Robert Byrd

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I am opposed to the amendment that is being offered by the Senator from New Hampshire, my good friend Mr. Smith. He and I serve together on the Armed Services Committee. I have great respect for him and certainly for many of his viewpoints. But on this matter, I will oppose his amendment. I am a product of the Depression as well as the days and some of the years ante-Depression. When I graduated from high school in 1934, which was 65 years ago now, I was the valedictorian of the class. Of course, we only had 28 in the class. If there had been 29, I might not have been the valedictorian. But I was very fortunate in going to the Mark Twain High School and grade school in a coal mining community in southern West Virginia. Mark Twain High School had a faculty that probably would have matched the faculty of a junior college in these days. Teachers did not get paid much, but they were highly dedicated teachers. The principal of the high school was a man by the name of William Jennings Bryan Cormany. And his wife, Marguerite Cormany, was an excellent music teacher. Mr. Cormany was a strict disciplinarian. He was the kind of high school principal we should have all across this country these days. We paid attention in his class. He taught physics. He was an excellent teacher. His wife organized a high school orchestra and a band. She wanted me to be in the band. I was the bass drummer. The bass drum was larger than I was, but I was the bass drummer. She also talked me into taking lessons on the violin. My foster father was a coal miner, and through the sweat of his brow, he bought me a violin. I can remember the Saturday afternoon when we piled into a large flat-bed truck and went from Stotesbury to Beckley, about 15 miles away. I went back home that night. I had a violin case tucked under my arm with a violin in it. My dad paid all of about $28 or $29 for this violin, violin bow, and violin case. I went home that night and had visions of becoming a Schubert or a Chopin. I could see myself being one of the great artists. Those were dreams. How great it is to believe the dream As we stand in youth at the starlit stream, But greater still to live life through And find at the end that the dream is true. I dreamed of being a great musician. My natural father was a musician. He was not an educated man. He never took a music lesson in his life. I never knew him very well. I only lived with him about a week in my life. He was my natural father. I lost my mother when I was less than a year old. She died with the influenza in 1918. But she wanted my father, if she died with the influenza, to give me to one of his sisters who had married a Byrd. She died the next day or so after she came down with the flu. My father just had a natural talent for many things. When he went out to pick the beans in the garden, he would be memorizing chapters from the Bible. He could play almost any instrument he ever put his hands on--the organ, the banjo, the guitar, the Autoharp, and so on. He had a natural talent for music. I inherited some of that talent for music. I loved it. And so my coal miner dad, who was my uncle, bought this violin for me. I started taking lessons when I was in the 7th grade in school. When I graduated, of course, I was still in the orchestra and in the band. By that time, I had also learned to play many of the old mountain tunes. My music teacher, Mrs. Cormany, did not take that very well. She was not very happy that I would go out behind the schoolhouse and play ``Old Joe Clark'' on my fiddle or ``Arkansas Traveler'' or ``The Mississippi Sawyer'' or ``The Chicken Reel.'' She did not approve of that. But I did it nevertheless. So, I came to learn to play ``by ear,'' as they say. Well, now, my boyhood without that music would have been an empty boyhood. I started out in life where the bottom rungs in the ladder were not there. They were missing. There was not the first rung or the second rung. As I say, I grew up in the Depression, which was a hard, hard life at best. But the music did something for me. It did for me what David's music did for Saul when he appeared before King Saul. Music through the ages has come from the depths of the soul of man. It has been an inspiration to him Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel; Leonardo da Vinci and the Mona Lisa; Phidias, who was a great sculptor at the time of Pericles. Pericles lived in the latter half of the 5th century. I remember the Peloponnesian Wars lasted from 431 to about 404 BC. Phidias was a great sculptor at that time. All through the ages, men have had this desire to use their talents. We read about seeing the forms of animals or persons carved into the caves of ancient mankind and on the obelisks in Egypt. We know about the cuneiform writings, the Sumerians, the Hittites, the ancient Chinese. The ancient peoples drew word pictures before they learned to write. There is something about man that is above the animal. Do not tell me that man is an animal. I know they teach that in school, but they are all wrong. They are 100 percent wrong. Man is not an animal. An animal cannot draw a picture. An animal cannot paint a picture. An animal cannot play a violin. An animal cannot memorize the multiplication table. Man is not an animal. God created man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. There is a spark of the divinity in man. A man is a little above the beasts of the field, a little lower than the angels, but there is that spark of divinity. There is something in mankind that tends to lift his spirit in the lofty flights of song and poetry. Music is one of those talents that is ingrained in the genes of man. I can certainly understand the feelings of Senators with respect to some of the recipients of funds from the National Endowment of the Arts in years gone by. They were absolutely foolish, stupid to make those awards. It was colossal stupidity on the part of the Endowment to award grants to people who had such motives and objectives as a few of them had. But they were a tiny few. I think it would be a very serious mistake here to strike this from the bill. Who knows, there may be a little Michelangelo, there may be a little Benjamin West. Benjamin West said that one day he took to his mother some childish drawings of birds, and his mother took him up on her knee, kissed him, and said: ``Son, you will grow up to be a great painter.'' Benjamin West said that it was a mother's kiss that led him to become a great painter. The encouragement that his mother gave him after seeing the childish drawings and paintings that he had made caused him to aspire to do greater things. I can remember that my dad was very poor, the man who raised me. At Christmastime, he never gave me a cap buster or a cowboy suit. In saying this, I do not denigrate those things. But he gave me a watercolor set or a drawing tablet or a book. He did not want me to be a coal miner, as he had been. So here we are today. In a sense, we can feel that in passing this legislation, as we are passing it, and providing funds--and funds are hard to come by--but we are in a sense providing a little watercolor set or a drawing tablet--we can put it down to that level--to some talented, ambitious, deserving achieving person. I close with this poem, if I can recall it, which tells the story. Who knows, out of these funds there may not be just one, but there may be many masters--masters--as they develop the talents that are borne within their genes. Many people have those talents and never have the opportunity to develop them. So, where we can, I think, provide the opportunity and the encouragement, we ought to do it. That is a side of life--a side of our culture that is uplifting. We should not attempt to dampen it down, or discourage or put it beyond the reach of those who cannot otherwise afford it. 'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer Thought it scarcely worth his while To waste much time on the old violin, But held it up with a smile: ``What am I bidden, good folks,'' he cried, ``Who'll start the bidding for me?'' ``A dollar, a dollar''; then, ``Two!'' ``Only two? Two dollars, and who'll make it three? Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice; Going for three----'' But no, From the room, far back, a gray-haired man Came forward and picked up the bow; Then, wiping the dust from the old violin, And tightening the loose strings, He played a melody pure and sweet As a caroling angel sings. The music ceased, and the auctioneer, With a voice that was quiet and low, Said: ``What am I bid for the old violin?'' And he held it up with the bow. ``A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two? Two thousand! and who'll make it three? Three thousand, once, three thousand twice, And going, and gone,'' said he. The people cheered, but some of them cried, ``We do not quite understand What changed its worth.'' Swift came the reply: ``The touch of a master's hand.'' And many a man with life out of tune, And battered and scarred with sin, Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, Much like the old violin. A ``mess of pottage,'' a glass of wine; A game--and he travels on. He is ``going'' once, and ``going'' twice, He's ``going'' and almost ``gone.'' But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd Never can quite understand The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought By the touch of the Master's hand. Let us defeat this amendment and reject it overwhelmingly let us continue to make it possible for some future masters to lay their talented hands upon the culture of our own civilization and thereby benefit all of posterity. Mr. REID addressed the Chair.

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, without his losing his right to the floor, I would like to make a few brief remarks on this amendment also.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. Chairman, I also understand the frustration that arises when National Park Service sites are under staffed. In fact, a number of National Park Service sites in West Virginia have unmet operational and staffing needs. I can assure the distinguished Senator from South Carolina that if the National Park Service deems the Congress Swamp National Monument to be in need of additional staff to carry out its stated mission the Committee would give careful consideration to providing additional funds in the future to increase staffing levels at this site. It is important that visitors to all our National Park sites come away with the education and appreciation that these sites deserve.

Mr. BYRD. I rise with my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee from Wisconsin and Vermont to engage the Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, the Senior Senator from Washington, in a colloquy regarding Forest Service research and the intent of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. BYRD. Mr. Chairman, S. 1292, a bill making appropriations for the Department of Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for other purposes, includes a net reduction of $10,000,000 below the fiscal year 1999 enacted level (from $197,444,000 to $187,444,000). Is this the total decrease included in the bill for this program?

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I wish to engage the Chairman in a brief colloquy regarding materials research and development efforts funded through the energy programs in the Interior appropriations bill.

Mr. BYRD. What guidance has the Committee provided the Forest Service with respect to how the Forest Service should reduce its other research activities by $14,930,000?

Mr. BYRD. I am concerned that without further elaboration on this matter the Forest Service may misinterpret the Committee's intent and take reductions that are not in keeping with the expectations of the Committee. It would be useful to expand upon the guidance provided in the report in order to avoid any misunderstandings as to the will of the Senate.

Mr. BYRD. I thank the Chairman for explaining the expectations of the Committee regarding forest service research. Based on this clarification, is it the Committee's intent that the Forest Service will maintain funding at the fiscal year 1999 level for projects NE- 4557 (Disturbance, Ecology and Management of Oak-Dominated Forests), NE-4751 (Forest Engineering Research--Systems Analysis to Evaluate Alternative Harvesting Strategies), NE-4353 (Sustainable Forest Ecosystems in the Central Appalachians), NE-4701 (Efficient Use of the Northern Forest Resources), NE-4803 (Economics of Eastern Forest Use), and NE-4805 (Enhancing the Performance and Competitiveness of the U.S. Hardwood Industry)? All of these projects are in West Virginia and contribute directly to forest health and productivity.

Mr. BYRD. I agree with the Senator from Washington that this project is important, and I will do what I can to the extent that funds become available. virginia beach minerals management service

Mr. BYRD. I concur with the Chairman.

Mr. BYRD. I am also sympathetic to the request, and I will support that effort.

Mr. BYRD. I thank the senior Senator from Washington. Much of the progress we have made as an industrialized society has been the result of remarkable advances in materials. Improvements in commonplace and necessary items--cars, planes, computers, medical equipment--all are intricately tied to enhancements to the materials from which they are constructed. The same is true of our energy sources and energy production. Our power plants--the turbines, boilers and pollution controls that supply the electricity that powers our economy--are only as effective and reliable as the materials we use to build them. Mr. Chairman, you and the Committee have done an admirable job in fashioning a budget that points this Nation toward new technologies for generating electricity in the 21st Century. The Committee's proposal supports a new concept for power generation called ``Vision 21.'' This ``Vision 21'' initiative excites our imagination over the possibility of a pollution-free power plant. But the success of ``Vision 21''--or, for that matter, any advances in tomorrow's energy technologies--will depend on the development of stronger, more durable, and more reliable materials. Your support, Mr. Chairman, has been critical in ensuring that funding for materials research and development is included in this bill. Should the Department of Energy reassess its funding needs and priorities in order to move this research effort forward, would you give consideration to a request from the Department to redirect a portion of its funding to further this effort?

Mr. BYRD. I concur with the Chairman and would support Congressional efforts to provide additional compliance actions regarding the agreement, if necessary. Your involvement in Cumberland Island has been critical in protecting and preserving these precious resources in a manner that balances National and local interests.

Mr. BYRD. Are there any instances of the MMS waiving the fee?

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. My good friend from New Mexico is correct. Under this legislation, the full faith and credit of the United States will, in fact, stand behind each loan guarantee executed by the Loan Guarantee Board, the same as if the legislation specifically said so. Lenders may participate in this program with confidence, and should therefore offer the borrowers the very best terms--including low interest--on the guaranteed loans.

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the conference report to H.R. 1664, the bill containing the Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee and Emergency Oil and Gas Guaranteed Loan programs, by a vote of 246 yeas to 176 nays. H.R. 1664 was passed by the Senate on June 18, 1999. The steel and oil and gas loan guarantee programs will provide qualified U.S. steel producers and small oil and gas producers with access to a $1.5 billion GATT-legal, revolving loan guarantee fund to back loans through the private market. A board of the highest caliber-- consisting of the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, who will serve as the Chair, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission--will oversee the programs. These distinguished board members will ensure careful analysis of the guarantee award process, including actions needed by U.S. steel mills and oil and gas producers to secure a financial recovery along with a reasonable prospect for repayment of the federally guaranteed loans. The loan guarantee programs are written to provide the board members with the flexibility necessary to offer the maximum benefit to U.S. steel and oil and gas businesses and the maximum protection to the taxpayers. The passage of H.R. 1664 is a vital measure for both the U.S. steel industry and the oil and gas industry, and it was a personal pleasure for me to work with the fine Senator from New Mexico, Mr. Domenici, on this important legislation. I authored the steel loan guarantee provisions, while my good friend Senator Domenici authored the provisions for oil and gas. After several long nights, some tough negotiations, and countless consultations, H.R. 1664, a bill that joined our two programs, will deliver critical assistance to hard working Americans. H.R. 1664 is, indeed, a ``buy American bill.'' But, more importantly, the passage of H.R. 1664 is a vote of confidence for American workers and American families. Passage of H.R. 1664 is an important statement by this Congress in support of the men and women in the U.S. steel industry. These workers have played by the global trade rules only to find themselves cheated by our trading partners who ignore the rules in order to maximize their own profits. Illegal steel trade has created exceedingly difficult finanical circumstances for the U.S. steel industry, and the U.S. steel industry deserves the benefits provided under H.R. 1664. Those benefits simply will provide essential loan guarantees to address the cash flow emergency created by the historic surge of cheap and illegal steel. They are vital to the future viability of many, many steel jobs. The historic level of illegally dumped imported steel is a national crisis. The record levels of these foreign imports have caused over 10,000 thousand U.S. steelworkers to experience layoffs, short work weeks, and reduced pay. American steel companies have suffered from reduced shipments, significant drops in orders, price depression, lower profits, and worse. Already, at least six U.S. steel manufacturers have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections, jeopardizing employees, families, and entire communities. This steel loan guarantee program can help to prevent further bankruptcies, and provide vitally important support for the survival of small- and medium-sized steel manufacturers. Steel communities are proud of their role throughout this nation's history. Through the work of men and women in places like Weirton, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the backbone of this nation was forged. Steel has always been a driving force in the growth and prosperity of our nation. I applaud the action by this Congress in passing H.R. 1664. It was the right thing to do. I urge the President to quickly sign the bill into law. These loan guarantee programs will operate through the private market to help sustain good-paying jobs, support our national security, and save taxpayers millions of dollars from lost tax revenues and increased public assistance payments.

Mr. BYRD. The Loan Guarantee Boards would absolutely have that discretion. The clear intent of this legislation is to effectuate the guarantee of up to $1.5 billion of loans under the two programs. There is no requirement for first-come, first-served among applicants. The Boards may impose additional reasonable requirements for participation in the programs. It is, indeed, our intent to look to the judgment and expertise of the administering agencies, the experience and competence of professional advisors, and the wisdom and common sense of the Loan Guarantee Boards themselves to make these programs run effectively. It is not our intent to hamstring the Boards in determining their priorities and procedures; rather, we expect the Boards to implement these programs as to ensure the fulfillment of the Congressional purpose.

Mr. BYRD. Yes, the Senator from New Mexico is correct in that assumption. It will be the lender that obtains the direct benefits of a loan guarantee, and it is the prospective lender that will be required to submit necessary application materials for the guaranty. The prospective borrower will, of course, also have to submit information and other material as part of the application for a loan guarantee, but under each program it is the lender with whom the Loan Guarantee Board will have its legal relationship. Therefore, it is the prospective lender that will be required to apply for assistance under these programs.

Mr. BYRD. That is an accurate assumption. The Secretary is authorized under the legislation to assign administration of the programs as he sees fit, to accomplish their effective administration.

Mr. BYRD. That is correct. The Board has the flexibility to use a combination of factors, including prospective earning power, in determining loan security terms and conditions.

Mr. BYRD. Yes, those are correct assumptions. While the Boards will have the ultimate decision-making responsibilities, and will take the actions directed by the legislation, as a practical matter they are not expected to handle the day-to-day work of administering loan guarantee programs. That will be handled through the Department of Commerce, using its own staff, contracting for the consultants and other services, or through agreements with another agency or agencies.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, West Virginia State College in Institute, West Virginia, was designated by Congress as one of the original 1890 land-grant schools under the Second Morrill Act. The college was the first 1890 land-grant school to be accredited and has been accredited longer than any other public college or university in West Virginia. West Virginia was one of six states to establish a new land-grant college under state control. West Virginia State College faithfully met its duties to the citizens of West Virginia as a land-grant college in an outstanding manner. However, on October 23, 1956, the State Board of Education voted to surrender the land-grant status of State College (effective July 1, 1957). Historical data suggests that this action was taken in an effort to enhance State College's ability to accommodate veterans returning home with GI benefits. In addition, the decision to surrender the land- grant status preceded explicit funding by Congress for land-grant institutions. For thirty-three years, West Virginia State College has sought to regain its land-grant status. On February 12, 1991, Governor Gaston Caperton signed a bill into law that provided redesignation authority for land-grant status from the State of West Virginia. On March 28, 1994, then U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy informed West Virginia Governor Caperton that State College would receive a partial land-grant designation that would entitle the college to $50,000 annually under the Second Morrill Act. It has become clear that funding is the issue that must be addressed to reinstate West Virginia State College's land-grant status. I authored an amendment to the FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill that will provide $2 million in additional funds for 1890 Institution entitlements to be used for base line funding for West Virginia State College. This amendment does not grant full 1890 land-grant funding privileges to State College, but provides a $2 million entitlement. The amendment does not cut into the current 1890 entitlement accounts. It adds additional funding with an offset from the National Research Initiative account. My amendment provides fair treatment to West Virginia State College, an original 1890 land-grant school, and I thank my colleagues for supporting this provision.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, West Virginia State College in Institute, West Virginia, was designated by Congress as one of the original 1890 land-grant schools under the Second Morrill Act. The college was the first 1890 land-grant school to be accredited and has been accredited longer than any other public college or university in West Virginia. West Virginia was one of six states to establish a new land-grant college under State control. West Virginia State College faithfully met its duties to the citizens of West Virginia as a land-grant college in an outstanding manner. However, on October 23, 1956, the State Board of Education voted to surrender the land-grant status of State College (effective July 1, 1957). Historical data suggests that this action was taken in an effort to enhance State College's ability to accommodate veterans returning home with GI benefits. In addition, the decision to surrender the land- grant status preceded explicit funding by Congress for land-grant institutions. For thirty-three years, West Virginia State College has sought to regain its land-grant status. On February 12, 1991, Governor Gaston Caperton signed a bill into law that provided redesignation authority for land-grant status from the State of West Virginia. On March 28, 1994, then U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy informed West Virginia Governor Caperton that State College would receive a partial land-grant designation that would entitle the college to $50,000 annually under the Second Morrill Act. It has become clear that funding, rather than merit, is the issue that must be addressed to reinstate West Virginia State College's land- grant status. I have authored an amendment that would provide $2 million in additional funds for 1890 Institution entitlements to be used for base line funding for West Virginia State College. This amendment does not grant full 1890 land-grant funding privileges to State College, but provides a $2 million entitlement. The amendment does not cut into the current 1890 entitlement accounts. It adds additional funding with an offset from the National Research Initiative account. My amendment provides fair treatment to West Virginia State College, an original 1890 land-grant school, and I thank my colleagues for supporting this provision.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, stacks of spiral-bound notebooks and reams of paper, boxes of pencils and pens, lunch boxes and backpacks, are all making their way onto store shelves across the Nation as summer limps toward its hot, dry conclusion and the warm, crisp promise of autumn days, yellow school buses, and children walking to school closes in on us. A new school year is upon us, with all its bright potential for learning. Most students welcome the chance to see their friends again, and to again immerse themselves in the business of learning and growing. But sadly, some children are afraid to go to school. Some children must face and conquer the memories of sudden, violent death that have visited their schools in recent years. Mr. President, in the wake of the senseless atrocities that have ripped at the traditional calm of schools across the country, it has become increasingly evident that we must work together here in Congress, and with our state governments, to prevent this kind of terrible tragedy from striking yet another American schoolyard. I am pleased to have recently joined with Senators Lieberman and McCain in authoring legislation to create a National Commission on Youth Violence, which has been included in the Senate-passed juvenile justice legislation. With the new school year just around the corner, it seems an opportune time to refocus our energies on the work underway in each of our respective states, and to help the states craft even more effective prevention strategies for the upcoming academic year. And similarly, the states will serve as an invaluable resource for helping us to better strategize on federal solutions necessary for restoring peace and tranquility to our nation's schools. If we hope to have a school year free from the violence and emotional grief that rocked our nation last year, an equal exchange and dialogue is truly in order. Given the most serious nature of the challenge we face, it is important that we bring together a wide range of experts to seek solutions to school violence. In this vein, I am pleased, today, to announce my cosponsorship with West Virginia University of a day-long symposium on safe schools and communities. From representatives of the West Virginia State Police, to parents, students, and the church community, the symposium participants will focus on efforts already underway throughout the state to combat school violence, and what more needs to be done to better protect our teachers and students from classroom violence. I hope that this event will give participants the opportunity to highlight the progress that has already been made in school safety, while also helping to create a guide for what still needs to be accomplished. West Virginia University, with its wealth of research and expertise, is the ideal forum for this event, and I feel confident that its contribution in behalf of the higher education community will further strengthen this ongoing dialogue throughout the state. A school ought to be a place where students thrive on learning for learning's sake alone, and where teachers find true pleasure in explaining the details of the battle at Antietam or the Pythagorean theorem. It ought to be a place where students can frolic in the school playground with classmates during recess without a worry in the world. Mr. President, the events of the recent past work against this vision. It is my hope that this symposium will provide West Virginians with an opportunity to look for ways to prevent such violence from occurring in West Virginia schools. By bringing together West Virginia parents, educators, students, law enforcement officials, policy makers, and a variety of other experts to examine school- and community-based strategies to reduce youth violence, we, collectively, will bring greater clarity and wisdom to this troubling issue, both at the state and federal levels. As students and teachers prepare for another school year, we need to reflect on the violence that has taken place in so many other communities, and look for ways to prevent such violence from occurring in West Virginia schools. Through this symposium, it is my hope that we will take the time to find the strength to reach across the lines that serve to divide us and touch the common spirit that the Creator instilled in each of us. It is long past time for us to work together on common ground to achieve common dreams.