acadia national park advisory committee mentioned in drafting the legislation i've worked very closely with park officials and also with friends of acadia a nonprofit community organization that works hard to support the park mr president a little background might be helpful in nineteen eighty six congress enacted legislation prevented the money from going as far as congress originally intended there are now more than one hundred private tracks left within the official park boundary nearly twenty of these tracks are currently available from willing sellers but the park simply no longer has the funds to purchase them our legislation would authorize an additional ten million dollars to boundary of the park but rather filling in the holes k t s our legislation would also facilitate the development of financial model transportation center as part of the island explore  system the island explorer has been extremely successful over its first seven years these low emission propane powered vehicles have carried more than one point five million riders since hundred ninety nine in doing so they have removed hundreds of thousands of vehicles from the park and significantly reduce pollution mr president unfortunately the system lacks a central parking and bus boarding area as the result day use visitors do not have ready access to the island explorer my legislation would further facilitate the department of inter bill at the request of senator snowe and myself senators will include parking for day uses of a part of visitor orientation facility highlighting park and regional points of interest  boarding area and a bus maintenance garage this center which will be built in partnership with the federal highway administration the u s department of transportation the main department of transportation and other partners will reduce traffic congestion purse or park resources and hand the visitor experience and ensure a vibrant tourists a consummate finally mr president our legislation would expand the sixteen member acadia national park advisory commission for an additional twenty year period this commission was created by the congress back and nine hundred eighty six and regrettably it expired last year the commission consists of three federal representatives three state representatives four representatives from local towns three from the  t mainland community some three from the adjacent offshore islands these representatives serving on this commission have provided invaluable advice related to the management and the development of the park the superintendent has found it to be very valuable the commission has proven its worth many times over and it deserves to be extended for an additional twenty years in fact mr president probably should just be made permanent acadia national park is the true gem of the maine coastline the park is one of maine's most popular tourist destinations with more than two million visitors americans hold so dear mr president and nine years will be one hundred years old has brought both increasing popularity and greater pressures this national treasure by providing an additional ten million dollars to protect sensitive plants already within the foundry of the park by expanding the highly successful island explorer transportation says and by standing the kadian national park advisory commission this legislation will help to make the pack stronger and healthier than ever on the occasion of  iraq that both supports our troops and changes our mission away from policing a civil war to more narrowly focusing on what should be our first and foremost goal fighting terrorism counter terrorism to make sure that al qaeda couldn't set up a camp and strike you know us i rise today because we are beginning we have said all along mr president that this is going to be a long battle that because we don't have sixty one votes in the senate because the president has a veto power and we certainly don't have sixty eight votes in the senate that we are going to have to continue to bring up resolution and amendment after resolution and amendment until we persuade our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do what the american people want to do what the american people asked for in november of two thousand and six and that dramatically change the course in iraq the mission greatly reduce the number of troops so that we keep some troops there who can fight terrorism but that would be a many many fewer most who would be out of harm's way well we're getting good signs mr president first six months ago president bush said he wouldn't accept any benchmarks or any limitation and now the word seemed to be from the white house that they will accept some types of benchmarks or other types of language that would not just be a simple simple funding of the troops without certain without our other goal changing the mission but secondly and more significant and what my mice i am and my colleague from washington and i believe my colleague from illinois will be speaking about is we are seeing our republican colleagues begin to set their own timetable their own deadline this weekend house minority leader john boehner signaled that is this debate wears on the president will continue to lose support among the members of his own party quote by the time we get to september or october members are going to want to know how well this is working and if it isn't what's plan b that sure seems similar to what we're trying to do although we want to do it now his comments have been echoed by a number of other republicans who are hearing back in their states and districts that we must change the mission in iraq there are many comments trent lott i do think this fall we have to see some significant changes on the ground in baghdad and other surrounding areas and there are many more jim walsh from my home state of new york today the new york times reports that mr walsh is replying to his constituents that he could soon be prepared to reassess our policy and begin withdrawing our troops republican congressman ray la hood has indicated he expects republican members will grow increasingly quote nervous about the president's strategy asked about the president's demand for a funding bill with no benchmarks no conditions and no reports as senator collins who just spoke here is said many of us on both sides of the aisle don't see that as viable so mr president we are going to try to come up with a very strong resolution that both supports our troops and changes the mission but we know that we are making progress because our republican colleagues themselves have been setting timetables benchmarks and other types of goals limitations that are not terribly dissimilar than ours mr president we will continue this battle this struggle to require the president to change course in iraq and we eagerly await our republican colleagues now at in terms of the war in iraq last week both the house and the senate sent a very strongly worded bill to the president of the united states supporting our troops saying that we are there for them when they need us but we also said it's time for a change of course in iraq that we could no longer leave our troops in the middle of a civil war is disappointing to all of us that the president chose to veto that  and send it back to us but mr president i think it's all very important for us now to set the context of where we are right now as we look at what we're now going to send back to the president these are the facts there is increased violence in baghdad as we speak there is increased violence outside baghdad today in fact over a hundred american soldiers died last last month alone and at least twenty seven more american troops have been till been killed this month my home state of washington we got the sad news yesterday morning that six of our fort lewis soldiers were killed over the weekend these are families husbands wives children grandchildren who will be impacted forever and who will not forget mr president months ago the president sent to the american people that he was going to change course by having a surge of american troops twenty five thirty forty thousand new troops and they are now on the ground in iraq what we're seeing is increased violence inside and outside of baghdad more american soldiers losing their lives and what are we looking at an iraqi government that has not changed that has not stood up to the mark to take care of their own country and make the tough decisions they need to make the president the bill we sent to the president last will week was designed to give him the tools to turn to iraq and say you need to take on your own battle and make these tough decisions it's time for iraqis to stand up four years ago after removing saddam four years ago after we had removed saddam from iraq the iraqis have still not made the political compromises necessary to bring peace to their own country in fact they're on pretty shaky ground today even as we speak as we hear factions that may pull out and most importantly what's happening here in our country sixty four percent of americans and sixty five percent of independents support setting a timetable for redeployment so that's the ground we now sit on as the president vetoed that very important piece of legislation that funded our troops funding and for our veterans as they came home and important critical ending for katrina and other important causes despite all of the facts that i just laid out for you the increased violence the soldiers being killed the iraqis not standing up for their own government we have seen republicans on the other side of this while stubbornly stand with president bush and refused to set a timetable for troops to come home refused to set a timeline to force the iraqis to take responsibility for their own future and refused to set a timetable to let iraqis know that we are not going to be there endlessly month after month year after year into decades mr president what is heartening to me today after the president's veto is we now are hearing from many of our republican colleagues that they do believe that we can't continue to send the message that we will be there forever senator schumer was just here on the floor and spoke of some of our republican colleagues who've been speaking out house minority leader boehner said over the course of the next three to four months we'll have some idea how well the plans working early signs are indicating there's clearly some success on a number of fronts but by the time we get to september october members are going to want to know how well this is working and if it is not what is plan b we are now hearing thankfully our republican colleagues set forth timetables of their own i think it's important that we listen to what they're saying because despite the fact they said no timetables in the bill we are hearing them say that there is a timeline that this country cannot continue to send our troops to iraq without iraqi standing up and importantly as well we're hearing our republican colleagues talk about benchmark we know that benchmarks without consequences are pointless but unlike the president our republican colleagues are starting to realize this and are breaking with the white house senator susan collins said obviously the president would prefer great funding bill with no bench conditions no reports and she said many of us on both sides of the aisle don't see that it's viable i hear that is very promising language from our colleagues on the other side we're hearing from any other senator voinovich who spoke out this weekend we're hearing from house minority whip roy blunt who says we could support binding mench marks on the iraqi government tied to consequences pact packages so long as we don't put restrictions on the military mr president we support our troops the bill we sent to the president last week supports our troops our troops have done everything we have asked them to do and more and they've done it courageously it is time now for us to give them the tools they ne so that the iraqis will stand up and take control of their own government we can no longer just simply say we will stand down when you stand up to the iraqi people i hope that our republican colleagues will join with us in standing up as well now to send a strong message to the iraqi people that it is time for our troops to get the support they need and to know that they will be brought home in a timely manner it is encouraging to hear the comments that we're hearing i hope that they are met by the courage of our colleagues on the other side to stand up with us find the language we can agree on and send a supplemental to the president i hope that that's what we can do over the next several deadline or a timetable the response from the president from the administration even from the republican side of the hour was the same when you talk about a specific him to this war they argued it in dangers our troops i didn't agree with that premise in fact i believe that this was the only way to convince the iraqis that we weren't going to stay forever if they think the very best military in the world the american military forces will stay there indefinitely there's no incentive for them to make the right decisions the hard decisions to govern their own country well time is passed at great cost to our nation as of this morning we have lost three thousand three hundred sixty one of our best and bravest soldiers three thousand three  hundred sixty one the month of april april was the deadliest month this year in iraq one hundred four american soldiers lost their lives i think we all understand now that as each day passes more american soldiers are in danger and sadly more will give their lives and so to wait for a month or two or three or four is sadly to extend that period of time of danger now we find from republican leaders a new approach no longer they are rejecting the idea of deadlines or timetables in fact they're starting to speak more specific terms this is a quote from the republican leader in the house john boehner who said by the time we get to september or october members are going to want to know how well this is working and if it isn't what's plan b that to me sounds like a deadline september or october then of course our colleague here from mississippi senator lott said i do think this fall we have to see some significant changes on the ground in baghdad and other surrounding areas i think it's an indication that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle or hearing the same thing that we hear when we go home first an immense pride in our men and women in uniform pride as well in their families stood by them through this and understanding of the sacrifices that are being made by our soldiers as well as those who love them so very much but secondly an understanding that this is a failed policy that the president is pursuing in iraq this is the fifth year of this war this war has lasted longer than world war two it is now only exceeded in cost by the cost of world war two in today's dollars is an extremely expensive undertaking first in human life with over three thousand americans die and then with thousands coming home injured some very seriously injured with traumatic brain injury and an potations senator murray of washington has been a leader when it comes to the care for our returning soldiers and veterans and we know that our system is breaking down and falling behind increasing i think the sense of urgency that i feel and many feel in illinois as i see them on the streets of chicago in springfield and all around my state they understand that this is a heavy cost that we're paying and so  our friends on the republican side of the aisle say all we need is maybe four or five more months i hope they understand that that time that they're asking for is a time that will have a heavy price they want to buy some time for political purposes but at a heavy price we think and i hope that they'll come to understand we need to tell the iraqis now they have the responsibility to govern and lead and if they fail then american troops are not going to stay there indefinitely so some worry that when american troops will leave that there may be an unstable situation in iraq that is entirely possible that could happen if we leave in ten months ten years or fifteen years they have to understand the responsibility of the future of iraq lies in the hands of the iraqis we cannot put that burden on american soldiers and their families any longer i am heartened by the statements from the republican side that finally they understand that we cannot stay there forever but the policy of this administration has not succeeded that we owe it to our soldiers and their families to treat them humanely and to let them know that they'll be coming home to a hero's welcome soon now our colleagues senator jim web and carl levin as well as jack reed have spoken out about the readiness of our troops to and i worry about that as the president has extended this war far beyond what anyone ever dreamed of those who voted for that authorization of force as he's extended this war we have really put pressure on our soldiers beyond anything that we could imagine we've extended the tours of duty for national guard members for the longest period of time since world war two we now know that many of our soldiers are asked to stay on an additional three months after they've served twelve we know that when they come home they don't receive the rest that they were promised the time with their family their quickly reactivated and sent into battle this has to have an impact on morale it certainly has a negative impact on their families and so i believe that as we talk about how this war is to be waged and what the next stage will be regardless of what our plan may be it has to include readiness and a commitment to these troops i think it's important that we say to the president don't send a single soldier into harm's way or into combat unless they've had the time to rest unless they've been retrained and equipped unless they're prepared to go to battle with with all the forces that they need to come home safely short changing our soldiers is not a strategy that we should follow in iraq and so let's come up with a plan to start bringing these troops home we sent one to the president last week and he in a press conference told the american people he was going to we haven't heard anything back from him since then but in the meantime many members of his own party have decided that it's time for them to finally speak up we welcome we need them we need them particularly in the supplemental bill president if a handful of republican senators will now cross the aisle and join us we can have a positive impact on changing this failed policy in iraq we can finally stand as one in a bipartisan way and say that there is a better way that the iraqis can't take long vacations while the members of their parliament want to be relaxing as our soldiers are risking their lives we have to tell the iraqis that we're not going to stay indefinitely so mr president when the leaders like mr boehner of ohio speak a plan b just remember what the b stands for the b stands for bring our soldiers home that's what we need to start doing in an orderly sensible way as soon as possible mr president i yield the floor and we're waiting for senators to come back to the floor working today on that f d a drug safety bill they've been on that for a few days now hoping to finish it up if they can today and that's what we've heard from senate leadership also possible today a bill to authorize some fourteen billion dollars for army corps of engineer water projects five coverage of the senate always right here on c span t about the concerns i have involving the immigration process it's ongoing in the senate today and what senator reid the democrat in a later has in the gated he plans to do about it comprehensive immigration reform that can be worthy of the american people to create a lawful system of immigration that will work and it will be difficult in a number of areas that we can do that a framework is being discussed i know because i've seen at least the powerpoint presentations and some of the other discussions about it a framework exists that we could do that and there really is no doubt that this nation needs comprehensive immigration reform the holes system is broken nothing about it works the legal system is an embarrassment to us as a nation and a real source of frustration to the american people and they rightly are concerned about it and politicians don't seem to be and so that's why we've had this problem for so long and and frustration and anger gets built up and people sometimes call in radios and they cite things they shouldn't say and they're on canned comments but a lot of it is really is a direct response to a fight or you have united states congress and the executive branch to do was required to create a lawful system of immigration for heaven sakes don't we all agree with that concept a lawful system of immigration and what interest should it serve it should serve the national interest the i'm a merican enters and i asked secretary chertoff and secretary at harvard and written a book on immigration himself a cuban refugee said you know if you tell me what policy you want to serve i can help you draft an immigration policy that will work he said for example if you say it should be the national interest i can help you achieve that if you want to serve the interest of poor people around the world he can help you achieve that he said he basically said in his book have ns do how you would serve poor people around the world is let them all in and then every day is that would be in their interest we know that in two thousand we had eleven million people apply for the fifty thousand lottery slots names are drawn out of our head at random only fifty thousand and drawn at a year and and we had a leavened million a plaque for that of those slots so  we're just outside the basics here mullah people want to go to convert this country then we can accept and those who we accept should be based on what's in our interest how much more simple can it be than that and ask them it that is a marvel and a legitimate basis for now we always have a humanitarian component to emigration and i would not reduce it i think it's about sixteen percent programme ought to serve on national interest well this is what's happening there supposedly bipartisan discussions going on and i know they are going on to try to take the framework that the president and cabinet members and and other members of this body have sort of agreed on and to flesh that out in the valve a immigration policy overall agenda item for a given area this framework when you start riding down the words there will actually affect your way what you promised to do then people start backing back i used to say and i've said a number of times on the floor we have a great deal of interest in immigration reform except that which will work if it will actually work we find a media people start know who selected them they all meeting here and they are deciding the fate of american immigration and so they're out there and i'm all i say will go at it let's see what you produce and at the not constituents said i hope they will discuss it and maybe some agreements can be reached one that acted be able to supply but i promise makin states us and every senator to make this commitment i'm going to read that bill because just because it people have great sounding words if you don't read the maining read those words carefully and what they're going to actually mean in the effort to enforce immigration law then you don't know what you're going to get you're going to end up like we did in one thousand nine hundred six with a program that was an utter failure and the one we had last year the bill we voted on last year would never have work would a happy and he has the power as a democratic leader to call up any piece of legislation he wants to call up so he is sad now i'm not happy with the speed of this  he's said he's gone call on the power the majority later on the roof fourteen last years bill and that this will be on the floor and then to continue to negotiate and maybe they'll figure out what would be better and then he might just substitute this new discussion this new negotiated bill that hasn't been written yet nobody is saying a word og he is going to substitute and then we'll vote now make everybody happy well let me just say this with all sincerity the american people know that is a big issue it's an important issue it really is it says a lot about the nature of this country are we going to be a country that that the world knows  has laws are never enforced and that i am a gratian policies make a mockery of law as they do today and will we continue to say people all over the world get the ideas in their heads correctly today basically as i can just get into america sooner or later we'll make them citizens and give them everything that they had even if they came illegally is that the kind of message we want to continue to say or not so senator  which we've never seen before on all of the words in it and let me tell you had an immigration bill is not an easy baby seign an immigration bill consists of a lot of pages a group of us about fifteen hours rhoda the majority leader and and and asked that we have seven days i thought that was way too short to read the bail in that pathetic immigration bill last year was six hundred plus pages and this is not it dorf this bill right here and all of pages six hundred pages this one maybe longer at least last year's bill came out of the judiciary committee and we had a chance to argue over in there although the train just ran right through you to share committing and ran through basically through the floor the senate but we we began to read it before it was over and i remember making a speech down here several speeches pointing out seventeen loopholes in that bill but it'll flaws in the  then perhaps they'll just plop it all in it a substitute and take out all parts of that veil and substitute entirely new bill six seven eight hundred pages and then we'll just vote own and i'll be good for the masters of the universe you say because when you do that when you do that there will be time for least possible time to discuss it and i think that irresponsible is wrong which it's been plenty of time on this legislation we should go to the american people with honesty and integrity and tell them some of the things you want to do mr and mrs america we just can't do we're not going to be able to make immigration come out exactly like you we wanted or exactly like our you want it we're going to at the ridge a compromise  but we understand that we have a commitment to you and that commitment is to create a system that will work in the future but i'm worried about it because martin hearing that the system seems to be moving in a way that's going to create a opportunity to vote on a completely unseen immigration bill nobody has read except a little group and move it through this  now remember the bill passed last year far worse than in a real i think a bad piece of legislation last year and it but it did pass this senate they both thought it would die in the house you know if it did and i also would never consider they would even look at it but i'm not sure that's going to happen this time so we might have this and we get on the all bill for diet two and the tabs and then all of a sudden the new bill comes on a diet to it's pas hardly anybody knows what's in it and had a chance to read it and then to go to the house of representatives and a democratic majority now is got a few numbers fifteen sixteen or so majority over there some of the republicans of would clearly be in favor of whatever passed out of the senate and they way they don't have any way to live votes over there the bill could be bought out and passed the same bail without any amendment that could happen they go to the president and he just decides that he signs it and then we'll find out two three four years from now whether it works or not and i don't think it's going to work i'm worried about it i'm worried about it and worried that there is not a commitment among the executive branch i'm not i'm worried that anybody likely to be elected president and the new executive branch later has a commitment to ensuring a lawful system of immigration that's all the american people want they  not saying they don't want any immigrants in america so i'm saying this because i'm concerned this is where we're heading i think it's unhealthy for our th senate if we do that we would have failed and at august responsibility this is the body that's supposed to let the passions co p where senators look over important issues thank them through and then make a decision on them and also the delay and the slow down that goes on in the senate is helpful so the american people can be advised of what their representatives are actually doing so i'm i'm i'm worried about it and that strategy is frightening to me so let me just  i believe that the framework that has been mentioned before drafting of a comprehensive immigration reform actually has the potential the base excess but based on my experience and the ten years i've been in the senate and they act through and the work and debate that we've seen on immigration i am inclined to believe that they will have positive sounding words on the headlines in big print but the real language will not effect the promises they make or the goals they set ninety six i said there are probably a couple of million people in the country illegally the system was not working we had to do something so we should grant amnesty to the people that came in illegal a contrary to law and then we would develop a new system in the future so that this would be the amnesty to end all amnesties ebay no more amnesty well three million people showed up to take advantage of it rather than to and in the twenty plus years twenty one years since we now have found in our country estimate an estimated twelve million to twenty million people here illegally so now we want to i national interest and do the right thing on immigration and ask firmly believe firmly believe we will do a better job of writing a bill that will work a bill that was serving national interests that will create a lawful immigration system if the american people know what's going on because that's what they want the american people have been consistently right on this issue their instincts have been right consistently all their some not ninety votes out here that are mean spirited there's no doubt about that but they represent a very small number the basic failing on american people is sound on immigration and has banned it's the congress and executive branches that have failed them for fifty years and we don't have to continue to fail the american people we have a responsibility to make it work and i'm hopeful who seem to have dominated the last year get their way we won't we won't be able to pass a bill that we can be proud of we won't pass a bill that will work and we'll be back here ten years fifteen years twenty years from now they are going with another crisis so madam president i won't go any more about it but i'll just mention what the framework as i understood it contained that these power point presentations that were shown around and got leaked to the press it has something that can actually work using bio metric identifying cards helping the businesses dalam exactly what they need to do so they know they can't be prosecuted or sued for doing something wrong they tell exactly what to do and  work we can make the workplace cease to be a magnet for illegal jobs very important and that can be done we need to deal compassionate y and realistically and with the people that are here illegally but i don't believe that someone who broke the law to enter our country should be given every single benefit there we give to those who can lawful we'll have to wrestle with that and nobody is going be happy i'm sure with the way that comes out that's the way it is with any big piece of legislation we need a genuine temporary seasonal worker program that is separate and apart from the program that would allow people to come into that country on a citizenship track and on the basic answer a citizenship entry into the united states we need to be far more like canada and australia have a merry base killed by a system that evaluates applicants on what they bring the cash do you speak english do you have education do you have skills that canada names it's a skill based point system it's subjective in fire and it serves a canadian interest and they are very happy with it sort of australia so to new zealand to have any such frame are they promoted and when you read the fine print it's not get us there it be a five year so those are my concerns i believe and it will object with every ability that i have utilized every two that i have to ensure that whatever veil hits this floor the american people have an opportunity to know what's in it have time to evaluate it and that as senators do but there and present senator from kansas the president i ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business from fifteen minutes without objection the president thank you and my colleagues so i just returned from greensburg kansas yesterday where we had a horrific tornado hit late friday night and i want to share with my colleagues from the damage assessment some of the pictures of what's taken place and some of the needs that we have for this community in falling in the highest category of the enhanced fujita scale and that was one point seven miles in diameter which if you know anything about tornadoes that's an enormous tornado to be one point seven miles diameter the air pressure outside of the house is much reduced from the air pressure in the house and they'll just be a blowing up of the house and then the wind comes in and hits it or it can be destroyed by the when you have multiple forces still in the hospital with four of them in cell thunderstorm that that has taken place it's an older community more than fifty percent of the population is forty five years of age or older and twenty five percent the population is sixty five years of age or older primarily economic drivers and community or farming or oil and gas production in the area we will need substantial assistance i want to show some my colleagues pictures from the wreckage toured yesterday and i'm pleased to know the president is coming tomorrow i went there yesterday along with the governor several members of congressional delegation my colleague in the senate senator roberts was there on saturday and it's just devastated the whole town is you see the one  structure left standing is the grain elevator and that really is the only structure that's left standing the hat in the town the courthouse is standing but its top level and the roof has just been ripped off of it trees are all  denuded you're amazed actually that people can survive something like this most people have storm shelters or basements that they can go into and did with the warning call the people in the community see all these trees just needed in the area and the whole place just ripped and torn into shreds in the in the county and in this particular community this one of the main structures in the downtown to greensburg and you can see what's taken place as all the bricks around this they did were able to keep the greensburg sign that says still posted up there in this picture northeast kansas and you can see still some ominous looking clouds it was very dicey over the entire week and you see here again one of the structures this is one of the more stable houses that remain standing in the area i went into a house that was somewhat like this built almost one hundred years ago the owner i talked with they were going to celebrate the hundred year anniversary for was a good group that was on the job and then katrina happened and it was looked and you said where is the fame of that i knew that could go in and really respond in these situations and so we're watching very carefully to see how  response in kansas to our tornado to our situation to our devastation i'm pleased the state to date and i went around the community talked with a number of individuals that they're meeting the needs and needs of the community are being met they're there they're on the ground they're being aggressive on dealing with it and the people that there there we're going to continue to watch and make sure that all the needs are being met and i will be asking my colleagues for some assistance in this as well this is a small community it's an older community it lacks much in the way of resources and we do need to help in this particular situation we're going to be pushing my colleague and senator roberts for one hundred percent coverage on public assistance that's on things like debris removal repair and rebuilding public facilities gas and diesel generators there are not a lot of these but the community itself just lacks resources to be able to meet these needs will look to remove the twenty five percent local match for fema funds that have shown in the pictures the entire town and their economy is destroyed there's no way greensburg can come up with the match funds that are necessary in this community to try something innovative here this is a community in the high plains and as senator dorgan from north dakota has been pushing for some time and i've been one of his lead co sponsors a bill called the new homestead act we've had many communities drained in the high plains county where greensburg is the county as a pilot project for the new homestead act the biggest concern once we complete the clean up is getting the people and their businesses back up and going and i think here is a chance for us  given the level of public commitment that is in place and desire to rebuild this community let's try this new homestead act that we can work as a magnet to attract people back into these communities that have had difficulty transitioning from an agricultural economy to something else this bill that senator dorgan has introduced co sponsor is to encourage people to move to rural areas that have depopulated help repay college tuition loans for people that move back into the community help folks buy their first home that live in the community and set up and eventual homestead accounts to help people save for the future also this bill will help capital into main street through rural venture capital funding i think these things that we can look at and say let's try this here and let's say it works and let's see what we can model off of this to help out many places in the high plains that ever experience this population will also be pushing for an enhanced real development package and there's been a controversy that i think is unfortunate and that is when the question about whether or not there's been enough equipment from the national guard the kansas national guard on the ground in greensburg to take care of this atrocity of this disaster or is too much of it been diverted to the war on terrorism and in iraq i asked specifically yesterday the kansas  general the head of the kansas national guard do you have enough equipment on the ground to take care of greensburg and he said yes we have enough equipment because i was making a point if you don't we're going to push on fort riley or other places to come up with this equipment we need the equipment he said no we have equipment and now unfortunately this is grown into some bit of controversy as to whether there is sufficient equipment or if too much has been diverted to iraq a specific statement but a kansas head of the national guard kansas adjutant general says that there is sufficient equipment on the ground for and to meet this need and i think that we can respond and we can respond to my colleagues and anybody that would be interested fortunately because of the nature of the country and the generous people in the united states they want to help and they want to know what can we do for the people  greensburg and there are three places that i would suggest that they would look to contribute particularly funds it would be american red cross to the salvation army and to the united way of the planes in wichita kansas those three groups are ones that are receiving and then funneling funds into greensburg in a small community and didn't have these sort of organizations there but these groups do work but those three groups american red cross salvation army and the united way of the planes located in wichita would be very helpful way the planes as established a greensburg disaster fund that people can contribute to and i would hope that people consider contributing to one of those three entities and even have a number of different groups that are stepping up the pizza hut throughout the state of kansas or donating twenty percent of their profits on thursday may ten to go to this united way greensburg disaster fun i hope other groups would do that to allow greensburg to get the capital together to be able to rebuild and renew itself and grow into the future these are tough times for a community but it's a resilient community and it always impresses me when you see a horrific disaster like this just a complete devastation and you go and talk to the people and they want to rebuild and they want to dig it out and they want to go on that to resistance of the human spirit in face of a horrendous disaster loss of life loss of property loss of almost an entire community and the people there we're talking about here is how we're going to rebuild and it's a beautiful thing to to see that we mourn their losses and the people of greensburg kansas are thankful to all the prayers that people have given for that community and all the tragedy in difficulty and they will be will rebuild and they'll go forward now raise the next generation of their families in greensburg in kiowa county and the country is going to help out and i think the country will help in a very powerful way in a positive way  last night a helicopter crashed in austin nevada killing all five crew members on board to believe the flight was from fallon naval air station also today nevada lost another soldier in iraq twenty five year old sergeant  no one wants success in iraq more than we in the senate i can think of no greater tribute we can pay to those six service members and more than thirty three hundred others who lost their lives in iraq to reach a responsible and successful end of the war that has cost so much in so many different ways the washington post this morning ran an article entitled the cost of war and noticed it tells us that the war in iraq is about to become the most expensive conflict in united states history after world war two but unlike world war two which was fought all over the world faraway japan africa all this islands in the south seas all over europe wrecked conflict has taken place in a country the size of the state of california and also unlike past wars president bush has put in ca squarely on the shoulders of our children and grandchildren by financing entirely to borrowing and raising national debt robert hormats a former republican administration official says and quote they try to do this on the cheap and without a candid conversation with the american people about the cost but the irony is a great wartime leaders have seen it in the opposite way end of quote from the beginning p call this war a great challenge of our time his actions don't match his rhetoric he's expected to sacrifice from our troops now but has pushed the sacrifice of american taxpayers years and years into the future long past his term of office in eighteen months madam president there'll be a new all action eighteen months for us to be our president all americans will continue to bear the financial burden of this war in the future long pas the new president assuming office right now we're seeing the toll it's taking on our security here at home in the wake of the tragic tornadoes that ripped through kansas past weekend our national guard did its best job it could there is a fantastic job and we're grateful for their work of course but the toll of the war in iraq crippled the ability of the national guard to do the dangerous knurling jobs they're charged with doing according the governor of kansas kathleen sebelius and i quote fifty percent of our trucks are gone our front loaders are gone we're missing home these that move people we can't borrow them from other states because their equipment is gone it's a huge issue for states across the country to respond to disasters like this and of  out of prison we can expect our first responders keep america safe if they don't have the supplies and equipment to get the job done our men and women in uniform both active never guard and reserve are bearing the bulk of the burden of this war but we all pay a price whether in death and injury to troops whether or tremendous financial burden not yet fully realized or whether in the inability of the kansas nation guard to rescue and recover more quickly that's why it's crucial and well past time to change course toward a successful and responsible end of the war we continue negotiate with the white house our republican colleagues in congress we continue to stand firm in our believe that the time for a new direction has come even some of our republican coll long supported the president on the war now seem to agree that it can no longer be open ended yesterday my colleague senator lott said quote this fall we have to see some significant changes on the ground over the weekend house minority leader boehner said by the time we get to september october members are going to want to know how well this is working and if it isn't what's plan b that's the end of his quote just yesterday my colleague republican leader echoed leaders boehner sentiments i'm glad to hear the move toward our view to set their own timeline who can't wait until fall we have to have a responsible plan b right now plan b gradually reduce combat operations and refocus our troops on protecting america's security throughout the world plan b begins to bring troops home and equipment home where they can practice merican life in kansas and across the country plan b begins to reduce the financial burden that this war is weighing on our shoulders and the shoulders of future generations and our plan b puts the pressure on the iraqi governments who ultimately lead them to take responsibility for their own future ime on the post culture will run out sometime tonight about ten or eleven o'clock we hope it's not necessary to run the clock that long but going to finish this bill in the morning and we'll see how much money votes we have will try to mr alexander and an overwhelming majority of the senate agree with me and agreed with me on my amendment to that effect on the immigration bill i'm convinced that the official language will command another majority should it receive roll call vote in this session of congress and that's why today introducing s one three three five to make english the official language of our nation the english language has played a critical r establishing the unity of this nation from its beginning as i've said before a common means of communication is created one giant market for goods and labor in our nation from maine to california resident of cells that can seek work in new hampshire oregon georgia without having to learn a second language a company based in oklahoma city can readily sell its products from portland maine to los angeles and europe by contrast a resident of berlin cannot look for work paris or warsaw without surmounting considerable language barriers a german company can easily sell its product in madrid again in part because of language barriers the european union is an effort to create united states like common market in western europe among other things europeans are spending billions of euros to try to reap replicate what we in an america have enjoyed for free these past two hundred thirty its residences to learn the language i regret to report that a president that we have spent the last few decades giving away this priceless a linguist the unity unity the good example of order number thirteen one six six demands that all recipients of federal funds function in any language anyone speaks at any time burdening taxpayers but the extraneous costs of an enabling policy while providing incentives for immigrants to circumvent learning english and regretfully hurt their chances and affected the simulation my constituents agree that foreign language ballots deserve no place in the american election my bill will eliminate these foreign language voting materials and multilingual voting mandates imposed on oklahoma and other states only citizens are allowed to vote in our nation one of the requirements to become a good citizen is to show an understanding of english but he to provide foreign language ballots would be better spent on such constructive activities as simply teaching people how to speak english not only does not bill repealed foreign language balance is aimed at the entire forest of mandatory voter linguistic legislation basically recognizes the practical reality of the role of english is our official language it states ex supposedly that english is our official language and provides anguish a status in law it is not held before making english the official language will clarify that there are no entitlement to receive federal documents and services in languages other than english and will in the access to providing translation and title that's at taxpayers expense is my bill to claridge's the any rights of the person as well as services or materials in languages other than english must be authorized or provided by law it recognizes that decades of unbroken court opinions the civil rights laws protecting against national origin and discrimination do not create rights to government services and materials in languages other than english and while my bill will in federally mandated unfunded foreign language entitle that certainly still allows for democratic republican activists to offer upon cards and sample ballots in any language they wish from cherokee to chinese on election day for individuals to bring along their own translators to any federal government office it's important to note that my bill only affects the language spoken by the government not the language choices that people are speaking among themselves official english is popular even among hispanics as i cited before on the floor  senate in two thousand and six a zogby poll found eighty four percent of americans including seventy seven percent of hispanics believe the english should be the national language government operations and according to a two thousand and two kaiser family foundation survey a poll of ninety one percent of foreign board latino immigrants agree that learning english is that's essential producing seed in the united states three three five let me just say you know infuse my voice today but it seems so ridiculous that if you would travel around the world there are some fifty one countries that have english as their visual language and yet united states doesn't is something that should be a no brainer and eighty eighty seven percent of the people i've seen posts up to ninety one percent english is the official language and yet for some unknown reason people seem to be catering to some maybe small radical group that doesn't want it but i think it's time for the majority the american people to realize this is is could very well be a reality let me just also say that they have had this amendment the floor before there are all kinds of objections that came down they didn't have any credibility at all when up came down said well you have all these flags in various states have that have foreign languages you have to do it in  place this has nothing to do with that when they ever came down and said why involved you would know or be able to use spanish on the floor of the united states senate has nothing to do with that and there they said well you would be  something that ninety percent of the people in america want so we are very serious about this we're going to carry on the worst of the good senator from y and hopefully respond to ninety percent of americans who are english as an official and again we're waiting for senators to come back to the floor here the senate working today on this f d a drug safety bill they've been on there for a few days and they've been trying to get it finished up senate leadership saying they want to finish as soon as they can really are the senate voting to confirm a judge for the northern district court of illinois and still possible today or at least later this week a bill to authorize fourteen billion dollars for the army corps of engineer corps of engineers water projects our live coverage always right here of the senate on cspan to