Floor Statements

Mr. President, I am introducing legislation today at the request of the executive branch and will be seeking unanimous consent to request its passage as soon as possible. The Foreign Affairs Management Authorities Act of 2006 contains provisions requested by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors that will enable the two agencies to carry out their work more efficiently and effectively.

Title I of this bill creates a new pay for performance system for Foreign Service officers with the rank of 01 and below and creates a uniform worldwide pay scale. The American Foreign Service Association supports these. I am including a letter from Anthony Holmes, the AFSA President.

The Senior Foreign Service already participates in a pay for performance plan as mandated in previously enacted law, Section 412(a)(2) PL108-447, Div. B. The legislation replaces ``within grade increases'' with a requirement that, upon the introduction of the new Foreign Service Schedule in April 2008, any further adjustments in pay are tied to individual performance rather than longevity of service. It directs the Secretary of State to pay to each member of the Service an adjustment taking into account ``individual performance, contribution to the mission of the Department, or both, under a rigorous performance management system that makes meaningful distinctions based on relative performance and that clearly links individual pay and performance under precepts prescribed by the Secretary.'' Each Secretary/head of agency utilizing the Foreign Service personnel system may implement this section in a manner most suitable to the unique circumstances of his or her agency. Poor performers would get no increase in pay. As with the Senior Foreign Service, the pay for performance planned for the Foreign Service would utilize multiple levels of performance distinctions. Performance-based adjustments normally would be made only once in any 12-month period.

Title I also provides a number of employee protections. It specifically guarantees a minimum funding pool for performance-based pay adjustments to ensure that, in the aggregate, employees are not disadvantaged by conversion to the new pay system. It authorizes selection boards to rank order employees for the purpose of recommending pay for performance salary adjustments, and requires agencies that use selection boards for pay for performance to follow the selection board rankings in allocating salary increases, except in special circumstances. The legislation does not impact the negotiation of procedures and appropriate arrangements for adversely affected employees with the employees' representative, the American Foreign Service Association, AFSA.

Title I provides transitional authorities to the Secretary of State for use during the interim period before April 2008 when the new Foreign Service Schedule is established. It contains provisions that govern the conversion of employees to the new schedule and it provides for a one-year transition period from the current 14-step system. It also gives the Secretary authority to establish transitional rules that prevent a reduction in a member's rate of pay by reason of conversion to the new system, among other measures that are to be applied to provide for a smooth transition.

In a long needed reform, Title I also provides uniform compensation for worldwide service by April 2008. It eliminates the disparity in pay between those serving in Washington, DC, and other domestic posts who receive locality pay increases and those serving overseas who do not. The discrepancy has skewed incentives to serve overseas and is inconsistent with mandatory worldwide and rotational assignment requirements. The Department estimates the cost of its three-stage transition to the new pay system to be $32 million in its 2007 budget, $64 million in 2008, and $32 million in 2009. The legislation provides for pay conversion and establishes temporary rules for the period leading up to April 2008 as the transition takes place.

As Secretary Rice works to fill difficult posts around the world, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as our diplomats come increasingly under fire in tough places, it is common sense to restructure a pay system that, without reform, provides disincentives to serving overseas. The Foreign Service must know that our country stands behind them, appreciates their service, and is grateful for the contributions they make to the security of our country and the well- being of our citizens.

Title II contains a number of provisions that are contained in S.600, still being held on the Senate calendar. It also contains provisions that were requested by the executive branch subsequent to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's passage of S. 600. The provisions in Title II of this legislation are as follows:

Section 201. Education allowances modifies current law to: 1. permit payment of certain fees required by overseas schools for successful completion of a course or grade; 2. allow for travel to the United States for children in kindergarten through 12th grade when schools at post are not adequate; 3. allow for education travel to a school outside the United States for children at the secondary and college level; 4. provide for educational travel at the graduate level for children who are still dependents (students older than 22 would be ineligible for such travel); and 5. allow the option of storing a child's personal effects near the school during their trip to post, rather than transporting the effects back and forth.

Section 202. Fraud Prevention and Detection Account broadens the Secretary of State's authority to use a portion of fees collected for H-1B, H-2B and L-1 visas to investigate fraud in other visa categories, including fraud in connection with terrorist activities. Allowing an expanded use of the funds will assist the Department in developing a system that concentrates on H and L visa fraud, but will potentially reduce fraud among all visa classifications and increase the U.S. ability to disrupt terrorist travel.

Section 203. Extension of Privileges and Immunities extends diplomatic privileges and immunities to the African Union Mission to the United States and to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See, and to members of both of these missions.

Section 204. International Litigation Fund allows the Department to retain awards of costs and attorneys' fees when defending against international claims in addition to amounts currently allowed to be retained when it successfully prosecutes a claim.

Section 205. Personal Services Contracting; BBG, the legislation extends for one year a pilot program allowing the BBG to hire 60 U.S. citizens or foreign nationals on contract rather than as full-time government employees. Such authority gives the BBG the flexibility to hire, for the short or medium-term, broadcasters and on-air hosts in difficult languages, some with many dialects. The BBG uses the authority, for example, for surge capacity in Urdu and Arabic.

Inspector General, this section also establishes a limited authority for the State Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to hire personal service contractors (PSCs) to augment its ability to conduct oversight of programs and operations related to Afghanistan and Iraq. No more than 20 PSCs may be hired at any one time and, absent exceptional circumstances, the contract length for each PSC may not exceed two years. The Inspector General anticipates a need for additional staff once the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction's (SIGIR's) portfolio is either partially or fully transferred to the State Department. The OIG also expects an increase in short-term staffing needs to

carry out oversight responsibilities related to Afghanistan.

Section 206. Facilitating Service in Iraq and Afghanistan is a technical correction to an inadvertent drafting error in section 1602(a) of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 (P.L. 109-234). The intent behind section 1602(a) was to provide the Secretary of State with additional authority to waive annuity limitations on reemployed Foreign Service annuitants to support U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As enacted, however, section 1602(a) has the unintended effect of cutting back significantly on the Secretary of State's pre- existing authority to waive Foreign Service annuity limitations in an emergency involving a direct threat to life or property or other unusual circumstances, without regard to geographic location. This technical correction restores the Secretary's pre-existing authority and provides the intended additional authorities with respect to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Section 207. Discontinuance of Duplicative or Obsolete Reports discontinues a number of reports that have been overtaken by events or contain material that is covered in other executive branch submissions to the Congress.

I ask my colleagues to give favorable and speedy consideration to this measure.

I ask unanimous consent that a letter be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I am introducing legislation today at the request of the executive branch and will be seeking unanimous consent to request its passage as soon as possible. The Foreign Affairs Management Authorities Act of 2006 contains provisions requested by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors that will enable the two agencies to carry out their work more efficiently and effectively.

Title I of this bill creates a new pay for performance system for Foreign Service officers with the rank of 01 and below and creates a uniform worldwide pay scale. The American Foreign Service Association supports these. I am including a letter from Anthony Holmes, the AFSA President.

The Senior Foreign Service already participates in a pay for performance plan as mandated in previously enacted law, Section 412(a)(2) PL108-447, Div. B. The legislation replaces ``within grade increases'' with a requirement that, upon the introduction of the new Foreign Service Schedule in April 2008, any further adjustments in pay are tied to individual performance rather than longevity of service. It directs the Secretary of State to pay to each member of the Service an adjustment taking into account ``individual performance, contribution to the mission of the Department, or both, under a rigorous performance management system that makes meaningful distinctions based on relative performance and that clearly links individual pay and performance under precepts prescribed by the Secretary.'' Each Secretary/head of agency utilizing the Foreign Service personnel system may implement this section in a manner most suitable to the unique circumstances of his or her agency. Poor performers would get no increase in pay. As with the Senior Foreign Service, the pay for performance planned for the Foreign Service would utilize multiple levels of performance distinctions. Performance-based adjustments normally would be made only once in any 12-month period.

Title I also provides a number of employee protections. It specifically guarantees a minimum funding pool for performance-based pay adjustments to ensure that, in the aggregate, employees are not disadvantaged by conversion to the new pay system. It authorizes selection boards to rank order employees for the purpose of recommending pay for performance salary adjustments, and requires agencies that use selection boards for pay for performance to follow the selection board rankings in allocating salary increases, except in special circumstances. The legislation does not impact the negotiation of procedures and appropriate arrangements for adversely affected employees with the employees' representative, the American Foreign Service Association, AFSA.

Title I provides transitional authorities to the Secretary of State for use during the interim period before April 2008 when the new Foreign Service Schedule is established. It contains provisions that govern the conversion of employees to the new schedule and it provides for a one-year transition period from the current 14-step system. It also gives the Secretary authority to establish transitional rules that prevent a reduction in a member's rate of pay by reason of conversion to the new system, among other measures that are to be applied to provide for a smooth transition.

In a long needed reform, Title I also provides uniform compensation for worldwide service by April 2008. It eliminates the disparity in pay between those serving in Washington, DC, and other domestic posts who receive locality pay increases and those serving overseas who do not. The discrepancy has skewed incentives to serve overseas and is inconsistent with mandatory worldwide and rotational assignment requirements. The Department estimates the cost of its three-stage transition to the new pay system to be $32 million in its 2007 budget, $64 million in 2008, and $32 million in 2009. The legislation provides for pay conversion and establishes temporary rules for the period leading up to April 2008 as the transition takes place.

As Secretary Rice works to fill difficult posts around the world, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as our diplomats come increasingly under fire in tough places, it is common sense to restructure a pay system that, without reform, provides disincentives to serving overseas. The Foreign Service must know that our country stands behind them, appreciates their service, and is grateful for the contributions they make to the security of our country and the well- being of our citizens.

Title II contains a number of provisions that are contained in S.600, still being held on the Senate calendar. It also contains provisions that were requested by the executive branch subsequent to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's passage of S. 600. The provisions in Title II of this legislation are as follows:

Section 201. Education allowances modifies current law to: 1. permit payment of certain fees required by overseas schools for successful completion of a course or grade; 2. allow for travel to the United States for children in kindergarten through 12th grade when schools at post are not adequate; 3. allow for education travel to a school outside the United States for children at the secondary and college level; 4. provide for educational travel at the graduate level for children who are still dependents (students older than 22 would be ineligible for such travel); and 5. allow the option of storing a child's personal effects near the school during their trip to post, rather than transporting the effects back and forth.

Section 202. Fraud Prevention and Detection Account broadens the Secretary of State's authority to use a portion of fees collected for H-1B, H-2B and L-1 visas to investigate fraud in other visa categories, including fraud in connection with terrorist activities. Allowing an expanded use of the funds will assist the Department in developing a system that concentrates on H and L visa fraud, but will potentially reduce fraud among all visa classifications and increase the U.S. ability to disrupt terrorist travel.

Section 203. Extension of Privileges and Immunities extends diplomatic privileges and immunities to the African Union Mission to the United States and to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See, and to members of both of these missions.

Section 204. International Litigation Fund allows the Department to retain awards of costs and attorneys' fees when defending against international claims in addition to amounts currently allowed to be retained when it successfully prosecutes a claim.

Section 205. Personal Services Contracting; BBG, the legislation extends for one year a pilot program allowing the BBG to hire 60 U.S. citizens or foreign nationals on contract rather than as full-time government employees. Such authority gives the BBG the flexibility to hire, for the short or medium-term, broadcasters and on-air hosts in difficult languages, some with many dialects. The BBG uses the authority, for example, for surge capacity in Urdu and Arabic.

Inspector General, this section also establishes a limited authority for the State Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to hire personal service contractors (PSCs) to augment its ability to conduct oversight of programs and operations related to Afghanistan and Iraq. No more than 20 PSCs may be hired at any one time and, absent exceptional circumstances, the contract length for each PSC may not exceed two years. The Inspector General anticipates a need for additional staff once the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction's (SIGIR's) portfolio is either partially or fully transferred to the State Department. The OIG also expects an increase in short-term staffing needs to

carry out oversight responsibilities related to Afghanistan.

Section 206. Facilitating Service in Iraq and Afghanistan is a technical correction to an inadvertent drafting error in section 1602(a) of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 (P.L. 109-234). The intent behind section 1602(a) was to provide the Secretary of State with additional authority to waive annuity limitations on reemployed Foreign Service annuitants to support U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As enacted, however, section 1602(a) has the unintended effect of cutting back significantly on the Secretary of State's pre- existing authority to waive Foreign Service annuity limitations in an emergency involving a direct threat to life or property or other unusual circumstances, without regard to geographic location. This technical correction restores the Secretary's pre-existing authority and provides the intended additional authorities with respect to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Section 207. Discontinuance of Duplicative or Obsolete Reports discontinues a number of reports that have been overtaken by events or contain material that is covered in other executive branch submissions to the Congress.

I ask my colleagues to give favorable and speedy consideration to this measure.

I ask unanimous consent that a letter be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I appreciate this opportunity to join my many friends from the Hispanic community

in Indiana and across the country as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

From September 15 through October 15, all Americans will take time to reflect upon and celebrate the many contributions that Americans of Hispanic and Latino descent have made to our Nation. Millions of Hispanic Americans have worked tirelessly to provide for their families, strengthen their communities, and enrich our national culture.

I also wish to recognize the approaching 196th anniversary of Mexican Independence. I am hopeful that, as we commemorate this important milestone, we can also celebrate the remarkable friendship between our two nations as neighbors and partners for peace and justice in the world.

Mr. President. I rise today to request that my remarks, delivered in the keynote address to the Richard G. Lugar-Purdue University Summit on Energy Security, at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, on August 29, 2006, be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that is a product of a significant amount of consideration and work within our Congress over the last year and a half. The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 has had many iterations since both the Senate and the House introduced legislation by the same name in 2005. Each piece of legislation that has been introduced has contributed to Congress's understanding of this issue and has ensured a more complete and thoughtful response.

There is a consensus within Congress that the genocidal policies of the Bashir regime in Sudan must be condemned and opposed. Many Members have introduced bills and resolutions dealing with the crisis, and Members have been vocal about the urgency of this issue through hearings, statements, visits to the region, and other activities. This consensus has been supported by numerous groups and individual Americans who have lent their voices to the effort to prevent genocide and their resources to provide relief to those in the region who are facing violence and bleak circumstances.

The legislation I am introducing today is intended to provide a vehicle upon which Members can quickly concur and consolidate their efforts in providing needed authorities for our State Department and targeted sanctions to compel Khartoum to comply with their agreements. Regrettably, the Darfur Peace Agreement appears to be faltering with the ill-advised rejection of the U.N. resolution establishing a U.N. peacekeeping force to transition from the overburdened African Union mission in Sudan. The situation has become insecure for humanitarian operations and as threatening to the people of the region as it has ever been. The United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing a peacekeeping force for Darfur is a unanimous signal that the international community is

committed to seeing no further violence take place in Darfur. Sudan, as a member of the United Nations, must abide by this decision of the international community. Their national and international responsibility is to serve and protect their people, and the suffering and killing in Darfur must end. The gargantuan humanitarian effort to provide basic necessities for more than 2 million displaced persons requires unrestricted access by national and international aid organizations, as well as the U.N.-mandated peacekeeping force to ensure their security.

This legislation also seeks to help consolidate the difficult road to recovery in southern Sudan in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan. I have included additional authorities for our officials to provide assistance to southern Sudan, as well as Darfur. Such economic and military assistance is necessary and requires close consultation with Congress to ensure assistance is not manipulated or misdirected. The bill also sustains existing sanctions on Sudan in direct response to their violation of agreements they have made. The President will have the authority to waive these restrictions if he determines such action is in our national interest; so the flexibility he requires is there as well.

Finally, in further support of peace and to assist U.S. diplomats, targeted sanctions are authorized on individuals whom the President determines are ``complicit in, or responsible for, acts of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity in Darfur.'' These sanctions include blocking assets and refusing to grant individuals entry to the United States. Further, this legislation encourages the President to prevent entry at our ports to certain ships in order to deny the Government of Sudan oil revenues and access to deliveries of military equipment. The only exception to such entry should be for those vessels providing assistance in carrying out the elements of the Sudan peace agreements or humanitarian assistance.

Shifting circumstances on the ground in Sudan and at the United Nations have complicated our efforts to achieve consensus on legislation that would help our diplomats resolve the Darfur crisis. I believe this legislation can win majority support in the Senate, and I hope it will receive favorable consideration in the House.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that is a product of a significant amount of consideration and work within our Congress over the last year and a half. The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2006 has had many iterations since both the Senate and the House introduced legislation by the same name in 2005. Each piece of legislation that has been introduced has contributed to Congress's understanding of this issue and has ensured a more complete and thoughtful response.

There is a consensus within Congress that the genocidal policies of the Bashir regime in Sudan must be condemned and opposed. Many Members have introduced bills and resolutions dealing with the crisis, and Members have been vocal about the urgency of this issue through hearings, statements, visits to the region, and other activities. This consensus has been supported by numerous groups and individual Americans who have lent their voices to the effort to prevent genocide and their resources to provide relief to those in the region who are facing violence and bleak circumstances.

The legislation I am introducing today is intended to provide a vehicle upon which Members can quickly concur and consolidate their efforts in providing needed authorities for our State Department and targeted sanctions to compel Khartoum to comply with their agreements. Regrettably, the Darfur Peace Agreement appears to be faltering with the ill-advised rejection of the U.N. resolution establishing a U.N. peacekeeping force to transition from the overburdened African Union mission in Sudan. The situation has become insecure for humanitarian operations and as threatening to the people of the region as it has ever been. The United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing a peacekeeping force for Darfur is a unanimous signal that the international community is

committed to seeing no further violence take place in Darfur. Sudan, as a member of the United Nations, must abide by this decision of the international community. Their national and international responsibility is to serve and protect their people, and the suffering and killing in Darfur must end. The gargantuan humanitarian effort to provide basic necessities for more than 2 million displaced persons requires unrestricted access by national and international aid organizations, as well as the U.N.-mandated peacekeeping force to ensure their security.

This legislation also seeks to help consolidate the difficult road to recovery in southern Sudan in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan. I have included additional authorities for our officials to provide assistance to southern Sudan, as well as Darfur. Such economic and military assistance is necessary and requires close consultation with Congress to ensure assistance is not manipulated or misdirected. The bill also sustains existing sanctions on Sudan in direct response to their violation of agreements they have made. The President will have the authority to waive these restrictions if he determines such action is in our national interest; so the flexibility he requires is there as well.

Finally, in further support of peace and to assist U.S. diplomats, targeted sanctions are authorized on individuals whom the President determines are ``complicit in, or responsible for, acts of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity in Darfur.'' These sanctions include blocking assets and refusing to grant individuals entry to the United States. Further, this legislation encourages the President to prevent entry at our ports to certain ships in order to deny the Government of Sudan oil revenues and access to deliveries of military equipment. The only exception to such entry should be for those vessels providing assistance in carrying out the elements of the Sudan peace agreements or humanitarian assistance.

Shifting circumstances on the ground in Sudan and at the United Nations have complicated our efforts to achieve consensus on legislation that would help our diplomats resolve the Darfur crisis. I believe this legislation can win majority support in the Senate, and I hope it will receive favorable consideration in the House.

Mr. President, today I congratulate my friend John Parry on his retirement after 16 years as director of athletics at Butler University.

Since joining Butler in 1990, John has overseen a remarkable period of growth and success, adding three varsity athletic teams and winning the Horizon League James J. McCafferty Trophy for all-sports excellence for the first time and on five subsequent occasions. During this time, Butler also witnessed extraordinary success in the classroom, leading the Horizon League in the number of student-athletes named to the academic honor roll 9 out of the last 10 years. In 2003 he was recognized as National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics I-AA/I-AAA Athletic Director of the Year for the Central Region.

John's leadership has extended beyond Butler University. He is a past

president of the Pioneer Football League and past chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee. Especially important in the Indianapolis community, he served as a cochairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the 1997, 2000, and 2006 NCAA Men's Final Four and the 2005 NCAA Women's Final Four.

Personally, I have enjoyed working closely with John each year as Butler hosts the annual Dick Lugar Run and Walk. John's enthusiasm has ensured the success of this special tradition as so many from all over central Indiana come together to enjoy a day of competition and fitness.

I appreciate this opportunity to congratulate John, and I look forward to many more opportunities to work closely with him as he pursues new challenges and adventures.

Mr. President, on July 24 the majority leader placed a list of the Senators who had sought to be cosponsors of S. 3709, the United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act, into the Record.

I ask unanimous consent that an updated list of those who wish to be listed as cosponsors be printed in the Record at this time.

Senators Lugar, Biden, Hagel, Chafee, Allen, Coleman, Voinovich, Alexander, Sununu, Murkowski, Martinez, Dodd, Kerry, Nelson, Obama, Cornyn, Bayh, and Hutchison.

Mr. President, for the Committee on Foreign Relations I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the Records on the dates indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretary's desk for the information of Senators.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Foreign Service nominations beginning with James C.

Charlifue and ending with Barbara Matthews, which nominations

were received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional

Record on June 16 , 2006.

Foreign Service nominations beginning with M. Suzanne

Archuleta and ending with John D. Lavelle, Jr., which

nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in the

Congressional Record on July 12, 2006.

* Nomination was reported with recommendation that it be confirmed subject to the nominee's commitment to respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of the Senate.

(Nominations without an asterisk were reported with the recommendation that they be confirmed.)

Mr. President, I take this opportunity today to honor the memory of a good friend, Leonard H. Robinson, Jr., president and CEO of the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa, who died suddenly on Tuesday here in Washington.

Leonard's remarkable achievements have been recognized across America and the world. Throughout his nearly 40-year career, Leonard distinguished himself in many roles. He brought knowledge, commitment, and experience to his work at the State Department, the African Development Foundation, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. For many years, he devoted his abundant energy to promoting understanding and opportunities in Africa. It all started, however, as a Peace Corps volunteer in India from 1964-1967. He surprised one of my staff members recently by conversing in fluent Hindi, one of many languages Leonard had taken the time to master.

Leonard Robinson was also a visiting professor and lecturer at several universities including Boston University and the University of Virginia, where he was the university's first diplomat-in-residence. Through his membership on a variety of commissions and councils, including the Council on Foreign Relations, he gave clear voice to important issues, and others responded in kind. He had the ability to bring together broad coalitions of partners, including businesses, NGOs, academics, and civil society groups, who otherwise might not have recognized their mutual interests. He influenced numerous individuals in America and around the world to see the potential of Africa.

Leonard Robinson's work on African affairs was always based on the conviction that it was important to correct the frequently negative perceptions about Africa that inhibited genuine interaction with that continent. His tireless efforts to educate all Americans on the rich history and diversity of Africa and its people culminated in the establishment of the Africa Society, of which he was a founder, president, and CEO.

There will be a memorial service in honor of Leonard Robinson at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday August 15, 2006, at the Washington National Cathedral where his friends and colleagues will recognize his accomplishments and celebrate his legacy. I will continue to support his most recent effort in dialog on Capitol Hill, where Congressman Donald Payne and I have cochaired the Conversation and Dinner with African Ambassadors Series.

My sympathy is with Leonard's family and many friends, especially his two daughters Rani and Kemberley, his mother Winnie, and his brother Michael. This exemplary statesman was a great representative of his country and a standard bearer for the advancement of Africa, and he added something very noble to Washington discourse. We will miss his wisdom and grace.

Mr. President, I rise today to express my strong support for the reauthorization of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

I was a member of the Indianapolis School Board and mayor of Indianapolis during the civil rights movement, and I witnessed firsthand the critical importance of promoting justice and understanding in our communities. Following the tragic death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., while I was serving as mayor, so many of my friends and neighbors in Indianapolis came together in peace and reconciliation, and I am grateful that our city served as a model to so many other cities that were unfortunately stricken with violence and division.

It is in the spirit of justice, harmony, and compassion that we must join together to pass this important legislation. This is a signal moment for the Senate, and I am pleased that President Bush will sign this bill into law as the 41st anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act approaches on August 6.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement. At a time when commerce routinely crosses national borders, the United States should be positioned to compete in all arenas. Bilateral free trade agreements facilitate this goal. The FTA with Oman is significant for many reasons. Foremost, it encourages trade and economic cooperation with a friend and partner in the Middle East. FTAs are vital tools in providing new opportunities for our domestic companies as well as shaping our international business and foreign policy. Cooperation on the commercial front enhances our ability

to work with nations in other matters, including security and intelligence.

FTAs promote trade and growth which in turn support overall government stability and cooperation in this region. Continued cross- border trade ties will ensure the emergence of new capital markets and provide U.S. firms with new business partners. This agreement with Oman is also a further step in the direction of the goal to have a Middle East Free Trade Area by 2013.

Oman acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and entered into a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, TIFA, with the U.S. in July 2004. The TIFA provided a foundation upon which the U.S. and Oman were able to begin discussing areas of increased cooperation in trade that could be achieved. Subsequently, this FTA was signed in October 2005 and sent to Congress on June 26 under Trade Promotion Authority timelines.

This agreement will provide for greater market access in services, consistent legal protections for investors, effective enforcement of labor and environmental laws, and protection of intellectual property. There has been some debate over strengthening of labor laws in Oman. The government there passed significant labor reforms in 2003 and has made a commitment to implement further reforms by October of this year. Additionally, the Omani government has committed to increased protections for intellectual property. It has indicated that existing intellectual property protection laws will be enforced and enhanced civil and criminal penalties will be instituted for violators of these protections. Further, in addition to commitments not to relax environmental standards in order to attract investment, there was a separate agreement signed establishing a Joint Forum on Environmental Cooperation, through which ongoing assessments of environmental issues will be addressed.

In 2004, U.S. goods exports to Oman totaled $330 million, and two-way trade was $748 million. Of these amounts, U.S. agriculture comprised $20 million. The stock of U.S. foreign direct investment in Oman in 2003 was $358 million. Enactment of this agreement will further expand the market for U.S. exports which currently include machinery, automobiles, medical instruments, and agricultural products such as vegetable oils, sugars, sweeteners, and beverage bases. In addition to greater market access for agriculture and consumer goods, this agreement will also specifically create greater opportunities for service industries such as banking, insurance and securities.

FTAs provide benefits that enable American companies and workers to compete effectively around the world. I encourage my colleagues to support the U.S.-Oman FTA.

Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate an important milestone in the life of my fellow Hoosier, former classmate, and close friend, Max Schumacher. On July 15, I will have the opportunity to join Max's family and many friends in Indianapolis at Victory Field to celebrate his 50 years of important leadership with the Indianapolis Indians baseball team.

Since I came to know Max while we were both students at Shortridge High School, I have always been impressed by his commitment to leadership and public service. During our time at Shortridge, I admired his remarkable athletic and journalistic abilities. Max went on to study at Butler University where he was a member of the baseball team and editor of the school's newspaper, The Collegian. After receiving a bachelor of science degree in journalism in 1954, Max joined the U.S. Army, where he served until 1956. Butler recently recognized his accomplishments when he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

For the past 50 years, Max has worked in several different capacities within the Indians organization, including ticket manager, publicity director, general manager, and now president and chairman of the board. His leadership has helped the Indians achieve 31 consecutive years of profits and business success. In 1988 Max received the John H. Johnson President's Award to recognize him as the individual who ``best exemplifies the standards of a complete baseball franchise.''

Another milestone of Max's leadership of the Indians was the opening of Victory Field 10 years ago. Fans from across the country have marveled at this beautifully modern facility, which has been recognized as one of the premier baseball stadiums in the country. Victory Field has been an important addition to downtown Indianapolis, enabling families to enjoy memorable experiences together in such a welcoming atmosphere.

Max's leadership in the Indianapolis community goes far beyond his work with the Indians. Max has served as president of the Indianapolis Downtown Kiwanis Club, the Indianapolis Kiwanis Foundation board of directors, the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis, and is a member of the board of directors of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. As a recognition of this service, Governor Bowen named Max a ``Sagamore of the Wabash'' in 1980, and he was designated a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.

I also congratulate Max's wife Judy and their three children, who have been such an integral part of the Indians family for these many years. I was honored to be an usher in the wedding ceremony when Judy and Max were married, and Max was an usher when Charlene and I were married.

I appreciate this opportunity to congratulate my friend Max Schumacher, and I look forward to many more adventures with him, his family and friends, and the entire Indians organization as we cheer the Indians on to victory.

Mr. President, I am submitting an amendment today that addresses the issue of military assistance to foreign countries. Senators Warner and Levin have tried to be responsive to an administration request for increased funding and flexibility in providing assistance to countries that are partners with us in the war against terrorism. I applaud their efforts and will enumerate the problems that I do not have with the overarching purpose of section 1206.

I agree that there should be a new program that specifically addresses the shortcomings that many of our partners in the war against terror face in tracking and finding terrorists on their soil or in nearby seas.

I understand that current security assistance programs, the Foreign Military Financing program, for example, require a long lead time, sometimes 2\1/2\ to 3 years from request to delivery of equipment. There are urgent cases now where we need to respond more quickly than we currently can.

Nor do I object to providing significant funding for the program. The request of the administration for $750 million does not seem exorbitant given the threats that we are trying to address. Nonetheless, I respect the opinion of my fellow authorizers on the Armed Services Committee that there is only $400 million that can be devoted to the problem at this time from the Defense budget.

While on the ground floor of organizing such a new activity, however, my concern is that we get the decisionmaking mechanism right. We must make certain that the recipients chosen, the design of the programs, and implementation are in the best foreign policy interests of the United States. We are in this war on terror for the longterm. This is an important program that will go through many changes. Recipient countries will change. Areas of the globe where it must focus may change. The propensity of subsequent administrations may change as they have to make their own hard choices.

We need to get the basics right now so that we are not faced with a situation some years down the road where we have Cabinet Secretaries at odds, struggling with decisions on which countries should receive the aid, when it should be delivered, and how it should be implemented.

Those are decisions that we must insist be overseen by the Secretary of State on behalf of the President. Foreign policy must drive foreign assistance decisions. We cannot have military aid decisions drive foreign policy.

This amendment provides the funding that the Senate Armed Services Committee has authorized for the new program while safeguarding the primacy of the State Department in guiding and overseeing the program. My amendment this year builds on an amendment offered by Senator Inhofe last year on the same subject. That amendment passed the Senate unanimously when it was accepted by Senators Warner and Levin as the proper way to proceed. It, unfortunately, emerged from conference altered to authorize a Department of Defense program that is ``jointly formulated'' with the Secretary of State and requiring the Secretary of Defense to ``coordinate'' with the Secretary of State in program implementation. My amendment is more explicit. While the Inhofe amendment allowed a direct transfer of funds from the Defense Department to the State Department, this amendment explicitly creates a new counterterrorism train-and-equip account that is designed for use by the Department of Defense but is under the authority of the State Department. The Department of Defense would be authorized to contribute to and withdraw from the fund and would implement the train-and-equip programs funded by the account. Proceeding this way would clarify lines of authority and would safeguard the Secretary of State's role as the President's chief foreign policy advisor and manager of bilateral relationships.

My amendment retains an important interagency study due at the end of this year on the issue of military assistance that was contained in last year's section 1206.

The Department of State is now better organized to manage the new account established in this amendment. We can expect decisions to be made quickly and efficiently. Randy Tobias is now double-hatted. He has been named as the Secretary's foreign assistance advisor in addition to his role as the Administrator of USAID. Under his overall guidance, the Department can perform the necessary coordination both with Ambassadors in the field and with regional bureaus to ensure that such a program would be a constructive addition to the bilateral relationship with the recipient country and would contribute to regional stability. These are judgments that our Government must make about every foreign assistance program and the President is best advised on these matters by the Secretary of State.

I hope that my fellow Senators will take a serious look at this proposal and join me in offering it as an amendment to the bill. While the current language of section 1206 requires Secretary of State and ambassadorial involvement, it is difficult to legislate cooperation between agencies. A blurring of roles is inevitable if section 1206 stands unamended, at a time when foreign policy needs to be coherent, persuasive, and successful in the war against terror.

Amendment No. 4252

Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to extend the appreciation of the Senate to a dedicated public servant at the Congressional Research Service, CRS, of the Library of Congress. Larry Q. Nowels is retiring from CRS after more than 30 years of service to the Congress. This length of public service is not only a credit to Mr. Nowels but also a demonstration of the dedication that the staff of the Congressional Research Service brings in its support of our work in Congress.

Mr. Nowels first joined CRS in 1973 as an information resources assistant, while simultaneously pursuing an advanced degree in international relations at American University. His primary responsibility at CRS was to help in the management of the Foreign Affairs Division library, a task for which he was well prepared, having worked throughout his high school years as a library page in Claremont, CA. In a very short time he was promoted to division librarian, then to technical information specialist, to foreign affairs analyst, and finally to foreign affairs specialist. He served as section head of the International Organizations, Development, and Security Section of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division from 1985 to 1997, and for a period in 1992, served as acting assistant chief of the division.

Mr. Nowels' first research assignment at CRS was to assist senior staff in monitoring reporting requirements in the foreign affairs field, a joint committee project begun in 1975 for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and House Committee on International Relations. For the next 30 years, Mr. Nowels would assist Congress in tracking, moderating, and understanding the use of reporting requirements in fulfilling its oversight responsibility. In that first year, Mr. Nowels was also involved in the preparation of three other contributions by CRS to the congressional committees dedicated to foreign relations: the Committee on Foreign Relations' biennial Legislative History; the Committee on International Relations' annual Congress and Foreign Policy; and the annual Legislation on Foreign Relations, a joint committee project begun by the 88th Congress and continued to this day as a joint effort of the Congressional Research Service, Committee on Foreign Relations, and Committee on International Relations. Mr. Nowels remained intimately involved with each of these projects for many years and also provided mentorship to a notable succession of CRS staff.

During his career, Mr. Nowels wrote nearly 500 memoranda and reports for Members of Congress and congressional committees, organized numerous seminars, provided many briefings to Members and congressional staff, accompanied congressional delegations abroad, and testified before congressional committees, primarily on issues related to foreign assistance. Over the years, he introduced congressional staff persons, both new to Washington

and those most senior, to the appropriations process through courses in the Graduate Legislative Institute and briefed newly elected Members of Congress at biennial Williamsburg seminars. He provided groundbreaking analysis to the Congress on U.S. aid to Communist nations, implications of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings deficit reduction on foreign policy, debt forgiveness including heavily indebted poorest country--HIPC-- Initiatives, post-Cold War aid, Israeli loan guarantees, numerous congressional-executive efforts at foreign aid reform, international family planning programs, third-country foreign aid programs, establishment of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and multiyear foreign policy budget trends.

Mr. Nowels attended the National War College at the National Defense University in 1986-1987, where he won an award for his writing. On several occasions he was detailed to committees to serve alongside committee staff. In recent years, he traveled extensively on behalf of the Department of State's Speakers Program to speak to foreign officials, academics, and journalists on the U.S. Congress and U.S. foreign policy.

Mr. Nowels' exemplary contribution and service has been recognized by the Congressional Research Service with numerous special service awards, performance awards, and outstanding performance evaluations. His sustained excellence was acknowledged and honored by the Library of Congress with a Meritorious Service Award in 1992.

Larry Nowels is a fine example of those many dedicated staff of the Congressional Research Service who help inform Congress as it deliberates important public policy issues. His gracious demeanor and considerable expertise on U.S. foreign aid and U.S. foreign policy made him an invaluable asset to Congress for many years. On behalf of my colleagues, I extend our deep appreciation to Larry for his service and wish him the very best in future endeavors.