Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise to call the attention of the Senate to the 40th anniversary of the National Association of Minority Contractors, NAMC. NAMC is a national organization that has gone to great lengths over the last 40 years in helping minority contractors realize the American dream. Additionally, NAMC has aided contractors across the United States by fostering relationships and building bridges in the construction industry that have helped minorities to remain competitive. Currently, NAMC has over 5,000 memberships in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.

NAMC was established as a nonprofit organization in 1969, in order to provide education to African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans employed as construction contractors. This magnificent organization has helped to ensure equal opportunity employment and procurement opportunities in all areas of this industry. NAMC has led the way in the integration of various ethnic groups, creeds, and colors in the construction industry. We recognize this organization's hard work to initiate and operate training programs for people desiring employment and procurement in the building trades.

Thanks to the fine leadership of the local board of the Silver State's NAMC's Chapter, NAMC is making a successful transition to green building. NAMC has been ensuring that its members certify in green building by involving them with Green Advantage and the U.S. Green Building Council. It is specifically this type of program that will help America become more environmentally friendly and responsible and lead us to an improved quality of life.

The Nevada Chapter is one of 22 chapters across the United States. I commend the National Association of Minority Contractors for their 40 years of support to the minority community and to the affiliates in Nevada and around the United States. It is through

the relentless work of this organization that minority construction contractors have been able to achieve equality, opportunity, and prosperity.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to H.R. 2344.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to H.R. 2675.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 75, H.R. 813.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with be no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to this bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 76, H.R. 837.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration and the Senate then proceed to S. Res. 66.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 188.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1285.

I ask unanimous consent the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and any statements be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 97, the nomination of Hilary Tompkins, to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior; that the nomination be confirmed and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that any statements relating to the nomination be printed at the appropriate place in the Record as if read, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:45 a.m., Thursday, June 18; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two

leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and there be a period for morning business for 1 hour with the time equally divided or controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the second half, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Under a previous order, following morning business, the Senate will return to consideration of S. Con. Res. 26, a concurrent resolution relating to slavery. It is an apology relating to slavery. There will be an hour for debate equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees prior to a vote on adoption of the concurrent resolution. We expect that vote to be a voice vote.

Upon disposition of the concurrent resolution, the Senate will resume consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2346, the emergency appropriations bill.

We hope we can work out an agreement on this tomorrow to finalize the supplemental. If not, we will have a cloture vote Friday morning early.

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

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, following leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period for the transaction of morning business for an hour. Senators will be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The majority will control the first 30 minutes and the Republicans will control the next 30 minutes. Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 1023, the Travel Promotion Act. There will be 1 hour for debate prior to a cloture vote on that motion to proceed. Senators should expect the vote to begin as early as quarter to 12 today. The Senate will recess, as we do on every Tuesday, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. for our weekly caucus luncheons.

Mr. President, every day, like every Senator, I get mail from men and women across my State. People still write letters. It is not all over the Internet. People still send handwritten letters, lots of them. People offer advice, criticism, suggestions, and stories. They are making sure their representative democracy works the way they believe it should. Anyone who is watching at home and wondering whether the representatives you send to Washington actually read these letters, I can tell you that we do.

I can tell you that on no other issue have the letters my constituents have sent me underscored the urgent need to act more than the health care nightmares they have shared with me.

For example, Lisa lives in Gardnerville, NV, a beautiful place, right under the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is very scenic and beautiful. She lives in Gardnerville with her two daughters. One is 10 and one is 7. The youngest little girl suffers seizures, and her teachers think she has a learning disability. Because of her family history, Lisa, the mom, is at high risk for cervical cancer. Although she has been told by her doctors that she should get an exam every 3 months, she now goes once a year because she doesn't have the money to go every 3 months. When Lisa lost her job recently, she lost her health coverage. Now both Lisa and her daughters miss out on the tests and preventive medicine to keep them healthy. Her long letter ended with a simple plea: ``We want to go to the doctor.''

Braden lives in Sparks, NV. The 55-hour weeks he works to support his family just barely cover his bills. He doesn't have enough money to buy health insurance for his family, so he doesn't buy it. Braden owes a hospital $12,000 for a trip to the emergency room--the only place he could go because he has no health care. Braden is brave, though. In his letter, he doesn't dread the debt he carries or grumble about how hard he works, but he does fear, ``If I was seriously sick or injured, I would lose it all.''

Alysia is a 21-year-old woman from Las Vegas. She needs surgery for the kidney disease with which she has suffered since she was born, but because she recently lost her job, health care is not part of her life anymore. Alysia has done everything she can to try to get help. Medicaid tells her she doesn't qualify because she isn't pregnant, doesn't have children, doesn't have disability insurance. Insurance companies refuse to cover her, calling her kidney disorder a preexisting condition. Everyone else calls this a tragedy.

These stories are as real as they come. The letters are written by people who play by the rules and don't understand why the health care system doesn't play by the rules. They are written from the heart, and many are written through pain, tears, and uncertainty. Sadly, though, they are not unique. Many Americans like Lisa skip routine medical checkups or, like Braden, live one accident away from bankruptcy or one sickness away from bankruptcy or, like Alysia, fear for the worst as they fight through the redtape.

Our Republican colleagues like things, obviously, just the way they are, the status quo. They have committed themselves to a strategy of misinformation and misrepresentation. I heard it again on the radio this morning--government health care. In fact, one Senator said that if he heard a Republican Senator say anything other than ``government health care''--and he instructed them not to use ``public choice'' or ``public option''--he jokingly said they will have to put some money in the kitty.

Misinformation and misrepresentation is not where we should be. This, together with their attempt to delay, is only going to hurt people like Alysia, Braden, and Lisa.