tv U.S. Senate CSPAN September 9, 2009 12:00pm-5:00pm EDT
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a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. burris: i ask unimous consent the call of the quorum be dispensed. .t presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. burris: thank you, mr. president. i wod like to speak on the issue before the congress on travel this morning. thank you, mr. president. we le in a world divided. international tension, mistrust, and even wars too ofteneparate nation from nation. but every two years 10,000
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athletes from more than 200 countries come together to celebrate the human spirit. they meet in competition, arriving on the world stage from all five inyou habited continents. each of the continents is represented by a single color circle a ring endefined with four others to form the familiar symbol worn by every olympic athlete. mr. president, the olympic and paralympic games are a powerful force for world unity and a boonboomfor any city that hosts. 26 teams, summer games, bring millions of dollars and international spotlight to one of the four world cities. selected by the u.s. olympic committee from a broad field of candidate cities, chicago is one
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of only four finalists of the 2016 olympics along with madrid, ri ox, anmadrid,rio and tokyo al make the final selection in october in the coming months. mr. president, we must work hard to bring the olympics back to the united states of america. there is no greater honor than representing your country on the world stage. i'm queened there' convinced thr world city than chicago. as president obama can attest, chicago is a diverse and inclusive city. situated on the banks of beautiful lake michigan, it is the jewel of the midwest. chicago has always been a global leader in culture, art, architect, commerce, sports and even cuisine if you like a good
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meal, mr. president. the olympic spirit is alive and well in chicaeo. the chicago 2016 committee recognized the impornce of the games in renewing old friendships around the world as well as establishing new ones. this ideal and the value of "friendsp through sports" is at the heart of the city's olympic bid. it is a beautiful city and i'm proud to call it he. it shoases much of what makes this country so great. that is why it is an ideal site for the olympic and paralympic games. for athletes, an events location would be ver close together allowing for convenience and ease, for visitors outstanding public transportation and modern infrastructure makes all events
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readily accessible and easy to attend. r residents of the city and people across the united states, chicago would shine on the world stage and millions of dollars would pour in from across the globe. mr. president, especially if we pass senate bill 1023, promoting travel to the united states and relaying better information to visitors, chicago will be the clear choice of the international olympic committee in october. this important legislation known as "travel promotion act of 2009" would create a senate for-profit corporation as well as a governmt office of travel promotion. these organizations would work together to encourage business, leisure, andcholarly travel to the united states, restoring important components of our struggling economy. travel andousm must generate
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as much as $1.23 trillion in the united states has been o the decline since 2001. the same indusies have grown in many other countries, therefore, we must act swiftly to protect the 8.3 million american jobs directly related to travel and tourism. th means welcoming more overseas visitors each year, visitors who already pour $142 billion into the u.s. on an nual basis, an increase in international tourism would increase the profile of the chicago's olympic bid. the 2016 olympics, in turn, would generate even more international tourism in illinois and across the country. bill 1023 would help the massive influx of visitors traveling to
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the united states with ease. this would agreement jobs wouldd build stronger relationships across the globe. there are few annual spectacles as inspiring as the olympic and paralympic games. very few. a force for unity in a world divided, these competitions have the power to bring us together as one people, celebrating the human spirit with one voice. i urge my colleagues to join senator dorgan and senator ensign in supporting bill 1023. i would like to thank senator reid for his leadership on this important issue. this legislation would help to bring visitors fromll over the world to the united states and it would help bring the 2016 olympic games to chicago,
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illinois. thank you, mr. president. before i yield the floor i have a statement i would like to re read. mr. president, i have four unanimous consent requests for the committees to meet during day's meeting of the senate with the approval of the majority and minority leaders. i ask unanimous consent these requests be get to and these requests be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. burris: mr. president, with that i i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:
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mr. ensign: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the call of the quorum be dispensed. .the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. ensign: mr. president, i rise today to talk about the bill that senator dorgan and i have sponsored, the travel promotion act of 2009. an important piece of legislation to create jobs in the united states. my home state of nevada is number two, now, in unemployment. clark county which is whe las vegas is located has one of the highest unemployment rates of any county in the united states, over 14% now. jobs is something we desperately
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need in my home state of nevada and, obviously, across the united states. tourism, when you pack knowledge it together is -- package it together is the number one industry in the united states. as a country we are one f the few in the world who don't sell ourselves to the rest of the world for people to come. it seems to make sense to me that if a comny advertises to bring people in, if convention authorities around this coury advertise for people to come in, that the united states of america would make sense for us as a country to advertise, to bring people to the united states. now, as a benefit to that, everywhere in the united states ca benefit. if we are aertising to come see yosemite or the grand canyon or the incredible beaches on the east or west coast or the
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incredible changes we see in the northeast or places like lake tahoe in my home state, that we share with california. or hawaii. or the vastness of alaska. wherever we're advertising, the incredible cities we have like new york or last vacation or lae history in washington, d.c., or the fabulous cies like chicago, when we advertise those cities if someone comes from overseas to visit the united states there are many other places they will visited along the way within the united states. so it won't just be one location where foreign travelers come here to cyst. there will be a ripple effect. fins, if you arfor instance if g the grand canyon, my hom ctate, city of lasegas, is the
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gateway. most go to the grand canyon come to las vegas. in places like yosemite, you cn go through san francisco or the wine country and take a whole countr up through there. the one thing we know abo overseas travelers when they come to the united states they spend about $4,500. that is a lot of money to kic into our economy. that money creat jobs. those jobs that are created have a ripple effect with other jobs being created because if somebody who is employed in the tourism industry, whether it is a theme park, restaurant, whether it is a hotel, they have to buy other products. they have to go visit a dentist. a lot of them have animals and visit their local veteran. they buy houses and support the construction industry. there are ripple effects. when we create a job i the tourism industry we're creing other jobs outside the tourism industry. now, the nice thing about the
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travel promotion act we have proposed with senator duringen d myself this creates job without adding to the deficit. as a matter of fact, it ll raise money for the treasury. it's actually a positive effect on the deficit and with the concerns that i heard when i was home over august, that's one of the biggest concerns people have is the amount of government spending. well, the way we do this is two things are taken into effect: right now, countries that have a visa waiver pgram, we will charge those visitors, instead, $171 that it takes, on average, to have a visa, we're gng to charge them $10 but that $10 fee will go in to paying for this travel promotion act for us to be able to advertise. that money will be matched by the private sector. this will be run by the private sector, not by the government.
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so we'll have experts who understand marketing, to be able to sell our country. so, mr. president, this is a job-producing bill. it's going to be something that benefits all across america. and it's going to do it without hurting the deficit. it's exact the kind of legislation we need right now. and by the way americans are calling for us to be bipartisan, this is a bipartisan bill. senator dorgan and i and many other people have worked on this legislation. i want to thank the majority leader for bringing this legislation, senator reid, from my home state, bringing this legislation to the floor and pushing for it. it is permit to our state because we are a tourism-driven economy. it is also important to the entire country, important to the entire country. a few other comments to make, and i have a few charts to show what other, some of what we've
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seen from other countries. after september 11th we made some changes in our immigration laws and things like that. and these are some of the headlines from around the world. "coming to america isn't easy." "america: more hassle than it's worth." london "travel to america, no thanks there is a perception out there that folks aren't welcome from overseas ever since september 11th. part of theoney that is going to be spent in this bill is going to say america has the welcome mat out. we want folks to come and experience america and we want not only their tourist dollars to come but we want them to come to experience america because we know from studies that anyone who comes to america has a more positive view of america. and america needs friends in the world. we need more people thefnging gothinkinggood things about ame. we want to create good will and
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the more visitors we get coming to the united states the more good will we can create in the world. what this neck char this this n, there have been 58 million new visitors, overseas travelers and unfortunately, we haven't gotten our share of those since the year 2000. that means there were $182 billion in lost visitor spending -- almost $30 billion in tax revenues for the united states. and that's not local tax revenues that's just federal tax revenues and almost 2350,000 fewer jobs created because we lost these visits. so there's a travel gap since -- between 2001 and 2008. this is the actual arrivals and this woul would have happened ie
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got a few of the international travelers out there. now, some have argued that the european union will counter, if we put a fee on travelers coming to the qnited states they will put a fee on folks going do their country. well, guess what? they already have those fees. as a matter of fact, everything from czech republic charges $27, denmark, $61, up to the u.k. charging $100. this is, by the way, the amount of money they spend on advertising in their countries anywhere from $8 million, $89 million and they get a return on their investment. they get a return because they know if they advertise folks will actually come. well, folks have talked about this will be a cost to the government. there is no cost to this bill. it actually raises money.
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it is absolutely not a cost to the taxpayer. there's $425 million in deficit reduction over the next 10 years, $4 billion minimum $4 billion new economic stimulus per year, next year, $321 million in new federal tax revenue a year and about 40,000 new u.s. jobs in the first year alone. those are jobs we can definitely use in the united states. this chart here shows a run on investment. entry fee, going in; exit fee going from spain $14 and they spent $120 million in 2005. they had an increase in international arrivals by 20% going into their country. the u.k. spends $90 million, an increase of 26% and you can see there is a return on investment down the line. at's what we're saying, here
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is using a public-private partnership, let's have a return, let's attract people to the united states. i make the argument, the united states has more incredible places to see than any other country in the world. so we have a great product to sell. we just have to sell it. weave to tell people why to come to the united states. why, you know, show he them the incredible places. these are just a few of the ads that we've seen around the world. this is one from india. you know, one special reason to visit india. y time is a good time to visit the land of taj, but there's no time like now. this is one of the many that australia -- i think all of us have seen ads for australia. arrived with a thousand things on our minds, departed without a care in the world. another one from australia, obviously the great diving that they have and just the visual
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image. i mean, that makes you want to -- i think i'd like to go there. i think i'd like to experience that maybe on my next vacation. this is ireland. ireland puts, you know, a nice simple map, kind of talks about all of the various things that they have between golf and st. patrick's center and other places around, the places that they have to be able to visit in ireland. gives you a nice visual image. there's not only broches and things like that, there's television advertising, the internet. there's always ways to get into people's minds that they want to come and visit someplace and all we're saying is -- we need to do this for the united states. there are so many incredible places that we have here t visit and selling is not going to be the problem. it's just going to be making the effort. so, mr. president, i believe that this is legislation that is worth doing, it is, you know,
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some folks have come down here and said, we don't need to do this because we already have a lot of travelers coming to the united states as it is. international travel, they say, is up to the united states. well, the problem is international travel when you measure it coming from mexico and canada may be up, but they only spend bdz dz 900 -- $900 each visit that the come here. overseas travelers spend $4,500 each visit they come here and that travel is down in the united states and it's down significantly compared to the rest of the world. so this is legislation. we need to go after the overseas travelers who have money to be able to spend. and this is somethi that can benefit states all across america. it benefits the federal treasury. it creates jobs. there's a lot of good things about this legislation, and that's why you'llee a good are strong bipartisan vote when the final vote tally is taken about 4:30 today. so, mr. president, you know, i
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would encourage people to take a good, hard look at a time when we need jobs. jobs, jobs, jobs. this is a bill that can help deliver some of those jobs. so, mr. president, with that, i would conclude, and -- mr. president, i would ask consent to recess until 2:15 as under the previous order. the presiding officer: under the previous order -- excuse me. under the previous order the senate stands in recess until 2:15 p.m.
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basically, and this word can be used, bringing in a family member. and ithanges the whole family. it is different. different today than it was when i first got here. i have to admit, you grow very fond of the court. you spend a lot of time. there is a period without a chief justice. we have a lon run together. you get comfortable. now it is changing again. so the institution, your reaction. you get to learn each other. you have to start all over. their chemistry is different. >> hear from other justices during supreme court week. starting october 4th. >> last wednesday the sctish
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parliament voted to reject the decision to release the pan am 103 bomber. next a portion of the debate preceding that approach. you will hear statements by the scottish justice minister and opposition party leaders. >> the next item business which is debate on motion number 4748. point of order from first minister. >> the motion before us in this debate whi is necessary. since then there have been some dramatic developments overnight mainly the prime minister and foreign sector did not want
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mr. al megrahi die in. this morning in the last few minutes. >> order. >> mr. presiding officer, in terms of our procedures credible of this parliament this depends on some make to so extent to allow the labor party to submit to the drafting amendment because their current position is totally and absolutely ridiculous. [applauding] >> i have received no such request to table such a further amendment. next item of business is a debate. point of order. >> for all members to raise
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questions to the minister is is possible for making the decion . the minister said on a number of occasions that the decision was his and his alone. when you called members to speak on this debate would you protect the interests of all members and call the minister to sum up this debate who is responsible for making the decision and able to address the points that will be raised in this debate. >> this is a matter for the government party. i cannot order that. i cannot order that happen. point of order, madam mcdonald. >> presiding officer, the first minister asked if it was an order. i think it is. >> you're quite correct. that would be in order. i have received no such request. the next item of business, as i've said, is debate.
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we are heavily subscribed to this debate and he considered it into the total available for it. and i invite those members w wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak button s now. we are heavily subscribed and i must request that they stick to their allotted time. fifteen minutes. >> presiding officer, on 20th of august i announced the decisions that have taken to mr. abdelbaset ali mohd al megrahi. i have repeated that the the benefit of parliament answer questions on 24th august. and now author further detail to the chamber. at the time of my statement and given the public interest i see the unprecedented step of publishing the device of which my decision was based. yesterday i have published a substantial package of information relating to the lead of ratification the prisoner
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transfer agreement, the representations of the material. reaching my decisions and the advice that was given to me it has always been my position to offer as much information as we can. also published details of the contact between the scottish government and the libyan government. i am grateful to those in a given me an approval for material to be released. for some parties that have requested that material be redacted we have complied with at request. thir is, of course, a sensitive matter. particularly for the families of victims. we want to insure that we do nothing that causes them any further pain. i will therefore published further material as it is deemed to do so. let me first deal with a prisoner transfer. tony blair signed a memorandum of understanding with the libyan
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government. the scud is government ernment consistently opposed the pta. the first minister made a statement in 2007 expressing concern for the memorandum of understanding. he emphasized that the scottish government was determined that the decisions on a individual case would continue to be made following the due process of scot's law. theta was finalized and signed in november of 2008, and it was ratified in april of this year. the libyan gernment applied on 5th may 2009 for the transfer of mr. al megrahi. despite our previous opposition i was duty bound to consider the application, and i did so according to do process.
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>> by all means. >> richard baker. >> the request from the libyan governme could not be agreed. the leniency was outstanding. today, secretary have any point that appeal would be dropped? >> no. it was not the case that it is automatically ruled out. the libyan government is prepared to drop matters. matters could be dealt with. as they argue. i was duty bound to consider the application. i have received numerous representations and recognized a transfer would be a personal significance to those is lives may have been affected.
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a process that would allow representations' to be taken into consideration and in accordingly met with groups and individuals. i spoke to the united states attorney general eric holder on 26 june. i spoke with families of victims. a lady from spain his sister was a member of the cabin crew on six july. i held of video conference with families from nine to july. i also spoke on 23rd july with the family whose relatives died in the lockepbie. with the agreement of their families i have published the notes of those meetings. i meant minister in the delegation from the libyan government on six july and again onenth. >> the dealings with the lian government.
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june 2007 indicating not withdrawing into any engagement with the authorities that can be seen as compromising beyond the official process. how many meetings to your officials have with libyan officials? when did they start? what was the purpose? >> a considerable number of meetings. basically to discuss all types of matters. they have been published. i can't give you a precise number of the top of my head, but we can tell the information that is available. i will be more than happy to take that information. we have not seen the details of the information. so conflicting advice from any key trial agreements. by official vote on 202nd june trying to establish the true position. i then looked to e second and sixth to lie. i even moved to ministers.
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he indicated assurances were political, not legal that had been given to the libyans. we did our very best to get to the bottom of this issue, but i still did not know the exact nature of the key trial discussions between the u.k. and the libyan or any other government. asked about a clear understanding of the american families and american government. as i explained, those understandings were a critical factor in my consideration of the application, and it was on that basis that i rejected it. prior to ratification the personal transfer agreement was scrutinized. this was the first that did not require the consent of the prisoner to be transferred. as a result there was a commitment with cases and applications not cemented personally. the prisoner must be given the opportunity to make
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representations. by all means. >> parliament last week that no al was done about dropping his appeal. papers released yesterday showing that you did, indeed, at that meeting emphasized thathe dropping of the appeal was a necessary precursor for any release to be made. that is what the papers say. but also denies that even disgusted. is that not an implied deal? >> the representations at i made to mr. al megrahi on the same i made to every arty with a prisoner transfer , to be considered. that is what. i think mr. kelly was quoted as saying it was a factual matter. most others would see it as reasonable and pointing out the factual basis that the criteria
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of the required meant required outstanding appeals. and thats why it was an oblition to consider. in this process all parties. >> madam mcdonald. >> i appreciate the minister giving way. he was obvious cleaned that justice should be seen to be done. and the importance of mr. al megrahi release. but he also confirmed inform him that he did not have to drop the appeal? >> i can't remember the precise term. so i went to see mr. al megrahi on prisoner transfer. the compassionate release considering matters togetr because that did not see the point in going around all the party. as is recorded in the notes taken, the criteria and his particular article three be a prisoner transfer agreement. beyond that i listened to the
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submission and notice of submission. no matte is beyond that. he has the benefit of the solicitor and the discussion where on we had the transfer agreement. in this process all parties have been given the opportunity to make representations directly to me. mr. al megrahi just to make representations in person inhe same way that other families often did. the families o victims, t u.s., u.k., and libyan government. all made their representations directly to me. mr. al megrahi chose to make representations in person. clean advice was given to me. this could hardly be denied to him. his applicaion for a prisoner transfer was cemente by him. not from his legal defense team and the high court. as i said,he tens of national justice to reduce this request.
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i met mr. al megrahi o six august. the note of that meeting together with the text that he read out to me has been published. i now wish to do with the question of compassionate release. section three of the prisoner criminal proceedings, the scottish minister. the act requires that ministers are satisfied that there are compassionate grounds justifying the release of a person serving a sentence of imprisonment. although it does not specify what the grounds are the principles are set out in guidance which suggests that it may be considered if a prisoner is suffering from a terminal illness and death is likely to occur san. there are no set time limit, but life expectancy of less than three months is considered inappropriate time friend. the guidance makes it clear that all prisoners are eligible to be
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considered for compassionate release. an application from mr. al megrahi or compassnate release on 24 july, 2009. in accordance with the procedure laid down in the 1993 act the application was sent first to the status presenters so that i could be provided with support and recommendations by the governor, an prison social work staff. the medical advice before me consisted of a report from the scottish service for help and care. of former deputy chief medical officer for stland, and one of scotland's most eminent doctors. let me be clear, many consultants including positive care consultants were consulted. access to all mr. megrahi medicarecords that concerned
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th any consultants as part of drafting the device on compassionate release. this included any cancer consultant who acteds an external reviewer. this suggestion that the director of health and social care was not consulting relevant specialists is totally inaccurate. [applauding] taking all the expert use the port is clear. the clinical assessments, of fremont brd month is n a reasoe estimate. again it is equally clear be. it recommended compassionate release. assessing an application for compassionate release the case was referred to the parole board on tenth august and considered by them on 11th august.
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their recommendations were to put i in the advice on 14th august. there were also clear on the question of mr. al megrahi prognosis. there can be very the doubt as to the short life expectancy of mr. al megrahi and that may be unanimous recommendation stating he was suitable for compassionate release. since 2000 status ministers have considered 31 applications put forward on compassionate release on medical grounds. seven have been refused, and 24 granted. the seven applications were refused because they did not the time meet the criteria for compassionate release. there has been no case with a recommendation om the status prison service and parole board where all positive, but where ministers fused the application. presiding officer, it has been suggested that mr. al megrahi
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could be released from prison khnum. clear advice from the deputy chief constable on 14th august who forces the secuty implications would be severe. -- but all means. >> if the advice had been contrary to that and there was in verbier, if the advice said been that there wasn't a security issue on what ground -- e there any grounds that the cabinet secretary would have reduced the application? >> i do not breach the constitutional rules that we have in this parliament and country. i do notnterfere in operational matters. i've followed the advice given. a minimum of 48 officers with
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the required to aow mr. al megrahi to live in scotland. the option of such a large police presence and the need for resources nine range of chilly inappropriate. it is not a question of cost or capability. >> let's take a point of order. >> the presiding officer realizes that he mig never really had misled parlient. he said that he would never interfere in the operational direction. it is on record that he did precisely that. >> that's a matter for the minister. >> it was not a question of credibility. i know we are presented the challenge. but the idea of an armed camp or
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international media circus and a residential area and scotland and a hospice for the dining habits, i find no testing. mr. al megrahi having met the criteria, it was my responsibility to decide whether to release them. based on the values, beliefs, and demanded the be allowed them to return home to die. i now call on richard baker. >> what we do know is that the decision which was faced by the cabinet secretary was a diffict one and could not be
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more important. and so it was crucial tha it was made by due process and handled with sensitivity. the decision forced not only the quality of compassion, but also describes our parliament. reality is that was missing in a decision making process which was chaotic, badly mishandled by the cabinet secretary, and has reflected badly outgunned. today i believe we can make clear the fundamental errorin the manament of this process in the decision to release mr. al megrahi on compassionate grounds is one we cannot agree. the first minister might not like it, but as governor will be held to account. the decision signed --
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>> when he tabled this amendment yesterday, washe aware of the position of the foreign secretary? was he aware of their position? >> it is irrelevant. mr. rommel and everybody else, the decision was to them. they must be accountable for it. that is what we will do today. it showshat a lack of confidence in their decision. yesterday we had the release of some of the documents which informed key aspects of the process. this is a very, very serious issue. >> trying to pull back. i hope the government will grace the game. we have the release of some of the documents which will form key aspects of the process. some answers and the cabinet
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secretary today. well before he made the formal announcement of his decision the cabinet secretary had already come to the conclusion forbidden that he would bring al meahi bacc to libya carried a crucial example of this was the secretat mr. al megra personally. does he not realize when he westering past tv cameras to meet with mr. al megrahi that it would cause widespread misgivings about his management of this crucial process? he must have known that someone in his position cannot speak directly to meone convicted of suchheinous crimes. but only for compassionate release, but his appeal.
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>> from banco for giving way. if the speaker feels this is such a heinous crime to visit a mass murder in his prison cell what does he think about a head of state visiting e person who commissied that mass murder in his tent and libya. ridge a meeting from the cabinet secretary while his appeal was ongoing. it was unnecessary meeting. quite a different situation. what i'd like to say, the cabinet secretary, this meeting. "he said he had implied that we should. had to withdraw that to parliament. but actually this letter from the justice department shows that incredibly the meeting was not the initiative of mr. al megrahi, but actually by the
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cabinet secretary. the sectary. this is a warning bells sound about how inappropriate it was. first mr. macaskill says he has to have the meeting. now we also find the minutes of that meeting. the cabinet secretary himself raised the issue of his appeal. the transfer requests to go ahead it would have to be dropped. of course only a few days later that appl was dropped. a number of other n this process. the parole board did indeed say that al megrahi was a suitable candidate for release. simply advice to the minister's
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his representations. this should have been given to the families of those who died. i have said that i believe that justice secretary has made his mind up of long time before he announced his decision. on the 22nd of july the papers show the officials discussing with libyan officials of the tentative timetable for the compassionate release of al megrahi. it wasn't until august ey discussed security implications sneaking of the amount remaining in the scotland. on that same date officials advised that they had already prepared for the contingency that megrahi would be supervised in libya. far more effort has gone into that. and i . point to what was said,a
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wholly inappropriate intervention and police matters. if a decision has been made to release al megrahi in style and we would have provided whenever security was required. i said the cabinet secretary has the duty to look at all the options, but he simply wasn't interested in them. there are also other questions the process. why weeks before the decision was apparently made he knew about this. also the issue of why important elements of the guidance on compassionate release to not appear to have been given mu consideration, the length of sentence of standing for part of the criteria. nineteen years left to serve. to the cabinet secretary really take this fully into consideration? the cabinet secretary receives are the case is to be not received in relation.
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thecabinet secretary seized five doctors. hocan we have any confidence in decision reached by the cabinet secretary when for specialists were not willing to say that mr. al megrahi had less than three months to live. indeed, number of experts, including its chairman has cast severe doubt on this assessment why was this disregarded? [inaudible] >> thank you, presiding officer dare an opposition party, can i ask them if this is anything to do with al megrahi or even the lot of it as victims to but more
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with political posturing. >> that was not a pertinent questi. frankly at this bank was the lead of nonsense. y was for their medical opinion on such an official issue not sought? it cannot be certain. there is to step over the three month prognosis for was the guidance on the decision has been rerred. shortly after meeting it was the bbc who announced al megrahi would be released bac to libya. not this parliament. more importantlyy view, the families of those who died. for a weekhere was speculation and counter speculationfá over e decision often coming from the scottish government itself. if the cabinet secretary is confident he and his advisers
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were not responsible for this appalling breach of protocol he should have no misgivings about calling an inquiry. he has yet to do so. i urge the cabinet secretary to do so today becauset can only have made this a more difficult time for the families of the victims and the anger of the many who opposed the decion that home and abroad all the more acute when we have al megrahi convicted on 270 counts of murder. >> mcdonald. >> will the mbers signed the motion that i have in front of the parliament demanding an independent inquiry? >> mr. baker? >> ivitably the decision will be for the parament. settling of take that point on board. i want to come now to the statement and prisoner transfer agreement. the fact is the prisoner transfer agreement could never have been a great anyway because of the appeal against leniency.
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his response simply did not make sense. focusing attention on this agreement. whatever the decision was made it was always the status ministers. that was the decision with status ministers. compassionate release would simply have been treated as any other, medical evidence with representations'. gathered and decisions made on the basis without. announcement. by the time the cabinet secretary made his announcement it was inevitable there would be huge questions over his reasoning. it was inevitable given the these and speculation which characterized the weeks leading up to this. the decision would be all the more anguished. regrettable, avoidable, and damaging for our country. it was not simply the way the decision was made. >> are you suggesting that i
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should not have considered the prisoner transfer application at all despite representations that it was the appropriate route to proceed? >> because it was ongoing. not simply the way the decision was made. it was also the weight. yes many here are christian. instead and we have peoplef many faiths which suggests that the only compassionate action to take was to grant mr. al megrahi compassionate release was wrong. suggest the decision could be taken in context, being judged by a higher authority, bizarre and actually quite offensive. when he spok his charterization of our justice system and his view of our national understanding of compassion with the only possible view. it is clear. i respect those views. it's also clear that a majority made the wrong decision. it was arrogant and typic of
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this admistration that the cabinet secretary presincy can speak for all scots on this matter when clearly he has not. he has failed to justify the decision. today we will report that this parliament cannot endorse t decision which was meant to be of right in the process and came about through manipulation and mishandling. he has spoken for his government, his party and not for this parliament or his countr i move the amendment in my name. [applauding] >> thank you. i now call to speak for the amendment. >> today the debate is fundamentally wrong and the decision process was deeply flawed. the decision to release al megrahi back to libya was a
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mistake. if the government was so adamant that the lockerbie bomber had to be released on ompassionate grounds despite what has been said this morning lik in the have been kept in scotland? the failure to release him and to secure care installment has proved to be a catastrophic error in judgment. all the evidence shows that the government did not take this seriously. to me it is bomg abundantly clear that they decided to release mr. al megrahi to bya and have been scrambling about ever since to find the evidence to justify that decision. from th evidence that has emerged overnight i also believe that the government mr. al megrahi would be released and was giving information to the libyans that this would be the
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case. the plot thickens. it deals were clearly being done. the meeting of the 22nd july clearly indicates that a decision to release mr. al megrahi to libya had been made a few weeks before consulted. the justice of secretary stated last week that al megrahi should be released to libya. but the evidence in this respect is ambivalent. not asked specifically whether he bkept secure the are not. and the question still, if an airport palmer could be securely held in a scottish hospital then why did the justice secretary feel that the police were unable to hold the lockerbie bar? so far failed to provide an
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adequate answer. the ottish police can secure including president george w. bush can he not simply secure one a sick man and his family, a family who has lived in astana and for some time, may i remind everyone? there are too many unanswered questions. the evidence released yesterday, even the suspicions. he did not want al megrahi to die in jail. is itot the mark that he can make his feelings known before the decision is made, but not after. the government has also not done enough to prove his decision to release a mass murderer based o evidence and solid advice. where par ball the medical evidce to ?
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the advice that led to the decision not to keep the lockerbie bomber in the secure care of scotland. finally the the government rightly w so adamant that mr. al megrahi could not be released under the present. he could be relese how can you justify not releasg al megrahi to a libyan prison but can't justify releasing him to a libyan home? it just does not make sense. the law is clear that scott this government alone should have made that decision. i just wish it had been made in a less opportunistic manner. a difficult decision to take. a very difficult decision. i just wish the decision had been made in a less back handed
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manner. at the time this decision was made and not left his secretary to hang out to dry. this was the biggest decision but government has had toake and thfirst minister of left it to. typical. i also find it incredible that a justice minister visits of mass murderer. connected and has the right to put forward his case personally, but that does not mean in a direct manner. this could have been dealt with by officials and mr. macaskill cision to go personally shows
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but breathtaking naivete and sending out the wrong message. why is it he insists presse was put by seniors scottish officials to drop the appeal. i tl them i grieve for the men and women, but i also and totally honest. let me talk about the medical decision. the idence is there. just not adequate. mr. macaskill is not qualified. he was prepared to make a decision of this gravity on the advice of one clinician and others who had not personally examined mr. al megrahi.
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there appears to have been no categorical advice al megrahi had only three months to live, and it is absolutely astounding that the decision that macaskill refuses to publish advice. when the fact that this decision waleaked and value to obtain further and cry right to medical evidence at the fact that no other options were considered can only dissuade any passive observer that the decision was taken weeks agoand thereafter the evidence had to be sought to justify that decision. this decision was taken on compassionate grounds according to the justice secretary, but has there ever been a our less-deserving ce.
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he murdered 250 people. teachers now compassion. heprofessed his appeal his guily dropping his appeal. mr. macaskill made it clear he believes al megrahi is guilty. yet he has been allowed to return to libya to a hero's welcome. i am quite astonished. not only has this improved but unable to call on the international stage. it has also proved they are pretty small-minded and petty. we need to know the facts. we needan inquiry. i have too much suspicion. many in scotland must feel the
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scottish people were let down by two governments. [applauding] >> when the senate returns it will resume consideration of a measure permitting foreign tourism in the u.s. through creation of a nonprofit corporation that would provide entry requirements. a final vote is expected today. later the senate will move to the house chamber for president obama's 8:00 p.m. healthcare speech. complete live coverage starts at 7:30 with an update on the stand is of legislation and effects of the august recess. the preside's address begins at 8:00 p.m. eastern time followed by the republican response. and we will get your reaction by pone and twitter all on our companion network c-span, c-span.org, and c-span radio.
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>> the supreme court has a rare special session tod. oral argument on a campaign finance case. listen to it same day on c -span3, c-span radio, and c-span.org. also marks the first appearance on the bench for stice sotomayor. here isust as clarence thomas on what it means to add a new justice. >> as far as the composition of court you are bringing in basically -- and this wordan be orused, bringing in a family member. it changes the whole family. it is different. different today than what it was when i first got here. and i have to admit you grown very fond of the court that he spent a long time on. there was a point there with chief justice rehnquist and justice o'connor, when we had
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gone we had a long run togethe and you get comfortable with that. and now it has changed again. the institution is different. your reactio is different. you get to learn each other. you have to start all over. people learn their chemistry. >> here from other justices during supreme court week as c-span looks at the home to america's highest est court stan october 4th. >> this is the consumer federation of america forum on child nutrition and federal programs under congressional consideration such as meals provided by school and child care locations and teaching children about healthy eating. it is about an hour and 15 minutes. >> good afteoon, everybody. welcom back from lunch. our last speak, i hope everybody is read for another
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fantastic session here. we are going to be tki about authorization as an important issue we are tackling at this conference. we have a fantastic panel providing the ins and outs of what is going on in congress and what kind of efforts. before we start of would like to get introduce senior vice president fogovernment relations and public policies of the america which is the nation's leading charity. assisted a master of the food and commission service at usda. so he is a pregnant person for this r this discussion. i will tn it over. >> thank you so much. this is group, i think,
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collectively has 100 years of experience in dealing with job attrition programs. i account for less than half of that. it really is above very experienced group, and a group that will follow the nutrition reauthorization fm a number of different perspectives. it's an opportunity that only comes once every couple years. all the television program whether that operates schools, child-care, after-school programs, during the summer. all of these programs, under review and reauthorization only every five years. our work on legislation says 1970's, early 70's. so this isn't my first radio, so
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so to speak. it is all with an important event to another reauthorization of childhood programs. i can't think of a time when there has been a more excitemen and opportunity to make meaningful changes pertinent to this realization. and i just want to dramatize the impkrtance oflooking at , improving children's health to access to nutritional food. some of you know about a professor at the boston in medical center. just published a study that feeding america sponsored. i will quote from john's research. a child under is robbing us of the best ofmerica's imagination and ingenuity of a sustainable economic recovery depends on freeing cldren of the burden of hunter nger and
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malnutrition and supporting their optimal growth and development. the impact of child hunger is more far reaching than one might anticipate. child food insecurity creates billions of dollars in costs to our slip society. tell -- child hunger affec health, education, and job readiness. our best universities are getting more and more students from other countries and fewer from the u.s. because we are failing to prepare children to learn and develop their best skills and creativity, and ability. with 12.4 million children at risk for hunger in the united states we have a big job ahead of us. the reason i said this is a golden opportunity for us is that during the presidential campaigning than candidate obama commited to end childhood hunger by 2015. since then secretary bill sack
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and many other senior officials in the administration have reiterated that commitment. that is a very, very bold commitment when you remember what i just said there, over 12 million children today who are at risk of hunger through food insecurity. but feeding america, when we bega preparing for child nutrition reauthorization, we took a look at the times when children were most likely to not have access to nutritious food. so focused on a lot of our legislative attention on programs that fill the gap after schoolçó on weekends, and during sbhool vacation. having appropriate programming in those times and season's i critically important to really filling the gap between the current levels of hundred and what we optimally wil see what
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people have access to it addresses meals each and every day of the year. expanding their reach is of school breakfast programs foods served in school meals as well as what is offered is also widely importance to the successful job nutrition reauthorization. as is investment and educational opportunities and experiences with children so that they develop life long healthy eating habits. all of these investments will pay huge dividends in dealing with problems that dr. koop associates with early childhood when undernutrition and for nutrition. if we make thesenvestments we careally make progress toward the 2015 goal. it is enough for me for now. home
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i that will turn this over to our distinguished panel. since our time is limited and will make the introductions all at once at t beginningnd ask each panelist to come up following each other. i am going to make their interactions very, very short. the details of their very rich backgrounds are in the program. if you want to find out more please take a look there. i will introduce them in the order that they will speak. robert earl is the vice-president of science policy nutrition and health at the grocery manufactures association gma, one of the co-sponsors of our conference here. the directorf nutrition policy. the center for science and public interest. derrk miller is professional staff member of the committee on agriculture and the nutrition and forestry.
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chairmanharkin's go-to person on nutrition programs and policy and has been for some time. cindyong is the director of the child nutrition programs at the food and nutrition service of usda. as such she has responsibility for, i guess, really all the programs affected by job attrition reauthorization with the exception of the wic program which is alsbeing reviewed as part of this reauthorization. each of our speakers will make brief remarks and after the presentations i will pose a couple of questions. we will ask audience members to line up at the microphone at have added a with with our pane. so without further ado, i will tu it over.
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>> thank you for getting us off to such a great start. it is a good time for us to be discussing job nutrition and nutrition reauthorization. we go about this periodically. this time we have got a lot more, as you will find out, that we are in common with. but to begin the, the grocery manufacturing association, we represent the leading food beveragend consumer-prodts manufacturers in thi nation. we promote policy, champion initiatives that increase productivity and growth and help to protect the safety and security of theood supply through scientific excellence. our members create products that a nurse tilden's lives throughout the day, items that the purchase of homes, hase of e things that they are served in
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take care, school programs, those they receive through wic and other things. they also heavily invest in programs related to both nutrition and physical activity. we are really pleased to be here today discussing these issues related to reauthorization of child nutrition programs. it is an important debate, as i mentioned, that the updating laws that guide the u.s. department of agriculture and the development of regulations for these federal programs. of critical importance this issue is the funding for these programs. congress has a unique and opportunity in the upcoming reauthorizatn of these programs to provide the resources nessary to improve access, quality, and nutrition for millions of american children. reauthorization of child nutrition programs must address adequate funding so that they can maxize participation of children at all socioenomic
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levels. a well conceived adequately funded bl coming out of congress can reduce hunter and food insecurity in america. it will also have aositive effect in helping addressed childhood overweight and obesity, improve nutrition and health, and enhance job development and school ready iness. to this end ge have really four areas that we are very keen on during this reauthorization fight. we hope and encourage congress to reauthorize and passed by the administration to support legislation and implementation that strengthened program access and support participation by underserved children and communities. enhanced nutrition quality of offerings in all of these
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programs, provide adequate meal reimbursement, and modernize technology and simplify program administration and operation. our members have long been committed to advaing healthy lifestyles in the school environment, not only for the foods that they manufacture and sell to school food service operators, but also by focing on energy balance throuout the school environment. we believes well that the integration of nutrition education and physical activity is very critical to the debate and advancing toward on children's health, alleviation of tiger and food and security, ity, and addressing childhood overweight and obety. through our involvement with the american council o fitness and nutrition along with the american dietetic association foundation and pe for life our help the school partnership
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program in kansas city is a joint effort, and its goal iso improve lifelong eating habits and adoption of physical activity. in addition to supporting these types of programs you will hear about that tomorrow. there is actually huge success coming out ofhis program. also, our members are developing a foods and beverages constantly for children in the marketplace, for the population at large, and have been for decades deep, internal partners with the school food service in developing a food and beverage options in the school setting. they are creating new packaging iovations for school meals, the lunch box, and for children meals and snacks at home that delivered nutrition on the go and pay attention to food groups to encourage other nutrients. but we know that children are
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growing beings and they require macro and micronutrients for growth and development. too much emphasis on restriction might be problematic for most food insecure children and adolescents that don't have access to foods outside the school environment or through other child nutrition programs. the appropriate balance would be required when stakeholders in the usda consider recommendations fortcoming from the iom related to school meals and as the department implements these recommendations over the next several years. additionally our 2005 dietary guidelines for americans recognizes the need to converge foods combustibles, low-grade, dairy products, to beat the pyramid recommendations and the small amounts of added sugar and salt are imported to make food
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acceptable for both children and adults. we support the guidelines and the institute of medicine, nutrient recommendation report. a guide for these programs throughout the school environment. we encourage a balance and attention to both nutrients to be reduced and nutrients and food groups to encourage. fruits, vegetables, whole grain, low-fat, nonfat, dairy products as principals are l these. and of setting consistency is paramount so that mixed messages are not delivered to those providingietary guidance to childrej. we believe that increased participation in all of these programs will provide consistency in food group nutrients and intake. in fact what is highly acptable, mea and food offeris for children, it may reduce total calorie consumption while contributing to a school performance and development of lifelong eating habits.
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a program with a three decade track record of improving maternal and child health and the attrition will benefit from of fully funding and being able to implement the recommendations previously made for the food packaged by the institute of medicine as well. altman ultimately adequately program should real programs will best promote health, ruce hunger, and produce the ildhood obesity. so there is going to be so much that we agree on these days. we appreciate this opportunity to be part of this panel and with our ongoing participation, involvement, and support with the food policy conference. we believe again inadequate program funding for science based standards for school meals and the coverage needs to be consistent coverage is to be expand, and sound science will contribute to
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the optimal health and promotion of live long dresses and eating habits. i look forward to the comments from the other panelists and to our discussion as we go forward thank you. [applauding] >> good afternoon. i think the most exciting thing about the reauthorization this time around is how much agreement there is after hearing bob speak i can almost say ditto and tn sit down. i can't remember when the last time that happened. it is really had a great opportunity this time around with reauthorization because the science, the ideas about job attrition and child health have evolved to the point where there is little disreement. hopefully that will make congress's job much easier. we have been working over the last year or so. i guess now almost two years,
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through the national alliance for nutrition and activity which is a large coalition of over 300 national, state, and local organizations. i see many of our partrs in the room today. and we have been workingn the nutrition reauthorization and recommendation which fall into three general areas. on is to improve the nutritional quality of school throughout the school campus. obviously that is important for a child's health and development. kids need nutrients and keep food groups in order to grow and develop properly as well as to avoid chronic diseases. the nutritional quality of the bills is also a really important in terms of maintaining the integrity of the schools, meals, and other child nutritn programs. serving help the food is important so that these programs actually fulfill their missi.
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that is the investment in these programs is maximized. also it is important for parents to entrust their children into schools care for many hours of the day and kids need about 30-50 percent of their calories and school. so it is important that parents feel confident about the integrity of these programs and ey know these programs will field their judge in. our recommendation also is important for enhancing and maintaining participation in the program. greater participation in the milk program and other her job attrition programs is important for children's health because we think these are really important programs that supportealthy eating by children and also they help the programs to work better with greater economies of scale, higher beimbursement. programs work more efficiently. ..
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sale of schools of minimal nutritional value, only in the cafeteria during neap tide's. so the definitionf what is considered a healthy food and okay to sell really doesn't ma sense anymore. dump large with high saturated fat are allowed to be sold, but a popsicle or many popsicles can't. seltzer water isn't allowed to be so because it doesn't have any nutrients but many sugary uit drinks and sports drinks can be so. so we have been working on the child nutrition program school lunch protection act with senator harkin and with representative which would simply require usda to update nutrition standards for foods that are sold outside the new programs and apply those standards. so we are very hopeful that that will be included in the cld nutrition reauthorization this time around. nana also has a number of recommendations related to the nutritional quality of the meals themselves. actual standards for the meals, we want to leave the institute
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of medicine and usda, which is already ongoing, but we have another of other rapper recommendations. increase the reimbursement rate for school meals of schools have the money they need to address the high cost of fuel and lor and the growing costs of running these programs, as well as to be able to serve healthy meals, to serve more fruit and vegetables, whole gins, leader meets. some of the nutrional changes thate are expecting from usda from meals we are sure will cost more money. anotr recommendation which is modest but important is to change the curve requirement arou the that is served at school meals. built is an important source of nutrients and kids diets but it is also a big source of that saturated fat. and while many schools have moved to lower fat no, it is harder given the current statutory requirements for schools to serve milk with a variy of fat content.
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we are actually working cooperively with big dairy interest industry on this which is very exciting. we have sent a letter out to the hill with international dairy foods association and the national producers federation, to ask congress to change the rules around no so that the milk that has served as low-fat a fat-free. than no content is served is nsistent with the dietary guidelines. we also are very pleased with the work that usda has been doing to improve the nutritional quality of the commodities that are an importa source of food and important resource for school lunch. and we would likeo see usda continue to dohe good work that it's been doing in improving the nutritional quality of commodities, but also to do more to help schools and states choose and use commodities that are. and then finally, we would like to see usda revisit the school meal and the ship ss a process
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for how they look at the nutritional quality of school meals, how well schools are doing in meeting the requirements around the nutrition standards for school meals. but far enough in my review process, is really very burdensome. it takes a lifetime, and a lop of effort on the part of schools. it is only done onechool, per school district every five years, all before lunch, not for breakfast. and we think we need to do this differently. find a better way of assessing compliance with school meals. nana is also recommending a number of wa to strengthen and build on the school wellness policy, which was required in the last child nutrition reauthorization in 2004. we think that the school wellness policy has benefits starts toward schools to have stronger nutrition and phycal activity policy. many schools have brought together parents and service
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directors and other key stakeholder in the community and develop policieand implemented them. t many other schools districts have just copied a policy from their states website, you, put their name on it and stuck it in a drawer somewhere. so we are working with representative andith senator klobuchar on legislative language around strengthening hool wellness policy to make the wellness policies stronger in the number of ways. one is to strengthen their implementation. to have an implementation plan, to have a school weless aussie committee, which regularly reviews those implementation plans, and the policy itself. that someone in the school be responsible for implementation, and really focus on not jus having a good policy but making sure that that policy is implemented in all schools thin the school district. and also, to provide funding for
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technical assistance and training to help schools implement and develop and evaluate wellness developer policies through the foo nutrition network. the network is actually one of our most important recommendations. that in the last three authorizations, congress put on paper a really terrific expansion of the nutrition program. with that program has never been funded. and although nutrition education is really important for kids, that healthy evening is a complex set of behaviors. and kids need skills in order to be able to do it. but also, the teen nutrition network would provide technical assistance and training for teachers to teach nutrition, or food service professionals and others in the schools, around a numberteachout attrition programs, technical assistance around better using and processing commodities around
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the school wellness policy, development of the policies and application of the policies. there are lots of aspects of the school nutrition physica activity environment that would benefit fro having more resources, model programs, model policies, sharing best practices, technical assistance and training, to make them work better. that this network would provide a way for usda to better disseminate its really goo teen nutrition material, as well as for states to share best practice policies, and then stayed to share that with the local school districts. so we need to do a much better jobn nutrition education and promotion, implementation of the wellness policies and the teen nutritionetwork is really important for many o this. we are working closely with many nana members on this, especially the society for. if you're interested in getting involved with that you can talk to me or tracy, w i saw in the
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room. so i will lead to derek to talk about a timeline for the overall child attrition reauthorization. we like many organizations are working hard already on reauthorization, more behind the scen working on legislative language, building support for different provisions. but i am confident, i was going to say i am hopeful. but i am confident this is going to be one of the most important child attrition reauthorization's given the leadership of chairmanharkin and chairman miller and the support of the obama administration, and i think how much alignment there is among food beverage -- food and beverage company and the community around a number of important policies that can help to support healthy eating d good health for our children. thank you. [applause]
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>> good afternoon. one of the problems on being on these panels are further down the line you get the less and less of you to save any particular import. so i apologize. butted his repetition is the key to success. so i will carry on. the reauthorization of federal childhoo nutrition progrs remains a priority for senator harkin, challenges of funding and timebout which i was become of that war about later notwithstanding. and senator harkin really views e reauthorization of child nutrition programs as a integral component of broader health reform efforts that are going on in congress right now. reforming coverage, delivered an elder in his country is of utmost importance but in setor harkin view creating a society that pmotes health in various ways in important analogue to other efforts that are gong on in the health community and the finance community. in january this year, senator harkin wrote toresident obama outlined three key areas that he
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believes are critical to the success of reauthorization. program access and participion, nutritional improvement, and program integrity and monetization. each of these areas have a number of policies that are pertinent to th. i'm just going to touch on one or several each of these areas. at on participation, economic conditions appear to be stabilizing in some respects, but with unemployment hovering at almost 10%, pbably reaching up ait further, poor economic conditions underscore the importance of not just maintaining funding for federal childhood nutrition programs for getting more kids into the programs and receiving the benefits. one promising means to this is expanding the use of dict certification. and 2004, congress mandated participating in this net program, formerly the food stamp program, automatically enrolled in the national school lunch program as well. but we did not extend that policy to the use of other data,
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particularly the use of medicaid data. looking very closely at some policies that would enable the use of medicaid verification data, to break it into the national school of program, is something that the committee will look very closely at. became a will also i presume also look at ways as a george mitchell, look at out of school time. summers, holidays, and afterschool care. in fact, one of the things when he was campaigning for esident, president obama mentioned was the importance of looking at summer feeding scenario where weeally liked. it's been very difficult for us to get participation. in terms of nutritional improvement this is something that senator harkin has worked on for a long time. we can to differentiate between reimbursable meals and a non-reimbursable meals. and margo has already talked a bit about the. the reimbursable site, the most single isn't the review by medicine to set new meal patterns whether it's to recommend you meal patterns for
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reimbursable meals. and we are expecting recommendations on that probably sometimes, god willing, in october. and obviously the recommendations ard going to mean a great deal to usda an the congress as we move forward with the reauthorization. congress does not set meal patterns in statute we are responsible for setting reimbursement to go along with those meal patterns, and senator harkin would very much like to be able to provide some sort of additional reimbursement, so that these n meal patterns whether the more vegetables, whole grains, so those will cost additional money. other areas in the non-reimbursable meals, this is something margo doctor not and this is competitive, vending machines, snack bars, senator harkin is planning on restoring the authority of the secretary of agriculture to regulate the whole food environment, not just reimbursable meals.
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in some respects, jumping to school-age childrei think tends to overlook the early childhood settings which is an area where i don'think congre has spent a lot time lookingver the last several reauthorization. i'm talking about home settings and childcare settings. and aordingly, senator harkin is very interested in how to promote health to home-based care, as well as improvements in the wic program. sothing he remains very interested in and doing me breast-feeding programs. if you want to look at proven prevention strategies, there are very few areas where the literature is incontrovertible as in promoting breast-feeding. and that's something that we will be exploring in the wic program as well. an area of program modernization, one of the key ars for consideration is the application process for school meals. you look at a lot of human services programs. we are going to tbt. we've gone to availability, but the school meal program, the
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elibility process large remains as it has for decades, you know, send in an application, home with the kids and expected to come back in the backpack. is it any surprise that that result in program error and result in lost applicatis which need kids don't get meals. so one of the things that we are interested in is trying to establish some sort of proxy methodology, whether it be through the use of census data, other sorts of data that would allow schools to both apply and get reimbursed for school meals without having to go through this rather cumbersome application process. having said all this i should say it with a huge asterisk on this and everybody knows that, which is funding. all of these things cost money, withhe exception of school nutrition standards. all of these things will likely cost money. and the funding situation is highly uncertain right now. to his credit, the president proposed $10 billion over 10 years in h budget for the
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year. congress is going to have to act to actualize that money, a that's really one of the big challenges that we need to sort through. many other challenge right now is, and you're probably hearing is that all these sessions is time and attention. it's no secret to anyone in this room right now that health reform is dominating the congressional agenda. there is a lot of unfinished appropriations work, and a lot of other things that need to get done as well. when these matters will proceed enough for the committee to move forward with the reauthorizati reauthorization, it's really highly uncertain right now. all i c say is that senator harkin is focused on the reauthorizatio he is hopeful we can move as quickly as possible but we don't have a concrete timeline for moving forward. thanks very much. [applause] >> good afternoon, everybody.
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i guess i will echo derek's comment about coming after so many speakers, not only the panel but also deputy secretary berrigan. i ackley volunteered to go last which is a decision that i'm questioning the wisdom of right now because i amtruggling a bit to think of what i can add to some of the very excellent remarks you have heard about reauthorization. what i will try to do i offer up a couple of observations ended talk a little bit about some of the key issues in ways that we had usda anticipate being a significant consideration and reauthorization, and also maybe what i can do is give you a little bit of context as to what usda has done and is currently doing on some of those issue areas. just give you where we e starting from sids as far as, you know, what things are going on right now that perhaps reauthorization my compliment or built on. but just to start with a couple of observations that i want to say first of all that i want to echo what deputy secretary berrigan said about this
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reauthorizatioreallyeing an opportunity to provide not only support for the president's goal of reducing childhood underbite 2015 but also reducing childhood of the city and approving children's diets. i think we all know this but it's good to sort of remind ourselves of the reach at the school meals programs has. every now and then at usd we take a look at the numbers and look at our coverage in terms of school lunch and i think the last time we were covering something like school lunch programs were available in something like 99 percent of public schoolchildren, 95 percent of all school ildren. we serve about 31 million lunches every single day to kids across the united states and over 100,000 schools. the point here is the reach of these programs is significant. they really do provide an opportunity and a platform to do something posive for the health and nutrition nutritional quality of children in this country. the send thing i will say, and again, this echoes some of the things that were sd before,
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but there haslready been an extensive amount of the preparation and consideration for this reauthorization. exceeding anything that at least i have ever seen before for reauthorization. usda started preparing for this about a year and a half ago, and last summer we were very engaged and getting laid for this process. we held a listening sessions around the country. we had seven of them between last june and october. the listening sessions provided the opportunity for over 300 people took him in person and had the opptunity to tell you sba what they felt the issues were with the child attrition program and where we ought to be going as we move forward to the future, which obviously suggest we should be going in reauthorization. in addition to those in person opportunities also provided the public the opportunity to submit comment in writing, over the web, via whatever kind of mechanism suited one best. and through that opportunity we got over 14000 comments. 14000, which far exceeded our
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expectations. again, with people's thoughts on their concerns, issues, priorities were for the child attrition program. so there was a lot of information to start from. as the new administration came in and started preparing for reauthorization. and i think not to speak for the advocacy groups andhe other grps out to. i think it is to do a similar level of effort has been put in by those outside of the government create very for this reaqthorization. why i am referring t all of this is weser to have the opportunity in this reauthorization to have a highly considered outcome. a lot of people asked that a lot time thinking about this already and try to figure out what the greatest challenge and issues are. i want to spend just the next couple of minutes before return to questions and answers, just sharing a few thoughts on what think the key issue areas are going to be on reauthorization. and a parallel pretty much exactly the three areas that derek leda. expanding access, improving the nutritional environment in which the child attrition operate, and
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including program performance, program integrity. to start with expanding access your you know, one of the things we've been talking about at usda about is how can we better leverage existing information, existing technology. and again, to sort of echo what some of the things derek talked about one of the things we focused on is how to use direct certification most effectively. there are some ideas floating around about how to make direct certification statutory changes that could happen to make direct certification more effective, and i think it will be something that is clinically to be on the table for reauthorization. but even without that, we are very actively looking at what we can do to me that system work better. by the way, for those of you who don't know, it is the process by which a student who is from a family that isnother need tested usually snap can automatically be identified for eligible for free meals and the family doesn't have to turn in that application. they just get on the program. so what have we been doing? we have been looking at our
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policy and our regulations to see what we can do to make that process work a little better to streamline the. in fact, a week or two ago we issued some new policy that just clarify some of the technical issue about how that matching can work and who can be made eligible for the program. certainly isn't a sea change but we are doing what we can to make that process work as well as we can. we are also as of the last farm bill required to report every year on how well the state are doing and directly certifying their children that aren't snap it we issued our first report last year and will issue another one that youan you really using that data primarily to work with states and use it as an entrée to having conversations with states about this is where your numbers sort of fleshed out, what can you argue to make this process work better. finally, as we have for the last several years, we have a pot of funds that were available from the last reauthorization to make grants to states to help them improve their direct certification systems. we will be giving out another round of those grants this year and hope you have those made in
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the not-too-distant future. that's all the way of context. there are certain for the things that we wld expect folks to look at in reauthorizaon. i also wanted to talk about a bit about paperless applications. as derek mentioned, one of the issues we is of gat interest is how do we create alternatives for schools, especially those goals that are very low income and that want to serve have a universal program, serve meals to all kids. how do we make that process easier? there are alternatives out there. we know there is a great interest in finng more alternatives, alternatives that work better. we're very interested in that as well and we know that's going to be on the table for reauthorization. we are not waiting for reauthorization to happen. we're actively looking at that. i think a week ago today i was actually speaking at another -- not a conference like this, but a kickoff meeting that w had with the national academy of science is to start a new expert panel, to be conducted by the
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committee on national statistics, to look at the possibility of using census data, and the american community survey is another sort of coming up with a date for the low income schools to be able to claim the meals. so we are going forward even as the congress looked at alternatives. we are very hopeful that that will yield some positive findings. program performance. program integrity. that is something we're always interested in. as usda we got it on responsibility to make sure these programs operate efficiently and effectively and that taxpayer dollars are well spent. again, we are looking at -- we're always looking at ways to improve progms and expect those kinds of considerations to be front and center as part of reauthorization. but again, we're not necessarily for reauthorization. we're always looking at our resources and making sure we're using them as effectively as possible. just one example of that is in the st reauthorization were getting the ability to provide grants to states to help them with their oversight of school meals programs that we recently
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completely revamped the way we were distributed those funds this past year. we are hopeful those will be contribute to their being used more effectively, just to give you one example. and then finally i will close with the last thing that has been mentioned by everyone who has broken this afternoon. and that is the expectation that one of the focuses of reauthorization will be to improve the overall nutritional environment into schools. it's clear that this reauthorization is not going to focus just on the school meals programs, the reimbursable meals. clearly, competitive food which is our term for anything that is sold outside of t national school lunch program, are going to be a front and center issue. there's a great deal of issue two strengthen the wellness policy that was put in place in the last reauthorization, to strengthen the role of physical activities and to look at that overall healthy environnt of schools. finally there is also a lot of interest in looking at information flow and what information can be shared with
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pares and communities to help them become partners in improving the nutritional envinment in their local schools here so we again expect to be looking at that a lot more and seeing what we can do to improve the flow of information abt the quality of school meals and the overall nutritiona environment. so with that, i am going to close and i think the next stage is questioned. right? right? [applause] >> i'm going to start off with just a couple of quick questions, but as people have been, if you want to find a way to the microphone so i can call on you in just a minute. as with most things in life, child nutrition reauthorization seems to be -- there is more of a consensus about reauthorization priorties that i tnk i've ever seen in my career, which is exciting and several of our speakers alluded
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to it. but we're missing two factors, or to participate should need to be filled in. and they are, in evething we want. time and money. derek talked about them a little bit. particularly the timing issue. it is cloudy because of other congressional priorities and that sort of thing, but i would like to ask all of the panel members, maybe starting with derek to suggest to all of us what we can do to make that a gher priority and ensure that the congress takes it up sooner rather than later. derek, do you want to go first on that? >> well, one thing is we could get health reformatting so the rest of us can get some of our done. i mean, you said i mentioned a little bit about that. that was intentional because i don't have that much to say about how we can really unlock
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these things. it's a time of extraordinary, you know, pressure on a lot up front and it's very difficult to sort of breakthrough that. obviously, going to other offices talking with a child nutrition reauthorization, underscoring the importance of it, just reminding a rate that this actually needs to get done as i think very important. but i also think, you know, time it to help care reform. is not just a rhetorical packet i think if you want to reform health, it's about a lot of different levers. this is one of the levers. and it may not be the biggest one, but if we will are going to reform health and if we're going to stop -- was slow childhood obesity were going to have to look at multisectoral approaches and making that case to marriage is something that i hope is compelling. >> we've actually been trying to
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use that message inaying that the child attrition of reauthorization is the next logical step after health reform. we know we have to wait our turn and we're anxious for health reform to pass for a number of reasons, but going into members offices antalking about how they fit together, i think it's just important for all of us to talk to members that senate activity and the house education and labor committee, leadership, about how important child reauthorization is and make sure that the a priority for us and we want it to be a priority for them, both in terms of time and money. >> i don't think i can offer or should offer any suggestions on how to move it forward more or less quick to. one observation though is that we do anticipate getting the institute of medicine's recommendations about changes in nutritional standards and real pattern requirement in october.
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that is going to be an extremely big deal for the child attrition programs that we expect that report to also talk about what kind of resources might be necessary to achieve that. so i would suppose i would just offer the observation that the release of that report will perhaps provide a point in time when some attention will be focused again on these programs and the need to move forward with them from a nutritional point of view. >> i think the only other thing that i would add is that it would, younow, i think you said it best, cindy, wants recommendations from these other pieces that light, one to clear the air on health care reform so that this can proceed forward, but there is no reason that the debate on certain aspects of it can't continue in the absence of congressional movement. that once the recommendations come on the meals part, the department can begin that process of starting to look at
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developing recommendations. what i would really hate to see, given the currelt economic climate, is for things to be delayed in the congpessional debate to the point where there's just a band-aid put o this to keep funding gng for another year, and cannot really able to grapp with the important issues of access to these programs to all children. >> i think, bob, just to add to that, both in terms of the president's priorities around indian childhood hunge andhe high rate of childhood obesity, ihink we need to make the case again and again and again that this can't wait. at the child nutrition reauthorization has to be done this year. that the money is not going to get any better next ar and the problem is so severe that it must get done this year. >> would any other panelist if i take a question from the audience want to comment, derek
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touch on the financial situation, but are there ways that we can encourage the congress to come up with additional resources? we are members of the child attrition form, as are a number of other groups in the room here and we came up with a pretty nice set of ideas and concepts, and we put a price tag on it in rough terms of $4 billion a year. the president's proposal was for $1 billion a year. we don't have anything like either of those amounts available at this point. an i do think it's imptant if we're going to makerogress toward a 2015 goal, that there be a significant, you ow, investment in all of the areas that we have talked about here in schools and outside schools and y some innovative approaches to do things. do you have any suggestions, and one thing i think is helpful, if
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you have local stores to bring back to members about how this would help their district or state, possum in the other panelists on securing funding for child nutrition reauthorization. >> well, i think making it a priori is important if it is a priority, leadership, the finance committee, they will come up with the money somehow. when they are talking about a trillion dollars for health reform or maybe a cheaper version of only 800 llion. you know, we are only looking for table scraps i think positioning it around that debate could be helpful but i think we ve to really make it a priority that mac had to make a priority so that they will come up with the money. i don't know that it's our job to come up with the exact offset. >> i would just quickly add that when we see programs like the wic program that have decades of
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huge track record in cutting health care costs and improving things, the benefits that are abundant in the research on the benefits of breakfast for children and those types of things, that i think that there is just, you know, and everything else at the local levels success stories, those are all part and parcel of the reasons to adequately fund and support these programs and to do it now. >> okay. you have been waiting patiently. >> hi. thank you for whatou have shared so far. i am denver with a national network so you can guess what i'm going to be asking you about. but if you bear with me for a moment, i just want to ask very quickly around he room how many of us had eaten school lunch? just a sw of hands. pretty much, hopefully everybody. how many of you grew up on a farm? that same show of hands is about
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the same answer you get when you ask it how my have been to a farm today. have even seen a farm and ever set foot on a farm. so i just want to give the point across that farm to school programs to me are critical to actual health reform, to education reform, to actual environmental reform, to having our next generation understand where food comes from. and part of this, and i have two questions, but it's critical to the fact tt we have the evidence. we have -- farm to school programs, kids have increased food and visual consumptif the one serving a day. with the economic befit of if you buy food from local farms so that dollars circulates one to three times more in the local econy. so we have the answers, and i know many of you already buy into farm programs that you believe in them because they are great. 2004 child attrition act include a farm program. fantastic. lovely, right?
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appropriations. this year we're asking for 50 million mandatory funding. we are getting grassroot across the country. 300 feet and across the country yesterday. we have and cooper, every time anyone goes to the grocery store, and including local food procurement. this week we're launching a campaign which is a national farm to school campaign asking for. how can we help find that money, particularly for derek. want to help you so happily help you find our 50 million mandatory? d ao, how many supporters do you need? because we can get 20000 signatures. we can get 50000 signatures bud what do you need? because we will provide it. thank you.
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>> surplus would help. i think what you can do, i mean we are not going to make any decisions about how many is allocated in the absence of a broader picture on the amount of money that is available. so what we look at andarm school, yes. we look at direct rve, absolutely. why make a mistake of saying what we will not do in front of a conference? no way. so i think the message remains the same. local stores are great. bringing home the underscoring connection between local politics and national politics, drawing ties between health reform, childhood obesity and food insecurity, those are all worthwhile. i don't know what it takes. reauthorization to tend to move in sort o fits and starts and is very difficult oftentimes at the beginning of a process to imagine what might sort of shake loose at some point in time or what may become available. if you look at the 2004 fargo, which i don't want to relive by
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any means, there were some interesting lessons to be learned there wereust there were times when we thought, at the beginning of a process there was no way i would've thought that we would have been able to invest any kind of money and federal nutrition programs that we get. in fact, if you ask i would've said absolutely not. ain, these things, every bill has an idiosyncrat tap and i think that one of the keys to moving forward is making sure you are there and every step of the way. i mean, in some rpects they have their own logic. on the other hand, there are people gaijin and shaping them at every step of the process and making sure that you are there. i think is critical sure the funds become available. >> do we have another question questioner? >> hi, george. jean harris would dunlap favre. cindy and margo both referenced
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strengthening for developing languageelated to the school wellness policies. i know that the school nutritionist association and the institute of medicine both were really -- struggled with ensuring that what they came up with was scien-based as well as practical. can you give me an idea what type of language you are looking at and if you plan to include language that would require local wellness policies to be science-based and how you will deal with practicality? >> well, that started language that we are using with on both the house and the senate side with a champion for working with, we're working with representative hall is from colorado and senator klobuchar
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on the senate side. and we're looking at maintaining a lot o the existing requirement for the wellness policy, but enhancing itn a number of important ways. largely around implementation. the policies themselves will still be set by the local agency basedn what their needs, where are they. so you see some schools of focusing very copperheads elate on a wide range of nutrition and physical activitpolicies were other schools are not in as good shape and they're just focusing on trying to get their school meals online with usda requirements. to what the policies are athe local level, we are not looking toell schools what the policy should be. but part of it isf course anthem in the school meal quirements and the new requirements that are coming down the line. also driven by the requirements around food and powerful outside abuse which we hope willlso be included in the bill. so the practicality and the
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standards for meals and food outside of them will largely come from federal guidance. and then the enhancements we're looking at are largely t have a wellness policy committee in every sool district, preferably in every school, that would help to develop, implement regularly assess the policy as well as share the policy with the community so that there is more transparency so that the parents, the school nurse, that evybody in the school in addition to the food service director for now seems to be the only one who knows about the school wellness policy in many schools, so that lots of people would know about it. and the the other important part is providing technical assistance and training and model policies. that's where we are largely relying through nana's recommendations on a teen nutrition network. we're asking for $70 million a year that would provide nutrition, education, expert and coordinator in every state.
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and they would have program dollars to provide training, technical aistance, to be able to disseminate materials that usda provides. and they would address a wide range of unschooled attrition physical activity issues. not just a wellness policy, but also user commodities, how commodities are processed. nutrition education in the classroom, taste testing, working with food service to improve the meals. the team katusha netrk wou really enhance and improve lots of aspects of the environment. to that task for $70 million is modest compared to the cost of the school lunch program but we're asking for mandatory money which is never easy. so i think that's a really important part of our recommendations for lots of enhancing and making sure that lots of our other recommendations work especially with the wellnessolicy. >> the only thing i would add two genes question include a queson of how we make sure any
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policies were evidence-based or sites they. and just want to point out that to the extent that congress were to give usda any authority over while the policy or competitive food, yo know, our policy to baba would be to the regulatory process whi would of course include proposed regulation, an opportunity for public comment before we would go with indefinable. to the publi comment process, although it adds time and a certain amount of complexity, it really does offer the opportunity to ensure that any finapolicies are based on a recent and considered process and allows for input from all sources. so i just wanted to int that out. >> next question, please. >> arnelle haeckel from community adolescent nutrition and fitness. i have two questions. i am intrigued by this idea of linking enr with health care
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reform, and looking at health care reform, there is a provision for community prention and wellness. and wondering if anyone is talking on the hill about our linking the funding for community prevention and wellness to cnr in terms of a source of funding? that is one. and any other question is has anyoneone a study on the costs savings of universal meals instead of all this work around the direct serve and other things, just free meals for kids in school. thank you. i am vaguely aware of the community prevention and wellness. i think that any health committee bill and i think that senator harkin probably played a
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fairly large role with that. that said, unfortunately, for good or ill, sort of congressional committees too often sort of operate in isolation of one another. you know, i would hope that funding could be used for a lot of the same goals that we are talking about here reauthorization, but if your question is could we poacher that money, i don't think so. >> cindy, you probably, not to put you on the spot but on the question of universal meals deal of a study has been done on that? >> i ackley don't know anything terrible recently. this question comes up periodically and have been cost estimates. i guess one of the downsides of being such a universal program is that any kind of changes to the program are extremely expensive. across the board would be billions of dollars per year. i don't have the number right now but it has been looked at in the past. the answer has always been that it's a heck of a lot of money. >> just going back to the first question, i think wit those
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community grants, if theyo through cdc like a lot of the money that has gone through the division of nutrition and physical activity and obesity, a lot of the qtate to use that money to address nutrition in school, so it could be used for things like wellness policies and addressing fiscal nutrition environment, as it is not. but i do pay for school lunches or breakfast, it will be a different stream of money. >> howdy. my name eduardo sanchez. i'm chief medical officer of blue cross blue shield in texas. now i have something to ask. is there any thought or consideration to intentionally bringing usda, hhs, and education at least together to collaborate, to maybe write a memondum of understanding
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aroundhe principle of a wellness policy in schools, and then havthat same kind of model replicated at a state level to provide not only guidance, but an example of how you can bring educational expertise, agricultura and food policy expertise, and health policy expertise altogether to try to find common objectives and a few sites that ces the three different disciplines, language that is a different antipope putin will policy that works for our kids? >> are you asking from a statutory stapler just as a good practice within government, or from your perspective? >> we will go with both. anb. >> all right. we will be the last two minutes of this recorded program. i take you live now to capitol hill where the u.s. senate is convening to conder a measure promoting foreign tourism in the u.s. through creation of a
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nonprofit corporation that would provide information on entry requirements, among other things to a final vote is expected today. later, the senate wille to e house chamber where president obama's atm health speech before joint session of congress. complete live coverage starts at 7:30 on our companion network c-span. now live senate coverage on c-span2. say it is, travel and tourism, one of the things we don't want to do is have duplicate agencies doing the same thing wasting taxpayers' money, about $67 milln that will go through the drain if, in fact, we don't eliminate the duplicated section of this bil the second point that i wou make is if we're going to spend $12 million a year just on this one advisory board. and the third point i make and i enter into the record and then i will yield for my leader to speak, a letter from the european union noticing that the
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visa fees we plan on placing with this bill will tantamount to a negative reaction from them and a recipcal institution of visa fees through the european union so with that i mak those points and i would hope that the authors of the bill will answer for the american people the $67 million of waste in this bill that's going to occur if they don't eliminate programs already out there. with that, i yield the floor. mr. coburn: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. the republican leader. would the senator from oklahoma withhold his suggestion? mr. coburn: yes. the presiding officer: the republican lear is recognized. mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator leader.
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mr. mcconnell: mr. president? we've had a chance today earlier in the early in the day to recognize our colleague, senator martinez who, sadly for most of us, have leaving the senate. today 8 be his last day. he had an opportunity to address the senate this morning and give some final thoughts so i would like to take a few moments to give my final thoughts about senator martinez. i expect to see him many times in t future as a private citizen but my thoughts about him and his contribution here and his life story. obviously all of us have a story to tell. the story of a journey to this place. but in the case of senator martinez the journey certainly
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has more twists and towns than s than most. he came to our country when he was 15, a political exile exile, not speaking a word of english and did not know when or if he would ever see his family again. his journey from that point to now is proof that the boundless promise that exists in america. more than 50 years ago in a small town in cuba, an 11-year-old mel martinez comforted his little brother as they lay on the bedroom floor while gunfire erupted in thestr. it was fidel castro's takeover and life changed very quickly forhe martinez family and, for that matter, for every cuban. when his parents overheard cuban
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militia men threatening to kill their son for wearing a religious symbol they ha enough. through a humanitarian effort sponsored by the catholic church, mel was sent to america to find a better life. eagerly embracing his adopted hometown of orlando, florida, soon mel came to feel part of america. he mastered english and earned both his bachelor and law degrees from florida state university. and four long years after leaving cuba he was reunited with his parents in florida as they, too, escaped castro's regime. and they were so proudo see the brave young man, their boy, had become. because of this long separation from his parents, i can understand now when mel says it is the tug of family ties that calls him back home to florida.
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to those of us who had the pleasure of work with him in washington, d.c., we're sorry to see him go. in the senate, mel made his mark as the leading voice for greater democratic freedoms in cuban and fought to strengthen social secuty and eliminate fraud in medicare and medicaid. he's given hope to millions of families by working to increase funding for research to cure alzheimer'and he stood for america's defense in a dangerous world and for the troops that so bravely take up the fight to defend us. for three years as secretary of housing and urban development, senator martinez worked to increase home occupiership. after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 his agency was charged with directing funds to rebuild lower manhattan and fulfilled his duties even as he along with all us, reeled at the senseless deaths of 3,000 innocents.
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and as the cochair of the president's commission the assistance to free cuba he played a role in bringing freedom to the land of his birth and forged many friendships in washington. i fit get to know million during the days as a cabinet secretary. we servely enjoyed the company of mel and kitty and my wife and mel had one thing in common. i used to pose the following quiz to people: who were the only cabinet secretaries who never missed a state of the kriewn? as everyone knows, typically someone in the line of succession who misses the cabinet meeting because the entire government is up here on one night. well, mel and my wife never missed one because they are the only two who were not born in the united states and, therefore, were not eligible to assume the presidency of an
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emergency that required that. we came to understand his connection to his adopted hometown of orlando where he worked for 25 years as a successful lawyer. he learned, we learned how the election as chairman of orange county, a job similar to a mayor, and one of florida's largest counties, started a second career in public service to theountry that had given him so much. now mel will return to florida and i don't know what his future may hold but i do know that he will accomplish anything he sets his mind to. the increditibl downany he has taken since he flew from havana to miami is proof of that. mel's life shows us in america any dream is possible. senator martinez, it has been an honor serving with you and it s been a pleasure for elaine and me to get to know you and kitty through the years. when you return to washington next, please remember you always
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have mety of friends in the united states senate. now, mr. president open another subject, as we all know the president will be here tonight and he will get a warm reception. as presidents always do when they address the nation from the capitol. it's a short tip up here from 1600 pennsylvania avenue but it is always meaningful whenever a president from either party speaks to a joint session. so we welcome him. he picked a good topic. americans are extremely skeptical about t health care proposals the administration and those in congress have been talking about the last several months and they are baffled by some of the arguments that have been used to prote those arguments. americans don't understand how a massive expansion of government
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will lower costs as the administration claims. they don't understand how $500 billion in cuts to medicare won't affect the millions of seniors who depend on it. americans don't understand how they can keep the health plans th have if the government undermines the private market and they don't see why the administration doesn't seem to be listening to these and to many other concerns. americans want specifics. they want solid assurances about what health care reform would mean for themselves and for their families. just as importantly, what it won't mean. americans have been clear about what they don't want to see in health care reform. now they want the administration to be clear with them. one thing that's already apparent in the debate is that the problem isn't the administration's sales pitch.
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the problem is what they're selling. americans are rightly concerned about a rush to hike taxes on small business, cut seniors' medicare benefits, add trillions of dolla and more government spending and debt. for months the president and democrats in congress have been describing their plans for reform. the status quo is, indeed, unacceptable. but if august showed us anything it's that, so are the alternatives that the administration and congress have proposed of the tonight the president has an opportunity to reframehe debate. but only if he recognized that the democrats spor democrats' on does not wash. americans don't want government to tear down the house we have. they want it to repair the one we've got.
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that means science sensible reforms, preserving what people like about our health care system, not destroying it all at once or starving it over time. a government takeover on the installment or a trigger plan, still a government takeover. it's a bad idea now and it will be a bad idea when the trigger kicks in. proponents say it might not be needed. but you can't be sure of this. if democrats are in charge they will pull the trigger at some point. let's be honest about it. letting democratsecide whether to pull the trigger on government-run health care is like asking the pitcher, not the umpire, to call the balls and strike proponents of a trigger also say that republicans have approved
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one for the medicare drug benefit. what they don't say is ours was designed to ensure competition, not to stifle it. that trigger would have prohibitd the government from being a fall back plan. let me say that again: that trigger who have prohibited the government from being a fall back plan making the government the regulator, the payer, and the competitor and put the taxpayer on the hook for its cost. so don't be fooled. proponents of a government-run health care realized last month that government plan had become a dirty word so they latched on to a new way to describe the same thing: a trigger. americans aren't confused by the democrats' reform proposal. they're not asking for a new sales pitch. how many ways do they need to say it? americans oppose a government taover of health care regardless of what it's called.
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over the past few wee i've visited with doctors, nurses, seniors, hospital works, small business men and women and countless other citizens not only in the commonwealth of kentucky but throughout the country. nonef whom would call our rrent health care system perfect. but all of the are worried about the so-called reforms that would undermind the things they like about t american health care system. people are concerned about a proposal that would raid medicare, rather than strengthening and preserving it. most of the democratic proposals we've seen would increase taxes on small business. people don't understand why the administration would even entertain the idea of raising taxes open the businesseshat create jobs in a country that's already los millions of jobs just since scwan. every democratic proposal we've seen expands medicaid a program that's administered by the
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federal government but largely paid for by the states. republican and democratic governors alike can't believe the administration is proposing a massive new eenditure at a moment when many of the states cat even pay the bills they already have. many of the states are struggling just to survive in the current economy and yet democratic lawmakers this washington wanto spend billions to expand medicaid and spend the bills to the states. no wonder so many americans think lawmakers in washington are totally a completely out of touch. most states are constitutionally required to have a balanced budget. this means ihe federal government forces them to increase snding on medicaid they'll have no choice but to either cut services or raise taxes. and that means americans would be hit twice -- first by the taxes on small business and then by the higher taxes from state government all for massive overhauls they don't want.
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people don't want risky, sweeping changes that increase the nional debt and don't solve the problems we have. that's why i have called for a commonsense reforms that build on the current system. for things likening junk lawsuits on doctors and hospitals that drive up health care costs, lowering costs for individual consumes by equalizing tax treatment for individuals and businesses and incent surprising healthy living prevent disease an toreat problems early. for years, rublicans have sought reforms that would increase aess to court, reforms with the strong support of the american people whether proposing to l small business pool their resources together to get the sae competitive rates as big business or establish health savings accounts that give peopl greater control over their car and thei -- their card
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dollars. we have pushed for liability reform for years and to strengthen medicaid and medicare by fixing the financially strapped programs. most democrats have resisted most of these incremental changes hoping the day would come when they create a whole new dramatic scheme from the ground, up, under government control. this summer they actually tried to do just that. andhe american people told them to try ain. their message has been loud and it's been clear. no more spending money we don't have onrograms we don't need. no more debt. no more goverent expansion. and no government takeover of health care. americans don't wt us to walk off the field. they want us to recommit ourselves to the reforms they want. but democrats agree will be their partners if they resist
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a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: we are in a quorum call. a senator: mr. president, i ask the succeed. the presiding officer: without objection, and the senator from florida is recognized. mr. martinez: i just really feel for all the kind comments on the floor today, especially the latest by the republican leader, but i wanted to just take a
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moment to speech about the matter we'll be voting on this afternoon, maybe m last vote, and one in which is an issue i've been working on since he was mayor of orange county, florida -- since i was mayor of orange county, florida, a tourism travel promotion bill. nor florida is alobal tourist destination, as we all know, and tourism in florida has suffered, as so many other sectors of our economy have, including a 10% drop in the first quarter of 2009 on travelers to florida. florida continues to have a 10.7% unemploymen and tourism bookings at place like walt disney world are down over 7% from last year. all of which suggest that in order for us to move beyond this recessionary period and the 10.7% unemployment we see in florida, that it really is incumbent upon to us do two things. number one is quick blacklisting destinations like florida, like orlando, like miami, like las vegas by the government and
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others, it ought to be okay to travel to these great destinations. but the second would be to move and pas this travel tourism bill which i think is a trade promotion act which would establish an independent nonprofit corporation for u.s. travel promotionoverned by an 11-member board of individuals appointed by the secretary of commerce. it would be funded not by taxpayersut instead through the user fees paid by feign tour expises in-kind contributis from corporate partners. it is something that is bly needed. tourism is a huge source of revenue to states like florida and like the leader's state of nevada and it is something that i think would -- is long overdue. so passing ts bill tod will be a great day. it will be a great accomplishment for our nation and it will be a tremendous boon to a tourism economy that is reeling in these recessionary times t. will make me awfully happy that this will be something that i can sort of button up my senate career with. it is a good day for florida and the tourism industry.
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thank you, mr. president. i yield the flo. mr. reid: m president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: before my friend leaves the flo. i was planning on coming later with some prepared remarks but let me just speak fm my heart about the senator from florida. i have some affinity for the senator from florida because we're both trial lawyers. we've been to court. we've voirdireed juries, we're both trial lawyers. and i feel that as a badge of honor. some people denigrate lawyers but i feel the people that i've tried to help over the years are people that deserved to be helped. my friend from florida was president of the state tal lawyers in florida. he has -- has a tremendously sound reputation as a trial lawyer, somebody who took good cases, worked them hard, that judges liked him, his opponents
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liked him, which speaks well of this man. but i also -- my feelings about senator martinez go deeper than that. i've had the good fortune of being able to attend our prayer breakfasts on occasion here. i try to get to them as on which as i can every wednesday morning when we're in session at 8:00. and i have heard my friend from florida talk about his upbringing, his faith. he's a devout catholic. he's proud of that. he is very proud of his herita heritage, cuban-amerin, and the difficulties that have been caused by the sigh ran cal tyral government of fidel castro. i also am impressed with senator martinez as a result of his family ties. he speaks so highly of his relationship with his lovely wife.
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his family -- and i've had the opportunity to work, knowing on rare dhaish he came in -- he was his tonight ask me but if there was a way i could help him with a family member, and i was happy to do that recognizing the kind of person he is and the family members that he -- the family associations that he has. the people of the state of florida are losing a good senator, a good man, and i will miss mel martinez. mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that today the senate recess from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in order for members to participate in the 9/11 remembrance ceremony in statuary hall. >> without objectionthe presidit objection. mr. reid: mr. president, i ask further unanimous consent that the time between now and 4:45 p.m. today be divided as follows: 22 1/2 minutes to be divided equally dwee between ser dorgan and the republican leader or his designee, that upon the use of that time, the senate proceed to executive session to considerhe nomination of cass
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sunstein and that the remaining 22 1/2 minutes until 4:45 be equally divided and controlled between senators lieberman and the republican leader or his designee. that at 4:45 p.m., the senate resume legislative session and all postcture time having expired, all amendments be withdrawn except the dorgan amendment number 1347 and that amendment number 1347 then be agreed to and the motion to recoider be considered made and laid on the table, that the bill as amended be read a third time and the senate the proceed to vote on passage of s. 1023, as amended, that upon passage of s. 1023, as amended, the senate then resume executive session and vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of cass sunstein. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. reid: i suggest the absence of a quorum call. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll of the stphafplt -- of the senate.
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mr. kyl: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republan whip. mr. kyl: mr. president, i hope that my colleague from north dakota might be here, and perhaps we'll still get together before this debate concludes on e tourism bill. i think we were two ships passing in the night earlier today. he was quoting statistics that had to do with individual people. i was quoting statistics that had to do with monetary receipts. and we were both getting at the problem of whether tourism was up or down. i told him that i would get t source of my statistics, and w
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could reengage in that debate. the primary point the senator from north dakota was making was that from his statistics relating to the number of people, tourism was down. i had asserted that based upon commerce department statistics, tourism receipts were very much up. let me just quote the statistics from the office of travel and tourism industries at the commerce department 2008 -- and i quote -- "total travel receipts reaed unprecedented levels in 2008. with a recorbreaking $142.1 billion on travel to and tourism-related activities within the united states, an increase of 16% over the previous record set in 2007." end of quote. that's what i quote earlier today. the senator from north dakota said my statistics sho tourism was down. i think he was quoting numbers of tourists. i don't know how that discrepancy, whether that discrepancy is real or not. i don't question his statistics,
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but wanted to verify mine come from t department of commerc esumably they are valid. he also raised the question of whether that includes travel fr mexico and canada. my understanding is the stistics include travel and tourism for all travelers to the united states, which wld include mexico and canada. also according to a press release and information that was thered by the senate republican policy committee, the commerce department's office of travel and tourism industries also issued a trave forecast in ma of 2009 that foreign travel ll reach a record high of 64 million travelers to the united states by the year 2013. again, that includes travel from all countries which would include mexico and canada. the commerce department also estimates that travel to the united states by visitors from countries other than mexicond canada should rebound by 2012. the point here is that through a series of situations, inclung
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primarily economic conditions, there has been a lower level of travel after 2008 by overseas travelers. thiq commerce department forecast also said, as i said earlier today, tha it's important to continue to work on those initiatives which will facilitate visits by overseastre infrastructure of ports of entry, visa services and funding to make online registration requirements for foreign visitorsruly easy and operational. my point earlier today was that rather than charging $10 a visa for foreign travelers to come here, to encourage more foreign tourism, which seemed to me to be rather counterproductive, and since there's plenty of tvel promotion activities by the department of commerce, by states, localities -- you can hardly turn on the tv without seeing some community or state advertising promoting tourism within its area -- that what we
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should be doing is devoting anq resources that we have available for this purpose to improving the infrastructure at our ports of entry, our visa requirements and other travel accommodations fo those visitorsho do come here so thait is easier to come here. i would note that i jt read a story in the arizona papers today that talked about the visa requirements from mexico and canada. they have been in effect for mexico. they're actually passport requirements. but they're newly instituted with respect to canada. and as a rult, theme parks in new york state, for example, had noted that the action, their activity from canada was down somewhat. they attributed it to soggy weather, the state of the economy, and the additional passport requirement. i'm sure all of these are factors. and so i suspect that the stistics that my colleague from north dakota were citing were accurate statistics, as were obviously the ones i cited
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from the department of commerce. the bottom line point that i was trying to make is that we he a lot of people that come to this country. we make a lot of money from them. we want to encourage that, to be sure. but i didn't think we were encouraging it when we put a $10 fee on every visa from, for foreign tourists and that we might want to, if we had that money available, or if we wanted to attract more visitors, that the better way we could do it woulbe to make our ports of entry and the other if a sl 'tis by which -- facilities by which people access entry to the united states more accommodating to them. those were reasons that i felt de this legislation unnecessary and unwise. mr. president, i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:
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>> ball all of y to the capital. and i know given up waited a few moments to get here but at the moment we are having a vote on the house floor in memory for a resolution memory of those who made that sacrifice on 9/11. and to the families as well. and so it will take another moment, here we are, the author of the resolution. thank you. today we gather tovail in marker of bravery, to remember acts of unmasked courage to recall the memory of the flight 93, some who are the true heroes
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of september 11, 2001. all of the home we are deeply indebted to. wi this plaque, the memories of those individuals will forever remain etched in the walls of the u.s. capitol and everyone who visits here and-- and there around the world and the neighborhoods of america will see those names for evermore. etched on the walls of the capital. the names are for etched in the hearts of friends and especially the families and loved ones and now coming here in the capital. i hope you will visit frequently. frequently, and that will be a comfort to you. these are truly their memorial. thr bravery, their sacrifice, their willingness to put their lives on the line to protect the victims unknown to them and families unseen comedies will be
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their eternal monuments and their enduring contributions. for those of us who work in the catal, this might have been the target of flight 93 and we think it was. we will remain internally grateful for the heroes of that flight for their courage and character and not because they saved our lives. but they prevented this beacon of democracy to be violated by the terrorist acts. may god bless their memory, may god bless all of you and all of us with the strength to accept that and may god continue to bless the united states of america. and now, want to introduce representative shuster of pennsylvania, one of the authors of the legislation, the author in the house, conrad, in the senate.
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mr. shuster on the floor as they gather boating on the resolution four 9/11. mr. schuster. [applause] thank you, madam speaker, senator conrad, and all of the families and passengers of the flight 93 in attendance today. eight years ago, we watched on our tvs. i watched from the office across the street in the first year of my first term in congress and as i said to my watch as everybody watched the reports on the first ane crashing in the world trade center pair or watched like the second plane crash and of course some of the reports of the third plane and the plan missing somewhere the disguise of pennsylvania. and then it is than 40 passengers and crew members of flight 93 ordinary people by all accounts did an extraordinary thing in the face of extraordinary circumstances. the men and women of that flight
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came together from different backgrounds, creeds, ethnicities, but they unified as americans and sacrificed their lives to save the lives of countless of their fellow countless numbers of their fellow citizens. flight 93 is believed to have for this capital on september 11th and many of us here in attendance today would be in mortal danger if it were not for the brave passengers both aboard the flight. it is fitting that they honor their sacrifice with a peanent, memorial here in the nation's capital. a building that is a symbol of freedom and liberty at around the world. i think be here rows of flight 93 and the families for their sacrifice and those 44 the first line of defense against terrorists and they demonstrated to the worldur strength, our resolve and our courage of americans. then launched the first counter attack in the fight against terrorism and eir courage in the face of terror of ball never be forgotten.
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today, we market forever by placing this plaque in the united states capitol. i would also like to thank senator conrad for your leadership into the u.s. capitol, of and finally, i would like to thank all the men and women servg in the u.s. military and law enforcement around the country, and dedication to making america a safer place to live and work and we will never forget tir sacrifices. may god bless olive view and continue to bless the unid states of america. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states senator from north dakota, the honorable mr. conrad. thank you. [applause] thank you for this opportunity and a special thanks to the milies of the people who were on flight 93. we honor very much your
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relationship to those who we on our re today. i remember 9/11 sopel. i came into the capitol complex and security peoe evaated us because the pentagon had been struck. we went back to our offices and therwe saw before of the world trade center being hit. and then security people rushed into my office and told us we were to evacte our offices because there was a plain 15 minutes out and they thought the capitol complex might be the targets. that was flight 93. i think we all then learned of the extraordinary bravery of the paengers and crew on that flight. i introduced this resolution in 2004 because i felt that those
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brave men and women should be remeered forever. here, in this sample of our freedom and our democracy, and visitors come to ourreat capital, they will see this plaque. they will be reminded of the tragedy and triumph of the flight 93, the loss of life, but more than that, of the extraordinary acts of courage. ..
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madam speaker, house and senate leadership, families, friends, and guess it is truly an honor to stand before you today representing the 40 crew and passengers of united flight 93. to be able to speak for those ave souls, forever held in the family's hearts and loved ones and held collectively by our nation and freedom loving peoples of the world as he rose is a humbling experience beyond compare. it could have been a one of us that morning in the air or on the ground here. as they think back on those days following/11, i immediately and reminded of the moment in time when the magnitude of the actions of our family members became painfully tangible. while exiting the white house following time spent with president bush our families were literally braced by the outpouring of gratitude from the staffers here in washington during the events of 9/11. individual citizens that fully
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understand the personal and political devastation of flight 93 had reached its intended target itas at that moment there a fog of my loss that i sense the proud of implications of the courageous efforts taken by our loved ones. it is with great pride that i stand before you knowing that if not for the actions of those brave passengers and crew played out over the skies of southwesrn pennsylvania many lights on the ground here in washington as well as this great symbol of our democracy could have bn lost, furthering the trau of the day and encouraging those that woul question the resolve of the american people. it is onlyppropriate i thank our leaders in washington for their continuing commitment to forever memorialize the 40 heroes of united flight 93. the tragedy of their loss is eased by the knowledge that they have an opportunity to fight and conquere the media evil threatening them that fateful morning. this flack will ensure that their actions are forever held
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with similar is deemed to that of so many citizen soldiers from our history, and afraid to challenge tyranny and to fight for life and liberty. [applause] >> thank you gordon. before we unveiled a statue i want twig knowledge so honored we are to have with us the leadership of the united states senate, the senate majority leader, harry reid. [applause] republican leader, senator mitch mcconnell. [applause] deputy lear of the senate, majority leader of the senate richard durbin of illinois. [applause] senator jon kyl of arizona. [applause]
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senator bob casey of pennsylvania. [applause] and, senator frank lautenberg of new jersey. [applause] senator roland burris from illinois. [applause] representing the administration and here in his own right, a great patriot, secretary of interior salazar. [applause] senator barbara boxer of california. [applause] majority leader of the house, steny hoyer. [applause] minority leader, john boehner, theepublican leader of the house. [applause]
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senator isakn of georgia. [applause] senator graham of south carolina. [applause] senator shaheen is with us as well from new hampshire. [applause] senator frank, senator frank end of minnesota,he newest member of the senate. [applause] senator feingold who is with us, of wisconsin. [applause] senator voinovich of ohio. [applause] senator merkley of oregon. [applause] senator enzi of wyoming. [applause] senator altmire of pennsylvania.
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[applause] senator gillibrand of new york. [applause] senator reed of rhode island. [applause] we havnever had this many senators center over to the side, this side of the house. actually we aren their side. [lghter] and the other members? we said senator graham. [applause] charlie dent of pennsylvania. [applause] congressman murphy of pennsylvania. i think we have them all. little did i know when we went down this path of very honored we were but i think you should take that as a sign of the enormous gratitude that we have, and that is what words are to
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thank you but i hope by the presence of so many members in this space will go from here to -- we will also honor you but first it h been said by all the speakers for you to see for as long as this cassilly says that anyone who visits here will see the name of your loved one and honor his or her memory. now we would like to unveil-- [applause] [applause]
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[inaudible] >> audience members going upstairs to stach aware holcombe another ceremony about to get underway. it is eight years in september 11th 2001. this friday marks the eighth anniversary. the house and senate will meet in joint session to hear from president obama on health care. live coverage at 7:30 eastern over on c-span. will take you now to statuary hall s we mentioned, and other gathering in the capital for a commemoration of the anniversary of september 11th. >> carpalus will be at this event as well as the republican leader of the house and both the democratic and republican leader of the senate, harry reid and mitch mcconnell will speak.
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>> justice programming update brugge we are going to bring in this remembrance ceremony honoring the victims of september 11th on a companion network. the hou is about to have allowed. we will show that to you on c-span so you can follow that, of all of it live. also coming up tonight on c-span president obama speaking before a joint session of congress on health care. we will begin our coverage at 7:30 eastern, the president speaking at about 8:00 in the republican response falling back from charles dasani of louisiana. all of it coverage getting underway at 7:30 eastern on c-span and c-span radio and on line at c-span.org. on the issue of health care senate minority leader mitch mcconnell and house minority leader john banner voiced their opposition to democratic health
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care proposals. this is from the capital earlier today a news conference, about 15 minutes. >> good afternoon everyone. speaker boehner and i want to welcome the president to the capital tonight and one thing i hope we don't hear tonight is that we need to do when a massive comprehensive bill or nothing. that strikes us as not the way to g forward. the only thing we know so far about the democratic plan that we have seen is that they are bipartisan only in their opposition. and that the only thing about the debate so far has been bipartisan opposition.
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so i think what we have to do is concentrate on the areas where we agree. i think there is uniform agreement that we ought to try to deal with the cost issue, increasecosts for millions of families is a serious problem. but, crafting a bill that drives the cost up even further for those who are covered and happy with their coverage strikes us as not inappropriate way to go. nor do we think a raise in taxes to pay for it is a sensible thing to do. who among the things we could do obviously is do something about lawsuits against doctors and hospitals that almost everyone in the system, senator mccain and i had an opportunity to do a number of health care forums in august. the one that you heard consistently was that clearly billions and billions are lost every year in defense of
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medicine practices as a result of the massive amount of job losses tt doctors and hospitals have to deal with. we certainly don't think it is a good idea o have massive cuts to medicare in order to start a program for someone else, some other group of citizens. as we know medicare has serious problems are ready. estimates are that it will be broken in seven years. the thought that we would reach in and take four to $500 billion out of medicare in order to start a program for others strikes us as a bad idea and not the way to go. insurance reform, i think most of our members are open to insurance reform. this is the kind of thing that i think could be done on a bipartisan basis, addressed the issue of preexisting conditions. many of our members prefer interstate competion, portability allowing you to
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carry your insuran from your job. all of those are the kinds of things that strikes me be could do on a bipartisan basis. there's certainly no disagreement on the need to strengthen what people have to make insurance more accessible to those who don't have it and oid costs for everyone. those of the kinds of principles around which we could rally i think, aroad, bipartisan agreement. you have to be suspicious of a bill that has over 1,000 pages in it. to-- the bigger these bills get the more complex they get, the more opportunity there is for an issue so in summing u my opening remarks i would like to say what we ought to do his skinny this tng down, target the problems in the system that we can all agree on and try to go forward on a bipartisan basis. i think that is the way to address this very significant issue and th that, john. >> center let me join you in welcing the president to the capital tonight.
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i think we are all interested in what he has to say. but i hope you have been-- he has been listening to the american people because i think over the course of august they have raised their voices loud and clear that they don't want this massive government takeover of our health care system. but it appears the president is going to double down tonight and try to put lipstick on this big and call it something ee. and, it is a phrase that is used around here many times but it appears the president is going down this path. i think that a lot of our members did over august, listen to the american people and their cncerns about where the democrats are going with this government takeover in health care. i would hope that he comes to the house tonight and hits the reset button. we have heard the american people. it is time to sp what we are doing and let's start over.
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as senator mcconnell pointed out there are a number of bipartisan issues that we can work on, but it is really as simple as this. if you look at what they are doing they are basically proposing to replace the entire health insurance system with this big government-run, a government controlled system, when americans know and we know, that the current system works well for a lot of pple. it doesn't work well for l americans and why wouldn't we take the current system and helped make it work better? senator mcconnell pointed out some of the area of agreement, whether it is medical malpractice, whether it is small business coming together to create larger pools so they can buy insurance for their employees, just like big businesses can today. there are a number of common sense things we can do to make this current plan better. and i would hope the president
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would soon realize that that is what the american people want. they want the current system to work better. they don't want to replace it with a big government-run plan. >> we will take questions if there are any. >> center mcconnell if the proposal that yo enunciated are enacted how many of the estimated 47 million americans, how many americans would still be without insurance? >> we know that cbo estimated the bill produced in the house would leave 37 million uninsured after ten years, so clearly the goal of that bill was to reduce the number of uninsured, i don't think it would do it. i think the best way to begin to get that is to equalize the tax code. right now, if the company provides health care for its employees it is deductible on the corpmrate tax return but if an indivual goes out and buys insurance on the open market it is not deductible. equalizing the tax code would i
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think probably make more progress toward covering the uninsured in this mass of the gornment bill that is then produced over in the house. after ten years' experience in that the cbo said we would have 37 million unemployed. >> mr. boehner could you address the selection of mr.-- why he would pick someone who is fairly obscure, in a position that has a lot of experience? >> he spent 20 years as a cardiac surgeon. he has worked on this issue for a very long time. he is also the person i asked to sit down with democrats, who were interested in having someone they could work with on our side of the aisle so i think he is the perfect guy to give our response. >> do you think some people might n respond because they don't know him? he is a complete unknown. >> they will get to know him
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tonight. >> senator ridden speaker pelosi indicated-- it doesn't seelike there's any compromise. >> a la king tell you is where the american people are other telling us to slow down, get it right and they don't understand the urgency here. that seems to be emanating from the white house and from the speaker and majority leader. you will have to ask them about what their plans are but i think our view is, let's scale back, target the problems, and not have the government take over in effect all of the american health care. >> when the american people speak, their government listens and the american people have spoke over the last couple of months louder than any te in my political career and i think
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they have made it clear they don't want tgo down the path that is being proposed, and so if they think they have the votes, we will let them bring the ll of but i think, don't hold your breath waiting for to happen. senator mcconnell from what you have heard about what senator baucus is doing in the finance committee, and not. >> i talked to senator enzi this morning about what is purported to be the proposal and i think the discussions are continuing so i wouldn't want to handicap the outcome at this point. as you know th the group of six has been involved in these discussions for quite some time. i know the majority is impatient and they are anxious to j this through but the american pple are not impatient to have this
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done. they think we ought to take our time and get it right so my understanding is where they are is they are continng to talk about it. >> senator mcconnell to you feel that-- is hiring a meeting with the president to talk about health care. it has been a while since gop leaders-- do you feel they have been opened or have they shut out the replicans? >> we all go to the white house wh we are called and are always happy to see the president. when the president comes up here we will get a better sense of what he has in mind and we are anxious to hear from him. we are anxious to hear what he has to say tonight and after that i will-- we will see where we go from there. >> president obama is trying to divinehat he has called fabrication with the heah care plan developed in congress.
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di use thank president obama himself has said anything that is untrue about health care and if so, what? >> i think our focus is what the concerns of the american people are. the american people are very concned that more government control over our health care delivery system is not something that they believe then, not something they think is necessary and as a matter of fact most of them believe it would be harmful so that is where the big focus ought to be and it will be interesting to see what the president does have to say. i hope that a dozen double down on this big government-run plan. and it will begin to work with us in a bipartisan way t address the concerns of the american people and address the real needs of our current system. >> let's talk about what we kw is in the proposal. at least the ones weave seen in the house. we know what has a government auction and we know that if
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there is a government insurance company, pretty soon there won't be any other insurance companies. we know there is a half a trillion dollars in cuts to medicare, a program that is not sustainable now. we know there are tax increases and they are on small business so think that things that we know about the bill are enough to cause almost any american to recgil, to say wait a minute. is this the direction we are heed? i think most americans are looking at this particularly if they are already insured and their concluding that after this all over they are going to pay more and get less. >> the president and other democrats are offering a comprehensive alternative. do you see a risk in the pursuance strategy? >> no, because we don't think a comprehensive approach to this is the way to go as i said
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earlier and i think john said the same thing. we think we ought to target the problem and we have a proposal by coburn and burr. we have propols o insurance reform, we have proposals on medical malpractice reform. there plenty of problems that we could target. in fact i personally think a better way to go at it is to do some of these bills individually and target the problems. what we don't think is appropriate is taking one of these 1,000 plus page omnibus type approaches to this bill. i think that is what is getting the american people in this currentosition, which is one of recoiling and saying almost audibly, and you can hear it out across the country, stop, back up, start over and get it right. i think that the american people want us to do most riedel is everything we can to make sure this doesn't happen.
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we have offered our ideas. we have offered our ideas and we continue to offer what we think are better solutions but the problem right now is they are in this big rh to pass this bill anthe american people want us to do everything we can to stop it. >> mr. boehner, there is a firestorm in the movement. [inaudible] >> i am not sure. >> mr. boehner, what the republicans going to do going forward? >> i think we just need to do what i have been preaching to my colleagues and that is to stand on principles. if you really believe it is not the right thing f the country, it is time to stand up and do your job as a member of congress and the thing standing up is
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what our members have been doing. i think that is what they are going to continue to do well at the same time offering what we think are better solutions. >> mr. boehner,. [inaudible] >> i think if you look in his bill, it was not done in the context of a big government takeover in health care so you are talking about apples and oranges. >> a joint session of congress tonight. weill hear from president obama on health care. bespeak said 8:00 eastern and our coverage gets underway at 7:30, the coverage on c-span, c-span radio and c-span.org. coming up in 15 minutes we expect the u.s. senate to gavel back into reconsider and wrap up work on the measure promoting foreign tourism in the u.s.. final expected at 4:45 fallable
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a procedural vote on a nominee to become a white house budget office administrator for a regulatory affairs. later on the house chamber for president obama's health care speech in the joint session of congress, again complete live coverage at 7:30 on our companio network, c-span. republican senator mel martinez announced his resignation in august and made his finalloor speech on the senate floor today. here is a look. it is 15 minutes. >> mr. president. >> the senator from florida. >> let me begin by thanking the senator from illinois for your kindness and an opportunity to proceed with my final speech on the floor of the senate, which is a unique moment in time for sure. the opportunity to serven the united states senate is really the culmination of what is that to be an unlikely jrney from the place of my birth and a small city in cubao having journeyed to the united states
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and had the incredible opportunity to bin the hall of this most cherished institution of democracy anywhere in the world has been indeed a privilege and an unlikely journey, as i say. i am really very gteful to the people of florida foraving given me the opportunity to represent them, and i really do think of my time here in the senate as the culmination of my time in public service. to close at fulfilling chapter in my own version of the american dream. having lived in the onset of tyranny in one country and played a part in the proud democratic traditions of another i leave here today with a tremendous sense of gratitude for the opportunity to give back to the nation that i love and it is now the nation of my birth by the nation of my choice, which is a significant difference. it is a great nation and a proud tradition of welcoming immigrants to this country is one that has been throughout the history of this nation but in
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addition to welcoming it is given of their opportunities to do the great things that all who are a part of this country can do and i have been more privileges than most in thd opportunities i have been given, so that is why i consider serving my community, our state and our nation for the past 12 years they have really great privilege. out with its desire to make a cgntribution to the station of propelled me to enter life of public service. as a mayor in cabinet secretary and as a senator reserving opportunities for others to receive their own claim to the american dream has always been a mission for me. i affords in all phases of my public life with a sincere desire to make a difference in today i prepared to return home knowing that i've done my best to advance the things that make our nation great, prosperous and free. we truly live in the greatest nation of the history of the world and from my life and public service i've been humbled to play a proud role in this democratic history o our
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nation. as mayor of orange county i was-- it was a pleasure to lead the communi that had done so much for me and my family when we first arrived in this country. and then had the opportunity to le the mezner was indeed a rare treat in a wonderful opportunity for do we carried out an aggressive agenda and tried to do the things that would make every but he that live in orange county's life better and i am proud of some of the many tngs we accomplish there. but upon my server says mer i received a call from president-elect then george w. bush to serve my adopted nation has the first cuban-american serve in the cabinet of a precedent which was again a rare privilege and a wonderful opportunity, the call to serve as hud secretary was unexpected and not only a source of pride for mend my family but very especially for the entire cuban-american community. i will always be grateful to president bush for giving me such an historic opportunity. my time was punctuated by the
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terrorist aacks of september 11 of 2001. these were sobering events. these four events that call that that time had a fairly carefree, focus on domestic issues kind of ti, to focus on theeality of what had occurred in new york and pennsylvania and right here not far from this capital. it was my duty and part of my job as hud secretary to work in the reconstruction of lower manhattan and that any number of other things were added as responsibilities for us who were in the administration at that time, and forever more i will remember those days as having been a significant part of my life and public service. ere's no question that it was a privilege toerve the president that there is no greater honor than to have the people of florida said me to washington to serve them as a member o the united states senate and aside from the debates, the speeches and all the work that goes into turning
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ideas into law one of the most rewarding experiences has been helping floridians resolve the issues they have in their everyday lives. and the short time i've been here my office has assisted more than 36,000 oflorida's famili through case war and written correspondence and countless more efforts. we made tremendous progress in many of the issues that face our state including efforts to develop natural energy resources while proteing the environment, seeking to modernize our military and ensuring we meet the navy's goals of strategic disbursal, very important to our security but also to florida in working to protect their nation's homebuyers from bad loans, bad investments in predatory lending practices. it is also been rewarding to know that our work can also impact the life of those fighting for freedom and i brought my work, to my work the believe it is always necessary to provide a voice for those that are silence or attempting
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to advance the cost of freedom. i remember having lived under cuba's repressive dictarship and a voice recognize the struggle for those who fight for freedom. it is eyes then it will continue to be a lifelong passion and i am taking every opportunity to recognize those engaged think you buzz peaceable civics struggle for democratic chan and stand up for human rights. their names like dr. oscar bessette and the ladies in white and also the victims of the spring government crackdowns. it is my fervent hope that one day in the not too distant future the people of cuba will live in freedom with dignity and hope for a better tomorrow that is their god-givenight. even though we will no longer hold public office my passion to see the day when the people of cuba can live in freedom will continue. the preservation of all freedoms whether they be in cuba or around the world cause us to
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stand up whenever and wherever it is threatened. when series of events will stand out in my mind. a constituent of mine by the name of-- was in prison in ho chi minh city prison was she was visiting her family in vietnam. this is a lad who fled vietnam and lived in florida, went back to vietnam to lay family wedding and was she was there, her views abouthe government of vietnam were clear and well-known,nd so sheas for n particular ason thrown in jail in vietnam. when this matter came to my attention she had been in detention for over a year. she was denied any of the basic rights that we understand in no. she had had the opportunity to have contact with home and she had had no real hearing and no fair trial. but she was yet still in prison. one of the wonderful
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opportunities that i've had my time here was to work for her release and it so happened that working with president bush and secretary state rice, at the time we had before the senate the vietnamese free trade agreement and president bush was plning a visit to vietnam upon the completion of that agreement,nd so utilizing the resources that all of us have in the senate, to ensure the consideration of that free trade agreemt was sehow connected to the freedom of this innocent woman, i was able to work with again a our state department and secretary rice leaving it at the time as well as our presiden to ensure that she was freed and i have never been more proud than the day we were able to get a phonecall that she was on her way to san francisco, and then have a wonderful reunion with her and her family in orlando, florida it is something that will never forget. we did also strive mightily his
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body to seek a solution to the immigration reform, something that i felt very strongly about and being the only immigrant in this body i felt i was duty bound to try to advance the cause. i am proud to say that our efforts for immigration reform gave me the opportunityo work very closely with senator ted kennedy who were also honoring toda nearly half a century of service in the united states senate. i can recall one day near his desk reminiscing wh him d he came to the senate in 1962. it was the same year i came here from cuba. it was also immediately aftere had been, or right after we it had a very serious confrontation that involved ubot, the cuban missile crisis and i remember discussing with him how tight his family with then in the history of cuba and how deeply that it obviously touched my life as well. in addition to that,any opportunities to rinisce about
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things like that i hold dear the opportunity to have set the table and negotiate with them what i thought would have been a very good immigration reform package, good for our country and good for many people in our country. we didn't always agree, we didn't always have the same point of view but we always found a way to get along and be very civil about our differences and i admired greatly his ability to put diffencesside and his desire to find consensus. the ing i really would say that the most telling about working with senator kennedy is that he was committed to reaching an outcome. he really wanted a solution, which then met in this might be a lesson for current issues today, that he could put aside the whole plan in order to get what he could, so i believe that in working with him and then some oth colleagues that have become such good and dear friends like senator graham and senator mccain and many others, senator kyl ham made an effort to get this legislation done, i leave with a sense of
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regret that that is not completed but i know that is an issue that will have to be addressed at some point in the future. i would also quote from president reagan on that issue. he talked about the idea that america remains a beacon of freedom to the world, when he spoke about the shining city on the hill and in his farewell address to our nation he touched on the idea that the contributions of all individuals are hat make our nation great. he said and i quote, if there has to be city walls, and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get re, i believe those words to be as to today as when hsaid them and i do hope in the not too distant future of this congress will address itself to that very important issue. whether it is immigration, budget or supreme court justice i will also miss the debates and i wanted thank my senator-- feliz senators for their collegiality. in of these friendships will be the hardest thing to lead on both sides of the aisle and i must say that i've been very
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touched by their warm and gracious phonecalls and other expressions that i have received from my colleagues and as i say on both sides of the aisle. that makes me feel good about my relationship with all of you and i hope it will be a relationship that will continue. eyes besson wanted take a momt to thank senator mcconnell and senator kyl for their kindness and willingness to work with me and give me opportunitieso participate in our great debates and i also want to thank senator reed and senator durbin for their friendship and their willingness to work with me as well. i've had a very special relationship with my colleague from florida, senator bill nelson. senator nelson and i have known each other for a long time, long before we came to the senate and it has been a real pleasure to work with him. i am really pleased to not only have had this fine working relationship with him but also
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our staffs of work together well and i want to thank his chief of staff, pete mitchell and others in the office for the wonderful way in which they have worked with us. all of you have extended great kindness to katie and to me and i hope that we will have an opportuny to see you in florida where we will continue to make our home. i want to officially recognize some people on my staff who have really made my office go and as all of you, we rely on these folks to make us look good at times and always be dedicated to was. my state director, kevin doyle. he has done a magnificent j. senior director, kent bush in my communication director can't lundberg, executive assisnt terry couch who has been bouncing with me from mayor to secretary to senator and i dare say he may continue to hang around with me in some way, chief of staff and longtie
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friend tom weinberg. i want to thank hanbury especially. he worked with me is counting administrator and then came to join me here and there are a few folks on my staff initially that have now moved on but my first cheapest of, john little, and my former state director matthew hunter were very important in my worknd i appreciate them ver very much. i have to say one of the most singular honor as i have had in my service as an to work with the men and women who serve in our armedorces. to get to know whether it is the pull in leadership clive general petraeus andow is a floridian and the central command in tampa whether they did then some floridians serving in the national guard and having lunch with them in kabul oraghdad or other places here in washington or around the world, they are an amazing group of people. they have my respect and their deep of gratitude for the work they do as they serve our nation in four and in distant places and their families to with them
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are part of serving as well. while saying thank you, i also would like to say thank you to my wife, who has been a wonderful partner and friend in my life a public service as she has been in all phases of my life and iromise you if it was not for kitty i would not have done half of what i've done my life so i am internally grateful to the good lord for having such a wonderful lighting companion. i want to tell you what he will have a fine person and i hope you'll give him the same warm welcome in you will be willing to work with him. i think he will serve the people of florida will and i want to extend a warm welcome to george lemieux as he joins this wonderful body. i am humbled by the trust the people-- trust the people placed in me and it has not been easy to make the decision to move on but it is the decision i have made. i also particularly want to address myself to the cuban american community in the people
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of florida who have had such great pride in me and put so much of their faith in their hopes in my public life an i ju simply want to say to them that. [speaking spanish] which means simply that i am appreciative of the pride that we share together and what we are and what we have accomplished. your support, your enthusiasti support his touch my heart and i will always carry that with me. my service is a fraction-- but the opportunity for someone like me to serve speaks volumes about the promise they made and what our nation continues to keep even to this day. i want to close with a quote from a cuban patriot, a hero of mine whose drive to further the cause of freedom. he said liberty is the essence of life and whatever is done without it is imperfect and with
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that i think i've tried to enjoy the fruits of his liberty tha this country has to offer but i've tried to extend it to others and everywhere up i could. i am grateful and humbled by this moment and grateful to you, my colleagues for your friendship and your support. mr. president, i yield the floo >> said this devlin back in to wrap up work on a bill promoting foreign tourism in the.s.. final vote expected that 4:45 fallibly a procedural vote on the white house budgeted administrative. for information and regulatory affairs. the senate moved to the house chamber for president obama's health care speech before a joint session o congress. live coverage of that on c-span beginning at 7:30. now live to the u.s. senate here on c-span2.
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a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from north dakota. mr. dorgan: mr. president, i consent the quorum call be vacated. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. dorgan: mr. president, my understanding is there's some time divided on the issue of # # -- of the travel promotion act. let me take such time which is available to u mr. president, senator kyl and i earlier today had a discussion on the floor about some statistics and numbers about tourism and travel,nd i don't want to try to win a debate that we're not having, because there ought not be a difference with
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respect to a set of facts, so let me just recite the facts. i said this morning that on this big old planet of ours, people are traveling more. that's a fac tens of millions of people are traveling around the world for international tourism purposes, and that is very beneficial to the areas where they arrive and doheir touring. on average, an overseas traveler that comes to the united states spends $4,500. it's a very, very lucrative market to try to attract tourists from overseas to come to our country. the dilemma is this, while more people are traveling all around the globe and while japan and europe, while india and south america, many other countries and continents are aggressively advertising, asking people to come to their country, promoting their country's interests -- i've mentioned france and italy and germany, india, china and so
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on -- all of them engaged in travel promotion, ying come to our country, enjoy our country, come and see our country, travel to our country -- it is a relentless bit of promotion by other countries, andhey are very sucssful. the fact is more people have been traveling around the globe in international tourism. but we have had a reduction of 633,000 people coming to this country as compared to nine years ago. go back to the year 2000 and take a look at how many overseas travelers came to this country to see america and then fast forward to 2009, and there are over 500,000 fewer people coming to our country. this legislation that we're gog to vote on is very seufrp. it says -- is very simple. it says let's have a
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private-public sector partnership that promotes america as a destition for international tourism. senator kyl in our discussion earlier said we should be dealing with the entry process that many hav complained about. the fact is we are dealing with that. i've held hearings on tt, and we have substantially changed the waiting time for trying to get a visa to come to the united states. yes, there were long les, long waits, and much of that has been solved and reduced substantially. the state department and others, in fact, the state department says that0% of the koupbs hrar posts -- counselor posts have visa wait lines of less than 30 days, just as an example. we're making progress in tse areas, but we should not, in my judgment, all this issue of promotion of foreign and international travel to be the province of other countries and not us. we ought to be involved. we ought to say to people you're welcome to come to this country.
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i showed some of the newspaper reports in last years, in recent years that say, or suggest to people you're not welcom in america. travel to america? no thanks. too much of a hassle. and, in fact, after the terrible tragedy of 9/11/2001, we were nkt encouraging people to come to this country at aufplt in fact, we were -- at all. in fact, we were suggesting we were worried about people coming to this country. we wanted to make sure we didn't allow terrorists in so we didn't have the welcome mat out. this legislation says let's put the welcome out to say you want to compete for international tourism? so do we. we want to see the eiffel tower, that's fine. how about coming to see the empire state building, theodore roosevelt national park, old faithful, yellowstone, las vegas, disneyland, you know, how
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about coming to america to understand t culture, the values, the chacter of america? one of the things we understand is that when people come here to travel to the united states, they leave having traveled in this country with an unbelievably good impression about what america is. we know that because there's been a great deal of polling to understand it. in addition to creating a substantial number of jobs, a very substantial number of jobs at a time when people he lost their jobs -- and, by the way, tourism and promoon of tourism, especially with overseas travelers who spend a lot of money when they come to this country, that promotes a substantial number of jobs. in addition to that, it protes dramatic goodwill all around the world about this country of ours. so, this legislation is very simple. it is bipartisan at a time when not very much is bipartisan. it actually saves money at a time when everybody's complaining about spending money. this reduces the budget deficit
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it doesn't increases it. this reduces the budget deficit. and at the same time it will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. soou how about that check so how about that? a piece of legistion that is bipartisanith rublicans and democrats cosponsoring it and bringing it to the floor. it saves money rather than adds to the budget deficit, and then produces hundreds of thoands of jobs going forward. it seems to me that this makes good sense for this congress. i am expecting this afternoon, with the help of my colleagues senator ensign, senator klobuchar, senator reid and so many others who have worked on this legislation, i'm really hoping that we will get a very strong vote, get it through the house of representatives,et it signed by the president, who will put a lot of people in this country a incentivize people to come to this country to see what america is about. and that's an awfully good thing in myudgment. let me yield the floor and reserve my time. i think the senator fromevada wishes also to speak.
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mr. ensign: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from nevada. mr. ensign: mr. president, just to make a few concluding remarks on the travel promotion act. first of all, i want to thank my colleague, the senator from north dakota, senator dorgan. he and i worked closely along with our staffs, put a lot of work into this piece of legislation that we believe is a very good piece of legislation for our country. it does several things. first of all, by its very nature, it is a bipartisan bill, which doesn't happen around here very often anymore. the second thing, it creates jobs. the most important thing we need to do in this country right now iso create jobs. my home state of nevada, number two in unemployment rate in the united states, we desperately need jobs. we're very dependent on tourism this bill will help create tourism-type jobs. but it won't just do it for vada. it will do it for states throughout the united states. becae when people come to our country to visit, they may come to one state primarily, but they
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usually stop in several other states along the way, speurbl the over -- eecially the overseas travelers which this bill is intended to attract. we are in a situation with the number-one industr in america -- the tourism industry -- has been dramatically impacted by the downturn in the economy. tourism not only affects the people in that industry, but it affects people in all kinds of other industries that are related to it. so when you create a tourism job, you're creating jobs down the line. you're creating construction jobs. you're creating jobs when they have to go see the dentist or their local health care provider or the grocery store or wherever else they're going and using the money that they earn to use that they spend in the economy. that creates other jobs in the economy. other countries around the world spend money to attract people to their countries.
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wh we're saying with this bill is let's advertise the united states, and let's use those dollars in a way that creates jobs here in america. we know we have a great product to sell. and when you have a great product to sell -- the united states of america -- it makes sense to sell it. it makes sense. the presiding officer, the senator from illinois, home to one of the great cities in america -- chicago -- it's a great product to sell. i'm from las vegas -- a great product to sell. our national parks are incredible products to sell. our beaches. the colors changing in the northeast. there are so many amazing places to see in america that it's a very easy product to sell. right now we're just not selling it. with all the other countries advertising -- you think about the times thatou've seen australia advertise or other countries advertise because they want americans t go visit their country, well, we want other citizens to ce to america.
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not only does it create jobs, but it also creates a lot of goodwill around the world. as my colleague, senator dorgan, pointed out, when people come here to the united states, they leave with a more favorable impression. well, not a lot of people have a favorable impression of the united states these days, so we want more and more people coming he visiting, learning, seeing not only our sites, but interacting with our people and seeing that america, americans themselves, theyren't dressed in red suits and have horns on their head; that we're actually good people and that we like other people around the world. this bill is going to, i belie, improve the image of america around the world by the people who come to visit here. so, mr. president, let me just conclude with this: a bipartisan bill that creates jobs, that doesn't hurt t deficit, this is the kind of legislation we need to pass here in the united states senate,
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especially in these economic times, especially when people are worri about skyrocketing deficits and debt. we have other pieces of legislation that are important to work on, but right now there's no question, take the time out that we're taking to pass a piece of legislation that we know will create jobs, we know will be good for america. this is the right thingo do, and so i'm proud to be associated with this legislation, and i want to thank the majority leader, senator reid, for bringing it to the floor. and for all those who have worked on it, but primarily my cosponsor and coauthor of the bill, senator dorgan, for his great work and great leadership on this bill. mr. esident, i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president, how much time remains? the presiding officer: 14 minutes and 25 sonds. mr. dorgan: mr. president, let me just observe my colleague, my colleague from nevada probably knows that there are some who have raised the question of a $10 fee that will be assessed on
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travelers who are coming into this coury. they have said what an awful thing to do. the fact is a $10 fee could b onerous, burdensome, and their countries may retaliate. is is a fee with respect to people who are coming to this country from the vis waiver program. and i showed this morning virtually all of those countries in the visa waiver program charge a higher fee for a traveler going to their country. we're not suggesting a fee that should in any way deter anyone from coming to our country. $10 not a significant amot of money for anybody engaged in international travel. we're raising the funds to engage a promotion program to promote our country. my colleague from nevada, senator ensign, this morning said that advertisingorks, but most advertising with respect to travel, tourism and promotion in this country is about a company or perhaps a town. you know, come to las vegas or a
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specific company. but there is no advertising or promotion on part of this country to say to the people of the world, you're welcomed to come to thisountry. our welcome mat is out. experience the culture and character of this great country of our and that's what this travel promotion program is about. it is a public sector, but mostly private sector program. the fees from which will come on $10 assessment of people who come from countries who impose a higher assessment on americans when they go to their countries. the united states chamber of commerce has -- has issued a letter of very strong support believing this is a very pro business proposal thatill create jobs in our country. so my hope is that we'll get a very strong vote on it today. mr. president, i yield the floor and make a point of order that a quorum is not present. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the role.
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into thquorum call: the presiding officer: the senator from north dakota. mrdorgan: i ask consent that the quom call be vacated. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. dorgan: i ask consent at that time taken up during the quorum call be taken up eally by both sides. the presiding officer: without objection, s ordered. the clerk will call the role.
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mr. durbin: pending before the senate is the travel promotion act of 2009. travel and tourism are critical to the economic health of america as well as our home state of illinois. it is the sixth most popular state in the nation among overseas tourists. tourism adds $2.1 billion to state and local tax coffers and supports more than 300,000 jobs in our state. that why we need this bill. promoting tourism, bringing in travelers to visit illinois and the nation, creates job opportunities, tax revenues, and, frankly, gives us a chance to show off at grt natio i could go through the long list of wonderful things to see in illinois, and it is a long list. but, trust me, it's a story that could be told in virtually eve state in the nation. certainly here in the nation's capital. there are those who argue about the $10 promotion fee. it is a small price to pay to promote those coming from overseas who will spend muc
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more than that to visit our country and enjoy the wonderful things we have to offer. as we come to conclusion on this bill, i want to spend a moment to acknowledge the work the majority leader, harry reid, who worked with senator dorgan andenator ensign. he was an early and strong supporter of the travel promotion act, recognizing how important travel is to the united states, to our ecomy, and hs worked hard to make sure there is a place in the crowded legislative calendar to make sure there is a place in this bill. it is important to senator reid's home state of nevada. this will save and create thousands of jobs in nevada and help generate millions of dollars in revenue and tax receipts. senator reid has been committed to this legislation since it was introduce and he will sheppeddered this legislation to the president's desk. with his leadership we have a chance to move this bill the floor of the u.s. sate. it failed to reach cloture in
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june and a lot of peopleave up, but harry reid never gave up. senator harry reid recognize that's the travel sector is a major driver in economic growth in nevada and acrs america. he found a way to rescue this bill, bring it back to leaf, and bring it up for today's vote. for his vision, his tenacity, and his leadership, we owe at great debt of gratitude to senator harry reid of nevada. this travel promotion act is a major part of his work in the senate not only to help america, buto help his home state of nevada. mr. president, i yie the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. mr. durbin: i ask that the remaining time be charged equally against both sides. and then suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. the clerk will call the roll.
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the clerk: nomination, executive office of the president, cass nstein of massachusts to be administrator of the office of information and regulatory affairs, office of management and budget. mr. lieberman: i thank the chair. mr. president, as chairman of the senate committee on homeland securi and governmental affairs, i'm pleased to both express my unqualified support for the nomination of cass sunstein to lead the office of information and regulatory affairs, which was family known in government circles as oira, and also to favorably report the bill out from -- the nomination from our homand security committee. this nomination w considered and reported out by the mmittee on may 20th, that was almost 3 1/2 months ago. but, unfortunate, professor sunstein's nomination has been the subject of unnecessary holds and delays. and this is an important positionhat needs to be lled. so i want to thank majority
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leader reid for bringing this portant nination to a vote. obviously there is a filibuster and we will now need to invoke cloture so that professor sunstein can get on with the important job that president obama has nominated him to do for our country and each one of us. what oira? it is one of those governmental agencies that has a low public profile, but exerts high influence over the workings of government and, therefore, the daily lives of most americans. in congress we passed laws that express our values, that draw lines between what is right and wrong, what is desirable and undesirable for our society. but because we cannot ever foresee every permutation of the law or its effect, we must leave
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many of the details to the executive branch and its regulatory actions or immy taitions of the law -- implementations of the laws that we pass. for over a quarter of a century now, presidents of the united states have asked oira to help oversee and coordinate this critical regulatory process. thus oira has a huge impact on the widest range of problems. as we as the purview of our government itself, including the health and safety of every american and the health and stability of the america economy. in professor cs sunstein, the president has found someone with exceptional qualitifications and extraordinary talent. capable of leading oira in a positive directi to fulfill coress's intentions in the adoption of laws. when hbegan teaching at harvard law school in 2008, after a distinguished career
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teaching and residing in the city of chicago ably representedy the occupant of the chair,is new employers at harvard announced that they had secure f their faculty, and i quot-- "the peminent legal scholar of our time. the most wide-ranging, the most prolific, the most cited and the most influential." end of quote. as a graduate of yale law school, i was suspect of that. ose words of alena kagan, then de of harvard law, now solicitor general of the united states, really are validated by the extraordinary record of he has taught and written about many subjects including particularly regulation, the
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management of risk and, in fact, oira, itself. mr. president, our committee conducted a thorough review of pressor sunein's writings and his background. he's met individually with me, with senator collins, our ranking member and most mther members of the committee. we held a confirmation hearing on this nomination on may 12th of this year, at which the members of our committee thoroughly questioned professor sunstein aboutis views on several important matters, and i believe he responded directly, sincerely, and addressed each of the members' concerns. for example, i wanted to be sure for a rigorous implementation of a cost-benefit analysis to regulations did not mean that oira under his leadership would interfere with t agencies issuing regulations necessary to protect public health and safety. and professor sunstein convinced
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me in his answer that he would diligently support the purposes of laws to protect plic health and safety as adopted by congress and signed by the president. mr. president, because professor nstein is brilliant, creative and prolific, he has written some things that are unconventional and for some controversial. i believe, when asked about each of those matters, he answered sincerely and fully and reassuringly. forxample, hunters were conberned about professor sunstein's views on gun rights and he made very clear that he believes the second amendment cpeates an individual right to possess guns for hunting a self-defense. to farmers and others concerned
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with his previous writings and comments onruelty to animals, professor sunstein has said that he would take no steps to promote litigation on behalf of animals, which some colcluded was his position based on a provocative article that he wrote, a that he has no plans certainly to regulate animal husbandry. so this is a bright, thoughtful, creative man who as a professor has written some provocative, unconventional ideas. and i suppose if you wanted to take advange of them for your own purposes in a -- and to politicize in some sense or ideologize in som sse this nomination, you might seize on those. but at bottom, this is a person extraordinarilyell qualified for this position. i will say, he's been endorsed by the american farm bureau federation insofar as concerns
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of the agriculture community are concerned. he met with them, he answered their questions. they said -- and i quote --we hope the senate can take up this nomination in the near future and all senators will vote to confirm him in this post." professor sunstein has also won the public endorsement of a variety of groups, including the united states chamber of commerce and the national association of manufacturers, which has concluded based on his writings and their meetings with imthat he wil -- with him that l be fair and is not antibusess, antigrowth i this important position. as for myself, after meeting with this distinguished a thoughtful and very gentlemanly individual, listening to him at our hearings, seeing how he has responded thoroughly and forthrightly to those who have apoached him with their concerns, i'm convinced that professor sunstein has superior
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qualifications for this office and a strong commitment, if confirmed, to guide oira in conformity with the law and the public interest above all. and that is why i urge my colleagues to support cloture and to support this nomination. mr. president, i'm really pleased to see the senor from minnesota here, the senior senator from minnesota, and i would yield to her at this time. a senator: mr. president? the priding officer: the senator from minnesota. ms. klobuchar: mr. president, i rise today to speak cass sunstein and his qualifications to b administrator for the offi of information and regulatory affairs. ihank senator lieberman for his leadership. i'm going to try not to say the words oira in my remarks because it is a very difficult agency and no one is quite sure what he does. but i can tell you something, mr. president, it does something very important which is to cut through the red tape for citizens and try to get some sensible rules for this country.
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now, h do i know cass sunstein? well, back in the 1980's, i was privileged to have him as my law professor at the university of chicago. i took his administrative law class and he was also my advisor on the law review. his career as a legal scholar was just beginning to take off but efs alread he was already my strong impression as a teacher. and i think many of my fellow classmates felt that he was, in fact, their favorite teacher. when we first saw cass sunstein in clarks he really looked like a boy in a man's suit. he was so thin but he had such enthusiasm. these were the graze whiteboards and he would always get a lot of white chalk on his black suit which he seemed completely oblivious to. but he was far from an absent-minded professor. he would race along at a mile a minute in his lectures, a fountain with a never ending stream of ideas. he was never boring, which is a tough standard for lawtudents. today, professor sunstein is one of the nation' mosthoughtful and respected legal scholars
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with a distinguished record of accomplishments. a graduatef harvard law school, a law clerk to supreme court justice thurgood marshall, a profeor at the university of chicagoor 27 years, the author or coauthor of more than5 books and hundreds gf scholarly articles. byarge margi cass sunstein the most cited scholar on any law faculty in the united states of america. one envious observer said, "if you look at what he's wtten and done, he should be 900 years old." now, what is the concerns of his academic work? well, the overriding concern is that we have smart, science-based, cost-effective, results-oriented policies to protect public health a safety safety, to promote energy security, to strength enour economy -- strengthen our economy and our financial system n. a recent book that professor sunstein coauthored called "nudge," he wrote that by knowing how people think, we can design rules and policies that make it easier for americans i o choose what's best for themselves and their families.
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in other words,ass sunstein believ that the best types of rules and regulations a the ones that encouge american consumers and businesses to make good decisions without demanding that they do so. i thought a lot about his whork congress debated the -- his work when congress debated the first time home buyer's tax credit which helped spur home sales after months of decline. again, if you shape policies that are easy to understand, that provide incentives, that give america control over their fate, you get the right results that. is why it's so ops important that we confirm cass sunstein to this critical appropriate. his pragmatic approach to policy and regulation will help our federal agencies work smarter and ensure that our government works better for our citizens and for our businesses. you know, it is no surprise to me, as senator lieberman just discussed, the kind of support that cass sunein has gathered. the "wall street journal" editorial board has bean positive about his nomination, as do -- you haveea the support from the u.s. chamber of
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economy is, the national association of -- the u.s. chamber of commerce, the national association of manufacturers, themerican farm bauerry association 13 nobel prize winners and c.boyden gray, who served as whe house counsel under both president bush. while all these iividuals and organizations are supportive, what they say about cass sunstein is what i've always known about him, he is a pragmatist. he cares about ideas, but ultimately he cares about the right results. i have heard time and time again from the people in my state office about the red tape and regulations that citizens run into on an everyday basis with the united states government. it's time to put someone in there, in this job that actually sees that connectio is able to connect human behavior with what those rules are and make those rules make some sense. he has the intellectua intellige ability and the support to get this done and i'm proud to support his nomination.
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thank you very much, mr. prident. and i yield the floor. mr. lieberman: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from cnecticut. . lieberman: well, first let me thank sator klobuchar for those very thoughtl and i thought compelling words in support professor sunstein's nomination. they were both thoughtful and personal and that maers a lot, so i thank her for taking the time to me over and speak on this important nomination. mr. president, i thought it might be helpful if i just read from a few of the letters of endorsement of professor sunstein, because this is one of those nominations that i think has become unnecessarily controversial. there's a rule that i always try to apply. i think i've done it pretty well
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over the years. that is, in applying it unifor uniformly, which is when, as a senator, we exercise our authority to advise and consent, the judgment for us to make is not whether we would have nominated that person to that office but whether, on due nsideration, we conclude that that nominee is within an acceptable range and capable of fulfilling that job. that's qte a different situation. so one might agree or disagre disagree -- let's put it that way -- with professor sunstein or one or another thing he's written and a remarkably productive, oceed clais prolifi. but viewed to decide that he's unqualified for this position. not that -- not just that he wouldn't be your first choice, but he seems to be unqualified or there's such a level of risk to him filling it even if you thoughhe was qualified, that you'd vote against him.
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i want to try to reassure my colleagues. i mentioned the american farm bureau federation, because there had been some concern in the agriculture community. i read from a letter from bowl stohlman -- bob stohlman, the president of the american far bureau. and quote -- "we were concerned about reports related to mr. sunstein's views on animal rights and the impact that could occur should such views be reflected in federal regulations. we have, however, had opportunity to discuss this subject in person with mr. sunstein. he's been candid, forthright and very open about how he views his role in oira. he has sred her perspective on the issues in qstion and stressed that he would not use his position to undermine federal law or further policies inconsistent wh congressional directives directives." and then as i quoted in my opening, "we hope the senate can ke up this nomination in the near future and that a senators will vote to confirm
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him for thi post." second, very different association and an important one in our country, the chamber of commerce of the united states of america. a letter from our bruce jostin. and the first paragraph says, "the chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations." and he says about the nomee -- and i quote -- "over the course of an impreive career as a legal academic, professor sunstein has made important contributions in such diverse areas as environmental law, behavioral economics, and consumer safety. through his work, he has improved our understanding of the law and public policy in a continuing effort to improve the ability of government to neficially impact the lives. of its citizens. as oira administrator, professor sunstein is almost certain to ply a thoughtful approach to
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regulatory oversight and review. his extensive writings and teachings provide a useful blueint of his pragmatic approach to rulation, including his continued defense of cost-benefit analysis as a tool for developing rational regulation. hs approach is not influenced by an ideological predisposition. i repea from bruce jostin, executive v.p. of the chamber of commerce. his approach is not influenced by an ideological predisposition. to the contrary, his writings show a strong commitment to a balanced review that is bies neither in favor nor against regulation. by all accounts, professor sunshine is a man of personal integrity and formidable intellectual prowess and t chamber applauds his willingness suspend an exceptional
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academic career in order to serve his country. and mr. jostin concludes by saying that the chamber urges the senate to expeditiously confirm cass sunstein as ministrator of oira. i need not tell m colleagues in the senate,he chamber of commerce is obvious ail pro-business group. and if they felt that cass sunstein as oira administrator would harm business entrepreneurship, economic growth, the free mart here in our country, they would -- they would say so loud and clear. but they did not say so. they did not just remain silent. the chamber of commerce of the united states says that cass sunstein is qualified by h writings, he's despair they urge us to confirm this nomination. a similar letter from the national association of manufacturers, mr. president. rosario pmeria, vice president
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of n.a.m., writing 20 senator collins and me. "i'm writing to offer our support for the confirmion of cass sunstein to be administrator of oira in the office of management and budget. the n.a.m., national association of manufacturers, has supported people in knees to oira under both republican and democratic presidents. it is office plays a crucial role in agency prioritization, paperwork reducon and regulatory review. in particular he is deserving of confirmation because of his keen intellect, eertise in the fields -- i thank the chair. the bottom line is that professor sunstein is supported by many groups including those who some might you think would have opposed him. i hope my colleagues will support this nominatio and the vote to come on final passage. i thankhe chair and i yield
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the floor. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate resumes legislative session. all pendingmendments except the dorgan amendment number 1347 are withdrawn; the question is on that amendment. the presiding officer: without objection, the amendment is agreed to. the clerk will read the bill for the third time. the clerk: a bill to establish a nonprofit corporation to communicate united states entry policiesnd otherwise promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the united states.
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