stomach or liver cancer.

The infant mortality rates for African Americans are one-and-a-half to 3 times higher than the rates for infants born to women of other races and ethnicities. Hispanic individuals are three times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS than Caucasian individuals. As our nation continues to struggle with obesity, trends show increasingly high rates of obesity in minority groups, with young Mexican-American men under the age of 20 experiencing obesity at a rate of 25 percent of the population, while white men of the same age have a rate of just 15 percent.

Circulatory diseases are a growing problem in the Pacific region. These diseases not only lower patients' quality of life, but they are also very costly. Data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that eliminating preventable hospitalizations that are associated with lower incomes would save $6.7 billion in health care costs each year. However, the numbers alone do not capture the full extent of health disparities since there are additional issues with data collection and multiple factors often contribute to deaths.

In 2005, I introduced a similar piece of legislation, S. 1580, because many of the indigenous and ethnic minority communities across the United States and its territories lacked essential access to health care and suffered from certain key diseases at disproportionately high rates. The bill I am introducing today addresses many of the same issues and also takes into account the strong advances made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In 2008, the landmark health care reform legislation laid the foundation to start reducing some of those health disparities. Senator Inouye and I are introducing this legislation today to build on the work of the Affordable Care Act, and to advance the national discussion on how we can better achieve health equity.

While the Affordable Care Act expanded care in diverse communities across the country, such as Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, it is important that we take further steps to ensure that all Americans, regardless of racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, physical, and geographic circumstances, have affordable access to high- quality health care. Because the causes of health care disparities are wide-ranging, the scope of this bill must be equally encompassing. Therefore, my bill focuses on two main strategies: first, encouraging research on diseases and conditions that disproportionately impact minority individuals; and second, improving access to effective care for minority communities.

We must make it easier to identify existing disparities through comprehensive data collection, ensure workforce diversity, target diseases that disproportionately affect minorities, and make culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services available to all.

We need more comprehensive data on the most significant health care problems experienced by minority individuals and the factors that play a role in how these diseases affect different communities. The more we know about the way populations are affected by disease, the better prepared health care professionals will be to create strategies to both treat and prevent each high-impact disease in specific communities. My bill will help to accomplish this by strengthening both data collection and the reporting of health data.

To complement our efforts in data collection, we must also target disease awareness education and effective preventative services towards communities with large populations of ethnic and racial minorities at high risk for certain diseases. Community-based programs as well as comprehensive disease-specific programs already in place are helping to ensure that the health needs of minority communities are being met. My legislation would revitalize efforts in community health and preventive services, which are the most cost-effective ways of providing care.

This bill builds upon the Affordable Care Act's historic investment in prevention and calls for resources to target communities striving to overcome negative social factors. This bill encourages these investments and focuses on preventing fatal diseases, which could save thousands of lives each year and lower health care costs.

Although prevention plays a critical role in finding ways to close disparities, we also have to invest in research to develop better treatment plans for diseases that disproportionately affect indigenous, racial, and ethnic minorities, and to ensure that currently underserved communities have access to care. My bill proposes focused approaches to combat a variety of diseases and conditions, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/

AIDS, which have a disparate impact on racial and ethnic minorities. This legislation also helps to provide affordable and culturally appropriate access to care in several ways.

My bill, the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2012, includes proposals to remove significant barriers to health care coverage and access and maximize the positive impact of federal investments in health care in minority communities. For example, it would re-establish Medicaid eligibility for citizens of the Compact of Free Association nations living in the United States. This would greatly ease the financial burden on States like Hawaii and Arkansas, which have been forced to absorb the costs of providing health and social services, education, and public safety for Compact migrants in accordance with unfunded Federal mandates since 1996.

My bill would also make health care more affordable and improve access by providing a 100 percent Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage, FMAP, for Native Hawaiians who receive health care from Federally Qualified Health Centers or the Native Hawaiian Health Care System. The increased FMAP will ensure that Native Hawaiians have access to the essential health services provided by community health centers and the Native Hawaiian Health Care System. These provisions would provide treatment for Native Hawaiians that is similar to that already provided to Native Alaskans through the Indian Health Service or tribal organizations.

This legislation will make it easier for minorities with cultural and language barriers to improve their health outcomes by enhancing language access services, making health literacy a priority in patient care, and making sure there is culturally competent care in the health care delivery system. My bill will support professionals who are well- equipped to provide quality health care that is culturally and linguistically appropriate. As a part of this effort, this legislation creates training opportunities for willing and competent minority candidates to enter the health care workforce.

The Health Equity and Accountability Act also seeks to ensure that communities of color benefit from the rapid advances in health information technology, or health IT. It also encourages new investments in health IT infrastructure, which will serve as the foundation for improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency for all Americans in our future health care system. Improvements in health IT and health IT infrastructure will also make it possible for rural communities to access mobile health services and other treatment and diagnostics that were previously unavailable.

Another vital service that my bill seeks to make more accessible is mental health care. The Affordable Care Act fundamentally improved services for individuals with mental health and addiction disorders. Despite the improvements, mental health treatment remains underutilized, especially by minorities, due to social stigma and cultural resistance. To develop access and encourage treatment, my bill incorporates culturally competent strategies to address mental and behavioral health problems affecting minority communities and authorizes investment in researching and treating these serious conditions.

However, we cannot simply put these provisions in place and believe that they will eliminate all health disparities. We must have accountability and regular evaluation of these programs to ensure they are being carried out as they were intended, and that they are meeting their goals. To that end, my bill strengthens oversight by the Department of Health and Human Services, requiring the Department to make regular scheduled reports to Congress on the impact of these initiatives to ensure that they are continuing to reduce health disparities.

April is National Minority Health Month, and as we work diligently to transform health care in America, it is essential that we strive to eliminate the health disparities that affect our minority groups. This bill would significantly improve the quality of life for indigenous people, ethnic and racial minorities, as well as other marginalized groups. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and begin an open dialogue on how we can close the gap in health care across the country.

Madam President, I call up my amendment No. 2034.

I ask unanimous consent that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Madam President, I have serious concerns with the FECA provisions in this bill, especially since they would reduce benefits for many employees who were already injured while working in service to this country, such as Federal firefighters, FBI agents, prison guards, and civilians serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, unlike most State workers' comp programs, this bill would reduce benefits for elderly disabled employees when they reach retirement age.

My amendment offers a reasonable alternative by replacing the FECA provisions in this bill with the Republican-led bipartisan FECA reform bill that passed the House by voice vote last year. The House chose not to make benefit changes without the additional information it sought from GAO, and we should follow their lead.

This amendment, supported by more than 20 organizations, would make commonsense reforms that will improve program efficiency and integrity without reducing benefits for disabled seniors, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I reserve the remainder of my time.

Cutting workers' compensation benefits governmentwide is not fair and it is not necessary to save the Postal Service. We should follow the House's example and enact bipartisan reforms contained in my amendment and wait until GAO finishes its analysis before making decisions on benefit levels.

I strongly urge my colleagues to adopt my amendment.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2049.

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

Mr. President, current law provides postmasters and post office supervisors with the opportunity to consult over pay and benefits. This is not collective bargaining and does not result in a contract.

Unfortunately, the Postal Service tries to modify, reduce or eliminate supervisors' benefits outside the normal consultation process, arguing that Congress intended this consultation for the creation but not elimination of benefit programs. This amendment simply clarifies existing law that the consultation requirement applies to any changes to pay or benefits.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

I ask for a voice vote.

Mr. President, before I discuss my pending amendment to the Postal Service reform bill, I would like to take a moment to honor four brave soldiers based out of Schofield Barracks from Hawaii who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan on Thursday. They made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country, and we will never forget them.

My thoughts and prayers, and I know the thoughts and prayers of many others in Hawaii and others across the United States, are with their families tonight. We honor and thank them and are so sorry for their loss.

Mr. President, I rise to discuss my amendment No. 2034 regarding Federal workers' compensation, which is cosponsored by nine Senators, including Senators Inouye, Harkin, Murray, Franken, Leahy, Shaheen, Kerry, Lautenberg, and Brown of Ohio.

I have serious concerns with the provisions of the postal reform bill that would make changes to the Federal workers' compensation program, known as FECA, not just within the Postal Service but across the entire government.

These provisions would cut benefits to elderly disabled employees and eliminate a supplement for dependents. Many who are already injured would

have their benefits cut retroactively. This is particularly unfair because most employees affected by these far-reaching cuts are not even Postal Service employees. Many are Defense and State Department employees injured supporting missions overseas, Federal law enforcement officers, and firefighters injured saving lives or prison guards attacked by inmates.

Sponsors of this bill argue that changes to workers compensation must be included in this legislation to place the Postal Service on a sound financial footing. However, the fact is that the changes would have very little effect on the Postal Service's deficit. According to the Congressional Budget Office, these changes would actually cost the Postal Service an additional $21 million in the first 3 years.

Any changes to benefits for those injured in service to their country should be done in a careful, comprehensive manner. There are complex issues that deserve more analysis before we simply cut benefits people have planned for and depend on.

At a hearing I held last July witnesses raised serious concerns with reducing FECA benefits, especially at the retirement age. They testified that disabled employees may not be able to save enough in time for a reduction in income because they missed out on wage growth, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan. Because of this disadvantage, the Federal Government, like most States, provides benefits that last as long as the injury, even if that is past the normal retirement age.

At the request of a bipartisan group of members from the House Committee on Education and Workforce, the Government Accountability Office is currently reviewing both pre- and postretirement-age FECA benefits to determine fair benefit amounts. Acting on this proposal now without waiting for GAO's analysis is irresponsible. As a result, we may set benefit levels too low, seriously harming disabled employees, or too high, taking funding away from other priorities.

We must be extremely cautious not to make arbitrary cuts to benefits that could have serious detrimental effects on elderly disabled employees.

Last November, the House passed a Republican-led bipartisan FECA reform bill, H.R. 2465, by voice vote. The bipartisan sponsors of this bill chose not to make any changes to benefits without more information on appropriate benefit levels. I believe their actions were correct, and the Senate should enact similar legislation by passing my amendment.

My amendment would strike the government-wide FECA provisions in this bill and replace them with the House-passed FECA reform bill, which makes a number of commonsense reforms that will improve program efficiency and integrity without reducing benefits.

Among other things, my amendment contains program integrity measures recommended by the inspector general at the Department of Labor, the Accountability Office, and the administration that will save taxpayers money.

My amendment would also update benefit levels for funeral costs and disfigurement that have not been increased since 1949, and it would protect civilian employees serving in dangerous areas, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, by giving them more time to file a claim and making sure injuries from terrorism are covered even if the employee is off duty.

Everyone understands the Postal Service is in the midst of a serious financial crisis that must be addressed. Chairman Lieberman and Ranking Member Collins have done a great job in bringing this on. However, breaking our promises to injured Federal employees to save the Postal Service just a tiny fraction of its deficit I believe is wrong. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

Mr. President, I would like to address a number of statements my good friend Senator Collins has made about the FECA provisions in this bill.

First, it has been argued these changes are necessary to save the Postal Service money. However, since most employees affected by these cuts are not postal employees, the savings expected from these changes would have very little effect on the Postal Service's deficit. In fact, according to CBO, these changes would actually cost the Postal Service an additional $21 million in the first 3 years.

In addition, it has been said on the floor that the FECA recipients over retirement age get 26 percent more income than similar employees who work their entire career and retire under the normal retirement systems. This statistic comes from a recent GAO report that looked at only a small sample of nonpostal workers, eligible for CSCS retirement.

In fact, according to GAO, their recent report only examines 8 percent of the active Federal workforce and does not even look at the Postal Service workers. Cuts should not be made to FECA benefits until GAO completes a more comprehensive study, now underway, which examines the impact of benefit reductions on FERS participants. The Senate has not considered FECA legislation since 2006, and the only hearing was the one I held last year.

The Federal workers' comp program, similar to most State programs, allows injured workers to continue receiving compensation as long as the injury lasts, even if that is past normal retirement age. This is necessary because disabled workers on FECA do not earn Social Security credit and cannot participate in the Thrift Savings Plan, and they miss out on normal wage growth. We must make them whole for their injuries by making up for lost wages and their inability to save for retirement. It is simply not the case that workers of retirement age who still receive FECA benefits are somehow scamming the system.

Mr. President, I will wrap up.

In fact, in 1974, Congress repealed an earlier statute to allow a reduction at age 70. Congress cited concerns about the hardship the reductions caused on senior citizens as well as concerns about age discrimination when repealing the past less severe version of this legislation. No matter a person's age, they have every right to that benefit.

I agree that we should be taking a closer look at ways to prevent fraud and abuse in this program, but reducing benefits for people at retirement age has nothing to do with reducing fraud. My amendment allows the Department of Labor to obtain wage data from the Social Security Administration--this will help prevent fraud.

It has been argued that these cuts bring the FECA program more in line with the state programs. However, most state programs have no benefit reductions for recipients at retirement age. In fact, 33 state programs do not reduce benefits at any age. At our subcommittee hearing last July, the minority requested witness stated that these states seem to have no interest in cutting benefits for senior citizens.

Finally, proponents of these cuts have emphasized repeatedly that these provisions are very similar to an Obama administration proposal. This was actually a Bush administration proposal that the Obama administration simply kept in place. More importantly, this bill cuts benefits more deeply than that proposal, and most concerning--unlike the administration proposal--this bill would apply reductions retroactively to many employees who already have been injured.

Moreover, the Department of Labor has admitted that the changes to benefit amounts in the their proposal were round numbers based on rough calculations--I believe that is hardly the basis to determine what elderly disabled people will have to live on for the rest of their lives.

We simply do not have the information we need to decide on fair benefit levels and should wait for the more extensive GAO study now underway. Breaking our promises to injured federal employees to save the Postal Service a tiny fraction of its deficit is not the solution. My amendment 2034 offers a reasonable alternative by replacing the FECA provisions in this bill with the bipartisan FECA reform bill that passed the House by voice vote last year. The House chose not to make benefit cuts without the additional information they sought from GAO, and we should follow their lead.

This amendment would make commonsense reforms that will improve program efficiency and integrity without reducing benefits and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I wish to say the chairman of our committee, Joe Lieberman, and the ranking member have worked hard at this, and my whole effort is to deal with many of the workers of the Federal Government who are not in the Postal Service as well. I ask that my amendment be considered.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I wish to recognize the 26th Alcohol Awareness Month this April, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., NCADD. Since 1987, NCADD has been working to raise public awareness and understanding of alcoholism, specifically to reduce the stigma associated with alcoholism, which too often prevents individuals and families from admitting abuse and finding resources to help.

According to NCADD, more than 18 million individuals, or 8.5 percent of Americans, suffer from alcohol-use disorders. In addition to those directly affected by alcohol, there are millions more who feel the effects of alcohol abuse by a loved one in their everyday lives-- spouses, children, other family members, and friends. The prevalence of alcohol abuse in this country is astounding, with one out of every four U.S. children having been exposed to alcohol-use disorders in their family.

One of the most troubling aspects of alcoholism is that it often has severe effects on those closest to the person addicted and their community. It takes an enormous emotional, physical, and financial toll on the family members of those addicted to alcohol. Statistics show that 75 percent of domestic abuse is committed while one or both members are intoxicated, and family members utilize health care twice as much as families without alcohol problems.

This year's theme, ``Healthy Choices, Healthy Communities: Prevent Underage Drinking,'' is meant to draw particular attention to the severe impact that alcohol and alcohol-related problems have on young people, their friends, their families, and as a result, our communities. Underage drinking is quickly becoming a serious concern in my home State of Hawaii, and across the country.

Alcohol is currently the No. 1 drug of choice for America's young people, higher than tobacco, marijuana, or other illicit drugs. Teens who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than their peers who wait until the age of 21. Unfortunately, underage drinking is getting worse with 7,000 kids in the United States under the age of 16 taking their first drink each day, which costs the Nation an estimated $62 billion annually.

To combat this deepening problem and curb these disturbing trends, education, awareness, and prevention programs, like the events going on this month, are critically important. In addition, parents can help to reduce their children's risk of problem drinking by simply educating their kids and keeping a more watchful eye on them, especially as they enter middle schools and high school.

As we continue to observe this year's Alcohol Awareness Month, I urge everyone to take an active role in reducing the incidence of underage drinking across the country: do not contribute to events where minors and alcohol are involved without supervision, be aware of your influence on the children close to you, and encourage minors to stay alcohol free. Together, we can all help to reverse recent trends in the United States and keep our children from the harmful, lasting effects of alcohol abuse.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on April 19, 2012, in room SD 628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``S. 1684, the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self- Determination Act Amendments of 2011.''

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224 2251.

committee on health, education, labor, and pensions

Mr. President, today I rise to honor our Nation's public servants and once again submit a resolution recognizing our public servants during Public Service Recognition Week.

This is the 28th year we will honor our public servants with Public Service Recognition Week during the first full week of May, this year from May 6 12. I am proud to once again take a moment to highlight the importance of the work of our public servants and to thank them for all that they do for this country.

As a life-long public servant, I have worked with so many talented, hard-working people who have dedicated their lives to helping others. I have been inspired by meeting countless men and women who come to work every day to serve the communities and their country. Our way of life would not exist without the work of these admirable men and women who provide so many vital services to the American people, including caring for our wounded warriors, teaching our children, protecting our communities, and keeping our nation safe.

Public Service Recognition Week provides an opportunity not only to honor those who serve, but also to hear about the wide variety of careers in public service. Public employees use the week to educate their fellow Americans about how government serves them, and how government services make life better for us all. It is always my hope that people will hear about these great opportunities to give back to their communities and be encouraged to consider a career in public service.

While we have designated a week to pay tribute to government employees, it is so important that we continue to honor the work of our public servants throughout the year. We face many challenges both here at home and abroad, and our public servants play an integral role in moving our country forward. It is important that we do not lose sight of all they do to keep our country strong.

To all the dedicated men and women currently serving our Nation, mahalo nui loa, thank you very much, for all that you do. I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing the public servants in their states.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on Thursday, April 19, 2012, at 2:15 p.m., in room 628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct a legislative hearing on S. 1684, the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2011. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224 2251.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Mr. President, I rise to honor and extend my warmest aloha to my longtime colleague, a fellow member of the House freshman class of 1977, and very dear friend, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, for setting a new benchmark in her career and a significant milestone in this institution: becoming the longest serving woman in the history of the U.S. Congress. With each of her many accomplishments, she inspires the next generation of young American women, and she makes their dreams that much more attainable.

My colleague from Maryland has been a true trailblazer for women in Congress. In 1987, she earned the distinction of becoming the first- ever woman U.S. Senator from Maryland, as well as the first woman Democrat to serve in both the House and the Senate. Last year, she also became the longest serving female in Senate history.

Barbara has not only witnessed the number of females climb from just 21 when she first came to Congress in 1977 to the 92 female members serving today, her actions and spirit helped to make that feat possible. She continues to be a distinguished leader, mentor, and friend to all of her colleagues in Congress, not just the women. Although we have more work to do to eliminate gender bias and discrimination, I am glad to see that Congress has become more representative of the United States.

Throughout her over 35 years in Congress, Barbara has remained a fearless advocate for women, working-class Americans, and Federal workers across the country, a steadfast protector of the environment, and a relentless champion of civil rights in this country.

Raised by Polish-American small business owners, she has been a longtime defender of labor rights and a fierce proponent of establishing fair and equal working conditions for all Americans regardless of race, sex, or disability. This cause led her to author the landmark women's and worker's rights legislation, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which I cosponsored, to guarantee women equal pay for equal work.

Being from a State that, like Maryland, has a large population of Federal workers, I have worked very closely with Barbara on many issues to support our government employees. From the time that we entered the House together, she has always been a strong partner and stalwart champion for the rights of our Nation's Federal workforce, including fair pay and benefits for the dedicated men and women who make our government more secure, effective, and efficient.

Barbara is an embodiment of the democratic spirit and continues to be a leader. She uses her great wit, humor, and boundless energy to urge Congress to take up important issues and then works with Members on both sides of the aisle to resolve differences and come together to achieve real solutions that help real working Americans every day. This is a testament to the fact that as she became the longest serving woman in the history of Congress, she has never forgotten her purpose--to make America better.

I again want to extend my aloha and my congratulations to Senator Barbara Mikulski for this amazing achievement. It is a pleasure to serve with you. Thank you for your many years of outstanding service and genuine friendship, and I wish you the best as you continue your important work here in Congress.

Mr. President, my friend and colleague from Wyoming, Senator Enzi, and I have once again submitted a resolution to designate April as ``Financial Literacy Month'' to raise public awareness of this important issue. I would like to first thank the cosponsors of the resolution, Senators Baucus, Blunt, Brown of Ohio, Cardin, Carper, Cochran, Coons, Crapo, Durbin, Hagan, Inouye, Johnson of South Dakota, Kohl, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Menendez, Murray, and Wicker. I appreciate their hard work and support in working to increase the level of financial literacy for people of all ages across America. I also thank the Senate for taking up this resolution and passing it with unanimous consent last night.

This is the tenth and final year that I have introduced this resolution, which highlights our Nation's need for investments in financial literacy, commends current efforts and initiatives to promote financial education, and encourages the administration and private institutions to continue to work toward creating a more financially literate public.

Financial literacy empowers individuals to be able to appropriately evaluate credit opportunities, successfully

save and invest for long-term financial goals in an increasingly intricate marketplace, and responsibly manage their personal, professional, and family finances. It is essential that we continue to make strides toward improving education and consumer protection, while giving individuals the necessary tools to build more financially stable families, businesses, and communities. As we continue along the path to economic recovery, it is imperative that the basics of economics, credit, and personal finance become a fundamental fixture in the American school system.

The Council for Economic Education recently released their 2011 ``Survey of the States: Economic and Personal Finance Education in Our Nation's Schools.'' According to this survey, there have been great improvements in financial literacy since the first survey in 1998. However, troublingly, in the past 2 years, progress has slowed and in some cases even reversed. Specifically, only 22 States require students to take an economics course as a high school graduation requirement, and only 16 States require the testing of student knowledge in economics. In addition, only 12 States require students to take a personal finance course either independently or as part of an economics course as a high school graduation requirement.

Also, alarmingly, according to the Gallup-Operation HOPE Financial Literacy Index, while 69 percent of American students strongly believe that the best time to save money is now, only 57 percent believe that their parents are saving money for the future. Despite clear progress in this area over the past 15 years, these most recent trends are disturbing.

There is no better time than now to invest in a better-educated, more financially savvy public. With the increased complexity of and access to today's financial products, the unscrupulous nature of predatory lenders as they enticed millions of families into complicated loans they could not afford nor understand, and people having to make important life decisions at a younger and younger age, it is critical that we ensure that students are empowered by a sound financial education by the time they graduate from high school. Our Nation cannot afford another housing crisis, and the best way to safeguard against that risk is education and promotion spreading knowledge.

I would like to thank the various organizations and individuals who are doing their part to ensure the education of personal finance reaches as many Americans as possible. Teachers, parents, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, Governors, legislators, and other decision makers must be leaders on this issue just as all of us owe it to ourselves and our country to have adequate knowledge of personal finance.

As policymakers, we must champion these issues year round, not just in the month of April. However, focusing on Financial Literacy Month in April allows us to have a designated month when we can focus our efforts, take stock of what has been working, and improve on our work for the coming year. I thank my colleagues again for passing this resolution.