Daniel Akaka

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, on the occasion to mark his completion of his service as an Air Force Fellow here in the United States Senate and subsequent transfer to the Pentagon, I wish to recognize Maj. Matt C. Hasson for his outstanding service to our country. In his 2012 assignment as an Air Force Fellow, he served as a member of my staff. Major Hasson was born in Camden, NJ. He graduated from Greenway High School in Phoenix, AZ, in 1990. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in politics from Arizona State University and a master's degree in mass communications from San Diego State University. He is also a graduate of Air Command and Staff College, Squadron Officers School, and the Air Force Legislative Fellows program. Major Hasson has vast experience in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific region as well as a tour in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. In 1992, Major Hasson enlisted in the Air Force and completed basic training at Lackland AFB, TX. During his 6-year enlisted tour, he served as a firefighter at March AFB, CA and Charleston AFB, SC. Following completion of the Air Force ROTC program at San Diego State University, Major Hasson received his commission in 2000. From there, Major Hasson was assigned as the deputy chief for public affairs at Whiteman AFB, MO. Following his outstanding service at Whiteman AFB, he was promoted to chief of public affairs and reassigned to Fairchild AFB, WA. From there, the Air Force decided to send him to San Diego State University for an advanced degree. After attaining his graduate degree, Major Hasson received an assignment as chief of executive outreach at U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, FL. Major Hasson was there at a crucial juncture for the leaders at CENTCOM and did an outstanding job. He also served on several overseas deployments. Following his assignment at CENTCOM, Major Hasson was sent to U.S. Pacific Command, in my home state of Hawaii. He was named the chief of new media for the command. Major Hasson thrived in his job as well as a member of the greater community in Hawaii. I was thrilled when I found out that he was assigned to my staff here in Washington, DC. In 2012, Major Hasson was competitively selected to serve as an Air Force legislative fellow, and served in my Washington, DC office. He worked primarily on defense and veterans issues and made outstanding contributions in helping with my work on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Senate Armed Services Committee. His knowledge and work ethic were invaluable for me and my staff. While he primarily worked national security and veterans issues, Major Hasson also volunteered to do work in other areas including banking and health. Matt has proven himself as an outstanding officer and leader. My office was better off for his efforts and I was happy that he was assigned to my office. Mahalo nui loa for his service. I wish him continued success in his career and a hui hou.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as I reflect back on my 36 years of service in Congress and the Senate, I realize how fortunate I was to be mostly healthy. As we age, we pay more attention to our health. The challenge is how to maintain good health. It was after I was struck in the shin by a stray golf ball on a Virginia course that I met a Chinese Grandmaster who introduced me to an ancient Chinese methodology for maintaining good health. This methodology was developed and tested over thousands of years--it was the ancient practice of natural healing using Qi Gong. Grandmaster Hong Liu was born in Shanghai, China. His Mother was the director of medical care and hospitals in Shanghai. As a result of being raised in a health-oriented environment, he enrolled in the Military Medical College to become a doctor of Western medicine. His home was always filled with visitors from the health industry, doctors, and even healers who practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM as it is popularly known today. Whenever the Qi Gong masters visited his Mother, crowds of sick people would gather seeking treatment. He would watch intently as these people were treated by those masters. Grandmaster Hong became interested in one of the healers who lived outside of Canton high up on a mountain in a cave, Master Kwan. During the time of the Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao's wife banned all ancient medical traditions--healers escaped imprisonment by living in remote caves in high mountains outside the cities. This interest in ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine conflicted with his role as an army officer practicing in a military hospital. All doctors were scheduled for duty in the hospitals and were expected to perform routine duties. His days were scheduled with long hours of patient care leaving very little spare time. Medical doctors who did not perform their duties and who did not work diligently were reprimanded and sometimes demoted. For 8 years, he spent all of his spare time studying Qi Gong and traditional Chinese medicine under Master Kwan. This meant taking the train to Canton and then traveling many miles outside the City to a mountain called Golden Cock to get to Master Kwan's cave. Grandmaster Hong or Master Hong became an apprentice of Master Kwan and then became a Qi Gong Master in 1979. Grandmaster Hong came to the United States in 1990 and has practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine. Getting back to that golfing incident, I did not worry much about the golf injury after icing it because it seemed to have healed. It was not until a week later when I flew back to Hawaii and was at my physician's office for a regular checkup that it was discovered the inside of the wound had not healed and was infected. My physician prescribed treatment for the infection, but a family friend asked if I would consider additional treatment in complement with my physician's medical care. This was my introduction to natural healing and to Grandmaster Hong Liu, we call him Master Hong, who is a Grandmaster of Natural Healing, which includes Feng Shui, herbs, exercise, martial arts and nutrition. This introduction was the start of a remarkable journey for me into the world of natural healing using proper breathing, movement through exercise, and nutrition to nourish and heal. This natural healing method seemed too simple, but what I learned over time was that illness occurs when the natural flow or circulation of the energy canals or pathways in our body are blocked, but this can be remedied again with proper breathing, exercise, and eating nutritionally. Injuries to the body are remedied in the same manner with the addition of herbs. The Qi of Qi Gong is that natural energy that runs through those canals in our body like blood flows through veins. That energy is what keeps us living, and if that Qi is circulating property or flowing freely, then we are healthy. The simple ``science'' of Natural Healing is viewed as an approach to remove the blockages that occur when the energy does not flow freely and balance the internal organ energy. The ultimate goal in Traditional Chinese Medicine is balance--the body should be balanced naturally--seems simple. Master Hong has not only been good to me--he is good to the people of Hawaii. He has held free seminars and events. His foundation holds free, weekly senior programs because he recognized the demographics of the aging population, its rapid growth globally, and the issues with affordable healthcare. He developed and offers a weekly self-healing program for seniors that includes exercises and nutritional information for them to get healthy and stay healthy. For the past 9 years, he's given immunity events to the community. People attend these events to get free patches to help boost their immunity systems. The immunity events are held on the hottest and the coldest days of the year because those are the most potent days for the effectiveness of those patches. The events originally started out as asthma events since Hawaii has had 30 years of volcanic activity which affected the respiratory systems of many Islanders. Those asthma events evolved into the bigger bottom line picture or the source of the problem which is the immunity system. Master Hong is the founder of the Natural Healing Research Foundation in Hawaii. The foundation is his basis for advancing remedies for the major diseases affecting humanity by promoting the time honored natural healing practices of Eastern medicine in complement with Western medicine to attain that goal. The marvel of the remedies of natural healing is that it offers simple yet effective healing programs that work with conventional practices and have no side effects. The foundation reaches out to the community providing information and training in disease prevention and offering proactive solutions to maintain optimal health. Master Hong was proclaimed a ``Living Treasure'' not only in his homeland of China but also in the State of Hawaii because of his research of various diseases, cancer, drug addictions, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease to name a few, and his devotion to teaching preventive health care. He has also authored ``The Healing Art of Qi Gong'' by Warner Books. The basic simpleness of all of this knowledge is that this energy is all around us, but you need to work at keeping the movement of this energy moving or circulating in order to be healthy and balanced. I learned that foods of a certain color were specific to different organs. Foods white in color, mushrooms, ginger, garlic are for the lungs and skin, while foods that are black in color, black beans, black sesame, seaweed, are for the kidneys. There is so much that I have learned from Grandmaster Hong Liu, and there is more learning to be done when I get back to Hawaii. What I do know is that the Traditional Chinese Healing methods he used in complement with my regular physician improved my health. I will continue to learn from this Grandmaster, and I continue to be grateful for my health and wellbeing. It has been about 8 years of learning and exercising and eating right for me, but in that time I have seen an industry boom in natural health care and products--what a coincidence. All of this makes me more aware of how fortunate and timely my meeting Grandmaster Hong Liu was to promote the balance and wellbeing in my life. Thank you, Grandmaster Hong for what you have done not only for me but for the people of Hawaii.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 75th anniversary of the opening of a historic and famously popular Manhattan attraction--the Hawaiian Room at the Hotel Lexington in New York City. Throughout its 30 years of quality cultural performances, its authentic and captivating shows were widely praised for giving audiences not only an exotic, entertaining experience, but also a raved off-Broadway production, not to be missed. In the 1930s, the newly built Hotel Lexington at 48th and Lexington in New York City was an impressive hotel and with prestige and grandeur. At the cost of $5 million to build in 1929, the iconic hotel became an instant favorite for global leaders, celebrities, business executives, and some of America's most famous sports icons including Joe DiMaggio, who famously lived in a penthouse suite during his whole career playing for the Yankees. The manager was Charles Rochester, and in the late 1930s, he decided to open a Hawaiian-themed room in a large unused area of the hotel to try and attract new uppercrust business to his establishment to help with ``the bottom line.'' At the time, Hawaiian and Polynesian cultures were growing in popularity and interest across the country. However, the creation of the Hawaiian Room was still a bold move not only because of the Great Depression, but also an increasingly complicated global scene as world conflicts were escalating in both Asia and Europe. Nevertheless, on June 23, 1937, the Hawaiian Room opened its doors for the first time. The Hawaiian Room found success for an unprecedented 30 years straight in its presentation of Hawaiian culture and aloha, with the unique music and indigenous hula as its foundation. The room became a gathering place for many with Hawaii ties to share the knowledge and influence of the Hawaiian culture throughout the East Coast and the world. The venue became ``the place to be'' for celebrities in New York City, and it was the people who worked in the Hawaiian Room who made it such a success. Because of their talents, island ways, and authentic aloha many were able to enjoy a piece of Hawaii, even if they were on another ``island'' 5,000 miles away. Recently, I was fortunate to meet with some of the gracious ladies who performed at the Hawaiian Room so many years ago. Their stories and spirit of aloha embody the qualities that made the Hawaiian Room so great for so many years. I would like to commend TeMoana Makolo, Hula Preservation Society, and the dozens of Hawaiian Room members who worked in the room during its 1937-1966 run for their partnership and efforts in creating the Hawaii Room Archive to perpetuate this great piece of Hawaii's history. The oldest living former Hawaiian Room member is Tutasi Wilson at 98 years old, who was a featured dancer at the Hawaiian Room in the 1940s and 1950s. Living members include Leonani Akau, Pua Amoy, Leilehua Becker, Iwalani Carino, Martha Carrell, Loma Duke, Wailani Gomes, Mamo Gomez, Mealii Horio, Mona Joy, Leialoha Kaleikini, Leialoha Kane, Manu Kanemura, Ed Kenney, Nona Kramer, Nani Krisel, TeMoana Makolo, Tautaise Manicas, Torea Ortiz, Olan Peltier, Vicky Racimo, Io Ramirez, Alii Noa Silva, Kaui Virgeniza, Tutasi Wilson, and Janet Yokooji. Each has personally contributed to development of the first Hawaiian Room Archive by contributing their stories and personal photos to this new educational resource. Many other esteemed Hawaiian Room members have passed on, including Alfred Apaka, Aggie Auld, Keola Beamer, Mapuana Bishaw, Eddie Bush, Johnny Coco, Leilani DaSilva, Ehulani Enoka, Leila Guerrero, Ululani Holt, Meymo Holt, Keokeokalae Hughes, Clara Inter ``Hilo Hattie,'' Andy Iona, Alvin Isaacs, Momi Kai, George Kainapau, Sonny Kalolo, David Kaonohi, Nani Kaonohi, Ray Kinney, Kui Lee, Sam & Betty Makia, Lani & Alfred McIntire, Pualani Mossman, Tootsie Notley, Lehua Paulson, Telana Peltier, Luana Poepoe, Dennie Regor, and Jennie Napua Woodd. All were legendary talents in their own right, and also contributed to making the Hawaiian Room the success it was. Although the Hawaiian Room was in New York, it played an ever important role in the spread of Hawaiian culture across the continental United States, as well as the development of Hawaii's major industry-- tourism. The nightly exposure of business executives, celebrities, and New York's working men and women to the Hawaiian songs, sceneries, and hula at Lexington Hotel was sure to have put dreams of a Hawaii vacation in the minds of more than a few over the years.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. I yield the floor, Mr. President.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise to welcome Hawaii's new Senator, Brian Schatz. Brian is a leader for Hawaii's present and for our future and I welcome him with much aloha pumehana, which means warm love. I also welcome and congratulate Senator Schatz's wife Linda; their children, Tyler and Mia; his twin brother, and Senator Schatz's proud parents, Dr. Irwin and Mrs. Barbara Schatz. Senator Schatz arrives in Washington during a sad time as we continue to mourn the loss of our champion, Senator Dan Inouye. Dan Inouye will always be a legend in Hawaii. He will never be replaced. At Dan Inouye's memorial service in Honolulu this past weekend, I was reminded of how many people he touched in Hawaii and across the country. We must honor his legacy by working together for the people of Hawaii. I thank Brian for volunteering for this incredible responsibility. He only learned of his appointment yesterday and did not have any time to spare, so he hopped on Air Force One and flew straight to Washington to be sworn in today. We need him here now because we are facing a major challenge, one that regrettably has been created by Congress in our own inability to thus far compromise. The looming spending cuts and tax increases known as the fiscal cliff must be fixed within the next 5 days. Mahalo--thank you--Brian, for accepting this challenge. I am here to help Senator Schatz in any way I can. While there are other talented leaders in Hawaii who stepped forward and who would also have been excellent appointees, I know my colleagues will join me in supporting Senator Brian Schatz for the good of Hawaii. Throughout my 36-year career in Congress, the Hawaii delegation has always been unified. We have always put Hawaii first before our individual ambition. We must continue that. Hawaii comes first. I have followed Brian Schatz's career for many years. He was an active member of the Hawaii State House of Representatives for 8 years before becoming the CEO of Helping Hands Hawaii, a nonprofit organization that provides human services in the islands. As Lieutenant Governor, he has been a big part of our community. He has been an outspoken supporter of our troops and veterans and defender of our environment. Senator Schatz will be a strong progressive voice for Hawaii in the Senate. He will advance freedom and equality. He will be a strong voice on climate change, expanding clean renewable energy, and protecting our precious natural resources. He will defend our Native Hawaiians and all our Nation's first people--those Americans who exercised sovereignty on lands that later became part of the United States. He will uphold the values and priorities of our unique State. I say to my friend, the new junior Senator from Hawaii, never forget that he is here with the solemn responsibility to do everything he can to represent the people of Hawaii, to make sure their needs are addressed in every policy discussion, and to speak up and seek justice for those who cannot help themselves. God bless you, Senator Schatz. God bless Hawaii. God bless the United States of America.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise as my friend, my colleague, my brother, Danny Inouye lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda just a few yards from where I stand now. In life, he received our Nation's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor. Today he is receiving a tribute reserved for just a handful of American heroes such as Abraham Lincoln. I come to the floor to speak about an important piece of legislation I developed and worked with Dan Inouye on for over 12 years. Today, in Senator Dan Inouye's honor, for all the people of Hawaii, I am asking the Senate to pass the Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act. Dan and I developed our bill to create a process that could address the many issues that continue to persist as a result of the legal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893. As you know, Dan Inouye was a champion for Hawaii and worked every day of his honorable life to solve problems and help our island State. Dan also served on the Indian Affairs Committee for over 30 years and chaired it twice. He was an unwavering advocate for the United States' government-to-government relationships with native nations. He constantly reminded our colleagues in the Senate about our Nation's trust responsibilities and our treaty obligations to America's first peoples. Dan believed that through self-determination and self-governance, these communities could thrive and contribute to the greatness of the United States. When asked how long the United States would have a trust responsibility to native communities, he would quote the treaties between the United States and native nations, which promised care and support as long as the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Dan Inouye's sheer determination to improve the lives of this country's indigenous peoples and make good on the promises America made to them led him to introduce more than 100 pieces of legislation on behalf of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Senator Dan Inouye secured passage of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act, the Native Hawaiian Education Act, the Hawaiian Home Lands Recovery Act, and the Native Hawaiian Homeownership Opportunity Act. He was instrumental in helping me to enact the apology resolution to the Native Hawaiian people for the suppression of their right of self- determination. It was enacted on the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. In 1999, Dan and I worked together to develop the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act to give parity to Native Hawaiians. For over 12 years now, we worked together to pass the bill to ensure that Native Hawaiians have the same rights as other native peoples, and an opportunity to engage in the same government-to-government relationship the United States has already granted to over 560 native nations throughout this country, across the continental United States, and in Alaska, but not yet in Hawaii. Over the years, people have mischaracterized the intent and effect of our bill, so let me be plain. For me, as I know it was for Dan, this bill is about simple justice, fairness in Federal policy, and being a Nation that acknowledges that while we cannot undo history, we can right past wrongs and move forward. To us, this bill represented what is ``pono'' in Hawaii, what is just and right. Our bill is supported by President Barack Obama and the U.S. Departments of Justice and Interior. It has the strong support of Hawaii's Governor, the State legislature, and a large majority of the people of Hawaii. Our bill has the endorsement of the American Bar Association, the National Congress of American Indians, the Alaska Federation of Natives, and groups throughout the Native Hawaiian community. As a Senator and senior statesman, Senator Dan Inouye advocated that Congress do its job and legislate where native communities were concerned. Dan Inouye believed that a promise made should be a promise kept. In the days since my dear friend Dan's passing, there has been a tremendous outpouring of love from Hawaii and every other State in the Union. Native American communities across the country are mourning the loss and paying tribute to their great champion. Dan Inouye's absence will be felt in this Chamber and the Nation for many years to come. May his legacy live on for generations of Native Americans and inspire all Americans to always strive toward justice and reconciliation. I urge my colleagues to pass the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act in the memory of Senator Daniel K. Inouye and his desire to provide parity to the Native Hawaiian people he loved so much. To Dan, I say: Aloha 'oe and a hui hou, my brother. Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

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

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, it is very difficult for me to rise today-- with a heavy heart--to bid aloha to my good friend, colleague, and brother Dan Inouye. It is hard for me to believe that the terrible news I just received is true. Senator Inouye was a true patriot and an American hero in every sense, and he is at this time in Hawaii the greatest leader. He served his country as a soldier, receiving the highest honor our Nation can bestow. When we think of how he began to serve his Nation, it is difficult to believe the difficulty we had in Hawaii as Japanese Americans. To be a part of our Nation's military--we were denied. We were considered aliens of this country. But he was one of those who wanted to serve their country, and they went to the highest level to receive that dignity, and eventually they were given the honor to serve our country. As we now know, it became the greatest unit in military history, with the most decorations of any unit and also with the highest levels of decoration, of the Medal of Honor. He served as a leader, the third longest serving Member of the U.S. Senate in our Nation's history. He served as a defender of the people of this country, championing historic charges for civil rights, including the equal rights of women, Asian Americans, African Americans, and Native Hawaiians. It is an incredible understatement to call him an institution. This Chamber will never be the same without him. I remember, in our childhood in Hawaii, that Hawaii was a diversified place. Where I lived in Pauoa Valley, there were many Japanese families who lived around us. There were many nights that I spent sleeping in the homes of our Japanese families, ate their food, slept on the tatami on the floor, and I really was brought up with the Japanese families. So when the war broke out, I couldn't understand what was happening because there were families who were removed from the community, and, of course, at that time the Japanese American boys weren't allowed to be in the military, but they pursued it because they wanted to serve this country as well. This is why, in my time in Congress, I did focus on trying to help the Japanese Americans in this country and the Asians in this country as well and to help them achieve what they really earned. I remember seeking the Medal of Honor for the unit and for those who fought in World War II, and I provided the Pentagon with 100 names from these units. I was really surprised that there were finally 21 of them who were selected for the Medal of Honor, and Senator Inouye was one of them. But that showed that they were willing to give their lives for this country, and they did. Since then, he has continued to serve his country. We all used the G.I. bill to be educated in Hawaii. We went to the University of Hawaii, graduated from there, and went on to further degrees. They came back, in a sense, those who could help the communities, and became leaders. In the case of Danny Inouye, he was one of the ones who turned the tide in Hawaii politically since 1954, and by 1959 we became a State. Senator Inouye ran for office and was our first Member of the House. After one term, he moved to the Senate because Senator Long decided to retire. As a result, Senator Matsunaga was elected to the House and served the House and also the Senate as well, and he also was a member of the 100th infantry during World War II. But the Japanese Americans really served our country, and Danny Inouye is one of those great leaders in the history of this country. Through my career in Congress, I have been proud to be on Dan's team. We have worked on everything from appropriations to Native Hawaiian rights, to veterans and to defense. All of us in Hawaii looked up to him, and we are so sad to see him go. Danny Inouye leaves behind him a list of accomplishments unlikely to ever be paralleled. His lifelong dedication and hard work in the name of his beloved country, the United States of America, influenced every part of his life and set him apart, even in the Senate. He was a fierce advocate as a senior member of several committees, and the way he conducted himself commanded respect from all with whom he worked. His legacy is not only the loving family he leaves behind, it can be seen in every mile of every road in Hawaii, in every nature preserve and every facility that makes Hawaii a safer place. He fulfilled his dream of creating a better Hawaii. He gave us access to resources and facilities that the mainland States, I would say, took for granted. Tomorrow will be the first day since Hawaii became a State in 1959 that Danny Inouye will not be representing us in Congress. Every child born in Hawaii will learn of Danny Inouye, a man who changed the islands forever. I join all of the people of Hawaii tonight in praying for his wife Irene, his son Ken, and his daughter-in-law Jessica; his stepdaughter Jennifer, and his grand-daughter Maggie, who really tickle his life. Whenever I had a chance to chat with him, we talked about Maggie. They brought him so much joy in his life and will carry his legacy forward. I am going to miss Dan, and so will all of us here in the Senate, and this great country will also. He represented a true American, and for us in Hawaii, he represented a true Hawaiian in Hawaii. He served Hawaii and this country well. Dan and I have worked so well together all these years. When I was in the House and on the Appropriations Committee there, we worked very well between the House and the Senate. Many of the renovations that have come about in Hawaii were because of Danny, and he really helped to shape Hawaii and this great country. He brought here on Earth a kind of life that people of our country and this world can follow to be great citizens of the world. Dan, my dear friend and colleague, you will be missed in Washington as much as you will be missed in Hawaii. Rest in peace. God bless you and your spirit. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce S. 3685, The Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act of 2012. I am proud to introduce this bill and I am thankful for the cosponsorship of my friend and colleague, the Vice Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, Senator Barrasso. The Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act of 2012 is an important next step in our Federal policy of recognizing and supporting tribal self-governance. Our country's Native peoples have always had the right to govern themselves. When the earliest explorers arrived in the New World, they recognized the sovereignty of the Native peoples they met. Soon after, European colonial nations began entering into treaties with Indian tribes as they expanded into the American continent. It is clear, from the terms of the Constitution, our Founding Fathers understood the sovereign authority of tribes, and their capacity to be self-governing. From our earliest days as a Nation, we entered into treaties with the Indian tribes, just as we did with a diversity of foreign nations, governing issues such as trade, peace, and other relations. With our westward expansion, and as public sentiment and Federal policy objectives turned to Manifest Destiny during the 19th century, Federal policies toward our Country's first peoples changed, and the movement to remove and assimilate the Native peoples began. The United States, recognizing the sovereignty of tribes, again relied on treaties to facilitate the acquisition of native lands, and promised in exchange to provide for Indian health, education, welfare, and housing. This change in Federal policy devastated Native peoples. It turned out that the Federal Government was not a very effective administrator of programs aimed at fulfilling our country's trust responsibility to its native peoples. By the late 1960's and early 1970's Federal Indian policy shifted again to one that began to reaffirm the inherent right of Native peoples to govern themselves and fully support them in doing so. This policy became formalized by the enactment of the Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act in 1975, which enabled tribes to contract with certain Federal agencies to provide federal programs to their tribal members and communities. Subsequent legislation allowed tribes greater flexibility in designing and operating Indian 410 programs for tribes who have a demonstrated capacity. Currently, about 60 percent of tribes carry out self-governance compacts with either the Department of the Interior or the Indian Health Service, or both. Federal reaffirmation and support of tribal sovereignty through self- governance programs has enabled tribes to generate revenues through their own business enterprises, establish their own courts and law enforcement systems, and remake school curricula to better meet the needs of Native students. Importantly, tribes have done this without forced assimilation to mainstream American traditions and norms. This Federal focus on self-determination and self-governance has proven to be the only Federal policy that has worked for Native communities. Studies show that self-determination policies have enabled Indian tribes to build strong economies, reverse decades of language loss, and tailor programs and services to better meet the needs of their people. It is our responsibility to ensure that our policy of self-governance advances to meet the needs of native peoples. As Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, it has come to my attention that several relatively minor technical changes are needed to the underlying law to ensure the goals of our federal policy are realized. For instance, I understand that the administration of programs under both the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service can be unnecessarily cumbersome for tribes due to different requirements for each. At the Committee's hearing on the topic of Self-Determination and Self-Governance held in September, witnesses from the Administration and Native governments alike lauded the positive effects Self-Determination Era policies are having on Native communities and stressed the importance of amending the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to ensure tribes can manage these programs efficiently. S. 3685 will streamline processes and make it simpler for tribes to manage programs to benefit their members. It has been developed after months of tribal consultation and has been a bi-partisan effort. In crafting this bill, we have been careful to ensure that none of its provisions will affect current law relating to contracting or compacting of non-BIA programs under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, or congressionally approved water settlements. I encourage all of my colleagues to stand with me in support of this important legislative initiative.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce S. 3685, The Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act of 2012. I am proud to introduce this bill and I am thankful for the cosponsorship of my friend and colleague, the Vice Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, Senator Barrasso. The Department of the Interior Tribal Self-Governance Act of 2012 is an important next step in our Federal policy of recognizing and supporting tribal self-governance. Our country's Native peoples have always had the right to govern themselves. When the earliest explorers arrived in the New World, they recognized the sovereignty of the Native peoples they met. Soon after, European colonial nations began entering into treaties with Indian tribes as they expanded into the American continent. It is clear, from the terms of the Constitution, our Founding Fathers understood the sovereign authority of tribes, and their capacity to be self-governing. From our earliest days as a Nation, we entered into treaties with the Indian tribes, just as we did with a diversity of foreign nations, governing issues such as trade, peace, and other relations. With our westward expansion, and as public sentiment and Federal policy objectives turned to Manifest Destiny during the 19th century, Federal policies toward our Country's first peoples changed, and the movement to remove and assimilate the Native peoples began. The United States, recognizing the sovereignty of tribes, again relied on treaties to facilitate the acquisition of native lands, and promised in exchange to provide for Indian health, education, welfare, and housing. This change in Federal policy devastated Native peoples. It turned out that the Federal Government was not a very effective administrator of programs aimed at fulfilling our country's trust responsibility to its native peoples. By the late 1960's and early 1970's Federal Indian policy shifted again to one that began to reaffirm the inherent right of Native peoples to govern themselves and fully support them in doing so. This policy became formalized by the enactment of the Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act in 1975, which enabled tribes to contract with certain Federal agencies to provide federal programs to their tribal members and communities. Subsequent legislation allowed tribes greater flexibility in designing and operating Indian 410 programs for tribes who have a demonstrated capacity. Currently, about 60 percent of tribes carry out self-governance compacts with either the Department of the Interior or the Indian Health Service, or both. Federal reaffirmation and support of tribal sovereignty through self- governance programs has enabled tribes to generate revenues through their own business enterprises, establish their own courts and law enforcement systems, and remake school curricula to better meet the needs of Native students. Importantly, tribes have done this without forced assimilation to mainstream American traditions and norms. This Federal focus on self-determination and self-governance has proven to be the only Federal policy that has worked for Native communities. Studies show that self-determination policies have enabled Indian tribes to build strong economies, reverse decades of language loss, and tailor programs and services to better meet the needs of their people. It is our responsibility to ensure that our policy of self-governance advances to meet the needs of native peoples. As Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, it has come to my attention that several relatively minor technical changes are needed to the underlying law to ensure the goals of our federal policy are realized. For instance, I understand that the administration of programs under both the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service can be unnecessarily cumbersome for tribes due to different requirements for each. At the Committee's hearing on the topic of Self-Determination and Self-Governance held in September, witnesses from the Administration and Native governments alike lauded the positive effects Self-Determination Era policies are having on Native communities and stressed the importance of amending the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to ensure tribes can manage these programs efficiently. S. 3685 will streamline processes and make it simpler for tribes to manage programs to benefit their members. It has been developed after months of tribal consultation and has been a bi-partisan effort. In crafting this bill, we have been careful to ensure that none of its provisions will affect current law relating to contracting or compacting of non-BIA programs under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, or congressionally approved water settlements. I encourage all of my colleagues to stand with me in support of this important legislative initiative.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Reducing Duplication Overseas Act of 2012. At a time when the Federal Government is facing significant fiscal challenges, we must explore all potential avenues to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Federal programs. This bill seeks to ease some of our current fiscal pressures by eliminating duplication of certain administrative services at overseas posts and reducing administrative operational costs. The Department of State oversees the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services, ICASS, system, which provides and shares the cost of administrative support services for overseas employees, such as vehicle maintenance or leasing services. The purpose of developing this system was to ensure more efficient delivery and quality of overseas administrative support services. Although the level of agency participation varies, as use of ICASS for most administrative services is voluntary, last year, more than 40 agencies participated in ICASS and the cost of the services totaled approximately $2 billion. In 2004, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, reported that ICASS had not achieved efficient delivery of administrative support services because it failed to eliminate duplicative services and contain costs. GAO recommended that there be one provider for each service at American facilities overseas. The ICASS Executive Board took steps to reduce costs, but still had not implemented GAO's recommendation that there be a single service provider. In 2010, former Senator Voinovich and I requested that the GAO review the delivery of administrative services at overseas posts. In their report issued earlier this year, GAO concluded that, although agency participation in ICASS has increased, agencies chose to provide their own services about one third of the time, resulting in duplicative administrative services and missed opportunities to decrease costs. Duplication and overseas administrative costs can and must be decreased. The Reducing Duplication Overseas Act seeks to eliminate duplicative services and reduce overall costs to the Federal Government by requiring agencies to use ICASS for services. Although the GAO recommends that agencies consolidate all services with ICASS, this bill starts with only a few services in order to determine best practices for consolidation, as well as whether consolidation is appropriate for all services. Specifically, the Act would require agencies to participate in the ICASS for household furniture, furnishings, appliance pools, and motor pool services, unless the agency provides an explanation on how providing the service outside the ICASS system will not increase overall costs to the Federal Government or if it certifies that the mission of the agency cannot be achieved by participating in ICASS system. Additionally, the bill would allow an agency to provide administrative services at an overseas post in place of the existing ICASS provider if it can provide the administrative service more efficiently and agrees to provide the administrative service to all ICASS customer agencies at the overseas post. The Act would also require the ICASS Executive Board and the Comptroller General of the United States to submit reports to Congress on agency use of ICASS services and the impact consolidating these services has on cost-efficiencies and redundancies at overseas posts. Nothing in this bill is intended to interfere with the existing authorities of the Chief of Mission at each overseas post. I believe that this bill is an important step towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations overseas. Although I will not have the opportunity to push for this bill in the next Congress, it is my hope that my colleagues will take up and pass this important legislation. 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 rise to introduce the Reducing Duplication Overseas Act of 2012. At a time when the Federal Government is facing significant fiscal challenges, we must explore all potential avenues to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Federal programs. This bill seeks to ease some of our current fiscal pressures by eliminating duplication of certain administrative services at overseas posts and reducing administrative operational costs. The Department of State oversees the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services, ICASS, system, which provides and shares the cost of administrative support services for overseas employees, such as vehicle maintenance or leasing services. The purpose of developing this system was to ensure more efficient delivery and quality of overseas administrative support services. Although the level of agency participation varies, as use of ICASS for most administrative services is voluntary, last year, more than 40 agencies participated in ICASS and the cost of the services totaled approximately $2 billion. In 2004, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, reported that ICASS had not achieved efficient delivery of administrative support services because it failed to eliminate duplicative services and contain costs. GAO recommended that there be one provider for each service at American facilities overseas. The ICASS Executive Board took steps to reduce costs, but still had not implemented GAO's recommendation that there be a single service provider. In 2010, former Senator Voinovich and I requested that the GAO review the delivery of administrative services at overseas posts. In their report issued earlier this year, GAO concluded that, although agency participation in ICASS has increased, agencies chose to provide their own services about one third of the time, resulting in duplicative administrative services and missed opportunities to decrease costs. Duplication and overseas administrative costs can and must be decreased. The Reducing Duplication Overseas Act seeks to eliminate duplicative services and reduce overall costs to the Federal Government by requiring agencies to use ICASS for services. Although the GAO recommends that agencies consolidate all services with ICASS, this bill starts with only a few services in order to determine best practices for consolidation, as well as whether consolidation is appropriate for all services. Specifically, the Act would require agencies to participate in the ICASS for household furniture, furnishings, appliance pools, and motor pool services, unless the agency provides an explanation on how providing the service outside the ICASS system will not increase overall costs to the Federal Government or if it certifies that the mission of the agency cannot be achieved by participating in ICASS system. Additionally, the bill would allow an agency to provide administrative services at an overseas post in place of the existing ICASS provider if it can provide the administrative service more efficiently and agrees to provide the administrative service to all ICASS customer agencies at the overseas post. The Act would also require the ICASS Executive Board and the Comptroller General of the United States to submit reports to Congress on agency use of ICASS services and the impact consolidating these services has on cost-efficiencies and redundancies at overseas posts. Nothing in this bill is intended to interfere with the existing authorities of the Chief of Mission at each overseas post. I believe that this bill is an important step towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations overseas. Although I will not have the opportunity to push for this bill in the next Congress, it is my hope that my colleagues will take up and pass this important legislation. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, I rise to give my remarks and my aloha to the U.S. Senate. Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to wish my good friend, my colleague of 36 years, my brother, Dan Inouye, Hawaii's senior Senator, a speedy recovery and return to the Senate. I rise today to say aloha to this institution. I have been honored to be a Member of the U.S. Senate for 22 years. It has been an incredible journey that I never imagined. As a senior in high school going to Kamehameha School for Boys, which was noted as a military school, my life was changed forever when I saw Japanese fighter planes attacking Pearl Harbor. Like most men in my generation, I joined the war effort. My path was forever altered. When the war ended, I believe I was suffering from PTSD. It was an act of Congress that allowed me, and the veterans of my generation, to build a successful new life. Congress passed the GI bill, and I say with certainty that I would not be standing before you today without the opportunity the GI bill gave me, not only to get an education but to have structure and a path forward--and the feeling that there was a way for me to help people. This proved to me that when Congress acts responsibly, it can build a better America. That is why, when I was blessed with the opportunity to lead the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I dedicated myself to helping our servicemembers and veterans and their families, and worked with my colleagues to expand VA services and pass a new 21st-century GI bill. So I want to take this moment to urge all of my colleagues and all of the incoming Senators and Representatives to do everything they can for our veterans and their families because we ask them to sacrifice so much for us. They put their lives on the line while their wives and husbands watch over their families. Caring for them is one of our most sacred obligations as a nation. Not everyone on the front lines making our Nation stronger wears a uniform. In many critical fields the Federal Government struggles to compete with the private sector to recruit and retain the skilled people our Nation needs: experts in cyber security and intelligence analysis, doctors and nurses to care for our wounded warriors, and accountants to protect taxpayers during billion-dollar defense acquisitions. These are just a few examples. After I leave the Senate, it is my hope other Members will continue to focus on making the Federal Government an employer of choice. We need the best and brightest working for our Nation. The work of the Congress will never end, but careers come to a close. Like the great men whose names are etched in this desk, I am humbled to know I have left my mark on this institution. I am proud to be the first Native Hawaiian ever to serve in the Senate, just as I am so proud to be one of the three U.S. Army World War II veterans who remain in the Senate today. The United States is a great country. One of the things that makes us so great is that though we have made mistakes, we change, we correct them, we right past wrongs. It is our responsibility as a nation to do right by America's native people, those who exercised sovereignty on lands that later became part of the United States. While we can never change the past, we have the power to change the future. Throughout my career I have worked to ensure that my colleagues understand the Federal relationship with native peoples and its origins in the Constitution. The U.S. policy of supporting self-determination and self-governance for indigenous peoples leads to native self- sufficiency, resulting in our continued ability to be productive and to contribute to the well-being of our families, our communities, and our great Nation. That is why I worked to secure parity in Federal policy for my people--the Native Hawaiians. The United States has recognized hundreds of Alaska Native and American Indian communities. It is long past time for the Native Hawaiian people to have the same rights, same privileges, and same opportunities as every other federally recognized native people. For more than 12 years now, I have worked with the Native Hawaiian community and many others to develop the Native Hawaiian Reauthorization Act, which has the strong support of Hawaii's Legislature and Governor as the best path forward toward reconciliation. My bill has encountered many challenges, but it is pono--it is right--and it is long overdue. Although I will not be the bill's sponsor in the 113th Congress, it will forever bear my highest aspirations and heartfelt commitment to the Native Hawaiian people, the State of Hawaii, and the United States of America. I know I am just one in a long line working to ensure that our language, our culture, and our people continue to thrive for generations to come. I believe Hawaii has so much to teach the world and this institution. In Congress and in our Nation, we are truly all together, in the same canoe. If we paddle together in unison, we can travel great distances. If the two sides of the canoe paddle in opposite directions, we will only go in circles. I urge my colleagues to take this traditional Hawaiian symbol to heart and put the American people first--by working together. I want to say mahalo nui loa--thank you very much--to my incredible staff. After 36 years there are far too many individuals to name, so I will just thank all of my current and former staff members in my Senate and House offices and on my committees, including Indian Affairs, Veterans' Affairs, and the Subcommittees on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia. I want to thank the hundreds of employees who work for the Architect of the Capitol and the Sergeant-at-Arms. Without the hard work they do every day, we could not do what we do in the Senate. Mahalo. Thank you to the floor and leadership staff as well. I also want to thank Senate Chaplain Barry Black, who has provided me so much guidance and strength and has done more to bring the two sides of the Chamber together and find common ground than just about anyone. I want to thank our colleagues who join together every week for the Prayer Breakfast and Bible study as well. All of these have helped to shape me and the things I do here. There is no one I owe more to than my lovely wife of 65 years, Millie. She is literally there for me whenever I need her. Nearly every day that I have served in the Senate for the past 22 years, Millie has come to the office with me. She helps me greet constituents, she makes me lunch, she keeps me focused, and she makes sure I know what is happening back home. She means the world to me. Every honor I have received belongs to her and to my family, my children, my grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. This speech is their farewell speech too. So mahalo, Millie and my ohana, my family. In life there are seasons. While leaving Congress is bittersweet, I am looking forward to spending more time with our five children and getting to know our 15 great-grandchildren, and--can you believe this-- we are expecting our 16th great-grandchild next year, and I will be home to see it. I am looking forward to speaking with students and mentoring up and coming leaders and visiting places in Hawaii that I have worked for over my career. My goal was to bring the spirit of aloha to our Nation's Capital in everything I do. In Hawaii, we look out for one another, we work together, and we treat each other with respect. I hope I succeeded in sharing a little bit of Hawaii with all of you. As I come to the end of 22 years in this Chamber, and a total of 36 years serving in Congress, I offer my profound gratitude and humble thanks to the people of Hawaii for giving me the opportunity to serve them for so many years. It truly was an experience of a lifetime. All I ever wanted was to be able to help people, and you gave me that opportunity. So mahalo nui loa. Thank you very much. In Hawaii, when we part, we don't say goodbye. Instead, we say a hui hou, which means until we meet again. Although I am retiring, I see this as the start of a new chapter, a new season. And I am blessed to have made friendships and partnerships that will last forever. God bless Hawaii, and God bless the United States of America with the spirit of aloha. A hui hou. Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on November 29, 2012, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Reclaiming Our Image and Identity for the Next Seven Generations.'' Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I wish to join my colleagues in bringing attention to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, which tragically affects so many people across our Nation, including in my home State of Hawaii. Today, the Alzheimer's Association recognizes World Alzheimer's Action Day as a way of raising awareness and reducing the stigma associated with Alzheimer's. Sadly, this disease has touched the lives of the families of so many of my friends, colleagues, and staff. In 2010, 27,000 people in Hawaii were living with Alzheimer's disease. Their family members and loved ones sacrificed to help them with nearly $800 million worth of unpaid care. Not only is this a devastating disease for the people afflicted with it, but the emotional and monetary costs to their families are enormous. The reach of the disease continues to grow, and it is estimated that the cost of caring for people with Alzheimer's and other dementia in America will reach $1.1 trillion by 2050. Despite the fact that Alzheimer's has affected so many, the disease itself remains poorly understood. Not only does it cause memory loss and confusion, but it is also the sixth leading cause of death nationwide. During the last Congress, my colleagues and I worked together to pass the National Alzheimer's Project Act, which President Obama signed into law in 2011. This law created a national strategic plan to address the crisis of Alzheimer's disease and to make ending Alzheimer's a national priority. We have a plan in place to fight this disease, but finding a cure will require us to continue funding research into the disease. While we work towards a cure, we must also support caregivers and raise public awareness of the effects of this disease. I would also like to express my profound gratitude to all those who are caring for family members who are afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Many caregivers have one or more jobs and other family members to care for and it can often be a thankless job. So mahalo nui loa, thank you very much, for your sacrifices. I call on my colleagues to continue supporting Alzheimer's disease research and education so that we may find a cure and end this devastating disease.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on September 20, 2012, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Advancing the Federal-Tribal Relationship through Self-Governance and Self- Determination.'' Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on September 20, 2012, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a business meeting to consider the following: S. 65, A bill to reauthorize the programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development for housing assistance for Native Hawaiians; S. 2024, A bill to make technical amendment to the T'uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area Act, and for other purposes; S. 3546, Esther Martinez Language Preservation Act Reauthorization; S. 3548, To clarify certain provisions of the Native American Veterans' Memorial Establishment Act of 1994; and H.R. 2467, To take certain Federal lands in Mono County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Bridgeport Indian Colony). Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, I am sponsoring a resolution, co-sponsored by Senators Barrasso, Inouye, Crapo, Johnson of South Dakota, Murkowski, Cantwell, Tester, Franken, and Udall of New Mexico, designating November as National Native American Heritage Month and November 23rd of this year as Native American Heritage Day. This resolution recognizes the contributions of Native Americans and their cultures to our country, recognizes Congress' commitment to improving the socioeconomic status of Native Americans, and reaffirms the unique, government-to-government relationship between Native governments and the United States. This resolution encourages the people of the United States to observe National Native American Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Day. I call upon all of my colleagues to stand with me in support of this resolution.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, I am introducing legislation to make technical corrections to the National Native American Veterans' Memorial Act of 1994. The 1994 Act honors the profound contributions of Native Veterans by authorizing the construction of a National Native American Veterans' Memorial. Unfortunately, technical issues with the law have made it difficult to move forward with the Memorial. The bill I am introducing today seeks to alleviate those obstacles. My legislation would make technical corrections in order to allow the National Museum of American Indian to join the National Congress of American Indians in the fundraising efforts for the Memorial. In addition, my bill would allow the Memorial to be constructed on the property provided for by the National Museum of American Indian Act. Per capita, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians serve at a higher rate in the Armed Forces than any other group of Americans. Native peoples have served in all of the Nation's wars since the Revolutionary War. A memorial in their honor is well-deserved and long overdue. My non-controversial, no cost, technical amendments bill will make it easier to construct the authorized memorial to honor our Native Veterans.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs, I am introducing legislation to make technical corrections to the National Native American Veterans' Memorial Act of 1994. The 1994 Act honors the profound contributions of Native Veterans by authorizing the construction of a National Native American Veterans' Memorial. Unfortunately, technical issues with the law have made it difficult to move forward with the Memorial. The bill I am introducing today seeks to alleviate those obstacles. My legislation would make technical corrections in order to allow the National Museum of American Indian to join the National Congress of American Indians in the fundraising efforts for the Memorial. In addition, my bill would allow the Memorial to be constructed on the property provided for by the National Museum of American Indian Act. Per capita, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians serve at a higher rate in the Armed Forces than any other group of Americans. Native peoples have served in all of the Nation's wars since the Revolutionary War. A memorial in their honor is well-deserved and long overdue. My non-controversial, no cost, technical amendments bill will make it easier to construct the authorized memorial to honor our Native Veterans.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on September 13, 2012, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a business meeting to consider S. 675, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2011; S. 1345, the Spokane Tribe of Indians of the Spokane Reservation Grand Coulee Dam Equitable Compensation Settlement Act; and S. 1684, the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2011 to be followed immediately to conduct a hearing entitled ``Addressing the Costly Administrative Burdens and Negative Impacts of the Carcieri and Patchak Decisions''. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee (202) 224-2251.

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet during the session of the Senate on September 14, 2012, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing on the President's Nomination of Kevin K. Washburn to be Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior''. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at (202) 224-2251.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I wish to urge my colleagues to allow an up-or-down vote on the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, S. 3414, and to support my amendment to further strengthen the privacy safeguards in this important legislation. National security experts from both parties have warned us about the very serious danger of a major cyber attack. It is not a matter of if, but when it will occur. As someone who witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor and was in Washington, DC, on September 11, 2001, it is frightening to know that in our modern world where much of our critical infrastructure and security systems are controlled by computers, a successful attack on a critical system could lead to more loss of life, injury, and damage than those terrible events. We have a moral duty to act immediately. That is why I urge my colleagues to put partisan differences aside and pass the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 for the safety of our Nation. As a senior member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I know that Chairman Lieberman and Ranking Member Collins have been working diligently for several years to get this bill to the floor for a vote. Commerce Committee Chairman Rockefeller and Intelligence Committee Chairman Feinstein have also been working tirelessly to advance this legislation. While I continue to support the even stronger critical infrastructure protections in the original cyber security bill introduced in February, I accept the revisions the bill sponsors have made to accommodate concerns raised by several of my colleagues. I want to thank the bill sponsors for working with me during this lengthy process to make improvements to the legislation. In order for our country to have robust cyber security capabilities, we must have a talented and well-trained cyber workforce. I am pleased that the bill incorporates my recommendations to strengthen title IV of the bill, which provide the necessary tools to build a first-class cyber workforce while maintaining employee and whistleblower protections. Furthermore, these workforce provisions establish a supervisory training program that will help managers properly evaluate their cyber employees. I also want to commend the sponsors for the marked improvement of the underlying privacy and civil liberties protections in the bill. I collaborated with Senators Franken, Durbin, Wyden, Sanders, Coons, and Blumenthal to strengthen protections in the information-sharing provisions of the bill, which allow companies to share cyber security information with each other and the government. We worked with privacy and civil liberties groups from across the political spectrum on a series of recommendations, most of which were accepted by the bill's sponsors. With these changes, the privacy and civil liberties protections in the Cybersecurity Act are much better than the protections contained in the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act that recently passed the House, and the SECURE IT Act that has been introduced in the Senate. However, I am still pushing for further improvements to enhance the privacy and civil liberties protections in the Cybersecurity Act. I have offered an amendment that seeks to strengthen the underlying legal framework protecting Americans' personal information held in the computer systems that the Cybersecurity Act seeks to protect. My amendment will close loopholes in Federal privacy requirements, centralize Federal oversight of existing privacy protections, and reinstate basic remedies for privacy violations. My amendment, which reflects input from the bill's sponsors, would make four small changes that would have significant benefits to American's privacy and data security. First, my amendment would address Federal agencies' uneven implementation of Office of Management Budget, OMB, guidance on preventing breaches of private information and notifying affected individuals when they do occur. In testimony this week before the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee that I chair, we learned that the agency that oversees the Thrift Savings Plan, TSP, had no breach notification plan in place at the time of the recent breach involving 123,000 participating Federal employees. Specifically, my amendment would strengthen data breach notification requirements for Federal agencies by directing OMB to establish requirements for agencies to provide timely notification to individuals whose personal information was compromised. It would require agency heads to comply with the policies, and mandate that OMB report to Congress annually on agencies' compliance. Second, my amendment would provide basic transparency when agencies rely on commercial databases. Agencies frequently use private sector databases for law enforcement and other purposes that affect individuals' rights, but this is not covered by Federal privacy laws. My amendment would require agencies to conduct privacy impact assessments on agencies' use of commercial sources of Americans' private information so that individuals have appropriate protections such as access, notice, correction, and purpose limitations. Third, my amendment would fill a hole in the government's privacy leadership. Despite OMB's mandate to oversee privacy policies government-wide, it lacks a chief privacy officer. As a result, responsibility for protecting privacy is fragmented and agencies' compliance with privacy-related statutes and regulations is inconsistent. Furthermore, the administration lacks a representative on international privacy issues. My amendment would direct OMB to designate a central officer within OMB who would have authority over privacy across the government. This officer would also be responsible for assessing the privacy impact of the new information-sharing provisions in the cyber security bill. Finally, it would address the Supreme Court's ruling restricting Privacy Act remedies earlier this year that has by many experts' accounts rendered the Privacy Act toothless. In Federal Aviation Administration v. Cooper, the Social Security Administration violated the Privacy Act by sharing the plaintiff's HIV status with other Federal agencies. The Court concluded that the plaintiff could not recover damages for emotional distress because Privacy Act damages are limited to economic harm. My amendment would heed the call of scholars across the political spectrum to amend the Privacy Act and fix this decision. It would also clarify that in the event of a Federal violation in the information-sharing title of the bill, a victim would be entitled to recovery for the same types of noneconomic harms. My amendment will further strengthen the privacy and civil liberties protections in the cyber security bill while enhancing the security of personal information held by the Federal Government. I urge my colleagues to allow an up-or-down vote on the Cybersecurity Act, which is so critical to our Nation's safety, and to support my amendment.

Mr. AKAKA

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of S. 3412, the Middle Class Tax Cut Act, which would act on President Barack Obama's proposal to restore our economy and control our deficit by immediately extending the current tax rates for American families making less than $250,000 a year and asking our Nation's top 2 percent of income earners to pay their fair share. As we continue to work to enact policies that move our economy forward, it is important that we protect the middle class from having to pay higher taxes--which will happen if Congress does nothing before January 1, 2013. In Hawaii, this means 500,000 families would pay an average of $1,600 more in taxes in 2013 alone, which they cannot afford. My colleagues and I are working to reduce the national debt; however, at this point in our economic recovery, we cannot allow the vast majority of Americans--the middle class--to shoulder this burden alone. They have always been and remain the backbone of our economy and our country. Most of us here in the Senate, on both sides of the aisle, as well as our colleagues in the House, can agree that we should maintain the current income tax rates for 98 percent of Americans. With that in mind, my colleagues on the left have been trying to work with the rest of the Senate to get this sensible legislation passed. However, some Members in this Chamber refuse to come together to pass the tax extensions that we all agree on. We need to take action now. Hard- working American families should not have to worry about their taxes increasing as they budget for housing, food, and other necessities for the coming year. To cut our deficit, we must ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. That means closing tax loopholes for corporations and not extending the tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. Yet some Members of the Senate continue to oppose this bill in hopes of including an extension of tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. These tax breaks for the wealthy were originally intended to be temporary measures, enacted during a time when our Nation had substantial annual surpluses. However, we must acknowledge our current economic situation and respond by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. This country was founded on the principles of fairness and responsibility. This bill would help restore those fundamentals to our tax system. I urge my colleagues to consider all of their constituents when voting on this bill and support it for the 98 percent of Americans who need our action today.