November 19, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10659 

Whereas the United States Government 

Accountability Office report in 2005 highlighted the lack of resources and staffing 

available to the United States Department of 

Veterans Affairs for processing an increasing 

backlog of veterans’ claims; and 

Whereas discretionary funding for the 

United States Department of Veterans Affairs lags behind both medical inflation and 

the increased demands for services; for example, the enrollment for veterans’ health 

care increased 134 percent between fiscal 

years 1996 and 2004, but funding only increased 34 percent during the same period 

when adjusted to 1996 dollars; and 

Whereas former United States Secretary of 

Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi has publicly stated that the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has been struggling 

to provide health care to the rapidly rising 

number of veterans who require health care; 

be it 

Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature expresses its profound gratitude for the 

sacrifices made by veterans who suffer from 

medical or mental problems resulting from 

injuries that occurred while serving in the 

United States Armed Forces; and be it further 

Resolved, That the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States Congress to ensure adequate funding for veterans’ health 

care. 

POM–476. A resolution adopted by the California State Lands Commission supporting 

the Ocean Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act 

(H.R. 21) and the National Oceans Protection 

Act of 2008 (S. 3314); to the Committee on 

Commerce, Science, and Transportation. 

POM–477. A resolution adopted by the California State Lands Commission requesting 

that Congress continue to enact, and the 

President reinstitute, the moratorium on oil 

and gas leasing within protected offshore 

areas; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. 

POM–478. A resolution adopted by the legislature of the Republic of the Philippines 

thanking the U.S. Senate for the passage of 

S. 1315 known as the Veterans’ Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007; to the Committee on 

Veterans’ Affairs. 

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REPORTS OF COMMITTEES 

The following reports of committees 

were submitted: 

By Mr. LEAHY, from the Committee on 

the Judiciary, without amendment with a 

preamble: 

S. Res. 707. An original resolution authorizing the President of the Senate to certify 

the facts of the failure of Joshua Bolten, as 

the Custodian of Records at the White 

House, to appear before the Committee on 

the Judiciary and produce documents as required by Committee subpoena (Rept. No. 

110–522). 

S. Res. 708. An original resolution authorizing the President of the Senate to certify 

the facts of the failure of Karl Rove to appear and testify before the Committee on the 

Judiciary and to produce documents as required by Committee subpoena (Rept. No. 

110–522). 

By Mr. LIEBERMAN, from the Committee 

on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: 

Report to accompany S. 967, a bill to 

amend chapter 41 of title 5, United States 

Code, to provide for the establishment and 

authorization of funding for certain training 

programs for supervisors of Federal employees (Rept. No. 110–523). 

By Mr. LIEBERMAN, from the Committee 

on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: 

Special Report entitled ‘‘Activities of the 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs’’ (Rept. No. 110–524). 

By Mr. LIEBERMAN, from the Committee 

on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: 

Report to accompany S. 3477, a bill to 

amend title 44, United States Code, to authorize grants for Presidential Centers of 

Historical Excellence (Rept. No. 110–525). 

Report to accompany S. 1000, a bill to enhance the Federal Telework Program (Rept. 

No. 110–526). 

By Mr. KENNEDY, from the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 

with an amendment in the nature of a substitute: 

S. 1695. A bill to amend the Public Health 

Service Act to establish a pathway for the licensure of biosimilar biological products, to 

promote innovation in the life sciences, and 

for other purposes. 

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INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND 

JOINT RESOLUTIONS 

The following bills and joint resolutions were introduced, read the first 

and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated: 

By Ms. COLLINS: 

S. 3691. A bill to amend the Commodity Exchange Act to require reporting and recordkeeping for positions involving credit-default swaps, to grant the Federal Reserve 

Board authority over investment-bank holding companies, and for other purposes; to the 

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 

Affairs. 

By Mr. SANDERS: 

S. 3692. A bill to rescind Treasury Notice 

2008-83; to the Committee on Finance. 

By Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mrs. 

LINCOLN, and Mrs. BOXER): 

S. 3693. A bill to limit the amount of compensation for employees and executives of financial institutions assisted under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 

By Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. 

INHOFE, and Mrs. LINCOLN): 

S. 3694. A bill to amend the Emergency 

Economic Stabilization Act to limit obligations to $350,000,000,000, absent majority approval by the Congress; to the Committee on 

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 

By Mr. ENSIGN: 

S. 3695. A bill to require a 50-hour workweek for Federal prison inmates, to reform 

inmate work programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. 

By Mr. STEVENS (for himself and Ms. 

MURKOWSKI): 

S. 3696. A bill to establish a grant program 

to encourage retooling of entities in the timber industry in Alaska, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works. 

By Mr. INHOFE: 

S. 3697. A bill to amend the Emergency 

Economic Stabilization Act to require approval by the Congress for certain expenditures for the Troubled Asset Relief Program; 

to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 

Urban Affairs. 

By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and 

Ms. SNOWE): 

S. 3698. A bill to prohibit any recipient of 

emergency Federal economic assistance from 

using such funds for lobbying expenditures 

or political contributions, to improve transparency, enhance accountability, encourage 

responsible corporate governance, and for 

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

By Ms. SNOWE: 

S. 3699. A bill to direct the Administrator 

of the Small Business Administration to reform and improve the HUBZone program for 

small business concerns, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Small Business 

and Entrepreneurship. 

By Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. SPECTER, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. INOUYE, 

Mr. BROWN, Ms. STABENOW, Mrs. 

FEINSTEIN, Mr. DODD, Mr. CASEY, Mr. 

LIEBERMAN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mrs. 

CLINTON, Mr. SCHUMER, Ms. SNOWE, 

Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. CARPER): 

S. 3700. A bill to encourage and support the 

development of high-speed passenger rail 

transportation in the United States, and for 

other purposes; to the Committee on Finance. 

By Mr. DODD (for himself and Mr. 

HATCH): 

S. 3701. A bill to provide assistance to Best 

Buddies to support the expansion and development of mentoring programs, and for 

other purposes; to the Committee on Health, 

Education, Labor, and Pensions. 

By Mr. VITTER: 

S. 3702. A bill to provide for full and open 

competition for Federal contracts related to 

natural disaster reconstruction efforts; to 

the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs. 

By Mr. VITTER: 

S. 3703. A bill to ensure efficiency and fairness in the awarding of Federal contracts in 

connection with natural disaster reconstruction efforts; to the Committee on Homeland 

Security and Governmental Affairs. 

By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE): 

S. 3704. A bill to authorize additional Federal Bureau of Investigation field agents to 

investigate financial crimes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. 

By Ms. SNOWE: 

S. 3705. A bill to amend the Small Business 

Act and the Small Business Investment Act 

of 1958 to stop the small business credit 

crunch, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance. 

By Mrs. CLINTON: 

S. 3706. A bill to amend part D of title IV 

of the Social Security Act to prohibit States 

from charging child support recipients for 

the collection of child support; to the Committee on Finance. 

By Mrs. CLINTON: 

S. 3707. A bill to recruit, train, and support 

principals for high-need schools who are effective in improving student academic 

achievement; to the Committee on Health, 

Education, Labor, and Pensions. 

By Mrs. CLINTON: 

S. 3708. A bill to amend the Public Health 

Service Act with respect to health professions education, and for other purposes; to 

the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 

and Pensions. 

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SUBMISSION OF CONCURRENT AND 

SENATE RESOLUTIONS 

The following concurrent resolutions 

and Senate resolutions were read, and 

referred (or acted upon), as indicated: 

By Mr. LEAHY: 

S. Res. 707. An original resolution authorizing the President of the Senate to certify 

the facts of the failure of Joshua Bolten, as 

the Custodian of Records at the White 

House, to appear before the Committee on 

the Judiciary and produce documents as required by Committee subpoena; from the 

Committee on the Judiciary; placed on the 

calendar. 

By Mr. LEAHY: 

S. Res. 708. An original resolution authorizing the President of the Senate to certify 


rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with SENATE