Benjamin Cardin

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I thank Senator Shaheen for her leadership on S. Res. 433. I thank her for coming to the floor this evening to explain what this resolution does, that it would have the Senate go on record in support of recognizing March 8 as International Women's Day. I appreciate Senator Shaheen reading into the Record what is included in this resolution. The resolution supports the goals of International Women's Day. It recognizes that the economic growth and empowerment of women is inextricably linked with the potential of nations to generate economic growth in sustainable democracies. It recognizes the women in the United States and around the world who have worked throughout history to strive to ensure that women are guaranteed equality and basic human rights. It reaffirms the commitment to end gender-based discrimination in all forms, to end violence against women and girls worldwide, and encourages the people of the United States to observe International Women's Day with appropriate programs and activities. I think it is important, as Senator Shaheen has done, to point out we have not been able to adopt this resolution because of the objection of a Senator. This should have been done. There is nothing controversial in this resolution. It has 15 cosponsors. It is bipartisan. But most important, it points out a very important fact about women around the world; that is, that they are being discriminated against; they are being abused; they are being treated unjustly, and we should go on record as to what we need to do in order to recognize that fact. It is beyond dispute. These are the facts. These are facts stated by respected international organizations about how women and girls are abused. We know about the trafficking of young women and girls. We know about the lack of maternal health care. We know about the lack of health care for children. We know about the discrimination in education. In Sub- Saharan Africa, only 17 percent of girls are enrolled in secondary schools. We know about that. We know about the abuses in the workforce, the fact that Senator Shaheen mentioned--66 percent of the work done by women and only 10 percent of the income. These are facts, and we know we need to go on record to say we will not allow this to continue. I am disappointed we are not going to be able to approve this resolution because of the objections. I think it is an inappropriate use of a Senator's right to object. I think it is important the American people understand that. I thank my colleague from New Hampshire for bringing to the attention of our colleagues in the Senate, bringing to the attention of the American people, that we stand for gender equality. Unfortunately, one Senator is preventing us from passing a resolution that should have been passed unanimously by this body. I yield the floor.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for the International Women's Day. Rooted in the long-term struggle for equality, International Women's Day has been observed since the beginning of the last century, at a time when American women were fighting for basic rights, such as voting or fair employment. We should commemorate the determined and courageous women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women's rights. While women have made hard fought and important strides towards equality since then, they continue to face significant obstacles in all aspects of their lives, particularly those living in poverty. Over a billion people worldwide live on a dollar a day or less--and women are most likely to be among them. This is a problem that affects all of humanity--when women are poor, entire communities suffer because they are not free to earn an income, feed their families, or protect themselves and their children from violence. And their efforts are critical to rebuilding countries in peril like Afghanistan and Haiti. Until women around the world have improved access to economic, political and social opportunities, the great challenges we face today will go unresolved. Indeed, investing in women and girls is one of the most efficient uses of our foreign assistance dollars and best ways to make the world more peaceful and prosperous. Decades of research and experience prove that women are more likely to invest their income in food, clean water, education, and health care for their children, creating a positive cycle of change that lifts entire families, communities and nations out of poverty. Simply put, when women succeed, we all do. If we ignore these realities, the results will undoubtedly be negative. The statistics are staggering. A World Bank report confirms that societies that discriminate on the basis of gender pay the cost of greater poverty, slower economic growth, weaker governance, and a lower living standard of their people. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, less than 2 out of 10 women have a job with a regular income and lower economic risk. GNP per capita is far lower in countries where females are significantly less well educated than men. Also in sub-Saharan Africa, inequality between men and women in education and employment suppressed annual per capita growth between 1960 and 1992 by 0.8 percentage points per year. This is significant, as a boost of 0.8 percentage points per year would have doubled economic growth over that time period. But when women's voices are fully included in societies and economies, the reverse is true. According to UNICEF, when women hold decisionmaking power, ``they see to it that their children eat well, receive adequate medical care and finish school. Women who have access to meaningful, income-producing work are more likely to increase their families' standards of living, leading children out of poverty.'' The World Bank states that, at the macroeconomic level, there is evidence that removing gender disparities spurs growth. According to one estimate, growth rates in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa would have been 30-45 percent higher had these regions closed the gender gaps during the school years as fast as East Asia did between 1960 and 1992. The economic growth that can result from gender equality is exemplified by Eugenia Akuete. Eugenia grew up in Ghana surrounded by poverty and started making products from shea butter because she was looking for a way to earn money to help supplement her family's income. At first the market was difficult--she was only producing a small amount, she lacked necessary business and technical training and it was hard to get the shea butter soaps and lotions to U.S. customers. She eventually received training that focused on women's entrepreneurship. Now she is earning a steady income and teaching other women to do the same by producing and selling shea butter. She has 10 employees, most of whom are women, who she pays above than the government minimum and going market rate. She also now employs 300 women in northern Ghana who gather nuts for the factory to convert into shea butter. Stressing that they are all connected to each other, she explained that it is in her best interest that everyone produce the best quality possible--so that all communities benefit. When asked what she would like to tell Americans, Eugenia said that what women like her need most are tools so that they can help each other and themselves.''Yes, we need help,'' she said, ``[but] we are also responsible to other people so that we'll have a multiplying effect. I don't believe in freebies: part of the package of responsibility is that if you are helped you in turn have the responsibility to help someone else.'' As we in Congress and in the administration are moving forward with the vital process to revamp our foreign assistance, we have an opportunity to make women's empowerment a central focus of U.S. foreign policy. With these unprecedented plans as a backdrop, we should remember Eugenia when we are thinking of ways to maximize our foreign aid dollars. Because of the obvious multiplier effect, one of the best ways to do that is to ensure that women are empowered. Women's success always benefits more than one person. While we should reflect on progress that women have made in pushing for greater rights and equal opportunities, we must be conscious we still have much to do in working towards greater global gender equality. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I am committed to continuing to work with my colleagues to put women at the center of U.S. foreign assistance and to marshal all the resources necessary to achieve this goal.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I rise to celebrate service-- specifically the dedication of Americans volunteering in the Peace Corps, which this week marks its 49th year of connecting committed volunteers with meaningful work around the globe. There are a lot of ways to give of ourselves. We donate food. We donate money. We donate time. But the Peace Corps takes community service--global service, really to another level, with volunteers committing 27 months to improve the quality of life in developing countries. Some projects focus on agriculture; others business. Some improve health, while others emphasize education or the environment, but all programs build a unique international relationship with a spirit of volunteer service at its core. As Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I recently saw one program up close during a congressional delegation I led to Morocco, which is an active Mediterranean partner country in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Meetings with local government officials there were informative. And the briefings from the embassy staff were important. But the time we spent with a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Aitourir was nothing short of inspiring. The Youth Development Program there run by Peace Corps volunteer Kate Tsunoda, with help from local community volunteers, is giving children from kindergarten through high school critical education, language, and art skills. Inside a small community center, below a library still in need of dictionaries and elementary schoolbooks, we sat down with a group of young men, some in college, some recently graduated. In a part of the world where unemployment tops 15 percent, these are the people one may see as most susceptible to recruitment by extremists, but not these men. They spoke of dreams that included higher education, better jobs, and a transforming of their local towns. These men credit the Peace Corps program for empowering them and building their language skills. I credit the Peace Corps for something even greater--forging international understanding, something the Peace Corps has excelled at now for 49 years in 139 countries through 7,671 volunteers. On the other side of town, several members of our delegation visited a start-up small business, the brainchild of retiree and Peace Corps volunteer Barbara Eberhart, whose second career is dedicated to empowering the women of Morocco. The group visited a fabric and embroidery shop developed by a community of Berber women aided by a microcredit loan and Barbara's guidance and unbounded energy. These women, unable to read or write and essentially marginalized in Moroccan society, have formed a cooperative where they create fine embroidered goods and sell them in local markets. Their small business not only provides desperately needed income, but gives these women a stronger sense of themselves, their community and hope for their future and that of their children. With Peace Corps volunteers coming from all backgrounds, ages and various stages of life, this program is as diverse as our country. The local citizen collaboration inherent in all Peace Corps work helps build enduring relationships between the United States and Peace Corps partner countries. The Peace Corps invests time and talent in other countries, but it pays dividends back here in the United States as well. Those who are taught or helped by Peace Corps volunteers are likely to have more favorable opinions of the United States. More than that, many of the volunteers themselves are inspired to public service upon their return to this country, some becoming Governors and Members of Congress, including our own colleague and fellow Helsinki Commissioner, Senator Dodd of Connecticut. I left Aitourir thinking Kate was the exemplary Peace Corps volunteer with her welcoming smile, passion for service and genuine love for the Moroccan people. But aware of the success of so many other Peace Corps programs around the world, I know Kate is one of many volunteers--all of whom would have left as great an impression. The Peace Corps is a program that works. Volunteers year in and year out continue to fulfill the Peace Corps mission of bringing training and education to interested countries and strengthening understanding between Americans and our neighbors in the global community. Congratulations to the Peace Corps for 49 remarkable years. I look forward to its continued success.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak using the majority time in morning business.

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

Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I take this time to first thank the Democratic leadership for bringing forward a bill that would extend unemployment insurance; COBRA protection, which allows the unemployed to get health insurance; to extend our highway program, and the reimbursement structure for our physicians under Medicare so our seniors can continue to receive the health care they need. We have a short-term extension that many of my colleagues have been talking about which would extend these programs so there would be no gap in the unemployment insurance protection Americans are currently receiving--or were receiving as of February 28--allowing them to continue getting the COBRA protections and to continue our highway programs. As has been pointed out, one Senator has exercised his right to object, which has caused major problems for this country, and I feel compelled to talk about this because there are real people being hurt by that decision. We need a short-term extension so we can continue the orderly process. It is the right thing to do. We all talk about jobs; that we need jobs. Each of us is committed to bringing up legislation that will create more job opportunities for Americans, and the bill that would be on the floor would help us in that effort by extending important tax provisions so businesses can invest in more jobs for Americans, extending unemployment insurance. Let me point out, for every dollar we spend in unemployment compensation, it brings back $1.90 to our economy. It is the best stimulus dollar you can put out there. It is immediate. This is an insurance program where employees and employers put money away during good times to pay for benefits during recessions and tough times and we are in a tough time. There are millions of Americans who can't find jobs, who are looking for jobs. Americans want to work but can't find work. Many have been looking for work for a long time--for over a year. Now, because of the objection of one Senator, the benefits that should be paid this week cannot be paid this week. In my own State of Maryland, 16,405 people were cut off as of Monday from their unemployment compensation. Each one of these individuals represents a family, and this insurance provides them the ability to feed their families, to keep their house out of foreclosure. This is wrong. They can't find work because there are not enough jobs out there, and we need to extend this unemployment compensation. I feel confident we will, but it is wrong for us to have this gap because of the objections of one Senator. This is hurting our economy. That money should be in our economy. The people who receive this unemployment insurance will use it to buy food, to make purchases that will help our economy. Those dollars are being lost because of the objection of one Senator. The same thing is true with the COBRA protection. COBRA protection says to a person who is unemployed or who has lost their job that we are going to help them maintain their insurance for their family. Now, because of the objections of the Senator, that help is no longer available to those who are unemployed. As of January, there were 6.3 million Americans who had been unemployed for 6 months or longer. Think about that. How can you afford to pay your insurance premiums for health care if you have been unemployed for 6 months? That is why we passed COBRA protection, so those who had lost their jobs could maintain their health insurance for their families, keep them out of bankruptcy, and to make sure, if they had an emergency, their family could get the needed health care and that it is properly reimbursed. We all agree that should be done, and the underlying bill we will take up today would extend that throughout the year, which is what it should do. But in the meantime, that protection expired on Monday because of the objections of an individual Senator. There is the short-term extension of the highway program I wish to mention because 2,000 employees in the Department of Transportation got furlough notices because of our failure to extend that program. I can tell you what it means in my own State of Maryland. It halted work on Federal lands. We had a project--the Great Falls entrance road construction, a $3.1 million project in Montgomery County--that was stopped as a result of the failure to pass this short-term extension. I could talk about the situation in Medicare. CMS is doing everything they can to make sure the physicians--the 600,000 physicians who treat our seniors every day--will continue to participate in the Medicare system. But as of Monday, there was a 21.2-percent cut in physician reimbursement rates. That is unconscionable, unreasonable, and it will deny our seniors access to care. We need to do this in an orderly way. The overwhelming majority of the Members of Congress supports the extension the majority leader and the assistant majority leader have made repeatedly on the floor to allow for this short-term extension. We need to move forward with that and then let us come to the floor and debate the longer term extensions. I have a feeling, when that vote comes up on the floor of this body, you will see an overwhelming number of Members voting in favor of the extension of unemployment compensation and insurance protection for the unemployed because it is the right thing to do. It is the right thing to do as a nation in a recession. It is the right thing to do in order to strengthen our economy and create more job opportunities because that money is spent in our communities and it keeps and expands jobs. It must be part of our strategy in creating more job opportunities for Americans. I take the floor to encourage my colleague to withdraw his objection, let us move forward in a way that is in the interest of the American people and in the interest of our economy so we can continue to see the types of improvements for job opportunity in America. That should be our priority. It is not a partisan issue. It shouldn't be a partisan issue. We need to work together--Democrats and Republicans--and it starts by removing the objection and letting us get this short-term extension and then coming to the floor to debate the bill on the floor that will extend it through the end of the year, as we should. That is what we should be doing today to help the people in Maryland and the people around this Nation and to help our economy grow. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the vote on the confirmation of the nominee occur at 2:15 p.m. and that postcloture time be considered expired at that time; that upon confirmation, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session; further, after this unanimous consent request is granted, the Senate then stand in recess until 2:15 p.m.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010 at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Countdown to Census Day: Progress Report on the Census Bureau's Preparedness for the Enumeration.''

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 2:30 p.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 10 a.m. in room 406 of the Dirksen Office Building.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 10 a.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Trade and Tax Issues Relating to Small Business Job Creation.''

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on February 23, 2010, at 10 a.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Are Foreign Libel Lawsuits Chilling Americans' First Amendment Rights?''

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 10:15 a.m., to hold a African Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled ``Exploring the Nigeria-U.S. Bilateral Relationship.''

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 3 p.m., to hold a joint International Operations and Organizations, Democracy and Human Rights and Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs subcommittee hearing entitled ``Afghan Women and Girls: Building the Future of Afghanistan.''

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 10 a.m., in room 253 of the Russell Office Building.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on February 23, 2010, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 10 minutes as in morning business.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my waiver of the relevant point of order that was recently entered into include all relevant points of order that were raised.

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

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I move that the point of order be waived.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise today on the occasion of Black History Month to recognize the accomplishments of three leading Marylanders in American medicine. Established by Howard University historian Carter G. Woodson in 1927 as Black History Week, this now month-long celebration is an opportunity to elevate awareness of Black Americans' contributions to our Nation's history. It is customary for American families to spend time in February learning more about famous Black Americans who helped shape our Nation, including Marylanders Harriet Ross Tubman, the ``Moses of her people,'' who ran the Underground Railroad, and Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court Justice and the architect of the legal strategy leading to the 1954 landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. Today, I come to the Senate floor to highlight the contributions of three Marylanders who are currently at the pinnacle of the medical profession--Dr. Ben Carson, Dr. Eve Higginbotham, and Dr. Donald Wilson. I have spoken before on the crushing burden of health disparities on our health care system and the urgent need to eliminate them. It is an issue directly affecting one out of every three Americans: 37 million African Americans, 45 million Latinos, 13 million Asians, 2.3 million Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, and 400,000 Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in our Nation. While minorities represent one-third of our Nation's population, they are fully one-half of the uninsured. So when we enact legislation that expands access to millions of uninsured Americans, it will make a difference in minority communities, in minority health overall, and in the health of our Nation. But providing access to comprehensive health insurance addresses only one of the factors contributing to health disparities. Research informs us that even after accounting for those who lack health insurance, minority racial and ethnic groups face inequities in access and treatment; and they have adverse health care outcomes at higher rates than whites. Even when insurance status, income, age, and severity of conditions are comparable, racial and ethnic minorities tend to receive lower quality health care. Therefore, coverage is not enough. Despite many attempts over the years by health policymakers, providers, researchers, and others, wide disparities still persist in many facets of health care. When it comes to equitable care for minorities, low-income, geographic, cultural and language barriers, and racial bias are found to be common obstacles. These inequities carry a high cost in terms of life expectancy, quality of life, and efficiency, and they cost our Nation billions of dollars each year. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland found that between 2003 and 2006, racial and ethnic disparities cost the Nation more than $229 billion in excess direct medical costs. Adding indirect costs reveals a staggering $1.24 trillion from lost wages and premature and preventable deaths and disabilities. By elevating the focus on health disparities, we can bring down these costs and improve the quality of care across the board. If we are to improve the health care status of Americans, we must focus on and eliminate these disparities. One step is ensuring every community has a sufficient supply of well-trained medical professionals, and this is where our Nation's academic medical centers play an essential role. All three physicians--Drs. Carson, Higginbotham, and Wilson--shine as leaders in their medical profession and have devoted their careers to academic medicine. First is Dr. Benjamin Carson, a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon who works daily to save and improve the lives of children as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Carson's story is truly inspiring. He was born and raised in Detroit by a mother who encouraged Ben and his brother to work hard and succeed in school. Dr. Carson graduated high school with honors and was admitted to Yale University to study psychology. He attended the University of Michigan Medical School, specializing in neurosurgery. Dr. Carson completed neurosurgery residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where at age 33 he became the youngest physician ever to head a major division there. Dr. Carson has surgically separated several pairs of conjoined twins and has pioneered new, groundbreaking procedures to save children's lives. Most notable among Dr. Carson's numerous accolades and honors is the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian award, which he received in 2008. In addition to his surgical acumen, Dr. Carson is a dedicated community activist. He is president and cofounder of the Carson Scholars Fund which recognizes young people of all backgrounds for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments. He is also president and cofounder of the Benevolent Endowment Network Fund, an organization that works to cover the medical expenses of pediatric neurosurgery patients with complex medical conditions. Second, I wish to recognize Dr. Eve Higginbotham, an internationally recognized physician who was recently appointed senior vice president and executive dean for health services at Howard University. Dr. Higginbotham is the first woman to chair a university-based ophthalmology department in the United States, and she held this position at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore from 1994 to 2006. Her next appointment was dean and senior vice president for academic affairs at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Dr. Higginbotham is a frontline warrior in the fight to eliminate health disparities. As a member of the Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus Foundation, she developed a glaucoma screening training program that has been implemented in more than 40 medical schools nationwide. Through this program, medical students provide glaucoma screening to elderly residents in underserved communities, making possible early detection and treatment for the leading cause of blindness among African Americans. Dr. Higginbotham was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has served on the boards of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Women in Ophthalmology, and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. She is also a past president of the Baltimore City Medical Society and the Maryland Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. Finally, I wish to recognize Dr. Donald Wilson, who was Dr. Higginbotham's immediate predecessor at Howard University. Dr. Wilson served as dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine from 1991 to 2006. The University of Maryland's medical research funding increased nearly fivefold, from $77 million to $341 million during Dr. Wilson's leadership. His tenure at Maryland distinguished him as the Nation's first African-American dean of a nonminority medical school. While at the University of Maryland, Dr. Wilson also served as the director of the Program in Minority Health and Health Disparities Education and Research. Dr. Wilson has also chaired Federal health committees at the NIH and the FDA, as well as serving on the advisory council of HHS's Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. He was chairman of both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Council of Deans of U.S. Medical Schools. And he was the first African American to hold each of these positions. He is a member of several medical and research societies, including the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Association of American Physicians. He is a master of the American College of Physicians, an honor bestowed on fewer than 1 percent of its members. Dr. Wilson also cofounded the Association for Academic Minority Physicians in 1986. Numerous honors and awards have been bestowed upon Dr. Wilson, including the Baltimore Urban League's Whitney M. Young, Jr., Humanitarian Award. In 2003, he received the prestigious Frederick Douglass Award from the University System of Maryland Board of Regents. Dr. Wilson is also the recipient of the Institutional Leadership Diversity Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Student Affairs-Minority Affairs Section. Drs. Carson, Higginbotham, and Wilson are three living reasons why we celebrate Black History Month. Their contributions have made invaluable contributions to American medicine, but they are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of African Americans who have made a noteworthy impact upon our Nation. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the contributions of these three noteworthy physicians as this body seeks to make health care available to everyone, and join me in celebrating their accomplishments during Black History Month. Mr. President, to clarify, my intention on my previous motion to waive was to waive the Budget Act and budget resolutions with respect to the motion to concur with an amendment and that the yeas and nays previously ordered be considered as ordered on the motion as modified. I ask unanimous consent for this request.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my continued concern over the humanitarian situation in Haiti after the catastrophic January 12, 2010, earthquake. While the destruction has proved to make the aid and relief situation on the ground complicated and difficult to navigate, President Obama's promise to the people of Haiti that ``you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten'' has rung true to date. The global outpouring of support, in resources, money and people on the ground has been encouraging. American contributions and activities, in particular, have been exemplary. All Americans should be proud of how we have responded to help our neighbors who are truly facing the direst of situations. Countless U.S. Government agencies and the military quickly swung into action, managed by Operation Unified Response and Joint Task Force Haiti, and have moved with an impressive and coordinated effort. I would like to make a special mention of the efforts carried out by Marylanders. The USNS Comfort, which we are proud to have based in Baltimore Harbor, provides a mobile, flexible, and rapidly responsive afloat medical capability for acute medical and surgical care, with a 550- person medical team and a capacity of 250 hospital beds and room to treat 1,000 people. The day after the earthquake, the Comfort was ordered to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts as a crucial part of Operation Unified Response. Upon its arrival in Haiti on January 20, the crew of the Comfort immediately began critical lifesaving medical treatment early that day, and on the following day, the first baby was safely born aboard. Four weeks after the earthquake, the Comfort remains on station and is operating at maximum capacity. Surgeries are being performed around the clock and the intensive care units and wards are filled. Navy Dr. (CAPT) Jim Ware, the medical group commander, noted upon arrival, ``We have never had that number on the ship, but we can do it,'' capturing the spirit of the all the U.S. troops on the ground in Haiti. Yet these committed men and women are certainly facing a daunting challenge--the Comfort has cared for more patients in the last 5 days than it did during all of the two wars in Iraq. In less than a week, it has changed from a dormant hospital floating in Baltimore into one of the busiest U.S. Department of Defense medical facilities in the world and we applaud them for their work. I have always been heartened by good work done by the many international aid organizations based in Maryland. IMA World Health, Lutheran World Relief, and the Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore are just a few of many agencies that are providing critical supplies and volunteers on the ground. We are grateful for good news from these agencies, such as the safe return of IMA employees Sarla Chand, Ann Varghese and IMA President Rick Santos, who were trapped for 55 hours under the rubble of a destroyed hotel. In Haiti to work on treatment of tropical diseases that afflict much of the population, they wanted to stay and help with earthquake relief as soon as they were freed from the rubble. While they have now returned home to Maryland, their colleagues at IMA have followed suit, sending 80 boxes of relief supplies, each with medication and supplies to treat common illnesses of 1,000 people for 2 months. The Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services was already providing vital lifesaving and development programming before the earthquake struck and was tapped by the Vatican to head up all of the Church's efforts in Haiti. The 313 permanent staff members on the ground are part of the lead agency providing aid in partnership with the 82nd Airborne Division. They have distributed food to more than 200,000 people through relief distribution sites in Port-au-Prince, and are coordinating with local agencies to speed up the distribution. They have worked tirelessly to open three operating rooms at St. Francois de Sales Hospital in Port-Au-Prince, where volunteer medical teams are now performing up to 200 operations a week, with at least one Baltimore based doctor already working there--Dr. Guesly Delva, a native of Haiti. It is important to remember that donations made by ordinary citizens are what allow these wonderful organizations to continue doing their important work. I am proud that Marylanders have pitched in. Catholic Relief Services has raised more than $38 million in donations, including generous second collections from local parishes. Text donations by Maryland residents to the Red Cross and other worthy organizations carrying out aid and relief projects are in the top 10 percent nationwide. These organizations will continue to need support over the coming months, so I am pleased to see the U.S. Congress, with my support, moved quickly to pass the Haiti Assistance Income Tax Incentive--HAITI--Act, which allows U.S. taxpayers to make charitable contributions to Haiti relief programs before March 1, 2010, and claim those contributions on their 2009 income tax return. The earthquake and the reconstruction effort further underscore the need for smart and effective U.S. development aid to countries mired in poverty, like Haiti. I am heartened to see that the newly confirmed USAID Administrator Raj Shah was in place to skillfully manage the government-wide aid process. But more must be done to strengthen and empower the U.S. Agency of International Development. This is precisely why I was an original cosponsor to the bipartisan Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009, S. 1524. Reforming our foreign assistance matters and can have a direct effect on how people withstand and move on after disasters. If the U.S. has the best trained and most equipped development agency in the world, the foreign aid we deliver and implement will foster sustainable development, enabling the governments of these countries to have the infrastructure and capacity to better manage the situation when tragedy strikes. I am glad this legislation has passed through committee and I look forward to working with my colleagues in both the Senate and the House to ensure effective development assistance is a key part of U.S. foreign policy. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will continue to closely monitor the situation and help provide the needed assistance and resources to our Haitian neighbors.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I would like to commemorate the League of Women Voters on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of its founding. Carrie Chapman Catt and many of the same women leaders who were part of the women's suffrage movement founded the League of Women Voters in Chicago on February 14, 1920, during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held 6 months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. The 19th amendment, of course, gave women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle. According to the league's Web site: [T]he League began as a ``mighty political experiment'' designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. It encouraged them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy. From the beginning, the League was an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play a critical role in advocacy. It was then, and is now, a nonpartisan organization. The league is proudly nonpartisan; it neither supports nor opposes candidates or political parties at any level of government. But the league is actively engaged on issues of vital concern to its members and the broader public. The league has a long, rich history that grows more illustrious with each passing year. For the past 90 years, the league has played an active role in educating not just women but the entire American public about our democracy and about those individuals who are candidates for elective office. Carrie Chapman Catt founded the organization with a call to women of all parties and political leanings to come together in order to help pass legislation that would protect and aid major political movements in the future. Her nonpartisan organization would soon take on a prominent role in politics through its efforts on behalf of citizen education and advocacy. Today, there are more than 850 chapters across the country advancing Carrie Chapman Catt's original idea, including 16 local leagues in Maryland. The League of Women Voters continues to play an important role in helping shape public policy by ensuring that the public is well- informed. Not only has the league been active on the policy front, but it has helped make our democracy stronger by sponsoring debates that educate citizens and by making voter information easily accessible. The league's election information Web site--vote411.org--is an invaluable resource for many Americans, providing information on voter registration and on local, State, and national issues. The league has been instrumental in promoting democracy and civil society abroad, too. After World War II, for instance, the league supported efforts to establish the United Nations, U.N., and became one of the first organizations in the country officially recognized by the United Nations as a nongovernmental organization, NGO. The league also supported the creation of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Marshall plan. The league maintains official observer status at the U.N. today and has special consultative status to the Economic and Social Council. The league served as an NGO delegate to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December. Through its Global Democracy Program, the league has sponsored cultural exchange programs and leaders from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, and Brazil. Throughout my career in public service, I have participated in many League of Women Voters debates, and I have seen first-hand the impact that the league has had on educating the voters about the issues that most directly affect them. We are a stronger democracy thanks to the continuing efforts of the League of Women Voters. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the profound impact the League of Women Voters has had on our Nation throughout its 90-year history. I look forward to working with the league in the future to ensure that Marylanders and all Americans have the information they need to make informed decisions on election day. And I welcome and support the league's ongoing efforts to ``export'' what is best about our democracy to countries around the world. We are fortunate indeed such an organization exists.