Daniel Akaka

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce the Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act, along with my colleagues Senators Reid, Durbin, Bingaman, Corzine, Murray, Kennedy, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Inouye, Pryor, Mikulski, Obama, Dodd, Lieberman, and Clinton. I want to thank them, as well as my colleagues in the other body, for all of their contributions to this important legislation. This bill will improve access to and the quality of health care for indigenous people and racial and ethnic minorities who often lack access and suffer disproportionately from certain diseases. It is essential that we expand and improve the health care safety net so that everyone can access the health care services that they need. This legislation will expand health coverage and includes provisions that will increase access to culturally-appropriate and relevant services for our communities. In addition to improving treatments for the diseases that disproportionately effect indigenous people and racial and ethnic minorities, we need to also focus on preventing these diseases in the first place. This legislation will help combat heart disease, asthma, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that disproportionately affects Pacific Islanders, including Native Hawaiians. Among populations in Hawaii, Native Hawaiians had the highest age-adjusted mortality rates due to diabetes for the years 2000 to 2002. Statistics for U.S.-related Pacific Jurisdictions are difficult to obtain due to underdeveloped reporting and data collection systems. However, available data suggests that diabetes and its complications are growing problems that are creating a greater burden on the health care delivery systems of the Pacific Jurisdictions. For example, in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, mortality data for 1996-2000 reflects that complications from diabetes are the leading cause of death and accounted for 30 percent of all deaths during that period. In American Samoa, mortality data for 1998-2001 shows that diabetes is the third leading cause of death accounting for nine percent of all deaths for that period. In Guam, diabetes has been identified as the fifth leading cause of death and the prevalence rate has been estimated to be seven times that of the United States. Local governments have had to focus on expensive off-island tertiary hospital care and curative services, resulting in the reduction of funds available for community-based primary preventive care and pnblic health services throughout the Pacific Jurisdictions. There is a need for more comprehensive diabetes awareness education efforts targeted at communities with Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander populations. Papa Ola Lokahi, a non-profit agency created in 1988 that functions as a consortium with private and state agencies in Hawaii to improve the health status of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, has established the Pacific Diabetes Today Resource Center. Pacific Diabetes Today is designed to provide community members with basic knowledge and skills to plan and implement community-based diabetes prevention and control activities. Since 1998, the Pacific Diabetes Today program has provided training and technical assistance to 11 communities in Hawaii and the Pacific Jurisdictions. However, more can be done to ensure that the diabetic health needs of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are being met. Community-based diabetes programs need to be better integrated into the larger infrastructure of diabetes prevention and control. Comprehensive, specific programs are needed to mobilize Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander communities and develop appropriate interventions for diabetes complications prevention and improve diabetes care. My bill, therefore, includes a provision that would authorize a comprehensive program to prevent and better manage the overlapping health problems that are often related to diabetes such as obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. I am also pleased that a provision has been included in this bill that would restore Medicaid eligibility for Freely Associated States, FAS, citizens in the United States. The political relationship between the United States and the FAS is based on mutual support. In exchange for the United States having strategic denial and a defense veto over the FAS, the United States provides military and economic assistance to the Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau with the goal of assisting these countries in achieving economic self-sufficiency following the termination of their status as U.N. Trust territories. Pursuant to the Compact, FAS citizens are allowed to freely enter the United States. They come to seek economic opportunity, education, and health care. Unfortunately, FAS citizens lost many of their public benefits as a result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, PRWORA, of 1996, including Medicaid coverage. FAS citizens were previously eligible for Medicaid as aliens permanently residing under color of law in the United States. After the enactment of PRWORA, the State of Hawaii was informed that it could not claim Federal matching funds for services rendered to FAS citizens. Since then, the State of Hawaii, and the territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, CNMI, have continued to incur substantial costs to meet the health care needs of FAS citizens that have immigrated to these areas. The Federal Government must provide Federal resources to help States meet the healthcare needs of the FAS citizens that have been brought about by a Federal commitment. It is inequitable for a state or territory to be responsible for all of the financial burden of providing necessary social services to individuals that are residing there due to a Federal commitment. Mr. President, FAS citizen eligibility must be restored. Furthermore, the State of Hawaii, and the territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the CNMI, should be reimbursed for all of the Medicaid expenses of FAS citizens, and must not be responsible for the costs of providing essential health care services for FAS citizens. Finally, there is another provision in this bill is of extreme importance to the State of Hawaii, taken from legislation that my colleague from Hawaii, Senator Inouye, has introduced. The provision would provide a 100 percent Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage, FMAP, of health care costs of Native Hawaiians who receive health care from Federally Qualified Health Centers or the Native Hawaiian Health Care System. This would provide similar treatment for Native Hawaiians as already granted to Native Alaskans by the Indian Health Service or tribal organizations. The increased FMAP will ensure that Native Hawaiians have access to the essential health services provided by community health centers and the Native Hawaiian Health Care System. This bill would significantly improve the quality of life for indigenous people and ethnic and racial minorities, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I am introducing the Teacher Acculturation Act of 2005 as a means to address an issue that impedes effective learning in our Nation's classrooms, and that is cultural incongruence. Such a lack of congruence exists in a wide range of situations, from rural and underserved communities in remote areas to well-populated urban centers, from my State of Hawaii to areas on the Eastern seaboard. The dynamic I am describing exists along lines of race and ethnicity, socioeconomic strata, age, and many other vectors, which can muddy the stuff of learning that needs to be transmitted between students aiming to learn and teachers seeking to teach. As many of my colleagues and I have said many times, our children are our future. Furthermore, our great Nation is dependent on the success of our educational system and what it is delivering to our children. An essential part of our educational system is a highly qualified teacher with knowledge of the subject area, and the ability to teach that subject to students. This is the most important factor in the academic success of the student. My bill will address one attribute of that success: the ability of the teacher to present the lesson in a way that students are ready to learn it. I started my professional life as a teacher, so improvement of the field of education is never far from my thoughts. Even after all of my teacher training, I remember walking into a classroom and thinking, ``What do I do now?'' and, ``Will I be able to connect with my students?'' I have never forgotten those thoughts. Through my bill, I hope to work to help teachers answer these and similar questions, particularly for those teachers who are placed in States that are new to them, or in parts of their home States with which they have little or no familiarity. In my State of Hawaii, according to an article published Monday in the Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaii's 258 public schools need 1,400 to 1,600 new teachers every year to replace those who retire or leave the system, particularly in the areas of special education, speech pathology, autism, and hearing impairment. However, only about 500 Hawaii teachers are graduating and earning their licenses every year from both public and private colleges, and many of them are being drawn away from the State to schools on the mainland. Recruiting trips by the Hawaii Department of Education are seeking hires in cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I would like to help to ensure the success of these and other teachers in similar situations across the country, to help smooth their adjustment to their new homes, and thus, make a fluid transition to their new classrooms. The Teacher Acculturation Act seeks to address cultural incongruence between the teacher and the student population in the classroom. To be successful, the teacher must be prepared to teach in a way that students are ready to learn. And with a increasingly diverse student population, that becomes harder and harder as time goes by. To achieve these ends, the bill proposes programs in three parts. The first two parts recognize the success of ongoing and sustained professional development to affect positive change in teaching pedagogy. The bill authorizes demonstration programs that aim to assist teachers in learning, developing, and implementing pedagogies that help all students learn. I have modeled the programs on the Lesson Study theory of change, which is a model that uses a cohort of professionals for lesson development, presentation of the developed lesson by a member of the cohort to a class, observation of the presentation by other members of the cohort, and post-presentation analysis and reflection by the entire cohort, along with coaches, mentors, and supervising practitioners. A group of teachers working together to improve their pedagogy has been shown to be very effective, and this model is becoming more popular at every level in teacher education and professional development, from classroom work in colleges of education, to cohort work by candidates for National Board Certification--the highest performance achievement available to a teacher in the United States. The first demonstration program would take place during the time the prospective teacher is in a college or school of education, and introduces a multicultural awareness component into the pre-service teaching activities. In this program, prospective teachers would work with members of the community, trained academics, and practicing teachers to learn about cultural characteristics of the student population, to develop pedagogies and curriculum to fit those cultures, and to study how to deliver the new lessons in a culturally relevant style. Prospective teachers would then deliver these lessons to the students in a real classroom setting while student teaching. Post- teaching analysis, reflection, and discussion would then allow the student teacher to analyze and reflect upon the performance. The second demonstration program is structured similarly to the first program, but conducts a professional development activity during the time the teacher is new to the profession--generally the first three years--recognizing that many teachers develop teaching styles in these initial years that they may use for the duration of their teaching careers. Through this program, a cohort of teachers would undertake a year-long program, which includes two summers, under the direction of a coach trained in multicultural education. Participating teachers would already be placed in teaching positions and have a defined learning community to work with. If done right, such a program has the potential to involve the whole school community and, eventually, contribute to whole school change. These two programs taken together have the potential to develop a cadre of teachers adept at teaching in ways that are culturally- relevant, ways that address the needs of the students, and ways in which the students are ready to learn. I truly feel that such programs working with new and prospective teachers can make a difference in addressing the current achievement gap, particularly impacting the groups most at risk of being on the losing end of the achievement gap. The third section of the Teacher Acculturation Act of 2005 would set up Centers of Excellence in Multicultural Education. These centers would support the professional development activities from the first two parts of the bill by providing trained mentors, coaches, and academics, as well as undertaking research into the areas of multicultural education. The centers would also develop activities for use by schools and districts to provide ongoing professional development opportunities to all faculty or teachers. We must never forget that a solid education is the cornerstone of our future. And a highly qualified teacher is needed to provide that education. The teacher not only needs to be knowledgeable about the subject being taught, but needs to know how to teach the subject to the students. This bill would help address the question of how. It seeks to prepare the teacher to deal with groups of students with different learning styles, as well as to identify the needs of divergent groups of students and how to vary teaching to support the learning of these students. My bill seeks to improve learning among those groups who are underserved today. Although my bill alone would not eliminate the achievement gap, it seeks to provide a good start. This bill is supported by leading experts and organizations in the field of multicultural education, including Ms. Joyce Harris, Executive director of the National Academy for Multicultural Education, Dr. James Banks of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, and Dr. Randy Hitz, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Hawaii. I ask unanimous consent that their letters of support be printed in the Record. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this important piece of legislation.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise proudly today to introduce legislation that would establish Parkinson's Disease Research Education and Clinical Centers and Multiple Sclerosis, MS, Centers of Excellence in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA. The need for research and care is extremely pressing at a time when VA is dealing with meeting the demands of veterans suffering from debilitating neurological diseases. VA has been a leader in the advancement of medicine and should be applauded for its progressive and innovative research endeavors. Yet, continued strides in specialized research are necessary to address the specific health care needs of our veterans. Through the establishment of the Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis Centers, VA clinicians and educators will be able to gain a better understanding of these diseases that affect not just our veterans, but Americans across the nation. It is through this understanding that clinicians will be able to provide more effective patient care, treatment, and education. The establishment of the Parkinson's Disease Research Education and Clinical Centers stems from the same spirit that inspired the conception of a great alliance formed between VA and the National Parkinson Foundation, Inc., NPF, in June of 1999. This alliance created an opportunity for the two entities to come together to develop research and treatment symposiums, provide information concerning Parkinson's disease, and also provide VA physicians that treat at least 20,000 Parkinson's patients with continuing education. Those affected with Parkinson's Disease not only suffer from symptoms that manifest themselves physically, such as through tremors, muffled speech, slowness and impaired mobility. There are also psychological effects characterized in the form of depression for those suffering from this diseases. Through these centers, clinicians and educators can determine better ways to manage symptoms associated with Parkinson's Disease, as well as those symptoms such as fatigue and spasticity associated with MS that will give veterans suffering from these diseases a better quality of life. Since the time of its inception, the VA health care system was tasked with meeting the special needs of its veteran patients. Though VA is providing the necessary care to those currently affected by the disease, more can be done to develop new treatments to reduce the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. This legislation will provide VA with the opportunity to establish these centers and mark a new phase in the pursuit of enhanced treatment for those that struggle with the daily challenges imposed by these diseases, which includes not only the veteran patients but their families as well. The Parkinson's Disease Research Education and Clinical Centers and Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence will also be beacons of hope towards finding a cure for degenerative neurological diseases. I ask my colleagues for their support of this bill as a commitment to advancing research and education for veterans battling Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. I also wish to thank Congressman Lane Evans, who serves as the ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for his leadership on this issue. I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I would like to engage my friend from Iowa, the chairman of the Finance Committee, as well as my friend, Senator Baucus, the ranking member of the committee in a brief colloquy. There is an important project under consideration in Hawaii that would use deep seawater to cool buildings in downtown Honolulu. This project may be funded, in part, by private activity bonds. I would like to ask whether piping used to bring cold water from the ocean to the distributional facility would be considered part of the local system consisting of a pipeline or network, which may be connected to a cooling source, providing chilled water to two or more users for residential, commercial or industrial cooling as provided in section 142(g) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I am introducing the Teacher Acculturation Act of 2005 as a means to address an issue that impedes effective learning in our Nation's classrooms, and that is cultural incongruence. Such a lack of congruence exists in a wide range of situations, from rural and underserved communities in remote areas to well-populated urban centers, from my State of Hawaii to areas on the Eastern seaboard. The dynamic I am describing exists along lines of race and ethnicity, socioeconomic strata, age, and many other vectors, which can muddy the stuff of learning that needs to be transmitted between students aiming to learn and teachers seeking to teach. As many of my colleagues and I have said many times, our children are our future. Furthermore, our great Nation is dependent on the success of our educational system and what it is delivering to our children. An essential part of our educational system is a highly qualified teacher with knowledge of the subject area, and the ability to teach that subject to students. This is the most important factor in the academic success of the student. My bill will address one attribute of that success: the ability of the teacher to present the lesson in a way that students are ready to learn it. I started my professional life as a teacher, so improvement of the field of education is never far from my thoughts. Even after all of my teacher training, I remember walking into a classroom and thinking, ``What do I do now?'' and, ``Will I be able to connect with my students?'' I have never forgotten those thoughts. Through my bill, I hope to work to help teachers answer these and similar questions, particularly for those teachers who are placed in States that are new to them, or in parts of their home States with which they have little or no familiarity. In my State of Hawaii, according to an article published Monday in the Honolulu Advertiser, Hawaii's 258 public schools need 1,400 to 1,600 new teachers every year to replace those who retire or leave the system, particularly in the areas of special education, speech pathology, autism, and hearing impairment. However, only about 500 Hawaii teachers are graduating and earning their licenses every year from both public and private colleges, and many of them are being drawn away from the State to schools on the mainland. Recruiting trips by the Hawaii Department of Education are seeking hires in cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I would like to help to ensure the success of these and other teachers in similar situations across the country, to help smooth their adjustment to their new homes, and thus, make a fluid transition to their new classrooms. The Teacher Acculturation Act seeks to address cultural incongruence between the teacher and the student population in the classroom. To be successful, the teacher must be prepared to teach in a way that students are ready to learn. And with a increasingly diverse student population, that becomes harder and harder as time goes by. To achieve these ends, the bill proposes programs in three parts. The first two parts recognize the success of ongoing and sustained professional development to affect positive change in teaching pedagogy. The bill authorizes demonstration programs that aim to assist teachers in learning, developing, and implementing pedagogies that help all students learn. I have modeled the programs on the Lesson Study theory of change, which is a model that uses a cohort of professionals for lesson development, presentation of the developed lesson by a member of the cohort to a class, observation of the presentation by other members of the cohort, and post-presentation analysis and reflection by the entire cohort, along with coaches, mentors, and supervising practitioners. A group of teachers working together to improve their pedagogy has been shown to be very effective, and this model is becoming more popular at every level in teacher education and professional development, from classroom work in colleges of education, to cohort work by candidates for National Board Certification--the highest performance achievement available to a teacher in the United States. The first demonstration program would take place during the time the prospective teacher is in a college or school of education, and introduces a multicultural awareness component into the pre-service teaching activities. In this program, prospective teachers would work with members of the community, trained academics, and practicing teachers to learn about cultural characteristics of the student population, to develop pedagogies and curriculum to fit those cultures, and to study how to deliver the new lessons in a culturally relevant style. Prospective teachers would then deliver these lessons to the students in a real classroom setting while student teaching. Post- teaching analysis, reflection, and discussion would then allow the student teacher to analyze and reflect upon the performance. The second demonstration program is structured similarly to the first program, but conducts a professional development activity during the time the teacher is new to the profession--generally the first three years--recognizing that many teachers develop teaching styles in these initial years that they may use for the duration of their teaching careers. Through this program, a cohort of teachers would undertake a year-long program, which includes two summers, under the direction of a coach trained in multicultural education. Participating teachers would already be placed in teaching positions and have a defined learning community to work with. If done right, such a program has the potential to involve the whole school community and, eventually, contribute to whole school change. These two programs taken together have the potential to develop a cadre of teachers adept at teaching in ways that are culturally- relevant, ways that address the needs of the students, and ways in which the students are ready to learn. I truly feel that such programs working with new and prospective teachers can make a difference in addressing the current achievement gap, particularly impacting the groups most at risk of being on the losing end of the achievement gap. The third section of the Teacher Acculturation Act of 2005 would set up Centers of Excellence in Multicultural Education. These centers would support the professional development activities from the first two parts of the bill by providing trained mentors, coaches, and academics, as well as undertaking research into the areas of multicultural education. The centers would also develop activities for use by schools and districts to provide ongoing professional development opportunities to all faculty or teachers. We must never forget that a solid education is the cornerstone of our future. And a highly qualified teacher is needed to provide that education. The teacher not only needs to be knowledgeable about the subject being taught, but needs to know how to teach the subject to the students. This bill would help address the question of how. It seeks to prepare the teacher to deal with groups of students with different learning styles, as well as to identify the needs of divergent groups of students and how to vary teaching to support the learning of these students. My bill seeks to improve learning among those groups who are underserved today. Although my bill alone would not eliminate the achievement gap, it seeks to provide a good start. This bill is supported by leading experts and organizations in the field of multicultural education, including Ms. Joyce Harris, Executive director of the National Academy for Multicultural Education, Dr. James Banks of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, and Dr. Randy Hitz, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Hawaii. I ask unanimous consent that their letters of support be printed in the Record. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this important piece of legislation.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise proudly today to introduce legislation that would establish Parkinson's Disease Research Education and Clinical Centers and Multiple Sclerosis, MS, Centers of Excellence in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA. The need for research and care is extremely pressing at a time when VA is dealing with meeting the demands of veterans suffering from debilitating neurological diseases. VA has been a leader in the advancement of medicine and should be applauded for its progressive and innovative research endeavors. Yet, continued strides in specialized research are necessary to address the specific health care needs of our veterans. Through the establishment of the Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis Centers, VA clinicians and educators will be able to gain a better understanding of these diseases that affect not just our veterans, but Americans across the nation. It is through this understanding that clinicians will be able to provide more effective patient care, treatment, and education. The establishment of the Parkinson's Disease Research Education and Clinical Centers stems from the same spirit that inspired the conception of a great alliance formed between VA and the National Parkinson Foundation, Inc., NPF, in June of 1999. This alliance created an opportunity for the two entities to come together to develop research and treatment symposiums, provide information concerning Parkinson's disease, and also provide VA physicians that treat at least 20,000 Parkinson's patients with continuing education. Those affected with Parkinson's Disease not only suffer from symptoms that manifest themselves physically, such as through tremors, muffled speech, slowness and impaired mobility. There are also psychological effects characterized in the form of depression for those suffering from this diseases. Through these centers, clinicians and educators can determine better ways to manage symptoms associated with Parkinson's Disease, as well as those symptoms such as fatigue and spasticity associated with MS that will give veterans suffering from these diseases a better quality of life. Since the time of its inception, the VA health care system was tasked with meeting the special needs of its veteran patients. Though VA is providing the necessary care to those currently affected by the disease, more can be done to develop new treatments to reduce the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. This legislation will provide VA with the opportunity to establish these centers and mark a new phase in the pursuit of enhanced treatment for those that struggle with the daily challenges imposed by these diseases, which includes not only the veteran patients but their families as well. The Parkinson's Disease Research Education and Clinical Centers and Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence will also be beacons of hope towards finding a cure for degenerative neurological diseases. I ask my colleagues for their support of this bill as a commitment to advancing research and education for veterans battling Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. I also wish to thank Congressman Lane Evans, who serves as the ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for his leadership on this issue. I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Public Land Protection and Conservation Act of 2005. I am pleased to have Senators Inouye, Lautenberg and Levin join me in cosponsoring the bill. My legislation encourages Federal, State, and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes and private entities to work together through a cost-shared, cooperative grant program to control and mitigate the spread of invasive species. Invasive species are defined as harmful, nonnative plants, animals, or organisms likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health. They are widespread throughout the United States and cause billions of dollars of damage annually to crops, rangelands, and waterways. The globalization of trade, the massive volume of cargo shipments, and rising tourism have combined to increase the chance of introductions of nonnative species into the United States. They are responsible for damage to native ecosystems and vital industries such as agriculture, fisheries, and ranching. The economic, social, recreational, and ecological losses attributable to invasive species are huge. A recent Cornell University study estimated that invasive plants and animals cost the U.S. economy $137 billion annually. The costs are predicted to increase substantially as more invasive species enter the country. The implications of the nationwide invasive species problem are enormous. The Ecological Society of America notes that invasive species contribute to the listing of 35 to 46 percent of all threatened and endangered species. Nowhere, however, are the impacts greater than in my home State of Hawaii. Hawaii is known for its biodiversity. Hawaii has more than 10,000 species found nowhere else on Earth. Unfortunately, invasive species are the number one cause of the decline of Hawaii's threatened and endangered species. This is a serious concern because of the 114 endangered species that have become extinct during the first 20 years of the Endangered Species Act, almost half were in Hawaii. Recently, gall wasps were found laying eggs in wiliwili trees. These trees were once a dominant species in dry Hawaiian forests. Now they are nearly 90 percent gone with the remnants of the remaining trees, primarily found on Maui and the Big Island, threatened by the invasive gall wasp. The fragility of our native species is compounded by the fact that most introduced species have no natural predators in the State, and such predators cannot simply cross a State border to enter Hawaii. Hawaii's Invasive Species Partnerships, a group comprised of a state council and island-based committees stated in its 2004 report that ``the silent invasion of Hawaii by alien invasive species is the single greatest threat to Hawaii's economy, natural environment, and the health and lifestyle of Hawaii's people and visitors.'' Hawaii is plagued with pest invasions to a greater extent than almost any other location in the world. The invasion has limited our agricultural export market, decreased bio-diversity in the forests, and decimated native bird populations. It is imperative that this serious issue receive our full attention. Let me give you just a few examples of invasive species problems in Hawaii. Control efforts for the Formosan ground termite are estimated to cost residents in Hawaii more than $150 million per year. Damage to our agricultural industry and the related control costs of the Mediterranean fruit fly are more than $450 million annually. Miconia, an invasive tree infesting more than 15,000 acres of rainforest in Hawaii, eliminates the habitat of endangered plants and animals and causes serious erosion problems that threaten our water supply. Bush Beardgrass is a drought-tolerant grass that increases the risk of brushfires. Wildlife authorities say the grass is beyond control on Kauai and the Big Island. Native birds in our rainforests are succumbing to malaria spread through introduced mosquitos. Coqui frogs can reach densities of 8,000 frogs per acre and threaten Hawaii's real estate, export floriculture, and nursery industries. The brown tree snake has invaded Guam and devastated native bird populations there. If the snakes become established in Hawaii, economic costs have been estimated to exceed hundreds of millions of dollars. Red fire ants threaten the agriculture industry in Hawaii and in 14 Southern States, causing more than $2 billion in annual damage. As you can see, the list of problems is long and the time to address the issue of invasive species is now, before even more serious problems crop up. With 73 percent of land in the continental U.S. held privately, our Federal lands will not be adequately protected without public-private partnerships. My bill requires coordination between the National Invasive Species Council, the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and State invasive species councils and plans. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants to promote the development of voluntary State assessments to establish inventories and priorities for controlling invasive species. This is a critical step in establishing an invasives program, but many States do not have the resources to carry out this critical assessment. The legislation also provides additional grants to public or private entities, or Indian tribes, to carry out in partnership with a Federal agency an eradication, containment, or management project on Federal land or adjacent land. Control grants are cost-shared with partners. The criteria for ranking control projects include shared priorities in State and Federal plans, the severity of the invasive species impact on a State, and whether the project fosters results through public-private partnerships. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the bill provides rapid response funds for States facing new outbreaks of invasive species, to eradicate serious new outbreaks. Rapid response funds are critical to States in order to combat newly identified invasives. I was pleased to see that Federal departments would receive an overall increase for the seven invasive species general categories in the President's fiscal year 2006 proposed budget. I appreciate the consideration that my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee have given this important issue. However, I was dismayed to see that the budget for the category of control of invasive species declined by $25 million from its fiscal year 2005 enacted level. Control is an essential element in combating invasive species and requires additional funding. I would like to acknowledge the fine work being accomplished by the National Park Service in establishing its Exotic Plant Management Teams. These Teams are designed to provide a highly trained, mobile strike force of plant management specialists to assist parks in the control of exotic plants. Approximately 2.6 million acres in the national parks are infected and 234 parks have invasive animals in need of management. To date, 17 Teams have been deployed throughout the country. I am grateful to the Pacific Island Team for its efforts to protect increasingly rare native communities in the Hawaiian Islands from invasion. Control of exotic species is one of the most significant land management issues facing national parks. Although I applaud the current efforts of the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service, a more coordinated and forceful attack on invasive species is needed. The attack must have robust funding and work in partnership with the States. I am particularly pleased that the State of Hawaii is taking a leadership role in addressing its invasive species problems. Two years ago the Hawaii State Legislature established the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to coordinate the State's fight against animal and plant invaders, with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land and Natural Resources in leading roles. The Hawaii State Legislature has directed approximately $8 million to the invasives campaign so far. The Hawaii Invasive Species Council and each county council are committed to a proactive approach to preserve the environmental heritage and economic security of our communities for generations to come. In addition, many public and private partnerships have been formed to protect our common natural resources. For example, the East Maui Watershed Partnership brings together multiple public and private landowners and the County of Maui to control invasive species and protect 100,000 acres of our prime watershed areas. This is just one example of many highly successful and dedicated partnerships in Hawaii working to preserve our invaluable resources. The National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species, a coalition of representatives from major environmental organizations, has extended its full support for this legislation. Its letter of support calls this bill ``one of the best legislative proposals to date to deal with the growing threat that invasive species pose to our nation's ecological and economic health.'' The State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, also supports the bill. The Department acknowledges that success in invasive species projects in Hawaii have come largely from the formation of strong partnerships between State, County and Federal agencies and private groups -exactly what my legislation endorses. My bill is also supported by the Conservation Council of Hawaii, the National Wildlife Federation affiliate in Hawaii. I greatly appreciate these endorsements. As Federal efforts to combat the growing tide of invasive species increase, some landowners and private property advocates are concerned that increased efforts to combat invasives and support native plants and animals could lead to the next big government invasion of private lands. Let me assure you this is not a property rights issue. Any action taken by governments or nonprofits through this bill can occur only with the participation and willingness of the property owner. There are increasingly severe problems and economic burdens associated with invasive species in our Nation that are borne at the State and local levels. If ever there was a time to commit to defending the security of our domestic resources for the future, it is now. My legislation provides the support necessary for agencies, organizations, and individuals to implement cooperative projects to address new threats and long-standing invasive species problems. This is an issue that must be confronted. I ask unanimous consent that text of the bill be printed in the Record, as well as the letters of support from Hawaii and national groups, and urge my colleagues to support my legislation.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Public Land Protection and Conservation Act of 2005. I am pleased to have Senators Inouye, Lautenberg and Levin join me in cosponsoring the bill. My legislation encourages Federal, State, and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes and private entities to work together through a cost-shared, cooperative grant program to control and mitigate the spread of invasive species. Invasive species are defined as harmful, nonnative plants, animals, or organisms likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health. They are widespread throughout the United States and cause billions of dollars of damage annually to crops, rangelands, and waterways. The globalization of trade, the massive volume of cargo shipments, and rising tourism have combined to increase the chance of introductions of nonnative species into the United States. They are responsible for damage to native ecosystems and vital industries such as agriculture, fisheries, and ranching. The economic, social, recreational, and ecological losses attributable to invasive species are huge. A recent Cornell University study estimated that invasive plants and animals cost the U.S. economy $137 billion annually. The costs are predicted to increase substantially as more invasive species enter the country. The implications of the nationwide invasive species problem are enormous. The Ecological Society of America notes that invasive species contribute to the listing of 35 to 46 percent of all threatened and endangered species. Nowhere, however, are the impacts greater than in my home State of Hawaii. Hawaii is known for its biodiversity. Hawaii has more than 10,000 species found nowhere else on Earth. Unfortunately, invasive species are the number one cause of the decline of Hawaii's threatened and endangered species. This is a serious concern because of the 114 endangered species that have become extinct during the first 20 years of the Endangered Species Act, almost half were in Hawaii. Recently, gall wasps were found laying eggs in wiliwili trees. These trees were once a dominant species in dry Hawaiian forests. Now they are nearly 90 percent gone with the remnants of the remaining trees, primarily found on Maui and the Big Island, threatened by the invasive gall wasp. The fragility of our native species is compounded by the fact that most introduced species have no natural predators in the State, and such predators cannot simply cross a State border to enter Hawaii. Hawaii's Invasive Species Partnerships, a group comprised of a state council and island-based committees stated in its 2004 report that ``the silent invasion of Hawaii by alien invasive species is the single greatest threat to Hawaii's economy, natural environment, and the health and lifestyle of Hawaii's people and visitors.'' Hawaii is plagued with pest invasions to a greater extent than almost any other location in the world. The invasion has limited our agricultural export market, decreased bio-diversity in the forests, and decimated native bird populations. It is imperative that this serious issue receive our full attention. Let me give you just a few examples of invasive species problems in Hawaii. Control efforts for the Formosan ground termite are estimated to cost residents in Hawaii more than $150 million per year. Damage to our agricultural industry and the related control costs of the Mediterranean fruit fly are more than $450 million annually. Miconia, an invasive tree infesting more than 15,000 acres of rainforest in Hawaii, eliminates the habitat of endangered plants and animals and causes serious erosion problems that threaten our water supply. Bush Beardgrass is a drought-tolerant grass that increases the risk of brushfires. Wildlife authorities say the grass is beyond control on Kauai and the Big Island. Native birds in our rainforests are succumbing to malaria spread through introduced mosquitos. Coqui frogs can reach densities of 8,000 frogs per acre and threaten Hawaii's real estate, export floriculture, and nursery industries. The brown tree snake has invaded Guam and devastated native bird populations there. If the snakes become established in Hawaii, economic costs have been estimated to exceed hundreds of millions of dollars. Red fire ants threaten the agriculture industry in Hawaii and in 14 Southern States, causing more than $2 billion in annual damage. As you can see, the list of problems is long and the time to address the issue of invasive species is now, before even more serious problems crop up. With 73 percent of land in the continental U.S. held privately, our Federal lands will not be adequately protected without public-private partnerships. My bill requires coordination between the National Invasive Species Council, the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and State invasive species councils and plans. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants to promote the development of voluntary State assessments to establish inventories and priorities for controlling invasive species. This is a critical step in establishing an invasives program, but many States do not have the resources to carry out this critical assessment. The legislation also provides additional grants to public or private entities, or Indian tribes, to carry out in partnership with a Federal agency an eradication, containment, or management project on Federal land or adjacent land. Control grants are cost-shared with partners. The criteria for ranking control projects include shared priorities in State and Federal plans, the severity of the invasive species impact on a State, and whether the project fosters results through public-private partnerships. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the bill provides rapid response funds for States facing new outbreaks of invasive species, to eradicate serious new outbreaks. Rapid response funds are critical to States in order to combat newly identified invasives. I was pleased to see that Federal departments would receive an overall increase for the seven invasive species general categories in the President's fiscal year 2006 proposed budget. I appreciate the consideration that my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee have given this important issue. However, I was dismayed to see that the budget for the category of control of invasive species declined by $25 million from its fiscal year 2005 enacted level. Control is an essential element in combating invasive species and requires additional funding. I would like to acknowledge the fine work being accomplished by the National Park Service in establishing its Exotic Plant Management Teams. These Teams are designed to provide a highly trained, mobile strike force of plant management specialists to assist parks in the control of exotic plants. Approximately 2.6 million acres in the national parks are infected and 234 parks have invasive animals in need of management. To date, 17 Teams have been deployed throughout the country. I am grateful to the Pacific Island Team for its efforts to protect increasingly rare native communities in the Hawaiian Islands from invasion. Control of exotic species is one of the most significant land management issues facing national parks. Although I applaud the current efforts of the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service, a more coordinated and forceful attack on invasive species is needed. The attack must have robust funding and work in partnership with the States. I am particularly pleased that the State of Hawaii is taking a leadership role in addressing its invasive species problems. Two years ago the Hawaii State Legislature established the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to coordinate the State's fight against animal and plant invaders, with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land and Natural Resources in leading roles. The Hawaii State Legislature has directed approximately $8 million to the invasives campaign so far. The Hawaii Invasive Species Council and each county council are committed to a proactive approach to preserve the environmental heritage and economic security of our communities for generations to come. In addition, many public and private partnerships have been formed to protect our common natural resources. For example, the East Maui Watershed Partnership brings together multiple public and private landowners and the County of Maui to control invasive species and protect 100,000 acres of our prime watershed areas. This is just one example of many highly successful and dedicated partnerships in Hawaii working to preserve our invaluable resources. The National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species, a coalition of representatives from major environmental organizations, has extended its full support for this legislation. Its letter of support calls this bill ``one of the best legislative proposals to date to deal with the growing threat that invasive species pose to our nation's ecological and economic health.'' The State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, also supports the bill. The Department acknowledges that success in invasive species projects in Hawaii have come largely from the formation of strong partnerships between State, County and Federal agencies and private groups -exactly what my legislation endorses. My bill is also supported by the Conservation Council of Hawaii, the National Wildlife Federation affiliate in Hawaii. I greatly appreciate these endorsements. As Federal efforts to combat the growing tide of invasive species increase, some landowners and private property advocates are concerned that increased efforts to combat invasives and support native plants and animals could lead to the next big government invasion of private lands. Let me assure you this is not a property rights issue. Any action taken by governments or nonprofits through this bill can occur only with the participation and willingness of the property owner. There are increasingly severe problems and economic burdens associated with invasive species in our Nation that are borne at the State and local levels. If ever there was a time to commit to defending the security of our domestic resources for the future, it is now. My legislation provides the support necessary for agencies, organizations, and individuals to implement cooperative projects to address new threats and long-standing invasive species problems. This is an issue that must be confronted. I ask unanimous consent that text of the bill be printed in the Record, as well as the letters of support from Hawaii and national groups, and urge my colleagues to support my legislation.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today with great joy to congratulate the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, on its 75th anniversary. Through its tireless work on behalf of this Nation's veterans, VA has certainly lived up to the words of the great President Abraham Lincoln, ``To care for him who shall have borne the battle and his widow, and his orphan.'' During its first 75 years, VA has done much to benefit not only veterans and their families but also the nation as a whole. On June 22, 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Montgomery GI bill into public law. Since then, the GI bill has been updated and modernized several times. This far-reaching legislation has helped improve the lives of over 20 million veterans through educational programs, home loan guarantees, unemployment compensation, and other benefits. It is estimated that over the lifetime of the average veteran, the U.S. Treasury receives two to eight times the income tax from the average veteran than was spent on the veteran's GI bill benefits. The GI bill is undoubtedly one of the most important pieces of legislation in this Nation's great history. VA has also established a legacy of first rate health care for our veterans. A recent study by the RAND Corporation found that VA outpaces private health care systems in delivering care to patients. RAND observed that VA patients were more likely to receive recommended health services than patients using a private provider. The study also concluded that VA patients consistently receive better care across the board, including screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Additionally, VA's Medical and Prosthetics Research Program has led to substantial advances in prosthetics, traumatic injury, post traumatic stress disorder, as well as many other areas that have helped our veterans over the years. This research has also led to discoveries in medicine that effect both veterans and the general population, such as cancer, aging, mental illness, and heart disease. In fact, past VA research projects have resulted in the first successful kidney transplant performed in the U.S., as well as the development of the cardiac pacemaker, a vaccine for hepatitis, and the CAT and MRI scans. Another function of VA is overseeing our National Cemetery System. VA has helped create and manage a network of Federal and State cemeteries that provides deceased veterans with a respectful and peaceful final resting place. The far-reaching accomplishments that I briefly highlighted are just a few cornerstones of the Department's legacy. With the current military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we appreciate even more the quality work that VA does for our veterans. And the current operations should also be a reminder to VA and Congress of the burdens our veterans face because of their sacrifices to protect our freedoms and liberties. I am extremely proud of the work VA has done, and I hope that through greater cooperation between Congress and the administration, we can expand upon VA's legacy and address the current needs of our veterans. I must also highlight the dedication of the staff that has worked at VA over the years. An agency as massive as VA would cease to function without quality leadership and staff. Many of VA's staff have a deep and passionate commitment to providing quality health care and benefits for our veterans. Our Nation's veterans and servicemembers deserve nothing less than top quality health care and benefits. I am sure that Congress and VA can work together to fulfill this obligation. Once again, I congratulate VA on 75 years of service to our veterans.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I thank my friend from Iowa, Senator Harkin, for sponsoring a resolution recounting the history and accomplishments under this landmark act for countless individuals in the United States. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this resolution. The enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, on July 26, 1990, was a milestone and continues to serve the more than 54 million individuals with disabilities in our country today. These individuals are now able to better participate in society thanks to the removal of barriers in areas such as employment, transportation, public services, telecommunications, and public accommodations under the ADA. Prior to the passage of the act, it was much more common for disabled Americans to encounter prejudice, discrimination, and physical exclusion in their everyday lives. The Americans with Disabilities Act marks the culmination of a civil rights movement that keeps faith with the spirit of our forefathers, who believed in the unalienable rights of all individuals. Under the ADA, my home State has become a leader in providing new and updated facilities for individuals with disabilities. An estimated 148,000 people in Hawaii are living with a disability, and an estimated 22,000 people have difficulty performing self-care activities, such as dressing, bathing, or mobility inside the home according to the 2003 American Community Survey. Since the passage of the ADA, Hawaii has modified more than 5,000 curb ramps and built 3,000 new curb ramps for better accessibility throughout the State. No one should be denied access to buses, sidewalks, or parks, and I am pleased to say that Hawaii is one of the leaders in ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in society. By next year, Hawaii's public sector will be almost 100-percent accessible and, as of today, 70 percent of the private sector has addressed or is addressing the needs of the disabled, according to a nationally recognized ADA consultant. I join the more than 40 million disabled Americans who have been helped by the ADA in saying mahalo to those who championed this historic piece of legislation. In particular, the tireless efforts of Justin Dart, Jr. His courage and dedication as a disability rights advocate is exemplary in protecting the civil rights of disabled Americans. Mr. Dart has inspired future generations of disabled Americans to reach their full potential as active and engaged members of society. The work of my fellow Senators Harkin and Kennedy in the Senate, as well as Representative Hoyer in the House, must also be recognized in addition to everyone else who pushed for this legislation. It was my great privilege to vote in favor of the conference report when it passed in the Senate on July 13, 1990. Our collaborative work in Congress to push the ADA through to passage showed a strong commitment to civil rights and equality. Millions of Americans are forever grateful for the chance they now have to live a better life.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, the Department of Veterans Affairs is to be applauded for facilitating a conference on the role of medical foster homes. The conference is titled: ``Medical Foster Home: A New Choice for Long-Term Care.'' The conference kicks of tomorrow in Little Rock, AR. I also want to applaud the conference participants for taking time to attend the conference. We truly must be open to new ideas about how VA can care for veterans in need of long-term care. In my view, medical foster homes are an important part of the equation. We know that today VA is facing tremendous demand for long-term care. In the years ahead, demand will explode. Yet the President's budget includes significant cuts to long-term care programs. The goal seems to reduce VA's workload and shift the burden elsewhere. But where are veterans to go? Should VA be cutting back at a time when demand is growing? Should these cuts target needed nursing home and state home beds? According to the President's budget proposal, the answer is yes. There is another side to this story: there are places on the VA landscape where some truly wonderful things are happening to keep veterans well cared for and in the setting of their choice. Good programs must be fostered. Indeed, there are VA clinicians who, in grappling with the demand, have not waited but have found some innovative solutions. I am always deeply gratified by the level of dedication and innovation of VA employees, and I salute those who have moved forward. One such good program is the medical foster home program in Arkansas. In 2002, Tom McClure testified before the Senate VA Committee about the foster home program. I know that all the Members of the Committee were amazed at the success of the program--despite some of the snags he has faced along the way. Nearly 3 years later, it seems VA is finally ready to advance the concept. For my part, I recently introduced legislation to develop a medical foster home program on the Island of Oahu in Hawaii. While we have a wonderful VA nursing home--the Center on Aging, it only has 60 beds. Unfortunately, community nursing homes have few beds, as well. So, it is absolutely critical that Hawaii's veterans be provided with needed long-term care. More and more veterans are seeking alternatives to nursing homes. They want to remain in the community. With the right kind of support and care from VA, they are able to do so--even with chronic and debilitating conditions. I do want to say that for many veterans, however, non-institutional options will not work; and because of this Congress is on record stating that VA must have sufficient nursing home capacity. It is vital that VA's role as a model for long-term care be recognized and rewarded, because we will have enormous problems with demand for this care in the years ahead. The only entity of any scope, size, or capacity that is dealing with how to meet the needs of an older population is VA. This role of VA must be highlighted and supported.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent Eileen Gross, my legislative fellow, be allowed floor privileges for the remainder of the debate on this bill.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006. Under the leadership of Chairman Warner and Senator Levin, the ranking member, who have continued their tradition of strong and bipartisan leadership, the Senate Armed Services Committee was able to produce a very workable piece of bipartisan legislation. I would also like to thank my friend, colleague, and subcommittee chairman, Senator Ensign, for his cooperation and leadership throughout the process this year. I think the bill before us goes a long way to supporting the needs of our service men and women. In addition to highlighting some positive areas the committee focused on, I do want to highlight a few concerns. First, I am pleased that an additional $50 billion has been authorized for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the first few months of fiscal year 2006. I am disappointed that the administration's request did not include any funding to support our troops in their ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for 2006, and that they have not yet done enough to provide the needed accountability for how funds in Iraq and Afghanistan have been used so far. I think Congress has done the right thing by taking the initiative to provide funding now for these ongoing operations, rather than making the Army and the other services absorb these enormous expenses until next spring. It is imperative that we include an authorization of additional funding in this bill. But in the long term, we cannot continue to rely on supplemental funding. The President should start submitting budgets that recognize these enormous costs. The continued use of emergency authorizations to fund the global war on terrorism, and the administration's continued failure to include the true cost of the war in the annual authorization request are bad for our military and are bad fiscal policy. For this reason, in the fiscal year 2005 emergency supplemental, we requested that the Secretary of Defense provide a report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate, and the congressional Defense Committees that identifies such things as security, economic, and Iraqi security force training performance standards and goals. The report must also include an assessment of US. military requirements, including planned force rotations, through the end of calendar year 2006. Once the process needed to identify these requirements has been established, it should be possible for the Department of Defense to be able to identify funds needed for the global war on terrorism, and these costs should be able to be included in the fiscal year 2007 President's budget in February. On the positive side, I am extremely pleased with the provisions supporting the compensation and quality of life for the men and women in uniform. The budget includes funding for child care of military families and for increased death gratuity to service members' survivors as well as increased service members' group life insurance. But these increases do not go far enough to improve the quality of life for our members of the military. The budget request did not include funding for the Citizen-Soldier Support Program, which improves and augments family readiness programs for families of the Reserve and Guard. The committee recommends an increase in operations and maintenance, O&M, funds to expand the services of this program. The budget did not include funding for the Parents as Teachers Program. The committee believes this program can provide a valuable service to military families by providing instructional assistance to parents of preschool children. In the O&M accounts, the Readiness Subcommittee did our best to support the readiness of our forces. Part of ensuring readiness is funding it. As then-Secretary of the Navy Gordon England wrote to our committee earlier this year: Readiness is a direct function of Operation and Maintenance dollars available. Under-funding O&M adversely affects readiness. I am encouraged by the support for O&M funding in this bill, because that translates directly into support for our men and women in uniform. The subcommittee also took actions designed to improve the Army's training and get them to produce a strategy for both training and for the basing of their forces as they convert to a modular brigade format. I am pleased about our continued support for military construction and family housing needs that are so critical to quality of life for our service men and women. I also support many of the provisions we have included that will further improve the management of the Department. I particularly appreciate the bipartisan effort that the committee made to address a wide range of procurement issues, environmental issues, and some longstanding DOD financial management problems. I share with the committee a great concern over the impact of the global war on terrorism on recruitment and retention. In order to address this impact, the committee has recommended the payment of an incentive bonus not to exceed $2,500 to military members of the Active and Reserve components who transfer from the Regular or Reserve component of one service to the Regular or Reserve component of another service. The committee also recommends increasing the amount of selective reenlistment bonus for certain enlisted personnel and a retention incentive bonus for members of the selected Reserve qualified in a critical military skill or specialty. With regard to the end strength of the services, the committee recommends increases for the Army and the Marine Corps. As the conflict continues in Iraq, the Army and the Marine Corps are suffering the greatest impact of prolonged tours of duty as well as multiple tours of duty. By increasing the end strength, the committee believes that the use of the stop-loss practice will be significantly reduced. While we are already seeing a reduction in recruitment numbers, these increases are meant to alleviate some of the strain currently placed on the service members deployed in the global war on terrorism. Mr. President, this bill will provide needed funding for our service men and women and the future of our national defense. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield back my time.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, for the past 6 years, I have worked with my colleagues in Hawaii's congressional delegation to enact legislation to extend the Federal policy of self-governance and self-determination to Native Hawaiians. On July 12, 2005, The New York Times published an editorial piece that captures the essence of what we have been trying to do for the people of Hawaii. Our bill, S. 147, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, provides a process for Native Hawaiians to reorganize their governing entity for the purposes of a federally recognized government- to-government relationship with the United States. Following recognition, the bill provides for a negotiations process between the governing entity and the State and Federal governments to determine how the Native Hawaiian governing entity will exercise its governmental authority. The negotiations process is intended to represent all interested parties through the State, Federal and native governments; and provides the structure that has been missing since 1893 for Hawaii's people to address the longstanding issue resulting from the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. This bill provides the people of Hawaii with an opportunity for reconciliation and healing so that we can move forward as a State. Opponents of the legislation have characterized its effect as divisive. The purpose of my bill, however, is to bring unity in the State by providing an inclusive process for all of us, Native Hawaiian and non-Native Hawaiian, to finally address the consequences of our painful history. Lawrence Downes, The New York Times editorial writer who authored the article, captured this in his piece. I ask unanimous consent that the article entitled, ``In Hawaii, A Chance to Heal, Long Delayed,'' be printed in today's Record in its entirety.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to speak briefly on my first responder amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bill. The distinguished chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee has cited $7 billion in unspent first responder grants as justification for reducing first responder funding in fiscal year 2006. I wish to take a moment to respond to the statement. First, much of the $7 billion figure has been legally obligated for specific purposes or in some cases even already spent. As the DHS inspector general observed in a March 2004 report on the distribution of first responder grants, the amount of funds drawn down by States provide an incomplete picture of the progress States and local jurisdictions are making. A more accurate way to monitor progress would be to identify the amount of funds obligated and spent by the State and local jurisdictions. Following this approach and looking at data received from DHS, virtually all the money that has been awarded to States in prior years under the three main homeland security first responder grant programs has been obligated. Second, the $7 billion includes fiscal year 2005 grant funds which were only made available to States by DHS very recently and could not reasonably be expected to have already been spent in the middle of the same fiscal year. We should not punish first responders for bureaucratic procedures and redtape. Our country cannot afford to take resources away from its first responders at a time when we rely on them more than ever. Mr. President, I urge support of our amendment. I have asked for the yeas and nays. I yield back my time.

Mr. AKAKA. I thank the Chair. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Sarbanes be added as a cosponsor to my amendment.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, in accordance with section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, I move to waive the applicable sections of that act for purposes of the pending amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, we have been very concerned about first responders and funding they really need. My amendment simply seeks to maintain the fiscal year 2005 funding for first responders. Our country cannot afford to take the resources away from them. I urge support of the amendment.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I reply to the chairman it does not affect the content of the amendment. I ask unanimous consent to modify my amendment.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. We all understand the importance of language education and cultural understanding in this country; we just need to figure out how we make it happen. I am confident the National Foreign Language Coordination Council will provide the needed leadership and coordination to reach our goal.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the foreign language needs of the country, a problem that is receiving renewed public attention because of the ongoing war in Iraq and the impact the lack of language expertise is having on our foreign policy. As John Limbert, president of the American Foreign Service Association, was quoted in the Federal Times last month, the shortage of linguists ``makes our mission of representing the American people that much harder.'' Frankly, I agree with Mr. Limbert. The stability and economic vitality of the United States and our national security depend on American citizens who are knowledgeable about the world. We need civil servants, area experts, diplomats, business people, educators, and other public officials with the ability to communicate at an advanced level in the languages and understand the cultures of the people with whom they interact. An ongoing commitment to maintaining these relationships and language expertise helps prevent a crisis from occurring and provides diplomatic and language resources when needed. My own State of Hawaii is a leader in promoting language education and cultural sensitivity. As a gateway to Asian and Pacific nations, we in Hawaii understand the importance of knowing other languages and cultures, which help to develop strong relationships with other people. For example, according to the 2000 Census, more than 300,000 people in Hawaii, or about 27 percent of those 5 years and older, spoke a language other than English at home. This is compared to about 18 percent nationwide. In addition, the University of Hawaii is a leader in teaching Korean and is the host of one of two National Korean Flagship Programs established by the National Security Education Program. Hawaii is also host to the internationally recognized East- West Center, an education and research organization established in Hawaii by Congress in 1960, which is a leader in promoting and strengthening relations between the United States and the countries of the Asia Pacific region. In 2000 the Senate Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation, and Federal Services, then chaired by Senator Cochran, held a hearing on the foreign language needs of the Federal Government. At that hearing Ellen Laipson, vice chairman of the National Intelligence Council, testified as to the language shortfalls in the intelligence community and how these shortfalls could impact agency missions, especially in emergency situations. For example, a lack of language skills limits analysts' insight into a foreign culture which restricts their ability to anticipate political instability and warn policymakers about a potential trouble spot. In addition, Ms. Laipson testified that thousands of technical papers providing details on foreign research and development in scientific or technical areas were not being translated because of the lack of personnel to interpret the material, which could lead to the possibility of ``a technological surprise.'' Understanding the importance of improving our language capabilities, I introduced with Senators Durbin and Thompson the Homeland Security Education Act and the Homeland Security Federal Workforce Act. Our bills proposed a comprehensive strategy to improve language education, as well as science and math education, at the elementary, high school, and college levels and to provide incentives for individuals possessing such skills as a result of these programs to enter Federal service in critical national security positions. The Senate passed the Homeland Security Federal Workforce Act on November 5, 2003, and provisions of the bill were included in the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. In addition, I successfully added an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2005 requiring the Department of Defense to report on how it will address its language shortfalls in both the short and long term. Earlier this year, the Department issued its Defense Language Transformation Roadmap which lays out an ambitious plan for improving the language education of its employees. While Congress has adopted several provisions to improve language education, including some that I have proposed, it has not been easy to gain a wider acceptance of this need. It has been said that the events of September 11, 2001, were a modern day Sputnik moment, demonstrating that shortages of critical skills can have dire national security consequences. While Sputnik pointed out the importance of science and math education, September 11th reminded us that language skills and cultural awareness are essential for improving relations with the international community and strengthening our national security. However, nearly 4 years after that terrible day, we are still without sufficient language skills. We still have not learned the lesson that the Soviet launch of Sputnik taught us in 1958: investment in education is just as important to our national security as investing in weapons systems. As such, we need sustained leadership and a coordinated plan of action to address this on-going problem and to ensure that this Nation never falls short in its language capabilities again or fails to communicate effectively with our neighbors around the world. That is why I have introduced the National Foreign Language Coordination Act with Senators Dodd and Cochran. Our legislation, S. 1089, is designed to provide the needed leadership and coordination of language education. Primarily, the legislation creates a National Foreign Language Coordination Council which is composed of the secretaries of various executive branch agencies and chaired by a national language director. The national language director would be appointed by the President and is to be a nationally recognized individual with credentials and abilities necessary to create and implement long-term solutions to achieving national foreign language and cultural competency. By having the key players of the executive branch on the Council, I hope that each agency will come away with an understanding of what their role is, how they can reach out to their stakeholders for input, and become engaged in addressing this problem. The Council would be charged with developing and overseeing the implementation of a national language strategy. In particular, the Council would identify priorities, increase public awareness, advocate needed resources, and coordinate efforts within the Federal Government to ensure that we are meeting our goal of improved language education and cultural understanding. As former Senator and 9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey recently said, ``Someone in the executive branch has got to say, `Here's where we are today, here's where we want to be in five years, and here's what it's going to take to get there.' '' The National Foreign Language Coordination Act will do just that. There have been several articles issued recently that have highlighted the need for more language training and the need for leadership in this area. I ask that the following articles be printed in the Record: Tichakorn Hill, Does Anyone Here Speak Arabic? ( or Farsi, or Pashto?) The Government's Push to Close the Language Gap, Federal Times, June 20, 2005. John Diamond, Terror War Still Short on Linguists, USA Today, June 20, 2005. John Diamond, Muslim World Isn't Big with U.S. Students, USA Today, June 19, 2005.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendments be dispensed with.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to offer an amendment to the fiscal year 2006 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act to ensure that the men and women on the frontlines of a terrorist attack on the United States are not unduly jeopardized by budget cuts. I am joined by my colleagues, Senators Lieberman, Harkin, Obama, Murray, Corzine, Lautenberg, Bingaman, Durbin, and Schumer. Our amendment is simple. It would restore first responder funding to fiscal year 2005 levels. Last week, the world witnessed a horrific attack on the United Kingdom. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to the people who have been affected by this atrocity. As we reflect on this tragedy, we should remember the images of police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel who ran into the underground tunnels and streets as others were evacuated. These images are a reminder that we should not abandon America's first responders by cutting their funding. The Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee had a difficult job this year, and I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member for their hard work. However, I disagree with their choice to reduce first responder funding below fiscal year 2005 appropriated levels and in one case even below the President's fiscal year 2006 budget request. Our amendment would restore funding by adding a total of $587 million to the Homeland Security First Responder Grant Program. The majority, $467 million, would go to State and local grants which include the State Homeland Security Grant Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative. It would also direct $20 million to the Metropolitan Medical Response System and $10 million to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, commonly known as the FIRE Act grants. Our amendment does not address the other first responder grant programs that are funded at or above last year's level. Let me be clear, Mr. President. This amendment does not seek to increase funding over what has already been spent in fiscal year 2005. We simply are seeking to prevent a reduction in appropriations for first responder grants. This country cannot afford to take resources away from its first responders at a time when we rely on them now more than ever. In 2003, an independent task force sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations estimated that Federal funding for first responders would fall $98.4 billion short of actual needs between 2004 and 2008. And that figure was based on fiscal year 2004 funding levels remaining constant. If Congress approves the level of funding proposed in the Senate version of H.R. 2360, Federal funding will have decreased by over $592 million from the fiscal year 2004 numbers the CFR task force used for their calculations. The First Response Coalition, a nonprofit organization, reworked CFR calculations using the President's fiscal year 2006 budget proposal and found the gap would grow to $100.2 billion. The President's budget proposal allocates more funding to first responders than the bill we are considering today. In my home State of Hawaii, this discrepancy between needs and funding will be acutely felt as State emergency responders must be self-sufficient because there are no neighboring States to rely upon for assistance. Hawaii State civil defense must assume that aid from the mainland will not arrive for at least 72 hours and, in some cases, such as during a hurricane, for 7 days. In addition, the State is responsible for not only protecting its own citizens but also the approximately 1.4 million tourists and U.S. servicemembers who are in Hawaii on any given day. The Federal Government is increasingly asking States and localities to bear more of the brunt of the war on terror. We ask our first responders to run into a burning building not knowing whether they will find a small fire or a lethal chemical agent. We ask them to understand and execute on a moment's notice the different response protocols for a radiological, biological or chemical attack. We ask this of our first responders, in addition to carrying out their traditional responsibilities. With all we ask of our first responders, it is not too much for them to ask us for a constant level of support and funding. Last month, I joined with Senators Collins, Lieberman, and Levin to introduce the Interoperable Communications for First Responders Act which would create a grant program dedicated to interoperability funding. We were forced to do this because there has not been enough funding in the existing first responder programs to meet the country's considerable interoperable communication needs. How can we justify cutting the funding even more? This is not a fiscally irresponsible amendment. I am not proposing an increase in spending, simply a restoration of last year's funding. Much progress has been made since the tragic attacks of September 11. We should not undo this progress. We must build upon it. I ask my colleagues to consider carefully the needs of the first responders in their communities, and I urge support for this important amendment. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators Dayton and Salazar be added as cosponsors to my amendment.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I ask that the pending amendment be set aside. Mr. President, I call up amendments Nos. 1112 and 1113 and ask for their consideration.