Conrad Burns

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, we now enter a time for morning business, and I yield the floor. Mr. WARNER addressed the Chair.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 633, which was received from the House.

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be placed at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. I thank the Senator. No more than probably 5 or 6 minutes.

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, one does not have to reiterate the complexity of going through this process of appropriations. I rise on this floor of the Senate with mixed emotions this afternoon as we consider the omnibus appropriations bill for 1999. I, as the speaker before me, know and understand what the chairman of the Appropriations Committee has gone through to bring this process to this point. I shall vote yea on this bill, but anybody who tells me that they have a handle on this bill would be just like their local weather forecaster--they are either a fool or a newcomer. The framers of our Constitution did not envision the process which was the design of an administration that was irresponsible and reckless in both actions and words with the Congress and the people of this country. Being forced into a situation where the will of Americans is denied in the spending of their hard-earned money, that is not my idea of representative government. The same Americans were even denied debate on issues that would become the law of the land. I think it was Thomas Jefferson who said that the Constitution should be flexible; it should be subject to change with the times to reflect the will of the people and not to the master politician. I believe the American people have fallen prey to those who have mastered their craft very well. The process, as all appropriations processes, started as it should have; subcommittees, working with the administration, held hearings with the different Departments of the Federal Government, which is the administration. After being completed at that level, the consideration moved to the full Appropriations Committee. All members of that committee debated and passed on to the full Senate the appropriations bill that was started at the subcommittee level some 6 or 7 months ago. Where were all the voices that we hear now when the work was being done at the grassroots level? Now we hear them as we come to the close of the 105th Congress. Did we not know then that a well-orchestrated delaying action was taking shape? The answer is a resounding yes. There was not one, not one who as a Member of Congress representing their respective States, was not aware, did not know where we were heading. Attempts by this administration were made to shortcut or shortcircuit the process. So when the 105th Congress closes its work, it will be the responsibility of the 106th Congress to ensure that this will never happen again. The American people deserve no less. Now, as to the bill itself, to those critics who say there is not good in this bill, I say you are wrong. To those who say there is no tax relief in this bill, I say you are wrong--small as is might seem. And to say that tax relief is not for the proper segment of our Nation's economy, I say you are also wrong. To those who would say we have saved, saved I say, Social Security and the financial foundation of our Nation, I say you are wrong again. It is disingenuous to ask that money be spent from the Nation's Treasury for domestic social programs under emergency conditions knowing of the surplus of funds that now exists and knowing the appropriations would not be subject to budget caps that were agreed to over a year ago. The only absolute condition--Social Security can be saved and reformed--is when Congress has created and saved, saved those surplus funds to ensure its solvency. Spending some of the surplus weakens our ability to reform and ensure the solvency of any entitlement deemed by this Congress or the administration. The most important ingredient to make our system work for all Americans is trust and integrity. The framers of the Constitution warned us that there are weaknesses and pitfalls and certain dangers in self-government. In fact, the self-governed, who have the power to vote themselves bread with not one drop of sweat falling from their brows, are not absolved from the responsibility that they have at the ballot box. We, every American, all share this duty. For this system to survive depends on the degree of national responsibility that is found in their elected Representatives. This 105th Congress has addressed crises that fell on our ability to produce food and fiber for this Nation. We addressed the crisis that has befallen our rural communities as a result. We have attempted to address education by using money alone. Again, I fear that we will be disappointed with the results. In this body, we make most of our decisions based on history. The key has always been the past. Communities of this Nation should have, and have had, the power and the wisdom to say ``what, why, and how'' they should educate the next generation. The stakes are high, as the very freedoms we all hold dear and above all else are at issue. The price of freedom is too dear to change the very basic foundation. The Nation has always drawn its power from local communities and their ability to solve not just local problems, but most of the problems of the Nation's interests. To abandon that premise would be dangerous and unwise. It is unfortunate that we have to pass a measure of this magnitude, of this size, but that is the way it was forced upon this Congress this year. Were bad decisions made early on? Yes. But we can make some good decisions now. We must always keep in mind: We only have a surplus in our Nation's Treasury as a result of a strong economy. You could say the taxpayer really overpaid us. If they did, they are also telling us that we should not keep the change. I yield the floor. modifying section 110 of the illegal immigration reform and immigrant responsibility act of 1996 Mr. Abraham. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to comment on a provision included in the omnibus appropriations measure that would modify section 110 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Section 110 would have required the INS to establish, by September 30, 1998, an automated entry and exit control system to document the arrival and departure of every alien entering the United States. This particular language in the Illegal Immigration Reform Act was adopted only in conference and had the unintended and unforeseen consequence of requiring the INS to implement automated entry and exit control at land borders and at seaports, rather than simply at airports. I learned of this market early this Congress and realized that extremely grave consequences would result to trade, commerce, tourism, and legitimate cross-border traffic if it were implemented anywhere other than at airports. My home State of Michigan would be hard-hit. More United States-Canada trade crosses the Michigan border than in any other State. The American automobile industry in particular would be devastated. That industry alone conducts over $300 million of trade with Canada every single day, and relies on new ``just-in-time'' delivery methods that make United States-Canada border crossings an integral part of American automobile manufacturing. A delivery of parts delayed by as little as twenty minutes can cause expensive assembly line shutdowns. Unfortunately, testimony at the two Immigration Subcommittee hearings I chaired on this topic indicated that delays at the border could immediately exceed 24 hours. Implementation of entry and exit control at the land borders would effectively shut the border and effectively shut down the auto and many other industries. It would also involve untold expenditures in the billions of dollars for new infrastructure and personnel. I would like to thank my colleagues for appreciating the seriousness and urgency of this problem. The Senate spoke with one voice on this issue when it granted unanimous consent to the legislation I introduced. Senate bill 1360, that removed any requirement to implement entry and exit control at the land borders and instead provided for a feasibility study on implementing section 110 at the land borders. Last week, the Senate granted unanimous consent to a stopgap measure I introduced to ensure that implementation would not be required pending our resolving this on a longer-term basis. My colleague from New Hampshire, Senator Gregg, who is the chairman of the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Subcommittee, also appreciated the importance and urgency of this issue when he ensured that a provision concerning section 110 was included in the Senate Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill. Mr. Gregg. I thank the Senator from Michigan for pointing that out. We included a repeal of section 110 in the CJS appropriations bill. Section 110 would require a tremendous amount of appropriations for what would be, in my view, almost no tangible benefit. We should be responsible with our appropriations and ensure that federal monies are spent on immigration enforcement efforts that really will be effective, rather than on unintended, untried, and untested systems. Mr. Abraham. Is my understanding correct that the current appropriations legislation before the Congress does not include any funding for implementing entry and exit control at the land borders? Mr. Gregg. That is correct. Mr. Abraham. I would hope that the appropriators will ensure in the future that no money is appropriated for this system until it is certain that the system will cause no additional delays at the land borders and will not harm American trade, tourism, or other legitimate cross-border traffic in any way. Do you agree?

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. I thank the Chair and I thank my colleague on the other side.

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I associate myself with those words. We hate to see Senator Ford go. I ask unanimous consent, after I make a short statement, that my colleague from Texas may follow me because he picks up on the same idea. I have to assume the Chair.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, if the Senator from North Dakota wants to be recognized, very shortly I have to take the Chair and I want to make my statement.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, as we started to hear this debate this morning, and talking about different ways of accomplishing things here on a nonpartisan basis, it started off a little on the partisan side. Education is very dear to the hearts of all of us because all of us, probably, have had a connection with kids and so have been involved in education. I still have one going to school. But to hear the other side talk, we have done nothing about that. You know, we have increased the funds for special education since the Republicans took over in 1994. We passed education savings accounts that would empower parents to make choices for their own children with regard to books and computers and this type stuff. That was a bad idea to the President. He vetoed it. I guess he wants to empower bureaucracy rather than empower parents. We passed the opportunity scholarships, a highly popular program here in Washington, DC, that would allow parents more choice of where to send their kids to school. That was vetoed. We passed a $2.74 billion education bill for classrooms, and we guaranteed that 95 percent of it would get to kids. That met with stiff opposition from the President. Encouraging States to implement teacher testing and merit pay, what is wrong with that? That got vetoed by the President. Strengthening safe schools, the antigun program--that was vetoed. Tax relief to employers who provide workers education assistance, folks we are retraining in this rapidly changing world of technology? Vetoed by the President. I have to look and say all at once: 2 plus 2 is not making 5, when we start talking about education and who wants to do what for whom. I just noticed here, earlier this year my good friend from Massachusetts said we have ``a relationship with Federal, State, and local community levels in terms of education; it is a partnership.'' Tell me how good this partnership is. The Federal Government only provides 7 percent of the money but 50 percent of the paperwork. That should not surprise you a lot if you have been around government at any time. In 1969, our expenditure was $68 billion; in 1996, it was $564 billion; and yet even by their own admission, education continues to struggle and go down. That is the point I wanted to make here. I would say whenever we start looking at education, the answer lies in the realization that you cannot kill or do away with an idea. Ideas rule the world. The only way you get rid of a bad idea is with a better one. I think we have come up with some awfully good ideas. I yield to my friend from Texas.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, five Senators will move on at the closing of this session of the 105th Congress. And they are Senators that have, with the exception of one, been here ever since I joined this body back in 1989. Dirk Kempthorne from Idaho was elected after I was. And now after one term he has elected to go back to his home State of Idaho. It seems like it becomes more and more difficult, as time goes by, to attract men and women to public service, and especially to public service when there are elections. He brought a certain quality to this Senate. On his work on the Environment and Public Works Committee, he was sensitive to the environment and all the public infrastructure that we enjoy across this country. It just seemed to fit, because he had come here after being the mayor of Boise, ID. And his very first objective was to tackle this business of unfunded mandates. He took that issue on and provided the leadership, and finally we passed a law that unfunded mandates must be adhered to whenever we tell local government, State government that it is going to take some of your money to comply with the laws as passed by the Federal Government. He, like me, had come out of local government. He knew the stresses and the pains of city councilmen and mayors and county commissioners every time they struggle with their budget in order to provide the services for their people, when it comes to schools and roads and public safety--all the demands that we enjoy down to our neighborhoods. We shall miss him in this body. To my friend, John Glenn of Ohio, who has already made his mark in history that shall live forever, he has left his tracks in this body. And not many know--and maybe not even him--but I was a lowly corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps when he was flying in the Marine Corps. So my memory of John Glenn goes back more than 40 years to El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in Santa Anna, CA. As he goes into space again at the end of this month, we wish him Godspeed. He gave this country pride as he lifted off and became the first American to orbit the Earth. And he carried with him all of the wishes of the American people. To Dan Coats of Indiana, a classmate, we came to this body together in 1989. Our routes were a little different, but yet almost the same-- he coming from the House of Representatives and me coming from local government. He is a living example of a person dedicated to public service. But it never affected his solid core values. He has not changed one iota since I first met him back in 1989. The other principal is on the floor today. It is Wendell Ford of Kentucky. I was fortunate to serve on two of the most fascinating and hard-working committees in the U.S. Senate with Senator Ford: The Commerce Committee and the Energy Committee. Those committees, folks, touch every life in America every day. We flip on our lights at home or in our businesses. We pick up the telephone, listen to our radio, watch our televisions, move ourselves from point A to point B, no matter what the mode --whether it is auto, train or plane. Yes, all of the great scientific advances this country has made, and research and the improvement of everyday life and, yes, even our venture into space comes under the auspices of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Energy Committee. Those two committees play such a major role in the everyday workings of America. Wendell Ford was one great champion and one of the true principals in formulating policies that we enjoy today. He played a major role in each and every one of them. Again, it was my good fortune to work with Senator Bumpers on two committees: The Small Business Committee and the Energy Committee. There is no one in this body that has been more true to his deeply held beliefs than Senator Bumpers. Our views did not always mesh--and that is true with Senator Ford. It was their wisdom and the way they dealt with their fellow Senators that we worked our way through difficult issues and hard times with a sense of humor. I always say if you come from Arkansas you have to have a pretty good sense of humor. My roots go back to Missouri; I know we had to develop humor very early. Nonetheless, it was the integrity and the honesty that allowed us to settle our differences, even though we were 180 degrees off plumb. I think I have taken from them much more than I have given back to them. This body has gained more than it can repay. This Nation is a better Nation for all of them serving in the U.S. Senate. In our country we don't say goodbye, we just say so long. But we say so long to these Senators from our everyday activities on the floor of the U.S. Senate. I am sure our trails will cross many times in the future. Should they not, I will be the most disappointed of all. I yield the floor.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. I ask unanimous consent that I be able to make some remarks about our departing colleagues at this time.

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I understand we are under an order that the Senate go into recess.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, if my friend from Indiana and my friend from Connecticut will yield, I am not going to oppose this amendment. I congratulate both of them, as they have been dedicated to raising the awareness of the garbage that we have on the Internet. No technology that we can devise, that stays in place very long, is going to actually protect our young children from the pitfalls of the stuff that we find on there. The only thing that we can do, and I think both of them have done this very well, is to raise the awareness of the need for adult supervision whenever young people go on the Internet. That is the only way. That is the only way we are going to get protection and also a public awareness and a public feeling that we are not going to do business with Internet providers who offer this stuff. We cannot protect and use this great tool called the glass highway and bring any integrity to it unless, No. 1, we secure it when I send a message to you. Of course, that is the encryption issue, and that is an issue we have to fight another day, as far as law enforcement surveillance and this type of thing is concerned. But we cannot be lulled or rocked into a position of where we are in a basket of comfort, thinking we have done the job and protected our children from the pedophiles and the garbage that we find on the Internet, because the Internet is going to reflect what we have in society. No matter where you go, you will find what you are looking for. It is going to be there, too, just like it is downtown or any place in America. So, I am not going to oppose this amendment. I do have some reservations about it because, No. 1, I think it is overreaching a little bit into industrial policy, as far as what we should be doing. But I tell Americans, don't get comfortable in this basket of security because we have this amendment or that we have this legislation, that we are still going to be susceptible to the people who prey on the Internet with garbage. We will never solve that problem. The only place it will be solved is through parents and us talking about it and raising the awareness that it is there. Parental supervision, supervision in our schools and our libraries, that is the only way we defeat this. Because basically we are decent people, that is what will defeat it. That is what will finally crowd it off of there, and also secure it, so maybe there will not be any room for it. I hope that would be the case, also. I congratulate the Senator from Indiana. I will miss him and his service in the next U.S. Senate. But nobody has a more stellar record than Senator Coats on these issues of family and decency in the public place. I appreciate that. I yield the floor.

Mr. BURNS

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

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, as we move into the final week of the 105th Congress, I am reminded by everything that is going on around us of the importance of our work here. Most Senators would agree that this will be a closing unlike what the majority of Senators have ever seen. It will test each and every one of us and will remind Members just why we are here. It will test our patience and stamina regarding each and every piece of legislation that we have toiled on throughout the 105th Congress in the last 2 years. We have worked on legislation that has been in the pipeline, and now we are coming down to the small end of the funnel. Just as air, when compressed, picks up velocity, legislation picks up movement in the last week of a session. The agenda of this Congress has been and should be simple. I gather it has been a simple one. We responded to emergencies all across the land and, yes, beyond the shores of our great land. We responded to the needs of people within our borders, attended to the needs that were a part of circumstances beyond anybody's choosing or control. Basically, that is what we do best. There is a quality of statesmanship that is a part of each and every one of us who serve here. It will be tested as reality sets in. Some highly important issues to us all will need to be laid aside for another day. Believe me, there will be another day. There will be another battleground. The decisions that are now before the Senate, should government be placed above all else in the average lives of all Americans? My answer is, hardly. I think it is during these times that we must reassess the role of the Federal Government and the role each of us must fill. Competition is keen among all who serve the American people at each level of government. Can we forget that we are not a true democracy and remember that we are a Republic? Each State of this great Union plays their important role in the day-to-day business of public service. The agenda for this week is appropriations, funding the important part of our Government, which could include national security, our relations with the world community, and the economic well-being of our citizens. In other words, ensuring each and every American is not denied the American dream. As we close the Senate and the 105th Congress, it may be asking something out of the ordinary, but it is not impossible that we lay aside the issues that cloud and delay and wait for another day. This Nation has survived for the past 200 years and will survive another 200 years. Yesterday, we heard announcements coming from both sides of the aisle and many other sources that the other side would risk shutting down the Government should we not fulfill the agenda of appropriations. If the Government is shut down because of a lack of funding, it will be the fault of the other person or party. That was the message this weekend and all day yesterday. It is time that we reassess what has happened to get us where we are. We have been using delaying tactics either to block or slow progress of the appropriations process--nothing but delaying tactics, pure and simple. Now that we are at this point, someone must be to blame. Do we blame somebody else, or do we blame ourselves? Is there a mindset that the responsibility or the lack of responsibility does not fall on each and every one of us, whether we serve in the legislative arm of this Government or the administrative arm? Are we really saying we don't have the courage to accept the responsibility and suffer the consequences of our own actions? How can we ask our younger Americans to develop a sense of responsibility if we do not do it? Are we a nation of laws or a nation of self-satisfaction and the impulses or emotions of the day? What we do here matters. It matters more than any one of us can imagine. Now is not the time for posturing. It is time to let the statesmanship that lives in each and every one of us come out and complete the Nation's business. I think the folks who sent us here will appreciate that, the Nation would be better off for it, and so will you as an individual. Then you will have earned and deserve the title of U.S. Senator, serving the people of the greatest nation ever established on this planet. Mr. President, that is just a reminder, as we move into the closing days, of some problems that we have to deal with before we all go home. I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, Governor Marc Racicot of my home State of Montana recently wrote an op-ed on community service which appeared in the Washington Times and The Hill newspapers. For the benefit of those who haven't seen it, I ask to have the op-ed inserted into the Congressional Record. [From The Washington, Times, Aug. 31, 1998] Community Service That Works (By Marc Racicot) Governors meet together and routinely stake out areas of broad bipartisan agreement that transcend the partisan struggles that have become synonymous with election-year politics. One issue that enjoys strong support from governors of both parties is national and community service. The support for service is based on a simple conviction that I share with many other governors: that every generation of young people needs to accept responsibility for its country and its community. As a first-term Republican governor in January, 1993, I asked, and our legislature approved, a proposal to create a Governor's Office of Community Service intended to enhance the ethic of service and elevate the importance of ``community,'' particularly among our young people. Meaningful service, we believed, would nurture productive young citizens committed to the future of our state because they had invested their sweat and labor in that future. Here in Montana, we sought to encourage service as a life-long ``habit of the heart.'' When the National Community Service Act of 1993 was passed, Montana was in an ideal position to move forward with the opportunity offered through AmeriCorps. The Office of Community Service's mission and the mission of AmeriCorps was one and the same: to develop opportunities for young people to provide meaningful, direct and demonstrable service to their communities. It was our hope that AmeriCorps would help us to build unique partnerships with public and private agencies by engaging young people in productive and meaningful service to their communities. These partnerships would serve as clear examples of how we could work together in Montana to improve how we, as fellow citizens, respond to pressing needs. Now in its fourth year, AmeriCorps offers a creative, effective, and non-bureaucratic means of addressing the unmet education, human, public safety and environmental needs of our state-- and our country. Indeed, AmeriCorps has become a model of devolution, where real authority and ownership for a federal initiative is delegated to the states. Through governor-appointed bipartisan state commissions, priorities are established and projects are selected to receive AmeriCorps funding. The results are impressive. Last year alone, our locally- run AmeriCorps programs generated nearly $1,000 hours of service to Montana communities. Their service directly benefits 50,000 children and families in Montana, and indirectly almost one-third of our state population. Nationally, similar results abound. This year, some 40,000 AmeriCorps members will get things done for more than 1,200 communities across the country. When AmeriCorps was created, some feared it might replay the worst of the welfare state--an entrenched, expensive, Washington run program. Many feared, even more, that it would undermine traditional volunteers with yet another federal program. I can say from experience that the fears were misplaced. As a governor who tries very hard to be careful with tax dollars, I have witnessed time and again the fruits of this prudent investment in Montana. Now, after more than five years, we have seen a tremendous rekindling of a sense of public service and civic duty, in many ways, through the programs and opportunities generated through the National Community Service Act. I am convinced national and community service promotes core values--hard work, self-discipline, civic duty, personal responsibility, the cherishing of human life--that we too often sadly find lacking. If the era of big government is finally over, certainly the era of big citizenship must begin. I have joined twelve of my fellow governors in urging not only continued federal funding of AmeriCorps, but also reauthorization of the Act, increasing the partnership with states and the authority of directing these programs at the state level. We join with our peers from the New England Governors' Conference in urging Congress to support reauthorizing the National Community Service Amendments Act, in order to improve the laws's current language. As their resolution notes, we support the bill's ``devolution provisions that add authority and flexibility to states . . . [to] provide Governor-appointed state commissions more control over program selection.'' Community service is a vital element in the chemistry of our existence as a society, renewing our sense of community and civic initiative. It is the glue that bonds free peoples together. We in Montana have seen how vitally important this is, recently having completed our state Governors' Summit on Youth, and witnessing the real necessity of promoting opportunities for young people to give back to others. Through community service they learn what it's like to belong to something good and solid and decent. AmeriCorps helps provide that opportunity and truly puts the states in the driver's seat, which translates into meaningful ownership, and impact, at the state and local level.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, the Senate is not in order.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of a great American patriot and fellow Montanan, Colonel Sam Roberts, U.S. Air Force, retired. Colonel Roberts is a true American hero, who exemplifies the meaning of duty, honor and country. Today, in my home state of Montana, Colonel Roberts will be honored at the University of Montana during an 80th anniversary ceremony for the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Colonel Roberts received many honors during his career. These awards include the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Air Medals and Commendation Awards from both the Army and the Air Force. In the 1960's, Colonel Roberts, who was assigned to the Strategic Air Command, briefed our Nation's leaders about the threats to our country and potential targets for the United States during the cold war. Sam Roberts was a great leader of those under his command. His motto: ``Don't ask any of your men to do anything that you wouldn't do yourself or that you wouldn't show them how to do yourself,'' is a cornerstone that we should look for in the future leaders of our military. I salute Colonel Sam Roberts, and his lovely wife, Kathleen, for the sacrifices they made during Sam's career and thank them for a job well done. I consider it an honor and privilege to call Sam and Kathleen Roberts my friends.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I stand here today to recognize the beginning of a new era for the Montana Army National Guard. Activation of the Montana Guard Cavalry Troop, also known as the Blackhorse unit, will commence on October 3, 1998. This will be an integrated cavalry troop that is part of a regiment whose distinguished history dates back to the turn of the century. The Blackhorse is currently one of only three armored cavalry regiments in the United States Army. The mission of this regiment is to train Army units for the next possible war and does so by challenging those units in real life scenarios to meet the test of active warfare. The Blackhorse unit is considered the most highly trained unit in the United States Army. The Montana Army National Guard is both honored and privileged to join the Blackhorse unit as an equal partner. The Montana Army National Guard must be prepared to meet the challenges of what the future may hold. Now affiliated with the Blackhorse unit, the men and the women of Montana who serve to protect our nation, will be ready.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to one of Montana's newest and brightest stars. Summit Design and Manufacturing, a Montana-based company located in Helena, Montana, recently took a giant leap on the stepping stones of success. It is both an honor and a great pleasure to announce that Summit Design and Manufacturing was recently awarded the ``Outstanding Team Player Award'' by Lockheed Martin for work they have performed on the F-22 fighter aircraft. This award is given to only 5 Lockheed Martin suppliers selected from a pool of around 4,500 suppliers program wide. Even more impressive is that Summit's selection is the first time this type of supplier has received such an award. Since their start-up in June 1997, Summit has grown from four employees to 15 and now boasts deliveries for the F-22 program at approximately $2 million is sales for the past 12 months. In less than a year, this company has become one of Montana's technological advantages over the rest of the nation. Besides performing design and manufacturing work on the F-22 in Montana, other involvement with Lockheed Martin has included producing parts and tools for the X-33 Spacecraft, Joint Strike Fighter and the C-130J aircraft programs. I often say that folks in Montana are very special people and I commend Tom Hottman and Summit Design and Manufacturing for their perseverance and commitment in today's small business society.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I am here today to talk about some good news for a change. I want to talk about the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1998 that Senator McCain is introducing, and I am cosponsoring. The purpose of this legislation is to link some of the amazing innovations in wireless technology to 9-1-1 and emergency response professionals. All kinds of technologies exist today that can greatly reduce response time to emergencies and help victims get the right kind of medical attention quickly. But right now these technologies are not connected in ways that we can use them for emergencies. That's why this effort to upgrade our 9-1-1 systems across the nation is to so important and necessary. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has conducted studies showing that crash-to-care time for fatal accidents is about a half hour in urban areas. In rural areas, which covers most of my home state of Montana, that crash-to-care time almost doubles. On average, it takes just shy of an hour to get emergency attention to crash victims in rural areas. Almost half of the serious crash victims who do not receive care in that first hour die at the scene of the accident. That's a scary statistic. But it doesn't have to continue that way. Drew Dawson, who is the Director of the Montana Emergency Medical Services Bureau and president of the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Directors, strongly supports this legislation. He tells me that the bill will help bring better wireless 9-1-1 coverage to Montana and will enhance our statewide Trauma Care System. Mr. Dawson believes this legislation will help him and his emergency folks do their job better, which means it will help them save more lives than they already do. Montana unfortunately has a high motor vehicle crash death rate. Part of this bill promotes research on something called Automatic Crash Notification technology or ACN as Mr. Dawson and the trauma and emergency professionals call it. ACN technology takes the sensors in cars, such as airbag sensors and speed sensors, and links them to a wireless phone and a location device. When an ACN-equipped car in a remote area of Montana crashes, the car automatically dials 9-1-1. Not only does the car dial 9-1-1 but it transmits data telling the emergency operator where exactly the crash victim is and the likelihood of the victim's injuries. This ACN system also opens up a voice channel enabling the emergency operator to speak to the crash victim. ACN technology comes into effect only seconds after the crash. It can be rigged so that the emergency operator gets the crash information as well as the nearest trauma center. ACN would eliminate many drawn out search and rescues that usually have to take place. In these crash situations, time is of the essence. The emergency medical professionals refer to the first hour after a crash as the ``Golden Hour.'' They say if they can get to victims in that first hour, then they have a good chance of limiting the severity of the injuries. Once the clock ticks over an hour, the chances of medical miracles lessen more and more. Reducing response time means the difference between life and death. I have to say a word about all of the good work that folks like Drew Dawson in Montana and other emergency professionals do all over the country. The United States has the most skilled and dedicated group of medical and emergency professionals in the world. We just need to give them better tools. There is technology out there that can help these professionals and that can help all of us citizens, if, God forbid, we ever find ourselves in an emergency situation needing this kind of help. The Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1998 will help all of us and will make our emergency services even better than they are today. Mr. President, I hope all of my colleagues will join me and help pass this important legislation.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to salute DOW Stereo/Video of San Diego, and its Director, Tom Campbell, for successfully introducing HDTV to the consuming public. As co-chair of the Internet Caucus I am particularly pleased with this accomplishment, given Mr. Campbell's hard work as a member of the Advisory Board to the Caucus. Following years of development, which has enjoyed substantial support from Congress, HDTV is now a reality. The technology for the first commercial units was largely developed by Panasonic/USA in the San Diego area. It once again proves what can happen when American ingenuity and talent are combined with commitment and perserverance. DOW Stero/Video, through its leadership in Michael Romagnolo, President/CEO, and Tom Campbell, has been on the cutting edge of introducing new technologies to the American public for over 20 years. They were first in introducing WEB TV, digital video disc player (DVD), personal communications systems (PCS), consumer digital camcorder (DVC), and the first interactive multimedia system for automobiles featuring GPS navigation. Various industry awards and recognition has clearly earned DOW the title of ``industry launch pad for the consumer electronic industry''. I ask my colleagues to join me today in congratulating Tom Campbell and DOW Stereo/Video. The American consumer will continue to benefit from their ongoing efforts.

Mr. BURNS

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that I might use 2 minutes from the opposition's side of this issue.

Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, there are some of us who do not have the eloquent speech of those who have spoken on this issue, but I think that I have a pretty good advisor in this issue. I am wondering if I am listening to the same America in which I grew up. In rural America, life was simple but life was precious. We were fortunate enough in our family to have a couple of outstanding young folks blessed to our family, one of whom is now a medical doctor in family medicine. A couple of years ago when this issue came up, she was the first one to call me, she being a new graduate of the University of Washington at the Seattle medical school and now doing her residency in Tennessee. She is blessed with a deeply faithful heart and motivated to doing the good things for humanity, taking her oath that she took upon graduation from medical school very, very seriously. If you have not heard that oath, maybe one should read it one time and see what the medical doctors take upon themselves, those who really do dedicate themselves to humanity. She, plain and simply, told her father that there is no reason for this procedure at all, none.