Lisa Murkowski

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I pay tribute to Mr. Thomas H. Wardleigh, Alaskan aviation legend, who left us for new horizons on July 7, 2004, following a long battle with cancer. A World War II Navy veteran, Tom moved to Alaska in 1951 and continued his aviation career as a mechanic with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, keeping its fleet of Grumman aircraft in operation for decades. He completed his federal service at the Federal Aviation Administration. He then devoted the rest of his life to promoting safety enhancements for Alaskan aviation. In 1984 he became chairman of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation and produced more than 1,000 weekly episodes of a TV show called ``Hangar Flying'' which was broadcast all over Alaska. Because of the value of the instruction, the national organization, Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association, recently gave a grant to the University of Alaska Archives to transfer all of the programs to DVD so that future aviators will be able to learn from his timeless wisdom. Tom Wardleigh logged over 33,000 flight hours in numerous types of aircraft. He was in great demand as an advanced flight instructor, and was one of the few multiengine sea plane instructors. Many, many Alaskan pilots were Tom's students over the years. Although he was a tenacious fighter, Wardleigh was soft spoken, friendly, and always a gentleman, perhaps some reasons he was such a successful advocate for aviation safety enhancement, whether in education or technology. He was most recently instrumental in the development of the FAA Capstone Project which has been credited as a significant factor in lowering the accident rate in rural Alaska. While his work was primarily in Alaska, Tom participated in forums and projects all over the United States as well as in other countries whose aviation leaders often came to Alaska to personally seek Tom's advice on developing their safety programs. The list of commendations Tom had received over the years is long, and includes AOPA's Laurence P. Sharples' national award in 1994 for his lifetime of service. Last year, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey personally recognized Tom with one of the agency's most significant honors in U.S. civil aviation, the Distinguished Service Award--this in addition to having previously bestowed on him the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic and the Wright Brothers' Master Pilot Awards. While Tom Wardleigh may have taken his last flight, pilots and passengers alike will fondly remember this special aviator as they turn onto Wardleigh Drive at the Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, this is the third occasion on which I have spoken to the Senate about the life and accomplishments of the late Thomas P. O'Hara, an Alaskan hero. Thomas P. O'Hara was a protection ranger and pilot for the National Park Service, assigned to the Katmai National Park and Preserve in the Bristol Bay region of western Alaska. On December 19, 2002, Ranger O'Hara and his passenger, a Fish and Wildlife Service employee, were on a mission in the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge. Their plane went down on the tundra. When the plane was reported overdue, a rescue effort consisting of 14 single-engine aircraft, an Alaska Air National Guard plane, and a Coast Guard helicopter quickly mobilized. Many of the single-engine aircraft were piloted by Tom's friends. The wreckage was located late in the afternoon of December 20. The passenger survived the crash, but Ranger Tom did not. Tom O'Hara was an experienced pilot with 11,000 hours as a pilot-in- command. He was active in the communities of Naknek and King Salmon where he grew up, flying children to Bible camp and coaching young wrestlers. Tom provided a strong link between the residents of Bristol Bay and the National Park Service. Although Tom O'Hara was a most valued employee of the National Park Service, he did not enjoy the same status as National Park Service employees with competitive career status. Tom was hired under a special hiring authority established under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, ANILCA, which permits land management agencies like the National Park Service to hire, on a noncompetitive basis, Alaskans who by reason of having lived or worked in or near public lands in Alaska, have special knowledge or expertise concerning the natural or cultural resources of public lands and the management thereof. Tom O'Hara possessed this knowledge and offered it freely to the National Park Service. But because he was hired under this special authority, his opportunities for transfer and promotion within the Park Service were limited, even though his service was exemplary. As a lasting memorial to Tom O'Hara's exemplary career, I am introducing legislation today that will grant competitive status to ANILCA local hire employees who hold permanent appointments with the Federal land management agencies after the completion of 1 year of satisfactory service. In Tom's honor, the short title of this legislation is the Thomas P. O'Hara Public Land Career Opportunity Act of 2004. It is my sincere hope that the enactment of this legislation will encourage other Alaskans, particularly Alaska Natives, to follow in Tom O'Hara's footsteps and seek lifelong careers with the Federal land management agencies. I ask unanimous consent that the text of this legislation be printed in the Record.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, this is the third occasion on which I have spoken to the Senate about the life and accomplishments of the late Thomas P. O'Hara, an Alaskan hero. Thomas P. O'Hara was a protection ranger and pilot for the National Park Service, assigned to the Katmai National Park and Preserve in the Bristol Bay region of western Alaska. On December 19, 2002, Ranger O'Hara and his passenger, a Fish and Wildlife Service employee, were on a mission in the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge. Their plane went down on the tundra. When the plane was reported overdue, a rescue effort consisting of 14 single-engine aircraft, an Alaska Air National Guard plane, and a Coast Guard helicopter quickly mobilized. Many of the single-engine aircraft were piloted by Tom's friends. The wreckage was located late in the afternoon of December 20. The passenger survived the crash, but Ranger Tom did not. Tom O'Hara was an experienced pilot with 11,000 hours as a pilot-in- command. He was active in the communities of Naknek and King Salmon where he grew up, flying children to Bible camp and coaching young wrestlers. Tom provided a strong link between the residents of Bristol Bay and the National Park Service. Although Tom O'Hara was a most valued employee of the National Park Service, he did not enjoy the same status as National Park Service employees with competitive career status. Tom was hired under a special hiring authority established under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, ANILCA, which permits land management agencies like the National Park Service to hire, on a noncompetitive basis, Alaskans who by reason of having lived or worked in or near public lands in Alaska, have special knowledge or expertise concerning the natural or cultural resources of public lands and the management thereof. Tom O'Hara possessed this knowledge and offered it freely to the National Park Service. But because he was hired under this special authority, his opportunities for transfer and promotion within the Park Service were limited, even though his service was exemplary. As a lasting memorial to Tom O'Hara's exemplary career, I am introducing legislation today that will grant competitive status to ANILCA local hire employees who hold permanent appointments with the Federal land management agencies after the completion of 1 year of satisfactory service. In Tom's honor, the short title of this legislation is the Thomas P. O'Hara Public Land Career Opportunity Act of 2004. It is my sincere hope that the enactment of this legislation will encourage other Alaskans, particularly Alaska Natives, to follow in Tom O'Hara's footsteps and seek lifelong careers with the Federal land management agencies. I ask unanimous consent that the text of this legislation be printed in the Record.

Mrs. MURKOWSKI

Mrs. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the fires that are burning in my State of Alaska. To date, there are 117 active fires in Alaska that have burned over 3.8 million acres. That is larger than the entire State of Connecticut, and 11 of these fires started yesterday. This year is the 3rd most active fire season in Alaska since records have been kept, 1955. Alaskans have been living with these fires since early June. All told there have been 479 of them since the start of fire season. On Monday July 5, I visited the fire camp of the Boundary Fire, which was threatening residences north of Fairbanks, AK. It rained while I was visiting the camp. Rain and changes in the winds can bring an abrupt end to fire season. I was hopeful that the change in weather would allow firefighters to put down the Boundary Fire in short order. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Shortly after I left the fire camp, residents of the Haystack subdivision were told it was safe to return home. Just a few days ago, the Haystack subdivision was evacuated for the second time this summer. This evacuation affects 150 residents and 80 homes. A total of 34 structures have been lost to the fires now burning in the State. Haze from the fires in the interior of Alaska is being experienced as far south as Juneau--that is a distance of about 800 miles. The heroes of this fire season are the 2,711 firefighters: many from Alaska Native villages and others from the lower 48 who are working night and day to protect homes, private property, and subsistence resources. I am grateful to the coordinated efforts of the Alaska Fire Service and the State Division of Forestry for their tireless work in combating these fires. This week, the community of Fairbanks is celebrating ``Golden Days''--their annual summer carnival. I don't know if any of the firefighters will be able to break away from their duties to attend the parade on Saturday, but I can promise you that they will be warmly received by the residents of our Golden Heart City. I want to commend the Federal fire managers for getting our Nation's aerial firefighting resources back in the air. We may have some differences of opinion about how long it took to accomplish this or how many planes are certified to fly, but I am prepared to leave this discussion for a future time. The total aerial resources in Alaska include one federally certified heavy air tanker, two heavy air tankers under contract to the State of Alaska, three single-engine air tankers, and three CL 215's. These resources are prepositioned around the State to be used, when needed. Thus far, the brave men and women on our fire lines have been successful in holding the fire away from primary residences--not only in and around Fairbanks, but also in rural communities like Chicken, Circle, Central, Eagle, Evansville, Tanacross, Galena, and Venetie. The firefighters remind me that the proximity of the fires to people's homes creates a ``teachable moment.'' The operative words are ``be firewise.'' We need to all remember building defensible space around structures not only increases the likelihood that a building will survive a fire. It also increases safety to residents and our firefighters. I want to reemphasize my strong support for the fuels reduction provisions of the President's Healthy Forest Initiative. This initiative is needed more than ever now. Our Nation's forestry policy has to allow for responsible forest management that includes the ability to remove, when appropriate, wildfire fuel from forests. Deteriorating forest and rangeland health now affects more than 190 million acres nationwide, an area twice the size of California. In Alaska, the damage caused by the spruce bark beetle, especially along the Kenai Peninsula has been devastating. Over 5 million acres of trees in south central and interior Alaska have been lost to insects over the last 10 years. Expedited fuel reduction treatment on Federal land on which the existence of disease or insect infestation is a critical provision in this new law. In addition to treating our Federal lands, treating State and private lands is also important. Such lands benefit from the U.S. Forest Service's State and Private Forestry Program. As we know, wildland fires do not discriminate among land ownership patterns. On the Kenai Peninsula alone, State, native corporation, and private lands have beetle kill in addition to Federal lands on the Chugach and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. There are still over 200,000 acres of untreated hazardous fuels within the Wildland-Urban Interface, leaving many Alaskan communities at risk. Another critical program is the Forest Land Enhancement Program (FLEP), which is part of the Farm Bill. This program helps communities and individuals to obtain grants for reforestation and thinning of lands impacted by beetle kill. In Alaska alone, a total of 478 private landowners, along with 19 native corporations are eligible for FLEP funds for wildfire fuels reduction and timber stand improvements. Without this funding, eligible Alaskan landowners have no opportunity to make needed forest health improvements on their lands. The farm bill in 2002 authorized $100 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation over a 5-year period ending in fiscal year 2007. Only a total of $20 million was used for landowner cost-share and technical assistance in fiscal year 2003 with $50 million transferred from FLEP to cover Forest Service wildfire suppression costs. While supporting wildfire suppression, we must and should utilize funding for those State and private forestry programs that aid communities in fuel reduction work to reduce these catastrophic wildfires we witness each year. We must work across party lines to get the needed resources, recognizing fiscal responsibility, to all landowners to reduce fuel load. This is a responsibility for all of us in Congress.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, 10 years ago, on July 6, 1994, fourteen wildland firefighters lost their lives fighting the deadly South Canyon Fire near Glenwood Springs, CO. Nine of the 13 who perished were members of a single crew--a hotshot crew based in the small high desert town of Prineville in central Oregon. The ``Prineville Nine,'' as they have come to be called, were all in their 20s. The events of July 6, 1994 were as significant to the wildland fire community as the events of September 11, 2001 were to the New York City Fire Department, and the brave young men and women who perished in the South Canyon Fire were every bit as heroic as those who perished at the World Trade Center. The anniversary of the South Canyon Fire brings home to all who live in the West how dearly we hold the brave young men and women, clad in their fire resistant yellow shirts, green pants and helmets, who fight the fires that sweep through our backyards. On Monday, July 5, I had the privilege to visit a fire camp near Fairbanks, AK. The young men and women based at the camp were fighting the Boundary Fire, which is burning to the North of Fairbanks, under the experienced leadership of Steve Hart and his Type I Incident Management Team, drawn from the Rocky Mountain region of our Nation. In the course of my visit, I had the opportunity to meet with each of the leaders on the Incident Command Team and received detailed briefings on how the fire was being managed. One of those briefings was delivered by the Incident Safety Officer, who emphasized the acronym L-C-E-S, which stands for lookouts, communications, escape routes, and safety zones. Wildland firefighters are taught to keep safety in their forefront of their minds, constantly focusing on L-C-E-S. On the Boundary Fire, the singular focus on safety is evident throughout the camp. It is clear that the lessons of the South Canyon Fire have not been lost to history. Today there are 73 wildland fires burning in the State of Alaska and some 1,544 wildland firefighters from 26 states and one province of Canada are on the ground tirelessly addressing these fires. Since the beginning of this year's fire season, approximately 2 million acres have burned in Alaska. Most of these acres have burned in seven large fires and ``fire complexes'' which occurred in the last few weeks. As of the last report that I received, the Boundary Fire is 27 percent contained. Two other incidents are five percent contained and the remaining four are zero percent contained. New fires can start on a moment's notice from a strike of lightening and, depending on the fuel; wind shifts can move existing fires at rates of over 2 miles per hour. In fact, a new fire was just reported yesterday, near the villages of Bettles and Evansville. At 5:00 PM, when the fire was reported, it had burned one acre, one hour later it was reported at 500 acres and at 10:00 PM it was reported at 1500 acres. Last week was an exceptionally difficult one for the people of Interior Alaska. In Fairbanks, a dark, smoky haze hung over the community. The Boundary Fire was burning about 30 miles to the north of Fairbanks between the Steese and Elliott Highways, while the Wolf Creek Fire was burning to the east, near Chena Hot Springs Road. These fires caused the evacuation of more than 280 households and countless animals, including household pets, sled dogs, cows, pigs and llamas. While volunteers from the Tanana Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross were offering shelter, food and respite from the smoke to the people of Fairbanks, officers from the Fairbanks North Star Borough's Division of Animal Control and numerous volunteers were making sure that the displaced animals were being well cared for. Miraculously, only seven structures, to date, have been lost in the spate of these wildfires with no loss of life. Thanks to the hard work of firefighters through the Independence Day weekend, the people uprooted by the Boundary Fire are returning home today. Although the Boundary and Wolf Creek fires were the subject of attention in the national media because of their proximity to urban areas, we must not forget that the fires are also threatening bush villages in rural Alaska. The Pingo Fire has burned to within one and one half miles of the town of Venetie and wildfires continue to threaten habitat that is important to the subsistence lifestyle practiced in the village. The people of Eagle on the Canadian border have been challenged by two fires, one burning west from Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. The safety of these communities, as well as Bettles, Chicken, Evansville, Fort Yukon, Stevens Village and Tok are on our minds today. The proximity of wildfires to the outskirts of our urban areas reminds us all to be firewise. Building defensible space around structures not only increases the likelihood that a building will survive a fire; it also increases resident and firefighter safety. Alaskans are also being encouraged this week to store their firewood away from structures and to use metal or fire resistant roofing materials in construction. I support these important safety initiatives. I also continue to support the important fuels reduction provisions of the President's Healthy Forest Initiative, and will continue to work to ensure that adequate resources are made available by Congress to our Nation's fire fighting crews. Fairbanks is known as the ``Golden Heart City,'' so let me say that our golden hearts go out to the thirty seven Alaska Native firefighting crews that are protecting Fairbanks as well as our villages, the Alaska firefighters on mutual aid assignments to fight the wildfires, and members of the national wildland fire community who have been dispatched to Alaska to help us get through this difficult fire season. I am deeply grateful to all in the wildland firefighter community for their tremendous sacrifices and commitment to making all of our communities safe.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I am pleased to honor a fellow Alaskan. This summer our country will display its patriotism on an international level during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. It is important for us to recognize the men and women who dedicate their lives to representing the United States. Though the sacrifices these individuals make are not ``life threatening'' like those of our American men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, the individuals who represent our country in the Olympics nonetheless sacrifice themselves, and proudly represent this Nation. That is why I would like to take the time to recognize one fellow Alaskan who is about to compete at the highest international level. Recently, my fellow Alaskan, Carlos Boozer, was selected to the Men's 2004 Olympic Basketball team. He becomes the first Alaskan to be selected to the United States Men's Olympic Basketball team. Unselfishly, Mr. Boozer has been a quiet winner his whole life. Carlos attended Juneau-Douglas High School, winning a State title in his junior season, and then in his senior season he was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team. He then enrolled in Duke University, where he won a national title with the Blue Devils. After receiving his degree from Duke in 3 years, Carlos was drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. With his workman-like mentality, he is becoming a model for those who dedicate themselves to perfection and team work, and not personal glory. Now he has the opportunity to represent this country in a quest for the Gold Medal in the Summer Olympic Games. I congratulate Carlos, not only for his recent achievement, but for his unselfish dedication. He has dedicated himself to Juneau his home town, Alaska his home state, Duke University, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and now the United States. This kind of continuous dedication is rare, and Carlos embodies it. In a time when professional athletes are opting out of the Olympic Games, Carlos has risen to the occasion and accepted a bid to represent his town, his State, his university, his team, and more importantly, his country. Again I congratulate Mr. Boozer and the rest of the men and women who will represent this great Nation in Athens this summer.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, the notion of reflecting for a moment at 9:09 a.m. on September 9, to recognize that during the 9 months of a pregnancy a woman should consume no alcohol, originated with three individuals. They weren't lobbyists or public relations consultants or social marketing experts. They were parents raising fetal alcohol children. In February of 1999, Bonnie Buxton and Brian Philcox of Toronto, Canada and Teresa Kellerman of Tuscon, AZ, all parents of fetal alcohol children, asked each other a question. The question was, ``What if a world full of fetal alcohol parents all got together on the ninth hour, of the ninth day of the ninth month of the year and asked the world to remember that during the nine months of pregnancy a woman should not drink alcohol?'' They asked, ``Would the world listen?'' This simple question launched a worldwide, grassroots movement, organized on e-mail list serves and on the World Wide Web to ask that communities everywhere observe Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day on September 9. The first International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day, or FASDAY as it is known, was observed on September 9, 1999. In the ensuing years, the number of communities observing FASDAY has grown and grown. I am proud that my State of Alaska strongly supports the observance of FASDAY and has published a kit of materials to help communities in my State and elsewhere plan their local observances. Thanks to the support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, the U.S. Senate will add its voice in support of this worldwide observance, with the adoption of my resolution designating September 9, 2004, as National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Day, which is the new name for FASDAY. I especially appreciate the support of the distinguished minority leader, a longstanding supporter of the fight against fetal alcohol related diseases and a founder of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. We choose to call September 9 National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Day because science has established that Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is just one of a number of disorders that can befall a child born to a woman that consumes alcohol during pregnancy. The number of children born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome each year dwarfs the number born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. But whatever you call it, women must know that consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is the single largest contributor to mental retardation, learning disabilities and birth defects, and all of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are completely preventable if a woman consumes no alcohol during the 9 months of pregnancy. By adopting this resolution we honor Bonnie and Brian and Teresa and all of the grassroots volunteers who have worked so hard in their communities around the globe to educate women about the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy and we recognize the States, counties and cities that have answered the call and organized local observances around International Fetal alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day. A message is simple--alcohol and pregnancy don't mix. No alcohol during the 9 months of pregnancy, period. The world is listening.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I thank Senator Cochran for including this provision in this important bill. Medicaid Direct Verification Authorities

Ms. MURKOWSKI. In October 2000, the American Heart Association, AHA, published updated guidelines for reducing the risk of heart disease. These guidelines noted that fatty fish, such as salmon, are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Such acids help in the prevention of heart disease in a variety of ways. The acids diminish the likelihood of sudden death, as well as abnormal heart rhythms that play a role in sudden death. The oils of fatty fish also decrease blood triglycerides, as well as blood clotting. The Food and Drug Administration has also previously suggested that there are health benefits to regularly consuming up to 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day. To illustrate a practical example, a piece of salmon that is a little over 3 ounces in weight includes about 1 gram of such fatty acids. Therefore, it would be very easy to comply with this suggestion. I understand that later this year, the Food and Drug Administration is likely to make an official determination that the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids will reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The provision in the WIC reauthorization bill will require the Secretary to conduct a periodic review of the list of supplemental foods and take into account the most recent scientific knowledge, such as the expected FDA determination regarding omega-3 fatty acids, when recommending any additions to the list of supplemental foods. Should salmon be included in the list of supplemental foods, it would then allow all States to include salmon as an acceptable food for their respective WIC recipients.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, the provision in question requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a periodic scientific review of the supplemental foods available in the Women, Infants, and Children Program, which is also known as the WIC Program. The Secretary shall undertake such a review as frequently as necessary to reflect the most recent scientific knowledge. Following such a review, the Secretary shall amend the list of supplemental foods in order to reflect nutrition, science, public health concerns, and cultural eating patterns.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I wish to address a provision that Senator Cochran has added to the Child Nutrition and WIC reauthorization bill on my behalf.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, in November of 2003, I was honored to join with the Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, in speaking on the Senate floor about the need for a national museum honoring the contributions of women in American history. Senator Collins and I took turns addressing the accomplishments of pioneering women from our respective States, who were breaking through glass ceilings long before society acknowledged that they even existed. One of the women I discussed was Sadie Brower Neakok, an Inupiaq Eskimo woman, from Barrow on Alaska's North Slope. Sadie has the distinction of being the first woman to serve as a magistrate in the State of Alaska. Four years before the United States passed its landmark civil rights act, an Eskimo woman was sitting on the bench in the State of Alaska. But her life was remarkable in so many other respects. For one thing, she was appointed in 1960, a year after Alaska was admitted to statehood and long before women, not to mention Alaska Native women, came to realize that a career in the law was even an option. She continued in that role for nearly 2 decades. Second, she was not trained as a lawyer. She was trained as an educator at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Yet when Sadie took the bench everyone knew she meant business. You should know that in the early days, the bench was Sadie's kitchen table. She was tough on offenders, but equally tough on Government officials when asked to enforce unjust laws and regulations. Ignoring the neutrality and detachment our society expects from its judicial officers, Sadie took a great risk when in May, 1961 she challenged an arbitrary game regulation which permitted duck hunting only after the ducks had already flown south. After one subsistence hunter was arrested for violating the law, she quietly organized the rest of the community to violate the same law. Nearly 150 people came forth bearing ducks and demanded to be arrested. The game warden could not keep up with the violators. There was not sufficient space in the jail to house them all. Sadie refused to charge them. In response to the community emergency, the regulation was changed. Reflecting on this well known episode of civil disobedience, the Alaska Commission on the Status of Women in 1983 noted, ``It was, perhaps, judicial activism at an awkward peak, but it brought necessary change for the people of Barrow.'' Finally, Sadie was already an accomplished teacher, a public health worker and a social worker before taking the bench. She was working on her fourth career before many women embarked on their first job outside the home. This is not to say that Sadie ignored the home. She was the mother of 13 children and cared for numerous foster children. In fact, she is regarded as the mother of all Barrow, which today has a population of about 4,500 people. She was a renowned seamstress, capable of making virtually anything from cloth or fur. Her life makes the aspiration shared by many women of ``having it all'' seem like a cliche. I have the sad duty of informing the Senate that Sadie Brower Neakok passed away last Sunday at the age of 88. When asked once what the best part of her work was, Sadie replied, ``gaining the respect of my people.'' Today in Barrow, AK, which remains an Eskimo community where people still speak their Native language, the community will turn out to demonstrate the depth of that respect. If there were a National Women's History Museum, young women everywhere would know Sadie's name and be able to take inspiration from her story. Until then it will take a bit more effort for people to learn more about this remarkable woman. Fortunately, Sadie's story is not lost to history. It is preserved for eternity in recorded oral histories and in the book ``Sadie Brower Neakok--An Inupiaq Woman'' by Margaret Blackman. It was a privilege to honor the life of Sadie Brower Neakok on the Senate floor last November. Today we extend our sympathy to Sadie's family and to all of the Inupiaq people of the North Slope on the loss of a respected Elder and a great leader.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, it is an honor to come to the floor today to speak in support of this amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Act on behalf of nuclear workers. I am proud to cosponsor this amendment. Why am I am honored to speak on behalf of this amendment? Simply put, because it is the right thing to do. The nuclear workers who will receive compensation under this amendment helped America win the cold war. They worked in our nuclear research facilities, our weapons facilities or, in the case of Alaskans, at the site of the largest nuclear test our country ever conducted. It was through their hard work and courage that our Nation was able to triumph in the most significant challenge we faced during the second half of the 20th century. Will the compensation to be provided nuclear workers under this amendment really repay our Nation's debt to them? Of course not. It will not come close. Sylvia Carlsson is the widow of an Amchitka worker. Her husband was a mine shaft workers on the Project Cannikin at the Amchitka, AK, nuclear test site in 1971. Project Cannikin was our Nation's largest nuclear bomb test. He was exposed to ionizing radiation during the course of his employment. He died of colon cancer before his 41st birthday. Bev Aleck and Nancy Woodward-Tremper are two of a number of other Alaskan widows with similar stories. Other former Amchitka workers, such as Andrew Akula, are still living but are suffering from life-threatening conditions. Ask any of these Alaskans whether this compensation will make up for lives lot or a lifetime of debilitating disease. It wouldn't. However, the compensation they have earned will at least show that a grateful Nation acknowledges their contribution to our national security. Let me briefly talk about what this amendment actually does. First, and perhaps most importantly, my colleagues should recognize that this amendment does nothing more than cure deficiencies in Energy Employees Occupational Illnesses Compensation Program Act that Congress passed in 2000. It is narrow, focused legislation. It certain is no brand new entitlement program. The Energy Employees Act of 2000 established two programs for compensating nuclear workers. The program under subtitle B of the act is administered by the Department of Labor. Numerous claims have been processed and many claimants found eligible have received compensation under the Department of Labor program. Indeed, the Department of Labor's implementation of subtitle B has been universally recognized as a success. In sharp contrast to the Department of Labor's record, the processing of claims under subtitle D of the Act by the Department of Energy has been unacceptably slow. In 4 years, only 3 percent of claims have been processed by DOE. The great majority of claims remain unprocessed by DOE. DOE's failure to successfully implement its portion of the Energy Employees Act has been the subject of two recent Senate Energy Committee hearings. The record of these hearings unequivocally reflects both DOE's dismal claims processing record and its failure to develop any plan to provide funds to a significant percentage of nuclear workers found eligible for compensation. In addition to the Senate hearings, the GAO recently issued a report on DOE's implementation of subtitle D of the Energy Employees Act. It found numerous problems with both DOE's claims processing efforts and confirmed the findings of the two Senate Committee hearings concerning DOE's ability to assure that claimant's found eligible would actually receive compensation. I try to stay away from dry statistics when discussing issues that have such a direct impact on so many Americans' lives and health. However, I think that in this instance one statistic starkly illustrates the need for this legislation. After 4 years and more than $90 million in administrative funding, DOE has provided compensation to only 4--yes, 4--of more than 24,000 individuals that have applied for assistance under the subtitle D program. There is nothing new or difficult about this legislation. There is nothing that requires lengthy reflection or consideration. This amendment simply implements legislation Congress passed 4 years ago. Unfortunately, what Congress intended in the 2000 Energy Employees Act has not occurred. This amendment addresses that failure. I close my remarks as I began. Our Nation owes a debt of gratitude to the nuclear workers. It is well past time that we provided Alaskans and other Americans the compensation they have earned in service to our country. The workers and their survivors deserve no less.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in the case of Elk Grove Unified School District v. Michael Newdon. In Elk Grove, as my colleagues are very much aware, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the phrase ``under God'' in the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional. On an 8 to 0 vote the Supreme Court dismissed the case on procedural grounds. The ruling effectively preserves the right of children in public schools to recite the full Pledge of Allegiance. I applaud the decision of the Supreme Court. It is truly right, and a bit ironic, that the Supreme Court issued its decision today on ``Flag Day.'' Today is also the Golden Anniversary of congressional action that added the words ``under God'' to the Pledge of Allegiance. I commend Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Judges Sandra Day O'Connor and Clarence Thomas who agreed, I believe properly, that the decision by the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit should be overturned not on the standing issue but instead because the words ``under God'' in the pledge do not violate the Constitution. In response to the decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, I introduced Senate Resolution 71, which passed this body by a 94 to 0 vote. The resolution expressed the sense of the Senate that we ``strongly disapprove'' the decision of the Ninth Circuit and further instructed the Senate Legal Counsel to intervene in the case to defend the constitutionality of the words ``under God'' in the Pledge and if unable to intervene, to file an amicus curiae brief in support of continuing the constitutionality of the words ``under God'' in the Pledge. I do not if my colleagues have had the opportunity to read the amicus curiae brief filed on behalf of the United States Senate. But I want to compliment Patricia Mack Bryan, the Senate Legal Counsel; Morgan J. Frankel, the Deputy Senate Legal Counsel; and Grant Vinik and Thomas Caballero, who are Assistant Senate Legal Counsels. I know they worked hard on the brief that was filed in December. They said in the brief: The First Congress not only acknowledged a proper role for religion in public life, but did so at the very time it drafted the Establishment Clause. They also noted that: the Public manifestations of our Nation's religious heritage include ``an unbroken history of official acknowledgement by all three branches of the government. The mere reference to a Higher Being or God does not amount to a breach of the establishment clause of the Constitution. The children born of this century will probably never appreciate the cold war and how in the early fifties, our country felt threatened by China, Russia and the spread of communism. It was in that historical context that Congress added the phrase ``under God'' to the pledge. As the Senate Legal Counsel related in their brief, the legislative history makes clear that Congress wanted to give credence to the fundamental truth that a Government deriving its powers from the consent of the governed must look to God for divine leadership. There can be no doubt our Founding Fathers believed then, as I firmly believe today, that our Nation was founded on a fundamental belief in God, and that the actions we take here in the United States Senate and those of our children when they start their day in school each morning must be governed by the principles invoked by a belief in a dedication to our Country and to God, by whatever name you choose to make reference to that power and foundation. I welcome the decision of the United States Supreme Court that preserves the right of our children and ourselves to say the words ``under God'' in our Pledge of Allegiance.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 10 a.m. for a hearing titled ``Going Nowhere: DOD Wastes Millions of Dollars on Unused Airline Tickets.''

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 9, 2004, at 10 a.m. to hold a closed business meeting.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on Evaluating International Intellectual Property Piracy.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. on digital TV.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 10 a.m. on ``DHS Oversight: Terrorism and Other Topics'' in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. The Honorable Tom Ridge, Secretary of Department of Homeland Defense, will testify.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I, too, rise to join my colleagues in honoring our Nation's 40th President, Ronald Reagan. It is most fitting and I know that I have watched, as have Americans across the country, as we see the stories of Ronald Reagan and his life and his contributions to this country, stories coming from not only those of us standing on the Senate floor but from other countries, from small communities. People are focusing on the man that was Ronald Reagan, a great leader for this country. The stories that have been told have been wide-ranging, covering President Reagan's role in the cold war, his truly undying sense of optimism for the country, the discussions about Reaganomics, and, of course, all those personal stories that make President Reagan so unforgettable. Alaska certainly has its stories to add and to share as well. President Reagan's impact on Alaska began before he even entered the office of the Presidency. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, putting over 100 million acres of land under Federal control, was pending before the Congress. With Reagan's election that year, leaders in the House and Senate--at the time, both were under Democratic control--knew that if they were going to get a bill signed into law, it would have to be then, before President Reagan was sworn in, and the Act, for better or for worse, was signed into law on December 2, 1980. But President Reagan understood Alaska and Alaskans. In his book, entitled ``Reagan, In His Own Hand,'' the President asked this very important question: Will Alaska wind up as our biggest state, or will it be our smallest state surrounded by our biggest national park? He tried to ease the impact these land withdrawals had on Alaskans living in and around the new parks and refuges. He fought for access to these lands to provide for economic development, and it was his administration that determined that oil drilling should be allowed in a small section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a debate that continues today. Alaskans remembered all that President Reagan did for us in both Presidential elections by giving him wide and broad-based support throughout the State. President Reagan had the opportunity to visit Alaska several times. He liked to talk about his ties to the State. He was a big fan of Robert Service, and one of his favorites was a poem entitled ``The Shooting of Dan McGrew.'' It is a poem about a particular barroom brawl, and most people may remember the beginning of it: A bunch of the boys were whooping it up at the Malamute Saloon. It is a wonderful, kind of down-and-dirty, rough-and-tumble poem that personified what many wanted to believe about Alaska and the last Frontier. But President Reagan was quite fond of that. I had an opportunity last night to pull out ``The Shooting Of Dan McGrew'' and read it yet one more time, and it brought good smiles to my face. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the full contents of ``The Shooting Of Dan McGrew.''

Ms. MURKOWSKI. I have a wonderful personal anecdote about President Reagan. He visited Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1984. It was a monumental visit because he joined Pope John Paul II in Fairbanks for a summit there. The President and Nancy Reagan arrived in Fairbanks on their way back from China. The following day, the Pope was arriving on his way to Korea. As we do in Alaska, we can facilitate great unions because of our strategic location at the top of the globe. So they were able to meet at the Fairbanks International Airport. During his stopover in Fairbanks, the President spent his time at my parent's home out on the Chena River. They were there for a couple of days. It would not be much of a story except that the home was brand spanking new. It had not yet been furnished. So in an effort to make sure the President and Mrs. Reagan were comfortable, the community literally furnished the home, complete with very fine Alaskan artwork. It was perhaps a showcase home for a couple of days. Everything from the city's artwork to the china ultimately had to be returned to wherever it came from. The community went all out for the President and Mrs. Reagan. Because this was a new house, there were some kinks that still needed to be worked out, specifically the water. It didn't have hot water. Apparently, after a long flight, it is quite nice to stop and take a shower, or perhaps Mrs. Reagan needed a warm bath. But there was no hot water. A call was made to then-Senator Murkowski at about 3 a.m. asking how come there was no hot water. As the story goes, the President and my father were wandering around outside trying to figure out how to make the hot water come on. They learned you had to keep the water running for a while. That was the way President Reagan was. He was willing to go out and try to be helpful and fix the problem. He was a man who wanted to make things work, to cut through the redtape and bureaucracy, reduce the size of Government, and a man who was not afraid to stand up and promote his vision for America, but also knowing when it was time to compromise on issues. He was an individual who truly made America feel good about itself again. I will close by reading a quote from Ronald Reagan during his speech at the 1992 National Republican Convention. I feel it is truly a fitting reminder of this great man's legacy. I read as follows: My fellow citizens--those of you here in this hall and those of you at home--I want you to know that I have always had the highest respect for you, for your common sense and intelligence, and for your decency. I have always believed in you and in what you could accomplish for yourselves and for others. And whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arms steadying your way. My fondest hope for each one of you--and especially for the young people here--is that you will love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism. May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will make the world a little better for your having been here. May all of you as Americans never forget your heroic origins, never fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose your natural, God-given optimism. And finally, my fellow Americans, may every dawn be a great new beginning for America and every evening bring us closer to that shining city upon a hill. I yield the floor.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the following hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Thursday June 17th, at 2:30 p.m. in Room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 2513, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Authority for the planning, design, and construction of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Systems and for other purposes; S. 2511, a bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study of a Chimayo water supply system, to provide for the planning design, and construction of a water supply, reclamation, and filtration facility for Espanola, NM, and for other purposes; S. 2508, a bill to redesignate the Ridges Basin Reservoir, CO, as Lake Nighthorse; S. 2460, a bill to provide assistance to the State of New Mexico for the development of comprehensive State water plans, and for other purposes; and S. 1211, a bill to further the purposes of title XVI of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992, the ``Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act'', by directing the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a demonstration program for water reclamation in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico, and for other purposes. Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, SD-364 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510-6150. For further information, please contact Nate Gentry at 202-224-2179 or Shane Perkins at 202-224-7555.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I, too, rise to pay tribute and honor to our World War II colleagues here in the Senate: Senator Inouye, Senator Akaka, Senator Warner, Senator Hollings, Senator Lautenberg, and, of course, my friend, Senator Stevens. I would like to take a few minutes this afternoon to speak my heartfelt appreciation to my friend, the senior Senator from the State of Alaska, Senator Stevens. I know words alone can never accurately reflect the tenacious spirit of our friend and decorated World War II veteran. Like so many veterans of the war, Senator Stevens downplays his role. He will tell you quite simply he did what was expected. Yet it is something that must be told time and time again to realize how much this one humble servant has done and continues to do, both for the country and for the State of Alaska. Prior to going into the war, Senator Stevens made a promise to his aunt with whom he was living at the time. He made a promise that he was not going to enlist until he could do so without her consent. So he stayed in college until he was 19, and then he immediately put the wheels in motion to enlist. But he didn't pass that first flight physical. His eyes apparently were not up to par. I think my colleagues in this Chamber who know Senator Stevens, especially those of them who might play tennis with him, know that this setback was not something that was going to keep Senator Stevens down. He was determined to fulfill his commitment. He went out and did eye exercises for a couple of months and passed that next flight physical. During World War II, Senator Stevens flew C-46s and C-47s in the China-Burma-India theater, supporting the Flying Tigers of the 14th Air Force. He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Air Medals, and the Yuan Hai medal, awarded by the Republic of China, a truly honorable and amazing tour of duty. But this was not enough action for Senator Stevens. It was on his way home from China that he gained an interest, I guess, in politics. During the war, he had done his job. He flew every mission that was requested of him and volunteered for more. He volunteered to drive the Burma Road with a convoy of trucks because they needed officers. But afterward, the keen interest in politics, in terms of why the United States was involved in the war, kicked in, and Alaska and the Nation have benefited ever since. He finished his undergraduate education at UCLA, earned his juris doctorate from Harvard, and served in a number of Government and elected positions before coming here to the U.S. Senate. To Senator Stevens, Senators Inouye, Akaka, Warner, Hollings, and Lautenberg, I join with my colleagues in thanking you for your distinguished service to our country and to this legislative body, not only because you helped to protect and defend our freedoms but also because you continue to support those who now serve to protect and defend our beloved America. You are the living history of the greatest generation. I yield the floor.

Ms. MURKOWSKI

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, this evening, in a candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial on Judiciary Square, thousands of law enforcement officers from all corners of our Nation will come together. Many will be accompanied by their spouses, some by their children. Law enforcement is truly a family business. Tonight, we will come together to honor 362 heroes whose names were inscribed on that marble wall last month. These heroes are law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Mr. President, 145 of those officers lost their lives just last year. I rise this morning to pay tribute to the men and women whose names are inscribed on that wall. I rise to lend my support to their survivors and to their colleagues. The 362 individuals we will honor tonight were each distinct individuals. Together, they represent all of the diversity that is America. Together, they shared a commitment to service that is central to the tradition of American law enforcement. This commitment to service means spending Christmas Day in the patrol car instead of with family. It means working on your spouse's birthday, checking on the welfare of others. The officer's name is John Patrick Watson. On Christmas Day, 2003, he went to work, leaving behind his beloved wife Kathy on her birthday, to do the job he loved, which was protecting the people of Kenai, AK. That had been his job for 18 years. That Christmas night, answering a call for a ``welfare check,'' Officer Watson would become the first member of the Kenai Police Department to lose his life in the line of duty. Officer Watson was shot to death with his own weapon, allegedly by the individual on whose welfare he was checking. The individuals who will be remembered this evening at the memorial are regarded as heroes, not for the way they died but for the way they lived. So let us not dwell on how Officer Watson lost his life but on the way he lived it. During the memorial services in the city of Kenai, Chief Chuck Kopp recounted another call, 3 years earlier, which began with the words: ``My name is Officer Watson and I am here to help.'' Officer Watson was responding to aid a woman who almost died from a sleeping pill overdose. The woman, writing after Officer Watson's tragic death, stated that she did not remember much of what had occurred that night, but the peace she felt as his unshaken voice reached her is something she will never forget. The woman whose life Officer Watson saved, ironically, never had an opportunity to thank him during his lifetime. In a letter that was read during Officer Watson's memorial service, the woman wrote: Please know that with every breath I take, I thank you. . . . I will make every day count. Your time and energy were not wasted. I never had the opportunity to meet Officer John Watson. It is troubling to me that in spite of his many good works, only in death have his many contributions been recognized on the Senate floor. So to Kathy, to John's children, and to the members of his family in Michigan, I say that John Watson's time and energy were certainly not wasted. He trained nearly every member of the Kenai Police Department. He was a pillar of the community, devoted to his church and to God, a bear of a man with a smile for everyone. John Watson was an Alaskan by choice rather than by birth, but he will remain forever in our hearts as a true Alaskan hero. For in valor, there is hope. I thank the Presiding Officer and yield the floor.