Mary Landrieu

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I come to the floor today regarding Tropical Storm Isidore, which made landfall last Wednesday just south of New Orleans and dumped nearly 25 inches of rain in 24 hours. This massive and destructive storm brought winds of 60 miles per hour to Southeast Louisiana and a storm surge of up to 6 feet. I was able to see the flooding first-hand when I traveled to Louisiana on Thursday with the FEMA Director, Joe Allbaugh, to survey the damage. I was relieved and grateful to learn that on Friday, the President declared a Federal disaster for the area. This declaration triggered the release of Federal funds to bring much-needed recovery assistance to the towns, communities, businesses, and citizens that suffered great loss. I would like to thank President Bush and FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh for their support of Louisiana's recovery efforts. Although the final cost of Tropical Storm Isidore is still being determined, Louisianans know all too well the damage a storm on this particular path can bring. Had this storm reached the level of strength earlier predicted, it would have been a category 3 hurricane, packing winds of 130 miles per hour and a storm surge of up to 12 feet. As nearly all of New Orleans area rests below sea level, a hurricane of that magnitude alone on the path that Tropical Storm Isidore has taken would devastate southeast Louisiana. In Louisiana and throughout the Gulf South, we deal with the threat of hurricanes every year. From all reports, this storm could have been much worse, and we are thankful it was not. But I must take this opportunity to bring to light what is at stake when a hurricane or storm takes aim on the Louisiana coast. Not only is the safety, lives and property of Louisiana residents at risk the Nation's critical energy infrastructure and energy supply as well as crucial conservation measures are in danger. Tropical Storm Isidore should serve as a wake-up call to the Federal Government, which must do more to protect the nation's resources in Louisiana. Because the City of New Orleans is below sea level and surrounded by levees, every drop of rain that lands there must be pumped out. This important job is accomplished by local, State, and Federal agencies working together to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place and working much of this work is done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, in the President's budget request submitted to Congress this year, funding for the southeast Louisiana Flood Control Project, (SELA), was cut by an astonishing 50 pecent. The SELA flood control project is a smart investment. By investing in these flood control projects, we could prevent the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars that will otherwise be spent in Federal flood insurance claims and other disaster assistance programs. Fortunately, the Senate Appropriations Committee understands this investment and has approved an increase for this project, which will allow the construction already underway to continue. However, this is not enough. I urge the administration to rethink its priorities and to include sufficient funding for the SELA project in its budget request for fiscal year 2004. Although protecting life and property should be reason enough to invest in infrastructure in Louisiana, there is an even bigger problem that faces the entire Nation when severe flooding occurs in South Louisiana. More than 80 percent of the Nation's offshore oil and gas is produced off Louisiana's coast and 25 percent of all the Nation's foreign and domestic oil comes across Louisiana's shores by tanker, barge or pipeline. In fact, according to the Minerals Management Service, (MMS), of the 571 million barrels of oil produced from the Outer Continental Shelf in 2001, 502 million were produced offshore Louisiana. That translates to 88 percent of production. Let me also tell you all about a very special highway in south Louisiana. This highway also happens to be a main artery for the Nation's energy supply. This highway is aptly named Louisiana Highway 1. Nearly one-fifth of the Nation's entire energy supply depends on Louisiana 1, and we cannot continue to leave its future to the whims of mother nature. Louisiana Highway 1 connects Port Fourchon, Louisiana with the rest of the country. Why is it important? Consider these facts: 85 percent of the deep-water drilling rigs working in the Gulf are supported by Port Fourchon; the Department of Interior's Mineral Management Service has identified Port Fourchon as the focal point of deep-water activity in the Gulf; it is estimated that Port Fourchon services approximately 16 percent of the U.S. domestic crude oil; natural gas production and imported crude oil; the Gulf of Mexico has 20,000 miles of pipelines, which is the most extensive network of offshore oil and gas pipelines in the world; Louisiana 1 is the only road servicing Port Fourchon, and it spends heavy rain days underwater; Louisiana 1 is the only means of land access to the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, (LOOP); LOOP is the only offshore oil terminal in the United States and alone is responsible for 13 percent of the United States' imported crude oil. LOOP transports approximately one million barrels of foreign oil a day and approximately 300,000 barrels of domestic crude from the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that 60 percent of all the Louisiana offshore drilling over the next 30 years will be in the service area of Port Fourchon. -In the event of a hurricane, this lonely little road is the way out for tens of thousands of my constituents. Last year, after giving a similar speech on this floor about the critical importance of Louisiana 1, it was finally designated as a federal ``high priority corridor.'' But Louisiana 1, like much of south Louisiana, is washing away, and we must act now to preserve it. You can see from this picture that even without a severe hurricane, this highway is in a precarious situation. Can you imagine what would happen if a hurricane hit us head on? It would be gone, and there would be great difficulty in servicing one-fifth of our nation's energy supply. I urge the administration and my Congressional colleagues to think about these facts and to invest more resources in critical improvements to this and other highway systems in south Louisiana. Year after year, revenues from the oil and gas production off the coast of my State provides most of the funds for the Land and Water Conservation Fund but receives precious little in return. Since 1968, and for most of the life of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, OCS revenues have served as the primary source of funding. In fact, since 1990, OCS funds have accounted for more than 90 percent of the deposits in the Land and Water Conservation Fund each year. While approximately 80 percent of the OCS revenues collected during this period came from offshore Louisiana, only 1.1 percent, $27 million, of the total Federal side Land and Water Conservation Fund allocated during this period actually went toward Louisiana. On the other hand, 23 percent, $650 million, of the funding allocated during this period from the Federal side of the fund went to California, but only 4 percent of the total OCS funds during this period came from offshore California. In addition, 11 percent, $327 million, of the funding allocated during this period went toward Florida but no OCS revenues come from offshore Florida. The Nation must beware. Louisiana cannot continue to serve as the Nation's energy and conservation platform for much longer without adequate revenue sharing and investment. If we do make these investments, there could be severe consequences to both the State and the Nation. So, what is at stake? The wetlands in Louisiana that have vanished so far represent an area the size of Rhode Island. Every 30 minutes, a parcel of low lying land the size of a football field disappears. If current trends continue, this will result in the loss of nearly 40 percent of our Nation's coastal wetlands. Not only do these wetlands and barrier islands offer invaluable protection from hurricanes and storms such as Isidore for more than 2 million people living in the coastal zone, including the City of New Orleans, they also protect our Nation's energy infrastructure so much of which is found in Louisiana's coastal zone. Here one will find not only LOOP but also two storage sites for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and Henry Hub, one of the Nation's major natural gas distribution centers. From Wednesday to Friday of last week, MMS estimated that 4.5 million barrels of oil and 25 billion cubic feet of natural gas were unavailable for U.S. consumption because of Isidore. With over 4,000 oil and gas platforms in the Gulf, storm events such as Isidore threaten 95 percent of crude oil and 60 percent of natural gas production from offshore federal lands. Louisiana's rapidly eroding wetlands are invaluable in absorbing the surge of storm events like Isidore. Without them, one can only imagine the damage a hurricane could wreak on South Louisiana and the nation's energy infrastructure. One-third of the commercial fish harvested in the lower 48 States comes from Louisiana's coastal zone. As Louisiana's coastal wetlands disappear, so will these fisheries. Louisiana's wetlands are home to the Nation's largest flyway, serving as habitat for more than five-million birds and many endangered species. As the wetlands wash away this habitat is lost. Also, they act as a buffer for the number one port system in the United States that moves the Nation's goods from middle America to world markets. Louisiana takes pride in its role as the country's most crucial energy provider. Ours is a state rich in natural resources. However, given the contribution my State makes to the Nation, it is time for the Nation to carefully consider its deficient investment in South Louisiana and the Gulf Coast Region and to consider what would happen if, God forbid, a major hurricane travels the same path as Tropical Storm Isidore. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is just one example of a Federal revenue stream that will suffer. It is long past time for the Federal Government to adequately and fairly invest in a State that gives so much to the rest of the country. As I said a few moments ago, Tropical Storm Isidore should serve as our wake-up call. The examples I mentioned today, the SELA flood control project, Louisiana Highway 1 and other highways such as Interstate 49, and our Nation's wetlands, are too important to ignore. It is too early to tell what the final damage will be from Tropical Storm Isidore. However, one thing is guaranteed: it will not be the last. Let us act now to invest in the infrastructure necessary to protect the life and property of our citizens.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I take great pleasure in welcoming Taiwan's First Lady, Wu Shu-chen, to Capitol Hill. Madam Wu Shu-chen is a unique and remarkable woman. She is the Republic of China's youngest first lady, yet she has the poise and charm equal to those much older than she is. Men and women of all political parties admire her as a genuine person, totally unaffected in manners. When she addresses an audience, she speaks from her heart and writes her own speeches in a simple and direct style. She is what you see, a natural gem, without artificial polish. Like her husband, Chen Shui-bian, Madame Wu, has overcome a great deal of adversity. And like her husband, they have both been strengthened by their struggles. In 1985, Madame Wu was struck by a hit and run driver. Her injuries left her permanently paralyzed from the waste down and confined to a wheel-chair. Soon after Madame Wu was tragically wounded, her husband was imprisoned for political reasons. Madame Wu did not shrink from her duties to her family or her country. While her husband was in jail, she not only served as a pillar for her family, but she ran for a seat in the national legislature and won. No obstacle affecting her body or her heart could deter her. Such a woman deserves our praise. Madame Wu is a natural leader; a matriarch in her family; and a matriarch to her country. I salute her for her selfless devotion to the people of Taiwan. We can all take strength from Madame Wu, and she is a role model for young women everywhere.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the ``Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation Act of 2002,'' legislation to revise and extend certain provisions of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996. I want to begin by acknowledging the important role played by the Nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs, in educating young people of all races and nationalities in America. HBCUs are in the vanguard of providing access and some measure of choice in higher education, and of opening the doors to educational opportunity for all students, regardless of family income and traditional measures of academic readiness for college study. In Louisiana, we have a strong family of HBCUs: Grambling State University in Grambling, Southern University's three campuses in Baton Rouge, Shreveport and New Orleans, as well as Dillard and Xavier universities in New Orleans. While similar bills have been introduced this Congress, my bill takes a different and, I believe, a necessarily strategic approach in identifying, prioritizing and providing the funds necessary to restore all of the historic buildings and sites on black colleges and campuses. This historic preservation bill provides an orderly process for identifying and assessing the degree of deterioration of all properties; for determining the capacity of the HBCU to provide ``matching'' funds to assist in the cost of restoration; and for prioritizing Congressional funding and the Interior Department's determination of properties eligible for restoration funding. This legislation is not only needed, it is also timely. In 1998, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the historic buildings of the nation's HBCUs on its list of ``11 Most Endangered Historic Places''. The Trust cited a General Accounting Office study that found that the estimated cost of restoring and preserving the 712 historic properties, including dormitories, chapels, gymnasiums and classroom buildings, owned by the schools is $755 million, of which a mere $60 million, or 8 percent, has been set aside in school budgets. If we in Congress fail to help, the cost of restoration will only continue to rise while these historic buildings continue to deteriorate. I urge my colleagues to co-sponsor this important legislation. Without it, we may not be able to ensure that these buildings will survive into the new millennium and beyond to welcome future generations of scholars.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the ``Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation Act of 2002,'' legislation to revise and extend certain provisions of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996. I want to begin by acknowledging the important role played by the Nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs, in educating young people of all races and nationalities in America. HBCUs are in the vanguard of providing access and some measure of choice in higher education, and of opening the doors to educational opportunity for all students, regardless of family income and traditional measures of academic readiness for college study. In Louisiana, we have a strong family of HBCUs: Grambling State University in Grambling, Southern University's three campuses in Baton Rouge, Shreveport and New Orleans, as well as Dillard and Xavier universities in New Orleans. While similar bills have been introduced this Congress, my bill takes a different and, I believe, a necessarily strategic approach in identifying, prioritizing and providing the funds necessary to restore all of the historic buildings and sites on black colleges and campuses. This historic preservation bill provides an orderly process for identifying and assessing the degree of deterioration of all properties; for determining the capacity of the HBCU to provide ``matching'' funds to assist in the cost of restoration; and for prioritizing Congressional funding and the Interior Department's determination of properties eligible for restoration funding. This legislation is not only needed, it is also timely. In 1998, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the historic buildings of the nation's HBCUs on its list of ``11 Most Endangered Historic Places''. The Trust cited a General Accounting Office study that found that the estimated cost of restoring and preserving the 712 historic properties, including dormitories, chapels, gymnasiums and classroom buildings, owned by the schools is $755 million, of which a mere $60 million, or 8 percent, has been set aside in school budgets. If we in Congress fail to help, the cost of restoration will only continue to rise while these historic buildings continue to deteriorate. I urge my colleagues to co-sponsor this important legislation. Without it, we may not be able to ensure that these buildings will survive into the new millennium and beyond to welcome future generations of scholars.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for S. 2847, which I recently joined as a cosponsor. Cranes, the tallest flying birds on Earth and among the most graceful, inhabit wide expanses of wetlands and grasslands and exert a charismatic appeal reflected in many cultures. Our Whooping Crane, the rarest of the world's cranes, is shared with Canada and has survived only because of close cooperation between the United States and Canada. If the species is to survive, however, those magnificent birds need more intensive conservation efforts. This bill would provide such help, all up and down the Mississippi River Flyway, while also applying our conservation techniques on behalf of nine more endangered species of cranes in Africa and Asia. This bill would support organizations with expertise in crane conservation by funding projects in areas such as habitat protection and restoration, research and monitoring of crane populations, community participation and outreach, and reintroduction of cranes to the wild. The projects will be asked to promote long-term conservation by eliciting matching funds from government agencies, local communities, NGOs or others in the private sector. Whether in Louisiana, elsewhere in the United States, or overseas, protecting cranes' ecosystems benefits thousands of other animal and plant species at the interface between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Louisiana is important to cranes because of the spectacular wetlands along our southwest coast. Sandhill cranes, which had disappeared from the state, already have returned as a wintering species. In a natural area near New Orleans, the Audubon Nature Institute has established a Species Survival Center which is rearing the endangered Mississippi subspecies of the sandhill crane, for release in the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge near Biloxi. That Center also recently received eight Whooping Cranes and plans to expand to ten breeding pairs as the core of a plan to restore Whooping Cranes to Louisiana's coast. Funding would flow through a new ``Crane Conservation Fund'' in Interior's Multinational Species Conservation Fund. In covering cranes, this bill would for the first time provide such protection for a species of bird. I ask other Senators to join me in supporting the Crane Conservation Act of 2002.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, when the President gives the order to activate Reservists and National Guardsmen, the lives of those men and women are put on hold. Businesses, careers, and families are left behind so that America's interests may be served. Students make up a substantial part of our National Guard and Reserve forces. When these students are activated, it jeopardizes their academic standing, as well as their scholarships and grants. This bill would preserve their academic standing for the duration of their service as well as a 1-year period that follows that service. It would also preserve their scholarships and grants, as well as entitle them to a refund of unused tuition and fees. Federal laws already safeguards the employment status of activated Reservists and Guardsmen. It is time that we extend the same guarantee to students. This legislation would require colleges, universities, and community colleges to grant National Guardsmen and Reservists a leave of military absence when they are called to active duty. This leave of absence would last while the student is serving on active duty and a 1-year period at the conclusion of active service. This bill would preserve the academic credits that the student had earned before being activated. It would also preserve the scholarships and grants awarded to the student before being activated. Under this legislation, students would be entitled to receive a refund of tuition and fees or credit the tuition and fees to the next period of enrollment after the student returns from military leave. If a student elects to receive a refund, it would allow them to receive a full refund, minus the percentage of time the student spent enrolled in classes. The protections that are already afforded our Reservists and Guardsmen are appropriate considering the hardships they endure on the Nation's behalf. We need to acknowledge the many college students who are in the ranks of the Guard and Reserve and extend to them the protections they deserve. In this day of uncertainty on the world stage, our Reservists must be prepared to be called up at a moments notice. Once they get to their duty station, they need to focus all of their attention on the mission. This legislation provides our student Reservists with the proper safeguards on their academic career which will allow them to accomplish their mission.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, when the President gives the order to activate Reservists and National Guardsmen, the lives of those men and women are put on hold. Businesses, careers, and families are left behind so that America's interests may be served. Students make up a substantial part of our National Guard and Reserve forces. When these students are activated, it jeopardizes their academic standing, as well as their scholarships and grants. This bill would preserve their academic standing for the duration of their service as well as a 1-year period that follows that service. It would also preserve their scholarships and grants, as well as entitle them to a refund of unused tuition and fees. Federal laws already safeguards the employment status of activated Reservists and Guardsmen. It is time that we extend the same guarantee to students. This legislation would require colleges, universities, and community colleges to grant National Guardsmen and Reservists a leave of military absence when they are called to active duty. This leave of absence would last while the student is serving on active duty and a 1-year period at the conclusion of active service. This bill would preserve the academic credits that the student had earned before being activated. It would also preserve the scholarships and grants awarded to the student before being activated. Under this legislation, students would be entitled to receive a refund of tuition and fees or credit the tuition and fees to the next period of enrollment after the student returns from military leave. If a student elects to receive a refund, it would allow them to receive a full refund, minus the percentage of time the student spent enrolled in classes. The protections that are already afforded our Reservists and Guardsmen are appropriate considering the hardships they endure on the Nation's behalf. We need to acknowledge the many college students who are in the ranks of the Guard and Reserve and extend to them the protections they deserve. In this day of uncertainty on the world stage, our Reservists must be prepared to be called up at a moments notice. Once they get to their duty station, they need to focus all of their attention on the mission. This legislation provides our student Reservists with the proper safeguards on their academic career which will allow them to accomplish their mission.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, the events of September 11 were very tragic and very traumatic for our Nation, especially our children. This poem, written by 10-year-old James Dillon Hughes of Bourg, LA, demonstrates, very simply, what is great about America. In these few lines James captures the spirit of his country, stronger now than ever before. It is our job to ensure that the freedoms we enjoy now will still ring true for our children and future generations to follow. James wrote this on September 13, 2001, only two days after the terrible events of September 11. Even after those tragic events, James was still able to show his American Pride. I was so moved upon reading this poem that I ask that it be printed in the Record. The poem follows: American Pride I am proud to be an American I am proud to be free I'm proud to be able to choose anything I want to be. I can be a doctor, a lawyer or a priest Because I live in a country That allows me to be free. Our country was somewhat divided Now it has united Let's keep it strong and free. Where leaders teach and guide us Always stand beside us And show us the way to be. Our country is rich Our army is strong Living in America Could never be wrong.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, as you know, the State of Louisiana, along with many other States, has for the past several months been under siege. The enemy is small, but powerful, and great in number. Hard to detect, they sneak up on you and with one attack, they can change your life forever. To date, 10 Louisianans have lost their lives in our war against mosquitos and the West Nile virus that they carry and 222 more have been injured. In Baton Rouge, our State capital, 42 people have been reported to have been infected with the disease and three have died. Only Illinois, with 292 human cases and 11 deaths, has experienced more casualties from the virus than Louisiana. I am here this morning to introduce legislation that asks for Federal assistance for States to ``M.A.S.H.'' out this predator and stop the spread of this disease. Throughout the history of Louisiana, spraying for mosquitos and dredging the water they breed in has been a common occurrence. Until now, however, it was done because mosquitos were pests and they could carry deadly germs. Now, our State and local officials are spraying around the clock in a desperate race to control the worst outbreak of West Nile the Western hemisphere has ever seen. There is no specific treatment for West Nile, nor a vaccine. The most effective way to protect our citizens against this deadly virus is to stop it before it happens. I think that is clear that there is an urgent need for this bill to become law. If passed, it can have an immediate effect in saving on the lives of people in my State and throughout the nation. I want to be clear, however, that this is not an effort to supplant state's responsibility in this area, but to supplement it. Our State has and will continue to dedicate a great deal of State and local resources toward ``Fighting the Bite.'' On September 5, 2002, the State of Louisiana began distributing $3.4 million in state funds to support the local governments in their efforts to combat West Nile. The Department of Health and Hospitals is spending over $200,000 on a public education campaign asking people to do their share to avoid leaving standing water and other mosquito havens. Two-thirds of Louisiana's population is covered by an active mosquito control program and those without mosquito control programs are using spray trucks provided by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. One might think that given the national public health threat imposed by the spread of West Nile that there would already be Federal funding of this type available. Natural disasters such as this require the Federal, State and local governments to work together in a coordinated fashion to bring immediate relief to affected citizens, to educate the public, and to prevent the disease from inflicting further harm. Our Nation's first experience with the West Nile Virus taught us that effective treatment and prevention of this deadly disease also requires coordination among the many Federal agencies with expertise and jurisdiction. The formation of a West Nile Virus Coordinating Committee, chaired by CDC and composed of representatives from USDA, the United States Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Defense Department was the first step in this direction. Louisiana's experience, thus far, has proven the necessity of this coordinated approach. However, Federal leadership must continue to be strengthened, and coordination must continue to be improved between Federal agencies involved in West Nile. One of the shortfalls, and perhaps the easiest to address, is the lack of an effective funding source for mosquito control. In August of this year, the CDC endowed the state of Louisiana with $3.4 million to use in the fight against West Nile. The CDC money, though, cannot be spent on chemicals or spraying, rather it must be spent on surveillance, education and testing. It is for this reason that our Governor, and the Governor of Mississippi appealed to FEMA for their help in increasing much needed abatement activities. This request was denied. West Nile is one of many vector borne diseases spread from birds to humans by mosquitos. If our Nation's public health system is to respond accordingly, then they must have the aid of effective mosquito abatement programs. This bill puts that system in place. I am pleased to by joined by my senior Senator from Louisiana, as well as Senators Gregg and Hutchison. I am hopeful that before long this bill will be supported by the majority of the Senate. I ask the majority leader for his help in seeing to it that this bill is passed as soon as possible. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, as you know, the State of Louisiana, along with many other States, has for the past several months been under siege. The enemy is small, but powerful, and great in number. Hard to detect, they sneak up on you and with one attack, they can change your life forever. To date, 10 Louisianans have lost their lives in our war against mosquitos and the West Nile virus that they carry and 222 more have been injured. In Baton Rouge, our State capital, 42 people have been reported to have been infected with the disease and three have died. Only Illinois, with 292 human cases and 11 deaths, has experienced more casualties from the virus than Louisiana. I am here this morning to introduce legislation that asks for Federal assistance for States to ``M.A.S.H.'' out this predator and stop the spread of this disease. Throughout the history of Louisiana, spraying for mosquitos and dredging the water they breed in has been a common occurrence. Until now, however, it was done because mosquitos were pests and they could carry deadly germs. Now, our State and local officials are spraying around the clock in a desperate race to control the worst outbreak of West Nile the Western hemisphere has ever seen. There is no specific treatment for West Nile, nor a vaccine. The most effective way to protect our citizens against this deadly virus is to stop it before it happens. I think that is clear that there is an urgent need for this bill to become law. If passed, it can have an immediate effect in saving on the lives of people in my State and throughout the nation. I want to be clear, however, that this is not an effort to supplant state's responsibility in this area, but to supplement it. Our State has and will continue to dedicate a great deal of State and local resources toward ``Fighting the Bite.'' On September 5, 2002, the State of Louisiana began distributing $3.4 million in state funds to support the local governments in their efforts to combat West Nile. The Department of Health and Hospitals is spending over $200,000 on a public education campaign asking people to do their share to avoid leaving standing water and other mosquito havens. Two-thirds of Louisiana's population is covered by an active mosquito control program and those without mosquito control programs are using spray trucks provided by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. One might think that given the national public health threat imposed by the spread of West Nile that there would already be Federal funding of this type available. Natural disasters such as this require the Federal, State and local governments to work together in a coordinated fashion to bring immediate relief to affected citizens, to educate the public, and to prevent the disease from inflicting further harm. Our Nation's first experience with the West Nile Virus taught us that effective treatment and prevention of this deadly disease also requires coordination among the many Federal agencies with expertise and jurisdiction. The formation of a West Nile Virus Coordinating Committee, chaired by CDC and composed of representatives from USDA, the United States Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Defense Department was the first step in this direction. Louisiana's experience, thus far, has proven the necessity of this coordinated approach. However, Federal leadership must continue to be strengthened, and coordination must continue to be improved between Federal agencies involved in West Nile. One of the shortfalls, and perhaps the easiest to address, is the lack of an effective funding source for mosquito control. In August of this year, the CDC endowed the state of Louisiana with $3.4 million to use in the fight against West Nile. The CDC money, though, cannot be spent on chemicals or spraying, rather it must be spent on surveillance, education and testing. It is for this reason that our Governor, and the Governor of Mississippi appealed to FEMA for their help in increasing much needed abatement activities. This request was denied. West Nile is one of many vector borne diseases spread from birds to humans by mosquitos. If our Nation's public health system is to respond accordingly, then they must have the aid of effective mosquito abatement programs. This bill puts that system in place. I am pleased to by joined by my senior Senator from Louisiana, as well as Senators Gregg and Hutchison. I am hopeful that before long this bill will be supported by the majority of the Senate. I ask the majority leader for his help in seeing to it that this bill is passed as soon as possible. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

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

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I will spend a few minutes remembering the day, as we all have taken some time to express our individual thoughts and honor this day in the best way we can, to express what it means for us, for all Americans, and actually for millions of people around the world. It is truly a somber day for all of us. In a nation that has known unparalleled success, coping with a tragedy of this enormity is all that more difficult. We love our liberty, we love our freedom, and we want nothing from the world or for the world but peace and prosperity. Yet today we find our liberty and our personal freedoms restrained. We are fighting one war and are poised on the brink of another. It is no wonder the anxiety of the American people is palpable. As we search for certainty and leadership in these uncertain times, it is only natural we turn towards one of our greatest leaders, Abraham Lincoln. As our leader during our greatest crisis, his words carry a resonance and wisdom that ring true today. President Lincoln's second inaugural address, delivered at the twilight of the Civil War, reads like a prayer. It is a request to God to show us how to be just, and to grant this Nation peace. Yet, while it is a prayer, it is also a plan. President Lincoln wrote: Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's 250 years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said 3,000 years ago, so still must it be said, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the Nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. President Lincoln asked for God's assistance, but also to shine a light on the righteous path to victory. We must finish the work we are in, but we must also care for the victims of war and do all we can to achieve a lasting peace. That is how President Lincoln wanted the Civil War to end. Not with recriminations that would tear the country apart forever and sow seeds for the next war but, rather, to approach victory with charity. For a powerful nation such as the United States, it is only in demonstrating our commitments to a world order that we can attain a lasting peace. It is only in our generosity to the struggling nations to the world we can enjoy the full fruits of our labors and the great bounties of our democracy. It is part of the twin ironies of being the sole superpower in the world. The first is that to preserve the peace, we must prepare for war. The second is that to attain any real victory, we must show mercy to those we have vanquished. Louisiana lost three sons on September 11: Petty Officer Second Class Kevin Yokum of Lake Charles, Navy LT Scott Lamana of Baton Rouge, and Louis Williams of Mandeville. The quick and expedient thing for our country would be to cry for their revenge and the revenge of the thousands of other Americans who died for freedom that day. Yet that is not America. It is not what these three men would have wanted. Rather, they would want to know that their deaths had helped to sow a lasting and just peace among ourselves and with all nations. So I join my colleagues today in saluting the heroism of these men, of the men and women who died and were wounded at the Pentagon, the heroism of the men and women of our great metropolis, New York, and the surrounding States and regions--of course, New Jersey lost many people--and the men and women aboard flight 93. Let their heroism be our inspiration to finish the work that we have at hand. We have a great amount of work ahead. We can be proud of the work we have accomplished in the last 12 months, any number of initiatives and bills and legislative proposals and endeavors that have really made this country much stronger, more secure than we were on this day, this hour, a year ago. But there is no doubt there is a great deal of work to be done. Let us remember that we will show leadership in our might and power. We will also show leadership in our mercy, in our willingness to leave this world to a much more just and fair place, where democracies rule the day and people can enjoy freedoms unheard of, really, and not yet experienced in the world. That is America's greatest challenge. I yield the floor.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Emergency Communications and Competition Act, ECCA, along with my colleague from Montana, Senator Burns. I am pleased that this legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Lott, Gregg, Mikulski, Leahy, and Baucus. This bill will ensure that consumers will soon be able to avail themselves of an innovative new wireless technology, recently approved by the Federal Communications Commission. It is called the Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service, MVDDS, a title which accurately describes what this new service will provide consumers: cable competition and a high speed access to the Internet. Unless Congress Acts, however, it may be years before service is actually deployed to the public. That would be a lost opportunity for consumers, we would lose the opportunity to improve our communications infrastructure, not only for our citizens' access to cable and the Internet, but also for public safety purposes. MVDDS technology can address all of these needs, and we should remove unnecessary and counterproductive regulatory obstacles that prevent its swift deployment. This bill is supported by consumer groups. The Consumers Union has endorsed this legislation, because it will help ensure that competition rapidly emerges for video programming as well as high speed Internet services. The Consumers Union notes that cable rates have risen 45 percent since cable was deregulated in 1996, an increase that is almost three times faster than inflation. According to the FCC, just one percent of cable communities enjoy ``effective competition.'' MVDDS can go head-to-head with incumbent cable systems everywhere, and I believe that this good old fashioned competition will result in lower prices and better service for consumers even for those who don't choose to subscribe to MVDDS. This legislation has also been endorsed by the National Grange, America's oldest general farm and rural public interest organization. The National Grange recognizes the extraordinary opportunity this new wireless technology can offer rural Americans, but it fears that the FCC Order authorizing MVDDS failed to ensure that it will indeed adequately serve rural America. At this time I would ask that these two letters, and other letters of support, be published in the Record following my statement. The bill Senator Burns and I are introducing today will restore fairness in the FCC licensing process, and in so doing, speed the deployment of MVDDS to applicants that are ready to launch service to the public now. The ECCA provides that MVDDS applicants will be licensed in the same manner as satellite companies who applied on the same day to share the same spectrum. Currently, the FCC plans to subject only MVDDS applicants to an auction process. This would impose a discriminatory tax on an innovative new technology. Unfortunately, this is more of the same burdensome regulation that I believe has contributed to the collapse of the telecommunications sector. Government regulation is necessary, certainly; but we must be smart in how we regulate business. We must ensure that our laws and regulations are technologically neutral so that government policies don't replace the role of the marketplace in determining the fate of consumer products and services. Furthermore, an auction would drastically delay the introduction of service to the public. Mr. President, this is quite the opposite of what spectrum auctions are supposed to do. In this case, industry incumbents can use the auction to block the introduction of new competition. A company with vast resources available could easily trounce a small startup in an auction--and then, under the terms of the FCC's Order, it would not have to deploy service for 10 years. Consumers cannot wait for spectrum to be ``shelved'' for an entire decade. The ECCA solves this problem by ensuring that only qualified applicants will be licensed. That is, within six months of enactment, the FCC would issue licenses to any applicant that can demonstrate through independent testing that it will employ a technology that won't cause harmful interference to DBS operators with whom they would share spectrum. Then, to be sure that service is in fact deployed, the ECCA requires licensees to provide service to consumers within five rather than ten years. This legislation also requires that parties who apply for licenses under this provision must assume specific public interest obligations in exchange for their prompt licensing. The bill requires full must- carry of local television stations, and an additional set aside of 4 percent of system capacity for other public interest purposes such as tele-medicine and distance learning. I can assure my colleagues that these are issues particularly important in rural areas in states like Louisiana. The ECCA will also promote public safety, in two ways. First, it will require MVDDS licensees to air Emergency Alert System warnings. These alerts are presently carried by cable systems and over-the-air broadcasters. However, they are not seen by those who get their programming from DBS unless the viewer happens to be watching a local channel. In states like Louisiana, where DBS operators do not carry local stations, this is particularly important. Unfortunately, my state is not alone--local stations are also not carried in Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. In total, over 1,100 TV stations are not carried by DBS. Second, this legislation requires MVDDS licensees to make their transmission systems available to national security and emergency preparedness personnel on a top-priority basis in times of need. We all know that when emergencies strike, the need for public safety personnel to communicate with one another skyrockets. MVDDS wireless networks, which will be deployed ubiquitously throughout the country, can help alleviate this thirst for spectrum. For these reasons, I believe that Congress should act on this matter as soon as possible. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and vote for enactment this year. I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Emergency Communications and Competition Act, ECCA, along with my colleague from Montana, Senator Burns. I am pleased that this legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Lott, Gregg, Mikulski, Leahy, and Baucus. This bill will ensure that consumers will soon be able to avail themselves of an innovative new wireless technology, recently approved by the Federal Communications Commission. It is called the Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service, MVDDS, a title which accurately describes what this new service will provide consumers: cable competition and a high speed access to the Internet. Unless Congress Acts, however, it may be years before service is actually deployed to the public. That would be a lost opportunity for consumers, we would lose the opportunity to improve our communications infrastructure, not only for our citizens' access to cable and the Internet, but also for public safety purposes. MVDDS technology can address all of these needs, and we should remove unnecessary and counterproductive regulatory obstacles that prevent its swift deployment. This bill is supported by consumer groups. The Consumers Union has endorsed this legislation, because it will help ensure that competition rapidly emerges for video programming as well as high speed Internet services. The Consumers Union notes that cable rates have risen 45 percent since cable was deregulated in 1996, an increase that is almost three times faster than inflation. According to the FCC, just one percent of cable communities enjoy ``effective competition.'' MVDDS can go head-to-head with incumbent cable systems everywhere, and I believe that this good old fashioned competition will result in lower prices and better service for consumers even for those who don't choose to subscribe to MVDDS. This legislation has also been endorsed by the National Grange, America's oldest general farm and rural public interest organization. The National Grange recognizes the extraordinary opportunity this new wireless technology can offer rural Americans, but it fears that the FCC Order authorizing MVDDS failed to ensure that it will indeed adequately serve rural America. At this time I would ask that these two letters, and other letters of support, be published in the Record following my statement. The bill Senator Burns and I are introducing today will restore fairness in the FCC licensing process, and in so doing, speed the deployment of MVDDS to applicants that are ready to launch service to the public now. The ECCA provides that MVDDS applicants will be licensed in the same manner as satellite companies who applied on the same day to share the same spectrum. Currently, the FCC plans to subject only MVDDS applicants to an auction process. This would impose a discriminatory tax on an innovative new technology. Unfortunately, this is more of the same burdensome regulation that I believe has contributed to the collapse of the telecommunications sector. Government regulation is necessary, certainly; but we must be smart in how we regulate business. We must ensure that our laws and regulations are technologically neutral so that government policies don't replace the role of the marketplace in determining the fate of consumer products and services. Furthermore, an auction would drastically delay the introduction of service to the public. Mr. President, this is quite the opposite of what spectrum auctions are supposed to do. In this case, industry incumbents can use the auction to block the introduction of new competition. A company with vast resources available could easily trounce a small startup in an auction--and then, under the terms of the FCC's Order, it would not have to deploy service for 10 years. Consumers cannot wait for spectrum to be ``shelved'' for an entire decade. The ECCA solves this problem by ensuring that only qualified applicants will be licensed. That is, within six months of enactment, the FCC would issue licenses to any applicant that can demonstrate through independent testing that it will employ a technology that won't cause harmful interference to DBS operators with whom they would share spectrum. Then, to be sure that service is in fact deployed, the ECCA requires licensees to provide service to consumers within five rather than ten years. This legislation also requires that parties who apply for licenses under this provision must assume specific public interest obligations in exchange for their prompt licensing. The bill requires full must- carry of local television stations, and an additional set aside of 4 percent of system capacity for other public interest purposes such as tele-medicine and distance learning. I can assure my colleagues that these are issues particularly important in rural areas in states like Louisiana. The ECCA will also promote public safety, in two ways. First, it will require MVDDS licensees to air Emergency Alert System warnings. These alerts are presently carried by cable systems and over-the-air broadcasters. However, they are not seen by those who get their programming from DBS unless the viewer happens to be watching a local channel. In states like Louisiana, where DBS operators do not carry local stations, this is particularly important. Unfortunately, my state is not alone--local stations are also not carried in Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. In total, over 1,100 TV stations are not carried by DBS. Second, this legislation requires MVDDS licensees to make their transmission systems available to national security and emergency preparedness personnel on a top-priority basis in times of need. We all know that when emergencies strike, the need for public safety personnel to communicate with one another skyrockets. MVDDS wireless networks, which will be deployed ubiquitously throughout the country, can help alleviate this thirst for spectrum. For these reasons, I believe that Congress should act on this matter as soon as possible. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and vote for enactment this year. I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, today I rise, along with Senator Breaux to introduce a bill to establish the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area in Louisiana. This legislation has particularly special meaning to those of us from Louisiana because of the importance of the cultural and natural resources of the Atchafalaya region to the Nation. This legislation would establish a framework to help protect, conserve, and promote these unique natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources of the region. Specifically, the legislation would establish a National Heritage Area in Louisiana that encompasses thirteen parishes in and around the Atchafalaya Basin swamp, America's largest river swamp. The heritage area in south-central Louisiana stretches from Concordia parish to the north, where the Mississippi River begins to partially flow into the Atchafalaya River, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The thirteen parishes are: St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Landry, Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafayette, West Baton Rouge, Concordia, and East Baton Rouge. This boundary is the same area covered by the existing Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area. This measure will appoint the existing Atchafalaya Trace Commission as the federally recognized ``local coordinating entity.'' The commission is composed of thirteen members with one representative appointed by each parish in the heritage area. Both the Atchafalaya Trace Commission and the Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area were created by the Louisiana Legislature a number of years ago. The Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area program currently receives some State funding, and already has staff working at the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, DCRT, under Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Blanco. State funds were used to create the management plan for the heritage area, which followed ``feasibility analysis'' guidelines as recommended by the National Park Service. Therefore, the recently-completed management plan need only be submitted to the Secretary of the Interior for approval as this legislation would recognize an existing local coordinating entity that will oversee the implementation of this plan. We are very proud that this state heritage area has already completed the complicated planning process, with participation of local National Park Service representatives, while using a standard of planning quality equal to that of existing national heritage areas. All at no cost to the Federal Government. Please let me also emphasize that this legislation protects existing private property rights. It will not interfere with local land use ordinances or regulations, as it is specifically prohibited from doing so. Nor does this legislation grant any powers of real property acquisition to the local coordinating entity or heritage area program. In addition, the legislation does not impose any environmental rule or process or cause any change in Federal environmental quality standards different from those already in effect. Heritage areas are based on cooperation and collaboration at all levels. This legislation remains true to the core concept behind heritage areas. The heritage area concept has been used successfully in various parts of our nation to promote historic preservation, natural and cultural resources protection, heritage tourism and sustainable economic revitalization for both urban and rural areas. Heritage areas provide a flexible framework for government agencies, private organizations and businesses and landowners to work together on a coordinated regional basis. The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area will join the Cane River National Heritage Area to become the second National Heritage Area in Louisiana, ultimately joining the 23 existing National Heritage Areas around the Nation. The initiative to develop the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area is an outgrowth of a grassroots effort to achieve multiple goals of this region. Most important among these is providing opportunities for the future, while at the same time not losing anything that makes this place so special. Residents from all over the region, local tourism agencies, State agencies such as the DCRT and the Department of Natural Resources, the State legislature, Federal agencies including the National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, parish governments, conservation and preservation groups, local businesses and local landowners have all participated in this endeavor to make it the strong initiative it is today. These groups have been very supportive of the heritage area effort, and as time moves on, the heritage area will continue to involve more and more of the area's most important resource, its people. I would also like to give you a brief overview of the resources that make this place significant to the entire country. Not only is it important to our Nation's history but it is also critical to understanding America's future. The name of the place itself-- Atchafalaya, comes from the American Indians and means ``long river.'' This name signifies the first settlers of the region, descendants of whom still live there today. Other words come to mind in describing the Atchafalaya: mysterious dynamic, multi-cultural; enchanting, bountiful; threatened and undiscovered. This region is one of the most complex and least understood places in Louisiana and the Nation. Yet, the stories of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area are emblematic of the broader American experience. Here there are opportunities to understand and witness the complicated, sometimes harmonious, sometimes adversarial interplay between nature and culture. The history of the United States has been shaped by the complex dance of its people working with, against, and for, nature. Within the Atchafalaya a penchant for adventure, adaptation, ingenuity, and exploitation has created a cultural legacy unlike anywhere else in the world. The heart of the heritage area is the Atchafalaya Basin. It is the largest river swamp in the United States, larger than the more widely known Everglades or Okefenokee Swamp. The Atchafalaya is characterized by a maze of streams, and at one time was thickly forested with old- growth cypress and tupelo trees. The Basin provides outstanding habitat for a remarkably diverse array of wildlife, including the endangered American bald eagle and Louisiana black bear. The region's unique ecology teems with life. More than 85 species of fish, crustaceans such as crawfish, wildlife including alligators; an astonishing array of well over 200 species of birds, from waterfowl to songbirds, forest- dwelling mammals such as deer, squirrel, beaver and other commercially important furbearers all make their home here. Bottomland hardwood- dependent bird species breed here in some of the highest densities ever recorded in annual North American Breeding Bird Surveys. The Basin also forms part of the Mississippi Valley Flyway for migratory waterfowl and is a major wintering ground for thousands of these geese and ducks. In general, the Atchafalaya Basin has a significant proportion of North America's breeding wading birds, such as herons, egrets, ibises, and spoonbills. Some of the largest flocks of Wood Storks in North America summer here, and the southern part of the Basin has a healthy population of Bald Eagles nesting every winter. The region's dynamic system of waterways, geology, and massive earthern guide levees reveals a landscape that is at once fragile and awesome. The geology and natural systems of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area have fueled the economy of the region for centuries. For decades the harvest of cypress, cotton, sugar cane, crawfish, salt, oil, gas, and Spanish moss, have been important sources of income for the region's residents. The crawfish industry has been particularly important to the lives of Atchafalaya residents and Louisiana has become the largest crawfish producer in the United States. Sport fishing and other forms of commercial fishing are important here, too, but unfortunately, natural resource extraction and a changing environment have drastically depleted many of these resources and forced residents to find new ways to make a living. Over the past century, the Atchafalaya Basin has become a study of man's monumental effort to control nature. After the catastrophic Mississippi River flood of 1927 left thousands dead and millions displaced, the U.S. Congress decreed that the U.S. Army Crops of Engineers should develop an intricate system of levees to protect human settlements, particularly New Orleans. Today, the Mississippi River is caged within the walls of earthern and concrete levees and manipulated with a complex system of locks, barrages and floodgates. The Atchafalaya River runs parallel to the Mississippi and through the center of the Basin. In times of flooding the river basis serves as the key floodway in controlling floodwaters headed for the large population centers of Baton Rouge and New Orleans by diverting waters from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. This system was sorely tested in 1973 when floodwaters threatened to break through the floodgates and permanently divert the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya. However, after this massive flood event, new land started forming off the coast. These new land formations make up the Atchafalaya Delta, and is the only significant area of new land being built in the United States. These vast amounts of Mississippi River sediment are also raising filling in the Basin itself, raising the level of land in certain areas of the basin and filling in lakes and waterways. And to demonstrate just how complex this ecosystem is, one only needs to realize that just to the East of the Delta, Terrebonne parish, also in the heritage area, is experiencing some of the most significant coastal land loss in the country. Over the centuries, the ever-changing natural environment has shaped the lives of the people living in the basin. Residents have profited from and been imperiled by nature. The popular cultural identify of the region is strongly associated with the Canjuns, descendents of the French-speaking Acadians who settled in south Louisiana after being deported by the British from Nova Scotia, (formerly known as Acadia). Twenty-five hundred to three thousand exiled Acadians repatriated in Louisiana where they proceeded to re-establish their former society. Today, in spite of complex social, cultural, and demographic transformations, Cajuns maintain a sense of group identify and continue to display a distinctive set of cultural expressions nearly two- hundred-and-fifty years after their exile from Acadia. Cajun culture has become increasingly popular outside of Louisiana. Culinary specialties adapted from France and Acadia such as etoufee, boudin, andouille, crepes, beignets and sauces thickened with roux, delight food lovers well beyound Lousiana's borders. Cajun music has also ``gone mainstream'' with its blend of French folk songs and ballads and instrumental dance music, and more recent popular country, rhythm-and-blues, and rock music influences. While the growing interest in Cajun culture has raised appreciation for its unique traditions, many of the region's residents are concerned about the growing commercialization and stereotyping that threatens to diminish the authentic Cajun ways of life. While the Atchafalaya Heritage Area may be well known for its Cajun culture, there is an astonishing array of other cultures within these parishes. Outside of New Orleans, the Atchafalaya Heritage Area is the most racially and ethnically complex region of Louisiana, and has been so for many year. A long legacy of multiculturalism presents interesting opportunities to examine how so many distinct cultures have survived in relative harmony. There may be interesting lessons to learn from here as our nation becomes increasingly heterogeneous. The cultural complexity of this region has created a rich tapestry of history and traditions, evidenced by the architecture, music, language, food and festivals unlike anyplace else. Ethnic groups of the Atchafalaya include: African-Americans, Black Creoles, Asians, Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Cajuns, Spanish Islenos, Italians, Scotch-Irish, and American Indian tribes such as the Attakapa, Chitimacha, Coushatta, Houma, Opelousa and Tunica-Biloxi. This heritage area has a wealth of existing cultural, historic, natural, scenic, recreational and visitor resources on which to build. Scenic resources include numerous State Wildlife Management Areas and National Wildlife Refuges, as well as ten designated state scenic byways that fall partially or entirely within the heritage area. The Office of State Parks operates three historic sites in the heritage area, and numerous historic districts and buildings can be found in the region. There are also nine Main Street communities in the heritage area. Outdoor recreational resources include two State Parks and a multitude of waterways and bayous. Hunting, fishing, boating, and canoeing, and more recently birdwatching and cycling, are popular ways to experience the region. Various visitor attractions, interpretive centers and visitor information centers exist to help residents and tourists alike better understand and navigate many of the resources in the heritage area. Major roads link the heritage area's central visitor entrance points and large population centers, especially New Orleans. Much of the hospitality industry servicing the Atchafalaya exists around the larger cities of Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Houma. However, more and more bed and breakfasts and heritage accommodations, such as houseboat rentals, are becoming more numerous in the smaller towns and rural areas. These are just some of the examples of the richness and significance of this region. This legislation will assist communities throughout this heritage area who are committed to the conservation and appropriate development of these assets. Furthermore, this legislation will bring a level of prestige and national and international recognition that this most special of places certainly deserves. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, today I rise, along with Senator Breaux to introduce a bill to establish the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area in Louisiana. This legislation has particularly special meaning to those of us from Louisiana because of the importance of the cultural and natural resources of the Atchafalaya region to the Nation. This legislation would establish a framework to help protect, conserve, and promote these unique natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources of the region. Specifically, the legislation would establish a National Heritage Area in Louisiana that encompasses thirteen parishes in and around the Atchafalaya Basin swamp, America's largest river swamp. The heritage area in south-central Louisiana stretches from Concordia parish to the north, where the Mississippi River begins to partially flow into the Atchafalaya River, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The thirteen parishes are: St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Landry, Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafayette, West Baton Rouge, Concordia, and East Baton Rouge. This boundary is the same area covered by the existing Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area. This measure will appoint the existing Atchafalaya Trace Commission as the federally recognized ``local coordinating entity.'' The commission is composed of thirteen members with one representative appointed by each parish in the heritage area. Both the Atchafalaya Trace Commission and the Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area were created by the Louisiana Legislature a number of years ago. The Atchafalaya Trace State Heritage Area program currently receives some State funding, and already has staff working at the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, DCRT, under Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Blanco. State funds were used to create the management plan for the heritage area, which followed ``feasibility analysis'' guidelines as recommended by the National Park Service. Therefore, the recently-completed management plan need only be submitted to the Secretary of the Interior for approval as this legislation would recognize an existing local coordinating entity that will oversee the implementation of this plan. We are very proud that this state heritage area has already completed the complicated planning process, with participation of local National Park Service representatives, while using a standard of planning quality equal to that of existing national heritage areas. All at no cost to the Federal Government. Please let me also emphasize that this legislation protects existing private property rights. It will not interfere with local land use ordinances or regulations, as it is specifically prohibited from doing so. Nor does this legislation grant any powers of real property acquisition to the local coordinating entity or heritage area program. In addition, the legislation does not impose any environmental rule or process or cause any change in Federal environmental quality standards different from those already in effect. Heritage areas are based on cooperation and collaboration at all levels. This legislation remains true to the core concept behind heritage areas. The heritage area concept has been used successfully in various parts of our nation to promote historic preservation, natural and cultural resources protection, heritage tourism and sustainable economic revitalization for both urban and rural areas. Heritage areas provide a flexible framework for government agencies, private organizations and businesses and landowners to work together on a coordinated regional basis. The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area will join the Cane River National Heritage Area to become the second National Heritage Area in Louisiana, ultimately joining the 23 existing National Heritage Areas around the Nation. The initiative to develop the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area is an outgrowth of a grassroots effort to achieve multiple goals of this region. Most important among these is providing opportunities for the future, while at the same time not losing anything that makes this place so special. Residents from all over the region, local tourism agencies, State agencies such as the DCRT and the Department of Natural Resources, the State legislature, Federal agencies including the National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, parish governments, conservation and preservation groups, local businesses and local landowners have all participated in this endeavor to make it the strong initiative it is today. These groups have been very supportive of the heritage area effort, and as time moves on, the heritage area will continue to involve more and more of the area's most important resource, its people. I would also like to give you a brief overview of the resources that make this place significant to the entire country. Not only is it important to our Nation's history but it is also critical to understanding America's future. The name of the place itself-- Atchafalaya, comes from the American Indians and means ``long river.'' This name signifies the first settlers of the region, descendants of whom still live there today. Other words come to mind in describing the Atchafalaya: mysterious dynamic, multi-cultural; enchanting, bountiful; threatened and undiscovered. This region is one of the most complex and least understood places in Louisiana and the Nation. Yet, the stories of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area are emblematic of the broader American experience. Here there are opportunities to understand and witness the complicated, sometimes harmonious, sometimes adversarial interplay between nature and culture. The history of the United States has been shaped by the complex dance of its people working with, against, and for, nature. Within the Atchafalaya a penchant for adventure, adaptation, ingenuity, and exploitation has created a cultural legacy unlike anywhere else in the world. The heart of the heritage area is the Atchafalaya Basin. It is the largest river swamp in the United States, larger than the more widely known Everglades or Okefenokee Swamp. The Atchafalaya is characterized by a maze of streams, and at one time was thickly forested with old- growth cypress and tupelo trees. The Basin provides outstanding habitat for a remarkably diverse array of wildlife, including the endangered American bald eagle and Louisiana black bear. The region's unique ecology teems with life. More than 85 species of fish, crustaceans such as crawfish, wildlife including alligators; an astonishing array of well over 200 species of birds, from waterfowl to songbirds, forest- dwelling mammals such as deer, squirrel, beaver and other commercially important furbearers all make their home here. Bottomland hardwood- dependent bird species breed here in some of the highest densities ever recorded in annual North American Breeding Bird Surveys. The Basin also forms part of the Mississippi Valley Flyway for migratory waterfowl and is a major wintering ground for thousands of these geese and ducks. In general, the Atchafalaya Basin has a significant proportion of North America's breeding wading birds, such as herons, egrets, ibises, and spoonbills. Some of the largest flocks of Wood Storks in North America summer here, and the southern part of the Basin has a healthy population of Bald Eagles nesting every winter. The region's dynamic system of waterways, geology, and massive earthern guide levees reveals a landscape that is at once fragile and awesome. The geology and natural systems of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area have fueled the economy of the region for centuries. For decades the harvest of cypress, cotton, sugar cane, crawfish, salt, oil, gas, and Spanish moss, have been important sources of income for the region's residents. The crawfish industry has been particularly important to the lives of Atchafalaya residents and Louisiana has become the largest crawfish producer in the United States. Sport fishing and other forms of commercial fishing are important here, too, but unfortunately, natural resource extraction and a changing environment have drastically depleted many of these resources and forced residents to find new ways to make a living. Over the past century, the Atchafalaya Basin has become a study of man's monumental effort to control nature. After the catastrophic Mississippi River flood of 1927 left thousands dead and millions displaced, the U.S. Congress decreed that the U.S. Army Crops of Engineers should develop an intricate system of levees to protect human settlements, particularly New Orleans. Today, the Mississippi River is caged within the walls of earthern and concrete levees and manipulated with a complex system of locks, barrages and floodgates. The Atchafalaya River runs parallel to the Mississippi and through the center of the Basin. In times of flooding the river basis serves as the key floodway in controlling floodwaters headed for the large population centers of Baton Rouge and New Orleans by diverting waters from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. This system was sorely tested in 1973 when floodwaters threatened to break through the floodgates and permanently divert the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya. However, after this massive flood event, new land started forming off the coast. These new land formations make up the Atchafalaya Delta, and is the only significant area of new land being built in the United States. These vast amounts of Mississippi River sediment are also raising filling in the Basin itself, raising the level of land in certain areas of the basin and filling in lakes and waterways. And to demonstrate just how complex this ecosystem is, one only needs to realize that just to the East of the Delta, Terrebonne parish, also in the heritage area, is experiencing some of the most significant coastal land loss in the country. Over the centuries, the ever-changing natural environment has shaped the lives of the people living in the basin. Residents have profited from and been imperiled by nature. The popular cultural identify of the region is strongly associated with the Canjuns, descendents of the French-speaking Acadians who settled in south Louisiana after being deported by the British from Nova Scotia, (formerly known as Acadia). Twenty-five hundred to three thousand exiled Acadians repatriated in Louisiana where they proceeded to re-establish their former society. Today, in spite of complex social, cultural, and demographic transformations, Cajuns maintain a sense of group identify and continue to display a distinctive set of cultural expressions nearly two- hundred-and-fifty years after their exile from Acadia. Cajun culture has become increasingly popular outside of Louisiana. Culinary specialties adapted from France and Acadia such as etoufee, boudin, andouille, crepes, beignets and sauces thickened with roux, delight food lovers well beyound Lousiana's borders. Cajun music has also ``gone mainstream'' with its blend of French folk songs and ballads and instrumental dance music, and more recent popular country, rhythm-and-blues, and rock music influences. While the growing interest in Cajun culture has raised appreciation for its unique traditions, many of the region's residents are concerned about the growing commercialization and stereotyping that threatens to diminish the authentic Cajun ways of life. While the Atchafalaya Heritage Area may be well known for its Cajun culture, there is an astonishing array of other cultures within these parishes. Outside of New Orleans, the Atchafalaya Heritage Area is the most racially and ethnically complex region of Louisiana, and has been so for many year. A long legacy of multiculturalism presents interesting opportunities to examine how so many distinct cultures have survived in relative harmony. There may be interesting lessons to learn from here as our nation becomes increasingly heterogeneous. The cultural complexity of this region has created a rich tapestry of history and traditions, evidenced by the architecture, music, language, food and festivals unlike anyplace else. Ethnic groups of the Atchafalaya include: African-Americans, Black Creoles, Asians, Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Cajuns, Spanish Islenos, Italians, Scotch-Irish, and American Indian tribes such as the Attakapa, Chitimacha, Coushatta, Houma, Opelousa and Tunica-Biloxi. This heritage area has a wealth of existing cultural, historic, natural, scenic, recreational and visitor resources on which to build. Scenic resources include numerous State Wildlife Management Areas and National Wildlife Refuges, as well as ten designated state scenic byways that fall partially or entirely within the heritage area. The Office of State Parks operates three historic sites in the heritage area, and numerous historic districts and buildings can be found in the region. There are also nine Main Street communities in the heritage area. Outdoor recreational resources include two State Parks and a multitude of waterways and bayous. Hunting, fishing, boating, and canoeing, and more recently birdwatching and cycling, are popular ways to experience the region. Various visitor attractions, interpretive centers and visitor information centers exist to help residents and tourists alike better understand and navigate many of the resources in the heritage area. Major roads link the heritage area's central visitor entrance points and large population centers, especially New Orleans. Much of the hospitality industry servicing the Atchafalaya exists around the larger cities of Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Houma. However, more and more bed and breakfasts and heritage accommodations, such as houseboat rentals, are becoming more numerous in the smaller towns and rural areas. These are just some of the examples of the richness and significance of this region. This legislation will assist communities throughout this heritage area who are committed to the conservation and appropriate development of these assets. Furthermore, this legislation will bring a level of prestige and national and international recognition that this most special of places certainly deserves. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, it is my pleasure to come to the floor today and introduce a bill that I believe will make it easier for parents to learn about dangerous products that may harm their children, and remove these products from their homes. Every year, more than 1.7 million children under the age of 5 are harmed by defective or hazardous products. As my colleagues know, each year the Consumer Products Safety Commission recalls hundreds of products which have been found to pose a danger to consumers. Unfortunately, many times parents do not get the word about these recalls, because companies often do not have a way of getting in touch with their customers. This is particularly significant when you are talking about children's products. The manufacturers of these products rarely have records of who their customers are; often all they can do is publicize the recall as best they can. It is for this reason, that I am introducing the Product Safety Notification and Recall Effectiveness Act of 2002. This legislation would require the Consumer Products Safety Commission to establish a rule to require manufacturers to establish and maintain a system for notifying consumers of the recall of certain products that may cause harm to children. The database could be assembled through the use of shortened product registration cards, Internet registration, or other alternate means of encouraging consumers to provide vital contact information. As an example for my colleagues, I just want to touch on one method that this bill would encourage companies to use. We've all seen the registration cards that come with many products. It is these cards that provide companies with much of the information on their customers, and could be used to help spread the word about a recall. Unfortunately, many consumers just throw these cards away without even sending them in. In fact, by some estimates 90 percent of these cards are thrown away. Why? Well, one reason is because the cards ask for personal and marketing information that many people do not want to give out. So they throw the card away. But if you shorten the card, to just ask for the basic information, name, address, and phone number, people are much more likely to return them. This is particularly true if the card specifies the information will not be used for marketing purposes. These cards are an idea that Ann Brown, former chairman of the CPSC and now Chairman of the non- profit group SAFE, a Safer America for Everyone Foundation, has been advocating for years. And studies done with companies like Mattel and BrandStamp have shown that these methods really do increase the number of consumers who respond. So, I come to the floor today to say that this is something we need to do, and we need to do it as quickly as possible. This is a very important bill for our citizens. I am hopeful that we can get a hearing on this legislation very soon. Before I close, I just want to commend Ann Brown and the folks at SAFE for all of their hard work on product recall. I introduced this legislation in the Senate today, but Ann is the one who has been pushing this issue for years, since she served on the CPSC. I am proud to work with her on this and want to thank her for her monumental efforts to bring this to the forefront. I also want to acknowledge my colleagues, Congressman Jim Moran and Congressman James McGovern, who introduced this bill in the House of Representatives. And, of course, I look forward to working with the CPSC on this bill. I know they had some problems with this bill initially, and I am hopeful we have addressed most of these concerns. I want to encourage my colleagues to support this much-needed legislation. By passing this bill, we can give parents the information they need to protect their children. When a child is hurt or killed by a defective product that has already been recalled, there simply is no excuse. This legislation would go a long way towards ensuring that this kind of tragedy never happens again. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation to make a small change to the Renewal Community program that will make a big difference for the people of my State. This legislation will spur job growth and economic development in many impoverished areas that have been designated as renewal communities. Renewal communities were authorized under the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has designated 40 urban and rural areas around the country as renewal communities that are eligible to share in an estimated $17 billion in tax incentives to stimulate job growth, promote economic development, and create affordable housing. The purpose of the Act is to help bring needed investment to areas with demonstrated economic distress. The poverty rate in renewal communities is at least 20 percent, and the unemployment rate is one-and-a-half times the national level. The households in the renewal communities have incomes that are 80 percent below the median income of households in their local jurisdictions. Businesses in renewal communities are eligible to receive wage credits, tax deductions, and capital gains exclusions for hiring workers living in the renewal communities. In order for businesses to qualify for participation in the program they must meet certain criteria. For example, at least fifty percent of the total gross income of a business must come from operations within the renewal community and a substantial part of its tangible property must lie within the renewal community. Furthermore, at least thirty-five percent of its employees must be residents of the renewal community and the employees' services must be performed in the renewal community. The Renewal Community program is targeted to help small businesses in poor communities. Through the tax benefits provided, the small and family-owned businesses are able to maintain their operations and continue supplying goods and services to their neighborhoods. These businesses are the true essence of the entrepreneurial spirit and are the engines of economic growth and development. The Renewal Community program also encourages the start of new businesses. Louisiana has really benefited from this program. It has been a catalyst in boosting local economics and cutting unemployment. Louisiana has four renewal communities. Some of them border one another. Under the rules of the program, however, a business cannot take advantage of the tax incentives if they hire someone who lives outside the renewal community, even if that person lives in the renewal community next door. In rural areas, this rule poses a problem for people living in one renewal community who often find jobs with companies in an adjacent renewal community. A good example of what I am talking about is in the northern part of Louisiana, home of the North Louisiana Renewal Community and the Ouachita Renewal Community. The City of Monroe is located at the heart of the Ouachita Renewal Community. Monroe serves as the hub for Northeast Louisiana. All around Monroe and the Ouachita Renewal Community there are parishes which all fall in the North Louisiana Renewal Community, Morehouse Parish to the north, Richland Parish to the east, Caldwell Parish to the south, and Lincoln Parish to the west. We know that many companies in the Ouachita Renewal Community would qualify for the tax benefits if they could count any employees they hired from the adjacent North Louisiana Renewal Community toward meeting the thirty-five percent requirement. My legislation will allow the employers in one renewal community to hire employees from an adjacent or nearby renewal community areas and still receive the tax benefits granted through the Act. The goal of the Renewal Community Program is to provide a vehicle for change in poverty stricken areas. It makes sense that we take steps to add flexibility to the program. Employees with a particular skill set may be better suited to work at companies located in an adjacent renewal community. My legislation provides employers and employees with the opportunity to take full advantage of the Renewal Community program. This legislation is an opportunity for continued assistance to low income people and economically distressed areas of our country. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, it is my pleasure to come to the floor today and introduce a bill that I believe will make it easier for parents to learn about dangerous products that may harm their children, and remove these products from their homes. Every year, more than 1.7 million children under the age of 5 are harmed by defective or hazardous products. As my colleagues know, each year the Consumer Products Safety Commission recalls hundreds of products which have been found to pose a danger to consumers. Unfortunately, many times parents do not get the word about these recalls, because companies often do not have a way of getting in touch with their customers. This is particularly significant when you are talking about children's products. The manufacturers of these products rarely have records of who their customers are; often all they can do is publicize the recall as best they can. It is for this reason, that I am introducing the Product Safety Notification and Recall Effectiveness Act of 2002. This legislation would require the Consumer Products Safety Commission to establish a rule to require manufacturers to establish and maintain a system for notifying consumers of the recall of certain products that may cause harm to children. The database could be assembled through the use of shortened product registration cards, Internet registration, or other alternate means of encouraging consumers to provide vital contact information. As an example for my colleagues, I just want to touch on one method that this bill would encourage companies to use. We've all seen the registration cards that come with many products. It is these cards that provide companies with much of the information on their customers, and could be used to help spread the word about a recall. Unfortunately, many consumers just throw these cards away without even sending them in. In fact, by some estimates 90 percent of these cards are thrown away. Why? Well, one reason is because the cards ask for personal and marketing information that many people do not want to give out. So they throw the card away. But if you shorten the card, to just ask for the basic information, name, address, and phone number, people are much more likely to return them. This is particularly true if the card specifies the information will not be used for marketing purposes. These cards are an idea that Ann Brown, former chairman of the CPSC and now Chairman of the non- profit group SAFE, a Safer America for Everyone Foundation, has been advocating for years. And studies done with companies like Mattel and BrandStamp have shown that these methods really do increase the number of consumers who respond. So, I come to the floor today to say that this is something we need to do, and we need to do it as quickly as possible. This is a very important bill for our citizens. I am hopeful that we can get a hearing on this legislation very soon. Before I close, I just want to commend Ann Brown and the folks at SAFE for all of their hard work on product recall. I introduced this legislation in the Senate today, but Ann is the one who has been pushing this issue for years, since she served on the CPSC. I am proud to work with her on this and want to thank her for her monumental efforts to bring this to the forefront. I also want to acknowledge my colleagues, Congressman Jim Moran and Congressman James McGovern, who introduced this bill in the House of Representatives. And, of course, I look forward to working with the CPSC on this bill. I know they had some problems with this bill initially, and I am hopeful we have addressed most of these concerns. I want to encourage my colleagues to support this much-needed legislation. By passing this bill, we can give parents the information they need to protect their children. When a child is hurt or killed by a defective product that has already been recalled, there simply is no excuse. This legislation would go a long way towards ensuring that this kind of tragedy never happens again. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation to make a small change to the Renewal Community program that will make a big difference for the people of my State. This legislation will spur job growth and economic development in many impoverished areas that have been designated as renewal communities. Renewal communities were authorized under the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has designated 40 urban and rural areas around the country as renewal communities that are eligible to share in an estimated $17 billion in tax incentives to stimulate job growth, promote economic development, and create affordable housing. The purpose of the Act is to help bring needed investment to areas with demonstrated economic distress. The poverty rate in renewal communities is at least 20 percent, and the unemployment rate is one-and-a-half times the national level. The households in the renewal communities have incomes that are 80 percent below the median income of households in their local jurisdictions. Businesses in renewal communities are eligible to receive wage credits, tax deductions, and capital gains exclusions for hiring workers living in the renewal communities. In order for businesses to qualify for participation in the program they must meet certain criteria. For example, at least fifty percent of the total gross income of a business must come from operations within the renewal community and a substantial part of its tangible property must lie within the renewal community. Furthermore, at least thirty-five percent of its employees must be residents of the renewal community and the employees' services must be performed in the renewal community. The Renewal Community program is targeted to help small businesses in poor communities. Through the tax benefits provided, the small and family-owned businesses are able to maintain their operations and continue supplying goods and services to their neighborhoods. These businesses are the true essence of the entrepreneurial spirit and are the engines of economic growth and development. The Renewal Community program also encourages the start of new businesses. Louisiana has really benefited from this program. It has been a catalyst in boosting local economics and cutting unemployment. Louisiana has four renewal communities. Some of them border one another. Under the rules of the program, however, a business cannot take advantage of the tax incentives if they hire someone who lives outside the renewal community, even if that person lives in the renewal community next door. In rural areas, this rule poses a problem for people living in one renewal community who often find jobs with companies in an adjacent renewal community. A good example of what I am talking about is in the northern part of Louisiana, home of the North Louisiana Renewal Community and the Ouachita Renewal Community. The City of Monroe is located at the heart of the Ouachita Renewal Community. Monroe serves as the hub for Northeast Louisiana. All around Monroe and the Ouachita Renewal Community there are parishes which all fall in the North Louisiana Renewal Community, Morehouse Parish to the north, Richland Parish to the east, Caldwell Parish to the south, and Lincoln Parish to the west. We know that many companies in the Ouachita Renewal Community would qualify for the tax benefits if they could count any employees they hired from the adjacent North Louisiana Renewal Community toward meeting the thirty-five percent requirement. My legislation will allow the employers in one renewal community to hire employees from an adjacent or nearby renewal community areas and still receive the tax benefits granted through the Act. The goal of the Renewal Community Program is to provide a vehicle for change in poverty stricken areas. It makes sense that we take steps to add flexibility to the program. Employees with a particular skill set may be better suited to work at companies located in an adjacent renewal community. My legislation provides employers and employees with the opportunity to take full advantage of the Renewal Community program. This legislation is an opportunity for continued assistance to low income people and economically distressed areas of our country. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. LANDRIEU

Ms. LANDRIEU. I thank the Chairman. I also thank Southern University for the wonderful work they do. This college started in 1880 with just 12 students and 5 faculty. It has grown to become a university with three campuses, offering 152 degree programs and a law school. This is typical of the huge success stories we find among many of the historically black colleges and universities all over the United States. This program which I encourage today, will allow them to take an even greater step into uncharted territory and be a competitive force in the defense research field.

Ms. LANDRIEU. I would like to express my strong support for Senator Burns' remarks on the importance of DoD support for satellite radio technology and to get satellite receivers disseminated to the local populations where our troops are located. Their security and support is obviously of paramount concern to each and every one of us. This is one area upon both of our parties are in complete agreement. I urgently hope that the conferees will work in the DoD bill to enhance and strengthen this superior method of mass communication via satellite radio which offers such promise in so many ways and in so many areas of the third world. Our existing approaches clearly fall critically short of meeting the urgent need to get our message heard. The time for action is now. We will pay a high price for any further delay. I come to the floor today to join in discussion of a very important issue with the Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, the distinguished Senator from Hawaii, Senator Inouye. The Defense Appropriations bill before us will provide $20,470,000 for historically black colleges and universities. This is a relatively small part of the overall defense bill, but an important part, beneficial to both the Defense Department and the universities. Senators from many states, particularly those from states which are home to a historically black college or university, have always come together to support any initiative which would greatly benefit our young African Americans and thus, our country. Just such an opportunity was presented to us recently by the Air Force Research Laboratories at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. The program assigns defense research projects to historically black universities, including Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and other universities in Texas, Alabama, and Georgia to undertake work identified by the Defense Department. These universities and their students also team with small businesses to accomplish a major portion of the work. The benefits of this program are many, beginning with greater opportunities for these schools, and extending the range of options students have for their career choices. There may even be the added benefit that these students may choose to join their military peers full time. We know that by 2006, two out of every five federal employees will be eligible for retirement. We will have to find a new pool of talent who wants to work in federal service. We also know that only 15 percent of African Americans are earning college degrees. For comparison, this percentage is two-thirds higher for white Americans. We also know that African Americans who earn an advanced degree can nearly double their annual average salary. Clearly, steering more African American students into the science and engineering field is one way to accomplish this goal. The U.S. government will also benefit by bringing these students into the field of defense research. I ask the Chairman, wouldn't you agree that this is the kind of program that should be funded through appropriations for HBCU?

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I know my friend, the senior Senator from Hawaii, shares my concern about the future threats to our military and nation. As chairwoman of the Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, it has become very clear to me that while the current threats seem to come form madmen with explosives, tomorrow's terrorists may very well use cyberwarfare. For this reason, Louisiana and Georgia have been participating in a program known as the Picket Fence Initiative. It has brought together the Department of Defense, the Louisiana State Government, the federal presence within the state, as well as industries with responsibility for critical infrastructure. Together, we have established a collaborative network that monitors the types and methodologies of on-going cyber attacks against these systems. Through these efforts, the Department of Defense is learning about the nature and variety of attacks on Louisiana's critical information networks, while companies and the Louisiana State government benefit from improved security technology. It is the kind of cooperative enterprise that should be a model for future homeland defense efforts. This program was authorized this year for $4.5 million, and has been appropriated $2 million in the House mark. Although we were unable to find additional funds within our bill to fully fund this program, I hope the Chairman will help me to protect the $2 million in the House mark, and look for any additional funds that may be made available during conference.

Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. Chairman, I am also concerned about a health and welfare issue for our troops on the battlefield. We must ensure that we are providing them with the most nutritional meals possible to optimize their war fighting capabilities. The fatigue and stresses on the bodies of our war-fighters are unlike anything the average person could imagine. We must provide our troops with nutritious foods that provide necessary energy and are tailored to meet the rigors of combat. We cannot place our troops in unnecessary danger because of equipment failures, nor because the food they are consuming in combat does not provide them with the proper nutrition. For several years the United States Army has been working on a Food Nutrition Program in conjunction with the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The focus of this research is to develop meals that can be eaten on the battlefield which provide our troops with the nutrients necessary to fuel their bodies to meet the grueling demands of war-fighting. Senator Inouye, would you agree that this research should continue so we can optimize the performance of our troops?

Ms. LANDRIEU. I appreciate your support, Mr. Chairman, for CMIS. I want to discuss another program that will greatly improve the efficiency in which our military can deploy across the globe, and in doing so, save millions of dollars. The Field Pack-Up unit, or FPU, is a containerized storage system that is 100% strategically and tactically mobile that far exceeds the current storage bins we use to transport materiel across the country and around the world. Senator Inouye, as you are well aware, one of the greatest factors in determining how quickly the U.S. military can deploy to a theater in order to respond to a threat is the simple fact that it can take several months to transport the materiel our troops need to succeed. The FPU will reduce that transportation time frame, decrease the logistics footprint, and allow the military to move swiftly and efficiently. In turn, these logistical efficiencies will save millions of dollars each year. The 3rd Infantry Aviation Brigade at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia conducted a field test between the FPU and currently used storage bins. The 3rd Infantry Brigade determined that if the entire Brigade deployed to Kuwait, 2 C-5s would be needed using the FPU. Using traditional storage bins, 8 C-5s would be necessary to mobilize to Kuwait. The FPUs would save at least $3,000,000 per deployment, according to the 3rd Infantry Brigade. I am concerned, however, that the Army has not dedicated funds toward this transformational program that will greatly reduce the logistics footprint and save millions of dollars each year. Last year, the Senate appropriated $5,000,000 for the FPU, but neither the House nor Senate funded the program this year. Senator Inouye, I know you are a champion of transformation, and I hope you would be willing to consider the utility the FPU could provide to our Armed Forces.