Barbara Mikulski

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I rise to commemorate the 34th anniversary of Turkey's invasion of the island of Cyprus. Today, Cyprus remains a divided island, with a third of the territory still occupied by Turkish forces. Over the years, numerous United Nations resolutions have called for the respect of the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Cyprus and for an immediate end to the Turkish occupation. The Government and people of Cyprus are ready to make compromises to achieve peace and to reunify the island. We must continue to stand with them to fight for a fair and reasonable agreement--one that safeguards basic freedoms and human rights for all Cypriots. I am proud of the partnership we have with the Republic of Cyprus. During the evacuation of Lebanon in 2006, Cyprus served as the primary transit location for some 15,000 U.S. citizens and was the launching point for humanitarian aid to the people of Lebanon. As a member of the European Union, the Government of Cyprus has worked to improve the economic viability of all its citizens and has taken important steps to integrate the Turkish-Cypriot community. Madam President, I welcome the renewed interest in the efforts for a comprehensive and fair solution to reunify Cyprus. I urge the Government of Turkey to cooperate with the negotiations and I applaud the people of Cyprus for their steadfast commitment to securing a peaceful and prosperous future.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I rise to honor the life and legacy of Bronislaw Geremek--scholar, diplomat, and Polish patriot--who passed away on Sunday, July 13. Bronislaw Geremek played a key role in Poland's transition from communism to democracy. The Solidarity movement is known as a labor movement. In 1980, an obscure electrician jumped over the wall of the Gdansk shipyard and took the world with him. Yet behind these workers stood leading Polish academics and intellectuals, like Professor Geremek. The scholars became advisers to the workers. Professor Geremek was imprisoned by the Communist government during the dark days of martial law. Professor Geremek was instrumental in the negotiations that led to the election of 1989. These elections brought the Solidarity government to power and ended Communist control of Poland. This peaceful transition was a model for other nations. I got to know Minister Geremek during the debate on NATO Enlargement. Poland was taking the difficult steps to become a free market democracy. Yet Poland yearned to be a true partner in Europe. That meant joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The Senate had a robust debate on enlarging NATO. I argued that the new democracies would strengthen NATO and share the burden of European defense. In the years since, Poland has shown the world why NATO membership was so important. In Kosovo, in Iraq, in Afghanistan--Poland has stood by the side of the United States and the members of NATO. I was with Foreign Minister Geremek in Madrid--when Poland signed the articles of enlargement. I joined President Clinton in Warsaw to celebrate. It was a historic time for America and for Poland. Bronislaw Geremek's achievements will live on in the history books. His legacy is a Poland that is democratic and free--and a true friend and ally of the United States.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I rise today to applaud the passage of the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act. I am proud to have voted in support of this legislation that reauthorizes the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, and provides much-needed foreign aid to countries to combat these devastating diseases. Currently, more than 33 million people worldwide live with HIV/AIDS. My own dear State of Maryland is one of the hardest hit States in the U.S. Maryland has the ninth highest AIDS rate in the Nation and the Baltimore metropolitan area has the second highest rate of AIDS cases compared to other cities in the country. Today, by providing $50 billion over the next 5 years to 120 countries we are recommitting ourselves to fighting the deadly diseases of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. These global health problems affect not just patients, but their families and communities. This act provides funding for education, prevention, research, care, and treatment for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. It expands programs to increase access to care for children and expands the international health workforce to train and retain health care workers who can provide much-needed care. As the champion of the Nurse Reinvestment Act, I understand how critical it is for any country to have a large enough health care workforce available to treat such destructive diseases. I would like to honor and thank the men and women who work hard daily to make a difference in the fight against these deadly diseases. There are many great organizations throughout the state of Maryland that have been on the front lines for decades fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in the U.S. and worldwide. The National Institutes of Health is home to some of the most significant advances made to treat HIV/AIDS and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has been an international leader in creating innovative programs to fight disease epidemics. The University of Maryland is home to the Institute of Human Virology, where some of the world's most renowned scientists are undertaking groundbreaking research, such as developing an AIDS vaccine. I am also proud of organizations like Catholic Relief Services, which is headquartered in Baltimore, that work tirelessly all over the world to provide assistance and compassion to those who suffer the physical, economic, social and emotional toll of these diseases. We have made giant leaps forward because of their efforts. I have always fought in the Senate to fund important programs that assist individuals living with HIV/AIDS, as well as fund the research that will one day lead to a cure. I will continue the battle and stand sentry to fight and prevent HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Maryland and around the world.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I join Senator Inouye in recognizing a great American and true military heroine who has honorably served our country for 30 years. Major General Rank was born in Frostburg, MD, and entered the Air Force Nurse Corps in 1978. She earned her BSN from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1975, and worked for Baltimore City Hospitals, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and Center for Disease Control prior to entering the Air Force. She also completed a master's in nursing administration from University of Texas in 1990, and a master's in strategic studies from Air War College in Alabama in 1999. Major General Rank's military education includes the Air War College; the Air Command and Staff College, Squadron Officer School, Flight Nurse School, and Nursing Service Management. Major General Rank became the Assistant Air Force Surgeon General for Medical Force Development and Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Nursing Services in 2005. She established policy for 34,000 active-duty and enlisted medical personnel. She also created nursing policy for 19,000 active-duty, Guard, and Reserve personnel. Major General Rank's past military assignments include serving in the Office of the Surgeon General as executive management fellow for services, chief of plans, policies and programs for nursing services in the directorate of work force management, and deputy assistant surgeon general for health care operations. She also served as United States Air Force Surgeon Chair to Air University and has commanded an aeromedical evacuation squadron in Southwest Asia and a medical operations squadron and two medical groups. Throughout her career Major General Rank has served with valor and profoundly impacted the entire Air Force Medical Department. Her performance reflects exceptionally on herself, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, and the United States of America. We extend our deepest appreciation to Major General Rank on behalf of a grateful nation for her more than 30 years of dedicated military service.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I take the floor today as the dean of the Democratic women in the Senate. I say to my colleagues and to all who are watching: We women are mad as hell, and we don't want to take it anymore. We are mad that in this institution, when all is said and done, more gets said than gets done. We are here today, united as Democratic women, to be a voice, a voice for change. We have a checklist for change we think we can do before this Congress adjourns. These are issues that focus on the big picture of what our country is facing, but they also focus on the impact these issues have on families. We look at macroissues that affect the world and the macaroni-and-cheese issues that affect families. In order to get things done, women have checklists in their daily lives--whether it is to get the laundry done or pick the kids up from school. We have a checklist on what we want to do in terms of a legislative agenda. This is not about gender; it is about an agenda. We invite the good men of the Senate to join us, and we hope that people from the other side will join us. We want to work to bring about change, and we start with wanting to end the gridlock. Look at these issues for which we stand. We want to provide equal pay for equal work, good jobs that stay in the United States, we want to make health care affordable, we want to take care of our military families and veterans. If they fought over there, they should have a safety net back here. We also want to restore America's credibility in the world, protect our environment. We are looking out for gas, and we are looking out for groceries. We want to make sure there is another FEMA. And, along the way, we protect the family checkbook. We want to make sure we get rid of the boondoggles that are eating up our Federal budget. For me, I am the leadoff. But every woman here has an issue to which she will be speaking. What do I want to speak to? I want to speak to equal pay for equal work. Members might recall a few weeks ago we brought legislation to the floor to correct the gap in wage discrimination law. We lost that, but I said when the vote was over: The issue is not gone. I called upon the women to put their lipstick on, square their shoulders, suit up, and fight for an American revolution. This is why we are here today. This is another salvo. Many people think, wage discrimination, didn't we solve that? No. Wage discrimination still exists. Women are earning just 77 cents for every dollar our male counterparts make. We can see this now in the famous Ledbetter v. Goodyear case. Lilly Ledbetter, a hard-working woman, challenged the system. She didn't find out until years later that she was being paid less than her male counterparts. She took it to the EEOC. The corporation fought her every step of the way. It ended up in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court made an outrageous decision. They said she waited too long to file her complaint. The Court also said she didn't do it in time. We think it is about time we change the law. What we want to do is bring back the Lilly Ledbetter legislation called the Fair Pay Restoration Act. We want to bring it back up for a vote because equal pay for equal work is about fairness. It is about justice. It is about respect. It is going to close the loophole on the so-called statute of limitations on when one can file a wage discrimination case. We believe the current practice has been a good one, but we disagree with the Supreme Court. We are going to bring it back up for a vote. We ask our colleagues to join us. We don't want our agenda to die in parliamentary entanglements. What we want to do is untangle this law and make sure women get equal pay and experience it in their personal checkbook, and we have to change the Federal lawbook. We are ready. We are suited up. We have signed up. Join with us. We know the Presiding Officer is one of the great guys in the Senate who supports us. Before we go out at the end of this session, let's bring about change. Let's make America proud of their Congress. Let's turn the page. I yield the floor to my new but very able and experienced colleague from Missouri, who has been fighting boondoggles in that Federal checkbook.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Does the Senator share my frustration--and I believe the American people's frustration--that the President is trying to change the subject rather than change the policies, particularly the policies where he could, by Executive order, deal with price gouging of the consumer as well as the casino-like speculation that is going on?

Ms. MIKULSKI. So if people really want their gas prices lowered today, they should just e-mail the President and say: Don't change the subject, change the policies. Get rid of price gouging and get rid of the speculation. You can do it by Executive order.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, before the Senator leaves the floor-- and we know our good friends, Senators Stabenow and Klobuchar, are here who will speak. We know gas prices are a woman's issue. If anything is driving up groceries and family bills, it is gas. This whole issue today of lifting the ban on drilling--is the Senator from California aware that there are currently 68 million acres of land, Federal land, on which the oil companies have a lease, and if they wanted to drill, they could drill?

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Will the Senator from Illinois yield for a question?

Ms. MIKULSKI. I have been listening to the Senator's statement. Today I understand the President wants to lift bans on drilling; is that correct?

Ms. MIKULSKI. That is not fuzzy math.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Does the Senator agree, rather than change policies to prevent gouging of consumers and speculation in the market, they would rather change the subject?

Ms. MIKULSKI. I missed part of the Senator's statement. Don't the massive oil companies already have substantial acreage they could start drilling on right now?

Ms. MIKULSKI. I find that shocking. I note that the 68 million acres is about six ANWRs.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes: Myself, McCaskill, Feinstein, Landrieu, Murray, Boxer, Stabenow, Klobuchar, and Lincoln.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Good morning, Mr. President. Today I take the floor as the chairperson of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science of the Appropriations Committee. We bring to the Senate for its consideration an element within the domestic spending that I urge my colleagues to support. It provides critical funding to protect America from threats abroad and those threats here at home and to invest in America's future. There are those that meet compelling human needs right here in the United States of America. They also deal with the incompetency of the Bush administration to truly estimate the cost of the war. Today I am asking for support because in protecting America this subcommittee adds funds to the FBI. We add $313 million for the Department of Justice, for both the FBI and DEA and the work they need to do in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Once again, we have underestimated greatly the cost of this war. But we are not going to neglect our duty. This subcommittee provides $23 million to the Drug Enforcement Agency to fight narcoterrorism in Afghanistan, to fight the poppy trade that funds terrorism. Athough the cost was underestimated, we are going to make sure we are going to do our duty to put those DEA agents next to the Afghan leadership to fight this narcoterrorism. Then, at the same time, we are going to have FBI agents in the war zone gathering intelligence on terrorists, dealing with IEDs and some of the forensic issues there, and we have provided money for them to be able to do this. Once again, they underestimated what it would take because there is very important work the FBI needs to do so our military is freed up in fighting the war. We fight the war against those who are trying to kill us with IEDs. But while we are doing that, and we are trying to keep Afghanistan and Iraq safe, we added to this bill money for people here at home. What we did was we added $50 million to the U.S. Marshals' funds to catch fugitive sex offenders who threaten the safety of our children and our communities--$50 million more, which was authorized under the Adam Walsh legislation, the bill to be able to fund the Marshals Service to go after those sexual offenders for we know who they are, we know what they have done, and we know they are loose in our society. It is the Marshals Service that has both the authority and the know-how to do that. If we want to make the streets safe abroad, I certainly want to protect the children of the United States of America against these sexual predators. Then, we also added, at the request of over 55 Senators, on a bipartisan basis, $490 million for Byrne formula grants for State and local police. We know there is a spike in violent crime all over the United States of America. The best way to fight violent crime is to make sure our local law enforcement has the tools they need to do their job. Therefore, we want the streets of Boston and Baltimore and Tuscaloosa to be as safe as we are fighting to make the streets safe in Afghanistan. We are also working to deal with disaster recovery. In some States there are fishery disasters, such as in the gulf region, in New England, and the Pacific Northwest with its salmon constraints. We have added money to deal with the fisheries disaster. We also added a particular item for Byrne grants for the gulf region to address and deal with violent crime. We are trying to deal with the fact that our own American citizens are facing disasters that so adversely affect either public safety or their very livelihoods. Then, last but not at all least, we clean up the administration's mess. The census is on the verge of a boondoggle. There has been a technical meltdown in their ability to do the census. The so-called handheld devices that were going to be used to do the census in a new and data-driven way have not worked out. Who knows? The Secretary of Commerce is investigating it. But I am telling you now, it is going to cost $2 billion to fix it--$2 billion as in ``Barb,'' not $2 million as in ``Mikulski.'' So we are going to clean up the mess of the administration. In this supplemental, we put a downpayment of $210 million so we meet our constitutional responsibility to do this. I regret that the incompetency--the failure to stand sentry on taking the census, when they had 10 years to get ready for it, is indeed frustrating. Then we come to another issue on prisons. Because of the inadequate budget request from the President, we are facing a violent undercurrent in prisons and terrible understaffing. We add the money, though the administration would not request it through its OMB. But all of the people who work at Justice who deal with this say this is a dire emergency, not to protect the prison but to protect the prison workers from dealing with this. Then, also, what we did add was money for science, particularly for the space program, because when Columbia went down, they took the money for return-to-flight from other agencies. This returns it so we can keep our NASA on track. That is what the CJS Subcommittee did, and I think we have done a good job. We tried to act to meet the needs in fighting the global war against terrorism. We dealt with the incompetency of underestimating the cost to these agencies because of the war. We are dealing with the incompetencies of either poor budget requests or the census boondoggle. I think we have done a good job. I am asking my colleagues to support this legislation because if you want to protect our streets--if we need to help our people with their own disasters, and meet our constitutional responsibilities--you want to vote for my part from my subcommittee. The other part that is in this bill, which will come at a later time, is that for which in the full Appropriations markup I offered an amendment to extend current law on something called H-2B. That is a seasonal guest worker program that has helped coastal States with being able to hire people, as well as the hospitality industry. My amendment was a very simple amendment. All it did was extend current law that expired September 30. There was no new law. We broke no new ground. We created no new legislative framework. We created no new rights or privileges. It did three things. It lifted--it essentially gave a waiver on the cap of 66,000 people who currently come in. What does all this mean in plain English? It means we were doing three things: first, protecting American borders; second, protecting American jobs; and third, rewarding the people who go by the rules. We protected American borders because we had a system that worked. People came, they worked, they went back home. Second, it protected American jobs because it was seasonal employment in industries that, in my State, particularly in the seafood industry, keeps businesses going that have been around for over 100 years. Then it rewarded the good guys, those people who are American employers who want to go by the rules--did not want to hire illegal aliens. But now we are going to poke them in the eye. It also rewarded the Latinos who came from Mexico--and I met with the madras down in my own State who often come from the same villages every year and return home. Well, my amendment extended law. I know that my colleague--there will be a colleague who will raise the point of order today, and my amendment will go down because it is not germane. I just wish to say this: It might not be germane, but it is relevant. Maybe it is not technically germane, but it is relevant because we are doing legislation to deal with the supplemental on compelling needs that our people face. That is why I want to get the sexual predators off the street. I asked for 3 additional minutes. I am about to lose thousands of jobs because of this point of order.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I am not going to speak long. The handwriting is on the wall, but the handwriting essentially says this: If you go by the rules, you are going to lose out. The Senator has the right to offer his point of order, but I am just telling my colleagues this: We are losing this battle on the seasonal guest worker program, not because of law but because of ideology, both from the extreme right and because of the left. So when my amendment falls, it is not about Barbara Mikulski's amendment falling. When that amendment falls, we will hear thousands of jobs falling where we actually had an immigration program that worked and rewarded people who went by the rules. That is it. So that is the way it is going to be today. I look forward to the votes. I wish to congratulate the Senator for the way she has organized this bill and Senator Byrd for the great job he did. Mr. President, I yield the floor, but I am pretty worked up today.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I ask unanimous consent for 3 more minutes.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I wish to publicly commend and congratulate Colonel Kenneth O. McCreedy, U.S. Army, upon his retirement after 28 years of military service. I have come to know and respect Colonel McCreedy over the last 3 years, while he served as the installation commander of Fort Meade, MD. His tenure as the installation commander was highlighted by his constant civic engagement with the Fort Meade military and civilian community. During this time he signed the first Army Community Covenant in Maryland, solidifying support for servicemembers and their families. Colonel McCreedy was proactive in working with surrounding counties to prepare them for the growth challenges of BRAC 2005. Placing a heavy emphasis on strong community engagement, he worked closely with the Anne Arundel County School Board to secure the International Baccalaureate Program and Homeland Security Signature Program for Meade High School. Colonel McCreedy spearheaded the first two Meade Alliance Education Summits that focused on working with school boards and colleges to develop programs and initiatives to prepare today's students for future careers in the Federal Government. I am extremely grateful for the outstanding leadership and keen sense of community service that Colonel McCreedy has brought to the servicemembers, families, and civilian employees of Fort Meade. Commissioned as a military intelligence officer, Colonel McCreedy first served at Fort Riley, KS as the S2 and Scout Platoon Leader of 3- 37 Armor and assistant S2 of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. After completing the Post-Graduate Intelligence Program at the Defense Intelligence College and Spanish instruction at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, Colonel McCreedy was assigned to the U.S. Southern Command in Panama as a country analyst in the J2. Following Operation JUST CAUSE, he was assigned to Fort Hood, TX, where he was a G2 Operations Officer in the Third Corps, commanded a CI/IPW Company in the 163rd Military Intelligence Battalion, and served as the S3 Plans Officer for the 504th Military Intelligence Brigade. After attending school at Fort Leavenworth, KS, Colonel McCreedy served in Germany as the V Corps G2 Plans Officer, S3 of the 302nd Military Intelligence Battalion, and S3 of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade. He then served as a member of the Commander's Initiatives Group while on duty in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Returning from Europe in 1999, he served as a Fellow at the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, prior to his assignment to Fort Gordon, GA, as commander of the 201st Military Intelligence Battalion. He next was appointed professor of military science at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. After attending the Army War College, Colonel McCreedy worked in the Force Transformation Office in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Colonel McCreedy holds a bachelor's degree in history from Washington and Lee University, master's and doctorate degrees in history from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Military Art and Science from the Army Command and Staff College, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College. He is a graduate of both the Army's School of Advanced Military Studies and the Advanced Strategic Art Program. Among his awards and decorations, Colonel McCreedy has earned the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the NATO Medal. Mr. President, the Army, the State of Maryland, and the Nation are lucky to have had the service of such a great soldier. He will be sorely missed. Best wishes to Colonel McCreedy and his family.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President. This month we are celebrating one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century--the founding of the modern State of Israel. The story of Israel is unique. A people forced into exile, who endured centuries of persecution, rebuilt their ancient homeland. They forged a nation where they could practice their ancient faith and traditions. They created an open and free democratic society. And always, they offer a home to Jewish immigrants from around the world. The founding of Israel followed the most incomprehensible and evil event of the 20th century, when the Nazis--with the complicity of so many others--sought to exterminate a people. The survivors of the Holocaust helped to build modern Israel. Never again will the Jewish people be dependent on anyone else for their security. At first Israelis envisioned an agrarian society. But today, Israel is a center for technology and science. American scientists and engineers are working as partners with Israelis to develop the innovations of the future. Our great Federal Laboratories, like the National Institutes of Health, are now working with Israeli scientists on a cure for cancer and other deadly diseases. Together America and Israel are working toward a future that is safer, stronger, and smarter. America's relationship with Israel is also unique. We share common goals, values, and interests. We stand by each other in good times and bad. Israel has had to endure many wars and live in constant readiness for battle. They live with the constant threat of terrorism. Yet the people of Israel are strong and resolute. They are committed to building a safer and more peaceful future. On this anniversary, all friends of Israel should recommit ourselves to ensuring the survivability and viability of the State of Israel, now and forever. Our friendship is based on shared values, shared interests, and strategic necessity. My support for Israel is unabashed and unwavering. I will continue to be a voice for Israel and a vote for Israel in the United States Senate. Mr. President, I salute the people of Israel as they celebrate 60 years of independence, and I look forward to a future of peace, prosperity, and friendship.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President I wish today to applaud the passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation that prohibits health insurance companies and employers from discriminating against individuals based on their genetic information. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend Hadassah for their relentless advocacy over the past 11 years on this important civil rights issue. Hadassah is a founding member of the Coalition on Genetic Fairness and has been a leader fighting to outlaw genetic discrimination. As a Senator from Maryland, the home of the National Institutes of Health and cutting edge companies like Celera Genomic, genetic testing and its implications for Marylanders and all Americans is especially important to me. This bill provides necessary protections so that people will take advantage of the potential that genetic testing can offer, without losing their job or their health insurance. Montgomery County in Maryland was the first county in the Nation to pass genetic nondiscrimination legislation. It has been a longer road for Congress. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act was the first bill passed out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, HELP, Committee in this Congress. I sit on the HELP Committee and we have worked on this bill since 1996. We have conducted five hearings on genetic discrimination and this bill has passed out of our committee three times. The Senate unanimously passed this bill in 2003 and 2005. It is time that this bill is signed into law. Thirty years ago, the idea of mapping the entire human genome seemed liked science fiction. But we now have a map of it. Fifteen years ago, the thought of testing individuals for a genetic predisposition to an illness seemed decades away, but here we are in 2008 with the technology and knowledge to do that. Someone with a genetic predisposition for a disease could begin preventive measures in diet and lifestyle, years before symptoms even appear. But with this new technology comes responsibility--the responsibility to protect the people that these theologies seek to help. What good is knowing that you have a genetic predisposition for diabetes if you lose your health insurance because of it? How does knowing that you may be more likely to develop breast cancer help if you can't get a job because of this information? Individuals should also have the information they need to make informed decisions about whether to get a genetic test. A person must not be denied insurance coverage or employment based on their predictive genetic information. That is why I support this strong, enforceable genetic nondiscrimination legislation that establishes meaningful remedies for individuals and their families-- remedies which act as powerful disincentives for insurance providers and employers to discriminate. I am proud the Senate has acted to help ensure that individuals can choose to get genetic tests that could help save or prolong their lives, without fear of discrimination in the workplace or by health insurance providers. We need to make sure the information from genetic testing reaches its true potential: that a woman can be screened for a genetic predisposition to breast cancer or a man can be screened for his risk for a heart attack without fear of their health insurance premiums rising or losing their jobs. Again, I want to thank Hadassah for all of their hard work on preventing genetic discrimination and I also want to thank Senator Snowe for her leadership on this bill.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. I am happy to do that.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 5 minutes as in morning business.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Now it is time to fight for Lilly Ledbetter and the 150 million women in her position. The CBS poll on women says the No. 1 issue they face is equal pay for equal or comparable work. If in fact this is not a problem, why does every woman in every poll make this a No. 1 issue? I ask that we make it a No. 1 issue in the Senate. We are now on a vote, as we faced with Anita Hill. I have a terrible feeling that tonight the Senate will not get it, but the women will get it and we are going to start a revolution as Abigail Adams asked us to do.