Jim Talent

Mr. TALENT

Mr. TALENT. I will yield.

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I was happy to yield to my friend. I thought he was finished or I would not have sought the floor.

Mr. TALENT

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, since I am going to ask on behalf of the leader the resolution be agreed to, I want to express my gratitude to his office and the Democratic leader's office for their expeditious handling of this resolution, and also Senator Wyden and all those who have cosponsored it. On their behalf, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid on the able.

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. TALENT

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of Mr. Wyden and myself to speak about a resolution we are submitting to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz, where more than 1 million people were murdered at the hands of the Nazis. Sixty years ago tomorrow, allied forces successfully liberated the most notorious of Nazi death camps, freeing those who managed to live in the most deplorable of conditions and yet somehow survive the greatest evil the world has ever witnessed. For 5 long years at Auschwitz, men, women, and children arrived in cattle cars from all parts of Europe. Whether young or old, rich or poor, they were systematically stripped of their dignity before being murdered because of their religion and their deeply held faith in God. But 60 years ago tomorrow the genocide ended and the gates to freedom were opened. With the passage of time, people tend to forget the events of the past, particularly if those events occurred well before their birth. The survivors of Auschwitz are elderly and they are dwindling in number, but their stories of how good successfully triumphed over evil will live on in our history and our hearts. The resolution Senator Wyden and I introduce today commemorates Auschwitz and urges all Americans to remember those who were murdered there, murdered for nothing more than practicing their religion. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations never to forget that horror. I am pleased to say leaders from around the world, including Vice President and Mrs. Cheney, are traveling to Poland for tomorrow's commemoration ceremony. They will be joined by survivors who are still able to make the trip out into the Polish countryside. I hope this resolution will serve as a reminder that the Senate, indeed all Americans, remembers the events of 60 years ago tomorrow. It is also my hope that when anti-Semitism rears its ugly head, the world will feel a collective responsibility to stand up and speak out against religious hatred. That at least will give meaning to the sacrifice of those who were murdered and incinerated in the ovens of Auschwitz. Mr. President, I am informed that the resolution has been cleared on both sides. I am very pleased to hear that. On behalf of the leader, I ask unanimous consent the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 18, which was submitted earlier today, the resolution about which I have been speaking.

Mr. TALENT

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

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

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

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

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I am pleased to be introducing this bill, which will allow more owners of hybrid electric vehicles, or HEVs, to have access to HOV lanes on Federal highways. For all of us who have a desire to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and encourage the use of renewable energy, this bill represents a step forward towards achieving those goals. The language that is currently in the highway bills passed by the House and the Senate allows hybrid vehicles that achieve a 45 mile-per- gallon fuel economy highway rating to use HOV lanes. Any hybrid that achieves that kind of fuel economy certainly deserves to get that status, because it is a very impressive fuel economy rating and represents a substantial improvement over non-hybrid vehicles. What the 45 mile-per-gallon standard fails to take into account, however, is that many larger hybrid vehicles achieve a much larger fuel economy improvement over their internal combustion engine counterparts, and thus save more energy, than smaller vehicles which manage to meet the standard but are a less drastic improvement over their non-hybrid counterparts. To illustrate this, take the 2005 model Honda Civic HEV, which gets just over 45 miles-per-gallon. This represents less than a 40 percent improvement over the comparable internal combustion model. The 2005 Ford Escape HEV, on the other hand, is a truck, so it gets fewer miles per gallon than a Civic, between 35 and 40. However, this is a 75 percent improvement over its internal combustion engine counterpart, and in addition, the Escape HEV emits 3-4 tons fewer greenhouse gases every year than the non-hybrid. There is no reason to discriminate against these larger, American- made hybrids like the Ford Escape. They are truly engineering marvels and are so clearly beneficial for the environment. The bill that I have sponsored will give States the discretion to open up their HOV lanes to hybrid vehicles that achieve a substantial increase in fuel economy relative to comparable gasoline vehicles, or achieve a substantial increase in lifetime fuel savings relative to comparable gasoline vehicles. It creates a minimum standard of improvement necessary for hybrids, but gives States the option of increasing the requirements. This bill also allows States to open HOV lanes to single occupancy advanced lean burn vehicles that achieve at least a 25 percent increase in fuel economy relative to comparable gasoline vehicles and that are certified to Clean Air Act Tier 2 standards. I am hopeful that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle can agree that we should do all we can to encourage the use of renewable energy in our country, and hybrid vehicles are an important part of that. The people who drive these vehicles are doing their part to help clean up the air and increase energy conservation, and we should give more people an incentive to buy these vehicles by giving them access to HOV lanes. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

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

Mr. TALENT

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I rise today to salute the citizens of Warrensburg, MO, in celebration of their 150th anniversary as an incorporated town. The town of Warrensburg was incorporated in 1855 as a community proud of its heritage and loyal to the ideals, traditions and institutions that have contributed to the success and growth of the city. Warrensburg prides itself as being a self-contained city with a vibrant employment base, excellent education system, active cultural scene, and many civic events and activities for residents to enjoy. Warrensburg serves as the county seat for Johnson County, and is currently home to 17,075 residents who are served by an excellent school system which has been accredited with Distinction in Performance by the Missouri State Board of Education. The Warrensburg School System has also been named a Gold Medal School, ranking them among the Nation's top 18 percent of schools. The community is also the proud home of Central Missouri State University, which has provided quality postsecondary education for more than 130 years. This comprehensive university annually serves nearly 14,000 students from all over the State, Nation, and world, and offers more than 150 areas of study at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The city's heartland work ethic and community pride make it a great place to do business, with several local companies which have grown into national and international prominence aided by the exceptional workforce and affordable business climate. Warrensburg is home of EnerSys, G.E. Transportation Systems, ThyssenKrupp Stahl Company, Swisher Mower, Bomag Paving Products, and the world headquarters of both Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity and Carlyle Van Lines. Warrensburg is also proud of its rich diversity, with over 35 different languages spoken within the Warrensburg School District, and over 30 faith communities gathering for worship and service each week. Warrensburg is also the boyhood home of John William ``Blind'' Boone, the legendary ragtime composer and piano player; home of the first gasoline-powered, push lawn mower invented by Leonard Goodall; the original self-propelled mower and the zero-turning radius riding lawn mower both invented by Max Swisher, who remains a Warrensburg resident; and Errett Lobban Cord, inventor of Cord Automobiles. Finally, Warrensburg is also the hometown of Old Drum, the hunting dog for which Senator George Graham Vest's ``Eulogy on the Dog'' was delivered, coining the idea that ``man's best friend is his dog.'' I am honored to share Warrensburg's proud history and its sesquicentennial anniversary as a town with my colleagues, and I wish the people of Warrensburg all the best for the future.

Mr. TALENT

Mr. TALENT. Madam President, I rise today to talk briefly about a resolution Senator Schumer and I have cosponsored in the Senate which we introduced yesterday. It is about the Till case. I want to summarize for you the Emmett Till case. I don't normally read things on the Senate floor, but, in reviewing the notes from our office for the press conference that we had the other day, I really could not find a better statement for the background of this case than the notes. So I am going to read just a couple of paragraphs. It is a story that I will preface by saying it has to shame every American. It is a hard story to listen to--a story from a time that thankfully was a very different time in this country but a story that has reached across the 50 years since it happened and is calling for action now. In August 1955, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American was visiting family in Money, MS, from Chicago and allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman. On August 28, Roy Bryant, Carolyn's husband, and his half brother, J.W. Milam, kidnapped Emmett from his uncle, Moses Wright's, home. They beat him, dragged him to banks of the Tallahatchie River and shot him in the head. Bryant and Milam then fastened a large metal cotton ginning fan and dumped his body into the river. Three days later, Emmett's body was pulled from the river and returned to his mother, Mamie Till, in Chicago. Mamie Till made a very courageous decision at that point. She decided to leave his casket open for 4 days to show the public what had happened to her son. Tens of thousands of people paid their respects in person and the press published photos of Emmett's mutilated corpse around the world. In September 1955, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam stood trial for Till's murder in Mississippi. An all white, male jury acquitted both men, after several women and African Americans were barred from serving on the jury; they reached their verdict after only 67 minutes of deliberation. Emmett's uncle Moses Wright, and another resident of the town, Willie Reed, both testified in court. As a result they were forced to flee to Chicago because their lives were in danger following their testimony. Worldwide, there was tremendous outrage at the murder and subsequent acquittal. In November, Wright and Reed returned to Mississippi and testified before a grand jury investigating the pending kidnapping charges against Bryant and Milam. But the grand jury refused to indict those men. On January 24, 1956, Look magazine published an article in which both Bryant and Milam described the murder in detail. They received $4000 to tell their story. Look published a subsequent article, where Milam stated that he did not regret the killing. Both Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam lived the rest of their lives as free men and died of natural causes; Milam died in 1980 and Bryant in 1990. Mamie Till died in January 2003. Keith A. Beachamp--a documentary film maker from Fort. Greene, Brooklyn--found new evidence about the case, including never-before-heard eyewitness accounts, while making his documentary which will air soon, ``The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till.'' The witnesses claim that there were several other people involved in the murder plot and that some of these individuals are still alive. Mamie Till lived in Chicago until she died in January of 2003. She was rather close to Congressman Bobby Rush who was a colleague of mine when I served in the House. When Congressman Rush found out about this documentary, he introduced a resolution calling for the Justice Department to reopen this case and determine whether it was still possible to prosecute some of these other individuals who, according to Mr. Beachamp, were indeed involved in this crime. Since these other individuals were never tried, much less acquitted, it would still be constitutionally possible to prosecute them, especially in the Federal court, because there had never, unfortunately, been Federal actions or Federal indictments brought against any of these individuals who were involved. Senator Schumer was considering filing a companion resolution in the Senate earlier this year. He approached me to see if I wanted to cosponsor it with him. I was very interested in doing that. We both had contacted the Justice Department before we were able to sponsor that resolution. I am pleased to say the Justice Department did reopen the case, that was in May, and the Justice Department has been investigating ever since. This week Congressman Rush, Congressman Charlie Rangel, Senator Schumer, and I have sponsored in the House and in the Senate a new resolution calling on the Justice Department to devote whatever resources are necessary to investigate this matter expeditiously and report back to the Congress and to do justice after 50 years. I am sorry to say--I am ashamed to say--that Mamie Till tried over and over again for almost 50 years to get the Federal Government to do something, which she was unable to do so, particularly in the 1950s when this evidence was fresh, when a Federal charge could have been brought without violating the constitutional rule against double jeopardy, but it was not brought. For that, the Federal Government has to accept responsibility. We do not know what an expeditious and complete investigation will reveal. I suppose it is possible either other people were not involved in this or that a case cannot be made against them at this late date. What we do know is that any remaining witnesses, people who might have been coconspirators in this terrible tragic crime, are getting older. If a case is to be made, it must be made soon because witnesses may die, evidence may become even more stale and unusable. Justice needs to be done for a lot of reasons, in part because, as Congressman Rangel says, you have to confront these kinds of crimes, these kinds of tragedies, these wrongs if you are ever to get past them, in part because there may be murderers at large who need to be brought to justice, in part because it is only through the courage of Mamie Till and the courage of Moses Wright who, in 1955, followed their convictions and protested publicly about this. It took enormous courage for that mother to keep that casket open so the world could see what happened. It took enormous courage for Moses Wright to walk into that courtroom and testify against these white men, but he did it. As a result, this whole incident was one of the seminal events that led to the civil rights movement in the 1950s and the 1960s with all the progress we have achieved as a result of that. It is owing to these individuals and to their courage that we do the right thing after all this time. I certainly intend to continue doing whatever I can to make certain the Justice Department is held accountable for taking action. I know Senator Schumer feels strongly the same way. This is a subject I intend to bring up with Mr. Gonzales as his confirmation process moves through the Senate. I certainly hope he is confirmed and I do intend to support that. I think he will make a great Attorney General. But I want to make certain that he is personally aware of this and personally committed to devoting such resources as are necessary, as expeditiously as possible, to see that justice so long delayed is now done in this case. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. TALENT

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I will take a few minutes to discuss a provision in the bill about which I think there was strong bipartisan agreement, because it will lift a significant burden off of minority contractors around the country who wish to do business with the Government. Now, as Senators know, the program under which you get certified as a minority contractor in the Federal Government is called the 8(a) Program. State and local governments have similar certifications for contracting as a minority contractor with those governments. This presents a serious problem for minority small businesses seeking to do business and to take advantage of goals or set-aside programs because they are, after all, small businesses. They have to get recertified today, having gotten recertified under the Federal Government, under State government, and recertified under local government. It is a time- consuming and expensive process. The provisions in the bill which reauthorize several of the Small Business Administration programs also contain a provision about which we had unanimity on both sides of the aisle which provides that once a business is certified as an 8(a) contract on the Federal level, it does not have to go through recertification on the State and local levels in order to do business in programs which are federally funded. This is going to save minority small businesspeople many thousands of dollars and, in many cases, make it possible for them to participate where otherwise they would not be able to, and enlarge their opportunities to do business with the Government. It is a piece of legislation that I have worked on throughout this Congress, and I am very pleased and grateful to the chairman and ranking member, as well as the chairmen and ranking members of the Small Business Committee in the House and Senate for agreeing to it. I want to establish for the purpose of legislative history that the purpose of it, again, is to make clear that once a minority small business is certified as an 8(a) contractor on the Federal level, they are automatically certified as a minority contractor in State and local programs which receive Federal funds. I ask unanimous consent to print in the Record letters of support from the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, the Minority Business Council of St. Louis, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Mr. TALENT. I yield the floor.

Mr. TALENT

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

Mr. TALENT

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I rise today with a heavy heart, to mourn the loss of Komninos ``Gus'' Karellas, who was known and loved by so many in the community of Mexico, MO. Though cut tragically short, his was a life surrounded by a strong family and a strong community, and he was a great example of an immigrant who came to America and took advantage of every opportunity this country gave him. Gus was a native of Greece, and he ran away from home as a teenager with only a few cents to his name. He emigrated to American in 1965 via Oakland, CA, and even though he did not speak English very well then, he managed to succeed against all odds. He ended up in Iowa working at a pizza restaurant, where he met Jimmy and Angelo Aslanidis, who became his good friends. They ended up moving together to Columbia, MO, where Gus worked at the University of Missouri for a short time before the three of them helped start the G&D Steakhouse. In 1971, Gus Karellas and his wife Mary moved away to help manage a new G&D Steakhouse in Mexico, MO. Gus bought the restaurant one year later and spent nearly every single day there, becoming a familiar fixture to the residents of Mexico for the next three decades. His popularity with people led some of his family to give him the affectionate nickname of ``Governor Gus.'' Guy instilled his strong work ethic in his family, and friends say nothing made him prouder than his children Michael, Nick, Joanna, and Andy, who is an aide in my office. I have come to know Andy very well in the two years he has worked for me, and he is an accomplished young man with an immense sense of pride and gratitude for his family. Gus was robbed and murdered as he was leaving his restaurant several days ago. Since then, hundreds of people--friends and family, regulars of the restaurant, or even those who just casually knew Gus Karellas-- have visited the restaurant, creating a makeshift memorial of flowers, candles, and cards to the man they came to know and love. Gus Karellas was a loving husband and dedicated father, a good neighbor and good friend to many. He will be missed by all who loved him. May he rest in peace and may God comfort his family and friends in their grief at his loss. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. TALENT

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I rise today to salute the members of the Metro St. Louis Chapter of the Project Management Institute, in celebration of the chapter's 10th anniversary. The Metro St. Louis chapter of PMI is dedicated to providing its members with services and forums to further the field of project management within the St. Louis region. Internationally, PMI supports over 125,000 members in 140 countries. PMI members practice and study project management in many different industry areas, including aerospace, automotive, business management, construction, engineering, financial services, information technology, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications. Over time, PMI has become, and continues to be, one of the leading professional associations in project management. PMI's professional certification of Project Management Professional, or PMP, is highly respected across numerous industries. Professionals who have earned this credential are recognized daily for their value-added contributions to the organizations they serve. The St. Louis chapter was founded on October 14, 1994, as the 71st chapter of PMI. At that time, the chapter had 24 charter members. Today, the St. Louis chapter is recognized as one of the fastest growing national chapters with over 600 members, more than 100 of whom have become certified PMPs. The chapter's board members and volunteers host monthly dinner and educational meetings, and they provide ongoing support for special events including national speaker presentations and PMP certification workshops. The members of the St. Louis chapter are working professionals from regional businesses that include Fortune 500 companies, Federal, State and local government agencies, as well as mid-to-small size companies, start-ups and not-for-profits. Their efforts are important to the overall success of the region. I am honored to share their accomplishments with my colleagues, and I wish them all the best for the future.

Mr. TALENT

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

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I rise to speak about a provision in the pending tax bill that will benefit tens of thousands of families, mostly African-American families, a provision based on the Sickle Cell Treatment Act, S. 874, that I introduced last year with my friend and colleague, the Senator from New York, Mr. Schumer. Before I discuss the provision, I thank the leader and also our distinguished majority whip for their hard work in advocating for the inclusion of this provision in the conference report. It is very important legislation. Certainly, it is bipartisan and bicameral legislation, designed to help treat and find a comprehensive cure for sickle-cell disease, a genetic disease that affects primarily, but by no means exclusively, African Americans. I am very pleased that the provision enjoys the strong support of many prominent children's health groups, African-American groups, union groups, church groups, and medical groups in general. Why does the bill have such broad-based appeal? Because it would make a real difference in the lives of families who have struggled with this disease, as well as others who are high risk for getting it. Here are a few statistics about sickle-cell disease: About 1 in 300 newborn African-American infants are born with sickle-cell disease. More than 2,500,000 Americans have the sickle-cell trait. They do not necessarily have the disease but they have the trait and therefore may pass the disease on to their children. Sickle-cell disease is the most common genetic disease that is screened in American newborns. People with the disease have red blood cells that contain abnormal types of hemoglobin and therefore the shape of the cell changes into a sickle- like shape, hence the name of the disease. Blood cells with that shape have difficulty passing through the blood vessels or carrying the nutrients or oxygen the body needs. Tissue that does not receive a normal blood flow eventually becomes damaged and can cause potentially life-threatening complications. There are many side effects or complications because of the disease. Stroke is probably the most feared effect of sickle-cell disease, especially for children. It may affect infants as young as 18 months old. The important thing to remember is that sickle cell is a sneaky disease. It can show up in ways one would not normally associate with the disease. I have spoken, for example, with parents whose kids had periodontal disease that was very difficult to treat because it is treated with antibiotics and the blood does not carry the antibiotics as well to affected areas when the patient has sickle cell. While some patients live without symptoms for years, many others do not survive infancy or early childhood. There are often severe episodes of pain for people suffering with the disease. I became personally involved with the effort because of a doctor from St. Louis--a hero, I may add--Dr. Michael DeBaun, who treats children with sickle-cell disease. When I met him and his patients, I was struck by the hardship the disease places on not only the patients but the families of the patient members as well, and primarily on the children who must receive blood transfusion after transfusion to stay alive. About one-third of children with sickle-cell disease suffer a stroke before age 18. These children require frequent blood transfusions, sometimes 15 to 25 units a year, in order to prevent subsequent strokes. I think especially of a young man I have come to know in the course of working on this legislation, Isaac Cornell Singleton. Isaac is about 10 years old. He is from Missouri. He is one of Dr. DeBaun's patients and he attends fifth grade at Gateway Elementary School in St. Louis. Every 4 weeks Isaac goes for blood transfusions at St. Louis Childrens Hospital with Dr. DeBaun. In fact, he has a permanent port installed in his chest to allow for the transfusions, which is one of the reasons he has to limit playing contact sports like basketball and on the playground with other children. If anyone knows Isaac, they know the limitations on his activity and playing sports is, for him, probably the worst aspect of the disease with which he is afflicted. Last school year, Isaac missed school for several weeks at a time, including because of three hospitalizations, because he had severe episodes of pain associated with the disease. Sickle cell affects his decisions every day. He takes medication daily. He has to drink a lot of water to lubricate his cells. He is careful not to overexert himself, and he gets plenty of rest. After spending time with Dr. DeBaun in his clinic and after consulting with him about how Medicaid deals with sickle cell, I knew we could make the system better for kids such as Isaac. So last April Senator Schumer and I introduced the Sickle Cell Treatment Act. Our friends and colleagues, Congressman Danny Kay Davis from Chicago and Congressman Richard Burr from North Carolina, introduced the companion bill in the House. I cannot overemphasize the outpouring of support we have received for this bill. I knew this disease had affected communities of people for decades, but I had no idea how deep the impact was or how great the need was people felt for help in trying to struggle with this disease. In fact, one of the problems is there has been so little visibility with regard to sickle cell, so little attention paid to it, that there is a lot of ignorance even within the African-American community about what the disease does and how to deal with it. I think one of the greatest aspects of the bill so far has been to raise the level of attention to the disease. I think that already has helped and the legislation itself will help in informing people. I will go into that in a minute. As an example of the kind of communications I received, Allyce Renee Ford of Blue Springs, MO, wrote, and I am paraphrasing her a little: I was so pleased to read of your bill to increase Federal funding for treatment of sickle cell disease. My twin sons were born with sickle cell in 1973. They suffered with this debilitating disease for all of their lives. They both lost the battle to painful complications of sickle cell related problems in 2002. Please believe me, Senator Talent, it is a very painful, life constricting disease, both for the victim and for their families. Even though I do not have any other children to lose to this disease, I mourn for all the other parents who will lose their children in the future . . . today, tomorrow, some day, they will lose them. Thank God there will be some help for sickle cell disease victims. Why are so many people, so many groups, so many medical personnel supporting this bill? Because it is critical to help the historically underserved population, many of whom may not know they carry the trait or have the disease until it has already affected them. The underlying legislation has the support of dozens of African- American children's groups, health advocates, as well as union and church groups. I am not going to read the whole list but it includes the Congressional Black Caucus and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America--I thank the Sickle Cell Disease Association for their tremendous help in writing this bill and getting it passed--the American Medical Association, the Catholic Health Association, the National Association of Childrens Hospitals, the National Baptist USA, the NAACP, and many other groups as well. These advocates know this legislation will make a difference in the lives of sickle-cell-disease children and their families in four key ways. First, the bill increases access to affordable quality health care. The provision that is in this tax bill provides funding to currently eligible Medicaid recipients for physician and laboratory services targeted to sickle-cell disease that either are currently not reimbursed or are underreimbursed by Medicaid. The bill enhances services available to sickle-cell patients. A provision in the bill allows States to receive a Federal 50/50 funding match for nonmedical expenses related to sickle-cell treatments such as genetic counseling, community outreach, education, and other services. This is crucial because right now to get compensated for counseling, education, or outreach regarding sickle cell, the services have to be provided by the physician. Unfortunately, there are not very many physicians in this field. They are extremely busy. They do not have the time to sit down and do this kind of counseling with the patients. Many of them heroically make the time, but there are limits to the number of hours they have in the day. So if this counseling can be provided by nonphysicians, other personnel who are thoroughly familiar with the disease in various outreach centers and places, we can reach out and let people know what this disease is, whether they should get screened for it, what the symptoms are, how they can manage their diet and their lives so as to minimize complications, and many other things that are crucial. This disease management provision allows hospitals and clinics to do outreach with nonmedical personnel to educate high-risk communities about the disease. It also allows nonmedical personnel like counselors to spend time with sickle cell families and spend time discussing how to manage the disease. In particular, I have talked with parents who have this problem. This will help experts in this field assist families in navigating through the health care maze so they can get the services they need. The bill also creates 40 sickle cell disease treatment centers around the country. It authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to distribute grants for up to 40 health centers nationwide at a cost of about $50 million for the next 5 fiscal years so we can have outreach centers in all parts of the country where there are substantial concentrations of people who are at high risk for the disease. It could mean a health center grant in almost every State. The grant money could be used for purposes including education, treatment, continuity of care for sickle cell disease patients, and for training health professionals. Finally, the bill establishes a sickle cell disease research headquarters. It creates a national coordinating center which will also be operated by the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate and oversee sickle cell disease funding and research conducted at hospitals, universities, and community-based organizations. This will focus on efficiency so we can share information about the disease and about outcomes around the country, and accountability to make sure taxpayer dollars are being spent properly in funding good research on sickle cell disease. Taken together, the components of this bill will make a real and tangible difference in the lives of thousands of American families. I hope this bill is a first step. We have once again Senator Schumer and I and Congressman Davis and Congressman Burr and all those who have helped us with this, and we ended up with more than a majority of the Senate sponsoring this bill, divided almost evenly between both sides of the aisle. We look on this as a first step. This bill is going to begin laying the infrastructure for outreach centers, for advocates, for counselors around the country to help families who are struggling with this disease, and to lay the basis for the next step--whether it is additional funding for research or helping people who are coping with the disease so these families and these patients who are struggling with sickle cell disease know they are not alone. It is one of the more important things Congress has done this year. I can tell you based on my personal experience that it will encourage the many thousands of people around the country who have felt so alone as they struggle with sickle cell disease. Today, we have truly done something for the public good in including this in the conference report. I am hopeful at some point we will have a chance to vote on it, and I am confident we will pass it. Mr. President, I thank you for your personal assistance, and I thank the Senate for indulging me in these comments. I yield the floor.

Mr. TALENT. I object.

Mr. TALENT

Mr. TALENT. Mr. President, I am certainly not going to object, but will the majority leader yield for a minute?

Mr. TALENT. I had intended to make a few remarks as in morning business when I thought we would be staying in session for several more days. I figured I had a lot of time to do it. I am certainly glad that the leaders have been able to work out an arrangement to the contrary. But I wonder if your wrap-up request could include allowing me to speak as in morning business, if the Senator from Nevada does not mind, for maybe 20 minutes. It will not take any longer than that.

Mr. TALENT. I do not think there will be much time before the vote tomorrow.

Mr. TALENT. Afterwards we are all going to be trying to catch planes, so I ask if I could have a few minutes.