Jeff Bingaman

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the oversight hearing that was scheduled before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources regarding old- growth forest science, policy and management in the Pacific Northwest region has been rescheduled. The rescheduled hearing will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 9:30 a.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to rachel_pasternack@energy.senate .gov. For further information, please contact Rachel Pasternack at (202) 224-0883 or Kira Finkler at 202-224-5523.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I wish to add my voice to those of my colleagues who have stood to salute the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps is one of our country's most effective international development programs. Since its inception in 1961, the Peace Corps has sent over 190,000 volunteers to 139 developing countries, where they have helped build thousands of schools, health clinics, and small businesses. Equally as important, the Peace Corps is one of our country's most important public diplomacy programs. The sight of ordinary Americans volunteering to serve the world's most disadvantaged populations cannot help but elevate good will toward our country. Fifty-nine volunteers from my home State of New Mexico are currently serving in countries ranging from Ukraine and Georgia in Europe, to Malawi and Senegal in Africa, to Peru and Honduras in Central America. Today, I urge the Peace Corps to consider returning to the poorest country in our own hemisphere. That country is Haiti. According to the U.N. Development Program, over three-quarters of Haitians subsist on less than $2 per day and over half on less than $1 per day. Haiti is one of the poorest of the poor. The security situation in Haiti was precarious for much of the new century--which is why the Peace Corps left. But one year ago, a brighter picture emerged. The international community launched a concerted effort to rid Haiti's slums of violent gangs. President Rene Preval made real efforts to promote political reconciliation in the country. Because of these efforts, we have a genuine window of opportunity to make a difference in Haiti. But this window will not last forever. In the best tradition of the Peace Corps, we Americans should seize this opportunity while we have the chance. I can think of no better way of honoring the Peace Corps than by calling upon it to consider returning to Haiti.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that an oversight hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony regarding old-growth forest science, policy and management in the Pacific Northwest region. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to rachel_pasternack@energy.senate .gov. For further information, please contact Rachel Pasternack at (202) 224-0883 or Kira Finkler at 202-224-5523.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that an oversight hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at 3 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose is to receive testimony on the impacts of the capability of the United States to maintain a domestic enrichment capability as a result of the recently initialed amendment between the United States and the Russian Federation on the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium from the Russian Federation. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record may do so by sending it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to Rosemarie_Calabro@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Jonathan Epstein (202) 228- 3031 or Rosemarie Calabro at (202) 224-5039.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to Senator Smith's amendment, No. 3897, to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, S. 1200, and urge my fellow Senators to vote against this amendment. This amendment would expressly authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, HHS, to utilize a new ``area distribution fund'' methodology to allocate Indian Health Service, IHS, health care facilities construction, HCFC, funding. This approach could result in critical projects that are on the current IHS HCFC priority list from receiving funding. These projects have been waiting for many years, and in some cases decades, to receive funding. Furthermore, section 301 of the underlying bill, which the Smith amendment would amend, represents the results of hours of bipartisan negotiations on this issue throughout the last 2 years. While I understand Senator Smith's desire to provide a possible avenue for his tribes to receive funding, this amendment would undo the very delicate compromise that was reached in the underlying bill. According to the IHS staff briefings, the entire concept of an area distribution fund does not guarantee that all IHS service areas receive HCFC funding; instead, it creates a new criterion that must be used to determine IHS HCFC funding priorities. The current criteria utilized by IHS are focused on directing funding to the IHS areas in most need, where IHS patients are most isolated and least likely to have access to care. This geographic criterion does not represent good policy but simply an attempt to spread the very paltry funding provided for IHS HCFC projects even more thinly based on location instead of need. Instead of playing games with the distribution formula, we in Congress should be working to ensure that there is adequate funding for IHS HCFC projects so that the current backlog is addressed and new projects from throughout the country may be added. I note that Navajo Nation also strongly opposes this amendment. The following discussion provides a summary of their concerns.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that an oversight hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at 10 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of this oversight hearing is to receive testimony on the Energy Information Administration's revised Annual Energy Outlook. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record may do so by sending it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to Rosemarie_Calabro@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Tara Billingsley at (202) 224-4756 or Rosemarie Calabro at (202) 224-5039. committee on energy and natural resources

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that an oversight hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 2:15 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of this oversight hearing is to receive testimony on Hardrock Mining: Issues Relating to Abandoned Mine Lands and Uranium Mining. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to Gina_Weinstock@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Patty Beneke at 202-224-5451 or Gina Weinstock at 202-224-5684.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, if it is in order, I will withdraw my underlying amendment.

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, what is the pending amendment?

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on February 28, 2008, at 2:00 p.m. in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 177/H.R. 2085, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the McGee Creek Authority certain facilities of the McGee Creek Project, Oklahoma, and for other purposes; S. 1473/H.R. 1855, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Madera Irrigation District for purposes of supporting the Madera Water Supply Enhancement Project; S. 1474/H.R. 1139, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to plan, design and construct facilities to provide water for irrigation, municipal, domestic, and other uses from the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin, Santa Ana River, California, and for other purposes; S. 1929, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to conduct a feasibility study of water augmentation alternatives in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed; S. 2370, to clear title to certain real property in New Mexico associated with the Middle Rio Grande Project, and for other purposes; H.R. 2381, to promote Department of the Interior efforts to provide a scientific basis for the management of sediment and nutrient loss in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, and for other purposes. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to Gina_Weinstock@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Michael Connor at (202) 224- 5479 or Gina Weinstock at (202) 224-5684.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. The hearing will be held on February 27, 2008, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 832, to provide for the sale of approximately 25 acres of public land to the Turnabout Ranch, Escalante, Utah, at fair market value; S. 2229, to withdraw certain Federal land in the Wyoming Range from leasing and provide an opportunity to retire certain leases in the Wyoming Range; S. 2379, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to cancel certain grazing leases on land in Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument that are voluntarily waived by the lessees, to provide for the exchange of certain Monument land in exchange for private land, to designate certain Monument land as wilderness, and for other purposes; S. 2508 and H.R. 903, to provide for a study of options for protecting the open space characteristics of certain lands in and adjacent to the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, and for other purposes; S. 2601 and H.R. 1285, to provide for the conveyance of a parcel of National Forest System land in Kittitas County, Washington, to facilitate the construction of a new fire and rescue station, and for other purposes; H.R. 523, to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain public land located wholly or partially within the boundaries of the Wells Hydroelectric Project of Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County, Washington, to the utility district; H.R. 838, to provide for the conveyance of the Bureau of Land Management parcels known as the White Acre and Gambel Oak properties and related real property to Park City, Utah, and for other purposes. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to rachel_pasternack@energy.senate. gov. For further information, please contact Kira Finkler at (202) 224- 5523 or Rachel Pasternack at (202) 224-0883.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that an oversight hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, February 26, 2008, at 10 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of this oversight hearing is to receive testimony on U.S. oil inventory policies, including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve policies. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record may do so by sending it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to Rosemarie_Calabro@energy.senate.gov For further information, please contact Tara Billingsley at (202) 224-4756 or Rosemarie Calabro at (202) 224-5039.

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a nomination hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, February 27, 2008, at 9:45 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to consider two nominations: Stanley C. Suboleski, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Fossil Energy), vice Jeffrey D. Jarrett, resigned; and, J. Gregory Copeland, of Texas, to be General Counsel of the Department of Energy, vice David R. Hill. For further information, please contact Sam Fowler at (202) 224-7571 or Rosemarie Calabro at (202) 224-5039. committee on indian affairs

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday, February 28, 2008, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the impact of increased minimum wages on the economies of American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record may do so by sending it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, yesterday I introduced legislation that has been given the number S. 2593, the Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008. I developed this legislation with Senators Domenici and Feinstein, who are cosponsors of the bill. We also have as cosponsors Senators Allard, Wyden, Salazar, Cantwell, Craig, Akaka, and Crapo. I also am pleased to point out that Chairman Grijalva in the House of Representatives is introducing a companion bill, and I look forward to working with him as his subcommittee in the Natural Resources Committee moves forward with that bill. This legislation establishes a program to select and fund projects that restore forests at a landscape scale through a process that encourages collaboration, relies on the best available science, facilitates local economic development, and leverages local funds with national and private funding. As many of my colleagues know, we are facing serious forest health and wildfire challenges throughout our country. A century of over- aggressive fire suppression, logging, and other land uses have significantly deteriorated entire landscapes. These conditions have played an important role in the extraordinary wildfires and insect-caused mortality that we have seen literally on millions of acres of national forest and other lands. To address these problems, it is critical that we begin trying to restore our forests on a landscape scale. Landscape-scale restoration is key for controlling wildfire suppression costs. It is an important component of successful economic development. It is important for the health of many of our forest ecosystems. Despite the importance of landscape-scale restoration, neither the National Fire Plan nor the Healthy Forest Restoration Act nor any of the other efforts we have made to date have been very successful in facilitating restoration and hazardous fuels reduction on landscape scales. A lack of sufficient funding is one of the primary reasons. Restoring landscapes takes a significant amount of funding over a significant period of time. To address that problem, the Forest Landscape Restoration Act authorizes $40 million per year for 10 years to be paid into a national pool. Eligible landscape restoration projects from around the country would compete for a portion of that money. Mr. President, $40 million is not nearly enough money to fund landscape-scale treatments in all of the forest landscapes that need restoration, but it is a realistic amount for us to pursue at this time, and it is enough to make landscape-scale restoration a reality. Because of funding and other challenges, landscape-scale restoration remains largely theoretical. As a result, this legislation is designed to be both practical and experimental. It does not redirect existing efforts. Instead, it adds to existing efforts by creating a program that will make planning, funding, and carrying out at least a handful of these landscape-scale restoration projects possible. Again, I thank Senators Domenici and Feinstein and the other cosponsors of this legislation for working with me on this bill. I also thank the many stakeholders from across the spectrum for their input on the legislation, including the Nature Conservancy which has been very supportive of this effort. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Forest Landscape Restoration Act. I developed this bill with Senators Domenici and Feinstein, and I am pleased they have joined as cosponsors. The bill also is cosponsored by Senators Allard, Wyden, Salazar, Cantwell, Craig, Akaka, and Crapo. I also am pleased that Chairman Grijalva will be introducing a companion bill in the House of Representatives, and I look forward to working with him as his subcommittee in the Natural Resources Committee moves forward with the bill. The bill establishes a program to select and fund projects that restore forests at a landscape scale through a process that encourages collaboration, relies on the best available science, facilitates local economic development, and leverages local funds with national and private funding. As many of my colleagues know, we are facing serious forest health and wildfire challenges in many of our National Forests. A century of over-aggressive fire suppression, logging, and other land uses have significantly deteriorated entire landscapes. These conditions have played an important role in the extraordinary wildfires and insect- caused mortality we have seen on millions of acres of National Forest and other lands. To address these problems, it is critical to begin trying to restore our forests at a landscape scale. Landscape-scale restoration is important because, first, it is key to controlling wildfire suppression costs, which is one of the issues that is emphasized in our bill. Wildland fire appropriations have more than tripled in the last decade, and we are now spending billions every year trying to suppress fires. We will not be able to get control of the ballooning costs of fire suppression until we can allow more fires to play their natural, beneficial role in restoring and maintaining healthy, fire-resilient forests. But that will not be possible until we can reduce hazardous fuels and the risk of unnaturally intense fire on a landscape scale. So, our bill will help to reduce wildfire suppression costs through forest restoration. Second, landscape-scale restoration is an important component of successful economic development, another issue we have emphasized in our bill. In many cases, forest restoration will not be fiscally viable unless we can put the byproducts of restoration to economic use. Large- scale forest restoration efforts can help to provide economies of scale, and long-term efforts can help to provide entrepreneurs with the confidence that encourages investment and initiative. So, our bill will help to make the restoration economy a reality by facilitating the use of restoration byproducts. Third, landscape restoration is necessary for the health of many of our forest ecosystems, which also is emphasized in our bill. We need healthy landscapes for a clean, abundant, and controlled water supply. We need them for clean air and carbon sequestration. We need them to support fish and wildlife. And we need healthy forest ecosystems if they are to have a chance to survive the pressures of climate change. Fire suppression and other land uses have caused entire forest landscapes to deteriorate, and we cannot reverse that deterioration without landscape-level restoration. So, our bill provides a unique program to conduct comprehensive ecosystem restoration through landscape-scale treatments. Our bill also builds upon the existing successes in forest restoration by requiring collaboration and the best available science to form the foundation for landscape restoration. Despite the importance of landscape-scale restoration, neither the National Fire Plan, nor the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, nor any of our other efforts have been very successful in facilitating restoration and hazardous fuels reduction on landscape scales. A lack of sufficient funding is one of the primary reasons. Restoring landscapes takes a significant amount of funding over a significant period of time. That has proven to be beyond the capacity of the local and regional agency budgets. To address this problem, the Forest Landscape Restoration Act authorizes $40 million per year for 10 years to be paid into a national pool. Eligible landscape restoration projects from around the country would compete for a portion of that money. Forty million dollars is not nearly enough money to fund landscape-scale treatments in all of the forest landscapes in need of restoration, but it is a realistic amount of funding, and it is enough to make landscape-scale restoration a reality. Because of funding and other challenges, landscape-scale restoration remains largely theoretical. As a result, this legislation is designed to be both practical and experimental. It does not redirect existing efforts. It instead adds to existing efforts by creating a program that will make planning, funding, and carrying out at least a handful of landscape-scale forest restoration projects possible. If it is successful--and I think it will be--we can expand it in the future. I would again like to thank Senators Domenici and Feinstein and the other cosponsors of the bill. I appreciate the stakeholders who have written to support this bill, including the Nature Conservancy--which has been very supportive of our effort--American Forests, the Forest Guild, Sustainable Northwest, the Watershed Research and Training Center, and Conservation Northwest. I look forward to working with them and the many other stakeholders as we move forward with the bill. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Forest Landscape Restoration Act. I developed this bill with Senators Domenici and Feinstein, and I am pleased they have joined as cosponsors. The bill also is cosponsored by Senators Allard, Wyden, Salazar, Cantwell, Craig, Akaka, and Crapo. I also am pleased that Chairman Grijalva will be introducing a companion bill in the House of Representatives, and I look forward to working with him as his subcommittee in the Natural Resources Committee moves forward with the bill. The bill establishes a program to select and fund projects that restore forests at a landscape scale through a process that encourages collaboration, relies on the best available science, facilitates local economic development, and leverages local funds with national and private funding. As many of my colleagues know, we are facing serious forest health and wildfire challenges in many of our National Forests. A century of over-aggressive fire suppression, logging, and other land uses have significantly deteriorated entire landscapes. These conditions have played an important role in the extraordinary wildfires and insect- caused mortality we have seen on millions of acres of National Forest and other lands. To address these problems, it is critical to begin trying to restore our forests at a landscape scale. Landscape-scale restoration is important because, first, it is key to controlling wildfire suppression costs, which is one of the issues that is emphasized in our bill. Wildland fire appropriations have more than tripled in the last decade, and we are now spending billions every year trying to suppress fires. We will not be able to get control of the ballooning costs of fire suppression until we can allow more fires to play their natural, beneficial role in restoring and maintaining healthy, fire-resilient forests. But that will not be possible until we can reduce hazardous fuels and the risk of unnaturally intense fire on a landscape scale. So, our bill will help to reduce wildfire suppression costs through forest restoration. Second, landscape-scale restoration is an important component of successful economic development, another issue we have emphasized in our bill. In many cases, forest restoration will not be fiscally viable unless we can put the byproducts of restoration to economic use. Large- scale forest restoration efforts can help to provide economies of scale, and long-term efforts can help to provide entrepreneurs with the confidence that encourages investment and initiative. So, our bill will help to make the restoration economy a reality by facilitating the use of restoration byproducts. Third, landscape restoration is necessary for the health of many of our forest ecosystems, which also is emphasized in our bill. We need healthy landscapes for a clean, abundant, and controlled water supply. We need them for clean air and carbon sequestration. We need them to support fish and wildlife. And we need healthy forest ecosystems if they are to have a chance to survive the pressures of climate change. Fire suppression and other land uses have caused entire forest landscapes to deteriorate, and we cannot reverse that deterioration without landscape-level restoration. So, our bill provides a unique program to conduct comprehensive ecosystem restoration through landscape-scale treatments. Our bill also builds upon the existing successes in forest restoration by requiring collaboration and the best available science to form the foundation for landscape restoration. Despite the importance of landscape-scale restoration, neither the National Fire Plan, nor the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, nor any of our other efforts have been very successful in facilitating restoration and hazardous fuels reduction on landscape scales. A lack of sufficient funding is one of the primary reasons. Restoring landscapes takes a significant amount of funding over a significant period of time. That has proven to be beyond the capacity of the local and regional agency budgets. To address this problem, the Forest Landscape Restoration Act authorizes $40 million per year for 10 years to be paid into a national pool. Eligible landscape restoration projects from around the country would compete for a portion of that money. Forty million dollars is not nearly enough money to fund landscape-scale treatments in all of the forest landscapes in need of restoration, but it is a realistic amount of funding, and it is enough to make landscape-scale restoration a reality. Because of funding and other challenges, landscape-scale restoration remains largely theoretical. As a result, this legislation is designed to be both practical and experimental. It does not redirect existing efforts. It instead adds to existing efforts by creating a program that will make planning, funding, and carrying out at least a handful of landscape-scale forest restoration projects possible. If it is successful--and I think it will be--we can expand it in the future. I would again like to thank Senators Domenici and Feinstein and the other cosponsors of the bill. I appreciate the stakeholders who have written to support this bill, including the Nature Conservancy--which has been very supportive of our effort--American Forests, the Forest Guild, Sustainable Northwest, the Watershed Research and Training Center, and Conservation Northwest. I look forward to working with them and the many other stakeholders as we move forward with the bill. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the following letter and attachment be printed in the Record.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday, February 7, 2008, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the oversight hearing is to receive testimony on the energy market effects of the recently passed renewable fuel standard. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record may do so by sending it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to Rosemarie Calabro@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Tara Billingsley at (202) 224-4756 or Rosemarie Calabro at (202) 224-5039.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that an oversight hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday, February 14, 2008, at 9:30 a.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to consider the President's fiscal year 2009 budget request for the USDA Forest Service. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510-6150, or by e-mail to rachel_pasternack@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Scott Miller or Rachel Pasternack.

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, February 6, 2008, at 10 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the U.S. Department of Energy's budget for fiscal year 2009. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record may do so by sending it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510-6150, or by e-mail to Rosemarie_Calabro@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Jonathan Epstein or Rosemarie Calabro. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, Robert O. Anderson was not a citizen just of New Mexico, but I think it can be fairly said that he was one of those people for whom the term ``citizen of the world'' was intended. He died in December at age 90, and his memory was honored at this past weekend services in Roswell, NM. Our State has been his home for decades. Those of us who knew him were reminded each time we talked with him how wide-ranging his interests were, and how progressive and determined a man he was. It was his leadership and willingness to take a risk that led to the discovery of oil on the North Slope of Alaska, and the pipeline that followed 7 years later. He was a giant in the oil industry, in ranching, in business, in publishing, in politics and in environmental circles. A thoughtful and perceptive man--he warned of global warming years ago--he was a patron of the arts and of institutions devoted to study and research, including the Aspen Institute, the Worldwatch Institute and the John Muir Institute of the Environment. As far as I know, he never sought public office, but he certainly held positions of public trust. He was quoted as saying of his industry: Never look back in this business. If you do, you'll lose your nerve.'' He certainly had that in common with many elected officials, including Members of this body, and Presidents of the United States, all of whom regarded him highly as did countless international leaders. He could ``walk with kings, nor lose the common touch.'' It was that ability which was a hallmark of his leadership, and was one of his most endearing and enduring qualities. Married to Barbara Phelps Anderson for 68 years, he is survived by her, and by 7 children, 20 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Their loss is a great and one we all share in some measure.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday, January 31, 2008, at 10 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the regulatory aspects of carbon capture, transportation, and sequestration and to receive testimony on two related bills: S. 2323, a bill to provide for the conduct of carbon capture and storage technology research, development and demonstration projects, and for other purposes; and S. 2144, a bill to require the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study of the feasibility relating to the construction and operation of pipelines and carbon dioxide sequestration facilities, and for other purposes. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record may do so by sending it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to Rosemarie_Calabro@energy.senate.gov For further information, please contact Allyson Anderson at (202) 224-7143 or Rosemarie Calabro at (202) 224-5039. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on February 13, 2008, at 9:45 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to consider the President's fiscal year 2009 budget request for the Department of the Interior. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to rachei_pastemack@energy. senate.gov. For further information, please contact David Brooks at (202) 224- 9863 or Rachel Pasternack at (202) 224-0883.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act was first enacted in 1976. It has enabled us to develop programs and facilities and services that are models of health care delivery with community participation and with cultural relevance. We have accomplished a substantial amount under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. American Indians and Alaska Natives today have lower mortality rates from diseases, such as heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, malignancy, and HIV infection, than they did before. Under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the infant mortality rate has decreased since 1976 from 22 per 1,000 to 8 per 1,000. In spite of the notable improvements, there are still shocking health disparities that remain for Indian people. Let me give you some examples from my home State of New Mexico. First, let me say that over 10 percent of our population in New Mexico is American Indians. We have the second highest percentage of Native Americans of any State in the country. Native American women in New Mexico are three times as likely to receive late or no prenatal care compared to national rates. Native American New Mexicans are more than three times more likely to die from diabetes compared to other New Mexicans. Death rates for Native American New Mexicans from motor vehicle crashes are more than double those of non-Indians. That is largely explained because American Indians on tribal lands have accidents that are far from trauma centers, and therefore they do not have rapid access to lifesaving care. These disparities in mortality rates contribute to a shortened life expectancy for Indians compared to other Americans. National statistics show that Indians live, on average, 6 years less than do other Americans. That discrepancy is as high as 11 years for some South Dakota tribes. The Indian Health Service is one of the primary sources of health care for Native Americans. For years, the Indian Health Service has struggled to meet the needs of the Indian population, but in doing so they have faced enormous challenges. There are aging facilities, staff shortages, funding shortfalls, and all of these present challenges to the Indian Health Service. When facilities and staff are not sufficient to meet the needs, contract health services need to be purchased at the prevailing rates. Funds supporting contract health services generally run out by about midyear, and that leaves the Indian Health Service with no alternative but to ration care. Life-and-limb saving measures are selected by necessity over such things as health promotion and disease prevention. So what resources would be adequate to meet these challenges? To answer that question, I call my colleagues' attention to information that has been provided by the Congressional Research Service. Let me put up a chart that makes the comparison that I think is useful. This is a graphic illustration of 10 years of health care expenditures per person in various of the programs we support. The top line, the red line, is Medicare, primarily individuals 65 or older in this country. Medicaid is the level of funding per capita we provide under Medicaid. The Indian Health Service number is this blue line which is the lowest line on the chart. The sum of all public and private sources of health care dollars divided by the number of users nationally, or the average health care expenditure per American, is depicted in the green line. So we can see that the average American gets substantially more per recipient spent on them for health care services than does the average Indian American. In 2004, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights produced a report entitled ``Broken Promises: Evaluating the Native American Health Care System.'' This report contained four important findings. No. 1, they found annual per capita health expenditures for Native Americans are far less than the amount spent on other Americans under mainstream health plans. That is exactly what this chart says. No. 2, they find annual per capita expenditures fall below the level provided for every other Federal medical program. And, again, that is demonstrated very well on this chart. No. 3, they found annual increases in Indian Health Service funding have failed to account for medical inflation rates or for increases in Indian population. And, No. 4, they found that annual increases in Indian health care funding are less than those for other health and human services components. This 2004 report concluded: Congress failed to provide the resources necessary to create and maintain an effective health care system for Native Americans. The Indian Health Care Improvement Act has not been reauthorized since. That report was done in 2004. Reauthorization of this legislation is long overdue. As many of my colleagues have already said, we need to act now to ensure its swift passage because of the very serious funding shortages within the Indian Health Service. Senator Thune and I are offering an amendment to provide for an expansion of section 506 of the Medicare Modernization Act, which protects Indian Health Service contract health services funding. This contract health services funding is utilized by the Indian Health Service and tribes to purchase health care services that are not available through the IHS and tribal facilities. These are health services such as critical medical care and speciality inpatient and outpatient services. Nationally, the Indian Health Service and tribes contract with more than 2,000 private providers in order to get these services. Unfortunately, because of the very low funding levels available for contract health services, funding often runs out in midyear, as I indicated before. Making this problem even worse, prior to section 506 of the Medicare Modernization Act, there was no limitation on the price that could be charged for contract health services. In many instances, providers were charged commercial rates or even higher rates for those services, far in excess of the rates that were being paid by Medicare, by Medicaid, by the Veterans' Administration, and by other Federal health care programs. Section 506 of the Medicare Modernization Act provided that Medicare participating hospitals had to agree to accept contract health services patients and had to agree that Medicare payment rates would serve as a ceiling for contract health services payment rates to those hospitals. Amendment No. 3894 Mr. President, I send a Bingaman-Thune amendment to the desk and ask for its consideration.