Sheldon Whitehouse

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the very real and serious issue of global climate change, and specifically our efforts to help America's fish and wildlife, public lands, and oceans adapt to and survive global warming. I am aware that there remain some in this country, and even in this chamber, who choose to reject the overwhelming scientific evidence that global warming is occurring today, and will worsen severely if nothing is done. For years, Congress and the Bush administration have delayed the implementation of swift and aggressive measures to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We can delay no longer. But as we work to mitigate the causes of global warming, we must also take urgent action to address its effects. Climate change can have a devastating impact not only on the environment, but on the living things that depend on it. The early warning signs of climate change--taking place not just in the far reaches of the Arctic but also right in our own backyards--have shown that the world's wildlife is particularly vulnerable. In Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay, the state's most distinctive ecological feature, the gradually-warming water temperature has contributed to a significant ecosystem shift. This warming has already resulted in a documented increase in ocean temperatures, leading to massive fish kills, like we experienced in Greenwich Bay in the summer of 2003, and other ecological damage. The changing environment in the Bay has had a broad and significant impact on fish and shellfish. Cold water species, such as winter flounder, that were once abundant in the Bay and had a high commercial value have been replaced by warmer water species, such as scup, that have a lower value. This has happened in just the past 20 years--a frighteningly quick timeline and apparently not what Nature intended. The shift in species has serious implications for Rhode Island's fishermen, whose work has been part of our State's economy for generations. When I recently traveled to Greenland to witness firsthand the most severe and visible effects of climate change, one of the most striking of these was global warming's impact on Greenland's population of polar bears. The Greenland ice cap is melting at a rate never before seen in documented history. Melting sea ice and glaciers there and in other parts of the Arctic are gradually raising sea levels around the world, shrinking polar bears' habitats and bringing them into increasing contact with humans. In some cases, we were told, villagers have been forced to shoot polar bears with their cubs forced into populated areas in search of food. Global warming represents the single greatest threat to our natural environment and wildlife, and we must act decisively if we are to avoid disaster. America's ocean and terrestrial wildlife is a fundamental part of our national heritage, and conservation of our wildlife is a core value shared by all Americans. Climate change is directly related to the species decline we have experienced over the last two decades, both on land and in our waters. The combined impact of climate change, loss of habitat due to development pressures, and exploitation of our natural resources threatens to drive many species over the brink to permanent extinction. Today, I am introducing legislation that will help bolster our oceans and wildlife against one of the most significant of these pressures-- that of global climate change. The Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act represents the first comprehensive approach to mitigate the impact of climate change on America's wildlife, oceans, and other natural systems. I am proud and pleased to have the distinguished chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Boxer, join me as an original cosponsor of this bill. The bill has three primary goals: first, it will create a coordinated national strategy, based on sound science, to guide Federal, State, and local agency actions to address global warming's threat to our oceans and wildlife. The Secretary of Interior will develop a national strategy for managing terrestrial wildlife and the habitats they depend on, and the Secretary of Commerce will develop a national strategy for our oceans, coastal, and great lakes ecosystems. Both Secretaries will consult with other affected federal agencies, States, tribes, local governments, conservation organizations, and other stakeholders to develop the strategy. Second, the bill will support improved science capacity for Federal agencies to respond to global warming, including the establishment of a National Global Warming and Wildlife Science Center in the U.S. Geological Survey for terrestrial wildlife and a comparable Science Advisory Board within the Department of Commerce to provide scientific and technical advice to respond to the impacts of global warming on ocean and coastal ecosystems. Finally, the bill directs that funding for implementation of the national strategy be allocated in a balanced, strategic, and efficient way to the Federal programs, States, and tribal agencies charged with carrying out the national strategy. The impact of climate change on our oceans and wildlife is an issue too important to ignore. Human activity has caused climate change and we must be responsible for solving it. We have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to leave behind a natural environment as good, and we would hope and pray better, than the one we inherited. Preserving America's wildlife and oceans so that the next generation can enjoy an unspoiled natural environment, and our many traditions of hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation, is a responsibility we must uphold. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3277

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, as I have traveled around Rhode Island, I have met so many families who worry about health care. Will their child fall ill? Will the price of prescription drugs or a visit to the doctor go up again? As health care costs skyrocket and the number of uninsured Americans approaches a staggering 50 million, we have a solemn obligation to make health care more accessible and affordable. This obligation is not new. For decades, our Government has treated it as one of the most sacred promises we keep with the American people, and it has been one of our best opportunities to just plain do the right thing. Initiatives such as Medicare and Medicaid are among our greatest accomplishments. The Children's Health Insurance Program is a shining light in the American health care system, providing health coverage to millions of American children whose families could not otherwise afford insurance. Since its creation in 1997, the Children's Health Insurance Program has given children in America's working families better access to medical care for common conditions such as asthma or ear infections, better school attendance rates, better academic achievement, better medical access, and more preventive care. It means that children stay out of expensive urgent care settings such as the emergency room. The Children's Health Insurance Program is among the singular health care success stories of our generation. That is why it has long enjoyed bipartisan support, including enthusiastic support from Republican Governors. My State of Rhode Island has played a vital role in creating and sustaining the Children's Health Insurance Program. The distinguished Republican Senator John Chafee, whom so many of my colleagues will remember, was one of the early bipartisan architects of this bill. For years, my senior Senator, Jack Reed, has been one of the most powerful advocates for this program in the Senate. I am proud to add my voice of support to his. I am proud also to represent a State with one of the lowest rates of uninsured children and adults in the Nation. Rhode Island has worked for 15 years to achieve this success, beginning with Gov. Bruce Sundlun's establishment of the original RIteCare Program in 1993. I was honored to have been part of Governor Sundlun's team. Similar to many State programs, RIteCare relies on this funding that the President vetoed--relies on it to help families pay for regular checkups, immunizations, prescriptions, nutrition and other services and to reduce the number of uninsured children in our State. This year, leaders on both sides of the aisle came together in the Senate to make this strong, vital program even stronger. The $35 billion agreement Congress passed last week would have brought health care to 10 million American children over the next 5 years, including adding up to 6,600 currently uninsured children in Rhode Island. We improved the program in other ways as well, adding quality dental and mental health care for children and new incentives for States to enroll more eligible children and to improve the quality of care. But President Bush took all that away with the stroke of his veto pen. Why? Health insurance, he says, should be delivered in the private market. Well, guess what, Mr. President. The majority of children's health beneficiaries receive their coverage through private health plans. In fact, in 2005, all but two separate State children's health programs used a managed care company to provide CHIP benefits. The children's health plan does not threaten privatized health care; it is privatized health care for almost two-thirds of its enrollees. In Rhode Island, the Children's Health Insurance Program is delivered entirely through private insurers. As I have displayed here, the children's health program looks a lot like the health insurance the President has and the Senate has, and it doesn't look anything like the socialized medicine Republican opponents of this program have used as a red herring. By the way, as a footnote on the public versus private health insurance question, maybe President Bush, who claims to be a fiscal conservative, would be pleased to learn that the small group of children's health beneficiaries who actually are in public insurance programs, cost the Government less than those who are on private insurance. In fact, publicly insured children cost taxpayers 10 percent less than privately insured children, and publicly insured adults cost 30 percent less than privately insured adults. But the President is not persuaded by these facts. It does not matter to him that publicly insured children have a much better chance of having a well child care visit than uninsured children and a much better chance of having a dental care visit. It does not matter that practical Republican Governors across the country support this bill or that it is one of the most bipartisan achievements of this Congress. All that seems to matter to this President is ideology, and in this case, it is a bizarre ideology that doesn't think struggling, working- class families should have health care. In fact, he especially doesn't believe that struggling, working-class parents should have health care. He threatened to veto this bill based on that feature alone. As recently as last summer at a Finance Committee hearing, his own CMS Administrator, Mark McClellan, stated--and this is a quote from the Bush administration: Extending coverage to parents and caretaker relatives-- Parents and caretaker relatives-- not only serves to cover additional insured individuals, but may also increase the likelihood that they will take the steps necessary to enroll their children. Extending coverage to parents and caretakers may also increase the likelihood that their children remain enrolled in CHIP. Here is a copy of a letter that Administrator McClellan wrote to my home State of Rhode Island on January 13, 2006. It reads: We are pleased to inform you that your amendment to the RiteCare section 1115 demonstration, as modified by the special terms and conditions accompanying this award, has been approved. It also notes that Rhode Island's request to renew its demonstration project has also been approved. And what exactly did Mark McClellan approve? Here is the next quote: Expenditures for expanded SCHIP eligibility to individuals who, at the time of initial application, are custodial parents or relative caretakers of children eligible under the plan. Signed Dr. Mark McClellan. The Bush administration approved the program in Rhode Island for custodial parents and relative caretakers. Yet the President is shocked--shocked--that this program may cover some adults. President Bush, you authorized the coverage for these adults over and over, State by State, through your Cabinet Secretary overseeing this problem. Your argument, sir, is with yourself. All I can say is you were right the first time, before you took this shameful ideological U-turn. Setting aside reason, setting aside the security and peace of mind of countless working-class families, driven by ideology, President Bush lifted his veto pen for only the fourth time in his Presidency and struck down the Children's Health Insurance Program. His reason this week: Because it costs too much. In other words, the same administration that in 1 year, in 2008, will spend $70 billion to pay for the Bush tax cuts for the top 1 percent of income earners, thinks it is too much to spend half that much over 5 years to provide billions of American children affordable health care. Said another way, the annual cost of Bush tax cuts for the superrich is 10 times the annual cost of this bill for children's health care, and he says he vetoes it over its cost. The same administration is spending more than $10 billion each month in Iraq, with no plan for ending the war and bringing our troops home, an administration that is now asking for 200 billion more dollars for the war this coming year, refuses to spend $35 billion over the next 5 years to provide millions of children all over this country affordable health care. Instead, the President sought a funding level that would result in 1 million American children losing--losing--their health insurance. So where would their families go to get these children health care if they don't have access to this insurance under the President's proposal? Well, before an audience in Cleveland on July 10, the President of the United States revealed his approach: People have access to health care in America-- He said. After all, you just go to an emergency room. So that is it. Tax cuts for billionaires that explode our national debt and leave future generations on the hook to pay for it--that is a big priority for President Bush. Billions for Blackwater, for an endless war with no plan to end it, for no-bid contracts for Halliburton--that is a big priority for President Bush. But health care for children and their struggling working-class families, all paid for in the budget after hard-working bipartisan compromise? Nope. That is not a priority. That is a veto. And the kids? ``Send them to the emergency room,'' he says. I am ashamed of the President's decision. His veto was unnecessary. It was wrong. It is now up to Congress to make it right. I ask my colleagues to override the President's veto of children's health insurance. I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I know the distinguished Senator from Texas was also an attorney general of his State. I wonder if in that capacity the staff who served the appellate function in the attorney general's office, a solicitor general, are separate and he recognizes appellate practice, in many ways, is a specialized skill in that context, and I wonder what appellate argument experience the candidate for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has?

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, will the Senator yield for a question?

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I thank the chairman. As she knows, I am a profound believer in the potential of health information technology to revolutionize the way we deliver health care in this country. The potential for better coordinated care, reduced medical errors, increased patient satisfaction, and enhanced patient peace of mind is enormous. It is also worth noting that several well-respected organizations estimate annual savings near $80 billion. Unfortunately, we have been unable, as a nation, to develop an interoperable, integrated health information infrastructure the way we were able to do with our highway system or our railroad tracks. This is the result of a variety of barriers that we, as legislators, have a responsibility to tackle if we are going to take this necessary step to improve health care in this Nation. One of those barriers is the current prohibition by the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, on the electronic prescribing of controlled substances. This ban requires physicians who e-prescribe to maintain two separate systems: an electronic system for noncontrolled substances and a paper system for controlled substances. This is an excessive encumbrance for doctors who are trying to do the right thing for their patients--an encumbrance that has unfortunately led many overburdened doctors to give up electronic prescribing altogether. This is a travesty. As a former attorney general and a former U.S. attorney, I am sensitive to the prosecutorial concerns of the Drug Enforcement Administration. But CMS has been working without success for years with the DEA to resolve their differences on this issue. Apparently, the DEA refuses to budge. I would like to know why. Billion-dollar transactions are done electronically; highly classified national security information travels electronically; military attack aircraft are targeted electronically. I would say to the DEA: Please do not tell me we cannot figure out a way for a doctor to prescribe Vicodin electronically. I think we need to demand a joint report from CMS and the DEA laying out a way, or ways, to overcome this hurdle, to be completed at the earliest practicable date but no later than 1 month after the date of enactment. In the absence of the DEA changing the rules, we must seek a statutory solution to this problem. Considering the extraordinary potential of e-prescribing, we have to break this logjam. Mr. President, I would ask the chairman if she would work with me to ensure that CMS and the DEA will work together to propose a reasonable approach soon to allow the electronic prescribing of controlled substances?

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I would like to engage the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations, Ms. Mikulski, in a colloquy concerning the e- prescribing of controlled substances. Would the chairman and manager of the bill entertain a question?

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I thank the chairman and all my colleagues for their help on this issue.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

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

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today to join my distinguished senior Senator Jack Reed in remembering a great Rhode Islander, Representative Paul Crowley, of Newport. With his passing early last week, the ``Ocean State'' lost not only a champion for our children and powerful advocate for Newport, the city he loved, but a friend and mentor for many of us who served and worked with him. In a place such as Rhode Island, a loss like that of Paul touches us personally as well as politically. So together with Senator Reed, I wish to share briefly with the Senate the Paul Crowley I know. Paul was a Newporter heart and soul, a lifelong resident of the fifth ward and a warm and generous host at Laforge Casino Restaurant, long owned by his family. He loved his old city and worked tirelessly to strengthen its economy and bring new vitality to its proud history. Paul's role in founding the Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau helped make Newport a world-class destination, and he led efforts to build a sister city relationship that endures today, between Newport and Kinsale, Ireland. A loyal member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and former Grand Marshal of the Newport St. Patrick's Day Parade, Paul treasured his Irish heritage. He loved his family, his native city, and his ancestral Ireland, I think in that order. Paul was a deeply respected leader. In 27 consecutive years of service in our General Assembly, his work as deputy chair of the Rhode Island House Finance Committee, among many other posts, cemented Paul's reputation as a hard worker, an honest broker, and a skilled negotiator. Paul relentlessly dedicated those skills to improving education in Rhode Island. He believed Rhode Island children deserved the best education and he never compromised that commitment. He pushed schools and teachers to take responsibility for their students' successes and failures, and he pushed the State to ensure that schools improved, from accountability measures to State aid for poorer districts. Paul was particularly focused on middle schools, a concern he and I shared. His legislative deeds are the shoulders on which education reform in Rhode Island will stand for a generation. Paul was a friend especially to Senator Reed's colleague and mine in our delegation, Patrick Kennedy. Paul befriended Patrick when they both served together in the General Assembly. I know Paul watched with great pride as Patrick rose first in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, and later in Congress, where he has earned the great honor and responsibility now of serving on the House Appropriations Committee. Paul will be so deeply missed. Hearts all over Rhode Island go out to Paul's family--his wife Diana, his daughter Meredith, his sons Matthew and Edward, and his entire family. I join Senator Reed in offering my condolences, on behalf also of Sandra, my wife, who worked with Paul in the legislature and who was so fond of him. Newport, the city Paul loved, and the Ocean State, whose people he served unselfishly and with great integrity, are lessened today because he is no longer with us. Paul, may the road rise up to meet you, and the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; may the rain fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the palm of His hand.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I yield the floor.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, it is without question that we are on a wrong course in Iraq. The Bush administration's failure to listen to the American people, failure to plan for the unexpected, and failure to learn from its mistakes has left our Nation less, not more, secure from terror and from the dangers our troops face in Iraq. The expenditure of hundreds of billions of American tax dollars has not only strained our Treasury, but cost us uncountable opportunities to improve the lives of American families and to strengthen our country's future. Every month, we are borrowing and spending over $10 billion to fund the war in Iraq--billions of dollars that we borrow and spend that could help deliver health coverage to children who need it; that could help improve the quality of elementary education and make college more affordable--things that are an essential investment in our Nation's economic strength into the future. In addition to the billions we are spending to continue our military involvement in Iraq--a policy that must change, and soon--we are also spending billions more on reconstruction efforts. In this area alone, between 2003 and 2006, we have spent more than $300 billion. The same President who thinks it is too much to spend $35 billion on American children's health care over the next 5 years had no problem pouring $300 billion into Iraq reconstruction, and I submit that there is very little to show for it. We have fought long and hard to keep pressure on President Bush to take a new direction in Iraq. At every turn, he and his allies in Congress have resisted. We will continue our fight, but as we do, we also have an obligation on behalf of the American people to ensure that these tax dollars are being used as they should be. As fighting the war and rebuilding Iraq have been privatized, too often we have seen evidence of fraud. According to a 2005 report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, nearly $9 billion in funding intended for reconstruction efforts went unaccounted for--just gone. Investigations by the Special IG for Iraq Reconstruction of $32 billion in funding for Iraq reconstruction have already led to $9.5 million in recovered and seized assets and more than $3.6 million in restitution. Iraq is a target-rich environment for corruption, and monitoring the expenditure of U.S. resources there requires vigilance. We must ensure that our tax dollars are not squandered to corruption or other malfeasance, and we must ensure that we have the ability to audit U.S. tax dollars from the time our officials award contracts through their final expenditure. We must do all we can to prevent ``leakage'' of this reconstruction aid through every step in the contractor supply chain. We must give ourselves the chance to consider what effect all this graft and corruption may be having on the motivations of Iraqi leaders. When I visited in Iraq, we heard of just one official from Al Anbar Province--a police official--who had embezzled more than $50 million. With graft at that scale, one can only imagine how the motivations of Iraqi leaders might be warped. The measure before us today will help us find out. It will establish a new ``Truman Commission'' to restore the American people's faith that their tax dollars are being accounted for. The Truman Commission was formed during World War II, when then-Senator Harry S Truman created a special committee to investigate the National Defense Program to investigate defense-related contracts and expose corruption and mismanagement in the use of war-related funds. The commission we seek today will have the authority to audit U.S. funds used for U.S. projects or for U.S. efforts to support rehabilitation of Iraqi industries. The establishment of this commission will ensure that this cascade of billions of dollars for reconstruction in Iraq can be tracked, so that the hard-earned money U.S. taxpayers provide will serve the purposes--the legitimate purposes--of the American and the Iraqi people. I applaud Senator Webb and our Presiding Officer, Senator McCaskill, for their leadership in sponsoring this amendment. I am very pleased that my colleagues in the Democratic freshman class, every one of us has thrown our support behind it. Last November, the American people told us it was time for a change in Iraq, and we are working hard for a new direction. But as we fight to bring our troops home, this amendment will help make certain that our tax dollars are spent as we mean for them to be. It is wise legislation, it is needed legislation, and I urge its support. Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Casey.) Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 2085, and that the Senate then proceed to its consideration.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, September 26; that on Wednesday, following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that there then be a period for the transaction of morning business for 60 minutes, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each, with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, if there is no further business today, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to a great Rhode Islander: my good friend, Paul Tavares. This weekend, Paul will be honored by the Portuguese American Citizens Committee as its Person of the Year, and the PACC simply could not have made a better choice. This organization has contributed so much to the Portuguese community, and to our Ocean State, through its civic, charitable and political work. It is fitting that this weekend, the PACC will honor someone who has done the same. Paul's character, integrity, and honesty have set an example, not only in his work in public service, but throughout his life. I have known Paul, and have been honored to call him my friend, since we both ran for statewide office in 1998: he for general treasurer, and I for attorney general. His motto during that election was simple one: ``No tricks, no gimmicks, just a Treasurer who'll do what's right.'' We both fought hard battles and we both emerged victorious. And immediately after being sworn in, we began a close and very productive relationship that helped each of our offices work more efficiently. It has been a lasting and a valued friendship. Paul's record of accomplishment in the Treasurer's office is outstanding. One of his most notable achievements was his commitment to helping Rhode Island families save for their children's college education. As a result of his work, the CollegeBoundfund, Rhode Island's section 529 college savings program, was recognized by MSN Money in 2005 as one of the Nation's five best college savings plans in the country. Columnist Liz Pulliam Weston wrote: ``It's a pity more of us don't live in Rhode Island if you live there, it's a mystery why you'd invest anywhere else.'' With the help of the Attorney General's office, he put a broken crime victims' compensation program back on its feet. He led with integrity. Paul certainly carried out what he proposed to do, that is, to leave the Treasurer's office in a better State than what he inherited. But Paul's story doesn't begin in the Treasurer's office. During his successful career in the banking industry, Paul dedicated himself to a life of public service, beginning his career on the East Providence School Committee, and then the East Providence City Council. In 1992, Paul was elected to Rhode Island's State senate, where he served until taking office as general treasurer. I worked closely with Paul when I served on Governor Bruce Sundlun's senior staff, and I saw up close what a good senator he was. Paul's years in the Senate were full of significant accomplishments, especially his efforts to create The CollegeBoundfund and his work on adoption; and his service as first deputy majority leader and as vice- chair of the Corporations Committee. Paul is remembered in the senate not only for his committed service but also for his legendary ability to pull practical jokes on his fellow senators. One he particularly enjoyed was to ``borrow'' a piece of letterhead paper from one of his fellow senators and write a note to another senator. He would then ask a page in the senate to deliver the letter and sit back to enjoy the ensuing uproar. That story says so much about Paul: he never takes himself too seriously; the jokes were always warm-hearted and they helped break tensions in that body. Paul was good for the senate. Paul has also never forgotten where he comes from. A son of Portuguese immigrants who migrated to the United States from the Azores, he has truly lived the American dream. I am sure Paul's parents, the late Anibal and Laurentina Tavares, are looking down on us proud to see how far Paul's determination and talent have carried him in life. And I am sure he would agree that he would not have enjoyed nearly as much success without the love and support of his lovely wife Lee, his daughters Tessa, Kristen and Felicia, and his sons Nicholas and Andrew. Their unwavering commitment to Paul, and his unwavering commitment to them, have been extraordinary. Rhode Islanders who know Paul also know well his selfless service to his community. Paul founded the Portuguese American Scholarship Foundation, is a cofounder of the East Providence Children's Portuguese School, and served on the Catholic Diocese of Providence Finance Council. His work in these organizations has not only enriched the Ocean State's Portuguese community, but has changed lives all over Rhode Island. And he does not just help people through organizations. Many Rhode Islanders know stories of people showing up on Paul's doorstep, asking for his help. Each time, he listened and did what he could. Paul has spent his life helping others without asking anything in return. I am pleased to come to the floor of the Senate to join the Portuguese American Citizens Committee in recognizing the tremendous accomplishments of our friend Paul Tavares. I extend congratulations, heartfelt thanks for a job well done, and best wishes to Paul and his family in all their future endeavors.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 305.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 5; that on Wednesday, following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; that there then be a period of morning business until 11:30 a.m. with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each and that the time be equally divided and controlled between the leaders or their designees, with the Republicans controlling the first half and the majority controlling the final portion, and that during the majority's time, Senator Dorgan be recognized for up to 20 minutes; that at 11:30 a.m, the Senate resume consideration of the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. Further, that on Wednesday the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. for the respective party conference meetings.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I would like to announce to the Senate that on Wednesday, Senator Johnson is expected to return. Following the caucus recess period, the Senate will consider a resolution to welcome him back, and I would encourage Members to be on the floor at 2:15 p.m.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following treaties transmitted to the Senate on September 4, 2007, by the President of the United States: 1996 Protocol to Convention on Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes, Treaty Document No. 110-5; and Amendment to Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, Treaty Document No. 110-6. I further ask consent that the treaties be considered as having been read the first time, that they be referred, with accompanying papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed, and that the President's messages be printed in the Record.

Mr. WHITEHOUSE

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate today, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in adjournment under the previous order.