October 2, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10405 

came to Washington with small business experience, and I hope to continue 

working in the business sector. The 

challenge, as I see it, is for future Congresses to protect the freedom that 

continues to create opportunity for us 

and future generations and to ensure 

that we have a secure America. 

May God bless America, and may God 

bless Congress’s future endeavors. 

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will call the roll. 

The legislative clerk proceeded to 

call the roll. 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

INMATE TAX FRAUD PREVENTION 

ACT OF 2008 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the Senate 

proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 7082, which was received 

from the House. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the bill by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (H.R. 7082) to amend the Internal 

Revenue Code of 1986 to permit the Secretary 

of the Treasury to disclose certain prisoner 

return information to the Federal Bureau of 

Prisons, and for other purposes. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the bill. 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the bill be 

read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 

table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating 

to the bill be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The bill (H.R. 7082) was ordered to a 

third reading, was read the third time, 

and passed. 

f 

EXTENDING THE AUTHORITY OF 

THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the Rules 

Committee be discharged from further 

consideration of H.R. 6296, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 

will report the bill by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (H.R. 6296) to extend through 2013 the 

authority of the Federal Election Commission to impose civil money penalties on the 

basis of a schedule of penalties established 

and published by the Commission. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the bill. 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the bill be 

read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 

table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating 

to the bill be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The bill (H.R. 6296) was ordered to a 

third reading, was read the third time, 

and passed. 

f 

LET OUR VETERANS REST IN 

PEACE ACT OF 2008 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the Senate 

proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 778, H.R. 3480. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the bill by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (H.R. 3480) to direct the United 

States Sentencing Commission to assure appropriate punishment enhancements for 

those involved in receiving stolen property 

where that property consists of grave markers of veterans, and for other purposes. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the bill. 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the bill be 

read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 

table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating 

to the bill be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The bill (H.R. 3480) was ordered to a 

third reading, was read the third time, 

and passed. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota is recognized. 

f 

STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES ORGAN 

TRANSPLANT AUTHORIZATION 

ACT OF 2008 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, tragically, a month and a half ago, we lost 

a wonderful colleague of all of ours, 

Stephanie Tubbs Jones—Stephanie 

Tubbs Jones was a member of the U.S. 

House of Representatives, a wonderful 

Congresswoman who, whenever you 

met her, had a big, broad smile on her 

face. She obviously loved her work on 

behalf of her country. All of us miss 

her. 

There is legislation called the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Organ Transplant 

Authorization Act of 2008. I have 

worked on it in the Senate. I provided 

a companion bill in the Senate. Yesterday, I worked with Dr. COBURN on the 

other side to resolve any differences. I 

understand it is still being reviewed. 

My hope is that this legislation will be 

enacted today. Let me describe the importance of this legislation. 

We have more than 99,000 Americans 

right now awaiting organ transplantation. They are on a waiting list to 

find an organ. In fact, two-thirds of 

those on the waiting list are waiting 

because they suffer from end-stage 

renal disease, and they are waiting for 

a kidney transplant. About 6,000 who 

are on that waiting list will die this 

year. We know how to save them, but 

they will die because they did not get 

a transplant—a kidney, heart, lung. 

They will die. 

I have worked on this issue for many 

years. I recall some long while ago I 

worked on legislation that required 

every tax refund that went out to the 

American people in that year to be accompanied by a little sheet that told 

you how you could become an organ 

donor, how you could sign up. Seventy 

million Americans got a little piece of 

information on how to sign up to become an organ donor. On my driver’s 

license in my wallet, it says ‘‘donor.’’ 

It is pretty easy to do for most Americans. 

As I indicated, two-thirds of those on 

the waiting list are waiting for a kidney. Many will die before they get one. 

On the day the legislation that informed 70 million people how to become an organ donor passed, I held a 

press conference with a group of my 

colleagues. Senator Strom Thurmond 

came to the press conference. I believe 

Strom Thurmond was 90 years old then. 

He came to the press conference to sign 

a big plaque we had, to sign up as an 

organ donor at age 90. 

You had to know Strom Thurmond to 

understand the irony. He was a remarkable American, a remarkable 

Member of the Senate. At age 90, he 

signed an organ donor card, and here is 

what he said: When I am gone, I don’t 

know if I have anything anybody 

wants, but they are welcome to it. 

That was his notion of an organ donor 

card, and he signed up. 

The fact is, not just in memory of 

our wonderful colleague, Stephanie 

Tubbs Jones, but in pursuit of doing 

the right thing. We can save a lot of 

lives by passing this legislation. This 

legislation will authorize an increase 

in the Federal contribution that has 

been the same since 1984. The Federal 

contribution to the Organ Procurement 

and Transplantation Network. 

The Federal contribution to that network was $2 million in 1984, and that is 

what it is today. This legislation proposes an increase in that authorization—not a major increase but an increase that will allow us to do greater 

work to try to match those available 

organs with those who desperately 

need a donation. 

The good news is that patients no 

longer have to wait for someone to die, 

for example, to get a kidney. Living 

donations and paired donations have 

dramatically increased the number of 

kidney donations every year. That is 

saving lives and, by the way, saving 

taxpayers money. The cost of renal dialysis is very high. 

I come to the Senate floor today only 

to say this is a very important piece of 

legislation for tens and tens of thousands of people in this country who 

even now are waiting for an organ 

transplant, some of whom will die before they get it. We can save many 

lives with this legislation. 

My hope is that at the end of today 

we will have cleared the bill on both 


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