Floor Statements

Mr. President, today is Alaska Day, the day 140 years ago when our territory was officially transferred from Russia to the United States. That was the beginning of a long road towards the American dream for our State.

What was once called ``Seward's folly'' has become one of our Nation's great assets. Alaska has more than made good on Seward's initial investment. The Federal Government has collected enough revenue from the development of our resources to repay this investment hundreds and hundreds of times over.

Over the years, Alaskans have worked hard to realize our land's vast potential. And, while much remains to be done, we have much to celebrate.

We are working towards creating a climate for investment, attracting capital to develop and market our valuable natural resources. As our state grows, we are working to ensure that all Alaskans enjoy the benefits of a strong and vibrant economy.

Through programs such as the Denali Commission, we are building modern water and sewer facilities, health care centers and providing education and job opportunities to Alaskans in the far corners of our state.

Though many challenges lay ahead, today, we can look on our accomplishments and know that together we can continue making progress on the road to the American Dream.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. President, today, I ask the Senate to salute the men and women of the 3rd Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment of the Alaska Army National Guard.

This unit just returned from the Middle East for demobilization. Within days, the Alaska Army Guard members will start their return journey back to Alaska.

Today, they will be honored at a ``welcome home'' ceremony at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. I had hoped to be with them today, but due to the votes in the Senate and the committee assignments, I have remained here in Washington, DC.

The 3rd Battalion served with distinction in both Kuwait and Iraq over the past year. When this unit was mobilized in 2006, it represented the largest mobilization of the Alaska National Guard since World War II. These Guard members represent 81 communities in our State, including many Alaska Native villages.

Before their deployment last October, Senator Murkowski and I met with this battalion in Camp Shelby. It was an exciting day as members of the units successfully completed their predeployment training. I was impressed with their high morale and dedication to our country.

Most of the members of the Alaskan Guard left behind families and jobs in Alaska to be part of this mission. Their departure caused hardship for their families and communities, especially in their small villages. But they were steadfast in their commitment to the mission and to our country.

The dedication of the 3rd Battalion reminds us that in our Nation's darkest moments--when freedom has been on the line--our citizen soldiers have answered the call to serve. Their duties and traditions are deeply rooted in our country's history. During the Civil War and World War II, it was our citizen soldier who tipped the balance and ensured our victory.

Members of the 3rd Battalion have carried forward this proud tradition. Their dedication to serve reflects the bravery and courage of those who came before them. Many of them are descendants of those who served with COL Muktuk Marston and other Eskimo Scouts in the Tundra Army during World War II. During that war in which I served, their predecessors defended our freedom in Alaska and around the world. I remember well the heroism of the National Guardsmen I served with in World War II. They, too, and these people now, have earned also the honor of being called the ``Greatest Generation.''

There are few of us left who lived through the dark history of World War II, but as I reflect on their service, I appreciate their bravery, commitment, and dedication. The men and women in uniform today are truly our newest ``Greatest Generation.'' We are comrades in the deepest sense of the word, and we should salute their service.

As citizen soldiers, they are a force not only on the battlefield but also a force in their communities. They are the link between the standing military units they serve and the people they protect. They also answer the call in national disasters.

In recent months, their mission was critical to the overall success of our operations in the Middle East and Iraq, and all Alaskans, especially those in their communities, are proud of their service.

On a day when we honor the 3rd Battalion, I believe we should also take a moment to reflect on those we have lost. Tragically, two Alaska Army Guard soldiers were killed and two were gravely injured in a training accident near Camp Shelby last year. We still mourn their deaths and send our deepest condolences to their families and friends.

We should ask God to bless them and God to bless the brave men and women, such as the Army National Guard, who volunteer to defend our great country. The thoughts and prayers of Alaskans, and I think of a grateful Nation, are with all of them.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, can we do it in the regular order?

The amendment will be pending, right?

I did not hear the request.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I thought we were going to have a package of these amendments.

I will not object, but I do think it should have been in a package. I hope we get a package here so we do not do them one by one. I do not object.

Reserving the right to object, and I do not object, will the Senators tell us some timeframe?

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that amendment No. 3144 be withdrawn.

Mr. President, the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike G. Mullen, has made a statement to our American soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and their families. I was privileged to get a copy of this, and I think it is the type of letter every Member of the Senate should be allowed to read. So I ask unanimous consent it be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I request the clerk make us a list of pending amendments, amendments that have been qualified as pending on this bill.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

That is the Allard amendment?

I am as well, and I note that this amendment was submitted yesterday--coincidentally on the day when it became obvious that our Nation's missile defense system is, according to today's New York Times, ``up and running.''

Yes.

I concur.

Madam President, I call up Senate amendment No. 3166.

I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its consideration. It is an amendment to this amendment.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Madam President, I would say to the Senate that this is an addition to the Boxer amendment that does not affect the Boxer amendment per se.

I ask unanimous consent that the amendment to the amendment be agreed to.

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Madam President, to my knowledge, the Senator from Alabama is here now for his amendment. The Sessions amendment is the last amendment that I know of on this side. Does the Senator from Hawaii have additional amendments on his side?

We would be prepared to enter into an agreement that there be no further amendments.

So we will proceed at this time with the Sessions amendment.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

What is the pending amendment?

We agree.

Madam President, I move to reconsider the vote.

I move to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Stryker Brigade Combat Teams

I wish to echo my colleague's support for the men and women in the National Guard. I am extremely grateful for their service and dedication to our country. I reiterate my colleague's sentiment that we will take into consideration our colleague's views on a Stryker Brigade for the National Guard.

improved engineering design process

The project described by the Senator from Maine appears to have great merit. Savings of this magnitude are especially important at a time when our resources are stretched very thinly.

I thank the Senator from Maine for bringing this important program to my attention.

Hawklink

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Kyl be added as cosponsor to amendment No. 3192.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I am pleased to endorse the comments of the chairman of our subcommittee regarding this Defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008 to the Senate. This bill does reflect a bipartisan approach. This is the approach Senator Inouye and I have always maintained regarding the Department of Defense appropriations. The fact is this bill was reported out of the full Appropriations Committee almost 3 weeks ago by a unanimous vote. We hope, as the chairman of the subcommittee said, to finish this bill this week so we can proceed to conference as soon as possible after the October recess for Columbus Day.

Our fiscal year began yesterday. Normally this bill would have been signed by the President by this time. But it is a matter that still has extreme urgency, as far as I am concerned, to get it before the President. As Senator Inouye has said, as a temporary measure we do have the continuing resolution in place to keep operations ongoing in the Department of Defense until this bill becomes law. That is a temporary measure. There are many acquisition activities that simply cannot be initiated under a continuing resolution. They require an annual appropriations bill to be enacted.

Under the continuing resolution, there are very limited amounts available each month to the Department. That is not sufficient to sustain a force in the field as we have in Afghanistan and Iraq. As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of thousands of men and women in uniform deployed throughout the world. They serve our country now in over 154 countries, and in our own country here, in the United States. Their bravery and dedication to our country is extraordinary and their sacrifices do not go unnoticed. We must not lose sight of our responsibility to support them in an expeditious manner, and completely. These people depend on us and it is our job to see to it they have all of the supplies, ammunition, and equipment they need to carry out their orders.

Each year the Department of Defense faces the critical challenge of balancing the cost of maintaining high levels of readiness, being ready to respond to any call wherever it occurs, whenever it is necessary. This means we must adequately invest in those technologies that will prepare us for the future, prepare us for the threats of

tomorrow as well as conduct the activities we have ongoing in those 154 countries and in particular in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The bill Senator Inouye and I present today reflects a prudent balance among those challenges. I concur--may I say I concur reluctantly--in Senator Inouye's request that we not have supplemental items added to this bill. This is the first year we have not had, as part of the bill, a so-called bridge to cover the transition between one fiscal year to the next, in terms of the demands of the war. Very clearly, if we are going to send the MRAPs over to Iraq--these are the new vehicles that protect lives, that are saving lives--we need funding in advance. I am told we have over 30 different manufacturers working on these machines now. They have to be paid. I do believe the supplemental is absolutely necessary and I am very worried about it. It is to me a very difficult thing to believe the time might come when we do not have the money to pay for these MRAPs and they will stay in this country rather than be taken to Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are other new facilities and equipment that are needed by the Department of Defense. This is an ongoing. I was talking to my colleague Sid Ashworth today about the transformation of the military. At the same time as our people are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and are defending us in these other 152 countries, we face the problem of transforming our military into the military of the future. New technologies, new techniques, and new requirements demand change. That change demands new equipment and new research to assure we have the basic equipment and technology base we need to protect this country for the future.

I worry about a process that is slowing down the money that now for 4 years has been presented in a supplemental, an addition to this bill as it was passed. This will be the first year we have not included that in the consideration of the appropriations bill. As I said, I am following the lead of our chairman, but I do believe we cannot go home this year without providing the money to carry over through the new year and into the period of next year before we can get another bill passed.

This is, to me, a very serious matter and one I hope to speak on later, at great length, as a matter of fact. But I do again thank Senator Inouye, our chairman, for his courtesy, his leadership, and his friendship as we move this bill to the floor.

We welcome for consideration any amendments our colleagues wish to present.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I join in that motion.

Madam President, I move to reconsider the vote and to lay that motion on the table.

The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

We support these amendments.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Earl Rilington and Eric Perritt, fellows serving in Senator Cochran's office, be granted the privilege of the floor during consideration of this Defense Department appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008.

Mr. President, on rollcall No. 343, I voted ``yea.'' I intended to vote ``nay.'' Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to change my vote. This will not affect the outcome of the vote.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to speak as in morning business for up to about 7 minutes.

Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I have come to the Senate floor today to honor one of Alaska's most admired pioneers and a dear friend of mine and my whole family.

Alaskans will remember Augie Hiebert for his many achievements in the field of broadcasting and for opening the doors to modern communications for all Alaskans. In a State with few roads, where hundreds of miles of wilderness often separate towns and villages, Alaskans rely upon airwaves to connect them with people and events across our State, across the country, and around the globe. Augie was one of the first to bring the benefits of broadcast technology to our last frontier.

At an early age, Augie developed a fascination for electronics and radio which would lead him to a career in broadcasting. While growing up on an orchard in Washington State during the Great Depression, Augie built his own first radio. He earned his ham radio license at the age of 15. He was just 22 years old when he came to Fairbanks in 1939 to help a friend build KFAR Radio.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Augie was listening to ham radio broadcasts at KFAR's transmitter when he heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was one of the first in Alaska to hear the shocking news and immediately alerted the commander of Ladd Field right there in Fairbanks.

Having witnessed firsthand the impact broadcasting had on the lives of those who were living in Alaskan territory, Augie set out to bring the technology of television to what we call our great land. In 1953, Augie built Alaska's first television station, KTVA, bringing news, weather, sports, and entertainment to the people of Anchorage. Two years later, he broadcast the first television shows to Fairbanks when he built KTVF. Augie's TV stations brought history's defining events from around the globe into Alaska's living rooms. In 1969, Augie gave us the first live satellite broadcasts, and Alaskans from Fairbanks to Anchorage watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.

As Alaska's broadcast industry grew, so did Augie's family. He and his wife Pat raised four daughters.

During his long career in broadcasting, Augie served Alaska in many ways. He was the founder and president of the Alaska Broadcasters Association. When I was practicing law, I helped him form that association. Every year, Augie brought a group of Alaskan broadcasters to Washington for Alaska Day at the Federal Communications Commission, where he gave them a rare opportunity to speak on a one-to-one basis with commissioners about the unique challenges facing broadcasters in Alaska. But Augie's efforts to educate the FCC about Alaskan broadcasting didn't end there. He invited them, and the entire FCC at one time traveled to Alaska at his request.

In the early 1980s, Augie led the fight to preserve AM broadcast coverage in Alaska, which resulted in the creation of the class of the 1-N FCC category, a category just for our State of Alaska. Over the years, Augie introduced countless Alaskans to broadcasting and gave many their start in the industry. Though he officially retired in 1997, Augie remained committed to the future of broadcasting in Alaska, and until the day of his death, he was talking to me about the problem of white spaces in the current debate over new digital broadcasting.

He became a mentor to the students at Mirror Lake Middle School in Chugiak, AK, where he shared his enthusiasm for broadcasting and he helped students produce news programs for the school's closed-circuit television system, and they did that every morning before school started. He showed them how to prepare a morning show for their school. Augie brought leading professionals in the field of broadcasting to Mirror Lake to share their experiences and knowledge with these students. Today, the school operates a low-powered FM radio station which Augie helped build and license. It is the only class D low- powered radio license in the country issued to a school.

Rather than all of the firsts he achieved during his long career, Alaskans will remember Augie most as the man who made the Nation's largest State a little bit smaller. His efforts brought us closer to one another and closer to the rest of the world. Our thoughts and prayers are with Augie's daughters, their families, and all who loved him.

This man was a great American, a great Alaskan, and my great friend.

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

Mr. President, since its inception, the Internet has provided a powerful economic boost to our Nation, especially in rural areas. It has become an important everyday tool for millions of Americans, a valuable educational resource, and a powerful mechanism for communication.

To ensure the Internet's benefits are available to as many people as possible, Congress should reduce obstacles to broadband access. One way to accomplish this goal is to prevent taxes from being imposed on Internet access, because such taxes will only drive up the overall cost of the use of the Internet.

The Internet Tax Freedom Act, first passed by Congress in 1998, established a moratorium on State and local governments' ability to tax Internet access. Extended in 2004, that moratorium will expire on November 1--less than 2 months from today. Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate to extend the Internet tax moratorium. I have been supportive of such legislation and expressed support when the Senate Commerce Committee explored the issue at a hearing on May 23 of this year.

Our chairman, Senator Inouye, has been very supportive of the concept of keeping taxes off the Internet.

Tremendous investment, growth, and innovation in broadband deployment has occurred since the moratorium was first adopted. In order for this progress to continue, Congress should extend the Internet tax moratorium before it expires this fall.

If it is not extended by November 1, more states could take the opportunity to quickly pass laws and impose new taxes on the Internet. Such taxes would only serve to expand the digital divide between those who can afford broadband access and those who cannot.

The Internet has allowed States such as Alaska to compete on a more level playing field. Alaskans are now able to market their goods to customers in the lower 48 and around the world, which is especially beneficial for small businesses located in remote areas. Improved broadband access has also eliminated distance barriers for education and medicine, providing rural areas with a higher quality of life.

Faster, cheaper Internet access also helps drive America's economic engine and creates new jobs. Continued broadband deployment will help ensure America keeps this competitive edge. Without it, our Nation will fall behind in the global economy. If discriminatory taxes are imposed on Internet access, our country will face a real danger, and the rest of the world will no longer look to the United States for Internet innovations.

The date the Internet tax moratorium is set to expire--November 1--is fast approaching. It is my hope Congress will act to extend this important moratorium before that deadline arrives.

While the expiration of the Internet tax moratorium is the most pressing broadband issue before Congress right now, several more issues should also be addressed to encourage greater broadband deployment and availability in this country. First and foremost, universal service should be updated so that rural America has the same broadband opportunities as the rest of America. This will require the work of both Congress and the Federal Communications Commission.

Additionally, the Government should try to stay away from doing things that would reverse the recent policy trends of encouraging broadband deployment through free market principles.

I sincerely hope that the Congress will act to extend this moratorium in a prompt fashion.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess subject to the call of the Chair.

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce a Senate joint resolution directing the United States to initiate efforts with other Nations to negotiate international agreements for managing migratory and transboundary fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean. As we have seen in far too many cases around the world, fish stocks can easily become depleted when the international community fails to develop effective, science based agreements for conserving and managing shared fish stocks. The goal of this resolution is to ensure that we do not repeat that same mistake with any commercial fisheries that develop in the Arctic Ocean.

In many ways, the Arctic Ocean is the final frontier into which the world's commercial fisheries may expand. Currently, industrial fishing in this ocean has been limited by the distribution of fish habitat and the short duration of favorable fishing conditions, but that may change in the coming years. Scientific evidence suggests that as the world's climate changes, ocean temperature regimes may shift and cause many fish stocks to colonize new habitats in the Arctic Ocean.

Similarly, fishing vessels may gain greater access to previously inhospitable areas of the Arctic.

Taken together, these potential shifts may create favorable conditions for expanding commercial fisheries in the United States, Russia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, and other nations that have access to the remote arctic waters.

Having seen the fish stock declines that come when multiple nations target the same stocks without effective coordinated management, it is vital that these nations work together to prevent this outcome.

Given the benefit of foresight and our ability to anticipate the need for international fisheries management systems in the Arctic, we must now begin the process of creating such a system before commercial fisheries become firmly established there.

The North Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council, the body that manages U.S. fisheries in the North Pacific, recognizes the need to develop an effective management plan for Arctic Ocean fishing before significant fishing activity occurs. In June 2007, the council approved a proposal to close all Federal waters in the Arctic Ocean to fishing until they develop and implement a fisheries management plan. This action should serve as a signal to the rest of the United States and to all nations interested in Arctic Ocean fishing that sound conservation and management plans should be our top priority before moving forward to develop commercial fisheries there.

This Senate joint resolution builds upon the efforts of the North Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council and takes it a step further by calling on the United States to lead international efforts to develop international fisheries management agreements for the Arctic Ocean. Such agreements should promote management systems for member nations that emphasize science-based limits on harvests, timely and accurate reporting of catch-and-trade data, equitable allocation and access systems, and effective monitoring and enforcement. These fisheries management principles are consistent with the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Amendments Act that was enacted last January and the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement. Such principles are vital for preventing proliferation of illegal, unreported, and unregulated--what we call IUU--fishing which unfortunately continues to plague and undermine other international fisheries.

This resolution contains other important provisions as well. While negotiating any agreements for the arctic fisheries, the United States should consult with the North Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and Alaska Native subsistence communities in the Arctic. And, of course, consistent with the President's October 2006 Memorandum on Promoting Sustainable Fisheries and Ending Destructive Fishing Practices, this resolution calls on the United States to support international efforts to halt the expansion of commercial fisheries on the high seas of the Arctic Ocean until effective international agreements are enforced.

On behalf of Alaska's subsistence and commercial fishing communities and the organizations that work to sustain our fisheries, I thank the many cosponsors of this resolution for sharing our great concern for sound fisheries management.

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