Floor Statements

Mr. President, I am pleased to join with my colleague the Senior Senator from Virginia John Warner in introducing legislation to name the new Federal courthouse in Richmond, VA for two great men and leaders of the civil rights movement, Spottswood W. Robinson III and Robert Merhige, Jr.

Judge Spottswood Robinson was a brilliant champion of civil rights for all Americans. As a student at Howard Law School, Judge Spottswood W. Robinson III earned the highest GPA ever achieved at the law school. Following law school, he returned to Richmond, VA to establish a law firm with another pioneer of civil rights, Oliver W. Hill. Through the years he was involved in many important civil rights cases in State and Federal courts, but it was his vital role in the seminal case of Brown v. Board of Education that placed Judge Robinson into legal history. Judge Robinson is widely recognized as the architect of the legal strategies that led to success in intergrading the nations public schools.

Judge Robinson left the private practice of law in 1960 to become Dean of the Howard Law School. In October 1963, President Kennedy nominated him to become a District Court Judge for the District of Columbia. Subsequently, Judge Robinson became the first African- American to serve as a Judge on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and in 1981 became the Chief Judge for the Court. Upon retiring from the Court in 1992, Judge Robinson returned to his home in Richmond and continued to be an active member of the community until his passing in 1998.

The other fine jurist who the new courthouse in Richmond will be named is another hero of the civil rights movement, Judge Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Judge Merhige served this country for 31 years on the bench and as a member of the United States Army Air Force as a B-17 bombardier. Born in 1919, Judge Merhige attended the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond, from which he graduated at the top of his class in 1942. Over the next 21 years, Judge Merhige tried hundreds of both criminal and civil cases in both State and Federal court. He served as President of the Richmond Bar Association from 1963 to 1964.

In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Judge Merhige to be a United States District Judge. Respected and admired by lawyers from coast to coast, Judge Merhige became known for his integrity and intellect. Despite the personal hardship placed on both himself and his family from those who disagreed with his rulings to enforce civil rights law, Judge Merhige continued to uphold the law and follow the constitution in the face of grave threats.

In deciding whom to name this courthouse after, I have taken great care to listen to all Virginians after securing funds for this impressive courthouse for downtown Richmond and its revitalization. I have worked with the Virginia Congressional delegation, the distinguished Mayor of Richmond, L. Douglas Wilder, State Senator Benjamin Lambert, the Virginia Bar Association, the Richmond Bar Association, and many others.

I am honored to join with my colleague Senator Warner in ensuring that when people walk by the new Federal courthouse, they are reminded of these two distinguished jurists who helped change the face of society for the better with equal justice for all.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak about a wonderful gentleman and a respected judge who has served our country with distinction and also helped start my legal career, which has ultimately led to where I stand today: Judge Glen Morgan Williams.

As a newly minted graduate fresh out of the University of Virginia Law School, I had the honor of serving as a clerk to Judge Williams, an experience that had a profound affect on me. I was privileged to see first hand how Judge Williams' legal knowledge and fairness--as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia--has served the people of Virginia and America. I also had the unique privilege of hearing his stories of life, his commonsense wisdom and special humor and laughs.

Prior to serving as a Federal judge, Glen Williams served with distinction in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Judge Williams served as a minesweeper in the Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean theaters and was decorated for his service with the Commander's Citation. Judge Williams participated in the invasion of Southern France and thereafter commanded the USS Seer in the Pacific until 1946.

Upon returning from the war, Judge Williams entered private law practice where he quickly became one of the leading trial lawyers in Virginia and one of the Nation's leading experts on Social Security, where he testified before Congress on Social Security reform.

Judge Williams began his tenure on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, serving as a magistrate from 1963 to 1975.

On September 8, 1976, Judge Williams was nominated by President Gerald R. Ford to serve as a judge on that distinguished court and ultimately won Senate confirmation on September 17, 1976.

During his time on the court, Judge Williams has been instrumental in reestablishing the Big Stone Gap division of the court and the opening of the clerk's office down there in the far southwest part of Virginia.

During his 30 years of service on the bench, Judge Williams has written more than 300 published opinions in every area of Federal law. Judge Williams' opinions have been particularly influential in the coal mining industry weighing the rights of coal miners, operators and landowners and interpreting the constitutionality of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.

Judge Williams' 30 years of service have been instrumental in shaping jurisprudence in the Western District of Virginia and has been an admired, outstanding and loved mentor for scores of Virginia lawyers who have had the privilege of learning from his experience. Besides myself, former clerks also include a member of the Virginia Supreme Court and many of the best lawyers in Virginia and throughout the country.

I have the ability to speak today about this magnificent wonderful gentleman, lawyer and judge who has been so positively influential in my life and career. On behalf of all his clerks and staff throughout the years, I thank Judge Williams for his 30 years of exemplary service to our country on the Federal bench.

Moreover, I thank God for sending into our world and my life a character of a man with truly unmatched wit and wisdom, the truly honorable Glen M. Williams of Lee County, VA.

Mr. President, I rise today in strong support, urging passage of the Port Security Improvement Act. As an original sponsor of this measure, I am hopeful we will have a full and vigorous debate, but ultimately pass this important legislation for Virginia and America.

The Port of Virginia is a vital part of Virginia's economy, and its security is key to continued economic prosperity of Virginia. Recently, I visited the Norfolk International Terminals to see and receive briefings on what has been implemented to secure our port against terrorism and other illicit activities. Fortunately, the Virginia Port Authority has been proactive in assessing its security needs and implementing plans and infrastructure to meet those requirements. The Port of Virginia is on the leading edge of port security, which will help ensure the flow of commerce, but more importantly will ensure the safety of the American people. The Port of Virginia is an outstanding example for other ports around the country and the Port Security Improvement Act will help move other port facilities in that direction.

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, our Government logically focused first on protecting the Nation's airports and commercial airlines. In the years since, we have received disturbing predictions and reports on the vulnerability of our Nation's ports. Claims that a nuclear weapon could be smuggled into the U.S in a container or that a biological or chemical weapon could be disbursed through our port system are grim reminders that must remain vigilant against this threat.

Since 9/11, the Congress and the administration have taken a number of steps to strengthen security at America's ports. We have required advance manifests, so we know what is supposed to be in containers reaching U.S. shores. Our Government has also negotiated agreements with dozens of countries to allow Customs and Border Protection, CBP, personnel to inspect loaded ships destined for the United States. And we have employed scanning devices at ports around the country to detect radiation emanating from cargo. And while there is often talk that cargo entering the U.S. is not being scanned, the fact is that 70 percent of cargo arriving at U.S. ports is scanned by CBP for radiological material.

These and a number of other initiatives have vastly improved the security at our ports. However given the gravity of the threat from al- Qaida and other terrorist groups, we must continue to take steps to maximize our ability to

detect and prevent potential future attacks.

To do so, the Senate Commerce, Homeland Security and Finance Committees have collaborated to craft the Port Security Improvement Act. This legislation outlines the next steps the federal government, port authorities and cargo shippers need to take to protect our country.

The bill provides that the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, develop and implement a plan to deploy radiation detection capabilities to the Nation's 22 busiest ports by 2007. In addition, the measure outlines future requirements to make sure cargo entering the U.S. by various modes of transportation is properly scanned and random physical searches are carried out where appropriate.

In the years since September 11, much has been made about how we guarantee the people entering our ports or working at out ports are not a security threat. Also, many questioned how we make sure credentials to enter ports cannot be duplicated. Our legislation, this bill, the Port Security Improvement Act would implement the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, TWIC, that DHS has been working on for the last few years. TWICs would be required at the 10 busiest ports by 2007 and the next 40 strategic ports by 2008.

Global trade has become the engine of the U.S. and global economy and our ports are the gateways that keep our economy vibrant. We all agree that security of our ports is paramount, but we must also address how new requirements impact the flow of commerce. The Port Security Improvement Act allows DHS to establish a Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism--CTPAT--program that will allow importers to cooperate with the government to secure their own supply chain. Depending on the level of cooperation and security, importers would receive a lower risk assessment as part of the algorithm DHS uses to determine what cargo requires further inspection. This provides a reasonable choice for importers--if you are as forthcoming as possible and your risk for delay will dramatically decrease, if not, your cargo could be held up to ensure its contents are safe.

We cannot ask State and local officials to fund these security improvements without assistance. However as stewards of the taxpayers, we have an obligation to use their hard-earned money as effectively as possible. Our bill would amend existing law so that future grants are allocated on a risk basis. This is an important change that will ensure we are addressing the areas most likely to come under attack.

We have made real progress in securing our ports in the last few years. And yet we all understand we still must do more to protect the American people. Passing the Port Security Improvement Act is the way to do that. I urge my colleagues to supports its passage.

In closing, I would like to thank Chairwoman Collins for her steady leadership on this issue. It has been a pleasure working with Senator Collins. She has worked diligently to build consensus among all interested parties and has produced a bill that strikes the right balance on security requirements and incentives. Senator Collins deserves all our admiration and gratitude for her considerate, outstanding steering of this significant measure that will protect America.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to speak for as much time as I may consume.

Mr. President, I rise today to offer a new vision for American independence, a mission that is vital for Americans and for America's homeland and national security.

We Americans have always been freedom seekers. We have been risk takers for liberty, daring to cross oceans and blaze trails across our continent, and at the same time we are reaching skyward to charter our own course into the future. We are always trying to provide a beacon to light the way for others around the world. Now is the time for us to be bold and chart our own course once again.

In this time of expanding promise and unparalleled danger in the world, we are called to come together with a clear vision and a unity of purpose worthy of a great people and a great nation.

We declared our independence from colonial masters more than two centuries ago. We declared our independence from fascism, from imperial communism, and from every other form of totalitarian oppression and brutality in the 20th century. And America belatedly strode forward to become a more perfect union with justice and opportunity for all.

In each of these challenges to our self-determination and our freedom, we not only declared our independence, we also mustered the resolve and the resources to achieve it. It is time for America to declare its independence again.

Nearly 5 years ago, on September 11, 2001, we awoke on a bright, blue-sky morning to the dark realization that a great evil still stalks our world. Out of the shocking smoke and devastation of September 11 came the realization that we are at war--at war with an extraordinarily violent ideology that seeks to pervert a great religion and murder thousands of innocent people to satisfy its thirst for power in a new caliphate from Europe to Indonesia.

Today, we find ourselves engaged in a global war against vile, maniacal terrorists--a war against many foes--including Hezbollah, al- Qaida, the Islamic Jihad, and others, but with its primary theaters being the breeding ground of radicalism and terrorism in the Middle East.

My colleagues, in this war we have our differences over the means and methods, tactics and timetables. We do not have the same conviction about the importance of every theater or every engagement. We do not all see the same causes and effects, nor do we all give credit or cast blame in the same direction.

But there comes a time where we have to set aside such differences and act not as Republicans or Democrats determined to win an election but as Americans determined to win a war, and in so doing preserve our freedom, our values, and our way of life.

Rather than petty political bickering and partisan posturing, let all of us stand together--those of us who understand the reality of the mortal danger that our irreconcilable, fanatical

enemy and its hateful ideology represent. Let's stand apart from those who would still deny or diminish the magnitude of the danger that we face, even as we mourn our thousands dead and foil new plots to kill thousands more.

Let those of us who want to fight this war to win stand together, and let's stand against those who counsel appeasement at the point of a gun, negotiations as missiles rain dawn, and retreat in the face of adversity.

My colleagues, if that is the new dividing line, I am convinced that the majority in the Senate and in this Congress, and most importantly, all Americans, regardless of political persuasion, are capable of coming together behind a new declaration of independence to secure America's future.

Today, as we combat the powerful forces of terrorism and their state sponsors, we and our allies find ourselves continually dependent on and compromised by Middle Eastern and other hostile sources of foreign oil.

This war is unlike other great wars. In the past, the financial sacrifice of free citizens fueled the engines of industry and military output. But today, many of our gasoline dollars now go to finance the war effort of our enemies, and, if those dollars do not go directly to our enemies now, then they go into bank accounts of some friendly but fragile states--bank accounts that are the envy and object of radical ideologues.

When a nation like Iran has an advanced program to develop nuclear weapons--and when that nation is committed to the destruction of Israel and others--when that nation uses oil as blackmail to keep the international community from confronting its nuclear threat, as the leaders of Iran have done, then we know this: Our peace, freedom, and national security depend on making that oil weapon irrelevant.

Because we rely so heavily on Middle Eastern oil in our economies, our foreign policy options are limited for addressing the terrorism, tyranny, and related geopolitical issues. For America to be free and independent--for Americans to remain the masters of our own destiny--we must declare our independence from Middle Eastern and other hostile sources of oil. We must commit every effort and resource to the achievement of this national purpose.

I strongly believe that a comprehensive, enduring, sustained, and strategic plan for independence from Middle Eastern and other hostile sources of foreign oil must include five essential elements.

They are, first, the strategic use of our global economic power and international relationships to remove oil-based leverage that hostile states currently enjoy; second, the accelerated exploration and development of American energy supplies, including American oil, American natural gas, American clean coal, and American nuclear power; third, the accelerated research, development, and deployment of every economically viable alternative and renewable source of energy; fourth, a bold new national commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship, investing in the next generation of leading-edge, creative scientists, researchers, and engineers of advanced technology; and, fifth, an unequivocal declaration of our national security commitment to energy independence.

Let me highlight some of these key initiatives that I believe are needed in each of those five areas.

First, we must use our global economic power and international relationships strategically to undercut the oil-based leverage that hostile nations enjoy now and in the future.

We all recognize that America's dependence on Middle Eastern and other hostile sources of foreign oil leaves America and our allies, mainly in Europe and Asia, vulnerable to blackmail from radicals in the Middle East, and even in our own hemisphere, such as the avowed Marxist, Hugo Chavez.

Meanwhile, China is aggressively making oil alliances with Sudan, Cuba, Venezuela, and Indonesia to reduce its dependence on Middle Eastern oil. It is not in the interest of the United States to let Africa and Latin America become dominated by oil trade with China.

As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, I will be introducing a bill for the establishment of America's Energy Security Initiative.

The plan will require the President to establish a permanent energy security working group consisting of representatives of the Department of State, Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and intelligence agencies. Our allies will be asked to join us in developing this plan.

We will develop an inventory of all energy reserves worldwide so we can prioritize potential alliances and recognize when strategically important countries come under the influence of others. And we will establish a strategic plan for identifying and forming energy alliances, including bilateral and multilateral arrangements.

The second essential element in our comprehensive plan for achieving independence from the Middle East and other hostile sources of foreign oil is accelerated exploration and development of American energy supplies. We need to adopt a flexible, diverse portfolio of energy options. First and foremost, that must include increased domestic energy production from American oil, more American natural gas, more American clean coal, and more American advanced nuclear energy.

The bottom line is we need more energy explored, produced, grown, and manufactured in America so that hundreds of billions of energy dollars stay here in America and are reinvested in America's economy for American jobs, American competitiveness, and American national security rather than having to worry about the whims of some dictator in a hostile part of the world.

Last month, the Senate passed a Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, a good action by the Senate, and a good first step toward reducing natural gas prices at home and making America less dependent on foreign sources of energy.

This was commonsense, bipartisan legislation that would permit deepwater exploration for oil and natural gas in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. This bill will free up enough natural gas to heat the homes of 6 million American families for 15 years. And there is more oil and natural gas even further into the Gulf of Mexico.

We also need to allow Virginia and other Atlantic coast States to move toward deepwater oil and/or natural gas exploration far off their coasts. According to the Department of Interior, there are roughly 86 billion unexplored barrels of oil and 420 trillion unutilized cubic feet of natural gas under deep water on our Outer Continental Shelf.

The fact is, we have the resources in America and the deep water of our coasts--and also in shale on our land--to reduce the leverage that hostile dictators now enjoy.

We also need to explore for oil and natural gas on the North Slope of Alaska. Critics will say it will hurt the pristine environment. I have been up there. It is a flat, barren, treeless plain. In the summer it is filled with mosquitos, and in the winter it is like the dark side of the Moon.

According to our Department of Energy, the estimated daily oil in ANWR 1.37 million barrels--would be roughly the equivalent of current daily oil imports from Saudi Arabia--1.52 million barrels. That is a lot of oil.

When it comes to natural gas, natural gas is a wonderful, clean- burning fuel. It is needed for heating our homes, and it is also vital for manufacturing, particularly in plastics, chemicals, and fertilizers. We need to make sure that price is reduced at home so those manufacturing jobs stay in America. A lot of the new electric powerplants in this country which have been permitted in recent decades have to use natural gas.

Using natural gas to generate electricity would be like using bottled water to wash your dishes. It will do the job, but why would you want to use a resource as good as that for generating electricity when there are alternatives for generating electricity such as coal?

In fact, the United States is the Saudi Arabia of the world in coal, with 500 billion tons of coal, which is the equivalent of 750,000 billion barrels of oil. We have 27 percent of the world's supply of coal. This is why we should be using clean coal technology for electricity generation.

I recently visited a clean coal facility in King George County, VA, where the smokestacks run so clean you can't even see the emissions from it. If you

didn't hear the whirling, you would think it was closed.

We ought to be using innovative technology to gasify or use coal as a fuel.

Today, I am announcing my strong support for a comprehensive bill directed at advancing domestic coal-to-liquids technologies. Senator Bunning is the lead sponsor of this Coal-to-Liquids Promotion Act of 2006, authorizing the Department of Energy to administer loan guarantees to the first coal-to-liquids plants and promulgating rules to allow BRAC sites and military bases to be considered as sites for commercial coal-to-liquids plants.

This bill also expands 20 percent tax credits for coal-to-liquids plants and provides a similar provision for expensing these investments, and it also extends the fuel tax credit for coal-to- liquids products from 2009 to the year 2020.

Our comprehensive plan for energy independence must also include using American advanced nuclear power for electricity generation. The Energy Policy Act that we passed last year was a significant step in rekindling the domestic nuclear industry in the United States which has not seen a new nuclear reactor built in the last 20 years. It provides meaningful incentives and protections and it strengthens security for nuclear facilities.

Going forward, as far as nuclear power is concerned, the big impediment for nuclear power is the disposal of spent fuel. This is why we need a comprehensive solution such as the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership that develops a viable long-term solution to the problem of nuclear spent fuel through chemical separation and reprocessing, which is much more efficient and much less dangerous than our current methods of using nuclear power and dealing with spent fuel.

We also need to increase our Nation's refinery capacity. There hasn't been a new oil refinery built in the United States in almost 30 years. In response, I have introduced a bill called The Bolster Our Energy Security for Tomorrow Act, which directs the President to designate three BRAC sites for possible refinery development, with at least one of these refineries producing biofuels, and to appoint a Federal refinery coordinator to negotiate with willing States to streamline the permitting process without changing existing environmental laws.

I have also joined with my colleague and friend from North Carolina, Senator Burr, in introducing the Affordable and Reliable Gas Act. This legislation will help increase refinery capacity and prevent these dramatic spikes in gas prices that we see in this country, usually in the spring, as they shift from a winter blend to a summer blend.

We have 104 ``boutique'' fuels that strain our refinery capacity, as well as pipeline capacity. Our measure would reduce the number of boutique fuels from 104 to 1 clean-burning diesel fuel and 4 clean- burning gasoline fuel blends by the end of 2008. That will help reduce gas prices.

We also need, as Americans, to conserve. We need to conserve. We need to look at ways of being less wasteful, more efficient and smart in the use of our energy, particularly in energy used by large computer servers. It is not widely known, but one large computer data center can use as much electricity in 1 day as it takes to power a city the size of Petersburg, VA, with its approximately 34,000 residents. That is so much energy that I want to make sure the Federal Government and companies that use such mega computer servers and data centers are doing so wisely and efficiently.

I have introduced legislation that directs the Environmental Protection Agency, through its Energy Star Program, to study the rapid growth in energy consumption of computer data centers by both the Federal Government and the private sector, analyze how effectively the computer industry is migrating to more energy efficient microchips and servers, reduce the costs associated with building and operating large- scale data centers, and make recommendations for positive incentives to advance adoption of energy-efficient data centers.

The third essential element of our comprehensive plan for achieving independence from Middle Eastern and hostile sources of foreign oil is the accelerated research, development, and deployment of every economically viable alternative source of energy. We need to adopt a flexible, diverse portfolio of energy options. Diversity of supply is security of supply. We ought to be using alternative fuels, such as biofuels, including soy diesel and ethanol, cellulose fuels, and innovative ideas, whether it's hybrids, hydrogen, solar power, or nanotech-enabled lithium ion batteries.

We must take further action to create an economic climate that encourages investment in new energy and alternative fuels. That is why I am reviewing, and I urge my colleagues to consider, legislation that allows 100 percent first-year expensing for all plant and equipment investments to help spur development of domestic and alternative sources of energy.

Expensing is a high-performance tax reform of vital national importance from an energy-specific perspective. According to economists such as Gary Robbins with Fiscal Associates, 100 percent expensing would reduce the capital costs in key segments of the energy industry by up to approximately 10 percent. It would also be important to environmentally friendly ``green'' technologies, where first-year expensing for the green technologies can often tip the balance between feasible and unfeasible.

In fact, many financial and industry experts believe that expensing is the cheapest, most effective and most growth-oriented tax change that the Congress can actually make. It has been estimated that replacing the old-fashioned tax depreciation with immediate first-year expensing would add more than $200 billion to our GDP and upwards of 750,000 new jobs.

The fourth major area in which we must act for energy independence is one that is often overlooked in the usual discussions of national energy policy. We need a bold new national commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship, investing in the next generation of leading-edge scientists, researchers, and engineers.

We should all want America to be the world capital of innovation. To achieve that mission we need scientists, we need engineers, we need technologists. They will be the ones who will be designing and developing the new inventions, the new innovations, and the new intellectual property of the future.

However, America's education system is not graduating sufficient talent in science, technology, and engineering.

Last year, the United States matriculated approximately 70,000 engineers compared to 300,000 engineers in India and 500,000 in China.

In America, we must do a much better job in motivating, inspiring, and incenting our young people to study science, engineering, technology, and medicine at a much earlier age. That is why I have worked, as many have worked, in a bipartisan fashion, with Senators Lieberman, Ensign, Alexander, Domenici, Bingaman, and others on the National Innovation Act, which implements the recommendations of the National Innovation Initiative Report and provides tangible action items, including scholarships, to increase America's science and technology talent.

I am also a strong supporter of the Protecting America's Competitive Edge through Energy Act of 2006, which would boost science and math education programs in the United States by providing early career research grants that support young, promising scientists and engineers at the beginning of their careers.

I have led with a good partner, Senator Ron Wyden, on the other side of the aisle, on our Nanotech Initiative. Nanotechnology is the next transformative economic development for our country and the world. Nanotechnology is a very diverse field. It is going to have a positive impact on life and health sciences. It will have a major impact on microelectronics and materials engineering. Nanotechnology will allow us to build wider and stronger materials that will need less energy for propulsion. There is a company called NanoChemonics, in southwest Virginia, that is teaming up with coal companies to get the impurities out of coal, to make it into a fuel, as is Sasol in South Africa. Nanotechnology will be helpful in environmental cleanups.

All together, the Nanotechnology Initiative, the National Innovation

Act, and the PACE Energy Act will go a long way toward meeting America's rising demand for highly skilled men and women in all fields of innovation, and it will strengthen America's security through energy independence.

Fifth, and finally, I conclude where we must begin, with a clear, unequivocal expression of national commitment, a new Declaration of Independence, if you will, matched with the discipline to keep us on track, according to an agreed-upon timetable. For those who say we cannot come together for such a national purpose, I say you underestimate the character and the resolve of the American people and the power of the American idea.

Look at what we have done in the past when confronted with great challenges to our freedom and our way of life. Half a century ago, the Soviet Union launched the space satellite Sputnik. Our scientific edge in missile technology and the space race was in serious doubt. Our national security was at great risk of falling behind. But America's ingenuity was dramatically and urgently mobilized by President Eisenhower, who passed the National Defense Education Act, providing massive investment in science, technology, and engineering.

We need that same kind of commitment and leadership to keep America the world capital of innovation now and in the future.

September 11 awakened our Nation to a monumental new challenge: fighting and winning this global war against hate-filled terrorists. This war on terror, similar to all wars, will require clarity of vision and unity of purpose. America's long-term national security depends on securing our independence from the Middle East and other hostile sources of oil. We have the resources to do it, the resources underneath our land and water, and the best resource of all, the ingenuity of our free, creative minds. Now we just need the willpower to use it.

Mr. President, 230 years ago our forebears pledged their lives, their fortune, and their sacred honor to the cause of independence. We are more fortunate. We need only do what we have already sworn to do--set aside our differences and act in the public interest. This Congress must adopt a clear ``Declaration of Independence'' from the Middle East and other hostile sources of oil, and it must act urgently, decisively, and with a unity that rises above partisan differences to make that Declaration of Independence a reality.

Let us begin right now.

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

I thank my good friend from Texas for her support by cosponsoring my amendment. I have enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with Senator Hutchison on a number of issues, especially veterans issues. We have worked together to increase veterans health care funding as well as veterans research funding. We just recently worked together on an amendment to provide credit monitoring services to Veterans and active duty servicemembers at no cost in response to the theft of a Veterans Administration laptop computer.

Senator Hutchison and I, as well as other Senators from both sides of the aisle, are here today in an effort to give our veterans the health care they

so rightfully deserve. Those returning servicemembers who suffered a traumatic brain injury need the best quality care available and this amendment is a long step in that direction. I thank the Senior Senator from Texas for her support and her leadership as chairman of the Veterans Affairs Appropriations Committee on this issue.

Operation and Maintenance

I yield.

Mr. President, I wanted to call up amendment No. 4883. I was waiting for our chairman to be here, and ask I be recognized to offer this amendment. It will take approximately 5 or 6 minutes to offer the amendment.

I say to the Senator from Massachusetts, I hope that Senator Stevens and the committee will accept my amendment. I would not want to speak for them. But I surely so urge them. I think our body would support it. It is a very good amendment to help out in the funding for our soldiers, the men and women who come back with head injuries.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment, No. 4883, and I send a modification to the desk and I ask the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, I am proposing an amendment to provide an additional $12 million that shall be available to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and centers all across our country.

We are in the midst of a war against terrorist organizations. They are vile. They are hate filled. They are al-Qaida, they are Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and a variety of different organizations. The battlefronts are all over the world. We have troops deployed in Iraq. We have troops in Afghanistan. Our friends and allies are having to fight Hezbollah, a puppet surrogate of Iran. These terrorists have hit all over the world. They have hit, obviously, in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have hit in Israel. They have hit in Jordan. They have hit in India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Spain, and London. They are still trying to hit us. Fortunately, the British intercepted airplanes that would be used in another terrorist attack.

They use a lot of different devices in this war. They use bombs and a variety of IEDs. They use rocket-propelled grenades. They use land mines. I was talking to a woman from Afghanistan a couple weeks ago. I asked for her perspective of Afghanistan. She said that things are better, but the terrorists are hitting schools.

I asked: Why are they hitting schools?

And she said: Because we are educating women in Afghanistan, and from the al-Qaida/Taliban point of view, women are not to be educated.

Our service men and women are serving very courageously in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places in the world. They deserve to have the best possibile equipment when they go into battle or into dangerous combat zones. We need to make sure our troops are outfitted with the best body armor, the most technologically advanced armaments, weapons, and communication devices that are possible so that they are safe and that we can defeat these terrorist enemies.

The same principles apply when our brave men and women return home from the theaters of war. We need to make sure our servicemembers receive the best possible medical care for any injuries that may have arisen while they were in these combat zones. We need to make sure our soldiers receive the proper mental health treatment to deal with any issues of post-traumatic stress disorder or appropriate counseling to help adjust back into civilian life.

For those soldiers returning home with an injury, we need to make sure our medical treatment facilities have sufficient funding and also the professional services and the most up-to-date technology so our servicemembers receive the quality care they deserve.

One of the more prevalent injuries in Iraq right now for our soldiers is traumatic brain injuries. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a traumatic brain injury occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. Traumatic brain injury can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.

According to the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army, 64 percent of soldiers recently wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom sustained blast injuries, which are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries for Active-Duty military personnel in war zones. These blast injuries are the result, as I said earlier, of RPGs, rocket- propelled grenades, or IEDs, otherwise known as or short for improvised explosive devices, and also landmines.

Soldiers, I say to the Presiding Officer and my colleagues, suffering injuries from these devices require specialized care from providers with experience in treating traumatic brain injuries. One of the key components of this care is the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, which is located at Walter Reed Army Medical Center--the site that receives more casualties from theaters of operations than any other military treatment facility.

The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center provides state-of-the- art medical care, innovative clinical research initiatives, and educational programs on traumatic brain injury to assist Active-Duty servicemembers and veterans. The Brain Injury Center is actually a multisite medical care facility with operations in California, Texas, Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, and in my home Commonwealth of Virginia. In Virginia, the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center serves as a national referral center for traumatic brain injury cases and other diseases. They partner with Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond to provide the best quality service for treatment and recovery, as well as research. And I suspect the facilities in other States, probably provide similar services. I just know very much about the McGuire facility in Richmond and also the Walter Reed site and have seen the expert staff as they review the daily incoming casualty reports and identify the patients who have sustained injuries caused by blasts or falls or other incidents. They have evaluated and treated hundreds of patients.

These centers really do provide outstanding specialized care, such as rehabilitation--for speech and physical rehabilitation--and education. These patients need to be helped to return to the highest possible level of function.

These centers are performing a very admirable job and doing the best they can; however, we need to make sure, whether it is McGuire in Richmond, whether it is Walter Reed, or one of these facilities in Minnesota or Florida or Texas or California or North Carolina--this work I have seen at these centers, at least at McGuire in Richmond and Walter Reed, are providing great services. I can tell you firsthand, by the way, how the soldiers are reacting to it and also the response from family members who are seeing slow but steady progress for many of their loved ones. They greatly appreciate it.

That is why I am offering this amendment, to make available from the Defense Health Programs an additional $12 million, which would increase it from $7 million to $19 million--an additional $12 million in funding that shall be available to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Centers for this work, including blast mitigation.

It is my view this is the least we should do. This is exactly what we should be trying to do to help our men and women who are bravely sacrificing so much to protect our freedom at home while trying to advance freedom for other people around the world.

George Washington cautioned that ``the willingness of future generations to fight for their country, no matter how just the cause, will be proportional to how they perceive previous veterans are treated.'' This amendment is a long step forward--a long step forward-- in that direction, and I strongly urge my colleagues in the Senate to support my amendment, as modified.

I understand other colleagues apparently share my concerns about the adequacy of such needed funding for brain injury services. I hope the Senator from Illinois, who I know shares my views on this issue, and other Senators on both sides of the aisle--that we could work together in a bipartisan manner to get this job done, to make sure we effectuate this bipartisan solution for this very pressing need to make sure those who have brain injuries--head trauma and injuries from blasts--whether in Afghanistan, whether in Iraq, or anywhere else in combat zones--to make sure they have the right treatment.

We have the professionals in this country, but we need to make sure they have adequate funding for this clear and present need.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I would be pleased to yield.

I would have to look at the details. That is why I mentioned the Senator from Illinois, and I and others, I think, share the same concern. The main point, the main concern--which is making sure the professional services were there, the adequacy of the devices, the adequacy of the health care professionals--I think was actually fairly identical. I have not looked at the measure of the Senator from Illinois. It appears that we are going down the same stream, in the same direction.

Yes.

Yes, as modified. Thank you. However, the point is it is $19 million, and it shall be appropriated for this function.

The point is, my amendment was going to be $19 million regardless. And my view was, we needed added funding, and this will make it absolutely clear.

I would say, Mr. President, to the Senator from Massachusetts, this is an opportunity for all of us to come together in a bipartisan fashion. I know one of the occasions when I was at Walter Reed Hospital the Senator from Massachusetts was there at the same time. And we see the outstanding work the professionals provide for those men and women who have been injured.

This is one issue where I believe all Americans, regardless of party, regardless of region, need to come together to make sure funding is there.

I thank the Senator from Massachusetts.

I believe so. Mr. President, my amendment was filed before the Senator's and his was filed after. I have not read the Senator's amendment, but as modified, the best I have heard from talking to Senator Stevens and listening to the Senator from Massachusetts, they seem to be very close, if not identical.

Rather than ``will,'' it would be ``shall'' in my amendment.

The Senator wasn't here. I mentioned that I would love for us to work together on a bipartisan basis to effectuate our shared goal.

Agreed.

Mr. President, I am pleased today to urge my colleagues to support the confirmation of Kimberly Moore to be a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Kimberly Moore is a Falls Church, VA resident and a full tenured law professor at George Mason University.

Among other cases, the Federal Circuit hears all patent appeals from the district courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Kimberly Moore is uniquely qualified to serve on this distinguished court.

First, Ms. Moore has a strong technical background with two degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a bachelor of science in electrical engineering, and a master of science and work experience as an engineer with the Naval Surface Warfare Center.

Also, Ms. Moore has a great deal of experience with the Federal Circuit itself. She is on the board of governors of the Federal Circuit Bar Association, has been editor-in-chief of the Federal Circuit Bar Journal for 8 years, and has been selected as a mediator in the Federal Circuit's Pilot Appellate Mediation Program.

As a professor, Kimberly Moore has taught courses in patent law, patent litigation, trademark law, and Federal circuit practice. In fact, she coauthored the casebook ``Patent Litigation & Strategy,'' with the current chief judge of the Federal Circuit, Paul Michel, and a prominent practitioner, Raphael Lupo. Kimberly Moore has written more than a dozen law review articles on patent law and litigation and spoken at more than 40 conferences on patent topics.

As a lawyer, Kimberly Moore has consulted with firms on patent cases and appeals to the Federal Circuit. She has also served as an expert witness in dozens of patent cases. In fact, just this month, Kimberly Moore was named one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by the National Law Journal.

I am pleased that President Bush has chosen to nominate someone with such a strong background in patent law to the Federal Circuit. Kimberly Moore will be an excellent addition to the court.

I strongly support the confirmation of Ms. Kimberly Moore to be circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and urge my colleagues to support this confirmation.

Mr. President, I would like to engage in a brief colloquy with the distinguished chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Grassley, regarding changes to the limitations on pension deductions in sections 801 and 803. The legislation, in section 801, increases the deduction limit for defined benefit plans for years after December 31, 2005. Increasing this limit will encourage employers to contribute more to their defined benefit plans.

However, if an employer has both a defined benefit plan and a defined contribution plan there is a separate deduction limit that applies to employers with a combination of plans. Thus, this legislation in section 803, also updates the limitation on deductions where an employer has a combination of such plans effective for contributions made for taxable years after December 31, 2005. The change in section 803 eliminates the deduction limit for combinations of defined benefit and defined contribution plans for employers that do not contribute more than 6 percent of compensation to a defined contribution plan.

If an employer has a combination of plans and wants to contribute more than 6 percent of compensation to a defined contribution plan, the legislation also has a provision in section 801 which permits employers to exclude defined benefit plans whose benefits are guaranteed by the PBGC, from the limits applicable to combinations of defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans. But, unlike the other two provisions I described above which permit employers to increase their contributions to defined benefit plans

effective for years after December 31, 2005, it appears that this last related provision regarding guaranteed plans may inadvertently not have the same effective date as the other two.

It seems to me that if we are encouraging employers to fully fund their defined benefit pension plans, that the effective dates for these provisions should all be effective as of December 31, 2005. I am hopeful that we will examine this issue and can correct this technical oversight.

Mr. President, I thank the distinguished chairman of the Finance Committee for his willingness to work with me to address this issue.

section 701

Mr. President, I am pleased to announce the sesquicentennial anniversary of historic Wise County. The centennial celebration has created and will continue to create community awareness of opportunities for the preservation of Wise County's rich heritage. In addition, this event will foster pride in Wise County's educational, cultural, social, and economic resources and will encourage the brainstorming of ways to ensure a bright future for Wise County.

Throughout the year Wise County has come up with exciting ways to celebrate its centennial birthday. In May there was a kickoff ceremony to begin the celebration, as well as a Business Appreciation Day. Other presentations include a play on the history of Wise County, a Miss Sesquicentennial Pageant, and a presentation of Coal Camp Songs. The celebration will culminate with the 150th Birthday Bash on from noon until 11:00 pm on August 12 at the Lonesome Pine Raceway, which will feature food, games, music and fun.

The sesquicentennial celebration of Wise County is a great way to remember its history, appreciate its current state, and look forward to its bright future. Over the years, I have enjoyed

many opportunities to join the people of Wise County for events, festivals, and meetings, and I am proud to be a part of this sesquicentennial celebration and look forward to sharing in many more events in the coming years.

Mr. President, I am pleased to announce the centennial anniversary of the historic city of Galax. The centennial celebration created and will continue to create community awareness of opportunities for the preservation of Galax's rich heritage. In addition, this event will foster pride in Galax's educational, cultural, social, and economic resources and will encourage the brainstorming of ways to ensure a bright future for the city of Galax.

Throughout the year, the city of Galax has come up with exciting ways to celebrate its centennial. July was Freedom Celebration Month in Galax which included a Fourth of July parade and the Virginia State Barbeque Championship. August is Musical Heritage Celebration Month and will include the Annual Old Fiddler's Convention, as well as the Annual Championship Rodeo. September is Free Enterprise, Agriculture and Industry Month and will feature a play on the history of the city of Galax, as well as events with authors Sharyn McCrumb and Robert Chappell.

This centennial celebration of the city of Galax is a great way to remember its history, appreciate its current state, and look forward to its bright future. Over the years I have enjoyed many opportunities to join the people of the city of Galax for events, festivals, and meetings, and I am proud to be a part of this centennial celebration and look forward to sharing in many more events in the coming years.

Mr. President, I am pleased to acknowledge the 100th anniversary of the Planters Company which has had a fruitful working relationship with Suffolk County over the past century and has one of its major production facilities located there. To celebrate, Planters has embarked on a 4- month, cross-country tour visiting landmarks in Planters' history. Over the past century Planters has consistently delivered a variety of fresh-tasting nuts and has also developed an American icon in the internationally famous Mr. Peanut.

On Tuesday, June 13, 2006 Planters NUTmobile and Centennial Display Tour made a stop in Suffolk, VA. Visitors got the opportunity to meet and interact with Mr. Peanut, sample fresh roasted peanuts, view Planters and Mr. Peanut collectibles from the past century, and put themselves in moments and events throughout Planters and American history using green screen technology.

Over the past century Planters' Suffolk facility has enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the city of Suffolk. The Planters Suffolk facility produces a variety of nut products. Planters has employed thousands of Virginians over the years, and many more have enjoyed and benefited from both its products and its reputation in the Suffolk community. Planters has been a model for the type of relationship that should exist between communities and businesses over the past century, and we look forward to working with them for the next 100 years.

On behalf of the leader, I object.

Mr. President, I rise this afternoon in strong support of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. This is commonsense legislation. It will have a powerful and positive impact on one of the truly most important challenges facing our country today: we need to reduce the price of gas. We need to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy. It needs to be reduced for our competitiveness. We need to reduce the dependence on energy for our national security, especially the amount of foreign oil we get from the Middle East.

American households, families, and businesses are paying high prices for gasoline. They are paying high prices for natural gas as well as diesel. Our country, the United States of America, is far too dependent on a single source of energy which is primarily located in a hostile, unstable region of the world, 8,000 miles away.

This dependence that we have on the Middle East needs to be reduced. We have paid a very high price for our energy dependence, not just in the actual cost of energy--which has skyrocketed in the last year, harming individuals, harming families, harming manufacturing jobs, having an adverse impact on our farmers and small businesses--we have also, as Americans, paid a high price in terms of our national security since our economy is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the whims of some Iranian mullah or some dictator in Venezuela.

Moreover, there is increasing demand around the world. Every barrel of oil produced in Saudi Arabia or Iran or anywhere else is in competition with the growing economies in Central Europe, and the very large growing economies in India and China--all competing for that same barrel of oil.

This dependence on foreign oil is a serious problem, a serious challenge which requires and demands a serious long-term solution. The old brain-dead energy policies of the past are not

going to work in today's innovative and expanding global economy. We need to adopt a comprehensive, 21st century energy program that will increase energy affordability, energy reliability, and, above all, our mission of energy independence.

The best way to strengthen our energy independence is through more American energy diversity. We need to adopt a flexible, diverse portfolio of energy options. That, also, of course, first and foremost, must include increased domestic energy production, including American oil and natural gas. As to clean coal, American coal, we are the ``Saudi Arabia'' of the world in coal, and we ought to be using clean coal technology for electricity generation as well as gasifying coal or making it into a diesel-like fuel. We also ought to be using American advanced nuclear power for electricity generation.

We need to increase our refinery capacity. Right now, refineries are going at 100 percent capacity. When they shift from one formulary to another, there is disruption, increased prices, some shortages, and not just at the refineries but also in the pipelines. So we need more refineries in this country.

We need, as Americans, to conserve and become more efficient and smart in the use of our energy and our methods and even the engines of propulsion. We also need to unleash the power to free, creative minds and free markets right here in America. We have to unleash the best scientists, the best engineers, and the best technicians in the world. It is time to put them to work to develop a 21st century energy program.

Fuel cells can be part of it. Hybrids, clean-burning natural gas, the use of biofuels, whether that is soy diesel or ethanol, are part of the innovative ideas. Also, with advancements in nanotechnology, materials can be lighter and stronger, needing less energy to propel that particular vehicle. Nanotechnology is also making solar photovoltaics much more of a part of our options. Lithium-ion batteries are moving forward, and that is another method of propulsion for the future.

We have to adopt, we have to be determined, and we have to move forward with a comprehensive 21st century energy independence policy focused on energy production, innovation, and diversity. When we do that, we will see lower gas prices for American consumers. We will see more jobs for American workers and a stronger, more competitive and safer America in the world.

I believe that the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, which is designed to expand deepwater exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, is an important first step toward a long-term energy solution. Although, I know there is much more to be done--and I will be offering an amendment to allow other States to have the same options as well--but this is a bipartisan measure, a bill crafted by Chairman Domenici and Senator Bingaman, with the support of Senators from, expectedly, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and also breakthrough leadership from the Senators--including the Presiding Officer, Senator Martinez--from Florida.

This measure is going to permit energy exploration of 1.7 million acres in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, otherwise known as lease sale 181. It would also lift the production moratorium or ban for 6.3 million acres south of that area. Experts estimate that by permitting exploration of this area, we will eventually extract 1.26 billion barrels of oil and 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

This home-produced American energy can run our cars, heat our homes, power our factories. And, best of all, the money stays right here in America instead of being sent outside of America. This will have a big impact on jobs.

People wonder: Why does it matter for jobs? Well, the natural gas aspect of this is very important. Our manufacturers of chemicals and fertilizers--which affects so many of us, particularly the farmers, but everything we use--those manufacturing jobs could be anywhere in the world, whether it is for chemicals, whether it is for fertilizers, manufacturing tires in Danville, VA, at the Goodyear plant. Those tires could be manufactured anywhere. And the cost of natural gas, the affordability, the reliability of it matters a great deal.

Plastics can be manufactured everywhere. But plastic manufacturers rely a great deal on petroleum-based products as well as natural gas. Forestry products for paper, cardboard, and lumber use natural gas. Again, it is very important we have affordable natural gas to keep those jobs in America rather than going overseas.

Now, as a former Governor, I believe a large portion of the royalties from the new deepwater exploration should be shared with the adjacent States. That is why I am supporting the revenue-sharing portion of this legislation, notwithstanding opposition from the White House. In this legislation, as much as 37.5 percent of the available revenues will go to the Gulf Coast States, many of which were severely damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Now, these revenues will free up money for worthy projects, such as education, transportation, and coastal shoreline erosion remediation. This is an outstanding bill. It will increase jobs and income, obviously, in the Gulf Coast States. It will help Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and Florida, but also the whole country. What is most important is that for the whole country this will increase the affordability of energy. It will increase our reliability of having energy in every State in our Union.

This bill will not harm our environment. I would remind my colleagues that hundreds of deepwater oil rigs were in the paths of Hurricane Katrina and Rita, and although these rigs were shut down and disabled by the roaring winds and the rising seas, not one of them released oil into the Gulf of Mexico. So this is a good record of performance that should alleviate any concerns about environmental safety.

I believe so strongly in this measure and this program that I want my own Commonwealth of Virginia to participate in it. This is why I am offering an amendment. And I will continue in the months and years ahead to allow not only the Gulf of Mexico States to share in revenues, and to permit those folks to have the deepwater exploration, but I want to permit and allow the people of Virginia to explore for oil and/or natural gas 50 miles off of our coastline and no closer than 25 miles from any neighboring State.

It would be a completely voluntary arrangement. My amendment allows deepwater exploration if that is the will of the people of Virginia. It simply gives the people an option. It gives the people a choice. And I sincerely believe the people of Virginia will choose to allow deepwater exploration once they are conversant with the facts and the opportunities. In fact, the General Assembly of Virginia, 2 years in a row, has passed legislation, with bipartisan support, to allow deepwater Outer Continental Shelf exploration far off the coast of Virginia.

Here are the facts. In the far part of the eastern seaboard, 45 miles off of our coast, Cuba is exploring for natural gas. Then in Canada, off the Grand Banks and the Maritime Provinces, they are exploring for oil and natural gas.

Now, for the U.S. area, and near Virginia, according to the Minerals Management Service, there are 1.23 billion barrels of oil and 11.68 trillion cubic feet of natural gas along the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. This remarkable, significant amount of energy is just sitting there, waiting for us to use it. Yet Federal law prevents the people of Virginia and America from using it.

Now, the gasoline prices are surging at over $3 per gallon. It is, to me, unbelievable and irresponsible to continue this obstructionist, detrimental restriction and regulation on Virginia and other States.

In my amendment, I have ensured that the people of Virginia are able to reap the benefits of any successful deepwater exploration far off our Virginia coast. Using Senator Domenici's legislation as a model, I have established that 37.5 percent of revenues would be allocated to Virginia. I recommend that half of these revenues would go to much needed transportation projects in Virginia. It could be for the third crossing down in Hampton Roads or for the widening of a variety of interstates across our Commonwealth. That would get half of the revenue.

A quarter of the revenue would go to reducing instate tuition at our Virginia colleges, and another quarter of the revenues would go to the coastal communities which are the counties on the eastern shore of Northampton and Accomack and to Virginia Beach, which they may want to use for shoreline or beach, sand replenishment.

Now, how much money are we talking here? Experts estimate that it could be nearly $3 billion over a period of time. That's right, $3 billion--all paid into Virginia's treasury, benefiting all Virginians, whether it is in education, whether it is for the shoreline, or improving our transportation.

Now, if Senators from other States think to themselves: I wouldn't want to have those jobs and those billions of dollars for my State, I would only say to them: Fine. That is your choice. I respect that choice. But please allow us in Virginia to make a choice as well, a choice that helps us and does not hurt any of the other States at all.

We did not get into this energy dependence challenge and predicament overnight, and we are not going to get out of it overnight. This legislation is a vitally important aspect of bolstering our energy security for generations to come. I support it, and I strongly advocate its swift passage because it is a long stride forward toward our ultimate American goal of America's energy independence. And for the future, I encourage my colleagues to support what I consider to be my fair, commonsense approach to empower the people of Virginia to explore for oil and/or natural gas in the deep water off our Outer Continental Shelf, if they so choose to do so.

This expanded proposal is consistent with the principles of federalism and free choice, and it respects the will of the people. It is a win-win situation for jobs, competitiveness, and, most importantly, it will incentivize and encourage the people of the States to join in with our national mission of energy independence.

I hope the underlying bill passes, of course. And I look forward--I see the chairman is here. I commend him for his outstanding work in a bipartisan manner. And I see Senator Landrieu here from Louisiana as well. This is a long stride forward. But please understand, Mr. Chairman, that I am going to continue fighting for Virginia. It is good for Virginia. It is also good for America because we need to have America independent from foreign sources of energy, particularly that from the Middle East. I say to the Senator, thank you for your leadership.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I am certain.

If I may, Mr. President----

Will the Senator yield?

I would say to the chairman of the Energy Committee, I wanted to get on that committee in this session because I really do believe energy independence, energy security is the most important issue facing our country. The Senator has provided great leadership, working with a variety of different forces, and getting things done on a bipartisan basis. I agree that Senator Martinez was absolutely crucial in this bipartisan effort. I would hope, though, that you recognize that while I am introducing this amendment, I know my colleague, Senator Warner, has a different sort of amendment, trying to get to the same point. I hope I can count on you, and I hope the American people can count on you to work in a bipartisan fashion in the future, whether this year or future years, to allow the people of Virginia, if they so desire, to explore off our coasts and use this as a model in sharing revenues with the States because I think sharing of revenues with the States will be an incentive for States to help the national mission of energy independence and not allow that good energy to stay there fallow in deep water off our Outer Continental Shelves.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Monday, July 31, 2006, immediately following the next vote on the Senate Floor (tentatively scheduled to occur at 5:30 p.m.), in the President's Room, S-216 of the Capitol, to consider approving recommendations on proposed legislation implementing the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, and to consider favorably reporting S. 3495, to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Vietnam.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Monday, July 31, 2006, at 3 p.m. to hold a hearing on nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Monday, July 31, 2006, to hold a markup to consider the nominations of Patrick W. Dunne to be Assistant Secretary for Policy & Planning and Thomas E. Harvey to be Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs, Department of Veterans' Affairs.

The meeting will take place in the Reception Room off the Senate floor in the Capitol following the first rollcall vote of the day for the Senate currently scheduled for 5:30 p.m.