Floor Statements

Mr. President, I stand today to honor the Kraft Foods Group, Inc. plant and its dedicated employees in Champaign, IL, as they celebrate its 50th anniversary.

This Champaign plant has the unique distinction of being Kraft's flagship facility, employing more than 1,100 of my

fellow citizens of Illinois, and proudly producing more than any other Kraft plant in the country. From the time it opened in 1963, this facility has grown in both size and production. For generations, millions of Americans have enjoyed the products made in Champaign, from Miracle Whip and Velveeta, to Kraft Singles and Cheese Whiz. The plant continues to expand its output, with new varieties of pasta, dressing and cheese being added to their production line in 2012, and earlier this year, Kraft chose to dedicate their entire Velveeta production to this single facility.

The Kraft Foods Group has called Illinois home since its founding in 1903, and Champaign has been a critical part of this company for more than half of that time. Kraft has so greatly contributed to Champaign's economic climate, helping to make the city this plant calls home a great place to live and work. Likewise, the people of Champaign helped make Kraft great. Our State is proud of all that Kraft produces, but we are especially proud of the ingenuity, industry, and drive that this plant's workers have embodied for 50 years. It is clear that because Kraft's Champaign employees have been dedicated to achieving success, this plant has continued to thrive after half a century.

In closing, I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Kraft Foods Group on reaching this incredible milestone and honoring the employees at their acclaimed flagship plant.

Mr. President, I am pleased to join with Senator Durbin to introduce a bill in support of New Philadelphia, the first town founded by a freed African-American. This bipartisan legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of New Philadelphia to determine the feasibility of designating the area as a unit of the National Park System.

In 1836, Frank McWorter platted and officially registered the town of New Philadelphia, the first known town founded by a freed African- American before the Civil War. After saving money from neighboring labor jobs to purchase his own freedom and the freedom of fifteen additional family members, Mr. McWorter purchased a plot of land between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers in Pike County to establish New Philadelphia. The town became a station along the Underground Railroad and was a community where European-American, freeborn African- Americans and formerly enslaved individuals were able to live together during a time of intense racial strife.

In 2005, the town of New Philadelphia was designated as a National Historic Place and in 2009 the town was designated a National Historic Landmark. Further designating New Philadelphia as a unit of the National Park System will ensure that its historical legacy is preserved as an inspiring example of freedom and opportunity for future generations.

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

Mr. President, I am pleased to join with Senator Durbin to introduce a bill in support of New Philadelphia, the first town founded by a freed African-American. This bipartisan legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of New Philadelphia to determine the feasibility of designating the area as a unit of the National Park System.

In 1836, Frank McWorter platted and officially registered the town of New Philadelphia, the first known town founded by a freed African- American before the Civil War. After saving money from neighboring labor jobs to purchase his own freedom and the freedom of fifteen additional family members, Mr. McWorter purchased a plot of land between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers in Pike County to establish New Philadelphia. The town became a station along the Underground Railroad and was a community where European-American, freeborn African- Americans and formerly enslaved individuals were able to live together during a time of intense racial strife.

In 2005, the town of New Philadelphia was designated as a National Historic Place and in 2009 the town was designated a National Historic Landmark. Further designating New Philadelphia as a unit of the National Park System will ensure that its historical legacy is preserved as an inspiring example of freedom and opportunity for future generations.

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

Mr. President, I stand today to honor Dr. Piermaria Oddone as he retires after 8 years of exemplary leadership as director of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, also known as Fermilab.

As America's premier particle physics laboratory, Fermilab is a point of pride for Illinois. For over 45 years it has supported thousands of scientists across the country whose research is a priceless contribution to the world's understanding of matter, energy, space, and time. With the appointment of Pier Oddone as director in 2005, Fermilab was placed under the leadership of a visionary who ensured that the United States would remain a producer of groundbreaking research in particle physics.

Under the direction of Dr. Oddone, Fermilab entered a period of unparalleled scientific progress. The laboratory launched a new era of research in high-intensity particle beams, and experimentation on muons and neutrinos. It advanced our understanding of dark matter and led the Pierre Auger Observatory project to study ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. Fermilab, in partnership with the State of Illinois, constructed the Illinois Accelerator Research Center. It concluded a 28-year run for the Tevatron collider that discovered the quark. It contributed invaluable resources to the groundbreaking discovery of the Higgs boson. Most importantly, however, Fermilab has provided state-of-the- art facilities for over 4,000 researchers each year so that they can continue their work for the advancement of science and society.

Dr. Oddone's contributions to the scientific community outside of his leadership at Fermilab are no less impressive. Born in Peru, he received his Ph.D. in physics from Princeton before joining the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He quickly rose to become the laboratory's deputy director and was responsible for the scientific development that contributed to many of the lab's successes. As an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences in both the United States and Peru, Dr. Oddone has received numerous awards for his work, including fellowships from the American Physical Society and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a recipient of the Panofsky Award for his invention of the Asymmetric B-Factory particle collider, and is known for his role in the SLAC BaBar collaboration that helped to discover matter-antimatter asymmetry in B mesons.

As my friend Dr. Piermaria Oddone retires from Fermilab, I ask that you join me in honoring an individual who embodies the spirit of discovery through a shining example of scientific excellence. Thank you for your leadership.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that waives the naturalization requirements for non-citizen recipients of our armed forces' combat service awards. When a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine puts their life on the line for the United States, it only makes sense that we reciprocate their commitment to this nation by awarding these heroes U.S. citizenship as expeditiously as possible.

These awards include the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Combat Medical Badge, the Combat Action Badge, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Air Force Combat Action Medal, or any equivalent award recipients. They recognize a servicemember's presence under hostile fire or engagement in combat missions.

According to the Center for Naval Analysis, roughly 70,000 non- citizens enlisted in the active duty military between 1999 and 2008. These men and women have served in Operations New Dawn and Iraqi Freedom, and continue to serve today in Operation Enduring Freedom and elsewhere around the world.

The contributions of these men and women to the character of our military are unquestionable, and they possess language and cultural skills that are critical to the Department of Defense's mission. This legislation honors their service, and I encourage my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that waives the naturalization requirements for non-citizen recipients of our armed forces' combat service awards. When a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine puts their life on the line for the United States, it only makes sense that we reciprocate their commitment to this nation by awarding these heroes U.S. citizenship as expeditiously as possible.

These awards include the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Combat Medical Badge, the Combat Action Badge, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Air Force Combat Action Medal, or any equivalent award recipients. They recognize a servicemember's presence under hostile fire or engagement in combat missions.

According to the Center for Naval Analysis, roughly 70,000 non- citizens enlisted in the active duty military between 1999 and 2008. These men and women have served in Operations New Dawn and Iraqi Freedom, and continue to serve today in Operation Enduring Freedom and elsewhere around the world.

The contributions of these men and women to the character of our military are unquestionable, and they possess language and cultural skills that are critical to the Department of Defense's mission. This legislation honors their service, and I encourage my colleagues to support its passage.

Madam President I wish to call attention to the plight of the Baha'i community and the atrocious human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Today marks the fifth year Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naemi, Saeid Rezaie, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm have been behind bars in Iran due to their faith. These six individuals, along with Mahvash Sabet, imprisoned 2 months earlier, make up the ``Yaran-I-Iran,'' or Friends of Iran, which is the former leadership group of the Baha'i community of Iran. We must not let up on our efforts to defend the Baha'i community until the Iranian Government's intensifying persecution comes to an end.

Iran outlawed Baha'i institutions in 1983, leading to the establishment of an ad hoc leadership group to meet the basic spiritual and social needs of the Baha'i community of Iran. In August 2010, the Government of Iran sentenced the Yaran to 20-year prison terms on the absurd charges of ``spying for Israel, insulting religious sanctities, propaganda against the regime and spreading corruption on earth.''

The Baha'i faith is an independent world religion that began in 19th- century Persia. Its central tenets include unity, peace, and understanding. The Baha'is are currently the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran, numbering some 300,000 members, and the Baha'i faith is one of the world's fastest growing religions with more than 5 million followers worldwide. Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Baha'is have been a target of systematic government-sponsored persecution. Roughly 200 Baha'is in Iran have been killed by government authorities since 1978 and more than 650 Baha'is have been arrested since 2005 alone.

In May 2011, the government conducted raids on the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education, an informal learning system created by the Baha'i community in response to the exclusion of Baha'is from universities. Several educators were arrested and detained. Seven of them--Mahmoud Badavam, Noushin Khadem, Vahid Mahmoudi, Kamran Mortezaie, Farhad Sedghi, Riaz Sobhani, and Ramin Zibaie--were sentenced to 4 and 5-year prison terms, although Vahid Mahmoudi has since been released. Since October 2011, four more BIHE instructors were imprisoned.

The 2013 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Report stated that ``during the past year, the already poor religious freedom conditions continued to deteriorate, especially for religious minorities, in particular for Baha'is.'' On February 28, 2013, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran reported that there were 110 Baha'is currently imprisoned in Iran solely for practicing their faith. Baha'is in Iran are restricted from filling public and private jobs, denied business licenses, and excluded from university. In recent years, the state- sponsored media in Iran embarked on a systematic campaign to demonize and incite hatred against Baha'is through the use of false and offensive propaganda pieces. An increasing amount of personal property has been confiscated, an increasing number of Baha'i-owned businesses have been vandalized and attacked, and an increasing number of Baha'i cemeteries have been desecrated over the past year across the country.

Despite being bound to numerous international treaties, the Iranian Government continues to persecute those who seek to exercise their freedom of expression, thought, conscience, and religion. As Americans, we honor our fundamental rights and freedoms by speaking out for the rights and freedoms of the Baha'is and all others who are oppressed in Iran. And it is incumbent on the Senate to reveal the truth about the situation of the Baha'i community in Iran and take steps to eradicate the violence and injustice.

Illinois is home to the world-renowned Baha'i Temple, so the plight of Baha'is in Iran holds special significance for our citizens. I am proud to have joined with my Illinois colleague, Senator Durbin, in introducing S. Res. 75, a resolution that condemns the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. Today, we reaffirm our solidarity with the faithful Baha'is in Iran who are subject to discrimination, detention, or worse solely for their beliefs and views. It is my hope that S. Res. 75 will bring the persecution of Baha'is and the issue of human rights in Iran to the forefront of the international agenda.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder. After 20 years of service to the village as mayor, she is taking a well-deserved retirement.

For 34 years, Mayor Mulder has been a tireless public servant--from park

district commissioner to village trustee and eventually mayor. She has served on countless boards and commissions, but the title that I was most grateful for was that of ``friend''.

I have known Arlene since the days I was a congressional staffer for Congressman John Porter. Arlene was a ``get things done'' mayor. It is why she was tapped by both Democrats and Republicans to partner on issues. When I first took office as Congressman for the 10th Congressional District, Arlene quickly became my go-to mayor for a host of issues.

Whenever we wanted to schedule a townhall meeting in the northwest suburbs, Arlene was my first call. I remember during the health care debate we had a townhall meeting at the village building. When hundreds of citizens showed up and it was clear our room would not be large enough to hold everyone, Arlene immediately went into action and helped us have not one townhall meeting, but two back-to-back. Her resourcefulness ensured that we could communicate with twice the number of constituents on a very important issue.

While we Senators may feel as if we have a full workload between constituent and committee meetings, votes and briefings, Arlene's membership in outside organizations is enough to make even the best multitasker dizzy. She has served on more than a dozen outside boards, commissions, and committees, many focused on the importance of transportation. As a member of Metra's board of directors, she became an advocate for thousands of suburban commuters who rely on commuter rail to get to their jobs. As chair of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, she led efforts to ensure a balance between the economic development role of O'Hare International Airport and the impact on surrounding communities.

But what I will miss most is our time at the Arlington Heights Memorial Day Parade. Each year, we would honor a local veteran with a military award that was earned but never received. It was always a moving day, and while she will not be the mayor at future ceremonies, I know I will see her there for many years to come.

While I am honored to serve as Arlene's Senator, I am more proud that Arlene was my mayor. Her dedication to the village and people of Arlington Heights will not be forgotten. I wish Arlene and her husband Al and their entire family all the best as she begins the next phase of her public service. Arlington Heights and the State of Illinois were lucky to have her. Thank you, Arlene for all that you have done for us.

Mr. President, today I rise to join with Senator Durbin to introduce the Great Lakes Water Protection Act. This bipartisan legislation would set a date certain to end sewage dumping in the Great Lakes, America's largest source of surface fresh water. The Great Lakes are home to more than 3,500 species of plants and animals and are the source of drinking water for more than 30 million Americans. It is time that we put a stop to the poisoning of our water supply. Cities along the Great Lakes must become environmental stewards of our country's most precious freshwater ecosystem and take action to reverse the trend of discharging sewage into the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes Water Protection Act gives cities until 2033 to build the necessary infrastructure to prevent sewage dumping in the Great Lakes. Those who violate the EPA's sewage dumping regulations after this deadline will be subject to fines up to $100,000 for every day they are in violation. These fines would be directed into a Great Lakes Clean-Up Fund within the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to be used for wastewater treatment options, with a special focus on greener solutions such as habitat protection and wetland restoration.

Many cities along the Great Lakes Basin lack the critical infrastructure needed to divert sewage overflows during times of heavy rainfall. Some reports estimate that as much as 24 billion gallons of combined sewage and storm water runoff are dumped into the Great Lakes every year. Loaded with a mix of bacteria and other pathogens, untreated sewage poses a serious threat to public health and safety and is one of the leading causes of beach closings and contamination advisories at Great Lakes beaches.

According to data collected over the past 5 years by the Illinois Department of Public Health, it is not uncommon to see the total number of beach closures and contamination advisories across the Lake Michigan beaches in our State exceed 500 in a single swim season. These events threaten the health of our children and families and cost local economies millions. A University of Chicago study concluded the closings due to high levels of harmful pathogens like E.coli cost the local economy about $2.4 million each year in lost revenue.

Protecting the Great Lakes is one of my top priorities in Congress. As an original cosponsor of the Great Lakes Restoration Act, I support a broad approach to address some of the greatest challenges to the Great Lakes ecosystem and the economic growth of the region. However, while we continue to push for comprehensive Great Lakes restoration, we must also move forward with tailored approaches to tackle specific problems.

I am proud to introduce this important legislation to end the disastrous practice of releasing billions of gallons of untreated sewage into our Nation's most abundant source of freshwater. It is my hope that my colleagues will work with me to to preserve the Great Lakes and ensure this source of safe drinking water is safeguarded for future generations.

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

Mr. President, today I rise to join with Senator Durbin to introduce the Great Lakes Water Protection Act. This bipartisan legislation would set a date certain to end sewage dumping in the Great Lakes, America's largest source of surface fresh water. The Great Lakes are home to more than 3,500 species of plants and animals and are the source of drinking water for more than 30 million Americans. It is time that we put a stop to the poisoning of our water supply. Cities along the Great Lakes must become environmental stewards of our country's most precious freshwater ecosystem and take action to reverse the trend of discharging sewage into the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes Water Protection Act gives cities until 2033 to build the necessary infrastructure to prevent sewage dumping in the Great Lakes. Those who violate the EPA's sewage dumping regulations after this deadline will be subject to fines up to $100,000 for every day they are in violation. These fines would be directed into a Great Lakes Clean-Up Fund within the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to be used for wastewater treatment options, with a special focus on greener solutions such as habitat protection and wetland restoration.

Many cities along the Great Lakes Basin lack the critical infrastructure needed to divert sewage overflows during times of heavy rainfall. Some reports estimate that as much as 24 billion gallons of combined sewage and storm water runoff are dumped into the Great Lakes every year. Loaded with a mix of bacteria and other pathogens, untreated sewage poses a serious threat to public health and safety and is one of the leading causes of beach closings and contamination advisories at Great Lakes beaches.

According to data collected over the past 5 years by the Illinois Department of Public Health, it is not uncommon to see the total number of beach closures and contamination advisories across the Lake Michigan beaches in our State exceed 500 in a single swim season. These events threaten the health of our children and families and cost local economies millions. A University of Chicago study concluded the closings due to high levels of harmful pathogens like E.coli cost the local economy about $2.4 million each year in lost revenue.

Protecting the Great Lakes is one of my top priorities in Congress. As an original cosponsor of the Great Lakes Restoration Act, I support a broad approach to address some of the greatest challenges to the Great Lakes ecosystem and the economic growth of the region. However, while we continue to push for comprehensive Great Lakes restoration, we must also move forward with tailored approaches to tackle specific problems.

I am proud to introduce this important legislation to end the disastrous practice of releasing billions of gallons of untreated sewage into our Nation's most abundant source of freshwater. It is my hope that my colleagues will work with me to to preserve the Great Lakes and ensure this source of safe drinking water is safeguarded for future generations.

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

Mr. President, I rise in support of the Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act of 2013, which I am proud to join in introducing with Senators Leahy, Gillibrand, Durbin and Collins. There are an estimated 33,000 gangs with 1.4 million active members who live in our neighborhoods, towns and cities across the United States. With more than 100,000 gang members, the city of Chicago has more gang members who terrorize its residents than any other city in the United States. The Chicago Crime Commission also reported the existence of an additional 15,000 gang members operating in our suburbs.

Gangs such as the Vice Lords, Gangster Disciples, and the Latin Kings are responsible for nearly 80 percent of the city's homicides, which just last summer amounted to 500 deaths in Chicago. These homicides are most often perpetrated with illegal weapons. Law enforcement officers in Chicago confiscate an average of 13,000 illegal weapons each year. It must end.

That is why I have joined this bipartisan group to take serious action to prevent weapons trafficking and straw purchasing, where a third party member legally purchases a firearm then sells or trades it to a criminal who is legally barred from purchasing such a weapon. Our bipartisan, consensus legislation includes the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act, which Senator Gillibrand and I introduced earlier this year, that would for the first time make it a Federal crime to traffic illegal guns. The Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act also strengthens the tools law enforcement need to crack down on straw purchasers, particularly those who transfer those weapons in furtherance of crimes of violence or drug trafficking. This legislation also calls upon the Sentencing Commission to substantially increase the penalties when these crimes are committed by individuals affiliated with gangs and other criminal enterprises.

A portion of this new anti-illegal gun trafficking legislation is named after

Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old who was shot and killed by gang gunfire in Chicago. For Hadiya and thousands of other victims, my hope is we can break through the gridlock here in Washington to actually get something done to save lives.

Mr. President, I rise in support of the Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act of 2013, which I am proud to join in introducing with Senators Leahy, Gillibrand, Durbin and Collins. There are an estimated 33,000 gangs with 1.4 million active members who live in our neighborhoods, towns and cities across the United States. With more than 100,000 gang members, the city of Chicago has more gang members who terrorize its residents than any other city in the United States. The Chicago Crime Commission also reported the existence of an additional 15,000 gang members operating in our suburbs.

Gangs such as the Vice Lords, Gangster Disciples, and the Latin Kings are responsible for nearly 80 percent of the city's homicides, which just last summer amounted to 500 deaths in Chicago. These homicides are most often perpetrated with illegal weapons. Law enforcement officers in Chicago confiscate an average of 13,000 illegal weapons each year. It must end.

That is why I have joined this bipartisan group to take serious action to prevent weapons trafficking and straw purchasing, where a third party member legally purchases a firearm then sells or trades it to a criminal who is legally barred from purchasing such a weapon. Our bipartisan, consensus legislation includes the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act, which Senator Gillibrand and I introduced earlier this year, that would for the first time make it a Federal crime to traffic illegal guns. The Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act also strengthens the tools law enforcement need to crack down on straw purchasers, particularly those who transfer those weapons in furtherance of crimes of violence or drug trafficking. This legislation also calls upon the Sentencing Commission to substantially increase the penalties when these crimes are committed by individuals affiliated with gangs and other criminal enterprises.

A portion of this new anti-illegal gun trafficking legislation is named after

Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old who was shot and killed by gang gunfire in Chicago. For Hadiya and thousands of other victims, my hope is we can break through the gridlock here in Washington to actually get something done to save lives.

Mr. President, more than 2 million Americans have served our Nation in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other post-9/11 missions around the world. Now, as these men and women return home, they are confronting yet another challenge--finding a job.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment among younger veterans has reached staggering proportions. Nearly one-third of all veterans aged 18-24--and more than half of female veterans in that range--are unemployed.

Roughly 800,000 veterans call Illinois home. And in 2010, Illinois' veteran unemployment rate was the fourth highest in the country.

That is why I joined with my good friend and colleague, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), in forming the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus. And 1 year later, 35 Senators and 46 Representatives from across the political spectrum have joined the effort.

We are bringing together government and business leaders, veteran service organizations, and educational institutions to identify solutions to reduce vets' unemployment. And I am proud to report that several Illinois employers, such as State Farm and Caterpillar are stepping up to help.

At a time when so many see a divided government, we owe it to our veterans to cast aside our differences and work across the aisle to help solve this problem.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. President, today I rise to honor the legacy of former VA Deputy Secretary Gordon Mansfield; a combat veteran, friend, and tireless advocate for our veterans. He passed away last week. Over the course of his distinguished career Gordon served his nation, its veterans, and those persevering through disabilities. He will be missed but his legacy remembered.

Like many in his generation, Gordon enlisted and served in Vietnam. During the Tet Offensive, while on his second combat tour, Gordon was wounded and sustained a spinal cord injury. He was awarded the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, and Presidential Unit Citation. While recovering from his injuries, Gordon earned his law degree, and upon moving back to Florida, began practicing law. He served as a counsel in a legal aid program devoted to assisting his fellow veterans.

From 1981 to 1989, Gordon served as the executive director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, advocating for disabled veterans' interests on a national level. His work at PVA was instrumental in standing up the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims as well as shaping landmark disabilities advocacy legislation. In 1989, Gordon joined the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and served as President George H.W. Bush's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. There he served as a strong advocate for accessible housing.

In 2001, Gordon once again answered the call to help veterans, joining Secretary Anthony Principi as the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2004, he became the Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, and served as Acting Secretary in 2007. During his time at the VA, Gordon oversaw the implementation of the post-9/11 GI bill and many other major transformation initiatives.

I worked closely with Gordon to establish the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, the Nation's first fully integrated Department of Defense-VA medical center. Only a few years before, a Washington consulting company recommended the closure of the North Chicago VA. Instead, the idea behind the Lovell FHCC was born.

Working with Gordon was a privilege, and through his dedication to this effort, we succeeded. Today, over 100,000 veterans, military servicemembers, and their families have access to state-of-the-art health care at the Lovell FHCC.

It is for this, and his many other accomplishments, that we thank and honor Gordon Mansfield for his service to this Nation.

Mr. President, I rise in support of the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013, which I am proud to have introduced with Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) this morning. There are an estimated 33,000 gangs with 1.4 million active members who live in our neighborhoods, towns and cities across the United States. With more than 100,000 gang members, the city of Chicago has more gang members who terrorize its residents than any other city in the United States. The Chicago Crime Commission also reported the existence of an additional 15,000 gang members operating in our suburbs.

Gangs like the Vice Lords, Gangster Disciples and the Latin Kings are responsible for nearly 80 percent of the city's homicides, which just last summer amounted to 500 deaths in Chicago. These homicides are most often perpetrated with illegal weapons. Law enforcement officers in Chicago confiscate an average of 13,000 illegal weapons each year. It must end.

That is why I have joined with Senator Gillibrand of New York to take serious action to prevent weapons trafficking and straw purchasing, where a third-party member legally purchases a firearm, then sells or trades it to a criminal who is legally barred from purchasing such a weapon. Our bill would be the first Federal law to criminalize the trafficking of illegal guns. This legislation also calls upon the sentencing commission to substantially increase the penalties for trafficking when committed by or in concert with gang members.

The Gun Trafficking Prevention Act keeps Americans safe by giving law enforcement the tools it needs to crack down on straw purchases, organizers of trafficking rings, and those involved in the conspiracy of trafficking while protecting the constitutional rights of responsible, law-abiding gun owners. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting and quickly passing this critical legislation.