Saturday, April 25, 2015

Mexican Culture / Hunt for Ancient Royal Tomb in Mexico Leads to Pool of Liquid Mercury

An undated graphic shows the tunnel that may lead to a royal tombs discovered underneath the Quetzalcoatl temple in the ancient city of Teotihuacan in this October 29, 2014. REUTER/INAH/Files/Handout via Reuters.
An undated graphic shows the tunnel that may lead to a royal tombs discovered underneath the Quetzalcoatl temple in the ancient city of Teotihuacan in this October 29, 2014. REUTER/INAH/Files/Handout via Reuters.

Hunt for Ancient Royal Tomb in Mexico Leads to Pool of Liquid Mercury

A Mexican archaeologist hunting for a royal tomb in a deep, dark tunnel beneath a towering pre-Aztec pyramid has made a discovery that may have brought him a step closer: liquid mercury.
In the bowels of Teotihuacan, a mysterious ancient city that was once the largest in the Americas, Sergio Gomez this month found “large quantities” of the silvery metal in a chamber at the end of a sacred tunnel sealed for nearly 1,800 years.
“It’s something that completely surprised us,” Gomez said at the entrance to the tunnel below Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent, about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Mexico City.
Some archaeologists believe the toxic element could herald what would be the first ruler’s tomb ever found in Teotihuacan, a contemporary of several ancient Maya cities, but so shrouded in mystery that its inhabitants still have no name.
Unsure why the mercury was put there, Gomez says the metal may have been used to symbolize an underworld river or lake. Previously uncovered in small amounts at a few Maya sites much further south, it had never been found in Teotihuacan.
Difficult to mine and prized for its reflective properties, mercury was rare in ancient Mexico. Archaeologists believe may have lent it a supernatural significance for ritual ends.
ROYAL TOMB SOUGHT
Deeper into the complex comprising three chambers, Gomez expects to find the elusive last resting place of a king.
If Gomez is right, it could help settle a debate over how power was wielded in Teotihuacan, a city boasting massive stone pyramids that was home to as many as 200,000 people and the heart of ancient empire that flourished between 100 and 700 A.D.
Teotihuacan, or “abode of the gods” in the Aztec language of Nahuatl, was distinct from the Mayan civilization. Its inhabitants left behind no written record, abandoning the city long before the Aztecs came to power in the 14th century.
Spaniards dug at Teotihuacan in the 1670s, but rigorous scientific excavation of the site did not begin until the 1950s.
Gomez’s six-year slog in the tunnel has already yielded tens of thousands of artifacts including stone sculptures, fine jewelry and giant seashells leading to the three chambers. The painstaking excavation has slowed due to extreme humidity, mud, and now, the need for protective gear to avoid mercury poisoning.
George Cowgill, a U.S. archaeologist who has spent more than four decades excavating Teotihuacan, says the mercury find increases the odds of finding a tomb.
“But it’s still very uncertain, and that is what keeps everybody in suspense,” he added.
Mexican archaeologist Linda Manzanilla believes that at its peak, the city was ruled not by a single king, but a council of four lords, and that Gomez may find the remains of one of them.
To bolster her argument, she cites the absence of a single palace or the presence of kings in any of the city’s many murals.
The excavation of the chambers should be finished by October, Gomez said, with an announcement of findings by the end of 2015.
(Reporting by David Alire Garcia; editing by Dave Graham, Simon Gardner and G Crosse)

Nepal Quake: Over 1,000 Dead, History Razed, Everest Shaken

Nepal Quake: Over 1,000 Dead, History Razed, Everest Shaken

PHOTO: A collapsed building in Kathmandu after an earthquake strikes Nepal.
Tens of thousands of people prepared to spend the night in the open under a chilly and thundery sky after a powerful earthquake shook Nepal on Saturday, killing more than 1,180 people, collapsing modern houses and centuries-old temples, and triggering a landslide on the slopes of Mount Everest. Officials said the death toll will rise as more reports from far-flung areas come in.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which originated outside the capital Kathmandu, was the worst tremor to hit the poor South Asian nation in over 80 years. It was so powerful that it was felt all across the northern part of neighboring India, Bangladesh, Tibet and Pakistan where a total of 50 people died. The death toll in Nepal was 1,130, but it is almost certain to rise, said deputy Inspector General of Police Komal Singh Bam.
More than two dozen aftershocks jolted the area after the first quake, which struck just before noon. At the time, Shrish Vaidya, who runs an advertising agency, was in his two-story house outside the capital Kathmandu with his arents.
"It is hard to describe. The house was shaking like crazy. We ran out and it seemed like the road was heaving up and down," Vaidya, 46, told The Associated Press. "I don't remember anything like this before. Even my parents can't remember anything this bad."
All across the country, residents ran out of homes and buildings in panic. Walls tumbled, trees swayed, power lines came crashing down and large cracks opened up on streets and walls. And clouds of dust began to swirl all around.
Once the first shaking stopped, Vaidya thought the family could return indoors by the evening. But the jolts kept coming, and they felt safer outdoors.  
"It's cold and windy so we are all sitting in the car listening to the news on FM radio," he said. "The experts are saying it's still not safe to go back inside. No one can predict how big the next aftershock will be."
So the family and their three domestic helpers ate dinner in the compound with the headlights of their car providing the light.Vaidya's wife and 10-year-old son are on holiday in the U.S. for which he was grateful.
In his largely affluent neighborhood of low-rise, sturdy homes in suburban Kathmandu the damage was relatively low. In other parts of the city where the buildings are older and poorly built people have not been as lucky.
There are forecasts of rain and thunder showers later Saturday and on Sunday and the temperatures are in the mid-50s (14 Celsius), cold enough to make camping outside uncomfortable.
Thousands of people were spending the night at Tudikhel, a vast open ground in the middle of Kathmandu, just next to the old city that is lined with old buildings and narrow lanes. Now it is in ruins.
People lay on plastic sheets or cardboard boxes, wrapped in blankets. Mothers kept their children warm; some lit fire with whatever wood they could find. Most were eating instant noodles and cookies.
Deepak Rauniar, a shop worker who was there with his friends, said: "We are too scared to go back to our apartment. It is surrounded closely by houses, most of them old. The houses could collapse while we are still sleeping."

OBAMA, BARACK (a Senator from Illinois)

OBAMA, BARACK (a Senator from Illinois)

  Addresses
      Cooperative Proliferation Detection, Interdiction Assistance, 
        and Conventional Threat Reduction Act: by, S12130 [1NO]
  Amendments
      Agriculture, rural development, FDA, and related agencies 
        programs: making appropriations (H.R. 2744), S10296 [21SE]
      Appropriations: making supplemental appropriations for ongoing 
        military operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan, war on terror, and tsunami relief (H.R. 1268), 
        S3455, S3483 [12AP], S3542, S3556, S3557, S3567, S3577, S3588, 
        S3596, S3599 [13AP], S3619, S3641, S3655, S3694 [14AP], S3721, 
        S3759 [15AP], S3892, S3955 [19AP], S3966 [20AP], S4080, S4110 
        [21AP], S4259 [26AP]
      Bankruptcy: amend laws (S. 256), S1925, S1932 [2MR], S2174 [7MR]
      Budget: reconciliation of the concurrent resolution (S. 1932), 
        S12133 [1NO], S12269 [2NO], S12311, S12321, S12354, S12355, 
        S12363, S12366, S12367 [3NO]
      ------reconciliation of the tax relief provisions of the 
        concurrent resolution (S. 2020), S13090, S13115, S13127, 
        S13131, S13133, S13187, S13206, S13207, S13211, S13216, 
        S13219, S13230, S13234 [17NO]
      ------setting forth the Federal budget for 2006-2010 (S. Con. 
        Res. 18), S2614, S2656 [14MR], S2695, S2720, S2748, S2750, 
        S2751 [15MR], S2795, S2863, S2864, S2866, S2868 [16MR], S2887, 
        S2930, S2937, S2997, S2998, S3075, S3082 [17MR]
      Dept. of Defense: authorizing appropriations for military 
        activities, prescribing personnel strengths, and military 
        construction (S. 1042), S8640, S8687, S8693, S8699 [21JY], 
        S8828, S8840, S8841, S8845, S8848, S8850, S8861, S8865 [25JY], 
        S11162 [5OC], S12498, S12501 [8NO], S12669, S12701 [10NO], 
        S12778 [15NO]
      ------making appropriations (H.R. 2863), S10685, S10763 [29SE], 
        S10981, S10990 [4OC], S11132 [5OC]
      Dept. of Homeland Security: making appropriations (H.R. 2360), 
        S8001 [11JY], S8137 [12JY], S8220 [13JY]
      Dept. of State, international broadcasting activities, Peace 
        Corps, and foreign assistance programs: authorizing 
        appropriations (S. 600), S3226 [5AP]
      Dept. of the Interior and related agencies: making 
        appropriations (H.R. 2361), S7404, S7421, S7439, S7445 [27JN], 
        S7523 [28JN]
      Depts. of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies: 
        making appropriations for military construction, quality of 
        life functions, and veterans' services (H.R. 2528), S10385 
        [22SE]
      Depts. of Labor, HHS, and Education, and related agencies: 
        making appropriations (H.R. 3010), S11770 [24OC], S11794, 
        S11798, S11829, S11842 [25OC], S11857, S11929, S11940, S11946 
        [26OC], S11981, S12008 [27OC]
      Depts. of Transportation, the Treasury, and HUD, the Judiciary, 
        District of Columbia, and independent agencies: making 
        appropriations (H.R. 3058), S11561 [19OC], S11635, S11688, 
        S11693 [20OC]
      Energy and water development: making appropriations (H.R. 2419), 
        S7785, S7869 [30JN]
      Foreign operations, export financing, and related programs: 
        making appropriations (H.R. 3057), S8435 [18JY], S8452, S8456, 
        S8496 [19JY]
      Power resources: enhance energy conservation, research, and 
        development and provide for security and diversity in the 
        energy supply (H.R. 6), S6580 [14JN], S6742, S6769 [16JN], 
        S6868 [20JN], S6911 [21JN], S7059, S7081, S7115, S7122 [22JN], 
        S7264, S7266 [23JN]
      Science, Depts. of State, Justice, Commerce, and related 
        agencies: making appropriations (H.R. 2862), S9780, S9854, 
        S9855 [8SE], S9873 [9SE], S9932 [12SE], S9986, S9993 [13SE], 
        S10024, S10039 [14SE], S10121 [15SE]
      Transportation: Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, 
        and transit programs funding (H.R. 3), S4344 [26AP], S4598 
        [28AP], S4882 [10MY], S4920, S4980, S4981, S4999 [11MY], 
        S5020, S5024, S5176 [12MY]
  Appointments
      Conferee: H.R. 3, Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users, 
        S6060 [26MY]
  Articles and editorials
      Avian Flu Virus Could Hide in Ducks, Associated Press (news 
        service), S8447 [19JY]
      Bird Flu Drug Rendered Useless--Chinese Chickens Given 
        Medication Made for Humans, Alan Sipress, Washington (DC) 
        Post, S8448 [19JY]
      Deadly Flu Strain Shows Up in Migratory Birds--Scientists' 
        Discovery Gives Rise to Fears the Virus Could Spread Beyond 
        East Asia, David Brown, Washington (DC) Post, S8448 [19JY]
      500-Mile-Per-Gallon Solution--High Tech Cars, Arctic Drilling, 
        New Gas Taxes--We Must Have the Will To Do It All, Max Boot, 
        Los Angeles (CA) Times, S7460 [28JN]
      Imagine--500 Miles Per Gallon, Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek 
        (publication), S7460 [28JN]
      Senate Delays Action on Defense Bill, Rick Maze, Army Times 
        (publication), S9248 [28JY]
      Unprepared for a Flu Pandemic, New York (NY) Times, S8448 [19JY]
  Bills and resolutions cosponsored
      Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area: establish (see S. 973), 
        S4547 [28AP]
      Agriculture: provide emergency assistance to agricultural 
        producers who have suffered losses as a result of drought, 
        Hurricane Katrina, and other natural disasters (see S. 1636), 
        S9833 [8SE]
      American Academy of Pediatrics: anniversary (see S. Res. 204), 
        S8665 [21JY]
      Americans With Disabilities Act: anniversary (see S. Res. 207), 
        S8826 [25JY]
      Animals: restore prohibition on commercial sale and slaughter of 
        wild free-roaming horses and burros (see S. 576), S4109 [21AP]
      Armed Forces: authorize travel and transportation for families 
        of members hospitalized in the U.S. for non-serious illnesses 
        or injuries incurred or aggravated in a contingency operation 
        (see S. 782), S4399 [27AP]
      ------enhance the Montgomery GI Bill benefits for certain 
        individuals who have served after September 11, 2001 (see S. 
        43), S143 [24JA]
      ------increase death gratuity and other survivors' benefits (see 
        S. 121), S145 [24JA]
      ------provide a traumatic injury protection rider to certain 
        insured servicemembers (see S. 806), S4109 [21AP]
      ------tribute to members killed in military action in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan (see S. Res. 338), S13787 [16DE]
      ------waive passport fees for a relative of a deceased member 
        proceeding abroad to visit the grave or to attend a funeral or 
        memorial service for such member (see S. 1184), S12128 [1NO]
      Arms control: improve authorities to address urgent 
        nonproliferation crises and U.S. nonproliferation operations 
        (see S. 313), S1115 [8FE]
      ------provide for coordination of proliferation interdiction 
        activities and conventional arms disarmament (see S. 1949), 
        S12127 [1NO]
      Azerbaijan: call for free and fair parliamentary elections (see 
        S. Res. 260), S11769 [24OC]
      Bankruptcy: provide relief relative to disaster-related debts 
        incurred by victims of Hurricane Katrina and other natural 
        disasters (see S. 1647), S9833 [8SE]
      Birds: conduct a pilot program under which States may issue 
        electronic Federal migratory bird hunting stamps (see S. 
        1496), S9647 [6SE]
      Black History Month: observance (see S. Res. 44), S1868 [1MR]
      Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act: approve renewal of import 
        restrictions (see S.J. Res. 18), S4869 [10MY]
      Children and youth: establish kinship navigator programs and 
        establish kinship guardianship assistance payments for 
        children (see S. 985), S11665 [20OC]
      Climate: establish a market-driven system of greenhouse gas 
        tradeable allowances, ensure benefits from such trading, 
        reduce dependence upon foreign oil, and develop climate change 
        reduction technologies (see S. 1151), S9286 [28JY]
      Coins: authorize the minting and issuance of a Presidential $1 
        coin series, improve circulation of the $1 coin, and create a 
        new bullion coin (see S. 1047), S7295 [23JN]
      ------redesign the reverse side of the penny in commemoration of 
        the anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (see S. 341), 
        S1259 [10FE]
      Colleges and universities: build capacity at community colleges 
        to meet increased demand while maintaining affordable tuition 
        rates and open-door policies (see S. 379), S1413 [15FE]
      ------permit States to determine residency standards for higher 
        education purposes and cancel removal and adjust status of 
        certain long-term resident alien students (see S. 2075), 
        S13361 [18NO]
      Computers: protect the reasonable expectation of privacy of 
        users of e-mail (see S. 936), S4871 [10MY]
      Crime: provide Federal assistance to States and local 
        jurisdictions to prosecute hate crimes (see S. 1145), S6021 
        [26MY]
      Davis-Bacon Act: reinstate application of the wage requirements 
        to Federal contracts in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina 
        (see S. 1749), S10295 [21SE]
      Dept. of Agriculture: enhance national security by providing 
        research, development, demonstration, administrative support, 
        and market mechanisms for deployment and commercialization of 
        biobased energy technologies and products (see S. 1210), S6298 
        [9JN]
      Dept. of Justice: Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) 
        Program funding (see S. 945), S4546 [28AP]
      ------establish a national sex offender registration database 
        (see S. 792), S8488 [19JY]
      ------reauthorize grant program for reentry of offenders into 
        the community and establish a task force on Federal programs 
        and activities relating to the reentry of offenders into the 
        community (see S. 1934), S12006 [27OC]
      Dept. of Veterans Affairs: making supplemental appropriations 
        for veterans medical care (see S. 1290), S7378 [24JN]
      Disasters: express sympathy and pledge support for victims of 
        the earthquake and tsunami that struck areas of South Asia, 
        Southeast Asia, and Africa (see S. Res. 4), S28 [4JA]
      ------require Federal, State, and local agencies to comply with 
        public health, environmental, and environmental justice laws 
        and regulations (see S. Res. 261), S10724 [29SE]
      Diseases: improve preparation for an influenza pandemic, 
        including an avian influenza pandemic (see S. 1821), S11130 
        [5OC]
      District of Columbia: provide full voting representation in 
        Congress (see S. 195), S574 [26JA]
      Drugs: respond to the illegal production, distribution, and use 
        of methamphetamines (see S. 103), S8488 [19JY]
      Elementary and Secondary Education Act: authorize full funding 
        of payments for eligible federally connected children (see S. 
        2151), S14185 [20DE]
      Engstrom, Diana Gecaj: relief (see S. 1233), S6481 [14JN]
      EPA: disapprove rule to delist coal and oil-direct utility units 
        from the source category list under the Clean Air Act relative 
        to mercury emissions (see S.J. Res. 20), S7614 [29JN]
      ------establish national and State-level grant and loan programs 
        to promote the reduction of diesel emissions (see S. 1265), 
        S6911 [21JN]
      ERISA: require Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., to compute the 
        actuarial value of monthly benefits in the form of a life 
        annuity for certain retired airline pilots (see S. 685), S5852 
        [24MY]
      European Union: reject Airbus Industries request for launch aid 
        and comply with agreement prohibiting governmental support of 
        the civil aircraft industry (see S. Con. Res. 25), S3358 [7AP]
      Executive Office of the President: establish the Office of the 
        Hurricane Katrina Recovery Chief Financial Officer (see S. 
        1700), S10037 [14SE]
      Exon, J. James: tribute (see S. Res. 170), S6405 [13JN]
      Family and Medical Leave Act: allow leave to employees whose 
        spouse, child, or parent is a member of the Armed Forces 
        serving on active duty in support of a contingency operation 
        (see S. 798), S4647 [9MY]
      Financial institutions: authorize appropriations for and reform 
        certain development banks (see S. 1129), S8488 [19JY]
      ------prohibit financial holding companies and national banks 
        from engaging, directly or indirectly, in real estate 
        brokerage or real estate management activities (see S. 98), 
        S10037 [14SE]
      Fish and fishing: add certain species of carp to the list of 
        injurious species that are prohibited from being imported or 
        shipped (see S. 1402), S8489 [19JY]
      Foreign aid: support international hunger relief efforts and use 
        resources and diplomatic leverage to secure food aid for 
        countries in need (see S. Res. 227), S9468 [29JY]
      Foreign policy: advance democracy, individual freedom, religious 
        freedom, and human rights globally, strengthen alliances, and 
        increase funding for groups and individuals promoting 
        democracy (see S. 516), S8949 [26JY]
      Foreign trade: extend certain trade preferences to least-
        developed countries (see S. 191), S5922 [25MY]
      Giugni, Henry K.: tribute (see S. Res. 300), S12353 [3NO]
      Great Lakes: provide for environmental restoration (see S. 508), 
        S10188 [19SE]
      Greek Independence Day--A National Day of Celebration of Greek 
        and American Democracy: designate (see S. Res. 75), S2245 
        [8MR]
      Haiti: duty-free treatment of certain apparel articles relative 
        to certification of market, political, and social reforms (see 
        S. 1937), S13452 [12DE]
      Health: conduct vaccine awareness campaign, ensure sufficient 
        vaccine supply, prepare for pandemic or epidemic, and 
        encourage vaccine production capacity relative to influenza 
        (see S. 375), S9469 [29JY]
      ------development of microbicides to prevent the transmission of 
        HIV and other diseases (see S. 550), S2244 [8MR]
      ------enhance adoption of a nationwide interoperable health 
        information technology system and improve the quality and 
        reduce the costs of health care (see S. 1418), S8419 [18JY]
      ------expand access to preventive health care services that help 
        reduce unintended pregnancy, reduce the number of abortions 
        and improve access to women's health care (see S. 20), S1116 
        [8FE]
      ------promote a culture of safety within the health care system 
        through the establishment of a National Medical Error 
        Disclosure and Compensation Program (see S. 1784), S10594 
        [28SE]
      ------provide for embryonic stem cell research (see S. 471), 
        S3414 [11AP]
      ------reduce health care costs and improve efficiency and health 
        care quality through the development of a nationwide 
        interoperable health information system (see S. 1262), S6740 
        [16JN]
      Hispanic Heritage Month: observance (see S. Res. 238), S10037 
        [14SE]
      History: apologize to lynching victims, and their descendants, 
        for the Senate's failure to enact anti-lynching legislation 
        (see S. Res. 39), S1625 [17FE]
      Human rights: prohibit expulsion, return, or extradition of 
        persons by the U.S. to countries engaging in torture (see S. 
        654), S7821 [30JN]
      Hunger: reduce (see S. 1120), S10038 [14SE]
      Hurricanes: establish an independent commission to examine the 
        Federal, State, and local response to Hurricane Katrina and 
        make immediate corrective measures to improve such responses 
        in the future (see S. 1622), S9727 [7SE] (see S. 1748), S10295 
        [21SE]
      ------express condolences to victims of Hurricane Katrina, 
        commend resiliency of the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, 
        and Alabama, and commit to relief, recovery, and rebuilding 
        efforts (see S. Res. 233), S9645 [6SE]
      ------provide emergency relief to meet the immediate health 
        care, housing, education, and financial needs of survivors of 
        Hurricane Katrina (see S. 1637), S9833 [8SE]
      ------provide for reconstruction, replacement, and improvement 
        of infrastructure in the Gulf Coast States (see S. 1836), 
        S11212 [6OC]
      ------provide for workers and businesses during the response to 
        Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (see S. 1925), S12008 [27OC]
      Immigration: adjust status of certain foreign agricultural 
        workers, reform H-2A worker program, provide a stable, legal 
        agricultural workforce, and extend basic legal protections and 
        better working conditions to more workers (see S. 359), S3482 
        [12AP]
      ------improve border security (see S. 1033), S13571 [14DE] (see 
        S. 1916), S13661 [15DE]
      ------require employers to conduct employment eligibility 
        verification (see S. 1917), S13661 [15DE]
      Insurance: ensure that commercial insurers cannot engage in 
        price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocations to the 
        detriment of competition and consumers (see S. 1525), S9284 
        [28JY]
      International economic relations: provide for cancellation of 
        debts owed to international financial institutions by heavily 
        indebted poor countries (see S. 1320), S7520 [28JN]
      International Women's Day: designate (see S. Res. 74), S2245 
        [8MR]
      Investments: increase participation in section 401(k) plans 
        through automatic contribution trusts (see S. 875), S4108 
        [21AP]
      Iraq: commend for conducting free elections and encourage 
        further steps toward establishment of a free, democratic, 
        secure, and prosperous Iraq (see S. Res. 38), S1049 [7FE]
      ------encourage Transitional National Assembly to adopt a 
        constitution that grants and protects women's equal rights 
        under the law (see S. Res. 231), S9468 [29JY]
      Khodorkovsky, Mikhail B.: condemn politically-motivated arrest, 
        detention, sentencing, seizing of assets, and state-directed 
        takeover of the Yukos Oil Co., by Russian authorities (see S. 
        Res. 322), S13361 [18NO]
      Labor unions: establish efficient system to enable employees to 
        form, join, or assist labor organizations and provide for 
        mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during 
        organizing efforts (see S. 842), S3897 [19AP]
      Law enforcement: prohibit racial profiling (see S. 2138), S13786 
        [16DE]
      Lebedev, Platon: condemn politically-motivated arrest, 
        detention, sentencing, seizing of assets, and state-directed 
        takeover of the Yukos Oil Co., by Russian authorities (see S. 
        Res. 322), S13361 [18NO]
      Lincoln, Abraham: mint coins in commemoration of bicentennial of 
        birth (see S. 811), S4871 [10MY]
      Little Rock, AR: mint coins in commemoration of the anniversary 
        of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School (see 
        S. 582), S3203 [5AP]
      McCarthy, Eugene J.: tribute (see S. Res. 330), S13451 [12DE]
      Medicaid: anniversary (see S. Con. Res. 49), S9469 [29JY]
      ------recognize importance of prospective payment system for 
        federally qualified health centers (see S. Con. Res. 65), 
        S13161 [17NO]
      Medicare: anniversary (see S. Con. Res. 50), S9469 [29JY]
      ------coverage of screening ultrasound for abdominal aortic 
        aneurysms (see S. 390), S6154 [7JN]
      ------provide extended and additional protection to 
        beneficiaries enrolled in prescription drug benefit plans (see 
        S. 1841), S13363 [18NO]
      Millennium Challenge Corp.: require a report on progress toward 
        Millennium Development Goals (see S. 1315), S12238 [2NO]
      Minimum wage: level (see S. 1062), S5436 [18MY]
      Minorities: improve health of minority individuals (see S. 
        1580), S9467 [29JY]
      Motley, Constance Baker: tribute (see S. Res. 272), S11313 [7OC]
      Motor vehicles: require an increasing percentage of new 
        automobiles be dual fueled automobiles and revise the method 
        for calculating corporate average fuel economy for such 
        vehicles (see S. 1994), S12681 [10NO]
      National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week: designate 
        (see S. Res. 278), S11477 [18OC]
      National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week: 
        designate (see S. Res. 158), S6022 [26MY]
      Nelson, Gaylord: tribute (see S. Res. 194), S7987 [11JY]
      News media: maintain free flow of information to the public by 
        providing conditions for the federally compelled disclosure of 
        information by persons connected with the news media (see S. 
        1419), S10973 [4OC]
      Nigeria: conduct thorough judicial review of the Ken Saro-Wiwa 
        case (see S. Res. 303), S12682 [10NO]
      Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act: 
        reauthorize and improve (see S. 770), S8135 [12JY]
      North American Occupational Safety and Health Week: designate 
        (see S. Res. 130), S4547 [28AP]
      O'Connor, Sandra Day: tribute (see S. Res. 191), S7909 [1JY]
      Parks, Rosa: authorize remains to lie in honor in the Capitol 
        rotunda (see S. Con. Res. 61), S12007 [27OC]
      ------direct the Architect of the Capitol to obtain a statue of 
        Rosa Parks and to place the statue in the U.S. Capitol in 
        National Statuary Hall (see S. 1959), S12353 [3NO]
      ------direct the Committee on the Library (Joint) to obtain a 
        statue of Rosa Parks for placement in the U.S. Capitol (see S. 
        Con. Res. 62), S12950 [16NO]
      ------tribute (see S. Res. 287), S11823 [25OC]
      Pensions: limit availability of benefits under nonqualified 
        deferred compensation plans subject to distress or termination 
        resulting from bankruptcy reorganization or conversion to cash 
        balance plan (see S. 991), S5302 [17MY]
      Pharmaceuticals: importation of prescription drugs (see S. 334), 
        S1198 [9FE]
      Poland: anniversary of workers' strike which led to the 
        establishment of the Solidarity Trade Union (see S. Res. 198), 
        S8419 [18JY]
      Pope John Paul II: tribute (see S. Res. 95), S3201 [5AP]
      Power resources: expand production and use of renewable fuel and 
        increase energy independence (see S. 650), S2994 [17MR]
      ------reduce dependence on foreign oil through use of 
        alternative fuels and new technology (see S. 2025), S12949 
        [16NO]
      Proxmire, William: tribute (see S. Res. 334), S13659 [15DE]
      Public Health Service Act: enhance biodefense and pandemic 
        preparedness activities (see S. 1880), S11422 [17OC]
      Public welfare programs: promote financial education under the 
        Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program and allow such 
        education to count as a work activity under that program (see 
        S. 923), S4397 [27AP]
      Pulaski, Casimir: confer honorary citizenship (see S.J. Res. 
        22), S9648 [6SE]
      Rehnquist, William H.: tribute (see S. Res. 234), S9727 [7SE]
      Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building, Flora, IL: designate 
        (see S. 2156), S14316 [21DE]
      Roosevelt, Theodore: mint coins in commemoration of the 
        centenary of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize (see S. 863), 
        S13161 [17NO]
      Rotary International: anniversary (see S. Res. 62), S1623 [17FE]
      Roybal, Edward R.: tribute (see S. Res. 290), S12007 [27OC]
      Science: prohibit the cloning of humans (see S. 1520), S9286 
        [28JY]
      Sewage disposal: enhance security of wastewater treatment works 
        (see S. 1995), S12681 [10NO]
      Small business: provide emergency relief to small businesses and 
        farms affected by significant increases in the prices of 
        heating oil, natural gas, propane, and kerosene (see S. 269), 
        S886 [2FE]
      Social Security: repeal Government pension offset and windfall 
        elimination provisions (see S. 619), S9158 [27JY]
      Strategic Gasoline and Fuel Reserve: establish (see S. 1794), 
        S10724 [29SE]
      Sudan: encourage NATO to assess the potential effectiveness of, 
        and requirements for, a NATO-enforced no-fly zone in Darfur 
        (see S. Con. Res. 17), S2483 [10MR]
      ------impose sanctions against perpetrators of crimes against 
        humanity in Darfur (see S. 495), S4937 [11MY]
      ------impose sanctions on those responsible for genocide, war 
        crimes, and crimes against humanity, support protection of 
        civilians and humanitarian operations, and support peace in 
        the Darfur region (see S. 1462), S12007 [27OC]
      Supreme Court: anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut decision 
        on the right of privacy relative to the use of contraceptives 
        by married couples (see S. Res. 162), S6154 [7JN]
      Taxation: allow a deduction for premiums on mortgage insurance 
        (see S. 132), S3147 [4AP]
      ------extend the excise and income tax credits for the 
        production of biodiesel (see S. 1076), S6741 [16JN]
      ------modify the income threshold used to calculate the 
        refundable portion of the child tax credit (see S. 1775), 
        S10513 [27SE]
      ------permanently extend research credit, adjust the alternative 
        incremental credit rates, and provide an alternative 
        simplified credit for qualified research expenses (see S. 
        627), S8949 [26JY]
      ------provide a small agri-biodiesel producer credit and improve 
        the small ethanol producer credit (see S. 610), S3818 [18AP]
      ------provide a tax credit for property owners who remove lead-
        based paint hazards (see S. 2053), S13360 [18NO]
      ------restrict use of abusive tax shelters and offshore tax 
        havens to inappropriately avoid Federal taxation (see S. 
        1565), S9467 [29JY]
      ------retain Federal tax deduction for State and local taxes 
        paid (see S. Res. 294), S12238 [2NO]
      Terrorism Risk Insurance Act: extend applicability (see S. 467), 
        S3556 [13AP]
      Tuskegee Airmen: award Congressional Gold Medal (see S. 392), 
        S1513 [16FE]
      Ukraine: normal trade relations status (see S. 632), S11768 
        [24OC]
      United Kingdom: condemn terrorist bombings in London and express 
        condolences to the families of the victims (see S. Res. 193), 
        S7986 [11JY]
      Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools 
        Required To Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) 
        Act: extend sunsets and lone wolf provisions of Intelligence 
        Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (see S. 2082), S13503 
        [13DE] (see S. 2118), S13659 [15DE] (see S. 2167), S14317 
        [21DE]
      ------limit use of surveillance and issuance of search warrants 
        (see S. 737), S3359 [7AP]
      Veterans Day: observance (see S. Res. 305), S12682 [10NO]
      Violence Against Women Act: reauthorize (see S. 1197), S8218 
        [13JY]
      Voting Rights Act: anniversary (see S. Res. 232), S9469 [29JY]
      Water: provide for conservation and development of water and 
        related resources and authorize Dept. of the Army construction 
        and improvement projects for rivers and harbors (see S. 728), 
        S3278 [6AP]
      Women: establish programs to increase awareness and knowledge of 
        women and health care providers with respect to gynecologic 
        cancers (see S. 1172), S6100 [6JN]
      ------reduce preterm labor, delivery, and risk of pregnancy-
        related deaths and complications due to pregnancy, and reduce 
        infant mortality caused by prematurity (see S. 707), S12839 
        [15NO]
      World War II: tribute to Tuskegee Airmen (see S. Con. Res. 11), 
        S4110 [21AP]
  Bills and resolutions introduced
      Chicago White Sox (baseball team): tribute (see S. Res. 291), 
        S12007 [27OC]
      Clean Air Act: establish a renewable diesel standard (see S. 
        1920), S11823 [25OC]
      Congo, Democratic Republic of the: promote relief, security, and 
        democracy (see S. 2125), S13786 [16DE]
      CPSC: classify certain children's products containing lead as 
        banned hazardous substances (see S. 2048), S13161 [17NO]
      Dept. of Homeland Security: establish the National Emergency 
        Family Locator System (see S. 1630), S9727 [7SE]
      Dept. of Veterans Affairs: reauthorize programs servicing the 
        needs of homeless veterans (see S. 1180), S6154 [7JN]
      Disasters: ensure evacuation of individuals with special needs 
        in times of emergency (see S. 1685), S9931 [12SE]
      Diseases: improve preparation for an influenza pandemic, 
        including an avian influenza pandemic (see S. 969), S4547 
        [28AP]
      Ecology and environment: promote healthy communities (see S. 
        2047), S13161 [17NO]
      Education: authorize resources to provide students with 
        opportunities for summer learning through summer learning 
        grants (see S. 2149), S14185 [20DE]
      Elections: prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections 
        (see S. 1975), S12526 [8NO]
      Health: establish programs and activities to assist in 
        mobilizing appropriate healthcare workforce in the event of a 
        health emergency or natural disaster (see S. 1638), S9833 
        [8SE]
      Higher Education Act: improve higher education through expansion 
        of Pell grants (see S. 697), S3200 [5AP]
      Juneteenth Independence Day: observance (see S. Con. Res. 42), 
        S6658 [15JN]
      Motor vehicles: provide incentives to the automobile industry to 
        accelerate efforts to develop more energy-efficient vehicles 
        to lessen dependence on oil (see S. 2045), S13161 [17NO]
      NRC: establish guidelines and procedures for tracking, 
        controlling, and accounting for individual spent fuel rods and 
        segments (see S. 1194), S6225 [8JN]
      Parks, Rosa: issue commemorative postage stamp (see S. 2154), 
        S14186 [20DE]
      Power resources: provide for Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) 
        refueling capability at refueling stations to promote energy 
        security and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (see S. 
        918), S4397 [27AP]
      Safe Drinking Water Act: reauthorize and extend provisions 
        relating to contaminant prevention, detection, and response 
        (see S. 1426), S8488 [19JY]
      Taxation: provide for advance payment of the earned income tax 
        credit and the child tax credit to provide needed funds to 
        victims of Hurricane Katrina and to stimulate local economies 
        (see S. 1770), S10424 [26SE]
      Voting: oppose any effort to impose photo identification 
        requirements for voting (see S. Con. Res. 53), S10234 [20SE]
  Certificates of election
      Senate, S3 [4JA]
  Cloture motions
      Appropriations: making supplemental appropriations for ongoing 
        military operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan, war on terror, and tsunami relief (H.R. 1268), 
        S3635 [14AP], S3886 [19AP]
  Discharge petitions signed
      EPA: disapprove rule to delist coal and oil-direct utility units 
        from the source category list under the Clean Air Act relative 
        to mercury emissions (S.J. Res. 20), S8416 [18JY]
  Letters
      Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy 
        Promotion Act: CARE USA (organization), S13789 [16DE]
      ------Ken Hackett, Catholic Relief Services, S13789 [16DE]
      ------Mark L. Schneider, International Crisis Group, S13789 
        [16DE]
      Dept. of Defense small disadvantaged business program extension: 
        Carmen Nazario, Elyon International Inc., S14248 [21DE]
      EPA promulgation of regulations as required by the Residential 
        Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act: by, S9368 [29JY]
  Oaths of office
      Senate, S4 [4JA]
  Privilege of the floor
      Haman, Pat, S7198 [22JN]
  Questions
      Nomination of Susan P. Bodine to be EPA Assistant Administrator 
        for Solid Waste and Emergency Response: by, S13774 [16DE]
  Remarks
      Agriculture: provide emergency assistance to agricultural 
        producers who have suffered losses as a result of drought, 
        Hurricane Katrina, and other natural disasters, S10277 [21SE]
      Agriculture, rural development, FDA, and related agencies 
        programs: making appropriations (H.R. 2744), S10277 [21SE]
      Amtrak: funding, S2793 [16MR]
      Appropriations: making supplemental appropriations for ongoing 
        military operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and 
        Afghanistan, war on terror, and tsunami relief (H.R. 1268), 
        S3642, S3643 [14AP], S3996 [20AP], S4082, S4087, S4088 [21AP]
      ------making supplemental appropriations for ongoing military 
        operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, 
        war on terror, and tsunami relief (H.R. 1268), conference 
        report, S4830 [10MY]
      Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: oil and gas exploration, S14248 
        [21DE]
      Armed Forces: prohibit torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading 
        treatment of enemy POW, S11069 [5OC]
      ------provide a traumatic injury protection rider to certain 
        insured servicemembers, S4082 [21AP]
      ------provide meal and telephone benefits for members 
        recuperating from injuries incurred on active duty in 
        Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, S3642, 
        S3643 [14AP]
      Arms control: support nonproliferation programs, S5862-S5864 
        [25MY]
      Bankruptcy: amend laws (S. 256), S1904, S1905 [2MR]
      ------impact of legislative changes on senior citizens, S1905 
        [2MR]
      ------increase payments of wages and benefits to employees and 
        require payment to retirees for lost health benefits by 
        companies filing for bankruptcy, S1905 [2MR]
      ------prevent courts from dismissing companies' Coal Act 
        obligations to pay workers promised benefits, S1905 [2MR]
      Bipartisan Commission on Medicaid: establish, S2885 [17MR]
      Bolton, John R.: nomination to be U.N. Ambassador, S5965 [26MY]
      Bradley University: Inter-Association Task Force on Alcohol and 
        Other Substance Abuse Issues National Collegiate Alcohol 
        Awareness Week award recipient, S10185 [19SE]
      Brown, Janice Rogers: nomination to be circuit judge, S6178, 
        S6180 [8JN]
      Budget: reconciliation of the concurrent resolution (S. 1932), 
        S12291, S12312 [3NO]
      ------reconciliation of the concurrent resolution (S. 1932), 
        conference report, S14149 [20DE]
      ------reconciliation of the concurrent resolution (S. 1932), 
        motion to instruct conferees, S13528 [14DE]
      ------reconciliation of the tax relief provisions of the 
        concurrent resolution (S. 2020), S13090, S13121, S13124, 
        S13131 [17NO]
      ------reinstate pay-as-you-go requirement, S12291 [3NO], S13121 
        [17NO]
      ------setting forth the Federal budget for 2006-2010 (H. Con. 
        Res. 95), conference report, S4502 [28AP]
      ------setting forth the Federal budget for 2006-2010 (S. Con. 
        Res. 18), S2727 [15MR], S2789, S2793 [16MR]
      Capron, Marcella J.: Presidential Scholar Award recipient, S8942 
        [26JY]
      Chicago White Sox (baseball team): tribute (S. Res. 291), S12028 
        [27OC]
      Children and youth: child support enforcement programs funding, 
        S12312 [3NO]
      ------provide Federal support and assistance to children living 
        with guardians and kinship caregivers, S13773 [16DE]
      Clean Air Act: establish a renewable diesel standard (S. 1920), 
        S11826 [25OC]
      Climate: establish a market-driven system of greenhouse gas 
        tradeable allowances, ensure benefits from such trading, 
        reduce dependence upon foreign oil, and develop climate change 
        reduction technologies, S7008, S7009 [22JN]
      Colleges and universities: Illinois basin coal research and 
        development funding, S7460 [28JN]
      Colombia: civil liberties violations of Afro-Colombians, S3133 
        [4AP]
      ------creation of a cabinet level position on Afro-Colombian 
        issues, S10717 [29SE]
      Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act: reauthorize, S11297 
        [7OC]
      Congo, Democratic Republic of the: promote relief, security, and 
        democracy (S. 2125), S13788 [16DE]
      Congress: counting of electoral votes for President and Vice 
        President, S53 [6JA]
      ------objection to counting of Ohio electoral votes for 
        President and Vice President, S53 [6JA]
      Courts: amend procedures that apply to consideration of 
        interstate class actions to assure fairer outcomes for class 
        members and defendants (S. 5), S1333 [14FE]
      CPSC: classify certain children's products containing lead as 
        banned hazardous substances (S. 2048), S13175 [17NO]
      Dept. of Defense: authorizing appropriations for military 
        activities, prescribing personnel strengths, and military 
        construction (S. 1042), S12805 [15NO]
      ------establish techniques used in U.S. Army Field Manual on 
        Intelligence Interrogation as the standard for interrogation 
        of detainees, S11069 [5OC]
      ------extend small disadvantaged business program, S14248 [21DE]
      ------making appropriations (H.R. 2863), S10654 [29SE], S10909 
        [3OC], S11069 [5OC], S11451 [18OC]
      ------making appropriations (H.R. 2863), conference report, 
        S14248 [21DE]
      ------Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program for Epilespy 
        Research funding, S3996 [20AP]
      ------require a report on the Composite Health Care System II 
        and efforts to develop a medical records system compatible 
        with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs system, S12805 [15NO]
      Dept. of Education: Positive Behavioral Interventions and 
        Support Program funding, S11909 [26OC]
      ------Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunities Program 
        funding, S11814 [25OC]
      Dept. of Homeland Security: establish the National Emergency 
        Family Locator System (S. 1630), S9737 [7SE]
      Dept. of HUD: Community Development Block Grant Program, section 
        8 housing choice voucher program, and Public Housing Capital 
        and Operating Funds funding, S11647 [20OC]
      ------Community Development Block Grant Program funding, S2727 
        [15MR]
      Dept. of Justice: Justice Assistance Grant Program funding, 
        S9786 [8SE]
      ------reauthorize grant program for reentry of offenders into 
        the community and establish a task force on Federal programs 
        and activities relating to the reentry of offenders into the 
        community (S. 1934), S12521 [8NO]
      Dept. of the Interior and related agencies: making 
        appropriations (H.R. 2361), S7558, S7595 [29JN]
      ------making appropriations (H.R. 2361), conference report, 
        S9367 [29JY]
      Dept. of Transportation: Disadvantaged Business Enterprise 
        program funding, S9403 [29JY]
      Dept. of Veterans Affairs: reauthorize programs servicing the 
        needs of homeless veterans (S. 1180), S6159 [7JN]
      ------submit plan for conducting reviews of certain post-
        traumatic stress disorder cases, S10358 [22SE]
      Depts. of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies: 
        making appropriations for military construction, quality of 
        life functions, and veterans' services (H.R. 2528), S10358 
        [22SE]
      Depts. of Labor, HHS, and Education, and related agencies: 
        making appropriations (H.R. 3010), S11811, S11814 [25OC], 
        S11909 [26OC], S11972, S11982 [27OC]
      Depts. of Transportation, the Treasury, and HUD, the Judiciary, 
        District of Columbia, and independent agencies: making 
        appropriations (H.R. 3058), S11647 [20OC]
      Disasters: ensure evacuation of individuals with special needs 
        in times of emergency (S. 1685), S9940 [12SE]
      ------improve preparedness and response plans, S9628 [6SE]
      Diseases: avian flu prevention and response funding, S4087, 
        S4088 [21AP]
      ------improve preparation for an influenza pandemic, including 
        an avian influenza pandemic, S10654 [29SE], S11972 [27OC], 
        S12805 [15NO]
      ------improve preparation for an influenza pandemic, including 
        an avian influenza pandemic (S. 1821), S11138 [5OC], S11451 
        [18OC]
      ------improve preparation for an influenza pandemic, including 
        an avian influenza pandemic (S. 969), S4581 [28AP], S8447 
        [19JY], S10627, S10628 [28SE]
      Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-
        CAFTA): implementation (S. 1307), S7697 [30JN]
      Drugs: provide grants to States to combat methamphetamine abuse, 
        S12817 [15NO]
      Durbin, Senator: characterization of treatment and condition of 
        detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, S6897 [21JN]
      Ecology and environment: promote healthy communities (S. 2047), 
        S13174 [17NO]
      Education: authorize resources to provide students with 
        opportunities for summer learning through summer learning 
        grants (S. 2149), S14187 [20DE]
      ------Hispanic-serving programs funding, S11982 [27OC]
      ------increase maximum Pell Grant amount, S11909 [26OC]
      Elections: prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections (S. 
        1975), S12531 [8NO]
      EPA: continue ban on human testing of pesticides, S7558 [29JN]
      ------promulgate regulations as required by the Residential 
        Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, S7595 [29JN], S9367 
        [29JY]
      ------review studies on human testing of pesticides before 
        issuing final rule, S7558 [29JN]
      FEMA: re-bid noncompetitive contracts and give priority to 
        businesses in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 
        S13090, S13124 [17NO]
      Firearms: prohibit lawsuits against weapons manufacturers, 
        distributors, dealers, or importers (S. 397), S9248 [28JY]
      Foreign operations, export financing, and related programs: 
        making appropriations (H.R. 3057), S8447, S8449 [19JY]
      Gonzales, Alberto R.: nomination to be Attorney General, S927 
        [3FE]
      ------role in interpretation of law and development of policies 
        relative to treatment of prisoners or detainees in Iraq, 
        Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, S927 [3FE]
      Health: establish programs and activities to assist in 
        mobilizing appropriate healthcare workforce in the event of a 
        health emergency or natural disaster (S. 1638), S9844 [8SE]
      ------promote a culture of safety within the health care system 
        through the establishment of a National Medical Error 
        Disclosure and Compensation Program (S. 1784), S10599 [28SE]
      ------reduce health care costs and improve efficiency and health 
        care quality through the development of a nationwide 
        interoperable health information system (S. 1262), S6754 
        [16JN]
      Higher Education Act: improve higher education through expansion 
        of Pell grants (S. 697), S3205 [5AP]
      History: apologize to lynching victims, and their descendants, 
        for the Senate's failure to enact anti-lynching legislation 
        (S. Res. 39), S6375 [13JN]
      Hurricanes: relief efforts for States impacted by Hurricane 
        Katrina, S9628 [6SE]
      Juneteenth Independence Day: observance (S. Con. Res. 42), S6726 
        [16JN]
      Latin America: address racial discrimination against Afro-
        Latinos, S5918 [25MY]
      LIHEAP: funding, S11811 [25OC]
      Lincolnshire, IL: tribute to Adlai E. Stevenson High School 
        National History Day scholars for efforts leading to the 
        reopening of murder case of civil rights organizers in Neshoba 
        County, MS, S1257 [10FE]
      LSC: increase funding for nationwide legal services field 
        programs and for legal assistance to victims impacted by 
        Hurricane Katrina, S9781 [8SE]
      Medicaid: funding, S2885 [17MR]
      ------recognize importance of prospective payment system for 
        federally qualified health centers (S. Con. Res. 65), S13185 
        [17NO]
      Motley, Constance Baker: tribute (S. Res. 272), S11333 [7OC]
      Motor vehicles: require an increasing percentage of new 
        automobiles be dual fueled automobiles and revise the method 
        for calculating corporate average fuel economy for such 
        vehicles (S. 1994), S12686 [10NO]
      ------State safety belt incentive grant eligibility, S5058 
        [12MY]
      National History Day (organization): tribute to Illinois 
        competition participants, S7516 [28JN]
      National Latino AIDS Awareness Day: observance (H. Con. Res. 
        262), S11297 [7OC]
      National security: improve security for driver's licenses and 
        identity documents, amend immigration laws to prevent entry of 
        terrorists, and ensure completion of certain border barriers, 
        S4830 [10MY]
      Nigeria: conduct thorough judicial review of the Ken Saro-Wiwa 
        case (S. Res. 303), S12679 [10NO]
      Northwestern University: tribute to women's lacrosse team, 
        S6402 [13JN]
      NRC: establish guidelines and procedures for tracking, 
        controlling, and accounting for individual spent fuel rods and 
        segments (S. 1194), S6228 [8JN]
      Park Ridge, IL: tribute to Maine Township High School for 
        participation in We the People . . . The Citizen and the 
        Constitution competition, S4933 [11MY]
      Parks, Rosa: tribute (S. Res. 287), S11847 [25OC]
      Peace Corps Week: observance, S2479 [10MR]
      Petroleum: dependence on foreign sources, S6698 [16JN], S7458 
        [28JN]
      ------economic impact of increasing oil prices, S7458 [28JN]
      Power resources: eliminate methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) 
        from U.S. fuel supply, expand production and use of renewable 
        fuel, and increase energy independence, S6609 [15JN]
      ------enhance energy conservation, research, and development and 
        provide for security and diversity in the energy supply (H.R. 
        6), S6609 [15JN], S6690, S6698 [16JN], S7008, S7009 [22JN], 
        S7458, S7460 [28JN]
      ------enhance energy conservation, research, and development and 
        provide for security and diversity in the energy supply (H.R. 
        6), conference report, S9338 [29JY]
      ------expand production and use of renewable fuel and increase 
        energy independence (S. 650), S3005 [17MR]
      ------Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) research and development 
        funding, S7460 [28JN]
      ------provide for Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) refueling 
        capability at refueling stations to promote energy security 
        and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, S5025 [12MY]
      ------provide for Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) refueling 
        capability at refueling stations to promote energy security 
        and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (S. 918), S4405 
        [27AP]
      Presidential appointments: Senate process for confirmation of 
        judicial nominees, S3511 [13AP]
      Public utilities: establish a Federal renewable energy portfolio 
        standard for certain retail electric utilities, S6690 [16JN]
      Public welfare programs: reauthorize and improve block grants to 
        States for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 
        Program, S13528 [14DE]
      Roberts, John G., Jr.: nomination to be Chief Justice of the 
        U.S., S10365 [22SE]
      Safe Drinking Water Act: reauthorize and extend provisions 
        relating to contaminant prevention, detection, and response 
        (S. 1426), S8490 [19JY]
      Science, Depts. of State, Justice, Commerce, and related 
        agencies: making appropriations (H.R. 2862), S9781, S9786 
        [8SE]
      ------making appropriations (H.R. 2862), conference report, 
        S12817 [15NO]
      Senate Rules: amend relative to votes required to invoke cloture 
        on Presidential appointments in order to prevent filibuster, 
        S3511 [13AP]
      Sewage disposal: enhance security of wastewater treatment works 
        (S. 1995), S12943 [16NO]
      Supreme Court: anniversary of Griswold v. Connecticut decision 
        on the right of privacy relative to the use of contraceptives 
        by married couples (S. Res. 162), S6171 [7JN]
      Taxation: accelerate marriage penalty relief and extend 
        inclusion of combat pay relative to the earned income tax 
        credit through modification of effective date of the tax 
        treatment of leases to foreign entities, S13131 [17NO]
      ------provide a tax credit for property owners who remove lead-
        based paint hazards (S. 2053), S13364 [18NO]
      ------provide for advance payment of the earned income tax 
        credit and the child tax credit to provide needed funds to 
        victims of Hurricane Katrina and to stimulate local economies 
        (S. 1770), S10435 [26SE]
      ------restrict use of abusive tax shelters and offshore tax 
        havens to inappropriately avoid Federal taxation (S. 1565), 
        S9492 [29JY]
      Taylor, Charles: call on Nigeria to transfer custody to the 
        Special Court for Sierra Leone to be tried for war crimes, 
        crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of 
        international humanitarian law, S6647 [15JN], S8449 [19JY]
      Transportation: Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, 
        and transit programs funding (H.R. 3), S5025, S5058 [12MY]
      ------Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit 
        programs funding (H.R. 3), conference report, S9403 [29JY]
      U.N.: U.S. contribution to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, 
        S8449 [19JY]
      Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools 
        Required To Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) 
        Act: extend sunsets and lone wolf provisions of Intelligence 
        Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, S13629 [15DE]
      ------reauthorize and improve (H.R. 3199), conference report, 
        S13629 [15DE]
      Veterans: health care funding, S2789 [16MR], S9367 [29JY]
      Voting: oppose any effort to impose photo identification 
        requirements for voting (S. Con. Res. 53), S10240 [20SE]
      Walker, Albertina: National Endowment for the Arts National 
        Heritage Fellowship recipient, S8943 [26JY]
      Women: establish programs to increase awareness and knowledge of 
        women and health care providers with respect to gynecologic 
        cancers (S. 1172), S6110 [6JN]
      Woznica, Edgar P.: Presidential Scholar Award recipient, S8942 
        [26JY]
      Zalocusky, Kelly A.: Presidential Scholar Award recipient, S8942 
        [26JY]
  Texts of
      S. 697, Higher Education Opportunity Through Pell Grant 
        Expansion Act, S3205 [5AP]
      S. 918, E-85 Fuel Utilization and Infrastructure Development 
        Incentives Act, S4406 [27AP]
      S. 969, Attacking Viral Influenza Across Nations Act, S4582-
        S4585 [28AP]
      S. 1194, Spent Nuclear Fuel Tracking and Accountability Act, 
        S6228 [8JN]
      S. 1630, National Emergency Family Locator Act, S9737 [7SE]
      S. 1975, Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention 
        Act, S12531 [8NO]
      S. 2149, Summer Term Education Programs for Upward Performance 
        (STEP UP) Act, S14188 [20DE]
  Tributes
      Hileman, Warren V., S1048 [7FE]
      Maung, Cynthia, S13651 [15DE]
      McCarthy, Eugene J., S14313 [21DE]
      Neal, Earl L., S1928 [2MR]
      Rehnquist, William H., S9707 [7SE]
      Revels, Hiram R., S1928 [2MR]



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Congressional Record Index. Monday, December 31, 2007.
...Congressional Record Index (2007)] OBAMA, BARACK (a...that increase school readiness...voter-verified permanent record or hardcopy...and other school leaders in public...Presidential records (see S. 886...furnished by school-based... More Information
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...4JN] Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination...reauthorize the EPA Clean School Bus Program (see S...documented in U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide...nomination of Senator Obama, E1324 [24JN] News...media coverage of Senator Obama's decision... More Information
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Friday, April 24, 2015

EU Steps Up Police and Military Operations against Refugees after Special Summit

EU Steps Up Police and Military Operations against Refugees after Special Summit

fortress-europe
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Following an official moment of silence “in remembrance of the dead in the Mediterranean,” the leaders of the EU member states reached an agreement on the “ten point plan on migration” that the foreign and interior ministers had prepared on Monday. Its chief aims are to escalate police and military operations against refugees while laying the foundations for a massive military intervention in Africa.
Point one of the plan provides for the reinforcement of “Joint Operations in the Mediterranean, namely Triton and Poseidon, by increasing the financial resources and the number of assets.” At the same time, it will “extend their operational area,” allowing them “to intervene further, within the mandate of Frontex.”
“Triton,” “Poseidon,” and “Frontex” are code words for “Fortress Europe.” “Frontex” is the name of the infamous EU border protection agency, which is responsible for the hermetical sealing of the EU’s external borders (some 12,000 kilometers on land and 45,000 at sea). To meet this objective, Frontex-led operations “Triton” and “Poseidon” are now to be expanded into veritable war operations against refugees and their boats.
The second point of the EU plan formulates “a systematic effort to capture and destroy vessels used by the smugglers. “ It goes on to say, “The positive results obtained with the Atalanta operation should inspire” the EU Commission.
The reference to “Operation Atalanta” underscores the character of the planned measures. “Atalanta” is the name of an EU military action in the Horn of Africa in which battleships of EU member states hunt down pirates off the coast of Somalia, destroying not only boats but alleged pirate camps on land as well.
Fabrice Leggeri, director of Frontex, left no doubt that the EU’s reinforcement of “Triton” was concerned not with “sea rescues,” but with border patrols—i.e., a cracking down on refugees. As Leggeri explained to the Guardian, “Triton cannot be a search-and-rescue operation [for refugees] … This is not in Frontex’s mandate, and this is in my understanding not in the mandate of the European Union.”
British Prime Minister David Cameron emphasized that, even after the most recent disasters, it is not the job of the EU to rescue refugees, but to take more effective action against them. In reference to earlier sea rescue measures related to the discontinued EU operation “Mare Nostrum,” Cameron cynically declared: “It seemed that more lives were being lost because of what the Italian navy was doing. More people were taking to the sea, more people were dying.”
This statement is as criminal as it is false. According to Selmin Çalışkan, General Secretary of Amnesty International in Germany, “Significantly more immigrants and refugees attempted to reach Europe, not fewer” since the end of the operation. While the purpose of “Mare Nostrum” was first and foremost border security, more than 100,000 refugees were also rescued in the Mediterranean during the course of the operation.
The latest report from Amnesty, called “Europe’s Sinking Shame,” documents the fatal consequences of discontinuing even such a limited rescue plan as that last autumn. Amnesty writes, “If figures from the latest incidents are confirmed, as many as 1,700 people will have perished this year, 100 times more than in the same period in 2014.”
The strategy of the EU is murderous in two respects. After the European powers, in league with Washington’s war policy in Africa and the Middle East, destroyed entire societies, they made the conscious decision to let refugees drown to keep them out of Europe.
The war against refugees will now be intensified. The European elite has responded to the chaos in Africa, which they themselves created, and the mass deaths in the Mediterranean exclusively with police and military means. This underscores the reactionary character of the EU and its institutions.
It is significant that the ten point plan only strengthens the defense against refugees and omits even a single “humanitarian” measure. Point five warns member states to “ensure fingerprinting of all migrants. “ Point eight calls for a new “return programme for rapid return of irregular migrants coordinated by Frontex from frontline Member States.”
In addition to this, “initiatives in Niger” and “engagement with countries surrounding Libya” are to be “stepped up” (Point nine). This is nothing but the outsourcing of the fight against refugees to dictatorships like Egypt’s Sisi regime, which brutally oppresses its own population and has sentenced 1,212 people to death in mass trials since the beginning of last year.
The Guardian has reported on a confidential draft from the EU summit. It says that “only 5,000 migrants will be allowed to resettle in Europe with large numbers likely to be repatriated.”
The inhumanity of the EU policy is so shocking that even its own bourgeois media openly remarks on it. “That is not humane, that is not a humanitarian initiative. That contradicts the words of Angela Merkel. Rescue is not the same as deterrence. Refugee deterrence is not refugee rescue,” the Süddeutsche Zeitung commented on the EU’s ten-point program.
In reality, the measures of the ruling elite go far beyond “refugee deterrence.” They are using the catastrophe that they themselves caused for their own imperialist ends and preparing a renewal of military intervention in Africa behind the back of the population.
Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti said on broadcaster Sky TG23 TV, “We know where the smugglers have their boats, where they meet.” Plans for a military intervention lay directly ahead, she said, “We are ready to contribute our part.” According to Die Zeit, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said, “A long-term strategy of the EU must include, among other things, sea patrols and refugee camps in African countries such as Niger or Sudan.”
Not only the former colonial powers in Libya, but the entire EU is preparing itself for a new military adventure. According to media reports, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini is being charged with “beginning with preparations for a possible security and defense operation in accordance with international law without delay.” Initial consultations about the draft had demonstrated the political will to give a “strong signal,” according to sources who spoke to the AFP press.
According to media reports, former colonial powers Britain and Belgium are already holding out the prospect of sending ships and weaponry.
Unlike in 2011 in the NATO war against Libya, the German elite is now trying to place itself at the forefront of the new “scramble for Africa.” The Deutsche Presse Agentur claims to have learned from circles in the German armed forces that the government is offering to withdraw the task force supply ship “Berlin” and the frigates “Karlsruhe” and “Hessen” from the Horn of Africa and send them in the direction of Italy.
“More than 600 German marines would then be able to take part in emergency sea rescue operations relatively quickly. The ‘Berlin’ could serve as a floating hospital,” wrote Deutsche Welle.