Frank Lautenberg

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate to conduct a business meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2008, at 12 noon, in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, 2008, at 9 a.m.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday September 11, 2008, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate to conduct a hearing entitled ``Business Start-up Hurdles in Underserved Communities: Access to Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Training,'' on Thursday, September 11, 2008, beginning at 10 a.m., in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet jointly with the House Veterans' Affairs Committee during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, 2008, in room 345 of the Cannon House Office Building, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, September 11, 2008, at 9 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Dividend Tax Abuse: How Offshore Entities Dodge Taxes on U.S. Stock Dividends.''

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 11, 2008, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Russell 325.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I hope that what is happening on the floor today is visible to people across our country. They have to see what is happening on the Senate floor as they pay through the nose, to use the expression, for higher prices for gasoline. Our Republican colleagues are blocking our efforts to eliminate harmful oil speculation and to provide some relief at the gas pump for hard-working Americans everywhere. They are holding up our speculation bill with a reckless plan to let oil companies drill along our shores. We do not have to look any further than what happened just this morning on the Mississippi River to understand why this planning is so reckless. Two boats collided--one was a chemical tanker and the other an oil barge--dumping 400,000 gallons of oil into the Mississippi River. Now, these numbers, 400,000 gallons, may not really reach the senses of people because it is so far removed, but this collision covered more than 12 miles of the river with thick, tar-like fuel oil, and it closed down almost--closed down the Mississippi River for about 30 miles. This spill shut down water supplies to the area, and there is a frantic effort going on right now to try to contain the spill and the damage it is causing to nearby wetlands. This incident highlights the danger and the serious risks of transporting oil from rigs and refineries to other places. Many of my colleagues have come down to the Senate floor over the last several days to urge more drilling off our coasts, more drilling across our country, but in particular we know the danger to coastlines. We see today that it is clearly not as safe as some would like us to believe. It is a sad commentary, though, that regardless of the reality, there are those who are carelessly suggesting that drilling will solve our problems with the outrageous price of high gasoline, prices that are robbing our families of their ability to stay financially afloat. For lots of people, these increases in gas prices destroy any reserve that families had because we are, by and large, a commuting nation, and people pay enormous prices for the ability to get to work or to places of necessity. But there is something happening here. There is an advantage that accrues gigantically, I might add, to the big oil companies and speculators. Big oil has fared incredibly well during the last 7\1/2\ years. That is thanks to their friends and cohorts at the White House. There was a point in time when the energy policy was being written that heads of major oil companies were invited to a secret meeting with the Vice President of the United States to design a program. Who do you think they were going to take care of? They weren't worried about the average working family, not at all. They were looking at the companies and their ability to price gouge. In fact, hard to believe, these oil companies have earned--pocketed is a better expression--more than $600 billion in profits over the last 7\1/2\ years. For instance, ExxonMobil made over $10 billion in a single calendar quarter, and their profits have been coming out of our pockets and going into theirs. President Bush's latest plan is to give the industry more public land on which to drill. But this is nothing more than a parting gift, his parting gift to the oil companies. I want to make one thing clear. More drilling now cannot lower gas prices for American consumers. In the amount of time that it takes to get it to the gasoline pump, we could be witnessing a financial calamity in our country. More offshore drilling will not impact prices until, at the very earliest, the year 2030. We all recognize the importance of reducing gas prices to stabilize this country's economy and to ease this terrible burden on America's families, but the plan for new drilling along our coasts could be a disaster. It will do nothing to solve our energy crisis, nothing to lower gas prices, nothing to fight inflation, and nothing to help America's families. Here is another reason lifting the ban on offshore drilling is a bad idea. It will endanger our environment which for coastal communities is a huge source of revenue from tourism and recreation. Just imagine if one of these proposed drilling rigs or, as happened today, a boat had an accident and spread thick sludge along our beaches and coastlines. It would create a disaster culturally, financially, and recreationally. We would see the same kind of economic catastrophe that we had in New Jersey in 1988 after sewage and medical waste washed up on our beaches. The tourism industry, our biggest source of revenue, collapsed for 2 years. It is clear the oil companies are hoping they can get as many leases as they can out of the Bush administration before this President's term comes to an end. But when it is giving the oil companies new leases, we have nothing to gain and everything to lose. We must not cater to the oil companies, but we can do something to lower gas prices quickly and start easing the burden on the American people, and my Democratic colleagues and I have offered a solution. I hope my colleagues will step up to their responsibilities and permit us to act on this solution, the Stop Excessive Speculation Act, aimed at combating harmful oil speculation at the expense of the American people in every State in this country. The price of oil has doubled in the last 12 months, and many point to speculation as the problem. The top analyst at the Oppenheimer--when talking about speculation-- said the commodities market was ``the world's largest gambling hall.'' And the CEOs of Continental, Delta, Jet Blue and other airlines, which are struggling to cope with crushing oil prices, have joined together to create the Web site Stop Oil Speculation Now Dot Com. The fact is, you don't have to be an airline CEO or even a financial analyst to realize that we must ring out excess speculation from the market. And that is exactly what our bill does. It fixes the Commodity Futures Trading Commission which oversees the oil futures markets but is currently both underfunded and broken. It gives the commission more staff and power to police the market and stop speculators from grossly distorting the price of oil. And it closes a major loophole that allows traders to conduct transactions on foreign exchanges and outside the watchful eyes of U.S. regulators. For months, my colleagues and I have been working to solve this energy crisis. But the Republicans have blocked our efforts a half dozen times. American families and American businesses are suffering because Republicans--working on behalf of the oil companies--continue to block our efforts. The Republican tactic of blocking good energy legislation must stop for the good of the economy, the good of businesses and the good of families across this country. I plead with my Republican colleagues to stop focusing only on giving gifts to Big Oil in the form of a public land grab and to focus instead on ending excessive oil speculation. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I thank you, and I commend the Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Rockefeller, for his leadership in this matter. I rise in strong support of the resolution that was introduced by myself, Senators Rockefeller, Baucus, Menendez, Snowe, and others. Our resolution has a simple message: We have to ensure that children across this country continue to get the health care they presently carry. The Bush administration is conducting an assault on their health insurance. It is pitiful. Last year, the President and his supporters went around Congress and issued a set of rules that would take this critical health care coverage away from thousands of children across this country. In my State of New Jersey alone, 10,000 children are at risk of losing their health insurance under this new Bush plan. Across this country, 250,000 children will be stripped of their health care, have it taken away from them. In August, with nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance, this administration has made a further decision to add tens of thousands more children to the ranks of the uninsured. It is almost impossible to conceive. Well, this resolution would put a stop to the dangerous plan. The Bush administration's plan is not just morally bankrupt, it is, as we heard from Senator Rockefeller, according to the Government's watchdog agency, the GAO, the Government Accountability Office, a violation of Federal law. They are committing a violation of Federal law. But, nevertheless, unless Congress acts, the President's plan is going to remove health insurance from these children in the next month. I have twice offered amendments in the Senate Appropriations Committee on this issue. Both times in the full committee, both Democrats and Republicans have gone on record to oppose President Bush's attempt to take away children's health care. It does not matter whether it is Republican or Democratic, it is the wrong thing to do at the wrong time in our society, when things are so uncertain for people, home ownership, jobs, living costs, gasoline costs. This is not a very wise decision at any time, but during these tough economic times, the last thing we should do is take away health insurance from our children. I urge my colleagues to stand up to this sustained and shameless effort to prevent children from seeing a doctor, getting medicine, overcoming sickness, and to support this resolution. Once again, I express my gratitude to the Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Rockefeller, and his leadership and those who have joined in to say: No, Mr. President, do not do this. It is unkind. It is unfair. It is illegal, according to the rules. Please, do not do it. I ask my colleagues to stand and support our resolution.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I yield the floor.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, almost 3 months have passed since I last sought to memorialize our fallen soldiers, and more American troops have lost their lives overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wish to make sure their service and sacrifice is forever remembered by including their names in the Congressional Record. Since I last included the names of our fallen troops on April 28, the Pentagon has announced the deaths of 117 troops in Iraq and in Operation Enduring Freedom, which includes Afghanistan. They will not be forgotten and today I submit their names into the Record: MSG Mitchell W. Young, of Jonesboro, GA; SPC Brian S. Leon Guerrero, of Hagatna, Guam; SPC Samson A. Mora, of Dededo, Guam; SFC Steven J. Chevalier, of Flint, MI; SGT Douglas J. Bull, of Wilkes Barre, PA; SPC William L. McMillan III, of Lexington, KY; SFC Anthony L. Woodham, of Rogers, AR; 1LT Daniel Farkas, of Brooklyn, NY; SPC Estell L. Turner, of Sioux Falls, SD; SSGT Edgar A. Heredia, of Houston, TX; SFC Jeffrey M. Rada Morales, of Naranjito, Puerto Rico; MSG Shawn E. Simmons, of Ashland, MA; SGT James M. Treber, of Imperial Beach, CA; SSG Travis K. Hunsberger, of Goshen, IN; SFC Matthew L. Hilton, of Livonia, MI; SFC Joseph A. McKay, of Brooklyn, NY; SPC Mark C. Palmateer, of Poughkeepsie, NY; Lt Col Max A. Galeai, of Pago Pago, American Samoa; CPT Philip J. Dykeman, of Brockport, NY; CPL Marcus W. Preudhomme, of North Miami Beach, FL; CW5 Robert C. Hammett, of Tucson, AZ; MAJ Dwayne M. Kelley, of Willingboro, NJ; SGT Alejandro A. Dominguez, of San Diego, CA; SPC Joel A. Taylor, of Pinetown, NC; SPC James M. Yohn, of Highspire, PA; SPC Joshua L. Plocica, of Clarksville, TN; PFC Bryan M. Thomas, of Lake Charles, LA; SSG Christopher D. Strickland, of Labelle, FL; SGT Ryan J. Connolly, of Vacaville, CA; CPT Gregory T. Dalessio, of Cherry Hill, NJ; LTC James J. Walton, of Rockville, MD; SPC Anthony L. Mangano, of Greenlawn, NY; SGT Nelson D. Rodriguez Ramirez, of Revere, MA; SGT Andrew Seabrooks, of Queens, NY; SSG Du Hai Tran, of Reseda, CA; SGT Matthew E. Mendoza, of San Antonio, TX; HN Dustin Kelby Burnett, of Fort Mohave, AZ; CAPT Eric Daniel Terhune, of Lexington, KY; LCpl Andrew Francis Whitacre, of Bryant, IN; SPC Jason N. Cox, of Elyria, OH; HN Marc A. Retmier, of Hemet, CA; PO1 Ross L. Toles III, of Davison, MI; PVT Eugene D. M. Kanakaole, of Maui, HI; SFC Gerard M. Reed, of Jacksonville Beach, FL; SGT Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, of Tacoma, WA; LCpl Layton Bradly Crass, of Richmond, IN; PFC David Pietrek, of Bensenville, IL; PFC Michael Robert Patton, of Fenton, MO; LCpl Kelly E. C. Watters, of Virginia Beach, VA; LCpl Javier Perales Jr., of San Elizario, TX; SGT John D. Aragon, of Antioch, CA; SGT Steve A. McCoy, of Moultrie, GA; SSG Tyler E. Pickett, of Saratoga, WY; SPC Thomas F. Duncan, III, of Rowlett, TX; SFC David R. Hurst, of Fort Sill, OK; CW5 James Carter, of Alabama; SPC Andre D. McNair, Jr., of Fort Pierce, FL; SGT Shane P. Duffy, of Taunton, MA; SPC Jonathan D. A. Emard, of Mesquite, TX; SGT Cody R. Legg, of Escondido, CA; MAJ Scott A. Hagerty, of Stillwater, OK; PFC Derek D. Holland, of Wind Gap, PA; PFC Joshua E. Waltenbaugh, of Ford City, PA; SPC Quincy J. Green, of El Paso, TX; SPC Christopher D. McCarthy, of Virginia Beach, VA; SPC James M. Finley, of Lebanon, MO; PFC Andrew J. Shields, of Battleground, WA; CPL Justin R. Mixon, of Bogalusa, LA; CPL Christian S. Cotner, of Waterbury, CT; SFC David Nunez, of Los Angeles, CA; PFC Chad M. Trimble, of West Covina, CA; SPC Justin L. Buxbaum, of South Portland, ME; SPC Christopher Gathercole, of Santa Rosa, CA; SFC Jason F. Dene, of Castleton, VT; SGT David L. Leimbach, of Taylors, SC; SSG Frank J. Gasper, of Merced, CA; SGT Blake W. Evans, of Rockford, IL; PFC Kyle P. Norris, of Zanesville, OH; LT Jeffrey A. Ammon, of Orem, UT; 1LT Jeffrey F. Deprimo, of Pittston, PA; Lt Col Joseph A. Moore, of Boise, ID; MSG Davy N. Weaver, of Barnesville, GA; PVT Branden P. Haunert, of Cincinnati, OH; CPL William J. L. Cooper, of Eupora, MS; SGT John K. Daggett, of Phoenix, AZ; SSG Victor M. Cota, of Tucson, AZ; CPL Jessica A. Ellis, of Bend, OR; PVT Matthew W. Brown, of Zelienople, PA; SGT Joseph A. Ford, of Knox, IN; PFC Ara T. Deysie, of Parker, AZ; SPC Mary J. Jaenichen, of Temecula, CA; SGT Isaac Palomarez, of Loveland, CO; PFC Aaron J. Ward, of San Jacinto, CA; SPC Alex D. Gonzalez, of Mission, TX; LCpl Casey L. Casanova, of McComb, MS; CPL Miguel A. Guzman, of Norwalk, CA; LCpl James F. Kimple, of Carroll, OH; SGT Glen E. Martinez, of Boulder, CO; CPL Jeremy R. Gullett, of Greenup, KY; SSG Kevin C. Roberts, of Farmington, NM; PFC Corey L. Hicks, of Glendale, AZ; SPC Jeffrey F. Nichols, of Granite Shoals, TX; SFC Lawrence D. Ezell, of Portland, TX; SSG Chad A. Caldwell, of Spokane, WA; SGT Jerry L. DeLoach, of Jackson, GA; CPT Andrew R. Pearson, of Billings, MT; SPC Ronald J. Tucker, of Fountain, CO; SSG Bryan E. Bolander, of Bakersfield, CA; SGT Merlin German, of Manhattan, NY; SSG Clay A. Craig, of Mesquite, TX; PFC Adam L. Marion, of Mount Airy, NC; SGT Marcus C. Mathes, of Zephyrhills, FL; SGT Mark A. Stone, of Buchanan Dam, TX; SPC William T. Dix, of Culver City, CA; SFC David L. McDowell, of Ramona, CA; SrA Jonathan A. V. Yelner, of Lafayette, CA; CPL David P. McCormick, of Fresno, TX; We cannot forget these men and women and their sacrifice. These brave souls left behind parents and children, siblings, and friends. We want them to know the country pledges to preserve the memory of our lost soldiers who gave their lives for our country.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, today I congratulate Rutgers University-Newark in honor of their 100th anniversary. From its roots as the New Jersey Law School, Rutgers-Newark has evolved into a premier urban research university with a tradition of outstanding scholarship and diversity. Students from across New Jersey, the United States, and from all over the world come to Rutgers-Newark to work and study with a world-class faculty. Its global student body has earned it the designation by U.S. News and World Report as the most diverse national university in the United States for 11 consecutive years. As Rutgers-Newark has grown, so has their commitment to the local community and the entire State of New Jersey. The expansion of Rutgers- Newark has added to the growing redevelopment of Newark. With the celebration of its first 100 years in Newark, plans abound for expanded development of the university and its connections and commitment to the great city of Newark. The faculty, students and alumni of Rutgers-Newark have much to be proud of after a century of outstanding educational achievement. Rutgers-Newark is still dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of research and scholarship, educational opportunity, urban mission, and diversity. I applaud Rutgers-Newark for their ``Century of Reaching Higher'' and wish the university continued growth and success for many years to come.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter dated May 15, 2008, to Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Boehner.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, today is a noteworthy anniversary. It is the anniversary of D-day, the day the largest invasion force in the history of man landed on the beaches of Normandy. They came from across the world--133,000 brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen--from England, Canada, and the United States. On that particular day, more than 10,000 soldiers died, giving their lives so that their families, their country, and the rest of the world could live in peace and be free. The bravery and honor of those men has come to be known with three simple words: ``the greatest generation.'' Their sacrifice in battle and their continued service once they got home defined everything that was good and right about America. We honored their service and sacrifice with parades and public ceremonies and memorials to the fallen, but it was also honored in another way. We gave them the chance to go to college and pursue an education. We gave them the chance to build a better future for themselves and their families. Those of us who served in that terrible war got the chance to begin the innovation that drove America into the future. We received the GI bill for our service. Many veterans of World War II have served in the Senate, many of whom were honored by medals of valor. We still have someone who served in World War II who earned the Medal of Honor--Senator Dan Inouye from Hawaii--for his incredible bravery in World War II, for his bravery under fire. I am who I am today because of the GI bill. One of my dreams was to go to college--a dream that came true because of that bill, the GI bill. Eight of the sixteen million World War II veterans got an education because of that bill. It was paid for, and it even carried a small stipend for the expenses that one had as a college student. Now we need to start to build a new greatest generation. I want the veterans of the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan to have the same opportunity--an opportunity that enables them to contribute to their families and our Nation. A college education is a key to that opportunity, but college costs have jumped so high--57 percent just in the last 6 years. The current GI bill does not cover those costs. So our brave veterans are forced to pay for their tuition and books out of their own pockets, watch their debts get worse and worse, and some cannot get to college at all. We often say we honor our veterans, but now is the time to show them what we mean. That is exactly what our new GI bill does. Our bill closes the gap between the cost of college and the amount the veteran pays for their education. I am proud to be working with my colleagues. The occupant of the President's chair right now, Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, started this process--this bill--16 months ago. Others, including Senator Chuck Hagel, Senator John Warner, and I, and more than half of the Senate, are fighting to get them the benefits they earned. They deserve no less. The Senate has voted. The House has voted. Now we plead with President Bush to join with the majority of the Congress, all of the leading veterans organizations, and the American public in support of our bill. Since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 1.5 million Americans have worn the uniform and served our Nation with honor and distinction. Now it is time for us to stand with our veterans who have served since 9/11 so they, too, can build a future for their families. After D-day, Americans recognized the sacrifice our troops made and came together to honor that service. Now is the time for us to stop playing politics and come together once again. Our veterans have earned a new GI bill. On this D-day anniversary, let's give them the respect and the benefits they deserve. I close with once again commending our colleague, Senator Jim Webb, who has himself a distinguished military record and insisted from his earliest days that we take care of our veterans so they can take care of America and regain the leadership this country has lost and will retrieve. I yield the floor.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I thank you. I will not take long.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I understand that H.J. Res. 92 has been received from the House and is at the desk.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I ask for its first reading.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask for its second reading and object to my own request.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I further ask that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 755, H.R. 3913.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 311, which was received from the House.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the measure be printed in the Record.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 586, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I compliment the Senator from California for her leadership on the Environment Committee and on this important legislation. It is time to face up to it. One cannot find a more critical environmental issue facing this Senate, our country, or our world than fighting global warming. We need legislation that faces this problem head-on. Inaction here endangers our children, our grandchildren, and future generations who can never understand the opposition and unwillingness of the Senate to deal with this problem. Yet, as we stand here now, Senators on the other side of the aisle are filibustering this legislation. We are losing precious time. The patient is sick, and we have to start providing the meds. We have already lost over 7 years under a President who has ignored science and questioned the very existence of global warming. We have seen other Members of this body do the same thing, even calling global warming a hoax. As we sit here and wait for leadership from our President and from this Congress, our world is literally paying the price. As temperatures rise, our world suffers. In the United States, the glaciers in Glacier National Park are shrinking. The park's largest glaciers are one-third of their 1850s grandeur. The oceans are being altered. Ocean levels are rising, threatening coastlines far across the globe and here at home, including, in my State, the New Jersey seashore, where the very survival of the State's residents is at stake. Defense experts see security risks from global warming. A Pentagon report says that large populated countries could become nearly uninhabitable because of rising seas. Megadroughts could affect the world's breadbaskets, such as America's Midwest, and future wars could be fought over the issue of mere survival in this new climate. The American people sent us here to take real action and to confront these problems. We need to take some bold steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to match the research of the world's best scientists. This bill would be a critical step forward. It would reduce emissions by 15 percent by the year 2020 and by nearly 70 percent by the year 2050. It will do so by placing a cap on our emissions and giving industry the flexibility it needs within a cap-and-trade system. We already know that a cap-and-trade system works. We used it in the 1990s to successfully combat acid rain, and we should be doing the same thing now to fight global warming. I ask my colleagues, please join us in taking this landmark step forward, and do not let politics interfere with our obligation to protect our families. As we move forward, we have to listen to those scientists who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of fact and truth, not raw politics. We have to make sure scientists in our country can freely do their work and tell the truth to the American people without having their research suppressed--suppressed--by a President and an administration with a political agenda. President Bush, his administration, and many here in Congress have squandered precious years, ignoring the reality of global warming. Even worse, they hindered and outright suppressed, as I mentioned, the work of Government scientists who were sounding the alarm about global warming's effect on our planet and all of us who inhabit it. The United States is expected to be a leader in the world. Yet, while the 2,500 scientists from 113 countries were collaborating on the most recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on global warming, the President of the United States was still unwilling to hear the truth. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report found that: Warming of the climate system is unequivocal. And human activity is to blame. Beyond the importance of what the report said is the fact that the report relied on uncensored, unaltered science to say so. In contrast to the integrity and accuracy of the IPCC report, the Bush administration has censored the conclusions of the U.S. scientists to advance a political agenda. The administration has blocked or delayed the release of Government reports on global warming. It has deleted key words such as ``global warming'' from public documents. And it has denied scientists the ability to freely discuss their conclusions with the public. Mr. Phil Cooney, the former Chief of Staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, was one of the architects of this campaign of scientific suppression. Mr. Cooney--not a scientist--weakened or edited out scientific judgments from Federal climate change reports. These changes made the threat of global warming seem less serious. In the 2002 climate change report ``Our Changing Planet,'' the original text read, ``Earth is undergoing a period of relatively rapid change.'' Mr. Cooney changed that to, ``Earth may be undergoing a period of rapid change''--totally altering the significance of this statement. Mr. Cooney later left the administration to go to work for ExxonMobil. In 2006, 13 other Senators joined me in asking the inspectors general of NOAA and NASA--both agencies--to investigate the Bush administration's suppression of science on global warming. The report from NASA just came out this week and found that political appointees in NASA's press shop had manipulated the work of scientists. The inspector general stated that political appointees at NASA had ``reduced, marginalized, or mischaracterized climate change science made available to the general public.'' It is incredible to believe. It is simply unacceptable for the greatest democracy in the world to stifle the findings of scientists for political and ideological reasons. It is common sense to listen to the best scientists in the world and to act on their research. And their research is telling us that global warming is getting worse and it is time for us to act. It is disappointing beyond words that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are preventing us from moving forward with this bill. In this place--the Senate--and at this time, some Members of the Senate are putting special interests and politics ahead of the safety and well-being of our people. We have to act now, and this bill is the right place to start. We dare not let this time pass without action. Mr. President, I yield the floor.