Barbara Boxer

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I see Senator McCain here, one of our heroes in America. He is my chairman and friend. I went over to him one day--I don't know if he remembers this. I was so worried about this war, and he said something that turned out to be true. He said: It will be over in 2 weeks. He was right, in essence. It was maybe a little longer. That first military campaign was brilliant. And I said: But, Senator, I am worried about how many we are going to lose. He said: It's going to be OK, Barbara. He was right. But there wasn't a plan in place after that, and we all know that. Yet when the President was asked by the press, Did you ever make any mistakes, couldn't he think of that one? Dick Lugar, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Biden, Senator Hagel, Senator Kerry, Senator Dodd, Senator Chafee, myself, and others on the Foreign Relations Committee came together and said: Where is the plan? We said that before the first shot was fired. So that was a mistake. Then when the President landed on the carrier and he said major combat was over, ``Mission Accomplished'' behind him, that was a mistake. Then when the world said--after that moment, we had them in our hands that day, the whole world when the President landed on that carrier: Can we help you in Iraq? The President said: If you did not go in with us, you cannot rebuild; you are not getting anything. So the spoils of the war were not going to be shared with anyone except those who went into Iraq. It was a mistake in the end. We would have had everyone in there with us. It would have been different. When the United Nations building was blown up, an opportunity to say then and show leadership that this has turned into a war against terror and the terrorists are here now--and by the way, they were not before. We know that from State Department documents. They are there now. We had an opportunity to say: United Nations, you have been attacked; come with us. We did not do that. Now this horrific vision in these prisons. I heard one commentator say: What about the vision of the Americans who were slaughtered and hung on the bridges? Yes, sickening, horrifying, hellish. We cannot go down that road because this is America. When I was growing up, I knew America was different. This editorial that ran today in the Washington Post opened up my mind because I did not call for anybody's firing. I think the Commander in Chief is responsible, and he has to decide who he is holding responsible. This is an interesting editorial. It said, When did the trouble start? It is when Don Rumsfeld, and I assume with the permission of the President, said: We are not going to pay any attention to the Geneva Convention. None of these rules are going to apply. And now what has happened? We don't know all the details, but if it is true, and we do not know that yet, what we see in the paper--and these are real photographs--I do not know that for sure, but if it is true, what we are seeing is something that has stained this country, that has burdened this country and scarred this country, that has undermined everything in which we all believe, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens. It does not matter what party; it is about America. I think it is mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake. What do we do now? I think Joe Biden has great ideas on that. He says the Iraqi people have to want democracy as much as we want it for them. I do believe it is time to test that. We are sending our people into a caldron. We cannot keep going down this course. We have to modify it and change it.

Mrs. BOXER. Yes, and I will be done.

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

Mrs. BOXER. I thank the Chair.

Mrs. BOXER. I ask for an additional 2 minutes per side, and I will finish up. Excuse me, I ask if I can have an additional 5 minutes from leader time, and then I will finish up.

Mrs. BOXER. My word to them is: You are the best, and we will get to the bottom of this. Mr. President, I thank Senator McCain for his generosity.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to speak for 5 minutes using the time that Senator Levin had.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, at 5 o'clock we are going to vote on whether to confirm Mr. Negroponte to be our Ambassador. I want to make clear a couple of points. I voted against Mr. Negroponte for the very issues Senator Harkin talked about in his history when he was in Latin America, during what I believed to be a massive coverup of human rights abuses, which was very troubling. When Mr. Negroponte went there, there was a meeting with him and I said: You are now in a new job, and although I am not voting for you, I want to work with you. We did work together on a treaty banning child soldiers. He worked very well with us on that. There were times when I called him to talk about issues of concern and he was very accommodating. I am going to vote for him today to give him another chance at a job that is so dangerous and so worrisome, because we have a policy in Iraq that is not working. He is willing to go there. I give him tremendous credit for that and I give credit to his family. I also think his ties with people in the United Nations, as we try to get more nations involved, could be helpful. I am not sure, but it could be helpful. I want to express my reservation, now that we see on the agenda of the United States of America one of the worst scandals I think we have seen in a very long time--this prison scandal, which has such enormous ramifications. As one of my colleagues said, it has undone a thousand gestures of kindness and goodness our troops have demonstrated to the Iraqi people and to the people of Afghanistan. People say, Senator, you should not vote for Mr. Negroponte because now we have this other human rights scandal. Well, I feel Mr. Negroponte knows we are watching everything now. America has a way of getting to the truth. The other day I made a speech about making sure that truth will not be a casualty of this war. We need to know the truth. I can tell you, I have never seen anything uglier. When the press came to me and asked how I am going to vote for Mr. Negroponte, I said I want to give him this opportunity. I also feel we ought to be looking to the Commander in Chief right now. It isn't Mr. Negroponte who is responsible for what has gone on here. It is, in the end, the Commander in Chief, and I wish this Commander in Chief would do what others of both political parties did and step up to the plate and admit it. We all make mistakes. God knows I have made many. We do not like to admit them because it shows our fallibility, perhaps our lack of wisdom or experience. But in the end, you have to do that. There have been so many mistakes made since this Iraq situation turned into the nightmare that it is--and let me put it right on the table because I do not come to this table without a certain point of view. I did not vote to go it alone in this war. I worried about going it alone in this war. Now we have to ask ourselves, whether we voted for it or against it, what do we do now? Of course, that is the important question. And what mistakes have been made? There are so many mistakes. The military campaign was brilliant.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I congratulate the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, ACTA, for repaying its loan to the Federal Government 28 years ahead of schedule. ACTA has proven that it is an asset for Southern California and the Federal Government by building the Alameda Corridor on time and on budget--and now repaying the loan so early. I have worked on this project since 1995, when I secured the Alameda Corridor as a high priority corridor in the National Highway System bill. This project is extremely important because the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach receive 40 percent of the Nation's imports, together composing the largest shipping complex in the United States. By taking trucks off the road, the Alameda Corridor helps move goods more rapidly and reduces congestion for many communities in southern California. I am proud to be associated with this project. It is a model for the Nation and a model for innovative finance. I look forward to working with ACTA on new projects supporting goods movement in southern California. I ask that a proclamation signed by the City of Los Angeles, the City of Long Beach, and the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority be printed in the Record. The proclamation follows. Proclamation Whereas, in connection with the issuance of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority Subordinate Lien Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2004A and Series 2004B, the Authority intends to prepay the remaining balance of the Federal Loan dated January 17, 1997 by and between the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) and the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (DOT); Whereas, the City of Los Angeles, the City of Long Beach and ACTA hereby acknowledge the critical role of the DOT in the development and financing of the Alameda Corridor Project; Whereas, the DOT was an instrumental partner in achieving the substantial completion of the Alameda Corridor Project and in significantly improving the transportation system and movement of goods in the Southern California region; Now Therefore, the undersigned hereby proclaim their gratitude and appreciation to the DOT for its efforts in connection with this significant transportation project.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, flags were flown at half-staff recently in memory of Thomas J. Steiner, a California Highway Patrol, CHP, officer allegedly killed by a teenager who wanted to impress a gang. Officer Steiner was 35 years old and left behind a wife, Heidi, and two children, Bryan and Justin. I am honored to stand before my colleagues to memorialize this dedicated officer. On Wednesday, April 21, 2004, shortly before 3 p.m., Officer Steiner exited the Pomona South Courthouse after testifying in traffic court. Before he could get to his patrol car, shots were fired at the officer from behind the wheel of a car. Officer Steiner died at a local hospital later that evening. An arrest was made in the case. Thomas Steiner died because he wore a uniform. Our law enforcement officers know the dangers and demands of their profession, but despite the daily challenges they face, they commit themselves to protecting others and do so selflessly. A five-year CHP veteran, Officer Steiner clearly exemplified the very best. CHP Chief Mike Brown told a news source that Steiner ``loved being a cop. He loved putting on the uniform. He wore it with pride.'' CHP Commissioner D.O. ``Spike'' Helmick called Steiner a ``quiet family man always ready to help.'' Steiner was also known as a mentor to newcomers to the department. He will be deeply missed by all those privileged to have known him. Officer Steiner's murder sent shockwaves through the community. Steiner was known as a solid officer and devoted family man. Whether drinking his morning Gatorade at the station or bottle-feeding his baby on the homefront, Officer Steiner's goals seemed to be simple: to do his job well and be a good husband and father. As the community reflects on the life and memory of Officer Steiner with a very heavy heart, I salute his legacy as a dedicated officer and family man, and extend my deepest condolences to his entire family and to his friends.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask the Senator, may I have 10 minutes?

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Nevada. He worked so hard and long on this underlying part of the JOBS bill, called the Invest in USA Act, because it is going to create, as my colleague said, according to independent analysts, 660,000 new jobs. Why would we want to ruin a provision people from all parts of the economic spectrum have told us is going to work? We want to try this for 1 year. We want to bring back monies that are parked overseas and tax them at 5.25 percent, because right now we are not getting any revenues. It is going to mean $4 billion into the Treasury right away, something we desperately need. It is going to mean, as my colleague says, insourcing, creating jobs here. Last year the Senate voted 75 to 25 for the Ensign-Boxer bill. At that time Senator Breaux was very honest about it. He didn't like it then. He doesn't like it now. But instead of objecting to it flat out, he is offering an amendment that in essence kills the whole idea. I urge my colleagues, if you care about job creation--and I know you all do--please support us and defeat the Breaux amendment. In my State alone we are looking at 75,000 jobs. Senator Breaux is a very effective debater. He says: You are creating another Enron scandal. What is going to happen to this money? They are going to say they are using it for jobs, but there is no penalty in place. The same penalty is in place as in the IRS Code. The CEO is going to sign the plan. And if they don't do the plan, they are in for trouble. That is clear. This is not some plan that is going to be hatched in some accountant's office. It is right out there above the CEO's signature. I hope we defeat this and move on. It is a good underlying bill. Let's keep it as it is.

Mrs. BOXER. I thank the Senator. Mr. President, first of all, let's get matters straight from the get- go. Senator Breaux never liked this in the first place. And I have tremendous respect for him. We just do not agree on this tax provision. As a matter of fact, he voted to strip it out completely when actually we tried--Senator Ensign and I--to get this in before. We won this 75- 25. Only 25 colleagues voted against us. Senator Breaux was leading the charge. Now he says he is just making a correction. Well, I have read his correction. It is a poison pill for many reasons, which I will go into. But I think we ought to get it straight. We are being offered an amendment and told it is enhancing our bill, but it is offered by Senator Breaux, who never liked it in the first place. I think he would be the first one to admit it because he was quite open on the point before. Now, I am proud to stand with my colleagues today to stop this amendment. I think it is very important. I am going to call on the 75 Senators from both sides of the aisle who supported us the last time. I particularly thank Senator Smith because he took the Ensign-Boxer bill into the committee and he got it into this bill, which was most important for us. Now we are here to protect that work. I will say this from the get-go. You could say all you want that we are building trust into this. Well, there is a little more than trust. We are not saying in this bill anywhere that I have seen that the IRS cannot prosecute someone who is not telling the truth. This is not some plan that is done in the dead of night at the accountant's office. There is a committee that has to put together the plan and they have to show how they plan to use the funds. If they lie in that, under an audit, as any of us might have, they have to show that in fact they deserve the deduction. If the IRS says, no, they did not follow the plan, then they will not get those deductions, just like all of us. There is nothing in our bill that absolves these corporations of the usual procedure when you pay your taxes. So I would like to get that out of the way. I want to talk about jobs, because, God knows, in my State we have lost a lot. I want to put up what the various experts are saying, from liberal to conservative, about this Invest in the USA Act that I am so proud to coauthor with my friend, Senator Ensign. What is the potential impact on the U.S. economy? J.P. Morgan says, as a result of enacting the Invest in the USA Act, U.S. companies will increase investment profits earned abroad in the United States by $300 billion. Bank of America forecasts the increase will be $400 billion. Dr. Allen Sinai of Decision Economics estimates that this additional investment in the U.S. economy will generate 660,000 jobs. Finally, we are doing something. The highway bill is stalled. A lot of us are upset about that on both sides of the aisle. That will create 800,000 jobs. Here we will create 660,000 jobs, and Allen Sinai says that is a conservative estimate of how many jobs would be created. And guess what. The Treasury is getting money because these profits are sitting abroad. They are not coming home. They are not being taxed. And we are going to tax them at a 5-percent rate, and that is going to bring funds into the Treasury. There are some estimates that we will receive as much as $4 billion into the Treasury because of this Invest in the USA Act. So how could we take such a good idea and mess it up? That is what we would do if this amendment passes. We know those funds are not going to be brought back. Under the Breaux amendment, let me read to you examples of spending that is not permitted, and you tell me if you agree with this. You cannot use the money that you bring back for job training for workers. You cannot use it for many unemployment benefits. You cannot use it for worker health, dental and hospital expenses. You cannot use it for most employee childcare. You cannot use it to reimburse employees for injuries and accidents. You cannot use it for workers compensation and black lung benefits. You cannot use it for most employee meals and lodging. You cannot use it for worker relocation reimbursement. You cannot use it for employee tuition assistance. You cannot use it for an environmental cleanup and impact analysis. You cannot use it for employee travel reimbursement. You can buy jets with it under the Breaux amendment, but you can't use it for employee travel reimbursements. You can buy limousines with it, but you can't reimburse for the rental of parking spaces for your employees. Here we have an amendment that we have crafted that is actually a bill that is incorporated into the underlying bill, which gives the business community a chance for 1 year to bring these funds home that are parked outside our shores, funds that are sitting out there and not being brought back. We are going to see what happens. We are told by economists from the left to the right it is going to mean job creation. We want to make sure it is used for the things that these corporations need. Instead, you have the Breaux amendment which is micromanaging this deal in such a way that it will affect things as important as job training for workers. Let's just say a business is changing its work product and they have a new way to deal with their workers. They have to teach them how to use new computers and new programming, machinery. They cannot use the money they bring back to job train. Senator Feinstein called this a perfecting amendment. It is not perfecting. It is a poison pill. I am very proud to be part of this group in the Senate that has been pushing for this for all this time. Any statement that we are not going to go after cheaters is ridiculous because we have highlighted in our bill the fact that the company has to set up a committee. They have to print a plan. They have to say how they are spending their money. And if they undergo an audit, they are going to have to stand behind it. The question is whether you want accumulated foreign earnings invested here or abroad. The answer that we get from our colleagues is going to be very important. We can send a wonderful message today if we stand with this underlying language that we are serious about job creation. We are serious about getting this capital back. I believe we are doing a very wise thing. I yield the rest of my time to the Senator from Oregon, Mr. Smith.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mrs. BOXER. As we wind down this debate, I thank Senators Smith, Ensign, and Allen. I think we have had a good debate. I want to thank Senator Breaux for his passion. My colleague, Senator Feinstein, and I do not see this eye to eye. Here is how I would sum it up: On May 15, 2003, the Senate voted 75 to 25 for the Ensign-Boxer-Smith Invest in the USA Act. It was a very clear statement that we want to see job creation. What we are proposing is a 1-year only chance for corporations that have parked their foreign earnings abroad, and that have no intention of bringing them back, to bring it back at a lower tax rate. It would infuse our Treasury with about $4 billion in revenue, and Allen Sinai, a respected economist, says it will create 660,000 jobs.

Mrs. BOXER. I hope we will vote against the Breaux-Feinstein amendment and once and for all make this important bill the law of the land.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the life and mourn the death of Corporal Patrick D. Tillman, age 27, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Pat Tillman was originally from San Jose, CA. He was a true hero. Pat Tillman exuded greatness and humility throughout his short life. He was a shining star on and off the football field. In high school at Leland High in San Jose, CA, Pat was named the Central Coast Co-Player of the Year for 1993 and earned a scholarship to Arizona State University. At Arizona State, he led the team to the Pacific-10 Conference Title and then to the Rose Bowl. In 1997, while at Arizona State, Pat was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Pat also knew the value of a good education. He earned a degree in marketing at Arizona State University, while also maintaining a 3.84 GPA. The Arizona Cardinals selected Pat in the 1998 NFL draft where he played hard for the Cardinals as a safety. In 2000, the St. Louis Rams offered him a substantial increase in compensation to play for them. However, out of loyalty, Pat turned it down to stay in Phoenix. It was Pat's deep loyalty and character that led him to his next career move. After the horrific attacks of 9/11, Pat, who was just returning from his honeymoon, announced that he was leaving the NFL to join the Army Rangers. Pat left behind his new bride Marie and a substantial contract from the Arizona Cardinals. Pat Tillman was not about money or fame. He was a remarkable young man who put his country and its ideals ahead of himself. Pat's physical strength and talents were only overshadowed by his personal integrity. The United States Army posthumously awarded Pat the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. Pat Tillman was a loving husband, son, and brother. My heart goes out to his wife Marie, his parents, Patrick, Sr. and Mary; his two brothers, Kevin and Richard and the countless others whose lives he touched. I want his family to know that people across California and throughout our country share their grief as we also salute the gift of his life and service. Pat Tillman was a man of great strength, courage and patriotism. His example will continue to inspire countless Americans for years to come. It is most appropriate that we honor him for his outstanding courage and his selfless devotion to others and to his country. A hero is gone, but he will not be forgotten.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I thank the managers of the bill for allowing me to have this time. I have been trying to get some time on the floor and sometimes it is difficult. I am very encouraged by the way the JOBS bill is moving. I am a strong supporter of the bill. I support it in particular because I have been working in four areas. One area is to stop runaway film production, and we have good incentives in the bill to help us with that, which is very important to California. Another area is to encourage the bringing back of capital that has been parked overseas for a 1-year experiment to see if jobs will be created. It is a very good provision, and I hope my colleagues will support it as it was written. That was done in conjunction with Senators Ensign and Smith. Third, there is a provision to give farmers a tax credit for water conservation. Fourth, there is a good provision in there to help our local governments that have been paying the salaries of National Guardsmen and reservists to help them with that financial burden. So I am pleased about that. I am also hopeful we can get the highway bill, the transit bill, moving because the Senate bill is excellent and I think if the two parties can reach some accommodation, we should be able to get that moving. So between the JOBS bill and the highway bill, we are looking at a tremendous number of jobs. Certainly, regardless of what State one is in jobs are wanted. These are good jobs and I am very hopeful. I came today primarily to talk about the situation in Iraq. There are many casualties of this Iraq war. Above all are the soldiers who will never return--so far, more than 753 of them. There are the wounded who will need our help to heal physically and mentally--so far 3,864 of them. Then there are the families who, along with their pride, will bear the losses and the scars forever. There are the innocent Iraqi civilians who are the ones our President says we are fighting for, and others caught in the middle, the press, contractors, diplomats. When the President landed on the aircraft carrier 1 year ago, he told us major combat was over. That was wrong and our casualties have grown. For the sake of the troops, for the love of the troops, we must not add yet another casualty to this war. We must not let truth be a casualty of this war. The American people need to know the truth. The American people need to see the truth. In a democracy, letting the people know the truth is the essence of what it means to be free. The President says we are fighting for freedom in Iraq, and that is the current mission. Let us not stifle those precious values in our own country that we love so much. There are some disturbing events going on. Why would we be told by this administration that paying respect to flag-draped coffins of our fallen soldiers is somehow a violation of privacy and the American people would be violating privacy rights if they see those coffins? I think by now all of America has seen those photographs, photographs of those coffins draped with the American flag and the care that is shown to those coffins and those flags by the military. Those pictures we did see were anything but a violation of privacy. They were a moving tribute to our troops. How shocking it is that we only saw those photographs after a Freedom Of Information Act request. We could not get those photographs. How shocking is it that the woman who actually got those photographs out to the public was fired, those dignified pictures. No one's identity is known when you look at those pictures. All we know is our brave young troops are making the ultimate sacrifice. As one grieving parent said when she saw those pictures, she was consoled at the way her son was treated, with love and respect--and the flag. It was comforting to her. It wasn't a violation of her privacy. Those troops didn't have their names put in those pictures or their faces shown. Some will say when they view those coffins that we must stay the course. Others will say change the course. That is what I say: Internationalize this, have an exit strategy and a clear mission. Our troops are carrying 90 percent of the burden. So are our taxpayers. So I believe, yes, we need to change this course. It is not working. But we need to give the Iraqis a chance to build their own future. It should be in their hands. It must be in their hands. That is what democracy is all about. We can teach it, we can explain it, but they must want it enough to make it work for them. The idea of internationalizing this war is not partisan. I am proud to serve on the Foreign Relations Committee where we have agreement between Senators Biden and Lugar about internationalizing. We have Senator Hagel who is on that side, Senator Chafee, myself, Senator Dodd, Senator Sarbanes, Senator Kerry, and really most of the committee--not all, but most of the committee. So we have a chance to get out of this morass in a bipartisan way. Backing up a little bit, this administration didn't want us to see the pictures of the flag-draped coffins. Seven stations from Sinclair Broadcasting Group barred viewers from hearing the names of our fallen heroes. The Sinclair Broadcasting Group is a big supporter of this administration. I asked them why shouldn't the faces of our fallen sons and daughters be seen? Why shouldn't their names be heard? This is America. This is the greatest democracy in the world. But we could lose it as sure as I am standing here if our people are kept from the truth. Yes, in every war people die. In my years in the Congress I voted for two resolutions to use military force. If you vote for war, you need to see the face of it, and so do the American people. There are many faces to war. There is the face of courage, of bravery, of fellowship. There is the face of fear. Above all, there is love of country. As we are learning, sometimes the face of war is brutal. Sherman said, ``War is hell.'' Clearly he saw it. The sickening images of the past few days from war prisons in Iraq do not match with the values and ethics of our country and our people and our military. Something went terribly wrong, and the people at the very top are responsible. There was no talk from the very top about getting to the bottom of this until those pictures made it into the press, those brutal pictures from the prisons. I know we will fix this. We will fix it now because some people in the military had the strength of character to blow the whistle, to tell the truth. I am asking our Commander in Chief to do more than he has done so far, to speak out more, to hold some people at the very top accountable because this scandal has unfortunately hurt our country. It has hurt our cause. It is undermining the thousands of acts of compassion and caring of our military during this rough time. To win the cause we all believe in, the spread of true democracy all over the world, we need to win by example, not just with speeches but by example; not just with military might but by gaining the respect of the world. To win the respect of the world, truth must never be a casualty of war. Let's hear the names. Let's see the faces. Let's see the courage and the fear and the bravery and the failings. The American people are wise. They will decide from all the evidence whether the course we are on should be continued or whether we need a fresh start, a new plan--whether it is all worth it. According to a newspaper report, the Army investigative report painted a picture of a prison in Iraq completely in disarray. To me, that is a metaphor for the aftermath of our initial military success, disarray. There is no plan. There is still no plan. And the problem is not with our brave military but from the highest civilian leadership. We need to measure the dollar cost of this war. So far we have spent $133 billion on the Iraq war, while we struggle to find the means to do what we must at home, for our children, for our health, for our environment. I have a quick list. We have spent $133 billion on this war since March of 2003. Look at all we spend in a year on drug enforcement, $2 billion. Look at all we spend on education for our children, $58 billion. Look at all we spent for a year on afterschool programs, $1 billion. We spent $6.8 billion on Head Start; total highway spending, $34 billion; the Transportation Security Administration, so important in a war against terror, $4.6 billion; Coast Guard, $6.8 billion; veterans' health, $28 billion; National Institutes of Health, to find the cures for cancer and heart disease, $27 billion; total environmental spending, $8.4 billion; and to clean up the most toxic Superfund sites, $1.3 billion. This administration is telling us we don't have the money, even though highways and transit is a dedicated tax. Yet we have spent $133 billion in Iraq. It is time for a timeout, to step back from this morass, to hold people accountable, to change course. I am going to finish up now because I, too, want to move ahead with the bills we have on the Senate floor. But I thought it was worth it to take a few minutes to reflect on where we are. We have lost 168 Californians to date in this war. I have read their names and will continue to do that. If anyone says I have no right to do this--and no one has--but if anyone does want to shut out my words, I will tell them: This is America, and I love my country because my country is based on freedom. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to speak as in morning business for up to 20 minutes.

Mrs. BOXER. I thank the Senator.

Mrs. BOXER. More than 3,000.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am proud to recognize today as the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and want to thank the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy for sponsoring it. The campaign is a non-profit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to improve the well-being of children and families by reducing teen pregnancy. Nearly 900,000 American teenagers become pregnant each year, and over 10 percent of all births in the United States are to teenage mothers. While teen pregnancy, abortion, and birth rates are all going down, the U.S. still has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world. Almost 35 percent of girls become pregnant at least once before age 20. Many activities are happening across the country in recognition of the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. In my home State of California, Pinch Me Films of Berkeley is organizing events to promote open dialogue between young people, parents and educators. In addition, the California Health Collaborative, Merced Rural Teen Pregnancy Prevention is hosting a health fair for youth, and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles--with over 6,000 employees--will have an article about National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month in its employee newsletter, highlighting tips for parents to discuss pregnancy prevention. On November 25, 2003, I introduced S. 1956, The HOPE Youth Pregnancy Prevention Act to address this problem. Specifically my bill would provide additional resources to States, localities, and nongovernmental organizations for teenage pregnancy prevention activities targeted to ethnic minorities and at-risk youth. Fifty-one percent of Latina girls become pregnant at least once by age 20. Fifty-seven percent of black girls become pregnant at least once by age 20. I urge my colleagues to co-sponsor this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support activities that are taking place nationally and in their own States to reduce teenage pregnancy.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am delighted to rise to acknowledge El Camino Real High School's championship win in this year's national Academic Decathlon. El Camino Real High School is located in Woodland Hills, CA. This is El Camino's third win and marks the most national titles any California student group has ever received. It is a wonderful record of which to be proud, and I extend my heartiest congratulations to everyone who made this accomplishment possible. The Academic Decathlon is highly competitive, testing the students in 10 different subjects. The El Camino team headed to Boise, Idaho to compete against more than 300 students from 39 other American high schools and one Canadian high school to clinch the national title. Under the leadership and tutelage of three main coaches, Melinda Owen, Mark Johnson and Rebecca Gessert, the team of eight students collectively spent more than 1,200 hours this year to prepare for the competition, including intense cramming sessions as the big event drew closer. These students sacrificed much of their free time to represent their school, and it is clear that their work paid off. I could not be happier for or prouder of the El Camino team, including Cassidy Ellis, Gary Fox, Jonathan Lin, Patrick Liu, Eric Rasyidi, Adam Singer, Chris Taylor, and Adrian Wittenberg. They have made their school, their district, and our entire State proud, and they have every reason to celebrate their accomplishment. The students could not have won their title without the help of their dedicated coaches. I also salute and congratulate all the teachers, faculty, and students at El Camino who worked with this team and gave them the support they needed to achieve their goals. Congratulations again to El Camino Real High School on this wonderful win.

Ms. BOXER

Ms. BOXER. Mr. President, I would like to recognize a remarkable group of young people who will be traveling to Washington, DC next week, May 1-3, to participate in the national finals of ``We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution.'' This program consists of competitions in which students field questions that test their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. I am pleased to announce that students from Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, CA will be representing the State of California in this competition. With the help of their civics teacher, Matthew Campbell, these students have studied for months to prepare for their role as experts testifying on constitutional issues in a simulated congressional hearing. These students have all worked very hard through first the congressional, then state, and now national competitions. The members of this year's civics team are Nichole Barlow, Anna Currin, Tony D'Albora, Logan Daniels, Shelley DeFord, Michael Gondkoff, Gabe Ivey, Nate Koppikar, Kristin MacDonnell, Sonia Markovic, Jennifer Martin, Lacie McFarland, Shawna McGrath, Nicole Melton, Barry Ripley, Elisabeth Schulze, Sunaina Selam, Kent Stander, and Jae Yoo. I congratulate each of them for coming this far and send them my best wishes for next week's competition. It is very encouraging to see young people take such a profound interest in studying those ideas and principles which are at the heart of our democracy and of our country. I am certain that this type of involvement will only lead to a deeper interest and that it will build strong citizens and strong leaders for our country's future.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I rise to pay tribute to 59 young Americans who have been killed in Iraq from March 22 to April 26. All of them to whom I am going to pay tribute were from California or were based in California. I have previously read the names of all the others connected to California who have died. Sadly, these numbers are going up. I was shocked to just hear on the radio that 11--11--of our troops have been killed today in Iraq. So I am going to read the names of those who are connected to California. And this, again, is from March 22 until Monday of this week. LCpl Jeffrey C. Burgess, age 20, died March 25, due to enemy action near Fallujah. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, CA. LCpl James A. Casper, age 20, died March 25, due to a noncombat- related incident at Al Asad. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. MSgt Timothy Toney, age 37, died March 27, due to a noncombat-related incident at Camp Wolverine, Kuwait. He was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. PFC Leroy Sandoval, age 21, died March 26 due to hostile fire in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl William J. Wiscowiche died March 30 due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province, age 20. He was assigned to 1st Combat Engineering Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Victorville. PFC Dustin Sekula, age 18, died April 1 due to injuries sustained from enemy fire in Al Anbar Province. Assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA. PFC Geoffrey Morris, 19. Private Morris died April 4 due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. Assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Aric Barr, age 22, died April 4 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. Assigned to Twentynine Palms, CA, the same battalion, the same division, the same force. Cpl Tyler Fey, age 22. Corporal Fey died April 4 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the same battalion, the same division, the same force, Twentynine Palms, CA. We have been hurting in California. LCpl Matthew Serio, age 21, died April 5 due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province; also from Camp Pendleton, the same battalion, the same division, the same force. Sgt Michael W. Mitchell, age 25, died April 4 in Baghdad when his unit was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. He was assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Ray Barracks, Friedberg, Germany. Sergeant Mitchell was from Porterville, CA. SP Casey Sheehan, age 24, died April 4 in Baghdad when his unit was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. He was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Calvary Division, Fort Hood, TX. Specialist Sheehan was from Vacaville, CA. Cpl Jesse Thiry, age 23, died April 5 due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. Assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. PFC Christopher Ramos, age 26. Private First Class Ramos died April 5 due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province; the same battalion, same Marine division, same force, Camp Pendleton, CA. Another from the same battalion, the same force at Camp Pendleton, is PFC Derrick Hallal, age 24, died April 6 due to hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. PFC Christopher Cobb, age 19, died April 6 due to hostile fire in Al Anbar Province; also from Camp Pendleton, CA. PFC Ryan Jerabek, age 18, died April 16 due to hostile fire in Al Anbar Province; also from Camp Pendleton, CA. PFC Moises Langhorst, age 19, died April 5 due to hostile fire in Al Anbar; same battalion, from Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Travis Layfield, age 19, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, same force, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Freemont, CA. LCpl Anthony Roberts died April 6 due to hostile fire in Al Anbar Province; the same group of marines from Camp Pendleton. SSgt Allan Walker died April 6 as a result of a gunshot wound while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was from the same battalion, division, force at Camp Pendleton. He was from Palmdale, CA. LCpl Kyl Crowley died April 6 as a result of a gunshot wound while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was from the same battalion, same division, same force, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from San Ramon, CA. PFC Benjamin Carman, age 20, died April 6 due to hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the same group as the others, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Marcus M. Cherry, age 18. He died as a result of a gunshot wound while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province. He was from the same battalion, same division, same force, Camp Pendleton. Lance Corporal Cherry was from Imperial, CA. LCpl Shane Goldman died April 5 due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was from the same battalion, same division, same force, Camp Pendleton, CA. 2LT John Wroblewski. Second Lieutenant Wroblewski died April 6 due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the same group at Camp Pendleton. CPT Brent Morel, age 27, died from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province on April 7. He was assigned to the same group, Camp Pendleton. Petty Officer Third Class Fernando Mendezaceves, age 27, killed April 6 in Iraq while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, 1st Marine Division Detachment, San Diego. PFC Christopher D. Mabry, 19, died April 7 due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was part of the same group from Pendleton, CA. SSgt William Harrell, age 30, died April 8 of a gunshot wound while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province. He was from Placentia, CA. He was part of the same marine group, Camp Pendleton. 1LT Joshua Palmer died April 8 of wounds received from small arms fire while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to the same group of marines, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Banning, CA. LCpl Michael Wafford, 20, died April 8 due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He is from the same Marine regiment, division, force at Camp Pendleton, CA. Cpl Nicholas J. Dieruf, age 21. Corporal Dieruf died April 8 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Christopher B. Wasser, age 21. Lance Corporal Wasser died April 8 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twentynine Palms, CA. LCpl Levi T. Angell, age 20. Lance Corporal Angell died April 8 due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. Cpl Matthew E. Matula, age 20. Corporal Matula died April 9 form hostile fire in Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Elias Torrez, III, age 21. Lance Corporal Torrez died April 9 from hostile fire in Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Ca. PFC Eric A. Ayon, age 26. Private First Class Ayon died April 9 as a result of shrapnel wounds from an explosion while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Ca. Private First Class Ayon was from Arleta, CA. PFC Chance R. Phelps, age 19. Private First Class Phelps died April 9 form hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. LC John T. Sims, Jr., age 21. Lance Corporal Sims died April 10 from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. 1LT Oscar Jimenez, age 34. First Lieutenant Jimenez died April 11 due to a gunshot wound to the head and thigh received in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from San Diego, CA. PFC George D. Torres, age 23. Private First Class Torres died April 11 after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Long Beach, CA. LC Phillip E. Frank, age 20. Lance Corporal Frank died April 8 from hostile fire in Al Anbar province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. Cpl Daniel R. Amaya, age 22. Corporal Amaya died April 11 from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA. LCpl Torrey L. Gray, Age 19. Lance Corporal Gray died April 11 from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, CA. PVT Noah L. Boye, age 21. Private Boye died April 13 from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. LCpl Robert P. Zurheide, Jr., Age 20. Lance Corporal Zurheide died April 12 from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA LCpl Brad S. Shuder, Age 21. Lance Corporal Shuder was killed in action April 12 while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. Cpl Kevin T. Kolm, Age 23. Corporal Kolm died April 13 from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. SSG Victor A. Rosaleslomeli, Age 29. Staff Sergeant Rosaleslomeli died April 13 in Iraq when an improvised explosive device exploded near his escort vehicle. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Vilseck, Germany. He was from Westminster, CA. SGT Brian M. Wood, Age 21. Sergerant Wood died April 16 in Tikrit when his military vehicle pulled off the road and apparently hit a mine while on patrol. He was assigned to the Army's 9th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany. Sergeant Wood was from Torrance, CA. SSG Jimmy J. Arroyave, Age 30. Staff Sergeant Arroyave died April 15 due to a non-combat related vehicle accident northeast of Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to Combat Service Support Battalion 1, Combat Service Support Group 11, 1st Force Service Support Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. He was from Woodland, CA. LCpl Gary F. VanLeuven, age 20. Lance Corporal VanLeuven died April 17 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twentynine Palms, CA. LCpl Ruben Valdez, Jr., age 21. Lance Corporal Valdez died April 17 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twentynine Palms, CA. LCpl Michael J. Smith, Jr., age 21. Lance Corporal Smith died April 17 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twentynine Palms, CA. CPT Richard J. Gannon, II, age 31. Captain Gannon died April 17 from an explosion while conducting combat operations in the Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twentynine Palms, CA. Captain Gannon was from Escondido, CA. PFC Leroy Harris-Kelly, age 20. Private First Class Harris-Kelly died April 20 north of Tallil, Iraq, when his truck went off the road and rolled over because of limited visibility and dangerous driving conditions. He was assigned to the 596th Maintenance Company, 3rd Corps Support Command, V Corps, Darmstadt, Germany. He was from Azusa, CA. Cpl Christopher A. Gibson, age 23. Corporal Gibson died April 18 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twentynine Palms, CA. He was from Simi Valley, CA. Cpl Jason L. Dunham, age 22. Corporal Dunham died April 22 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Twentynine Palms, CA. Sadly, since this list was compiled, we have suffered more and more losses. Today alone, I understand from radio reports, we have lost 11 soldiers. So this list that I read pays tribute to those lost between March 22 and Monday of this week. It took me too long, Mr. President, and I had to ask for more time because, sadly, we have lost more than 700 people, and the numbers are escalating. I say to the families not only of these brave servicemen--and I don't think there was a woman in this particular list--I say to the parents who have lost a child here, and I say to the wives or the husbands who have lost a spouse here, and I say to the children who have lost a dad here, or the siblings who have lost a brother or sister here, you should be very proud of your family member; that love of country takes many forms, and one form is being willing to carry a weapon on to the field of battle where you face death, and that is what these brave men and women are doing right now. As a Senator, I owe you a plan, I owe you a clear mission, I owe you a clear exit strategy. Working on the Foreign Relations Committee with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle--Senators Lugar, Biden, Kerry, Dodd, Sarbanes, Chafee, and all the Members on both sides of the aisle, we owe it to the people to come together now and figure this out. My friend from Montana said this is a war against terrorism. I want to bring us back for a moment to September 11 when the whole world was with us against Osama bin Laden, and I gave the President full authority to go get the people who did this to us. After September 11, as each of us were trying to find out what happened, I asked the State Department about al-Qaida and where al- Qaida operated. I have a booklet that was printed after September 11 from the Bush administration's State Department. Al-Qaida operated at that date in 45 countries, including our own. Iraq was not on the list. And somehow because we did not have a plan and we lost the support of most of the world for this, we find ourselves alone in this matter. For every name that I read, there is a family grieving with tears that we can only imagine. We owe it to them now, because we are where we are, not to come to the floor and snipe at each other, but to find a plan so we can make sure the world is with us and make sure the Iraqi people are with us. Yes, we are going to have those elements--the Baathists and the extremists--but if we can win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, as we have been saying on the Foreign Relations Committee for so long, we can turn this around. But we need to do it with the world behind us, and that takes leadership. For me to come to the floor and talk about all these deaths and then have to ask for additional time because there are so many deaths that I ran out of time--this is not what the American people were told. We need a plan. We need more support. We need an exit strategy that makes sense that gives us pride, that gives the people of Iraq pride, that gives them at least the limited sovereignty they have been promised. This is a very hard time. I support our men and women in Iraq. I am going to work overtime in a bipartisan way to make sure the tone around here can change, and we can come together. Yes, we differed on the way in. I differed with how we went in and with whom we went in, but we are where we are, and now is a time to figure out a way to get us out of there in a way that makes the world safer, makes us safer, and once more puts America in the front of the world as the country that will, in fact, be able to bring democracy in a way that makes sense for the people of the world. I am going to give back my time because I am very anxious to get this bill passed with my colleagues, Senators McCain, Wyden, Allen, and others. I thank the Chair.