Kent Conrad

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. As we see these deficits, we go back to this chart, and the President is saying they will be in the $200 billion range at the end of this 5-year period. We do not see that at all. As we can see, they will be in the $350 billion range. Of course, this, too, understates the real magnitude of our problem because it does not capture all that is being added to the debt. Look where this goes the second 5 years--to deficits of $620 billion. In a moment I will get to how much is being added to the debt under this budget because I think that is critically important for people to understand. Our friends on the other side of the aisle talk a lot about deficits these days. They never talk about the debt. The debt is the accumulation of all the deficits. Obviously we face a big demographic challenge going forward. I have indicated all of this is happening at a bad time because the baby boomers are about to retire. Here is what we see. We are going to go from about 40 million people eligible for Social Security and Medicare to 81 million eligible. That is a key reason we ought to be running more balanced budgets at this time. The President told us back in 2002 that: None of the Social Security surplus will be used to fund other spending initiatives or tax relief. That is what he told us. None of the Social Security money would be used to fund other spending initiatives or tax relief. Now we are able to have the benefit of several more years and we are able to look at the record and see what the President's budget will do going forward. The President said none of the Social Security surplus would be used for tax cuts, or other spending initiatives. Under the budget that is before us from the President and under the budget before us by the majority party, every penny of the Social Security surplus is going to be used under the President's plan for the next 5 years and, by extension, the next 10 years, $2.5 trillion--$2.5 trillion of payroll tax money, which is supposed to be used to support Social Security, being used to pay for other things. In effect, it is being used to subsidize his massive income tax cuts for the wealthiest among us, and being used to pay for other things. The irony of this is the President says Social Security is $3.7 trillion short over the next 75 years, but in his budget he is taking $2.5 trillion of Social Security money in the next 10 years alone and using it to pay for other things. I think this whole picture becomes more clear if one puts it all together. This is the reason I so strongly oppose this budget that is on the floor. I say to my colleagues, anybody who votes for this budget should never make another campaign claim that they are fiscally responsible or fiscally conservative because this budget absolutely is a testimony to those who worship at the altar of debt. This budget builds debt on top of debt. Going forward, this chart shows the Social Security trust fund surpluses, which are the green bars. The blue bars are the Medicare trust fund. The red bars are the President's tax cuts. What one sees is the Social Security and Medicare trust funds go cash negative at that very time the cost of the President's tax cuts explodes, driving us right over the cliff into massive deficit and debt. That is where this is all headed. The President says Social Security is a problem and, of course, he is correct. The 75-year shortfall in Social Security is $4 trillion. The 75-year shortfall in Medicare is 7 times as much. The 75-year shortfall in Medicare is $29.6 trillion. This is according to the Social Security trustees. One would say that is a big problem, that the President is not addressing this problem, not addressing these shortfalls. His proposals make it all worse. His proposals take more money out of Social Security. The budget that is before us takes $2.5 trillion of Social Security money over the next 10 years and uses it to pay for other things. Then the President comes with a proposal and says establish private accounts and divert more money out of Social Security, another $700 billion over the next 10 years. Over the next 20 years, he is talking about diverting over $4 trillion out of Social Security. That is real money. It is no wonder Social Security has a shortfall. The President is helping to create the shortfall. The President told us in 2001: . . . (M)y budget pays down a record amount of national debt. We will pay off $2 trillion of debt over the next decade. That will be the largest debt reduction of any country, ever. Future generations shouldn't be forced to pay back money that we have borrowed. . . . These are not my words. These are the President's words. The President said: . . . Future generations shouldn't be forced to pay back money that we have borrowed. We owe this kind of responsibility to our children and grandchildren. Those are good words. The President was right to utter them. The problem is if one compares the record to the rhetoric, there is no connection.

Mr. CONRAD. In some ways, it is almost hard to place language on this document. The Senator says it has makeup. This isn't pretty with or without the makeup because the results of this are going to be a country that is deeper and deeper in debt, whose long-term economic security is put at risk, that more and more is dependent upon the decisions of foreign central bankers on our economic well-being. The harsh reality here is that you can live beyond your means for a while, but it catches up with you. And that is what this budget represents. Our friends on the other side of the aisle want to spend money. Make no mistake about that. The spending is going up under this budget. They just don't want to pay for their spending. They prefer to borrow the money. They don't want to raise the taxes necessary to support their spending. One could have more respect for their position if they did one of two things: if they either cut their spending to match their willingness to pay for it by raising revenue or if they were willing to raise the revenue to match their spending appetite. But our friends on the other side of the aisle are not willing to do either. They want to spend the money, but they don't want to raise the revenue to pay for it. Instead, their answer is, borrow the money. Borrow the money to fund tax cuts. Take the money from the Social Security trust fund, $2.5 trillion. They say Social Security is short of money. So what is their answer? Their answer is to take $2.5 trillion out of it to pay for income tax cuts that go primarily to the wealthiest among us. Here is the evidence of that because buried in this budget are additional tax cuts, dividends, capital gains that will give on average to those who are earning over $1 million a year in our society a $35,000 tax cut per year. For those who earn less than $50,000 a year, the vast majority of Americans, they will get $6 a year. This is our Republican friends' notion of a balanced plan--$35,000 a year for those who earn over $1 million a year, $6 for those who earn less than $50,000 a year. And for those who are fortunate enough to earn $50,000 to $200,000 a year, they would get $112. That is our Republican friends' notion of tax fairness.

Mr. CONRAD. Those who earn from $200,000 to $1 million a year get on average $1,480 under the tax cut plan that is contained here. Again, those who earn more than $1 million a year get, just on these tax provisions--by the way, these are just a couple of the tax provisions. This does not include the estate tax provisions that go overwhelmingly to the wealthiest among us. Just these two tax provisions would give $35,000 a year to those earning $1 million a year and $6 of tax cut to those who earn less than $50,000. It will give $112 to those who earn between $50,000 and $200,000. I would just say that the priorities of this budget are also out of whack. This budget, in the year 2006, for those fortunate enough to earn over $1 million a year, the tax cuts going to that group of people will cost $32 billion in that year alone. That is the cost of the tax cuts for those earning over $1 million a year in that year alone: $32 billion. But they say there is not the money to restore the education cuts that are contained in this budget which would cost $4.8 billion. They say there is no money to do that. But there is eight times as much money to give tax cuts to those earning over $1 million a year. I guess one could say our Republican friends have said: It is seven times as important to give these tax cuts to those earning over $1 million a year as it is to restore these education cuts. I don't share those priorities. I believe those are misplaced priorities. I don't think those are the priorities of the American people. They are profoundly wrong for the long-term economic strength of our country.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I yield 10 minutes to the Senator from Rhode Island.

Mr. CONRAD. I am happy to do that. The Senator from Texas has been very patient. Let's allow her to proceed, I will take a few minutes, and we will go on with the other Members scheduled.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Improving Access to Nurse-Midwifery Care Act of 2005. For too many years, certified nurse midwives, CNMs, have not received adequate reimbursement under the Medicare program, despite evidence that shows the quality of care and outcomes for services provided by CNMs are comparable to obstetricians and gynecologists. My legislation takes important steps to improve reimbursement for these important healthcare providers. There are approximately three million disabled women on Medicare who are of childbearing age; however, if they choose to utilize a CNM for ``well women'' services, the CNM is only reimbursed at 65 percent of the physician fee schedule. In practical terms, the typical well-woman visit costs, on average, $50. But Medicare currently reimburses CNMs in rural areas only $14 for this visit, which could include a pap smear, mammogram, and other pre-cancer screenings. CNMs administer the same tests and incur the same costs as physicians but receive only 65 percent of the physician fee schedule for these services. This reduced payment is unfair and does not adequately reflect the services CNMs provide to beneficiaries. At this incredibly low rate of reimbursement, the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee, MedPAC, agrees that a CNM simply cannot afford to provide services to Medicare patients and has supported increasing reimbursement for CNMs. My legislation would make several changes to improve the ability of CNMs and certified midwives, CMs, to effectively serve the Medicare- eligible population. First, and most importantly, my bill recognizes the need to increase Medicare reimbursement for CNMs by raising the reimbursement level from 65 percent to 100 percent of the physician fee schedule. CNMs provide the same care as physicians; therefore, it is only fair to reimburse CNMs at the same level. In addition, the Improving Access to Nurse-Midwifery Care Act would guarantee payment for graduate medical education and includes technical corrections that will clarify the reassignment of billing rights for CNMs who are employed by others. Finally, my bill would establish recognition for a certified midwife, CM, to provide services under Medicare. Despite the fact that CNMs and CMs provide the same services, Medicare has yet to recognize CMs as eligible providers. My bill would change this. This bill will enhance access to ``well woman'' care for thousands of women in underserved communities and make several needed changes to improve access to midwives. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Improving Access to Nurse-Midwifery Care Act of 2005. For too many years, certified nurse midwives, CNMs, have not received adequate reimbursement under the Medicare program, despite evidence that shows the quality of care and outcomes for services provided by CNMs are comparable to obstetricians and gynecologists. My legislation takes important steps to improve reimbursement for these important healthcare providers. There are approximately three million disabled women on Medicare who are of childbearing age; however, if they choose to utilize a CNM for ``well women'' services, the CNM is only reimbursed at 65 percent of the physician fee schedule. In practical terms, the typical well-woman visit costs, on average, $50. But Medicare currently reimburses CNMs in rural areas only $14 for this visit, which could include a pap smear, mammogram, and other pre-cancer screenings. CNMs administer the same tests and incur the same costs as physicians but receive only 65 percent of the physician fee schedule for these services. This reduced payment is unfair and does not adequately reflect the services CNMs provide to beneficiaries. At this incredibly low rate of reimbursement, the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee, MedPAC, agrees that a CNM simply cannot afford to provide services to Medicare patients and has supported increasing reimbursement for CNMs. My legislation would make several changes to improve the ability of CNMs and certified midwives, CMs, to effectively serve the Medicare- eligible population. First, and most importantly, my bill recognizes the need to increase Medicare reimbursement for CNMs by raising the reimbursement level from 65 percent to 100 percent of the physician fee schedule. CNMs provide the same care as physicians; therefore, it is only fair to reimburse CNMs at the same level. In addition, the Improving Access to Nurse-Midwifery Care Act would guarantee payment for graduate medical education and includes technical corrections that will clarify the reassignment of billing rights for CNMs who are employed by others. Finally, my bill would establish recognition for a certified midwife, CM, to provide services under Medicare. Despite the fact that CNMs and CMs provide the same services, Medicare has yet to recognize CMs as eligible providers. My bill would change this. This bill will enhance access to ``well woman'' care for thousands of women in underserved communities and make several needed changes to improve access to midwives. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, again I thank the ranking member, Senator Jeffords, who has put so much time and effort into this legislation so that all at the table are fairly represented. I thank the chairman, as well. The chairman has strived valiantly over an extended period of time. I remember last year as we moved, we hoped, toward conclusion, our House colleagues had a different point of view than the Senate. I thank the chairman and ranking member for their exceptional efforts. Now we have a chance to do it, to move forward. We need this cloture vote to proceed. I yield the floor.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their work on this issue. I urge my colleagues to support invoking cloture on this important legislation. I had a meeting yesterday morning with highway contractors in my State. They once again impressed upon me the urgency of passing new highway legislation. In my part of the country--I represent North Dakota--our construction season is a short one. We urgently need action. There are contracts that are being held up, actions that need to be taken to improve the road network in my State that are being held because there is no new highway legislation passed. We keep passing extenders. But that does not make adjustments for the increased needs across the country. We know much of our bridge system is deficient and in serious need of repair. We know many of the roads in our country need repair. New highways need to be constructed. Much of that activity will not occur unless new highway legislation passes the Congress. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for the extraordinary efforts they have made to advance this legislation. We are being held up here because some are unhappy, some are not getting all they would like to get. That is pretty much the norm around here. None of us get quite what we would like. I would like much more for my State. But I know the reality we confront. I know the urgency of the need to act. I ask my colleagues, please, let's invoke cloture. Let's proceed. We will still have opportunities to amend this bill. Members can come before the Senate and offer amendments to change this legislation. They can either prevail or lose, but they will have had their chance. I hope my colleagues will support the move to invoke cloture on this legislation so we can proceed, so the American people can know the important business of highway construction, highway repair, bridge construction, and bridge repair can move forward.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce, with Senator Allen, and 27 of our colleagues, the Theodore Roosevelt Commemorative Coin Act, which would commemorate the centenary of the bestowal of the Nobel Peace Prize on President Theodore Roosevelt. This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins bearing the likeness of Theodore Roosevelt. The sales of these coins would support programs to educate the public about the impressive achievements of our 26th President. President Roosevelt is one of our most celebrated presidents. Among his many achievements, Roosevelt received the Congressional Medal of Honor for leading a daring charge up San Juan Hill, which turned the tide in that battle near Santiago, Cuba. North Dakota has a special connection with Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt liked to say that the years he spent in the Badlands of North Dakota were the best of his life. He even attributed his success as President to his experiences as a hunter and rancher in western North Dakota. It is with great pride that I introduce the Theodore Roosevelt Commemorative Coin Act, which honors President Roosevelt's foreign policy achievements and commitment to conservation in this country. In particular, the bill highlights his success in drawing up the 1905 peace treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War. This accomplishment earned him the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize--making him the first citizen of the United States to receive the Peace Prize. The bill also pays tribute to his enduring respect for our nation's wildlife and natural resources. During his tenure as President, Roosevelt established 51 Bird Reserves, 4 Game Preserves, 150 National Forests, 5 National Parks, and 18 National Monuments, totaling nearly 230 million acres of land placed under public protection. It is fitting that the proceeds from the surcharge associated with the coin be used for educational programs at two very important sites in the life of Theodore Roosevelt--his home in New York, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, and the national park that bears his name and honors his conservation efforts, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, located in Medora, North Dakota. These two sites played a significant role in the development of Teddy Roosevelt's policies and offered him refuge away from the stress associated with public life. As a North Dakotan and an American, it is my hope that this bill will renew interest in the life of Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt's courage, patriotism, optimism, and spirit reflect what is best about our country, and he is remembered not only as a great statesman, but also a friend to the environment. I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation to honor Theodore Roosevelt's contributions to U.S. foreign and domestic policy and build upon his efforts to promote respect for our Nation's lands.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce, with Senator Allen, and 27 of our colleagues, the Theodore Roosevelt Commemorative Coin Act, which would commemorate the centenary of the bestowal of the Nobel Peace Prize on President Theodore Roosevelt. This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins bearing the likeness of Theodore Roosevelt. The sales of these coins would support programs to educate the public about the impressive achievements of our 26th President. President Roosevelt is one of our most celebrated presidents. Among his many achievements, Roosevelt received the Congressional Medal of Honor for leading a daring charge up San Juan Hill, which turned the tide in that battle near Santiago, Cuba. North Dakota has a special connection with Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt liked to say that the years he spent in the Badlands of North Dakota were the best of his life. He even attributed his success as President to his experiences as a hunter and rancher in western North Dakota. It is with great pride that I introduce the Theodore Roosevelt Commemorative Coin Act, which honors President Roosevelt's foreign policy achievements and commitment to conservation in this country. In particular, the bill highlights his success in drawing up the 1905 peace treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War. This accomplishment earned him the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize--making him the first citizen of the United States to receive the Peace Prize. The bill also pays tribute to his enduring respect for our nation's wildlife and natural resources. During his tenure as President, Roosevelt established 51 Bird Reserves, 4 Game Preserves, 150 National Forests, 5 National Parks, and 18 National Monuments, totaling nearly 230 million acres of land placed under public protection. It is fitting that the proceeds from the surcharge associated with the coin be used for educational programs at two very important sites in the life of Theodore Roosevelt--his home in New York, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, and the national park that bears his name and honors his conservation efforts, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, located in Medora, North Dakota. These two sites played a significant role in the development of Teddy Roosevelt's policies and offered him refuge away from the stress associated with public life. As a North Dakotan and an American, it is my hope that this bill will renew interest in the life of Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt's courage, patriotism, optimism, and spirit reflect what is best about our country, and he is remembered not only as a great statesman, but also a friend to the environment. I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation to honor Theodore Roosevelt's contributions to U.S. foreign and domestic policy and build upon his efforts to promote respect for our Nation's lands.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a concurrent resolution to honor the memory of the passengers on flight 93. As we reflect on the events of 9/11 and mourn the great loss we suffered, we remember the innocent who perished and we are reminded of the valiant efforts of those who saved lives, including the passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 93. Those brave people gave up their lives in order to save others that fateful day. Last fall, the 9/11 Commission released its report about the series of events that took place on September 11, 2001. The Senate has subsequently undertaken an evaluation of the Commission's findings through a series of hearings. As the story continues to unfold, it becomes clearer how important the actions of the passengers and crew of flight 93 were. We now know that flight 93 was almost certainly headed to the U.S. Capitol or the White House. We also know the passengers of flight 93 learned through a series of phone calls to loved ones that hijackers on three other flights had turned airplanes into flying bombs that morning, crashing them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Armed only with that knowledge and their own courage and resolve, those brave passengers attacked the hijackers and forced them to crash flight 93 into rural Pennsylvania far short of its intended target. The 9/11 Commission concluded that the Nation owes a debt to the passengers of flight 93. Their actions saved the lives of countless others and may have saved either the U.S. Capitol or the White House from destruction. Those of us who work here in the Capitol owe a special debt of gratitude to those heroes. Their actions saved one of the greatest symbols of our democracy. Today I am resubmitting a resolution honoring and memorializing the passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 93. This legislation expresses our deepest respect and gratitude to them, as well as condolences to their families and friends. This bill also calls for an appropriate memorial to be placed in the Capitol by the bicameral, bipartisan leaders of Congress. Today I bow my head in memory of those who died at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I also pay respect to our first responders, volunteers, and average citizens who risked their lives to save others on that day. Finally, I pay homage to the passengers and crew of flight 93 for taking on those who wished to harm our country and Nation's Capitol. I believe it is appropriate at this time to acknowledge the actions of the passengers of flight 93 for showing such remarkable heroism and to commemorate them in the very walls that might have crumbled had they not made that ultimate sacrifice. We are forever indebted to them and should never forget their bravery or sacrifice or that of their loved ones. The Senate unanimously passed an identical resolution last October 11, within a month of its introduction, but it did not pass the House of Representatives before the adjournment of the 108th Congress. The bipartisan legislation I am reintroducing today has the support of 25 of my colleagues, including Senator Santorum from Pennsylvania, who has joined me in leading this effort. I am also happy to report that Congressman Shuster of Pennsylvania will also be introducing companion legislation today. I hope all my colleagues will join me in sponsoring this resolution. I hope on a broad bipartisan basis we are able to recognize those brave passengers and crew of flight 93 for what they did on that remarkable day.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to support the introduction of the Wakefie1d Act, which will reauthorize the Emergency Medical Services for Children, EMSC, program. This program is the only Federal program that focuses specifically on improving the quality of children's emergency care. With more than 31 million child and adolescent visits to emergency rooms each year, the EMSC program is important to ensuring that our children receive the best trauma care available. As research shows, first responders cannot treat children as small adults, a different approach is needed. The EMSC program provides vital funding to States to improve the quality of pediatric emergency care. EMSC funds can be used for a variety of initiatives, including for the purchase of child appropriate equipment and training programs for nurses, physicians and emergency responders. These funds fill an important need. For example, 43 percent of hospitals in this country lack cervical collars for infants. The EMSC program is helping to address inadequacies in our Nation's EMS system. This bill is particularly important to me because it is named for the family of a dear friend of mine, Mary Wakefield, who suffered a horrible tragedy this past January. Mary lost her brother, Thomas Wakefield, and two of his children, Mikal and Nicole, in a car accident. This terrible tragedy highlights the importance of providing appropriate training and equipment for children involved in trauma cases, and I urge all of my colleagues to cosponsor this important legislation.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, three years ago, Senator Burns and I formed the bipartisan Task Force on Tribal Colleges and Universities to raise awareness of the important role that the tribal colleges and universities play in their respective communities as educational, economic, and cultural centers. The Task Force seeks to advance initiatives that help improve the quality education the colleges provide. For more than three decades, tribal colleges have been providing a quality education to help Native Americans of all ages reach their fullest potential. More than 30,000 students from 250 tribes nationwide attend tribal colleges. Tribal colleges serve young people preparing to enter the job market, dislocated workers learning new skills, and people seeking to move off welfare. I am a strong supporter of our Nation's tribal colleges because, more than any other factor, they are bringing hope and opportunity to America's Indian communities. Over the years, I have met with many tribal college students, and I am always impressed by their commitment to their education, their families and their communities. Tribal colleges and universities have been highly successful in helping Native Americans obtain a higher education. Congress has recognized the importance of these institutions and the significant gains they have achieved in helping more individuals obtain their education. While Congress has steadily increased its financial support of these institutions, many challenges still remain. One of the challenges that the tribal college presidents have expressed to me is the frustration and difficulty they have in attracting qualified individuals to teach at the colleges. Recruitment and retention are difficult for many of the colleges because of their geographic isolation and low faculty salaries. To help tackle the challenges of recruiting and retaining qualified teachers, I am introducing the Tribal Colleges and Universities Teacher Loan Forgiveness Act. This legislation will provide student loan forgiveness to individuals who commit to teach for up to five years in one of the tribal colleges nationwide. Individuals who have Perkins, Direct, or Guaranteed loans may qualify to receive up to $15,000 in loan forgiveness. This program will provide these institutions with extra help in attracting qualified teachers, and thus help ensure that deserving students receive a quality education. I would be remiss if I did not recognize that former Senator Daschle was responsible for spearheading this initiative for a number of years. The tribal colleges lost a true champion, but I am pleased to carry forward his vision and support for the colleges. I am pleased that Senators Burns, Johnson, Dorgan, Kohl, Domenici, and Bingaman are original cosponsors of this bill, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, three years ago, Senator Burns and I formed the bipartisan Task Force on Tribal Colleges and Universities to raise awareness of the important role that the tribal colleges and universities play in their respective communities as educational, economic, and cultural centers. The Task Force seeks to advance initiatives that help improve the quality education the colleges provide. For more than three decades, tribal colleges have been providing a quality education to help Native Americans of all ages reach their fullest potential. More than 30,000 students from 250 tribes nationwide attend tribal colleges. Tribal colleges serve young people preparing to enter the job market, dislocated workers learning new skills, and people seeking to move off welfare. I am a strong supporter of our Nation's tribal colleges because, more than any other factor, they are bringing hope and opportunity to America's Indian communities. Over the years, I have met with many tribal college students, and I am always impressed by their commitment to their education, their families and their communities. Tribal colleges and universities have been highly successful in helping Native Americans obtain a higher education. Congress has recognized the importance of these institutions and the significant gains they have achieved in helping more individuals obtain their education. While Congress has steadily increased its financial support of these institutions, many challenges still remain. One of the challenges that the tribal college presidents have expressed to me is the frustration and difficulty they have in attracting qualified individuals to teach at the colleges. Recruitment and retention are difficult for many of the colleges because of their geographic isolation and low faculty salaries. To help tackle the challenges of recruiting and retaining qualified teachers, I am introducing the Tribal Colleges and Universities Teacher Loan Forgiveness Act. This legislation will provide student loan forgiveness to individuals who commit to teach for up to five years in one of the tribal colleges nationwide. Individuals who have Perkins, Direct, or Guaranteed loans may qualify to receive up to $15,000 in loan forgiveness. This program will provide these institutions with extra help in attracting qualified teachers, and thus help ensure that deserving students receive a quality education. I would be remiss if I did not recognize that former Senator Daschle was responsible for spearheading this initiative for a number of years. The tribal colleges lost a true champion, but I am pleased to carry forward his vision and support for the colleges. I am pleased that Senators Burns, Johnson, Dorgan, Kohl, Domenici, and Bingaman are original cosponsors of this bill, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I watched with great sadness this weekend as the world lost a remarkable leader and faithful servant. Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyla, was the leader of the world's largest church and shepherd to more than a billion Catholics throughout the world. In my home State of North Dakota, more than 130,000 Catholics are mourning the Pope's death this week and praying for the repose of his soul. I join these faithful and millions of others in grieving for the Holy Father who spread a message of peace and charity during his 26-year-long pontificate. Reflecting on the Pope's legacy, I will forever admire his bravery, both in answering God's call and in challenging corrupt governments for the sake of humanity. In his first mass at St. Peter's Basilica in 1978, Pope John Paul II called on Catholics throughout the world to ``be not afraid.'' The Pope spent his entire life living that call. Born on the eve of World War II, Pope John Paul knew the horrors of war; the Nazis forced him into labor when they invaded Poland in 1939. During this period, he found comfort in his Catholic faith and challenged the Nazis by attending illegal prayer meetings. These experiences hardened his conviction that war is ``always a defeat for humanity.'' He again answered the call to ``be not afraid'' when he challenged the Soviet Union and the tyranny of communism in his homeland, Poland. Both as Archbishop of Krakow and then as Pope, John Paul II provided religious strength to those fighting these regimes. He is credited with helping to topple communism in Poland, and his steadfastness against oppression in all forms will forever be honored. There may be no event more telling of his commitment to bravery and mercy than the attempt on his life in 1981. After being shot twice, nearly resulting in his death, the Pope recovered and continued his public works. Two years after the shooting, he visited his attacker in jail and offered his forgiveness. Responding to this act of evil with compassion and grace, John Paul served as a witness to what humanity should strive to become. The world has lost a great leader and the father of a religious family. John Paul II will be remembered as a teacher and defender of the faith he was called to serve. He will be honored as a diplomat and as a revolutionary in the fight against injustice and oppression. And he will provide us ongoing inspiration to respect human dignity and the worth of all humankind. I am saddened by the loss of this just and holy man; however, I am joyful that he surely has passed to a more perfect place and is in communion with the God he served so faithfully. My thoughts and prayers are with the Catholic community and all those who mourn the death of Pope John Paul II.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. The short answer is I do not. Under the agreement that has been reached, all time has been allocated among these various amendments, so there is no time remaining to allocate.

Mr. CONRAD. I thank my colleague. Mr. President, the amendment before the Senate strikes the budget reconciliation instructions to the Senate Committee on Agriculture. The amendment deletes the requirement that the Senate Agriculture Committee report legislation that reduces outlays by $2.8 billion. It does not change the other budgetary assumptions for agriculture contained in the resolution. The fact is, agriculture has already contributed substantially to deficit reduction. We are far below in funding what the farm bill called for. We are $16 billion below what the farm bill anticipated. If the national media ever reported something incorrectly, they reported incorrectly the effect of the last farm bill on agriculture spending. You would have thought, reading the national press, that agriculture got an enormous increase, a 60-percent increase. Wrong. Agriculture did not get an increase, agriculture got less money. What they left out were the disaster bills we had been reporting and passing year after year. Here is the pattern of farm program spending, and this shows the spending went down. It did not go up. The national media just got it wrong. This is in the midst of a circumstance in which our major competitors are providing far more funding to their producers than we are providing to ours. Our major competitors are the Europeans. Here is what they are doing. They are providing $277 an acre of support each and every year for their producers. The comparable amount in the United States is $48. So they are outgunning us over 5 to 1. It is not just in domestic support. It is also in international subsidies, subsidies for export. Here is the European Union's part of world agricultural subsidies. They account for 87 percent of world agricultural export subsidies. This is the U.S. share--1 percent. They are outgunning us 87 to 1. Right now we are entering negotiations with the WTO to try to level the playing field. Let me remind my colleagues, this is what Europe is doing for their farmers. These are not Kent Conrad's numbers, these are the international scorekeepers' numbers, OECD: Europe, $277 an acre per year per producer; the United States, $48. On export subsidy, Europe accounts for 87 percent of all the world's agricultural export subsidy; the United States is 1 percent. They are outgunning us 87 to 1. We are just entering negotiations to try to level the playing field. Why would we ever unilaterally disarm in the midst of a trade dispute? We would never do that in a military confrontation. Why would we do it in a trade confrontation? Unilaterally cutting in the midst of the farm bill, in the midst of international negotiations, is a profound mistake. If anybody doubts what is happening, Europe has gone from being the biggest importing region in the world to the biggest exporting region, and they are now equivalent to us in world market share. Keep up with this strategy and America is going to become a second-class agricultural power. This year, USDA forecasts we are going to import more agricultural production than we will export. That is a stunning turnaround for the United States. We should not continue down that path. I thank the Chair. I thank my colleague and yield back my time.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, first of all, I thank the Senator from Florida for helping accept these modifications. I thank the leaders on both sides, Senator Frist and Senator Reid, for a determined effort in the last few hours to make certain this bill goes to the House in time. I think all of us have in our mind's eye the face of that lovely young woman. It is very much in my mind, the smile of that young woman. Her parents want to give her a chance. I think of my own daughter. We ought to give her a chance. And this is our opportunity to do it. I hope very much the House will give this a chance. I also thank my colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator Santorum, who first brought this to my attention this afternoon. This is the right thing to do, colleagues. Let's pass this.

Mr. CONRAD

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, if we might have a moment to review for our colleagues where we stand, I think it is important to do so at this moment. I alert our colleagues that we have nine more amendments in this queue. We have 33 additional amendments noticed. That is 42 total. We are doing just over four amendments an hour. If we continue on this course, we are going to be here until 2 or 2:30 this morning. There are a number of colleagues who have multiple amendments still noticed. I am asking colleagues to please notify leadership, please notify the whip, of what amendments you can wait on until another vehicle and another time. At this point, I plead with colleagues. Let us not have a situation in which we are here until 3 o'clock this morning. This is our opportunity now during these votes for Members to notify which amendments they are willing to hold off on. Please do that.

Mr. CONRAD. Modified by 224. Amendment No. 156

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, the previous Vitter amendment is vitiated because this is a replacement--it is modified.

Mr. CONRAD. Could we have order because we are going to be talking about something Members need to hear.

Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, let me very quickly explain why we are going to try this experiment on three votes. Here is the situation we face. In 2 hours we have done six amendments. We have 26 amendments in this queue. We have 40 or 50 amendments after that. You do the math: 20 and 40 is 60; three amendments an hour; that is 20 more hours of voting. Now, we can either subject ourselves to that or try to find a way to break through this morass and make more progress. The leadership has agreed to try on three amendments an experiment: 5-minute votes. Please, colleagues, let's see if we can't make this go more efficiently. Amendment No. 210

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