Robert Byrd

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, this amendment increases U.S. support for Plan Colombia. My amendment raises the cap on the number of U.S. military and civilian personnel who can participate in Plan Colombia. My amendment fully supports Colombia's war against drug trafficking and narcoterrorists. The difference between this amendment and the administration proposal contained in the bill is that my amendment is intended to meet immediate requirements whereas the administration is projecting future requirements. My amendment increases the military and civilian caps from 400 to 500 each. The administration's proposal doubles the troop cap from 400 to 800 and increases the civilian cap from 400 to 600. By their own admission, that is far more than either the State or Defense Department need in Colombia next year. The administration wants flexibility. I believe Congress should insist on accountability and oversight. U.S. military forces are already stretched to the breaking point across the globe. U.S. troops in Iraq are being forced to extend their tours as a result of stop-loss orders. Prospects remain strong that thousands upon thousands of American troops will be needed to quell the violence in Iraq for years to come. This is not the time, Colombia is not the place, for yet another large increase in the deployment of U.S. forces overseas. My amendment is a responsible approach to support the worthy goals of Plan Colombia while maintaining congressional oversight on what is an increasingly complex and dangerous mission. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, our Nation launches a 6-year commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian war. That commemoration is this year. As part of the celebration, Members of the Senate and their staffs are invited to a special viewing of a handwritten autobiographical manuscript of George Washington, which conveys unique insights of the war and young Washington's personal reflections on his experiences. Washington's ``Remarks'' will be on display in S-127 in the Capitol on Wednesday, today, from 12 noon until 3 p.m. George Washington is most commonly remembered as our Nation's first President and a Revolutionary War commander. Americans are far less aware of his activities during the French and Indian war. Washington never wrote a memoir, but ``Remarks'' provides a firsthand account of his early life, including his experiences in the French and Indian war. So I hope Senators will take the opportunity to view this important manuscript and learn more about George Washington through this story penned in his own hand. Mr. President, in closing, I thank the honorable Ned Rose of Charleston, WV, for his thoughtfulness and his efforts in regard to having this displayed in S-127 of the Capitol today, from 12 noon until 3 o'clock.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Madam President, I share the Senator's concern that the bill that is before us requires a nondefense agency to pay for the permanent relocation of the Navy. Homeland security dollars are scarce. The Department of Homeland Security should not be forced to use dollars that should be used for securing our ports or for securing our mass transit systems to pay for a new Navy facility. With the Senator's cooperation, we have asked for a commitment from the administration that these costs will be requested through the General Services Administration, which will own the property, rather than the Department of Homeland Security. I am pleased that the Administration has provided this assurance.

Mr. BYRD

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

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, as spring turns to summer, as the calendar rolls from Easter to Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, our workaday schedule is pleasantly interrupted by numerous holidays--days of remembrance, for the most part. We honor the death and the rebirth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we honor the fallen heroes of our Nation's wars. We honor our mothers and the flag of our Nation. Graduation ceremonies honoring matriculating students have been taking place every weekend around the country as high schools and colleges conclude their academic years. In West Virginia--how sweet the sound--we honor the anniversary of our statehood this month as well. This Sunday, June 20, 2004, the penultimate day of spring, the Nation honors fathers. The word ``father,'' how sweet that sounds. Jesus taught us to pray, ``Our Father who art in Heaven.'' The Bible says, ``Honor thy father and thy mother.'' We can be sure that fathers will be honored this Sunday because it will be the mothers and the daughters who do the planning for this event--not the often inept party planners who call themselves men. Men can plan military campaigns and vacation travels, but somehow our skills frequently fall short at birthdays and holidays. Fathers do offer other talents, however. Fathers are builders-- builders of tree houses, builders of sand castles, of backyard patios, and model volcanoes for third grade science projects. Fathers are mechanics, for the family car as well as bicycles and, in this increasingly technology-laden day, computers, cell phones, and digital recorders and players of many purposes. Fathers are coaches for softball and junior soccer leagues, and fathers are chauffeurs for piano lessons and school dances. Fathers are workers, striving to keep their families fed and clothed and housed. Fathers are bankers, saving for college educations and making loans to start their youngsters off on a new career. Fathers do traditional things, such as mow lawns, take out the trash, pay the bills, and change the tires. But fathers are also cooks, launderers, and diaper changers. Fathers are part of the silent cheering section, rooting on their children with their solid presence at the back of recitals and grandstands, always pleased to mutter, ``That's my kid,'' ``That's my kid,'' ``That's my kid,'' to other spectators. Fathers may not always show the true depth of their emotions, but there can be no father who does not glow inwardly as his child's shining face seeks theirs, seeks the father's, asking the unspoken question: ``Did I do well, Pa?'' ``Did I do well, Dad?'' ``Did I do well?'' ``And are you proud of me?'' ``Are you proud of me, Dad?'' As fathers, men are honored and humbled by the seeking of their approval, silently savoring the precious father-child bond. I was raised by just such a silent man. My uncle, Titus Dalton Byrd, worked hard all of his working life in the coal mines of southern West Virginia. He never had much. I have heard others say: Well, I am the first in my line to have a college education. Or I am the first in my line to have a high school education. I am the first in my line to even go to the second grade. This was my dad. He was not my biological father, but he was my dad. He was the greatest man I have ever met, and I have met with shahs and kings and princes and princesses, Presidents, Senators, Governors. This was the greatest, the greatest of all. As I say, he never had much. He did not have much of an education. He did not have vacations. He was a man of few words. He walked to work, carrying his lunch in a pail, and he was grateful to be able to walk home at the end of the day, having worked all day, having toiled in the bowels of the Earth, having earned his bread by the sweat of his brow. Yes, I can see him. He took me in as an infant, less than 1 year old. He did all that he could for me. He gave me his name. He encouraged me in my school work. He never bought me a cowboy suit or a cap buster. He bought me watercolors with which to paint. He bought me my first violin. In these ways, he gave me gifts that have stayed with me throughout my life. So when I wanted to seek a job working in the mines to be like him, the man I call my dad discouraged me--discouraged me. He took me back into the mountains, into the bowels, into the depths of the Earth on a mine motor so that I could hear the timbers cracking, so that I could see the water holes in which he and other coal miners plodded their way, often on their knees. Yes, he showed me where he worked. He said the mines were dangerous places to work, and they were in those days especially. He wanted better things for me, and he urged me to get an education, a formal education. He had the heart of a father. He wanted life to be better for his boy than it was for him. He made whatever sacrifices he had to make in order to make his dream come true. He couldn't give me much, but he gave me the best example. He set the best example that he could each and every day of his life. He could have complained. He could have been a complainer. He could have whined. But he did neither. He just got up day after day and set out to work, and every day he came home tired. But he would save something sweet from his lunch for me. I used to watch him coming down the railroad tracks from a mile away, that tall man with black hair and red mustache. I saw him coming down the railroad tracks, and I would run to meet him. When I came near, he would stop, take the lid from the dinner pail and reach in and get a cake, a 5-cent cake. In those days, these were 5-cent cupcakes--5 cents. My mom had put into his lunch this cake every day. She knew what he would do with it. He took that cake to work, and then when I came near him, as he came walking on those cross- ties down the Virginian Railroad tracks, there in that coal mining camp in southern West Virginia, that tall man reached into the dinner pail and he pulled out that 5-cent cake, and he gave the cake to me. From the morning when he arose to toil in the mines, he must have looked forward to the time in the afternoon when he would be giving that cake to me. He always gave the cake to me. I wonder if I appreciated, as I should have, I wonder if I even understood all of his efforts, all of his sacrifices at the time of their commission. I am sure I did not, but age and fatherhood have given me greater insight into the life of this quiet man, this good dad, my dad. Yes, I have walked with the greatest of the Earth, the leaders of the world. I sat down, as I said, with kings, princes, shahs, Governors and Presidents, but this was the greatest of them all. He was great because he was good. This Nation is full of good fathers, fathers who work hard, fathers who come home tired, fathers who take care of their families. Most days they do not get much attention, these armies of good fathers. Headlines are not made by them. Unfortunately, headlines are made by bad fathers, not the good ones. This Sunday, the good fathers will be fussed over, but they will enjoy every moment of attention. Some men will spend their Father's Day far away from home, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, or in other dangerous places. Some men will work on Father's Day protecting the Nation at home in police and fire departments. For these men, Father's Day celebrations may be delayed but nonetheless sweeter for the wait. I am the father of two daughters, mothers now themselves, even grandmothers. I am a great-grandfather, and I can attest that it is indeed great to be a great-grandfather. As my sweet wife Erma and I celebrated our 67th wedding anniversary 3 weeks ago, I had the very special pleasure of sharing that occasion with most of my family and with friends. I could look around the long table past my wife's beautiful face and see small snatches of her and of myself in the voices, the gestures, the faces of three generations looking back at me. I am so proud of these. ``Yet, in my lineaments they trace, some features of my father's face.'' So wrote the poet George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron, in his poem. It is at times like these that one can feel the tide of history flowing from the generations before me to the young faces just setting out on the long ride of life. We strive to be remembered by our loved ones, as my dad strove to be remembered. To all the good fathers out there and in honor of my own dad, who is looking down today from heaven, I close with a few lines that I learned and recited when the days were young. In those days, children routinely did such things as memorize poetry. And I say to the fine Senator who presides today over this body, it is one of a multitude of poems that were taught to children in order to teach them lessons, and this one is just a few lines titled, ``The Little Chap That Follows Me,'' or in some instances, ``A Little Fellow Follows Me.'' This was written by the Reverend Claude Wisdom White, Sr., and it reminds me of how my dad lived, a noble man whom I never heard once, in all of the years, use God's name in vain. I never heard him tell an off-colored joke. That was the man whom I remember this day. Thank God for a man like Titus Dalton Byrd. A careful man I ought to be, A little fellow follows me. I dare not go astray, For fear he'll go the self-same way. I cannot once escape his eyes, Whatever he see me do, he tries. Like me, he says, he's going to be, The little chap who follows me. He thinks that I am good and fine, Believes in every word of mine. The base in me he must not see, That little fellow who follows me. I must remember as I go, Thru summers' sun and winters' snow. I am building for the years to be, In the little chap who follows me.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, as I mentioned a moment ago, Sunday will be June 20, and it will be West Virginia Day. West Virginia Day. On this day before West Virginia eve, there are so many things I would like to say about my great and proud and glorious State. I would like to talk about her rolling hills, how each year scores of thousands of people come to West Virginia to camp in our State and in our parks, to hike the Appalachian Trail, to fish in our mountain streams, or simply to relax and enjoy our majestic mountain scenery. The only thing more beautiful than the Sun setting over the hills of West Virginia is the Sun rising over our beautiful green peaks. I would like to brag a little. You know, Dizzy Dean said it is all right to brag if you have done it. I would like to brag a little about West Virginia's ``firsts.'' The first patent for a soda fountain was granted to George Dulty, of Wheeling, in 1833. The first bare knuckle world heavyweight championship was held near Colliers on June 1, 1880-- Colliers, WV. The first rural free mail delivery was started in Charles Town, just a few miles from here, on October 6, 1896. The first female jockey to win a horse race was Barbara Jo Rubin, at the Charles Town Racetrack on February 22, 1969. And, of course, I would like to boast, and I shall boast--why not? Why not? Why should I say I would like to boast? I am going to boast. I want to boast about all of the biggest and the best of West Virginia. The world's largest axe factory was located--where? In Charleston; Charleston, WV. The world's largest clothespin factory was located in Richwood, in Nicholas County, WV. The world's largest sycamore tree--where? Why, in Webster Springs, WV. And the town of Weirton, right up there in that northern panhandle, is the only city in the United States that extends from one State to another, one State border to another, the only city in the United States that extends from one State border to the other. And, of course, I will talk about the people of West Virginia, how they have endured disasters, exploitation, national scoffs--we are called hillbillies, you know. Hillbillies? How blessed the name, hillbillies. Count me in. How they have endured neglect but still they remain among the friendliest, the warmest, the most courageous, and most patriotic people in the United States. West Virginians are good people who care about each other and care about you, even if you are a stranger. And it has been said that West Virginians ``don't just loan someone a socket wrench, we help them fix their cars.'' And then I want to talk about the West Virginia coal industry. I could point out how West Virginia coal helped to fuel the Industrial Revolution and for over a century heated American homes. Look about you. You know the Great Fire in London occurred in 1666 and the great architect who drew the designs for the buildings that replaced those that were swept away with the fires, the great architect of that period was Christopher Wren. As my wife and I walked the halls of Saint Paul's Cathedral in London, we looked upon the floor and there on the floor, inscribed, were these words: If you seek my monument, look about you. That was Christopher Wren, who was the architect for perhaps more than 50 of those cathedrals and great buildings that grew up in the place that had been swept by the disastrous fire. If you seek my monument, look about you. I would point out how West Virginia coal helped to fuel the Industrial Revolution, as I say, and for a century heated American homes and fueled our warships and provided energy for our industries. Yes, these lights we have in the Chamber, where do you think that power is coming from? Not very far away. West Virginia coal made it possible. But as the great and glorious day known as West Virginia Day approaches, I decided not to do all these things but to discuss another aspect: the West Virginia apple industry. I have to wonder how many people listening to me even realize that West Virginia has a significant apple industry, but it does. In fact, West Virginia ranks ninth in the Nation in apple production. Furthermore, West Virginia is the home of two important--now listen to this. When you go to the store, to the Giant food store tomorrow, with your husband or your wife or your brother or your sister, take a look at those apples as you go by. And just remember this, that two important and very popular and delicious, delectable, tasty apple varieties originated in West Virginia. In 1775, Thomas W. Grimes produced the first Grimes golden apple since Adam and Eve walked together as evening came and enjoyed the apple. Thomas Grimes produced the first Grimes Golden apple in Wellsburg, WV. The Grimes Golden became a highly esteemed dessert apple. In the early 1900s, Anderson Mullins discovered on his family property in Clay County, WV, a mysterious tree bearing the Golden Delicious apple. Did you know that? I am looking at these bright faces that greet me with smiles every day--the wonderful young people who work for Senators and work for their Nation, who perform services for this Nation in this Senate, these wonderful young people--we call them pages. How wonderful they are. I pause from time to time to talk to these pages and to tell them wholesome stories and talk a little about Nathan Hale, talk with them about this great institution, the Senate of the United States. I talk with them about the Great Compromise that was hammered out in Philadelphia on July 16, 1787. Look how attentive these pages are. They are listening. They are listening. That smile, that radiant smile that I see on each page's face--Republican on the Republican side, and on the Democratic side--I will carry that smile with me all day, all day long, and it will warm my heart. Great it is to believe the dream as we stand in youth by the starry stream, but greater still to live life through and find at the end that the dream is true. As these young people go tomorrow perhaps to the Giant food or to the Safeway store or the corner grocery, they will look at the apples. When you do, remember that this Golden Delicious apple originated in Clay County, WV. Clay County is where I attended a Democratic rally one night 50 years ago. Just before I got into my car, I put my fiddle--it is a violin, but some people call it a fiddle--on the trunk of my car. And I began talking with one of the others who was departing late or last from that rally. I forgot about leaving my fiddle on the trunk of my car. When I got into my car and turned the ignition on and backed it up, I heard something. I heard the sound like something was being crunched under the rear wheels of my car. Lo and behold, it was my fiddle case and the fiddle that was in it. That happened in Clay County. But I like to remember Clay County for that oval-shaped apple with a golden-yellow skin and the juicy, firm flesh and sweet flavor which won wide acclaim. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, the founder of Kellogg's breakfast food company--have you tried Kellogg's Corn Flakes lately? I had them just this morning. He wrote that he considered ``the Golden Delicious, the finest apple I have ever tasted.'' That is a quotation from Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. Listen to that again. Here is what he said: The Golden Delicious, the finest apple I have ever tasted. Where does it start? Where was its beginning? Where was its genesis? West Virginia. The world renowned horticulturist Luther Burbank agreed, as he stated: I have no hesitancy in stating that it is the greatest apple in all the world. How about that? The ``greatest apple'' in all the world. And it came from where? West Virginia. Offsprings of the Golden Delicious have now been developed in every area of the United States and on every continent. It is recognized as West Virginia's most famous contribution to horticulture. In 1995, the West Virginia State Senate designated the Golden Delicious apple as the official State fruit. The apple industry in West Virginia began in a story book fashion. Around the year 1800, a young man by the name of John Chapman traveled the northern regions of what would become the State of West Virginia where mountaineers are always free. John Chapman traveled the northern regions of what would become the State of West Virginia planting apple trees throughout the region. Chapman was born in 1774, and he spent 50 years of his life planting tiny apple trees throughout the frontiers of the Eastern and Midwestern States. He was a simple man, John Chapman, whose clothes were said to have been made from sacks, and he wore a tin pot for a hat, which he used for cooking--cooking out of your hat. His dream was for a land with blossoming apple trees everywhere and no one was ever hungry. On the frontier, apples were not only a source of nutritious food, they were also used for the making of cider, vinegar, and apple butter as well. Have you been to the Apple Butter Festival? We have the Apple Butter Festival over in Berkeley Springs. Where is that? In West Virginia. Mr. Chapman is known to us today as the legendary Johnny Appleseed. Many people think of Johnny Appleseed as a fictional character, but he was a real person. I like to think of him, perhaps, as the ``Father of the West Virginia Apple Industry.'' As the apple nurseries that Johnny Appleseed planted in West Virginia developed, apple trees were distributed throughout the region, and apple production blossomed. It wasn't long until West Virginia apples were being loaded on flat boats and shipped down the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers to as far south as New Orleans, or loaded on canal boats and shipped to the Capital City of Washington. By 1889, West Virginia was producing nearly 5 million bushels of apples a year. Apple production in West Virginia peaked in 1931, when the State produced over 12 million bushels of apples. Today, apple production in West Virginia averages 143 million pounds--3.4 million bushels. Apple production takes place on an average of 9,000 acres, representing 126 commercial fruit growers. I am sure you have heard of Senator Harry Byrd of Virginia. Harry Byrd owned some great apple orchards. Some of them were in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. In the autumn, drive through southern Berkeley County, and you will find the strong, sweet smell of apples being processed into sauces, juices, ciders, and jams. On any Saturday, ride through the Eastern Panhandle and see civic groups, church groups, or groups of high school youngsters stirring apple butter in old, cast iron, copper-plated kettles set over the open fire. Apples have become an important part of the culture as well as the economies of West Virginia communities. In Inwood, for example, in the heart of old apple orchards, is Musselman High School, named after the world renowned maker of apple products, Christian H. Musselman, who started one of his first plants in West Virginia. And the school's mascot is the apple, while the spirited students are known as ``Applemen.'' The school newspaper is the ``Cider Press.'' Each year, the towns of Martinsburg and Burlington celebrate apple harvest festivals, while the towns of Salem and Berkeley Springs celebrate apple butter festivals. Clay County, the home of the Golden Delicious apple, celebrates with the Golden Delicious festival. On Sunday, as we mark another glorious West Virginia Day, I suggest that you celebrate by biting into a piece of homemade apple pie, or tangy apple crisp, or savoring a delicious apple dumpling, or a sweet- candied apple and thinking of West Virginia. West Virginia, how I love you! Every steamlet, shrub and stone, Even the clouds that flit above you Always seem to be my own. Your steep hillsides clad in grandeur, Alays rugged, bold and free, Sing with ever swelling chorus: Montani, Semper, Liberi! Always free! The little streamlets, As they glide and race along, Join their music to the anthem And the zephyrs swell the song. Always free! The mountain torrent In its haste to reach the sea, Shouts its challenges to the hillsides And the echo answers ``FREE!'' Always free! Repeats the river In a deeper, fuller tone And the West wind in the treetops Adds a chorus all its own. Aways Free! The crashing thunder, Madly flung from hill to hill, In a wild reverberation Makes our hearts with rapture fill. Always free! The Bob White whistles And the whippoorwill replies, Always free! The robin twitters As the sunset gilds the skies. Perched upon the tallest timber, Far above the sheltered lea, There the eagle screams defiance To a hostile world: ``I'm free!'' And two million happy people, Hearts attuned in holy glee, Add the hallelujah chorus: ``Mountaineers are always free!'' It is that time of year again. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BYRD. Will the Senator yield?

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator. His father, I believe, was a coal miner.

Mr. BYRD. You know, the coal miner is a very special breed of man. He goes into the smokey, hot bowels of the Earth to seek comrades who may be still alive. He risks his life for them. I have a special bond with the distinguished Senator through that coal miner background. I thank him for his words, which were so well spoken, about these young pages. I thank him for what he does for his State. I thank him for what he does for his country. I hope he will have a happy Father's Day on this coming Sunday. I thank the Senator.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, today, I voted in support of an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Act to establish that hate crimes based on race, color, religion, and national origin are prohibited at all times--not only when a person is involved in certain federally protected activities as is the case under existing law. The legislation I voted to enact today for the first time also prohibits hate crimes based on three additional categories, meaning a person's actual or perceived disability, gender, or sexual orientation, so long as the incident has a demonstrable tie to interstate trade. The legislation voted on today is different than the hate crimes legislation I opposed in June 2000 in several significant ways. Primarily, it includes stronger safeguards to ensure that the States continue to take the lead in prosecuting hate crimes. The language of the amendment makes it clear, though, that the Federal Government can prosecute a hate crime at the Federal level in circumstances where, for example, the State does not have jurisdiction or refuses to take jurisdiction over the crime. In June 2002, I voted in support of an amendment nearly identical to the hate crimes legislation approved today. Then, and today, I approached the Senate leadership about adding to the legislation language that would include age as a protected category, so that crimes directed against the elderly and children could also be considered hate crimes under this law. Defining age as an additional protected category in the law would also give State and local law enforcement officials new tools to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, and other assistance beneficial to prosecuting hate crimes against the elderly and children. Unfortunately, the managers of the hate crimes legislation declined to accept my suggestion of defining age as being an additional protected category under the bill, but I pledge to continue to do all that I can to make certain that the elderly and children are provided all protections possible to ensure their safety, and to make certain that those who perpetrate hate crimes against them receive suitable punishment.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, as we are considering the National Defense Authorization Act, I thank my colleagues, Senators Warner and Levin, the Chairman and ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, for so graciously agreeing to accept an amendment that I and several of my colleagues have proposed to modify Section 841 of that bill to enhance the work of the new ``Commission on the Future of the National Technology and Industrial Base,'' which is being established by this legislation. This amendment is the result of collaboration between myself and Senators Snowe and Kerry, Chairman and ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, as well as Senators Allen and Coleman. First of all, our amendment will require this new Commission to consider carefully the problem of current or potential shortages of critical technologies in the United States. It will also require the Commission to examine the issue of existing or future shortages of the raw materials that are essential to the production of these technologies. America's national security continues to be threatened by dwindling supplies of U.S.-made components and raw materials. Our Nation's industrial base can be expected to experience a decline in the production of certain technologies and the raw materials necessary to create them, as more and more small and medium-sized U.S. firms shift their production overseas. To the extent that these firms specialize in the manufacture of unique components, or are ``sole source'' producers of materials needed to supply the U.S. defense industry, their departure from the U.S. market leaves manufacturers of America's critical technologies with a dearth of reliable suppliers. The amendment that my colleagues and I offer today requires the Commission to examine whether, and in which areas, the United States now suffers, or might suffer in the future, shortages of critical technologies and their raw material inputs. The amendment also accelerates the deadline by which the report must be issued, requiring that it be issued on March 1, 2007, rather than a year later. Further, it requires the Commission to make recommendations addressing these shortages, so that our Nation can attempt to alleviate, ahead of time, any adverse impact that such shortages might have on the national security of the United States. We cannot wait to discover whether our Nation will be confronted with these shortages. Once they are upon us, it will be too late. If we wait until confronted with the fact that our Nation can no longer access the materials it needs to feed its technological advancement or maintain its industrial base, the consequences could be disastrous. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and we hope that by requiring this Commission to examine today possible shortages that could affect our Nation's technology and industrial base tomorrow, we can enhance and protect the national security of the United States. I would note, in closing, that our amendment will also make certain that representatives of small business can join labor representatives and others associated with the defense industry as members of this new Commission. I ask my colleague from Maine, the distinguished Chair of the Small Business Committee, how exactly will this provision make certain that the Commission has the benefit of obtaining a broad range of diverse opinions drawn from a wide cross-section of America?

Mr. BYRD. I commend the distinguished Chair Snowe for her tireless efforts on behalf of America's industrial base.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, today the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission issued its second major annual report to the Congress, as mandated by the Congress in its enabling statute, P.L. 106-398, October 30, 2000, as amended by Division P of P.L. 108-7 February 20, 2003. I commend it to my colleagues as a comprehensive, insightful and useful examination of the key trends, policies and realities inherent in the U.S./China relationship, and featuring a number of recommendations for the Congress to consider. It is noteworthy that the Commission adopted this report by a unanimous, bipartisan vote of 11-0. The commission is composed of an equal number of Democratic and Republican appointees, three each by the four leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is refreshing, indeed, in an era characterized by far too much partisanship and divisiveness, that in its treatment of the often contentious and important issues regarding this growing bilateral relationship, the Commission could reach a unanimous vote. Debates over foreign policy, it has often been said, to be effective, should end at the water's edge, and we should speak as a Nation with one voice to the world. Mr. President, in this report, bipartisan unanimity has been achieved, and by a very diverse group of thoughtful and independent minded Commissioners. I would also point out that this is a purely congressional body, in that all of the commissioners are appointed by the congressional leadership, and the report which is issued is intended to be exclusively advisory to the Congress. The mandate of the U.S.-China Commission is to ``monitor, investigate, and report to Congress on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China.'' The commission, therefore, takes an expansive view of U.S. national security, which is that our economic health and well-being are fundamental national security matters, including the maintenance of a strong manufacturing base, and the ability to maintain U.S. global competitiveness and a healthy employment level and growth rate. These central economic factors are just as essential to the national security and defense of our Nation as are strong and ready standing armies, navies and air forces equipped with the best weaponry, leadership and operational doctrines. In addition, the commission has treated, very thoroughly, a series of specific topics mandated in amendments to its charter last year, including China's proliferation practices, China's economic reforms and U.S. economic transfers to China, China's energy needs, Chinese firms' access to the U.S. capital markets, U.S. investments into China, China's economic and security impacts in Asia, U.S.-China bilateral programs and agreements, China's record of compliance with its World Trade Organization, WTO, commitments, and the Chinese government's media control efforts. Mr. President, I will not recite all the many important conclusions and recommendations for action contained in this timely report. But I point out that the United States needs to be much more proactive and clear-thinking in managing our overall relationship with China, and far more focused on what our goals are in the relationship if we are to advance our national economic and security interests. The report concludes, overall, that the U.S.-China economic relationship lacks active management. U.S. goals for specific elements of the relationship are too vague or even nonexistent. This is particularly highlighted in the enormous goods trade deficit, some $123 billion in 2003, and growing rapidly. The United States has the capability to nudge the Chinese into more positive policies and actions, thereby leveling a playing field which China has tilted in the direction of mercantilist behavior, including, in some arenas, intimidating tactics. Issues which have been festering in the WTO, for instance, such as China's artificial manipulation of the value of her currency, continued tolerance of high levels of Intellectual Property Crimes, massive illegal subsidization of Chinese enterprises, resistance to good faith compliance with important WTO procedures, and with many pledges made for progress in proliferation of WMD, all require heightened levels of attention and management by the United States The United States certainly has such influence at this period, and for the next few years, because of the enormous dependence of China on our good will, our consumer markets, our manufacturing capability, our technology and our cooperation in many fields. Such dependence will not last forever, however, and it is time that we begin to manage this relationship in ways that will produce more positive and favorable outcomes. Lastly, Mr. President, this report is studded with recommendations for Congressional action and for joint policy-making efforts between the Congress and the Executive Branch. It recognizes that good policy proceeds from building a strong consensus between our two branches, as well as between our two countries. I encourage my colleagues, many of whom have testified on these matters before the Commission, to examine the recommendations offered for our consideration. Mr. President, the Commission has today issued this fulsome report, and I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the Commission's list of recommendations.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, in August 1814, during the War of 1812, the British Navy bombarded Fort McHenry in Baltimore. A lawyer and amateur poet named Francis Scott Key from nearby Washington witnessed the attack from a British ship, where he had been attempting to secure the release of some American prisoners. The bombardment continued through the night and many watching feared that the fort, which guarded the approach to Baltimore, would shatter under the onslaught. When at last the dawn came, Fort McHenry still stood, its enormous American flag, though tattered, still flying. The exhausted British forces retreated. Francis Scott Key captured the relief and exhilaration of that turning point in history in a poem, which he titled ``The Defense of Fort M'Henry.'' His verses were subsequently printed widely, and a note added that said the accompanying tune was ``Anacreon in Heaven,'' then a popular tune. In October 1814, a Baltimore actor sang Key's new song in a public performance, calling it, for the first time, ``The Star Spangled Banner.'' The Star Spangled Banner became the national anthem in 1931 by an act of Congress. Though difficult for many people to sing, this anthem has retained its popularity because it so eloquently captures the love we have as a nation for our flag and the tender regard we have for the Nation those colors represent. Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Americans have grown used to the sight of American flags. Beginning just hours after those horrifying images hit our television screens, people reached into their closets and hung flags by their front doors, in their front yards, from their cars, and in front of their businesses. After the gauntlet of terrorism had been flung in our face, we as a nation answered the insult in a resounding and defiant way. Instinctively, we knew what to do. Our collective consciousness recalled the words from the Star Spangled Banner: ``Oh, say, does that star spangled banner yet wave? O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?'' Together, we made sure that our banner still waved. This last weekend, on the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, American flags again flew proudly as Americans and Europeans remembered and honored the heroic sacrifices of June 4, 1944, that led to the liberation of that beleaguered continent. On those distant shores, the last cohort of an earlier generation accepted the enduring thanks of nations and peoples freed from the terrible bonds of occupation. World War II brought out the best in America. Facing a clear and present danger, the Nation, like a team of horses hitched to a heavy load, dug deep and pulled together to put the enormous energy and resources of our bountiful land to work. Vast armies were trained and sent to battlefields across three continents. Fleets of ships were built to ferry unimaginable quantities of materiel to support those troops. Swarms of aircraft, armadas of battleships, and vast thundering herds of tanks were built and sent forth to defeat our enemies. Our scientists harnessed their creativity to produce new technology and new weapons more deadly and more terrifying than any mankind had ever before seen. Though our losses were staggering, the Nation persevered until the happy days that American flags drove proudly into Paris and flew over Germany, Italy and Japan. Never before, and, I fervently hope and pray, never again will the world see war waged on such a scale. Today, we are again at war. Our enemies are different, shadowy and elusive, and their tactics and methods of operation are most un- military. Not for them the open field of battle, but rather the saboteur's stealthy attack. Still, American troops lie encamped in Afghanistan and Iraq. Daily, they face attacks that, sadly, send home too many of our men and women in uniform shrouded beneath an American flag. For these fallen heroes, the music is ``Taps,'' not the ``Star Spangled Banner.'' The flag, however, was much the same as the one that flew over Fort McHenry all those years ago. Each June 14, we honor the flag, marking the day in 1777 that the Continental Congress adopted a resolution that stated simply: ``Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.'' In the Nation's early years, the actual design of the flag, whether the stars had five points or six or whether they were arranged in rows or a circle, was open to different interpretations. Also in our Nation's early years, a new star and a new stripe were added as each new State was added to the Union. The flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814 had fifteen stars and fifteen stripes. On April 4, 1818, President James Monroe signed into law the Flag Act of 1818. That act stipulated that, as of July 4, 1819, the flag would consist of thirteen stripes, for the thirteen original colonies, and twenty stars, one for each State at the time. Further, upon admission to the Union, a new star would represent each new State. Thus was born the flag that we know today, the flag that flies over this Capitol building. Through war and peace, triumph and tragedy, our flag, like our Nation, has endured much over the last two centuries. Hoisted over the victory stand at the Olympics, as it surely will be this summer in Greece, draped over the gaping wound in the side of the Pentagon before it was reconstructed, or printed on sacks of relief supplies sent to crisis situations across the globe, our Nation's flag conveys our pride, our courage, our defiance, and our magnanimity in the face of great challenges. The flag is a part of so many other holidays and celebrations. At the Fourth of July, on Memorial Day, on Veterans Day, and now on the 11th of September, the flag will be flying. And always, the sight of the red, white, and blue pulls us to our feet and stirs our emotions. So it is more than fitting that on one day each year, we honor the flag itself. I would like to close with one of my favorite poems, by Henry Holcomb, entitled ``Hats Off.'' It is a fitting tribute to our flag. Flag Day Hats off! Along the street there comes A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums, A flash of color beneath the sky: Hats off! The flag is passing by! Blue and crimson and white it shines, Over the steel-tipped, ordered lines. Hats off! The colors before us fly; But more than the flag is passing by. Sea-fights and land fights, grim and great, Fought to make and save the State: Weary marches and sinking ships; Cheers of victory on dying lips; Days of plenty and years of peace; March of a strong land's swift increase; Equal justice, right and law, Stately honor and reverend awe; Sign of a nation, great and strong Toward her people from foreign wrong; Pride and glory and honor, all Live in the colors to stand or fall. Hats off ! Along the street there comes A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums; And loyal hearts are beating high: Hats off! The flag is passing by!

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, on May 12, 2004, the President sent to Congress an amendment to his fiscal year 2005 budget request that would add $25 billion for the cost of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The President's request amounted to a blank check: There were virtually no strings at all on how those funds could be used. Senator Warner, as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, held a hearing, at my request, on the day after this $25 billion request was sent to Congress. Members of the committee were nearly unanimous that Congress should not sign away its power of the purse by giving a rubberstamp approval to the President's proposal. After reviewing the President's request, I developed several proposals to strengthen congressional oversight over the President's request. The funds should be authorized in discrete appropriations accounts for the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reasonable limits should be placed on transfer authority, so that this budget request would not become a blank check. Needed funding for the Coast Guard operations in the Persian Gulf should be included in the $25 billion requested by the President. Senator Warner, Senator Stevens, Senator Levin, and Senator Inouye worked diligently to include my proposals in the amendment that is now before the Senate. Funds have been placed in regular appropriations accounts in order to promote oversight. The amount of funds that can be transferred to other accounts has been reduced from 100 percent to a reasonable 10 percent. Anticipated costs for Coast Guard operations have been funded. I commend Senator Warner and Senator Stevens for their work on this amendment. I thank Senator Levin and Senator Inouye for their steadfast efforts in working to provide the necessary funding for our troops while preserving the power of the purse. I would also like to thank Senator Reid for his work in bringing this bipartisan amendment to a vote. Approval of a this amendment is but one step in providing the necessary support to our troops in a manner that promotes accountability and oversight by the Congress. In the coming days, the Appropriations Committee will take up the Defense Appropriations bill. The Senate should build on its work here to insure that the appropriations bill includes similar provisions that preserve the power of the purse that resides with Congress. I look forward to working with my colleagues on that bill, in the same bipartisan manner as we did today, to support our troops and protect the Constitution.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, May 31 is Memorial Day, the day we set aside each year to remember and to honor those men and women who gave their lives in service to our Nation. Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day in the old South--the day that we reminisce in our memories of our past, our locking with hands or words our lives with others, our children, grandchildren, and people whose voice is forever stilled. This year, this day has even more meaning as we once again find our men and women in uniform engaged in hostilities in Afghanistan and Iraq. Freedom does not come cheap. It is too often paid for not only in dollars but in the lives of America's best sons and daughters. All across the Nation out there, all across the prairies, the plains, the green valleys, the mountains, the rivers, the rust belt, the East, the North, the South, and the West--all across the Nation, families will be visiting the gravesites of their loved ones. Long, long be our hearts of such memories filled like the vase in which roses have once been distilled. You may break, you may shatter, the vase if you will, but the scent of the roses will hang round it still. Among rows of tombstones adorned with small American flags, they will lay wreathes and pay their respects to those who have served our country with honor and distinction in our Nation's wars. This national tribute will provide the opportunity for mothers and fathers not only to tell their children about the sacrifices of their ancestors and relatives but also to pass on valuable lessons about history and about humanity. But even when our world is beset with the worst of human nature, the best of human nature can rise above it all. I am reminded today of the story of the ``Immortal Chaplains'' of World War II, Rev. George I. Fox, Rev. Clark V. Poling, Father John P. Washington, and Rabbi Alexander D. Goode. When the U.S troopship Dorchester was torpedoed by a Nazi submarine, with only minutes to live, these four chaplains calmly handed out what lifejackets there were on the ship to the panicking passengers, the soldiers and sailors. When they ran out of life preservers to hand out, what did these four chaplains do? Can you see it? Can you envision a moment like that? They took off their own life preservers and gave them away. They gave them to others so others might live. Then, as the Dorchester was sinking, what did they do? They locked arms and prayed, and sank to their watery graves. They prayed, locked arms, and went to their watery graves. While some among us might not hesitate to take off that life preserver and give it to our spouse, certainly, our child, or a parent, how many of us would give it to a stranger, as did the immortal chaplains. Self-sacrifice, unity, and respect for each other and each other's faith were the qualities they displayed that night, and in so doing these four chaplains of four different faiths demonstrated their deep faith in God and they honored the mission of our great Nation. These four chaplains, as I say, were of different faiths. Two were Protestant ministers, was one a Jewish rabbi, and the fourth was a Roman Catholic priest. But they were united as one in their devotion to their Maker, their love for their fellow man, and their willingness to sacrifice so that others might live. It was these convictions that inspired one of the most memorable events not just of World War II but of all time. Memorials in their honor have been built in the country. The U.S. War Department posthumously awarded them the Distinguished Service Crosses. The U.S. Postal Service issued a special stamp to commemorate their sacrifice. Congress has honored them by authorizing the Four Chaplains Medal and with a resolution designating a Four Chaplains Day. Think about it. Amidst all the great and important military leaders such as Generals Patton, MacArthur, and Eisenhower, amidst all the great and powerful political leaders of that war such as Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, we also remember these four humble men of God. Yes, think about it. Amidst all of the destruction and all of the carnage of that war, destruction, and carnage in the form of an Auschwitz, Pearl Harbor, Dresden, and Hiroshima, we remember the immortal chaplains for their act of kindness and mercy. Yes, think about it. Amidst all the misery and tragedy of that war, amidst all the hate and all the horror of that war, we still remember the four chaplains and their act of heroism and love. Today, a half century later, we again find ourselves in a terrified world, a world that we did not seek, a terrifying world, a world that we did not want but one in which we must endure if we are to prevail. War, disease, crime, and terrorism have transformed our land into a code red world. Every generation has its turmoil. That is, sadly, the way of the world. And this particular terrifying era of adversity and challenge in which we now find ourselves, we would do well to bear in mind those immortal chaplains, the four who refused to succumb to fear and performed selfless acts of kindness and mercy. They truly, truly personified the greatest of men in all generations. The sacrifice of those four men endures as an inspiring act of humanity. For as Jesus said: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for another. So on this Memorial Day, we will pray as we remember those American service men and women who now stand in harm's way yonder on the other side, yonder in a faraway land. We will pray for those who are serving our Nation in the dangerous climates of Iraq and Afghanistan. They are doing their duty for the families they love, and we will pray for their families and for the families who have already lost loved ones, who daily see that empty chair at the table, the chair which never again will be filled, that place at the table which will forever be empty. And as we pray, we will recall the words of the Scriptures from Psalm 127: ``Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'' So I close with lines written by Joyce Kilmer. ``Dulce et Decorum Est'' The bugle echoes shrill and sweet, But not of war it sings to-day. The road is rhythmic with the feet Of men-at-arms who come to pray. The roses blossom white and red On tombs where weary soldiers lie; Flags wave above the honored dead And martial music cleaves the sky. Above their wreath-strewn graves we kneel, They kept the faith and fought the fight. Through flying lead and crimson steel They plunged for Freedom and the Right. May we, their grateful children, learn Their strength, who lie beneath this sod, Who went through fire and death to earn At last the accolade of God. In shining rank on rank arrayed They march, the legions of the Lord; He is their Captain unafraid, The Prince of Peace . . . Who brought a sword. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. I thank the Senator. Among those giants who walked these halls, may I add one name: the name of the illustrious Richard Brevard Russell of Winder, GA, who was chairman of that committee when I first came to the Senate. Securing Our Energy Future: A New Strategy

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, on another matter, a perfect storm has been brewing. Americans have already felt the leading edge of the approaching squalls. Today, we are more dependent upon imported oil than ever before. More than 54 percent of the oil that Americans consume comes from foreign countries, especially OPEC-producing nations. Instead of striving to disentangle ourselves from this foreign oil dependency, the Bush administration seems intent on sinking our military and energy fortunes deeper and deeper into the sands of the Middle East. Last week, gas prices in many regions of West Virginia were above $2 per gallon. Within days, these prices could easily exceed the $2 per gallon average nationwide. The price of natural gas is at a historic high, and consumers and manufacturers in West Virginia and across the country are struggling to pay their bills. Though some advocate reducing this pressure by importing liquified natural gas in the future, we must also recognize that this will create a new and growing resource dependency. It is hard to believe that the energy and foreign policy decisions made in places elsewhere in the world are having such a dramatic impact on the lives and pocketbooks of our citizens, but that is today's reality. Another aspect of that gathering storm is the poor state of our electricity grid, the lifeline of our economy. However, decade-long efforts to deregulate electricity markets have, in some cases, led to market manipulation and fracturing rather than producing a more integrated, reliable system. Given the blackout last summer, few observers would doubt that our electric transmission system needs to be made more robust. Furthermore, economic and environmental regulations governing energy production and use are often in conflict with our disjointed energy policies. Continued uncertainties make investment decisions difficult and clearly demonstrate that these ongoing debates must be resolved. Due to the lack of political will, special interest entrenchment, and other constraints, policymakers have been unable to untangle this Gordian knot. These concerns are central to the long-term interests of our Nation, and they represent very ominous clouds on the horizon. Sadly, our energy problems are being addressed with Band-Aid solutions. In recent years, we have witnessed attempts to put a moratorium on Federal gas taxes, to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and to make secretive deals with Saudi Arabia to produce more oil. We have unnecessarily endeavored to treat the symptoms and not the core problem for far too long. Instead, our Nation needs to begin defining alternative pathways and new approaches that go beyond the extremist debates and simplistic solutions that define our very demanding energy and environmental challenges. Three years ago this week, the Bush administration released the National Energy Policy report. Unfortunately, Americans have yet to receive the benefits that this energy plan promised to provide. Given the plan's 3 year anniversary, I am announcing that I, along with other Senators, have asked the General Accounting Office to undertake a broad and comprehensive review of the Federal Government's energy funding, policies, and overall goals to determine whether the U.S. does, in fact, have strategic plan in place. The U.S. is without a serious energy policy, and no energy bill currently before this Congress can adequately rectify that problem. The U.S. faces the simultaneous challenges of an expanding energy appetite, a need to reduce its dependence on imported resources, and a decreasing tolerance for environmental impacts. Sadly, policymakers have time and time again failed to craft a comprehensive approach--a failure which continues to jeopardize our Nation's security, economic health, and environment. Too much is at stake to continue to ignore these looming problems. America's energy policies have been driven primarily by a reaction to supply shortages and crises. The energy policy approaches of numerous administrations are littered with false starts and abrupt shifts-- lurching first in one direction then in another. When it comes to securing America's energy future, the Bush White House is stuck in short-sighted, high-risk initiatives which seem largely guided by big dollar campaign contributors. Despite its rhetoric, this White House's lipservice and corporate coddling have been the sum total of its energy policy. It began with the Vice President's national energy policy task force and concluded with the exclusion of Democrats from the energy conference. As a result, the Bush administration appears to see energy policy as a way to reward its friends while sidestepping the serious, lingering challenges that face this country and, in fact, the world. In spite of our Nation's herky-jerky responses to energy policy, there have been some successful energy policy initiatives. Surely, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act, and the clean coal technology program have proved invaluable. However, for the most part, there has been little foresight, no coherent framework, and no clear objectives on which to base future decisions. The Nation needs a long-term energy plan that includes criteria and benchmarks by which to measure progress. In short, it requires a more integrated, cohesive roadmap. Now is the time for the cornerstones of our Nation's energy strategy to be solidly established. Opportunities exist for entrenched parties to come together on a more comprehensive and cohesive approach. This approach must integrate four fundamental principles: Diversity of energy sources to protect our Nation's security; fiscal soundness to ensure stakeholder support and increase economic growth; consumer protections to guard against fraud and manipulation; and safeguards to minimize energy's environmental footprint. A serious energy efficiency program, bolstered by the promotion of renewable energy and other clean home-grown energy sources, provides a compass point for a U.S. energy strategy. At its core, we must rely on our Nation's domestic energy assets, especially coal. Coal must become a primary fuel source for new energy demands into the 21st century. However, to do so requires that we think differently about coal. We must accelerate the deployment of commercial-scale technologies that move us away from simply burning coal toward the enhanced ability to transform coal into a variety of energy products. We can begin to meet this challenge by deploying advanced power generation and carbon sequestration technologies as well as by producing hydrogen and synthetic fuels for use in other sectors of the economy. Parallel efforts must also be initiated to resolve the outstanding environmental and regulatory issues attendant to coal production and reclamation. This broad approach also requires sending strong and clear regulatory and market signals which can significantly reconcile numerous environmental and climate change concerns, stimulate technology deployment, and set the stage for a renewed era for coal. Furthermore, our Nation must recognize the incredible impact that U.S. technologies and ideas can have in helping to meet other nations' energy needs in a more sustainable way. We must work to open and expand international markets for a range of U.S. clean energy technologies and simultaneously address global energy security, economic, trade, and environmental objectives. The path that I am proposing here today goes far beyond the so-called comprehensive energy legislation currently before us. Pursuing this course will take steadfast leadership, hard work, and American ingenuity to move forward in a responsible, balanced, and intelligent way. It is time for industry, labor, academic, environmental, and community interests to work with policymakers to find common ground. Commonsense market-based and regulatory approaches, emerging technology platforms, and new policy perspectives can bring these divergent groups together. By doing so, we can champion a new energy and environmental legacy that will benefit all the world's citizens. I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, in response to the distinguished Senator from Arizona, I expect to take 15 to 18 minutes.

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank all Senators for their courtesies. I especially want to take this moment to thank the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the ranking member for the splendid hearings they have been conducting. I have never sat on a committee through such a series of hearings that have been so well ordered and so well chaired by both Members, the distinguished Senator from Virginia and the distinguished Senator from Michigan, as I have experienced in these few days as this committee has been conducting its hearings into the serious matters that have confronted us in the Middle East. I just want to take this occasion to say I could never ask for a chairman to be more fair, more just, more reasonable than the Senator from Virginia. I marvel at his equanimity, at his good nature. He is always, always a man of good will. I count it a great privilege to serve on his committee.

Mr. BYRD. Yes.

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator. I have said along this line that it was a great pleasure serving on this committee with Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia. I thought he was a great chairman. He was. When he left the committee, I felt it would certainly be a long time before his shoes and his chair would be as well filled as one could hope. I find that the distinguished Senator from Michigan has done a splendid job. He handles himself preeminently well on television, and he approaches each problem on the committee in a very studious fashion. When he reads a bill, one can say that bill has been read. When he writes a bill, one can say it has been written well--every period, comma, semicolon, colon, en dash, em dash, whatever it is. He would have gone over it thoroughly. I thank him. He has certainly stepped into the shoes of Sam Nunn very ably. I have every confidence in him.

Mr. BYRD

Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I commend Senators Gregg and Kennedy for their hard work in bringing this important legislation to the floor. I share in their commitment to protect Americans from bio-terrorism. Last year, I worked with Senator Cochran, the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to develop an extraordinary funding mechanism for the funding of Project Bioshield. The Congress approved $5.6 billion of advanced appropriations to create incentives for the development of vaccines, pharmaceuticals and other countermeasures for responding to a potential terrorist attack. This funding demonstrated a strong commitment to implementing this important program. During debate on the budget resolution, the Senate approved an amendment offered by Senator Cochran and myself that struck from the resolution a provision that would have established different rules in the House and Senate for the treatment of Project Bioshield funding. I believe such a provision would have created confusion and potentially undermined future funding for homeland security programs. Is it the understanding of the Senator from New Hampshire that no such provision will be included in the final version of this legislation that will be presented to the President?

Mr. BYRD. Is it also his understanding that no such provision, which is in neither the House nor Senate-passed budget resolutions, will be included in a conference report on the budget resolution?

Mr. BYRD. I thank the chairman for his assurances and cooperation in this matter and I commend both he and Senator Kennedy for their cooperation in bringing to the Senate this important legislation. purchase of vaccines