S6466 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 19, 2012 

to curb over-the-counter and prescription 

medicine abuse: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) designates the month of October 2012 as 

‘‘National Medicine Abuse Awareness 

Month’’; and 

(2) urges communities to carry out appropriate programs and activities to educate 

parents and youth of the potential dangers 

associated with medicine abuse. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 565—EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE 

DESIGNATION OF OCTOBER 20, 

2012, AS THE ‘‘NATIONAL DAY ON 

WRITING’’ 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, 

and Mr. AKAKA) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: 

S. RES. 565 

Whereas people in the 21st century are writing more than ever before for personal, professional, and civic purposes; 

Whereas the social nature of writing invites people of every age, profession, and 

walk of life to create meaning through composing; 

Whereas more and more people in every occupation deem writing as essential and influential in their work; 

Whereas writers continue to learn how to 

write for different purposes, audiences, and 

occasions throughout their lifetimes; 

Whereas developing digital technologies 

expand the possibilities for composing in 

multiple media at a faster pace than ever before; 

Whereas young people are leading the way 

in developing new forms of composing by 

using different forms of digital media; 

Whereas effective communication contributes to building a global economy and a 

global community; 

Whereas the National Council of Teachers 

of English, in conjunction with its many national and local partners, honors and celebrates the importance of writing through the 

National Day on Writing; 

Whereas the National Day on Writing celebrates the foundational place of writing in 

the personal, professional, and civic lives of 

the people of the United States; 

Whereas the National Day on Writing provides an opportunity for individuals across 

the United States to share and exhibit their 

written works through the National Gallery 

of Writing; 

Whereas the National Day on Writing highlights the importance of writing instruction 

and practice at every educational level and 

in every subject area; 

Whereas the National Day on Writing emphasizes the lifelong process of learning to 

write and compose for different audiences, 

purposes, and occasions; 

Whereas the National Day on Writing honors the use of the full range of media for 

composing, from traditional tools like print, 

audio, and video, to Web 2.0 tools like blogs, 

wikis, and podcasts; and 

Whereas the National Day on Writing encourages all people of the United States to 

write, as well as to enjoy and learn from the 

writing of others: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) supports the designation of October 20, 

2012, as the ‘‘National Day on Writing’’; 

(2) strongly affirms the purposes of the National Day on Writing; 

(3) encourages participation in the National Galley of Writing, which serves as an 

exemplary living archive of the centrality of 

writing in the lives of the people of the 

United States; and 

(4) encourages educational institutions, 

businesses, community and civic associations, and other organizations to promote 

awareness of the National Day on Writing 

and celebrate the writing of the members 

those organizations through individual submissions to the National Gallery of Writing. 

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SENATE RESOLUTION 566—DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 29, 2012, AS 

‘‘NATIONAL ESTUARIES DAY’’ 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself, Mr. 

AKAKA, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mrs. BOXER, 

Mr. BROWN of Massachusetts, Mr. 

CARDIN, Ms. COLLINS, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. KERRY, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. MURRY, Mr. 

REED, Mr. SESSIONS, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. 

WARNER, Mr. WEBB, Mr. WYDEN, and 

Mr. MENENDEZ) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: 

S. RES. 566 

Whereas the estuary regions of the United 

States comprise a significant share of the 

national economy, with 53 percent of the 

population, 40 percent of the employment, 

and 49 percent of the economic output of the 

United States located in the estuary regions 

of the United States; 

Whereas projections indicate that 75 percent of the total population of the United 

States will live and work in coastal counties 

by 2025; 

Whereas coasts and estuaries contribute 

more than $800,000,000,000 annually in trade 

and commerce to the United States economy; 

Whereas more than 43 percent of all adults 

in the United States visit a sea coast or estuary at least once a year to participate in 

some form of recreation, generating 

$8,000,000,000 to $12,000,000,000 in revenue annually; 

Whereas more than 28,000,000 jobs in the 

United States are supported by commercial 

and recreational fishing, boating, tourism, 

and other coastal industries that rely on 

healthy estuaries; 

Whereas estuaries provide vital habitat for 

countless species of fish and wildlife, including many that are listed as threatened or endangered; 

Whereas estuaries provide critical ecosystem services that protect human health 

and public safety, including water filtration, 

flood control, shoreline stabilization and 

erosion prevention, and the protection of 

coastal communities during extreme weather events; 

Whereas the United States has lost more 

than 110,000,000 acres, or 50 percent, of the 

wetland of the United States since the first 

European settlers arrived; 

Whereas bays once filled with fish and oysters have become dead zones filled with excess nutrients, chemical wastes, harmful 

algae, and marine debris; 

Whereas changes in sea level can impact 

estuarine water quality and estuarine habitat; 

Whereas the Coastal Zone Management 

Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.) declares 

that it is the national policy to preserve, 

protect, develop, and if possible, to restore or 

enhance, the resources of the coastal zone of 

the United States, including estuaries, for 

current and future generations; 

Whereas 24 coastal and Great Lake States 

and territories of the United States contain 

a National Estuary Program or a National 

Estuarine Research Reserve System; 

Whereas scientific study leads to better 

understanding of the benefits of estuaries to 

human and ecological communities; 

Whereas the Federal Government, State, 

local, and tribal governments, national and 

community organizations, and individuals 

work together to effectively manage the estuaries of the United States; 

Whereas estuary restoration efforts restore 

natural infrastructure in local communities 

in a cost effective manner, helping to create 

jobs and reestablish the natural functions of 

estuaries that yield countless benefits; and 

Whereas September 29, 2012, has been designated as ‘‘National Estuaries Day’’ to increase awareness among all people of the 

United States, including Federal, State and 

local government officials, about the importance of healthy estuaries and the need to 

protect and restore estuaries: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Senate— 

(1) designates September 29, 2012, as ‘‘National Estuaries Day’’; 

(2) supports the goals and ideals of National Estuaries Day; 

(3) acknowledges the importance of estuaries to sustaining employment and the economic well-being and prosperity of the 

United States; 

(4) recognizes that persistent threats undermine the health of the estuaries of the 

United States; 

(5) applauds the work of national and community organizations and public partners 

that promote public awareness, understanding, protection, and restoration of estuaries; 

(6) reaffirms the support of the Senate for 

estuaries, including the scientific study, 

preservation, protection, and restoration of 

estuaries; and 

(7) expresses the intent of the Senate to 

continue working to understand, protect, 

and restore the estuaries of the United 

States. 

f 

SENATE RESOLUTION 567—HONORING THE LIFE AND CAREER 

OF GEORGE HICKMAN 

Ms. CANTWELL (for herself and Mrs. 

MURRAY) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to: 

S. RES. 567 

Whereas George Hickman was renowned as 

a Tuskegee Airman, a treasured leader in the 

Seattle community, and the lucky charm of 

Seattle sports until his passing on August 19, 

2012, at the age of 88; 

Whereas George Hickman leaves behind a 

loving wife of 57 years, Doris, 4 children, Regina, Sherie, Vincent, and Shauneil, 3 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild; 

Whereas George Hickman served as a 

Tuskegee Airman and was one of the first African-American fighter pilots trained for 

World War II; 

Whereas George Hickman served in the 

United States Army Air Corps from 1943 to 

1945; 

Whereas the honorable service of George 

Hickman and the other Tuskegee Airmen directly led to the desegregation of the Armed 

Forces of the United States; 

Whereas George Hickman received the 

Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 with his 

fellow Tuskegee Airmen; 

Whereas George Hickman was a special 

guest along with nearly 200 other Tuskegee 

Airmen at the 2009 inauguration of President 

Barack Obama; 

Whereas George Hickman worked as a B–52 

engineer for Boeing from 1955 until his retirement in 1984; 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with SENATE