Arlen Specter

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. I appreciate the Senator's interest in this issue and recognize that he has legislation pending in Congress to address the needs of affected Idahoans. I say to my friend and colleague that I will work with him to identify necessary improvements and to respond to findings contained in the NAS report. I also urge the administration to work diligently to help those still in need.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I now call up amendment No. 2276, as modified, proposed by Senator Domenici.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2215, as further modified, proposed by Senator Sununu.

Mr. SPECTER. I thank my distinguished colleague, and I yield the floor.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I now call up amendment No. 2250, as modified, proposed by Senator Landrieu.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to move to the vote on the Ensign amendment.

Mr. SPECTER. I say to my colleague that I am aware of these examples and I share his concern.

Mr. SPECTER. I thank my good friend from Georgia for his remarks. I am very proud of the role the committee has played in establishing and expanding the arthritis program at CDC. I believe deeply in the vital role of the CDC and its partners in this important battle and, yes, the committee has provided funds to sustain this cooperative relationship.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I now call up amendment No. 2301, proposed by Senator Obama, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, with reluctance, I have to raise a point of order. This will push us over the brink. Under section 302(f) of the Budget Act, this amendment would create a situation where the authority and outlays would be in excess of the subcommittee 302(b) allocation for the fiscal year 2006. I expect the Senator from California to move to waive.

Mr. SPECTER. I have. And I say to the Senator that the bill before us provides funding for a number of programs that are consistent with the academy's report. One such program I know my colleague is familiar with is the Mathematics and Science Partnership, MSP, program that provides grants to improve basic student performance in math and science through a variety of programs and activities. Many of the program's allowable activities, like summer institutes for teacher training, are specific activities the National Academy recommends we pursue in order to enhance our children's development in science and math. The committee has provided a total of $178.5 million for mathematics and science programs in fiscal year 2006. The House-passed bill includes $190 million for this program. We are, of course, working under a tight budget with this bill, but I want my colleague to know that as we move to conference, I will work to ensure this program, and other similar math and science programs receive the highest possible amount of funding.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I now call up amendment No. 2327, proposed by the distinguished Senator from Minnesota, Mr. Coleman, and the distinguished Senator from New Mexico, Mr. Bingaman, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, we will now proceed to the amendment of the Senator from Nevada. It is the anticipation of the managers following that amendment that we will have two rollcall votes. I ask unanimous consent that after the yeas and nays have been ordered, the first rollcall vote be 15 minutes plus 5 and the second a 10-minute rollcall vote, 10 minutes plus 5.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, before moving ahead to the amendments on the flu pandemic, there are some amendments which have been cleared and which have been accepted on both sides. I call up Thune amendment No. 2193. This amendment provides $10 million for the telehealth programs within the Department of Education. The amendment is fully offset. I believe it has been agreed to by my distinguished ranking member, Senator Harkin.

Mr. SPECTER. Now the Alexander amendment 2308, as modified.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization be authorized to conduct a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 27, 2005, at 10 a.m. in room 328A, Senate Russell Office Building. The purpose of this subcommittee hearing will be to conduct oversight of the Forest and Rangeland Research Program of the USDA Forest Service.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Trade be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, October 27, 2005, at 2 p.m., to hear testimony on ``The Status of World Trade Organization Negotiations.''

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 27, 2005, for a committee hearing titled ``The Rising Number of Disabled Veterans Deemed Unemployable: Is the System Failing? A Closer Look at VA's Individual Unemployment Benefit.'' The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 2 p.m.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. in Senate Dirksen Office Building room 226. Agenda: I. Nominations: Wan Kim, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division; Steven G. Bradbury, to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel; Sue Ellen Wooldridge, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division; and Thomas O. Barnett, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division. II. Bills: S. 1088, Streamlined Procedures Act of 2005, Kyl, Cornyn, Grassley, Hatch; S. 1789, Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2005, Specter, Leahy, Feinstein, Feingold; S. 751, Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act, Feinstein, Kyl; S. 1699, Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act, Specter, Leahy, Hatch, DeWine, Cornyn, Brownback, Feingold, Durbin; S. 1095, Protecting American Goods and Services Act of 2005, Cornyn, Leahy; H.R. 683, Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2005, Smith--TX; S. 1787, Relief to Victims of Hurricane Katrina and Other Natural Disasters Act of 2005, Vitter, Grassley, Cornyn, DeWine; S. 1647, Hurricane Katrina Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 2005, Feingold, Leahy, Durbin, Kennedy, Feinstein; and S.J. Res. 1, Marriage Protection Amendment, Allard, Sessions, Kyl, Hatch, Cornyn, Coburn.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 27, 2005, at 9:30 a.m., in closed session to mark up S. 1803, the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 27, 2005, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``Issues Regarding the Sending of Remittances and the Role of Financial Institutions.''

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, October 27, 2005, at 9:30 a.m. in room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a business meeting on the following bills: (1) S. 1057, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act amendments of 2005. (2) S. 1003, The Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement amendments of 2005. (3) S. 692, A bill to provide for the conveyance of certain public land in northwestern New Mexico by resolving a dispute associated with coal preference right lease interests on the land. (4) S.___, A bill to extend the statute of limitations for breach of trust claims. (5) S. 1219, A bill to authorize certain tribes in the State of Montana to enter into a lease or other temporary conveyance of water rights to meet the water needs of the Dry Prairie Rural Water Association, Inc. Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 27 at 10 a.m. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony from the administration on hurricane recovery efforts related to energy and to discuss energy policy.

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 27, 2005 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed briefing.

Mr. SPECTER

Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to introduce, along with Senators Biden and Brownback, the Second Chance Act of 2005: Community Safety through Recidivism Prevention. This legislation is designed to reduce recidivism among adult and juvenile ex-offenders. Never before in our history have so many individuals been released from prison and never before in our history have so many ex-offenders been is prepared to reenter their communities. Each year, more than 650,000 individuals are released, which roughly equates to about 1,700 individuals returning communities each day. This number is expected to grow in the near future as more inmates complete their prison terms. For most offenders, the transition back into their communities is difficult because many lack the necessary skill to ensure a successful reentry. Many suffer from serious substance abuse addictions and mental health issues. Many have difficulty securing a job or adequate housing and often find themselves lured back to a life of crime. A study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that over two- thirds of released prisoners were rearrested within three years and one-half of those rearrested were convicted and re-incarcerated. This high rate of recidivism devastates our towns and communities and puts an enormous strain on state and local budgets. The Second Chance Act reauthorizes the Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Demonstration projects, authorizing the Attorney General to make grants to States and local governments to establish offender reentry projects, with an enhanced focus on job training, housing, substance abuse and mental health treatment, and working with children and families. It also creates a new grant program available to nonprofit organizations for the purpose of providing mentoring and other transitional services essential to reintegrating ex-offenders. The Second Chance Act encourages new community partnerships to help educate, train, and employ these individuals who might otherwise return to a life of crime. Many ex-offenders are often stigmatized by their incarceration, and must face the reality that many employers are reluctant to hire them. A National Adult Literacy Study determined that a majority of prisoners are either illiterate or have marginal reading, writing, and math skills. Following the repeal of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated individuals, I worked to create the Grants to States for Workplace and Community Transition Training for Incarcerated Youth Offenders program. This program is aimed at providing post-secondary education, employment counseling, and workplace and community transition training for incarcerated youth offenders while in prison, which continue for up to one year after the individual is released. The current program limits expenditures per youth offender to $1,500 for tuition and books, and only allows an additional $300 for other related services. The Second Chance Act builds upon my earlier efforts by increasing State's flexibility and accountability within the grant program. It removes the cap and raises the allowable expenditure permitted for each youth offender to the maximum level of Pell Grants. One of the keys to preventing recidivism is access to education an in recognizing the impact that education an job training can have on incarcerated offenders. It is my sincere hope that this legislation will encourage incarcerated individuals to achieve their independence and to gain the necessary skills to become productive members of society. Another crisis that well face is the growing populations of prisoners who are parents. More than half of those currently incarcerated are parents of minor children. Female incarceration rates are increasing faster than those men, totaling 7 percent of the prison population. Of those incarcerated, 80 percent are mothers with, on average two dependent children. What is most troubling is that two-thirds of their children are younger the the age of 10. The incarceration of a parent can have a tremendous impact on childhood development. Prison presents a unique opportunity to improve a prisoner's ability to become a better part once they are released. Unfortunately, many of our prisons do not employ such programs, due to fiscal constraints as well as a shift in priorities. The Second Chance Act of 2005 encourages the creating of programs that facilitate visitation, if it is in the best interest of the child. It also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish services to help preserve family units, with special attention paid to the impact on the child of an incarcerated parent. There is ample evident that well-designed reentry programs reduce recidivism. Programs such as aftercare for substance abusers and adult vocational education have shown to reduce recidivism up to 15 percent. These programs pay for themselves by reducing future correction costs associated with re-housing these individuals upon their return back into the institution. The revolving door of prisons not only hurts those who are caught up in the process, but hurts their families and our communities. If we fail to address this problem, 1e are burdening our communities not only with greater expenditures, but in the risk of increased crime and unsafe neighborhoods. The more we can do to prepare these individuals when they return home, the better off we will all be. I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this legislation, and urge its swift adoption.