Daniel Akaka

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize America's public servants, who provide so many of the vital services upon which this nation relies. As the Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, I am pleased to once again introduce a resolution honoring these employees in celebration of Public Service Recognition Week. Every day, Americans rely on our hardworking and talented government employees. Public servants deliver our mail, educate our children, care for our veterans, guard our prisons, protect our borders and communities, and defend our country and the principles of liberty and freedom that we hold dear. They influence the lives of people around the world as diplomats, promoting peace, prosperity, and democracy in conflicted regions, and providing critical assistance to developing and impoverished communities. Just as President John F. Kennedy did in his 1961 inaugural address, President Obama has called on Americans to make a renewed commitment to public service. Public Service Recognition Week allows us not only to honor and celebrate the works of federal, state and local public employees, but also provides an opportunity for all Americans to explore the many possible careers in public service. Throughout the nation, public employees use the week to educate their fellow citizens on how government serves them, and how government services make life better for all of us. It is my hope that through these events, many young professionals will decide to pursue a career in public service. As a former teacher and a life-long public servant, I am proud to highlight the importance of Public Service Recognition Week. The many domestic and global challenges we face make this a critical time for our Nation. Although we have designated a week to pay tribute to government employees, it is also important that we honor the invaluable service of public servants throughout the year. Our way of life--and the strength of our country--would not exist without the work of public employees. This is the 26th year we have honored our public servants with Public Service Recognition Week during the first full week of May. Each year we use this week to recognize and honor the men and women who serve America as federal, state, and local government employees, and commend their dedication to serving others. I encourage my colleagues to recognize the public servants in their states and join me in this annual celebration.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I ask our colleagues to support a joint resolution honoring and recognizing the Blinded Veterans Association for its 65 years of dedication to blinded veterans, and their families. On March 28, 1945, during the closing stages of World War II, a group of nearly 100 blinded veterans were recuperating at the Old Farms Army Convalescent Hospital near Avon, Connecticut. These men discussed the challenges they had faced and those they were yet to experience, and decided to form an organization with the express purpose of helping other fellow blinded veterans. It was on that day that the Blinded Veterans Association was born. The war-blinded population is one with unique needs and as such, requires specialized care and support. BVA has filled an essential role, serving as an ardent advocate and engaging in outreach efforts, to ensure these men and women regain independence and confidence, and experience a smooth transition into civilian life. After 65 years of service, BVA continues to actively contribute to the betterment of blinded veterans' lives. BVA conducts two programs that help to reintegrate newly blinded veterans of our current wars back into their communities. The Field Service Program strategically places legally blind veteran representatives in different geographical areas, to ensure newly blinded veterans are aware of what health care services they qualify for, and are equipped with the necessary skills and tools to deal with life after sight loss. Operation Peer Support links returning blinded OEF/OIF veterans with blinded veterans of previous wars who faced similar challenges, thereby providing role models and necessary support. BVA further supports this important community by offering academic scholarships each year to a limited number of blinded veteran dependents. Blinded veterans have sacrificed much for this nation and deserve the best care and support. As their voice, BVA has helped Congress ensure we are doing everything within our reach to assist these brave men and women as they adapt to a new life after service. Mr. President, I urge passage of this joint resolution honoring BVA on its 65th anniversary of advocacy on behalf of blinded veterans, on March 28, 2010.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, concerns have been raised to me about a technical error in the health care reform bill that was recently passed, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590. In drafting the PPACA, a provision was included which designates health care provided under VA's authority as meeting the minimum required health care coverage that an individual is required to maintain. However, due to the way this exemption was worded, this definition may exclude children with spina bifida, who are seriously disabled and to whom VA provides reimbursement for comprehensive health care. The underlying bill gave authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate other care, which could include the VA spina bifida program, as meeting the definition of minimum essential coverage. This bill would simply clarify what was originally intended. Chapter 18 of title 38 contains the Spina Bifida Health Care Program, whichis a health benefit program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide reimbursement for comprehensive health care for children with spina bifida who are born to veterans of the Vietnam War and to some veterans who served in Korea during specified times, as well as children of women Vietnam veterans with certain birth defects. The program provides reimbursement for medical services and supplies. My legislation corrects this small error. Additionally, this legislation would clarify that recipients of CHAMPVA would also be considered as meeting the requirement for minimum essential coverage. This legislation is currently supported by 59 cosponsors, including my friend from North Carolina, and the ranking member on my Committee, Senator Burr. Additionally, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and the Military Officers Association of America have endorsed this bill. Thank you, Madam President and I thank my colleagues for their support in making this small but important clarification for veterans.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I move that we table the Burr amendment, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, concerns have been raised to me about a technical error in the health care reform bill that was recently passed, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590. In drafting the PPACA, a provision was included which designates health care provided under VA's authority as meeting the minimum required health care coverage that an individual is required to maintain. However, due to the way this exemption was worded, this definition may exclude children with spina bifida, who are seriously disabled and to whom VA provides reimbursement for comprehensive health care. The underlying bill gave authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate other care, which could include the VA spina bifida program, as meeting the definition of minimum essential coverage. This bill would simply clarify what was originally intended. Chapter 18 of title 38 contains the Spina Bifida Health Care Program, which is a health benefit program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs for Vietnam War and certain Korean War Veterans' birth children who have been diagnosed with spina bifida, except spina bifida occulta. The program provides reimbursement for medical services and supplies. The legislation I introduce today corrects this small error. Additionally, this legislation would clarify that recipients of CHAMPVA would also be considered as meeting the requirement for minimum essential coverage. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, concerns have been raised to me about a technical error in the health care reform bill that was recently passed, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590. In drafting the PPACA, a provision was included which designates health care provided under VA's authority as meeting the minimum required health care coverage that an individual is required to maintain. However, due to the way this exemption was worded, this definition may exclude children with spina bifida, who are seriously disabled and to whom VA provides reimbursement for comprehensive health care. The underlying bill gave authority to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate other care, which could include the VA spina bifida program, as meeting the definition of minimum essential coverage. This bill would simply clarify what was originally intended. Chapter 18 of title 38 contains the Spina Bifida Health Care Program, which is a health benefit program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs for Vietnam War and certain Korean War Veterans' birth children who have been diagnosed with spina bifida, except spina bifida occulta. The program provides reimbursement for medical services and supplies. The legislation I introduce today corrects this small error. Additionally, this legislation would clarify that recipients of CHAMPVA would also be considered as meeting the requirement for minimum essential coverage. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill to clarify certain provisions relating to pay and benefits consultation between the United States Postal Service and supervisors' and postmasters' organizations. The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 created a process for postmasters and other non-union postal employees to negotiate pay and benefits through consultation. In the 108th Congress, I sponsored the Postmaster Equity Act which extended additional protections for postmasters to provide for fact-finding in the event that consultation reached an impasse. The same protections already applied to supervisors. However, it has come to my attention that there may be ambiguity in the interpretation of these provisions. The legislation I am introducing, along with Representative Gerald Connolly in the House of Representatives, should eliminate any ambiguity in existing law regarding consultation with management organizations. It reiterates that any changes to pay policies or benefits for postmasters, supervisors, and other managerial positions be done in conjunction with consultation process required under title 39 section 1004(e). The bill also requires the Postal Service to ensure policies to provide for reasonable and sustainable workloads and schedules for supervisory and management employees. In light of the unprecedented challenges faced by the Postal Service today, fostering close cooperation and consultation on pay and benefits between the Postal Service and management organizations is essential. It is my hope that the Postal Service and all of its employee organizations will continue to work cooperatively to keep the Postal Service an employer of choice, and to promote advancement across the organization. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill to clarify certain provisions relating to pay and benefits consultation between the United States Postal Service and supervisors' and postmasters' organizations. The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 created a process for postmasters and other non-union postal employees to negotiate pay and benefits through consultation. In the 108th Congress, I sponsored the Postmaster Equity Act which extended additional protections for postmasters to provide for fact-finding in the event that consultation reached an impasse. The same protections already applied to supervisors. However, it has come to my attention that there may be ambiguity in the interpretation of these provisions. The legislation I am introducing, along with Representative Gerald Connolly in the House of Representatives, should eliminate any ambiguity in existing law regarding consultation with management organizations. It reiterates that any changes to pay policies or benefits for postmasters, supervisors, and other managerial positions be done in conjunction with consultation process required under title 39 section 1004(e). The bill also requires the Postal Service to ensure policies to provide for reasonable and sustainable workloads and schedules for supervisory and management employees. In light of the unprecedented challenges faced by the Postal Service today, fostering close cooperation and consultation on pay and benefits between the Postal Service and management organizations is essential. It is my hope that the Postal Service and all of its employee organizations will continue to work cooperatively to keep the Postal Service an employer of choice, and to promote advancement across the organization. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I introduce the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of- Living Adjustment Act of 2010. This measure would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase, effective December 1, 2010, the rates of veterans' compensation to keep pace with the rising cost of living in this country, if such an adjustment is triggered by an increase in the Consumer Price Index. This legislation, commonly referred to as the COLA, would make an increase available to veterans at the same level as a cost-of-living increase, if provided to those who receive Social Security benefits. My colleagues on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, including Senators Burr, Rockefeller, Murray, Sanders, Brown of Ohio, Tester, Begich, Burris, Specter, Isakson, and Graham join me in introducing this important legislation. I appreciate their continued support of the Nation's veterans. Congress regularly enacts a cost-of-living adjustment for veterans' compensation in order to ensure that inflation does not erode the purchasing power of those veterans and survivors who depend upon this income to meet their daily needs. Last year, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, Public Law 111-37. While there was no cost- of-living increase in 2010 due to a decline in the Consumer Price Index, the 2011 adjustment has not yet been determined. The COLA affects, among other benefits, veterans' disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. It is projected that over 3.5 million veterans and survivors will be in receipt of compensation benefits in fiscal year 2011. Many of these recipients depend upon these tax-free payments not only to provide for their own basic needs, but those of their spouses and children as well. It is important that we view veterans' compensation, including the COLA, and indeed all benefits earned by veterans, as a continuing cost of war. It is clear that the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will continue to result in injuries and disabilities that will yield an increase in claims for compensation. Payment of disability compensation to those of our Nation's veterans who have an illness or disability related to their service constitutes one of the central missions of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is a necessary measure of appreciation afforded to those veterans whose lives were forever altered by their service to this country. I urge our colleagues to work together to ensure this benefit remains available and is not diminished by the effects of inflation. I also ask our colleagues for their continued support for the Nation's veterans. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I would like to commend the people of Hawaii for their quick response to the tsunami caused by the earthquake in Chile. On Saturday, February 27, 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile generated a tsunami throughout the Pacific. A tsunami warning was issued for Hawaii, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the Marshall and Solomon Islands. Additionally, a tsunami advisory was issued for the west coast of the United States and Alaska. My staff and I monitored the situation closely, and were in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, and the Hawaii State Civil Defense. FEMA was monitoring the situation in Hawaii and the other territories from the FEMA Region IX office in California and Region X office in Washington State. Supplies for any recovery effort in the Pacific are prepositioned in Hawaii at FEMA's Pacific Area Office warehouse, as well as in Guam and American Samoa. I worked to establish and maintain the FEMA Pacific Area Office headquartered in Honolulu in order to protect our isolated island communities. The office has been essential for preparedness efforts in Hawaii and critical for disaster response throughout the Pacific region. Equally important, the actions of State and local officials and the people of Hawaii have demonstrated the value of citizen and community preparedness. Thanks to the efforts of the people of Hawaii, we were prepared to save lives and avert considerable damage had a large tsunami come ashore. Around 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, tsunami warning sirens sounded in Hawaii, which notified people to evacuate the low- lying areas. The people of Hawaii followed the directions of our local authorities, stayed calm, and evacuated all shorelines. Hawaii is familiar with the destructive power of tsunamis. In 1960, a 9.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile generated a tsunami that killed over 60 people in Hawaii. More recently, Hawaii faced a disaster of a different kind, in 1992, when Hurricane Iniki caused billions of dollars in damage. The Chilean earthquake reminded us that when a disaster occurs, we need to be prepared. Because Hawaii is isolated from the rest of the United States, it is even more critical that we are prepared to take care of ourselves. I want to congratulate the people of Hawaii, as well as Federal, State, and local authorities who successfully prepared for and responded to the tsunami. While I am thankful for the tsunami's minimal impact on my home State, we cannot forget the tragedy in Chile. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the earthquake.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, in the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy inspired Americans to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries throughout the world. From that inspiration grew an agency devoted to world peace and friendship. The Peace Corps has become an enduring symbol of our Nation's commitment to encourage progress, create opportunity, and expand development at the grass-roots level in the developing world. In gratitude of the nearly 200,000 volunteers who have made significant contributions to improve the lives of people in over 139 countries during the last 49 years, I would like the Senate to recognize the Peace Corps and its celebration of National Peace Corps Week. National Peace Corps Week is being held from March 1 through March 7, 2010. During this time, celebratory and educational events will occur across the country to pay tribute to the Peace Corps' positive influence on communities here at home and abroad. Thousands of current and former Peace Corps volunteers will participate in activities that advance the Peace Corps' goals of improving Americans' understanding of other peoples and improving other peoples' understanding of Americans in countries where the Peace Corps serves. The momentous work of Peace Corps volunteers toward these goals represents a legacy of service that has become a significant part of America's history and positive image abroad. Throughout its history, the Peace Corps has adapted and responded to the issues of the times. In a constantly changing world, Peace Corps volunteers have met new and difficult challenges with creativity, determination, innovation and compassion in places such as Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, the Pacific Islands and the Middle East. Volunteers have made momentous and enduring contributions in agriculture, business development, information technology, education, the environment, health and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Peace Corps volunteers are able to make these tremendous contributions through learning more than 250 languages and dialects and receiving extensive cross-cultural training that enables them to function effectively at a professional level in different cultural settings. It should be noted that in the area of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, Peace Corps volunteers provide hope and meaningful assistance to those affected by this terrible disease. The tireless efforts and dedication of volunteers have made the Peace Corps a key partner in the global response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Peace Corps volunteers are uniquely suited to work in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention because they are trained in the local language, live and work in the communities where they serve, and know how to share information in a culturally appropriate way. The Peace Corps and its volunteers continue the tradition of making a difference to improve the lives of millions of people around the world. Peace Corps volunteers will arrive in Indonesia in the spring of 2010 and will work as English teachers in high schools and at teacher training institutions. In mid-2010, Peace Corps volunteers will return to Sierra Leone after a 16-year absence to focus on secondary education and work with their host communities on grassroots initiatives and community development projects. In conclusion, I want to take this opportunity to personally thank the nearly 7,700 Peace Corps volunteers who are currently making significant and lasting contributions in 76 countries. Among them I want to recognize the 29 Peace Corps volunteers from the State of Hawaii who are serving in such diverse places as Zambia, Botswana, Micronesia, China, Morocco and Kyrgyzstan. I am extremely proud of their service and contribution. I take great pleasure in recognizing the achievements of the Peace Corps, honoring its volunteers, and reaffirming our country's commitment to helping people help themselves throughout the world.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I support the confirmation of Chairman Ben Bernanke. Chairman Bernanke has demonstrated tremendous skill in handling extraordinary economic challenges. We were very fortunate that the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors during the economic chaos last fall was an individual whose area of academic expertise is the Great Depression. The Federal Reserve took unprecedented emergency actions that helped stabilize the economy and prevent further collapse of the financial markets. During my first meeting with the Chairman, he shared with me his experience as a school board member of trying to improve the availability of financial education. I have always greatly appreciated Chairman Bernanke's dedicated efforts to improve the financial literacy of students and consumers. The true costs of financial illiteracy have been made all too apparent by the financial crisis. One of the core causes of the crisis was that families were steered into mortgages with risks and costs they could not afford or even understand. Chairman Bernanke and I share a firm commitment to trying to improve the lives of working families through improved consumer protections and financial literacy. Chairman Bernanke has led efforts at the Federal Reserve to better protect and inform consumers. During Chairman Bernanke's tenure, the Federal Reserve has increased consumer protections in the subprime mortgage market and limited questionable practices in the broader mortgage market. Additionally, the board has proposed further limitations on loan originators, brokers, and loan officers. Also during Chairman Bernanke's tenure, the Federal Reserve developed improved rules to restrict credit card practices, enhance overdraft fee disclosures, strengthen student loan disclosures, and restrict gift card fees. I have also greatly appreciated the efforts of Chairman Bernanke and the Federal Reserve to promote the use of financial institutions for lower cost remittances. Too often consumers fail to take advantage of lower cost remittance services found at banks and credit unions. Remittances can be helpful in providing opportunities for the unbanked to utilize mainstream financial institutions. I look forward to continuing to work with Chairman Bernanke and the Federal Reserve to better protect, educate, and empower consumers.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I am proud of the health care system that we have in Hawaii. We have developed innovative approaches to provide health insurance coverage. Hawaii consistently is ranked amongst States with the highest rates of health insurance coverage. An October article in the New York Times pointed out that Hawaii's health insurance premiums are tied with North Dakota for the lowest in the country and its Medicare cost per beneficiary is the lowest in the Nation. Our residents also tend to live longer than individuals living elsewhere in the country. Our system is not perfect. An increase in unemployment has led to more people losing their health insurance. Insurance premiums have been rising. Our health care providers are struggling to meet the increasing burdens imposed on them by greater numbers of uninsured patients and rising costs. There are substantial access issues in many areas of Hawaii, especially on the neighbor islands. We have a significant shortage of health care professionals, particularly in certain specialties. I support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act because it will improve the Nation's health care system and help address many of the problems in Hawaii. This legislation expands access to coverage, includes policies aimed at improving the quality and availability of health care services, and attempts to slow increasing health care costs. The legislation will also ensure that individuals with preexisting conditions will be able to get insurance. Additionally, the bill will prohibit unfair lifetime limits imposed by health insurance companies on individuals. The bill strengthens the health workforce and primary care systems. Improvements to the National Health Service Corps, scholarship, and loan repayment programs will help train additional health care professionals. Additional investments in federally qualified community health centers will improve access to primary care services. The act improves access to quality and affordable care nationally, while recognizing the unique health care needs of Hawaii. I appreciate the inclusion of two provisions in the legislation of tremendous importance to my home State. A significant contributing factor to Hawaii having a high percentage of residents insured is our employer- mandated health care system. Our employer mandated health care system depends on our longstanding exemption from the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, ERISA. I appreciate the inclusion in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of a rule of construction that is intended to preserve our unique ERISA exemption and the employer- mandated insurance that the exemption enables. This rule of construction will ensure that the employer-provided insurance, as mandated by the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act, is maintained and that nothing in this act will be used to take away the health benefits provided to workers in Hawaii or alter the responsibilities imposed on employers. It is essential that as we try to expand access to health care that we build upon the existing system of coverage in Hawaii rather than replace it. The hospitals in Hawaii continue to have difficulties trying to care for uninsured and Medicaid beneficiaries. Medicaid disproportionate share hospital, DSH, payments are intended to support hospitals that care for significant numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients. Hawaii does not have a permanent Medicaid DSH allotment. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 created specific DSH allotments for each State based on their actual DSH expenditures for fiscal year 1995. In 1994, Hawaii implemented the QUEST Medicaid demonstration program. The prior Medicaid DSH program was incorporated into QUEST. As a result of the demonstration program, Hawaii did not have DSH expenditures in 1995 and was not provided a DSH allotment. The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 modified the DSH program, which included the establishment of a floor for DSH allotments. States without allotments were again left out. The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 made modifications to DSH program, which included an increase for low DSH States. States without allotments were left out again. The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 temporarily restored Hawaii's allotment. Hawaii's temporary allotment was extended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 and the CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2009. However, Hawaii's temporary DSH allotment will end after December 31, 2011. This bill will permanently restore Hawaii's Medicaid DSH allotment. This restoration authorizes the submission by the State of Hawaii of a State plan amendment covering a DSH payment methodology to hospitals that is consistent with the requirements of existing law relating to DSH payments. The purpose of providing a DSH allotment for Hawaii is to provide additional funding to the State of Hawaii to permit a greater contribution toward the uncompensated costs of hospitals that are providing indigent care. It is not meant to alter existing arrangements between the State of Hawaii and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, or to reduce in any way the level of federal funding for Hawaii's QUEST program. I look forward to continuing to work to further improve the legislation and bring about the enactment of health care reform legislation.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today, I want to speak about a matter of significance to our Nation. As part of the Defense appropriations bill, Congress has enacted an apology to our Native Peoples for the historical wrongs that our Nation has committed against them. I am proud to have served as a cosponsor of the stand-alone apology resolution, S.J. Res 14, and commend Senators Brownback, Dorgan, and Inouye for ensuring this needed apology will be made. From the beginning, Native peoples welcomed early colonists at Plymouth Rock and in Virginia, and in my home State of Hawaii, the Kingdom of Hawaii extended the aloha spirit to our visitors. During the American Revolution, the United States entered into military alliances with Indian nations to secure assistance in winning our independence. As a nation, we pledged to respect the rights of Indian nations to self-government, self-determination and territorial integrity. Our Constitution recognizes native nations as prior sovereigns, with a continuing right to self-government in the Indian commerce, apportionment, treaty and supremacy clauses. The United States entered into 370 treaties with Indian nations and treaties of peace, friendship and commerce with the Kingdom of Hawaii. In many ways, the United States broke these treaties and engaged in acts of war against our Native peoples, taking lands by force, displacing Native peoples and leaving them in poverty and suffering. At times, the United States informed indigenous, Native peoples that their continued residence on their original lands would be considered an act of war against the U.S. and if they did not leave, U.S. military forces commenced wars, imprisoned and killed Native leaders and people, and tragically, at places like Sand Creek and Wounded Knee massacred Native men, women, and children. Congress and the executive branch enacted laws and policies that took Native children out of their homes and forced them to attend boarding schools, far from their families in an effort to suppress Native cultures and languages. Our Nation denied Indian nations religious freedom. And these wrongs did not end in the 19th century. The United States continued to take Native lands for various purposes, and in many cases has failed to safeguard Native lands, waters, and resources. For these things, our Nation should and now does apologize. I commend my colleagues, Senator Brownback, Senator Dorgan and our Senate Appropriations chairman, Senator Inouye, for leadership on this important and historic apology. I know from experience that an apology can bring healing and reconciliation. Congress passed the Native Hawaiian Apology Resolution, Public Law 103-150, in 1993 and it has had a profound impact. I encourage President Obama to issue an apology to our Native peoples that truly reflects the many wrongs that we should apologize for to Native peoples. The strength and resilience of our indigenous people, America's first people must be acknowledged. Despite the many transgressions made against our Nation's first people, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians continue to make meaningful contributions to the United States. This apology will be a historic act that can bring reconciliation and healing between our Native peoples and the American people as a whole.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I strongly support the Defense appropriations conference report for 2010, H.R. 3326. This bill provides funding for our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. I thank the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senators Inouye and Cochran, as well as other committee members, for their efforts to develop this vital legislation. This bill keeps our commitments to our troops and military families. The bill provides a 3.4-percent military pay raise, $29.2 billion for the Defense Health Program, including $120 million for traumatic brain injury and psychological health research. The measure also includes $472 million for family advocacy programs which include quality childcare, job training for spouses, and expanded counseling for families experiencing stress due to deployments. In order for our military to continue to perform at its best, we must continue to provide ample funds for training and readiness accounts. This bill provides $154 billion to increase the readiness and training of our troops. Funding is being adjusted to ensure that we are training for the conflicts of today and those in the future. Continuing our strong support for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bill includes over $23 billion for equipment to be used in the region. This includes $6.3 billion to complete procurement of over 6,600 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, MRAP, all-terrain vehicles to protect our troops; $1.1 billion for High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles, HMMWVs; and $950 million for the National Guard and Reserve equipment accounts. I am also pleased that this bill includes just under $200 million for defense projects in the State of Hawaii including many of the projects which I requested. This includes a standoff improvised explosive device, IED, detection program, a virtual combat training program, and an anti-corrosion effort to extend the life of weapons systems. These are examples of programs in which innovators in Hawaii produce systems and products which will enhance military capabilities. In addition to doing right by our troops, this bill also includes measures that will help other segments of our country. Small business represents a vital part of our economy, but many small business owners are having difficulties securing loans in today's economic climate. This bill includes a measure which will allow the Small Business Administration, SBA, to extend enhancements to its loan guarantee program which will free up capital by making loans more attractive. The bill also includes an extension of unemployment insurance benefits. As many of our citizens continue to navigate a difficult labor market, it is vital that we continue to provide benefits for the unemployed. In addition, this bill includes an extension for COBRA subsidies. It extends from 9 to 15 months the 65-percent COBRA health insurance subsidy for individuals who have lost their jobs. This vital program will help those who have lost jobs keep their health insurance. These are just some of the projects and programs this important bill will fund for the 2010 fiscal year. I appreciate the hard work of Chairman Inouye, Ranking Member Cochran, and the rest of the Appropriations Committee for bringing this conference report before us, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I want to express my strong support for the Omnibus appropriations act for fiscal year 2010, H.R. 3288. This bill combines six appropriations bills that provide funding for essential programs related to improving education, housing, and transportation; increasing research opportunities; providing justice; strengthening our foreign operations; constructing needed military facilities; and caring for our Nation's veterans. I thank the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senators Inouye and Cochran, as well as the various subcommittee chairmen and ranking members, for their efforts to bring this important bill to the floor. I am pleased that included in this bill is funding for a number of K- 12 and postsecondary educational initiatives, as well as cultural and financial literacy efforts. These programs will benefit Hawaii and the Nation and are especially critical now when States are facing increased financial pressure. These investments in education will aid individuals and society as a whole by helping to better prepare our keiki, our children, for tomorrow's challenges. For elementary and secondary education, resources in the act support such areas as history, science, literacy, and college prep. I supported additional resources for National History Day, a program that encourages more than half a million students each year to research, synthesize, and interpret primary and secondary sources in order to create an original work for the programs' annual contest. As science, technology, engineering, and math, STEM, are four subjects whose study is critical to national goals, the Maui Economic Development Board and Kauai Economic Development Board will work to advance STEM education and careers for students from underrepresented groups on Maui and Kauai using appropriations in this act. I also joined a number of my colleagues in working to fund Reach Out and Read, a nonprofit organization that makes use of pediatric doctor's visits as a teachable moment on the importance of parents reading to their children. Additionally, the Consolidated Appropriations Act will assist programs that prepare high school students for college at Hawaii Community College, Leeward Community College, and the Pacific Islands Center for Educational Development. Included among the postsecondary initiatives in the bill are two programs at the Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, one of which comprehensively works to address issues relating to Native Hawaiians and the law and a second that will create a center on health policy. The bill will also allow the University of Hawaii at Hilo to expand programs at the Imiloa Astronomy Education Center and to establish a clinical training and applied science programs at the state's only pharmacy school. I believe that historic preservation is necessary to ensure that future generations benefit from an understanding of their heritage and that cultural programs are integral to a broad-based education in a multicultural nation and interconnected world. Therefore, I am pleased that the Henry Giugni Kupuna Memorial Archives at the University of Hawaii, Bishop Museum, and Polynesian Voyaging Society will receive funding. In addition, this bill includes vital financial education resources. My Excellence in Economic Education, EEE, Act program will receive $1.447 million for fiscal year 2010. The Triple-E funds a range of activities such as teacher training, research and evaluation, and school-based activities to further economic principles and ensure that our students are more financially literate. Financial literacy in schools is essential to ensure that students are able to be prepared to effectively participate in the modern complex economy. Moreover, I was pleased to continue my efforts in championing financial literacy efforts by backing provisions for the Council for Economic Education and Center for Civic Education. Additionally, the Department of Treasury's Office of Financial Education will have an increase of $1 million to further their efforts, revise the national strategy on financial literacy, and develop measurable goals and objectives for the Financial Literacy and Education Commission. One of the fundamental causes of the financial crisis was that people were steered into mortgages with risks and costs they could not afford or even understand. The Financial Education and Pre-Home Counseling Pilot Program was authorized pursuant to section 1132 of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, Public Law 110-289. I am proud that the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and I were able to secure $3.15 million for a demonstration program in Hawaii. This program will strengthen the CDFI Fund's support for a range of financial education and counseling services to prospective homebuyers and address critical financial literacy needs of families. This is a competitive grant that will be awarded by the Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. Grants awarded through the Pilot Program will have the ultimate goal of identifying successful methods of financial education and counseling services that result in positive behavioral change for financial empowerment and establishing program models for organizations to deliver effective financial education and counseling services to prospective homebuyers. The National Low Income Housing Coalition's Out of Reach report ranked Hawaii as the most expensive State for housing. As credit has become harder to obtain and downpayment requirements for home purchases have significantly increased, working families in Hawaii need assistance to better prepare for purchasing a home. These services can include credit counseling, assisting with savings planning, and educating potential home buyers about mortgage products and available programs intended to support home ownership. Pre-home ownership counseling helps prepare prospective homeowners to be better able to purchase a home and select an appropriate mortgage product and increases the likelihood that families will be able to remain in their homes. This project will focus on providing assistance to low-and moderate-income prospective home buyers in under served communities. The Government Accountability Office is required to study the impact and effectiveness of the demonstration grants authorized by section 1132. Additionally, the legislation provides necessary resources for housing and transportation. Thirteen million dollars is provided for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant, which is administered in the State of Hawaii by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, DHHL. These resources are extremely important to support additional home ownership opportunities for residents throughout Hawaii. DHHL is the largest housing developer in the State of Hawaii. In addition to having high housing costs, Honolulu has among the Nation's worst driving travel times. That is why I am pleased that this bill contains Federal dollars to supplement the substantial local investment in the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project. Furthermore, I am glad that the Neighbor Islands will receive needed resources for their rural bus service. These projects will help to reduce our reliance on imported fuels that pollute our islands, promote economic development and provide additional transportation options for our State's families. A number of programs through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the Consolidated Appropriations Act will also assist my State. Funding for Hawaiian monk seal recovery plan implementation furthers work to protect the less than 1,200 monk seals living today, while funds for coral reef maintenance are important to coastal communities in terms of supporting tourism, fisheries, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and shoreline protection. The bill's funding of $2 million facilitates a University of Hawaii, University of Mississippi, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and University of California San Diego consortium dedicated to employing infrasound, or low-frequency sound, as a warning tool for natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions and tsunamis, having the potential for catastrophic human and economic impacts to taxpayers. Efforts at the International Pacific Research Center, IPRC, within the University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology are also supported by $1.5 million in funding. The IPRC makes data resources readily accessible and usable to researchers and the general public and conducts data- intensive climate research activities. The bill also includes provisions that will help to improve the effectiveness of State and local justice systems to enforce the laws, bring criminals to justice, address the needs of crime victims, and prevent crime and delinquency. In particular, this bill includes $500,000 for the National Center for State Courts, NCSC, which serves as a think tank, forum, and voice for 30,000 judges, and 20,000 courthouses, in the State court system in the 50 States, DC, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, where annually 98 percent of court filings are submitted. Funding in this bill will implement the NCSC's State Courts Improvement Initiative to provide increased support services to judges, administrators, and other personnel in the State court system as well as help to shape and bolster Americans' understanding of and confidence in the Nation's judicial system. I am also pleased that this bill provides $300,000 to the Hawaii Innocence Project, which provides pro bono assistance to Hawaii prisoners with credible claims of actual innocence who no longer have access to legal resources and whose innocence may now be proven by technology unavailable at the time of their trials. To address the needs of victims and prevent crime and delinquency, I am pleased that the bill provides $400,000 to enable both the Hawaii and Kauai YWCAs to continue their programs to address sexual and domestic violence and provide services for victims of such violence. It also provides $500,000 for A Child Is Missing, ACIM, Hawaii, which will provide the critical rapid response that will assist Hawaii law enforcement agencies to locate missing children and adults. In addition, $350,000 is provided for Ka Wili Pu--Native Hawaiian for ``the blend''--which will provide 400 at-risk youth on Maui with adult guidance and adult role models and one-on-one instruction to encourage them to remain in school, fulfill their promise, avoid a problematic future with few meaningful options while promoting a healthy and stable society. To help provide cost-effective legal, medical, psychological, and social services to indigent immigrant women, the bill also provides $200,000 for the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center to help prevent violence against women. In addition to providing for our domestic needs, the bill provides critical funding to improve our foreign relations. I am particularly pleased by two programs funded by this bill: the East West Center, which will receive $23 million, and the U.S. Institute of Peace, which will receive $19.2 million. The Hawaii-based East West Center is a premier U.S. public diplomacy program focusing on Asia and the Pacific and is a vital tool to promote U.S. values and interests in the region. The funding provided by this bill will allow existing programs to continue and provide additional funds for program enhancements and some facility upgrades. The U.S. Institute of Peace, a national center of research, education, and training on conflict management, works to resolve international conflicts by peaceful means without violence and war. The USIP was championed by former Senator Spark Matsunaga, and I am pleased to see the vital work of this institution continue, especially in this current international climate. Significant funding for military construction projects is also included in this bill, which will support the construction of troop barracks, mission critical operational facilities, support the construction needs of the Guard and Reserves, and the construction of military family housing, child care centers, and chapels. We must continue to provide for our troops and their families as they sacrifice so much for this Nation. I am particularly pleased that my request for a shipyard modernization project at the Pearl Harbor Naval Station was authorized and appropriated at $25 million. Shipyard modernization is essential to give our workers the opportunity to most efficiently maintain and repair our fleet. The Production Services Support Facility is a much needed step in the right direction. In addition, my request for an additional runway at Kona was approved as funding was included for the planning and design of a C-17 short auxiliary airfield. Once completed, this will allow Hickam AFB C-17 aircrews to complete their required training in the local area instead of travelling the 16-hour round trip to the mainland. In addition to ensuring that our military members have the facilities necessary to assist in the performance of their duties, this bill ensures that our military members are taken care of when they return home. As chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am pleased that the Omnibus appropriations bill includes strong funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, in recognition of the fact that caring for veterans is a cost of war and must be funded as such.Funding for VA would be substantially increased, billions of dollars above the previous budget. This funding will allow VA to improve care for veterans of all service-eras and further the administration's goal of opening enrollment for more than 500,000 veterans of modest incomes by providing VA with the resources to prepare for them in the coming years. The bill also fully funds VA's research programs, which are vital to improving the Department's ability to treat the signature wounds of the current conflicts and develop other improvements that will help veterans and nonveterans alike. I am delighted that for the first time VA will receive advance appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for three VA medical care accounts. This coincides with the landmark legislation, Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009, which was signed into law as Public Law 111-81 by the President on October 22, 2009. Funding VA health care in advance will go a long way toward resolving the problematic underfunding of VA health care, which left so many of the Nation's veterans with unmet health care needs. Importantly, this bill contains an amendment I offered that will extend VA's authority to operate the Manila VA Regional Office. I extend my deepest thanks to the staff of the Manila Regional Office who have continued to demonstrate unwavering dedication to their duty to assist Filipino World War II veterans and indeed all veterans who apply for benefits from VA. Earlier this year, more than 60 years after the end of the World War II, surviving Filipino World War II veterans who served under U.S. military command received a measure of compensation for their service in the form of a one-time lump sum payment. Dispersing these payments has been a significant challenge as a series of steps are required to authenticate their World War II service. In addition, the Manila Regional Office administers Social Security in the Philippines while at the same time administering compensation, pension, vocational rehabilitation, employment, and education benefits to over 18,000 individuals. Without this extension, VA's authority to operate the Manila VA Regional Office would have expired on December 31, 2009. These are just some of the projects and programs this important bill will fund for the 2010 fiscal year. Once again, I want to thank the hard work of the Appropriations Committee for bringing this bill before us today, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, I rise in remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the ``Day of Infamy,'' 68 years ago today. I had other things on my mind when I woke up on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941. I was 17 years old and studying at the Kamehameha School for Boys. I climbed to the roof of my dormitory in the foothills above Pearl Harbor--and saw the planes swarm. I watched as their bombs and torpedoes delivered a crippling blow to the Pacific fleet. I saw smoke rise to the sky as the USS Arizona and other battleships sank. When the planes flew over our campus for a second bombing run in Kaneohe, close enough to see the unmistakable red sun of imperial Japan, I confirmed what I had feared: we were under attack. I did not know what would happen next, but I knew for certain that my life, Hawaii, the United States, and the world would never be the same. As an ROTC cadet, I spent the rest of that day in the foothills above our campus, searching for paratroopers. Later, I joined the Army and served as a noncommissioned officer in the Pacific. Hawaii changed immediately. Martial law was declared. A military governor was appointed. Food and supplies were rationed. The people of Hawaii were subjected to a curfew, and sat in darkness all night-- lights were banned to make it harder for the enemy to find the islands. The terrible attack inspired a generation of young people to set their lives and dreams aside to fight World War II. When we returned home, victorious, we returned to a grateful Nation. Thanks to the G.I. bill and other reintegration efforts, these young veterans went on to become The Greatest Generation: Presidents, Nobel laureates, and leaders in their communities. We who lived through Pearl Harbor and fought World War II know too well that today's service men and women face challenges similar to those from our youth. So does our Nation. But we benefit from the lessons of World War II: that our warriors can do great things if they return to a grateful Nation that provides them with the care and support they have earned. World War II changed our country forever, revolutionizing our defense forces, industrializing our Nation, and leading the United States to assert its global leadership and become the world's superpower. As we pause to remember those lost on the ``Day of Infamy,'' let us also honor those who are overseas fighting today, and all those who have sacrificed to defend our great country over the years. Like the veterans of World War II, today's servicemembers and former servicemembers can achieve great things if they are supported by the Nation they have defended. With that in mind, let us show our thanks by honoring our veterans and preserving the Union they risked everything to protect.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I wish today to recognize MAJ Lamont Atkins of the U.S. Air Force, who has been my military legislative fellow for the past year. Lamont is a proud alumnus of the University of Alabama, where he earned a bachelor of science in management information systems, and an avid fan of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. He also holds a masters of arts in computer resources and Information Management from Webster University. With over 11 years in the military, Major Atkins brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to my office. He has excelled in every previous assignment and has received numerous commendations, including several Officer of the Year awards. While Major Atkins' primary duty was to assist my military legislative assistant on defense and veterans' issues, he also made significant contributions in other areas, including banking, judiciary, health, and education issues. Major Atkins prepared for Senate Army Caucus meetings, researched banking issues, and wrote memos on a variety of topics. Lamont performed beyond expectations. His flexibility and willingness to go the extra mile greatly benefited our office. During Lamont's tenure, we transitioned from one military legislative assistant to another. Lamont's assistance was crucial to ensuring a smooth transition, and was key in bringing the new military legislative assistant up to speed on my initiatives. Major Atkins was stationed at Hickam Air Force Base prior to his assignment at the Pentagon. The opportunity of experiencing firsthand the unique needs of the constituents of Hawaii was instrumental to Lamont's success on our staff, and Lamont displayed the aloha spirit daily. I also extend my sincere aloha to Lamont's wife Karonica and their children, Lamont Junior and Kendall, whom my staff and I have also had the pleasure of getting to know during Lamont's time in my office. I extend my heartfelt aloha and utmost appreciation to Major Atkins for his service to the great State of Hawaii, to the Senate, and to our Nation. My staff and I will miss him dearly. I wish Lamont and his `ohana the very best in their future.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I am introducing, along with my colleague Senator Voinovich, the Security Clearance Modernization and Reporting Act of 2009. Since 2005, our Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia has held a series of six oversight hearings on the serious shortfalls of the Federal Government's ability to effectively and efficiently issue security clearances to federal employees and contractors. This issue was placed on the Government Accountability Office's, GAO, High-Risk List in 2005. Since then, through the strong oversight of our Subcommittee and hard work of those in the government dedicated to reforming and modernizing the security clearance process, the tremendous backlog of security clearance investigations has all but vanished, and clearance determinations are made much more quickly. While progress has been made, we must use this opportunity to continue to push for fundamental changes to the clearance process to ensure that we do not experience the same problems in the future. In 2004, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, IRTPA, P.L. 108-458, required 90 percent of clearances to be completed within an average of 60 days by December 2009. At the time, it took almost a year to complete a Top Secret clearance request. IRTPA also required that agencies recognize clearance determinations made by other agencies to ensure reciprocity of clearances. An Executive Order was issued to implement these requirements, designating the Office of Management and Budget, OMB, as the agency responsible for setting security clearance policy and calling on the Office of Personnel Management, OPM, to conduct clearance investigations. Unfortunately, clearance timeliness continued to be unacceptably slow. After continued pressure from our Subcommittee and other stakeholders, in 2008, OMB brought together the Department of Defense, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, ODNI, and OPM to create a plan to overhaul and streamline the clearance process government-wide. At the recommendation of this reform team, a new executive order was issued creating a governance structure for overseeing and modernizing the federal government's security clearance and suitability processes. The members of the reform team were designated as the Suitability and Security Clearance Performance Accountability Council, PAC. Since the creation of the PAC and the implementation of some reforms, including enhanced application processes, new clearance standards, and plans for electronic adjudication and reevaluation, timeliness of clearances has greatly improved. Already, agencies are generally meeting goals laid out by the IRTPA. However, this has required tremendous effort and a surge in investigation capacity over several years to address backlogs. The bill that we are introducing today would address the lingering concerns over the clearance process and help sustain the momentum for reforming and modernizing the security clearance and suitability determination processes. First, to ensure accountability in security clearance reform and modernization, it is necessary to produce more detailed timeliness reporting. Today, OMB only reports the average timeliness of the 90 fastest percent of clearances. At our Subcommittee hearings, the GAO has repeatedly called for expanded reporting. It is important that we look at the timeliness of the whole process. Our legislation would require more complete reporting on timeliness for all clearances, not just the 90 percent that we see today. For the first time, it would require OMB to break down the numbers based on types of clearances and employee groups, and to report on which agencies are complying with reciprocal recognition of clearances. While the current IRTPA reporting requirements end in 2011, our legislation would extend these requirements to ensure that we receive reports until GAO has concluded this is no longer a high-risk issue. To ensure consistent leadership, our bill would codify the Performance Accountability Council, which has been the catalyst for much of the reform we have seen to date. It is critical that we codify the PAC as its future was in doubt during the presidential transition as the new administration reviewed previous executive orders. GAO has also urged the creation of new metrics that would measure not only the timeliness of clearance determinations, but also the quality and completeness of investigations. These metrics should be defined through the creation of a comprehensive strategic plan for clearance modernization. In response to GAO's recommendations, the legislation would require the PAC to create a comprehensive strategic plan. This plan would outline reform goals, establish performance measures, create a more robust communications strategy, define clear roles and responsibilities for stakeholders, and examine funding needs in order to keep reforms on track. Finally, this bill would require that the PAC undertake a more comprehensive information technology assessment than it has to date. Today, dozens of intertwined systems are used in the clearance process. These systems are a patchwork of outdated technology owned by different agencies. Rather than conducting an inventory of the current technology in use, as the PAC has already done, our bill would require a true needs assessment to define the most effective information technology approach. Our Subcommittee, under both my leadership and that of Senator Voinovich, has worked in a bipartisan manner on this issue seamlessly for several years and our oversight has yielded positive results. It is vital, from both a human capital perspective and a national security perspective, that security clearances and suitability determinations be of the highest quality and made in a timely manner. We must work to make sure this issue is removed from the High-Risk List as soon as possible. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I am introducing, along with my colleague Senator Voinovich, the Security Clearance Modernization and Reporting Act of 2009. Since 2005, our Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia has held a series of six oversight hearings on the serious shortfalls of the Federal Government's ability to effectively and efficiently issue security clearances to federal employees and contractors. This issue was placed on the Government Accountability Office's, GAO, High-Risk List in 2005. Since then, through the strong oversight of our Subcommittee and hard work of those in the government dedicated to reforming and modernizing the security clearance process, the tremendous backlog of security clearance investigations has all but vanished, and clearance determinations are made much more quickly. While progress has been made, we must use this opportunity to continue to push for fundamental changes to the clearance process to ensure that we do not experience the same problems in the future. In 2004, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, IRTPA, P.L. 108-458, required 90 percent of clearances to be completed within an average of 60 days by December 2009. At the time, it took almost a year to complete a Top Secret clearance request. IRTPA also required that agencies recognize clearance determinations made by other agencies to ensure reciprocity of clearances. An Executive Order was issued to implement these requirements, designating the Office of Management and Budget, OMB, as the agency responsible for setting security clearance policy and calling on the Office of Personnel Management, OPM, to conduct clearance investigations. Unfortunately, clearance timeliness continued to be unacceptably slow. After continued pressure from our Subcommittee and other stakeholders, in 2008, OMB brought together the Department of Defense, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, ODNI, and OPM to create a plan to overhaul and streamline the clearance process government-wide. At the recommendation of this reform team, a new executive order was issued creating a governance structure for overseeing and modernizing the federal government's security clearance and suitability processes. The members of the reform team were designated as the Suitability and Security Clearance Performance Accountability Council, PAC. Since the creation of the PAC and the implementation of some reforms, including enhanced application processes, new clearance standards, and plans for electronic adjudication and reevaluation, timeliness of clearances has greatly improved. Already, agencies are generally meeting goals laid out by the IRTPA. However, this has required tremendous effort and a surge in investigation capacity over several years to address backlogs. The bill that we are introducing today would address the lingering concerns over the clearance process and help sustain the momentum for reforming and modernizing the security clearance and suitability determination processes. First, to ensure accountability in security clearance reform and modernization, it is necessary to produce more detailed timeliness reporting. Today, OMB only reports the average timeliness of the 90 fastest percent of clearances. At our Subcommittee hearings, the GAO has repeatedly called for expanded reporting. It is important that we look at the timeliness of the whole process. Our legislation would require more complete reporting on timeliness for all clearances, not just the 90 percent that we see today. For the first time, it would require OMB to break down the numbers based on types of clearances and employee groups, and to report on which agencies are complying with reciprocal recognition of clearances. While the current IRTPA reporting requirements end in 2011, our legislation would extend these requirements to ensure that we receive reports until GAO has concluded this is no longer a high-risk issue. To ensure consistent leadership, our bill would codify the Performance Accountability Council, which has been the catalyst for much of the reform we have seen to date. It is critical that we codify the PAC as its future was in doubt during the presidential transition as the new administration reviewed previous executive orders. GAO has also urged the creation of new metrics that would measure not only the timeliness of clearance determinations, but also the quality and completeness of investigations. These metrics should be defined through the creation of a comprehensive strategic plan for clearance modernization. In response to GAO's recommendations, the legislation would require the PAC to create a comprehensive strategic plan. This plan would outline reform goals, establish performance measures, create a more robust communications strategy, define clear roles and responsibilities for stakeholders, and examine funding needs in order to keep reforms on track. Finally, this bill would require that the PAC undertake a more comprehensive information technology assessment than it has to date. Today, dozens of intertwined systems are used in the clearance process. These systems are a patchwork of outdated technology owned by different agencies. Rather than conducting an inventory of the current technology in use, as the PAC has already done, our bill would require a true needs assessment to define the most effective information technology approach. Our Subcommittee, under both my leadership and that of Senator Voinovich, has worked in a bipartisan manner on this issue seamlessly for several years and our oversight has yielded positive results. It is vital, from both a human capital perspective and a national security perspective, that security clearances and suitability determinations be of the highest quality and made in a timely manner. We must work to make sure this issue is removed from the High-Risk List as soon as possible. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to use my time on the bill and my time on the amendment as necessary.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I had the honor of speaking at the World War II Memorial this past Veterans Day. As I stood there remembering my own comrades and their families, I thought of what the brave men and women in the service give up every day so we can enjoy the freedoms that come with American citizenship. It is in that spirit that I urge this body to pass S. 1963, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 without further delay. The Nation's young veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan have faced a new and terrifying kind of warfare, characterized by improvised explosive devices, sniper fire, and counterinsurgencies. Military medicine, fortunately, is saving more of these young servicemembers' lives than ever before. In World War II, 30 percent of Americans injured in combat died. In Vietnam, 24 percent died. In the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 10 percent of those injured have died. As more of the catastrophically disabled are surviving to return home, more will require a lifetime of care. With our decision on S. 1963, we decide whether that care will be in their homes with the help of their family members or in institutions. If we want that care to be in the home, we need to help the families shoulder the burden of providing it. During the prior administration, the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors--known as the Dole-Shalala Commission--found that 21 percent of Active Duty, 15 percent of Reserves, and 24 percent of retired or separated servicemembers who served in the Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts said friends or family members gave up a job to be with them or to act as their caregiver. By giving up a job, caregivers often give up health insurance, when they need it the most. Studies also show family caregivers experience an increased likelihood of stress, depression, and mortality, compared to their noncaregiving peers. Without a job, without health insurance, and in very stressful situations, family caregivers have worked to fulfill the Nation's obligation to care for its wounded warriors. S. 1963 would give these caregivers health care, counseling, support, and a living stipend. The bill would provide caregivers with a stipend equal to what a home health agency would pay an employee to provide similar services. It would give the caregivers health care and make mental health services available to them. The bill also provides for respite care so caregivers can return to care for these veterans with renewed vigor and energy. It lets these young veterans return to their families and not to a nursing home. While the caregiver program in this legislation will be limited at first to the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, other provisions of the bill improve health care for all veterans. There are provisions which make health care quality a priority, strengthen the credentialing and privileging requirements of VA health care providers, and require the VA to better oversee the quality of care provided in individual VA hospitals and clinics. The bill will also improve care for homeless veterans, women veterans, veterans who live in rural areas, and veterans who suffer from mental illness. About 131,000 veterans are homeless. S. 1963 would help these veterans obtain housing, pension benefits, and other supportive services. It would provide financial assistance to organizations that help homeless veterans. Seventeen percent of servicemembers are now women. This legislation contains a number of provisions which are designed to improve the care and services provided to women veterans. It would provide for the training of mental health professionals in the treatment of military sexual trauma and provide care for the newborn children of servicewomen. It would give women veterans a quality of care they have earned through their service to this country. The bill also provides new assistance to veterans who live in rural areas. According to the VA, of the 8 million veterans enrolled in VA health care, about 3 million live in rural areas. This legislation would bring more services into rural communities through telemedicine and increased recruitment and retention incentives for health care providers. It also would increase the VA's ability to use volunteers at vet centers and create centers of excellence for rural health. Finally, S. 1963 addresses the signature injuries of this war--PTSD and traumatic brain injury. According to a recent RAND report, one- third of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Countless others will suffer from traumatic brain injury and face significant problems in readjusting to life at home. Many studies have shown the importance of early intervention to the effective treatment of these invisible wounds. This legislation contains provisions that allow Active-Duty military to seek mental health services at vet centers and increase access to care for veterans with traumatic brain injury. Before concluding, I wish to share one of the many stories I have heard as I have worked to move this legislation through the Senate. SGT Ted Wade sustained a severe brain injury after his humvee was hit by an improvised explosive device in Iraq. His right arm was completely severed above the elbow, and he also suffered a fractured leg, broken right foot, and visual impairment, among other injuries. His wife Sarah Wade became his caregiver and a dedicated advocate for her husband, as well as for others who are providing caregiver services. In testimony before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee earlier this year, Ms. Wade made the point that: Young veterans with catastrophic injuries need support that will be around as long as the injuries they sustained in service to their country. Just like servicemembers need a team in the military to accomplish the mission, they need a team at home for the longer war. I agree completely with that view. Veterans need all the support we can provide. We, as a country, can give them options that veterans of my generation never had. We can give them the option to really come home. To those who are concerned about the cost of this legislation, I say we cannot now turn our back on the obligation to care for those who fought in the current wars. When we as a body vote to send American troops to war, we have promised to care for them when they return. I firmly believe the cost of veterans benefits and services is a true cost of war and must be treated as such. I ask that our colleagues accept no more delays and act on this important legislation. Mr. President, I reserve the remainder of my time and yield the floor.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I yield 10 minutes to the Senator from Washington, Mrs. Murray.

Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Alaska, Mr. Begich.