Kirsten Gillibrand

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I rise to talk about an amendment that I believe is on an incredibly urgent matter. Today the vast majority, almost all of our servicemembers, serve this country so honorably, so bravely. But there is a very small number who do not, who are engaging in sexual assault in the military. Despite Secretary Panetta's efforts to have a zero tolerance policy in this country, in 2011 alone there were 3,000 military assaults reported, and the Secretary of Defense reports the real number is much closer to 19,000 assaults. In the words of the DOD, sexual violence in the military ``is an affront to the basic American values we defend, and may degrade military readiness, subverts our strategic goodwill, and forever changes the lives of victims and their families.'' My amendment is very simple. Today each of the services have policies that address this issue, but the one that the Navy has is the best. My amendment requires the Department to oversee that each of the service branches has established a policy that would mandate that servicemembers convicted of sexual offenses will be processed for administrative separation. The reason this is so important is because one-third of convicted sexual offenders in the military are still retained. They are still serving. So, obviously, we must do better. We need a uniform standard to correct these deficiencies in the respective branch policies to be able to serve our military families and our military members as we should. I yield the floor.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I request my amendment be called up.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I would like to say Senator Collins and Senator Snowe are cosponsors of this amendment.

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

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I rise to speak on behalf of the approximately 20,000 military families with loved ones on the autism spectrum. Sadly, thousands of these Americans suffering from autism are not receiving the treatments that are the best practices that have been determined they need. These military families are receiving fewer services than their civilian government counterparts across the country, many of whom have been rightly aided by laws passed in over 60 percent of our States representing over 75 percent of the country's population. Autism places tremendous strains on our Nation's military families and nonmilitary families--including tremendous health, financial, and emotional tolls. I wish to share briefly just a couple stories from our brave military families. One veteran was severely wounded in Iraq while heroically serving our country. His injuries forced him to medically retire. Because he is retired, his autistic son Shane was no longer eligible to receive the ABA services he had previously received. The wait list for Medicaid waiver services is over 9 years. Shane's family had to sell their home to pay the roughly $5,000 per month of out-of-pocket expenses that the ABA treatments require that he so desperately needs. The money is running out for their family, and their family's effort is only to do what is best for their son. Without any relief, we risk allowing brave military families just like this one to fall through the cracks. Another Active-Duty marine, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan three times, has maxed out his ABA care for therapy treatments to treat his 11-year-old autistic son Joshua. Joshua is nonverbal and his safety is a key concern, so Joshua is prescribed 35 hours of these ABA therapy treatments each week. Due to the severity of Joshua's symptoms, the family is faced with the nearly impossible decision of forgoing the recommended care for their son or paying the bills out of pocket as long as they are able to. In my opinion--and it is shared by many families--this should never happen to any child, but it should also particularly not happen to the child of someone from our military service. That is why I am submitting an amendment requiring TRICARE to cover medically recommended autism treatments, including ABA therapy, in a manner that is consistent with best practices so our military families, our heroes, get the care they need for their children, children such as Shane and Joshua. Every parent who has a child with autism faces challenges in ensuring that their child has access to the treatments they desperately need. For military families, these challenges are often compounded by frequent deployments overseas, frequent movements to different bases across State lines, and sometimes gaps in coverage. Today, TRICARE coverage of ABA is severely limited. It is capped at $36,000 per year for an Active-Duty servicemember. This falls far below what is medically recommended. This care is limited to Active-Duty servicemembers only. Guard and Reserve families receive intermittent care, and children of retirees cannot get any coverage at all. As a consequence, military servicemembers must often turn to State- run Medicaid programs to help their children, but these programs are often unavailable to a mobile military family because of the extensive wait lists. In Maryland, for example, the wait is 17 years long, essentially eliminating ABA coverage during the early development years when a child needs it most. The wait list in Virginia, for example, is over 10 years long. Even more remarkable than TRICARE not covering these treatments is that the Office of Personnel Management has already determined that such treatments may be covered as medical therapies for Federal civilian employees. A recent court decision, which DOD is still reviewing and may appeal, determined that TRICARE must cover these treatments, but this decision is being applied under the most narrow definition in the interim, limiting the potential pool of providers. This amendment basically requires TRICARE to provide coverage and deliver services in a manner that is consistent with best practices. This would, thereby, improve access to care for our military families, and it would finally align TRICARE with the other types of coverage that is available in civilian sectors. We have a duty to stand by our military families and to address this very difficult health issue that affects their children. When we ask our men and women to serve, we promise we will support them and their families. This amendment simply fulfills that promise. I also rise to speak about another issue concerning the armed services authorization bill, and this is equally as serious and troublesome; that is, the issue of sexual violence. While the vast majority of our servicemembers serve our country honorably and bravely and are simply the best our country has to offer, sexual violence in the military continues to occur at an alarming rate by a minority of servicemembers who should not be serving. Despite Secretary Panetta's efforts to create a zero-tolerance policy in 2011, still more than 3,000 military sexual assaults were reported. But the DOD's estimates themselves indicate that number is much closer to 19,000 cases. In the words of DOD: [Sexual violence in the military] is an affront to the basic American values we defend, and may degrade military readiness, subvert strategic goodwill, and forever change the lives of victims and their families. All our service branches have in place some version of a policy that sends convicted sex offenders to an administrative separation process for discharge. However, the most recent Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military shows that in fiscal year 2011, 36 percent of convicted sex offenders remained in the Armed Services, despite these policies. If one-third of convicted sex offenders within the military are being retained, then clearly we must do better. Creating a uniform standard to correct deficiencies in the respective branch policies would be a good step forward. Experts reviewing current policies have found that the Navy has established a mandatory policy that calls for administrative discharge of any personnel who are convicted of a sex offense. My amendment would require the Department to oversee that each service branch establish policies that would mandate servicemembers convicted of a sex offense be processed for administrative separation. This means each such perpetrator would get due process but that the process would be required. This amendment is common sense, and it is one that would strengthen the policies the services have actually already put in place and reinforce DOD's zero-tolerance policy. I am very pleased Senators Collins and Snowe have joined me as cosponsors of this amendment, and I wish to thank them for their leadership. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the contribution of two great heroes, Kateri Tekakwitha and Marianne Cope. These two individuals from upstate New York worked tirelessly during their lifetimes to bring faith and health to every soul they touched. Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha and Bl. Marianne Cope have served as an inspiration for generations of the faithful both in America and abroad, and are now being recognized with the highest honor of sainthood. Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha was born in 1656 to a Mohawk father and Algonquin mother along the Mohawk River in upstate New York. After surviving a devastating smallpox epidemic, Kateri was introduced to Christianity by Catholic missionaries. Despite severe disapproval by her tribe, Kateri was baptized into the church as Catherine and lived the rest of her life caring for the sick and elderly in the Mohawk River region. She is informally known as Lily of the Mohawks and will become the patron saint of ecology, the environment, and Native Americans. Although she died young, Kateri's reputation as the first Native American saint will live forever. Her commitment to the Christian faith has served as an inspiration not only to Native American Catholics, but to all American Catholics. The other beatified person, Bl. Marianne Cope, was a member of the Sisters of St. Francis in Syracuse after growing up in Utica, NY. As the eldest daughter of German immigrants, she worked in a factory to support her family and delayed answering her religious calling until her siblings were self-sufficient. Once she was able to commit to the church, Marianne dedicated her work to establishing a series of hospitals, both public and Catholic, in Syracuse and central New York. These hospitals were some of the first to treat patients regardless of race, religion, or nationality. Marianne was also one of the first hospital administrators to advocate for patients' rights and to accept medical students for clinical instruction. In 1883, she moved to Hawaii to care for those with leprosy, a task that was declined by many other religious groups. Throughout her time in Hawaii she remained a dedicated caretaker and symbol of hope to patients who had been exiled because of their illness. These two extraordinary women will be declared saints on October 21 in Vatican City by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square, marking the end of a long process of examination undergone by all candidates for sainthood. The ceremony will venerate Kateri and Marianne in the eyes of Catholics all over the world. I would like the U.S. Senate to honor Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha and Bl. Marianne Cope and recognize their unparalleled commitment to faith and their unending sacrifices for the people most in need across New York and our Nation.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I stand here today with my colleagues to observe 1 minute of silence on the first day of session since the passage of the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympic terrorist attack that killed 11 athletes and coaches from the Israeli Olympic team. Prior to the extraordinary summer games in London, where so many of our athletes excelled and made our country so proud, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution that I authored with Senator Rubio. With this resolution, which was supported by more than 30 of our colleagues, the Senate called on the International Olympic Committee to hold a moment of silence in London to honor these 11 slain Israeli Olympians. It is regrettable they chose not to. Today, here in the Senate, we right that wrong. The Munich tragedy was an outrageous attack against innocent athletes and against the unifying spirit of the Olympics. Observing a moment of silence at the 2012 Olympic games' opening ceremony, when the world's attention was focused on this symbol of international cooperation and peace, would have sent such a powerful message of unity in our fight against terrorism. On September 5, 1972, a Palestinian terrorist group called Black September broke into the Munich Olympic Village, killed an Israeli athlete and coach, and took nine other athletes and coaches hostage. A German police officer was killed and nine hostages were murdered during a rescue attempt. In observing this minute of silence, as in our resolution, we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympic terrorist attack, remember those who lost their lives, and reject and repudiate terrorism as antithetical to the Olympic goal of peaceful competition.

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

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize ProLiteracy, the world's oldest and largest member organization of adult literacy and basic education programs in the United States representing more than 1,100 community-based organizations and adult basic education programs, which collectively serve more than 286,000 adult learners. For more than 50 years, ProLiteracy has been headquartered in a suburbanized industrial park in Syracuse, New York. Now, ProLiteracy is moving to the Near West Side of Syracuse. The renovated building is an environmentally and technologically advanced facility that allows the organization to produce and test new and better curricula and educational materials, as well as to develop and implement local training, technical assistance, and professional development projects. The knowledge, best practices, and key findings ProLiteracy will generate through these efforts will be shared locally, nationally, and globally. Because ProLiteracy's headquarters will be located in an area readily accessible to adult learners, the organization is providing learning experiences such as an adult literacy library housing New Readers Press materials and other resources. ProLiteracy is to be commended for the work they do and the efforts they support every day to help increase the quality of and access to adult literacy services. An estimated 30 million adults nationwide do not yet have the basic literacy skills to read or write above a fifth- grade level. An additional 60 million American adults do not read or write better than the eighth-grade level. Every day, ProLiteracy works to enable these Americans to receive the necessary resources and skills they need to succeed in postsecondary education, occupational training, and establishing a career pathway. Thank you to ProLiteracy for being the leader in ending the adult literacy crisis in Syracuse, New York--and in communities around the Nation.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. The Sisters of St. Joseph first came to the United States to Carondelet, MO in 1836, and established a school dedicated to the education of deaf children. Mother Austin Kean, accompanied by Sister Baptista Hanson and Sister Theodosia Hegeman, came to Brooklyn in 1856 to found what is now, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, NY. The goal of the Sisters of St. Joseph continues to be to foster love, unity and reconciliation among all people and with this earth. For over 150 years, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, NY have been faithful in their vision to serve the world and its people. Since the creation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood order in 1856, there has been over 2,500 Sisters to serve, and currently there are 588 serving or in retirement throughout the United States. There is not enough time in this Congress to fully describe the work and accomplishments of the Sisters of St. Joseph. But I would like to highlight some of the work of these three remarkable nuns. Sister Alice Francis Young joined the Convent of the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1932, and since then has proven to be a pioneer and integral force in early childhood education. Sister Young's career milestones include helping to start the first Head Start program in New York, working as a master teacher at St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn for 20 years, and being a professor of child study at St. Joseph's for over 40 years. She has helped educate thousands of children and given them the ability to reach their potential. Sister Francis Gerard Kress has been a Sister of St. Josephs for 80 years, working on community activism and being a champion for health care and environmental protection. In September 1982, Sister Kress testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Water Resources and in doing so shed light on her work around the environmental dangers that existed near Newton Creek in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. Her work has since helped to protect a community from these dangers and enlighten the Nation to the importance of the Clean Water Act. Sister Edward Joseph Murphy is 99 years old and joined the Order of the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1932. She spent her life educating at the primary and secondary levels, helping children throughout this Nation improve their lives through education and community service, as well as help new arrivals to this Nation with English by way of her Orders' English as a Second Language programs. Sister Murphy also spent over 20 years caring for the community and residents of Merrick, Long Island, NY by visiting homes, nursing homes and hospitals, bringing food and toys, and assisting in times of crisis. For the past 80 years, Sister Francis Gerard Kress, Sister Edward Joseph Murphy and Sister Alice Francis Young have dedicated their lives for the betterment of others in New York, the United States and around the world. We are humbled to have the opportunity to recognize the life and service of these amazing women and everlasting mark they left on so many.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to Sylvia Woods, the ``Queen of Soul Food'' and a New York icon whose eponymous restaurant for decades served as a home away from home for scores of Harlem residents, New Yorkers, Presidents, dignitaries, celebrities, and visitors from all over the world. As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sylvia's Restaurant, we celebrate the life and legacy of Sylvia Woods. Ms. Woods' big heart, entrepreneurial spirit, and extraordinary strength exemplified the vibrancy of the Harlem community she helped bring together. Ms. Woods was born in Hemingway, SC, in 1926. In 1954, she worked as a waitress at Johnson's Luncheonette in Harlem. Her mother helped Ms. Woods pursue her dreams by mortgaging the farm in South Carolina where Sylvia was born. Ms. Woods and her late husband Herbert used the $18,000 borrowed from her mother to buy the luncheonette in 1962 and founded the namesake restaurant. Ms. Woods' dream became an instant reality when people from all over the world flocked to 126th Street and Lenox Avenue to taste Sylvia's world-famous comfort food, including mouthwatering fried chicken, collard greens, and peach cobbler. Ms. Woods purchased six lots which took up nearly one city block on Lenox Avenue between 126th and 127th Streets, setting in motion the growth of the legendary soul food establishment. She ran the business until she retired at age 80 and had overseen its expansion to seat more than 450 people. Her famed eatery not only became a center of globally-renowned cuisine, but it also became a special meeting place for African- American leaders. I fondly remember Sylvia's being one of the first places I visited with Rev. Al Sharpton in 2009 as Senator. I, along with countless others, deeply felt the love, life, and history of this iconic institution. Ms. Woods cared deeply about the community she loved and found ways to give back to her beloved Harlem. The Woods family created the Sylvia and Herbert Woods Scholarship Endowment Foundation in 2001 to provide scholarships to Harlem youth. Ms. Woods undoubtedly made an indelible impact on our great city and Nation. The landmark restaurant she created will continue to thrive for future generations of New York City families. Ms. Woods' legacy, accomplishments, and endearing spirit will live on in Harlem and around the world.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I rise today on a matter that has become very close to my heart; and that is, honoring Raoul Wallenberg with the Nation's highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. I urge my colleagues to support conferring this honor on Mr. Wallenberg, and I am grateful that we already have 71 of my colleagues from every part of the political spectrum supporting our efforts. During World War II, Raoul Wallenberg chose to leave his life of ease in Sweden for a diplomatic assignment in Hungary, which was then an ally in Nazi Germany. His assignment was the result of a recruitment effort by the United States War Refugee Board and the Office of Strategic Services to try to save the remaining Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust. In his effort, Mr. Wallenberg succeeded beyond anyone's expectations. He provided Swedish passports for thousands of Jews, which literally made the difference between life and death. Mr. Wallenberg rented 32 buildings in Budapest, raised a Swedish flag, and declared them protected with diplomatic immunity. Within these buildings, he housed, protected, and saved almost 10,000 precious lives. Mr. Wallenberg's bravery and his will to act are shining examples to us all. According to eyewitnesses, Mr. Wallenberg once climbed onto the roof of a train with Jews departing for Auschwitz, handing them protective passes through the doors. Amid threats from the guards, he then marched dozens of those with passes to safety in a diplomatic convoy. As the Nazi front was collapsing and Adolf Eichmann moved to kill all the remaining Jews in Budapest, it was Mr. Wallenberg who helped thwart that plan by threatening Hungarian leaders with the promise of hanging for war crimes if they carried out the plot. Sadly, and selflessly, Mr. Wallenberg was later taken prisoner when the Soviet Army liberated Budapest from the Nazis, and it is presumed that he died in a Moscow prison. This hero's willingness to risk his own life for others exemplifies his outstanding spirit, his dedication to humanity, and the responsibility for all of us to speak out against atrocities. His enduring legacy lives on in the countless descendants of those he saved, the lives of New Yorkers such as Peter Rebenwurzel, a New York City resident whose late father helped Jews in the Budapest ghetto, and whose father-in-law only survived because of Mr. Wallenberg's heroic efforts. I wish also to take this moment to recognize Andrew Stevens, who was an active member of the Jewish underground during the Holocaust who worked bravely alongside Mr. Wallenberg to save Jewish lives. As we move to award Raoul Wallenberg with this Congressional Medal of Honor upon the centennial of his birth, we pay tribute to an extraordinary man whose life should serve as a shining example of leadership and courage for all future generations to come. Mr. President, I wish also to address the second issue of something we have been debating on the floor all morning, and that is the issue of jobs and what this Congress is doing to help our small businesses grow. I rise in support of the Landrieu-Snowe amendment and the underlying bill. These two proposals will address what every American expects us to take on; that is, coming together to create jobs, help our economy grow, and focus squarely on creating opportunities for our middle class to thrive. All across my home State of New York, too many middle-class families are continuing to struggle in this very tough economy. Of course, the government doesn't create any jobs. Businesses create jobs and ideas, and people create jobs, especially small businesses. Small businesses have been responsible for at least 60 percent of all new jobs that have been created, and small businesses can give us the spark we actually need to create a growing economy and a thriving middle class. I have spent months going all across New York State having roundtables with businesses, and I have particularly hosted roundtables focused on women-owned businesses. I have been to restaurants, I have been to bookstores, I have been to recyclers, I have been to incubators, I have been to home stores, all businesses created by women all across New York State. Women-owned businesses are among the fastest growing sector within the small business economy. More than 10 million businesses are owned by women, employing more than 13 million people and generating nearly $2 trillion worth of sales in 2008 alone. Even though women-owned businesses start their businesses with about eight times less capital than their male counterparts, in the decade from 1997 to 2007, women- owned businesses added roughly \1/2\ million jobs to our economy. That is the kind of growth we need right now. That is the kind of spark that could actually make a difference. And we could do our part right here in Congress this week. It is time to end all the political posturing. It is time to come together around commonsense core ideas, such as giving these businesses the tax breaks they need to grow. We shouldn't wait another day to eliminate capital gains on investments in these small businesses. We should extend the tax breaks for businesses that allow them to invest in new property, plants, or equipment and take those deductions upfront. We should give them incentives to hire those new employees. It is our responsibility as lawmakers to do this kind of work together, in a bipartisan way, one that can set aside the political gamesmanship. I know, just as women-owned small businesses are ready to lead us to lasting economic strength and growing economy, the women of the Senate are there to support them. Democrats and Republican women have come together around this bill in a bipartisan way to urge our colleagues to support it. These tax provisions provide relief to the self-employed, to small businesses in their capital investments, and encourage new investment. They work hand in hand with other tax credits that encourage new hires and wage increases. The combination of these things will harness their full potential for our American businesses to grow. We know these proposals are effective. They helped boost private sector job creation over the past 2 years. But we all know there is so much more we have to do, and we can start by renewing these commonsense steps to unlock the power of our small businesses. These aren't Democratic ideas; they are not Republican ideas; they are just good ideas. They are good, commonsense ideas that can make a difference. We should be able to come together to do this for the American people to create a growing economy again. Mr. President, I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2156.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Let me be clear, Mr. President, about what this amendment does and does not do. This amendment does not extend or expand the Food Stamp Program. It provides the exact same benefits families are receiving today. Half of the food stamp beneficiaries are children, 17 percent are seniors, and, unfortunately, now 1.5 million households are veteran households that are receiving food stamps. This amendment does not take a penny from our farmers. These cuts are not about waste, fraud, and abuse. According to CBO, it is $90 a month from these families' kitchen tables. We all here in this Chamber take the ability to feed our children for granted. That is not the case for too many families in America. Put yourselves for just a moment in their shoes. Imagine being a parent who cannot feed your children the food they need to grow. It is beneath this body to cut food assistance for those who are struggling the most among us.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my amendment be modified with the changes at the desk.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I would like to commend the chairwoman of the Agriculture Committee and the ranking member of that committee for their dedicated effort to move the farm bill to the floor to discuss our Nation's agricultural policy and for their leadership in championing so many issues that help America's and New York's farmers. I rise today because I really want to make clear to the American people just what is at stake and at the heart of this farm bill. It is about a growing economy for our family farms and for our small businesses. It is about reviving rural communities and rebuilding a thriving middle class and the opportunity for all of those who are trying to get there. It is about the health of our agricultural industry, the jobs it provides, and the health of our families whom it helps to feed. But from the amendments that are being filed today from across the aisle, you would not know it. There are some trying to use this bill to roll back protections for the air we breathe and for the water we drink. There are some who want to use this bill to expand concealed-carry laws for weapons. We are even seeing attempts to bring in the divisive politics from the Wisconsin recall and inject it right into the debate on the Senate floor on farm policy. This bill has so much potential to create jobs, to help our farms thrive, to protect our farmers and small businesses from natural disasters, to feed our children, and to feed our at-risk seniors. But if we are ever going to reach that potential, we can't afford to get bogged down in these dead-end fights that are meant only to score political points. Worse yet, there are Draconian cuts being proposed by some that will take even more money away from those who are the greatest in need. They want to take money away from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps, which literally will result in children going to bed hungry in this country. These amendments simply do not meet the fundamental founding principles of this Nation or who we are as Americans. In this day and age, in this country, as rich as we are, to accept hungry children, hungry families, hungry seniors is unacceptable. This farm bill started out with a $4.5 billion cut to food stamps over 10 years. These cuts must be restored. While I fought against these cuts with 13 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, others are still actually advocating for additional, much more extreme cuts. They could even cut SNAP by almost half. If you have heard from families living off of food stamps, as I have, you know this is something no one strives for. Most have never imagined that they would be on food stamps or that they would need that kind of support. But many have been dealt a very bad hand in this economy, and through no fault of their own they are finding they are in need. Food stamps are often the last resort for those who are just trying to keep the lights on, put food on the table for their kids, and find their way back to that paycheck they desperately want to be earning. Among all the families relying on food stamps at historical rates, we are now seeing veterans and their families. I can tell you that our veterans and their families have already suffered a lot. For these troops who are coming home, they are coming back into a very tough economy and are unable to find the jobs they need. And we have to imagine these children of our vets who have already suffered so much, and now they are being faced with not knowing from where their next meal will come. For any parent watching this debate today, I just want to ask one question. Has your child ever said to you: Mommy, I am still hungry. Well, I can't imagine what a mother would feel like if she could not hand her child some food. I can't imagine what a mother would feel like if her child said that to her every single night. That is exactly what we are talking about today in this farm bill. As a mother and legislator, watching children suffer, watching America's children not having enough to eat is something I will not stand quietly by and watch. Under this bill, nearly 300,000 families in New York will become food insecure, and what that translates to is $90 a month that they will have less money to put food on the table, and what that translates to is that it is the last week of the month. That $90 pays the grocery bills every single week. What do these families do when they don't have enough money at the end of the month? Despite not being responsible for the economic crisis our country has faced, we will be asking these families to share a disproportionate amount of the burden being placed on them. We know that food stamps are such a good investment into our economy. For every dollar we put into food stamps, we get $1.71 back into the economy. Even one of the best economists, Mark Zandi, said: ``The fastest way to infuse money into the economy is through expanding the SNAP/food stamps program.'' These food stamps pay salaries for grocery clerks and truckers who haul the food. The USDA estimates that 16 cents goes right back to the farmer. I know my time is expiring, but I have 13 bipartisan cosponsors for this amendment, and the list keeps growing with the support from the AARP, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and all of those who are fighting on the front line for hunger. Our amendment will restore the SNAP funding back to the $4.5 billion that has been cut, and it will pay for the food our kids so desperately need. Every child in America deserves to be fed. Every child in America deserves to reach their God-given potential. We need to restore these cuts to ensure that. I yield the floor.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

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

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. I want to begin by taking this opportunity to thank the chairwoman and ranking member of the Agriculture Committee for their very strong efforts in getting this bill to the floor today. Their steady hand of leadership has made vast improvements for America's agricultural community and our economy as a whole. I know the tireless effort of our chairwoman and her staff undoubtedly leave America's farm policy in a stronger position than when she found it, and I know she has worked with a forward-looking vision for a thriving agricultural economy and rural community. I also thank the chairwoman and the ranking member for working with me and all the members of our committee throughout the process that got us here today. Because of this strong work, I am urging my colleagues to vote for cloture on the motion to proceed to this bill. When I first came to the Senate 3 years ago, I became the first member from my State of New York to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in almost four decades. It is a responsibility I not only honor but I take incredibly seriously. For those 3 years I traveled all across our great State. I met with our farmers in their communities, listened to their concerns, and I understand their needs and priorities. New York is not home to the corporate megafarms. We are home to small dairy farms, specialty crops, orchards, and vineyards. As we have been shaping and debating this farm bill, those are the farms, the small businesses I have been fighting for. I am very grateful this bill will help our specialty crop growers by providing them with a dedicated funding stream as well as a better way to protect against disasters. I am also very proud of the good work with broadband investments to make sure our rural communities have access to the Internet. We also worked hard on trying to guarantee more transparency and accountability on how we price milk in this country. But we cannot forget this bill is much more than a number of esoteric figures. What this farm bill should be about is how we protect and create a growing economy for small businesses, agricultural businesses, the middle class, and those families who are desperately trying to get there. The farm bill is about the health of the agriculture industry. It is about the health of our families with nutritious food that is actually within reach of the children who need it. As a mother, I am very concerned this current farm bill cuts $4.5 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP-- better known as food stamps--over the next 10 years. I am incredibly disappointed, and even troubled, that my Republican colleagues are seeking to cut food stamps even more from those cuts. Under this bill families in New York who are already struggling will lose $90 a month of food that goes on their tables. Think of food for a family for a long month. It is basically the last week that a family will not have enough food to feed their children. Now, $90 a month may not seem like a lot of money to some people, but I can say for those parents who are trying to protect their children and feed them good, wholesome, nutritious foods, it means everything in the world. I don't know for any parents who are watching today whether they personally ever heard their child say: Mommy, I am still hungry. Well, imagine not being able to help your own child or future child. Imagine that your child says this every single day. That is what we are faced with here. I have heard stories from New Yorkers who never dreamed they would need food stamps in their lifetime, who never imagined they would have no choice but to apply for this kind of Federal assistance. I heard from one single mom in Queens. She had a job in a supermarket, but she still struggled to make ends meet. She broke down in tears one day when her son came home from school with his school lunch in his hand and said: Mommy, I brought this home for us for dinner, and I asked my friend for his sandwich. Another woman in Brooklyn, incredibly well educated, went to a prestigious university, but lost her job. She said: I never thought I would be getting food stamps. But suddenly I was jobless and did not know where my next meal would come from. Food stamps played a big role during make- or-break moments in my life. They are not a handout. I worked all my life, paid my taxes and food stamps helped me get back on my feet again. As a mother, as a lawmaker, watching a child go hungry is something I will not stand for. In this day and age, in a country as rich as America, it is unacceptable and should not be tolerated and should certainly not be advocated. I know not every State in this country has as many people as we have in New York. We have 20 million people in our great State. So with these cuts, it is going to affect 300,000 families. Imagine 300,000 families in your State or any State going hungry at night. These kinds of cuts hurt children and families. They hurt seniors who are homebound and don't know where their next meal is going to come from. We are asking these 300,000 families to take a disproportionate amount of the burden. They were not the cause of the financial collapse. They were not the cause of this terrible economy, but we are asking them to bear the burden. We know food stamps are actually a very effective investment. For every dollar we put into the Food Stamp Program, we get $1.71 of spending back into the economy. World famous economist Mark Zandi said: The fastest way to infuse money into the economy is through expanding the SNAP/food stamp program. This money pays the salary of grocery clerks and truckers who bring food to a store from the farm. The USDA estimates that 16 cents of every one of these food stamp dollars goes right back to our farmers. Despite widespread myths and inaccuracies, there is so little fraud in SNAP. It is less than 1 percent. That is a penny on a dollar. I take our Nation's debt and deficit as seriously as anyone else in this Chamber. I applaud the chairwoman and the ranking member for being able to curb spending, but families who are living in poverty, who are just trying to figure out how to keep the lights on and put food on the table did not spend this Nation into debt, and we should not be trying to balance the budget on their backs. Subsidies for large corporations that don't need it--including companies based in Bermuda, Australia, Switzerland--is not the right priority for America. We should be helping the most needy among us, our children, our seniors, and our families at risk. So today I am introducing an amendment to restore the $4.5 billion in cuts because it is the right thing to do. It is the right thing to do for our families, our seniors, and our kids. It is the right thing to do for our economy. It invests $500 million over 10 years in a fresh fruits and vegetables snack program, which connects our kids to our farmers. It gives the authority to the Secretary of Agriculture to make additional purchases as part of the Emergency Food Assistance Program. It is useful when we have an all-time high rate of hunger and unemployment that puts unbelievable demands on these emergency feeding organizations. To pay for these investments in our children's health and the health of the economy, my amendment makes a modest reduction in government subsidies to some of the most highly profitable companies. My amendment lowers the subsidies to companies from billions per year to hundreds of millions per year. Anyone who argues that these companies will struggle from this shift needs to meet a family who is dependent on food stamps to feed their children. As I said earlier, this farm bill, like all legislation, is about our priorities. It is a reflection of our values. So I am asking my colleagues, let's agree children deserve healthy meals so they can live healthy lives and learn and grow and reach their God-given potential. Let's agree it is a worthwhile investment in our future to make sure children do not go hungry in this country. I yield back my time, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. I appreciate the Chairman's support and hope to work with him to advance this legislation. I also hope he will join me in calling on the FDA to use its existing authority to ensure patient medication information is uniform, accurate, and up-to-date. The FDA is currently engaged in efforts to revise the patient education materials that are distributed to patients. However, the FDA's current plan falls short of ensuring that consumers will receive unbiased and accurate information about their prescription drugs. It also fails to ensure that patient medication information is consistent for identical or similar products.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Madam President, earlier this week I introduced the Cody Miller Initiative for Safe Prescriptions Act. The legislation would require the Food and Drug Administration to issue regulations to ensure patients receive timely, consistent, and accurate information with their prescription drugs. The legislation would ensure patient medication information is regularly updated as new information becomes available and ensure that common information is applied consistently across similar products. Most importantly, the legislation would ensure patients are kept up to date about potential adverse side effects and dangerous drug interactions.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I thank Senator Lautenberg for his leadership and dedication to protecting our families. And I know why he is concerned. I know, because I think about these issues every single day. I washed my son's hair last night in his bath. I want to make sure the chemicals in that baby shampoo are safe. I put sunblock on him this morning. I want to know that I know what the level of that protection of that sunblock actually is. When my other son was sick last week, he had three different medications. I need to know what those medications will do for him, if they will have side effects, what the impact is. This is exactly the question every parent asks every single day in their normal daily lives: Are the products, are the chemicals, are the things surrounding my family safe? Will they cause harm? Will they cause disease? These are real questions that we have to have answered. So I thank Senator Lautenberg for his leadership on the Safe Chemicals Act. Yesterday hundreds of mothers gathered here in the Capitol, right in front of the Capitol building, with their kids and with advocates from all across the United States to tell Congress one simple thing: It is time to stop playing politics with the health of our families. They remind us that the effectiveness of our Nation's chemical regulations is an issue that matters to all of us, every single American and every single parent who has children. Our families are exposed to a variety of chemicals in every aspect of their daily lives, whether it is the soap we wash our hands with, whether it is the shampoo we wash our children's hair with, whether it is the detergents we put in our clothes washer when we are doing our laundry at night, whether it is detergents we use to wash our dishes. Every day we are bombarded with chemicals, and understanding how these chemicals impact our health and the health of our families is a growing concern not just for me but for constituents all across the country. But because of a very broken and ineffective system, our regulatory agencies are not able to provide us with enough information. The challenge our regulatory agencies face is a substantial one. Since the Toxic Control Substances Act was enacted in 1976, the EPA has faced the daunting challenge to investigate more than 84,000 chemicals in commerce, and their track record for success has been poor. Of the tens of thousands of chemicals in the marketplace, only 200 have been identified for further investigations and only 5 have been regulated. Weekly there are news reports highlighting a new study of chemical concern found in everyday products in our homes, in our schools, and in our places of work. These reports have caused growing concern amongst consumers because we have seen links. There are studies that linked these chemicals to the rising causes of cancer, autism, learning disabilities, diabetes, asthma, obesity, developmental disorders, and infertility. These are the gravest concerns any family is ever going to face--any one of these. So we want to know if these things we were exposed to are affecting outcomes. Is there a relationship? As a mother of young children, who are most vulnerable to chemical exposure, I am particularly concerned about what chemicals affect them, their well-being, and their development. I have one story of a young girl from Ithaca, Mira Brouwer, who died at the age of 4 because of the complications of her brain cancer treatment. Faced with the loss of her daughter, her mother Christina Brouwer founded Mira's Movement to make sure she could raise awareness about pediatric cancers and to serve as a resource for families facing their own battles with these diseases. After an exhaustive study and review that identified potential links between chemicals and our environment and cancers such as the one young Mira had, I believe it is time for Congress to take action. We have a number of amendments today that will, again, enhance the work we are doing. Of the two amendments I care a lot about, one is very simple. It makes sure that parents have as much information as possible when there are disclosures that accompany medicine so we know what are all the impacts there could be of that medication. I know most of my colleagues and certainly most consumers didn't realize the leaflets that come with our prescriptions are not regulated by anyone, and it is usually written by a contractor. In 1995 the FDA recommended standards to improve the information provided to patients, but by 2008 only 75 percent of the information patients were receiving met the standards for usefulness. I have to say I met with one mother named Kate, and her personal story about what happened to her son who was suffering from allergies and asthma. When he took a different medication, she saw him go into a depression. She didn't know there could be a relationship. That information was never provided to her. But the pain and loss she goes through every single day, remembering her son, has encouraged her to be an advocate for reform to make sure every parent has basic information that has some level of accountability so they know what the implications of all medicines can be. The AARP and Consumer Reports have spent years trying to ensure their patients that when they receive FDA approval, standardized and up-to- date information about their medications will be provided. They support this amendment that will make that requirement. Consumers basically have a fundamental right to know the risks associated with their prescription medications, and my amendment would give them this knowledge. Last, and quite simply, we use sunscreen every day. In my family my kids have very fair skin. I want to know that the label on that sunscreen is accurate. I want to know if it has the protection it says it does, and this is an area that desperately needs regulation. I support the bill of Senator Reed of Rhode Island to finally give consumers the information they need with regard to sunscreen. Thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity. All America's families basically have a right to know if these products are safe. I yield the floor.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, today I wish to honor one of New York's finer institutions of higher education, Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. On Saturday, May 26, 2012, Hamilton College will celebrate its 200th anniversary as a chartered institution of higher education in the State of New York. Founded in 1793, by the Reverend Samuel Kirkland, missionary to the Oneida Indians, the college was originally called the Hamilton-Oneida Academy. Samuel Kirkland presented his proposal for the academy to President George Washington who expressed approbation and to Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton who consented to be a trustee of the new school, to which he also lent his name. On May 26, 1812, Hamilton College received its charter from the Regents of the University of the State of New York ``for the instruction and education of youth, in the learned languages and liberal arts and Sciences.'' The third college to be established in New York State, it is today among the oldest in the Nation. Originally an all-male institution, Hamilton taught a traditional classical curriculum focusing on Greek, Latin, philosophy, religion, history, mathematics, and stressing the importance of public speaking. In 1978, Hamilton College merged with all-female Kirkland College to form one coeducational institution of higher learning dedicated to academic freedom and the pursuit of truth. Alumni of Hamilton College are some of the most distinguished individuals and include public servants at every level. Among them are a former Vice President, numerous U.S. Senators and Representatives, U.S. district and appellate court justices, Cabinet members, ambassadors, Governors and State, county and local officials. Hamilton College also boasts alumni recipients of the Noble Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Pulitzer Prize; and its graduates are among the Nation's most prominent business leaders, scientists, artists, teachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, entertainers, writers, journalists as well as my brother. Hamilton College is known for teaching its students to express their ideas with clarity and precision, to think creatively and analytically, and to act ethically and with conviction. Mr. President, today, I ask all Members of this esteemed body to join me in celebrating Hamilton College's 200th anniversary. Here is to another 200 years.