Mitch Landrieu: “first let me say I wish to be added as a cosponsor to Senator Cardin's amendment. I was very taken by his presentation…”

“first let me say I wish to be added as a cosponsor to Senator Cardin's amendment. I was very taken by his presentation about the responsibility that we do have, and it has been on my mind, actually, for several weeks about our allies and support staff in Afghanistan and Iraq, so I want the clerk to note that I wish to be a cosponsor to the Cardin amendment. But I rise to speak about an amendment I am offering, and I have had some very good advice and counsel on this amendment from several members of the committee, and I will speak about the amendment as if it is modified, because Senator Kennedy suggested I might make some changes to it. As you may remember, last week the Senate was very helpful in reinstating one mental health program that had been cut, I think very inappropriately, and it couldn't have been at a worse time for us in the gulf coast. It was an outstanding model program. Last week the Senate adopted my amendment to reinstate a child's health program that LSU had been running for 4 years, because after Katrina and Rita hit, it was literally the only child counseling program in the metropolitan area. That has already been done. Tonight I come to the floor to try to help again in the same area of mental health. We have crafted this amendment so that it has no impact on the underlying bill because what it does, basically, is set a competitive preference.…”