Thomas Carper

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, before Senator Cornyn leaves the floor, I thank him for his kind words, and I am pleased that we are at the point where we are on this legislation this week. I look forward to both sides exercising constraint--we cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good--and pass the good legislation that has been introduced and debated this week, with the understanding the House will accept it and the President will sign it into law. We heard a fair amount already about the ills of class action lawsuits. Class action lawsuits, in and of themselves, are not a bad thing. Class action lawsuits give little people who are harmed, in some cases by companies, the opportunity--maybe not harmed in a way that the consumers, the little people, lose their eye, arm, leg, or life, but they suffer some kind of harm. The idea behind class action lawsuits is to say when little people are harmed by big companies or others that those people can band together and present their grievances to an appropriate court, State or Federal, and for the people who are harmed to be made whole. At the same time, it is important that when the plaintiffs are bringing a class action lawsuit against a defendant from another State, that the case be heard in a court where both sides can get a fair shake, the plaintiffs as well as the defendant. If we go back over a couple hundred centuries in this country, we ended up with a law that the Congress passed that said if we have a defendant from one State and plaintiffs from another State, it is not fair to the defendant to have the case necessarily heard in the home of the plaintiffs. Someone may have dragged the defendant in across the State lines and put them in a courthouse or courtroom where there is a bias toward the local plaintiffs who brought the case against the defendant from another State, and in an effort to try to make sure that we are fair to both parties, those who are bringing the accusations and those who are defending against them, we have the Federal courts which were established in many cases to resolve those kinds of issues. Unfortunately, we have seen an abuse of some class action lawsuits in recent years which led the Congress to begin debating this issue and considering legislation to address these abuses starting in, I want to say 1997, 7 years ago. The original problem that was discovered or was pointed out is this: There seems to be a growing prevalence of plaintiffs' attorneys who are forum shopping in State or local courts where the plaintiff class may have an inordinate advantage against the defendant. I will not go into the examples today, but there are any number of instances where one can see forum shopping has gone on, a State or a county courthouse has certified a class, agreed to hear a case, and it sets up a situation where the defendant company or the defendant knows they are going to have a hard time getting a fair shake in that courthouse. As a result, the defendant will agree to a settlement with the plaintiffs' attorneys. The settlement may richly reward the plaintiffs' attorneys for bringing the case, the defendant may cut their losses, but the folks on whose behalf the litigation was brought in the first place, those who allegedly are harmed, in many instances get little or nothing for their harm. That is not a fair situation. It is not fair to the little people on whose behalf the case has been brought. It is arguably not fair to the defendant because they are in a courtroom where they do not have a fair chance to defend themselves. It can be fixed, and it ought to be fixed. The legislation before us today will not end the practice of class action lawsuits being litigated and decided in State courts. I believe the majority of class action lawsuits, even if this legislation is passed, which I am encouraged that it will, will still continue to be held in State courts, and they should be. We will have the opportunity to explain why that is true later on. Before my 5 minutes expires, I conclude with this: There are any number of people on both sides of the aisle who would like to offer amendments to this bill. We have been working for 7 years to try to pass something that the House, the Senate, and the President will agree to. The time has come. To the extent that we make a change, whether it is in a Republican amendment or a Democratic amendment that might be offered, if we make a change, we invite the other side to retaliate and to offer their amendments and perhaps to adopt their amendments. For those of us who want to see this bill passed, I believe this legislation is about the fairest balance we are going to get, and I would encourage us to support it. We should consider and debate the amendments but in the end turn those amendments down. I look forward to debating each of those amendments, and I hope in the end we can accomplish three things with this legislation: No. 1, make sure that where small people are harmed in a modest way, they have the opportunity to be made whole; No. 2, make sure that the defendants who are pulled into court on these class action lawsuits have a reasonable chance of getting a fair shake; and lastly, I am not interested in overburdening Federal judges. I think most of this litigation should remain in State court. I believe the compromise we have struck will do that. Those are our three goals, and I look forward to the debate that is going to follow.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President. I rise today to recognize and congratulate Geoffrey ``Rocky'' Myers, the senior strong safety at Wesley College in Dover, DE, who has been named the recipient of the 12th annual Gagliardi Trophy. This award is given annually to the outstanding football player in the NCAA Division III and is the Division III equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. His recognition demonstrates the success that comes from hard work, perseverance, and the experience of a remarkable team as well as a dedicated coach, and the support of an outstanding college. The Gagliardi Trophy was presented to Rocky on December 16, 2004, in Salem, VA, in the presence of his proud parents, Gilbert and Cheryl. Unlike the Heisman, this trophy, sponsored by Jostens, Inc. and administered by the SJU J-Club, recognizes excellence in academics and community service, as well as athletics. A native of Bowers Beach, DE, Rocky attended W.T. Chipman Middle School and Lake Forest High School through his sophomore year and finished his high school career, graduating second in his class, at Caesar Rodney High School in Camden, DE. At Wesley, Rocky played in all 10 games of the 2004 season for the 8-2 Wesley College Wolverines and totaled 124 tackles, 62 of which were solo tackles, along with 62 assists. Rocky also had 6.5 tackles for a loss of 20 yards and five interceptions for 84 yards. A ``Football Gazette'' National Player of the Week, ECAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week and three-time ACFC Defensive Player of the Week, Rocky ranks 11th nationally with 12.4 total tackles per game, 13th with 1.7 passes defended per game and 30th with 6.1 solo tackles per game this season. Rocky was named to the All-ACFC and All-ACFC Academic Team for all four years of his college career. One of only three Division III players and 15 total scholar-athletes, Rocky was named to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame's 2004 National Scholar- Athlete Class. He is the only wolverine to be named a team captain three consecutive years. In addition to his expertise and agility on the football field, Rocky is a 4.0 academic record student who is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. He was selected for his academic achievements and leadership on campus and in the neighboring communities. Rocky has done volunteer work with the youth reading program at North Dover Elementary and in the Guidance Office of the Dover Central Middle School. He has also spent time helping the senior citizens of Frederica, DE, relocate to their new senior facility and was a camp counselor at the St. Thomas More Middle School Youth Basketball Camp. At Wesley, Rocky was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the past three years, as well as a Wesley College tutor for four years. Rocky's academic achievements include a nomination to the ``USA Today'' Academic All-American, National Dean's List and U.S. Achievement Academy College All-American Scholar. The Gagliardi Trophy is named for John Gagliardi, legendary head coach at St. John's University (SJU) in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he became the most successful coach in college football history with 409 wins on November 8, 2003. Gagliardi currently has 421 career victories in his 56 years of coaching, 52 of those being at SJU. College Presidents nominate their top student-athletes for this award. The J-Club Board of Directors narrows the field to 10 finalists and a national selection committee selects the winner. Dr. Scott Miller, President of Wesley College, nominated Rocky. In the words of Dr. Miller, ``Rocky is a student-leader of significant note. Students like him emerge only once in a generation. The fact that he is an athlete makes his accomplishments even more noteworthy.'' Today, I rise to extend congratulations and best wishes to Rocky Myers and his family and all of the fine students, athletes, coaches and faculty at Wesley College that helped to make this award possible. We wish him fun times relaxing in the California sun this summer and the best of luck as he pursues graduate school in the fall.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of Lloyd H. Ross upon his retirement from Newark High School in Newark, DE, after more than 34 years of dedicated service. He is a man with a kind heart, diverse interests and great abilities. Lloyd embodies the best of Delaware. Lloyd was born on August 25, 1948 in Nicholson, PA. He graduated from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Music Education in 1970. He then went on to complete his Master's in Music Education at West Chester University in 1974. Lloyd has also done postgraduate work at Peabody Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, University of Delaware, Ithaca University and Villanova University. During the last year of his Master's program at West Chester University, Lloyd received a job offer from Newark High School. He commuted from West Chester to Newark for the year, and then moved to Newark. The rest, as they say, is history. Lloyd has been a fixture at Newark High School ever since and became an institution there over time. Lloyd met his wife Joan while in college at Susquehanna University. They married on June 14, 1970 and now have two children, Sharon and Jeff, and one grandchild, Ashley. Over the past 3 decades, Lloyd has taken the jazz ensemble at Newark High School to national competitions including the Mobile Jazz Festival in Alabama, the Berklee Jazz Festival in Boston, and the All-American Jazz Festival in Orlando, as well as numerous jazz festivals in the tri-state area. Lloyd and the Newark High School band have performed in 105 field show festivals, 107 parades, 385 football games, 148 concerts, 193 jazz festivals, 158 pep assemblies, 144 special performances and 34 graduations. The music department has won over 925 trophies. From 1978 to 1988, Lloyd directed the First State Symphonic Band in over 110 concerts and 500 rehearsals. Lloyd's memberships have included: Delaware Music Educations Association, National Band Association, International Association of Jazz Educations and the Music Education National Conference. Described by his friend of over 30 years, Jonathan Wittman, Lloyd is a jovial, friendly kind-hearted man. He always looks for the humor in life, and finds a way to use humor positively and as a way to get his point across when teaching. He is personable and easy-going man who enjoys life to the fullest. Lloyd plans to work part-time after his retirement with students and teachers at the University of Delaware. He also plans to spend time on his hobbies, which include travel, photography, and woodworking. Through his tireless efforts, Lloyd has made a profound difference in the lives of thousands of students, while enriching and enhancing countless lives in the first State. Upon his retirement, he will leave behind a legacy of commitment to public service for both his children and grandchildren and for the generations that will follow. It is my privilege to congratulate Lloyd on a truly remarkable and distinguished career. I wish him and his family only the very best in all that lies ahead for each of them.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of the Reverend Gloria L. Cherry upon her retirement. Pastor Cherry has served the state of Delaware for countless years and her leadership over that span of time has won her the respect and gratitude of our entire state. She has been, and remains, a trusted friend. Pastor Cherry was born in New Church, VA, on July 3, 1935, to the late Marvin and Bertha Trader. She came to Delaware at a young age and attended Phillip C. Showell Elementary in Selbyville, DE, and received her high school education from Howard High in Wilmington, DE. Pastor Cherry is the wife of the late Christopher H. Cherry. The two met and were married in Delaware on May 1, 1976. Gloria is the proud and beloved mother of five children, Larry Robinson, Garry Robinson, Addie Merchant, Bertha Hardman and Lorri Jamison; eight grandchildren, Ryan, Rodney and David Robinson, Willie Hardman, III, Christopher and Bobbie Merchant and Winston, Shavon and Dionna Jamison and one great grandson, Ryan Robinson, Jr. Pastor Cherry was ordained in Spain in 1978 where she received her calling from God. She studied under Pastor Eliah Holland and became a licensed minister in 1980. In 1983, she founded the First United Church of Gospel Ministries which in 2004 was renamed the Healing Wings Christian Center. Pastor Cherry's service has extended far beyond the church and well into the community. Through the First United Church of Gospel Ministries, she, along with a group of concerned citizens met to discuss the challenges facing young people such as teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and discipline issues. As a result, the Because We Care, Inc. community-based organization was formed. Through a grant from the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, Pastor Cherry founded the Because We Care Alternative Middle School in Dover, DE. The Because We Care Alternative Middle School is a nonprofit agency that provides continuing education to Kent County middle school children who have been expelled or are on the verge of expulsion. The Because We Care Alternative Middle School serves the five school districts located within Kent County, DE. The program focuses on learning skills, life skills, social competencies and substance abuse/resistance training. Her successes with young people are hailed by Superintendents, Principals and parents alike. By soliciting volunteers to act as caseworkers, mentors and activity aides, the youth are exposed to one-on-one relationships that routinely develop into long-time friendships. Pastor Cherry's philosophy is that children do not have discipline problems; they have `love' problems. Too many of them live in homes bereft of love. Pastor Cherry believes that providing a stable learning atmosphere along with the love that every child needs, children can make the turn to a more positive life with their families. In 1999, Pastor Cherry envisioned a homeless shelter for youths as a means of respite for parents and guardians who are struggling with employment and housing for their families. Through additional grants, donations, and blood, sweat and tears, her vision came to fruition through the building and leasing of `Glory Hall.' Glory Hall is a dormitory style living facility that houses 18 youths. The Hall is equipped with a classroom, full-service kitchen and cafeteria, activity area and bedrooms--all built through Pastor Cherry's devotion and love for young people. This year, Glory Hall has been leased to an organization called South West Keys, a Texas based organization with agencies throughout the United States. This organization provides shelter for immigrant children until they are reunited with family members here in the United States. Through Reverend Cherry's tireless efforts, she has made a profound difference in the lives of thousands of Delawareans. Upon her retirement, she will leave behind a legacy of commitment to public service for both her children and grandchildren and for the rest of us to follow. I thank her for the friendship that we share and for the inspiration that she provides through a lifetime of caring. Although Pastor Cherry is ending this particular chapter of her life, she will open the next chapter by continuing to crusade for those of us less fortunate. On behalf of all Delawareans, I congratulate her on a truly remarkable and distinguished career and extend to her my very best wishes for every success in the future. I wish her and her family only the very best in all that lies ahead for each of them.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I say to our chairwoman of the committee, Senator Collins, a heartfelt thank-you for the leadership and persistence that she and my good friend Joe Lieberman have demonstrated to get us to this day. I also say to the President, thanks for using some of that political capital. You picked up a little bit last month, and I am pleased you have decided to invest a little bit of it in a worthwhile cause. I plan to vote for this bill. I was privileged to be a member of the committee in the Senate that developed the proposal under which this bill is based, and we are happy to be here for this day. To the members of the 9/11 Commission who have worked hard for about 18 months, their staff, a lot of folks who lost loved ones who provided the impetus, really the wind beneath the wings for the Commission and really for this effort, I say just a heartfelt thank-you for their efforts, and I hope they are pleased with where we are today. Is this proposal perfect? No. Few of mine are. Is it better? You bet it is. It is a real improvement. Back in 1947, the year I was born, the CIA was born as well. The intelligence structure that was created around the CIA and Cold-War years that followed was a structure that was designed to enable us to win the war against communism, the Cold War. That war is over. We won that war. We have a new war that we are fighting today, and it is a war against terrorism. Just as the one approach worked well for many years--our intelligence apparatus worked well for many years against communism--it does not necessarily mean it is going to work well against terrorism. In fact, it has not. When I was a naval flight officer, when I was not flying in a P-3 airplane, one of my ground jobs was to be the air intelligence officer on the ground, briefing other crews for their missions. We had a crew over here that was flying a top-secret mission, needed information about it, and then another group over here with the same clearance that did not fly that same mission. We did not brief the crew that was not going to fly the mission. There was a need to know. If they had a need to know, we provided the information for them. If they did not have a need to know, we did not provide it for them. It worked well in naval aviation. It did not work so well when it came to sharing information across 15 different intelligence agencies on information about terrorism. We had one agency that knew there were bad guys around the world who wanted to come here and hurt us. We had another agency that knew the names of the people who actually came in and actually could have said that these were some of those bad guys. We had another agency that knew folks were being trained to fly in airplanes, not to land them, not to take them off but to literally fly them straight and level. Among those 15 different agencies, I call them stovepipes, they had the information but they never talked. At least they did not talk enough. We did not put it together. People talked about connecting the dots. That is exactly what did not happen. So we were not talking; we were not sharing information. There was a need-to-know mentality that existed and has existed for a long time with respect to our agencies. It has to change. This bill is going to change it. Another problem we had, nobody was in charge. There was nobody to assess accountability and say you were accountable for not letting this happen. With this provision, we are going to have a powerful person put in place, nominated by the President, selected by the President. It has to be an extraordinary individual, somebody smart, somebody who enjoys the confidence of both sides of the aisle, somebody who will enjoy the confidence of the intelligence community, somebody who will be willing to work real hard. I am sure that person is out there. My hope is the President will find him. My hope is we will confirm that person. Some people say this is not a perfect bill; there are some provisions they do not like maybe with respect to our borders, maybe with respect to immigration, maybe with respect to the rights and prerogatives of the military and making sure they are still in a position to be strong and provide the intelligence that is needed when it is needed to our battlefield soldiers. This is not a constitutional amendment. This is not something that is in concrete. This is a bill. It is a bill that has been hard fought and a compromise has been well won, but it is not forever. To the extent we go forward and we find that changes need to be made, we can make them, and we should. In conclusion, we have been working at this stuff for a long time. People have known the system was broke for a long time. We have had any number of recommendations and studies that said, fix this system and this is how to do it. We have not done it. Today we have the opportunity to change it and to take a real step in the right direction. We would be foolish not to. I am happy to say we are not foolish. We are doing the right thing. It is time to seize the day, and that is exactly what we are going to do. My thanks again to all those who have worked so hard to get us to this point. I yield back my time.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, while my colleagues, Senator Alexander and Senator Allen, are still in the Chamber, I want to express to each of them my own gratitude for their hard work to try to forge a compromise on an issue upon which some folks said we were not going to find common ground. But ultimately we did. They are to be commended for that. I see we have been joined by Senator Burns from Montana. I would say to him, thank you as well. Several people who are not here have been very much involved in this issue, including Senator Wyden of Oregon and a handful of other former Governors who serve now in the Senate--among them, Senator Voinovich of Ohio and Senator Bob Graham. A couple of former mayors who serve here as well worked on this issue, and this includes the former mayor from California, Senator Feinstein, and a former mayor from a little town called Gillette, WY, a fellow named Enzi, who have all been involved in this, along with Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota. We shared goals and we shared a number of the same objectives. None of us were interested in taxing access to the Internet. None of us wanted to inhibit its growth. But at the same time, none of us were interested in undercutting the ability of State and local governments to raise revenues to fund their own programs. As a former Governor, as a former chairman of the National Governors Association, as are Senators Alexander and Voinovich, I never liked it very much when the Federal Government would tell my State or any other State what to do but not to provide the revenue, the wherewithal to do that thing that was being ordered. I never liked it when the Federal Government undercut my State or any State's ability to raise revenues to pay for programs that we deemed necessary and not provide the revenues to offset that loss. I think in the end we have come out with a compromise that is not everything that those of us who are former Governors and mayors who worked with Senator Alexander and myself wanted, and certainly all that was sought by Senators Allen and Wyden. Having said that, I believe we have ended up in a very good place. Senator McCain is not here today, at least in the Chamber at this moment, and I thank him for bringing us to common ground on this issue. We have passed a compromise that I think sends a good message, that may have applicability to other issues. And there are a whole lot of issues that we have considered this year, certainly that we will be considering next year, where we generally share the same goals, but for some reason we do not--and maybe it is the lack of trust, the lack of interpersonal relationships to be able to work through our differences to get fairly close to, at the end, the goals that we share, to legislation that reflects the goals that we share. In this case we did it. And for all who have had a hand in fashioning what I think is a most acceptable compromise and a good ending, I just want to say well done. The Commerce Committee will now move to new leadership beginning in January. I presume the leader, the chairman, will be Senator Stevens, and the ranking Democrat will be Senator Inouye. They have as close a personal bond as I think any two Senators across the aisle who serve in the Senate. I think that bodes well as they and their committee look down the road to what further changes we need to make, again, to deny the ability to have access to the Internet, make sure we don't inhibit the growth of the Internet and all it can do for our economy, and finally making sure we are fair to State and local governments. It is not an easy thing to do, but in this instance I think we have done quite well for State and local governments, and industry hasn't fared too badly either. With that having been said, I yield the floor.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of Richard Wood, CEO of Wawa Inc., and to commend him and his company's commitment and dedication to Delaware and surrounding States. As CEO of Wawa, Richard Wood has instilled in his associates the wisdom to do the right thing, and this core value enables the company to place a high priority on local community involvement. I thank him for all that he and his associates have done to make Delaware a better place. The company began in 1803 and was incorporated in 1865 as the Millville Manufacturing Company. Millville's owner, George Wood, lived in Philadelphia and brought his family to Wawa, a rural town in Delaware County, PA. The original house where his family lived had a red tile roof, and is now the site of Wawa's present headquarters, hence the name ``Red Roof'' for Wawa's corporate offices. In 1902, George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and started a small milk processing plant in Wawa, specializing in the home delivery of milk. By the 1960s, the grandson of George Wood, Grahame Wood, recognized the changing economic trends and had the vision to expand by selling milk in convenience stores. In April 1964, the first Wawa Food Market was opened in Folsom, PA. One of the founding principles of Wawa is a commitment to the local communities that they serve. Today Wawa's core value of ``people helping people'' guides Wawa and its employees to give back to those in need. Just some of Wawa's charitable causes include support for children's health, cancer research, AIDS research, domestic violence, heart disease and hunger. A few of the organizations benefiting from the Good Neighbor program include: Food Bank of Delaware, Contact Delaware, AIDS Delaware, The United Way and The Salvation Army. Wawa has made a tremendous difference in its efforts to raise funds to help eliminate Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. SIDS, the unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant, is the leading cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age. This deadly syndrome has impacted the lives of countless Delaware families. Since 1997, Wawa and the CJ Foundation for SIDS have held Walk-a- Thons on the second Sunday in September. Walks are held at 12 locations in their five trading areas: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. With the strong support of Wawa area managers, supervisors and store personnel, Wawa has raised more than $1.5 million over the last 8 years. Not only have Wawa customers, vendors and associates given generously of their time to make the SIDS walks an enormous success, but countless Wawa associates volunteer to work the phone banks in New York City each year for the benefit of the CJ Foundation for SIDS Radiothon. Howard Stoeckel, President, and Harry McHugh, Senior Vice President, have both spoken on the Radiothon on behalf of Wawa and their involvement in the fight against SIDS. Money raised at the Wawa Walk-a-Thons is used to fund research to find the cause of SIDS and to educate parents on how to reduce the risk of SIDS. Proceeds from the walks have helped volunteer grassroots SIDS organizations expand to regional professional non-profits. Thousands of families have greatly benefited from the national ``Cribs For Kids'' program, which receives funding from the Wawa Walk-a-Thons. This program distributes cribs to low-income families to help them provide a safe sleep environment for their babies. Throughout all this, one steady influence has been the leadership of Richard Wood, Wawa's CEO, who leads by his example in defining Wawa's culture and values. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Richard graduated in 1956 from St. Paul's School, Concord, NH. He went on to receive his B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia in 1961, and an LLB from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1964. After graduating from law school, Mr. Wood served as a law clerk for one year in the Federal Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for the Honorable Francis L. Van Dusen. He then joined the law firm of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker and Rhoads in Philadelphia, PA. In June of 1970, Mr. Wood joined Wawa, Inc. as General Counsel. He served in various capacities until becoming President in June 1977 and Chief Executive Officer in January 1981. Richard and his wife Jean reside in Wawa, PA. Richard serves on several boards, including the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce CEO Council for Growth, Pardee Resources Company, and QuikTrip Corporation. He has served as director for many organizations, including: Greater Philadelphia First, CoreStates Bank, N.A., Sheetz, Inc., Convenience Store, Foundation for Education and Research, Globe Ticket Company, Millville Savings & Loan Association, Overbrook School for the Blind, The Home of the Merciful Savior, The Philadelphia City Institute, Philadelphia Charity Ball, Inc., Crime Prevention Association, Upland Country Day School, Board of Managers of the Assemblies and Ludwig Institute. Richard was also past Board Chairman of the National Association of Convenience Stores, PQ Corporation, Riddle Memorial Hospital, and Gulph Mills Golf Club (past President). Richard Wood will be retiring as Wawa's CEO at the end of 2004, and will assume the position of Chairman of the Board of Wawa Inc. I rise today to recognize Richard Wood and thank him for his compassion and leadership, and for the tremendous contributions he and the associates at Wawa have made to Delaware. I thank them for their commitment to strengthening all the communities that they serve.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I thank my friend from Montana for yielding. There was a lot of talk before the election about potential October surprises. Perhaps there should have been more talk about potential November surprises, for that is what we are presented with this afternoon. There was a great deal of rhetoric during the campaign about cutting our Nation's budget deficit in half. There was too little straight talk, however, about the reality that our debt continues to rise. We have heard a good deal of talk since the election about mandates, voters' mandates and fulfilling campaign promises. If the majority in Congress is seeking a mandate for its economic policies, they would not have withheld the results of those policies until after the election. As far as campaign promises go, I do not recall anyone promising in this year's campaign that Congress's first act after the election would be to approve an increase in our Nation's indebtedness to more than $8 trillion. That is exactly what Congress is about to do this afternoon before the sun sets in Washington, DC. As the most profligate Presidential term and the most profligate session of Congress in our Nation's history draw to a close, the bills, meanwhile, are coming due. Bills, like facts, are very stubborn things. No amount of rhetoric can make them go away. While it was inappropriate to hide from the public the true extent of our Nation's growing indebtedness until after the election, it is somehow fitting this vote would come today. There is a symbolism in the fact that one of the last acts of the 108th Congress will be to place this country deeper in hock to our creditors around the world. There is also significance in the fact that this act will be undertaken just a day before the opening of the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas. The opening of the Clinton Library reminds us that when Bill Clinton left office 4 years ago, America had a budget surplus. That surplus was sufficient to secure the future solvency of Social Security and Medicare and to put our country on course to be completely debt-free for the first time in any living person's memory. That is the legacy of President Clinton. I am sorry to say the legacy of the 108th and the 109th Congresses will be one of undoing in 4 short years the decade of work and sacrifice that went into balancing our Nation's books and strengthening our Nation's finances for the 21st century. Let me say, credit for the budget surpluses that we were beginning to generate as a country 4 years ago is not entirely due to one President or to one party. But the fact is that he did provide a strong measure of the leadership that helped get us to the place we were just 4 short years ago. As a result of that rapid unraveling of fiscal restraint, our financial position is far more precarious than it was just 4 years ago. With a large and growing budget deficit, we are stretched thin in our capacity to meet the great challenges that inevitably confront us as a great people. New terms and new Congresses are times for new beginnings--and for those of you who know me, I am an eternal optimist. I have no desire to dwell on the past. I, like most of us, am determined to look forward. My hope is that given the opportunity for a new beginning, we will chart a new course in the new year to come. In truth, we have no other choice, at least no other good choice. Sustaining a protracted global war on terrorism requires discipline. Keeping the promise of Social Security and Medicare entails responsibility. Ensuring that these challenges do not exhaust our capacity so that we are still in a position to improve our schools and invest in our children and their future demands sacrifice. Discipline, responsibility, sacrifice--these are values that are familiar to families in small towns across Delaware and across America and, frankly, in big towns, too. They are the values by which our families live each and every day, or at least attempt to. Our State and local governments share the values of our people when it comes to handling their people's money because, unlike the Congress, our State and local governments are required to share those values. Our State and local governments are required to live by two simple rules: Live within your means and pay as you go. We used to live by those rules here in Congress, but we have literally let those rules expire. In hindsight, it is clear that by letting these simple rules expire, and with them the values of discipline, responsibility and sacrifice, we have unleashed a frenzy of spending and borrowing. It is equally clear that this laxity in Congress now threatens America's economic vitality and even our national security. Personally, I do not believe pundits who say fiscal recklessness is inevitable. Nor do I believe those who say bitter and polarizing partisanship is inevitable. They may be inevitable, but I don't believe it. I am ready to meet in the middle with anyone from the other side who is interested in bringing responsibility and discipline to the Halls of Congress and the part of America outside the Congress that is within this beltway. I am interested in working with any and all of my colleagues who want to work to reform and to improve the budget process in a way by going back to the future, going back to some of those values and some of the practices that got us to a place where we had a balanced budget, including the notion that if a Senator wants to increase spending, he has to come up with an offset--lower spending someplace or to raise revenues someplace. If we want to cut the revenues from the Treasury, we have to come up with an offset. Either raise revenues someplace else or cut spending to offset the loss to our Treasury from our tax cuts. Surely we can find a common cause and make sure the decisions we make in Congress truly represent the values by which those we represent live their lives. We can do this. We should begin by restoring the old rules that require us to live within our means and, as I said earlier, pay as we go. If we do that, perhaps we can save ourselves the embarrassment we feel today. Perhaps we can save ourselves from standing once again on the precipice of adding another billion, another hundred billion, or another trillion dollars to the debt we are loading on the backs of our children and on future generations of Americans. Sitting here before me today are young people. They are pages. They come here to this Capitol when they are juniors in high school. They are the same as our oldest son. Someday somebody is going to have to pay for the debt we, the Congress, are accumulating at the request of the administration, the debt load whose ceiling we will raise later today. We do not just print money when we run deficits around here, we borrow money. We don't just borrow money from people who buy savings bonds, we don't just borrow money from people who buy Treasury securities, notes and bonds, we borrow money from people all over the world. We have become a huge debtor to some unlikely nations: China, Japan, South Korea, and a number of others. I am not talking about deficits of a couple of billion dollars or even tens of billions of dollars, but hundreds of billions of dollars. They expect to be paid interest on that debt. We have to pay interest on that debt or default. Eventually they are going to want to be repaid the principal of the money they have loaned to us. My friends, if we are not careful, we are going to reach a tipping point where the amount of our indebtedness becomes so great, so significant, so alarming to other nations around the world they are going to be reluctant to loan us more money unless we show some ability to better manage our finances. When they see the threat to our ability to repay our debt go up and we become a riskier investment, those other countries around the world are going to ask us, if we want to be able to get credit, to pay more interest on our debt and to raise the interest rates. If we don't want to do that, we are not going to be able to roll over--renew--our debt. On the other hand, if we pay the higher interest rates which we are going to be inevitably faced with, that has a dampening effect on our economic recovery. Someday these young pages, along with my children and their generation, are going to have to repay these debts. It is not fair to them. I will close with this. Does anybody in the Chamber have an idea of what the interest payment on our national debt is today? About $1 billion. Just 1 day--not 1 week, 1 month--just 1 day. It is not principal, it is just interest. And we have to pay it today, tomorrow, and the day after that. In raising our debt ceiling today, that $1 billion interest payment is not going to go down, it is going to go up. We can do better than this. Beginning in January we have to. With that having been said, I yield my time and thank my colleague from Montana for yielding to me.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, a few minutes ago, I was recognized and I spoke about the first State. The first State is Delaware. Delaware became the first State December 7th, 1787, when we ratified the Constitution. For 1 week, Delaware was the entire United States of America. We opened things up for the rest of the country, and Pennsylvania came in, New Jersey, and others. For the most part, we are pleased the way it turned out. It is ironic that the State that helped start this country, the State whose history is part of the fabric of this country's history, has no national park to celebrate our place in the founding of this country and the growth of this country over the last 200-some years. A couple of years ago, my family and I were planning a vacation. We were trying to decide where to go. We were thinking about going to Alaska. We actually got on the National Park Service Web site to see about the national parks in Alaska. They have terrific national parks. We went up there and had a wonderful visit. Before we did that, we looked at that National Park Service Web site to see what other attractions there are in the other 49 States. There is a unit of the National Park Service in 49 States in this country, but we found nothing for Delaware. For years gone by and for the immediate future when families like ours are deciding where they are going to go on their summer vacation in 2005 or 2006, they will have the same choices as they had in 2004 and the years before this, businesses, one of the most enduring businesses, large or small, in the United States. There are other attractions. The Underground Railroad literally runs the length and breadth of our State. Many slaves found their freedom crossing the Christina River into northern Delaware not far from where the first Swedes landed just down the river. A second hub would be located in the southern part of New Castle County along the Delaware River. Not far from where the hub would be is Fort Delaware. During the Confederate war, tens of thousands of Confederate soldiers were held prisoner at Fort Delaware, in the middle of the Delaware River. From that hub, Port Penn, along the Delaware River, will emanate to the spokes that lead to attractions, including Fort Delaware. A third hub is Kent County, DE. Kent County, DE, is home of the Golden Fleece Tavern. On December 7, 1787, a band of several dozen men decided, after studying and debating the Constitution that had been sent out from Philadelphia, from the Constitutional Convention, they decided to ratify at the Golden Fleece Tavern on that cold December morning. Not far from that is a place called John Dickinson Mansion. That mansion was home of a Delawarean who participated in the Constitutional Convention. At that Constitutional Convention, he worked with folks from Connecticut to develop the compromise that makes it clear that every State gets two Senators today and that all the States have representatives in the House of Representatives right down that hall in coordination with the size of the population of that State. That is just one of the many and those choices will not include a national park in Delaware or a unit of National Park in our State. Senator Biden, a couple of years ago, tried to address this problem. For a while, the idea of creating a national park gave some thought to creating a national park in the Great Cyprus Swamp in the southeast corner. Those familiar with Bethany, Rehoboth, and Lewes may or may not know there is a huge swamp where the last of the bald cyprus in North America are. We thought of designating the Great Cyprus Swamp as a national park. The idea ran into some disfavor in southern Delaware and was abandoned. I am delighted Senator Biden has joined in introducing today our legislation to call on the Department of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study to see if what we think is a great idea developed by our park committee in Delaware, led by Dr. Jim Soles over the last year, might find favor with the Department of the Interior, the Congress, and with the President. The committee has envisioned four wheels, four hubs, starting in the northern part of our State in Wilmington, DE, where the first Swedes and Finns came in 1638. They landed at Port Christina and established the colony of New Sweden. That hub will serve as a gateway through which visitors might come. Think of a hub as a bicycle wheel with spokes emanating from the hubs, and the spokes would lead to attractions throughout the northern part of our State. One is the Hagley Museum, where the first powder mills were built along the banks of the Brandywine River providing support for what became the DuPont Company that has endured for over 200 attractions that would lead from the hub down to the spokes that people who come to the central part of our State might visit. Further south in our State is a place called Lewes. It was settled by the Dutch back in the 1600s. It is a place that had been literally raided, attacked by Indians, wiped out, and came back to be a thriving, prosperous community. The history of early Lewes is captured in the Swaanendael Museum. Not far away is a beautiful State park, Cape Henlopen State Park, which a lot of people visit every year. We have wildlife refuges in the southern and northern part of the State. There are tens of millions of birds that stop and feed on the way either to the southern hemisphere in the winter or on the way back up North in the spring. Our State has a lot to offer. Our heritage is one that is rich and reflects the tapestry of our country we have had on the coastal regions of our State over the last 200 years. We do not want to keep it just to ourselves but share it with the rest of the country and the rest of the world. We are excited to work with the Department of the Interior, our colleagues, and the administration, present or future, to establish a coastal heritage park for the State of Delaware so a year or two from now, when people sit with their families, turn on their computers, and go to the National Park Service Web site to see what is available around the country to visit, they will find a lot of good things about the other 49 States, but they will find some very special things in Delaware, too. I thank Senators for the time to introduce this with my colleague, Senator Joe Biden.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Delaware National Coastal Special Resources Study Act. I am pleased to be joined in introducing this bill by Senator Biden. This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of establishing a National Park Service unit in Delaware. Delaware is first in so many ways. Yet we are the only State without a National Park. Last year, I wondered whether Delawareans agreed with me that we should have a unit of the National Park Service. Through surveys and town meetings, I polled Delawareans on this question in 2003. The answer was a resounding and nearly unanimous ``yes.'' However, folks were less unanimous on where the park should be located and which aspect of Delaware it should feature. So I formed a 12-member committee representing communities throughout the State. They discussed many fine ideas, and narrowed them down to four proposals with a common thread. In one way or another, each proposal related to Delaware's coastal region. The committee recommended joining these proposals. The result would be a national park highlighting America's history, cultural heritage, commercial progress and natural beauty. The Delaware National Coastal Heritage Park will reveal that the various threads that together make up the fabric of Delaware are an ideal microcosm for the tapestry of America. To understand our proposal, first let me ask you to stop thinking about Yosemite or Yellowstone or Shenandoah. This proposal is not like those big, traditional national parks. Ours is a different, more innovative and creative way of thinking about a park. Delaware's coastal region is rich in historical sites, museums, parks, and wildlife areas. Together, these sites highlight the threads of history, heritage, commerce, and nature. A series of four gateway hubs, or interpretive centers, located along the coast will guide visitors to the many existing attractions in the coastal communities that underlie the park. Connecting these attractions through the National Park Service will allow us to tell our unique story to the Nation. And, as I'd like to demonstrate for you, our story is worth telling. The history of America, beginning well before the first European settlers, is seen in the Lenni Lenape and Nanticoke Native American tribes. They settled and prospered in the area in and around Delaware thousands of years before the first European settlement in the early 1600s. Members of the modern Nanticoke Indian Association and the Lenape Tribe of Delaware trace their ancestry to the earliest inhabitants of Delaware's coastline. A visit to the Nanticoke Museum brings our early history to life. Delaware's shores were explored by the Swedes, Dutch and English. Our small State was the subject of competing claims for its territory from the beginning of European settlement. The earliest colonial settlement in Delaware, known as Swaanendael, was established in 1631 in what is present day Lewes. The settlement ended in tragedy when it was wiped out in a clash with the local Native American population. The Swaanendael Museum in Lewes illustrates Delaware's Dutch roots. The Swedes established the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. The Kalmar Nyckel, a replica of the ship that carried Swedes to our shores, is docked in Wilmington and currently hosts visitors from around the world. Founded in Wilmington in 1638, Fort Christina was the earliest lasting bastion in the region. However, as a main line for coastal defense in America, Delaware boasts forts throughout the State. Forts displaying various methods and philosophies of coastal defense can be found along the Delaware River from Fort Delaware and Fort Dupont in New Castle County to Fort Miles in Sussex County. Delaware was the site of military action in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. And at the onset of World War II, the U.S. Army established a military base at Cape Henlopen. You can still see the bunkers and gun emplacements that were camouflaged among the dunes along with the concrete observation towers that were built to spot enemy ships. Delaware's pivotal role in America's fight for independence culminated in Caesar Rodney's legendary ride to Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. The Golden Fleece Tavern in Kent County was the meeting place where, on December 7, 1787, it was unanimously decided that Delaware would ratify the Constitution, giving us the distinction of being the First State. Transportation was dominated by water. New Castle thrived as a port town, second only to Philadelphia. Additional ports in Wilmington and Lewes provided harbor for ocean-going vessels in the export trade. A walk through old New Castle is like stepping back in time. Delaware historically holds the distinction of being one of America's most prosperous industrial, economic and commercial centers. Some of the Nation's leading ship and rail building establishments were located in the State, as were textile and papermaking companies. Frenchman Eleuthere lrenee duPont founded a gunpowder mill on the banks of the Brandywine River near Wilmington. The history of the DuPont Company is captured at the scenic Hagley Museum. Delaware's role in the Underground Railroad is too important not to tell. There are documented Underground Railroad sites all over the State. Underground Railroad historians believe that Harriet Tubman made numerous trips through Delaware after her own daring escape. Tubman- Garrett Park in Wilmington overlooks the spot where escaping slaves swam across the Christina River as part of their journey. Wilmington and Camden in Kent County were considered safe stations on the way to freedom. Through the Delaware National Coastal Heritage Park, more Americans could come to understand the historic road to freedom traveled by thousands of enslaved Africans. Delaware is not only rich in history. It is also famed for its natural refuges and conservatories. William Penn proclaimed that Cape Henlopen and its natural resources were for the common usage, thus establishing some of the Nation's first ``public lands.'' Some of America's earliest beach resorts sprouted up along the Delaware Bay and coastline during the mid-to-late 19th century. They remain in use to this day. The Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is an important link in the Atlantic Flyway, a trail of wildlife refuges used by migrating birds each year. This makes Bombay Hook a must-see for bird watchers and nature lovers. The Little Creek Wildlife area is a 4,500 acre mecca for crabbers and fishermen. This is just a taste of the scenic beauty, ethnic heritage, and historical significance that greet visitors to Delaware's coastal shores. The national park selection committee realized that these events and places are threads of human and natural activity that create the very fabric of our society. And the committee realized that a park unit that helped local residents and visitors alike recognize and understand these threads would be a very appropriate and fitting addition to the National Park system. Our national park would demonstrate that coastal regions like those found in Delaware are a vital part of America's past, present, and future. But the committee also felt that the park itself should be very different from traditional parks. Instead of a large landmass, the park will be structured much like a series of four bicycle wheels, each with a hub and spokes. The hubs will be interpretive centers located strategically along the coastline. Local residents and tourists would learn about how our coastline has contributed to the development of our State and our Nation. These centers would provide information and guidance about the many, many existing historic sites, natural areas, recreational opportunities and other attractions that are part of our coastal region. The spokes will be the multitude of attractions and sites that demonstrate the threads of America's history and scenic beauty. The gateway hub will be located at the 7th Street Peninsula at the site of the original Fort Christina. There are various attractions within a short walking distance related to the coastal theme of the park. This site would also provide information, advice and directions about other sites in the Wilmington area. It might also include a visitor's center, park headquarters, perhaps a replica of the original Fort Christina. A second hub would be located along the Delaware River in southern New Castle County. It would provide information on attractions such as Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island, Fort DuPont and the renowned historic district in the old city of New Castle as well other related attractions in New Castle County. The third hub would be located in Kent County, also along the coast of the Delaware River. It would provide information on the existing preserved natural areas and on the myriad other attractions in Kent County including the John Dickinson Mansion, Dover's historic Green and others. A Sussex County hub would be located in the Lewes area and would provide information on the numerous historic sites and natural areas that have made Sussex County's coastal region so pivotal to Delaware. Together, these four interpretive centers would direct visitors to the many existing attractions that would help our guests understand and appreciate the many threads of Delaware's Coastal Region--threads that help make up the fabric of America. Every year, millions of Americans plan their vacations around our Nation's national park system. They log onto the Park Service website and search for ideas for their family vacations. Right now, that search will turn up nothing for Delaware. With a national park unit here in Delaware, that will change. In the future, those families will be considering a trip to Delaware to visit our Coastal Heritage Park. Those trips will be a significant boost to our economy--they will create jobs and economic activity that can only be good for our State. Just as important--or maybe even more important--these additional visitors will bring more attention to our existing historic sites and other attractions. That additional attention will help guarantee they are preserved for future generations. By encouraging more Delawareans themselves to visit these wonderful places, a National Park unit will help enrich our own understanding of our own history. I have described to you today a vision resulting from the hard work of many dedicated Delawareans. Today, I take the next step in making their vision a reality. The bill I've introduced today--the Delaware National Coastal Special Resources Study Act--authorizes the National Park Service to conduct a ``Special Resource Study'' to make recommendations as to the feasibility of this proposal. The study itself would take from 1 to 2 years to complete and would include estimated costs of implementing the proposal. I believe this is an exciting proposal and one that, when incorporated into the National Park System, will become an important element in preserving the wonderful human and natural history presented by our coastal region. l ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, a few minutes ago, I was recognized and I spoke about the first State. The first State is Delaware. Delaware became the first State December 7th, 1787, when we ratified the Constitution. For 1 week, Delaware was the entire United States of America. We opened things up for the rest of the country, and Pennsylvania came in, New Jersey, and others. For the most part, we are pleased the way it turned out. It is ironic that the State that helped start this country, the State whose history is part of the fabric of this country's history, has no national park to celebrate our place in the founding of this country and the growth of this country over the last 200-some years. A couple of years ago, my family and I were planning a vacation. We were trying to decide where to go. We were thinking about going to Alaska. We actually got on the National Park Service Web site to see about the national parks in Alaska. They have terrific national parks. We went up there and had a wonderful visit. Before we did that, we looked at that National Park Service Web site to see what other attractions there are in the other 49 States. There is a unit of the National Park Service in 49 States in this country, but we found nothing for Delaware. For years gone by and for the immediate future when families like ours are deciding where they are going to go on their summer vacation in 2005 or 2006, they will have the same choices as they had in 2004 and the years before this, businesses, one of the most enduring businesses, large or small, in the United States. There are other attractions. The Underground Railroad literally runs the length and breadth of our State. Many slaves found their freedom crossing the Christina River into northern Delaware not far from where the first Swedes landed just down the river. A second hub would be located in the southern part of New Castle County along the Delaware River. Not far from where the hub would be is Fort Delaware. During the Confederate war, tens of thousands of Confederate soldiers were held prisoner at Fort Delaware, in the middle of the Delaware River. From that hub, Port Penn, along the Delaware River, will emanate to the spokes that lead to attractions, including Fort Delaware. A third hub is Kent County, DE. Kent County, DE, is home of the Golden Fleece Tavern. On December 7, 1787, a band of several dozen men decided, after studying and debating the Constitution that had been sent out from Philadelphia, from the Constitutional Convention, they decided to ratify at the Golden Fleece Tavern on that cold December morning. Not far from that is a place called John Dickinson Mansion. That mansion was home of a Delawarean who participated in the Constitutional Convention. At that Constitutional Convention, he worked with folks from Connecticut to develop the compromise that makes it clear that every State gets two Senators today and that all the States have representatives in the House of Representatives right down that hall in coordination with the size of the population of that State. That is just one of the many and those choices will not include a national park in Delaware or a unit of National Park in our State. Senator Biden, a couple of years ago, tried to address this problem. For a while, the idea of creating a national park gave some thought to creating a national park in the Great Cyprus Swamp in the southeast corner. Those familiar with Bethany, Rehoboth, and Lewes may or may not know there is a huge swamp where the last of the bald cyprus in North America are. We thought of designating the Great Cyprus Swamp as a national park. The idea ran into some disfavor in southern Delaware and was abandoned. I am delighted Senator Biden has joined in introducing today our legislation to call on the Department of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study to see if what we think is a great idea developed by our park committee in Delaware, led by Dr. Jim Soles over the last year, might find favor with the Department of the Interior, the Congress, and with the President. The committee has envisioned four wheels, four hubs, starting in the northern part of our State in Wilmington, DE, where the first Swedes and Finns came in 1638. They landed at Port Christina and established the colony of New Sweden. That hub will serve as a gateway through which visitors might come. Think of a hub as a bicycle wheel with spokes emanating from the hubs, and the spokes would lead to attractions throughout the northern part of our State. One is the Hagley Museum, where the first powder mills were built along the banks of the Brandywine River providing support for what became the DuPont Company that has endured for over 200 attractions that would lead from the hub down to the spokes that people who come to the central part of our State might visit. Further south in our State is a place called Lewes. It was settled by the Dutch back in the 1600s. It is a place that had been literally raided, attacked by Indians, wiped out, and came back to be a thriving, prosperous community. The history of early Lewes is captured in the Swaanendael Museum. Not far away is a beautiful State park, Cape Henlopen State Park, which a lot of people visit every year. We have wildlife refuges in the southern and northern part of the State. There are tens of millions of birds that stop and feed on the way either to the southern hemisphere in the winter or on the way back up North in the spring. Our State has a lot to offer. Our heritage is one that is rich and reflects the tapestry of our country we have had on the coastal regions of our State over the last 200 years. We do not want to keep it just to ourselves but share it with the rest of the country and the rest of the world. We are excited to work with the Department of the Interior, our colleagues, and the administration, present or future, to establish a coastal heritage park for the State of Delaware so a year or two from now, when people sit with their families, turn on their computers, and go to the National Park Service Web site to see what is available around the country to visit, they will find a lot of good things about the other 49 States, but they will find some very special things in Delaware, too. I thank Senators for the time to introduce this with my colleague, Senator Joe Biden.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Delaware National Coastal Special Resources Study Act. I am pleased to be joined in introducing this bill by Senator Biden. This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of establishing a National Park Service unit in Delaware. Delaware is first in so many ways. Yet we are the only State without a National Park. Last year, I wondered whether Delawareans agreed with me that we should have a unit of the National Park Service. Through surveys and town meetings, I polled Delawareans on this question in 2003. The answer was a resounding and nearly unanimous ``yes.'' However, folks were less unanimous on where the park should be located and which aspect of Delaware it should feature. So I formed a 12-member committee representing communities throughout the State. They discussed many fine ideas, and narrowed them down to four proposals with a common thread. In one way or another, each proposal related to Delaware's coastal region. The committee recommended joining these proposals. The result would be a national park highlighting America's history, cultural heritage, commercial progress and natural beauty. The Delaware National Coastal Heritage Park will reveal that the various threads that together make up the fabric of Delaware are an ideal microcosm for the tapestry of America. To understand our proposal, first let me ask you to stop thinking about Yosemite or Yellowstone or Shenandoah. This proposal is not like those big, traditional national parks. Ours is a different, more innovative and creative way of thinking about a park. Delaware's coastal region is rich in historical sites, museums, parks, and wildlife areas. Together, these sites highlight the threads of history, heritage, commerce, and nature. A series of four gateway hubs, or interpretive centers, located along the coast will guide visitors to the many existing attractions in the coastal communities that underlie the park. Connecting these attractions through the National Park Service will allow us to tell our unique story to the Nation. And, as I'd like to demonstrate for you, our story is worth telling. The history of America, beginning well before the first European settlers, is seen in the Lenni Lenape and Nanticoke Native American tribes. They settled and prospered in the area in and around Delaware thousands of years before the first European settlement in the early 1600s. Members of the modern Nanticoke Indian Association and the Lenape Tribe of Delaware trace their ancestry to the earliest inhabitants of Delaware's coastline. A visit to the Nanticoke Museum brings our early history to life. Delaware's shores were explored by the Swedes, Dutch and English. Our small State was the subject of competing claims for its territory from the beginning of European settlement. The earliest colonial settlement in Delaware, known as Swaanendael, was established in 1631 in what is present day Lewes. The settlement ended in tragedy when it was wiped out in a clash with the local Native American population. The Swaanendael Museum in Lewes illustrates Delaware's Dutch roots. The Swedes established the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. The Kalmar Nyckel, a replica of the ship that carried Swedes to our shores, is docked in Wilmington and currently hosts visitors from around the world. Founded in Wilmington in 1638, Fort Christina was the earliest lasting bastion in the region. However, as a main line for coastal defense in America, Delaware boasts forts throughout the State. Forts displaying various methods and philosophies of coastal defense can be found along the Delaware River from Fort Delaware and Fort Dupont in New Castle County to Fort Miles in Sussex County. Delaware was the site of military action in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. And at the onset of World War II, the U.S. Army established a military base at Cape Henlopen. You can still see the bunkers and gun emplacements that were camouflaged among the dunes along with the concrete observation towers that were built to spot enemy ships. Delaware's pivotal role in America's fight for independence culminated in Caesar Rodney's legendary ride to Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. The Golden Fleece Tavern in Kent County was the meeting place where, on December 7, 1787, it was unanimously decided that Delaware would ratify the Constitution, giving us the distinction of being the First State. Transportation was dominated by water. New Castle thrived as a port town, second only to Philadelphia. Additional ports in Wilmington and Lewes provided harbor for ocean-going vessels in the export trade. A walk through old New Castle is like stepping back in time. Delaware historically holds the distinction of being one of America's most prosperous industrial, economic and commercial centers. Some of the Nation's leading ship and rail building establishments were located in the State, as were textile and papermaking companies. Frenchman Eleuthere lrenee duPont founded a gunpowder mill on the banks of the Brandywine River near Wilmington. The history of the DuPont Company is captured at the scenic Hagley Museum. Delaware's role in the Underground Railroad is too important not to tell. There are documented Underground Railroad sites all over the State. Underground Railroad historians believe that Harriet Tubman made numerous trips through Delaware after her own daring escape. Tubman- Garrett Park in Wilmington overlooks the spot where escaping slaves swam across the Christina River as part of their journey. Wilmington and Camden in Kent County were considered safe stations on the way to freedom. Through the Delaware National Coastal Heritage Park, more Americans could come to understand the historic road to freedom traveled by thousands of enslaved Africans. Delaware is not only rich in history. It is also famed for its natural refuges and conservatories. William Penn proclaimed that Cape Henlopen and its natural resources were for the common usage, thus establishing some of the Nation's first ``public lands.'' Some of America's earliest beach resorts sprouted up along the Delaware Bay and coastline during the mid-to-late 19th century. They remain in use to this day. The Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is an important link in the Atlantic Flyway, a trail of wildlife refuges used by migrating birds each year. This makes Bombay Hook a must-see for bird watchers and nature lovers. The Little Creek Wildlife area is a 4,500 acre mecca for crabbers and fishermen. This is just a taste of the scenic beauty, ethnic heritage, and historical significance that greet visitors to Delaware's coastal shores. The national park selection committee realized that these events and places are threads of human and natural activity that create the very fabric of our society. And the committee realized that a park unit that helped local residents and visitors alike recognize and understand these threads would be a very appropriate and fitting addition to the National Park system. Our national park would demonstrate that coastal regions like those found in Delaware are a vital part of America's past, present, and future. But the committee also felt that the park itself should be very different from traditional parks. Instead of a large landmass, the park will be structured much like a series of four bicycle wheels, each with a hub and spokes. The hubs will be interpretive centers located strategically along the coastline. Local residents and tourists would learn about how our coastline has contributed to the development of our State and our Nation. These centers would provide information and guidance about the many, many existing historic sites, natural areas, recreational opportunities and other attractions that are part of our coastal region. The spokes will be the multitude of attractions and sites that demonstrate the threads of America's history and scenic beauty. The gateway hub will be located at the 7th Street Peninsula at the site of the original Fort Christina. There are various attractions within a short walking distance related to the coastal theme of the park. This site would also provide information, advice and directions about other sites in the Wilmington area. It might also include a visitor's center, park headquarters, perhaps a replica of the original Fort Christina. A second hub would be located along the Delaware River in southern New Castle County. It would provide information on attractions such as Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island, Fort DuPont and the renowned historic district in the old city of New Castle as well other related attractions in New Castle County. The third hub would be located in Kent County, also along the coast of the Delaware River. It would provide information on the existing preserved natural areas and on the myriad other attractions in Kent County including the John Dickinson Mansion, Dover's historic Green and others. A Sussex County hub would be located in the Lewes area and would provide information on the numerous historic sites and natural areas that have made Sussex County's coastal region so pivotal to Delaware. Together, these four interpretive centers would direct visitors to the many existing attractions that would help our guests understand and appreciate the many threads of Delaware's Coastal Region--threads that help make up the fabric of America. Every year, millions of Americans plan their vacations around our Nation's national park system. They log onto the Park Service website and search for ideas for their family vacations. Right now, that search will turn up nothing for Delaware. With a national park unit here in Delaware, that will change. In the future, those families will be considering a trip to Delaware to visit our Coastal Heritage Park. Those trips will be a significant boost to our economy--they will create jobs and economic activity that can only be good for our State. Just as important--or maybe even more important--these additional visitors will bring more attention to our existing historic sites and other attractions. That additional attention will help guarantee they are preserved for future generations. By encouraging more Delawareans themselves to visit these wonderful places, a National Park unit will help enrich our own understanding of our own history. I have described to you today a vision resulting from the hard work of many dedicated Delawareans. Today, I take the next step in making their vision a reality. The bill I've introduced today--the Delaware National Coastal Special Resources Study Act--authorizes the National Park Service to conduct a ``Special Resource Study'' to make recommendations as to the feasibility of this proposal. The study itself would take from 1 to 2 years to complete and would include estimated costs of implementing the proposal. I believe this is an exciting proposal and one that, when incorporated into the National Park System, will become an important element in preserving the wonderful human and natural history presented by our coastal region. l ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. I thank the Chair. (The remarks of Mr. CARPER pertaining to the introduction of S. 2899 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Mr. CARPER. I thank the minority leader for yielding to me.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, later this morning, I will introduce legislation, along with Senator Biden, calling for a feasibility study by the Department of the Interior for establishing a National Park Service unit in a State that has never had a national park. Believe it or not, the State that started the Nation, the first State to ever ratify the Constitution, has no national park. The State in which the first Swedes and Finns came to America and landed on what is now Wilmington, DE, calling it New Sweden, has no national park. The State where John Dickinson grew up, who is a coauthor of the Great Compromise creating a bicameral legislature, has no national park. I could go on. The heritage of our State and the history of our State together create a fabric which, in a sense, is the tapestry of America. Senator Biden and I thus call on the Department of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study to see if maybe a wonderful idea that has evolved from a committee led by Dr. Jim Soles, a professor at the University of Delaware, might win favor with the Department of the Interior and maybe with our colleagues in the year to come. What is being proposed is a Delaware national coastal heritage park. It would weave together many of the elements and attractions along the coast of our State, which include the Atlantic Ocean, the Delaware Bay, and the Delaware River. For the last year or more, a wonderful group of Delawareans has worked together with the Delaware State Division of Parks and Recreation, with the National Park Service, with the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs to develop what we believe is a unique and innovative concept, a concept that would include four hubs. The major hub would be in Wilmington, DE, at the rocks where the first Swedes and Finns came ashore in 1638 to America to establish what is now the longest living active Episcopal church, Old Swedes Church, in North America. That hub would be almost like the hub of a wheel, with spokes emanating to historic sites, natural areas, recreational opportunities, and other attractions in the area. There would be three other similar hubs up and down the State of Delaware as well. Later today, when I have more time, I welcome the opportunity to share with my colleagues a bit more about this proposal. I have

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Nancy Nadel, recipient of the Delaware School Nurse of the Year award. Nancy has dedicated her life to her family and to the thousands of school children whose lives she has touched. Nancy was born in Wilmington on September 16, 1952. She graduated from John Dickinson High School in 1970 and received her bachelor's degree in school nursing in 1974 from the University of Delaware. During college, Nancy joined the U.S. Army after graduation and was assigned to Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, CO. She retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1996 from the United States Army Reserve. In 1979, Nancy received her master's degree in school nursing and her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certificate from the University of Colorado. Nancy returned to Delaware in 1983. Three years later, she became the school nurse for the Baltz Elementary School and remained there until 1995, when she went to Forest Oak Elementary School. At Forest Oak, she is known as a nonassuming person, who has a ``quiet way about doing what she does best--being a school nurse.'' She is kind to the children and always looking out for their best interests. In 2002, Nancy started a fitness program at Forest Oaks Elementary. Having been inspired by a talk on obesity at the National School Nurses Convention, she submitted a grant application, and was awarded $3,300 from the State of Delaware to implement her program. The program promotes increased physical activity and healthy nutrition in first to fourth graders. Nancy hopes to expand the program to also include students in kindergarten and fifth grade and to teachers and staff. Nancy has also helped coordinate a bike safety program and helmet program, taught open airways classes to empower students with asthma in self care, collaborated with the school guidance counselor and psychologist to meet the emotional and educational needs of students and presented staff education programs in diabetes, asthma and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Nancy is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society, the National Association of School Nurses, the Delaware School Nurses Association, DSNA, and was a member of the DSNA Continuing Education Committee from 1990-1995. Nancy also serves on the Red Clay Nurse Liaison Committee, is the computer representative for the Red Clay School nurses, and is a member of the revision committee for the school nurse technical assistance manual. Nancy is married to Joe Nadel, a psychologist and teacher at Wesley College. She has four children, Katie, Carolyn, Dan, and Susan, and three stepchildren, Joe, Ian and Mike. In her spare time, she volunteers at Mary Mother of Hope House II by sponsoring food, linen and gift drives at their shelter. Nancy is an amazing human being. She has been and remains deeply committed to her family, her students, and her community. She has helped shape the lives of thousands in the halls of the institutions she served, and in the hearts of those who have been lucky enough to call her their friend. I rise today to honor and to thank Nancy for her selfless dedication to the betterment of others. She is a remarkable woman and a testament to the community she represents.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, the record should show those words should not be directly attributed to me. They are actually the words of a recently departed minister, Methodist minister from our State, Brooks Reynolds, who would have been 89 years old on election day. He used to give the opening prayer at the Delaware General Assembly. We would convene every January. Among the things he would say to all of us who would gather there in Dover in the legislative hall: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. With respect to the underlying legislation, we have done a good job of doing that. What we have come up with is legislation that I think is well designed to ensure that key decisionmakers--be it the President or the President's Cabinet, those of us who serve in the House and Senate, those who serve in the intelligence communities themselves--that we have the information we need to have, we have it in a timely way, and that we have the information objectively. That will enable us to better protect this country from terrorism in the 21st century. That is the main thing, and I believe the legislation before us today really does help us keep the main thing the main thing. I wish to say a word or two, if I may today, about the amendment Senator Collins and I have offered. It seeks to address the issue of how to allocate funds to first responders, and to also enable the system of distribution that we have to move forward with a little less difficulty, a bit more smoothly, and maybe somewhat more efficiently. First, I wish to say how much I have enjoyed working with Senator Collins. We have worked on it well over a year, and to express thanks to my staff and especially to John Kilvington on my staff for the great work he has done with me and with Senator Collins's team. What we seek to do with this amendment before us today, I say to my colleagues, is to make a series of much needed reforms to the state of the Homeland Security Grant Program. As many of my colleagues are aware, funding under the State Homeland Security Grant Program today is distributed somewhat arbitrarily. Much of the money that is made available for grants each year is distributed on a per capita basis. It is based on a formula that is actually included in the PATRIOT Act. Some have criticized our current homeland security grant formula saying it shortchanges larger States such as New York that are at the most risk for attack. I agree. No one here, though, disputes the fact that States such as New York and California deserve the biggest share of Federal funds. But let me say clearly that funding should not be based on population alone. This may come as a surprise to some of you from big States such as Minnesota or Wyoming, but my home State of Delaware is not very big but we still have major vulnerabilities. We have a significant port on the Delaware River, the Port of Wilmington. Through that port, frankly, more bananas come than any other port on the east coast--grapes, Chilean fruit, and steel. Delaware has been known through its history as the chemical capital of the world, home to major companies such as DuPont and Hercules and others. We have a number of plants that dot the landscape. Delaware is a financial center for our country, in downtown Wilmington, DE. A lot of people go through Delaware. If you do, you probably know I- 95 passes through Delaware, one of the busiest highways in the country. Interstate 495 does as well. The Northeast corridor for Amtrak passes through Delaware. Both freight railroads, CSX and Norfolk Southern, two of the busiest railroads in America, pass through Delaware. To our east, we have the Delaware River, a heavily trafficked river with some cargo, including some hazardous cargo that goes through our States, between our State and New Jersey on that river. On the other side of the Delaware is New Jersey and there is a nuclear powerplant in Summit, NJ. All of these factors tend to make our State a not unattractive target for terrorists. We need to make sure that whatever we do, we protect States such as Delaware that may not be the most populous but do have real safety and security concerns. I believe--I might be wrong, but I believe with this amendment we have found a way to do that without shortchanging our sister States around the country. The 9/11 Commission rightly pointed out that the current grant formula simply does not direct the Federal Government's scarce homeland security resources to the States and localities that need it the most. They called on Congress to create a new formula based on an assessment of threats and vulnerabilities that take into account real risk factors such as population density and the presence of critical infrastructure. Our amendment does just that. The formula we have crafted ensures that the majority of Federal first responders' aid each year goes to the States most vulnerable to attack. In my judgment and the judgment of my colleagues, our cosponsors, the formula is a fair one. It would ensure that big States such as New York and California and smaller, less populated States such as Delaware, or less populous States such as Wyoming or Minnesota, receive our fair share of Federal homeland security dollars. Large States will do much better under this formula in the amendment than they do under current law. This is especially true for States with large, densely populated cities or those that are located along an international border. It is my hope that this amendment will also better account for needs in States such as Delaware that have small populations but are located in risky parts of the country and have other significant vulnerabilities. In addition, our amendment gives the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to distribute a portion of each year's grant funding directly to large cities such as New York or Washington, DC, where we are gathered today, to help them meet their unique security needs. We do all of this while preserving the small State minimum set out in current law. This will ensure that small States such as ours will continue to receive the resources they need, that we need, to protect our citizens from potential terrorist attack. In addition to these important formula changes which have been alluded to by both Senator Collins and Senator Lieberman, our amendment makes this Homeland Security Grant Program much more user friendly. I don't know if our Presiding Officer or my colleague from Minnesota talked to their Governors recently or their mayors. Senator Coleman was once a mayor so he could be talking to himself on this one, I suppose. But any of us talking to our Governors or mayors or first responders over the last couple of years know how inefficient this program can be and how frustrating it can be to deal with. Under the current system, anyone seeking a grant is faced with, believe it or not, a 12-step application process--12 steps. Once this process is complete, first responders then have to sit around and wait, sometimes for months, before they see that first dime. Our amendment dramatically streamlines this process; shortening the 12-step application process to 2 steps, requiring that States pass grant funds down to the local level within 60 days of receipt. Our amendment also ensures that cities and local governments are involved in their State's planning and application process. Our amendment also includes an important provision giving States significant new flexibility to use first responder aid they receive to meet their most pressing security needs. Under the current system, States are given funding in four categories: No. 1, planning; No. 2, training; No. 3, they can use this money for exercises, and, No. 4, for equipment purchases. The States must spend a certain amount of money in each category, even if their homeland security plan calls for a different spending plan. We propose, on the other hand, to give States the ability to apply for a waiver that would allow them to use unspent training money, for example, to purchase needed equipment, if that is where their needs were to lie or, frankly, the converse could be true. Finally, our amendment creates a one-stop shop within the Department of Homeland Security. That one-stop shop would enable applicants to obtain grant information and other assistance. It also lays the groundwork for future reforms by authorizing a major review of all existing homeland security-related grant programs. As part of this review, an interagency committee will look at planning, will look at application and paperwork requirements in an effort to ensure that the different programs are coordinated and do not impose duplicative requirements on applicants. The committee would then make recommendations for changes aimed not at eliminating programs but at making sure all of those programs work together in a coordinated fashion with as small an administrative burden on applicants as possible. In conclusion, this amendment is based on bipartisan legislation reported out of the Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously this past June. It is a product of more than a year of debate on that committee about how we could better serve our first responders. The amendment enjoys the support of Democrat and Republican Senators from both large States and from small States, and when we have the opportunity to vote on this amendment, I will certainly urge our colleagues to vote for its adoption.

Mr. CARPER. I am happy to yield.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, before the chairman of our committee and Senator Lieberman head for their meeting, I want to say in plain view of everyone how proud I am of the leadership they have provided to our committee. At a time when much of Washington, DC, was taking the month of August off, they made sure that our committee did not. At a time when most Senators were scattered around the world, the country, and back in their own States, they made sure we were here, and not just for any purpose but to participate in a series of excellent hearings. I believe, and correct me if I am wrong, we have had a total of eight hearings thus far in the last month on this subject, from all kinds of people within the CIA, folks who have been National Security Advisers, Secretaries of Defense, Secretaries of State, Secretaries of Homeland Security. We have heard from the Commissioners themselves, the cochairs of the Commission, and from their senior staff. It has been an extraordinary education. It has taken me a while to get my arms around these issues. As we finished our markup, I said to both Senator Collins and Senator Lieberman that a lot had not been clear to me as we went through the course of those hearings, but as we went through the course of the markup a number of issues, questions that had not been in focus for me, came into focus. I thank you for providing this extraordinary month and a half for us to prepare to offer this package to our colleagues in the Senate. You have done really good work. We are proud of you.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. I thank the Senator. The minority leader has spoken about the injustice done to the Dakota over a century ago, and we are endeavoring this year in this Congress to address another injustice; that is, the injustice where people are sick and dying from asbestos exposure and are not getting the money they and their families need. People who are not sick are drawing off money that should be going to those who desperately need it. We have companies going bankrupt, with people being displaced and losing their jobs. It is a bad situation, a terrible situation. We can fix it. I thank my leader for his extraordinary courage in pushing forward a proposal to further narrow our differences with our Republican colleagues. If you think about all of the areas of progress, we have agreed there should be a trust fund, we have agreed there should be a trust fund, and on how it should be administered; we have agreed on how much money should go into the trust fund; we have agreed the money should be fully allocated to meet the claims out there; we have agreed on medical criteria; we have agreed on 10 different levels of impairment. We have basically agreed on the claims. While there are several areas in which we still have some differences to agree on, we have made extraordinary progress. I commend Senator Daschle for his leadership in getting us close to this point. I have urged Senator Frist, who has left the floor, to invite Senator Daschle to sit down and resolve the remaining differences between the two leaders. This can be done, and it should be done this year, and we should not leave here without completing this job.

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, will the minority leader yield?

Mr. CARPER

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, speaking not only for myself, I know I speak for Senator Biden as well, for both of us.

Mr. CARPER. I will proceed. Dover Air Force Base has been in existence a half century or more. The oldest control tower on any Air Force base in America, as far as I am aware, is at Dover Air Force Base. There has been a request for a number of years to try to replace that tower and put in new technology to provide better safety control of our aircraft on the Delmarva Peninsula. The committee sought to include that project last year and was unable to do so for the 2004 funding cycle. Senator Feinstein has been terrific in making sure it was included in the funding for this year. I express my gratitude to her and to Senator Hutchison for that inclusion. The importance of airlift today is great. We have, as my colleagues know, operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, supporting our personnel in Nigeria, Haiti--all over the world. The importance of airlift is only going to grow in the years ahead because of the redeployment of our forces, as we bring folks home and the need in the future to deploy them through airlift, and if we want to do it quickly, airlift is the key. Bases where we provide airlift today will only be more critical to our Nation's military security. There are a lot of Air Force bases. I do not know of any base on the east coast that does more in terms of providing the lift for our men, women, troops, materiel, and equipment than Dover Air Force Base. Within a few weeks, we are going to be breaking ground at Dover Air Force Base for a new aerial port. This is a new huge modernized cargo warehouse through which equipment will move from ground transportation, truck and rail, onto aircraft to be shipped all around the world, and, in other cases, off the aircraft to the port, and distributed through this country. It is a huge project. It was funded in the 2004 budget, and we break ground in a few days. We are excited about it. And we are finally seeing the oldest control tower in the Air Force being replaced by a modern, technologically current tower. There are 5,000 people who work at Dover Air Force Base. Many are families. A lot of their loved ones are abroad. Today they are all over the world. Their housing is not especially good. I believe there is some money in this Military Construction bill to help us on the housing side as well. For all of that and for all the families at Dover Air Force Base, for those of us who know how important the base is to our military readiness, we say our heartfelt thanks.

Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I thank Senator Feinstein for yielding to me at this time. I wish to express my appreciation on behalf of everyone at Dover Air Force Base for project funds that are included in this bill. Is this an appropriate time for me to make that statement?