Saxby Chambliss

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, on rollcall vote No. 194, I was present and voted no. The official record has me listed as absent; therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the official record be corrected to accurately reflect my vote. This will in no way change the outcome of the vote.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss two amendments I have filed to the pending immigration legislation. I was at home over the Memorial Day recess and had an opportunity to talk about the pending bill with a number of constituents. For many of the folks I spoke with, their top concern was border security. There was a deep feeling of skepticism about the ability of the U.S. Government to deliver effective control of our borders. Their concerns certainly have merit, and that is why it is so important that we prove we are serious about border security by securing our borders before any proposed immigration reforms are put into place. The issue before us is critical to the future of our country in terms of national security, economic prosperity, and the fabric of our Nation. I hope we will proceed with a thoughtful and thorough debate in the Senate, because the proposals we are going to be asked to consider are enormous in scope and have far-reaching implications. I have filed some amendments, and I know a number of my colleagues have filed amendments, to try to improve this legislation. It is my hope we will have an opportunity to continue to work through this process in a manner that recognizes the importance of this issue, rather than adhering to an arbitrary timeline for completion. We must ensure that not only the Senators, but also the American people, have ample opportunity to fully comprehend the consequences of any action we take. America needs secure borders. Right now, we do not have them. As a nation of immigrants which honors the rule of law, we must secure our borders to make America safe so we can fix our country's immigration system. A nation that cannot secure its borders cannot secure its destiny or administer its laws. The current proposal contains the first border security trigger envisioned by my fellow Senator from Georgia, Johnny Isakson. It says no temporary worker program or transition to Z visa status for those currently illegally in the country can begin until the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security certifies to the President and to the Congress that the specific key border security measures are funded, in place, and operational. These triggers include constructing 370 miles of fencing that was previously authorized, 200 miles of vehicle barriers at the border, and finishing the goal of doubling the size of the Border Patrol since this President took office. The trigger also includes a provision that detention facilities must have a total capacity of 27,500 beds to end the practice of catch and release on our southern border. It is absolutely vital that the Senate act to put the resources and mechanisms in place to allow the Department of Homeland Security to gain operational control of our borders and to have stronger and more meaningful enforcement of our immigration laws in the interior of the United States. With enhanced enforcement, we have already seen a positive change at the border. The number of people apprehended for illegally crossing our southern border is down by nearly 27 percent in 2007 from this point in time in 2006. You might say, the numbers of apprehensions are down; that does not sound as though the agents are doing a very good job, and more people are getting in. The fact is the numbers are down because our Border Patrol agents are doing an outstanding job and because illegal entrants are deterred from even trying to cross as news of our increased security has made its way south. So starting with border security and ensuring we get our borders secure through certain mechanisms is my top priority, and this bill does that. While I have been supportive of getting us to this point and supportive of the framework of this approach, there are certain issues I believe can be improved upon. Some of my colleagues have amendments to do that, and I wish to discuss briefly a couple of amendments I have filed. My first amendment, No. 1318, deals with protecting the Social Security trust fund for the future retirees of this Nation. I ask unanimous consent that Senators Inhofe, Isakson, Enzi, and Murkowski be made cosponsors of this amendment.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. In 2004, the Commissioner of Social Security signed a totalization agreement with the Director General of the Mexican Social Security Institute. While the President has not yet submitted the United States-Mexico totalization agreement to Congress, I am concerned the agreement could threaten the retirement benefits of Americans. Totalization agreements allow workers who divide their careers between two countries to combine work credits from both countries to qualify for Social Security benefits. It also prevents workers from paying Social Security taxes in both countries. While this seems like a good idea that ensures fairness, the proposed totalization agreement with Mexico leaves many questions unanswered in terms of its cost to American taxpayers. I am concerned the proposed totalization agreement with Mexico and possible future totalization agreements will impose significant costs on the already overburdened U.S. Social Security system. The problem is current law doesn't require Congress to affirmatively review a totalization agreement and determine if it is in the best interests of American taxpayers. Under current law, a totalization agreement automatically goes into effect unless either the House of Representatives or the Senate adopts a resolution of disapproval within 60 legislative days of the President submitting it to Congress. If no action occurs during this timeframe, Congress is deemed to support the totalization agreement and it automatically goes into effect. My first amendment will change this current practice so that Congress has its proper constitutional role in determining whether totalization agreements are in the best interests of our country by ensuring that totalization agreements only go into effect after explicit approval from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The amendment will also require the Social Security Administration to provide regular reports to Congress that examine both the projected costs and the actual costs of all totalization agreements. In short, this amendment will ensure that proper debate and analysis take place prior to the approval of an agreement that can impact our Social Security trust fund. The second amendment I wish to address tonight is No. 1319. This amendment deals with the fine structure for Z-A workers, which is a part of the agriculture piece of this legislation. I worked very closely with my colleagues, Senator Craig and Senator Feinstein, to make some changes to the agriculture portion of this bill which was initially drafted, but one area that was left unresolved in our discussion was the amount of fines agricultural workers would be required to pay under the Z-A visa program. Under the substitute bill we are debating, an agricultural worker's fine to obtain a Z-A visa is $100, as compared to the $1,000 that regular Z applicants must pay. Then, for those Z-A workers who wish to depart the country and make application for a green card, the fine in the underlying substitute is $400 as compared to the $4,000 for regular Z visa holders. This amendment is very simple. This brings into parity the fine structures for Z visa workers and Z-A visa workers. However, the amendment also recognizes that annual earnings from agricultural employment are generally lower than in other sectors of the economy due to the often seasonal nature of agricultural work. The amendment requires agricultural workers to pay a $1,000 fine at the time they make application for a Z-A visa, just as workers in other sectors of the economy must pay a $1,000 fine when they make application for a Z visa. Further, the amendment requires Z-A visa workers to pay a $4,000 fine at the time they make application for a green card, just as Z visa workers must pay a $4,000 fine. However, Z-A workers would be allowed to discount $1,000 from the $4,000 fine for each year they worked in agriculture under the terms of the bill, with a maximum deduction of $3,000. So the total fine amount a Z-A worker will be mandated to pay is $2,000, as compared to the $5,000 the Z visa workers are mandated to pay, provided those workers stay in the field of agriculture, which is one of the ideas behind the base bill, as well as this provision. I think this fine structure is much more equitable than the current total of $500 that Z-A workers are expected to pay. It also recognizes some of the unique aspects of agricultural work. Regardless of the sector of the economy in which the Z visa applicants work, we need to ensure that the fines, which are penalties, are meaningful and difficult to achieve. These are two commonsense, straightforward amendments. I hope the Senate will have an opportunity to consider them soon. With that, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that floor privileges be granted to Julie Blanks, a legislative fellow in my office, for the remainder of today's session.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, let me add another part to that unanimous consent request: that the Senator from Florida be allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes, following the Senator from Maine.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be allowed to speak up to 10 minutes as in morning business.

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following me, the Senator from Maine be allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes.

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

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I stand before you to honor the memory of the heroes who sacrificed their lives on the beaches of Normandy 63 years ago today. It was these brave men who stared into the face of the stark unknown and forged on to military victory. Supreme Allied Commander and future President Dwight D. Eisenhower led the decisive invasion, now known as D-day, that brought liberation throughout Europe. It was on June 6, 1944, at 6:30 a.m., that the first assault wave of a great armada rolled onto the beaches of Normandy, France. Operation Overlord commenced and everyone involved knew there was no turning back. And while the size and scope of the operation were colossal, so were the risks. The success of the battle hinged on the element of surprise, and with literally thousands of men involved in the planning, its secrecy hinged on those same men. It is clear these men were the epitome of unfailing loyalty, courage, and solidarity. The invasion had been postponed a day due to weather, and it was only after assurances from a meteorologist that conditions would improve that General Eisenhower agreed to proceed. But still, cloudy skies caused drop zones to be overshot, and more than half of the equipment to be parachuted in was lost. But soldiers persisted, risks paid off, and bravery triumphed over peril. On that dangerous early morning, following a treacherous English Channel crossing, 150,000 Allied troops took the shore, and 100,000 continued inland. Mr. President, 9,000 men were lost that day, but it went down in history as the decisive battle that turned the tide of the war. I am proud to bring your attention to what these men did. And as I recognize their valor on this remarkable anniversary, I think it is both fitting and necessary to recognize the valor of our troops in battle today who are no less brave, and who face uncertainty and risk, as did those who fought for freedom in the Second World War. I wish I could stand up here and draw other comparisons between these two wars-- WWII and the global war on terror--and between the threats of Nazism and terrorism, because it is without a doubt that World War II, despite our human losses, brought a unity of cause to our Nation, and that would be a great place for us to be again. But the fact is that we are in a different world and a different century; we face a different enemy, and, most of all, our Nation has tremendous differences on how to deal with this enemy. However, as with the heroism demonstrated by our fighting forces both then and now, there are other unmistakable parallels. The invasion on D-day marked a pivotal time in history when the outcome was uncertain. The great generals going into battle had faith and trust in their troops, but knew their bold strategy carried with it great risk. Just before the invasion, MG Leroy Watson, commander of the 3rd Armored Division, sent his troops this message: This is the greatest military operation in the history of the world. Its success or failure will determine the course of events for the next hundred years. General Eisenhower, also uncertain about the outcome, prepared a letter which he never had to deliver, accepting responsibility for the loss. He expected catastrophic failure and military victory. He wrote to his troops: My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the Air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. The leaders knew the danger, but also knew the consequences of failure. In Iraq, and in the fight against terrorism, we must continue to stay the course, because the stakes of not winning are too high, and, as was the case on D-day, we are again in a pivotal time in history. And again, the outcome will surely determine the course of events for the remainder of this century. D-day was a tremendous battle, with thousands of casualties over the course of a day. It was a time of great loss for our Nation. And amidst those losses stand stories of bravery, individual valor and resounding brotherhood--stories that enveloped the historic battle and personalized it for a nation. And I can tell you that the soldiers I met in Iraq, and the troops whose stories I heard at Fort Benning and Fort Stewart, will be remembered in the annals of our Nation as warriors who are as brave, as strong, and as committed as the heroes of D-day we remember today. And the Generals who led these brave men will also never be forgotten. World War II saw Eisenhower, Patton, Marshall and Bradley-- all of these men have secured their places in history. And today and in the future we will remember the legacies of Petraeus, Odierno, McChrystal, and Fallon--generals and admirals whose leadership, ingenuity, courage and forthrightness are shaping the Iraq strategy, and no doubt its military outcome. So in drawing these parallels, my conclusion is that in the history of war, there are some constants: the bravery of soldiers, the uncertainty of battle, the value of leadership, and the necessity of victory. These things never change. They were evident on June 6, 1944, and they are evident today. And so it is on the 63rd anniversary of D- day, the decisive battle of World War II, that I recognize the heroes who fought, lived, and died valiantly. And I thank them and their families for setting an example and standard our warriors remember on the battlefield today, and for creating a generation that is willing and able to set the same standard and example for our heroes of tomorrow. I hope that our men and women in uniform serving around the world today will draw courage from the example of those who have gone before them as they execute the responsibilities we as a nation have trusted them to carry out.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise this morning with a very heavy heart, like all the rest of my colleagues, about the loss of our dear friend Craig Thomas. Craig was such an inspiration in such a quiet way to all of us, a guy from the true Wild West, the great State of Wyoming. He had such an easy manner about him that is so indicative of a lot of people who come from that part of the country. It was indeed a privilege and a pleasure to have the opportunity to serve with him. I had a number of interests in common with Craig. First of all, we served on the Agriculture Committee together. In the past 2 years, as chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Craig was one of those guys I called on from time to time to seek his advice and counsel because in the area of Wyoming and in the western part of the country, they grow different kinds of crops than what we grow in the Southeast. Craig was always willing to give his time to talk to me about the thoughts of farmers and ranchers in his part of the country and what we needed to do from a policy perspective on the Agriculture Committee relative to his farmers and ranchers that would also be beneficial to my farmers and ranchers. I cannot overemphasize the value of that kind of relationship with a Member of this body. I grew up in my law practice and in the rural electrification business. Craig was a strong advocate of rural electrification and the REA program and had been involved with it in Wyoming for decades. We had the opportunity to talk about this issue and long-term policy relative to providing electricity and other assets to people in rural America, and whether it was rural Wyoming or rural Georgia made no difference. Craig was an advocate of making sure that people in rural America all across our great country had the opportunities that folks in the urban parts of America have. I had a special opportunity to work with Craig. Earlier, I heard folks talk about Craig's love for the country and his love for the land. We were both outdoorsmen. He used to ride a horse a lot, and I like to shoot a shotgun at quail, pheasant, and a few other things that I have been blessed to be able to do over the years. We talked about our enjoyment of the outdoors on any number of different occasions. Craig was the chairman of a major committee during the last Congress. He was in charge of an issue that has been very near and dear to my State, an issue of designating property with a heritage designation in Georgia. I worked on this for about 6 years. We got right up to the brink last year, and all of a sudden we ran into a roadblock. Craig, as chairman, said, ``Saxby, here is the problem.'' Then he went through it and explained the very complex side of the issue that I had never thought of before. What it made me realize about Craig was that he was a lover of the land of America, irrespective of whether it was in Wyoming, Georgia, or the State of New York. He wanted to make sure future generations had the same opportunity to enjoy lands as our generation and previous generations have had the opportunity to do. Once he explained his position to me, we again worked through the issue. It took us a little longer than I wanted it to, but I had to be patient because Craig was very thoughtful. I knew his thinking was the right way of thinking on any issue like this, particularly with the designation of heritage areas, because there are other connotations to it than just saying we are going to leave this land for future generations. Craig was such a great ally in this process. At the end of the day, I remember when he gave his consent through a unanimous consent resolution. He and I sat right here near one another. He used to sit right there, and he moved behind me here. We sat across the aisle, and we had a long conversation that night about this particular piece of property for which he had now come to have a great appreciation. It is something that Georgians and America are going to enjoy for generations to come, and it simply would not have happened without Craig Thomas. Lastly, the desk that is right behind my desk is one of the more notable desks on this side of the aisle in this great institution because it is our candy drawer. His desk is our candy drawer. Of course, Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania had that desk in the two previous Congresses, and he kept it full of candy. Craig could not wait to get that desk when Rick left the Senate. Now, when a lot of us walk into the Senate door, the first thing we do is open that desk drawer to see what kind of candy Craig has put in there for us. He has never failed us. It was always a delight of his to be able to make folks happy, and this was a simple and easy way to encourage and get a smile on the faces of Senators as we walked in the door. Craig's wife Susan is such a great lady. I don't know his sons, but Susan is such a wonderful person. Again, as this body is such a small body, we all become friends regardless of our political differences. At the end of the day, we are a family, and we truly do have Susan and all of her other family in our thoughts and prayers as they go through what we know is a very difficult time. Craig and I also had in common the fact that we were both cancer survivors. I went through a process about 3 years ago, and Craig was one of the first ones to come to me and give me his thoughts and encouragement, which I really respected and greatly appreciated. That is the kind of family thought process that we go through here. So as we reach this day when Craig has lost that last battle--and, boy, did he ever fight good ones through the years. He fought this one very well, too. But as we think about him today, knowing his love of the outdoors in our conversations about his riding horses--even riding horses with the Capitol Police on the grounds of the Capitol--I am always going to have those very fond memories of Craig Thomas as a great friend, a great Member of this institution, and a truly great American. We know he is riding off into the sunset for a better life even as we speak today. With that, I yield the floor.

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

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Madam President, today I congratulate the Georgia Tech women's tennis team for winning the 2007 Women's NCAA Tennis Championship in Athens, GA. The Georgia Tech women's tennis program celebrated its first NCAA title on May 22, 2007, with a 4-2 win over UCLA. The Yellow Jackets' win over UCLA marked its 21st straight match win, and they finished the season at 29-4. I congratulate team members Amanda Craddock, Kristen Fowler, Whitney McCray, Amanda McDowell, Kirsti Miller, Tarryn Rudman, Alison Silverio, and Christy Striplin for their hard work and achievement. Additionally, I congratulate Alison Silverio on being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. I further extend my thanks to the players' families and fans for continually supporting these outstanding young women throughout a long but exciting tennis season. The team's success, undoubtedly, would not have been possible without the leadership of head coach Bryan Shelton, assistant coach Mariel Verban, and volunteer assistant coach Robin Stephenson. Congratulations again to all of these young women for their accomplishment.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Madam President, I wish to congratulate the men's tennis team from my alma mater, the University of Georgia, for winning the 2007 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship in Athens, GA. The Bulldogs defeated the University of Illinois 4 to 0 in the final round of play to capture their fifth men's NCAA national championship in front of a sold out crowd in Athens, leading to the school's 24th national title overall. The team entered the season ranked No. 1 in the country, and completed the season with a perfect 32 to 0 record, making them only the fifth men's tennis team in history to go undefeated. As an alumnus of this great university, I am extremely proud and would like to congratulate team members Brad Benedict, Luis Flores, Travis Helgeson, Alex Hill, Jamie Hunt, Chris Motes, Nate Schnugg, Joshua Varela, Christian Vitulli, and Tri-Captains Ricardo Gonzalez, John Isner, and Matic Omerzel for their hard work and accomplishments. Additionally, I would like to congratulate Matic Omerzel on being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Undoubtedly, the team's successes would not have been possible without the guidance and encouragement from legendary head coach Manuel Diaz, assistant coach Will Glenn and graduate assistant athletic trainer Michael Neumann. This title is the third for the university under Coach Diaz, making him the only active coach with multiple NCAA championships. Again, congratulations to the Georgia Bulldogs for their achievement.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr President, today I pay tribute to a great military leader, officer, and good friend, LTG Donald Wetekam. After 34 years of distinguished and honorable service, General Wetekam, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Installations and Logistics, will retire from the U.S. Air Force. General Wetekam began his active duty service in 1973 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. As a career logistics officer, he commanded three maintenance squadrons, a logistics group and a logistics center, and has served staff tours at both the major command and air staff levels. General Wetekam's noteworthy service and responsibilities have been widely recognized. He received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Legion of Merit with an oak leaf cluster, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with an oak leaf cluster. Prior to serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics, General Wetekam served as Commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, at Robins Air Force Base, GA. He also served both as Director of Maintenance and Logistics and Deputy Director of Combat Weapon Systems at Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, VA; and as Director of Logistics, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, HI. Prior to that he served as Vice Commander and Director, Aircraft Management Directorate at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, OK; and commanded the 49th Logistics Group at Holloman Air Force Base, NM. General Wetekam has been a visionary leader, and among his most significant accomplishments, championed initiatives including Repair Enterprise 21, establishing a single enterprise-wide maintenance repair network. He was a driving force behind the Global Logistics Support Center moving from a base centric supply process to a centrally responsive approach to improving supply chain management. During General Wetekam's tenure, the Air Force saw the implementation of Centralized Asset Management, culminating in a $14 billion savings and the elimination of complex and redundant financial processes. General Wetekam worked extensively to increase the number of Security Forces available for deployment and through this effort provided much needed support to our warfighters. He was successful in reducing career field operations tempo, and forged a ground breaking path for both privatized housing and joint basing. General Wetekam's leadership was instrumental to air and space forces engaged across a breadth of support activities in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. As the prime architect of Lean implementation, his guidance enabled the Air Force to increase efficiency in a resource constrained, high operations tempo environment. His efforts provided the foundation for Air Force Smart Operations 21 and the ability to fund the recapitalization of an aging fleet and build the Air Force of tomorrow while fighting today's war. The Nation will miss General Wetekam's commitment to duty, ceaseless drive for improvement, and unwavering support to the U.S. Air Force. I will miss having him in the U.S. Air Force, although I know he will continue to serve his Nation wherever he goes. I know I speak on behalf of a grateful Nation in saying thank you to General Wetekam for his years of service and sacrifice. I hope my colleagues will join me in wishing him well in all his future endeavors and hope that those who follow in his footsteps will continue his legacy of unprecedented support to our great Nation. Good luck and Godspeed.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by my friend and my colleague, Senator Graham. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this amendment. As I have said before, I believe the agreement we reached among a bipartisan group of Members of this body is a step in the right direction because it gets us to where we are today; that is, we are debating this critical issue on the floor of the Senate. Bringing this issue to the floor of the Senate allows Members of this body an opportunity to improve upon what has previously been negotiated. Senator Graham's amendment is an improvement that should be adopted because it deals with the very most important part of this particular bipartisan piece of legislation, that is, border security and interior enforcement. This amendment creates a more effective deterrent against future illegal immigration by ensuring that illegal immigrants who are caught and deported and then return to the United States in violation of our laws again serve minimum jail sentences. There is nobody who is going to be deported and gets caught coming back in who is going to escape going to jail. It is kind of unbelievable to think about that we do not already have this kind of law on the books today. That is why this piece of bipartisan legislation is so critically important to the future of our immigration laws in this country. Under current law, if an illegal alien is caught entering the United States, that person is deported. This system is subject to abuse because an estimated 20 to 30 percent of those illegal immigrants deported simply return to the United States again in an illegal way. If that same person illegally reenters the United States again, they are subject to fines or imprisonment, but currently there is not a mandatory jail term. So our Border Patrol agents and our Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are faced with the problem of removing the same illegal immigrants time and time again. This amendment will ensure that everyone who is deported from the United States and reenters will serve jail time. This is a most vital piece of legislation in getting control of our borders and in ensuring we have efficient and meaningful interior enforcement. This amendment is critical because it will make sure the resources of our Border Patrol and Customs agents are not expended on the same violators again and again. It also sends a strong signal to everyone in the world thinking about illegally coming to the United States that we are serious about our laws and are seriously going to punish those who violate those laws. I have to say, one problem we have, as we debate this bill and we talk with folks back home, is the credibility of this body, as well as the other body, as well as the agencies charged with carrying out the enforcement. Even though we are charged with oversight, the credibility of the U.S. Government in enforcing the current laws on the books is severely lacking. This is a measure that does put some real teeth into the deporting and reimporting by criminals. In this particular measure, it does give our law enforcement officials an opportunity to not only be serious about enforcement of the law but in a way that is truly meaningful and will go a long way toward stopping illegal immigrants from coming across our borders, as well as doing a better job of enforcing our immigration laws from an interior standpoint. So I urge all my colleagues to vote in support of the amendment offered by my good friend and colleague, Senator Graham. I yield the floor.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. (for himself and Mr. Nelson) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Commitee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: S. Res. 201 Whereas life insurance is an essential part of a sound financial plan; Whereas life insurance provides financial security for families by helping surviving members meet immediate and long-term financial obligations and objectives in the event of a premature death in their family; Whereas approximately 68,000,000 United States citizens lack the adequate level of life insurance coverage needed to ensure a secure financial future for their loved ones; Whereas life insurance products protect against the uncertainties of life by enabling individuals and families to manage the financial risks of premature death, disability, and long-term care; Whereas individuals, families, and businesses can benefit from professional insurance and financial planning advice, including an assessment of their life insurance needs; and Whereas numerous groups supporting life insurance have designated September 2007 as ``National Life Insurance Awareness Month'' as a means to encourage consumers to-- (1) become more aware of their life insurance needs; (2) seek professional advice regarding life insurance; and (3) take the actions necessary to achieve financial security for their loved ones: Now therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) supports the goals and ideals of ``National Life Insurance Awareness Month''; and (2) calls on the Federal Government, States, localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and the citizens of the United States to observe the month with appropriate programs and activities.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague and my good friend, the Senator from Arkansas, Mr. Pryor, in introducing legislation to ensure that the medical needs of wounded service men and women are properly met and that the military bureaucracy does not interfere with their recovery progress. We have watched with embarrassment and compassion as the unacceptable conditions of some of our military medical care facilities and housing facilities were revealed and shown to the public. Clearly, we owe our wounded military personnel the best treatment and care that can be offered. This bill we are introducing today will help provide that. Let me say, first of all, I have recently had the opportunity to visit the Eisenhower Medical Center at Fort Gordon, GA, as well as the medical facility at Fort Benning, GA, and I am reminded once again that medical care given to our military men and women is truly second to none. Are there exceptions? Sure. There are problems that arise from time to time in the delivery of health care services to our military men and women. Our purpose today is to try to make some of the bureaucracy go away and to try to help make sure our medical suppliers at all of our military facilities around the country and around the world have the ability to deliver the very best medical care to our men and women. Our bill, S. 1283, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007, will improve the access to and quality of the health care our military personnel receive by requiring that case managers for personnel in medical holdover status handle no more than 17 cases and review each case once a week. Our bill will also create a system of patient advocates who can help personnel navigate the cumbersome medical board and review process, as well as add necessary funding to hire additional physicians. Our bill increases training for health care professionals, medical case managers, and patient advocates, with an emphasis on identifying and treating difficult-to-diagnose and complex conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Our bill establishes a toll-free hotline for patients and their families to report problems with medical facilities or patient care and creates an independent advocate to counsel servicemembers appearing before medical evaluation boards. Our bill creates a wounded warrior battalion, which will be an Army pilot program to improve the transition from military to civilian life for wounded combat veterans, as well as track and assist members of the Armed Forces who are in outpatient status and in need of medical treatment. More than 24,900 soldiers have been wounded in Iraq. We owe it to them and their loved ones to have a responsive health care system in place, in addition to the very best medical care available. This legislation increases the resources available to our veterans in order to allow them to focus on their recovery rather than redtape. Heroes such as these need and deserve the best medical care and attention we can offer them, and this bill will help provide that. They do not need to be disadvantaged by an outdated, bureaucratic process that adds more stress to their recovery process. Our legislation is a step in the right direction to reform and modernize the outpatient treatment process and will increase the morale and welfare of our recovering servicemembers. They deserve our fullest support, and we are committed to meeting their needs. This bill mirrors H.R. 1538, which was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 426 to 0 on March 28 of this year. I thank Senator Pryor for the chance to work together with him on this important legislation. He and I have had the opportunity to work on any number of measures during our now going on 5 years in the Senate. He is a true champion of not just our wounded but all of our military personnel, and it has been a pleasure to work with him. I commend this bill to all of my colleagues. I hope we can move to a swift passage of the bill so we can present it to the President for his signature. I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield the floor.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague and my good friend, the Senator from Arkansas, Mr. Pryor, in introducing legislation to ensure that the medical needs of wounded service men and women are properly met and that the military bureaucracy does not interfere with their recovery progress. We have watched with embarrassment and compassion as the unacceptable conditions of some of our military medical care facilities and housing facilities were revealed and shown to the public. Clearly, we owe our wounded military personnel the best treatment and care that can be offered. This bill we are introducing today will help provide that. Let me say, first of all, I have recently had the opportunity to visit the Eisenhower Medical Center at Fort Gordon, GA, as well as the medical facility at Fort Benning, GA, and I am reminded once again that medical care given to our military men and women is truly second to none. Are there exceptions? Sure. There are problems that arise from time to time in the delivery of health care services to our military men and women. Our purpose today is to try to make some of the bureaucracy go away and to try to help make sure our medical suppliers at all of our military facilities around the country and around the world have the ability to deliver the very best medical care to our men and women. Our bill, S. 1283, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007, will improve the access to and quality of the health care our military personnel receive by requiring that case managers for personnel in medical holdover status handle no more than 17 cases and review each case once a week. Our bill will also create a system of patient advocates who can help personnel navigate the cumbersome medical board and review process, as well as add necessary funding to hire additional physicians. Our bill increases training for health care professionals, medical case managers, and patient advocates, with an emphasis on identifying and treating difficult-to-diagnose and complex conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Our bill establishes a toll-free hotline for patients and their families to report problems with medical facilities or patient care and creates an independent advocate to counsel servicemembers appearing before medical evaluation boards. Our bill creates a wounded warrior battalion, which will be an Army pilot program to improve the transition from military to civilian life for wounded combat veterans, as well as track and assist members of the Armed Forces who are in outpatient status and in need of medical treatment. More than 24,900 soldiers have been wounded in Iraq. We owe it to them and their loved ones to have a responsive health care system in place, in addition to the very best medical care available. This legislation increases the resources available to our veterans in order to allow them to focus on their recovery rather than redtape. Heroes such as these need and deserve the best medical care and attention we can offer them, and this bill will help provide that. They do not need to be disadvantaged by an outdated, bureaucratic process that adds more stress to their recovery process. Our legislation is a step in the right direction to reform and modernize the outpatient treatment process and will increase the morale and welfare of our recovering servicemembers. They deserve our fullest support, and we are committed to meeting their needs. This bill mirrors H.R. 1538, which was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 426 to 0 on March 28 of this year. I thank Senator Pryor for the chance to work together with him on this important legislation. He and I have had the opportunity to work on any number of measures during our now going on 5 years in the Senate. He is a true champion of not just our wounded but all of our military personnel, and it has been a pleasure to work with him. I commend this bill to all of my colleagues. I hope we can move to a swift passage of the bill so we can present it to the President for his signature. I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield the floor.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I thank my good friend from New Hampshire for yielding. I certainly agree with everything he has just been speaking about relative to the bill that is on the Senate floor now. (The remarks of Mr. Chambliss pertaining to the introduction of S. 1283 are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from New Mexico. I rise today to propose and then to withdraw an amendment that will make sure our Nation's historically Black colleges and universities, our HBCUs, are not overlooked in this important bill, the America COMPETES Act of 2007. In the State of Georgia, we have eight HBCUs: Albany State University, Clark Atlanta University, Fort Valley State University, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spelman College, Paine College, and Morris Brown College. This is a pretty simple amendment which would simply ensure that the HBCUs are included in the study by the National Academy of Sciences on barriers and innovations to advanced technologies. Specifically, I want to make sure we are able to find and highlight what HBCUs are doing nationally to equip their students with the knowledge and skills to compete in the 21st century workforce. The underlying bill would establish a President's Council on Innovation and Competitiveness. My amendment simply includes HBCUs in the Council's recommendation for strengthening innovation and competitiveness capabilities in academia. I wish to specifically highlight two examples of programs at Spelman College in Atlanta. Established in 1987, the Spelman College Women In Science and Engineering--or WISE--Scholars Program is a model student development effort that has successfully facilitated the recruitment, retention, and graduation of more than 200 African-American females pursuing baccalaureate degrees in sciences, mathematics, or a dual degree in engineering. The WISE Program addresses a national need to increase the prevalence of underrepresented racial minorities and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, while strengthening Spelman's capacity to continue to serve as a national conduit for the human resources needed to sustain the country's global economic competitiveness. The WISE Program continues Spelman's important role in providing the Nation with a skilled scientific workforce. As part of the American Competitiveness Initiative, unveiled during last years's State of the Union Address, the President called upon the Nation to, one, double the Federal commitment to the most critical basic research programs in the physical sciences; two, make permanent the research and development tax credit; and three, train 70,000 high school teachers to lead advanced-placement courses in math and science and bring 30,000 math and science professionals to teach in classrooms. Both the National Science Foundation and National Aeronautics and Space Administration believe Spelman's WISE Scholars Program is the vehicle to meet the Nation's increasing need for math and science teachers. Also, in 2003, NASA awarded the college with a $4.5 million grant to enhance its WISE Scholars Program. In 2005, six Spelman women qualified for the international RoboCup 2005 four-legged robot soccer competition in Osaka, Japan. The students created computer programs for the robots to compete in the soccer tournament, requiring the robots to play without human intervention. Of the 24 teams that qualified internationally, the SpelBots, as the team was called, were the first and only historically Black college and university, the only all-women institution, and the only U.S. undergraduate institution to qualify for the tournament. When looking back years from now at historically Black colleges and robotics research, all searches will lead to Spelman. Mr. President, these are just two examples of what is taking place at our HBCUs all across our country. That is why I believe HBCUs and programs such as these should be included in the recommendations by the President's Council on Innovation and Competitiveness. Now, I am going to withdraw this amendment because I have had a discussion with the Senator from Tennessee and the Senator from New Mexico, and I think they are probably right that this might be more appropriate as we reauthorize the Higher Education Act, which I understand will be marked up in the HELP Committee here within the next couple of weeks, in all probability. So I am going to withdraw the amendment. But I do wish to put this body on notice that we need to recognize the contributions our HBCUs are making in math, science, and technology, and that is a critical component of this bill. It will also be a critical component of the Higher Education Act. At that point I will be bringing this amendment forward to highlight those men and women who are at our HBCUs and the contribution they are making to math, science, and technology innovation. I yield the floor.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to the family of 35-year-old Christopher James ``Jamie'' Bishop, one of the victims of the tragic Virginia Tech shooting rampage that occurred this week. He was teaching an introductory German language course in Norris Hall when the shooting occurred. Jamie Bishop grew up in Pine Mountain and attended the University of Georgia, where he earned a bachelor's degree in German studies in 1993 and a master's degree in German linguistics in 1998. Additionally, he was a Fulbright Scholar at Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany, in 1993 and worked as an academic technology liaison at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is clear that Jamie Bishop touched many lives with his personality, his sense of humor, his numerous talents, his passion for teaching, and his love of scientific art. In fact, those who were close to him have said he talked about ``changing the world with art.'' He has been described as an intelligent, artistic, caring, gentle, and polite individual. It is difficult to fathom how something like this could happen, and words can't fully describe the grief we all feel as the weight of this tragedy settles over our Nation. My prayer is that, through faith and resolve, our country will emerge from this disaster in unity and strength as together we find healing from this sorrow. Julianne and I will keep his wife Stefanie Hofer, who is a member of the Virginia Tech faculty, as well as his parents Michael and Jerri Bishop in our thoughts and prayers during this time of sorrow.

Mr. CHAMBLISS

Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield for a question through the Chair.

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

Mr. CHAMBLISS. I simply say the Senator is exactly correct; 47 percent of our students do go on to Georgia Tech. I wish we could get more of them at the University of Georgia where they happened to let me go, but at Georgia Tech we are doing a terrific job of taking these bright young minds that are being developed, as we said earlier, not just at the eighth and ninth grade level, but thanks to you and the leadership of folks like you, at a much earlier age. Our GAMES program, incidentally, was put into effect and implemented by our former colleague Senator Zell Miller, when he was the Governor of our State, and somebody whom I know you worked very closely with over the years. It is a great concept. It is forward thinking, as this legislation is very forward thinking from the standpoint of making sure that these great minds are developed at a very early age. Again, I thank the Senator from Tennessee for his great work on this and I commend this legislation to all of our colleagues.