Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the vote on 237 be changed. I voted no and I intended to vote aye. I ask it be changed. It will not change the outcome of the vote.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, in August, the voice of the Anchorage Times printed an article authored by my good friend Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu. Dr. Akasofu is the director of the International Arctic Research Center in Fairbanks. He is one of the world's leading experts on Arctic science and global climate change.

Given the interest some of our colleagues have recently shown on this subject, I ask unanimous consent that Dr. Akasofu's article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I trust Dr. Akasofu's research and opinions. He has published more than 550 articles and is the author or coauthor of 10 books. His work has shown that he is an expert in Arctic research. It has shown that while there is little doubt the Earth's temperature is changing, there is still much debate about what is causing this change.

In his article, Dr. Akasofu says that the:

[One] thing we do know is that there is no definitive

scientific proof that all of the present global warming is

attributable to humans, or caused by the greenhouse effect.

Some of the changes we are seeing are the most recent stage in a historic evolution. In Alaska, our glaciers have been receding since 1800, long before the advent of the so-called greenhouse gases.

In the past 100 years, the Sun has been giving off additional energy, which is likely responsible for one-third of the .6-degree Celsius increase in global temperature. And there is now the so-called Atlantic and Pacific oscillation that may be dumping more heat, that is, warm ocean water, into the Arctic Ocean.

Changes in climate and weather patterns are not isolated events. They are part of a long-range historic trend or trends. One cannot arrive at sound conclusions about the causes by observing the changes which occur in their own lifetime. Reliable conclusions can only be reached by sound science and the type of research being conducted by Dr. Akasofu and his staff.

We must not substitute our own casual judgment for sound science. This will only lead to confusion. And Dr. Akasofu warned that:

The danger from such confusion and hysteria may be even

greater than from global warming itself.

The effects of global climate change are real. Regardless of the cause, changes are underway in the Arctic regions, including Alaska, and we must deal with these effects. But we must also allow the scientists to reach scientifically based conclusions on what is causing this phenomenon.

The basic problem we face is distinguishing between natural causes and human impact. The Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Global Climate Change, chaired by Senator Vitter and cochaired by Senator Lautenberg, held a hearing on global climate change policy in July. During that hearing, I asked Dr. James Mahoney, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, about the situation and he told me:

Sometimes there are . . . political arguments that want to

go in one extreme or the other. The scientific argument is

much more complicated in the middle.

Figuring out what is really happening in the Arctic will be very important to answering the overall question of global climate change, and I am dedicated to pursuing this. As far as the United States is concerned, the evidence of global climate change is more apparent in Alaska than anywhere else. We should prepare for its effects, but I want to seek sound science before we enact policies aimed at its causes.

We have created two subcommittees in the Commerce Committee that deal in some way with global climate change, and we will continue in our committee to address this issue. But I think it is very dangerous to make, as Dr. Mahoney called them, the ``political arguments.'' We must follow science on this issue, and I commend Dr. Akasofu for leading those efforts.

Mr. President, I thank the chair. I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise in support of a Senate resolution which I submitted commending the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress, which is celebrating its 15th year under the continuing strong leadership of its founding chairman, John Kluge.

The James Madison Council is the first private sector advisory body in the history of the Library of Congress. With the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library, which I have chaired and served on for many years, Librarian of Congress Jim Billington established the Council in 1990 as the Library's primary philanthropic body and link to the business community. It consists of public-spirited citizens dedicated to helping the Nation receive the full benefits of the Library of Congress's incomparable educational, scientific, technological, and cultural resources.

In its 15 years of unprecedented private support of the Library, the Madison Council has acquired hundreds of items for the collections that would have otherwise been unattainable through Federal appropriations alone, including the famous Waldseemuller map, the first map to bear the name ``America''; the $45 million dollar campaign to launch the National Digital Library, which provides free internet access to 10 million of the most important materials in the Library's collection; the Library's bicentennial celebration in 2000 which featured the recreation of Thomas Jefferson's library; the establishment of the John Kluge Center, a major scholarly center, and its accompanying Kluge Prize in the humanities; and the National Book Festival, in conjunction with First Lady Laura Bush, promoting literacy and the joys of reading, which is taking place this weekend.

This resolution commends and thanks the James Madison Council, particularly its chairman, John Kluge, one of the most patriotic and generous philanthropists I have known, and looks forward to its continued success in supporting the world's greatest library in the years ahead.

Mr. President, earlier today, the Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Kevin Martin, created a new FCC bureau dedicated to public safety and homeland security functions. The new FCC bureau will be named the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and will handle issues that are currently spread over several separate FCC bureaus and offices. For instance, it will handle enhanced 911 calls. It will handle priority emergency services, an emergency alert system, disaster management coordination, and communications infrastructure protection.

My generation relied on radio. Now all of us have different forms of communications. But there was no uniform communication mechanism such as radio was back in the 1930s or 1940s. Chairman Martin's reorganization recognizes the change in the technologies that can be used for emergency communications.

I commend the FCC, under Chairman Martin, for its leadership in directing the Universal Service Program to play a significant role in rebuilding the communications infrastructure, something that they have announced today also. Since its inception, the focus of the Universal Service Program has been on ensuring that all Americans are connected and able to communicate. As the citizens of Louisiana and Mississippi rebuild and return to their homes, they need to know that they can pick up their phones and make a call, which is why we have universal service. The steps that the FCC announced today, giving priority to rebuilding activities using universal service funds will help both in the short and long term.

The FCC is using these universal service funds temporarily to support wireless handsets, coupled with a package of free minutes for evacuees and people still in the affected area that are without telephone service. The FCC is also helping health care providers and the Red Cross shelters by modifying the health care program to double discounts for public and nonprofit health care providers. The FCC is allowing health care providers to submit new or revised universal support applications--requests for the money--for 2005, since their needs have obviously changed.

On the rebuilding front, universal service will help schools reconnect to the Internet, consumers reconnect to

their phones, and telephone companies to rebuild. Specifically, the FCC is designating schools and libraries struck by the hurricane to receive the highest level of priority under the E-Rate Program for 2005 and 2006. They are allowing schools and libraries serving evacuees to amend their 2005 application to account for the unexpected increase in population. They are using the Link-Up Program to provide support to pay the cost of reconnecting consumers to the network as the disaster- struck area is rebuilt. And they are providing BellSouth flexibility to use high-cost model support to rebuild wire centers affected by the hurricane.

In other words, this is a unique use of universal service funds. It took courage to do so. I am proud to hear of the FCC's willingness to work around the clock to assist companies in the affected areas with needed waivers. I also commend the FCC for its plans to establish the new Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. We have all seen the devastation and communications outages caused by the massive flooding and the storm surge.

Certainly, we will have to look at improving our Nation's alert and disaster warning systems as well as our communications interoperability. As chair of the Commerce Committee in the Senate, along with my cochair and good friend, Senator Dan Inouye of Hawaii, I intend to work closely with my colleagues in the Senate and the House, the FCC, and others on these issues. We will pursue permanent solutions. Chairman Martin and the FCC members deserve credit for having acted so rapidly to deal with the disaster-related issues before us today.

I thank the Chair and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, let me thank the distinguished Democratic whip for letting me precede him in making this statement.

It was with great sadness that I learned of Chief Justice Rehnquist's

passing, and even more sad when I joined the Senate to pay our last respects to him this morning.

I first met Bill Rehnquist in 1952. We were both young lawyers here in Washington, DC. We each had taken jobs here in Washington after finishing law school and in the course of many months became very good friends. In fact, my first date with my first wife was double-dating with Bill Rehnquist.

We had both served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and we were comrades in the deepest sense of the word. I respected Bill personally then and professionally. He was a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Jackson.

He took his responsibilities to the Court and to the American people very seriously. Bill Rehnquist was devoted to the rule of law and to our democratic system.

In many of our Nation's most turbulent moments, we relied upon Chief Justice Rehnquist's commitment to the law to steer us toward calmer waters. History will remember his evenhandedness and his impartiality in the face of tough decisions. During the impeachment process, which he chaired in the Senate, the Chief demonstrated his fairness and his commitment to follow precisely our Constitution and the precedents of the past. It was during that time that I once again had the privilege of sharing lunches and coffees and just talking off the floor with my great friend of the past.

Bill Rehnquist was a humble and gracious man, as we all know. Among his clerks and among his friends, he was known just as ``the Chief,'' and he was guided by the belief that no man is more important than the nation or the institution he serves. It was this belief that guided his efforts to narrow the concept of judicial activism and restore our system to its constitutional roots.

I didn't always agree with Bill Rehnquist. As a matter of fact, as young lawyers, we had a lot of arguments. But I knew he was a brilliant man, and he proved to be a great administrator for our Supreme Court. Those of us who knew the Chief respected his commitment to law and valued his advice and counsel. His friends were from all walks of life. He counted law clerks, Senators, Congressmen, and Presidents among his friends.

He embodied the lines in the Rudyard Kipling poem, ``If.'' Bill Rehnquist could ``walk with kings'' without losing ``the common touch.''

Those of you who knew him will miss the Chief's wry sense of humor. As a matter of fact, inspired by a costume from his favorite Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, he is the only Justice who added four gold stripes to each sleeve of his black Supreme Court robe.

He also loved a practical joke. One of my favorite stories is an April Fools' prank played on Chief Justice Warren Burger, with whom I also served at the Department of Justice. Bill put a life-size photo of Warren Burger on the front steps of the Supreme Court building with a sign asking tourists to pay $1 to get a picture with the Chief Justice. Remember, it was April Fools' day. He then drove the Chief Justice by those steps so he could see his reaction to this prank.

But he said once to me, ``The Chief Justice brings to the office no one but himself.'' This may be true, but this Chief Justice leaves office with the gratitude of our entire Nation. You can see it today in those long lines over by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has lost a great legal mind, the country has lost a devoted public servant, and I have lost another good friend.

Catherine and I extend our deepest sympathies to Bill's family and friends. He will be missed by all--greatly by me.

Mr. President, let me thank the two leaders for their courtesy.

Last Thursday it was my privilege to meet on the Capitol steps with a group of Boy Scouts from my State, 71 young Scouts and 9 adults, which included 5 distinguished Boy Scout leaders. As we all know, we have heard the news, a tragic accident occurred at Fort A.P. Hill, and four of those leaders have passed away. Another is seriously injured. It has been a shock to the Alaska community, certainly a shock to the Jamboree. We are working with the Army. This occurred on an Army base, and there is a CID investigation going on, as well as a Virginia State investigation, to determine the cause of this tragedy. Clearly, there are 71 young men down there who are very shocked and very disturbed over this tragedy.

I want to thank the leader for his comments and the Chaplain for the mention of these men in his opening prayer. It is impossible for us to fathom a tragedy of this sort. In any event, I want to say to the Senate and to the Alaskan people we will do everything we can to help these young men and to comfort them and make certain they are cared for in this period of mourning the loss of these distinguished Boy Scout leaders.

I ask unanimous consent that statements that appeared in the Anchorage Daily News this morning about this incident and from the Washington Post reporting on the incidents be printed in the Record.

Again, I thank the Senate and the leaders for their courtesy.

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to recognize the service of an outstanding leader and public servant. After more than 32 years in uniform, MG John W. Holly will soon retire and move into private life.

Four years ago, Major General Holly was appointed Program Director of the Joint Program Office of Ground-Based Midcourse Defense. For the past year he has also served as the Deputy Director of the Missile Defense Agency, overseeing the direction of all other ballistic missile defense programs in the agency.

The Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System is not your run-of-the-mill weapons program. It is virtually global in scope, spanning 12 time zones, from the United Kingdom to the outer reaches of the Aleutian Islands. It has required upgrades to early warning radars from the Cold War era and the development of the most advanced sea-going X-band radar ever built; this equipment was then linked with communication centers throughout the United States and firing sites in Alaska and California. This effort has also

involved the development, testing, and deployment of an interceptor- and-kill vehicle that closes in on its target at speeds of up to 18,000 miles an hour and hits within centimeters of its aim point.

Each of the major systems involved in this effort and many of their component parts were built under different contracts, often by different manufacturers, at different times, and with different technologies. The entire system is being developed and acquired by non- traditional methods, which ensure we deploy effective defensive capabilities to our troops as fast as possible. And, of course, all of these pieces must work together as one, flawlessly, every time and on very short notice.

Since the 1960s, Americans have dreamed of having this type of capability, and in the past 3 years we have made remarkable progress. None of this would have been possible if President Bush had not withdrawn the United States from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in June 2002. And much of our success can be attributed to the dedication and leadership of Major General Holly.

Major General Holly was ideally prepared for his responsibilities at the Missile Defense Agency. His experiences at the platoon through corps levels gave him an understanding of what it means to support our men and women in uniform. His management experience in research, development, and acquisition--especially in rocket propulsion and guidance--honed his ability to integrate complex systems and move all of the essential parts through development at the same time.

In short, Major General Holly was the right man, in the right place, at the right time for our missile defense needs. Americans are deeply indebted to him for answering the call to serve.

Like many of my Senate colleagues, I often had the opportunity to meet with Major General Holly. Many of those visits took place in Alaska. And like many of my Senate colleagues, I have always been impressed with his integrity, commitment, and leadership skills.

Under Major General Holly's leadership, we have cut a new path through uncharted territory. He personally oversaw the emplacement of silos and interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. He showed what could be done if you provided the right guidance, tools, and motivation.

Americans owe Major General Holly a debt of gratitude for a lifetime of selfless service and for his profound contributions to our Nation and our security. Those of us in the Senate will miss his leadership and his counsel. We wish him and his family all the best in the years ahead.

Mr. President, for the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 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.

Mr. President, as my colleague, Senator Coleman knows, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa is an issue of paramount importance. The international community is at a crucial crossroads in the effort to treat and more importantly, stop the spread of this disease.

Senator Coleman recently brought the University of Minnesota's program to my attention. It is of particular interest to me because it provides for training and development of nurses and HIV care practitioners, as part of a program that will be self sustaining within 5 years of implementation.

The success of this program could eventually be a template to spread out into the rest of Africa. I hope to work with my distinguished colleague and the State Department on implementation of this important program.

Mr. President, 30 years ago, Egypt and the United States developed what has become a strong partnership, dedicated to a stable and peaceful Middle East.

Egypt is a strong ally to the United States and is actively supporting the peace process in Israel and Palestine, Iraq, and the Sudan.

It has also made many democratic reforms in recent years. Women now hold a number of important political positions such as cabinet ministers, members of parliament, ambassadors, and judges.

The amended Egyptian constitution allows for multi-candidate presidential elections, and provides for equal access to publically owned media.

And a number of privately owned and managed television networks have been established.

It is important that we continue to support the positive changes taking place in Egypt, and encourage further democratic and human rights reforms.

I am concerned that conditions and limitations placed on the government of Egypt's ability to receive and spend funds will send a negative message to the people of Egypt.

The administration has expressed concerns about these legislative restrictions, which it believes could harm the relationship between our respective governments.

Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senators Inouye, Smith, McCain, Nelson, and Pryor in introducing a bipartisan bill to address the growing perpetration of identity theft against American consumers. The bipartisan bill, the ``Identity Theft Protection Act,'' is the product of two Commerce Committee hearings that featured testimony from businesses that aggregate and sell consumer information as a commodity, and the full

Federal Trade Commission, FTC, which recommended much of what is contained in this legislation.

The occurrence of identity theft in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. The incidence of this crime rose 15 percent in 2002, and 80 percent in 2003. The FTC stated in February 2005 that each year nearly 10 million Americans--or roughly 4.6 percent of the domestic adult population--are victimized by identity thieves. The FTC indicates that physical and online identity theft accounted for 39 percent of the more than 635,000 consumer fraud complaints filed last year with the agency. The costs associated with identity theft are enormous. In 2003, the FTC estimated that the losses to businesses and financial institutions due to identity theft totaled $48 billion, and the out-of-pocket losses to consumers totaled $5 billion, which does not take into account the average 300 hours spent by victims restoring their good names.

This year alone, there have been at least 43 reported information breaches affecting potentially more than 9 million Americans. This string of data theft has focused the attention of Congress, consumers, and privacy proponents. It has raised questions concerning the business practices of data brokers and whether consumers' personal information is adequately protected from identity thieves. The difficulty of finding solutions to this and other types of identity theft is striking a balance between ensuring adequate security of sensitive personal information while not inhibiting the legitimate free flow of information that is vital to the domestic economy and law enforcement.

The bill that we introduce today will not end all identity theft. No legislation can accomplish that objective. But this bill would require bolstered information safeguards and ensure notification of consumers whose sensitive personal information has been acquired without authorization. More specifically, the bill, among other things, would direct the FTC to develop rules that would require all covered entities that handle sensitive personal information to develop, implement, and maintain appropriate safeguards to protect such information, and provide effective notice to consumers in the event of a breach. The bill would limit the solicitation of Social Security numbers by covered entities, and restrict employers, State agencies, or educational institutions from displaying social security numbers on identification tags for employees and students, and for drivers licenses. The bill also would allow consumers to freeze their credit for a reasonable fee to protect themselves from identity theft, and preempt similar State or local law in an effort to provide a uniform Federal standard rather than a patchwork of widely varying State or local laws.

I look forward to working with my colleagues on legislation that will mitigate to the greatest extent possible the occurrence of identity theft in this country, but without inhibiting an information sharing system that yields extraordinary benefits to every American.

Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senators Inouye, Smith, McCain, Nelson, and Pryor in introducing a bipartisan bill to address the growing perpetration of identity theft against American consumers. The bipartisan bill, the ``Identity Theft Protection Act,'' is the product of two Commerce Committee hearings that featured testimony from businesses that aggregate and sell consumer information as a commodity, and the full

Federal Trade Commission, FTC, which recommended much of what is contained in this legislation.

The occurrence of identity theft in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. The incidence of this crime rose 15 percent in 2002, and 80 percent in 2003. The FTC stated in February 2005 that each year nearly 10 million Americans--or roughly 4.6 percent of the domestic adult population--are victimized by identity thieves. The FTC indicates that physical and online identity theft accounted for 39 percent of the more than 635,000 consumer fraud complaints filed last year with the agency. The costs associated with identity theft are enormous. In 2003, the FTC estimated that the losses to businesses and financial institutions due to identity theft totaled $48 billion, and the out-of-pocket losses to consumers totaled $5 billion, which does not take into account the average 300 hours spent by victims restoring their good names.

This year alone, there have been at least 43 reported information breaches affecting potentially more than 9 million Americans. This string of data theft has focused the attention of Congress, consumers, and privacy proponents. It has raised questions concerning the business practices of data brokers and whether consumers' personal information is adequately protected from identity thieves. The difficulty of finding solutions to this and other types of identity theft is striking a balance between ensuring adequate security of sensitive personal information while not inhibiting the legitimate free flow of information that is vital to the domestic economy and law enforcement.

The bill that we introduce today will not end all identity theft. No legislation can accomplish that objective. But this bill would require bolstered information safeguards and ensure notification of consumers whose sensitive personal information has been acquired without authorization. More specifically, the bill, among other things, would direct the FTC to develop rules that would require all covered entities that handle sensitive personal information to develop, implement, and maintain appropriate safeguards to protect such information, and provide effective notice to consumers in the event of a breach. The bill would limit the solicitation of Social Security numbers by covered entities, and restrict employers, State agencies, or educational institutions from displaying social security numbers on identification tags for employees and students, and for drivers licenses. The bill also would allow consumers to freeze their credit for a reasonable fee to protect themselves from identity theft, and preempt similar State or local law in an effort to provide a uniform Federal standard rather than a patchwork of widely varying State or local laws.

I look forward to working with my colleagues on legislation that will mitigate to the greatest extent possible the occurrence of identity theft in this country, but without inhibiting an information sharing system that yields extraordinary benefits to every American.

I ask for the yeas and yeas.

May I inquire, does the Senator from Ohio intend to speak about Justice O'Connor?

Mr. President, would the Senator mind if I made a short statement about Justice O'Connor before he speaks?

Very well.

Mr. President, I have come to the floor to make comments concerning our good friend, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. It has been Catherine's and my honor to have become very close to the O'Connors.

I want to tell the Senate that I think Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is one of the most extraordinary and gracious women I have ever known. She has come to Alaska often. What most people don't know is she is a very fine fisher person. I think one of the most interesting letters I ever received in my life was the letter I received from Sandra Day after she had gone fishing to a remote fishing lodge in Alaska. She was the only woman there at the time. She fished through some rainy periods and sunny periods and gave a general description of the joy she had being able to have the time to fish and to think as she did that. It was a real joy to read that letter.

I also asked Sandra Day O'Connor to come to Alaska and speak--she has been there many times--at the Anchorage Library. She gave a stirring address to mainly young women who were part of the Alaska State Bar Association. That evening, we had a dinner for Justice O'Connor, and her husband John asked for the privilege of introducing her. I want to tell the Senate that I think that was probably the most moving tribute I ever heard a husband deliver for his wife in my life.

Her husband John is a fine lawyer and a devoted husband. He told us a story of how he felt when Sandra Day got the call asking her if she would become a member of the Supreme Court. Sandra Day O'Connor, just 2 weeks ago, at my request, took a group of the Chinese delegates to the Senate-Chinese parliamentary conference to the Supreme Court of the United States. She took the time to take these Chinese representatives through the Court and explain our judicial process and how it is an essential function of our democracy to these delegates who came to meet to discuss issues of great importance to the nation of China and our own Nation. The way she handled those people and the gracious way in which she described the functions in the chamber, and took us to the courtroom and explained how the Court listens to the attorneys who present cases and how the Court reacts individually to statements, and the type of questions she puts to the attorneys who represent various litigants, was a most instructive session for our Chinese friends. Again, it demonstrated the depth of Sandra Day O'Connor. She is one great lady.

She has been an exemplary public servant who has made exceptional contributions not only to the Supreme Court but to our Nation. I think she will be remembered in this country as a groundbreaker, overcoming adversity and stereotypes. She was the first woman nominated to be a member of our Supreme Court.

She is a native of southeastern Arizona and she grew up on an isolated ranch owned by her parents. The ranch itself did not receive electricity or running water until she was seven. My wife's family had a similar experience living in another part of Arizona. I think that is one of the reasons we have become so close to the O'Connors.

She received her bachelor's degree in economics, magna cum laude, from Stanford University in 1950. After she received her bachelor's degree, O'Connor enrolled at Stanford Law School, graduating third in her class and serving on the Stanford Law Review. It was during law school that she met her husband, John.

After graduating from law school, she faced a tough job market as a female attorney. After having difficulty

finding a position in the private sector, Sandra Day O'Connor accepted a position working as Deputy County Attorney for San Mateo County, California.

When her husband John was drafted into the JAG Corps in 1953, she moved to Frankfurt, Germany with him and served as a civilian attorney for the Quartermaster Market Center from 1954-1957.

After leaving Germany, O'Connor returned to Arizona and again faced difficulty in finding employment with a private law firm. As a result, she began a small practice of her own where she practiced from 1958- 1960.

In 1965, after returning to work following a brief hiatus to care for her children, O'Connor accepted a position as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Arizona.

In 1968, she was appointed to the Arizona State Senate by the governor to fill a vacancy. O'Connor successfully defended her Senate seat in the next election, and was subsequently reelected to two more terms. During this time, O'Connor was elected to be majority leader of the Arizona Senate.

O'Connor was elected Judge of Maricopa County Superior Court in 1975 and she served until 1979 when she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals. In 1981, President Reagan appointed her as the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court and she was confirmed unanimously by the Senate.

During her time on the Court, Justice O'Connor has proven herself to be a brilliant jurist and a strong defender of the Constitution. She is known for her fairness and her desire to seek practical solutions for even the most difficult decisions the Court has ruled on.

Justice O'Connor has proven to be an independent thinker and a vigorous questioner, narrowing in on precise legal issues with laser- like precision from the bench.

She has lived up to her promise to respect the Constitution and to interpret the law judiciously, seeking the narrowest reach possible for the Court's rulings. Justice O'Connor is known for approaching each case individually, seeking to arrive at practical conclusions.

Justice O'Connor has been a great advocate for the Court. She has traveled the globe, speaking to thousands of students, lawyers, foreign dignitaries and others on the judiciary, the Constitution, and the law.

Justice O'Connor's love of this Nation, its judicial process, and the law is widely known. In her most recent book, ``Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice'' she insightfully describes the institution of the court, its history, customs and some of its notable members.

Justice O'Connor, is ``one of the most significant historical figures of the 21st century'' and ``an inspiration to all future generations.'' Chief Judge Stephen McNamee, U.S. District Court, District of Arizona.

``[Justice O'Connor] likes to hear people's points of view. I never felt I had to agree with her to conform to her view.'' Professor Stuart Banner, professor of law at UCLA who clerked for O'Connor.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and transportation, which I co-chair with my good-friend Senator Daniel Inouye, has unanimously passed out of committee, four bills to protect our oceans and enhance the collective knowledge of the marine environment. The Senate just passed these four bills by unanimous consent, and I look forward to working with the House to get this important legislation enacted into law.

Water covers over 70 percent of the Earth's surface. It is estimated that 80 percent of life on Earth is in the oceans. The Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans, and the Gulf of Mexico, make up the waters of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. In fact, the Pacific Ocean alone covers nearly an entire hemisphere of the globe. But little is known about these waters.

The four bills the Senate passed today will provide greater understanding of the complex ocean environment. Together, they will increase the coordination and effectiveness of the Federal agencies that contribute to the research and management of these critical marine ecosystems.

The four bills are: S. 50, the Tsunami Preparedness Act; S. 39, the National Ocean Exploration Program Act; S. 361, the Ocean and Coastal Observation System Act of 2005; and S. 362, the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act of 2005.

The Tsunami Preparedness Act is the first bill that Senator Inouye and I drafted as the new Co-chairmen of the Commerce Committee. It was developed in the wake of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami that took lives in 11 countries and provides an expanded tsunami detection and warning system for the United States. The bill authorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, to establish, operate, and maintain a dependable national tsunami warning system that would provide maximum tsunami detection capability for the Nation. The system would build on the model established in the Pacific, and provide for its repair, expansion and modernization by the close of calendar year 2007. In addition, the bill directs NOAA to provide any necessary technical support or other assistance to international efforts to establish regional tsunami detection and warning systems in other parts of the world, including the Indian Ocean.

I wrote the next bill, National Ocean Exploration Program Act, for the simple fact that very little is known about our oceans and more research and exploration is desperately needed. Approximately 95 percent of the ocean floor remains unexplored, much of it located in the polar-regions and southern ocean. We know more about the surface of the moon than the ocean floor; this bill is intended to change that. The National Ocean Exploration Program Act establishes a national program within NOAA to conduct inter-disciplinary ocean exploration voyages in partnership with other Federal agencies or academic institutions. The Act will strengthen interagency coordination on ocean exploration for the purposes of developing and facilitating the transfer of new exploration technologies, communication infrastructure, and data management systems to the Program. The bill gives priority attention to the exploration of deep ocean regions to make exciting new discoveries. In addition, it will promote the development of improved oceanographic research, communication, navigation, and data collection systems, in an effort to increase understanding of the ocean environment.

The Ocean and Coastal Observation System Act of 2005, developed by Senator Snowe, will also contribute to our knowledge of the oceans with greater monitoring and observation of this dynamic environment. The bill will establish a national, integrated ocean and coastal observing system that will collect, compile, and make available data on ocean conditions in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, including the Great Lakes. The ocean and coastal observation system will help improve weather and flood forecasting, promote understanding of climatic variability processes, enhance safety and efficiency of marine operations, facilitate research, improve management of marine and coastal ecosystems, and provide information to raise public awareness of oceans.

And finally there is the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act of 2005. Authored by Senator Inouye, this bill responds to the immediate need to prevent and reduce significantly the amount of trash that is collecting in our oceans. The bill establishes separate programs within NOAA and the Coast Guard to identify, assess, reduce and prevent marine debris and its adverse impacts on the marine environment and navigation safety. In addition the bill creates an Interagency Committee on Marine Debris to coordinate federal efforts to prevent and reduce marine debris.

I look forward to the new information and management capabilities these bills will provide. Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the country combined. The oceans are a vital part of our way of life, and we depend on sound scientific research to maintain them. These bills are important to increase our efforts to be good stewards of our oceans.

I thank my colleagues on the Commerce Committee and those in the Senate for their overwhelming support of these bills.