Thad Cochran

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions meet in executive session during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 8, 2005 at 3 p.m. in SD-106.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 8, 2005, at 2 p.m., to hold a hearing on Nominations.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 8, 2005 at 10 a.m., in SD-106.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, September 8, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. in Senate Dirksen Office Building Room 226. Agenda I. Nominations: Kenneth L. Wainstein to be United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. II. Bills: S. 1088--Streamlined Procedures Act of 2005, Kyl, Cornyn, Grassley, Hatch; S. 1197--Violence Against Women Act of 2005, Biden, Hatch, Specter, Leahy, DeWine, Kohl, Grassley, Kennedy, Schumer, Durbin, Feinstein; S. , Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2005, Specter, Leahy, Feingold; S. 751--Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act, Feinstein, Kyl; S. 1326--Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act, Sessions; S. 155--Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act of 2005, Feinstein, Hatch, Grassley, Cornyn, Kyl, Specter; S. 1086--A Bill to Improve the National Program to Register and Monitor Individuals Who Commit Crimes Against Children or Sex Offenses, Hatch, Biden, Schumer; S. 596--Jetseta Gage Prevention and Deterrence of Crimes Against Children Act of 2005, Grassley, Kyl, Cornyn.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that Art Cameron, who is detailed to our Appropriations Committee staff from the Treasury Department, and Kate Fitzpatrick be granted the privilege of the floor during the consideration of H.R. 2862, the Commerce-Justice- Science appropriations bill.

Mr. COCHRAN

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on passage of the bill.

Mr. COCHRAN

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

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, at this point, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the recess or adjournment of the Senate, the Senate may receive from the House an emergency supplemental appropriations bill for relief of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the text of which is at the desk, and that the measure be considered read three times and passed and a motion to reconsider laid on the table; provided that the text of the House bill is identical to that which is at the desk.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I commend the majority leader, with the concurrence and support of the minority leader, for calling the Senate into session tonight under these emergency conditions, to approve as if passed by the House, and when passed by the House and it is received here in the Senate, an emergency supplemental appropriations bill to fund disaster relief efforts. These efforts are ongoing. We have all had an opportunity to see on television sets and to hear and read newspaper accounts of the work that has been going on the last several days. I had the opportunity to travel to my State of Mississippi yesterday and spent the day touring the ravaged areas along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and then traveled to Jackson, the Capitol of the State, where I was able to meet with Governor Haley Barbour and his disaster assistance team that he had assembled and was supervising in their efforts to make all of the resources of our State government available to disaster victims and to help them in the effort to recover from this terrible hurricane. I have never seen any storm inflict such great damage as I saw yesterday. I was on the Gulf Coast immediately following Hurricane Camille in 1969. I was a practicing lawyer at the time. We were trying to help one of our clients ensure that the employees of their company, Standard Oil Company refinery, were able to present their claims to their insurance companies and otherwise be compensated, as they were entitled to under their policies, for the damages sustained throughout the area where those employees were living along the Gulf Coast. That was the worst storm that anybody in my age group had ever heard of, before or since--until Hurricane Katrina. I can tell you, looking along the coastline, flying in a Mississippi National Guard helicopter, the whole coastline, the whole coastal area of the State has been virtually destroyed. There are a few buildings that are left standing--a few. Those may not be habitable, and the businesses that they house may not be able to continue to function until extensive repairs are made on those buildings, so it is virtually all a total loss for blocks and blocks beyond the beach area. Everything was quiet. There was nobody moving around; it wasn't until today that many people could have access to the areas where those houses once stood. It was quiet. It was eerie. It was a horrible sight to behold. I don't know of anything that has depressed me more than seeing what I saw yesterday in my State of Mississippi. So I am confident the Senate will continue to follow the progress of the disaster assistance effort to be sure that we make available to all Federal agencies and departments the funds they need to do the job to help in the recovery efforts in Mississippi and in Alabama and Louisiana and in the other States. There have been damages in Florida and Georgia and Texas as well. The primary use of the funds that we give to the Department of Homeland Security, as requested by the President, will be used to reimburse Federal agencies for providing the relief effort that we have come to appreciate. The Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, Health and Human Services Department, Housing and Urban Development--all are able to share in these funds that will be disbursed to reimburse those departments for participating in the disaster relief effort. So it is not only this one agency but others that will be sustained and assisted as they continue to work in this effort. The President has appointed this task force as we all know now: Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff is chairing the task force on Hurricane Katrina; Mike Brown, the Director of FEMA, has been on the ground since the very beginning of this effort, coordinating the activities on the ground. Fifty-two counties in Mississippi have been identified as eligible for disaster declarations; thirty-two parishes in Louisiana; six counties in Alabama. The three Governors of those States have requested that the President waive cost-share requirements because of the expensive nature of these expenses for emergency response activities, and the President has granted this waiver. I ask unanimous consent that a description of the challenges and accomplishments of this disaster relief effort be printed in the Record.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, in response to this request, the House of Representatives, I am advised, will be prepared to adopt a bill making emergency supplemental appropriations to meet immediate needs arising from the consequences of Hurricane Katrina for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005. And the text of the bill is that it: Be enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the following sums are appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, namely the Department of Homeland Security: For an additional amount for ``Disaster Relief'', $10,000,000,000, to remain available until expended . . . And then a provision, provided $500 million to the Department of Defense: . . . for emergency hurricane expenses, to support costs of evacuation, emergency repairs, deployment of personnel, and other costs resulting from immediate relief efforts, to remain available until September 30, 2006. I ask unanimous consent that a copy of that bill, which we are advised will be adopted by the House of Representatives, be printed in the Record.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, let me first of all thank the majority leader, who is now presiding over the Senate, for responding so quickly to the request of the President for a supplemental appropriations bill providing needed funds to the Federal Emergency Management Administration and to the Department of Defense to carry on the disaster relief efforts that they have begun in the States that were so seriously affected by Hurricane Katrina. The President has submitted a letter describing the reasons for the request for this appropriations bill. Rather than reading the entire letter, which has been made available to everyone--the letter is actually addressed to the Speaker of the House--I will just read the first two paragraphs: As I informed the Nation yesterday, we are dealing with one of the worst natural disasters in our country's history. Residents of the Gulf Coast states affected by the hurricane have lost loved ones, have lost homes, and have been displaced from their communities. My Administration is committed to ensuring that they will have the full support of the Federal Government. Due to the catastrophic nature of Hurricane Katrina, I am asking the Congress to consider expeditiously the enclosed request totaling $10.5 billion, for an emergency FY 2005 supplemental appropriation for the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense. These funds will ensure that Federal response and recovery efforts continue uninterrupted. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the letter from the President be printed in full in the Record.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, the letter also contains a copy of a letter to the President from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Joshua B. Bolton. In this letter, he delineates specifically where the funds are needed, when they will be exhausted under current authority, and why this emergency appropriation is needed so that we can continue the aggressive disaster relief efforts in the coming weeks. And then he suggests: I anticipate recommending to you an additional request in the coming weeks to provide for a comprehensive response to this hurricane, once reliable estimates can be developed that recognize the extent of this disaster. This request fulfills known and urgent requirements that cannot reasonably be met under the current [fiscal year] 2005 funding levels. I recommend that you designate the proposal contained in this transmittal as an emergency requirement. I ask unanimous consent that the complete text of the letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to the President be printed in the Record.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order with respect to the Legislative Branch appropriations bill be reinstated with the time limited to 10 minutes equally divided between both sides.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, will the Senator withhold?

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, this amendment adds $587 million in new spending to first responder grants, above the levels provided already in the bill. There is no offset. The bill already provides $3.4 billion for first responder grants. In addition, there is nearly $7 billion previously appropriated that State and locals have available to spend at this time for first responders. The funding pipeline is full of money. This amendment will cause the subcommittee to exceed its 302(b) allocation. The Budget Act point of order should be sustained. Have the yeas and nays been ordered?

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act. I am pleased to be joined by Senators Stevens, Dodd, Warner, Burns, and Akaka. The Act's purpose is to improve geographic literacy among K-12 students in the United States by improving professional development programs for K-12 teachers offered through institutions of higher education. The bill also assists States in measuring the impact of education in geography. To begin to understand other people, we need to understand ourselves. Eudora Welty said that understanding begins with a sense of place. When we understand our own environment, we can better understand the differences in other places, and the people who live in them. The diversity of cultures, land, and distances between states within our nation is the first evidence we have that a good understanding of geography is necessary. According to the National Geographic Society, home is where the knowledge of geography begins. The 2005 publication, What Works in Geography, reported that elementary school geography instruction significantly improves student achievement. And, the 2002 National Geographic-Roper Global Geographic Literacy Survey shows that more than half of American adults best able to read a map had taken a high school geography course. That's the good news. Unfortunately, other recent studies show us that nearly one third of our elementary schools have reduced the number of geography courses in the last few years, and only 7 percent of our Nation's fourth graders are taught by teachers with specific undergraduate or graduate experience in geography. Geography is taught by less than 9 percent of K-12 social studies teachers and not even one quarter of high school students graduate with a geography class. To expect that Americans will be able to work economically and diplomatically with the other people in this world, we need to be able to communicate and understand each other. It is a fact that we have a global marketplace, and that will continue to be the case. We need to be preparing our younger generations for global competition and ensuring that they have a strong base to be able to participate in future industry. Geography knowledge improves those job opportunities. Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. GDP, that's $2.3 trillion annually, results from international trade. According to the CIA World Factbook of 2005, many U.S. workers need geographic knowledge for this global economy. Geographic knowledge is increasingly needed for U.S. businesses in international markets. For example, the inadvertent placing of Kashmir outside of Indian territory on a time zone map in a widely used computer operating system forced a costly recall, fix, and reissue of the software. A comprehensive geography education provides training in geospatial technologies, such as remote sensing and geographic information systems. This high-growth industry is expected to reach $30 billion in annual revenues by the end of 2005, up from $5 billion in 2002. Geospatial technologies are one of the three biggest emerging fields identified by the Department of Labor, and they are providing 75,000 new jobs annually. A strong geographic education system is a necessity for this industry's continuing advancement. Geography literacy is essential to a well prepared citizenry in the 21st Century. Last year, then Secretary of State Colin Powell said, ``To solve most of the major problems facing our county today--from wiping out terrorism, to minimizing global environmental problems, to eliminating the scourge of AIDS--will require every young person to learn more about other regions, cultures, and languages.'' We need to do more to ensure that the teachers responsible for the education of our students, from kindergarten through high school graduation, are prepared to participate constructively in solving those problems. Over the last 15 years, the National Geographic Society has awarded more than $100 million in grants to educators, universities, geography alliances, and others for the purposes of advancing and improving the teaching of geography. Their models are successful and research shows that students who have benefitted from this teaching out perform other students. State geography alliances exist in 19 States, including Mississippi, endowed by grants from the society. It is clear that their efforts alone are not enough. My bill establishes a Federal commitment to enhance the education of our teachers, focus on geography education research, and develop reliable, advanced technology based classroom materials. I hope the Senate will consider the seriousness of the need to invest in geography and I invite other Senators to cosponsor the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act. I am pleased to be joined by Senators Stevens, Dodd, Warner, Burns, and Akaka. The Act's purpose is to improve geographic literacy among K-12 students in the United States by improving professional development programs for K-12 teachers offered through institutions of higher education. The bill also assists States in measuring the impact of education in geography. To begin to understand other people, we need to understand ourselves. Eudora Welty said that understanding begins with a sense of place. When we understand our own environment, we can better understand the differences in other places, and the people who live in them. The diversity of cultures, land, and distances between states within our nation is the first evidence we have that a good understanding of geography is necessary. According to the National Geographic Society, home is where the knowledge of geography begins. The 2005 publication, What Works in Geography, reported that elementary school geography instruction significantly improves student achievement. And, the 2002 National Geographic-Roper Global Geographic Literacy Survey shows that more than half of American adults best able to read a map had taken a high school geography course. That's the good news. Unfortunately, other recent studies show us that nearly one third of our elementary schools have reduced the number of geography courses in the last few years, and only 7 percent of our Nation's fourth graders are taught by teachers with specific undergraduate or graduate experience in geography. Geography is taught by less than 9 percent of K-12 social studies teachers and not even one quarter of high school students graduate with a geography class. To expect that Americans will be able to work economically and diplomatically with the other people in this world, we need to be able to communicate and understand each other. It is a fact that we have a global marketplace, and that will continue to be the case. We need to be preparing our younger generations for global competition and ensuring that they have a strong base to be able to participate in future industry. Geography knowledge improves those job opportunities. Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. GDP, that's $2.3 trillion annually, results from international trade. According to the CIA World Factbook of 2005, many U.S. workers need geographic knowledge for this global economy. Geographic knowledge is increasingly needed for U.S. businesses in international markets. For example, the inadvertent placing of Kashmir outside of Indian territory on a time zone map in a widely used computer operating system forced a costly recall, fix, and reissue of the software. A comprehensive geography education provides training in geospatial technologies, such as remote sensing and geographic information systems. This high-growth industry is expected to reach $30 billion in annual revenues by the end of 2005, up from $5 billion in 2002. Geospatial technologies are one of the three biggest emerging fields identified by the Department of Labor, and they are providing 75,000 new jobs annually. A strong geographic education system is a necessity for this industry's continuing advancement. Geography literacy is essential to a well prepared citizenry in the 21st Century. Last year, then Secretary of State Colin Powell said, ``To solve most of the major problems facing our county today--from wiping out terrorism, to minimizing global environmental problems, to eliminating the scourge of AIDS--will require every young person to learn more about other regions, cultures, and languages.'' We need to do more to ensure that the teachers responsible for the education of our students, from kindergarten through high school graduation, are prepared to participate constructively in solving those problems. Over the last 15 years, the National Geographic Society has awarded more than $100 million in grants to educators, universities, geography alliances, and others for the purposes of advancing and improving the teaching of geography. Their models are successful and research shows that students who have benefitted from this teaching out perform other students. State geography alliances exist in 19 States, including Mississippi, endowed by grants from the society. It is clear that their efforts alone are not enough. My bill establishes a Federal commitment to enhance the education of our teachers, focus on geography education research, and develop reliable, advanced technology based classroom materials. I hope the Senate will consider the seriousness of the need to invest in geography and I invite other Senators to cosponsor the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my friend from West Virginia, the distinguished Senator who formerly served as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in offering this amendment for the consideration of the Senate. I appreciate Senator Byrd inviting me to be an original cosponsor of this amendment and join him in this effort to see that the memorial previously authorized to be constructed on the Mall here in the Nation's Capital in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King be funded so construction can begin and this memorial be completed. The Martin Luther King Memorial was authorized to be constructed on a 4-acre tract on the Mall to recognize and honor the influence on civil rights and justice for all--for all Americans--to which Dr. King devoted a lifetime of courageous service and leadership. Although the legislation contemplates, as my friend from Virginia, Mr. Warner, points out, that all of the funds for the construction of the memorial would be raised from private sources, much in the same way as the World War II Memorial was constructed--there has been $42 million of private donations made for this purpose--there is needed additional funds. It is hoped that the adoption of this amendment will show the serious commitment of the Congress in seeing that this memorial is completed at the earliest possible date. This could jump- start the final stage of fundraising and enable construction to begin. It is my hope the Senate will support this effort and approve the amendment.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, this morning the Washington Post carries an article about the death of GEN Louis Wilson who was a former Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. He died on June 21 at his home in Birmingham, AL. He was a native of my State of Mississippi and was a personal friend and a great soldier and a wonderful Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. He and his wife Jane lived here in Washington in the Marine barracks, the Commandant's residence, and befriended my wife Rose and me when I was a young Member of Congress before I was elected to the Senate. He was serving as Commandant of the Marine Corps. We enjoyed many opportunities to visit with them when they were resident in Washington. He was a very distinguished officer in the Marine Corps during World War II. He was given the congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry during his service in the battle in Guam on Fonte Hill. The description of his exploits and gallantry are contained in the citation that was issued when he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The article talks about his career in glowing terms, a well-earned tribute for a courageous and brave soldier, and the first Marine Corps Commandant to serve as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He established a tradition when he was selected to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff which is carried on today. It was because of his strong leadership and his example that there is no question that a good decision was made to include in the Joint Chiefs of Staff the Commandant of the Marine Corps. We mourn his passing, but we rejoice in the great life he lived and the inspiration that his career provided to marines in all of the succeeding generations of service in the U.S. Marine Corps. I ask unanimous consent that the article in today's Washington Post and a copy of the citation for Louis Hugh Wilson, Jr., upon his being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor be printed in the Record.

Mr. COCHRAN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I appreciate the Senator's remarks. I assure him that I support everything he has said, and I agree it is now time for us to recognize that the initiative of the Senators from Louisiana, Senator Vitter and Senator Landrieu, and others, including my colleague from Mississippi, deserves to be supported. It deserves our support. I understand the question about the budget, but I am reminded about an appeal that I had to defend one time in the Supreme Court of the State of Mississippi. The lawyer on the other side started off his brief he filed with the supreme court, and he said that this is a classic example of a claim not being paid on the basis of a mere technicality. Well, of course, there was a lot more to it than just that. The technicality was a real impediment to the appeal being filed by my opponent in that case. But I was reminded of that when I was walking over here. This is an issue that could go either way, in terms of the point of order and the provisions of the Budget Act. The Senator has made that point, and I congratulate him for doing that. We are not quarreling with the fact that you can make a point of order, but you should not as a matter of the overriding national interest. It is a national interest; the integrity of the Gulf Coast States are at risk. We have before us a solution to the problem, and it is in the national interest that we support it. That is the argument that is being made to the Senate right now. So however this vote is couched, in terms of a motion to waive the Budget Act or on the validity of the point of order, I hope the Senate will come down on the side of the gulf coast Senators who are trying to solve a problem that is in the national interest. We ought to recognize that and vote that way on this issue.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, fertilizers provide essential nutrients to the food we eat. Without fertilizer, roughly one-third of the world's people would go hungry. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is an effective source of nitrogen that all crops need to grow. Thousands of American farmers value its use in certain applications including cool weather fertilization and other low-till cropping systems. Thus, the continued availability of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to U.S. farmers has economic, agronomic and environmental benefits to farmers and society as a whole. At the same time, the April 1995 attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City showed America that this highly valuable fertilizer can be subject to adulteration and misuse by criminals intent on engaging in acts of terror. After the Oklahoma City tragedy, Congress enacted legislation calling for a study on the feasibility and practicability of imposing controls on certain precursor chemicals, including ammonium nitrate. Congress recognized that it is simply not possible for the agriculture community to guarantee against the criminal misuse of ammonium nitrate or for any community to guarantee that the thousands of everyday products that can be converted to criminal use will not be misused by those with the intent and capability to do so. Over the past 10 years, the security landscape has continued to change. The agriculture community and the fertilizer industry recognize that more needs to be done to strengthen the controls regarding the handling and purchase of ammonium nitrate fertilizer in order to ensure American farmers continue to have access to this valued input. Today, with my colleague from Arkansas Mr. Pryor, my colleague from Georgia Mr. Chambliss, and my colleague from Kansas Mr. Roberts, I am pleased to introduce legislation that provides a practical and workable solution to enhance the secure handling of ammonium nitrate ensuring that ammonium nitrate remains available for agricultural use. The legislation is entitled ``The Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2005.'' It calls for Federal and State cooperation to secure ammonium nitrate fertilizer. It requires any person who produces, stores, sells, or distributes ammonium nitrate to register their facility with their State department of agriculture and to maintain records of sales or distribution of the product. Additionally, it requires all purchasers of ammonium nitrate to register with their State department of agriculture. We believe these requirements are necessary measures to help provide additional security for ammonium nitrate fertilizer and will not unduly burden agriculture professionals or farmers who use ammonium nitrate. Furthermore, we believe this important legislation will effectively enhance ongoing security measures and help to keep ammonium nitrate out of the hands of those who wish to harm our Nation. I urge Senators to support this legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, fertilizers provide essential nutrients to the food we eat. Without fertilizer, roughly one-third of the world's people would go hungry. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is an effective source of nitrogen that all crops need to grow. Thousands of American farmers value its use in certain applications including cool weather fertilization and other low-till cropping systems. Thus, the continued availability of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to U.S. farmers has economic, agronomic and environmental benefits to farmers and society as a whole. At the same time, the April 1995 attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City showed America that this highly valuable fertilizer can be subject to adulteration and misuse by criminals intent on engaging in acts of terror. After the Oklahoma City tragedy, Congress enacted legislation calling for a study on the feasibility and practicability of imposing controls on certain precursor chemicals, including ammonium nitrate. Congress recognized that it is simply not possible for the agriculture community to guarantee against the criminal misuse of ammonium nitrate or for any community to guarantee that the thousands of everyday products that can be converted to criminal use will not be misused by those with the intent and capability to do so. Over the past 10 years, the security landscape has continued to change. The agriculture community and the fertilizer industry recognize that more needs to be done to strengthen the controls regarding the handling and purchase of ammonium nitrate fertilizer in order to ensure American farmers continue to have access to this valued input. Today, with my colleague from Arkansas Mr. Pryor, my colleague from Georgia Mr. Chambliss, and my colleague from Kansas Mr. Roberts, I am pleased to introduce legislation that provides a practical and workable solution to enhance the secure handling of ammonium nitrate ensuring that ammonium nitrate remains available for agricultural use. The legislation is entitled ``The Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2005.'' It calls for Federal and State cooperation to secure ammonium nitrate fertilizer. It requires any person who produces, stores, sells, or distributes ammonium nitrate to register their facility with their State department of agriculture and to maintain records of sales or distribution of the product. Additionally, it requires all purchasers of ammonium nitrate to register with their State department of agriculture. We believe these requirements are necessary measures to help provide additional security for ammonium nitrate fertilizer and will not unduly burden agriculture professionals or farmers who use ammonium nitrate. Furthermore, we believe this important legislation will effectively enhance ongoing security measures and help to keep ammonium nitrate out of the hands of those who wish to harm our Nation. I urge Senators to support this legislation. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.