Barbara Boxer

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, thank you so much. For most of us in the House and in the Senate, we have spent our lives fighting for what we believe in, always fighting to make our Nation better. We may not agree from time to time, but we are always fighting to make our Nation better. We have fought for social justice. We have fought for economic justice. We have fought for environmental justice. We have fought for criminal justice. Now we must add a new fight: the fight for electoral justice. Every citizen of this the greatest country in the world who is registered to vote should be guaranteed that their vote matters, that their vote is counted, and that in the voting booth in their community their vote has as much weight as any Senator, any Congressperson, any President, any Cabinet member, or any CEO of any Fortune 500 corporation. I am sure every one of my colleagues agrees with that statement, that in the voting booth everyone is equal. So now it seems to me that under our great Constitution of the United States of America, which we swear allegiance to uphold, which guarantees the right to vote, we must ask certain questions. First, why did voters in Ohio wait hours in the rain to vote? Why were voters at Kenyan College, for example, made to wait in line until 4 a.m. to vote? It was because there were only 2 machines for 1,300 voters when they needed 13. Why did voters in poor and predominantly African- American communities have disproportionately long waits? Why in Franklin County did election officials use only 2,798 machines when they needed 5,000? Why did they hold back 68 machines in warehouses, 68 machines that were in working order? Why were 42 of those machines in predominantly African-American communities? Why in the Columbus area alone did an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 voters leave polling places out of frustration without having voted? How many more never bothered to vote after they heard this because they had to take care of their families or they had a job or they were sick or their legs ached after waiting for hours? Why is it when 638 people voted at a precinct in Franklin County, a voting machine awarded 4,258 extra votes to George Bush? Thankfully, they fixed it. Only 638 people had shown up, but George Bush got more than 4,000 votes. How could that happen? Why did Franklin County officials reduce the number of electronic voting machines to downtown precincts while adding them in the suburbs? This also led to long lines. In Cleveland, why were there thousands of provisional ballots disqualified when everyone knew that poll workers had given faulty instructions to the voters? Because of this and voting irregularities in so many other places, I am joining today with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a 10-year judge, an 8-year prosecutor, a 6-year Member of Congress, a woman inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame. Folks, she has great credibility, and she asked just one Senator to take a couple of hours. I hate inconveniencing my friends, but I believe it is worth a couple of hours to shine some light on these issues. We passed the Help America Vote Act, which was important to help American voters, but then we did nothing. Senators Graham, Clinton, and I introduced a bill to ensure that a paper trail go along with electronic voting. We couldn't even get a hearing in the last Congress. In the House, it is the same problem. We need this kind of bill. Let me simply say to my colleagues: I have great respect for all of you. But I think it is key, whether it is Republicans or Democrats, that we understand that the centerpiece of this country is democracy, and the centerpiece of democracy is ensuring the right to vote. I ask you, my friends from both sides of the aisle, when we get busy working within the next few weeks, let us not turn away from the things that happened in Ohio. Our people are dying all over the world. A lot of them are from my State. For what reason? To bring democracy to the far corners of the globe. Let us fix it here, and let us do it the first thing out. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, as we begin a new year and a new Congress, more than 1.2 million Rotarians in 166 countries are beginning the centennial celebration of Rotary International. On February 23, 1905, the Rotary Club of Chicago was formed by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wanted to recapture the friendly spirit of small-town America in a big-city professional club. The new group took its name from the practice of rotating club meetings among members' offices. Rotary quickly grew, with clubs forming across the country and around the world. At the same time, the organization's interests expanded from social and professional interests to community service. Along with public service, Rotary has given the world a high standard of ethics known as the 4-Way Test. This test asks the following four questions of the things we think, say, or do: 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? During and after World War II, Rotary International became deeply involved in efforts to promote global peace and understanding. Rotary members actively supported the founding of the United Nations and helped to establish UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. In recent years, Rotary International has helped communities around the world to address some of the critical needs of our day, including disease, hunger, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and children at risk. Rotary has been the lead organization in PolioPlus, a global effort to immunize all the world's children against polio. On the occasion of the Rotary Centennial, I send my sincere appreciation and best wishes to Rotary International and Rotarians everywhere.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am pleased to have this opportunity to vote in support of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. Passage of this conference report today is an important step forward in defending our country against the new threats that face us. While I expect that the overwhelming majority of the Senate will vote in favor of the conference report today, it has not been an easy road to this point. The Bush administration fought tooth and nail against creating an independent commission to investigate the Government's failings leading to the tragic day of September 11, 2001. And, once the 9/11 Commission was established, the President's record of cooperation was spotty, at best. But largely because of the brave efforts and persistence of those families who lost loved ones on 9/11, these obstacles were overcome and the important recommendations made by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission will be enacted into law. The 9/11 Commission, led by co chairs Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, did this country a great service by conducting a thorough investigation of the events leading up to September 11, 2001. The report issued in July contained more than 40 important recommendations that will make us a stronger nation as we work to confront the dangers of global terrorism. Through the hard work of Senator Collins, Senator Lieberman and others, these recommendations were incorporated into bipartisan legislation that easily passed the Senate. And although the House of Representatives did not take the same bipartisan approach, the final negotiated conference report is a good bill that will improve our ability to fight terrorism in several ways. First, the bill creates a new Director of National Intelligence to serve as the head of all 15 intelligence agencies and control their budgets. This person would be accountable to Congress, the President, and the American people in implementing the National Intelligence Program. Second, the bill requires the President to create a new information sharing environment. The 9/11 Commission found that our ability to defeat terrorism is severely hampered because government agencies are resistant to sharing information. This provision will ensure that information about terrorists is shared not only among Federal agencies, but also between Federal, State and local agencies. Third, the bill creates a new National counterterrorism Center to plan and coordinate counterterrorism missions and a new National Counterproliferation Center to improve the Government's ability to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Fourth, the bill increases the number of border guards and immigration agents while also improving surveillance capabilities along the southwest border. Finally, the bill improves security for our aviation system, including additional funds for Federal air marshals. And while I am pleased that conferees took note of my concern about protecting the anonymity of Federal air marshals, I do not believe the final provision is strong enough. Clearly, this bill cannot be the last piece of legislation we pass to make us safer. There is much more work to be done to protect our ports, our nuclear and chemical plants, and the flying public. Our first responders need far more attention so they have the interoperable communications systems they need, and an adequate number of personnel to protect our streets at all times and for whatever reason. I also believe that we are moving far too slowly on developing countermeasures to protect commercial aircraft against the threat of shoulder fired missiles. I will press hard for action on all of these issues so that we do not simply return to business as usual. America will never forget the tragedy that took place on September 11, 2001. We are a changed Nation because of it. The families of those who lost their lives that day have done tremendous work in fighting for this bill. That is why I am pleased we are passing this bill today. The Federal Government must do everything it can to prevent another attack and today's vote is a step in the right direction.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to 66 young Americans who have been killed in Iraq since October 7. All of them were from California or were based in California. SPC Morgen N. Jacobs, age 20, died October 7 in Tikrit, of injuries sustained in Aaliyah on October 6, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. He was from Santa Cruz, CA. PFC First Class Andrew Halverson, age 19, died October 9 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. CPL Ian T. Zook, age 24, died October 12 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA. PFC Oscar A. Martinez, age 19, died October 12 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, Camp Pendleton, CA. Lance CPL Victor A. Gonzalez, age 19, was killed in action October 13 from an explosion while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Watsonville, CA. 2LT Lt. Paul M. Felsbert, age 27, died October 13 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. MAJ Charles R. Soltes, Jr., age 36, died October 13 in Mosul when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle. He was assigned to the Army Reserve's 426th Civil Affairs Battalion, Upland, CA. He was from Irvine, CA. PVT David L. Waters, age 19, died October 14 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle. He was assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, NY. He was from Auburn, CA. CPL William I. Salazar, age 26, died October 15 from wounds received as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. SGT Douglas E. Bascom, age 25, died October 20 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was a member of the Individual Ready Reserves who was mobilized and assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Jonathan E. Gadsden, age 21, died October 22 at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, Florida, from injuries received during enemy action in Al Anbar Province on August 21. He was assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Richard P. Slocum, age 19, died October 24 due to a non-combat related vehicle accident near Abu Ghraib, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Saugus, CA. CPL Brian Oliveira, age 22, died October 25 from injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Jeremy D. Bow, age 20, died October 30 due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. He was from Lemoore, CA. 1LT Matthew D. Lynch, age 25, died October 31 from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Jared P. Hubbard, age 22, died November 4 when he sustained fatal wounds from an explosion while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Clovis, CA. CPL Jeremiah A. Baro, age 21, died November 4 when he sustained fatal shrapnel wounds from an explosion while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Fresno, CA. LCpl Sean M. Langley, age 20, died November 7 from injuries received as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. SPC Quoc Binh Tran, age 26, died November 7 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 181st Support Battalion, San Bernardino, CA. He was from Mission Viejo, CA. LCpl Thomas J. Zapp, age 20, died November 8 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Combat Service Support Battalion 1, Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Juan E. Segura, age 26, died November 9 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. CPL William C. James, age 24, died November 9 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Huntington Beach, CA. LCpl Nicholas D. Larson, age 19, died November 9 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Nathan R. Wood, age 19, died November 9 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Abraham Simpson, age 19, died November 9 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Chino, CA. LCpl Erick J. Hodges, age 21, died November 10 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Bay Point, CA. SSG Gene Ramirez, age 28, died November 10 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. SSG Michael C. Ottolini, age 45, died November 10 in Balad, Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his up-armored HMMWV. He was assigned to the Army National Guard's 579th Engineer Battalion, Petaluma, CA. He was from Sebastopol, CA. LCpl Justin D. Reppuhn, age 20, died November 11 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. CPL Theodore A. Bowling, age 25, died November 11 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. SSG Theodore S. Holder, II, age 27, died November 11 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. 2LT James P. Blecksmith, age 24, died November 11 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from San Marino, CA. LCpl Kyle W. Burns, age 20, died November 11 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. CPL Jarrod L. Maher, age 21, died November 12 as result of a non- hostile gunshot wound at Abu Ghraib. His death is under investigation. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. SGT Morgan W. Strader, age 23, died November 12 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Nicholas H. Anderson, age 19, died November 12 in a vehicle incident while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Justin M. Ellsworth, age 20, died November 13 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Combat Service Support Battalion 1, Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, CA. SGT Byron W. Norwood, age 25, died November 13 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Benjamin S. Bryan, age 23, died November 13 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Victor R. Lu, age 22, was killed in action November 13 from small arms fire while conducting combat operation in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Los Angeles, CA. LCpl Justin D. McLeese, age 19, died November 14 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. CPL Dale A. Burger, age 21, died November 14 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. CPL Andres H. Perez, age 21, was killed in action November 14 from an explosion while conducting combat operation in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Santa Cruz, CA. LCpl Jeramy A. Ailes, age 22, was killed in action November 15 from small arms fire while conducting combat operation in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Gilroy, CA. LCpl George J. Payton, age 20, died November 14 after sustaining fatal injuries while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Culver City, CA. SGT Rafael Peralta, age 25, died November 15 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. He was from San Diego, CA. CPL Marc T. Ryan, age 25, died November 15 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl James E. Swain, age 20, died November 15 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Shane E. Kielion, age 23, died November 15 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. CPT Patrick Marc M. Rapicault, age 34, died November 15 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Antoine D. Smith, age 22, died November 15 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. PFC Cole W. Larsen, age 19, died November 13 in Baghdad when a civilian vehicle struck his military vehicle causing it to roll over. He was assigned to the 272nd Military Police Company, 21st Theater Support Command, Mannheim, Germany. He was from Canyon Country, CA. CPL Lance M. Thompson, age 21, died November 15 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. PFC Jose Ricardo Flores-Mejia, age 21, died November 16 in Mosul when an improvised explosive device hit his convoy. He was assigned to the 25th Transportation Company, Schofield Barracks, HI. He was from Santa Clarita, CA. SGT Christopher T. Heflin, age 26, died November 16 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Luis A. Figueroa, age 21, was killed in action November 18 from small arms fire while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Los Angeles, CA. LCpl Michael W. Hanks, age 22, died November 17 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Phillip G. West, age 19, died November 19 after sustaining fatal bilateral shrapnel wounds to his legs from an explosion while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from American Canyon, CA. CPL Joseph J. Heredia, age 22, died November 20 in Landstuhl, Germany from wounds received as result of enemy action on November 10 in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Santa Maria, CA. LCpl Joseph T. Welke, age 20, died November 20 in Landstuhl, Germany from wounds received as result of enemy action on November 19 in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. CPL Kirk J. Bosselmann, age 21, died November 27 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejune, NC. He was from Napa, CA. LCpl Jordan D. Winkler, age 19, died November 26 due to a non-combat related incident at Camp Fallujah. The incident is under investigation. He was assigned to Combat Service Support Battalion 1, Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, Camp Pendleton, CA. SGT Trinidad R. Martinezluis, age 22, died November 28 in Baqubah when his 5-ton vehicle rolled over and pinned him underwater. He was assigned to the Army's 201st Forward Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Vilseck, Germany. He was from Los Angeles, CA. LCpl Blake A. Magaoay, age 20, died November 29 as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. SPC Sergio R. Diazvarela, age 21, died November 24 in Ar Ramadi when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Camp Howze, Korea. He was from Lomita, CA. CPL Bryan S. Wilson, age 22, died December 1 as result of a non- hostile vehicle incident in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA. Mr. President, 349 soldiers who were either from California or based in California have been killed while serving our country in Iraq. I pray for these young Americans and their families. I would also like to pay tribute to the 25 soldiers from or based in California who have died while serving our country in Operation Enduring Freedom. SSG Brian C. Prosser, age 28, was killed December 5, 2001 by ordnance from a B-52 aircraft north of Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, KY. He was from Panorama City, CA. SGT Jeannette L. Winters, age 25, was killed January 9, 2002 as result of a KC-130/R aircraft crash in Pakistan. She was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, whose home base is the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, CA. LCpl Bryan P. Bertrand, age 23, was killed January 9, 2002 as result of a KC-130/R aircraft crash in Pakistan. He was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, whose home base is the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, CA. SGT Nathan P. Hays, age 21, was killed January 9, 2002 as result of a KC-130/R aircraft crash in Pakistan. He was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, whose home base is the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, CA. SSG Scott N. Germosen, age 37, was killed January 9, 2002 as result of a KC-130/R aircraft crash in Pakistan. He was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, whose home base is the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, CA. GySgt Stephen L. Bryson, age 35, was killed January 9, 2002 as result of a KC-130/R aircraft crash in Pakistan. He was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, whose home base is the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, CA. CPT Daniel G. McCollum, age 29, was killed January 9, 2002 as result of a KC-130/R aircraft crash in Pakistan. He was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, whose home base is the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, CA. CPT Matthew W. Bancroft, age 29, was killed January 9, 2002 as result of a KC-130/R aircraft crash in Pakistan. He was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, whose home base is the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, CA. He was from Shasta, CA. SSG Dwight J. Morgan, age 24, was killed January 20, 2002 when a Marine CH-53E crashed in a remote region south of Bagram in Northern Afghanistan. He was assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, CA. He was from Mendocino, CA. SSG Walter F. Cohee, III, age 26, was killed January 20, 2002 when a Marine CH-53E crashed in a remote region south of Bagram in Northern Afghanistan. He was assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, CA. SrA Jason D. Cunningham, age 26, was killed in action March 4, 2002 in eastern Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda. He was assigned to 38th Rescue Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, GA. He was from Camarillo, CA. Petty Officer 1st Class Neil C. Roberts, age 32, was killed in action March 4, 2002 in eastern Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda. He was assigned to the Navy SEALs, Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, Norfolk-Virginia Beach. He was from Woodland, CA. SGT Jamie O. Maugans, age 27, was killed April 15, 2002 in Qandahar, Afghanistan as the result of an explosion during explosive clearing operations. He was assigned to the 710th Explosive Ordnance Detachment, San Diego, CA. SSG Justin J. Galewski, age 28, was killed April 15, 2002 in Qandahar, Afghanistan as the result of an explosion during explosive clearing operations. He was assigned to the 710th Explosive Ordnance Detachment, San Diego, CA. SSG Brian T. Craig, age 27, was killed April 15, 2002 in Qandahar, Afghanistan as the result of an explosion during explosive clearing operations. He was assigned to the 710th Explosive Ordnance Detachment, San Diego, CA. TSSgt Sean M. Corlew, age 37, was killed June 12, 2002 in the crash of a U.S. Air Force MC-130H in the Paktika province of Afghanistan. He was assigned to the Air Force's 16th Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, FL. He was from Thousand Oaks, CA. LCpl Antonio J. Sledd, age 20, was killed October 8, 2002 in Kuwait. He died from wounds received in action while participating in an urban exercise as part of Exercise Eager Mace. He was assigned to Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Pendleton, CA. SGT Gregory M. Frampton, age 37, died January 30, 2003 when a MH-60L Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training mission in Bagram. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Fort Campbell, KY. He was from Fresno, CA. PFC James R. Dillon, Jr., age 19, died March 13, 2003 in Kuwait as the result of a gunshot wound. He was assigned to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA. 1st Class Petty Officer Thomas E. Retzer, age 30, died of wounds received in action June 25, 2003 in Afghanistan. He was assigned to the Navy SEALs at Virginia Beach, VA. He was from San Diego, CA. SFC Mitchell A. Lane, age 34, died August 29, 2003 of injuries received from a fall while conducting a fast rope infiltration into a known enemy cave complex in Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, NC. He was from Lompoc, CA. Petty Officer 2nd Class Darrell Jones, age 22, died October 8, 2003 of non-combat related injuries in the United Arab Emirates. He was assigned to the USS Higgins, San Diego, CA. SPC Adam G. Kinser, age 21, was killed January 29, 2004, west of Ghazni, Afghanistan when he was working around a weapons cache and there was an explosion. He was assigned to the 304th Psychological Operations Company, U.S. Army Reserve, Sacramento, CA. He was from Rio Vista, CA. CPL Billy Gomez, age 25, died October 27, 2004 in Landstuhl, Germany from injuries sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Naka, Afghanistan on October 20. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, HA. He was from Perris, CA. CPL Dale E. Fracker, Jr., age 23, died on November 24 in Deh Rawod, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit. He was assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Light Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, HA. He was from Apple Valley, CA. Mr. President, 25 soldiers who were either from California or based in California have been killed while serving our country in Operation Enduring Freedom. I pray for these Americans and their families.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to recognize Harrison Lim, the founder and executive director of Charity Cultural Services, who is retiring after 21 years of dedicated service to the community. Mr. Lim emigrated from China to San Francisco over 30 years ago. Upon his arrival in America, he struggled with the difficulties of learning a new language and assimilating into a new culture. As he worked hard to establish himself in his new country, Mr. Lim noticed that there were other immigrants who faced similar situations. Seeing the struggles of immigrants, Mr. Lim dedicated his life to making sure that new immigrants had resources available to them to ease the transition of immigration. To achieve this goal, Mr. Lim founded and established Charity Cultural Services Center, CCSC, in 1983. Located in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown, CCSC aimed to provide essential services to new Asian American immigrants and their families. Today, CCSC successfully assists over 4,000 people each year by offering a variety of services, from employment-training for adults, apprenticeship programs, and English-as-a-Second-Language classes to school-based academic support services and other activities for youth. Working with local government, businesses, and educational institutions, CCSC's programs result in the ability of new immigrants to improve their quality of life and provide them with a greater chance at equal opportunities. In 1990, seeing a similar need by Asian American immigrants in Silicon Valley, Mr. Lim worked successfully with the Silicon Valley community to establish a Silicon Valley chapter of Charity Cultural Services Center, the Silicon Valley Crosscultural Community Services Center. In addition to his work at CCSC, Mr. Lim has also been involved with other community-based organizations in San Francisco. He has served as the President of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and also sits on the Chinatown Economic Development Committee. Mr. Lim has tirelessly strived to address the issues and meet the needs of new immigrants and their families who find themselves living in two different cultures. Through CCSC, he has enriched the community by helping its residents develop positive identities, build confidence in their capabilities, and become active members of society. Harrison Lim is an invaluable asset to the Bay Area's Asian American community. I commend him for his dedication, hard work and many achievements, and wish him well in his future endeavors. I am sure that, even in his retirement, he will continue to serve as an advocate for the Bay Area's Asian American immigrants. He is the kind of person who makes my state and our country a better place.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. I thank the two leaders and I urge the vote.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mrs. BOXER. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am strongly opposed to a provision included in this omnibus bill that has never been debated or considered by the Senate. It denies millions of women basic information about their constitutional rights and endangers women who are in desperate situations in pregnancies caused by rape or incest or pregnancies that threaten their health or their life. Again, this provision has never been considered or debated by the Senate, yet it is included in this appropriations bill. Given the rules of the Senate, there is no way I can strike this provision of the bill at this point. I could delay the passage of the bill, but I cannot strike this outrageous provision. When the Senate returns to session in January, I will be introducing legislation to repeal this so-called Weldon provision. I feel strongly the Senate must debate, consider, and vote on this issue. It is too important to millions of American women to be slipped into an Omnibus appropriations bill. Therefore, I ask the majority and soon-to-be minority leaders to commit to bring before the Senate by April 30, 2005, my bill to repeal the so-called Weldon amendment, with a minimum of 4 hours of debate and an up-or-down vote on my bill without amendment. I ask the majority leader if he will comment on this?

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Act has been included in the Senate amendment to H.R. 620. I, along with my colleague from California, Senator Feinstein, are the sponsors of the Senate companion measure, S. 738. I would like to thank Senator Domenici, the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Senator Bingaman, the Ranking Democratic Member, for working with us to achieve passage of this very important legislation. I would like to enter into a colloquy with Senators Feinstein, Domenici and Bingaman to clarify our intent behind some of the wilderness management provisions in the bill.

Mrs. BOXER. I fully concur, and I thank my colleague for raising this issue. I would like to ask the chairman and ranking Democratic member whether they share our view that the designation of these areas as wilderness does not preclude their continued use by horsepackers, subject to the agency's management discretion to protect area resources.

Mrs. BOXER. I agree as well.

Mrs. BOXER. I fully concur.

Mrs. BOXER. I do, and I thank my colleague from California for her work on this issue.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, it is my honor to speak in recognition of Supervisor Rex Bloomfield, a strong advocate for the preservation of open space, improvement of county services, and balanced planning for the future of Placer County. Rex Bloomfield has dedicated the last 12 years as Supervisor to improving his community and Placer County. His many accomplishments are testament to his strong leadership and devotion to public service. By creating the Placer Legacy Program he has helped to preserve thousands of acres of open space and agricultural lands in Placer County. Committed to the fight for clean air, he initiated the Sacramento Ozone Summit and worked hard to adopt regional policies to reduce smog, for which he received the American Lung Association's regional award for outstanding leadership. Supervisor Bloomfield established Placer County's first redevelopment area to help fund community projects, such as the Squaw Valley Community Park. Throughout his three terms in office he has made many improvements to his district. Four parks were built, miles of new trails for recreation were constructed, a new library was built with two others expanded, fire safe councils and fire fuels reduction programs were created, Sheriff substations in outlying areas were added, emergency personnel were provided more safety equipment and medical supplies, and a computerized emergency telephone system to warn residents of pending danger was established. Rex Bloomfield has not only committed himself to the betterment of Placer County as supervisor, but also as a teacher and involved member of the community. His teaching career has spanned 31 years. He is currently teaching fifth grade at Alta Vista School in Auburn. He has been a board member with the Sierra Economic Development District, Sierra Planning Organization, Foothill Airport Land Use Commission, Placer County Air Pollution Control District, Placer County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Colfax Veterans Memorial Hall Board, and Foresthill Veterans Memorial Hall Board. I commend Rex for dedicating his life to his family and his community. His accomplishments have touched the lives of many, and his impact on his community and Placer County will be long remembered. I extend my sincere best wishes for his continued health, happiness, and good work. Rex Bloomfield is a distinguished member of the community, and it is with great pleasure that I recognize him today.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, the Senate is not in order.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I want to say to my colleagues who read this bill--I don't know if I can hold it, but here it is. I asked that it be put on everybody's desk. That is a rule in the Senate. You can require that because I think just looking at this you see how not to legislate. I think Senator McCain has made that point eloquently. I am going to speak for about 5 or 6 minutes now. I am going to speak more later. I thank my colleagues who found that ``Big Brother is watching you'' language in this massive bill. It is a horrific thought that some person working for the Government can identify a taxpayer and go after him or her, or go after a business without penalty. This is unheard of. If this is a new America, then let me say we have a lot of work to do around here, and things are going to be slowed down because as much as everyone wants to get home and get with their families, not the least of which is the folks on the floor right now, we may have to sacrifice a little bit if this is the kind of legislation that comes before us in this huge packet. I am going to take just a few minutes to run through another piece of legislation that was thrown in here without any vote in the Senate, without any hearing in the Senate, without any discussion in the Senate, and that is the so-called Weldon amendment which has very many adverse consequences for millions and millions of women of reproductive age in our country. The Weldon amendment is a sham conscience clause. It takes a good conscience clause that was put in place so that doctors who have a moral or religious objection to performing abortion do not have to do that, but what this does is says anyone who wants can claim a conscience clause without giving any reason, and expands it to HMOs and insurance companies. Imagine giving an HMO a conscience clause. Since when do HMOs have a conscience? I haven't met one that did so far. Now, any business entity can decide to tell its doctors who work for it that they cannot give women information about their constitutional right to choose, even in the cases of rape, incest, and life of the mother. In this bill, millions of American women are now at risk, if they are the victim of incest or rape or their life is at stake, they will be denied services and referrals. It is extraordinary to me. Women will be left abandoned in emergency by overriding the Federal Medicaid law. It abandons women in emergency rooms who have life- threatening pregnancies. It overrides title X requiring referral to appropriate clinicians or clinics. It overrides State laws. Now you have from my colleagues who run this place, the Republicans, who always say they don't like Big Brother--first, you have them going after your tax return, and now you have them overriding State laws that respect a woman who may be in deep trouble because of incest, or rape, or her life may be threatened. Can you imagine that? When the American people learn about this--that a woman could stagger in, having been raped by a relative, and she does not have to be told her constitutional rights. Let me tell you, that treats women worse than criminals. Let us see what we do about criminals. We make sure criminal suspects have to be told their constitutional rights. These folks could be suspected of the most heinous crimes. We have to tell them they have a right to remain silent; anything they say could be used against them in a court of law; they have a right to an attorney before they can be questioned; if they can't afford an attorney, one will be appointed. And then they are asked, Do you understand these rights? A woman who may be quite poor, who may not know all of her constitutional rights, up to now has been protected because all the laws we have on the books say she needs to be told what her rights are. Look what we do here to women. Women don't have their constitutional rights explained to them. Under Roe v. Wade, a woman has a right in the first 3 months of her pregnancy to be told that the decision is hers, without government interference. After that, she has to be told that her health and life must always be protected throughout her pregnancy. These are the constitutional rights of women. Yet with this Weldon language which was put into this bill, without a Senate hearing, without Senate debate, without a Senate vote, a woman will be treated worse than suspected criminals.

Mrs. BOXER. I am happy to.

Mrs. BOXER. The State law will be overridden, my friend. And your State--and I know you and Senator Corzine are here to fight for your State. You fight for your State every single day. Right now, in this package, without one hearing, your State, if this bill passes, is going to be told from now on they cannot in any way have protections for women in the law if that State takes Federal funds. Of course, they all take Medicaid funds. They will not be able to protect women. Not only won't they be able to protect women in the sense that the woman can have a legal procedure, but the woman won't even be able to get a referral.

Mrs. BOXER. Yes. There is a gag rule on doctors. The way it would work would be this: If an organization, an HMO, or a hospital, or an insurance company decides it no longer wants to either provide abortion services or even refer a woman to abortion services, they can say to the doctor who works for them, if you want to work here, forget about it. You cannot refer a woman for an abortion. You can't tell her about her constitutional rights. It is a gag rule that will now be permitted on the doctors of this country to the detriment of the patient. I will go over this quickly. Under current law, doctors can choose a conscience objection to provide abortion services. We all support that. If a doctor personally declares a conscience objection problem, he or she does not have to perform an abortion. However, if a doctor doesn't have a conscience objection, under the Weldon amendment, HMOs and insurance companies who no longer wish to provide women with information on their constitutional rights can prohibit doctors from performing them and referring women; they will lose their job.

Mrs. BOXER. Yes. That is why I call it a sham conscience clause. It took a conscience clause we passed in 1997 that was very fair, because none of us, pro-choice or not, wanted to say to a doctor you must perform a procedure that you have a religious objection to, and now we have taken that and thrown it out. We say for whatever reason or for no reason, not only a doctor but an HMO, an insurance company, can decide they don't want to offer the service regardless of State law, regardless of local law, and regardless of Federal law.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 4 more minutes.

Mrs. BOXER. Absolutely. What we have going on here is this enormous spending bill, and buried in it is legislation that was tacked on, in many cases never discussed, such as this one Senator Conrad discovered, where a committee staff can look at Senator Grassley's tax returns or my tax return, or Senator Corzine's income tax returns, or anybody's tax return, and give it to the press. They could choose someone who is a constituent of ours. They could choose someone and find out what charities they are contributing to. This is the big government watching us, and the Weldon amendment is tucked in here without any vote by this Senate, either in committee or on the floor. I will tell you right now, talk about big government watching you. This is big government overriding State laws in many States. It is big government that is abandoning women in the emergency rooms who have life-threatening pregnancies, who walk into emergency rooms, and under a different law that protects this woman, she has to be stabilized. No more; not with the Weldon amendment. I wanted to say to my colleagues that I was willing to stand on my feet as long as it takes because of the outrage I feel for the women in this country because of the way they are treated in this bill. But I have been able to work with Senator Frist, Senator Reid, and Senator Daschle, and it looks as though we will be able to reach an agreement to have a vote on my bill to repeal this Weldon amendment within the next couple of months. At that time, we will shed light on it. I will have far more to say about it. I wanted to tell my friends here--and I thank Senator Feinstein, Senator Lautenberg, and Senator Corzine, who are on the floor--how much I appreciate your leadership on this. This is an outrage.

Mrs. BOXER. I will not allow a vote until we have a colloquy read on the floor between myself, Senator Reid, and Senator Frist which promises we will be able to have an up-or-down vote on the Weldon amendment sometime around April, sometime before that, where we can debate this on both sides, where we can share our views on it. Then I will feel in my heart we have done the right thing by the women in America, at least protecting them by letting the light shine on this piece of legislation, which is a shame for the women of this country, overriding State law, overriding laws that protect a woman who might walk into an emergency room, practically at death's door, and no longer would receive treatment. I thank my colleagues.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am a little confused. I am really confused. Senator Conrad, who brought this issue to the Senate's attention, solves the problem by asking unanimous consent to take this offensive language out of the bill, this ``Big Brother is watching you and your tax returns'' out of the bill, and the passion showed by Senator Stevens in his previous remarks, I was really taken in by them. I felt that he was really upset and that he wanted to resolve this matter. Yet we have an objection to take this out. If the House went home, bring the House back. They shouldn't have gone home with this terrible provision pending. I don't quite understand what just happened. I guess there will be an explanation, but let the record be clear there was objection from the Republican side to take out this offensive language which gives permission for the chairman of the Senate and House Appropriations Committee to designate staff to look at any American's tax return, any business tax return they decide they want to spy on. There was a unanimous consent request to delete that by Senator Conrad, and there was an objection. I am confused. We could have resolved that, and it could have been taken care of, but instead we have an objection. I am sure there is a good reason. Maybe Senator Stevens will explain it, but deleting the language resolves it on our side, and we can get on with the bill. I have a problem with the health issue in this bill that is going to adversely affect women of America. I talked to Senator Stevens. He was very honest and said it had to stay in because of the House, but I was able to work with Senator Reid and Senator Frist and we got agreement and I will not object because we will have a chance to vote up or down on that offensive legislation sometime before April 30. Senator Conrad made a very wise motion to, essentially, ask unanimous consent to remove the offending language, and we could have resolved it. I am confused. I yield the floor so my colleague can have his own time.