Floor Statements

Mr. President, if anyone sees the quietude that is enveloping our Chamber, they can reasonably ask a question about whether we are doing anything, is any work being done, what is taking place. I must tell you that I have to ask the same question.

The American people are at a point of great stress. They expect us to be hard at work solving a major problem facing us. I don't see the kind of visible stirring that ought to accompany our decisions over whether to get this job done. I hope that as we proceed further, we can get some kind of an agreement to at least let the American people know whether we support this idea that we provide some support for ailing companies that provide a lot of jobs in our society and how we can present economic opportunity that is so important for us.

As we work to provide a better future for our country, it is obvious that we face a particularly difficult choice at this moment. An essential segment of the American industrial base, the U.S. auto industry, is at a critical juncture. These companies have been mismanaged, they have lacked foresight, and they have been out of touch with what consumers wanted. They failed to understand the demand for fuel-efficient automobiles with higher gas mileage and lower costs. They failed to provide innovative designs to encourage consumers around the world to buy American. Instead, they stood by like spectators at a sporting event while the first-place trophy was snatched away from the American people.

I came to the Senate from the business community. I was chairman of a major company in this country, a company that now employs over 40,000 people. One thing I learned is that you must constantly update your product line if you want to succeed because otherwise someone else will and you will lose the opportunity, you will lose the sales, and you will lose your credibility. I find it shocking that the leaders of these giant companies failed to understand this basic rule of business. Instead of modernizing, they chose another path. They chose to spend millions of dollars on high-priced lobbyists to visit with us in our offices, asking Congress not to push them on fuel efficiency, not to urge that they move ahead with more efficient cars. Now they are here begging for our help.

Unfortunately, the disaster facing the big three is not an isolated problem. It has implications for every American. If the big three go under, millions of jobs could go with them. In my State alone, New Jersey, the auto industry employs more than 43,000 people. Thousands of manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, insurance companies, and small businesses would likely be imperiled if the automakers fall. Our economy could go into further shock absorbing that kind of collapse, especially now with the unemployment rate the highest it has been in 15 years.

So now we are being asked to decide whether we help General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford. If we agree to help them, this legislation has to have guarantees to protect the American taxpayers and for us to get this money back if we put it up at this time. For one thing, this cannot be free money. So it is essential that we only provide the big three with loans and lines of credit, not gifts, and that they have a clear plan to pay the money back. This relief package must also put strict caps on executive compensation and include an outright ban on big bonuses and golden parachutes for the highest paid managers. What is more, companies that receive funding must suspend paying any dividends to the shareholders. That is where these companies are. If we don't do something, their equity will be worthless. We have to make sure no dividends are paid until the taxpayers are paid back the money we are going to put in. In addition, they have to make a promise to finally work toward greater fuel efficiency.

To make sure automakers live up to these obligations--because we found out we cannot rely on their promises--the President should go ahead and appoint a car czar, someone who is devoting full time and attention to the resolution of this great problem. This administrator must work to get the Government repaid while monitoring the companies' efforts to make sure they stay on a path to long-term success. That means the big three must be restructured to assure competitiveness, higher quality, profitability, improved fuel efficiency, and renewed market leadership.

Doing nothing to help the big three could have catastrophic consequences for the job market and for American business leadership. However, a relief package for the big three automakers is no substitute for other stimulus provisions that our country desperately needs. We are in a severe recession, and for every month that this recession continues, more families fall behind, more small businesses fail, more life savings are lost, and more houses go into foreclosure. We have to find ways to change direction. We need bold strokes to get us out of this crisis. We need to stimulate our economy with infrastructure investments that will create jobs, increase energy independence, and get people to work quickly and efficiently. Transportation investments can give huge returns for the dollar. If we repair our schools and rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, we can create 2.5 million new jobs while reversing the declines we are witnessing. I mention these things because by doing them, we employ more people and we can be more optimistic as a country about our future.

It is my hope that we can work together, all of us, Republicans and Democrats, energetically to meet these grave challenges. I put out a plea to ask our colleagues across the aisle to join with us to show the American people that we are hard at work, that we do care about what is happening, that we are worried about families being dispossessed from their homes, that we are worried about children who cannot afford an education, that we are worried about investments that will improve the quality of life in our society. I hope they will come around.

I saw several of our colleagues on C-SPAN today at a press conference talking about why they didn't see this as something of value. Something of value is evident when work is being done, when the public is hearing a debate about this crisis, when the other side of the aisle isn't just being stubborn because they don't want to give the Democrats or whomever an advantage. We need to debate whether we can pull these companies out of the holes they are in, save jobs, and restore America's leadership in industry.

Many in our country have lost faith as they worry about their ability to support themselves and their families. They look to us here in Washington to

put aside partisanship and lead the way toward recovery. I hope we can get on with that. I hope we can get here to the floor, work as long and as hard as we have to, and with urgency, to show once again that we are supporting the interests of the American people.

It happens that these companies are in an obvious place where something terrible can happen. But what matters is that we work to do something that brings value to our country, value to our people. We have to at least consider it. I am not saying we have to pass any particular bill. We want to make sure the things we are concerned about are in there. But we have to have activity instead of stubbornness and an unwillingness to actively consider solutions to the problems facing us.

We are a great country, America, with its abundant resources and strong people, willing and eager to do their share. And as their representatives, we can do no less. So I hope we will see some activity fairly soon that tells the world out there that the Senate and the Congress are at work trying to help solve the problems instead of searching for ways to obstruct solutions.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I wish to pay tribute to Ryne Dougherty, a young man from Montclair, NJ, whose young life was tragically cut short on October 15. He suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage while playing football, the sport about which he was so passionate. Although he was only 16 years old, Ryne made a tremendous impact on his teammates, friends, and community. He was a caring and loving young man who displayed a special kindness and a deep commitment to his friends and family. An honor student and linebacker on the Montclair High School Junior Varsity football team, Ryne also found time to fix computers to benefit underprivileged families. Ryne was admired by all who knew him--over 1,000 mourners gathered together to remember him and comfort each other.

Ryne worked toward his goals with steadfast determination, eager to succeed. His football coach said that Ryne never sought glory or praise; he came to the field every day prepared to work his hardest out of respect for his teammates and love for the game. Family and friends said that Ryne always wanted to talk about football. He was always ready with the latest NFL statistics and greatly enjoyed playing football video games with his friends in his spare time. To honor Ryne, the New York Giants held a moment of silence during their game on October 19, a fitting tribute for a young fan.

Ryne was a mentor and an inspiration to his teammates. Many friends sought to follow his example: succeeding in school and working diligently on the field all while keeping a smile on his face. During Ryne's funeral, Rev. Gerald Whitaker asked the mourners to imagine that Ryne had made a game-saving tackle to end a big game against their rival high school. The crowd responded with a thunderous ovation, a fitting way to honor Ryne.

Finally, I would like express my sympathy to Ryne's family. I hope that they will be comforted by their many positive memories and by the outpouring of support from the Montclair community. His family decided to donate Ryne's organs, yet another way that Ryne has touched the lives of others. I am proud to honor him today.

Mr. President, another 4 months have passed, and more American troops have lost their lives overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wish to memorialize their service and sacrifice by including their names in the Congressional Record.

Since I last included the names of our fallen troops on July 15, the Pentagon has announced the deaths of 162 troops in Iraq and in Operation Enduring Freedom, which includes Afghanistan. They will not be forgotten and today I submit their names into the Record:

CPL Aaron M. Allen, of Buellton, CA;

CWO Christian P. Humphreys, of Fallon, NV;

CWO Donald V. Clark, of Memphis, TN;

SGT Jonnie L. Stiles, of Highlands Ranch, CO;

SGT James M. Clay, of Mountain Home, AR;

SPC Corey M. Shea, of Mansfield, MA;

SGT Jose Regalado, of Los Angeles, CA;

SPC Armando A. De La Paz, of Riverside, CA;

SSG Timothy H. Walker, of Franklin, TN;

PFC Theron V. Hobbs, of Albany, GA;

SPC Adam M. Wenger, of Waterford, MI;

SGT Daniel W. Wallace, of Dry Ridge, KY;

PFC Bradley S. Coleman, of Martinsville, VA;

SSG Scott J. Metcalf, of Framingham, MA;

1LT Trevor J. Yurista, of Pleasant Valley, NY;

SSG Kevin D. Grieco, of Bartlett, IL;

SGT Nicholas A. Casey, of Canton, OH;

PFC Cody J. Eggleston, of Eugene, OR;

LCpl San Sim, of Santa Ana, CA;

CPL Adrian Robles, of Scottsbluff, NE;

SSgt Brian P. Hause, of Stoystown, PA;

SGT Deon L. Taylor, of Bronx, NY;

LCpl Stacy A. Dryden, of North Canton, OH;

MAJ Robert D. Lindenau, of Camano Island, WA;

SPC Heath K. Pickard, of Palestine, TX;

SPC Justin A. Saint, of Albertville, AL;

SGT Federico G. Borjas, of San Diego, CA;

SGT John M. Penich, of Beach Park, IL;

SPC Cory J. Bertrand, of Center, TX;

SPC Stephen R. Fortunato, of Danvers, MA;

SGT Preston R. Medley, of Baker, FL;

SPC Christopher A. McCraw, of Columbia, MS;

CPL Scott G. Dimond, of Franklin, NH;

SGT Michael K. Clark, of Sacramento, CA;

SPC Geoffrey G. Johnson, of Lubbock, TX;

SGT Reuben M. Fernandez III, of Abilene, TX;

CPL Jason A. Karella, of Anchorage, AK;

COL Michael R. Stahlman, of Chevy Chase, MD;

SGT William P. Rudd, of Madisonville, KY;

SPC Jason E. von Zerneck, of Charlotte, NC;

PFC Tavarus D. Setzler, of Jacksonville, FL;

SPC Christopher A. Bartkiewicz, of Dunfermline, IL;

CPT Richard G. Cliff Jr., of Mount Pleasant, SC;

SFC Jamie S. Nicholas, of Maysel, WV;

SFC Gary J. Vasquez, of Round Lake, IL;

SPC Christopher T. Fox, of Memphis, TN;

PFC Jamel A. Bryant, of Belleville, IL;

SGT William E. Hasenflu, of Bradenton, FL;

CPT Michael J. Medders, of Ohio;

SSG Ronald Phillips Jr., of Conway, SC;

1LT Thomas J. Brown, of Burke, VA;

CH COL Sidney J. Marceaux Jr., of Beaumont, TX;

CPT Bruno G. Desolenni, of Crescent City, CA;

SSG Matthew J. Taylor, of Charleston, SC;

PO3 Matthew J. O'Bryant, of Duluth, GA;

SSG Nathan M. Cox, of Walcott, IA;

PVT Joseph F. Gonzales, of Tucson, AZ;

SGT Jerome C. Bell Jr., of Auburn, NY;

SSG Brandon W. Farley, of Grand Prairie, TX;

SSG Jason A. Vazquez, of Chicago, IL;

1LT Mohsin A. Naqvi, of Newburgh, NY;

CPT Bruce E. Hays, of Cheyenne, WY;

SGT Joshua W. Harris, of Romeoville, IL;

MAJ Rodolfo I. Rodriguez, of El Paso, TX;

1LT Robert Vallejo II, of Richland Hills, TX;

CPL Michael E. Thompson, of Harrah, OK;

CWO Brady J. Rudolf, of Oklahoma City, OK;

SGM Julio C. Ordonez, of San Antonio, TX;

SSG Anthony L. Mason, of Springtown, TX;

SGT Daniel M. Eshbaugh, of Norman, OK;

CWO Corry A. Edwards, of Kennedale, TX;

LTC James L. Wiley, of North Bend, OR;

CPT Darrick D. Wright, of Nashville, TN;

PFC Leonard J. Gulczynski I, of Carol Stream, IL;

HM3 Eichmann A. Strickland, of Arlington, WA;

LTC Ralph J. Marino, of Houston, PA;

PVT Michael W. Murdock, of Chocowinity, NC;

SGT Wesley R. Durbin, of Hurst, TX;

SSG Darris J. Dawson, of Pensacola, FL;

CWO Michael Slebodnik, of Gibsonia, PA;

SFC Daniel R. Sexton, of Wentzville, MO;

SPC Marques I. Knight, of San Juan Capistrano, CA;

CPO Jason Richard Freiwald, of Armada, MI;

SCPO John Wayne Marcum, of Flushing, MI;

CPT Jesse Melton III, of Randallstown, MD;

1LT Nicholas A. Madrazo, of Bothell, WA;

PVT Vincent C. Winston Jr., of St. Louis, MO;

PVT Michael R. Dinterman, of Littlestown, PA;

PVT Jordan P. P. Thibeault, of South Jordan, UT;

PFC Bryan R. Thomas, of Battle Creek, MI;

SSG Kenneth W. Mayne, of Fort Benning, GA;

SFC Gregory A. Rodriguez, of Weidman, MI;

PFC Patrick W. May, of Jamestown, NY;

PO1 Joshua Harris, of Lexington, NC;

SPC Steven J. Fitzmorris, of Columbia, MO;

SPC Jorge L. Feliz Nieve, of Queens Village, NY;

SPC Carlo E. Alfonso, of Spokane, WA;

SPC Michael L. Gonzalez, of Spotswood, NJ;

SGT David K. Cooper, of Williamsburg, KY;

PFC Tan Q. Ngo, of Beaverton, OR;

SSG Brian E. Studer, of Ramsey, MN;

SSG David L. Paquet, of Rising Sun, MD;

SFC David J. Todd Jr., of Marrero, LA;

SFC George Stanciel, of Greenwood, MS;

SGT Nickolas Lee Hopper, of Montrose, IL;

LCpl Travis M. Stottlemyer, of Hatfield, PA;

PFC Jonathon L. Luscher, of Scranton, PA;

1LT Donald C. Carwile, of Oxford, MS;

PFC Paul E. Conlon Jr., of Somerville, MA;

PVT Janelle F. King, of Merced, CA;

SSG Kristopher D. Rodgers, of Sturgis, MI;

CPL Anthony G. Mihalo, of Naperville, IL;

LCpl Juan Lopez-Castaneda, of Mesa, AZ;

LCpl Jacob J. Toves, of Grover Beach, CA;

PFC Daniel A. C. McGuire, of Mashpee, MA;

CPL James M. Hale, of Naperville, IL;

SGT Michael H. Ferschke Jr., of Maryville, TN;

CPL Adam T. McKiski, of Cherry Valley, IL;

CPL Stewart S. Trejo, of Whitefish, MT;

PFC John A. Mattox, of Daingerfield, TX;

SGT Kenneth B. Gibson, of Christiansburg, VA;

SGT Jose E. Ulloa, of New York, NY;

PO2 Anthony M. Carbullido, of Agat, GU;

MSG Danny E. Maybin, of Columbia, SC;

SGT Errol M. James, of St. Croix, VI;

SPC Ronald A. Schmidt, of Newton, KS;

PVT Timothy J. Hutton, of Dillon, MT;

CAPT Garrett T. Lawton, of Charleston, WV;

SGT Gary M. Henry, of Indianapolis, IN;

SPC Jonathan D. Menke, of Madison, IN;

SGT Jaime Gonzalez Jr., of Austin, TX;

SSG Brian K. Miller, of Pendleton, IN;

SGT Ryan P. Baumann, of Great Mills, MD;

PFC Jennifer L. Cole, of American Canyon, CA;

SPC Andre D. Mitchell, of Elmont, NY;

SPC David J. Badie, of Rockford, IL;

2LT Michael R. Girdano, of Pennsylvania;

SPC William J. Mulvihill, of Leavenworth, KS;

PVT Jair De Jesus Garcia, of Chatsworth, CA;

SPC Kevin R. Dickson, of Steelville, MO;

SGT James A. McHale, of Fairfield, MT;

SSGT Faoa L. Apineru, of Yorba Linda, CA;

SPC Seteria L. Brown, of Orlando, FL;

PFC Ivan I. Wilson, of Clearlake, CA;

1LT Nick A. Dewhirst, of Onalaska, WI;

SSGT Danny P. Dupre, of Lockport, LA;

BM3 Daniel R. Verbeke, of Exton, PA;

PFC Willington M. Rhoads, of Las Vegas, NV;

1LT Jason D. Mann, of Woodlynne, NJ;

TSgt Jackie L. Larsen, of Tacoma, WA;

LCpl Jeffery S. Stevenson, of Newton, NJ;

SSG David W. Textor, of Roanoke, VA;

SSG Jeremy D. Vrooman, of Sioux Falls, SD;

1LT Jonathan P. Brostrom, of Hawaii;

SGT Israel Garcia, of Long Beach, CA;

CPL Jonathan R. Ayers, of Snellville, GA;

CPL Jason M. Bogar, of Seattle, WA;

CPL Jason D. Hovater, of Clinton, TN;

CPL Matthew B. Phillips, of Jasper, GA;

CPL Pruitt A. Rainey, of Haw River, NC;

CPL Gunnar W. Zwilling, of Florissant, MO;

SPC Sergio S. Abad, of Morganfield, KY.

We cannot forget these men and women and their sacrifice. These brave souls left behind parents and children, siblings, and friends. We want them to know the country pledges to preserve the memory of our lost soldiers who gave their lives for our country.

Mr. President, in light of today's historic vote on the Amtrak reauthorization legislation, I wish to honor a great transportation leader and a son of New Jersey George Warrington, who passed away at his home in Mendham, NJ, on December 24, 2007. During a public service career that spanned more than 30 years, Mr. Warrington held an influential and decisive role in the development and continued success of public transportation systems not just in our State of New Jersey but throughout the entire region. His role in the early development of NJ Transit helped make the agency what it is today one of the largest and most successful transit agencies in the country.

George Warrington's contributions to public transportation cannot be overstated. His work to secure funding for NJ Transit in the 1970s was crucial to the creation and early development of the agency. He later served as vice president and general manager of NJ Transit's rail operations and brought a necessary focus on customer service, ontime performance, and repairing the rail system's infrastructure. He worked tirelessly to expand regional rail capacity by adding additional seating in cars and parking spaces at stations across the State. He also promoted the development of new rail lines, such as the Midtown Direct Montclair service and Newark Light Rail extension, and he spearheaded the addition of key rail stations such as Hoboken Terminal and Secaucus Junction. These initiatives were central in creating and maintaining a successful public railroad transportation system in New Jersey and the surrounding region, and I was proud to secure Federal funding for these efforts.

George's efforts on one project, in particular, will help secure the economic future of the New Jersey-New York region and that is the new Hudson River Rail Tunnel. Also called the Trans-Hudson Express, THE, Tunnel, part of the Access to the Region's Core, ARC, Project, this new rail tunnel will ensure that travel between New Jersey and Manhattan by rail will be available well into the future. Existing tunnels are already at capacity during peak hours, with trains moving through them at a rate of one every 2\1/2\ minutes. Without this new tunnel, our region's economy will suffer. New Jerseyans would lose out on a convenient and environmentally friendly way to commute to work into New York City and New York City would lose out on a strong and dedicated labor pool of New Jersey workers. George garnered critical early support for the new tunnel project from both sides of the river, a feat acknowledged by many experts as vital to the project.

George Warrington also listened to passengers and employees, a critical feature of any successful organization. He considered their input in new rail car designs, such as the popular new multilevel cars. These rail cars eliminate the dreaded ``third seat,'' while adding to the overall number of seats in the car.

For several years, George also served as executive director of the Delaware River Port Authority, which governs the Delaware River port system, four major vehicle bridges in the region, and the PATCO rail system. He is credited with speeding up project delivery times and managing the conversion to collecting tolls in just one direction on the bridges.

George Warrington must also be recognized for his significant contributions to national transportation as Amtrak's corporate president and CEO and chief executive of its Northeast corridor. He was instrumental in the launching of Acela Express, the nation's first high-speed rail line, as well as carrying out the completion of the electrification of the entire Northeast corridor rail line between Boston and Washington, DC, another project I was proud to secure Federal funding for. The Northeast corridor now offers the country's premier high-speed rail service and carries more passengers than all of the airlines combined between key northeastern cities. George will always be remembered as an important advocate of a strong national rail system.

Mr. President, while George Warrington passed away on December 24, 2007, his legacy lives on through his family and through his lasting contributions to the rail industry both in New Jersey and throughout the Nation. On behalf of the people of New Jersey, I am proud to commemorate his many achievements to make New Jersey and our Nation a better place and convey our best wishes to his family and friends.

Mr. President, we are about to take up a vote that is going to decide whether our country is committed to a 21st-century transportation system. This is a vote that was considered under the cloture process earlier this week. This is a decision that is going to give a real option to travelers from frustrating lines at the airport, high gas prices at the pump, one that is going to make trains safer for rail passengers and rail workers, and a decision that will expand energy-efficient train travel to more of our cities.

Much of the industrialized world has already made such a commitment. France, China, Japan, Spain, Germany, and Korea are all focused on connecting major cities of 500 miles or less by fast and efficient trains. A 210-mile trip from Brussels, Belgium, to Paris, France, takes only 85 minutes--an hour and 25 minutes--compared to our 3 hours from New York to Washington, DC. The question is, Why can't we have something comparable to that in this country? Even now, more people take the trains between Washington and New York on a regular basis than those who fly. It is time to bring reliable, fast train service to other regions of the country as well. The American public wants this option.

Yesterday, the Secretary of Transportation announced that Americans are driving less and taking trains more frequently. In fact, according to Amtrak, the fiscal year that ended yesterday carried over 28 million riders. That is a record for the sixth straight year.

Our bill provides $13 billion over 5 years for Amtrak and various States so they can explore their corridor opportunities. This is over a 5-year period for Amtrak and those States, so we can modernize and expand our network of trains, tracks, and stations.

With all the demand for rail travel, one thing we also have to make sure of is that trains are safe. Unfortunately, we have been reminded recently of the acute need for safety improvements.

Last month, America experienced the worst train collision in 15 years. This took place at Chatsworth, CA, on September 12 of this year. Twenty-five people died and over 130 were injured when two trains collided in Chatsworth. What made this dreadful crash all the more tragic was that it might have been avoided had the necessary investments in technology been made. As we mourn the victims of the Chatsworth crash, our vote today will demonstrate the seriousness of our being here, about making sure this can't happen again.

The State of South Carolina, for instance, not very long ago, in Graniteville, saw the rail catastrophe shown here. In 2005, this collision resulted in the release of chlorine gas

that killed 9 people, and over 5,400 people were evacuated from the surroundings that day.

In Luther, OK, in August, the community witnessed this massive fireball after a train derailed and caused ethanol tank cars to explode. We can't even see the train because it was so engulfed by flames.

One of the major reasons for train crashes is human error. Our bill addresses that problem with vital improvements.

Thanks in part to Senators Feinstein and Boxer, our bill mandates that major railroads use positive train control or PTC systems. This technology is available today to keep two trains from colliding, to stop a train if the train is passing a red light, as we saw in Chatsworth.

Secondly, our legislation limits the daily number of workhours per railroad employee. Laws now allow them to work 100 hours each and every week. It is wrong. Our bill is going to change those laws so that people who operate and maintain our trains get enough rest between shifts and remain alert on the job.

Third, our bill is going to give inspectors the tools they need to better oversee the railroad industry's safety practices. The FRA--the Federal Railroad Administration--could punish infractions with fines of up to $100,000 when railroad companies disobey our safety laws.

As I mentioned on Monday, this bill is long overdue. Since we last passed rail safety legislation in 1994, more than 9,000 people have been killed and more than 100,000 have been injured in train-related incidents. Since we last passed Amtrak legislation in 1997, gas prices have tripled. Congestion has grown substantially on the highways. We have suffered two of the worst years ever for flight delays, and everyone knows it is time to modernize our Nation's underfunded and outdated passenger rail system. In doing so, we will help solve many of today's challenges, such as energy independence, overcrowded highways, runways that are overcrowded, and global warming. To prevent tragedies like the Chatsworth crash from ever happening again, we must complete this bipartisan legislation today and send it to the President for his signature.

The Senate has already passed our bills on Amtrak and railroad safety with overwhelming majorities. On this past Monday, 69 of us voted for cloture for this package, obviously meaning that debate was to be cut off and get on with business. I urge my colleagues to finish the job and support this landmark legislation for the sake of America's travelers.

How much time do we have on our side?

I wish to thank some of my colleagues for their vital support for this critical legislation. This is truly a bipartisan bill. I wish to take a minute and thank those who worked so hard to put this package together. First and foremost, I thank Senate majority leader Harry Reid for his leadership. I also thank a former colleague, Senator Trent Lott, for his hard work and longstanding commitment to passenger rail service. From the Commerce Committee, I thank chairman Dan Inouye and ranking member Kay Bailey Hutchison. I thank her for her cooperation. It has been terrific working with Senator Hutchison. I thank Senator Stevens as well, and my subcommittee ranking member, Senator Smith, and all of our cosponsors, particularly Senators Carper, Feinstein, Clinton, Menendez, Specter, Schumer, and Warner, for their dedication and commitment to improving travel in America.

To our partners in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I thank Committee Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Member Mica, Railroads Subcommittee leaders Chairman Brown and Ranking Member Shuster. These people in the House were all exceptional champions, and we thank them.

Everybody I mentioned and many more legislative staff and experts contributed to this bill. We look forward to it becoming law and making a difference for our rail industry and travelers everywhere. I note that it has been several years that this Senator has been working on this. I am so pleased to see that we will have an opportunity to pass it.

I thank again my dear friend and colleague, whom we will all miss. He leaves with our admiration and affection--Senator John Warner. He and I each served in the war. I don't want to tell which war. It goes back a long way. But we did serve in the war together, not in the same theater but we served. He will be missed.

At this point, I yield the floor to the Senator from California, Mrs. Feinstein.

Mr. President, again, I rise to reiterate the fact that this is a chance to make a huge difference in the way we travel in this country. We know you cannot get there from here if you get on the roads, whether they be major highways or streets. Airplanes are ever more delinquent in their ability to deliver service on time. So this is a chance for everybody to step up and declare we are going to have a refined, up-to-date, modern system that enables us to carry the passenger load that is available for us.

I ask my colleagues to vote for this legislation and hope we will see its passage very shortly.

Mr. President, I yield any time remaining.

Mr. President, the distinguished Chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, and my colleague as a senior member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, is correct. This legislation ensures that solid waste rail transfer facilities must fully comply with the substantive and procedural requirements in State and Federal environmental and public health and safety laws, including all permitting requirements, and generally allows the Surface Transportation Board to issue land-use exemptions so that the Board may continue to be the single agency to guide our country's policies concerning the placement of railroad facilities, which enables a unified national rail system and promotes energy- efficient interstate rail transportation. In addition, the distinguished chairman is correct that the legislation does not diminish the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency or the States with respect to hazardous wastes, mining or oil and gas wastes. This legislation also does not affect in any way the application of the statutory definition of solid waste under the SWDA. This legislation also does not intend to affect any preexisting authority to respond to imminent hazards under Sections 7002 and 7003 of the RCRA. Lastly, this bill ensures that solid waste rail transfer facilities, as defined in this legislation, obtain the State permits that any other similar solid waste management facility is required to obtain and comply in full with State law, as described in Sections 603 and 604 of Division A of the bill, and this bill affirms the States' traditional police powers to require rail carriers to comply with State and local environmental, public health, and public safety standards as described in Section 605 of Division A.

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

Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. President, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in voting for cloture on this important rail safety and Amtrak reauthorization bill. I am pleased to be doing this with the distinguished Senator from Texas, Mrs. Hutchison, and am particularly delighted to have the chance to share in the twilight area of the distinguished career of the senior Senator from Virginia on this issue. John Warner and I have been friends for many years. We both had some military experience in World War II, and Senator Warner went on to Korea to continue his duty. We are grateful for not only his duty in the military but his service to the country. Senator Warner is a man with balance and sensitivity. It doesn't mean he always agrees, and when he doesn't, you know that. He is not hesitant to let you know that he disagrees, but he always does it as a gentleman and always with a courtly touch, if I might say.

So I am pleased to be here and to have his interests in taking care of the District of Columbia, the State of Virginia, and the State of Maryland in terms of having the kind of rail service that is essential now.

Mr. President, when we look at railroads and the role they serve in our country, it is interesting to see that we are now fighting for having better rail service when we are practically overwhelmed with demand for it. However, on an average day in America, two people are killed and more than 24 injured in railroad-related accidents.

The recent Metrolink collision in Chatsworth, CA, that killed 25 people and injured 135 serves as a tragic reminder that we must act to protect the millions of passengers who ride trains each day in this country. Yet Federal rail safety programs have not been reauthorized since 1994. Some railroad employees are working under laws that date back over a century ago. It is critical that we bring our safety laws into the 21st century for travelers, for the rail workers, and our country's railroads.

Under the leadership of Senator Inouye and the Commerce Committee, working in a bipartisan fashion, we held two hearings to gain input from the administration, large and small railroads, and rail workers. We were very careful with that. The bill we put together was reported out of committee unanimously. It passed then unanimously on the Senate floor last month.

The bill before us today continues an agreement between the Senate Commerce Committee leaders and our counterparts in the House which also passed a rail safety bill. It requires new lifesaving technologies such as positive train control, also called PTC systems. Federal accident investigators say this technology could have made a difference in this month's California crash.

Our bill updates the hours of service laws to ensure that train crews and signal workers get sufficient rest to remain alert and reduce fatigue.

It gives the Federal Railroad Administration the tools to better oversee the safety of the rail industry, including more inspectors and higher penalties for violations of Federal safety laws. In all, the rail safety improvements in this bill are long overdue for workers, for the industry, and for Federal regulators.

In addition to the rail safety legislation, this bill reauthorizes Amtrak for the first time since 1997. As with rail safety, the Senate has passed legislation on this already in this Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan vote on the Senate floor last October. I coauthored that bill with Senator Lott, and it reflects our shared vision for expanding the use of passenger trains in the United States. We held several hearings on this bill and received input from Amtrak, freight railroads, the States, and rail labor.

Since we were blocked from going to conference and reconciling the differences with the House Amtrak bill, we worked out a bipartisan, bicameral agreement with our House counterparts. This portion of the bill before us today substantially changes our Federal policy toward passenger rail travel. It provides the funding that Amtrak needs to succeed as a real option for travelers. Included in this funding is a new $2 billion grant program for States to pursue passenger rail projects. In all, this bill would authorize over $2.5 billion each year for Amtrak, but it includes the States also for the next 5 years. I say ``includes the States also'' because it gives the States an opportunity to establish their own rail corridors that have so much interest now. This level of funding will allow more passenger trains to serve more travelers, will create infrastructure-related jobs in America, and will allow Amtrak to make long-term growth plans.

With this investment also comes more accountability. Our bill contains significant reforms, many called for by Senators who have not always supported Federal funding for Amtrak. These reforms will require the railroad to improve its efficiency and management by mandating a new financial accounting system, requiring States to pay for those Amtrak services they get, and considering passenger trains run by freight railroads. Our bill also allows private firms to submit proposals to build new high-speed lines where there is interest, which allows for a full public discussion of this potential.

Both the rail safety and the Amtrak portions of this bill are needed and long overdue. Since we last passed rail safety legislation, more than 9,000 people have been killed and more than 100,000 have been injured in train-related incidents. Think about that. Here we are, we are having a little battle about this, when we can be saving lives, making people more comfortable in their travel, and making rail service more reliable.

Since we last passed Amtrak legislation, gas prices, everyone has noticed, have tripled, highways have gotten more crowded, and we have suffered two of the worst years ever for flight delays. The House took up this bill and passed it on a bipartisan voice vote last week. Now the Senate needs to invoke cloture, pass this bill, and send it to the President for his signature.

I ask that all Senators let us proceed to this question and help travelers, the rail workers, States, and the American railroad and supply companies in this critical industry.

Mr. President, what is the time situation please?

Mr. President, our bill will result in a substantially safer railroad industry. In recognition of this, the Association of American Railroads and many railroad labor

unions together strongly support our bill.

Our bill will expand the resources of the Federal Railroad Administration, the agency which regulates railroads for safety. It has provisions which would authorize 200 more inspectors and raise the maximum amounts for civil penalties that the agency can levy for violations of our safety laws. These violations can cost up to $100,000 each.

Too often it takes a catastrophe to get people around here to focus on severe gaps in our laws. Regrettably, earlier this month, America experienced that kind of tragedy. The accident took place in Chatsworth, CA. That train collision was only a couple of weeks ago-- September 12, 2008. The devastation we see here, including the loss of life and the number of injuries, is unacceptable if we can do anything about it, and we can.

We also owe it to the residents in communities such as Graniteville, SC. This was January 6, 2005. They had nine fatalities. We want to make sure these things don't happen again. In 2005, we had over 5,400 people evacuated from the area surrounding the accident to avoid the fog of deadly chlorine. Had this accident happened any later that morning, the consequences would have been much worse. Factory workers would have been at work in nearby mills and schoolchildren would have been in the nearby schools. So we owe it to the memory of those people to pledge that wherever we can avoid this kind of thing happening, we must do it.

We also owe it to the people of Luther, OK, who last month watched this massive fireball erupt after a train derailed and caused ethanol tanks to explode. Look at that picture. You can't see the train. That is what happened. We have to be better prepared to prevent these things from happening.

These are not trivial improvements we are talking about today in this legislation. I hope we can quickly finish our work on this bill and get sent to the President's desk for enactment, so that we can avoid the kinds of tragedies that we know are possible.

I yield back all our time.

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the End Gun Trafficking Act of 2008. I am proud to be joined by my colleague from New Jersey, Senator Menendez, in introducing this bill.

Trafficking in illegal guns is a serious problem that fuels crime, drug activity, and gang violence in our communities and on our streets.

Under current Federal law, gun purchasers are able to buy--and gun dealers are able to sell--unlimited numbers of handguns. All too frequently, these bulk handgun purchasers turn around and sell those handguns on the black market. The guns are sold to criminals and gang members--people who are barred under Federal law from buying guns themselves.

This pipeline of illegal guns threatens States' abilities to protect their own residents, as guns are often purchased in bulk in States with weak gun laws and sold to criminals in States with tougher gun laws.

My State of New Jersey has some of the strongest gun violence prevention laws in the country, including a ban on assault weapons, child access prevention requirements, and permitting requirements for gun ownership. Unfortunately, because of the gun trafficking pipeline, illegal weapons make their way onto New Jersey's streets and place all New Jerseyans in danger.

In 2007, 72 percent of the guns recovered from New Jersey crime scenes that were traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives came from out of State. Just six States accounted for nearly 50 percent of those traced guns.

As these numbers make all too clear, we will only give full effect to New Jersey's and other State's effort protect their residents when we shut down the ``iron pipeline'' of gun trafficking. To stop gun trafficking, we must stop the bulk sales of handguns.

The legislation that I introduce today would do exactly that. The End Gun Trafficking Act of 2008 would limit gun buyers to one handgun every 30 days.

This ``one-handgun-a-month'' approach is proven. Today, States-- Virginia, Maryland, and California--have such laws. Before enacting this law in 1993, Virginia was the supplier of choice for criminals up and down the East Coast. A 1995 study showed drastic reductions in the flow of Virginia guns to criminals in other States: the percentage of crime guns traced back to Virginia fell by 71 percent in New York and 72 percent in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, despite these results, Virginia significantly weakened its law in 2004.

I hope that New Jersey will be the fourth State to limit handgun purchases to one a month. In July, the New Jersey Assembly approved a one-handgun-a-month bill that is awaiting action in the State Senate. I strongly support this legislation, which will help cut down on the illegal gun trade within New Jersey.

But to really combat interstate gun trafficking, we need a national solution. The End Gun Trafficking Act is an important step in that direction. Specifically, this legislation would prohibit gun dealers from selling a handgun to an unlicensed person who they know or have reason to believe has purchased another handgun within the previous 30 days.

It would prohibit unlicensed individuals from purchasing more than one handgun during a 30-day period.

It would make exceptions for exchanges, Government, and law enforcement purchases and curios and relics.

It would ensure that the background check system checks whether a buyer has purchased a handgun within the last 30 days and block handgun sales to such buyers.

It would increase the maximum penalty from 1 year to 5 years for gun dealers who make false statements in their gun sale records.

It would require that background checks be kept for at least 180 days instead of the current 24 hours, to allow dealers to find out whether an individual has purchased another handgun within the previous 30 days and make unlicensed gun dealers who sell more than one handgun a month to an unlicensed individual subject to the same laws as licensed gun dealers.

I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to pass this legislation and reduce gun violence.

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

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the End Gun Trafficking Act of 2008. I am proud to be joined by my colleague from New Jersey, Senator Menendez, in introducing this bill.

Trafficking in illegal guns is a serious problem that fuels crime, drug activity, and gang violence in our communities and on our streets.

Under current Federal law, gun purchasers are able to buy--and gun dealers are able to sell--unlimited numbers of handguns. All too frequently, these bulk handgun purchasers turn around and sell those handguns on the black market. The guns are sold to criminals and gang members--people who are barred under Federal law from buying guns themselves.

This pipeline of illegal guns threatens States' abilities to protect their own residents, as guns are often purchased in bulk in States with weak gun laws and sold to criminals in States with tougher gun laws.

My State of New Jersey has some of the strongest gun violence prevention laws in the country, including a ban on assault weapons, child access prevention requirements, and permitting requirements for gun ownership. Unfortunately, because of the gun trafficking pipeline, illegal weapons make their way onto New Jersey's streets and place all New Jerseyans in danger.

In 2007, 72 percent of the guns recovered from New Jersey crime scenes that were traced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives came from out of State. Just six States accounted for nearly 50 percent of those traced guns.

As these numbers make all too clear, we will only give full effect to New Jersey's and other State's effort protect their residents when we shut down the ``iron pipeline'' of gun trafficking. To stop gun trafficking, we must stop the bulk sales of handguns.

The legislation that I introduce today would do exactly that. The End Gun Trafficking Act of 2008 would limit gun buyers to one handgun every 30 days.

This ``one-handgun-a-month'' approach is proven. Today, States-- Virginia, Maryland, and California--have such laws. Before enacting this law in 1993, Virginia was the supplier of choice for criminals up and down the East Coast. A 1995 study showed drastic reductions in the flow of Virginia guns to criminals in other States: the percentage of crime guns traced back to Virginia fell by 71 percent in New York and 72 percent in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, despite these results, Virginia significantly weakened its law in 2004.

I hope that New Jersey will be the fourth State to limit handgun purchases to one a month. In July, the New Jersey Assembly approved a one-handgun-a-month bill that is awaiting action in the State Senate. I strongly support this legislation, which will help cut down on the illegal gun trade within New Jersey.

But to really combat interstate gun trafficking, we need a national solution. The End Gun Trafficking Act is an important step in that direction. Specifically, this legislation would prohibit gun dealers from selling a handgun to an unlicensed person who they know or have reason to believe has purchased another handgun within the previous 30 days.

It would prohibit unlicensed individuals from purchasing more than one handgun during a 30-day period.

It would make exceptions for exchanges, Government, and law enforcement purchases and curios and relics.

It would ensure that the background check system checks whether a buyer has purchased a handgun within the last 30 days and block handgun sales to such buyers.

It would increase the maximum penalty from 1 year to 5 years for gun dealers who make false statements in their gun sale records.

It would require that background checks be kept for at least 180 days instead of the current 24 hours, to allow dealers to find out whether an individual has purchased another handgun within the previous 30 days and make unlicensed gun dealers who sell more than one handgun a month to an unlicensed individual subject to the same laws as licensed gun dealers.

I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to pass this legislation and reduce gun violence.

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

Mr. President, today I congratulate Georgian Court University, GCU, on its 100th anniversary. For the past century, GCU has been a leader in higher education, encouraging intellectual inquiry, ethical professionalism, and community involvement. I am proud to have this institution in New Jersey, and it is an honor to pay tribute to its achievements.

Georgian Court University was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1908 as a women's college, and it remains dedicated to the success of women today. The Women's College at GCU provides an environment conducive to academic achievement and offers a liberal arts education tailored to women's learning styles. In particular, GCU's Women in Leadership Development Program is one of the most powerful programs for young women today. By participating on university committees, making presentations, lobbying legislators, and networking with mentors, students develop the skills and tools needed by today's successful women leaders.

In the 1970s, Georgian Court University expanded its programs and opened its doors to men. Over the decades, GCU has added buildings and faculty to meet the growing student population, which stands at more than 3,000 today. In addition to the original GCU estate, which has been preserved and is on the National Register of Historic Places, the GCU landscape includes a new wellness center, residence hall, chapel, and science wing that were all added in the last several years.

With 29 undergraduate and eight graduate degree offerings, GCU continues to develop new academic programs. Their new nursing program, established just this year, will help stem nursing shortages in New Jersey. Their accelerated and executive MBA program allows executives to gain the information they need to advance their careers, and as one of only 50 NASA Educational Resource Centers, GCU ensures that teachers have the most up-to-date scientific information for their classrooms.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the service of Georgian Court University's faculty and students. Whether sending teams of students and staff to install water systems in poverty-stricken areas of Honduras or helping local homeless populations in New Jersey, GCU is committed to making the world a better place.

Mr. President, the students, alumni, and staff of Georgian Court University have much to be proud of as they celebrate 100 years of academia. I applaud GCU for its many years of service, and I wish the university continued success in the years ahead.

Mr. President, today is a time for reflection and review of a particular moment in American history that is not yet fully established in the manner I believe it should be. America changed more on this day 7 years ago than perhaps at any other time in our history, save those moments we were at war. But the effects that linger on are far greater than those when we were engaged in wars or experienced natural disasters.

Our world has changed so much since that day, September 11, 2001, because we are reminded every day at some point in time, sometimes several points in time, about what changed. Our freedoms were substantially chipped away. One can't go anyplace--and this affects all ages, including our young friends who are pages this year--without having an ID card, without waiting in long lines, such as with transportation at an airport, without seeing uniformed personnel all over, keeping an eye out for terrorists, unable to move with the same freedom we knew before 9/11.

Though it is 7 years ago that this terrible catastrophe happened, the fact is, on this day, as with any other day, I stopped to have my car examined. I had the dogs sniffing around to see if we were carrying anything that might represent a threat in our vehicles. Much of it started with 9/11.

Today we mark the seventh year since America experienced the worst terrorist attacks in our history. We as a nation honor the memories of the Americans who died on that tragic day. We mourn with 3,000 families, including 700 families from New Jersey who lost loved ones. Over the past 7 years, wives, sisters, husbands, and sons have worked to rebuild their lives, their families, and their futures. They came from every walk of life, from every economic background. They have forged ahead despite the uncertainty of what tomorrow would hold.

As one 30-year-old widow from Middletown, NJ, put it: There is no guidebook for how a mother of a toddler whose husband was killed by terrorists is supposed to carry on with her life.

There is no instruction that is satisfactory. There is no help that is fully accommodated. But these folks have carried on. Many have done it by joining together and giving each other hope. They came together to trade stories about their lives, about the men and women they lost, to drive each other to support groups, to pick up each other's kids from schools, to celebrate birthdays, and to fight for a shared cause. Remember, it was the families of the victims who regularly piled into the minivans, came to Washington, pushed lawmakers to create the 9/11 Commission. Despite the shock they experienced and the sadness they still felt, they were committed to the future, to try to make sure that a tragedy such as this would never happen again to anyone.

That commitment led to crucial policy recommendations, such as improvements in port security and sending Federal funds to cities and towns based on the most vulnerable to terrorist attack. We had debate on the Senate floor about whether port security funds would be distributed on the basis of risk, as recommended by the 9/11 Commission, or distributed based on politics. We fought and made sure in the last couple of years to direct those funds to areas of most vulnerability.

I was once, before I came to the Senate, commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. I worked in the World Trade Center. I remember vividly traveling to my office on the 67th floor of the Twin Towers and looking out at the views from those towers, thinking about how invincible those buildings were, built with steel, concrete, a great design, a hundred stories high. Nothing, you believed, could ever happen there that would provide some insecurity for those who were working in the building. I remind everybody that we had a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center some years before 9/ 11, when people drove a truck loaded with explosives into the garage of the building, and it was detonated with great damage. But the building stood firm. Nothing could shake the well-being of that structure. But then we saw something different.

I got to know many port authority employees who perished when those massive towers collapsed. The port authority lost 84 of its own that day, including 37 members of the police department who died as they tried to rescue others, people who ventured into the dust and the heat and the destruction of the building trying to help others. They gave their lives, knowing very well that the position they were taking was one of great vulnerability, but they did it in any event.

Among the people lost was a very close friend of my daughter. Both of them worked downtown in a financial firm. My daughter left to go to law school, and her friend went to work for a company called Cantor Fitzgerald. She had three children. Her husband searched far and wide, from hospitals to clinics, every information source available, because he couldn't believe his wife was gone, that the mother of his children would no longer be there. After 3 weeks, after visiting all of the facilities searching for every bit of information he could find, he and his three young children were forced to accept her death.

There was a young man I knew, very energetic young man. He tried life as a golf professional. He learned computer skills. His name was Nicholas Lassman. He was still in his twenties. He described his enthusiasm to me one day about how he was looking forward to a new job that he had at the Trade Center. He perished that day.

We will always remember those who died, the firefighters, computer programmers. The firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, lost 700 of its employees that day. It is a firm I know very well. The President and CEO of that company, a very charitable, wonderful, still young fellow, whose lateness saved his life because he had to take his daughter to school, lost 700 others--700--including his brother and a lot of friends. This was a fellow who believed in loyalty as a trait above all for people in his organization. So he hired a lot of his friends from the place he grew up. I believe it was Brooklyn. Thusly, not only did his brother die, but lots of his friends perished during those same tragic moments.

The people who died left a loss that binds our Nation, and today, in New Jersey and across this country, we are honoring them in many ways.

There are events in New Jersey, events we saw this morning at Ground Zero. We had our moment of silence and our gathering together outside to hear some prayers and to listen to some music that reminds us of the greatness of our country.

In the city of Bayonne, we remember them at a monument called the Tear of Grief because Bayonne is one of those cities along the Hudson River from which lots of people commuted to the World Trade Center. The World Trade Center each day would see more than 50,000 people come there. It was like whole cities across our country. That is how big those buildings were. People would come--a lot by train, a lot by subway, by all kinds of means--who would come from all around the area to go to work or to have meetings there. So these are communities that are along the river, such as Bayonne.

Hoboken I was there at the dedication of a little park along the waterside that is called the Pier ``A'' Park. In Leonia--another town along the way--we remember them with two

granite towers that stand there as a reminder. In Jersey City there was a memorial put there called the Grove of Remembrance in Liberty State Park, just under the shadow of the Statue of Liberty--historic places.

But the best monument to those who died that day is to learn from the experience and to bring those perpetrators to justice and make our country safe. After that group of madmen destroyed the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon, we vowed to search for those who orchestrated these terrible acts and to make them pay for their atrocious deeds. But we know they are still out there. In fact, 2,558 days since 9/11, terrorism is on the rise, more threatening, perhaps more obvious than at any time, more obvious than at any time predating 9/11.

Terrorism is there challenging us in places around the world, especially in our own country here. Al-Qaida is on the move. Osama bin Laden is still on the loose. What has happened? We have to continue the pursuit of these perpetrators so we can say to the people who are innocently living their lives that they need not be worried about a terrorist attack. But we have not done that yet. We still have to continue our obligation.

We have a ruthless enemy out there, one whose front line is our homefront. The stretch from Port Newark, NJ, our harbor, to Newark Liberty International Airport is defined by the FBI as the most dangerous 2-mile stretch in the country that invites a terrorist attack. I say, again, we had to fight to get funding to protect to the fullest extent we could that area, that target that, if attacked, would injure or kill as many as several million people. It is a highly populated area, with a big chemical manufacturer there. We had to have assistance from the Federal Government to make sure we mounted as much protection as we could.

On the anniversary of 9/11, we commemorate the memory of those who perished 7 years ago, and we stand with their families whose future is our cause. It is critical for their future, for their families, our families, that we continue to protect the country the victims died for, the loved ones they left behind, and the freedoms they hold dear.

I yield the floor with a thought as to the pictures I saw of what the reaction was from people around the world when they saw the attack on America that day. One picture was taken in Israel, a very dear, vital friend to America. In that little country, that tiny country, people were weeping for America, crying giant tears--this small country for the giant--to put things into perspective to understand how this attack menaced everybody in the world no matter what their distance was from us, that they cried for America. We must not permit such an act of terrorism to happen again.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate to conduct a business meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2008, at 12 noon, in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, 2008, at 9 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday September 11, 2008, at 2:30 p.m.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, at 9:30 a.m. in room 628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, to conduct an executive business meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2008, at 10 a.m. in room SD-562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate to conduct a hearing entitled ``Business Start-up Hurdles in Underserved Communities: Access to Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Training,'' on Thursday, September 11, 2008, beginning at 10 a.m., in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet jointly with the House Veterans' Affairs Committee during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, 2008, in room 345 of the Cannon House Office Building, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, September 11, 2008, at 9 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Dividend Tax Abuse: How Offshore Entities Dodge Taxes on U.S. Stock Dividends.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, 2008, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Russell 325.

Mr. President, I hope that what is happening on the floor today is visible to people across our country. They have to see what is happening on the Senate floor as they pay through the nose, to use the expression, for higher prices for gasoline. Our Republican colleagues are blocking our efforts to eliminate harmful oil speculation and to provide some relief at the gas pump for hard-working Americans everywhere. They are holding up our speculation bill with a reckless plan to let oil companies drill along our shores.

We do not have to look any further than what happened just this morning on the Mississippi River to understand why this planning is so reckless.

Two boats collided--one was a chemical tanker and the other an oil barge--dumping 400,000 gallons of oil into the Mississippi River. Now, these numbers, 400,000 gallons, may not really reach the senses of people because it is so far removed, but this collision covered more than 12 miles of the river with thick, tar-like fuel oil, and it closed down almost--closed down the Mississippi River for about 30 miles. This spill shut down water supplies to the area, and there is a frantic effort going on right now to try to contain the spill and the damage it is causing to nearby wetlands. This incident highlights the danger and the serious risks of transporting oil from rigs and refineries to other places.

Many of my colleagues have come down to the Senate floor over the last several days to urge more drilling off our coasts, more drilling across our country, but in particular we know the danger to coastlines. We see today that it is clearly not as safe as some would like us to believe.

It is a sad commentary, though, that regardless of the reality, there are those who are carelessly suggesting that drilling will solve our problems with the outrageous price of high gasoline, prices that are robbing our families of their ability to stay financially

afloat. For lots of people, these increases in gas prices destroy any reserve that families had because we are, by and large, a commuting nation, and people pay enormous prices for the ability to get to work or to places of necessity.

But there is something happening here. There is an advantage that accrues gigantically, I might add, to the big oil companies and speculators. Big oil has fared incredibly well during the last 7\1/2\ years. That is thanks to their friends and cohorts at the White House. There was a point in time when the energy policy was being written that heads of major oil companies were invited to a secret meeting with the Vice President of the United States to design a program.

Who do you think they were going to take care of? They weren't worried about the average working family, not at all. They were looking at the companies and their ability to price gouge.

In fact, hard to believe, these oil companies have earned--pocketed is a better expression--more than $600 billion in profits over the last 7\1/2\ years. For instance, ExxonMobil made over $10 billion in a single calendar quarter, and their profits have been coming out of our pockets and going into theirs.

President Bush's latest plan is to give the industry more public land on which to drill. But this is nothing more than a parting gift, his parting gift to the oil companies.

I want to make one thing clear. More drilling now cannot lower gas prices for American consumers. In the amount of time that it takes to get it to the gasoline pump, we could be witnessing a financial calamity in our country. More offshore drilling will not impact prices until, at the very earliest, the year 2030.

We all recognize the importance of reducing gas prices to stabilize this country's economy and to ease this terrible burden on America's families, but the plan for new drilling along our coasts could be a disaster. It will do nothing to solve our energy crisis, nothing to lower gas prices, nothing to fight inflation, and nothing to help America's families.

Here is another reason lifting the ban on offshore drilling is a bad idea. It will endanger our environment which for coastal communities is a huge source of revenue from tourism and recreation. Just imagine if one of these proposed drilling rigs or, as happened today, a boat had an accident and spread thick sludge along our beaches and coastlines. It would create a disaster culturally, financially, and recreationally. We would see the same kind of economic catastrophe that we had in New Jersey in 1988 after sewage and medical waste washed up on our beaches. The tourism industry, our biggest source of revenue, collapsed for 2 years.

It is clear the oil companies are hoping they can get as many leases as they can out of the Bush administration before this President's term comes to an end. But when it is giving the oil companies new leases, we have nothing to gain and everything to lose. We must not cater to the oil companies, but we can do something to lower gas prices quickly and start easing the burden on the American people, and my Democratic colleagues and I have offered a solution.

I hope my colleagues will step up to their responsibilities and permit us to act on this solution, the Stop Excessive Speculation Act, aimed at combating harmful oil speculation at the expense of the American people in every State in this country.

The price of oil has doubled in the last 12 months, and many point to speculation as the problem.

The top analyst at the Oppenheimer--when talking about speculation-- said the commodities market was ``the world's largest gambling hall.'' And the CEOs of Continental, Delta, Jet Blue and other airlines, which are struggling to cope with crushing oil prices, have joined together to create the Web site Stop Oil Speculation Now Dot Com.

The fact is, you don't have to be an airline CEO or even a financial analyst to realize that we must ring out excess speculation from the market. And that is exactly what our bill does.

It fixes the Commodity Futures Trading Commission which oversees the oil futures markets but is currently both underfunded and broken.

It gives the commission more staff and power to police the market and stop speculators from grossly distorting the price of oil.

And it closes a major loophole that allows traders to conduct transactions on foreign exchanges and outside the watchful eyes of U.S. regulators.

For months, my colleagues and I have been working to solve this energy crisis. But the Republicans have blocked our efforts a half dozen times.

American families and American businesses are suffering because Republicans--working on behalf of the oil companies--continue to block our efforts. The Republican tactic of blocking good energy legislation must stop for the good of the economy, the good of businesses and the good of families across this country.

I plead with my Republican colleagues to stop focusing only on giving gifts to Big Oil in the form of a public land grab and to focus instead on ending excessive oil speculation.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank you, and I commend the Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Rockefeller, for his leadership in this matter.

I rise in strong support of the resolution that was introduced by myself, Senators Rockefeller, Baucus, Menendez, Snowe, and others. Our resolution has a simple message: We have

to ensure that children across this country continue to get the health care they presently carry.

The Bush administration is conducting an assault on their health insurance. It is pitiful. Last year, the President and his supporters went around Congress and issued a set of rules that would take this critical health care coverage away from thousands of children across this country.

In my State of New Jersey alone, 10,000 children are at risk of losing their health insurance under this new Bush plan. Across this country, 250,000 children will be stripped of their health care, have it taken away from them.

In August, with nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance, this administration has made a further decision to add tens of thousands more children to the ranks of the uninsured. It is almost impossible to conceive.

Well, this resolution would put a stop to the dangerous plan. The Bush administration's plan is not just morally bankrupt, it is, as we heard from Senator Rockefeller, according to the Government's watchdog agency, the GAO, the Government Accountability Office, a violation of Federal law. They are committing a violation of Federal law.

But, nevertheless, unless Congress acts, the President's plan is going to remove health insurance from these children in the next month. I have twice offered amendments in the Senate Appropriations Committee on this issue. Both times in the full committee, both Democrats and Republicans have gone on record to oppose President Bush's attempt to take away children's health care.

It does not matter whether it is Republican or Democratic, it is the wrong thing to do at the wrong time in our society, when things are so uncertain for people, home ownership, jobs, living costs, gasoline costs. This is not a very wise decision at any time, but during these tough economic times, the last thing we should do is take away health insurance from our children.

I urge my colleagues to stand up to this sustained and shameless effort to prevent children from seeing a doctor, getting medicine, overcoming sickness, and to support this resolution.

Once again, I express my gratitude to the Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Rockefeller, and his leadership and those who have joined in to say: No, Mr. President, do not do this. It is unkind. It is unfair. It is illegal, according to the rules. Please, do not do it.

I ask my colleagues to stand and support our resolution.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, almost 3 months have passed since I last sought to memorialize our fallen soldiers, and more American troops have lost their lives overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wish to make sure their service and sacrifice is forever remembered by including their names in the Congressional Record.

Since I last included the names of our fallen troops on April 28, the Pentagon has announced the deaths of 117 troops in Iraq and in Operation Enduring Freedom, which includes Afghanistan. They will not be forgotten and today I submit their names into the Record:

MSG Mitchell W. Young, of Jonesboro, GA;

SPC Brian S. Leon Guerrero, of Hagatna, Guam;

SPC Samson A. Mora, of Dededo, Guam;

SFC Steven J. Chevalier, of Flint, MI;

SGT Douglas J. Bull, of Wilkes Barre, PA;

SPC William L. McMillan III, of Lexington, KY;

SFC Anthony L. Woodham, of Rogers, AR;

1LT Daniel Farkas, of Brooklyn, NY;

SPC Estell L. Turner, of Sioux Falls, SD;

SSGT Edgar A. Heredia, of Houston, TX;

SFC Jeffrey M. Rada Morales, of Naranjito, Puerto Rico;

MSG Shawn E. Simmons, of Ashland, MA;

SGT James M. Treber, of Imperial Beach, CA;

SSG Travis K. Hunsberger, of Goshen, IN;

SFC Matthew L. Hilton, of Livonia, MI;

SFC Joseph A. McKay, of Brooklyn, NY;

SPC Mark C. Palmateer, of Poughkeepsie, NY;

Lt Col Max A. Galeai, of Pago Pago, American Samoa;

CPT Philip J. Dykeman, of Brockport, NY;

CPL Marcus W. Preudhomme, of North Miami Beach, FL;

CW5 Robert C. Hammett, of Tucson, AZ;

MAJ Dwayne M. Kelley, of Willingboro, NJ;

SGT Alejandro A. Dominguez, of San Diego, CA;

SPC Joel A. Taylor, of Pinetown, NC;

SPC James M. Yohn, of Highspire, PA;

SPC Joshua L. Plocica, of Clarksville, TN;

PFC Bryan M. Thomas, of Lake Charles, LA;

SSG Christopher D. Strickland, of Labelle, FL;

SGT Ryan J. Connolly, of Vacaville, CA;

CPT Gregory T. Dalessio, of Cherry Hill, NJ;

LTC James J. Walton, of Rockville, MD;

SPC Anthony L. Mangano, of Greenlawn, NY;

SGT Nelson D. Rodriguez Ramirez, of Revere, MA;

SGT Andrew Seabrooks, of Queens, NY;

SSG Du Hai Tran, of Reseda, CA;

SGT Matthew E. Mendoza, of San Antonio, TX;

HN Dustin Kelby Burnett, of Fort Mohave, AZ;

CAPT Eric Daniel Terhune, of Lexington, KY;

LCpl Andrew Francis Whitacre, of Bryant, IN;

SPC Jason N. Cox, of Elyria, OH;

HN Marc A. Retmier, of Hemet, CA;

PO1 Ross L. Toles III, of Davison, MI;

PVT Eugene D. M. Kanakaole, of Maui, HI;

SFC Gerard M. Reed, of Jacksonville Beach, FL;

SGT Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, of Tacoma, WA;

LCpl Layton Bradly Crass, of Richmond, IN;

PFC David Pietrek, of Bensenville, IL;

PFC Michael Robert Patton, of Fenton, MO;

LCpl Kelly E. C. Watters, of Virginia Beach, VA;

LCpl Javier Perales Jr., of San Elizario, TX;

SGT John D. Aragon, of Antioch, CA;

SGT Steve A. McCoy, of Moultrie, GA;

SSG Tyler E. Pickett, of Saratoga, WY;

SPC Thomas F. Duncan, III, of Rowlett, TX;

SFC David R. Hurst, of Fort Sill, OK;

CW5 James Carter, of Alabama;

SPC Andre D. McNair, Jr., of Fort Pierce, FL;

SGT Shane P. Duffy, of Taunton, MA;

SPC Jonathan D. A. Emard, of Mesquite, TX;

SGT Cody R. Legg, of Escondido, CA;

MAJ Scott A. Hagerty, of Stillwater, OK;

PFC Derek D. Holland, of Wind Gap, PA;

PFC Joshua E. Waltenbaugh, of Ford City, PA;

SPC Quincy J. Green, of El Paso, TX;

SPC Christopher D. McCarthy, of Virginia Beach, VA;

SPC James M. Finley, of Lebanon, MO;

PFC Andrew J. Shields, of Battleground, WA;

CPL Justin R. Mixon, of Bogalusa, LA;

CPL Christian S. Cotner, of Waterbury, CT;

SFC David Nunez, of Los Angeles, CA;

PFC Chad M. Trimble, of West Covina, CA;

SPC Justin L. Buxbaum, of South Portland, ME;

SPC Christopher Gathercole, of Santa Rosa, CA;

SFC Jason F. Dene, of Castleton, VT;

SGT David L. Leimbach, of Taylors, SC;

SSG Frank J. Gasper, of Merced, CA;

SGT Blake W. Evans, of Rockford, IL;

PFC Kyle P. Norris, of Zanesville, OH;

LT Jeffrey A. Ammon, of Orem, UT;

1LT Jeffrey F. Deprimo, of Pittston, PA;

Lt Col Joseph A. Moore, of Boise, ID;

MSG Davy N. Weaver, of Barnesville, GA;

PVT Branden P. Haunert, of Cincinnati, OH;

CPL William J. L. Cooper, of Eupora, MS;

SGT John K. Daggett, of Phoenix, AZ;

SSG Victor M. Cota, of Tucson, AZ;

CPL Jessica A. Ellis, of Bend, OR;

PVT Matthew W. Brown, of Zelienople, PA;

SGT Joseph A. Ford, of Knox, IN;

PFC Ara T. Deysie, of Parker, AZ;

SPC Mary J. Jaenichen, of Temecula, CA;

SGT Isaac Palomarez, of Loveland, CO;

PFC Aaron J. Ward, of San Jacinto, CA;

SPC Alex D. Gonzalez, of Mission, TX;

LCpl Casey L. Casanova, of McComb, MS;

CPL Miguel A. Guzman, of Norwalk, CA;

LCpl James F. Kimple, of Carroll, OH;

SGT Glen E. Martinez, of Boulder, CO;

CPL Jeremy R. Gullett, of Greenup, KY;

SSG Kevin C. Roberts, of Farmington, NM;

PFC Corey L. Hicks, of Glendale, AZ;

SPC Jeffrey F. Nichols, of Granite Shoals, TX;

SFC Lawrence D. Ezell, of Portland, TX;

SSG Chad A. Caldwell, of Spokane, WA;

SGT Jerry L. DeLoach, of Jackson, GA;

CPT Andrew R. Pearson, of Billings, MT;

SPC Ronald J. Tucker, of Fountain, CO;

SSG Bryan E. Bolander, of Bakersfield, CA;

SGT Merlin German, of Manhattan, NY;

SSG Clay A. Craig, of Mesquite, TX;

PFC Adam L. Marion, of Mount Airy, NC;

SGT Marcus C. Mathes, of Zephyrhills, FL;

SGT Mark A. Stone, of Buchanan Dam, TX;

SPC William T. Dix, of Culver City, CA;

SFC David L. McDowell, of Ramona, CA;

SrA Jonathan A. V. Yelner, of Lafayette, CA;

CPL David P. McCormick, of Fresno, TX;

We cannot forget these men and women and their sacrifice. These brave souls left behind parents and children, siblings, and friends. We want them to know the country pledges to preserve the memory of our lost soldiers who gave their lives for our country.

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.