Daniel Coats

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. I thank the Senator for yielding. I wonder if my colleague from Pennsylvania has a question or----

Mr. COATS. My only observation is that the Senator indicated that a 45-day procedure is only 9 days of Senate time. Only in the U.S. Senate could an institution take 45 days to accomplish 9 days of work. I understand that is how this process works. I thank the Senator for his explanation of the procedure in terms of the way this bill will be handled.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, thousands of families would be eager to adopt were it not for the prohibitive cost, now about $14,000 on average. A $5,000 credit would make this a reasonable option for more parents. Encouraging adoption is one of the most effective ways to care for children in need and at risk. Abused and abandoned children require loving homes more than they require any amount of bureaucratic spending in the status quo bill presented by the Democrats. Third, this reconciliation bill includes medical savings accounts, an idea that I was the first to introduce in the Senate. These accounts will give families independence and choice on health care, the opposite of the President's approach. It delivers security without bureaucracy, providing families the resources to care for their own needs. The centerpiece of this reconciliation bill is a balanced budget. In the future, this will be recalled as our contribution to history. If we ignore our budget crisis, the child born this year will pay $187,000 over his lifetime just for interest on the national debt. The argument for a balanced budget comes down to something simple: It is one of our highest moral traditions for parents to sacrifice for the sake of their children. It is the depth of selfishness to call on children to sacrifice for the sake of their parents. If we continue on our current path, we will violate a trust between generations and earn the contempt of the future. There is no doubt we must balance the budget, but in passing this bill, we will accomplish even more, because this bill displays a passion for limited Government, yet it also displays compassion for American families. It finally returns responsibility to the Federal budget, yet it also helps return abused and abandoned children to adoptive families. It will improve the long-term health of our economy, and yet it will also deliver short-term help to families and to children, relief that will be felt next year and every year beyond. These are not sideshows or distractions. This plan includes real relief that will be felt and appreciated by the American people, and that relief is specifically directed toward families with children. This is actual, meaningful compassion, not the synthetic, failed compassion of Government programs. Mr. President, we have come to the beginning of the end of deficit spending in America. We have come to this place because there is no alternative. The work before us is difficult. But it is nothing more than most Americans expect. We have come to a time that is unique--an authentic moment of decision. It is a moment to act worthy of our words, and to keep faith with the future. Mr. WELLSTONE addressed the Chair.

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, just 8 short months ago, when Democrats defeated the balanced budget amendment, the minority leader challenged us by saying: ``The budget is not going to be balanced in 2002 unless the responsible people in 1995 start to focus on their share of the work.'' Well, Mr. President, I submit that responsible people in Congress have focused on their work, and now it is up to the minority to show whether their statements supporting a balanced budget were a conviction or an alibi. The reconciliation bill we are debating not only makes sense, it makes history. For most of us, a balanced Federal budget is a distant memory. For decades, it has been an empty political promise, but now it is just one final vote away. All that remains is one final act of courage and vision. That courage will be tested in the Congress by some difficult choices that we will have to make here in the next 3 days. That vision will be measured in the President, as he becomes either a partner in the process or a partisan opponent. If either he or we are unequal to this task, the patience of the public will be exhausted. We will have squandered a unique opportunity, and we will feed a dangerous disillusionment with American politics. I am confident that this chance will not be missed; that this new Congress will show a new determination. But this bill involves more than fiscal restraint. It represents a radical shift of resources away from Government, directly to families. It contains the single-most practical, compassionate way to provide immediate help and support to children. That is a fact that Americans must understand and that opponents cannot be allowed to ignore, because this budget matches its commitment to cuts with commitments to families. It reduces both the reach of Government and the level of taxes, and it embodies important values that cannot be represented in a balance sheet. Let me take three provisions of this budget as examples--priorities that I have championed for years. These are measures that would directly improve the lives of families and children in my State and people around the country. We have proposed them again and again, only to see them ignored or defeated. Now they are one step short from reality. First, this budget includes a $500 child tax credit. This sounds somewhat abstract, so let me be specific. The reconciliation package would provide nearly $600 million of tax relief to Indiana families. Over 1 million Indiana children would be eligible for the credit, and nearly 100,000 Hoosier taxpayers would have their entire tax liability eliminated by this single measure alone. Democrats in this debate have tried to draw attention to children, and that is precisely where our attention should be. But children are not raised by bureaucrats, they are raised by parents. If the choice is between $600 million spent by Government in Indiana and $600 million spent by parents, there is no choice. Parents are more compassionate and more capable than any Government program can ever be. In reality, nearly 90 percent of the child tax credit will go to families making less than $75,000 a year. Over 50 million American children will be eligible. Cutting Government and cutting taxes are part of the same movement in America, the movement to limit our Government and empower our people. One idea implies and requires the other. When we reduce public spending, we should increase the resources to families to meet their own needs. The theory is simple: A dollar spent by families is more useful than a dollar spent by Government. Second, this package also includes an adoption credit of $5,000. Along with the child tax credit, these two provisions represent about 60 percent of the entire tax package. There is no more compassionate act than to provide an abandoned or abused child with a loving family, and the number of children who need those families is rising sharply. Yet, at the same time, the number of adoptions has dropped by nearly 50 percent over the last 25 years and, on any given day, 37,000 children are waiting to be adopted. Thousands of families would be eager to adopt if it were not for the prohibitive cost, now about $14,000 on average. A $5,000 credit would make this a reasonable option for more parents.

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 2 additional minutes. Is that permitted?

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution appear at the appropriate place in the Record.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I further ask that at the hour of 11:30 a.m. there be a period for morning business for 60 minutes to be controlled by Senators Hutchison and Nunn, and that at the hour of 12:30 p.m., the Senate stand in recess for the weekly party caucuses to meet until 2:15 p.m.

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today it stand in adjournment until the hour of 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, October 10, that following the prayer the Journal of proceedings be deemed approved to date, no resolutions come over under the rule, the call of the calendar be dispensed with, the morning hour be deemed to have expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and there then be a period for morning business until the hour of 9:30 a.m. with Senators to speak for up to 5 minutes each. [[Page S 14799]] I further ask unanimous consent that following morning business at 9:30 a.m., the Senate begin consideration of S. 143, the job training bill, under a previous consent agreement.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 200, H.R. 2288.

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

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, any votes ordered with respect to S. 143 would be postponed to occur not before 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Also, it is the leader's intention to complete action on Senate S. 143 on Tuesday, and since the bill has an agreement of 9 hours, a late session can be expected.

Mr. COATS. I say to my friend from Kentucky that my persuasive manner and nature has allowed us now to--as I read the clock, it is 10:07 p.m. on Friday evening. So we are not doing real well with the family friendly schedule. We hope this is an exceptional year. We are in the midst of doing an extraordinary amount of work.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, the hour being late, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I now ask that the Senate stand in adjournment under the provisions of House Concurrent Resolution No. 104.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I further ask that during the adjournment of the Senate, committees may file reports on executive and legislative business on Wednesday, October 4, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk to the committee amendment and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate immediately proceed to consideration of Senate Resolution 179, submitted earlier today by Senator Thurmond.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate go into executive session and immediately proceed to the consideration of the following Executive Calendar nominations en bloc: No. 233 through No. 237, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 245, 246, 247, 248, and 249 and all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Foreign Service. I further ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and that any statements relating to any of the nominations appear at the appropriate place in the Record and the Senate then immediately return to legislative session.

Mr. COATS

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 29, submitted earlier by Senator Dole.

Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the concurrent resolution appear at the appropriate place in the Record.