Hillary Clinton

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, today, supporters of Israel are gathering in New York to show solidarity with our friend and ally, the State of Israel, and I am proud to join my voice with theirs in support of Israel. As world leaders gather in New York City for the General Assembly, the world must know that Americans and all people who value freedom and the rights and dignity of human beings around the world stand with Israel as it defends itself against unwarranted, unprovoked attacks from terrorists and their state sponsors. It is essential for those of us who care deeply about what is happening in Israel now to recognize that Israel's struggle is a struggle on behalf of a future where people will be able to live in peace and security. The kidnapping of Israeli soldiers that precipitated the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza have not yet been resolved, and it is essential that Israel's abducted soldiers are returned to Israel unconditionally. I have met with family members of one of the soldiers abducted in Israel near the Lebanese border who spoke eloquently and movingly about the importance of securing the safe return of the captured soldiers. Today I sent a letter to Jacob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, asking that he do whatever possible to determine the health and well-being of the three soldiers, to ensure that they have their full rights under the Geneva Conventions, and to do what he can to secure their release. Israel's right to exist, and exist in safety, must never be put in question, and we must continue to stand up to offensive rhetoric and terrorist violence that threatens Israel's existence. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a repeated purveyor of offensive rhetoric, is currently visiting New York for the United Nations General Assembly. It is my hope that world leaders will convey the message that through his statements calling for Israel's destruction and support for the terrorists who rain rockets on Israeli civilians and abduct its soldiers, President Ahmadinejad continues to lessen his standing as a credible world leader in the community of nations.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Gestational Diabetes Act of 2006 to bring attention to an important health issue facing women and children. I don't need to tell anyone that we have an obesity epidemic in the United States. Too many in our country don't know that eating poorly and not taking care of themselves can have significant health impacts. For women, these health issues can become especially significant during pregnancy. Women who are overweight or obese are more likely to have a C-section and are at an increased risk for serious complications with their pregnancy. And more women then ever are entering their pregnancies overweight which can also trigger gestational diabetes. In New York, gestational diabetes has risen by nearly 50 percent in about 10 years. In New York City alone, gestational diabetes affects 1 in 25 women, about 400 women per month. Gestational diabetes affects between 4 and 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States. Infants of women who have gestational diabetes are at increased risk for obesity and developing Type 2 diabetes as adolescents or adults. As women we need to pay attention to our health. We are always worrying about the health of our children, our husbands, and our parents. But we often forget to take care of ourselves. Prevention is critical and I applaud new initiatives from the New York City Department of Health to increase efforts to inform women about gestational diabetes and behaviors that can prevent Type 2 Diabetes. Today, I am introducing the Gestational Diabetes Act, also known as the GEDI Act. This legislation will increase our understanding by determining the factors that contribute to this condition and help mothers who had gestational diabetes reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This Act will provide funding for projects to assist health care providers and communities find ways to reach out to women so that they understand how their health during pregnancy will impact not only their child's health, but also their own. The GEDI Act would expand research to determine and develop interventions that will lower the incidence of gestational diabetes. We need to alert women to the risk before this condition becomes an epidemic. We should be doing everything we can to address the growing prevalence of gestational diabetes and obesity during pregnancy. The GEDI Act is an important step in assuring that women understand this critical issue. The GEDI Act is supported by: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American Association of Diabetes Educators, American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington, Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles, Global Alliance for Women's Health, International Community Health Services, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, National Research Center for Women & Families, Society for Women's Health Research, WithinReach, and Women's Health Council of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. I ask unanimous consent letters of support be printed in the Record.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Gestational Diabetes Act of 2006 to bring attention to an important health issue facing women and children. I don't need to tell anyone that we have an obesity epidemic in the United States. Too many in our country don't know that eating poorly and not taking care of themselves can have significant health impacts. For women, these health issues can become especially significant during pregnancy. Women who are overweight or obese are more likely to have a C-section and are at an increased risk for serious complications with their pregnancy. And more women then ever are entering their pregnancies overweight which can also trigger gestational diabetes. In New York, gestational diabetes has risen by nearly 50 percent in about 10 years. In New York City alone, gestational diabetes affects 1 in 25 women, about 400 women per month. Gestational diabetes affects between 4 and 8 percent of pregnant women in the United States. Infants of women who have gestational diabetes are at increased risk for obesity and developing Type 2 diabetes as adolescents or adults. As women we need to pay attention to our health. We are always worrying about the health of our children, our husbands, and our parents. But we often forget to take care of ourselves. Prevention is critical and I applaud new initiatives from the New York City Department of Health to increase efforts to inform women about gestational diabetes and behaviors that can prevent Type 2 Diabetes. Today, I am introducing the Gestational Diabetes Act, also known as the GEDI Act. This legislation will increase our understanding by determining the factors that contribute to this condition and help mothers who had gestational diabetes reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This Act will provide funding for projects to assist health care providers and communities find ways to reach out to women so that they understand how their health during pregnancy will impact not only their child's health, but also their own. The GEDI Act would expand research to determine and develop interventions that will lower the incidence of gestational diabetes. We need to alert women to the risk before this condition becomes an epidemic. We should be doing everything we can to address the growing prevalence of gestational diabetes and obesity during pregnancy. The GEDI Act is an important step in assuring that women understand this critical issue. The GEDI Act is supported by: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American Association of Diabetes Educators, American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington, Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles, Global Alliance for Women's Health, International Community Health Services, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, National Research Center for Women & Families, Society for Women's Health Research, WithinReach, and Women's Health Council of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. I ask unanimous consent letters of support be printed in the Record.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President it gives me pride and pleasure to introduce revised legislation that will enable the Joint Committee on the Library to display a bust depicting Sojourner Truth in the Capitol Building. I began this effort with legislation I introduced 2 years ago during the 108th Congress. Because my colleagues in the other body and I were not able to enact our bill that time, we return in the 109th Congress with new legislation which would direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept the donation of a bust depicting Sojourner Truth and to display the bust in a suitable location in the Capitol. I now lay down this version of the bill that reflects bipartisan support among leaders who share the goal of honoring this important figure in our Nation's and New York State's history. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in New York's Hudson Valley in 1797, She moved to New York City after gaining her freedom in 1826 and by 1843 had changed her name to Sojourner Truth, traveling the country preaching for human rights. After attending the 1850 National Woman's Rights Convention, Truth made women's suffrage a focal point of her speeches, portraying women as powerful, independent figures. Her most famous speech, ``Ain't I a Woman,'' given at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention in Akron, OH, has become a classic text on women's rights. Because of her great, advocacy on behalf of women, despite all of the hardships she faced, Sojourner Truth deserves to be represented along with the suffragists depicted in the United States Capitol Building. I ask that the Senate come together and honor this visionary American for her service to our Nation.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President it gives me pride and pleasure to introduce revised legislation that will enable the Joint Committee on the Library to display a bust depicting Sojourner Truth in the Capitol Building. I began this effort with legislation I introduced 2 years ago during the 108th Congress. Because my colleagues in the other body and I were not able to enact our bill that time, we return in the 109th Congress with new legislation which would direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept the donation of a bust depicting Sojourner Truth and to display the bust in a suitable location in the Capitol. I now lay down this version of the bill that reflects bipartisan support among leaders who share the goal of honoring this important figure in our Nation's and New York State's history. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in New York's Hudson Valley in 1797, She moved to New York City after gaining her freedom in 1826 and by 1843 had changed her name to Sojourner Truth, traveling the country preaching for human rights. After attending the 1850 National Woman's Rights Convention, Truth made women's suffrage a focal point of her speeches, portraying women as powerful, independent figures. Her most famous speech, ``Ain't I a Woman,'' given at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention in Akron, OH, has become a classic text on women's rights. Because of her great, advocacy on behalf of women, despite all of the hardships she faced, Sojourner Truth deserves to be represented along with the suffragists depicted in the United States Capitol Building. I ask that the Senate come together and honor this visionary American for her service to our Nation.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to former Governor of Texas Ann Richards. She was a role model, an inspiration, and an abiding friend to me and to my husband. On Wednesday, she passed away in her home, surrounded by loved ones. I will truly miss her warm friendship, her guidance, and her inimitable sense of humor. Ann Richards blazed a trail for women everywhere, and she did so without ever losing her spirit, grace, optimism, charm, and sense that we can all build a better world. She was wonderful about giving guidance. She always made sure to take the time to give advice to new women candidates. When I was considering a run for the Senate, she told me that it would be hard, it would be tough, but if you want to make a difference, then you need to put yourself out there. And she was right. She was born in 1933 in Lakeview, TX, to Ona and Cecil Willis. The family moved into Waco so that she could attend Waco High School. She taught public school at Fulmore Junior High School in Austin, and she often said it was the hardest job she ever held. In 1982 she was elected State treasurer in Texas, making her the first woman elected statewide in almost 50 years. And she won an uphill battle to become the first woman in Texas history to win the race for Governor in her own right. She often spoke about being motivated to enter politics in order to help others, particularly the women and minorities who traditionally had been shut out of positions of power. She once said, ``I did not want my tombstone to read, `She kept a really clean house.' I think I'd like them to remember me by saying, `She opened government to everyone.''' As Governor, she made it a priority to open positions of power to women and minorities and to advocate for what she called the ``New Texas,'' a place where her daughters would never feel that they were held back because of their gender. Under her leadership, Texas student achievement scores rose and dropout rates fell. As Governor, she grew the economy, created an ethics commission, pursued insurance reform, established rehabilitation programs for prison inmates, and fought crime. And she even found the time to earn a motorcycle driver's license on the occasion of her 60th birthday. Even after she left office, she never stopped working on new ways to encourage women to get involved. One of her last projects, the creation of the Ann Richards School for Young Woman Leaders, is slated to open in Austin in 2007. It will be a tribute to her legacy to see the remarkable new generation of leaders the school will nurture. Today, her loving children Cecile, Daniel, Clark and Ellen, and her eight grandchildren, are testament in themselves to Ann's generosity of spirit and enduring influence. Ann Richards had an ability to draw people to her with her warmth and good humor, and her sharp wit and homespun wisdom was legendary. She was never afraid to stick up for what she believed in. She will truly be missed.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, for several years now, I have been working to raise the profile of the issue of the more than 100 million children around the world who are out of school. An April 2004 report authored by Barbara Herz and Gene Sperling, in conjunction with the Center on Universal Education at the Council on Foreign Relations, clearly demonstrated in striking fashion the overwhelming and incontrovertible evidence on the need to invest in girls' education. It catalogs literally hundreds of rigorous studies on the tangible economic, social, and political gains that come from giving a girl the opportunity to learn. Let me highlight a few of the report's findings: A single year of primary education correlates with a 10-20 percent increase in women's wages later in life. Academic studies find the return to a year of secondary education is even higher--in the 15 to 25 percent range. An extra year of a woman's education has been shown to reduce the risk that her children will die in infancy by 5 to 10 percent. Education offers what the World Bank has referred to as a window of hope in helping prevent the spread of AIDS among today's children. A recent study of a school-based AIDS education program in Uganda found a 75 percent reduction in the likelihood that children would be sexually active in their last year of primary school. Girls' education is the best single policy for reducing fertility and therefore achieving sustainable families, according to a recent survey of the academic literature. In Brazil, for example, illiterate mothers have an average of 6 children while literate mothers choose to have less than 3 children, and are better able to care for an invest in their children's well-being. A study of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa found that from 1960 to 1992, more equal education between men and women could have led to nearly 1 percent higher annual per capita GDP growth. The report also documents in extensive detail what I have seen in many countries--that the most effective way to reach the goal of getting all girls in school is by encouraging countries to make a firm commitment to universal basic education for all children. When countries devise and adopt specific targeted strategies to address the unique obstacles girls face, they improve the reach and quality of education for all children, both girls and boys. Two years ago, Representative Nita Lowey and I introduced the Education for All Act, legislation that I am proud to reintroduce today. This bill would enable us to increase our spending on global education initiatives in order to help millions of children around the world have the opportunity to receive an education. At the time we originally introduced this bill, we may have seemed like we were dreamers to expect a G8 nation like ours to take such a bold step on education in Africa and the rest of the developing world. Yet earlier this year we saw the UK put forward $15 billion over the next 10 years. This means that the UK, a nation with an economy about one-sixth our size, will be spending three times more than the U.S. to ensure that every boy--and particularly every girl--has a chance for a free education. I know that our current commitment does not represent the generous heart or the wise minds of the American people. And they know that education--particularly the education of girls--is the best investment we can make to reducing global poverty; they know that education is our best social vaccine against the spread of HIV/AIDS. There is no greater proof of such big hearts and wise minds as the young people from all over the United States, as well as around the world whom I have met, and who have shared with me their commitment to advocate for children thousands of miles away who they still consider to be their friends--their brothers and sisters who deserve the opportunity to learn. I am proud to stand with these children in support of their friends around the world. They understand that in order to make our world more peaceful and secure in the long term, girls and boys must be given the chance to read, to write, and to get a basic education. Education has to be the foundation of any strategy to secure peace and prosperity around the world, because when children can reach their potential, we are all better for it, and this bill will help provide a strong foundation for our efforts to help children around the world.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, on September 8, our Nation lost a great American and my husband and I lost a wonderful friend of over 20 years. Dr. Estelle R. Ramey was a respected endocrinologist, physiologist, and feminist. She was a woman of great wit and wisdom who fought gender discrimination in the scientific professions and in the conduct of medical research. Dr. Ramey died of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 89. Estelle Rubin Ramey was born in Detroit and raised in New York City. Her mother, a wise but impoverished and illiterate immigrant, insisted that her daughter be educated. At the age of 15 in the midst of the Great Depression, Dr. Ramey was able to attend Brooklyn College for the price of a library card. Ignoring the gender restrictions of his time, one of her professors made it possible for Estelle to have the opportunity to teach chemistry at the new Queens College while working for her master's in chemistry at Columbia. While at Columbia she met her husband, James Ramey, who was a student at the law school. Their love affair lasted for over 65 years. Estelle, with her trademark wit and self-deprecation, would attribute their successful marriage to never once having had a meaningful conversation. Dr. Ramey earned her doctorate in physiology and biophysics at the University of Chicago and upon returning to Washington, she became a faculty member at Georgetown Medical School where she taught for over 35 years. Her decades of research in endocrinology brought her accolades and recognition in the world of medicine, while her ability to express the cause for gender equity with honesty and a rapier wit made her a popular speaker, and eminently quotable. However, as it was stated so well in her September 10 obituary in the Washington Post, ``Her wit was rooted in statistics, scientific research and personal experience with discrimination.'' In 1971, she was a founder and second president of the Association for Women in Science, an organization dedicated to achieving equity and full participation for women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. Estelle was known to all of us who loved her as Stelle, and at Georgetown Medical School as ``La Belle Estelle.'' These endearing nicknames are a testament to her boundless humanity. She and her husband Jim felt very strongly about how little, if anything, it took to extend a helping hand to someone else. She wrote in a book entitled ``Letters to our Grandchildren'': ``If I could leave you with any advice, it would be to speak words of caring not only to those closest to you, to all the hungry ears you encounter on your journey through a cold world. Stop on the mountain climb to bring along all those less lucky, less agile or well endowed. It will make the view even more beautiful when you get to the top. For my own epitaph, I ask that it be: `I loved and was loved and all the rest was background music.''' Dr. Ramey leaves her husband Jim and two children: attorney Drucilla Stender Ramey of New York and James Ramey of Bethesda, MD, a physician. Estelle Ramey will be missed greatly by those of us who had the benefit of her warmth and friendship, and she will be remembered for her dedication to her family, to science and her profession, and to all women.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, for several years now, I have been working to raise the profile of the issue of the more than 100 million children around the world who are out of school. An April 2004 report authored by Barbara Herz and Gene Sperling, in conjunction with the Center on Universal Education at the Council on Foreign Relations, clearly demonstrated in striking fashion the overwhelming and incontrovertible evidence on the need to invest in girls' education. It catalogs literally hundreds of rigorous studies on the tangible economic, social, and political gains that come from giving a girl the opportunity to learn. Let me highlight a few of the report's findings: A single year of primary education correlates with a 10-20 percent increase in women's wages later in life. Academic studies find the return to a year of secondary education is even higher--in the 15 to 25 percent range. An extra year of a woman's education has been shown to reduce the risk that her children will die in infancy by 5 to 10 percent. Education offers what the World Bank has referred to as a window of hope in helping prevent the spread of AIDS among today's children. A recent study of a school-based AIDS education program in Uganda found a 75 percent reduction in the likelihood that children would be sexually active in their last year of primary school. Girls' education is the best single policy for reducing fertility and therefore achieving sustainable families, according to a recent survey of the academic literature. In Brazil, for example, illiterate mothers have an average of 6 children while literate mothers choose to have less than 3 children, and are better able to care for an invest in their children's well-being. A study of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa found that from 1960 to 1992, more equal education between men and women could have led to nearly 1 percent higher annual per capita GDP growth. The report also documents in extensive detail what I have seen in many countries--that the most effective way to reach the goal of getting all girls in school is by encouraging countries to make a firm commitment to universal basic education for all children. When countries devise and adopt specific targeted strategies to address the unique obstacles girls face, they improve the reach and quality of education for all children, both girls and boys. Two years ago, Representative Nita Lowey and I introduced the Education for All Act, legislation that I am proud to reintroduce today. This bill would enable us to increase our spending on global education initiatives in order to help millions of children around the world have the opportunity to receive an education. At the time we originally introduced this bill, we may have seemed like we were dreamers to expect a G8 nation like ours to take such a bold step on education in Africa and the rest of the developing world. Yet earlier this year we saw the UK put forward $15 billion over the next 10 years. This means that the UK, a nation with an economy about one-sixth our size, will be spending three times more than the U.S. to ensure that every boy--and particularly every girl--has a chance for a free education. I know that our current commitment does not represent the generous heart or the wise minds of the American people. And they know that education--particularly the education of girls--is the best investment we can make to reducing global poverty; they know that education is our best social vaccine against the spread of HIV/AIDS. There is no greater proof of such big hearts and wise minds as the young people from all over the United States, as well as around the world whom I have met, and who have shared with me their commitment to advocate for children thousands of miles away who they still consider to be their friends--their brothers and sisters who deserve the opportunity to learn. I am proud to stand with these children in support of their friends around the world. They understand that in order to make our world more peaceful and secure in the long term, girls and boys must be given the chance to read, to write, and to get a basic education. Education has to be the foundation of any strategy to secure peace and prosperity around the world, because when children can reach their potential, we are all better for it, and this bill will help provide a strong foundation for our efforts to help children around the world.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, I ask to speak on amendment 4958, which I ask to be pending at this time. The Senator from Massachusetts asked for a 2-minute timeframe. I was trying to accommodate the Senator. I had been told by our side I would have 20 minutes to speak on amendment No. 4958.

Mrs. CLINTON. I ask unanimous consent to set aside Senator Schumer's amendment and return to the regular order.

Mrs. CLINTON. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mrs. CLINTON. I ask unanimous consent to call up Senate amendment 4957.

Mrs. CLINTON. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to temporarily set aside the pending amendment to call up an amendment.

Mrs. CLINTON. I ask unanimous consent to call up Senate amendment 4943.

Mrs. CLINTON. I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be temporarily set aside, and I call up amendment No. 4958.

Mrs. CLINTON. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mrs. CLINTON. I ask unanimous consent to add Senator Schumer as a cosponsor to 4958.

Mrs. CLINTON. At this time, I ask that we return to the regular order. I am going to yield 2 minutes to Senator Kerry and then reclaim the remainder of the time set aside for me on the Democratic side with unanimous consent.

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, could I ask unanimous consent that Senator Kerry be given 2 minutes and I follow with 20 minutes and then we go back to the other side with their procedure as to their speakers?

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, I spoke with the Senator from Washington who is managing the bill on our side. That was the direction I received from the Senator from Washington. I would like the record to reflect that I am following the direction of the manager of the bill on our side. I hope we can move forward now with a unanimous consent order as to how we will proceed going forward.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, is the pending business before the Senate amendment No. 4958?

Mrs. CLINTON. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, this amendment goes to the heart of our obligations to one another with respect to homeland security. It arises out of the attacks of 9/11, the extraordinary physical damage that has been done to thousands and thousands of New Yorkers and other Americans because they responded to that disaster, because they worked in the area of Ground Zero, because they lived or volunteered there. Each of us is marked in our own way by the events of 5 years ago. I need not recount them. We have just gone through a very painful anniversary of those attacks. My hope is we would not mark this 5-year anniversary merely by replayings and speeches and solemn readings of the names of the victims but that it would serve as a reminder of our unfinished business and a call to action on behalf of the service and sacrifice of first responders, workers, and volunteers who participated in the rescue and recovery at Ground Zero. I have worked over the past 5 years to honor the memories of those who died, to take care of their families, and to help rebuild New York. I have fought for the funding that has generously been offered by the American people to support the economic recovery of downtown New York, building new buildings, helping to support small businesses, creating new transportation infrastructure to replace that which was obliterated. And I have worked to secure funding, starting in the fall of 2001, to monitor those who were affected by the exposure to the toxic gases and substances in the air as a result of the attacks and the implosion of the buildings. I believe we have a moral obligation as a nation to take care of those who both took care of us and who attempted to return to their ordinary lives as a way of demonstrating solidarity and commitment, resilience and courage, in the face of the terrorist attacks. There is much we have to do, which is why we are debating this bill about port security. But there is so much more than port security. Democrats offered a comprehensive amendment to this bill that contained the recommendations of many experts, including the 9/11 Commission. Sadly, it was unsuccessful. But that does not mean it was not merited. We cannot rest until we have a comprehensive, well-funded strategy to deal with the threats we face. But I rise today to talk about a very specific issue. The toll of that fateful day goes beyond the families and friends and colleagues, the brave responders who saved 25,000 people in the greatest rescue mission in the history of the world. Their lives will always stand in our memory and in honor. But thousands of others rushed into that burning inferno. Thousands of others were there when that enormous, devastating cloud of death and destruction covered much of lower Manhattan, crossed the river to Brooklyn, crossed the river to New Jersey. We have been working to understand the health implications for the people who breathed that air. That is why I fought to get money for a monitoring and screening program that was established, both at the fire department to take care of our firefighters and also at one of our great hospitals, Mount Sinai, to figure out what happened to everybody else. The work that commenced from the moment the first plane hit was hazardous and difficult. For as long as 9 months, we had firefighters and police officers, trade and construction workers, other workers, volunteers, residents--we had probably at least 40,000 people coming and going and staying on that site. They worked and lived amidst the dust and the fog and the smog--a toxic mix of debris, smoke, and chemicals. I first visited the site about 24 hours after the attacks. I was within blocks of the epicenter of the attack, and I could not see anything. But I could smell it. I could taste it. I could literally feel it. And as I watched that curtain of darkness part and the firefighters walking out, covered in black soot, dragging their fire axes, barely able to stand after being on duty for probably 24 hours, I had the first inkling that the damaging effects of 9/11 would last far beyond the actual attack. Now, unfortunately, our Government officials in charge of making sure health and working conditions did not negatively impact our first responders sent mixed signals, at best. I would go further. They misled people. They said the air was safe. They made no effort to reach out and share the dangers that people knew were in this air. It was not only people from New York who responded; it was people from all over the country. My colleague, Senator Voinovich from Ohio, and I have a bill that would set up a system for the President to carry out a program for the monitoring of the health and safety of first responders who are exposed to harmful substances as a result of the disaster, rather than reacting on ad hoc basis, as we have had to do in the wake of 9/11. Because of what I witnessed firsthand, and what people started to tell me, the trademark World Trade Center cough appeared within days. People had trouble breathing. They had trouble swallowing. They were coughing. That is why I was so insistent upon getting $12 million to establish the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program at Mount Sinai. We quickly realized they would need a lot more workers because thousands and thousands of people were signing up and coming. So we secured an additional $90 million, and we expanded the number of workers and volunteers, and that was in addition to what we did for the fire department, which ran its own program. Well, last week, Mount Sinai released a report that confirmed our worst fears. It confirmed an earlier report of the New York City Fire Department study. Tens of thousands of firefighters and all the others who were there were not only exposed but were suffering from significant medical and mental health problems. We are seeing young men and women in the prime of their lives, who were in excellent physical health, experiencing asthma, bronchitis, persistent sinusitis, laryngitis. They are suffering from serious diseases, reactive airwave disease. Their lungs are collapsing. Their livers are polluted. In fact, we are now seeing the first deaths. It is not enough to say we stand with the brave men and women who responded when we needed them. We have to do more. We appropriated $125 million. And after a year and a half of struggle, money that was meant to go for the workers' comp system--because so many of these people cannot work anymore. They are on disability. They are forced into retirement. And so many of them--about 40 percent of them--who were screened at Mount Sinai had no insurance, so they cannot even get the treatment which they now know they need. We have met with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, who has promised to get the money released to begin treating these brave men and women. We have worked with Dr. John Howard, the Director of NIOSH, who has documented so many of the diseases and chronic conditions we have seen. But we have a long way to go, and we need to start now. I cannot give you an exact amount of money that it will take to take care of these thousands of people, but we know it is going to be a lot more than the $75 million we are waiting to be released on October 1. That is why this amendment would authorize $1.9 billion in grants to begin the process of setting up the system and over the next 5 years implementing a system to take care of thousands of people who are getting sick and who are dying. We had a bipartisan, bicameral hearing in New York City last week. One of the witnesses, Steve Cetrone, who is a Federal employee, sat before us--his skin yellowed from the disease of his liver, his memory shot, his lungs collapsing--and described in detail how his Government has let him down and left him behind. If we do not take care of these people now and start putting up a system we can have in place for the next several years, we are going to betray a fundamental responsibility to those whom we salute whenever it is convenient, when it is political. But enough with that. They do not want our speeches; they do not want our flowery rhetoric; they want our help. My amendment uses rough estimates of about $5,800 per individual per year to provide for the continuing monitoring, but, more importantly, to provide for the treatment of these individuals. These are the rough estimates, the best we have right now from the fire department and Mount Sinai. But we already know there are people on lung transplant lists who were on that pile. We already know people who have been disabled are unable to work and therefore have no insurance any longer. We know there are those who have died because of these exposures. Now, did everybody get sick? No. Will everybody who got sick die? No. Much of it depends upon where you were, what you were exposed to, what the intensity and the length of the exposure was. Some of it also depends upon your predisposition, your susceptibility, your genetic makeup. But take the case of Detective James Zadroga, a 34-year-old detective who joined the NYPD in 1992. He did not smoke. He had no known history of asthma. He was an exemplary New York PD detective, the kind they make TV shows about, someone with a shelf full of commendations, who put himself in harm's way time and time again to protect the people of New York. I spent time with his father Joseph, a retired police chief. You will hear about the 450 hours that this decorated detective spent working on recovery efforts on the pile at Ground Zero in 2001. It filled his lungs with fiberglass, with pulverized concrete, and other toxic chemicals that destroyed his lungs. The stress and strain of his deteriorating physical condition was followed by the death of his wife, leaving him responsible for his 2-year-old daughter. He died on the floor of his bedroom with his little girl trying to wake him. I know this is an authorization bill, and I know that it doesn't appropriate money, but it does something equally important: it sets a marker, makes a statement, and it takes all of the words and claims of concern and puts them into action. It says we are not only with you in word and deed, but we will not abandon you in your time of need. If, as we hear, September 11 was a day that changed our Nation forever, and it is one that Americans will always remember, then let's not lose sight of its lessons. Let's finally heed the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission by fully implementing them. Let's do everything we can to make our bridges, tunnels, transit systems, rail lines, our entire infrastructure as safe as possible; otherwise, we are going to have a lot of autopsy reports like we had for James Zadroga. We are going to read about the deaths and disability of thousands of our bravest, most courageous men and women. We are going to see construction workers who, before 9/11, could lift three times their body weight in steel and do whatever was necessary to construct those skyscrapers but are now bent over in pain, unable to breathe and sleep. I don't think that is what we want as our legacy as a Nation coming out of 9/11. This country has been supportive of New York, and I am extremely grateful. But we were on the end of the spear when it came to absorbing the attack and reacting. Now we have to continue to keep faith with those who did our country proud in the hours, days, weeks, and months following that horrific attack on our Nation. Mr. President, I ask for the consideration of this amendment to honor those who honored us and to create a system to make sure that they do not go without care, that they get the treatment they need, that their life can be saved and prolonged, that we don't lose any more like that 34-year-old detective. In his autopsy report, the pathologist said: It is felt with a reasonable degree of medical certainty that the cause of death in this case was directly related to the 9/11 incident. Let's not have any more victims of the terrorists. Let's not let bin Laden and al-Qaida claim any more Americans who die as a result of their evil attack on us. Let's band together and support those who need us in their hour. I hope we can make such a statement with this amendment today. I yield the floor.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, may I respond to the Senator?