Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation that will help our Nation's reservists and members of the National Guard who have been called to active duty.

Since 1991, the U.S. military has significantly scaled down its troop levels to reflect the end of the Cold War. With the reduction of active duty troops, the military has become increasingly dependent on the Reserves and National Guard to supplement troops who have been sent to deal with crises all over the world.

In addition to this, we have had to rely on an increasingly diverse group of people to fight our wars. The conflict in Afghanistan was heavily reliant on new technologies in the air and personnel intensive techniques on the ground. In order to properly execute the war on terror, we have relied on highly skilled individuals such as linguists and Civil Affairs personnel who have worked closely with the population of Afghanistan. We will have to rely on them again in Iraq. Many of these men and women have been reservists.

These two trends reflect a dramatic shift in the structure of our armed forces. Gone are the Cold War days when we had a massive military positioned all over the globe. We are now reliant on a much leaner force, which views the Reserves and National Guard as necessary components to any conflict, and not forces of last resort.

Between 1945 and 1989, a period which encompassed most of the Cold War, reservists and Guardsmen were called up four times: during the Korean War, the Berlin Crisis of 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War. A majority of those mobilized during this period were called up during the Korean War, when over 800,000 troops were activated to supplement the 900,000 active duty forces fighting in Korea.

Between 1990 and today, reservists and Guardsmen have been called up six separate times. Over 230,000 reservists and Guardsmen were mobilized for the Gulf War, forming nearly half of the force that drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Since then, reservists and Guardsmen have been activated for the Haiti Intervention, the ongoing Bosnian Peacekeeping mission, the ongoing patrol of the No Fly Zones in Iraq, the Kosovo conflict, and the War on Terrorism which has seen 151,348 reservists and Guardsmen activated in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. Many of them are in the Persian Gulf Region today.

Over the past ten years, the OPTEMPO of the Reserves has increased by fifty percent.

This OPTEMPO has had a significant strain on reservists and their families. In almost every instance, when a reservist or Guardsman is activated, their military salary is significantly smaller then their civilian salary. In many cases, service member's income is cut in half. This places a particular strain to reservists and Guardsmen as their household budget is structured by their civilian salary. The decrease in income that activation brings makes it increasingly difficult to pay the bills. Whether or not the Nation is at war, mortgages, rent, credit card debt, student loans, and other household expenses must be paid.

When we send our fighting men and women into harm's way, it is important that they concentrate on one

thing: their mission. When Guardsmen and reservists are worried about having enough money for rent of the mortgage or whether their children have enough to see a doctor, they cannot concentrate on the mission, and this becomes a readiness issue.

Many corporations volunteer to make up the difference between the military and civilian salaries of their Guardsmen and reservists. Not only do these employers sacrifice important members of their companies for national defense, they hold their jobs for them and they voluntarily choose to continue paying them. In some instances, employers have continued to provide health insurance and other benefits. This represents a significant burden that the employer has undertaken, in order to ensure that their employees and their families are taken care of during times of national emergency.

In order to alleviate the burden that these employers face and to encourage more employers to pay the difference to Reserve and Guard employees, I have drafted legislation that would provide an incentive for employers to make up the difference between the military and civilian pay of activated reservists. The Reservists and Guardsmen Pay Protection Act of 2003 provides a tax credit to employers who continue paying their service members after they are activated. It also requires the Federal Government to make up the difference between civilian and military pay for Federal employees who are activated.

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

Mr. President, many bills were introduced in the last Congress that would lower the age at

which Reservists can receive retirement benefits. Most of these bills were met with resistance from the Department of Defense, due to cost estimates over a 10-year period. It is my hope that his Bill, the Reserve Retirement and Retention Act of 2003, will serve as a compromise measure and deliver retirement benefits to Reservists and Guardsmen at an earlier age. This legislation would lower the retirement age of a Reservist by one year for every 2-year period that he or she serves past the requisite 20 years for retirement. For example, if a Reservist should serve for 22 years, he or she could receive retirement benefits at age 59. This legislation will serve as a critical tool in encouraging the most experienced Reservists and Guardsmen to stay past the 20-year mark. It is my hope that this measure will encourage our Reservists and Guardsmen to stay in their units longer, while making their retirement benefits more generous for them and their families.

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

Mr. President, When the President give the order to activate reservists and National Guardsmen, the lives of those men and women are put on hold. Businesses, careers, and families are left behind so that America's interests may be served. Students make up a substantial part of our National Guard and Reserve forces. When these students are activated, it jeopardizes their academic standing, as well as their scholarships and grants. This bill would preserve their academic standing for the duration of their service as well as a one year period that follows that service. It would also preserve their scholarships and grants, as well as entitle them to a refund of unused tuition and fees. Federal law already safeguards the employment status of activated reservists and Guardsmen. It is time that we extend the same guarantee to students.

This legislation would require colleges, universities, and community colleges to grant National Guardsmen and reservists a leave of military absence when they are called to active duty. This leave of absence would last while the student is serving on active duty and a one year period at the conclusion of active service. This bill would preserve the academic credits that the student had earned before being activated. It would also preserve the scholarships and grants awarded to the student before being activated. Under this legislation, students would be entitled to receive a refund of tuition and fees or credit the tuition and fees to the next period of enrollment after the student returns from military leave. If a student elects to receive a refund, it would allow them to receive a full refund, minus the percentage of time the student spent enrolled in classes.

The protections that are already afforded our reservists and Guardsmen are appropriate considering the hardships they endure on the nation's behalf. We need to acknowledge the many college students who are in the ranks of the Guard and Reserve and extend to them the protections they deserve. In this day of uncertainty on the world stage, our reservists must be prepared to be called up at a moments notice. Thousands have already been activated for Operations Enduring Freedom, and many thousands more are either in Kuwait or on their way there. Once they get to their duty station, they need to focus all of their attention on the mission. This legislation provides our student reservists with the proper safeguards on their academic career which will allow them to accomplish their mission.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation that will help our Nation's reservists and members of the National Guard who have been called to active duty.

Since 1991, the U.S. military has significantly scaled down its troop levels to reflect the end of the Cold War. With the reduction of active duty troops, the military has become increasingly dependent on the Reserves and National Guard to supplement troops who have been sent to deal with crises all over the world.

In addition to this, we have had to rely on an increasingly diverse group of people to fight our wars. The conflict in Afghanistan was heavily reliant on new technologies in the air and personnel intensive techniques on the ground. In order to properly execute the war on terror, we have relied on highly skilled individuals such as linguists and Civil Affairs personnel who have worked closely with the population of Afghanistan. We will have to rely on them again in Iraq. Many of these men and women have been reservists.

These two trends reflect a dramatic shift in the structure of our armed forces. Gone are the Cold War days when we had a massive military positioned all over the globe. We are now reliant on a much leaner force, which views the Reserves and National Guard as necessary components to any conflict, and not forces of last resort.

Between 1945 and 1989, a period which encompassed most of the Cold War, reservists and Guardsmen were called up four times: during the Korean War, the Berlin Crisis of 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War. A majority of those mobilized during this period were called up during the Korean War, when over 800,000 troops were activated to supplement the 900,000 active duty forces fighting in Korea.

Between 1990 and today, reservists and Guardsmen have been called up six separate times. Over 230,000 reservists and Guardsmen were mobilized for the Gulf War, forming nearly half of the force that drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Since then, reservists and Guardsmen have been activated for the Haiti Intervention, the ongoing Bosnian Peacekeeping mission, the ongoing patrol of the No Fly Zones in Iraq, the Kosovo conflict, and the War on Terrorism which has seen 151,348 reservists and Guardsmen activated in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. Many of them are in the Persian Gulf Region today.

Over the past ten years, the OPTEMPO of the Reserves has increased by fifty percent.

This OPTEMPO has had a significant strain on reservists and their families. In almost every instance, when a reservist or Guardsman is activated, their military salary is significantly smaller then their civilian salary. In many cases, service member's income is cut in half. This places a particular strain to reservists and Guardsmen as their household budget is structured by their civilian salary. The decrease in income that activation brings makes it increasingly difficult to pay the bills. Whether or not the Nation is at war, mortgages, rent, credit card debt, student loans, and other household expenses must be paid.

When we send our fighting men and women into harm's way, it is important that they concentrate on one

thing: their mission. When Guardsmen and reservists are worried about having enough money for rent of the mortgage or whether their children have enough to see a doctor, they cannot concentrate on the mission, and this becomes a readiness issue.

Many corporations volunteer to make up the difference between the military and civilian salaries of their Guardsmen and reservists. Not only do these employers sacrifice important members of their companies for national defense, they hold their jobs for them and they voluntarily choose to continue paying them. In some instances, employers have continued to provide health insurance and other benefits. This represents a significant burden that the employer has undertaken, in order to ensure that their employees and their families are taken care of during times of national emergency.

In order to alleviate the burden that these employers face and to encourage more employers to pay the difference to Reserve and Guard employees, I have drafted legislation that would provide an incentive for employers to make up the difference between the military and civilian pay of activated reservists. The Reservists and Guardsmen Pay Protection Act of 2003 provides a tax credit to employers who continue paying their service members after they are activated. It also requires the Federal Government to make up the difference between civilian and military pay for Federal employees who are activated.

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

Mr. President, many bills were introduced in the last Congress that would lower the age at

which Reservists can receive retirement benefits. Most of these bills were met with resistance from the Department of Defense, due to cost estimates over a 10-year period. It is my hope that his Bill, the Reserve Retirement and Retention Act of 2003, will serve as a compromise measure and deliver retirement benefits to Reservists and Guardsmen at an earlier age. This legislation would lower the retirement age of a Reservist by one year for every 2-year period that he or she serves past the requisite 20 years for retirement. For example, if a Reservist should serve for 22 years, he or she could receive retirement benefits at age 59. This legislation will serve as a critical tool in encouraging the most experienced Reservists and Guardsmen to stay past the 20-year mark. It is my hope that this measure will encourage our Reservists and Guardsmen to stay in their units longer, while making their retirement benefits more generous for them and their families.

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

Mr. President, When the President give the order to activate reservists and National Guardsmen, the lives of those men and women are put on hold. Businesses, careers, and families are left behind so that America's interests may be served. Students make up a substantial part of our National Guard and Reserve forces. When these students are activated, it jeopardizes their academic standing, as well as their scholarships and grants. This bill would preserve their academic standing for the duration of their service as well as a one year period that follows that service. It would also preserve their scholarships and grants, as well as entitle them to a refund of unused tuition and fees. Federal law already safeguards the employment status of activated reservists and Guardsmen. It is time that we extend the same guarantee to students.

This legislation would require colleges, universities, and community colleges to grant National Guardsmen and reservists a leave of military absence when they are called to active duty. This leave of absence would last while the student is serving on active duty and a one year period at the conclusion of active service. This bill would preserve the academic credits that the student had earned before being activated. It would also preserve the scholarships and grants awarded to the student before being activated. Under this legislation, students would be entitled to receive a refund of tuition and fees or credit the tuition and fees to the next period of enrollment after the student returns from military leave. If a student elects to receive a refund, it would allow them to receive a full refund, minus the percentage of time the student spent enrolled in classes.

The protections that are already afforded our reservists and Guardsmen are appropriate considering the hardships they endure on the nation's behalf. We need to acknowledge the many college students who are in the ranks of the Guard and Reserve and extend to them the protections they deserve. In this day of uncertainty on the world stage, our reservists must be prepared to be called up at a moments notice. Thousands have already been activated for Operations Enduring Freedom, and many thousands more are either in Kuwait or on their way there. Once they get to their duty station, they need to focus all of their attention on the mission. This legislation provides our student reservists with the proper safeguards on their academic career which will allow them to accomplish their mission.

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

The Senator's understanding of the purpose of this appropration is correct. Furthermore, through this appropriation a good-faith partnership between the Federal Government, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the marina lessee, the marina will be restored for the benefit of all District of Columbia citizens.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak on an issue of great importance to our military retirees. This issue I want to address is the Survivor's Benefit Plan and the need to eliminate the Social Security offset.

The Survivor's Benefit Plan, SBP, has been in existence for nearly 30 years. Under this plan, military retirees may contribute part of their monthly retirement pay to the SBP, with the knowledge that after their death, their spouses can continue to receive 55 percent of their monthly retirement pay. But, when the surviving spouse reaches the age of 62, something disturbing happens. At the age of 62, the widow or widower of a military retiree sees his or her payments under the SBP shrink to 35 percent. This reduction is an offset for the Social Security payments that the survivor has begun to collect.

The survivors of military retirees find this to be unjust, and rightly so. The SBP is a fund that their spouses payed into, with the expectation that their survivors would be taken care of

after they pass away. The SBP is not a lavish monthly payment, but reflects the low salaries that men and women on active duty receive. In a recent article in the Shreveport Times, Billie Combs, who is 73, and is the widow of an Air Force Master Sergeant commented on the strain that the Social Security Offset imposes on their budget. She said: ``It curtails my spending. It stops me from buying the things that I need; I just cut back and make sure that I have enough to carry me through to the next month.''

The legislation that I introduce today would slowly phase out the social security offset to Survivor Benefit Plan, reducing it significantly by 2007, and completely erasing it by 2013.

Those who choose the military as their profession don't do it for the money. They do it because they have a love for country. They have a love for country that runs so deep, they would gladly sacrifice their lives in defense of the homeland. Despite the extreme sacrifice our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines are willing to make, they are not well compensated. And we don't just ask the servicemen to sacrifice, we ask their families to make a sacrifice. They endure long periods of separation, they live in military housing which in many cases is substandard, and we ask them to get by on low pay. The least we can do for our servicemen is to given them a decent retirement system. The very least we can do for their widows, is to restore the funds that are unjustly removed from their survivor's benefit plan.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to speak on an issue of great importance to our military retirees. This issue I want to address is the Survivor's Benefit Plan and the need to eliminate the Social Security offset.

The Survivor's Benefit Plan, SBP, has been in existence for nearly 30 years. Under this plan, military retirees may contribute part of their monthly retirement pay to the SBP, with the knowledge that after their death, their spouses can continue to receive 55 percent of their monthly retirement pay. But, when the surviving spouse reaches the age of 62, something disturbing happens. At the age of 62, the widow or widower of a military retiree sees his or her payments under the SBP shrink to 35 percent. This reduction is an offset for the Social Security payments that the survivor has begun to collect.

The survivors of military retirees find this to be unjust, and rightly so. The SBP is a fund that their spouses payed into, with the expectation that their survivors would be taken care of

after they pass away. The SBP is not a lavish monthly payment, but reflects the low salaries that men and women on active duty receive. In a recent article in the Shreveport Times, Billie Combs, who is 73, and is the widow of an Air Force Master Sergeant commented on the strain that the Social Security Offset imposes on their budget. She said: ``It curtails my spending. It stops me from buying the things that I need; I just cut back and make sure that I have enough to carry me through to the next month.''

The legislation that I introduce today would slowly phase out the social security offset to Survivor Benefit Plan, reducing it significantly by 2007, and completely erasing it by 2013.

Those who choose the military as their profession don't do it for the money. They do it because they have a love for country. They have a love for country that runs so deep, they would gladly sacrifice their lives in defense of the homeland. Despite the extreme sacrifice our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines are willing to make, they are not well compensated. And we don't just ask the servicemen to sacrifice, we ask their families to make a sacrifice. They endure long periods of separation, they live in military housing which in many cases is substandard, and we ask them to get by on low pay. The least we can do for our servicemen is to given them a decent retirement system. The very least we can do for their widows, is to restore the funds that are unjustly removed from their survivor's benefit plan.

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

Madam President, I rise today in celebration of Black History Month and a true American hero, General Daniel ``Chappie'' James, Jr. To commemorate Daniel ``Chappie'' James' life, I submit a resolution, today, to create a postage stamp in his honor. General James was a patriot for his country and broke down racial walls in the Armed Forces for all people of color. Not only was General James the first African American four-star general in the Air Force, but he was the first African American four-star general in any service. Regrettably, too few Americans know of his heroism and contributions to the United States.

General James dedicated his career to the defense of the United States and improving the plight of Blacks in the military. ``Chappie'' James learned to fly as a student at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In 1943 he was commissioned in the segregated U.S. Army Air Corps. He was a member and trainer of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. Due to harsh prejudice, White officers doubted Blacks could be competent pilots, but the Tuskegee Airmen answered all critics by remarkably executing over 200 dangerous escort missions for American bombers during World War II without losing a single bomber. Following World War II, General James flew 179 fighter missions over Korea and North Vietnam. He commanded the Bolo MiG sweep over North Vietnam which destroyed seven North Vietnamese MiG-21s--the highest total kill of any one Air Force mission during the Vietnam War.

Throughout his life in the Air Force, Chappie James continued to break the color barrier. It was not an easy task, as it was fraught with road blocks. Nevertheless, General James pressed on to become a Brigadier General and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs in 1970. In 1975, Daniel James achieved the rank of General and was named chief-of-staff of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

General James never forgot the struggles he faced as a Black man in the United States military, but his love for America never wavered. General James sought to right the wrongs he encountered, not run from them. In summation of his 35 years in the Air Corps and Air Force, he said, ``I've fought in three wars and three more wouldn't be too many to defend my country. I love America and as she has weaknesses or ills, I'll hold her hand.'' General James spent a life-time in service to his country and curing her of her weakness and ills. We should aspire to the same and continue his fight for equality.

To commemorate General James' life, I am submitting a resolution, today, to create a postage stamp in his honor. I hope my colleagues will support this measure and join me paying tribute to a great American.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to pay tribute to one of our Nation's most prominent individuals, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Coin Act of 2003 instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins to recognize Dr. King's contribution to the people of the United States. Revenues from the surcharge on the coin would go to the Library of Congress to purchase and maintain historical documents and other materials associated with the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. This honor is long overdue.

His contributions to our Nation are well known and well documented. From 1955 when he helped lead the Montgomery Boycott to his death at the hands of an assassin in 1968, Dr. King dedicated his life to the cause of civil rights. In those 13 years, he was jailed several times, got cursed at and stoned by mobs, reviled by racist attacks in the South. Civil rights marches for freedoms we take for granted today like the right to vote or drink from the same water fountain, were met with police dogs and fire hoses.

Honoring Dr. King also means honoring those local leaders in the civil rights struggle who kept Dr. King's vision alive at the grassroots. In my particular home State of Louisiana, Rev. Dr. T.J. Jemison led a successful bus boycott in our State capital Baton Rouge. He became an advisor to Dr. King during the Montgomery Bus boycott. Many of these local leaders faced constant danger at home. One Louisianan, Dr. C.O. Simpkins of Shreveport had his home bombed simply because he dared to stand by Dr. King and demand that the buses in Shreveport be integrated.

But Dr. King urged us to fight hate with love, quell violence with peace, and to replace ignorance with understanding. He believed in a higher calling for America. In his famous ``I Have a Dream'' speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, he called on America to live up to its creed, that all men were created equal. America heeded his call by passing landmark civil rights legislation in 1958 and 1964. For his work, he received the Novel Peace Prize in 1964. At 35 years old, Dr. King was the youngest recipient of the Peace Prize.

Today, our Nation is a better place than it was just 40 years ago. It is truly remarkable how much this nation has changed in the lifetimes of virtually everyone currently serving in the Senate. Our nation has made great strides forward, but race relations in our country are not perfect. But we are working to get there.

A nineteenth century rabbi named Zadok Rabinwitz said that ``A man's

dreams are an index to his greatness.'' Dr. King had a dream. His dream is becoming our nation's reality. By any measure his dreams were great and they made a great Nation even greater. I urge my colleagues to support the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Coin Act of 2003.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to pay tribute to one of our Nation's most prominent individuals, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Coin Act of 2003 instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins to recognize Dr. King's contribution to the people of the United States. Revenues from the surcharge on the coin would go to the Library of Congress to purchase and maintain historical documents and other materials associated with the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. This honor is long overdue.

His contributions to our Nation are well known and well documented. From 1955 when he helped lead the Montgomery Boycott to his death at the hands of an assassin in 1968, Dr. King dedicated his life to the cause of civil rights. In those 13 years, he was jailed several times, got cursed at and stoned by mobs, reviled by racist attacks in the South. Civil rights marches for freedoms we take for granted today like the right to vote or drink from the same water fountain, were met with police dogs and fire hoses.

Honoring Dr. King also means honoring those local leaders in the civil rights struggle who kept Dr. King's vision alive at the grassroots. In my particular home State of Louisiana, Rev. Dr. T.J. Jemison led a successful bus boycott in our State capital Baton Rouge. He became an advisor to Dr. King during the Montgomery Bus boycott. Many of these local leaders faced constant danger at home. One Louisianan, Dr. C.O. Simpkins of Shreveport had his home bombed simply because he dared to stand by Dr. King and demand that the buses in Shreveport be integrated.

But Dr. King urged us to fight hate with love, quell violence with peace, and to replace ignorance with understanding. He believed in a higher calling for America. In his famous ``I Have a Dream'' speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, he called on America to live up to its creed, that all men were created equal. America heeded his call by passing landmark civil rights legislation in 1958 and 1964. For his work, he received the Novel Peace Prize in 1964. At 35 years old, Dr. King was the youngest recipient of the Peace Prize.

Today, our Nation is a better place than it was just 40 years ago. It is truly remarkable how much this nation has changed in the lifetimes of virtually everyone currently serving in the Senate. Our nation has made great strides forward, but race relations in our country are not perfect. But we are working to get there.

A nineteenth century rabbi named Zadok Rabinwitz said that ``A man's

dreams are an index to his greatness.'' Dr. King had a dream. His dream is becoming our nation's reality. By any measure his dreams were great and they made a great Nation even greater. I urge my colleagues to support the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Coin Act of 2003.

Mr. President, our Nation continues to mourn the terrible tragedy that we all experienced on Saturday with the explosion of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The loss of these seven brave men and women proved that space flight is still dangerous. Unfortunately, I come to the floor today to call my colleagues' attention to another tragedy, one which Congress can and should correct.

After the 1986 Challenger explosion, a terrible oversight on the part of our government came to light. We learned that NASA astronauts, with the exception of those in the military, often cannot get life insurance. Their jobs are too high-risk for them to be able to easily obtain private insurance. And, up until now, the government has not provided any type of safety net for these men and women, who risk their lives every day to advance our Nation's space program.

Fortunately, a private fund, the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund, was formed to fill this breach. The fund paid an estimated $1.2 million to the families of the astronauts killed in the Challenger explosion. I would like to take a moment to commend Mr. Delbert Smith, a Washington, DC attorney and chairman of the fund, as well as all of the other men and women who stepped forward to help the families of these national heroes. It is selfless individuals like Mr. Smith and his colleagues that make America the greatest nation in the world.

Despite the sacrifice of these individuals, the fact is that the government should have taken care of the families of these astronauts. Just as we take care of our veterans, we should ensure that our astronauts do not have to worry about the financial survival of their families if the unthinkable happens. And while there will always be a place for organizations like the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund, Congress has a responsibility to take care of the brave men and women in our human space flight program.

Unfortunately, it pains me to say that this is one lesson we did not learn from the Challenger disaster. After the Columbia explosion, I was shocked to learn that there is still no provision for the Federal Government to ensure that the families of astronauts are taken care of in these tragic circumstances.

We all pray that we will never have to suffer through another tragedy like the Challenger and Columbia explosions. But it is the responsibility of Congress to ensure that we are prepared in case it does happen again. Therefore, today I am introducing a bill that would allow astronauts to participate in the Servicemember's Group Life Insurance program. As my colleagues know, this is the insurance program that is set up for our men and women in the military. With relatively low payments, service members are eligible to up to $250,000 in life insurance. I believe that astronauts should also be eligible for this program, and that is why I am proposing this legislation.

In closing, something like this should have been done in 1986, following the Challenger disaster. Unfortunately, 17 years later, Congress still has not acted to fix this problem. I say to my colleagues, we must not let even one more astronaut put his or her life at risk until we have ensured that the government will be there to provide for their children and their families. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this measure, and I hope we can get it approved quickly. I thank the chair.

Mr. President, our Nation continues to mourn the terrible tragedy that we all experienced on Saturday with the explosion of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The loss of these seven brave men and women proved that space flight is still dangerous. Unfortunately, I come to the floor today to call my colleagues' attention to another tragedy, one which Congress can and should correct.

After the 1986 Challenger explosion, a terrible oversight on the part of our government came to light. We learned that NASA astronauts, with the exception of those in the military, often cannot get life insurance. Their jobs are too high-risk for them to be able to easily obtain private insurance. And, up until now, the government has not provided any type of safety net for these men and women, who risk their lives every day to advance our Nation's space program.

Fortunately, a private fund, the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund, was formed to fill this breach. The fund paid an estimated $1.2 million to the families of the astronauts killed in the Challenger explosion. I would like to take a moment to commend Mr. Delbert Smith, a Washington, DC attorney and chairman of the fund, as well as all of the other men and women who stepped forward to help the families of these national heroes. It is selfless individuals like Mr. Smith and his colleagues that make America the greatest nation in the world.

Despite the sacrifice of these individuals, the fact is that the government should have taken care of the families of these astronauts. Just as we take care of our veterans, we should ensure that our astronauts do not have to worry about the financial survival of their families if the unthinkable happens. And while there will always be a place for organizations like the Space Shuttle Children's Trust Fund, Congress has a responsibility to take care of the brave men and women in our human space flight program.

Unfortunately, it pains me to say that this is one lesson we did not learn from the Challenger disaster. After the Columbia explosion, I was shocked to learn that there is still no provision for the Federal Government to ensure that the families of astronauts are taken care of in these tragic circumstances.

We all pray that we will never have to suffer through another tragedy like the Challenger and Columbia explosions. But it is the responsibility of Congress to ensure that we are prepared in case it does happen again. Therefore, today I am introducing a bill that would allow astronauts to participate in the Servicemember's Group Life Insurance program. As my colleagues know, this is the insurance program that is set up for our men and women in the military. With relatively low payments, service members are eligible to up to $250,000 in life insurance. I believe that astronauts should also be eligible for this program, and that is why I am proposing this legislation.

In closing, something like this should have been done in 1986, following the Challenger disaster. Unfortunately, 17 years later, Congress still has not acted to fix this problem. I say to my colleagues, we must not let even one more astronaut put his or her life at risk until we have ensured that the government will be there to provide for their children and their families. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this measure, and I hope we can get it approved quickly. I thank the chair.

Mr. President, today I rise, along with Senator Breaux to introduce a bill to establish the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area in Louisiana. This legislation has particularly special meaning to those of us from Louisiana because of the importance of the cultural and natural resources of the Atchafalaya region to the Nation.

This legislation, reported by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and unanimously passed by the full Senate during the 107th Congress, would establish a framework to help protect, conserve, and promote these unique natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources of the region.

Specifically, the legislation would establish a National Heritage Area in Louisiana that encompasses thirteen parishes in and around the Atchafalaya Basin swamp, America's largest river swamp. The heritage area in south-central Louisiana stretches from Concordia parish to the north, where the Mississippi River begins to partially flow into the Atchafalaya River, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The thirteen parishes are: St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Landry, Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafayette, West Baton Rouge, Concordia, and East Baton Rouge. This boundary is the same area covered by the existing Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area.

This measure will appoint the existing Atchafalaya Trace Commission as the federally recognized ``local coordinating entity.'' The commission is composed of thirteen members with one representative appointed by each parish in the heritage area. Both the Atchafalaya Trace Commission and the Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area were created by the Louisiana Legislature a number of years ago. The Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area program currently receives some State funding, and already has staff working at the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, DCRT, under Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Blanco. State funds were used to create the management plan for the heritage area, which followed ``feasibility analysis'' guidelines as recommended by the National Park Service. Therefore, the recently-completed management plan need only be submitted to the Secretary of the Interior for approval as this legislation would recognize an existing local coordinating entity that will oversee the implementation of this plan. We are very proud that this state heritage area has already completed the complicated planning process, with participation of local National Park Service representatives, while using a standard of planning quality equal to that of existing national heritage areas. All at no cost to the Federal Government.

Please let me also emphasize that this legislation protects existing private property rights. It will not interfere with local land use ordinances or regulations, as it is specifically prohibited from doing so. Nor does this legislation grant any powers of real property acquisition to the local coordinating entity or heritage area program. In addition, the legislation does not impose any environmental rule or process or cause any change in Federal environmental quality standards different from those already in effect.

Heritage areas are based on cooperation and collaboration at all levels. This legislation remains true to the core concept behind heritage areas. The heritage area concept has been used successfully in various parts of our Nation to promote historic preservation, natural and cultural resource protection, heritage tourism and sustainable economic revitalization for both urban and rural areas. Heritage areas provide a flexible framework for government agencies, private organizations and businesses and landowners to work together on a coordinated regional basis. The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area will join the Cane River National Heritage Area to become the second National Heritage Area in Louisiana, ultimately joining the 23 existing National Heritage Areas around the Nation.

The initiative to develop the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area is an outgrowth of a grassroots effort to achieve multiple goals of this region. Most important among these is providing opportunities for the future, while at the same time not losing anything that makes this place so special. Residents from all over the region, local tourism agencies, State agencies such as the DCRT and the Department of Natural Resources, the State legislature, Federal agencies including the National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, parish governments, conservation and preservation groups, local businesses and local landowners have all participated in this endeavor to make it the strong initiative it is today. These groups have been very supportive of the heritage area effort, and as time moves on, the heritage area will continue to involve more and more of the area's most important resource, its people.

I would also like to give you a brief overview of the resources that make this place significant to the entire country. Not only is it important to our Nation's history, but it is also critical to understanding America's future. The name of the place itself, Atchafalaya, comes from the American Indians and means ``long river.'' This name signifies the first settlers of the region, descendants of whom still live there today.

Other words come to mind in describing the Atchafalaya: mysterious, dynamic, multi-cultural, enchanting, bountiful, threatened and undiscovered. This region is one of the most complex and least understood places in Louisiana and the Nation. Yet, the stories of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area are emblematic of the broader American experience. Here there are opportunities to understand and witness the complicated, sometimes harmonious, sometimes adversarial interplay between nature and culture. The history of the United States has been shaped by the complex dance of its people working with, against, and for, nature. Within the Atchafalaya a penchant for adventure, adaptation, ingenuity, and exploitation has created a cultural legacy unlike anywhere else in the world.

The heart of the heritage area is the Atchafalaya Basin. It is the largest river swamp in the United States, larger than the more widely known Everglades or Okefenokee Swamp. The Atchafalaya is characterized by a maze of streams, and at one time was thickly forested with old- growth cypress and tupelo trees. The Basin provides outstanding habitat for a remarkably diverse array of wildlife, including the endangered American bald eagle and Louisiana black bear. The region's unique ecology teems with life. More than 85 species of fish; crustaceans, such as crawfish; wildlife, including alligators; an astonishing array of well over 200 species of birds, from waterfowl to songbirds; forest- dwelling mammals such as deer, squirrel, beaver and other commercially important furbearers all make their home here. Bottomland hardwood- dependent bird species breed here in some of the highest densities ever recorded in annual North American Breeding Bird Surveys. The Basin also forms part of the Mississippi Valley Flyway for migratory waterfowl and is a major wintering ground for thousands of these geese and ducks. In general, the Atchafalaya Basin has a significant proportion of North America's breeding wading birds, such as herons, egrets, ibises, and spoonbills. Some of the largest flocks of Wood Storks in North America summer here, and the southern part of the Basin has a healthy population of Bald Eagles nesting every winter.

The region's dynamic system of waterways, geology, and massive earthen guide levees reveals a landscape that is at once fragile and awesome. The geology and natural systems of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area have fueled the economy of the region for centuries. For decades the harvest of cypress, cotton, sugar cane, crawfish, salt, oil, gas, and Spanish moss, have been important sources of income for the region's residents. The crawfish industry has been particularly important to the lives of Atchafalaya residents and Louisiana has become the largest crawfish producer in the United States. Sport fishing and other forms of commercial fishing are important here, too, but unfortunately, natural resource extraction and a changing environment have drastically depleted many of these resources and forced residents to find new ways to make a living.

Over the past century, the Atchafalaya Basin has become a study of man's monumental effort to control nature. After the catastrophic Mississippi River flood of 1927 left thousands dead and millions displaced, the U.S. Congress decreed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should develop an intricate system of levees to

protect human settlements, particularly New Orleans. Today, the Mississippi River is caged within the walls of earthen and concrete levees and manipulated with a complex system of locks, barrages and floodgates. The Atchafalaya River runs parallel to the Mississippi and through the center of the Basin. In times of flooding the river basin serves as the key floodway in controlling floodwaters headed for the large population centers of Baton Rouge and New Orleans by diverting water from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. This system was sorely tested in 1973 when floodwaters threatened to break through the floodgates and permanently divert the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya. However, after this massive flood event, new land started forming off the coast. These new land formations make up the Atchafalaya Delta, and is the only significant area of new land being built in the United States. These vast amounts of Mississippi River sediment are also rapidly filling in the Basin itself, raising the level of land in certain areas of the basin and filling in lakes and waterways. And to demonstrate just how complex this ecosystem is, one only needs to realize that just to the East of the Delta, Terrebonne parish, also in the heritage area, is experiencing some of the most significant coastal land loss in the country.

Over the centuries, the ever-changing natural environment has shaped the lives of the people living in the Basin. Residents have profited from and been imperiled by nature. The popular cultural identity of the region is strongly associated with the Cajuns, descendants of the French-speaking Acadians who settled in south Louisiana after being deported by the British from Nova Scotia, formerly known as Acadia. Twenty-five hundred to three thousand exiled Acadians repatriated in Louisiana where they proceeded to re-establish their former society. Today, in spite of complex social, cultural, and demographic transformations, Cajuns maintain a sense of group identity and continue to display a distinctive set of cultural expressions nearly two- hundred-and-fifty years after their exile from Acadia. Cajun culture has become increasingly popular outside of Louisiana. Culinary specialties adapted from France and Acadia such as etouffee, boudin, andouille, crepes, beignets and sauces thickened with roux, delight food lovers well beyond Louisiana's borders. Cajun music has also ``gone mainstream'' with its blend of French folk songs and ballads and instrumental dance music, and more recently popular country, rhythm- and-blues, and rock music influences. While the growing interest in Cajun culture has raised appreciation for its unique traditions, many of the region's residents are concerned about the growing commercialization and stereotyping that threatens to diminish the authentic Cajun ways of life.

While the Atchafalaya Heritage Area may be well known for its Cajun culture, there is an astonishing array of other cultures within these parishes. Outside of New Orleans, the Atchafalaya Heritage Area is the most racially and ethnically complex region of Louisiana, and has been so for many years. A long legacy of multiculturalism presents interesting opportunities to examine how so many distinct cultures have survived in relative harmony. There may be interesting lessons to learn from here as our Nation becomes increasingly heterogeneous. The cultural complexity of this region has created a rich tapestry of history and traditions, evidenced by the architecture, music, language, food and festivals unlike any place else. Ethnic groups of the Atchafalaya include: African-Americans, Black Creoles, Asians, Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Cajuns, Spanish Islenos, Italians, Scotch-Irish, and American Indian tribes such as the Attakapa, Chitimacha, Coushatta, Houma, Opelousa and Tunica-Biloxi.

This heritage area has a wealth of existing cultural, historic, natural, scenic, recreational and visitor resources on which to build. Scenic resources include numerous State Wildlife Management Areas and National Wildlife Refuges, as well as ten designated state scenic byways that fall partially or entirely within the heritage area. The Office of State Parks operates three historic sites in the heritage area, and numerous historic districts and buildings can be found in the region. There are also nine Main Street communities in the heritage area. Outdoor recreational resources include two State Parks and a multitude of waterways and bayous. Hunting, fishing, boating, and canoeing, and more recently birdwatching and cycling, are popular ways to experience the region. Various visitor attractions, interpretive centers and visitor information centers exist to help residents and tourists alike better understand and navigate many of the resources in the heritage area. Major roads link the heritage area's central visitor entrance points and large population centers, especially New Orleans. Much of the hospitality industry servicing the Atchafalaya exists around the larger cities of Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Houma. However, more and more bed and breakfasts and heritage accommodations, such as houseboat rentals, are becoming more numerous in the smaller towns and rural areas.

These are just some of the examples of the richness and significance of this region. This legislation will assist communities throughout this heritage area who are committed to the conservation and appropriate development of these assets. Furthermore, this legislation will bring a level of prestige and national and international recognition that this most special of places certainly deserves.

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

Mr. President, today I rise, along with Senator Breaux to introduce a bill to establish the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area in Louisiana. This legislation has particularly special meaning to those of us from Louisiana because of the importance of the cultural and natural resources of the Atchafalaya region to the Nation.

This legislation, reported by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and unanimously passed by the full Senate during the 107th Congress, would establish a framework to help protect, conserve, and promote these unique natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources of the region.

Specifically, the legislation would establish a National Heritage Area in Louisiana that encompasses thirteen parishes in and around the Atchafalaya Basin swamp, America's largest river swamp. The heritage area in south-central Louisiana stretches from Concordia parish to the north, where the Mississippi River begins to partially flow into the Atchafalaya River, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The thirteen parishes are: St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Landry, Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafayette, West Baton Rouge, Concordia, and East Baton Rouge. This boundary is the same area covered by the existing Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area.

This measure will appoint the existing Atchafalaya Trace Commission as the federally recognized ``local coordinating entity.'' The commission is composed of thirteen members with one representative appointed by each parish in the heritage area. Both the Atchafalaya Trace Commission and the Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area were created by the Louisiana Legislature a number of years ago. The Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area program currently receives some State funding, and already has staff working at the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, DCRT, under Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Blanco. State funds were used to create the management plan for the heritage area, which followed ``feasibility analysis'' guidelines as recommended by the National Park Service. Therefore, the recently-completed management plan need only be submitted to the Secretary of the Interior for approval as this legislation would recognize an existing local coordinating entity that will oversee the implementation of this plan. We are very proud that this state heritage area has already completed the complicated planning process, with participation of local National Park Service representatives, while using a standard of planning quality equal to that of existing national heritage areas. All at no cost to the Federal Government.

Please let me also emphasize that this legislation protects existing private property rights. It will not interfere with local land use ordinances or regulations, as it is specifically prohibited from doing so. Nor does this legislation grant any powers of real property acquisition to the local coordinating entity or heritage area program. In addition, the legislation does not impose any environmental rule or process or cause any change in Federal environmental quality standards different from those already in effect.

Heritage areas are based on cooperation and collaboration at all levels. This legislation remains true to the core concept behind heritage areas. The heritage area concept has been used successfully in various parts of our Nation to promote historic preservation, natural and cultural resource protection, heritage tourism and sustainable economic revitalization for both urban and rural areas. Heritage areas provide a flexible framework for government agencies, private organizations and businesses and landowners to work together on a coordinated regional basis. The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area will join the Cane River National Heritage Area to become the second National Heritage Area in Louisiana, ultimately joining the 23 existing National Heritage Areas around the Nation.

The initiative to develop the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area is an outgrowth of a grassroots effort to achieve multiple goals of this region. Most important among these is providing opportunities for the future, while at the same time not losing anything that makes this place so special. Residents from all over the region, local tourism agencies, State agencies such as the DCRT and the Department of Natural Resources, the State legislature, Federal agencies including the National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, parish governments, conservation and preservation groups, local businesses and local landowners have all participated in this endeavor to make it the strong initiative it is today. These groups have been very supportive of the heritage area effort, and as time moves on, the heritage area will continue to involve more and more of the area's most important resource, its people.

I would also like to give you a brief overview of the resources that make this place significant to the entire country. Not only is it important to our Nation's history, but it is also critical to understanding America's future. The name of the place itself, Atchafalaya, comes from the American Indians and means ``long river.'' This name signifies the first settlers of the region, descendants of whom still live there today.

Other words come to mind in describing the Atchafalaya: mysterious, dynamic, multi-cultural, enchanting, bountiful, threatened and undiscovered. This region is one of the most complex and least understood places in Louisiana and the Nation. Yet, the stories of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area are emblematic of the broader American experience. Here there are opportunities to understand and witness the complicated, sometimes harmonious, sometimes adversarial interplay between nature and culture. The history of the United States has been shaped by the complex dance of its people working with, against, and for, nature. Within the Atchafalaya a penchant for adventure, adaptation, ingenuity, and exploitation has created a cultural legacy unlike anywhere else in the world.

The heart of the heritage area is the Atchafalaya Basin. It is the largest river swamp in the United States, larger than the more widely known Everglades or Okefenokee Swamp. The Atchafalaya is characterized by a maze of streams, and at one time was thickly forested with old- growth cypress and tupelo trees. The Basin provides outstanding habitat for a remarkably diverse array of wildlife, including the endangered American bald eagle and Louisiana black bear. The region's unique ecology teems with life. More than 85 species of fish; crustaceans, such as crawfish; wildlife, including alligators; an astonishing array of well over 200 species of birds, from waterfowl to songbirds; forest- dwelling mammals such as deer, squirrel, beaver and other commercially important furbearers all make their home here. Bottomland hardwood- dependent bird species breed here in some of the highest densities ever recorded in annual North American Breeding Bird Surveys. The Basin also forms part of the Mississippi Valley Flyway for migratory waterfowl and is a major wintering ground for thousands of these geese and ducks. In general, the Atchafalaya Basin has a significant proportion of North America's breeding wading birds, such as herons, egrets, ibises, and spoonbills. Some of the largest flocks of Wood Storks in North America summer here, and the southern part of the Basin has a healthy population of Bald Eagles nesting every winter.

The region's dynamic system of waterways, geology, and massive earthen guide levees reveals a landscape that is at once fragile and awesome. The geology and natural systems of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area have fueled the economy of the region for centuries. For decades the harvest of cypress, cotton, sugar cane, crawfish, salt, oil, gas, and Spanish moss, have been important sources of income for the region's residents. The crawfish industry has been particularly important to the lives of Atchafalaya residents and Louisiana has become the largest crawfish producer in the United States. Sport fishing and other forms of commercial fishing are important here, too, but unfortunately, natural resource extraction and a changing environment have drastically depleted many of these resources and forced residents to find new ways to make a living.

Over the past century, the Atchafalaya Basin has become a study of man's monumental effort to control nature. After the catastrophic Mississippi River flood of 1927 left thousands dead and millions displaced, the U.S. Congress decreed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should develop an intricate system of levees to

protect human settlements, particularly New Orleans. Today, the Mississippi River is caged within the walls of earthen and concrete levees and manipulated with a complex system of locks, barrages and floodgates. The Atchafalaya River runs parallel to the Mississippi and through the center of the Basin. In times of flooding the river basin serves as the key floodway in controlling floodwaters headed for the large population centers of Baton Rouge and New Orleans by diverting water from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. This system was sorely tested in 1973 when floodwaters threatened to break through the floodgates and permanently divert the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya. However, after this massive flood event, new land started forming off the coast. These new land formations make up the Atchafalaya Delta, and is the only significant area of new land being built in the United States. These vast amounts of Mississippi River sediment are also rapidly filling in the Basin itself, raising the level of land in certain areas of the basin and filling in lakes and waterways. And to demonstrate just how complex this ecosystem is, one only needs to realize that just to the East of the Delta, Terrebonne parish, also in the heritage area, is experiencing some of the most significant coastal land loss in the country.

Over the centuries, the ever-changing natural environment has shaped the lives of the people living in the Basin. Residents have profited from and been imperiled by nature. The popular cultural identity of the region is strongly associated with the Cajuns, descendants of the French-speaking Acadians who settled in south Louisiana after being deported by the British from Nova Scotia, formerly known as Acadia. Twenty-five hundred to three thousand exiled Acadians repatriated in Louisiana where they proceeded to re-establish their former society. Today, in spite of complex social, cultural, and demographic transformations, Cajuns maintain a sense of group identity and continue to display a distinctive set of cultural expressions nearly two- hundred-and-fifty years after their exile from Acadia. Cajun culture has become increasingly popular outside of Louisiana. Culinary specialties adapted from France and Acadia such as etouffee, boudin, andouille, crepes, beignets and sauces thickened with roux, delight food lovers well beyond Louisiana's borders. Cajun music has also ``gone mainstream'' with its blend of French folk songs and ballads and instrumental dance music, and more recently popular country, rhythm- and-blues, and rock music influences. While the growing interest in Cajun culture has raised appreciation for its unique traditions, many of the region's residents are concerned about the growing commercialization and stereotyping that threatens to diminish the authentic Cajun ways of life.

While the Atchafalaya Heritage Area may be well known for its Cajun culture, there is an astonishing array of other cultures within these parishes. Outside of New Orleans, the Atchafalaya Heritage Area is the most racially and ethnically complex region of Louisiana, and has been so for many years. A long legacy of multiculturalism presents interesting opportunities to examine how so many distinct cultures have survived in relative harmony. There may be interesting lessons to learn from here as our Nation becomes increasingly heterogeneous. The cultural complexity of this region has created a rich tapestry of history and traditions, evidenced by the architecture, music, language, food and festivals unlike any place else. Ethnic groups of the Atchafalaya include: African-Americans, Black Creoles, Asians, Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Cajuns, Spanish Islenos, Italians, Scotch-Irish, and American Indian tribes such as the Attakapa, Chitimacha, Coushatta, Houma, Opelousa and Tunica-Biloxi.

This heritage area has a wealth of existing cultural, historic, natural, scenic, recreational and visitor resources on which to build. Scenic resources include numerous State Wildlife Management Areas and National Wildlife Refuges, as well as ten designated state scenic byways that fall partially or entirely within the heritage area. The Office of State Parks operates three historic sites in the heritage area, and numerous historic districts and buildings can be found in the region. There are also nine Main Street communities in the heritage area. Outdoor recreational resources include two State Parks and a multitude of waterways and bayous. Hunting, fishing, boating, and canoeing, and more recently birdwatching and cycling, are popular ways to experience the region. Various visitor attractions, interpretive centers and visitor information centers exist to help residents and tourists alike better understand and navigate many of the resources in the heritage area. Major roads link the heritage area's central visitor entrance points and large population centers, especially New Orleans. Much of the hospitality industry servicing the Atchafalaya exists around the larger cities of Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Houma. However, more and more bed and breakfasts and heritage accommodations, such as houseboat rentals, are becoming more numerous in the smaller towns and rural areas.

These are just some of the examples of the richness and significance of this region. This legislation will assist communities throughout this heritage area who are committed to the conservation and appropriate development of these assets. Furthermore, this legislation will bring a level of prestige and national and international recognition that this most special of places certainly deserves.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce two bills that I originally sponsored in the 107th Congress. As our Nation prepares to go to war with Iraq and continues the war against terrorism, my bills will give additional tax relief to military families. One will give tax relief to a small group of men and women in our armed services stationed on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, supporting the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. The second bill will exclude from gross income child care benefits paid to members of our armed forces. These are small measures, but both will be of great benefit to the men and women serving our country.

Diego Garcia is a British Territory lying seven degrees South Latitude off the coast of India, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The island is 40 miles around and encompasses an area of 6,720 acres, most of it dominated by a large lagoon. The land mass is actually very small. It is home to a joint British--United States Naval Support Facility, and while there are only a small handful of British Royal Navy personnel on the island, there is a larger, tight-knit team of American Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Army personnel there. These men and women serving on Diego Garcia have been supporting B-52 bombing missions and other operations over Afghanistan. They will be called into service in the event of war with Iraq, they served this purpose in the previous Gulf War.

As a Nation, we provide members of our armed forces with a variety of benefits, all of them deserved. They receive hardship duty pay of $150 per month for serving in austere regions of the World. They get imminent danger pay of $150 per month as compensation for being in physical danger. One of the most generous benefits for those serving in the war on terrorism is the combat zone tax exclusion. Enlisted members of the armed services do not pay Federal taxes on their compensation for any month of service inside a combat zone. Officers pay tax on any amount of income over the highest salary for enlisted personnel. Both officers and enlisted personnel have to serve one day in the combat zone to get this benefit for the entire month. The exclusion only applies to personnel who receive imminent danger pay.

On Diego Garcia, the pilots and flight crews who fly the missions over Afghanistan are eligible for the combat zone income tax exclusion because they receive imminent danger pay. Many of them are from the 2nd Bomb Wing and the 917th Wing. Both units call Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana their home. But the men and women who load the bombers, fuel them, and maintain them are not eligible because they do not enter the combat zone. Barksdale is also their home base. My office was contacted by some of the Barksdale officers who fly the bombing missions about this discrepancy. They asked me to help out their support crews, a gesture of selflessness that I seek to honor today.

I recognize that the support crews may not receive imminent danger pay, but their situation is not too different from Naval personnel performing the

same tasks on ships in the Arabian Sea. Naval support crews receive imminent danger pay and are eligible for the tax exclusion, but they do not enter Afghanistan.

Diego Garcia is a beautiful place, but is a long way from home. The least we could do is treat everyone who has served on the island the same. That is what my bill will do.

My second bill will correct an omission in the Tax Reform Act of 1986. That Act contained a provision consolidating the laws regarding the tax treatment of certain military benefits. The Conference Report to that Act contains a long list of benefits to be excluded from gross income of military personnel. According to the report, this list was to be exhaustive. The problem is that child care benefits are not on that list.

I do not know if this omission was intentional. Perhaps at that time, child care benefits were relatively unknown in the military. The Conference Report gives the Treasury Secretary the authority to expand the list of eligible benefits, but so far no Secretary has chosen to provide any guidance to the Department of Defense as to how these benefits should be treated for tax purposes. While military families are not currently being taxed for child care benefits, the Department of Defense has indicated that it would like Congress to clarify that child care benefits are not subject to tax. My bill will give our military families and the Department of Defense a greater degree of certainty.

I am pleased that my dependent care provision has been included in S. 19, the Veterans and Military Personnel Fairness Act of 2003. The same provision had been included in a similar package in the last Congress. I urge the Finance Committee to consider this package very soon and to include my Diego Garcia bill in the final package.

Throughout our history, in time of war we have worked to make sure that our armed forces have everything they need and we have spared no expense in meeting that need. But the men and women on the ground often have families back at home. We should make sure that we support them as well. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.