Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I now be permitted to speak as if in morning business.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3767 which was received from the House.

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 that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3667 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate 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 with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3200 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Craig amendment which is 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 that any statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 139, S. 1017.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendments be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be discharged from further consideration of S. 1709 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read the 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.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today on the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act to commemorate its passage, commend its many authors, and suggest some actions we should take to protect, preserve, and advance its legacy as a vital component of our laws on civil rights.

Fifteen years ago, President George Herbert Walker Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act, a landmark piece of legislation that extended civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities.

Prior to the passage of the ADA, far too many of our fellow Americans with disabilities faced utterly unnecessary obstacles. Many lacked accessible transportation, reasonable workplace accommodations, and entree to government buildings.

Passionate reformers of all stripes sought to change this, and we cannot discuss the ADA without first mentioning the name Justin Dart, Jr. Never without his trademark cowboy hat, Justin Dart worked tirelessly for enactment of the act. His efforts came to national attention in 1981, when President Reagan appointed him to be the vice- chair of what is now known as the National Council on Disability. Mr. Dart and others on the council drafted a policy that called for civil rights legislation to end discrimination against people with disabilities, a policy that eventually would form the basis for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Widely respected and beloved by both sides, Justin Dart passed away in 2002.

Another champion for Americans with disabilities was, without question, our former colleague, Bob Dole. It was 1942 when, at the age of 19, Bob Dole joined the Army to fight in World War II. A year later, in the hills of Italy fighting the Nazis, Senator Dole was hit by gunfire. The shot shattered his right shoulder, fractured vertebrae in his neck and spine, paralyzed him from the neck down, and damaged a kidney.

Of course, he recovered to become one of the most influential legislators of the 20th century. Urging Congress to pass the ADA, he said, ``This historic civil rights legislation seeks to end the unjustified segregation and exclusion of persons with disabilities from the mainstream of American life.''

A study of the legislative history of the act reveals that it was, in every sense, a bipartisan accomplishment. The legislation supports a notion in which President Reagan deeply believed. He used to say that there is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit.

The act was then signed into law by another great American, President George H. W. Bush. In signing the legislation, President Bush spoke of what he felt the law would offer Americans with disabilities. He said ``This Act . . . will ensure that people with disabilities are given the basic guarantees for which they have worked so long and so hard: independence, freedom of choice, control of their lives, the opportunity to blend fully and equally into the rich mosaic of the American mainstream.''

Since the passage of the ADA, we have seen significant improvements in the employment and economic well-being of citizens with disabilities. In 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that over the previous 15 years, the employment rate for working age men with a disability had increased by more than 25 percent. Other evidence of the ADA's impact was even more readily apparent. For instance, the barriers to mobility once posed by public transportation have been largely eliminated. Here in Washington, DC, for example, 95 percent of the Metro system is accessible to persons with disabilities.

However, anniversaries are not just for looking back and celebrating the achievements of the past. They must also be an occasion for looking forward to the challenges that still lie before us.

A report issued by the Institute for Higher Education Policy in 2004 revealed that less than two-thirds of youths with disabilities receive standard high school diplomas. Although this graduation rate represents a significantly higher rate than 15 years ago, it remains inadequate, and significantly behind the rate for individuals without disabilities.

We in Congress must maintain high expectations for all Americans. Americans with disabilities can compete and cooperate at the same level as Americans without disabilities. I was happy to work on the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, both of which incorporated the principle of high expectations for all, regardless of race, gender, or disability.

We also must incorporate the latest technology to help further incorporate

Americans with disabilities into our workplaces. I was pleased to support President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative, which builds on the progress of the ADA by supporting new technologies that make communications easier, and thereby helping people with disabilities live full, active lives in their communities.

We in Georgia know that people with disabilities can realize their incredible potential and better our workplaces, our schools, and our society. For 6 years, we were represented in this body by Senator Max Cleland, a disabled Vietnam veteran.

No one knew the potential of Americans with disabilities better than Bobby Dodd, whom most Georgians would associate with Georgia Tech and his phenomenal years coaching, winning football teams. But after his retirement, he developed the Bobby Dodd Institute, which works to ensure that Atlantans with disabilities are given the opportunities to achieve economic self-sufficiency through employment.

Another name that comes to mind when we discuss heroes to Americans with disabilities is Tommy Nobis. Tommy was the first draft pick in the history of the Atlanta Falcons, taken No. 1 in the 1965 draft. A steady and reliable linebacker, Tommy was a five-time Pro-Bowler and NFL Rookie of the Year in 1966. Yet far more important than his football accomplishments are his accomplishments off the field. In 1975, he founded the Tommy Nobis Center to provide vocational training to persons with disabilities. Originally run out of a small, crowded trailer, the center now operates a $2 million state-of-the-art center in Marietta, GA. The center enables individuals to enter or return to employment and to enjoy productive and independent lifestyles while contributing to the greater business community. Over their proud 25- year history, the center has assisted over 11,000 individuals with disabilities.

Again, I am pleased to cosponsor today's resolution and offer my sincerest congratulations to all of those who have worked to ensure better lives for Americans with disabilities.

Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the Home Depot for the support, employment, and assistance it provides to the men and women of our active duty Armed Forces, Reserves and National Guard and their families.

Beginning with its founding by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank and continuing under CEO and President Bob Nardelli, the Home Depot has always been a great corporate citizen. Nothing

exemplifies the company's commitment more than its support of our veterans and their families.

In the years 2003 and 2004 combined the Home Depot hired 25,000 veterans, and was recognized by G. I. Jobs magazine as America's No. 1 military-friendly employer. In 2004, the company launched Operation Career Front with the departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs to provide career opportunities to military personnel and their spouses.

Since the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, our Nation has depended on our military Reserves and National Guard in waging the war on terror, and no American company has been a bigger supporter of the Reserves and Guard than the Home Depot. In March of 2003 the company enhanced its military leave policy to provide active duty associates with full pay and an extension of their health benefits.

In April 2003 the Home Depot launched Project Homefront, donating more than 1 million hours of volunteer service and $1 million to help repair the homes of deployed military families. In September of 2004 the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves presented the Home Depot with its Freedom Award.

In June of this year the company established a program for returning veterans to provide associates with the critical resources needed for a smooth transition back to work.

For all these reasons and so many more, Home Depot was recognized this year by the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation and the Partnership for Public Service with awards for leadership and distinguished service to America's veterans.

I am very proud to recognize CEO Bob Nardelli and the men and women of Home Depot for their leadership in employing and assisting America's active duty and veteran military personnel and their families.

Mr. President, I rise today to offer my congratulations to Heath and Lee Garrett on the birth of their second child.

William Heath Garrett was welcomed into this world at 4:45 p.m. on July 6th, 2005, weighing 7 pounds and measuring 19 inches.

Little William Heath was named after his father and joins big sister Martha ``Mattie'' Lee, who will turn 3 in October 2005, as the newest addition to the Garrett family.

Since his graduation from the University Of Georgia School of Law, Heath Garrett has been a trusted advisor as well as an honored friend. He served as my policy advisor on the Georgia Board of Education and served as my chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1999 through 2004. He came with me this year to the U.S. Senate where he continues to serve ably as my chief of staff.

I congratulate Heath and Lee Garrett on the newest addition to their family and wish them years of continued health and happiness.

Mr. President, I am very pleased to rise and commend Mr. Joe Kelly McCutchen of Ellijay GA for his selection as outstanding alumni for the living history program of Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech could not have made a better decision. Joe McCutchen is a living role model for community involvement, excellence in action, and sharing the American dream. His selection places him in the company of great Georgians like medal of honor winner General Raymond Davis, former President Jimmy Carter, astronaut Jan Davis, former Lockheed president Robert Ormsby, and Federal judge Marvin Shoob.

No one in northwest Georgia has had a greater positive effect on the young people than Joe. He constantly engages with young people to inspire them to excellence. He teaches the promise of free enterprise, and power of the American dream.

Joe McCutchen is also Georgia's leading advocate for lower taxes and sound fiscal policy in government. He and his friend Oscar Poole travel to Washington often to present their Taxpayer Champion Award, and there is not a credible radio or television public policy call in show in the United States on which Joe has not participated.

Joe McCutchen has lived the American dream and commits his life to

sharing its promise with others. Georgia Tech is to be commended for its living history program and its selection of Joe McCutchen.

I ask unanimous consent the pending amendment be set aside and my amendment be called up.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment.

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

I express my appreciation to the subcommittee chairman, Senator Gregg of New Hampshire. It is my understanding from the chairman that it has been agreed to accept the amendment.

I ask unanimous consent the amendment be agreed to.

Mr. President, the amendment is a sense-of-the-Senate amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations bill dealing with border security. I commend the subcommittee chairman on the tremendous investment this bill makes in homeland security and in border security to the United States of America.

A few months ago when I made one of the first speeches in the Senate with regard to the floor supplemental, I talked a little bit about REAL ID and what is the largest single domestic issue in the United States today, illegal immigration.

In that particular speech I made a note that I love our system of immigration, love the fact you can come to this country and become a citizen--I am a second-generation American myself--but we have been flooded as a nation over the past decade by a tremendous influx of those who have come illegally, many over the border of the south, although obviously to the north as well.

This goes a long way toward providing the funding to Customs and to Immigration to begin enforcing laws on the books, making it tougher to come into the United States the wrong way and hopefully making it easier to come to the United States the right way, the legal way.

We need a partner on our southern border. The sense-of-the-Senate amendment is very simple. It simply asks the Government of Mexico to assist in helping to secure the border between the United States and Mexico to ensure that those who immigrate into this country are coming in consistent with the laws of the United States of America.

We have a great trading partner to the south. We have a great neighbor to the south. We have a country that shares many common interests. We have a country that we enjoy being our neighbor. We also would like for them to be our partner in seeing to it that the border we share is secure so that those who are crossing are crossing legally and consistent with the laws of that nation.

I thank the subcommittee chairman for his cooperation. I thank the Senate for agreeing to this amendment. I am pleased we can express this sense of the Senate that the common interest of

both countries is in the best interests of America when it comes to the border security between ourselves and the country of Mexico.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank the chairman and ranking member for allowing me this time.

Mr. President, I wish to take just a minute to address 48 extraordinary hours in my life this past weekend I spent with the men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces, first on Saturday in Ellijay, GA, at the funeral of 1LT Noah Harris of the U.S. Army, and then 24 hours later at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where I spent the day with U.S. Armed Forces in the work they are doing with the detainees in the war on terror.

I wish to do the best I can today to speak for those with whom I talked. I take responsibility for every word I say, but they are every bit a message from the people with whom I talked and who shared with me.

First, at the funeral of 1LT Noah Harris, I eulogized Noah on last Thursday and made a promise that I would make it to Ellijay, GA, on Saturday to be at his service. He was a distinguished Georgian, and like every other soldier who served and sacrificed, we mourn his death but we praise his service to our country. But this was an extraordinary funeral service.

A thousand Georgians--500 in the high school gym and 500 in the First Methodist Church--attended a 2\1/2\ hour service that passed in a microsecond, a service not by ministers but by laymen, Americans, citizens of Georgia to praise Noah Harris but also to praise our men and women in harm's way.

When the service came to a conclusion, it was his mother Lucy and his dad Rick who talked for the last 20 minutes. To honor what they said and their son to the best of my ability, I want to recount it to all of you.

Lucy stood up before that crowd of 500 and said: You know, when we got the word of Noah's death, I knew I had two choices: I could mourn and I could be sorrowful and I could grieve, and I have done all those, but I could also do the good and the godly thing, and that is to praise my son and all those other men and women who fight in Iraq on behalf of freedom and democracy.

She gave a beautiful and eloquent statement about the tribute her son's life was to that for which our men and women fight.

Then her husband stood up and asked rhetorically: What was it the American press is really writing about today? Everything you hear about what is going on in Iraq is negative and wrong, questioning our motives and our reasons for being there. Yet in this church in quiet Ellijay, GA, in northwest Georgia, thousands had come to honor a man who had sacrificed his life in harm's way for the people of Iraq and the principles of this great Nation.

Rick Harris asked the question: Have we forgotten 9/11? Have we forgotten that since that date there has not been an attack on American soil? Since we went after terror, wherever its exists, and since we committed the resources of our country, our Nation has been safer. And what we are doing is right--is not only right morally, but it is right for the future of peace and freedom and democracy.

So for Lucy and Rick Harris, on behalf of their son, I rise today in this Senate and send that message loud and clear that I got last Saturday from a thousand Georgians proud of their native son's service, sorrowful for his loss but appreciative of living in a country that has been willing to make the commitment we have made on behalf of freedom and democracy around the world and on behalf of the security of the United States of America.

And then, Mr. President, I went to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I went with two other Members of the Senate. I went with a specific desire in mind: the desire to go and see for myself that which I heard so many people talk about and have seen so much about on television.

I learned something very interesting. There must be two Guantanamo Bay, Cubas--the one I visited and the one all the news media talks about because they did not resemble one another. I thought when I landed at Guantanamo Bay and went to visit the detainees that I would see men incarcerated in cyclone fences with razor wire on top of it. That does not exist anymore. That was Camp X-Ray. It was closed 3 years ago. It was the original temporary place we took the enemy combatants to until we could spend the millions of dollars to build the buildings that now house them.

I saw 538 people who are intent on hurting and destroying Americans, who are incarcerated in a facility from which we are gaining intelligence that is saving lives of Americans and citizens around the world. The most hardened of those I saw are in air-conditioned facilities, not unlike what I have seen in the United States in sheriffs' jails and prisons. The food they eat is unbelievable. The medical care is first rate. The security is tight and, yes, they are controlled, but they are there because they are the enemies of our Nation and were captured in battle in the worldwide war on terror.

After seeing all those facilities and having totally dispelled that which television shows, I had lunch with two Georgia sailors. I promised them I would bring a message back to the Senate. They are on a 6-month rotation as guards guarding the enemy combatants, the terrorists who threaten America.

I asked them: If I could take back anything, what would you like me to do? They said: Please tell the American media to stop saying what they are saying about what we are doing in Guantanamo because what we are doing is right and what is being alleged is not correct. And tell them what we, the guards, the American soldiers, are subjected to.

The two gentlemen with whom I had lunch are two African-American citizens of the State of Georgia serving in the U.S. Navy. They go 12 hours on and 12 hours off, 4 consecutive days guarding enemy combatants. Every day, they have to take a shower more than once during their duty to wipe off and wash off the human waste that is thrown on them by the enemy combatants they guard. They are subjected to racial epithets that we in the United States would never accept. They continue to stay on their post and do their duty, and there is no harm to the enemy combatants. They are sitting there guarding the people who would take the lives of your loved ones and mine.

They are abused every day, and what is alleged by people in this Chamber and other places about what may or may not be happening at Guantanamo is not correct. The people subjected to abuse are the men and women in the Armed Forces of the United States who take it from those who would harm us and harm our loved ones.

They are standing guard in the front line in the war on terror. My time is about up, but I came to the floor for this time to deliver two messages. First, for Rick and Lucy Harris on behalf of their son, Noah, I hope I did an adequate job.

Second, to deliver the message by those two servicemen from Georgia, who stand on the front line of the war on terror guarding the enemy combatants from whom we are gaining the intelligence that is saving American lives; enemy combatants who are treated well, fed well, clothed well, and medically treated well; enemy combatants who would take the lives of our loved ones but because of the commitment of our President, this country, and the men and women in harm's way, are safely incarcerated, and from whom we are gaining the information necessary to win the global war on terror.

I hope tonight all Americans will watch our President on TV. I hope tonight in some small way the message I have brought back from those valued soldiers will help us to remain to stay the course against the war on terror for democracy and freedom and in support of this country, its leadership, and the liberty and freedom we all cherish and love.

I yield back my time.

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

Three minutes.

Mr. President, I thank the Senator from New Mexico for yielding the time.

(The remarks of Mr. Isakson are printed in today's Record under ``Morning Business.'')

Mr. President, I rise today to read from an e-mail sent to me in May of this year:

Our presence here is not just about Iraq. It is sending a

message to the oppressed peoples of the world that freedom

can be a reality. Freedom is the greatest gift that we, the

U.S., have been granted, and as such, it is our

responsibility to spread it. For it to become a permanent

fixture in our future and our children's future, we must give

it to all those that desire it.

Mr. President, that is an e-mail to me from 1LT Noah Harris, of Ellijay, GA, from Baghdad, Iraq.

On Saturday of this past week, First Lieutenant Harris died in the service of his country. His e-mail to me expressed democracy and freedom far better than I am capable of doing.

Noah Harris served as an intern in Congressman Deal's office 2 years ago, which is where I had the occasion to meet him.

When I received his e-mail, I sat down at my desk in my office and wrote him a note thanking him for his service to his country and his fellow man.

This morning, I rise to pay tribute to the life that has been given on behalf of the greater good. Noah Harris was the type of young man who serves without desire for credit or acclaim in Iraq today but on behalf of his country and everything we stand for.

At the age of 23, he embodied the hope of the future. His sacrifice, in fact, ensures that the future for others will be brighter.

He captained his high school football team, was never beaten in the State in wrestling, went to the University of Georgia and captained the cheerleaders at that institution.

He came to Washington to serve as an intern. Shortly after September 11, 2001--struck, as all of us were, by the tragedy of that day--Noah Harris volunteered to serve in the U.S. military and, to the greater good, the people of the world.

On Saturday, at noon of this week, in Ellijay, GA, I and hundreds of other Georgians will pause in the northwest Georgia mountains to pay tribute to the life of Noah Harris.

I am privileged and pleased to stand on the floor of the Senate today in advance of that to acknowledge our thanks, on behalf of this Senate, and all who serve in this Congress, and our President, for the life, the times, the service, and the gift of 1LT Noah Harris.