Ken Salazar

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, finally, I call up amendment No. 2223 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I urge adoption of the amendment.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, amendment No. 2225 also makes sure that our national service programs effectively serve all of our citizens. This amendment calls on the Corporation for National and Community Service to report on efforts to bring its programs to rural communities. These programs include, first, the AmeriCorps program, which has done wonders, which was created in 1994 and provides opportunities for more than 70,000 Americans to work in 3,000 public agencies, faith-based and other community organizations. Through the various AmeriCorps programs, volunteers tutor and mentor youth, build affordable housing, teach computer skills, take care of our environment, and help communities respond to disasters. In exchange, they are given an opportunity to build career skills, to invest in a community, and are provided a small educational stipend. The programs also include Senior Corps, which recognizes that seniors are one of America's most vital resources. The programs also include Learn and Serve America. Learn and Serve America supports schools, higher education institutions, and community- based organizations that engage students, their teachers, and others in service-learning. Through Learn and Serve, students get their hands dirty. Service-learning connects teaching in the classroom with communities. Nearly 1 million students participated in Learn and Serve programs last year. The resources marshaled by these service programs--students, elders, and energized and committed people--can help unlock the door to rural development in America. It is my hope that the corporation will come up with new and innovative strategies for increasing rural participation in national service programs. This amendment will not cost additional money and has the potential to benefit rural communities throughout the Nation. We owe it to our rural communities to make sure our national programs are serving them. We must not allow rural America to be left behind by these very important national service programs. Mr. President, amendment No. 2225 would direct the Corporation of National and Community Service, CNCS, to conduct an evaluation of the presence of their programs in rural America. The study would include programs funded by the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 and the National and Community Service Act of 1990, presence in Rural America. In addition, CNCS, in consultation with national service experts and rural community leaders, is directed to develop new and innovative strategies to prioritize increasing rural communities' participation in CNCS programs. The amendment does not require additional funding. As per Jane Oates at 4-8460, Senator Kennedy has no objections to the amendment. As per Beth Beuhlmann at 4-6770, Senator Enzi is reviewing the amendment language, but appears to have no objections since the amendment is cost neutral. As per Brandon Avila at 606-6728, Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Legislation and Government Affairs, they are reviewing but are supporting of conducting evaluations that help increase CNCS programs in rural areas. In addition, we have touched base with Voices for National Service, a national service non-profit coalition. They are very supporting of the amendment's intent. Mr. President, I urge adoption of amendment No. 2225.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I am a proponent of evaluating the effectiveness of the actions we take and the programs we enact here in this Capitol. That is because I believe that results do matter. At the end of the day, we can all say what we tried to do, but Americans will judge us by the results we achieve. We all have a responsibility to see that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and well. Amendment No. 2224 is a ``results matter'' amendment. It will simply require the Department of Education to conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of youth violence prevention programs. These programs are vitally important in my home State of Colorado and across the Nation. During my time as Colorado's attorney general, I spent much of my time working on the investigation of the horrific murders involving many young people at Columbine High School, which remains today the bloodiest school shooting in American history. As we worked to learn the lessons from that terrible tragedy in Colorado, we also attempted to implement programs in our schools to create safer schools and safer school communities. As I went through the process of assembling information about how we create the safest school environments possible, it became obvious to me that though we spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars on programs intended to deal with the issue of youth violence prevention, we do not know whether many of those programs work. Indeed, when we look at the facts and we look at what the science tells us, many of those programs actually harm our children more than they actually help our children. So it is important we measure the effectiveness of these programs. This amendment will ask the Department of Education to do exactly that. I believe our violence prevention programs should actually work and that we should be able to measure them with the results we intend them to have. We owe it to the next generation to ensure that these programs are as effective as possible in preventing youth violence. This amendment will do this by providing an assessment of the programs. Mr. President, I urge adoption of amendment No. 2224.

Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2226, and I ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask the pending amendment be set aside.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I thank my good friend from Pennsylvania for his leadership, not only on this bill but also on so many other important issues that we are working on in the Senate today.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I would then ask my friend from Pennsylvania whether we should move for unanimous consent on the adoption of the amendment I just proposed.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I thank the Chair, and I also thank the chairman of the committee, my friend from Pennsylvania. Amendment No. 2224 Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2224 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2225 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to highlight the issue of underage drinking. The statistics are startling. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, on average, children first use alcohol around age 12, and research tells us that the majority of kids are obtaining the alcohol they drink from family and friends. According to Teenage Research Unlimited, 51 percent of 13- to 15-year-olds say they will face a decision regarding alcohol in the next 3 months. In my State of Colorado, the most recent data we have available reveals that underage drinking is on the rise. In 2003, 21 percent of children ages 12 to 17 reported having consumed alcohol in the past month--an increase of 3 percent from the previous year. In addition, Colorado's Youth Risk Behavior Survey, completed by over 700 Colorado high school students, found that only 19 percent of students have never tried alcohol. Conversely, 29 percent reported binge drinking, defined as having consumed five or more alcoholic drinks on one or more occasions during the 30 days preceding the survey. Tragically, five college students died in Colorado last year due to binge drinking. As policy makers but more importantly, as parents--these statistics should alarm us all. As the father of two teenage daughters, I worry because I know alcohol abuse is frequently a precursor to use and abuse of illegal drugs and other dangerous behavior. The good news is that parents are the leading influence on a child's decision not to drink alcohol. It is critical that parents and other trusted adults initiate conversations with children about underage drinking well in advance of the first time they are faced with a decision regarding alcohol. Earlier this week, my colleagues from Congressional Hispanic Caucus teamed up with The Century Council and Nickelodeon to cast a spotlight on underage drinking in the Hispanic community. We all know that the Hispanic population is growing in the United States. In Colorado, Hispanics represent almost 20 percent of the total population. Because the Hispanic community is a younger community, we have the ability and the obligation to influence the lives of these and all children, and to prevent them from engaging in dangerous activities such as underage drinking. With the launch of Pregunte, Escuche, Aprenda: Los ninos y el alcohol no mezclan!, Hispanic parents and their middle-school-aged children will have access to critical information on the negative consequences of underage drinking. The program is designed to reduce underage drinking, particularly among children ages 9 to 13. The information is useful for parents, other trusted adults and kids, and includes strategies to help facilitate conversations about the dangers of underage drinking. It was developed in collaboration with several national Hispanic organizations, including the League of United Latin American Citizens, LULAC, the Aspira Association, the National Latino Children's Institute, the National Hispanic Medical Association and MANA, among others, and is a culturally and linguistically adapted version of their Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix program. I commend The Century Council and Nickelodeon for giving Hispanic parents and children across the Nation such a valuable communications tool to initiate those critically important discussions regarding alcohol.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to remember the life and sacrifice of a Coloradan who has made us all proud: SGT Larry W. Pankey, Jr., of Morrison, CO. Sergeant Pankey was a member of the 467th Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, based out of Mississippi. Sergeant Pankey died earlier this month in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was only 34. He died serving this country with courage, self sacrifice and dignity, gifts which we as a nation are profoundly grateful to receive. Sergeant Pankey is not alone in this sacrifice. Across Colorado and America, men and women have answered the call and risen on our behalf. They have not done so for glory or recognition, but because they share the fundamental belief that freedom and liberty are worth fighting for. They have come from farms and ranches in places like Colorado's eastern plains and apartment buildings in cities like Denver, from living rooms and bedrooms and classrooms across this country. The sons and daughters of America have stood united to defend our way of life and the values that we all share. The call to a service greater than their own self interest has motivated them to risk their lives. All too often, we are unable to repay them for the sacrifices that they make. Next month we will recognize Veterans Day. It will be marked by patriotic speeches and parades, a solemn recognition of those veterans who are still with us and those servicemembers who have been lost. And rightfully so. But we should not lose sight of the fact that every day there are still families grieving and remembering. To Sergeant Pankey's wife and daughter in Morrison and his mother in Louisiana, and all of the families and friends left behind in the wake of a soldier's death, we can only offer our humble thanks on behalf of this Nation. We are forever in your debt and will always remember the extraordinary price you have paid on our behalf by offering up your sons and daughters. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. With that in mind, I want to end with a quote from the Bible upon which I sometimes reflect when I am thinking about our men and women in uniform. Matthew 5:9 reminds us: ``Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.'' Right now across the world, the members of our Armed Forces like Sergeant Pankey stand watch on our behalf. They are these very peacemakers, and their place will always be reserved in our hearts.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss an issue of great importance that receives far too little attention. Across the country, more than 6 million children live in households headed by either a grandparent or another relative. About 2.5 million of these children live in homes without either parent present. Regardless of the myriad reasons children enter relative care whether it is the death of a parent, neglect, or substance abuse it is never the fault of the child. I commend grandparents and other relatives who step forward to care for these children, keeping them out of foster care while providing safe, stable homes, often at great personal and financial sacrifice. Jackie Hope of Denver, CO, is one such grandmother. She became a second-time mother at the age of 53 when she quit her job to be a full- time parent to her newborn grandson. Jackie's daughter became addicted to crack cocaine and left Jackie to care for her four children. Times got even harder for Jackie when her husband of 38 years died and his retirement benefits ceased. Jackie was left to care for her four grandchildren's growing needs with even less money. Today, Jackie is well known in the Denver community as a strong advocate for grandparents and other kin raising relatives' children. She was a leader in advocating for more financial and emotional support for the thousands of other people who find themselves in the same situation. Although it has been physically, emotionally, and financially taxing, Jackie never complains--she simply continues to work hard to provide a better life for herself and her grandchildren. Grandparents and other relative caregivers such as Jackie often provide the children in their care the best chance for a loving and stable childhood. Unfortunately, their hard work and dedication often goes unnoticed. Today I offer my formal acknowledgement and deepest appreciation for the ongoing service of these caregivers to our country and to our Nation's most valuable asset, our children.

Mr. SALAZAR

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

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 276, submitted earlier today.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about a resolution I have introduced with my colleague from North Carolina, Senator Burr. This resolution encourages States to prohibit a controversial procedure known as ``rebirthing.'' Today's action sheds light on the death of a North Carolina child brought to Colorado to undergo the ``rebirthing'' procedure. Like many, I first learned of this intervention procedure known as ``rebirthing'' when information about the death of Candace Newmaker was reported in Colorado newspapers. Rebirthing is a procedure which attempts to reenact the birth process by restraining a child with blankets and forcing a child to emerge unaided. Candace, a 10-year-old, was brought to my State to undergo ``rebirthing,'' which was supposed to help her form a bond with her newly adoptive mother. Instead, this dangerous procedure, which is supported by no scientific evidence, and is in fact condemned by the American Psychiatric Association, cut short a life full of possibilities. Her adoptive mother believed that this procedure would help her establish a stronger relationship with Candace, who was having difficulty adjusting to her new home and who had been in and out of the foster care system. By paying $7,000 for someone to diagnose and to treat Candace, her adoptive mother believed that she would establish a connection with her new daughter. After a few days, the hired ``experts'' decided that ``rebirthing'' would erase Candace's childhood memories so that she could form a lasting mother-daughter relationship. Candace was wrapped in flannel blankets, held down by the weight of four adults, who bounced her and squeezed her to simulate contractions. When Candace begged for the procedure to cease, the adults holding her down ignored her pleas. When she told the strangers restraining her that she felt she was going to die, they ignored her. In April 2001, when Candace was brought to Children's Hospital in Denver, she was unconscious. She had been restrained under blankets for over an hour. Tragically, she suffocated to death. I was Colorado's Attorney General at the time this tragedy occurred. When one of the therapists was convicted for the death of Candace, my office successfully upheld that conviction upon appeal. As I stated then, and still believe today: adults are responsible for their criminal recklessness when caring for a child, regardless of whether it is called ``therapy'' or some other form of unusual care or treatment. We cannot take back the actions of the past and bring Candace back, but we can take action to ensure that her life was not lost in vain. Her grandparents, David and Mary Davis, have been the primary force behind efforts to honor the life of Candace. Through their advocacy, the States of Colorado and North Carolina have passed laws banning rebirthing. The Davis family also worked with their representative in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a resolution encouraging States to outlaw rebirthing. With the introduction of this resolution, the Senate is poised to act. Candace's grandparents and several members of her extended family are with us today. I welcome the Davis family and sincerely appreciate their presence. I am honored to join with Senator Burr to support this resolution. It is my hope that our actions today will prevent further pain and suffering. I urge the Senate to promptly act on this resolution in the name of Candace Newmaker and all children who could potentially be victimized by this life-threatening procedure.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, that any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record, without intervening action or debate.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure and pride that I commend the University of Colorado Solar Team on taking overall honors in the 2005 Solar Decathlon on the National Mall in Washington, DC. With their strong work ethic, vision, creativity and commitment to energy conservation and efficiency, the CU Solar Team has successfully designed, engineered and constructed a national model for an attractive, energy-efficient solar-powered home, while outshining esteemed competitors from such prestigious institutions as Cornell University and the California Polytechnic State University. The 2005 Solar Decathlon was an international competition between 18 competing collegiate teams, sponsored by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, or NREL, in Golden, CO. Participants came from all over the United States, and as far away as Puerto Rico, Canada and Spain. Teams competed in 10 areas, including architecture, livability and comfort, as well as how well the homes provide energy for space heating and cooling, hot water, lighting and appliances. Home designs were also required to produce enough extra energy to power an electric car. The CU Solar Team is a tight-knit group of students and faculty from the colleges of architecture, engineering, and environmental studies. Charged with the task of integrating natural materials and innovative technology into an environmentally conscious, publicly accessible and energy efficient modular home design, architecture students began to ``think like engineers'' and engineering students were placed in the role of architect. In the end, the team rose to the challenge and successfully achieved an exceptional solar design which included features such as a rooftop photovoltaic system composed of 32 SunPower 200-watt solar panels, and made of building materials such as soy, corn, sunflower and canola. At a time when our Nation's energy policy continues to be heavily dependent on foreign oil, and when home heating costs are rising to unbearable levels, I commend the ambitious work of these students in envisioning, designing and successfully creating a model for energy- efficient mobile home design. Their achievement stands as a testament to the world-class research and innovation produced at the University of Colorado, which is one of the nation's most accomplished research universities. I also want to briefly pay tribute to NREL. It is no exaggeration to say that NREL holds the key to our Nation's long-term energy security. For nearly 30 years, NREL has been at the forefront of alternative energy research and development, and their sponsorship of research projects like the decathlon helps ensure that our young engineers and scientists have opportunities to channel their education, creativity, and talent towards solving our Nation's energy challenges. The work done by this team of 14 students at CU Boulder is impressive, important and will help lead the United States to a future of greater energy independence and greater security.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of COL Joseph Julian McLachlan. Colonel McLachlan is a World War II hero and a proud Air Force veteran who died at the age of 85 in late July. Next week, he will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery. With the honors of a full military funeral, he will take his rightful place alongside America's greatest heroes, Medal of Honor recipients and veterans going back to the American Revolution. Born in 1920, Joseph McLachlan enlisted in the Army Air Corps at the start of World War II. He completed his pilot training and was commissioned in 1942. As part of the famed 368th Fighter Group, McLachlan flew two strafing missions in support of ground troops on D- Day. Six days later, he was shot down and hid behind enemy lines until he could rejoin American troops. Over the course of the war, he completed 91 missions as a P-47 pilot. He earned a Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, 17 Air Medals, and the Legion of Merit. Today, more than 60 years later, it is hard to recapture the tremendous uncertainty that America faced at the eve of the Normandy invasion. Operation Overlord employed more than 5,000 ships and landing craft, more than 12,000 airplanes, and more than 150,000 troops. Their bravery carried the day and led to the victory of freedom and democracy over tyranny and oppression. Ordinary Americans like Joseph McLachlan gave the best years of their lives to the greatest mission this country has ever taken on. The world owes them a huge debt of gratitude. After the war, McLachlan stayed in the military. In 1948, he flew 44 missions in the Berlin Airlift, one of the first major crises of the Cold War. A command pilot, McLachlan led a B-47 Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. He was vice-commander of Zaragoza Air Base in Spain and Commander of Lincoln Air Base in Nebraska. He retired as Chief of Foreign Liaison at the Pentagon. After leaving the military, Colonel McLachlan went on to have a successful 19-year career in the private sector. His greatest legacy is his large and loving family. He had 6 children, 10 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandsons. Mr. President, COL Joseph McLachlan was a great American. As we prepare to lay his remains to rest at Arlington, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring him and his family.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise to make a statement regarding an important bill I am introducing today. It is a bill that is meant to provide a straightforward and commonsense fix to a nettlesome problem that plagues communities throughout the west: pollution from abandoned mines. The bill simply says that we should make life easier for Good Samaritans. Surprisingly, that is not currently the case. The Western United States is pockmarked with old mines and mining residues, and many of these sites continuously pollute the water, the land, and the air. Our rivers and streams suffer particularly from this type of pollution. In many cases, no one alive is legally responsible for cleaning these sites. In other cases, those who are legally responsible lack the money or other resources necessary to clean them up, and the pollution continues. Fortunately, some people and some companies are willing to clean up mine sites in whole or in part, even though they are not legally responsible. These are Good Samaritans. They act for many reasons. Some are people who live nearby and suffer directly from the pollution. Others are companies that want to perform a service to the community and to address less fortunate aspects of the history of the mining industry. Still others act for other reasons. Unfortunately, though, our environmental laws create great risks of broad, long term, and very expensive liabilities for anyone who acts at a mine site, even if they act only as Good Samaritans. This problem understandably dissuades Good Samaritans from cleaning mine sites. My bill is designed to fix this problem. It is written to encourage meritorious projects to proceed provided they have the full approval of the governments involved and full participation by the public--all to benefit the environment. This bill intentionally is simple and intentionally straightforward. No Good Samaritan project will proceed unless it creates a true, overall environmental benefit. No project will gain approval unless the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state involved, and local authorities affected agree that it is a good thing. The public will be fully involved in the process from the very beginning. And, finally, the permit system and the standards in the bill are intentionally uncomplicated, so that permits for simple projects can be issued using simple proceedings. My idea is to make clear that the work of Good Samaritans is very welcome. Some cleanup of the environment in these circumstances is far better than none at all. The bill encourages Good Samaritans to clean pollution by freeing them from the large environmental liabilities that ordinarily burden anyone who acts to fix the pollution. The bill applies to the cleanup of non-coal inactive and abandoned mines anywhere in the United States. Its approach--which wraps all environmental requirements for a Good Samaritan project into a single permit that must be agreed to first by the Federal Government, the affected State, and local communities--is straightforward. Its inclusion of the states and local communities as well as the affected publics--including by assuring that State and local authorities have a say in the provision of any permit--are based on the best traditions of the west. And its impact is clear--only projects that benefit the environment will be permitted, and the work done pursuant to that permit will be afforded clear legal protection. I am proud of this bill. It is the result of a series of meetings I held around my state earlier this year. And it is endorsed by the National Mining Association, the Colorado Mining Association, and the Great State of Colorado. It is the right thing to do, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure its enactment. I ask unanimous consent that the text of my bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise to make a statement regarding an important bill I am introducing today. It is a bill that is meant to provide a straightforward and commonsense fix to a nettlesome problem that plagues communities throughout the west: pollution from abandoned mines. The bill simply says that we should make life easier for Good Samaritans. Surprisingly, that is not currently the case. The Western United States is pockmarked with old mines and mining residues, and many of these sites continuously pollute the water, the land, and the air. Our rivers and streams suffer particularly from this type of pollution. In many cases, no one alive is legally responsible for cleaning these sites. In other cases, those who are legally responsible lack the money or other resources necessary to clean them up, and the pollution continues. Fortunately, some people and some companies are willing to clean up mine sites in whole or in part, even though they are not legally responsible. These are Good Samaritans. They act for many reasons. Some are people who live nearby and suffer directly from the pollution. Others are companies that want to perform a service to the community and to address less fortunate aspects of the history of the mining industry. Still others act for other reasons. Unfortunately, though, our environmental laws create great risks of broad, long term, and very expensive liabilities for anyone who acts at a mine site, even if they act only as Good Samaritans. This problem understandably dissuades Good Samaritans from cleaning mine sites. My bill is designed to fix this problem. It is written to encourage meritorious projects to proceed provided they have the full approval of the governments involved and full participation by the public--all to benefit the environment. This bill intentionally is simple and intentionally straightforward. No Good Samaritan project will proceed unless it creates a true, overall environmental benefit. No project will gain approval unless the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state involved, and local authorities affected agree that it is a good thing. The public will be fully involved in the process from the very beginning. And, finally, the permit system and the standards in the bill are intentionally uncomplicated, so that permits for simple projects can be issued using simple proceedings. My idea is to make clear that the work of Good Samaritans is very welcome. Some cleanup of the environment in these circumstances is far better than none at all. The bill encourages Good Samaritans to clean pollution by freeing them from the large environmental liabilities that ordinarily burden anyone who acts to fix the pollution. The bill applies to the cleanup of non-coal inactive and abandoned mines anywhere in the United States. Its approach--which wraps all environmental requirements for a Good Samaritan project into a single permit that must be agreed to first by the Federal Government, the affected State, and local communities--is straightforward. Its inclusion of the states and local communities as well as the affected publics--including by assuring that State and local authorities have a say in the provision of any permit--are based on the best traditions of the west. And its impact is clear--only projects that benefit the environment will be permitted, and the work done pursuant to that permit will be afforded clear legal protection. I am proud of this bill. It is the result of a series of meetings I held around my state earlier this year. And it is endorsed by the National Mining Association, the Colorado Mining Association, and the Great State of Colorado. It is the right thing to do, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure its enactment. I ask unanimous consent that the text of my bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bills be printed in the Record.