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"Now in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the American people should receive a clear explanation of the mission, an objective set of measures by which to evaluate it going forward and regular status reports on the mission's progress."
~ Senator Nelson on the need for benchmarks in Afghanistan ~
NELSON STATEMENT ON AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS DECISION
May 15, 2009 – Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson issued this statement in response to the U.S. Air Force selecting Lackland Air Force Base in Texas as the new headquarters for the 24th Air Force cyber unit, over Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha and four other finalists.
"We knew the decision was made that it wasn't coming to Offutt and I assumed they would make sure this time that the criteria matched the decision. After the Global Strike Command fiasco, the processes used for these decisions have little credibility.
"We are very disappointed in the Air Force decision of the new Cyber Headquarters location. The truth of the matter is that Air Force officials view Offutt Air Force Base as primarily the home of United States Strategic Command, a unified command. While they maintain the 55th Wing at Offutt, their priorities are enriching Air Force bases that primarily support Air Force operations. Unified commands, meanwhile, are viewed as something that can 'fend for themselves.'
"What should we Nebraskans do? We have to work together—as a community and state, both public and private sector leaders—to establish stronger ties between Offutt and the Air Force. We have a strong relationship with the Air Force personnel that are located here at Offutt, but we need to expand those relationships to the Air Force leadership nationally.
"In the meantime, we must continue to support the critical national security missions of the 55th Wing and STRATCOM. We have completed a number of improvements to Offutt since I've been in the Senate, including: construction of a new Air Force Weather facility, runway, Airfield Control Tower, Fire Station, and renovations of the Youth Center, to name a few.
"And we are currently working to construct a new STRATCOM headquarters, which when completed will be a truly 21st Century facility for its missions providing strategic deterrence and U.S. freedom of action in space and cyberspace."
NELSON FLOOR SPEECH: BENCHMARKS AND REPORTS WILL HELP MEASURE PROGRESS IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN
May 14, 2009 –Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson delivered a speech on the Senate floor May 13 concerning the need for measures of progress, or benchmarks, and reports to Congress in the Fiscal 2009 Supplemental for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Pandemic Flu.
Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to markup the legislation. Nelson is a member of the Senate Appropriations and Armed Services committees.
A recording of the floor speech can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrJt63dk4kE
Below is the text of the speech:
Mister President,
I rise to discuss the Administration's supplemental funding request for the ongoing challenges in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Administration is putting in place a new strategy for that region and it comes at a crucial time: U.S. diplomats, military service members and humanitarian groups—and our coalition partners--have worked to battle terrorists and establish more stability in that region since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
Yet, today Al Qaeda and the Taliban, along with other extremist allies, remain a destabilizing and dangerous force. And across the region there's too much violence, too much social and economic turmoil, and too little opportunity in the lives of the Afghan and Pakistani people.
The Administration's strategy is undergoing modifications as we speak. I support the move this week by Defense Secretary Gates to select a new U.S. military commander for Afghanistan.In my view it is vitally important we get both the evolving strategy right and that we have the right way to assess the strategy going forward.
Since early this year, I have pressed Administration and military officials on the issue of developing progress measures for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and I've been pleased to hear support. We've heard the administration is developing standards and measures to evaluate its strategy for the region, at least internally. We need to go further.
My purpose is straightforward. It is an outgrowth of bipartisan work I undertook several years ago during the war in Iraq. I was troubled because many people seemed to be looking at the same facts during several seasons of terrible violence. But one group concluded that we were losing, while another determined we were winning.
In response, I helped draft bipartisan legislation with Senators John Warner, Susan Collins and Carl Levin that Congress approved and President Bush signed into law. We established 18 benchmarks -- or measurements -- of economic, military and diplomatic efforts in Iraq. The benchmarks helped Congress and the American people gain a better understanding of our successes and challenges in Iraq. They helped play down a partisan debate over whether we were winning or losing.
One important point I'd like to make: we didn't dictate what the benchmarks should be. They were suggested by the Administration, military leaders and the Iraqi government.
We did require the Administration report to Congress and in my view the reporting provided valuable and objective information to the American people about how things were really going in Iraq--from efforts to reduce insurgent attacks, to the Iraqi government working out distribution of oil royalties.
Just as I didn't support tying the previous Administration's hands in Iraq by setting arbitrary timelines for troop withdrawal or dictating specific measures of progress, I don't support that approach with this Administration either. Still, I will continue working with the Administration to bring specific progress measures -- or benchmarks -- out into the public eye.
Last week, I wrote a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Inouye and Ranking Member Cochran urging them to include a requirement for progress measures in the Fiscal Year 2009 supplemental appropriations bill.
I was pleased to learn today that the committee mark of the supplemental bill we're scheduled to take up tomorrow includes the two elements I've sought.
I understand that the bill will require the President to submit an initial report to Congress this year and subsequent reports. They are to assess whether the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan are doing enough to warrant continuing the President's new strategy. In short, are they doing their part? The bill also outlines general areas to measure success of that strategy, or what I have called benchmarks.
Timely and regular status reports will enable the American people to gain an understanding of whether the U.S. strategy is working, or should be altered. I look forward to the Administration defining more clearly the progress measures to evaluate that strategy, and to them becoming public.
We all want the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan to succeed. The more we know about whether we are achieving goals tied to the mission the more Congress, and the American public, will be able to support our military, economic and diplomatic efforts going forward.
For too long, our standards to measure success in Iraq were vaguely defined. That led to partisan disputes over U.S. strategy and uncertainty in the minds of the American public. The controversies didn't provide American service members fighting the war with the unity of purpose and support they deserved.
Now in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the American people should receive a clear explanation of the mission, an objective set of measures by which to evaluate it going forward and regular status reports on the mission's progress.
As the federal government asks for further sacrifice from our citizens, and as we are forced to continue putting our men and women in uniform in harm's way, Congress must provide all available tools to achieve success. We should provide nothing less.
I yield the floor.
NELSON SENDS LETTER WARNING OF SERIOUS JOB LOSS FROM PLANNED AUTO DEALERSHIP CLOSINGS
May 13, 2009 – Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson sent a letter to President Obama's automotive industry chief adviser expressing "great concern" about job loss and questioned the need for planned auto dealership closings announced by such companies as Chrysler and General Motors.
"In my home state of Nebraska alone, it is estimated that dealership closures could lead to the loss of between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs, while placing a significant hole in sales tax receipts," Nelson wrote in a letter to Steven Rattner, head of the Administration's Presidential Automotive Task Force. "Furthermore, it will be difficult to bring these jobs and revenue sources back to rural America. There are certainly steps which need to be taken to bring Detroit and "Motown" back to sustainability. However, we must also not forget how the closing of auto dealerships will affect Main Streets across America."
A copy of the letter is below:
Dear Mr. Rattner:
I am writing to you today with great concern regarding the closing of auto dealerships as part of the restructuring plans put forth to bring viability to the U.S. auto industry.
Auto dealerships play an important role in all communities, but nowhere more so than in rural areas. These dealerships are counted on as an employment base and serve as a prominent source of tax revenue. In my home state of Nebraska alone, it is estimated that dealership closures could lead to the loss of between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs, while placing a significant hole in sales tax receipts. Furthermore, it will be difficult to bring these jobs and revenue sources back to rural America.
In addition, dealerships are largely a source of revenue to manufacturers, not a burden. Dealerships purchase vehicles directly from the manufacturer, are responsible for their own costs for things such as salaries and health care plans for employees, and pay their own property investments and expenses.
I strongly believe that it is best to leave the decisions as to which dealerships will remain open and which should close their doors up to the free market. Therefore, as the federal government provides assistance and guidance to the auto companies during this restructuring, I would ask the Presidential Automotive Task Force to take a comprehensive look at the impact which closing these dealerships will have on our nation's economy. I would further ask the Task Force to provide the cost analysis developed by manufacturers for making decisions as to which dealerships will close and which will remain open.
Mr. Rattner, there are certainly steps which need to be taken to bring Detroit and "Motown" back to sustainability. However, we must also not forget how the closing of auto dealerships will affect Main Streets across America. I would appreciate your prompt response on this matter.
Sincerely,
Senator Ben Nelson
NELSON SUPPORTS FEDERAL HELP FOR NURSE EDUCATORS PAYING EDUCATION LOANS
May 13, 2009 – With the end of National Nurses Week yesterday, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson cosponsored the Nurses' Higher Education and Loan Repayment Act of 2009 which aims to establish a federally-funded student loan repayment program for nurses who pursue a career in nurse education.
"A shortage of qualified nurses already is a serious issue in Nebraska and across America," said Senator Nelson. "Without incentives for nurses to become nurse educators, the numbers of those qualified to educate future nurses have decreased greatly. This bill provides those needed incentives, allowing nurse educators to get help paying their loans while training new nurses."
This bill will provide up to a total of $40,000 in loan repayment for nurses obtaining a master's degree; up to $80,000 for nurses obtaining a doctorate nurses degree. These amounts are designed to cover or nearly cover the costs of obtaining advanced degrees from public or private institutions nationwide.
The current shortage of qualified nursing faculty is the primary factor driving the inability of nursing schools to graduate more registered nurses to meet the growing demand and alleviate the nursing shortage. Due to the great demand for registered nurses, qualified nurses have little incentive to become nurse educators – particularly because the average annual salary for nurse educators is at least 20% less than their counterparts in clinical practice. Low salaries are the number one reason nurse educators are considering leaving the field, according to survey data.
By the year 2020, Nebraska will face a shortage of about 3,800 nurses, if nothing is done to provide incentives for nurse educators.
"Loan repayment is the most direct incentive that can offset the smaller salaries for nurse educators," said Nelson. "This will be a powerful recruitment tool to ensure that our future nurses are properly trained by experienced, educated nurse educators."
Nelson cosponsored the bill with Senators Evan Bayh of Indiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and at least seven other senators. The legislation is endorsed by 44 nursing organizations in the United States, including the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), as well as the American Association of Community Colleges.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 233,000 additional jobs for registered nurses will open each year through 2016, in addition to about 2.5 million existing positions. The 2008 annual survey by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) found that U.S. nursing schools turned away 49,948 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate programs in 2008, up from 40,285 in 2007. The main reason cited for turning away qualified applicants was faculty shortages.
In a survey of more than 400 schools of nursing, the AACN found that 63% of the schools reported vacancies on their faculty. An additional 17.8% said they were fully staffed, but still needed more faculty to handle the number of students who want to be trained. It is expected that 200-300 doctorally-prepared faculty will be eligible for retirement each year from 2005-2012, reducing nursing faculty while the need for qualified nurses continues to increase.
Nelson Network Nebraska is interested in reaching more Nebraskans. If you know of a fellow Nebraskan who would be interested in receiving this bulletin, please forward their name, telephone number and email address to us at press@bennelson.senate.gov
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