Floor Statements

Mr. President, I would like to proceed in morning business on the Democratic time.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of LTG William J. Lennox, United States Army, Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. General Lennox is retiring on the June 30, after 35 years of active military service. I have known General Lennox for many years. His military career exemplifies a soldier who always sought and achieved excellence.

After graduating from West Point in 1971, General Lennox served in a wide variety of assignments in the field artillery. He served as a Forward Observer, Executive Officer, and Fire Support Officer in the 1st Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, and as Commander, Battery B, 2d Battalion, 20th Field Artillery, in the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, CO. He was the Operations Officer and Executive Officer for the 2d Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, in the 3d Infantry Division in Germany. He returned to Fort Carson to command the 5th Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, in the 4th Infantry Division and also commanded the Division Artillery in the 24th Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, GA.

General Lennox also served in a number of staff positions including a White House Fellowship, as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, and as the Executive Officer for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans.

Additionally, General Lennox served as the Deputy Commanding General and Assistant Commandant of the U.S. Army Field Artillery Center; the Chief of Staff for III Corps and Fort Hood; the Assistant Chief of Staff, CJ-3, at Combined Forces Command/United States Forces Korea; the Deputy Commanding General, Eighth United States Army and Chief of Legislative Liaison.

General Lennox is not only a soldier, however, he is also a scholar. After West Point, he continued his education at Princeton University, receiving a master's degree and a doctorate in literature. He was first in his class at Fort Leavenworth's Command and General Officer's School. He also completed the Senior Service College Fellowship at Harvard University.

In June 2001, General Lennox became the Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, and took the helm of one of the Nation's premier institutions of higher learning. Managing 7,000 people and $250 million budget per year on the 16,000-acre campus, he provided strategic direction for the academic, military, athletic and values programs.

During his tenure, his key accomplishments not only preserved but even enhanced the prestige of the Military Academy. General Lennox oversaw upgrades to the core liberal arts program while sustaining the fourth-ranked undergraduate engineering program in the country. Today, only Harvard, Princeton, and Yale produce more Rhodes scholars than West Point.

General Lennox has implemented and intensified opportunities for cultural exposure and expanded semesters abroad to countries such as China, Russia, Spain, and Chile.

In the summer of 2005, he himself traveled to the People's Republic of China to strengthen ties with educators and government officials and improve the opportunities for exchanges. His has increased the number of foreign students by 74 percent, an initiative that promises to build language and cultural skills, as well as lasting relationships with our allies across the globe.

General Lennox also realized the importance of the physical infrastructure of the Academy to the ultimate success of the cadets. His capital improvements have changed the face of the historic post for the better. He planned and began building a $120 million library learning center and science complex that is architecturally compatible with the granite buildings from previous centuries, and he completed construction of the $95 million physical development center.

To provide the margin of excellence necessary to maintain the U.S. Military Academy's status as a tier I university, LTG Lennox completed a $150 million fund raising campaign with over $220 million. The funds from private sources enabled further improvements in the academic, athletic and military programs.

General Lennox also recognized that the United States Military Academy was part of a larger community. From the outset of his tenure, he sought the comments and insights of graduates, the Academy, and the members of the surrounding neighborhood, whenever appropriate, to give them a closer identification with and support for the institution and ultimately its decisions.

LTG Lennox leaves a notably improved Academy in terms of leadership, facilities, and finances. The military, academic, physical and moral/ ethical development programs at the Academy have never been stronger and more connected to the Army. General Lennox has set the course for officer education into the first half of the new century.

Bill Lennox is an extraordinary soldier. He combines great intellect, great character and great dedication. He is also an extraordinary man. Together with his wife, Anne, he has raised three sons, Andrew, Matthew, and Jonathan, who have continued the Lennox tradition of service. He and Anne have been a remarkable example of husband and wife in service to the Army and in service to the Nation. And anyone who has enjoyed the warm embrace of their friendship, treasures their company and their kindness.

The motto of West Point is ``Duty, Honor, Country.'' Throughout its history, West Point has been guided by leaders who exemplify and live out that great credo. LTG William Lennox is such a leader. He leaves a proud and

enduring legacy as the 56th Superintendant of the United States Military Academy.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a fellow in my office, Jason Schneider, be granted the privilege of the floor for the duration of my remarks.

Mr. President, on behalf of the Armenian population of Rhode Island and Armenians around the world, I want to recognize the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

Ninety-one years ago today, April 24, the Young Turk leaders of the Ottoman Empire summoned and executed over 200 Armenian community leaders. By 1923, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were murdered, and another one half million were exiled, affecting the lives of every Armenian in Asia Minor.

Author John Minassian, a survivor of the 1915 Armenian genocide, tells of his experience. ``These fine people were now being made into refugees only because they had clung to their ancient beliefs and the faith of their ancestors. They marched proudly under a yoke of hatred, prejudice and bigotry, their morale high, their spirit as yet unbroken. They knew that their only `crime' was being Armenian.''

The Armenian genocide was condemned at the time by representatives of the British, French, Russian, German, and Austrian Governments, both foes and allies of the Ottoman Empire.

Today, as a cosponsor of S. Res. 320, I call on the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the record of the United States relating to the Armenian genocide.

Armenian soldiers have supported Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the Polish-led multinational division in south-central Iraq. Working as truck drivers, bomb detonators, and doctors, Armenia has not allowed others to be left helpless as they were nearly a century ago. The United States is proud to have Armenia as an ally in the rebuilding and reconstruction of Iraq.

So as history does not repeat itself, we must study and remember the events of our past. In instances such as the Armenian genocide, all nations must educate their youth in the hatred, the wrongdoing, and the oppression to deter future atrocities against humanity. Not more that two decades after the Armenian genocide, Hitler said to his generals on the eve of sending his death squads into Poland, ``Go, kill without mercy . . . who today remembers the annihilation of the Armenians.'' We remember the Armenians.

Menk panav chenk mornar. We will never forget.

Mr. President, on behalf of my fellow Rhode Islanders, I wish to recognize the 2550th anniversary of the Buddha, the Khmer New Year.

This cultural celebration highlights the rich heritage of Cambodian Americans, while recognizing contemporary Khmerian accomplishments. Ancient dance, music, and religious traditions of the Cambodian community are the focus of the holiday.

The festivity, celebrated in the reprieve between the harvest and the weeks referred to as the ``rainy season,'' is an occasion for Cambodian Americans to pass their customs to future generations while simultaneously allowing all Cambodians to share their culture with other Americans.

Traditionally, the anniversary of the Buddha affords Cambodians a chance to give thanks, reflect, and welcome the spirit Tevada Chhnam Thmey. Also, in accordance with tradition, scores of Cambodian Americans will gather with family and friends to visit the wat, the local spiritual center, to offer food to their clergymen, pray for ancestors, give charity to the less fortunate, forgive the misdeeds of others, and thank elders for their knowledge and care.

The Khmerian New Year ceremonies and activities demonstrate that each year brings new opportunities for charity, peace, and happiness. As we commemorate this important time, let us reflect on our Nation's continued efforts to promote universal human rights and democratic principles. Let us also take this opportunity to honor the Cambodian Americans currently serving in the U.S. armed services, for their daily sacrifice in protecting our freedom.

Finally, I would like to wish all Cambodian Americans happiness, prosperity, and good health in this, the Year of the Dog.

Mr. President, I yield myself 5 minutes.

Mr. President, I stand to support the position of Senator Levin with respect to the nomination of Dorrance Smith to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. I, too, participated in his hearings. I listened to Mr. Smith, and I think he lacks the judgment necessary to be the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.

Senator Levin has quoted the Wall Street Journal op-ed piece. This was not the example of making an offhand statement. This is not the situation where someone was being quizzed and extemporaneously suggested something that later one regrets. This was a very carefully crafted editorial which was sent to the Wall Street Journal for publication. In it, Mr. Smith says:

Osama bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and al Qaeda have a

partner in al-Jazeera and, by extension, most networks in the

Mr. President, how much time do I have remaining?

I do not intend to take all that time, but I yield myself 5 minutes.

Mr. President, there are two issues with respect to Mr. Flory. The first is access to documents which are necessary for the Senate to do its job. We can't formulate policy, we can't draft legislation, we can't properly review the activities of the Department of Defense if we are denied critical information. This Defense Department persistently, constantly denies information of that sort. This is something about which Senator Levin has made the point very well, made the point about his attempts to get information with respect to issues that touch on the activities of Mr. Flory and the activities of others. Senator Levin has been denied. Without any justification, without any legal precedent, they simply said we are not giving it to you--and that is outrageous.

Frankly, because we have acquiesced in this policy over many years, we have not done our job in the Senate. We allowed this Defense Department to take military forces to war without a plan for occupation because we didn't ask--demand that they give us the information in that plan. We have done this repeatedly. It has to stop because it has real consequences in the activities of our military and the effect on these young men and women across the globe. We have to do our job. Our job begins with getting this type of information.

It is outrageous that we continue to sit here and literally beg the Defense Department to give us information

that is rightfully ours because of our responsibilities under the Constitution to supervise the activities of the Department of Defense. That is point No. 1.

Point No. 2 is Mr. Flory, by his own job description, was involved with the formulation and coordination of international security strategy and policy for several areas including the Middle East in 2001. As Senator Levin pointed out, he was part of this team that developed this alternate intelligence view--alternate in the sense that it was inaccurate, grossly inaccurate.

Now we propose to promote him. There are millions of Americans who are wondering who planned this operation in Iraq so poorly. And if they find out, it is not to give these individuals a promotion. There is real responsibility here and that is the other point I find very difficult to accept. No one seems to be accountable for palpable mistakes that have been made by the Department of Defense in the conduct of these operations--not the Secretary of Defense, not the new Secretary of State, who was the National Security Advisor--and now we are promoting someone who is deeply involved in the Feith operation that created the alternate intelligence view that was at dramatic odds with the intelligence community, with the suggestion that there were serious links between Saddam Hussein, al-Qaida, and other terrorist groups.

I think on both these points we should not proceed to this nomination. We have to have the information necessary to do our jobs. If we do not, we are not doing our jobs. We are not doing our duty. Today I hope is an opportunity to focus attention on, No. 1, the fact we need the information from the Department of Defense, and also I think it is about time someone is held in some degree responsible for errors that have been made by the Department of Defense.

I yield my time.

Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3074.

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

Mr. President, my amendment is straightforward. It would increase funding for the LIHEAP program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, by $3.318 billion. It is paid for fully by the closing of corporate tax loopholes and is cosponsored by Senators Kennedy, Kerry, Clinton, Lieberman, Rockefeller, Dorgan, Levin, Dayton, Schumer, Kohl, Bayh, Johnson, Leahy, Menendez, and Harkin.

The President's budget request and the level of funding assumed in this budget resolution for LIHEAP is $1.782 billion. That represents a $379 million cut from the fiscal year 2006 enacted level. Last week we were struggling to pass an additional $1 billion. The question before us is, are we going to accept this inadequate funding knowing full well it is inadequate today. I hope we don't do that. My amendment, the increase of $3.318 billion, would reach the authorized level of $5.1 billion set by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. On five separate occasions during the course of the debate over LIHEAP in the last 6 months, the majority of the Senate has voted for this full funding level. I call upon all of those Members to join me today to ensure we have full funding. We understand this year we are short of money. The President's budget starts us off with even less.

This year we benefited from unusually warm temperatures. I don't think anyone would bet that next winter's heating season will be as mild and as forgiving as this season's. With higher energy prices--and we know they are going up--with probably lower temperatures, we are going to be in a very serious position unless we adopt this amendment.

In the course of the debate about LIHEAP, many of our colleagues from warmer States pointed out that they are not getting as much as they should. If we get to the $5.1 billion level, this will truly be a national program. Warmer weather States will have the money in the hot season where they need air conditioning to help low-income people. I hope we can do so. For example, Alabama will receive $15 million from the block grant formula under the President's budget. It would receive $87.2 million under my amendment, a 479-percent increase, and so on throughout the country.

I hope we can pass this amendment. I hope we can have the foresight to recognize that we can't start off in the hole. We cannot expect warm temperatures this next heating season. We have to do more for the most vulnerable.

I yield whatever remaining time I have back to the Senator from North Dakota.

Amendment No. 3136

Mr. President, this amendment would raise the allocation for LIHEAP to the statutorily authorized $5.1 billion. It recognizes the fact that energy prices have been going up and that we are likely not to see a mild winter again next year; that we can expect right now to need more resources. Just a few weeks ago, we were on the floor of the Senate trying to raise the emergency funding for LIHEAP because of the intersection of cold temperatures and the increased cost of fuel. If we do pass this amendment, it will increase the allocation of resources not just to the cold States but to the warm States. This will provide significant resources for those States such as Alabama, Louisiana, and Nevada that need the assistance in the summertime for air-conditioning.

I urge my colleagues to pass my amendment. We know it is going to be a problem next year. The funds in the President's budget are insufficient. We have to stand up and make sure we take care of the vulnerable people.

Mr. President, the Humphrey Hawkins Act of 1978 specifies that time should be set aside in the consideration of the budget resolution for debate on economic goals and policies. As the ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee, I rise today to talk about how the budget submitted by President Bush and the version of that budget which we are debating this week in the Senate embody the wrong goals and policies to address the challenges facing the American economy.

If you listen to the President and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, you would get the impression that the economy is in good shape and that their policies have been successful. But if you listen to the American people you know that there is considerable anxiety about the economy and considerable disapproval about how the other side has managed economic policy.

The American people are right. All is not well with the Bush economy and the President's economic policies. President Bush likes to cite statistics on how fast the economy is growing and how much productivity--the output a worker produces in an hour--has increased. What he doesn't mention is that on his watch the economy went through the most protracted jobs slump in decades; that there is still considerable evidence of lagging labor force participation and hidden unemployment; and that the benefits of productivity growth have been showing up in the bottom lines of companies rather than in the paychecks of workers.

The President doesn't mention that disparities in wages and incomes are growing wider. Those who are already well-to-do are continuing to do very well. But the typical American family is struggling to make ends meet in the face of rising costs for energy, health care, and a college education for their children.

The administration and its supporters will not take responsibility for the failure of their policies. They say that their tax cuts are working and that all the American economy needs is more tax cuts. But the Bush tax cuts have not created an economy that works for ordinary Americans and they have mortgaged our future. Responsible analysts have shown that the President's tax cuts for the rich were poorly designed for generating jobs and putting people back to work in the wake of the 2001 recession. They had very low ``bang-for-the-buck'' in terms of job stimulus in the short run, but they were so massive that they created a legacy of large budget deficits and mounting debt that will be a drag on the economy in the long run.

President Bush has squandered the hard-won fiscal discipline achieved in the 1990s. He inherited a 10-year budget surplus of $5.6 trillion and turned it into a stream of deficits.

This year's budget gives the illusion that we will be making substantial progress in reducing the deficit over the next few years. But that is not

what responsible analysts say. They point out that a realistic budget assessment shows continuing structural deficits over the next several years and a potential explosion of the deficit once the costs of the baby-boom generation's retirement kick in fully.

With a $5.6 trillion 10-year budget surplus now a deficit of at least $2.7 trillion, this administration has turned us into a nation of debtors, relying on the rest of the world to finance our budget deficits and the rest of our excessive spending. Yesterday we learned that the current account deficit--the broadest measure of our international payments imbalance--was $805 billion last year, an amount equal to 6.4 percent of GDP. That is a record both in dollar terms and as a share of GDP.

The ballooning international trade and budget deficits dramatize the misplaced fiscal priorities of the President and the Republican Congress. The administration's large Federal budget deficits and mounting Federal debt are putting enormous pressure on the trade deficit and the dollar. We are mortgaging our future to foreign investors and foreign governments instead of getting our fiscal house in order and boosting our own national saving.

And we are not investing in people here at home the way we should be. A new analysis of the President's budget by the Democratic staff of the Joint Economic Committee shows that the President's policies would add to the deficit and reduce investments that aid moderate- and lower- income families in order to pay part of the cost of tax cuts going disproportionately to those with very high incomes.

The JEC Democratic staff analysis shows that the burden of cuts in those programs that provide benefits to individuals would be borne disproportionately by families in the bottom 40 percent of the income distribution. The share of spending cuts borne by those families would be disproportionate to their share of aggregate family income and to the share of any benefits they could expect to receive from the President's proposed tax cuts.

Families in the bottom 20 percent of the income distribution would absorb 32 percent of the cuts in payments for individuals, even though their share of aggregate family income is only 3 percent. Families in the next lowest fifth of the income distribution, with 8 percent of aggregate family income, would bear 23 percent of the budget cuts in payments for individuals.

Disparities in the impact of the President's budget proposals on families in different parts of the income distribution are even more pronounced when the tax cuts are taken into account. Families in the bottom 40 percent of the income distribution would receive only 6 percent of the benefits from tax cuts while bearing over half the burden of the spending cuts. In contrast, families in the top 20 percent of the income distribution would receive over 70 percent of the benefits of the tax cuts while bearing only 14 percent of the burden of the spending cuts.

The net impact of those cuts would leave families at the bottom of the income distribution shouldering nearly all of the pain while families at the top of the income distribution would reap nearly all of the net benefits.

A budget resolution that echoes the President's budget neither meets the pressing needs of the American people nor addresses the long-term challenges that lie ahead. Clearly, we're in for another year of policies that do little to help the average family or bring down the deficit.

A long-term budget and economic disaster looms if we don't restore fiscal discipline. The President's large and growing Federal budget deficits leave us increasingly hampered in our ability to deal with the host of challenges we face. We need policies that address the problems facing the country's most disadvantaged citizens and help ordinary working families deal with job and retirement insecurity and the rising costs of energy, health care, and education for their children.

We can and should do better.

Mr. President, today I recognize the 185th anniversary of Greek independence, which will be celebrated on Saturday, March 25.

As the Greek philosopher Plato said ``The beginning is the most important part of the work.'' After centuries of unsuccessful uprisings and failure of the Ottoman Empire to assimilate and convert the Greeks, the War of Independence began on this day, March 25 in 1821. This was the beginning of the end of 400 years of occupation and oppression by the Ottoman Turks. During the dark years of the Ottoman occupation, thousands were killed and tortured for participating in religious activities or teaching their children culture, history, and language. The steadfast resolve displayed by the Greeks helped secure their independence and recognition as a sovereign power nearly 11 years later with the signing of the Treaty of Constantinople.

This struggle for Greek independence was recognized the world over and was supported abroad by prominent world figures including Lord Byron of England, and Daniel Webster and Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe of the United States.

As we fight today's Long War on Terror, the Greeks stand by our side. A highlight of the Greek military's continuing contributions to the International Coalition was the deployment of the 229th Mobile Field Surgical Hospital deployed to Afghanistan. At full operational status within 3 days, medical experts and officials believe the 229th is one of the best medical facilities that has ever operated in Afghanistan.

A Greek proverb says, ``Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.'' Still alive and well in our own society today are the principles and ideas of ancient Greece. When we commemorate the heroism exhibited by the Greeks, we cannot help but to think of our Founding Fathers. Then and now, Greece and the United States share an absolute commitment to democracy, justice, and freedom. In history the Greeks have inspired, and in the present they have enlivened our great Nation. It gives me great pleasure and pride to cosponsor the Senate Resolution 399 designating March 25, 2006, as Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy. I send all Greek-Americans in Rhode Island and around the country my best wishes as they celebrate their ancestral homeland's independence.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor Eleanor Slater, an extraordinary woman and leader who did so much for the State of Rhode Island and the country. Her passing is a great loss to her family and to Rhode Islanders. Not only did I have the privilege of knowing her throughout my political life, she was an ally, a mentor, an exemplar, and trustworthy friend.

Born in 1908, Eleanor entered the political arena by winning election to the Rhode Island General Assembly at the spry age of 50. During the career that followed, she was widely known for fighting for the individuals and causes that are so often marginalized by our society. One of her greatest contributions, and there were many in her political career, was passage in the Rhode Island General Assembly of the Nation's very first fair housing legislation. The Slater Act of 1968 made it illegal to discriminate when selling or renting real estate property. This sorely needed law, which she had long championed to help bring greater equality to housing in Rhode Island, set a precedent for the entire country.

Her determination remained a key characteristic throughout her political career. As a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Eleanor refused to succumb to the pressures of her peers to support President Johnson's strategy for the Vietnam War. She held steadfastly to her own opposing point of view and never compromised her values or beliefs.

Eleanor joined the political fray at a time when women were largely left out of the inner political processes, and she is credited with getting women involved in Democratic politics in Rhode Island. As a standout member of a predominately male legislature, she actively encouraged other woman to run for political office and became the vice chairwoman of the Democratic State Committee in 1958.

Upon leaving the Rhode Island State Senate, she served as the first chief of

the Division of Aging. Then, recognizing the importance of education, she fulfilled her longtime goal and desire of completing her studies, obtaining a bachelor's degree in political science at age 70 from the University of Rhode Island, URI. She continued to contribute to the community as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer on aging at URI, receiving an honorary Ph.D. in 1980.

So today I honor Rhode Islander Eleanor Slater for her lifetime of passion and commitment, and I thank her for her friendship and inspiration. She will be sorely missed by those who knew her and those that have benefited from her unwavering efforts.

Mr. President, I join my colleague, Senator Coleman, in introducing the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. I would also like to recognize Senators Talent, Isakson, Cochran, Bunning, Murkowski, Lieberman, Carper, Landrieu, and Lautenberg who have all joined as original cosponsors of the bill.

This bipartisan legislation seeks to achieve several important goals in our battle against childhood cancer. Specifically, it will expand support for pediatric cancer research, foster the career development of more pediatric oncologists, and provide essential information and support to help families deal with this devastating disease. Childhood cancer impacts thousands of children and their families each year. While we have made great steps in treating cancer, we have made relatively little progress in advancing our understanding of the most common forms of pediatric cancer. This legislation will help to provide resources to hopefully one day find a cure.

Each year, more than 12,000 children are diagnosed with cancer, and more than 2,000 of them lose their courageous battle with the disease. Pediatric cancer not only takes a toll on the child, it affects the entire family--the parents, siblings, friends, and extended family all suffer when a child has cancer. I have had the honor of meeting one such family from Warwick, Rhode Island who has taken the pain and devastation of losing their young son to neuroblastoma, a very aggressive childhood cancer, and turned their tragedy into a message of hope. The Haight family is committed, in memory of their nine year old son Ben, to education, advocacy, and lending support to other families going through a similar struggle with pediatric cancer. I never had a chance to meet Ben Haight but his mother Nancy has told me of his tremendous strength and courage. Ben fought every day during his four and a half year battle with this disease and his tragic story highlights the importance of this legislation.

It is my hope that the bill we are introducing today will help to step up our efforts with regard to childhood cancer so that one day Ben's story, and thousands of other children like him, will be one of survival. In Rhode Island alone, a dozen children each year succumb to various forms of childhood cancer. Each of these children had hopes, dreams, and desires that will never be fulfilled and one cannot quantify the impact each of these children could have had on their communities and on society as a whole. We need to be doing more to give these children a chance to grow up and reach their full potential.

The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act will enhance federal efforts in the fight against childhood cancer and will also complement the incredible work of private organizations dedicated to the prevention and cure of pediatric cancer. I would like to commend the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation for its work in this area. CureSearch brings together academic and research institutions, medical professionals with expertise in pediatric cancer, and children and families afflicted with the disease, to form a national network committed to research, treatment, and cures for childhood cancer.

Thank you, Mr. President. I look forward to working with my colleagues toward swift passage of this important legislation.

Mr. President, I join my colleague, Senator Coleman, in introducing the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. I would also like to recognize Senators Talent, Isakson, Cochran, Bunning, Murkowski, Lieberman, Carper, Landrieu, and Lautenberg who have all joined as original cosponsors of the bill.

This bipartisan legislation seeks to achieve several important goals in our battle against childhood cancer. Specifically, it will expand support for pediatric cancer research, foster the career development of more pediatric oncologists, and provide essential information and support to help families deal with this devastating disease. Childhood cancer impacts thousands of children and their families each year. While we have made great steps in treating cancer, we have made relatively little progress in advancing our understanding of the most common forms of pediatric cancer. This legislation will help to provide resources to hopefully one day find a cure.

Each year, more than 12,000 children are diagnosed with cancer, and more than 2,000 of them lose their courageous battle with the disease. Pediatric cancer not only takes a toll on the child, it affects the entire family--the parents, siblings, friends, and extended family all suffer when a child has cancer. I have had the honor of meeting one such family from Warwick, Rhode Island who has taken the pain and devastation of losing their young son to neuroblastoma, a very aggressive childhood cancer, and turned their tragedy into a message of hope. The Haight family is committed, in memory of their nine year old son Ben, to education, advocacy, and lending support to other families going through a similar struggle with pediatric cancer. I never had a chance to meet Ben Haight but his mother Nancy has told me of his tremendous strength and courage. Ben fought every day during his four and a half year battle with this disease and his tragic story highlights the importance of this legislation.

It is my hope that the bill we are introducing today will help to step up our efforts with regard to childhood cancer so that one day Ben's story, and thousands of other children like him, will be one of survival. In Rhode Island alone, a dozen children each year succumb to various forms of childhood cancer. Each of these children had hopes, dreams, and desires that will never be fulfilled and one cannot quantify the impact each of these children could have had on their communities and on society as a whole. We need to be doing more to give these children a chance to grow up and reach their full potential.

The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act will enhance federal efforts in the fight against childhood cancer and will also complement the incredible work of private organizations dedicated to the prevention and cure of pediatric cancer. I would like to commend the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation for its work in this area. CureSearch brings together academic and research institutions, medical professionals with expertise in pediatric cancer, and children and families afflicted with the disease, to form a national network committed to research, treatment, and cures for childhood cancer.

Thank you, Mr. President. I look forward to working with my colleagues toward swift passage of this important legislation.

Mr. President, today, March 7, 2006, we celebrate the 16th annual National Sportsmanship Day. Begun in 1991 by the Institute for International Sport at the University of Rhode Island, this initiative promotes the highest ideals of sportsmanship and fair play among America's youth. In 13,000 schools, across all 50 States, and in countries around the world, students, teachers, administrators, coaches, and parents will engage in discussions on the issues of sportsmanship and fair play. The theme of this year's National Sportsmanship Day is ``Defeat Gamesmanship!'' and participants will talk about appropriate tactics and strategies when participating in games and sports.

This year, in addition to promoting the values of sportsmanship and fair play, the Institute for International Sport will recognize schools across the country that have exceptional sportsmanship programs with the new All-American Sportsmanship School Award. A minimum of 64 awards will be given out to elementary, middle, and high schools as well as colleges that participate in National Sportsmanship Day and honor its principles year round.

I am proud that Rhode Island is home to the Institute for International Sport and National Sportsmanship Day. For 16 years, this initiative has had a positive influence on our Nation's youth in promoting the best in athletics, and I know it will continue to do so this year and in the future.