Spencer Abraham

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam President, I rise today to recognize a very special occasion in the state of Michigan. September 27, 1998 will mark the 75th Anniversary of the East Lansing Public Library in East Lansing, Michigan. This day is not only significant due to this celebration but also because it will mark the completion of a $2 million addition and renovation project. The history of the East Lansing Public Library is very interesting. It has grown from just a few shelves of books in a room provided by the People's Church and a fund of $26 set up by the women of the Child Conservation League in 1923, to a 25,000 square foot building that serves over 125,000 visitors a year. All of the people who have helped this institution grow and prosper over the years should be commended for their efforts and dedication. I extend my best wishes and congratulations to the East Lansing Public Library on this momentous occasion. The East Lansing community is fortunate to have such a wonderful library. I wish them all of the best in the future.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I introduce legislation to improve the accuracy of Congressional Budget Office estimates. Congress places enormous demands on the professionals working in the CBO. Day after day, year after year these dedicated men and women are asked to provide estimates and projections on which legislators rely in carrying out their public responsibilities. Their hard work and professionalism are well known and they deserve our gratitude for the excellent job they do. However, Mr. President, CBO estimates and projections are only as good as the assumptions on which they are based. No matter how dedicated and hard-working they are, they are limited by the tools at their disposal. And recent experience shows that those tools require improvement. Mr. President, there was a great deal of surprise, both in this Chamber and across the country, when the CBO released its latest estimates regarding federal budget surpluses. In January of this year the CBO had projected a $5 billion deficit for 1998, with surpluses of $127 billion for the period 1998-2003 and $655 billion for the period 1998-2008. But in its July budget update, the CBO projected a $63 billion surplus for 1998, a $583 billion surplus for the period 1998- 2003, and a $1,611 billion surplus for the period 1998-2008. Those are massive discrepancies, Mr. President, and they have a significant impact on our ability to legislate. Coming so late in the session, these new estimates are not as helpful as they could have been in helping shape our fiscal policies. What they mean, in essence, is that Congress has been determining its budgets and appropriations with inaccurate revenue estimates. What is more, Mr. President, it does not appear that the accuracy of CBO projections will improve without Congressional action. Current CBO policy calls for basing estimates on the assumption that federal revenues will grow more slowly than Gross Domestic Product. This despite the long-standing trend of revenues outpacing GDP. Thus we can look forward to revenue estimates in the future that remain significantly lower than actual revenues. Without accurate revenue estimates, Mr. President, we cannot properly address tax reform and general fiscal policy. Indeed, without knowing the level of federal revenues with a significant degree of accuracy we cannot properly and responsibly budget for the federal government. We must establish a fair and accurate mechanism for estimating federal revenue. That is why I am introducing the CBO Improvement Act. This legislation is based on a bill introduced in the 102nd Congress by Representatives Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey and Robert Michel. It would provide CBO with the expert, hands-on oversight necessary to improve the accuracy of its estimates. To begin with, Mr. President, this legislation would establish a Congressional Budget Board to provide general oversight of CBO operations, oversee studies and publications that may be necessary in addition to those CBO is required by law to produce, and provide guidance to the CBO Director in the formulation and implementation of procedures and policies. This board would be made up of 6 members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives, half from each party. In addition to its oversight function, the Board will establish an Economic Advisory Council. This Council will evaluate CBO research for the Board. It will be composed of 12 members, each prominent in the fields of public finance, economics of taxation and microeconomics and macroeconomics. Finally, Mr. Chairman, under this legislation any CBO report to Congress or the public that contains an estimate of the effect that legislation will have on revenues or expenditures shall be accompanied by a written statement fully disclosing the economic, technical, and behavioral assumptions that were made in producing the estimate. By making these assumptions public, we can provide an opportunity for outside experts, whether in business or academia, to evaluate them and offer suggestions for improvement. By establishing this kind of oversight and accountability, Mr. President, we can ensure that in the future the CBO will base its revenue estimates on assumptions that better reflect reality. No one is questioning the dedication or skill of CBO employees. But we must see to it that they are given the appropriate tools to carry out their jobs in the best manner possible. Only in this way can Congress fulfill its duty to pass legislation in keeping with economic reality as well as the best interests of the American people. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that two articles, one written by economist Bruce Bartlett and appearing in the July 6 Washington Times, the other a Congressional advisory dated July 22 from the Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation, be printed in the Record.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to remark on final passage of an important piece of legislation, the Border Improvement and Immigration Act of 1998. I am very pleased that we have been able to work together to produce a bill that the Senate can pass by unanimous consent. The substitute amendment makes a number of improvements on the committee-reported version. I have worked particularly closely with Senators Gramm and Kyl to include provisions that would provide authorization for significant additional resources for the inspections and drug enforcement operations of the United States Customs Service at the land borders. These resources would help ease traffic and trade back-ups and would detect and deter drug trafficking. It is my hope that they be deployed on a fair basis among the northern and the southern border ports. Senator Kyl and I have also worked closely with the State Department and with the Immigration and Naturalization Service to make sure that modifications were made in the implementation of border crossing improvements so that local communities, particularly in Arizona, would not be unduly harmed by laws and regulations that could not be implemented without keeping travelers from visiting, shopping, and doing business in the United States. I spoke at length on this legislation in the Judiciary Committee, and that Committee produced a full report on the difficulties that would be faced if Section 110 of the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 were not modified. I do not want to repeat myself here, but would like to comment briefly on some of the key issues. The legislation first addresses the so-called Section 110 problem. Section 110 of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act requires the INS to develop, by September 30, 1998, an automated entry and exit control system to document the entry and departure of ``every alien'' arriving in and leaving the United States. The problem is that the term ``every alien'' could be interpreted to cover all aliens entering at land borders and seaports, which are points of entry where entry-exit control has not been in place. My legislation exempts land borders and seaports from coverage of the system, and instead requires the Attorney General to submit a detailed feasibility report to Congress on what full entry-exit control would involve, what it would cost, and what burdens it would impose on our States and our constituents. This is simply a sensible and responsible approach. The other provisions in the bill include reporting requirements on data obtained from the entry-exit control system that would be in operation at airports, provisions to fix some serious problems that are being experienced on the Southern border with the issuance of the new biometric ``laser visas''--which I know is of great concern to Senator Kyl and others on the Southern border--and authorization for additional Customs and INS resources for border inspections and enforcement. I will say a bit more about the Section 110 problem because that is the provision that is most important to me. Implementing Section 110 at the land borders is essentially impossible at the moment. No one--not INS, not the State Department, and not anyone in Congress--has come up with a feasible way of implementing such a system at the land borders. At a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims just last week, testimony was heard from a private sector technology company that developing feasible technology to implement Section 110 would require ``substantial'' time, ``ultimately long lead times'', and ``significant resources,'' none of which the company could specify with any precision given the absolutely monumental nature of the task. Commenting on the sheer size of the database that would be needed to contain the number of visitor entry and exit records that would in theory be collected and entered into the system by the INS, Ann Cohen, Vice President of the EDS Corporation, testified, ``to put some perspective on the magnitude of this number, the information in this system at the end of one year would be equal to the amount of data stored in the U.S. Library of Congress.'' In the Senate, we heard testimony at an earlier subcommittee hearing that if this system were implemented with just a 30-second inspection required for every border crosser, backups at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit would immediately exceed 24 hours. That would be unbearable, and the border would effectively be closed. The impact would be immediate and would be staggering. The U.S. automobile industry alone conducts $300 million in trade with Canada everyday. I learned in Michigan that there are 800 employees of the Detroit Medical Center who commute from Canada every day and who would no longer be available to provide medical care to Michiganians. Tourism would be seriously harmed, families with members on each side of the land borders would be harmed, and our international relations with Canada and Mexico would likewise be seriously damaged. To add to this, Congress did not have the chance to fully consider the question of entry-exit control at the land borders, as opposed to just at airports, because the final language of Section 110 appeared for the first time only in the Conference Report. Senator Simpson and Chairman Smith acknowledged in letters to the Canadian Embassy following passage of the 1996 Act that they did not intend Section 110 to impose additional documentary burdens on Canadian border crossers. The outpouring against this provision has been enormous. I would like to just mention a few. The approach this legislation takes is supported by the National Governors Association, the Republican Governors Association, Americans for Better Borders, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, the American Trucking Association, Ford, Chrysler, and GM, the Travel Industry Association of America, and many, many businesses, State and local governments and other organizations. It is not enough to delay implementation of this requirement. The Governors and others have spoken loud and clear against delaying the effective date of this requirement on the grounds that the States, businesses, and families who would be affected by this would have no idea what would be imposed on them when. This is not a case of pressuring the INS or anyone else to come up with a plan that will work. The fact is that the only ones who will be pressured are my constituents--and many of my colleagues' constituents--and that is unacceptable. Once we get the report from the Attorney General, we can consider all the options and make a collective decision of where and how we would like entry-exit control to be implemented. But it would simply be preposterous and irresponsible for us to keep a requirement in the law when we cannot say how it could possibly be met in any way and at what cost. Finally, as the Judiciary Committee noted in its report on the legislation, Section 110 has ``nothing to do with stopping terrorists or drug traffickers.'' I appreciate very much my colleagues' understanding of this issue, and their support of a rational approach that comprehends the important distinctions between hindering beneficial trade, travel, and tourism and taking affirmative steps to conquer illegal drug trafficking or other activities at the land borders. I am also pleased that this legislation includes additional law enforcement resources so that these important law enforcement issues can be addressed in the right way. This truly is a border improvement bill in all senses. I owe a particular gratitude to all of my colleagues who cosponsored the legislation, particularly those who worked with me from the outset, including Senators Kennedy, D'Amato, Leahy, Grams, Dorgan, Collins, Murray, and Snowe. I very much appreciate their efforts and support.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Massachusetts be permitted to speak for 5 minutes at this time, to be followed by the Senator from Michigan to then resume discussion of my amendment.

Mr. ABRAHAM. If the Senator from Massachusetts would like to speak for up to 5 minutes, the Senator from Michigan would be happy to propose a unanimous consent agreement by which the Senator from Massachusetts is yielded 5 minutes to speak, in morning business or whatever, and then establish that the Senator from Michigan would be recognized to proceed with the amendment.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Officer Kimberly Sivyer of the Redford Township Police Department. He has been named the D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year for 1998 in the state of Michigan. Officer Sivyer started with the Redford Police Department in 1981. He has dedicated his time and service to D.A.R.E. since 1990. Over the course of these eight years he has touched many students' lives educating them about the dangers of drugs and violence. He has and continues to be an excellent role model for the youth of his community. His colleagues at the Redford Township Police Department and the members of his community recognize this and it is for these reasons that he is very deserving of this award. I want to once again express my sincerest appreciation and congratulations to Officer Sivyer for being named D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year 1998. He should be very proud of this achievement.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 2964 and ask for its immediate consideration, and I ask unanimous consent Senator Hutchinson from Arkansas be added as a cosponsor to the amendment.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Mr. BINGAMAN addressed the Chair.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, at this time I believe we have concluded all debate on the amendment. I yield the floor.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I send a modification of my amendment to the desk.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, in light of the hour, I will only speak briefly about this amendment now and then move to set it aside so the Senator from Delaware can speak, and then we can return to this sometime later today. This is an amendment, obviously, to the Treasury-Postal appropriations bill. This amendment, essentially, accomplishes a very specific purpose: to reinstate an Executive order which was in effect for over 10 years intended to ``ensure that the autonomy and rights of the family are considered in the formulation and implementation of policies by Executive departments and agencies.'' I am offering the Family Impact Statement Act as a relevant amendment to the Treasury-Postal appropriations bill because it is this bill which funds the agency which will oversee its implementation and enforcement; namely, the Office of Management and Budget. I believe that today, in an era during which observers and social scientists from all parts of the political spectrum have come to realize the profound importance of the family on character development, we should be doing everything we can to protect the health, security and autonomy of the American family. This belief lay behind President Ronald Reagan's signing of the family impact Executive order in 1987. In my view, President Clinton made a mistake last April when he revoked this order as part of an Executive order on environmental policy. Now I believe, more than ever, we need to make our bureaucracy more supportive and respectful of families' interests. I believe my colleagues will have no trouble giving their enthusiastic support to this amendment. Simply put, this amendment will require Federal agencies to assess the impacts of their policies and regulations on America's families. It provides that each agency assess policies and regulations that may affect family well-being. This assessment will aim to determine: One, whether the action strengthens or erodes the stability of the family and particularly the marital commitment; Two, whether the action strengthens or erodes the authority and rights of parents in the education, nurturing and supervision of their children; Three, whether the act helps the family perform its function or substitute governmental activity for that function; Four, whether the action increases or decreases disposable family income; Five, whether the benefits of the proposed action will justify its financial impact on the family; Six, whether the governmental action may be carried out by State or local government or by the family itself; And seven, whether the action establishes an implicit or explicit policy concerning the relationship between the behavior and personal responsibility of young people and the norms of society. Simply put, Mr. President, agencies will be directed to assess whether proposed rules and policies will help or hurt families as they seek to provide mutual support and carry out their vital function of forming children into good adults, good citizens, good workers, and good neighbors. On finishing this assessment, the agency heads will submit a written certification to the Office of Management and Budget and to Congress that the assessment has been made and provide adequate rationale for implementing each policy or regulation that may adversely affect family well-being. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget will then use this information to ensure that agency policies and regulations are implemented consistent with this amendment, and compile, index, and submit annually to Congress the written certifications made by agency heads. To ensure that no proposed policy or regulation that could adversely affect the family goes unassessed, this legislation also provides that a Member of Congress may request a family impact assessment and certification. In addition, the Office of Policy Development will be directed by this amendment to assess proposed policies and regulations in accordance with it, provide evaluations to the Office of Management and Budget, and advise the President on policy and regulatory actions that may be taken to strengthen marriage and the family in the United States. In my view--and I will limit my statement at this time--I believe that most Members of this body, as we have already seen expressed today from both sides of the aisle, are very concerned about America's families and want to be on the side of strengthening families. There are a variety of ways to do this, and the Executive order which was enacted in 1987 by President Reagan made unelected persons in our governmental bureaucracies responsible for assessing the impact on families of new rules and regulations before they were implemented. To me, that is a sensible thing to require of our Government regulators. The decision to revoke that requirement, which was made last year, in my judgment, was a step in the wrong direction. This amendment seeks to, in effect, reinstitute those policies so that the concerns and the impact on families of governmental regulations will be assessed prior to--prior to--the creation of and implementation of new Federal regulations. I think that makes sense, Mr. President. For that reason, I offer the amendment on behalf of myself and a number of other Senators who cosponsored our original legislation. In light of the hour and the desire on the part of others to speak at this time, I ask unanimous consent that this amendment be set aside for further consideration later today.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to express my deep regret over the deaths of the two capitol police officers slain in the line of duty last Friday. Officers John Gibson and Jacob Chestnut were family men; each was married with three children. They also were dedicated professionals and, as shown by their final acts, heroes. Officer Chestnut confronted the lone gunman whose weapon set off the metal detector at the ``document door'' entrance to the main Capitol building. Officer Chestnut was fulfilling his duty to protect the people's building and the thousands upon thousands of Americans who visit their building, from violence. He paid for his dedication with his life. The gunman mortally wounded Officer Chestnut, then went into the building, firing his weapon and finding his way to the office of the distinguished Majority Whip, Congressman Tom DeLay. Congressman DeLay and his staff were in mortal danger from this gunman. I know that every one of them thanks God for the acts of Officer Gibson, whose bravery and perseverance brought down the gunman at the office door, even as Officer Gibson himself lay mortally wounded. Each of us who serves in the United States Senate depends on the bravery and dedication of men and women like Officers Gibson and Chestnut. Every day they put their lives on the line to protect the safety and well-being of Members of Congress and the public. Many of us have become friends with particular officers over the months and years we have served in this body, and that is only right. But it certainly doesn't make it any easier when we have to say goodbye to two such dedicated public servants and members of our Capitol Hill family. My condolences go out to the families of these brave men. It is my hope that they will derive comfort from the knowledge that Officers Gibson and Chestnut died protecting people from a mad gunman, sacrificing themselves for the greater good--a greater good to which they had devoted their careers and their lives.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to co-sponsor S. Con. Res. 105, a resolution which I hope will bring justice to the many suffering people of the former Yugoslavia. For over a decade now Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic has executed his policies of hatred, policies which have led to oppression and murder. And I am sorry to say that Milosevic's brutal assaults against the people of Bosnia and Croatia have gone unpunished. Milosevic now seeks to extend his reign of terror over greater Serbia. His efforts already have destroyed the peace, security, and very lives of the people of Kosovo. He has turned Kosovo, once an independent state within Yugoslavia, into a virtual prison for non- Serbs. He has driven Kosovo's native Albanians, who have lived in the Balkans longer than any other ethnic group and who comprise 90 percent of the region's population, to flee the area out of fear for their lives and the lives of their families. Mr. President, I believe it is important for us to keep in mind that, while the United States continues to offer peaceful and diplomatic support to the victims of Milosevic's campaign of terror, Serbian leaders continue their heinous policies. I am convinced that we must send a strong signal to Milosevic and his cronies in order to stop the violence and oppression they are inflicting on the people of Kosovo. Mr. President, I believe that we in the United States, the birthplace and homeland of freedom, have a responsibility to bring Milosevic and his fellow perpetrators to the Hague and make them answer for their crimes. It grieves me that so many people in the Balkans have suffered from Milosevic's policies of racial cleansing. I hope that a trial will end the suffering of countless civilians in Kosovo. I also hope that Milosevic's trial will send a message to other dictators that crimes against humanity will not be tolerated by the world community. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to honor seven people who visited our Nation's capitol from June 12 to June 15, 1998. Frank ``The Gin Mill'' Jonna, one of Gin's all time greatest players who began his career with Detroit Catholic Central and gained further fame as a Wayne State Tartar; Judy ``The Wicked Wick'' Jonna, one of Detroit's most prominent all around card players who was recently named one of the 50 best players in Concan history; Joe ``The Professor'' Sarafa, the legendary, steady utility man who never misses a beat when placed in the lineup on a moment's notice; Mike ``The Dish'' Sarafa, possibly the most exalted and prominent card shark of all time, far and away the most political player on the tour; Mariann ``MB'' Sarafa, initially named ``All Telcaif'' shopper but has since proven to be ``All World'' (also known to win a dish or two now and then while screaming ``Ayoooooon Michael''); Suzanne ``The Maoon killer'' Sarafa, easily the single greatest hustler in Concan history. She has been known to ask, in the middle of a game . . . ``how many points do you need to go down?'' while cramming money into that silly black wallet of hers; and Tony ``The Silent Winner'' Antone, the guy who never boasts, brags, or rubs in his victories (and there are many). Mr. President, it is also worthy to note that while this incredibly fun filled weekend was occurring, the Detroit Red Wings were on their way to winning their second straight Stanley Cup. The Bethesda Seven played a critical role in the Game 3 victory at the MCI Center by strategically sitting in different areas of the arena so as to keep the thousands of Red Wings fans fired up. Mr. President, I truly thank the Bethesda Seven for their visit.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Michigan Attorney General Frank J. Kelley, the longest serving chief law enforcement officer in the history of the United States. After spanning the administrations of five U.S. Presidents, Attorney General Kelley decided this spring not to seek re-election. Attorney General Kelly will have served for 37 years when he retires at the end of 1998, leaving behind a long and distinguished career of service to the State of Michigan and its citizens. A native of Detroit, Frank Kelley's career in law began after receiving both his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Detroit. He practiced law in Alpena, Michigan, where he served as both city attorney and the Alpena County Supervisor. In 1961, Governor John Swainson appointed Kelley Michigan's 50th Attorney General. The following year he was elected to his first term and has been reelected every term since. Recognized as having an enduring commitment to good government, Frank Kelley has been a champion of consumer causes, fighting to protect Michigan citizens from price gouging and fraud, and serving as a watchdog on other consumer issues. Kelley also used his office to fight for school desegregation and equal housing. He has been honored with several public service awards throughout his career, including the Wyman Award from the National Association of Attorneys General. In his almost four decades as Attorney General, Frank Kelley has earned the respect and admiration of those he worked with and the millions he represented. He has served with tenacity, distinction, and honor. It is with great pleasure that I add my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Attorney General Kelley for his extraordinary career and service to the State of Michigan.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to co-sponsor S. 2283 the Africa Seeds of Hope Act. This bill offers us a rare opportunity to improve a people's way of life. Introduced by my colleagues Senator DeWine and Senator Sarbanes, the Africa Seeds of Hope is landmark legislation that will help feed a continent, but more importantly provide the people of that continent with the tools of self-sustenance. This bill not only validates our judgement as good legislators, but challenges us to a higher standard. S. 2283 designates organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to support rural finance, agricultural research, and food security programs to increase food production and the capital of small scale African farmers and entrepreneurs. It also provides women, the facilitators of agricultural growth in Africa, with improved resources to expedite development. Financial support for this program would emanate from a presently existing account and would not require any new funds to be allocated. Mr. President, at this point I would like to note a few crucial statistics that are often overlooked, and that are shocking, particularly in comparison with our own fortunate state. Today, on the brink of the 21st Century and the new millennium, 215 million African men, women and children go hungry. This is happening, Mr. President, at a time during which the United States spends about one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget on foreign aid. And only one-tenth of 1 percent of that limited budget aids Africans, with a declining part going to agricultural development. If Africa is to achieve any kind of food security, international agencies tell us, it must triple its food supply by the year 2050. Africa cannot achieve this huge expansion on its own. The global economy, for better and worse Mr. President, links together every nation and every people on this earth. We no longer have the option, if we ever did, of closing our doors and shutting out any people, let alone an entire continent. Support for the Africa Seeds of Hope constitutes support for our own economy, our own people and our own principles. It will provide, not just meals and nutrition for a week or a month, but the chance for a continent to rise and feed itself and eventually gain self-sustenance. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to praise my colleagues for making Senator Specter's legislation on campus crime reporting a part of the higher education bill. This amendment to the higher education legislation, of which I was a cosponsor, will improve the safety and security of college students and employees across the United States. Mr. President, when young people go to college they expect to face many challenges--academically, professionally and personally. But neither they nor their parents expect college kids to face high rates of crime, including violent crime. Unfortunately, on too many of our campuses this is exactly what they face. And the situation is made worse by the fact that many colleges and universities fail to accurately and fully report crimes committed on their campuses. This amendment will close significant loopholes in current law that keep parents and prospective college students from getting the information they need to make a fully informed decision regarding where they should go to college. Thanks to this amendment, the Department of Education will be directed to require colleges to report criminal offenses that occur on sidewalks, streets, and other public lands on or adjacent to the campus, as well as offenses that occur in buildings that are owned by the college but used for commercial purposes, such as student food courts. Colleges that fail to compile accurate crime reports in accordance with these new requirements will suffer civil penalties. Mr. President, a crime is a crime, whether it occurs in a college classroom, in the campus food court or on the sidewalk. A young man who is mugged, a young woman who is raped, any student who is accosted, beaten or murdered, suffers the same pain and loss regardless of which part of campus it is on which they are victimized. Through this amendment we can see to it that students and their parents have the fullest possible information available to them regarding the safety of the campuses they are considering. This amendment also will provide colleges and universities with the extra incentive some of them may need to improve the safety and security of their students and employees. In 1994 alone, Mr. President, over 9,500 violent crimes were reported on our college campuses. And that figure does not include crimes colleges have not been required to report. We must do better. College is challenging enough, Mr. President, without adding to its challenges the unknown risk of crime. Again, I congratulate my colleagues on including this important amendment in the higher education bill and look forward to the swift and efficient implementation of its language.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate a very special group of girls in the metro Detroit area. The Detroit Lady Road Runners basketball team came in second place in the girls 12 and under division of the Police Athletic League. The girls are the only basketball team in the city that won second place in the state of Michigan in the girls 10 and under Amateur Athletic Union. They are now on their way to competing in the 1998 AAU National Championship in Orlando, Florida July 31-August 8th. The Lady Road Runners, led by Coach Jeffery Cruse, have not only put forth a great effort toward sharpening their basketball skills, practicing four days a week, but also in raising funds by washing cars, selling hot dogs and holding raffles and walk-a-thons. These girls also work very hard in school and for their churches. I want to wish this team the best of success in their effort to win a National Championship. I am confident that they will do an excellent job representing Detroit and the great State of Michigan.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to speak as in morning business for up to 10 minutes.