Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, as chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, I rise in support of the nomination of three distinguished Native American leaders: Vince Logan, Keith Harper, and Diane Humetewa. These individuals have been nominated to positions that are crucial to Indian Country and to our Nation. It is our responsibility to make sure they can begin this challenging work.

I think it is fair to say that no one in this Chamber is happy about how the nominations have been handled in the last 2 years. There are reasons and frustrations on both sides of the aisle about the process. I understand that. But in the case of these nominees, it is long past time to act. By acting on those nominees, this Congress, which has been criticized for not doing very much, can make a little bit of history.

Vince Logan's nomination was first sent to the Senate in September of 2012. He is a member of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma and was nominated to be Special Trustee for American Indians at the Department of Interior. This vote is long overdue. The position has been vacant for 5 years.

The Special Trustee is charged with overseeing the Department's fulfillment of its trust responsibilities to tribes and individual Indians. It is a difficult job, and I am confident Mr. Logan is the right man to do it. He is a litigator with vast experience in both public and private sectors. He has also shown great passion for working with tribes and individual Indians to manage their trust assets. Mr. Logan was unanimously approved by the Indian Affairs Committee in January. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the same.

I would also like to speak in support of Keith Harper, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Mr. Harper is the President's nominee to be the U.S. representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council. His nomination has been pending since early February. This is a history-making nomination. If confirmed, Mr. Harper would be the first member of a federally recognized tribe to hold the rank of U.S. Ambassador.

Keith has outstanding academic and professional credentials, having spent many years representing Indian tribes across the country. Keith's nomination was first sent here in June of 2013. What message do we send to Indian Country and to the world when we allow endless delay of the nomination of a man who will be the first Native American to hold the title of Ambassador?

Mr. Harper's nomination has the strong support of the National Congress of American Indians and numerous tribes and tribal leaders throughout Indian Country. He has also been active in human and civil rights organizations and has served as a delegate to the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durbin, South Africa.

All of these experiences have prepared him to tackle injustice at the global level. It is also important to confirm this position to ensure that the United States has a representative at the United Nations World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in September.

Finally, Diane Humetewa was nominated to serve as district court judge for the District of Arizona, with the strong support of her home State Senators, McCain and Flake. Her nomination was reported favorably 3 months ago by the Judiciary Committee, though her nomination has been pending since September of 2013. She is a member of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona. That means, if confirmed, she would be the only Native American serving as a Federal judge. She would be the first Native American woman to ever serve on the Federal bench.

Confirming these nominees during a time of such partisanship will send a strong signal to Indian Country. Whether it is overseeing our trust responsibilities, representing our Nation to the world, or delivering justice, these nominees will help our government function a little bit better and more efficiently.

I ask my colleagues to join me in swiftly confirming these three outstanding nominees.

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

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a legislative hearing to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 1603, to reaffirm that certain land has been taken into trust for the benefit of the Match-E-Be-Nash- She-Wish Band of Pottawatami Indians, and for other purposes; S. 1818, to ratify a water settlement agreement affecting the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and for other purposes; S. 2040, to exchange trust and fee land to resolve land disputes created by the realignment of the Blackfoot River along the boundary of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, and for other purposes; S. 2041, to repeal the Act of May 31, 1918, and for other purposes; and S. 2188, to amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian tribes. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee (202) 224-2251.

Committee on Indian Affairs

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct an oversight hearing to receive testimony on: ``Indian Education Series: Ensuring the Bureau of Indian Education has the Tools Necessary to Improve.'' Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Committee on Indian Affairs

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct an oversight hearing to receive testimony on: ``Wildfires and Forest Management: Prevention is Preservation.'' Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at

2:30 p.m., to conduct a legislative hearing to receive testimony on the following bill: S. 2132, a bill to amend the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act of 2005, and for other purposes. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Mr. President, I wish to honor the Montana Class B Girls Basketball State Champions: the Fairfield Eagles.

In rural Montana, high school basketball is a way of life. Rural towns take pride in their teams' success, and fans often travel hours across the State to see their children, their grandchildren, or their neighbors play. Fairfield, MT, is no exception.

This year, the Eagles won their fourth consecutive State championship

and their 104th consecutive game. And they did it in thrilling fashion, winning a 60-to-55 double overtime game that included a 3-pointer to tie the game as the buzzer sounded at end of the first overtime.

The Eagles basketball team also puts forth the same kind of effort in the classroom; Fairfield has done a great job of turning out some incredible student athletes.

Fairfield principal and girls' head coach Dustin Gordon makes sure of that.

Congratulations on another great season. Go Eagles!

Madam President, will the junior Senator from Montana yield for a question?

Madam President, when my colleague's motion was objected to, the good Senator from Pennsylvania, Senator Toomey, said he understood Senators Coburn and Cruz wished to have further conversation. Has my colleague had a chance to visit with Senators Coburn and Cruz already about this bill?

So that has already been done.

I want to thank my colleague Senator Walsh for attempting to bring up the North Fork Watershed Protection Act for a vote. I also want to echo his frustration that once again politics is trumping good policy.

The North Fork bill is a Montana-made bill. Folks back home who support this bill are from all political sides of the spectrum. It has wide bipartisan support. Members of both parties, as Senator Walsh pointed out, voted it out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Yet today two Senators--whom I would challenge to find the North Fork on a map--have decided to hold this bill up.

Let me remind them what this bill does. It ensures access along the North Fork for hunters and anglers who contribute to Montana's $6 billion outdoor economy. If you want to talk about economic development, this is an incredible driver.

The bill also honors a commitment to our neighbor to the north, Canada. Three years ago British Columbia signed an agreement to retire oil and gas leases on their side of the border, expecting us to protect the region as well. This bill guarantees we hold up our end of the bargain, and it ensures we pass along our outdoor way of life.

I should also point out that Exxon and Conoco both have also given up their leases in this region. Why? Because this drainage feeds Flathead Lake, which is the largest freshwater body of water west of the Mississippi. It is an incredible ecosystem.

I think what has happened today is a loss not only for Montana, not only for America's great outdoors, but for this entire country.

This fight is not over. For far too long in this body we have had people who obstruct just because they can. It is time to start working together and doing what is right, whether we are talking about conservation issues, tax issues, unemployment issues, or whatever it might be. It is time to start moving the country forward because people are suffering out there.

I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.

Mr. President, every Senator in this body represents smalltown America. There are small towns across this country, from Connecticut, to Texas, to small towns in my State of Montana. In fact, I grew up and still live outside one of those small towns--a town by the name of Big Sandy, MT, which is home to 600 people. There are no stoplights. The high school has about 60 students.

What makes America great is that we believe and we cherish the idea that whether a person grows up in a town such as Big Sandy or a town as big as New York City, a person gets a fair shot in life. That fair shot includes the basic freedoms we enjoy as Americans. It includes the right to a good education. It includes the right to high-quality, affordable health care no matter where we live.

As a resident of Big Sandy and as a Senator from Montana, it is my job to not only represent the entirety of America but to point out when our Nation is not living up to its ideals when it comes to rural America. Right now Washington is tying the hands of rural hospitals and smalltown physicians and threatening the health care of Americans in all of rural America.

The bill we are voting on tonight is a good and important bill. It prevents a 24-percent reimbursement cut to physicians under Medicare and TRICARE.

Many folks don't realize that this bill affects retired military and National Guardsmen who have bought into TRICARE. This bill is critically important to them as well.

Above all, it makes sure that doctors can keep treating patients and that folks can still keep getting emergency services. It may be a temporary solution and one we have reached too many times, but it is a necessary solution to keep our health care system working.

I appreciate Leader Reid bringing it to the floor. However, this bill could be stronger, especially for folks in rural America. I pushed to include two provisions in the bill to strengthen rural health care, but despite my best efforts, they are not going to be a part of the measure we vote on this evening.

The first provision, which I introduced with Senator Roberts, removes the requirement that physicians at critical access hospitals certify that a patient will be discharged or transferred in less than 96 hours in order for that hospital to be reimbursed for services.

Critical access hospitals are treatment centers in rural areas that have no more than 25 inpatient beds. They play a vital role in providing quality, affordable health care in rural and frontier communities across this country. Without them, folks would have to travel long distances to get care, and many would not get treatment at all.

But imagine being a rural physician and having to determine exactly how long a patient will stay as they are admitted. What if the patient develops a secondary condition such as pneumonia? You would have to decide whether to discharge the patient, keep them in and risk losing reimbursement, or transfer them to another facility at cost.

Now, how is that good health care? How is that fair to rural America?

Hospitals should not have to choose between caring for their patients and getting paid. This is a choice no one should have to make, and it is certainly not one the government should be forcing on rural physicians who already have their hands full.

The second provision, which Senator Moran and I introduced, prevents the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from enforcing a new rule that requires direct physician supervision of outpatient therapeutic services--such as drug infusions--at critical access hospitals and other small hospitals.

If this rule is enforced, it will severely limit the ability of rural Americans to get much-needed care in their local communities, where the community's one physician may be out of town when the call comes in.

Should a patient be denied basic blood work because the doctor is not available?

When folks in small towns get sick, the last thing they need is the added burden of traveling to another town to get the care they need. That is why Senator Moran and I introduced this bill, because Washington's one-size-fits-all solutions sometimes just simply do not work for rural America.

Our bill passed the Senate, but there is no companion bill in the House of Representatives. So we sought to include it in tonight's fix. Despite the fact that there is no stated opposition--and that both of these bills will not cost the American taxpayer one dime--we were unsuccessful in our efforts.

I am not asking for much. These two bills are widely supported. They are bipartisan, and they will not add to the deficit. And they offer much-needed flexibility for rural hospitals seeking to provide high- quality health care while making ends meet.

I know Senator Wyden supports them. So does Senator Hatch. I appreciate their support. But the House of Representatives, for whatever reason, chose to leave these important proposals out. They are exactly the kind of bills we should be approving--bills that offer support for the thousands of hospitals that provide critical care across rural America, hospitals that should not have to have their hands tied by regulations that work better in urban communities. We should be making sure they have the flexibility they need to meet the needs of their communities.

Mr. President, if you or I need emergency care here in the Senate, there are multiple large hospitals nearby where we can get the treatment we need. But that is not the case in rural America. Distances in rural America are measured not in city blocks but in miles. We need to make sure the regulations coming out of the Department of Health and Human Services reflect that.

Montanans elected me to bring a little more common sense to Washington. Often this is not an easy job. But these are two straightforward, commonsense provisions to prove to Montanans that politicians in Washington get it and they get their concerns. And we hope that all Americans get a fair shot at the opportunities promised to us, regardless of their ZIP Code. I will keep fighting for these provisions and other measures that strengthen and support rural America.

With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to correct a historical wrong.

My legislation is a necessary amendment to the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934. It addresses a Supreme Court ruling that was, in my opinion, wrong.

On February 24, 2009, the Supreme Court issued its decision in the Carcieri v. Salazar case. In that decision the Supreme Court held that the Secretary of the Interior exceeded his authority in taking land into trust for a tribe that was not under Federal jurisdiction, or recognized, at the time the Indian Reorganization Act was enacted in 1934.

It has now been 5 years since that decision. This decision has had a significant impact on tribes in every part of this country, whether it is the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which is facing spurious litigation over its status as a tribe; the Samish Tribe of Washington, which has been waiting 4 years for a Carcieri determination; or the Little Shell Tribe of my home State of Montana, who could be affected by this ruling if they are granted Federal recognition, as they should be.

Moreover, the Carcieri decision has spawned more harmful litigation, including Salazar v. Patchak, where the Supreme Court ruled that individuals have 6 years to challenge a tribe's trust land acquisition, and Big Lagoon Rancheria v. California, where the Ninth Circuit essentially ruled that there is no time limit on challenging a tribe's status or its trust land acquisitions.

The legislation I am introducing today is a necessary step in the process to reaffirm the Secretary's authority to take land into trust for tribes, regardless of when they were recognized by the Federal Government. The amendment ratifies the prior trust acquisitions of the Secretary, who, for the past 75 years, has been exercising the authority to take lands into trust, as intended by the Indian Reorganization Act.

Perhaps the most serious impact for tribes if Congress lets this decision stand is the creation of two classes of tribes--those who were recognized as of 1934, whose rights and status are secure, and those who were recognized after 1934, whose rights and status can be perpetually challenged. Allowing two classes of tribes is unacceptable and is contrary to prior Acts of this Congress. In 1994, Congress passed the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act to ensure that all tribes are treated equally, regardless of their date of recognition.

Finally, I know that there are a number of my colleagues who have an interest in this legislation and would like to see changes to this bill. I want to let you know that I stand ready to work with each of you to craft a bill that the

Senate can enact and that will end this problem of two classes of tribes forever.

I want to thank Senators Moran, Udall of New Mexico, Begich, Heitkamp, Murray, Heinrich, and my fellow Montana Senator Walsh, for their support on this legislation. My cosponsors are well aware of the impact this decision has had on our tribal communities. Affected tribes deserve our timely consideration of this bill. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to correct a historical wrong.

My legislation is a necessary amendment to the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934. It addresses a Supreme Court ruling that was, in my opinion, wrong.

On February 24, 2009, the Supreme Court issued its decision in the Carcieri v. Salazar case. In that decision the Supreme Court held that the Secretary of the Interior exceeded his authority in taking land into trust for a tribe that was not under Federal jurisdiction, or recognized, at the time the Indian Reorganization Act was enacted in 1934.

It has now been 5 years since that decision. This decision has had a significant impact on tribes in every part of this country, whether it is the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which is facing spurious litigation over its status as a tribe; the Samish Tribe of Washington, which has been waiting 4 years for a Carcieri determination; or the Little Shell Tribe of my home State of Montana, who could be affected by this ruling if they are granted Federal recognition, as they should be.

Moreover, the Carcieri decision has spawned more harmful litigation, including Salazar v. Patchak, where the Supreme Court ruled that individuals have 6 years to challenge a tribe's trust land acquisition, and Big Lagoon Rancheria v. California, where the Ninth Circuit essentially ruled that there is no time limit on challenging a tribe's status or its trust land acquisitions.

The legislation I am introducing today is a necessary step in the process to reaffirm the Secretary's authority to take land into trust for tribes, regardless of when they were recognized by the Federal Government. The amendment ratifies the prior trust acquisitions of the Secretary, who, for the past 75 years, has been exercising the authority to take lands into trust, as intended by the Indian Reorganization Act.

Perhaps the most serious impact for tribes if Congress lets this decision stand is the creation of two classes of tribes--those who were recognized as of 1934, whose rights and status are secure, and those who were recognized after 1934, whose rights and status can be perpetually challenged. Allowing two classes of tribes is unacceptable and is contrary to prior Acts of this Congress. In 1994, Congress passed the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act to ensure that all tribes are treated equally, regardless of their date of recognition.

Finally, I know that there are a number of my colleagues who have an interest in this legislation and would like to see changes to this bill. I want to let you know that I stand ready to work with each of you to craft a bill that the

Senate can enact and that will end this problem of two classes of tribes forever.

I want to thank Senators Moran, Udall of New Mexico, Begich, Heitkamp, Murray, Heinrich, and my fellow Montana Senator Walsh, for their support on this legislation. My cosponsors are well aware of the impact this decision has had on our tribal communities. Affected tribes deserve our timely consideration of this bill. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage.

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

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a business meeting to consider the following legislation: H.R. 841, to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to make technical corrections, and for other purposes; S. 161, to extend the Federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, and for other purposes; S. 1074, to extend Federal recognition to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond Indian Tribe; and S. 1219, to authorize the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement, and for other purposes.

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at 202-224-2251.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Indian Education Series: Indian Students in Public Schools--Cultivating the Next Generation.''

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a legislative hearing to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 1474, to encourage the State of Alaska to enter into intergovernmental agreements with Indian tribes in the State relating to the enforcement of certain State laws by Indian tribes, to improve the quality of life in

rural Alaska, to reduce alcohol and drug abuse, and for other purposes; S. 1570, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to authorize advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service by providing 2- fiscal-year budget authority, and for other purposes; S. 1574, to amend the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 to facilitate the ability of Indian tribes to integrate the employment, training, and related services from diverse Federal sources, and for other purposes; S. 1622, to establish the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children, and for other purposes; and S , the Native American Children's Safety Act. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``the President's Fiscal Year 2015 Budget for Tribal Programs.''

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Mr. President, I wish to talk about two amendments I will call up on S. 1086, the child care and development block grant bill. The first one I will speak to is amendment No.

2834, which Senator Murkowski and I are offering in relation to tribal childcare facilities.

As my colleagues know, I recently took over as chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and 2 weeks ago I held my first hearing. This hearing focused on early childhood development and education in Indian Country. This hearing was timely, as some of the testimony the committee received related to the child care and development block grant. At that hearing a childcare program director from the White Earth Nation--who is also the chair of the National Indian Child Care Association--testified about the needs of her program and the needs of all Indian childcare providers. One of the needs she highlighted was improving the condition of tribal childcare facilities in Indian Country.

According to the Administration for Children and Families, of the 260 Indian tribe or tribal organizations that receive CCDBG funds, only 14 of them constructed new tribal childcare facilities in the last 10 years.

In an effort to improve and replace facilities, my amendment allows tribes more flexibility in the use of their grant funds. Renovation and construction of tribal facilities is already an allowable activity under this legislation, but the law explicitly states that Indian tribes or tribal organizations cannot reduce services--even temporarily--to improve or replace their facilities.

This amendment allows the Secretary to grant a waiver to an Indian tribe or tribal organization, permitting them to temporarily reduce services if they can prove the outcome will improve capacity or improve services as a result of the construction. It is a simple, commonsense amendment that will improve the quality of life in Indian Country, and I urge its adoption when it comes up.

I will now speak to amendment No. 2835. Under current law, a parent who suffers the tragedy of the death of a child has to rely on their employer's compassion for time off to grieve. Many times this is not an issue. There are thousands of compassionate employers out there who give parents the space they need. But not everyone is so fortunate. Some folks who just aren't ready to come back after a few days end up having to choose between returning to work while struggling with the aftermath of their child's death or losing their job.

This amendment would fix the Family and Medical Leave Act to include the death of a child as a trigger for benefits provided under the FMLA. The FMLA currently allows parents to take time off to care for a child battling a serious health issue. But children between the ages of 1 and 14 are more than twice as likely to die suddenly from an accident than from cancer, flu, and pneumonia combined.

The FMLA protects parents who are caring for their children; it should support parents who are grieving for their children as well. This is a small amendment, but it will mean so much to parents who suffer the unimaginable loss of a child. I urge my colleagues to stand for compassion, and I urge adoption of this amendment when it is brought up.

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

Mr. President, I wish to recognize the sixth annual RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill. This is a special day where we recognize the contributions of pharmacies to the American health care system. This year's event, organized by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, takes place this week. Nearly 400 individuals from the pharmacy community--including practicing pharmacists, pharmacy school faculty and students, State pharmacy leaders and pharmacy company executives--will visit Capitol Hill. They will share their views with Congress about the importance of supporting legislation that protects access to community and neighborhood pharmacies and that utilizes pharmacists to improve the quality and reduce the costs of providing healthcare.

Advocates from 40 States have traveled to Washington to talk about the important role that over 40,000 community pharmacies nationwide play in big cities and small towns all over the country. Patients have always relied on their local pharmacist to meet their healthcare needs. The local pharmacist is a trusted, highly accessible healthcare provider deeply committed to providing the highest quality care in the most efficient manner possible.

As demand for healthcare services continues to grow, pharmacists have expanded their role in healthcare delivery, partnering with physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers to meet their patients' needs. Innovative services provided by pharmacists do even more to improve patient healthcare. Pharmacists are highly valued by those that rely on them most--those in rural and underserved areas, as well as older Americans, and those struggling to manage chronic diseases. Pharmacy services improve patients' quality of life as well as healthcare affordability. By helping patients take their medications effectively and providing preventive services, pharmacists help avoid more costly forms of care. Pharmacists also help patients identify strategies to save money, such as through better understanding of their pharmacy benefits, using generic medications, and obtaining 90-day supplies of prescription drugs from local pharmacies.

Pharmacists are the Nation's most accessible healthcare providers. In many communities, especially in rural areas, the local pharmacist is a patient's most direct link to healthcare. Eighty-nine percent of Americans reside within a 5-mile radius of a community pharmacy, and that is one of the reasons that pharmacists are one of our Nation's most trusted healthcare professionals. Utilizing their specialized education, pharmacists play a major role in medication therapy management, disease-state management, immunizations, healthcare screenings, and other healthcare services designed to improve patient health and reduce overall healthcare costs. Pharmacists are also expanding their role into new models of care based on quality of services and outcomes, such as accountable care organizations, ACOs, and medical homes.

As we continue to implement healthcare reform and seek new strategies to improve patient care, pharmacists will play a critical role. As the chairman of the Senate Community Pharmacy Caucus, I believe Congress should look at every opportunity to make sure that pharmacists are allowed to utilize their training to the fullest to provide the services that can improve care and lower costs. In recognition of the sixth annual NACDS RxIMPACT Day on Capitol Hill, I congratulate pharmacy leaders, pharmacists, students, executives, and the entire pharmacy community represented by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, for their contributions to the good health of the American people.