Robert Byrd

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, what is the order of business?

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator from Minnesota.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. He is. He was majority leader longer than any other Senator.

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, on Wednesday, September 20, the Senate lost one of its own family members. Not a member with a capital ``M,'' elected by the people, but an unpaid, unsung, but O so important member of the Senate family. On Wednesday, Maureen Mansfield, the beloved wife of former majority leader Mike Mansfield, passed away. It is safe to say that without the efforts, energy, dedication, and love of Maureen Mansfield, the Senate and the people of Montana might never have benefited from the extraordinary talents of Mike Mansfield. Like myself, Mike was raised by an aunt and uncle after the death of his mother when he was just 3 years old. During the First World War, Mike Mansfield dropped out of school and joined the Navy, and he also served with the Army and the Marine Corps. Upon his return to Montana, he worked as a mucker in the copper mines and did not resume the schooling he had left in the eighth grade. Maureen, a high school teacher when her younger sister introduced her to Mike, encouraged him to return to school. She helped him to apply to Montana State University and helped him complete his high school equivalency courses before completing college. She cashed in her life insurance and worked as a social worker in order to support her husband in school. Then both of them went on to earn Master's degrees. Maureen Mansfield did not believe, and disproved, the old saw that you cannot change a man and that all efforts to do so are futile. Mike Mansfield's congressional career also benefitted from Maureen Mansfield's support. Maureen would campaign for Mike in Montana, sometimes on her own when Mike could not get away from Washington. Mike Mansfield served five terms in the House before his first election to the Senate. In the Senate, Lyndon Johnson picked Mike for party whip. In those days, it was different from what it is now because a leader would not pick another Member for the office of party whip. That is a matter that the Members will resolve. Mike went on to serve as Majority Leader himself for sixteen years, longer than any other Senator. I served as his party whip. I continued to hold Mike Mansfield in the highest respect. Mike and Maureen have always been good friends to me and Erma, and we will both miss their companionship and the very deep affection and esteem with which they treated each other, and which sustained them through 68 years of marriage. Erma and I have 5 more years to go before we can say we have been married 68 years. But Mike and Maureen set an example as an exemplary creative family in that regard. Mike Mansfield never lost his appreciation for his wife's support. He always readily gave Maureen the credit that he felt she was due and which I, having enjoyed the same kind of love and support from my wife, readily endorse. These talented, organized, gracious women, such as Maureen Mansfield and Erma Byrd, could have commanded armies. They could have run universities or won Senate seats in their own right. But they chose instead to hitch their stars to the wagons of their husbands. And Mike Mansfield and I are definitely the better for it. I believe, too, that the nation is better off as result as well. The demands of the Senate, particularly the demands placed upon Majority Leaders, are stressful, time-consuming, and exhausting. It is even more than a two-person job. I could concentrate on Senate matters knowing that Erma was there at home to support me and to give the love, affection, and attention to our two daughters that they so much deserved. I am here to say that one old adage is certainly true, and we have all heard it many times. That is, behind any great man is an even greater woman. To the extent that I ever wanted to be great, I have been denied that. But I can say that I have Erma to thank for whatever I have been able to accomplish. I know Mike Mansfield would say the same about Maureen. Now that Maureen has found new life in the shelter of God's hand, I hope that Mike, his daughter Anne, and his granddaughter might sympathize with the words of ``The Beyond,'' penned by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1855-1919): It seemeth such a little way to me, Across to that strange country, the Beyond; And yet, not strange, for it has grown to be The home of those of whom I am so fond; They make it seem familiar and most dear, As journeying friends bring distant countries near. And so for me there is no sting to death, And so the grave has lost its victory; It is but crossing with bated breath And white, set face, a little strip of sea, To find the loved ones waiting on the shore, More beautiful, more precious than before. We miss her here, but she surely waits for Mike. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. BYRD. We were in very different times, and we were dealing with different personalities. He was a remarkable man, however. I thank the very distinguished senior Senator from New Mexico for his words.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I may briefly speak now, and that I may also be recognized following the speech by Mr. McCain and the speech by Mr. Domenici for not to exceed 45 minutes.

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, it is my understanding that Mr. Domenici, and then Mr. McCain, have orders for recognition.

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

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, in this season of fall, the view from our window on the world transforms. As the stoic Greek philosopher Heraclitus has been quoted as saying, ``Nothing endures but change.'' Since I became a Senator in 1959, I have observed that every 2 years the picture of the United States Senate also changes. This year will be no exception. Before we adjourn, we will wish a fond farewell to the men who have chosen to leave the hallowed halls of the Capitol to travel down new roads that will bring different vistas into view. Five of our fellow Senators know, even before the election results are tallied in November, that come January 2001--the beginning of the 21st century and the beginning of the third millennium--they will be starting out on a new journey. One of these five has announced that he will take a position that will allow him to continue his advocacy for a fine and noble pursuit, the pursuit of education. In January, Senator Bob Kerrey, the Senior Senator from Nebraska, but the youngest Senator who has announced his retirement from the Senate this session, will begin a new life, far from his native Omaha, as president of the New School University of New York City. There he certainly will have a different view from his window on the world, a much different view than the one we see from Capitol Hill. While many of us were surprised by Senator Kerrey's decision not to seek reelection at the youthful age of 57 years, setting off on new adventures is nothing new to Senator Kerrey, who has already followed many different paths during his lifetime. While serving in the Senate, Bob Kerrey has never feared to take the path less trodden, to follow his convictions and his principles no matter how rocky or lonely the road. His independence of thought and action is legendary. After earning a Master of Science degree in pharmacy in 1966 from the University of Nebraska, he volunteered for military service in Vietnam. Not only did he volunteer to bear arms for our Nation, he distinguished himself during service. He earned a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and as a U.S. Navy SEAL. In doing so, Bob Kerrey displayed such courage, dedication, and heroism that he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Nixon. In March 1999, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the events giving rise to his receiving the Medal of Honor, I joined with my colleagues in the Senate to salute him for his courage, his determination, and his heroism. His heroic story is inspiring. After Senator Kerrey's return from service as a U.S. Navy SEAL, he started a chain of restaurants and health clubs in his home State of Nebraska. Then, in 1982, he ran for Governor of Nebraska and won. He served as Governor of Nebraska until 1986, when he announced, to the surprise of many, that despite a 70-percent approval rating, he would not seek another term as Governor. He was prepared to take a turn down a different road, and 2 years later, he won a seat in the United States Senate. When his face was added to the Senate picture in 1989, he became a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. It was my pleasure to welcome him, as I was chairman of that committee at that time. I appreciated the clear vision and the unflappable demeanor that Senator Kerrey brought to the committee. In 1997, he chose to leave the Appropriations Committee for the Senate Committee on Finance. The countenance of that important committee will drastically change when we return, God willing, in January, after Senators Moynihan, Bryan, Kerrey, and Mack depart from the Senate, of their own volition and on their own choice. I commend Senator Kerrey for his willingness to work hard on issues of interest to him and to his constituents. During his 57 years of life, he has thus far been a scholar, a U.S. Navy SEAL, a Medal of Honor recipient, a scholar, a restauranteur, a fitness club founder, Governor of Nebraska, and a United States Senator. He has made his life unique. I wish the Senator from Nebraska well as he sets off down the path for his next adventure. Knowing Senator Kerrey's propensity for taking his own road, I shall close with the following lines of verse written by Robert Frost. We are all familiar with that great poem, ``The Road Not Taken.'' The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, once again a critical region of the Middle East is engaged in violent clashes. Over the last week, the death toll in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank has risen to 67 lives lost. I know that Prime Minister Ehud Barak and PLO Leader Yasser Arafat made heroic efforts to try to reach a peace agreement these last few months. They even met for part of the time in my own State of West Virginia. With U.S. support and encouragement, the Israelis and Palestinians stood at the brink of a resolution, and they were as close as they have ever been to resolving a very longstanding dispute in that ancient, volatile, and embattled part of our world. Though I hope these two peoples will return to the negotiating table, today that opportunity appears lost. This disheartening incident again illustrates that the Middle East peace is very fragile and could erupt like flash powder. While Saddam Hussein has been quelled for the time being, the world must always be on the watch. We do not know if the Israelis and Palestinians will reach a peace accord. Americans are affected in many ways. We have security and family interests in this region of the world, and the United States gets much of its energy resources from there as well. The U.S., our European allies, and many other industrial countries are tethered to the Middle Eastern oil chain. If we are ever going to break that stranglehold, then it is time that we take action here at home. Over the past 18 months, the national average price of gasoline has risen from under $1 per gallon to $1.52 per gallon this week. As winter approaches and crude oil inventories remain at record low levels, both gasoline and fuel prices are expected to increase further. Americans are growing increasingly concerned about the seemingly endless volatility in our energy markets. What we are seeing, Mr. President, in the fluctuation of energy prices is a textbook study of how supply and demand can affect energy prices. First, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed last year to reduce crude oil production, thus increasing the cost of producing gasoline. Secondly, gasoline refineries, which had shut down some operations when crude oil prices fell to record lows in 1998, suddenly faced shortages of production capacity to produce gasoline and heating oil when demand spiked earlier this year. In response, the administration has successfully lobbied for an increase by OPEC in crude oil production over the past year. In March, OPEC's decision to increase crude oil production temporarily reduced the cost of gasoline, but prices increased again going into the summer driving season as demand for gasoline increased. Gasoline prices decreased in late summer, but, as winter approaches and the expected demand for crude oil, heating oil, and gasoline increases, prices could very likely climb again. These are the ups and downs of the energy roller coaster that has taken the American public for a ride. To make matters worse, this volatility in gasoline prices is occurring as the United States prepares itself for the upcoming Presidential election. This has added fuel to the fire as Members of Congress, the administration, and politicians everywhere position themselves politically to avoid blame for the spike in energy prices. Unfortunately, such positioning is usually accompanied by a myriad of snake-oil remedies and miracle cures that do little more than lull the American public into believing that the problem is being fixed when, in fact, the problem is being exacerbated. Two weeks ago, the administration announced such a proposal, against the better judgment of the U.S. Treasury Secretary and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, that would authorize the sale of 30 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve over the next month. This is the same petroleum reserve that was created in response to the 1973 Arab oil embargo to store oil in case of a national emergency, such as a war in the Middle East. Like the Army, you hope never to use the reserve. But, if you need to, it should be big enough to do the job. Yet, the release of oil from this reserve is unlikely to have a significant effect on prices at the pump. The United States consumes approximately 19 million to 20 million barrels of crude oil per day. The administration's proposal would provide for an additional one million barrels per day. Such a small amount of oil is unlikely to have much of an effect on gasoline prices, especially in light of the additional 800,000 barrels per day of crude oil that will be produced by OPEC. But what is worse is that this sort of intervention in the domestic energy market, which may seem simple, could actually be self defeating. If refiners expect more oil to be released from the reserve, these shrewd businessmen may hold off on buying more crude oil to produce gasoline and heating oil until the price of crude oil decreases, which would make it more profitable to them, not to mention the oil companies that have posted strong profits this year. Similarly, OPEC could easily offset any benefits from the release of crude oil from the reserve by reducing its own production by an equal amount. So, I am not sure that Americans should breathe a collective sigh of relief at this announcement regarding releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It might be good public relations but not a good faith effort to reduce prices. A similar ``fix all, miracle cure'' was offered this spring in response to high oil prices. Some Members of Congress proposed reducing the federal excise tax on gasoline in order to reduce prices at the pump. In their rush to score political points, the proposal was brought to the Senate floor for a vote twice in April--once as an amendment to the fiscal year 2001 budget resolution and again as a freestanding bill. Both times, a sensible majority in the Senate voted not to repeal the gasoline tax by substantial majorities. I am proud that so many of my colleagues refused to swallow this patent nostrum, realizing that first, the savings from the excise tax repeal would not filter down to the consumer, and, second, that a reduction in the excise tax would have a significantly negative effect on the highway trust fund. Presumably, the sponsors of this dangerous proposition were going to provide tax relief to these oil and gas companies and delay highway projects just to make a political point. It is time to get beyond this campaign hysteria and last-minute gimmickery. These current concerns are really just symptoms of a larger problem. Mr. President, I would also be remiss if I did not raise disturbing evidence that oil companies are sending our own oil overseas. On average, 50,000 to 90,000 barrels of oil per day have been exported to the Asian Pacific Region from Alaska's Northern Slope after an export ban was lifted in 1995. This output equaled about 27 million barrels in 1999. Why are we exporting oil from Alaska to countries like South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China when we face shortages at home? Are the same voices advocating for increased production in Alaska also supporting the export of oil overseas while simultaneously criticizing the recent release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve? These voices are singing the siren song for increased oil company profits, not the hallelujah chorus of relief for the average American. So here we are today caught in a black hole that will do little to move us down the road toward developing a sustainable energy policy. Just last week, a motion was made to proceed to S. 2557. I believe that we should be deliberating proposals on energy security. I also believe that we should not forget that there are other measures out there that should be given equal attention. While this bill may have some valid energy policy provisions, so do many other proposals. I note for the record, that Senator Daschle began an effort over two years ago to construct an energy security package. This effort, which I have cosponsored, addresses a number of important energy resources and industries. If Senators wish to support greater energy independence and encourage cleaner, more efficient technologies, then I urge them to also look at S. 2904, the Energy Security Tax and Policy Act of 2000. We need to be talking about very complicated and critical energy matters, asking what role and responsibility we all must play. What is OPEC doing? What are the oil and gas companies doing? What is the administration doing? What is Congress doing? What are we doing individually? My call for a comprehensive national energy policy is longstanding. On May 14, 1984, I took to the Floor with a warning that America should not be so dependent on Persian Gulf oil. At that time, the Reagan Administration was trying to eliminate the Department of Energy and its many energy programs. I argued that this was a wrongheaded approach and that short-term budget concerns should not dominate longer-term national security interests. At that time, I said: ``Our energy security rests upon our military might, not upon our natural resources, nor our technological genius.'' In another floor statement from August 6, 1987, I noted how the Reagan administration was continuing to undercut funding for the fossil, renewable, and synthetic fuels programs. That administration had slashed spending for energy conservation programs and vetoed legislation to provide for emergency preparedness and national appliance efficiency standards. Additionally, the Reagan administration was even balking at filling--not using--but filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In reviewing that August 1987 speech, I warned: Why must the energy security of the United States be protected first with guns and not with brains or our homegrown natural resources? . . . The Reagan Administration's destruction of the Nation's long-term energy policies--policies that have been developed and promoted by every Administration since President Nixon--is imperiling America's energy security. What can Congress do to find some common ground? Energy security and energy independence are a critical national, in fact, a critical international issue. Congress should find beneficial proposals and move forward on passing legislation in the 107th Congress that will get the job done. We should be looking at a variety of opportunities. Let me offer one example from the recent past. Several weeks ago, while the Senate was debating the bill to grant China permanent normal trade relations, I offered an amendment to increase the use of American-made clean energy technologies in China. No Senator argued against this amendment on its merits. I believe that if a proposal like this were offered on another bill, then it could very likely have passed by an overwhelming margin and would be a win-win-win opportunity for business, labor, and the environment. I say to my colleagues, knowing that a multi-trillion dollar clean energy and environmental infrastructure market will be exploding in the coming decades, we should be taking every opportunity to promote market-based initiatives to deploy these American-made clean energy technologies at home and export these same technologies to developing countries as soon as possible. Still, I realize that an effective energy strategy will require much debate and a good bit of negotiation. This is not something that can be resolved by depending on any one approach, technology, or resource. There are many serious questions that must be examined when considering our energy choices. We must consider the pros and cons of each of our energy resources and ask the following questions. With regard to oil and natural gas, how can the U.S. decrease its dependence on foreign producers by increasing domestic production while also ensuring that environmental protection and conservation are promoted? Regarding nuclear energy, is it possible for the U.S. to continue utilizing our existing nuclear energy facilities while also finding a workable solution to the problem of nuclear waste? Can the U.S. find ways to decrease the price for renewable technologies like wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass in a very competitive energy market? Is it possible to reconcile the conflicts regarding hydroelectric power and sustainable fisheries? How can the U.S. continue to use coal while ensuring that the air and water are made even cleaner? Finally, how can American businesses and individuals use all of these energy resources more wisely and find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? No one industry, no one resource, no one technology, no one approach is going to provide that one silver bullet to fix our energy security problems! Our long-term energy security interest goes far beyond the current price hikes in gasoline, diesel, home heating oil, or electricity. I fear that, as a nation, we are falling asleep at the wheel. We need policies that buffer our economy and our people from decisions made by foreign suppliers. It is time to focus on increased research and development into advanced technologies, energy efficiency and conservation measures, and market-based incentives to rapidly move these advanced technologies and conservation measures from the lab to the field. I believe that a comprehensive national energy strategy can do all of this and incorporate a strong environmental strategy as well. Therefore, what would a comprehensive national energy strategy include? Let me suggest a framework that I believe would help Congress craft such an energy policy. We must look at developing all of our energy resource sectors--fossil, nuclear, and renewables. A comprehensive plan must include improved measures for all of the major energy consuming sectors--the transportation, manufacturing, residential, and commercial sectors. A national energy plan needs to address the development and the conservation of our resources. It does no good to be producing more of our energy at home if we are not making further progress to conserve energy as well, especially in a growing economy. We need to develop an effective pipeline for the development of more advanced energy technologies. This will demand that more money and effort must be devoted to research and development, demonstration, and, ultimately, deployment in the market place. This energy strategy must be sound economically and environmentally. We must examine actions that can be taken now as well as actions for the long-term. Finally, while taking these steps domestically, we should also be finding ways that we can increase the export of American-made clean energy technologies to other countries that need these technologies just as much as we do. As many of my colleagues know, I have been working for many years to provide funding for a range of clean energy technologies. I note that two of these 21st century clean energy technologies, the Clean Coal and fuel cell programs, are being centered at our nation's newest national laboratory, the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, WV and Pittsburgh, PA and I believe that Congress should continue to support critical efforts like these in the future. These are 21st century clean energy technologies--not because this is the 21st century, it is not, until next year. But we are talking about technologies that extend into the future. These technologies are essential for growing our economy while also ensuring that environmental improvements, energy security, public health, and air and water quality are met. I have been working for 15 years on the Clean Coal Technology Program, and I believe that it is possible to bring together several complementary and mutually beneficial proposals. Let me outline a framework for coal and Clean Coal Technologies that I believe should be included in an energy security bill in the 107th Congress. This package must be bipartisan, and I look forward to working with my Democratic and Republican colleagues who have supported this effort like Senator Daschle, Senator McConnell, and others. Senator Lott's bill, S. 2557, has requested a report from the Department of Energy regarding coal and the development of an effective research, development, and demonstration program. I agree it is time to do a more comprehensive study of Clean Coal Technologies. Among other steps, the Department of Energy should work with the private sector on a study to find ways for achieving higher performance goals and should recommend a road map for the development of these new technologies. The Congress should also consider authorizing additional funding to carry out a more advanced research, development, and demonstration program to achieve these ends. I will certainly put my shoulder to the appropriations wheel in an effort to assist in this regard. A comprehensive energy package should also include a provision to promote the commercialization of Clean Coal Technologies, similar to that included in S. 2904. This provision, which I and other Senators support, would help to establish incentives to increase the deployment of these advanced Clean Coal Technologies now and in the future. Finally, it is time that the U.S. turn its attention to the current fleet of coal-fired power plants. These coal-fired powerplants generate approximately 56 percent of our Nation's electricity and are the work horses of our electric generating capacity. Up here is part of the work. Take a look at the lights in the ceiling. When the curtains of night fall, look at the lights at the top of the Capitol and across both sides of the Capitol, and pause to think that those lights are burning because coal is still being mined. It is time that we examine market-based incentives to make emission reductions and efficiency improvements for the existing fleet of coal- fired electric power generation. I believe that Americans witnessed a healthy discussion about our Nation's energy security at Tuesday night's presidential debate between Vice President Gore and Governor Bush. Both candidates put forward their views on how the U.S. can effectively develop a comprehensive national energy policy. Each candidate made what I believe signify complementary goals regarding a comprehensive energy policy. Principally, Governor Bush expressed his belief that the U.S. should take additional steps to increase the availability of our domestic energy resources, and Vice President Gore asserted that the U.S. should also find ways to decrease our energy consumption. Additionally, and particularly, I welcome the comments by both Presidential candidates regarding clean coal technologies. I have to say that this present administration and some of the budgets that have come to the Hill have sought to defer funding on clean coal technology, and even this year sought to rescind some of the money. That is going in the wrong direction. The Vice President, in his September 14, 2000, letter to United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts remarked, ``I strongly support accelerating the development and deployment of technologies that will allow us to use coal in cleaner and more efficient ways.'' Following his announced support for clean coal technologies at a campaign stop in Huntington, WV a day before, Governor Bush also voiced his support at the debate by saying, ``I want to develop the coal resources in America and have clean coal technologies.'' Responding to those comments by Governor Bush, Vice President Gore said, ``I strongly support new investments in clean coal technology.'' I am heartened by the comments of both candidates, and I hope that the next administration will be a strong advocate for the increased research and development, demonstration, and deployment of these clean coal technologies in the coming years. The next administration has an obligation to follow through on those commitments to help America's coal miners, develop our own resources and technologies, and to deploy these clean coal technologies in the market at home and abroad. If we want to have a national energy strategy, then we must sit down together and put all of our interests on the table. I heard a great deal of talk by both Presidential candidates in that debate about what each is going to do. Each is going to do this and each is going to do that, and this is going to happen and that is going to happen. Very little mention was made in that debate about Congress. Congress has to be a partner in carrying out whatever plans the winning candidate may have in this respect and in other respects. So don't leave out Congress, my friends. Congress is very much a partner. I hope both candidates will recognize that in their future debates. They will think of Congress because it takes help from Congress, because Congress is made up of the elected representatives of the people. You have to have Congress on your side, whoever becomes President. We will sit down together and put all of our interests on the table. We should judge the success of our energy strategy by how it affects the average person. How will it benefit farmers, coal miners, home owners, and truck drivers? We need to help create more jobs and an even stronger economy and ensure that the U.S. does not quiver each time that OPEC tries to flex its muscles. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the winds of the current political movement. The American people are not fools. They realize that last-minute, short-term, quick- fix solutions do little to address the underlying problem: the need for comprehensive national energy policy. It is my hope that Congress will begin to take a serious look at energy security legislation in the 107th Congress. Mr. President, I stand ready to meet these challenges.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, the distinguished Senator from Florida, Connie Mack, has decided to retire from the Senate after serving two successful terms. This Senator from the Sunshine State has served his people and his country well. Following graduation from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing, the young Senator-to-be began a successful sixteen-year career as a community banker. Quickly emerging as a local civic leader in Cape Coral, FL, he fought to ensure access to vital health care services in his community by leading the effort to build a local hospital. Heeding the call of greater professional challenge, Connie Mack entered the political arena when he won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, a position he would occupy for the next six years. As a member of the House, he was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the Nation's most effective ``rising political stars.'' His sincere dedication to public service and love for the art and the process of legislating further propelled him to seek and win a seat in the United States Senate. It is obvious that his Florida constituents understand and appreciate the degree of skill, dedication, and integrity that Senator Mack has brought to his work. And, as Republican Conference Chairman and third- ranking member of the Senate Republican leadership, it is obvious that his Republican colleagues have understood and valued those qualities in Senator Mack as well. In 1994, Senator Mack had the distinguished honor of being the first Republican in Florida history to be reelected to the U.S. Senate. He received 70 percent of the vote, more than any other Republican Senate candidate in the nation. In that same year, Senator Mack was named by Campaigns and Elections magazine as one of the 20 most popular elected officials in America. Mr. President, no Senator has fought more vigorously to protect and preserve the jewel-green waters, the soft, white beaches, and the inland springs that comprise the immense natural beauty of the marvelous peninsula he so effectively represents. He has been an ardent supporter of restoring the natural history and the fragile ecosystem of the Florida Everglades, a true national treasure. Most recently, Senator Mack played a large role in the recent Senate passage of the largest environmental restoration project in history--a $7.8 billion effort to rescue the Florida Everglades from years of environmental degradation. Senator Mack has been driven by his personal commitment to doing all that he can to provide a better, healthier life for all Americans and people of the world. He has worked long hours, and with great determination, in an effort to see that Federal dollars are wisely used to combat breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease. The junior Senator from Florida has long realized the importance of providing researchers with the tools necessary to continue the tremendous advances being made in biomedical research. In the Senate, Connie Mack has been a true champion of the fight against cancer. He impressively co-chairs the Senate Cancer Coalition with Senator Diane Feinstein to heighten awareness of cancer research, early detection programs, improving cancer prevention, and exploring various innovative cancer treatment options. Senator Mack and his wife Priscilla, have both escaped the clutches of cancer, and have led the charge to ensure that all Americans take to heart the message that early detection of cancer saves lives. The Senator and his wife have received numerous honors and awards in their crusade against cancer, such as the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship Ribbon of Hope Award in 1998 and the National Coalition for Cancer Research Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. Drawing upon his experience as a community banker, Senator Mack played a key role in defining the framework of landmark legislation in the Senate to modernize our nation's banking laws and offer more convenience for consumers. I supported this legislation. It has helped to shape the financial industry, enabling more efficient and appropriate responses to the burgeoning demands of an aggressive global marketplace. And so, Mr. President, as he prepares to leave the Senate, I offer my sincere gratitude to Senator Connie Mack for his professionalism, for his friendship, for his leadership, for his candor, and for his many years of dedicated service to our nation. Always a gentleman, and that means a lot in this body and in life, he brought to this Senate floor and to his committee work some of the best that Florida has to offer this Nation--a willingness to work hard, to make tough and principled decisions, and to seek common ground in order to serve the common good. It is these notable qualities which will be so sorely missed. I wish my distinguished colleague from the Sunshine State well. Next week I will have something to say about other colleagues who are retiring and about whom I have yet to state a farewell message. I yield the floor.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, will the distinguished Senator withhold his suggestion and allow me to complete some remarks?

Mr. BYRD. I thank the distinguished Senator.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, in the short time available before the Senate votes on final passage of the Interior appropriations conference report, I want to again urge my colleagues to support this measure. It is a good compromise that balances the needs of our parks, our forests, our wildlife refuges, and our trust responsibilities to American Indians, against the resources made available to us. That task--the task of reconciling identified needs with limited resources--is not easy. I am particularly pleased with the level of funding in this bill for fossil energy research. The new power plant improvement initiative, along with the other fossil energy research programs in the Department of Energy, are critical to this nation's energy security. Working to curtail our reliance on imported oil, and ensuring that our current fleet of power plants are efficient and environmentally sound, should be the cornerstone of the next administration's energy policy. I can assure the next president, whomever he may be, that I, for one, am ready to assist in that endeavor. Mr. President, I also wish to take a moment to thank the chairman of the full committee, Senator Ted Stevens, for his interest in this bill, for his continued support, and for his willingness to work with Senator Gorton and me to ensure that we were able to get to this point. In particular, I am grateful for his help in making additional resources available to the Interior subcommittee. Without those resources, we could not have crafted this bill. Finally, Mr. President, let me again thank my colleague, the subcommittee chairman, Senator Gorton. He and his staff have truly been a pleasure to work with. When I talk of staff, let me briefly mention my own staff person, Peter Kiefhaber. I believe this is his first bill, first major bill, to assist me on this floor throughout the markup, throughout the hearings. He has done a masterful job as a new person in that position. I thank him and I congratulate him. I yield the floor now. I yield my remaining time to Senator Gorton. I, again, thank the distinguished Senator for yielding when he had the floor, to allow me to make this brief statement.

Mr. BYRD. Would the distinguished Senator allow me to use 5 minutes of my time as the ranking member on the subcommittee?

Mr. BYRD. I concur with the Chairman that the Great Falls project is eligible to receive Historic Preservation Funds, for preparation of its plan.

Mr. BYRD. I trust that the distinguished Senator will not leave the floor. I hope he will follow me immediately. If he is in great haste, I will be glad to yield to him.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Yes. I thank my friend for his excellent contribution to the colloquy. Many times, as he has said, we have discussed this matter. He understands the background from which I came--which is a similar background to that from which he came--the coal mining; in his case, gold mining; in my case, coal mining. Sometimes we refer to it as ``black gold.'' This coal has provided the livelihood for thousands of miners over the years, who have risked their lives to go into those coal mines. So research, I have believed during the years I have been on the Senate Appropriations Committee--42 years--is the answer to many of the things, research. And through research, mining has been made more safe. We have fewer and fewer miners being killed annually than we have had in the past. It has been a very bloody--a very bloody--employment and a very bloody industry, if you go back over the years. So we have improved the safety. We are helping to clean up the environment. We are understanding ways in which coal may be mined more cheaply. And that is the result of the moneys that have been appropriated through this Subcommittee on Interior. As I have already indicated, I have appropriated, I have been the source of the appropriations of millions of dollars for clean coal technology. And I have to say that my own administration has several times, in the budget that has been sent up here to the Congress, recommended deferring--deferring--some of these moneys, using these moneys that are there for clean coal technology, using them for something else, or even rescinding some of those moneys. Now I have fought--fought--these budget recommendations off several times. So I think we have reached the point where the Presidential candidates need to talk about this. And I hope they will. Given that reality, it makes good, common sense for the United States to try to ease the demand on the existing fleet of electric plants. And, so, the conferees have included this new power plant improvement initiative in an effort to bring business and Government together in a productive partnership that will produce more energy, yet cleaner energy. I am pleased that this effort is being made, and I thank the distinguished chairman for his help in ensuring that our Nation's energy needs continue to be a top priority. I thank the other members of the Appropriations Committee. And I thank our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol on the Appropriations Committee there who have worked with us in this regard. Beyond this particular program, let me also say how much I appreciate the chairman's overall support for projects and programs of importance to the minority Members of this body. I have already referred to that, but I think it bears reflecting upon again. As always, his graciousness, his dedication to duty, and his steadfast commitment to working in a bipartisan manner have made this conference far less arduous than it might otherwise have been. Despite all the tangents that conferees are wont to go off on--if left to their own devices; and I understand how that is very easily done--Senator Gorton never lost sight of the ultimate task at hand. So in my opinion, based on my experience, he is the consummate professional. And he and his staff--we must not forget the staff. We often hear that the clothes make the man. Well, I must say, based on my experience here, that the staff, in large measure, make the Senator and help to turn the wheels of the Nation. So our staffs are to be commended for their efforts. I urge all my colleagues, Mr. President, to support this conference report so that we can send it to the White House for the President's signature. I yield the floor.

Mr. BYRD. I do yield, with great pleasure, to my friend.

Mr. BYRD. It goes without saying, Mr. President--I have said it many times already--that the chairman of this subcommittee is fully knowledgeable of the contents of the original bill, fully knowledgeable of what is in this conference report, and always--always considerate, always courteous, and is one of the finest chairmen I have ever served with on any subcommittee. And I served with a lot of chairmen of subcommittees. This one is almost without a flaw when it comes to being chairman of this subcommittee. It is a pleasure for me to serve with him. I would like to be chairman one day, but I am not the chairman, and I fully understand that. If somebody else other than I has to be chairman, I like Senator Gorton. We accomplish a lot for this Nation together. This is a great subcommittee. I have said many times it really is a western subcommittee, more so than it is eastern, as far as I am concerned. I have said that over the years. But we do our best because somebody has to do the work. I do enjoy it. I enjoy the collaboration we always have in connection with this bill. I do it understanding that the appropriations process is absolutely vital to the operation of Government and that we need to know about that process. We need to always understand the rules and the precedents of Government. If I had a larger vocabulary, I could say more about the chairmanship that is rendered by Mr. Gorton. I will not speak further. I could say the same thing with regard to the chairman of the full committee, Ted Stevens. There could not be any finer man. He is always a gentleman. That goes a long way with me around the Senate. He is always a gentleman. He is always considerate of the needs and the problems of the constituents of other Senators. He listens courteously, and he is very straightforward. If he cannot do it, he will tell you so. He tells me that. If he cannot do it, he will tell me so. I like that kind of talk. Mr. President, I fully support the legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it as well. I will not reiterate the inventory of programs contained in the Interior conference report, nor their respective funding levels. The chairman has done an excellent job of providing Members with those details. I do, however, wish to point out a new program planned for the Department of Energy because of its significance to this nation's overall energy security. Within the Fossil Energy Research and Development account, funds have been provided to undertake a power plant improvement initiative. This new effort is vital to our Nation if we hope to continue our economic expansion. Upgrading and renewing our out-of-date and undersized electric power system cannot wait. We cannot sit back and wait for the development of new power sources which, to date, have not proved commercially viable. The fact is, more than half of this Nation's electricity is generated in coal-fired power plants, a situation that is not likely to change for the foreseeable future. We are working today by virtue of the lights that are in the ceiling of this Chamber. It used to be in this country that this Chamber was lighted by gas. It was only in this century, the 20th century--and we are not into the 21st yet--it was only in this century that we saw air- conditioning come to this Chamber. From where does this energy come? What is the source? What is the source of the little light we see at night burning in the top of the Washington Monument? I made a trip around the world with a House committee in 1955, 45 years ago. We went around the world in an old Constellation, four propellers. We visited many countries. Today it would be called a junket. But we were away 68 days. We visited many countries throughout the world. When I was in high school, I read a book by Jules Verne titled ``Around the World in 80 Days.'' We went around the world in 68 days. Of course, John Glenn went around the world in, I believe it was 81 minutes. The point I am making is I visited many countries, saw many things, met many high people--kings and princes and queens, shahs. We saw wonderful edifices, beautiful edifices, great edifices, such as the Taj Mahal. But the most enjoyable, pleasurable, satisfying, and comforting thing I saw on that whole trip was when we flew back into Washington and I saw those two or three little red lights in the top of the Washington Monument. There we were, home again, where we could go to the water faucet and drink without fear that we might succumb to some disease. Having been in Afghanistan on that trip and Jakarta and India, Pakistan, Korea, and Malaysia--all of these places where one certainly must not, at that time, drink the water without its being boiled--it brought to me in a very vivid way what a wonderful country we have and how great it is to be home, back in the good old United States of America, where we take so many things for granted. There were those lights in the top of the Washington Monument, and here are these lights. Take away coal; take away those lights. The great eastern cities of New York and Philadelphia and Boston, the great cities of the East--take away the coal, and it is going to shut down a lot of industries. People will then begin to appreciate that coal miner whose sweat, and sometimes tears, and sometimes blood afford this great country the leisure and the comfort that come from coal-fired plants. We are working to make this coal more environmentally feasible. We have gone a long way. I have supported appropriations and initiated appropriations for clean coal technology, and we have seen the results of this research that is being done by these funds that come out of the committee on which the distinguished minority whip, Mr. Reid, and I sit. There are people in this Government who, I imagine, would like to see the mines closed, coal mining done away with; shut them down. We know we are in transition, and we are preparing for that eventuality by the fact that we appropriate funds in this committee to produce energy in an environmentally feasible manner.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the Senator.

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, on a cold winter afternoon in 1941, a young boy of fourteen went about his daily business, engaged in his humble profession. I can imagine that to many of the pedestrians who made their way down Central Park West that day, this youngster perhaps was nothing extraordinary, just another shoeshine boy. However, this was not just another winter day; it was December 7, 1941. It marked the beginning of America's active participation in the greatest struggle of the twentieth century, a war that would take this boy and make him a man. And it was, perhaps, the last time Daniel Patrick Moynihan was left standing on the sidelines as the controversies and events that would affect our Nation unfolded. So this was not just another boy. Today, I honor this man and commemorate his transformation from a humble shoe-shine boy to the senior Senator from the State of New York. It is with a heavy heart, a heart that is filled with admiration, that I bid Senator Moynihan farewell and thank him for his ceaseless efforts on behalf of the people of New York and this Nation. He will not be leaving this afternoon or tomorrow or the next day, but this is his final year, by his own choice, in which he will serve the Nation and his State of New York from his position in this Chamber. Raised by a journalist and a bar-keep in Manhattan's melting pot, Senator Moynihan climbed the ladder of academia with the callused hands of a blue-collar day laborer to become a man of accomplishment and great learning, the embodiment of the American Dream. He once arrived for an examination at City College of New York with a dockworker's loading hook tucked into his back pocket next to his pencils, as if it were a study in contrasting worlds. It was this unrelenting desire, this hunger, this thirst for knowledge that led this former shoeshine boy from the sidewalks of New York, that led this longshoreman who had worked out in the cold with the swirling snow and the wintry winds about him, to his improbable destiny in the life of our Nation. Having served honorably in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a gunnery officer aboard the U.S.S. Quirinus, he earned a doctorate from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1961. He taught briefly at both Harvard University and Tufts University and then worked in a series of high positions in the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford administrations. Now get that, high positions in four administrations-- the Kennedy, the Johnson, the Nixon, and the Ford administrations. He became the first and only man ever to serve in the Cabinets or subcabinets of four successive Presidents. What an outstanding career. What an outstanding man for that career. However, this was only the beginning, for this great thinker among politicians. He was also to become one of the finest politicians among thinkers. A true visionary, Senator Moynihan is the kind of philosopher- politician who the Founding Fathers had fervently hoped would populate the Senate. Men, who, like Socrates' philosopher-kings described in Plato's Republic, ``are awake rather than dreaming''--men who have broken the bonds of ignorance and have sought the truth of fine and just and good things, not simply the shapes and the half-defined shadows of the unthinking world; men who have shared the light of their learning, illuminating the path for others--some of whom always seem to be left in the dark. If there is, in fact, one man among those of us in the Senate who truly epitomizes Socrates' philosopher-king, it is surely, indubitably, and without question, the senior Senator from the State of New York, Mr. Moynihan. With a pragmatic eye and a unique talent for seeing the issues that face our Nation on a larger scale--on a grand scale--Senator Moynihan has spent most of his life breaking through the partisan politics inside this beltway. He possesses both a startling ability to foresee future problems, far beyond the ken of most men, and the courage to address these problems before they become apparent to common men. Issues that few others tackle with insight, such as Social Security, health care, and welfare reform, he has passionately addressed for many years--crossing party lines, challenging every administration--and all without personal concern for political backlash. Simply put, Senator Moynihan states facts, the cold, hard truths that many others in high places refuse to face and that some are unable to see. His conscience is his compass, and his heart is steadied by his unfaltering belief in the power of knowledge and the possibilities of government. As Senator Moynihan steps away from his desk on the Senate floor for the final time--he will never step away from it in my memory. I will always see him at that desk. I will always see his face--that unkempt hair, the bow tie, the spectacles which he frequently readjusts. I can hear him say: ``sir; sir.'' As he steps away from his desk on the Senate floor for the final time, he will walk away with his head held high, with his legacy intact, and with a distinguished and singular place in our Nation's history well secured. He will always be looked to as a leader of men, as an author of many books--more books than most Senators have read-- and as a compassionate intellectual who has no peer in this Senate, who has used his considerable talents to become one of the principal architects of our Nation's foreign policy and our Nation's social security safety net. He will be remembered thusly, for these and more. U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, author of the Welfare Reform Act of 1988 and the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, chairman of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works from 1992 to 1993, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance from 1993 to 1994, Daniel Patrick Moynihan has left his indelible mark on this country. He served as the chairman of that Finance Committee, one of the oldest of the few committees that sprang into being early, I believe it was in 1816. It was from that Committee on Finance that the Appropriations Committee was carved in 1867, a half century later. In the beginning, the Finance Committee handled both the finance and the appropriations business of the Senate. The Finance Committee was well led when Daniel Patrick Moynihan sat in the chair. I certainly will never forget the role that Senator Moynihan played in our battle against the line-item veto. Like Socrates' quoting the shade of the dead Achilles in Homer's epic, the ``Odyssey,'' Senator Moynihan would rather, `` `work the Earth as a serf to another, one without possessions,' and go through any sufferings, than share their opinions and live as they do.'' Incapable of indifference and unable to sit by as others were paralyzed by ignorance, Senator Moynihan rose up and fought the good fight--the just fight--and he won, sir. He won. In the 24 years that Senator Moynihan has walked the marble halls of the Capitol, he has graced us all with intellectual vigor and a stellar level of scholarship. He has helped us all to ascend the path of true knowledge and reach for wisdom. Each of us, Democrat and Republican alike, recognizes that when Senator Moynihan speaks, we should listen for we may learn something that could fundamentally shift our thinking on a given matter. Senator Moynihan has been a guiding light, a sage of sages, the best of colleagues, and always, always a gentleman--always a gentleman. On this day, when I state this encomium in my feeble way--feeble because I cannot meet the challenge, strive though I must, I cannot meet the challenge to gropingly find the appropriate words to express my true and deep abiding admiration and love. I cannot find it for this man. I have served with many men and women in this Senate. Everyone here knows of my great admiration for some of those men--I say ``men'' because, for the most part, of these more than two centuries, only men served in this body. Every colleague of mine knows of my deep admiration for certain former Senators--Senator Richard Russell, Senator Russell Long, Senator Lister Hill, Senator Everett Dirksen, and others--and yet Senator Moynihan is uniquely unique. He is not the keeper of the rules as was Senator Russell. He is not the great orator that was Senator Dirksen, but this man is unique in his knowledge, in his grasp of great issues, in his ability to foresee the future and to point the way, always unassuming, always courteous, always a gentleman. Ah, that we could all be like this man! I wish I could have been so fortunate as to sit in Senator Moynihan's classes at Harvard or, to paraphrase Garfield, on a log in the West Virginia hills with Pat Moynihan on one end and me on the other. That is the picture I have of one to whom I look up, one whom I admire and at whose feet I would gladly sit to learn the lessons, the philosophy, the chemistry of the times. Erma and I offer our best wishes to his lovely and gracious wife Elizabeth as our esteemed colleague, Senator Moynihan, embarks on yet another adventure--retirement. I thank him for being this special man, always a philosopher-Senator. He will be sorely missed here. Whence cometh another like him? Herman Melville, in his classic work, Moby Dick, said this: There is a Catskill Eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he forever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains; so that even in his lowest swoop, the Mountain Eagle is still higher than the other birds upon the plain, even though they soar. Many who have passed through these halls have soared, but very, very few could ever truly be likened to a Catskill Eagle.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, recently, a great voice was silenced when Carl Thomas Rowan passed away. As a newspaper columnist, he articulated the problems and predicaments of working Americans. As a Presidential advisor, Mr. Rowan spoke for the rights not only of minorities but also for all Americans who were getting the short end of the stick, as we say back in the West Virginia hills. Carl Rowan and I came from similar backgrounds. We both grew up in poor coal-mining communities and we never forgot our roots. Carl often talked about growing up without running water, without electricity, without those basic amenities that so many people take for granted today. As they did for me, those humble beginnings provided Carl Rowan with the burning desire to make a difference in his community and in his country. And make a difference he did. The only thing stronger than Carl Rowan's voice was his conviction. He stood for basic principles--equality and freedom--and those principles guided him at every step in his life. Earlier this year, Carl Rowan wrote: Men and women do not live only by what is attainable; they are driven more by what they dream of and aspire to that which might be forever beyond their grasp. That ideal resonated not only in his columns but also in his life. Instead of simply bemoaning the fact that a college education was too expensive for many underprivileged children, Mr. Rowan in 1987 created the Project Excellence Foundation, which has made nearly $80 million available to students for academic scholarships. Instead of allowing the amputation of part of his right leg to slow him down, Mr. Rowan walked--and even danced; even danced--faster than doctors expected, and he then pushed for greater opportunities for the disabled. When others saw obstacles, Carl Rowan saw challenges. When others saw impossibilities, Carl Rowan saw opportunities. Instead of cursing the darkness, Carl Rowan lighted the candles. Mr. Rowan wrote: Wise people will remember that the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to our Constitution are mostly unattainable wishful thinking or make-believe assertions that were horizons beyond the reality of life at the time they were written. Carl Rowan always reached beyond the horizon--he always went beyond the horizon--and he helped others to aspire to do the same. With the passing of Carl Rowan, journalism has lost one of its best, the underprivileged have lost a friend, and the Nation has lost a part of its social conscience. Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, it has been more than a year since the Columbine tragedy, but still this Congress refuses to act on sensible gun legislation. Since Columbine, thousands of Americans have been killed by gunfire. Until we act, Democrats in the Senate will read the names of some of those who have lost their lives to gun violence in the past year, and we will continue to do so every day that the Senate is in session. In the name of those who died, we will continue this fight. Following are the names of some of the people who were killed by gunfire one year ago today. October 2, 1999: Dian Bailey, 29, Detroit, MI; Charles L. Coron, 52, New Orleans, LA; Joanel Facouloute, 46, Miami-Dade County, FL; Filiberto Gamez, 21, Chicago, IL; Lucretia Henderson, 13, Kansas City, MO; Kenneth Holland, 39, Louisville, KY; Leroy L. Lee, 31, Chicago, IL; George Morris, 24, Washington, DC; Hugo Najero, 15, San Antonio, TX; Majid Radee, 30, Detroit, MI; Edison Robinson, 25, Detroit, MI; Harold Swan, 37, Louisville, KY; Richard Thomas, 30, Philadelphia, PA; Ruben Trevino, Jr., 46, Houston, TX; Unidentified male, 17, Portland, OR. One of the victims of gun violence I mentioned, 13-year-old Lucretia Henderson of Kansas City, Missouri, was shot and killed while riding in a car with her cousin and two friends. Lucretia was killed when her two friends in the backseat began playing with a handgun. Following are the names of some of the people who were killed by gunfire one year ago on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. September 29, 1999: Jeffrey Dowell, 38, Philadelphia, PA; Jose Escalante, 19, Philadelphia, PA; Louis Grant, 17, Baltimore, MD; James Heyden, 23, Detroit, MI; Jose Martinez, 16, Houston, TX; Tracey Massey, 25, Charlotte, NC; Ismael Mena, 45, Denver, CO; Antoine Moffett, 19, Chicago, IL; Michael Rivera, 24, Philadelphia, PA; Alexander Williams, 30, St. Louis, MO; Christopher Worsley, 46, Atlanta, GA. September 30, 1999: William C. Benton, 46, Memphis, TN; Ziyad Brown, 22, Baltimore, MD; Carl D. Budenski, 84, New Orleans, LA; John Cowling, 27, Detroit, MI; Jason Curtis, 17, San Antonio, TX; Ellen Davis, 74, Houston, TX; Benacio Ortiz, 31, Chicago, IL; Rovell Young, 35, Detroit, MI. October 1, 1999: Giles E. Anderson, 35, Hollywood, FL; Terry Tyrone Dooley, 40, New Orleans, LA; Vernon Hill, 62, Denver, CO; Leroy Kranford, 67, Detroit, MI; Michael Pendergraft, 43, Oklahoma City, OK; Michael Preddy, 32, Minneapolis, MN; Carmen Silayan, Daly City, CA; James Stokes, 27, Washington, DC; Joanne Suttons, 35, Detroit, MI. We cannot sit back and allow such senseless gun violence to continue. The deaths of these people are a reminder to all of us that we need to enact sensible gun legislation.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. I do not expect to take 60 minutes, but I thank our floor staff for arranging for me to use that time.