Spencer Abraham

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge Anne Simons, of Detroit, Michigan for her tireless commitment to countless charitable causes in the Metro-Detroit area. I am very proud, on behalf of the State of Michigan, to recognize her activity in many organizations. It is with great pleasure that I announce that Ms. Simons is the recipient of this year's March of Dimes ``Humanitarians of the Year Award.'' Ms. Simons is being honored with this award as a result of her strong voluntary commitment to the Detroit community. She will be given her award at the 26th Annual March of Dimes Sweetheart Ball on Saturday, March 7, 1998 in Dearborn, Michigan. I extend my sincerest congratulations to Ms. Simons.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge Mr. Don H. Barden, of Detroit, Michigan, for his strong commitment to causes that benefit the Detroit community. Mr. Barden, a businessman, has guided the Barden Companies Inc. from revenues of $600,000 to over $90 million in 11 years, making it the thirteenth largest black-owned business in the country. In addition, Mr. Barden is active in a variety of civic and business groups. It is with great pleasure that I announce that he is the recipient of this year's March of Dimes ``Humanitarians of the Year Award.'' Mr. Barden is being honored with this award as a result of his strong commitment to the Detroit community. He will be given his award at the 26th Annual March of Dimes Sweetheart Ball on Saturday, March 7, 1998 in Dearborn, Michigan. I extend my sincerest congratulations to Mr. Barden.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for Senate Bill 361, the ``Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act.'' This legislation is desperately needed and I thank my friend and colleague Senator Jeffords for introducing it in the Senate. The Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act amends the Endangered Species Act to prohibit the sale of products labeled as containing endangered species, even if they actually do not. Rhino and Tiger parts are two of the more widely advertised ingredients in a number of powders and balms which claim to cure a host of ailments. None of these claims is supported by scientific research, nevertheless, demand for these ingredients has encouraged the widespread poaching of these endangered animals and threatens their existence. As I understand it, the world's population of rhinos has declined by 90 percent since 1970, and tigers populations are even more threatened. Today, less than 5,000 remain in the world. The greatest threat to many of these animals in the wild is the poacher, and poaching thrives in part because the demand for products containing rhino horn, tiger parts and others remains high. A U.S. ban on all wares containing, and claiming to contain, parts of endangered species will greatly reduce the size of the world markets. This should lower the value of these animals and, I hope, stimulate their recovery. I am pleased to hear that the House is moving forward on a similar bill and trust that the Congress will soon send legislation addressing this problem to the White House.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today as a cosponsor of S. 358. This legislation, introduced by Senator DeWine, will provide compassionate payments to eligible individuals or families of persons with hemophilia-related AIDS. More than 90 percent of people with severe hemophilia and half of all persons with hemophilia have been infected with HIV. In addition, between 10-20 percent of the spouses, children, and partners of these individuals also have been infected. I believe all of us should support measures that would improve the lives of those who have contracted blood diseases through poorly screened blood supplies. The Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Act of 1997 would provide a payment of $125,000 to persons with hemophilia-related HIV who used blood products between July 1, 1982 and December 31, 1987. HIV-positive spouses and children of these individuals also are eligible. Based on the 7,200 eligible individuals, the bill would authorize $900 million to be contributed through a five-year trust fund administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. The ``window'' of eligibility is based on evidence of HIV transmission to the hemophilia community and the last manufacturer recall of contaminated blood products in 1987. It seems clear to me that both the federal government and private industry should be held accountable for the infection of most of the hemophiliac community during those years. These people have had tragedy visited upon them through no fault of their own, amply because they depend on a blood supply that, for a time, was not kept safe. I am happy to be able to assure the American people that problems with our blood supply have been addressed and hope my colleagues will join me in providing some small relief to those who are suffering from past failures.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Red Cedar Elementary School in East Lansing, Michigan. The school began immediately following World War II in an effort to educate the children of G.I.s who moved to East Lansing to get an education promised by the G.I. bill. Since that time, Red Cedar has grown tremendously and has come to hold a prominent place in the East Lansing community. Because many of the students are from other countries, the diverse backgrounds and beliefs that make up the Red Cedar community provide for a truly unique learning environment. This momentous occasion has been celebrated throughout the month of February within both the Red Cedar and East Lansing communities and will culminate on the evening February 27, 1998 with a reception and a dance for students, parents and other members of the community. It is with great pleasure that I recognize and congratulate the Red Cedar Elementary School on their 50th anniversary. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I would like to bring to my colleagues attention an article by Ben Wattenberg on the recent passing of economist Julian Simon. Dr. Simon, who I had the pleasure of meeting, was a great lover of freedom and a strong advocate for free markets. He was a pioneer who presented important research showing the benefits of legal immigration. His research also demonstrated that the rationale for the type of population control practiced in many places in the world is misguided and harmful. In other words, human beings are not problems to be solved. Such positions never won him popularity contests among certain groups, but as The Washington Times wrote of Julian Simon: ``His forecasts about trends in resource availability, pollution and other effects of additional people have been completely borne out by events.'' A fitting epitaph. I ask that the articles by Ben Wattenberg and Julian Simon be printed in the Record. The articles follow: [From The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 11, 1998] Malthus, Watch Out (By Ben Wattenberg) Julian Simon, who waged intellectual war on environmentalists and Malthusians, died suddenly on Sunday. He would have been 66 tomorrow, the day of his funeral. Simon could sometimes glow like an exposed wire, crackling with nervous intellectual intensity. Privately, he had a soul of purest honey. But by force of will, fueled by his sizzling energy, Simon helped push a generation of Americans to rethink their views on population, resources and the environment. By now it is clear that in this task he was largely successful. As the years roll on he will be more successful yet, his work studied, and picked at, by regiments of graduate students. His keystone work was ``The Ultimate Resource,'' published in 1981 and updated in 1996 as ``The Ultimate Resource 2'' (Princeton University Press). Its central point is clear: Supplies of natural resources are not finite in any serious way; they are created by the intellect of man, an always renewable resource. Coal, oil and uranium were not resources at all until mixed well with human intellect. The notion drove some environmentalists crazy. If it were true, poof!--there went so many of the crises that justified their existence. From their air-conditioned offices in high- rise buildings, they brayed: Simon believes in a technological fix! The attacks often got personal: Simon's doctorate was in business economics, they sniffed; he had merely been a professor of advertising and marketing, and-- get this--he had actually started a mail order business and written a book about how to do it. Never mind that he also studied population economics for a quarter century. In fact, it was Simon's knowledge of real-world commerce that gave him an edge in the intellectual wars. He knew firsthand about some things that many environmentalists had only touched gingerly, like prices. If the real resource was the human intellect, Simon reasoned, and the amount of human intellect was increasing, both quantitatively through population growth and qualitatively through education, then the supply of resources would grow, outrunning demand, pushing prices down and giving people more access to what they wanted, with more than enough left over to deal with pollution and congestion. In short, mankind faced the very opposite of a crisis. Simon rarely presented a sentence not supported by facts-- facts arranged in serried ranks to confront the opposition; facts about forests and food, pollution and poverty, nuclear power and nonrenewable resources; facts used as foot soldiers to strike blows for accuracy. In a famous bet, gloom-meister Paul Ehrlich took up Simon's challenge and wagered that between 1980 and 1990 scarcity would drive resource prices up. Simon bet that progress would push prices down. Simon won the bet, easily. Mr. Ehrlich won a MacArthur Foundation ``genius'' grant. But the wheel turns, and we'll see who's a genius. Fortune magazine listed Simon among ``the world's most stimulating thinkers.'' Mr. Ehrlich didn't make the cut. Simon sensed the primacy of something else that many environmentalists and crisis-mongers didn't catch on to for a quite a time: Human intellect could best be transformed into beneficial goods and services in an atmosphere of political and economic liberty. At the United Nations' Mexico City population conference in 1984 Simon winced, and counterattacked, when population alarmists caricatured the Reagan-appointed American delegation as promoting the idea that ``capitalism is the best contraceptive.'' It was not a good idea to ridicule capitalism, or free markets, or human liberty, in Simon's presence. Of course, rising living standards do tend to depress fertility. Living standards do rise faster under democratic market systems. Smart folks now know that the fruits of economic growth can be used to diminish pollution. You don't hear much anymore about how we're running out of everything. (Next task: Simonize the Global Warmists.) Finally, unlike many of his opponents, Julian was a traditionalist. He did not work on the Sabbath, and the Friday Sabbath dinner at the Simon house was always a gentle and joyous celebration. At rest on the Sabbath, Julian was indefatigable the rest of the week, chasing his precious facts. If Thomas Malthus is in heaven, he's in for an argument, laced with facts, facts, facts.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, last week Senator McCain, the Chairman of the Commerce Committee, introduced legislation to make Congressional Research Service Reports, Issue Briefs and Authorization and Appropriations products available over the Internet to the public. I rise today to express my support for this timely legislation. The Congressional Research Service has a well-deserved reputation for producing objective, high-quality reports and issue briefs. I have relied on these reports in the past and have only the highest regard for the material produced by CRS. This information is not readily available to the general public, however. Congressional offices must officially request information on a constituent's behalf. Senator McCain's legislation, S. 1578, directs the Director of CRS to make reports, issue briefs and the more comprehensive CRS reports on federal authorizations and appropriations available on the Internet. Most of this information is already available on the CRS website but can only be accessed by Members of Congress and their staff. Obviously, since we use the Internet to make this information more accessible to Congress, we have the ability to make this information available to the general public. It is time we do so. Increasingly, the public is demonstrating that it is not satisfied with the way Congress does business. Amid the furor over campaign finance reform, accusations abound of Members ``selling'' their votes to private interest groups. I believe that greater access to the documents used by Members of Congress when making decisions will increase public understanding of this institution. Since constituents will be able to see the materials which influence the way a Member votes, a more accurate view of the Congressional decision-making process should emerge. Passage of this legislation will also permit the Congressional Research Service to serve an important role in informing the public. This nation's citizens will be able to read CRS products and receive a concise, accurate summary of the issues that concern them. The American taxpayer is paying for this information, almost $65 million for this year alone, and has a right to see it. The technological advances of the last decade are truly astonishing. Every effort should be made to apply this new technology as widely as possible. The advent of the Internet provides an important avenue for the exploration of new applications. This new medium has made possible the low-cost, rapid dissemination of information to an growing audience, and, whereas legislation to make CRS information available to the public was not plausible ten years ago, today we can do it at a very low cost. Mr. President, removing the barriers to public view of CRS documents is a great idea who's time has come. It will help Congress to better fulfill its duty to inform the public and allow constituents to see first hand the information that serves as the basis for many of the decisions made by its federally elected representatives.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I come to the floor today in my capacity as chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee to call my colleagues' attention to some recent developments in the naturalization area, some of which are extremely serious. As many of you may have read in today's Washington Post or the Los Angeles Times, Coopers & Lybrand today unveiled its recommendations to the Justice Department for reengineering the naturalization process. After a year-long review, Coopers & Lybrand has developed what it is calling a ``blueprint for a new naturalization process,'' which would involve a complete overhaul of that process. Given what we have seen in the past in this area--particularly in the area of criminal background checks--a reworking of the entire process is certainly needed and Congress should be involved in any redesign. Coopers & Lybrand has prepared us with what is essentially a solid outline for a streamlined, more automated and more centralized naturalization system. Of course, many details remain to be worked out, but I am genuinely pleased with many aspects of the Coopers & Lybrand recommendations for redesigning the process. I hope the administration will take those recommendations seriously. For far too long, the naturalization process has been characterized by intolerable backlogs, very poor customer service, and, of course, unfortunate examples of outright fraud and mismanagement. Unfortunately, just today we also learned the results of a separate review of the current naturalization process. That review was conducted by the Department of Justice and by KPMG Peat Marwick. In a review of roughly 5,500 naturalization files selected at random over a 1-year period, it was determined that 90.8 percent of the files contained at least one significant processing error, and a total of 87.7 percent of the files had insufficient documentation in the file to support a proper naturalization decision. The bottom line is that we can be confident that naturalization was proper in only 8.6 percent of the 1,049,867 cases naturalized between August 1995 and September 1996. Mr. President, clearly these statistics are alarming and appalling. I don't doubt that most of the cases involved were, in fact, properly naturalized. But because of the system that is currently in place, we not only have enormous backlogs in the naturalization process but we cannot determine on a case-by-case basis whether naturalization decisions have been made correctly. In my judgment, any redesign of the naturalization process must ensure a 100 percent level of compliance. So, in the coming weeks, I plan to hold hearings at which the Senate Immigration Subcommittee can explore the Coopers & Lybrand proposal--which at this point is simply a blueprint--in more detail and so that we can get to the bottom of the complete breakdown of the process I have described here today. In particular, we need to examine some open issues in the redesign proposal, such as who would conduct the tests that are given with respect to English proficiency and civics and what those tests should contain. Given the recent indictments in California for fraud in citizenship testing, in which 20 defendants have been indicted for nationwide fraud in this area, we must take a close look at the extent of the fraud in the testing process and we must reform the system to eradicate any future wrongdoing in connection with citizenship testing. As a proponent of legal immigration and the value of naturalization, I do not come at this in any way trying to undercut the naturalization system. Yet recent information suggests such a complete breakdown that the process has to be redesigned to eradicate the fraud and the mismanagement that has characterized this system. What we need to do is strike the right balance, Mr. President, so that the people who deserve and have the right to be naturalized and become citizens have the opportunity to do so in a timely manner, and so that everyone, both the people who are waiting in those lines who ultimately will become naturalized and those who are already citizens, will have confidence that the people who are becoming citizens have met the standards and the criteria which the Congress has established for doing so. That means, Mr. President, close scrutiny of the current system, close scrutiny of the proposed recommendations by Coopers & Lybrand, and action, I believe, ultimately by the INS and Congress to move us in the right direction. I am very disturbed by the report we received today, but I hope that will form the basis for all of us to work together to find the right solutions. I yield the floor.

Mr. ABRAHAM

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

Mr. ABRAHAM. To speak as in morning business for up to 5 minutes.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able to speak as in morning business for up to 5 minutes.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise in support of legislation to place a permanent ban on the unethical, immoral pursuit of human cloning. I do not believe, Mr. President, that the fact that a thing is possible makes it desirable. The study of ethics is filled with things we can do, but should not do. The subject of cloning presents an obvious example along these lines. And I believe it is necessary for us to face the problem head-on. Genetic research has been crucial to saving thousands upon thousands of lives all over the world. It continues to be an important part of medical research as we look for cures and treatments for cancer and other dreaded diseases. But there are certain things we cannot do, even as we seek, in the long run, to save lives. As shown by recent scandals concerning studies at Tuskegee Institute and elsewhere, in which people were denied treatment for serious ailments in the name of science, most people, most of the time, recognize the moral limits to scientific and medical research. But we cannot always trust in the good judgment of the scientist. In some extreme cases we, the people's legislature, must see to it that certain practices are not undertaken. Human cloning is one of those practices. No man or woman, not even a scientist, has the capacity to manipulate the very nature and existence of human life in a moral manner. Plants, animals and even discrete human cells may be the proper subjects of research, but to attempt to create a human being, as the product of scientific experiment, risking that that product may be seen as something other than a living, sentient human being, is simply not acceptable. Mr. President, we are not now, nor will we ever be, morally capable of manufacturing life, or of making experiments on the human soul. It is because I value life, each and every human life that comes into this world, that I have joined with my colleague from Missouri in sponsoring this legislation to ban, now and for the future, any attempt at human cloning. Now is not the time, Mr. President, for our Nation to create, or rather add to, an atmosphere in which human life is valued for anything other than itself. Each of us is unique and uniquely valuable. Our laws recognize this, providing as they do for due process and equal protection of every one of us. Our religions are based on this understanding of the individual as the creature of God. We must see to it that our science also recognizes the intrinsic value of every human life. Science has been of great service to mankind. It will continue to improve, protect and save lives, so long as we recognize our duty to see that scientists abide by their duty to serve, and not manipulate, each and every human being. Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, today I rise to celebrate a momentous occasion for Lions Club of the City of Yale, Michigan. On Saturday, February 14th, the Yale Lions will commemorate their 50th anniversary. I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer my congratulations for this auspicious event. The Lions Club is dedicated to community service, and for half a century Yale Lions have worked to benefit the entire City of Yale. At the crux of membership in the Lions Club is the desire to help fellow citizens, and their shining examples of service have been displayed to the whole community. Consequently, tremendous growth has occurred and membership continues to expand, with the number of members nearly tripling since the Club was founded many years ago. The strong commitment to helping other individuals is outstanding, and I commend each member of the association for all their tireless efforts. Again, I wish to express my warmest wishes for a successful event. I thank the Lions Club of Yale for their ceaseless commitment to their community, and wish the organization a bright future.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a good friend and a business leader from my State who recently passed away, Mr. John McGoff. Mr. McGoff was one of our State's most successful business leaders, making his fortune, and his impact, primarily in the area of publishing. He owned a number of news publications and was a great success, but I think he would prefer to be remembered for several other things he achieved in his lifetime. First was his great sense of community spirit. Mr. McGoff was truly a man who loved the communities in which he lived. He invested considerably, out of his own resources, in the communities in which he resided, in the schools of those communities, in our State's university system, and in a variety of other valuable institutions. In fact, when tribute was paid to him last Saturday, it was in an auditorium in the high school serving the tiny town in which he lived, an auditorium which he personally had built with his own dollars. I think John McGoff also would want to be remembered as a man who loved his country. He put this love to the test by serving in the United States military. He served with distinction in the infantry during World War II, both in North Africa and in Europe. He also played an active role in the political process, in our State and at the national level. He was committed to the discussion of public policy. And he acted on this commitment, not only through the newspapers he owned, but also through his efforts to launch a variety of other publications, including one of today's most successful law journals, the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, which he helped to initiate through personal investments. Mostly, I think John McGoff would want to be remembered as a man who loved his family. Indeed, I can remember how, on virtually every occasion in which we were together I would receive a detailed account of every one of his children, what they were doing and what their most recent achievements and challenges were. When we paid him tribute last Saturday, each of those children was there to help remember their father and to pay great testament to his wonderful life. So, on behalf, I know, of many people in our State who certainly will miss John McGoff and regret his passing, I want to say his was a full life, one of great success; the life of a person who loved his community, loved his country, loved his family--truly loved America and everything for which she stands.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to add my voice to the chorus calling on us to honor a great American and one of our greatest Presidents, Ronald Reagan; a man who in his own words ``meant to change a nation and instead changed the world.'' President Reagan indeed changed the world in which we live, and much for the better. It is only right, in my view, that we add to the many honors bestowed upon him since his leaving office the important recognition involved in renaming Washington National Airport, in an important sense the nation's airport, the Ronald Reagan National Airport. It is, of course, a long-standing tradition for us to name important buildings and facilities after those who have rendered extraordinary service to our country. Indeed, the monuments just outside this Chamber were constructed to show our gratitude toward and to honor the memory of great men like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, Presidents who helped build America, and led her to safety in time of peril. These monuments testify to our recognition, as a people, of the greatness of certain leaders; of their contributions and of their character. By these standards, Mr. President, Ronald Reagan well deserves the undoubted honor of having his name affixed to our national airport. Born of poor parents in America's heartland, Ronald Wilson Reagan worked to put himself through school, to forge for himself a career in Hollywood, the land of American dreams, and finally to rise to the highest office in the land. By the time he left office in 1989, President Reagan had shown his dedication to our nation, her people, her principles and her dreams. He restored our economic health, revived the American spirit, and won the Cold War. Now in his twilight years, Ronald Reagan can look back on a life of great success, made all the more worthy because it was imbued with what the eminent statesman Edmund Burke called the moral imagination. Few called him an intellectual. But he was blessed with an instinctive sense of right and wrong and the prudence to apply this instinct for himself and the nation he led. Mr. President, many people find it difficult to fully appreciate the debt we owe Ronald Reagan. But why is this difficult? Because he was so successful at facing down the crises of his time. Today we find interest rates of 21 percent almost unimaginable. But that is what we had when Ronald Reagan took office. We think of double digit inflation as something only developing nations must face. But Ronald Reagan faced it when he became President. Communism seems a nightmare from the past, best forgotten. But we should not forget that, when Ronald Reagan came to office, it enslaved more than half the people of the world. America was in peril in 1981. Buffeted by the blows of economic stagflation, mired in spiritual malaise, on the defensive in a hostile world, our nation was in need of a leader with the moral imagination, the faith in himself, our people and God's will necessary to get us back on course. And this Ronald Reagan provided. With his economic plan emphasizing tax cuts, sound money, deregulation, and free trade, he produced the longest peacetime expansion since World War II. He slew the dragon of inflation, reducing it to a steady 3 percent through his second term. He brought interest rates down into single digits. He put nearly 30 million Americans into new jobs. He increased our national income by nearly a third. He saved family savings from the ravages of inflation, allowed us once again to make real our dreams of owning our own homes, put us to work and renewed our confidence in our future. In the process he renewed America, and by so doing he literally changed the world. Mr. President, now that the United States enjoys the luxury of being the world's only superpower, it is easy to forget the world we faced less than two decades ago. But it was a grim prospect, as illustrated by the pundits of the era who encouraged us to get used to an era of ``limits'' in which we would steadily lose power and influence to an ever-expanding ideology of centralized state power. Ronald Reagan was considered foolish, even dangerous, because he refused to accept the inevitable spread of communism. He called the Soviet Union an evil empire and predicted its demise within his lifetime. Sheer lunacy, said his critics. And in a sense one can understand this perspective. America's policy elites had been accustomed to a ``pragmatic'' approach in foreign affairs; one in which America would seek to accommodate Soviet demands and aspirations in the interests of stability. This approach characterized the 1970's--an era during which democracy and freedom were on the run worldwide. Marxist governments gained power in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, South Yemen, Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Grenada. For the first time the Soviet nuclear arsenal surpassed America's. And even our allies seemed leery of identifying themselves too closely with us. Surely, if hard-nosed realism had produced such a disastrous decade, a moral crusade aimed at freeing peoples from the chains of communism would produce armageddon. We now know, Mr. President, that moral conviction, combined with determination and a prudent use of national power, need not produce armageddon. Under President Reagan it produced the single greatest outpouring of human freedom ever seen on this planet. We live in a freer, safer, more humane world because Ronald Reagan won the Cold War. His insistence, against strong resistance from a Democratic Congress, that we restore our military power rolled back the Soviet legions and bankrupted their economy. His tough bargaining and his willingness to call evil by its name disoriented our Soviet adversaries and eventually brought their downfall. By 1991, a broken and dispirited Soviet Union collapsed and disintegrated. President Reagan went to Berlin and called on Mikhail Gorbachev to ``tear down this wall.'' Mr. Gorbachev deserves credit for his role in bringing down the Soviet empire. Unfortunately, he had neither the courage nor the foresight to tear down that wall. But the people of Berlin, thanks to Ronald Reagan, had that courage, and they tore down that wall, freeing half a continent, and eventually nearly half the world. Without firing a shot, Ronald Reagan changed our world for the better. He freed us from fear of nuclear conflagration. He freed us from the dreary acceptance of declining standards of living and the loss of our way of life through slow attrition. He brought America back from the brink of despair, into the shining light of a new dawn of freedom and prosperity. Ronald Reagan has earned the eternal gratitude of every American, and of every lover of freedom the world over. He has earned his place in the history books as a leader of vision and a man of moral imagination. His name should adorn our national airport. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to pay homage to William Russell Kelly. This giant of the office staffing industry recently passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. Russell Kelly's legacy, however, will long remain a symbol of efficiency, quality, and integrity. First begun in 1946, through hard work and determination, Kelly Services has grown into a Fortune 500 company. Providing temporary and supplemental staff, the company proved to be a tremendously successful venture, and soon the phrase ``Kelly Girl'' became synonymous with quality and professionalism. Employees identified themselves with pride and the term became a mark of distinction in a rapidly growing industry. Today, Kelly Services is composed of more than 750,000 men and women who offer a wide variety of professional and technical support around the world. What began as a small company supporting local businesses in Detroit has proven itself to be an asset to literally thousands of companies worldwide. Last year, Kelly Services celebrated its 50th anniversary. Amid the celebrations, an individual inquired how Russell Kelly wanted to be remembered. He replied, ``I want to be remembered as a pioneer.'' Mr. President, I am proud to say Russell Kelly met that goal. He was a pioneer who, through determination and perseverance, left his imprint on the world. Through his efforts, the way companies do business was revolutionized. During this most difficult time, my thoughts and prayers go out to Russell Kelly's family and friends.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, today I rise to join Catholic schools across my home state of Michigan and the country as they celebrate Catholic Schools Week. This year marks the twenty-third anniversary of the annual event, and its theme is an important one, ``Catholic Schools: Restoring Faith in Education.'' Since the founding of our great nation, Catholic schools have been integral to its growth and prosperity. Among the first schools in the country, Catholic schools educated countless individuals throughout the nation and provided an early first step toward creating a literate populace. Today, the role of Catholic schools is just as important. Strong academics partnered with a values-based education offers a tremendous option for children across the country. From rural areas to the inner city, the opportunities afforded by Catholic schools are immeasurable. They provide an important choice for parents and students who seek the best possible learning environment. In the State of Michigan, Catholic schools are elemental in providing children of all ages with a solid education. Spread throughout Michigan's seven Catholic dioceses, over 96,000 students are enrolled in 355 schools. These schools play a critical role in adding to the rich diversity of American education. I am pleased to have this opportunity to congratulate the many Catholic schools in Michigan and the United States for the high quality of education they provide.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, today I rise in honor of Bay College in Escanaba, Michigan. This innovative educational institution is excited to celebrate the dedication of its new University Center. The completion of this new building will provide many exciting opportunities for students and the college. In addition to expanding higher education access to bachelor and master degree programs for area citizens, the Joseph L. Heriman University Center houses eight new computer classrooms/labs in its student Computing Center; a net of nine new classrooms which include the computer classrooms, three business classrooms, an interactive television (ITV) classroom and one mobile ITV for distance education. The Center also provides accommodations for industrial training and technology transfer, customized training for technical skills upgrade and professional development seminars and workshops. The opening of this building will bring many benefits to the college and the local community. Again, I would like to congratulate Bay College and commend its administration, faculty and students on their efforts. Also, I would like to wish the college the brightest of futures as they enter this exciting period in their history.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of Tyre Lodge Masonic Temple in Coldwater, Michigan. On January 17, the lodge celebrated its 150th anniversary. To put this in perspective, this lodge was issued its charter 15 years before President Abraham Lincoln delivered the historic Gettysburg Address. The Tyre Lodge has been a pillar of its community for many years. Volunteering their time, efforts and talents into an organization, Masons have consistently provided invaluable services to their community. The members of the lodge have always searched for new ways to provide opportunities for their fellow members and citizens of their local community. This strong commitment to helping other individuals is outstanding, and I commend each member of the association for all their tireless efforts. On February 7, the lodge will be hosting a dinner and program to celebrate this achievement, and I would like to express my warmest wishes for a successful evening. Again, I would like to thank the members of the lodge for their dutiful dedication to the Coldwater community, and wish them the brightest of futures.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Virginia White, a public servant of outstanding integrity and honesty, who is retiring after 25 years of service to her community. On January 31, Virginia will end her tenure as Meridian Township Clerk. In 1972, Virginia was first elected as Township Clerk on the promise to improve her community. Not only did she fulfill her pledge, but she began a long, meritorious career serving the people of Meridian Township. During her time as clerk, she established a reputation for hard work and dedication to serving her community. While a clerk, Virginia's dedication to Meridian Township was unsurpassed and she maintained the greatest of commitments to public service. Mr. President, Virginia White is one of few individuals I can think of who truly embodies the ideals and principles that define the term ``public servant.'' Virginia's desire to better her community reached far beyond Meridian Township. When she co-founded the Michigan Association of Clerks, a network was formed which brought city and township clerks across the State of Michigan together. Additionally, in an effort to create better systems of local governance, she wrote a national manual on conducting elections. Together, these efforts reflect Virginia's longstanding pursuit to provide her municipality with the best possible clerk. I am proud to say she accomplished this goal with great distinction. Although Virginia will be greatly missed, I know she is looking forward to a well-deserved retirement. I join her family, friends, and colleagues in wishing her all the best with her new endeavors and a bright future.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge an important event which is taking place in the State of Michigan. On this day, December 5, 1997, many have gathered to celebrate the Arab- American and Chaldean Council [ACC] Annual Civic and Humanitarian Awards Banquet. Each of the individuals in attendance deserve special recognition for their commitment and steadfast support of the Arab- American and Chaldean communities. I am pleased to recognize the recipients of this evening's awards: Mr. Brian Connolly and Ms. Beverly B. Smith, Civic and Humanitarian, Mr. John Almstadt, 1997 Leadership Award, Senator Dick Posthumus, 1997 State Leadership Award, and Ms. Elham Jabiru-Shayota, Mr. Andrew Ansara, and Mr. George Ansara Entrepreneurs of the Year. Each of these recipients should take great pride in receiving these distinguished awards. While it is important to pay special tribute to the awardees, it is also essential to honor the citizens of the Arab-American and Chaldean communities. Each of you that has worked to strengthen cultural understanding have contributed greatly to the State of Michigan. For the past 18 years, the ACC has provided tireless support and steadfast dedication to Arabic- and Chaldean-speaking immigrants and refugees. During the past fiscal year, 1996-97, ACC was able to serve over 18,000 clients and cases. This coming year will be an exciting one for ACC. Six of ACC's outreach locations will be consolidated into one location at the Woodward Avenue and Seven Mild Road Area, allowing ACC to serve an even greater client base. Through job placement programs and mental health services, ACC has significantly enhanced the lives of many in our community. As you gather this evening to honor these awardees, I challenge each of you to continue to be active participants in your respective communities. To the Arab-American and Chaldean-American communities and to the awardees, I send my sincere best wishes. May the spirit of this evening continue to inspire each of you.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of Veterans Day, that day on which all of us are called on to honor the sacrifices made for our country by those who serve in her armed forces and those who risked or gave their lives defending her. It is only right, Mr. President, that we pay tribute to the brave men and women who put their country before themselves in time of danger. On the beaches of Normandy or in the jungles of Vietnam, in the South Pacific or the Persian Gulf, on the shores of Inchon or the deserts of North Africa, our soldiers and sailors have defended this country around the globe, in the face of bombs, bullets, disease and hunger. Nothing we do can repay the debt we owe them. But we must note that debt, recognize it and make certain our children know how great it is. As we remember the brave young people who have defended our nation in time of war, we should not forget that many of them put their lives on the line for America even though they were born in a different land. These soldiers and sailors were not born in this country. But they loved her enough to risk their lives to protect her. Over 60,000 active military personnel are immigrants to this country. More than 20 percent of recipients of our highest military declaration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, have been immigrants. And the most decorated combat team of World War II was a regiment made up of the sons of Japanese immigrants. Many immigrants have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. More than once I have told audiences the story of Nicolas Minue, the Polish born soldier who served the United States in World War II. I tell this story because of the inspiring bravery that is its subject, because of the pride it should evoke in every American, native or foreign born. In Tunisia in 1943, private Minue's company was pinned down by enemy machine gunfire. According to the official report, ``Private Minue voluntarily, alone, and unhesitatingly, with complete disregard of his own welfare, charged the enemy entrenched position with fixed bayonet. Private Minue assaulted the enemy under a withering machine-gun and rifle fire, killing approximately ten enemy machine gunners and riflemen. After completely destroying this position, Private Minue continued forward, routing enemy riflemen from dugout positions until he was fatally wounded. The courage, fearlessness and aggressiveness displayed by Private Minue in the face of inevitable death was unquestionably the factor that gave his company the offensive spirit that was necessary for advancing and driving the enemy from the entire sector.'' America remains free because she has been blessed with many American heroes, willing to give their lives in her defense. Nicolas Minue showed that not every American hero was born in America. Michigan, too, has her share of heroes. More than once, I have related the story of Francisco Vega, a citizen of my state who was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Mexican immigrants. His father, Naba Lazaro Vega served in the American Army during World War I. I tell Mr. Vega's story because it, too, is one of inspiring bravery and love of country. Mr. Vega volunteered for the Army in October 1942 and served during the Second World War. He fought for the Americans in five major battles in Europe, including the crucial landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy. He was awarded bronze stars for bravery in each of these five battles. Mr. Vega was discharged in December 1945 and came to Michigan, where he attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. He retired from his own cemetery business in 1993 and currently resides in Grand Rapids. In Vietnam, also, immigrants served our nation and became heroes. For example, Alfred Rascon immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico. At age 20, while a lawful permanent resident, Mr. Rascon volunteered to serve in Vietnam. During a firefight he twice used his body to shield wounded soldiers. He was nearly killed dashing through heavy enemy fire to get desperately needed ammunition, but refused medical attention until the wounds of all the other soldiers in his unit were tended. Asked why he showed such courage even though he was not yet a U.S. citizen, Mr. Rascon replied ``I was always an American in my heart.'' So impressed were they by his bravery that fellow soldiers who witnessed his acts have urged that he receive the Medal of Honor. I could tell many more such stories. But let these three suffice to show the commitment to America's ideals and way of life that has been shown by so many brave young soldiers and sailors over the years. We owe a debt to all these people for keeping our nation free and safe in a dangerous world. And we owe a continuing debt of gratitude to those today who serve, guarding our country, our homes and our freedom. Like all good things, freedom must be won again and again. I hope all of us will remember those, immigrants and native born, who have won freedom for us in the past, and stand ready to win freedom for us again, if they must. May we never forget our debt to the brave who have fallen and the brave who stand ready to fight. I yield the floor.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, one of the final items to be approved by the Senate for inclusion in the fiscal year 1998 Senate Interior appropriations bill was my amendment to raise the level of funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, or PILT. I want to thank the Interior appropriations chairman, Senator Gorton, for his assistance and consideration of this important amendment. I also wish to thank my cosponsors, Senators Levin, Hatch, Campbell, Smith, and Dominici. In particular, I am most appreciative of Senator Levin, his hard work and cooperation in securing the support of the subcommittee's ranking member was crucial. Every year, Mr. President, the Federal Government increases the acreage it owns, particularly in the form of national parks. This provides increased opportunities for Americans to enjoy the great outdoors. At the same time, however, it also increases costs for law enforcement, search and rescue and fire departments for literally thousands of small towns throughout our Nation. Federal land purchases often permanently remove a critical source of income from local communities. PILT payments, or ``Payments in Lieu of Taxes,'' are made to counties and local communities which contain certain federally owned lands that cannot be taxed or, in many cases, developed by the local governments. PILT moneys are often the only means that counties have to pay for police protection and garbage collection and storage as well as funding for one time capital investments for new schools, hospitals, and jails. They also are vital for offsetting costs incurred by counties for services provided users of public lands. Unfortunately, Mr. President, and despite the very real benefits local communities provide, every year more Federal lands are taken off of county tax rolls, while PILT payments remain stagnant and well below the level authorized by Congress. That is why my colleagues and I took action to reverse this trend, and why I am so pleased that the Senate has agreed to raise PILT payments to $124 million. I believe this increase has significance beyond the amount approved because it demonstrates that the Congress is beginning to understand the dilemma faced by a significant number of our localities, struggling as they are with increasing costs and a shrinking tax base. During the conference of the House and Senate, Members agreed to a compromise funding level of $20 million. I suspect that the increased Senate amount was partially responsible for the conferees agreeing to an amount $7 million above the House level. These extra funds will provide crucial help to local communities strapped for funds as they seek to tend to their own citizens' needs. It has been a long time coming and I applaud the Senate for agreeing to support this critical program.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to cosponsor the African Growth and Opportunity Act, introduced by my colleague, Senator Lugar. I do this because I believe greater trade and economic development is in the interest of sub-Saharan Africa, and in the interest of the United States. For too long, Mr. President, our policy toward the nations of sub- Saharan Africa has been based largely on a series of bilateral donor- recipient aid relationships. While this policy has produced some notable successes in terms of staving off starvation, it also has spawned an inappropriate vision of the United States as patron to literally dozens of independent nations, while fostering a debilitating dependence on foreign assistance. As a consequence, this policy has in fact stood in the way of economic growth, self-reliance and political stability for the vast majority of people in this region. The African Growth and Opportunity Act will establish a new relationship between the United States and the nations of sub-Saharan Africa. It will promote economic growth through private sector activity and trade incentives, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship and encouraging economic and political reforms in the interests of the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa. The bill directs the President to develop a plan to establish a United States-Sub-Saharan Africa Free-Trade Area to stimulate trade. It also eliminates quotas on textiles and apparel from Kenya and Mauritius, contingent on these countries' adopting a visa system to guard against transshipment. In addition, this legislation would establish an economic forum to facilitate trade discussions and work with the private sector to develop an investment agenda. USAID moneys would not be effected in any way. However, OPIC would be instructed to create a privately funded, $150 million equity fund and a $500 million infrastructure fund for Africa. Finally, the bill mandates that one member of the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank and OPIC have extensive private investment sector experience in Africa. Benefits from these initiatives would be available to any nation in the sub-Saharan region instituting serious economic and political reforms. Mr. President, the provisions of this legislation in effect would create a free-trade zone in sub-Saharan Africa. They would promote increased trade, increased privatization, increased democracy, and increased prosperity for the people of the region. By ending the current patron-client relationship, and substituting for it an equal partnership among independent nations, we can benefit everyone involved. I urge my colleagues to support this important, forward-looking legislation.