January 14, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S389 

S. 144

At the request of Mr. KERRY, the 

names of the Senator from Maryland 

(Mr. CARDIN), the Senator from Kansas 

(Mr. BROWNBACK), the Senator from Illinois (Mr. DURBIN), the Senator from 

Maine (Ms. SNOWE), the Senator from 

Wyoming (Mr. ENZI) and the Senator 

from Georgia (Mr. ISAKSON) were added 

as cosponsors of S. 144, a bill to amend 

the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to remove cell phones from listed property 

under section 280F. 

S.J. RES. 5

At the request of Mr. VITTER, the 

names of the Senator from Kansas (Mr. 

ROBERTS), the Senator from Kentucky 

(Mr. BUNNING) and the Senator from 

Texas (Mr. CORNYN) were added as cosponsors of S.J. Res. 5, a joint resolution relating to the disapproval of obligations under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. 

S. RES. 10

At the request of Mr. SPECTER, his 

name was added as a cosponsor of S. 

Res. 10, a resolution recognizing the 

right of Israel to defend itself against 

attacks from Gaza and reaffirming the 

United States’ strong support for Israel 

in its battle with Hamas, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace 

process. 

f 

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED 

BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS 

By Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, 

Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. STABENOW, 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. LEAHY, 

Mr. CARDIN, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. 

KOHL, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. DODD, 

Mrs. BOXER, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. 

WYDEN, Mr. REED, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. UDALL, 

of New Mexico, Mr. UDALL, of 

Colorado, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. KERRY, Ms. 

KLOBUCHAR, and Mr. MENENDEZ): 

S. 231. A bill to designate a portion of 

the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as 

wilderness; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. 

Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, this 

morning we introduced legislation to 

protect the coastal plains region of the 

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from 

the threat of oil and gas exploration. S. 

231 designates 1.5 million acres of the 

Refuge as Wilderness to be included in 

the National Wilderness Preservation 

System. Bestowing Wilderness designation on this precious piece of national 

heritage will reaffirm the original intent of the Refuge: to provide habitat 

for Alaska’s wildlife. 

As designated Wilderness, that land 

will become subject to specific management restrictions. Human activities 

will be restricted to non-motorized 

recreation, scientific research, and 

other non-invasive activities. Logging, 

mining, road building, mechanized vehicles, and other forms of development 

are generally prohibited in designated 

Wilderness areas. However, since these 

particular lands are in Alaska, some 

public motorized uses will be permitted 

for subsistence and traditional use. For 

example, subsistence hunting as well as 

limited backpacking and hiking will be 

allowed. 

The Arctic Refuge is home to 250 species of wildlife. Drilling there would severely harm its abundant populations 

of polar bears, caribou, musk oxen, and 

snow geese, and the amount of commercially recoverable oil in the Refuge 

would satisfy only a very small percentage of our nation’s need at any 

given time. 

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 

is a pristine natural treasure that must 

be preserved for future generations. We 

do not have to choose between conservation and exploration when it 

comes to our energy future; we can do 

both simultaneously while moving toward a sustainable and diverse national 

energy policy. 

I look forward to working with my 

colleagues to pass this important 

legislation. 

By Mr. DURBIN: 

S. 234. A bill to designate the facility 

of the United States Postal Service located at 2105 East Cook Street in 

Springfield, Illinois, as the ‘‘Colonel 

John H. Wilson, Jr. Post Office Building’’; to the Committee on Homeland 

Security and Governmental Affairs. 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I 

am pleased to introduce legislation to 

designate the United States Post Office 

at 2105 East Cook Street in Springfield, 

IL, as the ‘‘Colonel John H. Wilson, Jr. 

Post Office Building,’’ honoring the 

first African-American to achieve the 

rank of Colonel in the Illinois Reserves. 

Colonel John H. Wilson, Jr., was born 

on December 28, 1918, in Springfield, IL. 

In 1942, he enlisted in World War II and 

served in five battle campaigns in Europe, including in General Patton’s advance in France, for which he was 

awarded the Silver Star Medal. 

In addition to his 14 years of active 

duty service, he served for 17 years in 

the Illinois Reserves. He served as 

group commander in Springfield from 

1967–1973 and was promoted to Colonel 

in 1965, making him the first AfricanAmerican to achieve that rank in the 

Illinois Reserves at that time. Upon his 

retirement in 1973, he was awarded the 

Legion of Merit from the Army. 

In his civilian life, Col. Wilson 

worked for the United States Postal 

Service for 57 years. From time to 

time, he would stop by my office in 

Springfield to share news about our 

local post office and make sure our 

mail was being delivered on time. 

Whenever he could, he would stop by to 

see me in Washington. 

Anyone who knew Col. Wilson also 

knew of his love for the Reserves. He 

was a life member of the U.S. Reserve 

Officers Association, President of the 

ROA Springfield Chapter from 1960–61 

and President of the ROA Illinois Department from 1971–72. 

He was also a commercial photographer, member of the Military Officers of America, and lifelong member 

of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. 

He died on August 30, 2008, in the 

same home of his birth. He is survived 

by his wife of 62 years, Lydie, and their 

two daughters, Shirley Wilson and 

Chantal Sneed. 

Col. Wilson was a distinguished man 

of service. My hometown of Springfield, IL and our Nation is a better 

place because of his lifelong commitment to his country. 

I am grateful to Springfield Mayor 

Timothy Davlin, former Illinois National Guard Adjutant General Lou 

Myers, and the local branch of the 

American Postal Workers Union for 

their support of this legislation. I hope 

my colleagues will join me in enacting 

this tribute to Col. Wilson. 

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed 

in the RECORD. 

There being no objection, the text of 

the bill was ordered to be printed in 

the RECORD, as follows: 

S. 234 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in 

Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. COLONEL JOHN H. WILSON, JR. POST 

OFFICE BUILDING. 

(a) DESIGNATION.—The facility of the 

United States Postal Service located at 2105 

East Cook Street in Springfield, Illinois, 

shall be known and designated as the ‘‘Colonel John H. Wilson, Jr. Post Office Building’’. 

(b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, 

map, regulation, document, paper, or other 

record of the United States to the facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to 

be a reference to the ‘‘Colonel John H. Wilson, Jr. Post Office Building’’. 

By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself 

and Mr. UDALL of Colorado): 

S. 235. A bill to amend the Truth in 

Lending Act to establish fair and 

transparent practices relating to the 

extension of credit under an open end 

consumer credit plan, and for other 

purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights today 

with my friend and colleague, Senator 

CHARLES SCHUMER. We are introducing 

this bill today as a way to add some 

commonsense rules to the laws governing the issuance of credit cards. 

Commonsense rules are important at 

a time when many Americans are hurting and taking on more debt, even as 

credit card companies are making 

record profits. I hear often from hardworking, honest Coloradans who are 

asking only to be treated fairly by the 

credit card industry, whose deceptive 

practices have plagued consumers for 

years. 

We need to act to bring greater fairness to the millions of Americans who 

need and use credit cards every day. I 

have heard from constituents across 

Colorado, asking me to help even the 

playing field on this issue. 


rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with SENATE