A number of people have called me to inquire why I voted against Senator John Cornyn's amendment to H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, condemning a full-page advertisement in the New York Times by Moveon.org attacking the honor and integrity of General David Petraeus.
I have only the greatest respect for General Petraeus and admiration for his service to this nation. My vote opposing the Cornyn amendment was a vote against the practice of introducing of resolutions on the Senate floor attacking political organizations by name.
Instead, I supported the Boxer amendment which condemned all attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is serving or has served honorably in the United States armed forces by any person or organization.
This Monday, the Senate considers H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act, which provides authority for essential new navigation projects, programs to combat flood and coastal-storm damage, programs to restore ecosystems, and other projects guided by the Army Corps of Engineers.
On Tuesday, my Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee will hear from Gulf War veterans about Gulf War Syndrome research and challenges they face in obtaining appropriate medical care.
Also on Tuesday, I welcome representatives from the Hawaii chapter of the American Cancer Society, who are here in Washington to encourage Congress to boost federal funding for cancer research and National Institutes of Health programs.
On Wednesday, I will attend a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee meeting to consider the nomination of Julie Myers as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson will stop by my office Wednesday afternoon. Secretary Nicholson is leaving VA at the end of the month to pursue other interests.
Also Wednesday afternoon, representatives from the Hawaii Restaurant Association, in Washington for a National Restaurant Association conference, will visit my office to discuss issues of interest including, immigration, health care, and tax reform.
On Thursday, my Veterans' Affairs Committee will consider the nomination of Paul Hutter as General Counsel for VA.
Later Thursday morning, I welcome representatives from the Hawaii State Association of Letter Carriers who are in Washington to discuss issues facing the Postal Service.
Thursday afternoon, I will chair the Subcommittee on National Parks hearing on a number of bills including, S. 1476, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study of the Tule Lake Segregation Center in Modoc County, Calif., and S. 1808, to authorize the exchange of certain land in Denali National Park in Alaska.
On Friday, I will chair the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management hearing on the role of federal executive boards in pandemic preparedness. This is the first in a series of hearings I am holding this year to ensure that we are prepared to prevent a pandemic flu, or to recover from one should it occur.
