Floor Statements

Mr. President, I thank our distinguished majority leader for visiting with the families of our troops from the 101st from his State. All of us are personally visiting with families of people who are there, and particularly in my case, I spent quite a bit of time talking to the families whose loved ones are either missing in action or are verified prisoners of war.

There is nothing more rewarding than talking to these incredible people who are afraid of what might be happening. They are, of course, going through something that all of us hope we will never have to go through, but they are very strong. They trust that we are doing everything possible to inform them, to find out the whereabouts of these prisoners or missing persons. Most certainly, our military--this is something I personally ask in our briefing sessions--is trying to find out exactly where these prisoners or missing people are located.

They are working through the Red Cross to try to have a Red Cross representative see these prisoners just as the Red Cross representatives are being able to see the Iraqi prisoners who are being held by the allied forces. So it is a tough time for these wonderful people of America who are supporting their loved ones in this very trying time for them.

All of us want to be reminded that there are specific laws, international laws, called the Geneva Convention, about the treatment of prisoners. Article 17 explicitly prohibits inflicting physical or mental torture and any other forms of coercion on prisoners in order to obtain information of any kind, including publicizing photographs where they can be recognized. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer questions may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind.

Article 23 of the Geneva Convention prevents a prisoner from being sent to or detained in areas where they may be exposed to the fire of the combat zone, and in no case can prisoners be used as human shields.

The Geneva Convention also requires access to the prisoners by officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

We have informed the Iraqi Government that we intend to treat their prisoners with dignity and abide by the Geneva Convention. We most certainly are appealing to the Iraqis to let in the Red Cross personnel.

One of the benefits of the so-called embedded media is that they are on the scene with our military and are able to provide some very candid photos of our troops in action.

I want to show a few more of the photos. I started some of them last week. I think these photos really speak more than a thousand words about what it is to be at the front. We see the pictures on television, but I wanted to display some of the still pictures showing how we are treating prisoners of war and the people of Iraq as our allied soldiers are coming upon them.

This photo shows a U.S. marine helping an injured prisoner of war moments after securing the port of Umm Qasr in southern Iraq. It was taken on March 23 of this year.

U.S. Marine LCpl Marcco Ware of Los Angeles carries an Iraqi soldier who was injured in an attack on Ware's outfit on Tuesday, March 26, 2003. This unit has been attacking LCpl Ware's unit, but he found this injured soldier and is carrying him to safety.

I am very proud of the character and courage of our forces and the way they are treating those who are in their care. At the same time, we have seen our soldiers paraded on Iraqi television in clear violation of international law. We applaud our troops' bravery, courage, and professionalism. Our prayers are with them and their families in this most difficult time.

President Bush has demanded that the Iraqis immediately comply with the Geneva Convention. I urge all of those who might have information that could be helpful to the Red Cross in getting in to see our prisoners of war to bring that forward. I encourage the Iraqi Government--if there is any shred of dignity--to make sure they abide by the Geneva Convention, just as our forces are abiding by it.

I know so many in the Senate are reaching out in their individual States, trying to make sure that we touch the families who are suffering so much. In churches throughout my hometown of Dallas, they have prayer lists including every person who is connected to a member of that particular parish. Those young men and women are being named individually in those prayers. I think all of us are touched. We have Texas embedded media.

I close with part of a piece in the San Antonio Express that was written by Sig Christenson, their military correspondent who is embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division:

March 25: It was a little after 3 p.m. today when the

little slice of Iraq that we occupy dimmed.

A vicious sandstorm, almost certainly the worst one yet for

the 3rd Infantry Division troops that have been here for

months, swept over the sandy plateau we took from 200 or so

Iraqi troops this past Sunday.

``Wow, it's dark,'' Airman 1st Class Dan Housely said.

Not to mention surreal.

In less time than it takes to watch a rerun of ``The

Beverly Hillbillies,'' the once-overcast but relatively clear

desert was a swirling mass of sand. An orange hue descended

over the landscape, creating a scene resembling Viking probe

photos of Mars.

Sand gets into everything around here, and especially seems

drawn to your sinuses and ears. Take a ``Baby Wipe bath,'' as

soldiers call it, and you'll clear out clumps of dirt from

your ears--day after day.

Outside, gale-force winds kick up the sandy floor and turn

each fine grain into a weapon. . . . Within an hour, I had a

headache that pulsated at the back of my skull.

It could be worse.

We hold the high ground and have lots of firepower, but

that won't stop Iraqis loyal to Saddam Hussein. Already we've

lost a soldier within walking distance of my cot--he was shot

dead--and our troops have encountered Iraqis wearing American

military uniforms close to our camp.

If today's battle for a bridge outside An Najaf is any

example, we can expect a determined, fierce resistance all

the way to Baghdad. Iraqi regulars and elite militia driving

trucks took on 70-ton M1A1 tanks, coming at them again and

again.

That kind of fanaticism is cause for my imagination to go

wild as I prepare to sleep. A sandstorm gives perfect cover

to infiltrators and snipers out here, and as I worked today I

found myself frequently looking out my Humvee. It could

become a habit.

Mr. President, I appreciate very much Senator Lincoln from Arkansas sharing this hour with me, and the rest of the hour on our side will be managed by Senator Thomas of Wyoming.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, we were hoping certainly after Senator Reid's tribute to Senator Moynihan that we could have the hour evenly divided to talk about our troops in the field, which we are hoping will be the case every morning while our troops

are in the field, so that we can honor them in this way.

Madam President, I am grateful to Senator Reid for making that concession. Senator Moynihan had the greatest respect of all of us. I hope we will all honor him, and the Senator allowing us to go forward with this hour that we intend to set aside every day we are in battle in Iraq is very helpful. I appreciate it very much.

Madam President, I know Senator Voinovich has a special message about the invocation this morning, and then we would like to proceed. Senator Lincoln will be managing the floor for the Democrats. I and Senator Crapo will be managing the floor for the Republicans.

Madam President, the majority leader, Senator Frist, and the minority leader, Senator Daschle, have agreed that the Senate will open every day now with this hour of tribute to our troops. It will be set aside for that purpose only as our way of letting them know that we will remember everything they are doing, we think of them every day, and we appreciate their service to our country. This is our way to emphasize that this is first and foremost on our minds, and everything we do will be with them in mind.

I thank the Chair.

I yield to the Senator from Ohio.

Madam President, I will take some time this morning to show some pictures that speak more than 1,000 words. They are pictures from the field. They show how the mightiest force in the world is connecting with people on an individual basis.

I start with a picture showing PFC Joseph DeWitt, age 26, of the 7th Calvary Regiment carrying an Iraqi boy who was injured Tuesday, March 26, in the fight at Al Faysaliyah. The picture speaks for what America is. Here is this private, 26 years old, carrying this little boy to safety. You can see the terror on his face, of the little boy who is saved today because Private DeWitt cared.

An unidentified U.S. soldier gives candy to Iraqi boys as he patrols in the southern border city of Safwan, Friday, March 21. Waving Iraqi civilians greeted members of the 1st Marine Division as they entered the town of Safwan.

An Iraqi child waves as a convoy of 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division drives through a southern Iraqi town Sunday, March 23, 2003.

Children wave at members of the British 2nd Royal Tank Regiment as they arrive in Basra, southern Iraq, Saturday, March 22.

All of the missing in action and POWs in this conflict are from Texas bases. They are either from Fort Hood or Fort Bliss.

In addition to the great mission, I feel a personal connection in this conflict because I know the pain and agony the loved ones are going through at this time and, of course, I think every day, every hour, every minute about those who are actually in captivity or about whom we do not know. I have tried to make contact with as many as I could. It has been difficult because many of them are in such stress they probably do not want to talk to people they do not know or members of the press who might be calling them.

I have not connected with all of them. However, every conversation I have had has been uplifting. I have gotten more out of these conversations than I could ever give back. I have talked this morning to Michelle Williams, the wife of CWO David Williams, from Fort Hood, one of those captured by the Iraqis when the Apache helicopter he was in crashed. Michelle is also in the service. She is at Fort Hood. I talked to her this morning. She has not been talking to the press but one of her major concerns is that somehow she could get a message to her husband: That she is thinking of him, that she loves him very much, that their children are fine, but she just wants some way to make sure that message gets to him--if it is the Red Cross that could take a letter; we will certainly try to be helpful, as the Army will try to be helpful--if it is a message he might hear, that she has given, we want to do everything possible to try to get that message to him. She is strong and brave and waiting for a happy reunion with her husband when he is able to come home.

I talked to Mark Kennedy and his wife, Mrs. Kennedy, this morning. They are the parents of Brian Kennedy who was killed in action when his helicopter crashed in Kuwait. Brian was their only son. Again, they said to me the personal outpouring of support and love and attention they have received because of the loss of their son has made their ordeal better. They feel the Army has done everything it can to make this terrible situation as positive as possible. They asked me to take a message to the President, which I will certainly do. They said, please tell the President that they support him, that their son had called in just 2 days before he was lost. He said: Don't worry about me. We are good to go. We have been trained. We believe in this mission.

Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy want us to know that they supported Brian Kennedy and what he was doing. They know the importance of this action to freedom for everyone in America.

I will take that message to the President because these are people who have

taken the greatest loss imaginable. They understand their son will be forever respected and revered by Americans in perpetuity, for the loss that they have and the giving of his life to make sure that our way of life is enduring in perpetuity, that freedom and America as the beacon of freedom to the world will prevail because of people such as Brian Kennedy and CWO David Williams.

Those are just two families with whom I have had contact. They are very special people. Their families are very special people. We owe them a great debt of gratitude. I know all Americans feel that as well.

I am pleased to be able to start this tribute to our troops as we will do every day our troops are in the field protecting us, to let them know how much we care and how brave we know they are as we watch on television the kinds of weather they are enduring, in addition to all of the normal horrors of war, sandstorms that are so thick it looks as if it is night when it is day. They are enduring a lot for us, and we want them to know we appreciate it.

My last word is that I hope anyone who hears our message will not forget the Geneva Convention; that the treatment of our prisoners of war--and any we do not know who are prisoners--will be humane and in line with the Geneva Convention because I know for sure America is giving medical treatment, food, water, and care to those Iraqi prisoners. We would always comply with the norms of war, including humane treatment of prisoners. I hope if there is any modicum of honesty and integrity in the Iraqi military, they will be treating our prisoners in like manner to the way their prisoners are being treated.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank the majority and minority leaders for setting aside this time for Senators to talk about events in the battlefield. While our troops are in the field in the Iraqi conflict, I certainly hope we will set aside an hour every morning for Senators to talk about happenings in the field, tributes to the troops, and other related incidents. I can think of no better way to start the Senate every morning than to pay tribute to those who are in the field as we speak.

All of us have seen the graphic pictures on television of the sandstorm and our troops continuing to make their way forward toward Baghdad, even though the pictures show that it is so dark that even in the daytime they have been hampered by these horrendous sandstorms.

I am particularly moved by the prisoners of war and the missing in action. All of us were riveted this weekend to the television that showed our first prisoners taken. There have been quite graphic pictures of these prisoners taken by the Iraqis and published on television stations overseas. They have not, mostly, been published over here. Certain parts have not been published at all.

I say, first, that every single one of the missing or prisoners are from Texas bases, they are from Fort Bliss or Fort Hood--every single one of them.

I have talked to some of the families. I have tried to reach some but I have not been able to. But it really brings it home when you hear that this has happened and you feel as if you know these people because they are so close to home.

I want to reiterate what the President of the United States has said--all of our leaders. We hope the Iraqis will treat the prisoners of war as Americans are treating the Iraqi prisoners of war. Americans are giving the Iraqis medical treatment. They are giving them food and water. I think one of the most poignant early pictures from the field was a marine giving water from his canteen to an Iraqi soldier who had surrendered.

It is my fervent hope that the Iraqis will show a good side in complying with the Geneva Convention so they will not harm these prisoners or in any way treat them improperly, certainly not humiliate them in any way.

There will be more stories of heroism as we go through the coming days and weeks. Today I wish to share some remarks from British Army LTC Tim Collins, who spoke to his troops just before they moved into their first battle against Saddam's forces. These words are stirring and they give us a glimpse into the hearts of those who are carrying out the job in Iraq, who are doing the job so well, part of a coalition of freedom-loving people.

I don't think anyone in America will ever forget the incredible support of the British Government and the British Army. There are many other governments and armies that have come forward. We are up to 45 countries in support of this action, the last I heard. But I particularly was touched by Lieutenant Colonel Collins's speech to his men. He said:

There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be

alive shortly. It is my foremost intention to bring every

single one of you out alive, but there may be some among us

who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them

in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no

time for sorrow. . . .

Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not

send. As for the others, I expect you to rock their world.

Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are

ferocious in battle, remember to be magnanimous in victory.

It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be

done lightly. . . .

I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other

conflicts. I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain

upon them. If someone surrenders to you, then remember they

have that right in international law and ensure that one day

they can go home to their family. The ones who wish to fight,

well, we aim to please. . . .

We go to liberate, not to conquer. We will not fly our

flags in their country. Iraq is steeped in history. It is the

site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the

birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there. . . .

You will see things that no man could pay to see and you

will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous

and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed

by their hospitality even though they have nothing. . . .

Colonel Collins and his men formed the first battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment. Colonel Collins is from Belfast and most of his men are from Northern Ireland. We are very proud to have them among our coalition.

I think I speak for every American in saying we support our troops, we support our allies, and we support everything they are doing in the field as we are here, enjoying the freedom they are fighting to keep for us, for our children and our grandchildren.

We will never be able to fully repay the debt to those who have lost their lives, but we will always remember them. We will respect them. We will duly honor them as time goes by, as one of those brave souls in the history of our country who have allowed us to keep the freedom that is the beacon to the world.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, this resolution we are talking about today is for those brave men and women who are in harms way as we speak, close to midnight their time, far across the oceans. America's thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of them--Active Duty, Reserve, Guard, Americans, and our loyal allies.

September 11, 2001, was a brutal wake-up call for our Nation, one that our President refuses to ignore. By disarming and liberating Iraq, these troops are working to prevent a 9/11 with a weapon of mass destruction. Today we are entering a new phase in the campaign to root out terrorism wherever it is bred.

How did we get to this point? In 1993, terrorists bombed the World Trade Center, killing 6 people, wounding more than 1,000.

In 1996, terrorists bombed the U.S. military living quarters at Khobar Towers, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 brave Americans and wounding scores more.

In 1998, followers of Osama bin Laden attacked U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing and wounding hundreds.

In 2000, bin Laden followers attacked the USS Cole in a harbor in Yemen, killing 17 sailors and wounding 39 more.

But sadly, it took 4 hijacked airplanes being turned into weapons of mass destruction and the loss of nearly 3,000 lives for us to respond, and this time the terrorists and those who harbor them will know the United States of America is resolved to preserve our freedom.

Our President will not waiver. Congress will not waiver in our support of our President and our troops.

There are those in this world who hate America and what it stands for. They despise our love for freedom, our passion for democracy, and our tolerance of other religions and beliefs. Their hatred led them to recklessly kill thousands of innocent civilians in our country and abroad.

September 11 brought a sea change in our national security strategy. We now know that deterrence alone is not enough. Our new strategy in this new kind of war articulates a policy of preemption. It is when we fail to act or fail to lead that our enemies strike.

The President has said we will not give Saddam Hussein the opportunity to attack. The Iraqi dictator seeks to make weapons of mass destruction, and those weapons would find their way into the hands of terrorists. So coalition forces from our allied nations are on the ground with us in Iraq, and we commend them for their bravery and their unwavering loyalty to our Nation and their pursuit of freedom.

For 12 long years, Saddam Hussein has treated the world with lies and contempt. Diplomacy, sanctions, and 17 U.N. resolutions failed to do the job. His brutal campaign for decades against his neighbors, his own people, and the world is coming to an end as we speak because brave men and women are doing the job for us.

The men and women on the front lines in Iraq, the anxious families waiting back home, and the thousands of National Guard and Reserve forces who have been called to duty must count on the American public to stand by their side until the very end. We will not fail them.

In Congress, we must ensure our Armed Forces have every resource necessary for a swift and successful campaign. We will not fail to provide. It is our duty, as the beacon of freedom for the world, to ensure that Saddam Hussein's brutal reign comes to an end. This is our tribute to those in the past who fought for the liberty we enjoy, and it is our commitment to pass the torch of freedom to future generations.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, when the Founding Fathers wrote our Constitution, they said that judicial nominees would be confirmed by the advice and consent of the Senate. Clearly that has always been a majority vote. They specified in the Constitution when a larger vote was necessary, such as treaties, which require two-thirds. In fact, when the 25th amendment to the Constitution was approved by the Senate in 1965, the Vice President of the United States, if appointed, would be required to receive a majority vote of the House and Senate for confirmation. So to say that a judge should require a supermajority is to amend the Constitution without going through the process.

That is what is happening today with Miguel Estrada. We are being required to muster 60 votes. We know we have 55 because we have had a vote now. We have had a cloture vote, and 55 people in the Senate believe Miguel Estrada should be confirmed for the Federal bench. And yet he is not confirmed because we have a higher threshold.

We can't amend the Constitution through a filibuster. We cannot take away the power of the President's appointments that are given in the Constitution with a filibuster. This is different from any other filibuster. A filibuster on an issue is a legitimate tool. But a filibuster on a judicial nominee takes the balance of power and skews it in favor of the legislature over the President's right to have his people appointed to the Federal bench.

The Senate needs to look carefully at the precedent being set. It is not right in a judicial nomination to hold a 60-vote threshold when the Constitution clearly says 51.

Mr. President, I rise today to submit an important resolution recognizing the Girl Scouts of America.

On March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low assembled 18 girls in Savannah, Georgia for the first Girl Scout meeting. Girl Scouts of America has a current membership of nearly four million girls and adult volunteers.

It is the preeminent organization in the United States committed to inspiring girls and young women with the highest ideals of character, conduct, and service to others.

As the first National organization for girls to be granted a Federal charter by Congress, Girl Scouts offers girls of all ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds the opportunity to grow, develop friendships, and gain valuable life experiences.

The Girl Scout initiatives has enabled more than 50 million women in the United States to participate in community service projects, cultural exchanges, athletic events, and educational activities that teach self-confidence, responsibility, and integrity.

Girl Scout initiatives have reflected the Nation's changing social and economic climate. For example, the National organization recently began a campaign to encourage girls to develop an interest in math, science, and technology as a way to create greater diversity in the workforce and to help bridge the techno-gender divide.

Today, one in nine girls is a member of the Girl Scouts, and over two-thirds of our female doctors, lawyers, educators, and community leaders were once Girl Scouts. I am proud to say that I, too, was a Girl Scout.

I am pleased to be joined by my colleagues in introducing this legislation, which would designate the week beginning March 9, 2003, as ``National Girl Scout Week.''

Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senators Voinovich, DeWine, Mikulski and Warner to offer health legislation that will bring great benefits to many of our Nation's families.

Bacterial meningitis affects 3,000 people across the United States each year. Approximately 10 percent of patients with bacterial meningitis die despite receiving antibiotics early in the course of the disease. Meningitis occurs most frequently in infants and young adults living in dormitory settings. The disease can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure or death.

In 2001, Lydia Evans entered her sophomore year at North Texas University as a healthy 20-year-old. Now she's lost both of her legs, parts of seven fingers and endured 15 surgeries and intensive physical therapy. She is a victim of a terrible, yet little-known disease called meningococcal meningitis.

Carolyn Waghorne of Dallas contacted me after the tragic death of her son, Carter, who contracted meningitis at boarding school in 1998. Mrs. Waghorne has led the battle in our State to create awareness about the dangers of the illness. After hearing her story, I knew we needed to help educate all Americans about this devastating--yet preventable-- disease.

My bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Director of the Centers of Disease Control, CDC, to develop and make information available about bacterial meningitis. In addition, it would provide information about the availability and effectiveness of bacterial meningitis vaccinations for children and adults.

The information would be distributed at institutions, including child care centers, schools, universities, boarding schools, summer camps, detention facilities, and other entities that provide housing in a dorm-like setting.

Meningitis is spread through close contact such as coughing or sneezing and direct contact with persons infected with meningitis. The bacteria cannot live outside the body for very long, so the disease is not as easily transmitted as a cold virus. Many healthy people carry the bacteria, but if a person has a suppressed immune system they may contract the disease. A spinal tap procedure enables doctors to diagnose meningitis, and if the disease is discovered, it is treated with antibiotics.

The disease can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure or death.

The CDC reports that two-thirds of cases on college campuses could have been prevented with a vaccine. In fact, the Advisory Commission on Immunization Practices, part of the CDC, recommends what this bill provides.

I commend the Senators for their support and hope other Senators will join us in this effort to prevent the tragedies that befell Lydia Evans and Carolyn Waghorne as well as thousands of families every year.

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

Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senators Voinovich, DeWine, Mikulski and Warner to offer health legislation that will bring great benefits to many of our Nation's families.

Bacterial meningitis affects 3,000 people across the United States each year. Approximately 10 percent of patients with bacterial meningitis die despite receiving antibiotics early in the course of the disease. Meningitis occurs most frequently in infants and young adults living in dormitory settings. The disease can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure or death.

In 2001, Lydia Evans entered her sophomore year at North Texas University as a healthy 20-year-old. Now she's lost both of her legs, parts of seven fingers and endured 15 surgeries and intensive physical therapy. She is a victim of a terrible, yet little-known disease called meningococcal meningitis.

Carolyn Waghorne of Dallas contacted me after the tragic death of her son, Carter, who contracted meningitis at boarding school in 1998. Mrs. Waghorne has led the battle in our State to create awareness about the dangers of the illness. After hearing her story, I knew we needed to help educate all Americans about this devastating--yet preventable-- disease.

My bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Director of the Centers of Disease Control, CDC, to develop and make information available about bacterial meningitis. In addition, it would provide information about the availability and effectiveness of bacterial meningitis vaccinations for children and adults.

The information would be distributed at institutions, including child care centers, schools, universities, boarding schools, summer camps, detention facilities, and other entities that provide housing in a dorm-like setting.

Meningitis is spread through close contact such as coughing or sneezing and direct contact with persons infected with meningitis. The bacteria cannot live outside the body for very long, so the disease is not as easily transmitted as a cold virus. Many healthy people carry the bacteria, but if a person has a suppressed immune system they may contract the disease. A spinal tap procedure enables doctors to diagnose meningitis, and if the disease is discovered, it is treated with antibiotics.

The disease can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure or death.

The CDC reports that two-thirds of cases on college campuses could have been prevented with a vaccine. In fact, the Advisory Commission on Immunization Practices, part of the CDC, recommends what this bill provides.

I commend the Senators for their support and hope other Senators will join us in this effort to prevent the tragedies that befell Lydia Evans and Carolyn Waghorne as well as thousands of families every year.

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

Mr. President, today I rise to introduce legislation to improve the deplorable housing situation in the valley region of the Texas border with Mexico. Our colonias are among the most distressed areas of the country.

In 1993 when I ran for the Senate, I visited with a woman named Elida Bocanegra who led me through the streets of the colonia where she lived. Elida showed me her community and, quite frankly, I couldn't believe I was in America. Since my election to the Senate, I have worked to improve living conditions and the quality of life for people such as Elida, helping to secure more than $615 million for the colonias of my State. In fact, my first amendment as a Senator authorized $50 million for a colonias clean-up project.

Despite third world living conditions, colonias, or underdeveloped subdivisions, have grown in population. Along the 1,248 mile stretch from Cameron County to El Paso County in Texas, there are more than 1,400 colonias that suffer from such conditions as open sewage, a lack of indoor plumbing, and poor housing construction.

The Colonias Gateway Initiative Act establishes annual competitive grants for nonprofit organizations which work to develop affordable housing, improve infrastructure, and foster economic opportunities. My bill would authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to award $16 million in the fiscal year 2004 and appoint a nine-member advisory board consisting of colonias residents and service providers to facilitate communication. This bill will bring quality-of-life improvements to those who need it most, providing

the most basic services like indoor plumbing. It will also provide funds to build affordable housing. This piece of legislation I introduce today will fulfill the most basic needs of these communities. As you can see, the Colonias Gateway Initiative Act will assist our neediest people, foster economic opportunity, and vastly improve the quality of life. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the bill be placed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I rise to introduce legislation to improve the deplorable housing situation in the valley region of the Texas border with Mexico. Our colonias are among the most distressed areas of the country.

In 1993 when I ran for the Senate, I visited with a woman named Elida Bocanegra who led me through the streets of the colonia where she lived. Elida showed me her community and, quite frankly, I couldn't believe I was in America. Since my election to the Senate, I have worked to improve living conditions and the quality of life for people such as Elida, helping to secure more than $615 million for the colonias of my State. In fact, my first amendment as a Senator authorized $50 million for a colonias clean-up project.

Despite third world living conditions, colonias, or underdeveloped subdivisions, have grown in population. Along the 1,248 mile stretch from Cameron County to El Paso County in Texas, there are more than 1,400 colonias that suffer from such conditions as open sewage, a lack of indoor plumbing, and poor housing construction.

The Colonias Gateway Initiative Act establishes annual competitive grants for nonprofit organizations which work to develop affordable housing, improve infrastructure, and foster economic opportunities. My bill would authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to award $16 million in the fiscal year 2004 and appoint a nine-member advisory board consisting of colonias residents and service providers to facilitate communication. This bill will bring quality-of-life improvements to those who need it most, providing

the most basic services like indoor plumbing. It will also provide funds to build affordable housing. This piece of legislation I introduce today will fulfill the most basic needs of these communities. As you can see, the Colonias Gateway Initiative Act will assist our neediest people, foster economic opportunity, and vastly improve the quality of life. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the bill be placed in the Record.

Mr. President, March 2 is Texas Independence Day. Every year I have been in the Senate, I have carried on the tradition, started by Senator John Tower, of reading on or about March 2--Texas Independence Day--William Barret Travis's letter from the Alamo.

I just want to give a little background because, of course, Texas is the only State that came into our Nation as a nation. Texas was a republic for 10 years, having fought very hard for its independence from Mexico.

In fact, William Barret Travis's letter was dated February 24, 1836. His letter was an appeal for support because he only had 184 men in the Alamo, in the garrison, and, of course, he was vastly outnumbered by the Mexican Army. So he was asking for help. He was pleading for help.

All of this was happening around the time that the duly elected members of the Declaration of Independence Congress were coming to Washington-on-the-Brazos to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico.

It was a trying time between February and April of 1836 for these Texans who were trying to gain their independence and who eventually became a part of America.

It was at the Alamo, in San Antonio, TX--Tejas at the time--that 184 Texas rebels, led by William Barret Travis, made their stand against Santa Anna's vastly superior Mexican Army.

These Texas patriots did not even have uniforms. They barely had arms. In fact, they only had about $1,000 to fund this entire army. So they did not waste any money on uniforms. They needed arms, and that is where they spent their money.

On the second day of the siege, February 24, 1836, Travis called for reinforcements with this heroic message:

Fellow citizens and compatriots: I am besieged by a

thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna--I have

sustained a continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours

and have not lost a man--the enemy has demanded a surrender

at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the

sword, if the fort is taken--I have answered the demands with

a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the

wall--I shall never surrender or retreat.

Then, I call on you in the name of liberty, of patriotism

and of everything dear to the American character, to come to

our aid, with all dispatch. The enemy is receiving

reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase

to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call

is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as

possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due

to his own honor and that of his country--Victory or Death.

William Barret Travis,

Lt. Col., Commander.

This went out on February 24, 1836. Those 184 brave men held the Alamo, with no reinforcements, until March the 6th of 1836. They held all that time against exactly what William Barret Travis thought would happen. Thousands of Mexicans in the army were gathering steam to attack the Alamo. He never got reinforcements.

The Alamo fell on March 6. Just four days earlier, the men who were elected to the convention signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. My great-great-grandfather was one of those, elected from Nacogdoches County. He was alcalde of Nacogdoches County at the time. He went, along with Thomas Rusk, the first man to hold the seat that I now hold in the Senate, to Washington-on-the-Brazos, and they both signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.

It was during that time that women and children in the Nacogdoches area were being besieged by Indians, and they were concerned that the Mexican Army might also be coming there. So they fled in what is called the Runaway Scrape toward Louisiana. All four of my great-great- grandfather's children died in the Runaway Scrape. All four of his living children died. And yet those brave settlers went back to Nacogdoches and raised nine more children. So they were the kind of stock that settled our State and our country.

It was April 21 that Santa Anna finally was defeated at the battle of San Jacinto, led by Gen. Sam Houston, who was the commander there. So the time period between February and April 21 was key in the Texas independence and the beginning of the new republic. Texas was a republic, an independent nation, for 10 years before they joined the United States as a State in the United States.

So I always try to remember the brave people. Obviously, in my family we have a lot of stories and a lot of lore about that time because my mother grew up in Nacogdoches, and it is the oldest town in Texas, and it is one that is rich in our Texas history and is very much a part of my family and so many of the generations who came before us to settle our great State.

So I am going to continue the tradition as long as I am in the Senate because I think it is worthy of note that we had our own fight for independence and that we have such a unique character in our State.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce a bill to correct an injustice in the tax code that harms citizens in every state of this great Nation.

State and local governments have various alternatives for raising revenue. Some levy income taxes, some use sales taxes, and others use a combination of the two. The citizens who pay State and local income taxes are able to offset some of what they pay by receiving a deduction on their Federal taxes. Before 1986, taxpayers also had the ability to deduct their sales taxes.

The philosophy behind these deductions is simple: people should not have to pay taxes on their taxes. The money that people must give to one level of government should not also be taxed by another level of government.

Unfortunately, these common sense deductions have slowly been eroded over the years. First, the deduction for State and local sales tax was eliminated in the 1986 tax reform legislation. Second, the alternative minimum tax has reduced the benefit of the income tax deduction for many.

The elimination of the sales tax deduction discriminates against those living in states, such as my home State of Texas, with no income taxes. It is important to remember the lack of an income tax does not mean citizens in these States do not pay State taxes; revenues are simply collected differently.

It is unfair to give citizens from some States a deduction for the revenue they provide their State and local governments, while not doing the same for citizens from other States. Federal tax law should not treat people differently on the basis of State residence and differing tax collection methods.

This discrepancy has a significant impact on Texas. According to the Texas Comptroller, if taxpayers could deduct their sales taxes, more than $700 million would stay in the hands of Texans. This could lead to the creation of more than 16,000 new jobs and add almost $900 million in economic activity. The impact of this growth would be particularly beneficial during this period when many States are facing record- breaking deficits. At the same time, such a tax change would cost the Federal Government less than one percent of what the current State and local income tax deduction costs.

For those in states with income taxes, their tax deduction benefit has been diminished by the alternative minimum tax, AMT. People can deduct their state and local income taxes when calculating their regular taxes, but not when determining the AMT. The difference often is the reason people must pay the higher alternative tax.

In fact, state and local taxes account for 54 percent of the difference between the AMT and the regular tax calculation. This particularly hurts the 60 percent of AMT payers who are from states with higher income tax rates. Eliminating this discrepancy would go a long way toward reducing the number of people affected by the AMT.

The legislation I am offering today will fix these problems. First, it will provide all taxpayers with the option of deducting State and local sales taxes, instead of income taxes, when calculating their Federal tax. This will end the discrimination suffered by my fellow Texans and citizens of other states who do not have the option of an income tax deduction. It will also allow people from states with both a sales and an income tax to choose the most advantageous deduction.

My bill will also provide for a State and local income and sales tax deduction in the AMT. This is an important step in reducing the ballooning growth of the AMT, which will impact almost a third of all taxpayers by 2010.

The legislation I am introducing today is about reestablishing equity to the tax code and defending the important principle of eliminating taxes on taxes. I hope my fellow Senators will support this effort.

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

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce a bill to correct an injustice in the tax code that harms citizens in every state of this great Nation.

State and local governments have various alternatives for raising revenue. Some levy income taxes, some use sales taxes, and others use a combination of the two. The citizens who pay State and local income taxes are able to offset some of what they pay by receiving a deduction on their Federal taxes. Before 1986, taxpayers also had the ability to deduct their sales taxes.

The philosophy behind these deductions is simple: people should not have to pay taxes on their taxes. The money that people must give to one level of government should not also be taxed by another level of government.

Unfortunately, these common sense deductions have slowly been eroded over the years. First, the deduction for State and local sales tax was eliminated in the 1986 tax reform legislation. Second, the alternative minimum tax has reduced the benefit of the income tax deduction for many.

The elimination of the sales tax deduction discriminates against those living in states, such as my home State of Texas, with no income taxes. It is important to remember the lack of an income tax does not mean citizens in these States do not pay State taxes; revenues are simply collected differently.

It is unfair to give citizens from some States a deduction for the revenue they provide their State and local governments, while not doing the same for citizens from other States. Federal tax law should not treat people differently on the basis of State residence and differing tax collection methods.

This discrepancy has a significant impact on Texas. According to the Texas Comptroller, if taxpayers could deduct their sales taxes, more than $700 million would stay in the hands of Texans. This could lead to the creation of more than 16,000 new jobs and add almost $900 million in economic activity. The impact of this growth would be particularly beneficial during this period when many States are facing record- breaking deficits. At the same time, such a tax change would cost the Federal Government less than one percent of what the current State and local income tax deduction costs.

For those in states with income taxes, their tax deduction benefit has been diminished by the alternative minimum tax, AMT. People can deduct their state and local income taxes when calculating their regular taxes, but not when determining the AMT. The difference often is the reason people must pay the higher alternative tax.

In fact, state and local taxes account for 54 percent of the difference between the AMT and the regular tax calculation. This particularly hurts the 60 percent of AMT payers who are from states with higher income tax rates. Eliminating this discrepancy would go a long way toward reducing the number of people affected by the AMT.

The legislation I am offering today will fix these problems. First, it will provide all taxpayers with the option of deducting State and local sales taxes, instead of income taxes, when calculating their Federal tax. This will end the discrimination suffered by my fellow Texans and citizens of other states who do not have the option of an income tax deduction. It will also allow people from states with both a sales and an income tax to choose the most advantageous deduction.

My bill will also provide for a State and local income and sales tax deduction in the AMT. This is an important step in reducing the ballooning growth of the AMT, which will impact almost a third of all taxpayers by 2010.

The legislation I am introducing today is about reestablishing equity to the tax code and defending the important principle of eliminating taxes on taxes. I hope my fellow Senators will support this effort.

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