Jeff Bingaman

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, September 27, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on hard-rock mining on Federal lands. 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, I rise today to express my support for the conference report to H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. As you know, the cost of college has tripled in the last 20 years. In my State of New Mexico, the cost of attendance at 4-year public colleges has increased by 35 percent since 2000-2001. Unfortunately, the median household income in New Mexico only increased by 11 percent in that same time frame, considerably lower than the rate of increase at public colleges. Each year, there are hundreds of thousands of students who are prepared to attend a 4-year college, but do not do so because of financial barriers. Further, an increasing number of students have to rely on loans to finance their education. In fact, in New Mexico, more than half of all students graduating from 4-year institutions graduate with debt. And the average student in New Mexico now graduates from 4 years of college with more than $16,000 in debt. The conference report to H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, is critical to addressing the skyrocketing costs of college, and making college more accessible to students across the country. This legislation will actually increase student aid by more than $20 billion over the next 5 years, without increasing the national debt. It is paid for by cutting excessive Federal subsidies to lenders participating in the student loan program. This legislation will increase the maximum Pell grant by $500 next year and to $5,400 by 2012. In addition, the bill: simplifies the financial aid process for low-income students by increasing the income level at which a student is automatically eligible for the maximum Pell; protects working students, increasing the amount of student income that is sheltered from the financial aid process; expands eligibility for financial aid so more students will qualify for more assistance; eases the burden of student debt by cutting student loan interest rates in half to 3.4 percent for undergraduate students with subsidized student loans; caps monthly loan payments at 15 percent of discretionary income so that graduates with significant loan debt can better manage their payments, particularly those in lower paying jobs or those supporting children; and forgives the student debt for those who commit to public service for a period of 10 years. This student aid package could mean as much as $200 million over the next 5 years in financial aid to help New Mexico's students and families beat back the rising costs of college. In addition, I am pleased that the conference report will restore critical funding for Upward Bound, a key college access program. Further, the legislation will provide scholarships of $4,000/year for high-achieving undergraduate and graduate students who commit to teaching a high-need subject, such as math, science, special education, foreign languages, or bilingual education, in a high-need school. Moreover, the conference report provides critical support to minority serving institutions. Despite tremendous growth in racial and ethnic minority enrollment at the nation's colleges and universities in recent years, Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans continue to lag behind their non-minority peers in college enrollment. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act will invest an additional $500 million in these institutions, including: $200 million in funding for Hispanic serving institutions--HSIs--to increase the number of students attaining degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math, and to facilitate transfers for students from 2-year HSIs to 4-year HSIs; and $60 million in funding to strengthen tribal colleges and universities. I am particularly pleased that the conference report contains language I authored that would create and fund a program for Native American serving institutions. The legislation will provide $10 million to fund and help create a program for Native American serving institutions, those nontribal colleges and universities that serve large Native American student populations. This conference report is critical to helping American families meet the increasing burden of sending their children to college, and also meets some very important national priorities. I urge my colleagues to support this conference report.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, let me speak as in morning business about a dear friend who died this last Sunday, and that is Ed McGaffigan. Ed has been a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission now for over 10 years. He is the longest serving member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the history of our country. Prior to that, he was a staff member in my office working with me on foreign policy issues, on defense policy issues, on science and technology issues. The country has lost a great public servant, and we have all lost a great friend with the passing of Ed McGaffigan. When I first came to the Senate in 1983, I was appointed to the Armed Services Committee, and I have remained on that committee for essentially 20 years. When I first got here, I needed the help, obviously, of someone who knew something about foreign policy and defense policy, and I called Professor Joe Nye at the Harvard's Kennedy School to ask if he could recommend anyone. His immediate response to me was: There is a young man working in the White House Science Office named Ed McGaffigan. I would recommend Ed without any reservation. If you could persuade Ed to work for you in this capacity, you would be extremely well served. As it happened, I was able to persuade Ed to do that in 1983. He worked with me on defense issues and foreign policy issues and science and technology issues for 13\1/2\ years. Then he moved on and was appointed by President Clinton to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He was appointed to a term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and then reappointed to a second term by President Clinton and reappointed once again by President Bush. I will always be grateful to Professor Nye for his immediate and superb recognition of Ed. Ed had many virtues. He was a man of great faith. He was faithful to his God, of course, his family, his job, and his country. He was known for his love of his family, his wife Peggy, and his children, Eddie and Meggy. He saw his job as public service. He made a decision early in his career to pursue public service. He worked in the State Department, he worked in the White House science office, he worked in the Senate, and he worked as a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In each position, he demonstrated great ability and uncompromising integrity. Ed made it his business to understand whatever the issue was at hand better than anybody else. He had the intellectual capacity and the determination to do exactly that. He sought expert advice, but he was not one who would accept any advice at face value. He was trained as a physicist; he was a physicist. He had an extremely keen mind, and he was in the enviable position of being able to be his own expert, having his own expert views on many subjects. The second advantage I would cite for Ed in his public service was his courage. He employed that courage time and again when he stepped up to be the teller of truth. One recent column described him as a ``debunker of hype.'' There was another story that was written about Ed this week, where he was referred to as a ``feisty advocate for nuclear technology.'' I can see how someone might interpret his statements and actions that way, but, in fact, Ed saw himself not as an advocate for a particular technology--nuclear or any other--but instead as a person who was unafraid to tell the truth even when that went against the popular view, even when it meant dispelling widely shared myths. Ed had the intellectual ability and the courage to accomplish a tremendous amount. There was no question or surprise when he chose to use that intellectual ability and courage to face the illness that did finally claim his life. He did all of the reading that was doable on the subject of that illness. He asked hard questions. He took in the answers, and he managed his life for the last 8 years in the best way possible. As sometimes happens with cancer--which is what ultimately prevailed--there are days of remission and there are also days of illness. Recently, he enjoyed a reprieve from the pain and discomfort that was caused by the disease and the treatment. Bob Simon and Sam Fowler of the Energy Committee and myself were fortunate to have lunch with Ed in the Senate diningroom in June. It was a typical meeting with Ed. He was focused on the future, on how to accomplish the important work of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He was a devoted public servant to the end of his days. He achieved an enormous amount. Much of his ability to achieve in these final months and throughout his career, of course, was due to the superb work of his staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. They deserve great credit, as well, for helping him in these final months. Ed must have been one of the few hospice patients in the country who continued to work 4 days a week. As far as I know, he is the only hospice patient to testify before the Senate in July. Ed made the most of the reprieve he was granted, but this last week his illness came forward and he died on Sunday. He was buried in Arlington, VA, today. The Senate is a poorer place for his passing, and the country has lost a great public servant. We have all lost a very good friend.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a legislative hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, September 25, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purposes of this hearing are to receive testimony on S. 1756, a bill to provide supplemental ex gratia compensation to the Republic of the Marshall Islands for impacts of the nuclear testing program of the United States, and for other purposes; and to receive testimony on the implementation of the Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Marshall 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 should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to Britni_Rillera@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Allen Stayman at (202) 224- 7865 or Britni Rillera at (202) 224-1219.

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 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, September 12, 2007, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the status of energy efficient lighting technologies and on S. 2017, the Energy Efficient Lighting for a Brighter Tomorrow Act. 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, DC 20510-6150. For further information, please contact Deborah Estes at (202) 224- 4971 or Britni Rillera at (202) 224-1219.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation that will transform the lighting market in the U.S. Beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2014, the current 40, 60, 75, and 100 watt incandescent bulbs will be phased out and replaced by lower wattage bulbs that produce the equivalent amount of light. For example, bulbs that currently consume 100 watts of electricity would be just as bright but would consume only 72 watts of electricity. By 2014, the traditional incandescent light bulbs found in approximately 4 billion U.S. light sockets will be virtually obsolete. Their 125 year old technology will be replaced by new technologies such as LEDS, light emitting diodes, halogen incandescent bulbs, improved compact fluorescent lamps and higher efficiency incandescent bulbs. When fully implemented, the new efficiency standards for incandescent lighting will save 65 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This is the equivalent of shutting down 24 new 500 mw coal plants a year and would save consumers almost $6 billion a year in electricity costs. The light bulb standards will save nearly as much energy as of the Federal appliance standards from 1987 to 2000. Energy savings from this one standard are two to three times larger than savings from any other single appliance standard. Unlike the energy savings from longer- lived appliances which are replaced on a 10 to 15 year cycle, the full savings from efficient light bulbs will roll in much sooner, about 1 to 3 years after enactment. My legislation requires the Secretary of Energy to conduct two additional rulemakings to consider imposing more stringent efficiency standards for lighting. The secretary is required to consider a standard of 45 lumens per watt in the first rulemaking and to adopt that standard or an alternative standard that results in equivalent or greater energy savings. If the Secretary fails adopt a standard with the equivalent savings or fails to complete the first rulemaking on time, a 45 lumens per watt standard will become effective in 2020. The legislation also includes detailed provisions aimed at preventing unscrupulous manufacturers from finding ways to avoid the efficiency regulations. The bill seeks to help consumers make their lighting purchasing decisions based on lifecycle cost, lamp lifetime and lighting quality by improving the labeling requirements for light bulbs. In addition, the Secretary of Energy, in cooperation with EPA, Commerce, and the FTC is required to provide an annual assessment of the market for general service lamps and compact fluorescents. The Secretary is also required to work with the lighting industry, utilities and other parties to carry out a national consumer awareness program to help consumers make energy efficient lighting choices. Many of the provisions in my bill were hammered out in negotiations between major lighting manufacturers and efficiency advocates. In fact, Philips Lighting was the initiator of the negotiations on phasing out inefficient incandescent lamps, and Osram Sylvania and General Electric were actively engaged in the process. Many efficiency advocates participated in the negotiations including the Alliance to Save Energy, ACEEE, and NRDC. The negotiators made a great deal of progress but were unfortunately unable to reach consensus on all of the issues involved before the energy bill was considered by the Senate. My bill sets forth a reasonable process that will save a significant amount of energy and also allow manufacturers to plan for and implement major changes in an orderly way. The House energy bill includes a similar lighting provision authored by Representatives Harman and Upton. I intend to hold a hearing on this legislation next week. I hope that what we learn at the hearing will facilitate reaching a consensus on efficient lighting standards during the House-Senate conference H.R. 6, the energy bill. We must take action to assure that the potential energy savings from these standards become a reality. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill 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 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. The hearing will be held on September 11, 2007, 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. 127, to amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 to explain the purpose and provide for the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge; S. 327 and H.R. 359, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and the farm labor movement; S. 868, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Taunton River in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; S. 1051, to authorize National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia at Constitution Gardens previously approved to honor free persons and slaves who fought for independence, liberty, and justice for all during the American Revolution; S. 1184 and H.R. 1021, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating certain historic buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes; S. 1247, to amend the Weir Farm National Historic Site Establishment Act of 1990 to limit the development of any property acquired by the Secretary of the Interior for the development of visitor and administrative facilities for the Weir Farm National Historic Site, and for other purposes; S. 1304, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Arizona National Scenic Trail; S. 1329, to extend the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission, to provide improved visitor services at the park, and for other purposes; H.R. 759, to redesignate the Ellis Island Library on the third floor of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, located on Ellis Island in New York Harbor, as the ``Bob Hope Memorial Library''; and H.R. 807, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the feasibility and suitability of establishing a memorial to the Space Shuttle Columbia in the State of Texas and for its inclusion as a unit of the National Park System. 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 rachel_pasternack@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact David Brooks at (202) 224- 9863 or Rachel Pasternack at (202) Q24-0883. committee on rules and administration

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation that will transform the lighting market in the U.S. Beginning in 2012 and continuing through 2014, the current 40, 60, 75, and 100 watt incandescent bulbs will be phased out and replaced by lower wattage bulbs that produce the equivalent amount of light. For example, bulbs that currently consume 100 watts of electricity would be just as bright but would consume only 72 watts of electricity. By 2014, the traditional incandescent light bulbs found in approximately 4 billion U.S. light sockets will be virtually obsolete. Their 125 year old technology will be replaced by new technologies such as LEDS, light emitting diodes, halogen incandescent bulbs, improved compact fluorescent lamps and higher efficiency incandescent bulbs. When fully implemented, the new efficiency standards for incandescent lighting will save 65 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This is the equivalent of shutting down 24 new 500 mw coal plants a year and would save consumers almost $6 billion a year in electricity costs. The light bulb standards will save nearly as much energy as of the Federal appliance standards from 1987 to 2000. Energy savings from this one standard are two to three times larger than savings from any other single appliance standard. Unlike the energy savings from longer- lived appliances which are replaced on a 10 to 15 year cycle, the full savings from efficient light bulbs will roll in much sooner, about 1 to 3 years after enactment. My legislation requires the Secretary of Energy to conduct two additional rulemakings to consider imposing more stringent efficiency standards for lighting. The secretary is required to consider a standard of 45 lumens per watt in the first rulemaking and to adopt that standard or an alternative standard that results in equivalent or greater energy savings. If the Secretary fails adopt a standard with the equivalent savings or fails to complete the first rulemaking on time, a 45 lumens per watt standard will become effective in 2020. The legislation also includes detailed provisions aimed at preventing unscrupulous manufacturers from finding ways to avoid the efficiency regulations. The bill seeks to help consumers make their lighting purchasing decisions based on lifecycle cost, lamp lifetime and lighting quality by improving the labeling requirements for light bulbs. In addition, the Secretary of Energy, in cooperation with EPA, Commerce, and the FTC is required to provide an annual assessment of the market for general service lamps and compact fluorescents. The Secretary is also required to work with the lighting industry, utilities and other parties to carry out a national consumer awareness program to help consumers make energy efficient lighting choices. Many of the provisions in my bill were hammered out in negotiations between major lighting manufacturers and efficiency advocates. In fact, Philips Lighting was the initiator of the negotiations on phasing out inefficient incandescent lamps, and Osram Sylvania and General Electric were actively engaged in the process. Many efficiency advocates participated in the negotiations including the Alliance to Save Energy, ACEEE, and NRDC. The negotiators made a great deal of progress but were unfortunately unable to reach consensus on all of the issues involved before the energy bill was considered by the Senate. My bill sets forth a reasonable process that will save a significant amount of energy and also allow manufacturers to plan for and implement major changes in an orderly way. The House energy bill includes a similar lighting provision authored by Representatives Harman and Upton. I intend to hold a hearing on this legislation next week. I hope that what we learn at the hearing will facilitate reaching a consensus on efficient lighting standards during the House-Senate conference H.R. 6, the energy bill. We must take action to assure that the potential energy savings from these standards become a reality. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I want to take a very few minutes to comment on the action of the Senate last night in passing and sending to the President the America COMPETES Act. With the passage of the conference report, I hope we will begin a long-term commitment by the Congress and by the executive branch to ensure our Nation continues to lead the world in innovation and economic competitiveness. I will put in the record a full statement of the history that has led us to this point of hard work that has gone on by many in the Senate, in the House of Representatives, as well as in the private sector. Yesterday, the House voted 357 to 57 to pass the conference report and in doing so affirmed that on large issues such as these we can work in a bipartisan way for the benefit of our Nation. Then, later last night, the Senate passed the conference report by unanimous consent. This bill has been more than 2 years in the making. One primary impetus was in May of 2005, when Senator Alexander and I asked the National Academies of Science to report on steps the Congress could take to keep the United States competitive in a rapidly changing global environment. That report, entitled, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm,'' was spearheaded by Norm Augustine, former CEO of Lockheed Martin. It was released in October of 2005 and received significant attention in the U.S. media. The report clearly tapped into an increasing concern among many Americans about the challenges we face in competing against the rising national economies of countries such as India and China. In January of 2006, Senator Domenici, Senator Alexander, and I, along with 67 other cosponsors, introduced the Protecting America's Competitiveness Edge Act, or PACE Act. This bill reflected the recommendations of the Augustine commission and covered a wide array of topics related to competitiveness, including increasing funding for research and education and other provisions designed to encourage a climate of entrepreneurship and innovation. On a separate track, in December 2004, the Council on Competitiveness released their report entitled, ``Innovate America.'' Based upon that report, Senators Ensign and Lieberman introduced S. 2802, entitled the American Innovation Act of 2006. That summer, Senator Frist asked the authors of both bills and other interested Members, including the chairman of HELP, Senator Enzi and Ranking Member Kennedy, to draft a comprehensive Senate bill which was introduced in the Senate as S. 3936, the National Competitiveness and Innovation Act. S. 3936 was introduced in the final days of the 109th Congress as a Fist-Reid bill. Continuing this bipartisan effort in the 110th Congress, Senators Alexander, Domenici, and I introduced S. 761, the America COMPETES Act, which was taken up by the Senate and passed 88 to 8 in April of this year, with Senators Reid and McConnell as the lead sponsors. Meanwhile, similar efforts were going on in the House with the House Science Committee. The conference report that is on its way to the President is a result of bipartisan, bicameral compromise and cooperation. Reconciling the House and Senate bills started before Memorial Day and involved the Senate Committees on Commerce, HELP, and Energy. In the House, it involved the Committees on Science and Education and Labor. All in all, it took the efforts of over 70 staff to complete this legislation. I want to thank the members of these committees for their bipartisan effort and long-term vision on keeping our Nation competitive. I want to thank in particular the staff of these committees, all of whom put in long, hard hours, in many cases juggling the demands of other bills that their committee had on the floor. In the Senate, once things got underway 2 years ago, the process by which we operated was completely transparent--there was never a meeting held that did not include staff from both sides of the aisle. There was a remarkable lack of acrimony, and a striking absence of partisanship. I could not be more proud of this process and the staff that undertook it, and I think the conference report we passed last night reflects that process. It should serve as a model for the way this body should operate. Mr. President, let me quote from the ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm''-- Without a renewed effort to bolster the foundations of competitiveness, we can expect to lose our privileged position. For the first time in generations, the nation's children could face poorer prospects than their parents and grandparents did. We owe the current prosperity, security, and good health to investments of the past generations, and we are obliged to renew those commitments in education, research, and innovation policies to ensure that the American people continue to benefit from the remarkable opportunities provided by the rapid development of the global economy and its not inconsiderable underpinning in science and technology. This legislation represents that much-needed renewed commitment to bolstering our national competitiveness Much of the good work that was contained in the legislation was a result of the report ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm,'' which was issued by the Academies of Science at the urging of several of us in the Senate. This report set out specific actions that needed to be taken by this country in order to keep our economy competitive in the world. Clearly, most of those recommendations have been adopted, and now they have been legislated into law as part of this America COMPETES Act. I thank my colleagues--Senator Alexander, of course, Senator Domenici, Senator Ensign, Senator Lieberman, Senator Kennedy, Senator Enzi, Senator Inouye, Senator Stevens. A great many people in the Senate had a major part in this legislation. I thank them. I also want to particularly thank the staff. The hard work that went into this legislation was truly extraordinary. There were numerous staff from both sides of the aisle who worked very hard to make this effort a success. From the Commerce Committee: Beth Bacon, Jeff Bingham, Jean Toal- Eisen, Christine Kurth, Chan Lieu, Jason Mulvihill, Floyd Deschamps, and H.J. Derr; from the HELP Committee: Beth Buehlman, David Cleary, Anne Clough, David Gruenbaum, Lindsay Hunsicker, David Johns, Carmel Martin, Roberto Rodriguez, Missy Rohrbach, Ilyse Schuman, and Emma Vadehra; from my personal staff: Michael Yudin, who does the work in our office on education issues, was an essential part of the effort from the very beginning and made enormous contributions to the education sections of the report; Melanie Roberts, an AAAS policy fellow in my office, did as well, worked hard; from the Energy and Natural Resources Committee: Bob Simon, our staff director; Mia Bennett; Kathryn Clay; Sam Fowler; Amanda Kelly; Judy Pensabene, who is the committee counsel for Senator Domenici; and Matt Zedler; on Senator Alexander's staff: Matt Sonnesyn and Jack Wells are the two with whom I am most familiar who have worked so hard; from Senator Lieberman's staff: Craig Robinson, Colleen Shogan, and Rachel Sotsky. I also want to acknowledge the great work done by our leadership staff: Jason Unger and Mark Wetjen on Senator Reid's staff, and by Libby Jarvis on Senator McConnell's staff. Let me express my special thanks to the Senate Legislative Counsel's Office for their tireless work in getting this legislation ready so it could be completed before the August recess: Liz King coordinated the conference efforts with the utmost patience; John Baggaley, Gary Endicott, Gary Koster, Amy Gaynor, and Kristin Romero. Finally, let me mention John Epstein in my own office and who works on the Energy Committee staff. I am convinced that if it were not for John's tireless efforts to move this legislation forward and his unfailing commitment to a collegial, bipartisan process, the bill would not have been able to be passed in this timeframe. I am extremely grateful to him for his persistence and integrity throughout the process. Also, let me particularly thank Trudy Vincent, my legislative director, for the great work she did on this legislation from its inception to its completion. I yield the floor.

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 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests. The hearing will be held on September 20, 2007, 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 several bills, including: S. 1377, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the City of Henderson, Nevada, certain Federal land located in the City, and for other purposes; S. 1433, to amend the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to provide competitive status to certain Federal employees in the State of Alaska; S. 1608 and H.R. 815, to provide for the! conveyance of certain land in Clark County, Nevada, for use by the Nevada National Guard S. 1740, to amend the Act of February 22, 1889, and the Act of July 2, 1862, to provide for the management of public land trust funds in the State of North Dakota; S. 1802, to adjust the boundaries of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in the State of Idaho; S. 1803, to authorize the exchange of certain land located in the State of Idaho, and for other purposes; S. 1939, to provide for the conveyance of certain land in the Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico; and S. 1940, to reauthorize the Rio Puerco Watershed Management Program, 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 rachel_pasternack@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact David Brooks or Rachel Pasternack.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation reauthorizing the Rio Puerco Watershed Management Program, which became law in 1996. In the 10 years since it was formalized by Congress, the Rio Puerco Management Committee has helped facilitate a collaborative approach for the restoration of the highly degraded Rio Puerco Watershed, which at 7,000 square miles is the largest tributary to the Rio Grande in terms of area and sediment. The Rio Puerco was once known as New Mexico's breadbasket, with water supply and soil tilth to support that reputation. Over time, extensive ecological changes have occurred in the Rio Puerco Watershed, some of which have resulted in damage to the watershed that has seriously affected the economic and cultural well-being of its inhabitants. This has resulted in the loss of existing communities that were based on the land and were self-sustaining. According to the Bureau of Land Management, while the Rio Puerco contributes less than 10 percent of the total water to the Rio Grande, it represents the primary source of sedimentation entering the Upper Rio Grande with far reaching effects throughout the lower portions of the river. For example, the Rio Puerco contributes the majority of the silt entering Elephant Butte Reservoir about 65 miles downstream of its confluence with the Rio Grande. The Rio Puerco Management Committee has become one of the most effective collaborative land management efforts in the Southwest, particularly given the challenges posed by the multi-jurisdictional nature of the watershed. It has successfully developed and implemented proposals for watershed rehabilitation on a collaborative basis with participation from private stakeholders, various Federal agencies, Native American Indian tribes, State agencies, and local governments. For example, the committee took on the bold proposal of returning the Rio Puerco to its original streambed, originally altered to accommodate the construction of State Highway 44, now U.S. Highway 550, in the late 1960s. According to the BLM, the channel became a primary contributor of erosion and sediment in the river main stem, and even began advancing toward U.S. 550, threatening the highways stability. This large-scale project is one of only three in the entire country that has attempted to reintroduce a channelized river into its original meander. I am proud to say that the committee's holistic approach has also facilitated low-tech but time-intensive restoration projects and community outreach initiatives which have actively engaged community members and the Youth Conservation Corps. This has helped develop a sense of ownership and community responsibility for the restoration of the Rio Puerco while also providing our State's youth valuable resource management skills and teaching them how to be responsible stewards of the land now and in the future. I am pleased Senator Domenici is a cosponsor of this reauthorization bill, and I thank him for always being a strong advocate for this program. The Rio Puerco Management Committee has demonstrated the achievements that can be made by working cooperatively to advance the restoration of and maintenance of this watershed. It is also clear that more work needs to be done, and it is my sincere hope that the Congress and the administration will continue to work in a similar cooperative manner to ensure adequate funding is provided for this important program. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I urge a ``no'' vote on the amendment. This amendment is an effort to inject a very highly contentious abortion rights issue into this children's health insurance legislation. I think it is a mistake for us to do that. The underlying bill which came out of the Finance Committee protects the right of any State in the country to provide health care to pregnant women. It protects the rights specifically of the 11 States that are currently providing coverage under this unborn fetus regulation to continue to do that. So there is no need for this amendment. I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I seek recognition today to engage in a colloquy with a number of colleagues who have been true leaders on one of the most challenging issues facing the world today climate change. As I stated on the floor several weeks ago, the time for action is now. According to the latest scientific findings of our world's leading experts--the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change--the confidence that humans are altering earth's climate has reached 90 percent certainty. It is with this sense of urgency that I recently introduced, along with Senator Specter, the Low Carbon Economy Act of 2007. S. 1766-- which is also supported by Senators Akaka, Murkowski, Casey, Stevens, and Harkin--is the product of over 2 years of deliberation and analysis and enjoys the support of many in industry, labor and conservation. Senator Specter and I are convinced--and I believe my good colleagues from Connecticut and Virginia would agree--that legislation can only attract the bipartisan support needed to put the United States on a path to a low carbon economy if it contains the following: No. 1. mandatory limits on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions; No. 2, an economy- wide approach that meets the economic test of ``no significant harm''; No. 3. increased incentives to accelerate the development and deployment of low and zero emission technologies; No. 4. measures that strongly encourage our major trading partners to begin reducing emissions and that balance U.S. emission-reduction commitments with the necessity of engaging other countries; and No. 5. measures to allocate allowances under the program equitably and efficiently. Ultimately I am optimistic about our ability to forge bipartisan resolution of all of these issues because there is now such broad agreement within this body and within the business community and the general public about the need for real progress and action on this issue. At the same time, I recognize that we have work left to do. Senator Specter and I today hosted a meeting among many of the Nation's leading power producers to explore some new ideas for allocating emission permits within the power sector. We were encouraged by this discussion and plan to broaden the discussion to include a wider array of consumer and environmental perspectives. While the legislation we have introduced and the outline you are sharing today differ in some important respects, I believe that we have a great deal in common. Senator Lieberman and Senator Warner, I stand ready to work to address our differences in the interest in forging a broad consensus capable of passing legislation this year.

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I thank my friends and colleagues for their remarks and their commitment. We must approach this issue in a thoughtful and constructive way. It is my hope that we can take action on this issue by the end of the year. Let's not wait any longer when we know the one course of action we can't afford or defend is continued paralysis.

Mr. BINGAMAN

Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, would the Chair please advise me when half the time allotted to me has been used?

Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, I wish to congratulate the majority leader for taking this time to bring the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program to the Senate floor. Since this program was created, through a bipartisan effort in 1997, the number of uninsured Americans has grown by millions. At the same time, the percentage of low-income children in the United States without health care coverage has fallen by a third. So this is a remarkable achievement, and this program is a large share of the reason for that achievement. The program is critically important to my home State of New Mexico. It currently permits the State to cover over 14,000 low-income New Mexicans and will play a critical role in ensuring that all low-income New Mexicans have access to meaningful health care coverage. I strongly support the reauthorization we have reported from the Finance Committee. Of the many issues before the Senate, I believe reauthorizing this legislation needs to be at the top of our list. Unfortunately, there seems to be a huge gap between what the administration would like to see done on this subject and what in fact is needed. The President has proposed such a small sum of new funding over the next 5 years, $1 billion per year of additional funding, that if we were to accept that proposal, we would have a significant reduction in the size of the program and the number of children covered by the program. Instead of reaching a larger percentage of the 9 million uninsured children in our Nation, the President's proposal would not add to the number of children covered. In fact, it would result in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of low-income children losing their coverage. I also wish to commend Senator Baucus, Senator Grassley, Senator Rockefeller, and Senator Hatch, all four of these individuals, who worked in a selfless and bipartisan way to come up with a proposal they could embrace and they could bring to the full Senate. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the $35 billion over 5 years authorized in this legislation will fill in the shortfalls in funding that have plagued the program for many years. It will allow us to expand coverage to nearly 4 million additional low-income children. Although I strongly support this bipartisan compromise, there are several aspects of the legislation I hope we can still strengthen as we move forward. First, of course, I would like to see greater funding than the $35 billion over the next 5 years that is called for in this legislation. If we could go to the full $50 billion we provided for in the budget resolution, and that I believe the House is trying to enact, we could expand coverage to an additional 5 million children who would remain uninsured at the bill's current funding levels. So there are ways we can improve this bill. I am also disappointed in changes that were made to coverage for adult populations in this program. I will not oppose the compromises that were reached on the issue, but I firmly believe the reauthorization program should not result in the narrowing of the flexibility States have had through this program to cover uninsured populations, including adults. In particular, let me discuss a little of the rhetoric that has circulated around this subject. Coverage of adults is very important to the efforts of my State and other States in our efforts to cover low-income parents and childless adults, but in fact, this program is overwhelmingly a program that is focused on providing coverage to children. Less than 10 percent of the coverage under the SCHIP program currently goes to adults. I believe that has been somewhat taken out of context by many who have discussed the issue. We should also note States are relying on waivers in covering the adults who are covered under the program. States are relying on waivers, most of which were approved and authorized in this Bush administration, to cover these populations. These are not Democratic- proposed waivers, these are waivers a Republican administration has approved. Tommy Thompson, our former Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bush, in his first term stated in 2005, upon approving New Mexico's ability to cover adult populations: This approval means health coverage for tens of thousands of uninsured New Mexico residents--including many uninsured parents whose children are already covered. By giving States like New Mexico greater flexibility in the way they provide health care to low-income citizens, we are helping millions of people across the country to gain access to quality health care. Madam President, how much time remains for my half?

Mr. BINGAMAN. Madam President, let me also go to one other issue which I think is important to deal with, another shortfall in this legislation, and that is the failure of the program to provide dental coverage. According to the Children's Dental Health Project, of the 4 million children born each year in the United States, more than a quarter of them will have cavities by the time they are toddlers, and more than half will have cavities by the time they reach second grade. This is concentrated in low-income rural children who suffer disproportionately from these problems. I believe strongly the Children's Health Insurance Program should be expanded to cover dental care for children across this country, low- income children. This is something we are not able to do as part of this legislation, but I hope we can revisit this issue before final action is taken. A final issue I wanted to discuss relates to important improvements in legislation I hope we can make for legal immigrant children and legal pregnant women. Under current law, these individuals are prohibited from receiving most CHIP or Medicaid coverage for the first 5 years they are resident in the United States on a legal basis. Very often these children and these legal pregnant women, U.S. citizen children I point out, will become eligible for CHIP and Medicaid. It is counterproductive to prevent these legal immigrants from accessing services at the time they become legal residents of our country. Today there is a 5-year bar in place to them receiving Medicaid and CHIP coverage. It exists even though the vast majority of these immigrants are working or are in families with working parents and are therefore paying Federal and State taxes. They contribute significantly to the system, but they are barred from receiving the services they are subsidizing. I highlight that legislation to remove this 5-year bar. I want to highlight that this proposal to remove the 5-year bar has bipartisan support. It has passed the Senate as part of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act. I hope very much that before we complete action and send the bill to the President, we can deal with this issue here. I urge each Member of the Senate to focus on what is the important work that we can accomplish in the Senate, how we can help the lives of children growing up in this country, and how we can make them more productive citizens in the future. Expanding this health care coverage to cover more children is obviously the first and best thing we can do. I hope very much we can pass this bill, go to conference with the House, and come up with a bill the President can be persuaded to sign. Again, I congratulate the Finance Committee for the good work they have done bringing the legislation to the full Senate. I yield the floor.

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 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on August 14, 2007, at 9:30 a.m., at the Clovis- Carver Library, North Annex, located at 701 N. Main Street in Clovis, NM. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the Bureau of Reclamation's implementation of the Rural Water Supply Act of 2006, and Federal, State, and local efforts to plan and develop the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Supply Project. 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 the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on August 1, 2007, at 2:30 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. 1054 and H.R. 122, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Inland Empire regional recycling project and in the Cucamonga Valley Water District recycling project; S. 1472, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to create a Bureau of Reclamation partnership with the North Bay Water Reuse Authority and other regional partners to achieve objectives relating to water supply, water quality, and environmental restoration; S. 1475 and H.R. 1526, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program, and for other purposes; H.R. 30, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Eastern Municipal Water District Recycled Water System Pressurization and Expansion Project; H.R. 609, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project, and for other purposes; and H.R. 1175, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to the ceiling on the Federal share of the costs of phase I of the Orange County, California, Regional Water Reclamation Project. 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 ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I call up Senate amendment No. 2388 and ask for its consideration.

Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

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 Energy of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, July 31, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on renewable fuels infrastructure. 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, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to britni_rillera@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Tara Billingsley or Britni Rillera. 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, August 1, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on recent advances in clean coal technology, including the prospects for deploying these technologies at a commercial scale in the near future. 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, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to rachel_pasternack@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Michael Carr or Rachel Pasternack. 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 Tuesday, August 7, 2007, from 9 to 11 a.m., in the Galisteo Room of the Albuquerque Convention Center, 401 2nd Street, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on Reducing Barriers to Growth of Emerging Energy Technologies--Relationships Between Federal, State and Local Governments. 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, DC 20510-6150, or by e-mail to rachel_pasternack@energy.senate.gov. For further information, please contact Jonathan Epstein or Rachel Pasternack. Committee on Indian Affairs