as most world war ii veterans were returning home with stories of courage and victory, the navajo code talkers were ordered to keep their story secret. their mission was classified. only in 1968 was it revealed to the world. and only in 2001 did these men finally receive the recognition they deserved when they were presented with congressional medals. it's often said that america's diversity makes her strong, and during world war ii, this country's cultural diversity contributed to america's military strength in a very real and concrete way. because the navajo language had survived and had been passed down, americans had a code that the japanese were never able to crack. a weapon they could not counter. america is unique among the countries of the world. almost every other country on

earth finds its sense of solidarity in a common race and common culture. even countries as diverse as our own trace their heritage to some imagined community ordinarily than their political -- older than their political institutions. our nation has always defined itself by its ideals, not by race or culture. though we have not always lived up to this vision of a truly multicultural democracy, it has guided our development and spurt our progress. when the navajo code talkers first arrived at camp pendleton, there were those who considered them less than fully equal. u.s. law had only acknowledged native americans as citizens for 17 years when our country entered world war ii. many of the code talkers were born as noncitizens in a land that they had belonged dhash had belonged to their people before the europeans knew it existed. yet 45,000 of 350,000 native

americans in this country served in the armed forces during that conflict, including 400 navajo code talkers. the native americans who signed up to serve this country in the armed forces were sending a message that they, just as much as anyone else, were citizens of the united states of america. their people were just as much a part of this country's cultural at thatapestry as any other. in the navajo code, the word for america was "our mother." as one code talker has explained, our mother stood for freedom, our recialtion our ways of life, and that's why we went in. the nast hoe marines identified their culture with their country. when they fought, they fought for both. in fact, value is inat the grail to the navajo experience spurred them to fight in america's war

against tyranny, as americans who face bigotry and injustice, they eagerly signed on to free others from oppression. as individual whose had lived with the legacy of aggression against their people, they felt keenly the need to prevent others' acts of aggression. even if these acts were shall perpetrated on the other side of the world. the passing of the three code talkers, thousands of miles and dozens of years from the events that made them heroes, should make us all remember the great patriotism and honor that all the code talkers displayed. it should make us appreciate their work and honor their memory, and it should make us proud to live in a country where such things are possible. as time does the work that japanese guns could never do the code talkers are slowly leaving us. only 80 of the original 400

remain with us. too soon these men will live only in our memories. let us keep those memories strong, lest we lose the inspiration they can offer. to willie begay, thomas claw and john brown injure h. jr., we honor your lives and mourn your passing. to awful code talkers alive and beyond, we celebrate your service. whenever stories of courage and patriotism are told, we will think of you. thank you, mr. president, and i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. barrasso: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. barrasso: i would ask that the quorum call be rescinded. officer without objection. mr. barrasso: thank you. i would like to speak on two -- mr. burris: thrieblgd speeg on two different issues on morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. bur is: thank you, mr. president. i rise today to applaud senator lincoln and senator snowe for their leadership and commitment in introducing senate bill 1222. this legislation would revise and extend existing empowerment zones, renewable community and enterprise community rules. it seeks to make these programs more effective and ensure that the incentives work as intended. i'm proud to be a cosponsor of this important measure. congress created empowerment zones, renewable communities,

and enterprise communities to spur economic growth and create job opportunities. cities like east st. louis and chicago, illinois, have received tax incentives for $5.3 billion. these incentives encourage businesses to open or expand and to hire local residents. they include employment credits, low-interest loans, reduced taxation on capital gains, and other incentives. unfortunately, some of the programs have not operated as intended. a few major hurdles have prevented full utilization of the tax benefits available. these incentives desperately need to be refined and extended. that is exactly what this legislation would do, and that is why it is so important for this senate to act without delay.

empowerment zones, like the one in east st. louis, illinois, focus on grass, roots, sustainable progress. it creates a bond between businesses, imleerks and surrounding communities. despite selfing only one-fourth of the anticipated federal funding, they have found aspiring entrepreneurs to develop businesses using a creative away of tax incentives and loans. this legislation is an important step toward revising the blight faced by our inner cities without gentrifying these areas or shutting out the community members who need our help the most. senator lincoln and senator snowe deserve our most utmost support in their fight to rehabilitate these communities. i'm proud to sponsor -- i'm proud to cosponsor this legislation. i urge my colleagues to join with me in this effort.

thank you, mr. president. i'll change to another subject i had like to speak on, mr. president. as i address this chamber today, our country remains in the grips of the worst economic disaster since the great deppression. we have all felt its devastating effects. in the last half-century, there's never been harder for working americans to make ends meet. but finally, we're beginning to see indications that the worst may be behind us. the economy is still shedding jobs, but at a slower rate. business is starting to pick up again for some, not all. the american recovery and reinvestment act has started to take hold and at long last some people are beginning to feel

more hopeful. as the tide rises for some communities, others continue to slip further and further behind. in a troubling new report, the unemployment rate among african-americans has risen to 14.9%, up six points since 2007. everyone is hurting, but this is an alarming sign that some groups are still hurting more than others. while one out of five white teens is without a job, two out of five african-american teens are unemployed, along with one out of three hispanic teens. the overall share of african-americans with jobs has reached its lowest point since 1986. as we begin to emerger from the worst of this economic crisis, we must not forget that there is still a long way to go for many

americans. in our rush to get this economy back on track, we need to make sure that we don't leave certain communities behind. this means the increasing amount of capital available to employers, helping put americans back to work, and protecting small businesses. as a former banker who worked hard to secure loans for businesses, i have a deep understanding of the role these company play in creating jobs and helping the economy to grow. i know how crucial it is to provide immediate relief as well as lasting support. that is why i applaud president obama's recent call for a speed-up of the disbursal of the stimulus funds. this would safe/create roughly 600,000 jobs in the next three months alone. this will not be an easy task, but it is necessary to strengthen america's small

businesses, put people back to work and to restore economic security. as we rush to provide aid to the american people, we need to make sure that stimulus funds are targeted effectively. that is why oversight is critical as $1 billion will flow from the federal government to state treasuries, transparency will help keep state and federal officials accountable for every dollar that is spent in the name of economic recovery. if done right, this will ensure that everyone can share in the promise and prosperity of a revitalized economy. that is why i produced senate bill 1064, a bill that will set aside small amounts of stimulus money to pay for regulation and oversight. these costs are currently unfunded, leaving the american people with only vague assurances that their money will be used effectively.

mr. president, this is something not good enough. we need to protect the interest of the american taxpayers and ensure that every dollar can be tracked. i ask my colleagues to join with me in the fight for accountability, and i thank my good friends, chairman lieberman, ranking member collins, and senator mccaskill for signing on to cosponsor this bill. as the economy begins to improve for some americans, let's make sure that millions of others are not left behind. we need to lift up the least fortunate among us and ensure that every american has an equal chance to benefit from our continuing economic recovery. now as one of our former distinguished vice presidents, hubert humphrey, famously said -- and i quote -- "the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are

in the dawn of life -- the children. those who are in the twilight of life -- the elderly. and those who are in the shadow of life -- the sick, the needy, and the handicapped." it is time to renew our commitment to the communities that are hurting the most as we work to increase transparency and speed up the responsibility for the use of the stimulus funds, we need to make sure that no one is left behind. mr. president, we need to make sure that no one is left behind. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call: