Tom Daschle

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. The sequence, then, is Voinovich, Feinstein, Specter, Carnahan, and Mikulski?

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Reserving the right to object. For clarification, are we limited to two amendments tomorrow?

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask the senior Senator from Vermont whether he requires a rollcall vote or if he will accept a voice vote.

Mr. DASCHLE. Plus the Bolton nomination.

Mr. DASCHLE. I modify the UC request that two or more amendments be offered tomorrow and that those amendments be accommodated.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I appreciate the majority leader yielding. Let me say, he has attempted to reach me earlier, and I have been tied up in important meetings. I did not know he was trying to reach me until just a few minutes ago. But I apologize for not getting back to him sooner.

Mr. DASCHLE. I would be happy to talk to the majority leader about possibilities we might entertain.

Mr. DASCHLE. If the majority leader will yield, that is not my expectation. As I said, both sides have been working to try to resolve the outstanding difference. I was hoping by now we would have resolved it. I was hoping we would be able to say that we now have a draft we can share with everybody. Unfortunately, that is still not the case. I can't imagine that this is going to go on much longer.

Mr. DASCHLE. Again, that would help a good deal, but that does not solve the other problem. There are many on our side who feel so strongly about this issue of accountability that they want to be able to see the language prior to the time they are asked to vote on the motion to proceed. I have to respect the wishes of those colleagues who have made that fact known to me. Clearly, it would help if we had that language. It would solve part of the problem.

Mr. DASCHLE. The majority leader is right. I think part of the language is agreed to, and I think a lot of our colleagues have seen that. But I think it is fair to say that both sides of the aisle would agree that a very significant part of this whole effort is the issue of accountability. And it is on accountability that we are still hung up, that we have this moving target. We have evolving language that still has yet to be nailed down. Were it not for the fact that accountability is so important, I think there would be a lot more interest in trying to see if we could resolve this matter. But it is a key question. Because it is, and because this moving target seems to be one that continues to change as we go from hour to hour and day to day, that is the issue. However, I will join with the majority leader, I would love to see both sides come together, finalize the language, and offer amendments if we are not satisfied with it.

Mr. DASCHLE. I ask the majority leader if he would yield for just a short response?

Mr. DASCHLE. Senator Lott and I talked about this very question last week. I understand his desire to move to the legislation. I said I would be supportive of an effort to do that. But there are two outstanding issues. The one that we talked about last week, and continues to be a very big concern, is what kind of a commitment we can get from the administration on overall funding. I had indicated at that time when we discussed this matter last week that even though that is critical to all of us, and even though many of our colleagues believe more strongly in that than any other question, that I was prepared to move to the bill even if we had not yet completed our discussions with the administration and our Republican colleagues about that, in spite of the fact that many of our colleagues were very concerned about taking that approach. The second issue, of course, has to do with having the language. The majority leader puts his finger on one of the concerns we have, but there are two. The first concern, of course, is what happens if you offer amendments. And, of course, that is subject then to a unanimous consent agreement that we accommodate Senators who have offered amendments in good faith. And I guess there isn't the confidence, at least right now, that we might even be able to get a unanimous consent agreement that allows Senators the confidence of knowing that even though they are amending the substitute that they have not yet seen, that it would be accommodated if ultimately we agreed to that substitute. So I think the larger question is one that many of our colleagues have expressed to me personally, even as late as in the last half-hour, and that is that they are just uncomfortable moving to a bill for which we have not been given any information. I think a lot of our negotiators are talking back and forth, and they are attempting to resolve the outstanding differences. The problem is that I will say at least 90 percent of our caucus has not seen even the first draft of the substitute. They are understandably concerned about committing to a motion to proceed before they have had a chance to even look at it. I think what I made clear to the majority leader last week was that we had to at least resolve the language issue before we could make the motion to proceed. I also supported, as 95 of my colleagues this morning did, the motion on cloture to proceed. But I am very uncomfortable asking my colleagues to accept language that they have not seen yet. I am told that we are very near this point of agreement that would then allow us to print a document that we could share with all of our colleagues and I think substantially increase the confidence levels about what it is we are agreeing to on the motion to proceed. So I hope that our colleagues could work extra hard in the next few hours and through the night and present us with an agreed-upon substitute tomorrow that we could share with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle so that we could all vote for the motion to proceed. I think there would be a strong vote for it. But that is really the essence of my concern. I am willing to put aside, for the moment, the funding question, even though, as I say, I cannot tell you the depth of feeling there is in our caucus about proceeding without some agreement. But I think it is very difficult for us to agree on a substitute prior to the time we have even seen it. So I again reiterate what I thought I expressed to the majority leader was my concern last week, and that would be the reason we would have to object at this time.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, today I share with my colleagues a summary of the key findings from our recent official congressional delegation trip to North Africa, Turkey, Greece and Macedonia. Those findings are outlined below, and they relate to opportunities for trade and investment in North Africa as well as prospects for rapprochement between Turkey and Greece and the admirable efforts of our troops to bring peace and stability to Kosovo. I have already shared these findings with the Secretaries of Defense and State and am glad to do so now with our colleagues in Congress. We had a number of substantive discussions on this trip that I believe will contribute to U.S. policy in these two important regions of the world. I am proud of, and grateful to, all the American personnel with whom we worked. They facilitated the educational value of the trip and are true ambassadors for their country abroad. I especially want to call the Senate's attention to the South Dakotans I visited on this trip. On a daily basis, South Dakotans are improving the lives of people struggling with drought in southern Morocco and picking up the pieces after ethnic conflict in Kosovo. I am impressed by the way individual South Dakotans are helping people throughout the world get another chance at a better life. In 1999 and 2000, Morocco suffered its most severe drought in a decade. Drought in Morocco, where 20 percent of the GDP is accounted for by agriculture, and roughly half the population is employed in agriculture, extracts a steep human toll. In that environment, experienced farmers, who have lived through and conquered the challenges of drought, can be the key to saving a crop, not to mention lives. Imagine the good fortune for the Moroccan community just outside of Essaouira when they were assigned two Peace Corps volunteers from Brookings, South Dakota, with several decades of experience in farming. Just a few years ago, after raising their children and putting them through school, Frances and Harris Davis sold their family farm in Elkton, SD and joined the Peace Corps. They joined, in the words of Fran Harris, to give back some of the blessings they had received in their years as farmers in Elkton. For more than two years, family by family, the Davises have been improving the lives of countless Moroccans. They have helped Moroccans with land and water management in the midst of a crippling drought. Because tools are scarce in their region, they have become a resource to cash-strapped farmers throughout southeastern Morocco. And using the experience they gained making their own farm vehicles work, they have even been mechanics for numerous vehicles, including the water truck in a thirsty town. Not only are the people they have helped much better off. The United States, because of the goodwill that Fran and Harris have generated, is also better off. And the same is true of the three South Dakotans, and their families, I met at Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey. These individuals are key members of U.S. Operation Northern Watch, ONW, an operation that has been successful in protecting Turkey's Kurdish minority for much of the last decade. Col. Maurice H. Forsythe, born in Brookings and a graduate of South Dakota State University, was deployed to Incirlik with his wife Tamara and their son Riley. Colonel Forsythe was Combined Forces Air Component Commander for Operation Northern Watch, coordinating all flight activity out of Incirlik. Notwithstanding an Iraqi bounty of $14,000 for any Iraqi who downs a ONW aircraft, the U.S., Great Britain, Turkey coalition has not yet lost an aircraft, a tribute to Col. Forsythe's leadership and hard work. Captain Pat Castle, of Sioux Falls, was deployed to Incirlik last year. While Captain Castle fulfills his duty with the Air Force, he and his wife Angie are also raising their 1-year-old daughter Paige on the base at Incirlik. Senior Airman Krissy Sayles of Lead, SD, was also deployed to Incilik late last year from Shaw AFB in South Carolina. Krissy Sayles provides logistical support to the U.S. and British personnel and airplanes that are enforcing the no-fly zone in Iraq and has provided the same service in assignments throughout the Middle East. Compounding her sacrifice, her husband, also in the Air Force, remains in the U.S. while Senior Airman Sayles works halfway around the world in Turkey. Paul E. Poletes, also of Sioux Falls, is a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Athens. Paul Poletes is responsible for making sure that U.S. personnel in Athens have the infrastructure they need to advance U.S. interests in Greece and the European Union. Paul and his wife were recently assigned to Bangladesh, where he will work to advance the interests of the United States as well as help Bangladeshis, one of the world's poorest countries. Our delegation also visited Camp Able Sentry in Skopje, Macedonia to meet with the U.S. and NATO personnel who have done so much to stabilize Kosovo. U.S. Army Sergeant Jonnie D. Larsen, a 1989 graduate of Menno High School, was deployed to Kosovo with his battalion from Baumholder, Germany. U.S. Army Platoon Sergeant Michael Mewherter, from Bowdle, SD and a 1987 graduate of Clear Lake High School, was also deployed to Kosovo from Fort Bragg, NC. Among the many compliments for the hard work of Americans serving in Kosovo we heard on our trip, two stand out. The first was from KFOR Commander, Italian General Cabigiosu, who said the U.S. component was the glue that kept NATO's KFOR together. And the second is from the children of Kosovo, who admire Sergeant Larsen, Staff Sergeant Mewherter and the rest of the American servicemen and women as the force that returned their stability and their future. We ask our servicemen and women like Jonnie Larsen and Michael Mewherter to do a lot. Time and again, including this time, when both these young men were deployed to Kosovo for several months without their families, they respond. Americans from each and every state are having a positive impact on the lives of people the world over. I was fortunate to see how these seven individuals from South Dakota have done such a fine job. Their efforts make me proud, America stronger and the world better. I ask unanimous consent that a summary of the key findings from our recent official congressional delegation trip to North Africa, Turkey, Greece and Macedonia be inserted in the Record at the close of my remarks.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I appreciate the opportunity today to honor two very special people from my hometown of Aberdeen, SD. Alyce and Jack Berggren have contributed tirelessly to the arts of South Dakota, and I am blessed to call Alyce and Jack my long-time friends. Alyce Bedrosian grew up in Chicago in an Armenian family. After earning a masters degree in piano from Northwestern University, she was hired by Northern State Teachers College in 1947. Though she carried a return train ticket from her concerned father, Alyce decided to remain in South Dakota. She never used the ticket. Jack Berggren's boyhood was spent a world away in Scottsbluff, a small town in western Nebraska. He studied voice at Hastings College in Hastings, NE, and came to Northern State University in Aberdeen in 1949. There, he met Alyce, and they began performing together. In Jack's own words, he married his ``accompanist'' in 1950. For almost half a century, the Berggrens have touched the lives of countless NSU students and music lovers of the northern plains. ``Dr. B.,'' as his students affectionately call him, taught voice, directed choirs and served as the NSU Dean of Fine Arts. His annual Messiah performances rekindle fond memories among many Aberdonians. Alyce continues to define excellence in piano performance and teaching, regularly accompanying students to this day. Over two decades ago, friends, faculty, alumni and students surprised the Berggrens with a musical thank you. In 1978, to honor both Jack and Alyce, their community sponsored ``The Gala Concert for the benefit of the Northern State College Music Department.'' In addition to NSU music students and faculty, the concert included the Aberdeen Barbershop Chorus and the Elks Chorus. Gala II was held in 1989, and this year, May 5, marks the third Gala concert. I am pleased to know that the Johnson Fine Arts Center will once again display the talents of those touched by the Berggrens. I only regret that I cannot be there in person to enjoy the event and the company of Jack and Alyce. Instead, I hope this statement will serve as my small contribution and a symbol of immense gratitude to Jack and Alyce for their contributions to the musical arts in South Dakota.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to a very special person in South Dakota who has dedicated many years to the Northern Black Hills' Retired Seniors Volunteer Program. Today, the directors and volunteers of this RSVP program will gather at their annual recognition banquet to celebrate the dedication and hard work of Kathryn Cole, who is retiring from this RSVP community after 21 years of service. In fact, for 20 of those years, Kathryn served as the director of this important program. The generous gift of Kathryn Cole's time and experience has benefitted those around her in countless ways, and I truly applaud her ``can-do'' spirit, her determination, and her dedication to the betterment of the communities of the Northern Black Hills area. From Spearfish to Belle Fouche to Lead, Kathryn has sent hundreds of volunteers to serve and support local communities. With her warm spirit, she has always made a special effort to ensure that volunteers have the opportunity to participate in the activities that both interest and inspire them. From tutoring at local schools to delivering Meals on Wheels to offering services to the High Plains Heritage Museum and the Mathews Opera House, Kathryn has made an immeasurable contribution to the Northern Black Hills. There is a special feeling of satisfaction that comes only from volunteering. Through her tremendous leadership, Kathryn Cole has helped seniors experience that satisfaction with service to their communities. I know my colleagues will join me in honoring her dedication to improving the quality of life for area residents. We all owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Kathryn for such an invaluable contribution to the Northern Black Hills and the entire State of South Dakota. We wish her well as she begins her well-deserved retirement.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to honor a very special person. His name is Jim English. He is the Democratic staff director of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. In the course of the 30 years he has worked in the Federal Government, 23 of which were right here in the Senate, Jim has served the Senate and the American people with great distinction. I have had the privilege of working with and getting to know Jim well as he carried out his responsibilities on one of the most important committees of the U.S. Senate, the Senate Appropriations Committee. Very few people I have encountered in my time in the Senate--be they members or staff--have made as big a difference in the lives of everyday working people. Throughout his Senate career, Jim has constantly and consistently done what is best for the American public, regardless of their political persuasion and social status. Although he worked directly for our colleague, Senator Byrd, Jim has always had time to listen to and help deal with the needs and requests of any Senator who came to him seeking assistance. I have seen first hand his patience, his expertise, and his willingness to lend his considerable talents to help Member after Member do right by their constituencies. Perhaps the greatest tribute one can pay to Jim's professionalism and expertise is that he has managed to attain the absolute trust and confidence of Senator Byrd. Suffice it to say that such a feat is as major as it is rare. During his time in the Senate, Jim has set a standard of conduct and accomplishment that will be exceedingly difficult to match. In my mind, Jim has come to symbolize what we mean when we use the term public servant. I thank him for choosing to spend part of his life with us. We are all better off as a result. I wish him well in whatever he chooses to pursue in the next stage of his life and hope that others who follow in his footsteps remember the lofty standards he established. I yield the floor.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I come to the floor to commend in the strongest possible terms the members of the United States Navy crew who were detained on Hainan Island in China for 11 long days earlier this month. I think I speak for our entire nation when I say how much we admire their dedication and the extraordinary level of professionalism they exhibited throughout their ordeal. Under the command of Lt. Shane Osborn, this crew of 24 servicemen and women left Kadena Airbase in Okinawa, Japan, on the evening of March 31 for what was to have been a routine mission over the South China Sea. As we all now know, what happened after they left Okinawa, and for the next 11 days, was not routine. It was heroic. The entire world witnessed the strength, discipline and courage of our Navy crew. Every man and woman on that plane is a hero. I am especially impressed with the skill and character of a remarkable young man who first dreamed of flying as a 3-year-old watching a small Cessna on a South Dakota farm. We are fortunate that Lt. Shane Osborn pursued his dream to fly. And we are doubly fortunate that he put that dream to work in service of his country. Lt. Osborn says, modestly, that he was just what he'd been trained to do when he landed his damaged aircraft safely. Others see it differently. A Pentagon spokesman described the landing as a ``spectacular feat of airmanship.'' Experienced EP-3 pilots termed it astounding. Indeed, it was. Think about what had just happened: The collision with a smaller, faster Chinese F-8 had dropped Lt. Osborn's EP-3 between 5,000 and 8,000 feet and turned it almost completely upside-down; two of the plane's four propellers had been clipped in the collision, rendering useless the wing flaps used to slow the plane during landing. The collision had also sheared off the plane's nose cone. And most of the plane's instruments were so badly damaged that they were useless. Even so, Lt. Osborn managed to stabilize the plane, and he and his crew were able to guide it to the nearest airport, 70 miles northwest, on China's Hainan Island. Remarkably, during that 70-mile flight, Lt. Osborn and his crew had the presence of mind to follow international procedure and issue a series of distress signals. In fact, they issued as many as 25 signals on two separate standard frequencies. Lt. Osborn's crew and commanders say his courage and quick thinking saved 24 lives. After landing in Hainan, with their plane surrounded by armed Chinese personnel, Lt. Osborn and his crew followed U.S. Navy procedure. They destroyed sensitive documents and technology, greatly limiting what could have been a significant intelligence loss. For the next 11 days, Lt. Osborn's leadership, courage, dignity, and his remarkable sense of humor, helped keep the spirits of his crew high. We are fortunate to be protected and represented by the entire crew of that Navy EP-3: Richard Bensing; Steven Blocher; Bradford Borland; David Cecka; John Comerford; Shawn Coursen; Jeremy Crandall; Josef Edmunds; Brandon Funk; Scott Guidry; Jason Hanser; Patrick Honeck; Regina Kauffman; Nicholas Mellos; Ramon Mercado; Richard Payne; Mitchell Pray; Kenneth Richter; Marcia Sonon; Curtis Towne; Jeffrey Vignery; Wendy Westbrook, and Rodney Young. As a South Dakotan, I must say I am especially proud of Lt. Shane Osborn, who followed his dream from Mitchell, SD, to the Norfolk, Nebraska Civil Air Patrol, and now, into the pages of Naval history. He is a true hero, and we are proud of him.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, FMD, and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, BSE, among some of our closest trading partners is cause for heightened attention to our ability to prevent the spread of these diseases to the United States. Although the U.S. has not had an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease since 1929, and has had no known cases of BSE, their recent spread in Europe and other countries has raised serious concerns domestically. Given the extremely contagious nature of FMD, an outbreak in the U.S. could be catastrophic to the domestic farm economy, and would have serious ramifications for other economic sectors as well. BSE is not as contagious as FMD, but it causes a disease in humans that is fatal. Overall, BSE is much less well understood than FMD, which is itself a risk factor. I appreciate the significant work of USDA and other agencies to control the threat that FMD and BSE may pose to human health, in the case of BSE, and the health of domestic livestock and wildlife. However, we must do more, and we must do it quickly. I believe that the Administration's efforts would benefit from greater coordination among federal agencies, and increased attention to the availability of public information. Additionally, Congress needs data relevant to the development of longer-term disease prevention and management strategies, and guidance as to whether the Administration will require increased statutory or funding to respond to this situation appropriately and expeditiously. In an effort to contain the spread of FMD, South Dakota has instituted restrictions on individuals traveling from countries with confirmed cases. However, American embassies in the European Union, and possibly other countries, are not aware of these restrictions related to its containment. Additionally, airport and airline personnel appear to be inadequately informed about the need for travelers re-entering this country to take appropriate measures to avoid introducing the disease to U.S. livestock or wildlife. A constituent of mine recently reported that a visitor coming to South Dakota from France contacted the American Embassy there to inquire about potential restrictions prior to his trip, but was told they knew of none. In fact, the state of South Dakota has banned visits to farms, sale barns and a list of other facilities for five days prior to travel, and contact with livestock or wildlife for five days after arrival in the U.S. In another incident, two producers who were part of a tour group returning from Ireland through Chicago O'Hare International Airport independently sought out disinfectant for their shoes and other belongs before returning to the state, after realizing that no airport or airline personnel were requiring travelers to take any such precautions. This week I have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to draft a bill to address these needs. Today, I join Senators Harkin and Hatch, and over 40 of our colleagues, to introduce The Animal Disease Risk Assessment Prevention and Control Act of 2001. The bill would require USDA, in consultation with other relevant federal agencies, to submit what I think will be very valuable information to Congress, in the shortest time feasible. First, the bill would require USDA to provide information about the Administration's FMD and BSE prevention and control plan, including: 1. how federal agencies are coordinating their activities on FMD and BSE; 2. how federal agencies are communicating information on FMD and BSE to the public; and 3. whether the Administration needs additional legislative authority or funding to most appropriately manage the threat that FMD, BSE, or related diseases may pose to human health, livestock, or wildlife. Second, the bill would require USDA to provide information relevant to a longer-term disease prevention and management strategy for reducing risks in the future, including: 1. The economic impacts associated with the potential introduction of FMD, BSE, or related diseases into the United States; 2. The potential risks to public and animal health from FMD, BSE, and related diseases; and 3. recommendations to protect the health of our animal herds and our citizens from these risks, including, if necessary, recommendation for additional legislative authority or funding. One of the most important steps we can take to prevent the introduction of FMD and BSE to the U.S. is also one of the simplest: improved access to information. In addition to the actions USDA, FDA and other agencies are taking to control the diseases, it is imperative that the State Department, the Department of Treasury, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, and other agencies act immediately to provide the best possible information to travelers, the military, and others, including news of sanitation, travel restrictions, and other precautions. Again, I commend the actions USDA and other agencies to prevent the incidence of these diseases abroad from creating a crisis in the U.S. I think we all appreciate the sensitivity of this issue, and that no one gains from exaggerating or misrepresenting potential risks in a situation such as this. Neither would the U.S. benefit in the long run by limiting trade with other countries for reasons other than those that are purely health and safety-related, and can be scientifically substantiated. At the same time, we have every right to protect the health of our domestic livestock industry in a pro-active and comprehensive manner. To that end, I look forward to passing this legislation quickly, so we can ensure that the Administration has the information and resources it needs to respond to this situation and to ensure that the public is fully aware of the steps being taken on their behalf.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, this amendment addresses a huge, but simple problem. American Indians and Alaska Natives were guaranteed health insurance. They are not getting it. The Indian Health Service is supposed to provide full health coverage and care to every Indian in the country. In fiscal year 2002, the cost of that care is conservatively estimated at $6 billion. The IHS budget for those Personal Clinical Services is $1.8 billion. My amendment would give the Indian Health Service the $4.2 billion it needs to provide the basic, essential health coverage it is required to provide. What is happening now without that critical funding? Health care is being rationed, often with tragic results. Indians are being told they face a literal ``life or limb'' test. They cannot see a doctor unless their life is threatened or they are about to lose a limb. They are told they have to wait until they get worse; then, if there is any money left, they might get treatment. Non-emergency care is routinely denied. It's hard to believe this is happening in America in 2001, but it is. And the pain is felt not just in Indian Country, but also in the surrounding areas where non-IHS facilities try to fill in some of the treatment gaps. Because IHS has no money to reimburse them, they are facing their own budget crises. The problem is real; the solution is simple. Give the Indian Health Service the funds it needs to provide 2.45 million Native Americans the health benefits they have been promised.

Mr. DASCHLE. I will be happy to respond to my good friend, the distinguished Senator from Texas. She, and my colleague from Delaware, Senator Biden, are correct. Last session we made a promise to consider legislation to provide Amtrak with the authority to issue tax credit bonds for capital improvements. This bonding authority is critical to Amtrak's future and to the economic health of the Northeast and many other areas of the country. Last year, I discussed this issue with members of my caucus. We had a very spirited discussion on the morning of December 15, and I know how strongly they support Amtrak and this legislation. We kept our promise and re-introduced this praiseworthy legislation earlier this year with 51 original co-sponsors. Amtrak supporters will not give up on passing it and we promised to help them accomplish this task. I yield the floor to the majority leader.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. If the majority leader will yield, I only add my voice to the majority leader's. He has spoken for both of us again in complimenting our chair as well as our ranking member. This is the first managerial responsibility, under our Budget Committee, that our ranking member has had. I must say, he has made us all proud and very grateful. He has done an extraordinary job. And his staff has been very helpful, as we worked through many of the legislative landmines we faced over the course of the last several days. I would also like to thank our Democratic whip, Senator Reid of Nevada, for the outstanding job he did in helping our ranking member and working through the many challenges we faced. He, as he always does, has been just a tremendous workhorse. Senator Reid deserves our thanks and our debt of gratitude as well. I thank the majority leader for yielding.

Mr. DASCHLE

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I strongly support the amendment offered by Senators Frist and Feingold. It is a timely amendment that addresses not only a humanitarian crisis, but a key threat to U.S. national security. I commend the sponsors for drafting an amendment that will keep the United States in a leadership role on this critical issue. HIV/AIDS is a public health crisis throughout Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. There are more than 50 million people infected with HIV worldwide; more than 25 million of them are in Africa, where some countries experience infection rates between 10 and 20 percent of the population. In India, there are 3500 new cases of HIV daily, and the World Bank projects that India will have 35 million people with HIV by 2005. Although prevention is key to halting the spread of HIV, because of the high costs of drugs and the woeful medical infrastructure, many of those infected are shut out of any treatment or care. This devastating impact on a large and growing segment of the world population threatens to produce an economic development crisis. It is striking down productive adults, impacting agricultural and economic output in many countries, and creating an estimated 13 million orphans, who face increased risk of malnutrition and reduced prospects for education. Some estimates suggest that the number of orphans will grow to 40 million in the next decade. This amendment provides the United States with the resources it will need to confront this threat. The President's budget allowed for a 10 percent increase over last year's spending, but this challenge demands a more robust American response, and the Senate is responding here tonight. This amendment is the first step, a very good first step, in that response. I am encouraged by a study released yesterday by Harvard University that this problem is, in fact, surmountable. It will, however, demand that we follow through on the next steps in this fight making drugs available at affordable prices and providing the medical infrastructure these countries need to meet this threat. It is a threat we can address, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to address it.

Mr. DASCHLE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. DASCHLE. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 349

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.