Ken Salazar

Mr. SALAZAR

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I only hope that both the minority and the majority can figure out a way of moving forward with what has been a labor that has taken up both Republican and Democrats for the last 2 years to develop what is a very good farm bill. What the majority leader is attempting to do is to get us into a process where we will ultimately get a farm bill to cross the finish line, which is good for America. I hope the Republican minority can work with us to try to figure out a way forward to get us across the finish line. I yield the floor.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, at 2:30 p.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, in order to hear testimony on the ``GOP and WEP: policies affecting pensions from work not covered by Social Security.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on November 6, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. in order to hold a closed hearing.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet, during the session of the Senate, in order to conduct an Executive business meeting on Tuesday, November 6, 2007. The hearing will commence at 10 a.m. in room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Agenda: Nomination of Michael B. Mukasey to be Attorney General of the United States.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the Committee on Veterans' Affairs to be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, in order to conduct an oversight hearing on the hiring practices and quality control in VA medical facilities. The Committee will meet in room 562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 6, 2007, at 10 a.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on whether domestic energy industry will have the available workforce, crafts and professional, to meet our Nation's growing energy needs and if gaps exist, what policies the Congress should take to address these gaps.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise in strong support of the 2007 farm bill. Before I go to the specifics of the bill, I wish to acknowledge those who have worked so hard in getting us where we are today. This has been a huge undertaking spread out over several years, starting under the leadership of Senator Chambliss and his work in the Agriculture Committee. The hearings he held around the country, the hearings he held in the West and the Southeast, all over, contributed greatly to the bipartisan product that is before the Senate today. In addition, the leadership of our chairman, Senator Harkin, a man from farm country whose heart and soul are about making sure agriculture and rural America thrive--his leadership and the help of his staff in getting us to this point today is something we all must acknowledge and something for which I am grateful and something for which the farmers and ranchers in rural Colorado are grateful. I also acknowledge both Senators Baucus and Grassley and their leadership on the Finance Committee. The energy and specialty crops and conservation pieces of the farm bill have been significantly enhanced by the actions taken by the members of the Finance Committee. Without the leadership and bipartisan example of Senator Baucus and Senator Grassley, we would not be where we are today. It goes without saying that even though there are many laudatory comments given to the chairman and ranking member of both the Agriculture and Finance Committees, there are working on both of those committees many other Members of the Senate who have helped craft what I believe is one of the most historic pieces of legislation to come before this body. It will open a new chapter for agriculture and rural America, a product of which I am very proud. I also thank the agricultural leaders in my State of Colorado who have been so helpful to me over the last 2\1/2\ years as we have helped craft the farm bill before the Senate: Commissioner John Stup, the commissioner of Colorado's Department of Agriculture; Kent Peppler and Lee Swensen with the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union; Alan Foutz and Troy Bredekamp, leaders of the Colorado Farm Bureau; Nick Midcap, Darrell Hannavan, and Dusty Tallman, who have labored so hard on this bill, who are with the Colorado Wheat Growers Association; Byron Weathers and Mark Sponslor, leaders of the Colorado Corn Growers Association; Terry Frankhauser with the Colorado Cattlemen's Association; Scott Johnson and Bill Hammerich with the Colorado Livestock Association; and from the Independent Cattlemen of Colorado, Doug Zalesky, John Reid, and Reid and Kathleen Kelly. I thank Gregg Yando with the Colorado Dairy Farmers of America, Jim Ehrlich with the Colorado Potato Administrative Council, and a host of other Colorado people who have been instrumental in our efforts in moving this bill forward. This legislation is truly a bipartisan, forward-thinking, balanced package. It is truly the example of how this Senate ought to work, bringing Democrats and Republicans together on what is a major issue. The effort of Senator Reid, the majority leader, to get us to a point where we will reach conclusion on this bill is something I appreciate. This is, after all, the farm bill. We ought not be debating the great issues of our time, whether those be Iraq or immigration or issues having to do with Latin America, issues that are extraneous, on this legislation. Senator Reid's effort to make sure what we are doing is to keep the focus of this bill on agriculture and rural America and the substantive components of the farm bill is important. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, will say: Yes, we have to get a process that gets us to conclusion on the farm bill. Today is a particularly proud day for me. The occupant of the chair was very involved in helping me understand the importance of becoming a Senator. For that, I will always be appreciative. I still remember that in my maiden speech on the floor more than 2 years ago, I spoke about the possibilities and the promise that America's small towns and rural communities offer for a country that is in need of clean renewable energy, a secure food supply, and responsible stewardship of our land and our water. Unfortunately, for too long Washington has overlooked the opportunities rural America can provide and, through a policy of neglect and disinterest, has allowed small towns and rural communities across the country to wither on the vine. This legislation will change that course of neglect. The bill before us will bring new life and energy to rural America. It will do so in a number of different ways. It will do so through a set of smart investments that help farmers and ranchers and business men and women build a clean energy economy that has its roots in the fields of America's farmers and ranchers. It lays the infrastructure for rural broadband and microbusiness loans for accelerated economic development in rural areas. It creates incentives for the wise stewardship of land and water--practices from which we can all benefit. It puts money into nutrition programs that take on the scourge of hunger and allow low- income children to learn in our schools. It helps bring balance and certainty to the agricultural markets so that Americans can continue to enjoy a healthy and secure food supply. It does all of this while closing loopholes that have allowed Federal dollars to end up in the hands of people who should not have been eligible for assistance in the first place. It is a smart and fiscally responsible bill. I grew up on a ranch in the San Luis Valley a few miles north of the Colorado-New Mexico border. My family has farmed and ranched that same land for five generations. For much of my life, I spent long days in the fields with my family tending to the cattle, baling hay, and fixing fences. It was hard work, and my hands are permanently calloused from nearly three decades of work on that ranch. But from that work, we always knew we loved our ranch, our land and water, and our way of life. To be a farmer or a rancher is a hard life, let there be no mistake about that. While the rest of the world might go home at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, for those who are working the farms and the ranches, you don't go home until probably half an hour after the sun sets at 9 o'clock. It is very hard work. My parents always said that they could not give us--my seven brothers and sisters--material riches, but they could teach us values that come from work, family, and faith. These are the values one finds in rural communities across America. These are the priceless and timeless values that built this country. In 1787, Thomas Jefferson sent a letter to George Washington in which he talked about the role of the farmer in a young democracy. Thomas Jefferson said: ``Agriculture . . . is our wisest pursuit because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.'' Those of us who have had the privilege of growing up on a farm or a ranch or of visiting some farms and spending time with America's producers can appreciate how important agriculture and our rural communities are. Unfortunately, in the coming days this bill will be criticized by some in the media, by some Members in this Chamber, and others for being too favorable to farmers, for putting too much money into conservation programs, for supporting rural development initiatives, or for making too many investments in biofuels production. In short, critics will ask why Federal dollars should go into programs that on the surface only appear to benefit rural communities. They are wrong. The answer is very simple: The health of our farms, ranches, and our rural communities is vital to American prosperity. Everyone benefits from a strong and smart farm bill. The farmer in eastern Colorado, the third grader eating fresh fruits and vegetables at lunch, and the mother who wants us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil all gain from a strong and balanced farm bill. I wish to take a few moments to walk through the bill and explain why it is so important for farmers, for children, and for all Americans that the Senate pass this bill. Since being elected to the Senate in 2004, I have often spoken about how Washington's policies in recent years have been blind to the needs of rural Americans. More than half of the counties in America are rural. In my State of Colorado, 44 of the 64 counties are rural. In my view, Washington's neglect of rural America has made rural America a forgotten America. Businesses on main streets in many towns and villages across my State have been boarded up. FSA offices have been closed or attempted to be closed, including the very recent actions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Family farmers are having to sell their land after years of drought. To see Washington's neglect of our rural communities is disheartening, when we know how much possibility and promise rural America holds. With modest investments, rural America can be the engine of a clean energy economy, fueling an alternative energy revolution that capitalizes on the hard work, productivity, and entrepreneurship of farmers and ranchers. This is why I am so pleased that the 2007 farm bill makes such wise investments in rural development. The bill provides $355 million for rural development. These investments will enable entrepreneurs in rural communities to leverage microenterprise loans to build their businesses. They will help health care providers provide access to underserved rural communities. They will help get broadband Internet access into small towns. Broadband access is to rural communities in the 21st century what highways were in the 20th century and railroads were in the 19th century. It is the infrastructure that is essential to economic development. The $26 million in this bill for broadband will help close the digital divide that is preventing rural businesses and entrepreneurs from fully participating in the global economy. Second, this bill includes an energy title that opens up a new chapter of opportunity for rural America. In the 2005 Energy Policy Act and in the Energy bill we passed earlier this year, we planted the seeds for a renewable energy revolution so that we can reduce our very dangerous dependence on foreign oil. The farm bill takes the next step, helping farmers and ranchers take advantage of new energy technologies that have been developed in places such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO. With the $1.3 billion this bill devotes to energy programs, farmers will be able to apply for grants to develop biorefineries and to improve the handling, harvest, transport, and storage of feedstocks for biofuels. The bill includes tax credits for small wind turbines and cellulosic biofuel production. It stimulates research into the methods and technologies that will allow the most productive land in the world to provide more and more of our energy. Our farmers and ranchers want to be a part of the solution to our addiction to foreign oil. They want to help reduce the amount of oil we import while helping stimulate a clean energy economy that is built on innovation, technology, and taking advantage of the production capabilities of rural America. This energy title is a win-win for our rural communities. It is my hope that with this energy title in the farm bill, together with the other energy legislation we have adopted in the Senate and in committee, the vision Senator Grassley and I had with respect to the 25 by 2025 resolution will help us grow our way to energy independence, because the 25 by 2025 resolution recognizes at its heart that we in America can grow 25 percent of our energy from renewable energy resources by the year 2025. This farm bill takes us a significant way down that road. The third aspect of the legislation I want to emphasize is the conservation title. Farmers and ranchers are some of the best stewards of our land and water. We need a farm bill that recognizes and encourages the good stewardship practices from which we all benefit. To understand why the conservation programs in the farm bill are so important--and to understand how we will all benefit from them--just visit one of the ranches along the Yampa River in northwest Colorado. You quickly see the ranchers there do not simply put high-quality, grassfed beef on our dinner table. They guard the open spaces that draw sightseers and recreationalists from all around the world. They protect the clean water that comes to our homes. They provide habitat for fish and game, bringing millions of dollars in revenue from fishing and hunting into our State. Unfortunately, you cannot find a price on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange for these values in clean water, clean air, habitat, and open space dividends that ranchland and farmland provide to America. And if a ranch goes under or is developed, we lose the conservation value that farms and ranches provide. So how do we address this challenge? How do we address this challenge in this bill? We do it through existing, effective programs that reward farmers and ranchers for the conservation practices from which we all benefit. Thanks to Chairman Harkin's leadership, the 2007 farm bill is the greenest farm bill in the history of America. It reauthorizes highly successful conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP, and the Conservation Reserve Program, CRP. The bill reauthorizes EQIP, which provides cost-share funding and technical assistance to producers so they can address environmental issues on their lands. In Colorado, we receive around $30 million to $40 million a year for projects that, for example, reduce water waste, improve water quality or provide fencing that keeps livestock out of sensitive areas. The bill also reauthorizes the Conservation Reserve Program, which helps producers retire and restore agricultural land that, if taken out of production, would provide significant environmental benefits. In Colorado alone, we have around 2.3 million acres enrolled in CRP for purposes ranging from erosion control and habitat preservation to improving water use. The reauthorization in this bill will allow us to continue to make these wise investments in stewardship. Mr. President, a parliamentary inquiry: How much time do I have?

Mr. SALAZAR. On disaster assistance and the importance of us creating a permanent disaster assistance fund, first, we are not delivering disaster assistance efficiently to date. Secondly, we should not be relying on emergency spending to provide disaster assistance. We need to put these expenditures back on the books. Congress has passed 23-- 23--ad hoc disaster assistance bills since 1988. That is 23 since 1988. Although I am supportive of this emergency assistance and have helped push this emergency disaster assistance forward in the last 2\1/2\ years, I believe we need to create a system for disaster aid that will respond more efficiently and promptly to the needs of our ranchers and farmers. What we have done on this bill--thanks to the leadership of Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley on the Finance Committee--is to create a permanent trust fund for disaster assistance. This will allow us to maintain discipline and high standards for determining when to pay out disaster funds, and it will allow producers to get help more quickly. It is a sensible and fiscally responsible solution. The American farmer has always been an engine for prosperity and opportunity in America. Through revolution, western settlement, depression, and world wars, the men and women who work our lands have always been there to lead us through the next great challenge that faces our country. Today, we are faced with a new challenge--that of building a clean energy economy for the 21st century--and we need the help of our farmers and ranchers to get us there. Our national security, our economic security, and our environmental security all demand that we grow our way toward energy independence. It is an imperative, but it is also a great opportunity for our Nation. The country that successfully replaces its imports of foreign oil with clean, homegrown energy will reap competitive and technological advantages that will keep it out in front of the rest of the world for decades to come. We can play a part in this new economy, but the productivity and ingenuity of rural America is our greatest untapped resource in our quest to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I am excited about this bill, with its investments in rural development, energy technology, and wise stewardship. It taps the great resource of rural America while strengthening our ability to produce clean, safe, and affordable food. This bill represents the best type of work we can do in the Senate-- cooperative, bipartisan work that is focused on creating new opportunities for our country. I thank again the leadership of both the Agriculture and Finance Committees for allowing us to move forward with this legislation and to bring the legislation to the floor today. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I thank my colleague and friend and comrade from Tennessee. Beyond the conservation programs which are so much at the heart of this legislation, we also know that at the heart of this legislation is the food security of our country and the nutrition title. In addition to the rural development, energy production, and conservation practices in this bill, the 2007 farm bill helps ensure the continued production of safe, healthy food right here at home. Since our founding, agriculture has been indispensable to our economy and our prosperity. Corn, tobacco, and cotton helped fund the Revolution and the organization of our young States. The promise of free land brought millions of new settlers to the West where they planted wheat, raised cattle, and cultivated the earth. The productivity of our farms sustained the war effort as we defeated the Fascists and Nazis, helped rebuild Europe and Japan, and liberated the world. Now, as we search for new ways to power our economy, our farms and ranches offer new promise for a new, clean energy economy. Growing up on a ranch in the San Luis Valley taught me how tough it is to make a living off the land. You work sunup to sundown all year, 7 days a week, to raise a good crop or a healthy herd, and then, without anything you can do to prevent it, a hailstorm, disease, drought, or flooding can wipe it all away in a moment's notice. When you do have a bumper crop, you sometimes find everyone else has had a bumper crop that year too. As a result, prices fall and you actually sometimes do worse. The bill that is before us helps producers and, therefore, helps all of us by bringing some level of certainty and structure to agricultural markets. We cannot and should not take the risk out of our farming and ranching--it is a tough business however you cut it--but we can help make the very bad years a little less painful in rural America. The little bit of uncertainty that favorable loan rates or a countercyclical program can provide is often the difference between whether a family loses the farm or keeps the farm. Why, some may ask, should we care about whether a family is able to stay on their farm? Why should we care? For many years--from my days as attorney general to my days in the Senate--I have always had a sign on my desk that says: ``No Farms, No Food.'' To me, that statement tells the story about the importance of food security for our country. The fresh fruits, grain, meats, and vegetables that come from our farms and ranches are essential to public health, reducing hunger, and ensuring that Americans can always find affordable, safe food at their grocery store. A great example of how the bill benefits both producers and consumers is the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, championed by Chairman Harkin, which provides fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren across all of America. We are expanding this program now so it covers all 50 States, up from the 14 States that have been covered by this program in the past. For me and my constituents in Colorado, it means that 80,000 children are going to get fresh fruits and vegetables in their school lunches. This will reduce childhood obesity, increase productivity in school, and teach habits for a healthy lifestyle. I want to speak briefly about some farm bill reform measures that are included in the bill. Although we all benefit from smart investments in programs that help provide stability and certainty for producers, we also must be wary of waste and abuse. The 2002 farm bill was not perfect, and I am pleased the Agriculture Committee took this year's reauthorization as an opportunity to address its shortcomings. Our bill, for example, includes significant reforms on how we deal with payment limits. USDA payments must now be attributed to an actual person--a real live person, one who breathes and walks and works the soil--as opposed to some amorphous entity. Previously, individuals were finding ways to collect payments from up to three different operations under the so-called three-entity rule. We have abolished that in this farm bill. The 2002 farm bill also left open several loopholes that have allowed farm bill dollars to go to nonfarmers for land that is no longer in agriculture. I am proud to have worked with my colleague from Nebraska, Senator Ben Nelson, on language incorporated into the legislation that stops this waste. Our language prohibits the distribution of commodity support payments for land that has been subdivided for houses or transferred to other nonagricultural uses. This is an important fix. So is our reform to how Washington deals with agricultural disasters equally important. From time to time, farmers and ranchers get hit by droughts, floods, or tornadoes that wipe away their crop. It happened to us in Colorado last winter in the southeastern part of our State, where a blizzard buried whole herds of livestock. Our producers lost thousands of head of cattle out in southeastern Colorado. How did Washington respond to that agricultural disaster? Washington responded in its own typical fashion: USDA declares it a disaster. Congress scrambles to find emergency funding. The bill gets stalled, and then farmers and ranchers have to wait 2, 3, 4 years before they get any kind of relief. What is wrong with this picture? First, we are not delivering disaster assistance efficiently. Second, we should not be relying on emergency spending to provide disaster assistance. We need to put these expenditures back on the books. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have 3 more minutes to finish my statement.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, if my colleague from Tennessee will allow me, I ask unanimous consent for an additional 5 minutes to get through the conclusion of my speech.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, today I am joining my colleague Senator Inhofe in introducing the bipartisan Geothermal Heat Pump Development Act of 2007, which would provide American homes and businesses with tax credits to promote greater use of geothermal heat pumps, GHPs. Geothermal heat pumps are electrically-powered devices that use the earth's natural heat storage ability to heat and cool homes and meet energy demands. Buildings account for 39 percent of the primary energy consumption in the U.S. and 71 percent of U.S. electricity consumption. The lion's share of this energy usage is for heating, cooling, and hot water. Making our buildings more energy efficient will therefore pay large energy dividends. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, GHPs are the most energy-efficient and environmentally clean space- conditioning systems currently in use. GHPs can reduce site energy consumption for climate control and water heating by as much as 40 percent compared to air-source heat pumps and as much as 70 percent compared to a fossil fuel heating system and air-conditioner. However, in the absence of Federal tax credits to help mitigate the comparatively high installation costs associated with geothermal heat pump systems, American homeowners and businesses are reluctant to tap into this reliable technology. The Salazar-Inhofe bill would help overcome these cost barriers by amending current tax code to make geothermal heat pump systems eligible for the energy tax credit and the residential energy efficient property tax credit, for businesses and consumers, respectively. Specifically, businesses could claim an investment tax credit in the amount of 10 percent of the installed cost of a new geothermal heat pump system, and could claim an accelerated 3-year depreciation on such equipment. For example, a business owner that spends $30,000 on a new GHP system would get a $3,000 tax credit and the accelerated depreciation provision would allow that business greater flexibility in reporting this capital expense. Consumers could claim a credit in the amount of 30 percent of the installed cost of a new geothermal heat pump system up to a maximum credit of $2,000, so that, for example, a home owner who purchases a $15,000 GHP system would receive a $2,000 tax credit. This consumer tax credit would be allowable against the alternative minimum tax. Geothermal heat pumps are proven renewable energy technologies with significant energy efficiency gains and long-term cost-savings potential compared to conventional climate control systems. Geothermal heat pumps typically cost more than twice as much as a conventional fossil fuel furnace, but GHPs' impressive efficiency gains allow a home or business owner to recoup their up- front costs within about ten years. Since their introduction in the 1980s, over 1 million GHPs have been installed in a wide variety of buildings, and in a diverse range of climates, across the U.S. Senator Inhofe and I are optimistic that the widespread adoption of geothermal heat pumps will not only save energy, but also create good local jobs. Because GHP systems can be deployed virtually anywhere, the demand for qualified engineers who can install and maintain these systems would surely expand. Geothermal heat pumps should be an important element of our efforts to enhance our buildings' energy efficiency. By making it easier for American homes and business to embrace these extremely effective energy technologies, we will help develop a more secure, efficient and sustainable domestic energy program founded on clean, renewable and reliable energy alternatives.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, today I am joining my colleague Senator Inhofe in introducing the bipartisan Geothermal Heat Pump Development Act of 2007, which would provide American homes and businesses with tax credits to promote greater use of geothermal heat pumps, GHPs. Geothermal heat pumps are electrically-powered devices that use the earth's natural heat storage ability to heat and cool homes and meet energy demands. Buildings account for 39 percent of the primary energy consumption in the U.S. and 71 percent of U.S. electricity consumption. The lion's share of this energy usage is for heating, cooling, and hot water. Making our buildings more energy efficient will therefore pay large energy dividends. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, GHPs are the most energy-efficient and environmentally clean space- conditioning systems currently in use. GHPs can reduce site energy consumption for climate control and water heating by as much as 40 percent compared to air-source heat pumps and as much as 70 percent compared to a fossil fuel heating system and air-conditioner. However, in the absence of Federal tax credits to help mitigate the comparatively high installation costs associated with geothermal heat pump systems, American homeowners and businesses are reluctant to tap into this reliable technology. The Salazar-Inhofe bill would help overcome these cost barriers by amending current tax code to make geothermal heat pump systems eligible for the energy tax credit and the residential energy efficient property tax credit, for businesses and consumers, respectively. Specifically, businesses could claim an investment tax credit in the amount of 10 percent of the installed cost of a new geothermal heat pump system, and could claim an accelerated 3-year depreciation on such equipment. For example, a business owner that spends $30,000 on a new GHP system would get a $3,000 tax credit and the accelerated depreciation provision would allow that business greater flexibility in reporting this capital expense. Consumers could claim a credit in the amount of 30 percent of the installed cost of a new geothermal heat pump system up to a maximum credit of $2,000, so that, for example, a home owner who purchases a $15,000 GHP system would receive a $2,000 tax credit. This consumer tax credit would be allowable against the alternative minimum tax. Geothermal heat pumps are proven renewable energy technologies with significant energy efficiency gains and long-term cost-savings potential compared to conventional climate control systems. Geothermal heat pumps typically cost more than twice as much as a conventional fossil fuel furnace, but GHPs' impressive efficiency gains allow a home or business owner to recoup their up- front costs within about ten years. Since their introduction in the 1980s, over 1 million GHPs have been installed in a wide variety of buildings, and in a diverse range of climates, across the U.S. Senator Inhofe and I are optimistic that the widespread adoption of geothermal heat pumps will not only save energy, but also create good local jobs. Because GHP systems can be deployed virtually anywhere, the demand for qualified engineers who can install and maintain these systems would surely expand. Geothermal heat pumps should be an important element of our efforts to enhance our buildings' energy efficiency. By making it easier for American homes and business to embrace these extremely effective energy technologies, we will help develop a more secure, efficient and sustainable domestic energy program founded on clean, renewable and reliable energy alternatives.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the memory of SSG Jarred Seth Fontenot of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, CO. Sergeant Fontenot was killed last Thursday in an engagement with insurgents in Baghdad. He died of injuries from an explosion and small arms fire that rained down on his patrol. Sergeant Fontenot was 35 years old, a loving husband, and a father of four. Jarred Fontenot grew up in a family steeped in military tradition. His grandfather, who helped raise Jarred after his parents died at an early age, served in the Army. His two great uncles attended West Point, later joining the Navy and Marines. One of his great uncles died in Korea, a place Jarred would later serve. Jarred's family speaks of him as a man who loved his job and who embraced the virtues of military service. ``He loved being a soldier,'' his grandmother recalls, ``and he died doing what he loved.'' Sergeant Fontenot was on his second tour in Iraq, on a mission to help bring security and stability to a region torn by violence and tragedy. Every day, he and his unit put themselves in harm's way to give Iraqi citizens a chance at a society governed by the rule of law, free from the threats of sectarian strife, terrorism or autocratic rule. He served bravely and was highly decorated, earning the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Parachute Badge, and the Army Commendation Medal, an honor bestowed upon those who have distinguished themselves by their service and acts of heroism. Between deployments, Jarred devoted himself to law enforcement in his hometown of Port Barre, LA. On his days off, he would volunteer his expertise and his time to help his fellow peace officers. Needless to say, he earned the respect and appreciation of those with whom he served. Mr. President, how can we properly honor the deeds of a man such as Jarred Fontenot, so devoted to his country, his family, and to those with whom he served? No words can match the magnitude of his virtue. Pericles, the great Athenian general, suggested that we honor the sacrifices of soldiers like Jarred Fontenot by reflecting not only on his life and loss, but also on the rewards that he and other soldiers have delivered to the nation for which they fought. At a funeral oration to honor soldiers who had died in one of the first battles of the Peloponnesian War, Pericles told the crowd that: Any one can discourse to you for ever about the advantages of a brave defense, which you know already. But instead of listening to him I would have you day by day fix your eyes upon the greatness of Athens, until you become filled with the love of her; and when you are impressed by the spectacle of her glory, reflect that this empire has been acquired by men who knew their duty and had the courage to do it, who in the hour of conflict had the fear of dishonor always present to them, and who, if ever they failed in an enterprise, would not allow their virtues to be lost to their country, but freely gave their lives to her as the fairest offering which they could present at her feast. In this Chamber, the greatest deliberative body in the world, I ask that we honor Sergeant Fontenot by fixing our eyes on those freedoms which, for more than two centuries, have endured and prospered in this Chamber and across America. Our freedom of speech, our freedom of assembly, our freedom of self-determination, our freedom from tyranny and violence--these are the rewards that the American soldier has delivered, generation after generation, to a grateful and humble nation. So long as the United States remains a beacon for freedom, democracy, and justice, their sacrifices will never be forgotten. To the family of SSG Jarred Fontenot--to his wife, Dana, his four children, to his grandparents Charles and Dorthy, and to his sister--I know of no words that can describe or assuage the pain you feel. I pray that in time you can find comfort in the knowledge that Jarred was doing something he truly loved, of which he was extraordinarily proud, and for which his country is eternally grateful. ``For where the rewards of virtue are greatest,'' Pericles reminded the departing Athenian crowd, ``there the noblest citizens are enlisted in the service of the state.'' Jarred Fontenot was among the noblest of our citizens. May his legacy endure in the strength of our democracy.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I am familiar with the distinguished Senator's long history of supporting public health prevention and education programs, and I ask that you work with me when we get to conference to add report language to the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill that would direct the CDC to conduct a study of the additional disease prevention benefits to the U.S. population that would be gained from expanded folic acid fortification of the food and beverage supply consumed by populations currently at risk for inadequate folic acid intake. It is also my opinion that CDC should use public-private partnerships to facilitate that study.

Mr. SALAZAR. The distinguished ranking member, Senator Specter, and I wish to engage in a colloquy about an important public health matter. Folic acid is an essential ``B vitamin'' that plays a critical role in the body's natural processes for making new cells throughout the body. As the Labor/HHS appropriations committee has indicated in its committee report, folic acid fortification can play a critical role in reducing the incidences of serious birth defects, such as spina bifida. In that regard, according to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, since the implementation of the FDA's policies governing folic acid fortification in enriched cereal grain products, the prevalence of spina bifida and other neural tube defects has declined approximately 20 to 30 percent. While this represents significant progress in the prevention of birth defects, the decline falls short of the national policy objective to achieve a 50 percent reduction by 2010. It also falls short of the 50 percent to 70 percent reduction in birth defects that the Public Health Service has estimated would result if all U.S. women of childbearing age consumed the recommended amount of folic acid daily.

Mr. SALAZAR. Thank you, Senator Harkin. Of great concern to me is that the scientific evidence indicates that the progress that has been made since the current fortification policy was adopted is distributed unevenly, and public health efforts have not been successful in reaching some of the population groups that are at highest risk of having a child affected by NTD birth defects. For example, research analyzing the government's 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data found that approximately 60 percent of non- Hispanic white women, and nearly 80 percent of Hispanic women and nearly 80 percent African American women consumed less than the recommended amount of folic acid daily. CDC research suggests that current fortification policy is a barrier to fortifying the types of food consumed by diverse groups and may help explain the disparate results that have been achieved in diverse U.S. populations. In view of the inadequacy of folic acid intake that persists among U.S. women who are most at risk of having a child affected by NTD birth defects, there is a need for further study to evaluate whether greater improvements in the nutritional status of women and the prevention of NTDs can be achieved through the expansion of food and beverage fortification with folic acid. Senator Specter, the statistics show that our current fortification policy is not reaching all populations. Do you agree that we need the CDC to study this issue further, so that we can take appropriate action based on those results?

Mr. SALAZAR. Thank you, Senator Harkin and Specter. I appreciate your interest in and dedication to addressing this critical public health matter.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I want to take a moment to reflect on the life and service of SSG Eric Thomas Duckworth of the 759th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, stationed at Fort Carson, CO. Sergeant Duckworth was killed when a bomb detonated near his vehicle as he was leading a convoy through Baghdad. He was 26 years old--a father, a son, a husband, and a proud soldier. Sergeant Duckworth grew up in Plano, TX, an active young man with dreams of serving his country. He played baseball and football in high school and, in the time not devoted to studies and athletics, devoted himself to the ROTC. It was clear from an early age that Eric was a leader among his peers; in ROTC he was quickly selected to a leadership role and to represent his high school at a national ROTC council. True to his dreams, Eric joined the Army just a few days after his 1999 graduation from high school. After serving in the military, Eric aimed to find a career in law enforcement. From what his family says of him and from what I know from having worked with peace officers as Colorado's attorney general, he would have been a great fit in any police department. He was selfless, hard working, and friendly. He did his job with a smile and a laugh. He was also an experienced and steady military police officer who was deeply committed to helping bring peace and security to a war-torn country. He was the type of American soldier who GEN Douglas MacArthur regaled in a 1962 address to West Point soldiers for their selfless sacrifices and for their unflinching devotion to the protection of our Nation. ``Duty, honor, country,'' MacArthur told the young soldiers, ``Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.'' These three words have been the creed of generation after generation of American soldiers. They help us understand the courage and fortitude that allow men like Eric Duckworth to serve two tours of duty thousands of miles from his family, to live in constant peril, and to shoulder the responsibility for keeping his soldiers safe while securing a brighter future for Iraqi citizens. Duty, honor, country. ``The code which those words perpetuate,'' said General MacArthur, ``embraces the highest moral law and will stand the test of any ethics or philosophies ever promulgated for the things that are right and its restraints are from the things that are wrong. The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training--sacrifice . . . However hard the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country is the noblest development of mankind.'' SSG Eric Thomas Duckworth thoroughly embodied this creed: he donned the soldier's uniform at his first opportunity, he led his men on the battlefield, and he both offered and gave his life in service to his country. His is a debt we cannot repay. To Sergeant Duckworth's wife Sonya, to his children Michael, Madison, and Kaylynn, to his brother Andrew, and to his parents Michael and Ila, I cannot imagine the pain that you must feel. I can only hope that in time your grief will be salved by the pride you must feel for his devotion to his country and his love for his family. Eric was a man of courage, dignity, and selflessness. As he lies in rest at Arlington National Cemetery, amid the thousands of crosses of America's fallen heroes, may you know that his sacrifice will never be forgotten, his legacy always honored. Sergeant First Class Rocky H. Herrera

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. I will.

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I rise this afternoon to raise my voice in strong support of H.R. 3093, the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act of 2007. I wish to thank and congratulate Chairwoman Mikulski and Ranking Member Shelby, Chairman Byrd and Ranking Member Cochran for their strong leadership on this bill. As a former attorney general for Colorado, I am particularly proud of the investment that this bill will make in the local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies across our country, the more than 800,000 officers who patrol America's streets and put their lives on the line every day to help make our communities safe and secure. They are truly the frontlines of America's homeland security. In my 6 years as attorney general of Colorado, and in the last 2\1/2\ years as a Senator, I have traveled thousands of miles through my State to visit with county sheriffs, police chiefs, and law enforcement officers working in our small towns, rural counties, and big cities. They are public servants through and through. They know that security is the foundation of a free society. They know that to enjoy our liberties and a prosperous economy, Americans must live in a society governed by the rule of law, free from the threat of violence and secure in their place of residence. It is the voices of these men and women in uniform across our country, America's peace officers, that should help guide our law enforcement efforts in this country. They should help us make sure we are prepared to meet the emergency we will confront and that will help us address the domestic security priorities we face in the Nation. We should therefore take notice when sheriffs and police officers tell us they do not have the resources they need to combat the scourge of meth that is devastating so many communities across our Nation. Meth is tearing families apart and financing an underground economy in abandoned farm buildings, fire traps, and houses that are shrouded with plastic. When police go to raid a lab, they never know what they are going to find; whether it is going to be a drug armed to the teeth, whether it is going to be chemicals that are ready to burn and to explode or drug users who are in desperate need of medical attention. In my State, on a raid on a meth lab in Aurora, CO, this past summer, police found a 2-year-old boy lying in the basement next to a highly toxic cocktail of chemicals. The police rescued him. But what his parents were doing or thinking one can only imagine. Stories such as this story have been too common across our country. We should also take notice when people such as the U.S. attorney in Colorado, Troy Eid, tell us we do not have enough Federal law enforcement officers to serve Native American communities in southwestern Colorado. Last year, we had a total of five Bureau of Indian Affairs officers policing 600,000 acres in one corner of my State. This is astonishing--five Bureau of Indian Affairs officers policing 600,000 acres. Criminals, in fact, were calling in false crime reports on one side of the reservation, drawing police away from their target they were aiming to hit on the other side of the reservation. With this shortage of law enforcement, the murder rate on the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute reservations in Southwestern Colorado has climbed to almost 20 percent of the national average. We need to take notice when people such as recently retired Sheriff Liggett, of Mineral County, CO, tell us our communications equipment in rural communities is woefully inadequate. I have known Sheriff Liggett for many years. On snowy nights, Sheriff Liggett would call ahead and make sure that I and other travelers made it safely over Slumgullion Pass or Wolf Creek Pass on our way to our destinations. That is the way things are done in rural Colorado. Sheriff Liggett knows very well the boundaries of his department's communications coverage and the risks that the limitations of that coverage pose to residents and travelers. The Mineral County Sheriff's Department, similar to so many rural sheriffs' departments, need broader communications coverage and a better ability to talk across agencies and jurisdictions in case an emergency arises. In late 1990, we made some progress in helping bring safety and security to American's communities. The Federal Government, seeing the homicide rate on the rise, responded to the public's call for a crackdown on crime by making smarter investment in law enforcement and crime prevention. These investments paid off, with violent crime in the United States dropping by nearly 40 percent from the record highs of the early 1990s. Unfortunately, these investments have lagged in recent years, and the administration has tried to cut key programs at the very moment, at the very moment that our law enforcement officers are facing a set of growing challenges from homeland security and emergency preparedness to combating meth, to all of the other issues that the 800,000 men and women who keep the security in our country face every day. I know this administration has been focused on Iraq and that this has consumed a massive proportion of Federal spending; almost $750 billion in the last 4\1/2\ years. But this focus on Iraq and our security objectives abroad should not come at the expense of American security right here at home in our United States. Too many Americans live with fear of drug-related violence in their communities. Too many Americans have seen meth destroy the lives of a family member or of a neighbor. Too many Americans worry that when a disaster strikes, the way it did with Katrina, help will come but help will not come quickly enough. This bill, which the chairperson from Maryland and Ranking Member Shelby have put together, resets our priorities to where they should be, on the safety and security of America's families. For that I thank and applaud the leadership of Senator Mikulski. The Appropriations Committee has reported a bill that restores critical investments on law enforcement that this President had proposed to cut. I wish to briefly talk about a few of those provisions that will benefit the peace officers of my State of Colorado. First, I am pleased the bill we are considering today includes $1.4 billion for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance, including $660 million for the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants and $190 million for Byrne discretionary grants. This program, which the President had--beyond my understanding-- proposed to eliminate, provides grants to State and local governments for law enforcement, for prosecution and court programs, for prevention and community education programs, drug treatment, and community corrections programs. These are the kinds of programs that the men and women in law enforcement in this country know do, in fact, work to make our communities safe. Secondly, this bill includes $550 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services, known as COPS. These funds go to tribal, State, and local law enforcement agencies for community policing initiatives which put law enforcement professionals on the streets with a beat so they can build relationships with the people they serve and they protect. By earning the trust of the members of their communities and making these individuals stakeholders in their own safety, community policing makes law enforcement safer and more efficient. Some of the COPS Program funds that are set forth in this bill will go directly to the drug task forces that have been operational and effective in my State of Colorado. They include: The San Luis Valley Drug Task Force, my native valley; they include the 22nd Judicial District Drug Task Force, the North Metro Task Force, the Delta/Montrose Drug Task Force, the Eagle County Drug Task Force, the Greater Routt and Moffatt Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Weld County Drug Task Force. Rest assured that from my point of view as a former attorney general of the State of Colorado, I know these task forces are at the point of the spear in combating the scourge of drugs in my State of Colorado, and these important funds will allow us to keep up that fight. Finally, I am pleased this bill provides $5.6 billion for the Bureau of Prisons to help curb the staff shortages, construction needs and operations budgets for the Federal prison system. The correctional officers who handle some of the most dangerous criminals in America will tell you the funding levels over the past few years have been inadequate. At the Supermax Prison in Florence, CO, which houses inmates such as Ted Kaczynski, al-Qaida terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui, and the shoe bomber, Richard Reid, at that Supermax facility, where we house the most dangerous of the most dangerous of America's enemies, funding cuts have left them short staffed and short on beds. At the prison that houses terrorists, gang leaders and the most violent members of society, this is a dangerous game that we cannot afford, and this legislation moves forward in a way to address those shortfalls. I am not going to take time to go through all the other good that is included in this bill, but I would mention very briefly the $340 million this bill provides to the juvenile justice program and the investment this bill makes in all our Federal law enforcement agencies such as the DEA, the FBI, and the ATF. When you look at these investments, you begin to understand how important this bill is to our Nation's law enforcement authority. Anyone who has worked or who works in law enforcement today and who takes the time to look at this bill, will understand this is a strong statement of support for peace officers and for protecting our public across the country. That is why I am perplexed that there is a veto threat by the President on this bill. There should not be that veto threat because this is a bill that takes a strong position to secure Americans here in the homeland. I hope that as this bill makes it through the Congressional process and to the President's desk, President Bush will decide he is going to stand up for the Nation's law enforcement and for the security here in the homeland and will, in fact, sign this bill. I end where I began. This is a very good bipartisan product that Senator Mikulski and Ranking Member Shelby have put together for the consideration of this Chamber. I am proud to be a supporter of this bill. I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I am aware that the President has called for elimination of the COPS Program. I am also aware that when I speak to the law enforcement community throughout the country and throughout my State, sheriffs and chiefs of police across the board say the COPS Program is, in fact, working, and when we see what happened with the dip in violent crime in the 1990s, it occurred precisely because we had programs such as the COPS Program which were very effective.

Mr. SALAZAR. I can think of no more important priority for all of us. As we deal with issues of crime and violence and the rule of law in places far away such as Iraq and Afghanistan, it ought to be an important priority, a high priority for us to make sure we are enforcing the rule of law and providing security for Americans at home; that we take care of the homeland first. I strongly agree with the Senator from Maryland that, in fact, this bill moves us in that direction.

Mr. SALAZAR. I have understood that the President has said he doesn't like the funding levels in this bill which I interpret to mean that he doesn't support funding of these very important programs.