Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 956, S. 3296.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Kyl amendment at the desk be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2851 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

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, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 3560 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 5057 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a Biden substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 962, S. 1276.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; the committee reported title amendment be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, there are things going on here in the Capitol, just to alert Members, so I ask unanimous consent that we stand in recess until 3 p.m. today, and that everyone should know that we are going to come back and try to get consent to be in recess because at 4 o'clock we have an all-Senators briefing by Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, and Ambassador Negroponte.

People should be aware that if they have something to do or say, they can come here at 3 o'clock. I think it would be more appropriate if we were in recess until 5, but there has been an objection to that, so I ask unanimous consent that we stand in recess until 3 p.m.

I would like, through the Chair, to ask my friend from Rhode Island if I can ask a unanimous consent?

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent at the hour of 4 p.m. we have a recess until 5:30.

There is an all-Senators briefing starting at 4 o'clock. I thank the distinguished Senator from Rhode Island, one of my good friends.

Mr. President, many years ago, when I attended school in Searchlight, I walked to school. When it was time for high school, I hitched a ride into a town 40 miles away and had to stay with family during the week. There weren't many options back then. That was how many kids got to school in rural Nevada--walk or hitchhike.

Now, of course, in both urban and rural America, most children take school buses to school.

Unfortunately, rural school districts across America are strapped. They can't afford to buy newer, safer buses. With gas near $4 a gallon, their budgets have been stretched to the limits. As a result, many rural areas have no choice but to operate outdated, unsafe school buses for as long as they can pass inspection.

Over the years, I have met several times with the school superintendents in my State--all 17 of them. While each district has their own unique challenges, they all have an urgent need for safe and reliable school buses.

In some rural Nevada counties, school buses must travel a million miles in a single school year. Last school year, the buses in one of Nevada's rural school districts traveled close to 5 million miles combined. I am fairly confident that many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle would agree that the need for newer and safer school buses is not unique to Nevada's rural school districts.

From my meetings with our State's superintendents, it was clear that our school districts needed assistance. In the 108th and 109th Congresses, I introduced legislation to help these and other rural districts transport children to school in a way that is safe, affordable, and environmentally sound.

The Bus Utility and Safety in School Transportation Opportunity and Purchasing Act of 2008--or BUS STOP--allows school districts across rural America to be eligible for transit funding through the Department of Transportation, with the Federal Government contributing 75 percent of the cost.

Some may wonder why we need such a program when the Environmental

Protection Agency already has a cost-share grant program--the Clean School Bus USA program--to help school districts purchase new buses powered by natural gas or other alternative fuels.

Unfortunately, most of the rural districts in my State, and, I would imagine, across the country, cannot apply for these grants because they don't have the infrastructure in place to support this technology.

However, working in the spirit of a cleaner environment and healthy children, this bill will help rural school districts buy newer buses that are better for our air, and safer for our children.

There are many small, rural towns in America, like Searchlight, where kids travel to school in outdated buses. They deserve no less than safe, clean, economical buses to get them to school.

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

Mr. President, I rise today with my good friend Senator Ensign to introduce the Southern Nevada Higher Education Land Act of 2008. This bill will expand opportunities for higher education in one of the Nation's fastest growing areas, southern Nevada.

In July 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Land Grant College Act into law, creating a higher education legacy that continues to benefit our country today. That bill, now referred to as the Morrill Act, provided 30,000 acres of Federal land per Member of Congress to establish institutions of higher education in each State. Today, thanks in large part to the foresight of Senator Justin Smith Morrill from Vermont and others from his time, this Nation has one of the finest public university systems in the world.

Among the many universities established as a result of this forward- looking legislation was the University of Nevada. The State's first university was originally founded in Elko in 1874. Two years later, Nevada's State legislature voted to move the university to its current home in Reno. The University of Nevada remained the State's only higher education institution for 75 years.

From these humble beginnings, the State of Nevada has expanded its higher education system to now include two research universities, one State college, one research institution, and four community colleges. The Nevada System of Higher Education, which was formed in 1968 and encompasses all 8 institutions, has grown to serve roughly 98,000 degree-seeking students.

As the State of Nevada continues to grow, so too must its university system. With over 2 million residents in 2007, greater Las Vegas is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the Mountain West. In this decade alone, the area's population has grown by 31 percent, 5 times faster than the Nation as a whole. By the year 2040, the area's population is projected to double to nearly 4.3 million residents. We must expand higher education opportunities to meet the demands of this growing region.

Consider the following--the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with 28,000 students and 3,300 faculty and staff, is the fourth fastest- growing research university in the Nation. The College of Southern Nevada, also in Las Vegas, serves 39,000 students and its three

urban campuses are at near capacity. The town of Pahrump, 60 miles from Las Vegas in rural Nye County, has grown by 20 percent since 2000. Great Basin College's small branch campus in Pahrump uses high school classrooms at night to serve the city's 41,000 residents.

Our legislation will make selected parcels of Federal lands available for the future growth of the university system. Land will be provided for new campuses for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the College of Southern Nevada; and a Pahrump campus of Great Basin College. The current campuses for these three institutions comprise 1,150 acres in southern Nevada. With the passage of this legislation, an additional 2,400 acres will be available for new classroom, research, and residential facilities to help further the missions of these three fine institutions.

To establish these new campuses, three parcels of land would be conveyed from the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, to the Nevada System of Higher Education. Two of the parcels are located in Clark County, within the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, SNPLMA, disposal boundary. The third parcel is located in Pahrump, west of Las Vegas, in Nye County. BLM has designated all of these parcels for disposal because they are surrounded by development and are difficult to manage.

It is important to point out that the land our legislation conveys for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, borders Nellis Air Force Base. Nellis was once on the outskirts of town, but now development is on its doorstep. In order to protect the mission of the Nellis Air Force base, we have put a special provision in the legislation requiring that the university system and Air Force sign a common agreement regarding development plans for the campus before any land is conveyed. The university system and the Air Force have been in conversations about this agreement for at least 2 years and seem to have found a middle ground that will serve the interests of both parties. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the university system and the Air Force to make this work.

This same land bordering Nellis was once used as a small arms range during World War II and will need to be cleaned up before it can be conveyed to the university system. Because it will take time to accomplish this, our legislation allows the land to be conveyed in phases, as the remediation is completed.

This proposal to expand higher education opportunities in southern Nevada has been welcomed by area leaders. City and county officials have worked closely with the Nevada System of Higher Education to plan the development of world-class facilities in their communities. These facilities are critical to meeting the challenge of diversifying their economies and attracting and growing knowledge industries in the area.

Just as the Morrill Act opened up Federal land to expand higher education across the Nation, I am hopeful that this important, though much more modest effort can do the same for the residents of southern Nevada. We look forward to working with Chairman Bingaman, Ranking Member Domenici and the other distinguished members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to move this legislation in an expeditious manner.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce the Carson City Vital Community Act of 2008 for myself and Senator Ensign. We originally introduced this bill on July 31, 2008. Since then we have sought and received important feedback on the legislation. Carson City, numerous citizens, our federal land agencies, and committee staff have all brought important ideas to the table. We are reintroducing this legislation today so that anyone who has an interest in this legislation can see how the bill has improved as result of the input we have received.

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

Mr. President, many years ago, when I attended school in Searchlight, I walked to school. When it was time for high school, I hitched a ride into a town 40 miles away and had to stay with family during the week. There weren't many options back then. That was how many kids got to school in rural Nevada--walk or hitchhike.

Now, of course, in both urban and rural America, most children take school buses to school.

Unfortunately, rural school districts across America are strapped. They can't afford to buy newer, safer buses. With gas near $4 a gallon, their budgets have been stretched to the limits. As a result, many rural areas have no choice but to operate outdated, unsafe school buses for as long as they can pass inspection.

Over the years, I have met several times with the school superintendents in my State--all 17 of them. While each district has their own unique challenges, they all have an urgent need for safe and reliable school buses.

In some rural Nevada counties, school buses must travel a million miles in a single school year. Last school year, the buses in one of Nevada's rural school districts traveled close to 5 million miles combined. I am fairly confident that many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle would agree that the need for newer and safer school buses is not unique to Nevada's rural school districts.

From my meetings with our State's superintendents, it was clear that our school districts needed assistance. In the 108th and 109th Congresses, I introduced legislation to help these and other rural districts transport children to school in a way that is safe, affordable, and environmentally sound.

The Bus Utility and Safety in School Transportation Opportunity and Purchasing Act of 2008--or BUS STOP--allows school districts across rural America to be eligible for transit funding through the Department of Transportation, with the Federal Government contributing 75 percent of the cost.

Some may wonder why we need such a program when the Environmental

Protection Agency already has a cost-share grant program--the Clean School Bus USA program--to help school districts purchase new buses powered by natural gas or other alternative fuels.

Unfortunately, most of the rural districts in my State, and, I would imagine, across the country, cannot apply for these grants because they don't have the infrastructure in place to support this technology.

However, working in the spirit of a cleaner environment and healthy children, this bill will help rural school districts buy newer buses that are better for our air, and safer for our children.

There are many small, rural towns in America, like Searchlight, where kids travel to school in outdated buses. They deserve no less than safe, clean, economical buses to get them to school.

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

Mr. President, I rise today with my good friend Senator Ensign to introduce the Southern Nevada Higher Education Land Act of 2008. This bill will expand opportunities for higher education in one of the Nation's fastest growing areas, southern Nevada.

In July 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Land Grant College Act into law, creating a higher education legacy that continues to benefit our country today. That bill, now referred to as the Morrill Act, provided 30,000 acres of Federal land per Member of Congress to establish institutions of higher education in each State. Today, thanks in large part to the foresight of Senator Justin Smith Morrill from Vermont and others from his time, this Nation has one of the finest public university systems in the world.

Among the many universities established as a result of this forward- looking legislation was the University of Nevada. The State's first university was originally founded in Elko in 1874. Two years later, Nevada's State legislature voted to move the university to its current home in Reno. The University of Nevada remained the State's only higher education institution for 75 years.

From these humble beginnings, the State of Nevada has expanded its higher education system to now include two research universities, one State college, one research institution, and four community colleges. The Nevada System of Higher Education, which was formed in 1968 and encompasses all 8 institutions, has grown to serve roughly 98,000 degree-seeking students.

As the State of Nevada continues to grow, so too must its university system. With over 2 million residents in 2007, greater Las Vegas is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the Mountain West. In this decade alone, the area's population has grown by 31 percent, 5 times faster than the Nation as a whole. By the year 2040, the area's population is projected to double to nearly 4.3 million residents. We must expand higher education opportunities to meet the demands of this growing region.

Consider the following--the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with 28,000 students and 3,300 faculty and staff, is the fourth fastest- growing research university in the Nation. The College of Southern Nevada, also in Las Vegas, serves 39,000 students and its three

urban campuses are at near capacity. The town of Pahrump, 60 miles from Las Vegas in rural Nye County, has grown by 20 percent since 2000. Great Basin College's small branch campus in Pahrump uses high school classrooms at night to serve the city's 41,000 residents.

Our legislation will make selected parcels of Federal lands available for the future growth of the university system. Land will be provided for new campuses for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the College of Southern Nevada; and a Pahrump campus of Great Basin College. The current campuses for these three institutions comprise 1,150 acres in southern Nevada. With the passage of this legislation, an additional 2,400 acres will be available for new classroom, research, and residential facilities to help further the missions of these three fine institutions.

To establish these new campuses, three parcels of land would be conveyed from the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, to the Nevada System of Higher Education. Two of the parcels are located in Clark County, within the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, SNPLMA, disposal boundary. The third parcel is located in Pahrump, west of Las Vegas, in Nye County. BLM has designated all of these parcels for disposal because they are surrounded by development and are difficult to manage.

It is important to point out that the land our legislation conveys for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, borders Nellis Air Force Base. Nellis was once on the outskirts of town, but now development is on its doorstep. In order to protect the mission of the Nellis Air Force base, we have put a special provision in the legislation requiring that the university system and Air Force sign a common agreement regarding development plans for the campus before any land is conveyed. The university system and the Air Force have been in conversations about this agreement for at least 2 years and seem to have found a middle ground that will serve the interests of both parties. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the university system and the Air Force to make this work.

This same land bordering Nellis was once used as a small arms range during World War II and will need to be cleaned up before it can be conveyed to the university system. Because it will take time to accomplish this, our legislation allows the land to be conveyed in phases, as the remediation is completed.

This proposal to expand higher education opportunities in southern Nevada has been welcomed by area leaders. City and county officials have worked closely with the Nevada System of Higher Education to plan the development of world-class facilities in their communities. These facilities are critical to meeting the challenge of diversifying their economies and attracting and growing knowledge industries in the area.

Just as the Morrill Act opened up Federal land to expand higher education across the Nation, I am hopeful that this important, though much more modest effort can do the same for the residents of southern Nevada. We look forward to working with Chairman Bingaman, Ranking Member Domenici and the other distinguished members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to move this legislation in an expeditious manner.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce the Carson City Vital Community Act of 2008 for myself and Senator Ensign. We originally introduced this bill on July 31, 2008. Since then we have sought and received important feedback on the legislation. Carson City, numerous citizens, our federal land agencies, and committee staff have all brought important ideas to the table. We are reintroducing this legislation today so that anyone who has an interest in this legislation can see how the bill has improved as result of the input we have received.

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

Mr. President, following the remarks of the leaders, the Senate will proceed to morning business. We are going to go to morning business for an hour. I alert Members that we may be in morning business for longer than that time. We will come back at a later time. The first 30 minutes will be controlled by the majority, and the Republicans will control the last 30 minutes. Following that time, we will continue to have Senators limited to 10 minutes each. If that is not the order, I ask that be the case.

The legislation we have this week is the Department of Defense authorization. We have a continuing resolution. We have the stimulus. We have the economic recovery program. And, of course, the most important thing on everyone's mind is what we do about the bailout of the financial institutions.

I think we made progress yesterday. Certainly, it appears there were a lot of questions asked. The Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Fed will be over in the House around 2 o'clock this afternoon. Democrats are holding a caucus at 4:30 p.m. to talk about this issue. The Secretary is coming to that caucus at 5 o'clock.

I hope we can make more progress. We have not only the Jewish holidays coming up next week, but a very important event is this Friday. I was told and heard on the radio this morning that as much as 85 percent of the American people will watch the debate this Friday. That is a stunning number. It will be the most widely viewed Presidential debate in history. I assume, if we are still in session, we can take a brief recess for an hour and a half and work through it. I am sure there is not one of the 100 Senators who will want to miss that debate.

I will be back later to talk about the so-called Coburn package. I am not going to do it now.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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