Thad Cochran

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination on the Executive Calendar: The Foreign Service nominee on the Secretary's desk. I finally ask unanimous consent that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, any statements relating to the nomination be printed at the appropriate place in the Record, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then return to legislative session.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, before the Senate adjourned for the Easter recess, my State of Mississippi suffered the loss of one of its finest citizens, Richard Baxter Wilson, who died on Monday, March 15. He was a national leader in the electric power industry. He served as a member of the board of directors of Middle South Utilities, Inc., the Edison Electric Institute, and the National Association of Electric Companies. In addition to serving as president and chairman of the board of Mississippi Power & Light Company, he was also a member of many other corporate, charitable, civic, and educational institution boards. He was a personal friend of mine whose advice and counsel I appreciated and relied upon, to my great benefit. His two children, Richard B. Wilson, Jr. and Miriam Weems, are two of my closest and dearest friends. And I extend to them, and all the members of the family, my sincerest condolences. I ask unanimous consent that the obituary that appeared in The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, MS, of March 16 be printed in the Record.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. I thank the distinguished Senator very much for that.

Mr. COCHRAN. I am happy to yield.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today one of my State's most famous citizens of all time celebrates her 90th birthday. Eudora Welty is known around the world as a writer of enormous talent and accomplishment. She has lived for most of her life in Jackson, MS, and she enjoys a level of popularity in our State that a politician can envy but not match. I invite the attention of all Senators to the May issue of Vanity Fair which contains a toast to Eudora by my friend and fellow Mississippian, Willie Morris. In today's edition of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, an article describes other activities that will be taking place in our State to honor Miss Welty on her 90th birthday. I ask unanimous consent that a copy of that newspaper article be printed in the Record.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I regret that because of my father's funeral in Mississippi yesterday, I was not present in the Senate to vote on S. Con. Res. 21, authorizing the President of the United States to conduct military air operations and missile strikes against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on the resolution. The authorization is carefully limited and is designed to permit the participation of military forces of the United States, in concert with NATO allies, in an action to respond to a clear threat to the security and stability of Europe and indirectly to our own security interests. It is my hope that this action will serve to signal the willingness of the United States government to keep its commitments under the NATO treaty and to be a force for peace and freedom in the region sought to be protected by the alliance.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. I join my colleagues in approving the amendment by the Senator from Alabama and agree that we must proceed in a fair manner that will not disrupt the delivery of disaster payments to farmers. There is need for immediate and necessary relief from natural and economic losses. I will continue to work with the Senator from Alabama and my colleagues from Wisconsin and Iowa in order to address the concerns they have raised.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, we were all saddened by the accident involving the City of New Orleans Amtrak train in Illinois on Monday night. Several Mississippians lost their lives in the accident including June Bonnin of Nesbit, and Raney and Lacey Lipscomb of Lake Cormorant. I know my colleagues join me in extending our sympathy to their families. Mr. President, as is so often the case, tragedies such as this can bring out the best in individuals. Based on information provided to my office, it appears that three of the students from Covenant Christian High School in Clinton, Mississippi, who were on the train, became heroes. These students were part of a group of 15 students returning from a spring break trip to Canada. According to persons on the scene, Michael Freeman, Caleb McNair, and Jeffrey Sartor, all 17-year-old Clinton residents, quickly reacted to the situation. With fire quickly approaching from a nearby car, Michael and Caleb opened a window and began rescuing people trapped inside the train. Jeffrey and Mrs. Phyllis Hurley, a chaperone who was injured herself, began helping people get out of the train too. Caleb also assisted firefighters in getting elderly people to safety and getting a young girl freed from the wreckage. When firefighters and other help arrived, Michael was still on top of a car helping people from other cars over to the closest ladder and down from the train. Even after the young men were escorted to the side, they continued to help carry stretchers of wounded to safety. Mr. President, I extend my sympathy to all the victims and their families affected by the tragedy, and I commend the efforts of these young people and the many firefighters and emergency personnel who acted to save lives and assist the victims.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet at 9:30 a.m., on Wednesday, March 17, 1999, in open session to review the efforts to reform and streamline the Department of Defense's acquisition process.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Airland Forces of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet on Wednesday, March 17, 1999, at 2 p.m., in open session, to receive testimony on tactical aircraft modernization programs.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 17, 1999, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed hearing on Intelligence Matters.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs would like to request unanimous consent to hold a joint hearing with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to receive the legislative presentations of the Disabled American Veterans. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, March 17, 1999, at 10 a.m., in room 345 of the Cannon House Office Building.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 17, 1999, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a Hearing on S. 400, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self- Determination Act Amendments of 1999. The Hearing will be held in room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet in executive session during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 17, 1999, at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent on behalf of the Governmental Affairs Committee to meet on Wednesday, March 17, 1999; at 9:30 a.m., for a hearing on the Independent Counsel Act.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 17, 1999, at 2 p.m., to hold two hearings.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Energy be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 17, 1999, at 10 a.m. to hold a joint hearing.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, the Fiance Committee requests unanimous consent to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, march 17, 1999, beginning at 10 a.m., in room 215 Dirksen.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full Committee on Environment and Public Works be granted permission to conduct a hearing on loss of open space and environmental quality Wednesday, March 17, 10:30 a.m., Hearing Room (SD-406).

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full Committee on Environment and Public Works be granted permission to conduct a business meeting to consider pending business Wednesday, March 17, 9 a.m., Hearing Room (SD-406).

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Full Energy and Natural Resources Committee to consider Nuclear Waste Storage and Disposal Policy, including S. 608, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1999. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, March 24, 1999, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please call Karen Hunsicker at (202) 224- 3543 or Betty Nevitt, Staff Assistant at (202) 224-0765.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be allowed to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 17, 1999. The purpose of this meeting will be to review the current status of the Federal Crop Insurance Program and explore the various proposals to expand and/or restructure the program.

Mr. COCHRAN

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator for that kind gesture and express again my appreciation for his assistance in the development of the legislation and the passage of this bill. By this vote, the Senate has done what has never been done before. It has passed legislation making it the policy of the United States to deploy a national missile defense system capable against rogue-state threats as soon as the technology to do so is ready. By this action, the Senate has sent an unmistakable message around the world: To rogue states, that America will marshal its technological resources and refuse to be vulnerable to their ballistic missile threats of coercion; To our allies, that the United States will continue to be a reliable alliance partner; To other nations, that no country will have any form of veto over America protecting its security interests; To those working on the development of a national missile defense, that their work is valued and the system will be deployed just as soon as it is ready to protect America; And most of all, to the American people, who will no longer have cause to wonder if their Government intends to fulfill its most fundamental responsibility. In my opening statement I said we have heard many statements that have been made to reassure us about the willingness of the United States to defend itself. But there is always an ``if'' attached--if the threat appears, if we can afford it, if other nations give us their permission. By our actions today, we have removed what Winston Churchill called ``the terrible ifs.'' Without doubt, there will be other challenges ahead for national missile defense. There will be test failures as well as successes, but we will not be deterred from continuing to test until we develop a system that works. There will be discussions with other nations on arms control issues. But now these discussions will not begin with the question of whether America will protect itself. By this vote we have taken the necessary first step to protecting the United States from long-range ballistic missile attack. I thank the distinguished Senator from Michigan, Mr. Levin, the ranking minority member on the Armed Services Committee, for his cooperation as floor manager for the minority. I also thank all Senators who came to the floor to speak on the bill, and especially those Senators who cosponsored the bill. And finally, I thank my staff members, Mitch Kugler and Dennis Ward, whose excellent assistance to me and other supporters of this legislation has been very helpful indeed. Mr. President, I yield the floor. Mr. BYRD addressed the Chair.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed.

Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.