Norm Coleman

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be dispensed with.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, Senator Talent asked me on the date of introduction, February 3, 2005, to be a cosponsor of S. 273. Unfortunately, by the time we got the message to the floor that day, the Senate had adjourned. Senator Talent is not only a great friend of mine, but a great friend of America's farmers and ranchers, including our dairy farm families. He is a valuable member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, a cochairman with me of the Senate Biofuels Caucus. We work very closely on issues of importance to our farm families. I am pleased that Senator Talent and I will be working together to extend MILC, legislation extremely important to Missouri and Minnesota dairy farmers and dairy farmers across our country.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the Federal Youth Coordination Act with my good friends, Senator Mike DeWine and Senator Lamar Alexander. The idea for this legislation emanated from the 2003 White House Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth report that indicated Federal youth programs were spread across 12 different departments and agencies. It identified 150 programs that served children and youth up to age 21, but also discovered several of these programs were no longer in existence. Today, there is a real need for strong role models in our communities to help at-risk youth. As a parent, I know there are a number of things that influence and shape our children's lives and unfortunately sometimes there are more negative things than positive. Youth programs help combat the negative influences and help restore hope, provide guidance, and help kids stay on the right track. While we have the resources to help our kids, a lack of coordination among youth programs has limited the full potential we have to change lives. Our bill will unleash that potential and bring our youth groups to full strength. The Federal Youth Coordination Act will bring efficiency and accountability to federal youth policy by developing a Federal Youth Development Council. Composed of Department Secretaries, youth serving organizations and youth themselves, the Council will coordinate existing federal programs, research and other initiatives, enabling a more comprehensive approach to serving the nation's young people. The purpose of the Council is not to eliminate existing programs, nor to create new ones. The Council will ensure communication among youth serving agencies, assess the needs of youth, set quantifiable goals and objectives for federal youth programs and develop a coordinated plan to achieve those goals. This approach is also cost-effective. The Council will only cost about $1.5 million, and the cost-savings that will be achieved through improved efficiency and reduced duplication of efforts will easily recoup those costs. This legislation has bipartisan support and the strong support of our nation's youth serving organizations including the Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts of America, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the YMCA and the Child Welfare League of America. I hope the Senate will be able to act on this important legislation early this year to ensure our kids have the support they need. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, torture is a fundamental violation of human rights. It is an act that aims not only to destroy the body but to destroy a person's spirit, leaving a psychologically crippled victim as a warning to others in their community. Approximately 500,000 survivors of torture have found refuge in the United States, with many more around the world. The survivors of this terrible experience require treatment to recover from the effects of torture and to rebuild their shattered lives. Fortunately, we have the ability to provide such treatment. There are 30 torture treatment centers in the United States located in 16 states, all helping former victims to recover from the trauma they experienced. We in Minnesota are tremendously proud of the work of Minnesota's Center for Victims of Torture, a world leader in administering this kind of treatment. The Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act will authorize $92 million in funding for both domestic and foreign treatment centers for victims of torture. $50 million of the funding goes directly to domestic programs. The remaining funds assist foreign treatment centers through the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.N. Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. This reauthorization comes at a critical time. With the liberation of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and other events around the world, even more survivors of torture around the world are seeking treatment. I look forward to the prompt consideration of this legislation and urge my colleagues to support this and other effort to assist victims of torture. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, torture is a fundamental violation of human rights. It is an act that aims not only to destroy the body but to destroy a person's spirit, leaving a psychologically crippled victim as a warning to others in their community. Approximately 500,000 survivors of torture have found refuge in the United States, with many more around the world. The survivors of this terrible experience require treatment to recover from the effects of torture and to rebuild their shattered lives. Fortunately, we have the ability to provide such treatment. There are 30 torture treatment centers in the United States located in 16 states, all helping former victims to recover from the trauma they experienced. We in Minnesota are tremendously proud of the work of Minnesota's Center for Victims of Torture, a world leader in administering this kind of treatment. The Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act will authorize $92 million in funding for both domestic and foreign treatment centers for victims of torture. $50 million of the funding goes directly to domestic programs. The remaining funds assist foreign treatment centers through the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.N. Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. This reauthorization comes at a critical time. With the liberation of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and other events around the world, even more survivors of torture around the world are seeking treatment. I look forward to the prompt consideration of this legislation and urge my colleagues to support this and other effort to assist victims of torture. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will hold a hearing entitled ``The United Nations' Management and Oversight of the Oil-for-Food Program.'' This is the second of several hearings the Subcommittee intends to hold on this matter. The Subcommittee's first hearing on the Oil-for-Food Program (``OFF Program'') laid the foundation for future hearings by describing how the OFF Program was exploited by Saddam Hussein. This second hearing will examine the operations of the independent inspection agents retained by the United Nations and their role within the OFF Program. The administration of the OFF Program by the U.N. Office of the Iraq Program and the findings of the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services will also be examined. The Subcommittee hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, February 15, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please contact Raymond V. Shepherd, III, Staff Director and Chief Counsel to the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, at 224-3721.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I enjoyed the statement I heard the other day, that a pessimist is someone who complains when opportunity knocks. Opportunity is knocking--a unique opportunity to send a message that America belongs to us all. It is a chance to prove that hard work and character can take you wherever you want to go in this country, no matter where you came from. I urge my colleagues not to major in the minors today, and to take this historic opportunity to confirm Alberto Gonzales by an overwhelming vote. This is a land of opportunity--a place where anything can happen. It is a place where a Jewish kid from Brooklyn can grow up to be a Senator from Minnesota; a place where a young man from South Carolina takes on a lot of responsibility at a young age to take care of his family and finds himself presiding over the Senate; a place where success is not defined by who your parents are or what they did or were able to do but how hard you work. Judge Alberto Gonzales is such a person. The son of migrant workers--we have heard the story again and again. I will repeat part of it--he grew up with seven siblings in a small house in Texas that his father built with his own two hands. As a child, Mr. Gonzales often stood outside of Rice University football games selling soft drinks to earn a few extra dollars. It was while standing outside of one of those Rice football games that he promised himself that he would one day attend that university and make the American dream his own. He not only graduated from Rice University, but he went on to attend Harvard Law School, and to eventually become the first Hispanic partner in a prestigious international law firm. However, Mr. Gonzales's story does not end there. He chose to enter public service. He was general counsel to Governor Bush in Texas, served as secretary of state in Texas, a member of the Texas Supreme Court, and for the last 4 years served as chief counsel to President Bush. Alberto Gonzales embodies the American dream, and he should be confirmed for Attorney General. I have served as an attorney myself. The Presiding Officer has had that same honor, that same distinction. I was Solicitor General of the State of Minnesota and served 17 years in the attorney general's office. I can tell you from that experience that there are two types of lawyers. A good lawyer will tell you what the law is, while a lesser lawyer might be tempted to tell you what you might want it to say. Mr. Gonzales is a good lawyer. And part of that controversy surrounding his nomination comes from his strict interpretation of what the law actually says, and not what some might want it to say. According to article 4 of the 1949 Geneva Convention, only lawful combatants are eligible for POW protection. When Mr. Gonzales determined that as a legal matter al-Qaida and the Taliban represented uncharted legal territory for which the Geneva Convention was never intended, he did his job as Counsel to the President. In fact, the Red Cross, a world-respected humanitarian organization, states that in order to earn POW status, combatants must be commanded by a person responsible for his subordinates, have a fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance, carry arms openly and conduct their operations in accordance with the laws and customs of war-- qualifications that do not easily fit al-Qaida or the Taliban, do not fit at all. Now, this is not to say al-Qaida fighters should not be treated humanely, but only that Alberto Gonzales's interpretation of the convention was well grounded in the letter of the law and strictly adhered to the structure and history of the convention. Alberto Gonzales did what any good lawyer should have done. He informed President Bush of the letter of the law. He did what is expected of a good attorney. I serve on the Homeland Security Governmental Affairs Committee. We were in the process of hearing testimony yesterday from the new head and Secretary of Homeland Security, Judge Chertoff. Questions came up with Judge Chertoff about a memo that defined torture. He was pressed before the committee about his definition. He came back and said he exercised his legal judgment to let people know that if you move forward in this area, which is not clear, you better be careful. He did what was expected of a good lawyer. I note that his nomination was put forth from two Senators across the aisle, both my friends, my Democrat colleague from New Jersey, standing side by side with Judge Chertoff, who did what a good lawyer should do, as Judge Gonzales has done. I take a moment to remind my colleagues Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution states the President ``shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, or other public Ministers and Counsels, Judges of the Supreme Court and all other offices of the United States . . . '' That provision creates a special responsibility for this body. While the Constitution does not spell out the criteria by which Members of the Senate determine whether to approve nominations, we can all agree our standards should be consistent, regardless of who is in the White House. That is what the senior Senator of Virginia talked about a while ago. I have made it clear I do not believe it is appropriate for the Senate to use the nomination process as a referendum on the policies of the administration. Our democratic system has a method for determining the basic policy thrust of the President. It is called an election. Those who lose the election should not use the nomination process to rehash the issues the people have already decided. We went through this with the nomination of Condoleezza Rice for Secretary of State. Some chose to rehash some of the issues that were before the public in the election. The President has a right to appoint his team. Are they competent? Do they have integrity? Do they have the intellectual capacity to do the job? The American people have heard the argument and made their choice. It is time to move on. The appropriate questions for the Senate are, Is the nominee qualified? Does the nominee have any ethical lapses in his or her public record? And does he or she possess the necessary temperament to serve the Nation well? It would also do some of my colleagues well to remember the approval of the nominee is not the same as approving every position the nominee has taken. Checks and balances remain after the advice and consent. No matter what the outcome of the vote, we will still maintain oversight of the Justice Department. Thomas Edison once said: Most people miss opportunity because it shows up in overalls and is disguised as hard work. Alberto Gonzales saw an opportunity and worked hard to capitalize on it. He makes me proud to be an American. He is an exceptional attorney and a good man and eminently qualified to be the top law enforcement officer of the land. I enthusiastically support the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be Attorney General of the United States of America. I yield the floor.

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I rise to also express my strong support for the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales to be Attorney General of the United States. I would like to say to my colleague from Virginia, the senior Senator from Virginia, before he leaves, what a great honor it is for me to serve with him, to listen to his experience--his experience in this body, his experience serving this country as Secretary of the Navy, and experience which allows him to bring judgment on matters such as this. I have also served under one President. If I have an opportunity to serve under a President of a different party, I want to bring the same kind of judgment here--judgment that the senior Senator from Virginia has already talked about. It is not about politics. It is not about what jersey you wear. We have had an election. The President then gets to pick his team. We look at character, we look at intellect, we look at integrity, and all of those factors. That should be the judgment we bring every time. That is what the senior Senator from Virginia, with his experience, has brought to the table. I would like him to know that I intend to follow that in my time here. I think it is the right standard.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my legislation, which I introduce today, to extend the Milk Income Loss Compensation (MILC) program be printed in the Record. I am pleased to be joined by 26 of my colleagues--over a quarter of the United States Senate. This is a bipartisan piece of legislation that has nation-wide support including in the Midwest, Northeast, Mid- Atlantic, South, and West. This is not only rare for legislative efforts generally but extremely rare in the world of dairy. MILC is important because it provides a critical safety net for dairy farmers that is equitable to all farmers across the country--also a departure from traditional federal dairy policy. When milk prices fell to a 25 year low not long ago, MILC was vital in preventing a mass exodus of dairy farm families in my State. Fortunately, prices have recovered more recently. But should prices fall again, my dairy farm families need the kind of safety net provided by MILC. MILC is important in that it provides a strong safety net to all the Nation's dairy farmers in a market-oriented way that does not increase milk prices on the grocery shelf. For these and other reasons President Bush did the right thing and endorsed the extension of MILC. I am pleased to have the support of the President in this important endeavor and I hope my colleagues will join me in our effort. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my legislation, which I introduce today, to extend the Milk Income Loss Compensation (MILC) program be printed in the Record. I am pleased to be joined by 26 of my colleagues--over a quarter of the United States Senate. This is a bipartisan piece of legislation that has nation-wide support including in the Midwest, Northeast, Mid- Atlantic, South, and West. This is not only rare for legislative efforts generally but extremely rare in the world of dairy. MILC is important because it provides a critical safety net for dairy farmers that is equitable to all farmers across the country--also a departure from traditional federal dairy policy. When milk prices fell to a 25 year low not long ago, MILC was vital in preventing a mass exodus of dairy farm families in my State. Fortunately, prices have recovered more recently. But should prices fall again, my dairy farm families need the kind of safety net provided by MILC. MILC is important in that it provides a strong safety net to all the Nation's dairy farmers in a market-oriented way that does not increase milk prices on the grocery shelf. For these and other reasons President Bush did the right thing and endorsed the extension of MILC. I am pleased to have the support of the President in this important endeavor and I hope my colleagues will join me in our effort. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, this resolution would designate August 7, 2005 as ``National Health Center Week'' in order to raise awareness of health services provided by community, migrant, public housing, and homeless centers. I hope my colleagues will join me in cosponsoring this important resolution and I look forward to its passage in the Senate.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I ask the Senate to join me today in honoring the public life of a Minnesota leader in public affairs and public education, Joanne Benson. Some of us will recognize her as a former lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, or as a Minnesota State Senator. But she is known to hundreds of teachers and children as an educator of distinction, imagination, and courage. This month marks her retirement as the Chief Education Officer of the Minnesota Business Academy charter high school in our capital city of St. Paul. Joanne Benson is considered by friends and colleagues to be one of the most conscientious and hardworking women in Minnesota--a considerable distinction. She was born in Le Sueur, an agricultural community, where she learned early the virtue of service to family and community. She and her husband, Robert, are the parents of two accomplished adult children, for whom education is both a cherished value and a professional calling. Her grandchildren are blessed to have the benefit of her loving example and guidance. Minnesota's historic leadership in education proudly points to Joanne's degree from St. Cloud State University, and her eventual assistant professorship in the University's College of Education. From this service, she went on to become a Minnesota State senator from the St. Cloud region that she calls her home. Her work on behalf of education policy and community safety brought her to the attention of Gov. Arne Carlson, whom she served with distinction as lieutenant Governor from 1995 to 1999. The State of Minnesota was to have yet greater service from Joanne, when at the end of the Carlson administration she became the president of the nascent Minnesota Business Academy, a business immersion charter high school in downtown St. Paul. MBA serves some of our State's most talented and challenged students. The school is the first in the Nation to be sponsored by a local Chamber of Commerce and is nationally noted for its Star Tracks initiative, teaching and certifying students in the personal traits and behaviors essential to success in the business workplace. With the people of Minnesota, I ask this Chamber to join in celebrating the life and service of Joanne Benson, a woman of great humor and patience, intelligence and grace, as she takes a well-earned retirement from the profession of education.

Mr. COLEMAN

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

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing a private relief bill for an outstanding young man from my State of Minnesota, Tchisou Tho. This legislation would allow Tchisou, a Hmong immigrant, to stay in this country by adjusting his status to permanent resident. Not only would this allow him to stay in the country he has lived in since he was 5 years old, but it will make him eligible for in-State tuition at the University of Minnesota. Tchisou's family came to the United States 14 years ago on a visitor's visa from France after fleeing Communist rule in Laos in 1975. He was 5 years old at the time. They moved to Minnesota in 1993 to find work and to give their children an opportunity to receive a quality education. Tchisou was an all-American high school kid. He watched movies, hung out at the mall with his friends and attended prom. He was an honor roll student, active in his community, church, and school. Tchisou was going to be the first member of his family to graduate from high school, and he was getting ready to begin his freshman year on a scholarship to the University of Minnesota. But in May 2003, just as Tchisou was getting ready to graduate from high school, his family met with immigration officials to request changes to their immigration status. Instead, they received a deportation order. Tchisou's parents acknowledged that they had broken the law by overstaying their visas, and agreed to leave the country. But we all wanted Tchisou to have the chance to graduate with his high school class. Legislation I introduced last year allowed Tchisou to stay. And thanks to the compassion of the immigration authorities, Tchisou's family was allowed to remain in the country just long enough to see their son walk in his high school graduation ceremony. Shortly thereafter, Tchisou's parents and brothers and sisters returned to France as they promised, where they live today. Still focused on his educational goals and now living with his married sister in St. Paul, Tchisou enrolled at the University of Minnesota as an international student. However, he was required to pay out-of-State tuition and unfortunately had to drop out after one semester when he ran out of money. Determined to finish college, Tchisou is currently driving a forklift at the loading docks of a home improvement store, to save money for college while his immigration status is being sorted out. He was recently named employee of the month. Tchisou hopes to re-enroll at the University of Minnesota. I acknowledge that Tchisou's parents broke the law. They overstayed their visas to remain in this country, which they should not have done. And they have since been deported. But I think it would be unfair to punish Tchisou for the actions of his parents. This private relief bill would allow Tchisou the chance to live the American dream. With the help of my good friend and colleague, the senior Senator from Georgia, Chairman Chambliss, we were able to pass this legislation last year. I hope the Senate will be able to act on this important legislation early this year so that Tchisou may enroll at the University of Minnesota, graduate, and be an asset to our community. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the Veterans Benefits Outreach Act of 2005 with my good friend and colleague, Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas. The idea for this legislation emanated from a very troubling story I read in my hometown paper, the Saint Paul Pioneer Press entitled, ``Wounded and Forgotten.'' The article reported that nearly 600,000 veterans are eligible for benefits but not receiving them simply because they don't know they are eligible. It is clear that we need to do a better job of reaching out to veterans so they get the benefits they have earned. Our bill would do this by requiring the Veterans Administration to develop an annual plan to identify veterans who are eligible for but not receiving their benefits and an outreach plan to enroll them. Pretty simply really: matching benefits with people who have earned them, and often through a lot of sacrifice for us and the freedoms we enjoy every day. I hope the Senate will be able to act on this important legislation early this year so my hometown newspaper can report that our veterans are always remembered. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing a private relief bill for an outstanding young man from my State of Minnesota, Tchisou Tho. This legislation would allow Tchisou, a Hmong immigrant, to stay in this country by adjusting his status to permanent resident. Not only would this allow him to stay in the country he has lived in since he was 5 years old, but it will make him eligible for in-State tuition at the University of Minnesota. Tchisou's family came to the United States 14 years ago on a visitor's visa from France after fleeing Communist rule in Laos in 1975. He was 5 years old at the time. They moved to Minnesota in 1993 to find work and to give their children an opportunity to receive a quality education. Tchisou was an all-American high school kid. He watched movies, hung out at the mall with his friends and attended prom. He was an honor roll student, active in his community, church, and school. Tchisou was going to be the first member of his family to graduate from high school, and he was getting ready to begin his freshman year on a scholarship to the University of Minnesota. But in May 2003, just as Tchisou was getting ready to graduate from high school, his family met with immigration officials to request changes to their immigration status. Instead, they received a deportation order. Tchisou's parents acknowledged that they had broken the law by overstaying their visas, and agreed to leave the country. But we all wanted Tchisou to have the chance to graduate with his high school class. Legislation I introduced last year allowed Tchisou to stay. And thanks to the compassion of the immigration authorities, Tchisou's family was allowed to remain in the country just long enough to see their son walk in his high school graduation ceremony. Shortly thereafter, Tchisou's parents and brothers and sisters returned to France as they promised, where they live today. Still focused on his educational goals and now living with his married sister in St. Paul, Tchisou enrolled at the University of Minnesota as an international student. However, he was required to pay out-of-State tuition and unfortunately had to drop out after one semester when he ran out of money. Determined to finish college, Tchisou is currently driving a forklift at the loading docks of a home improvement store, to save money for college while his immigration status is being sorted out. He was recently named employee of the month. Tchisou hopes to re-enroll at the University of Minnesota. I acknowledge that Tchisou's parents broke the law. They overstayed their visas to remain in this country, which they should not have done. And they have since been deported. But I think it would be unfair to punish Tchisou for the actions of his parents. This private relief bill would allow Tchisou the chance to live the American dream. With the help of my good friend and colleague, the senior Senator from Georgia, Chairman Chambliss, we were able to pass this legislation last year. I hope the Senate will be able to act on this important legislation early this year so that Tchisou may enroll at the University of Minnesota, graduate, and be an asset to our community. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the Veterans Benefits Outreach Act of 2005 with my good friend and colleague, Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas. The idea for this legislation emanated from a very troubling story I read in my hometown paper, the Saint Paul Pioneer Press entitled, ``Wounded and Forgotten.'' The article reported that nearly 600,000 veterans are eligible for benefits but not receiving them simply because they don't know they are eligible. It is clear that we need to do a better job of reaching out to veterans so they get the benefits they have earned. Our bill would do this by requiring the Veterans Administration to develop an annual plan to identify veterans who are eligible for but not receiving their benefits and an outreach plan to enroll them. Pretty simply really: matching benefits with people who have earned them, and often through a lot of sacrifice for us and the freedoms we enjoy every day. I hope the Senate will be able to act on this important legislation early this year so my hometown newspaper can report that our veterans are always remembered. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, historians Will and Ariel Durant have told us, ``The present is the past rolled up for action and the past is the present unrolled for understanding.'' In our search for understanding and guidance for our actions, we are pausing today to commemorate one of the darkest moments of modern history, the Nazi Holocaust, the effort by the Nazi regime to exterminate the Jewish people. Six million Jews were sent to their death before the end of the death camps. Sixty years ago today, the Auschwitz death camp was liberated, bringing an end to the slaughter of well over 1 million people at that location alone. As unfathomable as that reality is, we need to seek to understand it in order to prevent it. I am not sure if we can ever truly understand it. In some ways it is kind of bizarre, but we need to understand that while genocide in Germany, Cambodia, Rwanda, and elsewhere may end up as a kind of mass insanity in some almost bizarre way, it begins in a terribly misplaced idealism. The Khmer Rouge thought that returning Cambodia to its rural beginnings was the way to create a good society. They became so convinced that modernity was destroying their people that they attempted to forcibly empty the cities and kill anyone with a professional degree or anyone who even wore glasses. They even kept careful records of those they killed because they assumed history would honor them for their actions. The Germans kept records, too. It is difficult for me to fathom they would believe that history would honor them for their actions. The situation in Rwanda dates back to the colonial period, when European colonial powers favored Tutsis over Hutus. When independence was hastily granted and the Europeans departed, a seesaw of vengeance and reprisals began, which escalated unchecked for 30 years. When historic anger boiled over, with the failure of the international community to step in, a terrible period of violence claimed over half a million people. The fact that genocide could happen in an industrialized, cultured nation that had produced Beethoven and Goethe is especially chilling. As we read the various accounts of what was happening in the Third Reich, it astounds us that people could come to such conclusions. It astounds us that so many good people could do nothing, did nothing. While millions were slaughtered, they turned their backs and shut their eyes. Auschwitz was not conceived as a death camp. It was part of Hitler's and Albert Speer's master plans for bold new Nazi ``Cities of the East'' that would express their vision for society. Such projects required slave labor for which Jews and others were likely candidates. The rise of democratic socialism in Germany was in part a reaction to their hatred of communism in the Soviet Union. So they had a strategy to empty the lands of Poland and Russia for resettlement by an expanded Germany. Such was their grandiosity that human beings became objects to be used for their plans and obstacles to be destroyed. They dehumanized the Jewish people. The lessons of these three examples is: Hatred combined with any number of other circumstances can explode into genocide. Even as the situations in Darfur and elsewhere continue, we would be naive and foolish to believe that mankind has ``learned its lesson.'' First, we need to go on the moral offensive whenever hatred arises. That is why I have risen on the floor several times to decry the growth of antisemitism in Europe. Even on American college campuses, antisemitism is raising its ugly head today. We need to speak out. We need to put a cork in the bottle. We need to make sure it does not spread. Second, I think we need to understand that with American power comes responsibility. In concert with our allies in the U.N., we must be prepared to intervene when we can to prevent bad situations from going over the abyss into genocide. Diplomacy is by its nature slow and cautious while situations such as these are fast moving and can degenerate overnight. We need to find ways to respond quickly. The history of the quick action of the British in 1941 to stop the Farhud, a genocidal program against Iraqi Jews, is an event deserving more attention and more study. There is one other reason for us to focus on these monstrously evil events. They provide stirring examples of the nobility and resiliency of human beings as well: The story of ``Schindler's List'', the compassionate soldiers who liberated the concentration camps. Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz on January 27, 1945, and were able to save about 7,000 prisoners from certain death. The stories of surviving prisoners themselves are remarkable. Those who managed to maintain their humanity in the most inhumane of circumstances inspired us all. Victor Frankl offered this recollection: We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms--to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. Frankl also wrote: A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final truth by so many thinkers. The truth that love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. The Holocaust and similar events discourage us with the realization of the extent of evil of which people are capable, and we must guard against it vigilantly. But they also display the highest and best human beings can rise to, which gives us courage and hope. We will never, ever forget man's inhumanity to man in the Holocaust. We reflect on the liberation of Auschwitz, so we assure that we never forget. But at the same time we have a sense of courage and hope that in the worst of circumstances man can still turn to love and to faith and to salvation. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I serve on the Governmental Affairs Committee. I served on the conference committee that helped draft this bill, and I am going to be very proud to vote for this bill this afternoon. I wish to start and end by thanking the chair, Senator Collins, for her incredible leadership. This was not easy to do. When we left around Thanksgiving, there were a lot of folks who said this would not happen, that it could not be done. We had people who had some very strong opinions about a wide range of issues, and there were differences. Leadership makes a difference. The leadership of Chairman Collins made a difference. The leadership of Ranking Member Lieberman made a difference. I will also note, I am sure before we finally vote on this the chairman will talk about staff. But I see Michael Bopp, who is the staff director and chief counsel of the Governmental Affairs Committee. Staff worked very hard. They did an extraordinary job. We were on break, weren't around, but folks were working day and night over holidays to give us this opportunity to get it done. I do want to compliment Mr. Bopp and all of the staff, on a bipartisan basis, including my own staff who worked so hard. America should thank them because this bill is good for America. This bill makes America safer. As I look back on the opportunities I had in my first session of Congress, the 108th, I believe the passage of this bill is the most significant thing this Congress has done. We have made America safer. There are a lot of important achievements--Medicare reform, tax cuts-- but in the end you can't have economic security without national security. Americans cannot live if they live in fear. The threat of terrorist attack is the greatest threat that faces America, and we have now taken substantial steps in making America safer. We make us safer, as I said before, by the creation of a Director of National Intelligence, a single person whom we can say is in charge. I was struck during the hearings by my understanding of the statement of George Tenet that a few years before 9/11, he made a statement, sent out an e-mail, that we were at war with al-Qaida, but a lot of folks didn't know the war was happening. The CIA didn't talk to the FBI and the Defense Department was not coordinated with the CIA to the degree it needed to be for us to be as safe as we should be. This bill addresses that by creating a Director of National Intelligence to advise the President, to be the go-to person, the person we know is in charge. It then creates a National Counterterrorism Center so we can bring the best and brightest together to make America safer. This bill is not the same bill the Senate passed, but it is a good one. At the beginning of our efforts way back in June, Senator Carper, from Delaware, shared the credo that one of his constituents lived by: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. I believe we have done that in this bill. This bill implements both of the 9/11 Commission's most important recommendations. It creates a Director of National Intelligence to oversee and coordinate the effort in the intelligence community. A central problem the Commission identified was that prior to 9/11, no one was in charge of our intelligence operations. We have taken care of that problem. It is important to note a lot of people were doing a lot of things and doing good things, but they were not sharing information, they were not coordinating efforts to the degree we needed. We had this concept that has been talked about on the Senate floor of silos, folks working in their own areas, doing a good job. But the reality is, to be effective, you can't work in a silo, you can't work in isolation; you have to work together so all the activities of all those involved in intelligence reflect similar priorities. We have corrected that now. The DNI is in charge of intelligence. He has the power to shape the intelligence community over time. He can implement joint policies on personnel, training, information systems, and communications. The DNI also has a National Counterterrorism Center to lead our counterterrorism efforts. The Center will contain the best and brightest the Government has. Merely by creating these two new entities we take an important step forward. This is not about more bureaucracy; this is about more effective, focused, targeted efforts to improve the safety of America, to improve our intelligence efforts. It is a base upon which we can continue to move forward. Like all legislation, this bill represents a compromise. On intelligence reform, we agreed to many of the provisions in the House bill. We gave the Department of Defense more of a say in how funds are allocated after Congress appropriates them. We agreed to keep the total amount of money spent on intelligence classified. But the House, in turn, has agreed to respond to many of our concerns with the rest of their original language. This bill makes important reforms in immigration and law enforcement powers but omits the most controversial sections included in the House bill, and I believe that is wise. We need to address the issue of immigration reform. It is a critical issue. But we cannot allow our efforts to improve intelligence, we cannot allow our efforts to improve security to get pushed aside, to somehow get held up because we have not had the kind of debate and analysis and scrutiny we need to have in both Chambers on the important issue of immigration reform. 9/11 was a horrible tragedy. We saw the face of evil. We learned the desperate measures people will take to stamp out our way of life. But we have seen and we have learned. From learning--I want to stress this--in this process we had extensive hearings. We moved forward quickly, but we didn't rush to judgment. The Senator from Kansas, Senator Roberts, who chairs the Intelligence Committee, has been part of our discussions. He noted there have been decades of efforts to reform intelligence. We had a base to build upon, but we had not moved forward until today, and we have moved forward building on so much of what has been done in the past and building on a record, which we heard about from folks who headed the CIA, doing operations work today. There was a very extensive analysis of what the needs are. We looked at the work of the Commission, the families of the victims, the history of intelligence reform, and we made a difference today. For that, Chairman Collins, Ranking Member Lieberman, and all involved--and the President of the United States--should be proud. The President of the United States played a tremendous role in getting this done. One final point before I yield the floor. When we talk about intelligence reform, we do talk about the big things. We talk about creating a Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterintelligence Center. But I also want to take a moment to talk about what this bill does for the rest of us, some of the folks at the local level. I come from Minnesota. It is a small State, located on our border with Canada. But, like her northern neighbors such as Maine, Minnesota can be a gateway for many of the goods and people crossing by boat, car, plane, and train. They may end up in Chicago or San Francisco or New York, but many come in through the border States. Homeland security starts with border security. This bill recognizes that. It understands that when it comes to border security, it is going to be folks at the local level, not folks at the Federal level, who are going to be the first on the scene. That is why this bill contains a provision to ensure that State and local officials will be part of an integrated command system so first responders can communicate with each other. Communication and teamwork go hand in hand, and thanks to this bill, if we face another 9/11, local, State, and Federal officials will not only be ready but will be able to work as a team. This bill also understands that border security takes resources and manpower by providing an additional 10,000 agents over 5 years to protect U.S. borders and unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor our border with Canada. This is good news for America and good news for places such as International Falls, MN. International Falls is just a small town in Minnesota, but because of its location, this city is among the 50 busiest gateways in this country, admitting many hundreds of thousands of men and women through it into this country each year. I went there this August to see what was going on and to talk with people directly responsible for our border security, people like Paul Nevanen, director of Koochiching County's Economic Development Authority, and Glen Schroeder, the chief agent in charge of border patrol. People like Paul and Glen highlighted the difficulties they had just communicating with their Federal counterparts and the difficulty of adequately screening entry of people into the United States without proper technology and resources. After talking with the people at International Falls, I came back to Washington and fought hard for our folks on the border. This bill reflects that hard work. It gives them the resources and manpower necessary to support and secure our border. This is a good bill. I am going to vote for it with a great sense of pride. There are some who may say we could walk away from this bill and hope for something better next year. That would be irresponsible. This bill makes America safer. Passage of intelligence reform will only become more difficult as time passes--unless, God forbid, there is another terrorist attack. In that case, of course, there will be another call for reform. But I submit that Congress will have failed in its duty to the American people if it waits until then to do anything. We don't have to wait. We have a great bill before us. We have been provided with great leadership from Chairman Collins, from the ranking member, and the President's efforts. I applaud all of them. As I said before, I look forward to voting for this bill. I yield the floor.

Mr. COLEMAN

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

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I had the great pleasure of sitting in the Presiding Officer's chair yesterday when one of our colleagues said goodbye, the distinguished minority leader. It was a very stirring and moving speech about what this institution is all about. I sat in the Senate when the senior Senator from Oklahoma said goodbye after 20-something years in this institution. I was in the chair when the candidate for the Vice President of the United States said goodbye after serving one term in this institution. It is pretty humbling, to understand how incredible it is to be part of this body and all the things that one can do. I am standing right now to say thank you to a Member who is still serving, who I hope will serve for a long time, the Senator from Missouri, Mr. Bond. Sometimes we wait until folks leave until we express our deep appreciation for all they do and all they have accomplished. For me, I feel moved to do this for a little act of kindness, of help he gave some constituents of mine. In the Omnibus bill we will vote on, hopefully, sometime this afternoon, there is $388 billion laid out to be spent in that bill. The very last item of the 133 pages of the section that appropriates funds for the Veterans Administration and HUD, had to do with two individuals from Minnesota, Brian and Eric Simon, to receive $200,000, to be split between them. That constitutes 1/20,000th of 1 percent of the allocations in that bill, but to those young men it is so important. Let me tell a little story about why it is important and who these young men are. In 1983, Douglas Simon, the father of Brian and Eric Simon, served in the Army National Guard at Fort Benning, GA. He was injured. He required emergency medical surgery. Mr. Simon's surgery was performed at Fort Benning, GA. As part of the surgery, a blood transfusion of nine units was required. The blood he received was not screened and contained the AIDS/HIV virus. In 1984, Mr. Simon married Nancy and they had three children together, Brian, Eric, and Candace. Before the virus took their lives, and ultimately the lives of Candace, the daughter, and the mom Nancy, the Simons were a smalltown American family: hopeful, conventional, meat and potatoes, church every Sunday, Roman Catholic family with a Virgin Mary statute in the front yard. Old Glory hung on the flagpole every clement day. I am reading from and reflecting on an article written in 1994 about the Simons. Doug and Nancy had met in high school. They got married after they graduated. He joined the Minnesota Army National Guard out of high school. He had an accident and underwent surgery. Nancy was older than a year by Doug and grew up close by, a place called New Prague, MN, 1 of 11 children. She was quiet, timid. When she and Doug first got married, they dreamed of having lots of kids. The oldest son is Brian. He was 10 in 1994 and he is 19 now. I got to know him. He was born before Doug and Nancy were infected. Eric escaped the virus, although he was born after Nancy had been infected. They were just regular kids, lived a regular life, with a mom and a dad. They had a young sister, Candy. Candy was diagnosed with AIDS when she was 18 months old, in 1989. The doctors had treated her for a number of conditions. She had persistent diarrhea. She failed to thrive. She had countless CAT scans and blood tests. She learned how to push the plunger of a syringe as the myriad of medications increased. She went through a lot. She was, as her brothers tell me, a mischievous little girl, hamming it up, wearing Elton John-like oversized sunglasses, or a poster-child angel, always a mommy's girl. Three months before preschool started, she complained about stomach pains. You know why it hurts? Because I have a bad tummy. For her doctors, it was a little more puzzling than that, and x rays revealed spots on her colon the size of chicken pox. She suffered greatly. She suffered greatly. I almost tear up as I reflect on what this young girl went through. She died on June 25, wrapped in her mom's arms. She was a couple days shy of her sixth birthday. The mother also contracted AIDS and went through great pain and great suffering. Mom ultimately died of AIDS. I got to know the family. My predecessor, Senator Wellstone, worked in trying to do something for them. The VA provides health care to some 2,800 veterans who have contracted AIDS in the manner that Mr. Simon contracted AIDS. They provide disability compensation to veterans with AIDS and death and education benefits to the families of veterans who have succumbed to AIDS. In this respect, the VA treats AIDS like other service-connected health conditions. But in an important way, AIDS is different. It is not like other connected services; it can be transmitted to the spouses and unborn children of servicemen. That is what happened here with Doug Simon. By law, the VA cannot provide any sort of benefits for illnesses contracted by these family members. Last year, I introduced S. 1509, the Eric and Brian Simon Act. I thought it was a starting point to give a fair deal to veterans and their families with AIDS to provide a one-time $100,000 benefit to veterans who receive AIDS as a result of a blood transfusion from the service-related injury. For spouses who contracted AIDS from contact with the infected veteran, and offspring of the veteran or spouse infected with AIDS at birth, in the event that the veteran or family member has already succumbed, compensation would be given to survivors. That is what has happened here. Douglas Simon is still alive. He is wheelchair-bound, and he suffers from AIDS and AIDS-related conditions, but mom and Candy are gone. We could not get the bill through. We worked hard. I went to my friend and colleague. We actually had a hearing on this, thanks to the goodness and magnificence of Senator Specter. It was an opportunity for Mr. Simon and the boys to come forward and explain what happened. We were not able to move the bill forward, but I met with my friend, Senator Bond, champion of the VA/HUD appropriations committees and laid out this story, this great tragedy of two young men whose lives have been just so excruciatingly painful but not as painful as what their little sister suffered, not as painful as what their mom suffered. Why I am so moved by this issue is perhaps because I have a sister who died from AIDS. I know what this is about, and I know the great pain. So my colleague, Senator Bond, said: We have to try to figure out a way to help. So in the very last portion of the $388 billion bill, there is a provision to provide this $100,000 benefit for these two individuals. In terms of the scope of this bill, this is a little nothing. But in terms of two kids from Minnesota, who have been through so much, whose dad served this country and suffered such great pain, this is something. We work on a lot of things in this body. We deal at times with millions and billions of dollars. I have sat with my colleague, Senator Talent, to my right, and at different points we talk about millions or tens of millions of dollars, and it gets almost abstract. It gets almost so impersonal at times. But the ability to help one family, to touch that one life, to make a difference in that life, to put a smile on their face, to say we are doing our best to correct an injustice, something that went wrong, to be able to deliver on that is very meaningful. It is very special. As I look at what has come out of that Omnibus bill, and with this provision, it certainly has made we very proud to serve in this body. It has made me appreciative of the kindness and the consideration of my senior colleagues, such as Senator Bond, and I must say his staff member, Jon Kamarck, who worked on this legislation. We often wait until folks say their goodbye, and we hear very moving and very stunning reflections on lives of service and what it means to be a part of this magnificent institution, the greatest deliberative body in the world, the U.S. Senate. I am humbled to be here, I am thankful to be here, and I am deeply appreciative of the actions and the conscience and the heart and the ability of my colleagues, and in this particular case of the chairman of the Appropriations VA-HUD subcommittee, the senior Senator from Missouri. I just wanted to take this time to say thanks, to say it on the Record, to say it very loud and clear, to speak for two young Minnesota men who will be getting a little something back. You cannot take away and compensate for all the pain and all the suffering, but you can show that we care, and in this body we do care. I am honored to be part of this body. With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I got up here about an hour ago to pay homage, to pay tribute to the senior Senator from Missouri, the chairman of the VA/HUD Appropriations Committee, for his help in finding a way to compensate two young men from Minnesota who have suffered great personal tragedy. I must confess to a rookie mistake in not recognizing at the same time a person without whose help, approval, and guidance this never would have happened, and that, of course, is the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Stevens from Alaska. I know he was personally involved in this. In fact, he commented to me this is one of the worst, most terrible circumstances, and we need to address it. He has pledged on a longer term basis, even next year, to look at other situations like this so that we do the right thing. I want to say on the record to my friend, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, how appreciative I am, how thankful I am, how grateful I am for all he does, for his guidance in putting together a huge package that deals with big things but doesn't forget little things. Sometimes the little things are big things. In this case, this somewhat little thing--little in the scope of a $388 billion bill, but big for two young men who have suffered so much--would not have happened without the help and the direction of the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. I wanted to make that clear on the record my deep appreciation for his big heart, for his guidance and mentorship, his concern, and ultimately his ability to get things done. I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the resolution, which is at the desk.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I rise after listening to the words of our distinguished whip, who has been here more than a couple of decades, and the distinguished Senator from New Mexico, who has been here more than three decades. I have only been in the Senate a couple of years, but I do want to let the distinguished Senator from Oklahoma know and say very publicly what an impact he has had on me and what deep respect I have for him. When he came here, he talked about having respect for the Senate, and I certainly understand that. It is somewhat overwhelming to me. As he kind of recapped the 24 years, talking about the love that he has for this institution, I want to let him know what that means to somebody like me who comes here certainly with that respect--that love is something that grows. Love is something that is in the heart. As I reflect upon a colleague who has been here, who has had some tough things he has had to do, I say to my friend--truly my friend from Oklahoma, the chairman of the Budget Committee--he is in an institution, surrounded by folks who like to say yes, who like to spend money. We like to take care of those around us who have needs. That is a good thing. But we also have to have a fundamental understanding. As in any family, you have to know what you earn and you have to know what you can spend. You have to have some discipline and you have to have some values and you have to do the right thing. It is hard, because naturally we want to say yes to those who come and say, We need help. Because of the integrity of the Senator from Oklahoma, because of the deep respect his colleagues have for him, he was able to guide us and help us understand what it meant to hold the line, to do the right thing, in the end, to build a stronger America. His philosophical foundation, framework, ``restoring economic freedom for America,'' is something he said he started thinking about early, and that he always believed in it when he got here. Certainly in each and every thing I have seen him do here, it has been part of his core value, restoring economic freedom for America, so in fact we produce hope and opportunity and greater times for moms and dads. He has done it. I cannot say I always thought it was the right thing to do. I can't say that every time we voted the same way. But I do want to let the Senator from Oklahoma know how important his words and his values and his integrity were, what they meant to me. I have been going to the prayer breakfasts since I came to the Senate. I have listened to some of his helpful suggestions for strengthening faith. They have made a difference. They have made an impact. You are going to be gone, physically gone, and the Senate will be different. But I have no doubt, and I feel part of that, that your faith and your love and your strength and what you have been about has had a profound impact on so many of us here. It has had a profound impact on me. Although you will not be here, know that as I go about making the decisions I make, I have no doubt I will reflect upon your words, reflect upon what you might think is the right thing to do, and then make the decisions I have to make. You may be gone. You may move from this body. You are still a relatively young man with a great family, a magnificent wife. You are a person who can look back on all you have accomplished and still have the opportunity to accomplish so much more. But I do want to thank the Senator from Oklahoma for his service. I thank him for the opportunity he has given me to serve with him. I thank him for the impact he has had on my life, hopefully making me a better Senator, a better humble servant, a person better able to contribute with a deeper appreciation of how important faith is to the service we give. I want him to know what he is about certainly will live with me in the time I have to stay. I simply want to say for all of that: Thank you and God bless you. I yield the floor.

Mr. COLEMAN

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I understand the Senator from West Virginia has the floor, and I understand he is going to give a Thanksgiving message. However, I ask the distinguished Senator from West Virginia if he will yield to me for 10 minutes to address the pending measure.