Gordon Smith

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to commend Dr. Ephraim Zuroff and the Simon Wiesenthal Center for their efforts to track down the last Nazi war criminals from World War II. Their work is enormously important, both in bringing the guilty to justice and preventing future acts of genocide. The statute of limitations does not--must not--expire on crimes against humanity. Earlier this year, I introduced the World War II War Crimes Accountability Act with Sen. Nelson, which I hope will help Dr. Zuroff and the Simon Wiesenthal Center in their noble effort. The barbarity of those crimes still echoes today, more than 63 years after the end of the war. June 28 of this year, for example, marked the 94th birthday of Dr. Aribert Heim, the second-most wanted Nazi war criminal still believed to be at large. Dr. Heim, a former SS concentration camp doctor, was nicknamed ``Dr. Death'' for his brutal and sadistic experiments on camp inmates. At Mauthausen, the camp where he committed his worst crimes, Dr. Heim was known for murdering inmates by injecting toxins directly into their hearts. Unfortunately, despite the particularly heinous nature of Dr. Heim's crimes, investigators into Heim's whereabouts can still face official obstructionism. Germany, for example, is one of the few countries that still have an active Nazi-hunting unit. However, this team's efforts have been impeded by the repeated refusals of the presiding German judge to allow the police task force sufficient investigative latitude. Such procedures, like wiretaps on suspected Heim associates, are granted in murder cases in Germany--just not, apparently, in mass- murder cases like Dr. Heim. This is this not the only instance of German bureaucratic obstructionism, which have been carefully monitored by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Correspondingly, in the center's 2007 Annual Report on Worldwide Investigation and Prosecution of Nazi War Criminals, Germany received a failing grade--its only failing grade since the report was first published in 2001. The German government should do its utmost to reverse this pattern before it becomes a trend. The Simon Wiesenthal Center launched Operation: Last Chance in 2002, to identify and assist in the prosecution of the remaining Nazi war criminals still at large. Dr. Zuroff, who has been leading this effort, should be highly commended for his outstanding efforts in bringing the most guilty Nazis to justice. Even today, the crimes of Heim and the Nazi regime strain our understanding of hate. Hitler's Germany today is remembered only for its brutality, its mantra of genocide, and its culture of racism. And those last Nazis, who are waiting out their last days under the coming twilight, must not be allowed to go quietly into the night, as did too many of their victims. For the souls that were lost, and even more for those that remain, there must be justice. I commend Dr. Zuroff and the Simon Wiesenthal Center in the highest possible terms, and urge the United States Government to do all it can to help them in their cause.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Madam President, today I commend Dr. Ephraim Zuroff and the Simon Wiesenthal Center for their efforts to track down the last Nazi war criminals from World War II. Their work is enormously important, both in bringing the guilty to justice and preventing future acts of genocide. The statute of limitations does not--must not--expire on crimes against humanity. I am proud to assist Dr. Zuroff and his organization through the World War II War Crimes Accountability Act, which I introduced with Senator Nelson earlier this year. Over the past weeks, Dr. Zuroff has traveled throughout South America in an effort to locate Dr. Aribert Heim, one of the most wanted Nazis still at large. Dr. Heim, a former SS concentration camp doctor, was nicknamed ``Dr. Death'' for his brutal and sadistic experiments on camp inmates. At Mauthausen, the camp where he committed his worst crimes, Dr. Heim was known for murdering inmates by injecting toxins directly into their hearts. Though detained after the Second World War, Heim was subsequently released and remained free until 1962. After he was tipped off that German authorities intended to prosecute him for war crimes, he fled Germany and disappeared. Today, Dr. Heim is believed to be living in either the Chilean or Argentinean Patagonia region at the tip of South America. His family claims he died in 1993 after fleeing Germany, but Dr. Zuroff points out that the family has still not claimed one of his bank accounts holding over a million dollars. If he were dead, his relatives could receive that money by showing evidence of his death. The Simon Wiesenthal Center launched Operation: Last Chance in 2002 to identify and assist in the prosecution of the remaining Nazi war criminals still at large. Dr. Zuroff, who has been leading this effort, should be highly commended for his outstanding efforts in bringing the most guilty Nazis to justice. Of these, Dr. Heim is at the top of his list. Even today, the crimes of Heim and the Nazi regime strain our understanding of hate. National Socialist Germany today is an icon remembered only for its brutality, its mantra of genocide, and its culture of racism. And those last Nazis, who are waiting out their last days under the coming twilight, must not be allowed to go quietly into the night, as did too many of their victims. For the souls that were lost, and even more for those that remain, there must be justice. I commend Dr. Zuroff and the Simon Wiesenthal Center in the highest possible terms, and urge the U.S. Government to do all it can to help them in their cause.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress, Senator Kennedy and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law, sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise, each Congress I have come to the floor on many occasions to highlight a separate violent, hate-motivated crime that has occurred in our country. On the evening of July 7, 2008, Rev. Louis Braxton, Jr., was returning to the shelter he runs for transgender and gay youth in Queens, NY, when he witnessed a group of teens attacking some of the shelter's residents. Father Braxton says he shouted at the attackers and they ran off. Four of them returned, however, holding a paint bucket, steel brackets, a miter box, and a belt. According to the Queens district attorney's office, two of the residents argued with the four attackers and were punched in the face and body. Father Braxton, who was also reportedly struck in the face with a metal object in the scuffle, says the assailants were yelling homophobic and antitransgender slurs as they beat the victims. The shelter apparently suffers from weekly attacks from neighborhood teenagers. Father Braxton has met with the Hate Crimes Division of the police department to discuss safety issues for the residents. The district attorney's office has charged Shara Mozie, Tyreek Childs, and Trevaughn Payne with assault and weapons harassment, and the attack is also being investigated as a hate crime. I believe that the Government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Matthew Shepard Act is a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Madam President, let me first commend the work of Senators Lugar and Biden for their leadership in chaperoning this bill through the committee and on to the Senate floor. And, I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation. I also want to thank them for including the Kerry/ Smith language on lifting the HIV/AIDS travel ban. This legislation is an important commitment to meeting the global challenges of this epidemic. Right now, PEPFAR is on schedule to achieve its goals of supporting treatment for 2 million AIDS patients with life-saving antiretroviral therapies; preventing the transmission of 7 million new cases of the disease; and supporting care for 10 million people infected and affected with HIV/AIDS, including orphans and most vulnerable the world's children. Despite what we have witnessed on the Senate floor over the past few weeks, PEPFAR, since its inception, has enjoyed wide bipartisan support. More importantly, it has served as a powerful demonstration of our Nation's leadership on global health issues and our Nation's collective compassion to the most vulnerable throughout the world. In the past, I have had the fortune of working with Senator Boxer on The Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Act Now Act. Based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Stop TB Partnership, this legislation would increase the resources available to combat TB in countries with high drug resistant TB infection rates. For people infected with AIDS, TB is often deadly. We have worked to have key provisions of this legislation included in the bill. Senator Dodd and I have worked closely with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair and ranking member to include provisions from our pediatric HIV/AIDS bill. This legislation, the Global Pediatric HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Act, would increase the number of children receiving treatment under PEPFAR. Specifically, it would expand services to prevent thousands of new mother-to-child transmission cases. Lastly, this legislation should serve as a mirror of reflection on our own Nation's policies related to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. I have sought in my years in the Senate to help in this fight, pushing for more funding, authoring the Early Treatment for HIV Act and helping Oregon's largest HIV/AIDS service provider, Cascade AIDS, where I am able. I honor the good work that Cascade AIDS has done in Oregon from education and testing to hospice care at Our House and food services through Esther's Pantry. Cascade AIDS truly proves the good in Oregonians in answering the many needs of those living with HIV/AIDS. Yet while we have come a long way from the stigma, fear-mongering, and rampant discrimination of the 1980s against those living with HIV/ AIDS, our Nation continues to discriminate. As many of you may not know, the United States is 1 of only 12 Nations with an HIV immigration and visitor travel ban. Although we are the leader in public and private HIV research, we also legally ban people from entering the country who are HIV positive. It does not matter whether the individual seeks to enter the U.S. to attend a global health conference, conduct business, vacation, or visit family or friends--they are all categorically banned from entering the U.S. because they are HIV- positive. HIV/AIDS is the only medical condition that serves as permanent grounds for inadmissibility to the U.S. Even TB and leprosy are left to the discretion of the Health and Human Services Secretary in determining admissibility. While individuals with HIV can seek a waiver from inadmissibility, it is cumbersome, restrictive, and ineffective. As a result, the U.S. has made it clear to individuals with HIV/AIDS worldwide that they are unwelcome in our country--period. The other Nations that have put the ``unwelcome mat'' out to individuals with HIV/AIDS include Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Sudan. Aside from the U.S., only 11 other Nations have a ban. Even China, fearing embarrassment with hosting the upcoming Olympics, recently acted to remove its ban on HIV-positive visitors. It is time we join China and most of the rest of the world. Senator Kerry and I have introduced legislation, which was been included in this bill, to simply return the authority to the Department of Health and Human Services--as with other diseases--to decide whether or not HIV should be grounds for inadmissibility to the U.S. This ban is a byproduct of the ignorance surrounding HIV in the 1980s and 1990s. By lifting this ban, we can finally set free the specters of phobia from our past and fully embrace our global leadership on HIV/AIDS. I urge my colleagues to join with me and Senator Kerry in removing this stigma from our immigration policy.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I wish today to talk about the impact the new markets tax credit has had in revitalizing distressed neighborhoods in my home State of Oregon. The new markets tax credit has become a vital financing tool to organizations throughout Oregon, like United Fund Advisors and Portland Family of Fund, to invest in and nurture business opportunities in our low income communities that are in need of investment capital. The New Markets Tax Credit was signed into law in 2000 with the goal of using a modest Federal tax credit as an incentive to attract private investment capital to viable urban and rural markets that private investors often overlook and I am happy to report that the credit has done just that. The Treasury Department reported that as of July 1, 2008, the credit is responsible for $11 billion of new investment going into economically distressed communities across the country. More than $600 million in NMTC- supported projects have been launched in Portland alone with the promise to create more than 9,000 construction and permanent jobs for city residents. United Fund Advisors and its sister organization Portland Family of Funds are but two organizations using the credit in my home State, but I hold up their works as an example of how the NMTC can work. United Fund Advisors and Portland Family of Funds recognized the potential of downtown Portland. Since 2002, through their CDEs, they have been awarded $165 million in credits, which they have used to attract investors to finance vital community services, as well as businesses in neighborhoods that have suffered from chronic poverty and disinvestment. In downtown Portland, the credit has financed several community facility projects, including the Community Transitional School, which is an elementary school that serves homeless children throughout the city. The school serves over 200 homeless children a year and has been in operation since 1990. However, it was unable to secure the financing it needed to support the $3.5 million rehabilitation of its facility to create a safe, stable and permanent home for the school. The credit was used to attract financing from U.S. Bancorp to make the project possible and the school now expects to open the doors to its new 9,500- square-foot facility this fall. The credit also provided the gap financing necessary to develop a drug rehabilitation facility within the Union Gospel Mission and to rehabilitate a theater and community space in the Portland Armory, which had been lying vacant for about 35 years. The credit has been used to reclaim abandoned commercial space and encourage business development and economic activity in downtown Portland. Portland Family of Funds used the credit to assist a minority developer finance the development of two business condominiums designed to bring minority- and women-owned businesses into the downtown Portland market. In addition, the credit financed the Portland Small Business Loan Fund which provides financing to new and emerging small businesses operating in low-income neighborhoods in the city. None of the projects that I just described would have been completed without the new markets tax credit. Last year the GAO published a report on the NMTC and found that 88 percent of the NMTC investors would not have invested in the low-income community or business without the subsidy provided by the credit. I am a strong supporter of the NMTC because of its potential to bring communities and businesses that have traditionally been left out of the mainstream financial market into the mainstream market. I hope my colleagues will join me to support the extension of the new markets tax credit, which is currently set to expire at the end of this year. Our cities and rural communities need this program, and I will do all I can to see that it is extended and expanded.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill to provide a residential and commercial tax credit for the installation of green roofs. I am pleased to have my colleague Senator Cantwell join me in this effort by serving as original cosponsor of this bill. The bill creates a tax credit for the installation of green roofs on residential and commercial property. On the residential side, the credit is 30 percent of the cost of installing a green roof, with a cap of $2,000. On the commercial side, the credit is 10 percent of the cost installing a green roof, without a cap. In my home state of Oregon, the city of Portland utilizes green roofs extensively. To date, the city has installed or plans to install over 100 green roofs. Green roofs provide many environmental and cost benefits. One of the more significant benefits provided by green roofs is stormwater management and energy savings. When it rains, water washes over roofs, streets, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and other surfaces. Rain water picks up pollutants, such as oil, pesticides, metals, chemicals, and soil. The polluted stormwater then drains into the storm system that eventually makes it way into our rivers and streams. The pollutants can endanger water quality of lakes, rivers, streams and waterways, making them unhealthy for people, fish, and wildlife. During rainstorms, green roofs act as a sponge, absorbing much of the water that would otherwise run off. The roofs serve as a natural rainwater filter by utilizing the vegetation root system's natural filtering processes. The benefit of this process increases as the vegetation on the rooftop matures. In addition to the storm water benefits, green roofs also absorb air pollution, collect airborne particulates, store carbon, provide living environments that provide habitats for birds, insects and other small animals, reduce outside noise transfer and insulate buildings from high temperatures. I believe that we have a responsibility to encourage efforts to conserve our natural resources. Oregon continues to build on a long history of innovation in environmental policy and practice. We urge our colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill to provide a residential and commercial tax credit for the installation of green roofs. I am pleased to have my colleague Senator Cantwell join me in this effort by serving as original cosponsor of this bill. The bill creates a tax credit for the installation of green roofs on residential and commercial property. On the residential side, the credit is 30 percent of the cost of installing a green roof, with a cap of $2,000. On the commercial side, the credit is 10 percent of the cost installing a green roof, without a cap. In my home state of Oregon, the city of Portland utilizes green roofs extensively. To date, the city has installed or plans to install over 100 green roofs. Green roofs provide many environmental and cost benefits. One of the more significant benefits provided by green roofs is stormwater management and energy savings. When it rains, water washes over roofs, streets, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and other surfaces. Rain water picks up pollutants, such as oil, pesticides, metals, chemicals, and soil. The polluted stormwater then drains into the storm system that eventually makes it way into our rivers and streams. The pollutants can endanger water quality of lakes, rivers, streams and waterways, making them unhealthy for people, fish, and wildlife. During rainstorms, green roofs act as a sponge, absorbing much of the water that would otherwise run off. The roofs serve as a natural rainwater filter by utilizing the vegetation root system's natural filtering processes. The benefit of this process increases as the vegetation on the rooftop matures. In addition to the storm water benefits, green roofs also absorb air pollution, collect airborne particulates, store carbon, provide living environments that provide habitats for birds, insects and other small animals, reduce outside noise transfer and insulate buildings from high temperatures. I believe that we have a responsibility to encourage efforts to conserve our natural resources. Oregon continues to build on a long history of innovation in environmental policy and practice. We urge our colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, today I wish to highlight the importance of acknowledging and celebrating extraordinary efforts by ordinary Americans who have led the way in protecting and preserving America's natural resources. I am honored to commend a natural resource hero in my home State of Oregon, Dr. Thayne Dutson. After a lifetime of service to farmers and ranchers in this country, Dr. Dutson is hanging up his hat and I honor his service. Dr. Dutson has been dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University since 1993 and has acted as director of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station since 1987. As head of Oregon's College of Agriculture Sciences, Dr. Dutson has dedicated the past two decades of his life to Oregon's farmers and ranchers. Along with being Oregon Agriculture's resource for cutting-edge research, knowledge about food systems, environmental quality, natural resources and rural communities, Dr. Dutson has also led a team of public servants to administer the extension service throughout the State. Dr. Dutson and his team led Oregon State University's outreach mission by engaging with Oregon's people and communities and focusing his efforts on community livability, strengthening the economic vitality of rural communities and maintaining Oregon's natural resource base. Based on these positive impacts and the leadership of Dean Dutson, the OSU Extension Service is recognized as one of America's top-5 land-grant university extension systems in the country. Dr. Dutson was also instrumental in Oregon State University's selection as one of five regional centers for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sun grant initiative, which is working to advance the development of new biobased fuels and products. I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Dutson on many projects over the years. Dean Dutson has worked tirelessly on behalf of Oregon's farmers and ranchers. Under Dr. Dutson's watch, Oregon State University has secured critical Federal research funding for grass seed, potatoes, livestock grazing, small fruits, barley genome mapping, soil and air quality, organic Agriculture, nursery crops and biofuels. It is because of his leadership that Oregon agriculture and Oregon State University continue to lead the nation as innovators in all agricultural sciences. As a young Boy Scout, I was taught that one's duty was to respect and protect the world around you. I believe that we have a responsibility to encourage efforts in conserving our natural resources by responsibly using them, not abusing them. Dr. Thayne Dutson has made major contributions to a proud Oregon pioneering spirit of innovation and responsible management of our natural resources. What Dean Dutson has given back to the Oregon agriculture community is invaluable, for he has taught us that everyone doing their small part can achieve huge successes. I wish Thayne, his wife, Missy, and their family all the best as they pursue future endeavors. Oregon's farmers and ranchers owe him a debt of gratitude.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution with my friend and colleague, the senior Senator from Florida, urging the restitution of property looted from victims of the Holocaust. Though it was inflicted over 60 years ago, the persecution of Europe's Jews still defies belief. Never before in history had a nation committed the scope and breadth of the Holocaust's crimes against its own citizens, some of whom were even decorated German veterans of WWI. Never before had a state policy of atrocity encompassed such a horrifying thoroughness as it did during those terrible years of Nazi rule. Crimes against the Jews took all forms--from genocide to theft-- and for those who survived, the scars remain today. There are many of us now who look back, and wonder how the civilized world could have stood by, and let this thing happen; but we are not wholly without responsibility ourselves. Many of the victims of the Holocaust still seek property which was stolen from them during the years of Nazi and Nazi-allied rule in Germany and Eastern Europe. For these survivors and their kin, the persecution of the Jews is not a 60- year-old horror story in a history textbook, but a constant struggle to extract justice from those who would prefer to forget. While some countries have taken active steps to recompense victims of the wholesale Nazi confiscation, others have not. I am proud to have been engaged in this issue throughout my tenure in the Senate, serving in 1999 as a Commissioner on the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States. I also introduced with Senator Clinton the Holocaust Victims Assets, Restitution Policy, and Remembrance Act in 2001 and again in 2003. This legislation aimed to establish a Foundation to research Holocaust-era property restitution, and promote innovative solutions restitution issues. I am confident that my resolution introduced today will help establish a follow-up conference to the previous Holocaust restitution conference in 1998. I would further like to thank the Claims Conference for all the great work they've done with us on this issue, and in furthering the cause of justice for Holocaust victims. I recognize that this issue is complex. It is a matter of enacting legislation for restitution in countries that do not yet have it, and using the existing legislation in those that do. Our resolution calls for such action. It also calls for a second conference on Holocaust restitution to be held in Europe next year, more than a decade after the first. These steps would represent meaningful action on an issue which has gone unaddressed for far too long. I also recognize that most of the countries in question have different governments than they did during the Nazi and Communist eras. As a result, I believe that the restitution process can be achieved in a positive spirit of cooperation with our European allies. I thus sincerely hope that these European friends will work with us to resolve some of the last loose ends of the Nazis' crimes; and so do our own small part to make redress for the inaction of those who came before.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague Senator Dodd to introduce a bill that will have a tremendous impact on millions of young adults in America who will suffer from mental illness in their lifetime. The Healthy Transition Act of 2008 is an important bill and I look forward to its passage. Senator Dodd has been an ardent champion for children, and as the Sponsor of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act in 2004 and the bill to reauthorize the successful grant program again last year, it has been an honor to work with him to ensure our Nation's youth and their mental health needs are not forgotten. I want to begin by thanking my colleague Representative Pete Stark for working with me on this important issue and for joining me in requesting a report by the Government Accountability Office,GAO last year on the barriers facing youth with serious mental health disorders as they age into adulthood. It has been a pleasure to work with him on drafting legislation that we will introduce today as I know he shares a passion for improving the lives of our children and young adults. This time in a young person's life is so difficult with the pressures of being independent, finding a first job, going to college and really discovering who you are. For so many of our Nation's youth this time is made so much more difficult by their struggle with mental illness. My son Garrett struggled with his transition to adulthood and in his ability to access the help he needed during this critical time. These young adults deserve our attention, our support and our compassion. Finally, I want to thank the many stakeholders and advocates that have put so much time and dedication into working with us to introduce this bill, the Healthy Transition Act of 2008. They include the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Children's Defense Fund, the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the American Psychological Association, just to name a few. The findings of the GAO report that Congressman Stark and I requested, tells us that at least 2.4 million young adults aged 18-26 had a mental illness in 2006. We know that this number could be greatly understated as it does not count young adults who are institutionalized, incarcerated or homeless--all of which are groups that are known to have higher rates of mental illness. These young people have such tremendous challenges that cause them to demonstrate lower rates of high school graduation and college attendance than their peers who do not suffer from mental illness. They also have lower propensity to find employment and remain stable in their communities. In my home State of Oregon, this transition-age population was found to be 80 percent less likely than any other population in the State with mental health needs to receive services. However, from this report, and the work innovative States are doing to support our young people, we know that we can do a better job of helping these youth. We can do better at ensuring they can remain stable in their communities, that they can live healthy lives, and that they can prosper as adults. The bill that Senator Dodd, Representative Stark and I are introducing today will support States that want to do better for our Nation's young adults with mental illness. As the GAO found, too often services are not directed at this population or young adults are shoved into a system that was designed for a different age group with different needs. Our bill, the Healthy Transition Act of 2008, will provide grants to States to first develop statewide coordination plans to assist adolescents and young adults with a serious mental health disorder to acquire the skills and resources they need to make a healthy transition to adulthood. After this plan has been submitted and evaluated by SAMHSA, States may then compete for a second round of grants to help them implement the plan that they have made. Lastly, this bill will develop a Committee of Federal Partners that will coordinate service programs that assist adolescents and young adults with mental illness at the federal level and provide technical assistance to States as they implement their plans. They also will report to Congress on their activities so that we can ensure they are doing their best to make sure these vulnerable young adults get the help and support they need. This is such a critical time in a person's life and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to make sure it is as healthy and positive an experience as it can be. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure its passage. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the bill. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague Senator Dodd to introduce a bill that will have a tremendous impact on millions of young adults in America who will suffer from mental illness in their lifetime. The Healthy Transition Act of 2008 is an important bill and I look forward to its passage. Senator Dodd has been an ardent champion for children, and as the Sponsor of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act in 2004 and the bill to reauthorize the successful grant program again last year, it has been an honor to work with him to ensure our Nation's youth and their mental health needs are not forgotten. I want to begin by thanking my colleague Representative Pete Stark for working with me on this important issue and for joining me in requesting a report by the Government Accountability Office,GAO last year on the barriers facing youth with serious mental health disorders as they age into adulthood. It has been a pleasure to work with him on drafting legislation that we will introduce today as I know he shares a passion for improving the lives of our children and young adults. This time in a young person's life is so difficult with the pressures of being independent, finding a first job, going to college and really discovering who you are. For so many of our Nation's youth this time is made so much more difficult by their struggle with mental illness. My son Garrett struggled with his transition to adulthood and in his ability to access the help he needed during this critical time. These young adults deserve our attention, our support and our compassion. Finally, I want to thank the many stakeholders and advocates that have put so much time and dedication into working with us to introduce this bill, the Healthy Transition Act of 2008. They include the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Children's Defense Fund, the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the American Psychological Association, just to name a few. The findings of the GAO report that Congressman Stark and I requested, tells us that at least 2.4 million young adults aged 18-26 had a mental illness in 2006. We know that this number could be greatly understated as it does not count young adults who are institutionalized, incarcerated or homeless--all of which are groups that are known to have higher rates of mental illness. These young people have such tremendous challenges that cause them to demonstrate lower rates of high school graduation and college attendance than their peers who do not suffer from mental illness. They also have lower propensity to find employment and remain stable in their communities. In my home State of Oregon, this transition-age population was found to be 80 percent less likely than any other population in the State with mental health needs to receive services. However, from this report, and the work innovative States are doing to support our young people, we know that we can do a better job of helping these youth. We can do better at ensuring they can remain stable in their communities, that they can live healthy lives, and that they can prosper as adults. The bill that Senator Dodd, Representative Stark and I are introducing today will support States that want to do better for our Nation's young adults with mental illness. As the GAO found, too often services are not directed at this population or young adults are shoved into a system that was designed for a different age group with different needs. Our bill, the Healthy Transition Act of 2008, will provide grants to States to first develop statewide coordination plans to assist adolescents and young adults with a serious mental health disorder to acquire the skills and resources they need to make a healthy transition to adulthood. After this plan has been submitted and evaluated by SAMHSA, States may then compete for a second round of grants to help them implement the plan that they have made. Lastly, this bill will develop a Committee of Federal Partners that will coordinate service programs that assist adolescents and young adults with mental illness at the federal level and provide technical assistance to States as they implement their plans. They also will report to Congress on their activities so that we can ensure they are doing their best to make sure these vulnerable young adults get the help and support they need. This is such a critical time in a person's life and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to make sure it is as healthy and positive an experience as it can be. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure its passage. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the bill. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I wish to highlight the importance of acknowledging and celebrating extraordinary efforts by individuals and companies that are leading the way in protecting and preserving America's natural resources. I am honored to congratulate the leadership and employees of Nike Inc., headquartered in my State of Oregon. According to a new scorecard released by nonprofit group Climate Counts, Nike ranked first among the United States' most climate- friendly companies. The scorecard, first released in June 2007, grades major corporations in well-known consumer sectors from apparel to electronics to fast food--on their commitment to reversing climate change. Nike was judged to have one of the strongest and most transparent programs to reduce climate change among well-known brands across nine industry sectors. Nike has taken aggressive steps to address climate change, including establishing clear goals for lowering carbon emissions at its facilities around the world, designing sustainable products with environmentally preferable materials, purchasing renewable power, and offsetting the emissions from Nike business travel. More importantly, Nike is exporting not only their world class products, but they are also exporting the values of sustainability throughout the world as they continue their efforts to reduce the company's carbon footprint in its contract manufacturing facilities in Asia. We can also see Nike's commitment to this effort in another very real way. Nike has been a leader in developing sustainable products and components since its inception. Most recently, Nike unveiled the Air Native N7 shoe designed for Native Americans. The N7 in the name is a reference to the seventh generation theory, used by many Native American tribes to look to the three generations preceding them for wisdom and the three generations ahead for their legacy. By designing this sustainable shoe, Nike is looking ahead to a future that must include greater awareness in protecting our environment and natural resources for the generations to follow. My home State of Oregon continues to build on a long history of innovation in environmental policy and practice. Nike proves once again that everyone doing their small part can achieve huge successes. Nike's legacy continues to grow as they lead the way as an extremely successful company but not forgetting about how important it is to preserve and protect the natural resources around us. I commend the leadership and employees with the Nike team for their stellar efforts and pledge my full support as they move forward.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the need for hate crimes legislation. Each Congress, Senator Kennedy and I introduce hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate crimes law, sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. Likewise, each Congress I have come to the floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country. Last month, I came to the floor to speak about the death of Sean Kennedy of Greenville, SC. This young man was attacked outside a local bar and sustained fatal injuries. His attacker, Stephen Moller, had punched him in the face and left a message on a friend of the victim's cell phone, calling Sean a faggot and bragging that he had knocked him unconscious. Sean died 20 hours later. Sean's mother, Elke Parker, watched as Moller pled guilty to manslaughter, for which the judge gave him a 5-year sentence. The sentence was then reduced to 3 years. For the mother of a son killed in a hate crime, this is not justice. Had the Matthew Shepard Act been signed into law before Sean's death, prosecutors would have been able to charge the defendant with a violent hate crime under the law. Additionally, the Federal Government would have been authorized to provide investigatory and prosecutorial assistance, which could have led to a sentence commensurate with the brutality of this attack. After the trial, Elke told reporters that she would push for Federal hate crime legislation. ``It may not help Sean today, but I want it to help future victims that they can be assured that there is justice. If your son or daughter is different, you need to support them for who they really need to be,'' she said. I was honored to speak with her about this legislation last month and look forward to working with her as we push for its passage. I believe that the Government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Matthew Shepard Act is a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, former Oregon Governor Tom McCall once said, ``Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are individuals who say, `This is my community, and it is my responsibility to make it better.''' Today I pay tribute to Bryan Johnston, a true Oregon hero, who devoted much of his life and career to making Oregon and our State capital city of Salem a better place in which to live, work, and raise a family. Like countless others in Oregon, I was shocked and saddened to learn that Bryan passed away last week at the far too early age of 59 years. Bryan's passing deprives my State of one of her most respected, admired and effective public servants; it deprives St. Martin's University in Lacey, WA, of a gifted leader, as Bryan was scheduled to begin his service of president of that university on July 1; it deprives many in Oregon, including myself, of a trusted friend and advisor; and it deprives his wife Anne and their four children of a loving and dedicated husband and father. During his years in Salem, Bryan served in a remarkable number of roles, including: lawyer; professional mediator; Law professor; director of the Center for Dispute Resolution at Willamette University College of Law; dean of the Willamette University Atkinson Graduate School of Management; interim president of Willamette University; Oregon State Representative; and interim director of the Oregon Department of Human Services Children, Adults and Families Division. As the Salem Statesman-Journal so aptly put it, ``Bryan Johnston was Mr. Fix--it for colleges, for state government, and for the Salem-area community.'' The tributes that have been pouring in since Bryan's passing speak volumes of the impact this gentle and gifted visionary made in so many ways. Salem business and community leader Dick Withnell said: ``He was so wise. He could grasp a tough situation and see what should be done and then be collaborative with people to accomplish it. That's a real gift.'' State Senate President Peter Courtney said: ``Bryan was a great mediator and facilitator. He was a very, very versatile individual in the area of education and public service. Those are maybe two of the highest callings you can aspire to, if you're chosen; and he was chosen time and again.'' Department of Human Services Director Bruce Goldberg stated: ``Bryan was a trusted advisor and friend, who brought wisdom, humor, and kindness into all of our lives.'' Perhaps the best tribute to Bryan was paid by my friend John Watt, who served with Bryan in the Oregon State House of Representatives. Said John: ``One of the things that has always stuck with me about Bryan is that he truly was doing the work for Oregon. I mean, he wasn't somebody who was after kudos for himself. He didn't necessarily walk lockstep with his caucus. He was always willing to talk and work with people.'' Bryan Johnston talked and worked with people, and because of that, he leaves behind a remarkable legacy of accomplishment and service. Indeed, I am reminded of the words of Mother Teresa, who said: ``God does not call us to be successful. God calls us to be faithful.'' By any account, Bryan Johnston led a successful life. But I know that more important to him was the fact that he led a faithful life. He was a faithful educator, legislator and public official. He was a faithful husband, and friend. He was a faithful servant of God. May God bless Bryan Johnston.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill with my distinguished colleague, the senior Senator from Illinois, commemorating the 90th anniversary of Latvia's independence. This past century saw more than its share of tragedy, as the twin evils of fascism and communism seeded mankind with misery unknown to earlier generations. Nazi and Soviet totalitarianism did their best to stamp out the individualistic spirit among their adherents, and forge them instead into a single mailed fist suited only for war, plunder, and oppression. Though the struggle against both was long and often dark, rays of light continually pierced the clouds. One such ray was the establishment of Israel, whose 60th anniversary we are commemorating this year. Another was the independence, sporadic though it began, of independent Baltic republics like Latvia. The modern state of Latvia was born in days of hope after the calamity of the Great War, days when so many of the subjugated peoples of Europe achieved independence. On November 18, 1918, Latvia became free. The U.S. recognized Latvia less than 4 years later. It is both Latvia's blessing and its curse to sit on a historical crossroads. The Baltic region has been an important trading hub for hundreds of years, stretching back to the days of Vikings and Byzantium. Latvians, surrounded by powerful neighbors and wealthy trading states, have thus led a perilous existence. Tragically, but not fatally, Latvia's post-1918 existence was to be similarly perilous. Through a secret protocol with the Nazis, the U.S.S.R. occupied Latvia in the beginning of World War II, and retained control until the final collapse of the Soviet state in 1991. At that moment, ravished by communism and beset by historical injustice, Latvians made a bold choice to build a free, democratic, and prosperous Western-oriented society. They have since succeeded brilliantly, achieving high levels of economic and political freedom, and enjoying one of the highest living standards among ex-communist countries. Latvia today stands as a model of Western, free-market democracy, and America stands with it. I am very proud that Latvia is no longer in peril. It is a valuable member of NATO, and leads a new wave of pro-growth nations in the European Union. I am honored to introduce this resolution with Senator Durbin, and commend Latvia on its 90th anniversary of independence.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to remember a life that was untimely taken and to recall a horrific hate crime that shocked a nation. Ten years ago this week James Byrd, Jr., was dragged 3 miles-- chained to the back of pickup truck--on a rural road in Jasper County, TX, to his death. It was said that a blood trail of body parts and personal effects stretched over 2 miles, with Byrd's severed head, right arm, and neck found almost a mile from where his tattered torso was discarded. Byrd's face had been spray painted black. James Byrd was a victim of the cruelest form of racial intolerance. He was murdered for no other reason than for the color of his skin. To think that such a senseless crime could occur in the wake of so many of our Nation's civil rights milestones is disheartening. It is also a stark reminder that much work remains to be done in protecting minorities and ending intolerance. No American should have to live in fear because of their sexual orientation, race, gender, national origin, or disability. As a nation, we cannot afford to become complacent. We must forever strive to reach the golden rings of democracy--that is, equality, opportunity, freedom and tolerance. We must also remain vigilant and guard against individuals and groups that seek to marginalize and terrorize whole groups of individuals. That is why, as I have done many times before, I come to the floor to urge my colleagues to enact Federal hate crimes legislation this year. We must pass this legislation and send a message that crimes of intolerance and hate are especially deplorable. The Government's first duty is to defend its citizens and to defend them against violence and harm associated with intolerance and hate. I have introduced legislation, the Matthew Shepard Act, with my colleague Senator Ted Kennedy, to ensure that the Government has all the resources necessary to investigate and prosecute hate-motivated crimes. The Matthew Shepard Act would better equip the Government to fulfill its most important obligation of protecting all of its citizens. On this anniversary of the death of James Byrd, let us renew our Nation's commitment to protecting all Americans regardless of their sexual orientation, race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or color by passing the Matthew Shepard Act.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. I thank the Presiding Officer.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, the Senate is engaged this week in a great debate, an important debate, on the vital issue of global climate change. I join that debate in order to find the best and most practical ways to ease our dependence on foreign oil, reduce pollution, and encourage clean energy. Climate change is real. It is a problem, and it needs our response-- for the sake of our economy, our environment, and our national security. Our country's energy future is one of the greatest challenges we will face in the coming decades. Addressing climate change is about what is good and what is right for our country, for our future. It is about how we reduce our reliance on foreign oil, develop a new sector in the American economy that will spur domestic manufacturing, and create millions of new jobs, all while reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. These challenges are too great and the stakes are too high--America cannot take a backseat or sit on the sidelines. We simply must lead on this issue. We must make fundamental changes, and we must start now, today. We put a man on the Moon. We defeated communism. We even created an Internet world. Many thought the Internet was a fad, but look how it has changed our world in a decade. A renewable energy economy can and will do the same thing. America is an exporter of our thoughts, our ideas, our dreams, our ideals. On the great challenges facing us today, we must reach high, challenge our thinking, and deliver results such as only the American people can deliver. We are on an upward path with the emergence of green, renewable technologies in the State of Oregon--wind, solar, wave, and geothermal. Today, in Oregon, we are leading the way, from innovative biomass in Umatilla, to geothermal in Klamath Falls, to our long-lived hydropower dams and wind farms in eastern Oregon. Jobs are being created in Oregon by companies that research and manufacture these new energy sources, boosting our economy, addressing climate change, and cutting our dependence on foreign oil. Oregon and the Northwest already enjoy one of the best sources of green energy--our hydroelectric dams--a source of 100-percent carbon- free energy. These dams are not only critical to our economy but are a perfect example of existing sources of green energy. In Oregon, we are leading the way in training the next generation workforce for green-collar jobs. Schools across Oregon--Oregon State University, Oregon Institute of Technology, Lane Community College, and Columbia Gorge Community College--are creating programs that will help supply our State and Nation with a vibrant and skilled workforce to accommodate a future of renewable, independent, and clean energy facilities. Through a combination of Federal and State tax incentives, Oregon has been able to attract solar panel manufacturers, geothermal developers, fuel cell manufacturers, biomass facilities, and significant wind energy facilities. Oregon has become a hub of investment in solar facilities. For example, SolarWorld, one of the biggest solar manufacturers on Earth, is investing over $650 million in a manufacturing facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, that will employ over 1,000 people. As the lead sponsor of legislation to provide for the long-term extension of the investment tax credit for solar and fuel cell facilities, I am encouraged by the investments solar and fuel cell companies are making in Oregon and across the Nation. We must provide for the extension of these and other renewable energy tax incentives in order to avoid the boom-bust cycle we see in these emerging technologies every time the tax credit is allowed to expire. That is an action we can and should take now that will produce results now. We must set ourselves on a path to energy independence and reduce our oil consumption. That is why I fought successfully to increase our investment in renewable fuels such as those thriving back in Oregon. That is why Senator Obama and I passed a bill to raise the fuel efficiency standards for the first time in two decades for our automobiles in this country. We have been making small strides. Now we need to make big ones. Renewable energy sources and less oil consumption will benefit not only our environment but our economy and our national security--energy sources, clean ones, produced here at home instead of imported from the Middle East. The private sector in America is already visionary about a clean, strong economy. We in Congress must help and not hinder. This transformation will not happen overnight, but we can start now. We must start today. Right now, the sources of our fuel-efficient vehicles and renewable energy manufacturing too often come from foreign countries. If we do not take the lead going forward, these foreign countries will. To do so would put our country and our economy behind the eight ball, reliant upon others and not ourselves. Right now, the world's fossil fuel is controlled by countries such as Iran, Venezuela, and Russia. We cannot let our national security and our economic security be at risk to the whims of rogue governments. Our reliance on foreign oil has gotten us into the entanglements that many of us wish had not happened. By investing in a clean energy future--a skilled green workforce, investment in the next generation of biofuels, the promotion of fuel-efficient transportation--we will depend on ourselves, not on others. It is also time for America and this Congress to debate the merits of a new system to regulate carbon to reduce greenhouse gases and to reduce this country's carbon footprint. I know we can come together, in this Chamber and with the next President, to practically and effectively reduce the greenhouse gases we emit in this country. To truly reduce carbon, the response must be global. We have all the tools. We have the will, the technology, the raw resources. It is time to move forward for the sake of our environment, for the sake of our economy, and for the sake of our national security. Success will only be found in setting aside partisan agendas and focusing on common- ground solutions. Our country can do this, and we must lead. I have great confidence in the will of the American people. They know this must be done. I will help to make sure it is done. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the memory of John W. Keys, III, who died tragically in a plane crash on Friday, May 30, 2008. John was a long-time Federal official, and a kind and thoughtful man. John Keys was born in Sheffield, AL. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master's degree from Brigham Young University. John was dedicated to his community, and spent much of his spare time serving as a search- and-rescue pilot for Utah County and as a college and high school football referee. The majority of John Keys' life, however, was centered on his marriage to his wife Dell and his professional career at the Bureau of Reclamation, an agency of the Department of the Interior. John spent nearly 40 years working with Reclamation. From 1964 to 1979, he worked as a civil and hydraulic engineer in the Great Basin, Missouri River Basin, Colorado River Basin, and Columbia River Basin. I first met John when he served as Reclamation's Pacific Northwest regional director. In 1995, he was awarded Interior's highest honor--the Distinguished Service Award--for maintaining open lines of communication and keeping interest groups focused on solutions. After 12 years as Northwest regional director, John retired in 1998. In 2001, John emerged from retirement to take a position as the 16th Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. As Commissioner, John oversaw a venerable agency charged with the operation and maintenance of water storage, water distribution, and electric power generation facilities in 17 Western States. John placed great emphasis on operating and maintaining Reclamation projects to ensure continued delivery of water and power benefits to the public, consistent with environmental and other requirements. He was committed to honoring State water rights, interstate compacts, and contracts with Reclamation's users. This commitment helped the agency develop creative solutions to address the water resource challenges of the West. John had retired as Commissioner in 2006. He was a highly respected and dedicated public servant. I stand today to express my appreciation for his service to the Northwest and to our country. I want to offer my sincere condolences to his wife, his daughters, and those he leaves behind.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, today I wish to commend the work of the Checkpoint One Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Oregon. Checkpoint One assists Iraqis who have served as translators with the U.S. military. Under recent legislation authored by myself and my distinguished colleague Senator Kennedy, many of these Iraqis are seeking refuge in the United States from persecution in Iraq. Checkpoint One was founded by Jason Faler, one of many Oregonians drawn to public and humanitarian service. Jason served as a military intelligence officer with the Oregon Army National Guard in Iraq, where he worked with many brave Iraqis who risked their lives assisting U.S. troops. These Iraqis are far more than just people who translate Arabic to English; they are cultural advisers and loyal friends who help our soldiers survive in every dangerous and unfamiliar corner of Iraq. They stand shoulder to shoulder with Americans, facing the same bullets and bombs, but often without the same protections. In the face of death threats and attacks on them and their families, these Iraqis provide invaluable service to coalition forces. We are morally obligated to come to their aid, as they have come to ours. In response to this obligation, Senator Kennedy and I introduced The Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act last year to help bring translators and other Iraqis in peril to the United States. The act passed and was signed into law in January 2008. Unfortunately, more than 4 months later, key provisions of the law have not been implemented. The State Department and Department of Homeland Security have still not described how they plan to meet their new obligations. In-country processing is not available for Iraqi translators and others who are persecuted but unable to get out of Iraq. Translators remain waitlisted, in spite of the fact that 5,000 new special immigrant visas are supposed to be available to them. Instead, Iraqi translators remain in danger in the red zone, their path to safety still blocked by bureaucratic red tape. Many of the interpreters who apply for these visas are living on borrowed time, actively hunted by an insurgency which has brutally murdered their friends and colleagues. The three families that Jason began helping with the application process in the fall of 2006 arrived in September 2007, January 2008, and March 2008, respectively. One family was kept waiting in Jordan for over 5 months, and never given a sufficient explanation of the delay in their case. This is an unacceptable way for the United States to treat Iraqis who have loyally served with our soldiers at great personal risk. Groups like the Checkpoint One Foundation are invaluable in helping the United States repay our debt to those Iraqis translators to whom we owe so much. Jason Faler, the Checkpoint One Foundation, and similar organizations should be highly commended.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today in remembrance of a young man whose life was cut short because of a tragic crime--a hate crime. I came to the Senate floor, 1 year ago today, to speak about a vicious attack that killed Sean Kennedy on May 16, 2007. He was just 20 years old. As I have done countless times in the past, I have again come to the floor to highlight the needless deaths of hate crimes' victims and the need to enact Federal hate crimes legislation. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to Sean Kennedy's mother Elke Kennedy. I had heard that Elke had read about her son in the Congressional Record and was grateful that someone had recognized his death and understood the need for hate crimes legislation. For every victim of a hate crime, many more family members and friends are impacted by the tragic loss. While I know the pain of losing a son, I can only imagine the grief Elke must have felt when someone took the life of her son simply for who he was. As a nation, what do we say to Elke and other family members who have lost a loved one to a hate crime? What salve do we have to offer them for their pain? I believe we could start by passing Federal hate crimes legislation to demonstrate our national commitment to ending bias-motivated crimes. No parent should have to fear for their child's safety because of their sexual orientation and because our laws do not adequately protect them. It is the Government's first duty to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. Federal and State laws intended to protect individuals from heinous and violent crimes motivated by hate are woefully inadequate. Sean's death is an unfortunate reminder of this fact. The Matthew Shepard Act would better equip the Government to fulfill its most important obligation by protecting new groups of people as well as better protecting citizens already covered under deficient laws. I believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we can lessen the very impact of hate on our society. Moreover, for parents like Elke Kennedy and Judy Shepard, Matthew's mother, it will finally prove that their sons' deaths were not in vain.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise in observance of National Foster Care Month. Throughout our Nation, so many families provide loving and caring homes for children who have suffered from abuse and neglect. This month is an important reminder to thank the families who welcome these children into their homes, as well as the State and local officials, social workers, health care workers, and others in our communities who look for signs of abuse and take action to ensure it stops. Social workers, in particular, have numerous demands placed on them in their efforts to ensure appropriate care of abused and neglected children, those with disabilities and our vulnerable elderly. To help these workers in their important jobs, I recently introduced the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young Jr. Social Reinvestment Act with Senator Mikulski. I look forward to swift passage of this bill so that we can better support our Nation's social workers. I also want to thank those who help parents who may have a substance abuse problem or who suffer from mental illness. These important professionals help so many parents to overcome their illnesses, which can be a barrier in providing safe and stable homes for their children. Our justice systems, including our judges, attorneys and local law enforcement, who work every day to ensure the safety of our children, also deserve our recognition this month. So many of them take the extra time in their overburdened caseloads to ensure they are doing the right thing for the future of each abused and neglected child. In fact, in my home State of Oregon, Judge Pamela Abernethy runs a program in her courtroom that engages mental health professionals, law enforcement officials, child development specialists and others in a team approach that has produced great outcomes for children and their parents. Her work helps to stop the cycle of abuse that we see too often in families. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Harkin to pass our bill, the Safe Babies Act, which will work to replicate successful programs like Judge Abernethy's across the Nation. However, we know that often children may not be able to return to their birth families. In America we are lucky that many families, including my own, have a great love in their heart for children and are looking to adopt. Oregonians Tim and Sari Gale, for example, originally were very interested in adopting an infant. However, as they continued to look into adoption, they could not get the images out of their minds of the older children they saw in the brochures. ``We started to ask ourselves why we would adopt an infant, when so many children were in need of parents,'' said Shari. ``It started making more and more sense for us to adopt an older child.'' Soon, Andrew became a member of the family. ``It has been heart- warming and amazing to watch the gradual process whereby this frightened little boy learned to love and to trust,'' observed a family friend. ``Andrew has blossomed under the Gales' loving care.'' Watching Andrew interact with peers at high school events or serving as a counselor for other children at summer riding camp, one would never guess this likeable and polite young man had spent his early years as an abused and neglected child. The Gales truly are a testament to the healing power of a loving family. The Federal Adoption Incentive Program, which was first enacted in 1997 as part of the Adoption and Safe Families Act, encourages States to find foster children permanent homes through adoption. The Adoption Incentive Program is due to expire on September 30. Congress must reauthorize this act so that it can continue to serve as a vitally important incentive to States for finalizing adoptions for children in foster care, with an emphasis on finding adoptive homes for special- needs children and foster children over age 9. I am proud of Oregon's success in finalizing more than 12,700 adoptions of children from foster care between 2000 and 2006. This has resulted in Oregon receiving $3.1 million in Federal adoption incentive payments, which are invested back into the child welfare program. In 2005, roughly 2,065 children from Oregon's foster care system were adopted--but nearly 3,500 foster children in Oregon were still waiting for adoptive families, and they waited an average of about 2\1/2\ years to join a new family. These vulnerable children have waited long enough. Again, it is important that we thank foster care and adoptive families in our Nation, as well as frontline workers who protect our children, for the wonderful work that they do and love that they share.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Cantwell, I introduce a bill to provide grants to Area Agencies on Aging to provide services to improve financial literacy among older individuals. A number of trends have occurred over the past few years that make financial literacy a critical element of retirement security. The personal savings rate in the United States has declined dramatically over the last two decades. According to the Commerce Department, the personal savings rate was 0.2 percent in March of this year. This means for every $1,000 of after-tax income, the average person saved only $2. In addition, the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution retirement plans has generally placed the burden on employees to effectively manage the investment of their pensions. However, many Americans, including older Americans, lack financial literacy skills. In the 2008 Retirement Confidence Survey by EBRI/ Matthew Greenwald & Associates, 40 percent of retirees surveyed reported that they are not knowledgeable about investments and investment strategies. In addition, a 2003 national survey by AARP of consumers aged 45 and older found that they often lacked knowledge of basic financial and investment terms. For example, only about half of respondents reported knowing that diversification of investments reduces risk. The Smith-Cantwell bill will improve older Americans' financial literacy and help them better prepare for and manage their assets in retirement. Under the bill, grants will be provided to Area Agencies on Aging to enable these organizations to provide services to improve financial literacy among older individuals, especially older women. These services include education, training and other assistance. This bipartisan financial literacy bill will help increase older Americans' financial literacy so they can make more informed and prudent investment and retirement planning decisions. And I am pleased that the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging have both endorsed this bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact this important bill. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr SMITH

Mr SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to honor our Nation's veterans and their families. As we approach Memorial Day and reflect upon the countless sacrifices of our service men and women, we must also take a moment and remember our military families. These families have shouldered the burden of our military engagements, going extended periods, sometimes years, without seeing their spouse, their mother, or their father. To help alleviate this burden, Senator Feinstein and I are introducing the Military Family Separation Benefit Enhancement Act. The Military Family Separation Benefit Enhancement Act would peg the Family Separation Allowance to the Consumer Price Index, allowing for increases in the benefit, providing some additional relief to military families separated by deployments. The Family Separation Allowance is a benefit awarded to our military families when a service man or woman with dependents is deployed overseas for 30 days or more. The current amount of the Family Separation Allowance is only $250, which does not have much purchasing power in these days of high fuel and food prices. The Family Separation Allowance remains at $250, regardless of economic conditions. When a service member is deployed, a family experiences new and unexpected costs. Oftentimes, the deployed service member is a vital part of a household, helping to raise children, perform various community services and complete chores around the house. Therefore, many of our military families are forced to seek additional help. Families must pay for extra child care or for a lawn care service, tasks that often are the deployed service member's responsibility. Pegging the Family Separation Allowance to the Consumer Price Index will better reflect the economic burdens our military families encounter. The FSA will not be stuck at $250 a month when fuel costs are skyrocketing and food prices continue to rise. The Military Family Separation Benefit Enhancement Act also creates a new Family Separation Allowance for those service members who do not have dependents. Just because a service member does not have dependents does not mean he or she will not need help at home while overseas. Many still need help maintaining their lawn, ensuring the upkeep of their house, or providing for the storage of their car. Our bill is a means to help our military families and those who serve. Deploying overseas is a difficult adjustment for our military families and this legislation will provide some relief. I ask my colleagues to join Senator Feinstein and me to pass the Military Family Separation Benefit Enhancement Act.

Mr. SMITH

Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Cantwell, I introduce a bill to provide grants to Area Agencies on Aging to provide services to improve financial literacy among older individuals. A number of trends have occurred over the past few years that make financial literacy a critical element of retirement security. The personal savings rate in the United States has declined dramatically over the last two decades. According to the Commerce Department, the personal savings rate was 0.2 percent in March of this year. This means for every $1,000 of after-tax income, the average person saved only $2. In addition, the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution retirement plans has generally placed the burden on employees to effectively manage the investment of their pensions. However, many Americans, including older Americans, lack financial literacy skills. In the 2008 Retirement Confidence Survey by EBRI/ Matthew Greenwald & Associates, 40 percent of retirees surveyed reported that they are not knowledgeable about investments and investment strategies. In addition, a 2003 national survey by AARP of consumers aged 45 and older found that they often lacked knowledge of basic financial and investment terms. For example, only about half of respondents reported knowing that diversification of investments reduces risk. The Smith-Cantwell bill will improve older Americans' financial literacy and help them better prepare for and manage their assets in retirement. Under the bill, grants will be provided to Area Agencies on Aging to enable these organizations to provide services to improve financial literacy among older individuals, especially older women. These services include education, training and other assistance. This bipartisan financial literacy bill will help increase older Americans' financial literacy so they can make more informed and prudent investment and retirement planning decisions. And I am pleased that the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging have both endorsed this bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact this important bill. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.