Floor Statements

Mr. President, lying on the desk before us is a resolution relating to the Federal Communications Commission's June 2, 2003, ruling weakening the Nation's media ownership rules. I say very emphatically that those rules are not in the public interest and should be rescinded. I have laid that on the desk for my colleagues. I encourage all Members to get a copy of that and read it. I respectfully request that if anyone wants to be a cosponsor, I would love to have them cosponsor that today.

As we all know, 2 days ago, the Federal Communications Commission by a vote of 3 to 2 rolled back longstanding rules governing media ownership. This ruling eases the ban on cross-ownership of newspapers, television stations, and radio stations, and allows media corporations to own more outlets locally and nationwide.

The new rules have the potential of placing significant control over what the public sees and hears and reads in the hands of a small number of media conglomerates. Ultimately, having a few entities control a vast percentage of the American media market will stifle the diversity of ideas, viewpoints, and opinions.

It reminds me a little bit of Henry Ford who at one point told his customers that could order any color they wanted as long as it was black. I feel the same way--that we may be getting to that point with regard to our media; that we can see and read and hear anything we want as long as it comes through them.

The diversity of viewpoints is critical to our democracy. It is one of the foundations of American society and the American system of government. One thing we believe very strongly in America is the marketplace of ideas--a free and open and robust marketplace of ideas where people can exchange ideas and concepts freely and openly and not have that go through a national corporate conglomeration.

I am very confident that this proposed rule change sets the stage for homegeniztion--not diversification but homogenization. That is not a good thing for this country. It is not a good thing for our system.

Supporters of the FCC ruling say that the large media mergers do not stifle diversity. What they say is you can turn on cable right now and you get dozens--maybe hundreds--of channels in some systems, or you can turn on a radio station. But let me say this. Is it really diversity when the ideologies, the principles, and the viewpoints are being presented through the myopic lens of a singular, cookie-cutter point of view? I am concerned that is where we are getting to today with this ruling that will rush us headlong into this calamity.

I think if the majority of Americans look at this issue they would understand that it does; that this ruling does not promote diversity but, in fact, limits it.

There is a broad array of special interest groups, of consumer advocates, of civil rights and religious groups, small business, whatever--a broad array of interests--that are opposed. They are opposed to this ruling for very sound reasons. That is why I rise today to offer this resolution.

I also wish to take this moment to publicly support the efforts of Senator Ted Stevens and Senator Fritz Hollings because they are taking the lead in trying to codify the 35-percent ownership cap. I am not only supportive of their legislation but I am also a cosponsor.

This resolution is in no way competition to that but, in my view, this resolution is a logical extension of their efforts. It is unfortunate that we have to come here today to consider resolutions and legislation on this issue. The frustrations and the hostility out there in the public domain about this ruling and about corporate ownership of media outlets has been exacerbated by the FCC's inability to communicate to the public in rational terms and explain why this proposal is a good idea.

In spite of 2 years of study, we need more time to study this. So far, the advocates of this position have made a very unconvincing case.

One thing we need to understand in this country is that there is a fundamental difference in owning and operating a newspaper and in owning and operating regular television stations. Anyone today, if they chose to, could start a newspaper. All you really need in today's world is the ability to do some desk-top publishing and get out there and have a way to distribute your publication. But to have a radio station or a television station requires a license from the Government. That license is a sacred trust. It is a trust that they are going to have broadcasts in the community interest. They are going to have the programming that the community wants. They are going to play a vital role in our system when it comes to news and information and getting information out to the public which is important for them to have.

One example of the FCC's shortcoming on this issue is the fact that the FCC has made no case for examining the Spanish language media as a separate market. I think everybody in this room understands it is a separate market. But because they have not seen it as a separate market, they look at mergers and acquisitions and their analysis is skewed in favor of the merger and the acquisition.

Thank you, Mr. President and other Members of the Senate, for the indulgence and this time.

I would like to remind everyone that this is out here for everyone to look at. I would very much appreciate as many cosponsors as we could have. I think it is important that the Senate send a very clear message on this topic.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution I have at the desk be considered and agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. President, I would like to bring the Senate's attention to a matter important to Blytheville in Mississippi County, AR. Blytheville is the former home of Eaker Air Force Base. In 1992, Eaker closed and ended a 50-year legacy between the U.S. Air Force and the people of Blytheville. During Eaker's 50 years, the Air Force benefited from local support of Eaker--support that ensured an atmosphere where the Air Force could complete critical missions.

Today, a decade following Eaker's closure, the folks at Blytheville are trying to move forward and locate new businesses at the former base. Regrettably, abandoned, decaying buildings with asbestos siding and pipe insulation were left behind after the Air Force's departure and this environmental hazard is preventing any potential economic development on these lands. Our Federal Government regulations are clear concerning these types of hazards and the required remediation thereof. It is my understanding that many of these buildings were scheduled for demolition by the Air Force prior to the base closure. It is further my understanding that there is a potential for the asbestos to become airborne as these building begin to collapse.

Mississippi County currently has the highest unemployment rate in the State. It was not the intent of the base closure process to leave a local community with environmentally hazardous waste, however, this is precisely what has occurred. The county cannot relocate new business in the facilities until the cleanup is complete.

I want to bring closure to this issue and I hope that Chairman Warner and Senator Levin will join me in looking into this matter. I plan on contacting the Air Force to get a formal response to the environmental issues at the former Eaker Air Force Base. Again, I thank my colleagues for any support that they might provide in helping the people of Blytheville, AR.

Mr. President, this Memorial Day is an especially meaningful time for our Nation. It comes as the images of defending freedom and democracy are still fresh in our minds.

This weekend, we remember and honor the men and women who paid the ultimate price for their country. Flags fly at half-mast, relatives and friends place wreaths and flowers on the graves of their loved ones, and communities host parades adorned in red, while, and blue. In actuality, these tributes are small acts we perform in an effort to express our gratitude to those who have served the cause of freedom.

Since the time of the Civil War, communities have paid tribute to fallen soldiers with spontaneous gestures of remembrance. In May of 1868, GEN. John A. Logan officially recognized the public's desire to honor those who died in pursuit of liberty by declaring May 30 of each year a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. A century later, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation declaring, in part, that Memorial Day be held the last Monday of May every year.

Memorial Day weekend has since become a signal for family gatherings, barbeques, sales at the mall, trips to the beach, and the opening of community pools. We should celebrate our freedom but we must also remember that freedom is not free--it comes to us at a great cost. In our Nation's history, upwards of 40 million Americans have risked life and limb to defend our country and make the world a safer place. More than a million service men and women have died for our country. Moreover, 140,000 were taken as prisoners of war and many of them have never been accounted for. They are our Nation's heroes who acted selflessly throughout our history to bring forth freedom and opportunity for generations.

We also honor the families who bear the heaviest burden of liberty. Our fallen and missing soldiers were moms,

dads, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. They are not statistics but empty voids in their families' hearts. While the grief and pain for some may not have faded, I hope it is comforting for them to know that their fallen loves ones' cause was just.

In addition, let us remember that thousands of service men and women will spend this Memorial Day stationed in other countries defending our freedoms far away from their families. I join Americans today in a prayer for peace so that we can reunite them with their loves ones soon.

We take 1 day out of the year to honor our fallen soldiers but we benefit from their sacrifice each and every day. I hope that Arkansans will take a break from their Memorial Day activities to remember and honor our fallen soldiers. Let us display the noble patriotism for our country that our Armed Forces exemplify each day.

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to pay tribute to our men and women in uniform serving at home and abroad and honor their service to this Nation. Our service men and women have risen to the call in the fight against terrorism. They have risen to the call to ensure peace and stability in the world. And they have risen to the call to provide humanitarian aid to those in need.

One of the great aspects about America is our military. We have a history in our armed services, a rich and deep history of honor and integrity, and we see that firsthand in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I wish to acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice of two of our servicemen who fell in the line of duty: Hospital Corpsman Michael Vann Johnson, Jr., a 25-year-old Navy medic serving in the 3rd Battalion of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Force. Michael was born in Little Rock where his mother still lives. I talked with her by phone the other day. She is a soldier in her own right.

LCpl Thomas Blair was a 24-year-old marine whose father, Al Blair, resides in Gravette, AR.

They died very bravely, both serving their country and both trying to make life better for mankind. I pray for their families, and I honor them as brave and selfless men who put their lives on the line to make the world safer for others.

I also pray for Iraq and the Iraqi people. I pray that after Saddam Hussein leaves power and that regime ends, the next government in Iraq will be peaceful; that it will not be oppressive of its own people; that it will not be aggressive toward its neighbors; that Iraq will become a solid rock in the Middle East and in that part of the world and a model of stability.

I also honor the service of LCpl James, or as we know him, ``Jason,''

Smedley of the U.S. Marine Corps. Jason was wounded in combat and, by the grace of God, he is returning to us now. When not fighting for his country, he serves in the office of my colleague from Arkansas, Senator Blanche Lincoln, assisting Arkansans. We look forward to having Jason back, around and helping Arkansans in the many ways he does.

Military service is not a job; it is a calling. It takes a special person to pledge to serve their country, risking life and limb in doing so. It takes courage, commitment, and a true sense of self to be prepared to deploy and fight for America.

I have two young children, ages 7 and 9, and I think about the children of our military men and women. I think about the boys and girls whose fathers and mothers are far from home or working long hours in the United States. I want them to know we appreciate the sacrifices they are making, that we admire their valor in keeping their spirits up, and that their parents are doing a job that epitomizes the best in human character.

I pray to God for peace, for world peace, and for the safe return of our troops, and I thank God. I thank God for allowing me to serve the people of this Nation in this way. As a Senator and a member of the Armed Services Committee, I stand ready to work with my colleagues and the President to provide any and all support possible to ensure the success of our military forces conducting these operations.

Our Nation is one of diverse views, diverse ideologies, and diverse opinions. That is one of the aspects that make America great. We might not all agree on how we got to this point; nonetheless, we come together as one country to support the service men and women who are currently risking life and limb for this great Nation. They put themselves in harm's way not for personal aggrandizement or advancement but for immense love of country, liberty, and family.

If they can hear me today, I say be assured that the American people are behind you.

When appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee a few weeks ago, GEN John Keane, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, testified to the courage of our military personnel. He said, when asked what is their greatest challenge, his division commanders replied: Keeping our soldiers from being too brave. They are brave, but we want them to return home.

This is not just for our regular Armed Forces but also for our Reserves and our members of the National Guard. They all play a very key role in maintaining strong national defense. Just as we should thank our military overseas and at home, we should also thank our first responders who protect our hometowns. Firefighters, police, health care personnel, they risk their lives every day and sacrifice precious time with their families every day to keep us safe from those who would try to do us harm. Their commitment and contributions to national security and homeland security should not be forgotten. We all salute their spirit.

I urge all Americans to pray for our troops, their families and our President, as we defend our Nation and the world from those who seek to do us harm.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I concur and join in the comments of my esteemed colleague from Arizona and my colleague from Colorado on this very important amendment the Senate is now considering. I believe the Senate needs to send a very strong signal that we will not tolerate sexual misconduct at our military academies. It is not only important for the cadets and their families but also for the Nation.

Yesterday I received notice that a young woman in Arkansas has now been accepted to the Air Force Academy. I called her on the phone. She is excited, eager, ready to go. We talked about the situation at the U.S. Air Force Academy. I have no doubt it will be a great experience for her, it will be a great education, and she will excel and achieve great things in her military career.

As I continue to recommend that young men and women go to our military academies, I want to proceed with confidence and know they are going into a healthy environment. These institutions are institutions of honor. There have been dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct at the U.S. Air Force Academy. It is time we stop and honor these victims, that we listen to them.

One thing that became very clear the other day in the hearing we had was that there were a lot of facts we did not know. There is a lot of evidence we still need to uncover. We need a clear picture of the atmosphere at our military academies. We need to ensure this Nation, the Air Force, the cadets, and the families that when we send young men and women to the Air Force Academy, they are going to a constructive environment, they are going into a culture that will not tolerate sexual impropriety.

This is not about a witch hunt. It is not about pointing fingers. It is about admitting to a problem, identifying the problem, and making sure it never happens again.

I thank my colleague from Colorado for all of his hard work. The chairman of the committee also had a hand in this and is a cosponsor. We are honored to have him. I thank the Members of this body for their time and patience, especially Senator Stevens of Alaska, who has worked this in on short notice, along with Senator Byrd of West Virginia, who has been very kind with the time.

I yield the floor.

The only addition I would like to make is Senator Corzine would like to be added as a cosponsor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I may speak for up to 5 minutes on the pending bill.

Mr. President, in these halls we often talk about the need to provide our military personnel with the resources they need to complete their missions. We all acknowledge how unique and important our military personnel and their needs are to us.

It is our responsibility to have a comprehensive picture to know what we need to do to make life better for our men and women in uniform. By that I mean not only salary but that we need to understand their health care needs, their housing needs, pension needs, education needs, disability and employment benefits. It is very important, as we work in Iraq and around the world and as we keep America safe, that we, as Congress, have this important information.

Not long ago, I was in a hearing of the Armed Services Committee, of which I am a member, and we began discussing the home mortgage deduction. One thing I realized was the home mortgage deduction is a very important part of America's financial picture, but also it is an important cornerstone to the American way of life.

As I thought about the home mortgage deduction for military personnel, I realized that the Tax Code is cumbersome and complicated. I could not find one place, one document, that laid out all the provisions in the Tax Code designed to benefit our military personnel.

And on comes the military tax bill, this very important piece of legislation. I commend Senator Grassley and Senator Baucus for all their hard work on this bill. But I looked, and I saw a maze of Tax Code provisions, mainly for short-term solutions. Those are important, there is no question about it. But still, I could not find a comprehensive view of tax treatment for our Armed Forces.

So what I am proposing is very simple and very clear; that is, I would like to ask the GAO and the Departments of Defense and Treasury to provide us with a comprehensive study of the tax treatment of U.S. military personnel, along with a complete study of the financial conditions of our troops. And I would request they make recommendations on whether the Tax Code could be used to improve the unique financial conditions of our troops.

This powerful information will help this Congress, help this administration, and also help our men and women in uniform. This one document could be a very powerful tool for us to help our men and women in uniform.

However, at this juncture, I do not want to slow down, in any way, this

very important bill on which Senator Grassley and Senator Baucus have spent so much time. I support their efforts to move this bill through quickly. We all understand how important that is.

Therefore, I am not asking that my amendment be adopted. But what I am asking, very respectfully, is that Senators Grassley and Baucus join me in a letter asking the GAO to do what our amendment otherwise would accomplish. I thank them for their hard work, and I thank them for their leadership on these very important issues, issues the American people are very concerned with, and issues on which they have shown great leadership.

Mr. President, yesterday our mission to disarm the Iraqi regime began. It is my hope that our actions will deliver the people of Iraq from a brutal dictator and help bring peace and stability to a volatile region.

Our commanders in the field have developed an operations plan that will maximize the power of our forces, and I have no doubts about their capabilities to successfully achieve their military objectives.

I commend the President for promptly addressing the Nation last night. It is important that he continues to keep Congress and the public informed of our military actions and the status of our mission. And I agree with his assessment that we should not view this war in terms of timetables. To speculate at this point would be counterproductive. Rather, we should view this conflict in terms of meeting our strategic and tactical goals.

As a Senator and member of the Armed Services Committee, I stand ready to work with my colleagues and the President to provide any and all support possible to ensure the success of our military forces conducting these operations.

Our Nation is a nation of diverse views, ideologies, and opinions. We might not all agree on how or why we arrived at this point; nonetheless, we must come together as a country and support those service men and women who are currently risking life and limb.

As we stand here today, over 300,000 United States military personnel, including a number of Arkansans, are forward deployed in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Turkey, and the waters and skies all around the world and at bases around the country. They put themselves in harm's way not for personal aggrandizement or advancement, but for immense love of country, liberty, and family. If they can hear me today, I say be assured, for the American people are behind you.

When appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee a few weeks ago, GEN John Keane, Vice Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army, testified to the courage of our military personnel. He said when asked what their greatest challenge was, his division commanders replied ``keeping our soldiers from being too brave.'' We owe these men and women overseas and at home not only our gratitude, but also our very existence as the only country on Earth committed to promoting and spreading the ideals of democracy. Our military has kept us safe for over 200 years. We cannot thank them enough.

Just as we should thank our military overseas and at home, we should thank our first responders that protect our hometowns. Firefighters, police, and health care personnel risk their lives and sacrifice precious time with their families every day to keep us safe from those who would try to do us harm. Their commitment and contributions to national security and homeland security should not be forgotten.

Mr. President, I urge all Americans to pray for our troops, their families, and our President as we defend our Nation and the world from those that seek to do us harm.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to speak in morning business for up to 25 minutes.

Mr. President, I rise today to discuss an issue that is important to many people throughout the State of Arkansas and indeed throughout this country. I rise to express my disappointment with the budget as it pertains to law enforcement programs and, in particular, community policing.

I believe the budget shortchanges smaller communities and grossly underfunds programs that have put more police officers on the street, reduced crime in rural areas, curbed drug abuse, and put at-risk youth back on the right track.

Mr. President, this budget cuts funding to the Community Oriented Policing Services--known by its acronym COPS--by 85 percent. That is 85 percent. This program was funded at $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2002. President Bush proposes only $164 million for the COPS program in fiscal year 2004. The administration's budget request for COPS represents a 100 percent cut to the COPS universal hiring program, and a 100 percent cut to the ``COPS in school'' program. In fact, the only program that is funded under this budget is the COPS technology program, and even that has been cut by 66 percent.

From its inception, COPS has awarded just over $8 billion to local and State law enforcement agencies across the country. With grant money, departments have hired over 110,000 community police officers, in addition to purchasing technological upgrades and equipment.

The COPS Program was established to focus on crime prevention and community engagement. This breaks with traditional notions of law enforcement by moving from reactive responses to proactive problem solving, focusing on the causes of crime and disorder. Community- oriented policing requires much more interaction on the neighborhood and community level than previous policing efforts.

In Arkansas, we have been able to hire over 1,300 additional officers with the $83 million we have received. We have also used that money to combat methamphetamine use and to implement the COPS Program in schools.

A February 3 article in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, my State's largest newspaper, stated the reason given by this administration for cutting funding is that COPS has ``not produced conclusive results in lowering crime.''

I speak today not only as a Senator, but also as the former chief law enforcement officer of Arkansas, and I wholeheartedly disagree with this administration's assessment of these very important programs.

I have worked closely with law enforcement officers of my State to make Arkansas a safer place and a better place to raise a family. They are strong leaders in their communities and demonstrate the character and the courage that define us as a nation. Together, we are able to keep over 1,000 criminals off the street due to their work on the front lines.

Oftentimes, these police officers work in smaller rural communities. They operate under tighter budgets with smaller staffs than most of their urban counterparts. Nonetheless, they put their lives on the line every single day. They make real differences in people's lives, and they do it with professionalism and an attitude of public service. They do it because it is the right thing to do. They do not do it because it is easy or because it is pleasant, and, Lord knows, they do not do it for the money. They are not asking for much in return.

I wish to take this time to thank all law enforcement officials for the work they do. I especially thank Sheriff Marty Montgomery of Faulkner County, Sheriff Ron Ball of Hot Spring County, and Sheriff Chuck Lange of the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association. They are in Washington today as part of their national association's meeting. I thank them not only for their commitment to public service and to keeping our communities safer--combined they have 87 years of law enforcement experience--but I also thank them for sharing with me their insights into the COPS Program and helping to demonstrate just how important the program is to them and other local law enforcement.

You see, Mr. President, to them, this funding could mean the difference between life and death. This past Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Faulkner County sheriff's deputy, Brad Brocker, was called to investigate a suspicious person call in a high drug-use area. When Deputy Brocker arrived on the scene, he was met with three bullets to the heart in the upper chest. Luckily, he was wearing his bulletproof vest, but he risked his life to make his community and, yes, even his Nation, safer and better. But there is more to the story.

The Kevlar vest he was wearing was paid for by Federal grant money, and Deputy Brocker was originally hired as a deputy under the COPS Program. Putting this Federal money back into our communities works. In fact, Faulkner County, with its 90,000 citizens and spanning 700 square miles, has used COPS funding to hire 12 officers in the past few years. Twelve may not sound like a lot, but it constitutes half of the Faulkner County sheriff's police force. It has made a difference.

In the last 7 years, the arrest rates for burglary, robbery, and methamphetamine production have all gone up. Any one of my colleagues who lives in a rural State can surely tell you about their problems with the use and the production of methamphetamine. It has become an epidemic throughout rural America.

Last year alone, the Faulkner County Sheriff's Office seized 44 labs and shut them down for good. Sheriff Montgomery is proud of that accomplishment, as he should be, but he warns that by cutting law enforcement programs, such as COPS, the steps they have taken forward will be lost, and they cannot sustain the manpower and law enforcement presence in their county.

I believe we have a duty to support legislation, programs, and budgets to address the challenges facing law enforcement agencies in rural areas in Arkansas and all across the country, in communities such as Malvern, a small city in southwest Arkansas. Richard Taft is the police chief of the Malvern Police Department. Mr. Taft has 32 years of experience in law enforcement and 10 years as Malvern's police chief. When Chief Taft took over in 1993, the Malvern police force consisted of 14 people responsible for protecting a city of over 10,000 citizens. As Chief Taft put it to me one day: I didn't have enough officers to protect my officers, much less the citizens of Malvern.

In 1993, according to Chief Taft, crime was rampant. Robberies, drive-by shootings, and burglaries occurred on a weekly basis. Since instituting the COPS Program and utilizing its grant funding, crime is down. The Malvern police force today is 22 people strong. With the additional manpower, Malvern has assembled a special crime team with the ability to respond to critical incidents, including chemical spills and missing persons. They did not have that ability before. COPS funding has allowed the Malvern Police Department to free up some of their money for other necessities, such as computers and radios.

Chief Taft says:

Without the COPS Program, I wouldn't have a police force.

Yet this administration says there is no conclusive evidence that the COPS Program works? I disagree with that. More importantly, there are scores of law enforcement officials who would also stand up to dispute that claim.

In 1993, Little Rock, AR, had the highest violent crime rate per capita in the country. By working with the Federal Government, using the COPS Program, and their own additional hires, the Little Rock Police Department bolstered their force and violent crime has dropped by 60 percent.

Chuck Lange, the head of the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association, knows the significant impact the COPS Program has had statewide--and I am sure sheriffs in other States can tell you the same thing--by putting more police officers on the street. He knows that more officers have helped shorten response time. That is especially important in sprawling rural communities. He knows that time is not a luxury afforded to crime victims. I know it as

well. It may be because my grandfather, my great-grandfather, and my great-great-grandfather were all sheriffs of Ouachita County.

Hot Spring Sheriff Ron Ball told me that in his county the COPS Program has enabled him to direct more time and resources to curbing domestic violence.

He knows that if his department doesn't do a better job of protecting the abused, they have nowhere else to turn.

And these law enforcement officers all know and have all told me that if we let these drastic COPS funding cuts stand, rural America will suffer.

The list of law enforcement officials opposed to these cuts is long, but the opposition is not only limited to law enforcement. There are many mayors, community activists, and school administrators who also realize the importance of this program; school administrators like Dr. Benny Gooden.

Dr. Gooden is the superintendent of schools in Fort Smith, AR. He oversees 26 schools with 12,500 students. Dr. Gooden knows how successful the COPS in Schools program has been. He knows that COPS is an asset to this community and to his schools. The presence of friendly, approachable police officers, known as School Resource Officers, on their campuses and in their neighborhoods has had a calming effect on Fort Smith schools.

Since the implementation of the COPS program in Fort Smith schools, Dr. Gooden has witnessed a decline in violent incidents. Over the past few years suspensions have decreased by 65 percent. Expulsions have been reduced by 80 percent. The drop-out rate has been cut in half.

When talking about the positive effect of the COPS in Schools program, Dr. Gooden calls it a powerful relationship; a win-win for both the schools and the community. Because the police officers are in the community and in the schools and are connected to the students and their families, officers can better identify and proactively defuse any potential problems there may be.

Often times problems that are found in schools begin in the neighborhood and in the home. Police officers in Fort Smith recognize this and are in a better position to resolve such problems.

Dr. Gooden has also witnessed, first-hand, the affirmative impact of this program on a child's educational experience. The officers interact with students. Some officers have offices in the schools. They are invited to school activities. These officers do not just show up when there is trouble, they are positive role models for Fort Smith's children and are involved in their lives. They spend time with students and in the community when there is no trouble and that presence, can make all the difference.

These positive results are not limited to Fort Smith nor are they only appreciated by the administrators. As Arkansas Attorney General, I spent a lot of time in schools talking to our young people, and move importantly listening. Over and over the students told me how much they liked having School Resource Officers on campus. It made them feel safer, it provided a needed role model and it oftentimes provided an adult they could talk to. It showed our children that their community cared about them and gave them a much better perspective on law enforcement.

We must also not forget the importance of these police officers as an integral part of our homeland defense and as first responders in the case of terrorist attacks. September 11 changed a lot of things for our country. It woke us to the need of genuine partnerships that involve all segments of our communities, and all levels of government. We all have a role in keeping our community safe, and overall when we talk about homeland security, we need to give serious thought to our law enforcement needs.

Unfortunately, we saw how September 11 strained the resources, and the budgets, of many towns and cities. The administration's law enforcement budget does not help that problem. Our civilian authorities must be able to respond to whatever may confront them in the future, but how can they properly respond, when they are given a budget that cuts deep into their existence? The irony is that I have heard Secretary Ridge speak many times about how important local law enforcement agencies are to homeland security, but at the very moment when our Nation needs them most, we are drastically cutting assistance to them.

The Federal Government must ensure that local governments are given the resources to complete their task and that we share the responsibilities for homeland security wisely and fairly. I know that Democrats and Republicans alike agree with this. I know Secretary Ridge agrees with this. I know that President Bush agrees with this.

President Bush said on February 20 regarding the 2003 omnibus appropriations that he was concerned that the Congress had failed to provide over $1 billion in funds for State and local law enforcement and emergency personnel. He went on to lament that the shortfall for homeland security first responder programs was more than $2.2 billion.

For the record, I share President Bush's concern, but shortchanging our local law enforcement efforts by under funding the critical, popular and effective COPS program is not the answer. I take a line from Chief Taft of the Malvern Police Department put it best when he said: ``Doing away with the COPS Program, when we are so concerned with homeland security is the wrong thing to do.'' I could not agree more.

Much is made of the word ``hero.'' Before September 11, to pick up a magazine or to put on the television, hero was synonymous with professional athletes, movie stars, or musicians. But September 11 reminded us that real heroes are right in our own backyard. While everyone was rushing out of the World Trade Center, EMT, firefighters and police officers were rushing in. That is the definition of ``hero.''

Local law enforcement officers protect our communities, our homes and our families from the threat of violent crime. Simply put, they stand up for justice. I believe we must do more to stand up for them. They need funding to do their jobs properly and deliver the same quality service that our citizens expect and deserve, whether they live in New York City, or Des Arc, AR.

During the upcoming budget debate, I will support increasing funding for the COPS program and other law enforcement programs. I would urge my colleagues to do the same. I also plan to be a proud co-sponsor of Senator Joe Biden's legislation to reauthorize the COPS program.

We need to build on what we know works and develop initiatives that respond to the law enforcement needs of our communities. The COPS program works and deserves adequate funding. These communities who benefit from this program deserve it as well.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator from Tennessee for his kind words and express to him once again, as I have done privately and personally, I look forward to working with him on the issues that are so important to him, whether they be education or whatever they may be. It is an honor to serve with him.