September 24, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S9435 the immediate consideration of S. Res. (2) honors the heritage and culture of His- ate proceed to the immediate consider- 682, submitted earlier today by this panic Americans and their immense con- ation of S. Res. 684, introduced earlier Senator from Colorado. tributions to the life of the Nation; and today by Senator DURBIN. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The (3) urges the people of the United States to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by observe Hispanic Heritage Month with appro- priate programs and activities. clerk will report the resolution by title. title. The legislative clerk read as follows: f The legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 682) recognizing His- NATIONAL CHILDHOOD LEAD A resolution (S. Res. 684) calling for a com- panic Heritage Month and celebrating the POISONING PREVENTION WEEK prehensive strategy to address the crisis in heritage and culture of Hispanic Americans Darfur, Sudan. and their immense contribution to the Na- Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I tion. ask unanimous consent that the Sen- There being no objection, the Senate There being no objection, the Senate ate proceed to the immediate consider- proceeded to consider the resolution. proceeded to consider the resolution. ation of S. Res. 683, submitted earlier Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, as Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous con- today by Senator REED of Rhode Is- we wrap up the work of the 110th Con- sent that the resolution be agreed to, land. gress and look ahead to a new adminis- the preamble be agreed to, the motions The PRESIDING OFFICER. The tration, let us take a moment to con- to reconsider be laid upon the table, clerk will report the resolution by sider a part of the world that des- with no intervening action or debate, title. perately needs our continued atten- and any statements be printed in the The legislative clerk read as follows: tion. I am talking about the tragic sit- RECORD. A resolution (S. Res. 683) designating the uation in Darfur. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without week of October 19 through October 25, 2008, The United Nations estimates that objection, it is so ordered. as ‘‘National Childhood Lead Poisoning Pre- more than 300,000 people have died in The resolution (S. Res. 682) was vention Week.’’ Darfur since 2003. In that time, another agreed to. There being no objection, the Senate 2.5 million people have been displaced. The preamble was agreed to. proceeded to consider the resolution. Just over 4 years ago the House The resolution, with its preamble, Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous con- unanimously passed a resolution call- reads as follows: sent that the resolution be agreed to; ing the situation in Darfur genocide. S. RES. 682 the preamble be agreed to; the motions The resolution urged the President to Whereas from September 15, 2008, through to reconsider be laid upon the table, consider multilateral—even unilat- October 15, 2008, the country celebrates His- with no intervening action or debate; eral—intervention to address this cri- panic Heritage Month; Whereas the Census Bureau estimates the and any statements related to the reso- sis. Hispanic population in the United States at lution be printed in the RECORD. The legislation spoke of Congress’s 45,500,000 people, making Hispanic Americans The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without hope that the United States would not the largest ethnic minority within the objection, it is so ordered. allow what happened in Rwanda to United States; The resolution (S. Res. 683) was happen again. Whereas 1 in 3 United States public school agreed to. Not on our watch. students is Hispanic, and the total number of Since then we have passed legislation Hispanic students enrolled in our Nation’s The preamble was agreed to. public schools is expected to reach 28,000,000 The resolution, with its preamble, increasing economic pressure on by 2050; reads as follows: Sudan. The U.N. Security Council has Whereas the purchasing power of Hispanic S. RES. 683 passed resolutions and implemented Americans has reached $870,000,000,000 by 2008 Whereas lead poisoning is one of the lead- arms embargos. Members of Congress and there are more than 1,600,000 Hispanic- ing environmental health hazards facing have met with Ambassadors and U.N. owned firms in the United States, supporting children in the United States; Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. 1,536,795 employees nationwide; Whereas Hispanic Americans serve in all Whereas approximately 240,000 children in And yet we have failed to bring an branches of the Armed Forces, bravely the United States under the age of 6 cur- end to this nightmare—a nightmare fought in every war in United States history, rently have harmful levels of lead in their that is now entering its sixth year. and continue to serve with distinction in Af- blood; In May, Senator SNOWE and 27 other ghanistan and Iraq; Whereas lead poisoning may cause serious, Senators joined me in a letter to Presi- Whereas 140,000 Hispanic soldiers served in long-term harm to children, including re- duced intelligence and attention span, be- dent Bush saying that it was time for the Korean War; definitive U.S. leadership to bring a Whereas more than 80,000 Hispanics served havior problems, learning disabilities, and in the Vietnam War, representing 5.5 percent impaired growth; long-term resolution to the crisis in of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for Whereas children from low-income families Sudan. This bipartisan letter from al- their country in that conflict although they are significantly more likely to be poisoned most a third of the Senate said: comprised only 4.5 percent of the United by lead than are children from high-income Fourteen years ago the world watched as States population at the time; families; genocide unfolded in Rwanda. Despite dire Whereas, as of August 2, 2008, approxi- Whereas children may be poisoned by lead warnings and pleas for help, 800,000 people mately 11 percent of the more than 4,122 in water, soil, housing, or consumable prod- were brutally killed in less than one hundred United States military fatalities in Iraq ucts; days. Today the world looks back in painful have been Hispanic; Whereas children most often are poisoned regret at its failure to take action. Yet, we Whereas there are more than 1,100,000 His- in their homes through exposure to lead par- are likely to face a similarly harsh historical panic veterans of the United States Armed ticles when lead-based paint deteriorates or judgment if we do not once and for all take Forces; is disturbed during home renovation and re- action against the genocide in Darfur. Whereas 43 Hispanic Americans have re- painting; and ceived the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Whereas lead poisoning crosses all barriers A rogue regime guilty of killing hun- highest award for valor in action against an of race, income, and geography: Now, there- dreds of thousands of its own people— enemy force which can be bestowed upon an fore, be it guilty of rape, torture, and the cre- individual serving in the United States Resolved, That the Senate— ation of millions of refugees—must not Armed Forces; (1) designates the week of October 19 be allowed to thumb its nose any fur- Whereas Hispanic Americans are dedicated through October 25, 2008, as ‘‘National Child- public servants, holding posts at the highest ther at the international community. hood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week’’; and Yet the Sudanese regime continues levels of government, including 3 seats in the (2) calls upon the people of the United United States Senate; and States to observe National Childhood Lead to stall the deployment of a historic Whereas Hispanic Americans harbor a deep Poisoning Prevention Week with appropriate peacekeeping force—a force that is still commitment to family and community, an programs and activities. only one-third deployed more than 1 enduring work ethic, and a perseverance to f year after it was approved by the U.N. succeed and contribute to society: Now, Security Council. therefore, be it STRATEGY TO ADDRESS CRISIS IN I and others repeatedly have raised Resolved, That the Senate— DARFUR, SUDAN (1) recognizes the celebration of Hispanic directly with President Bush and with Heritage Month from September 15, 2008, Mr. SALAZAR. Madam President, I Secretary Rice the need for decisive through October 15, 2008; ask unanimous consent that the Sen- Presidential leadership. VerDate Aug 31 2005 04:48 Sep 25, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G24SE6.086 S24SEPT1 rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with SENATE S9436 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 24, 2008 Senator BIDEN has held hearings in national community. A similar resolu- (D) promoting economic and political de- the Senate Foreign Relations Com- tion is being introduced in the House. velopment programs; mittee to ask why the administration Quite simply, the situation in Darfur (E) supporting full implementation of the cannot do more to help with the des- has reached a tragic juncture. This ad- Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005; and ministration and Congress will either (F) promoting justice and accountability; perately needed deployment of peace- (2) condemns the Government of Sudan for keepers. act soon or, sadly, this genocide will its continued obstruction of the deployment President Bush himself said during a have occurred on our watch. of United Nations-African Union peace- visit this year to Kigali Memorial Cen- A few years ago, President Clinton keepers and equipment; ter, where 250,000 Rwandans are buried faced the reality of the failure to halt (3) condemns the ongoing acts of violence in mass graves, that he hoped the the genocide in Rwanda.