Floor Statements

Mr. President, I join my colleagues Senator Carper, Snowe, Lieberman, Murkowski, and Landrieu in introducing two important domestic energy bills.

The Senate has an opportunity to save consumers $15 billion annually in energy costs, eliminate the need for hundreds of new power plants, prevent the release of tons of mercury into our environment annually, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3 trillion pounds, lead the world in the innovation of new technologies and increase domestic employment opportunities.

How? The good old fashion light bulb.

Thomas Edison was one of our Nation's greatest inventors. He holds nearly 1100 patents, including the light bulb. Over 125 years ago, he invented the conventional incandescent light bulb. While most of his other inventions have been significantly improved upon since then, Edison's incandescent light bulb is still the most widely used bulb today. Unfortunately, only 10 percent of the electricity that goes into this light bulb is actually used to produce light. The remaining 90 percent is often wasted as heat.

Just as another Edison invention, the phonograph, evolved into compact discs and mp3 technologies, today, American innovation has improved upon the light bulb. This innovation will continue. Light bulb manufacturers and our hard-working Americans have developed technologies that are capable of reducing the electricity use associated with conventional incandescent light bulbs from between 10 to over 50 percent. These bulbs are available today.

These technological and domestic manufacturing capabilities can save consumers billions of dollars a year in energy costs.

My colleagues and I are proud to introduce two bills that will ensure that we take advantage of these new technologies to save energy, save consumers on their electricity bills and promote American ingenuity.

The first is the Bright Idea Act of 2007. This bill will establish efficiency targets for light bulbs that will cut light bulb energy consumption by at least half in just 6 years and triple the efficiency of today's incandescent bulbs by 2018.

These efficiency standards are merely the beginning. The bill establishes a working group of light bulb manufacturers, labor unions, environmentalists and consumer groups to evaluate the state of bulb technologies and domestic manufacturing capabilities every 3 years. If the technology has advanced and our businesses are capable of higher standards, the Secretary of Energy may raise these targets.

The bill also authorizes a technology-neutral research and development program to help our domestic manufacturers, in partnership with our national laboratories and universities, advance new lighting technologies and directs the Secretary of Energy to educate consumers about the benefits of using newer light bulbs.

We recognize the concerns related to new light bulbs such as mercury release and labeling requirements. The bill requires the Secretary, together with the EPA, to provide recommendations to Congress on how to deal with these challenges.

The second component of this light bulb package that we are introducing today is a bill that will ensure that our Nation is capable of taking full advantage of America's lighting innovation through the creation of additional domestic employment opportunities. This bill provides a construction tax credit for the costs associated with the renovation and construction of domestic light bulb manufacturing facilities designed to produce the next generation of lighting technology.

I urge Senators to join my colleagues and me in saving consumers billions of dollars in electricity costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, tempering energy demand, eliminating the need for at least dozens of new power plants annually, preventing the release of tons of mercury into our environment each year and building upon our innovation by creating additional domestic employment opportunities for Americans by supporting the Bright Idea Act of 2007 and tax incentives for domestic lighting technologies. I ask consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I join my colleagues Senator Carper, Snowe, Lieberman, Murkowski, and Landrieu in introducing two important domestic energy bills.

The Senate has an opportunity to save consumers $15 billion annually in energy costs, eliminate the need for hundreds of new power plants, prevent the release of tons of mercury into our environment annually, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3 trillion pounds, lead the world in the innovation of new technologies and increase domestic employment opportunities.

How? The good old fashion light bulb.

Thomas Edison was one of our Nation's greatest inventors. He holds nearly 1100 patents, including the light bulb. Over 125 years ago, he invented the conventional incandescent light bulb. While most of his other inventions have been significantly improved upon since then, Edison's incandescent light bulb is still the most widely used bulb today. Unfortunately, only 10 percent of the electricity that goes into this light bulb is actually used to produce light. The remaining 90 percent is often wasted as heat.

Just as another Edison invention, the phonograph, evolved into compact discs and mp3 technologies, today, American innovation has improved upon the light bulb. This innovation will continue. Light bulb manufacturers and our hard-working Americans have developed technologies that are capable of reducing the electricity use associated with conventional incandescent light bulbs from between 10 to over 50 percent. These bulbs are available today.

These technological and domestic manufacturing capabilities can save consumers billions of dollars a year in energy costs.

My colleagues and I are proud to introduce two bills that will ensure that we take advantage of these new technologies to save energy, save consumers on their electricity bills and promote American ingenuity.

The first is the Bright Idea Act of 2007. This bill will establish efficiency targets for light bulbs that will cut light bulb energy consumption by at least half in just 6 years and triple the efficiency of today's incandescent bulbs by 2018.

These efficiency standards are merely the beginning. The bill establishes a working group of light bulb manufacturers, labor unions, environmentalists and consumer groups to evaluate the state of bulb technologies and domestic manufacturing capabilities every 3 years. If the technology has advanced and our businesses are capable of higher standards, the Secretary of Energy may raise these targets.

The bill also authorizes a technology-neutral research and development program to help our domestic manufacturers, in partnership with our national laboratories and universities, advance new lighting technologies and directs the Secretary of Energy to educate consumers about the benefits of using newer light bulbs.

We recognize the concerns related to new light bulbs such as mercury release and labeling requirements. The bill requires the Secretary, together with the EPA, to provide recommendations to Congress on how to deal with these challenges.

The second component of this light bulb package that we are introducing today is a bill that will ensure that our Nation is capable of taking full advantage of America's lighting innovation through the creation of additional domestic employment opportunities. This bill provides a construction tax credit for the costs associated with the renovation and construction of domestic light bulb manufacturing facilities designed to produce the next generation of lighting technology.

I urge Senators to join my colleagues and me in saving consumers billions of dollars in electricity costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, tempering energy demand, eliminating the need for at least dozens of new power plants annually, preventing the release of tons of mercury into our environment each year and building upon our innovation by creating additional domestic employment opportunities for Americans by supporting the Bright Idea Act of 2007 and tax incentives for domestic lighting technologies. I ask consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I have come to the floor to discuss the overcapitalization of the world's fishing fleets, which is being fueled by the subsidies foreign governments direct to their fishing industries. The problems caused by these subsidies affect not only our global fisheries resources, but also the coastal communities which depend upon them. I introduced a Senate resolution condemning these subsidies and the unsustainable fishing practices they enable.

Fisheries resources--especially large predatory species and other commercially valuable fish stocks--have been overexploited by foreign industrial fishing fleets for years. As a result, these stocks have declined precipitously. In fact, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that one-quarter of global fish stocks are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from overexploitation.

To a significant extent, the decline of fisheries resources around the world is intensified by the outdated and mistaken assumption--still held by many nations--that our oceans' productivity is infinite and that fish stocks can be harvested without consequence.

In the United States, we know this is not the case. While we once used subsidies to increase our harvesting capacity, we have since eliminated this practice. Today, we have developed a fisheries management system which respects and conforms to the requirements of fisheries conservation. The Magnuson-Stevens Act, including the amendments added in January, continues to ensure our harvests are guided by science-based catch limits. These controls prevent overfishing and provide managers with the tools they need to limit entry and prevent overcapitalization.

Unfortunately, sustainable fishing policies are not the norm among all fishing nations. Many countries with subsidized industrial fishing fleets have sought to exploit not only their own waters, but also the high seas. Fisheries in international waters are largely unregulated, but even where international management bodies do exist, these damaging practices are carried out in defiance of international quotas and other harvest limits. Not surprisingly, those countries engaged in illegal, unregulated, and unreported--or ``IUU'' fishing--are often the same ones that use subsidies to expand their fleets.

These subsidies, and the IUU fishing associated with them, must end. Today, the capacity of the global fishing fleet is far greater than what is needed to catch the oceans' sustainable level of production. Subsidies also create an uneven playing field among fish trading countries by masking the true cost of fishing. To the economic detriment of the U.S. and other nonsubsidizing nations, up to one- quarter of global fish trade is currently generated by subsidized fisheries. Ultimately, if nations are allowed to stay on this unsustainable path, fish stocks in the global ocean commons will be reduced even further.

The United States, with the support of other countries opposed to subsidies, is now leading an international initiative against harmful fisheries subsidies. Last month, the United States Trade Representative presented a proposal to the World Trade Organization which would eliminate this type of subsidy among WTO members. This proposal, being negotiated in the Doha Development Round, holds great promise for ending those subsidies which distort trade, weaken economic conditions in fishing communities, and lead to IUU fishing and other unsustainable harvesting practices.

This resolution condemns these harmful foreign fishing subsidies, and I urge each of my colleagues to give it their full support.

Mr. President, I have come to the floor to introduce S. 1368, a bill to reauthorize a Federal-State partnership known as the Denali Commission. This Commission plays a crucial role in the development of basic infrastructure for communities in rural Alaska.

The Denali Commission was originally established by Congress in 1998. The unique structure of the Commission ensures the most efficient allocation of Federal funds, as it caps administrative expenses at 5 percent and capitalizes on the use of strategic partnerships. Over the course of the past decade, the Commission has partnered with Federal and State agencies, tribal organizations, and local communities to address the unique challenges associated with living in Alaska. In just a short period of time, the Commission has improved the living conditions of rural Alaska by providing job training, teacher housing and funds to improve options for handling solid waste. The bulk fuel projects undertaken by the Commission have reduced the costs of rural energy. The health clinics have increased the availability of health services to rural villages that are isolated from metropolitan areas. There are 240 Alaska Native Villages, and over 100 communities have been served by the Denali Commission.

Although the Denali Commission has made tremendous strides to ensure rural Alaska has basic living conditions, there still is work to be done. Many of the rural communities have no roads and their transportation infrastructure is deteriorating. Numerous villages can only be accessed by water, and the docks in the communities are in desperate need of repair. The projects conducted by the Denali Commission not only keep communities connected to mainstream Alaska, projects also foster economic growth. The unemployment rates in many villages remain above 50 percent. The high cost of basic needs, such as milk and oil, coupled with public infrastructure that is comparable to developing nations create difficult circumstance in rural Alaska. The Denali Commission is our best hope for properly addressing these issues and meeting the needs of Alaskans.

The continuation of the Denali Commission's presence in rural Alaska is of critical importance to the future of rural Alaska. The bill I introduce today would reauthorize the Denali Commission for 5 years, through fiscal year 2014.

Other provisions of this bill would also amend the Denali Commission Act of 1998 to make the Commission stronger and more efficient.

Senator Murkowski is an original cosponsor of this legislation, and it is our hope the Senate will act quickly to reauthorize the Denali Commission.

Mr. President, I have come to the floor to introduce S. 1368, a bill to reauthorize a Federal-State partnership known as the Denali Commission. This Commission plays a crucial role in the development of basic infrastructure for communities in rural Alaska.

The Denali Commission was originally established by Congress in 1998. The unique structure of the Commission ensures the most efficient allocation of Federal funds, as it caps administrative expenses at 5 percent and capitalizes on the use of strategic partnerships. Over the course of the past decade, the Commission has partnered with Federal and State agencies, tribal organizations, and local communities to address the unique challenges associated with living in Alaska. In just a short period of time, the Commission has improved the living conditions of rural Alaska by providing job training, teacher housing and funds to improve options for handling solid waste. The bulk fuel projects undertaken by the Commission have reduced the costs of rural energy. The health clinics have increased the availability of health services to rural villages that are isolated from metropolitan areas. There are 240 Alaska Native Villages, and over 100 communities have been served by the Denali Commission.

Although the Denali Commission has made tremendous strides to ensure rural Alaska has basic living conditions, there still is work to be done. Many of the rural communities have no roads and their transportation infrastructure is deteriorating. Numerous villages can only be accessed by water, and the docks in the communities are in desperate need of repair. The projects conducted by the Denali Commission not only keep communities connected to mainstream Alaska, projects also foster economic growth. The unemployment rates in many villages remain above 50 percent. The high cost of basic needs, such as milk and oil, coupled with public infrastructure that is comparable to developing nations create difficult circumstance in rural Alaska. The Denali Commission is our best hope for properly addressing these issues and meeting the needs of Alaskans.

The continuation of the Denali Commission's presence in rural Alaska is of critical importance to the future of rural Alaska. The bill I introduce today would reauthorize the Denali Commission for 5 years, through fiscal year 2014.

Other provisions of this bill would also amend the Denali Commission Act of 1998 to make the Commission stronger and more efficient.

Senator Murkowski is an original cosponsor of this legislation, and it is our hope the Senate will act quickly to reauthorize the Denali Commission.

Mr. President, I strongly support S. 761, which Senator Inouye just discussed. This is the America COMPETES Act. Fifty-six Senators, including members of both parties' leadership and several committee chairmen, are cosponsors of this important legislation.

When it was first brought to my attention last year, I tried to see if we could organize a joint committee of the Congress to act on this subject because I believe it is extremely important. Having read the Augustine report, I knew we had to move as quickly as possible. That was not possible last year, but I believe it is this year.

Many reports have revealed the serious competitive challenges we face. In 2003, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, compared 15-year-old students living in 40 industrialized nations. For America, the results were very dire. Our students placed 16th in reading, 23rd in science, and 29th in math.

Carl Sagan said it best when he wrote this:

We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and

technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about

science and technology.

Another report I mentioned before, the Augustine report, entitled ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm,'' contains the findings of the Commission chaired by Norman Augustine, the retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin. This study also paints an alarming picture of America's ability to compete in the 21st century.

Economists informed Commission members that ``about half of the U.S. economic growth since World War II has been the result of technological innovation.'' But Commission members also discovered that our young people now spend more time watching television than they do in school or studying for school. They determined that hiring one engineer in America now carries the same cost as hiring eight engineers in India. They reported that 38 percent of the scientists and engineers with doctorates in our country were born abroad. If those young men and women choose to live and work in other countries, America will face a severe shortage of talented workers.

If we are to maintain our competitive edge, we must improve the education our students receive in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We must equip our teachers with the tools and resources they need, and we must encourage those who study in America to stay in America.

This legislation we are now considering is a tremendous step forward in these efforts. S. 761 seeks to ensure our Nation remains the global leader in innovation. It would increase Federal investment in basic research, improve educational opportunities for young students to become excited about these fields, and develop an innovation infrastructure appropriate for the 21st century.

The America COMPETES Act is the result of bipartisan cooperation between three committees: Commerce, Energy, and HELP. Since last year, these committees have worked together to address key concerns and solutions identified by the Council on Competitiveness and the National Academies.

A number of Senators also deserve recognition for their leadership on this matter: Senators Bingaman, Alexander, Ensign, Hutchison, Domenici, Inouye, Kennedy, Lieberman, Mikulski, and Nelson. They all deserve our deepest gratitude, and I am sure there are others. Without their hard work and dedication, our bill would not have reached the Senate floor.

In closing, let me say that educating the next generation of American innovators must be a priority for this Congress. Our Nation is at the crossroads, and the decisions we make today will affect us for decades to come. This bill, when enacted, will reaffirm our commitment to America's economic future. I urge each of our colleagues to support its swift passage.

I thank the Chair.

Mr. President, I am embarrassed but very grateful to my friends, our leader, Mr. McConnell, and my great friend and brother, Dan Inouye. Dan and I have been here a long time. Actually, he came to the Senate before I got here. I was downtown with the Eisenhower administration when he arrived in the Department of the Interior. I went home after that Presidency ended to Alaska and never expected to come back. But I did, and I am grateful for the outline of my service that our Republican leader has presented in the Senate.

I can only say two or three things. One is that I would not be here now if it wasn't for a real understanding family. My first wife was, and my current wife, Katherine, has been supportive beyond anyone's understanding. It is a long way to go home. I remember one year I flew home 35 times--one day up and one day back, almost. But I have been away from my family a great deal. I have 6 children and 11 grandchildren and they have understood my commitment to the Senate. I do believe that it would be impossible to be here without that type of support.

I also have been privileged and ask that after my remarks, I be permitted later to have printed in the Record a list of the dedicated young Alaskans who have come down and worked with me in various positions; also, those who have worked with me at home. I have had a series of distinguished chiefs of staff who have gone on to other functions and have shown what training in the Senate can do for a young person. I think over a dozen of my chiefs of staff have gone through law school working full time in my office and going to school full time. We sort of run a separate adjunct of the Senate, and that is a law school on the side, I think.

I do believe I have had the honor of serving with many great people. I served with the people who were here when I came here--Senator Baker, Senator Mansfield, Senator Scott, Senator Magnuson, Senator Dole, Senator Jackson, Senator Cook, Senator Bible, Senator Bell, Senator Hollings--there are so many.

I remember the time when Senator McClellan, who was chairman of the Appropriations Committee, took the whole committee up to Alaska because he was tired of asking me why I was seeking so much money. He decided to take the whole committee up there. We traveled through the State for 2 weeks. That doesn't happen now.

I am surrounded by friends here on both sides of the aisle, and I am still very honored to be here.

Let me close by saying I really think I am here because of the mentors I had in Alaska. Two publishers--Bill Snedden, publisher of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, and Bob Atwood, publisher of the Anchorage Times--urged me to come to Washington to participate in the Eisenhower administration during our fight for statehood. I was lucky enough to tie into former Senator Fred Seaton who was Secretary of the Interior. I worked with him for a period of almost 4 years and left Washington as the Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, his reward to me for our working together.

I was also honored to follow a good friend, a friend I got to know during the territorial days as we fought for statehood, and that was Bob Bartlett. He was my predecessor. He was, during the time we were fighting for statehood, the delegate from the Territory of Alaska as a Democrat.

I think our relationship was almost as close as the relationship I have with Senator Inouye. He was a fine man, a great and distinguished public servant for Alaska. I am honored to hold what Alaskans call the Bartlett seat.

I thank my colleagues again for the courtesy all have shown me. I passed a milestone only because Strom made the mistake of being a Democrat for two terms. I am honored to have this recognition today.

(Applause, Senators rising.)

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the list of family and Senate staff to which I previously referred, be printed in the Record.

Madam President, does the Senator yield the floor at this time?

Madam President, I regret I wasn't here at the commencement of the comments of the distinguished Senator from West Virginia, but I am overwhelmed and honored that he would make these comments, and particularly that he would reference his relationship to our youngest daughter Lily who has great love and affection for Senator Byrd. We have come through a lot of travails, each of us, during our times in the Senate, and I have always found Senator Byrd to be a warm and great friend in times of trouble and very gracious when in times such as this. We could stand here and I would tell the Senate some of the times I have spent with Senator Byrd, including the time once in Britain when we gathered together a group of British and United States members of the British-American Parliamentary Conference and we listened to Senator Byrd tell us about his life and some of the things he had done as a child, and we listened to him recite many of the great poems he knows. He has one of the most prodigious memories I have ever known, and he is the most gracious Member of the Senate. He always has been very kind and helpful.

I came here as an appointed Senator and took the position of--we called it the Bartlett seat, Senator Bob Bartlett's seat. Senator Byrd was very gracious to Senator Bartlett as Alaska's first senior Senator, and he extended greetings to me as Senator Bartlett's replacement, and throughout these nearly 40 years he has been a great friend. We have had differences of opinion, but we have never had a disagreeable word between us. God willing, that will never happen.

So I thank my friend. He honors me, he honors my family, and he honors the Senate by the remarks he made about the Senate itself. We are a family. This aisle ought not to be a canyon; it ought to be very easy to step across that aisle and shake hands with

a friend as I have just done. I thank the Senator for what he has said and for giving me the opportunity to be here when he said it.

I am happy to do so.

Madam President, all I can say to my friend is that I am already blessed by God to be your friend, and I thank you very much.

Mr. President, again, I am indebted to my friend from Massachusetts. We have spent many times together and, as he says, shared a great many goals. I am very pleased that he would make these remarks. I think that it sort of reminds me of a little bit of a little too much ado about nothing, but I do appreciate him being here. Thank you very much.

As Senator Kennedy leaves, I should repeat something I have told often, and that is, back in 1969, as a brandnew appointed Senator, I joined Senator Kennedy and others in going to the villages of Alaska. We found mold on the hospital walls in Bethel. When we came back, we started the process of replacing it, and it is a beautiful hospital today.

But we also went to the small villages. We went down to Pilots Station, and we were walking through this little village. All of a sudden, a little boy, baby boy, came running out, had a top on, but he obviously had lost his diaper.

My friend scooped him up, unzipped his parka, and put him inside. We walked around to find out where his home was. We came to this nice, small, well-kept native cabin. It was obvious that the mother was looking for her son.

We went in and Senator Kennedy gave her the boy, and there on the wall of that little cabin was his brother, President Kennedy's photograph. It is a small world. I will never forget it. Thank you.

Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today I want to recognize the devoted service of Stella Wildrick, who will retire on April 27, 2007, after 15 years as Postmistress for Lake Minchumina, AK.

Lake Minchumina is situated near the geographical center of Alaska, 65 miles north-northwest of our great Denali National Park. A remote and rural community accessible only by air, Lake Minchumina depends upon mail service for the delivery of food, clothing, and supplies, as well as correspondence.

As Postmistress, Stella has been a very important person in this community where everything that cannot be harvested or made from the land must be flown in.

Throughout the past 15 years, Stella has also been an asset to the U.S. Postal Service as a professional, friendly, dependable and always helpful representative. With advances in technology, Postmistress Wildrick has overseen many changes to the mail service in Lake Minchumina.

The people of Lake Minchumina and Alaska are deeply grateful for her sacrifice and willingness to go above and beyond the usual to ensure quality mail service.

I commend Postmistress Wildrick for her dedication to the Lake Minchumina community and wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.

I turn now to an issue that should be of concern to us all, and that is the safe transport of our civilian contractors into and out of Iraq and Afghanistan. On occasion, these U.S. citizens are flying on poorly regulated charter aircraft that are ultimately paid for by funds provided by Congress to the Department of Defense and the Department of State.

I am also informed that the aircraft, air carriers, and air charter providers being used to provide the charters for our contractors in Iraq are, in some cases, using poorly trained crews to fly outdated and poorly maintained aircraft. The Senate Armed Services Committee will most likely address this matter during their consideration of the fiscal year 2008 Defense authorization bill. We should consider requiring that air charter operates in Iraq and Afghanistan, funded either directly or indirectly by congressional appropriations, meet safety and maintenance standards equal to those required by charters in the U.S.and European Union.

Mr. President, the bill that I introduce today seeks to codify the initiatives announced by President Bush in January of this year in his Executive order to strengthen Federal environmental, energy, and transportation management. The bill would require the head of agencies to improve their agency's energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the reduction of energy intensity by 3 percent annually through the end of fiscal year 2014 or by 30 percent by the end of fiscal year 2014.

The bill would require that at least half of an agency's statutorily required renewable energy consumed in a fiscal year come from a new renewable source and allows agencies, to the extent possible, to implement renewable energy generation projects on agency property. The bill would also set energy efficiency goals for water consumption, acquisition of goods and services, operation of Government vehicles, and the acquisition of electronic products.

This bill would put the Federal Government at the forefront of the Nation's efforts to improve our energy efficiency and ultimately reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

A September 2002 report from the U.S. Department of Energy entitled, U.S. Lighting Market Characterization. Volume I: National Lighting Inventory and Energy Consumption Estimate, states that 38 percent of all energy consumed in the United States is used to generate electricity and that lighting consumes 22 percent of all the electricity produced in the United States.

Lighting consumes a significant percentage of the Nation's energy production. Because of this consumption, the bill would also require the Federal Government to take the lead in the use of energy efficient light bulbs. The bill does not specify any particular technology, but would define energy efficient light bulbs as those with an efficiency rating of not less than 30 lumens per watt. This definition would change from 30 lumens per watt to 45 lumens per watt in the year 2018. The replacement of low energy efficient light bulbs to more energy efficient light bulbs on Federal properties would be required to be completed within the next 5 years.

Many of the new energy efficient bulbs, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, contain mercury. The bill would require that a disposal plan be developed to support the use of these bulbs and their proper disposal.

As the Nation looks to take advantage of the new energy efficient light bulbs at significant savings to individual households and businesses, the Federal Government should lead the way. The Government should be setting the standard for energy efficiency. This bill would mandate Federal Government leadership in this area with substantial savings in our energy consumption.

I urge my colleagues to support these legislative concepts.

Mr. President, as vice chairman of the Commerce Committee I concur with my good friend and colleague. I applaud the administration for moving the process forward but I echo Senator Inouye's concerns with the proposal. I look forward to working with him and our colleagues on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee to craft a Committee proposal in the coming weeks.

Mr. President, the bill that I introduce today seeks to codify the initiatives announced by President Bush in January of this year in his Executive order to strengthen Federal environmental, energy, and transportation management. The bill would require the head of agencies to improve their agency's energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the reduction of energy intensity by 3 percent annually through the end of fiscal year 2014 or by 30 percent by the end of fiscal year 2014.

The bill would require that at least half of an agency's statutorily required renewable energy consumed in a fiscal year come from a new renewable source and allows agencies, to the extent possible, to implement renewable energy generation projects on agency property. The bill would also set energy efficiency goals for water consumption, acquisition of goods and services, operation of Government vehicles, and the acquisition of electronic products.

This bill would put the Federal Government at the forefront of the Nation's efforts to improve our energy efficiency and ultimately reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

A September 2002 report from the U.S. Department of Energy entitled, U.S. Lighting Market Characterization. Volume I: National Lighting Inventory and Energy Consumption Estimate, states that 38 percent of all energy consumed in the United States is used to generate electricity and that lighting consumes 22 percent of all the electricity produced in the United States.

Lighting consumes a significant percentage of the Nation's energy production. Because of this consumption, the bill would also require the Federal Government to take the lead in the use of energy efficient light bulbs. The bill does not specify any particular technology, but would define energy efficient light bulbs as those with an efficiency rating of not less than 30 lumens per watt. This definition would change from 30 lumens per watt to 45 lumens per watt in the year 2018. The replacement of low energy efficient light bulbs to more energy efficient light bulbs on Federal properties would be required to be completed within the next 5 years.

Many of the new energy efficient bulbs, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, contain mercury. The bill would require that a disposal plan be developed to support the use of these bulbs and their proper disposal.

As the Nation looks to take advantage of the new energy efficient light bulbs at significant savings to individual households and businesses, the Federal Government should lead the way. The Government should be setting the standard for energy efficiency. This bill would mandate Federal Government leadership in this area with substantial savings in our energy consumption.

I urge my colleagues to support these legislative concepts.

Mr. President, last December, the Civil Air Patrol completed its 65th year of distinguished service to our Nation. I've come to the floor today to pay tribute to the brave men and women who helped this important organization reach this milestone.

In the late 1930s, Gill Robb Wilson, General Henry ``Hap'' Arnold, and other American aviation leaders recognized the need for a civilian group which could complement air operations undertaken by our military. Their vision led to the establishment of the Civil Air Patrol on December 1, 1941.

Less than a week later, Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States was drawn into World War II. The newly formed Civil Air Patrol played a vital role in keeping America safe during this dark period in our history. CAP members kept watch for enemy submarines, assisted the Army Air Corps with training exercises, and helped transport military personnel and cargo. They rescued hundreds of crash survivors and helped force the Nazis to withdraw U-boat operations from our East Coast. In total, thousands of CAP volunteers flew more than 500,000 hours and 24 million miles during the war.

The tremendous accomplishments and potential of this organization did not go unnoticed. After World War II, President Truman signed a law designating the Civil Air Patrol as a nonprofit, benevolent corporation and an ``instrumentality of the United States.'' Two years later, Congress passed legislation establishing CAP as a volunteer auxiliary of the United States Air Force.

Today, the three principal missions of the Civil Air Patrol are to administer cadet training programs, provide aerospace education, and perform operations related to homeland security and emergency services. This organization has exceeded all expectations in each of these areas.

Approximately 750,000 American children have learned important life and leadership lessons from CAP's cadet programs. More than 300,000 teachers--and some eight million students--have received training and instructional materials through CAP's aerospace education program. CAP volunteers have now flown more than one million hours of search and rescue operations, and thousands of lives have been saved as a result. As an Alaskan, I am particularly appreciative of these efforts--since 2004, the Civil Air Patrol has saved at least 57 lives in our State. And, I served as a Legal Officer for the Civil Air Patrol in Fairbanks, AK, in the 1950s.

Today, the Civil Air Patrol is a nationwide organization of nearly 57,000 volunteers. CAP wings can be found in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The organization's members--all volunteers--fly approximately 120,000 hours each year as they assist with border patrol, terrorism preparedness, the War on Drugs, and natural disaster responses.

The Civil Air Patrol also submits an annual report to Congress. In 2005, this report was titled ``Everyday Heroes . . . The Faces of the Civil Air Patrol.'' In part, the word ``hero'' is defined as ``a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.''

Mr. President, I can think of no title more fitting for the members of the Civil Air Patrol. The men and women of this organization have volunteered their time and resources in the service of others for the past 65 years. Each is truly an ``everyday hero'' and worthy of our Nation's deepest gratitude.

In honor of the Civil Air Patrol's 65th anniversary, Senators Inouye, Domenici, Crapo, Murkowski, Wyden, Sanders, Snowe, Collins, Warner, Inhofe, and I have introduced S. Res. XX. I encourage each Member of the Senate to support this resolution.

Mr. President, today I am joined by Senator Landrieu in introducing the Telework Enhancement Act of 2007. This legislation will build on the existing Federal telework program to ensure maximum participation in the program among those in the Federal workforce. This measure will improve the cost-efficiency of the Federal Government and will also serve to reduce traffic congestion and thereby save fuel and greenhouse gas emissions. It will also enhance efforts by the Federal Government with respect to continuity of operations, COOP, provide employee incentives to attract and retain highly skilled Federal personnel, and provide a model for the private sector.

In 2000, the key legislation affecting telework in the Federal Government was signed into law as part of that year's highway bill. The enacted provision provided that ``each executive agency . . . establish a policy under which eligible employees of the agency may participate in telecommuting to the maximum extent possible without diminished employee performance.'' The measure was intended to apply to 25 percent of the Federal workforce, and to an additional 25 percent of the workforce each year thereafter.

The objective of that measure, as outlined in the bill's conference report, was to ``reduce traffic congestion'' and to allow Federal employees to telework to the maximum extent possible. The Report also made clear that each Federal agency was to establish telework criteria, and remove any ``managerial, logistical, organizational, or other barriers to full implementation and successful functioning of the policy. . . and provide for adequate administrative, human resources, technical, and logistical support for carrying out the policy.''

The lead agencies that have carried out this telework mandate are Office of Personnel Management, OPM, and the General Services Administration, GSA. Together these agencies formed a common Web site www.telework.gov to facilitate the advancement of the program, which has had a degree of success. As of 2004, of the 1.7 million Federal employees in the 82 agencies, 752,337 had been deemed eligible for telework, which was an increase from 521,542 in 2001. But despite a very loose definition of ``telework,'' which only requires that an employee work from home 1 day per week to be considered a ``teleworker,'' 140,694, or 19 percent of those eligible, were deemed as having teleworked in 2004. Critics argue that this low percentage of teleworkers comparable to the much larger pool of telework-eligible employees can be attributed to insufficient employee education, program coordination, and workforce culture issues.

While OPM and GSA should be commended for the strides they have made in implementing the Federal telework program, there are several enhancements to the program that can be made legislatively to facilitate the original goal of maximizing telework among eligible Federal employees.

The bill we introduce today would, among other things: invert the telework eligibility presumption to make all Federal employees eligible unless expressly determined otherwise; revise the definition of ``telework'' to be an arrangement where the employee regularly works at an alternate site at least 2 business days per week in order to reduce his/her commute, the current definition only requires 1 day; require that each agency designate a full-time Telework Managing Officer, TMO, within the agency's chief administrative office, or comparable agency office, to oversee the respective agency's telework program; require that the TMO coordinate the telework policy for the agency or office, serve as the liaison between employees and managers, and keep employees informed of their telework eligibility; require the TMO to work to expand the agency's telework program, oversee the COOP program, and develop a telework performance and accountability system; require the TMO to submit a report to the head of the agency annually with an analysis of measures in place to carry out the telework policy; and require the Government Accountability

Office, GAO, to evaluate each agency's telework policy, and publish a report that rates each policy and the level of employee participation.

The events of September 11, 2001, the anthrax attacks that occurred shortly thereafter, and the recent severe weather experienced across the country have focused our attention on the importance of energy independence, as well as our need to be prepared in the event of a disaster. This legislation would be a step toward achieving these broader national strategic objectives, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. President, today I am joined by Senator Landrieu in introducing the Telework Enhancement Act of 2007. This legislation will build on the existing Federal telework program to ensure maximum participation in the program among those in the Federal workforce. This measure will improve the cost-efficiency of the Federal Government and will also serve to reduce traffic congestion and thereby save fuel and greenhouse gas emissions. It will also enhance efforts by the Federal Government with respect to continuity of operations, COOP, provide employee incentives to attract and retain highly skilled Federal personnel, and provide a model for the private sector.

In 2000, the key legislation affecting telework in the Federal Government was signed into law as part of that year's highway bill. The enacted provision provided that ``each executive agency . . . establish a policy under which eligible employees of the agency may participate in telecommuting to the maximum extent possible without diminished employee performance.'' The measure was intended to apply to 25 percent of the Federal workforce, and to an additional 25 percent of the workforce each year thereafter.

The objective of that measure, as outlined in the bill's conference report, was to ``reduce traffic congestion'' and to allow Federal employees to telework to the maximum extent possible. The Report also made clear that each Federal agency was to establish telework criteria, and remove any ``managerial, logistical, organizational, or other barriers to full implementation and successful functioning of the policy. . . and provide for adequate administrative, human resources, technical, and logistical support for carrying out the policy.''

The lead agencies that have carried out this telework mandate are Office of Personnel Management, OPM, and the General Services Administration, GSA. Together these agencies formed a common Web site www.telework.gov to facilitate the advancement of the program, which has had a degree of success. As of 2004, of the 1.7 million Federal employees in the 82 agencies, 752,337 had been deemed eligible for telework, which was an increase from 521,542 in 2001. But despite a very loose definition of ``telework,'' which only requires that an employee work from home 1 day per week to be considered a ``teleworker,'' 140,694, or 19 percent of those eligible, were deemed as having teleworked in 2004. Critics argue that this low percentage of teleworkers comparable to the much larger pool of telework-eligible employees can be attributed to insufficient employee education, program coordination, and workforce culture issues.

While OPM and GSA should be commended for the strides they have made in implementing the Federal telework program, there are several enhancements to the program that can be made legislatively to facilitate the original goal of maximizing telework among eligible Federal employees.

The bill we introduce today would, among other things: invert the telework eligibility presumption to make all Federal employees eligible unless expressly determined otherwise; revise the definition of ``telework'' to be an arrangement where the employee regularly works at an alternate site at least 2 business days per week in order to reduce his/her commute, the current definition only requires 1 day; require that each agency designate a full-time Telework Managing Officer, TMO, within the agency's chief administrative office, or comparable agency office, to oversee the respective agency's telework program; require that the TMO coordinate the telework policy for the agency or office, serve as the liaison between employees and managers, and keep employees informed of their telework eligibility; require the TMO to work to expand the agency's telework program, oversee the COOP program, and develop a telework performance and accountability system; require the TMO to submit a report to the head of the agency annually with an analysis of measures in place to carry out the telework policy; and require the Government Accountability

Office, GAO, to evaluate each agency's telework policy, and publish a report that rates each policy and the level of employee participation.

The events of September 11, 2001, the anthrax attacks that occurred shortly thereafter, and the recent severe weather experienced across the country have focused our attention on the importance of energy independence, as well as our need to be prepared in the event of a disaster. This legislation would be a step toward achieving these broader national strategic objectives, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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